《Owari no Chronicle》 Volume 1, Prologue: Saint’s Song Volume 1, Prologue: Saint¡¯s Song He called out. She sang. Those words continued until the sound completely vanished. It was night. An area of land emitted light below the darkness of the heavens. It was a city. In the center of this city, a large white structure sat where the railways gathered. This train station building stood eight stories tall. The second storey of the north entrance was made into a large terrace with the words ¡°Tachikawa Station North Entrance¡± displayed in blue. The clock on the opposite building reads 10 PM. The station building¡¯s workers had left for the night, but the last train was still a long way off. However, no one could be seen in the station, on the station terrace, or on the traffic circle in front of the station. Below a row of green-leaved trees along near the traffic circle was a line of cars. However, not one of these cars was moving. No buses were running either. The train tracks stretching away from the station had no trains running on them. The entire area was deserted. A single noise could be heard in that still world. It came from above. It was on the eastern side of the upper levels of the station building. Specifically, a tenant window on the seventh floor. Someone was beating on the window from within. The silhouette visible through the glass was feminine. She suddenly stopped moving. Then she left the window and ran in the opposite direction. The very next moment, a new shadow appeared in the window. Taking the place of the feminine figure was a large silhouette over two meters tall. It slammed into the window. The window bent, bulged out, and then broke when it could no longer withstand the force. A single shattering sound could be heard. It was followed by the sound of shards spraying out into the air. Three silver arcs shot out the window as if trying to scratch at those glimmers scattering through the air. They were claws. Those arcs of light scratched at the flying glass shards with compact movements. The giant shadow the claws belonged to turned around as it swung its arm. In the space of half a breath, the shadow disappeared from the window frame. It was pursuing the fleeing feminine figure. The outside wind blew into the building as if following after the shadow. After hours, the train station building¡¯s escalator landing only had the bare minimum of illumination. A single figure was stopped there gasping for breath. The emergency lighting showed a girl with disheveled hair and wearing a blazer. The girl held a large black case and the floor number printed yellow on the floor below her feet read ¡°3¡±. If she turned around and continued down another floor, she would reach the second floor. ¡°I can get to the terrace from there,¡± she said before coughing. She coughed twice and then thrice before raising a trembling voice. ¡°You have to be kidding me¡­ What is this? What is attacking me?¡± The dry cough continued after she spoke and it only further dried the air in her lungs. She bent over and her lips formed voiceless words: I¡¯m sorry. I was an idiot to not come home right away. She strengthened her grip embracing the black case in her arms. A flute symbol could be seen next to the maker¡¯s logo on the top of the case. A single piece of paper was balled up in the side pocket. She caught sight of the white of the ribbon attached to the paper. ¡°All my bad luck started here. Three years of bad luck. And now when I lose my nerve and come to hide in my usual spot, my security guard grandfather is gone¡­ And then a strange shadow starts swinging blades around¡­¡± Before that had happened, she had thought she had heard some kind of odd voice. The voice had reverberated in her head. That had woken her up. She tilted her head while wondering what that had been, but she quickly swung her head back into place. ¡­I need to run away before that shadow catches up. She breathed out and a noise reverberated from overhead as if in response. Running footsteps that sounded like stakes being driven into the ground were approaching from directly upwards. ¡°¡­!¡± She grabbed the strap to her case and moved gracefully toward the escalator. She chose to continue down. Down, down, down. Down to the second floor. Every additional element of the situation only told her to hurry. She ran down the aluminum steps. Solid sounds rang out every time her leather shoes slammed down on the steps. She heard footsteps from above overlapping with her own rushed footsteps. But it did not all come to an end there. ¡°¡­Wind?¡± It came from outside. It came from the building¡¯s northern wall, the same wall as the window she had knocked on before. A single sound approached that wall from outside. It was a deep, long, wide, reverberating, and low sound. What? she thought and braced herself. In the next moment, the building shook as if it had been struck from the side. ¡°¡­!?¡± The noise was tremendous. Just like the sound of a passing airplane, this explosion of air robbed her of all her bodily senses. Her entire body trembled and the hair all across her body stood on end. Her running feet were stopped in an instant. The great roar she could feel in the core of her body passed at high speed from the east to the west. The sound of wind that followed behind it also shot by to the west and into the western sky. Silence followed. She all of a sudden realized she had been released from the noise. She shook her body once and took a step. Her legs trembled and her body filled with strength. Her will begged her to move forward. I need to go, she realized. She took a deep breath, looked down, and saw the escalator ended after only a few more steps. Hurry, her feelings shouted, but the information provided by her vision brought those feelings to a halt. A slight darkness covered her vision. It was the shadow of the escalator landing above. The footsteps from above disappeared within her ears. ¡­Something is¡­! Before she could think ¡°coming¡±, she acted. She strengthened her grip on the strap in her hand. ¡°Sorry.¡± She swung the case upwards in a motion similar to a golf swing. Her vision turned upwards. The black shadow fell down into the upwards path of her strike. She hit. The corner of the case struck the shadow right in the flank. It was knocked away. The case at the end of the strap and the case¡¯s contents weighed over five kilograms. The resentment behind that weight came both from this chase and from her three years with the instrument inside. With the sound of flesh being struck, the shadow doubled over. The case broke and the instrument inside scattered about. The shadow¡¯s body was knocked to the right. But the cold light in the shadow¡¯s hand was still swung down toward her. And then she finally realized something. What she had thought were blades were actually giant claws. And the owner of these claws was a large beast. As her eyes focused on those claws, the corner of her vision showed that shadow of a giant beast take the same stance as a human. Everything after that happened in a single instant. The claws swinging down from above smashed the side frame of the escalator, but the beast could not stop itself from collapsing. Its giant body fell down toward the neighboring escalator. ¡°¡­!¡± The beast let out a roar. The sound of an impact followed. But she did not hear that cry of protest. She only heard the sound of the instrument scattering across the floor. Sorry, she apologized in her heart. In the next instant, she fully lost her balance due to her previous attempt to evade. She fell down atop the escalator. She now gave her physical pain precedence over her emotional pain. Her momentum spun her around backwards. Her back struck the corner of one of the steps and she had the breath knocked out of her. Even her skirt was in complete disarray. But she grabbed the handrail and forced herself back onto her feet. From below, she heard the voice of the beast. The voice was filled with anger and rage and did not seem to know what had happened. She ignored it. She began to run, now with nothing in her hands. She ran down the escalator and to the second floor. On the left and right of this barely-lit floor were lines of boutiques. Every store was covered by a shutter. The girl would occasionally see this same sight when being led by a security guard. Today, she ran by it all. She was focused on the glass door at the end of the floor. That door alone had no shutter covering it. If she left that door, she would reach the large entrance to Tachikawa Station that cut across north to south on the second floor of the station building. She tried her best to open or unlock the door. She then slammed her shoulder into the glass door. It was a dull impact. However, that pain slowly pushed her through to the other side. The door to that after-hours station building opened. ¡°What¡­is going on?¡± said the girl as she tumbled out into the fresh air. Her knees landed on the tiles of the entrance floor. She was surrounded by a vast, deserted space. The Tachikawa Station entrance was about 15 meters wide. She suddenly felt something on the back of her right hand. It was a soft, damp sensation. She looked down to find a cat. The brown cat still had some youth remaining. But the presence of this cat sent a chill running down her spine. She could see no sign of anyone else in the area. She had seen no one but the shadow that had attacked her. The traffic circle she had earlier seen from above had also been deserted. Thinking the cat might be the same as her, she picked it up. In the instant their gazes met, the cat had been looking up at her, but its eyes narrowed when she lifted it from the ground. And that was why she decided to take it with her. She stood up. ¡°I need to get to the northern terrace,¡± she muttered as she looked to her right where the northern end of the entrance led to the terrace. And that was when a wind accompanied by a metallic noise dropped down onto the traffic circle beyond the terrace. She looked up and saw the wind surrounding on the traffic circle had a giant gray form. It was a giant gray humanoid machine. For the upper body to stick up above the terrace, it had to be at least 10 meters tall. It was a fully gray-¡­ ¡°Robot? No¡­Armor?¡± As if to answer the girl¡¯s question, the giant silhouette stood up. And then it turned to face her. The gray giant had a single blue light where its eyes would be. The girl felt like she was being watched. Her pulse seemed to freeze and she cowered down. She could not breathe and she realized for the first time that she was frightened. Meanwhile, the cat wriggled in her trembling arms. It seemed to be complaining that her arms were wrapped too tightly around it. The cat let out a sweet meow while showing no concern for the armor¡¯s gaze. That out-of-place noise made a bitter laugh escape the girl¡¯s lips. She realized fear meant nothing to the cat. The cat did not understand anything that was happening and therefore was not afraid. ¡°¡­¡± She let out a shallow breath. And as if that was a sign, strength returned to her body. I can do this. I can do this, she thought twice. To the left, there was a staircase leading down between the entrance and the terrace. Given that giant¡¯s size, it would have difficulty making its way below the terrace. She was 15 meters from the staircase. It would not even take her three seconds if she used all her strength. And so she immediately decided to run. She went all out from the very first step. However¡­ ¡°Ah.¡± Her right foot seemed to catch on something and she tripped. ¡°Wh-what!?¡± Her body jumped more out of surprise than pain. She looked down and saw her leather shoe lying in front of her right foot. It had torn from the opening to the side sole. It must have ripped when she had fallen on the escalator earlier. Oh, no. When she tried to stand up, she felt pain in her right ankle. She could not stand. Strength left her knee and she collapsed to the cold tile floor. ¡°Kh,¡± she groaned while looking behind her from the floor. The giant was holding its right arm toward her from beyond the terrace. Something like a tube was attached to the outer edge of the arm. It was obviously a cannon. It was targeting her. ¡°Ah,¡± leaked out another noise. She felt more noise coming, but swallowed it all down. She let out tears instead. And then she noticed the cat was standing next to her collapsed hips. As if worried about her, the cat was rubbing its head up against her leg. The girl reflexively picked the cat up once more. She then looked up and glared at the giant. In the next instant, some power exploded out of the giant¡¯s right arm toward her. She first saw flames. In the following instant, white smoke raced through the air. A high-pitched sound of something slicing through the wind raced toward her. A shell had been fired. It was coming. It was dangerous. She tried to stand up, but her ankle filled with pain and her hips collapsed back down. Nevertheless, she tried to stand up once more. ¡°¡­!¡± The noise that leaked from her throat was not a scream; it was anger at herself. The power this enemy had fired arrived in an instant. And it exploded. She opened her eyes. She noticed the wind blowing around her and also that the cat was still in her arms. ¡°I¡¯m alive?¡± She could not hear her own voice. Her ears were not working. She looked around while unsteadily sitting on the ground. The floor of the vast station entrance had smoke and wind racing across it. An explosion had definitely occurred. However, she was still alive. ¡°What happened?¡± She could faintly hear that question. Sound was returning to her ears. She could hear the sound of wind. And she looked in the direction that wind was blowing from. Backlit by the lights of the terrace and traffic circle was a single girl. She wore a white and black outfit and stood with her back to the girl as if shielding her from the gray giant. This feminine figure¡¯s long hair and long skirt were fluttering in the wind. She held a giant staff-like object in her right hand and held her left hand out toward the terrace. In front of her outstretched hand, smoke swirled above the terrace and a chunk of its floor had been gouged out. The wind raced by and the smoke lingering over the terrace was blown away. The giant still stood beyond the terrace. The cowering girl¡¯s question regarding what was going on was cut off by a high-pitched voice. The voice belonged to this new girl standing before her eyes. ¡°Sayama-kun. This is Shinjou. ¡­One intruder detected. Making contact.¡± Another voice replied to her words. ¡°I can see all that, Shinjou-kun.¡± This voice was male. And it came from very nearby. The girl looked up with the cat still in her arms to find a young man standing there. He was likely the person named Sayama. He wore white and black clothes that resembled a military uniform, he had a single stripe of white on the sides of his slicked back hair, and he had a sharp look in his eyes. ¡°Hm,¡± he muttered with a nod in the wind while looking down at the girl and the cat. ¡°How unusual.¡± He stretched out a hand and stroked her head. His fingers felt tough. The girl suddenly recalled the instrument she had broken. If this had not happened today, would she have ever broken it? And as soon as that question appeared in her heart, Sayama spoke. ¡°Well done.¡± Strength left her at those words. She felt as if her body was sinking into the floor. Oh, no, she thought, but she was already losing consciousness by that point. ¡°Now then¡­¡± Sayama supported the collapsed girl¡¯s back with a hand and lowered her slender body to the floor. The cat showed no sign of leaving her side. It remained with her like a guard. Sayama gave a bitter smile before turning toward the girl he had called Shinjou. He raised his elbow and scratched at his hair. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± ¡°Our enemies are 15 human-types and 3 Heavy Gods of War. Our main force has been deployed to deal with all of them. We have not had anything on this nice of a large scale in a while. I think we should have let the Concept Space fully take hold just beforehand.¡± ¡°It looked like Harakawa and Heo-kun were going nuts at an extreme low altitude a bit ago¡­¡± ¡°They were driving out the one over there. Ryuuji-kun and Mikage-san are battling the other two. But the northern entrance¡­just look. It¡¯s been blown away.¡± When Sayama heard what Shinjou had to say, he exaggeratedly shook his head and spread his arms wide. ¡°We even told Harakawa not to cause so much destruction. If our destruction rate goes up any further, we will never be able to apologize to the future world. Don¡¯t you think that delinquent needs to be tortured just once?¡± ¡°I am sure Heo-kun will tell you to be gentle with him.¡± ¡°How about you shut up!?¡± came a staticky male voice from Sayama¡¯s neck. Sayama looked down at the communications phone-mic attached to his neck and tilted his head in confusion. ¡°What are you talking about Harakawa? I am saying this for your sake and for the world¡¯s sake. I can introduce you to someone for that later. Depending on the voltage, I hear you¡¯ll be much more obedient in about 5 seconds.¡± ¡°Sayama, there¡¯s one important thing I¡¯ve always wanted to say to you.¡± ¡°What might that be? No normal praise will get any reaction out of me.¡± ¡°Go to hell.¡± After hearing the staticky sound of the transmission ending, Sayama brought a hand to his forehead. ¡°Honestly, he is such a troublesome guy. People with that much pride are only harmful to this world.¡± ¡°¡­Have you ever looked in a mirror?¡± asked Shinjou. ¡°I have. I check over myself thoroughly every morning and night, but what does that have to do with Harakawa?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing. I was only seeing once more just how strangely wonderful you are, Sayama-kun.¡± Shinjou spoke while continuing to face the giant beyond the terrace. ¡°How is that girl?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine. She is injured, but she did not lose.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Shinjou as she finally turned around. She looked at the girl sleeping on the floor and narrowed her eyes. ¡°I am glad. It was worth using up all of my defensive concept charms on that attack.¡± The giant began to move. It lowered its hips while creating mechanical noises. With each step it loudly smashed the asphalt below its feet. But it was not Shinjou that reacted to the sound of the ground splitting open; it was Sayama. He first lowered the hand on his forehead to his chest, raised it up next to his face, and then sliced it to the side. He then loudly snapped his fingers. ¡°Now then, Shinjou-kun. Double-check the situation with everyone before we punish this idiot who is disobeying the solutions gathered in Low-Gear.¡± Shinjou looked forward. The cannon on its right arm was aimed directly at her. ¡°So you¡¯re motivated because I have no defenses left? What a pain.¡± She brought her left hand up to her neck. ¡°This is Shinjou. We have made contact with the intruder and secured her. We are currently¡­¡± Before she could finish speaking, the giant machine known as a Heavy God of War fired. It all began there. The great power flying toward her was a large artillery shell with a metal outer casing. As this power tore through the wind toward her, Shinjou continued speaking. ¡°¡­engaging the enemy Heavy God of War.¡± As Sayama watched on, Shinjou spun her large staff around vertically with a single movement of her right fingers. The belly of the staff stopped on her right shoulder, leaving it lying vertically. With a single metallic noise, she grabbed hold of the front portion with her left hand. Her right hand ran across the side of the staff. Her right fingers were moving toward a single long panel made of something like glass. Her fingers wrote something there. ¡°We fear seeking power but do not fear using power!¡± The writing appeared in a blue light over the transparent panel and then disappeared. The shell arrived as if in response. But Sayama showed no concern about the shell from where he stood behind Shinjou. He was looking only at Shinjou. With a hand on his chin, he looked at her thin back, her slender hips, and her round ass. His eyes narrowed and he let out a breath. ¡°So beautiful. Give it your best shot.¡± Shinjou let out a bitter smile and operated her staff. She slid the portion in her left hand forward and a grip appeared. She grabbed that and pushed it in to cock it. When she pressed the trigger on the grip, the staff would fire a counter attack. And she pressed it. They could hear the sound of the air being split. Shinjou¡¯s body was knocked back. The output point on the end of the staff split open and burst apart. And in exchange for all that, a white light was emitted. The white light stabbed through the air and erased the flying shell. The light did not dim there. The white afterimage continued in a gentle upward curve and struck the gray God of War. There was a great noise of impact. The armor panel on the God of War¡¯s chest was smashed. The light that burst out held great power. ¡°!¡± A solid sound tore through the air and that giant form of over 10 meters had its head thrown backwards. A heavy noise followed as the entire mass of metal collapsed backwards. A hot wind blew through the entrance, passing by first Shinjou and then Sayama. And Sayama saw something. Beyond the wind, shadows were appearing from the staircases leading up to the entrance from either side. These bestial shadows looked like a wolf walking on two feet. They were over two meters tall. Six of them arrived from the left and four from the right. Sayama nodded as he saw them lower their stance in preparation for an attack. ¡°Now, the girl you attacked did not scream to the very end, so I hope you can give this some effort, too.¡± He began walking forward through the center of the blowing wind. His footsteps sounded loudly as he gave a slight smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go all out. I am just as lenient with everyone. I won¡¯t hold back.¡± Sayama¡¯s flowing voice joined his footsteps. Shinjou walked alongside him. She held her broken staff as if embracing it, opened her mouth, and began singing. It was a hymn. It was a verse of Silent Night. ¡°Silent night, holy night. Shepherds first see the sight. Told by angelic Alleluja, Sounding everywhere, both near and far. ¡®Christ the Savior is here.¡¯ ¡®Christ the Savior is here.¡¯ ¡± Sayama opened his mouth as he listened to the song. He spoke into the phone-mic on his neck. ¡°Everyone!¡± He swung up his right arm while staring at his foes. ¡°Let me say it here. ¡­The surname Sayama indicates a villain!¡± Shinjou gave a slight smile while singing next to him. Sayama returned the smile. ¡°I am giving you an order here! Do not become lost here and do not lose them. After all, if anyone is lost here, this world will become that much lonelier.¡± He took a breath and raised his head. ¡°Do you understand!? Then ahead! Ahead! Go ahead! Give these idiots a punch and a warning before they do anything stupid! And then bring them here! If you understand, then give me a response!¡± As he watched the enemies before his eyes, Sayama forcefully swung his hand down to the right. The right sleeve of his uniform stretched and let out a loud sound like paper being struck. Voices replied to him both from the phone-mic and from the area around him. ¡°Testament!¡± ¡°Okay,¡± agreed Sayama before continuing to walk forward. The crouched shadows before him were growling and seconds away from bursting forward. Sayama gave a slight smile and spread out his left arm. His right arm had already been spread, so it now looked like he was preparing to embrace his enemies. And while continuing to smile, he said, ¡°Now, how about we all come to an understanding!?¡± The story now returns two years to the spring of 2005. Volume 1, 1: Sayama’s Beginning Volume 1, Chapter 1: Sayama¡¯s Beginning It was probably at that moment When that which had been stopped Began moving once more ¡ªTo me, trying to find or soothe oneself is nothing more than an illusion. The privilege of those who know themselves Is being able to restrict oneself There is no more relying on others Below the blue sky were two rows of blossoming cherry trees. The road between those two rows led to a cement wall surrounding a large area of land. The stone gatepost at the opening to the west was inscribed with the words ¡°Taka-Akita Academy¡±. The schedule posted on the gate read ¡°spring break¡± and the gate itself sat open with no one to pass through. Once one passed through the gate, the central road continued with the cherry trees on either side. These trees were in full bloom as well. Continuing further led to a half hectare general sports ground to the right and a martial arts facility as large as a great hall to the left. Continuing straight on led not to a school building but to a faculty building. The school buildings were lined up in all four compass points with the faculty building at the center. This was all one school, but other than the six general school buildings, it was broken down by specialization. To provide a proper environment, some of the school buildings were surrounded by rows of trees, but others had a research plant equipped with a silo or an asphalt course for test driving. The buildings built very nearby those school buildings were the student dormitories. This school took up the area that would cover three-fourths of a city. It had a few shopping districts, farms, and factories on the grounds and a lot of the city¡¯s people lived inside it. And every facility within possessed a certain mark. It was the mark of IAI, the Izumo Aviation Institute. IAI supported this academy city. However, the academy was nearly deserted during spring break. This was even true for the western general school buildings nearest the main gate. A single figure could be seen at the 2nd year general education building just north of the faculty building. A boy stood on the 2nd story landing of the emergency staircase. Despite it being spring break, the boy wore his school uniform, blazer and all, and the buttons of his shirt were buttoned all the way up to the collar. His hair was slicked back and a single stripe of white could be seen on either side. Below that hair were sharp eyes and a sharp face. He was looking up into the sky. Floating in the blue sky were thin white clouds and the shadow of an airplane making a wide curve through the air. ¡°So the American soldiers at Yokota are not taking a break either. They also prefer high places like me. And they too do not return home even when they have the chance,¡± he said. He swung up his left arm and the sleeve slid down. A white scar could be seen on his left fist and he wore a woman¡¯s ring on the middle finger. A silver wristwatch was also revealed on his left wrist. The hands pointed to 2:30 PM. He pulled a single piece of paper from his pocket. ¡°Sayama Mikoto-sama. To complete the transfer of rights left with us by your grandfather, the late Sayama Kaoru-shi, we ask that you visit the Okutama IAI General Tokyo Facility on March 30 at 6 PM.¡± It was an invitation. That simple text was followed by an IAI map and the name of the one inviting Sayama. ¡°IAI section chief, Ooshiro Kazuo, hm?¡± ¡­The old man, hm? When Sayama¡¯s grandfather had died, that elderly man had been the first to come rushing over for the funeral. The tall, gray-haired man always wore a white coat at IAI. The two of them would speak every once in a while and the man seemed to enjoy it when Sayama called him ¡°old man¡±. But as Sayama looked at the invitation, he muttered, ¡°My grandfather was a corporate blackmailer, so what rights could he have had at IAI?¡± He turned around to find the emergency exit and the wall. The aluminum door was polished, but the wall was dirty with sand and dust. Out of sudden curiosity, he approached the wall and touched it. The sand came off and stuck to his finger. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Just as he wiped off his finger, the emergency exit moved a bit. A young woman in personal clothes poked her head out through the slight opening. As the bangs of her short brown hair waved, her blue eyes turned in the direction Sayama had been not long before. ¡°Huh?¡± she said and tilted her head. Sayama said, ¡°Over here, Ooki-sensei. You must have a lot of free time to be at school during spring break.¡± Hearing that, the woman named Ooki frowned and turned around. ¡°I was sleeping and-¡­wait, the same goes for you. Are you trying to fully enjoy your youth by staring into the sky in a place like this? Also, Sayama-kun.¡± ¡°What is it? If you have a question, then out with it.¡± ¡°Okay, my first question: Why do you speak like that to your teacher?¡± ¡°That is my acting style. You lose as soon as you question it, Ooki-sensei. Now, any other questions?¡± ¡°Okay, my second question: If I punch a student during spring break does it count as school violence?¡± ¡°It does not matter as long as no one finds out. So who are you planning to punch? This must be quite a troublemaker if they can anger you.¡± ¡°And my final question: ¡­Have you ever looked in a mirror?¡± ¡°I use one for a good long time every day. You really do like asking such obvious questions.¡± ¡°I was an idiot to try asking questions to someone filled with such originality. In fact, are you sure that acting style is okay?¡± In response to that annoyed comment, Sayama removed his hand from the wall and swiped it forcefully through the air. The cloth of the sleeve let out a noise. ¡°Do not worry. I act this way to everyone. I intend to head down that path in the future, after all. It may be selfish of me, but I do not want people to say I suddenly started acting full of myself when I grow up. ¡­This may give you some trouble though.¡± Ooki¡¯s neck relaxed and she gave a bitter smile at that last line. ¡°You should probably say that last part to the other teachers as well. Oh, but it seems I will be your homeroom teacher next year as well.¡± ¡°So you managed to get one of the best students in your class. Excellent work for a newcomer teacher with little authority.¡± ¡°Would you sympathize with me if I told you the other teachers were forcing the excellent but overly individual students on me?¡± Sayama placed a hand on Ooki¡¯s shoulder and nodded with a completely serious expression. ¡°If you seek sympathy, it is all over for you, Ooki-sensei. Although you may be almost there already.¡± ¡°Sorry, this is irritating me, so it would be nice if you would stop.¡± Ooki walked out onto the emergency staircase with her eyes half closed. She scratched at her head and said, ¡°Talking with you really exhausts me. You take everything so seriously.¡± Sayama gave a slight smile at that. ¡°Seriously? I-¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t? But you were elected vice president in the student council election and your grades are excellent.¡± ¡°True,¡± said Sayama with a nod. He folded his arms and thought for a bit. Three seconds later, ¡°I have never once gotten serious. ¡­I just can¡¯t make myself want to.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Sayama ignored Ooki¡¯s questioning voice and shrugged. ¡°Then again, everything I run across in school ends before I even have a chance to get serious. I was once scolded by my grandfather. He told me not to settle for being the ruler of a small place.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Ooki with a nod. She leaned up against the emergency staircase landing¡¯s railing. ¡°Your grandfather was an amazing person. Compared to him, I can see where you are coming from.¡± ¡°Yes. Compared to my grandfather who would give Japan¡¯s economy a nice smack from the shadows, the vice president of this academy city is nothing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more than nothing.¡± ¡°But it is true I have never actually tested myself. During the race for vice president, my opponent grew so desperate by the end that he even danced around naked in an attempt to gain more popularity. He was simply no match for me.¡± ¡°Were you the one that fired a bottle rocket at his butt while he was performing that nude dance?¡± ¡°No, that was Izumo while he was crushing everyone else in the presidential race. He even used a metal pipe as a gun barrel to increase his accuracy. Not something you would expect of a third year.¡± ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t ask who blew up the stage afterwards¡­¡± ¡°That would be for the best. Are you gradually learning how to get along in life, Ooki-sensei?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. But I¡¯m starting to get worried about being the next advisor for the student council¡­¡± Ooki frowned and sighed before continuing. ¡°Is school really that boring to you?¡± Sayama stopped moving when he heard that. He turned his gaze to meet that of Ooki¡¯s blue eyes. After a short pause, he gave a small shake of the head. ¡°I have no complaints with the school. It is true the student council election and the tests are all such small things that I do not need to grow serious about. However, that does not mean school is boring. It is only natural to feel that school is a small place. And I think that school has its own unique things to enjoy.¡± ¡°What a complicated child¡­¡± After falling silent for a short while, Ooki bent her back over the railing she was leaning against and looked up into the sky. Meanwhile, Sayama glanced at his watch. It was 2:50. ¡°Ooki-sensei, I think I should get back to my dorm soon.¡± ¡°Are you leaving soon?¡± ¡°Yes. After changing into a suit, I need to receive something similar to my grandfather¡¯s will.¡± Sayama opened the emergency exit. Ooki frantically got up from the railing and charged through the open door. Sayama also entered the school building as he closed the door. Sayama walked through the hallway alongside Ooki. The last school newspaper of the year was attached to the classroom-side wall. The First PR Club put out the paper weekly. It generally carried articles related to IAI and this issue contained the school¡¯s employment rate to IAI as well as a few other pieces of news. Ooki stopped as she looked over at an article at her eyelevel which was one level below Sayama¡¯s. ¡°They have detected an extrasolar star system with a high probability of being habitable. ¡­That¡¯s amazing!¡± ¡°It¡¯s only been discovered. Just looking at this article will tell you how difficult a problem anything further would be.¡± Sayama pointed at another article. The article¡¯s photograph showed a giant pile of machinery lying collapsed on a large area of asphalt. ¡°According to this, they created an 8-meter-tall bipedal robot and it failed spectacularly. The joints were made too weak so its knees broke just from walking. ¡­No matter what we may discover, it means nothing if we do not have the technology to use it.¡± ¡°Hm. So it¡¯s the same as spotting a good-looking girl but not knowing how to talk to her.¡± ¡°I am glad you are so wise. Is that something you told yourself as an excuse?¡± ¡°Well, last Christmas, some of my friends and I¡­wait, no.¡± When Ooki said that, Sayama realized she was looking up at his face. Why is she staring? he wondered. ¡°Is it that rare to see me smile?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that it¡¯s rare. It¡¯s interesting.¡± Ooki began walking once more. Sayama followed. Ooki asked, ¡°Can I ask you about your grandfather?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± replied Sayama. He had nothing to hide. And so he spoke. He talked about a lot as they walked. He told her how his grandfather had left the war during World War 2 and had begun researching something. ¡°And it seems the Izumo Aviation Institute was involved at the time. After the war, he used the connections and discoveries he had made as a base to set out into the financial world and become a corporate blackmailer.¡± ¡°A corporate blackmailer, hm?¡± ¡°He did a lot of pretty horrible things. ¡­Every time he was in the newspaper, he would give the following line.¡± Ooki nodded and cut in. ¡° ¡®The surname Sayama indicates a villain¡¯, right? I saw it once in a weekly magazine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. My grandfather was a villain through and through. When he saw some giant opponent as an enemy or evil, he would fight them by becoming an even greater evil. And¡­that is also why I do not want to grow serious about anything.¡± ¡°That is?¡± ¡°I am inexperienced. ¡®The surname Sayama indicates a villain.¡¯ My grandfather always told me my abilities were meant to perform necessary evils. However, I lost him when all he had taught me was how to do it.¡± ¡°So¡­ You don¡¯t know when the evil you perform is truly necessary?¡± ¡°Yes. I do not want to die, so there may be times when I will get serious. However, growing serious when I cannot tell if it is truly necessary is a frightening thing.¡± As he spoke, Sayama suddenly brought his right hand to the left side of his chest. As he brought his hand inside his coat and held his chest, Ooki spoke without turning toward him. ¡°It sounds like you have it tough in your own way.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he nodded. ¡°Then can I ask you about your father?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I never asked last year despite being your homeroom teacher, and¡­¡± The ends of her eyebrows lowered. ¡°I think this is part of a teacher¡¯s job.¡± Sayama nodded as he lightly held the left side of his chest. After taking a breath, he spoke. ¡°There is nothing to worry about. It is a simple issue. More importantly, how much do you know, Ooki-sensei? I am curious.¡± Ooki glanced upwards and folded her arms. ¡°Your father was adopted by your grandfather and he entered IAI at the same time as your mother. However, he was killed in the great Kansai earthquake at the end of 95. Your mother, um, well, brought you with her and-¡­¡± Ooki trailed off and Sayama smiled bitterly. ¡°Before I tell you not to worry about it, I need to correct some of that. My father died as a secondary casualty of the earthquake when he was sent by IAI for earthquake relief.¡± Sayama took a breath. He held up his empty left hand. That scarred left fist had a women¡¯s ring on the middle finger. The pearl decoration glittered a bit in the dimly lit hallway. Ooki turned to look at it as she walked. However, Sayama also looked at the ring instead of looking at her. ¡°Go where those precious to you are waiting, hm?¡± As his words deepened, Sayama felt as if something was moving within the left side of his chest. It was pain. And it felt like his chest was creaking. It was coming. And then Sayama saw Ooki looking up at him with her face completely pale. ¡°Sayama-kun. A-are you okay?¡± He tried to answer ¡°yes¡±, but he realized he was not breathing. When his body bent forward, he realized someone had suddenly started to support his chest. Ooki had caught him from below. ¡°Ah¡­¡± When he heard Ooki say that, all of his body¡¯s senses returned. He first felt exhaustion. He then felt he could breathe again and sweat poured from his back and legs. He brought strength to his legs to stand up, but Ooki was still lightly holding her arms out toward him. ¡°A-are you okay?¡± ¡°I am fine.¡± ¡°Really? Okay? You are okay?¡± ¡°I am okay, but that is not correct English.¡± His body was now obviously returning to normal. He nodded and said, ¡°I am fine, so do not worry. It seems I get stress-induced anginas from this topic.¡± ¡°Then why did you agree to talk about it?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to know? You truly are a horrible teacher if you forgot that.¡± ¡°Oh, but , um¡­¡± As Ooki began frantically waving her hands in denial, Sayama smiled again. ¡°What are you trying to deny? Think about it. I am free to say what I want. And you are free to support me when I fall. I would say you performed the better deed here. Don¡¯t you agree? But let me say one thing.¡± Sayama removed his right hand from his chest. ¡°My mother would often tell me she hoped I could do something one day. I have to wonder if she ever did anything. And now the child raised hearing that has no idea what he can do. And so I must ask: what should I do?¡± ¡°I see¡­ So you do not know what you can do.¡± Ooki nodded and her shoulders drooped. She looked up at Sayama and earnestly said, ¡°I finally understand why you are so extreme about everything.¡± ¡°I cannot overlook that. Who are you calling extreme?¡± ¡°What? You didn¡¯t hear me? I said it quite clearly. Is that a nose on the side of your head?¡± Sayama¡¯s left hand gave a lightning-fast flick against the forehead that had asked that question so seriously. ¡°Eeee,¡± groaned Ooki as she crouched down. Sayama brought a hand to his chin and said, ¡°Some teachers can say truly horrible things about their students.¡± In the end, Sayama did not leave his dorm until past four. It had taken time to put on the three-piece suit he had inherited from his grandfather and to prepare the seal and digital recording device needed for official records. He wrote down his time of departure at the dorm¡¯s reception desk and left. The sun was still in the sky. He walked through the gravel clearing located between the general school buildings and the dorm. It normally functioned as a faculty parking lot. He was headed toward the main gate. As he cut behind the second year general school building as a shortcut, he heard baby birds singing in the trees. As he listened, Sayama heard two sounds other than the chirping of the birds. The first was organ music coming from the music room on the second story of the school building. ¡°Silent Night¡­¡± He recalled occasionally hearing it on the weekends. However, this was the first time he had been able to determine exactly where it was coming from. He wondered who was playing it, but it was so perfectly played that he assumed it was not a student. And as the organ music played, another sound could be heard approaching. It was the sound of a motorcycle engine. Specifically, the low tone of a 4-stroke. As he heard that noise coming from the direction of the main gate, Sayama muttered, ¡°Izumo and Kazami.¡± He then walked out to the asphalt road west of the school building. He looked out toward the faculty building, the vast sports ground, and the martial arts facility. He spotted two people riding a motorcycle appearing out from the side of the faculty building. Despite the large amount of exhaust, the black touring motorcycle moved smoothly along the road. Aboard the motorcycle were a well-built young man wearing a thin brown coat and a girl with semi-short hair and carrying a black rucksack. The back bared by the girl¡¯s white sleeveless top pointed in Sayama¡¯s direction. The two were chatting while riding the motorcycle. Suddenly, the young man noticed Sayama. A friendly smile appeared on his fairly long face. ¡°Hey,¡± he said with a raised hand. He then stopped the motorcycle next to Sayama. The young man was over 180 cm tall and broad-shouldered, so he supported the weight of the heavy motorcycle with his leg. The girl swayed gently and rested up against the young man¡¯s back. The young man smiled with the girl leaning up against him. He looked up and said, ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going, Sayama you idiot? To go spew insults at someone?¡± Sayama brought a hand to his forehead and sighed. With a troubled tone of voice, he said, ¡°Izumo, unlike you, my brain is working properly. And I have never spewed insults at anyone, you sick bastard.¡± ¡°Sure, sure. Thanks for keeping up your acting style even during spring break.¡± ¡°No need to thank me. But should the three top members of the student council really be having this sort of conversation?¡± The young man, Izumo, smiled bitterly at that. ¡°Of course not,¡± he agreed. The girl leaning on his back turned their way. ¡°Sayama, you¡¯re going to IAI, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I am. Kazami, Izumo. What about you two?¡± ¡°I was just headed back to the dorm to have some fun with Chisato¡­kh!¡± As he spoke, Izumo¡¯s head twisted upwards. The girl named Kazami had grabbed at Izumo¡¯s head and jaw from behind. A delicate sound came from Izumo¡¯s neck and he gently fell backwards. ¡°Kaku, that is not what he asked. Sayama wanted to know where we had been.¡± Izumo¡¯s head came to rest on top of Kazami¡¯s thighs and he stopped moving. ¡°There, there,¡± said Kazami as she stroked his head. She then showed Sayama the black rucksack next to her and smiled. ¡°We went into the city. We bought some clothes, new music, and other stuff for the All Holiday Festival. Being on the edge of Tokyo really makes you forget all about culture.¡± ¡°¡­I see. But you two are third years and you live together, right?¡± The girl, Kazami, thought for a bit looking troubled, but then spoke. ¡°Well, that¡¯s how it turned out. Now, when I try to mingle with the others, they¡¯re overly cautious about how they treat me. My role in the dorm has become that of an older sister. An underclassman even apologized just for passing by me in the hall.¡± ¡°Your face seems to be turning to cement.¡± Kazami turned her head down, said ¡°Oh, sorry¡±, and relaxed her shoulders. She casually clapped a hand against Izumo who was lying motionless on her thighs. ¡°Don¡¯t turn into an idiot like him, okay? He abuses his authority as the son of IAI.¡± ¡°It seems to me you are enjoying that abuse quite a lot.¡± ¡°I know that, and that¡¯s why it angers me so much. He needs to at least take his student council job seriously.¡± Kazami raised her head to look Sayama in the eye. ¡°Oh, right. Sayama, I was thinking of having our first student council job for the term in the 2nd year school building¡¯s Kinugasa Library. Do you have time? The three of us can make some plans for the All Holiday Festival and Invitation Festival in the spring.¡± ¡°I have to head out today and I do not know how late I will be back.¡± ¡°We¡¯re leaving for the city again tomorrow afternoon, so how about 9 AM tomorrow in the Kinugasa Library?¡± ¡°I can do that,¡± agreed Sayama. He glanced over at the school building next to them. ¡°The Kinugasa Library, hm?¡± On the western side of the second year general school building¡¯s ground floor, an area four classroom¡¯s length across was sticking out. It stuck out about the width of a classroom. Inside this space was an area equal to eight classrooms. A look in the windows would show the backs of wooden panels. These thick wooden panels created the silhouettes of bookshelves. The room was a library. Almost the entire eight classroom space was filled with books and the hallway and basement had been used for extra book storage. That was the Kinugasa Library. As Sayama glanced toward the library¡¯s window, he heard Kazami speaking. ¡°The library created by the school¡¯s founder isn¡¯t a bad place for our first job, right? The librarian, old man Siegfried, may be unsociable, but he does put out tea. We used that place a fair bit during the election, so I was thinking we could continue to use it as our base.¡± ¡°This year¡¯s treasurer certainly is different.¡± ¡°I think the president and vice president will be quite different as well. But what do you think? Are upperclassmen like us suitable for someone as prideful as you?¡± ¡°I think that statement alone shows you can compete with me when it comes to pride. ¡­But at the very least, there is no one in this school who is better suited. Izumo Kaku, the son of IAI which supports this city of Akigawa, and Kazami Chisato, the girl who shares a room with him, are true problem children.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°There is no way you two are ignorant of what the world says about you. I respect you for your ability to continue acting like this regardless.¡± Hearing that, Kazami showed off her teeth slightly and looked down at Izumo who lay on her legs. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter what people say. Kaku may cause problems, but he is not a bad person.¡± ¡°The same goes for you, Kazami.¡± ¡°Then what about you, Mr. Family of Villains?¡± Kazami raised her head to look at Sayama. She glanced up and down his suit. ¡°You look good enough, but you make things difficult.¡± ¡°In what way?¡± ¡°I¡¯m having difficulty imagining who would stand next to you. I can¡¯t imagine someone to balance out your idiocy like Kaku is for me.¡± ¡°There is no one out there with enough power to handle me on an equal footing.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t what I mean.¡± Kazami gave a troubled smile. She lightly waved her hand front and back. ¡°I¡¯m talking about balance. Equals can only stand on the same side of the scales, right? You need a counterbalance.¡± Sayama thought on the meaning of Kazami¡¯s words. And, ¡°Someone like that would either be an opposing force or a hindrance.¡± ¡°So am I an opposing force or hindrance to Kaku?¡± That question was spoken with a small smile. Sayama relaxed his shoulders. ¡°I do not know the answer to that, so I cannot argue about it with someone like you who does know the answer.¡± ¡°Oh, how honest.¡± ¡°I am an honest person, Kazami. It is just that, for some odd reason, I seem to end up in trouble for it from time to time. Is this what they mean when they say an honest man will look a fool? Yes, our ancestors said some excellent things.¡± ¡°Okay, sure. If that¡¯s how you want to view it in your personal universe, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± Sayama smiled bitterly at that. He exchanged a glance with Kazami and spoke. ¡°Fine, then. I will admit relationships like yours and Izumo¡¯s exist. However, I am doubtful the same could happen to me. I also think it is a problem to even think about placing someone like that next to me.¡± ¡°A problem?¡± ¡°The surname Sayama indicates a villain. What do you put next to evil?¡± Kazami had no answer to that. She only let her shoulders droop and sighed. ¡°You really are a complicated person.¡± ¡°Ooki-sensei said the same thing earlier.¡± ¡°Everyone thinks it. We also wonder when exactly you will get serious about something.¡± ¡°I have never done it, so I couldn¡¯t say. ¡­And if I did, I am so inexperienced I would likely be afraid of myself.¡± ¡°¡­You really are complicated, Sayama.¡± ¡°You do not need to repeat yourself,¡± said Sayama with a smile before lightly tapping Izumo¡¯s back where he lay unmoving as if asleep. ¡°You¡¯re awake, right? Hurry on back and dive headfirst into your unrestrained lifestyle.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± muttered Kazami as she looked down. Izumo opened his eyes. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°No, not ¡®hey¡¯. If you came to, why didn¡¯t you get up?¡± ¡°You smell really good, Chisato.¡± Izumo¡¯s eyes bent upwards happily as Kazami blushed. ¡°Ha,¡± laughed Sayama before patting Kazami on the shoulder, turning his back, and walking off. He continued toward the main gate. As he did, he noticed a new figure. Someone was walking down the stairs from the second floor of the 2nd year general school building. It was a tall elderly man. He wore a black vest, black trousers, and black gloves. He was bald and had a beard. ¡°Siegfried Zonburg, the librarian.¡± Sayama had spoken with him a few times during his student council work. The man used only the bare minimum of words. ¡°You do not often see him outside of the Kinugasa Library,¡± he muttered before continuing on. He looked around once more and saw nothing but the scenery of the school near the peak of spring. ¡°Such a peaceful place¡­¡± Behind him, he heard repeated sounds of flesh being struck followed by screams from Izumo. The sun was setting in the west. Below that setting sun, even a forest surrounded by mountains had light passing through it like wind. The forest was primarily made up of cedars. A single figure was fallen in front of one of those trees. The figure was sitting on the ground. This middle-aged man sat such that the sun shined on him from the side. His close-cropped hair was wet with something so it reflected the sun. The liquid wetting his hair dripped down his forehead and dyed the left half of his face a dark color. His clothes resembled a white and black military uniform. However, the left shoulder and left leg of that uniform had split open and something dark could be seen flowing out as he breathed erratically. He stretched out his left hand and scratched at the ground. With the blood in his eyes, he might as well have been blind. His left hand wandered across the ground. Eventually, he managed to pick something up from between the rocks and fallen leaves. It was a long gun made of metal. The side was engraved with something written in German. He embraced the gun tightly and took a deep breath. He stuck a finger into the pouch on his right hip. ¡°This is Tsuurin Daiichi. My current location is in the mountains near Point 3 between Okutama and Shiromaru. I succeeded in preventing the single enemy from escaping. I successfully read the enemy¡¯s string vibration and sent it in. Currently¡­everyone but me has been taken out. Please hurry.¡± A staticky voice replied from near his throat. It was a female voice. ¡°Testament. The special division is on their way. We will send aid for you as well, so withdraw.¡± ¡°Tes. ¡­Or so I¡¯d like to say. Unfortunately, my leg was taken out. And my healing tools and spells were destroyed along with it. I only have my favorite weapon left to rely on. ¡­When I asked you to hurry, I meant the special division, not aid for me.¡± He took a deep breath while sweating profusely. ¡°The enemy is from a faction of 1st-Gear¡¯s revolutionary army. Yes, a werewolf from the second royal palace faction. He likely came for negotiations with the pacifist faction. He must have had a 1st-Gear philosopher¡¯s stone because he turned into a wolf in this real world.¡± ¡°Do not speak. The concept space will be deployed in another five minutes.¡± ¡°Ha ha. Make it so a silver bullet will work. Also, young girl¡­or is it young lady? Anyway, you don¡¯t think this is our fault, do you?¡± He was met with silence. He cast his eyes down before continuing. ¡°Fine. It was our mistake for deciding to go. In the standard division, we have the right to choose¡­right?¡± Once again, he received only silence. Yet he did not stop. ¡°What unit are you from? Even in the special division, not many units have women in them. But I think there was one put together recently. A unit filled with beautiful UCAT-raised girls and women. I think it was the IAI-¡­¡± He stopped speaking. His eyes opened wide and he stood up by using the tree behind him as a support. ¡°Hey, when I get back, meet me with flowers. It¡¯ll be a triumphant return. What¡¯s in bloom this time of year?¡± ¡°Testament. I think Primula modesta and the like are.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re supposed to say you are.¡± He laughed and removed his right hand from the pouch. He moved the long gun from his left hand to his right. He bit the strap, used the stock and grip in his right hand to create three points of support, and faced forward. He heard wind ahead of him. A large shadow could be seen in the setting sun shining on the mountain. It was slowly approaching while swaying back and forth. There was no sign. He simply followed the sound of the wind and squeezed the trigger. A gunshot travelled across the forest along with the light of the setting sun. Sayama opened his eyes aboard a train running through the mountains on the way to Okutama. He had dozed off due to the setting sun shining on his seated back. And he had woken up due to¡­ ¡°The train has stopped?¡± He glanced around the train. The only passengers besides himself were two people seated a short distance away. One was a white-haired man wearing a black suit. The other was a white-haired girl wearing black clothes and seated next to him. They may have been father and daughter and they were looking outside the opposite window. Sayama followed their gaze out the window. There he found the mountains of Okutama. They were all formed from round shapes and no small hills could be seen. ¡°So we are around the second tunnel near Shiromaru. Only one more stop to Okutama.¡± He was familiar with the terrain here. He continued speaking while looking out at those similar-looking mountains. ¡°This is thanks to Hiba-sensei forcing me to run through these mountains.¡± ¡­If I had not learned the land, I would not have been found until spring. Sayama nodded and looked down at his left hand. His skin was white around the bones of his fist as if something had scattered across it. His eyes turned toward the ring on the middle finger of that scarred fist. ¡°It was also around here that we got out of the car when my mother took me with her back then¡­¡± he muttered. According to his watch, it was 5:30 PM. He was to be at IAI at 6:00 PM. When he calculated the time, his heart seemed to stiffen. He stood up, raised his suit collar to fix it with a snapping noise, and approached the two other passengers. The white-haired man raised his head. The man was wearing sunglasses, but Sayama could tell the man was looking at him. Sayama gave a quick bow. ¡°Excuse me. Why is the train stopped?¡± ¡°It received a stop signal. Once it is released, it will return to Shiromaru.¡± The man¡¯s tone had a bit of amusement mixed in and Sayama realized he was younger than he looked. Sayama had initially assumed he was elderly, but a closer look showed he was only just entering middle age. The girl next to him wore the black dress and white apron of a maid. She was not the man¡¯s daughter. ¡­I had heard the ownership of a lot of the mountains around here stretches way back. Sayama noticed the girl was holding a staff. It was a metal cane that could be attached to the wrist. It was clearly too long for her to use. However, Sayama ended his investigation of them here. He needed to know something else. ¡°Why is this train returning?¡± ¡°Maybe there was an accident.¡± ¡°I see,¡± nodded Sayama, realizing the man must not know the details either. Suddenly, the girl sitting next to the man looked up at Sayama. With her eyebrows lying flat and no discernible expression on her face, her black eyes that were almost purple peered deep into Sayama¡¯s eyes. She took a breath and then opened her mouth. ¡°My apologies,¡± she said in a low, fairly mature voice. ¡°Think nothing of it,¡± said Sayama before turning his back on the two of them. He opened the opposite window and heard the same voice as before from behind him. ¡°Are you getting out?¡± ¡°I cannot go back. Also, someone is waiting for me.¡± ¡°You are being hasty. The train might soon continue forward. Once you regret a decision, it is too late to turn back.¡± ¡°I do not know what god of advice you are, but let me tell you something. A decision can lead to joy just as easily as it can regret. I appreciate your concern, but I know this land. And is there anything truly dangerous in this world?¡± ¡°True¡­ That is very true. There is no danger in this world,¡± said the man before closing his mouth in a smile below the sunglasses. As soon as the man spread his legs out from the seat, Sayama stuck his legs out the window and jumped out. He landed on the gravel supporting the railroad. He ran out into the open air and onto the mountainside bathed in the light of the setting sun. ¡°¡­¡± Sayama did not turn back toward the train up the slope from him. He continued through the forest spreading out before him. He trampled the underbrush as he headed down the mountain. After only a few breaths, he sank into the shadows produced by the forest. The setting sun coming from the side and the branches of the trees drew a grid of shadows across him. This light and air were familiar to him. ¡°It¡¯s been two years since I stopped coming to Okutama. I suppose the Hiba Dojo is still around.¡± As he muttered that comment, he heard a metallic noise from behind him. A whistle sounded and the train began to move. He heard it move up toward Shiromaru. The sound of the receding wheels told Sayama he had made the right decision. ¡°Good,¡± he said with a nod as he quickened his pace. Shiromaru Station was an unmanned train station. When the train came to a stop, the few passengers disinterestedly exited onto the long, narrow platform. A short distance away from those bored individuals were the two people Sayama had spoken to just before. The white-haired man held the cane in one hand as he stood next to a card-only payphone located in the shadow of a private home outside the station. The girl dressed as a maid stood in front of him holding the receiver for the green telephone. She pulled a bundle of telephone cards from her apron like it was a deck of playing cards. She quickly lined the cards up in front of the green phone and turned toward the man. ¡°Itaru-sama. Why do you not carry a cell phone?¡± ¡°Because I am a coward, Sf. Remember that. If the phone rang, it would probably give me a heart attack.¡± ¡°How about I carry it for you?¡± ¡°No. You have not acquired the skill to take messages. If you cannot always answer as if I am gone even when I am with you, there is no point in you having a cell phone. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Tes. I understand that possessing one would be meaningless on a fundamental level.¡± The girl called Sf stopped lining up the cards while looking at him. She was lining up the well-used cards in order of number of uses. The punch holes showing the number of uses lined up perfectly without the slightest deviation. Sf casually picked up one card with few uses left and slid it into the green phone. She used her right fingers to instantly dial a number. A few seconds later, ¡°This is Sf. Registration Number 9609812B. Connect me to extension #0013.¡± Sf then handed the receiver to the man next to her. He took it and spoke. ¡°This is Ooshiro Itaru. Has Team Leviathan left yet, Sibyl? ¡­I see. I just met an interesting idiot. Something stupid is about to happen. A world of stupid false good and false evil is about to unfold. ¡­You don¡¯t understand? No, someone like you or Sf that has not woken up wouldn¡¯t.¡± As Itaru spoke, Sf inserted a new card into the green telephone. When the small sound of connection indicating three minutes had been added came from the receiver, Itaru nodded to Sf. He continued speaking as he saw Sf nod back. ¡°Sf confirmed this idiot¡¯s string vibration. I¡¯ll have Sf give it to you, so add this idiot¡¯s vibration to the string vibration of the concept space. It¡¯s the usual type, so this change should be easy and the outside will be visible, right? Drag him in from reality. ¡­What? You want to know who this idiot is? You¡¯ll know soon enough.¡± Hearing that, Sf asked, ¡°Itaru-sama, is it really okay to get him involved like this?¡± ¡°That brat has ignorantly decided that this world is a safe place. We need to teach him a lesson and a first-hand lesson would be best. From now on, he is sure to be overturned again and again. From here on out, he will deny all things because all things exist. He will deny joy because he knows joy. And¡­Yes, that will continue until the world is satisfied.¡± Itaru gave a small smile and handed Sf the receiver. ¡°Sf, tell them his string vibration. And then we will teach him what reality truly is.¡± Volume 1, 2: The Two Meet Volume 1, Chapter 2: The Two Meet A scream of rejection led to their meeting So which one did she really want? When Sayama came out onto the road down below, he tilted his head in confusion alone on the sidewalk. The cell phone in his hand would not turn on. He had checked the battery when leaving his dorm, but now the LCD screen was dark. He shook it lightly, but nothing changed. He thought it might have to do with the signal, so he crossed the two-lane road to reach the sidewalk on the valley side, but this also did nothing. He removed and put back in the general-purpose battery that worked in all small IAI devices, but to no avail. ¡°What is going on?¡± he muttered. But then he recalled the strange voice he had heard not long before. As he had been travelling down the slope, he had heard a single voice. ¡ªPrecious metals possess power. This had not been a reverberating voice amplified with a megaphone. It had been like a whisper from headphones he was wearing. However, a look around had had not shown any equipment that could have produced the noise. And now his cell phone would not function. He put the phone back in his pocket in confusion. According to his memory, he should reach several restaurants along the road if he walked a bit further. He decided to use a phone at one of them. Wondering what time it was, he glanced down at his watch. ¡°It¡¯s stopped¡­¡± His watch had stopped. The hour hand, minute hand, and second hand were all motionless. He frowned and put a hand in his pocket. He pulled out a digital recorder with the IAI mark on it. It was stick-shaped and the top had a red start button. He pressed it. However, the recorder did not respond. He remembered fully charging its general-purpose battery as well. While wondering what all this meant, Sayama realized something else. He looked around the area and then up into the trees of the forest. ¡°There is no sign of anyone.¡± Not many cars used this road. However, not a single one had passed by in the time he had spent climbing down the slope. On top of that, he could not see a single bird among all the trees. Suddenly, Sayama recalled that the train had returned to Shiromaru. He wondered what had happened. And then he heard the sound of something being struck in the distance. The sound had come from the tree-covered slope leading down from the road and to a river. ¡°That was a tree collapsing.¡± He looked and spotted a single distant tree on the slope that had begun to tilt. It was a cedar. The silhouette that resembled a green leaf-covered spire leaned up against the nearby trees and then collapsed. After seeing that, Sayama moved his gaze west toward the sun setting behind Okutama. After confirming that was his destination, he nodded. But then he heard another noise. And this time it was not the cracking of a falling tree. It was a scream. ¡°¡­¡± Sayama instinctually raised his head. He had definitely heard that distant, high-pitched voice. For an instant, strength filled his body, but then he stopped. He took a breath, frowned, and thought. He did not think for long. He only needed to remember his past. Just a single memory. He remembered when his mother had brought him into these mountains by car. ¡°So it is always me who is unable to keep his promises to meet someone¡­¡± He took another breath and brought his hand to the left of his chest. A slight ache from the past lay there, but he suppressed it with his breathing. He opened his eyes. The crimson-dyed sky lay before his eyes. Seeing that color, Sayama nodded and began moving. ¡°Okay.¡± He turned toward the valley-side forest below. His right hand loosened his necktie while his left shoulder slipped out of his coat in an instant. By the time the coat left his right shoulder, he had already stepped atop the guardrail on the sidewalk. He took a step. His footstep sounded lightly as he used the guardrail as a stepping stone to propel him into the air. As the coat still on his right arm flapped about, it created a solid noise as it struck his back. At that same moment, his feet landed on the underbrush of the slope. He began walking. His pace was much faster than when he moved down to the road earlier. He lowered his hips to almost slide down the slope. The sun had already started to set in the western sky that was hidden by the trees. Once it grew dark, the forest would be dangerous. He had to hurry. He lowered his hips even further to rush down the slope. He entered the forest and ran between the trees. His destination was the tree that had fallen earlier. Sayama ran straight there while treading on old, dry branches. He was not out of breath as he had a habit of running every evening. However, running on such bad terrain and the faint tension he felt did noticeably raise his body temperature. Even so, there was one part of his body he felt no heat in. That was his left fist. It alone felt cold. ¡°Ha,¡± gasped Sayama in what was not quite a breath and not quite a laugh. He was only about a dozen meters from his destination. He could hear a flowing river through the forest. He could see several depressions that had once been small streams along the ground. He jumped over them as he ran and raised his head. Between the trees, Sayama saw the setting sun sinking behind Okutama¡¯s mountain range. Dusk would arrive in less than 10 minutes. The forest would grow very dark. Hurry, Sayama called to himself. He then spotted some small lights. They were near the tree he was running toward. Light was reflecting off of something scattered across the ground. ¡­Did a hiker leave some trash behind? But he immediately rejected that idea. A hiker would not come this far to throw their trash away. They would do so near the trail or river. He put up his guard. He stopped next to the light on the ground and looked down. He saw¡­ ¡°Metal?¡± Black metal fragments were scattered primarily around the southern side of a large tree. And the fallen tree he had seen before was about five trees south of it. A cedar tree just barely too wide to reach around had fallen and the break was visible from here. Sayama looked over at that break where that loud noise had come from before. ¡°That is¡­¡± He frowned and fell silent. The tree had been sliced at about a meter up from the ground. It was a clean diagonal slice. About four-fifths of the trunk¡¯s diameter had been sliced through in a single blow without leaving any woodchips or sawdust at the base of the tree. The cracking sound Sayama had heard must have been the remaining fifth breaking. He smelled a slight odd scent. It stank of something burning. He looked again and noticed a slight charring around the cut. Sayama took a step forward to go check out the cut. But his right foot trod on something hard. He looked down and lifted up his foot. Sayama recognized what he found. It was a short tube made of the same material as the metal fragments scattered around the area. ¡°A gun barrel.¡± ¡­This is longer than the ones I have seen while staying at the Tamiya household. Perhaps it is not for a pistol. With that thought, Sayama checked the ground once more. He found some new information there. They were footprints. And three different kinds. The first was fairly old. They were large and had a mountain boot type of pattern. The second was smaller but had a similar pattern to the first. And the third was very strange and seemed to trample over the others. These odd footprints were easily over 30 centimeters long and had holes as if from spikes where the toes should have been. The information did not end there. An intermittent trail of dark wet spots approached from the south. Those wet spots continued to the tree behind Sayama. As Sayama held his breath and did not turn around, he felt a slight sensation fall on his left shoulder. It felt as if someone had tapped on his shoulder, so he looked over. A single dark spot could be seen on the fabric that had been dyed light red by the setting sun. What was that? As if in response, another one fell on his shoulder. It came from above. And in the next moment¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± Sayama unhesitatingly ran forward, to the west, and toward the river he could hear. He did not check what was above him. He already knew what it was. If he had looked up, his footing would have been uncertain and he would have been unable to move. That instant would have put him in danger. He had never been in danger before. And that was why Sayama began to run. ¡­Something is in that tree! The instant he was sure of that, he heard something drop to the ground behind him. It was the sound of two legs landing. Two legs supporting something large. He could hear the feet sinking into the ground. Immediately afterwards, a voice shot past Sayama and through the forest. It was a beast¡¯s roar. A howl. ¡­Is it a bear? But he denied that possibility. This beast had killed its prey, carried that prey into the tree, and then waited for Sayama to notice the corpse before attacking from above. The first set of footprints belonged to the victim in the tree. The second set had likely fallen for that trap. Sayama would have been the third victim, but only the second to fall for that strategy. ¡­Beasts do not use strategies like that. Only people do. The howl from behind him had been that of a beast, yet¡­ ¡°If this thing has a human intellect, I should handle it like a human.¡± As if pursuing those words spoken toward the ground, footsteps approached Sayama from behind. They were fast. Those footsteps were as deep as a bass drum and each step covered as much ground as Sayama covered in five. However, Sayama did not turn around. He focused only on not slowing his pace. He refused to turn around. What he needed was distance, not curiosity. The sound of the river up ahead was growing louder. He could see light. The ground sloped sharply downwards. Ahead, he could see a rocky river bank covered in the dim light of dusk. Once he arrived there, he would be able to see his opponent. He might also spot someone there. Just as Sayama began to wonder if he could call for help, he noticed something odd up ahead. He noticed the movement of the air spreading out ahead of him and a slight haze of light. A single obstacle was covering the entire edge of the forest on the slope just above the river. It was¡­ ¡°A wall!?¡± The wind ahead of him was still. And the light of dusk had grown slightly hazy. He would arrive at this supposed wall in another three seconds. The heavy footsteps were still approaching from behind. Should he run directly into the wall or not? In fact, did this wall even exist or not? How could he check? A single idea came to Sayama. He slowed his pace slightly. Once he arrived at the supposed wall, he turned his back. It was as if he had been cornered. He could see a shadow charging toward him. That shadow resembled a human. The large figure was over two meters tall. Its entire body was covered in black animal hair, but torn black cloth could be seen at its waist and chest. Its face was visible above its thick chest. Its face resembled a dog. Below the pointed ears were two golden eyes and a red slit of a mouth. ¡­Is this what you call a werewolf? He thought that idea was crazy, but only for an instant. The truth lay before his eyes. And so he needed to move. Amid the dim light, Sayama brought both arms down and his hips back. His opponent likely thought he was ducking down. However, Sayama was using the right hand hidden in his coat to search behind him. In what should have been empty space, he felt resistance It was a wall. The sensation he felt through the coat reminded him of a rough eggshell. The coat molded into the shape of that wall, so he could tell it had no gaps. The enemy came immediately thereafter. Sayama threw his head back to show off his throat. The enemy¡¯s right claws were swung down. It was trying to cut off his head as it passed by. It opened its mouth and bared its fangs. It let out a cry, but¡­ ¡°Silence,¡± said Sayama as he dropped his hips down along the wall. The werewolf¡¯s claws cut through empty air. Its giant body then slammed face-first into the invisible wall. This caused a great sound of impact. It sounded less like flesh being struck and more like a car crashing. The werewolf¡¯s entire body was knocked back by a repelling force. It flew through the air, rotated once, and caused a tremor in the earth where it landed. It then rolled. The sounds of the beast¡¯s breaths mixed in with the sound of it rolling. Sayama was almost lying down on the ground and he realized the chest of his vest had been torn. ¡°That was valuable,¡± he complained as he stood up and filled his lungs with air. It did not seem the werewolf had lost consciousness. However, it was lying on the ground with its chest moving up and down as it gasped for breath. It did not seem to know what had happened. The wall may have been unexpected for it as well. ¡­Or it simply might not have known where it was. Sayama began running once more. He had to find a means of defeating the werewolf before it came to its senses. To remain in the werewolf¡¯s blind spot as much as possible, he ran along the edge of the invisible wall. He ran west. This was upstream of the river to his left. After running across a few gentle slopes, he could no longer see the werewolf. ¡°The meeting time will probably have passed before long,¡± muttered Sayama as he looked down at his watch. The silver hands were still not moving. What is going on? he thought. And then he noticed a slight light beyond the wall. It was a vehicle¡¯s headlights. A red RV was parked about 20 meters ahead on the rocky river bank. It was likely a family on a spring break outing. He could see the family around the RV folding up parasols and leisure tables. The family was made up of a middle-aged couple, a young girl, and her even younger brother. The RV¡¯s headlights were pointed up the slope toward Sayama. ¡°Hey! You need to leave! It is-¡­¡± He trailed off before he could say ¡°dangerous¡±. Something was strange. The family he had shouted at continued their preparations to leave without paying him any heed. ¡­Did they not hear me? ¡°Hey!!¡± he shouted while standing in the middle of the headlights where they could see him. However, they did not notice him. ¡­Can they not see or hear me? Sayama took in a deep breath and let it out. He placed a hand on the invisible wall before him and once more muttered, ¡°This has become very odd.¡± And as Sayama watched on, the family climbed aboard the RV. After a short pause, it drove off of the rocky river bank. It was headed¡­ ¡°Up this slope.¡± Sayama ran. If he was remembering right, the main road above had a few mountain roads leading down to the river. If the invisible wall to his left extended as far as the road the family was using, the RV would strike the wall from the outside. What would happen then? He climbed up the slope and found the road. The branches of the trees above seemed to create a natural tunnel over the mountain road. The dirt road was about three meters across. Sayama stood atop the bulge in the center created by the ruts on either side. As he wiped sweat from his brow, the RV¡¯s headlights reached him. Sayama took a step back while in the center of that light. However, the family showed no sign of noticing him. The RV continued to approach at the same speed. ¡­The wall. They passed right through it. However, the RV changed. It became a pale shadow. It was so thin that the scenery beyond it was easily visible through it. The people inside were the same. ¡°¡­!?¡± As Sayama stood in the center of that mountain road, the pale shadow of the RV passed through him. He only felt a slight shadow. It produced no wind or sound. Sayama let out a sigh without even turning around. ¡°What is going on?¡± ¡­That RV will likely drive up to the main road and eventually drive beyond the invisible wall once more. And what lay beyond that wall was of course the everyday world. It was only this space that was twisted. He was sure of that now. Sayama suddenly crouched down. He spotted a nearby stone on the ground. He picked it up. Sayama then looked at the spot where the stone had been. A faint shadow the exact shape of the stone lay there. It was so faint he could not see it without paying very careful attention. Sayama replaced the stone and muttered, ¡°Are the objects in this space the actual objects? Or are they the shadows?¡± He did not know. Sayama shook his head lightly and stopped arguing about it in his head. His current priorities lay elsewhere. He took a breath. But then he froze in place. He had heard a noise. He had heard heavy footsteps and a small cry in the distance. The cry was the same voice as the scream from earlier. ¡°That person is still alive,¡± muttered Sayama as he looked forward. He saw a slope. It was the slope he had climbed to distance himself from his enemy. However, he took in a deep breath and began running down that very same slope. Dusk was already turning to night. Night also enveloped the near-deserted school. In the 2nd year general school building of Taka-Akita Academy, Ooki was in charge of locking up for the night. She was on the western edge of the first floor hallway. Specifically, in front of the emergency exit. Kinugasa Library was located on the same floor. About four classrooms-length of the hallway had been turned into a storage area. ¡°What is this, a lawless zone?¡± The large Kinugasa Library took up the length of four classrooms and the hallway had not escaped the power of its books. Bookshelves and other shelves were lined up along the walls of the hallway and towers of books were piled up here and there. To make it as far as she had, Ooki had been forced to weave around and jump over the piles of books. The hallway had become a sort of labyrinth. No books or shelves were located near the emergency exit at the back, but that was only because the books and shelves were often brought in through it. Ooki turned the key for the emergency exit to lock it. For an instant, she caught a glimpse to the east through the emergency door¡¯s window. The eastern mountains were outlined in crimson, but the sky above created a gradation from purple to black. ¡°I hope this is okay¡­¡± she muttered before turning her back on the window. She did not want to stay in that deserted labyrinth of books for long. While kicking a few books out of the way, Ooki made her way through the four classrooms-length area on her way to the central lobby. This tight skirt makes it hard to walk at times like this, she thought. The hallway¡¯s fluorescent lights felt overly bright because of the shallow darkness of night she could see out of the northern window between two bookshelves. Her reflection in the window showed a bandage on the forehead. That was where Sayama had flicked her. ¡°That boy did not hold back. ¡­It would be best if I assume that¡¯s just how much he adores me.¡± Just as she muttered that, a door opened to the side. ¡°!¡± She gasped and turned around. As she did, her heel caught on a pile of books and she fell backwards. ¡°¡­Ah!¡± Her legs flew up and her head fell to the floor¡­or it would have. However¡­ ¡°My apologies,¡± said a low and relaxed male voice as a black gloved hand caught her falling back. As soon as she realized she was being supported, her vision rotated around vertically. Her feet were brought to the ground and she stood on her own. ¡°¡­¡± Ooki did not quite understand what had happened. Only the word ¡°rotation¡± floated up in her mind. ¡°Um¡­¡± she muttered as she looked up at whose hand was supporting her waist. ¡°Siegfried-san?¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± It was a tall elderly man who answered with that question. His broad-shouldered frame was contained in a white shirt, a black vest, and black trousers. He was bald, had a white beard, and his blue eyes were looking down at her. Siegfried silently removed his right hand from her waist and brought the white cup in his left hand to his mouth. The aroma that reached Ooki told her it was coffee. Ooki bowed while trying not to be too distracted by that scent. ¡°Th-thank you very much. What was that where I spun around?¡± ¡°It is similar to what you call aikido in Japan. More importantly, I am glad you are okay. Are you locking up?¡± asked Siegfried before his gaze moved to Ooki¡¯s forehead. ¡°I apologize for asking so many questions, but what is that bandage?¡± ¡°Oh, just something I received from a student earlier.¡± ¡°School violence? We cannot have that. I will teach this student a form of punishment passed down for generations. No matter how stubborn they may be, they will confess to being a filthy witch in just one blow.¡± ¡°Why is everyone around me like this?¡± muttered Ooki under her breath before shaking her hand from side to side. ¡°No, no. This boy worked his way up quite high in karate, so I think this was unintentional. Also,¡± she scratched at her head, ¡°it was done with mutual understanding between teacher and student. I was perfectly fine with it.¡± ¡°I see. Then I have no right to speak out against it. ¡­I suppose everyone has their own preferences.¡± ¡°Oh, um¡­ I am not sure I would put it that way, but whatever. What are you doing here, Siegfried-san?¡± Siegfried pulled a single piece of paper from his breast pocket. He took another sip from his cup and then spoke. ¡°Some people needed help finding some data. Part of my job is providing help for those searching for data. Could you perhaps help me? There is a book titled ¡®The First Plutonium¡¯ somewhere in this hallway.¡± ¡°No, no, no, no, no,¡± said Ooki as she took a step back. With a word of parting, she bowed and walked out to the central lobby that was actually quite small. She climbed the stairs to lock up on the second and third floors. From the central lobby, it became clear how dark the school building was even with the fluorescent lights. The building was designed to only be used during the day. ¡°How scary,¡± sighed Ooki as she turned on the lights for the stairs. The light green staircase lit up, but the white fluorescent lights felt somehow cold. She then heard Siegfried say, ¡°I already locked up the second floor. If you trust me, you can skip it.¡± ¡°I trust you!¡± she replied thankfully to the man who was hidden from view by a corner of the hallway. She then headed on up. She knew that the six general education school buildings and the faculty building had been built before the war. ¡°The library was built like that by the founder, Kinugasa Tenkyou.¡± It had originally been prepared as the research archive for Izumo Aviation Institute¡¯s General Tokyo Facility that was being built at the time. However, Taka-Akita Academy had been born as a means of creating skilled future personnel. Ooki thought about the staircase she was currently walking up. ¡°This was built over 70 years ago¡­¡± Her footsteps sounded loudly as she made it to the second floor. She left the central lobby and looked down the hallway. She saw only darkness. And beyond that darkness was the music room to the west and the emergency exit to the east. However¡­ ¡°I trust him¡­¡± She backed up toward the staircase. Ooki¡¯s shoulders drooped as she sighed and turned on the lights for the staircase up to the third floor. She quickly made her way up. Once on the third floor, she found darkness once more. As if plunging her head into the darkness, Ooki stood in the central lobby and looked toward the art room to the west and then the emergency exit to the east. She could see the emergency exit light in the distance. ¡°Nnn,¡± she groaned as she turned on the lights to the hallway. The fluorescent lights came on one after another and lit up the area. However, the windows and glass on the classroom doors grew darker. Ooki stood in the center of the hallway and scratched at her head. ¡°Well, I have no choice¡­¡± Her shoulders drooped, her head drooped, and she sighed. She headed east while meaninglessly walking as silently as possible. But then she jumped at a sudden noise from behind. It was a cat. A single meow had come from the western art room. ¡°Nyah¡­?¡± asked Ooki as if she was about to cry. She turned toward the art room while taking a cowardly pose. She forced strength into her shoulders and slowly sent two jabs, a straight, and an uppercut into the air. ¡°O-okay, come at me.¡± She held her breath for a few seconds. After that silence, she spoke quietly once more with her fists still at the ready. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to come, you don¡¯t have to¡­¡± She received only silence in response. After a while, Ooki lowered her arms and pressed her hands against her legs. Her trembling had not stopped, but it had lessened. ¡°M-maybe there¡¯s a cat outside,¡± she muttered while tilting her head and looking in the art room. At the same moment, light cut through the darkness of the frosted glass on the art room door. It happened twice. This was not a reflection from a car¡¯s headlights. The light cut across horizontally from left to right and disappeared. ¡°!¡± Ooki wrapped her arms around herself and crouched down. After a moment, she reflexively covered her ears with her hands. ¡°I-it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. Th-that was just a mysterious phenomenon.¡± After realizing what she had said, Ooki let out a cry and shrank down even further. She decided to return to the stairs. It was only about four meters away. She removed her hands from her ears and began crawling on her hands and knees. She kept her gaze down so as not to look at the art room as she took one step and then two. As she crawled, she realized that she was acting just like a cat. She was still trembling, but she cast down her eyes in shock that she was doing this in her own workplace. She brought her right hand forward in place of a front paw and could not help herself. ¡°Nyah,¡± she said. But she received a sudden response from a cat behind her. ¡°!¡± She jumped forward in shock. She twisted around as if trying to clean the floor with her butt. With her guard raised as high as it would go, she brought her knees up to form a defensive wall. And then she saw what had replied to her. It was a black cat. It was sitting in the spot she had been in a moment before and it was scratching its head with its hind leg. Meanwhile, Ooki was breathing heavily while looking at the cat with her hands on the floor behind her. The black cat simply seemed to be relaxing, but she was fairly certain it had not been in the hallway a moment before. She tried to say ¡°when did that get in here?¡±, but her voice spilled from her mouth more as a breath than as words. She suddenly realized she had tears in her eyes. And¡­ ¡°Are you okay, sensei?¡± This time, she heard a voice from behind her in the art room. It was a girl¡¯s voice. Ooki gasped and turned around. She slowly looked up. A single girl was standing there. The girl wore her uniform like a model showing off the perfect method. Her platinum blonde hair was almost gray and it flowed down her back and to her legs. She looked down on Ooki with a sharp look in her purple eyes and opened her mouth with no expression on her face. ¡°I apologize. You are patrolling, aren¡¯t you? I was so focused on my work that I did not notice night had fallen. The soundproofing in here is quite good.¡± ¡°You are¡­¡± ¡°Brunhild Schild, a third year student. I will be the head of the general art club this coming year.¡± Ooki stopped breathing momentarily when she heard the word ¡°art¡±. She slowly moved her upward gaze to the west. The art room was there. Its door was open. Ooki confirmed that darkness lay beyond that open door. And then someone grabbed her shoulders. Brunhild had circled around behind her. She leaned down as if trying to hold Ooki down. She brought her small face over Ooki¡¯s shoulder and spoke. ¡°Would you like to see my painting?¡± ¡°Your painting?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Brunhild. Ooki heard a slight waver in the girl¡¯s tone. And that waver remained as Brunhild continued. ¡°A painting of a forest. A deep, dark, depthless, yet abundant forest.¡± Sayama ran through the nighttime forest. He ran as if stabbing the soles of his feet into the ground. His legs would plunge forward through the air and his feet would come down to trample any obstacle underfoot. That was the absolute rule for running in a dark mountain. ¡°Who would have thought the harsh training of the Hiba Dojo would come in handy here!?¡± He could hear the rustling of the trees and the cracking of someone treading quickly over branches up ahead. Someone was being chased. Chased by that werewolf. Hurry, thought Sayama. I do not know who made that scream, but I have come for you. As he urged himself to hurry, he approached those loud footsteps. It took him five steps for every one of theirs. However, the werewolf could only run in a straight line. He focused on efficiently weaving through the trees to gain as much ground as he could. Sayama thought. Whoever was being pursued by the werewolf likely had their own method of escaping this situation. The cut that had felled that cedar had been too sharp to have been made by the werewolf¡¯s claws. This person must possess some kind of weapon. ¡°A weapon?¡± asked Sayama with a bitter smile. This was Japan. A weapon that destructive would not be allowed anywhere. Nevertheless¡­ ¡°But this is real. I suppose I have entered a world where I have no choice but to believe the reality before my eyes.¡± The source of the footsteps entered his vision. He saw a large back. It was running through the trees ahead. Sayama reconfirmed that the footsteps and back ahead of him belonged to an enemy. He had to hurry. He weaved through the trees while skimming as close by their trunks as he could. As he did, he scooped up two stones in each hand. He then held up his right arm so that his coat spread out. ¡°I suppose I have to say goodbye to this suit today¡­¡± As he spoke, he could now see both the werewolf and the person running from it. ¡­A girl? He saw a single girl running. She appeared to be about the same age as him. Her long, soft, and black hair danced about as she fled. She wore a white and black outfit that resembled a dress and in her right hand was¡­ ¡°A fluorescent light?¡± She held a white staff almost two meters long. The side of the upper end had a long cylinder attached that looked a lot like a fluorescent light. It produced a slight bluish-white afterglow that lit up the girl. As the werewolf ran, it stretched out its arm toward the girl. She swung the staff as if to shine the afterglow on the werewolf. Sayama heard a sound similar to a spray of water and saw the werewolf¡¯s arm repelled. He did not understand how it worked. However, the staff the girl held was definitely the weapon Sayama had assumed she had. As he ran, Sayama suddenly muttered, ¡°Not good.¡± He remembered running through this area. Several depressions that had once been small streams cut across like stitches. Sayama poured strength into his legs and ran forward. At the same moment, the girl looked down as she ran. ¡°¡­!¡± She let out a meaningless gasp and her slender body flew as if it had been struck. She had not tripped; she had intentionally jumped. However, the enemy did not overlook this opportunity. It let loose an attack from the left as if scooping its claws up toward the target that had lost her balance in midair. The girl swung the staff to hold up the afterglow. But it was too late. With the sound of cloth tearing, her body was knocked away. At the same time, a wind blew through, rustling the leaves of the forest. Volume 1, 3: Her Song Volume 1, Chapter 3: Her Song One, two, three, the words are uttered The words are those of a singer But only once they are heard do those precious words become a song Ooki saw a painting of a forest. A space had been opened in the center of the art room. The easel standing there held a large canvas giving off the scent of turpentine. The canvas contained the forest painting. ¡°Have you repainted this a whole bunch of times?¡± asked Ooki. Brunhild turned around next to the sink at the window of the art room. While washing the brushes she said, ¡°I have altered parts and painted over areas countless times. But I am not ¡®repainting¡¯ it as it is still incomplete.¡± ¡°Is a painting not complete when you paint it once?¡± ¡°It can change depending on the materials and methods used. And on what you decide is its completed form.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± replied Ooki as she looked at the forest contained in that rectangular frame. It was a work in progress, so some areas were not fully painted. However, a depthless black forest spread out within the canvas. For an instant, Ooki felt like she was being sucked inside, so she frantically straightened up. ¡°If you get too close, you will get paint on you.¡± Brunhild dried her hands and the brushes with a dark stained towel. ¡°Where are the other club members?¡± asked Ooki toward the girl¡¯s back. ¡°I am the only one that remained behind for spring break and wishes to paint enough to stop by the art room. I have been making use of the space due to its excellent soundproofing.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± replied Ooki again as Brunhild pulled a small round case from her skirt pocket. It was hand cream. Ooki let out a sigh as she watched the back of that girl rubbing the cream on her fingers. She looked down and found the black cat looking up at the painting. Wondering if the cat could understand what it was looking at, Ooki followed its gaze. One section of the vast, deep forest remained untouched. It had no color and the material of the canvas was exposed. ¡°What will you be putting in this blank area?¡± ¡°A cabin.¡± With her back to Ooki, Brunhild nodded to herself. ¡°Yes, a forest is not just a collection of trees. A forest is a forest because it is a place for people. It is because of the people in the forest that the trees are not just a collection; they are counted and remembered. Forests-¡­¡± She trailed off for a moment. ¡°The kanji for forest was the first I learned in this country. I think it is an excellent representation.¡± ¡°I see. So you¡¯re the outdoors type¡­ I like green things too. Like celery.¡± Brunhild¡¯s fingers stopped moving at that last comment, but Ooki carefully examined the empty spot on the canvas without realizing the meaning behind that. A careful look showed a small cabin and four people drawn in charcoal. Three of the people were visible. An old man read a book inside the cabin and a girl and a woman played with a bird in front of the cabin. The fourth person was probably a man, but he was hard to make out. The sketched lines had been roughly erased. However, the direction of the woman and girl¡¯s gazes showed that someone was definitely sitting there. ¡°Brunhild-san? Who are these people in the cabin?¡± ¡°A forest needs people, but those who live in the forest are those known as hermits, their apprentices, and those seeking their protection. ¡­A hermit is the same as a wise man. Those who lament the world live here.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Ooki as she straightened up and thought while keeping her gaze fixed on the painting. She then whispered, ¡°So you like making up stories to go with your paintings.¡± ¡°Did you say something?¡± ¡°No, no. Nothing at all.¡± Ooki looked over and found Brunhild looking toward her. The girl¡¯s eyes were narrowed as if staring intently at something. ¡°Sensei, something has been bothering me. What is that on your forehead?¡± ¡°Oh, this? That was thanks to a student.¡± ¡°School violence? That is not good. I will teach you a disciplinary method my older sister taught me. Even the biggest fool will regain his obedience in a single strike.¡± Why is this school filled with people like this? muttered Ooki in her heart. ¡°No, no. He is already plenty obedient. If he had been serious, it would never have stopped here.¡± ¡°This school has a student that violent?¡± ¡°Violent? No, he isn¡¯t violent,¡± said Ooki. A small smile floated up on her lips. ¡°In his second year of middle school, he advanced to the openweight finals for student karate, but he lost after breaking his fist. Afterwards, his corporate blackmailer grandfather taught him all sorts of things and he now constantly has the top grades in the school. If I had to say he has a problem,¡± she took a breath, ¡°it is that his knowledge of his abilities and his knowledge of just how much of an advantage he has prevents him from getting serious about anything. This was¡­not so much violence as it was a mass of strength that had nowhere to go. Okay?¡± As his prey flew through the air, the werewolf moved to strike her once more. The girl was doubled over in midair and the werewolf took a powerful step toward her. In an instant, a third figure darted between the girl and the werewolf. The werewolf remembered this person. It was the prey he had been pursuing before the sun set. He had lost sight of this prey after running into a wall and collapsing pathetically to the ground. The prey spread his empty arms wide as if to hide the girl. He was wearing a dark vest, but the sleeves of his white shirt showed up well in the dark forest. The werewolf chose to use the right hand he had held up to attack the girl. He only had to plunge his claws into that boy¡¯s gut as he ran by and then throw the boy aside. His white shirt would be stained with blood which would add some nice color to the plain forest. The werewolf made up his mind in an instant, but something else happened slightly before that. It came from below. Something like a wall flew toward his face. ¡°¡­!?¡± The werewolf realized it was a coat. Where? he thought. The boy had spread his arms wide, but his hands had been empty. That left only one answer. His feet. It had to be that. When the werewolf had leapt, his focus had been grabbed by the white of the boy¡¯s shirt as he spread his arms. The boy had placed the coat atop his feet and then kicked it up. This slowed the werewolf¡¯s reaction time. The coat covered his face. His pointed nose sucked in the odd flowery scent that stained the boy¡¯s clothes and he grew confused. He shook his head in an attempt to remove the coat, but it had wrapped around his head as if embracing him. Why? he wondered just as he felt an impact run across his shins. His body seemed to float in midair. After Sayama swept the werewolf¡¯s feet out from under him, he saw the werewolf begin to collapse, starting with the head. As the werewolf swung his arms around randomly, he grazed Sayama¡¯s left arm. He felt pain, but turned around without checking on the wound. The girl was what mattered, not the beast. With that thought in mind, Sayama began running alongside the rolling werewolf. ¡­He won¡¯t be able to get that coat off of his head easily. Sayama had tied off the sleeves and then placed a stone in each one and in the lower pockets. If the coat struck something while spread out, the weight of the stones would cause it to grab onto its prey. Sayama had used the principle of a throwing net. ¡­But this only buys us some time. He understood that well. As he nodded, his eyes looked out on empty space. The girl had reached the fall of her parabolic trajectory. To his left, the werewolf¡¯s leg had gotten caught in one of the depressions located here and there. The speed of his roll had suddenly increased. Sayama ignored the werewolf as the beast¡¯s giant frame struck the ground. Instead, Sayama stretched his arm out toward the falling girl. He was not going to make it. If the girl continued falling with such momentum, she would almost certainly be injured. He kicked off the ground. He stretched out his hand, he stretched out his fingers, and he grabbed the girl¡¯s skirt. ¡°¡­!¡± With a single groan of effort, he pulled her in toward him. Her unconscious form fell into his arms as if she had jumped into them. He had caught her. He noticed she still held that long staff in her right hand. Sayama intentionally let his feet slide along the ground to brake quickly. As he did, his right arm holding her shoulders shook her slender body. ¡°Are you okay?¡± As he stopped by tearing dirt up from the ground, she replied with an action rather than words. Her eyelids opened slightly and her gaze moved toward Sayama. While surrounded by a sweaty face and disheveled hair, her slightly teary eyes looked right at him. And then¡­ ¡°Eh?¡± Her eyes opened wide. Upon seeing her gaze, Sayama twisted around which gave her a better look. Behind him, the werewolf had ripped off the coat over his face and was beginning to stand. When she saw the enemy, she looked back up at Sayama. ¡°Y-you¡­¡± she started to say before suddenly looking down at herself. She had only just now realized she was being held. ¡°Kyah!¡± she shouted. Sayama glanced down to find the white and black material of her bodysuit had been split vertically. Everything from her chest to just below her navel was bared through the wide gap this opened. Sweat covered her navel and round breasts as they moved up and down with her heavy breathing. She frantically covered herself with her hands. Sayama unsteadily flinched back as he looked at her. ¡­Not good. I should have checked beforehand. ¡°Okay,¡± he nodded before asking what truly mattered at the moment. ¡°How can I defeat that enemy?¡± ¡°Eh? U-um¡­What are you-¡­?¡± ¡°This is no time for philosophical questions. I asked a single question and I seek a single answer. How do I defeat that enemy?¡± She gulped. However, she gave an answer because the werewolf was getting up. ¡°Precious metals. Only a weapon using them will be effective.¡± Sayama had some doubts regarding what she had said, but he cast them aside. He decided to trust her. She understood the situation. That was all the reason he needed. He trusted her. And so Sayama placed the girl on the ground. He placed her feet on the ground, supported her unsteady back, and kept his gaze on their enemy. ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°¡­Shinjou.¡± Sayama rolled that hesitantly-spoken surname around in his mouth. The werewolf stood up and leaned forward. It was preparing to run full speed for them. In another instant, that great power would be charging toward them. As soon as he saw that, Sayama moved forward. Shinjou called out behind him. ¡°W-wait a second! Wait until my comrades arrive!¡± Sayama¡¯s only reply was a light wave of his left arm. A red flow fell from his fingers to the ground. The girl named Shinjou must have seen it because he heard her gasp behind him. Her tension told Sayama once more just how limited his time was. The grazing blow from before had been surprisingly deep. But he did not hesitate. Even as his left arm felt oddly heavy, he took another step forward. He fixed his left sleeve which was wet with blood, rebuttoned the cuff, and then lightly raised his right hand which now had blood on it. He snapped his fingers and a spray of blood shot out. ¡°Listen.¡± He looked down to the chest pocket of his vest. It held two ballpoint pens. ¡°These are Swiss. The tips are silver. That is a precious metal. ¡­You are in for a painful experience.¡± As he spoke, Sayama kicked off the ground and began running. He ran straight forward. He had to close the gap before the enemy began running. This was due to their difference in weight. If the enemy began running, he would not even need to stop to crush Sayama. And the girl named Shinjou was behind him. Sayama wondered if she could fight or not. That staff she held was undoubtedly the weapon that had felled that tree. However, she had only used it the one time. She had felled the tree and done nothing more. Did the reason for this lie in the machine or in her? Sayama recalled the eyes he had seen while holding Shinjou. He recalled those black eyes with thin tears running from them. ¡­It is the latter. He was sure of it. She was likely a na?ve person, and so she had tried to avoid having to attack. But Sayama needed to focus on the term ¡°precious metal¡±. He was approximately three meters from the werewolf. He was not yet close enough for his attack to reach. However, the werewolf swung his left arm up while leaning forward. He was preparing to knock Sayama out of the way and then charge on to Shinjou. ¡°Hmph,¡± snorted Sayama as he reached into his vest¡¯s breast pocket with his right hand. The two ballpoint pens he had previously shown off were inside. He pulled out one of them. ¡°¡­!¡± And he threw it. He gave that projectile as much speed as he could manage from a distance of just under two meters. He aimed for the werewolf¡¯s forehead, but the werewolf used its raised left hand to grab the ballpoint pen from the side. Bluish-white flames and then smoke burst from that palm. The werewolf shook his right arm and threw the pen away. His left side was now wide open. Sayama charged in. He skillfully undid his right cuff button and pulled the other pen from his vest. He then jabbed the pen at the werewolf¡¯s chest as if tackling the beast. It all happened in an instant. The werewolf suddenly took an action fundamentally different from his previous ones. It stopped leaning forward and stood up straight. ¡°¡­!?¡± It had been a feint. The werewolf had pretended to prepare to run to draw Sayama in. Sayama¡¯s aim was thrown off when the werewolf raised his body. His right arm stabbed into empty air. However, the werewolf¡¯s left arm was still where it was from shaking off the pen and his right arm was still where it was from straightening up. The beast had not yet taken an offensive stance. He may have evaded Sayama¡¯s attack, but he had lost his opportunity for an attack of his own. Their situations were the same. Or so it seemed at first. However, Sayama¡¯s opponent was not human. Sayama saw the werewolf choose a third option for attack instead of relying on his arms. His fangs. The werewolf opened his mouth. Even in the dark night, Sayama could see the red of his mouth and the pale yellow of his fangs. It all came to an end in an instant. Sayama swung his right arm up as if stabbing into the air and the werewolf lowered his opened maw. In that instant, the werewolf saw a single object. The prey¡¯s right hand holding the pen moved back down as if adjusting his aim. Useless, thought the werewolf. His fangs would tear into the prey¡¯s face before that pen could reach him. But something odd entered his vision. Something like a dark wet stone flew between the pen and his jaw. As his prey swung his right arm up, this object had tumbled out of the sleeve and flown up. What was it? Before he could determine that, it flew into his mouth. It tasted of blood. Of human blood. Such a nostalgic flavor, he thought just as he realized what had flown into his mouth. A wristwatch. It had been the one the boy had worn on his left arm. ¡°¡­!?¡± His memories told him why the boy would do that. The watch had been decorated with silver. And just before charging forward, this prey had fixed his bloody left sleeve with his right hand. That was when the boy must have hidden it in his right sleeve. And he had thrown it using the action of stabbing with the pen. He had done it all after predicting the werewolf would attack with his fangs. The werewolf looked forward as he bit down on the watch that could be called a silver bomb. He captured the boy¡¯s movements in his vision. The boy twisted his right arm around to take a fighting stance. He had already begun to bring his right knee up. He pressed his left foot down to jump up. The momentum of his jump brought his right leg straight up and toward the werewolf¡¯s jaw. The werewolf could not avoid it. The kick landed. Pain and heat exploded in his mouth and his vision became enveloped in bluish-white flames. ¡°!¡± Just as he tried to cry out, a sharp pain stabbed into his chest thanks to the second pen. His body became even further enveloped in fire. He could hear the boy asking a question. ¡°Was that a painful enough experience?¡± The girl named Shinjou uttered a single short statement after seeing what had happened. ¡°No way¡­ And against an enemy like that?¡± However, she immediately held up her staff. She did not aim the point at the enemy; she instead aimed the side with the fluorescent light toward the enemy like it was a bow. Before her, the boy stumbled backwards a few steps after landing. Beyond him, the werewolf¡¯s head and chest were enveloped in flames. The boy tried to stand up tall, but his knees gave out underneath him and he collapsed to the ground. Meanwhile, the werewolf could still move. ¡°¡­!¡± Even after being turned into a bluish-white torch, the beast howled up into the sky and took a step forward. The boy managed to stand up, but he seemed to be twisting his body around to do so. Also, his left hand was still hanging limply at his side, his back was arched, and his breathing was visibly erratic. Shinjou tightened her grip on her staff. She had to hurry. If she did not, she might lose that boy. She looked at the center of the grip. A narrow chain with an anchor attached hung down from the hole there. If she grabbed and pulled that anchor, the dynamo inside would supply power to the fluorescent light. The concept that precious metals possess power had been added to the conditions of this space. That was why the dynamo within the staff was created from consecrated silver sheets and gold coils. And the light emitted by the fluorescent light powered by that dynamo was¡­ ¡°A sacred light created from mercury.¡± It was fairly weak as far as the powers of precious metals were concerned, but reflectors were used to focus the light. That gave it enough power to act as a blade within the effective focal length. With swift motions, Shinjou grabbed the anchor and stared forward. The boy had taken a fighting stance and the werewolf had swung up his right arm. That sight caused Shinjou to cry out reflexively. ¡°No!!¡± The werewolf turned toward her. And she saw emotion. She saw the emotion on the werewolf¡¯s face. Sayama saw the werewolf move. ¡­It can still move!? A bitter smile appeared on his face when he realized his thought was one of admiration rather than fear or surprise. I see, he thought. He was gasping for breath, but his thoughts raced on. He could do this. He could still do this. Do what? he thought, but the answer was already prepared within him. He would get serious. He had yet to reach that point. All he had done at this point was perform a simple feint and exchange injuries. It started here. He felt this was where it truly began. The instant he got serious, the answer came to him. He simply had to knock down the enemy before him and be the last one standing. He could use any means necessary. After all, the beast before him was his enemy. He would truly try to crush this enemy. That was the lesson his villain of a grandfather had driven into him again and again. He began to move. In order to carry out his act of evil, he took an instant to check on the ballpoint pen he had just stabbed into the werewolf¡¯s chest. His next action could begin once he kicked it up or otherwise got it back into his hands. Or so he intended. But before he could, he heard the metallic sound of a staff being held up. Soon thereafter, he heard Shinjou¡¯s voice. ¡°No!!¡± At the same time as he heard that still word, Sayama saw a single emotion. As the werewolf looked over Sayama¡¯s head, the beast¡¯s face definitely twisted. Protest, indignation, resignation, grief, anger, and pity. The werewolf¡¯s face twisted into an expression that was simultaneously all of those and none of those. When Sayama saw this expression, he stopped moving briefly. ¡­Is it really necessary to crush this beast¡¯s emotions? That thought came to him. He wondered if his evil was just or not. He was inexperienced. However, Sayama clenched his teeth and moved. Shinjou had also seen the werewolf¡¯s expression. When she realized that expression had been caused by her and the weapon in her hand, a quick ¡°ah¡± escaped from her lips and her hand pulling the anchor suddenly stopped. She saw the boy move. He tried to deliver a right kick. However, it was too late. She was unsure if he would make it in time. If the werewolf moved with all its strength, the boy and his attack would be crushed. If she did not pull the anchor, she might lose the boy. She had to shoot. But she hesitated. She did not know why she hesitated. She only knew that this hesitation had existed in her heart all this time. Was there no better way? Was there some method other than fighting like he was? Was there some method that would not require either of them to be lost? She could not think of anything. As she became aware of her own inability, she saw the boy take his belated action. When she saw his action, Shinjou compared him to herself. ¡­He is different. And then the werewolf¡¯s body trembled slightly. This was the beginning of an action. She could not tell if this was an advance indicator of the beast swinging his right arm down or of some other action. ¡°N-no!¡± cried Shinjou. And yet she was unable to pull the anchor. She could see the fingers holding the anchor trembling. She could not suppress the trembling. It grew so bad that the chain shook and rattled. ¡°¡­!¡± With a voiceless breath, Shinjou tried to pull the anchor. In the next instant, her fingers slipped from the anchor. The chain rattled as it fell slack. ¡°Ah¡­¡± she said as her eyes opened wide and tears poured out. And suddenly, the werewolf was pierced by a white light from the side. Shinjou saw it. A white light about ten centimeters wide shot through the center of the werewolf¡¯s torso from left to right. It had been a sniper shot. As a light sound of flesh being struck rang out through the air, the werewolf stopped moving. Finally, the beast¡¯s body tilted backwards. And the werewolf looked up into the sky. Into the night sky of the dark forest. ¡°¡­¡± A cry escaped through the fangs in its opened maw and shot into the sky. This cry could be taken as one of protest or one of great emotion. And then the werewolf moved. He moved his sharp claws. He held his right hand up to his neck and made a single horizontal jerk. The sound of the flesh being torn was the same as the sound of a fibrous material being cut. The sound of blood spilling out was the same as the sound of bubbles being formed. After those two sounds and a stream of blood burst out, the werewolf collapsed. An unreserved sound of flesh striking the ground rang out. The beast¡¯s giant form lay sprawled out on the ground while still wrapped in bluish-white flames. When he saw that, the boy lowered the leg he had swung up for a kick. The train bound for Okutama began to move. It had already grown dark outside the window and the black of the mountains and the blue of the night sky were visible through the window that reflected the inside of the train. The train was near deserted. Only two figures could be seen reflected in the window. One was a white-haired man wearing a black suit and the other was a white-haired girl wearing a maid uniform. The man was named Itaru and the girl was named Sf. The girl held a metal cane on her lap. ¡°Do you think the situation has ended by now?¡± ¡°Probably. My old man said the preliminary negotiations with 1st-Gear would be held the day after tomorrow, but¡­¡± ¡°There have been a lot of deaths.¡± ¡°Yes. What do you think?¡± ¡°This can be used to our advantage in the negotiations.¡± Itaru gave a bitter smile. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to say we will not let their deaths go to waste, you idiot. Try to remember to put it like that when speaking to others.¡± ¡°Tes. But that representation makes it difficult to arrive at the original meaning.¡± ¡°That is supposedly the entire point. And I used to be like that, too.¡± ¡°Then I will speak frankly when it is with you, Itaru-sama. I have interpreted that as your demand.¡± ¡°¡­You really are skilled at what you do, Sf,¡± said Itaru as he gazed out the window. ¡°Look, we¡¯re at Okutama. Hand over my cane. ¡­That is my current demand.¡± The location Sayama and Shinjou chose to rest in was the base of the tree she had felled. Sayama arrived while Shinjou supported him from the right side. ¡°I think that was a sniper strike from one of my comrades¡­ Help should arrive soon.¡± Ever since that comment, she had only hung her head down. However, once Sayama sat down while leaning up against the tree trunk, there was something he had to do. First, he had to stop the bleeding from his left arm. He took action while relying on the afterglow from Shinjou¡¯s fluorescent light. He bit strongly into the fabric of his shirt¡¯s left shoulder and ripped it. He placed the torn sleeve on the ground and raised his left arm. He could not feel anything beyond the elbow and the shoulder felt heavy. A close examination showed he was bleeding from one area above his elbow and one below it. He hurriedly grabbed the sleeve from the ground. He bit one end of the sleeve and wrapped the other end all the way around from his armpit to his shoulder. He let go of the end in his mouth, tied a knot over the artery, placed a finger under the knot, and tightened it. He suddenly realized Shinjou was watching him. Her mouth was hanging open slightly. ¡°Is this that surprising?¡± ¡°No, um, you just seem used to this.¡± ¡°I used to attend the Hiba Dojo, a dojo a bit farther up from here. I learned this as practice there.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± said Shinjou with a nod. Sayama then realized she was embracing her own body and trembling slightly. Shinjou quickly averted her gaze and spoke quietly. ¡°Sorry.¡± She held her knees in her arms. Her bodysuit-style outfit was made so the shoulders and that contained defensive properties were connected together through each of the hard points. It was similar to a modern suit of armor. Holding her knees the way she was showed off the deep-colored stockings covering her thighs. They had some sort of graphic and writing printed on them. The way Shinjou deeply embraced her knees looked less like she was trying to hide her exposed body and more like she was trying to make herself as small as possible. While lifting her feet up on their tiptoes to bring her knees even closer, she spoke. ¡°I should have fired, right?¡± Her tone was half questioning, but Sayama responded by leaning his head back against the tree and looking up. The shadows of the forest only made the night even darker. He could not see the stars. ¡°Do you think so?¡± he replied. Shinjou turned toward him and lowered the ends of her eyebrows. ¡°If it were you¡­would you have chosen to fire in the end?¡± ¡°This is purely hypothetical, but I think I would indeed have chosen to fire. ¡­Why did you not fire?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t fire. I couldn¡¯t fire.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t?¡± ¡°No,¡± replied Shinjou. ¡°You took action in the end, didn¡¯t you? ¡­But I didn¡¯t know what to do when I saw the look in the enemy¡¯s face. I began to wonder if there wasn¡¯t a better way.¡± ¡°So you tried to make a different decision than I did.¡± But she could not think of anything and it resulted in being no different from simply choosing to do nothing, thought Sayama. In the end, the enemy had committed suicide after being shot from afar. Sayama sighed in his heart. She had been na?ve. And that had led to the worst possible result. But that is a way of thinking I cannot copy, he thought. And because a villain like me cannot think like that¡­ ¡°In reality, I was probably wrong and you were probably right.¡± ¡°I was¡­right? But I might have endangered-¡­¡± Sayama looked Shinjou straight in the eye. When their gazes met, Shinjou stopped speaking. ¡°Listen. You hesitated because you weighed my life against that of the enemy. That is the right thing to do.¡± ¡°Th-that can¡¯t be true. All I did was freeze up because I couldn¡¯t decide which was more important.¡± ¡°Anyone who judges the value of people¡¯s lives is in the wrong.¡± He smiled bitterly. ¡°You did the right thing. Do not try to apologize. I will demand compensation if you do.¡± ¡°B-But it bothers me¡­¡± Sayama narrowed his eyes. He looked carefully at her expression. ¡°Why do you always look so uncertain? It may be difficult for someone like you to survive, but you should be confident that you have survived this long by doing the right thing.¡± Shinjou opened her mouth as if to say something in response. Sayama was certain that whatever words were about to come from her mouth would be a denial of what he had said. And that was why he spoke before she could. ¡°Could you lend me your lap? That will be my compensation for that first apology.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± said Shinjou in surprise. Finally, she removed her arms from her knees. She hid her breasts behind those arms and hesitantly placed her knees down. She sat with her legs bent back to either side. ¡°I-is this good?¡± Having received permission in the form of a question, Sayama moved his body down while half-sliding across the tree trunk. When he placed his head on top of her thighs, Shinjou trembled slightly. He looked up to find Shinjou looking down with an uncertain expression. ¡°¡­Is this okay? If it isn¡¯t comfortable, just tell me. Is there anything else I can do?¡± Shinjou removed one hand from her breasts and brushed up his bangs. Sayama looked up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s see. How about a lullaby? I am exhausted.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare die while looking like you¡¯re only going to sleep.¡± ¡°That only happens in movies.¡± He gave a bitter smile and Shinjou returned it. She then looked away. ¡°Um¡­¡± she began before brushing up his bangs again and opening her mouth. She began singing. Her voice wavered slightly at first, but it gradually steadied. Sayama recognized the song. It was the hymn Silent Night. ¡°Silent night, holy night All¡¯s asleep, one sole light, Just the faithful and holy pair, Lovely boy-child with curly hair, Sleep in heavenly peace Sleep in heavenly peace.¡± As he listened to her voice, Sayama looked over and noticed some skin next to his face that her arm could not cover. Her stomach and her well-shaped navel moved shallowly in and out with the rhythm of the song and her breathing. That movement and the sense of her breathing and pulse he could feel through her thighs gave Sayama an odd sense of peace. He suddenly recalled his conversation with Izumo and Kazami at school. She did indeed smell good. As if invited in by that scent, Sayama leaned his head over and pressed his cheek and ear against the sweaty area below her chest. He heard her say ¡°ah¡± and her legs drew back slightly, but he could also hear her breathing and pulse in his ear. It was a gentle noise. He could not help but match his own breathing to hers. Sayama smiled a bit in his heart. ¡­You did the right thing. He wanted to say that once more. They had not lost their breathing or the beating of their hearts. In the same way, she had not wanted to lose him or their enemy. But the words did not come out. He no longer had enough spare energy to move. As his consciousness thinned, Sayama tried to determine what this peace was that he was given from the warmth and rhythm of Shinjou¡¯s body. It was something nostalgic that he could not quite recall. What was it? When the boy¡¯s eyes closed, Shinjou panicked slightly. But when she moved, she noticed his eyebrows slanting a bit. He was alive. He was only sleeping. When she realized that, she faintly admonished herself for thinking something so dangerous. As he slept with his ear and cheek against her body, she stroked his bangs with her hand. His expression changed. She thought she could sense peace coming from it. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m thinking too much of myself¡­¡± Shinjou removed the arm hiding her breasts. She used both hands to reach around behind his head and shoulder and lightly embraced him. Once she actually touched him, she realized he was cold. It¡¯s okay, she told herself as she looked down at his left arm. Because he had bound his right hand in his armpit, the bleeding had almost entirely stopped. Shinjou¡¯s gaze stopped on his left hand. The bloody middle finger had a women¡¯s ring on it. ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Surprised, Shinjou looked at her own right hand that was embracing his shoulder. She removed the glove to reveal a men¡¯s ring on her middle finger. Thinking it looked like they were following the same fashion, Shinjou smiled. He desired battle and she tried to avoid it. They seemed like complete opposites, yet they seemed a lot alike in this one aspect. As she smiled, Shinjou belatedly realized a certain fact: she had never asked his name. ¡°You¡­¡± Just as she looked at that peaceful sleeping face, she heard two sets of footsteps on the dirt behind her. ¡°¡­¡± Shinjou covered him with her own body as if to hide him. After taking that precaution, she turned her head to look behind her. Two figures stood in the darkness only a few steps away. A slender figure held what looked like a long spear and a large figure held what looked like a long, wide sheet. The large one spoke to her. It was a male voice. ¡°What¡¯s with that look? He¡¯s injured, right? Then hurry up and bring him with you.¡± The figure took a breath. ¡°As long as he isn¡¯t dead, something can be done. ¡­In this world, at least.¡± Volume 1, 4: A Mysterious Abyss Volume 1, Chapter 4: A Mysterious Abyss Even if offered One cannot swallow it all at once The truth can only soak in gradually One awoke when one¡¯s consciousness floated up from the darkness and into the light. Sayama now felt that light feeling of ascension. He then felt his vague sense of self rapidly return to a single object. He could once more feel the weight of his body. ¡°¡­Kh.¡± When he heard his own voice, he opened his eyes. The only coloration his blurry vision could pick up was brightness. He was lying down. His upper body was bare and he felt hard sheets under his back. He could see a fluorescent light on a neatly arranged white ceiling. ¡°Where am-¡­?¡± A female voice cut him off. ¡°This is the medical room, so stay still.¡± An index finger suddenly entered his field of vision from the right and pressed down on his forehead. That was enough to prevent him from sitting up. And so Sayama moved only his eyes to look toward the owner of that finger. It was a short Chinese woman. Her hair was tied back in a bun and her face held a youthful sharpness. A simple black shirt and pants covered her entire body below her white coat. After seeing that Sayama was not moving, she removed her finger and looked to the side. ¡°Nijun, call Shinjou in.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sayama looked toward the second voice and saw an old man in a white coat turning his back. He had been standing next to the woman. He cut across the room silently. As Sayama followed the man¡¯s path across the room, he saw for himself that this was indeed a medical room. Besides its two beds, the room only had a desk, a chair, and shelves covering the walls. The wall clock informed Sayama it was currently 8:30 PM. ¡­So only two hours have passed since then. The old man named Nijun opened the room¡¯s door while his long gray hair fluttered slightly. And a girl entered from outside. It was Shinjou. She wore a brown dress and a long white T-shirt. She bowed to Nijun, hurried into the medical room, and looked toward Sayama. Once she did, her expression lit up. ¡°Ah.¡± She blushed and covered her face with her hands. Sayama then recalled that his upper body was bare. While she turned her head away yet still looked his way, the woman in the white coat spoke to her without even turning toward her. ¡°Shinjou, please bring the shirt on the chair to him.¡± ¡°But Doctor Chao¡­¡± ¡°Just do it. If you¡¯re too slow, I¡¯ll have to beat some liveliness into you.¡± The woman named Chao then faced Sayama and lightly bent up the fingers of her right hand. Assuming she meant he could sit up, Sayama did so. Once he did, he felt pain from his left arm and shoulder as if someone was squeezing them tightly. His left arm was wrapped in bandages both above and below the elbow and fixed in place by a thin yet hard cloth. He could move his elbow, but it felt heavy. Chao looked down at him and said, ¡°It seems you received the injury while your arm was bent in an L-shape. Both your upper and lower arm were torn diagonally.¡± ¡°How many stiches did it take? I want to avoid too many scars if possible.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. No treatment from me is not going to involve any stitching. But¡­don¡¯t move it for a while. I have it fixed nicely in place for now, but forcing it to move will mess with that.¡± Shinjou was then standing next to him. She held a shirt. When she tried to hold it out to him, Chao slapped her on the ass. Shinjou cried out ¡°Wah!¡± and Chao frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t just hand it to him. You have to put it on him, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­Testament,¡± replied Shinjou before sitting on the bed. She looked at Sayama and said, ¡°Could you turn that way?¡± Sayama turned his back to her. Behind him, he could hear the sound of her spreading out the shirt and of Chao¡¯s dignified voice. ¡°Shinjou, say it. You have to. Tell him you¡¯ll wash his back for him.¡± ¡°What kind of services does this medical room provide?¡± ¡°Hah. This is the medical room inside an organization known as UCAT. I am the medical chief, Chao Sei.¡± ¡°Doctor!?¡± cried Shinjou and the sensation of the shirt pulled away from Sayama¡¯s back. Sounding like she was smiling, Chao said, ¡°Is there any point in hiding it? He is here to see UCAT anyway. ¡­Right, Sayama Mikoto?¡± ¡°I believe I was summoned by IAI.¡± ¡°Japanese UCAT is the hidden side of IAI. It is located deep in IAI territory and the important parts are underground. The normal IAI personnel know nothing about this special area.¡± While listening to Chao, Sayama felt a sudden pain deep in the left side of his chest. He took a deep breath to suppress the pain. And then the shirt was placed over his shoulders. He turned around to find Shinjou frowning slightly. ¡°We¡¯re not actually supposed to answer any questions about it,¡± she said quietly. ¡°I see. So that old woman is breaking the rules.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she nodded, but shortly afterwards her eyes opened wide in surprise. ¡°H-how did you know that Doctor Chao is an old woman!?¡± ¡°It is just the way she talks. No matter how much younger you make yourself look, you cannot hide the years in your words. She uses similar old woman speech patterns to Old Tome in the cafeteria who was born in 1945.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s amazing. You¡¯re the first person I¡¯ve seen that realized she¡¯s an old woman.¡± ¡°Well, Old Tome¡¯s speech patterns were quite characteristic. She would occasionally get your order wrong or just stand there like someone had switched off her power, but that exciting clumsy old woman side of her was the secret behind her popularity.¡± ¡°I see the two of you want salt rubbed in your wounds next time you get injured,¡± said Chao. Shinjou frantically looked over and said, ¡°Eh? Ah! I-in my defense, I only called you an old woman to respond to him with the words he used. I don¡¯t think of you as an old woman at all. Okay?¡± ¡°Hm,¡± said Sayama before turning to Shinjou. ¡°To me, it sounded as if you were quite excited to call her that.¡± ¡°Eh? Eh? D-did it?¡± To respond to that question, Chao smiled slightly from where she had suddenly appeared next to the girl. ¡°Shinjou, if you are injured here, you can be healed right away. So what will you do?¡± Shinjou frantically began adjusting the shirt over Sayama¡¯s shoulders. After they were kicked out of the medical room, Shinjou sat with Sayama on a sofa in the hallway outside. She took a deep breath, faced Sayama, and spoke. ¡°I was told Ooshiro-san would be here soon. ¡­You had business with IAI, right?¡± She averted her gaze slightly. ¡°Um, Sayama¡­-kun?¡± After confirming his name, Shinjou felt a troubled smile appear on her lips. ¡°Come to think of it, this is the first time I¡¯ve called you by name.¡± ¡°That old woman knew my name as well. Where did you learn it?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ I only heard it from Doctor Chao, but it seems she already knew it. But,¡± the ends of Shinjou¡¯s eyebrows drooped as she looked at Sayama¡¯s left arm, ¡°that will leave a scar, won¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Sayama. Eventually, he asked a question while choosing his words carefully. ¡°Do you¡­no, what was that beast? Do the people of UCAT always perform jobs like this?¡± ¡°Um¡­I can¡¯t really say.¡± ¡°So you cannot respond without permission. Fine then. But there is a possibility you could receive a similar wound, correct? If you are that worried about my wound, why do you do this kind of thing?¡± ¡°There is something I want to know. That is why I do it.¡± She replied almost reflexively, but then realized what it was she had said. She was not sure what she could tell him, but she had to say something to explain what she had meant. A few seconds of silence followed as Shinjou thought. She tried to determine what she could and could not say. ¡°Um,¡± she started. ¡°I was chosen to move from my usual position to what you could call a new team. I used to have a protective role on the rear guard, but this new team is made up of a small group of elites. It works a little differently.¡± ¡°What does this team do?¡± ¡°We still do not really know. The entire team has not been fully gathered yet. It seems the members who were gathered earlier know some of the details, but this was my first day.¡± ¡°Will you learn what you want to know if you join this team?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said with a tilt of the head. She truly did not know. ¡°But the person who recommended me for this unit¡­no, I mean team. Anyway, this person said it would allow me to be involved in the world¡¯s past. And I,¡± she leaned back in the seat, ¡°know nothing about my parents. I have no memories before the age of six.¡± ¡°Is knowing about your parents really such a great thing?¡± ¡°Y-you only say that because you take that knowledge for granted.¡± Shinjou stared at him. Even she could tell her expression showed a bit of displeasure. Thinking she needed to say something more, Shinjou opened her mouth as she watched him. But then she saw Sayama place his right hand on the left side of his chest. For an instant, she thought he was taking up some sort of stance. She did not understand why, but Shinjou had a feeling that this was not good. She tossed aside the words she had been planning to use and instead decided to change the subject. At the very least, she wanted to speak about something other than her parents. Her gaze lowered until she saw his left hand. She then realized what she could use for a new topic. ¡°U-um.¡± Shinjou raised her right hand so he could see. She wore a men¡¯s ring on her middle finger. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± ¡°No. It is similar to mine, but I have never seen it before. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°It is my sole possession. Besides my name, I only have this ring and a song. You heard the song, didn¡¯t you? It is Silent Night. For some reason I knew that song. It and this ring are all I have. You wear one too, so I thought there might be some connection.¡± ¡°It would be interesting if there was, but the odds are quite low. For one thing, a lot of people wear rings as fashion accessories in this day and age. Sorry, but¡­¡± Sayama glanced away slightly with a dampened expression. ¡°Have you ever left this place?¡± ¡°Y-yes. I know everywhere in Okutama. I even go as far as Oume. It¡¯s a big city, so a train comes in every 12 minutes! That¡¯s five in an hour!¡± ¡°To help you save face, I will omit any detailed comments, but you need to get out more.¡± ¡°R-really¡­?¡± Shinjou was troubled. But then she spotted someone walking toward them from the hallway to the right. ¡°Ah,¡± she said before standing up. She had seen an elderly man with this thin gray hair swept back. His slender body had a lab coat around it and he wore sandals on his feet. The eyes behind his glasses were bent like bows. He raised a hand and opened the mouth below his moustache. ¡°Hi, there. Long time no see, Shinjou-kun, Mikoto-kun. ¡­Do you remember me? It¡¯s Ooshiro Kazuo.¡± Sayama followed Ooshiro down the UCAT hallway. Shinjou must have viewed the man as her superior because she kept her hands folded in front of her waist and did not speak much. They passed by a few doors and several people. Four of those people were wearing white coats and one man was wearing the same white and black outfit Shinjou had been wearing in the forest. Ooshiro would occasionally look over his shoulder and speak. They discussed Sayama¡¯s grandfather, his funeral, school, and other topics. But after a few minutes of walking, Ooshiro suddenly stopped and turned toward Sayama. Behind him was a dead end with a large closed door. A placard on the wall above the door read ¡°Central Passageway¡±. ¡°I think we should discuss the truly important things beyond here.¡± Hearing that, Shinjou took a step forward. ¡°Sh-should I really go with you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. This is an important topic for you as well.¡± ¡°Oh, okay¡­Testament.¡± That was the same word Sayama had heard in the medical room. He asked Shinjou, ¡°What do you mean by testament?¡± ¡°Oh, that is a special UCAT sign. From what I hear, some of the terms used here were taken from the Bible as a joke. Testament or just Tes is a sign of agreement similar to ¡®understood¡¯. The original term can refer to an agreement or a portion of the Bible.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Sayama with a nod. Ooshiro then pulled a single object out of his lab coat pocket. It was a wristwatch. It was mostly black, but the hands gave off the light green glow of glow-in-the-dark paint. ¡°Now that is some terrible taste.¡± ¡°I have one, too. See, on my left arm,¡± said Shinjou as she showed him her left hand. When Sayama saw a black watch there as well, he said, ¡°Okay then. I believe in taking back what I have said when proven wrong, so should I be doing that now?¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®okay then¡¯? And shouldn¡¯t you be more concerned with making such quick judgments?¡± Shinjou¡¯s annoyed response put a bitter smile on Ooshiro¡¯s face. ¡°You can have this as a memento of this day. It can replace the one that was broken in the fight.¡± Sayama took the watch and put it on. He noticed Ooshiro was already wearing an identical one. After Ooshiro saw Sayama had finished strapping the watch on his left wrist, he opened the door behind him. The metal door opened inward. Beyond the now empty space was a passageway with closed shutters on either side. ¡°This passageway runs through the center of UCAT. But right now¡­¡± Ooshiro entered the passageway. Sayama stood before the door alongside Shinjou before setting foot inside. Once he did, he heard a voice. ¡ªYour feet are on the ground. ¡°?¡± Sayama tilted his head in puzzlement. He felt as if he had heard a few other voices after that first one, but he had been unable to make out the others. He only recalled that he had heard a voice. But Sayama recognized this voice. It was the same voice that he had heard upon entering the forest that evening. However, he did not understand what it meant. ¡­What does it mean that I heard this voice? As soon as he thought that, he felt a small vibration on his left arm. It came from the wristwatch he had been given. He felt as if it were vibrating. He looked down and for just an instant saw something like red writing scroll across the face of the watch. That writing disappeared before he could read it. ¡°Is this a trick watch?¡± It was currently ten till nine, so this was not indicating the top of the hour. Also, Sayama could not determine what that scrolling writing had been. As question after question appeared in his mind, Sayama suddenly reached behind him. However, he found no invisible wall. And the second hand of the watch was still moving when he looked back at it. ¡°Is this okay¡­?¡± ¡°Hm? Is what okay?¡± asked Shinjou while turning around. ¡°Nothing,¡± replied Sayama before stepping up alongside Shinjou. He looked ahead and found Ooshiro standing in the center of the passageway looking toward him. He was smiling. ¡°Does that voice really bother you so much?¡± ¡°This evening, it was after I heard that voice that the world went insane. ¡­But before that, I would like to discuss my grandfather. The document you sent me mentioned transferring rights left by him. What are those rights?¡± ¡°I suppose it would be quicker to start from there. Mikoto-kun, do you know what your grandfather did during the war?¡± Sayama felt an ache in his chest at that question, but he took a deep breath and answered. ¡°I heard he was doing some sort of research and development here at IAI, the Izumo Aviation Institute.¡± ¡°Yes. Then, Mikoto-kun, do you know what he was fighting against?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it America?¡± ¡°Correct,¡± said Ooshiro with a nod. ¡°A lot of the large corporations that created weapons to use against America are still going strong today. Izumo is still expanding now just like Isuzu, Mitsubishi, and Nittetsu. However, only Izumo received no interference from GHQ[1] after the war. And it has expanded beyond its original field of aviation and into a broad range of fields such as chemistry and electronics. Why do you think that is?¡± ¡°There are rumors that Izumo was involved with the Ministry of the Imperial Household at the time. GHQ was having difficulty deciding how to handle the Imperial system, so I suppose they could not touch them. The primary developers from the other corporations saw Izumo as a safe zone and fled there. That created the foundation for the current expansions. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°You know quite a lot about this. Nicely done, Mikoto-kun.¡± Ooshiro happily smiled and raised his right thumb. Sayama raised his own right thumb toward Shinjou. ¡°What do you think of his taste?¡± ¡°Eh? U-um¡­¡± ¡°Tell me what you truly think.¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t. He is way, way higher in the organization than me. I can¡¯t say it.¡± ¡°An excellent answer. Very elegant.¡± Sayama turned back toward Ooshiro to find the man still smiling but pointing his thumb downwards. When Shinjou noticed, she poked Sayama in the side with her elbow. ¡°What does that mean?¡± she asked. ¡°He is pointing at his feet. He is trying to brag about his smelly feet.¡± Sayama ignored the change to Ooshiro¡¯s expression and spoke to the man. ¡°I know I was the one who digressed just now, but when are we getting to the topic at hand?¡± ¡°Your impatience is just like your grandfather. However, I must inform you that there is a hole in your reasoning, Mikoto-kun.¡± Sayama frowned and tried to fold his arms but realized he could not lift up his left arm. Feeling awkward with just his right arm up, he brought it even further up to scratch at his hair. He then asked, ¡°A hole?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Ooshiro as he lightly spread his arms. ¡°You know the history of IAI quite well. However, what about the history of UCAT? Do you know why the institution known as UCAT is hidden here?¡± And then, ¡°And what do you think about that monster you fought this evening?¡± ¡°How should I know? This is the first I have ever seen of UCAT or that monster. I would like further information to base any conjectures on.¡± Sayama had replied out of reflex, but he then realized the ache in the left side of his chest had grown stronger. As if pushed on by that ache, Ooshiro¡¯s eyes narrowed. Meanwhile, Sayama lowered his right hand from his hair. ¡°How long has this organization existed? Was my grandfather involved in it?¡± he asked. ¡°I will start with your first question. Japanese UCAT was created in September of 1945. It was just after the war ended here in the old Izumo Tokyo Branch Office. As for your next question,¡± Ooshiro nodded, ¡°Your grandfather entered Japanese UCAT as a central member of the Izumo National Defense Department that preceded it.¡± Sayama¡¯s heart gave a low throb in his chest. He took half a step back as if pushed back by Ooshiro¡¯s words. Sweat appeared on his brow, but he ignored it and asked, ¡°What was he fighting? Was it things like that monster?¡± After thinking for a short while, Ooshiro shook his head. He took a step forward and said, ¡°Mikoto-kun, your grandfather and the others were not fighting monsters. They were fighting ten alternate worlds lined up alongside this one. Those worlds and ours were fighting to destroy each other.¡± Sayama began thinking on Ooshiro¡¯s words. He contemplated what they meant. ¡°Old man.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Sayama looked up at Ooshiro¡¯s face from below. ¡°I apologize for having to say this after not seeing you since my grandfather¡¯s funeral, but you leave me little choice. Do you really think anyone will fall for such obvious nonsense? What kind of person does this at your age?¡± ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t seen a reaction so wonderfully aggravating since the day of the funeral!¡± shouted Ooshiro half in joy as he raised his right thumb. Sayama tilted his head and asked, ¡°Why do you not look remotely sorry? Is the word sorry not in your dictionary?¡± ¡°It is not that. This is the truth, so I can¡¯t exactly be sorry for telling it to you.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this a little farfetched? I mean, alternate worlds?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­ Wait, am I being lectured?¡± Sayama could see Shinjou looking puzzled and Ooshiro hanging his head while scratching at it. ¡°You are.¡± Hearing that, Ooshiro looked up. ¡°What a pain. Anyway, that was the conclusion reached. ¡­I will explain why later. Are you willing to listen to this conclusion and how it was arrived at?¡± Sayama frowned at the old man¡¯s question. He had seen strange phenomena and met a strange beast. But these were two different things. An entire alternate world was on an entirely different level from phenomena and beasts that existed individually. Mysterious phenomena and monsters could be explained away in some way or they could be faked with tricks or models. However, the same could not be said for an alternate world. The scale was simply too great. However¡­ ¡­Even if it is farfetched, it looks like the conversation will not continue unless I hear him out. Sayama did not understand why Ooshiro was doing this, but he only needed to find a way to prove the old man¡¯s words were false. Sayama also wanted to know what purpose the old man had in making him listen to this. While feeling it was nothing but a bother, he urged the old man to speak. ¡°I will listen to your nonsense. So there are these ten alternate worlds. ¡­Why were they fighting?¡± Ooshiro let out a sigh. It was obvious Sayama was dubious. Ooshiro shrugged and placed his hands in his lab coat¡¯s pockets. He spoke as if reciting lines he had memorized ahead of time. ¡°The ten alternate worlds and our own did not exist parallel to each other. They would intersect and affect each other on a set cycle. However, it was proven that all of the worlds would intersect at one point during the cycle. When that happened, the world with the greatest power would survive and the others would be destroyed in the impact of the collision.¡± ¡°When does that happen? Tomorrow?¡± ¡°The collision ¨C that is, the time of destruction ¨C was calculated to be what this world calls 1999.¡± Sayama frowned. ¡°But that did not actually happen.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you listening? Your grandfather and those he worked with already destroyed the ten alternate worlds.¡± Ooshiro gave a bitter smile. ¡°Yes. The alternate worlds meant to collide were destroyed long ago, leaving only this world behind. Your grandfather helped destroy those alternate worlds. We refer to that war,¡± he took a breath, ¡°as the Concept War.¡± Shinjou glanced over at Sayama as she listened to Ooshiro. What Ooshiro was explaining was the first thing explained to any member of UCAT. While some people already knew this when joining UCAT, it was necessary to explain for those who somehow ended up involved in a fight like Sayama had. And in most cases, they gave the same reaction. They would reject it. They would call it ridiculous. Shinjou wondered what Sayama would do. He had fallen silent. Shinjou waited a few breaths, but the boy continued to stand perfectly still with his right hand on the left side of his chest. His head hung down and after quite a bit of time, he opened his mouth to speak. He gave an almost exasperated sigh and his drooping shoulders stiffened, but he said the following. ¡°That is a completely ridiculous story, but I am willing to believe it under certain conditions.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± said Shinjou without thinking. Sayama and Ooshiro both turned toward her. She frantically waved her hands and said, ¡°N-no, it¡¯s nothing. Nothing at all.¡± ¡°Do not tell me you thought I would readily deny it.¡± ¡°But you just did¡­ You asked what kind of person could do this and you called it farfetched.¡± Sayama turned back toward Ooshiro, tilted his head, and asked, ¡°Now, old man. Did I ever say those things?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Since you have started to show interest, I can hardly discourage it. So no, you did not. You shouldn¡¯t lie, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°A-adults don¡¯t play fair!¡± ¡°This is how politics works.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Sayama as he brought his right hand up to his chin. Shinjou let out a sigh of relief and asked, ¡°What made you believe him? You can¡¯t deny that it sounds like nothing but nonsense.¡± ¡°True. ¡­And unlike a normal person like me, there is a lot that is odd about the old man. You could say it is unavoidable that he sometimes suddenly cannot resist and will say or do something strange.¡± ¡°You cannot say that. And how are you defining ¡®normal person¡¯ here?¡± ¡°Let us move on from that. Now, there is the crazy talk of a pathetic old man and there is the truth. However, to argue against this, I need proof and not emotions. Currently, the opposing side within me has no proof. And¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°To make this more difficult, the supporting side within me has enough evidence to indirectly believe this. Shinjou-kun, that is you.¡± ¡°M-me?¡± ¡°Yes. I heard a strange voice in the forest near Shiromaru. That voice told me the crazy idea that precious metals possess power. And after hearing that voice, I heard you scream and saw a tree fall.¡± Shinjou brought the fingers of her right hand up to her lips. ¡°Sayama-kun, did you come because you heard me scream¡­?¡± ¡°I will leave that up to your imagination. The forest I was in was surrounded by a strange wall. Some kind of monster that may have been a type of bear was inside. And so were you. And you told me that precious metals possessed power in that place.¡± Shinjou nodded. She had indeed said that. When Sayama saw her nod, he bowed his head in return. ¡°I do not know how your weapon worked, but my ballpoint pens and watch possessed power using precious metals. If all of that was a trick, it was a truly excellent one. You would have had to plant gunpowder or some kind of chemical on that monster. However¡­¡± ¡°However?¡± Sayama clenched the right hand on his chin and his expression grew serious. ¡°Shinjou-kun, your expressions were real. That fear and tension were not a prearranged act.¡± ¡°Really? What if that fear and everything else up to now were an act?¡± ¡°I apologize in advance for saying this, but are you the type of actor that can bring sweat to your skin or quicken your heart rate at will? And this was a cold sweat not brought on by exertion. Can you also freely create the thin tears of someone enduring fear rather than sorrow?¡± ¡°W-well¡­¡± Shinjou¡¯s cheeks reddened and she loosely held her own body. He had seen all that. Whether realizing what she was feeling or not, Sayama looked down as he gave a deep nod. ¡°Yes. The sweat on your bared breasts and stomach were real.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°And when I rested my head in your lap, your well-formed navel was moving in and out with your slightly disturbed breathing. That is not something one can fake. Especially the tension visible in the glimpses of your breasts visible through the gaps that your arms could not quite-¡­! Ahh! Ahh!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that!!¡± Sayama drew back as a knee jabbed reflexively toward him. ¡°Wh-what are you doing? You certainly are a sudden person.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line. Why would you say that all of a sudden¡­?¡± ¡°I was simply giving evidence to the contrary of your claim that you might have been acting.¡± ¡°Oh? So your relationship has already reached that level. That speeds things up,¡± chimed in Ooshiro. ¡°Now then, Shinjou-kun. I believe this is when you are supposed to say Testament.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not even sure where to start correcting you there¡­¡± Sayama ignored her and turned toward Ooshiro. ¡°At any rate, I have already experienced the truth once. If those mysterious phenomena or that strange monster had been tricks, I could use them to refute you, but I am currently leaning toward saying they were real. However.¡± Sayama stretched out his right arm. He pointed toward Ooshiro as the sleeve¡¯s fabric let out a noise. ¡°I will admit that something strange happened, but that does not mean I can accept what you have said. Neither those strange phenomena nor that monster directly link to the existence of alternate worlds. Not even if they were engraved with the words ¡®made in an alternate world¡¯. We can prove the existence of our world because it exists. ¡­Can you prove the existence of these ten alternate worlds?¡± ¡°Technically speaking, no. Those alternate worlds no longer exist,¡± replied Ooshiro. ¡°But I am sure you understand one thing: no matter what phenomenon it is, there is a point where it is only natural to assume it is no trick. The same can be said for the idea of alternate worlds. Once we pass a certain point, you will know this is something other than our world. ¡­And I will show that to you.¡± As Ooshiro spoke, the shutters on either side of the passageway opened. They made no noise. As those silent shutters rose, an office floor could be seen to the right and a large, three-story maintenance hangar could be seen to the left. Shinjou watched as Sayama looked out at the sights to the left and right. How will it go? she wondered. What will he decide about this world? What lay before Sayama¡¯s eyes was a world with no distinction between up and down. Both the office floor to the right and the large hangar to the left had desks, equipment, and working people on the floor. However, there was more than that. ¡°They are on the ceiling and walls too¡­¡± People and equipment were there. Work was being done. To both the left and right, the ceiling was being used as another floor. As if it was a mirror image of the floor, desks were lined up on the ceiling of the office. The occasional decorative plant could even be seen. The only thing that differentiated either one from a normal office was that the walkway down the center was made of covered lights which illuminated the other. The ceiling lit the floor and the floor lit the ceiling. On the ceiling, people wearing office clothes stared at screens on the desks and typed on keyboards, walked here and there with paperwork in hand, or pushed carts full of documents. Sayama observed those people on the ceiling. But despite standing upside down on the ceiling, their hair did not stand on end and their feet were not attached to the floor on the ceiling. Suddenly, a woman carrying documents on the ceiling accidentally bumped her hip against the corner of a desk. With a look of surprise, several papers scattered through the air. They spread out and ¡°fell¡± to the ceiling. She frantically gathered them and a man on the floor directly below her called out to ask if she was okay. Sayama saw all this. He remained silent as Ooshiro approached one of the windows to the office floor and opened it. Everyone on both the floor and ceiling turned toward him. ¡°Ooshiro-san!¡± cried a voice. He nodded in response and said, ¡°Are you doing well?¡± ¡°Testament!¡± Hearing that, Ooshiro moved away from the window. As the workers all returned to their work, Sayama finally opened his mouth to speak. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It is exactly what it looks like. ¡­Now, look to your left.¡± Sayama ignored Ooshiro¡¯s thumbs up and looked to the left as he had been instructed. That was the three-story maintenance hangar. The passageway he stood in was at the second story portion, so the hangar spread out for one story both above and below. The vast floor was surrounded in concrete. In there, people were working on not just the ceiling, but the walls as well. All four walls, the floor, and the ceiling were lit by large lights protected by bars at the corners of the surfaces and along the walkways. A large object was currently located in the center of the ceiling. It was an armor-like humanoid machine about eight meters tall. Of all things, it was lightly raising both its arms, standing tiptoed on its right leg, and rotating. Ooshiro opened the window and spoke over the mechanical noises coming from the hangar. ¡°Oh, would you look at that. A balancer test.¡± The humanoid machine stopped after 15 revolutions and went down on one knee as if dizzy. The surrounding workers gathered around it and peered into the area analogous to a face. This sight brought a wordless thought to Sayama¡¯s mind. It was strange. He nodded, now convinced, and suddenly opened the window in front of him. He heard loud mechanical noises, smelled the burning scent of welding, and saw bright lights higher up. He had seen a small shadow on the upper edge of the window he had opened. A closer look showed it was a wrench dropped on the floor on the reverse side. Most of the grip was sticking out onto the window, so Sayama could only think it was sticking to the wall by ignoring gravity. ¡°What is going on?¡± Sayama placed a hand on the window frame, placed a foot on it as well, and prepared to jump out to the other side. But then someone grabbed his belt from behind. ¡°Y-you can¡¯t do that, Sayama-kun! If you fall, you¡¯ll die!¡± Sayama stuck his head out the window and looked around. Despite sticking his head out along a wall, people and equipment were standing straight on it and working. After watching those workers standing and walking along the wall, he spoke to Shinjou behind him. ¡°Sorry, but please let me go.¡± ¡°Y-you can¡¯t rush this!¡± ¡°I have made up my mind. I must go to the other side!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t! It¡¯s too soon! Please rethink this!¡± ¡°Do you think this is a training ground for jumping to your death? This may only be the second floor, but you might be injured if you fell.¡± Hearing Ooshiro say that, a question entered Sayama¡¯s mind. He stopped moving and asked it. ¡°Why do you think I will fall? They are standing on the other side of this wall, so-¡­¡± He trailed off. A giant trailer drove along the vertical floor from the left. It was driving relatively quickly for the small area. The instant of rumbling, wind, and shadow caused Sayama to duck back a bit as it passed by overhead. The vibration caused the wrench sitting on the edge of the window to shake and drop down toward him. As he saw the wrench graze his face and fall behind him, Sayama frantically ducked back into the window. He climbed down from the window frame and onto the passageway floor as wind from the trailer blew in through the window. The wind stank of exhaust, but it also contained a slight citrusy aroma. Sayama took a breath. He then looked through the window at the humanoid machine standing up on wobbly legs. ¡°But¡­¡± He recalled the school newspaper attached to the wall in the school building. ¡°I thought those things could not walk properly? Is your actual technology at this level?¡± ¡°Do you think we purposefully send out weakened mechs to be destroyed so no one will know what level of technology IAI has? Why would we need to put on such a performance? Mikoto-kun, the machine used in the article your school published was a God of War with the same design as this one. However, it was piloted remotely.¡± ¡°That machine was unable to walk without destroying itself, so how can this one move like this? Has the durability of the metal or gravity been altered?¡± ¡°I am glad the thought occurred to you. ¡­What if we could control gravity?¡± Sayama frowned. It sounded ridiculous, but a similar phenomenon could be seen before him. People were standing and working on the ceiling and walls. He looked at them and himself, but then he realized something that did not add up. ¡°Wait¡­ You said I would fall when I placed my foot on the window frame before. If you could control gravity, I would stand on the wall instead of falling when I exited the window.¡± ¡°What if we were merely mistaken?¡± ¡°Then tell me this: what is that?¡± Sayama pointed at the window to the office floor. A single object sat on the window directly opposite the one to the hangar Sayama had opened. It was a wrench. It sat on the window as if that window were the floor. Sayama approached the window and touched it. A few people working beyond the window noticed him, but Sayama ignored them and spoke. ¡°We feel no attraction from this window. But this wrench does. ¡­Is gravity being individually controlled for this single wrench? Does this continue until it leaves the effective range?¡± Sayama approached the wrench and touched it with his hand. The wrench immediately fell to the floor. It had been falling toward the window before, but the direction of its fall had changed. And the change had occurred as soon as Sayama touched it. He looked down at the wrench on the floor. ¡°This is not gravitational control.¡± He thought about why Shinjou had stopped him from leaving the window and about what Ooshiro had told him. And then he thought about the meaning of the words he heard upon entering the passageway. ¡°It said my feet are on the ground.¡± As he spoke, Sayama raised his left foot toward the office floor window before him. He placed the sole of his shoe on the window. He took a breath as he hesitated slightly. And then he pushed off the ground with this right foot. As he brought his right foot up toward his left foot, his body fell perpendicular to the window. If he did not do anything, the back of his head would crash into the floor. However¡­ ¡°So this is how it works.¡± Sayama placed his right foot on the window. He placed it right next to the left foot already on the office floor window. He stood. He looked around. Shinjou and Ooshiro stood on the wall to his left which was actually the floor. Sayama was currently standing on the window. Notes 1. ¡ü In Japan, the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (1945¨C1952), which occupied Japan after World War II. Volume 1, 5: Notification of Ignorance Volume 1, Chapter 5: Notification of Ignorance What exactly is the enemy? History? People? Common sense? Or is it all of them? Every sense in his body was telling him the window to the office floor below his feet was the ground. His left arm that hurt when he moved it was naturally hanging down toward the window. He used his right hand to touch the hem of his clothes and it was hanging down toward his feet as well. ¡°What is going on?¡± asked Sayama. ¡°I do not know if you have the technology to control gravity or not, but this is strange. Why are only the things I am touching viewing the direction of my feet as down?¡± He looked up toward the hangar above his head. Diagonal slopes had been built in places to connect the walls and ceiling. The area was arranged so that large equipment and that trailer could freely move about. Sayama looked back down. Shinjou¡¯s gaze met his from where she stood perpendicular to him. ¡°Shinjou-kun, excuse me, but I would like to try something.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± said Shinjou as she took a step toward him. Sayama nodded and took her hand. However, Shinjou remained standing on what was the wall to Sayama. ¡°So you do not fall this way.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t try such dangerous things.¡± ¡°I was prepared to catch you. Do not worry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I can¡­¡± Ooshiro gave a bitter smile and said, ¡°Unless you jump into the air, what is set as the ground will be constantly updated for you. In other words, the world always exists below your feet in this space. The concept related to gravitational pull has been altered.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Sayama as he let go of Shinjou¡¯s hand. He looked toward Ooshiro and continued, ¡°What exactly is this power?¡± ¡°Let me ask you something instead, Mikoto-kun. How do you think you could explain this power? What if you met with academics and intellectuals from around the world and asked them what power can alter the world so conveniently?¡± ¡°They would say it is a trick.¡± ¡°Exactly. However, this is the truth. Now, another question. ¡­What basis would they use for determining this is a trick?¡± ¡°That is obvious. This breaks the laws of physics.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Indeed it does. Light is bent by gravity, but with this power, light only bends according to the direction set as the ground for it. Even if the real ground is in a different direction. But Mikoto-kun, when you talk about the laws of physics, what world¡¯s physical laws do you speak of?¡± ¡°This world¡¯s physical laws.¡± ¡°Then let me ask you something else. If alternate worlds did exist, on what basis would we determine they are different from our own? The terrain? The atmosphere? The life forms? Or perhaps the culture?¡± With that question, Sayama realized the answer to it all. He finally said, ¡°Is this what you want to say? There was a world with physical laws fundamentally different from our own. And this power we are seeing follows that world¡¯s laws!¡± ¡°Precisely. This world¡¯s physical laws cannot be applied to other worlds. A world with different physical laws will naturally overturn the very basics of the physical laws we know.¡± ¡°But there have to be certain absolutes, right? Like the motion of light.¡± ¡°No, no. Even that is based on this world¡¯s physical laws. When light is emitted, it spreads and continues on. But why does it do that? Why can¡¯t there be light that does not do that?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°That is simply what light is in this world, right? But,¡± Ooshiro took a step forward so their gazes would match perpendicularly, ¡°what if light being that way was actually quite rare?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We only know how things work in this world. We assume the workings of this world are absolute. But what if there were a great number of other worlds and it turned out the rules of this world are great exceptions compared to the other worlds?¡± ¡°But we do not know of any other worlds, so we can only assume they would be the same as us.¡± A bitter smile appeared on Ooshiro¡¯s lips when he heard that response. ¡°True,¡± the old man said. ¡°But another world is another world. They are fundamentally different. What we think is simply ¡®how things are¡¯ and what the other worlds think is simply ¡®how things are¡¯ are fundamentally different.¡± ¡°Are you saying,¡± Sayama looked down at his feet, ¡°there is a world where this is how gravity works?¡± Ooshiro nodded, walked over to the opposite window, and stood on it. He looked straight up toward Sayama. ¡°The ten other worlds and this world are perceived as individual gears and so we refer to them as such. 1st-Gear through 10th-Gear all had their own unique characteristics. And do you know what we called this power of ¡®how things are¡¯?¡± Without waiting for an answer, Ooshiro said, ¡°Concepts. We called them concepts! They are a power that can control even the laws of physics. They are the ultimate reason behind everything. That is what concepts are!¡± Sayama gulped at Ooshiro¡¯s words and looked down toward his feet and then around his entire surroundings. ¡°In other words, the concept of ¡®your feet are on the ground¡¯ is being used to make efficient use of this small underground space? ¡­Was that voice I heard upon entering the concept?¡± ¡°That was a Concept Text. It is made by gathering inferior reproductions of an extracted concept. Each individual concept is very weak, but it can be heard as a voice once it reaches the level of a Concept Text. This space also has several weaker concepts added on as well, but they cannot be heard as a voice.¡± He continued. ¡°When an out of phase space has concepts added to it, it is known as a Concept Space. We think of a concept¡¯s identity as a variable fixed-period vibration wave that we call a string vibration.¡± ¡°This just got a lot more complicated. A string vibration, you say?¡± Sayama thought. Ooshiro had said an alternate world was a world with different concepts. In that case¡­ ¡°So alternate worlds are worlds with different string vibration frequencies?¡± ¡°Yes. And everything in any of the worlds has a string vibration for their world and a string vibration for the object itself. The one for the world we call the parent string vibration and the one for the individual we call the child string vibration.¡± Sayama nodded and said, ¡°So is it like a numerator and denominator? The denominator tells you what Gear they belong to and the numerator tells you what the individual is.¡± ¡°Yes. If the numerator differs, it is a different individual. If the denominator differs, it may be the same existence but from a different world. These alternate worlds are not parallel. They exist in multiple phases atop each other. According to the records, a ¡®gate¡¯ that alters one¡¯s parent string vibration is needed to move to and from different Gears.¡± Sayama then recalled the invisible wall surrounding the forest. ¡°This evening¡­was that a space that¡¯s parent string vibration had been completely altered?¡± ¡°Not quite. If its parent string vibration had been completely altered, that space would have completely disappeared from this world. But,¡± Ooshiro raised his index finger, ¡°what if only a portion of its parent string vibration was altered?¡± ¡°In that case, would the altered objects world split into two existences? The real one and the alternate world one would exist on top of each other at the same time. ¡­And that means the objects would not disappear from reality.¡± He remembered the stone he had picked up in the forest. He remembered how it had left a pale shadow behind. ¡°So two versions of that forest existed on top of each other? I am guessing a smaller portion had the alternate world string vibration than the reality string vibration. Could I not leave because of the difference in vibration density?¡± ¡°Correct. How very wise of you. That is what we call a Concept Space. It is only a pseudo-alternate world created by borrowing a portion of an area¡¯s string vibration. Since it is still connected to the real world, it is easier to create and return to normal.¡± As he spoke, Ooshiro showed off the watch on his left arm. ¡°I gave you one of these before we entered this Concept Space. These watches are known as String Watches. They detect the wall of a Concept Space and alter the wearer¡¯s parent string vibration accordingly. They are a small version of the ¡®gates¡¯ I mentioned earlier.¡± ¡°But how did I enter the Concept Space in the forest without one?¡± ¡°Someone secretly read your child string vibration. When the forest was turned into a Concept Space, your string vibration was registered so you would be allowed in. That is one thing that can be done when creating a Concept Space. And I apologize,¡± said Ooshiro as he looked toward Sayama¡¯s left arm. ¡°It seems we rushed things. We only wanted to let you experience it for yourself, but you ended up getting injured due to the inexperience of our units.¡± ¡°But it was thanks to that experience that I met Shinjou-kun and am having this conversation now.¡± When he said that, Shinjou looked over from her perpendicular position with a troubled expression. Sayama responded with a bitter smile. ¡°Come on down now,¡± instructed Ooshiro. Sayama nodded and walked down to the passageway where Shinjou stood. Ooshiro did so as well and looked up at the ceiling. ¡°Could we return just the inside of the passageway?¡± The watch on Sayama¡¯s left arm vibrated. In the next moment, the surrounding scenery changed. The floors on either side became empty spaces. Not only were the office desks and maintenance equipment gone, but the materials making up the walls and ceiling were gone too. They were simply vast, dark areas without even any lights. ¡°This is what this underground space normally looks like. Everyone does their work in the Concept Space.¡± Sayama placed a foot on the window. However, he no longer felt any power attracting the bottom of his foot to the window. He also realized the wrench that had fallen to the floor was gone. They had returned to reality. Sayama let out a breath and looked around the empty space. If he paid very close attention, he could make out the faint shadows of people, desks, and machinery. Sayama then recalled the battle in the forest. ¡°What happens if something is destroyed in a Concept Space?¡± ¡°An object¡¯s string vibration is the concept of its very existence. If a portion of that existence concept is destroyed, no portion of the object itself is destroyed. However, its existence percentage drops. If only a dozen or so percent is used, being destroyed once will not lead to the actual object¡¯s destruction. However¡­¡± ¡°If an object is taken in and destroyed again and again, will the damage eventually reach the original? But I suppose that is quite a bit better than simply destroying a portion of the world. Can humans split apart so only a portion is sent into the Concept Space? That would avoid dying in one.¡± ¡°It can be done, but we don¡¯t. As it is only a portion, something inside a Concept Space is an inferior version of the original. The object must rely on the information from the instant of being taken into the space, so its life force is weak and it has no ability to alter the future. ¡­You could say the objects have no ability to grow and simply ¡®act¡¯ before being destroyed. That is why it is difficult to maintain a Concept Space for long. If it is not released quickly, everything inside will destroy themselves.¡± ¡°Is that why there were no animals in the Concept Space?¡± ¡°When choosing the structural elements of a Concept Space, we do our best to only use terrain that does not move on its own. That also reduces the amount of data needed. ¡­Although if you insist that plants are living things too, I have no argument for you.¡± Ooshiro gave a bitter smile. ¡°And anything that will actually take an active role within has 100% of itself sent inside so that it will not destroy itself. That is what we did with the UCAT Concept Space I just showed you. An empty area is turned into a Concept Space and all of the equipment is brought in from outside. The air conditioning, water pipes, and other things that circulate were tricky.¡± Hearing that, Sayama looked through the windows on either side and into the empty spaces beyond. A dark atmosphere seemed to fall over him. ¡°I see. So shedding blood cannot be avoided. Just out of curiosity, how much of something¡¯s existence percentage must be destroyed before the object itself can no longer exist?¡± ¡°At least 50%. If more than 50% of an object¡¯s existence is destroyed, it will be annihilated. The forest Concept Space was created by accessing about 20% of its string vibration. If the same Concept Space was created three times and the forest was destroyed each time, its existence destruction would reach 60%. That would lead to the real forest being destroyed in some natural way. I cannot say if it would be landslide, a forest fire, or a simple disappearance, but that would be its fate.¡± Sayama thought on Ooshiro¡¯s words. And then he frowned. ¡°Are you trying to say this kind of thing has actually happened before?¡± ¡°I will leave it to your imagination what might have caused the natural disasters that occasionally happen around the world. But can you guess where these rules lead us to?¡± Sayama recalled one of the first terms he had been told here. ¡°You mentioned the Concept War before. Is that it?¡± Ooshiro nodded. ¡°If a Gear loses over 50% of its concepts, it will be destroyed. The Concept War took the form of stealing each other¡¯s concepts.¡± ¡°So the concepts were extracted and stolen from each Gear¡­ Is that what you are saying?¡± ¡°Yes. And the concepts of each Gear were taken to this world in the form of a Concept Core that has even greater density than a Concept Text. In other words, all the other Gears had their concepts stolen which destroyed them.¡± ¡°I see,¡± responded Sayama. ¡°Is it possible to create a new concept?¡± ¡°Let me just say that it was researched at one time. There were¡­no successes. All we can do is make inferior reproductions. That is why a Concept Core is needed as a master for creating Concept Texts.¡± Ooshiro smiled, spread his arms, and looked out across the floors to the right and left. ¡°Do you understand now? Your grandfather was a part of UCAT once it was formed after the war. UCAT fought the ten Gears with different concepts and destroyed them all by taking their concepts. And currently, our primary mission is to protect, negotiate with, stop the terrorist attacks of, and conceal the existence of the refugees of the other Gears. However¡­¡± ¡°However?¡± Ooshiro smiled slightly at that question. He paused for a few seconds before replying. The conversation finally arrived at what Sayama¡¯s grandfather had left him. ¡°This last remaining Gear is known as Low-Gear because it has nothing. And it is currently facing a crisis. As the victors of the Concept War, we must overcome this crisis by negotiating with the survivors of the ten other Gears and having them cooperate with us.¡± He took a breath. ¡°That is the Leviathan Road. ¡­And your grandfather said to give you the right to be the representative of Low-Gear.¡± A certain staircase could be seen at night. The green painted wall and the white steps were illuminated by the light positioned above the emergency exit at the top of the stairs. The staircase was located in the second year general school building of Taka-Akita Academy. It led up to the rooftop. Two sets of footsteps could be heard walking up the stairs. The two figures unhesitatingly ascending were a human and an animal. The human was a girl with swaying gray hair and wearing a blazer. The animal was a black cat. It was Brunhild, the head of the art club, and her black cat. The footsteps quickly reached the top of the staircase. The door was unlocked and then opened. With the sound of wind whipping into the building, the two figures dashed outside. They were not met by the darkness of night. They saw light. ¡°¡­!¡± Brunhild stopped moving. She looked up expressionlessly into the sky. It was bright. After exiting the dark staircase, she was faced with the bluish-white moon floating in the sky. As she stood on the rooftop, the vast night sky and the moon could be seen overhead. And the wind of the night blew about. The feel of the breeze led Brunhild to spread her arms and take in a deep breath. Such cold air, she thought while brining that air into her lungs. ¡°This Gear is filled with so many unnecessary things,¡± she commented. She placed her right hand in her uniform pocket and pulled out a single object. She held a small blue stone the size of her fingertip between the index finger and middle finger of her right hand. While holding the stone, she rotated her arms. She held her left arm forward and her right arm back. The black cat at her feet jumped up onto her left arm. Brunhild moved her right hand. She made a fist and wrote something in the air using the thumb. And then¡­ ¡°We were delayed by that intrusion, but you have work to do,¡± she said expressionlessly before snapping the fingers of her right hand. With a clear note, the cat¡¯s form changed. It bent and came apart as if made of thread. ¡°Now, go. Notify us of our hated enemy¡¯s condition and inform our comrades of the situation. You are the tidings carried by the black wind.¡± After coming apart, the black cat became wind. A black wind. Leaving her left sleeve rippling, the black streak of wind danced through the nighttime wind and shot to the west. It waved, stretched, occasionally accelerated, arced, and then arced back as it soared through the night sky. Brunhild watched the wind leave before lowering her arms. She opened her expressionless mouth and spoke. ¡°They are beginning to take action, so the time has come for us to respond¡­ We were the first of the Gears to be destroyed. It is time we stopped hiding.¡± She nodded. ¡°The survivors of 1st-Gear must stop hiding!¡± Volume 1, 6: Their Impressions Volume 1, Chapter 6: Their Impressions Fitting and unfitting To be together Is a complex sort of restraint In a certain room, one could look out into the mountains and valleys of Okutama at night. The aboveground portion of UCAT was disguised as an IAI transportation administration building. This room was on the top floor of that building. Specifically, it was on the eastern end of the fifth-floor of that large white-walled building hidden in the mountains. The private room was five meters square and had a single light and a single air conditioner on the ceiling. The walls and ceiling were white, so not a single dark color was visible. However, the floor was covered with disorderly shadows. Books, documents, cardboard boxes, and packaging were piled up all across the floor. The area around the desk by the window was especially bad. The desk had several cluttered strata piled atop it. A white-haired man was sitting between the desk and the window. He was wearing a white coat and was the man named Itaru that Sayama had met on the train. He was sitting shallowly in a wooden chair with his sunglasses still on. His hand was moving. He was folding a piece of paper. He was making a paper airplane using a document from a pile on the desk. The text at the top revealed it had been sent to Ooshiro Itaru. ¡°This is how you deal with documents not even worth looking at.¡± Ooshiro Itaru tightly folded one end of the paper, held it up, and aimed. He aimed at the room¡¯s white door. The pile of documents on his desk was in the way, so he had to lean out a bit. And he threw it. The sharply pointed paper airplane soared in a straight line toward the door. But then the door opened and a girl entered. This was the maid-uniform girl named Sf. She held a silver tray in one hand. ¡°Itaru-sama. I have brought your dinner,¡± she said just as the paper airplane struck her forehead. With a small yet solid noise, the paper airplane bounced off. It rotated around and fell to the floor that was already cluttered with documents and boxes. Several other paper airplanes were already on the ground at her feet. However, Sf did not even look at the paper airplane. She remained expressionless. ¡°Could you give some sort of reaction?¡± complained Itaru. ¡°Something like, ¡®You mustn¡¯t make even more trash! Ukii!¡¯ ¡± ¡°This has only altered the form of the trash from a sheet of paper to an airplane. Also, you never continue with the same task for long, so this flight test is unlikely to last long.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so boring.¡± ¡°German UCAT created what was needed for the situation. According to my creator, I perfectly meet every one of your demands.¡± ¡°And that is why you are boring.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. It is my duty to meet your demands, Itaru-sama.¡± With that said, Sf walked expressionlessly forward. She lightly crushed the paper airplane underfoot. Sf walked lightly across that paper, other documents, and even the boxes. She finally arrived next to Ooshiro where he sat at his desk. She bowed and held the silver tray forward. It contained a soup cup and a hamburger. ¡°This is a soup and a hamburger. Are you familiar with them?¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯ve never seen anything like them before! ¡­And if you are displeased about something, just come out and say it.¡± ¡°Tes. ¡­Thank you very much for the polite response.¡± ¡°You really are boring. So what is it?¡± ¡°These are 100% chemical compounds. Not a single natural ingredient was used. UCAT completed the design as an experimental food and announced their research today, but it is not being sent out to be sold by IAI.¡± ¡°So it is a food that does not exist in this world but has been created in this world. That would probably sell.¡± ¡°I hear they have a large repertoire and the prototypes have been frozen. The head of the dining hall said they would be serving a few different patterns over the next year.¡¯ ¡°I see,¡± nodded Itaru. Sf continued, ¡°This provides worse balance when carrying it around than with the solid foods from before. Its performance and nutritional value remain unchanged, so I must deem it an inferior product as it is more difficult to carry and transport.¡± ¡°Just get used to it. The head of the dining hall is going to keep serving it until it¡¯s gone no matter what you say.¡± ¡°Why? If I am not given a clear answer, I will request the previous type of food from the head of the dining hall.¡± ¡°Just think of it as humans needing human food just like dogs need dog food. And the same holds even if this human can no longer eat normal food.¡± Without waiting for Sf to respond, Ooshiro took a bite of the hamburger. Cheese, onions, pickles, and beef were held between the buns. None of them were real. He finished it in five bites and reached for the soup cup. He gulped it down all at once. ¡°I thought it would be too hot, but that wasn¡¯t bad.¡± ¡°Its temperature was quite high, so I stuck my finger in it on the way here to cool it. My internal temperature is kept low.¡± ¡°You really are a machine that meets my every demand. If I could return you, I would do so in a heartbeat.¡± Saying that, Itaru returned the soup cup to the tray and wiped his hands on Sf¡¯s apron. He glanced up at her and said, ¡°Not even a displeased look? I¡¯m dirtying your equipment.¡± ¡°Do not worry. This apron is meant for you to wipe your hands on. I also have one for outings, office work, cleaning, receptions, sleep, and ceremonial occasions. This one functions as a disinfectant, so feel free to use it.¡± ¡°You are truly an amazing machine. Where can I send my thoughts and requests? Please tell me.¡± ¡°Tes. Please send any mail to the Sf assistance official within German UCAT.¡± ¡°¡­You really don¡¯t know what a joke is, do you?¡± ¡°I will interpret that as a request, Itaru-sama¡­Oh.¡± Sf bowed and leaned forward. She adjusted the position of Itaru¡¯s metal cane leaning up against the chair. Then, ¡°I will be going.¡± She turned to leave the room. Itaru called out to her. ¡°What¡¯s my old man doing?¡± ¡°Kazuo-sama was at the first floor¡¯s central entrance not long ago. He was with Shinjou-shi,¡± while still expressionless, she tilted her head slightly, ¡°and Sayama Mikoto-shi who we saw on the train. It appeared they had discussed the Leviathan Road while underground.¡± ¡°Do you know the details?¡± ¡°Tes. Sayama Mikoto-shi was informed that there are ten alternate worlds known as Gears, that his grandfather worked with UCAT to destroy them, that the world is facing a crisis, and-¡­¡± ¡°And that he is to gain cooperation from the survivors of the other Gears by engaging in the postwar negotiations known as the Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°Tes. He was told to ask Shinjou-shi for any simple information he lacked. ¡­Also, he was handed the sacred beast Baku from 7th-Gear. It is to help him by showing him the past.¡± ¡°When will that old man stop putting on airs? He should just tell the little shit to not even think about it.¡± ¡°Tomorrow, they will meet at the Imperial Palace at 1:00 PM to explain the details of the Concept War and of the current situation. The day after that, they will visit UCAT¡¯s 1st-Gear reservation for preliminary negotiations with 1st-Gear¡¯s peace faction.¡± ¡°Is this Sayama brat really willing to go that far?¡± ¡°No. According to Kazuo-sama, this is all tentative. Sayama Mikoto-shi can still reject the right his grandfather has left him. He is being told to make his decision after learning what the Leviathan Road truly is.¡± ¡°My old man¡¯s gotten too soft. ¡­Although he is the one that encouraged us on the verge of death way back when.¡± ¡°What is the objective of the Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°You want to know?¡± ¡°Not really, no.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Ooshiro Itaru picked up a document from his desk. He folded it as he said, ¡°1st- through 10th-Gears were all created from their own unique concepts. We call those positive concepts. On the other hand, our Gear has nothing. The reason for this is simple: this Gear is created from negative concepts. Do you understand so far?¡± ¡°Tes.¡± ¡°The Concept War was fought by destroying the other Gears, but do you know what basis would have been used to determine which Gears were destroyed and which one survived when all the Gears collided in 1999?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ooshiro Itaru gave a bitter smile and added another fold to his paper. ¡°When that time of destruction arrived, the Gear with the most positive concepts would survive. That was why the Gears fought and did their very best to extract and take home as many of the enemy worlds¡¯ concepts as they could. And since this Low-Gear had nothing but negative concepts, it was apparently abandoned right away.¡± ¡°But despite being made of negative concepts, this Gear succeeded in destroying the other Gears made of positive concepts. ¡­Is that why we receive so much enmity for winning the Concept War?¡± ¡°That¡¯s only one of the reasons, but yes, the underdog won. However, that result means the other Gears¡¯ concepts were brought into this Gear. They are stored in the form of Concept Cores which are masses of concepts on the level of an entire world. That goes well beyond a simple Concept Text.¡± The sound of folding paper continued. He made a fold that pointed up like a mountain, spread out the center, and created corners on the four sides. ¡°Most of the Concept Cores are stored in UCAT. If those Concept Cores are released, they will eat into this Gear¡¯s negative concepts and destroy our current ideas of common sense. However¡­¡± ¡°However?¡± ¡°Ten years ago, the negative concepts of this Gear began to activate for some reason. If nothing is done, this Gear will continue even further in the negative direction and be destroyed. To stop this, all the positive Concept Cores must be released to create a balance. We know this will change the world, but it is our only option.¡± His hands stopped moving. ¡°My old man says this is accepting the existence of the lost Gears. This world will accept the powers of those destroyed Gears and will maintain its existence using those powers. However, most of the Concept Cores were split and a portion remains in the hands of the Gear¡¯s survivors. Also, the war ended 60 years ago, so we cannot act like conceited victors and simply do as we wish with the Concept Cores. We must hold official negotiations with each Gear and gain permission to use the Concept Cores.¡± ¡°And that is the Leviathan Road? To be honest, I cannot determine if this is true. What proof do we have that the negative concepts have become active?¡± ¡°Japan and you, Sf. The ones you and those like you are based on fell asleep when brought from 3rd-Gear. Now, tell me when they awoke.¡± ¡°¡­December 25, 1995.¡± ¡°And what happened in Japan on that day?¡± Sf immediately replied, ¡°If my memory is correct, the great Kansai earthquake.¡± ¡°Yes, you are correct. That was one aspect of this. And the Concept Cores must have had some sort of reaction too because their concepts began to leak just a tiny bit into this Gear. That is why those girls became able to move ever so slightly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The negative concepts are even now growing more and more active. It has been predicted that their activity will reach its critical point at exactly ten years after it began. In other words,¡± he powerfully added a fold, ¡°December 25 of this year.¡± Ooshiro Itaru¡¯s hands stopped there. He placed what he had folded atop the pile of documents on his desk. It was a square with one end pointed. It had a square protrusion on the top. Sf looked at it and asked, ¡°Is it a boat?¡± ¡°Does it look that way to you? No. It is a tower. Look at it like this.¡± He pressed down on the back of the square to stand it up. It was a tower stabbing straight up to heaven. ¡°It all begins here.¡± Sayama and Shinjou left the white-walled UCAT headquarters which was disguised as a large IAI transportation administration building. They then walked toward the main entrance through the IAI grounds. He had left his cell phone with UCAT along with his torn coat so they could be inspected after the battle. Sayama called someone from back home using the cell phone he had been provided with. A car would arrive for him in half an hour. He had to make his way out of both UCAT and IAI grounds in that time. However¡­ ¡°This place is much larger than I expected. Maybe we should have waited for the bus,¡± Sayama said. ¡°I-I agree. I thought I wanted to walk for once, but that may have been a mistake,¡± replied Shinjou. The UCAT area was filled with 3000 meter runways and large hangars that were visible under the nighttime lighting. A kilometer long valley could be seen partway across and it was what hid UCAT from the surrounding areas. The IAI area on the other side had many more lights and the buildings on the surface were much larger. Sayama and Shinjou spoke as they walked down the central road between the buildings. He asked her what she knew about the Concept War and the time of destruction. He then asked her about the person from 1st-Gear who had been their opponent that evening. ¡°The 1st-Gear Concept Core has been split into two. 1st-Gear was a world that sat on a flat table. The first Concept Core constructed that single isolated world. The other provided the unique aspect of 1st-Gear. That is the concept that gives power to words and allows 1st-Gear to use something like magic.¡± ¡°Does UCAT possess both of those Concept Cores?¡± ¡°The world construction Concept Core was sealed in a 1st-Gear sword and is stored in Japanese UCAT¡¯s western branch located below IAI HQ. But the word concept one was sealed in a mechanical dragon belonging to the radicals that fled into this world.¡± ¡°A mechanical dragon?¡± ¡°It is a weapon shaped like a dragon. I¡¯ve never actually seen one, though.¡± As he watched Shinjou shrug, Sayama decided she was not lying. ¡°That sounds like a weapon out of a manga or something,¡± he said. ¡°Oh, I actually prefer novels. I don¡¯t read much manga, so I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Hm. It is sad to hear you denying part of Japan¡¯s culture like that. ¡­But at any rate, if I accept these rights from my grandfather, I will ultimately have to negotiate with these radicals, won¡¯t I?¡± He nodded in understanding. A break in the conversation formed and he looked around as he walked. Several giant white buildings could be seen under the outdoor lights. At this point, the UCAT buildings were nowhere to be seen. ¡°So UCAT is a hidden village. ¡­The normal IAI workers know nothing about UCAT and think the area further in is an airport.¡± ¡°As you were told before, the Izumo Aviation Institute¡¯s Tokyo branch had a national defense department during the war. That department learned of the Concept War, researched it, and became Japanese UCAT immediately after the war.¡± ¡°Do you know a lot about that?¡± ¡°No. Tonight was the first I ever heard about your grandfather being a part of it all.¡± ¡°Same here. That probably means my parents did not know either. They only worked for IAI. They must not have known that my grandfather had anything to do with the transportation facility over the valley.¡± As he spoke, Sayama brought his hand to the left side of his chest and looked toward his left shoulder. A single small animal stood there. The 15 centimeter animal was of a type he had never seen before. Its face looked like a boar, it had a round body, and its legs had hooves. ¡°That¡¯s Baku, right? I¡¯ve never seen it before. It can¡­show people the past, right?¡± ¡°The old man said it was like dreaming. Apparently, it was on the verge of dying but managed to survive due to the slight release of the positive concepts in reaction to the negative concepts beginning to activate ten years ago.¡± When he reached out his hand, Baku drew back but then reached out its front legs to grab his finger. ¡°I wonder what kind of past it can show me¡­ I suppose it could only be an unpleasant past.¡± He glanced over to find Shinjou hanging her head down. While walking alongside her, Sayama asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. It¡¯s just¡­ I didn¡¯t know anything about you and 10 years ago, Sayama-kun.¡± ¡°Oh, you mean when my father headed to Kansai with the IAI rescue team and-¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it. You don¡¯t have to talk about your chest pains either. ¡­It would be best if you don¡¯t talk about it.¡± ¡°I do not mind.¡± ¡°You should. You shouldn¡¯t talk about your parents and yourself like they are strangers.¡± ¡°But my parents more or less are strangers and I work to view myself objectively.¡± In response to his words, the ends of Shinjou¡¯s eyebrows drooped slightly as she looked up at him. Sayama received her gaze head on. She is likely in the right here, he muttered in his heart. Shinjou had said she had no memory of her parents. She wanted to search for them. He decided that was what led her to be right. When Sayama had been told that the objective of the Leviathan Road was the suppression of the negative concepts, the topic had turned to the activation of the negative concepts and the great Kansai earthquake ten years ago. And that had naturally led to Sayama¡¯s parents. Sayama had seen the look on Shinjou¡¯s face change when she heard about his father¡¯s death during relief work for the earthquake, about his mother taking him with her and trying to commit a double suicide, and about his angina. When she had once more asked about the ring he wore, he had given her the proper answer. It was a memento of his mother. She had then apologized. She had said she had not been thinking when she had said what she said in front of the medical room. She was now looking up at him with the same expression as back then. The ends of her eyebrows had lightly lowered above her black eyes. Before, it had been an expression of apology. But now it was an expression of admonition over speaking as if his parents were strangers. Sayama thought on Shinjou¡¯s words and expression. ¡­When she should be criticizing me, why does she use the expression of someone who has done something wrong? But before Sayama could come up with an answer, Shinjou made a move. Her head drooped down. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said. Sayama tilted his head in confusion. He was the one who deserved to be criticized here. ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± ¡°B-because I was being an imposition on you, Sayama-kun.¡± When Sayama heard those words she spoke to the ground, he spoke. ¡°There is one thing I hope you understand.¡± But then his lips produced another statement. ¡°That is not true at all.¡± After he spoke, Sayama realized what he had said. Why had he permitted someone else to give their opinion on his pet theory? As he felt that slight shock, he saw Shinjou look up at him wide-eyed with her eyebrows still lowered. A bit of surprise could be seen on her face as well. She is surprised from the simple fact that someone accepted what she said, he thought. She was serious about this. It was related to one¡¯s memories of one¡¯s parents. That was something that she lacked. Sayama thought as he watched Shinjou¡¯s expression change before his eyes. Why had he allowed Shinjou¡¯s opinion? ¡­That is because she understands. Her expression changed ever so slightly. ¡­She understands what it is she seeks. The ends of Shinjou¡¯s eyebrows lowered and her eyes narrowed around her large pupils. ¡­That is something I do not have. She opened her mouth slightly, let out a soft breath, and spoke. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Sayama nodded and looked away as he changed the subject. ¡°At any rate, I need to think about whether I should accept the Leviathan Road or not.¡± ¡°Y-yes. If you do, it will involve more than just negotiations. You will be dealing with people as desperate as this evening.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama nodded and muttered under his breath. ¡°I wonder if he viewed me as desperate.¡± I was not, he thought with a sigh. It had ended before he could. And Sayama remembered what he had felt when he had been about to take action at the end. He had thought that he had been wrong. He understood why he had felt that way. ¡­I am inexperienced. Even if I am wrong, I simply need to think it is necessary. Sayama wondered when he would become the kind of person his grandfather had been. He then recalled the battle from that evening. ¡°Our enemy was serious and so were you. ¡­I have seen many different fights, but that battle was not fought hopelessly or as a game.¡± ¡°According to Ooshiro-san, we will head to the 1st-Gear reservation for the preliminary negotiations the day after tomorrow. It seems they realized we are taking action, so one of the radicals tried to win over the peaceful faction on the reservation.¡± ¡°So he made his way into the middle of enemy territory. ¡­What leads people to head down such dangerous paths?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°How about we leave it as ¡®there are things that cannot be explained with words¡¯. According to the old man, tomorrow we will go to the Imperial Palace so he can show me the beginning of the Concept War and the day after tomorrow we will meet with representatives of 1st-Gear¡¯s peaceful faction for preliminary negotiations. If that was all, I would not be remotely interested. However, I saw one of the radicals today. I am interested in the Leviathan Road.¡± ¡­So that is what it looks like when two serious people clash in desperation. ¡°Utilizing force creates enmity, but there are some who will never accept it if you do not. What can be done about that? ¡­These negotiations are wrapped in contradiction. Perhaps that is why I was chosen.¡± Sayama looked forward to find they were approaching the main entrance. The guard noticed them and activated the automatic gate. With a sound like rattling chains, the gate disappeared belowground. Amid that sound, Shinjou stopped walking and asked a question. ¡°That is why¡­? Why would you have been chosen, Sayama-kun?¡± Sayama stopped as well. He supported Baku who almost fell from his shoulder. ¡°My grandfather would boldly declare that the surname Sayama indicates a villain. He was a lone wolf corporate blackmailer. ¡­This is a similar dirty job. Someone is needed to crush this kind of idiot underfoot.¡± ¡­And they hope that person will be me. Sayama wondered if he could manage it. If he was to leave, he had to do it now. ¡°¡­¡± Sayama fell silent. With a click of the heel, he began walking once more. A step later, Shinjou rushed up to join him. ¡°Wait!¡± she called. But Sayama did not turn around. He heard Shinjou¡¯s footsteps line up beside him. ¡°Um, Sayama-kun. Sorry, but¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± he asked. Shinjou¡¯s head drooped and she folded her hands in front of her waist. ¡°Umm,¡± she started. ¡°I just want to check one thing about what you said.¡± She formed a troubled smile and asked her question. ¡°What is a corporate blackmailer?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°S-sorry. I know it was a really important part, but¡­well¡­I¡¯m not quite sure what it means.¡± Sayama¡¯s mouth hung open and he let out a ¡°ha!¡± ¡­Oh, I see. He did not care if his laugh reverberated in his left arm. He let loose and laughed without restraint. Is that all it was? he thought. Meanwhile, Shinjou¡¯s face grew red. ¡°Wh-why are you laughing? Is it that funny?¡± ¡°Apologies. You are an honest person, Shinjou-kun. A corporate blackmailer is someone who uses violence or influence hidden from the law to threaten corporations into giving them something in return. They bring harassment or unseen violence and if the corporation wants it to stop, they have to give them some sort of influence or a good rate in negotiations.¡± He thought for a moment. ¡°But unlike normal ones, a lone wolf corporate blackmailer who acts out of conviction is an idiot. When they see an enemy or evil, they wield their justice and charge in. They make no threats, they harass no one, and they cause no violence. They cry out about the injustices and fraud of corporations and wield their power in the name of justice. And they do not care who else is damaged in the process. They do not care if they are hated.¡± Shinjou gulped. At that moment, they passed through the main gate. The guard bowed and they bowed back. ¡°Will you¡­choose the same thing as your grandfather?¡± ¡°Perhaps. ¡­He truly was hated by a lot of people. When he dug up corporate injustice, not many corporations could withstand the reorganizations and dismissals that followed. He did not know the meaning of the word mercy.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Sayama nodded as he thought about his grandfather. He brought a hand to his forehead and sighed. ¡°Yes. When I was in fourth grade, I ignored a lame gag he made. That developed into an actual fistfight. What kind of person fights an elementary school boy while wearing nothing but his underwear, goes in for a cross counter, and then takes a photo to commemorate his victory? You will never find a more childish old man in all of human history. I suppose that breed went extinct recently.¡± ¡°I think I see a candidate before me¡­¡± ¡°That would be nice,¡± replied Sayama with a smile. They stopped in front of the main entrance. Across the wide road in front of them was a cliff with the Tama River flowing down below and forests on the mountains and valleys beyond. The lights of the IAI hospital and employee dormitory could be seen in the distance. While listening to the sound of the river, Sayama spoke to Shinjou. ¡°At any rate, I think my grandfather was hated because he was a true villain and nothing else.¡± ¡°Why did he continue to do that even though it made him so hated?¡± ¡°I do not know. And to be honest, I am jealous. Why was he able to do that? ¡­If I understood that, I could choose my own path without so much doubt.¡± Sayama said no more. And shortly thereafter, headlights approached from the Akigawa direction of the road. ¡°Is that from your family?¡± ¡°It is from a yakuza family that became indebted to my grandfather. They run a security company now, though.¡± As he spoke, the car pulled up. It was a large, black car. The windows were all tinted black so the inside could not be seen. It came to a stop. ¡°Wah,¡± said Shinjou as she drew back. A man had stepped out of the driver¡¯s seat on the left. This young man had close-cropped hair and wore a blue suit. He turned toward Sayama. ¡°Young master, I have come to take you home.¡± He bowed and looked toward Shinjou. Slight caution could be seen in the young man¡¯s actions. He then turned his eyes toward the bandages wrapped around Sayama¡¯s left arm. Sayama nodded and said, ¡°Kouji, do not worry. I trust her. She¡­treated my wound when I tripped in the forest. Her name is Shinjou-¡­¡± He trailed off when he realized he had never asked her given name. Shinjou picked up on this and answered. ¡°Oh, it is Sadame. My name is Shinjou Sadame.¡± ¡°I see. My apologies. I am Tamiya Kouji. It seems you have been of great help to my young master.¡± ¡°Eh? No, um¡­ He helped me too¡­¡± Shinjou took a step back, stood right next to Sayama, and whispered. ¡°You tripped in the forest?¡± ¡°I can hardly tell him the truth, can I?¡± ¡°Yes, but I wasn¡¯t the one to treat you. ¡­And this is an amazing reception. Why is he treating you like this?¡± ¡°You could say this family is a memento of my grandfather. I did not acquire this myself. Do you not-¡­¡± Sayama was going to say ¡°have anything like that¡±, but he swallowed the words. Shinjou sighed, thought for a moment, and then spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I do have¡­a younger brother. My twin brother. But¡­¡± She gave a bitter smile and lowered her head slightly when she saw Tamiya looking at her. ¡°Your environment¡­ Whether you can call it a family or not, it¡¯s quite amazing.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Sayama with a nod. He then amended it to, ¡°I suppose so.¡± At that point, he realized he had a bit of leeway within him now. He knew she was not completely alone. He concluded that the male language mixed into her speech[1] was due to that environment of hers. He then nodded slightly in her direction. ¡°Now then. Thank you for seeing me off. ¡­Will I see you tomorrow?¡± Shinjou nodded and gave only a slight smile. That was the sign of their parting. A girl stood on the rooftop of Taka-Akita Academy¡¯s second year general school building. She stood on the western edge overlooking the nightscape of Akigawa City. It was Brunhild wearing her uniform and with her gray hair blowing in the wind. As the moon shone down on the rooftop, she placed her hands on the railing and opened her mouth. She cast her eyes down while otherwise expressionless. Her opened lips did not produce simple words. She sang. It was the hymn Silent Night. ¡°Stille Nacht Heil¡¯ge Nacht Alles schlaft einsam wacht Nur das traute hoch heilige Paar Holder Knab¡¯im lockigten Haar Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh.¡± She slowly raised her head. Once she finished singing, she opened her eyes to find the round moon in the heavens. While watching that light, her expression changed. ¡°I hate this sky¡­ It has that light that our sky did not. It is not the light of the underworld¡­¡± Brunhild sighed as the moonlight reflected in her eyes. And then her expression changed once more as if it was jumping up. Her eyebrows leveled out, her eyes sharpened, and the expression from before vanished. ¡°Here he comes,¡± she muttered as she reached her right hand into her pocket. She pulled out a small blue stone and held it tightly in her right hand. She then slowly raised that right hand. A wind then descended from the night sky. It was a black wind. Like a string or small stream, the black wind whirled around and wrapped about Brunhild¡¯s right hand. It solidified into a single object. That black wind took the form of a black cat. This glossy black cat stood atop her right arm. Brunhild stretched her arm out horizontally as easily as if the cat was weightless. The cat climbed across her arm and onto her right shoulder. Brunhild lowered her arm and the cat climbed down it to the floor. Immediately afterwards, Brunhild wrote something in the air using her right hand and snapped her fingers. As soon as that clear sound rang out, the cat looked up. And¡­ ¡°Ahh, I¡¯m exhausted. It can be hard to tell which is the real me.¡± A young male voice came from the cat. Nevertheless, Brunhild remained expressionless. ¡°We have to keep up appearances so as to avoid suspicion. More importantly, how did it go?¡± ¡°As expected, the Royal Palace faction is hopeless. They don¡¯t have the strength of an organization like we do.¡± ¡°I did not ask for your impressions. I want a report on the facts.¡± Brunhild folded her arms and began tapping her right toes on the floor. Seeing that, the cat said, ¡°I think you are absorbing some bad habits from Low-Gear. You have such bad manners.¡± ¡°Shut it. If you say anything more, I¡¯ll throw you into the room of a classmate who is yearning for a pet.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want that¡­ It¡¯s only any fun at first.¡± The cat hung its head, sighed, and then straightened up once more. ¡°The peaceful faction that sympathizes with UCAT turned away a messenger from the Royal Palace faction. The messenger was a strong member of the Royal Palace faction, a werewolf named Gale-¡­Gale-something. But he was cornered by UCAT and killed himself.¡± ¡°They did that to a werewolf? I know their species gets a lot stupider when their true nature kicks in, but that couldn¡¯t have been easy.¡± ¡°Well, the pursuit unit was slaughtered, but the UCAT special division arrived afterwards and trapped him in a Concept Space. Werewolves are a poor match for precious metals when it comes to elemental concepts. Okay, now this.¡± The black cat rolled over and showed off its belly. He was asking Brunhild to rub it, so she crouched down and poked his belly with her index finger. The gentle jab caused the cat to arch its back. ¡°Ahhh! My hips! Not the hips! My guts! I feel some indescribable sensation in my guts!!¡± ¡°Stop speaking so oddly and get on with the report. What will we do regarding the peaceful faction and the Royal Palace faction?¡± ¡°W-we of the City faction will not contact either side. Fafner who has worked his way up lately made the announcement. ¡­And according to Venerable Hagen, the Royal Palace faction will likely take action out of desperation.¡± ¡°The Royal Palace faction will? A group that split from the peaceful faction based on nothing but ideals is planning to attack UCAT? They don¡¯t think they can manage by relying on nothing but youthful vigor like Fafner does, do they?¡± ¡°No, they don¡¯t.¡± The cat got up and began licking his belly. While still crouched down, Brunhild said, ¡°Stop acting so self-important and get on with it.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, you don¡¯t have to act like that. We were both deployed here, so we are on equal footing, right? You have been getting a bit carried away lately, Brunhild.¡± ¡°Have I?¡± ¡°Yes. Just the day before yesterday, I took a peek inside the sweets shop in front of the school and you suddenly had a kid in there strip naked and bow down before you.¡± ¡°Do not misrepresent what happened. He flipped up my skirt first. For a woman of 1st-Gear, having anyone but her husband do that is a humiliation. I was crying in my heart as I made him bow down. And I also swore to never forgive that kid.¡± ¡°Sorry. My heart must have been too clouded because I could not see any tears. ¡­And is that really such a humiliation?¡± Brunhild grabbed the black cat¡¯s back legs in her hands, spread them out in a T-shape, and lifted him up. She then shook him up and down. ¡°Ahhh! Such humiliation! Stop, stop! If you keep looking at me like this, a new side of me will awaken!¡± ¡°As long as you understand.¡± She put the cat back down. The cat dragged his limp waist along and forced a smile. ¡°E-every day with you is quite stimulating. Although becoming numb to stimulation is a sign your life is over.¡± ¡°Just finish with the report before I decide to do something else.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± thought the cat. ¡°Do you remember the Leviathan Road? That thing Venerable Hagen mentioned.¡± ¡°Yes. That information he got from a strange information broker, right? ¡­We had predicted it ourselves as well. On December 25 of this year, the activation of the negative concepts of this Gear will reach the critical point.¡± ¡°Yes, and so we must take back the other half of 1st-Gear¡¯s Concept Core from UCAT and stop the activation of the negative concepts as part of 1st-Gear. ¡­And UCAT is trying to do the same but with themselves in charge. Anyway¡­the Leviathan Road is an attempt by UCAT to obtain all of the Concept Cores. But¡­¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°It seems a unit put together just for that purpose has begun to move. It was apparently that unit that cornered the messenger of the Royal Palace faction. It is known as Team Leviathan and was created from the top elites of UCAT¡¯s special division.¡± ¡°What is your point?¡¯ ¡°You can¡¯t tell? Some higher members of UCAT are involved with this unit. And so the Royal Palace faction will target Team Leviathan instead of UCAT as a whole. If they could capture Ooshiro Kazuo, the head of Japanese UCAT, they might gain a significant advantage in negotiations.¡± Brunhild stood up, folded her arms, and slowly moved her head down. ¡°Hmm,¡± she murmured as the black cat looked up at her. ¡°But¡­ Hey, Brunhild, were you singing before I arrived?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Brunhild looked down at the cat and finally spoke without changing her expression. ¡°I was not singing.¡± ¡°Really? I seem to remember hearing it on the wind. You, Venerable Regin, and Lady Gutrune loved that Low-Gear man¡¯s-¡­¡± ¡°Do cats show sentimentality by speaking of things they know nothing about?¡± ¡°I am being serious here, Brunhild. In a way, you were the person in the closest position to the cause of 1st-Gear¡¯s destruction.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It bothers me that, as our fight approaches its end, you are here,¡± the cat slowly lay down, ¡°observing the man who destroyed 1st-Gear. It seems to me that would be bad for your mental health.¡± Brunhild¡¯s eyebrows arched slightly, her lips formed a smile that was not quite bitter, and she crouched down to pet the cat¡¯s back. ¡°Am I really that on edge?¡± ¡°You were earlier. When Miss Feigned Ignorance stopped by, you were legitimately mad when you mentioned how much you love forests and she replied by mentioning celery.¡± Brunhild dug through her memories before replying. With a serious expression, she said, ¡°That is because I hate celery.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stand Chinese chives or mitsuba either. Whenever I order udon at the cafeteria, I ask for no mitsuba, but Old Tome always legitimately forgets and puts it in. ¡­And that old woman is too cute to complain to.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter, but I think you are building up too much stress from little things.¡± ¡°Oh? I am not building up stress at all.¡± ¡°Really? Then how are you relieving-¡­no, ah!! Stop, stop! Not the ass! The ass is the last place I want-¡­!¡± Once Brunhild rendered the cat unable to stand, she stood up. She walked over to the north edge of the rooftop where she could see level scenery with the lights of houses and buildings in the distance. Headlights could be seen running along the roads within the school grounds, but that was the only movement. She looked straight down and spotted light falling on the grass behind the school building. The light came from the first floor hallway in front of the Kinugasa Library. She could see a single shadow moving through that horizontal line of lights. ¡°Siegfried¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°What would he do if he knew a ghost from 60 years ago had returned?¡± Notes 1. ¡ü The most prominent example of her use of male language is using ¡°boku¡± to refer to herself. Volume 1, 7: A Peaceful Morning Volume 1, Chapter 7: A Peaceful Morning An unfamiliar memory becomes a linchpin It holds one in place And informs one of something Sayama was in a grassy plain. He had no body. Only his vision floated there. As he glanced around with that vision, he could see the plain was surrounded by cedar trees. The sky above his head seemed to stretch on forever and a mountain range could be seen beyond the forest. When Sayama saw the cirrus clouds crossing the sky, he finally began to think. ¡­Is this a dream? It had to be. Only his thoughts existed in what seemed like another reality. Was this scene drawn from his memory or created from a mixture of memories? Sayama could not tell. However, Sayama decided this was not actually a dream. The wind, sky, and rustling forest were all too noisy. He could sense the movement and disorder that only real objects held. The fact that he could feel the wind told him he had his senses. ¡­Then can I speak? ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He had no voice. But he could move. Instead of trying to walk, he had to create a feeling like he was tilting his body forward. His body still did not seem to exist, but his vision moved. And then he heard a sound from the right. ¡­? With that voiceless question, he turned toward the sound. He found a man leaving the forest in the distance. He appeared to be in the gap between middle-aged and elderly. He had graying hair, a slender face, and a lean body. He wore a heavy brown coat meant for mountain climbing. The leather coat had fur added and Sayama guessed that it was quite expensive. The man was running with the knapsack over his right shoulder shaking back and forth. He was running toward Sayama¡¯s location and seemed to be chasing something. He opened his mouth and white puffs of breath escaped. Sayama heard him say, ¡°It¡­ It really was here!¡± From the sound of his voice, his throat had to be very dry. The man fell to his knees, got back up, and dropped the knapsack from his right shoulder countless times as he ran. As the white puffs of his breathing grew larger and he fell to his knees yet again, he tossed the knapsack aside. He fell forward once and his right hand reached the ground. He stood up. He began running once more. He ran and ran some more. He continued in a straight line toward Sayama. He approached so close Sayama felt he could have reached out and touched the man. At that point, Sayama noticed two things. The first was that the man¡¯s clothing was not modern. The second was that the man was missing his left arm. The design of his leather coat and his pants was very rough. None of the emblems one would expect on mountain climbing gear was in evidence. Sayama took a closer look at the mountain boots treading on the grass. ¡­Military boots? They were antiques made of real leather. As the man ran in those boots and his body swayed, it was clear that his left sleeve had nothing in it. The large leather coat¡¯s sleeve held its form well, so Sayama had not noticed until now. Sayama instinctually took a step back from the man running toward him. Sayama did not know who the man was, but he had a feeling he had seen the man somewhere before. ¡­Who is he? At some point, the man had started clutching a machine in his right hand. It looked like a black pocket watch and it had several long hands and short hands. And then Sayama looked at the man¡¯s face. His thin face had the beginnings of a beard and he was breathing quickly and shallowly. However¡­ ¡­He is smiling? No. That is not a smile. That is joy. This was the expression of a man who had had some wish granted or who had achieved something. ¡­I cannot even guess what would give me a look like that. Just as Sayama had that thought, the man cut by beside him. While existing as nothing but his vision, Sayama sighed. He would no longer be able to see the man¡¯s expression. The man had passed by, so turning around would only show him the man¡¯s back. However, Sayama still turned around. He wanted to see what it was the man sought. ¡­But there should only be a forest that way. While taking a step back, Sayama turned around. And he saw a giant shadow. ¡°!?¡± It was a tower. A giant tower filled almost his entire vision. It started on the grassy plain and continued all the way up into the heavens. Beyond the bluish-black shadow, white clouds wrapped around the wind. He looked up, but could not see the top of the tower. Because it stretched up vertically, he could not see the very top from where he was. All he could tell was that the tower seemed to be made out of a collection of rectangles. What is this? muttered Sayama in his mind. That wasn¡¯t there before. But as soon as he began to wonder why, the answer came to him. That invisible wall in that Okutama forest. A Concept Space. His vision may have moved through to the other side of one of those walls. He lowered his vision and found the man standing quite nearby. The man¡¯s back was less than ten steps away. As he looked up at the tower, his warm breaths escaped as white puffs of wind. Sayama heard the man speak. ¡°So it really was here¡­¡± He breathed out, breathed in, and then dropped to his knees. His butt then dropped to the ground, but he never stopped looking up. ¡°Babel¡­ The relic that tells of the beginning of the Concept War!!¡± he spoke. His words were like a punch to Sayama¡¯s consciousness. Sayama jumped up. ¡°!¡± He now saw a different scene from that dream: the top bunk of a bunk bed, a blanket, a small room, a close-by ceiling, a fluorescent light sticking down, and sunlight entering through the window behind him. There was no wind. There was only the sweat sticking to his body. ¡°This is¡­¡± He finally realized it was his own room. ¡°What a pathetic way to wake up,¡± he sighed while lightly shaking his head. He realized that his body existed once more. The sweat he had felt was definitely there. And his left arm hurt. The pain seemed to throb in the core of his body. He frowned slightly and realized once more that this was not a dream. He hung his head down and something fell from his head. ¡°¡­?¡± Something small was moving atop his blanket. It was brown and had its limbs sprawled out. He picked it up in his right hand and held it up to his face. It was Baku. Baku remained obediently still as he held its back between his fingers. When he saw the white fur covering its belly swelling out, Sayama recalled the conversation from the night before. ¡°You can show people the past in the form of dreams.¡± In that case¡­ ¡°Was that dream¡­something that actually happened?¡± Baku only tilted its head. Realizing it may not have been able to make such distinctions, Sayama smiled bitterly at the fact that he was speaking to an animal. However¡­ ¡­Does that tower have something to do with another Gear? ¡°He called it Babel.¡± He decided he would learn about all that this afternoon. Ooshiro had said he would be waiting for Sayama at the Imperial Palace. He did not know what would happen there, though. But for now¡­ ¡°I have student council work with Izumo and Kazami before that,¡± he muttered. He then wondered if Izumo knew about UCAT. Shinjou sat as the scenery rushed by. She was inside a train. She wore an orange shirt and white trousers while sitting on the end of the seats with a small bag on her lap. Ooshiro Kazuo sat next to her wearing a brown suit. The two of them were riding a special express train from Oume to Tokyo. They were still only just out of Tachikawa to the west of Tokyo, but a great number of people had come onboard at Tachikawa. A wall of people had formed in front of Shinjou. She spoke while embracing the bag on her lap. ¡°Wow. Ooshiro-san, there are so many people¡­ Why are there so many people here?¡± ¡°That is a question of eros. Ha ha ha. ¡­It is because the Japanese are a very diligent people.¡± ¡°¡­At what?¡± As Shinjou frowned, Ooshiro smiled bitterly. His eyes bent like bows behind his glasses. ¡°By the way, why did you decide to go to the city for the first time? I thought the princess of UCAT was too sheltered to ask to go along for the preparations.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Shinjou slightly held her own body as if to hide her chest. However, her eyebrows rose slightly. ¡°Sayama-kun doesn¡¯t know that¡­so it¡¯s okay. And the others will be coming later, right? I can¡¯t be the only one not to go.¡± ¡°Does he weigh on your mind that much?¡± Shinjou froze in place when asked that. The train shook. Shinjou shook with it, but Ooshiro did not. They were arriving at Kokubunji Station. Shinjou ended up leaning against Ooshiro until the train came to a stop. As the doors opened, Shinjou lowered her head slightly toward Ooshiro and fixed her position. She saw even more people board the train. As the wall of people before her grew even denser, Shinjou let out a cry of wonder. She took a breath and looked over to find Ooshiro staring intently at her. He was waiting for an answer. Once she realized that, Shinjou lowered her shoulders and shrunk down at the edge of the seat. ¡°Yes¡­He does,¡± she quietly admitted. Once she did that, she had to give a reason. ¡°After all, I realized I never thanked him yesterday. ¡­And I only learned after he left that his clothes, his watch, and his pens were all left for him by his grandfather.¡± ¡°He thinks of his relatives as strangers. ¡­So does it really matter?¡± Shinjou turned toward Ooshiro with a look of shock. That was something Sayama had said when speaking with her the night before. ¡°I-I never told anyone about that. You don¡¯t mean¡­¡± Shinjou brushed her hand along her back and hair. However, she found nothing. Ooshiro said, ¡°Do you want me to tell you how I knew that?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± ¡°I see. How honest of you. ¡­But I will never tell y-¡­Wait, hey. Let go of that.¡± ¡°Shut up. No matter how high a position you have, this is an invasion of privacy.¡± After tightening Ooshiro¡¯s tie as much as she could, Shinjou let go. ¡°Last night has influenced me a lot,¡± she said. ¡°Like when you weighed Mikoto-kun¡¯s life with the enemy¡¯s life and you could not choose between them?¡± ¡°Yes. Saying it was my first time on the front lines is just an excuse. If that sniper shot had not come, who knows what would have happened.¡± ¡°You are thinking of this wrong. It is because that sniper shot was there that we do not know what would have happened.¡± Shinjou looked up quickly and then hung her head down once more. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she muttered as Ooshiro looked away from her. ¡°What a pain,¡± he said as he looked forward. ¡°Your comrade said they fired because they had deemed the situation dangerous. Are you unable to trust your comrades?¡± ¡°I trust them. But¡­I could see the look of fear in our enemy¡¯s eyes when he saw me. And I could see the injury on Sayama-kun¡¯s left arm.¡± ¡°So even though you and your comrade were looking at the same thing, you saw something different. ¡­When did you start talking about what sounds like a concept?¡± commented Ooshiro. He placed a hand on Shinjou¡¯s head and stroked it. ¡°Then how about you do whatever little you can do? Give flowers to the dead and alms to the living, and you can make up for your sins¡­or so they say.¡± ¡°Tes. But I do plan to give flowers after the autopsy. Same with the advance unit.¡± ¡°I see. That leaves alms for the living. You do understand that you are not the type that will be satisfied after simply thanking Mikoto-kun, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡­What am I supposed to do? Sayama-kun can¡¯t use his left arm very much thanks to the injury.¡± ¡°Then you can act as a replacement for his left arm.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Shinjou turned toward Ooshiro and frantically began waving her hands. ¡°I-I can¡¯t do that. That would require being with him at all times.¡± ¡°I know a good way you can do that. It may be a bit troublesome, but you, Shinjou Sadame-kun, do not have to go.¡± A look of realization appeared on Shinjou¡¯s face when she realized what he meant. Ooshiro gave a deep nod of understanding and raised his right thumb. ¡°Well, a lot of people will be coming today: your comrades, him, and a connection to the past. ¡­You can make up your mind there.¡± As he spoke, an announcement sounded within the train. They were approaching Mitaka Station. On that special express train, their stop at Tokyo Station was only seven stops away. The sound of the brakes reverberated through the floor and the train shook. However, Shinjou no longer shook with it. Sayama ate an early meal in the cafeteria building and headed for the Kinugasa Library. He walked along the walkway, cut across in front of the third year general school building, and made his way to the back of the second year general school building. He wore his school uniform, but the left sleeve of the shirt was unbuttoned. His left arm was still wrapped in bandages. He had removed them when bathing that morning, but he had held a large white bandage-like paper against the wound. It had hurt, but no blood had seeped into the paper. He assumed that meant a powerful hemostatic agent had been applied. As he walked behind the second year general school building, he suddenly recalled having passed by this way the day before. He looked up at the distant emergency staircase on which he had spoken with Ooki. ¡­A lot of strange things have happened in just one day. It had been past 11:00 PM by the time he had returned to school the night before. He recalled the conversation with Tamiya Kouji when the young man had dropped him off in front of the main entrance. Tamiya had bowed and said, ¡°If possible, come visit us sometime soon. My father, mother, and sister would be delighted.¡± ¡°I thought I made too much noise night after night with the after-test parties.¡± ¡°My father says you can have parties every night if you wish. Also, you may have been staying away, but you and Yume-sama still have rooms in the Tamiya household.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± warned Sayama. The Tamiya family controlled the entire underside of Akigawa city, but they always protected the Sayama family because they were greatly indebted to Sayama¡¯s grandfather. He did not know what his grandfather had done, but they had protected his grandfather, his father, and himself. He had stayed with them up until middle school. The relationship was less like that of a family and more like that of superior and subordinate. Every member of the Tamiya family trusted Sayama as much as his grandfather. This was not a nuisance. However¡­ ¡°Will I ever be able to repay them in some way?¡± muttered Sayama as he walked on. He checked the watch on his left arm. The hands of the black watch he had received at UCAT pointed toward 8:32 AM. The arranged time had been nine sharp, but he guessed Izumo and Kazami would already be there. Those two were always together. ¡°They even go to the absurd extent of living in the same dorm room.¡± He smiled bitterly. He did not know the details, but he knew there had been a large dispute over that. It was only natural that the actions of the heir to IAI would be talked about. ¡°Izumo is actually 20 since he used to live overseas and Kazami¡¯s parents agreed to it. They just barely managed to get by thanks to that.¡± He had gotten to know the two of them during the student council election, but he had heard rumors of the two even before then. You never know what will happen with relationships, thought Sayama as his bitter smile deepened. He heard a bird chirping from the line of trees behind the school building. It was the voice of a baby bird asking for food. Sayama entered the school building¡¯s back entrance as he listened to the bird. He continued toward the Kinugasa Library on the western end of the first floor. As he passed through the dim central lobby, he noticed two figures approaching from the front entrance. One was a girl and one was a cat. The girl wore a blazer, had gray hair, and had purple eyes. The cat at her feet was black. Sayama had seen her once before. ¡­In March, we had a meeting between the new student council and the upcoming leaders of the different clubs. She was from the art club. Her name was Brunhild Schild. Her clothes, hairstyle, and lack of expression were all identical to when he had seen her at that meeting. Only her eyes moved on that expressionless face. Sayama realized she was looking at his left arm. They passed by. As she moved away silently, Sayama gave her one parting glance. ¡­It looked like she was measuring the extent of my wound. Despite seeing his bandages and sling, she had not shown any curiosity, surprise, or fear. She had had the look of someone viewing something they had seen countless times before. While storing that look of hers in his memory, Sayama walked to the entrance of the library. Brunhild entered the art room and locked the door from the inside. Once all outside noise was gone, she took a breath. She glanced over at the window to ensure the curtain was closed as well. Her gaze met with that of the black cat at her feet and she snapped her fingers with a blue stone gripped in her right hand. With that clear noise, Brunhild asked the cat a question. ¡°Why did you disappear in your cat form last night?¡± ¡°I went to a small meeting. Even those from the peaceful faction of 1st-Gear have a lot of animals like me. I exchanged some information with them.¡± ¡°Did you learn anything?¡± The cat nodded. ¡°Ooshiro Kazuo of Japanese UCAT plans to visit the Imperial Palace today. And the peaceful faction will be holding preliminary negotiations for the Leviathan Road tomorrow. It seems they were not given much notice about this.¡± ¡°¡­Is this Ooshiro stupid? If they rush things this much, the Royal Palace faction will panic and take action. They have been rejected by the peaceful faction too much already.¡± ¡°Yes. They all said the Royal Palace faction was at their wits¡¯ end. ¡­I hear they are poorly united on the inside. It seems the hawks plan to target Ooshiro Kazuo, but if that fails, the doves intend to surrender.¡± ¡°They¡­do not have a Concept Core. However, our leader, Venerable Hagen, does.¡± ¡°It will be difficult for them. When 1st-Gear was destroyed, a gate was opened in the royal palace and in the city. The royal palace one came out near UCAT and the nobles who possessed Concept Space technology escaped through it and became the Royal Palace faction. But they did not have the Concept Core. 1st-Gear¡¯s Concept Core was split into two, but they had neither half.¡± ¡°Yes. The king split it into two for safety. The half containing the writing concept was used in the weapon concept reactor of Venerable Hagen¡¯s mechanical dragon, Fafnir Custom.¡± Brunhild lowered her gaze. ¡°The other half containing the world construction concept was stolen from the concept facility below the royal palace. Stolen by that Low-Gear man who took the holy sword Gram created by Doctor Regin. ¡­It seems Doctor Regin joined with Fafnir to protect the Concept Core. He absorbed the Concept Core into the reactor.¡± ¡°I heard about that,¡± said the black cat. ¡°The battle occurred in that facility below the royal palace you mentioned, right? The king, the princess, Fafnir, and that single Low-Gear man were there. By the time the rest of those in the castle arrived, it was all over and the world was beginning to collapse. When they saw Fafnir and the king dead, and the princess badly wounded, they decided the Low-Gear man had escaped after transferring the Concept Core from Fafnir¡¯s reactor into the holy sword Gram.¡± ¡°Yes. According to Fasolt and the others who are now in the peaceful faction, even as she continued to bleed, Lady Gutrune told them the world would soon be destroyed. And Lady Gutrune even managed to call out to the city from the Royal Palace. She told them we had lost and that they needed to hurry to Low-Gear through the two gates.¡± Brunhild sighed and scratched at her hair. She walked over to the easel in the center of the art room. The canvas with a forest painted on top sat on it. Brunhild stared at the blank space in the center where a cabin and some people still needed to be painted. ¡°This forest and everything else disappeared. All thanks to that man who came from Low-Gear and the holy sword Gram he stole. It seems he used the world construction concept inside Gram to destroy 1st-Gear.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°1st-Gear was a flat world. It was a closed world where the universe was shaped like a dome and had a clear end. ¡­According to our estimations, the world construction concept was sent out of control and 1st-Gear continually degenerated inwards until it formed a single point and disappeared.¡± Brunhild formed an expression. Her eyes opened lightly and her lips formed a shallow smile. ¡°We lost many lives and our home. And I lost everything important to me. All we gained in return was defeat and the path to dependency. ¡­And now Gram is sealed below IAI headquarters, so we cannot reach it. Fortunately, the Leviathan Road is beginning. We can negotiate to have Gram unsealed.¡± She looked down at the cat and spoke slowly. ¡°Sixty years is a long time, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kinugasa Library was as long as four classrooms. It was also as wide as two classrooms. It contained so much space it had to stick out from the school building. Its structure was similar to the inner shell of a ship. The central portion was lowered down in steps and each level contained a space for tall bookshelves and a table for four. The bottommost level had a long wide space with not only a table and chairs but also decorative plants. The table at the bottom of the library currently had four people using it. One was Sayama with his uniform¡¯s coat draped over his shoulders. Across from him was Kazami wearing casual clothes and to the left of her was Izumo wearing a black track suit. Across from Izumo and to Sayama¡¯s left was Ooki wearing pajamas. Sayama gathered documents on the table in one hand. ¡°That settles most of it. From what happened at last year¡¯s invitation for new students, it might be safest to allow activities in the dorm hallways.¡± ¡°We need to make it very clear that the doors to the dorm rooms do not fall under the category of the hallways, though. The student council last year did not declare that, so the civil engineering club smashed holes in the dorm room doors when calling for new members.¡± ¡°They passionately said they would throw dynamite in if you did not join, right? What happened to the people who joined back then?¡± ¡°Starting the next day, they spent a month constructing a dam in Gunma for the new member training camp.¡± ¡°And so they had an excellent civil engineering club by the time they came back, hm? Brainwashing is a frightening thing. We need to nip that in the bud this year.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Kazami with a nod before turning toward Izumo. Sayama also turned to look at Ooki. Ooki had her eyes cast down and her hands lightly clasped atop her lap. Her body was lightly rocking forward and backward as she dozed off. Meanwhile, Izumo¡¯s back was straight, his arms were firmly crossed, and he looked straight forward¡­all while fast asleep. ¡°Izumo¡¯s eccentricities give him some convenient abilities. That must come in handy during long meetings.¡± ¡°Well, most of the time you and I can answer any questions as the vice president and treasurer. It makes me wonder why we even have a president¡­ But to change the subject, what is that on your shoulder, Sayama?¡± When Kazami looked over, Baku raised his head from where he had been sleeping on Sayama¡¯s left shoulder. ¡°Is it an animal?¡¯ she asked and stretched out her hand. Baku stared at her before¡­ ¡°Ah, it looked away,¡± she said in disappointment. After seeing Baku lower his head once more, Sayama turned toward Kazami. She sank down a bit into her chair and folded her arms behind her head. ¡°Do not worry about it, Kazami. He likely has yet to grow accustomed to his surroundings.¡± ¡°I want to touch him. My parents had a bird, so I could never have a cat or dog. ¡­Ah.¡± Kazami¡¯s mouth hung open as she looked to Ooki next to Sayama. To Sayama¡¯s left, Ooki swayed. Before anyone could stop her, her forehead slammed into the table. Ooki¡¯s forehead reached the table with a thud and her voice leaked out. ¡°Ee¡­¡± ¡°Oh, Sayama. Looks like she¡¯s gonna cry, so do something about it.¡± ¡°Such as?¡± ¡°Call out to her in a kind voice to calm her down or hit her even harder to knock her unconscious.¡± ¡°It would probably be even more amazing if I could do both at the same time.¡± ¡°Hwaaaahhh!¡± ¡°Wow, she¡¯s really crying.¡± Sayama decided to try to wake her up, but he realized he could not use his left arm. He had no choice but to turn toward her and pat her on the back with his right hand. ¡°What is it, Ooki-sensei?¡± While still lying face down on the table, Ooki coughed once and said, ¡°A-all of a sudden¡­ All of a sudden there was a thunk. I-it scared the crap out of me.¡± ¡°That last part was unnecessary. In fact, where did you learn that phrase? Well, anyway. Let me see your face.¡± ¡°Wh-why? Do you want to see me crying that badly?¡± ¡°No, the shock of the impact might have knocked a front tooth out of place or smashed the cartilage of your nose. If so, you need to hurry to an excellent cosmetic surgeon. ¡­But do not worry. A yakuza family I know has an excellent one. Even if your pinky is-¡­gwoh.¡± Kazami slapped Sayama after having circled around next to him at some point. He fell from his chair and asked, ¡°What are you doing to an injured person? We certainly have a cruel student council treasurer.¡± ¡°Shut up. C¡¯mon, sensei. Your face is probably fine, so please look up.¡± Sayama sighed and moved away from that scene of soothing. He gave Kazami a glance telling her to use his chair and then stared straight ahead. However, Izumo was still boldly remaining fast asleep, so there was no one to talk to. A glance at his watch told him the time was 10:30 AM. The arranged time to meet in the city was one, so it was still too soon to head out if he was taking the train. With nothing else to do, Sayama walked over to the stepped floor next to the table. He stood before a random bookshelf. It was lined with hard cover books as thick as dictionaries. A placard at the top of the bookshelf said ¡°mythology¡±. A series of 11 black-spined books had the author¡¯s name written in gold thread. The name was Kinugasa Tenkyou. The publisher was Izumo Writings Department. As Sayama read those two names, he called out, ¡°Kazami.¡± ¡°What? I was just getting to the good part, so keep it short.¡± ¡°It is about the family of that man sleeping there with his eyes open. Have you heard anything about IAI from him?¡± ¡°About IAI? No. He says he plans to actually start studying when he gets to college, though.¡± ¡°I see,¡± was all Sayama said in reply. However, he felt there was some sort of sign here. The night before, he had visited an organization within IAI called UCAT. There, he had learned of ten alternate worlds. There had been a war known as the Concept War during World War 2 and all of those alternate worlds had been destroyed. That morning, he had been given a strange dream involving a giant tower named Babel. And now he found these books on mythology in a school strongly backed by IAI. ¡°Eleven volumes¡­¡± The ten alternate worlds plus this world made eleven. ¡­Am I the one jumping to conclusions now? Just as he began quietly laughing at his own thoughts, he heard Ooki¡¯s voice. ¡°Are you interested in those books?¡± He turned around to find Ooki sitting up with a red forehead. Kazami gave the OK sign behind her and nodded, so Sayama met Ooki¡¯s gaze. ¡°Is there something special about them?¡± ¡°Yes, those books were written by the school¡¯s founder.¡± That much was obvious just from looking at the books, but Sayama let Ooki continue. She wiped tears from her eyes and wiped her pajama sleeve on the table. She then let out a short groan. ¡°I heard everything about Kinugasa Tenkyou from the headmaster when I arrived here,¡± she said. ¡°Despite being the founder, he never actually worked at the school. He worked with the Izumo company even before the war and was really well known in the fields of military and mythology. Are you familiar with the First Higher School?¡± Kazami shook her head, but Sayama answered. ¡°It became the University of Tokyo.¡± ¡°It seems he worked as a professor there. In his research of Japanese mythology, he crossed the Izumo Province. That is how he gained his connections with the Izumo company.¡± ¡°Wow, you know a lot about this. This is the first time you¡¯ve ever seemed like an actual teacher.¡± ¡°I would expect something like that from that wicked student over there, but you too, Kazami!?¡± Sayama ignored Ooki and pulled out one of Kinugasa¡¯s books. He took the first volume. The book¡¯s text was written horizontally. As he tried to get used to holding the book in his right hand, he noticed the cover was very worn out. He awkwardly opened it with just the one hand. It began with a world map and it wrote in detail about Norse legends while including black-and-white photographs and illustrations. The publication information said this was the first edition printed in 1934. ¡­This must be valuable. As he flipped through it, he found abundant illustrations and photographs, but¡­ ¡°There is no photograph of Kinugasa himself.¡± ¡°According to Siegfried-san, he was injured during the Russo-Japanese War. Apparently, he disliked having his picture taken after that.¡± ¡°Does that old man know about all this? He is not here today, though.¡± ¡°Old man Siegfried has been feeding the chickens behind the dorms and the other birds in the area every morning. He opened up for us before heading out today. If there is something you want to know, why don¡¯t you ask him?¡± suggested Kazami. After a yawn, Izumo spoke up, ¡°He was sent here from IAI, so he probably knows a lot. The person in charge here died about ten years ago, so he agreed to manage the place and search for any data the company needs.¡± Izumo stretched his arms up. ¡°Now, what were we talking about, Chisato? Was it about the archery club wanting to have human target practice to invite new members in?¡± ¡°That was seven topics ago. We were discussing how to handle sleeping idiots.¡± As Kazami grinned and held up her fists, Ooki moved away from her. Ooki walked over to Sayama, her slippered feet creating muffled footsteps. She stood beside him in her pajamas. She ignored the repeated sounds of flesh being struck behind her and looked at the book in Sayama¡¯s hand. ¡°It isn¡¯t often you show interest in something, Sayama-kun. I think this is a good thing.¡± She yawned once and held a hand over her mouth. ¡°Did you find an answer to that question from yesterday?¡± ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°What it is that you could get serious about¡­yawn.¡± ¡°Is that something to ask while yawning?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry, sorry. But when it comes down to it, I can be harsh. My motto is to be serious yet carefree so you don¡¯t completely boil away. But can you remember one thing?¡± ¡°?¡± Ooki used her finger to count the books Sayama had been looking at. She passed by in front of Sayama and her finger topped at the tenth volume. ¡°If you find something or someone you can get serious about, make sure not to destroy or fear either one. And¡­¡± She yawned and rubbed her eyes. ¡°When those who rarely get serious finally do get serious, they can draw out a lot of power. Thinking that you cannot get serious means you are constantly thinking about getting serious.¡± She took a breath. ¡°So you can do it. I guarantee it.¡± ¡°Ooki-sensei, I understand. ¡­But that last comment was unnecessary.¡± ¡°Uuh,¡± groaned Ooki as Sayama glanced at his watch. It was almost eleven. ¡­If I take a train that stops at every station and grab some lunch in the city, I can kill enough time. Sayama nodded and decided to leave. If he made his way to the Imperial Palace, he would find Ooshiro and maybe even Shinjou. As he thought about UCAT and her, he suddenly recalled what Ooki had just said. ¡­Becoming serious, hm? He decided it was time to go. Ooki was looking up at him with a puzzled look. Kazami was punching Izumo. Sayama spoke to the girl. ¡°Kazami, I will be leaving now. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Die, die, die! ¡­Sure, you can leave. ¡­No, not you!¡± ¡°Which one of those was meant for me¡­?¡± With a bitter smile, Sayama noticed it was sunny through the window between the bookshelves. He could hear violent blows and could see a slightly stiff look on Ooki¡¯s face, but it was a wonderful spring day outside. Volume 1, 8: Chasing the Past Volume 1, Chapter 8: Chasing the Past If the past lies before your eyes What are you as you view it? Surely, you would not even be yourself After a bit over an hour of being shaken on the train from Akigawa, Sayama arrived at Tokyo Station. After leaving the station building, it was only a straight path to the Imperial Palace. ¡°I was called to¡­the remains of Honmaru in the East Garden.¡± Wearing a gray suit, Sayama entered through the front gate, passed through a gap in a stone wall almost 10 meters tall, and made his way to the top of a hill. The area inside was large. The air felt cold in the shadow below the stone wall and he walked on and on up a slope. After making it to the top of the asphalt slope, he found an open area covered in grass. To the north of the open area was the giant raised foundation for the main tower of a Japanese castle. The open area itself was two hundred meters square and surrounded by pine trees and thickets. The lawn was divided in two by the asphalt path cutting down the middle, but it was not off limits. The sounds of the city could be heard in the distance. Those sounds were so faint they felt like something from a dream. It was all coming from beyond the trees surrounding the area. And when Sayama entered this area, he saw no other visitors. He stopped his hurrying feet and took a breath. As usual, Baku was sleeping in his left breast pocket. The watch on his left wrist told him it was 1:10 PM. He had made it in time. Now he only needed to find them. ¡­Where is Shinjou-kun? As Sayama looked around the deserted area, he realized something. He was supposed to be looking for Ooshiro, not Shinjou. He gave a bitter laugh. It shook his lungs slightly and he could feel it reverberating in his left arm. Suddenly, he heard the grass rustling. It was the wind. The wind was blowing in from the east. He turned toward the rest area in that direction and the wind blowing up from the bottom of the hill shook the leaves of the trees and thickets on the slope that contained a viewing platform. The wind moved the trees and the atmosphere moved. Someone walking in front of the bench installed on the western wall of the concrete rest area displayed the movements of the wind. It was as if she was playing with the strong wind. She had long black hair. Slender, glossy bunches of her hair were dancing and undulating in the blowing wind. The orange shirt below the hair and the white trousers supporting her slender figure were also blown around a bit as the wind picked up strength. He saw her shoulder, her back, and her other shoulder. She slowly lifted her head as her hair whipped around. He saw her narrow black eyes and her lips with a hint of teeth between them. Sayama¡¯s gaze met with those smiling eyes. In that moment, she stopped walking. Still smiling, her mouth opened. ¡°Sayama-kun.¡± Sayama opened his mouth as well. ¡°Shinjou-kun.¡± The wind gave one last gust. Her hair swayed. Sayama watched that black glossy movement. ¡°¡­¡± It danced up and fell back down. In the next moment, Shinjou brushed the hair on her shoulder back. Her black hair spilled from her shoulder and down her back. When Shinjou looked back at him, her head was tilted a bit in puzzlement as she smiled. ¡°Good day, I suppose. What am I supposed to say at times like this?¡± Sayama nodded in response. He looked behind Shinjou and spotted Ooshiro raising his right thumb from where he sat on the bench. Sayama ignored him and spoke to Shinjou. ¡°It is good to see you again, Shinjou-kun.¡± They began their talk at the bench Ooshiro had been sitting on. Sayama sat in the afternoon sun with Shinjou on his right and Ooshiro on his left. Shinjou sat with her legs held together and Sayama sat deeply on the bench with his elbows resting on his lap. On the other hand, Ooshiro sat with one leg up on the bench as if sitting partially cross-legged. Sayama spoke first and it was in the form of a question. ¡°You said you would explain the details of the Concept War and the Leviathan Road, but why did you call me here?¡± ¡°Is it enough of an explanation to say it was to help persuade you? I actually have a fair bit of influence, so I reserved the place for us.¡± ¡°UCAT can do that?¡± ¡°We¡¯re doing it right now. Speaking inside the Imperial Palace itself would have been best, but I¡¯m not allowed inside after the fireworks incident¡­¡± Sayama ignored that comment and looked around the area. It was true that there were no other visitors. However, there was a single open-air caf¨¦ on the north end of the deserted area. A white mobile kitchen set was surrounded by three tables with white parasols containing the UCAT logo. No one was working at the caf¨¦, but two customers sat below one of the parasols. ¡°I had the guards leave as well. This is important, after all.¡± As he spoke, Ooshiro pulled a black change purse from his pocket. He tossed it into Shinjou¡¯s hands. She looked confused as she caught it. ¡°Umm¡­What is this?¡± Sayama nodded and answered, ¡°Most people refer to it as an allowance.¡± ¡°Wow. I¡¯ve never gotten one before.¡± ¡°I see. You must be happy. But be careful. Lonely old men like him think they can buy relationships with money.¡± ¡°¡­I think that¡¯s different from the kind of allowance I¡¯ve heard about.¡± ¡°Just go buy some drinks,¡± cut in Ooshiro. ¡°You can spend 300 yen.¡± ¡°In that case, get me an iced tea, Shinjou-kun. You can order whatever you want.¡± ¡°Um, Mikoto-kun. Why did you say nothing about my drink?¡± ¡°That caf¨¦¡¯s sign says drinks cost 150 yen.¡± ¡°What? When did Japan¡¯s prices get so high! I¡¯m shocked!¡± ¡°Old man, you should return to the mountains of Okutama. Tokyo is a dangerous place.¡± ¡°You two sure get along well¡­¡± said Shinjou with a bitter smile. She stood the coin purse up in her hand, took out exactly 450 yen in change, and handed the coin purse to Ooshiro. He took it and spoke in a completely serious tone of voice. ¡°I would like a hot red bean soup.¡± ¡°I doubt they have it, but I¡¯ll do my best¡­¡± As he listened to her footsteps across the gravel growing more distant, Sayama sighed. ¡°Once our drinks arrive, can we finally discuss the Concept War?¡± Brunhild drew a brush across the large canvas. After refining the shade of green on the palette, she added leaves to the forest that had already been painted over countless times. The black cat was curled up at her feet. ¡°You sure are taking your time with this. And to think you don¡¯t spend any time at all on your makeup.¡± ¡°Do you want your prided black fur to be green?¡± she asked with a slight smile on her lips. The cat looked up to find Brunhild¡¯s eyebrows as well as the corner of her mouth raised a bit. A quiet song could be heard on her breaths. The rhythm Brunhild was subconsciously singing was the hymn Silent Night. The cat moved its ears to listen to the song. ¡°Is painting that much fun?¡± it asked. The song stopped, but the brush did not. ¡°Yes. It is the one thing Lady Gutrune taught me that I can continue doing. How could I not enjoy that?¡± ¡°But you always paint scenery I have never seen.¡± The cat hung its head down and Brunhild¡¯s hand finally stopped. She looked down at the cat. However, the cat only yawned once with its head still hanging down. Brunhild¡¯s shoulders drooped as she smiled bitterly. She placed the palette and brush on a table to the side. ¡°Do you know what the 1st-Gear world was like?¡± After thinking for a bit, the black cat raised its head and shook its head. Brunhild nodded and picked the cat up. She held it to her chest and stood back up. The cat panicked and asked, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be painting?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be heading out to do your job soon? Earlier, I saw your observation target leaving down below.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one charged with observing him, so why am I always the one going after him? I was born here. I¡¯m not a 1st-Gear creature.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. But if that is how you are thinking, maybe I should teach you something about 1st-Gear before you leave.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± thought the cat before finally nodding. Brunhild smiled slightly and said, ¡°Good, good. Come to think of it, you haven¡¯t been told anything since the ceremony. You might have picked a bit up from what Venerable Hagen has told you, though.¡± ¡°Most of that is just fragments of information. People who know the whole story tend to omit aspects they assume everyone knows.¡± ¡°True. Sorry.¡± She approached the blackboard at the back of the classroom. The blackboard was stained with a pale whiteness. Brunhild placed one of her right fingers on it and slowly drew an oblong ellipse. She covered the top of the ellipse with a semicircle. ¡°This is 1st-Gear. This at the bottom is the ground and this at the top is space.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s lazy¡­Ow ow ow ow! Ahh! M-mommyyy!!¡± ¡°You were originally an abandoned cat, so you don¡¯t remember your mother.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t be so rude. Of course I remember her.¡± ¡°Then tell me about her. If your information is accurate, I can find her for you.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s see¡­ I think she was a female that was older than me¡­ow ow ow! I give, I give!¡± Brunhild sighed and flicked the ellipse on the blackboard with her finger. ¡°Listen. This is 1st-Gear.¡± Before the black cat could say anything, she scratched the blackboard with her nails. The cat cowered down and trembled at the high-pitched noise, so she continued her explanation. ¡°Essentially, it is a table of land floating in nothingness. The sun circles through the sky during the day, sleeps and becomes dark at night, and then returns to its original position. ¡­We do not have what Low-Gear refers to as a moon.¡± ¡°That sounds like ordering a plain pizza. Isn¡¯t it boring without any toppings like the moon?¡± ¡°Think of it as having the beauty of simplicity. You do not worry about something that was never there in the first place. ¡­Although it is true the land is limited. Even so, the people and animals managed to live on as they adjusted to each other.¡± ¡°Was it peaceful?¡± ¡°Yes. The Concept War may have continued for a long time, but the king only prepared two gates that an enemy could easily enter through. ¡­The knights and mechanical dragons fought in the war, but we rarely invaded anyone. We had pride. We would survive until the time of destruction and then the world would judge us.¡± ¡°The time of destruction, hm? ¡­That was what this world calls 1999, when every single Gear would collide. Only the Gear with the most positive concepts would survive. Personally, I don¡¯t see how 1st-Gear¡¯s method of remaining on the defensive could let you survive.¡± ¡°It was a matter of pride. We were fighting to protect ourselves, so we could be proud of what we were fighting for. ¡­The king disliked the idea of fighting to destroy our opponent. Especially after the queen died in the Concept War.¡± ¡°So did the king leave the princess with Venerable Regin because she reminded him of the queen?¡± ¡°Yes. It was after that when Lady Gutrune took me in within the forest. ¡­And a while after that, the Low-Gear man made his way in through a temporary gate.¡± Brunhild looked behind her. On the large canvas there, a single area was not painted. ¡°¡­¡± Brunhild silently walked over to the back of the art room. A locker was located there. The label on the locker said it was for the club head. She placed a hand on its door and spoke. ¡°Seeing the world close in and be destroyed was a dreadful sight. We watched it to the end by the gate, knowing that the world had gone too far in the negative direction to be fixed even if we retrieved the holy sword Gram. We saw it all disappear into nothingness.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you know why the king prepared only two of the gates needed to attack other Gears and created mechanical dragons based on 5th-Gear technology despite the risks? After losing the queen in the Concept War, he did everything he could to protect 1st-Gear. It was all for the bare minimum of offense and defense needed. That was the pride of 1st-Gear. We would do whatever it took to survive until the time of destruction.¡± ¡°What were you going to do then?¡± ¡°If 1st-Gear was to disappear, we would proudly surrender to the victorious Gear. ¡­Even if we were surrendering, it was assumed that Gear would approve of our method of fighting.¡± She smiled bitterly. And the bitter smile continued on to form a full smile. ¡°1st-Gear knew it was a weak Gear. ¡­And that was taken advantage of. Once we were destroyed, it was obvious we had done nothing but run from the fight. There is no pride in that.¡± As Brunhild spoke, she knocked on the locker door. With the sound of a hinge, the door opened on its own. And inside the tall, narrow locker was¡­ ¡°The 1st-Gear concept weapon, Requiem Sense[1].¡± It was a giant scythe with the blade folded up. A supporting grip stuck perpendicularly from the long handle so that it could be used in fields. The blade that was the true essence of a scythe was folded down in both directions from the decorative attachment at the top, but just the frontmost portion of the blade was over a meter long. And this scythe¡¯s ability went beyond its form. Small lights began to gather around the opened locker. They were bluish-white lights that resembled fireflies. Those lights trailed light behind themselves as they gathered around the locker and gradually grew larger. Brunhild stared at the blade which had some kind of writing engraved on it. ¡°This scythe stores the souls it hears. It is the underworld itself. Venerable Hagen possessed it as the chief administrator of the underworld, but¡­¡± The black cat reached a paw out towards the lights. It tried to touch one, but its paw passed right through it. Brunhild gave a small laugh. ¡°It¡¯s no use. But it was about 10 years ago that this much light became visible here in Low-Gear. Before that, nothing was visible without preparing a Concept Space. ¡­This Gear is slowly being damaged by the negative concepts and the Concept Cores of each Gear are reacting.¡± ¡°Are the souls of Lady Gutrune and the others inside that blade?¡± ¡°Most likely. But with so many souls inside, we would never see them clearly. Not unless something caused them to separate from all the others.¡± Brunhild snapped her right fingers. The locker slowly closed and the surrounding light vanished. Brunhild then lowered the black cat to the floor. ¡°Now, it is time for your job. ¡­You know where your observation target was headed, right? Use the abilities given to you as a familiar to follow him into a Concept Space or wherever else he might go.¡± Shinjou soon returned with three cups in her hands. She glanced back at the caf¨¦ behind her with a slightly surprised look. ¡°It really was a UCAT caf¨¦. They all looked so bored.¡± ¡°How about you say they were working hard to make it look more convincing?¡± said Ooshiro in resignation. Next to him, Sayama took a cup with a straw in it. The aroma coming from it told him it was plain black tea. Shinjou seemed to have orange juice. ¡°Ooshiro-san, they did not have hot red bean soup¡­so I got you 100% juice instead.¡± ¡°I see. That is a healthy choice. Thank you.¡± Ooshiro raised his right thumb and audibly drank through the straw. Just as he did, Shinjou added, ¡°It¡¯s salted beef tongue juice.¡± Ooshiro began choking magnificently, but Sayama ignored him and smiled at Shinjou. ¡°That is quite an exciting choice. And technically, it is not juice.¡± ¡°But this is a UCAT caf¨¦. They said it has pieces of beef tongue in it to really bring out the flavor of the ingredients. Oh, and it was him over there that suggested it.¡± Sayama looked over. Under a parasol sat two people who were difficult to tell apart in the shadow. One of them was raising a hand. As Ooshiro kneeled on the ground in front of the bench, he commented, ¡°So it was his doing.¡± ¡°Do you know him?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you will be introduced to him later. More importantly, let us get to why I chose this place for today.¡± Ooshiro sat back on the bench and looked toward Sayama¡¯s chest. Baku poked his head out from his suit¡¯s breast pocket. Ooshiro held his hand out and Baku silently let the man pet his head. ¡°Did he show you the past?¡± ¡°He showed me a strange dream.¡± ¡°Eh? Of what?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Sayama nodded. ¡°A one-armed old man approached while out of breath in a grassy plain surrounded by a forest. When I turned around, I saw a giant tower.¡± ¡°If we view that as a dream, the one-armed old man would represent your true character and the giant tower would represent the scope of your perversion. What do you think?¡± ¡°I am too perverted for even myself to see the top when I look up? ¡­That is quite something.¡± ¡°No, that is not what I meant¡­ Your description of the dream lacked a lot of information, didn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It did. Everything the man in the dream wore was old. I would guess it dates back to before the war. And the man referred to the tower as Babel. What was it?¡± A smile appeared on Ooshiro¡¯s lips and he raised his right thumb. ¡°Excellent. It seems Baku has already approved of you. Baku will show his owner whatever truth they subconsciously wish to see. If you tell him your current intentions in words, he can show you the past of different Gears. However, you cannot see it if you do not wish to. Remember that.¡± Ooshiro stood up and put his hands in his suit pockets. ¡°It was all decided here before World War 2. At the beginning of the Showa era, a scholar noticed Babel and took action.¡± ¡°¡­Who was he?¡± ¡°A man who worked as a professor at First Higher School ¨C what is now known as Tokyo University ¨C as a technology adviser for Izumo Steel, the predecessor to IAI. He went on to found your school and made the original proposal for Izumo¡¯s National Defense Department. His name was Kinugasa Tenkyou,¡± said Ooshiro. ¡°He discovered some ruins on a trip through the Kinki region. That was Babel. After the events of the dream you saw, he entered Babel. He described Babel as being strange ruins. No one fully believed him. After all, he was the only one able to enter Babel.¡± ¡°I find it hard to believe, but did those ruins have some sort of security mechanism?¡± ¡°Yes. For some reason only he, the initial discoverer, was able to pass through that mechanism. At the time, people accused him of rigging it so he could monopolize the knowledge inside. However, he asked for no compensation from Izumo and revealed everything he learned within, so those suspicions eventually disappeared. Izumo quickly entered the aviation and electronic industries, so it gained a position as a special research institute for the military. And eventually,¡± he tapped at the asphalt with his toes, ¡°a certain proposal was made right here. It was 1933. As Japan was preparing its military, the most powerful person in the country was troubled by one thing: did this country truly approve of him?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And so this powerful person confided in a soldier who had worked as his chamberlain in the past. He wanted to do everything possible to protect the country from the rest of the world, so he wanted to know if the country could do anything from its position as the land of the gods.¡± Ooshiro lowered his gaze. Sayama felt their gazes meet. And then he felt a small movement in his left breast pocket. It was Baku. Baku stuck up out of the pocket. And then Sayama saw the past. Sayama existed as nothing but vision. He was in the same open space as before. However, it looked different. The trees surrounding it were shorter and the path was made of dirt instead of asphalt. The biggest difference was the absence of the distant noises of the city. This is the past, realized Sayama. A single table was set up where the caf¨¦ had been a moment before. Two figures sat below the large white parasol. Sayama moved toward them. The first was a middle-aged gentleman wearing a white shirt and brown pants. The second was an elderly soldier wearing a white military uniform. The soldier had two maps spread out on the table. They formed a world map centered on Japan. The soldier opened his mouth to speak. Sayama heard two different voices. In addition to the actual words spoken in the past, he heard the meaning of those words in his own language. ¡°The Izumo Aviation Institute has an old professor named Professor Tenkyou. He developed this odd theory known as the Divine States-World Interaction Theory. According to this theory, the layout of ley lines gives Japan a layout identical to the entire world.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The middle-aged gentleman nodded and pushed his glasses up his nose. ¡°What exactly does this man propose?¡± ¡°Japan¡¯s shape causes the Divine States to correspond to the continents of the world. All of those continents possess ley lines and all of those ley lines coincidentally pass through Japan. Or so his theory says.¡± The elderly soldier pulled a fountain pen from his chest and held the map down with his hand. ¡°I will now indicate where the ley lines connect.¡± The middle-aged gentleman nodded and the soldier brought the fountain pen to Japan. He drew a ring of ink from Honshu''s Tohoku region to Chubu region. He then drew a circle over East Asia. The top of the circle covered the Soviet Union and China and the bottom reached Burma. Lastly, he connected the two circles with a line. ¡°Tohoku to Chubu corresponds to East Asia. The coast starting at the northeast is the coast along the Soviet Union, Tokyo Bay is the Yellow Sea, the Izu Peninsula is Thailand, Shizuoka is India, Ise Bay is the Persian Gulf, and the Kii Peninsula is the Arabian Peninsula.¡± ¡°What part of Japan corresponds to Japan as a part of the world?¡± ¡°Japan and the Philippines are the Izu Islands. When looking at this world map, Japan¡¯s prided Mt. Fuji fits perfectly with the location of Mt. Everest above India.¡± The soldier drew a circle around Honshu¡¯s Kinki region to its Chugoku region, drew a circle around Europe, and connected them with a line. ¡°Lake Biwa is the Caspian Sea and the nearly enclosed Osaka Bay is the Black Sea. The Kojima Peninsula is Greece and the area around Kure is the Italian Peninsula. Tsushima is Great Britain, the Shimane Peninsula is Norway, and Sado is the Arctic islands.¡± The soldier paused for a moment. However, the gentleman said nothing. He remained silent. After a few seconds, the soldier¡¯s hand moved once more. He drew circles around Kyushu and Africa before connecting them with a line. ¡°Other than having Madagascar correspond to the area around Tanegashima, you can see the similarity in shape.¡± ¡°Then does Shikoku correspond to Australia?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± The soldier drew circles around Shikoku and Australia and connected them. He then drew circles around Hokkaido and the Americas and connected them. ¡°Hokkaido¡¯s Oshima Peninsula is Alaska. The central portion is North America. Nemuro and the four northern islands can be thought of as South America. Antarctica is covered in ice and most of the land is below the ocean surface, so the portion of Japan¡¯s geography that protrudes onto the bottom of the ocean on the Pacific side corresponds to it.¡± ¡°I see. And that is called the Divine States-World Interaction? What good is this absurd idea?¡± ¡°According to Professor Tenkyou, the whole influences the part and the part influences the whole. If Japan possesses the layout of the world due to the world¡¯s ley lines passing through, he suggests we could influence the world from here.¡± ¡°How exactly?¡± ¡°All things are created from waves just as sound is and the ley lines of feng shui are vibrations ¨C or waves ¨C of the earth. In that case, if we can strengthen the amplitude of those vibrations, we can stimulate the earth¡¯s ley lines as they pass through Japan. That could allow Japan to take the earthly energy of those other parts of the world so as to protect the country.¡± Once the soldier made it that far, the middle-aged gentleman nodded as if urging him on. The soldier bowed and said, ¡°The Izumo Aviation Institute will create a National Defense Department and facilities for stimulating the ley lines located around Japan. The Izumo Aviation Institute has already appropriated funds for these facilities and can act at any time. They say they can grasp the flow of the ley lines around the world using the flow through the ley lines here and that they can increase Japan¡¯s earthly energy.¡± ¡°So in other words, they can read ahead what will happen in the world while also strengthening Japan. Perhaps strengthen it to the point that it could be revived even if it was about to sink into the ocean.¡± The soldier gasped at that last comment from the gentleman. However, he then nodded. That small sign of understanding led the gentleman to ask another question. ¡°What do they say?¡± ¡°Simply that they wish for the National Defense Department to be untouchable.¡± ¡°Then they had better show results.¡± ¡°I will have them read something from the flow of the world within the week. ¡­The world is in upheaval at the moment. If they predict this accurately, you will trust them.¡± ¡°If they do, I will approve the creation of the Izumo Aviation Institute¡¯s National Defense Department.¡± ¡°Understood. It would be unprecedented, but they ask to be treated as a shrine belonging to the Imperial Household Department. That way, the ley line alterations can be done as Shinto rituals. They will submit a report once a month as a form of fortune-telling.¡± The soldier folded up the map. With the sound of the paper, the past also folded in. Sayama¡¯s consciousness slowly folded toward reality and he awoke. ¡°Oh.¡± The next thing he knew, he was sitting on the bench. It seemed Shinjou had seen the same thing while sitting to his right. Her face was pale and she was looking forward with unfocused eyes. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Shinjou¡¯s shoulders jumped and she turned toward Sayama. He nodded to calm her. To his left, Ooshiro narrowed his eyes in a smile yet spoke in an indifferent voice. ¡°It seems the civilization which built Babel had a complete understanding of concept theory. Professor Kinugasa used the knowledge he gained there to perform tests on influencing space with vibration waves. He chose the ley lines for these tests. All of that about protecting the country was mostly an excuse made up for this important person. In the end, it is unknown if they actually read the ley lines or if they merely made educated guesses, but the Izumo Aviation Institute correctly predicted the Nazis taking political control in Germany and Japan withdrawing from the League of Nations. After that, the National Defense Department was created.¡± ¡°Then was that-¡­?¡± Before Sayama could continue, he was cut off by another voice in front of him. ¡°That was the beginning.¡± ¡°!?¡± He reflexively sent a sharp look forward and found two people standing there. He recognized them. It was the white-haired man and the maid girl from the Okutama-bound train the day before. The only difference from then was that the man in a black suit was supporting himself with a cane in his right hand. Just like on the train, the man had a smile on his lips. ¡°Sounds like they weren¡¯t thinking at all, doesn¡¯t it? It is true the world and Japan are connected by the ley lines. But they did not understand what that called in. At the time, no one knew about the Concept War. If only they had been a little smarter.¡± ¡°What a rude man,¡± muttered Sayama as he stood up. ¡°Who are you? Wearing all black and not providing a greeting shows a complete lack of taste and manners.¡± He felt a tug on his right arm. He turned around to find Shinjou holding his right sleeve. The ends of her eyebrows were lowered and she was shaking her head. ¡°That is the supervisor of Team Leviathan. He is Ooshiro Itaru-san, the son of this Ooshiro-san.¡± ¡°What? This guy with horrible taste is?¡± Sayama looked over at the father who was wearing a brown suit and holding salted beef tongue juice. When their gazes met, the man raised his right thumb. Sayama ignored him and turned back to Itaru in this black suit. ¡°I suppose you can¡¯t fight it when bad taste runs in the family¡­¡± ¡°Sayama-kun, that has nothing to do with this,¡± said Shinjou as she tapped him lightly on the shoulder. ¡°I apologize,¡± spoke up the maid standing next to Itaru. She moved in between Itaru and Sayama before looking around the area. ¡°This may be a bother, but would you please listen? I have detected some strange child string vibrations for a while now. They are not registered with me. ¡­They are coming from that direction.¡± She pointed to the northwest which was to Sayama¡¯s right. The grassy open area was located in that direction. Everyone but them had supposedly been cleared out of that area. However, some shadows had appeared there at some point. It was a group of dark green shadows. The color came from the cloaks they all wore. There were eleven of them. And it was hard to simply say it was a group of people. Sayama saw some silhouettes that he doubted were human. ¡­Are these comrades of the werewolf from yesterday? The maid kept her gaze on them but asked the group from UCAT a question. ¡°You have no concept weapons or other armaments, correct?¡± Ooshiro Kazuo nodded. ¡°Bringing that sort of thing was your job.¡± ¡°Tes. The enemy is reading in the child string vibration of us and the surrounding space¡­ They have finished. Our reinforcements waiting below are hurrying here. They will arrive in approximately five minutes. It may be a bother, but please withstand any attacks the enemy might send your way.¡± ¡°For five minutes?¡± ¡°No, for three. ¡­After that, I will use the weapons I have prepared.¡± ¡°You are quite the courageous maid. What is your name?¡± ¡°I am Sf.¡± Sf gave an expressionless bow and Sayama nodded. ¡°Your name and master may have terrible taste, but your choice in actions is a different story. I need to make some changes to my estimation of you.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. ¡­Here comes the Concept Space. It is a standard type using the writing system,¡± she said quietly. They all turned toward the group of enemies. A woman standing at the front of the dark green group held up a metal tube-like object in each hand. They were about 30 centimeters long. ¡°Those are the collections of Concept Texts used by 1st-Gear,¡± said Itaru with a slight smile still on his face. The woman let go of the metal tubes. They fell through the air and struck the grassy ground. As soon as they landed, the tubes spread out like blooming flowers. What appeared from within was¡­ ¡­Metal plates? They were small bundles of metal plates that looked like tanzaku. Some kind of writing appeared to be engraved on the surface of the metal plates and those plates scattered through the air as the tubes bloomed. There were more than several hundred of them and they flew through the air like a blizzard. The metal plates emitted by the two tubes struck each other, glowed, made noise, and disappeared. A high-pitched noise could then be heard. It sounded like a metallophone being played or a bell being rung on the hour. That series of short metallic noises changed to a deep clear noise. Sayama realized the noise was rushing past them. And at the same time, he heard a voice. It was the voice that informed him the world was changing. He had heard this voice the previous night when entering the forest and when entering that underground passageway in UCAT. He recognized the voice. It was his own. He had not spoken a word, yet he heard a voice similar to his own in his ear. Sayama spoke. The world worked through him to inform him of the change. He figured the others must be connected to the world via themselves in the same way. He listened closely and could indeed hear the world saying, ¡°I am changing¡±. A few voices he could not quite hear repeated themselves to construct the foundation of this space. And then an announcement with discernible meaning came. This was the absurd theory created by bringing together countless concepts. This was the Concept Text applied to this Concept Space. ¡ªOn this planet, south is down. ¡ªWriting possesses power. Two voices. This was a combination of more than one Concept Text. In response, the watch on Sayama¡¯s left wrist vibrated. He looked down and saw the words he had heard scrolling across the watch¡¯s black face in red text. And the instant after he read those words¡­ The world literally turned on its side. Notes 1. ¡ü Requiem Sense is German for Requiem Scythe Volume 1, 9: The Circumstances of Justice Volume 1, Chapter 9: The Circumstances of Justice Difficult things are generally numerous Easy things are always few And it is once more time to think Sayama could tell the world had tilted to his left which was to the south. If the voice he had heard was accurate, everything would fall to the south in the Concept Space that had been created. He grasped his own situation and the situation around him in an instant. Ahead of him to the west, the only footing was the stones surrounding the grassy area. Behind him, there was the wall of the rest area as well as the tree-covered slope and viewing platform behind the rest area. To the south on his left, there was nothing but the walkway and the trees of the garden. The only effective footing was the trees behind him. Sayama immediately picked up Shinjou. ¡°S-Sayama-kun!?¡± He did not have time to respond. Sayama moved to the left and leaped to the trees to the south. His body fell in an instant. The ground was already a wall. Sayama landed on one of the tree trunks and leaped toward the slope to the left, toward the viewing platform. Hurry, he thought. The reason for this thought came soon thereafter. Shinjou looked up at the rest area from his arms. ¡°Ah¡­¡± The sound of glass breaking sounded from well above their heads. The counters and tables in the rest area had slid down the tilted ground and crashed into the entrance. With the ground now a wall, anything not solidly attached would become a falling object. And they came. The tables that had broken through the rest area door and the benches in the grassy area all fell down. But it went beyond that. The castle tower foundation to the north had a large stone wall. It crumbled and created a tsunami of giant rocks. As these falling objects approached, they produced a great roar like the surging waves of the sea. Sayama ran. Once he approached the eastern slope, he jumped. He was aiming for the trees covering that slope. That would provide somewhere to stand. The railing on the way up the observation platform would make especially good footing. He leaped. He silently apologized and threw Shinjou ahead of him into the trees. After seeing Shinjou land backside-first on one of the trees, Sayama placed his feet on the ground which had become a wall. He lightly kicked off that wall of earth and controlled his posture. He shot up above Shinjou¡¯s head, landed on the trunk of a pine tree, and quickly turned around. At the same moment, the other three jumped onto trees lower than himself. Ooshiro Itaru was carried to a nearby tree in Sf¡¯s arms. Ooshiro Kazuo was out of breath and he suddenly realized he still had his drink cup in his hand. Immediately afterwards, the tsunami from the crumbled northern stone wall struck the rest area. It had already made its way across the grassy area. ¡°¡­!¡± As Shinjou held onto a tree one level below, she visibly ducked down as the earthquake-like noise approached. It all happened in an instant. After the roar and cloud of dust passed them by, everything that had been around them previously was gone. The bench they had been sitting on, the trees that had been behind them, and even the rest area had been thoroughly smashed or had vanished. The roar continued on to the south below them. When it struck the trees down below, some of it passed through and some of it was brought to a stop. This is a dangerous situation, thought Sayama. But he immediately denied it. They had escaped their enemy¡¯s initial strike. It was not as dangerous as it might have been. They could handle this. He nodded. And as he did, a dark figure stood up before him. It was Sf. She stood on a tree trunk and looked toward the open area where most of the grass had been torn up. ¡°The enemy is coming.¡± Sayama looked over and found the people wearing dark green cloaks were standing perpendicular to the ground and walking toward them. ¡°Sf-kun, why can the enemy stand and walk on the ground?¡± ¡°They have philosopher¡¯s stones. Those are catalytic crystallizations of a concept¡¯s string vibration. Anyone holding one can add concepts without modulating their parent string vibration. They are also used as fuel for concept weapons. The enemy must be holding philosopher¡¯s stones made from inferior reproductions of some concept.¡± Just as she finished speaking, a nearby pine tree trunk suddenly burst. Sayama looked over, assuming it had been a bullet, but he found a few of the enemies standing still in the center of the open area were holding staff-like objects toward them. He then heard a voice. It belonged to the man who seemed to be their leader. He wore dark green armor underneath his dark green cloak, so he looked like a knight. ¡°Are you coming!?¡± he shouted. However, Sayama heard another shout duplicated over that one. This other shout was in a language that¡¯s pronunciation was somehow similar to German. Sayama grasped that this was the language the man was actually speaking. Some sort of mutual understanding concept was in effect. ¡°That¡¯s a convenient power.¡± ¡°As long as it is not used incorrectly,¡± agreed Sf. Ooshiro Itaru then shouted from below. ¡°Hey, Sf.¡± Three meters below where Shinjou sat one trunk below them, Ooshiro Kazuo sat on a tree trunk. Next to the old man, his son lay in his black suit on the railing heading up the observation platform. His legs were crossed and his arms were folded behind his head. ¡°Hurry it up. I¡¯m gonna hold you to those 3 minutes.¡± ¡°Tes. Then take this, Sayama-sama.¡± Sf pulled a black metal object out of her pocket. It was a handgun. ¡°That looks like a perfectly normal handgun to me.¡± ¡°The bullets are anti-1st-Gear weapons. They possess the power of writing that 1st-Gear¡¯s parent concept provides. Objects defined by writing possess a stronger existence and are given power. As was stated previously¡­¡± Sf pulled a handkerchief and fountain pen from her pocket and wrote a word on the handkerchief. Specifically, ¡°fire¡±. And then¡­ ¡°It¡¯s¡­burning?¡± The area written on grew brown, then black, and finally burned away. ¡°The more expressive the handwritten words, the more the words¡¯ power will be embodied in the object. Any phenomenon possible under that world¡¯s concept can be made a reality. However, invincibility, immortality, and resurrection are not possible in any Gear. ¡­When fighting under their concepts, your armaments will not have their proper power unless they have writing engraved into them.¡± ¡°What do this gun¡¯s bullets say?¡± ¡°Every bullet has ¡°bullet, one more hit¡± written on it. If you hit once, the next shot will automatically home in on the target. Try to use that effectively. I must retrieve the equipment I left at the caf¨¦. They had a String Watch with them, so they will have been brought into the Concept Space.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they have fallen with the rocks earlier?¡± ¡°No, I did not observe them among the fallen debris. I believe they were swept among the remaining garden trees on the northern slope. ¡­I will have them in three minutes.¡± ¡°So you want me to hold the enemies¡¯ attention until then?¡± ¡°Tes. You are not currently my top priority, Sayama-sama. I must ask you to take this job. By the way, my order of precedence runs Itaru-sama, Shinjou-sama, Sayama-sama, and in a very distant last place, Kazuo-sama.¡± ¡°Wait. Why are you treating me so differently?¡± asked Ooshiro. ¡°Family comes last, you damn old man. Get going, Sf. If I die, it¡¯s your fault,¡± said Itaru. ¡°Tes. If that is your desire, I will grant it later.¡± Sf circled around behind Sayama and began moving upwards. She worked her way up by grabbing onto the tree trunks growing from the earth wall, pulling herself up onto them, and swinging her body to balance herself. The tree-covered slope had originally grown from a low hill, so it looked like an overhang when looking up at it. Sf chose to remain in the shadow of the hill to hide her ascent from the enemies. Sayama was filled with wonder over how precisely and quickly Sf moved, but he suddenly noticed the weight of the gun in his hand. He shrugged and looked down to find Shinjou blushing as she followed Sf¡¯s movements above. ¡°What is it? Why are you blushing?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, um, she was standing on the tree directly above me, remember? And, well, sh-she¡¯s surprisingly adult?¡± ¡°What do you mean by adult?¡± Sayama grinned bitterly as he looked down. Shinjou did not have a weapon, Ooshiro Itaru showed absolutely zero intention of fighting, and Ooshiro Kazuo was too old to count on in a fight. Shinjou looked toward the open area and shouted, ¡°Ah, here they come!¡± So they¡¯re here, thought Sayama as he placed the hand holding the gun against the wall next to him. He nodded and decided he needed some kind of plan. He needed a way of fighting despite the poor footing. He suddenly looked to his right. He was holding his right arm out straight against the wall made from the ground. He then looked down at his feet. His was standing atop a root next to the wall. ¡°So down is determined by the planet¡¯s south.¡± ¡°¡­Eh? What about it? Doesn¡¯t that just mean the ground is a cliff like this?¡± ¡°There is a hole in the theory,¡± said Sayama with a grin. He looked down and both Itaru and Ooshiro were grinning as well. ¡°I see. It looks like the crueler of us have caught on. But our enemy has not. And even you are viewing it wrong. If we can draw in the enemy and take advantage of this, we might be able to pull something off here.¡± The group from 1st-Gear¡¯s Royal Palace faction was made up of eleven people. They were spread out in a fan shape around the woods their target was hiding in. The knight who was their leader was at the front. He was flanked on either side by two attendants who were over three meters tall. They were members of some large race of beings. Beyond the attendants were two woman hidden below a cloak and holding a wooden staff. Behind each of them were two men wearing square bonnets for a total of four. And at the very back of each row was an archer. The two of them had removed their cloaks to reveal four wings on their backs. Their wings vibrated, drawing in air from the front and blowing it behind them. Both of them tilted their bodies backwards at almost the exact same moment. It was as if they were throwing themselves to the ground or lying down. And as soon as their four wings were level with the ground¡­ ¡°!¡± The sound of wind burst from their backs. Their four wings gave a single strike. And that sent them flying up into the blue sky above their heads. Once they reached a height of 15 meters, they took a position of leaning back only slightly. They tilted their wings behind them to hover in place, aimed their bows toward the woods, and pulled back the string without nocking an arrow. The knight at the head of the group below the archers threw open the front of his cloak to show his arms. He held a long rifle in his right hand and a shield in his left. The rifle was made of wood and metal. Instead of a magazine, a black hardcover book was sticking into the top of the rifle. The book was made of canvas material instead of paper. A white beard moved underneath the knight¡¯s helm as he spoke. ¡°If you give no response, we will continue to advance on you!¡± He began to take a step with his long boots. But then two figures appeared, standing perpendicular to the side of a tree trunk at the front of the woods. In the front was an elderly man in a brown suit. Behind him was a boy in a gray suit. The boy gently pushed the old man forward. The man¡¯s lean figure was forced to jump down from the woods and into the open. The knight froze in place for an instant. That open area was a sheer cliff to his enemies. For a moment, the knight almost looked up to the archers in the sky. However, he stopped himself. The old man stood as if clinging to the ground. He was on the very edge of the lawn area. A slight curb stuck up there. The old man was standing tiptoe on that narrow curb while clinging to the ground. Next, the boy in the suit jumped down. He held a paper cup with a straw. As they both clung to the ground, they moved around three meters closer along the stone curb. At a distance of approximately five meters, the two of them stopped. The elderly man lightly raised his hands. He looked up at the knight and the others while in a position similar to lying on the asphalt ground. He had a troubled smile on his face. ¡°Hi there. Sorry about this, but could you leave for a bit?¡± ¡°No, we cannot,¡± immediately replied the knight quietly. The boy standing next to the elderly man spoke in response. ¡°Oh, I think you can.¡± Sayama looked up at the knight standing on the wall to his left. He could not see his eyes through the face of his helm, but he could see his mouth. While focusing on trying to pick up on his expression, Sayama inwardly sighed. ¡­So he is at least reasonable enough to speak with. From the speed of the knight¡¯s reply and the calm in his voice, Sayama concluded the man was relatively experienced. With some tension in his expression, Sayama said, ¡°If you did not intend for us to discuss something, you would not have prepared a concept that allows us to understand each other. It seems to me you have some objective other than killing us.¡± In response, the knight aimed his long rifle at him. ¡°What if that objective is having you beg for your life?¡± ¡°Then I would be amazed at how little difference there is between knights and bandits these days.¡± ¡°We are fighting for revenge. ¡­We simply want those who must be punished to realize the value of life. Do you think bandits would be so merciful?¡± ¡°Are you the one that gets to determine what is merciful? If not, who do you think does?¡± The knight¡¯s mouth stiffened at that. Sayama noticed, but he continued speaking with the same expression as before. ¡°Do you understand where it is you stand here? Is it a scene of revenge or is it the stage of a turning point in history? If it is the latter, what do you think decides everything here? If you think it is you, you should go burn every single history book you can find. There would be no point in anyone reading them.¡± The knight kept his rifle aimed at Sayama and did not move. Sayama could see his finger on a button that was likely the trigger. Sayama asked, ¡°What exactly is a merciful knight? I thought it was someone who actually carried out merciful actions rather than someone who simply understood what was generally considered to be merciful. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°¡­¡± With a bitter smile, the knight removed his finger from the rifle¡¯s trigger. Sayama bowed. ¡°I thank you for your mercy.¡± ¡°It is only natural. However, what do you hope for in a situation such as this?¡± Sayama moved his aching left arm and placed the paper cup in his left hand on Ooshiro¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Are you listening?¡± he said to the knight. ¡°Ooshiro Kazuo here is the head of Japanese UCAT. His brain is filled with all sorts of valuable information. And as he has aged, his endurance has weakened, making it easier to get information out of him.¡± ¡°Hmph,¡± muttered Ooshiro as he glanced over at Sayama. Sayama only ignored him. ¡°Ooshiro Kazuo here has not shown himself in public much recently, but today he is here in person at the Imperial Palace and even wearing normal clothes. As a special service, I will now-¡­¡± ¡°Are you trying to use him as a hostage?¡± asked the knight. ¡°No,¡± replied Sayama. Sayama held up the drink cup with his hurting left arm. He held it next to Ooshiro¡¯s face. The cup had the word ¡°poison¡± written on it with a fountain pen and the straw was already sticking into Ooshiro¡¯s right ear. The knight clenched his teeth when he saw it. Sayama looked directly at the face of the knight¡¯s helm and spoke. ¡°I will now give this valuable item a public execution. Perhaps.¡± Sayama saw the knight take a step toward him without thinking. But the knight stopped there. After glancing back toward his comrades behind him, he spoke. ¡°Such foolishness.¡± He gave a bitter smile. ¡°Kill him if you wish. That simply saves us the effort.¡± ¡°Even if Ooshiro Kazuo here rethinks his pitiful character and seeks asylum with 1st-Gear?¡± ¡°Enough nonsense!¡± shouted the knight and Ooshiro gave a start. He shouted out, ¡°Help meeeeee! I don¡¯t want to diiiiie! What am I supposed to do!? Ow ow ow ow ow!¡± Sayama lifted up the foot he had used to stomp on Ooshiro¡¯s foot. He then whispered, ¡°Old man, you¡¯re giving this too much effort.¡± The knight was bending over to stare at them more closely. Not good. I chose the wrong person, thought Sayama. Shinjou probably would have been better. He wondered what kind of scream she would have let out. What would it have sounded like? He regretted missing out on that. ¡­Is it too late to turn back now!? Well, I can save that for some other time. With that last thought, Sayama quickly refocused his attention. He made sure the knight could see he was giving the cup in his left hand a light squeeze. ¡°What will you do? I am ready to go ahead with this,¡± he said so as not to give the knight any longer to think. Sayama had determined the knight was not actually after a battle. It was likely because they had learned the leader of UCAT would be here that they had come to the Imperial Palace. That meant they were after Ooshiro Kazuo. Sayama decided they had intentionally created a situation where Ooshiro could not move so they could speak with him and have him take a certain action. ¡­Most likely, they either want to abduct him or force him to sign some sort of agreement. As Sayama nodded in his heart, he spoke to the knight. ¡°Listen carefully. If you try to harm any of us, I will put an end to this old man. That means it is your responsibility if his pitiable life is taken.¡± ¡°¡­But you are the one trying to kill him.¡± ¡°Yet you are not trying to stop me from doing so, Sir Knight.¡± Sayama spoke that last word with enough force to make the knight grit his teeth. He went on to say, ¡°You announced you were merciful, so are you really going to do nothing as poison is poured into a poor old man¡¯s ear, as he dances around in pain, and as he finally dies? If that happens, UCAT will start by punishing me. However, they will blame you as well. And that blame will spread until it affects all of the survivors of 1st-Gear.¡± He took a breath. ¡°How is that merciful? You are a knight in name only. ¡­You can lose all trust and live a life of being scorned if you wish. And it will all be for your victory here, Sir Knight.¡± ¡°Mh,¡± groaned the knight. ¡°Is that poison real?¡± ¡°Do you not trust in the power of your own Gear? It even has pieces of the main ingredient inside to ensure the contents are 100% effective.¡± ¡°100% effective, you say?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± nodded Sayama. He pulled a fountain pen out of his pocket and wrote another word on the cup. Above ¡°poison¡± he wrote ¡°amazing¡±. ¡°What do you think of this amazing poison? It has plenty of iron, so it¡¯s perfect for when you finish exercising. What will you do?¡± But after drawing back from Sayama¡¯s words for an instant, the knight said, ¡°Wait.¡± He lowered his stance, took a breath, and spoke. ¡°I was just about to be deceived with my own Gear¡¯s laws. Think about this.¡± He held up his long rifle once more. After aiming it at Sayama, he proclaimed, ¡°You are writing on the container. I highly doubt Low-Gear has constructed a means of transferring the effects of the words to the liquid inside. The contents are nothing but a normal liquid.¡± ¡°Do you want to test that?¡± Sayama smiled and the knight stopped moving once more. After allowing a short silence, Sayama asked a further question. ¡°Can you take responsibility if you test this and white smoke begins spilling from this old man¡¯s ear? Dissolve the brain, and any human will die. The same goes for any dog or monkey too, of course.¡± The knight lightly bent his body back when he heard that. His bearded mouth formed a smile. ¡°Heh,¡± laughed the knight from his nose. ¡°Hmph. Go right ahead. And as soon your threat has proven empty, I will shoot you.¡± The smile the knight formed along with his words told Sayama something. Their acting had been too over the top. And so he took action. ¡°Then I shall.¡± With a quick movement of the fountain pen in his right hand, Sayama added ¡°container for¡± above ¡°amazing poison¡±. When Ooshiro saw that, his eyes truly opened wide. ¡°Ah,¡± he started. ¡°Ahhhhh! Stop that!! This wasn¡¯t part of the plan!!¡± ¡°Shut up. Quiet down. It is all over for you. Just do as you are told and scream. Oh, and cry too.¡± Just as Sayama pushed the cup with his left hand to pour the liquid, someone reacted to the last thing Ooshiro had said. It was the knight. The smile from before had completely disappeared from the knight¡¯s lips. ¡°Stop!¡± he shouted. He covered the distance between them in an instant. It only took him two steps. After covering five meters that quickly, he skidded to a halt along the dirt ground. His shoes could be heard digging into the ground, his cloak flipped up, and he sent out a blast of wind. His dark green cloak shook and the armor and equipment below created repeated metallic noises. But he came to stop there. He was already directly in front of Sayama. He held his long rifle out toward the boy. Sayama raised his head and looked up from his position clinging to the ground that was a wall. The knight aimed his rifle from so close Sayama could reach out and grab it. He aimed at Sayama, not Ooshiro. That told him that the knight¡¯s target was definitely Ooshiro. He could see writing on the cover of the book loaded into the top of the gun. The writing resembled the alphabet, but was a different language. He could not read it, but he could understand what it meant. It said ¡°Investigation Report on the Destruction of the Wotan Kingdom¡±. Is that a report on the destruction of 1st-Gear? asked Sayama silently. I remember reading a story involving a king with that name. The title of the story was on the tip of his tongue, but this was not the situation to try to remember it in. He could see a bluish-white light leaking from between the book¡¯s pages. The light seemed to be pulsating. As he watched that light, Sayama asked, ¡°What is the matter, Sir Knight? I thought I was saving you the effort of killing him?¡± ¡°¡­What do you want?¡± ¡°Currently, I want to pour this amazing poison into this old man¡¯s ear. Is that a problem?¡± ¡°I am telling you to stop.¡± ¡°And I am telling you I do not want to.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Ooshiro nodded in agreement with the knight¡¯s question. ¡°Y-yes, why do you want to do this, Mikoto-kun?¡± ¡°Shut up, old man. ¡­Sir Knight, let me ask you instead: what do you want?¡± After a pause, the knight replied, ¡°Revenge.¡± Sayama nodded in his heart and thought. ¡­That may be the truth, but he knows it will never actually happen. As he thought, Sayama looked at the people behind the knight. Including the knight, there were eleven in total. They were all surrounded by a tense atmosphere, but they were also all quite old. They clearly had no younger options to choose from. Even if they fought here and won, they did not have the strength of an organization that was needed for an ultimate victory. That was why they planned to take a hostage in this battle before moving to their true stage: the negotiating table. ¡°¡­¡± Sayama looked at the knight¡¯s white beard. 1st-Gear¡¯s destruction had apparently been around the same time as World War Two. That was 60 years ago. Their desire at the time had been revenge. But what was it now? The word ¡°remnant¡± flashed through Sayama¡¯s mind. But that caused him to brace himself. Those with nothing to lose could be quite frightening. And so he chose his words carefully as he spoke next. ¡°We will be holding preliminary negotiations with 1st-Gear¡¯s peaceful faction tomorrow. Your actions here will be taken into account then, so could you perhaps fall back for now?¡± ¡°You want us to retreat?¡± ¡°Can a knight¡¯s sword not be sheathed? If you do not sheathe your sword, a grudge will be held against all the people of 1st-Gear in any negotiations held afterwards. And that includes everyone you stand for.¡± ¡°There are times when one cannot sheathe his sword for reasons of pride. Am I wrong?¡± After hearing that calm request for confirmation, Sayama let out a breath. ¡­This is the crucial moment. He thought and finally said, ¡°Does your pride only exist for your own sake? Or is it for the sake of all those waiting for you?¡± The knight pursed his lips at Sayama¡¯s question. He did not speak, but the sound of his teeth grinding leaked from his jaw. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡± The knight¡¯s rifle barrel shook slightly. His white beard moved as he opened his mouth to speak. ¡°What does a boy from this lowly Gear know of the pride of a 1st-Gear knight?¡± Without even a smile, Sayama shook his head. ¡°I only asked you a question concerning your pride. I am asking you to make up for my lack of knowledge on the subject.¡± He took a breath. ¡°Now tell me. What is your pride? Tell me as calmly as you can.¡± The knight¡¯s moustache formed a small smile at that. And he began to lower his rifle. Just as he did, he suddenly looked up and tension filled his entire body. ¡°¡­!¡± The knight took a step back and turned an intense look in Sayama¡¯s direction. However, the eyes below the helm were not looking at Sayama¡¯s face. They were looking beyond him, to the south of the large open space. Sayama turned to look in the same direction. Amid the trees to the south that had taken a lot of damage from the falling stone wall, a single small black form was visible. It was a black cat. The cat sat on a pine tree trunk just as the UCAT group had done. It was staring up at them. However, Sayama was certain that the knight had reacted to that black cat. Sayama felt he had seen the cat somewhere before, but he shook his head. ¡­This is not the time for that. He turned back toward the knight to find everything wrapped in tension. All eleven of the people spread out in front of him were starting at the black cat and holding their breath. Their silence felt as if it could burst at any time. And it was finally broken by a word from the knight. ¡°Sorry.¡± He spoke with his eyes cast down, but he had not been speaking to Sayama. Nevertheless, he quickly raised the long rifle, aimed, and pulled the trigger. At the same instant, Sayama took action. Shinjou clearly saw tension run through the group from where she was amid the trees. She looked in the direction the 1st-Gear group was looking and spotted a black cat. ¡°What is that?¡± Itaru spoke from below where he sat on the railing leading up to the viewing platform. ¡°A familiar used by a 1st-Gear sorcerer. They¡¯re used to contact people. In other words, these idiots were being observed and they only now realized it. That means they can no longer run away.¡± He smiled bitterly. ¡°After the destruction of 1st-Gear, its residents split into three factions in Low-Gear. Fasolt¡¯s peaceful faction, the Royal Palace faction that split off with Concept Space technology, and the City faction that has the mechanical dragon named Fafnir Custom. This is the Royal Palace faction that has no real distinguishing characteristics. ¡­Almost makes me feel bad for my old man. He¡¯s being forced to act so desperately against these small fries.¡± ¡°Why does everyone around me say such horrible things about their parents¡­?¡± Shinjou frowned and sighed where Itaru could not see her. She held the handgun Sayama had left with her. The weight and coldness of the black metal did not warm up even in her tight grip. She simply could not get used to the feel of it. However¡­ ¡°He left this with me.¡± Sayama had asked her to let the knights walk toward him. And if the negotiations failed, he had said he would raise his right hand. Then she was to fire. Currently, the knight stood at the head of the enemy¡¯s fan-shaped formation and he was facing Sayama. If the negotiations failed, Sayama¡¯s plan was for her to fire at him. From where Shinjou was, Sayama was about 15 meters forward and 5 meters down. That was at about the limit of what an amateur could hope to hit with a handgun. The ballistic trajectory would drop. With a handgun¡¯s weak rotation, a slight margin of error would definitely exist. And the knight held a shield on his left arm. That shield was in her way. However¡­ ¡°If the negotiations fail, he will have the knight move his shield to leave him open in this direction.¡± Could she do it? Shinjou tilted her head, but abandoned the question. The situation was desperate. The knight took a step back and lowered his head slightly. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He said something she could not hear and held up his long rifle. At the same moment, Sayama moved. He waved his left arm toward the knight. The paper cup in that hand flew toward the knight while scattering its contents. The knight held his shield up to knock away the cup. Shinjou stared at the half of the knight¡¯s body that was now wide open. Sayama raised his right hand. That was the signal. ¡°Now!¡± Shinjou aimed and squeezed the trigger. She aimed for his body. That was her limit. But a sudden voice came from below. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you aiming for the head? ¡­You always have been soft.¡± It was Itaru. And he did not stop speaking there. ¡°If you shoot at his body, his armor will deflect it. If you do not kill the knight, he might die.¡± Her hands holding the grip began trembling at the word ¡°he¡±. Shinjou suddenly recalled what had happened the previous night. She recalled the instant in which she had been unable to do anything. And so she tightened her grip on the trigger. She tried to fire as soon as possible. She squeezed it. And at the same moment, Itaru shouted at her. His powerful tone of voice lacked any hint of a smile. ¡°Kill him!!¡± Shinjou¡¯s shoulders shook and she squeezed the trigger. But that action did nothing. There was no gunshot, no recoil, and no bullet flying out. There was nothing. As she had tried to pull the trigger, the grip had fallen from her hands. Her grip had no strength. The handgun hung down from her fingertips by the trigger guard as her opened hands trembled. She could not fire. And as soon as she realized that¡­ ¡°Ah!¡± The trembling of her hands spread to her shoulders. In the next moment, she heard a gunshot that had not come from her gun. Volume 1, 10: Development of Will Volume 1, Chapter 10: Development of Will Is hesitation feigned goodness or is it courage? Then is determination feigned evil or is it recklessness? Neither one is a bad thing The knight swung his shield and deflected the liquid. When the pale yellow liquid struck the metal shield, smoke rose from it. A hole was eaten into the surface of the shield. ¡°That is quite a deadly poison!¡± commented the knight. ¡°You were really going to pour that into my ear!?¡± added Ooshiro. The knight ignored the old man and silently squeezed the trigger of his long rifle. Bluish-white light emitted from the side of the book loaded into the gun. That bookshelf rifle drew out the meaning of that collection of words in the form of heat. It was a more primitive method than adding a new ability with the words, but it was plenty powerful. He fired. A ball of light shot from the rifle¡¯s barrel. However, he was not targeting either of those lying on the ground below him. He targeted the black cat. In the amount of time known as an instant, the bright yellow bullet grew to 5 meters across and travelled in a shallow arc to the south side of the grassy area. The reverberation of electrical discharge was drowned out by the sound of destruction when it struck. It exploded. ¡°!¡± The southern end of the grassy area grew warped, crumbled, and then shrank inwardly, trees and dirt included. In the next instant, everything within a 20 meter square was blasted up into the sky. A tremendous roar was heard. The knight said, ¡°I doubt that was enough.¡± He then turned toward the two below him. ¡°Now! I will handle the two of you. Even if this sullies my name, seeing this through is how I show my pride!¡± The boy lying on the ground then muttered something. ¡°So you have decided what path you will take as well, have you?¡± ¡°What?¡± asked the knight. However, he quickly lifted his rifle again and focused on the battle. The book loaded in the rifle was already emitting bluish-white light from all of its pages. If he squeezed the trigger, he could eliminate the two people clinging to a sheer cliff. ¡°I am sorry,¡± said the knight. Unexpectedly, the boy answered him. ¡°There is no need to apologize.¡± As he spoke, the boy suddenly stood up. He stood atop the ground which should have been a cliff to him. He placed his feet on the ground and stood while keeping his body low. ¡°What¡­!?¡± The knight drew back. He held back up his shield and shouted, ¡°Damn you! Have you added the same concept as us!?¡± Without replying, the boy ran. The knight¡¯s comrades began to move and prepare to attack, but it was too late. The boy circled around to the knight¡¯s left which was the north. The knight tried to follow the boy¡¯s motion with his rifle, but he did not make it in time. With his back turned, the boy jumped lightly up. He performed a reverse roundhouse kick. It hit home. His heel struck the knight¡¯s left shoulder with more weight than expected. The knight¡¯s bones creaked and his body was lifted up. ¡°Kh.¡± He endured the pain and lowered his hips to land properly. He tried to aim the rifle in his right arm toward the boy, but his body felt numb and he could only aim to the front. While remaining on guard for another kick, the knight rotated his entire body. He held his shield toward the boy. He found the boy landing from his kick on all fours. He then gently lifted his body a bit before running. He circled around to the north once more. When the knight tried to follow him, one of the giant attendants shouted out from behind him. ¡°Look!¡± The knight turned toward the deep voice and found the old man named Ooshiro moving to the south of the grassy area. His stance was low, but he was definitely running. ¡°How?¡± muttered the knight. South was set as down, so the ground should have been perfectly vertical. He and his companions were only able to stand due to the effects of the philosopher¡¯s stones they held. Their enemies should not have had any of their own, yet they were still running around on that vertical ground. ¡°How!?¡± To the north of the grassy open area, a line of trees had escaped the destruction of the stone wall. It now functioned as footing stretching out perpendicular to the ground. On one of the tree trunks, the battle beginning far below was visible. Sf stood there carrying a single caf¨¦ set. She held a parasol, a portable cooler, a table, and chairs. She skillfully placed them on the tree trunk as she heard the knight¡¯s question from far below: How? Sf gave a small nod. She pulled a single bullet from her pocket. On its side, the words ¡°bullet, one more hit¡± were written. ¡°You made a mistake in your theory.¡± She placed the bullet atop the table which was sitting on the line of trees. The bullet remained still at first, but it eventually accelerated and began rolling. ¡°That area may appear to be a wall, but it is actually a slope,¡± said Sf as if to confirm it. ¡°Setting south as down was a na?ve decision but not a surprising one for a resident of a flat world such as 1st-Gear. ¡­After all, the earth is round and Japan is located on the northern hemisphere.¡± Sf looked at the grassy area below her. Sayama charged into the center of the enemy ranks and was fighting while focusing on evasion. He was running along a slope of about 40 degrees while repeatedly evading and attacking. Sayama¡¯s method of attack was simple. He would circle around to the north of his enemy, choose an attack method such as a direct kick or roundhouse kick that would make full use of his body weight, and then directed it toward his enemy down the slope to the south. Sayama had no choice but to stand on a slope. He had to keep his stance low, but this made it easier to avoid his enemy¡¯s attacks. When he was cornered, he could jump far to the south, using the slope to gain more distance. Sf nodded as she watched on. ¡°To forestall an initial attack from his enemy, he pressed down against the slope, pretending it was a wall.¡± As she spoke, Sf placed the cooler¡¯s strap over her right shoulder and held the parasol in her hand. She suddenly looked up to find a winged archer had noticed her. ¡°Oh, dear,¡± said Sf as she opened the cooler. The archer above brought a hand to his bowstring. The center of the string had a single piece of cloth attached. The cloth had words written on it. The archer drew the bowstring and an arrow of light appeared between the cloth and the bow. Instead of firing right away, the archer twisted the cloth to the right. The string grew tauter and the bow creaked, but the arrow of light multiplied to three. Finally, the archer fired. The sound of the light being released sounded similar to a flute. As that high-pitched trio rained down from the sky, Sf bowed slightly. ¡°Thank you for such an ordinary attack. As thanks, I shall provide a common attack of my own.¡± She pulled what looked like two long metal staffs from the cooler. The two objects appearing from below the canned drinks were a machine gun and its barrel. She attached the heavy barrel with one hand and loaded the ammunition belt. The first bullet was instantly brought into the chamber. ¡°Over 40,000 have been produced. That should be common enough.¡± With that comment, Sf aimed into the sky and squeezed the trigger. Sayama could tell he was being surrounded. His enemies were once more beginning to hold him in check. The old men wearing square bonnets who looked like priests and the old women wearing hoods who looked like magicians were clearly keeping their distance while the two giant attendants began circling around to his north. They were preventing him from taking his advantageous position. But Sayama felt that was fine as sweat flew from his brow. At the very least, he had drawn the enemies away from the woods were Shinjou was and Ooshiro Kazuo had been able to escape. That meant he need not worry about this battleground. And he had another thought. ¡­I was right. Shinjou-kun did not fire. When he had attacked the knight, he had given the signal, but Shinjou had not fired. He had predicted it, but it was still a slight shock. She really does continue to surprise me, he thought as he walked around. ¡°Shinjou-kun is serious about everything,¡± he muttered. ¡°Even when she hesitates.¡± It was because she took this so seriously that she had been unable to pull the trigger this time as well. Sayama suddenly recalled what had happened that morning. He recalled Ooki¡¯s words to him. ¡­When those who rarely get serious finally do get serious, they can draw out a lot of power. Is that it? ¡°And thinking that you cannot get serious means you are constantly thinking about getting serious.¡± Sayama decided Shinjou had to have reached that stage. ¡­But what about me? ¡°Will I ever-¡­¡± Would he ever get serious? His questioning gaze caught sight of the end of a magician¡¯s staff glowing. Instead of leaving behind an afterimage of the light, it looked more like the word was being burned into the atmosphere. Sayama did not recognize the word, but he could read it. It meant fire. He leaped as soon as he read it. He leaped south down the slope. In the next instant, a pillar of fire shot up in the spot he had just been standing in. As he heard the air burning, crimson flames shot up in a triple helix. The end of the spiral bloomed outwards and scattered through the air as the pillar of fire energetically came apart and disappeared. Sayama landed. At the same moment, Sayama realized the enemy¡¯s formation was complete. The priests and magicians to his north split to the left and right. The two giants traveled down the center of that group. They were approximately three meters tall. Under their dark green cloaks, those attendants wore light armor and were armed with black knives. They could not make tight turns, but they used easily-wielded knives to cover for that disadvantage. They came. Sayama prepared himself. He could not defeat them head on. He needed to run around them. He lowered his body and sucked in a breath. He suddenly glanced over at his hard-to-move left arm and his left hand. He saw the scars on his hand and the ring on his finger. He tried to clench his left fist, but received only stabbing pain. It was a phantom pain, but it felt real to him. And he could not swing the fist regardless. An instant later, Sayama looked up from his left hand and ran. He shrank down, stretched out, and sent his body forward. At the same moment, he spotted a shadow coming from the sky above. It was an archer. Not good, he muttered silently. His enemies were not planning to have the giant attendants attack him. They would surround him and he would be shot from the air. ¡°Kh.¡± Sayama took in a breath and twisted his body around. To avoid the coming attack as much as possible, he rolled along the ground. But what fell to the ground was not an arrow or even a bow. It was wings. ¡°!¡± With the sound of flesh being struck, a giant four-winged form fell to the ground where Sayama had been a moment before. It was the archer who had been in the sky. Sayama could see red blood spewing from the base of his upper right wing. Sayama got up on his knees and heard a certain sound before he could even wonder what was going on. He heard gunfire. He looked up. He looked to the north which was up to him. In the sky there, another set of wings fell. The four-winged archer fell into the woods to the east while staining his wings with red blood. Only then did everyone look over. A white and black figure was jumping down from a distant line of trees to the north. ¡°Sf-kun¡­¡± She held a machinegun in her left hand, a parasol in her right, and a large cooler under her right arm. Despite carrying two objects that looked too large for her body size, she was not running down the slope. She leaped through the sky. She did not seem to care that one of the four-winged archers had fallen among some nearby trees. She dropped down. In the next instant, one of the magicians reacted. She wrote several words in the air, turned them into spears of light, and threw them at Sf. The light flew with a high-pitched dash. Sf took a single action in response. She held up the parasol in her right arm and opened it. With the sound of the wind being struck, Sf¡¯s body appeared to be lifted up by the parasol as she began to float. The spears of light passed by below her feet and stabbed into the grass in the distance. Just as the spears of light could be heard bursting in the distance, Sf let go of the parasol. After that, she travelled in a straight line. Guided by gravitational acceleration, Sf¡¯s heels crashed into the giant attendant who was on the left from Sayama¡¯s perspective. The impact caused a great noise. ¡°¡­!¡± She sent all of her weight into both legs as they struck the attendant¡¯s side and his body was knocked up into the air. Sayama backed away as the attendant rotated around in midair and slammed into the ground headfirst. Repeated powerful sounds were heard as his armor and flesh crashed to the ground, but he eventually came to a stop. The attendant no longer moved. Instead, the slender woman who had only just now arrived on the scene moved. She had short white hair and she wore a black dress with a white apron. Her silhouette spread out with the hem of her skirt and she bowed before Sayama. ¡°I am glad to see you are the same as ever.¡± It was Sf. Sayama glanced around. As Sf greeted him, the enemies were once more falling into formation around them. The knight entered to replace the lost attendant and the two magicians moved back. As they watched her, Sf opened the cooler and stuck her left hand inside. The formation of enemies prepared themselves as the sound of ice and water came from the cooler. However, Sf was not looking at them. She was crouched down and looking toward Sayama. ¡°Sayama-sama, take this. It is a new product that is perfect for breaks between exercise.¡± She handed him a plastic sports drink bottle. He took it and she bowed before sticking her left hand in the cooler. ¡°The rest of you can have this,¡± she said as she pulled out a black, glittering submachine gun. She rotated around, firing all the while. ¡°!¡± At the sound of gunfire, the attendant, knight, and other enemies frantically held up their shields or gauntlets. But they were too slow. As metallic noises rang out, they were either forced back or blown away. Sayama stood up. Bluish-white smoke surrounded him and Sf. The formation around them had widened slightly and one magician lay collapsed on the ground. Sayama looked toward the magician while opening the lid of the drink bottle. ¡°She is not dead. As expected, they have some form of defensive power. This is not causing much damage.¡± Sayama realized Sf¡¯s right sleeve was torn. That showed she had already received some sort of attack. And the arm he saw below the torn black cloth was¡­ ¡°A machine?¡± asked Sayama after a citrus flavor flowed into his mouth from the bottle. Sf¡¯s arm was made of what looked like narrow pearl-colored armor. The arm narrowed in considerably at the elbow joint between her upper arm and lower arm and only black plastic filled the gap. Without turning around, Sf tossed the submachine gun to the ground. ¡°I am Sein Frau, an automaton created by German UCAT using 3rd-Gear technology. My body was put together for Itaru-sama¡¯s exclusive use, so I am able to do the shopping or receive guests in bad weather and under inconvenient circumstances. My compact exterior can run for 24 hours if the philosopher¡¯s stone is swapped out, so even the most sudden of unreasonable demands can be-¡­¡± ¡°Enough with the late-night infomercial sales pitch,¡± said Sayama as he handed the empty drink bottle back to Sf. And then, ¡°What are your combat abilities?¡± ¡°According to German UCAT, the German people are the most excellent people in the world. I was created using their technology, so my combat abilities are top notch.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t that ¡®most excellent¡¯ right-wing country lose World War Two?¡± ¡°Truly excellent people need not desire victory. Victory is not needed in the eternal quest to grow stronger.¡± ¡°Who said that?¡± ¡°I do not know. However, it has been etched into my mind.¡± As she spoke, Sf moved the machinegun in her right hand to her left and placed the muzzle against the ground. She moved the muzzle to the side so that it drew a curve in the dirt. ¡°My name is Sein Frau, ¡®the woman who should exist¡¯. I am a nonhuman who was born from the desire to ¡®exist¡¯. Now, come and bring the reason for your birth with you. If that reason is weaker than mine, you will not even be able to ¡®exist¡¯.¡± With a turn of her heel, she transformed the curve on the ground into a ring. ¡°I was created for the sake of my master. I sacrifice my steel for his bones, my chains for his flesh, my oil for his blood, and my determination for his heart. But there is one thing he has for which I have nothing to sacrifice.¡± When the ring connected, she placed the gun¡¯s muzzle on the point of connection. ¡°His tears. ¡­As I have no emotions, I have nothing to give in return for those. As such, I do not desire my master¡¯s tears. I desire only an outcome that requires no teardrops.¡± She raised the gun. ¡°Steel for his bones, chains for his flesh, oil for his blood, determination for his heart, and¡­¡± She took a breath. ¡°Selflessness for his tears.¡± As she spoke, Sf squeezed the trigger while aiming at the line of enemies. Shinjou sat on a tree trunk. The trembling of her hands was beginning to abate, but strength would not return to her fingers. ¡°What do I¡­¡± she muttered. ¡­lack at times like this? she finished in her thoughts. She heard a voice from below. ¡°You had excellent scores in training and your marksmanship while providing covering fire from the rear guard was quite good as well. But it looks like you¡¯re no good on the vanguard where a real battle is right before your eyes. Do you think I should remove you from Team Leviathan, Shinjou?¡± Shinjou gave a quick gasp. But the voice from below laughed. ¡°Hah. What¡¯s with the serious look? I may be the supervisor, but you know I can¡¯t do everything on my own discretion, right? You were added as a member on the recommendation of my old man. I can¡¯t move you without his permission and your agreement.¡± Shinjou frowned at the laughing voice and clenched her back teeth. ¡°Why are you always like this!? Ever since you took me in¡­¡± ¡°You really want to know?¡± said a smiling voice. ¡°It¡¯s because I know everything but understand nothing.¡± The voice then changed the subject. ¡°Look, the fools are in trouble. Do whatever you can.¡± Shinjou looked out toward the grassy area and realized what he meant. Sayama and Sf moved around amid the gunfire and their enemies were collapsing from the attacks. But a few of those had begun to move once more. First was the attendant Sf had defeated. He was trying to stand. And he was hidden behind another enemy, so Sayama and Sf could not see him. Shinjou stood up on the tree trunk. ¡°Sayama-kun!¡± As the knight charged toward her from the front, Sf charged in with her right shoulder held forward. With the cooler still held under her right arm, she filled the gap between her and the knight in an instant. The knight aimed his long rifle at her. Sf raised the machinegun in her left arm slightly before swinging it. She slammed her own machinegun against the enemy¡¯s gun barrel. With a metallic scraping noise, Sf pushed the knight¡¯s rifle down and moved forward. Her running right foot reached the ground, but her left foot stepped down on the lowered rifle¡¯s barrel. The knight¡¯s long rifle now had its tip sticking diagonally into the ground. Sf used her machinegun as a cane and continued forward. She thrust the machinegun into the ground and let go. She took a step along the knight¡¯s rifle with her left foot and swung her right leg up to climb up the rifle. The upward swing of her right leg continued into a kick. Her foot flew toward the knight¡¯s face. It was a straight and speedy kick. The knight made up his mind in an instant. He let go of the rifle. With only the long rifle¡¯s strap still in his hand, he leaped backwards. ¡°!¡± The knight tugged on the strap as he moved back. The rifle that had been left stabbing into the ground was powerfully pulled back even with Sf halfway through her kick atop it. He felt a bit of resistance, but the rifle still pulled out of the ground. ¡°!?¡± Sf had her left pivot leg on the rifle, so her footing was pulled out from under her. She began to fall backwards. Even so, she managed to kick off the rifle and jump high into the sky behind her. But it was too late. The knight had already pulled the rifle back into his hands by the strap. He narrowed the sight in on Sf as she tumbled through the air. Just as he was about to squeeze the trigger, something happened. Sf¡¯s body shrank down in the air and she rotated around once. After jumping back, Sf had taken a crouching position in midair. Something was supporting her from below. It was the machinegun she had stabbed into the ground like a cane earlier. Sf¡¯s right foot sat atop the gunstock that was sticking up toward the sky. In the next instant, she stretched her body out and jumped. Her skirt flapped through the air and the bullet of light produced by the knight¡¯s rifle shot by below her feet. Sf flew. She swung the cooler through the air above her head and cartwheeled using it as a fulcrum. She landed behind the knight. The knight turned his shield toward her just as she pulled an object from the cooler and threw it at him with her back to him. What she tossed under her arm with only a flick of the wrist was a large cylindrical object. The knight reflexively swung his shield to strike the flying object from the side. With a heavy yet soft sound, the shield deflected the object. It flew accurately back towards Sf. The knight continued his rotation to aim the rifle at Sf. As he did, he realized what the object she had thrown was. It was a 500mL plastic drink bottle. ¡°Wha-¡­?¡± The dumbfounded knight saw Sf stand up. She was facing him. Her left hand was in the cooler. Her gaze was focused squarely on the center of the knight¡¯s wide open body. With the sound of pieces of ice striking each other, she pulled a long metal object out of the cooler. It was a shotgun. Sf swung the barrel forward, using the action to cock it. She used the reverse motion of it sliding back into place to pull the trigger. A gunshot exploded out. The shot first destroyed the drink bottle flying between the knight and Sf. Immediately afterwards, it struck the knight¡¯s breastplate. A sound of impact exploded out. The knight flew backwards as if he had received an uppercut. And at that moment, a voice rang out across the open area. ¡°Sayama-kun!¡± Sf turned toward the voice and saw a large shadow. It was the attendant she had supposedly defeated earlier. His giant form had stood up and was now charging toward her. After she had just fired, evasive actions were asking too much of Sf. And the attendant held a knife in his right hand. It would strike her momentarily. ¡°A total loss is expected,¡± concluded Sf expressionlessly. Her body grew limp as she prepared for the shock. But then an attack flew toward the charging attendant from the side. ¡°¡­!?¡± It was Sayama. From a position back and to the right of Sf, he used the momentum of the slope and all his strength to throw a reverse roundhouse kick. His heel sliced through the air in a sharp curve before striking the attendant in the side. It sounded more like a piercing strike than a dull one. The attendant lost his forward momentum. However, Sayama was half-deflected and thrown through the air due to the great difference in inertia. He kept low to the ground as he landed and took a breath. He was not looking toward Sf. He was looking toward the woods. Shinjou stood on the slope there. After seeing where he was looking, Sf amended her conclusion. ¡°Partial damage is expected.¡± Immediately afterwards, the charging attendant and Sf crossed paths. The sound of fibers being torn could be heard. Everything past Sf¡¯s right shoulder flew through the air. With its support gone, the cooler fell to the ground. Sayama turned around and asked, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°No, I have no sense of pain. The only pain I feel is from being unable to remain by Itaru-sama¡¯s side.¡± As she replied, her right arm fell atop the dirt and rolled two or three times down the slope. And Sf saw something else. Behind her, the attendant was preparing for his next attack with blood spilling from his mouth. Sf rotated around and prepared to intercept him, but then her eyes narrowed slightly. Behind the charging attendant, the knight was aiming his long rifle her way after he had recovered due to something written by one of the priests. And behind him, the remaining magician wrote something in the air using light. The magician was not looking at Sf and Sayama. She was looking toward the woods where Shinjou had emerged. Sf sensed Sayama moving behind her. She moved as well. However¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± The attendant¡¯s charge, the knight¡¯s shot, and the magician¡¯s blast all came before Sf could aim the shotgun in her left hand or Sayama could take any kind of action. The three attacks were loosed in quick succession. Sayama saw the attack coming. But it did not come from in front of him. It came from above. It came from above the charging attendant. ¡°What are you doing!?¡± It was a girl. The girl wore a lightweight white outfit and held something with a long silhouette in both hands. Her heels slammed into the attendant¡¯s back. It was less a landing and more like a pile driver smashing the attendant into the ground. By the time Sayama realized the girl held a long single-edged spear and a shield, he had already heard the attendant¡¯s giant body crashing to the ground. The attendant was struck to the ground without bouncing as if he had been hit with a hammer appropriate for his body size. The knife he had held stabbed into the ground. It was only 15 centimeters away from Sf¡¯s foot. However, she had escaped any further damage. Nothing had happened to Sayama either. What is going on? wondered Sayama, but then he recalled two other things. Specifically, the knight and magician behind the attendant. The knight had supposedly fired his long rifle. That bullet of light should have destroyed everything within a 20 meter square of the point it hit, but it had never arrived. Sayama frowned and took a closer look. Beyond the collapsed attendant and the person who stood on his back was another silhouette. This one was a young man. He wore a white coat and held a giant single-edged sword in both hands. To cover his body, he held the large white sword so the bottom of the grip was pointed up and the blade was pointed down. A bluish-white electrical discharge came from its blade. Sayama recognized both of these newcomers. Sf spoke to them as if to reconfirm Sayama¡¯s memory. ¡°You are late, Izumo-sama, Kazami-sama.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡­ But I do apologize for not making it in time to save your arm.¡± The one apologizing and holding a long, curving spear and shield was Kazami. She wore the same type of white suit Shinjou had worn the night before, but her waist was wrapped in cloth. She also had a backpack that folded over. She turned toward Sayama with the same smile she always had at school. ¡°Oh? You don¡¯t look too surprised.¡± ¡°Of course not. After all the bizarre things you two do, this is easy to accept.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s disappointing,¡± said Izumo. With his back to Sayama, he lowered the giant sword using just his right arm and glanced over his shoulder. ¡°Team Leviathan Primary Team, Izumo Kaku. ¡­How¡¯s that for a cool way to name myself?¡± Sayama ignored him. Something else was bothering him: the magician¡¯s spell. It had unmistakably been fired toward Shinjou. Is she okay? he wondered as he turned around. He found a figure standing before the woods with her long hair waving in the wind. It was Shinjou. But she was not alone. Another familiar figure stood next to Shinjou. It was a tall old man wearing a white shirt, a black vest, and black trousers. When Sayama saw him standing there empty-handed except for his black gloves, he muttered the man¡¯s name. ¡°The librarian of Kinugasa Library, Siegfried Zonburg¡­¡± The man nodded, turned around, and met Sayama¡¯s gaze with his own blue eyes. His white beard moved as he spoke. ¡°You need to add two other titles to that: former consultant to the National Defense Department and sorcerer.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you forgetting one!?¡± shouted the knight. Everyone turned toward him. The knight vigorously swung his long rifle up toward Siegfried. ¡°You are the great criminal who destroyed our 1st-Gear!!¡± Izumo was closest to the knight, so he reacted first. ¡°How about you stop that!?¡± he shouted while swinging his large sword horizontally. The single-edged sword soared smoothly and easily through the air. However, the sound it produced was not that of it striking the knight¡¯s armor. The magician interfered. ¡°What!?¡± The old woman used her staff as a shield to catch Izumo¡¯s blade in front of the knight. The staff bent and then broke and she was knocked into the air. In exchange, the knight managed to pull the trigger of his long rifle. It produced a metallic noise and light was emitted from the book loaded into the rifle. It fired. Light flew in a shallow arc toward Siegfried. It was as if it had been thrown down at him from above. In response, Siegfried lightly swung his right hand. Something fell down from his palm. It was a piece of paper. Siegfried took a step forward. He swung his right arm up at the light shooting toward him. That mass of power had grown to five meters across. He casually struck it with the piece of paper in his right hand. In the very next moment, that powerful light disappeared. As everyone¡¯s eyes opened wide, Siegfried took another step. ¡°!¡± He began to run. The paper in the hand he held above his head had writing on it. That paper that had been blank just before now had a certain destruction report written in powerful handwriting. Sayama could not read the writing, but the images were transferred to his mind. It was an itemized list of the dead in a certain district of a city. Siegfried held the paper in his hand as he ran. As he clenched it into a cylindrical shape, a blade of light appeared from it. ¡°¡­So this is the power of a grudge.¡± He muttered those words and moved all in the same instant. Siegfried charged right up to the knight. The knight aimed his rifle and fired. However, the attack shot below Siegfried¡¯s arm. Siegfried had moved as if about to sink down to the ground, but had instead raised the sword of light above his head and swung it down. His strike targeted the knight¡¯s rifle. The trajectory of the blade left an afterimage of light behind and the sound of the gun being sliced sounded like a rock splitting open. The front of the destroyed rifle where the book was loaded slid vertically before completely falling off. Seeing that, Siegfried stood up and swung his left hand. The knight tossed his rifle aside and took a defensive stance. However, Siegfried¡¯s left hand was not headed toward him. His left hand grabbed ahold of the book as it fell toward the ground. Siegfried then held it out toward the knight and spoke. ¡°Do not drop this. Treat your books carefully. Even when making use of them.¡± Volume 1, 11: Her Fingers Volume 1, Chapter 11: Her Fingers If you draw in one who is waiting They will become one who is hoping Instead of merely waiting, they will be hoping The sun began to sink and the shadows of buildings and people grew slightly slanted. The rectangular shadows of the school buildings of Taka-Akita Academy to the west of Tokyo were no exception. Two deeper shadows stood in the shadow behind the 2nd year general school building on the western edge of the academy. They were Brunhild and the black cat. Brunhild was not keeping the black cat from speaking as it gasped for breath. It lay on its stomach and spoke quietly. ¡°Wow, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever panicked that much before. I followed my observation target and ran across a gunfight. And I certainly didn¡¯t expect them to all of a sudden target me. I shouldn¡¯t have walked there in this form.¡± ¡°If you think about it, you might have become the cat with the most involvement in the history of 1st-Gear. At any rate, I¡¯m glad you managed to escape.¡± ¡°You were worried about me? Thanks.¡± ¡°Yes. It would be a shame to waste the wonderful relationship we have constructed together.¡± ¡°I just learned that the word ¡®wonderful¡¯ has more than one meaning,¡± commented the cat with a sigh. Brunhild said, ¡°Now, what is this report that was so urgent you had to stop me from going to the cafeteria?¡± ¡°The Royal Palace faction surrendered. All of the hawks showed up, but they lost.¡± ¡°They lost? With all of them there? Who did UCAT send out?¡± ¡°Surely you already know. Who do you think I was observing? The Royal Palace faction¡¯s terrorist attack was just a showy bonus I stumbled onto while tracking him. ¡­He took part in the battle.¡± Brunhild muttered the name of their observation target as if to confirm it. ¡°¡­Siegfried Zonburg.¡± ¡°Yes, but he was only a guest. He was not part of the main force.¡± Brunhild¡¯s expression stiffened at that. The black cat grinned and continued speaking. ¡°It seems this school¡¯s student council president, vice president, and treasurer are part of Team Leviathan. It looked like an automaton also took part as a guest. What will you do?¡± ¡°You have to ask? If they are our enemy, I will have to fight them if it comes to that.¡± The cat fell silent at that. It slowed its breathing and looked up at Brunhild. Finally, it spoke. ¡°Can you do that? This may be you we¡¯re talking about, but you have no grudge against them.¡± ¡°If they are our enemy, I will have no choice.¡± ¡°They might pass by in the hall and greet you.¡± ¡°Do you think they will simply greet me on the battlefield?¡± asked Brunhild and the black cat stared up at its master. ¡°True enough,¡± it said with a nod after a short time. It lowered its gaze and quietly added, ¡°But you are the type of person who still remembers the song Siegfried taught you.¡± Brunhild sighed, placed her hands on her hips, and tilted her head. ¡°I do not know what you are trying to do, but try not to trouble me too much.¡± After thinking for a moment, she spoke to the cat that was hanging its head down. ¡°Even if they may become my enemy on the battlefield, Team Leviathan is still being formed, correct? Siegfried may be another matter, but there is no guarantee the others will become my enemies, right?¡± ¡°Right. The vice president had a lot of things explained to him. Team Leviathan is still not fully put together.¡± ¡°Then we do not know what will happen. Unlike Siegfried who destroyed 1st-Gear, they are not yet clear combatants. I will not try to kill someone like that.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ That would be nice.¡± The black cat raised its head and Brunhild looked back with an expressionless look. She remained silent and the cat commented, ¡°Is this a wonderful relationship?¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to say it yourself, though.¡± Brunhild brought a hand to her cheek and smiled bitterly. After a moment, she lowered that hand. ¡°But the Royal Palace faction will likely join with the peaceful faction they originally broke off from. And UCAT will likely recommend they do so. To set the stage for discussions with us, they need to strengthen the peaceful faction as an intermediary.¡± ¡°This is getting tricky.¡± ¡°Yes. But the Royal Palace faction truly is pathetic. If a battle this small is enough to satisfy them, they should have stopped fighting ages ago. They may have secretly always wanted to return to the peaceful faction.¡± ¡°So they went out of the way to cause this commotion and get captured so they could align with the peaceful faction while also sticking to their principles? Is that it? But why?¡± ¡°Pride. That¡¯s why. ¡­And that is also why I cannot mock them. The Royal Palace faction regained a small bit of what we lost when we were destroyed. We do not have even that, so we have no room to talk. Now, let¡¯s go.¡± With a nod, Brunhild began walking toward the cafeteria. To keep the cat from speaking, Brunhild gripped a blue stone in her right hand and began to write something in the air. But she stopped when she heard a small sound. ¡°Chirping?¡± she asked. The black cat looked around and said, ¡°Over there.¡± It was facing a line of trees in front of the 3rd year general school building. High-pitched chirping could be heard from the ground below one of those trees. Brunhild jogged over and saw it. A fully-fledged but still young bird was repeatedly flapping its wings fruitlessly at the bottom of the tree. The chirping continued below the afternoon sun. Sayama and Ooshiro sat at the rest area bench to the east of the grassy area. Shinjou had gone to report on the situation, so she was not with them. Sayama let out a light sigh at that fact. The scene around him was no different than it had been before the 1st-Gear attackers had arrived. The stone wall had not crumbled and the rest area had not been destroyed. The fact that it had all happened inside a Concept Space finally hit home for Sayama. Everywhere he looked, people were running around in all sorts of uniforms. They were UCAT workers. After the battle, the knight and his comrades had surrendered and the Concept Space had been neutralized and released. At the same moment, UCAT vehicles had arrived through the Sakashita Gate on the east side of the Imperial Palace. The various vehicles were disguised as a delivery company, a gardener, a mover, a security company, etc. The people who stepped out of the vehicles were dressed to match the camouflage. This led to their uniforms all being mismatched. From what Sayama could see, the delivery company was the investigation team, the gardener was the medical team, and the mover was the maintenance team. Unsurprisingly, the security company took care of security at the entrance to the open area. The knight and his comrades were taken away by those in the delivery company uniform. As Sayama watched them, Ooshiro Kazuo spoke from where he sat to Sayama¡¯s left. ¡°They were one of the radical factions of 1st-Gear.¡± ¡°You said I would be carrying out provisional negotiations with the peaceful faction tomorrow, but is the situation there just as dangerous?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The peaceful faction wishes to talk this out. However¡­¡± ¡°However?¡± repeated Sayama. Ooshiro raised two fingers on his right hand with the passing uniformed workers behind them. ¡°You heard from Shinjou-kun that 1st-Gear has two Concept Cores, correct?¡± ¡°I heard they are sealed inside a sword and something called a mechanical dragon.¡± ¡°Yes. The first is in the holy sword Gram which is stored in UCAT¡¯s western branch headquarters below IAI headquarters. The second¡­well, it is inside Fafnir Custom, the mechanical dragon belonging to the City faction. That is the largest radical group and we do not currently know where they are located. The modified mechanical dragon supposedly has separate reactors for movement and weaponry and the Concept Core is sealed within the weapons reactor. That is a very big problem.¡± ¡°Fafnir, you say?¡± Sayama had heard the names Gram and Fafnir before. ¡­They are from a European epic poem. ¡°That is from the Ring of the Nibelung, isn¡¯t it? My grandfather took me to an opera based on that story once. Our opinions on it were split, so we got into a fistfight once we returned home. ¡­But why is that showing up here?¡± ¡°That is a trivial detail, so I will explain it later. At any rate, your true negotiation opponent is the radical faction possessing the other Concept Core. When that happens¡­¡± ¡°It would be best to have the peaceful faction act as an intermediary. Is that what the preliminary negotiations tomorrow are for?¡± ¡°Yes. Do your best not to cause any conflict. ¡­What we want is to receive the concepts from them and activate them. A lot of them will be opposed to the idea, but in order to apologize for destroying all the other Gears, we have no intention of causing a second war.¡± Ooshiro raised his right thumb and Sayama ignored him. ¡°Now then,¡± said Sayama. ¡°Basically, you want me to put an end to the grudges from the past, obtain a promise to release the concepts, and prevent the world from growing too far in the negative direction? That certainly is a convenient task you are forcing onto me.¡± ¡°The Leviathan Road is a series of negotiations to that end.¡± Ooshiro then raised five fingers. ¡°Sayama Kaoru, your grandfather, placed five conditions on the Leviathan Road.¡± He lowered his thumb. ¡°First, in your research, the consenting representatives of each Gear may not disclose information on any Gear but their own. Also, any information related to the destruction of the Gears must be investigated and determined by you and those helping you. No one else may guide you.¡± At this point Ooshiro looked toward Sayama. ¡°Do you have any questions?¡± ¡°I was planning to ask all my questions after you had finished. Is that okay?¡± ¡°I can never underestimate you.¡± Ooshiro smiled faintly and lowered his index finger. ¡°Second, members of UCAT are forbidden from revealing or leading you to any information on the Gears or their destruction except for the information given prior to the Leviathan Road beginning and what is needed to introduce the representatives of the friendly Gears.¡± He lowered his middle finger. ¡°Third, any added helpers will be overlooked, but no one may be forced to help.¡± He lowered his ring finger. ¡°Fourth, if you choose to take action, UCAT will cooperate to the best of our ability.¡± Lastly, he lowered his little finger. ¡°The negotiations with 6th-Gear and 10th-Gear are already complete, so you will focus on negotiations with the other Gears instead of repeating negotiations with those two Gears. This must be completed as quickly as possible and by any means necessary.¡± After explaining all that, Ooshiro lightly spread his hands downwards and tilted his head. ¡°What do you think?¡± Sayama nodded, brought a hand to his chin, and replied. ¡°Saying it too bluntly would cause some problems, so I will be more indirect: Was my grandfather an idiot?¡± ¡°Oh, nicely said. Now, how about I be a little indirect, too?¡± Ooshiro held his head in his hands. ¡°That¡¯s harsh!¡± ¡°I think I will ignore that and continue on.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He tells me to negotiate, but he refuses to give me any information on my opponent and wants me to feel everything out as I go along? What does he plan to do if I make some horrible mistake out of ignorance? He can just go to hell. ¡­Actually, I suppose he is already there.¡± ¡°Calm down and listen. You will be occasionally introduced to representatives to the Gears who approve of the Leviathan Road. And what your grandfather truly wanted was for you to gain experiences rather than knowledge of the past. ¡­Baku there in your pocket was his idea as well.¡± Ooshiro reached out and petted Baku¡¯s head as he spoke. In response, Sayama said, ¡°Before we begin talking about ideas, I still do not believe everything about this situation.¡± Sayama smiled bitterly when he suddenly realized he was motivated to do this despite complaining. I am not calm, he thought. I am still at the stage of deciding whether I will be involved or not. That thought calmed him down. He had not yet decided if he would accept the right passed down to him. There was a lot he did not understand and he was only at the very first stage where he was being taught many different things. The biggest problem Sayama saw was in the phrase ¡°by any means necessary¡±. That meant it was already assumed lives would be taken and lost. It was true that there was no guarantee this could be resolved by talking it out if a radical faction possessed the Concept Core. The Leviathan Road was a negotiation to prevent the world from falling to the negative concepts and being destroyed. That meant combat could not be taken off the table and it was worth taking some risks for. However¡­ ¡­But can I do that? He had doubts. That was a question he could not answer just by thinking about it. And so he shook his head. For a change of pace, he asked Ooshiro about something that had been bothering him about 1st-Gear. ¡°I want to hear more about what we mentioned before. During the battle, I saw the name Wotan Kingdom on the book loaded into that knight¡¯s rifle. And just now you mentioned the holy sword Gram and Fafnir. Is that-¡­?¡± ¡°Those names are from the epic poem ¡®The Song of the Nibelungs¡¯ that spread across Northern Europe and Germany and from the Volsunga Saga, the Norse legend it is based on.¡± This explanation came from a voice behind and to the left of Sayama. It was Siegfried. Sayama turned around to find Siegfried standing with Izumo and Kazami on either side. They had already removed their equipment which was being stowed in a mobile okonomiyaki stand. Sayama stared at the three of them and asked, ¡°How can that be? Why does 1st-Gear, an alternate world, use the same words as an epic poem of our world?¡± ¡°What makes you think it originates from our world?¡± That left Sayama at a loss for words. Siegfried nodded his head once and continued speaking. ¡°The Izumo Aviation Institute once created its National Defense Department and chose skilled researchers and test pilots. A ¡®sorcerer¡¯ arrived from Germany and set out to modify the ley lines. However, when the facilities meant to connect Japan to the world and bring the world¡¯s earthly energy to Japan, strange phenomena occurred in various parts of Japan.¡± ¡°Strange phenomena?¡± ¡°Monsters and worlds that had become legends in various parts of the world appeared in Japan once the ley lines were connected. The alterations to the ley lines increased the connection rate with the other Gears. Concept Spaces repeatedly opened up centered on ten different locations within Japan and we would occasionally battle them. And we realized something.¡± Siegfried took a breath. ¡°The cultures of the ten other Gears appearing in the ten locations at which Japan¡¯s ley lines were modified greatly resembled the legends, myths, and cultures of the regions those ley lines corresponded to.¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± It was Kazami who answered this time. ¡°What a pain,¡± she said first while raising both her palms. ¡°That¡¯s right. Ever since Low-Gear began to exist, it has crossed paths with the other Gears a few times and that has created a few connections. Low-Gear is where the other Gear¡¯s negative concepts end up, but that has given us the characteristics of all the other Gears¡¯ cultures.¡± Kazami then walked in front of Siegfried and placed a hand on Izumo¡¯s shoulder. And, ¡°Anyway, certain circumstances led to me becoming a member of UCAT. Differences in physical strength can be overcome in Concept Spaces after all. ¡­Sayama, why are you getting involved in all this?¡± ¡°I do not know. I still have no reason.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Kazami with a nod. She formed a gun with her right hand and aimed it at his forehead. ¡°We were in that forest last night, too. I was the one that fired that last shot.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m only involved as the result of a certain event and someone I know, but I¡¯ve made it in this deep. If you want to rethink this, this is your last chance, Sayama. Also¡­¡± Kazami lowered her gun hand, grabbed Izumo¡¯s hand, and began walking away. ¡°Eh? We¡¯re leaving already?¡± asked Izumo as Kazami dragged him away. Izumo frantically waved toward Sayama and Kazami looked over her shoulder with a bitter smile. As she continued toward a UCAT vehicle disguised as a pizza food truck, that bitter smile transformed into a true smile. As if to make doubly sure, she said, ¡°Well, let¡¯s keep things the same as ever at school.¡± She then faced forward once more. With her back to Sayama, she dragged Izumo along with her and left. After watching them leave, Sayama turned toward Siegfried. The tall old man was also watching Kazami and Izumo leave. Rather than Sayama or Siegfried, it was Ooshiro Kazuo who spoke next. ¡°She was trying to help you out there, Mikoto-kun. Kazami-kun is quite nice.¡± ¡°I am having difficulty understanding why she needed to act so tough, though. Also, old man, haven¡¯t you ever heard the proverb telling the elderly not to act like they are still young?¡± Sayama¡¯s manner of speaking brought a small smile to Siegfried¡¯s lips. ¡°Such a nostalgic way of speaking. I have not had much chance to speak with you at school, but it seems you have inherited more than enough of the Sayama personality. You really are Sayama¡¯s grandson.¡± ¡°You call me his grandson, but I am actually the son of his adopted son.¡± That turned Siegfried¡¯s smile into a bitter one. That bitter smile brought a sudden pressure to the left side of Sayama¡¯s chest. He quickly realized why. During the battle, Siegfried had said he was a former member of the National Defense Department. ¡­He must have known my grandfather. For that reason, he went in a different direction with his next question to Siegfried. ¡°Why is the man who destroyed 1st-Gear working as a school librarian?¡± ¡°That library contains documents related to the Concept War. When UCAT makes a request, I investigate it on their behalf. Before that, I worked as a weapon tester for German UCAT, but¡­¡± When he trailed off, Ooshiro finished for him. ¡°His ability was simply too great. They were unable to determine the pure ability of the weapon. And nine years ago when the previous librarian died, we had him return to Japan after so many years.¡± ¡°Then will you be involved in the Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°I will only be involved in the negotiations with 1st-Gear. I cannot interfere with the others.¡± He cast his eyes down lightly and spoke his next words more quietly. ¡°After all, 1st-Gear was the only Gear I destroyed.¡± Below a tree sitting in the sun, a small bird flapped its wings against the ground. Standing before it was Brunhild and the black cat. The cat rushed over to the bird and frantically looked back toward Brunhild. ¡°Wh-wh-wh-wh-what should we do!? Th-this is an awful situation here! What should we do? Look at the poor thing. I-isn¡¯t there anything we can do!? Can I eat it!?¡± ¡°Was that last one what you really think?¡± asked Brunhild with half-lidded eyes before crouching down. The small bird was chirping while bending its black head backwards. Black feathers ran down the center of its white chest like a necktie. The small wings striking the ground were slightly blue but mostly black. It was small, but it had the distinct coloration of a nearly fully-grown bird. Brunhild frowned a bit as she crouched down. ¡°We cannot interfere with this. This is the law of nature. ¡­Look up.¡± The cat and Brunhild look up. A small, dark semicircle was visible atop one of the poplar tree¡¯s branches. It was a bird¡¯s nest. However¡­ ¡°No other birds are crying within the nest. The other children and the parents have left. This one likely cannot fly. Or it may be able to but cannot remember how or lacks the strength. One way or the other, it cannot fly now.¡± ¡°You know a lot about this.¡± ¡°Long ago, I took care of an injured bird.¡± ¡°Then why not do it again?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. ¡­Don¡¯t give me that look. I said I can¡¯t, so I can¡¯t. It isn¡¯t happening.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, Brunhild. You aren¡¯t making any sense. You say it¡¯s the law of nature, but you broke it before, right?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Brunhild reached out a hand to grab the black cat¡¯s tail, but the cat stepped out of the way. With the slight sound of it treading on the gravel, the cat circled around to the other side of the flapping bird. Brunhild frowned and the small bird ceased flapping and chirping once the cat¡¯s shadow fell over it. Brunhild held out her hand. ¡°Come here. I was headed to the cafeteria. I can get some food for you too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all right. I have some food right here.¡± Brunhild stood up and sighed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°This is what you meant by the law of nature, right? I¡¯m hungry and I want to relieve myself of some stress that has been building up. ¡­That¡¯s how it works, right?¡± ¡°Stop that,¡± said Brunhild as she stepped forward on the gravel. The cat moved back just as far and she asked it, ¡°What would you do if I wasn¡¯t here?¡± ¡°Capture it and eat it. Just like my instincts tell me to.¡± ¡°In other words, you will have a chance unless I watch over this bird until it starves?¡± She looked down. The bird stopped flapping its wings and looked up at Brunhild. The bird then gave a quiet tweet. ¡°¡­¡± Brunhild remained silent, but the ends of her eyebrows lowered slightly. The bird moved. It lightly raised its body and showed off its flapping wings. It chirped as it looked up at her. It chirped again and again without stopping. Brunhild cast her eyes down as she heard it. Her shoulders drooped and she sighed. She then spoke to the black cat. ¡°Um¡­Can I?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say ¡®sure¡¯ before I even get to what I¡¯m talking about!!¡± ¡°That may be true, but¡­did that help relieve some stress?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Brunhild¡¯s shoulders lowered, she lifted her right hand, and raised the index finger. ¡°You know, this is a lot of responsibility. It isn¡¯t something to take on lightly.¡± ¡°¡­You seemed amazingly carefree when you took me on as your familiar.¡± ¡°Oh, shut up. Honestly,¡± muttered Brunhild as she crouched down once more. She held her hand out toward the small bird. The bird hesitated for a moment, but eventually struck the ground with its wings and hopped up onto her palm. It must have felt the lightly curled palm was safe because it settled down in the bottom of her palm and tweeted quietly. Brunhild looked down at the bird and muttered, ¡°Now I¡¯ve done it¡­¡± ¡°Ahh ahh, you broke the law of nature! You shouldn¡¯t do that, Miss Brunhild!¡± She wanted to do something, but her hand was otherwise occupied. She was forced to clench her teeth and blush. ¡°Wow, for the first time in my life, I feel victory! From now on, I will be the one-¡­whoa!!¡± After kicking the cat in the rear, Brunhild turned her back on it and walked away. The cat hurried after her. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°The cafeteria. I need food for the bird and a cardboard box for it.¡± ¡°What about food for me?¡± ¡°How about you obey the law of nature and eat a rat? I can introduce you to a nice sewer.¡± She ignored the displeased look on the cat¡¯s face and let out a breath. She looked at the small bird opening its beak and chirping in her hand. ¡°But I really shouldn¡¯t have done this. Leaving things be is the law of nature.¡± ¡°Which is why you should let a natural beast like me eat it.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, you aren¡¯t a natural creature at all!¡± The Sakashita Gate on the eastern side of the Imperial Palace sat below the sinking afternoon sun. Sayama and Shinjou sat atop the railing of the bridge crossing the moat. They watched the disguised transport vehicles leave through the gate. Kazami and Izumo had already left in one of the disguised vehicles along with Siegfried. Sf had received some simple repairs and was aboard the maintenance team¡¯s vehicle. Sayama recalled when she had expressionlessly grabbed onto Ooshiro Itaru and refused to let go when he said he would return on his own. Sayama was waiting for Ooshiro Kazuo who was taking part in a pre-withdrawal meeting. He wanted to speak with the old man about the preliminary negotiations with 1st-Gear the following day. He turned to Shinjou and asked, ¡°Are you heading back after this, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°Yes. After getting out some like you said I should, Sayama-kun. I¡¯ll stay with you until Ooshiro-san gets here,¡± she said. Sayama bowed lightly and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. I did it again today, though. ¡­Sorry.¡± ¡°No need to apologize. There is always the help needed afterwards. Heading to the front is not the only type of ability. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­but did I really manage to help out afterwards?¡± ¡°Last night, you lent me your lap and taught me plenty afterwards. Today, you informed us of coming danger and you are speaking with me like this now.¡± Shinjou let out a heavy breath when she heard that. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m not suited for this kind of thing.¡± ¡°That is not true,¡± said Sayama and recalled that he had said something similar the night before. ¡­It seems I end up wanting to deny her words on occasion. He more or less understood why, but he did not pursue the thought. Stepping in too deep would mean becoming involved with the other person. The left side of his chest ached slightly. He had gained that pain when he had lost his parents who had been deeply involved with him. Sayama looked toward Shinjou. She kept her head hanging down for a while, but finally¡­ ¡°Hey.¡± She slowly raised her head. Her partially lowered eyebrows turned his way and she tilted her head. ¡°Why did you come here today?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that? You gave me so much information yesterday.¡± ¡°But you have yet to accept the right to the Leviathan Road. After what happened yesterday, haven¡¯t you thought of getting out now to avoid any more danger?¡± Sayama saw Shinjou¡¯s gaze turn toward his left arm. ¡°Why?¡± He knew why. But could he communicate it to her by simply saying it? That he did not know. How very strange, muttered Sayama in his heart. The year before in the small area that was the school, he had run for student council vice president, made speeches in front of countless students, and won. Yet now, in front of only one person¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Sayama realized he had no words to speak. He had no idea how much time had passed since Shinjou had asked her question. Yet when he looked toward her, she was still looking his way with the ends of her eyebrows lowered slightly. She was waiting. The response he gave to her expectations was a single action. Sayama suddenly placed his hand atop Shinjou¡¯s hand on the railing. Her fingers moved a bit, but she did not reject his touch. Sayama nodded and asked, ¡°How does my palm feel?¡± Shinjou lowered her gaze somewhat. Sayama felt her fingers move gently beneath his hand. Her response was quiet and spoken as if it was a question. ¡°It is hot. And I can feel your pulse?¡± ¡°Those are the vestiges of that battle. And¡­¡± Sayama continued in his thoughts. ¡­Your pulse and heat from last night were different. Her pulse had been elevated and she had been warm, but it had been something calmer and deeper. With that difference in mind, Sayama declared, ¡°I want to gain something more than this.¡± ¡°That battle and everything you did in it wasn¡¯t enough?¡± ¡°No. And I have to wonder¡­if it is really okay for me to become serious.¡± ¡°Why? Why do you not want to get serious?¡± Sayama looked at Shinjou. Her expression was the one of apology he had seen the night before. While averting his gaze from her eyes without meaning to, Sayama answered. ¡°The surname Sayama indicates a villain. That is what my grandfather taught me¡­ I was raised to carry out that saying. My power is dedicated to using even greater evil to crush anything I decide is evil or an enemy. But,¡± he nodded, ¡°I wonder if my evil is truly needed. I could become serious if I wanted to. However, I am currently too afraid of making that decision. If I remain like this, I doubt I would last long.¡± ¡°You¡­have no self-confidence?¡± Sayama fell silent at that question. But Shinjou did not press further. She only shook her head and said something else. ¡°I think you could do quite well, Sayama-kun. But it is true no one can know exactly how anything will go. Ooshiro-san and the others are inviting you in. They are asking you to do this, but telling you that you might die. And you just said you are afraid of growing serious.¡± As she spoke quietly, Shinjou sent her words to Sayama. ¡°In that case, maybe you should leave the Leviathan Road.¡± Sayama looked at Shinjou. Their gazes met and her fingers stiffened a bit underneath his hand. ¡°U-um, Sayama-kun. To be honest, watching you has been kind of scary. When I first met you, you stepped forward to fight and tried to support me. And just now¡­¡± Sayama realized the pain in his chest had grown a bit stronger. However, he did not remove his right hand from Shinjou¡¯s hand. He felt a slightly moist warmth. ¡°If I fight and lose, I die. If I fight and win, I fear myself and am hated by my enemies¡­ Is that it? But perhaps that is what UCAT wants from me.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Sayama replied to that questioning voice. ¡°If all of the hatred is forced onto me and then I died, the world would become a more cheerful place, right? And UCAT would remain unscathed. Am I wrong?¡± Shinjou looked a bit surprised at that. But¡­ ¡°Y-you can¡¯t do that! I don¡¯t want you to become someone like that!¡± she shouted with her eyebrows raised. As her resounding voice passed through his body, Sayama thought. ¡­You are an excellent person to have around. Shinjou then seemed to realize what exactly she had said because the ends of her eyebrows lowered, her cheeks reddened, and she looked to the side. Sayama could not keep a smile from appearing on his lips. At some point the pain in his chest had disappeared. While thinking how pleasant that was, he spoke. ¡°Well, if you told me you were going to die, I would say the same, Shinjou-kun. And your methods look like a way of killing yourself¡­at least to me.¡± ¡°D-do they?¡± ¡°Yes. When you need to fire, you cannot. You walked out onto the battlefield unarmed to inform me of danger. Frankly, I am surprised you are not already dead.¡± Shinjou seemed troubled and groaned. Shinjou thought as that groan escaped from deep within her throat, but she had not realized a certain fact. ¡­Why is it that the two of us are both still alive after taking part in combat twice? No one could provide an answer for Sayama¡¯s question. However, Shinjou¡¯s groan finally returned to being a sigh. When she turned toward him, her black eyes were staring directly at him. Her small lips opened. ¡°That may be true. I¡¯ve thought about it before. I¡¯ve wondered if I am really any use when I am only taking part in the fighting to search for my parents.¡± She stopped speaking there. She took some time to choose her next words. ¡°Sayama-kun, are you fighting in order to win?¡± ¡°Yes, my grandfather made sure of that. ¡­He constantly told me to win back enough to make up for the losses whenever I fought. He told me to act as a villain and eliminate that which I saw as an enemy or evil.¡± That was his attitude when fighting. But, thought Sayama. That is not the same as having confidence in my ability to fight. When Shinjou heard his words, she muttered a quick comment. ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± she began ¡°I wish I could say something like that¡­ I have no set attitude telling me how to fight like you do.¡± ¡°I have no source of self-confidence to support my decisions like your search for your parents.¡± Hearing that, Sayama quietly muttered, ¡°We¡¯re the opposite.¡± She gave a bitter smile. The ends of her eyebrows lowered and her bitter smile deepened. ¡°We really are the opposite,¡± she continued. ¡°I am always trying to find a way to not grow so strangely desperate as I wonder what I should do. I wish I was stronger so I could be more composed.¡± Sayama thought on Shinjou¡¯s words. After a short silence, he spoke. ¡°We truly are opposites, Shinjou-kun. Perhaps I should keep that in mind.¡± ¡°¡­Eh? What do you mean?¡± Shinjou tilted her head in confusion. Without replying, Sayama moved his right hand. He lifted Shinjou¡¯s left hand up from the bridge¡¯s railing. Her fingers were slender and soft. Sayama wrapped his own hand around them. For just an instant, Shinjou tried to pull her fingers back. However, Sayama lightly dug his fingers into the flesh of her palm. ¡°Ah¡­¡± With that small voice, Shinjou¡¯s fingers tensed up. But she finally left only the bare minimum of strength in those fingers, bent them, and entrusted her hand to his. She seemed to hold her hand out to him, but then slowly squeezed his hand back. Sayama felt that small connection of power in his hand. He looked over to find Shinjou with her head hanging down and her eyes turned upwards to face him. When their gazes met, her shoulders trembled slightly and she frantically spoke up. ¡°U-um? What did you mean¡­just now? When you said you should keep that in mind.¡± ¡°It is a simple matter,¡± said Sayama. ¡°Your view of me is surely an alternative answer that I could never come to even if I wanted to.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± ¡°You need not think about it too deeply. Even if we are absolute opposites, it makes no difference as long as we do not worry about it. But¡­I simply want to remember that we each naturally hope for the opposite of the other. What do you think?¡± ¡°What do I think¡­? I¡¯m not sure how to answer that.¡± Shinjou¡¯s expression could be seen as a smile or a troubled look, but Sayama smiled in return. At that moment, a figure waved their way as it cut its way between the leaving disguised vehicles. It was Ooshiro Kazuo. Sayama took a breath and looked at the watch on his left wrist. It was already nearing four. ¡°Ooshiro-san is calling for you,¡± stated Shinjou as if making sure. She climbed down from the railing. Sayama did the same and faced her. Shinjou looked at their clasped hands, hung her head down, and spoke toward the ground. ¡°Um, today¡­when you get back to your dorm¡­don¡¯t be too surprised.¡± ¡°Are you sending me something?¡± ¡°Yes, sort of. ¡­I only just made up my mind. It will probably make me worry a lot, but I feel I have to.¡± ¡°I do not know what you are sending me, but I will gladly accept it.¡± Shinjou raised her head when she heard that. With her eyebrows lowered, her face relaxed and formed a smile. Her narrowed eyes reflected the sun which had begun setting at some point. As that light grew crimson, they both slowly separated their clasped hands at about the same moment. Volume 1, 12: A Reunion with Someone New Volume 1, Chapter 12: A Reunion with Someone New A meeting is the beginning of a restriction That is why meetings last only an instant The eternity continuing afterwards is a choice between that restriction and a parting A square three-story building was located on the northeastern end of the general education buildings of Taka-Akita Academy. The flat building was partially made of brick and had a terrace. The front of the building also had an entrance leading to the basement. That entrance was labeled with a placard saying ¡°Central Cafeteria Building¡±. Only the basement area was open during spring break. A wide staircase led downstairs. The placard attached to the wall there said ¡°Open 24 Hours a Day¡± in thick gothic lettering. ¡°However, only limited services are available late at night and on holidays,¡± it went on to say. Down the stairs were eight large glass doors lined up side by side and a dimly lit area beyond. The lobby contained a line of cafeteria ticket machines and several large bulletin boards. Past the lobby was a 50 meter square space with white walls. Square pillars were located at set intervals and tables for eight filled the space between them. However, few people were inside. The shops in the corners had sheets over them and only the area around the counter across the eastern wall was lit up. At the tables were a few people wearing personal clothes and school uniforms as well as a few people wearing the red shirts of rugby uniforms. In addition, a girl wearing a school uniform and a black cat were standing near the counter. The girl whose gray hair flowed back behind her was Brunhild. Brunhild placed her hands on the counter and stared back into the kitchen. Finally, the item she was waiting for arrived. An old woman wearing a cooking apron carried out a cardboard box 30 cm square. The box had a dishcloth laid out on the bottom and sitting in the corner were two flat-bottomed porcelain bowls. One contained water and the other contained dried corn that had been crushed into relatively large pieces. The small bird hopped between the two bowls. ¡°This is a large burden you are taking on. But it is already mostly grown, so you should not have too much trouble,¡± said the old woman. Before the woman could hold out the box, Brunhild bowed and reached her own hand out. She placed the box in her hand. ¡°¡­¡± Brunhild embraced the box. The bird looked up at her from within the box. As it tilted its small head, Brunhild smiled. She heard the old woman say, ¡°How nostalgic. I caught one when I was a child, too.¡± ¡°Did you?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Even an old lady like me was once as young as you.¡± Brunhild fell silent, but the black cat at her feet lightly struck her left shin with its front paw. Brunhild used her left foot to kick the cat away below the counter. The old woman had not noticed this exchange of blows, so she looked down at the small bird and spoke. ¡°It was not long after the war. I swiped some of the wheat and sake my father got through the black market. I soaked the wheat grains and place them on the ground.¡± ¡°To give them¡­to the bird?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I threw one a good distance away. Once it ate that, I threw another one a bit closer to me before repeating the process. By the time it was close enough to me, it could not fly.¡± ¡°Because it was drunk?¡± ¡°Yes. But it disappeared the day after I caught it. My father looked disappointed it was gone and he complained that the bird had looked delicious. ¡­I knocked him down with a piece of firewood afterwards.¡± Brunhild ignored the last half of the story and fell silent, but the black cat lightly struck her right shin once it made its way back. She kicked it away with her right foot, looked slightly down, and glanced over at the cat. It was looking up at her from where it lay on the floor. But when their gazes met, the black cat cowered down and backed away. Brunhild tilted her head and wondered if the look in her eyes had really been that harsh. But she then sensed a presence behind her. This was why the cat had backed away. ¡°¡­!?¡± She placed the box on the counter and turned around. A chest covered in a black vest lay directly in front of her eyes within arm¡¯s reach. Surprised, she took a step back and looked up to assess the situation. Above the black vest was the collar of a white shirt. Above that was a white beard and bald head. Brunhild knew this man. Before she could do anything, a voice spoke beyond the counter. ¡°Oh, Zonburg-san. You are late today.¡± Siegfried Zonburg stood beside Brunhild. He bent over his large body to place his cafeteria ticket on the opposite side of the counter. The old woman looked at the ticket and asked, ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°The Doria.¡± ¡°Oh, the vomit rice. Now, do I have any rice left?¡± ¡°Even if that is what everyone calls it, I think the one making it should avoid that name.¡± ¡°I can hardly call it Doria. I only learned how to cook from my mother.¡± ¡°Doria is a household dish. There is nothing to be embarrassed about.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± asked the old woman with a laugh, but Siegfried¡¯s expression did not change. Brunhild looked up at him while holding her breath. Suddenly, he turned toward her. Brunhild took a defensive stance at that. She brought her right hand up into the air and her left hand into her blazer pocket. All expression vanished from her face and she stared intently at him. However, Siegfried was not looking at her. He was looking at the box on the counter. The small bird inside looked up at him and chirped once. Siegfried returned the bird¡¯s gaze and opened his mouth to speak. ¡°Brunhild Schild-kun.¡± Brunhild gasped at having her name called. She gulped and asked, ¡°Why do you know my name?¡± ¡°Whenever you borrow a book, you thank the library assistant but not me. I manage the library cards, so I naturally learned your name.¡± ¡°¡­You certainly are petty.¡± ¡°No, that is simply the reason I know your name. I am not demanding you thank me. That is the decision your pride has led you to make.¡± Siegfried looked back across the counter. ¡°The library is open. The biology and animal section has some books on caring for animals. You should borrow one right away.¡± ¡°Is that an order?¡± ¡°I merely wish the best for the bird. ¡­But I cannot approve of caring for a bird in the same environment as a cat.¡± ¡°Do not worry. My cat is loyal to me.¡± That comment elicited a light strike against her calf from the black cat¡¯s front paw. Brunhild swung her right heel back to kick the cat away before she grabbed the box. Siegfried was not looking in her direction. She took a step back to open a slight gap between them. Siegfried provided a clear response to her silence. He ignored her and let the silence continue. ¡°¡­¡± Brunhild turned around toward the entrance. She began walking and the black cat frantically ran after her. She looked down into the box to find the small bird looking up at her with its head tilted. Brunhild continued to look at the bird and did not look back. She held her breath and quickly walked out of the cafeteria. A line of white buildings existed to the north of the general school buildings. The buildings were aligned in a cross shape and they all looked like three-story school buildings at first. However, the windows lined up on the southern side were smaller and more numerous than those of a school. Through each window were two desks next to the window and a bunk bed next to the wall. These were the student dorms. The dorms were currently dyed in the colors of the setting sun. A single figure could be seen moving between the crimson of the sunlight and the bluish-black shadows created by the buildings. This was Sayama, still wearing his gray suit. He quickly made his way to the building on the southwest end of the line of dorms. He arrived at a white walled entrance with a sign saying ¡°Fourth General Education Dormitory ¨C True Boys¡¯ Dormitory¡±. Sayama stopped at the entrance. A look at his wristwatch told him the time was 5:30 PM. He had just returned after speaking with Ooshiro about the following day¡¯s preliminary negotiations with 1st-Gear¡¯s peaceful faction. Sayama glanced down and saw Baku was sleeping with his head sticking out of his breast pocket. And¡­ ¡°?¡± Sayama suddenly turned to the east where the cafeteria building was. He had spotted some motion. He could see a girl carrying a box toward the general school buildings. ¡­That is the head of the art club I passed by this morning. She must have still had work to do. She puts in a lot of effort, he thought as he took a breath. I need to visit Siegfried in the library and Izumo and Kazami in the girls¡¯ dorm later. He then turned back toward the dorm building and looked up at his own room on the eastern end of the second floor. In the very next moment, his expression changed. He frowned. ¡°¡­The light is on?¡± As the window reflected the setting sun, he could see the bright room beyond. He did not remember turning on the lights before leaving for the Imperial Palace during the day. Who could it be? thought Sayama as he hurried into the dorm. At the same moment, he heard Ooki¡¯s voice from up ahead. ¡°Oh, Sayama-kun.¡± She walked out of the exit in sandals while wearing a shirt and a tight denim skirt. ¡°Perfect timing.¡± Ooki descended the low staircase at the entrance in a single step and arrived in front of Sayama with the sound of gravel. ¡°What is it, Ooki-sensei? I have urgent business at present, so I would like to hurry to the scene in question.¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. You always speak so formally. But you will regret it if you don¡¯t listen to what I-¡­wait!¡± As Sayama ignored her and tried to move past her, she grabbed his sleeve. ¡°Could you not grab onto that? It is actually rather expensive.¡± ¡°I think you should not decide what is important based on monetary value.¡± ¡°It is Italian and cost 720 thousand yen.¡± ¡°Wah! I¡¯m sorry! Just so you know, I could never, ever pay for that!¡± ¡°I know. I think you should stop taking up a standard seat in front of the shop in the cafeteria building.¡± ¡°But I love jam bread. It¡¯s so sad the shop is closed during spring break¡­ Wait, please listen to what I have to say before leaving!¡± This time, she grabbed Sayama¡¯s hand. He sighed, turned toward Ooki, and nodded. ¡°I apologize, but I fear I will catch your poverty. Please keep your Ooki germs away from me.¡± ¡°If you say things like that, I won¡¯t tell you that you have a new roommate!¡± ¡°If you say things like that, it makes me want to inform you of your severe idiocy.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± said Ooki as she thought back on what she had said. Sayama politely removed her hand and asked, ¡°At any rate, what is happening here? I obtained this single-person room thanks to a miracle when I had the wonderful luck of being chosen in the drawing.¡± ¡°I will not ask how you influenced that miracle and wonderful luck¡­ Anyway, that miracle and wonderful luck end today. Just give up now.¡± She pointed at Sayama as she spoke, but he ignored her. She immediately tugged on his hand. ¡°Why are you ignoring me!?¡± ¡°Well, you already told me what I need to know, right? A parasite has arrived,¡± said Sayama. Ooki raised her index finger and lightly clicked her tongue. ¡°Listen. Let me warn you first. ¡­Your new roommate is not used to you yet, so try not to do or say anything inappropriate.¡± ¡°Have you gone completely insane, Ooki-sensei? When have I ever done or said anything inappropriate?¡± ¡°You are doing so right now in real time!¡± ¡°Now, now,¡± said Sayama as he held out his right palm to calm down Ooki. ¡°I understand what you are trying to say, so calm down. You want me to be perfectly polite, correct?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± nodded Ooki before crossing her arms. ¡°That is what I want¡­but with you¡­¡± She groaned and Sayama wordlessly flicked her on the forehead with his right hand. Sayama checked in at the reception desk, changed into his slippers, and climbed the stairs. Baku raised his head from Sayama¡¯s breast pocket and climbed up to his shoulder. Baku must have known they were almost to the bed because he stared straight ahead from Sayama¡¯s shoulder as they rounded the turn of the staircase. Sayama quickly finished climbing the stairs. He moved from the landing to the hallway. His room was the last room on the left. The fluorescent lights lit the hallway more than the setting sun. Sayama could tell the door to his room was sitting open. A few cardboard boxes were sitting at the end of the hallway next to the door. Someone was moving in. ¡°¡­¡± Sayama silently walked forward. He could hear noise within the room. Someone was opening a cardboard box and removing its contents. He could hear someone piling up clothes and stacking books. These noises reminded Sayama of the past. ¡­I made these exact same noises last year. He approached. He peered inside the dorm room through the open door. As soon as he did, a figure took a step out of the room. The figure had a slender and small build. The figure stumbled forward between the boxes but managed to remain standing. ¡°Oh.¡± Inertia caused a baggy shirt and culottes-style shorts to sway. And something else swayed even more than the clothes: the soft black hair tied behind the figure¡¯s head. The figure looked up and widened its eyes slightly. Sayama recognized that face. ¡°¡­Shinjou-kun?¡± he asked. ¡°Ah,¡± said the figure. The voice was identical to Shinjou¡¯s as well. That confused voice left Sayama thinking. ¡­This is the boys¡¯ dorm. But his thoughts did not end there. ¡­If Shinjou suddenly decided she desired a life with me, what would happen? Shinjou belonged to UCAT. This school possessed deep connections with IAI, so it was likely connected to UCAT as well. Sayama already had Izumo and Kazami as examples. He assumed those two were deeply involved in IAI and UCAT beyond what was officially said about them. Also, UCAT had asked him if he would accept the rights to the Leviathan Road. Shinjou¡¯s presence could be a means of leading him to accept. What should I do? What should I do? thought Sayama twice before adding, No, whatever the adults may be hoping to gain from this, the fact remains that Shinjou, a girl, has come here. He recalled what she had said on the bridge in front of the Imperial Palace. She had told him not to be too surprised when he returned to his dorm. ¡­That is impossible. I cannot help but be shocked at this. When Sayama had asked her if she was sending him something, she had nodded and said she felt she had to. How had he responded to that? ¡­I told her I would gladly accept it. I see. Sayama had reached his conclusion. He had already given his answer back then. After coming this far, he did not hesitate or make the issue any more complicated. He had decided everything should continue as she wished. With a serious expression, Sayama nodded toward her. He spread his arms lightly to either side. ¡°Now, leap into my arms.¡± In response, Shinjou bowed with a relieved look. ¡°Thank you for acting just as inappropriately as I heard you would. I am Shinjou Sadame¡¯s younger brother, Setsu.¡± Sayama¡¯s arms were still spread. Shinjou Setsu raised his body while still smiling. But Shinjou then said ¡°Um¡­¡± while lowering the ends of his eyebrows and holding out his right hand. With his arms still held out to the side, Sayama smoothly lowered his hips and rotated his body 90 degrees. He grabbed Shinjou¡¯s right hand with the right hand he still held out to the side. He gave the boy a handshake. That touch told him Shinjou had no ring on his right hand. Sayama stood back up. ¡°¡­Her younger brother?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Shinjou with a less nervous voice and smile than before. ¡°Didn¡¯t my sister tell you? She told me to stay here until your arm healed, Sayama-kun.¡± His voice and tone were identical to Shinjou¡¯s. The feel of his hand was also identical. Sayama mentally tilted his head and let go of the boy¡¯s hand. ¡°How much did your sister tell you about me?¡± ¡°She said you protected her when she was almost hit by a car, but you injured your dominant arm in the process. She is busy with work, so she can¡¯t do anything to help even though she wants to.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Sayama in acknowledgment. ¡­Does he not know about UCAT? ¡°I apologize in advance, but may I check on something?¡± Shinjou tilted his head in confusion. ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t mind. But what is it?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing much.¡± Sayama stood before Shinjou, slowly pulled him closer, and touched the right side of his chest with his right hand. ¡°Eh? Ah¡­Wh-what are you doing?¡± As the boy provided light resistance, Sayama felt only ribs and a thin chest. Shinjou tried to pull away from the left hand lightly wrapped around his back. But Sayama said, ¡°Please do not move. For one, who was it that said he did not mind?¡± ¡°B-but I didn¡¯t think you meant this¡­¡± Shinjou¡¯s shoulders lowered and he stopped trying to draw away. Sayama nodded and slid his hand over to the left side of Shinjou¡¯s chest. He pressed his fingers in as if trying to massage his chest, but the skin beyond the white shirt was thin and hard. It had little flexibility and lacked the shape of Shinjou¡¯s breasts Sayama had seen the night before. ¡­He is male. Sayama¡¯s body sank down slightly. He took his right hand off Shinjou¡¯s chest and a slight moan escaped Shinjou¡¯s lips. As if to rob Shinjou of this opportunity to relax, Sayama grabbed Shinjou¡¯s waist with his right hand. ¡°Ah,¡± said Shinjou as Sayama pressed his right ear against his chest. Sayama heard the slightly quickened beating of Shinjou¡¯s heart. It sounded the same as what he had heard the night before. The slight sweet aroma in the breath was also the same. However, the chest he had his ear pressed up against was not the same as the chest he had seen. It was the flat and hard chest of a guy. Still doubtful, Sayama asked, ¡°Hm¡­ Has your chest always been like this?¡± ¡°W-well, yes¡­¡± Sayama looked up to see a flushed face looking down at him. Shinjou was lightly biting his lower lip and bringing together his eyebrows. Finally, he let out a trembling sigh. ¡°I-is that enough? Are you done? I don¡¯t want you st-staying down there too long.¡± Without replying, Sayama grabbed Shinjou¡¯s arm from where it hung awkwardly in the air and brought it around behind his back. ¡°Eh? Ah¡­ No, Sayama-kun?¡± As Shinjou lightly embraced him, Sayama listened to the boy¡¯s pulse. But nothing changed. The chest still felt like that of a guy. The pulse grew a bit stronger, but that was it. ¡°I see,¡± said Sayama with a nod before raising his head. ¡­She said they are twins, didn¡¯t she? Sayama nodded once more in his heart, stood up, and faced forward. Shinjou stood there with his cheeks red and the ends of his eyebrows lowered. Shinjou let out a breath and Sayama crossed his arms. ¡°Do not worry. There was nothing out of the ordinary.¡± ¡°Y-you were incredibly out of the ordinary, Sayama-kun.¡± ¡°Is that any way to act toward someone you just met?¡± ¡°You should say that into a mirror¡­¡± ¡°No need,¡± declared Sayama. ¡°I was just given a warning by Ooki-sensei downstairs. And I am being careful to heed that warning.¡± ¡°¡­I have to ask. What was this warning?¡± Sayama provided a clear response. ¡°Do not do or say anything inappropriate.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± said Shinjou as he drew back. Nevertheless, Sayama held out his right hand. ¡°It may only be until my left arm heals, but let us get along, Shinjou-kun. It should not be too difficult. Compared to those around me, I am constantly troubled by how normal I am.¡± In the art room at night, Brunhild gave the small bird food while working on her painting. She was adding the green of the forest to the canvas and would provide some food whenever the bird chirped to say it was hungry. She would grab the crushed and threshed corn with narrow tweezers, soak it in water, and hold it out to the bird. If she did not lightly pinch the corn with the tweezers, the bird could not bring it into its mouth. The black cat down at her feet spoke. ¡°You certainly are enthusiastic about this.¡± ¡°I have to do this at least until it goes to sleep.¡± ¡°I think you need to visit the headquarters tonight. What will you do?¡± ¡°It is not time for my periodic report, but yes¡­ It would be best to ask how I should handle this from now on. If it was something simple, I could just have you fly there. But¡­¡± The cat nodded. ¡°Most likely, they have already noticed the Royal Palace faction¡¯s actions. The headquarters will be full of energy trying to decide what to do.¡± ¡°As long as the holy sword Gram is stored below IAI headquarters, there is nothing we can do. ¡­Breaking in to take it is not the type of strategy Venerable Hagen prefers.¡± ¡°The second generation group who know nothing of war like Fafner are oddly motivated, though.¡± The small bird chirped. Brunhild fed it with the tweezers. It swallowed the food and let out a breath. It tilted its head and looked up at Brunhild. She remained expressionless. ¡°¡­It¡¯s so cute.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep that to a whisper, you know.¡± The black cat lowered its shoulders. ¡°But why are you so obsessed with this bird?¡± ¡°I am not obsessed. I think the laws of nature are important, but I also think life is important.¡± ¡°You¡¯re contradicting yourself.¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Brunhild picked up her palette and brush. She brought the brush to somewhere other than the forest. She brought it to the area that had been empty up to this point. She brought it to the spot for the cabin and the people. ¡°Do you want to hear an old story?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°This was long ago when I was still very young.¡± ¡°How many hundreds of years ago was that? No, ah, s-sorry! Ahhh! The bottom of that brush is pointed!!¡± ¡°Shut up. At any rate, a certain person saved a town near our forest back then. A mechanical dragon had gone out of control. When the pilot was joining with it, the rejection reaction was especially strong and he went insane. The town was half destroyed and the mechanical dragon entered the forest to pursue the people who had fled into it.¡± The cat said nothing and only nodded. Brunhild continued speaking as she painted the black base for the cabin. ¡°This person fought despite being injured and won all on his own. I do not know if it was on a whim or what, but he took in an injured bird afterwards. We all took care of it.¡± The black cat looked up at the canvas. A few different people were drawn in charcoal around the cabin Brunhild was painting black. An old man read a book within the cabin and a girl and a woman played with a bird in front of the cabin. And a man could faintly be seen as well. The cat looked at those line drawings before turning toward Brunhild. Lastly, it looked back at the charcoal lines of the flying bird. ¡°So¡­¡± The cat tilted its head. ¡°You want to see those flapping wings once more? Something like that?¡± ¡°No,¡± replied Brunhild with slight laugh. ¡°This is a painting. It is not real. When our world was destroyed, that bird escaped its cage and¡­¡± She took a breath, but did not continue speaking. The silence spreading around her caused the cat to tremble, but Brunhild laughed quietly again. ¡°Ha,¡± she breathed out before speaking in a trembling but smiling voice. ¡°If he had been there, I think the outcome would have been different. He saved that bird despite knowing the world would be destroyed, so why did he not see it through to the end? And even if it was only for a short time, he had been with Lady Gutrune so much¡­ So why?¡± As she asked that question to no one in particular, the black cat¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°Is this person you are talking about who I think it is?¡± ¡°Yes. The sorcerer who arrived from Low-Gear. The man who stole the holy sword Gram from 1st-Gear and destroyed that earth and that sky. And the enemy who killed those who were like family to me before running away.¡± Brunhild spoke his name. ¡°Siegfried Zonburg. ¡­Our greatest foe.¡± Volume 1, 13: Location of the Heavens Volume 1, Chapter 13: Location of the Heavens A gaze looking down from heaven Is actually bound to that high place The pleasure of doing so is a different matter As night began to fall, Sayama joined Izumo and Kazami in the Kinugasa Library. The three of them sat around a table in that library that had a stepped floor leading toward the center. Sayama sat on the eastern side of the table. Izumo and Kazami sat across from him. Siegfried was making black tea at the counter where he supervised the library. Sayama wore suit pants and a shirt and had his bandaged left arm resting on the table. He waited for the black watch on his arm to reach six o¡¯clock before speaking. ¡°Now, can you tell me the whole story about what is going on here, Kazami, Izumo?¡± His sharp gaze was pointed toward Izumo who wore a black track suit over his well-built body. ¡°Ahh, I get the feeling an interrogation is starting here. Am I just imagining things?¡± ¡°What a coincidence, Izumo. I have that same feeling. Let us do our best to get through this together.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not¡­¡± Kazami wore a sleeveless outfit and gave a half-lidded look toward the two boys. ¡°This doesn¡¯t really matter, so let¡¯s keep it serious and cheerful. If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll probably receive divine punishment.¡± ¡°You heard her, Izumo. Let us have a serious and cheerful interrogation.¡± ¡°So basically, it¡¯s interrogation play? I know about that. At night, I¡¯ll go like this with Chisato and¡­¡± As he spoke, Izumo began making a kneading motion with his hands in midair before suddenly disappearing from Sayama¡¯s vision. Immediately afterwards, he heard a great sound of impact to his right. ¡°¡­¡± Sayama looked to the right and found Izumo and his chair rolling below a bookcase. He rolled across the stepped floor once, twice, and thrice before coming to a stop. He lay face down with his limbs sprawled out and did not move. After seeing that, Sayama turned toward Kazami. She was lowering her hand to the table and was still seated. ¡°Hm?¡± she said as she noticed his gaze. She quickly reached her hand under the table and fixed her disheveled clothing. She finally looked over at her partner who was sprawled out on the floor. The ends of her eyebrows lowered, she brought a hand to her mouth, and spoke. ¡°Ahh, looks like the divine punishment really did come¡­ God must have wanted Kaku to prostrate himself.¡± ¡°My eyes were not quick enough to catch it, but is divine punishment limited to the area below the table?¡± ¡°Yes. As they say, ¡®god repays you in ways you cannot see¡¯.¡± ¡°So he endorses assassination¡­ But I did not expect god¡¯s response to be quite so direct.¡± ¡°Well, it is. So what will you do? My god is the type that wants to punch with the left after punching with the right.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Sayama adjusted his tie. ¡°Then I will do as your god says and take this seriously.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t accept this so casually!¡± Izumo stood up and pointed at Kazami. ¡°What if I had been injured!?¡± ¡°But you weren¡¯t¡­ I have to wonder how, though,¡± said Kazami in annoyance. Izumo looked down at his own body and said, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine then.¡± ¡°It is?¡± asked Sayama and Izumo shrugged and nodded before putting his chair back and sitting down. After seeing the two back to normal, Sayama turned toward Izumo. ¡°Why are you so sturdy? I have wondered that for a while now.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s just a bit of divine protection.¡± ¡°Due to that, Kaku never learns his lesson and I catch myself reacting the same way to other people.¡± ¡°Chisato was amazing the other day when a molester touched her ass on the train,¡± said Kaku fondly. ¡°She put the molester on the railing next to the seats like it was a wooden horse and shoved his crotch against the metal pole like this, again and again.¡± ¡°Evil must be destroyed and molesters must die. Never forgive them even if they shout and scream. ¡­That was the slogan for the girls¡¯ dorm last month.¡± Kazami then nodded and loudly clapped her hands. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get started with the serious discussion! To get straight to the point, Kaku and I entered UCAT two years ago. The incident back then completed the Leviathan Road for 10th-Gear and 6th-Gear. My parents are both normal people who have no connection to IAI or UCAT. ¡­What do you think?¡± ¡°I thank you for the quick and simple explanation.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s no point in hiding any of this,¡± said Kazami. Siegfried spoke up from behind the counter. ¡°It is only appropriate that the Izumo family handled those two Gears.¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Sayama with a tilt of the head. With a small smile, Izumo explained, ¡°My grandfather destroyed 6th-Gear and 10th-Gear.¡± He then asked Sayama a question. ¡°This will take a while to discuss. Is your roommate okay? ¡­Do you need to go and strengthen the bonds of friendship?¡± ¡°I will show him around the school later. ¡­He is Shinjou-kun¡¯s brother. Do you know him?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I have¡­heard a bit about him.¡± ¡°He does not know about UCAT. He is taking care of his luggage at the moment, so we should have time.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Then, Chisato, bring out the world map. Let¡¯s get this over with quickly.¡± Kazami brought over a large map meant for a classroom. It was made of cloth and measured a meter square when spread out. As she held onto one end and spread it out, a slight smell of wood scattered from the cloth. A complete map of Japan which had discolored slightly with age lay on the table. Izumo looked across it toward Sayama and opened his mouth to speak without a smile. ¡°It¡¯s actually been a while since I¡¯ve heard anything related to the National Defense Department other than about my grandfather. UCAT stores all of that sort of information in their archive and won¡¯t let in anyone who doesn¡¯t have permission. I did learn that old man Siegfried is a former member of the National Defense Department during the trouble a few years back.¡± Sayama realized Izumo¡¯s gaze was slowly moving up behind him. Sayama turned his head around to find Siegfried standing there with a silver-plated tray. The aroma of tea wafted from the four cups sitting on it. ¡°I would like to open a caf¨¦, but I cannot do so right away.¡± Kazami took the saucer and cup held out to her. ¡°They have tea in Germany, too. I drank quite a bit when I was there on a trip a long time ago.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Izumo frowned as he took his cup. ¡°Wh-when did you become such an international person?¡± ¡°It was before I met you, Kaku. I ended up all over the place thanks to my father¡¯s job during my middle school years. It was my experiences then that taught me how to speak English. ¡­Do you really have to give me that look? Sayama is even more of a threat. If I recall, he knows 12-¡­¡± ¡°I know 13 languages. My grandfather drove it all into me, so you cannot say it was my own ability.¡± Sayama took his cup and looked up at Siegfried. ¡°Although that same grandfather told me nothing about himself or you.¡± ¡°That is unsurprising. I believe Izumo and Kazami only just learned I destroyed 1st-Gear today.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right about that. Anyway, how much will you be helping us?¡± ¡°I tell you the bare minimum of what I remember. And I will correct your knowledge.¡± Kazami gave a short whistle at that. Siegfried frowned when he heard it, but she rid him of the frown with a single embarrassed smile. She lowered her cup and said, ¡°That sounds good to me. The two of us have been with UCAT for about two years, but we haven¡¯t been given much information. And yet Kaku is the heir to IAI. Not to mention that the last time his father came to visit him was-¡­¡± ¡°Chisato.¡± Kazami stopped speaking when her name was called. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said. Izumo nodded and so did Sayama. ¡°He does behave badly,¡± commented Sayama. ¡°Even parents have their own feelings about things.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I should stand up for him or not¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just leave it at that,¡± said Izumo as he placed a hand on the map. ¡°You heard about the Divine States-World Interaction at the Imperial Palace, right? Japan is connected to the world and that condition has continued to this day. After the ten Gears were destroyed and Japan lost World War Two, Japan escaped occupation by slowing the ley line acceleration and taking on the strange phenomena of the world.¡± Izumo looked over at Siegfried. The old man merely nodded. Sayama decided Izumo¡¯s information must be accurate. It would be safe to let him take the role of teacher. ¡°Continue. What I want first is a list of the ten Gears. At the Imperial Palace, you said they influenced the myths, legends, and cultures of this world. And 1st-Gear is¡­¡± ¡°The Volsunga Saga of Norse mythology and the more well-known ¡®The Song of the Nibelungs¡¯. It¡¯s the story of a hero defeating a dragon and then losing his life after being betrayed by his wife and old lover. The name Siegfried even appears as the hero,¡± said Izumo with a nod. He tapped between Japan¡¯s Kinki and Sanin Region on the map. ¡°At any rate, that¡¯s 1st-Gear. You know where 1st-Gear¡¯s Concept Core is, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Half of it is inside the holy sword Gram and kept in UCAT¡¯s western branch underneath IAI headquarters. But the other half is inside Fafnir Custom, the mechanical dragon of a radical faction.¡± Sayama lightly folded his arms. ¡°A mechanical dragon¡­ Have you ever seen one, Izumo?¡± ¡°Once, but it wasn¡¯t Fafnir Custom. Simply put, it¡¯s a dragon-shaped machine. The main body alone is over 30 meters long. I hear there are some amazing ones that can fly.¡± ¡°They were the most powerful standalone weapons of the Concept War,¡± said Siegfried. ¡°As Ooshiro explained, the Fafnir I slew with Gram had only one reactor. Destroying that one killed it. However, the modified version has two reactors and the crucial Concept Core is sealed inside the weaponry reactor at its throat. If it comes to a fight, destroying the weaponry reactor will not be enough.¡± ¡°Fafnir Custom would still be running, so it could crush us?¡± ¡°A mechanical dragon can fight effectively enough with just its gigantic body.¡± Sayama nodded at Siegfried¡¯s explanation. ¡­If I accept the Leviathan Road, will it mean taking on that thing? He grinned bitterly. He recalled what Shinjou Sadame had said that evening: you might die. She might very well have been right, but for the moment, Sayama needed to gather information. He brought a hand to his chin. ¡°Next, I would like to ask about 2nd-Gear.¡± ¡°Oh, 2nd is easy. It¡¯s Japan.¡± Izumo raised his hand and pointed toward the seven Izu Islands on Sayama¡¯s side of the map. ¡°That Gear is thought to be the basis for the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki. Its Concept Core is apparently a fire dragon called Yamata. The people of 2nd-Gear have mostly acclimated to life here. Negotiations with them should be easy.¡± Izumo moved his outstretched arm to the side, pointing toward the Seto Inland Sea. ¡°3rd-Gear is the basis of Greek mythology. I don¡¯t know much about its Concept Core. ¡­It¡¯s been split in half and one half is carried by something called Typhon. And¡­¡± ¡°And? What is it?¡± ¡°Have you seen the large humanoid machines we call Gods of War? You have, right? 3rd-Gear is a world of those and automata. That¡¯s why I think this Typhon must be a God of War. The problem is that we can¡¯t find the other half. Searching for it will probably be left to us. If you accept the Leviathan Road, that is,¡± said Izumo before adding, ¡°Another problem is that we might have to fight those Gods of War.¡± Sayama had seen it the night before in UCAT¡¯s underground hangar. He had seen a metal giant over eight meters tall. ¡­First the mechanical dragons and now this. It¡¯s all so showy. He now further understood why he might die. ¡°What about 4th-Gear?¡± As Sayama asked for further information regardless of the danger, Izumo gave a bitter smile. He pointed toward Kyushu. ¡°Africa. From what I hear, the Concept Core was made into the model of the tree serpent Mukiti and it is in UCAT¡¯s possession. ¡­And 5th-Gear is the Americas.¡± He pointed toward Hokkaido. ¡°I¡¯ve heard 5th-Gear is the Gear of mechanical dragons. Half of the Concept Core was apparently turned into some amazing weapon which is stored in UCAT, but the location of the other half is unknown.¡± ¡°6th-Gear is already taken care of, correct?¡± ¡°Yes. That world is the basis for Indian mythology. That Gear was ruled using a dragon named Vritra. If you see any Indian people in UCAT, you can assume they¡¯re from 6th-Gear.¡± While still smiling, Izumo slowly moved his hand over to point at Tohoku. ¡°I¡¯ve been told 7th-Gear is China, but we don¡¯t know anything about its Concept Core.¡± ¡°This is a lot to investigate¡­¡± ¡°Think of that as part of your duty. Next, 8th-Gear is Australia. That¡¯s Shikoku on the map. Its Concept Core is held by the stone serpent Wanambi, but it is kept in the UCAT western branch below IAI headquarters.¡± ¡°We have a surprising number of them stored to the west.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Kazami as she stood up and pointed at the Chugoku region for Germany, the Seto Inland Sea for Greece, Shikoku for Australia, and Kyushu for Africa. ¡°All of these were focused in the west. It seems they decided it would be useful to have them nearby in case of an emergency. Was that actually the reason, old man Siegfried?¡± ¡°It was, but it also grew difficult to move them afterwards. The remnants of the different Gears would plot to steal each other¡¯s Concept Cores.¡± ¡°So the fighting continued even after the war ended. I suppose that should not surprise me. ¡­Next, what about 9th-Gear?¡± ¡°9th is the Middle East. It has been suggested as the basis for Zoroastrian mythology. It seems they had some gigantic mechanical dragon named Zahhak, but 9th-Gear lost and its Concept Core is stored below UCAT. 10th is last, but it¡¯s already been dealt with.¡± ¡°Tell me anyway.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± said Izumo as he pointed above Kinki. ¡°10th-Gear is thought to be the basis for Norse mythology separate from 1st-Gear. 1st-Gear is less about the legends of the gods and more the basis of the folklore and myths. 10th-Gear is directly the world of the gods.¡± ¡°I see,¡± nodded Sayama. That was the legends of 10 different locations in the world and the corresponding Gears. And¡­ ¡°You may not know about 7th-Gear, but are all the Concept Cores related to dragons?¡± ¡°Yes. And they are also often contained within weapons. In almost every case where the Concept Core has been split in half, one is in a dragon and the other in a weapon.¡± Sayama thought on that. ¡­So it is the dragon and the weapon to defeat it. Power and restraint, wealth and influence, enemy and hero. It was a primitive symbol of that relationship. ¡°So it is called the Leviathan Road because it involves dealing with the dragons of the ten Gears.¡± ¡°And Leviathan also refers to the devil¡¯s dragon in the biblical book of Revelation, right?¡± added Kazami. ¡°I know a bit about it since my father is looking into that kind of thing right now for some event planning. The Leviathan has the appearance of all beasts.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s wanted from us.¡± Izumo folded his arms. ¡°This is just a guess of mine, but I think the Leviathan Road is a negotiation in which we confront the dragons of the ten Gears after acquiring the weapons needed to defeat them.¡± Sayama began to nod at what Izumo had said, but then stopped. There was a lot he still did not know. It was too soon to accept that deduction. ¡­And something bothers me about that explanation of the Gears. He got the feeling Izumo and Kazami¡¯s explanation had contained no conscious errors. They had been clear about what they understood and what they did not. However, Sayama still felt something crucial was missing. But what was the problem? ¡°Hm¡­¡± Sayama crossed his arms and stared at the map of Japan. And then¡­ ¡°?¡± The arms folded in front of his chest felt a small movement in his shirt¡¯s breast pocket. It was Baku. He must have woken up from sleeping in the pocket because he looked up at Sayama. ¡°Wah,¡± said Kazami with a look that plainly said she wanted to touch Baku, but Sayama ignored her. He stroked Baku¡¯s head and told him to stay put. It was as Baku nodded and sank back into the pocket that Sayama realized what it was that had been bothering him. In the dream Baku had given him that morning, he had seen some ruins. He immediately gave voice to his thoughts. ¡°Babel. Izumo, do you know of a tower named Babel?¡± Izumo looked up and exchanged a look with Kazami. ¡°Now that¡¯s a surprise. We don¡¯t know anything about it besides the name. How do you know about it?¡± ¡°Baku here gave me a dream with a giant tower in it. Where is it on this map?¡± Izumo and Kazami exchanged another glance at that question. From the way the ends of their eyebrows moved slightly, Sayama could guess the answer. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°No. Since it¡¯s called Babel, we know it¡¯s most likely located in Japan¡¯s version of the Middle East near Osaka. And¡­Babel must be related to Low-Gear¡¯s biblical mythology.¡± ¡°You sound very certain for saying you don¡¯t know,¡± said Sayama. ¡°Are you saying this is a mythology of Low-Gear that has no influence from the other Gears?¡± ¡°Yes. Biblical mythology is thought to be a Low-Gear original.¡± Izumo smiled bitterly and pointed toward the bookshelf behind him. It contained Kinugasa Tenkyou¡¯s books that Sayama had looked at that morning. ¡°Do you remember the books you looked at this morning? The 11 books on mythology. Volumes one through ten correspond to the lineup of Gears we told you about. And do you know what the eleventh volume is about?¡± ¡°¡­The bible?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Japan possesses the appearance of the world¡¯s ley lines. I don¡¯t know if Babel in Japan influences the Middle East or if the Middle East influences the Osaka region, but that tower definitely exists.¡± ¡°Do you really not know any details concerning Babel?¡± ¡°We tried to look into it, but the information has been completely shut down. Of course, that almost tells you it exists right there. We have no idea why it is being kept secret when it is related to our Gear,¡± explained Kazami with a shrug. Sayama gave a bitter smile. I see, he said in his heart. These two have seen the mysteries in their situation and have investigated some of them over the past two years. Something else seemed to click in place in his head. ¡°Is that why UCAT uses some terms related to the bible? Like saying ¡®testament¡¯ for ¡®understood¡¯. Testament can also refer to the bible.¡± ¡°Yes. There are a total of 11 different Gears: Low-Gear with the bible and the other ten that act as models for different mythologies. Your grandfather and the others from the National Defense Department destroyed all of the others.¡± ¡°But this is referred to as Low-Gear. Why does it have such a humble name?¡± Siegfried nodded in response. ¡°The other Gears referred to each other by numbers based on the order of their worlds¡¯ string vibration frequencies. Those codenames were created as the Concept War continued. And so we came up with our own. American UCAT suggested naming ourselves Law-Gear because we fought for victory and justice. But¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°Professor Tenkyou misspelled it when making the announcement. We have been Low-Gear ever since.¡± ¡°Am I supposed to laugh at that?¡± said Sayama with a sigh. He then took in a breath before asking, ¡°At any rate, which of these Gears did my grandfather destroy?¡± Siegfried said nothing, but he cast his eyes down. Seeing that brought a pain to Sayama¡¯s chest. He frowned and sucked in a breath. Izumo must have noticed this change because he frowned. Kazami spoke from beside him. ¡°Sayama? Are you-¡­?¡± The two of them were aware of his illness. That was why Kazami stood up from her chair and began to approach him. At the same moment, the entrance to Kinugasa Library opened behind him. ¡°Um, is Sayama-kun here?¡± asked a high-pitched voice. ¡°¡­¡± Sayama raised his lowered head and turned toward the library entrance beyond Siegfried. Shinjou Setsu stood there in personal clothes. Shinjou¡¯s hair was worn up and it swayed as he looked toward Sayama. His eyes were wide as he looked through the library and they narrowed once he spotted Sayama. ¡°Are you done with your work?¡± Sayama nodded and realized a certain fact. ¡­My chest pain is gone? He did not know why. However, it was clear that Shinjou¡¯s presence had played a role. Sayama smiled bitterly in his heart as he wondered why. He stood up and looked over at Izumo and Kazami. A smile appeared on Kazami¡¯s lips. ¡°Go on. I hope you can take good care of your first roommate.¡± Sayama listened to Kazami¡¯s words and nodded. He walked over toward Shinjou who was tilting his head with a smile. In the unlit art room, Brunhild stopped her hand that was moving the brush. Her wristwatch told her it was 7:30 PM. ¡°I have been focusing on this for quite a while.¡± She looked to the side. The small bird was sleeping in the cardboard box placed on the work desk. The dish cloth inside the box was crumpled such that a depression existed in the middle like a nest. The bird stood on the brush placed there in place of a perch. Its eyes were cast down in sleep. As Brunhild watched the bird, she swung a leg. This produced a voice at her feet. ¡°Ow. What is it? I had just gotten to sleep.¡± She heard the black cat¡¯s footsteps on the floor. Looking down, she saw its slender body standing up and looking up at her. Brunhild pressed her index finger against her mouth. ¡°Are you trying to pick your nose?¡± asked the cat. She gently kicked the cat through the air. The cat turned its back to her, rolled over, and began complaining, but Brunhild ignored it. She stood up and checked the food and water in the box. She soaked a few pieces of food in the water and left them for the bird. She then crouched down, grabbed the back of the cat¡¯s neck, and picked it up. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go to the headquarters.¡± ¡°Ah? What about the bird? Is it okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s sleeping, so this is our chance.¡± Brunhild lowered the black cat to the floor and walked toward the lockers. They were the lockers for the art club located in the back of the room. As she walked, she loosened her uniform¡¯s tie and removed her coat. She draped the coat over her arm as she arrived in front of one of the lockers. She touched the door and it opened. ¡°Sorry, Requiem Sense. The time to use you has not yet arrived.¡± The giant scythe folded up in the locker called orbs of light into the surrounding area. As she watched that pale firefly-colored light, Brunhild grabbed some folded up cloth from the bottom of the locker. As she lifted it up and spread it out with one hand, the black cat spoke its name. ¡°The black clothes of the witch.¡± Hanging down from her hand were a black dress and a black three-cornered hat. As Brunhild drew the black clothes toward her, she tossed her coat into the locker. Her empty hand ran through practiced motions. Her uniform¡¯s skirt fell from her waist and to the floor, she unbuttoned her shirt, and she slid her body out of it. Partway through, her hand got caught on the right cuff of the shirt, but she bit the button to remove it. She was now wearing only black underwear and stockings. She then lightly waved the black clothes again to spread them out. These black clothes had no stitches along the collar or chest. She sucked in a breath to make her body as slender as possible and slipped the hem of the skirt down her body. She breathed out and the three-dimensional form created by the darts below the chest and the tucks at the waist fit perfectly to the shape of her body with no need for a belt. Brunhild pulled a pendant with a blue stone embedded in it from the dress¡¯s breast pocket and placed it around her neck. She lifted the three-cornered hat up in both hands and placed it on her head. ¡°Finished.¡± Without even checking in a mirror, Brunhild began to move. She grabbed the shirt and skirt at her feet and threw them into the locker without bothering to fold them. ¡°Ah.¡± The shirt got caught on Requiem Sense, so she frantically removed it. She blushed and looked down. The black cat looking up at her quickly shook its head. ¡°I-I wasn¡¯t thinking anything! I wasn¡¯t laughing! I wasn¡¯t thinking ¡®you fool¡¯ or ¡®you ape¡¯!¡± ¡°Fine then,¡± she said quietly. She shut the locker and the pale light floating around the area disappeared. She glanced around to make sure no light remained. Afterwards, Brunhild looked over at the cleaning supplies locker three to the left. She walked over, opened the wooden door, and pulled out a broom. It was a meter and a half long and meant to be used in both hands. The brush portion had a plastic cover with a floral pattern. Brunhild spun it around in one hand to ensure the bristles had not come loose from the shaft. ¡°I hope this will be okay. During the major cleaning, a first year was pretending to play heavy metal on this.¡± ¡°And who was it that knocked him out by suddenly chopping him in the medulla oblongata with her hand?¡± ¡°I-I just panicked a little. I couldn¡¯t think of any other way.¡± ¡°Your form was excellent for it being a split-second idea.¡± ¡°Shut up. Anyway, we need to hurry there and hurry back.¡± Brunhild began walking and the cat sighed before following. She unlocked the art room door and stepped out into the hallway. She then walked to the staircase. Their destination was the rooftop. Once they reached the rooftop, the wind and moon showed themselves. Brunhild looked up at the bluish-white glowing moon and frowned. ¡°This makes it more difficult. I¡¯ll be seen if I fly.¡± She looked down at herself to find her black clothing reflecting the moonlight, coloring her a bit blue. The shadows of the broom and three-cornered hat on the rooftop were bluish black as well. After puffing air out of her nose, Brunhild pulled a small pouch out of her vest pocket. It was leather and rectangular. The folded upper corner was the only portion made to open. The black cat¡¯s tail stuck up and trembled when it saw the pouch. ¡°I¡¯m afraid of your driving enough already¡­ Are you really using that too?¡± ¡°Come on. If I took off with my own power, the noise and light would give me away.¡± ¡°Low-Gear really is inconvenient¡­¡± said the cat as it hung its head down. ¡°Yes,¡± was the only response she gave before opening the pouch and tilting it downwards. Sand spilled out. Brunhild began to walk. She moved toward the western edge of the rooftop. She held the broom in her left hand and lightly shook the pouch of sand in her right hand. Suddenly, she began to hum. She hummed the melody line of the hymn Silent Night. The sand that glowed white in the moonlight fell to the rooftop amid the wind and seemed to mix together with the music in her breaths. Despite the blowing wind, the sand fell straight down without scattering. The path Brunhild walked along and the way she moved her hand drew out a single pattern. This pattern was a written character. This single 1st-Gear character measured a meter square. From the center of the roof to the western edge, she lined up 40 of the same character and then lined up 20 of a different character. After she had finished writing the 60 characters, Brunhild lightly shook the pouch next to her ear. She nodded in satisfaction at how much was left and put the pouch away in her pocket. She then returned to the black cat who had not moved. She stood atop the first character and faced the western sky. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go.¡± Brunhild pulled a single blue stone from her pocket. The stone had a thin chain attached to the front. She wrapped that chain around the middle of the broom. She placed the broom¡¯s brush on the ground and placed her right foot atop the joint between handle and brush. She moved the right hand holding the handle forward. This created a reverse triangle between the broom and her own body. She carelessly grabbed the neck of the black cat at her feet and tossed it onto the front of the broom. ¡°Not the froooooonnnnnnt!¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± said Brunhild as she took a light step with the left foot that was still on the floor. The first character was located there. In the instant the sound of her step rang out, a change came over all 60 characters. The change came in the form of pale light and movement. The sand of the first 40 characters gave off a slight blue light and the sand of the 20 characters after them gave off an orange light. The sheet of all 60 characters began to move with the 20 characters in the lead. Starting below Brunhild¡¯s feet, the 60 meter long sheet created from the 60 characters created a shallow slope leading up into the sky. After approximately 30 seconds, a slope of characters had been created with the very end raised by three meters. This shallow slope could not be seen without ascending to the roof of one of the other school buildings. A wind blew in from the east as if to wash across the backs of the characters. Brunhild then stepped on the character on the floor beneath her feet once more. It all happened in an instant. The character beneath her feet produced a wind. This wind did not blow; it pushed. ¡°!¡± A wind that had the mass of a wall pushed at her feet and her back. It started her, the broom, and the cat along the slope. She picked up speed. Brunhild first felt the thickness of the atmosphere. She then felt the speed. As her body sank down on the broom, she could see the scenery ahead and the line of characters shooting by at high speed below her feet. Once she passed a character, it would lose its light, return to being sand, and scatter across the floor. In the period of time known as an instant, the first 40 characters scattered. When Brunhild reached the remaining 20 orange characters, her body began to float. She began to accelerate further in a straight line. The wind pushing her from behind began also pushing diagonally at her back and from below her butt. When Brunhild saw the end of the slope and the starry western sky beyond, she lowered her body on the broom even further. She clung to the broom with her entire body. Before she could even take a breath, all of the characters on the floor scattered and Brunhild shot into the sky. A roaring noise struck her body. ¡°!¡± She was in empty air. Nothing was supporting her body. For an instant, that was all she could comprehend. Her five senses were disappearing after being struck by inertia. However, all of her senses returned soon thereafter. She felt the cold nighttime wind tickling from the front of her neck to the back. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± When her slightly darkened vision recovered, she noticed a line of private homes running along below her. The broom moved at high speed and it was falling as if scraping away at her gut. Brunhild was clinging to the broom¡¯s handle with her entire body and the broom was shaking violently to the left and right with no sign of settling down. Brunhild raised her head. She checked to make sure a pale bluish-white light was coming from within the floral pattern cover over the broom¡¯s brush. She then released the cat from where she had been pressing it to the handle with her left hand. As she flew through the wind, the sea of light flowing by below her was approaching. It only took her an instant to decide what to do. She needed to rise. And to do that¡­ ¡°Continue in flight form.¡± Brunhild squeezed the stone wrapped around the broom and used a leg to push the brush toward the ground. By the principle of leverage, the end of the broom pointed toward the sky. That was the start. As if in response, the floral pattern cover over the brush began producing its own driving force. The brush portion emitted light downwards toward the ground. Light shot from the left, right, and top of the tip of the handle. That light transformed into small fixed-position wings that looked like bird wings. With thrust, wings, and an upward orientation, the broom would be sent up into the sky. The night scenery flying by below was continuing to approach, but Brunhild ignored that visible cityscape. ¡°Here we go!!¡± The light coming from the bottom of the broom suddenly exploded. A solid sound burst out. The tip of the broom produced a ring of steam and it was given permission to accelerate up into the sky. With a roar similar to artillery fire, it shot straight up toward the heavens. Brunhild flew. By the time she felt the recoil, she was already much higher in the sky. The broom continued to rise. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Brunhild silently observed the sea of light spreading out below her. That was Tokyo. But Brunhild let a bitter laugh out into the wind and looked up toward the heavens. She looked into the starry western sky. The moon was not visible that high in the sky. She squeezed the stone in her right hand and accelerated further. She put all of her speed into ascending and moving to the west. She flew. She rose up into the night sky. Every feeling in her body urged her to curve through the sky and continue west. The feeling of being thrown out into the sky brought joy to Brunhild. And so she added even more speed. The cat was shouting something, but it fell silent when she replied with a smile. She moved onward and upward. As she shot by just below the clouds, she refused to let up or stop her speed until she reached her desired altitude. Volume 1, Afterword Volume 1, Afterword Sorry, I only just finished proofreading, so I¡¯m a little excited. For those who are here for the first time: welcome. For those military commanders who are saying ¡°First time? More like my second or third time. Mwa ha ha!¡±: go sit down over there and stick out your head. For everyone else: Nothing has changed here. Welcome back. When you get down to it, I¡¯ve been writing the City series for the entire six years since I won the Dengeki Game Novel Prize, but now I have my first new series (does that make any sense?). This time, I suppose you could call it a fairy tale taking place in modern times. Some of the geographic issues and a few of the phenomena are completely fictional, so please be understanding. Anyway, I have the plot complete up to the very end, so I hope it will live up to your expectations as much as possible. Of course, hoping is easy, so I can hope for anything I want (ha ha). Please continue reading the coming books as well. Anyway, 2005 is 60 years after World War Two. I first thought up this story during the 80s and I initially thought of it as the story of two generations: a parent and child. However, this really isn¡¯t the era for that kind of story¡­ I looked into a lot of things and found out my grandfather on my mother¡¯s side worked building battleships at Nittetsu¡¯s Akashi factory which was almost hit in an air-raid. Whenever you come across stories like that it makes history feel so close by. At any rate, I had a bit of a chat with a friend while looking into that kind of thing. ¡°Hey, so what did you think of my new series?¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s see¡­ I thought there was a rule saying your heroines had to be blonde with huge breasts.¡± ¡°What kind of rule is that, you Titty Prefecture resident? And is that really your first comment?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s always been that way. Just take a look at your criminal record. Out of 15 novels, the blonde rate was 11/15 and the obviously huge breast rate was 4/15. That¡¯s a total batting average of 5.00. Not even major leaguers are that high.¡± ¡°Your Honor! I believe there is sophistry in that calculation! May I call him a rotten bastard!?¡± ¡°Quiet down. I am justice. Too bad for you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever been told ¡®too bad¡¯ by justice¡­¡± ¡°Bear with it. Anyway, you went with a black-haired heroine this time, hm? It looks like the accused is showing remorse for his past deeds. As such, I judge you innocent and sentence you to death.¡± ¡°You¡¯re horrible. And are we really going with this from the very first afterword of the new series?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. More importantly, how have you been lately? Have you been chasing after any cats?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m not ¡®I¡¯, so I don¡¯t chase after them. A black cat comes and goes from the yard of a half-deserted house in my neighborhood. It seems to be someone¡¯s pet, but I recently learned that there are two of them. When I approach, one rolls over to show me its belly and the other hisses at me. It¡¯s an obvious example of seduction versus anger.¡± ¡°Sounds like twin sisters from some sort of game. The standard method is to have the hissing girl not actually hate you either.¡± ¡°For not actually hating me, the look in that cat¡¯s eyes sure was serious.¡± ¡°Do your best. If you can shout ¡®It doesn¡¯t hurt! It doesn¡¯t hurt!¡¯ while it bites you, any animal will grow attached to you.¡± ¡°Did you mix a lot of jokes into that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Anyway, according to the Divine States-World Interaction Theory, the area around my family home is Morocco.¡± ¡°Oh, what¡¯s wrong with Morocco? Don¡¯t worry about being in Morocco. From now on, I¡¯ll call you Morocco. And how about I add ¡®detective¡¯ to that? Hm? What do you think, Detective Morocco? I can call you Moroc for short.¡± ¡°You will definitely die in some horrible way.¡± I would say the same about him, but what do you think? Well, it should be something like this every time, so you can look forward to that. I just finished proofreading while listening to the background music I used while writing this novel. Namely, Jinnouchi Taizou¡¯s ¡°Boku wa Nanika wo Ushinaisou da¡±. (I cry every time I hear it.) ¡°Who exactly will begin it?¡± It gives me that sort of thought once more. At any rate, Part B will be out before long. Just wait a bit longer. March 2003. An early morning of allergies. -Kawakami Minoru Volume 2, 14: Proof of Determination Volume 2, Chapter 14: Proof of Determination Wondering what you are being shown Might very well be The same as wanting to see something Brunhild began to glide after approximately half an hour of flying at full speed. She watched the scenery shooting by at high speed. The area down below had been dark for a bit, but it had once more grown bright. She could see the lights of a city below and a bay gouged out a section to the southwest. ¡°Kobe, Osaka, and Sakai.¡± Brunhild muttered the names of the cities visible below and used her right fingertips to lightly tap the blue philosopher¡¯s stone used to pilot the broom. As her speed decreased, she checked to make sure a single vertical stability wing had emerged from the bottom of the broom. She lifted her body up now that she was in the windbreak area. Her toes were still on the brush, so her position was similar to being seated seiza-style. The light coming from the brush had returned to being bluish-white, so Brunhild lightly tapped the stone to bring the light outside of the visible spectrum. ¡°Doing this at low speed has terrible fuel efficiency.¡± She sighed, wiped frost from the end of her three-cornered hat, and looked back down. The light below her was dwindling once more. The darkness of a mountainous area was filling the area below. As she stared down at the earth, she spoke to the cat clinging to the tip of the handle. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s the forest.¡± She waited for five seconds, but received no response. She tilted her head and looked forward. The cat was clinging to the broom handle with its entire body. And that was all it was doing. For some reason, the cat¡¯s body was glittering slightly in the moonlight. ¡°?¡± Brunhild looked closer to find the cat¡¯s entire body was covered by frost. That frost was reflecting the moonlight. ¡°How pretty,¡± she muttered just before the cat came loose from the handle. It lost its balance and fell down. After watching for a moment, Brunhild let out an ¡°ah¡± and stretched out an arm. She grabbed the cat¡¯s tail and pulled it back up. She held the black cat in front of her face. Its eyes were opened wide and staring straight forward and both ends of its mouth were frozen in place while raised up as far as they would go. Brunhild frowned and shook the cat up and down. ¡°What are you doing? That¡¯s dangerous.¡± Finally, the cat gave a start. ¡°Wah!¡± it shouted and shook its legs. ¡°I-I-I-I¡¯m gonna die! You¡¯re killing me!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You make this sound so dangerous. Did you have a bad dream again?¡± ¡°Y-y-y-y-yes yes yes! I had a dream I was thrown into the air and frozen! ¡­That was a dream, right?¡± ¡°Of course it was. But how very odd. You fell asleep with history¡¯s most amusing expression.¡± Brunhild held the cat in one arm. ¡°Well, even if you had a scary dream, don¡¯t worry. I am here.¡± ¡°Can I really trust you?¡± ¡°Did you say something?¡± ¡°No, nothing,¡± came the response within her arm. At that point, the land down below became fully covered in darkness. Brunhild tilted the broom slightly down and to the right. She turned toward the depths of the mountain. Slowly but surely, their altitude lowered. But with the dark mountains below and the night sky above, it was hard to tell they were descending. Brunhild checked the nightscape of Osaka behind her to check the horizon. She descended. The darkness below gradually gained visual features. The bare mountain surface and shapes of trees grew visible in the moonlight. ¡°Almost there,¡± she muttered while focusing on the forest floating up in the moonlight. Brunhild could see a line of rectangular manmade objects. They were buildings. This line of unlit buildings in the mountain forest created a village. The black cat held at her chest spoke. ¡°There¡¯s never anyone there. It really is a ghost town.¡± ¡°¡­Having ruined areas in your Gear is the height of luxury.¡± ¡°The people who lived in this village and the people who live in that giant city over there know nothing about the destruction of our Gear. If they knew, they might show some regret.¡± The abandoned village flowed slowly by below them. As she watched it, Brunhild said, ¡°But why didn¡¯t UCAT tell anyone about the Concept War?¡± ¡°They probably wanted to play the role of heroes. They wanted to secretly finish things without bringing confusion to their world¡­ That was the complete opposite of 1st-Gear¡¯s king. The king did everything he could to protect 1st-Gear. He deployed the mechanical dragons for defense and split the Concept Core in two.¡± ¡°And Siegfried took advantage of that. The royal palace was destroyed and the chain of command fell apart. Doctor Regin joined with mechanical dragon Fafnir and tried to protect the half of 1st-Gear¡¯s concepts that were held inside, but Siegfried stole the holy sword Gram Doctor Regin had created and¡­¡± She took a breath. ¡°If Doctor Regin¡¯s Fafnir had been Venerable Hagen¡¯s Fafnir Custom, it might have turned out differently.¡± ¡°How? What¡¯s different about the modified version?¡± ¡°Oh, wait a second. I can see the headquarters.¡± Two large buildings were visible a short distance from the abandoned village. It was a school. The two buildings were the school building and a gym. Brunhild descended toward the gym. ¡°The modified version is a mechanical dragon strengthened for defense. It has two reactors: one for movement and one for its weaponry. The old Fafnir that Venerable Regin joined with had only one reactor, so it had to die when the holy sword Gram was used to destroy the reactor where half of the Concept Core was stored.¡± ¡°On the other hand, Venerable Hagen¡¯s Fafnir Custom is¡­?¡± ¡°It has the remaining half of the Concept Core sealed in the weaponry reactor. That power is the grudge of 1st-Gear itself. Even if it is lost, either the remaining movement reactor will be used to crush the enemy or it will be annihilated.¡± Brunhild felt the cat tremble. ¡°Are you afraid? Do not worry. Venerable Hagen will not be defeated.¡± ¡°Um, no. That isn¡¯t it. Being cooled down like this makes me need to use the bathroo-¡­Wait, stop hanging me down like this! Ahh, wetting myself is so humiliating!¡± Kazami and Izumo were performing treasury work in the Kinugasa Library at night. ¡°This may be spring break, but we¡¯ve been doing a lot of work since taking over from last term. ¡­Oh, Kaku. You don¡¯t have to be so focused on pasting those receipts that you end up looking like a robot. You actually have a serious look in your eyes.¡± ¡°Oh, how should I put it? I¡¯ve gotten hooked on the smell of glue. ¡­I guess you could say it¡¯s a habit?¡± Kazami ignored him. She diligently divided the account book in her hands between debit and credit. But she suddenly looked up. Izumo noticed from where he sat next to her. ¡°What is it? Is something odd about-¡­ gah!! Y-you idiot! I didn¡¯t even say anything yet!¡± Kazami ignored Izumo¡¯s protests and pulled back the hand she had sent to the left in a slap. Siegfried looked over from the counter, but she waved back to say it was nothing. She then stood up. ¡°¡­A sound? How odd,¡± she muttered before walking over to the western edge of the Kinugasa Library. A supply room was located there. She passed through the narrow entrance into a small space where piles of books and large rolled up maps were kept. ¡°What is it?¡± called Siegfried across the four classrooms¡¯ length distance between the counter and the supply room. Kazami turned back and looked across the entire length of the Kinugasa Library. She spoke loud enough to reach from the entrance of the supply room. ¡°Have you heard a bird chirping for a while now?¡± ¡°The wall over there must resonate because you can hear noises from the upper floors. The art room on the third floor and the music room on the second floor come in separately.¡± ¡°But why a bird? Am I hearing it wrong?¡± Just as she asked, Kazami looked up in realization. She had heard it once more. ¡°Hm. I believe Brunhild Schild, the head of the art club, is raising one. She is the only one using the art room during spring break.¡± ¡°You know a lot about this,¡± commented Izumo. Siegfried nodded once and replied, ¡°She seems to dislike me.¡± He spoke so naturally that Kazami could not think of anything to say in response. She walked back toward the table. As Izumo listened to her footsteps, he asked a question to smooth things over. ¡°Come to think of it.¡± He chose his words cautiously. ¡°How powerful is 1st-Gear really? The remaining remnant is the City faction, right? How much power do they have?¡± He turned his question toward Siegfried. The man looked over from behind the counter. ¡°We had a conflict today, remember?¡± ¡°Yeah. How powerful are they compared to that?¡± ¡°Today¡¯s battle was mere child¡¯s play. 1st-Gear¡¯s true power is not magic created from words. It is pure violence supported by words.¡± Brunhild descended toward a schoolyard that had puddles remaining. Dry leaves were scattered across the schoolyard and neither the school building nor the gym had any glass left. It was an abandoned school. Brunhild lowered in front of the gym while spreading wind around her. At five meters from the ground, she began the landing preparations. In her right hand, she held a blue stone and the broom handle. She slowly loosened the grip of her right hand while moving the brush portion down. She gradually stood the broom up vertically. Once the wind blowing from the brush swept across the ground directly below, the black cat jumped down as if peeling itself from the handle. Next, Brunhild placed her feet on the ground and completely stopped the broom¡¯s output. She let out a breath. She removed the blue stone wrapped around the broom with a chain, tapped the handle, and muttered, ¡°Excellent work.¡± Afterwards, they both stretched their stiff bodies at about the same moment. ¡°Ahh¡­ Standing on the ground is definitely best.¡± ¡°I just heard the most selfish comment in the world¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m in a good mood, so I will ignore that,¡± said Brunhild with a smile before walking toward the gym. The door to the gym was tilted out of place. The inside could be glimpsed through it. The floor had rotted, the boarding had been torn up, and large holes existed here and there. Of the basketball goals prepared for the two courts, one was hanging down at an angle and two had fallen to the floor. Brunhild walked inside this abandoned gym through the main entrance. Once she did, faint light gathered around the blue stone at the center of the pendant around her neck. She heard a voice. This was the Concept Text created from the Concept Core within the mechanical dragon. It supported the worldview of 1st-Gear. ¡ªWords have the ability to provide power. At the same moment, the words carved into the pendant were given light. The cat at her feet was also surrounded by blue light for an instant. And then the world changed. When Brunhild looked forward once more, she saw a fortress. The floor and stage within the gym had been removed and replaced with a wooden-floored hangar. Several shelves were lined up and filled with combat brooms, rifles, spears, and other weapons. The shelves also contained organized arrangements of backpacks and other equipment for heading out. The center of the hangar contained a large wooden lift leading underground. Next to it was a single hole containing a slope leading underground as well. Brunhild walked toward the downward slope and greeted the giant soldiers patrolling around the hangar. ¡°I have not been by in a while, but are things okay here? You haven¡¯t been found, have you?¡± ¡°Everything is fine,¡± replied an old giant as he gave a light wave and turned around. Brunhild waved back and continued toward the slope. A glance at the lift next to the slope showed that the surface had the word for steel carved into its surface. However, that word had large scratches running through it. Giant claws had left those scratches. Brunhild looked down at the black cat. ¡°Venerable Hagen loves the moonlight, so he comes out whenever he can,¡± she said with a sigh. She then continued down the slope while looking at those scratches. The inside of the slope was lit by the word for light written on the ceiling. The word for nonslip covered the floor, so she had no problem keeping her footing. She reached a landing partway and continued down. The slope came to an end at the door that had originally been used as the school building¡¯s main entrance. The large door had a large piece of glass inside and ¡°sturdy¡± was written on the surface. This prevented the inside from being seen despite the glass being transparent. Brunhild pushed on the door. A large space had been created underground. The area was fifty meters square and it was shielded by square lumber and wooden flooring. The ceiling which emitted pale crimson light was seven or eight meters high. The bulkhead door in the center of the ceiling was opened to raise the lift on the floor. Currently, a number of figures were gathered in front of the lift platform. It was a gathering of people and other beings. The figures were split down the middle with approximately fifty on either side. A few were standing, a few were facing each other, and they were exchanging words. The words held enough force to call them shouts. The left side contained mostly youths with excellent physiques while the right contained mostly older people with slender bodies. The voices reverberating through the underground area reached Brunhild as mere noise. The black cat at her feet asked, ¡°The representatives of the radicals and the conservatives are at it again.¡± ¡°How depressing. If I worked here, I would probably be shouting over there with you at my side.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a cat you took in after leaving here. If you were here, I would not be with you.¡± ¡°I suppose so,¡± said Brunhild as she glanced to the side of the entrance. A shelf was located there with a few personal brooms on it. Brunhild frowned as she looked at the brooms lined up there. ¡°Kids these days forget all about tradition and go straight for the strange nose art. And what is this six-tone horn?¡± ¡°Our broom has a floral pattern cover, you know?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call it a cover. It¡¯s a vector nozzle.¡± Brunhild then placed her broom next to the others. Behind her, an especially loud voice came from the gathered people. The black cat turned its ear toward the voice. ¡°That¡¯s Fafner.¡± ¡°He certainly has energy. He was about to die when he arrived here after leaving the peaceful faction, though.¡± ¡°Well, the concept environment of Low-Gear is not suited for his race at all.¡± ¡°What a pain,¡± said Brunhild as she turned around. A strange figure could be seen on the left side of the gathering. That figure was almost two meters tall and was covered in a black shell. He had a sharply angled face, three horns, and long blond hair. Instead of clothes put on over the head like Brunhild¡¯s, he wore an open-backed jacket and shirt that were affixed to the shoulders. The reason for this was¡­ ¡°The wings on his back are raised¡­ Is he trying to intimidate them?¡± The silhouettes that looked like arms covered in a shell were two wings. They were both black and stretched toward the ceiling in a V-shape. As Brunhild watched on, Fafner glanced across his opponents and shouted. ¡°What is it that we need!?¡± Fafner spread his shell-covered arms as he spoke. He swung his long lower arms. ¡°What we need is to take back the world of 1st-Gear that we lost! We must take back Gram from UCAT and make the Concept Core ours. By releasing it and having it oppose the negative concepts of Low-Gear, we can turn this world into 1st-Gear!¡± In response, a single youth stood up on the opposite side. He swung up a hand. ¡°No! What we need are rights here in Low-Gear. After retrieving Gram from UCAT, we must use it to merge with the peaceful faction! Afterwards, we can manage the release of 1st-Gear¡¯s concepts and use that to our advantage in negotiations!¡± The youth continued. ¡°Fafner, we have not gathered here to fight. Our ultimate objective is the acquisition of Gram and a social position more than equal to Low-Gear¡¯s. We do not wish for anything more than that, and even if we must fight to gain that, we do not wish to head down that path before it is necessary. Your ideas are nothing more than a reverse invasion!¡± As the youth¡¯s words reverberated throughout the underground space, the figures sitting next to him all nodded slightly. As Fafner watched those many movements of agreement, he tilted his head in confusion. ¡°A reverse invasion? No. Call it recovering lost territory. The land protected by our ancestors was destroyed. Isn¡¯t it only natural to fight for land to take in its place?¡± ¡°Low-Gear will never allow that! If they allowed us to recover our lost territory, they would be forced to accept the identical demands of the other Gears. Do you really think Low-Gear will allow that to happen?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we fight. Do you really not get it?¡± asked Fafner. He lightly bent both arms as if scooping up those seated next to him and clenched the large fingers at the end of those arms. The crimson light pouring down from the ceiling cast the motions of his fingers on the floor in the form of shadows. ¡°Listen. Low-Gear is acting as if the Concept War never happened. They have sealed off all information on it and any actions taken in retribution or attempts to release the information are suppressed by UCAT, the militaries of various countries, or those countries¡¯ governments. ¡­Let me ask you one question: where exactly are we in this Gear?¡± He pointed toward his feet. ¡°We are currently in the shadows of this Gear. It was the same in the UCAT reservation. We are shoved into small pieces of land. The sky is closed in low over our heads and we cannot interact with the outside world.¡± ¡°Is that not why we are attempting to win this battle and gain the right to freedom in this Gear?¡± ¡°¡­Freedom? If this world is not filled with the same concepts as 1st-Gear, I and some of the other races cannot even breathe properly. Our cardiopulmonary abilities are not supported by this Gear¡¯s concepts. When you speak of freedom, are you including true freedom for all of us?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Your race is similar to the humans here in Low-Gear. Your body can function under the concepts of this Gear and you can mix into their society. As long as you are able to touch water for half the day. ¡­Tree spirit, you can never understand our pain. Or the pain of always fighting on the front lines.¡± Fafner ignored how his opponent clenched his back teeth. He instead looked over at the entrance to the large hall. A figure was circling around them, heading further in. It was a girl in black clothing followed by a black cat. Fafner called out to her. ¡°Are you heading further in? Lord Hagen is asleep.¡± ¡°I am sure your voice woke him up.¡± ¡°Hah! I hope it did! Anyway, how are things going on your end, Nein?¡± The name he gave caused the girl to stop. This was no natural action. She stopped as if stabbing her foot into the ground. Fafner folded his arms when he heard that footstep ring out. The girl glanced over at him. ¡°¡­Only Venerable Hagen may call me by that name. Are you attempting to infringe on his authority?¡± ¡°My apologies, Brunhild. I thought you were fighting to regain that name you lost,¡± said Fafner with a hint of amusement in his voice. ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to monitor Siegfried and assassinate him if you had an opening? It has been three years of nothing but periodic reports. I sincerely hope you are not simply talking your way out of this. After all, when you were young, you and Siegfried-¡­¡± Fafner stopped speaking because of a loud shout from the ground at the girl¡¯s feet. ¡°Stop!¡± The shout had come from the black cat following her. It brought its claws out on the floor and rose up offensively. ¡°We are doing our job, Fafner! And what about this discussion of yours today? You are having a meeting concerning the Royal Palace faction¡¯s battle we saw, aren¡¯t you? All you do is discuss things! We are actually working!¡± The cat then smiled slightly while still in its offensive pose. ¡°If you want to cheer her on, how about doing so in a more straightforward fashion?¡± ¡°Lately, cheering people on is making me depressed. I apologize for being so roundabout,¡± replied Fafner while still smiling. He then turned toward the girl. ¡°Get going, long-lived girl. I need to speak with him afterwards, too.¡± He then faced forward once more. He looked across his opponents¡¯ faces one by one. ¡°Do you get it now? Not everyone here can live under this Gear¡¯s concepts like you can. Gaining our freedom and turning this world into 1st-Gear are one and the same.¡± Fafner clapped his hands together. ¡°Unless we transform this Gear into 1st-Gear, we cannot exist here! We may be able to gain certain rights without doing that, but are those true rights at all!? What meaning is there in being treated favorably if you are stuck in some cramped space?¡± The youth opposite him clenched his back teeth. Just as he began to back down, someone supported him from behind. It was the old man sitting next to him. The gray-haired man placed a hand on the youth¡¯s shoulder and had him sit down. The old man then faced Fafner. And he asked, ¡°Fafner, that was an excellent speech. But you are forgetting one thing.¡± ¡°And what is that?¡± The old man pointed toward Fafner and nodded. ¡°You were not yet born when 1st-Gear was destroyed. It was not your world that was destroyed. It was our world. You-¡­¡± ¡°But I am a half-dragon of 1st-Gear,¡± cut in Fafner before the old man could finish. ¡°Listen. I believe that I am of 1st-Gear. And that is where it all begins.¡± Fafner sank down slightly so as to stare the old man in the eye. ¡°I know nothing. I do not know my countless ancestors. I do not know the kingdom or its king. I do not know that limited land. I do not know a moonless night. I do not know a sky in which I can fly. I do not know the day of destruction on which we lost. And I do not know what it is I should protect. And that is why I do not know what pride is!¡± He took a breath. ¡°But you elders know. You know what pride is. That is why you can rely on your pride when forced into these cramped areas. But we have nothing. And yet we are still of 1st-Gear. We wish to be. ¡­Then what are we to do? How are we supposed to gain that pride!?¡± The old man frowned as Fafner watched him, but he fell silent. Viewing that silence as a type of response, Fafner rose up once more. He let his voice resound throughout the entire area instead of just those gathered in the center. ¡°What I want is proof that 1st-Gear is still with us! If you have a method that does not require turning this world into 1st-Gear, then let me hear it!¡± A single voice rang out within the Kinugasa Library. It was Siegfried¡¯s voice. ¡°1st-Gear had trouble heading into other Gears. The differences between its own races are so great that many of them cannot live while not under the concepts of 1st-Gear.¡± He stood next to the table with a cup in hand while Kazami looked up at him from her seat. ¡°How did they survive in 1st-Gear?¡± ¡°With the power of writing. No in depth investigation has been done, but it is thought their genetic arrays also carry the function of writing. The same goes for their world. The air and sky contained spirits that carried out the meaning of the writing.¡± ¡°So the concepts and the residents fit each other perfectly,¡± said Izumo from next to Kazami. ¡°Those who had grown fond of that Gear would have a difficult time of going to other Gears.¡± ¡°Yes. 1st-Gear was never a powerful Gear. But they strengthened their races and repeatedly fought the other Gears until they finally succeeded in constructing the mechanical dragons that were the masters of land battles. At the very end of their research, they constructed two Fafnirs as their flag-dragons. But the 1st-Gear mechanical dragons had a certain defect.¡± ¡°A defect?¡± ¡°When the pilot joined with them, they produced a powerful rejection reaction that would kill most of the pilots. And even if the pilot survived that, they could never again return to their original form. They would be a mechanical dragon for the rest of their lives.¡± ¡°And one of those survivors still exists, right? A major one called Fafnir Custom.¡± ¡°Yes. Of the two Fafnirs, I killed the one being serviced within the royal palace. However, the one being modified in the weapons laboratory escaped the destruction of 1st-Gear.¡± ¡°Why would they create those? The representatives of 1st-Gear must have really loved war.¡± Siegfried shook his head. ¡°They hated war. 1st-Gear¡¯s king lost his queen in the Concept War. That was why he created the mechanical dragons for defense. He did not want anyone to enter 1st-Gear until the time of destruction. He also split the extracted Concept Core in two, used the concepts that controlled the construction of the world to seal the world, and settled into a defensive role.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­the same as abandoning the Concept War?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. And that is why¡­¡± Siegfried suddenly trailed off. He brought his cup to his mouth and said something else. ¡°Depending on Sayama¡¯s actions, you will likely learn the rest before long.¡± A large bulkhead existed at the back of the large hall underneath the 1st-Gear base. Brunhild walked toward the side entrance next to that bulkhead. She could hear Fafner¡¯s voice behind her, but it disappeared once the door closed behind her. In exchange, the area grew dark. The black cat at her feet dissolved into the darkness. ¡°It is cold in here,¡± she said with a nod before looking up. The ceiling was high and a single light existed in the middle. That crimson light was coming from a small hanging bell with the word for ¡°torch¡± engraved into it. As her eyes adjusted to that light, Brunhild looked down. She was in a large hall just like the one next to it. ¡°But this is not public space. It is a private room¡­¡± As she lowered her gaze, a giant mountain-like silhouette existed before Brunhild¡¯s eyes. But this was no mountain. It was a collection of structures with several surfaces and it all formed seven mountains colored white. The head, the body, the four limbs, and the tail made seven. A steel dragon lay before her. This mechanical dragon was over thirty meters long and was currently lying down. Its basic coloration was white and dark green, but the moving parts were covered in black. And most of the weaponry had been removed. Each of the hard points had black dummy weapons attached. Other than the heat sinks that looked like folded up wings and the standard blades on the back and four limbs, no offensive ability could be seen on the surface. Most of its standard weaponry was kept inside, but all of the closable slits on the armor plates were covered in the yellow labels meaning maintenance was complete. ¡°¡­¡± As Brunhild silently watched the dragon, a voice suddenly called out to her from above. ¡°What is it, Brunhild?¡± She looked up in surprise and found a figure on the dragon¡¯s back. It was a tall old man. He had long, wavy gray hair and a beard to match. He was of course wearing a dark green cloak. He glowed slightly in the dim darkness and he was transparent. Brunhild bowed as she looked up at him. ¡°I, Brunhild, have returned, Venerable Hagen. Were you asleep?¡± ¡°No, I was awake. ¡­Well done making it back.¡± The old man¡¯s eyes narrowed in a smile and his mouth moved, but the voice came from elsewhere. The voice came from a ventilation opening-like black slit on the dragon¡¯s back that lay before her eyes. When Brunhild moved once more, small noises came from across the mechanical dragon¡¯s body. This sound reminiscent of light being slightly reflected came from the auxiliary vision devices covered in a protective material. It was the sound of the dragon¡¯s gaze following her. But Brunhild paid none of that any heed as she looked toward the old man. The old man spoke to her as if he really was nothing but an old man. ¡°How has it gone?¡± ¡°My familiar will provide the details. ¡­What will the Royal Palace faction do?¡± ¡°It seems they will surrender three days from now. A messenger told us their actions are over after that final attack.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Brunhild with a nod. The black cat at her feet sighed and said, ¡°So that¡¯s what has Fafner and the others so worked up. Put a stop to it, Venerable Hagen.¡± ¡°Hey, what are you saying?¡± Brunhild grabbed and strangled the cat while the old man, Hagen, smiled bitterly. ¡°I cannot do that, my small comrade.¡± ¡°Really? Because they¡¯re comrades?¡± ¡°No. If I did it, they would die even if I held back. We can¡¯t have that.¡± The cat looked up at Brunhild. ¡°Am I supposed to laugh at that or ignore it?¡± ¡°You are supposed to avoid asking that sort of question,¡± said Hagen with another bitter smile. He then frowned worriedly. ¡°Brunhild, I can get the detailed report from that cat later. Is there any other information you need to give me?¡± ¡°Yes. UCAT has sent a special unit for the Leviathan Road into combat while still putting it together. Also, Fasolt who is working with UCAT as part of the peaceful faction will apparently be meeting tomorrow with the person in charge of the Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°They certainly are rushing this. So Fasolt has completely turned toward Low-Gear¡¯s side¡­¡± ¡°I understand why Fafner is feeling so desperate. He is Fasolt¡¯s son after all.¡± ¡°A warrior who calls his father a loser¡­ He is arguing right now, isn¡¯t he? How is he? Young?¡± ¡°¡­I would say inexperienced rather than young. He seems to be using childish arguments and claiming they represent justice.¡± Hagen¡¯s bitter smile deepened at Brunhild¡¯s words. ¡°He cannot help but give childish arguments. This is a child attempting to persuade the adults who need a reason for doing anything. But¡­once adults grow accustomed to acting based on arbitrary reasons, they will finally lose once the children begin seriously insisting on childish justice. They do not lose to the children¡¯s argument, but to something much more dangerous.¡± ¡°Something¡­much more dangerous?¡± ¡°Yes, something very dangerous. Something we once had, something we will never have again, and something we once used to push aside the adults.¡± He rested his chin on his hand and looked up. ¡°Fasolt¡¯s son was given an honest upbringing.¡± ¡°It seems Fasolt has gone through a lot of hardship in that UCAT reservation.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Hagen while still looking up. ¡°Fasolt has actually done quite well in that UCAT reservation. He has accepted relying on UCAT to control the concepts while seeking safety in that tiny reservation. Everyone complains that he has done nothing more than that, but the peaceful faction has their lives in UCAT¡¯s hands while on that reservation.¡± ¡°If the concept space is removed, most of them would not last half a month.¡± ¡°Fasolt and the others there are only able to live the way they are because of the negotiations they carried out using the possessions and knowledge they escaped with¡­and because of UCAT¡¯s kindness, I suppose.¡± ¡°You must not say that to the others.¡± Brunhild frowned and looked up at Hagen. As the old man rested his chin on his hand, a slight smile was visible on his lips. That smile slowly widened. ¡°I know that. After all, I was the one that led everyone here and used the Concept Core we had to create this concept space. ¡­As a former guide and current protector, I am needed as everyone¡¯s leader. As troublesome as that can be.¡± He turned toward Brunhild. ¡°How about we trade? You can take my Fafnir Custom and I can take your Requiem Sense. I would be a lot happier chatting about old times with the residents of the underworld.¡± ¡°That is impossible. After joining with the mechanical dragon, you cannot separate from it, right? And the concept creating the underworld is too weak here in Low-Gear. Even if you opened it with Sense, the residents could only come out for short periods of time.¡± ¡°True. ¡­If we could speak with them properly, it might help lessen everyone¡¯s enmity.¡± Hagen raised his head and looked at the bulkhead separating this hall from the next. ¡°If we had not feared the destruction of the world, we might have been able to save many more.¡± He lowered his gaze. Small sounds came from across Fafnir as darkening filters were added to the vision devices. ¡°It is a shame about that bird as well.¡± ¡°That was his fault. He abandoned it.¡± ¡°He may have been the one to abandon it, but we were the ones that did not save it.¡± Hagen opened his eyes as he spoke. And then he suddenly uttered a single name into the darkness. ¡°Fafner.¡± The vision devices moved and Hagen¡¯s face turned toward the area behind Brunhild. She turned around and saw a black shelled figure in the darkness. Brunhild and the black cat frantically took a step back and took a defensive stance. ¡°¡­How long have you been here!?¡± ¡°I only just came in. Don¡¯t act so defensive. My element is darkness. I am a darkness-travelling half-dragon. I can move anywhere I wish as long as it is filled with darkness.¡± Fafner changed from being a presence in the darkness to having an actual physical body. Without turning toward Brunhild, he bowed toward Hagen. ¡°What will we do?¡± he asked. Hagen sat up and pointed toward the bulkhead with his chin. ¡°You were holding a discussion on the other side, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Our view won out, so we concluded by deciding to have you make the decision, Lord Hagen.¡± ¡°I see you are speaking formally again,¡± muttered Hagen as he scratched his head. ¡°Hmm. How about I make my decision after seeing what Fasolt does tomorrow? Brunhild, you said he is carrying out preliminary negotiations with UCAT tomorrow, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes. This information came from the peaceful faction, so there is no doubt about it.¡± Brunhild nodded and looked toward Fafner. Fafner looked at her, let his shoulders droop, and sighed. ¡°Um, Lord Hagen, this may not be my place to speak, but¡­¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back to your normal self. Speak freely.¡± Fafner skillfully crossed his long lower arms and rested his chin on his hand. ¡°Why do you put off making decisions? We gathered around you and were led this far by you.¡± ¡°I would prefer if you did not speak as if I have no independence.¡± ¡°This is your duty as the one in charge.¡± ¡°I suppose you are right¡­ Sorry.¡± When the black cat heard that, it tapped at Brunhild¡¯s leg. ¡°¡­Which of these two holds the higher position?¡± ¡°I do,¡± replied Brunhild and both Fafner and Hagen turned toward her. She nodded and said, ¡°Please continue with your constructive discussion.¡± Fafner sighed, lowered his chin from his hand and brought that hand to his head. He tapped at the shell of his head with a claw before speaking once more. ¡°Lord Hagen, your younger brother, Venerable Regin, and your niece, Lady Gutrune, were killed by Siegfried and you were unable to protect the king. Where is your grudge over that?¡± ¡°That is actually a very good question. I know it is inside me somewhere, but I have lost track of where exactly it is. Fafner, I am sure you hope that it is within my weaponry reactor. And¡­¡± Hagen gave a small nod. ¡°It was not only my family that was lost. I have decided not to act based on personal feelings. I will act when everyone agrees or when the perfect opportunity arrives. Currently, that opportunity has not come. Do not rush this, Fafner. Rushing this will lead to losing something.¡± Hagen did not stop speaking there. He continued with a question. ¡°And what is it you are fighting for, Fafner?¡± Fafner raised his head. He met Hagen¡¯s gaze and slowly began speaking. ¡°To regain¡­that which we once had.¡± ¡°I see,¡± replied Hagen. He did not look away from Fafner¡¯s gaze as he continued. ¡°Then make sure you remember those words. ¡­Never forget them.¡± Sayama and Shinjou walked through the school grounds at night. Both the front and back doors to the second year general school building had been locked, so they could not enter. With Baku on his shoulder, Sayama tried to turn the knob several times. ¡°No good¡­ If only I had the same skills as Kouji.¡± ¡°Is Kouji the person who picked you up yesterday?¡± Sayama began to nod in response, but he stopped. He looked to the person standing next to him. ¡°I only mentioned him offhand just now¡­but why do you know about Kouji, Shinjou-kun?¡± After a moment, Shinjou began shaking his hands back and forth. ¡°Oh, um, my sister told me someone amazing came to pick you up.¡± Shinjou stopped moving his hands and stared at Sayama¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s that look for? Don¡¯t tell me you suspect I¡¯m my sister.¡± ¡°No. I settled those suspicions when I checked over your body earlier. You may look oddly like her, but you are male.¡± ¡°Would you have preferred if it was my sister who had come?¡± ¡°She did not, so there is no point in discussing it. ¡­At any rate, there is no point in being here if I cannot show you around the inside. I heard an odd noise on the roof earlier, so I thought someone might be inside. We can return to the dorm for tonight.¡± Shinjou¡¯s shoulders drooped when he heard that last sentence. ¡°I wanted to walk around some more.¡± ¡°But you have not opened even five of your boxes.¡± Shinjou groaned and folded his arms at that. Sayama then said, ¡°I will be leaving tomorrow for some business I need to take care of, but we can go buy some daily items for you once I return. I can show you some nearby stores¡­but if you wait until tomorrow to deal with your luggage, you will not know what you need, will you?¡± ¡°I suppose not. But I¡¯m surprised, Sayama-kun. You can actually make proper arguments.¡± ¡°¡­I get the feeling I need to sit down and straighten you out about a few things.¡± ¡°Heh heh. Anyway, I am not used to this area, so you have a lot to teach me: the roads, the stores, and the people. I heard the bath here can¡¯t be used during spring break.¡± ¡°Yes. Only the dorm showers are usable at this time. If you are not in a hurry, there is a 24-hour public bath just outside the school¡¯s main gate.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± nodded Shinjou. He then cast his gaze down, smiled slightly, and walked alongside Sayama. The two walked side by side. The moonlight cast their shadows on the ground. Suddenly, Shinjou pointed toward the schoolyard next to the school building. ¡°Sayama-kun. What is that tower-like thing on the other side of the schoolyard?¡± ¡°Oh, that is the climbing bungee jump the exploration club created for last year¡¯s school festival. Several lifelines hang down from above, so you tied them to your feet, scaled the 20 meter wall with your own strength, and then jumped down from above.¡± ¡°That really is showy¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Unsurprisingly, it had problems with the people dropping from above crashing into the people climbing from below. Ha ha ha.¡± ¡°That is no laughing matter!¡± ¡°Do not worry about it. Humans are surprisingly sturdy.¡± ¡°Really?¡± sighed Shinjou. He then pointed toward a wall-like piece of art next to the cafeteria building. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Oh, that was created to commemorate a graduating class a long time ago. They made clay versions of their handprints and baked them into a board. It is one of the famous locations in the school.¡± ¡°Oh? So it¡¯s a famous location.¡± ¡°Yes. It was meant as a commemorative decoration, but it turned into some kind of horrifying piece of art because there were a thousand students involved. They tried to remove it, but the digger was knocked over and ended up with handprints all over it. Ha ha ha.¡± ¡°Stop explaining this kind of thing so happily.¡± ¡°There is more. The giant hand visible on the other side is-¡­Ah, wait. Stop pulling on me.¡± Shinjou grabbed Sayama¡¯s sleeve and pulled him toward the dorm. For an instant, Sayama glanced back toward the second year general school building. He saw the landing of the emergency staircase on the side of the building. He had seen it that morning as well. For some reason, he had the feeling his situation changed every time he looked at it. He grinned bitterly. Shinjou must have noticed where he was looking because he spoke up. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°With your arrival and plenty of other things, I was thinking that my daily life keeps changing.¡± Just how much will it change? Sayama asked himself. And then a dark feeling resembling unease arrived. ¡­Am I even able to change? Just as he muttered that thought in his heart, Shinjou tilted his head, looked up at him, and spoke. ¡°Were you wondering how much it will change?¡± Sayama turned back toward Shinjou upon hearing that question. ¡°¡­¡± Under the moonlight, Shinjou¡¯s face was close enough that Sayama could have reached out and touched it. Shinjou¡¯s black hair swayed in the bluish-white moonlight. His black eyes looked straight up at Sayama. Sayama recognized the movement of that swaying hair and the color of those eyes. That is Shinjou Sadame¡¯s hair and eyes, thought Sayama. But that is an illusion. He felt it was rude to Setsu, but his heart was wrapped in other feelings. He felt it weighed that much on his mind because he had accepted her. ¡­She is the opposite of me. He and Shinjou. Ordinary and extraordinary. Normally conflicting ideas were overlapping. When those thoughts came to mind, his mouth moved involuntarily and he spoke quietly. He first gave an answer to Shinjou¡¯s question. ¡°I was¡­wondering.¡± Shinjou¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. Sayama was unsure if it was due to a smile or not. But Sayama nodded toward Shinjou and a slight smile appeared on his lips. ¡°But¡­I was not wondering how much it will change. I was wondering if I would be able to choose change myself.¡± ¡°You are a very serious person, Sayama-kun.¡± ¡°No, I am not.¡± As soon as he said that about himself, his smile became one of self-derision. And¡­ A single motion seemed to arrive in response to Sayama¡¯s words. It was the wind. It came from the west but not as a noise or a sound. It suddenly came as an overpowering pressure. ¡°¡­!¡± This tremendous wind seemed to slam into them. It was powerful enough to strip away all other sound. As it washed over Shinjou, he held his hair down and ducked down. And as soon as Sayama saw that¡­ He took action. As Shinjou grimaced at the wind, Sayama pulled Shinjou in and held him in his arms. ¡°Ah,¡± was all Shinjou could say as his slender shoulders were contained within Sayama¡¯s arms. At the same moment, the wind struck Sayama¡¯s shoulders like a physical mass. Baku was almost shaken off, but he frantically clung to Sayama¡¯s shoulder. Amid this tremendous wind, Sayama saw a collection of smoke fly up from the second year general school building¡¯s rooftop. ¡°!?¡± He narrowed his eyes and looked up through the wind. The white smoke spread out like fog and quickly disappeared into the sky. ¡­What was that? Sayama¡¯s suspicion was deepened by a further question from Shinjou. ¡°¡­Sand? No, it can¡¯t be. There wouldn¡¯t be sand on the rooftop.¡± But Sayama could see nothing else that smoke could be. The wind lessened and ultimately disappeared. As if in response to acclimating to the wind, Shinjou¡¯s body stiffened slightly in his arms. His slender finger poked at Sayama¡¯s chest and his black eyes looked up at Sayama. ¡°U-um, I¡¯m fine now, so¡­¡± Shinjou¡¯s voice sounded slightly flustered and he began struggling a bit in Sayama¡¯s arms. When Sayama loosened his grip, Shinjou removed himself from those bonds and took a step away. Sayama heard the sound of Shinjou stepping on the gravel as the remnants of that west wind cut between the two of them. The sensation of those slender shoulders remained in Sayama¡¯s arms as Shinjou spoke. ¡°That surprised me. I never expected you to suddenly embrace me.¡± ¡°It looked like the wind was hurting you.¡± ¡°B-but¡­I¡¯m a boy.¡± Sayama tilted his head at that. He was confused why he would bring that up. ¡°What connection is there between you being a boy and that you were feeling pain?¡± ¡°N-none I suppose¡­¡± ¡°We are roommates. There is nothing wrong with doing this much. If you wish for it and I wish for it, then I will grant that wish of yours. That is all there is to it. That is the etiquette of the Sayama family that I believe in.¡± He swung his right hand to stretch out his shirt sleeve and held his right hand out toward Shinjou. ¡°If you are feeling pain and I wish to protect you, I will protect you. If you do not wish to be alone and I wish to speak with you, I will speak with you. If you have decided you wish to carry your worries alone and I care for you, I will leave you to be on your own. If you do not wish to be here and I wish to do what is best for you, I will hate you.¡± And¡­ ¡°If you wish to grow closer to someone and I see you, I will stand by your side. How does that sound?¡± asked Sayama. ¡°I will demand nothing of you. I will demand everything of myself. To lay this etiquette at the foundation, I must spread trust. The surname Sayama indicates a villain. Therefore, if you do not oppose me, I will simply grant you this. ¡­And if you do, I will not take it back.¡± Shinjou looked down toward Sayama¡¯s outstretched hand. Shinjou lightly raised his right hand to take Sayama¡¯s hand. ¡°¡­¡± But he stopped. Sayama looked up and saw a face with drooping eyebrows beyond Shinjou¡¯s stopped hand. With that uneasy-looking expression, Shinjou tilted his head and asked a question. ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a bit formal, Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°I am giving you my etiquette and trust. Do you think I am someone who could do this without really meaning it?¡± Shinjou stared at him for a few seconds. Shinjou opened his mouth as if about to say something, but stopped. And then¡­ ¡°No.¡± He shook his head and his shoulders relaxed. With the ends of his eyebrows still lowered, he smiled a bitter smile. Shinjou then reached out his right hand and took Sayama¡¯s hand. Shinjou¡¯s hand was soft. Sayama held those fingers with care, nodded, and breathed a sigh of relief before speaking. ¡°Then let me say it formally: It is nice to meet you, Shinjou-kun.¡± Volume 2, 15: Multiple Sounds of Wind Volume 2, Chapter 15: Multiple Sounds of Wind Faster than the blowing wind One¡¯s will rushes through and the truth passes by The most definite things might be the passing voices Brunhild held her broom in both hands as she stood in the schoolyard of an abandoned school surrounded by forest. She stood on a shadow created from the moonlight as she faced the gym. The cat was not at her feet. ¡°Is he doing a decent job of telling Venerable Hagen and Fafner what happened today?¡± she muttered. The only response came from the blowing wind. The wind blew in from the east. This movement in the air was gentle yet a certain grandness could be felt in it. Brunhild held down her hair as she withstood the thick easterly wind. ¡°The wind is not too-¡­¡± Her voice trailed off before she could say ¡°bad¡±. The forest around her had begun rustling. This rustling did not come from the leaves brushing together. As the wind gently pushed against the trees, they bent and the forest itself shook. This wind had a different sort of weight than a quick gust of wind. Brunhild heard the high-pitched cries of birds within the forest. As she looked around, a flock of birds burst from the moonlit forest. ¡°No wind created by the earth and wind spirits of 1st-Gear would drive out the birds.¡± With the forest still bent, the pressure of the easterly wind produced a loud noise. It sounded like the crashing of waves. The cries of wakened birds and beasts filled the wind to provide a high-pitched coloration. It felt as if the entire forest was walking from east to west. As Brunhild stood in that schoolyard surrounded by the forest, she felt as if the entire commotion was circling around her. However, that commotion did not approach her any further. The sound slowly settled down like a receding wave. The wind, the creaking of the forest, and the cries of the birds and beasts all slowly disappeared. ¡°¡­¡± Brunhild sighed after hearing the final chirp of a bird. She suddenly realized she was tightly gripping the handle of her broom. Was I afraid? she asked in self-derision. It was at that time that she sensed movement in the atmosphere behind her. She turned around, thinking it was the black cat, but something much bigger filled her vision. A giant white form had grown from the gym. It was Fafnir Custom. Fafnir Custom had partially left the concept space enveloping the gym. The inside of the concept space could not be seen from outside. That meant Fafnir Custom had to have moved his face slightly out of the gym to access the outside world. His giant, long, and slender face was already outside. He must have taken a single step from within the concept space. The area from his face down to the base of his neck and his front right leg seemed to be pushed out. His metal claws were digging into the schoolyard and giving off several metallic noises. Next, his front left leg, his body, his back right leg, his back left leg, and finally his tail followed. The dragon¡¯s movements were heavy and certain. A heavy metallic noise caused the earth to tremble. As Brunhild watched on, the dragon¡¯s entire form appeared below the moonlight. That great white and green dragon was over thirty meters long and over seven meters tall at the shoulder. Other than the red light of the primary vision devices on his face, nothing on him seemed to try to assert his own existence to the outside world. His entire body only glowed palely in the moonlight. Fafnir Custom turned to face Brunhild. He had only walked three steps out of the gym and had stopped at precisely three meters away from Brunhild. He gently lowered his body which caused wind to wash over the schoolyard. As she watched that wind rip dried leaves from the ground and toss them into the air, Brunhild asked the dragon a question. ¡°Has it been a while since you came outside, Venerable Hagen?¡± Fafnir Custom answered the question in Hagen¡¯s voice and tone. ¡°We have had a lot of meetings lately¡­ And as the concept space will disappear after a few hours if I am gone, it has been harder and harder to find the time. I only came out now to see you off.¡± Brunhild was relieved to hear a smile in his voice when he spoke that final comment. A voice then spoke from above Fafnir Custom¡¯s head. ¡°Brunhild,¡± said the black cat. She looked up to see the black shadow had already climbed down to Fafnir Custom¡¯s nose. The black cat tried to stop there, but¡­ ¡°Ah¡­no¡­wah!¡± The cat¡¯s feet slipped and it slid right off the dragon¡¯s head. As the cat shot diagonally toward the ground, Brunhild took a step forward to catch it. ¡°Watch out,¡± she cried. The cat performed a counter on the knee she had moved forward. The impact caused an unassuming noise. In response, the cat let out a controlled breath rather than a scream. ¡°N-nice effort,¡± it said before sliding down Brunhild¡¯s shin. Brunhild picked the cat¡¯s small body up in her left arm and looked back toward Fafnir Custom with the broom still in her right hand. As a weapon, Fafnir Custom could not produce facial expressions. However, Brunhild sighed. ¡°I know this looks odd, but just know that I do not do this because I want to.¡± ¡°No, I think it is perfectly fine. I can see much better than I used to and I am glad to see you can remain cheerful.¡± ¡°I simply do not have much time to be serious. Venerable Hagen, is it tough having to be so serious all the time?¡± ¡°Good question¡­¡± replied Fafnir Custom with an answer that was neither an affirmation nor a denial. He then lowered his body slightly and asked, ¡°Brunhild, do you see yourself as about to leave or about to return home?¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± Brunhild gasped. ¡°V-Venerable Hagen¡­ Do you think I have forgotten 1st-Gear?¡± ¡°No, I do not think that. However, your opinion of the current state of the headquarters does not seem to be a favorable one.¡± ¡°¡­I do not like that kind of arguing. I think this might be the nature of the long-lived race.¡± ¡°Yes. But listen, Brunhild. Even if you are not exactly fond of the others, you must not grow to hate them. Keeping your distance and hating are two different things.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°If only you had someone as long-lived as you who could remain with you always. In your eyes, everyone, myself included, must seem rushed and intent on heading down a selfish path.¡± The black cat raised its head in her arm. It looked toward Fafnir Custom and spoke. ¡°You sound like an old man, Venerable Hagen.¡± ¡°Stop that!¡± scolded Brunhild. Fafnir Custom spoke in a smiling voice toward both the scolder and the scolded. ¡°Ha ha. That is because I am one. My body will not last much longer. I am sure everyone has realized it. And I do not mean my lifespan as a machine. My real lifespan is running out.¡± ¡°Venerable Hagen¡­¡± Hearing that name, Fafnir Custom turned his primary vision devices accurately toward Brunhild. ¡°It is because of this body that I was able to last these sixty years. I hear UCAT has means of longevity involving remodeling the human body and using techniques they call magic. I wonder if they will obtain the same loneliness you have¡­¡± Fafnir Custom gave a bitter laugh. His body shook slightly. ¡°The reason Fafner and the others are in such a hurry is likely because they are thinking about me. They want to resolve this while I still live.¡± ¡°Fafner just wants to use you.¡± ¡°No, he wants me to take action. How nostalgic. Do you remember when Fafner was first brought here?¡± ¡°He was raised to be the next leader of the reservation, but he ran off here with one of our guides when he learned of our history. He was inexperienced and arrived half dead after making his way through the thin concepts of Low-Gear. ¡­And now he is the leader of the second generation group.¡± Brunhild nodded at her own words, but then continued. ¡°I do understand why everyone is in such a hurry. UCAT has been very active since the death of Sayama Kaoru, a member of the former National Defense Department along with Siegfried and the others. What could they be doing?¡± ¡°They are doing something to prevent this world from falling to the negative concepts. Of course, that is just a front for something else.¡± ¡°What do they want to do?¡± ¡°I do not know. Not even Fasolt and the others working with UCAT know everything. UCAT is hiding something. I can only think they have been doing something in the sixty years since they destroyed our Gear. But as we have left the front lines of the fight to rebuild ourselves, there is no way we could know what that is.¡± ¡°Did the late Sayama know about it? Does Siegfried?¡± ¡°I would assume so. Also¡­¡± Hagen trailed off. When Brunhild tilted her head, Fafnir Custom asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you need to get back? When you arrived, you seemed to be in a hurry.¡± The black cat reacted to those words before Brunhild. It tapped its soft front paw against her chest. ¡°The bird. Just because you have such a flat chest is no reason to forget about-¡­ Ahh! Being strangled is new!!¡± After squeezing the cat¡¯s neck, Brunhild bowed toward Fafnir Custom. She then placed the cat on her shoulder. As she frantically held up her broom, Fafnir Custom spoke up. ¡°The bird¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. She never learns. She took in a small bird that fell out of its nest.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. That is good to hear. Brunhild¡­no, perhaps I should call you Nein.¡± ¡°I¡­gave up that name long ago.¡± ¡°But that is who you are to me. You are the small girl who was taken in by my niece Gutrune and lived in the laboratory of my younger brother Regin. I may have forced a difficult decision on you. For Gutrune and Regin as well, Siegfried was¡­¡± ¡°Please stop. Hearing the names of people we both knew is worse than speaking to myself.¡± As she spoke, Brunhild tried to give a slight smile. However, she could not keep the ends of her eyebrows from drooping and the expression held no strength. She hung her head down and looked at her broom. She wordlessly pulled a blue stone with a chain from her vest pocket and wrapped it around the broom handle. She held the stone and chain in her right hand. A blue light appeared from the broom¡¯s brush and it tried to float up from the ground. Brunhild held it down with both hands. ¡°It is time we left.¡± Only then was she finally able to smile. But it only lasted an instant. She poured strength into her right hand. As her grip on the stone increased, the pale blue light coming from the brush increased. No one was around to see her here. ¡°I will be flying up all at once, so please stand back.¡± ¡°A dragon such as myself will not be damaged by the wind produced by a cute witch.¡± ¡°No, you would be able to see my underwear.¡± ¡°My apologies.¡± Fafnir Custom took a step back and Brunhild gave a bow along with the black cat. At the same time, she slid her left hand down along the broom handle. She tightly squeezed her right hand while in a pose that made it seem she was playing tug of war against the sky. The pale blue light coming from the broom¡¯s brush rapidly lost its color. In its place, wind began filling the school yard around the broom. The powerful wind radiated out from the broom as it swept across the school yard. A high-pitched noise reverberated through the wind. And once that noise reached a certain level¡­ ¡°I will be going.¡± With that comment, Brunhild relaxed her entire body save her arms. It all happened in an instant. She clung to the broom handle as if throwing her body forward. With the resistance holding it in place lessened, the broom shot up into the sky as if it had been forcefully kicked upwards. It flew in a slight arc up into the sky. ¡°¡­!¡± Brunhild looked down as the wind pressed down from above. The shape of the forest was no longer visible and the abandoned school was no larger than a few centimeters across and still growing smaller. However, a single pale figure was visible in the moonlight covering the clearing of the abandoned school. ¡°¡­¡± Brunhild cast her eyes down as she continued to cling to the ascending broom handle. She was headed east. As that direction entered her mind, she muttered in a voice the wind drowned out. ¡°The direction of the wind that moves the forest¡­¡± Fafnir Custom stared up into the sky in which the moon was visible. A line of pale clouds could be seen in the sky above as Brunhild flew to the east. Fafnir Custom continued watching until that line of clouds disappeared in the wind. ¡°Now then,¡± he muttered before turning to the western edge of the schoolyard. This was the opposite direction from the gym. A gym storage shed that¡¯s roof had rotted away stood next to the school building. The moonlight filled that area with shadows of the night. Fafnir Custom turned his crimson primary vision devices in that direction. ¡°I think it is time to speak with you. ¡­You over there.¡± As that mechanical voice rang out, three shadows appeared from the darkness filling the western end of the schoolyard. They belonged to people. Standing at the front was a tall elderly man wearing a sand-yellow summer coat. Below a bandanna wrapped like a turban was a deeply tanned face with the Arab features of a hooked nose and sunken eye sockets. However, only the right eye socket had a black eye looking out from it. Below the coat that was slightly opened by the wind, he wore vest and suit pants. He was walking toward Fafnir Custom with long strides. Two girls walked behind him to the left and right. On the right was a tall girl with her black hair bound at the back of her head. Below her black summer coat, she wore the same outfit as the man, but a silk wrapping containing some sort of rod hung to the left of her waist. On the left was a girl with long hair fluttering in the wind. She wore a black stole over her shoulders, but she wore a white shirt and a black dress below it. The tall girl on the right was older. She held a sharp look in her eyes and mouth as she glared over at Fafnir Custom. The short girl on the left had the ends of her eyebrows lowered slightly. Those two contrasting girls flanked the man as the three of them approached. As Fafnir Custom watched that, he suddenly heard a musical tune. The girl on the left had opened her lips slightly and was singing in the moonlight. ¡°Silent night, Holy night All¡¯s asleep, one sole light, Just the faithful and holy pair, Lovely boy-child with curly hair, Sleep in heavenly peace Sleep in heavenly peace.¡± Fafnir Custom knew that song. ¡°Brunhild would often sing that after our escape. It is a Low-Gear song. I believe the title is Silent Night.¡± As the girl cast her eyes down and sang, she suddenly raised her right hand a bit. When she did, several small shadows descended from the night sky. They were birds. These birds whose wings were shaded blue and black by the moonlight were the birds that had been driven from the forest by the blowing wind. That flock that had lost their spot now gathered on the girl¡¯s outstretched arm. The sound of flapping wings filled the wind of the night. The birds elicited a smile from the girl¡¯s narrowed eyes and faintly raised eyebrows. ¡°Ha ha,¡± she breathed out. ¡°I have no food for you. So go.¡± The girl pointed toward the forest behind Fafnir Custom. ¡°Go back home.¡± As soon as the girl spoke, the birds flew up and become silhouettes in the moonlight. Those black wings created shadows in the dark blue sky. The scattered sound of flapping wings passed by Fafnir Custom in an instant and disappeared into the forest behind him. Fafnir Custom used all of his auditory devices to listen to the sound of the birds¡¯ chirping disappear within the forest. Finally, it faded away and silence fell. The man and the two girls had stopped walking. Approximately twenty meters remained between those three and Fafnir Custom. Even that large mechanical dragon would need to take a few steps to cross that distance. The three people and Fafnir Custom stared at each other from that distance. Fafnir Custom made the first move. He spread his four legs and raised his back end. He was preparing to charge. And in that pose, Fafnir Custom spoke. ¡°So you have come unannounced once again, information broker. Or should I call you Hajji of the so-called ¡®Army¡¯.¡± The man referred to as Hajji smiled at that. His white moustache and his stubble-covered chin bent upwards. ¡°It has been a dozen or so years now, but that is the first time I have been called that. I am shocked, Hagen.¡± ¡°You have no right to speak my name¡­ I do not even know what Gear you are from. Even so, you are an information broker who can gather weapons and accurate information. I want to keep any familiarity between us purely professional,¡± said Fafnir Custom. ¡°Also, who are those two insane girls with you?¡± Still smiling, Hajji looked at the girls to his left and right. He lightly spread his arms and spoke. ¡°You could say they are my daughters. The tall one here is Mikoku. The short one is Shino. I thought it was time they learned how to perform this job. Cute, aren¡¯t they? Hm?¡± As they were introduced, Mikoku nodded and Shino bowed. Hajji went on to say, ¡°They may not look it, but they are both great warrior djinn. And¡­¡± His smile suddenly disappeared. But he quickly covered his face with his large right hand. The span of three breaths passed before he lowered his hand once more. Once he did, the smile had returned. ¡°That does not matter. For tonight, I have some more information for you.¡± ¡°And are you going to ask once more that I put my forces under your command?¡± ¡°I never said anything about putting them under my command. I would never think of such a thing. But we are both trying to stop Low-Gear¡¯s Leviathan Road. I believe we want the same thing. Am I wrong? Hm?¡± ¡°Sorry, but my answer is the same as before. We will solve our problem in our own way. I have no intention of fighting alongside someone whose identity I do not know.¡± ¡°If you agree to join us, I will tell you our identity and our objective.¡± ¡°I might have considered it if that smile were real. ¡­But I said no and I mean no.¡± When he heard Fafnir Custom¡¯s words, Hajji once more covered his mouth with his right hand. No hint of a smile could be seen in his eyes as a voice leaked through the hand covering his mouth. ¡°I see¡­¡± And before those two words had faded away, Fafnir Custom fired. He targeted Mikoku, the girl on the right. ¡°¡­!!¡± The tall girl was blown backwards as if she had been hit by a car. She floated up higher than her own height and flew several times that distance backwards. Fafnir Custom had used the right side of his body. A meter long anti-personnel machinegun had been internally installed in that most stable location. It broke through the seal and shot out into the night air. The attack had consumed three pages of the book bullets loaded in it. Three bullets of light with a diameter of two centimeters were fired almost simultaneously. It had all occurred much too quickly for a human¡¯s reaction speed. And all three shots hit. Mikoku¡¯s clothing was torn to pieces both on her chest and on her back where the bullets of light exited. Many things scattered into the air and her body fell to the ground headfirst. She struck the ground. With an unpleasant noise, her neck bent in the correct direction. It bent in the direction it should be bent to ensure there was no saving her. Her body then rolled two or three times. When she finally came to a stop, her neck must have bent back into place because the air in her lungs passed through her throat and exited her mouth. This created a short coughing sound. Fafnir Custom used all of his forward-facing vision devices to look at her. ¡°You taught her well, Hajji. When you lost your smile, she secretly opened that silk wrapping.¡± He watched her. Even after being blasted away, Mikoku had her right hand next to her left waist. That hand held the grip of something sticking out of that wrapping. She was not moving. After confirming that, Fafnir Custom fixed his vision devices on Hajji. Hajji still had his right hand at his mouth, but he finally raised it along with his left. Fafnir Custom asked, ¡°That girl you called a djinn has fallen. Why did you bring these children with you? And what do you know? We know nothing beyond the destruction of 1st-Gear. But you that call yourselves the Army¡­¡± Fafnir Custom looked back and forth between Hajji and the girl on the left. ¡°You are an army made up of a few different Gears, aren¡¯t you? From what I can tell, Hajji, you appear to be from 9th-Gear. And those two girls appear to either be from 2nd-Gear or Low-Gear.¡± ¡°You are surprisingly nosy, aren¡¯t you, Hagen?¡± ¡°I am saying you possess something that great. You understand, don¡¯t you, Hajji?¡± Just as Fafnir Custom ended its preparation for a charge and prepared to take a normal step forward, the vision devices on his right side picked up a single small light. ¡°!¡± Fafnir Custom cast aside the heavy movements from before and leapt to the left. A change came over the joints of his legs. The output bands and wood pipes that provided the legs¡¯ driving force rearranged in an instant to shift from normal mode to short-range movement mode. He leapt about 10 meters to the left with a cat-like movement. He leapt such that his face remained pointed toward the light but his back end rotated around. His back legs landed and dug an arcing curve into the schoolyard. Fafnir Custom lowered his body with the sound of breaking wood and he saw two changes occur in the spot he had just been standing in. The first was that a five meter deep sphere of destruction had appeared on the ground there. The second¡­ ¡°Why¡­is the girl I killed there?¡± It was Mikoku. While wearing clothes that had been torn to rags, Mikoku stood before the hole of destruction created in the schoolyard. Hanging from her right arm was¡­ ¡°That is a concept weapon with a philospher¡¯s stone inside. Is it a Cowling Sword?¡± ¡°Yes. Not many can use them, but we have an excellent instructor in the Army. This girl can travel that far and cause that much destruction in an instant.¡± Mikoku remained silent. The left hand that did not hold the Cowling Sword held the remains of her torn clothes over her chest. Fafnir Custom saw her look toward him just once. Her face held no expression. However, she was not suppressing her emotions like Brunhild. ¡°She seems to be saying she has no interest in this.¡± ¡°It is an excellent expression, don¡¯t you think? She¡¯s guaranteed to be a cool beauty when she grows up, isn¡¯t she? Hm?¡± said Hajji with a smile. ¡°I will provide you with a special service today. I will tell you what we are after before getting to the real topic at hand. How about that?¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Fafnir Custom while remaining on guard. ¡°Are you creating an organized rebel army out of the remnants of each Gear in order to stop the Leviathan Road?¡± Hajji cast his eyes down and shook his head. ¡°Too bad. That¡¯s not it. What we want,¡± he took a breath, opened his eyes wide, and bowed with a smile on his face, ¡°is the annihilation of each Gear¡¯s concepts.¡± ¡°What¡­!?¡± ¡°I see no need for clarification. I mean exactly what I said, Hagen. We of the Army wish for the disappearance of every concept save the ones that preserve us. That is our goal.¡± ¡°¡­Why!? Are you abandoning your own Gears!?¡± ¡°We see a reason, meaning, and value in doing so. I assure you we do,¡± said Hajji. The smile vanished from his face as if all enthusiasm was leaving him. ¡°The holy sword Gram stored in UCAT at IAI Headquarters in Shimane will be transported to UCAT in the Tokyo branch office tomorrow night. The airplane should pass right above here.¡± ¡°Why are you telling us this? We will retrieve the concepts of 1st-Gear, but we do not wish to eliminate them as you do. ¡­We will become your enemy.¡± ¡°I know that. This is another special service. I am going all out with the special services today.¡± He lowered his gaze with no smile on his face. ¡°Well, for now, we do not mind what you do here. At the very least, we want to avoid having the concepts remain with UCAT. If you do retrieve Gram, we can begin negotiations.¡± ¡°Negotiations about what?¡± ¡°For starters, we will tell you and demand of you the truth without giving any thought to Low-Gear. We must make Low-Gear into what is truly true.¡± ¡°What is truly true?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Hajji as he raised his right hand and snapped his fingers. Mikoku moved back. She took large steps backwards so as to return to her position to the right of Hajji while never taking her eyes off of Fafnir Custom. At the same time, Hajji and Shino moved back as well. They moved toward the darkness behind them. ¡°Farewell, Hagen. Our positions will likely have changed by the time we meet again.¡± ¡°Wait! Answer me, Hajji! What do you mean by what is true!?¡± Hajji replied to that reverberating question with a smile. Mikoku caught up to him and they sank into to darkness behind them. Just before his sand-yellow summer coat sank into the darkness, Hajji¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°It is a simple matter. In the truest sense of the term, we will pass everything onto the one who will take over after us!¡± His answer grew to a shout that contained a hint of a smile. Fafnir Custom heard that answer. The three figures had disappeared from his vision. At some point, an easterly wind had begun to blow around him. Fafnir Custom quietly muttered to himself in that wind. ¡°So Gram will be transported tomorrow¡­¡± Volume 2, 16: The Conditions of Good Will Volume 2, Chapter 16: The Conditions of Good Will I shall chirp If I sing well Will it reach someone? After landing on the roof, Brunhild entered the school building with her three-cornered hat and broom in hand. She ¡°unlocked¡± the rooftop door with her philosopher¡¯s stone and quickly made her way to the art room on the third floor. Her footsteps sounded loudly as she made her way down the stairs with the cat. She unlocked the art room, entered, and found the same dimness as when she had left. The clock on the wall read 2:00 AM. A cardboard box sat atop the work desk next to the window whose curtains had been drawn. The box was in the same place as when she had left. There was no sign of anyone having touched it. Brunhild breathed a sigh of relief. She placed her hat and broom on a nearby desk and peered into the box. The small bird was inside. However, it was not sleeping in the center. Its small form was collapsed with its head on the edge of the food dish. It was not moving. Brunhild¡¯s knees gave out and she fell to the floor. Brunhild suddenly realized she was sitting on the floor. She could not remember why she had sat down. And before she could find an answer, she felt a cold sensation on her butt and thighs. It was the temperature of the wooden floor. This brought the same question to mind once more: why was she sitting on the floor? And then¡­ ¡°Brunhild!¡± The familiar voice of the black cat stabbed into her ears and her shoulder¡¯s jumped. She came back to her senses. She understood the situation. And then she felt strength fill her body. That feeling in her back, shoulders, arms, waist, and legs brought back her determination. What can I do? she thought as she shot to her feet. And then she saw the black cat leaning into the cardboard box. ¡°What are-¡­?¡± Before she could say ¡°you doing¡±, the cat stopped her by looking up at her. Its gaze was straightforward and its eyes contained no calm. ¡°Brunhild.¡± Brunhild wanted to stop it from speaking any more, but it opened its mouth regardless. ¡°It¡¯s still alive.¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± Brunhild¡¯s vision suddenly started to grow distorted, but she steadied her breathing and asked a question. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It looks like some of the food got caught in its throat. And I think it¡¯s hungry as well. Get the tweezers.¡± Brunhild began to search for the tweezers. She was panicked, so it took her several seconds to remember she had left them next to the cardboard box. When she faced forward with them in hand, the cat was lightly holding the bird in place with its front paws. The bird¡¯s beak opened and something yellow was visible within. ¡°You couldn¡¯t swallow it, could you?¡± Brunhild used the tweezers to grab the piece of corn stuck in the bird¡¯s throat. She pulled, but failed twice due to using too little force. If she pulled too strongly, she could injure the bird¡¯s throat. Brunhild dipped the tip of the tweezers in the bird¡¯s water. She then slowly grabbed the food and pulled it out. The piece was smaller than the pieces she had given it that evening. The cat sighed and said, ¡°It probably is not used to taking food from a dish yet. If the food isn¡¯t fed to it from above, the food can¡¯t get through its throat. ¡­Look, it¡¯s breathing, but weakly. What should we do?¡± Brunhild thought on that question. What should she do? She thought and began speaking what sounded right to her in the order the ideas came to her. ¡°We need to lightly wrap it in cloth, warm it up, and give it some food¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t exactly feed it in this state.¡± That comment troubled Brunhild. The cat was exactly right. What could she feed it? She did not know. ¡°But at this rate¡­¡± It was no good. That was why Brunhild made up her mind. She placed her hands on the cardboard box. ¡°I will find someone who knows what they are doing.¡± ¡°Is there anyone like that here? You¡¯re almost all alone in the dorm, remember? You¡¯ve also been all alone with your club activities because of spring break.¡± ¡°But this is my only option.¡± ¡°Well, first you need to change.¡± Brunhild looked down and realized she was still wearing the black clothes of a witch. ¡°It¡¯s all over for us if we draw too much suspicion,¡± added the cat. ¡°But,¡± began Brunhild before gritting her teeth. She ground her teeth together, but nodded. ¡°I am from 1st-Gear¡­¡± She walked over to and opened the locker. Requiem Sense greeted her with a dull light, but she said nothing. She grabbed the uniform lying below it and placed it atop the work desk. She removed the black clothes. She realized clothes perfectly fitted to her body were inconvenient when it came to quickly removing them. Fifteen seconds. It took that long for Brunhild to strip off the black clothes. She opened the curtain as she grabbed the shirt of her uniform. No light was coming from the school buildings or girls¡¯ dorm visible out the window. Was no one there or were they sleeping? Would they help her? As she stared into the darkness with those thoughts filling her mind, she thought her knees would give out. She shook her head, looked up, and realized the hand holding her shirt was trembling. She heard silence. Nothing but silence Brunhild held the sleeve between her teeth as she passed her hand through it and a muffled voice leaked out. ¡°What am I supposed to do¡­?¡± Late at night, Sayama passed through the entrance of the second year general school building on his way to the Kinugasa Library. He had been on his way back from a convenience store just outside the main entrance of the academy. The bag hanging from his hand contained packing tape, two drinks in plastic bottles, and a bit of light food like rice balls. Shinjou Setsu was currently unpacking his luggage in their room. During the short period in which the floor was unusable, Sayama had gone out with Baku to buy a late-night meal, but he had noticed the Kinugasa Library¡¯s lights were on when he had returned. ¡°I thought we locked up for the night when Shinjou-kun arrived earlier¡­¡± ¡­Could it be that someone from 1st-Gear has arrived? A glance at his watch told him it was 2:01 AM. The atmosphere of the night put Sayama on guard as he walked through the dark central lobby. Baku glanced around to the left and right as he rode on Sayama¡¯s shoulder. The small creature may have been acting as a lookout. Sayama smiled at the small bit of reassurance that gave him. He then felt tension within his own body and a slight phantom pain from the scars on his left hand. When he pictured himself objectively, his smile transformed into a bitter one. ¡°I am walking through the school at night with a convenience store bag in hand while preparing myself for an enemy attack.¡± ¡­What am I doing? But the world had become a very dangerous place for him. The source of that danger came from the Leviathan Road and the decision of whether to take part in it or not was drawing near. What should I do? he wondered as he leaned against the wall. If he turned left at the next corner, he would be in the hallway passing in front of the Kinugasa Library. He would then know why the lights were on. Sayama nodded and looked forward. He saw only darkness. The dark emptiness before his eyes suddenly brought the previous day¡¯s battle to mind. He recalled the forest, the heavy breathing, the werewolf, and that werewolf¡¯s expression just before the conclusion. ¡°¡­¡± At that time, he had chosen to defeat his enemy and Shinjou behind him had not. But that werewolf¡¯s expression made him question whether it had truly been necessary to defeat it. And it had been the same today. He had chosen to fight and Shinjou had chosen to save. But had it truly been necessary to defeat that knight and the others? Sayama remained silent. He thought of Shinjou, partially closed his eyes, and thought to himself. ¡­I was wrong. Why had he been unable to make any choice but the one he had? ¡­If I could make the decision Shinjou-kun made, I would likely be more confident. But that was something that could never happen. And so he must not think it. ¡°How can I hold pride in my own decisions?¡± That was something his grandfather had not taught him. And it was necessary. Not just to join the Leviathan Road, but to get serious about anything. He took a breath. He opened his eyes and immediately began to move. He made his way down the hallway in front of the Kinugasa Library while keeping his footsteps silent. He checked on the situation. The door was open and he could see inside. The library looked bright and empty. ¡°¡­¡± He entered, closed the door behind him, and crouched down. The convenience store bag would make noise, so he tightly grabbed it lower than the handles to hold the contents in place. He faced forward and spotted Siegfried next to the counter at the entrance. The tall old man was asleep. He was sitting shallowly in his chair, his arms were folded above his stomach, and he looked perfectly peaceful. A convenience store bag identical to the one Sayama held and an empty bento were placed on the counter. ¡°¡­So that is what happened.¡± Sayama stood up and sighed. Red flames were visible in the small potbelly stove placed next to the old man. Sayama felt warmth coming from those flames and he waved his arms to relieve the tension from before. Baku stretched atop his shoulder. He must have been tense as well because he let out a sigh. ¡°We certainly get along,¡± muttered Sayama as he stroked Baku¡¯s head. Immediately afterwards, Sayama¡¯s vision slid away from the scene before his eyes. Sayama saw a dimly-lit area. It was not the Kinugasa Library. It was a single wooden room measuring five meters square. A table sat in the center. The room was filled with a slight crimson light. The light illuminated a high ceiling that left the slope of the roof bare. The walls did not reach the ceiling and the length of the joists suggested there were six rooms total. Sayama was within the largest of the rooms. And then Sayama looked down at himself. ¡­I exist only as my vision once more. This was the past being shown by Baku. Sayama did not know this place Just as he began to wonder whose past it was, he noticed two figures across the table from him. The first was a young woman and the other was a man sleeping in a chair next to the table. The man had his back to Sayama. The woman fixed the position of the blanket covering the man. The woman had long and soft red hair and a slender face. She wore a shirt and stole over a simple pale green dress. Sayama thought it looked like an outfit from the Middle Ages as he looked over at the woman. From the lack of outward awareness in her actions and the way she walked on her tiptoes, Sayama could guess what sort of social status she belonged to. Suddenly, Sayama smiled. He had noticed a stain on the sleeve of her shirt. ¡­Is that paint? He lowered his head in his mind and walked forward. He moved to the other side of the table where he could see the two. A fireplace was located on the wall opposite the table. The fireplace had no firewood or fire. ¡­What? A single slab of stone was placed in the fireplace. The blue, slightly cracked slab was thirty centimeters square and it had a single word written on it. It was a foreign word that Sayama did not recognize. However, Sayama could sense the meaning of the word. Fire. The pale crimson light was being produced around the stone slab. It even produced heat and the flickering shimmer of a flame. This told Sayama a certain truth: he was in 1st-Gear. Sayama looked toward the two people in front of the fireplace. The woman was adjusting the hem of the sleeping man¡¯s blanket. From Sayama¡¯s new position, he could see the front of the man. He was a young man. He had broad shoulders and a nicely-shaped nose. His hair was blond and short, and his eyes were closed in sleep. He wore long black clothes over his tall form which looked cramped in the chair. Sayama recognized the man. And the woman adjusting the hem of the blanket spoke his name. ¡°Siegfried¡­¡± With her back to Sayama, the woman suddenly tilted her head. She reached a hand past the blanket and underneath the chair. She seemed to have found something. After a while, she slowly, slowly pushed her hand to the side underneath the chair. Something was hidden by the blanket there and she was pushing it out from under the chair. What came into view was a birdcage. It was a new birdcage made from wooden branches tied together. A blue bird with a bandage around its right wing stood inside. The woman sighed. She stood up with the birdcage in her arms and turned in Sayama¡¯s direction. She looked down while frowning slightly. She sighed again before speaking. ¡°Nein begged him to do it, I¡¯m sure. And he even made a cage¡­¡± The language was the same one the knight and the others had spoken during the day. He was hearing the meaning rather than the actual words spoken. The bird in the cage then looked up. It looked up at the woman from its branch and spread its un-bandaged left wing. The wing bent into two at the middle. It gave a quick high-pitched chirp as it showed the woman its wing. That chirp caused the woman to frantically turn toward Siegfried behind her. He was asleep, but he turned his head a bit to the side and frowned. The woman hurriedly placed the birdcage above the fireplace She ignored the bird that tilted its head as it looked at her. She covered the cage with a half-knit brown wool cloth. She looked back and forth between the sleeping Siegfried and the chirping bird. She whispered toward the birdcage. Sayama smiled when he sensed her words meant ¡°be quiet¡± and ¡°go to sleep¡±. The woman¡¯s words must have gotten through to the bird because it quieted down after chirping a bit longer. The woman let out a breath and spoke while bringing her arms around the birdcage. ¡°I suppose we have to keep it¡­¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied a quiet voice. Sayama looked over just as the woman did. Next to the fireplace, an old man was poking his face in below the lintel leading to the passageway. The old man¡¯s clothes were such a dark green they looked black. He was short and lean, the top of his head lacked any hair, and his face was covered in wrinkles, but his eyes held a powerful light. The man entered the room and stood before the fireplace. He placed his hands on his lower back. ¡°Lady Gutrune, he is a soldier from another Gear. We must not let our guard down.¡± ¡°But, Doctor Regin, he saved our village. And¡­¡± The woman, Gutrune, pointed toward the birdcage covered by the half-knit wool. ¡°Why did he do that? He came to destroy this world, but he stopped the rampage by the mechanical dragon my father, the king, had you make and he also worked to heal that injured bird.¡± ¡°¡­Where is Nein?¡± ¡°Sleeping¡­I think. After finishing dinner, she did nothing but listen to him play music on that instrument.¡± Gutrune looked toward the hallway and Sayama followed her gaze. He could not see anything, but the old man named Regin followed her gaze as well. ¡°It has been a long time since that six-rowed keyboard has been played. What song did he play?¡± ¡°I did not recognize it. He said he had been taught it long ago in his hometown.¡± ¡°So the other Gears have cultures much like ours.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Gutrune with a nod. She looked over at Siegfried and spoke more quietly. ¡°That instrument had not been played for years, but that was because we had forgotten about it. We have been so busy ever since my father began tightening this Gear¡¯s defenses. ¡­We have had to create the mechanical dragons, extract the concepts to create the Concept Core, and seal off or defend every entrance into 1st-Gear.¡± ¡°What do you think of him, princess? Does a softhearted princess like you think he might have saved the village and rescued that bird so we would let our guard down?¡± ¡°Why would he need to do that for such a small world? With his power, I think he could have easily destroyed everything without doing that. Yet he has not done so and is now working to learn our language.¡± ¡°He said he came from a country with a similar language structure, similar terms, and similar written characters.¡± ¡°Yes. And today, he taught us the meaning of the lyrics of that song he sang while playing the keyboard.¡± Sayama saw Gutrune narrow her eyes as she watched Siegfried. ¡°It was a holy song. It was not a song of demons as those suspicious of him say it is.¡± ¡°Are you referring to me?¡± ¡°No, Doctor Regin. I would not say you are suspicious of him. You are merely skeptical of everything.¡± Gutrune then stroked Regin¡¯s bald head. Regin stopped her with both hands and, unsure what to do with her arms, she crossed them. ¡°It seems men do not like it when you stroke their head.¡± ¡°¡­Did you do the same to him?¡± ¡°Yes. When I taught him some words and he managed to get his meaning across. For some reason, he did not like it. Yet he always seems so happy when Nein does it.¡± Gutrune sighed but quickly composed herself and looked back toward Siegfried. ¡°But is everyone in his Gear like him? Do they all end up saving people despite intending to fight?¡± ¡°You could perhaps say that he fights despite intending to save people.¡± ¡°I suppose so. ¡­But I see possibility in that. It may be dangerous with how vague an idea it is, but if there are a lot of people like him, perhaps they could actually save people in their attempts to destroy.¡± ¡°Princess, your excellent upbringing leads you to think about things in such wonderful ways.¡± ¡°But how about this? Could someone like him use the holy sword Gram you created? Would that holy sword with a will of its own choose a simple human to be its master?¡± Suddenly, Gutrune turned in the direction of Sayama¡¯s vision. ¡°Hello,¡± she said with her eyes curved like a bow. Her gaze directly met his own. Soon thereafter, Sayama realized what had happened. She was speaking to the corner of the room behind him. Sayama turned around and found a short figure in the darkness of the corner where the light from the fireplace did not reach. It was a girl. She was short and slender. She had gray hair and purple eyes. She stood behind Sayama while looking up at Gutrune. She was trying to reach up to the birdcage on top of the fireplace. Behind her, Gutrune spoke with a smile in her voice. ¡°Were you hiding it all this time? Do not worry. I will not take it away any more. If it is important enough to you that you need to hide it and watch over it this late at night, you can take it with you to your room.¡± Those words put a smile on the girl¡¯s face. Gutrune let out a sigh that held no hint of disagreeableness. ¡°You need to thank him. Okay, Nein?¡± That was the girl¡¯s name. As soon as Sayama heard that short name, he awoke from the past as if waking from a dream. Once he awoke from the past, Sayama found himself in the Kinugasa Library as before. However, one thing had changed: Siegfried was now awake. He stood up from his chair and spoke. ¡°Did Baku show you the past?¡± ¡°You can tell?¡± ¡°We used to use the same method. You can see a considerable amount in only a few seconds.¡± Sayama checked the clock to find it was 2:03 AM. As Siegfried had said, only a small amount of time had passed. Siegfried pulled a bottle of instant coffee out of the small refrigerator installed below the counter. He pulled two paper cups out from below the counter as well. Sayama watched Siegfried grab the kettle from the potbelly stove. ¡°I thought Germans were picky about their coffee.¡± ¡°One can be picky about quality and one can be picky about quantity. And I am not so unmannered that I insist on the highest quality in a place intended for books.¡± He then pointed at a few hardcover books and documents sitting on the counter. ¡°I am glad you are here. I found these while organizing the supply room. Look at that on top.¡± ¡°?¡± Sayama walked up to the counter while the smell of coffee permeated his nose. After placing his convenience store bag on the counter, he noticed a photograph on top of the pile of documents and books. It was a large black-and-white photograph in a wooden frame. It was old, stained, and the corner was wrinkled due to expansion. The left half must have sat in the light too much because it looked like it was covered by white fog. ¡°It is too faded to see very much¡­¡± ¡°It seems it was already in this state when my predecessor found it.¡± ¡°So it was already too late. ¡­Is this a commemorative photograph taken at some mountain?¡± The location was a mountain somewhere. The background showed the sky as well as a forest and prairie down below. On the surviving half of the photo, about 10 people were visible. Some wore military-looking uniforms, some wore the samue of Buddhist monks, and some wore mountain climbing gear. Some of the people were women. Siegfried placed a cup on the counter for Sayama. ¡°This is from the days of the National Defense Department. After taking the photo, we discussed who looked most like a criminal. It was later used for decoration here because it was too dreary a place otherwise, but I never thought it would still be here.¡± ¡°So who was ultimately decided to look most like a criminal?¡¯ ¡°I am forbidden to reveal that information under the conditions of the Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°So you do not want to tell me,¡± said Sayama with a sigh. However, he felt a sudden palpitation in the left side of his chest. He brought his right hand to his chest and thought about the cause. He quickly realized why. If this was a commemorative photograph of the National Defense Department¡­ ¡°¡­Where is my grandfather?¡± ¡°He is next to me. Can you not see him?¡± Sayama searched for the Siegfried he had seen in the past a moment before, but unfortunately, the very center was too stained to see well. Once he realized that, the pressure in his chest left like a receding wave. He let out a breath. And suddenly his eyes froze in place. He recognized the clothes of one figure in that black-and-white image of the past. In the center of the back row, someone had their back to the camera. Sayama recognized the person looking up into the sky as the discoverer of Babel he had seen in his dream. It was a one-armed old man. Siegfried noticed his gaze and said, ¡°That is Tenkyou-sensei. ¡­He founded this school. He said he lost his arm during the Russo-Japanese War.¡± ¡°Every time I hear that name I cannot help but think that Tenkyou is a bit of strange name.¡± ¡°I have heard theories that the name should actually be read as Amayoshi or Amayasu, but I never heard him use either of those. Those closest to him always called him Tenkyou.¡± ¡°Reverence for heaven, hm?¡±[1] ¡°It seems it was such an over-the-top name that it embarrassed him. That is why we also suspected his family name of Kinugasa was also a fake. If I had to choose a word to describe him, it would be ¡®eccentric¡¯.¡± ¡°An excellent choice.¡± Sayama picked up the paper cup from the counter. He drank the coffee which was of course bitter. He looked at the photograph and tasted the bitterness while listening to Siegfried. ¡°At any rate, he enjoyed teasing people. Everyone fell victim to that at some point or another.¡± ¡°Hearing you say that so seriously is enough to convince me.¡± Sayama placed the photograph back on the counter and began walking though the library. He was headed for the shelf with the books written by Kinugasa. It was not far away. He arrived almost immediately. The books he had looked at that morning were on the third row from the bottom. He opened the first volume which discussed Norse legends. The text was written horizontally and from left to right. ¡°Wait¡­¡± Sayama placed the book on a nearby table. With his left-arm unusable, Sayama realized something about the horizontally-written book. ¡°This is made so the pages can be easily turned with the right hand¡­¡± ¡°He really was a selfish person. He announced that he came from the Imperial Court, but I later learned that was a lie.¡± ¡°This school was not made by a proper adult, was it?¡± ¡°He liked to brag and was very broad-minded. When he was involved with creating the National Defense Department, he was already researching the different mythologies of the world even before we learned of the Concept War. ¡­He knew that the different Gears were fighting, but he waited until we realized it as well,¡± said Siegfried. ¡°He was the founder of this school and he was an authority in the fields of folklore and mythology. He is also the one who designed this library. During the National Defense Department days, he would often come here when he needed research material. I hear he concentrated mostly on mythology after discovering Babel, but he dealt more with technology when working with the Izumo Company. He was the one who constructed our earliest concept weapons.¡± Sayama looked at the other rows on the bookshelf and saw both books related to mythology and books related to engineering. The mythology books were often about the ten mythologies of the different worlds, but there were also a lot related to the Bible. ¡°In other words¡­ You could say our place here was created by the Concept War?¡± ¡°A lot happened back then.¡± Sayama nodded, returned the book to the shelf, and walked back to the counter. Siegfried picked up the photograph on the counter. ¡°The National Defense Department became UCAT after World War Two. Until then, these were the primary members. Thinking back, we were truly devoted back then.¡± ¡°Why did it become UCAT after the war?¡± ¡°Oh, UCAT was originally an American and European organization. They learned of our existence when Germany lost and they discovered some documents I had sent there. And after that, Japan was crushed by America.¡± ¡°So Germany merely ¡®lost¡¯ while Japan was ¡®crushed¡¯?¡± ¡°Germany only had its capital occupied. It never gave in.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit late to be that right-wing?¡± ¡°Do not worry about it,¡± said Siegfried as he passed the photograph over the counter to Sayama. ¡°At any rate, America and England arrived and discovered us. Each country had suffered losses to strange monsters that had appeared in the war. They created UCAT as a countermeasure. However, the National Defense Department¡¯s research and technology was superior to theirs.¡± ¡°Well, of course it was. Thanks to the stimulation of the ley lines using the Divine States-World Interaction, Japan had more contact with the Concept War than any other country.¡± ¡°Yes. They were at the stage of investigating what had happened while we had made our way to the actual battles. But for the sake of America¡¯s pride, the National Defense Department became Japanese UCAT and we agreed to cooperate with America. However, only those on the scene were sent in, so most of those that arrived from the victorious nations were crowded out. After quite a bit of conflict, we ultimately destroyed the other Gears.¡± Siegfried fell silent for several seconds before suddenly placing his cup on the counter. The cup produced a solid noise as it struck the counter. By that time, the old man was already moving. ¡°?¡± Sayama watched his long strides. The tall man covered the distance from the counter to the door in only five seconds. Before Sayama could ask what was the matter, Siegfried placed a hand on the doorknob and pulled it to the side. Sayama thought he heard a voice at that time. He did not know if Siegfried had muttered it or if it was a remnant of the past he had seen in the library, but the voice spoke a name Sayama remembered. ¡°Nein.¡± With that quiet voice, the door slid open to reveal the cold hallway beyond. Brunhild stood before the Kinugasa Library. The indoor shoes she wore were covered in outside dirt. Her shoulders and the legs supporting her body were trembling slightly and she could not stop it. The small bird in the cardboard box she held was lying on its side and breathing shallowly. Brunhild¡¯s lips moved. No voice came out, but the movement of her lips formed the words she needed to say. Please. She had to say that one word. She had gone to the cafeteria, the girls¡¯ dorm, and the faculty building, but she had not found anyone to speak that word to. This was the only place left. The Kinugasa Library was her only option. She had hurried here once she had realized that. But now that she was here¡­ ¡°¡­¡± The trembling of her legs refused to stop, the ends of her eyebrows lowered, and her head hung down. She felt as if something heavy were sitting inside her stomach. ¡°Why?¡± she muttered in a trembling voice. ¡°Why is it him again?¡± But her lowered vision showed her the small bird. Its breathing was shallow. When she saw the slight up and down movement of its body, Brunhild made up her mind. With her body still trembling, she took a step toward the door. Her footstep was quiet. However, the response it received was forceful and loud. The door slid open in front of her eyes. The object before her eyes was removed and she saw light. A tall shadow stood in the center of that light. Siegfried Zonburg. That was the shadow¡¯s name. His blue eyes looked straight at her and his expression was not even remotely harsh. His beard-covered mouth moved as he asked a question. The voice sounded so very nostalgic to her. ¡°What is it?¡± He then spoke her name. ¡°Brunhild Schild-kun.¡± He used her current name. As if in response to that, Brunhild¡¯s vision grew blurry. ¡°Ah¡­¡± A breath escaped and it turned into a small cough. She had tried to speak the words she had prepared. Please. Help this small bird. She had to speak those words. She had to speak them firmly so her intention would be conveyed. And she had to ensure he did not learn of her identity. She spoke. Or rather, she tried to. ¡°¡­¡± Her lips trembled without moving, another breath escaped, and she audibly sucked it back in. As her shoulders trembled and she began breathing heavily, she realized something was trailing down her cheek. It felt warmer than her body temperature. What was it? She did not know. What she did know was what words she had to say. She looked forward. In her blurry vision, the figure standing before her of course looked blurred. Brunhild spoke to that man who seemed to have an indefinite form. Please. ¡°Help¡­¡± Help this small bird. ¡°Help¡­!¡± As she spoke, a breath seemed to catch in her throat. At that moment, something passed by at her feet. It was the sensation of a black cat. She looked down and the blurriness in her vision spilled down her cheek. As her vision grew a bit clearer, she saw the black cat rubbing its head against the man¡¯s shin. And she heard a voice from above. ¡°Understood. ¡­I will help you.¡± Brunhild looked up. That movement caused something larger to fall from her eyes and her vision grew perfectly clear. In her raised vision, she saw Siegfried. He was looking down at her. His angular face held no smile, anger, or sorrow. He was merely staring back at her. Brunhild raised her still trembling voice in a question. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°It is true there are occasionally conflicts between us.¡± He nodded and took a step to the side while inviting her in with one hand. ¡°However, you have come to me after admitting there is something you cannot do yourself. You formed words and tried to open this door. And it was all for someone other than yourself.¡± He took a breath. ¡°That action takes courage. I have no reason to refuse you. And you have no reason to cry. After all, I will save this bird and the bird will thank you for making the right decision. ¡­Come in, young girl. This was your decision.¡± Once it became clear Siegfried was going to remain in the library all night, Sayama left and returned to his dorm. Before he had left, Sayama had put new water in the kettle and bought three corn soups from a vending machine next to the school building. ¡­I really have become kind. With that thought, he made his way to the second floor of the dorm building. He stepped out into the hallway and noted there was no luggage in front of the room anymore. ¡°Oh?¡± He looked in and found the room¡¯s lights were off. Did Shinjou-kun go to sleep ahead of me? he wondered as he walked through the door. The room was illuminated by the pale moonlight and it had been cleaned up. A few of the boxes remained on the floor, but¡­ ¡°Is this the luggage for the shared spaces?¡± There was no sign Shinjou had touched the shelves to the side of the bed, the trunk next to the wall, or any of the other storage areas he shared with Sayama. Unopened boxes were sitting in front of them waiting to be unloaded. I suppose I should have returned earlier, thought Sayama as he placed the convenience store bag on top of his desk. He found a note on the desk. It was written on a piece of loose leaf paper. In the center, it said, ¡°I am feeling tired, so I will go to sleep ahead of you. Sorry.¡± After reading the note, Sayama looked over at the bottom bunk. He saw Shinjou¡¯s silhouette lying atop the mattress. ¡­So this is what it is like to have a roommate. When he nodded and placed the note back on the desk, Baku suddenly jumped down from his shoulder and onto the desk. Baku ran over and jumped to the desk that would be Shinjou¡¯s. The writing equipment Shinjou had brought had been placed on the desk. There was a red cloth pencil case, binders of loose leaf paper, and a notebook-style computer. There were two different types of loose leaf paper. One was lined and the other was Japanese-style manuscript paper. Baku climbed onto one of the loose leaf paper binders and quickly went to sleep. ¡­Is that important to Shinjou-kun? Baku did not respond or even turn toward Sayama. He was already curled up and fast asleep. Sayama gave a small smile. He looked forward toward his own desk and saw the study equipment he had used since the first year. He reached out toward the corner of the desk. A single picture frame was placed there. He grabbed the small wooden frame with his bandaged left hand and brought it into the moonlight. The picture showed a large gym. It was brightly lit and a white winners¡¯ platform was placed at the bottom. The winner¡¯s platform was divided into three levels. Boys wearing karate uniforms stood at 1st place and 3rd place. Sayama was not in the picture. He silently returned the picture frame to its original spot. The scars on his left hand glowed white in the moonlight. ¡°¡­¡± He heard a sudden noise. It was the sound of rustling cloth. Realizing what it was, he turned toward the source of the sound. The sound had been caused by Shinjou turning in his sleep on the bottom bunk. Shinjou¡¯s hair was unbound and spread out across the bed¡¯s mattress. His body was bent in a shallow V-shape and a thin blanket covered him. He was wearing a white shirt. The blanket had come off slightly, so his feet and white thighs were visible. ¡°Nn¡­¡± A slight voice escaped his lips and his expression changed slightly. With a short breath, he adjusted his position. His weak movements had deepened the V-shape of his body. The blanket slid to the side and the white underwear covering his butt could be seen peeking out from under his shirt. Sayama visually followed the lines of his thighs, one of which was slightly forward of the other. The lines continued in long curves that curved in all the right places. Sayama looked at the white underwear covered butt and tilted his head. ¡°Is that really not Sadame-kun?¡± He brought a hand to his chin and thought. He realized he would know once and for all if he removed the underwear before his eyes. And he continued to think. He thought on the situation, the suddenness of it, what would happen afterwards, and how he could handle the aftermath. And he finally decided on a plan. ¡°If I explain the situation, he will understand.¡± He gave a deep nod and felt those words held great persuasive power. His doubts were gone. He now began to take action. He leaned over the bed as if covering Shinjou with his own body. He then began to reach toward the cloth displaying the round shape of Shinjou¡¯s butt. But then a quiet voice escaped Shinjou¡¯s lips. He spoke in a trembling, broken voice. ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± Sayama raised his head and looked toward Shinjou¡¯s face. Shinjou was frowning and casting down his closed eyes. His mouth opened slightly as he spoke. ¡°I am always wrong¡­¡± His partially disturbed breathing sucked in the words. He could no longer speak, but his expression remained unchanged. Sayama recalled the words Shinjou had spoken and shook his head. For the past few days, he had been trying to give meaning to what people said in their sleep. ¡­Am I that vague a person? Sayama looked at Shinjou¡¯s face, but he spoke as if as a warning to himself. ¡°That is not the case. ¡­I guarantee it.¡± As he spoke, Sayama used his outstretched hand to grab the blanket. He placed it back over Shinjou¡¯s body. He then lightly tapped Shinjou¡¯s back. He did so slowly as if lulling a child to sleep. ¡°Nn¡­¡± Shinjou¡¯s breathing gradually grew steadier. However, the stern expression did not leave his face. This is my limit for now, realized Sayama. Sayama nodded in understanding and got up from the bed. He looked out the window and saw the white moon in the sky. Sayama opened his mouth to speak as he looked at the moon sending out moonlight that could be called cold. ¡°I am acting unlike myself, but this may be my only chance to do so. Will I continue to be hated until my body is destroyed or will I give up on everything? ¡­I must choose one or the other before long.¡± He reached his left hand out toward the moon. The pain in his bandaged left arm ran up through his shoulder and into his head. However, Sayama spread his scarred left hand and then clenched it into a fist as if grasping the moon. He let out a breath and some words. ¡°What are the conditions for being a villain?¡± Notes 1. ¡ü This is the literal meaning of the kanji for the name that can be read as Tenkyou, Amayoshi, or Amayasu. Volume 2, 17: Tranquil Flowers Volume 2, Chapter 17: Tranquil Flowers Peaceful, peaceful, peaceful The noisier the person, the more they desire silence The noisier the person, the more they sink into silence Brunhild¡¯s awakening began with surprise. A slight sensation suddenly came to her right cheek. ¡°¡­!¡± Her shoulders shook and she opened her eyes. She looked at her right shoulder, but saw nothing there. What was that? she wondered as she saw an unfamiliar scene. She was not in her usual dim dorm room. The ceiling was tall and bookshelves were lined up. She could see the light of morning. The clock on the wall was larger than the one in her dorm room and it read 6:30 AM. Seeing that time caused her to panic slightly. Her panic raised her heart rate which swept away the last of her drowsiness. A clear question floated up in her mind. ¡°Where am I?¡± This was not her dorm room. It was some other place. It was somewhere larger and warmer. She focused on her vision, but all she could see were the tall ceiling, the bookshelves, and the large space. However, Brunhild recognized it. Her memories took the form of words. ¡°The library counter.¡± She was sleeping on a chair rather than a bed. The fact that she had fallen asleep, the stove next to her, and the green blanket someone had placed over her all made her feel she had failed. However, she wondered how long it had been since someone had last placed a blanket over her. She had just woken up, but she placed the blanket over her shoulder where it had slipped down some and gave herself in to its warmth. As she did, she saw what had woken her. A small form stood on the blanket near her chest. The sunlight entering through the window between two bookshelves and the light from the ceiling illuminated a small bird with a blue head and black wings. Brunhild¡¯s eyes met with the bird¡¯s. The bird raised its tail and chirped quietly. Brunhild stopped moving. ¡°Ah¡­¡± A small voice escaped her lips and the ends of her eyebrows lowered. She moved her hands to lift up the blanket and gently held the bird through the blanket. With a creak from the chair, Brunhild stood up. The small bird tilted its head on top of her hand and the blanket. It pecked at the inside of its wings, but it otherwise remained still. ¡°You can jump out of the box, but you still can¡¯t fly, can you?¡± Brunhild held her hand out toward the cardboard box. The bird jumped from the slope of the blanket and into the box. The state of the box¡¯s contents had changed from the night before. The food dish now had tiny yellow grains in it. It was millet. Siegfried would scatter it for the birds in the morning and it appeared the bird had pecked at it some while Brunhild slept. However, the bird looked up at Brunhild and opened its upturned mouth. A comment on the bird came from the side. ¡°It seems to have taken a liking to you.¡± That low voice was followed by a white paper cup in an outstretched hand. Both steam and a slightly sour smell rose from the cup. It contained coffee. Brunhild turned toward the person holding out the cup. A tall old man stood there. It was Siegfried. He nodded once. ¡°After drinking this, take your bird and cat and leave,¡± he said to emphasize what she should do. The old man placed the cup on the counter. He turned his back, put out the stove, and began organizing the objects below the counter. Brunhild placed the blanket over the chair and woke the black cat sleeping curled up below the chair. The cat stood up and looked around. Its sleepy eyes turned toward Siegfried¡¯s back. The cat nodded once and tapped at Brunhild¡¯s leg. It pointed its front right leg toward Siegfried before bringing its front paws together as if in prayer. Brunhild nodded and stood. ¡°Um,¡± she muttered under her breath. She touched her face to find it held the same expressionless look as ever. Her hair was disheveled, but she decided it was within acceptable limits. She picked up the cup from the counter and took a sip of coffee. She felt as if this was the first time in a long time that she had tasted actual food or drink. The remnants of her tension had left an odd iron taste in her mouth, but the coffee washed it away. The taste seemed to warm her body. After drinking the entire cup of coffee, she realized there had been sugar at the bottom. But she could not have done anything about it because she had no spoon. She almost gave a bitter smile toward the crouching back that continued to organize things below the counter. ¡°¡­¡± She regained her proper expression. The cup produced a light noise as she placed it on the counter. She knew what she had to say. ¡°Sorry about¡­last night.¡± ¡°You mean your sudden visit?¡± ¡°There is that,¡± Brunhild replied to the back¡¯s question. ¡°But you kept me warm even after I fell asleep and you gave me soup¡­¡± ¡°My help was already over by the time you fell asleep. Do not worry about it. You asked me for help. At that point, you only needed to fall asleep.¡± As he spoke, Siegfried picked up some documents. As he slowly turned around, Brunhild tried to take a silent step back. However, something pressed up against the back of her lower leg. It was the black cat¡¯s back. Brunhild stopped moving backwards. She faced Siegfried. He was two heads taller than her. Brunhild looked up at his blue eyes. His eyes held no emotion and Brunhild realized the look in his eyes was the same as hers. She felt danger. Not from him but from her past. Holding any more emotional bonds was dangerous. And so she lowered her head in order to avert her gaze. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± She thought about what to do next. First, she would raise her head. Second, she would pick up the bird¡¯s box. Third, she would turn around. Fourth, she would casually kick the black cat. And fifth, she would walk to the door. She began to implement this plan. And she was suddenly stopped at the very first step. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± When she began to raise her head, something large gently pressed down on it from above. It was Siegfried¡¯s hand. He was stroking her head. ¡°You did well.¡± She could feel her cheeks reddening at his words and the sensation passing through her hair. ¡°P-please stop that.¡± She shook her head and tried to place her hands on her head in order to escape his hand. She hurriedly placed her arms on the cardboard box for the small bird so she could carry it. She turned around. And when she turned her head to glance back, she saw Siegfried with the exact same look on his face as before. ¡°My apologies.¡± Those words caused Brunhild to realize why she had avoided him. She averted her gaze, fully turned her back to him, and lowered the edges of her eyebrows. ¡°No¡­ I was just a bit surprised.¡± ¡°I used to know a girl who loved it when I did that.¡± Brunhild shut her eyes when she heard that statement. ¡°¡­Zonburg-san?¡± she said. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Why did you decide to save this bird last night?¡± ¡°Because you-¡­¡± ¡°You decided to save the bird because I asked you to?¡± After she cut off Siegfried¡¯s answer with that question, she received a short silence in response. Brunhild took a breath. She took one, two, three, four, five breaths. On the fifth, she received her answer. ¡°It is a means of atonement for me. Even if it is going against the law of nature¡­¡± Brunhild opened her eyes and listened to his voice. ¡°I do not want to lose what cannot be regained.¡± Brunhild moved slightly when she heard that. She brought the arms carrying the box closer to her chest and walked toward the door. All strength had left her body without her realizing it. As she wondered why, Brunhild reached the door and opened it. Siegfried¡¯s voice arrived from behind. ¡°If anything else happens or you need to leave for a bit, you can leave the bird with me.¡± Brunhild nodded and walked out into the hallway. She closed the door. This was a school hallway, but it was the early morning during spring break. The entranceway was dimly lit and the air was cold. That darkness and chilliness awoke her body rather than her mind. And even though her body woke, it still felt weak. Brunhild sighed. She walked to the central lobby and leaned up against the wall. She felt the box up against her chest and the cold wall against her back. The bird¡¯s chirping and the coldness on her back caused her body to tremble. The black cat arrived at her feet. ¡°Are you okay? Maybe you should rest in the art room instead of walking back to the dorm.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Brunhild with a nod. She sucked in a breath, looked up at the ceiling, opened her mouth, and straightened her throat. I look like the small bird asking for food, she thought. She brought air into her lungs and contemplated why her body felt so weary. She did not know. But she did understand one thing: Siegfried. ¡°Atonement¡­¡± Brunhild closed her eyes and mouth and lowered her face. She closed herself up but thought with her heart. She thought on what she had learned after sixty years: He had not forgotten either. The large clock on the school wall indicated it was 9:00 AM. It was spring break, so the bell did not ring. Instead, a motorcycle engine could be heard. A black touring motorcycle passed through the main entrance and continued toward the parking lot behind the dorms. A couple rode it. They were Izumo and Kazami. The motorcycle engine ceased to rev as it came up alongside the line of school buildings. With his brown coat fluttering in the wind, Izumo gripped the clutch letting the engine go free. He placed his heel on the ground and lowered their speed. He removed his helmet with his right hand and muttered to no one in particular. ¡°¡­So being stubborn will leave you sleep deprived.¡± ¡°Sorry about having you come with me,¡± said Kazami who was riding tandem. Izumo stopped the motorcycle and turned around. The girl wearing a warm sleeveless top and a men¡¯s leather jacket held her helmet along with her rucksack. Kazami¡¯s expression had her eyebrows bent downwards a bit. Nevertheless, she had a smile on her lips. After seeing her face, Izumo looked forward once more. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll stick with you until we get an agreement.¡± ¡°Sorry. I think it will be like this at least until Sayama decides for himself.¡± ¡°Really, it doesn¡¯t bother me that much. Will your friend have the new song done in time for the Zenren Festival in May? We¡¯re already printing posters for the school band competition.¡± ¡°We have enough songs stocked up. And if it comes down to it, I can head home and beg for help from my father, so everything will be fine.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Izumo glanced back to see Kazami nod and change her expression. Her eyebrows rose slightly and her eyes looked straight up at him. ¡°Friends are important, but there is something else we need to prioritize. Let¡¯s start there.¡± ¡°The Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°Yes. As the ones who are already involved, isn¡¯t there something we should be showing him?¡± ¡°Yeah, I can think of some things he would want to see. Like-¡­Ah, wait! I didn¡¯t say anything yet!¡± ¡°Tch. You¡¯re getting smarter.¡± Kazami lowered the right fist she had raised in order to tear into Izumo. She sighed. The collar of her jacket slipped from her limp shoulder. Something other than skin was visible on Kazami¡¯s bared right shoulder. Izumo reached out his hand without warning. He placed the hand on Kazami¡¯s slightly cold collarbone. ¡°Ah¡­What is it?¡± Kazami cowered down a bit as she wrapped her arms around her rucksack and helmet, but Izumo quickly moved his hand to her shoulder. As she looked up with a troubled expression, he showed her what he held between his fingers. It was a small yellow flower petal. ¡°¡­¡± Kazami¡¯s expression clouded over when she saw its color and shape. She cast her eyes down a bit and her eyebrows drooped. Izumo sighed. ¡°Chisato.¡± ¡°Hm? Wh-what?¡± When she opened her mouth to speak, Izumo suddenly shoved his finger and the flower petal inside her mouth. ¡°Nn!¡± gasped Kazami before swallowing the flower petal. Izumo pulled out his finger and said, ¡°Listen. That gloomy look isn¡¯t like you at-¡­Ow ow ow! Dammit, now this is more like you!¡± ¡°Shut up! Why would you do that all of a sudden!?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like it all of a sudden? Okay, next time I¡¯ll ask permission first.¡± ¡°That! Is! Not! The! Issue!!¡± Kazami¡¯s repeated blows rang out in staccato. She struck him in the body, hit his face with a left-handed backhanded blow to the left when his head stuck forward, hit him in his unguarded right flank with a hook, and began a left-handed uppercut. ¡°Oh?¡± But she stopped there. Izumo took a breath while waiting for the uppercut that should have come. ¡°H-huh? This feels inadequa-¡­no, I mean. What¡¯s the matter, Chisato?¡± ¡°I hear an organ,¡± replied Kazami as she pointed toward the second year general school building which they could see the back of from there. Izumo turned an ear in that direction and realized he could hear it, too. It was coming from the music room on the second floor of the building. ¡°Is that Silent Night? You do hear it on occasion. Does that room have bad soundproofing or something?¡± ¡°No music room would have bad soundproofing. Look, the window is open.¡± Izumo looked up toward the second floor and the music room¡¯s window was indeed open. ¡°See?¡± said Kazami. ¡°The art room and music room actually have excellent soundproofing. We use the music room for practice, so I know.¡± ¡°You say that, but we sure could hear that bird from above while in the Kinugasa Library yesterday.¡± ¡°It must have passed through the ventilation. ¡­You never hear anything while up above because the library¡¯s supply room is always quiet.¡± Kazami¡¯s gaze stopped on the third floor. ¡°That¡¯s unusual. One of the art room¡¯s curtains is open. ¡­Oh, it¡¯s Schild¡¯s black cat.¡± Drawn in by Kazami¡¯s last word more than anything else, Izumo looked up at the art room¡¯s window on the third floor. A single black cat sat in the window. The cat did not seem to have noticed them. Kazami held her helmet up against her chest. ¡°How cute. That kind of cat is just perfect for a completely cement-like German girl like Schild.¡± ¡°I think the things you say are a lot more cement-like¡­¡± The instant Izumo looked over at Kazami, she gasped and her eyes opened wide in surprise. Izumo followed her gaze to the art room window to find the curtain closed. ¡°K-K-K-Kaku?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Th-the cat just closed the curtain. It closed it. It really did!¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°I-it stood up, grabbed it with its paws, and tugged like this.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­You seem to be having a hard time of it, Chisato.¡± Without saying anything more, Izumo faced forward and kicked off the ground to begin driving once more. ¡°Now, then. Let¡¯s head back and get some sleep.¡± ¡°Please believe me!!¡± As Izumo¡¯s back shook from repeated blows, he muttered with an annoyed expression. ¡°Is it really that surprising in the world we live in?¡± Sayama arrived at an IAI-affiliated hospital located across the Tama River from IAI. Shinjou had come from the IAI lobby and brought him to the central of the five white buildings making up the hospital. Shinjou showed a card at the reception desk and they were led to a staircase to the side of the reception desk. They walked down approximately five floors and passed through a few barriers that opened up before them. They arrived at a stairway that split off in two directions and Sayama followed Shinjou down the left path. There he found¡­ ¡°A room? Is it a waiting room leading to a large hall?¡± At the end of the staircase were a small cement room and a dark space that opened beyond it. The northern end of the room had a large elevator, but the floor number display did not go up to the first floor. It ran from B3 down to B7. Sayama frowned at the atmosphere of the room. Baku¡¯s nose twitched from where he sat on Sayama¡¯s shoulder. Sayama recognized the smell in the room. It was the scent of incense. He had recently smelled it at his grandfather¡¯s funeral. And he could hear the sounds of an air conditioner. Both the smell and the sounds came from the dark space beyond the room. The room had a stone sink with running water, a trashcan next to it, and a waiting room sofa. The trash can contained tall, withered flowers and white cloth. ¡°¡­¡± Shinjou turned around in the center of the room to face Sayama. She removed her brown jacket to reveal a black shirt and black trousers below. Only the scarf around her neck was white. ¡°U-um. This is my second time, but¡­well¡­this is¡­¡± ¡°You do not have to say it. If you had told me we would be coming here, I would have worn mourning clothes.¡± ¡°Ooshiro-san told me to bring you by before the negotiations. He raised his thumb like this.¡± ¡°Is that why you do not look very cheerful today? You did not seem to be listening when I told you about your brother¡¯s arrival.¡± ¡°Oh, th-that¡¯s right. Sorry. Here, take this.¡± Shinjou pulled a black necktie and a small plastic bag from the inner pocket of the jacket hanging from her hand. The necktie was for the funeral and inside the plastic bag was¡­ ¡°These are the objects I had on me the day before yesterday.¡± It contained an IAI cell phone that could record audio and video with its microphone and camera, a handheld digital voice recorder, and a black leather seal case. ¡°I was told the pens and broken watch were sent in for analysis.¡± Sayama first took the plastic bag and opened it. The handheld recorder¡¯s battery was dead. ¡°Did someone accidentally switch it on?¡± He placed it in his pocket along with the cell phone and seal before placing the plastic bag on the sofa. Sayama removed his current necktie in an instant and took the black necktie from Shinjou. He tilted his head, wrapped the tie around his neck, and tied it. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a bit crooked.¡± Shinjou walked over and grabbed the tie. As she held the knot in place with her right hand, the ring on her middle finger glittered a bit. Shinjou fixed the tie, took a step back, gave a small groan, and fixed it once more. She asked a question as she moved the base of the tie. ¡°How was Setsu?¡± ¡°It seems he decided to visit back home this morning. He was gone when I woke up.¡± ¡°Oh, um, that isn¡¯t what I meant. What did you think of him?¡± ¡°I try not to speak about people when they are not present.¡± That put a bitter smile on Shinjou¡¯s face. She stroked Baku¡¯s head as he sat on Sayama¡¯s shoulder. ¡°That is just like you, Sayama-kun.¡± ¡°Is it? Well, there are some people for whom I have partially removed that restriction. Izumo and the old man, for example.¡± ¡°That is also just like you,¡± said Shinjou with a grin. She then asked, ¡°Setsu said that you are a strange person.¡± ¡°Oh, that is probably because I suddenly checked over his body. It may have been a bit too soon for that.¡± ¡°I want to know what you think ¡®a bit¡¯ means¡­¡± ¡°Do not worry about it. I did it because I thought Setsu-kun might be you.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± asked Shinjou. Sayama replied, ¡°Last night, I thought about removing Setsu-kun¡¯s underwear while he slept to see if he was you.¡± ¡°S-Sayama-kun? ¡­Are you crazy?¡± ¡°How rude. ¡­How about I ask you why you are tying my necktie with a smile on your face?¡± ¡°Am I not allowed to do that? And, well, Setsu is a boy. You understand what I mean, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I do. And I have only just met him. That is why I have a request for you instead.¡± ¡°Eh? What is it?¡± ¡°I memorized the bodylines of Setsu-kun¡¯s legs and butt last night. I would like to compare them to your body, so I can-¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, his tie was tightened to its limit. A few minutes later, Sayama and Shinjou bowed in greeting and entered the next room. It was quite large. Stone platforms were arranged in four rows and five columns. Seven of them were currently in use. Six of them were covered with white cloth and one was covered with black cloth. Each of the cloths had flowers placed next to them. However, one of the white cloths was decorated with a light purple flower Sayama did not recognize. ¡°That is Primula modesta. It was growing in a flower bed behind UCAT. Sibyl, who is in charge of communications and maintenance, was picking them earlier. You haven¡¯t met her yet have you, Sayama-kun? ¡­I bet those flowers are from her.¡± ¡°I see. Who are these six?¡± ¡°The members of the advance unit. They pursued that werewolf. Their normal duty is that of guards, but they requested to be sent out because it was an emergency. It is UCAT¡¯s job to capture suspicious people and radicals.¡± And to know how that turned out, I only need to look in front of me, thought Sayama. So this is why Shinjou-kun told me I should decline the Leviathan Road. Shinjou pulled an unopened package of incense sticks and a lighter from her back trouser pocket. The cheap and well-used lighter belonged to Ooshiro. It had his name and its intended location (¡°On top of the TV¡±) written in marker. She lit it. The two of them each placed an incense stick next to and brought their hands together at each of the six stone platforms. ¡°We have permission from the families of that one and that one, so you can look at them.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama pressed his hands together once more before lifting up the cloth. He did not hesitate and he was not surprised. After his time with the Tamiya family and his grandfather, he had seen the same thing a few times. However, this was the first time he had seen a body that had been ripped apart by a beast. The first body looked as if the area from below the neck on the right to the left flank had been dug out with a shovel. It must have been gouged out by a poor-quality blade because white fragments of bone were visible within the blackened folds of flesh. The second body had no visible external wounds aside from three large ones and some bruising on the head. However, the neck and abdomen had sunk in like a deflated balloon. That area must have been crushed with a powerful blow. Sayama replaced the cloth and placed his hands together again. Shinjou did the same next to him. Shinjou had said this was her second time, but her face still looked pale. Sayama showed no concern, however. In this place, the dead took precedence. Shinjou glanced over at the cloth hiding one of the bodies. ¡°It seems this incident has led to some second thoughts about the current system. Specifically, the entrance requirements for the special and standard divisions, the division of work, and the process for dealing with this sort of situation if it happens again.¡± ¡°If someone dies, how is their family told?¡± ¡°Official employees are said to be overseas while on active duty. In that case, the family is told there was an ¡®accident¡¯ while they were on guard duty in a dangerous part of the world. Any family members that are in UCAT are simply told the truth.¡± ¡°What if a student like Kazami died?¡± ¡°She is not connected to UCAT or IAI, so it would be said she was in an accident.¡± Shinjou looked up at Sayama. ¡°Are you mad?¡± ¡°Of course not. It is only natural for a corporation to protect itself. And¡­ With a conflict like this, they would never understand if you tried to tell the truth. I am sure each country¡¯s UCAT works with the government and corporations to keep certain information hidden.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Shinjou with a nod. Shinjou then looked toward the one remaining cloth. This was the black cloth located at a distance from the others. Sayama had a guess who was below that cloth. ¡°Is that the werewolf from the day before yesterday?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± affirmed Shinjou. She handed Sayama a piece of cloth she took from her back pocket. It was white canvas. It had something written on it with black paint. ¡°Placing this by the body on your first visit is the 1st-Gear custom.¡± Sayama looked over and saw that a number of the pieces of cloth were placed at the body¡¯s feet while the flowers were placed next to the head. While Sayama placed the cloth, Shinjou dipped her finger in a glass cup of water placed next to the flowers. She let water drip down onto the cloth covering the chest. Sayama did the same. As he let the cold water drip down, his gaze stopped on the arrangement of the flowers. In addition to the white flowers that had also been placed with the other six, there were two bouquets of yellow chrysanthemums. From the number of fallen flower petals, Sayama deduced that one bouquet had been brought the day before and the other today. The water in the cup was cold and it contained no sediment or bubbles. ¡­So someone is properly watching over him. Suddenly, his eyes moved to the stems of the chrysanthemum offerings. Each flower had a straight horizontal scrape fairly high up the stem. Sayama sighed when he saw the slight watery green color in the scrapes. ¡°What is it, Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°Oh, it just seems I cannot help but be surrounded by softhearted people. But if that is who they want to be, I will go along with it.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± asked Shinjou as she tilted her head. ¡°Do not worry about it,¡± said Sayama. He placed a hand on the top of the black cloth. ¡°Do we have permission for him?¡± ¡°Yes, we received it from both the peaceful faction and the ones we captured yesterday. ¡­The Royal Palace Faction was it?¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Sayama with a nod. They likely wanted to go into the negotiations with no secrets. He brought his hands together, bowed, and lifted up the cloth. In his mind, he was picturing the werewolf¡¯s expression at the conclusion of their fight the day before yesterday. ¡­What will I think if that expression is still there? He did not hesitate or show any surprise. He merely pulled the cloth down with that question in mind. However¡­ ¡°A person?¡± Below the cloth was a brown-haired foreign man. He had short, messy hair and an angular face. His eyes were closed, so his expression made it seem he was only sleeping. Sayama heard Shinjou speak. ¡°The werewolves of 1st-Gear turn into wolves when they are tense. And they return to normal when that tension leaves. They can¡¯t actually turn into wolves within the concepts of Low-Gear, but a philosopher¡¯s stone making an inferior copy of 1st-Gear¡¯s writing concept was found in his stomach. ¡­Can you see the traces of that fight?¡± Sayama looked closer and noticed the man¡¯s lips were split and he had been stabbed in the center of the chest. The area around those wounds was burnt. That had been caused by Sayama¡¯s watch and ballpoint pen. A line as wide as a business card cut through his left and right sides. That was from Kazami¡¯s sniper shot. ¡°Apparently, the peaceful faction gave permission to shoot to kill when they heard the situation.¡± ¡°He killed himself in the end¡­ He must have known he had no allies left.¡± Sayama placed the cloth back over the body. He bowed and then glanced around the room. In that quiet, dimly lit hall were seven people who had already been lost. ¡­And the same could happen to me. He thought for a moment and a single question came to him. This could happen to him, but if that did not happen¡­ ¡°This could happen to someone else¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± As Shinjou let out a questioning voice, she and Sayama exchanged a glance. Sayama looked into Shinjou¡¯s black eyes and had a sudden thought: Would Shinjou choose a battlefield on which she could be lost? Volume 2, 18: Broken Horizon Volume 2, Chapter 18: Broken Horizon What are you going there to see? Is that a question one can answer? After all, that is what you are going there to find out Sayama followed Ooshiro Kazuo to the 1st-Gear reservation. They climbed a hill behind UCAT. They walked past UCAT transportation control, made their way through vegetable and flower gardens and a cedar forest, and finally arrived at a paved road. Ooshiro turned toward Sayama on that road. He flipped up the hem of his burnt white lab coat. ¡°Do you have anything with anything written on it or carved into it?¡± Sayama was just about to answer when he suddenly looked toward the surrounding forest. ¡°¡­?¡± Something is off, thought Sayama. He had felt some sort of presence. However, he could not see anything in the area. He found only silence. ¡°It certainly is quiet here.¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s because we are near the concept space. But I visited here a few times a long time ago. And those times,¡± Shinjou tilted her head, ¡°I remember hearing more birds.¡± I need to be cautious, thought Sayama. He nodded and answered the previous question. ¡°I decided to be cautious and avoided bringing any products with writing on them. But will electronics work inside?¡± Sayama pulled his cell phone from his pocket. It had a microphone and a built-in camera that allowed it to record audio and video. Sayama pointed at the camera and Ooshiro scratched at his head. ¡°Hmm, it should work. To prevent a rebellion, the reservation is based on Low-Gear concepts. If you are clever in how you use it, you might be able to give it extra ability from the concepts added to the reservation. But¡­¡± ¡°But it will not work as a phone, right? The phone tower exists outside.¡± ¡°There are specialized devices that allow you to communicate outside, but they are quite valuable.¡± Hearing that, Sayama returned the cell phone to his suit¡¯s breast pocket. He kept the camera facing outwards. Sayama then looked toward Ooshiro¡¯s left side. He held a laptop there. When Ooshiro noticed, he tapped the gray body of the device and raised his right thumb. ¡°This is for recording what is said. The keyboard and switches are unmarked. At the press of a button, it can switch to a setting that does not display anything.¡± ¡°I did not know you were that skilled with computers, old man.¡± Shinjou looked over toward Sayama. She was slightly out of breath from climbing the slight hill. ¡°He plays video games a lot in his room. But when SF, the others, or I try to look at the screen, he panics and switches off the display. I think Itaru-san scolded him about it once.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. And the walls in Ooshiro-san¡¯s room are covered in long vertical posters. They all have gaudy drawings of lewd girls.¡± After thinking on what Shinjou had said, Sayama looked over at Ooshiro. He turned a small smile toward that man carrying a laptop. ¡°Old man.¡± ¡°D-do you need something?¡± ¡°I will say this in an indirect way: you will not die in any decent way, you perverted old man.¡± ¡°Wow, you really said it. ¡­And Shinjou-kun, you shouldn¡¯t tell on people!¡± ¡°Eh? B-but I thought an hour of video games a day was an acceptable way of extending your hobbies.¡± With her head tilted, Shinjou pulled what looked like a card out of her back pocket. ¡°I have this. It isn¡¯t the same as yours, but it is a handheld game system UCAT gave me.¡± Sayama took it from her and realized it was a small game device with an LCD screen. The black and white LCD screen was located in the center, a single round button was located on either side of the screen, and it had two selection buttons. From the patterns visible on the LCD screen, the game involved people jumping down from a building which the player had to bounce into an ambulance with a stretcher. ¡°It has a clock mode and the game has a normal A Mode and a hard B Mode. I got the max score in A Mode once, but the battery died and my high score was lost.¡± Sayama nodded in understanding as he listened, but then he spoke to Ooshiro. ¡°I just now realized that it is UCAT¡¯s doing that Shinjou-kun is so strange, but what am I supposed to do about it?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not strange.¡± ¡°You have been brainwashed. Video games are normally played on the television or with a color LCD screen.¡± ¡°Eh? You can play games on TV?¡± ¡°Old man! This has reached the level of personality modification!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not actually sure how this happened either,¡± he said. ¡°I can only think people have been giving her what they have to spare.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Sayama with a nod. He returned the handheld game system to Shinjou. ¡°Take care of this. ¡­But get ready because I will make sure Setsu-kun educates you on this. I think I have some things in storage that a graduate left behind.¡± ¡°Eh? Y-you don¡¯t have to do that. I would feel bad.¡± ¡°No, this is an excellent chance to teach you that you do not live in the Showa era.¡± Sayama sighed and continued forward. As Ooshiro walked in front of him, the man suddenly disappeared. Sayama frowned and wondered what had happened, but then the watch on his left wrist suddenly vibrated. ¡ªWriting is a representation of power. He heard a voice and red words scrolled across the face of the watch. Sayama realized this was the same concept text he had heard at the Imperial palace. But he felt as if nothing had changed. The scenery around him had barely changed. The types of trees were slightly different and the smell of earth was a bit stronger, but that was all. He could not help but compare it to the concept space that had caused the direction of gravity to change. ¡°This is a bit underwhelming.¡± ¡°Not all of them are quite so exciting.¡± He looked over to find Ooshiro and Shinjou standing next to him. Sayama nodded and they began walking once more. Beyond the forest on either side of the path were fields of crops. Sayama continued walking along the earth between the trees as he looked at the crops in the distance. He soon came to the top of the hill. The visible area opened up before him. Above were the blue sky and the white clouds and below was a village. The fields on either side of the path continued on to the village. Most of the trees had been left intact in the village and several houses had been built among them. Most of those houses were made of built up stones with cement filling the gaps. The roofs were made of wood. A small vegetable garden and storage shed existed next to each house. An even more open area existed beyond the trees and houses. A green sea was visible there. ¡°Wheat?¡± ¡°Yes. Some potatoes and other things are grown individually. Growing crops in a concept space can be unstable. About twenty years ago, large amounts of soil was brought in from outside so they could be self-sufficient.¡± ¡°Is that part of UCAT¡¯s job?¡± ¡°Yes, but UCAT¡¯s budget is limited. For anything more than that, the reservation residents need to earn it themselves. They do so by sharing techniques and knowledge or by working in UCAT. And if they wish to be naturalized, we will gladly help them.¡± ¡°Is that because the fewer the people in the reservation, the easier it is to keep them fed?¡± Just as Ooshiro nodded in response, a low voice called out from the field to the side. ¡°Yes. And if we are to welcome in new members, we must send out those who can leave.¡± The figure that climbed up to the pathway was huge. Sayama looked up at that two meter figure. ¡°A dragon?¡± In front of him was a humanoid dragon covered in a black shell and skin. His pointed face and sharp eyes were turned toward Sayama. The low shoulders below his fairly long neck were covered by a simple white outfit that had a fisherman¡¯s vest worn over it. On his feet were¡­ ¡°Jika-tabi?¡± They were the type sold cheaply in supermarkets. The toes were covered in dirt and moss. He must have noticed Sayama¡¯s gaze because Fasolt opened his mouth and laughed from the throat. He kicked the ground to knock off the dirt and moss and shook the flowers and straw in his left arm. ¡°These shoes work best with the three claws I have received from the reign of the dragon god. They also work well with agricultural work. Don¡¯t you agree? What is your name, human youth and boy of Low-Gear? I am Fasolt, the leader and storyteller of this 1st-Gear reservation.¡± His lungs must have been able to hold a lot of air because the words all came at once. Sayama saw Baku ball up his tail and pull back his hips where he stood on Sayama¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I am Sayama Mikoto. It seems I am the tentative Low-Gear representative. It is nice to meet you, leader from another world,¡± said Sayama as he held out his right hand. ¡°Ahh,¡± groaned Fasolt as he held out his right hand which was covered by a large work glove. But his outstretched hand was clenched in a fist. ¡°We do it like this in 1st-Gear, Sayama Mikoto. According to folklorists, the purpose is to show you are not holding a weapon, but a lot of us would injure each other if we held hands.¡± It was true that Fasolt¡¯s hand had claws sticking out from the work glove. The ends were round, but those ends were white from being filed down. Sayama decided to clench his right hand into a fist as well. Fasolt struck Sayama¡¯s fist with his own. Sayama did the same in return. ¡°Excellent. Do not forget to use your palm instead when greeting a woman. If you want to remember how to greet people in 1st-Gear, just remember to punch the men and stroke the women. That saying comes from the city¡¯s 14th block and I used to follow it quite a lot.¡± Fasolt¡¯s words arrived all at once, but they were easy to listen to. It has a nice rhythm, analyzed Sayama. Ooshiro said, ¡°In 1st-Gear, writing produces power, so they never advanced very far when it came to keeping documents and records. The dragon race has a long life, a large lung capacity, and an excellent memory, so they were often record keepers, judges, and historical storytellers.¡± ¡°Yes. I gave up the position of judge due to my age, but I will continue as storyteller until I die. Not many speak like this anymore, but I suppose that is just the age we live in. Oh, but I am a bit disappointed that you do not seem very surprised to see me, Sayama Mikoto. Shinjou there was quite surprised when she first saw me.¡± ¡°I-I was just a kid. I didn¡¯t really understand.¡± Shinjou lowered her head and blushed while Ooshiro folded his arms and spoke. ¡°When she first met Fasolt, she climbed up on his back and was surprised not to see a zipper.¡± ¡°B-but I was watching Aretorman Cement and there was one on his back.¡± ¡°Why were you watching a minor Showa tokusatsu show? Do television broadcasts arrive in Okutama with a time lag?¡± Fasolt laughed from the throat and closed his eyes nostalgically. ¡°It was even more amazing when Ooshiro met me the first time as a child. He wet himself as soon as he saw me and was so surprised he let out some strange shriek and ran up to attack me. I knocked him to the ground without even thinking. It is a complete mystery how that never affected the negotiations afterwards.¡± ¡°Hitting someone who deserves to be hit does not affect the negotiations.¡± ¡°I see, I see. I thank you for solving that 50-year-old mystery, Sayama Mikoto.¡± Sayama and Fasolt lightly tapped their fists together. The half-dragon ignored Ooshiro who seemed to want to say something. ¡°Now then. If you like, we can begin the provisional negotiations. Public matters should be done in a public place, so our custom is to do this in the public square.¡± Sayama nodded, but then said, ¡°If possible, could you perform your job as storyteller first?¡± Fasolt and Ooshiro looked over at him, but Shinjou nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Shinjou-kun and I don¡¯t know much about 1st-Gear.¡± ¡°You are quite different from Ooshiro despite being the same race. I am a bit moved. Tes.¡± After giving his consent, Fasolt turned his back and began walking. Ooshiro began to follow Fasolt, but first looked over at Sayama and turned his thumb downwards. ¡°You had better remember this.¡± ¡°Is that any way for an adult to act?¡± replied Sayama. Ooshiro ran after Fasolt while blatantly pretending to cry. Sayama exchanged a glance with Shinjou and sighed. With a bitter smile, he jogged after Fasolt. As he did, Sayama looked at Fasolt¡¯s back. His low shoulders stuck out from the collar of his clothes. On either side was a portion not covered by the shell or scales. That area was as long and thick as an arm and the skin was dark red and hardened like a burn scar. Shinjou whispered to Sayama from where she walked alongside him. ¡°Those are the scars from cutting off his own wings. Or so I¡¯ve heard.¡± Whether he heard her or not, Fasolt spoke as he looked across the earthen public square that existed between the trees and houses and a wheat field. ¡°On a sunny day, the air, the wind, and stories of the past will all flow far and wide. Before we begin the negotiations, I will tell you the history of our land.¡± Instead of just taking a breath, Fasolt seemed to store up even more breaths before speaking once more. ¡°As well as its destruction.¡± Brunhild was dreaming. 1st-Gear¡¯s destruction was recreated in her dream. In the darkness of the night, their small cabin shook. The ground shook as if it was being struck. Brunhild ran through the cabin. She held the birdcage in her arms and called out the names of those she trusted as she went from room to room. In the distance, she heard the earth trembling as if she could feel it in her gut. From nearby, a vibration shook her bones. As she heard these noises, she cried out while shedding tears. And she ran once more through the rooms she had looked through so many times already. The fireplace in the central room had crumbled and the stone inside had burned and scattered. The six-row keyboard against the wall of the back room had been broken by a fallen joist. The wall and ceiling of the tilted room were decorated with rolled cloth written with the words for good luck. They were for the festival. ¡°Why is this happening on the day of the festival¡­?¡± The trembling of the earth grew stronger and she tripped. The cage struck the ground and she almost fell on top of it. That was when an arm reached out and supported her from behind. She picked up the cage and turned around to find a red-haired woman. ¡°Miss Gutrune¡­¡± ¡°Yes,¡± nodded Gutrune. She tried to embrace Brunhild, but her eyes stopped on the birdcage. In that shaking cabin, she smiled and kissed Brunhild on the cheek. ¡°Listen, Nein. I have to go to the royal palace. I can only think something has happened to the Concept Core there.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Brunhild, who had been called Nein, was confused, but the ground shook once more and the roof groaned. Gutrune looked up and said, ¡°The weapons laboratory is likely closer. If it comes to it, the gate will be opened, so wait there. The doctor and Lord Hagen are in the laboratory. They will give you a snack to eat, okay?¡± ¡°No, I want to be with everyone. Where are the doctor and the others? Are they not here?¡± Gutrune fell silent, but Brunhild continued to ask questions. ¡°The book on Gram was missing from the back room. So was the book on Fafnir. ¡­Where is Siegfried? Did he betray us? Hey, did he betray us!?¡± Gutrune took the questions head on. She closed her eyes and opened her mouth to speak. ¡°¡­¡± And she closed it once more. She took a breath and opened her eyes. She stared directly at Brunhild. ¡°He¡­might have. But he might not have.¡± Brunhild realized her expression had brightened somewhat when she heard those words. She knew that Gutrune trusted him, too. Gutrune pulled Brunhild toward her while lightly embracing her, birdcage and all. ¡°I will go check, so you run away ahead of me.¡± ¡°C-can¡¯t you go with me at least?¡± Gutrune gently let go and shook her head. ¡°I am a member of the royal family. The high officials have returned to their homes for the festival, so only the doctor and I can enter the basement. And something must be happening there. I must go.¡± ¡°Why? Why do you have to go?¡± ¡°I am sure I will be able to save someone or something.¡± She gave a bitter smile. ¡°My father has grown weak ever since my mother died. I should have saved him¡­but it seems I can do that now. Whatever happens and however this turns out, there is something I must do as a member of the royal family.¡± ¡°What will you do if Siegfried betrayed us?¡± ¡°Do not worry. No matter what happens, I will persuade him. Together, we can preserve and save this world. ¡­But as a member of the royal family, I may have to be forceful with him. If that happens, you take care of him.¡± ¡°And¡­and once that happens, we can all be together again someday?¡± ¡°Of course. I will persuade him and you will support him. And¡­we will always be together.¡± ¡°Do you promise?¡± asked Brunhild. Gutrune smiled and replied, ¡°Yes, I promise we will always be together.¡± She rubbed Brunhild¡¯s head. The gentle sensation calmed Brunhild and she finally smiled. ¡°You are a good girl, Nein,¡± said Gutrune with a smile of her own. The bird in the birdcage chirped amid the shaking and the sounds of trembling. As Brunhild heard that chirping, she awoke from her dream. When Brunhild opened her eyes, she saw the art room turned on its side. She had fallen asleep with her head lying on the work table. Her face was pointed to the left. Her neck felt stiff as she straightened up. She touched her cheek and felt the tile pattern of the work table¡¯s surface. ¡°This is not a good way to live.¡± She looked down to find the small bird had left its box and was looking up at her. The contents of the food dish had clearly lessened. The bird seemed plenty hungry. She held her hand out on a whim and the bird flapped its wings and flew up to her shoulder. Brunhild laughed. Turning her head hurt a bit, but she endured. She looked the chirping bird in the eye. She could not say whether the tears in her eyes were from the dream, the pain in her neck, or the bird¡¯s recovery. Brunhild looked down and searched for the black cat. But it was not there. She thought back and the scene just before she fell asleep appeared in the back of her mind. She turned toward the door and found it was unlocked. ¡°I managed to send him off for the periodic report¡­¡± She breathed a sigh of relief as the cat¡¯s owner. She turned away from the door and her gaze naturally focused on the center of the art room. An unfinished painting stood on an easel there. A single small cabin was visible in a forest of black and green. Brunhild spoke to the bird as she looked at the cabin which had been started with pale black. ¡°This is the world I came from.¡± She gave a bitter laugh. ¡°The final promise made to me there was never upheld. She never came back. I doubt she was able to persuade him. And¡­It seems he betrayed us and abandoned us. The only person left was me, the one who had trusted everyone else.¡± Brunhild looked at the bird. ¡°But,¡± she began. The bird chirped. It waved its tail up and down happily. As she listened to that chirping, Brunhild sat in the chair in front of the easel. She lowered her head a bit. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have asked him why he saved you,¡± muttered Brunhild as she recalled the scene from her dream. ¡°Why did she say that when she was going to the palace to be killed by him? Why would she ask me to take care of him or say that we would always be together?¡± There was no one who could answer that question. Instead, the bird stopped chirping and tilted its head. In the center of the 1st-Gear reservation¡¯s public square, a few blue plates were flipped upside down on the ground. The bottom of those plates said ¡°floor¡± and the top said ¡°public square¡±. Sayama and the others sat on the plates below them as the ¡°floor¡± while listening to Fasolt speak. He gave a summary of the greatest reaches of time, beginning with the dragon god¡¯s creation of the land. After he spoke for several minutes, his continuing words spoke of the creation of man and the formation of a kingdom. ¡°Was that the Wotan Kingdom?¡± asked Sayama and Fasolt nodded. He continued his stories even as villagers passed by and as he greeted the winged people and members of the giant race. Once Fasolt reached the leader of the kingdom from three generations back when a black dragon was captured when it came flying through the sky from one of the other worlds of the dragon god, the story ceased to be told secondhand. Time continued to pass and, at one point, a single strange visitor arrived in their world. ¡°He was not a descendent of the dragon god and he came from a land that was meaningless to us. King Wotan had lost his wife, and when one of his mechanical dragons began rampaging, this visitor arrived and defeated it.¡± Fasolt took a breath. The sounds of continued breathing came from the back of his neck and his sides. When he opened his mouth to speak again after about a minute, he spoke in the rhythm of conversation rather than the rhythm of storytelling. ¡°Regin joined with Fafnir to help the king protect the concepts, but Siegfried killed the both of them with the holy sword Gram and sent the concepts out of control to lead 1st-Gear to a closed annihilation. Most believe he also killed Princess Gutrune when she arrived. Siegfried himself has admitted it.¡± And¡­ ¡°Most of 1st-Gear¡¯s residents still hold a grudge and they have continued to seek the destruction of Gram and Siegfried¡¯s assassination even after escaping to Low-Gear.¡± ¡°Why do they wish to destroy Gram? I thought that was your world¡¯s weapon.¡± ¡°The holy sword Gram was created as a concept weapon with a will of its own, Sayama Mikoto. They view it as a crime for the sword to have agreed to take Siegfried as its master. The militant groups of 1st-Gear wish to enact vengeance on Gram after acquiring 1st-Gear¡¯s Concept Core from it.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Sayama. ¡°So that is Siegfried¡¯s past.¡± ¡°When he rescued the village, he was injured. The wise man Regin took him in. Venerable Regin had also taken in Princess Gutrune when the king distanced her after losing his wife and a girl named Nein of the long-lived race who was orphaned during the Concept War. At first, he intended to ask Siegfried for information on Low-Gear.¡± ¡°There was no hostility between them?¡± ¡°I hear there were a few conflicts, but Siegfried and the princess got along well. Music¡­Yes, Siegfried was also skilled at music, so they had that in common. But,¡± said Fasolt, ¡°that ended on the day of the star festival. It happened while the royal palace was at its most empty because we had all returned to the lands we ruled over. There was a sudden earthquake and the sky split apart. The world never recovered.¡± ¡°¡­Siegfried did that?¡± ¡°By that time, he had already left through the gate in the royal palace. We never met him again. As the princess wished, we brought her to the palace¡¯s viewing platform and let her deliver a speech. She told the people that 1st-Gear had lost and would be destroyed. She instructed them to escape to Low-Gear through either the gate in the royal palace or the gate in the city. If she had not done so, I doubt the chaos in the city would have ever died down, but she ran out of strength there¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Fasolt closed his eyes and nodded when Sayama replied with nothing but silence. ¡°As the world was destroyed, we split between the eastern and western gates. The gate near the royal palace led here. The gate near the weapons laboratory most likely came out somewhere in Japan¡¯s Chugoku region. Our gates mostly opened into the European country of Germany, so that one would be the primary gate. And that is the story of 1st-Gear¡¯s destruction as I know it,¡± concluded Fasolt. Ooshiro sat cross-legged next to him while typing on the laptop sitting on his lap. ¡°It has continued to be difficult ever since then. The peaceful faction that escaped through the royal palace gate entered under UCAT¡¯s protection, but the radi-¡­militant faction refused our protection and is continuing to fight. And of those who escaped through the royal palace gate, another militant group called the Royal Palace faction split off with some concept space technology. But you saw what became of them yesterday.¡± Ooshiro nodded and formed a smile. ¡°These provisional negotiations will include all of that. ¡­At any rate, just take it easy.¡± Volume 2, 19: Prematurity of Thoughts Volume 2, Chapter 19: Prematurity of Thoughts What is the difference between being hasty and acting quickly? The answer is incredibly simple It is decided by whether the outcome is successful or not The preliminary negotiations with Fasolt began with a check of the initial assumptions. ¡°At the moment, there is no sign of the City faction joining us. The negotiations will primarily relate to the Royal Palace faction joining. These negotiations are the preliminary preparations for the Leviathan Road.¡± From there, Fasolt informed Sayama of a few matters: UCAT had asked that Fasolt remains 1st-Gear¡¯s representative, UCAT special division security guards would be maintaining a presence in the reservation for a temporary period of time after the Royal Palace faction arrived, and due to cultural similarities, the reservation would prefer if those guards were sent in from German UCAT. Sayama replied that he understood, Shinjou nodded, and Ooshiro typed it up on his keyboard to keep records. Once the initial assumptions had been clarified, Fasolt said, ¡°The day after tomorrow, 167 members of the Royal Palace faction will be arriving here. It is impossible for us to secure enough arable land for all of them.¡± ¡°Are you asking for an expansion to the concept space creating the reservation?¡± Fasolt did not nod. Sayama turned to Ooshiro. ¡°What would happen if it was expanded?¡± ¡°It already covers a radius of one kilometer. If the radius was expanded by 100 meters, the area would increase by 21%. ¡­It is a simple calculation, but you understand what it means to increase their yearly budget by 20%, right? We already put 10 digits worth of budget a year into maintaining this place.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama turned back toward Fasolt and said, ¡°Just because the Royal Palace faction is joining you, I cannot approve merely expanding the reservation.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°You mentioned before that there is a process for naturalization. That means you try not to bring in anyone who can survive outside of 1st-Gear¡¯s concepts, correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That means we need to go over the list of those arriving and see how many belong to races that can be naturalized. We can build temporary lodging for those who can be naturalized, temporarily prioritize food distribution, and build houses for and expand the fields for those who will be ultimately staying. I think we can hold new negotiations over the land issue once you know how many will be staying.¡± Sayama gave a bitter smile. ¡°But I think you knew all this. That is why you said what you said: ¡®It is impossible for us to secure enough arable land for all of them.¡¯ And that is why you did not answer my question, isn¡¯t it?¡± After a short silence, Fasolt laughed from deep in his throat. ¡°Yes. I did no more than tell the truth, Sayama Mikoto. You are the one that misinterpreted, boy.¡± Sayama smiled and Shinjou let out a sigh next to him. Something is beginning, thought Sayama. He quickly began to calculate out what he and his opponent had at their disposal. Via UCAT, Sayama had the authority to do whatever he wanted with the concept space. However, if he used that authority, he would be distancing 1st-Gear¡¯s cooperation in the Leviathan Road. On the other hand, his opponent had a past Sayama was unaware of and could make demands from the position of a victim. When he used the sudden arrival of the Royal Palace faction as a shield, Sayama had difficulty telling the truth of his demands because too much was unknown. ¡­At any rate, he will be making demands. He would give some reason for making a demand no matter how ridiculous. If Sayama misjudged the situation and accepted it, his opponent would profit. Possessing a kind heart would be a disadvantage here. Sayama trusted his prediction that the negotiations had already begun. He took a breath, pulled a handkerchief out of his breast pocket, and wiped his brow. Fasolt watched Sayama. In one hand, the boy was folding the handkerchief he had pulled from his breast pocket. Fasolt looked up and found the sun was at its highest point. ¡°It really is hot,¡± said Sayama as if informing Fasolt who was looking up into the sky. ¡°Yes, it is,¡± agreed Fasolt before lowering his gaze. He is very young, thought Fasolt about Sayama who was looking directly at him. Fasolt thought back to the previous conversation. The boy had responded properly to his slight test and he had seen through Fasolt¡¯s intentions. Even the standard UCAT negotiators could do the same. It was an issue of paying attention. But this boy had intentionally pretended to be mistaken and had thought up an actual means of handling the situation, even if only a superficial one. His solution had been incomplete, but it was the specialists¡¯ job to finish it off. For a leader, what truly mattered was negotiating without making any mistakes and deciding on a general course of action. Fasolt had yet to fully make up his mind about Sayama. Sayama looked up toward the sun high in the sky and began to remove his coat. He roughly gathered the sleeves, folded it so the front was visible, and handed it to Shinjou next to him. As soon as he did, Shinjou¡¯s eyes opened wide and she whispered to Sayama. ¡°Wh-what are you saying? I c-can¡¯t do that¡­¡± Shinjou looked over at Fasolt. She then frantically adjusted her position and held Sayama¡¯s coat. With a slightly disappointed look, Sayama returned to his proper position. He wiped his brow with his handkerchief and placed it in the pocket on his shirt. The handkerchief stuck out from the shirt a bit. Nevertheless, Sayama turned toward Fasolt. Next to him, Shinjou continually glanced over at him, but Sayama did not seem to notice. Fasolt then looked over at the coat Shinjou was holding. Its breast pocket was turned toward him. Fasolt thought about the boy before his eyes. He really is young, he concluded before making his next move. Sayama heard Fasolt speak. ¡°Our demands are quite simple, Sayama Mikoto. We want you to hand over Siegfried, the holy sword Gram, and the Concept Core held within the sword. Until then, we will not give you the right to use 1st-Gear¡¯s Concept Core and we will not help persuade the City faction.¡± ¡°What?¡± Fasolt did not even acknowledge his question. ¡°After the Concept War, this reservation agreed to cooperate with UCAT, but we agreed to nothing concerning the Leviathan Road. That is why we demand that we begin anew here. Hand over the war criminal. If you promise that, the Royal Palace faction and the City faction will both fall in line with the peaceful faction. We will make sure they do.¡± ¡°And you want us to hand over Gram and the Concept Core inside it?¡± ¡°I think it will be necessary to convince the City faction, but what do you think? Even if we persuade them to join with us, I doubt they will do what we say if we have not been granted some power.¡± Sayama remained silent. Fasolt watched him as he sat silently. ¡°Just to be clear, threatening to remove this concept space to aid your negotiations will gain you nothing.¡± Sayama did not say he would not do so. If he had to, he would. Fasolt had warned it would gain him nothing, but those were nothing but words. It was impossible to know what would happen if he actually did it. However, that was a last resort. Using it would end the relationship between them. Sayama took a breath. ¡°Could you stop testing me? Unnecessary statements could hinder our negotiations,¡± he said. ¡°Saying many things in quick succession is the special characteristic of a storyteller.¡± The dragon gave no apology. That gave Sayama an odd sense of relief. His opponent was a proud person. That may have been a common characteristic of 1st-Gear. No matter how far they lowered themselves and no matter what means they chose to use, they would always give precedence to their self-respect. ¡­They are obstinate and direct. They were easy to handle as allies, but impossible to avoid as an enemy. With that in mind, Sayama once more pulled the handkerchief from his breast pocket. He wiped his brow and Shinjou¡¯s shoulders jumped slightly next to him. At the same time, Fasolt looked over at Shinjou. ¡°There is nothing to be afraid of. As Ooshiro said, you can take it easy.¡± ¡°Oh, right,¡± said Shinjou as she slightly relaxed her legs which had been strictly kept in the seiza position. As soon as she did, Fasolt¡¯s hand moved. ¡°Ah,¡± gasped Shinjou, but Fasolt had already snatched the coat from her lap. ¡°This is a nice coat. Do you mind if I take a look at it?¡± As Fasolt asked his question, an object fell from the suit coat in his hand. Sayama clearly saw the cell phone drop. It was able to record audio. ¡°Whoops,¡± said Fasolt as he grabbed it in midair. And with a clear noise, he crushed the cell phone in his hand. ¡°Oh, my mistake. I give you my personal apology. However.¡± Fasolt returned the suit coat to Shinjou and held up the remains of the cell phone in his other hand. ¡°This was not running by any chance, was it? You were not so concerned about me that you felt the need to give a sign to have me filmed from the side, were you?¡± Fasolt saw Sayama¡¯s expression change twice in response to his words. It changed from tense to harsh and then from harsh to joyful. Fasolt¡¯s thoughts raced as he saw those changes. ¡­Did he notice my trick? When Fasolt had watched over the autopsy of the werewolf that had committed suicide the day before yesterday, he had inspected Sayama¡¯s possessions. And knowing that Sayama would be his opponent in the negotiations, he had thought up a certain trick. He had switched on the digital recorder to drain the battery and had left the cell phone untouched. If Sayama brought the two items to the negotiations, he would need to use the cell phone to record any proof of what was said. However, the cell phone¡¯s microphone was weak, so it and the built-in camera would have to be on the surface. Locating Sayama¡¯s hiding spot for it had not been difficult. The camera had been sticking a bit out of his coat pocket. Fasolt was certain the boy had been recording him. He had seen the small exchange between Sayama and Shinjou and he had seen Shinjou¡¯s movements. Such awkward teamwork, thought Fasolt. That was why he had grabbed the coat and smashed the cell phone. Sayama¡¯s use of the cell phone was proof that he had viewed the negotiations as dangerous and had wanted to secretly leave some proof behind. Taking that from him and destroying it while also warning him would inflict inescapable pressure on the boy. Sayama was currently looking at the smashed cell phone. ¡°I do not believe I had it running,¡± he said with his head down as if trying to recall. Liar, thought Fasolt with a bitter smile in his heart. As Fasolt watched, Sayama turned to Ooshiro to his left. ¡°Not that it matters. The old man here will handle recording what is said.¡± Fasolt followed Sayama¡¯s gaze and watched Ooshiro typing. He nodded and said, ¡°Unfortunately, Ooshiro¡¯s records will not pass as proof.¡± ¡°Wh-why not?¡± asked Shinjou as she held the coat. Fasolt nodded and replied, ¡°That data can be easily altered. That is why I want to resolve these negotiations right here like this.¡± Fasolt pulled a sheet of canvas from the inside pocket of his vest. It was covered with the writing of 1st-Gear. Sayama would be able to read it because an image of the meaning took priority here. It was a contract saying UCAT would accept the reservation¡¯s demands. Below the agreement was a five centimeter underline. Once he saw Sayama¡¯s gaze stop on the underline, Fasolt spoke in a tone that held a slight smile. ¡°You will stamp your seal there. ¡­You have your seal with you, don¡¯t you? It is with the digital recorder with the dead battery.¡± Shinjou embraced Sayama¡¯s coat. She squeezed it between her arms. And she glanced over at Sayama next to her. What will he do now? she wondered. Is there anything he can do? As she watched on, Sayama stared expressionlessly at the contract. He then suddenly moved. He pulled his handkerchief from his breast pocket with his right hand and lightly shook his wrist. He looked at Fasolt and said, ¡°So you saw through it. Yes, the battery is indeed dead. In that case, I no longer need it.¡± He produced a digital recorder from the handkerchief. The power light was off which indicated it was not running. However, he was not looking at the recorder. He was looking at the broken cell phone that had fallen to the ground. ¡°I was planning to record any promises you made to perhaps later change our demands.¡± Sayama sighed and took his seal case out of his pocket using his free left hand. He placed the digital recorder and handkerchief next to him and placed the seal before him. ¡°But I am not yet ready to stamp my seal,¡± he said. ¡°Are you saying you will eventually do so?¡± Sayama gave no response. He remained silent and his face held no expression. Faced with this, Fasolt froze in place. Shinjou gulped lightly at seeing this silence and expressionlessness from Sayama for the first time. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡± His pulse was calm. Why is that? she wondered. She felt as if she had seen him like this before. When had it been? She searched through her memories and arrived at a certain moment in the past. The night before last, when he had stood before her and beyond the werewolf. What happened after that moment? she thought. She thought back. In that moment, Sayama had stepped forward and spoken to their enemy. He had provoked the enemy. And now¡­ ¡°You should learn that those who trust in writing can be betrayed by writing.¡± Sayama lightly raised his right hand. ¡°Let me be clear up front: I cannot agree to any one of the demands you have given.¡± ¡°Then what will you say when you see this?¡± Fasolt pulled a thick book from his vest and held it so Shinjou and the others could see. It was a hardcover book made of canvas sheets and cloth. Shinjou had seen it before. ¡°That¡¯s the book the knight had yesterday.¡± ¡°Yes. It is an investigation report on the destruction of our Wotan Kingdom. Volunteers from the Royal Palace faction visited both the peaceful faction and the City Faction to gather the records to create it. These records could only have been made by the Royal palace faction that sat in the middle. Neither we nor the City faction could have made it.¡± Sayama took the investigation report and opened it. Shinjou peered at its contents from the side. It listed a calculation of the total amount of destruction while using spelling that avoided any dangerous terminology. Each time Sayama turned the page, Shinjou could sense the image of the destruction detailed within. Arton Central Street was smashed along with the decorations for the festival in the small park: 38 dead. Ethos District 3 contained a wooden school, but it was crushed along with the people who had taken refuge inside: 91 dead. The evacuation warning never reached the 3rd redevelopment sector and the pioneer village was eliminated without knowing what was happening: 46 dead. In addition, there was damage to houses in several sectors or out in nature, the loss of assets and livestock, and a calculated value of the land lost. It was all calculated out to reach a final sum for the damages. ¡°Once converted to the currency of philosopher¡¯s stones, UCAT must maintain this reservation for 7022 years. We have lived here for 60 years, so that still leaves 6962 years. Exchanging that debt for one man and a sword sounds like a bargain to me.¡± That¡¯s absurd, thought Shinjou with a gulp. She slowly looked over at Sayama so Fasolt would not notice her internal panic. She found Sayama as expressionless and silent as before. What will he do now? she thought. And she had another thought. She recalled what Fasolt had said when he had destroyed the cell phone: You felt the need to give a sign to have me filmed from the side. She did not know what he had meant by that. She had not been given that role. But even if she did not understand, Shinjou knew that everything was advancing. And she knew that Sayama likely had some plan. Sayama looked at Fasolt. Fasolt had been looking at him for a while now. With that in mind, he spoke. ¡°Giving concrete value to people¡¯s lives is something else I am not willing to do.¡± ¡°If doing so is necessary for a negotiation, we will choose that as our weapon.¡± ¡°And so you are demanding a human life in the place of money?¡± ¡°Demanding? No. My role here is to present you with possibilities. Your role here is to choose, Sayama Mikoto. I have presented you with a means of paying reparations for the damages. You are the one that chooses whether you will pay for your ancestors¡¯ mistakes with seven thousand years of expenses or by handing over that man and Gram.¡± ¡°And if I handed them over, I would be putting a price on a human life?¡± ¡°Yes, if you did. We would have prepared a different path, but you would have chosen that path because you could not pay. It would not hurt us in any way.¡± Sayama thought. According to Ooshiro, it was impossible to even increase the reservation¡¯s yearly maintenance expenses by 20%. That meant it was beyond impossible to pay off the seven thousand years¡¯ worth of debt right away. And that was why he asked the next question. ¡°Are Siegfried and Gram really that valuable?¡± ¡°They are.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama picked up the contract and the seal case in front of them. ¡°Shinjou-kun, hand me a pen from my coat¡¯s breast pocket.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Shinjou took a silver ballpoint pen from the pocket and handed it over. Sayama flipped over the contract and wrote something while using the cover of the investigation report as a desk. He stamped what he wrote with the seal he took from the case and then placed the contract in front of Fasolt. ¡°If you want something of such great value, then how about we resolve everything like this?¡± Everyone looked at the back of the contract. Shinjou gulped, Fasolt clenched his hands, and Ooshiro smiled bitterly. Sayama read what he had written on the back of the contract. ¡°Seven thousand years shall be added to the current seven thousand year debt. In exchange, we shall buy the half-dragon Fasolt and all of his rights. ¡­That should be fine with anyone who will give monetary value to people¡¯s lives.¡± ¡°You will buy your negotiating opponent!?¡± cried Fasolt. A wind blew through and disturbed Sayama¡¯s hair, but he ignored it and spoke. ¡°If doing so is necessary for a negotiation, we will choose that as our weapon. Those are your words. And I believe we had agreed to that view. ¡­You asked me to sell someone¡¯s life if I could not pay.¡± He gave a bitter smile. ¡°But that also means I can buy someone¡¯s life if I can pay.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We will pay what is needed. It does not matter how many years it takes, who might suffer, or even if you refuse us. So let me say this: you may think you all have pride, but you only have the spirit of poor slaves.¡± ¡°Slaves? Now you¡¯ve said it, you aboriginal.¡± ¡°Aboriginal? We certainly have evolved. I miss the days when we were called yellow monkeys.¡± Sayama¡¯s bitter smile deepened. ¡°Fasolt, let me tell what kind of race we are. We are the Japanese, the ¡®economic animals¡¯. We have nothing to fear when it comes to money. A debt? We just need to save up. The government? It runs on money. A grudge? That is just a bias of the poor. Now, Fasolt, for fourteen thousand years of peace for your comrades, you will be ours. And let me say this: you will physically remain with 1st-Gear, but as our possession,¡± he nodded, ¡°you will withdraw all of your demands. No need to lower your head. You are our comrade now that we bought you. We have the right to do this. You are the one that brought up buying people¡¯s lives, something we had never done before.¡± At that point, Sayama threw the investigation report to the ground. ¡°This is absurd, Fasolt.¡± He took a breath. ¡°What is this investigation report? It may have some truth to it, but how much of it is truth? If you are going to carry out an investigation, have a third party do so or at least do so while we are present. Otherwise, this is nothing more than reference material. ¡­Is presenting unreliable material at the negotiating table the 1st-Gear¡¯s way of doing things!?¡± Fasolt responded to the last part more than anything else. The creaking of his fangs could be heard from his clenched mouth. But that was as much of Fasolt¡¯s power as was seen. He slowly reached out a hand and picked the book up from the ground. He let out a long sigh. ¡°It is true this contains a fair bit of personal opinion for an investigation report. But are you really going to use the lack of records from this conversation to say such abusive things?¡± Sayama turned a smile in Fasolt¡¯s direction. ¡°Abusive? That was a rebuke over how useless your investigation report is. ¡­I was trying to say that your actions were showing contempt for the value of 1st-Gear. If you misinterpreted me, I apologize.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Fasolt drew back and held the book to his chest. He spoke once more after suppressing the anger in his voice. ¡°Either way, we will not give you the right to use the Concept Core unless you accept our demands. ¡­How do you intend to gain that right from me?¡± Sayama glanced around. The nearby houses had their windows open because it was a sunny day, so he could see inside. Inside the shadowy houses, he could tell the items within were a bit different from those he was used to. Every house had bare walls and they grew flowers. Sayama was searching for a certain object within those houses. But from what he could see at a distance, it was not there. It was a completely normal object in his world, but it was absent here. ¡­It could be easily brought in from outside, but there is none here. The possible reasons for this were simple. It may never have existed in 1st-Gear and was not needed, or UCAT feared letting 1st-Gear have it and so refused to do so. It was one of those or possibly both. Once he realized that, another fact came to Sayama. He realized the true purpose behind the negotiation. ¡°¡­¡± He silently relaxed. He cooled his head that had begun to grow serious. If I am right about the true purpose of this negotiation, thought Sayama, trying to crush Fasolt would not be the best strategy. And that was why Sayama said what he did next. He breathed out, breathed in, and then spoke in a calm voice. ¡°Instead of Siegfried and the holy sword Gram, we will provide you with technology equivalent to seven thousand years¡¯ worth of budget or allow you to use said technology.¡± ¡°Technology equivalent to seven thousand years¡¯ worth of budget?¡± asked Fasolt before laughing from the throat. ¡°What do you mean by that? We already sustain ourselves. Is there any technology we could possibly want and is there any technology Low-Gear could possibly provide us with?¡± ¡°There is.¡± ¡°And what is it?¡¯ Sayama thought and said, ¡°It can be used as a weapon. It can be used as culture and civilization. It can be power and it can become anything in existence.¡± ¡°Hah! How amusing! We in 1st-Gear live with the power of writing, so what more culture and civilization do we need!? And with our mechanical dragons, why would we need weapons?¡± Fasolt strongly held the hardcover book against his chest. ¡°Tell me, Sayama Mikoto. What is this technology you think we would exchange our Concept Core for? What is this technology that UCAT has been keeping from us?¡± Sayama nodded and spoke a single word. ¡°Paper.¡± Fasolt almost dropped the book he was holding to his chest. ¡°Why would you think we need-¡­?¡± ¡°All of your writing is on parchment or canvas. And I do not see any bookshelves in these 1st-Gear houses. Paper is a necessary item to bring a society past a certain point, but it is being restricted here in some way. That is why I thought I could use the removal of that restriction as a bargaining chip.¡± Fasolt understood what Sayama meant. In 1st-Gear, writing held power, so spelling something out held the possibility of danger. Needless to say, creating that writing in the proper form to create power was difficult and it was nothing but scribbles if done wrong. However, nothing was as frightening as an unlikely accident. That was why a storyteller like Fasolt passed down writing in the form of sound and most records were kept using symbols that were difficult to call writing. The writing in the investigation report had been carefully chosen so it would provide the proper images yet not have actual power. Due to the conditions of their world, writing technology had not advanced. Most of the tools that could easily write had been in the control of the royal family and very few were produced. As a storyteller, he knew very well that 1st-Gear¡¯s culture was built around that. But he had to wonder what would happen if that assumption was removed. The boy before him spoke. ¡°What if you used the safe writing used in that investigation report as the foundation for a carefully selected set of everyday writing with little power? Wouldn¡¯t that allow you to pass down your current culture and allow anyone to perform research?¡± He was saying the current state of 1st-Gear¡¯s culture would change. Sayama held a hand out toward him. He reached for the book at his chest. Fasolt handed the boy the hardcover book as he wanted. Sayama took it and flipped through the pages. ¡°You had so many houses. And the people living in them worked at the schools, stores, and government offices. But out of fear of dangerous writing, you could not record any of it. You never expanded the writing technology that would support those records and UCAT is currently keeping our technology from you.¡± ¡°That is true¡­¡± ¡°UCAT will remove the restrictions on that technology as a form of reparations,¡± said Sayama. Fasolt turned to Ooshiro who looked back at him. ¡°Well, we would need to negotiate it out with the UCATs from other countries. What a pain,¡± said the old man. Fasolt gave a quiet laugh from the throat and listened as Sayama continued to speak. ¡°Our world is immature, Fasolt. About a thousand years ago, we believed our world had the same table shape as your world. But our people walked, left records, and changed our beliefs to match the truth. And even now we are building up more and more records to divide truth from falsehood.¡± ¡°And you are telling us to do the same? I see,¡± said Fasolt with a nod. It was a nice idea. If they had writing tools that could be mass produced, they would only need people with the ability to write in the proper way. And instead of restricting usage of the writing tools as the royal family had done, they would restrict the words that held power and spread the safe words. Knowledge would spread and they would even be able to interact with other cultures. However¡­ ¡°Sayama Mikoto. That is a nice idea, but a problem remains. And our negotiations must continue.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± said Shinjou as Fasolt turned back toward Sayama. Sayama showed no panic or surprise over his words. He only said, ¡°Yes, you understand, don¡¯t you? Writing can betray those who use it. Building up and spreading records can do more than create; it can also destroy.¡± Sayama held up the hardcover book. ¡°If you obtain the technology to publish books, you will have books like this one. And that will pass your grudges down to the later generations. The power we give you will create more enemies for us.¡± ¡°And that is why I must ask you something, boy¡­ No, you are no boy. You are merely Sayama Mikoto. Can you give us this technology without fearing the spread of our grudges, protect Siegfried and the holy sword Gram, and also acquire the Concept Core?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± replied Sayama. Shinjou¡¯s eyes opened wide when she heard what Sayama said. ¡°Y-you can¡¯t, Sayama-kun! You can¡¯t make an enemy of him!¡± ¡°I think it will be fine. Fasolt understands that this investigation report is nothing more than reference material. After I rebuked him, he admitted that it includes personal opinion.¡± ¡°He did, but¡­¡± Fasolt nodded. ¡°Those comments and the records of them are worth nothing. At the negotiating table, only the final decision matters.¡± Ooshiro looked up and said, ¡°Um, you do know I am working really hard typing up everything you say, right? Please do not say it is worth nothing.¡± Fasolt ignored him. The half-dragon looked down at the remains of the cell phone lying between Sayama and himself. ¡°My comment admitting the investigation report contains personal opinion will not remain in the records. That means I can insist on its legitimacy. No matter what you say, it will be seen as accurate. Even if you protest, it will be published and distributed to everyone. A large number of people will believe it over you!¡± ¡°Fasolt, I am about to test how much you have been paying attention. Is that okay?¡± Sayama¡¯s sudden words caused Fasolt to look up. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I will be asking some questions and you will answer me. Got it? When you destroyed the cell phone whose remains lie before me, did you check to see if it was running?¡± Shinjou did not understand the point of the question. And Fasolt did not seem to either. He sank down slightly and asked, ¡°Are you saying¡­it was not running?¡± Those words which were inarticulate for a half-dragon caused Shinjou to tilt her head in confusion. ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked and Fasolt quickly turned toward her. ¡°Why are you asking?¡± ¡°Oh, um, it¡¯s nothing. Nothing at all. There might have been a slight misunderstanding. She frantically waved her hands in front of her, but Fasolt kept his gaze on her. He opened his fang-filled mouth and spoke. ¡°What is going on? Shinjou, I thought you and Sayama were working together. He would give you a sign and you would record what I-¡­¡± ¡°W-wait a second!¡± Shinjou did not understand some of what he had said. And it reminded her of another baffling thing Fasolt had said earlier. Shinjou asked about the confusing parts. ¡°What do you mean we were working together? And what sign?¡± Fasolt had been leaning forward, but he straightened up in an instant. While still looking at Shinjou, he bared his teeth and trembled. ¡°Sayama Mikoto handed you the cell phone along with his coat. When he raised his handkerchief as a sign, you began recording, did you not? He wanted you to record my abusive remarks.¡± ¡°Eh? N-no. I wasn¡¯t given that role.¡± He was mistaken about something. For some reason, that half-dragon was focused on her even though she had been doing nothing but listen. Fasolt continued to speak to provide his evidence. ¡°Then why did you squirm a bit whenever Sayama Mikoto pulled out his handkerchief and wiped his brow? He provided you with instructions when he handed you his coat, correct? I heard you say you could not do something.¡± Shinjou gasped. ¡°N-no!¡± She looked to the side and found Sayama staring expressionlessly up into the sky. He must have noticed her looking at him because he picked Baku up from his left shoulder and placed him on his head. He and the beast squinted as they looked up into the sky. He was determined to ignore her. That left her with no choice. While prepared to blush, Shinjou proved her innocence to Fasolt. ¡°I-I will tell you what Sayama-kun told me to do when handing me his coat!¡± She hesitated for a moment. ¡° ¡®I am so nervous that I really want to feel up your butt. If I am unable to resist any longer, I will give you a sign by raising my handkerchief. When I do, stick your butt out for me¡¯! But I can¡¯t do that. B-but it was a request from Sayama-kun, so I-I would jump in shock a bit whenever he pulled out his handkerchief!¡± As she blushed and gave her explanation, Fasolt¡¯s mouth hung limply open. He slowly faced forward while his open mouth continued to produce no sound. He stared at Sayama who still had Baku sitting on his head. In response to everyone¡¯s gazes, Sayama picked up what was lying next to him and held it up. It was the digital recorder wrapped in his handkerchief. Its red power light was lit. Sayama nodded and looked at Shinjou. He then spoke quietly for his own curiosity. ¡°Now, please continue, Shinjou-kun. What happened after you jumped in shock?¡± ¡°Why is that running!? Wasn¡¯t its battery dead!?¡± ¡°Could you remain quiet, Fasolt? That will make it more difficult to edit later.¡± ¡°Th-the difficulty doesn¡¯t matter! Explain what is going on!¡± demanded Shinjou. Sayama picked up a part from the remains of the cell phone. It was a battery that had been badly bent. ¡°You want to know why it is running? If you cannot answer a question this easy, I look forward to the difficulty you will face once you have paper, Fasolt. The answer is simple. I switched out the cell phone¡¯s battery before entering this concept space. Most modern handheld devices use a standard battery type whether they are IAI-made or not. You should remember that.¡± He nodded and asked, ¡°Fasolt, you were outside this place just before we entered the concept space, weren¡¯t you? You used your limited time outside to observe me. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°The forest was too quiet. When a human is lurking in the forest, the birds and beasts grow cautious, but it was even more silent than that. In other words, there was something greater than a human there. Also, you had come from the field, but your jika-tabi had moss on them. That proves you had run through the forest. When you noticed me looking at it, you frantically kicked it off.¡± Sayama showed Fasolt the digital recorder. ¡°When I noticed this recorder¡¯s battery was dead, I realized someone had tried something. Once I knew my opponent had tried to eliminate my use of this device, I merely had to use that to my advantage. Once I received them from Shinjou-kun, I switched out the batteries and decided to use the cell phone as a decoy.¡± ¡°Then, Sayama-kun, this entire negotiation¡­¡± ¡°Has been recorded, yes. But it is missing the one thing I said while taking it out and placing it next to me. I had to turn it off to make it look like its battery was dead.¡± Fasolt gulped and recalled what Sayama had said back then. ¡°You said the recorder¡¯s battery was dead and that you intended to record any promises I made with the cell phone¡­ Was it all to put me at ease so I would bring out greater demands!?¡± ¡°Now, now. Please stop discussing comments you have no proof were ever spoken,¡± said Sayama. ¡°Or should I play back what I have recorded? I have you calling us aboriginals in response to my rebuke.¡± ¡°No, more importantly¡­what do you want?¡± Sayama shook his head in response. ¡°I want nothing. But let us do what is natural. I will approve providing you with our technology if you allow us use of the Concept Core. And you may carry out an investigation of 1st-Gear¡¯s destruction if it is done in cooperation with UCAT. For mutual understanding and reconciliation, we must have records if you are to have them. And once that is complete, we can begin thinking about what to do afterwards. ¡­Am I wrong?¡± In lieu of a response, Fasolt raised both of his hands. Sayama sighed. So it is over, he thought. He lowered Baku from his head and muttered a short statement. ¡°What a farce.¡± Sayama¡¯s annoyed statement caused Shinjou to tilt her head. She could see he was frowning. ¡°A farce? Why? You look displeased.¡± Sayama nodded, looked in her direction, and then turned toward Ooshiro. ¡°Old man, please do not make me do this again.¡± Ooshiro looked up and gave a bitter smile. Shinjou could make no sense of the exchange. ¡°Wh-what do you mean? What did Ooshiro-san do?¡± ¡°I realized it partway through. The old man set all this up. Think about it. How was Fasolt able to touch my possessions? And who asked you to return them to me? How was Fasolt able to wait for us outside the concept space during his limited time outside of it? And who was it that stopped us in front of him and asked if I was carrying anything?¡± He took a breath. ¡°Simply put, these preliminary negotiations were a test. I realized it once I noticed the paper technology issue. 1st-Gear is obedient enough to go along with Low-Gear¡¯s restrictions. In that case, it was odd for Fasolt to be on the attack. I am ashamed I did not realize why and grew so worked up over a prank.¡± Sayama folded his arms and closed his eyes. Shinjou was unsure what to say to him. Fasolt laughed from deep in his throat. ¡°Do not feel too bad, Sayama Mikoto. You may not believe me, but I was serious.¡± ¡°Serious, hm?¡± Sayama sighed with his eyes still closed. His shoulders drooped and he seemed to have his own thoughts on the matter. ¡­Does he think Fasolt went easy on him? ¡°O-Ooshiro-san. Was today¡¯s negotiation effective?¡± ¡°Yes, removing the restriction on paper manufacturing is indeed a useful idea. I believe this was effective.¡± ¡°Take this seriously. Sayama-kun wasn¡¯t arguing for fun.¡± Hearing that, Sayama opened his eyes. Shinjou looked him in the eye and thought. ¡­He can manage something in any situation. ¡°You are like the evil king of sophistry.¡± ¡°Thank you for the blunt opinion,¡± said Sayama with a bitter smile. But Shinjou looked at him once more. When faced with an opponent making an absurd argument, this boy had refused to negotiate properly and had replied with an absurd argument of his own. ¡­The surname Sayama indicates a villain. Is that it? She recalled that Sayama had said he possessed the abilities needed to carry out evil. Is this what he meant? thought Shinjou. She wondered what she would have done had she been in his place. ¡­If I had come back with a proper argument, I might have only been faced with another absurd argument. But the truth of that could not be known. And it was a fact that Sayama¡¯s absurd argument had caused Fasolt to give in. The only other information she had was Sayama¡¯s expression and the drooping of his shoulders. ¡­He did not get serious. That is probably because he realized partway through what Ooshiro-san had done. She nodded and decided she would willingly play the role of listener if he wanted to complain about anything. Doing so would surely be valuable for what had ended here today. And just as Shinjou made up her mind, Fasolt turned to Sayama and spoke. ¡°This really did not go as I planned. Perhaps I should have expected that with Sayama¡¯s grandson.¡± Shinjou saw Sayama hold the left side of his chest. He frowned and looked up at Fasolt. ¡°You knew my grandfather?¡± ¡°I did, even if it was only for a short time. When we first arrived in this world, he was the member of UCAT that prepared the location which became this reservation. Siegfried had given him the holy sword Gram, so he extracted the concepts needed to create this place. I have not seen him since those initial negotiations, though.¡± ¡°I see. Then I suppose you would know nothing of my father. He worked for IAI.¡± ¡°We do not leave this place, so we know nothing of that. However, I do remember your grandfather quite well,¡± said Fasolt. ¡°Sixty years ago, we exchanged arguments very similar to these provisional negotiations. He too shouted angrily at me when I requested reparations equal to the number of the dead. He told me not to calculate the number and value of the dead and to instead live peacefully here and put together a plan to restore our lost pride, even if there was an opposing faction. We have yet to do that, though.¡± Shinjou suddenly turned to Ooshiro who sat next to Fasolt. Ooshiro glanced toward Fasolt¡¯s back. On that back that she had once clung to were the scars from the severed wings. Oh, realized Shinjou in her heart. So that¡¯s it. A short silence followed. Whatever Fasolt may have thought of that silence, he slowly turned toward Ooshiro who was looking up at him. While glancing over at the old man, he spoke in a critical tone. ¡°This is more your problem than mine, but UCAT is filled with too many mysteries.¡± ¡°It is an organization that has hidden itself in the world so that it may save that world. Of course it has a lot of mysteries.¡± ¡°So not even 1st-Gear¡¯s representative knows the details,¡± commented Sayama. Fasolt nodded and said, ¡°We know almost nothing about UCAT¡¯s activities. The one thing everyone knows is that a large scale change occurred in 1995. Japanese UCAT was temporarily dissolved and reorganized.¡± Shinjou and Sayama both spoke in unison. ¡°Temporarily dissolved and reorganized?¡± Sayama saw Fasolt look at Shinjou and himself. ¡°So you do not know about that. It happened suddenly at the end of ¡¯95 which was almost the exact same time Shinjou was taken in by UCAT. All of the personnel other than the leaders left the organization.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I do not know, Sayama Mikoto. I would love to be told. I would assume only Ooshiro here and a few others know the truth behind it. One theory is that they were taking responsibility for the many deaths during relief operations after the Great Kansai Earthquake.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Sayama with a nod. He was not discouraged. The Leviathan Road had come with several conditions added by his grandfather. One of those was that they had to gather all of their information themselves. Here, he only needed to learn about 1st-Gear. And¡­ ¡­This just means I need to investigate UCAT in addition to the ten Gears. Sayama nodded and Fasolt nodded in return. The half-dragon then turned to Shinjou and opened his mouth to speak. ¡°I have gone back and forth on whether I should tell you this, but I will tell you now since you have returned after so long.¡± ¡°Eh? Me?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes. It will be an old story for you two. This concept space was constructed by Sayama Kaoru, but he said he was only able to do so by basing it on some data he had been given.¡± ¡°From another UCAT member?¡± ¡°No, he said it was from another member of the former National Defense Department. While investigating for the National Defense Department, this person had managed to estimate what concepts the different Gears used. Sayama Kaoru said he had only followed the data from back then.¡± Fasolt looked up into the sky. His gaze moved slowly around as if he could see the invisible wall forming the concept space. ¡°This person originally became involved in the National Defense Department while working as the assistant of a Professor Kinugasa, but they never joined UCAT. I do not know what became of this person.¡± ¡°Who was this person?¡± asked Sayama. Fasolt spoke a single surname. ¡°Shinjou. That is all I was told.¡± Volume 2, 20: Heart of Realization Volume 2, Chapter 20: Heart of Realization Do you realize it because you know nothing? Do you not realize it because you know everything? There are some people who do neither Even though it was the beginning of the afternoon, the Kinugasa Library was dark. The fluorescent lights on the ceiling were on, but that roof was high and the many bookshelves created shadows. Three people could be seen within that slightly dark and pale library. One was Siegfried who was speaking on the phone behind the counter. One was Ooshiro Itaru who sat in a chair in the center of the stepped floor. His metal cane was leaning against the table. The last was Sf who was observing a bookshelf in the back. Ooshiro glanced over at the tall back standing behind the counter. Siegfried had been on the phone for a while now and he showed no sign of finishing soon. Itaru sank down a bit in his chair and crossed his legs. He shook the guest slipper around on the end of his sock. ¡°Itaru-sama.¡± He turned toward that voice and found Sf standing expressionlessly with something in her hand. ¡°Oh, you found one of the blots on the record of my life.¡± ¡°Testament. It is your graduation album. But despite being called an album, it is a simple printed book.¡± ¡°Now here¡¯s a surprise. A lecture on English from a German-made automaton. I thought that was your enemy¡¯s language.¡± ¡°No, my true enemy is the Soviet Union. British and American ones have thin armor, so they are not a threat.¡± ¡°¡­What in the world are you talking about?¡± ¡°Tes. I am talking about automatons. ¡­What is that look in your eyes? This is common knowledge in the industry. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°According to my ¡®common knowledge¡¯, the Soviet Union was gone before you were created. Perhaps I am just imagining things.¡± ¡°Tes. You are exactly right. However, the Soviet Union lives on in your heart, Itaru-sama.¡± ¡°Oh? Another surprise. A doll is speaking about the human heart. And does that mean my heart is your enemy?¡± ¡°No, but I have determined it is Soviet-made. Its armor is thick and its attacks are guaranteed to kill, but it has little individuality. It is also worth mentioning that the armor is tilted diagonally. The mass-produced ones are different, though.¡± ¡°You can also add that it is quite cold.¡± ¡°I have no heart, so I cannot determine that for myself.¡± Sf gave an expressionless bow. She held out the musty blue album. Itaru silently took the velvet-covered album. He opened it, flipped through the pages, and sighed as he looked through the class photos. Sf then spoke from behind him. ¡°I see a lot of faces that show there are no thoughts going through their heads.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t steal my lines.¡± ¡°It is my duty to save you whatever effort I can.¡± ¡°What about the effort of throwing you away when you break?¡± ¡°Do not worry. I am set to cease functioning at the same time that you are destroyed. There will be no-¡­¡± Itaru closed his eyes and cut Sf off. ¡°Don¡¯t say it. I¡¯ve heard it so many times already,¡± he said expressionlessly. ¡°Testament,¡± replied Sf. Sf fell silent and Itaru continued flipping through the album. He arrived at the graduation writings. ¡°Here it is. Read this ridiculous writing.¡± ¡°Tes. Should I read it out loud?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Tes. You have not asked me to read you something in a long time. Not since five days after I arrived in Japan. I have checked my memory to a depth level of 5, so there is no mistaking it.¡± ¡°Yes, I remember. As a prank, I handed you a pornographic manga I had confiscated from a worker, but you suddenly began reading it quite loudly. Are your ethical standards set to overseas levels?¡± ¡°You never told me to throw it away and reading writings to one¡¯s master is an important job of a maid or butler. However, my lack of emotion leaves me ill-suited for a text with so much shouting and so many sound effects.¡± Itaru fell silent. He turned toward Sf with his eyes half-closed and held the album out toward her. She took it and read, ¡°Title: Stimulant.¡± ¡°No, The one right below that one.¡± ¡°Tes. Title: Untitled. Just as we thought the long awaited time had come A time came where we once more could only wait We were taught nothing more than the accumulation of time And new time was not what waited beyond our dreams What we learned here was how to skillfully exploit time And an understanding that nothingness is the time of salvation.¡± As Sf finished reading the writing, Itaru held his right hand against his face. ¡°That is so much better when read by someone who works for me. I love this feeling of my hair standing on end.¡± ¡°I have determined this was written by you, Itaru-sama.¡± ¡°Yes, it was. You could tell?¡± ¡°Tes. I could see an intentional effort to make each line 10 words long. Also, I can find nothing more than harassment in the meaning of the text.¡± ¡°Hah. You really are an excellent machine. I really mean that, so rejoice and express that joy in your actions.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf expressionlessly raised her arms above her hand and lowered them. ¡°Did that satisfy your demand? If you wish for a more vigorous expression of joy, I can do it three times in a row.¡± ¡°The Germans really know how to make a high-performance machine.¡± ¡°Testament. Their support is excellent as well. Feel free to use me as you see fit.¡± Instead of nodding, Itaru gestured further into the library with his chin. Sf turned in that direction with the album in hand. ¡°¡­¡± The light blue slipper on the end of Itaru¡¯s folded leg almost fell off, so she first put it back on properly. She then walked off expressionlessly. As she did, a small noise came from the counter behind her. It was the sound of a phone receiver being set down. Itaru turned around and found Siegfried looking at him. Itaru raised his sunglasses and said, ¡°Men shouldn¡¯t spend so long on the phone.¡± ¡°I had not spoken with this old comrade for 10 years. Now, Ooshiro Itaru, what do you need?¡± ¡°As Team Leviathan¡¯s supervisor, I came to check on a few things related to the transportation of the holy sword Gram. After all, Mr. Zonburg, you were the most closely involved in the destruction of 1st-Gear.¡± The white mechanical dragon Fafnir Custom slept in the base of 1st-Gear¡¯s City faction that existed underground below a gym. Wind blew through the darkness. The wind had color. That color was black. The black wind blew back and forth above Fafnir Custom¡¯s body as if dancing and then blew up toward the ceiling. A single small bell with writing carved into it hung there. The wind struck the bell and the bell rang. The bell emitted a high pitched noise and the wind suddenly formed a body. It was a black cat. Specifically, the cat Brunhild owned. ¡°There we go.¡± The black cat twisted in midair and landed on Fafnir Custom¡¯s back. It pressed the inside of its legs against the slanted armor rather than trying to use its claws. It slowly lay down. ¡°Venerable Hagen,¡± said the cat. ¡°I am here.¡± A palely glowing old man appeared next to the black cat. He yawned and said, ¡°Is this your periodic report?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. I have no news like yesterday, so I am just making an appearance.¡± ¡°We have nothing new here either. You can go find something to eat outside until the sound of the bell fades away. Nein will not notice.¡± Hagen yawned again and the cat looked up at the side of the old man¡¯s face. ¡°Do you have dreams too, Venerable Hagen?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Hagen looked down at the black cat and finally formed a smile. ¡°Yes, I do. I was just dreaming of when Brunhild asked for help while crying.¡± ¡°Was that when you joined with Fafnir Custom? ¡­Why did you decide to do that as a member of the royal family?¡± ¡°I was the only one there with enough social status to lead everyone. And when we moved to this world, it was necessary to release the concepts inside it to create a concept space the people of 1st-Gear could live in. That meant someone had to join with Fafnir Custom.¡± He placed his chin in his hands and let out a meaningless sigh. ¡°I did something inexcusable to Brunhild¡­no, to Nein. How is she doing with Siegfried?¡± The black cat remained silent. It looked away from Hagen and took three breaths before finally responding. ¡°Sh-she is observing him. ¡­And she is keeping her distance to¡­yes, to make sure she is not found out.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Hagen with a nod. He had a smile on his face, but the ends of his eyebrows had lowered a small bit. ¡°I see,¡± he muttered again. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Wh-what is it?¡± asked the black cat. Hagen nodded once, looked forward, and then looked down. ¡°What we must do for our respective positions can be a lot of trouble. But¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°At the very least, I want you to remain her ally.¡± The black cat listened to what Hagen said and nodded in understanding within the dim darkness. In the next moment, a knock came at the door to the room and a woman in a simple white outfit entered. She was in a hurry. Her pace was quick as she entered and impatience could be heard in her voice. ¡°The investigation¡­ The investigation is complete. It was exactly as you said, Lord Hagen.¡± The woman took a breath and continued speaking once her breathing was regulated. ¡°A transport plane is preparing for takeoff at IAI headquarters. Most likely, the holy sword Gram will pass by over our heads tonight as it is transported!¡± Siegfried¡¯s words reverberated through the Kinugasa Library. ¡°So Gram will be transported tonight. 1st-Gear¡¯s Leviathan Road will finally begin in earnest.¡± Siegfried stood behind the counter while Itaru remained seated. ¡°My father must be going senile to leave this all to some kid. The provisional negotiations supposedly ended fine, but from what I hear, those negotiations were a sham.¡± ¡°You certainly are harsh.¡± ¡°I¡¯m kind to myself. And that is what saves the smart ones. They run away from me.¡± ¡°Do you hope Sayama Mikoto and the others will withdraw from the Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°Only kids make decisions based on what they hope for.¡± Itaru pushed his sunglasses back up his nose. ¡°But once Gram is stored in UCAT HQ, the real negotiations with 1st-Gear will begin.¡± ¡°And that will be the true beginning of the Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°Yes. If he is still involved then, he will be unable to back out. Gram¡¯s arrival is the time limit for Sayama Mikoto. He must decide for himself by then.¡± Itaru reached to the end of his crossed leg and returned the slipper Sf had fixed to its half-removed state. He shook the light blue slipper with the tips of his toes and asked a question. ¡°Who were you on the phone with?¡± ¡°I told you it was old comrade, didn¡¯t I? He was delighted that Sayama Mikoto has begun to take action. He said Sayama Mikoto will likely learn all sorts of things while not knowing what direction he is headed, just like we did long ago.¡± ¡°And about one in a hundred of the things he does will be successes?¡± ¡°Yes. One only arrives at the truth after many failures and doubts.¡± A small smile appeared on Siegfried¡¯s lips. ¡°I remember when we first learned of the Concept War in the National Defense Department days. Yes, that was when it was found out that I was only pretending to cooperate with the National Defense Department and that I had come to destroy the ley line modification facility for the German region.¡± His smile grew bitter. ¡°I had yet to destroy the facility and yet it was destroyed. My comrades thought I had done it, so they pursued me and a battle began. It was then that it happened.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard about this. The sky suddenly split open and a mechanical dragon and god of war dropped down.¡± ¡°It was a battle between 1st-Gear and 3rd-Gear. From that point on, we knew that the National Defense Department¡¯s job extended beyond just our world,¡± said Siegfried. ¡°So much was learned and so much was lost. And not all by us. If Sayama Mikoto accepts the Leviathan Road and charges ahead, will he see it all?¡± ¡°Who can say? He might run away or die before that happens. Do you remember what his grandfather would always say?¡± ¡°The surname Sayama indicates a villain?¡± Itaru nodded and grinned. ¡°Will Sayama Mikoto be able to hold pride in the evil he commits? I am not talking about a skirmish with a small radical group or provisional negotiations against someone who is going easy on him. When faced with a true opponent, will he be able to settle things by using evil as righteousness? ¡­And before that, will he be able to choose to step onto the battlefield? I do not know the answer to any of these questions.¡± As Ooshiro spoke, Siegfried closed his eyes. ¡°Ooshiro Itaru, you are very particular about the surname Sayama. I heard the reason why from Diana.¡± ¡°Then you should understand why I hate that kid. I don¡¯t even want to see him. The surname Sayama that I know is nothing like him. It does not refer to some ignorant kid who is protected by everything.¡± ¡°Itaru-sama.¡± Itaru¡¯s body relaxed when Sf called out from behind him. He turned around just as Sf crouched down. Sf once more silently fixed his slipper. Itaru stood up, but his right leg trembled and almost gave out. Sf reached out from the side and silently supported him. ¡°Here,¡± she said after grabbing his metal cane. Itaru supported himself with the cane. He straightened his back and nodded toward Siegfried. ¡°But¡­ If the Leviathan Road continues forward, will my comrades take action?¡± ¡°Yes, Diana, the survivors of the National Defense Department, and the survivors of the original UCAT will take action. Mr. Zonburg, your friend is still alive.¡± ¡°I was just told as much over the phone. You mean Thunderson, right?¡± Siegfried frowned. ¡°It is a shame that Yankee is still alive. He should be coming here with his great-grandchild within the year, though.¡± Siegfried¡¯s comment deepened the grin on Itaru¡¯s face. Itaru pushed his sunglasses back up to cover his eyes and bowed, all while standing at the bottom of the valley created by the bookshelves of Kinugasa Library. ¡°View it like a class reunion you think is a mistake, Mr. Zonburg.¡± Seeing his actions and hearing his words, Sf belatedly bowed as well. Itaru slowly gave one last comment. ¡°That is one way to look at our Leviathan Road.¡± Shinjou and Sayama sipped at drinks in Okutama Station as the sun set. The wooden station building had a cement floor. They were sitting on a wooden bench by the wall at the entrance. To get this far, they had taken a UCAT bus out to the front of IAI and then another bus from there. Sayama had to wait 20 minutes for his train, so they had plenty of time to talk. It was the afternoon, but the entrance was almost deserted due to school not being in session. Shinjou listened to the sounds of cars and busses in the distance as she looked at the drink can in her hand. She had never had melon soda before. She thought its flavor had less individuality than the sodas at UCAT. She took a breath and looked at Sayama next to her. He was giving mineral water to Baku who sat on his shoulder even though he had just finished entering some numbers into the cell phone he had received at UCAT. ¡­Is he the type of person who can¡¯t relax without doing something? Shinjou¡¯s own question brought a bitter smile to her lips. She searched for something to say. ¡°Um, what do you think about what we were told earlier? About the holy sword Gram being suddenly transported today.¡± Sayama looked away from Baku. ¡°Well.¡± He nodded and placed Baku and the bottle next to him. ¡°It is indeed sudden. Word arrived just as we were leaving UCAT, but I suppose it starts when it starts.¡± ¡°What will you do, Sayama-kun? Will you take part in the Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°You will, won¡¯t you? You want to pursue this Shinjou from the National Defense Department that Fasolt mentioned.¡± ¡°Yes. But I am talking about you, Sayama-kun, not me.¡± ¡°I see,¡± began Sayama quietly. ¡°Currently, I think I am leaning toward not taking part.¡± ¡°Really?¡± She tilted her head and Sayama nodded. ¡°Yes, really. In the end, I have not found an answer for myself. And now the time has come. It would be like going in for a test without studying properly. The problem is that I would rather back out than get a bad grade on this test.¡± ¡°When you say you haven¡¯t found an answer for yourself, do you mean in relation to the surname Sayama indicating a villain?¡± Sayama looked a bit surprised to hear that. He quickly composed himself and nodded slowly. ¡°Being hated is a difficult thing. And¡­both the knight¡¯s group yesterday and Fasolt today took action while prepared for that. I achieved decent results both times, but I was no match for them where it really counts.¡± He took a breath. ¡°Take Fasolt for example. He wishes for continued peace. That requires compromise and actions that can be seen as betrayals. But he is willing to go through with it regardless. Why is that?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s the right thing to do. Do you think the radical factions can really gain anything by fighting?¡± ¡°I do,¡± said Sayama. ¡°If they win and their opponent is gone, they will gain a world of peace all for themselves. And even if they do not lose, as long as they can show off their power, they can force their fearful enemy to compromise.¡± ¡°That¡¯s solving everything with strength¡­¡± ¡°Strength is a rudimentary form of language, Shinjou-kun. If you agree, you shake hands. If you disagree, you punch them. Even without words, that will convey your meaning. Even now, there are tribes living on the earth that use strength in their standard customs. Let me ask this instead: why must everything be resolved with words? Words are an aspect of civilization that humans did not initially have. They are a replacement for strength. Why is it necessary to resolve everything with them?¡± ¡°B-because they don¡¯t harm you or your opponent,¡± she said while subconsciously clenching her hands. Green fizz spilled from the drink can in her hands. ¡°Ah,¡± said Shinjou as she frantically pulled a handkerchief from her pocket. As she wiped off her hands, her thoughts were centered on her worry that Sayama did not even understand this simple concept. ¡­This is important. It has to be. She nodded in her heart and thought on what she should say to Sayama. Strength entered the inside of her eyebrows and she folded up her handkerchief. ¡°U-um, Sayama-kun¡­¡± She stopped before she could continue speaking. She saw Sayama looking toward her with a powerless smile on his face. It was a simple smile and nothing else. However¡­ ¡­Why is he looking at me like that when I¡¯m angry? His reply came soon thereafter. He nodded and said, ¡°That is your answer, Shinjou-kun. You have the right to take the test. You are much more qualified than I am.¡± His last sentence sent a chill down Shinjou¡¯s back. ¡°N-no. I¡­I¡­¡± ¡°Do you want to say you could not speak with Fasolt and his absurd arguments today, with that group from yesterday, or with the werewolf the day before yesterday? Do you want to say that you cannot fight them either?¡± Shinjou nodded. ¡°Why is it they refuse to talk things out?¡± asked Sayama. ¡°B-because¡­um¡­they have grudges that cannot be settled with words?¡± ¡°Yes. And so they refuse to sit at the negotiating table to talk things out. In other words, those who wish for peace can only speak with others who wish for a peaceful conclusion. However...¡± ¡°However?¡± ¡°Even those who do not wish for peace lose things in war. In fact¡­ They are the ones who cannot forgive those losses, so they may be the ones who truly hate war.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In that case, what does it mean to make up for our crimes? Is it enough to make it up only to those who already assume a peaceful resolution? Is it really best to not even touch on those who wish for our deaths?¡± ¡°B-but if we stand before them, they might kill us, Sayama-kun.¡± ¡°That is why the Leviathan Road has given us power,¡± said Sayama. ¡°I think I understand the meaning behind the initial conditions my grandfather gave the Leviathan Road. I think I understand why he has given us no information and has allowed us to fight.¡± Sayama folded his arms and leaned back in the wooden bench. He could feel the chill of the rough wooden planks that sat at uneven heights. ¡°There are those in the ten Gears who hope for our deaths or defeat. Why do they wish for death? We have not been given any information on the past so that we can truly understand that and make use of that reason.¡± ¡°You mean knowledge we are given without searching it out has no value?¡± ¡°Yes. Knowledge only becomes wisdom if you have the will to learn. If we are given prepackaged knowledge and try to use it as a shield, the other races will not feel any sincerity in us.¡± Sayama picked up Baku. The beast had been sticking its head in the clear bottle to peer at the water within, but he now flailed his limbs as he hung down. Once his gaze met Sayama¡¯s he calmed down. Sayama lowered Baku and tipped the bottle on its side. Baku stuck his head in the bottle¡¯s opening and drank the water. Shinjou smiled bitterly at the small animal¡¯s behavior. Sayama made a similar smile. ¡°We are using Baku here in our investigation so we can view the past with no glorification or distortion. We must decide for ourselves based on that. And¡­¡± ¡°We must negotiate using strength, words, and every other means available to us?¡± ¡°Yes. This is why my grandfather left the Leviathan Road to me. The surname Sayama indicates a villain, so he wanted me to take that knowledge and wisdom and make what decisions I had to.¡± Sayama closed his eyes. He did not look at Shinjou or anything else around him. ¡°But,¡± he began. ¡°Just because I have that knowledge and wisdom does not mean my evil is needed. After all, my grandfather did not always use that method.¡± Sayama sensed Shinjou stiffening next to him. Eventually, she spoke. ¡°You probably should rethink this. This may indeed be a good role for you, Sayama-kun. But it¡¯s wrong. It isn¡¯t right to end everything by making someone the villain. Even if it¡¯s important to you, I think it¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°But I am interested in the Leviathan Road. ¡­If possible, I would like to take part.¡± ¡°But¡­ can you trust yourself when you get serious?¡± Sayama sighed. He opened his eyes. The ends of Shinjou¡¯s eyebrows were lowered as she stared at him. She is a welcome person to have around, he thought. He looked her in the eye and several seconds of silence followed. Finally, Shinjou looked down and spoke as if checking on something. ¡°Sayama-kun, do you really want to take part in the Leviathan Road?¡± Sayama thought on her question. He thought back over everything and found only one answer. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I see. Then¡­think up some way of resolving this. Think up a way you can get serious and remain confident.¡± Shinjou lightly embraced her own body while still looking down. ¡°If only there was some standard you could use when conflicted over whether your actions are a necessary evil or not. ¡­I don¡¯t know how you could know that, though.¡± ¡°A standard for necessary evil¡­? In other words, a villain¡¯s requirement,¡± muttered Sayama. He looked down at his feet and thought. ¡­A standard to know for sure what I am doing is wrong, hm? When he thought about it, it was a simple matter. To know whether he was wrong or not¡­ ¡­I just need someone by my side who is right. He needed someone who was the opposite of himself. When he realized that, his pulse began to race. ¡°¡­¡± He needed someone who could be a standard for him. He needed someone who would allow him to meet the proper requirements. And someone like that was already by his side. He could easily know whether he was wrong or not if he looked at that person. But Sayama had tried to keep that person out of his mind. After all, if he took part in the Leviathan Road, it would mean that person would be standing in the same place as him. That person would be standing at the receiving end of grudges and could be killed. He had wanted to avoid that. ¡°¡­¡± He silently began to sweat. His pulse grew even faster. What is this? he thought. This is not like me. He just had to tell that person he needed them. He had to ask that person to stand with him on the battlefield and sit with him at the negotiating table. He had to ask that person to accept enmity and death alongside him. It was selfish. Being hated as a villain was an issue for him alone, but this would be dragging another person down along with him. However, that person¡¯s voice reached his ears. It was a gentle and quiet voice. It said, ¡°I hope you can find a standard for yourself, Sayama-kun.¡± Sayama stood up. With the rustling of his suit, he looked at her. He looked at the opposite of himself who could act as his standard. He looked at the girl named Shinjou. Shinjou backed away slightly with her drink can in her hands. Before her eyes, Sayama had stood up after letting his head droop down for a while. He was looking at her. He was wrinkling his brow and seemed to want to say something. That was why Shinjou had pulled back. ¡°Wh-what is it?¡± Her question caused Sayama to jump as if he had suddenly realized something. All strength suddenly left his expression. His usual expression quickly returned. This expression was almost a lack of expression. However, Shinjou thought his slightly downward-cast face appeared conflicted. ¡­Is something the matter? Shinjou tilted her head. ¡°Did something happen? Is it about the Leviathan Road or your standard?¡± As she spoke, Shinjou wondered what it was she was worried about. She had said the Leviathan Road was dangerous, but once he had said he wanted to take part, she had given him self-important advice and was trying to help him again. I must truly want¡­ she began silently. She wanted him to take part in the Leviathan Road. She did not want him to die or be hated, but he could do things she could not. She wanted that. She recalled when they had first met. She remembered when she had let him rest on her lap in that forest. He had admitted that she was right. She had always thought she was wrong, but he had said she was right. And on the way back that night, she had apologized for forcing her thoughts onto him, but he had smiled and said she had done nothing of the sort. She wondered if it was strange to be happy about having her thoughts denied. ¡­To me, he is right and is a welcome person to have around. Shinjou nodded in her heart. ¡­I wonder if there is anything I can do to help him. After the negotiations with Fasolt when he had been depressed over being unable to get serious, she had not been able to say anything. She decided she needed to say something now. She opened her mouth to speak. The first time, only her lips moved. The second time, she produced a voice. ¡°Is there anything I can do for you?¡± Sayama turned back toward her. He lowered his head once more, looked up, and¡­ ¡°¡­¡± The train created a loud noise as it entered the station. The wheels caused the track to creak and Sayama turned around. The sounds of the train slowed and finally stopped. When Sayama turned back toward her, his expression was back to normal. However, this brought no relief to Shinjou. He always acted the way he did because he wanted to be strong. Sayama looked at her as they listened to the footsteps of the people walking from the platform to the entrance. ¡°Shinjou-kun, one quick thing.¡± His voice was back to its normal tone when he spoke. The words he had been about to speak with that shaken expression would not be coming. Shinjou felt a disappointed emptiness in her chest, but still tilted her head. If he had any complaints, she would listen. ¡°What? What is it?¡± In her slightly titled vision, she saw Sayama pull the digital recorder from his pocket and hold it up. The area was filled with the footsteps and other noises of the people on the platform. Sayama ignored them and spoke with a serious expression. ¡°I forgot to ask about the continuation from before. You said you jumped when you thought I was going to touch your butt, but what happened then? Please tell me in great detail.¡± As her vision twitched with thoughts similar to ¡°you¡¯re one stubborn bastard¡±, she saw Sayama check the watch on his left wrist. ¡°I have no time, but I am terribly curious. Come on. There is nothing to fear. Tell me forcefully and intensely!¡± After that final comment, Shinjou forcefully and intensely slapped Sayama. The art room curtain began to grow dyed in crimson. Brunhild stood petrified as the black cat stood on the floor in front of her. Her right hand held the blue stone used to return the wind to the form of a cat. The small bird sat on her shoulder and she spoke in a slightly trembling voice. ¡°The holy sword Gram is¡­what?¡± The black cat was catching its breath with its limbs sprawled out on the floor. ¡°It seems IAI HQ is sending Gram by air to the IAI Tokyo branch. He said¡­¡± The cat took a breath. ¡°They will be shooting it down.¡± ¡°So a battle cannot be avoided now.¡± ¡°Fafner said you should return right away. He said he would leave taking care of Siegfried to you.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± A movement came over Brunhild¡¯s expressionless face. This movement was produced by strength. When the black cat saw that expression, it turned away. ¡°If Gram is retrieved, its master, Siegfried, is sure to take action. Fafner said he would be left to you. Brunhild,¡± called the black cat. ¡°Everyone is expecting to see the cries of resentment contained in the scythe of the underworld.¡± Brunhild shook her head and stopped moving. The small bird on her shoulder chirped. Brunhild did not move when she heard it. All expression had left her face. There was not even enough there to call it expressionless. It was as if all color had been lost from her face. ¡°¡­¡± Brunhild remained silent, hung her head, and closed her eyes. She bit her lower lip and knitted her brow. A slight breath leaked from deep in her throat. The black cat looked up at her. When it realized she had her eyes closed, the cat partially closed its own eyes, hung its head down, and gave a small nod. ¡°Okay,¡± mouthed the cat before looking up. ¡°Brunhild?¡± Brunhild opened her eyes. By the time their gazes met, the cat was looking at its owner the same as ever. ¡°Brunhild,¡± called the cat once more. ¡°I am doing my best to be your ally.¡± Volume 2, 21: The Path to Relief Volume 2, Chapter 21: The Path to Relief When one steps off that path Pain appears before one¡¯s eyes So what happens if one wishes for pain? Sayama returned to the school and walked to the Kinugasa Library. He took a seat at a table near the counter, opened a book, and read through it. He placed one side of the book on the table and flipped through the pages with only his right arm. It was the first volume of the mythology research books written by Kinugasa Tenkyou. He was reading the portion related to the Nibelungen epic poem. The old letterpress printing style caused the pictures to bleed through the pages, but it was easy enough to make out the writing. The Nibelungen was a European epic primarily passed down in Germany that was based on the Norse legend known as the Volsunga Saga. ¡°According to the saga, a young man named Sigurd trained under a man named Regin and slayed a dragon named Fafnir with the holy sword Gram he was given. When he drank some of Fafnir¡¯s blood, he became able to hear the voices of animals. The birds informed him that Regin planned to kill him to take the honor for himself.¡± He flipped the page. ¡°After killing Regin, Sigurd fell in love with a woman named Brynhildr, but he was made to forget her with magic and he instead chose a woman named Gudrun. However, Brynhildr resented him when she found out and decided to destroy them all.¡± As Sayama closed the book, another voice continued the story. ¡°In the saga, Sigurd was killed by an assassin in his sleep, but in the epic poem, he died after being stabbed through the heart from the spot on the left of his back that had not been covered in Fafnir¡¯s blood due to a leaf falling there.¡± Those words were spoken by the tall man holding a paper cup behind the counter. Sayama turned toward him and asked, ¡°This has a few terms in common with reality. ¡­Have you ever noticed that? In German, Sigurd has the name Siegfried. And Gudrun is Gutrune. ¡­Has anyone else checked on those terms in common?¡± ¡°No, they have not.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama tapped the spine of the hardcover book. ¡°I suppose that would also be the answer if there was no need to check.¡± The slight tapping noise caused Baku to raise his head and emulate it by tapping Sayama¡¯s shoulder. Sayama smiled bitterly. ¡°What does it feel like to be hated?¡± Siegfried took a sip from his cup before answering. ¡°The one saving grace is that all that enmity will end when I die. I have been targeted a few times in the past, but they were not ideal, so I did not die.¡± ¡°Hah. You have quite the troublesome death wish. ¡­So what kind of death do you want?¡± ¡°Being killed by someone I betrayed and still hates me would simply be too horrible for me to accept. That would be identical to Sigurd¡¯s death.¡± Siegfried placed his cup on the counter and laughed at the hard sound of the paper. ¡°Sayama Mikoto, give this thought. Give this serious thought. Being hated will be inevitable. The question is how small you can make that grudge and who it is that will understand you.¡± ¡°And did you fail on both counts?¡± Siegfried remained silent, so Sayama sighed. ¡°What a troublesome idea. Being an adult really is troublesome. You knew something like this could be waiting for you, so why?¡± Sayama turned toward Siegfried. And he slowly spoke as if to himself. ¡°Why did you get involved in the Concept War?¡± In the center of Sayama¡¯s vision, the old man stared directly back at him and did not move. Sayama waited. He waited for his words to vanish from the air of that library. And once everything had returned to silence, his answer came. ¡°That was after I had managed to escape fighting in World War Two. I knew all too well that I would lose something if I fought. I did not want any more war. However¡­¡± Siegfried trailed off, but he did not stop. He shook his head and continued. ¡°Everyone has their own reason for fighting. There is no meaning in me telling you mine. No matter how many ideals they hold, a human will die from a single bullet. When you see that truth before your eyes, you will see what your true motives are.¡± ¡°You mean I will see what is worth risking losing my life to a single bullet?¡± Siegfried nodded. ¡°I will not tell you not to fear death. But do not look back. If you want to remain an idealist, do not step onto the battlefield. And if you do step onto the battlefield, do not die. Do you understand what I mean, at least somewhat? You have experienced the battlefield twice now due to our skirmishes with 1st-Gear. What did you think of the people there and of yourself?¡± Sayama nodded, thought about the werewolf and the knight, and finally thought about Shinjou. He kept in his heart the thought of her trembling yet still stepping onto the battlefield and then he tried to say something. ¡°¡­¡± He was unable to say it. However, he understood what he and she had in common. He understood what it was they both wanted. ¡°A battlefield on which we might die, hm?¡± There was no doubting what they would find there. Everything else was up to him. With that in mind, Sayama stood up. ¡°Thank you. You helped guide me in the right direction.¡± He slid the book across the table and grabbed it in his right hand as it began to fall off the edge. His left arm was still not fully healed. With the book hanging down from his right hand, Sayama walked toward the shelf of books by Kinugasa. And as he did, he looked outside the narrow portion of window visible between the bookshelves. The window showed the sun to the southwest and a figure jogging down the road toward the main entrance. It was Shinjou Setsu. He had his hair bound behind his neck and he held a wash basin and a towel in front of his chest. ¡­Is he visiting the public bath I told him about last night? It was quite early for a bath. A glance at his watch told him it was 4:30 PM. Just as he began to wonder why Shinjou would take a bath so early, a thought came to Sayama. ¡°Is he actually her?¡± ¡°Did you just say something rather odd?¡± Sayama ignored the old man. ¡­Is that why he is bathing while no one else will be around? It was only a hypothesis. He would never find the answer if he did not check. And that meant he had to go. He had to check once more whether Shinjou Setsu was actually Shinjou Sadame. He made up his mind and began to move. ¡°¡­¡± Sayama quickly returned the book to the bookshelf and took quick steps across the library. His footsteps were loud and Siegfried frowned. ¡°Excuse me,¡± said Sayama with a wave of the arm. Leaving the library and running back to the student dorm would take two minutes. If he chased after Shinjou, he would arrive just as the boy was entering the bathtub. He would be able to catch him in the act. Sayama would be victorious. With that in mind, he opened the library door. But then¡­ ¡°Oh.¡± He brought himself to a stop. Someone stood directly in front of him. A small figure stood beyond the opened door in the hallway filled with the light of the setting sun. A black cat stood at the person¡¯s feet. It was a girl holding a cardboard box with a small bird inside. Siegfried called her name from behind Sayama. ¡°Brunhild-kun.¡± Brunhild watched Sayama Mikoto rush past her. He was nonsensically muttering ¡°bath¡± over and over, so it did not seem related to 1st-Gear. Brunhild took a step forward as she listened to those fading footsteps. As she did, Siegfried stepped out from behind the counter. He moved quickly and with long strides. It only took him five steps. ¡°Do you have another problem with the bird?¡± Brunhild expressionlessly shook her head. There was something she had to say. ¡­Will I be able to say it this time? Brunhild opened her mouth as she thought about the previous night. Her lips moved as she practiced the words. The fact that she noticed that movement showed that her legs were not trembling and her body was not cowering. And so Brunhild raised her head. Her hair waved, she created a face she thought of as expressionless, and she looked up at his blue eyes. ¡°I will be leaving until tomorrow morning, so please look after the bird.¡± ¡°This is quite sudden.¡± It looked as if Siegfried¡¯s eyes had widened slightly. However, he was not refusing or rebuking her. She closed her eyes, lowered her head, and held out the arms holding the box. ¡°Yes, but¡­take care of it.¡± Her head drooped down even further. ¡°Please. You only need to look after it until tomorrow morning.¡± She raised her head. She made sure her movements did not cause her to draw back the box. As she looked at him, Siegfried finally nodded. ¡°Tomorrow morning, you said?¡± ¡°Yes. I will be back by then.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Siegfried nodded once more and took the box. Brunhild almost breathed a sigh of relief, but she resisted. Without changing her expression, she looked at the bird in the box. It tilted its head as it looked back up at her. Siegfried took the box and the bird must have been afraid to leave her because it spread it wings. And it flapped them. ¡°¡­¡± However, it could not fly. It fell over, stood back up, and looked up at her again. Brunhild spoke to the bird. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He understands the language of birds.¡± As soon as she said that, Brunhild heard a quiet laugh. She looked up at Siegfried¡¯s face, but his expression was the same as ever. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± ¡°N-no. It is nothing. ¡­Thank you for helping.¡± With that quick comment Brunhild turned around. After the third step, she heard the library door close behind her and the chirping of the bird grew more distant. She passed through the central lobby and headed for the art room. The black cat sighed down at her feet. ¡°You managed to say the words you had prepared.¡± ¡°Yes. I wonder why.¡± ¡°Because this is something you knew was important.¡± ¡°Really?¡± she asked before having a thought. If what the cat said was true, was it the bird or the man she had found to be important? A shopping district had been built just outside the main entrance of the school. In it was a 24-hour public bath named Eternal Sunflower. It was an old-looking facility made of concrete and with a tiled roof, but it stood out because of the large greenhouse with a metal framework to the south. Tropical plants and out of season sunflowers were visible in that three-story structure. The curtains labeling the men¡¯s bath and the women¡¯s bath had a sunflower mark printed on them. ¡°The 24-hour public bath named Eternal Sunflower uses underground pipes to use the heat of the school¡¯s boiler facility. It has a few sister facilities outside the school, but this is the one I told Shinjou-kun about last night.¡± Sayama passed by the attendant booth, greeted the old woman who worked as the attendant during the day, and put a 100 yen coin in the ticket machine. He took the card-style locker key the ticket machine gave him and he moved Baku from his shoulder to his head. He removed his clothes in the changing area, placed them in a locker, and draped a towel over his shoulder. He removed the bandages from his left arm, making the charm covering the wound visible. It had shown no sign of growing damp during his shower the day before, so Sayama assumed it held some sort of power. He locked the locker and his preparations were complete. Just to check, he weighed himself at the scale. His weight was the same as the day before. Everything was going well. All that was left was to head into the bath with nothing but his towel. Using the public bath¡¯s wash basins was the stylish thing to do. And opening the bath door with both hands was the Sayama style. ¡°Here I go,¡± said Sayama as he took the first step inside. The steam-filled bath was large. Four square bathtubs that were 10 meters across were lined up to the left and right and washing areas were prepared along the walls. As he walked down the center area between the bathtubs, his footsteps sounded quietly on the cooled bathwater below. Sayama searched for his target in his vision that was obscured by the color white. And he spotted that target. He was in the farthest bathtub on Sayama¡¯s left. Sayama had spotted the color black on the closest corner of that tub. That color was the color of hair. Sayama walked in that direction as if cutting through the steam. As he approached, he saw slender shoulders and black hair dropping into the wash basin sitting outside the bathtub. That back was submerged up to the bottom of the shoulders, but it was definitely Shinjou¡¯s. ¡­He should submerge himself up to the neck. After deciding he needed to give Shinjou that advice, Sayama began thinking about how to make his approach. From the boy¡¯s reaction at their first meeting, Shinjou Setsu seemed to be needlessly wary. Sayama needed to approach him in a way that lowered his guard. He considered showing unpredictability by leaping into the bathtub or showing open-heartedness by stepping over Shinjou¡¯s head, but he concluded a safer option would be better. Even as he thought, Sayama continued to approach and observe. He could see the side of Shinjou¡¯s face as he soaked in the tub. His eyes were closed and his expression was relaxed. His body that Sayama was so curious about was sitting on one of the steps on the inside of the tub and his arms were embracing himself. His arms and the towel worn within the tub hid that body. ¡­He is wearing the towel inside the bathtub? Shinjou¡¯s action made Sayama feel a bit dizzy, but he endured. He could not put Shinjou on guard. However, it was true he could check on his body if the towel were not there. He had to eliminate that trap. What came first was the boy¡¯s wariness. If Sayama could eliminate that, the rest would be easy. Sayama silently got down on his knees behind that back soaking in the bathtub. He picked up a nearby wash basin and spoke in order to lower Shinjou¡¯s guard. ¡°Sir, would you like me to wash your back?¡± Shinjou turned around in shock and¡­ ¡°W-waaah!!¡± He let out a scream and fell full force into the bathtub. A splash and steam filled the air and his long hair was dragged into the tub. Sayama climbed over the edge of the tub and placed his legs in the waves of hot water, but he remained on his knees. ¡°What a noisy child. You must not swim in the bath tub.¡± ¡°Wh-why are you talking about my back all of a sudden!?¡± ¡°I merely wish to wash your back. There is no need to be suspicious.¡± ¡°That¡¯s plenty suspicious!!¡± There is no reasoning with this person, thought Sayama as he brought a hand to his forehead. Shinjou stood while hiding his body with his towel and then remained motionless. Through the steam, Sayama could see Shinjou¡¯s eyebrows raised. ¡°Why are you so suspicious?¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with suspicion. ¡­Did you even stop to think what the people who see this might think!?¡± Shinjou pointed toward the washing areas along the wall. Soaking at the edge of the bathtub with his arms spread was¡­ ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Izumo.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± said Izumo as he raised a hand in greeting. Sayama nodded and said, ¡°Do not worry, Shinjou-kun. That is not a person, so his opinion does not count.¡± ¡°Sayama, you idiot, have you ever seen my chromosomes?¡± ¡°I can tell without looking. You clearly have about two more than a human.¡± ¡°Really? I must be pretty great to have more than a human.¡± ¡°Um¡­ Don¡¯t chimpanzees have two more chromosomes than humans?¡± commented Shinjou. ¡°What? Screw you, Sayama¡­ You¡­ You¡¯re pretty smart, you idiot.¡± ¡°This does not matter, so calm down.¡± Izumo had begun to stand up, but he sank back down and let out a breath. He looked back and forth between Sayama and Shinjou. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the confusion is about, Sayama, but you need to wash yourself before entering the bathtub. That is one of the five rules of Eternal Sunflower.¡± Sayama nodded and looked toward Shinjou. He stood in the center of the bathtub. ¡°Why do you look so angry?¡± asked Sayama. ¡°B-because, well¡­¡± ¡°I do not believe I have done anything to you yet.¡± ¡°How about you say his very existence is odd? And wait¡­ What do you mean ¡®yet¡¯?¡± Sayama ignored that suggestion from Izumo. At any rate, Shinjou would have no escape once Sayama washed himself. He stood up and walked to the washing area. Behind him, he heard Shinjou walk through the tub and back to his previous spot. He could see it in the washing area¡¯s mirror. Sayama sat in a seat placed in front of that mirror near Izumo. Before using the shower, Sayama filled a nearby wash basin with water a bit cooler than human skin and placed Baku inside. Baku floated for a bit, but then sank without struggling. Sayama pulled him out and placed his front legs on the edge of the wash basin. Baku seemed to be a nonresistant animal. Sayama took a breath, untangled his swept back hair and ran his hands through it. ¡°Izumo,¡± he said quietly. ¡°What is it, you idiot?¡± ¡°I have a question for you.¡± ¡°Oh? What lowly question do you have from someone as great as me?¡± Sayama nodded and began rubbing the provided soap on his skin. ¡°How was Shinjou-kun¡¯s body?¡± Sayama saw Izumo turn toward him in the mirror. He nodded once with a serious expression. ¡°Here is my opinion on this matter: you are insane. Well? Do you get it? If not, let me put it more simply. You. Are. An. Idiot. Well? Get it now?¡± ¡°I see you still have no reservations about saying hurtful things. Go to hell, you son of a bitch.¡± Sayama took a breath and stared straight at Izumo through the mirror. ¡°I am not joking about this. I am completely serious. ¡­How was Shinjou-kun¡¯s body?¡± In the mirror, Izumo¡¯s face darkened, his expression clouded over, and he averted his gaze. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t realize you were serious.¡± ¡°I am. As long as you understand.¡± ¡°Yeah, sorry. I would never have thought you were serious. I¡¯m satisfied with Chisato.¡± ¡°I see. Then I suppose I asked you something you cannot answer. Is this where I should say, ¡®die, you useless bastard¡¯?¡± ¡°Is this where I should say, ¡®get lost, you gay bastard¡¯?¡± Just as Sayama silently held the shower in his left hand and the valve for the hot water in his right, he heard a splash behind him. He checked in the mirror and saw a back with long black hair trying to sneak out of the bathtub. You are not getting away, thought Sayama as he brushed up his hair once, turned around, lowered his hips, and dashed. ¡°Wait just a second!¡± As he ran, he saw Shinjou try to turn around. He could not let Shinjou prepare. Making sure Shinjou did not notice took top priority. To escape Shinjou¡¯s sight, Sayama dropped to his knees on the wet tile floor. He slid on his knees through the puddles of water. As his sliding produced a wet noise, he saw Shinjou¡¯s eyes cut across horizontally as if he had lost sight of something. In the next moment, he grabbed hold of Shinjou¡¯s waist. That backwards-turned naked body gave a start when Sayama¡¯s hands grabbed onto its waist. Shinjou looked down at Sayama from above. He had to twist his shoulders and neck around to do so. ¡°Wh-what are you doing, Sayama-kun!?¡± While sitting on his knees, Sayama held onto Shinjou as he tried to twist his body around and escape. ¡°Calm down.¡± ¡°Wh-what!? I don¡¯t understand what you mean!¡± ¡°You do not understand? I am saying to remain relaxed and tranquil while not panicking.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t what I meant!!¡± shouted Shinjou, but he stopped trying to escape. He blushed and asked, ¡°Wh-what is it? If you need something, just tell me already!¡± ¡°There is something I must see. It is not something you can simply tell me. And¡­ It is an important matter for you.¡± ¡°Important?¡¯ Shinjou frowned and averted his gaze. Finally, he said, ¡°Y-you aren¡¯t going to do some other strange thing to me, are you?¡± ¡°Of course not. When have I ever done anything strange to you?¡± ¡°U-um, Sayama-kun? ¡­Please look either to your right or left.¡± Sayama chose left. He looked over and saw himself and Shinjou in a mirror in a washing area. He was sitting on his knees and he had his arms wrapped around Shinjou¡¯s butt. It was nothing more than one step in the process of determining if Shinjou was a girl or not. ¡°I see nothing strange there,¡± he commented. Shinjou hung his head down with a look of realization. ¡°Oh, I get it now. Strange people do not realize how strange they are.¡± ¡°Such a sad story.¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about you!!¡± ¡°It seems you have a persecution complex....At any rate, please stay still.¡± ¡°Uuh¡­¡± groaned Shinjou. Sayama lowered his head and looked forward. There he found a butt. The two round humps were sticking out toward him a bit because of how he was holding on to Shinjou. Water droplets from the bath could be seen on it. His body line extending up and down to his waist and thighs swelled out. It is very round, thought Sayama. How magnificent. He squeezed with his hands a bit and those round humps distorted softly. The water droplets that had collected between the flesh made their way around and dripped down. Seeing that, Sayama gave a mental sigh of admiration. ¡­How erotic, he thought earnestly. But as soon as he realized what he had thought, he shook his head. He needed to see if Shinjou was female or not. This was no time to be holding a viewing of Shinjou¡¯s ass. However¡­ ¡°How can I sum up this beauty in a single word?¡± It was round and erotic. Sayama thought for a moment, let out a breath, and expressed it in a single world. ¡°Eroundic.¡± ¡°Wh-what? What did you just say!?¡± ¡°I merely found a new expression is all. Do not worry about it.¡± Sayama realized he could not determine Shinjou¡¯s sex from the butt. That was obvious. And so he spoke. ¡°Now, let us do this. Turn toward me, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°U-u-um, Sayama-kun? Do you know what you¡¯re saying? And what do you mean ¡®do this¡¯?¡± ¡°It is too late to ask questions! This is important!¡± shouted Sayama. All strength left Shinjou¡¯s body. Sayama looked up and saw the ends of his eyebrows drooping. ¡°D-do I really¡­have to turn toward you?¡± ¡°Yes. There is something I cannot know otherwise.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shinjou averted his gaze without speaking and Sayama loosened his grip on Shinjou¡¯s butt. Shinjou slowly turned toward him. He stood with his knees together, but Sayama showed no kindness. ¡°Why are you acting so embarrassed? Move that towel and your arms.¡± ¡°D-do I really have to show you? Th-this isn¡¯t right. You¡¯re going to do something strange, aren¡¯t you?¡¯ ¡°How many times do I have to tell you? This is important for you, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Really? Is it really important for the two of us? Is it really?¡± Sayama stared silently back and Shinjou closed his eyes a bit. His cheeks reddened, he bit his lower lip, and his body stiffened. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything weird.¡± Shinjou dropped the towel. The wet cloth softly struck the floor. However, Shinjou was still using his hands to cover his chest and the area between his legs. ¡°Move your hands,¡± said Sayama. Shinjou did not nod. However, he lifted his hands, let out a moan, and covered his face with those hands. Sayama had watched the hands move up, but he now slowly lowered that gaze. The eyes on that blushing face looked down at him through the gaps in the fingers. His shoulders were drooping down and the chest between them was flat. It was the same chest Sayama had touched the day before. Water droplets ran down his damp skin from the chest to his sides and navel. The water seemed to dissolve into his skin. Sayama followed the falling water droplets with his gaze. He finally arrived at Shinjou¡¯s crotch. ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°Wh-what does that mean? N-no. Don¡¯t stare like that.¡± ¡°My apologies.¡± Sayama had confirmed that Shinjou was a boy. The proof lay right before his eyes. It was certainly there. Sayama had no more room for doubt and he felt a sense of loss at having his suspicions disappear. Shinjou spoke from above in a trembling voice. ¡°A-are you done? You are, right? You¡¯ve seen enough, right?¡± Sayama started to agree, but then his thoughts ground to a halt. ¡­Wait a second. I can clearly see it before my eyes, but¡­ What if this was some kind of trick? He knew the level of technology UCAT had. They could easily pull something like this off. If he was going to check, he had to do so thoroughly enough to have no doubts remaining. However, Shinjou¡¯s guard was currently raised. Asking for permission here would likely only be wasted time. And so Sayama gently grabbed it. The texture, the warmth, the weight, and the material all checked out. That left strength. In what was more an examination than a confirmation, Sayama tugged downwards. He tugged a total of three times, changing the direction slightly each time. ¡°Hm.¡± But it did not come off. That meant it was not a trick. He knew for sure now. There was no mistaking it. His suspicions finally vanished. Yes, this confirms it, thought Sayama as he raised his head. He breathed a sigh of relief and his shoulders drooped. He looked Shinjou in the eye and a slight smile naturally formed on his lips. This was good news. He nodded and spoke. ¡°You can rest easy, Shinjou-kun. You are a boy.¡± ¡°I already knew that!!¡± A slap arrived from below his field of vision as if the hand were scooping something up. It struck Sayama¡¯s jaw, his head rotated backwards, and he collapsed to the side. The setting sun sank into the mountain range to the west. In the city, the movements of that crimson light could only be seen from a high vantage point. A pair of eyes followed that sinking sun from the rooftop of Taka-Akita Academy¡¯s second year general school building. Those eyes were above the bell tower attached to the roof. A single figure sat there. The figure wore black clothes and a three-cornered hat. That girl holding a broom with a giant scythe tied to it was Brunhild. She looked toward the silhouette of the western mountain range outlined by the setting sun. She remained perfectly still, held her arms around her knees, and hid so those down below would be unable to see her. A black cat sat next to her. The cat looked up at its unmoving owner and tilted its head. While still looking to the west, Brunhild expressionlessly spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have already dealt with my problem.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, this will tell me everything. If he arrives when we take back the holy sword Gram, it will mean he has abandoned the bird I left with him. I will know he has betrayed me.¡± ¡°And if he does not come?¡± ¡°Then I will forgive him,¡± said Brunhild while narrowing her eyes slightly. A small sigh escaped her lips. ¡°But this question is a one-way issue. I will not return here. If we win, I will join the negotiations alongside Lord Hagen as a member of 1st-Gear. If we lose, I will die.¡± ¡°So you won¡¯t be coming back.¡± The black cat¡¯s head drooped. ¡°Then I should confess something. I was the one that tore up the calendar in your room.¡± ¡°That is fine. It was provided by the school, so I forgive you.¡± ¡°Thanks. But I was also the one that destroyed the cup the school gave you.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I quite liked that cup, but I will not be returning. I forgive you.¡± ¡°I also stained your pillow with drool and camouflaged it so it looked like you did it.¡± ¡°I see¡­ So that¡¯s what happened.¡± ¡°Also, I hid where I peed a bit under your blanket. That is why it has smelled recently.¡± ¡°¡­I see. So that¡¯s what the smell was. If there is anything else, say it now. You will be freed from your pain.¡± ¡°Just out of curiosity, what do you mean by freed from my pain?¡± ¡°You will not have to feel anything ever again¡­ Wait, don¡¯t run away!¡± When Brunhild began to stand, she saw the cityscape lit up by the setting sun. ¡°¡­¡± She stopped moving and looked out in every direction. She saw houses, buildings, fields, small forests, and a mesh of roads. That entire landscape did not realize she was here standing in the light wind. For some reason, she frowned. The black cat turned toward her. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Brunhild reached out a hand and grabbed the cat. ¡°Farewell, scenery. You are completely different from the forest I once lived in.¡± With those words, Brunhild nodded and enacted her punishment. Sayama and Izumo each drank a bottle of coffee milk on a bench in Eternal Sunflower¡¯s meeting area. The wooden bench had faded red paint and it creaked under Izumo¡¯s large body. When Sayama saw he still had some milk left in his bottle, he placed it on its side next to him. He lowered Baku from his head, and the beast stuck its head in the sideways bottle and began licking up the remaining milk. ¡°That is a truly useless animal.¡± ¡°Apparently, it actually lives by watching and showing people¡¯s pasts and dreams. It will eat anything you give it, though.¡± ¡°But what do you think, Sayama? Putting a hand on your hips when drinking coffee milk is the standard, but what about using both hands?¡± With an outline of the bottle around his mouth, Izumo looked over his shoulder. Sayama followed his gaze and found the curtain for the women¡¯s bath. ¡°Are you waiting for Kazami?¡± ¡°Did you even listen to my majestic comment?¡± ¡°I avoid doing things which have no value for my life.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see how those bizarre actions of yours in the bath have any value to your life.¡± ¡°They do. Now I will make no misunderstandings about Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯ll be the one people have misunderstandings about now¡­ That was a splendid concussion. There¡¯s nothing harder to describe than a guy collapsed in the bath with his ass sticking out.¡± ¡°I have not received a blow that solid in quite a long time. I must have let my guard down.¡± Izumo sighed when he heard that. He looked around and confirmed that no one else was nearby. He placed his empty bottle on the ground and spoke. ¡°Speaking of valuable things, what are you going to do about the Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°You mean that scene of death?¡± ¡°Yes. You saw Chisato¡¯s shot, right? And then the enemy killed himself. A situation like that might come to us next time.¡± ¡°Then why do you and Kazami take part?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the son of IAI¡¯s president¡­and there¡¯s some other issues, too.¡± Izumo turned toward Sayama without a hint of a smile on his face. ¡°We are prepared. But what about you? There¡¯s nothing in your school life, but it¡¯s better than dying, right?¡± ¡°That is true, but what do you think would happen if I did not agree to the Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°Our unit would be broken up. The adults would handle it. Our supervisor is Ooshiro Itaru, after all.¡± ¡°Ooshiro Itaru¡­ Does he have that much power?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know. Most members of Japanese UCAT died along with IAI¡¯s relief team during the great Kansai earthquake at the end of 1995. From what I hear, they got wrapped up in a secondary disaster.¡± ¡°Is that what led to Japanese UCAT being temporarily dissolved? I heard about that from Fasolt.¡± ¡°Yeah. After that, it seems only the upper levels and Ooshiro Itaru were left. In fact, it seems he¡¯s the only middle-generation member of Japanese UCAT left.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot of ¡®it seems¡¯¡­ I thought you were the heir to the Izumo company?¡± ¡°Sorry, but I wasn¡¯t here at that time,¡± said Izumo as he folded his arms. He groaned, looked up, looked down, and tilted his head. ¡°The thing is, I¡­ Okay, I¡¯ll just say it. I¡¯m a troublesome kid who was born to my Low-Gear father and a 10th-Gear girl.¡± ¡°Is that so? What a surprise. Truly unexpected.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t dismiss my important announcement like it¡¯s nothing¡­¡± ¡°It does not benefit me in any way. And being of mixed race is very common these days.¡± ¡°Ha ha. I guess someone with a troublesome family of his own would think that way. But let me tell you something else: even if you do not accept the Leviathan Road, Kazami and I will be part of Team Leviathan with Ooshiro Itaru as the negotiator.¡± ¡°Why? You make it sound like you cannot refuse.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± said Izumo. ¡°Our weapons are concept weapons we acquired during the commotion when I arrived two years ago. My V-Sw is 6th¡¯s Vajra and Vritra. Kazami¡¯s G-Sp2 is 10th¡¯s Gungnir.¡± Sayama recalled Izumo¡¯s large single-edged sword and Kazami¡¯s long single-edged spear. ¡°Both give the Concept Core a cowling in the form of a weapon. The very existence of a concept weapon is a concept, so it creates its own field and its power can be used under the effects of any concept. Also, our weapons have much greater power than the normal philosopher¡¯s stone method because they use Concept Cores. Their users have to see things through to the end.¡± ¡°And both of the weapons have accepted you as their masters?¡± ¡°Yeah. They both have wills of their own. We obtained them during the commotion two years ago, so 6th has fully aligned with UCAT and 10th has mostly joined UCAT. At the very least, the Leviathan Road for 6th- and 10th-Gears are already over.¡± Izumo gave a bitter grin. ¡°Those concept weapons really will come flying to you if you call for them.¡± ¡°That is quite the bizarre phenomenon.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. You don¡¯t believe me do you, you dumb bastard?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Try not to speak your nonsense aloud, you son of a bitch.¡± The two of them both let out a sigh. Sayama brought a hand to his chin and spoke. ¡°So the Leviathan Road will continue without me. With you, Kazami, and Ooshiro Itaru.¡± ¡°Yeah. I heard your grandfather¡¯s blood pressure shot up when he heard about my irregular commotion resolving some of the negotiations. I think his will included some method of dealing with this if you refused, but UCAT probably had some other reason for approving it.¡± ¡°Two years ago was when my grandfather was talking about my entrance exam. He was being particularly hard to please. Now I know why.¡± ¡°But Shinjou is different from Kazami and me. If you refuse your right to the Leviathan Road, she will likely be removed from the unit. Ooshiro Itaru and the higher ups are always extra nice when it comes to Shinjou.¡± Sayama frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t get serious when it comes to her. Or at least it seems that way to me. She was put in the unit on the recommendation of old man Ooshiro, but it looks like Ooshiro Itaru wants to distance her from it all. Also,¡± said Izumo. ¡°Ooshiro Itaru seems to hate you for some reason.¡± ¡°I learned that well enough from how he acted yesterday.¡± Sayama nodded and heard a solid sound from next to him. He looked over and found Baku had tried to remove his head from the bottle but could not. As Baku frantically spun his back legs around fruitlessly, Sayama grabbed the beast and pulled him out like a cork. Meanwhile, he heard Izumo speaking. ¡°Anyway, try to stay on good terms with Shinjou Setsu. You might not understand, but normal people will let their guard down if you show some concern about them.¡± ¡°Thank you very much for the advice,¡± said Sayama with a bitter smile. He grabbed the empty bottle, placed it in the case next to the bench, and turned his back to Izumo. ¡°I will do my best to stay on good terms with him. Say hello to Kazami for me.¡± Izumo sighed after Sayama left. He leaned against the back of the bench and called out the name Chisato. The curtain for the women¡¯s bath split open and Kazami¡¯s head poked out. He watched her look back and forth. ¡°What are you avoiding him for? Don¡¯t we need to show him how strict we are as current members of the Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­but it was just too sudden.¡± ¡°What a complicated girl,¡± muttered Izumo as Kazami walked over and sat next to him. Izumo frowned when he saw what she was holding. ¡°What are you drinking?¡± ¡°Tomato juice. I need to replenish my iron after taking a bath. I am a girl after all.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think my Chisato was the kind of girl to discriminate based on sex¡­¡± ¡°C¡¯mon. Stop hanging your head down with such a forced expression. Is it that important that I drink milk?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t drink milk, your breasts won¡¯t grow.¡± ¡°They¡¯re big enough already!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Izumo tilted his head, lightly grabbed at thin air with both hands, and tilted his head again. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I want you agreeing with that¡­¡± Kazami opened the pull tab, took a sip, and looked up into the sky. ¡°But this is a difficult issue¡­¡± ¡°What is? Your breast size? Yeah, I suppose it is... What?¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t what I meant, you idiot. ¡­I was referring to all of this going on.¡± As she said that, someone else exited from the women¡¯s bath. Izumo turned around. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Ooki-sensei,¡± he called out. Ooki was wearing track pants and a T-shirt. ¡°Hi!¡± she called back to Izumo. Suddenly, Kazami jabbed an elbow into Izumo¡¯s side while she drank her tomato juice. ¡°?¡± thought Izumo as he looked over at Ooki. Once he saw what she held in her hand, he whispered to Kazami. ¡°A soda, hm? She¡¯s gonna get fat.¡± ¡°And they can dissolve bones, too. She¡¯s going to look pitiful when her teeth are falling out.¡± ¡°Wh-what kind of ominous things are you two saying!?¡± Ooki groaned and stopped the two of them. She then drank the soda so they could see. ¡°Th-this is a flavor children wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± said Kazami with her half-lidded eyes turned toward the ground. She then added, ¡°But I don¡¯t think you should say that while the carbonation is bringing tears to your eyes.¡± Volume 2, 22: Unforgettable Secrets Volume 2, Chapter 22: Unforgettable Secrets Memories can be made into words But they do not need to be made into words That is why our desire to know more of them never ends Sayama stood in the city with Shinjou Setsu as the sun set. Sayama was wearing a suit as usual. Shinjou was wearing a shirt and brown shorts. Sayama was using both arms to hold the paper bag from a hobby center that Shinjou should have been carrying. Baku sat on his head. They stood before a large estate surrounded by a green fence. They were looking at the side of the estate. They could see a large lawn with pine trees, cherry trees, and garden stones. The main building beyond that was a large tile-roofed Japanese-style house. The area around it was growing dark, but the estate was brightly lit by the light coming from the sliding doors and windows. Shinjou looked back and forth across the 100-meter fence. ¡°Wow¡­ Th-this is your house, Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°It is not my house. This is the Tamiya family¡¯s house. They control the underside of Akigawa city and the surrounding areas. To put it simply, they are a vigilante group. They run a security company as their foundation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± Sayama looked at Shinjou and lifted up the paper bag in his arms a bit. ¡°I was thinking of eating dinner here to apologize for today. Is that okay with you?¡± Shinjou looked up at him. Finally, he bent his eyes and showed his teeth in a smile. ¡°Sure. I would love that.¡± Shinjou held out his hands. He seemed to be asking to take back his bag, but Sayama smiled bitterly. ¡°I decided to carry this of my own free will. And I need to show a guest proper courtesy.¡± ¡°I suppose so¡­ Thanks. I¡¯ve never been in an estate like this before.¡± ¡°This place can also be used for celebrations after various events. There is nothing to fear. Although, Izumo was once attacked by a selectively bred alligator after diving into the pond.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ignore that last part, but why don¡¯t you go to school from here?¡± ¡°It is my grandfather the Tamiya family is indebted to. They will not tell me much about it, but it seems they would have been destroyed if it were not for him. ¡­But my grandfather¡¯s achievements have nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really strict¡­ Do you not think of them as family?¡± ¡°It would be nice if I could. Now, the gate is this way.¡± Sayama pointed to the eastern end of the fence with his chin. Shinjou looked up above his head and laughed. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°He copied you up on your head.¡± ¡°Oh, Baku did? He seems to be gradually taking a liking to me.¡± ¡°Everyone and everything around you is strange, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, and that causes unending troubles for a normal person like me.¡± ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± said Shinjou as he averted his gaze. Sayama nodded just as a voice came from the estate¡¯s entrance to the east. ¡°¡­!¡± They had not been able to understand it, but someone was yelling. They looked and, in the center of the eastern fence, a large black car was stopped in front of the small wooden gate. A young man and woman were dealing with a fat elderly man in between the gate and the car. ¡°What is going on? Is it what you call a turf war?¡± ¡°Where did you learn that term? Anyway, this is nothing so serious. That is Tamiya Kouji and Ryouko. Those siblings are the current supporting pillars of the Tamiya family. I do not know who that man is, but just watch.¡± Sayama watched the young man wearing a colored shirt and suit pants and the young woman wearing a blue kimono. ¡°I am still too inexperienced to think of them as family.¡± The woman wearing a blue kimono stood with her back to the lights of the estate. Her narrow drooping eyes were covered by glasses and watched the black car and the elderly man standing in front of it. His fat body was covered by a gray three-piece suit and a white scarf. He held a cigarette in his mouth. The blue kimono-wearing woman spoke to the man in a gentle voice. ¡°I am glad you appear to be in good health, president.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if you call me fat and bald, Tamiya Ryouko-san. I am here about-¡­¡± ¡°Yes,¡± nodded Ryouko. She placed a hand on the hair pulled back behind her head in a bun. ¡°One of your young members seemed to have had some late-night business with one of the companies we protect.¡± ¡°Yes, that. As I said before, that is a misunderstanding, so-¡­¡± ¡°Unfortunately, well, the issue has already been handed over to the police.¡± Ryouko brought her hands together in front of her waist and smiled. ¡°Trust matters most to us. We cannot go back on this now.¡± ¡°Are you stupid? I¡¯m not talking about your convenience.¡± The elderly man¡¯s tone gradually dropped as he glared up at Ryouko. ¡°If you youngsters think you can get away with this using who your predecessors were-..¡± ¡°Good point,¡± said Ryouko while still smiling. ¡°President, how much longer is this speech going to last?¡± That comment silenced the man slightly and he pulled his cigarette from his mouth. ¡°Damn you¡­¡± As soon as he opened his mouth, Ryouko took action. She took a step forward and pressed the cigarette in his hand against her chest. ¡°Oh, dear. That is quite hot.¡± With a slight sound of burning, a hole was created in the kimono. The man frantically pulled his hand back. ¡°Y-you idiot...¡± he started to say, but Ryouko¡¯s eyes narrowed further behind her glasses. ¡°You mustn¡¯t suddenly touch a woman¡¯s chest.¡± While still smiling, Ryouko raised a hand too fast to see. That instantaneous movement came to a stop. By that time, something other than a cigarette was sticking into the elderly man¡¯s opened mouth. It was a mass of black metal. It was a handgun. Ryouko suddenly squeezed the trigger. ¡°¡­!¡± The man let out a voiceless cry and the gun¡¯s hammer shook. ¡°Oh?¡± Ryouko tilted her head. She could not pull the trigger. Her slender finger had tried to attack, but the trigger stopped after moving a few millimeters. The man breathed erratically and adjusted his hips that were about to crumble beneath him. And then Ryouko spoke to her younger brother who stood next to her. ¡°Kouji, this thing¡¯s broken.¡± ¡°What a pain,¡± said the young man in a navy blue shirt and with a crew cut. ¡°Um, nee-san.¡± ¡°Yes, Kouji? What am I supposed to do at times like this?¡± As the two siblings spoke, the elderly man slowly raised his hands. He was trying to remove the handgun from his mouth and hold Ryouko¡¯s hands back. He calculated the timing, calmed himself with three deep breaths, and tried to take action. At the same moment, Kouji nodded and answered his older sister¡¯s question. ¡°You turn off the safety. Didn¡¯t I teach you that before?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. I was too quick to think it was broken,¡± she said delightedly. She then overcame the elderly man¡¯s actions and removed the safety. ¡°Sorry about the delay.¡± And she pulled the trigger. She fired six shots all at once. Repeated gunshots rang out and the man trembled. As the final gunshot faded into the sky, the elderly man collapsed as if crouching down. At the same time, the driver¡¯s door of the black car opened. ¡°D-damn you!¡± The young driver charged out of the car. The instant he reached into his pocket, an object seemed to grow from the hood of the car. With a metallic noise, a single carving knife had stabbed into the hood. The driver froze in place with his hand still in his pocket. He stared at the knife before him and the person who had thrown it. Tamiya Kouji lightly held his right hand toward the driver. ¡°I apologize, but our family is currently preparing a meal for some guests and therefore preparing for battle.¡± As he spoke, something that glittered hung down from Kouji¡¯s hand. It was a cooking knife with a rectangular blade. He closed his eyelids a bit as the blade hung down between his index finger and middle finger. ¡°I was in the middle of chopping cabbage. If I do not continue soon, the poor thing will wilt.¡± Ryouko then spoke from where she was crouched down next to the collapsed elderly man. ¡°Oh?¡± She turned toward Kouji and lightly tapped the knife blade in his hand. ¡°Kouji, Kouji. This didn¡¯t shoot any bullets.¡± Smoke could be seen rising from the elderly man¡¯s mouth, but no real harm seemed to have come to him. Kouji stood next to the man who was breathing smoke. ¡°I put blanks in it. You can have real bullets once you learn how to use a gun.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, Kouji. Why do you always treat your big sister like a child?¡± ¡°If you want that to change, nee-san, then learn how to use a gun. Not to mention the video player, the stove, the stereo, and the washing machine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m no good with machines that have more than two steps.¡± As Ryouko tapped on Kouji¡¯s knee, the knife fell from his hand. ¡°Ah,¡± said the siblings. ¡°Ahhh!¡± cried the driver. The knife stabbed down just above the elderly man¡¯s head. A clear sound rang out. The rectangular blade stabbed about five centimeters into the asphalt and stopped while digging shallowly into the man¡¯s hair. The driver frantically ran around the car. As the three of them watched on, the elderly man lay on his back with his limbs sprawled out. His eyes were opened wide and both corners of his smoke-spewing mouth were lifted up. ¡°How strange. He somehow looks quite satisfied,¡± commented Ryouko as she stroked the handle of the knife sticking into the ground. ¡°I-idiot!¡± The driver frantically tried to help the elderly man up, but Ryouko looked up at him and smiled. ¡°Idiot?¡± ¡°Oh, um. No. I meant¡­ I was saying I¡¯m an idiot. Sorry.¡± ¡°I see¡­ but you shouldn¡¯t point out that kind of thing about yourself.¡± ¡°Nee-san, you¡¯re just agreeing that he is an idiot.¡± ¡°Am I?¡± Ryouko pulled a small black device from her pocket. It was a simple single-button camera. She took a few pictures of the elderly man without using the flash and the smile in the eyes behind her glasses changed to a satisfied one. ¡°At any rate, you can leave now.¡± Without saying anything, the driver put the elderly man in the backseat. Meanwhile, Kouji wordlessly pulled the knife out of the car¡¯s hood and suddenly looked to the side. ¡°Oh, young master,¡± he said with a bow. Ryouko turned around upon hearing Kouji¡¯s voice and the car quickly drove away. As the sound of exhaust grew more distant, two figures stood before them. One was a boy wearing a suit and holding a brown paper bag. The other was wearing a shirt and shorts. The second figure folded his hands in front of his waist with a stiff smile. The suit-wearing boy smiled and said, ¡°I am glad to see you have not changed. We are here for dinner.¡± After entering the Tamiya household, Shinjou ended up helping prepare dinner. Everything Shinjou saw there left his mouth hanging open. All he had seen so far was the sprawling entranceway, the hallway five people could walk abreast through, and the kitchen which had two sinks. He also saw men and women servants who accomplished everything with no wasted movements. Shinjou was short and he greeted those tall people with a smile before helping in the kitchen. Sayama was in the living room next to the kitchen. Shinjou could see his back across the wide hallway where he was sitting on a cushion and reading a newspaper. Shinjou peeled potatoes in between Kouji and Ryouko who had changed into an orange kimono. Kouji wore an apron to Shinjou¡¯s left. The movements of his hands were quick, efficient, and highly varied. As Shinjou watched, he sliced the vegetables, fish, and other meat the servants brought him, washed them in the sink, and moved on to his next action. The repeated sounds of the knife striking the chopping board, the sounds of the ingredient being sliced, and the sounds of the sink seemed to continue without end. To Shinjou¡¯s right, Ryouko had taken up her position in front of a pot sitting over a weak flame. She was not doing anything, but¡­ ¡°Okay, nee-san. Move out of the way. The fish is burning.¡± ¡°Kouji, you¡¯re treating me like I¡¯m in the way again. The older sister is more important.¡± ¡°Yes, you are quite important. But you¡¯re still in the way.¡± ¡°You¡¯re acting like the young master now, Kouji.¡± ¡°I am still more decisive,¡± called Sayama from the living room. ¡°Kouji, where are Seizou and the others?¡± ¡°They went to Atami for the neighborhood association trip. He said he was looking forward to the Atagawa Tropical & Alligator Garden and for some reason brought a shotgun with him.¡± ¡°What an airheaded family,¡± Shinjou muttered to himself as he peeled the potato before his eyes. Ryouko restlessly looked like she wanted to help. ¡°Is there anything I can do?¡± ¡°Nee-san, you can focus on what¡¯s right in front of you.¡± ¡°Watching something boil is boring.¡± ¡°Yes, yes,¡± nodded Kouji. ¡°But everyone says it tastes better when you cook it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ryouko smiled in Shinjou¡¯s direction and he tried to avoid commenting on that. ¡°¡­Are things always like this here?¡± ¡°Yes. The young master has not been around recently, but we have been enjoying ourselves well enough.¡± Shinjou nodded and realized Ryouko¡¯s tone of voice was different when speaking to him than it was when speaking to Kouji or Sayama. Shinjou nodded even deeper for that reason and others. ¡°What kind of person is Sayama-kun?¡± he asked. Kouji¡¯s hands stopped when he heard that question. He stared forward with a serious expression. ¡°The young master is the type of person who will undoubtedly accomplish something great. I have no proof of it, but I have no doubts.¡± ¡°Wh-what do you¡­?¡± ¡°Setsu-kun, feel free to back away. Kouji is a bit right-wing when it comes to the young master.¡± Ryouko held Shinjou¡¯s shoulders from behind while saying this, so Shinjou was unsure how to respond. Ryouko then peered over his shoulder at him. Her eyes were gently bent in a smile behind the glasses. ¡°What kind of person are you, Setsu-kun?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Shinjou¡¯s hands holding the potato and the knife stopped moving. At that time, Shinjou realized Ryouko¡¯s gaze was stopped on the fingers of his right hand. As Ryouko looked at that completely bare right hand, she suddenly let go of Shinjou¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Sorry. I should not keep you from your work.¡± ¡°R-right.¡± Shinjou began peeling the potato once more. He heard the pot to the left spewing steam and Kouji left the kitchen. Shinjou was now alone with Ryouko. He looked over and saw Ryouko was staring at the pot with a smile. ¡°Cooking is love~,¡± she muttered as if humming. From the look in her eyes, it seemed she truly meant those words. Shinjou decided it would be wrong to interrupt her work if she was that into it, but he then realized he had not answered Ryouko¡¯s previous question. He spoke while continuing to peel potatoes. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know that much about myself. I have no memories before about the age of 6.¡± ¡°Is that so? But you will be fine here. They might have their memories, but a lot of people here have no ID.¡± ¡°I-I see¡­¡± ¡°Hee hee,¡± laughed Ryouko. ¡°But it is not often that the young master holds an interest in another person.¡± Shinjou listened to Ryouko¡¯s voice. She spoke so quietly only the two of them could hear it. ¡°He seems interested in you and your sister.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± replied Shinjou while blushing. Ryouko smiled bitterly while still watching the pot. ¡°I think it is a good thing. But it seems he really was traumatized when it comes to women¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean traumatized?¡± ¡°Well,¡± said Ryouko casually. ¡°I slept with him a long time ago.¡± Shinjou¡¯s hands stopped moving. He could feel sweat appearing all over his body. ¡°U-um¡­uh¡­¡± ¡°Hm? ¡­You shouldn¡¯t stop working.¡± Shinjou began peeling the potato once more. However, he could not bring much strength into his hands and had to focus on digging an eye from the potato. Ryouko gave a bitter smile while watching his small motions. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Don¡¯t worry about it. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing. And it happened 10 years ago.¡± ¡°But 10 years ago would mean¡­¡± ¡°I was young back then. I am still quite young now, though.¡± Ryouko spoke that last sentence with more intensity as she continued to watch the pot. She suddenly stirred the contents of the pot with a pair of cooking chopsticks. Steam rose and the scent of both soy sauce and sugar came with it. ¡°I had fallen for the young master¡¯s father. But his father died during the relief operations for that great Kansai earthquake. Then his mother took him and¡­¡± She nodded. ¡°At that time, his grandfather was devoting all his time to work, so the young master seemed depressed. And so¡­well, you get the picture.¡± ¡°Was Sayama-kun really depressed?¡± ¡°He had a bit of a backlash. He was very attached to his mother after his father died, but his mother would often tell him she hoped he would be able to do something one day. But that was not a promise. I think it was just a parent¡¯s hopes for her child. But¡­¡± Ryouko trailed off and paused before continuing. ¡°The room he stayed in with his mother is still left unopened.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But the young master really is a boy. He tried to take responsibility with me. But he is smart, so he realized something.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°He realized that I did not want that.¡± ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°I think he thought no one was expecting anything of him. And that was why he always wanted to be able to do something someday.¡± And¡­ ¡°Am I talking too much?¡± After thinking for a moment, Shinjou nodded, but he spoke with his head hanging down. ¡°Sayama-kun only speaks about himself like a stranger.¡± ¡°Do you want to know about him?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°I see,¡± was all Ryouko said. Her shoulders relaxed and she continued. ¡°I would love for someone like that to be by his side. Someone who hopes for something from him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He left to live in the dorms and I became the head of the Tamiya family. Since then, he has managed to speak with me again¡­and now he has brought a friend like you, Setsu-kun. However¡­¡± Ryouko faced Shinjou while continuing to stir the pot with the chopsticks. Her smile was thin and could be seen in her eyes. Her lips thinly covered in lipstick opened and she spoke. ¡°Listen. I am his ally, but I do not intend to pressure you into anything. And if he attacks you, it may have been my fault that he turned in that direction, so complain to me rather than him. If possible, it would be best if he attacked your sister instead.¡± ¡°What do you mean it would be best!? Also, Sayama-kun and I are normal friends!¡± ¡°I see. So you are normal friends.¡± Ryouko gave a deep nod and a smile returned to her face. ¡°So having your friend pull on your penis in the bath is normal. Friendship has made some amazing advancements.¡± ¡°S-Sayama-kun! What are you telling people!?¡± Shinjou heard a newspaper folding in the living room. ¡°I only told the truth. I asked them to hold a feast so that I could apologize for angering you.¡± Shinjou¡¯s shoulder¡¯s drooped and he let out a deep sigh. The next thing he knew, strength had returned to his hands. The Kinugasa Library was filled with the chirping of a bird as Siegfried placed down a phone receiver. ¡°So the transport plane carrying Gram has taken off,¡± he muttered to himself. At that time, a knock came at the library door, it opened, and a single figure entered. It was Ooki who was wearing a white track suit. Siegfried tilted his head. ¡°Are you locking up again, Ooki-sensei? We have janitors for that.¡± ¡°There is still so much about this school I can¡¯t get used to.¡± Ooki smiled with a ring of keys in hand. ¡°Have you seen Brunhild-san?¡± ¡°Yes. She said she had some business to take care of and left. She said she will return tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°I see¡­ It seems she hasn¡¯t submitted her dorm registration for next term yet. I just locked up upstairs, but the art room was sitting open.¡± She tilted her head. ¡°Her painting was finished. The forest had a cabin, four people, and a bird.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Siegfried looked down at the cardboard box on the counter. Ooki followed his gaze and walked over to the box. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a Japanese tit.¡± ¡°Hm? Do you know a lot about birds?¡± ¡°Yes. There are tons of trees back home, so I know a lot!¡± Ooki clicked her tongue several times, held a hand out toward the bird, and narrowed her eyes. ¡°You were taking care of this bird all last night, weren¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you were in the music room in the morning.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Siegfried¡¯s eyebrows raised. ¡°You noticed? But you have only been here for a short time.¡± ¡°Yes. I heard it was two years ago, before I arrived at the school, that you started going to the music room every weekend and day off.¡± Ooki closed her eyes and smiled as she spoke quietly. ¡°Do you have some reason? Is there someone you want to hear that organ music?¡± Two figures stood before the gate leading into the Tamiya household. It was Ryouko and Kouji who had removed his apron. They were watching Sayama and Shinjou leave. ¡°They¡¯re gone. ¡­Kouji, you need to make sure people stick around longer.¡± ¡°Nee-san, you¡¯re the one that is bad at keeping people around. Young people these days aren¡¯t interested in Chogokin models.¡± ¡°And I just got it from a customer, too. That ¡®Giant Combining God Chuck and Norris¡¯ is really rare. But,¡± continued Ryouko as she smiled and brought a hand to her cheek. ¡°Setsu-kun seemed to be getting along well with the young master.¡± ¡°Just to be clear, nee-san, Setsu-kun is a guy.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? He has a sister too, remember? The young master should be plenty satisfied with that.¡± ¡°Satisfied with what? From what I could see, Setsu-kun and his sister Sadame-kun are normal.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so scary when you look at me from the side like that. You need to learn from your sister how to be gentler.¡± Kouji sighed. ¡°Fine, fine.¡± He patted his sister¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But I saw a suspicious look on your face when you looked at Setsu-kun¡¯s right hand. What was that about?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I have a bit of a connection to someone named Shinjou¡­ It¡¯s someone else, though. That person is dead, so I won¡¯t say anything. ¡­Anyway, anyway.¡± Ryouko tilted her head and held up her right hand. ¡°Setsu-kun¡¯s finger had a slight mark from where he had been wearing a ring.¡± The smile had disappeared from Ryouko¡¯s face. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be that odd for him to wear it to be fashionable, but if not, isn¡¯t it weird that he wasn¡¯t wearing it? ¡­I wonder why that is?¡± Despite her question, Ryouko¡¯s slight smile returned and she looked straight at her younger brother. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure the young master will do something.¡± The moon rose in the night sky. Its pale light lit the mountains and a single shadow flew above them. This object with large wings and a thick body was a transport plane with four engines. The aircraft bathed in the moonlight as it flew high, high above the forest-covered countryside. The noise reverberated far above and descended from the sky like a stain. The aircraft appeared to cross over the moon. And in that moment, a white line stretched up from below. Even as the line grew blurred, it continued on diagonally upwards, pierced through the aircraft, and seemed to split the moon in two. It took five seconds. After that, a crimson flower bud appeared in the sky. And a great noise descended. It was a muffled yet loud noise. It was the sound of an explosion at high altitude. That crimson bud bloomed into a crimson flower, but the flower petals quickly shriveled up and grew black. The two colors of crimson and black scattered in multiple forms and dropped while trailing the color black. They fell down and down, they scattered, they spun, they slipped, and they tumbled through the sky and into the depths of the shadows. It fell. It fell further. And even as it fell into the dark forest spreading out below, the moonlight covered it all. It had fallen. Volume 2, 23: Windy, Moon-Filled Sky Volume 2, Chapter 23: Windy, Moon-Filled Sky Below the moon And amid the wind What exists along with the ground there? Sayama and Shinjou walked through the school. They walked along the gravel beside the line of trees behind the second year general school building. They were on their way to their student dorm. As the moonlight poured down on him, Sayama held a paper bag and had Baku sitting on his head. Shinjou smiled empty-handed next to him. ¡°This may sound self-important, but my opinion of you has improved a bit, Sayama-kun.¡± ¡°Has it?¡± ¡°Yes. In my discussion with Ryouko-san, I learned you are surprisingly timid.¡± ¡°Why did that improve your opinion of me?¡± asked Sayama with a bitter smile. Shinjou replied to that bitter smile. His own smile disappeared, but his expression was still relaxed. ¡°You have been thinking about something all this time, haven¡¯t you? You have been constantly thinking about something important to you that you can¡¯t tell me about. The reason you can¡¯t make up your mind right away despite how important it is for you must be because it involves a connection with some other person. Am I right?¡± He took a breath. ¡°When people grow timid when thinking about some other person, it is because they want to be with that person.¡± One of the sets of footsteps stopped. It was Sayama¡¯s. He had stopped walking. After taking two steps ahead, Shinjou turned around while bathing in the moonlight. Their eyes met. As Sayama received Shinjou¡¯s gaze, he narrowed his eyes a bit and opened his mouth. He tried to say something in response. ¡°¡­¡± But only silence fell to the ground from his mouth. He hung his head down and nodded once. Sayama then looked back up. He looked back at Shinjou while making sure not to knock Baku from his head. ¡°You and your sister are interesting people. You know how to always hit me where it hurts and then you make me say what exactly it was that hurt.¡± ¡°Really¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, really. You managed to get right to the point I was most conflicted about.¡± ¡°What are you conflicted about, Sayama-kun?¡± Sayama opened his mouth once more and finally gave an answer. ¡°I am conflicted because it seems giving up on trying to get serious would be for the best.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± ¡°Everyone around me is saying I should just quit. I have no confidence in myself. The world I live in now is small, but it provides plenty of stimulation. Also¡­¡± He nodded. ¡°If I am to get serious, I want someone to act as my mirror image. I want someone who is the opposite of me. ¡­But that would be inviting that person into danger. In that case,¡± said Sayama. ¡°Giving up would leave no problems. Other than the ones inside me.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Shinjou with a nod. But Shinjou lightly kicked the ground. He kicked away some of the white gravel making up the ground and turned toward Sayama once more. Shinjou¡¯s eyebrows were straight, his gaze was straight, and he simply opened his mouth to ask a question. ¡°Are you¡­okay with that?¡± He asked a question, but he did not try to get an answer. He lightly embraced his own body and asked another question. ¡°Hey. About what you said before¡­ Who is it you are thinking about?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Is it your mother who wanted you to do something one day? Is it Ryouko-san who cared for you even if for a short time? Or is it the person you do not want to invite into danger? The person who is your opposite¡­¡± Shinjou opened his mouth and began to speak a certain name. But an electronic tone cut in between the two of them. It came from the cell phone in Sayama¡¯s pocket. The electronic whistle sounded at set intervals as it called for him. Shinjou and Sayama exchanged a glance. Shinjou then nodded and approached Sayama. Once he reached arm length, he held out his hands. Shinjou took the large bag from Sayama. With his hands free, Sayama took the black cell phone from his pocket and held it to his ear. ¡°It is me.¡± A voice came from the phone and entered Sayama¡¯s ear. It was a female voice he had never heard before. The voice uttered the following words. ¡°Hello, Sayama-sama. I am Sibyl, the communications officer for Japanese UCAT¡¯s Team Leviathan.¡± After her introduction, the woman naming herself Sibyl said, ¡°I would like to speak with you for a moment. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said Sayama as he glanced toward Shinjou and then looked up into the sky. ¡°What is it you need?¡± ¡°Tes. I would like either an acceptance or denial of an emergency deployment request,¡± said Sibyl. ¡°Today at 18:37, contact was lost with the transport plane transporting the holy sword Gram as it flew over Mount Hyono on the eastern edge of the Chugoku Mountains. At 18:59, an expansive concept space was detected near Mount Hyono. No traces or wreckage of the plane have been found in the real world. It has likely been brought into the concept space.¡± Sayama looked at his watch. It was 7:12 PM. ¡°What progress has been made in responding to this?¡± ¡°Tes. A letter claiming responsibility along with a commemorative photograph was received from 1st-Gear¡¯s City faction. UCAT at IAI HQ is currently engaging a 1st-Gear advance unit while searching for the holy sword Gram. Team Leviathan¡¯s supervisor, Ooshiro Itaru, has announced this will be used to truly begin the Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°I see. Then¡­is there anything I can do?¡± ¡°You have yet to accept the negotiation rights for the Leviathan Road. However, it has been determined that the issues with 1st-Gear will be decided in this battle. If you do not take part, we will view you as having abandoned your negotiation rights.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Please come to Akigawa City Central Park by 19:30. We will send a helicopter to pick you up.¡± ¡°And if I do not go?¡± ¡°We will cut off all connections with you, Sayama-sama.¡± Sibyl then said the same thing she had said at the beginning of the conversation. ¡°Is that okay?¡± ¡°I cannot say Testament quite yet,¡± replied Sayama. ¡°Tes. A testament or contract is a great promise made by a master with a sword.[1] It is a word used when you are aware of the power you hold and wish to confirm to the world who you are. You do not have much time, but I pray you can make your decision with no regrets. Goodbye.¡± The call came to an end. Sayama moved the cell phone from his ear and sighed. He looked up at the school building that was colored a dark blue by the night. He then looked up into the night sky. Baku fell from his head and to his shoulder and then looked up just as he was doing. They looked up into the sky where the moon floated. I need to decide, thought Sayama. The moon shone white in the night sky and the stars and wind filled everything else. Below all that, dark blue rectangular school buildings cut off the sky to the left and right. Only a small section of the sky was visible from here. ¡°¡­¡± If he lowered his gaze just a bit, he would see the emergency staircase on the side of the second year general school building. Sayama thought as he looked down at that shadow cutting off the sky and at the small emergency staircase landing sticking out from it. He wondered if the sky would look larger from that staircase. ¡­It would not change. He would only be changing his location as he looked at it. He would not be leaving the boundaries of the school building. In the end, he had never chosen anything more than that. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± Was that the answer to it all? He had been unable to hold any confidence or pride in his own actions and he had been unable to lead anyone deeply into the battlefield. And that was why he had never been able to get serious. He had settled for a small place. That was what he had been doing all this time. I really am timid, thought Sayama. However, that would solve everything. It was a small world and he could not afford to lose it. That was the correct way of thinking. And he was wrong. That was all there was to it. He had to decide. If he took Shinjou¡¯s bag once more and returned to the dorm room with him, it would all be over. Sayama hung his head down and looked to the ground. And as he did, he realized something. He realized his thinking was immature. What had sent Sayama¡¯s thoughts racing was down at his feet. His gaze that had fallen in resignation and what he saw there was the ground trapped between two school buildings. Or so it should have been. However¡­ ¡°That is not what this is¡­¡± Below his eyes and atop the gravel was something connected to the sky and the light that he had looked up at before. Something closely connected to that boxed off world of the heavens was falling at his feet. It was a shadow. ¡°¡­¡± The pale light of the moon sent his shadow atop the gravel. And the surrounding school buildings also struck the ground with their own shadows at heights to match. From here, the sky was boxed off. But it was not closed off. It was connected to the ground at his feet. ¡°¡­¡± Sayama looked back up into the heavens. He looked into that sky filled with pale light. And he stepped on the ground at his feet. He stepped on that ground that was covered in shadows because it was connected to the sky. There was light above his head and shadows below his feet. The shadows of the night were nothing other than the opposite of the light of the night. And as he began to close his eyes, he felt something else that connected the sky to the earth. The wind. It came suddenly. ¡°¡­Kh!¡± He heard a roar and felt the cold air striking him. That movement of air surrounded him. He heard it brushing across his ears. This powerful and solid wind did not come from the west, the east, the south, or even the north. It came from above. ¡°!¡± This wind blew by at a high altitude, struck the wall of the school building, and dropped down. He had no idea where this wind came from, but it danced around them and he heard a slight voice. ¡°Kyah!¡± That light voice of surprise led Sayama to reach out a hand. He reached out toward Shinjou who held his paper bag. Sayama pulled that body toward him and embraced him to protect him from the wind. As the wind danced and dispersed, Sayama felt slender shoulders and a thin back. He felt Shinjou¡¯s body temperature in his arms and the word ¡°warm¡± came to his mind. Shinjou suddenly went limp in his arms. The paper bag in Shinjou¡¯s arms slipped and fell. The gravel crunched as the bag fell. Shinjou sank into his arms and into his chest. The wind died down and disappeared. A voice took its place. ¡°You¡¯re going to decide¡­aren¡¯t you?¡± Sayama realized Shinjou was looking up at him. Shinjou¡¯s hair was bound, but the wind had wrapped a few strands around Sayama¡¯s arms. Shinjou¡¯s black eyes stared directly at him. Shinjou opened his mouth and reworded his previous statement. ¡°You¡¯re on your way to decide, aren¡¯t you?¡± As Shinjou asked, his face shined in the moonlight. His face looked a pale white and his eyes looked blue. Sayama met Shinjou¡¯s gaze. He nodded and opened his mouth. ¡°Shinjou-kun,¡± he said. He spoke to the person who was as close to him as anyone ever had been. ¡°I¡­¡± He hesitated. ¡°I will likely get someone else involved with what I do.¡± ¡°Is that what has bothered you? Is that what you have been afraid of?¡± Sayama nodded. ¡°Yes. I have been thinking about that. This person is important to me, but I am not sure they can handle the danger.¡± ¡°Sayama-kun, what do you think of this person?¡± ¡°They are important to me. As important as I am to myself.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Shinjou with a sigh. He closed his eyes slightly and said, ¡°Sayama-kun¡­You act like an evil person, but you are not.¡± ¡°Then what am I?¡± ¡°Well,¡± said Shinjou with a small nod. The ends of his eyebrows lowered, but a smile could be seen on his lips. His eyes narrowed and he raised his head to look Sayama in the eye. ¡°You are the villain. You merely play the role of the evil person.¡± He took a breath. ¡°If you were a truly evil person, you would not hesitate to get others involved. But you do not do that.¡± He moved his lips once and then continued. ¡°You are a welcome person to have around, Sayama-kun.¡± He nodded. ¡°And I am sure the person you care so much for has realized that. I think that is why they tried to stop you. ¡­But it is okay if you are a bit selfish when it comes to that person. Not as a villain, but as yourself.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Sayama with a nod. He removed his arms and released Shinjou. Shinjou smiled bitterly while still lightly embracing his own body. ¡°C¡¯mon¡­ I am a boy, you know?¡± ¡°So am I.¡± Shinjou¡¯s shoulders drooped when he heard that. ¡°Which one did you want just now?¡± ¡°Some questions are best left unanswered, Shinjou-kun.¡± Sayama smiled and turned his back on Shinjou. ¡°I will be going. And I will try to return as soon as I can.¡± ¡°Can I ask where you¡¯re going?¡± ¡°Would you accept ¡®where I must go¡¯ as an answer?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Shinjou. He lightly raised a hand. ¡°Do your best.¡± Sayama nodded and ran off with Baku on his shoulder. Even as he left the school, he continued stepping on his own shadow. Brunhild heard a series of footsteps through the darkness. Her vision was closed off. All she could hear was a group of footsteps moving at a set tempo. Her butt and legs felt the dampness of mossy dirt, her back felt the hardness of a cedar tree trunk, her arms felt the weight of a metal scythe¡¯s blade and handle, and her cheeks felt a soft, damp sensation. ¡°¡­¡± She opened her eyes and saw a color of darkness different from that of the inside of her eyelids. She quickly grew accustomed to this new darkness. She was in a forest. Trees made disorderly lines along a slope. She sat on a low cliff atop the slope. She had been napping while leaning against a tree. ¡°You woke me, didn¡¯t you?¡± A small black form stood next to her face. It was a black cat. Its eyes alone shined yellow in the darkness. They informed her of the cat¡¯s location and expression. ¡°Brunhild, everyone has begun to move.¡± She sat up and looked down. She looked down to the forest on the shallow slope a few meters below. Many, many dark figures were walking through that forest. They were all headed in the same direction: east. Some of them had human forms. Some did not. Some had wings, some looked human but were too large to be, and some looked like dragons. ¡°This¡­isn¡¯t everyone. The others are gathering with the vanguard that went in first.¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know that¡­ So have they found Gram?¡± ¡°It apparently fell to the east inside the concept space that Venerable Hagen set up. As did the mechanism for making it invisible. All of it was read in while the concept space was being created.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said the cat as it watched Brunhild sit all the way up and wrap her arms around her knees. ¡°A concept analysis is being carried out based on the records created from Venerable Hagen reading in the transport plane. Once that is complete, we should know what concepts are being used to hide Gram. I just hope the search team has not passed it by already.¡± ¡°So everyone is really motivated, but they¡¯re all just heading randomly in a general direction?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it like that. There is nothing wrong with advancing an army as long as it lets us acquire Gram.¡± Brunhild nodded. ¡°We will eliminate UCAT when they arrive. I assume Fafner and the others have already begun fighting.¡± ¡°Yes, I saw that. ¡­He seemed really excited.¡± Brunhild sighed. She watched everyone marching by below and then looked up into the sky. She saw the moon there. She saw the light there. ¡°That light is in the way,¡± she muttered. Having that light there during the night created shadows that were different from darkness and made it more difficult to know one¡¯s surroundings. ¡°Darkness should be nothing more than darkness.¡± ¡°I wonder if Siegfried will come,¡± said the black cat suddenly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We have already done what we had to do,¡± said Brunhild as she embraced Requiem Sense in her arms. She looked up at the moonlight, but was unable to bring an end to that light. Sayama ran below the moonlight. His footsteps reverberated throughout Akigawa City Central Park located on the southern end of Taka-Akita Academy¡¯s grounds. That central park was located on Itsukaichi Road which connected the academy grounds with the outside world. The park also contained a track-and-field stadium. If a helicopter was landing, it would be there. Sayama ran through the park which was surrounded by trees, kicked off the red brick ground, and made his way to the stadium. He could see his footing thanks to the moonlight and the outdoor lighting. His footsteps and breathing expressed all of his actions. He hurried. His watch said it was 7:28 PM. He was already at his destination, so running any further would be pointless. And yet he hurried. He arrived at the stadium¡¯s seats. He made his way out from the shadows of the trees, ran between the lines of seats, and leaped onto the track with a single footstep. He landed with a soft sound and found himself surrounded by red clay and white lines. In the center was a grassy opening. I made it, thought Sayama. And¡­ ¡°I have to go,¡± he muttered before walking instead of running. He walked toward the center of the stadium. Strength entered his right arm. Pain entered his left. But¡­ ¡­I can move it. That was good enough. He used both his hands freely for the first time in a while. Sayama placed Baku in his vest¡¯s breast pocket and grabbed his coat collar with both hands while continuing to walk. After forcefully raising his hands he swung them to the left and right. The material of the sleeves stretched and created a sound similar to striking a piece of paper. After fixing his disheveled clothing and creating that clear noise, he lowered his arms to his sides. Sayama¡¯s leather shoes created loud footsteps as he walked through the gentle wind. He headed for the center of the stadium. He headed for the very center which was lit up in four directions by outdoor lights. Sayama looked at his destination. A single person stood there. It was a tall old man. He had a bald head and a white beard. He wore his usual black vest, black trousers, and a black coat. Sayama spoke as he approached that man whose black clothing was fluttering in the wind. ¡°Good evening, Sorcerer Siegfried Zonburg.¡± Siegfried nodded as his name was called. And he looked up into the sky. Sayama followed his gaze up. A shadow could be seen flying toward them in the white moon floating in the heavens. That dark, long, and narrow form was the shadow of a helicopter. Wind blew down from above and an intermittent noise reverberated throughout the stadium. The wind and noise danced about, tore up the surrounding grass, and caused that grass to fly about like horizontal rain. Amid that, Siegfried opened his mouth. He spoke in a clear tone. ¡°Welcome to the place you have chosen, Sayama Mikoto.¡± Notes 1. ¡ü The Japanese word for contract is written with the kanji ¼s which means promise and the kanji Æõ which can be broken down into the kanji for great (´ó), the kanji for master (Ö÷), and the kanji for sword (µ¶). Volume 2, 24: Entrance to the Dance Volume 2, Chapter 24: Entrance to the Dance Begin moving ever so slowly And you will surely see The acceleration leading to the end Sayama and Siegfried travelled to the western side of Japan. The helicopter took them to IAI¡¯s Tokyo branch. A plane took them from there to IAI¡¯s central branch in Nagoya. They then took another helicopter to the Chugoku Mountains. They were headed for a base that had been constructed on the southern side of Mount Hyono. Despite the roar of the helicopter, the roar of the wind, and the chill of the air, Sayama slept in the flight jacket he had been given. And he saw the past. ¡°¡­¡± In his sleep, he saw a quiet wooden room. He recognized the room. It was the small room in 1st-Gear where the old man named Regin had lived. It was dark within and the slate in the fireplace was emitting a slight crimson light. In that pale, gentle light, two men faced each other. The first was the old man whose room it was. Regin wore green clothes. The other was a tall young man. Siegfried wore long, black clothes. While pacing to and from the fireplace, Regin explained 1st-Gear¡¯s state to Siegfried. Siegfried nodded in understanding at the old man¡¯s words and Sayama could understand them from the images they brought to his mind. In 1st-Gear, the king had feared the Concept War and therefore mass produced mechanical dragons for defense. 1st-Gear had extracted the world¡¯s Concept Core for defense. Most of the concepts within the Concept Core that related to writing had been placed in a weapons laboratory for research purposes. The concepts related to the construction of the world had been placed below the royal palace in order to manipulate the world. And in case another Gear tried to invade, the holy sword Gram had been created to seal the Concept Core. Regin told all of this to Siegfried. However, Regin stopped pacing, looked down, and closed his eyes. ¡°Even if we create an army, 1st-Gear does not have the manpower needed to defeat the other Gears.¡± ¡°How very wise. Unlike us.¡± They both grinned bitterly at that. But both of their bitter smiles came to an end. Regin straightened his stance and faced Siegfried. He raised his head and looked up at the young man. No smile of any kind could be seen on his face. ¡°Princess Gutrune explained 1st-Gear¡¯s structure to you, right?¡± ¡°Yes. It is an inward-facing world surrounded by a dome-shaped space.¡± ¡°Our king wishes to use 1st-Gear¡¯s inward-facing concept to seal it off. He has said he wishes to take a nonaggression policy and then negotiate with the Gears remaining at the time of destruction, but I am doubtful that is what he truly intends to do.¡± ¡°Do you have any proof?¡± ¡°The holy sword Gram was supposed to be presented to him tonight at the festival, but he said it was unnecessary and had it sealed below the palace. He also said we would begin an absolute defense. I want to go see what he meant by that,¡± said Regin. ¡°It would be simple for him to set our concepts so the Gear is closed off and the gates can never be opened again. He has the Concept Core after all. I want to see whether I am overthinking this, so I will check during the festival tonight when the king¡¯s aides have either returned to their territories or are asleep.¡± ¡°If this is nothing but a baseless suspicion of yours, everything will be fine. But what will you do if the king is truly planning to do that?¡± ¡°I will have the princess take command.¡± Seigfried¡¯s expression changed when he heard that. It changed from tense to harsh. Regin continued to speak as he stared directly at that expression. ¡°The princess has agreed. The others may call me a traitor, though.¡± ¡°Is this necessary?¡± ¡°Yes. And once this is all over¡­I will die without leaving any records of my actions with a storyteller. I will take all of the malice onto myself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look, youth from another world.¡± ¡°I was not giving you a look.¡± Regin smiled a bit. And with that smile, he raised his head. ¡°The princess said she would make an agreement with your Gear if she ends up in a position of power. ¡­She must really like the music you taught her to play on the keyboard.¡± He nodded. ¡°Will you come with me? If the king is not planning to defend this Gear but is instead planning to shut the gates and be destroyed at the time of destruction, I will open the path to the underground concept facility and join with Fafnir, the mechanical dragon meant to guard the royal palace, so that I might take the Concept Core. You take Gram from the storage area behind the palace it is sealed in and head underground. If we are together, we have a better chance of overpowering him.¡± ¡°What about Gutrune and the others?¡± ¡°Let them sleep. This might result in betrayal. During the festival tonight, all the unneeded politicians will return to their homes. Imagine if the princess snuck into the palace in the middle of the night during that. It could not be passed off as a joke.¡± Siegfried frowned and sighed. ¡°Regin, did you give no thought to the possibility of me betraying you? If I stole Gram and the Concept Core and then ran off, I could destroy this world.¡± ¡°If you try that, I will unite with Fafnir. Do you think you can handle that?¡± ¡°I have already defeated one mechanical dragon. I am the strongest sorcerer in my world.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Regin. However, he still patted Siegfried¡¯s shoulder. This produced two or three dry noises. ¡°But Nein would never grow so fond of someone who would do that. That girl is the only surviving member of the long-lived race in this Gear. She is quite timid. She even kept some distance from the princess who took her in.¡± Regin looked up above the fireplace. He looked at the birdcage covered by a knit cloth. As he stared at it, his expression softened and he finally spoke. ¡°I hope this is all a misunderstanding on my part and nothing happens.¡± His voice seemed to grow more distant. Sayama felt his vision grow dark. He awoke from the past. That old memory disappeared and the roar of a helicopter and the wind replaced it. When he opened his eyes, Sayama saw the dark backseat of the helicopter and its ceiling. The brisk air blowing by as well as the vibration and roaring engine told him they were still in flight. Siegfried sat to his right. He was lifting up his collar and checking inside his coat. He seemed to be organizing the inner pocket. Sayama checked his watch and saw it was almost 9:00 PM. The old man named Yonkichi who was navigating from the copilot seat turned around. He was the younger brother of Nijun who Sayama had seen in the medical room. His long black hair waved in the wind. ¡°Listen. We are about to enter the Osaka region,¡± he explained in a voice almost drowned out by the wind. Sayama looked out the window. He saw beads of light in the distance ahead. Those lights extending in an arch to port were the lights along the coast of Osaka Bay extending from Kobe to Osaka and off into the Sakai region. Something similar to dark waves were visible directly below. Those waves were the mountains and forests illuminated by the moonlight. The speed of the helicopter caused the ground below to undulate like waves. Sayama called on his geographical knowledge and speculated they were in the Ikoma Mountains. He nodded. And as he did, the area below suddenly opened up. The forest came to an end and an open plain became visible. Immediately afterwards, Sayama saw a large shadow in the sky to the side of the helicopter. ¡°¡­!?¡± It was a huge shadow. It spread out across his entire vision like a wall. What he could see in the moonlight was a structure that was easily a kilometer wide. He looked up into the sky and the towering wall continued upwards. He could not see the top. ¡­I recognize this. ¡°Babel!?¡± As Sayama pressed up against the window, he heard a voice from the seat to his right. ¡°Do not be ridiculous. Babel exists within a concept space. You should not be able to see it.¡± Sayama looked back out the window. It was gone. The giant tower he had seen so clearly a moment before had disappeared. Sayama moved from the window in blank surprise. He heard Siegfried speaking behind him. ¡°Did your string vibration approach that concept space¡¯s by coincidence? Or did Baku show it to you?¡± It was impossible to say. Sayama looked down again and the grassy plain from before had disappeared. He wondered how much of it had been real. And¡­ ¡­What even is ¡°real¡± anyway? As he thought, the lights of Sakai flowed by below them. Yonkichi spoke from the copilot seat. ¡°Listen. We will arrive in the danger zone in another five minutes.¡± Brunhild sat on the edge of the cliff in the forest. She watched a light descend in the sky. It was about five kilometers away. That light came from a manmade aircraft and it sank into the mountain range. The wind blew in and a distant roar that sounded like waves reached her. The light disappeared beyond the mountain range. A small figure stood up next to where she sat. It was a black cat. He tilted his head. ¡°They sure are busy. Another one landed about ten minutes ago.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t think any more are coming. The sky is still.¡± ¡°Should we meet up with Fafner and the others?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Brunhild as she stood up. As she did, she heard several shouts beyond the mountain to their backs. Those shouts were followed by metal striking metal and gunfire. Those sounds did not stop. Brunhild¡¯s eyes narrowed as she listened to those shouts and trembling noises. ¡°Those voices are ours. ¡­We are pushing through.¡± ¡°Well, we are used to this area.¡± The cat nodded and Brunhild began to walk. They walked toward the voices and noises. But after taking a few steps, she looked over her shoulder. She turned toward where that light had descended. She narrowed her eyes and a quiet voice escaped her lips. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t come.¡± Her begging voice was swallowed up by the wind and the sounds of gunfire carried by it. The UCAT base was set up in a mountain campground. Two helicopter landing areas had been created by using lights for markers in an open area that was messy due to it being the off season. A tent for containers and a tent for personnel had been set up at the mountainside entrance. The artificial lights set up around the base shined white and the area outside that was wrapped in darkness. The helicopter rotors created an undulating wind and the intermittent noise of the air being chopped. Sayama and Siegfried stood in the brightly lit space in front of the tent. Sayama was no longer wearing his suit. He had changed into a UCAT anti-Gear combat uniform he had been given. It was made up of a white body suit and thick, black tights. White shorts and a coat were worn over that. Its design was similar to the outfits of Izumo and Kazami at the Imperial Palace and Shinjou in the forest the night before last. As Baku sat on Sayama¡¯s head, a small figure stepped out of the tent. It was Chao. She demanded that the old man behind her explain the equipment. He was an old man with short, white hair and a white coat. He had the same atmosphere about him as Nijun and Yonkichi. His narrow eyes bent. ¡°Hello, Sayama-sama. My name is Mitsuaki. How does your new outfit feel?¡± ¡°Not bad. It seems a little light, but that is necessary for marching.¡± ¡°It has been developed over 60 years.¡± The plates, pads, and small bits of printed text placed at various points along it were made to display defensive power under most concepts. ¡°Did you not think about camouflaging it for covert operations? It seems to me white only makes you a target at night.¡± ¡°Tes. In the other Gears, there are a lot of people who do not see us by color. The uniform has philosopher¡¯s stone camouflage that uses the concept of ¡®difficult for opponents to see¡¯. Any pattern such as camouflage that hides its individuality risks changing the ¡®meaning¡¯ of the uniform or the one wearing it while under certain concepts.¡± He went on to explain that a unit testing camouflaged equipment had once fused with the forest floor and disappeared. ¡°So it is like modern armor.¡± ¡°Tes. To ensure your vision, the head is left exposed, but it is covered by a defensive¡­I suppose you call it a field. No physical strike will break through it unless it has a very large amount of momentum or was conceptually changed to something else. However, the concept will let slower things through, so be careful during close quarters combat.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Sayama with a nod before turning to Siegfried next to him. Siegfried was dressed the same as he had been when he arrived. He wore long black clothes. Other than his black leather gloves, he had no equipment. ¡°Will you be okay in the mountains like that?¡± ¡°I am not the same as I was 60 years ago. A sorcerer¡¯s strength is proportional to his age.¡± Siegfried smiled bitterly and turned to Chao. ¡°Do you not have a weapon for him, Chao?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll protect him, won¡¯t you? Also, Sayama¡¯s weapon is with the main unit up ahead.¡± ¡°¡­The main unit?¡± ¡°Yes. Izumo, Kazami, and the others went on up ahead. Go catch up to them. When Sayama nodded, Chao grinned at him. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to say ¡®Tes¡¯.¡± She then took Sayama¡¯s left arm. A bandage was wrapped around the arm from the wrist of the glove to the shoulder. ¡°You should be fine, but don¡¯t push yourself. If you reopen the wound, we¡¯ll just have to redo it.¡± ¡°Tes,¡± he replied and Chao smiled. ¡°Liar,¡± she said and smacked Sayama on the butt. Another old man then entered the tent. He wore a similar white combat uniform to Sayama and held a white military rucksack. His wavy white hair was tied in the back. That hair waved as he looked toward Sayama. ¡°Would you look at that. I am Ikkou, the oldest of the four brothers.¡± ¡°All of you are kind of forgettable.¡± ¡°We worry about that too. We once tried to give ourselves some individuality by each using a unique speech pattern. Unfortunately, Yonkichi chose a speech pattern that¡­let¡¯s just say it pissed us off. The three of us ended up beating the crap out of him. Ever since, we decided being forgettable might just be for the best.¡± ¡°I take it back. I think I will remember you all as a group, even if not individually.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. Now, this rucksack holds food and water. The side contains writing tools and a hand light. Also¡­we can no longer contact the frontline camp.¡± Chao clicked her tongue. ¡°Sayama, listen up. I¡¯m going to explain the route to you: check your cell phone. That is all.¡± Sayama checked the cell phone he had brought in his suit. At some point, the LCD screen had begun to display a map of Mount Hyono. ¡°You most likely won¡¯t be able to communicate using it while inside, but the bare minimum of philosopher¡¯s stones packed inside allows it to function as a standalone databank. The manual is inside the memory and it can show you the marching route of our forces and the shortest route there. Understand?¡± The map of Mount Hyono showed a curving line moving north while taking a detour around the mountain to the east. The line ended partway through and a small circle was drawn at that point. ¡°The other members have already gone ahead to the frontline camp. They likely began pursuing the Gram recovery team after that. Also, Shinjou arrived about ten minutes before you two.¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun did?¡± ¡°It seems she was late leaving UCAT. She came in on the helicopter next to yours. Try to hurry,¡± said Chao. ¡°It would take quite something to destroy the frontline camp. Fafnir Custom is probably behind it. They¡¯re probably already fighting, so hurry. You need to arrive before 1st-Gear finds the holy sword Gram.¡± ¡°Is it at all possible to move through the real world to avoid the danger and enter the concept space once we arrive at the point at which we need to be?¡± ¡°String vibrations originate at the center, so the center is like a mass of sound. If you jump in there, you¡¯ll be destroyed and never be seen again. If your child string vibration was registered when the concept space was created, you could do that, but 1st-Gear created this one. Our only choice is to attack from the outside. Understand?¡± ¡°Tes. So it will not be that easy.¡± Sayama nodded, took the rucksack, and placed it on his back. He and Siegfried looked north toward the mountain. They looked at the dark forest and the dark blue night sky behind it. Sayama and the others began walking in that direction. They walked through the night wind that carried the scent of trees. And just as they entered the forest, the watch on Sayama¡¯s left wrist vibrated. At the same time, he heard a voice. ¡ªWriting has the ability to provide power. This concept was stronger than any he had heard before. And he heard something else along with it. The air shook and a deep sound filled the sky. It was a distant explosion. Sayama¡¯s eyebrows moved and Siegfried spoke to him. ¡°We need to hurry. Izumo and Kazami are probably drawing the enemies toward them. Izumo is the heir to IAI and their weapons contain the Concept Cores of 6th and 10th. They would make decent bait.¡± A slight clearing 15 meters across existed within the forest. It had become a battlefield. A couple wearing white armored uniforms moved around in the center of that clearing. It was Izumo and Kazami. They were colored white and black. The large sword and shield-equipped spear they wielded had the same colors. White cloth was scattered about where they stood. That was the remains of the tent that had been set up there. A few bonfire-like flames existed on the torn and scattered white cloth. ¡°Ahh, how persistent are you!? Are you all idiots!?¡± A different color filled their surroundings. That other color in the clearing, in the surrounding forest, and the sky above was a dark green declaring its presence below the moonlight. That was the color of the cloaks worn by those of 1st Gear. At a glance, it was clear there were easily 50 people wrapped in dark green. The enemies moved and Izumo and Kazami moved. Their footsteps were sometimes light and sometimes heavy, but they moved quickly without ever stopping. Izumo knocked away the enemies who approached while Kazami pierced the enemies beyond those or the ones behind them. They heard a great number of footsteps and the rustling of the forest. Both were made up of countless small noises piled on top of each other. Izumo blew away three approaching enemies with a low strike. ¡°Do you think everyone managed to escape?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Either way, the situation isn¡¯t looking good.¡± Kazami raised her eyebrows and looked to the fully-cowled single-edged spear and shield in her hands. The white spear had a curving form and was labeled G-Sp2 on the side. The curving handle at the base of the blade had a small speedometer-like console on the top. Words were being displayed on the LCD screen there. ¡°Are you in trouble?¡± ¡°Yes, I am, G-Sp2. What do you think now that you¡¯ve blown away a few of them?¡± ¡°They are powerful.¡± ¡°Do you not realize you¡¯re 10-Gear¡¯s Concept Core?¡± ¡°V-Sw here thinks the same.¡± Izumo held up the large single-edged Cowling Sword he held in his right hand. The console on the grip had words displayed on it. ¡°Is it fun? Is it fun?¡± Kazami held the Cowling Lance G-Sp2 under her right arm and sighed. She held up the long, narrow shield in her left hand. ¡°They¡¯re both like terrible pets.¡± As she spoke, she stepped to the left. As soon as she did, Izumo fired a shotgun in his left hand through the area Kazami had been standing in. The sound of the shot and the sound of the impact came almost simultaneously. A figure was blown away by the shot. The dark figure which had gotten up from the ground flew backwards with its jaw pointed to the heavens. It then collapsed flatly to the ground. Izumo looked toward the flat figure collapsed on the ground. ¡°If they can hit Shades, we must not have screwed up with our bullets. Their armor must change to match the impact of any attack.¡± ¡°Instead of increasing their defenses, it changes it into a form they can endure.¡± Izumo holstered the shotgun at his waist. The inside of the holster automatically swapped out the magazine and it was ready for reuse in only two seconds. Once he heard the sound of the magazine exchange, Izumo drew the shotgun once more. And an instant later¡­ ¡°!¡± Izumo threw the shotgun into the air and pushed Kazami to the side. He jumped in the opposite direction of Kazami. ¡°Wh-what!?¡± Before Kazami could complete her question, it came. It was a black wind. It came from the ground and jumped up in an arc. It appeared from the figure Izumo had defeated with the shotgun. And the form the shadow took was¡­ ¡°A half-dragon!?¡± ¡°Indeed. Remember the name Fafner and then die.¡± That two meter form that flapped its wings was filled with forward momentum. The black half-dragon¡¯s claws dug into the ground as it filled the space between them with a single step. He was targeting Izumo. Izumo gasped when he saw black Cowling Sword resting on Fafner¡¯s shoulder. A shimmering in the air rose from the black rectangular blade Fafner swung up. Izumo read the word carved into the blade via the image it gave him. ¡°Pressure!¡± The instant he shouted that, the power was swung down. The shimmering of the air swelled up along the path of the blade and became a striking weapon several meters across. Partway down, the shimmering swallowed up the shotgun Izumo had thrown into the air. The shotgun scattered as if it had been made of sand. However, Izumo could hear nothing but the loud sound of the shimmering consuming the atmosphere. Izumo clenched his teeth and tried to swing up V-Sw. Just as he did, he heard a shout pierce through the air. It was a girl¡¯s voice and the word it spoke was a demand for it all to stop. ¡°Nooooo!¡± Even though he was in combat, Izumo looked away from Fafner. A white figure stood in the forest to his right. It was Shinjou. Shinjou ignored how out of breath she was from running and held up her Cowling Staff. She had to stop it. She was panicking. However, that allowed her to ignore everything but what she had to do. She ignored the surrounding enemy forces turning toward her and she ignored her own lack of breath. She focused her mind forward. She could see that distorted power being swung down toward Izumo. Izumo was swinging his Cowling Sword from below, but it would all be over if he did not make it in time. Shinjou held up her staff. She placed the central curving grip on her right shoulder and placed her hands along the triangular cannon extending forward. ¡°Kh¡­¡± When she lowered her hips and looked forward, she saw three hardcover books bound to the top of the cannon that was labeled Ex-St. Each of them was a dictionary of a minor language and they were all first editions. The dictionaries vibrated and a gun sight expanded in empty air before her eyes. It was a two-dimensional image that measured ten centimeters square. That display floating in midair showed Fafner and Izumo because the cannon was being aimed toward them. The crosshairs in the center of the targeting image selected Fafner. Shoot, thought Shinjou. She only had to squeeze the trigger on the side grip in her right hand. That would fire the staff¡¯s power. But she hesitated. ¡°¡­!¡± For some reason, she could bring no strength into her fingertips. ¡­Why!? Her own memories responded to her surprised question. It was not a clear answer. She recalled the face of the werewolf when it had looked at her in the forest the night before last. She recalled the emotion on that beast¡¯s face. The instant that face carved itself into the surface of her memories, Shinjou shouted out. ¡°Nooooo!¡± She shouted at herself and closed her eyes. She tried to squeeze the trigger. She tried to convince herself there was nothing in front of her and she was doing nothing more than squeezing the trigger. A sudden question entered her mind. Why am I trying to fight? She wondered if this was due to feeling guilty that she was using this fight to pursue her parents. ¡­Or am I¡­ A thought suddenly came to Shinjou. That boy whose stance was the opposite of hers entered her mind. ¡°¡­¡± She was surprised that she thought of him and she put her thoughts in order. No, she thought. I can¡¯t choose to use my power with my eyes closed! She did not understand the meaning of that thought, but she would no longer close her eyes. She opened her eyes and looked forward. In that instant, Shinjou¡¯s vision was filled with destruction. The forest on the opposite side of the clearing from her was blown away. The lines of trees snapped and something appeared from within the forest. It was a white dragon. ¡°Fafnir Custom!?¡± shouted Shinjou. In response to her shout, everything began to move. And as a result, a single explosion occurred. Volume 2, 25: The Path to Overcome Suspicion Volume 2, Chapter 25: The Path to Overcome Suspicion The decision to hurry is made by you The demand that you hurry is made by the footsteps That hurrying is accomplished by your will Sayama and Siegfried ran through a dark mountain. Their only map was the one on Sayama¡¯s cell phone. Their current location was¡­ ¡°The shadow of the mountain over there means we are almost there.¡± The depths of the forest before them looked blue rather than black. The moonlight fell broadly across that area. That was their destination. Five minutes had passed since the explosion they had heard earlier. Sayama hurried. He tread on the grass, tread on the dirt, and moved forward. Only one thought filled his mind. ¡­I still have not found Shinjou-kun. She had definitely entered the battlefield ahead of him. What was she doing? There was something he wished of her. He did not want to lose her before that. As he picked up his hurrying pace a bit further, the forest opened up ahead of him. The light of the moon spread out before his eyes. Beyond a drop of about a meter was a clearing. Sayama kicked off the dirt and leaped. Siegfried followed beside him and did not seem out of breath. Sayama checked his surroundings while in the air. The remains of a white tent existed in the center of the clearing, but everything in the area had been destroyed. There were a few holes opened in the ground. They were large enough for several people to fit inside and it looked as if a giant hoe had created them. The forest on the other side of the clearing had also been affected by the destruction. For a width of about five meters, the cedar and broad-leaved trees making up the forest had been felled. ¡°This is¡­¡± he muttered as he landed. ¡°Sayama.¡± Urged on by Siegfried, Sayama began to run. He had been running for a while now, but he put his full strength into it from the very first step. As Sayama ran, he detected a movement in the air behind him. It came from a bullet in the corner of his vision. The bullet glowed like a firefly. Several sounds of paper tearing came from the forest to the north. And an identical number of light bullets shot toward them. They were fast. They pursued Sayama and Siegfried and dirt and grass shot up into the air. Sayama gathered strength in his legs as he heard the bullets strike the ground. He had noticed something odd about that noise. ¡­The tempo is dull. He took action based on that thought. He leaned forward and then swung his body upwards with all his strength. Immediately afterwards, a light bullet passed right in front of his eyes. This was a single shot. Sayama leaned forward again and leaped forward. He heard the shot he had avoided slicing through the field. ¡­So the real one aims for the face. Sayama wondered what would have happened had he not noticed that tempo. He ran. He realized the sounds of bullets hitting the ground had ceased to follow him. That showed his opponent was done playing around. Sayama knew he could not let his guard down. He decided he should have avoided that earlier bullet more barely or even let it graze him. In that case, his enemy would not have put their guard up. He clicked his tongue and leaped toward one of the holes opened in the ground. It was a hole made of soft, bare earth. He did not slide inside it; he leaped inside. After his feet landed on the bottom, he leaned his back against the northern slope. A bullet then grazed the edge of the ground above him in order to keep him from peeking out. ¡­What a well-prepared response. Sayama ducked his head down and looked around. The hole was about a meter deep and three meters wide. From this position, the northern forest was on the mountainside. He just barely lifted his head up and was able to see that northern forest. However, the forest was too dark to see anything. The ground burst in front of his eyes. The flying pieces of dirt struck something near his head and fell. Afterwards, he once more heard the sound of paper tearing from the northern forest. ¡­A sniper. Is it just one? No. Sayama denied his own simple question. While running before, the bullets had come in rapid-fire. And in no time afterwards, a single shot had targeted his head. Given those two facts¡­ ¡°There are probably at least two of them.¡± He had almost no knowledge concerning 1st-Gear guns. However, they were likely using the same type of rifle the knight had used the day before. In that case, the enemy was using a book or some corresponding object as ammunition. That prevented the guns from being made very small. The enemy had chosen sniping because their weapons were big and not very mobile. The reason there were two enemies came from there. With a rapid-fire gun and a sniping gun, they could determine the range together and they could calmly handle an enemy whether that opponent charged them or tried to run. The rapid-fire gun would be used to calculate the range and the sniper would take out the enemy. That had to be their pattern. But Sayama frowned. These enemies were firing small bullets of light. Firing would make their position easier to determine. During the day was fine, but those bullets were ill-suited for nighttime sniping. He had two guesses as to the reason behind it. Either the enemy was taking him lightly or they were trying to draw his attention away from something else. When he thought about the latter option, Sayama gasped. ¡­We have to catch up to Shinjou-kun and the others. Siegfried was nowhere to be seen, but Sayama assumed he was in one of the other holes. ¡°Do not tell me he is waiting to see how I will handle this situation.¡± Just as a grin appeared on his lips, a stone rolled into the hole. ¡°?¡± Sayama looked down at what had rolled to his feet. It was a round stone about the perfect size to hold in the fist. It was black and it had words carved into its surface. The meaning of the words appeared in his mind. They said, ¡°Explosive ¨C After Five Seconds¡±. ¡°!¡± It had been thrown into this hole from the northern forest. Sayama showed no surprise, fear, or fright. He reflexively picked up the stone. And a smile naturally appeared on his lips. Words spilled from his mouth that had nothing to do with the desire to hurry in his heart. ¡°This is a death I can avoid.¡± And he took action. In the mountainside forest looking down on the clearing, two 1st-Gear soldiers aimed at their target. They both had their dark green cloaks covering their heads as they aimed bipod-equipped rifles toward the clearing. The rifle on the right had a canvas hardcover book bound to it on the top. It was easy to exchange the magazine, but it had poor stability. The rifle on the left had its book bound to the bottom. It took more effort to exchange the magazine, but each shot was quite stable. The former was generally used for rapid-fire and the latter was mainly used for single sniper shots. The sniper drew back the arm he had thrown the explosive rock with and sank back down. He made sure the rifle magazine had bound properly using the cocking lever to the side of the grip and he moved to peer through the scope. In an instant, he saw motion coming from the hole he had thrown the explosive rock into. The target¡¯s head moved above the right edge of the hole and jumped out. The rapid-fire shooter to the right clicked his tongue in joy. The sniper thought making noise like that was a bad habit and he pulled the trigger without looking through the scope. The rifle shook. The cocking lever shot forward and a light bullet flew. And the bullet hit. The object that came from the hole seemed to have really been a head. Something white scattered as the bullet clearly hit. Just as the sniper raised his head slightly, the soldier on the right spoke. ¡°He¡¯s still alive!¡± The sniper narrowed his vision and saw the white figure still trying to jump from the right of the hole. It must not have been a fatal blow. The sniper calmly peered through the scope. The white he saw was a coat. Several bullets pierced through it. Those came from the rapid-fire rifle to the right. Repeated sounds of canvas tearing came from that rifle. An equal number of yellowish-green light bullets flew and tore holes in the white figure jumping from the hole. The cover of the book in the right-side rifle¡¯s magazine burst and scattered. The book had used up all of its power. But the sniper realized something in the next moment. That enemy was hollow. It was not a human that had jumped from the hole. It was just a coat. The enemy was still alive. He placed a hand on the cocking lever and began to pull it. But as he looked through the scope, his eyes fell on the coat that fell powerlessly into the hole. Where had the boy wearing it gone? ¡°¡­?¡± He took his eyes from the scope and looked forward. He was there. The boy had already jumped from the left side of the hole. That was the opposite side to where he had thrown the coat. He had jumped out at the exact moment the soldiers had been looking through their scopes and targeting the coat. The sniper felt uneasy. Had this enemy calculated their actions? The rapid-fire shooter seemed to have realized the same thing. He loudly clicked his tongue and began exchanging the book. That meant it was the sniper¡¯s turn. The enemy began running toward them. They were approximately 20 paces apart. The boy could fill that space in five seconds. But the sniper could act sooner. He could cock the rifle in one second, it would take another second to hold the rifle up as the sound of tearing canvas came from below it, aiming without the scope would take a second, and pulling the trigger would take a final second. He could finish it in a total of four seconds. But¡­ ¡°Hey,¡± said the other soldier. ¡°What happened to the explosive rock you threw?¡± The sniper moved his finger away from the trigger. He saw a single truth. The boy had stopped moving. He had been running toward them, but now he stood still with his arms lightly spread to the side as if asking to be shot. The light of the round moon floating in the sky illuminated the boy¡¯s smile. At the same moment, something fell in between the two soldiers. The sniper assumed it was a fruit, but it was not. It was a round stone. It had familiar words carved on its surface: Explosive ¨C After Five Seconds. And black paint had added another few words on the stone. The writing was unfamiliar, but he understood it from the image that appeared in his mind. It said¡­ ¡°Plus five seconds!¡± Throwing the coat had not been to buy time to jump out of the hole. It had been to ensure they did not see the stone being thrown into the air. And the reason he had run toward them was¡­ ¡°He wanted us to target him so we wouldn¡¯t move¡­¡± But understanding it now made no difference. Just as the boy swung his arms up, the stone exploded next to them. Sayama saw two soldiers fly out from the flames and smoke in the forest. They were ten meters away. They were surrounded by a flaming wind that roasted the trees and leaves. The blast of the explosion had sent them tumbling out into the clearing. At a glance, they seemed to have injuries on their faces but were still breathing. Sayama glanced around. He spotted a tall dark figure standing next to him. It was Siegfried. ¡°So it cost you your coat. You cannot do that a second time.¡± ¡°No need to be shy. I do not mind if you give me honest praise.¡± ¡°Do not say the same thing Sayama Kaoru did.¡± ¡°Now that is good to hear. If I am saying the same things as my grandfather now, I will be saying things even more wonderful than him tomorrow.¡± Siegfried smiled and Sayama did so bitterly. ¡°More importantly,¡± said Sayama as he looked forward. He looked into the forest beyond the fading smoke of the explosion. A single figure stood there. This figure was dyed in the color black. The short figure wore a black dress and a three-cornered hat that hid her face. ¡°A new opponent¡­ A witch?¡± muttered Sayama, but he denied it. ¡°No, a grim reaper.¡± This figure held a long scythe. Sayama suddenly realized Siegfried had taken a defensive stance. He gave a suspicious look and Siegfried swung his right hand downwards. ¡°I heard about this while I was in 1st-Gear. I was told where lost souls went in that closed table world.¡± ¡°An interesting topic. Please continue.¡± ¡°At one point in their history, an underworld was developed for those lost souls to live in. That underworld is a type of concept space and its string vibration is near the borderline between positive and negative, so it can be expanded in any Gear.¡± ¡°And what tool is used to open this underworld?¡± ¡°The scythe known as Requiem Sense. Regin¡¯s older brother, the old man named Hagen who combined with Fafnir Custom, had worked as the manager of the underworld.¡± A single sound seemed to come in response. It was the mewing of a cat. ¡°¡­¡± And then the grim reaper moved. She held the scythe vertically above her right shoulder. Her right hand brought the handle directly above and her fingers traced over the writing carved into the surface of that handle. Sayama heard a voice. It was a high-pitched and monotonous girl¡¯s voice. ¡°I am that which is with you.¡± As she spoke, the words carved into the scythe¡¯s handle and blade began to emit light. ¡°Hear me, those who were lost yet not lost.¡± The light was blue at first. ¡°That is your pride.¡± It turned to white. ¡°That is your memory.¡± Then yellow, red, and finally crimson. ¡°That is your spirit.¡± Just as the light turned black, the girl opened her mouth and pointed the tip of the scythe behind her. As if in response, wind blew by next to Sayama. Before he could even mutter ¡°not good¡±, Siegfried moved forward. He wordlessly charged into the forest in his black outfit. He swung his right hand and a single piece of paper shot from his sleeve. All Sayama could tell was that it had something written on it. The word extended from the paper and into the empty air. That word of German glowed a bluish-white and extended to a length of one meter. ¡°Schneide!¡± Siegfried held the paper hilt and quickly closed the distance between him and his opponent. He swung the blade of writing toward his opponent¡¯s neck. He took the shortest route to aim from below. A few trees were sliced by the blade along the way. With a sound of tearing fibers, Siegfried continued forward and left those trees behind him. He arrived. His attack swung through. However, the girl in black avoided the strike. She merely took a step back. Sayama watched Siegfried¡¯s back. The pressure of Siegfried¡¯s sword strike knocked the girl¡¯s three-cornered hat up slightly. The blade split the very end of it and the brim of the hat flipped up. The face hidden below the hat was now visible. Siegfried¡¯s blade of writing illuminated that face. ¡°Brunhild Schild,¡± muttered Sayama. And he realized something else: Siegfried had stopped moving. In response, Brunhild returned her face from the bent back posture she had taken to evade. Her normal expressionless look was gone. The ends of her eyebrows were lowered and her lips were twisted to the side. ¡°¡­!¡± She hung her head down. She tightly gripped the scythe handle in both hands and opened her mouth. ¡°Open¡­¡± She took a breath. ¡°Open, gate of the abyss!¡± Brunhild drew the scythe back. And she dropped it straight down. The scythe split space behind her. The sound was similar to paper being torn. That meter long slice stopped when the bottom of the handle struck the ground. The blade stopped just a few centimeters above the shoulder of her black clothing. Brunhild then grabbed the handle and spun it around to point the tip forward. In response, light appeared behind her. That yellowish-green light filled the line the scythe blade had travelled through. The line split vertically, tore horizontally, and widened. ¡°Why?¡± muttered Brunhild. The tall man in black took a defensive stance before her. Seeing that, Brunhild shouted with her head still hanging down. ¡°Why!?¡± She thrust the scythe forward and cried out. ¡°Attack, knight of enmity!¡± As Brunhild took a step back, something appeared from the opened rift of light. It was a giant knight wearing full armor. This armored knight made of light stuck only his upper body out from that space. He was about six meters tall. He held a sword in each hand, both of which were near twice his height. The two swords produced a great roar as the knight swung them down. The sound rose into the sky and the atmosphere moved as the attack shot down. The gigantic double strikes flew toward the ground as if falling. Brunhild shut her eyes. And in that moment, a pair of male and female voices cried out from the forest to the right and the sky above. ¡°You idiot!¡± Sayama saw it. As that pair of giant swords was swung down, two powers slammed into them. Izumo came in from the right wearing a white armored uniform. The giant single-edge sword in his hand fired white light from its blade. And Kazami came in from above wearing a white armored uniform. She dropped straight down from a height of ten meters above the knight of light. She aimed her long spear straight down as she did. The single-edged tip of that spear fired a white light as well. They both struck the knight¡¯s blades with their own weapons. They both let out cries of exertion that began with ¡°ah¡±. ¡°¡­!¡± It all collided. A metallic sound similar to glass shattering rang out. Izumo deflected the knight¡¯s right sword inward. Kazami deflected the knight¡¯s left sword inward as well. The knight¡¯s swords struck each other in midair. A new metallic noise rang out. In the next moment, Izumo circled around below the knight¡¯s arms and struck the two swords from below. Kazami had leaped into the air with her previous attack, so she struck the swords from above for a second time. Kazami jumped through the air and toward Sayama and Izumo used the follow-through of his swing to turn toward him. Immediately afterwards, straight cracks ran through the six meter knight, starting with the two swords. ¡°Don¡¯t stand around and watch! Run!¡± shouted Izumo. After that obvious warning, the knight exploded. A splendid wind swept through the forest. Brunhild stood with Requiem Sense held in front of her. ¡°¡­¡± The forest had disappeared around her. With the exception of a fan-shaped area behind where she stood, a crater about ten meters across had been formed. Brunhild sighed as she saw a slight red light coming from the scythe¡¯s blade. ¡°Did you retrieve them?¡± she asked the blade while looking around where several lights flew about like fireflies. Brunhild swung Requiem Sense around her in both hands. The inertia created by the weight of the blade made her lean her body back on her heels to keep her balance. The lights approached the swinging blade and were swallowed up. After spinning around about five times, darkness returned to her surroundings. ¡°But this darkness still has the moonlight.¡± She glanced around her surroundings once more. Only two collapsed 1st-Gear soldiers were in the clearing connected to the crater. Those she considered her enemy were gone. Brunhild let out a breath and looked to her feet. She looked to the black cat hiding behind her legs. ¡°Let¡¯s wake those two up and meet with the others.¡± ¡°Yes. But¡­that shaved off the fur on my tail.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The cat tilted his head at that response. ¡°Are you okay, Brunhild? You don¡¯t seem very energetic.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Everything is back to normal.¡± ¡°Back to normal?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Brunhild expressionlessly. ¡°My grudge and everything else is back to normal.¡± Sayama ran after Izumo who had taken the lead. After running for about two minutes, they left the forest and arrived at a wide basin. It contained a grassy field where the new UCAT base had been set up. The flames of lamps lit the area and others dressed like them were gathering there. A fair number of people were there in addition to Izumo and Kazami, but Shinjou alone was absent. ¡°I see,¡± said Sayama with a nod as he caught his breath. He would have to go find her. Having made up his mind, Sayama looked over the people there once more. There were about 50 people in all. They were mostly dressed in white armored uniforms, but there was a pair wearing black just like Siegfried. Ooshiro Itaru stood with his metal cane and Sf carried a large load on her back. Itaru pushed his sunglasses up his nose and looked toward Sayama. ¡°So you came, you ignorant brat,¡± he said with a frown. Sayama nodded and folded his arms. ¡°I have come in order to learn everything.¡± That exchange caused the surrounding people to focus on them bit by bit. Sayama heard footsteps, the rustling of clothing, and the clattering of metal equipment as everyone turned toward them. In response, Sayama threw out his chest and looked around at all of them. He took in all of their gazes and spoke. ¡°Is the special unit for the Leviathan Road here?¡± ¡°They are. For starters, there¡¯s me.¡± The person who stepped forward first was Izumo who had been standing right next to him. ¡°How about we check over the members of Team Leviathan real quick?¡± He smiled as he held his large Cowling Sword. ¡°Okay. You can start by giving my name. I¡¯d love it if you added ¡®the great¡¯ afterwards.¡± ¡°You are Izumo the Great Idiot.¡± Sayama waited for three seconds while staring at Izumo¡¯s face from below. ¡°Hm. You did not seem to love it.¡± ¡°Enough. I was an idiot to expect common sense from you.¡± ¡°Why are the two of you acting like idiots?¡± asked Kazami from next to Izumo. Sayama looked toward her and Izumo. ¡°I suppose the two of you are like the forwards of the team.¡± ¡°Yes. Kaku and I take the vanguard during missions. Shinjou provides backup for the vanguard. And the rear guard¡­¡± A figure a head taller than the rest stepped forward from the back of the crowd. He was a man with dark brown skin. He was bald and had a short beard on the very end of his chin. His armored uniform must not have fit him because the neck had been left open. He walked forward and held out a hand. When Sayama shook his hand, he felt great strength squeezing his hand. The man gave a smile and spoke. ¡°I am Robert Boldman. Despite the name, I am a second generation naturalized member of 6th-Gear.¡± ¡°He is a former major in the United States Air Force. He handles commanding and coordinating with the general division as well as backup during emergencies,¡± explained Kazami with a smile. ¡°His nickname is Baldy. No teasing him, okay?¡± said Izumo, also with a smile. ¡°I get the feeling you do not know the meaning of that word. Or is it just me?¡± While still smiling, Kazami kicked Izumo away and called over the next member. ¡°This is Sibyl. You received a transmission from her, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Sayama as the color of the surrounding light seemed to change. A tall woman with long blonde hair stepped forward. She wore the female version of the white armored uniform and it had a skirt and long sleeves tightly attached. She turned her blue, drooping eyes toward Sayama. ¡°I am Sibyl. I am in charge of communications and maintaining equipment on site. I see you decided to come, Sayama-sama.¡± She bowed and Sayama nodded in return. ¡°I did.¡± That brought a smile to Sibyl¡¯s lips and she took a silent step back. In her place, Ooshiro Kazuo stepped forward with a notebook computer under his arm. He raised his right thumb and Kazami gave a smile and a nod. ¡°That should be enough. Okay, next.¡± ¡°Ahh, Kazami-kun! That¡¯s abuse of the elderly! You monster wife!¡± ¡°Shut up. Okay, the one who handles the controllers for concept spaces and things like that is-¡­¡± Before Kazami had even finished speaking, Sayama found Ooki standing before him while wearing a white armored uniform. For some reason, Ooki¡¯s ears extended out to the sides. Her eyes were bent in a smile. She held up a hand while looking toward Sayama. ¡°Hiiii!¡± Sayama suddenly flicked her in the forehead with his right hand. ¡°O-ow!! Wh-what are you do-¡­ow ow ow ow ow!¡± Sayama pulled on Ooki¡¯s long ears, but they did not come off. They were real. ¡°What is this? Are you Ooki-sensei? Are you really her? If so, give me some proof.¡± ¡°Um¡­uh¡­well¡­proof? A-ahhh! I can¡¯t come up with anything so quickly!¡± ¡°Damn. Only the real one would act this foolish. Okay then.¡± Sayama was still grabbing onto Ooki¡¯s ears. ¡°Why are you here, Ooki-sensei? This is a dangerous place. Hurry back to your Okutama apartment and exterminate the roach you said appeared in your kitchen. And take out your trash.¡± ¡°I-I already sprayed bug spray to deal with the roach! I still haven¡¯t taken out the trash, though.¡± Ooki took a breath. ¡°Anyway, I am a member of Team Leviathan. I have been here longer than you, and don¡¯t you forget it.¡± ¡°In other words, you will be my subordinate.¡± ¡°Khh,¡± groaned Ooki and Sayama let go of her ears. He looked over at Kazami for confirmation. ¡°Yes. Ooki-sensei is a 10th-Gear tree spirit. I don¡¯t really understand it myself, but there you have it.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to say you don¡¯t understand it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Kazami-kun. Ooki-kun does an excellent job. ¡­Even if it looks like she only randomly pokes at the buttons.¡± Everyone in the crowd began nodding and muttering in agreement with Ooshiro¡¯s comment. Ooki clenched her fists up at her shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t do it randomly! I do it as the ideas enter my head!¡± ¡°That¡¯s called doing it randomly!¡± shouted back everyone in unison. Sayama patted Ooki on her shoulders that had drooped in dejection. ¡°At any rate, you have given everyone a common factor they can relate to, Ooki-sensei. That is a wonderful thing.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t want you to relate to that!¡± Sayama ignored her objection and spoke. ¡°Now, everyone. Let us begin here.¡± Volume 2, 26: Recommendation to Lie Prone Volume 2, Chapter 26: Recommendation to Lie Prone A pain once had Is related to your current self By becoming a pain someday Sayama and the others checked on various things before heading out. First, they placed a simple table in the center of the basin area and used it as a meeting spot. Ooshiro Itaru and Sf stood at the side of the table pointed toward the mountain. Across the table from them, Sayama stood with the others around him. As Sayama watched, Itaru placed his cane on the ground. ¡°The ultimate objective of the Leviathan Road is to bring every concept to UCAT and release them all simultaneously. Doing that that will suppress the negative concepts here in Low-Gear. You understand that, right?¡± ¡°Where are these negative concepts? I have heard 1st-Gear¡¯s concepts are contained in the Concept Core that is currently split between the sword known as Gram and Fafnir Custom. But what about the negative concepts of Low-Gear?¡± Ooshiro gave no response, but Sayama began to think upon seeing the smile that appeared on his lips. And after thinking, he spoke. ¡°Each Gear¡¯s Concept Core is contained in a weapon or the like that is unique to that Gear.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°The negative concepts are contained within the mythology that does not fit into the other ten Gears. Namely, the bible.¡± ¡°And if they are? What would it be that contains Low-Gear¡¯s negative concepts?¡± Sayama nodded in response and glanced at Baku on his shoulder. ¡°That would be¡­Babel. Am I wrong?¡± Everyone turned toward Itaru. Izumo and Kazami nodded and everyone else frowned. As some people whispered ¡°Babel?¡±, Itaru gave a slight nod while still smiling. ¡°You really are an annoying brat. You are correct. ¡­Did you see that tower?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I see. That is your ultimate destination. The ten negative concepts reside in that tower and it was the epicenter of the great Kansai earthquake. To reach it, you must deal with all the other Gears.¡± Having said that, Itaru pulled a metal case out from under the simple table. The case he placed on the table with a heavy metallic noise was the color of iron and 30 cm square. It was about 10 centimeters thick and the letter L was carved into the surface. Sayama looked at Itaru, but the man only silently held the case out toward Sayama. As if taking Itaru¡¯s place, Ooshiro stepped up to his right and nodded. ¡°Open it.¡± Sayama had already begun undoing the lock on the side of the case. With the sound of air escaping, the upper lid shifted. Sayama placed a hand on that lid and opened the case. The inside was divided into two blocks. The left block contained a metal medallion. Its silver surface had a plus symbol carved into it. And the right block contained¡­ ¡°A glove?¡± A black, fingerless gauntlet sat within a cavity in the block created to match its shape. It was made to protect the wrist and other points and the top had a round metal hard point attached. It was made for the left hand. As Sayama observed it, he heard Ooshiro speak. ¡°We are giving that to you. Its name is Georgius. That is the name of a holy lance.¡± Sayama frowned. ¡°You mean the lance St. George used when slaying the dragon? I know one theory said it was Longinus, the same lance used to stab the son of god.¡± ¡°Yes. It seems to have been named after that. It was named after the lance that can injure god and slay a dragon. However¡­¡± Ooshiro trailed off and Sayama looked up at him. When their gazes met, Ooshiro nodded and continued. ¡°We do not know what power this Georgius has. We do not know many of the details about what it is. It is a concept weapon with many mysteries.¡± Sayama glanced around. Everyone was focused on Georgius in front of him. Kazami, who stood behind him, suddenly realized he was looking at her. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen it.¡± She nodded and so did everyone else. Puzzlement could be seen on their faces, so Sayama spoke their doubts and his own question to Ooshiro. ¡°If you do not know what good this gauntlet is, why was it stored so exaggeratedly?¡± ¡°It is a memento of your mother.¡± The instant Sayama comprehended those words, he felt a tightening in the left side of his chest. Intense pain filled his body. It was much stronger than it had ever been before. ¡°¡­¡± He could tell everyone had frozen in place and was staring at his back. Sayama placed his right hand on his chest and grabbed at it. From behind, only a slight movement should have been visible, but they might have noticed. But it did not matter. If they had noticed, there was nothing he could do about it. He endured the pain and took a breath. And then Itaru opened his mouth across the table. ¡°So you get chest pains when you hear about your parents or your grandfather. You intend to walk down the Leviathan Road with that odd bomb inside you, don¡¯t you? Your father died and left you behind, your mother tried to kill you along with herself, and your grandfather passed away without telling you anything of import. ¡­Sayama Mikoto, you are a pitiable person. A truly pitiable person.¡± A small stir spread through the surrounding people. A mixture of voices and gasps responded to Itaru¡¯s final words. Pitiable. Sayama vigorously raised his head against that atmosphere that seemed to be looking down on him. He glared. He glared straight forward where Itaru lowered his sunglasses and looked at Sayama as if glancing up at him. And just as Sayama was about to speak a rude word toward those eyes and the smile on those lips¡­ ¡°Everyone has a weakness,¡± said a figure standing to the left. Itaru, Sf, Ooshiro, and even Kazami and the others behind him looked to his left. Everyone¡¯s gazes gathered on Ooki. ¡°Um¡­¡± she said as she placed a hand on her chest and looked up into the sky. ¡°But it is overcoming that weakness that gives us valuable experience. For example, Itaru-san, you have your cane and Sf-san to help you with the disability in your legs. Sayama-kun will find something or someone to act as his cane or his Sf-san. I don¡¯t know if that will be this glove or someone from UCAT, though. But¡­¡± Ooki nodded and glanced around. She looked at Itaru, Sf, Izumo, Kazami, Sibyl, Boldman, Ooshiro, and her other comrades. ¡°Sayama-kun will be fine. I guarantee it.¡± Ooki seemed incredibly satisfied with her own words. ¡°Yes, yes. That¡¯s just how it is. For example, Izumo-kun is an idiot, but Kazami-san corrects him. Kazami-san is violent, but Izumo-kun absorbs it all. Mr. Boldman is bald, but everyone pretends not to see it and it helps make him more unique. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°I think you might have just ruined everything you had built up, Ooki-sensei.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± asked Ooki as three hands grabbed her collar and dragged her into the crowd. While listening to Ooki¡¯s ¡°Hyaaaaah!¡±, Sayama sighed. The pain in his chest was gone. It had disappeared. And so he spoke to Itaru. ¡°You can decide whether I am pitiable or not based on my results from now on. Let me ask you one thing: were my parents members of UCAT?¡± ¡°Yes. They were disguised as IAI personnel and they acquired Georgius during a certain mission.¡± Itaru clicked his tongue once, but his smile did not disappear. ¡°Here¡¯s another job to add to the Leviathan Road. It seems Georgius has a right hand as well, but it was lost and not even UCAT can find it. You find it on your own.¡± ¡°Is it needed to complete the Leviathan Road?¡± Ooshiro Kazuo answered this question. He nodded and said, ¡°All I can tell you is that this is a weapon that can bend any concept to your will and there is meaning in having both the left and right hand. Everything else, including its creator, is unknown.¡± ¡°That is all¡­my mother said?¡± ¡°Yes. Your mother, Yume-san, told us that and left it with us. We believed her that it holds some kind of meaning for the Leviathan Road.¡± After Ooshiro finished speaking, Sayama suddenly realized a sigh had escaped his lips. He recalled his memories of the past and of his mother right up to the line of the dangerous territory. He recalled a woman with short black hair and slightly sharp eyes. This was a created memory. He had little memory of what she had done for him or told him. She hoped I could become someone who could do something, he thought. And she tried to kill me. His memories were vague, but he had gained something new he could add to them: Georgius. ¡°It is hard to understand. She had hopes for me, tried to lose me, and gave me this.¡± She was selfish, that was for sure. However, Sayama looked down at Georgius. ¡°Can I take this?¡± ¡°Yes, but be careful. We are unable to equip Georgius. When we try to touch it, we are spatially repelled. Trying to force one¡¯s hand into it will rip your fingers apart.¡± Ooshiro showed off his left palm. White scars from some slight lacerations were visible. ¡°I see,¡± said Sayama. But he grabbed Georgius without hesitation. From the way Ooshiro jerked his left hand back in fear, it seemed that was when the rejection reaction would have occurred. ¡°It seems nothing happened.¡± Sayama equipped Georgius on his dominant left hand. It was a bit large for him, but tightening the band on the wrist set it in place. The scars on his fist were hidden as the characteristic warmth of leather covered his hand. The palm had a shallow semispherical metal part corresponding to the hard point on the back of the hand. That half sphere had a plus sign carved into it. Other than that, the gauntlet was unremarkable. Sayama pulled the plus sign medallion out of the case. He placed the medallion in the round hard point on the top of Georgius. It fit perfectly. As soon as he did, Georgius suddenly began to vibrate. ¡°¡­¡± Wind gathered and was sucked into the space between the medallion and Georgius. Everyone froze in place around Sayama. Izumo stopped pulling on Ooki¡¯s ears and shouted out. ¡°¡­What kind of special effect is this!?¡± A word rang out over the other voices of protest. An unfamiliar male voice came from the surface of the gauntlet. ¡°I¡­!¡± But that was as far as it went. The wind disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared. Georgius stopped shaking and calm returned. Everyone stared at Sayama while still in defensive stances. As those gazes fell on him, Sayama lightly shook his left hand with Georgius on it. Nothing happened. After determining that fact, Sayama spoke to the others. ¡°It seems something even more amazing will happen with both of them.¡± With the black cat on her shoulder, Brunhild met up with and marched with her comrades. Their loud and hurried footsteps travelled toward where the holy sword Gram had fallen. They had recently calculated out the general location, so their priority was gaining control of that area. UCAT¡¯s Gram recovery team was closer than they were. They had to catch up with that team and defeat them. Fafnir Custom was at the lead of the marching army. He tried to fell as few trees as he could manage, but he still created a path for the rest. The sounds of his four massive legs and of toppling trees could be heard. Brunhild walked quickly along while making sure to look at the break in each felled tree so she could remember it. Those around her did the same. And most likely¡­ ¡­Venerable Hagen is doing it as well. They were occasionally ambushed by enemies with guns and occasionally came across explosives. But they were all stopped and quickly crushed by Fafnir Custom. Fafnir Custom spoke as he received the effects of the gunfire and explosions. ¡°Do not interfere.¡± The others obeyed him. They did not draw their swords or aim their guns. As Brunhild watched, she saw that Fafner did the same as he walked behind Fafnir Custom. The white dragon of steel took on all the fighting. The group of green and black cloaks merely walked forward. And then several white figures became visible in front of Fafnir Custom. There were at least ten of them. ¡°We¡¯ve caught up to UCAT!¡± Fafner raised his voice and everyone put more strength into walking. This was UCAT¡¯s Gram recovery team that had been sent ahead. As Brunhild watched from behind Fafnir Custom, they stopped moving and turned their weapons toward the dragon. It seemed their plan was to make a stand here. That¡¯s impossible, thought Brunhild. Suddenly, she felt a soft sensation on her cheek. It was the tail of the cat on her shoulder. ¡°¡­?¡± The cat met her gaze for just an instant and then looked behind her. Brunhild¡¯s pace slowed slightly as she walked. She looked behind herself as well. What she saw first were the others walking toward her. Their forward-bent march made them appear to be approaching her specifically. As she cowered down a bit, those green and black cloaks slipped past her and walked on ahead. No one said a word. They only looked forward and marched toward the awaiting battle. But Brunhild saw something else. It was even further behind those marching soldiers. It was in the distant forest beyond the mountain range. She saw a light so small one had to pay close attention to even see it. That was the forest basin where they had been not long before. It had been abandoned as a gathering point, so no one should have been left. ¡°¡­They¡¯re coming, aren¡¯t they?¡± She stopped walking altogether as she muttered those words. The others continued forward like a muddy stream flowing beside her. They continued forward to pursue their enemy and acquire Gram. But Brunhild had a thought: were they really driving their enemy away? She heard Fafner¡¯s voice behind her in the direction everyone was headed. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked. He received an answer from Fafnir Custom further up ahead. His voice was partially drowned out by the wind. ¡°I asked her to stop the enemy pursuit. We will hurry ahead and retrieve Gram.¡± Brunhild shut her eyes at those considerate words. She had no recollection of him asking that of her. She could not thank Hagen. She merely held Requiem Sense up a bit. His auxiliary vision devices would see it. The moonlight fell down as if sliding across the curve of the scythe. Brunhild began to walk while thinking how obtrusive that light was. She walked forward. She walked in the opposite direction of the others. Sayama and the others prepared to head back out into battle. Sayama stood within the basin. The others gathered a few meters in front of him as if creating a wall. Sayama swung his right hand in front of them all. That hand that sliced through the air and stopped held six scraps of paper. He used his thumb to spread those six cards out. Each of them had the word ¡°steel¡± written on it. ¡°Now. This is all of our unbreakable and unbendable ¡®steel¡¯. Sf-kun, if you do not mind.¡± After Sayama finished, Itaru spoke. ¡°Go. Earn yourself some gratitude.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± As she spoke, Sf took a step in front of the others. Sayama swung his right wrist and threw the six pieces of paper into the air. They no longer moved like paper. They rotated and flew up with real weight to them. That paper was now ¡°steel¡±. As the lights set up in that basin illuminated the paper, the paper reflected that crimson light. Sf raised her right hand. By the time she did, the sounds of six gunshots on the ground and six metallic noises in the air had all faded away. Sf¡¯s hand had already returned to its original position. While paying no heed to the smoke spreading out before her eyes, she wordlessly bowed toward Sayama and then toward everyone else. As her white-haired head lowered, six small lights fell at her feet. They were empty shell cases. Everyone there gulped, but Sf returned to the wall of people without caring. Unlike before, the wall of people split open to let her in. And as she turned her back, six pieces of paper fell to the ground. Sayama picked them up. He reached down and grabbed the papers that had stabbed into the soft ground. ¡°Now then. This one, this one, and this one are no good. They have holes.¡± The fourth one had a large dent where it had bent in the shape of a bullet. ¡°This one seems to have been about as effective as a bulletproof textile. The writing is very nice, though.¡± ¡°Ahh,¡± groaned Kazami at the front of the wall as she brought a hand to her forehead. ¡°But I earned the intermediate level in calligraphy.¡± ¡°This cursive one was tougher. It only bent.¡± ¡°Oh! That was me! That one¡¯s mine!¡± Ooshiro took a break from typing up records on his laptop to joyously raise his right thumb. Sayama ignored him. He picked up the final paper and frowned. ¡°This is splendid. It did not bend and it does not have a scratch on it.¡± He showed it to everyone. ¡°But what is with this writing? It looks like the death throes of an earthworm suffering from a twisted intestine. Who wrote this curse?¡± ¡°It was me, you damn idiot! Are you trying to pick a fight!?¡± Izumo took a step forward and the shoulders of everyone behind him drooped. ¡°I knew it,¡± they said in unison. ¡°What do you mean by that!?¡± he shouted. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay,¡± said Kazami as she patted his shoulder. She sighed and added, ¡°I can¡¯t believe my intermediate level calligraphy lost to these worms¡­¡± ¡°Hey. Are you trying to comfort me or complain? Make up your mind.¡± ¡°It seems what matters most is the image the writing gives you, not the technical shape of the character. Instead of writing it neatly so the Japanese can read it, we need to make it so anyone can understand it¡­ Writing that looks more like a picture may be more effective in this world. Here, take this.¡± Sayama tossed the paper to Izumo. ¡°Now, Izumo. Gather all the writing tools here and write this character on as many objects as time allows. Write it on our equipment, the paper we have, stones on the ground, and sticks you find. Strengthen everything we can use.¡± Sayama nodded. ¡°So written information has power in this concept space¡­¡± He walked forward. He made his way to Ooshiro who held his laptop under his arm. ¡°Old man.¡± ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± ¡°Could you give me all of that computer¡¯s storage devices to use as explosives?¡± ¡°What!? Wh-what are you talking about!? Explosives!? Wh-what writing makes it an explosive!?¡± ¡°Shut up, you ancient otaku. Answer my question honestly. ¡­How much disk space on that computer is filled with 18+ games?¡± ¡°Th-thirty gigs maybe?¡± ¡°¡­Thirty?¡± ¡°F-fifty¡­ N-no, I think it might have been 120.¡± ¡°Have you fully completed all of those games using your real name?¡± ¡°O-of course not. I don¡¯t have the time to-¡­¡± ¡°Hey! Someone come torture this painful old man!¡± ¡°I do! I have time! I have more than enough time! Other than the one I¡¯m currently working on, I completed them all on my own!¡± ¡°I see. That likely makes this a worldly desire bomb with the destructive power of a nuclear bomb. Very good.¡± Sayama nodded, took a step back, and looked over the silent line of people. ¡°Please understand. He is merely a victim of modern Japan.¡± Hearing that, first the men and then everyone else formed a line and patted Ooshiro on the shoulder one by one. ¡°T-trying to comfort me like this is only going to hurt me further!¡± ¡°You have nothing to worry about. Now you can brazenly leap into the world of eroticism while on the job. Just place a note on your back saying you are producing bombs.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right!¡± Just as Ooshiro¡¯s expression brightened, Itaru grabbed his shoulder rather than patting it. ¡°We are having a family meeting once this is over.¡± Shinjou ran through the forest. Behind her, she could hear the footsteps of Fafnir Custom that sounded like cracking stone and the footsteps of the marching 1st-Gear troops. Their advance was made clear by the sounds of falling trees and breaking stone. As those sounds of destruction pursued her, Shinjou was accompanied by injured UCAT members. After being chased from the remains of the base by Fafnir Custom and getting separated from Izumo and the others, Shinjou had met up with these people. They said they were the Gram recovery team. They said no reinforcements were coming but they were going on ahead regardless. And now they were being pursued by that white mechanical dragon. ¡°Ah.¡± Shinjou was out of breath. She felt the weight of the Cowling Staff named Ex-St in her arms. When she had encountered Fafnir Custom at the remains of the base, it had ultimately been Kazami who put an end to Izumo and Fafner¡¯s attacks. She had interfered from the side and deflected Fafner¡¯s pressure so it destroyed the earth¡¯s crust. Shinjou had been unable to do anything. She was out of breath. Her weapon felt heavy in her arms. But she thought of the injured men running alongside her. And so she sucked in some air. ¡°Everyone.¡± Shinjou turned toward the man running next to her. This man was lending his shoulder to an injured comrade. ¡°I¡¯ll draw his attacks to me. Look to the right up ahead,¡± she said to him. As they ran through the trees, a stone could be seen sticking up in the middle of the forest. ¡°Let¡¯s split up behind that stone. You go hide.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! You can¡¯t do anything on your own!¡± Shinjou looked up at the man and forced a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Team Leviathan will catch up soon. ¡­They are my comrades.¡± The man¡¯s expression vanished for an instant when he heard that unit name. He then gave a troubled smile. ¡°That¡¯s difficult to hear.¡± ¡°Wh-why?¡± ¡°My friend died the day before yesterday when Team Leviathan showed up too late.¡± Shinjou was at a loss for words. She could tell her smile had vanished. She ran with her head hanging down and began to apologize. ¡°Don¡¯t say it. An apology isn¡¯t enough for me to forgive you,¡± he said. ¡°But those of us in the normal division rank lower than the special division. That relationship is absolute. However, if you truly want to keep it absolute, make sure to keep your word. If you will remember that, we will not forget either.¡± ¡°¡­What won¡¯t you forget?¡± ¡°A small thing. Someone left flowers for our comrade.¡± Just as Shinjou heard those words, they arrived at the tree they had used as a landmark. The men fired behind them and leaped to the right without saying a word. Shinjou leaped to the left and turned around to check behind her. The gunshots and bullets flew toward where Fafnir Custom was felling trees and the others were taking shelter. Shinjou was not sure if they had seen what the men had done. But she ran all the same. To make sure the enemy could see her, she flipped the hem of her armored uniform into the air. The white mechanical dragon saw his prey before his eyes. That white figure was a single girl. That girl had been running alongside the men who had been in the lead just a moment before. The fact that she was alone now meant¡­ She is covering for her comrades, thought Hagen within Fafnir Custom. He saw her spread her body out with exaggerated motions and the white of her clothing was easily visible in the darkness. And she ran. She kept her back to him and ran deep into the forest. Either way, she was headed the same direction they were. Choosing her was unavoidable. As if pursuing that running prey, the mechanical dragon felled more trees and hurried forward. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He roared. That reverberating, high-pitched, creaking noise informed his comrades behind him where they were to go. Fafnir Custom created a path and pursued his prey. The hot armament reactor located below his neck emitted a heated wind. The Concept Core within was functioning properly. Fafnir Custom was running well. But, thought Hagen who had combined with the mechanical dragon. I do not have long. He could move his body, but he felt a slight sensation similar to fatigue. A mechanical body was not supposed to grow tired. Combining with a mechanical dragon was not the same as simply being inserted as a component of the machine. All of one¡¯s information was converted to writing data and synced with the machine. This was a 1st-Gear modification of the mechanical life form synchronization systems created in 5th-Gear and 3rd-Gear. Just as writing on paper gave that paper power, a living being could be converted into writing data and added to a machine. A deviation had appeared in that synchronization. This deviation was caused by Hagen¡¯s writing data deteriorating over time. Even though he was inside a machine, this was the proof that he was still alive. This was a reminder to ensure he did not lose sight of himself, but it was also his weakness. Hagen thought to himself as he listened to his advancing footsteps. Please hurry. This was a battlefield. The more Fafnir Custom moved, the more he would push the limits of his abilities and the greater that destructive deviation would grow. He had to resolve this while he could still move. He thought of the holy sword Gram, of Brunhild, and of Fafner. Please hurry. Please hurry, my enemy. Hagen watched his enemy from within Fafnir Custom. He watched the back of that girl up ahead. Please hurry. I need an enemy to resolve everything. As he thought, Fafnir Custom let out a roar. This loud voice seemed to rule over the concept space he had created. He put all of his thoughts into this roar. ¡­I want to win this. As Sayama and the others ran through the destroyed remains of the forest, they heard what sounded like the distant roar of a beast. ¡°That is Fafnir Custom.¡± Everyone tensed when they heard Siegfried¡¯s explanation. However¡­ ¡°Hurry.¡± That was the conclusion they reached. That group wearing clothes of white and black travelled along the moonlit path left by the dragon. Their footsteps were not in unison, their equipment was not identical, and the whistles blown by a few of them were scattered. But they all hurried. They all moved further and further ahead. And as they ran, a black shadow moved out of the forest to the left and into the middle of the moonlight. ¡°!?¡± Everyone took defensive stances and stopped their hurrying feet. The shadow before them was a human form. This human wore a three-cornered hat and black clothes. A black cat sat on her shoulder. Kazami spoke the name of the girl who carried a long scythe. ¡°Brunhild Schild.¡± With a bitter smile, she adjusted the backpack on her back. ¡°What a coincidence. We only just saw each other around here. ¡­Did you forget something?¡± ¡°Yes, I did. Student council president, vice president, treasurer, and¡­the school librarian.¡± Brunhild held the scythe horizontally in both hands. At the same moment, Izumo took a step forward and spoke in a disinterested voice. ¡°Let me guess, the thing you forgot was our lives.¡± ¡°No. I only forgot one thing: my mercy.¡± She was completely expressionless. ¡°And I had just remembered where I forgot it. ¡­I believe it was back at school.¡± ¡°Well, that ain¡¯t good. I hope you wrote your name on it. With writing as pretty as mine.¡± Izumo laughed and Siegfried grabbed his shoulder. ¡°Go on ahead. And correct the comment about your writing.¡± ¡°Old man, the writing comment was a joke at my own expense. You¡¯re supposed to laugh.¡± Siegfried gave no response to Izumo. He spoke while looking at the girl standing in the moonlight ahead of them. ¡°This is my fate. I cannot hand it off to anyone else.¡± Izumo finally began to move when he heard that. His shoulder¡¯s drooped and he sighed. He then pushed Siegfried¡¯s hand off of his drooped shoulder. ¡°Old men who are into young girls tend not to live long.¡± Izumo gave a bitter smile and Kazami smiled back at him. Sayama nodded and looked to Ooshiro next to him. ¡°It sounds like you will not live long.¡± ¡°Are you still stuck on that!?¡± Sayama grinned bitterly, patted Siegfried¡¯s shoulder, and then held that hand up. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry on ahead. We have our opponent, he has his opponent, and I have my precious person.¡± He took a breath and they all began to move. They began to walk along a course around Brunhild. They all gave her a parting glance, but they soon hurried toward their destination. And just as they all left, Brunhild raised her scythe. She held the blade up toward the night sky as if it were a partially eclipsed moon. Below it, Brunhild looked toward Siegfried. She moved her small lips and quietly spoke some perfectly ordinary words. ¡°Now, how about we get started?¡± Shinjou heard giant footsteps pursuing her. When she turned around, she could see the approaching giant white form that was snapping trees underfoot. Shinjou cowered down a bit as she ran, but her eyebrows moved inward as she nodded resolutely. ¡­Yes. This is for the best. She could not fight well, but she could do this. She cleared her mind as she ran. This purification of her thoughts produced movement and she held up her Cowling Staff in both hands. She ran and leaped. She twisted her body around and fired the instant she was pointed backwards. She was targeting the legs of the white mechanical dragon approximately 100 meters behind her. This was a diversion she did not intend to hit with, but it was enough to draw his attention and stop him for a step. That¡¯s right, thought Shinjou. She had a way to join the fight. She could not currently think of any way but this, but she was sure of something. ¡°I know I too can¡­¡± As she muttered, she landed. She turned her body around and ran forward once more. ¡°I too can¡­?¡± Who was she comparing herself to? ¡°I too can¡­do what? What do I want to do?¡± Suddenly, her pulse quickened. Thoughts of a certain boy floated up in her mind. What was this? What did it mean that she thought of him? Why had she thought of him? As those questions ran through her mind, light spread out before her eyes. She had come to the end of the forest. ¡°!¡± Before her was a space with no cover. It was nothing but moonlight and a grassy plain. She saw more forest about 200 meters ahead. That forest looked pale in the moonlight and it continued on to the distant shadows of the mountain range. The grassy plain continued as far as she could see to the left and right. The wind blew past her. ¡°Kh.¡± Shinjou ran. She ran toward the forest on the other side. The heavy metal footsteps pursued her from behind. ¡°There they are! That¡¯s the recovery team that went ahead!¡± Sayama and the others rescued their injured comrades from a rocky area on the way. The surrounding area was already filled with battles against 1st-Gear. As the initial sounds of gunfire passed by over their heads, those with nothing else to do began treating the ten or so injured men. Ooki and Sibyl covered the wounds with the charms they had received from Chao and wrapped bandages around them. As they were being treated, the men spoke while trying to catch their breath. ¡°A girl who also belongs to Team Leviathan went on ahead¡­¡± Sayama¡¯s eyebrows moved when he heard that. He looked toward the middle-aged man who seemed to be the team leader. The man nodded and began to speak as blood flowed from his head and he shut one eye. ¡°The holy sword Gram is located just outside this forest.¡± ¡°I see,¡± nodded Sayama. Hearing that was enough. He looked into the distance. Beyond the scorched areas filling the forest was their enemy. And that enemy was pursuing something. The back of a white mechanical dragon was visible at the lead. They were approximately 200 meters away. The trailing members of the enemy group had noticed them and begun to approach. The mechanical dragon was moving toward an open space where the forest ended. It was a grassy plain filled with moonlight. That would be where Shinjou was. Sayama had to break through the enemy army. He stood up as he listened to the sounds of clashing swords, gunshots, and explosions that had begun to reverberate loudly through the area. He was surrounded by the members of Team Leviathan. Itaru and Sf simply watched on from the back and Ooki and Sibyl worked at healing the injured. However, Izumo and Kazami stood to his left and right and Boldman stood behind him. ¡°Okay,¡± said Sayama. He looked toward the approaching enemy forces. ¡°Izumo, create a path for me.¡± When he heard that, Izumo finally put on a smile. ¡°Now we¡¯re talking! Boldman! Cover me from behind!¡± Izumo pulled what looked like a single white cloth from the torn sleeve of his coat. ¡°With this, I¡¯m invincible.¡± Shinjou fought as she fell back. She ran along the moonlit field, spun her body around, held up her Cowling Staff, and fired. Its light was fired at the white mechanical dragon¡¯s legs 100 meters behind her. She also had to turn her focus and attacks toward the sky. Leaving the forest meant the soldiers of the winged races could fly up into the sky. Their arrows of light flew in accurate straight lines toward her current location or the location she would soon be in. The sound of the attacks resembled that of white spray. She gasped for breath. She fired. That Cowling Stock labeled Ex-St on the side was Shinjou¡¯s personal weapon. It was a concept weapon that functioned by using the philosopher¡¯s stone located near the back end. To ensure it could be used under any concepts, the front end where the attack functionality was focused could be swapped out for other parts. ¡­Its attack power is proportional to the strength of my intentions. It would not create more destruction than the user wished. That was the one thing Shinjou had requested. And it was also the greatest thing holding her back. If she hesitated to attack and did not produce an effective strike, that powerful weapon was no more than a cane. But she fired. A scythe of light flew and struck the front right leg of the white mechanical dragon. The scythe shattered with the sound of breaking glass, but the dragon¡¯s leg was left unscathed. In the corner of her vision, Shinjou saw a single book be ejected from the book holder on the front end of Ex-St. She had drawn out all of the power collected inside. She had two books left. Her ammunition was running low, but her attacks were having no effect. Just as she regretted that fact, she saw a light in the sky. ¡°!¡± She jumped backwards as her legs tangled together. Again and again, light stabbed into the spot she had just been standing in. A great impact exploded out. Dirt and scraps of grass flew into the air and covered her face and legs. And before Shinjou could find that annoying, she fired into the sky and began to take a step backwards. However, she felt something overpowering arrive at her feet. It was a shell fired by Fafnir Custom. ¡°¡­Kyah!¡± The ground was split apart and all sound disappeared from her ears. Her vision blacked out in an instant. She only avoided passing out because of her fear. Her fear of losing herself quickened her pulse, caused her spine to tremble, and stopped her consciousness from sinking into darkness. She brought herself back as if waking up. And when she did, her vision was filled with a dark blue. ¡­What is¡­? Before she could finish her thought, her mind grew clear. What she saw was the night sky. It seemed she had collapsed onto the grassy ground. She could feel almost nothing with her body¡¯s senses. A weak ¡°ah¡± escaped her lips. Or at least she thought it had. She could not hear anything. Her mind told her she was in trouble and she hurriedly stood up. But her action held no strength. The core of her body was numb and her consciousness alone moved ahead. With horribly rough movements, she rolled to the side, placed her hands on the ground, and got up. She stood up and her vision returned to its proper angle. Above her was the night sky and below her was a grassy plain with a giant hole in it. That was as it should have been. Her vision swayed to the left and right. She planted her feet in the direction she swayed and balanced herself. She gave a bitter smile in her heart as she wondered if this was what it was like to be drunk. She looked forward where the white mechanical dragon stood 100 meters away. She had nowhere to run and she could not move her body properly. Sound began to return to her ears. She managed to focus her eyes. The mechanical dragon¡¯s eyes glowed red directly in front of her. ¡­Is it coming? Just as she asked herself that, the white mechanical dragon, Fafnir Custom, spoke. ¡°I will give you five seconds. Surrender to 1st-Gear.¡± Volume 2, 27: Longing for Right and Wrong Volume 2, Chapter 27: Longing for Right and Wrong What is a longing heart? It is a heart that is impatient yet waits It is a heart containing a contradictory strength Fafner intercepted the UCAT members coming from behind. He was not positioned behind Fafnir Custom in the grassy field. He was in the forest even further back. That stage was more advantageous for him. He was a half-dragon whose entire black body possessed the information of ¡°darkness¡±. To a certain extent, he could move freely through darkness and shadows. He could travel through them. He charged toward the UCAT assault team that arrived first. His enemy was a group of four people wearing white armored uniforms, but Fafner was not afraid. He used his wings to move horizontally at high speed. As he advanced, the enemies did not hesitate to cast aside their guns and draw short swords from their waists. While noting that they had been well trained, Fafner crashed into an arbitrary one of them. All half dragons were at least two meters tall. Their bodies were covered in armor-like shells and wrapped in the giant muscles that allowed them to fly with their wings. By accelerating with those wings, they could produce an impact rivaling a giant stone. Fafner slammed into the man with his left shoulder. A great crushing sound could be heard. That man¡¯s body grew distorted and flew through the air. He was not even able to let out a scream. Fafner used the recoil to kill his inertia and then he turned clockwise to the right. A horizontal strike from a short sword came from one man to the left. The man targeted Fafner¡¯s belly which was the weak point of his giant body, but Fafner was not worried. He used the motion of his rightward turn to throw a roundhouse kick with his left leg. He was targeting the man¡¯s side. He targeted the same location the enemy was targeting on him. But his rotation was not going to make it in time. The enemy¡¯s short sword was going to arrive. In an instant, Fafner flapped his left wing forward. Wind exploded from behind as if pushing the left half of his body forward. His body rotated at high speed as if it had been struck. ¡°!¡± He knocked away the enemy¡¯s short sword with his left hand and slammed his left foot into his side. The man doubled over and flew. Instead of stopping his rotation, Fafner made a full rotation. He turned his back on his enemies for an instant and swung his right arm backwards. A third man¡¯s face ran right into the path of that backhand. His hand struck. The slight vibration Fafner felt through the shell on his right fist was the sound of this man¡¯s teeth and jaw breaking. But the fourth man targeted Fafner¡¯s body now that it had been left wide open. The man held his short sword in both hands and ran forward as if planning to tackle the half-dragon. He held the hilt in his right hand and the bottom of the hilt with his left. An excellent stance, thought Fafner with a nod. Fafner looked up at the sky which was partially obstructed by the trees of the forest. The moon was out. Fafner felt that arc of light which had not existed in 1st-Gear was in the way. ¡°But I will use it. As the mother of shadows, it will help us dispel our grudge.¡± He lowered his gaze. The fourth man had arrived directly in front of him. Without rushing, Fafner placed his right foot down at his opponent¡¯s feet. That was where the man cast a shadow amid the moonlight. Fafner placed his right leg up to the thigh into that shadow. His stance moved lower than his enemy¡¯s blade. The man¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°Wha-¡­!?¡± This is nothing worth crying out over, thought Fafner as he swung his elbow to sweep the man¡¯s feet up as he passed by. The man rotated around in the air and collapsed to the ground. Just as his shadow disappeared, Fafner¡¯s body returned to normal. Fafner only had to slam his heel down on top of the collapsed man to have eliminated all four. ¡°Are more enemies on their way?¡± As he looked around with questioning eyes, he spotted movement in the forest. A group of white shadows was scattered out at a distance of approximately fifty meters. They were troubled by 1st-Gear¡¯s defensive line and could not advance further. Occasionally some people such as that group of four would make their way forward, but Fafner would swiftly intercept them. This battle may end here, thought Fafner as he moved forward. He was moving toward the battlefield. And just as he did, he spotted new movement. A single white form suddenly charged forward from the group of enemies. Guns and spells were fired at this figure, but this did not slow its momentum. In fact, it accelerated as it charged straight toward Fafner. ¡­What is that? Fafner narrowed his eyes and watched it. It was a young man from UCAT. It was the same young man Fafner had fought in the clearing earlier. The data Fafner had seen said he was the heir to the Izumo family. He held a giant Cowling Sword in both hands as a shield. ¡°Hyohhh!¡± He closed the gap between him and Fafner while letting out a strange cry. Fafner¡¯s 1st-Gear comrades panicked when they realized where the young man was headed. The fired at him more and more, but it did not work for some reason. What is going on? wondered Fafner as he placed a hand on the Cowling Sword at his waist. This was a human opponent. He may have had an excellent physique, but he was not covered in hard shells like Fafner. Fafner watched. The young man¡¯s body was almost entirely covered with something. It was white and looked like armor. It was perfectly defending against their attacks. Assuming it was a new weapon, Fafner shouted to his comrades. ¡°Listen! Target Low-Gear¡¯s new weapon!¡± And Fafner observed this approaching young man. The new weapon he was wearing was a frilly women¡¯s apron. The apron¡¯s chest and sleeves had large writing on them. Fafner¡¯s own knowledge was only enough to tell him it resembled Low-Gear writing, but the meaning reached his mind via an image. The writing on the chest said ¡°sturdy¡± and the writing on the sleeves said ¡°hard¡±. Once he realized that, Fafner pointed at the enemy and shouted out once more. ¡°Target that idiot!!¡± Izumo cleared the distance in the forest with tremendous speed as he ran with that impregnable defense. Sayama and Kazami ran behind him while Boldman commanded the cover fire. Repeated metallic noises could be heard coming from the surface of Izumo¡¯s armor. ¡°Who would have thought Sf-kun¡¯s apron would come in handy like this¡­ I suppose she did say it was her combat apron.¡± Sayama was perfectly calm, but Kazami¡¯s eyebrows drooped. ¡°Um,¡± she began. ¡°A-are you okay, Kaku!? I hear a lot of harsh impacts!¡± ¡°Wa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!¡± ¡°It is no use, Kazami. He is taking so much gunfire it is rattling his brain. Once this happens, he will never recover¡­¡± ¡°There are some jokes you shouldn¡¯t make!!¡± Just as Kazami began strangling Sayama as they ran, an explosion struck Izumo directly. ¡°!¡± Sparks, an explosive noise, and an explosion of air came afterwards. A spray of metallic noises burst out as the apron was smashed to pieces. The shockwave created a white ring of water vapor around Izumo that burst out in every direction. However¡­ ¡°That ain¡¯t gonna cut it! Battlefield cooks are invincible!!¡± Izumo¡¯s body was unharmed. He had lost the apron, but the armored uniform below it had writing as well. The words ¡°very sturdy¡± had been written upside down in magic marker. ¡°Looks like reducing the number of moving parts was worth it!¡± Izumo charged forward. His armored uniform had grown even harder, so it did not have the softness needed to move. However, he was still plenty fast when moving in a straight line. He shouted toward the underclassman he saw approaching out of the corner of his eye. ¡°Go, Sayama! Go where you have to go!¡± They cleared the forest. Fifty meters ahead was a white mechanical dragon. That dragon was at least thirty meters long and its back was to them. Izumo charged forward without hesitation. ¡°V-Sw! Second Form!¡± shouted Izumo as he ran. He twisted his upper body backwards. He squeezed the button on his Cowling Sword¡¯s grip. The back of V-Sw¡¯s thick blade opened up. The armor plate sank down and a linear thruster appeared. At the same time, V-Sw¡¯s blade changed form. The cowling forming the blade was stowed away as if it had come apart. Pure light appeared as if slowly rising out from the gap. Izumo poured strength into his grip on the sword. V-Sw contained 6th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core. It was a combination of an energy weapon named Vajra and an energy entity named Vritra. It had to be used with care. He only opened it up to attack in emergencies. And Izumo knew that this qualified. I can do this, thought Izumo as he tightly clenched the grip. As if in response, the sword¡¯s will spoke on V-Sw¡¯s console. ¡°Our prey is there.¡± In the next instant, an explosion of light occurred behind V-Sw. It was a jet used to propel the sword. Using the twist of Izumo¡¯s body as an axis, that very thick blade of light targeted the mechanical dragon while accelerating quickly. It should have been a direct hit. However, that high pressure blade was obstructed by something and it was deflected through the air with a great roar. ¡°¡­!?¡± Izumo rotated his body to the right by using V-Sw as a fulcrum as it swung horizontally. He leaped about five meters to the right while remaining parallel to the forest. He looked toward the location he had just been in. His shadow still remained there. ¡°A half-dragon that can pass through shadows!¡± A giant black body stood in the moonlit field. His winged form was surrounded by black shells, skin, and clothes. ¡°Fafner!¡± Fafner the half-dragon held his Cowling Sword while standing up from the shadow. ¡°Perfect. I was hoping for an opponent to keep things interesting.¡± Sayama and the others did not turn back toward Izumo and Fafner who had moved off to the side. They continued running on and on. A giant mass stood fifty meters ahead of them. That white mechanical dragon was easily thirty meters long and seven meters tall. It was walking forward at about the same speed as they were running. They had to hurry. Sayama quickened his pace and let out a breath. 1st-Gear¡¯s winged unit was quickly dropping down toward them. Seeing those approaching shadows in the sky, Sayama spoke to Kazami behind him. ¡°Enemies are coming from above. Please cover for me.¡± ¡°Why do I have to?¡± ¡°During the battle at the Imperial Palace, you came down from the sky, didn¡¯t you? And you attacked from the sky when fighting that giant knight earlier. ¡­Kazami, you have the power to live up to your name, do you not?¡±[1] Sayama watched the movements of the flying enemies as he spoke. Kazami¡¯s response came after a short delay. It came in the form of a question to confirm something. ¡°Sayama. ¡­You understand, don¡¯t you? Right now, you are trying to reach the peak of this battle. Are you prepared? Are you prepared to lose something and to take something from someone else?¡± ¡°Are you?¡± ¡°I¡­have shot an enemy and driven them to suicide. That is something you and she have not done. The battlefield is not a kind place.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama sucked in some air and spoke. ¡°Is that why you left flowers by his remains? Is that also why you did so every day?¡± ¡°!¡± Kazami¡¯s presence stiffened behind Sayama. ¡°D-don¡¯t be ridiculous! I didn¡¯t leave any flowers!¡± ¡°The chrysanthemums left for the werewolf had a horizontal scrape across the stem. If you had the flowers sticking out of your rucksack while transporting them, the zipper would scrape them like that.¡± Sayama lowered his body down and charged further forward. Without turning around, he gave one last request. ¡°Kazami, please cover for me.¡± Kazami slowed her pace. She clenched her back teeth, brought her eyebrows together, and stopped running. ¡°Kh.¡± She ground her teeth together and looked up into the sky. She was about thirty meters from Fafnir Custom. If she slowed down, she could not catch up to the giant dragon moving ahead of her. She took a breath and stopped altogether. She could see the winged soldiers gathering in a formation in the air. Their bows were targeting Sayama who had run ahead. Kazami looked down. There she saw the light of the console on G-Sp2, the Cowling Lance in her right arm. ¡°Kazami? Are you not feeling well?¡± After looking at that display for a while, she closed her eyes. She forcibly opened her mouth while still clenching her teeth. ¡°Why do boys insist on showing off?¡± ¡°Because it is cool.¡± ¡°Thanks for the valuable input.¡± Kazami sighed and raised her head. The ends of her eyebrows rose to their proper position and strength entered her eyes. She looked into the sky. The enemy forces were here, but Kazami looked beyond those wings flying through the sky. She looked at the moon. While staring up at that pale arc of light, Kazami opened her mouth. ¡°X-Wi!¡± she shouted and a noise came from her back. It was a metallic noise. At the same moment, words scrolled across her wristwatch. ¡ªLight is power. As if in response to those words, light grew from the backpack she wore. A flapping noise was heard. That cry that blew the air away was accompanied by the appearance of yellow wings of light. They began as an emission but came together in a solid form in the next instant. Two sharply angular wings of light with an effective range of two meters stabbed up toward the heavens. That light sliced through the wind, created an emission of light, and sucked in the wind. The light filled with a tension of power and emitted a high-pitched noise. As the moonlight washed over the wings of light, the sound grew even higher pitched and ultimately exceeded the audible range. Wind appeared behind her. ¡°¡­!¡± Kazami gathered strength in her back. The pressure of her shoulder blades told X-Wi in her backpack what its job was. And that job was to flap. The wings beat at the air. With a sound similar to an explosion, the wind roared at Kazami¡¯s back. She leapt high into the sky. Kazami danced up into the air with a trajectory suggesting she had been shot upwards rather than jumped. By the time she took in another breath, her vision saw nothing but the sky. She had reached the moonlight. The winged enemies below her had lost sight of her and were confused. Kazami checked to make sure the wings on her back had spread out. And then she rotated herself upside down in midair. She oriented her head downwards, pointed G-Sp2 toward the surface, and removed the long, narrow shield on her left wrist. The action took a single instant. Kazami attached the shield along the bottom edge of the spear¡¯s tip. And just as the shield covered up the blade¡­ ¡°G-Sp2! Go to your second form!¡± As she spoke, the Cowling Lance transformed. First, the curved back of the handle rose up. Next, the grip stuck out from the base of the tip to the left of the console. At the same time, the cowling on the butt of the spear opened and a heat ejection point stuck out. And finally, white light appeared deep in the dragon¡¯s maw-like split between the cowling of the tip and the shield attached to the bottom. That visible commotion of light was the true form of G-Sp2 contained within the cowling. The spear was a large rifle. ¡°10th-Gear¡¯s holy spear Gungnir. It¡¯s a bit impressive compared to your bows and arrows.¡± Kazami held the curving handle under her right arm and grasped the grip with her left hand. She placed her finger on the trigger. She already knew exactly who her enemy was. She could see the moon below her feet in her upside-down vision. She smiled. And while smiling, she flapped her wings. She flew straight down. Shinjou gave no response to Fafnir Custom. She trembled. Her legs trembled. Her teeth chattered slightly But she moved. Slowly, very slowly, she sank down and reached a hand toward her feet. Her Cowling Staff, Ex-St, had fallen there. From what she could see, it had not bent or broken. When she touched it, she felt the chill of the metal. Shinjou embraced Ex-St as if taking in that chill. She stood up and weakly aimed Ex-St. That was her answer. It was her definite answer. And a voice arrived from directly in front of her. ¡°Why?¡± asked Fafnir Custom as he stopped walking. Shinjou shook her head at his calm tone of voice. ¡°I think you all are simply wrong.¡± And so¡­ ¡°I will not accept defeat against someone who is wrong like that.¡± What am I saying? wondered Shinjou. She had nowhere to run. A single strike from the dragon would be enough to kill her even if he held back. However¡­ ¡­I am not despairing. She felt meaning in the words she had spoken. Fafnir Custom lowered his body. ¡°Is that so?¡± he said. ¡°I do not see how we could be wrong. We are simply trying to take back what is ours.¡± Shinjou glimpsed his main cannon in his mouth. Light had already appeared deep in the round muzzle. Fafnir Custom spoke a number. ¡°Five.¡± Shinjou knew what that number meant, but she could not run. She spread her legs as wide as her shoulder width and faced the dragon. She recalled certain memories: the final expression of that werewolf, the remains of her comrades, and¡­ A single boy. ¡°I¡­¡± began Shinjou. ¡°I know someone who is truly wrong. I know someone who attacks others and lives on.¡± Shinjou recalled the back he had shown her. She recalled that stance as he prepared to fight. But¡­ ¡°He is different from you. He¡­knows that he is wrong. And that scares him. It scares him so much he is willing to stifle himself.¡± For some reason, she drew excess power from her body. ¡°Four.¡± She continued speaking. ¡°He wants to be wrong. Unlike you. He thinks what it would be like if he was right, but he does not want to be right. And when comparing himself to me¡­¡± She took a breath. ¡°He said I am right.¡± Her words were rooted in the depths of her memories. ¡°Three.¡± Shinjou thought about him and about herself. ¡°You all are wrong. You are wrong and in the wrong way. Unlike him. He tries to be wrong in the right way. And that is why I will not accept defeat against you!¡± A small ¡°ahh¡± leaked out of her mouth. ¡°Two.¡± She had to choose whether to pour strength into her fingers or not. ¡°His way of being wrong is the only one I will allow! And¡­¡± Shinjou told herself to fight. Just as he desired the battlefield, she too had to desire it. She had to be with him. She had to do more than just watch his back. She was not choosing presented options or being given a course of action. She would be here because she personally desired it. She had a perfectly good reason: she would be his opposite. ¡°And I will wield my power while remaining right!!¡± ¡°One.¡± Using that spoken number as her sign, she squeezed the trigger with all her might. As light shot from her staff, Fafnir Custom let out a cry. ¡°Zero! Your attempts are futile!¡± The mechanical dragon¡¯s main cannon fired light. A giant light flew silently. The line of light Shinjou fired struck that light of writing which possessed the weight of mass. It pierced through the center of the thick light and bore a hole through it. A clear sound rang out. The front of the dragon¡¯s blast swelled and expanded like an umbrella. It exploded. The dragon¡¯s attack had been destroyed, but that was all Shinjou had managed. The mechanical dragon let out a roar that reverberated throughout the heavens and the earth. He fired a second blast. ¡°¡­!¡± The second shot of dragon light swallowed up Shinjou¡¯s attack and instantly doubled in size. Shinjou saw the light expand before Fafnir Custom¡¯s eyes and continue toward her. The massive light flew toward her in a slight arc. Shinjou stood in its path, but she did not falter. She clenched her teeth and stared straight forward. That mass of power was trying to destroy her. The silhouette of the mechanical dragon was visible beyond it. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± She shouted someone¡¯s name. And then that person appeared before her eyes. That person¡¯s back entered in between Shinjou and the light. He took something from his pocket and threw it toward Fafnir Custom. It looked like a rectangular case. Immediately afterwards, he slowly turned toward her. He was a boy with sharp eyes and Baku sitting on his shoulder. His mouth moved amid the roar of the dragon¡¯s approaching light. ¡°I missed you, Shinjou-kun.¡± He took her in his arms, wrapped them around her, and embraced her. Shinjou did not hesitate to wrap her arms around him and embrace him. In the next moment, a gigantic explosion occurred in the space between them and Fafnir Custom. Notes 1. ¡ü The first kanji of Kazami means wind. Volume 2, 28: Their Confirmation Volume 2, Chapter 28: Their Confirmation That is something very valuable Unavoidably valuable Incredibly valuable What Sayama had thrown was an internal hard disk for a laptop computer. A single phrase was written on the surface in black paint: localized bomb. When he threw that hard disk as hard as he could, it of course flew through the air. When it struck the light fired by Fafnir Custom, it was closer to the dragon than Sayama and Shinjou. An explosion was created five meters above the ground and twenty meters in front of Fafnir Custom. It began with a light. The grass of the plain undulated as if struck by that light. And then everything burst apart. The impact and the destruction split the night apart and created a great noise. The light was power. The sound was pressure. The wind blew and washed away everything. The power produced at the center of the explosion had a set 5 meter radius of destruction. The light roasted the air, but it accelerated and spread out as it rose. The afterimage of it all was blasted into the wind, the earth, and the clouds in the sky. Fafnir Custom was swallowed up by white light and vanished. There was a great roar. But the true sound came afterwards. It was a white bubbling sound. The sound of everything in range being fried was carried by the wind and flew up into the air. The sound and the wind accelerated and torn pieces of grass danced through the air. The clouds visible in the moonlight vanished and that rising sound and wind created a low noise when they struck the inner wall of the concept space. Everything blasted up into the sky and a reverberation spread out from there. Amid the earth and wind blowing through the trees of the forest, both UCAT and 1st-Gear got down on the ground and watched the destruction. Ooki and Sibyl saw Ooshiro Kazuo take a step forward next to them. Amid the roaring noise and wind, Ooshiro reached out his hands as if to grab something. ¡°Miyokooooo!!¡± And¡­ ¡°Sachiko, Emi, Sachi, Nanae, Hanako, Jane, Ellie, and Resolution Girl Lundgren!!¡± ¡°You mustn¡¯t go there, Ooshiro-san! You can¡¯t bring them back!¡± Ooki and Sibyl held Ooshiro back. As the noise disappeared into the sky, Ooshiro hung his head down and cried. ¡°That¡¯s rough,¡± said Itaru as he walked up. He brushed away some pieces of grass raining down from above. ¡°Well, he was probably lonely. Miyoko is the name of my dead mother¡­¡± ¡°I see. So that¡¯s why he would always play those games late into the night,¡± said Sibyl. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Itaru with a sigh. And with a serious expression, he added, ¡°But I won¡¯t forgive him.¡± In the forest where Siegfried and Brunhild exchanged attacks, they perceived the explosion from the light and wind it produced. The trees around them shook and a great light lit them from the side. Brunhild glanced over toward the grassy plain for an instant. What had happened? She knew the answer, but had to focus on the enemy before her eyes. She looked forward once more and focused on the tall figure running next to the trees. It was Siegfried. When faced with him, Brunhild swung the scythe without letting the flowing trees distract her. She cut space itself. A bluish-white bow and arrow stuck out from beyond the bluish-white light that opened. A two meter archer made of light held the bow and arrow. The shot he fired immediately became multiple arrows that flew toward the target. The arrows of light weaved through the trees, produced a wind, and flew at high speed. In response, Siegfried spread pieces of paper out in both his hands. Those memo-like white rectangles had a single word written on them: Schild. Siegfried threw those papers into the air and they came to a stop around him. The arrows then struck the papers. Repeated high-pitched sounds exploded out and Siegfried was wrapped in light. But he was unharmed. He swept away the light and continued running. In response, Brunhild ran after him and thought. ¡­Why? That was the question she had asked herself so many times over the past sixty years. That was the question that had grown within her over the past few days. That was the question she would never receive an answer to without asking him directly. ¡­Why? It had all begun there and that was where it would end. But Brunhild could no longer ask with words. Why? she asked by swinging the scythe. Why? she asked by producing the spirit of a warrior. Why? she asked by attacking. Why? she asked all the harder. Why? Why had had things turned out like that? Why had he done that? Why had things turned out like this? Why? Why? Her thoughts produced actions and her attacks grew more rapid as her questions accelerated. She ran, jumped, approached, fell back, and threw the power of the question ¡°why?¡± at him. She thought of that small bird which could not fly. She thought of that injured bird. She thought of the school. She thought of her birthplace. She thought of those important to her, of herself, of having her head rubbed, and of what she had lost. She thought of everything and asked ¡°why?¡± They left the forest. Even as they entered that moonlit field with the wind blowing across it, the two of them continued to run. Why? Brunhild hung her head down and swung the scythe. She thought. She thought of everything and of the question she had for it all. Why? Why could she not get an answer? And she thought of the people who should have given the answer. She thought of everyone, the birds, the forest, the wind, and the sky. ¡°Why did it all have to be destroyed!?¡± cried Brunhild as she swung the scythe. Her legs brought her across the field and into the next forest. Sayama wondered why he was here. He could see a vast stone hall that was fifty meters square. The roof was around twenty meters from the floor. It reminded Sayama of some kind of hangar, but he also wondered where exactly he was. He remembered embracing Shinjou and being blown away by an explosive blast. In his wisdom, he had intended to immediately stand up, lift Shinjou up, and receive a word of thanks. However, when he looked down to see Shinjou in his arms, he realized he had no body. Only his sight existed, so this had to be the past. He looked around and realized the walls of the hall were cracked and shaking. An intermittent vertical shaking ran through the building. And a battle was being played out in the center of that shaking. The battle was between the white mechanical dragon known as Fafnir and a young man. The stage of this battle was the stone altar in the center of the hall. Pieces of white stone were scattered atop that platform of identically colored stone. And a gray-haired old man in black clothes was collapsed below that stone. A golden decoration had fallen next to his head, but he was no longer moving. The only movement came from the young man and Fafnir. Fafnir swung his upper body as if trying to climb on top of the white altar. His clawed right front foot swung forward. The young man stood atop the altar as the mechanical dragon¡¯s claws approached. He had his back turned to Sayama, but he was wearing black clothes and held a sword almost two meters long. He was Siegfried. He tried to swing the sword upwards from the right. He could not avoid Fafnir¡¯s attack from his position. While prepared to receive the dragon¡¯s strike, he had made his way up to the dragon and targeted his throat. ¡°!¡± Sayama thought he saw Fafnir¡¯s claws strike Siegfried. But they had not. Siegfried took a step back, but it was not an attempt to evade. He had been pushed back. Sayama had been unable to see it before, but a woman stood in front of Siegfried. This woman who wore crimson clothing was Gutrune. She leaned against Siegfried and collapsed. A single giant claw mark was visible along the front of her body. It looked similar to a cut from a large sword. Gutrune collapsed atop the altar. She rolled on her side and stopped moving. What is this? thought Sayama. A voice cried out as if to answer him. It was the mechanical dragon. As if it had realized something, that white mechanical dragon suddenly turned its head toward the ceiling and roared. It was a great ¡°gah¡± sound. That voice that could be taken as surprise or grief reverberated throughout the entire room. The hall shook. The rumbling of this cry joined the already existing shaking and loosened the bonds of the stonework. The ceiling began to fall. And below it, Siegfried took a new action. He swung the large sword and pierced the giant dragon¡¯s throat. It was a single strike. The sound of the slice erased all of the vibrations. All that remained was movement. The armored panels and moving parts making up Fafnir¡¯s throat were smashed to pieces. The newly made opening left Fafnir¡¯s core exposed. This was the reactor within his throat. The sword was stabbed halfway inside it. The reactor could no longer function. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Amid the surrounding vibration, Siegfried pulled out the sword with a suppressed breath. Just as the sword¡¯s blade was exposed, Fafnir¡¯s body lost all power. The metal front legs fell, the jaw fell, and the entire body collapsed to the floor while smashing the altar. The stone of the ceiling continued to fall. The shaking continued. And Siegfried kneeled down. He placed the sword by his side, and reached for Gutrune who was collapsed at his feet. He picked her up and embraced her. And as he did, Fafnir spoke from where he had collapsed on the floor. ¡°Is it over?¡± ¡°You regained consciousness?¡± asked Siegfried as he placed a hand on Gutrune¡¯s belly. ¡°Yes. It seems I caused you a fair bit of trouble, Siegfried. Did the holy sword Gram serve its purpose?¡± Fafnir¡¯s primary vision devices used their red light to look at the sword Gram at Siegfied¡¯s feet before turning toward Siegfried himself. He removed his red-stained hand from Gutrune and looked at it. The color staining his hand caused him to grimace. Fafnir said, ¡°The king began sealing off this world and it was already heading toward destruction. I thought this was my only choice. I tried to neutralize the out-of-control Concept Core inside my reactor.¡± ¡°But the Concept Core produced a rejection reaction. Was its output too great while out of control?¡± Fafnir nodded. Siegfried sighed and looked toward Gutrune in his hands. ¡°She took that blow for me¡­¡± ¡°Siegfried, can you take the princess with you? If you take her to your Gear, you might be able to save her.¡± Siegfried began to nod. But then something touched his cheek. Sayama watched as nothing but vision. While Siegfried embraced her, Gutrune reached her bloody hand out toward him. ¡°No,¡± she said. The shaking coming from the floor would occasionally bring a bitter look to her face. ¡°Hey, Siegfried. Will your Gear accept us?¡± He nodded and she smiled. ¡°Then I need to tell everyone that. That is my duty. You go ahead. Take Gram and create land we can live in.¡± ¡°But,¡± said Siegfried. Fafnir stood up. The mechanical dragon swayed weakly but still looked at Siegfried. ¡°Please go. If you do not steal our power, nothing of this world will remain. Due to the king¡¯s guidance, 1st-Gear is currently sealing itself off by eternally shrinking. The concepts have been normalized now, but the world has already gone too far in the negative direction. It can no longer be stopped. This world is done for.¡± Fafnir turned toward the top of the altar. An old man was collapsed there and buried below stone. The mechanical dragon hung his head. ¡°This is our job. ¡­Now, go. I will watch over the king to the end. That is the least I can do as a traitor.¡± Siegfried nodded and turned to Gutrune in his arms. That woman with red hair closed her eyes while smiling. Siegfried placed his lips on hers. A few seconds passed. After he moved away, Gutrune opened her eyes and nodded. She stood up and propped herself up against the altar. ¡°There is a gate deep in the royal palace. Wait on the other side. Set the exit to a location important to you.¡± Gutrune smiled. ¡°Wait there. I am sure everyone will be able to be together once more.¡± Siegfried stood up and nodded. He looked over and realized the light had left the eyes of the white mechanical dragon. Siegfried gave a bow and parted ways with that dragon. And with Gram in hand, he turned his back to Gutrune. ¡°Tell them I destroyed 1st-Gear. Tell them the king, the wise man, and you fought valiantly for 1st-Gear, but were defeated.¡± ¡°But that is a lie. ¡­My father destroyed this world. And all so he would not be hurt anymore.¡± ¡°But if you tell them that, the people of your Gear will have been betrayed by their ruler,¡± said Siegfried. ¡°Gutrune, you fulfill your role as a member of the royal family and I will fulfill my role as the invader. You three lost to me and I escaped with Gram. ¡­I will prepare a 1st-Gear reservation for those who accept defeat. And those who cannot accept defeat can hate me and pursue me.¡± ¡°And you think that will allow most of 1st-Gear to evacuate?¡± A bitter laugh rang out. ¡°Go, Siegfried, you foolish invader and hypocritical foreigner. ¡­I always hated you.¡± ¡°And I you,¡± he replied as he began to walk away. His walk became a run and his black-clad form disappeared into a staircase. The great hall continued to crumble. Amid it all, Gutrune sighed, moved from the altar, and began to walk. She placed a hand on the king¡¯s face. His face was thin and his eyes were closed as if sleeping. Gutrune placed her left hand on her stomach and climbed down from the altar. She leaned up against the giant dragon¡¯s collapsed body as she walked out of the hall. As Sayama watched her, he heard a song. He recognized it. It was the hymn Silent Night. Her back moved away. She walked and grew more distant. The ceiling slowly bent and finally completely collapsed. Sayama awoke from the past. ¡°¡­¡± For an instant, he did not know where he was. It was a small moonlit clearing a short distance into the forest. The trees were rustling in the wind and the air was hot. Sayama determined not much time had passed since the explosion. After being blown away in the blast, he was lying on his side in the underbrush while embracing someone. In the center of his vision, a familiar face looked up at him in his left arm. It was Shinjou. The ends of her eyebrows were lowered slightly and confusion could be seen in her black eyes. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said in reference to something. ¡°H-hey, did you see that?¡± She had seen it, too. He nodded and Baku hopped over to her shoulder. He then nodded in reference to the images of the past they had seen. ¡°That was the truth,¡± muttered Sayama before looking behind him. Something he had seen in the past was there. An almost two meter sword was stabbing into the ground. ¡°So those memories were yours, holy sword Gram.¡± In response, a small light ran across the sword¡¯s surface. It looked like a pulse. The sword looked alive. And they then heard a voice. ¡°Yes, I am Gram. Only Gram. I have done nothing worthy of the title ¡®holy sword¡¯.¡± It paused for a beat. ¡°This year, I turned 60 in Low-Gear years, but I have spent most of that time asleep.¡± Amid the moonlight and the windy forest, two figures were in a tree near a cliff. They were both girls. The first was a tall girl with black hair bound in the back. She lay atop a thick branch with her legs crossed. She wore a black summer coat over a thick black shirt and brown slacks. On the branch below her was a long-haired girl sitting with her legs together. She had a black stole over her shoulders and her slightly swaying legs were almost entirely hidden by a long black skirt. The higher girl looked toward the forest. She watched the sparks and explosions bursting in that deep darkness. She also listened to the noises. ¡°Now, then. Which side do you think will win, Shino?¡± The girl called Shino twisted her neck upwards and showed a bitter smile to the other girl. ¡°I do not know. ¡­Are you curious, stepsister Mikoku?¡± ¡°No, not really. I am sure our stepfather Hajji already knows how this will end. There is nothing the information broker Hajji does not know.¡± ¡°True, but the Leviathan Road has begun, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Shino heard an explosion. ¡°Wow! This has gotten flashy.¡± ¡°This is likely the end for the City faction. Fafnir Custom¡¯s lifespan is running out. ¡­Sixty years is a long time.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Shino as she swung her legs. Mikoku closed her eyes as she felt the vibration coming through the tree trunk. ¡°That song again, Shino?¡± ¡°Yes. There was another explosion, right? When I hear the tones of gunfire, I feel like I am going to lose myself.¡± ¡°The more you come to places like this, the more out-of-place tones you hear in your head.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Shino as she muttered a portion of the hymn playing in her heart. ¡°All¡¯s asleep, one sole light, just the faithful and holy pair.¡± Mikoku nodded with her eyes still closed. She crossed her arms even further. ¡°Silent Night. ¡­The holy child is born tonight, hm?¡± Below the moonlight, Sayama stood while holding Shinjou. He grabbed Gram¡¯s hilt with his right hand and pulled it from the ground. ¡°You are light¡­¡± ¡°I am almost entirely hollow inside. However, the interior construction has had its area expanded seven thousand times by the writing. Most of that is filled with hardening and sealing words.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama lifted Gram up in his right arm and tried swinging it. It sliced through the surrounding heat and produced a whistling noise. It seemed to weigh three kilograms and that weight was evenly distributed. He had called it light before, but Sayama realized he was wrong. It was well balanced. It felt as if the sword¡¯s center of gravity was changing within his hand. It felt so easy to use, he was sure he could use it no matter how he swung it. Sayama carried Gram in his right hand and looked to Shinjou who he held in his left arm. Shinjou was looking up at him. When their gazes met, she quickly looked down. ¡°Y-you managed to retrieve Gram.¡± ¡°Why are you averting your gaze?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, um¡­ Did you hear what I said to Fafnir Custom earlier?¡± ¡°No, not at all,¡± honestly answered Sayama. ¡°Oh. If you say that, Sayama-kun, then you must have heard¡­¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun, it seems you are somehow mistaken about me.¡± Sayama tilted his head and heard a voice from his right hand. ¡°Sayama and Shinjou?¡± It was Gram. Sayama¡¯s eyebrows moved when he heard that low voice. Shinjou also looked down at it. As did Baku. But before they could say anything, Gram spoke. ¡°This world is governed by Low-Gear, correct?¡± Sayama nodded. It seemed Gram had indeed been sleeping. That meant they needed a common understanding of the situation. With that in mind, Sayama opened his mouth. ¡°Yes. Currently, we have begun postwar negotiations with the survivors of the other Gears.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Gram. ¡°So during my nineteen years of sleep, the world has decided to apologize.¡± ¡°Nineteen? Are you sure you do not mean sixty years? I thought that was when you were put to sleep¡­¡± ¡°I cannot answer that. I made a promise to the one who woke me,¡± said Gram. ¡°You said your names are Sayama and Shinjou, did you not? ¡­What do you want from here on? Do you seek the past you do not know?¡± Sayama felt a slight squeezing in the left side of his chest at that question. If he continued with the Leviathan Road, he would end up facing the past which had created that pain. But Sayama said, ¡°What I want is pain. And the meaning of that pain.¡± ¡°Do you mean you will not deny the ending of the Gears carried out by your ancestors? You will not deny all that which began with the evil committed by my brief master, Siegfried?¡± I suppose it does, thought Sayama silently. He would learn of the past of his family in the form of pain, but that was something he had to learn. After all¡­ ¡­That is where I can get serious. He did not need permission from anyone. He wished to be in that place himself. And so he nodded. ¡°Yes. I will not deny it or reject it. That is what I want.¡± ¡°I see. Then listen, boy bearing the surname Sayama.¡± The sword paused for a moment. ¡°Boy, you are a collection of ignorance who still knows nothing and has been told nothing. Prepare yourself. If you wish for me here, you will doubt yourself in the future. You will learn you are the descendants of great criminals.¡± ¡°¡­Great criminals?¡± ¡°The meaning of that is something you must desire and obtain for yourself.¡± ¡°What an irresponsible thing to say.¡± ¡°If you desire it to a cruel extent, it will save you. So do not force the duty of answering onto me. This is my belief as a resident of 1st-Gear which holds the concepts of writing: writing was created from a desire to leave behind what is in one¡¯s heart. ¡­This is the same. If you desire it in your heart and want to give it form, then take action.¡± ¡°If I win here tonight, do you think I will receive my answer to this pain?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Gram. ¡°Your pain related to 1st-Gear will disappear. However¡­¡± ¡°However?¡± ¡°You will only see a portion of it. It will only be the beginning. Prepare yourself. Once you stand at the entrance, you cannot back out until you have seen it all to the end. You will see the development of history that began with us,¡± he paused, ¡°and ends with that girl. You will see the history of how everything came to an end. You will see the ending chronicle.¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun¡­? Why?¡± ¡°She is the key that binds it all together. ¡­You will learn why so long as you continue to fight.¡± Through the arm holding Shinjou, Sayama could feel her gulp. And Sayama realized he had gulped at the exact same moment. ¡°What will you do, boy? Do you still wish for this!? Do you still wish to use me to cut away the pain of 1st-Gear!? If you truly wish for this, I will become your holy sword!¡± As the sword spoke, Sayama saw movement on the battlefield. Through the forest in the center of the field, the wind blew away a shimmering in the air. And where that shaking of the atmosphere disappeared, a giant form became visible. ¡°That is¡­¡± Fafnir Custom. The weapons on his surface were gone, but the primary armor panels were unscathed as that white mechanical dragon stood up. The heat exhaust points across his body were fully open. Steam and a shimmering of the air rose from every part of his body. The white mechanical dragon prepared himself for battle. The defensive shutters over his red eyes opened and he stared straight forward. His gaze was likely fixed on Gram in Sayama¡¯s right hand. I see, thought Sayama. That is the first opponent of my pain and my first target to get serious against. And so Sayama opened his mouth. He turned toward the girl in his arm. ¡°Shinjou-kun.¡± He took a breath. He recalled his grandfather¡¯s words and spoke. ¡°I think I will try becoming a villain.¡± Shinjou raised her head within Sayama¡¯s arm. She saw his sharp eyes narrow slightly as they looked down at her. She asked him a question to confirm what he meant. ¡°You mean¡­like Siegfried-san?¡± She received silence as an answer. He said nothing but still looked at her. Shinjou felt her heart beat and trembled slightly. ¡°Are you going to do it no matter what?¡± That was what he desired. She knew that. What she had told Fafnir Custom earlier was definitely true. However, when he said it directly to her, it produced more words from her. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to take all the blame onto yourself.¡± ¡°But I am wrong and that is what I wish to do.¡± ¡°But¡­!¡± As Shinjou raised her voice, Sayama lightly tapped her waist. He seemed to be telling her to calm down and she blushed. Shinjou looked up at Sayama. Their gazes met. He looked away as if conflicted. This was the first time she had seen him do this, so she felt a bit confused and tilted her head. And he spoke. ¡°Then¡­will you come with me, Shinjou-kun?¡± Shinjou could not react to the words of the boy before her eyes. She knew what he meant. She simply wanted to hear more of his words and to be absolutely sure. And so she asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sayama frowned and looked back at her. ¡°You are right and I am wrong. So¡­I want to have you with me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shinjou was at a loss for words. Sayama gently released her body. After moving back a bit, Sayama stretched out his left hand which was covered in black armor. He said nothing more. It was now her turn to answer. She wanted to give a frank answer to his roundabout manner of speaking. She smiled and grabbed his hand. ¡°So do I,¡± she answered simply. ¡°So do I!¡± And then they both turned toward their opponent. They turned toward the white mechanical dragon taking an offensive stance in the middle of the grassy plain. Meanwhile, Fafnir Custom was using all of his senses where he stood in that field with the dirt exposed. Something felt off about his entire body. That sensation could be seen as a premonition or a warning. When he received the visual information of his mechanical sight, he felt a deviation between himself and Fafnir Custom. That deviation advanced with time and signified his demise. That deviation created a gap in his consciousness. His body had withstood the damage of that blast. However, his consciousness was beginning to waver. Please hurry, thought Hagen. He was no longer consciously operating the machine. Attitude control and visual correction were being carried out based on his past actions and the records that were recorded within Fafnir Custom. Straight ahead in the center of his vision, two figures stood in a forest clearing. They were a boy and a girl wearing white uniforms. The boy stood next to the girl and moved Gram to his left hand. The girl picked up her staff which had fallen nearby and held it in her right hand. They were the ones who wanted to resolve everything. That girl who had tried to come up with an answer had not been alone after all. ¡­I want to win. Hagen nodded in his heart. He hurriedly interfered with Fafnir Custom¡¯s movements with his own will. He optimized the various actions being taken based on his memories and records. He made sure that giant white body could act at maximum effectiveness when the time came. He fully opened the cooling systems. He let the lubricant for the moving parts flow freely. He used the full output of the operation reactor and the weaponry reactor. And he released all of the weapons. He determined it would take five minutes before it would all be ready, but Hagen did not care. He let the machine take a step forward. Volume 2, 29: The Dragon’s Contract Volume 2, Chapter 29: The Dragon¡¯s Contract Move To ask Is to oppose those who will not give an answer Izumo crossed swords with Fafner in the forest. ¡°Honestly, why do I have to waste my time fighting you?¡± He swung his large light-emitting sword toward Fafner. Just before the blade of light struck, the black half-dragon dissolved into the shadows of the trees and disappeared. Immediately afterwards, Izumo felt a disturbance in the air behind him and he leaped. He leaped forward. With a single footstep in the grass, he jumped about four meters forward. The instant his foot landed, he sent a strike toward the shadow behind him as if turning around. Before the sword arrived, the giant black form disappeared into the shadows once more. ¡°Damn,¡± muttered Izumo. He ran, hoping to find somewhere without shadows, but he was in the forest. No matter where he went, there were shadows at arm¡¯s length. To the right, he heard someone treading on a stone. ¡°!¡± Izumo swung V-Sw to the right. At the same moment, writing appeared on V-Sw¡¯s console. ¡°Wrong.¡± Izumo looked and saw nothing to the right. Then what had that footstep been? V-Sw sliced through empty air and the light leaking from its blade illuminated the area. That bluish-white light showed a fist-sized stone on the ground. Fafner had rolled it here. He had most likely done it as a decoy just before sinking into the shadows. Izumo clenched his teeth. He had already attacked and missed. It was now his opponent¡¯s turn. He had to evade. Right, left, front, and back. Izumo had several options and he chose one: Down. He threw himself to the ground as if letting V-Sw¡¯s swing pull him down. The instant his jaw struck the grassy ground, a mass of high pressure swept by overhead. It was Fafner¡¯s Cowling Sword. That spherical power struck the trees to the left and they exploded. A total of twelve trees were destroyed all at once. A pit was created in the forest and the fibrous sound of the trees snapping rang out. Izumo got up. However, a kick struck his gut. The blow had skimmed the ground and shot up at the last second. By the time he felt the pain, his body was already flying through the air. ¡°¡­!¡± As he flew to the side, Izumo stuck a foot against the ground and gained control. He took two long strides and stopped his momentum by pressing his back against a thick tree. Before he could catch his breath, he heard a roaring of air behind him. ¡°Oh!¡± he cried as he jumped to the left. He turned around and saw Fafner swinging his Cowling Sword horizontally from the shadows behind the tree trunk Izumo had been leaning up against. The shimmering surrounding the sword sliced through the trunk at Izumo¡¯s waist level and blasted the air upwards. The tree fell. Scattered leaves flew about below the moonlight with a sound like a receding wave. As the leaves fell like snow, Izumo moved back. He faced Fafner. They were four paces apart. Izumo would need to take a step before his attack would reach. Also, the bottom half of the sliced trunk remained between them. It was an obstacle for Izumo, but it meant nothing to the half-dragon who could travel through shadows. Izumo let out a breath and Fafner lowered the tip of his Cowling Sword. ¡°Are you giving up, descendent of 10th-Gear and Low-Gear?¡± ¡°Oh? I¡¯m surprised you know that.¡± ¡°Knowing one¡¯s enemy is only natural. ¡­But why do you fight for Low-Gear? From what I have heard, you should be fighting for 10th-Gear.¡± ¡°Why would you think that? Tell me what it is you¡¯ve heard.¡± Fafner paused for a beat before answering. ¡°Supposedly, your defensive divine protection was given to you when your mother died. It is your divine protection as a descendent of the gods of 10th-Gear.¡± ¡°You¡¯re well informed. But I think there¡¯s one thing you don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know why people are given that divine protection.¡± He smiled bitterly. ¡°Divine protection is not passed down with the bloodline or anything. ¡­It¡¯s meant to let you leave that family.¡± As he spoke, Izumo pointed the tip of V-Sw toward Fafner. With a smile on his lips, he looked toward the destroyed trees in the surrounding area. ¡°I will swing this Cowling Sword once. ¡­And then I will win.¡± Fafner took a defensive stance. And at the same time, a voice rang out. That distant voice came from the grassy plain beyond the forest. As that voice filled the wind, travelled a great distance, and soared through the sky, they heard it. Izumo knew who it belonged to. It was Sayama. Sayama¡¯s voice sounded strongly throughout the concept space which had become a battlefield. ¡°Everyone!¡± He began by addressing the people there. And Izumo heard his words continue. Sayama spoke the words only he could. ¡°Let me say it here. ¡­The surname Sayama indicates a villain!¡± Boldman and the other members of UCAT who had begun a firefight within the forest heard a voice cutting through the trees. Sayama¡¯s voice also came from the communicators on their necks. ¡°After sixty years, the true negotiations will take place here.¡± As she wrote healing charms in the shadow of a tree, Ooki raised her head to listen. ¡°Listen, everyone! Prepare yourself for battle! Fill your magazines and blades with questions of condemnation and fill your armor with voices of protest. Expressing your thoughts with those is how we will negotiate tonight. ¡­Listen up, everyone!¡± As she performed maintenance on an overheated rifle, Sibyl listened to the sound coming from her communicator. ¡°Ahead, ahead, go ahead! These people are trying to return to the past! Grab them by the collar and drag them here!¡± As she flew just under the upper wall of the concept space, Kazami heard a voice rising up toward her. ¡°I, Sayama Mikoto, use my authority as the representative of Team Leviathan to make this announcement. The Leviathan Road begins here. We will not give in to any power. We are right and we are wrong. And¡­we will see this through to the very end!¡± He took a breath. ¡°This is my first order: all members are to bring them here even if you have knock them out to do so. Bring them to a world where these words will get through to them. Kick those reclusive writers out of the darkness where they are bound by writing!¡± Kazami looked down at the winged soldiers moving toward her. Standing on the grassy plain were a white mechanical dragon surrounded by shimmering heat and a boy and girl wearing white armored uniforms. The boy held up a sword, took a breath, and asked a question. ¡°Where is your answer?¡± Kazami opened her mouth. She gave a single answer. The ends of her eyebrows rose and she smiled. ¡°Testament!¡± As Sayama faced Fafnir Custom on that grassy field, he heard the responses to his will. Testament. In the forest, in the wind, and in the sky, dozens of voices replied with that holy word. Tes. Tes. Tes. We bind a contract here. As those numerous contracts washed over him, Sayama walked forward. He stared at the white mechanical dragon before him, sped up his pace, and accelerated. The girl lined up next to him. They ran forward. Fafnir Custom also ran. The color white approached. The ground rumbled and a great roar was heard. And with that before him, Sayama turned to Shinjou. She nodded with a powerful expression while holding her Cowling Staff in hand. She was saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± In lieu of saying Testament, Sayama nodded back. He looked at Gram in his left hand. A green light ran through the metal plate added to the surface of the blade. Writing appeared there. He could not read that writing, but he understood what it meant. It said power. Sayama poured his true strength into his left arm. He felt pain, but that proved this was real. Sayama swung up Gram, placed his right hand on the hilt, and swung it down. The mechanical dragon had already arrived close enough. It struck. With a sound like shattering glass, a white armor plate flew into the night sky. The mechanical dragon¡¯s body slid to the side and the air moved. The battle truly began. As Izumo listened to the distant sounds of battle, he muttered as if to himself. ¡°V-Sw, don¡¯t go to your third form. Let¡¯s go like this.¡± ¡°Are you ready to go?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± replied Izumo as he held V-Sw up at stomach height. He held the blade horizontally and leaned forward. The light from V-Sw¡¯s rear thruster grew stronger. But Fafner did not move from his position directly in front of Izumo. He lowered his hips a bit, but did not take a defensive stance. ¡°What is it, half-dragon?¡± ¡°So you plan to use the acceleration of that sword¡¯s thruster to attack before I can pass through the shadows?¡± Izumo frowned. Fafner filled the silence with his voice. ¡°I am a fighter, too. You announced your attack just now, so I will announce mine as well. I will avoid your initial strike and take your head from behind.¡± Fafner nodded. ¡°The victory you predicted will not come.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Izumo prepared himself by lowering his hips and taking a breath. And then he moved. ¡°!¡± It was just a single strike. Izumo threw his body forward and swung V-Sw horizontally. He swung it toward Fafner. There was an explosion. White light shot from the back of the blade. It accelerated at the same moment. The afterimage of the light drew a giant arc and the sword picked up more speed. It moved at high speed, swept up the wind, sliced through the air, and flew as the light grew even stronger. ¡°Go!¡± That low horizontal strike was meant to reach Fafner even in the final moments of trying to escape below. As it approached, Fafner sank down. Izumo was impressed. ¡­This idiot really intends to do this seriously. He twisted his body while giving a small whistle. The follow-through motion of his body accelerated further and Izumo pressed the trigger on the grip. An additional light was produced. And this time it came from the blade side. This white light far surpassed the quantity and quality of the accelerating light coming from the back of the blade. This light blasted forward. This was a giant blade of light. The giant sword extended more than ten meters. The acceleration from the back of V-Sw¡¯s second form was not meant to drive the blade into an opponent. It was meant to counteract the recoil of this strike. Nevertheless, all the strength in Izumo¡¯s body was necessary to swing the blade now. Izumo twisted his entire body and shouted while swinging the sword forward. ¡°Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!¡± But in the forest which could be clearly seen in black and white due to V-Sw¡¯s blade, he saw Fafner¡¯s wings swing up and then down. He heard a roar. The half-dragon accelerated downwards into the shadow of the torn tree trunk. In that instant, V-Sw¡¯s blade of light sliced through Fafner. However, it was too late. Only a portion of the half-dragon was sliced off: his wings. Those black wings were severed at the base and flew through the air. His body of shadow disappeared down below. He had escaped into the darkness. ¡°¡­!¡± Izumo continued swinging V-Sw as if trying to slice through the air. Fafner felt pain stabbing into his back, but he knew he had won. He quickly ascended in the darkness. It felt similar to swimming. He could not see outside from the darkness. Inside, there was nothing but darkness. To leave was to give his body physical form once more. But he had a certain level of freedom such as in the distance he travelled. Fafner recalled the promise he had made. He had promised to appear behind his enemy. That enemy would be swinging his large Cowling Sword and working to control his stance. After swinging that heavy weapon, he could not immediately stop it. Fafner had won. This boy born between 10th-Gear and Low-Gear had brought 6th-Gear under Low-Gear¡¯s control two years prior and he held that Gear¡¯s Concept Core. Fafner felt the loss of his wings was a small price to pay for defeating a foe such as that. Fafner ascended. He was targeting that enemy¡¯s back. He would appear from the shadows of the trees. This forest was puny compared to 1st-Gear¡¯s forests, but it would serve as a stage to defeat this enemy. He exited. Fafner jumped from the shadow and to the surface. He heard silence. While surrounded by the remains of the shadow, he rose into the air and looked forward. And he found nothing at all. The forest had disappeared. The forest that created his precious darkness was gone. Fafner gasped. ¡°!?¡± The forest was gone. The back of his enemy was not before his eyes. This isn¡¯t right, thought Fafner as the moonlight washed over his back. What happened? He looked around and saw what was so wrong. That area had definitely been a forest. However, all of the trees within ten meters had been felled at the height of Fafner¡¯s waist. The cut was sharp, but the trees above the cut had been blown into the distance where they had struck the surrounding trees. The area was now a clearing. And Fafner saw something in one corner of the clearing. A giant Cowling Sword lay on the ground. This was the enemy¡¯s sword which was labeled V-Sw on the side. It had lost all light and the cowling had closed. At the base of the sword, words appeared on a console. ¡°This is fun.¡± Once he read those words of enjoyment, Fafner realized something. He realized that he had his back to the moonlight. He looked at his feet. There was a shadow there. In the middle of that supposedly empty clearing was someone¡¯s shadow. The moonlight to his back had created that shadow. Who was casting that shadow? It would be the person who had swung the Cowling Sword and cut down all the surrounding trees Fafner could use to escape. It would be the person who had cast aside the Cowling Sword he could not stop in time and who had turned his back to the moon. Fafner heard a voice from behind him. ¡°Turn around.¡± Fafner gnashed his teeth and¡­ ¡°Oh¡­!!¡± He spun his body with his Cowling Sword in hand. He attacked behind him at high speed while ignoring the pain in his back. A single young man stood there. Before Fafner¡¯s sword could reach him, his right fist slammed into the half-dragon. The blow struck the tip of his angular jaw. That was the best place to send vibrations through to rattle his brain. Before he could speak, breathe, or even feel the impact, everything turned black. Brunhild heard the sound of different attacks. From nearby, she heard repeated noises of metal clashing. From far away, she heard continuing gunfire and clashing swords. It had all started and accelerated with Sayama¡¯s words. ¡­The current situation is¡­ She did not know. She had her hands full pursuing her opponent. Siegfried would occasionally attack. He targeted the ground at her feet and trees along her path to slow her down or stall her. How cowardly, thought Brunhild. Why won¡¯t he fight me seriously? She felt as if he were evading her questions. ¡­He is trying to buy time until the other battles are over. From the point of view of the Leviathan Road, they could ignore their connection and treat this as just one of many battles. Whichever side won, all of the battles would need to be stopped. Brunhild clenched her teeth and wondered if he could not tell how seriously she was taking this. ¡°Is this also part of your atonement?¡± He did not want to hurt her. Brunhild looked forward as she ran. Approximately ten meters ahead of her, the forest came to an end and a grassy field opened up. She decided to end this there. She stopped attacking and began her preparations. She gathered strength in the hand holding Requiem Sense. As she ran between the trees and created loud footsteps, Brunhild rested the scythe on her shoulder. She pointed the tip of the blade toward the sky. And she made up her mind. She was only ten meters and a few paces away from the field. She used that distance, speed, and hesitation to open the entire underworld. She ran through the forest and passed by Siegfried. She made it ahead of him for the first time. As Siegfried looked outside the forest, he shouted something at her. But she could not hear it. Brunhild hung her head down and charged out into the field. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The moonlight felt bright. She treaded on the grass and heard a damp footstep. But what she heard even more clearly was the sound of Requiem Sense slicing through the wind by her ear. Brunhild took action. As if bending her body over, she swung the blade forward and down from her shoulder. ¡°Open, gate of the abyss! Open wide here where one can look up into the heavens!¡± she shouted while the blade stabbed down into the ground. At the same moment, light appeared behind her shoulders and above his head. The light took the form of a rift. As she followed a portion of the light with her eyes, Brunhild continued to speak. ¡°Come forth, wielder of the scythe!!¡± By the time she turned around, it had already appeared. A grim reaper about a dozen meters tall was wrapped in a cloak of bluish-white light and wore an undecorated mask. It was impossible to tell if the face behind that blank mask belonged to a man or a woman or if they were elderly or young. Death was impartial to all. This was the crystallization of the power contained within 1st-Gear¡¯s underworld. This grim reaper of enmity held a giant scythe in its hands and swung it down. The blade flew toward Siegfried. As he ran out of the forest, he prepared to receive the blade as if being struck by a counter. This attack had much more mass than the previous ones. He could not receive it so easily. And so Brunhild assumed Siegfried had to be surprised. But what she actually saw was different. Siegfried¡¯s eyebrows rose and he shouted toward her. ¡°Nein!¡± Brunhild raised her head at his scolding tone and looked up. And she realized something: she was not being lit by the moonlight. ¡°¡­!¡± She turned around and found a giant mass of white. It was Fafnir Custom. As the mechanical dragon fought, he had ended up moving toward her. The auxiliary vision devices installed on his body noticed her and glowed red. A roar rang out so loud it sounded like the earth¡¯s crust being smashed. At the same time, the mechanical dragon¡¯s entire body worked to brake. But the impact travelling through the ground and the wind blowing through the air both assaulted Brunhild. Her footing grew unsteady, her body was scooped up, and she flew through the air. She was thrown toward the forest and toward Siegfried. Just as she realized she had been blown through the air, she noticed the grim reaper floating in the night sky. The blade it swung down was going to strike her as she flew by. It came. That almost 10 meter blade swung down to cut through everything in its path. She would be sliced in two. ¡°!¡± Just as she thought she would die, someone suddenly grabbed her waist from the side. ¡­Eh? Before she could wonder what had happened, her vision rotated around. Her body was flung to the side with great strength. She flew through the air. And then her right shoulder struck the grass. She felt pain and was confused as to what had happened, but she asked another question first. ¡°Why!?¡± Brunhild placed her arms in the grass and got up. She forcefully raised her head and looked forward. A tall figure wearing black stood in the path of the grim reaper¡¯s rotating scythe. It was Siegfried. He stood facing the hand that had swung down toward him. And she saw his face. A clear smile could be seen in his sharp eyes and the connected corners of his mouth. The tip of the scythe reached his left hand. Brunhild watched the point of the attack she had sent and watched his smile. She opened her mouth but the word ¡°why¡± would no longer come. The word that came directly from her heart was¡­ ¡°No!¡± she cried. ¡°No!!!¡± And as she shouted, Brunhild saw it. She saw the answer to her words. After exchanging attacks with Fafnir Custom, Shinjou saw it. Just before the grim reaper¡¯s scythe brought death to Siegfried, it stopped in midair. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± That tall man in black stood in the field. The giant bluish-white blade had stopped one meter to his right. It had been stopped by a woman standing between him and the blade. That woman was tall enough to reach Siegfried¡¯s shoulders. She had her back to Shinjou and she was the same slightly transparent bluish-white as the grim reaper. This woman had come from the underworld. Shinjou knew her name. The giant dragon facing her spoke that name quietly. ¡°¡­Princess Gutrune.¡± She turned toward them. She let go of the blade and turned her entire body toward them. The grim reaper and its blade disappeared above her head. After seeing that, Gutrune looked toward them. Below her soft-looking hair, her eyes bent and a smile appeared on her lips. With that soft smile, a royal of a ruined world quietly looked at them all. She looked at the soldiers in the forest, the winged races in the sky, and the white mechanical dragon in the field. After looking around at all of them, she made an action as a member of the royal family. She gave a quiet bow. Shinjou could only stand there dumbfounded, but she heard a single voice. It came from the main in black standing next to Gutrune. That old man lowered his arms, clenched his fists, and trembled as he spoke. ¡°Why¡­?¡± He took a breath. ¡°Why did you save me again!?¡± Gutrune did not turn toward him. She merely lowered the ends of her eyebrows and nodded while still smiling. And then it ended. The princess¡¯s body scattered into bits of light and dissolved into the scythe blade stabbing into the ground. No one moved. The wind washed over the field and the shadows of the grass shook in the moonlight. But a single quiet and high-pitched noise could be heard. It was the chirping of a bird. Brunhild looked over. She looked over at Siegfried¡¯s pocket as he hung his head down. A small bird¡¯s head poked out. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The bird looked up at the moonlight and tilted its head. It chirped quietly, moved from the pocket, and stood up on Siegfried¡¯s collar. And it looked at her. It spread its wings, flapped them, and flew toward her. It was an unskilled flight that was more a glide than anything and it only lasted a few meters. However, the bird arrived at her shoulder almost instantly and landed on the black cloth there. It hopped up, changed direction, and peered at her wide-open eyes below the three-cornered heat. ¡°Ah¡­¡± A small voice escaped Brunhild¡¯s mouth and a small black shadow stood before her. It was the black cat. His yellow eyes looked up at her face and the small bird on her shoulder. Finally, he opened his mouth. ¡°Brunhild¡­ What do you want right now?¡± Brunhild was unable to answer. She hung her head down, placed her hands on her face, opened her mouth wide, and let out a voice. She cried out with a loud, loud voice. She cried and continued to cry. Hagen nodded within Fafnir Custom. He did not know the truth of 1st-Gear¡¯s destruction. But Gutrune had bowed when she appeared via Requiem Sense. That was all that mattered. He was surrounded only by the sound of wind. Everyone had stopped moving. Is it over? wondered Hagen. The discomfort within him had grown stronger and more distinct. Was it going to end here? No, denied Hagen within Fafnir Custom. Like this, it would all return to how it was. ¡­I cannot let this have such an uncertain ending. There was something he needed to gain. This was something he could only gain by facing his enemy and settling this. This was something they had lost when 1st-Gear was destroyed and that they had been unable to pass on to Fafner and the others. Without that, it would all end up the same as before. But this battlefield was done for and his body was reaching its end. Was it hopeless? Hagen lowered his primary vision devices slightly and looked forward. A single boy stood there. The holy sword Gram hung down from his left hand. He was the one in charge of the Leviathan Road. He looked up at Hagen. His eyebrows were raised and his lips were held closed. He held Gram tightly and would not let go. His feet were spread wider than his shoulders, his hips were lowered, and he waited. He waited for Hagen to act. He was waiting. ¡°¡­¡± Hagen definitely saw him and he asked a question to the boy. ¡°A conclusion reached through emotions can be overturned when one forgets one¡¯s emotions. Is that what you think? ¡°Yes,¡± said the boy with a nod. Hagen nodded using Fafnir Custom¡¯s body. ¡°Boy, if you win, you will change this world. In a way, that will mean destroying this world. Are you prepared to do that?¡± Before the boy could respond, Hagen spat out further words. ¡°Think carefully before answering. An insincere answer and an insincere contract are not worthy of destroying the world. What is needed is trust worthy of destroying the world. Do you understand? That is what it means to be sincere.¡± ¡°I do understand. The word sincerity is a heart like the sun formed from words.[1] ¡­And I will show you that here.¡± A stir ran through everyone there. The girl standing next to the boy gave a look of surprise. She spoke a question to the boy and Hagen knew why. ...Girl, that is because you are right. And¡­ ¡­I want to win. While continuing to look toward Hagen, the boy spoke to the girl. ¡°Please come with me, Shinjou-kun.¡± And then he turned his straightforward words toward Hagen. ¡°I saw the past, I will fight in the present, and I am sure the future is with us. In that case, we should be thinking the same thing.¡± ¡°Then let me say one thing: Make sure not to alter what you gain here or go against that promise. Youth who takes on the role of the villain, can you promise me you will resolve everything here?¡± ¡°Testament!¡± As the boy shouted out that word, Fafnir Custom began to move. Notes 1. ¡ü The Japanese word for sincerity (Õ\Òâ) can be broken down into the kanji used here to mean words (ÑÔ), formed (³É), from (Á¢), sun (ÈÕ), and heart (ÐÄ). Volume 2, 30: Inheritance of the Dragon’s Will Volume 2, Chapter 30: Inheritance of the Dragon¡¯s Will Words are a voice A voice rings out It asks to drive the response in here When Fafner left the forest which had become a clearing and entered the grassy field, he saw the white mechanical dragon and a boy and girl fighting as if dancing. Those steel footsteps tore at the earth¡¯s crust and that giant body whipped up the wind. Sounds of metal clashing rang out. As those figures moved in the moonlight, Fafner¡¯s 1st-Gear comrades and the UCAT members watched on from a distance. Everyone was standing petrified without speaking a word. Fafner trembled at the pain in his back, but continued walking forward through the active wind and opened his mouth. ¡°Why!¡± He stared directly at the white mechanical dragon. ¡°Lord Hagen! You been avoiding battle, so why?¡± Intense pain ran through his back. Fafner fell to his knees as it felt like his spine was being squeezed. And a figure stood up next to him. He looked up to find a familiar face. It was a black half-dragon just like him. This figure also had no wings on his back. ¡°Father¡­¡± ¡°It looks I made it in time. My son Fafner, look at Lord Hagen.¡± Fafner did so. He watched that white dragon run at high speed, twist his body around, blast dirt into the air, and roar. A low voice spoke from above his head as he kneeled down. ¡°That is what you wanted, Fafner. That is what you have been waiting for.¡± Hagen¡¯s heart moved within Fafnir Custom. The deviation from before had disappeared. He knew why: he was beginning to disappear. With the excess gone, he had been sharpened to the extreme. He felt the wind on his skin and smelled the scent of the grass. He felt the dirt between his toes and his claws throwing small stones as he moved. All of his body¡¯s movements were perfectly synced with the machine. The adjustments from before had paid off. His will fit perfectly into the machine and there was no waste. He moved. He extended his claws and pursued the boy. He expanded his armor panels and defended against the girl¡¯s attacks. The boy targeted his neck. The two reactors were located there. He likely wanted the Concept Core in the weaponry reactor in front, but the only way to do that was to take his life. On the other hand, the girl targeted his vision devices, legs, and joints. However, these attacks were not on the level of the earlier one that had intercepted a blast from his main cannon. I see, thought Hagen. So you still do not fully know your role in this battle. But you can only find that answer from there, girl. Hagen laughed. ¡°Ha.¡± The voice escaped. It had been a long, long time since he laughed like that. He did not think he had ever used his full voice since taking on this body. He had not felt this happy in a long, long time. He was fighting so that everyone could laugh once this was over. He wanted to win. As he looked around in amusement, he saw everyone there. They had all come with him. And now he was fighting where they could not follow. This was something he had to do. Only someone close to the royal family who had been given the greatest attack power in 1st-Gear could do this. Hagen remembered. King Wotan had been timid but kind. Hagen¡¯s younger brother Regin had been quick to lecture people but had done it for their sake. Hagen had loved how Princess Gutrune was dauntless yet often suffered for it. And that world had existed alongside all of them. He may have lost everything, but he knew all of that was true. ¡°!¡± Hagen took in his full range of vision. He saw the field, the forest, the mountains, the sky, the clouds, and the moon in the center of the heavens. ¡­Yes. Once this battle ended, he would have to leave this space. ¡­It has been so long. Before him were enemies who could choose to be wrong in the right way and right in a mistaken way. This enemy moved. The boy held up the large sword and leaped to Hagen¡¯s left. The girl fired a scythe of light toward Hagen¡¯s right leg. It struck. The ground below his right leg crumbled and his posture was thrown off. His body tilted to the right and the left of his throat and his left side were exposed to his enemy. The boy came in to take advantage of this opening, but that was a mistake. Fafnir Custom had a cannon installed within. This cannon had shot through the swordsman girl named Mikoku when the information broker Hajji had brought her to that abandoned schoolyard. Hagen expanded that cannon, wondering if he could win with this. He fired. He did not target his enemy; he targeted the holy sword Gram the enemy held. ¡°!¡± He fired three times at close range. The shockwaves produced a white umbrella of steam and the splitting of the air blew the boy away. He ended up directly in front of Fafnir Custom. That position allowed Hagen to politely let loose his maximum firepower. Fafnir Custom¡¯s vision devices checked on the results of his attack. The holy sword Gram in his enemy¡¯s hand had lost its light. The metal plate that words should have appeared on was silent. Gram¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Four seconds until recovery! Throw me away and run!¡± ¡­That long? I only need one second. Hagen operated Fafnir Custom. He opened his mouth and braced himself with his four legs. His enemy had almost let go of Gram during the impact and he turned toward the girl behind him. This is the end, thought Hagen. With enjoyment in his heart, he fired his main cannon with a single thought. ¡­I want to win. Sayama gathered strength in his body which was trembling from the earlier impact. He could feel the earth below his feet, so his left arm came next. Gram was there. The two meter sword was currently silent. But, thought Sayama. I must finish this using this weapon. That is only polite. ¡°¡­!¡± He gathered strength in his trembling left arm. Immediately afterwards, he felt intense pain. Blood flowed from the bandage on that arm as if bursting out. He could distinctly feel his muscles and tendons. But he did not care. Pain was real. The pain throbbing throughout his body showed him his body existed. His senses had returned. His sense of touch, hearing, and vision returned and he focused on what lay before his eyes. Fafnir Custom had opened his mouth. Light could be seen in the muzzle visible deep in his throat. There was no way Sayama could avoid this. And so Sayama did not choose what to do. He simply desired victory. Just as he tried to move forward, someone nestled up next to him as if propping him up. It was Shinjou. ¡°Leave the things you can¡¯t do to me,¡± she said. And as she spoke, she moved her hand. In an instant, she took the blood flowing from his left arm onto her fingers and wrote something on Gram¡¯s metal plate. She wrote ¡°holy sword¡±. At the same time, the main cannon fired. Sayama swung the holy sword Gram toward that light that had actual mass. ¡°¡­!¡± He used all of his strength. That which he desired was here. He smiled. He smiled from the bottom of his heart. And as he did, his left arm felt a light impact. ¡°!?¡± Sayama looked down at Georgius on his left hand. The plus sign medallion on its black surface was emitting a white light. As if in response, Gram let out a roar. Green light ran across the blade¡¯s surface. ¡°What is that gauntlet!?¡± asked Gram. ¡°I do not know! But it is the power I have inherited!!¡± Sayama swung down the holy sword Gram. The metal blade sliced apart the dragon¡¯s attack. He heard the surging sound of light being sliced and scattered. And at the front, Sayama forcibly twisted the sword upwards, moved it around behind him, and moved further forward. The distance grew to almost nothing in an instant. He charged toward Fafnir Custom¡¯s throat. He swung a diagonal strike similar to a horizontal swing. It was a single blow. Gram was wrapped in light. At the peak of its arc, it would sever the weaponry reactor in the throat. At the end of its arc, it would target the operation reactor at the base of the neck. That was Sayama¡¯s style of fighting. He would completely neutralize his enemy. But a strike came from behind to stop him. It was an attack of light. Just as Gram arrived at Fafnir Custom¡¯s throat and he felt it break the metal of the armor and the outer core of the weaponry reactor, a thin beam of light came from behind and passed right by him. That beam pierced and blew away Fafnir Custom¡¯s front right leg. With a clear noise, Fafnir Custom crumbled to the ground. It looked like he was lying down or bowing down. The dragon¡¯s movement sealed off Gram¡¯s trajectory. As he fell to the ground, the components within his neck distorted and bit into Gram. The holy sword¡¯s cutting action was hindered by the mechanical parts that pressed together like praying hands. Sayama perceived this resistance in the form of a metallic noise, but he continued swinging Gram. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He swung his arm, continued forward, and made his way out on the other side of Fafnir Custom¡¯s throat. He looked at his hand. The bloody Georgius on his left hand was not holding anything. He understood. He had robbed the mechanical dragon of its power, but the dragon¡¯s throat had stolen the holy sword Gram from his hand. And that resolution was the conclusion. Sayama looked behind him. In the moonlight, Fafnir Custom was getting back to his feet. However, with his front right leg gone, he could no longer move enough for combat. Fafnir Custom slowly looked up into the sky and bent his body upwards. The stolen sword was indeed sticking out of his throat. The white of his armor and the black of the sword created a silhouette in the moonlight and cast a shadow. In the darkness he himself created, the mechanical dragon looked up at the moon with his red eyes. Fafnir Custom¡¯s mouth opened. His throat had been pierced, but he opened his fang-filled maw as if to devour the moon. It was not a bestial cry that escaped through those metal fangs. Instead, he called for someone. ¡°Boy.¡± That quiet voice continued to ask the question in the dragon¡¯s heart. ¡°Was 1st-Gear a formidable enemy?¡± Sayama regulated his breathing and clenched his lowered left fist. He squeezed his own blood and opened his mouth. ¡°Is there any other kind?¡± As he answered, Sayama watched the silhouette of the dragon in the moonlight. He waited for the dragon¡¯s reply. However, he received no response. He heard a song carried by the wind. A 1st-Gear girl sang the song. One line reached his ears. ¡°Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh.¡± Suddenly, Shinjou approached from his left side. She treaded softly on the grass and said ¡°Hey.¡± Sayama could tell her voice was trembling. The hand she wrapped around his left arm was trembling as well. And so he wrapped his arm around her waist to check on her. He embraced Shinjou¡¯s slender body and drew her in closer, but he kept his eyes raised. He continued watching the silhouette of the mechanical dragon in the moon. There was no longer any light in the mechanical dragon¡¯s eyes. Two girls sighed while atop tree branches in the forest. The short one, Shino, sang the song she heard coming from the field. The one sitting on the higher branch, Mikoku, smiled bitterly. ¡°And with that, the Leviathan Road has begun.¡± She jumped down. She easily landed after the four meter drop. She waited for Shino to finish singing and then held her arm upwards. Shino did not hesitate to jump down into Mikoku¡¯s chest. ¡°You have gotten heavier,¡± said Mikoku as Shino glanced at her from the side and moved away. Shino tilted her head slightly and then looked behind her. ¡°Shall we leave now, Tatsumi-san?¡± In response, a woman appeared from the darkness of the forest. She was tall. Mikoku was tall as well, but this woman was even taller. Her long hair swayed as it flowed backwards and she wore a brown sweater and a long white tight skirt. On her feet were¡­ ¡°I am not sure you should be wearing sandals, Tatsumi.¡± ¡°I managed to get this close without being noticed, didn¡¯t I?¡± The woman named Tatsumi looked at the two girls with drooping eyes and a smile with no hint of sarcasm. ¡°So how was it?¡± ¡°Not bad. Shinjou can act now and Izumo and his partner should be useful enough. Sayama¡­ Sayama Mikoto obtained Georgius.¡± As Mikoku spoke, she turned her back on the field. The speed with which she turned caused Shino¡¯s shoulders to jump a bit, but Tatsumi took Shino¡¯s hand to stop her from trembling. ¡°Let¡¯s go home. This concept space is growing thin. Everything will arrive at its conclusion and this place will return to normal. But Mikoku, how was Georgius? Even we have almost no information on that concept weapon.¡± ¡°I do not know. I saw a bit of a strange power, but¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°Georgius is the Latin name of St. George who slayed a dragon. But that was thought to be a fictional story, so his sainthood was revoked in the 15th century.¡± Mikoku gave a bitter smile and spoke as she walked through the darkness of the forest. ¡°A false saint. That is an appropriate name for a concept weapon of Low-Gear.¡± Volume 2, Final : Lineage of Pride Volume 2, Final Chapter: Lineage of Pride You remember some words For some reason, you cannot forget those words Those words have been drilled into you Spring break was coming to an end. Sayama stood below the midday sky on the emergency staircase on the second floor of the second year general school building. Cherry blossoms were blooming everywhere he looked in the schoolyard below. The flower petals fell and danced about. That told him a gentle wind was blowing. The cherry blossoms looked like blowing snow. The roads and gravel paths the petals fell on were being used by students walking back to their dorms. They wore casual clothes and were excited to see each other once more. They ran about to check on their textbooks for their new classes or to prepare their means of inviting new members to their clubs at the entrance ceremony the next day. Amid them all, Sayama spotted two familiar faces. Those people discussing something as representatives of the athletic clubs were Izumo and Kazami. They both wore casual clothes. They held a single plastic bag for miscellaneous items. Kazami noticed Sayama and looked up. She¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She only smiled and looked away without saying anything. Sayama raised his left hand in greeting, but that was it. And he looked at that raised hand. His left arm had a new bandage wrapped around it. The middle finger had his mother¡¯s ring on it. A scar was visible on the back of the hand and he felt a phantom pain when clenching the fist. And merely thinking of the past would squeeze at the left side of his chest. ¡­What happened to the people of 1st-Gear after that? Gram had absorbed the rest of the Concept Core from Fafnir Custom and Sayama had been told it was stored beneath Japanese UCAT. It would next be brought out when all of the concepts were being released. Currently, the half-dragons and other races that would have difficulty surviving without the concepts were settling in at the 1st-Gear reservation. Various numbers were being calculated out related to its maintenance and expansion. Once the results were in, the actual expansion of the reservation and encouragement toward naturalization would begin. There had been damages during the battle and the responsible parties would be charged for those crimes, but Hagen had taken most of that onto himself. As long as no major rehabilitation was needed¡­ ¡°They can make it up by fully cooperating with us.¡± Amid all this work, Fasolt was trying to begin producing paper within the reservation. They would not have it shipped in to them. They would create their own records. Sayama wondered if his son, the half-dragon named Fafner, would eventually follow his father down that path. Their history and pride was no longer passed down orally. This change of medium would allow it to spread much wider. The words Sayama had exchanged with that dragon would be passed on in the background of reality. And Sayama¡­ ¡°¡­¡± He had decided to always fight seriously from here on. He thought about the battles to come that would surely be recorded by someone. He thought of his opponents and his comrades. He looked up into the sky and his thoughts finally turned toward that white mechanical dragon. ¡­Did my words reach him? He suddenly looked down from the sky and behind him. There was a wall to the side of the emergency exit. The sand of the schoolyard had washed over it and hardened from the wind and rain. He reached out his left hand and touched it. Sayama wrote a few words with flowing writing. He wrote ¡°1st-Gear ¨C Fafnir Custom¡± ¡°How sentimental,¡± he muttered with no smile in his voice. He removed his finger from the wall, took a step back, and sighed. Just as he did, footsteps rang from the emergency staircase. He looked down and saw long hair swaying as someone walked up the stairs. It was Shinjou Setsu. Perhaps because of the springtime weather, he wore a white short-sleeve shirt and brown shorts. He held a small box. He looked up and walked next to Sayama with a smile. ¡°So this is where you were. I was looking for you.¡± ¡°What is it? No, what is in that box?¡± ¡°Well,¡± said Shinjou as he placed his elbow on the railing and opened the box. The box contained two small shortcakes. Shinjou gave a small smile and looked up at Sayama¡¯s eyes from below. ¡°This is to celebrate me moving in. ¡­Sayama-kun, you seem to have been busy since your wound worsened and then you came back. H-here. I know it¡¯s late, but don¡¯t you think this kind of thing is important?¡± A celebration, hm? thought Sayama. Come to think of it, perhaps we should celebrate 1st-Gear joining with UCAT. Yes. There were things yet to be dealt with and imprudent comments would likely be made. But it was spring around them. The wheat in the field of 1st-Gear¡¯s reservation would be growing nicely and the flowers would be blooming brightly. Spring was an excellent season for celebrations. After thinking through all that, Sayama smiled bitterly. He thought it was about time he got back to his life. He looked Shinjou in the eye. He observed those black eyes. And¡­ ¡°Yes. Later, I will give you some celebratory items as well. Like a video game system.¡± A smile appeared on Shinjou¡¯s cheeks and he gave a pleased sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to our room. That left arm makes things difficult, right? I can feed the cake to you.¡± ¡°I just keep relying on you, don¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Eh? Don¡¯t worry about it. That¡¯s what I came here for.¡± ¡°Fine then,¡± agreed Sayama. He followed Shinjou down the stairs and passed by a group of footsteps heading up. Those footsteps belonged to the members of the art club. A group of about twenty in casual clothes was going up to the roof. They were likely going to sketch the scenery from there. They held drinks and snacks sold only at the school cafeteria as well as sketchbooks and boxes for art supplies. With slow footsteps, their speaking and laughing voices continued upwards. Sayama saw a certain girl at the tail end of the group. It was Brunhild. She was wearing her uniform and she stopped with an expressionless look when she lined up with Sayama. She had a small bird on her shoulder and a black cat at her feet. She held a sketchbook and art supply box in her right hand. She held a small box with food for the bird in her left hand. The others went on ahead, leaving only Sayama and Brunhild behind. She realized Sayama was looking at the sketchbook and she averted her gaze somewhat. ¡°I thought I would try drawing Low-Gear¡¯s scenery starting today. ¡­I finished the oil painting I was working on before.¡± ¡°Yes, I saw it. It is hanging in a hallway of the faculty building, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± confirmed Brunhild and the bird tilted its head on her shoulder. Silence followed. After a few seconds, Brunhild opened her mouth while still looking away. She tried to say something. But some footsteps returned to the landing as if to stop her. They belonged to a girl in casual clothes. ¡°President, we¡¯re going on ahead.¡± Brunhild jumped in surprise, raised her head, and looked behind her. ¡°Okay,¡± she said with a nod before turning her back to Sayama. But then she stopped moving. Her pause was due to some music. Organ music could be heard in the springtime air. Sayama and Brunhild recognized the song. It was Silent Night. ¡°What¡­?¡± muttered Brunhild and the girl on the landing smiled. ¡°President, have you never heard this? It¡¯s because you always close yourself up in the art room. Whenever he has a break, old man Siegfried from the Kinugasa Library plays that song. Apparently, he started two years ago.¡± Sayama saw Brunhild¡¯s back tremble. But that was all. She continued up the stairs. ¡°¡­¡± She silently climbed the stairs. With the black cat and small bird with her, she walked up next to the girl who had called to her. She turned around at the landing and Sayama continued watching her until she disappeared around the next flight of stairs. He then made his way down the stairs without speaking. Shinjou was waiting for him at the first floor entrance down below. ¡°What took you so long?¡± asked Shinjou when he saw him, but he was smiling. However, as Sayama walked up next to him, Shinjou got a look at his face. The smile disappeared and he tilted his head. ¡°Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± asked Sayama while continuing to walk. ¡°Well,¡± said Shinjou while following him. ¡°Did something sad happen?¡± ¡°Your sister probably knows. ¡­I am sure she will tell you one day.¡± Saying nothing more, Sayama wrapped his arm around the shoulder of the person walking next to him. ¡°Ah¡­¡± said Shinjou, but he did not resist. Sayama took a breath and drew Shinjou in closer. He could feel the warmth and softness of Shinjou¡¯s body, but having Shinjou entrust his body to him like that gave Sayama a certain thought. ¡­This is a most welcome thing. Sayama looked up at the sky as he walked. Cherry blossoms scattered like snow through the blue sky. ¡°School begins again tomorrow.¡± Shinjou nodded in his arm and he felt a small squeezing in his chest. While thinking on those two things, Sayama looked even further up into the sky. Had he managed to do something? Volume 2, Afterword Volume 2, Afterword Here is the second half. Referring to a novel as ¡°1-B¡± feels completely unprecedented, but I just wanted to write more and more no matter how much I wrote. I think I will continue like this, so please bear with me. Now for a bit of information about the novel. The derivations of the hymn Silent Night based on the original German that number in the triple digits. People sing translations in dozens of languages. This book used one of those derivations and the translation was made from there as well, so do not treat it as the real one. The history behind all this is interesting, so you might want to look into all that. When you think about it, sixty years goes by really fast. I was born thirty years after the war and my father personally experienced it, but a lot the readers of this book are from a generation that never knew the war. Now that I think about it, a lot of you were probably born after the Gulf War¡­ That¡¯s right. When I think about it even further, students these days (2004) were born during the age of the Mega Drive. ¡­You¡¯re the Mega Drive Generation. (Not really.) Anyway, let¡¯s get to my chat with a friend. ¡°Okay, give me your commentary on the second half.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just lick it, you know?¡± ¡°Bzz. Too bad. There was no licking involved. It was only grabbed and pulled!¡± ¡°Kwah! Dammit. So you found out I haven¡¯t read it!! And what was with that suspicious last sentence?¡± ¡°Come back after actually reading it. I¡¯ll be nice, so listen carefully: Get lost, you idiot.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being forceful today. At any rate, I skimmed through it and read the important parts.¡± ¡°What parts did you read?¡± ¡°The afterword.¡± ¡°Hey! Someone implant something in this liar¡¯s head!¡± ¡°Give me an X-ray vision chip if you can. Man, talking about implants really takes me back. When I was in high school, the guy sitting behind me collapsed and stabbed me in the neck with his mechanical pencil. I had the lead implanted in me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to reach your brain the day after tomorrow and you¡¯ll start convulsing.¡± ¡°No, it won¡¯t. But that isn¡¯t all. In elementary school, this one guy stabbed pencil lead in his arm to make a tattoo of Doraem*n. Once he grew up, Doraem*n¡¯s face got really long and horse like. Doraem*n¡¯s design has a lot of space below the nose.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t something you would want people to know.¡± ¡°No. He didn¡¯t swim in the pool during high school.¡± ¡°This chat has veered away from the novel and toward painful stories from the past.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? The people reading this will be in that stage of their lives. I¡¯m sure there will be one person bearing a tattoo that keeps growing. Talking about the mistakes of our younger days is a good thing.¡± I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s quite that good a thing. Come to think of it, I set up a website. Here¡¯s the URL: http://www.din.or.jp/~arm/ Satoyasu who I have draw for me also has a site. Here¡¯s the URL: http://www.din.or.jp/~fnitt/ And finally, there¡¯s the site for Tenky, the company I work for. Here¡¯s the URL: http://tenky.co.jp/ I just finished proofreading while listening to Zabadak¡¯s Michishio no Yoru which I used as my background music while writing this second half of the novel. ¡°Who exactly began it?¡± I believe I will think about that sort of thing once more. Now, I want to hurry on to the next one. March 2003. A morning of delicious ice cream. -Kawakami Minoru Volume 3, Prologue: The Beginning of False Testimony Volume 3, Prologue: The Beginning of False Testimony The beginning contradictorily tells of the end Where does that wind lead? The heavens were filled with the dark colors of night, but no stars could be seen. This was Tokyo. The moving people shook the air and artificial lights erased the stars from the night sky. A certain sound was audible in one street of that city. It was a solid sound. A metal tip was striking the asphalt. A voice joined the sound. ¡°Sf, what do you think of Tokyo¡¯s Kanda district at night?¡± Those words were spoken by a gray-haired man wearing a black suit. He used a metal cane to walk alongside a white-haired maid named Sf. Sf spun around and looked around the area when she heard his question. ¡°The sidewalks are filled with people and the roads with cars, but I have determined they are all moving toward the train station.¡± ¡°Oh? And does a wise automaton such as yourself know why?¡± ¡°Tes, I have determined they are hurrying home, Itaru-sama.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said the gray-haired man with a nod. Sf stopped in front of him. ¡°What is it, you stupid automaton? Are you trying to block your master¡¯s path?¡± Sf was holding both hands out. Those small hands were holding something. ¡°What¡¯s with that small piece of paper and stamp?¡± ¡°To put it simply, this is an ¡®I did what Itaru-sama wanted¡¯ point card. Once I reach 20 points, I can praise myself. I usually stamp it myself, but this is the 20th point. Itaru-sama, you do the honors.¡± Itaru narrowed his eyes as he took the card and stamp and stamped it. ¡°What is this weird super deformed face symbol?¡± ¡°It is you, Itaru-sama. It was developed by the UCAT development department.¡± Sf took back the card and bowed. ¡°Excuse me a moment.¡± She rubbed her own head with her right palm, lowered her hand, and spoke expressionlessly. ¡°Tes. I am done.¡± ¡°Is once enough? You sure are modest.¡± ¡°If you wish, I can do it any number of times.¡± ¡°Once is enough. And don¡¯t do that in front of people. ¡­Who knows what they would think.¡± ¡°Tes. I will only do it in front of you, Itaru-sama.¡± ¡°Oh? Sorry, but I¡¯m a person, too.¡± ¡°If you say so, Itaru-sama.¡± Itaru gave no response. He began walking again. His feet and cane chose a path leaving the road. He left the people hurrying home along the main road. ¡°Itaru-sama, doesn¡¯t this path lead to¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯ve been here for some adjustments before.¡± Itaru stopped in front of a large white-walled building taking up a large space in the city. ¡°Officially, it¡¯s known as a hospital, but it¡¯s actually Japanese UCAT¡¯s Tokyo lab. It works with the Okutama development department. I hear they¡¯re improving the anti-3rd god of war.¡± ¡°Why are we here today?¡± asked Sf. Itaru pulled an envelope from his pocket. ¡°I have to give this to a certain man. He¡¯s a descendent of 2nd-Gear which is the basis of Japanese mythology.¡± ¡°A descendent of 2nd-Gear?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡­He holds the name Kashima which is both 2nd-Gear¡¯s strongest military god and swordsmith. Tonight, he left UCAT in Okutama and came here.¡± ¡°Could you not wait until tomorrow and give it to him once he returns to UCAT?¡± ¡°In all things, the atmosphere is important. Remember that, Sf.¡± ¡°Tes. In all things, useless additions are important. I understand.¡± Itaru returned the envelope to his pocket and walked toward the white building. Sf followed right behind him. ¡°But who is this Kashima?¡± ¡°Well, this may be a roundabout way to answer¡­but do you want to hear about 2nd-Gear?¡± ¡°No, not really.¡± ¡°Then I will tell you.¡± Itaru slowed his pace and smiled. ¡°Sixty years ago, 2nd-Gear sided with Izumo Aviation Institute¡¯s National Defense Department before any other Gear.¡± ¡°I have heard of that. Control of 2nd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core control system was lost as the Concept War continued and it became the flame dragon Yamata. They signed a treaty and asked that IAI come to their aid.¡± ¡°Yes, but help did not arrive in time. 2nd-Gear was burned and destroyed by Yamata. ¡­And in ¡¯46 after the war ended, Yamata was sealed here in Low-Gear. It was sealed using a giant humanoid machine created by a certain researcher in Low-Gear as well as¡­¡± He took a breath. ¡°A sword created by Kashima¡¯s grandfather. But¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± ¡°But when it was sealed, the flame dragon Yamata was unable to trust the people of 2nd-Gear who allowed it to lose control. It was sealed based on the trust of a certain Low-Gear researcher. The right to control Yamata should have been passed down by certain people of 2nd-Gear, but Low-Gear stole that right due to Yamata¡¯s lack of trust,¡± explained Itaru with a bitter smile. ¡°But the Low-Gear researcher who spoke the word to seal Yamata was burned to death by the heat of the flame dragon while sealing it.¡± ¡°So the word used to seal Yamata has not been passed down to anyone?¡± ¡°Only the Kashima family knows it.¡± ¡°Testament. And that is why you are meeting Kashima-sama. Yamata must be controlled when 2nd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core is released.¡± Sf looked forward and Itaru followed suit. An oden stand was set up on the empty street in front of the white-walled building. ¡°That oden stand is a UCAT disguise, isn¡¯t it? It is the central guard station.¡± Currently, a single man sat in the chair behind the stand. He wore glasses, work clothes, and a lab coat. He looked around thirty, had a slender frame, and was facing the laptop placed on the small counter. As Sf approached him, she narrowed her eyes. Finally, she spoke. ¡°Tes. I have checked his child string vibration. He is Kashima Akio of Japanese UCAT¡¯s development department. His is a senior member. He, his parents, and his grandparents all have pure 2nd-Gear blood. However¡­¡± ¡°However?¡± ¡°His physique does not befit the title of strongest military god.¡± ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t,¡± said the man behind the counter as he stood up. Kashima stood with a relaxed posture and smiled toward Itaru and Sf. He took a few steps toward them. ¡°I like it when people don¡¯t think of me as a military god.¡± Kashima gave a small bow. Sf lowered her head in place of Itaru, but she frowned. Kashima tilted his head when he noticed. ¡°Did a sudden thought come to you?¡± ¡°Tes. Kashima-sama, why would you like that I did not compliment you?¡± ¡°Because I dislike power. ¡­I dislike my own power.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all there is to it, Sf, so don¡¯t question it. He¡¯s a member of the development department. Do you want to cause a split among comrades by unnecessarily finding fault in him?¡± ¡°I was not aware you had any comrades, Itaru-sama.¡± ¡°Oh? It looks like modern automata naturally reject their master¡¯s personality.¡± Kashima suddenly smiled in realization as he listened to the two of them. ¡°Oh, by any chance are you Supervisor Ooshiro of Team Leviathan? What are you here for?¡± ¡°I am here to meet you. Am I interfering with your work? From what I heard, you were on guard duty so you could defeat some persistent attackers while also testing a Cowling Sword.¡± ¡°Yes. Oddly enough, the research facilities around here have been attacked a lot lately. And by a mysterious group. My friend Atsuta and I have guard duty here, but I arrived a bit early.¡± Kashima raised his right hand. That hand held the laptop which had been sitting on the counter before. Itaru looked at the opened LCD monitor. ¡°Were you killing time by researching Cowling Swords as a bearer of the name Kashima?¡± ¡°No, I stopped producing them eight years ago. I was passing the time by watching videos I took of my daughter. She¡¯s only four months old, but she¡¯s super cute. Look.¡± As the screen displayed a video of a baby, Itaru grabbed Sf¡¯s shoulders and casually pushed her forward. Sf watched the baby and woman with short hair on the screen. ¡°I can find no visual match. ¡­Are this woman and child from Low-Gear?¡± ¡°She was a classmate during my college years. My wife is Natsu and my daughter is Harumi. Oh, look. Harumi is about to raise her hand. Look, look, look. Ah, she raised it! How cute!¡± ¡°Itaru-sama, how should I react to this?¡± ¡°Praise him.¡± ¡°Tes. Kashima-sama, I have determined Harumi-sama did very well.¡± ¡°Thanks, thanks. ¡­Anyway, what do you need with me?¡± ¡°Well, Kashima-kun, it¡¯s a simple matter. To put it in a more roundabout way, what do you think of Team Leviathan?¡± Kashima gave a troubled smile at that sudden question but answered after a short pause. ¡°I think it¡¯s amazing,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°You have unfair weapons using Concept Cores, you¡¯ve gathered skilled people from all over, and you¡¯ve proven yourselves by getting 1st-Gear to ally with you. I think you¡¯ve done quite well.¡± ¡°Then how would you compare us to your own power, Kashima-kun?¡± Kashima¡¯s smile vanished, but Itaru continued speaking. ¡°I hear the Cowling Sword you wielded eight years ago could emit power that rivals Izumo¡¯s V-Sw.¡± ¡°That¡­was destroyed back then,¡± said Kashima expressionlessly. Sf must have thought something about this change in Kashima¡¯s attitude because she took action. She swiftly moved in between Itaru and Kashima. ¡°I apologize. Kashima-sama, your shoulders have tensed-¡­¡± Sf trailed off because Kashima had placed his hand on Sf¡¯s head at some point. Sf¡¯s expressionless face grew even harder. Kashima sighed and nodded. He rubbed Sf¡¯s head. ¡°Sorry. I have no intention of harming your master.¡± ¡°Then please stop rubbing my head.¡± Sf pulled a paper card from her pocket and held it out. ¡°If you wish to do so, take this. If my usefulness earns 20 points, you may rub my head.¡± ¡°Thank you. ¡­Anyway, I hope you understand. I sealed my own power in that accident eight years ago. I sealed my power to create swords and to wield them. Why are you here, Supervisor Ooshiro? Don¡¯t tell me you came here to dig up my past.¡± ¡°I am happy to tell you that is exactly why I am here. You can be as surprised as you like.¡± Itaru gave a nod and a bitter smile. He pulled the white envelope from his pocket and held it out. ¡°The next negotiations in the Leviathan Road will be with 2nd-Gear. Tsukuyomi, the development department director, said you would be the representative.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°2nd-Gear has already allied with Low-Gear, so what could you want now? And what could the military god who sealed his own power want? I would like for you to show us that.¡± Kashima remained perfectly motionless and Itaru bowed his head. Sf did the same while standing in front of him. As they bowed, a single voice and the sound of a metal cane rang out into the night. ¡°For our atonement with the past that the late Sayama wished for, you will take part in the Leviathan Road in search of some answer. That is what we all wish for.¡± The area that best absorbed the darkness of the night was not the ocean or the city. It was the forest. A certain Tokyo forest existed far to the west of the city center. It was located in the area known as Okutama. Below the moon in the night sky were trees surrounded by darkness. Just one spot of that dark forest was not filled with shadows. The moonlight reached that spot. Rows of white-walled buildings could be seen sitting there. Those buildings were the Tokyo Branch of IAI. Further back in the valley behind IAI was a single long runway and a white building. That building was the IAI transportation administration building as well as the headquarters for Japanese UCAT. The lights were on in that building¡¯s lobby. White light filled that high-ceilinged lobby and a single painting hung on its wall. The framed oil painting measured two meters square and it showed the Virgin Mary embracing her crying child. Below the painting, six lines of English lyrics were carved into a metal plate. They made up the English translation of the hymn Silent Night. Two people sat in the red carpeted lobby below the painting. One was a black-haired girl. She sat on a sofa while wearing a black T-shirt and a white denim dress. She was speaking to the old man sitting across from her. The gray-haired old man wore a lab coat and smiled as the girl gestured and smiled while talking. The girl raised both hands and her smile grew. ¡°And Sayama-kun is just so amazing, Ooshiro-san. What took me a month in reflexes training he finished in just a week. There are some things he¡¯s really weird about, but I think he¡¯s mostly an amazing person.¡± ¡°That is because Mikoto-kun used to train at a really weird dojo called the Hiba Dojo. Shinjou-kun, he should tell you about it eventually. As well as what happened to him.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Shinjou Sadame as she lowered her hands. ¡°Where is Mikoto-kun now?¡± asked Ooshiro to the girl whose cheeks were a bit flushed. ¡°With starting school this month and working with the student council, he hasn¡¯t finished his training time yet. He said he would work at it until late tonight. ¡­He sure has a lot of energy.¡± Her eyebrows lowered slightly and she looked at the painting on the wall. Her mouth opened slightly and she muttered the first line of the English lyrics. Shinjou then lowered her gaze once more. ¡°It seems Sayama-kun¡¯s left arm is almost fully healed. Will Setsu¡¯s role be over soon? He won¡¯t need Setsu to help him out anymore.¡± Shinjou¡¯s voice grew quieter. ¡°Once Setsu leaves Sayama-kun, my lie will be half gone.¡± ¡°Are you really okay with Setsu-kun leaving him?¡± Shinjou raised her head, looked at Ooshiro with her black eyes, and formed a smile. ¡°I think it went well. Normally, I¡­Setsu and I are not allowed out of UCAT. Getting to go to school and be with someone like him may have been more than enough.¡± She nodded. ¡°Once the Leviathan Road is over, Sayama-kun will have no more reason to be with me. ¡­Once that happens, will I have to stay goodbye to Sayama-kun as well?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Ooshiro folded his arms. ¡°Shinjou-kun. I have a hypothetical question for you.¡± ¡°Hm? What is it, Ooshiro-san?¡± ¡°What if Sayama-kun said he wanted to remain with you even after the Leviathan Road?¡± Shinjou thought for a moment and blushed. ¡°Th-that would never happen. Sayama-kun is only with me so he can bring out his serious side and face the Leviathan Road. I can¡¯t conveniently assume it¡¯s anything more. And¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m always with him, he¡¯ll find out about my lie. Sayama-kun is clever. It¡¯s dangerous enough as it is. ¡­If he found out about my lie, I think he would start avoiding me.¡± Shinjou lightly embraced her own body. She sighed as if to say it was not fair. ¡°I can only be with Sayama-kun because of my lie. You understand, don¡¯t you, Ooshiro-san? You and the others who know the reason behind my lie take such good care of me.¡± After a while, Ooshiro finally nodded. He let out a deep breath and adjusted his position on the sofa. As he did, the sound of exhaust could be heard outside the lobby and next to the administration building. Shinjou and Ooshiro looked out the large window and saw the lights of three vehicles leaving and heading toward IAI. ¡°Come to think of it, you use those trucks disguised as mobile food stands even at night. What are they heading out for?¡± ¡°You know the UCAT Tokyo Laboratory in Kanda, right? They research concept space production devices and update the god of war. Lately, there have been some attempts to get at what¡¯s inside there, so we¡¯ve strengthened the security a bit.¡± ¡°Security? So was that some special division?¡± ¡°No, it was the development division. The 2nd-Gear group said this was a good opportunity to test out a new Cowling Sword. Director Tsukuyomi always helps us so much with our equipment that I can¡¯t say no.¡± ¡°I see. 2nd-Gear adapted well to Japanese UCAT and has already been fully naturalized, right? 2nd-Gear was the basis for Japanese culture after all.¡± ¡°Yes. They are impossible to tell apart form a normal Japanese person. Some of their older people will occasionally give classes on 2nd-Gear history for the younger ones, but they are otherwise normal citizens of Low-Gear.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Shinjou again with a nod. She looked out the large window which showed her reflection a bit. The lights of the vehicles were no longer visible. She looked at herself in the window. She was surprised to find the ends of her eyebrows lowered. Shinjou tilted her head at her own reflection. ¡°I hope I can adapt to myself.¡± In the Kanda district of Tokyo, the stillness of late night surrounded the UCAT Tokyo Laboratory. This was the time when the city of Tokyo would get some short sleep in the light of the streetlights. However, a few noises around that white-walled building disturbed that sleep. There were three noises in all. The first was the wind rustling through the trees along the road, the second was a high-pitched metallic noise, and the third was a song. The first was the last traces of the wind signifying the end of spring, the second was the clashing of swords signifying the beginning of a battle, and the third was an out-of-tune male voice. ¡°Say farewelllll to themmmm! Knock them out with a single punnnnnch!¡± As that song filled the air, the wind may have died down, but the sounds of the swords never stopped. The voice and the noises came from between some buildings located away from the UCAT Tokyo Laboratory. The song came from a shadow. This shadow sang as he weaved along the functional street that contained no residences. A few other shadows charged at the first shadow. They reached him but were blown away. ¡°As they shed some tearsssss! Say goodbye with three taaaaaps!¡± The shadow running on ahead would not fall. Without lessening his speed, he ran across the road, weaved between the trees, and cut in between buildings. After a total of seven clashes, seven other shadows collapsed and the chorus came to an end. Once the shadow finished singing, he ran out from between the buildings and into the street. He stopped below a streetlight. The light showed he was a young man wearing the white combat coat of UCAT. He had short hair dyed blond, slender shoulders, and thin forward-looking eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t keep this up. I just can¡¯t. I¡¯ve even run out of enka songs. ¡­I need some more fuel.¡± As he spoke, he held his right hand up to his shoulder. He wore a black gauntlet to prevent the sword he held from slipping. On the surface of the sword¡¯s white cowling was a black label that said ¡°7STAR¡±. He casually held the sword between his right shoulder and neck so he could use both hands to search through his pockets. As he did, a staticky male voice came from his neck. ¡°Atsuta. I¡¯m not getting any data from the Cowling Sword. What are you doing?¡± The voice came from a small communicator. The young man named Atsuta frowned. ¡°I was taking a quick nico break.¡± ¡°Nico break?¡± ¡°It means to smoke, Kashima. Y¡¯know, nicotine and all? I think it sounds more bright and positive than calling it a smoke break.[1]¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ignore most of that, but no smoking on the job. For the sake of your health, chew some of the nicotine gum in the box I gave you. It will make some people very happy. Me, especially.¡± ¡°Yeah, you quit smoking after your kid was born. But why are you trying to regulate my health, too? Anyway, come watch my battle and recital. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find it moving.¡± ¡°Moving, hm? We do say that when something fills us with emotion. The question is which emotion this would fill me with.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, you idiot. This is a hell of a lot more normal than staring at pictures of your wife and kid.¡± ¡°Staring? You have it all wrong. I am admiring them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same thing, you idiot father.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Thanks for the compliment, Atsuta. More importantly, I have something to discuss with you, so accompany me on the train ride home.¡± ¡°What do you want to discuss?¡± ¡°The Leviathan Road. Supervisor Ooshiro went out of his way bring me the paperwork himself. It seems Director Tsukuyomi has given me full authority. To be honest, I¡¯m not sure what to do.¡± ¡°Yeah, you lost all assertiveness eight years ago.¡± Atsuta started ignoring Kashima. But when he pulled his hands from his pockets, he held a long, narrow package of gum. That nicotine gum had the UCAT symbol on it. The front had a drawing of a smiling man with his eyes opened wide as he ran down a railroad track. The name of the product was ¡°Thomas the Danger Engine Nicotine Gum¡±. ¡°Kashima, quick question. ¡­What is wrong with your taste for coming up with something like this?¡± ¡°The sales just keep rising.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not reading the chart wrong? Is it rising as you go to the left?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Do you hate Thomas the Danger Engine that much? ¡­All the kids love him.¡± ¡°Um, kids don¡¯t need to stop smoking. Can¡¯t you make some nicotine gum for adults that¡¯s filled with sex and violence? Something like Female Teacher Excitement Nicotine Gum.¡± ¡°Calm down. If I made that, it couldn¡¯t be sold in the normal market.¡± ¡°Are you insane, you na?ve father? You¡¯re going to sell this gum to the general public?¡± ¡°Apparently, it will be sold as an IAI product. The copyright check was strict. Something about the smile needing work.¡± Without speaking another word, Atsuta switched off his communicator. He grabbed the sword held between his neck and shoulder and looked up into the sky. ¡°I need to forget that unpleasant conversation.¡± He began chewing the gum. ¡°Salted salmon flavor. Now I want some rice,¡± he muttered while slowly glancing around. At some point, Atsuta had been completely surrounded. Atsuta stood in the center of the illumination of the streetlight and a few different shadows were standing around him. There were four in all. They were all men wearing long black clothing. As Atsuta watched, he realized all four of them had altered a portion of their body. ¡°Ha ha. You¡¯ve got the armored body modifications from 3rd-Gear. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to attach those toys to an automaton instead? ¡­What Gear are you from?¡± The men silently took defensive stances, but Atsuta lowered the white sword in his right hand. ¡°No. That attitude just won¡¯t do. It just isn¡¯t right. Listen up, you idiots. When I ask you a question, you answer me. Let¡¯s try it again. ¡­Are you part of that rumored Army that takes in people from any Gear?¡± The only response he got was silence. Atsuta chewed the gum while a smile appeared in his eyes and on his lips. ¡°You¡¯re here to steal the god of war being improved in the UCAT Tokyo Laboratory, right? You bring such a large group to sneak in during the night and this is all that¡¯s left to take me on? How boring. You might as well just go ahead and leave.¡± In the very next moment, Atsuta took action. He took a casual step to the right. It was a quick action. He moved toward the right hand soldier in black who had mechanized both his arms. The soldier frantically moved his metal arms into a defensive position. But he did not make it in time. Atsuta had already made his way close enough. Immediately afterwards, his Cowling Sword swept by in front of the man¡¯s chest. That was enough to smash his arms like ice. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± The soldier in black opened his mouth in a wordless cry and Atsuta pulled a piece of gum from his pocket and shoved it into the man¡¯s mouth. ¡°It¡¯s popular with children, you defeated beginner.¡± Without waiting for the man¡¯s opinion of the flavor, Atsuta kicked his unguarded body. With his arms gone, the soldier in black collapsed and a metallic noise rang out. But Atsuta did not even look at him. He turned around and watched the remaining three. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t kill you. I¡¯d never hear the end of it from Kashima otherwise.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± replied a voice. It came from the man with two false arms who stood in the center of three standing ten meters away. ¡°I had heard there was an insane warrior in UCAT. He comes from the sword god family of 2nd-Gear which is the basis for Japanese mythology. His family name is Atsuta and his given name is Yukihito.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised you know that. You sound like a sensible person.¡± ¡°What are you saying? You are the descendent of the gutless Gear that surrendered to UCAT before any other Gear!¡± ¡°Shut up. You¡¯re gonna bring up something from 60 years ago that not even my dad was around for? That won¡¯t do. It just isn¡¯t right. ¡­And what do you mean we surrendered, you idiot? Listen,¡± began Atsuta. ¡°The culture here in Japan with its occasional sexiness and violence is based on 2nd-Gear. Our ancestors didn¡¯t surrender. They compassionately descended before the primitive natives here, you complete idiot.¡± His words and tone erased all expression from the three soldiers¡¯ faces. But one breath later, the man from before spoke again. ¡°Then we can assume 2nd-Gear will cooperate with the Leviathan Road? The holy sword Totsuka that sealed Yamata is held by UCAT along with the giant humanoid machine Susaou. So will you also¡­¡± ¡°Ally ourselves with UCAT in the Leviathan Road?¡± asked Atsuta. ¡°I don¡¯t know. We¡¯ve gotten used to this country in the sixty years since the war, but Low-Gear doesn¡¯t know the truth about us.¡± ¡°The truth?¡± ¡°The word used to control Yamata. The Low-Gear researcher who sealed Yamata died while sealing it, so it wasn¡¯t passed on to Low-Gear. The only person who knows it now is my friend Kashima.¡± In that case¡­ ¡°Low-Gear can¡¯t control Yamata right now.¡± Atsuta nodded and looked at the three men. ¡°Okay, that should be enough. I¡¯ve talked enough for today. I¡¯ll cut you down now.¡± As Atsuta watched them, his enemies¡¯ faces stiffened. One was on the right, one was directly in front, and one was to the left. ¡°Oh, so you can show some nice expressions. As a reward, I¡¯ll show you something neat.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just watch. If you can.¡± As soon as he said that, Atsuta began walking. He walked toward the man on the right. He walked casually and without suppressing his footsteps. However, the man did not react. He only waited for the approach as if he could not see Atsuta. Atsuta moved up to the man. Finally, the man panicked. He looked left and right as if he could not see Atsuta who stood right in front of him. ¡°H-hey, where did that idiot get-¡­?¡± His cry was cut off. Atsuta had cut him down. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you. Take your time and enjoy this.¡± Atsuta stuffed a piece of gum in the man¡¯s mouth and turned around toward the man who had been on the left. The exact same thing happened. As soon as Atsuta turned around, the man on the left lost sight of him. He checked to the left and right and bent down as if he could not see the man standing directly in front of him. ¡°Wh-where did-¡­!?¡± His question was cut off. Atsuta had travelled six steps to the left and cut him down. Once again, Atsuta stuffed a piece of gum in his mouth. The men on the left and right had both been unable to react until he had already attacked. All that remained were the two wrappers Atsuta balled up and tossed aside. ¡°You can tell your kids about it when you get home. It should be going on sale soon.¡± With that comment, Atsuta stood before the man who remained in the center. Atsuta¡¯s expression was one of complete boredom. ¡°Now then. Why do you look so pale, you ape? I haven¡¯t removed any of your blood. Or did you panic because you think I¡¯m a psychotic murderer or something?¡± Atsuta held the Cowling Sword in front of the man¡¯s face. When he saw the white steel point of the sword, he flinched back a bit. ¡°That technique,¡± he muttered. ¡°That was 2nd-Gear¡¯s Art of Walking. You approach while escaping your opponent¡¯s perception and then take their life. There are stories of approaching an enemy to assassinate them in Japanese mythology, right? Anyone well-known in 2nd-Gear can do at least this much.¡± ¡°You have that much skill and power yet you still serve them?¡± ¡°Shut up, you idiot. ¡­The thing is, this woman who¡¯s important to me is from Low-Gear. It may just be one person, but, well¡­she¡¯s important to me.¡± Atsuta smiled bitterly. With that embarrassed smile, he scratched at his head. ¡°C-c¡¯mon, you idiot. Don¡¯t make me say such embarrassing things at a time like this.¡± With that comment, Atsuta jabbed his knee into the man¡¯s gut. With a loud sound of impact, the mechanical arms and organic body collapsed and stopped moving. ¡°Ahh, ahh,¡± sighed Atsuta. He looked over the four collapsed figures and said, ¡°Make sure to clean up before you leave. And don¡¯t spit your gum out on the road. Got it?¡± Notes 1. ¡ü Nico is Japanese onomatopoeia for smiling. Volume 3, 1: The Two in the Flames Volume 3, Chapter 1: The Two in the Flames As if building up It all slowly begins to move And hopefully continues to the place it wants to be ¡ªI cannot ask if I can stay here. ¡ªI decided I would stay here. Someone asks something So what should you do? You understand nothing and have decided nothing Sayama Mikoto was dreaming. He could see the inside of a giant wooden building. His vision existed in the center of it. The structure of the building resembled the interior of a Shinto shrine. However, it was on a much larger scale. The ceiling was easily thirty meters tall and the entrance through which the sky was visible was over fifty meters wide. ¡­I do not recognize this building. This really must be a dream. Sayama moved his vision to look at the entrance. The red sky was visible through it. It was a burning and flickering sky. I am dreaming of a fire, thought Sayama. Flames and shimmering covered the sky and sparks poured down like rain. Is this an air-raid? he thought. No, this is different, he quickly corrected. The sound filling the air was not that of airplanes passing by overhead or of fire bombs falling from the sky. It was a bestial roar that resembled distant thunder. This beast¡¯s voice tore at the air. As that cry reverberated through the air, Sayama saw new movement within the building. The large gate was being closed from the left and right of the front entrance. Sayama stared beyond the narrowing gap between the two sides of the gate. His view below the red sky was from some elevated place. He may have been atop a mountain. When he looked down on the land, he saw a sea of flames identical to the sky. Originally, the landscape had likely been made up of fields, forests, a village, and distant mountains, but all of it had been transformed into a field of crimson that rose up in places and lowered in places. Whenever one of the areas sticking up collapsed, more sparks would fly up into the sky. Sayama suddenly realized a woman stood beyond the closing gate. The old woman had her back to him. She had black hair and wore a simple white outfit with a yellow cloak over it. Sayama then saw two men run from behind his vision and toward the entrance. The man in the lead wore a dirty lab coat. He was a middle-aged man wearing glasses. He ran toward the closing gate and the woman standing beyond it. The second man was short and wore a simple black outfit. He ran after the man in the lab coat. Sayama saw the man in black catch up to the other man and tackle him to the ground. As the world outside burned and the bestial roar continued, the two men could be heard falling to the ground. The man in the lab coat cried out, but not at the man holding him down. He shouted through the closing gate. ¡°You can¡¯t! You¡¯re¡­You¡¯re their leader, aren¡¯t you!? Why are you choosing death here!?¡± The woman standing outside did not turn toward the man. Instead, the man in black answered. ¡°This is the rule! This is how we do things!¡± The man in the lab coat prepared to shout another question, but he stopped. The man holding him down with his arms and knees had pressed his head down. As silence fell over the two of them, a voice suddenly came in from beyond the closing gate. ¡°Military god, take care of him.¡± The man in black nodded without saying anything. As he did, the gate continued to close. Only a meter gap remained. But the woman¡¯s voice could still be heard. ¡°Engineer from a country connected to ours in another Gear, these seeds were sown by us. If Yamata devours this world, it will surely make its way through this gate and to your world.¡± The man in the lab coat raised his head. ¡°If¡­If I had only had more power¡­ If I had made the decision sooner¡­!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied the old woman. She continued with a smile in her tone. ¡°Everyone thinks that. Both those who were unable to reach this place and those who did. But just like you, we had no power. ¡­Protect your own Gear.¡± And¡­ ¡°Can you protect your world from destruction?¡± The man in the lab coat was unable to answer. He only clenched his teeth while being held down. As the gate closed, the surrounding walls were dyed in darkness. ¡°Listen,¡± said the man in black. ¡°The two thousand people we could fit in this temple will be moved to your world. Our glory was once said to be countless, but it has been ruined and lost. And now we will lose our world too!¡± ¡°Kh,¡± groaned the man in the lab coat. His twisted face was turned toward the closing gate. Sayama turned his vision in that direction as well. That old woman was visible through the slight crack remaining. She was turned toward the sky and a single flame could be seen in the sliver of sky Sayama could see. The flame took the form of a dragon. That serpentine flame dragon had eight heads. It was easily over a kilometer long and continued to stretch out longer. As it flew through the sky, it turned toward them and opened its eight mouths. Immediately afterwards, Sayama heard a voice. It belonged to the woman beyond the gate. She spoke with an intonation to her voice. ¡°I have-¡­¡± As soon as the rhythm began, the gate closed with a roar. With the outside light gone, the building filled with darkness. A voice could be heard from outside the gate. It was a new voice. Compared to the woman¡¯s voice from before, this voice was more powerful and caused the surrounding area to shake. It was¡­ ¡­The dragon¡¯s voice. It did not use words. This was a bestial question. It was a cry filled with an intonation made up of only emotion and intention. This was the dragon¡¯s lamentation. That cry descending from the heavens was the dragon¡¯s voice. And it held the meaning of a question. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± It asked. It forced two things upon the listener. It forced them to answer and to destroy. The cry pierced through the air in search of an answer and of destruction. At the same time, everything was overcome with darkness. In the very next moment, Sayama heard a long cry filled with both sorrow and resentment. As soon as anguish filled the scream, the images and sounds Sayama was experiencing came to an end. Sayama awoke. The early morning air was cold and the newly risen sun was so bright it looked white. He sat up within his dormitory bed. However, the remnants of the dream remained vividly in his head, so he still felt a bit removed from reality. As his sleepy eyes worked to bring his vision into focus, he recalled the dream. The world had been burned, a lot had been lost, and ultimately he had been forsaken. That was the dream. ¡­Was that the destruction of another world? Another Gear? ¡°That was quite a heavy scene. ¡­But I think I know why I saw it.¡± Sayama silently reached up to the top of his head. The soft sensation above his head was Baku. Baku was a four-legged beast with thin fur covering his body. Sayama picked him up and realized his small eyes were closed in sleep. That animal had undoubtedly been what had shown him the past. Sayama then reached out to the side. He would find a book there. It was part of an investigation report written by Kinugasa Tenkyou that collected legends and myths from around the world. ¡­Baku must have called in the past in response to what I was reading last night. This was the second volume that detailed Japanese mythology. That must have been 2nd-Gear being destroyed in that dream, thought Sayama as he gazed up at the ceiling. But as he reached for the book, his hand touched something warm and soft. ¡°¡­Ee.¡± The sensation was accompanied with a voice. Wondering what was going on, Sayama looked down. As his vision came into focus, he looked down toward the blanket covering his body. But he found something else instead. For some reason, a butt was sticking out sideways there. Two bare legs kicked at the air near the ladder on his left and a back covered by a shirt could be seen by the wall to his right. A butt with white underwear tightly covering it was located between the two. ¡°Ah¡­no¡­wait¡­¡± As Sayama heard that frantic voice, saw the waving hair, and saw the squirming round skin in front of him, Sayama gave a sleepy comment. ¡°Why are you suddenly performing such fruity actions, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s because you suddenly sat up! And right when I was trying to wake you up.¡± ¡°I see,¡± muttered Sayama, but his mind was still muddled with sleep. ¡°So I sat up and dragged you in just as you were leaning over the bed.¡± ¡°Wh-why are you calmly analyzing this so early in the morning!?¡± ¡°Then allow me to give a different analysis. ¡­Ohh! Th-that¡¯s an ass, Shinjou-kun!¡± ¡°Please help me instead of acting crazy!¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Sayama watched the butt moving up and down in front of his face. He finally spoke in a gentle but certain tone of voice. ¡°Beautiful.¡± ¡°Wh-what? Did you just say something kind of weird!?¡± ¡°I did nothing more than state the obvious. Anyway, you need to calm down. Here, I will help you up.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah! N-no, stop. Don¡¯t touch my butt!¡± ¡°I am not touching it. I am grabbing it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the same thing! Please finish waking up before-¡­ Ah, n-no! Don¡¯t pull on my underwear! It¡¯s riding up!¡± ¡°Then what am I supposed to grab in order to help you up?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± muttered Shinjou as he turned his head toward Sayama. Their gazes met while Shinjou was blushing and looking troubled. ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± muttered Shinjou as he stopped kicking his legs wildly. His legs were now hanging over the edge of the bed and their weight started to drag him off. ¡°Wah!¡± As Shinjou panicked, Sayama caught his waist in both arms. It all happened in an instant. Sayama turned Shinjou face up in his arms and sat him up on his lap. Shinjou kicked his legs meaninglessly two or three times. ¡°Nn¡­¡± he sighed while being held below the arms. His flushed face was looking up at Sayama. ¡°S-sorry about causing such a commotion first thing in the morning.¡± ¡°Do not worry about it. Being woken by another person is one form of happiness.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I suppose you would not understand as you always wake up before I do. Perhaps we should reverse that at some point.¡± ¡°Sayama-kun, how would you wake me?¡± ¡°Well, if I wanted to be certain, I would perform an early morning body press or lie next to you and give endless flirting comments until you woke up. That would be good, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°No.¡± Shinjou averted his gaze, sighed, and left Sayama¡¯s arms. As he placed his legs on the ladder, he turned a puzzled look toward Sayama. ¡°Um¡­ After you wake up, how about we eat breakfast on the cafeteria terrace?¡± ¡°Sounds good. I believe the morning menu is tororo soba and a melon soda float.¡± ¡°Why do they always serve such odd combinations here?¡± Shinjou tilted his head as his slender back and waving black hair descended the ladder. As Sayama watched that back, he realized something. When he picked Shinjou up before, his bandaged left arm had not hurt at all. ¡­It is almost fully healed. Once that wound healed, Shinjou would have no reason to remain at the school. He suddenly found that disappointing and then smiled bitterly. If he felt that way about it¡­ ¡­I have accepted Shinjou-kun as someone close to me. So what would he do if Shinjou did leave? ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He had exchanged a certain promise with Shinjou Setsu on a certain windy night. ¡°If you do not wish to be here and I wish to do what is best for you, I will hate you.¡± Sayama added ¡°as a villain¡± under his breath and nodded. He then picked up a thick hardcover book in his right hand and climbed out of his blanket. After 6:30, the city was filled with light. The city¡¯s transportation system was already moving that early in the morning. A certain train station was part of the Chuo Line that cut across Tokyo from east to west. An early morning train leaving Tokyo arrived at Ochanomizu Station, the third station from the east. The train contained few people that early in the morning. The first car had only two people sitting in it. They were Kashima and Atsuta on their way back from guard duty. Kashima put on his glasses and opened his laptop on his lap. He spoke to Atsuta on his right without turning toward him. ¡°Atsuta, how can you board the train dressed like that? You look like a cosplayer.¡± ¡°Before giving me advice like you¡¯re my mother, how about you do something about your abnormal fashion. A lab coat over work clothes? Does your wife never question it at home?¡± ¡°Natsu-san is very understanding about my work.¡± ¡°That¡¯s surprising for someone of Low-Gear. ¡­Have you still not told her?¡± ¡°No. She still knows nothing about UCAT. Nothing has changed since our college days. She thinks I chose to climb the corporate ladder within IAI.¡± The young man named Kashima operated the touch panel and a few different programs began running on the screen. ¡°Ever since I had a kid, I couldn¡¯t help but start up a website. Look at this video of her. Look, look. She¡¯s about to cry. Ah, she¡¯s crying. How cute.¡± ¡°You¡¯re gonna make me cry, you idiot father.¡± ¡°What do you mean idiot? You can¡¯t deny how cute she is. Do I need to say it again? She¡¯s so cute.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what makes you an idiot, you idiot. Babies are no different from monkeys.¡± Kashima gave a toothy smile when he heard that. ¡°Monkeys? Is that what you said? Is it? But I¡¯m so happy with my life right now that I won¡¯t get mad even at that. In fact, I feel sorry that you can¡¯t understand how cute she is, Atsuta.¡± ¡°That¡¯s scary. You¡¯ve lost an important emotion.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Sorry, sorry. I used to laugh at parents like this too, but I went out and bought a video camera as soon as my own kid was born. I really am an idiot.¡± The train door closed, the train shook once, and it began to move. Meanwhile, Kashima closed the video on his computer. ¡°But, Atsuta, you let all of them go, didn¡¯t you? What kind of false ally of justice are you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. A catch and release policy is standard when it comes to villains. Doing anything else leaves you with fewer and fewer people to defeat.¡± ¡°How did your mother raise you?¡± ¡°She told me to always be honest.¡± ¡°That is an excellent lesson. I¡¯ll take that into consideration when teaching my daughter.¡± Kashima let out a breath. ¡°Now then,¡± he said as his expression changed. A hint of tension entered his face. ¡°Who were they? They didn¡¯t seem to all be from one Gear. It was creepy.¡± ¡°How should I know? All I saw was a bunch of enemies. Do I need to ask people their name, age, address, and occupation before cutting them down?¡± Atsuta sighed, stuck a hand in his coat pocket, and stretched his legs out into the passageway. ¡°Are you never going to do anything more than make adjustments to Cowling Swords?¡± ¡°That accident eight years ago taught me that making them is not for me. My father makes farm tools and works as a farmer, you know?¡± ¡°I always feel bad about all the rice he sends me every year. ¡­But your grandfather was 2nd-Gear¡¯s greatest swordsmith, right? Are you still hesitant to directly make something that kills people?¡± ¡°I am going to say yes,¡± said Kashima in a flat tone as he stared forward. ¡°I have a certain power, but I have decided not to use it. It¡¯s easier this way. ¡­And I won¡¯t tell my family either. I¡¯m sure those naturalized from other Gears have similar issues to deal with.¡± As he spoke, Kashima thought. He finally gave a bitter smile and spoke once more. ¡°How many times have we had this conversation now?¡± The second floor of the school cafeteria contained only a few students with morning training and was very quiet. The western style window was open to help circulate the air. This let in the cold air and the distant noises and shouts of the sports teams¡¯ morning training. And¡­ ¡°I hear hammering and electric guitars.¡± ¡°They are preparing for the All Holiday Festival, a spring school festival held over the long holiday coming up. You know Kazami, the treasurer, right? She is the one that hits people a lot. She is having a band play at the festival. That is them practicing.¡± Sayama and Shinjou carried their morning meal trays to seats by the window. They had placed their things at that table ahead of time. ¡°Sayama-kun, do you have work today, too?¡± Setsu did not know about UCAT, so Sayama had told him he had a part time job at IAI. Sayama nodded and recalled his dream from that morning. ¡°Yes. I think there is something I need to do there.¡± They arrived at the table as they spoke. Sayama looked down at something. A leather bag sat on Shinjou¡¯s side of the table by the window and a pile of loose leaf paper sat on top of the bag. When they had left their dorm room, Shinjou had quickly snatched that paper up from his desk. Sayama tilted his head as he looked at the untidy stack of paper. ¡°N-no! Don¡¯t look at it!¡± Shinjou frantically ran to his seat and practically threw his tray down. ¡°Ah,¡± said Shinjou when he realized what he had done, but he covered up the pile of loose leaf paper all the same. While fixing the position of the tray that was about to fall over, Shinjou looked up at Sayama. The ends of Shinjou¡¯s eyebrows were lowered. ¡°D-did you see?¡± ¡°No. I only saw what looked like some kind of title.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t see anything else?¡± Sayama thought back, but he had only seen the text for a split second. However, he could take a guess as to why Shinjou was so flustered. ¡°So I was right. You were writing something lewd¡­¡± ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t. And what do you mean ¡®I was right¡¯?¡± ¡°I think you have been giving immediate tsukkomi a lot more recently, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°I try not to. Getting caught up in your pace is dangerous.¡± ¡°But then I feel sad.¡± ¡°I-I think you should be made to feel sad in this case. C¡¯mon, eat your food and then go take a bath. Look, you can have the cherry from my morning soda float. Look, two cherries. You can¡¯t be sad then, right? Right?¡± ¡°I bet that would work really well with a young child,¡± said Sayama as he looked at his soda float with two cherries. ¡­Well, this might be for the best. With that serious thought, he placed his tray down. Shinjou¡¯s shoulders relaxed and he gave a sigh of relief. He placed the loose leaf paper in a black binder inside his bag. Sayama sat down as he watched Shinjou put away the paper. ¡°Is that what you have been working on late at night and early in the morning recently?¡± he asked. Shinjou turned around, averted his gaze, and spoke in a troubled tone. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°I see. Do your best, but do not force yourself too much. Someone like you needs to look after his health. If you are ever in trouble, come to me. I can introduce you to a good hospital.¡± ¡°Just out of curiosity, what kind of hospital is it?¡± ¡°It is the hospital the Tamiya family uses. Even the biggest coward will return a brave man after spending three hours there. They always grow depressed about three days later, though.¡± ¡°They¡¯re definitely doing something bad there.¡± Shinjou sighed but soon sat down and leaned back in the chair. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°What are you apologizing for?¡± ¡°Oh, um. I panicked and rejected you just a moment ago.¡± ¡°No, you did not. That was my fault. I tried to peek at something that belonged to you.¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­sorry,¡± he said, but a look of resignation quickly appeared on his face. ¡°Sayama-kun, you do seem crazy at times and suddenly do strange and even criminal things, but you¡¯re very strict when it comes to other people and their secrets.¡± ¡°I have a feeling you have made some kind of misunderstanding about me.¡± ¡°R-really? But everyone says you are an idiot who lives in the Sayama universe where the world revolves around you.¡± ¡°Hm, even if I accept everything after it, I have a hard time understanding why someone with grades as good as mine would be called an idiot.¡± ¡°Um, idiot can mean a lot of different things. ¡­Wait, you¡¯re fine with the stuff after it?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Sayama tilted his head. ¡°You took me seriously, Shinjou-kun? Do not worry. It was a joke. I know the world revolves around the sun.¡± ¡°A-ah ha ha ha. Th-that¡¯s right. You do seem to live in a world of your own sometimes, so I wasn¡¯t sure.¡± ¡°Well, fear not, Shinjou-kun. Ever since the middle ages, the world has followed the heliocentric theory. With me being the sun, of course.¡± ¡°Eh!? Wh-what? What was that last part?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. A trivial matter, Shinjou-kun. Do not worry about it.¡± Sayama laughed and suddenly looked out the window. The student dorms were lined with cherry trees which already had green leaves. In front of them was the parking lot for faculty and visitors. Sayama saw a woman walking along the gravel of the parking lot. She had wavy blond hair that was almost silver and she wore a black two piece suit that swelled out at the shoulders. The hem of her long tight skirt shook back and forth with great regularity because she walked as if treading along a single line. Just as Sayama started to look away from her, she took a sudden action. She instantly turned toward him and bent her eyes in a smile. Their gazes met. It was as if she had noticed him. Sayama gulped slightly. She was at least thirty meters away and her back had been turned to him. Even so, she had turned her blue eyes directly toward him and a slight smile could be seen on her face. That smile made Sayama frown, but he quickly created a different expression. He replied to her smile with a calm one of his own. And she reacted when she saw it. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She gave a broad smile. Her slight smile was replied by a look of joy at his response. With that pleasant smile, she turned back around and walked away. Not having noticed any of this, Shinjou tilted his head in front of Sayama. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°A greeting I suppose. Someone wanted to exchange a pleasant smile and I complied.¡± Something new is beginning, thought Sayama. A woman wearing a black two-piece suit gave a pleasant sigh as she stood on the gravel below the early morning sun. ¡°That was a nice response. It would have been cute if he blushed, though. I wonder if he realized who I am.¡± She smiled and continued walking. She walked along the gravel path in high heels, but produced no footsteps. The back of the 3rd year general school building was visible ahead of her. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to go meet Siegfried Zonburg, the librarian of Kinugasa Library,¡± she said with a sigh while observing the shape of the building. ¡°I need to check on the state of Low-Gear.¡± ¡°It comes down to how we should live here in Low-Gear.¡± Really, though. How many times have I asked myself that? thought Kashima in the train. Atsuta spoke quietly while staring up at the ceiling. ¡°Your problem is how we¡¯re a lot like the people of Low-Gear but not exactly like them, isn¡¯t it? How about you just take it easy?¡± ¡°I used to do that so I could pursue my grandfather¡¯s final words. But¡­I learned something in that accident eight years ago. I started to lose something important to me and could no longer accept my own power.¡± If he closed his eyes, he could remember it. It had been a rainy night eight years ago. He had been producing Cowling Swords at the time. He had been delighted at a certain sword¡¯s quality and had gone out alone to a mountain testing ground near UCAT. ¡­And I caused an accident. He remembered the result of his actions and a single emotion all too well. As he looked down from the mountain that night, he saw the earth collapsing. As the rain pelted him and he held the hilt of that broken Cowling Sword in his hand, he had run over to the large-scale collapse. Kashima still remembered the feeling inside him at that moment. ¡­A sense of superiority. It had been incomplete, but he had still felt pride in his ability to create such a powerful Cowling Sword. But Kashima¡¯s feelings had frozen over in the next instant. He had heard a single voice coming from several dozen meters down the slope. Beyond the uncertain darkness, he had heard a scream. It had been a scream of fear. And that scream had come from below the collapsed earth where- ¡°¡­!¡± Kashima¡¯s pulse rose abruptly and he opened his eyes. He felt sweat all over his body and he suddenly realized he was inside the train. Atsuta was staring at him. ¡°Are you okay, you idiot? Don¡¯t get too lost in the past. It isn¡¯t healthy.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ But I can¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°If you feel yourself slipping back, start thinking about your wife¡¯s breasts.¡± Kashima obediently thought about them. ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re pretty nice. Can¡¯t argue with that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t start kneading the air inside the train! I only told you to think about them, you idiot!¡± ¡°Y-yeah, but to be honest, Natsu-san¡¯s chest is really relaxing.¡± ¡°You want my honest opinion? A military god shouldn¡¯t be so sexually lovey-dovey. Anyway, what do you want? You told me to join you on the train because you had something to tell me, right?¡± ¡°Oh, right, right. Wait just a second.¡± The train shook as Kashima spoke. After several seconds of deceleration, the train arrived at the next station, Yotsuya. No one boarded. All that entered was the slightly chilly wind of a morning in late spring. As soon as the doors closed again, Kashima pulled a white envelope from his pocket. ¡°That Supervisor Ooshiro gave me this. It seems Director Tsukuyomi has given me full authority.¡± ¡°Let me see that. Is old woman Tsukuyomi just trying to get you out of the way? You said it was about-¡­¡± ¡°The Leviathan Road, yes.¡± Kashima gave a bitter smile when he saw Atsuta¡¯s displeased look. His friend was displaying his own feelings amazingly well. ¡­That allows me to act more maturely. ¡°I was even told to prepare to release 2nd-Gear¡¯s concepts.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see, let¡¯s see. This is the document. Um, what does this say? L-L-Levi¡­¡± ¡°Leviathan Road. You can¡¯t even read that? I¡¯m a bit shocked.¡± ¡°Sh-shut up. Reading is a pain, so just explain it to me.¡± ¡°How I negotiate this is being left entirely up to me. Director Tsukuyomi may be the leader of 2nd-Gear, but she claims she¡¯s too busy to do it herself.¡± ¡°That old woman just wanted to shove this annoyance on someone else.¡± As they spoke, the train began slowing once more. They were near Shinjuku. ¡°You¡¯re switching to a different train here, right? You¡¯ll be coming to UCAT after greeting your wife and kid, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Kashima as he took the envelope back from Atsuta. ¡°But is it really right for us to take care of the Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± Kashima could not respond right away. He closed his laptop and returned the envelope to his pocket. ¡­How can I best explain it? As he thought, the bright platform of Shinjuku Station rushed by outside the window as if to catch them. ¡°Well, there¡¯s that accident for one, but I also have no interest in the Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°Oh, your grandfather¡¯s final words.¡± ¡°Yes, his final words. He once wielded the sword that sealed Yamata, but his final words became meaningless nine years ago. That was when we inspected Susaou, the giant humanoid machine created to restrain Yamata.¡± He let out a weary sigh. ¡°Releasing 2nd-Gear¡¯s concepts means entering the concept space in which those two sleep and releasing the seal of Totsuka to call out Yamata.¡± ¡°You make it sound like there¡¯s a ¡®but¡¯ coming.¡± Kashima smiled bitterly. The train began to stop and noise came from its metal wheels. While surrounded by that noise and the shaking of the train, Kashima thought. He thought about something he had been thinking for a long time. ¡°Neither of us experienced the Concept War. Not even Director Tsukuyomi did. In that case, do we¡­no, do I have any right to take control of releasing the concepts?¡± He took a breath. ¡°I have no grudge against this Gear, but I am not thankful either. I was born here and living here is completely normal for me. ¡­So how are we supposed to handle this?¡± Atsuta frowned at his question. ¡°C¡¯mon, stop thinking so much about it. Just treat it like a festival. Make it nice and exciting.¡± ¡°There are times when I¡¯m incredibly jealous of your personality.¡± ¡°How do you feel about my personality normally?¡± ¡°I pity you. I wonder why the world would let a creature like this be born.¡± ¡°Go to hell. I¡¯ll tell your wife her husband looks down on people in his work.¡± ¡°What a pain,¡± said Kashima as he nodded and stood up. ¡°But that¡¯s fine. Natsu-san is very understanding about my work.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that just mean she isn¡¯t all that interested in it?¡± Kashima grabbed the pole next to the seat and turned toward Atsuta. ¡°And I am thankful for it,¡± he said with a smile. Volume 3, 2: Lesson from the Past Volume 3, Chapter 2: Lesson from the Past A driving force is needed to gain something Is that force desire? Or is it guilt? Kashima¡¯s trip home required riding both the train and the bus. The yellow train from the Yamanote Line¡¯s Takadanobaba Station to the Seibu Line¡¯s Tanashi Station took approximately half an hour. With early morning gone, he left through the south entrance of that white-walled station sitting in the morning sun. Riding the bus heading to Mukoudai Park and getting off near Shakujii River left him almost at his home. The single-story house sitting in the slightly chilly air with Shakujii River and a small thicket behind it was Kashima¡¯s home. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll head to UCAT after getting a bit of sleep.¡± He stood before a red-roofed house with a metal fence surrounding it. A tiered platform displaying flowers was visible in the small yard within the fence. Kashima walked up to the front door, stopped, and sighed. He looked down and fixed his collar. And he suddenly saw movement in front of him. The door made a small noise and opened. A single woman stood within the entrance which looked dim compared to outside. The first thing Kashima saw was the colors. He saw the black of her short hair, the white of her shirt, the black of her jeans, and the white of her skin. Her small black eyes looked at him and smiled in conjunction with her lips. ¡°Did you hear my footsteps? ¡­You¡¯ve had a perfect track record on identifying people by their footsteps since our college days, haven¡¯t you?¡± A smile naturally formed on Kashima¡¯s face when he saw her. ¡°I¡¯m home, Natsu-san,¡± he said with a nod. ¡°Welcome back, Akio-san.¡± The woman, Natsu, took a step back and welcomed in the head of the household. ¡°The night shift must be exhausting. Are you going in again today?¡± ¡°After I eat, I¡¯ll get some sleep, but then I have to go in. I¡¯m a terrible husband.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll gain weight,¡± said Natsu while closing her eyes in a slight smile. She gave a small laugh from her nose. This laugh was evidence of her good mood and Kashima found it amusing enough that he smiled a bit. When he entered the house, he naturally let out a sigh. ¡°Your own house really is the most relaxing place. ¡­Natsu-san, where¡¯s Harumi?¡± ¡°Asleep. If you want to see her, do it after your bath. The water is ready, but do you want to eat first?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll eat first. ¡­Do I have to change?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t your workplace,¡± said Natsu decisively while still smiling. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to your job that we have this wonderful house, but that¡¯s all the more reason to distance yourself from that job while you¡¯re here. ¡­I¡¯m sure Haru-chan would say the same.¡± ¡°You know I can¡¯t win if you bring Harumi into it.¡± He admitted defeat and decided change out of his work clothes. He settled on changing into a track suit or something. ¡°Your track suit is next to the dresser. Just wait a second. I¡¯m heating up the miso soup.¡± Without forgetting to say thanks, Kashima opened the frosted glass sliding door leading from the entranceway to the living room. The large window looking out to the yard on the left was open and the bright light filling the room seemed to wake him up. A low table sat in the center of that light. The dresser was on the right and a bookshelf sat on the left wall between the window and the sliding door to the bedroom. The television to the left of the entrance was playing the news. The news was discussing technology. Kashima had a feeling that sort of news had grown more common lately. All the recent technological advances may have been a side effect of the activity in the various Gears¡¯ positive concepts in order to oppose the negative concepts. ¡°But reality still isn¡¯t that rich.¡± Kashima began changing with a bitter smile on his face. He heard Natsu speaking from the kitchen. ¡°Come to think of it, some Nappa cabbage arrived from your parents.¡± ¡°Then we need to take care of what¡¯s in the bowl on the table today.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pickle them, so don¡¯t worry. I also used some in the miso soup. The part-timers seem to really like our pickled vegetables. They call it super good and nasty good¡­ Slang these days is really confusing.¡± Kashima heard a sigh from the kitchen. ¡°But I feel bad always receiving vegetables from them and never doing anything in return.¡± ¡°Yes, but my parents do it because they like to. They really like you, Natsu-san. If it was just me, they would never send anything.¡± ¡°You sound serious, so I won¡¯t comment on that. But vegetables are expensive these days. ¡­Do you think they¡¯re just trying to be considerate of me? My parents still haven¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°I said they¡¯re doing it because they like to, Natsu-san.¡± ¡°Okay. But I am thankful. Oh, and I¡¯m thankful for this knife I¡¯m using, too.¡± ¡°Knife?¡± When Natsu-san replied, a hint of confusion had entered her voice. ¡°Yes, um, this knife I¡¯m using. A blade your father worked on just seems different somehow.¡± ¡°Well, my dad is wired a bit differently than most people. My mom too, actually.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny that, but¡­um, that isn¡¯t what I meant. I can use it without being afraid. Ever since your father gave me this knife when we married, I haven¡¯t hurt my hand with any kind of blade. Not even when using a needle or anything else. ¡­It¡¯s like this knife is a protective charm.¡± It had been altered by a man with the name of the military god Kashima and a philosopher¡¯s stone had been added, so that was only natural. A blade altered by the hands of a god would become a charm and its owner could not be injured by lesser blades. However, Natsu knew nothing of 2nd-Gear, so Kashima could only play dumb. ¡°Akio-san, your family really does suit the name of the heavenly god Kashima, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°My dad would love it if he knew you were comparing him to a god.¡± ¡°But when I visited your parents¡¯ home, there was no connection to the heavenly god. ¡­I researched the great sword of the heavenly god Kashima in college, so I got excited when I heard your father sharpens blades.¡± Kashima heard a sigh followed by a line he had heard many times. ¡°It¡¯s a lot different from my maiden name.¡± ¡°I think Takagi is a great name. It means you can reach up to heaven.¡±[1] Natsu gave no reply. ¡­Should I not have said that? As he thought that, Kashima looked toward the bookshelf in front of him. The top shelf had a sticker labeled ¡°Natsu¡±. It contained studies on Japanese mythology, all of which were remnants of her college days. Kashima spotted a nostalgic title among them. ¡­I was an engineering student, but I attended a seminar on ancient civilization research so I could learn about 2nd-Gear. He had written a report based on the same book on that shelf. ¡°And that¡¯s where I met Natsu-san¡­¡± he said too quietly for anyone else to hear. ¡°I¡¯m plenty happy now.¡± He glanced over to make sure Natsu had not left the kitchen and then removed the book from the shelf. Two thin books were pressed up against the back panel of the shelf. They were picture books. Those worn out antiques told the legend of Susanoo and the legend of Yamato Takeru. The author¡¯s name was¡­ ¡°Takagi Masamichi.¡± ¡­Will she ever appreciate that name? Kashima finished changing, opened the curtain, and sat on the floor. He heard the sound of clanking ceramics coming from the kitchen. ¡°Did Atsuta-san not come with you again, today?¡± ¡°He¡¯s been heading home on the train recently. He doesn¡¯t have enough points left on his license. In fact, he said he only has one left.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­Maybe this is thinking too much into it, but does Atsuta-san ever intend to get married? He hasn¡¯t even been coming here recently.¡± ¡°He has feelings for someone. Apparently, she was a classmate in high school and is the president of a security company now. And he says the reason he hasn¡¯t been coming here is that he dislikes babies.¡± ¡°How childish of him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s even reached the level of a child. Or a human, for that matter.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t talk about your friend like that.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t deny that he¡¯s on the level of an ape¡­¡± ¡°R-really?¡± With that troubled comment, Natsu entered the room. The large tray in Natsu¡¯s hands contained two teacups, two bowls of miso soup, and two rice bowls. And the deep platter held¡­ ¡°It isn¡¯t a cabbage roll, but I stuffed some of the Nappa cabbage with the mincemeat left over from last night. You should be able to use chopsticks.¡± Kashima saw a boiled water soup with two long and slightly pale green bundles inside. ¡°Did you not eat this morning?¡± ¡°I knew you would return, Akio-san. And I already gave Haru-chan milk, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Natsu¡¯s eyes narrowed in a small smile and she sat next to him. ¡°Or did you want to see that?¡± ¡°I did,¡± replied Kashima and Natsu blushed a bit. A restless atmosphere filled the air. At the same time, the news on the television reached the weather forecast. According to the weather map, that evening would have¡­ ¡°Rain? But it¡¯s so sunny outside right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hurry home. I can¡¯t leave you alone on a rainy night.¡± Kashima turned to Natsu to find the smile gone from her face. Her hands remained motionless as she stared at the weather map predicting rain. She did not move. Kashima silently removed the fly-net cover from the table. The slight movement of the air and the whiteness of the fly-net cover caused Natsu to tremble slightly. ¡°S-sorry.¡± She quickly opened the cover of the small bowl and prepared a small plate. Her expression was back to normal. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I can even go outside now if I have an umbrella. Anyway, let¡¯s eat.¡± The weather map on the television was replaced with rural footage. It showed a paddy field in the mountains. They were preparing to plant the early-growing rice. Natsu breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it. She picked up a rice bowl and spoke. ¡°They really plant rice early these days. Your parents should be beginning soon, too.¡± ¡°I had enough of helping them last year.¡± With a weak smile, Natsu held the rice bowl out toward him. ¡°Thanks,¡± said Kashima as he reached out to take it. The bowl contained rice from the Okutama farm of the Kashima family. And¡­ ¡°But I liked having rice we helped make. If possible, I¡¯d like to do that again this year.¡± As she spoke, Kashima touched the hand holding the bowl. Natsu¡¯s left hand was missing something. It had no little finger or ring finger. As noon drew near, Taka-Akita Academy entered fourth period. Even though classes were in session, it was also preparation time for the spring school festival known as the All Holiday Festival. Students excused from class could be seen preparing for battle throughout the school. From the road to the sports grounds, from the dorms to the cafeteria, and even on the paved and gravel pathways, members of various groups were running around carrying materials or ingredients. A few people were looking down over all of them. These people sat on the second floor of the second year general school building¡¯s emergency staircase. Sitting on the landing were Izumo with his coat removed to show off his well-built body through his shirt and Kazami who was spreading out a homemade triple-layer bento on a sheet. And another girl sat in front of them. This platinum blonde girl wore her winter uniform below the springtime sun. Kazami called the name of this girl who had a small bird on her shoulder and a black cat next to her. ¡°Brunhild, do you have the form for the art club?¡± Brunhild handed her a single sheet of paper. It was the form for the art club¡¯s stand at the festival. Kazami picked up a binder with a pile of papers inside and compared Brunhild¡¯s paper to an example. She checked to make sure everything was filled out and stamped. ¡°The form looks in order, but what¡¯s with this name? Avant-Garde Art Grilled Chicken ¡®Cadmium 2005¡¯? Is that toxic?¡± ¡°We had a vote and decided on this. It¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°Amazing?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How exactly¡­?¡± ¡°Well, the seasoning is green like this and it¡¯s apparently a guaranteed one-hit kill.¡± ¡°Hey, Chisato. If you ask about this anymore, we¡¯ll be caught up in a crime.¡± Kazami almost fell forward, but she straightened up and Brunhild gave a bitter smile. ¡°The underclassmen said they would give you a feast if you come by.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. ¡­But, Brunhild, isn¡¯t it painful to serve grilled chicken while raising a bird?¡± ¡°Yes, but we decided by vote. It may be a problem for me as the head of the club, but I plan to stay away from buying supplies and preparing the food. I will only handle the finances.¡± ¡°That might be difficult. ¡­But grilled chicken tends to make outrageous amounts of money, so I hope you make a good amount.¡± ¡°You know a lot about this.¡± ¡°My dad likes this kind of thing. He always has a stand at the neighborhood association festival. He sells them for 50 yen a piece while the cost price is only 20 yen. He makes around 30,000 yen in a day, so he takes it way too seriously and grills and grills like a monkey or something.¡± ¡°I see. What kind of person is your father, Kazami? Is he like a monkey?¡± ¡°He¡¯d be easier to deal with if he was.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that exasperated sigh?¡± ¡°Well, my mom was a Showa era idol who could sing really well but wasn¡¯t selling due to being terrible with the business side of things. My dad had known her since their schooldays and he worked as her manager for a while.¡± Kazami gave a bitter smile. ¡°But I¡¯ve never actually heard my mom sing. It embarrasses her, so she hides all of the photos from back then and changes the channel whenever a show about nostalgic songs comes on.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just watch it while over at my place? You always change the channel yourself.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just watch something she¡¯s trying to hide.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how it works,¡± said Izumo with a nod. ¡°I see,¡± said Brunhild as she lowered her head. Kazami placed Brunhild¡¯s form in the binder and changed the subject. ¡°Anyway, how are things going with 1st-Gear?¡± ¡°The reservation is set to be expanded.¡± ¡°Really? They finally made up their mind?¡± ¡°This is still inside information, but it seems a place in German UCAT is being set up to take some of us in. The European UCATs will be taking on some of the maintenance expenses on the condition that we share our techniques with them. They¡¯re only accepting second generation members and onwards, but that¡¯s plenty.¡± ¡°I see. A German forest would be a great place for 1st-Gear.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I am a first generation member, so I can¡¯t go even if I am naturalized.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. ¡­I should have kept my mouth shut.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Once the concepts are released to seal the negative concepts, 1st-Gear¡¯s concepts will slowly permeate this Gear. Once that happens, we should be freed from the small reservations.¡± She gave a slight smile. ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll still have to live in areas where the normal people of this Gear can¡¯t find us.¡± Brunhild¡¯s final comment caused Kazami to freeze in place. Silence fell over them. Kazami tried to find something to say, but found nothing. Meanwhile, something lightly struck Kazami¡¯s thigh. It was Brunhild¡¯s black cat. The cat gave a mew, tilted his head, and looked up at her, so she smiled back. ¡°Were you giving silent consideration?¡± she asked. The cat narrowed his eyes and began to climb into her lap. However, Brunhild wordlessly stopped him. She grabbed the cat¡¯s tail and dragged him away. ¡°You don¡¯t need to feel sorry for me, Kazami.¡± ¡°Um, no. I wasn¡¯t. It¡¯s just that the cat-¡­¡± ¡°Forget about the cat. ¡­Anyway, that was just what I thought.¡± Brunhild held the cat up by the tail and smiled slightly. ¡°So let me tell you this: We think our situation has improved. I want you to at least remember that.¡± ¡°Fasolt is working hard because he thinks so too, right?¡± ¡°Yes, but he seems to be on poor terms with Fafner lately.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Brunhild with a nod. Her tone grew thoughtful. ¡°Half-dragon fights are a sight to behold. Their shells are really hard, so no normal attack is going to do any damage.¡± ¡°Um¡­Brunhild? I thought this was a fight between father and son. Why are we talking about ¡®doing damage¡¯?¡± ¡°Oh? Isn¡¯t that normal?¡± ¡°Chisato, I think 1st-Gear might be your kind of place.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that!? Take this! And this! And this!¡± ¡°Yes, Kazami. I think that¡¯s about normal.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Ow, ow, ow. My arm isn¡¯t supposed to bend like that!¡± Brunhild smiled bitterly as she heard Izumo scream. She had a small bird on her shoulder and a cat dangling upside down from her hand. As soon as she stood up, a chime rang, indicating the end of fourth period. ¡°Lunch break¡­ After stopping by the library, I will go help build the stand.¡± ¡°Do all of your club¡¯s members have class excuses?¡± ¡°Yes, but you need to put more effort into making them. They would be ridiculously easy to counterfeit.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s the special right given to those smart enough to come up with the idea,¡± said Izumo while trapped in a double arm lock. Brunhild gave a small laugh and reached for the emergency exit door next to him. ¡°I hope you can stay that calm as you work on the next Leviathan Road,¡± she said. At the same time, a boy entered through the door she had opened. It was Sayama. He swept his left hand up once to brush back his hair and spoke. ¡°Hm. This is an unusual combination.¡± ¡°Are you alone? Shinjou Setsu isn¡¯t with you?¡± Sayama gave a sigh and began speaking in an admonishing tone. ¡°He is not always with me. I told him I have student council work, so he said he would head on to the cafeteria and buy my lunch as well. I am most grateful.¡± As he spoke, another figure suddenly appeared behind him. ¡°Hi! How is everyone doing?¡± It was Ooki with a smile filling her face. ¡°Oh, is everyone here? If only we all had our lunches with us.¡± She nodded. ¡°How about we talk about the next Leviathan Road? Sayama-kun, you¡¯re here because you¡¯ve decided which Gear to do next, right?¡± Notes 1. ¡ü Takagi literally means ¡°tall tree¡±. Volume 3, 3: Progress of Oversight Volume 3, Chapter 3: Progress of Oversight You have a question but you cannot find the answer You are only allowed to reach out your hand And that is why you cannot give up The Kinugasa Library was as long as four classrooms and as wide as two. During the lunch break, it was filled with students. In addition to the usual hardcover books, this library contained all sorts of paperbacks. Old and new books were seen and picked up alike. However, the students in the library were not looking at their books. They were all turned toward the counter next to the entrance. Two people stood there. The first was a tall old man. He wore a white shirt, a black vest, and black trousers. He was the librarian named Siegfried. The other was a tall woman. She wore a black suit and had long blonde hair that was almost silver. Everyone¡¯s gaze was turned toward the woman with looks of curiosity and interest. But she was not looking at them. She had her back to a large whiteboard for messages located behind the counter and her smiling blue eyes were turned toward the entirety of the library. The pale crimson lips below those blue eyes moved slightly. A quiet voice reached Siegfried at the counter. ¡°Am I in the way?¡± ¡°If you are aware of that, then please leave.¡± Siegfried used a pen to fill out the paperwork on the counter as he replied. The two of them spoke quietly enough that no one else could hear. ¡°Even after all this time, you haven¡¯t changed.¡± ¡°How many decades has it been now?¡± ¡°How cruel. It¡¯s only been a bit over ten years.¡± ¡°Either way, this is a territory I know nothing about. Diana, I am not like you.¡± The woman known as Diana deepened her smile in lieu of a response. She turned her gaze toward the center of the library where the mythology shelf was located. ¡°Kinugasa Tenkyou, the Japanese authority on mythology, the founder of this school, and the Japanese man who prompted the beginning of Low-Gear¡¯s involvement in the Concept War.¡± ¡°How knowledgeable of you.¡± ¡°Hee hee. I am left-handed, so I was thankful for his books. When putting together a report, I could turn the pages with my right hand and write notes with my left.¡± However, Siegfried did not turn to face Diana. ¡°Why are you here? I am no longer involved.¡± ¡°Oh? A sorcerer can¡¯t retire. And I heard you fought with 1st-Gear recently.¡± ¡°That was my atonement with 1st-Gear. I do not care about the other Gears. ¡­What do you want?¡± The power contained in that final statement caused Diana to lower her shoulders and sigh. ¡°I have a warning for you: You need to leave. If you take part in the negotiations to admonish the dragons, you will lose your place in this final remaining Gear too.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Team Leviathan and 1st-Gear can no longer go back.¡± Siegfried finally turned around. Her expression had not changed; she was still smiling. ¡°That was all I wanted to say. And I am not the type of woman to repeat myself.¡± She stuck her tongue out a bit and narrowed her eyes as she looked through the library. ¡°Are people reading different books than when I came here?¡± ¡°The Resolution Tsujigiri Samurai series is popular right now. When he occasionally fails to resolve something, he cannot stand it and cuts someone down, but I hear that adds a human aspect to it. ¡­What was popular when you were here?¡± ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t read it, but the bizarre warring states series Exciting Baron-chan.¡± ¡°We currently have up through Volume 170 of that. It takes up most of the new Bizarre Fancy corner made because there were so many books of that genre. I believe the most recent one is titled Excitement in Navalone.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s made it all the way to World War Two. It was only on Volume 3 or 4 back in my day and that was with the Mongols.¡± As Diana muttered seriously to herself, she looked back over at the mythology bookshelf. And she narrowed her eyes. ¡°One of the books is missing. It¡¯s the book on Japanese mythology that corresponds to 2nd-Gear.¡± ¡°I lent it out yesterday to a boy with the surname Sayama.¡± Those words brought a bitter smile to Diana¡¯s face. ¡°I see,¡± she muttered. ¡°So that will be the next Leviathan Road¡­ This has gotten interesting.¡± ¡°What?¡± Diana maintained a slight bitter smile as she spoke. ¡°When they go up against 2nd-Gear, they will face a certain problem. This is a problem we once ran across. ¡­It comes down to the meaning of the word ¡®negotiation¡¯.¡± ¡°Do you think this Sayama can overcome that problem?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But he was at least the kind of person who can return a smile.¡± She looked over and saw a small figure at the entrance to the library. A black cat was lying down next to the door and staring intently at her. Once she saw it, she opened her mouth and spoke in a cheerful tone. ¡°That boy began everything with a smile, so how will he face this problem?¡± Sayama faced Izumo and the others on the emergency staircase landing and told them of the destruction of a world he had dreamed of. ¡°I have decided that was 2nd-Gear.¡± ¡°I see. 2nd-Gear is the world of Japanese mythology.¡± ¡°Given the Divine States-World Interaction Theory, will the stage this time be the Izu Islands?¡± ¡°No, everyone from 2nd-Gear lives in the Okutama region.¡± Sayama watched Izumo grab some chicken from the multi-layer bento box spread out on the floor. ¡°How much do you know about 2nd-Gear?¡± ¡°Nothing at all. ¡­What about the rest of you?¡± ¡°Um¡­ All I know is that it¡¯s the Gear where names have power,¡± said Kazami. ¡°What about you, sensei?¡± Ooki was quickly consuming the contents of the bento box with a serious expression. ¡°S-sensei? You don¡¯t have to eat it all so seriously. I¡¯ll wrap some up for you later, so slow down a bit. And I¡¯m not sure you should eat toast with jam along with stewed meats.¡± ¡°B-but toast with jam is so delicious,¡± declared Ooki as she turned around. Sayama nodded in response. ¡°We know that, so how about joining in the conversation?¡± ¡°Y¡¯know, Sayama-kun. As your teacher, I think you should slow down and take things easy in life.¡± ¡°And who was it eating all of the food without slowing down for a second just now, you starving teacher? ¡­More importantly, please give us an answer. Do you know anything about 2nd-Gear?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ I think the development department that creates UCAT¡¯s equipment is made up of 2nd-Gear descendants. I don¡¯t know anything about that name thing Kazami-san just mentioned, though.¡± Sayama thought on what Kazami had said about names having power. ¡°In other words, naming an object gives it a corresponding power? Is that it?¡± Izumo nodded in response. ¡°Yes. By giving a sword the name of a sword and giving a person the name of a person, they become that thing. For example, if you name a sword the Sword of Warrior¡¯s Lightning, the sword does not become lightning; it becomes a sword with the ability to send out lightning attacks.¡± ¡°So instead of having a normal sword, you name it the Sword of Something-or-Other and it gains that ability,¡± said Sayama as he thought on it. ¡°In that case, can the people of 2nd-Gear use the power of their name as their own ability?¡± ¡°Yeah. Apparently, 2nd-Gear was a gigantic biosphere system inhabited by people with those kinds of supernatural powers.¡± Sayama and Kazami let out impressed ohs and ahs upon hearing the word ¡°biosphere¡±. Ooki frantically spoke up next to them. ¡°Oh, I know about that. I really do.¡± ¡°Really? Then tell us about it, Ooki-sensei,¡± challenged Sayama. ¡°Well, it¡¯s¡­ How should I put it? It¡¯s¡­um¡­um¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Wh-why are you looking at me with so much doubt in your eyes, Sayama-kun!?¡± Sayama ignored her. Instead, Kazami patted Ooki¡¯s shoulder with a smile. ¡°Ooki-sensei. To put it simply, a biosphere is an enclosed world. It can maintain the environment needed for a proper ecosystem. Do you get it now?¡± ¡°K-Kazami-san, why are you speaking to me like I¡¯m a child?¡± This time, Kazami ignored her. ¡°Okay, Kaku. Why was a world of people with that kind of power destroyed by the dragon named Yamata?¡± ¡°Oh, the control system for the biosphere had a mind of its own and was made from 2nd-Gear¡¯s Concept core. It turned into Yamata.¡± Sayama frowned and Kazami¡¯s body visually stiffened a bit. Izumo scratched at his head in response. ¡°It seems the control system resisted it to protect the people. The family in charge of it managed to calm it down, but the control system was unable to restrain its output enough to maintain the world. It was similar to a meltdown.¡± ¡°In other words, it tried to maintain the world but was unable to hold back and was forced to destroy the world?¡± ¡°Yes. Yamata lost control and became a blazing dragon, so it held a grudge against the people. It had taken on that form and destroyed the people and the world all because it was an object of protection.¡± He let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°After 2nd-Gear was destroyed, I hear the survivors of 2nd-Gear and UCAT worked together to seal Yamata here in Tokyo.¡± ¡°I assume when you say ¡®here in Tokyo¡¯ you mean inside a concept space where nothing will leak out even if the ¡®gate¡¯ is opened. But¡­Yamata, hm? That¡¯s from the legend of Susanoo,¡± muttered Sayama. ¡°It was a giant serpent with eight heads and eight tails. In Japanese mythology, Susanoo¡¯s strategy was to give it sake and then lop off its heads with the Sword of Totsuka while it slept. When he did, he found the sword named Kusanagi in its body.¡± ¡°If your dream was legit, it must be huge. How are we supposed to control something like that? We need to give that a lot of thought.¡± ¡°¡­So Yamata wasn¡¯t killed.¡± ¡°No. It was only sealed. It¡¯s still alive.¡± Everyone stopped moving when Izumo stated that last word. And Izumo continued. ¡°A giant concept space still exists somewhere here in Tokyo¡­and Yamata is inside.¡± ¡°Then the first question is where that concept space is.¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯ll probably tell us that if we ask. I¡¯d also like some other information on what happened when it was sealed. Chisato, leave your work to the underclassmen during the afternoon. We should head to UCAT.¡± ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s do some research that might help with the Leviathan Road,¡± said Kazami. Suddenly, Ooki tilted her head. ¡°Um, Kazami-san? One question.¡± ¡°Hm? What is it, Ooki-sensei?¡± ¡°Well,¡± she began in a curious tone of voice. ¡°Why do we need to do the Leviathan Road with 2nd-Gear?¡± Sayama instantly understood what Ooki¡¯s question meant. With her head still tilted, Ooki used chopsticks to grab a shiitake. ¡°Hi hean¡­¡± ¡°Swallow before talking. Yes, chew it nice and slow and swallow. ¡­Okay, what was it?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Right, right, right. I mean, the people of 2nd-Gear work for UCAT¡¯s development department making concept weapons and other things. They¡¯re our engineering group.¡± ¡°Yes, your Japanese is just fine. Feel free to continue.¡± ¡°Right, right. It just bothers me a bit. Um¡­The people of 2nd-Gear have the same physical abilities and appearance as a Japanese person and most of them are already naturalized, so¡­¡± ¡°So why do we need to do the Leviathan Road now?¡± That actually is a good question, thought Sayama. Why were they digging up the past with people who were already on their side? Ooki continued speaking. ¡°If we are going to negotiate with them, I think it might end up being a lot harder than it looks. After all, we have nothing to give 2nd-Gear in exchange.¡± ¡°We can give them money or land in exchange for-¡­¡± ¡°If people on equal footing do that, do you really think they can stay the way they were before? What if Izumo-kun did something for Kazami-kun and she suddenly gave him money?¡± Izumo fell silent. ¡°Sorry,¡± said Ooki in his direction before turning back to Sayama. The ends of her eyebrows were slightly lowered. ¡°Negotiating poorly could bring discord into the relationship between 2nd-Gear and Low-Gear. Unlike with 1st-Gear, the Leviathan Road with 2nd-Gear is not meant to resolve something. It¡¯s more like¡­¡± Ooki thought. ¡°More like¡­¡± She thought some more and tapped her forehead with the chopsticks. ¡°Um, uh¡­ I almost had it¡­ Ahh¡­ ahh¡­¡± ¡°Hey, someone help her out.¡± ¡°Hm, how about this? It is more like this Leviathan Road is meant to reexamine something.¡± ¡°Ah! That¡¯s it! That¡¯s good! Way to go, Sayama-kun. I knew a student of mine would be able to do it. ¡­Hey, why are you ignoring me and staring off in to the sky?¡± ¡°Oh, well, I thought I heard something odd is all.¡± Kazami shrugged from where she sat opposite him. ¡°At any rate, it¡¯s been sixty years since the war. If they¡¯re essentially the same as us, most of them won¡¯t have experienced the Concept War. As Ooki-sensei said, the negotiations won¡¯t be easy.¡± ¡°So the first question I have to think about is what the meaning of this negotiation is.¡± Kazami looked up into the sky. A shadow resembling a black bird moved slowly through the blue sky. It was an airplane taking off from Yokota Air Base in the neighboring town. Sayama suddenly realized everyone was looking up at the plane. Finally, someone let out a sigh. It was Izumo. He spoke in an exasperated tone of voice. ¡°This really is something we need to investigate, isn¡¯t it? We need to find out if 2nd-Gear is even willing to talk and why 2nd-Gear gave in to Low-Gear in the past.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Kaku. If we don¡¯t know what happened with them in the past, we can¡¯t even begin negotiating. ¡­Okay, we¡¯ll head to UCAT this afternoon. What about you, Sayama?¡± Ooki raised her head. ¡°Sayama-kun can¡¯t go. He has cleaning duty, so he has to attend his last class of the day.¡± ¡°What is your last class of the day, Sayama?¡± ¡°Ooki-sensei¡¯s English class. ¡­And I am in charge of interpreting what she says and ensuring class goes smoothly.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. So it¡¯s her class.¡± ¡°Yes. Sayama-kun is always so helpful and the other students are kind, too.¡± ¡°I assume by kind you mean submissive.¡± ¡°N-no, I don¡¯t. They all answer in unison and bring me tea without being asked.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you call being submissive!!¡± Kazami¡¯s shout echoed into the distance. Volume 3, 4: Constant Questions Volume 3, Chapter 4: Constant Questions The usual begins again The usual questions and the usual actions As well as the usual unusual Partially due to lunchtime having passed, schools naturally grew lively in the afternoon. With its large grounds and many school buildings, Taka-Akita Academy was no exception. Class 2-D in the second year general school building was Sayama¡¯s class. That class had reached the time for its final homeroom. However, Ooki had yet to finish her lesson. ¡°Sorry, everyone. My lessons always take so long.¡± Everyone immediately nodded and Sayama spoke up from the center of the back row. ¡°Do not worry. All of us are used to it after last year.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯re all so great. But, but¡­ The most amazing part was how this class was #1 on the academic test in April. Am I just that good at teaching?¡± ¡°You are. Your classes do an excellent job of teaching the students¡¯ to learn independently.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°When the teacher oversleeps, forgets her textbook, gets off the train at the wrong station, and cannot read what she herself wrote on the board, the students have no choice but to learn on their own. ¡­You do an excellent job.¡± ¡°¡­Is that a compliment?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. If you heard it that way, you must be a very happy person. Congratulations on the happy life to come.¡± ¡°Yay! It was a compliment if you ignore the details!¡± As Ooki smiled, the students all gave her threatening looks. As she turned her back to hand a printout to another row, Sayama nodded toward her. This is the kind of person working to save the world, he thought as he watched Ooki. The others did not know about that frightening fact. The ones working to save the world had no sense of superiority. No one else knew what they were doing. In the same way, no one knew anything about the Concept War fought during World War Two. Sayama suddenly recalled what Ooki had said earlier that day. ¡­Why do we need to do the Leviathan Road with 2nd-Gear? What did the people of 2nd-Gear think? Did they feel the same way? When Izumo had left at lunch time, he had told Sayama to visit UCAT¡¯s development department if he wanted to know about 2nd-Gear¡¯s concepts and the true circumstances surrounding its people. When the term Leviathan Road was brought up, would they become allies or enemies? ¡°Hm.¡± Sayama folded his arms. He really did need to visit UCAT after class. He had yet to complete his scheduled training time for that week, he wanted to meet with the people of 2nd-Gear, he needed to speak with Kazami and Izumo about what they had discovered after going on ahead, and¡­ ¡­Maybe I can see Shinjou Sadame-kun if I go. With that thought, he made up his mind. He would go to UCAT. And he had to inform someone of this decision. Shinjou Setsu sat to his right with his long black hair tied back behind him. Shinjou appeared to have been leaning over his desk to write on some loose leaf papers, but¡­ ¡­He is asleep. Sayama reached over to tap Shinjou¡¯s shoulder in order to wake him. But just as he did, Shinjou frowned and spoke in his sleep. ¡°Ah¡­ N-no, Sayama-kun¡­¡± Sayama reflexively pulled out his handheld digital recorder. Hurry, he thought. Will I be able to edit it together in time? I hope I do not overwrite the previous recording. Sayama frantically hit the switch and held the recorder out just as Shinjou stood his fingernails up on the desk. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­Don¡¯t you need to heat it up more than that?¡± Shinjou squirmed. ¡°I-I can¡¯t handle s-something that hard!¡± ¡°Hm. What is this you cannot handle?¡± ¡°Ya¡­¡± ¡°Ya?¡± ¡°Yakiniku!¡± Just as Shinjou let out that shout, he stood up with enough force to knock his chair backwards and his desk forwards. His cloth pencil case fell to the ground and a few sheets of loose leaf paper scattered from the desk. Silent focus turned toward Shinjou. After a short pause, Sayama spoke up. ¡°What kind of exciting dream were you having?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh¡­um¡­ You were insisting on the order meat-meat-vegetable-meat-vegetable, but I was saying vegetable-vegetable-meat-meat-vegetable would be better. Then you tried to force some half-cooked vegetables into¡­ Wait, dream?¡± Shinjou glanced around and saw everyone staring at him. ¡°Ah,¡± he said. He seemed to have caught on, so Sayama nodded. ¡°I am just glad you managed to wake up on your own.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way I can believe you with that digital recorder in your hands! What did you record?¡± ¡°Just your running commentary on the yakiniku in your brain. Ha ha ha. But do not worry. I will put it to good use.¡± ¡°N-no. I have a really, really bad feeling about this, so give it to me.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, you two. I¡¯m still trying to teach a class here,¡± said Ooki. Shinjou blushed but then tilted his head when he glanced over at the clock. ¡°Huh? Why are you still teaching your class?¡± ¡°Ah! I may have been the one to say it, but that was a critical hit!!¡± Ooki then nodded with a smile and pointed at Shinjou. ¡°At any rate, you shouldn¡¯t oversleep.¡± Everyone in the class nodded and spoke. ¡°How can you say that when you¡¯re late to every class!?¡± The afternoon sunlight filled a slanted forest. This forest was in the mountains that stretched back from the train station in Okutama. Amid those forested mountains was a curving road continuing from the Oume Highway. The road followed the natural lines of the mountains and the rivers. However, the road curved in a V-shape at one point. The road was turning aside to avoid a single mountain. That mountain was covered in underbrush but had no trees. It was what remained of a large-scale landslide. That pile of dirt was one hundred meters wide from north to south and it was two hundred meters long. Behind it was a small mountain about a hundred meters tall on which the strata of the earth were exposed on the side. A single person stood at the top of those exposed strata. It was the young man named Kashima. He wore his usual work clothes, lab coat, and glasses. A few white structures were visible beyond the opposite mountain and the forest covering it. ¡°You can really see IAI on a clear day like this.¡± ¡­You can always see it well from here. He could see the sky well too. Kashima sat on the grass and looked up into the blue sky. This was not far from his childhood home. When he looked up into the heavens, he was reminded of a single person. ¡°I used to play with my grandfather.¡± His words brought back memories of the past. ¡­My grandfather¡­ Kashima¡¯s grandfather had survived the Concept War. He had supposedly been a skilled swordsmith, but he had retired when Kashima was still young. The number of friends who stopped by to visit him had decreased as the years went by and Kashima¡¯s father had chosen the path of a farmer despite inheriting the skills of Kashima¡¯s grandfather. His grandfather had often spoken of 2nd-Gear as they sat on the porch. Kashima had attended a Low-Gear school, so he had not thought his grandfather¡¯s stories of a different world were true. The war his grandfather spoke of was different from Low-Gear¡¯s World War Two that Kashima had been taught about. However, those stories had involved many different people, many different battles, and many different losses. Swords had been swung, bullets had been fired, and giant ships and dragons had appeared. And amid all that, his grandfather had told him the following. ¡°When we came to this world, the name Kashima gained the meaning of the greatest military god. It is not as powerful as the emperor, but this name allows us to speak with heaven via tools with blades.¡± Kashima had thought his grandfather¡¯s war stories were nothing but fantasy, but one question had remained. ¡­He would never tell me how the war ended. No matter how many times Kashima asked, the old man would only smile and say, ¡°That does not matter.¡± He had wondered why it did not matter and why his grandfather¡¯s smile was filled with sorrow. When he had entered middle school, he had been told he was not from this world and his question had transformed into doubt. According to his parents, when 2nd-Gear had been destroyed by Yamata, the people had escaped to Low-Gear, created a giant humanoid weapon and a sword, and sealed Yamata. His grandfather had apparently played an important role in sealing Yamata. He had created the sword used to seal Yamata, which was 2nd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core, and he had helped control the humanoid machine. All of that was true. He had looked into it once he joined UCAT. However, his doubt had remained. For example, when his grandfather was still alive, he had never spelled Kashima using Low-Gear¡¯s kanji. ¡­He never let himself fully adapt to Low-Gear. Did the war ever truly end for him? Kashima did not know the truth. And the time he had made his way closest to the truth was not during his time in UCAT. It was on a night thirteen years ago. ¡°The night my grandfather died.¡± Kashima closed his eyes and recalled that moment in the past that had marked the beginning of it all for him. As Kashima¡¯s vision grew dark, he found himself in an old wooden house. He was in his childhood home¡¯s living room. It had a tall ceiling and walls, and the thick pillars and lintels were covered in dark soot. All of the wood had a bit of a tree trunk¡¯s curve remaining and the room was lit by nothing but a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling. It was nighttime outside and the night was filled with the harsh wind of winter. A thin old man lay on a futon placed on the tatami mat floor. That man was Kashima¡¯s grandfather. His hair had thinned, his face had grown yellow, and his eyes were staring blankly up at the ceiling. Did I ever hold his hand back then? wondered Kashima. All he remembered was his parents trying to hold him back from behind. He remembered them telling him to leave him be and not to bother him. But he remembered one thing the most. ¡°You are wrong! You don¡¯t need to bear your father¡¯s sins yourself!¡± Those words reminded Kashima of something else. ¡­Yes, I was holding his hand then. His grandfather had still been strong enough to squeeze his hand back and he had spoken clearly. ¡°Akio.¡± When he had heard his name called, Kashima had brushed aside his parent¡¯s hands holding him back. He had then moved up to his grandfather¡¯s face. He did not remember what he had told his grandfather, but he remembered what his grandfather had said in response. ¡°You can live the same life your father chose.¡± But¡­ ¡°But, Akio, if¡­if you have any questions, go to the Izumo company. There is an organization called UCAT there. And¡­¡± His grandfather had stopped speaking at that point. But Kashima had not allowed it. He had used his empty hand to grab his grandfather¡¯s collar. ¡°Tell me! What do you want to say!? You¡¯ve been holding back this whole time, haven¡¯t you!? You always told me about your dead friends, but you never told me anything about yourself! I should go to UCAT, right! What should I do there!?¡± His question had received a single word in response. ¡°¡­Tachikawa.¡± ¡°Tachikawa?¡± he had said while holding his grandfather¡¯s collar. The old man had nodded and taken a breath. ¡°There is an airfield there and a giant-¡­¡± At the time, he had not known what his grandfather was talking about. ¡°A giant what!? There¡¯s¡­there¡¯s something there, right!? I just have to go there, right!?¡± ¡°Yes. It is in the front box of the bridge in the head¡­ You need to pass that on.¡± ¡°To who!? Pass what on to who!?¡± The old man had not given a response. He had spoken a different word instead. It had been¡­ ¡°A name?¡± Kashima had asked. His grandfather had not nodded. He had only spoken while taking shallow breaths. ¡°That is the word to control Yamata. That is the truth of 2nd-Gear.¡± ¡°!?¡± ¡°Take that¡­and go¡­¡± Kashima had gulped and his grandfather¡¯s eyes had moved. They had turned toward a point in the heavens and they had not focused on Kashima who was looking down at him. He had been looking at something much farther away. The intensity of his gaze had not wavered as the old man spoke a short sentence. ¡°Can you forgive me?¡± Those were his final words. The old man¡¯s slender body had trembled. That throb indicated the end. Kashima had felt that final beat through the old man¡¯s collar and hand. His own body had trembled in response. Those were Kashima¡¯s memories of that night so long ago. He may have forgotten some aspects of it, but one doubt would never disappear. ¡­Had the war truly ended for my grandfather? With that thought, he opened his eyes and stood up. The slope of a landslide lay below him. Kashima¡¯s gaze stopped on one point of that expanse of dirt. A color was visible just a bit down from the center of the slope. That color was white. It belonged to a piece of painted metal. A white mid-sized bus had been inextricably buried in the slope while rolled on its side. Kashima stared at the white bus buried in the landslide and muttered to himself. ¡°My war has already ended.¡± After school, Sayama and Shinjou helped some others clean the classroom. Once they were finished, they spoke with each other while the others prepared to leave. Sayama placed his textbook in his bag while Shinjou placed his hands between his legs and hung his head down. ¡°U-um, Sayama-kun. Sorry about before.¡± ¡°Hm? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°When I was¡­um¡­half-asleep, I said something about a weird dream, didn¡¯t I?¡± Oh, that, thought Sayama with a bitter mental smile. ¡°No, I do not think it was all that weird a dream, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°R-really? It wasn¡¯t weird?¡± Shinjou nodded with a relieved smile and Sayama took his handheld digital recorder from his pocket and switched it on. ¡°I-I can¡¯t handle s-something that hard!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Do you see anything weird about that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s plenty weird! C-c¡¯mon! Quit fighting and give me that recorder!¡± ¡°Calm down, Shinjou-kun. No one is saying you did anything wrong, are they?¡± ¡°W-well, no¡­¡± Shinjou seemed to shrink down. ¡°There is nothing to worry about. Ooki-sensei¡¯s self-destruct stood out a lot more. It is of course possible she purposefully self-destructed to cover for you, but the odds of that are too low for me to calculate.¡± ¡°Are you trying to trick me?¡± ¡°Not at all. I am misrepresenting the facts to give you a more positive viewpoint.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the same thing as tricking me. ¡­Honestly.¡± ¡°Honestly? Honestly what, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°Nnn,¡± groaned Shinjou as he raised his hands from between his legs. ¡°Um, about what we were talking about before.¡± Shinjou grabbed a pile of loose leaf paper from his desk and held it to his chest. ¡°Do you want to know what I was doing this morning and a bit ago?¡± ¡°I do,¡± said Sayama with a nod. What a complicated person, he thought. Shinjou had refused that morning and he had caused a disturbance during homeroom. Those two facts led Sayama to one conclusion. ¡­Did he decide it would be better to just tell me? ¡°I see. Allow me to prepare my recorder again. ¡­Okay, you may spill the beans now.¡± ¡°Please stop with this polite interrogation.¡± ¡°Very well. I would like to hear what you have to say. Can you tell me?¡± ¡°Yes. But first tell me this: Sayama-kun, do you read novels?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°For example?¡± ¡°Up until summer break last year, I read through every single novel on display in the Kinugasa Library. I target the specific knowledge I should acquire, but I will read any kind of story.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shinjou¡¯s shoulders relaxed a bit. ¡°Wh-what kind of stories did you like? Ones like Tsujigiri Samurai?¡± ¡°That had nothing to make it stand out other than the Tsujigiri. ¡­It was fine as long as you did not take it too seriously.¡± As he spoke, he gave a bitter smile in his heart. ¡­A story worthy of facing and taking seriously. He then realized something. He realized what it was Shinjou wanted to tell him. Sayama pointed at what Shinjou held in his hands. ¡°I see. Shinjou-kun, you are trying to write something like that, aren¡¯t you?¡± Shinjou looked up. Sayama¡¯s almond-shaped eyes looked back at him with no hint of a smile. Sayama had been exactly right. The loose leaf paper in Shinjou¡¯s arms was¡­ ¡°After reading some stories, I wanted to write one of my own. I thought there had to be something better out there and thought about what I would have done differently. ¡­And those thoughts turned into these papers.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama nodded, but Shinjou looked down again. He looked at Sayama¡¯s feet and realized his indoor slippers were surprisingly dirty. ¡°But I¡¯ve never seriously tried to write anything before. I feel like I¡¯m lacking something.¡± ¡°Lacking something? Like what? Common knowledge? Or maybe composure or objectivity?¡± ¡°Sorry, but I need to turn those questions right back at you, Sayama-kun. Anyway, let¡¯s move on. I always stop writing before I finish, so I¡¯m afraid the same will happen this time.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama nodded but finally asked a question. ¡°Shinjou-kun, why are you telling me this now?¡± ¡°I thought it would be best to tell you.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± Shinjou thought about his refusal that morning and what had happened during homeroom. He felt apologetic and also wanted to ensure there were no misunderstandings. However¡­ ¡­Why am I so concerned about misunderstandings? As he thought, he spoke without thinking. ¡°I want you to know more about me¡­¡± What am I saying? he suddenly realized. His face felt oddly warm. Shinjou looked up to face Sayama. As he looked at him through his bangs, he could see a smile in his eyes. He nodded and spoke. ¡°That is what it means to tell a story, Shinjou-kun. Do not forget that stance.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± However, Sayama did not reply to that monosyllabic question. He said something else instead. ¡°What kind of story are you writing now? Is it a bizarre murder mystery that holds the promise of a wonderful romance?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not writing some new genre like that. ¡­Recently, I¡¯ve been looking into Japanese mythology a bit.¡± ¡°Oh? What a coincidence. So have I.¡± ¡°I know. You were reading a mythology book by the man who made this school last night, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°So you noticed. I would like to look into the legends surrounding Susanoo and Yamata no Orochi. Do you have any advice for me?¡± Shinjou thought for a bit. ¡°Hm¡­ Maybe you should focus on swords and heroes.¡± ¡°Swords and heroes?¡± ¡°Yes. Japanese mythology features a few different divine swords. The most well-known one is Kusanagi and the second most well-known one is the Sword of Totsuka that defeated Yamata no Orochi. There are also more minor ones like Futsunomitama. Of those three, Kusanagi is the most important.¡± Shinjou worked to recall the knowledge he had read. ¡°Kusanagi was presented to the head god Amaterasu and for some reason its name changed to the Sword of Murakumo.¡± And¡­ ¡°The one to wield the sword during the age of men was Yamato Takeru. He is a hero on the same level as Susanoo. He went by the name Ousu and wished to unify Japan, so he first traveled to Kumaso in Kyushu and got to know Kumaso Takeru. But Yamato Takeru tricked him to pull off a surprise attack.¡± ¡°He disguised himself as a woman to get close and kill him. Kumaso Takeru called him a hero for defeating him and gave him the name Yamato Takeru. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°No. Both of those heroes were very unique people. ¡­Susanoo was rude and violent and the gods hated him, but he was honest to himself. However, Yamato Takeru was different. He was brave and people loved him, but¡­¡± ¡°He lived surrounded by lies.¡± Shinjou froze in place when he heard that. Finally, he nodded. ¡­Lies. He looked toward Sayama¡¯s left arm. He still had the bandages around it, but the arm beneath was likely fully healed. Shinjou would have to leave him before long. As he thought that, Shinjou spoke without meaning to. ¡°I would say you are the Susanoo type, Sayama-kun.¡± ¡°I am honored that you think of me as a god.¡± Sayama smiled a bit and Shinjou smiled back. But Shinjou finally opened his mouth again. The words he spoke were ones that had been on his mind recently. This had to be the source of the guilt he felt toward Sayama and the desire to have Sayama know more about him. That thought spilled from his lips in a form that expressed it from a different angle. ¡°Sayama-kun, what would you do if I was Yamato Takeru?¡± School had ended and the cleaning was complete. The school was partially filled with the afternoon sun and new sounds echoed throughout it. The sounds were the shouts of practicing sports teams and the bouncing of balls. Other sounds of construction for the All Holiday Festival piled on top of those other sounds. However, there were a few places in the school where those sounds did not reach. One of those was the east side of the third year general school building. The first floor was used to store teaching materials, so people rarely passed by. A tall woman stood amid the shadow of the school building. It was Diana wearing her black suit. She brushed up her hair and turned toward the school building. A guest slipper box was located at the entrance of the building. Someone was standing next to it. ¡°Do you need something?¡± asked a girl. The girl standing approximately five meters away had gray hair and wore a school uniform. A small blue and black bird stood on her shoulder and at her feet was¡­ ¡°That¡¯s the kitty I saw in the Kinugasa Library.¡± Diana brought her left hand to her cheek and let out a sigh. The ends of her eyebrows lowered slightly and she looked at the sharp look in the girl¡¯s purple eyes. ¡°What do you want, Brunhild Schild of 1st-Gear?¡± ¡°You know? That simplifies things.¡± Expressionless, the girl loosely folded her arms at her waist. ¡°I heard from the cat. You told Siegfried to stay away from the Leviathan Road, didn¡¯t you? I assume you¡¯re with UCAT, but what are you thinking?¡± Diana smiled bitterly. ¡°Oh? Why does it bother you so much? You lost to them, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I did, but I also gained something because of them. If you do anything to-¡­¡± ¡°And what do you hope to do if I harm them, little girl?¡± Still expressionless, Brunhild unfolded her arms. She held a blue stone in her right hand. The motion of her hand was gentle yet swift and accurate. The path of the stone wrote words in the air. ¡°I am not going to be treated like a little girl by someone as young as you.¡± ¡°Me? Young? I suppose I do look quite young. ¡­But I would prefer you called me Diana. I think we can get along.¡± Brunhild¡¯s response was to send white light rushing from her right hand. It formed a single link of a chain. The glowing ellipse was thirty centimeters across and it suddenly flew forward at high speed. It moved toward Diana¡¯s neck. But just before it bound her slender neck, Diana moved her left hand. She reached her fingers into her waving hair. When she pulled her fingers out, she held a narrow rectangle of paper. ¡°¡­!¡± The glowing chain struck the paper. A metallic noise rang out and a quick blast of wind burst out. All that remained was a scorched word on Diana¡¯s paper. ¡°Kette¡­ A girl should not be swinging around something like that. Or is that something you take a liking to after living as long as you have?¡± Diana¡¯s eyes narrowed and she lightly embraced her own body. A smile remained on her lips all the while. ¡°I learned one thing today: an idiot will not listen.¡± ¡°And who is that lesson meant for, Diana?¡± ¡°Most likely¡­¡± Her next words were followed by motion. ¡°The entire world.¡± Sayama frowned at Shinjou¡¯s question. He wondered what he meant. ¡°What do you mean when you ask what I would do?¡± ¡°I mean exactly that. What would you do if I was Yamato Takeru?¡± Sayama nodded in response. He thought for a bit and then patted Shinjou¡¯s shoulder with a serious expression. ¡°How about we go to the hospital? You are worrying me with this talk of a previous life.¡± ¡°Th-that is definitely not the reaction I was expecting.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Do not worry. I can introduce you to an excellent brain doctor. Everything will be okay. You will only feel a small prick. I can also introduce you to an excellent sanatorium. And I suppose I would be the one to nurse you back to health. A sanitarium in Karuizawa¡­ How poetic¡­ The highlands, the wide-open sky, the silent nights¡­ Ahh, ahh!¡± ¡°Stop staring into the distance and imagining some drama.¡± Shinjou glared at him with half-lidded eyes, but his expression quickly changed to an exasperated one. ¡°Sorry, though. I suppose that was an odd thing to ask.¡± Shinjou gave a troubled smile. Sayama did in fact understand what Shinjou¡¯s sudden question had meant. Just after Sayama had said that Yamato Takeru lived surrounded by lies, Shinjou had asked if he was the same. ¡­Does Shinjou-kun have some lie? He wanted to know how Sayama would react to this lie, so it would not be something trivial. ¡­The reason he asked me so suddenly must have to do with what he said before. Shinjou had said he wanted Sayama to know more about him. And with Sayama¡¯s left arm almost healed, they would be parting ways soon. ¡­Is Shinjou-kun unsure whether he should tell me something before then? Sayama thought on the word ¡°lie¡±. He wanted to know what this lie was, but Shinjou only showed him a troubled smile. If he asked, Shinjou was unlikely to answer. So Sayama chose his words carefully and spoke. ¡°Will you listen to one thing, Shinjou-kun? No, I must insist that you listen.¡± ¡°Eh? Wh-what is this all of a sudden?¡± ¡°It seems you have some secret, so if you ever feel like telling me, please do.¡± A look of surprise filled Shinjou¡¯s face. That expression told Sayama he was right. And as if to further prove that, Shinjou¡¯s expression changed to one of relief. ¡°Okay. I will.¡± ¡°But be careful, Shinjou-kun. I am a villain, even when it comes to you. So¡­¡± ¡°I know. No matter how much I tempt you, you mustn¡¯t give in, Sayama-kun. You can only be moved when I get serious and try to tell you something. ¡­Right?¡± ¡°Exactly. When that time comes, I will face you as a villain and you will face me based on your own standard.¡± Shinjou let out a sigh. It was a sigh of relief. ¡°I will. ¡­I¡¯m a lot of trouble to deal with, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°You could say the same about me.¡± Shinjou gave a bitter smile and Sayama did the same. In an attempt to bring an end to that mood, Sayama placed his school documents in his bag. But he suddenly stopped. He held an atlas of Japan. He suddenly opened up a map of Tokyo on the desk. ¡­Kazami and Izumo are probably gathering information on 2nd-Gear right now. For example, they might be learning where Yamata was sealed. Shinjou glanced at the map from the side. ¡°Is there something in Tokyo?¡± ¡°Yes. I am going to be looking for something soon. If there was somewhere in Tokyo where something quite large could freely go on a rampage, where would that be?¡± ¡°Y-you make it sound like a monster movie. I want to say a park, but parks have a lot of trees and hills. Is there anywhere flatter like an airfield?¡± ¡°An airfield, hm? I don¡¯t think Tokyo has one of those.¡± Sayama¡¯s comment received a response from a voice by the classroom window. ¡°There¡¯s Yokota Air Base.¡± Sayama and Shinjou raised their heads and looked to the left. Someone¡¯s back was visible by the window toward the back of the classroom. A boy with a medium build sat on the window frame with his uniform¡¯s coat removed. The boy had fairly tanned skin, baggy pants, and a shirt with the bottom spread out. He turned his finely chiseled face and wavy black hair toward them. ¡°What kind of crazy conversation have you been having?¡± he asked with his blue eyes hidden by sunglasses. ¡°It should have been self-explanatory, Harakawa. And what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Oh, Ooki-sensei broke this window yesterday, remember? Well, she asked me to fix it.¡± ¡°I do remember. She opened the window normally, but it fell out for some reason.¡± ¡°Yes, and it stabbed into the flower bed down below. It looked like some kind of avant-garde art. I¡¯m in the automobile club, though, so this isn¡¯t my specialty. Anyway, if you have business at Yokota, I can let you in. I work there part-time.¡± ¡°No, I have no business with Yokota Air Base. It would be the airfield from before the war.¡± Sayama suddenly spread the atlas out on the desk. There had been a large airfield in Tokyo before the war. Sayama quickly opened the enlarged map of western Tokyo and Harakawa called out to him. ¡°Tachikawa?¡± ¡°Yes. It seems your leaving school to work at a military base was useful after all, Dan Harakawa. There used to be a military airfield here in Tokyo: Tachikawa Airfield. It is currently known as the Showa Memorial Park, but it functioned as an airport before the war and¡­¡± Sayama moved his finger along the map. A train route ran by Showa Memorial Park. It was the JR Oume Line which left Tachikawa. The Oume Line extended west toward Okutama. It continued directly to Okutama where UCAT was located. ¡°I see,¡± muttered Sayama. Suddenly, he heard a single noise. It was a metallic noise. Harakawa must have dropped a tool, because he looked around at the floor. An atmosphere of confusion filled the room and Sayama alone began to move. He stood up. ¡°That was the sound of glass breaking.¡± ¡°Wh-what is it, Sayama-kun? What was that about glass?¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± he said as he handed his black leather bag to Shinjou. ¡°Could you take this back to our dorm room? Once I take care of some business, I think I will head directly to work.¡± ¡°Some business?¡± asked Shinjou as he took the black leather bag. Sayama nodded. ¡°I need to clean something up.¡± Volume 3, 5: A Mutual Introduction Volume 3, Chapter 5: A Mutual Introduction The present drives one to question the past The past prevents one from protecting the answer in the present Which one gives a more evil impression? Brunhild and Diana¡¯s battle moved inside the school building. They clashed on the first floor of the third general school building. More and more of the glass in the hallway shattered. Two forms slipped between the small shards as they moved. To the east, Diana wore guest slippers and held her pumps in her right hand. To the west, Brunhild took action and fired an attack using glowing writing. In general, Brunhild would attack and Diana would receive it. However, Brunhild was the one being forced back. As sunlight from the setting sun filled the little-used hallway, sounds of wind came from the rushing light and splashing sounds came from the shattering writing. With the bird still on her shoulder and the cat still at her feet, Brunhild sank down and moved forward. She stared at her opponent and thought. ¡­What is this woman thinking!? She could not read her. Part of her did not particularly care, but she also felt a need to know what her opponent was after. This woman had told Siegfried to leave the Leviathan Road. ¡­And she said Team Leviathan and 1st-Gear can no longer go back! What could they no longer go back from? She doubted Diana would answer if she asked, especially as someone so closely connected to the Leviathan Road. Every single person connected to that negotiation was hiding a definite truth and only bringing forward the current facts. And so Brunhild stepped forward in order to ask. Two footsteps later and she had reached her opponent. ¡°¡­!¡± She wrote with the stone in her right hand. The word she wrote meant ¡°iron pipe¡±. The produced light formed a two meter long weapon. It was lighter than an iron rod and harder than a wooden staff. She attacked. Diana stood directly in front of her. She targeted the tall woman¡¯s legs which were covered with gray stockings. Brunhild moved her knees forward to extend her reach. She swung the center of the iron pipe toward the woman¡¯s shin from the right. And in an instant¡­ ¡°Oh, dear.¡± Diana tried to avoid the attack. She moved away to Brunhild¡¯s left. She took a step toward the hallway¡¯s window, but Brunhild could reach the wall with the length of the iron pipe. Even if the woman pressed up against the wall¡­ ¡­She can¡¯t avoid it! In the next moment, Diana took a certain action. She placed her slipper-covered foot on the wall. ¡°I hope no one is looking in from outside.¡± She walked up the window and circled around to the ceiling. ¡°!¡± Brunhild straightened up but more due to the woman¡¯s movement than due to her avoiding the attack. Brunhild was surprised. That fact indicated she was in danger, so Brunhild reflexively jumped back. She tossed aside the heavy iron pipe made of light and took a giant leap back with the movements of a clockwork doll. She looked up in time to see the woman standing on the ceiling taking a step forward. She reached her left hand out toward the iron pipe of light Brunhild had thrown into the air. ¡°You need to clean up after yourself.¡± It was absorbed into a piece of paper. Brunhild landed at the same moment. The bottoms of her feet slid a bit on the wooden tiles of the floor. ¡°Are you using a philosopher¡¯s stone to stick to the ceiling?¡± ¡°Yes, I am using a spell to adjust the gravitational attraction a bit.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. All I know is the spell to draw out the power. I don¡¯t know the theory behind it.¡± She gave an upside-down bitter smile. ¡°If you insist on an answer, I suppose I could say this is a spell that this Gear obtained along with a few philosopher¡¯s stones back when we first contacted your Gear and gained its culture. This method of drawing out power uses a philospher¡¯s stone as a catalyst and writing as the key.¡± Diana raised her left hand. It held a single pure white piece of paper. ¡°Some look down on it and call it magic.¡± ¡°I see. And here I thought clinging to the ceiling was your own special ability. Like a frog or gecko.¡± Brunhild saw her opponent¡¯s smile deepen. Brunhild lowered her stance and turned so her left side faced forward. ¡°Show me this magic that is based on our techniques.¡± She then nodded and held her left hand up. She raised her fingers and beckoned. ¡°Come at me, Little Diana.¡± Diana responded by lowering her head a bit while still standing on the ceiling. ¡°I shall.¡± And she moved forward. The battle intensified inside the straight hallway. It began when Diana dashed across the ceiling. Her pumps dangled from her right hand and she held a piece of paper in her left hand. As she lowered her body toward the ceiling, she pressed her left thumbnail into the paper. That caused the color black to appear. That pressure-sensitive paper was created via philosopher¡¯s stone processing. She continued on to draw a pattern with her thumbnail. The pattern gave the image of fire, so the paper began to burn. At the same time, fire was projected from the paper. It was a flame round. ¡°Brand!¡± At the midpoint between the two of them, the fire transformed into a mass just large enough to reach one¡¯s arms around. It shot directly toward Brunhild. But just before it struck, she sank down. With a smile on her lips, she wrote a word in the air. ¡°Metal plate.¡± The flames burst apart in front of Brunhild¡¯s right arm. The pressure-sensitive paper was ripped to pieces. The flames had been destroyed by the metal plate made of light that had appeared in Brunhild¡¯s right hand. Her enemy approached in response. Diana took a step toward Brunhild and then took another running step. She reached her left arm around and brushed up the back of her hair. Diana¡¯s hair spread out in midair. White fragments flew from the hair. They were pieces of paper. Sixteen scraps of paper danced wildly through the air. They all had patterns drawn on them already. They meant ¡°arrow¡±. ¡°Pfeil!¡± A total of sixteen sharp points flew through the air. They were of course flying toward Brunhild. Those metal arrows soared in arcs similar to if they had been thrown. They moved very quickly. However, Brunhild only responded in one way. She smiled bitterly. And that bitter smile began to form words. ¡°You only need to give form to the power, but you go a step further and give it a physical form, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Because our ability is inferior to your Gear¡¯s, we had to take it farther than yours. My country is filled with perfectionists. It is most wonderful.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Brunhild with a nod. She wrote something in the air and let the arrows fly toward her. Sixteen metal screws made of light appeared. The screws scattered in midair and received the arrowheads with the weight of real metal. The screws acted autonomously. Whenever an arrowhead dug into the pile of slotted screws, all of the screws would jump up in midair. The action wanted from a screw was of course to rotate. They altered the trajectory of the arrows. They all twisted around and flew behind Brunhild. Once the attacks missed, they struck the ceiling or the floor. Just as Brunhild heard sixteen stabbing sounds, Diana reached a suitable distance as she ran forward. They were three meters apart. If she took one step forward and reached out, she could grab her opponent by the collar. However, Diana swung her body instead. As she twisted her body to the right, her left hand brushed up her hair. Her hair waved, tubes of paper hidden within came loose, and those papers began to unfurl. ¡°Is that the only technique you have?¡± asked Brunhild. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind if I crush this repeat trick!¡± Brunhild knew she could win. Diana¡¯s hair rushed by and the papers flew. Brunhild moved forward to stop Diana¡¯s movements. When she sent out the papers, Diana had brushed her hand through her hair, leaving her body unguarded. If Brunhild charged in at that moment, she could handle whatever happened. ¡­I will get an answer from you. Why did she decide the Leviathan Road was dangerous? Brunhild advanced. As she did, she felt something on her stomach. It was the pain of something hard striking her. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± It was an iron pipe made of light. She looked down and saw Diana¡¯s right hand was holding a piece of paper instead of her pumps. The paper contained a single word that meant iron pipe: Eisenrohr. It was the iron pipe Brunhild had created. The paper that had absorbed the pipe had moved to Diana¡¯s right hand at some point. And then Brunhild noticed something else. The papers scattering from Diana¡¯s hair had nothing written on them. ¡°The hair was a feint. ¡­It wasn¡¯t a repeat trick, okay?¡± Diana smiled and sent weight into Brunhild¡¯s gut. ¡°!¡± Brunhild was thrown backwards, iron pipe and all. Her light body seemed to float up into the air and away from Diana. ¡­Why? Why was she giving Brunhild distance? Brunhild landed and the iron pipe made of light fell to the floor. At the same moment, she heard a shout from the black cat at her feet. ¡°Brunhild! ¡­All around you!¡± She looked around and found certain objects stabbed into the four walls, the floor, and the ceiling. They were Diana¡¯s metal arrows that she had deflected earlier. The metal arrows had a pattern carved into them. That pattern would activate a spell. ¡°It can¡¯t be. You carved the spell into the arrows?¡± ¡°Yes. This is a technique only possible once you give the power physical form. Physical arrows can be used as the catalyst for another spell. This is quite impossible for you in 1st-Gear who only give form to your power.¡± Diana¡¯s words caused the sixteen arrows to emit light. Brunhild¡¯s only option was to evade. But a sudden pain filled her neck. ¡°!?¡± She looked over and saw Diana holding her left hand out toward her. That hand contained a single piece of white paper that was emitting white smoke. Something was wrapped around Brunhild¡¯s neck. ¡°Kette. You can have that back. And while you are bound, we can have some fun with one of our later-developed spells,¡± said Diana with a smile. ¡°Schlag. Let¡¯s put some curl into your hair.¡± As she spoke, a lightning attack exploded out within the hallway. Kazami and Izumo had arrived at UCAT¡¯s fourth basement. A woman walked alongside the two of them in that white corridor. This woman wore the white armored uniform of UCAT with the full assortment of skirt and sleeves. Her long, soft-looking blonde hair was swept back. ¡°Sibyl, is this your first time in the Second Reference Room, too?¡± ¡°Testament, Chisato-sama. Even the department heads are not allowed in without a good reason.¡± ¡°I¡¯m amazed we got permission. Is the Leviathan Road just that important? Well, I doubt Ooshiro-san would tell us even if we asked,¡± commented Kazami. Sibyl gave a small smile and nodded with her blue eyes. ¡°Chisato-sama, why are you investigating 2nd-Gear? Don¡¯t you meet the development department often enough for G-Sp2¡¯s management and adjustments?¡± ¡°Yeah. To put it simply, it¡¯s because I know them that well that I want to make sure not to be rude.¡± When Kazami put together her thoughts with a troubled expression, Sibyl¡¯s eyes bent in a smile. ¡°In that case, wouldn¡¯t you want to avoid looking into anything unnecessary? Try thinking about it this way: you simply enjoy learning about people you know and gathering new knowledge.¡± ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t really like researching things¡­¡± ¡°That is a fatal flaw.¡± ¡°Wah! Did you just cut me off completely!? Come to think of it, am I just an idiot!?¡± ¡°P-please calm down, Chisato-sama. My honest opinion slipped out by accident.¡± ¡°Your honest opinion!?¡± ¡°Ahhh, Izumo-sama. C-could you do something about this?¡± ¡°Sure. ¡­Chisato! Being an idiot¡¯s nothing to get depressed over! You can be like me!¡± His last word caused Kazami to send a straight punch in his direction. ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s better. At any rate, I suppose it¡¯s all over for you if you just give in. ¡­But today I have Sibyl to help me out. Once we¡¯re done here, we¡¯re headed to the training room. Training really is easier for me.¡± As Kazami spoke, the end of the corridor came into view. There was nothing there. It was a dead end at a white wall. However¡­ ¡ªThe truth lies in unseen places. They heard a voice. ¡°!¡± Red text spelling out the words they had heard ran across the black wristwatches the three of them wore. Kazami trembled slightly at the light impact she felt from her watch. At the same moment, the space before them opened up. A wind whipped up, a burning smell filled the air, and a large amount of smoke filled the area. Silver hair danced in the pressure of the waves of wind. It was Diana¡¯s hair. Her eyes narrowed as she looked into the smoke-filled wind at the center of the blast, but a smile never left her lips. ¡­Now, how about that? ¡°If you made it through that¡­¡± As she spoke, the curtain of smoke waved and opened. A girl wearing a school uniform stood there. She appeared to be unscathed. Diana¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Herrlich!¡± Diana looked toward the girl standing in the center of the hallway. The girl¡¯s left hand was on the chain around her neck and her right hand was raised. She was Brunhild. The expressionless girl¡¯s raised hand showed how she had blocked the lightning. A metal plate, metal screws, an iron pipe, and a metal chain were all floating around her right hand. They appeared to be enveloping her. They had been able to turn aside the lightning attack and prevent a direct hit because she had given her power the form of ¡°iron¡±. Only an instantaneous decision remained. The next battle began. Diana saw it with her eyes and heard it with her ears. She saw Brunhild¡¯s right hand produce writing and heard her lips produce words. ¡°You are that which strikes the enemy.¡± In the air beyond Brunhild¡¯s fingertips, the metal plate spun and became a frame. ¡°You are that which targets the enemy.¡± The iron pipe spun in midair and became a gun barrel. ¡°You are that which is very hard.¡± The screws flew through the air and connected the frame to the barrel. ¡°You are that which obeys me.¡± The chain disconnected, duplicated itself again and again, and finally attached to the base of the barrel. Brunhild raised her expressionless head and wrote the final term: smoothbore cannon. As Diana watched on, the connected parts linked together to produce their proper form. They created a metal cannon. The writing of someone from 1st-Gear held the power to control every aspect of its target. ¡°Was everything you did in preparation to create this?¡± ¡°Hmph. Just because you are trying so pathetically hard with your later-developed techniques is no reason for me to hold back with the original techniques. Now, take this siege engine used even before the creation of the Wotan Kingdom.¡± Brunhild pulled a single paperback novel from her pocket. She set it in the magazine slot on the bottom of the frame. A new smile appeared on Diana¡¯s lips and she reached into her hair. Immediately afterwards, Brunhild unhesitatingly pulled the anchor. Space trembled. That was how it felt to Kazami and the others as an endlessly large file archive opened up in front of them. The white ceiling was low and occasional fluorescent lights illuminated the bookshelves below. All of the bookshelves were cheap ones made from metal frames, but they were filled with a great number of documents. There were diagrams, reports, memos, contracts, and all kinds of other labels. The bookshelves filled with these documents continued on as far as the three of them could see. ¡°Wow.¡± Kazami started to take a step back, but a hand stopped her from behind. It was Sibyl. She shook her head. ¡°If you move back, you will return to the normal world.¡± ¡°I guess we have to do this. ¡­Should we think of this as a concept battle against documents?¡± ¡°That mindset would be very like you, Chisato-sama.¡± Sibyl gave a small smile and spoke as she looked at the vast archive. ¡°During the time of the National Defense Department, a large number of underground facilities were created as concept space experiments. UCAT inherited a lot of those and a few of them¡­¡± ¡°Are only known about by those at the very top, right? There are a lot of rumors about that. They say there are areas even further down than the lowest level. ¡­Anyway, is this one of the places we inherited?¡± ¡°Testament. This is apparently based on the first archive created during the National Defense Department days. The documents that still exist in the real world are kept in the Kinugasa Library, so this must be a collection of the knowledge obtained in battle and the knowledge derived from that.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Kazami with a nod. She looked around with an impressed look. ¡°So there¡¯s a lot of information here that they won¡¯t let out without good reason.¡± ¡°And we¡¯re here on the authority of the Leviathan Road.¡± Izumo stepped forward and tapped on a bookshelf. The shelf lined with knowledge and memories did not waver under his large hand. ¡°I think it¡¯ll take a while before I can thank Ooshiro-san for giving us permission. Sibyl, help us find the documents related to the destruction of 2nd-Gear. ¡­We need a good grasp of who we¡¯re dealing with.¡± ¡°Testament. I will do my best.¡± Sibyl stepped forward and bowed with a small smile. ¡°Let us gather data on the people of 2nd-Gear who we know so well. It may not be much, but I will assist with my information gathering ability.¡± ¡°Show yourself, power of majesty!¡± That shout was drowned out by an intense sound of destruction piercing through the hallway. A single change came over Brunhild¡¯s spell and Diana¡¯s spell at the midpoint between them. That change was even more destruction. The two attacks were destroyed by someone. The annihilation of the two powers produced the great pressure of an explosion. ¡°¡­!¡± Wind and sparks exploded within the hallway. First, heat and the pressure of the air rushed out. That was followed by gray smoke and the sound of shattering glass. As if pushed by the wind, Brunhild and Diana jumped back and their clothes were flipped upwards. As if facing each other, they both looked at the space between them. The cannon and papers they had been using were already vanishing. But what had destroyed their attacks? As they watched, the smoke rising in the wind began to rotate and disperse. The destroyer stood in the center. It was a man. A tall old man was down on one knee. He was bald, wore a black vest, and the palms of the leather gloves on his hands were pointed toward Brunhild and Diana. Brunhild frowned when she saw the old man. ¡°Siegfried¡­¡± ¡°That is enough, you two.¡± As if in response to his words, the wind died down. However, the two witches remained motionless. Only one person there moved. That person walked in from the central lobby. He was a boy wearing his school uniform impeccably. His swept-back hair had some white on the left and right and his almond-shaped eyes looked at Brunhild, Siegfried, and then Diana. ¡°Sorry for troubling you, Mr. Zonburg. There was nothing a pacifist such as myself could do.¡± ¡°I will ignore that obvious lie, Sayama Mikoto, but it is indeed best to leave a job like this to the most suitable person.¡± ¡°Indeed. But I have one question for all of you: what exactly is going on here?¡± asked Sayama. He turned toward Diana and she gave a disappointed sigh. ¡°I was just about to win, uncle.¡± ¡°That is my-¡­¡± Before she could say ¡°line¡±, Brunhild trailed off. ¡°Uncle?¡± she said instead. ¡°Yes,¡± confirmed Diana before turning toward Sayama. She brought her heels together, stood tall, and dropped the smile. ¡°Testament. I am Diana Zonburg of German UCAT. I was sent here as European UCAT¡¯s inspector for Team Leviathan.¡± She turned to Brunhild. ¡°And as the witness for accepting 1st-Gear into German UCAT.¡± ¡°I see. So Mr. Zonburg¡¯s niece was sent in.¡± ¡°Hah. You look more like his great-niece.¡± ¡°That is thanks to my uncle improving his eternal youth techniques. It only prevents me from aging, though. I will not live any longer than normal.¡± ¡°Either way, you¡¯re a little girl to me. ¡­Well? What will you do? I don¡¯t care if you are the witness for accepting 1st-Gear. Shall we continue?¡± The cat at her feet shook his head as hard as he could, but Brunhild paid him no heed. She remained expressionless. ¡°Everyone from 1st-Gear would support me. It is not our way to back away because of your opponent¡¯s authority.¡± Diana smiled once more and shook her head. ¡°Unfortunately, I will have to back away. ¡­It is highly unlikely, but if I ended up showing you my memories, it would be an insult to the past.¡± ¡°Coward. But I am relieved. You don¡¯t see many women who are willing to keep their promises after they lose.¡± Both of them gave a small laugh. Between the two of them, Siegfried stood up with an exasperated look. ¡°Try to get along for 1st-Gear¡¯s sake.¡± He loosened his necktie. ¡°I ask that you put constant effort into that.¡± Volume 3, 6: Former Admiration Volume 3, Chapter 6: Former Admiration The world¡¯s entrance is surprisingly close by Will you turn around or look upwards? The easiest boundary to accept is at your feet When Ooshiro Itaru awoke, it was the afternoon. Instead of his usual private room, he was on the roof of the UCAT building. He had been sleeping in a cloth reclining chair and a blanket while below a large parasol. Next to him was an astronomical telescope and¡­ ¡°Sf, what are you doing with that notebook?¡± ¡°Tes. I am recording the heavenly bodies we saw last night.¡± ¡°Oh? I only remember showing you dark parts of the sky and saying ¡®Look, dark matter¡¯.¡± He sat up and noticed Sf was filling the entire notebook page with the color black. ¡°Wait. Are you saying this was my fault?¡± ¡°This was what you wanted, Itaru-sama.¡± Itaru brushed up his hair and placed a hand on the telescope. ¡°Wanna look at the stars during the day?¡± ¡°Tes. Thank you very much. Now I can use a different color of colored pencil.¡± ¡°What color are you going to use now?¡± ¡°Tes. Only the color blue.¡± ¡°So you think you can only see the sky, is that it? It¡¯s time I taught this ill-tempered German machine that the stars do exist.¡± Sf tilted her head in response. ¡°Are you sure you want to talk about the stars?¡± ¡°For me at least, they¡¯re meaningless. But I have an interest in that kind of thing. Remember that.¡± ¡°Tes,¡± said Sf with a nod. ¡°Did anything happen since I fell as asleep last night?¡± asked Itaru. ¡°According to the business division, Sayama-sama wishes to meet with the 2nd-Gear representative.¡± ¡°Ha. They haven¡¯t even agreed to a mutual contract and he¡¯s already here for a preliminary investigation? Any sign of him coming to me?¡± ¡°Tes, none at all. Kazami-sama and Izumo-sama arrived ahead of him and were let inside the Second Reference Room along with Sibyl-sama. I predict he will meet up with them.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Itaru with a happy look. ¡°He can dig up the past with his friends and trick himself into thinking he knows everything.¡± He gave a bitter smile. ¡°2nd-Gear is a lot like us, but that means they won¡¯t open up to us.¡± Sayama walked through a corridor in UCAT along with Ooshiro. He was on his way to a meeting with 2nd-Gear. He had chosen to carry out the meeting alone because Kazami and the others were focused on inspecting documents. ¡°Most of the development department is asleep right now because they work through the night and the Leviathan Road representative has yet to arrive? It sounds like I will not be able to meet with them.¡± Ooshiro nodded in response as they walked down the corridor. ¡°I can still introduce you to the director of the development department. And you need to experience 2nd-Gear¡¯s concepts for yourself, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°True.¡± They both created a loud footstep as they came to a stop. They stood before the Standard Division¡¯s 1st Armory on UCAT¡¯s 2nd basement. When the automatic door¡¯s camera spotted Ooshiro, the door opened. ¡°Did you see that, Mikoto-kun? I¡¯m a total VIP. You should show me more respect.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing. ¡­Is that enough?¡± Ooshiro ignored him and stepped into the darkness before their eyes. Sayama followed. He heard a voice. ¡ªNames provide power. Sayama checked the red text scrolling across the watch on his left wrist. He stared forward and saw that a dimly-lit storehouse had appeared at some point. The ceiling emitted a bluish-white light and endless rows of steel shelves were covered in swords. Countless swords were displayed while affixed to the shelves, scabbard and all. ¡°Listen. While in here, we gain power simply by having our names.¡± ¡°I see. Then what does Sayama give me?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ One theory says the name Sayama refers to a certain territory. Instead of giving you a special ability, it gives you the social status of owning that land. My name of Ooshiro means I am sturdy.[1]¡± Ooshiro pulled a box cutter from his pocket. He pressed it to his wrist and drew a line. ¡°See? Nothing happened.¡± ¡°Oh, now that is a surprise. But I am not sure I like the idea of an organization of which the leader walks around with a knife. Should I report you to the police? Also, old man, there is a flaw in your theory.¡± Sayama took the box cutter from Ooshiro. He immediately traced the blade along his own arm. ¡°Ahh! Mikoto-kun is going along with the latest fad!¡± For some reason, Ooshiro raised his right thumb as he shouted out. Sayama showed him the right arm he had cut. However, the arm was unharmed. The only mark was the slight redness of pressing something up against it. ¡°This box cutter is mass produced, so it has no inherent ¡®name¡¯.¡± Sayama pulled a pen from his pocket and wrote the word ¡°blade¡± on the knife blade. ¡°In 1st-Gear, this would have made it a blade.¡± He did not hesitate to stab Ooshiro in the gut. ¡°Wahh! Wh-what are you doing, Mikoto-kun!?¡± ¡°Stop shouting. It only cut your clothes. It unfortunately did nothing to what lies within. Do I have to name it the ¡®something-or-other knife¡¯ for it to work? ¡­This restriction is fairly strict.¡± As he spoke, someone was staring at him with half-lidded eyes, but it was not Ooshiro. He received a response from an amused female voice coming from further back in the armory. ¡°That¡¯s more or less it. ¡­You are a crazy person, bearer of the Leviathan Road.¡± The voice held a bitter tone and Ooshiro scratched his head as he looked around. ¡°Hey, Director Tsukuyomi, could you come out to help us study 2nd-Gear?¡± ¡°Sure, but wait a moment. I need to put on some makeup with a young boy present.¡± ¡°Why bother?¡± asked Ooshiro. As soon as he spoke, the old man flew backwards. A sound of impact rang out. What was that? thought Sayama just as he spotted a light. A bluish-white light had knocked Ooshiro beyond the automatic door. However, it quickly disappeared. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°Curious? You have excellent focus. Of course, that could cost you your life someday.¡± The female voice suddenly came from quite nearby. Sayama turned to the left and saw someone standing there. An elderly woman in a lab coat stood in the dim light. Her narrowed eyes were turned toward him. ¡°You are here out of interest in 2nd-Gear, I take it?¡± She took a breath. ¡°I am Tsukuyomi Shizuru, director of the development department. I will teach you a thing or two about 2nd-Gear¡¯s concepts.¡± The Second Reference Room was large. Between two of the gray bookshelves on the white floor, Kazami wandered around with a few bundles of copy paper in her arms. The sides of the lined up bookshelves gave the subject their documents were classified under. ¡°And the bookshelves covering the same subject are divided up by year and other subdivisions.¡± Kazami was currently looking at the employee histories. That was where she would find the data on the 2nd-Gear members working in UCAT. The documents on the shelves were the master copies and a copier within the room was used to make copies that could be taken out. However, some concept seemed to be in effect because some of the documents would have a portion blacked out on the copy. ¡°The truth lies in unseen places, hm?¡± Also, it seemed there was some information they could read but would immediately forget and some they would interpret as entirely different text when they tried to read it. Supposedly, a man had once snuck in to steal some income and expenditure reports, but when he arrived at home, he realized he had instead printed out 26 chapters¡¯ worth of a story featuring a sick younger stepsister. Kazami guessed that man had been Ooshiro. ¡°I get the feeling that would actually make more people want to sneak in¡­ Anyway, you can¡¯t take anything out at all unless you can alter its string vibration. And we only have permission to take out what we print onto the designated copy paper.¡± ¡­I wonder if Sayama could find a hole in the concept¡¯s rules and take out any information he wanted. ¡°He probably could¡­¡± She smiled bitterly. That underclassman of ours can be a bit of thief and he tends to let the ends justify the means, thought Kazami. But what if Shinjou was with him? The Shinjou siblings acted as a stopper for Sayama¡¯s eccentric actions. Sadame had filled that role during the battle with 1st-Gear, but at school, Shinjou Setsu had often acted in Sayama¡¯s place and warned or stopped him concerning his speech or actions. Kazami did not know much about Shinjou. She had first met Sadame when Team Leviathan had been put together and had first met Setsu during spring break. Before that, she had only heard that there was someone named Shinjou who UCAT was protective of. The one thing Kazami really did not understand was why Sayama made no effort to look into who those siblings were despite having both by his side. ¡­He must have some reason and he must be satisfied just having Shinjou with him. Her relationship with Izumo was similar. They knew each other¡¯s families, but the details about the other¡¯s parents were mostly unknowns. They were okay with not knowing and that might have meant what they already had was enough. ¡°I don¡¯t know, though,¡± muttered Kazami as she thought. ¡°Even if you¡¯re fine not knowing about the other, you still want them to know about you. And that desire grows stronger the closer the two of you get.¡± ¡­And Shinjou¡¯s secrets are probably larger than ours. For those sheltered siblings, the desire had to be even stronger. ¡°But will Shinjou be able to reveal her secret?¡± Kazami just hoped Shinjou would not feel guilty if she continued keeping quiet about this important secret. As she thought, she heard Sibyl¡¯s voice in the distance. ¡°Chisato-sama.¡± Kazami shrugged and turned toward the bookshelf. Unfortunately, she had yet to gather the documents she had been tasked with finding. ¡­Sibyl is way too fast. She had no intention of feeling bad about being slower than Sibyl, but it made her stomach ache how Sibyl continued to call out her name. ¡°Um, uh, Chisato-sama¡­¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Wait just a moment.¡± That doesn¡¯t even buy me a minute, thought Kazami as she looked forward. The employee histories were lined up before her by department. She glanced along the filing numbers on the edge of the clear file folders holding the documents and reached for the file she wanted. But Kazami suddenly noticed a certain fact. ¡°There¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°A missing period, right?¡± Kazami turned around when she heard Izumo¡¯s voice to her right. He had a ten centimeter stack of copied documents detailing the development of 2nd-Gear concept weapons, but he tilted his head as he looked at her. Kazami looked first at the blank spot on the shelf and then at the documents in Izumo¡¯s hands. ¡°There is a blank period¡­but what¡¯s with those documents?¡± ¡°Oh, Sibyl helped me gather th-¡­ow ow! Why would you start kicking me out of the blue?¡± ¡°Shut up. Guys who take the easy way out will never be good for anything.¡± Sibyl¡¯s skill was amazing, though. ¡°She is a master of information. The name Sibyl is based on a goddess, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Cybele. I wonder who named her that.¡± ¡°It was probably someone connected to UCAT, but I couldn¡¯t say who.¡± ¡°Chisato-sama!¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. I ran into a distraction, so wait just a bit longer.¡± ¡°A distraction?¡± ¡°A terrible distraction. ¡­Kaku, why do you look so upset?¡± Despite Izumo¡¯s expression, Sibyl called out again. ¡°Chisato-sama, how about I help you search?¡± Now there¡¯s a good idea, thought Kazami. She almost agreed but swallowed the words. No, no. We asked her to help, so I can¡¯t have her help any more than this. Sibyl was always bringing tea and snacks during training. In fact, Kazami had a feeling she would occasionally bring them bentos too. Bentos Kazami had taught her how to make. ¡­Not good. She¡¯s surpassing me and I never noticed until now. What do I do? ¡°Chisato, you look really conflicted, but some things are easier if you just give in.¡± ¡°Shut up. That comment settles it.¡± That¡¯s right. I can¡¯t rely on her. I need to stubbornly refuse her, she thought. ¡°I¡¯m on my way,¡± said Sibyl. Kazami¡¯s shoulders drooped and she looked up at the ceiling. Dammit, she thought as Izumo spoke up next to her. ¡°Sibyl¡¯s the type to not think too much about our feelings. But now you¡¯ve been dragged into the same world of laziness as me. Wa ha ha! Give in to the laziness beam and just laze around until you die.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ignore that, but was it the same when she ended up helping you?¡± ¡°She walked up next to me and began pulling out all the documents I was after and piled them up with a smile. There was nothing I could do.¡± ¡°Sibyl really likes helping people, doesn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°The scary part is how it¡¯s like an indiscriminate bombing. Some people hate that kind of thing and there are some things people have to do themselves, so try to drag her away at times like that.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± said Kazami. ¡°But, Kaku, what¡¯s the deal with that blank period?¡± ¡°From the few bookshelves I saw, there are some shelves that really are empty. There¡¯s nothing but a few abandoned documents remaining. I wonder if there¡¯s a Third Reference Room where the really important stuff is-¡­¡± ¡°It was not moved anywhere like that,¡± said Sibyl as she walked up from behind. Kazami turned around and saw Sibyl circle around a bookshelf while her high heels produced loud footsteps. ¡°Judging by the maintenance department¡¯s concept space facility maintenance records, UCAT has no other concept space of this same type,¡± continued Sibyl. ¡°I looked through most of the shelves and it seems the blank period exists here in the Second Reference Room as well.¡± ¡°As well?¡± ¡°Testament. UCAT has a past that is kept hidden from everyone.¡± In the dim armory, a scarlet light appeared before Sayama¡¯s eyes. The light came from the sword in Tsukuyomi¡¯s hand. The matte black blade was spewing red flames. She turned toward him with a confident look. ¡°This is a piece of equipment used by the standard division. It is a Cowling Sword named Hinokagutsuchi. With a philosopher¡¯s stone, it can produce high enough heat to cut through metal. In this concept space, its name gives it the ability to shoot out fire.¡± ¡°Can you control that fire?¡± ¡°Someone with the name of a sword god or someone with great skill would likely be able to.¡± Tsukuyomi showed him the blade. The fire it produced illuminated the name ¡°Ichiroumaru¡±. ¡°We number them like this so it¡¯s still a name.¡±[2] ¡°That is very thorough. But isn¡¯t it inconvenient to call in power using names? Compared to 1st-Gear¡¯s writing concept, it seems a lot more restrictive.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t 1st-Gear¡¯s lack of restrictions prevent them from leaving behind many written records?¡± Tsukuyomi gave a bitter smile and returned the sword to its scabbard. ¡°In 2nd-Gear, the bearer of power was determined properly. The different powers were controlled by those who possessed them and were used to their fullest when released. 2nd-Gear was a Gear of specialization in skills and ability.¡± ¡°Then 2nd-Gear¡¯s representative for the Leviathan Road is¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, a man with great power. Kashima Akio is 2nd-Gear¡¯s greatest military god and swordsmith.¡± ¡°He will negotiate with me?¡± asked Sayama before asking another question that floated up in his chest. ¡°Did you make a military god your representative because you expect the Leviathan Road to involve combat?¡± ¡°It is a distinct possibility, isn¡¯t it?¡± Tsukuyomi¡¯s expression changed. The ends of her eyebrows lowered and she looked up with a troubled expression. ¡°But it may not happen. I just hope he can face the Leviathan Road seriously.¡± ¡°Does he feel no desire to negotiate because 2nd-Gear is already on the same level as Low-Gear?¡± To test the waters, Sayama threw out the question he and the others had raised earlier. However, Tsukuyomi did not give him an answer. ¡°Kashima has his reasons. But that is exactly why I chose him. Sayama-kun? Do you have some time?¡± ¡°I intend to train with my comrades and exchange information on 2nd-Gear. Afterwards, I plan to tell the old man you knocked outside whether I would begin the Leviathan Road with 2nd-Gear or not.¡± ¡°I see. Then there is no need to hurry. But it would be best if you met Kashima soon. If you do, you should be able to face the question you have about 2nd-Gear.¡± Sayama replied to the slight smile in her voice. ¡°Director Tsukuyomi, may I ask you one thing about that question?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Before he spoke, Sayama thought back once more to what Ooki had said. ¡°The people of 2nd-Gear are supposedly little different from the people of this world. But what do you think? Have you and the others been fully naturalized to Low-Gear?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Tsukuyomi thought for a beat while returning the sword to the shelf. ¡°Those of us who do not know about 2nd-Gear and know nothing of concepts likely have no doubts they belong here. My daughter is like that.¡± ¡°I see. Are you saying you and the others here are different?¡± ¡°Hm, I don¡¯t know. Everyone is different. We have a certain power, but we all view that differently. Personally, I have no intention of passing that power on to my daughter, but I still think it is useful.¡± Tsukuyomi then added another answer to her statement. And the smile on her lips deepened as she did so. ¡°How about you learn firsthand just how useful the power of 2nd-Gear¡¯s ¡®names¡¯ is?¡± Tsukuyomi snapped the fingers of her right hand. In the next moment, Sayama sensed something coming from overhead. He looked up and saw light. It was the beam of bluish-white light that had knocked Ooshiro away earlier. Sayama took a defensive stance against the falling light and he heard Tsukuyomi speak. ¡°The name Tsukuyomi means to ¡®read the moon¡¯, so it lets me control moonlight. The dim light here is modeled after a moonlit environment, so the light here is my ally. This is the power of the name belonging to 2nd-Gear¡¯s former imperial family.¡± Meanwhile, the light arrived. Sayama moved on reflex. He moved back to distance himself from Tsukuyomi. However¡­ ¡°The light¡­¡± The light should have fallen to the floor, but it suddenly bent and curved. The light shot by across the ground and jumped up toward Sayama¡¯s stomach. Sayama stood in the narrow area between shelves, so he could not evade. Tsukuyomi stopped smiling and spoke. ¡°If you make it through this, I will admit you understand a bit about us. And if you do, I will show you a certain technique as a reward.¡± She took a breath. ¡°It is an anti-foreign world combat technique we can use without relying on the concepts of our Gear.¡± Sibyl spoke to Kazami and Izumo in front of the rows of document shelves. ¡°A portion of the documents have been removed from the freely available First Reference Room as well. The period seems to span from 1985 to about 1995. Half of ¡¯96 is missing as well.¡± Kazami recognized one of those years. ¡°So it¡¯s the ten years leading up to ¡¯95 when this Gear¡¯s negative concepts began to activate?¡± ¡°Testament. It is the ten years leading up to the great Kansai earthquake. ¡­I am sure you have heard that information on UCAT was nearly exposed when we lost so many people in that earthquake. To avoid inspections and whistleblowers, the documents were destroyed. Some people refer to it as UCAT¡¯s blank period.¡± ¡°So they decided it was safer for the important documents to not even exist, is that it? It is true the security here is ridiculously tight.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± asked Kazami with a hint of uncertainty. ¡°Yeah,¡± said Izumo with a nod. ¡°I was looking at a porn magazine I found with the confiscated documents and none of the contents would reach my brain properly.¡± ¡°¡­Could you stop talking about that kind of nonsense so seriously?¡± ¡°Chisato-sama, that is just who Izumo-sama is. I would be more surprised if he said something worthwhile.¡± ¡°Hey, you two? Are you denying something about me?¡± The other two ignored Izumo¡¯s refreshing statement. ¡°Anyway, Sibyl, thanks for the help. ¡­We really gathered a lot.¡± ¡°You are going in to train next, right? I will organize it all by the time you are done.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± said Kazami again before sighing. ¡°Sibyl, even ignoring the blank period, there¡¯s still a great divide between us and the higher ups. Both Sayama and Kaku¡¯s grandfathers died before they could learn about them.¡± She turned toward Izumo. ¡°And he couldn¡¯t find any documents on his father.¡± ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t looking for anything about him.¡± ¡°Fine, fine. If you say so. I saw you wandering around on your own, though.¡± Kazami stroked his head as he glared at her and then she took a document from him. The copied document described 2nd-Gear¡¯s past concept weapon development. She read the top of the fairly old-looking paper. ¡°A god of war?¡± Printed at the top of the A4 piece of paper was the title Overall Diagram of the Humanoid Machine. Sibyl peered over Kazami¡¯s shoulder at the blurry lines of the paper. ¡°That is a very unrefined design. It is not a direct descendent of the ones from 3rd.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s really old. Look, it says 1945¡­¡± Kazami gasped when she realized what her own words meant. ¡°That¡¯s the year Japanese UCAT was founded!¡± Sayama took a certain action as the moonlight attack approached. He looked up at the line of bluish-white lights on the ceiling. Those lights produced the ¡°moonlight¡±. After checking on the faint lights filling the armory, Sayama faced forward. Tsukuyomi looked a bit surprised. ¡°You plan to receive the attack? It¡¯ll blow you away!¡± ¡°I will not let it!¡± Sayama stared at the beam of light that was just about to strike him. And he swung up his left arm. With that single motion, he removed his coat and transferred Baku from the coat pocket to his head. ¡°If this is moonlight¡­¡± Sayama placed the coat over his head as the beam of light approached from the front. It all happened in an instant. ¡°If the moonlight is cut off from the moon, it cannot reach me!¡± When the coat cut the beam off from the lights on the ceiling, it visibly weakened. At the same time, Sayama kicked the moonlight up into the bundled-up coat. The sound of the strike resembled a splash. Particles of moonlight scattered from below the coat. And finally, the light disappeared. The coat fell to the ground, but Sayama left it there and continued moving. He took another step toward Tsukuyomi. ¡­Show me 2nd-Gear¡¯s anti-foreign world combat technique! He stepped forward with his left foot and threw a kick with his right. He aimed low down at her feet so it would be difficult to avoid. He did not hold back because his opponent was a woman or because she was elderly. ¡°That is what it means to fight.¡± Sayama kicked. In the next instant, an unthinkable change occurred. Tsukuyomi disappeared from before his eyes. ¡°!?¡± His foot flew through empty air and he took a defensive stance. Wondering where she was, he began to turn around. ¡°A negotiator should not drop his coat.¡± Hearing that voice behind him, he hastened his turn. He found his coat held out toward him. He slowly took it from Tsukuyomi who was holding it. Based on the timing with which she had held out the coat, Sayama calculated the time it took her to move there. ¡°After I threw my kick and lost sight of you, you walked behind me and picked up the coat?¡± During that time, she had vanished from his sight. What happened? he wondered while Tsukuyomi showed a bitter smile. ¡°Mysterious, isn¡¯t it? 2nd-Gear developed techniques like this that we can use without concepts. That way we can win no matter when someone wants a fight,¡± she said while looking extremely pleased. ¡°You will be looking into our past now, right? I hope you can bring us an excellent negotiation afterwards.¡± Kazami looked at the humanoid machine drawn on the diagram in her hand. It was a metal giant that seemed to be made by connecting together the bodies of warships using giant cylinders and bolts. The torso was a simple T-shape, but the arms and legs were very thick just like a toy. Even the modern gods of war UCAT had started sending out into battle more closely resembled humans than this. ¡°The Yamata Sealing Humanoid Machine named ¡®Susaou¡¯. Jointly developed between Low and 2nd. ¡­The central format is listed as Mikage format?¡± Kazami thought she heard Sibyl gasp at the word ¡°Mikage¡±. However, Kazami did not ask about it. If Sibyl wanted to talk about it, she would. She gave a bitter internal smile and continued looking through the blurry words of the copy. How advanced a machine could they have made when Japanese UCAT was first established? ¡°The project to construct it was proposed March 12, 1945 and completed August of the following year. So they started this about half a year before the end of the war. ¡­I¡¯m amazed they could do that while Japan was undergoing tons of air-raids.¡± ¡°It was developed along with 2nd-Gear, so it most likely works under 2nd-Gear¡¯s concepts rather than those of 3rd-Gear, the world of gods of war. That must be why it is called a ¡®humanoid machine¡¯ instead of a god of war.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kazami nodded and checked the measurements given around Susaou. She read off the blurry writing. ¡°Crew size: approx. 200 people. Total height: approx. 500¡­¡± She trailed off. Her head was unable to keep up with what she read. ¡°¡­What is this? A height of approximately 500 rice? Like, five hundred grains of rice?¡± ¡°No, Chisato-sama. That means 500 meters. Meter used to be written with the character for rice.¡± ¡°Um, Sibyl. Even in a concept space, that¡¯s too big to be real.¡± ¡°But these documents mean it is real,¡± said Izumo. He took a breath and met her gaze. ¡°Are your thoughts bound by common sense by any chance?¡± ¡°O-of course they are.¡± ¡°Well, this huge thing exists somewhere in Tokyo along with Yamata. And there¡¯s something even more surprising on that copy.¡± Izumo moved in closer to her and pointed at one line on the copy. It listed the names of Susaou¡¯s captain and second in command. ¡°The captain was Ooshiro Hiromasa and the second command was Kashima. ¡­Do you see the UCAT connection now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t recognize the name Kashima, but Ooshiro¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. ¡­It¡¯s all connected between sixty years ago and today.¡± Notes 1. ¡ü The name Ichiroumaru can be interpreted as the number 160. Volume 3, 7: Lying Neighbor Volume 3, Chapter 7: Lying Neighbor The question of something unseen produces a feeling One¡¯s heart moves because that feeling resides within it Like the scent of flowers carried on the wind After parting ways with Tsukuyomi, Sayama entered the training facility in UCAT¡¯s third basement. He was currently in the locker room. It was one location of several layers created by a concept space. The room was about twenty meters long and bordered a shower room. Tall lockers made of a dry white substance lined the wall. On the way here, Sayama had picked Ooshiro up from the floor in the corridor and told him the following: ¡°After meeting up with Kazami and the others in the training room, I wish to decide whether we will perform the Leviathan Road with 2nd-Gear.¡± But despite saying that, he already intended to go ahead with the negotiation. ¡­I am interested. What type of negotiation should we use? He still had not seen how 2nd-Gear viewed the Leviathan Road. That was one thing he wanted to learn. ¡°There is also that technique Director Tsukuyomi used¡­¡± What had that been? Sayama understood pursuing something out of curiosity was dangerous. However, he could not stop the feeling of curiosity. The reception desk informed him Kazami and the others had already entered the training room. They all wanted to finish training as quickly as possible to have more time to exchange their ideas on the different issues. While thinking about various things, Sayama placed Baku on his head and changed. ¡°I wonder if the others have all finished their Brazilian gymnastics warm up.¡± The only names on the lockers were Izumo, Boldman, and Sayama. This locker room was exclusively used by Team Leviathan and Kazami said the girls had a similar arrangement. However, Kazami also said Shinjou alone was treated differently. Shinjou used the ninth women¡¯s locker room, but that was meant for the people UCAT referred to as ¡°VIP Level¡±. ¡°From what Kazami said, UCAT must really treasure her.¡± It was true she was quite sheltered and had almost never left UCAT. They must have their reasons, thought Sayama as he finished changing. He now wore a thin armored uniform colored primarily white and black. It was made up of a shirt and tights that covered almost his entire body, a vest, and pants. His eyes stopped on the ring on his left middle finger as he equipped his arm band. ¡°They still will not give me Georgius.¡± Ooshiro had given him that gauntlet during the battle with 1st-Gear. That mysterious concept weapon had allegedly been found by his mother, but Ooshiro and the others had taken it back after the battle. With all the unknowns surrounding it, Sayama felt that was the proper way of handling it. He stared at the ring on his left hand for several seconds. But then he shook his head. He endured the pain in his chest and cut off that train of thought. There was something else he needed to think about now. Officially, he had to think about how to handle the Leviathan Road with 2nd-Gear. And personally¡­ ¡­Once my left hand is fully healed, Setsu-kun will leave me. Both were issues he would have to face eventually. Suddenly, he recalled his conversation with Shinjou before leaving school. In that afterschool classroom, Shinjou had hung his head down, hesitated, explained he was trying to write a novel, and said he resembled Yamato Takeru. All of those actions had been signs of his desire to say something. ¡­If Shinjou-kun grows serious about this, I must face him. ¡°Yes.¡± Sayama nodded and stopped thinking. He then walked forward. After a few steps, he reached a white automatic sliding door. The training room lay beyond it. The door emitted an electronic tone and he heard a voice. ¡ªPeople do not overestimate their power. The power one believed one had was not an overestimation; one had that power. That concept linked the locker room with the training room and both became the same. Then the door opened. Beyond lay the white walls, floor, and ceiling of a thirty meter square space. Instead of the large space, Sayama first saw something odd. It was a body contained within a white armored uniform. This person was lying on their back in midair. It was a large man flying toward Sayama. Sayama took an instant to look closer and realized this was Izumo. ¡°Oh? Have your natural eccentricities grown so great you can finally fly, Izumo?¡± ¡°Sayama!? Wait! This is dangerous! Stop saying stupid things and catch him!¡± Oh, it is Kazami, thought Sayama. Kazami is always the one to use violence against him, so why does she want me to catch him? Was Izumo¡¯s flight not her doing? On second glance, Izumo was not flying through the air the way he usually did. ¡°When Kazami sends him flying, it is more¡­how should I put it? Rich and dense?¡± ¡°The way he¡¯s flying is dangerous, so catch him! Do you want me to send you flying!?¡± Sayama caught on immediately. ¡°It is not my style to catch a guy like Izumo, but if I must.¡± Sayama prepared himself to catch Izumo and watched him fly closer. Izumo¡¯s trajectory was a bit high, so Sayama had to catch him from a bit below. To spread his legs backwards, Sayama took a large step back. As soon as he did, the door¡¯s sensor lost sight of him and the door closed in an instant. ¡°Oh?¡± he muttered. ¡°Gbh!?¡± The closed door shook as Sayama heard a pig-like squeal and a sound of impact on the other side. The noise shook the lockers and produced a creaking that made one¡¯s skin crawl. ¡°¡­¡± Sayama remained motionless. He stared silently at the door while still in the pose to catch Izumo. He had several thoughts, but he drove them all out of his head with a single sigh. ¡°Some things are simply outside of human control. What a pain.¡± He stepped up to the door and it immediately opened once more. He found Izumo standing there with blood running from his head. ¡°Oh, so you are fine. Such a disappointment for humankind.¡± ¡°D-damn you! Do I look fine to you, stupid Sayama!¡± ¡°Anyone with that much energy is doing well enough. And with you, anything short of death counts as fine, Izumo.¡± ¡°And if I do die?¡± Sayama thought on that question. Finally, he clapped his hands together and Baku imitated the action on his head. ¡°A light wound?¡± ¡°Okay, you idiot. Do you mind if I say something? It¡¯s for your own good.¡± ¡°What is it? If you are going to praise me, I would prefer you wait until after I complete some large job.¡± ¡°You belong in a hospital.¡± ¡°You do enjoy saying rude things, don¡¯t you? Ha ha ha. You are a bastard at unprecedented levels.¡± ¡°Wa ha ha. I¡¯m nothing compared to you, you cruel bastard. And more importantly¡­¡± Izumo stood up and turned toward one corner of the training room. From Sayama¡¯s perspective, it was the back left corner. Kazami and three others stood there. The first was Sibyl who wore a white armored uniform with skirt and everything else included. The second was Shinjou who wore a white armored uniform and held a large metal staff. And the third was a woman wearing a black armored uniform, a skirt, and a black three-cornered hat. Sayama recognized this woman who held a bamboo broom and whose sleeve swelled out at the shoulders. ¡°Diana Zonburg.¡± ¡°Oh, are you finally here? From what I hear, you met with Director Tsukuyomi of 2nd-Gear. Have you already decided to negotiate with them?¡± ¡°No, not yet. After training here, I thought I would discuss it with the old man.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Diana in a relieved voice. ¡°Then do you still only have some small questions about 2nd-Gear?¡± ¡°Does that matter?¡± ¡°Yes. I have one thing to teach you to ensure you do not take this negotiation lightly. This is something very important for the Leviathan Road you are about to head down.¡± On the first floor of Taka-Akita Academy¡¯s third general school building, the setting sun filled the hallway through windows with no glass. Ooki was stooped over by the wall and sweeping. Behind her, Siegfried held a broom as well. ¡°Is this good enough?¡± she asked. Siegfried stopped sweeping and ran a finger across the window frame. ¡°This is still fairly dirty¡­¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t from the fight just now!¡± Ooki let out an exhausted sigh and looked around. She saw windows with no glass and a scorched hallway. She changed how she looked at the situation and spoke her thoughts out loud. ¡°Siegfried-san, who was that Diana woman?¡± ¡°My niece.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t what I meant.¡± Ooki looked around at the glass shards in the dustpan. ¡°Who is she to Sayama-kun and the others?¡± The ends of her eyebrows lowered as she asked and Siegfried initially remained silent. Ooki turned around and tilted her head at his silence. Finally, he replied with a question of his own while looking down at her. ¡°Why do you ask that?¡± Ooki smiled and gave an answer. ¡°Because they are my students,¡± she said as if that was only natural. ¡°It worries me.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Siegfried¡¯s expression changed. He smiled slightly. Without showing any more of his true feelings, the sorcerer spoke. ¡°I do not know the details either, but Diana arrived in Japanese UCAT during the 1980s. She was a consultant in magic spells. And¡­she remained until the end of ¡¯95.¡± ¡°You mean¡­ she stayed until that earthquake?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Siegfried. ¡°Just like the original UCAT members had the Eight Great Dragon Kings, it seems the old UCAT leading up to the earthquake had a group known as the Five Great Peaks. Diana is one of them. ¡­At the time, they were apparently trying to learn and use the combat techniques of each Gear. Why, I do not know.¡± ¡°In that case, this was not her true strength.¡± Ooki looked across the hallway. The windows were gone and portions were scorched, but there was no more destruction than that. Siegfried nodded and spoke. ¡°She may have seen a user of 1st-Gear¡¯s true power as a chance to test the power of hers which is not borrowed. But I doubt she was taking this seriously.¡± He took a breath. ¡°Before she left the school, she told me she had something to teach those who would be following in our footsteps.¡± Shinjou''s eyes opened in surprise as she watched the mock battle being used as training. Sayama was fighting, but¡­ ¡°He can¡¯t do anything¡­¡± As she watched, Sayama continually back stepped as he moved along the training room floor. He was pursued by a woman in a black armored uniform and a three-cornered hat. She was the woman named Diana from German UCAT. Today was the first time Shinjou had seen her. Just as Shinjou had finished changing in the women¡¯s locker room, the woman had surprised her by suddenly entering. ¡­She has a really nice figure. Shinjou had immediately continued on into the training room, so she had not spoken with the woman as she changed. However, the nod the woman had given in lieu of a greeting had seemed nice enough. Shinjou did not think the woman was an evil person. But perhaps that was due to her naivet¨¦. At any rate, the woman was definitely giving Sayama trouble. She moved by walking and her weapon was a broom. Diana would walk up and try to sweep Sayama¡¯s feet out from under him with the broom. That was all she did. She swept the broom with a wide motion and her walking pace was relaxed. She was not using any kind of spell. And yet¡­ ¡°Sayama-kun! In front of you! She¡¯s coming!¡± Diana approached from directly in front of Sayama, but he did nothing despite wielding a sword. Once again, he only took action a moment after she cried out. ¡°¡­¡± His eyes suddenly focused on Diana who stood directly in front of him. Diana tilted her head. ¡°What is it?¡± Sayama¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly and he leaped to the left. An instant later, Diana swept her broom along the spot he had been in a moment before. Shinjou heard the bamboo brush scrape cross the floor. Kazami stood to Shinjou¡¯s left and she finally spoke. ¡°Kaku was taken out by that broom. She knocked someone as big as him flying with one sweep of a broom. Who is she?¡± Sibyl, who stood to Kazami¡¯s left, tilted her head. ¡°That woman came from the locker room Shinjou-san always uses, did she not? In that case, I assume she is close to either Ooshiro-sama or Itaru-sama.¡± ¡°Probably,¡± said Kazami as she folded her arms and looked back across the room. Shinjou followed Kazami¡¯s gaze and saw Diana walking toward Sayama once more. Kazami clicked her tongue at the scene. ¡°Why can¡¯t Sayama do anything?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Do you think she¡¯s using some kind of ability? Like some kind of martial arts.¡± ¡°You mean martial arts instead of magic?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know how to say it exactly, but she isn¡¯t using any spells or concepts. In that case, I think she has to be using some kind of deceptive martial art.¡± As far as Shinjou could see, Diana was walking normally. However, Sayama would lose sight of her. ¡°And he notices her again when she stops.¡± Exactly that happened and Sayama back stepped away. As she watched that scene play out again and again, Shinjou recalled what she had just said. Diana would stop just before Sayama noticed her. ¡­It looks like Sayama-kun is noticing Diana-san and then moving out of the way, but what if that isn¡¯t what¡¯s happening? ¡°Is Diana-san stopping to purposefully let him notice her?¡± ¡°If so, she¡¯s quite the odd person. She¡¯s waiting for Sayama to give up.¡± Hearing Kazami¡¯s comment, Shinjou could not help but shout out. ¡°Stick with it, Sayama-kun!¡± As if in response, Sayama leaped toward her. From a distance of approximately five meters, Sayama called out to Shinjou. ¡°Shinjou-kun.¡± Shinjou did not know how to respond when he suddenly called her name. ¡°Shinjou-kun,¡± he called again. ¡°Eh? Wh-what is it?¡± Sayama nodded. ¡°It seems I am a bit confused right now. I could use some help calming down, so-¡­¡± ¡°No repeating a joke by telling me to stick out my butt, okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Wh-why are you lost in thought now?¡± She is a surprisingly strict person, decided Sayama. Anyway¡­ ¡°Shinjou-kun, let us talk about this battle. You called out to me to tell me Diana is approaching, did you not?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡­It didn¡¯t look like you could see her.¡± ¡°I could not see her.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± said Shinjou. ¡°H-hey, Sayama-kun, what do you mean? Has the twisted wiring of your brain finally affected your vision too?¡± ¡°I see we have much to discuss after this is over, but I will overlook it for now. ¡­So you are saying you could see her, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°Y-yes. Kazami-san and Sibyl-san could as well.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Sayama with a nod. He understood something now. The technique Diana was using was the same one Tsukuyomi had used. He still did not know what it was, but he had begun to analyze it. ¡°The effects are limited to me, so she is not actually hiding somewhere. Does that mean she is preventing my senses from detecting her?¡± And¡­ ¡°Kazami, one quick question. How did Izumo lose?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Um, he turned his right side toward her and¡­¡± ¡°And he attacked straight ahead the instant she began to move?¡± ¡°Yes, but she easily evaded and¡­well, you saw what happened.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Sayama with another nod. Shinjou then asked a question from behind him. ¡°Is there anything you can do, Sayama-kun? You don¡¯t see her when she approaches, right?¡± ¡°It is not that I am not seeing her. I think I am being made so I cannot see her.¡± He sent a self-deprecating smile toward the floor and thought. He still did not know on what principle this technique functioned. However¡­ ¡°There is still a way of defeating an unseen enemy,¡± said Sayama. He held his Cowling Sword to the right with his left hand. He lowered the tip in an iai stance. He faced forward at Diana¡¯s smile ten meters away. She had said she had something to teach him. Was that this technique? ¡­Or is there still something more? Shinjou saw the atmosphere around Sayama change. His back tensed a bit as he focused. She did not feel comfortable speaking to him now because the slightest stimulus would cause him to move. However, she heard Kazami speak quietly next to her. ¡°This is bad. This is the same as when Kaku was defeated. The only difference is his stance.¡± ¡°Wh-what do you mean?¡± ¡°Kaku stopped moving and took an offensive stance, remember? Do you know the way to attack something unseen?¡± Shinjou thought, but a glance at Sayama and Diana told her she had no time. So she said, ¡°Sorry, but just tell me.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯m betting Kaku¡¯s idea was to attack his enemy when he lost sight of her.¡± ¡°So¡­ When she disappeared, he knew she was coming in for the attack?¡± ¡°Testament,¡± replied Sibyl. ¡°But look. Diana-sama disappears from Sayama-sama¡¯s vision when she is approximately seven steps away from him.¡± Shinjou mentally converted the distance of seven steps and her expression stiffened. ¡°Do you get it now, Shinjou? Seven steps is about four meters. At that distance, she can easily circle around or stop where she is. But since her opponent can¡¯t know what she will do, he can only attack blindly. That¡¯s why Kaku swung V-Sw like a bat.¡± Kazami glanced over at the right corner of the training room. A giant blade was stabbed into the white wall. It was V-Sw. Its console was still active and a short sentence was displayed on it. ¡°So lonely.¡± ¡°What a pain,¡± sighed Kazami. ¡°He should have expanded it to its second form.¡± What should I do? wondered Shinjou. Like before, she could tell Sayama what Diana was doing. However¡­ ¡­Sayama-kun said he had a way. Shinjou stared at Sayama¡¯s back. He remained perfectly still and waited for his opponent. And so Shinjou decided to remain silent and wait. Just like Sayama, she waited for it all to begin. Diana tilted her head when she saw Sayama¡¯s stance. His stance was different than Izumo¡¯s when she had swept him away. Izumo had held his Cowling Sword in both hands like a bat, but Sayama held his Cowling Sword at his right hip in his left hand. That iai stance reminded Diana of a backhand in tennis. He had obviously thought this through. But, thought Diana. That will not work. She had a reason to think this. And if Sayama knew that reason, he would not have done nothing but run this entire time. And so Diana thought, Your way of thinking about this is fundamentally flawed. ¡°I will not give you a warning.¡± ¡­The inexperienced show the most growth after defeat. Izumo sat in front of the door behind her. He saw no value in his defeat and instead felt only frustration and confusion. That was fine. Those who did not glorify defeat and instead tried to oppose it were the most frightening when one saw them again. Diana suddenly looked down at the chest of her own armored uniform. ¡°The insignia of German UCAT.¡± The badge displayed Germany divided to the left and right with a cross binding the two halves. She spoke as she looked down at that image. ¡°Sayama Mikoto-kun, you are facing a few different question right now, aren¡¯t you? You want to know how you should face 2nd-Gear as the Leviathan Road¡¯s negotiator. And¡­ ¡°And?¡± ¡°You want to know how to relate to someone named Shinjou.¡± Sayama¡¯s expression remained unchanged and he said nothing. However, that lack of reaction gave an eloquent answer. Diana took a breath and spoke. ¡°I will now bring defeat to you.¡± Sayama¡¯s response was a simple one. ¡°That is impossible,¡± he declared. ¡°Heh heh. That sounds promising. Will you still say that if I knock you around a bit?¡± ¡°I have been knocked around countless times by my grandfather and others in the past,¡± he said expressionlessly. ¡°And on the psychological side, nothing pains me more than the past. ¡­That is why I will never admit defeat even if I die. As long as you allow me the qualifier of ¡®eventually¡¯ I can confidently declare my victory.¡± ¡°Herrlich.¡± A slight smile appeared on Diana¡¯s lips. This smile came from her heart. ¡°Then instead of giving you defeat, I will leave it with you for the moment. Is that good enough?¡± ¡°Yes. In that case, I suppose I should say Testament. Do I need to pay it back with interest?¡± ¡°Testament. But please send that payment to your enemies. And while I leave this defeat with you, please think about why this happened. If you do, I think you will come to understand something interesting.¡± ¡°Something interesting? Is this related to my questions concerning 2nd-Gear and¡­Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°Searching for those answers is your role. And this is my test.¡± She nodded. ¡°Team Leviathan is too inexperienced to see through my technique, but you may show some promise. ¡­I will be testing you on that now.¡± Her smile deepened and she deemed it an excellent smile. Everything that produced a smile would result in a cheerful conclusion. As she thought on that, Diana held her broom forward. ¡°Questions. They form tests, doubts, riddles, truth seeking, searches, and definite displays of resistance.¡± She walked forward. ¡°Think and ask questions. Send a question mark to yourself so that you can fight back.¡± As she spoke, Diana continued toward Sayama. Sayama watched the witch approach. With her current gait, she was twelve steps away. A footstep quickly reduced that to eleven. A heel cut it down to ten. Once he counted down through nine, eight, and seven, she would be in her territory. With a natural pace, she made that seventh step. At the same moment, Diana disappeared from Sayama¡¯s senses. No, thought Sayama. He was seeing Diana a bit to the right. He was seeing her, but his mind could not sense her. Her footsteps and presence were both there, but his senses would not accept it. ¡­What is this? His perception was out of sync with his senses. With a smile, Diana approached to a distance of six steps. Sayama felt a chill. This was when he had made his back steps previously. Diana had stopped here and his perception of her had returned. But she did not stop this time. She continued on. For an instant, he was not sure if he should evade or not. This urge to evade was what Izumo had transformed into an attack earlier. Sayama felt it was commendable that Izumo had been able to resist evading. But Izumo¡¯s attack had been evaded and he had been blown away. Seven steps or about four meters was far enough to evade almost any close quarters attack. Faced with that fact, Sayama knew he had to grasp Diana¡¯s location directly in front of him. While wondering what he should do, Sayama had found a certain method. Shinjou saw Sayama suddenly step forward toward Diana. An ¡°ah¡± escaped her lips. She realized what Sayama was doing. ¡°He¡¯s going to fight even though he can¡¯t see her.¡± Just because he could not see her did not mean she had disappeared. She was there. If his opponent would circle around outside his attack range, he just had to fill that gap himself. That was the method Sayama chose and he continued to move. As Sayama stepped forward, he held his right hand out ahead of him. Diana had been walking straight toward him, but his outstretched hand stopped her. No longer able to walk forward, Diana chose to evade. Her body moved to the side as she began to step out of the way. At the same time, Sayama¡¯s Cowling Sword shot out in his left hand. It formed a white arc from his right hip to directly in front of him. ¡°¡­!¡± Even if he could not see his opponent, he could guide her with a few different movements. If he stopped her from moving forward, she would definitely move either left or right. And a sword swung from the right hip would extend the farthest to the left. In that case... ¡­She¡¯ll evade to the right! Diana circled outside the range of the sword and to Sayama¡¯s right. The witch calmly evaded the blade. However, Shinjou saw another smile. This smile was on Sayama¡¯s lips. Shinjou could guess why he had that smile. Sayama¡¯s primary weapon was not his sword. ¡°Seh!!¡± His right leg shot toward Diana in a high speed kick. He put his hips behind this kick in a way only one trained in hand-to-hand fighting could. It all happened in an instant. The sharp trajectory of his leg struck the witch and a sound of impact rang out. Sayama felt the blow in his leg. However¡­ ¡°It was not a direct hit!¡± ¡°No, it was not. You think too much of yourself, but you did well for someone at your level.¡± He could see Diana. The black witch showed no sign of pain and no sign of having taken a blow. He noticed his leg had not struck her. She was holding her broom in front of her in her left hand. His leg had struck the broom¡¯s handle. ¡°¡­¡± She had not taken any kind of stance. She had simply held the broom forward. It was almost as if¡­ ¡­It looks like my leg struck the broom she had held out in advance. ¡°I knew what you were doing,¡± she said. ¡°You knew?¡± ¡°Sorry. I could have knocked you away before you even attacked, but you would not have accepted that result. I needed to show you that your chosen method would not work.¡± Diana went on to describe Sayama¡¯s strategy. ¡°You chose to forestall my movement and lead me as you saw fit, didn¡¯t you? But that does not work against someone who knows how you think.¡± Diana drew back the broom and Sayama lowered his leg. They both took a breath, and¡­ ¡°!¡± Sayama suddenly threw a left kick. It was fast and he had chosen a moment when her guard was down. However¡­ ¡°How na?ve.¡± Sayama¡¯s kick was blocked by the handle of Diana¡¯s broom as if that was the natural result. Sayama frowned and Diana smiled. ¡°Do you understand now?¡± He did. At some point, her broom had moved from her left hand to her right hand. Just like her walking, he had been unable to perceive that movement of the broom. What was happening? The one thing he understood was that he did not understand. ¡°If you are faced with an enemy who can do this, you and those behind you are done for,¡± said Diana. Sayama listened to her and uttered a grinding question through his clenched back teeth. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why what?¡± ¡°Why can I not see you even though I am seeing you?¡± he asked as if throwing away the breath. ¡°Testament.¡± Diana raised her head. Her eyebrows returned to normal and strength left her expression as she showed a true smile. ¡°That contradictory question is a very Japanese. I believe a man in Japanese mythology named Yamato Takeru used a method like this to defeat an opponent. He kept his opponent from suspecting anything, approached, and attacked.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Sayama recalled what Shinjou Setsu had told him afterschool. ¡­What if I was Yamato Takeru? He had thought that meant Shinjou Setsu had some lie. And he had given a certain response to those words. He had made a certain promise to Shinjou Setsu. ¡­When Shinjou-kun gets serious and tries to tell me something, I will face him. He focused on the idea of ¡°facing¡± him. Sayama realized a new meaning for that word. He realized a new way of thinking about his promise with Shinjou, his training with Diana, 2nd-Gear¡¯s acclimation to Low-Gear, and how he should carry out the Leviathan Road. It was all the same. If he did not properly face those things, he would lose something. And so Sayama nodded. He opened his mouth and rephrased his previous question into a new question. ¡°Why am I not seeing you even though I should be seeing you?¡± That question would allow him to face his opponent¡¯s true form. His question was based in conviction. Naturally, Diana had no way of reading his thoughts. But even so, she nodded in response. ¡°Testament. Think on this. Face everything that stands before you so that you do not lose sight of them. ¡­Struggling against that sort of question is a good deed for you and your comrades.¡± He heard her speak. And as soon as he realized that, Sayama saw something white. It was the ceiling. He did not even know when he had been knocked into the air. Is even that a question I must ask? thought Sayama. Volume 3, 8: The Beginning of an Answer Volume 3, Chapter 8: The Beginning of an Answer An unrealized past awakens and begins to move During that short history Chain-like bonds are created The concept weapon development department was located on UCAT¡¯s second basement next to the maintenance storage room and armory. The development department was divided into four large sections: the design room, the production room, the experiment room, and storage. The design room was a fifty meter square space divided up into partitions. Inside one partition, Kashima and Tsukuyomi were looking at Susaou¡¯s design diagram. While he had been staring at the landslide, it seemed Tsukuyomi had met with Team Leviathan¡¯s representative. He had also heard that other members of Team Leviathan had entered the Second Reference Room. ¡°They are interesting children.¡± With that introduction, they began discussing old times. As they looked at the documents on Susaou, Tsukuyomi spoke. ¡°It was only nine years ago, but it feels so nostalgic. The development department had only just been reorganized underneath me. As soon as you were assigned to the department, you asked me what is in Tachikawa. But I was as new to UCAT as you, so I didn¡¯t know.¡± Tsukuyomi gave a bitter smile and Kashima gave one of his own. ¡°That¡¯s right. But you negotiated with the higher ups and acquired the necessary documents from the Second Reference Room. You gave me the documents on Susaou which exists in the concept space set up within the former Tachikawa Airfield and current Showa Memorial Park.¡± ¡°But Susaou did not live up to your expectations.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Kashima again. He had gone to see Susaou just once. ¡°Examining Susaou was the development department¡¯s first job once it was reorganized after the great Kansai earthquake. But¡­¡± Kashima displayed a single image on his laptop. It was a photograph. With the blue sky in the background, a giant figure stood with clouds around its head. That giant form was over five hundred meters tall. However, its entire form was slightly distorted. ¡°Yes, it makes sense if you think about it. Even nine years ago, it had been about fifty years since Susaou had been active. And Susaou is a humanoid machine built to oppose and confine the ultra high temperatures of Yamata. A used weapon is always on the road to destruction.¡± He zoomed in on the image. Susaou grew larger as it stood in front of the bright sun. Portions of the blackened armor covering its giant limbs and body had melted and the bridge in the head had vanished as if it had been gouged out. ¡°On his deathbed, my grandfather mentioned the box of the bridge in the head, but that no longer exists.¡± The head had been destroyed. The metal had melted and formed a square stage with fifteen meter sides. Only a single object stuck up from that floor. It was a straight piece of metal around a meter and a half long. ¡°The only thing left in the remains of the bridge is Totsuka, the Cowling Sword my grandfather created to seal Yamata. That¡¯s all.¡± As he muttered into the LCD monitor, he heard a sigh from behind him. ¡°And we went through all the formalities to get there. Even if it is under UCAT¡¯s control, we received permission from each country¡¯s UCAT.¡± Tsukuyomi¡¯s words drew nearer as she leaned in toward the monitor. She then spoke as if yearning for the past. ¡°Afterwards, you began researching concept weapons, but soon drew back from real development and design. Now you act as the demon of fine-tuning and only perform practicality checks on new models.¡± ¡°That is not all I do. I have other jobs. Remember that weird gum project?¡± ¡°But you are avoiding any jobs that use 2nd-Gear¡¯s power and the name of Kashima, aren¡¯t you? Is that landslide accident from eight years ago still bothering you?¡± Kashima gave no answer. He chose other words for his response. ¡°Right now, my interests lie elsewhere.¡± The photograph of Susaou was not the only image on the monitor. It also showed photographs of his wife and young daughter. Tsukuyomi grinned bitterly. ¡°Ha ha. I guess we can¡¯t compete with your family.¡± ¡°Director Tsukuyomi, how are things going regarding the previous director?¡± ¡°Oh, you mean my husband? Well, I think it would be nice if I found anything he left behind, but all the documents from his time here vanished in the blank period. What was he doing without telling me while I was in IAI?¡± Kashima continued to stare at the LCD monitor, so Tsukuyomi patted his shoulder as if trying to cheer him up. ¡°Being that fond of your kid is a good thing, but don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re someone¡¯s kid too. My daughter is always out late job hunting and going to informative seminars. When she gets back home, she eats, bathes, and sleeps before heading right back out the next morning. She isn¡¯t a carrier-based aircraft, so she should really get some rest.¡± ¡°Your daughter is an F-14? But you haven¡¯t told her about UCAT or 2nd-Gear, right? You seem to be conforming to Low-Gear, but¡­¡± ¡°Is that why you¡¯re confused? You can¡¯t figure out why this eccentric director would leave the rights to the Leviathan Road with someone trying to be a Low-Gear resident like you?¡± ¡°We¡­¡± Kashima started to speak, but trailed off. ¡°¡­¡± Finally, he shook his head. Tsukuyomi patted his shoulder again. She did so more softly and gently than before. ¡°Listen, Kashima. I turn 50 this year and I haven¡¯t gone through any longevity procedures. I doubt I can remain on the forefront of development for another ten years. From now on, things will be run by you and the others of your younger generation that knows nothing at all of the war. That is why I think you need to give this some thought.¡± ¡°Give this some thought? My grandfather¡¯s dying words and my own power have already-¡­¡± Kashima stood up but stopped when he saw the look on Tsukuyomi¡¯s face. She still stood at the entrance to the partition, but her expression was very gentle. One look at that and he lost all words. I can¡¯t stand up to that, he thought as he fell silent. She smiled a bit when she saw him sit back down and wait for her to speak. ¡°I like seeing a man waiting for a woman to speak. Makes me jealous of your wife.¡± ¡°Sorry, director, but your age has not been kind to that ingratiating voice.¡± ¡°Just leave me be. ¡­Anyway, you need to think about your stance as part of 2nd-Gear. Also¡­¡± ¡°Also?¡± ¡°This will likely be your last chance to be involved with Susaou.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The remnants my grandfather mentioned are no longer there. Only Totsuka remains.¡± Kashima opened a text file on his laptop. The document contained the results of some research he had done. It provided the reason 2nd-Gear could not leave UCAT. ¡°The records contained a single fact. Susaou¡¯s captain spoke the word to control Yamata and sealed Yamata in Totsuka, but he died. That was all.¡± ¡°And with his death, Low-Gear lost the word to seal Yamata,¡± muttered Tsukuyomi with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s a difficult issue. If the Low-Gear engineer who once sealed Yamata had survived and that word had remained with Low-Gear, we could have formed a full allegiance with Low-Gear.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kashima nodded and spoke that engineer¡¯s name. ¡°Ooshiro Hiromasa. The father of UCAT¡¯s leader, Ooshiro Kazuo, the grandfather of Team Leviathan¡¯s supervisor, Ooshiro Itaru, and the man who my grandfather resented for not saving 2nd-Gear.¡± Kashima gave a bitter smile. ¡°Of course, I did not carry on his grudge. But¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± Tsukuyomi repeated his last word and Kashima gave a troubled smile. ¡°But that is why I am finding this decision so hard to make.¡± Sayama and Ooshiro Kazuo walked down a UCAT corridor. After Diana left the training room, Sayama had told the others that Tsukuyomi had used a technique similar to the mysterious one Diana had used. That had been enough for the others to agree to 2nd-Gear for the next Leviathan Road. ¡°Someone might be leading us in this direction, though. Not knowing is kind of frustrating.¡± Kazami¡¯s comment had summed up everyone¡¯s thoughts. Sayama was also interested in what sort of negotiation he should use. Shinjou had remained in the training room, saying she wanted to perform additional target practice, but Kazami and the others had agreed to meet up in the cafeteria once they were done sorting through the documents they had gathered. Sayama¡¯s job was to tell Ooshiro they intended to go ahead with 2nd-Gear¡¯s Leviathan Road. However, Ooshiro was currently walking quickly alongside him. Wearing his suit once more, Sayama quickened his pace to line up beside him. ¡°Old man, aren¡¯t you in a lot more of a hurry than before?¡± ¡°No, no. I¡¯m just testing a new prototype.¡± He showed Sayama a digital pedometer at his waist. It was a yellow plastic device with an LCD showing a stylized girl performing some kind of ritualistic dance. She seemed to be in as sort of trance. ¡°There is a lot I want to say about that, but it is relatively normal compared to some other things UCAT is developing.¡± ¡°UCAT may be developing it, but it will be sold as an IAI product. We can¡¯t make it too out there.¡± ¡°What is the product called?¡± Ooshiro answered with a confident thumbs up. ¡°This is the digital pedometer ¡®Mambo-chan¡¯. The character is a shaman from an esoteric religion.¡± ¡°Oh? That is quite the uncreative name.¡± ¡°Yes. To show her desire for you to walk with the pedometer as much as possible, I wanted to name her Pedo Lover, but that was immediately rejected.¡± ¡°That was for the best. But I get the feeling one can buy a pedometer anywhere these days.¡± ¡°This one is a bit different. Mambo-chan has a surprisingly direct personality. If you stop before reaching the set number of steps, she scolds you with her shaman power.¡± ¡°Just out of curiosity, what is this power?¡± ¡°Seventeen fully charged shocks on the level of a stun baton.¡± ¡°I see. If you slack off, you end up passed out on the road. Are you going to sell them to the marines for marching training?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Situations in which you have to stop are rare and the tension can accelerate your diet. See? I¡¯m walking just fine.¡± Sayama thought for a moment. ¡°Old man,¡± he finally said. ¡°Where have you tested the prototype so far?¡± ¡°Within UCAT. Why?¡± ¡°I have one question.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Sayama looked up at the ceiling as he walked and his expression finally grew serious. ¡°Have you ever heard of traffic lights and railroad crossings?¡± Ooshiro looked up at the ceiling as he walked and his expression finally grew serious. ¡°Now what do I do?¡± ¡°Oh? So you finally reached the truth? Now, the current problem is the automatic door visible in the distance. How long does it take for the electric shocks to activate?¡± ¡°M-Mambo-chan is short tempered, so she suddenly attacks if you stand still for even a second.¡± ¡°What about turning around? We can make a quick U-turn and come back the way we came.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, Mambo-chan insists you resolutely continue on. If you turn around, she gets mad. ¡­Ahhhh! We really are getting close to the door! Mikoto-kun! Could you go on ahead and open it for me!?¡± ¡°To change the subject, is it fine if we go with 2nd-Gear for the next Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t completely change the subject! And please hurry! I have less than fifty meters now!¡± ¡°Hm,¡± said Sayama with a nod. ¡°In that case, I have something I wish to ask you again. Please answer me honestly.¡± ¡°Is this any time for that!? Ahh, Shinjou-kun would help me if she were here. Is she still in training?¡± ¡°Yes. She said she wanted to do some target practice, but does she really need that much training?¡± Ooshiro¡¯s expression was impatient, but he still formed a smile. ¡°Sh-she has always scored highly in training. She has problems in real battles, though. She hesitates and can¡¯t fire.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Yes, she has improved somewhat since the battle with 1st-Gear, but the development department¡¯s output records for Ex-St show she has not fully overcome it.¡± Sayama recalled the battle with 1st-Gear. Shinjou had wielded enough power to be on even footing with Fafnir Custom. ¡°You mean she can draw out even more power than that? What is holding her power back?¡± ¡°Has she given you a reason?¡± Sayama thought for a moment. ¡°She has no memories before six years ago.¡± ¡°I see. There is that, but there is a bigger reason too.¡± ¡°A bigger reason?¡± Ooshiro nodded. ¡°Mikoto-kun,¡± he began as a warning. ¡°It seems you do not understand. Then again, this is very like you.¡± ¡°What do you-¡­?¡± Before he could finish speaking, Sayama recalled something from earlier that day. ¡­Is the hint to this ¡°Yamato Takeru¡±? Shinjou Setsu had said that was his ¡°lie¡±. Did Shinjou Sadame have something like that as well? Sayama nodded and said, ¡°If I do not understand what is holding back Shinjou-kun¡¯s power, I will be killed by her like Kumaso Takeru. Is that what you think?¡± Ooshiro gave no response, but Sayama¡¯s thoughts continued on. He recalled how Kumaso Takeru had been killed by Yamato Takeru. ¡°He crossdressed and, even as he stood right before Kumaso Takeru, the disguise worked and his true form remained unseen.¡± He recalled what he had thought during his fight with Diana. ...Why am I not seeing you even though I should be seeing you? This led Sayama to a sudden realization. He realized another doubt concerning Shinjou Setsu and Sadame. ¡°Oh, I get it now. That was a complete blind spot for me.¡± ¡°Do you know now why Shinjou-kun cannot use her full power, Mikoto-kun?¡± ¡°I do. I sure am brilliant.¡± ¡°That last part does not matter, so could you get to the main point?¡± ¡°I am in a good mood, so I will say Testament.¡± Sayama confidently gave his answer. ¡°Shinjou-kun is crossdressing. That is, Setsu-kun is dressing up as a girl to be Sadame-kun.¡± ¡°Mikoto-kun¡­¡± ¡°What is it? Why are you staring at me with such suspicion?¡± ¡°Are you the type that gives your answer without giving it much thought?¡± ¡°When have I ever jumped to a hasty conclusion? Say that again and I will knock you to the ground.¡± ¡°That¡¯s hasty enough as it is!¡± ¡°Calm down, calm down,¡± said Sayama as he held a hand out to restrain Ooshiro. ¡°At any rate, it seems I let my guard down concerning Shinjou-kun.¡± Sayama began to think once more. He had confirmed that Shinjou Setsu was a boy at the public bath. ¡­But I never confirmed that Sadame-kun is a girl. He had seen Shinjou Sadame¡¯s breasts before, but that might have been a UCAT trick. If so, they have frightening technology, thought Sayama with a cold sweat. I should have touched them to make sure. He had known her for a month, so why had he never considered gently groping them? ¡­I was careless. ¡°M-Mikoto-kun, I do not know what you are thinking about so seriously, but let me give you a warning.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Committing crimes is a big no-no.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha ha. How can you say that as an old man whose very existence is a crime? And do you really think someone as clever as me would do that?¡± ¡°Ha¡­ha ha ha. I-I suppose not even you would.¡± ¡°Exactly. If I explain the situation, she will understand.¡± ¡°Wh-what did you just say?¡± ¡°Nothing. More importantly, you might want to look forward.¡± Ooshiro looked like he still wanted to say something, but he panicked when he looked ahead. ¡°Wah! We¡¯re less than thirty meters from the automatic door! Mikoto-kun! Please hurry up and open it!¡± ¡°Now then, old man. The issue concerning Shinjou-kun was a worthwhile digression, but we need to get to the main issue.¡± ¡°You¡¯re ignoring me!? And do we really need to talk now!?¡± ¡°We do. Now, calmly listen to what I have to say for the remaining 25 meters. My first question is whether a relative of yours was involved with the destruction of 2nd-Gear.¡± ¡°Yes! Yes! One went to 2nd-Gear as an engineer!¡± ¡°Tell me why in detail.¡± ¡°H-how much detail!?¡± Sayama thought for a moment on that impatient question. ¡°About twenty meters¡¯ worth, I suppose.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to ignore that. Anyway, 2nd-Gear could not control Yamata with their own techniques, so they hoped to get the help of engineers from other Gears! They thought an idea from another Gear¡¯s viewpoint could solve the problem! But¡­ Ahhh! The door¡¯s less than ten meters away! Hurry, hurry, hurry!¡± ¡°A quick question: do you really think I will open the door until I have heard what I want to hear?¡± ¡°That reaction really pisses me off! Let¡¯s see¡­ Anyway, my father didn¡¯t make it in time! So even though they resented the engineers who had evacuated, they worked together to build the giant humanoid machine and the sealing sword and used them to fight back against Yamata!¡± ¡°Lastly, what were those machines known as?¡± ¡°The giant humanoid machine was Susaou! The sealing Cowling Sward was Totsuka!¡± ¡°I see. That is what I wanted to know. So may we go with 2nd-Gear for the next Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°Yes, yes! Just hurry!¡± ¡°You did not seem to give that much thought,¡± replied Sayama as he hurried to the door. Ooshiro breathed a sigh of relief just as the door opened. However, two large obstacles stood in his way. They were two humans. The aboveground portion of the UCAT facility took the form a building disguised as a transportation administration building. The fifth floor of that building contained a certain private office. The room was filled with scattered piles of documents and trash and a single figure was visible beyond the piles of documents on the large desk. A man in a black suit and sunglasses sat in the desk¡¯s chair. He held a local newspaper. His eyes moved across the text, but he did not appear to be actually reading it. He folded the newspaper to view the back and brushed up his white hair. ¡°¡­¡± He suddenly looked up. He had heard quiet footsteps in front of the room¡¯s door. He quickly folded the newspaper and tossed it near the door. It made a dry rustling sound as it fell to the floor. In the very next moment, the office door opened and a maid wearing a black dress and white apron entered. She held a silver tray carrying a cup. However, she did not look over to see if the man was at the desk. It was as if his presence was a foregone conclusion. As she took a step forward, her expressionless gaze noticed the newspaper at her feet. She picked it up with one hand. ¡°Itaru-sama, today¡¯s morning paper has arrived. Would you like to read it?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the headline, Sf?¡± ¡°Tes. ¡®In Shinjuku yakuza turf war last night, one of our own reporters met a surprising end!¡¯ ¡± ¡°No, thanks. Throw it over there.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± With only a single shake of her short hair, Sf walked straight over the documents scattered on the floor. However, she did not leave any footprints on those documents. Not a single paper so much as shook. Once Sf reached Itaru, she held out the silver tray in her hand. ¡°Itaru-sama, I have brought your coffee.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡± ¡°Tes. I simply wanted to say that, so do not worry. Shall I dispose of it here?¡± ¡°The last time I told you to dispose of it, you really did dump it on the floor.¡± ¡°Tes. That was two weeks after I arrived. I have checked that memory to a depth level of five, so there is no mistaking it.¡± ¡°Yeah, I remember it too. I ultimately had to wipe the floor myself. It was also the first time I thought about having you dismantled, so it¡¯s a day to remember. High-quality machines are so wonderful because they do what you tell them to.¡± ¡°Tes. I have determined you must be very methodical if you were ready to dismantle me for maintenance within two weeks. But do not worry. I am the pride of German UCAT and my automatic internal cleaning is guaranteed to suffice for 666 years.¡± ¡°Oh? You perform automatic cleaning?¡± ¡°Tes,¡± answered Sf with a nod. She lightly rotated her wrist. ¡°At night when I have nothing else to do, I remove the parts myself and diligently brush them.¡± ¡°Automatic just means you do it yourself? Anyway, I don¡¯t want the coffee, so you drink it for me.¡± ¡°I have no digestive system, so I cannot drink it.¡± ¡°I see. Then I guess I¡¯ll drink it. It¡¯s a shame you¡¯re a machine that can¡¯t experience this wonderful flavor.¡± Itaru turned to Sf with a smile and Sf remained expressionless. ¡°I am glad you are pleased. Please take your time.¡± ¡°¡­Come to think of it, a defective machine like you can¡¯t understand sarcasm, can you?¡± ¡°Tes. I determined that to be what you wanted. If you change your mind, I can always add emotional functionality.¡± ¡°Emotional functionality? What would happen if you plugged that in?¡± Sf thought for a moment and finally tilted her head. ¡°Tes. Plugging it in would only get in the way. I would install it internally.¡± ¡°And what would happen once you installed it?¡± ¡°Tes. Once I installed it, I would have emotions.¡± ¡°For example?¡± ¡°No matter how unreasonable a command, I would respond with a smile. No matter how disagreeable a master, I would cry upon his death.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t emotional functionality. It¡¯s robot functionality, you problem machine.¡± Itaru took the cup Sf held out and took a sip. Seeing that, Sf tilted her head expressionlessly. ¡°You can drink coffee now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing but water, caffeine, flavoring, and coloring. Describing it as similar to poison would not be an exaggeration. I hate it.¡± ¡°Then why are you drinking it?¡± ¡°Because you said you can¡¯t, Sf. That makes this your fault.¡± ¡°Tes. I will make sure to bring some for you after every meal.¡± ¡°Why? Some kind of unnecessary consideration for your master?¡± ¡°Because it is what you want, Itaru-sama,¡± said Sf expressionlessly. Itaru looked back at her face and finally held up the cup. ¡°Next time, bring me something colorless. The coloring stains my mouth.¡± He brushed up his white hair. ¡°I only accept meaningless things like color and flavor.¡± ¡°Tes,¡± said Sf with a nod. She quickly turned around as Itaru watched. ¡°¡­!¡± She swiftly turned toward the entrance. Of the two hands holding the tray, she moved her right. Her right hand held a black handgun which she aimed up at the office entrance. Itaru then noticed a woman standing in that entrance. This tall woman wore a black suit. Her long silver hair swayed as she lightly raised a hand in front of the already closed door. ¡°Oh, dear. I didn¡¯t expect you to notice when I had only walked in. I miscalculated.¡± She used a joking tone, but Sf¡¯s pose did not change. The tray was still in her left hand and the handgun in her right. ¡°I detect a powerful philosopher¡¯s stone. You are of unknown affiliation, so I ask you introduce yourself. You have 15 seconds.¡± ¡°Oh, my, my. Itaru-kun, can you say something to her?¡± Itaru sighed. ¡°She is an extremely uninvited guest. Sf, do as I wish.¡± ¡°Oh? Isn¡¯t that a harsh greeting for someone you haven¡¯t seen in ten years? And Sf, have you forgotten one of the people who helped create you?¡± ¡°When I was re-adjusted in Japanese UCAT, I was formatted for Japanese use.¡± ¡°Eh!? You¡¯re kidding!¡± The woman brought a hand to her mouth in surprise. ¡°Th-then did they delete all the episodes of the cartoon Herr Himmler I hid in a corner of your memory!? Even the rare episode ¡®Goebbels is Flustered¡¯!?¡± ¡°I just performed a search and discovered a large blank in the surplus memory on the fifth depth level. I have determined that is all that remains.¡± ¡°Ahh, and after I came here to get them back.¡± ¡°Hey, Sf, you can go all out eliminating her.¡± Sf silently aimed the handgun. The woman frantically waved her hand. ¡°You really can¡¯t joke with her, can you? But what if that goes for me, too?¡± With a bitter smile, she gave her name. ¡°I am Diana Zonburg of German UCAT. Damit Gut?¡± In a corridor on the third basement, Sayama saw two people blocking the way ahead of him. One was an older bald black man wearing a white armored uniform and a vest. Sayama had met him during the battle with 1st-Gear. His name was Boldman and he helped coordinate with the normal units. The other, Sayama did not recognize. He was a large old Arab man who wore a sand yellow combat coat over his white armored uniform. He wore a cloth wrapped around his head like a turban and he was facing Sayama. He may have been old, but he was around two meters tall and his gaze was plenty sharp. His white eyebrows and long white beard moved. ¡°Sayama?¡± he said in a low voice. Immediately afterwards, Sayama felt a pain in the left side of his chest. Sayama wondered why until he noticed the man¡¯s gaze. He was looking in Sayama¡¯s direction, but¡­ ¡­He is not looking at me. He seemed to be looking toward Sayama yet recalling something from the past. As soon as Sayama realized that, the pain in his chest strengthened. ¡°Out of the way, Abram!¡± shouted Ooshiro. His slender body and lab coat had made it within three steps of the door. The Arab man named Abram began to move aside. ¡°¡­¡± But with Boldman next to him, the door was full. He could not move. Upon noticing that, Sayama turned to Ooshiro and nodded. ¡°How very unfortunate.¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t actually think that!¡± shouted the old man just as a door along the corridor opened. However, Sayama knew that door led to the concept space office floor. Another old man suddenly burst from the darkness on the other side of the door. He was slender and had long black hair. His name was Yonkichi and he had helped navigate the helicopter taking Sayama to the battle with 1st-Gear. As Yonkichi left in a hurry, Ooshiro charged into the office floor. Mambo-chan may have insisted one resolutely continued on, but it seemed right angle turns were acceptable. The door quickly closed and Yonkichi looked confused. ¡°Um, what was that about?¡± ¡°Nothing more than an old man¡¯s recreation. If he does not go for a walk, he cannot remove the toxins from his body.¡± ¡°Testament. Anyway, I must be going!¡± Yonkichi quickly ran off in the direction Sayama and Ooshiro had come from. Sayama let out a breath, realized the pain in his chest was gone, and looked toward the two large men who took a step away from the door and toward him. Boldman indicated Abram to his side. ¡°Should I call you commander, Sayama Mikoto? This is the director of the field operation department, Director Abram Mesam. You have not met him yet, have you?¡± ¡°Team Leviathan is a special division of the field operation department, so do you supervise us?¡± asked Sayama. Abram responded in a low, clear voice. ¡°No, Team Leviathan essentially has independent authority. Its direct supervisor, Ooshiro Itaru, and the man who just left, Ooshiro Kazuo, both have more authority than me when it comes to you.¡± His tanned face then twisted into a smile. ¡°Nice to meet you. I am Abram Mesam and I control your backup and the other field operation members. If you ever need anything, Boldman here will take care of it.¡± ¡°Testament,¡± replied Sayama. He no longer felt any pain from Abram¡¯s gaze. With a quick nod to Sayama¡¯s response, the man began walking away. As he did, the hem of his coat flipped around and he asked a question. ¡°Is 2nd-Gear up next for the Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°That is our current plan.¡± Abram gave a bitter laugh at Sayama¡¯s tone. That laugh reminded Sayama of how Siegfried had reacted to his words after the battle at the Imperial Palace. In that case¡­ ¡°Director Mesam, were you one of UCAT¡¯s original members?¡± ¡°Testament.¡± ¡°I know UCAT originally had Professor Kinugasa at the top, Izumo¡¯s grandfather, my grandfather, the old man¡¯s father, and Siegfried. How many other primary members were there?¡± ¡°Including me, four. There were a total of eight gathered under Kinugasa Tenkyou and every single one of them was stranger than me. And if you wish for it, you will surely meet all of them.¡± ¡°Is the name Shinjou among those last four?¡± ¡°No.¡± His response was an immediate denial. Sayama had expected that answer. Just as Fasolt had said, the Shinjou in the National Defense Department had disappeared before he entered UCAT. Sayama did not know what it meant, but it was as Abram said: if he wished for it, he would surely meet them. Abram did not turn around, but his voice mixed in with his departing footsteps. ¡°Will you be going to the Showa Memorial Park in Tachikawa tomorrow?¡± Sayama frowned. That location had just come up at school and Kazami had mentioned it after training as well. ¡°You mean where that giant humanoid machine is located?¡± ¡°Testament. The two machines which saved Low-Gear from Yamata are located there. The first is the five hundred plus meter Susaou. The other is the divine sword Totsuka.¡± ¡°So it follows the legend of Susanoo?¡± ¡°Yes. The Concept Core that is Yamata is closed within Totsuka. I am on my way to the development department to suggest we regulate the concept space around Susaou tomorrow. ¡­How about you perform the preliminary negotiations there with 2nd-Gear¡¯s representative?¡± ¡°Testament.¡± Abram did not turn around. Instead, Boldman turned toward Sayama and raised his right hand as a sign of parting. Sayama turned his back on the two men just as an old man dashed out of the darkness of the office division to the side. He was slender, had long white hair, and wore a white coat. ¡°You are Nijun who I met in the medical room before. Why are you in such a hurry?¡± ¡°Oh, Sayama-sama. Did you happen to see my youngest brother?¡± ¡°You mean Yonkichi? He rushed off in that direction not long ago.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Nijun pulled a cell phone from his pocket. ¡°Brother, pass this on to Mitsuaki. That fool is most likely on his way to the second floor.¡± ¡°What exactly is going on?¡± asked Sayama. ¡°That fool has once more tried to build up his own character independent of us. This time, he started adding ¡®gelge¡¯ to the ends of his sentences. As his older brothers, we were just about to punish him.¡± ¡°I see. With four brothers, it must be difficult to remain coordinated.¡± ¡°It is. Oh, here comes my brother. I see he has brought the Azure Dragon Sword. ¡­I will be going then.¡± While making sure not to look toward the newly arriving brother, Sayama asked a quick question. He was curious about a certain inconsequential matter. ¡°Excuse me, but I believe an old man whose foolishness is of the highest order ran inside there a bit ago.¡± ¡°So that would make him the foolishest? No, that might not be a word. Anyway, you mean Ooshiro-sama, correct? He ran inside half-crazed not long ago, but¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°A female employee stood in front of him and held out some tea, but the moment he stopped and began to drink it, he collapsed. He is still collapsed on the floor and convulses once about every five seconds. Everyone assumed it was some new game of his, so we are leaving him be.¡± ¡°That is fine. This game will end after 17 rounds. I will collect him once the electric shocks are over.¡± ¡°Goodbye,¡± said Nijun as he left. Sayama gave an exasperated sigh as he listened to the man¡¯s footsteps. ¡°Why is this place always so lively?¡± A short silence filled Ooshiro Itaru¡¯s private office. It was caused by Sf as she faced Diana. As soon as Diana¡¯s introduction came to an end, Sf narrowed her eyes. ¡°¡­¡± And she suddenly lowered her handgun. ¡°Tes. I have checked your child string vibration. Name: Diana Zonburg. Affiliation: German UCAT. Rank: Division Chief. Sex: Female. Age: ¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to give that. Be a good girl now.¡± Diana quickly walked up alongside Sf, embraced her, and stroked her head and cheek. Itaru, the owner of the room, sighed and looked up at Diana with half-lidded eyes. ¡°Why are you here, you old-style German? Did you want to see my present situation?¡± ¡°Do the Japanese even know what an emotional reunion is?¡± ¡°Then are you here to bring back memories of my past? You should know I can never forget that past.¡± All intonation left Itaru¡¯s voice. Meanwhile, Sf lightly brushed away the hand rubbing her head. She took half a step to move between Diana and Itaru. ¡°I must inspect your belongings.¡± ¡°Is that what your master wants?¡± ¡°Tes. It is also my decision. But please keep in mind that I will not let my guard down even if you possess no dangerous objects, Diana-sama. Words can be dangerous these days.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Diana with a sigh as Sf¡¯s slender fingers poked at her hair and shoulders. Her smile vanished. ¡°I guess I still can¡¯t talk about old times with Itaru-kun.¡± ¡°You can do that once I die. But how about you speak to their empty graves instead of me?¡± Diana did not nod in response and her smile did not return. ¡°Team Leviathan has some interesting members,¡± she said. ¡°Oh, so you met them? You are Germany¡¯s greatest witch who was once known as the Mother Cat. What are you doing here? Are you going to crush any idiot who tries to oppose us like you did during our time?¡± Diana still did not nod, but a thin smile appeared on her lips. ¡°You really haven¡¯t changed. But I¡¯m relieved. I can tell you and your father are still manipulating things behind the scenes. I never thought you would manage to gather so many members for Team Leviathan. And you¡¯ll gather even more, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± ¡°I saw Director Abram earlier. It was only from a distance, but he was giving a rare smile.¡± ¡°¡­So he was smiling.¡± ¡°Testament. He only smiles when talking about the past. He refers to himself as an imposter, so he must be happy to talk about the true eight.¡± She nodded. ¡°You will gather all of them eventually, won¡¯t you? UCAT was originally made up of the destroyers of worlds known as the Eight Great Dragon Kings plus Kinugasa Tenkyou for a ninth member. You will eventually gather the people who will succeed them and go further than we ever did, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hah. I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Testament. You can say it like that if you want. We are the only ones¡­no, you are the only one that understands. ¡­I worked to forget what once was, but you are still actively involved,¡± she said. ¡°But promise me one thing. Do not let them become like us. Also, give them a future. ¡­If you do that, I will fully support Team Leviathan.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t promise that, but you still need to help. It doesn¡¯t have to be full support.¡± Diana¡¯s shoulders drooped at his expressionless words. She let out a fake-sounding sigh. ¡°You are a complicated person. When a woman asks you for a promise, you are supposed to agree.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need promises. I need people who will work so I don¡¯t have to do anything. I don¡¯t bargain. Does the Mother Cat ask the owner of the house for permission to play with her toys? What is your job?¡± ¡°I think I will defeat them as many times as it takes.¡± ¡°Oh? From that look, I take it you¡¯ve already cheerfully done so.¡± Both of them gave bitter smiles and Diana nodded. ¡°I will be showing up in training more and more and let them lose to all sorts of things. They have no time and they cannot afford to lose in a real battle.¡± ¡°Only one that loses and recovers will grow stronger. That is the creed of German UCAT, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Japan walks down the same path. You seem to be valuing weakness in modern times, though.¡± ¡°We are a happy country that can accomplish a journey to find ourselves all within our own minds. Of course, that method will only find the version of yourself that is convenient. Any real philosopher would find it laughable.¡± Diana did not nod, but she smiled at Itaru. ¡°Testament. I am a bit relieved.¡± ¡°That Sf is taking her job seriously if you ignore her odd interpretations of orders?¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go with that. ¡­I did only just reunite with her, though.¡± Diana then looked down at Sf. ¡°Sf?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Um,¡± began Diana as the ends of her eyebrows lowered slightly. She tilted her head while clearly having difficulty deciding what to say. She looked more directly at Sf who was touching her body. ¡°Why have you been kneading my breasts for a while now?¡± ¡°Tes. They are so needlessly large that I suspect you are hiding something inside them.¡± ¡°Knowing her, she could have napalm in there, so be careful,¡± commented Itaru. ¡°I bought it myself.¡± ¡°Tes,¡± said Sf as she continued to touch Diana. ¡°Sf,¡± called out Itaru. ¡°If you¡¯re searching for concept weapons using the philosopher¡¯s stone reaction, it¡¯s no use. She modified her body to make herself young again. Just like with Doctor Chao, her entire body will give off the philosopher¡¯s stone reaction.¡± ¡°Tes. Understood. The reaction coming from her chin, chest, and lower belly is especially-¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to bring up any unnecessary information! C¡¯mon, look how cute you are.¡± Diana forcibly embraced Sf and stroked her head while staring at Itaru with half-lidded eyes. ¡°You didn¡¯t install anything weird when you formatted her, did you?¡± she asked out of the corner of her mouth. ¡°I used the method you prepared,¡± he replied without nodding. Volume 3, 9: Blocked Perception Volume 3, Chapter 9: Blocked Perception It is your heart that orders you to notice And so you stand up And so what should you do? UCAT¡¯s first basement contained a large cafeteria near the aboveground equipment exit. The cafeteria was one hundred meters square and almost full. The eight-person tables were filled with people and the walls were lined with vending machines and air conditioners disguised as decorative plants. The clocks attached to the ceiling at a set interval all read 6:15 PM. Night was falling. Surrounded by a mixture of voices and footsteps, Sayama and the others sat at a table almost in the very center of the room. ¡°S-sorry. Changing took more time than I thought,¡± said Shinjou in her casual clothes. She wore a white shirt and an orange skirt and she carried a bowl containing the cafeteria¡¯s doria meal. The seat next to Sayama was open, so she sat there and once more looked across the people around the table. In addition to herself, Izumo and Kazami sat together and Sayama had Baku on his shoulder. Sibyl was the same as ever. They all had a meal in front of them and held the document copies Kazami and the others had brought. Sayama passed her a copy and she looked over it. ¡°The giant humanoid machine and the Cowling Sword that sealed Yamata?¡± ¡°Both of them used 2nd-Gear technology. Also¡­¡± ¡°Also?¡± ¡°The project to construct Susaou began on March 12, 1945.¡± Sayama seemed to contemplate the date he had spoken. ¡°Did something occur to you, Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°No, something caught my attention is all. I will mention it if I receive some kind of confirmation.¡± Shinjou nodded and began flipping through the pages to store the knowledge in her head. She suddenly realized Sayama was watching her from the side. ¡°What is it? Is there something on my face?¡± ¡°Yes. Eyes, a nose, a mouth, and hair.¡± ¡°That is an old joke, but that last part was a bit new. ¡­Anyway, what is it?¡± Sayama fell silent as he thought for a moment. Surprisingly, he seemed to have difficulty saying something. ¡°It is nothing. I realized something while speaking with the old man earlier, but I have yet to decide what to do about it.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Shinjou without pursuing the matter. She did feel her pulse quicken a bit, though. There was something she was thinking about as well. It was something she had discussed with Ooshiro the night before. ¡­My lie. She was currently bothered by that word. ¡­Is that what Sayama-kun started to say? She had never mentioned the lie to him, but he was clever. What would she do if he suddenly asked her about the truth she was hiding? ¡°¡­¡± As she thought, Shinjou quickly shook her head. This was no time to be thinking about herself. ¡°Anyway,¡± began Shinjou as she turned back to the document. She had always been the type to read. Even on documents, writing had a way of stealing her attention. A lot of the information was new to her. She was surprised to see someone who was likely Ooshiro¡¯s father listed as Susaou¡¯s captain. The great size of Susaou also surprised her. Drawn in by those surprises, she read through the entire document without worrying about her food growing cold. As she did, Sayama gave them the details of his meeting with Director Tsukuyomi of the development department. After around fifteen minutes, she had finished reading it all. She took a breath, arranged the papers into a proper stack, and checked everyone else¡¯s progress. Sibyl was rereading it through from the beginning again and again to memorize it, Kazami was flipping back and forth between pages, and Izumo¡­ ¡°Wh-why is he sleeping with his eyes open, Kazami-san?¡± ¡°He thinks it¡¯s funny. But look, Kaku, your beer is getting warm. Look.¡± Even when she tapped his cheek, Izumo did not react. He was fast asleep, so Kazami gave an exhausted sigh. ¡°Hey, Kaku. Wake up. C¡¯mon, c¡¯mon. Wake up. C¡¯mon¡­ Wake up!¡± ¡°Gah! ¡­Ah, wh-what? Did something just explode next to my face?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Here¡¯s your beer.¡± ¡°O-oh. Thanks, Chisato. But I¡¯m still a bit confused¡­¡± Wow, thought Shinjou as she finished arranging her papers. ¡°So UCAT has a blank period in their data,¡± muttered Sayama as he arranged his own papers next to her. ¡°Shinjou-kun, could you pass me the Worcestershire sauce?¡± ¡°Oh, sure. You put Worcestershire sauce on tempura?¡± ¡°The Tamiya family put soy sauce on everything, so I have been in a bit of a reactionary period ever since I moved to the dorm.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Shinjou with a nod. She had a white doria with soup and salad. Across from her, Sibyl had bread and white stew. Next to Sibyl, Kazami and Izumo both had the yakiniku meal with a beer for Izumo. Izumo must have noticed her gaze, because he held up the frothy glass. ¡°Just to be clear, I¡¯m over twenty.¡± Kazami began eating her meat without saying anything and Sibyl gave a small nod. ¡°How did the two of you meet?¡± asked Shinjou out of curiosity. ¡°You should not ask that, Shinjou-kun. I am sure the two of them have a reason for their violence.¡± ¡°I appreciate your consideration, Sayama, but what are you trying to say?¡± As Kazami smiled and cracked her knuckles, Sayama quickly looked away. ¡°But why do you ask, Shinjou?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m a bit curious how you ended up in this relationship,¡± explained Shinjou while thinking about the word ¡°lie¡± and about Sayama. Izumo responded by putting down his empty glass and sighing. ¡°I suppose we can tell you. Right, Chisato?¡± ¡°Hmm. Well, if you¡¯re okay with it.¡± ¡°Th-then you¡¯ll tell me?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll never forget that day. It was¡­um¡­a snowy day¡­in summer.¡± ¡°Kazami, ignore that idiot who forgot and tell us,¡± prompted Sayama. ¡°Okay then¡­¡± As she thought, Sayama gave Baku some of his food. Kazami gave a small snort and opened her mouth. ¡°To put it simply, Kaku is the child of a 10th-Gear princess and the president of the Izumo company. The peaceful faction of 10th-Gear was given a reservation in the Kinki region. On his way back there, he was attacked by a group from 6th-Gear who had a grudge against the Izumo family.¡± ¡°I was injured in the attack and Chisato took me in. She was amazing back then.¡± ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, Kaku. I wasn¡¯t that amazing.¡± ¡°You were. You took me to the girls¡¯ dorm because I didn¡¯t have anywhere to stay.¡± ¡°Eh? Y-you brought him to your room after just meeting him?¡± ¡°No, she threw me in a wax storage room and forgot about me for half a day.¡± ¡°Wait. Stop that, Kaku!¡± ¡°It was the middle of summer, so I almost went insane due to the pain of my injuries, the dehydration, and the closed space filled with vaporized wax. W-wait, Chisato. I¡¯m not lying. It isn¡¯t right to raise your fist now. You¡¯re trying to suppress the truth!¡± Kazami clicked her tongue and Shinjou¡¯s mouth hung open. ¡°Kazami-san¡­¡± ¡°How about we talk about what happened after that?¡± said Kazami with a smile. Shinjou quickly nodded. A glance around the room showed some of the people in the large cafeteria listening in to Izumo and Kazami¡¯s story. Kazami looked around and sat up in her seat a bit. ¡°It happened two years ago. I was pretty much in the same situation as you, Sayama. Kaku was taken in by UCAT and I tried to bring him something he left behind, but I was caught in a battle with 6th-Gear.¡± ¡°Boldman was the leader of the 6th-Gear group and they were trying to steal G-Sp and the prototype X-Wi that UCAT was transporting.¡± ¡°When I fell into the concept space, they were both right in front of me. The truck had rolled on its side.¡± ¡°Afterwards, 6th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core was transferred to UCAT and contained within V-Sw because it was on hand. A lot happened after that, but the Leviathan Road was finished for both 6th and 10th back then.¡± Shinjou watched the gazes of the three people in front of her and the other UCAT workers surrounding them. The looks on their faces were perfectly serious and they would nod when she met their gaze. Next to her, Sayama grabbed some of his food and spoke. ¡°You look more mature discussing this than you do drinking beer.¡± ¡°Yeah. You don¡¯t usually look that way. I have to rethink my opinion of you. I should probably start calling you Izumo-san,¡± added Shinjou. ¡°Kaku, they¡¯re casually denying your entire personality.¡± ¡°Are they? I don¡¯t really get the details, but feel free to look up to me, Shinjou.¡± Unsure how to respond, Shinjou turned to Sayama. ¡°Just speak the words that fill your heart,¡± he told her. ¡°I-I can¡¯t do that. Kazami-san would do something horrible to me.¡± ¡°Shinjou-sama?¡± replied Sibyl with a perfectly serious expression. ¡°If I may interrupt, Chisato-sama will make sure you survive.¡± ¡°I am curious what you were trying to say there,¡± commented Sayama. ¡°Anyway¡­ Kazami, do you ever feel as though you have made a horrible mistake?¡± ¡°Yes, but only when I¡¯m with Kaku¡­ Also, I will be returning to my parent¡¯s home tonight, so I can go back to a normal life for a short time.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± said Sayama. ¡°Really?¡± said Shinjou. ¡°I usually go back on Sundays,¡± she replied. ¡°But it looks like we¡¯re going to be busy from now on. After going back today, I can return tomorrow and stay in the dorm for the entire weekend. We¡¯re going to the Showa Memorial Park tomorrow, right?¡± ¡°I intend to, yes. I have a lot to think about regarding the preliminary negotiations.¡± ¡°Hm. But is there really a 500 meter humanoid machine in that park? I ran through it a lot for club marathons in middle school.¡± Kazami¡¯s answer did not come from Sayama or the others. The gently moving air carried in a male voice from behind Sayama. ¡°It¡¯s there,¡± began the voice. ¡°If you go there tomorrow, you will see the truth of Tokyo.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± said Shinjou as she turned around. She turned to the left. Kazami and the others turned defensively toward the speaker and Izumo could be heard gulping down another beer. At some point, a man had appeared on the left side of the table. He was a young man with glasses who wore a lab coat over a work uniform. He held a laptop under his right arm and a bento box under his left arm. He turned agreeable black eyes toward them. ¡°I am Kashima Akio of 2nd-Gear. I am the representative you must negotiate with for the release of 2nd-Gear¡¯s concepts.¡± All of them gulped. That was the name of the military god Tsukuyomi had told Sayama. And the document they had just read gave Kashima as the surname of the second in command for the giant humanoid machine. ¡­It can¡¯t be¡­ But it most likely was. She could sense Sayama growing tense to her right. ¡­The next Leviathan Road has already begun. ¡°Now then,¡± said the man named Kashima with a nod. ¡°How shall we carry out this Leviathan Road thing?¡± His question was so carefree he seemed to be talking about a game. Sayama was the one to answer him. He began with a question. ¡°You mention the Leviathan Road, but do you have your Concept Core ready?¡± ¡°Yes, we know exactly where it is. 2nd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core transformed into the flame dragon Yamata which is currently sealed within the divine sword Totsuka. And Totsuka is stabbed into Susaou¡¯s bridge. But I think you already knew that,¡± he said while glancing at their documents. ¡°It all comes down to how our negotiations go and whether Yamata will accept you or not.¡± He took a breath. ¡°That is the biggest issue.¡± The nighttime city contained a forest. The forest spread out as far as the eye could see. However, a large parking lot bordered a train station to the south of the forest. The sign in front of the parking lot contained the three words ¡°Showa Memorial Park¡±. It was a state-run nature park. The large clock standing in the parking lot indicated the time was 7:30 PM. The park had already closed. The darkness of the night contained only the trees of the forest and a narrow asphalt road. In the distance of that vast space, a large pool and a rest area could be seen sinking into the darkness. The sounds of a train suddenly came from the south. A train was passing through the JR Nishi-Tachikawa Station. The sound gently filled the artificial forest. No one should have heard that sound, but someone was listening to it now. Inside the closed park, two girls stood on the path used during the day as a cycling course. One was a tall girl. In the darkness, she could be seen standing tall with her black hair tied behind her head and wearing a black shirt and white vest. She simply stood in the darkness. Another girl walked quickly up behind her. This girl was short. She had long black hair and she wore a white blouse and black vest. Her black eyes looked up at the girl standing before her. ¡°You walk too fast, Mikoku. I can¡¯t keep up.¡± ¡°This is why I told you not to come, Shino. We still have a long way to go.¡± Shino sighed at what the tall girl, Mikoku, said. ¡°But I thought we could go hiking for the first time since visiting 1st-Gear¡¯s hideout,¡± said Shino disappointedly. ¡°I do not think hiking means what you think it means.¡± ¡°Then what does it mean?¡± ¡°Running around the countryside on a sunny Sunday while singing songs and eating the homemade lunch you brought with you. Very sophisticated, isn¡¯t it? You can spend a lazy weekend day traversing the mountains singing war songs with nothing but salted rice balls to eat.¡± ¡°I think your definition is wrong too. By any chance, do you not actually know what it means either?¡± ¡°D-do not be ridiculous. It is called ¡®high-king¡¯ because you act like the king of the heights.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Do not give me that doubting look.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t giving you a-¡­ Ow ow! Don¡¯t pull on my cheeks!¡± Mikoku let go of Shino¡¯s cheeks and sighed. ¡°At any rate, tonight¡¯s walk is about sentiment. This time, we will not be contacting 2nd-Gear.¡± ¡°Is 2nd-Gear really that close to UCAT?¡± ¡°Yes. According to Hajji, contacting them holds too great a risk of having our information passed on to UCAT.¡± Mikoku turned around in the direction they were headed. ¡°He also said the people of 2nd-Gear have already become residents of Low-Gear, so they will not join us even if we contact them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad. It was Japanese UCAT¡¯s development department that created Team Leviathan¡¯s V-Sw and modified G-Sp into G-Sp2.¡± ¡°That is not all. Totsuka, the Cowling Sword here that sealed Yamata, is also from 2nd-Gear.¡± Mikoku began walking and heard footsteps following her after a few steps. ¡°B-but why don¡¯t we steal Totsuka? If it¡¯s in the concept space here, can¡¯t we just sneak in and take it? You could do it, right?¡± ¡°This place is under UCAT¡¯s control. If I entered the concept space, they might detect the change in string vibration. It would be difficult for me to steal it on my own,¡± explained Mikoku. ¡°Also, the method of releasing Yamata and the method of sealing it are apparently only known by a small number of people in 2nd-Gear. Even if we had Totsuka, we could not do anything with it.¡± ¡°What is this method of releasing and sealing?¡± ¡°I hear it is a word. However, it requires someone with connections to 2nd-Gear¡¯s emperor and someone who can give the proper response. But the Army has no influential 2nd-Gear members or anyone who knows that response. ¡­There is nothing we can do.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said a disappointed voice behind her. Mikoku smiled bitterly and looked into the sky as she walked. Stars were visible beyond the tree branches. ¡°At any rate, we can take it easy tonight. This is just a walk.¡± ¡°Okay. But what is up ahead?¡± ¡°Something sentimental: Susaou and Totsuka, the pinnacle of 2nd-Gear technology.¡± The man named Kashima brought a chair to the corridor-side edge of the table and sat down. From Sayama¡¯s point of view, he sat on the opposite side of Shinjou. He opened his bento box which contained a homemade Western-style meal. When Sayama saw the apples peeled to look like rabbits, he concluded this was made by a member of his family. As he ate, Kashima supplemented what they had learned in their investigation. He gave a general outline, swallowed a korokke, and finished speaking. ¡°And as you said, Yamata is still sealed in Totsuka within that concept space.¡± ¡°It was daring of them to seal it inside Tokyo.¡± ¡°I heard your grandfather constructed the theory behind that seal,¡± said Kashima. That sudden revelation about his grandfather¡¯s past brought a hand to the left side of Sayama¡¯s chest. And as if responding to his action, his chest began to hurt. ¡°Kh¡­¡± His groan caused Kashima¡¯s eyebrows to move. He looked toward Sayama and stopped moving his plastic chopsticks. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you ill?¡± he asked frantically. Shinjou¡¯s shoulders trembled and she turned toward Sayama. With the ends of her eyebrows lowered she smiled bitterly while feeling his pain. He leaned his weight on her outstretched hand and felt some relief. He could not breathe properly, so he mouthed the words. Shinjou read his lips and turned toward Kashima. ¡°He says not to worry about it.¡± Sayama nodded, felt better, and took a deep breath. And he straightened up. Seeing that, Kazami, Izumo, and Sibyl all straightened a bit too. The fact that all of them had been worried about him made him feel even better. ¡°When I hear about my relatives¡¯ past, I get chest pains,¡± he explained to Kashima. ¡°That must be tough. ¡­Your relatives¡¯ past, hm?¡± Kashima¡¯s eyes narrowed as he gave a sigh of relief. ¡­Does he have some thoughts about his relatives or his own past? And Sayama had a further thought. ¡­I suppose everyone has some kind of issue. ¡°Now, can you tell us what you meant? Earlier, you said 2nd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core, aka Yamata, is located in the sword stabbed into the bridge in the head of Susaou. And you said the remaining issues are how we will negotiate and if Yamata will accept us.¡± But¡­ ¡°What do you mean by ¡®accept us¡¯?¡± Kashima brushed up his hair with a troubled expression. ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt. 2nd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core became Yamata when it lost control in its synchronization with the control system. So if you want to obtain the Concept Core¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You need to obtain Yamata¡¯s permission. You must answer Yamata¡¯s question and gain its understanding.¡± ¡°You mean I must negotiate with Yamata?¡± ¡°No. You need an intermediary because Yamata does not understand human language. I will ask in your place. As a question, I will speak the word that can control Yamata.¡± ¡°As a question?¡± asked Kazami. ¡°Yamata seeks the answer to a certain question,¡± said Kashima as he turned toward her. ¡°Someone once answered that question, but he was burned to death when Yamata was sealed. In other words, the seal was achieved, but the person who knew the answer died.¡± ¡°So what is wanted from me is to release Yamata, answer Yamata¡¯s question to earn its allegiance, and to not die.¡± Kashima nodded and Sayama glanced at Baku on his own shoulder. ¡°I heard Yamata¡¯s question in an image of the past.¡± ¡°What kind of question was it?¡± Sayama recalled what he had seen in that dream. He had heard that ocean of flames beyond the closing gate. ¡°It was a roar. It sounded like¡­like the dragon was trying to convey some meaning.¡± ¡°Did you see the answer?¡± ¡°No. As soon as the dragon asked, the ¡®gate¡¯ in the dream closed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± said Kashima with a slight smile. ¡°Yamata¡¯s question and answer were only known to 2nd-Gear¡¯s emperor and chief engineer. ¡­The Kashima family line which created the Cowling Sword Totsuka fell under the latter category. That is why I know.¡± He grabbed another korokke from his bento and swallowed it. ¡°So what will you do? If you are going to carry out the Leviathan Road with 2nd-Gear, what do you plan to give us in exchange for going along with it?¡± Everyone at the table froze in place. Silence fell. This is where the real issue lies, thought Sayama amid the silence. Baku must have sensed the change in the atmosphere because he turned toward Shinjou, Kazami, and the others and tilted his head. Kashima placed his elbows on the table and rested his head in his hands. ¡°Listen. 2nd-Gear has already become naturalized. We can live in this world without issue. We¡¯re perfectly satisfied with the current situation and we don¡¯t want to make any waves. In that case, I could ignore your grandfather¡¯s will, not bother with the Leviathan Road, and-¡­¡± ¡°It would be easier for you if you unconditionally told me Yamata¡¯s question and answer, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± After a moment, Kashima finally nodded to Sayama¡¯s leading words. ¡°Yes. That would be easier, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Mikoku and Shino spoke as they walked through the forest. ¡°Are we still not at Susaou?¡± ¡°Just a bit further. Is this your first time here, Shino?¡± ¡°You only just realized?¡± Shino sighed and gathered her collar against the growing chill in the air. ¡°This is my first time coming here. I¡¯ve seen this place from the train plenty of times, though.¡± ¡°I see. Well, it is only my second time. Tatsumi dragged me here one night. At the end of March, the park is open until nine for evening flower viewing.¡± ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t know about that. No fair.¡± ¡°Do not say that. It happened around seven years ago. You were still young, so I think you were already asleep. Hajji said Tatsumi and I should see another side of this world.¡± That last sentence caused the ends of Shino¡¯s eyebrows to droop a bit. ¡°Tatsumi-san had some lingering attachment for Low-Gear, didn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°It was a bit different for her.¡± ¡°I suppose so,¡± said Shino as she raised her head. ¡°But why are we here today?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say it was a sentimental walk?¡± ¡°Sentimental for what?¡± Mikoku wrinkled her brow a bit and looked annoyed. ¡°Susaou is in the concept space here, but we cannot enter that space for fear of being detected.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°But I think it is important to think on it even if we cannot actually see it.¡± She took a breath. ¡°A battle occurred here. And what happened after that? We must not speak of the past without giving thought to that.¡± Shino walked up alongside Mikoku and her expression relaxed. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°If you agree, then listen carefully, Shino. With your power, you should clearly understand what happened to this world.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Shino as she walked along and looked among the trees in the darkness. ¡°¡­¡± After a short silence, she smiled bitterly. ¡°What is it, Shino?¡± ¡°Everyone is asleep: the trees, the flowers, the birds, and the beasts.¡± ¡°You can tell? Maybe we should have come during the day.¡± ¡°No. I would rather come during the morning than during the brightness of the day. Everyone would be more energetic then.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Mikoku quietly looked around. ¡°I wonder if they are aware their homes are under human control.¡± She turned her calm gaze toward the sky. ¡°If not, then it is evidence of Low-Gear¡¯s excellent control.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t being under someone¡¯s control a bad thing?¡± ¡°Good control is better than bad freedom. But if it had not been for the fighting, this place would never have been created. It would simply be part of nature.¡± Mikoku saw a small light moving through the night sky. It was an airplane taking off from Yokota Air Base. ¡°Apparently, Showa Memorial Park was originally an airfield belonging to the old Japanese army.¡± ¡°You mean Tachikawa Airfield? That was back when propeller planes making loop-the-loops was as advanced as it got.¡± ¡°Yes. It was taken by the American military after the war and UCAT created a large concept space here. And in 1946, UCAT succeeded in sealing Yamata in that concept space. In ¡¯69, the stability of Yamata¡¯s seal was confirmed and the American military stopped using it as an airfield.¡± She took a breath. ¡°In ¡¯75, the higher ups of Japan made a certain decision while celebrating the 50th year of Emperor Showa¡¯s reign. For the sake of the surviving Low-Gear and the destroyed Gear, they decided to create a park to preserve the concept space in which Yamata was sealed.¡± ¡°And that park¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. In ¡¯77, the American military made great progress in their investigation and development toward returning Tachikawa Airfield. By ¡¯83, the airfield had become a large nature park that even had hills. It had water, it had greenery, it was carefully maintained, and it had become a place for the survivors to enjoy their life without realizing the truth. This is essentially a giant memorial for the dead.¡± The forest opened up and a lake could be seen. The lake had an area for boarding boats and sleeping ducks could be seen floating on the water. Mikoku stopped. ¡°This is the place,¡± she said and took a breath. ¡°Susaou is here.¡± ¡°What will you do?¡± asked Kashima as a small sound rang out. Everyone saw Izumo place his empty glass on the table. The sounds of muttering voices and moving chairs filled the cafeteria. However, Sayama and the others at the table created the silence of thought and stillness. ¡°What will you do?¡± asked Kashima again. ¡­If I asked for Yamata¡¯s question and answer here, would he tell me? Sayama decided this was a test. He would be given his answer, but if he did that¡­ ¡­This Kashima would give up on me. He was unlikely to gain the man¡¯s trust that way. Sayama looked toward Kashima¡¯s work uniform and laptop and he nodded internally. Engineers took pride in their work. He could not just ask him. But he could not simply negotiate for the answer. 2nd-Gear was satisfied with their situation. ¡­To think about this, do I have to face 2nd-Gear? Sayama folded his arms as he thought. And he suddenly sensed a presence next to him. ¡°¡­!¡± He turned and saw a man sitting in the empty chair next to him. The man had short hair dyed blond, wore a white combat coat over a thin frame, and had already finished half a bowl of soba. He did not look toward Sayama. He used a Chinese spoon to carry an egg to this mouth, slowly brought the bowl to his mouth, and slurped at the broth. That was when Kazami noticed him. ¡°Wha-¡­?¡± Izumo, Shinjou, and Sibyl all noticed him in turn and quickly faced him. However, the man loudly slurping the broth did not look at them. As they stared at him, Kashima spoke up. ¡°Stop using the Art of Walking, Atsuta.¡± The man named Atsuta finished slurping about half of the broth and raised his head from the bowl. He looked directly at Sayama, bent his black eyes, and turned to Kashima. ¡°Hey, Kashima.¡± His breath smelled of tuna. ¡°No matter what anyone else may say, you can¡¯t let this end with nothing more than words.¡± Sayama frowned. He was half-surprised and half-annoyed that there were people like this in 2nd-Gear. ¡°That is not for you to decide,¡± he said. ¡°Ah,¡± said Kazami an instant later. What is it? he wondered, but he had his answer almost immediately. The chopsticks in Atsuta¡¯s hand held a familiar object. It was Baku. While still looking at Sayama, Atsuta brought Baku over to the bowl. ¡°Splash.¡± He dropped the creature. He held the chopsticks in his fist and stirred the broth to form a whirlpool. ¡°What are you gonna do, kid? Are you just gonna let me do this to your pet?¡± As Atsuta spoke, Baku spun quickly around in the bowl. But once he arrived at the center of the whirlpool, he raised his front legs and began to rotate like a ballerina. Sayama tilted his head. ¡°Is there something wrong with what you are doing?¡± Atsuta frowned and looked down at Baku. ¡°Dammit, he looks like he¡¯s having fun¡­¡± ¡°He always lives in the moment, so everything is enjoyable for him. He is an excitable masochist.¡± That was when Shinjou began to tremble. ¡°Wh-why are you trying to smooth this over, Sayama-kun!? He¡¯s being mean to him, so you have to take him back!¡± The panic in her voice told Sayama that she had only just noticed Baku. He also realized another fact. ¡­Is this the same technique Director Tsukuyomi and Diana showed me? The instant that thought came to him, he took action. He stuck his right hand into Atsuta¡¯s bowl. ¡°¡­¡± It was a sudden motion. He had no other choice. He used a surprise attack before the man could take action outside of his perception. His hand knocked away the Chinese spoon in the bowl, grabbed Baku, and sent the soba broth splashing into the air. An instant later, Atsuta showed off his teeth in a smile. ¡°Interesting.¡± At the same moment, the bowl Sayama¡¯s hand was supposedly inside of was lying discarded on the floor. Baku had supposedly been in his right hand, but the creature was gone. He looked up and saw Baku held between Atsuta¡¯s chopsticks. Atsuta smiled and held Baku up in the air. ¡°Well?¡± Sayama looked down at his right hand. The sleeve of his suit was stained brown and had steam rising from it. ¡°I see. You can remove something from my perception for just an instant.¡± ¡°You sure are calm.¡± ¡°Of course I am. My calm rivals the heavens in size,¡± said Sayama with a smile. ¡°And in my calm, I have something to kindly tell you: look at the bowl you discarded.¡± ¡°What?¡± With Baku still in his chopsticks, Atsuta looked down. The bowl lay on the tiled floor with its broth spilled around it. However, one thing was missing. ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­¡± muttered Atsuta. The missing object fell from above. It was the Chinese spoon. ¡°I did not stick my hand in the bowl so strongly for no reason.¡± The Chinese spoon had been knocked away by Sayama¡¯s hand earlier and now it fell and struck the chopsticks Atsuta held. The slight impact on the chopsticks caused the man to look down. This created an opening. In the next instant, Sayama knocked Baku from the chopsticks with his right hand. He knocked the creature behind him and he took a step toward Atsuta to keep the man from pursuing the creature. Atsuta glanced toward Baku and smiled bitterly. ¡°Where are you knocking him? The poor thing¡¯s gonna fall on the table.¡± ¡°No need to worry. I have outdone you in every way.¡± As Sayama spoke, he heard someone catch Baku behind him. Sayama turned around and checked who had caught the creature. ¡°Whoops.¡± As he thought, it was Kashima. He held Baku with an exasperated look. ¡°Sorry about the trouble my friend is causing. Let me clean up for you. I can wash your suit too,¡± he said with a sigh. He then turned to Atsuta. ¡°Okay, why are you here?¡± ¡°I came to see how much it took for these kids to get mad.¡± Hearing that, Sayama suddenly turned toward Kashima. He knew what this kind of provocation meant. ¡°2nd-Gear is having difficulty deciding how to negotiate with us, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Sadly, yes.¡± Kashima wiped Baku off with the sleeve of his lab coat, placed him on the table, and shrugged. ¡°My name, Kashima, is the name of 2nd-Gear¡¯s strongest military god and the name of a swordsmith family. But I don¡¯t look it, do I? ¡­That¡¯s the situation. Most of 2nd-Gear can no longer tell if they really are from 2nd-Gear.¡± Someone raised their voice at that. ¡°That isn¡¯t true!¡± It was Atsuta. Kashima¡¯s words and Atsuta¡¯s shout caused Shinjou to gulp. ¡°It may be the case for most of 2nd-Gear, but you¡¯re just hiding your pow-¡­¡± He only made it that far. Atsuta swallowed his words and gathered his strength as if resisting something. Shinjou thought about Kashima based on what Atsuta had said. ¡­He¡¯s hiding his power? Why? She could find no answer to that internal question. But she did know one thing. ¡­This Atsuta person sees Kashima-san as more powerful than him. Atsuta had just shown them his skill. He had used his Art of Walking to leave their perception. When Diana had used it in the training room, it had been limited to one person, but that was not the case with Atsuta. It was possible he could leave the perceptions of every single person in the cafeteria. Kazami and Izumo were placed on the vanguard of the Leviathan Road, but they had not been able to perceive him. Neither had Sayama. Someone that powerful viewed Kashima as higher than him. ¡­But Kashima-san said he can¡¯t tell if he¡¯s from 2nd-Gear. Why? Why was he unable to recognize the power he had? She asked the question to herself. And she found an answer. ¡­Because of a lie. The words she had spoken to Ooshiro filled her chest. And she spoke different words now. ¡°Kashima-san¡­ Are you telling some kind of lie?¡± Her voice filled the cafeteria. But she did not hesitate. She looked at both Atsuta and Kashima and asked the question as if she were asking it to herself. ¡°And because of that lie, you can¡¯t think of yourself as a person of 2nd-Gear?¡± Her words received two things in reply. The first was silence. ¡°Don¡¯t act like you know what you¡¯re talking about!!¡± The second was Atsuta¡¯s shout. As he took an offensive stance, someone else moved in response. It was Izumo. Mikoku looked at the stars reflected in the water¡¯s surface. The night wind crossed the artificial lake and cut past her. It continued on to the forest behind her and caused the leaves to rustle. She suddenly heard something other than the sounds of nature. It was a song. Specifically, the hymn Silent Night. ¡°Silent night, holy night.¡± She turned toward the clear voice which did not destroy the stillness surrounding her and saw Shino with her head lowered and her small mouth opened. She was really only singing to herself as she distinctly stated the words. The warm wind of that spring night carried her voice into the sky. ¡°Promised to spare all mankind. Promised to spare all mankind.¡± The song came to an end and Shino raised her head. Mikoku saw Shino¡¯s black eyes look at the water surface. Her slender hand reached toward Mikoku. She grabbed Mikoku¡¯s left sleeve from behind. The weak tug caused Mikoku to gasp slightly. ¡°Can you tell?¡± ¡°Yes, I can. Susaou is definitely here.¡± Mikoku nodded and turned back to the still water. The water was the same color as the night sky above and not a single ripple could be seen. ¡°This lake was placed in the same location as Susaou to reinforce the meaning of restraining the flame dragon Yamata. I have heard a lake was also placed around Susaou inside the concept space.¡± Shino looked around the area. They were surrounded by the artificial forest and lake. ¡°I¡¯ve heard 2nd-Gear was a biosphere. This place is the same, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°This is a location Low-Gear obtained with many sacrifices. It is a peaceful place, but ironically they cannot view something as peaceful without creating it artificially.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We can only go this far, but remember how this peaceful atmosphere made you feel. No matter what may have happened here, this is a nice place to be in the present.¡± ¡°Yes, it is,¡± agreed Shino and Mikoku answered with a nod. ¡°But it is disappointing that we cannot bring the residents of 2nd-Gear into our Army.¡± ¡°Interpersonal relationships are hard. The people of 1st-Gear wouldn¡¯t get along with us either.¡± ¡°Well, Hajji likes to show off a little too much. I think part of him enjoys making people wary of him. We need to make sure he restrains himself.¡± The grip on her sleeve strengthened. ¡°I thought you had died.¡± It took Mikoku a few seconds to answer. ¡°Oh, you mean when Fafnir Custom shot me. Why are you bringing that up now?¡± ¡°I thought you had died,¡± she repeated in the exact same tone of voice. ¡°I will not die, so do not worry, Shino.¡± Mikoku raised the hand Shino was grabbing onto. Her left fingers had the slight firmness of a swordsman and she placed that hand on Shino¡¯s head. She gave a bitter laugh when Shino did not let go of her sleeve. ¡°Wh-what¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°It looks like you grabbed my hand and made me rub your head.¡± Shino opened her eyes a bit, blushed, and let go. Mikoku ran her hand through Shino¡¯s hair and stroked her head. Strength left her eyebrows. ¡°How about you grow up a little?¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t something you can do just because you want to.¡± Shino brought a hand up from her chest to her neck and reached under her collar. She had a metal chain around her neck. She grabbed the chain with her fingernail and lifted up the decoration attached to it. It was a small blue stone. She sighed as she looked at the faint light coming from it. ¡°I should get mine embedded inside my body like yours.¡± ¡°Shino.¡± That word stopped Shino from continuing. ¡°The time will eventually come when you will cast something aside. You will not have it taken. You will cast it aside.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°After all, we are carrying too many things for the sake of every world,¡± said Mikoku. ¡°But the more one casts aside, the happier it shows they were. And they will gain just as much happiness later. So do not try to make everything yours.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s so vague¡­¡± ¡°That may be, but it is clear you possess many things. At the very least, you have more than I do.¡± Mikoku lightly struck Shino¡¯s head with her palm two or three times. The ends of her eyebrows lowered as she smiled. ¡°Well, spending all your time thinking about these philosophical questions will only make you dumber. ¡­How about doing an adult job for once?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± said Shino as she raised her head. She was blushing and she intertwined her fingers and rubbed them together. ¡°U-um, when you say an adult job¡­um¡­ Do you mean something i-indecent?¡± ¡°No. You should stop reading the newspapers the people who maintain Alex read.¡± ¡°Eh? But I thought all division and department chiefs are perverted people and the victim is always the woman sub-chief below them.¡± ¡°That only happens in certain types of novels. By the way, the real prize is the handsome man who works as their subordinate.¡± ¡°See, you read them too.¡± ¡°Crap,¡± muttered Mikoku before lightly striking Shino¡¯s head with her palm a few times. ¡°Ah¡­ow¡­ S-stop trying to avoid the issue.¡± ¡°Listen, Shino. 2nd-Gear will not join us, but there is still something we must do.¡± Shino stopped the hand she had been using to guard her head. ¡°Something we must do? Um, you mean we have a job that requires something¡­indecent?¡± ¡°Stop thinking about perverted old men. Do you really think any guy is interested in a child like you?¡± ¡°The newspaper said there are a lot of guys like that lately.¡± ¡°Then do you want to try doing a job with them?¡± Shino frantically shook her head and Mikoku nodded. ¡°Good. I am well aware you have romantic shoujo manga hidden under your bed, you know? Also, you should really stop secretly setting up the TV to record yakuza movies just because Hajji and I do not know how. ¡­Hm? What is it? Why are you blushing so much?¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s a violation of privacy! And don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t secretly read magazines like Monthly How to Hit the Vitals. If there¡¯s nothing wrong with that, then why do you hide it?¡± ¡°That is my kindness as an older sister. If you saw this month¡¯s article on hitting the sweet spot below the nose, you would faint.¡± ¡°Uuh¡­¡± groaned Shino as she flinched back just from hearing the title. Mikoku folded her arms and sighed. ¡°At any rate, there is something we must do. I will suggest it to Hajji tomorrow.¡± Shino looked surprised to hear that. ¡°Wh-what is it? Is it really that important?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± began Mikoku. ¡°We will take some time off.¡± ¡°Now then,¡± said Izumo as he stood up. Atsuta turned to look at him. ¡°Hah. What is it, rich boy? Are you gonna use your influence and money to have a servant knock me away so you can get back to drinking beer with your mistress? You must have it nice. Well? Are you gonna do it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± was all Izumo said before turning to Sayama. ¡°Sayama, take Shinjou and move back. I¡¯ll handle this. Also¡­¡± He held his hand to the side at head height and spoke casually. ¡°Just for fun, I¡¯m gonna call in my weapon.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Atsuta nodded and stuck a hand in his right pocket. Sayama grabbed Baku from the table, wrapped an arm around Shinjou¡¯s shoulders, and took a step back. At the same time, Kashima spoke up. His eyebrows were raised slightly. ¡°Atsuta.¡± ¡°Give me a few seconds. This should make for some light recreation.¡± He bared his teeth in a smile. ¡°6th-Gear¡¯s V-Sw, hm? I always wanted to try my hand against it. Are you gonna use the power of the Concept Core to charge at me and create a crater? Sounds like fun.¡± He suddenly turned toward someone next to Izumo. ¡°Don¡¯t sneak around, mistress! If you want to call in your weapon too, do it! One kid wouldn¡¯t be enough to handle me anyway!¡± Atsuta saw Kazami tightly close her mouth and stand. At some point, armbands had appeared on her arms. She walked up to Izumo. ¡°Kaku.¡± She placed a hand on his chin and pulled his head down. ¡°¡­¡± Their lips met. After three seconds, they parted and she raised her hand just like his. ¡°I¡¯m not his mistress. Are you completely blind? I¡¯ll make you sorry you ever said that.¡± The crowd that had formed let out a cheer and Izumo nodded. ¡°And if you still can¡¯t tell she isn¡¯t my mistress, we¡¯ll do something even more-¡­gwoh!¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. My elbow slipped. I hit your solar plexus? Sorry, Kaku.¡± The crowd let out a low groan. Atsuta on the other hand was grinning the same as before. He seemed to be enjoying the prospect of fighting two people who owned a concept weapon powered by a Concept Core. And he spoke in a tone that matched his expression. ¡°Hah. Let me tell you one thing. I use the combat Art of Walking passed down by 2nd-Gear. Most major members of 2nd-Gear or powerful members of UCAT can use it.¡± And¡­ ¡°See it and go to hell.¡± With those words, everyone in the cafeteria lost sight of Atsuta. Izumo and Kazami¡¯s eyes narrowed because they could not see him either. ¡°!¡± They opened their mouths to call the names of their weapons. Everything was about to move. But someone brought it all to a stop. ¡°Let¡¯s leave it at that,¡± said Kashima with a troubled expression. Izumo, Kazami, and Atsuta faced each other in the cafeteria. And Kashima had appeared between them at some point. Plus, his right hand held Atsuta¡¯s face. ¡°You overcame the Art of Walking and grabbed his head,¡± muttered Kazami blankly. Everyone who understood what that meant gasped. However, Kashima did not nod. His shoulders drooped and he removed his hand from Atsuta¡¯s face. ¡°Sorry, Atsuta. I know you¡¯re just trying to help me in your own way.¡± He turned toward Kazami and Izumo and then turned toward Sayama and Shinjou. ¡°Sorry. We didn¡¯t really settle anything here.¡± ¡°I am just glad to see the two of you get along so well. But¡­what should we do about the Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Kashima appeared troubled. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you gave me some time. And once I seriously make up my mind about something, I want you to give me your answer. Is that enough for now?¡± Sayama narrowed his eyes and spoke in a cautious voice. ¡°Do I only have to wait?¡± ¡°Good question.¡± Kashima glanced at Shinjou and seemed to choose his words carefully. ¡°I would like it if you thought some on what she said about a ¡®lie¡¯. Whatever I decide, I am sure it will come from there. I do not want to lose what is important to me.¡± That last statement caused Atsuta to clench his teeth. ¡°It sounds to me like you¡¯ve already made up your mind.¡± Kashima did not respond. And so Sayama nodded. ¡°Testament, I suppose I should say. To be honest, I do not think I could stand simply waiting either. I want to give various issues some thought so I can properly face 2nd-Gear.¡± ¡°Properly face 2nd-Gear?¡± asked Kashima. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Sayama with a nod. He spoke slowly as if driving the words into himself. ¡°Right now, I see the Leviathan Road with 2nd-Gear as something I need in order to face the other Gears and everything else I must face.¡± Those words brought a slight look of surprise to Kashima¡¯s face. But he quickly brought back a calm expression and gave his thoughts. ¡°You are¡­a brave person.¡± ¡°No, I only just now decided this.¡± Kashima smiled bitterly. Sayama smiled back, swung up his left forearm, and looked across everyone there. ¡°Then Team Leviathan will once more look into 2nd-Gear¡¯s history and the sealing of Yamata. That is the first step to seeing you properly. If possible, I hope tomorrow¡¯s preliminary negotiations will allow us to face each other from a good position.¡± ¡°Yes. It may not be me in that good position you mentioned, but I will say testament for now,¡± said Kashima with a smile. But then¡­ ¡°Oh, my? Have things been settled? Or¡­¡± They heard a sudden female voice. They all turned toward the cafeteria entrance. An elderly woman leaned against the large open door. It was Tsukuyomi. With a lab coat over her slender body, she brushed her semi-long graying hair into place with a hand and walked forward. Atsuta took a step back and she sighed. The eyebrows above her narrow eyes did not rise. ¡°The negotiations have yet to begin, so let¡¯s leave it at that, you naughty children.¡± She turned toward Sayama. ¡°I apologize that we have so many fools with us. I will give him a pay cut, so please forgive him. That will suffice, won¡¯t it?¡± Volume 3, 10: A Call for False Testimony Volume 3, Chapter 10: A Call for False Testimony It only becomes a lie once you look at the other person Until then, it is a secret It is a truth waiting for you to let it bloom Sayama and Shinjou were inside the locker room in front of the training room. Sayama was changing into a new shirt on the bench near the room¡¯s exit. He had used the authority of Team Leviathan to reserve the room for a short time. Almost no one was waiting to use the training room that late, so he had been given permission to use it for about half an hour. Shinjou sat to his left, drying Baku with a towel. Baku glared at Shinjou with narrowed eyes. ¡°Does the soap smell bad? Sorry.¡± She smiled bitterly and turned the troubled expression toward Sayama. However, she stopped smiling there. She let out a sigh, let her shoulders droop, and hung her head down. And she did not look back up. I feel like I have seen this scene a lot today, thought Sayama as he watched Shinjou¡¯s lowered head. Was there anything he could get across to Setsu or Sadame? His thoughts were suddenly cut off by a muttered word and a sigh escaping Shinjou¡¯s mouth. ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± ¡°What are you apologizing for?¡± asked Sayama with a tilt of the head. He had a feeling he understood why she was apologizing. However¡­ ¡°2nd-Gear has an ability we cannot handle, but is there more to it than that?¡± Shinjou would not apologize for a situation in which no one had been able to do anything. Shinjou seemed to grasp what he meant because she shook her head. ¡°There is that, but that isn¡¯t quite what I meant. It was my question to Kashima-san that got Atsuta-san so worked up, remember?¡± She sighed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking. And I couldn¡¯t do anything afterwards.¡± ¡°You will be able to do something eventually. How about I bring you to my teacher sometime soon?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Shinjou looked up with a confused look and Sayama smiled back. ¡°The Hiba Dojo is where I learned marital arts. My teacher there was a friend of my grandfather. If you go, you will definitely receive a nice beating, so I need to bring a present to cheer you up afterwards.¡± Sayama suddenly remembered old times. That had definitely been someone he was no match for whatsoever. He was a short old man and his most noticeable feature was his red right eye. I wonder if he is still doing well, he thought. He is probably fine. Unlike his grandfather, that old man ran through the mountains every day. ¡°But Hiba-sensei can be pretty stubborn, so I doubt he will even give us a hint. But I bet he could reproduce that Art of Walking after only hearing a description of it.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Shinjou with an impressed nod. She suddenly turned toward Sayama¡¯s left arm. Sayama followed her gaze toward the white shirt sleeve covering his arm. The wound below that sleeve was almost completely healed. ¡°Setsu will be leaving soon, won¡¯t he?¡± asked Shinjou while closing her eyes a bit. It was an unexpected question, but Sayama managed to remain expressionless. The question itself bothered him, but so did the quiet tone with which she gave it. ¡­I need to distract her with some carefree chatter before this grows too dark. But what topic should he use? Driven by a sense of duty, he tried to come up with something. Would the cafeteria¡¯s new menu item, the watermelon ramen, work? Or perhaps how Kazami naturally knocked Izumo off of the second floor during a rehearsal for the student band? No, a cheerful topic related to Shinjou Setsu would work. He could tell her how much he admired Setsu¡¯s butt. ¡­There are too many options! ¡°S-Sayama-kun? You look really conflicted about something.¡± ¡°It is nothing to worry about, Shinjou-kun. I am always giving everything great thought.¡± ¡°In other words, you always overthink everything and end up choosing something weird?¡± He had a feeling the conversation was veering off track. Why is that? he wondered. For the moment, he decided to force it back on track, so he cleared his throat and spoke. ¡°But I will still be able to see Setsu-kun even after he leaves, won¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± His question made Shinjou tremble. He continued speaking to make sure she understood what he meant. ¡°If you and Setsu-kun both live in the place UCAT prepared for you, I could always visit him after training.¡± ¡°Y-you shouldn¡¯t do that,¡± insisted Shinjou with her head still lowered. Sayama tilted his head a bit. ¡°Why are you-¡­¡± He began to say ¡°the one to decide that¡±, but he stopped. ¡­UCAT looks after these Shinjou siblings in a lot of ways. Wondering if there was a reason for that, Sayama expressed himself with different words. ¡°How about we let Setsu-kun decide that?¡± ¡°This may not be the best way to put it, but¡­ Can¡¯t you trust what I tell you?¡± ¡°That is not what I mean. If it is possible to respect the wishes of Setsu-kun himself, that is what I wish to do.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Or do you believe that I do not trust you?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°But I do trust you.¡± ¡°Th-then if I told you I have an incurable heart disease, you would believe me?¡± ¡°I would.¡± ¡°R-really!?¡± ¡°Yes. And in that case, I would have a doctor teach me an excellent heart massage method so I could perform the massage myself.¡± ¡°Why are groping the air while speaking so seriously?¡± she shouted. Silence followed until she let out another sigh. But she must have felt the silence was her own fault because she spoke up while continuing to dry off Baku. ¡°U-um, Sayama-kun? You are really, really important to me. I mean it.¡± ¡°How important?¡± ¡°More than Ooshiro-san.¡± ¡°That does not seem very important to me¡­¡± ¡°Um, then, to be blunt¡­ You¡¯re second only to the parents I never knew.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you.¡± ¡°Ah, no. Don¡¯t thank me.¡± Shinjou kept her head lowered but stopped moving the towel. ¡°But, um, Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± She bit her lower lip, her face reddened, and she averted her gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to trust me too much¡­¡± Sayama did not ask why. Shinjou remained silent as she waited for him to ask, but then she shook her head. The way she trembled told Sayama she had made up her mind. ¡°Remember what I asked Kashima-san just now?¡± she finally asked. ¡°I asked him if he could not think of himself as a person of 2nd-Gear because he was telling a lie. I was kind of asking that question to myself.¡± She took a breath. ¡°I am lying to you, Sayama-kun.¡± Izumo and Kazami travelled south through Okutama at night. They rode an old black Kawasaki motorcycle through the wind on their way to Akigawa. Izumo sat straight as he calmly drove the motorcycle and Kazami clung loosely to his back. Neither of them was wearing a helmet. Their helmets were shaking where they hung next to each other on the side. They wore something else instead. ¡°Defensive philosopher¡¯s stones.¡± Kazami suddenly looked down at the anklet currently worn on her left arm. It had a small blue stone attached. ¡°These philosopher¡¯s stones are stronger than a helmet, but are you sure this isn¡¯t mixing our private lives with work?¡± ¡°Director Tsukuyomi gave them out to everyone, so I don¡¯t see anything wrong with it. And we do get in fights sometimes.¡± ¡°These were meant to keep us quiet about what happened, but I wonder what Sayama will do. He isn¡¯t the type to forgive someone just because they gave him something.¡± ¡°No, he isn¡¯t,¡± agreed Izumo. ¡°Left turn coming up.¡± It was a tight corner. Kazami looked past Izumo¡¯s large back and toward the darkness of the night beyond. Oh, this is the corner we always take like this, she thought as her short hair blew to the right and she leaned her body. She leaned against Izumo¡¯s back while listening to a mountain stream to the left. ¡°Will you take me home?¡± ¡°Sure. I think your dad really likes me.¡± ¡°My mom was amazed when the two of you ate and drank like crazy two weeks ago.¡± ¡°He challenged me, so I couldn¡¯t just back down. It was like that two years ago as well.¡± ¡°Back then, he was trying to eliminate the man he thought was kidnapping his daughter. He did pretty well for an event planner.¡± ¡°Yeah, it ended up with a double KO thanks to a self-destructive full nelson off the second story balcony. Ha ha ha. Your dad¡¯s the only normal person to ever hurt me.¡± ¡°My mom videotaped it and still shows it to us. She added in a Cantonese song.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± he replied while ending the motorcycle¡¯s tilt. The wind blew over his back and Kazami sighed into it. ¡°My dad just sees you as a good drinking buddy¡­¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t he do a lot of drinking in his event planning job?¡± ¡°I think he likes you because he can drink without it being related to work.¡± ¡°Is that how it works? Come to think of it, we always talk about you while drinking.¡± ¡°Wait. You always get really worked up, so what exactly do you say? Be honest.¡± ¡°Needless to say, we praise you as a wonderful person who-¡­ow ow ow! N-not the spine!¡± ¡°Shut up. I¡¯ve heard a bit of what you say. You talk about how long I bathed with my parents and things like that.¡± ¡°Yeah, it was until the second year of middle school, right? Your dad said he¡¯s been lonely without you in there with him, so how about I take a photo for him? There shouldn¡¯t be anyone in Sunflower¡¯s women¡¯s bath this late, so-¡­ Agh! Stop, stop! Are you trying to turn this into a test of the philosopher¡¯s stones, Chisato!?¡± With a sigh, Kazami loosened the arms strangling him. She sat up a bit to look over his shoulder. Ahead, she saw the night sky and the street lights which cut it off here and there. The darkness of the forest filled their surroundings and the sounds of a stream could be heard down below. Kazami lowered the hands around Izumo¡¯s neck and brought them to his chest. ¡°What do you think would have happened if we had actually fought in the cafeteria?¡± she asked. ¡°We¡¯d have lost.¡± ¡°You think so too?¡± ¡°But you saw Sayama, right? He didn¡¯t do anything himself and he didn¡¯t stop us. If the leader of the Leviathan Road does that, it means he¡¯s telling us to fight,¡± said Izumo. ¡°I think I know what he¡¯s thinking. He thinks we need some kind of discord if we¡¯re going to gain anything when everyone is already satisfied.¡± ¡°And Shinjou didn¡¯t stop him despite being his usual stopper. I hope she¡¯s okay. She said she would go with Sayama afterwards, but I think she¡¯s worrying about something.¡± ¡°Shinjou, hm? To be honest, there¡¯s something about her I just don¡¯t get.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like talking behind people¡¯s backs, but I know what you mean. Both Sadame and Setsu seem somehow distanced from us. Maybe it¡¯s just because they always stick with Sayama.¡± ¡°There has to be a reason for it and Sayama has to be the one approaching that reason.¡± ¡°You sure sound certain.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I am,¡± said Izumo with a nod. ¡°Two years ago when you took me in, I only wanted to talk with you. I think there is only ever one person who will truly understand you.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± said Kazami, but she had no real reply for what he had said. She was troubled. She wanted to say something about understanding him, but she could not come up with anything to say. Instead, she loosely embraced his chest from behind. She heard him speak in response. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get home. Tomorrow is when it truly begins. After all, we didn¡¯t get Yamata¡¯s question or answer from Kashima today,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll be turning right to cross the mountain now.¡± The motorcycle tilted and the wind changed. The wind which had gathered at the bottom of the mountain became a wind falling down from the sky. Kazami frowned at a sudden scent in the wind. ¡°We learned nothing and now it¡¯s going to rain.¡± Sayama replied to Shinjou with a question. ¡°And what is this lie?¡± ¡°Do I have to tell you?¡± Her expression and tone were both tinged with fear. She seemed to be telling him not to rush her, so Sayama swallowed his words. And finally¡­ ¡­Are these words better? ¡°What kind of lie is it?¡± he asked instead. Shinjou¡¯s shoulders relaxed and she seemed to think about what to say. ¡°Um, it¡¯s kind of hard to say, but this lie allows me to be with you.¡± And¡­ ¡°Without this lie, everyone would look at me weird and treat me like a treasure. That¡¯s how it has always worked with people who know about my lie. So¡­¡± ¡°So you think I will do the same?¡± Shinjou nodded. ¡°Setsu is¡­the same,¡± she said. ¡°I see,¡± he replied with a nod. ¡­So they do have a lie. This was something he had to face. That realization allowed him to give a sigh of relief. ¡­But what kind of lie is it? As he thought, Sayama suddenly remembered something. ¡°Oh, right.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± He had just recently come up with a guess concerning Shinjou¡¯s lie. This is an excellent opportunity, he thought. I may be able to solve everything related to Shinjou¡¯s ¡°lie¡±. ¡°Shinjou-kun. There is something I wish to check. May I?¡± ¡°Eh? Um, sure.¡± She looked doubtful, but she gave him permission. ¡°Please take off your clothes,¡± instructed Sayama with a smile. ¡°What!?¡± Sayama nodded. ¡°I have a certain question which may be related to your lie.¡± ¡°Wh-what? ¡­O-okay. Sayama-kun, I need you to calm down.¡± ¡°I am always perfectly calm.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, of course. But please take a deep breath and let it out. ¡­Okay, now before you suddenly begin doing something, could you tell me what you¡¯re thinking?¡± Sayama confidently answered her roundabout question. ¡°Shinjou Sadame-kun, you are actually Shinjou Setsu-kun dressed as a girl.¡± When she heard that, Shinjou gasped for an instant but then frowned, partially closed her eyes, and looked away. ¡°Ahh¡­ What is wrong with this person?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. No need to be shy. Many people enjoy things considered out of the ordinary.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t what I meant.¡± With her head lowered, Shinjou placed a hand on Sayama¡¯s shoulder. ¡°My lie isn¡¯t that simple. And listen closely: I, Sadame, am a girl.¡± ¡°You are?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell just by looking at me?¡± ¡°Then I shall take a look.¡± ¡°Eh? W-wait!¡± Shinjou stood up in order to back away, but her skirt fell from her waist. ¡°H-huh? Wait, when did that happen!?¡± ¡°When you gave me permission earlier, I unfastened the clasp. My grandfather taught me how to do that.¡± Sayama picked up the skirt and looked up at Shinjou from the bench. ¡°You will let me see, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Wait¡­ Wait just a second. Have we entered the Sayama Zone?¡± ¡°What kind of nonsense is that? There is no such thing.¡± With a look of understanding, Shinjou turned to the side. ¡°They do say people never realize where it is they live¡­¡± ¡°Why are you bringing up a philosophical issue?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Shinjou clenched both her fists and held them up, but her shirt suddenly opened and her bra fell down. ¡°Eh? What? H-how did you do that!?¡± ¡°My grandfather¡¯s technique lets one remove all of a woman¡¯s clothing in an instant. I am glad you were wearing a front-hook bra.¡± ¡°I-is that how it works?¡± ¡°Yes. Removing rear-hook ones from the front is difficult, so I practiced it with my grandfather. One summer night during my first year of middle school, he wore nothing but a pair of boxer briefs and a rear-hook bra. We worked up quite a sweat training. ¡­We even got our legs tangled together and fell to the tatami mats together.¡± ¡°An old man wearing women¡¯s underwear was rolling around with a young boy during a summer night¡­?¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. Ryouko rushed in when she heard the noise and she would not speak to me for three days afterwards.¡± ¡°Enough strange stories about your past. Would you please give me back my skirt?¡± ¡°Of course. But will you let me see first?¡± Shinjou¡¯s expression froze over. ¡°S-Sayama-kun? Um, a thought just occurred to me¡­ Are you even listening to what I say?¡± ¡°Of course I am. But checking on this comes first.¡± ¡°I-I already told you! I¡¯m a girl and that isn¡¯t my lie.¡± ¡°But you gave me permission earlier.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t say what you were going to do! I-I trusted you!¡± Sayama nodded. ¡°And I want you to continue trusting me. Before I arrive at your lie, I want to clear the doubt in my mind. I want to face you properly.¡± ¡°Face me?¡± muttered Shinjou as the ends of her eyebrows lowered. ¡°C-can I really trust you?¡± ¡°Have I ever betrayed you?¡± ¡°If you count unexpected actions, I can think of countless times¡­¡± Shinjou lowered her head, blushed, and gave a troubled look. ¡°You won¡¯t do anything weird? ¡­No, saying that is meaningless here, isn¡¯t it? Isn¡¯t it? So, um, uh¡­¡± She wrapped her arms around her chest and her disheveled shirt. ¡°Y-you can¡¯t take off any more than this.¡± ¡°I see. So you will be designating the method I use. Understood.¡± Shinjou gave a sigh of relief and stuck Baku in the breast pocket of her shirt. ¡°But how are you going to check that I¡¯m a girl? I won¡¯t show you any more than this.¡± ¡°And that leaves touching as my only option.¡± ¡°You mean like touch gently with your fingertips?¡¯ ¡°Yes, like a nice firm squeeze.¡± ¡°That¡¯s completely different! ¡­Listen. You can only use your fingers and palm and you can only touch.¡± Shinjou¡¯s tone was firm, but her step forward was timid. ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t let anyone else do this.¡± With a troubled look, Shinjou raised her shirt collar and slid her bra to the side. Her breasts were now bared within the shirt. A bit of sweat was visible on those round mounds of flesh and they moved up and down with her shoulders as she breathed. With the same trouble look, she held her chest out toward him a bit. ¡°Y-you can touch now.¡± Sayama nodded and reached out his hands. His right arm gently embraced her back, his cheek and ear pressed against her chest, and his left hand¡­ ¡°Eh? W-wait! You can¡¯t stick your hand between my legs!¡± ¡°You are the one that said I could touch you.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± said Shinjou as he listened her pulse through her skin. ¡°Please be quiet. I want to hear your pulse.¡± What he heard was a bit faster than what he had heard before, but it was the same. Just as before, he felt her body heat and a bit of sweat on his cheek. Shinjou¡¯s sweet breaths were the same as well. However, they also resembled what he had sensed from Shinjou Setsu. And so he turned his focus to his left hand. That hand was placed between Shinjou¡¯s legs. His fingers and palm felt a certain sensation, warmth, and texture. ¡°Ah¡­ Wait¡­¡± Sayama gave no response to her voice and trembling. With the term ¡°investigation stability¡± in the back of his mind, he moved his right hand which was behind her back. He grabbed her hands which were wandering through the air and placed them on his own back. ¡°Sayama-kun¡­¡± Shinjou was now embracing him with both arms. That was for the best. He then turned his attention back to what he felt with his left hand. ¡­It is not there? Something that a boy should have had was not present. Sayama recalled the events at the public bath about a month before. The sensation of gently grabbing Shinjou Setsu returned to his hand. But in the present¡­ ¡­It is not there? Odd. It should be¡­ ¡°Nn¡­ W-wait! Not so strong¡­¡± Shinjou¡¯s hips squirmed. She pressed her legs together to keep him from moving his hand any more. ¡°U-um, Sayama-kun. Is that enough? You can tell, right?¡± He heard her question reverberate through the flesh of her chest. To Sayama¡¯s astonishment, he was forced to accept a certain fact: it was definitely not there. ¡­This cannot be. My prediction should not have been wrong. He expressed that thought with a question. ¡°Shinjou-kun, something is odd. But¡­I am not sure what.¡± ¡°It¡¯s you!!¡± Sayama ignored her and continued to think. ¡­In that case, what is her lie? He had confirmed that Shinjou Sadame was indeed a girl. ¡°Ah, not so hard¡­¡± But Shinjou Setsu had certainly been a boy when he had checked previously. ¡°Please, you shouldn¡¯t do this. This isn¡¯t a normal thing to do¡­¡± Had he jumped to an erroneous conclusion? ¡°P-please take your hand out from between my legs¡­ Are you even listening?¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± groaned Sayama. ¡°What did that groan mean? Did you find something strange? Is it about my body¡­or about your sanity?¡± ¡°Mh? What is with these rude comments, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve come back to your senses. Th-then can you remove your left hand?¡± Sayama looked forward when he heard her hesitant request. His hand was in between her thighs and her underwear was slid a bit to the side. Seeing that, he realized a certain fact: his investigation was already over. ¡°Shinjou-kun, how long do you intend to hold my hand between your thighs? ¡­Gwoh!¡± ¡°Wh-whose fault do you think that is!?¡± ¡°Heh¡­heh heh heh. Holding my head and jabbing me with your knee? Not bad.¡± Shinjou did not remove the arms wrapped around him, so he tried to remove them himself. ¡°No. You¡¯re going to do something weird again. Don¡¯t move. If you do, you get the knee again.¡± ¡°Calm down, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°S-say something that will calm me down.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± said Sayama with a nod. ¡°The other night on the way up to my bed on the top bunk, I happened to glance down where Setsu-kun was sleeping. I was so distracted by his ass that I stubbed my little toe on the ladder quite hard.¡± ¡°Wah! Don¡¯t say something that will make me even less calm!¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama let out a breath, thought for a bit, and stated his thought from earlier. ¡°It seems your lie and my suspicion were two different things.¡± Surprise filled Shinjou¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s a surprisingly perceptive thing for you to say.¡± ¡°I think there has been a misunderstanding at a fundamental level.¡± He touched her arms again and managed to remove them. He stood up and realized she had been hanging her head while looking at him. When he saw her trembling shoulders and slender body, he did not hesitate to embrace her. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, but this has eliminated my misunderstanding.¡± ¡°I get the feeling a second or third misunderstanding will suddenly appear later¡­¡± ¡°I assure you that will not happen. ¡­So will you tell me your lie eventually?¡± Shinjou shrank back a bit and finally shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to tell you¡­ Once you learn the truth, I think you will leave me.¡± ¡°But if you do not tell me, you can never know if I will or not.¡± ¡°But if I tell you, you¡¯ll definitely learn the truth. That scares me.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said anything¡­ The Leviathan Road has already begun and we¡¯ve started to move, so I don¡¯t want to cause any discord between us.¡± Sayama said nothing in response because he did not know what her lie was. But she quickly raised her head. She removed his arms and took a step back. ¡°C-can we talk about something else?¡± Sayama nodded and tried to come up with something enjoyable to discuss. When he found something he thought would work, he looked in her black eyes. ¡°The school I attend is having a small festival called the All Holiday Festival.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ S-Setsu told me about it. Isn¡¯t it a bizarre festival where a human sacrifice is set on fire? Are you sure that¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°I am disappointed to see that Setsu-kun did not get my deadpan joke. Anyway, the festival begins the day after tomorrow. How about you come?¡± ¡°Eh? Really?¡± ¡°Really. Our academy city allows outsiders inside. As Setsu-kun¡¯s sister, it is your right to visit.¡± Shinjou¡¯s face brightened. But then¡­ ¡°How about you, Setsu-kun, and I enjoy the festival together? I can show the two of you around.¡± Her expression suddenly grew troubled. ¡°U-um. If possible, I would prefer if it was just the two of-¡­¡± She trailed off, shook her head, and lowered her shoulders. ¡°Sorry. I was about to lie again.¡± ¡°Lie? Are you saying you do not want to see the festival with me?¡± ¡°No, that I want to do. But I was going to lie in order to accomplish that.¡± The ends of her eyebrows lowered and she smiled. ¡°Thanks, but give me some time to think about it. And¡­let me promise you one thing.¡± ¡°What do you wish to promise?¡± ¡°As much as possible, I will avoid telling any unnecessary lies.¡± Lies, thought Sayama. Will she ever tell me what she means by that? Immediately afterwards, the side door suddenly opened. ¡°I was sent to check on you because you¡¯ve been taking an awfully long time to change a shirt,¡± said Diana as she entered the locker room. She saw Sayama standing in front of Shinjou who was half-naked. Diana¡¯s smiling cheeks quickly grew tinged with red. ¡°O-oh, my, my, my!¡± She brought her right hand to her cheek. And with her left hand, she swiftly pressed the external intercom button on the wall. The button activated an emergency building-wide broadcast. ¡°Oh, my! Would you look what this young boy and young girl are doing!¡± An instant of silence followed. Sayama and Shinjou exchanged a glance and Sayama nodded. He was smiling. ¡°This makes it official, Shin-¡­gwoh!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anything made official like this!¡± Shinjou¡¯s knee sent Sayama collapsing to the floor. Meanwhile, a message played over the intercom. ¡°Um, we just received the signal to shut down the training room. According to the emergency broadcast, our guests have stepped out of line. Um, an official is on the way to check on the situation now. Um, everyone stay as you are and please wait a moment.¡± Shinjou began frantically dressing herself. On the west side of Akigawa, the lights of a certain residence filled the night. It was the Tamiya residence. The sliding doors on the outside shined white with the light inside. The large yard contained a few slender black dogs but no people. The dogs protected the house along with the surveillance cameras and sensors set up in the yard. The dogs guarding the front of the house were currently approaching a single target. The wooden gate was being fiercely pounded on and a woman¡¯s voice shouted out. ¡°Hey! Kouji! How can you lock your sister out!?¡± The voice coming from the other side of the gate belonged to Tamiya Ryouko, the current master of the residence. Unsure what to do, the dogs wandered around for a bit while looking toward the gate. The dogs then heard a quiet repeating noise from beyond the gate. A moment later, a quick electronic melody played in the house. After a burst of static beyond the gate, Kouji¡¯s voice came over the intercom. ¡°Stop ringing the doorbell so much. Old man Nguyen recalled his trauma from Vietnam and has started convulsing. He doesn¡¯t have an insurance card, so he¡¯s in trouble if this keeps up.¡± ¡°Sorry, Kouji. I got too focused on myself.¡± A sigh came over the intercom. ¡°But, Kouji,¡± replied Ryouko. ¡°You don¡¯t get to shut me out just because mom and dad took a swimming float and went to stay at a random hot spring.¡± ¡°I will do this no matter what mom and dad say. Someone who spills their cup of water three times during a meal needs to be disciplined.¡± ¡°Th-that wasn¡¯t my fault. It was my elbow¡¯s fault.¡± ¡°You need to think about three things right now. First, do not make excuses. Second, think about what you did. Third, become a decent human being. That last one may be a lost cause, but how about you at least try?¡± ¡°Eh? What? I lost track with all those numbers. Can you explain it so I can understand?¡± The intercom remained silent for a while. ¡°Um¡­ Would the young master be able to explain it?¡± asked Ryouko after some thought. ¡°He would just laugh it off. He¡¯s always been overly kind to you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the normal reaction. You¡¯re supposed to treat girls with care.¡± ¡°Girls? Sorry, but how old are you?¡± ¡°Why are you playing dumb? I¡¯m 18. Try remembering that next time.¡± ¡°I guess that means I¡¯m 14. Ha ha ha. I have to go to middle school tomorrow.¡± ¡°K-Kouji just went crazy.¡± ¡°Sorry, but I just felt an urge to physically disconnect this intercom. May I?¡± ¡°Sure. But why?¡± ¡°May I shout ¡®because of the kind of person my sister is¡¯?¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, that doesn¡¯t sound like something you would say. ¡­Ah, he really disconnected it. Kouji!!¡± The dogs exchanged a glance as the knocking on the gate began again. ¡°Pes!¡± The leader of the pack of dogs raised his ears. ¡°Pes! Come here a second!¡± Wondering what was going on, Pes walked forward. The surrounding dogs nervously opened a path. Pes gave a quiet bark and wagged his tail when he arrived at the gate. ¡°Open the gate,¡± whispered Ryouko. Pes stopped moving. ¡°You can do it, right? Right?¡± Pes shook his head back and forth. When Pes looked back, the group of black dogs scattered. For some reason, their tails and ears could be seen poking out from behind nearby bushes and stones. ¡°C¡¯mon, hurry.¡± Ryouko let out a few odd dog-like whines and scratched her fingernails against the bottom of the gate. Pes held his tail between his legs and began to quietly back away. At the same time, two sounds came from the distance. The first was the high-pitched noise of a motorcycle. The second was a man singing along with the acceleration of the engine. The out-of-tune song carried into the distance. ¡°A burrrrning kiiiiiick into a maaaaan¡¯s crotch!!¡± Ryouko stopped knocking on the gate and spoke a question. ¡°Huh? Yukihito-kun?¡± Ryouko turned toward the modified motorcycle that stopped in front of the gate. The light in front of the gate illuminated a motorcycle with three headlights attached to chopper handlebars. Leaning against the back of the seat was Atsuta Yukihito. ¡°Oh, Ryouko. I thought you were a drunk.¡± ¡°Long time no see, Yukihito-kun.¡± Atsuta wore a white summer coat and he approached by rolling the idling motorcycle forward with his feet. He wore only sunglasses on his head as he turned toward Ryouko. ¡°It has been a while. How are you doing?¡± ¡°So-so. Did you just happen by?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. What are you doing?¡± ¡°I was locked out.¡± As if she had just remembered, Ryouko began knocking on the door behind her. Atsuta kept his motorcycle idling. ¡°I can¡¯t say your brother was right for kicking out a woman who¡¯s almost thirty, but what are you doing? Why not kick the gate down?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. This is a game to see who folds first and the rules forbid destroying anything. But if I cause a commotion out here, Kouji always folds and opens the gate. I¡¯ve never lost.¡± Ryouko looked over her shoulder at Atsuta. ¡°Why were you passing by tonight?¡± ¡°Just getting my mind off something unpleasant.¡± ¡°Did you lose at pachinko? You would always skip class and play in your uniform. But if you won any food, give some to me. Those cookies you always won were good.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have anything like that. I grew out of pachinko.¡± ¡°Th-that isn¡¯t the Yukihito-kun I know!! What good are you if you won¡¯t give me any cookies!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t base people¡¯s value on whether they give you food!¡± ¡°Nnn,¡± groaned Ryouko. ¡°Well, bring some next time. So what was the unpleasant thing?¡± ¡°Something at work. I might have to go a bit nuts.¡± ¡°You have a job?¡± ¡°What kind of person am I in that brain of yours?¡± ¡°Hm? Exactly the kind of person you look like. You still have a lot to learn about yourself. I¡¯m living the life that perfectly matches what I look like.¡± She then tilted her head. ¡°So what¡¯s your job?¡± Atsuta gave a bitter smile. ¡°You could say I handle dangerous things. It¡¯s a truly worthless job.¡± ¡°Are you doing bad things?¡± Atsuta looked straight at Ryouko. Her eyebrows were slightly lowered and her head was tilted. ¡°What a pain,¡± he sighed. ¡°Rest easy, you idiot. I¡¯m not like I was back in school. I¡¯m on the side of justice now.¡± ¡°Eh? You¡¯re on the side of justice? ¡­Did some organization brainwash you?¡± ¡°At least say I awoke to it, idiot. Anyway, I¡¯m just a bit stressed because a coworker couldn¡¯t stop talking about nonsense.¡± ¡°Hm. Sounds tough. ¡­But if you¡¯re on the side of justice, the world must be coming to an end.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for sure. Some of it isn¡¯t too bad, but I¡¯m enjoying myself on the borderline between life and death.¡± ¡°Sounds like our young master.¡± ¡°Your young master?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Ryouko. ¡°Have I never mentioned him? He¡¯s the boy of the Sayama family that helped us out.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you mentioned it.¡± ¡°It would have been a long time ago, so maybe you just don¡¯t remember. He¡¯s the son of Sayama Asagi-san, the only man I¡¯ve ever fallen for. He was just a child not long ago, but lately he¡¯s suddenly grown up a lot. ¡­And it seems he has a part-time job handling dangerous things.¡± She took a breath. ¡°His name is Sayama Mikoto. Do you know him?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Atsuta¡¯s expression changed for an instant when he heard that name. Tension filled his carefree face. But she continued speaking and he listened silently. She told him the Sayama boy was living at school now but he would still come by to play. She also said he had made a friend named Shinjou. ¡°He really is just like Asagi-san.¡± Ryouko was smiling and her cheeks were tinged with red. And then she suddenly realized something. ¡°Oh, sorry. I shouldn¡¯t talk so much about someone you don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. ¡­But this could be dangerous.¡± ¡°What could?¡± ¡°If that Sayama Mikoto is working a job like mine, he¡¯s in danger. After all, you can die at a moment¡¯s notice. I can¡¯t recommend it.¡± ¡°I see. But if you¡¯re working the same kind of job, you might meet him somewhere. And if he¡¯s trying to do something dangerous, stop him, okay?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± said Atsuta. He looked away from her as if trying to put up with something. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve gotta go. I¡¯m glad we could have a nice talk.¡± ¡°Every talk with me is nice.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for sure.¡± He smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s going to rain soon, so make sure you get inside. You don¡¯t want to catch a cold.¡± Ryouko held her hand into the air and a small drop fell on the palm. ¡°And there it is. Well¡­ See you later, Ryouko.¡± ¡°Bye,¡± she said with a nod. He twisted the accelerator and the motorcycle moved forward. The four tail lights blinked and the sound of the exhaust and of his singing disappeared into the night. Left all alone, Ryouko looked up into the sky and then began knocking on the gate again. ¡°Pes? Pes! Did you run away!? I¡¯ll neuter you!!¡± Volume 3, 11: Falling Sounds of Rain Volume 3, Chapter 11: Falling Sounds of Rain In the rain In a cage In a lie Kashima returned home through the rainy night. However, he was not on the path back from his workplace and he was not alone. He was returning from the supermarket where Natsu worked part time. Natsu stood to his right with an umbrella and he held Harumi in his arm. Harumi was held within a bucket bag meant to hold babies. The child was contained within the cylindrical cloth bag and a vertical strap wrapped around his back to hold her in front of his body. It was meant for Natsu who had poor grip with her left hand, but Kashima currently had the strap around his neck. Harumi was asleep while wrapped in a towel inside the bucket bag. Kashima held her and hummed as he walked, but Natsu¡¯s head was lowered and she seemed unenergetic. When she opened her mouth while looking down, she spoke the same words in the same tone she had several times already. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize. Someone mistakenly took your umbrella is all.¡± ¡°It still isn¡¯t acceptable. Not only did I not make it home in time for the head of the household, I had him come get me,¡± she said decisively with her head lowered a bit. Even in the dark, he could tell the movements of her white denim shirt lacked energy. Kashima watched Natsu as she kept to the center of the umbrella and stared at the ground. She looks like a scolded puppy, he thought. A small smile appeared on his face just as Natsu turned toward him with a troubled look. ¡°That isn¡¯t acceptable, right?¡± ¡°Right, right. Now, which umbrella was taken?¡± ¡°I brought the cheap plastic one because I didn¡¯t want it to get stolen. ¡­But I think someone thought it had been left behind.¡± ¡°Maybe we should get one with a nametag.¡± ¡°Oh, I know a store in Asakusa that makes excellent umbrellas. We could-¡­¡± She trailed off and shook her head. ¡°We need to stick to our budget.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that with such disappointment. You can spend a bit of money.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t. Also, my parents always go to that store.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Kashima with a nod. He thought about pulling her toward him by the shoulders, but unfortunately, his hands were full. As he lamented that fact, Natsu spoke up again. ¡°But how did you know I was still at the supermarket, Akio-san?¡± ¡°Well, to be honest, I was looking around everywhere.¡± ¡°Hee hee. Were you worried?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he said. Natsu looked a bit surprised and Kashima was not entirely sure what to say. ¡°I was pretty worried. It¡¯s been a while since the front door didn¡¯t open when I got home.¡± ¡°That hasn¡¯t happened since I was rushed to the hospital to give birth, has it? Sorry.¡± ¡°Maybe we should carry cell phones.¡± ¡°It might be useful for you, but I¡¯m fine. And I have a bad habit of spending too much time on the phone. I think the charges would be ridiculous if I had a cell phone.¡± Natsu smiled and looked toward their daughter. ¡°She really is sleeping well. She never cries when you¡¯re around. Did you know that? It¡¯s like our family¡¯s great god Kashima gives us peace.¡± ¡°You¡¯re part of the Kashima family now, too. I think it¡¯s when the two of us are together that Harumi doesn¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Is that really something you respond to with a smile and your thanks? thought Kashima as he looked at her. Something glittered at her neck. It was a ring hanging from a short silver chain. He suddenly felt a tug on his right sleeve, the same arm holding the umbrella. Natsu¡¯s left hand had grabbed the sleeve of his lab coat. The three fingers of that hand held on weakly. She remained facing forward and her eyebrows were a bit relaxed, but she spoke. ¡°I really was happy when you came for me even when I didn¡¯t call for you.¡± The ends of her eyebrows lowered. ¡°You always come to save me.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± began Kashima, but he could think of nothing to say. Should he agree or disagree with her use of the word ¡°save¡±? He did not know which was the correct answer for her and which was the incorrect answer for himself. ¡­I just don¡¯t know. His uncertain thoughts naturally produced silence. Natsu smiled a bit with the ends of her eyebrows still lowered. And then Harumi¡¯s small body began to tremble in Kashima¡¯s arms. The instant he stopped, they happened to be approaching an intersection. And he saw a light to the right. It was a car¡¯s headlights. It was turning their way as if scraping the inner corner. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Natsu dropped her umbrella in the rain. Rain fell on UCAT headquarters which was disguised as a transportation administration building. The spray striking the ground was visible from the first floor lobby. Shinjou sat in the sofa by the window which was the optimal spot to view the rainy night. Ooshiro sat on the other side of the sofa in a lab coat and they both watched the white rainy road jump up into the darkness. ¡°Amazing¡­¡± ¡°Spring is coming to an end. This is the rain of the changing season. Not long after the rain ends, it will be time for the farmers to plant rice.¡± Shinjou heard Ooshiro sigh. The sigh sounded meaningful, so she turned from the window and looked at him. ¡°Why are you giving me a thumbs up, Ooshiro-san?¡± ¡°Well, Shinjou-kun. I hear you were alone in the men¡¯s locker room with Mikoto-kun.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything inappropriate,¡± she said almost too quickly. ¡°There is a rumor spreading because of Diana-san, though.¡± ¡°Oh, my.¡± Ooshiro exaggeratedly covered his face with his hands. ¡°When did you learn to snap back at me like that?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to wiggle around like that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re no fun. You need to play along, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°How about you go back to your room and play more of that game with girls in it? Was it called Osaka Nanba Street? You said you quit early from the shock of falling for a transvestite, right?¡± ¡°Wow, and now it¡¯s a cement-like opinion that exposes a secret!?¡± Shinjou ignored him and looked out the window while resting her head on her hands. The window reflected the painting of the Virgin Mary on the opposite wall. She had thought seeing herself reflected below it while looking at the rain would make her look like a heroine from a novel or something. However¡­ ¡°I just look sleepy¡­¡± Shinjou heard Ooshiro sigh again. Not again, she thought as she turned toward him. ¡°¡­¡± He was sitting on the sofa and staring at her. ¡°Did you tell Mikoto-kun your lie?¡± he asked. Shinjou slowly shook he head. ¡°But I told him Setsu and I both have the lie.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He nodded and once more said, ¡°I see.¡± He said nothing more, so Shinjou tilted her head. ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°I think you shouldn¡¯t ask me.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Asking someone will give you the answer right away. Do you understand what I mean?¡± ¡°Yes, but isn¡¯t that why you ask people?¡± ¡°If you want, you can ask me here and I will give you a hint. But isn¡¯t Mikoto-kun thinking about your lie without asking anyone else for help?¡± She thought on that. She thought again. She thought a third time. But¡­ ¡°Yeah¡­ He would never ask someone else.¡± So¡­ ¡°Are you telling me not to rush this?¡± ¡°You need to give him time to prepare. He needs to prepare to accept you.¡± She trembled a bit as she recalled what Sayama had said in the locker room. ¡­He wants to face me properly. She placed the meaning of those words deep in her heart. ¡°Shinjou-kun, you can think alongside him. Even if your physical location and coordinates are different, you can think alongside him in time. You can decide what to do after that.¡± Shinjou nodded and Ooshiro sat shallowly in the sofa and spread his legs a bit. ¡°Sadame is the sister and Setsu is the brother¡­ That idiot Itaru comes up with the most unnecessary things.¡± ¡°But that name has always protected me.¡± ¡°And it is why you are troubled now, isn¡¯t it? It sounds like more trouble than it¡¯s worth to me.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t act like you¡¯re not involved in this.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not, not, not!¡± ¡°Ah, that really ticks me off!¡± ¡°Wa ha ha,¡± laughed Ooshiro as he raised his right thumb and looked out the window. The rain had grown more intense than before. Shinjou saw his expression change for just an instant. She tilted her head at that hint of harshness. ¡°Does the rain bring back some bad memory? Do you melt when it hits you?¡± ¡°What am I, a Youkai? ¡­Anyway, do you remember the night eight years ago when there was a collapse three mountains over?¡± ¡°I¡­think I do. Wasn¡¯t that when everyone went out to help because it was an emergency, but you slept through it all and Itaru-san beat you up afterwards?¡± ¡°Y-you don¡¯t have to remember that second half.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember much about the accident, but I do remember Itaru-san grabbing you by the collar and delivering a barrage of body blows while Sf-san made tea to the side. The cookies were good. As a child, I think the fun part left more of an impact than the disaster.¡± ¡°You think it¡¯s fun that I had my ribs broken? My left side always starts to ache on rainy days like this.¡± Ooshiro¡¯s shoulders drooped and Shinjou apologized twice. ¡°It was a horrible collapse, wasn¡¯t it?¡± she continued. ¡°Wasn¡¯t a bus heading into the mountains caught in the collapse?¡± ¡°Yes. The only passenger was badly injured. She was a college student on her way to view some relics from the Jomon period that were being excavated in the mountains. At least I think that¡¯s what Itaru said.¡± ¡°What happened to her?¡± ¡°Broken glass injured her left hand pretty badly. But the worst part was that the mud trapped her in the bus. She couldn¡¯t move at all and was stuck with the rain hitting her for about two hours. I heard she couldn¡¯t go out on rainy days anymore and that she dropped out of college.¡± Shinjou realized her expression changed as she listened. The ends of her eyebrows lowered and she tried to say something, but Ooshiro spoke before she could. ¡°What would you think if I told you UCAT was actually responsible for that collapse?¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± ¡°At the time, UCAT was being reorganized. The development department was almost completely switched out, so they had to get the hang of things. As that department is primarily made up of 2nd-Gear people, they were investigating Susaou which had sealed Yamata, 2nd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core. But when they saw the damage to Susaou¡¯s bridge, they realized there was nothing to gain.¡± ¡°A-and what happened then?¡± ¡°2nd-Gear is full of engineers, so they began researching powerful concept weapons. ¡­At the time, we were already assuming we would be fighting concept weapons powered by Concept Cores. They wanted to create a weapon as powerful as Izumo-kun¡¯s and Kazami-kun¡¯s.¡± He took a breath. ¡°And their testing ground was¡­¡± ¡°Y-you don¡¯t mean¡­¡± ¡°Yes, the site of that accident. 2nd-Gear had created a prototype Cowling Sword made up of only the necessary parts, but the tester couldn¡¯t control the power and sliced the mountain. It had probably already been softened a bit by the rain, but that would still require as much power as the second form of Izumo-kun¡¯s V-Sw.¡± Shinjou gulped. That man named Atsuta had not seemed afraid of Izumo and Kazami at all. ¡­They¡¯re aiming to make weapons like the ones those two have. ¡°B-but UCAT wasn¡¯t blamed for it, were they?¡± ¡°No. It was an accident and we¡¯re an organization the public can¡¯t know about. All we can do is provide indirect financial support.¡± ¡°Th-that isn¡¯t what I meant.¡± Shinjou stood up without thinking. ¡°Did you ever make up for what you did?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good question.¡± Ooshiro tilted his head. ¡°But after that, 2nd-Gear¡¯s concept weapon research focused on usability rather than power. V-Sw, G-Sp2, and your Ex-St are exceptions. Also, the engineer who caused the accident stopped developing weapons and instead researched output control. And¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°The woman injured in the accident was apparently an acquaintance of his from college and they married after the accident. According to Director Tsukuyomi, he hasn¡¯t told her about UCAT, but they had their first child this year.¡± ¡°So he took responsibility for the accident?¡± ¡°Responsibility? What responsibility?¡± asked Ooshiro. ¡°He can¡¯t tell her about UCAT, so she still doesn¡¯t know the truth about the accident. Do you see any responsibility there?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Shinjou started to say something, but Ooshiro raised his hands and said ¡°calm down¡±. She then realized she was oddly stuck on this topic. ¡­It¡¯s because we¡¯re similar. She was lying and revealing the truth could hurt Sayama. That engineer was lying and he continued to live with the victim without revealing the truth. ¡°¡­¡± She remained silent with a hand on her mouth and Ooshiro sighed. ¡°I think Mikoto-kun would have this to say: he is trying to make up for his crime, but isn¡¯t he simply prolonging it?¡± Shinjou was not so sure. She wondered what she would do in his place. ¡­Wait. Is that engineer¡­? ¡°Who is this engineer?¡± ¡°Kashima Akio.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± She knew him and Ooshiro nodded to affirm it. ¡°You met him in the cafeteria, didn¡¯t you? He is 2nd-Gear¡¯s negotiator.¡± Shinjou suddenly felt strength leave her legs and she sat limply on the sofa. In the cafeteria, she had asked him if he was lying about something. ¡­He is continuing to lie for the sake of someone he cares about. He had remained by her side for so long while hiding the fact that he hurt her. That was his decision. And¡­ ¡°I¡­¡± She could tell her face had grown pale. She saw Ooshiro nod. ¡°Duty and humanity. It is very like 2nd-Gear and very like Japan. It¡¯s a tricky thing, Shinjou-kun. 2nd-Gear is the world of Japanese mythology, but did you know there are two contrasting heroes in that mythology?¡± ¡°Susanoo and Yamato Takeru, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ooshiro smiled and nodded. ¡°Japanese mythology can be very deep. One hero was hated for being violent, but he lived an honest life. Another hero was praised for being beautiful, but he lived a life of lies. However¡­¡± ¡°However?¡± ¡°After Susanoo became a hero, he continued his life as Storm God Susanoo. Yamato Takeru on the other hand was originally named Ousu, but when he destroyed Kumaso, he was given the name Takeru by Kumaso Takeru. ¡­You can think of that as the distinction between them.¡± Those words surprised Shinjou. But after she thought for a moment, she nodded. Thoughts of those two heroes of the past raced through her mind. One hero stuck with his own methods and lived without changing his name while the other hero changed. ¡­What if¡­? What if the two of them met? As that idea entered her head, she felt as if she could not see. She could hear the rain as white noise, but Ooshiro¡¯s voice suddenly cut in. ¡°Anyway, it is time to go home for today. You can have Sf-kun bring out the car to take you where you belong.¡± Kashima listened to the rain in the darkness of the night. He could feel the breathing of his young daughter in his left arm and he could feel the rain striking the umbrella in his right hand. And he could feel the pulse and trembling of a woman in his right arm. It was Natsu. When the headlights had approached, he had pulled her close with the arm holding the umbrella. She was now clinging to him from within his arm. The car had passed with no sign of noticing them and he could not even hear it any longer. But Natsu was still clinging to him so close he could feel her pulse. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Kashima squeezed with his right arm to put her at ease. But she did not calm down even in his embrace. ¡°Nn¡­¡± she groaned and clung to him even tighter. It was as if his embrace had given her permission to approach him further. Her right hand wrapped around his left arm which held their child. ¡°¡­¡± Her left hand grabbed at the back of his lab coat as if scratching at it, let go, and then grabbed a different spot. She repeated the clumsy action again and again, but she did not stop. With the weak grip of that hand, she must not have felt she was gripping tight enough. Kashima was holding both the umbrella and their child, so he could not hold her hand. ¡°I hate the rain¡­¡± said Natsu suddenly. Kashima was a bit surprised to hear her trembling voice spoken into his chest. ¡°Natsu-san.¡± ¡°I hate it¡­¡± She began to cry. ¡°I hate it¡­¡± The way she trembled, clung to him, and looked down toward the ground looked just like a child. He bent down to bring his head closer to hers. ¡°You don¡¯t like it, do you?¡± Natsu shook her head, breathe in, and scratched harder with her left hand on his back. ¡°Akio-san¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m here. So is Harumi.¡± Kashima looked around for Natsu¡¯s umbrella. ¡­There it is. The red umbrella had been blown away by the car, so it had rolled into the middle of the road. The streetlights illuminated its silhouette. It was lying upside down and its round form had collapsed. Two or three rods of the frame had broken, so it was useless. This isn¡¯t good, he thought. They had only one umbrella and he could not let the rain hit Natsu or Harumi. Natsu¡¯s shoulders trembled and they rose and fell with her breathing. Had she calmed down a bit? As he leaned over, the cold rain soaked his back. That chill was the complete opposite of the warmth coming from the two lives in his arms. But¡­ ¡­This is my responsibility. He would give them what they wanted. If they were at peace, he would leave them be. If they were trembling, he would stop it. He recalled that rainy day eight years before. ¡­I underestimated my own power. That had led to a certain instant back then and what lay before his eyes now. For an instant, he had been drunk on his own destructive power, but that had quickly changed to panic when he realized what he had done. It had taken hours for help to arrive through the rain. When he had dug through the mud, he had found the incomplete hand of his old classmate. He could not hold that hand now, so he called out to her. ¡°Natsu-san.¡± Back then, he had called her family name from their time in college. He had used the name ¡°Takagi¡± which was a common surname in Tokyo. But now that they had the same surname, he used her given name. ¡°Natsu-san.¡± ¡­She does not know the truth. ¡°Natsu-san.¡± ¡­She does not know about UCAT. She slowly raised her head. ¡­She does not know about 2nd-Gear. She was still crying. ¡­She does not know about me. He nodded and loosened his embrace around her. ¡­But¡­ She trembled and he held Harumi out toward her. ¡­I will do anything for her. She looked back and forth between him and Harumi, nodded, and chose Harumi. She supported the bucket bag with her right hand and he removed the strap from around his neck. She attached the strap around her own neck and wrapped her arm around Harumi and the bag. Harumi opened her eyes and looked up at Natsu¡¯s teary eyes. ¡°Ah,¡± said Harumi with a smile. Natsu finally smiled within Kashima¡¯s arm. She gently moved Harumi up and down to settle the baby¡¯s breathing. ¡°Ah,¡± said Harumi again. She went on to make several light laughs that sounded similar to ¡°ah¡± or ¡°hyah¡±. Natsu looked down at Harumi and nodded. ¡°What a good girl,¡± she said with a sigh. She was back to normal. ¡­Except for the flush in her cheeks and the dampness in the corners of her eyes. With that thought, Kashima took a mental sigh of relief. ¡­Thank goodness. ¡°I¡¯m going to grab the other umbrella and head home. Can you continue on ahead?¡± he asked. Natsu looked up at his face and the umbrella held above their heads. ¡°When you lean over to match my height, your back sticks out.¡± She suddenly realized something. ¡°Y-your back is already wet.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t have the rain hitting you or Harumi.¡± ¡°Thank you. B-but I can¡¯t have the rain hitting the head of the household.¡± Natsu looked troubled, but she soon crouched down while holding Harumi and looked up at him. ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°Do you want me to carry you?¡± She blushed but did not deny it. She was quite a troublesome wife, but Kashima did as she wished. He blushed too, but he had enough of an excuse to do this. He had decided he would do anything for those two. Kashima crouched down with the umbrella in his right hand and wrapped both arms under Natsu¡¯s back and butt while she held Harumi. And he picked her up. ¡°Kyah.¡± She was light. He had thought that before. He had happily done this during their wedding and when she was pregnant with Harumi. Back then, he had held her in his arms and realized how light she was and how important she was to him. She was like a bouquet of flowers. The umbrella in his right hand covered the sky above their heads and protected all three of them from the rain. The bigger of the two held against his chest smiled and spoke. ¡°We should have brought the video camera. We won¡¯t be able to do this once Haru-chan grows up.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be too embarrassed.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No one but us would watch it.¡± ¡°I suppose so,¡± he said with a nod. Now they only had to hurry. Once he had Natsu reach out and pick up the other umbrella, it was only about three hundred meters to their home. His arms would last that long. He began to walk with two smiles in his arms. He looked back at them with a smile of his own and he thought to himself. He thought about the Leviathan Road. ¡­Should I be involved in it? In the cafeteria, Atsuta had said it looked like he had already made up his mind. Atsuta may have been right. While listening to the rain, he thought back to that accident and to his own power which had created the sword that caused it. That was his true power. ¡­That is the power I need to deny. But Kashima had another thought as he gave an inward sigh. ¡­Why can¡¯t I forget about that power? Volume 3, 12: Morning Plan Volume 3, Chapter 12: Morning Plan Welcome to a place of comfort The wind blows along the heavenly path And the people return to the grass of the land Even on Saturday, the Kazami household got an early start. The father was a project planner, so he could choose to take days off but had no set days off. He usually took off when Kazami announced she would be returning home, but her decision had been sudden this time. As such, the father had to begin eating breakfast at seven in the morning. Her familial duty outweighed her sleepiness, so Kazami joined them for breakfast. The small built-in kitchen was as pristine as ever. The table contained cups of soup and ingredients to make breakfast sandwiches. Kazami¡¯s parents looked toward her from the table. ¡°Oh.¡± Her mother¡¯s long hair swayed as she stood up. ¡°What do you want to drink?¡± ¡°Coffee. Chisato, you want coffee, right?¡± Her father stopped putting together a sandwich on his plate and looked at her through his glasses. ¡°I know you¡¯re tired, but I would love it if you could fully wake up for breakfast.¡± ¡°Oh, sure. I¡¯ll have tea.¡± Not even Kazami was sure who she had been responding to as she sat in her chair. Her father looked a bit disappointed as he reached over the table. A few plates were lined up on the table which contained lettuce, lightly fried eggs, ham, onion, tomatoes, and other ingredients. The Kazami family¡¯s style was to make a sandwich by taking what you wanted and piling it up on bread. ¡°You¡¯re taking too much, dad.¡± ¡°A-am I? Maybe I am. It¡¯s just so fun.¡± ¡°Are you ever going to grow up?¡± Her mother gave a troubled sigh when she saw the ingredients piled ten centimeters thick. Seeing her mother in a blue shirt preparing a teapot and her father folding his arms in a gray hooded sweatshirt, Kazami finally felt she was truly home. ¡°You¡¯re dressed too, mom? Are both of you going somewhere?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to the site with him.¡± That comment cleared away Kazami¡¯s sleepiness. She could tell her shoulders had jumped. She belatedly noticed the chill of the morning air. ¡°Are you singing again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just going with him.¡± Her mother had a hint of warning in her voice, but her father spoke up. ¡°But there is a plan for a combined Christmas concert toward the end of the year. The main performers will of course be whoever the sponsors choose, but there¡¯s still room for a guest performer. What should I do?¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kazami nodded and turned toward her mother who was preparing tea. Her actions were no different from normal, so Kazami had no idea what she was thinking. ¡­Does she think it¡¯s just his usual nonsense? However, the delighted look on her father¡¯s face left Kazami almost certain he was serious. The way he meaninglessly began eating his sandwich starting with the top of the pile was the same as always, so her certainty only grew. Then her cup of tea arrived along with two slices of bread on a plate. ¡°I see both my parents are working hard,¡± commented Kazami as she spread margarine on the bread. ¡°What about you, Chisato? Are things going well with Izumo-kun?¡± She wished he had not brought that up. ¡°Well¡­¡± she said as she thought. ¡°Make sure to bring him by sometime. Don¡¯t drive him away on the doorstep.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not driving him away¡­¡± ¡°But you are kicking him away so he leaves, aren¡¯t you? I saw you,¡± said her mother as she sat down. Her lips were smiling, but her eyes were not. ¡°I¡¯ll invite him in next week,¡± obediently promised Kazami. ¡°All right!¡± Her parents smiled and high-fived. ¡­Why is that idiot so popular? Kazami sighed inwardly, but her mother was already humming. ¡°I¡¯ll make korokke next week. I¡¯m sure your papa and Izumo-kun will eat and drink like crazy in another competition, so I can make a whole lot. I¡¯ll make white ones, curry ones, cream ones, and rare super-spicy wasabi ones for a surprise.¡± ¡°Sounds great. Make sure to put in plenty of chopped cabbage. We need to show who the better man is once and for all. I¡¯ll do my best! Even if it¡¯s meaningless!¡± ¡°Kyah! You¡¯re so cool! Even if it¡¯s pointless.¡± ¡°U-um, mom, dad? Why are you discussing next week before this week is over?¡± ¡°Hm? Did you say something, Chisato? Could you say it again?¡± ¡°No, never mind. ¡­And mom, why have you had such a scary look in your eyes lately?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You need to root for Izumo-kun next week. We¡¯re pointlessly splitting into a parents team and a daughter/son-in-law team, so¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, but what kind of project are you working on now, dad?¡± He looked up at the ceiling for a moment. ¡°It might be due to the material I came up with that was used on that suspicious educational program ¡®Can You Do This?¡¯ last week. At any rate, I¡¯m working on a replacement project for the anime ¡®Mr. Guevara¡¯ that¡¯s ending due to censorship.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to ignore half of that, but what is the replacement project?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a sequel to the Aretorman series. Y¡¯know, that cult classic from the Showa era. We¡¯re making Aretorman Shoot which follows the story after Aretorman Cement. In the first episode, Shoot refuses to shake the monster¡¯s hand, climbs on top of him, and punches him for three minutes straight. He doesn¡¯t stop even as the monster tries to tap out. It¡¯s really exciting.¡± ¡°Let me guess. In the second episode, does the monster get behind him, pin his arms, and make him put up with it for three minutes?¡± ¡°How did you know? That¡¯s my daughter for you. Once Shoot realizes how to reverse the situation, he gradually begins to learn how to wrestle properly. He learns at the Aretor Training Base known as the Man Hole.¡± ¡°I have a feeling this is going to be taken off the air for a different reason.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Her father folded his arms and thought. Kazami saw her mother pour him some tea, but she was fairly certain his cup had originally held coffee. She began to sweat, but then he took a sip. ¡°Delicious. Your tea is always great.¡± She knew she would never be any match for those parents. She also began to wonder if she would end up like them in the future. But she ignored that thought and her father asked her a question. ¡°What has you lost in thought? If you have any trouble or problems at school, just tell me. What does it matter that I won¡¯t be any help whatsoever?¡± Unsure what to say to that, she changed the subject. ¡°How about you two calm down for now? It¡¯s breakfast time.¡± She sighed and began to make a sandwich of her own. She started with a lightly fried egg, lettuce, and mayonnaise. Then¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s add some jam, salted kombu, yam, and-¡­ gah! Ch-Chisato! Domestic violence is wrong!¡± ¡°Mom, do something about him.¡± ¡°Bad papa.¡± Is that all? she thought, but her father really did hold his head and tremble. She realized this was another method of scolding someone. ¡°Chisato, just put up with it. Having you back has left your papa a bit wrong in the head.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll agree with that last part.¡± Suddenly, Kazami realized how she could make use of her father. ¡°Hey, dad. Have any of your past projects dealt with Japanese mythology?¡± Her father raised his head. ¡°Hm? Oh. Yes, they have.¡± ¡°I was investigating some stuff with Kaku and a few underclassmen, so do you know anything interesting related to Yamata no Orochi?¡± ¡°Hmm. Yamata no Orochi, you say? ¡­There¡¯s a lot there. Do have any keyword to focus on?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± When she brought a hand to her chin and tilted her head, she realized her mother was making the exact same pose as she thought. She had not noticed Kazami though, so Kazami merely smiled bitterly. ¡­What would be a good keyword? 2nd-Gear is only known by UCAT, so they wouldn¡¯t know that term. Then what? 2nd-Gear¡¯s concepts deal with¡­ ¡°Names. Do you have anything interesting related to the keyword of names?¡± ¡°Names?¡± asked her father as he looked up again. The smile on his face told her she had chosen right. ¡°Chisato. Tell me the story of Yamata no Orochi¡¯s slaying.¡± ¡°Well,¡± began Kazami. ¡°After being banished to the surface, Susanoo fell in love with Kushinada-hime who was to be sacrificed to Yamata no Orochi. She promised to marry him and he got Orochi drunk and cut off the serpent¡¯s heads. Is that good enough?¡± ¡°You shortened it like crazy, but that¡¯s more or less it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been studying it lately. Oh, and the sword that cut off Orochi¡¯s heads was called Totsuka. The sword chipped in the process and, when Susanoo checked to see what had happened, he found another sword within Orochi. It was a nice sword, so he gave it a test swing and it easily cut through the surrounding grass. That was Kusanagi, aka the Grass Cutting Sword.¡± And¡­ ¡°Susanoo married Kushinada and settled in the Izumo province. When his descendant presented Kusanagi to Amaterasu, he regained his position as god. That¡¯s the story, right?¡± Her father nodded and muttered the word ¡°names¡±. ¡°I am going to explain this in an indirect way, Chisato. In ancient Japan, people changed their name upon coming of age. You learned that in ancient literature class, right?¡± Kazami nodded, but she did not actually remember that. ¡°Good, good,¡± said her father without realizing the truth. The bitter smile on her mother¡¯s face made it clear she had caught on. Kazami once more realized she would never be a match for them. ¡°Okay, Chisato. Why do you think people would change their name?¡± asked her father. ¡°Eh?¡± She did not know, but she gave it serious thought. ¡°Because they were adults?¡± ¡°Sorry, but no. Think about it. In Japanese mythology, Yamato Takeru gained that name upon killing his enemy, Kumaso Takeru. Changing one¡¯s name does not mean becoming an adult.¡± Then what was it? As she thought, she saw her mother shaking back and forth a bit. For some reason, her right hand would rise some and fall some, but Kazami ignored her. Kazami continued to think and realized the answer was surprisingly close by. When she had first met Izumo Kaku, he had used the language of 10th-Gear. His language and his name had been different. And now he used Japanese. ¡°Because their position changed?¡± ¡°Correct. In ancient times, one¡¯s name indicated their job or position in society. When that changed, their name changed. Returning to Yamato Takeru, the name Takeru means hero. The hero of Kumaso was Kumaso Takeru and the boy who killed him was given the position of the hero of Yamato.¡± Kazami¡¯s mother secretly snapped her fingers and struck a pose. Her father did not notice his wife¡¯s action and raised three fingers on his right hand. ¡°Now, with that in mind, let¡¯s get down to the real issue. There are three mysteries surrounding the story of Susanoo and Yamata.¡± He lowered his ring finger. ¡°The first mystery is why the name Yamata no Orochi does not refer to a job or position.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± ¡°Think about it. What does Yamata no Orochi refer to?¡± It meant Eight-Forked Great Serpent, so it referred to his form. ¡°Ah,¡± said Kazami when she realized that. ¡°Are you asking why Yamata didn¡¯t have a name?¡± ¡°Yes. Yamata no Orochi had the important role of producing the sword Kusanagi, but he was not given a job or position. This goes against the established rules. So why was this giant, eight-headed dragon of Japanese mythology not given a name?¡± He then lowered his middle finger. ¡°The next mystery is about Susanoo.¡± Kazami knew this one, so she took the initiative and raised her hand. ¡°It¡¯s why he kept the name Susanoo after being banished from the heavens, right?¡± ¡°Yes. He descended to the human world, but he kept his name. Why is that? You have the great serpent with no name, the storm god whose name did not change, and then one other mystery.¡± ¡°The last one is related to Kusanagi, right?¡± said her mother. Kazami and her father turned her mother¡¯s way. She shrunk back and said ¡°sorry¡± while sticking out her tongue. But Kazami did not understand. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Kusanagi?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Her father turned toward her with an expression similar to a smile. ¡°How about you discuss that with your friends? This is a topic I tried to get put on an educational program, but no one would take it. I hope it will be some use to you, Chisato.¡± There was no worry of that. ¡­This is more than enough. Not only did she have some hints, but she had realized some things herself too. She felt that was quite good for the athletic type. On top of that, she had some mysteries for them to solve. ¡°I¡¯m glad I came home to visit,¡± she said. Her parents cheered and high-fived. She would never be a match for them. It was still morning, but Kashima was in UCAT¡¯s cafeteria. It was only occupied by a few night shift workers, so it was nice and quiet. ¡°Why did you bring me here, Atsuta? I haven¡¯t even entered the design room yet.¡± ¡°This is about the time you usually get some Nappa cabbage from your parents. If so, you¡¯ll be working on getting rid of your extra pickled vegetables. Hand them over.¡± Atsuta wore his combat uniform and held out chopsticks and a bowl piled high with white rice. ¡°Are you going to eat nothing but pickled vegetables and rice?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me, military god. An old saying says to eat vegetables on your rice and a bowl of soup. This is the same.¡± He pulled something out of his pocket and placed it on the table. It was a can of coffee. It was a UCAT brand named Morning Coffee Gotz. To increase its morning image, a high contrast red and white image of a healthy butler wearing nothing but an apron was printed on the can. ¡°Is that your ¡®soup¡¯? I suppose the color does resemble miso soup, but having that, Nappa cabbage, and rice for breakfast is really mixing Japanese and western, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°You got a problem with this? Keh. You sure have gotten full of yourself.¡± ¡°Do you even know what ¡®full of yourself¡¯ means? Anyway, you want me to provide the vegetables?¡± With an exasperated sigh, Kashima took Natsu¡¯s homemade bento from his bag. ¡°Natsu actually predicted this. Look, she even put in some of the pickled cherry blossoms you like.¡± ¡°Oh, where she pickles the flower petals? They¡¯re a bit bitter, so they go good with alcohol. ¡­Unlike you, your wife does everything so well it almost pisses me off.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re complaining or complimenting her.¡± ¡°You idiot. A guy can¡¯t compliment women that easily.¡± ¡°You mean you have to compliment them difficultly?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, well, um¡­what? I guess, uh¡­ You idiot!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure how you ended up there, but that¡¯s quite the conclusion. At any rate, I¡¯ll tell Natsu-san what you said.¡± ¡°Yeah, you do that. Tell her ¡®Please make more, dammit!¡¯ ¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to say half the time,¡± said Kashima with his usual sigh. He suddenly realized Atsuta had opened the pack in his hand and started eating. He did not approve of using the Art of Walking on friends, but using it may have been second nature to Sword God Atsuta. ¡°Is it good?¡± He took the lack of a response as a yes. The next thing he knew, Atsuta had refilled his bowl of rice and the pickled vegetables were almost gone. Atsuta then spoke up as if carried by his momentum. ¡°So what¡¯re you gonna do about the Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. ¡­How about you do it?¡± ¡°C¡¯mon.¡± Atsuta stopped moving his chopsticks. ¡°You really have no motivation, do you?¡± ¡°To be honest, no. The commotion here yesterday reminded me I have no reason at all to care about 2nd-Gear.¡± ¡°Stop treating this all so seriously and just give yourself a reason, you idiot.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I really don¡¯t have a reason. Seeing the damage to Susaou made my grandfather¡¯s dying words meaningless, and now I have a family.¡± He recalled Sayama¡¯s words from the day before. ¡­He wants to properly face 2nd-Gear. ¡°They¡¯re all so serious, so I think they deserve someone better than me.¡± ¡°Then quit.¡± Atsuta took a breath and spat out more words. ¡°Just quit UCAT.¡± Kashima thought for a while about Atsuta¡¯s suggestion. ¡°That might be a good idea.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look, Atsuta. To be honest, for someone with my lack of guts, in my position, and with my thoughts, running away by dropping out might be easier.¡± If he quit, he would not have to worry anymore. He would have no reason to hold on to it all anymore. He suddenly thought about how his parents lived. Rather than choosing the path of a swordsmith, they had chosen farming. The only blades they held were kitchen knives and sickles. Natsu felt bad about receiving vegetables from them, but it delighted them. ¡°Some people have more than one option. That¡¯s just how it is.¡± ¡°And are you one of them, Kashima?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I left the path of a swordsmith after that accident eight years ago. My hands never again held a chisel and I only provide adjustments to finished products using a keyboard.¡± Kashima lightly tapped his fingernails on the table. ¡°It¡¯s been eight years. I have not made a single Cowling Sword since then. If I have a chance to leave¡­¡± ¡°Are you saying that chance is now? Are you saying you¡¯ll run just as you¡¯ve been given the important role of Leviathan Road negotiator?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡± He took a breath. ¡°I can¡¯t reveal anything. I can¡¯t even tell my child about the weapons-making skills passed down by my ancestors. If I¡¯m going to quit, now is the time. I can join Low-Gear and have a happy family. ¡­I always wondered if I was a resident of Low-Gear or not, but my child won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then what are you gonna do about the truth of 2nd-Gear you mentioned before? Only your family knows about it.¡± ¡°I can pass it on to Director Tsukuyomi and leave the decision with her.¡± He looked forward and saw Atsuta who was rising up from his chair a bit. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I just went with the flow of the conversation. But this is tough.¡± His shoulders drooped. ¡°I can¡¯t seem to decide what I should do.¡± Atsuta clicked his tongue and lowered back into his chair. ¡°You don¡¯t really need a reason, y¡¯know? I enjoy cutting people down for no reason.¡± ¡°Are you hoping to find someone who agrees with how your brain works?¡± Kashima gave a bitter smile and Atsuta narrowed his eyes. ¡°Oh? You think I don¡¯t have a reason to care about the Leviathan Road, do you?¡± ¡°I-it can¡¯t be. ¡­Do you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act so surprised, you idiot. Yes, I do. It¡¯s about a girl I¡¯ve fallen for.¡± ¡°That classmate from your school days? That¡¯s an odd connection. Well, I won¡¯t pry, but it sounds like a personal grudge.¡± ¡°How is that not prying?¡± With a look of annoyance, Atsuta slid over the pack of pickled vegetables. ¡°What? You don¡¯t want it?¡± ¡°Idiot. I can¡¯t eat the pickled vegetables of a woman who seduced a military god.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. You¡¯re jealous that I have such a great wife.¡± ¡°Do you ever listen¡­?¡± Atsuta spat out a ¡°keh¡± and took a sip of coffee. ¡°Gather your things and get lost, you loser. This is pathetic. Completely pathetic. The Kashima family of Takemikazuchi, 2nd-Gear¡¯s greatest military god and swordsmith, is dropping out to be with his wife and kid? Have fun with your home life, dammit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m amazed you can say this much about it.¡± Atsuta clicked his tongue, leaned back, and looked up at the ceiling. Kashima did not resent him. He felt he was a good friend to have around. ¡°I haven¡¯t decided whether I will drop out or not. I just don¡¯t have the energy to face the Leviathan Road. UCAT pays well and sticking with it will allow me to pay off my mortgage. ¡­I¡¯m just troubled because I don¡¯t enjoy it at all.¡± ¡°Fine, fine.¡± Atsuta straightened up and picked up his bowl. He grabbed the salt from the seasonings on the table and sprinkled some on the rice. ¡°Hey, Kashima.¡± ¡°What is it, Atsuta? And aren¡¯t you putting too much salt on that?¡± ¡°You idiot, I need salt because I have low blood pressure. You didn¡¯t know that?¡± ¡°First I¡¯ve heard of it. Relative to you, the rest of humanity must have extremely low blood pressure.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re gonna say that, I have something else to say. I¡¯ll ask this in place of a parting gift: What is the truth of 2nd-Gear and Yamata¡¯s question?¡± ¡°I will tell that to Director Tsukuyomi first.¡± ¡°Is it that important?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know.¡± Kashima tilted his head. ¡°My ancestors have been passing it down for generations, so we¡¯ve kind of lost sight of the importance. And that¡¯s apparently why Yamata didn¡¯t trust my ancestor¡¯s answer when 2nd-Gear was destroyed.¡± ¡°Then isn¡¯t it useless now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still useful as a negotiating tool. Low-Gear wants to know it.¡± Kashima folded his arms and said something even he felt was unlike him. ¡°Ooshiro Hiromasa found that word in exchange for his life. My grandfather resented him and that word made him suffer and swear complete submission to Low-Gear. ¡­It must have value.¡± Kashima smiled bitterly and kept the smile on his face. ¡°But it¡¯s been 60 years. We¡¯ve become too influenced by Low-Gear.¡± Once he finished speaking, Atsuta stopped moving his chopsticks and gave an annoyed look. Kashima wondered why for a moment, but then realized the answer. ¡­Oh. I¡¯m giving a strange smile, aren¡¯t I? His eyebrows were bent weakly and his head was lowered, but his smile remained. As he wondered what that kind of smile was called, Atsuta¡¯s voice prodded at his thoughts. ¡°Well, if the desire to quit doesn¡¯t go away, stop by the design room¡¯s third production room.¡± ¡°The third-¡­¡± Kashima suddenly frowned. The third production room was a forbidden room in the development department. It had remained unopened since that night eight years ago. ¡°That¡¯s where I sealed-¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say it? But you haven¡¯t forgotten, have you? There¡¯s something in there that can¡¯t just be thrown out as oversized trash. The power you sealed away is in there.¡± Kashima suddenly remembered. Eight years ago, he had saved Natsu from the mud and carried her into the rescue vehicle. Afterwards, while he was soaking wet from the rain, he had lifted something up from the mud without even wiping the blood from his fingers. It was a sword frame that had broken in two. ¡­I sealed it deep in the corporation bearing the name Izumo. ¡°Do you get it, Kashima? You sealed away what should¡¯ve been given to me: the Cowling Sword Futsuno. Even while sealed, the residual fear it emits is enough to keep the newbies away.¡± He took a breath. ¡°If you quit, get rid of it. It¡¯s only polite.¡± As the morning came to an end, Sayama and the others wore their school uniforms as they walked through the city. They were on their way to the Tamiya household where Sayama had grown up. Sayama, Ooki, and Shinjou Setsu led the way and other volunteers from their class followed. They all held wooden panels, paint, metal pipes, or other materials. Shinjou turned back toward line following them and spoke to Sayama. ¡°We¡¯re skipping fourth period to build a festival stand at your mansion. This is kind of amazing.¡± ¡°Ooki-sensei did a splendid job of forgetting to order the materials. I have business in Tachikawa later, but I can help out until then. We have to get this stand built fast.¡± That afternoon, he had the preliminary negotiations with 2nd-Gear in the concept space within Showa Memorial Park. ¡­I wonder if that Kashima will show up. As Sayama thought, he saw Ooki walking ahead of him. She wore a blouse and was swinging her arms while humming a cheerful tune. ¡°Lunch at Sayama-kun¡¯s place is sure to be magnificent!¡± Shinjou poked at Sayama¡¯s arm. ¡°Sayama-kun, can¡¯t you stop her from speaking her mind so honestly?¡± ¡°No. If it was possible, I would have done so last year. The results were less than satisfactory.¡± ¡°That must have been tough.¡± Ooki suddenly turned around with a smile on her face. ¡°I wanted to go with the entire class, but I guess that isn¡¯t going to happen. A lot of people are busy preparing the stands for their clubs or have part-time jobs. Harakawa-kun rode off on his motorcycle right away.¡± Sayama glanced behind them and Shinjou followed his gaze while carrying a binder of loose leaf paper. About thirty students followed them. ¡°But about 70% of the class saw this as their top priority.¡± Sayama saw Shinjou turn an impressed look toward Ooki. Ooki on the other hand looked troubled. ¡°Sorry, Sayama-kun. I actually wanted to solidify the bonds of our class with a cookout, a campout, or a marines-style training camp.¡± ¡°I will kindly ignore that last one, but you should not feel bad about using the Tamiya household instead.¡± ¡°I know. And your home knows the trick to creating a good festival stand.¡± Shinjou tilted his head at that. ¡°I thought the Tamiya family ran a security company? Do they do construction too?¡± ¡°No, they just so happen to have a lot of specialists like that. Mr. Kim from China joined the company about four years ago and he is really good at building sturdy mobile stands.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. The only problem is he likes to add bulletproof shields, GPS, and escape devices if you are not careful. ¡­He takes it seriously, don¡¯t you think? Ha ha ha.¡± ¡°I-I think he might be building something other than a festival stand.¡± ¡°But we won the award for best stand last year!¡± added Ooki. ¡°Yes. Thinning the armor paid off in the high-speed cruising. And by giving it electronic controls inside, a commander and driver could take on a great number of people on their own. It was quite powerful.¡± ¡°S-sorry, but what are we talking about here?¡± ¡°A crepe stand. Have you never seen one? They are quite common.¡± ¡°Oh? So stands that can fly are common?¡± ¡°Do not worry about it.¡± Sayama patted Shinjou¡¯s shoulder. Shinjou looked up at him with a hint of dissatisfaction in his eyes. But Sayama¡¯s eyes were fixed on the binder Shinjou held in his arms. Shinjou must have noticed what he was looking at because he held the binder tighter as if to protect it. ¡°U-um. I¡­uh¡­didn¡¯t bring this so I could avoid helping prepare.¡± ¡°You did not want to let go of it, did you?¡± That was a part of it, but Shinjou lowered his head and blushed. ¡°I finished the plot, so I wanted you to take a look at it. ¡­Would that be a problem?¡± ¡°Why would it be a problem?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± said Shinjou as he looked around. Ooki had faced forward once more and was humming. The other students were speaking with their friends. No one was paying any attention to them. Shinjou quickly moved closer and whispered so only Sayama could hear. ¡°I think you might figure it out if you read it.¡± ¡°Figure what out?¡± Shinjou stopped walking for an instant. He lowered his head and did not look toward Sayama. And so Sayama asked another question. ¡°You mean I will figure something out if I read this plot, correct?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± Shinjou raised his head, revealing his slightly reddened face. And then¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Shinjou¡¯s shoulders trembled and he wrapped his arms around his stomach. As Shinjou seemed to shrink back, Sayama wrapped his arms around his back. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°N-no. I¡¯m fine.¡± Shinjou¡¯s raised head showed a weak smile. Shinjou checked to make sure no one was watching them and spoke. ¡°Th-this happens sometimes. About once a month, I get this feeling like my stomach is sinking down. ¡­It hadn¡¯t happened recently, but it just came now.¡± ¡°Hm. This is a touchy subject, so I will try to ask this tactfully: is it your period?¡± ¡°Has the meaning of the word ¡®tactfully¡¯ changed since I last checked?¡± Shinjou sighed. ¡°Not to mention that I don¡¯t have a period.¡± From his expression as he spoke, Shinjou seemed to be fine now. But when he finished speaking, his eyebrows lowered and Sayama was fairly certain he saw a disappointed look on his face. At any rate, Sayama nodded. ¡°When we arrive at the Tamiya household, I will have Kouji prepare you a hot drink. Also, I think Ryouko has an excellent painkiller. You can take some.¡± ¡°Medicines don¡¯t have much effect on me.¡± ¡°Not to worry. The Tamiya family¡¯s secret original formula uses no chemical additives. According to Ryouko, half of the drug is made from ¡®mercy¡¯.¡± ¡°And is the other half made from ¡®absolute seriousness¡¯? Are you sure it¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°Of course it is okay. I tried some once. The next thing I knew, three days had passed and I was surrounded by tons of people.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t okay at all!¡± Shinjou sighed, lowered his shoulders, and looked forward. Sayama faced forward as well. The path opened up ahead of them and a large flat silhouette surrounded by a fence came into view. That tile-roofed mansion with a large yard was the Tamiya household. Trees, large stones, and a pond were visible over the tall fence and the vast mansion sat in the center. Shinjou sighed again and this time it was a mixture of relief and wonder. He realized everyone had stopped walking and Ooki stood before the gate. ¡°Um¡­ Oryaaah!¡± She pushed on the gate, but it did not open. Sayama and Shinjou watched on, wondering what she was planning to do. Ooki tilted her head and then clapped her hands together in realization. She knocked on the gate and let out a shout. ¡°I request an audience with the master of the house!¡± ¡°Ooki-sensei, what era do you think it is?¡± ¡°Eh? But the gate opened on its own when they said that on TV yesterday.¡± ¡°That was the TV drama version of Tsujigiri Samurai that began yesterday at eight. Can you not see the intercom next to the gate?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right.¡± Ooki brought a finger to the intercom. ¡°Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong, ding, ding, ding¡­ Sixteen in a row! ¡­Ow ow ow ow ow! What kind of student hits their teacher¡¯s head sixteen times in a row, Sayama-kun!?¡± ¡°Shut up. For the sake of mankind¡¯s sanity, never touch that intercom again. Got it?¡± As soon as he said that, Sayama sensed a presence to his right. He felt the air move in toward the side of his non-dominant hand. ¡°I see you haven¡¯t changed, Mikoto.¡± Sayama heard a husky voice and all of a sudden found himself looking up at the blue sky. He had been thrown through the air. Volume 3, 13: Blooming World Volume 3, Chapter 13: Blooming World The desire to convey something awaits you Does it wait behind your blooming back in the past? Or in your budding arms in the present? Sayama frantically thought while flying through the air. He was facing upwards and the rotation of his body was compact. It had been a surprisingly quick throw. If he twisted his body to bring his feet to the ground, his momentum would cause him to topple over. What should he do? The correct answer was to twist his body, bring a single foot to the ground, and throw his other foot forward. He would use the momentum of the throw to run forward. And he did so. His foot struck the ground. After a single footstep, he moved his other foot forward and took his second step with the momentum of his spin. He could not eliminate the momentum, but he could control it. He twisted on his toes to turn and face his opponent. He took a large step backwards and lowered his hips in case of a second attack. He reached for Baku on his shoulder, but the creature had not fallen. He completed his defensive stance while performing that check. But no second attack came. ¡°¡­¡± Sayama faced forward while relaxing a bit. He saw Ooki and Shinjou looking surprised, but a small figure had joined them. It was an old man wearing a black T-shirt and a mountain vest. He had short gray hair and his right eye was red. Seeing that color, Sayama spoke his name. ¡°Hiba-sensei.¡± ¡°Hi,¡± said Hiba. ¡°Long time no see, you immortal old man,¡± said Sayama with a small smile and a hand raised in greeting. ¡°Why have you descended from the mountain today? Did you forget how to speak the language of man, so you had to come relearn it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I heard your nonsensical polite speech.¡± Hiba smiled and raised a hand of his own. ¡°I had been wondering why you haven¡¯t been stopping by the dojo lately, but I see you¡¯ve been living a normal life. I gathered some nice mountain vegetables today, so I was bringing some to the Tamiya family. When I heard you¡¯d be coming, I knew I had to show you who¡¯s boss.¡± Shinjou walked up from the side and tugged on Sayama¡¯s sleeve. ¡°I gather he¡¯s your teacher, but do you not get along?¡± ¡°Of course we get along. We get along well enough to knock each other to the ground. Right, Hiba-sensei?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re always like this.¡± The smile vanished from Hiba¡¯s eyes as he observed Sayama¡¯s stance. The smile only remained on his lips. ¡°You were careless to let your friend distract you like that, but you haven¡¯t gotten rusty, have you?¡± Kashima and Tsukuyomi faced each other within a partition of the UCAT development department¡¯s design room. The rest of the design room¡¯s personnel had already left for the Showa Memorial Park. Kashima was chatting a bit with Tsukuyomi in the empty room. However, she had suddenly glanced at her watch while he discussed his family. ¡°Now, I think I will head to the Showa Memorial Park like Director Abram suggested.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°I will handle the preliminary negotiations for the Leviathan Road, but what about you? Will you be coming?¡± ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t think so.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Will he be coming?¡± ¡°You mean Sayama Mikoto? He will of course be there. Do you think he can find the answer, Kashima?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I think we should give him the same thing my grandfather gave Ooshiro Hiromasa. Take this to the preliminary negotiations.¡± Kashima inserted a nearby floppy disk into his laptop. He operated the laptop for just an instant. He copied a single piece of data and ejected the disk. He put the unlabeled floppy in a case and wrote on the case in marker. He wrote ¡°List of 2nd-Gear Residents¡±. ¡°These are the countless names used to create Totsuka. Another file contains Yamata¡¯s question.¡± ¡°The names used to create Totsuka?¡± ¡°Yes. Totsuka required enough power and capacity to seal Yamata, so names were used in its construction. The countless names of the 2nd-Gear residents who were connected to the biosphere via their names were incorporated into the metal.¡± Kashima nodded. ¡°But because the seal was to occur within Low-Gear, Low-Gear names were used instead. In other words, they used our current names. ¡­My grandfather gave this list to someone who then investigated Japan¡¯s shrines and temples to find the names that corresponded to our original names.¡± ¡°Was Ooshiro Hiromasa the one to looked up those names?¡± ¡°Yes. My grandfather apparently forged Totsuka while looking at the list of names Ooshiro Hiromasa wrote for him.¡± He took a breath. ¡°Ooshiro Hiromasa also discovered the answer to Yamata¡¯s question, but I think this list may have served as a hint. So if you give this floppy to that boy, the situation should be almost identical to back then. He will have our names and the question.¡± ¡°But what about him? Ooshiro Hiromasa risked his life to seal Yamata, but do you think this boy will go as far?¡± ¡°Yes. I think he views the Leviathan Road with 2nd-Gear as important enough to risk his entire existence on.¡± The day before, that boy had said he wanted to go through with this Leviathan Road so he could face the other Gears afterwards. ¡­He will not choose to back off. And what would that boy do afterwards? Would he learn of the past, learn what those who came before him thought, and try to approach those thoughts himself? Kashima then recalled Sayama holding his chest in the cafeteria. That boy felt pain when he learned of the past. ¡°¡­¡± ¡­So that¡¯s it. He has accepted even the past. He is Susanoo. That boy was honest to himself, did not lie, and gained everything. In that case, what was Kashima? ¡­No, I haven¡¯t officially chosen to confront him, so it¡¯s too early to think about that. Kashima suddenly realized Tsukuyomi was staring at him. He recalled the floppy disk, shrugged, and held it out to her. She took it with a bitter smile. She then used her other hand to strike his head. ¡°You have a serious problem with getting lost in thought. Did you know that?¡± And she suddenly said something else. ¡°I heard you were thinking about quitting UCAT.¡± That unexpected comment left Kashima flustered. ¡°I-it was Atsuta that told you, wasn¡¯t it?¡± he said while scratching his head. ¡°He can be really talkative about the weirdest things.¡± ¡°He¡¯s worried about you, so don¡¯t be too hard on him. ¡­But are you serious about this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to hand you a letter of resignation right away if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about. UCAT pays well, so I¡¯ll stick around long enough to pay off my mortgage and save up for Harumi¡¯s tuition.¡± ¡°Oh, how responsible. She¡¯s still a baby, but you¡¯re already planning to send her to private school?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I think I¡¯ll go discuss this with my parents.¡± ¡°About whether to choose a private school?¡± ¡°No. About me and my family. My choice here will directly affect my family¡¯s finances.¡± ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true. You can take this afternoon off and head to your parents¡¯ home.¡± Tsukuyomi¡¯s bitter smile deepened and her tone grew exasperated. ¡°You really are worrying over all of this, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course I am. There¡¯s just no connection between me and 2nd-Gear, so¡­¡± ¡°So you want to pass the truth of 2nd-Gear on to me and leave the front line?¡± ¡°Yes, I think that would be best. That Sayama boy I met last night has his own stance toward the Leviathan Road: the surname Sayama indicates a villain. That stance brought 1st-Gear to UCAT¡¯s side and now he¡¯s facing us.¡± ¡°He is quite brave.¡± ¡°Yes, but at this rate, I would be giving him our answer without a stance of my own.¡± He nodded. ¡°So instead of pretending I understand, I will give someone else the word to control Yamata and then I will leave. Giving the word to you would work.¡± ¡­What will this Sayama boy think of that? Given the history of 2nd-Gear and his association with UCAT, would he accept it? Kashima realized his thoughts were turning toward what was convenient to him, so he stopped thinking. Meanwhile, Tsukuyomi lowered her shoulders and sighed. But her expression suddenly grew serious and she spoke up. ¡°One thing.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± A short silence followed. Those few seconds contained hesitation. She used that time to look at him like she was observing him. She then scratched her head as if having a hard time finding the right words to use. ¡°Kashima, do you think you¡¯re conflicted on this issue?¡± ¡°Yes, quite a bit.¡± His response was perfectly casual. Tsukuyomi replied with a single question. ¡°Kashima,¡± she began. ¡°Why are you this conflicted?¡± Natsu was speaking on the phone. She was sitting on the floor with the window to her left. She held Harumi within a towel in her right arm and her left hand weakly held the black phone receiver. She was watching the weather forecast on the muted television, but she closed her eyes when she saw the symbol for rain. She instead opened her mouth and spoke. ¡°Yes, thank you so much for the vegetables. I made all sorts of things right away. Yes, Akio-san seemed to find it a bother.¡± She laughed a bit. ¡°I would like to thank your husband as well. ¡­Eh? He ticked you off during a fight over the remote, so you locked him in the storage shed? It¡¯s been 12 hours now? You two always get along so well. Hee hee. By the way, I would like to stop by for a visit before long. Are you planting the rice soon? Oh, in three days?¡± She turned toward the wall. The calendar hanging on the wall had no red circles around the dates for the next few days. After checking that, Natsu turned her attention back to the phone. ¡°That should be fine. I¡¯ll take Harumi with me, but I think Akio-san will try to come up with an excuse to not go.¡± Her eyes bent in a smile and she looked down into her arm. Harumi was curled up in her arm sleeping. ¡°Yes, you have been a lot of help with Harumi. You taught me how to hold her and how to care for her. Akio-san thinks I knew it all from the beginning. ¡­Eh? If he doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m clever he won¡¯t let me control the finances? And I need to add in the spice of a bit of violence? I¡¯m not very good at that kind of thing. I¡¯m not sure I can do it.¡± Natsu smiled bitterly, but her eyebrows suddenly lowered weakly. She cast her eyes down a bit. ¡°I think Akio-san has been worrying about something lately. Does he think our marriage-¡­ Oh, I see. Sorry. But then what is it?¡± She tilted her head. ¡°I think it probably has to do with his job, but he has a friend at work who is reliable in a certain sense of the word. Have you two noticed anything?¡± A short pause followed. After that discouraging time passed, Natsu received a response. However, that response caused her face to cloud over. ¡°You don¡¯t know? I didn¡¯t really think you would.¡± She almost sighed, but gulped instead so the phone would not pick it up. ¡°I try not to say anything about his job, but I can¡¯t help but worry. His sense of responsibility can be too strong sometimes.¡± She glanced toward her left hand holding the receiver and then down toward her own neck. A ring hung down from a necklace there. ¡°Yes, thank you for being so considerate. Yes, he takes everything so seriously, so I want to avoid putting any unnecessary burden on him. ¡­I can more or less guess what he¡¯s thinking.¡± After a few seconds, Natsu raised her head and nodded. ¡°Yes, I am confident.¡± Her expression was just as confident as she said, but she was blushing slightly. ¡°I think he wants to work. He is past thirty, so it is about time he began thinking about what he can and can¡¯t do in his life. ¡­No, the thought came to me after marrying him and giving birth to Harumi. When I was in the Takagi family, I knew nothing of the world and didn¡¯t think about anything.¡± She smiled bitterly and moved her eyebrows. Harumi opened her eyes in her arm. Natsu lightly rocked Harumi and she narrowed her eyes. ¡°Oh, Harumi just woke up. Yes, I will put her on. Haru-chan?¡± Natsu held the receiver in front of Harumi and the child stretched out her small hands. ¡°Ah¡­dah...¡± said Harumi. Natsu smiled and brought the receiver back to her ear. ¡°Did you hear her?¡± Her smile loosened at the response from the phone. ¡°Thank you very much. Yes, quite a lot. Yes, I will make sure to drag Akio-san out there sometime soon. Yes, the girls outnumber him two-to-one, so he can¡¯t win.¡± With a smile, she gave a word of parting, dragged the black phone over, and returned the receiver to it. The quiet tone of a bell was followed by complete silence. Natsu looked at Harumi in her arm and turned toward the veranda. Beyond the large opened window, most of the potted plants lined up on a shelf in the small yard were blooming. The flowers were white, blue, purple, red, scarlet, and more white. The flowers that were not blooming would bloom during a different season. ¡°Haru-chan, those are the flowers of spring.¡± She looked at the different colored flowers and then up into the sky. A bit of white was mixed in with the blue of the sky. The clouds were densest to the south and those clouds would bring in rain. Natsu lightly bit her lower lip as she watched those gray clouds. ¡°It¡¯s going to rain again,¡± she finally said. Tsukuyomi had asked why Kashima was as conflicted as he was. That simple string of words got to the core of the issue. That was why Kashima found himself unable to answer right away. He lightly closed his eyes and thought. ¡­Why? He wanted to answer. He wanted to answer with his thoughts. He first thought of Natsu. ¡°I am denying my power.¡± The instant he said that, Tsukuyomi spoke up. ¡°No. You aren¡¯t denying your power.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kashima stood up from his chair without thinking. ¡­How? ¡°How can you say that? For eight years now, I have-¡­.¡± ¡°You are conflicted.¡± Tsukuyomi stood to face him with a pleasant smile on her lips. ¡°But,¡± she said. ¡°Why are you so conflicted? Isn¡¯t it because you can¡¯t deny your power? If you had denied it, wouldn¡¯t you have long since quit UCAT and focused on your family?¡± And¡­ ¡°And while you were feeling so conflicted, you saw someone who was fighting against their own confliction, didn¡¯t you?¡± Kashima had no answer for that. Tsukuyomi sighed with a troubled look. ¡°Remember this: the more you desire something, the more confliction you will feel. You want to be both a part of Low-Gear and of 2nd-Gear, so you find yourself unable to choose and you keep lying. But¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± Tsukuyomi folded her arms and brushed up her hair. ¡°I think that is also the state of 2nd-Gear as a whole.¡± Kashima felt himself tremble a little when he heard that. ¡°Kashima, you need to give this thought. Your parents chose the truthful path of completely joining Low-Gear, but not many people can make that decision. Even I am not telling my daughter about UCAT or 2nd-Gear.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This is why you are qualified to represent us in the Leviathan Road. Do not try to rush this. The time will come when you can make your decision and you will choose Low-Gear, 2nd-Gear, or maybe some third path. But at the same time¡­¡± ¡°At the same time?¡± ¡°Do not try to give an answer until that time comes. And while you still feel conflicted and cannot make up your mind, do not try to give anyone else the word to control Yamata.¡± Tsukuyomi took a breath and gave one last question. ¡°Is that clear?¡± ¡°Testament.¡± His weak affirmation was met by lowered shoulders and a nod from Tsukuyomi. ¡°Then I will be on my way to Tachikawa. I will tell Sayama Mikoto that you will eventually make up your mind.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look. Take a break and go ask your parents for advice. You might find the way to your answer there. Also¡­¡± She placed the floppy in her lab coat pocket. In its place, she pulled out a white card. ¡°What is that?¡± She ignored his question and placed the card on the desk. ¡°Your past is in there.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t mean!¡± He instinctually stepped back and saw the card was a keycard for a production room. And the card did not have a 1 for the 1st Production Room used by the newcomers or a 2 for the 2nd Production Room used for research. ¡°That 3 stands for the 3rd Production Room¡­¡± ¡°Yes. What you abandoned is still there. And it is precisely because you abandoned it that you want it so much now.¡± Tsukuyomi nodded toward him. ¡°You feel conflicted because you want an answer and you want an answer to bring an end to your confliction. If you feel like it, go face what lies in that room. Then you should understand what you have lost as you stand in the gap between confliction and an answer.¡± With that said, she turned around. Kashima heard her receding footsteps and one last comment. ¡°It¡¯s worth doing at least that much.¡± At half past noon, Sayama left the Tamiya household and walked to the train station. For once, Izumo and Kazami travelled by foot along with him. ¡°It seems Chisato has some ideas about a few mysteries,¡± said Izumo. She apparently had some issues they could discuss while riding the train to the preliminary negotiations. After Sayama had told Hiba and the others he had to leave, Shinjou had handed him something. It was the black loose-leaf binder Shinjou had been carrying with him. Sayama had not forgotten the slight look of fear on his face as he handed the binder over. To calm Shinjou down, Sayama had promised to read it eventually and he now held it under his arm. The sky above was clear, but gathering clouds were visible in the distance and the wind was strong. ¡°This is nice weather for a preliminary negotiation. I feel like humming a yodel.¡± ¡°Hey, idiot. Enough about yodeling. Just tell me what you plan to do about this negotiation and 2nd-Gear¡¯s Leviathan Road as a whole. They don¡¯t look too motivated.¡± ¡°My answer is incredibly simple, so listen closely.¡± Sayama took a breath and looked up into the sky. ¡°I will confront them expectantly as I wait to see if they are a lazy serpent or a sleeping dragon.¡± Volume 3, Afterword Volume 3, Afterword Here we are at Owari no Chronicle 2-A. Fortunately, Volume 1 was well received, so I should be able to write the rest. It feels like a miracle. It is due to all of you, so thank you very much. I will continue to do my best, so Now for a bit of information concerning the novel. The Showa Memorial Park is a real place. (Susaou isn¡¯t there, though.) It has a website, so check it out if you are interested. I hope this will spread interest in the place. The former airfield near the park still has not been used for anything, but it was opened up to the public recently. The closed railway line next to the line I always use leads to that airfield. When you look into it, you find that place names and the like allow pieces of the past to live on. As I said before, you can find a lot of connections to the war even though it has been 60 years. Anyway, time for my chat with a friend. ¡°To start off with, did you read it?¡± ¡°Yes, I looked through it. But¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± ¡°I hear you¡¯re planning to start switching out who you speak with in the afterword.¡± ¡°Well, people will get tired of the same crazy person every time. Even an all-star messes up sometimes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m too reasonable a person to help you out.¡± ¡°You just helped out plenty, idiot. More importantly, give me your thoughts on the novel.¡± ¡°Why wasn¡¯t there more of the cat? There was plenty of the cat last time. This book is terrible!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t judge a book by the cat content!¡± ¡°What else am I supposed to judge it on? Anyway, Setsu-kun said some nonsense in his sleep, but I apparently say some pretty amazing stuff in my sleep.¡± ¡°I know. When you stayed over at my place before, you slept on your side, started moving like an inchworm, and groaned ¡®pineapple, pineapple!¡¯ What was that?¡± ¡°Maybe I was possessed by a demon.¡± ¡°I can testify for you on that one. Do you have any other stories of strange things you said in your sleep?¡± ¡°Well, I fell asleep in high school one day and woke up to find myself collapsed between the desks and covered in blood.¡± ¡°Sorry, but that isn¡¯t talking in your sleep.¡± ¡°Apparently, I suddenly shouted ¡®zero gravity!¡¯ and launched myself from my chair. It was pretty bad when the hospital asked me how I hurt myself. My teacher and I explained the situation using a chair.¡± ¡°I feel sorry for your teacher.¡± ¡°I was told not to do it again, but I don¡¯t really remember the launch. Next time I do it, it will feel like the first time to me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do it, you idiot. But it sounds like the pineapple incident I saw was relatively normal.¡± ¡°I have a lot of variations.¡± I wish he didn¡¯t. Anyway, my BGM while writing this novel was Himekami¡¯s Kamigami no Uta. I¡¯m listening to it again while I proofread. ¡°Who is it that is lying?¡± I am giving that question some thought. I hope to have various characters start to move more quickly in Part B. On a suddenly sunny June morning in 2003. -Kawakami Minoru Omake Page: Title: Afterword Omake Guy (Tentative) Credit: Satoyasu. Bottom text: Boy Panel 1: Mambo-san Panel 2: Dancing Panel 3: Scolding Panel 4: Feeling bad about scolding you too much and thinking about doing better tomorrow Volume 4, 14: Location of the Answer Volume 4, Chapter 14: Location of the Answer Sing the song of temporary relief Will that achieve preparation or rest? All will be known at the conclusion A certain 10 square meter room had wooden floors and brown wallpaper. It was a kitchen. A skylight on the white roof let in the noontime sun. A sink, stove, and refrigerator sat along the wall. Three people were eating lunch at the table in the center. Two girls sat on the east side of the table by the entrance. They were named Mikoku and Shino. An elderly Arab man sat on the west side of the table by the refrigerator. His name was Hajji. His white scarred left eye was closed and he held a newspaper in his left hand. In this right hand¡­ ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit early for alcohol, father?¡± asked Mikoku. He turned from the glass in his right hand and focused on her. Mikoku was staring at him while eating pasta with nothing but olive oil on it. ¡°What is it, Mikoku? This is no different from normal.¡± Hajji knew what it meant when Mikoku acted differently than normal. ¡°Do you have a request to make for Shino? You do, don¡¯t you? Hm?¡± ¡°Nn¡­ You are as sharp as ever. Shino.¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, okay.¡± Shino had not touched the pasta on the plate in front of her. ¡°U-um, father. I have a request.¡± ¡°What is it? I will do anything within my power.¡± Hajji then began to think with his hand on the newspaper. ¡°Could you wait a moment? It has been a while since we have had this sort of conversation, so I want to act like a real family by guessing what it is you want. Let¡¯s see¡­¡± ¡°Do you know?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hajji immediately nodded. ¡°Have you fallen in love!? Hm? That¡¯s it, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m jealous of this guy. Ha ha ha,¡± he laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll burn him at the stake!¡± ¡°That is illegal in Japan, father. And Shino would not like that.¡± ¡°Kwah! You are as cement-like as ever, Mikoku.¡± It seemed his guess had been wrong, so Hajji hid his mouth with his hand. ¡°That was a joke. It was just an opening jab, so it doesn¡¯t count, okay? This next one will be for real.¡± ¡°You are not going to guess it, so just hurry up.¡± Hajji ignored Mikoku and thought for a full minute. However¡­ ¡­I don¡¯t know. He started to sweat. ¡­Not good. Think harder. There had been no problems with food lately. Shino was handling the shopping herself and she had offered to take turns cooking because Mikoku¡¯s cooking only came in three varieties: grilled, boiled, and raw. Was there anything else? ¡°¡­¡± Across the table, Mikoku sprinkled soy sauce on her olive pasta. ¡°I see the former great general of 9th-Gear does not know how to handle household matters. Perhaps that failing comes with the job.¡± ¡°W-wait, Mikoku. Do not underestimate your father.¡± ¡°Then give me your answer.¡± Hajji thought some more. And then¡­ ¡°Ah.¡± But that was not it. They had rearranged the bath order only half a month ago. I have to take this seriously, he thought while setting the newspaper aside. ¡°I see,¡± he finally said. ¡°Do you have an answer?¡± ¡°No, I have not the slightest clue. ¡­Ow! Wh-what are you doing, Mikoku!?¡± ¡°Mikoku, that was the right spot for a tsukkomi, but the salt shaker might have been too painful.¡± Hajji grabbed the salt shaker before it fell to the floor and sprinkled some salt on his pasta. Mikoku continued eating indifferently across the table. ¡°Mikoku, you haven¡¯t been communicating with me as much lately.¡± ¡°Hitting you with things is a faster form of communication than speaking.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Hajji with a nod. The older girl seemed to have entered a rebellious phase recently. He tried to think of a reason. ¡°Is this because of¡­what do they call it? Secondary sex characteristics? That must be nice. I remember getting into all sorts of trouble when I obeyed my hormones. Is that what this is? It is, isn¡¯t it? Ngah!¡± ¡°Sorry, father. It looked like you wanted me to pass the pepper.¡± She then turned to Shino. ¡°Shino, if this continues any longer I will reach the third stage of ¡®annoyed ¨C pissed ¨C angry¡¯.¡± ¡°Oh, right. Father, for the sake of peace in our household, I will get right to the point: can we take this afternoon off?¡± Hajji stared up at the ceiling while holding the pepper shaker. ¡­Where did that come from? The Army made use of a fair number of people and it carried out many different activities. However¡­ ¡°Lately, everyone has been performing maintenance on Alex in the factory below Takao. And Team Leviathan is heading to the concept space in the Showa Memorial Park today, but there is nothing we can do there. Is that what you mean?¡± Hajji nodded at his own question. They had maintenance to complete, but there was no actual work to be done as the Army. Until Team Leviathan finished their negotiations with 2nd-Gear, there was nothing to do but head out with a small group to make contact with the remnants of other Gears. ¡°I see,¡± muttered Hajji before nodding again. ¡°Well, one afternoon should be fine.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say no. I am not a thoughtless enough man to stop the daughters who I gained from the ending of everything. This is a special service as your adoptive father.¡± ¡°Yay! Thank you so much.¡± ¡°But try to tell me the night before from now on, hm? Also, make sure to contact the others. Your training with Tatsumi is not just meant to kill time, okay?¡± said Hajji with a smile. Shino nodded and gave a smile of her own. ¡°So what are the two of you going to do today? Hm?¡± he asked when he saw her smile. ¡°Mikoku said she wanted to do a bit of shopping, so I thought we could go to a nearby supermarket and I could find some books to read.¡± Shino turned toward Mikoku and froze up. At some point, Mikoku had put down her shaker of sesame salt. She now held a casual magazine. ¡°U-um, Mikoku? Why are you looking at the shopping pages for Harajuku and Shibuya?¡± ¡°Because we will be going there today. We need to resupply on the necessities, so there is a lot to buy.¡± ¡°Wait a second. You said we would only be doing a bit of shopping. Do you have any idea who long it will take to get from here in Hachiouji to Harajuku and Shibuya? Wait, don¡¯t add Shinjuku to the list! How is this ¡®a bit¡¯!?¡± ¡°It is only a distance of thirty kilometers and there are almost no obstacles. This will take little effort.¡± Mikoku turned toward Hajji. ¡°Okay, father. I will escort Shino on her shopping trip.¡± ¡°Eh? But I want to take it easy at home. And you¡¯re clearly making an excuse,¡± complained Shino. ¡°Do not worry about it. Now, we need to get going. We must find some equipment for you. ¡­I have never been to Harajuku before. I hope they have my size. I am incredibly excited in a composed sort of way.¡± ¡°¡­Mikoku. Try not to mix your excuse and your true intentions like that,¡± warned Hajji. Mikoku raised her smiling face from the magazine. ¡°How about you come too, father? You can carry our bags. It can be a special service for your adoptive daughters.¡± Shinjou Setsu sat on the porch of the Tamiya household. He was sitting in the warm sun while drinking plum tea Kouji had given him. His classmates were preparing for the All Holiday Festival in the yard in front of him. The students were using their lumber, metal pipes, and other materials to construct a festival stand. Ooki wandered among them all, but a student with a piece of paper saying ¡°manager¡± taped to his back followed her around and ensured she caused no harm. Sayama had left, saying he had student council work to take care of. He had said he was meeting Izumo and Kazami in Tachikawa. An old man sat next to Setsu. His name was Hiba Ryuutetsu. He ran a martial arts dojo named the Hiba Dojo in Okutama and he had been a friend of Sayama¡¯s grandfather. He was an old man with a crimson left eye. Shinjou had been speaking with him about Sayama. ¡°That idiot Mikoto had a rebellious phase back when he entered middle school. He was so cute back then. When you hit him, he would seriously say ¡®thank you for the lesson¡¯.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s some harsh training.¡± ¡°Not really. I was kind to him. For example, there was when he first came to my dojo. He was a first-timer, so I took him out into the mountains.¡± ¡°And you trained there?¡± ¡°No. I shoved him toward the edge of a cliff. When he really fell off, I panicked and ran home. I trembled in my futon all night expecting the cops to show up. Ha ha ha ha ha.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t something to laugh about! That¡¯s attempted murder!¡± ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon.¡± Ryuutetsu scratched at his head. ¡°They say lions throw their cubs into the bottom of ravines, right? I knew a chance like that would never come again, so I just couldn¡¯t resist. I ended up doing it again three or so times afterwards, though.¡± ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m going to ignore all the problems with that, but what happened to Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°He made it back alive each time and tried to kill me in my sleep. I of course beat him until he couldn¡¯t stand afterwards. Then we would eat. I was impressed he could eat a proper meal after all that.¡± ¡°I think I understand why Sayama-kun is the way he is, but what do you think of him now?¡± ¡°He needs to keep growing. He¡¯s still no match for us.¡± ¡°Us?¡± ¡°The people who bring pain to him here.¡± Ryuutetsu placed a hand on the left side of his chest. Shinjou could see no malice in his crimson eye. It¡¯s so pretty, thought Shinjou. It looks like a woman¡¯s eye. Shinjou then realized he had been looking at the eye for too long. ¡°S-sorry for staring.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Having a young kid like you staring at me is gonna make me blush.¡± Ryuutetsu then gave a bitter smile. ¡°But I want Mikoto to overcome various different things. ¡­You heard that the room in this house where he and his mother lived is never opened, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That idiot is a lot of trouble for you, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I would say trouble, but he does a lot of things I don¡¯t know what to think about¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to stare blankly into the distance as you say it.¡± Shinjou smiled bitterly. ¡°I have always been alone, so it¡¯s been fun having Sayama-kun with me. ¡­Not only was I alone long ago, but I was betrayed too.¡± ¡°Betrayed?¡± ¡°I was alone once and no one came for me,¡± answered Shinjou. ¡°The person who was looking after me at the facility said someone would eventually come for me, but they never did. ¡­My memory of crying all alone is still so clear.¡± ¡°We have a way of remembering the unpleasant things,¡± said Ryuutetsu with a calm smile. Shinjou then noticed what might have been a scar above and below the old man¡¯s left eyelid. It was hard to tell what exactly it was because of the man¡¯s tan. ¡­He must have something in his past, too. Shinjou suddenly wondered how much this man would make his chest hurt if thinking of his past affected him the way it did Sayama. However, that would never happen. Shinjou took a sip of the plum tea and Ryuutetsu asked him a question. ¡°How do you feel about yourself now?¡± ¡°Oh, I am definitely a bit different now. In the past, I did nothing but wait, but now I feel like waiting is not enough. Still¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Shinjou could tell he had lowered his head. ¡°I came here to help with Sayama-kun¡¯s injury, but it¡¯s healed now. I have to leave him before long. Staying for no reason would be a bother.¡± ¡°Have you asked him if it would be a bother?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid to.¡± That was why he could only think about the reason he had come in the first place. Once that reason was gone, he would have to leave. ¡°I see,¡± said Ryuutetsu. ¡°Well, you should give this some thought. By the way, I saw you hand something to Mikoto before he left. Mind telling me what that was?¡± ¡°It was a loose-leaf binder. It contains the story of a novel I hope to write someday.¡± ¡°A novel? Literature sure is great. A villa in Karuizawa, the highlands, the wide-open sky, and the silent nights¡­¡± ¡°I feel like I heard something similar recently¡­¡± ¡°Hah hah hah! It was from that idiot Mikoto, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Ryuutetsu laughed and suddenly reached over to rub Shinjou¡¯s head. ¡°Well, keep at it. You seem like the type to put a lot of effort into this.¡± Sayama, Izumo, and Kazami rode a train to Tachikawa. Izumo and Kazami would normally have used Izumo¡¯s motorcycle, but Kazami had wanted to discuss a few mysteries concerning Yamata. ¡°Sayama, should you really leave when your classmates are working on the stand?¡± ¡°The Leviathan Road takes precedence, Kazami. And there is nothing to worry about. This year, Mr. Kim is not the only specialist helping. The Musclekov Brothers from the old Soviet Army will be helping too. From their name, I expect they will be quite strong.¡± ¡°I get the feeling your class¡¯s stand will look like a giant mass of metal.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. You can praise us in advance if you like. It bothers me horribly to leave Shinjou-kun behind. He seemed to be in a bad mood. But¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± asked Kazami. Sayama smiled and held up the black binder in his left arm. ¡°Heh heh. Shinjou-kun gave me his secrets. This has to be full of¡­ah¡­ I don¡¯t think I can resist for much longer!¡± ¡°Stop wiggling around like that, you idiot,¡± cut in Izumo. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that¡¯s the plot of the novel he plans to write? I doubt it will have anything as exciting as you think.¡± ¡°Oh? Are you jealous of the trust Shinjou-kun and I have? Then I will give you a single chance, Izumo.¡± ¡°A chance for what?¡± ¡°A once-in-a-lifetime chance to earn my trust. Every morning, climb up to the roof of your dorm building and shout the following to the world below: ¡®Sayama-sama is #1 in the universe! I dedicate my life to him!¡¯ If you keep it up for one hundred days straight¡­ Wait, why are you and Kazami staring out the window together? This is a serious discussion.¡± ¡°Kaku, don¡¯t let him get to you. I can¡¯t have you getting any weirder than you already are.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My tolerance gauge is so full that only surface tension is keeping it from spilling over. Nothing more will fit.¡± ¡°That sounds like a difficult situation,¡± commented Sayama. ¡°Whose fault do you think it is!?¡± At any rate, they continued the conversation. Kazami stated the following mysteries: 1. Yamata¡¯s name did not refer to his job or position in society. 2. Susanoo¡¯s name did not change even after being restored to his original position. 3. Some mystery surrounded Kusanagi as well. Their meeting in the train would last for the 15 minutes until they arrived at the Showa Memorial Park. As they began the discussion, Kazami confidently gave her opinion. ¡°I was thinking about Yamata¡¯s question that Sayama heard in his dream. It¡¯s just a guess, but I think he might be asking for his name.¡± In the design room on UCAT¡¯s second basement, Kashima looked up from his laptop. He realized the room was deserted. ¡°Oh, everyone has left for the Showa Memorial Park,¡± he muttered to himself. While noticing how quiet it was, he looked at the top of his desk. A single cardkey sat there. It was the cardkey to the 3rd Production Room that Tsukuyomi had given him. ¡°What I abandoned still waits in there.¡± ¡­How do I even feel about that anymore? Kashima suddenly stood up in order to cut off his thoughts. He stared at the cardkey on his desk and had a single thought. ¡­The Leviathan Road. He then spoke the words that followed his uncertain thoughts. ¡°That boy named Sayama should begin the preliminary negotiations with Director Tsukuyomi before long. If they are truly trying to learn about 2nd-Gear, they should realize what Yamata¡¯s question is soon.¡± Kashima placed a hand on the cardkey. ¡°What is Yamata¡¯s true name?¡± On the train, Izumo tilted his head in response to what Kazami had said. ¡°Yamata¡¯s name? Isn¡¯t it Yamata?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you listening? Why does the serpent that swallowed the divine sword of Kusanagi not have a name that reflects that role? I think that applies to 2nd-Gear¡¯s Yamata as well. Why was the system controlling 2nd-Gear¡¯s biosphere given the name Yamata?¡± Sayama¡¯s eyebrows moved a bit when he heard that. He still held Shinjou¡¯s binder. ¡°Before, you said your name changes when your role changes. And 2nd-Gear¡¯s control system lost control and became a flame dragon. So are you saying that transformation caused it to lose its old name and gain the name of the burning flame dragon Yamata?¡± ¡°Yes. From that perspective, you can see why Yamata held a grudge against the residents of 2nd-Gear and could not trust them, can¡¯t you? The people of 2nd-Gear caused him to lose his original name, so he asks them what he originally was. In other words, he is asking them to speak the name of the world that that was destroyed when they forgot it.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s a grudge on the level of an entire world? That¡¯s no joke.¡± ¡°But in that case, Yamata¡¯s name is a simple matter,¡± said Sayama. Kazami and Izumo looked a bit surprised. Seeing that, Sayama took a satisfied breath and brushed up his hair with his left hand. ¡°Heh. If you come crying to me and beg, I might just tell you.¡± ¡°Heh heh. Sayama? Did you know divine punishment can strike people even on trains?¡± ¡°Now, as a special service, I will tell you. Basically, Yamata is the result of something proper falling to the side of evil. Think of what Susanoo did as cutting away the evil with Totsuka and producing its proper form from within.¡± ¡°You mean Yamata¡¯s name is Kusanagi? And the name Yamata referred to the outer form hiding it?¡± Kazami looked both surprised and happy, but Sayama spoke up again. ¡°It is too soon to relax.¡± Kazami turned a concerned look toward him. ¡°Eh? Wh-why?¡± ¡°Kazami, there is still your final mystery concerning Kusanagi. Listen carefully. Kusanagi has two names. Once it was presented to the heavens, its name changed to Ama-no-Murakumo. The name Kusanagi can be seen to refer to a cool breeze blowing through the grass, so Murakumo could refer to the wind that brings in the rain.¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait. Then which one is the sword¡¯s real name?¡± ¡°I do not know, but that is the true question we are being asked. That will determine whether we are viewing 2nd-Gear properly or not.¡± ¡°You mean everything¡¯s riding on whether we choose Kusanagi or Murakumo?¡± ¡°A man named Ooshiro Hiromasa once gave the correct answer and died. We should probably research him a bit. We need to know why he was so attached to his answer that he was willing to risk his life on it.¡± Sayama frowned. ¡°But I know the answer to another of your mysteries, Kazami. I know why Susanoo¡¯s name did not change.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Kazami tilted her head and Sayama gave a satisfied expression. ¡°The name Susanoo may also refer to the hero who presented Kusanagi to the heavens. Both the name Kusanagi and the name Murakumo are related to the wind, so he had the name of the king of storms. Whether you render it as Susanoo or Susaou, the name of the wind king would not change when he acquires a sword of the wind.¡± ¡°Hm. But that doesn¡¯t help us decide whether Kusanagi¡¯s real name is Kusanagi or Murakumo,¡± said Kazami while forcing a stiff smile. ¡°We¡¯ll find the right answer, won¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Do not worry. I intend to face everything and find the answer. I am invincible, you know?¡± ¡°While you may be #1 in the universe in some ways, what proof do you have that you¡¯re invincible?¡± asked Izumo. Sayama replied while watching their train stop at its destination. ¡°There is no such thing as having proof of invincibility. But I am invincible, so you two can rest easy even without proof.¡± Volume 4, 15: Point of Acquisition Volume 4, Chapter 15: Point of Acquisition Look back Look back And remember so you never need to look back again Kashima stood in the passageway behind the design room that led to the production rooms. He wore his usual work uniform and lab coat and he held the cardkey Tsukuyomi had given him. ¡°What am I supposed to do? Director Tsukuyomi told me to face this, but¡­¡± What will that teach me? he wondered. His heart was feeling restless and he looked forward in order to fill the hole he felt there. In the past, he had often used that white walled passageway, but now he only occasionally passed by its entrance. ¡­The newcomers probably think I¡¯m a useless guy who loiters around the entrance. That was not inaccurate. His job was to perform the final modifications, but the newcomers seemed to think he was stealing their final job. A few of those newcomers avoided speaking to him. The Kashima family had a history with the sword god and swordsmith god families such as Katori or Mikami. ¡°The military gods of Kashima ended up forging the swords that those families were meant to forge.¡± He had heard about it from his grandfather. As the Concept War had continued, the military gods of 2nd-Gear had started forging their own swords because they had experienced the battles for themselves. ¡­The original smithing gods ended up forging small tools and daily items instead. ¡°But the situation has reversed these days.¡± Kashima gave a bitter smile toward the floor and then faced forward. The 1st Production Room was on the right side of the passageway and the 2nd was on the left a bit further down. What mattered was the room past the corner and at the very end. That was an area which had existed since the days of the National Defense Department. ¡­The 3rd Production Room. ¡°I used to use that room constantly, but now it is used by no one.¡± Kashima nodded and began to walk. After a dozen or so seconds, he passed by the 1st Production Room. After a similar amount of time, he passed by the explosion-resistant door of the 2nd Production Room. The passageway turned to the right and the 3rd Production Room was about 100 meters further down. ¡°¡­¡± Kashima walked. ¡­I sure am calm. His pace was steady and his grip on the cardkey in his right hand was relaxed. ¡­Is this all? No hint of trembling could be heard in his footsteps and they were not too loud. He tried to move his shoulders and had no difficulty. He felt an odd sense of loss in his body. He felt himself being cut free of something as if he was announcing that the past was only the past. He approached the corner. He turned right. He focused on his actions again, but his pace was still steady and he was still looking forward. The white explosion-resistant door of the 3rd Production Room was about 100 meters away. The thick double door looked as white as the day it had been made. And that was all. ¡°¡­¡± Kashima touched the left side of his chest just as he had seen that boy named Sayama do in the cafeteria. Everything was normal. His pulse was not racing and he felt no pain. ¡­Why am I so calm? For some reason, the accident from eight years ago felt like a long gone event. He recalled the sensation of the rain, of the mud, and of Natsu¡¯s hand. ¡­They all feel so distant. He wondered why. This was completely different from what he had expected. He had thought trying to remember would cause him to relive the past in real time. ¡°But the past is nothing but the past,¡± he muttered with a sigh. He relaxed his body once more, faced forward, and began walking. ¡­At this rate, I¡¯m going to have to reassess myself. Kashima predicted he would be able to walk up and open the 3rd Production Room as if it meant nothing to him. Then he could pick up the two pieces of Futsuno¡¯s broken frame. ¡°I need to do something about it.¡± Given his current calm, his options were limitless. He could smash it on the spot and dump it down the garbage chute. He could reforge it, deliver it to Atsuta, and receive his friend¡¯s thanks. However¡­ ¡°Either way, I might quit UCAT.¡± If his connection to the past was gone, he would no longer need to feel guilty concerning Natsu. ¡­I will be able to be an even better husband to her. He was now only twenty meters from the door. He continued walking while thinking about what was to come. He thought about what he would do once he no longer had to worry about the past. ¡­I might be able to help with Natsu-san¡¯s rehabilitation. She might recover to the point that her left hand and the rain no longer bother her. Perhaps that was being arrogant, but this burst of confidence showed just how much the past had been bothering him. But now the past was just the past. He had feared it so much, but now that he was facing it and approaching it, it was nothing. ¡°I feel so stupid for avoiding it for so long.¡± Kashima faced forward once more. He had not moved a single step closer to the 3rd Production Room¡¯s door. Atsuta arrived at the back entrance to the Tamiya household on his motorcycle. The back entrance was a small wooden gate. Atsuta was greeted by a young man in a suit. It was Kouji. Kouji folded his arms while the slight afternoon wind washed over him. ¡°Long time no see. What brings you to the back entrance of our house?¡± ¡°You¡¯re as stubborn as ever, Kouji. What¡¯s going on out front anyway? It¡¯s so loud I didn¡¯t want to get anywhere near it.¡± ¡°The same thing you and my sister did back in your school days: preparations for the All Holiday Festival.¡± ¡°Oh, the festival. Ryouko was the student council president, so the festivals were pretty crazy back in our day. We didn¡¯t make any preparations at your place, though¡± ¡°I knew how destructive your singing is, so I did everything I could via our parents to keep that from happening.¡± ¡°Y¡¯know, you¡¯re pretty damn rude.¡± Kouji ignored him, sighed, and changed the subject. ¡°Anyway, my sister is currently out.¡± ¡°With Sayama?¡± Kouji immediately reacted to that name. His body moved ever so slightly and Atsuta¡¯s right arm shot up. An object suddenly appeared between Atsuta¡¯s index and middle fingers. ¡°A sashimi knife? You¡¯re about 0.2 seconds faster than before. Toh!¡± Atsuta¡¯s final shout came as he jumped down in front of his motorcycle. He kept his hands on the handlebars and performed a flip. At the same time, Kouji¡¯s left hand sent a kitchen knife through the air in a backhand swing. ¡°You have more techniques than the last time I saw you, Atsuta-san.¡± Kouji faced Atsuta¡¯s back as the other man landed. Immediately afterwards, Kouji swung both arms and threw two kitchen knives at the exact same moment. But Atsuta did not even turn around. ¡°If I couldn¡¯t do this much, I wouldn¡¯t be able to protect Ryouko!¡± Atsuta swung the sashimi knife he had caught. That produced two metallic noises. As he slowly turned around, two knives broken at the center lay at his feet. He faced forward and saw Kouji standing next to the motorcycle and holding a new knife in a backhanded grip. ¡°Atsuta-san, where did you hear about the young master?¡± ¡°Ryouko mentioned him last night.¡± ¡°And what is your relationship with the young master?¡± ¡°Like I¡¯d tell you.¡± ¡°Then please leave. And please do nothing which would harm the young master.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, Kouji. Are you really gonna say that to me? You know you¡¯re no match for me. In the same way, I know only you can handle Ryouko''s problematic side.¡± ¡°I am aware I am no match for you.¡± Kouji gestured toward the motorcycle next to him. ¡°Which is why I will instead do things to this motorcycle that will make you cry.¡± ¡°That will make me cry?¡± ¡°Yes. First, I will use this knife to write ¡®real Yankees never die¡¯ on it. Later, I will periodically use my family¡¯s information network to locate the motorcycle wherever it may be and carve new statements into it.¡± ¡°Please stop. In fact, when did you get so cunning?¡± ¡°Anyone would after constantly being caught up in the trouble my sister causes.¡± Kouji stared off into the blue sky and Atsuta sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± said Atsuta while recalling the past. ¡°She helped me out quite a lot. She¡¯d go apologize to the families of the people I punched and she¡¯d bring me a lunch when I had no money.¡± ¡°I see. For some reason, my memories of my middle school days involve being lectured with my sister at strange houses and being forced up at the crack of dawn to make two lunches for her. I suppose it is important to view everything in a positive light.¡± ¡°You got a problem? Why do you keep staring off into the distance?¡± ¡°At any rate, please leave. What is with today, anyway? You never act for anyone but yourself. Are you having some trouble with a friend?¡± Atsuta smiled bitterly, climbed back onto the motorcycle, and removed the kickstand. ¡°That¡¯s right. A friend of mine is having some trouble. He doesn¡¯t seem to know who he is.¡± Kashima gulped as he stared at the thick door. He had not moved even a step closer to the white metal door since the last time he had looked at it. He looked down and could see he was standing. His legs were not trembling. He could feel the floor beneath his feet and he could sense his waist and abdomen being supported by his legs. But despite thinking he was walking, Kashima had not moved a single step since arriving twenty meters from the door. ¡°I was standing still while convincing myself I was moving forward.¡± He checked his left arm to see if any concept was in effect, but the black wristwatch had not reacted since entering the design room. What was happening? ¡­I can¡¯t move forward. The feeling welling up in his heart seemed to slide up his spine. He was not sure how to describe the sensation or the emotions it gave him. His desire to deny it formed words. ¡°My inability to face the past has reached a subconscious level.¡± He did not feel any fear, but he could not approach that place. He faced that explosion-resistant door while wondering why. A few colored metal plates were attached to the wall next to the sealed white metal of the door. Those metal plates were engraved with the surnames of the past managers of that production room. The leftmost plate contained the name Kashima. However, his own name was not what he focused on now. He started with the earliest name. That name belonged to the very first manager of the 3rd Production Room. ¡°Ooshiro Hiromasa.¡± Next to that name was the name of the second manager. ¡°Kashima.¡± This time, Kashima was not written in kanji. Kashima¡¯s grandfather had refused to write it that way because he opposed fully naturalizing himself even if he had abandoned his old surname of Takemikazuchi. Kashima finally began to tremble when he saw those two names. He felt an extra strong beat of his heart. He did not know what to call it. He knew nothing of his grandfather or Ooshiro Hiromasa. Nevertheless, those two names were there. His own name was listed far to the left. ¡­How can this be? Carved into that steel were names from the past and the name of the one who was to inherit the past. Only someone who was the same as those in the past could arrive here. Kashima recalled the past. He recalled that day nine years ago. He had finally managed to see that giant humanoid weapon, but the bridge in the head had been mostly destroyed. ¡­My grandfather¡¯s dying request to go to Susaou became meaningless. He had focused solely on demonstrating his power in the 3rd Production Room so that he could pursue his grandfather. As he did nothing but pursue his own power, he had forgotten all about the girl he had grown close to in his college days. ¡°What happened to me after that?¡± He suddenly heard a certain noise. It was the sound of rain. ¡­It can¡¯t be. He was underground. There was no way he could be hearing that. But he was undoubtedly hearing rain. He had gained something on that rainy night when the earth had collapsed. What had it been? How had he acquired it? He absentmindedly raised his left hand up in front of his face. He did so ever so slowly. But he could not fully raise it. It stopped while positioned diagonally down. It looked like he was holding his hand out to someone. ¡­To who? ¡°Stop.¡± ¡­Don¡¯t think back. Don¡¯t think back to what you reached for and what you gained. He had thought he had carved it into his heart, but he had actually avoided touching it and simply deceived himself. ¡­Don¡¯t look straight at it. But his left hand was definitely grasping something in the empty air. He was grasping the hand of someone he cared for. He could feel the missing fingers and the warm wetness. ¡°¡­!¡± Just as before, Kashima let out an enraged cry. He clenched his hand which was covered in phantom warmth and heat. He faced forward. He only recognized three of the names: the two rightmost names and his own name on the left. ¡°Why¡­?¡± Why had he wanted to have his name engraved there? Back then, I viewed it as my pledge to pursue the past, thought Kashima. Please¡­ Please let it be a lie. He wanted to erase the fact that he had ever wanted that. Otherwise, everything he had now would become a lie. Natsu, Harumi, their house, the flowers in the garden, his parents¡¯ concerns, their own concerns¡­all of it. But all he felt in his hand were missing fingers and wet blood. ¡°That is the truth,¡± proclaimed the letters in that steel. ¡°Everything you have gained is nothing but a lie used to escape from us.¡± Kashima distinctly recalled the feeling of creating Futsuno. ¡­I felt such superiority. He had felt joy, but that joy had frozen over in an instant when he heard the scream. He trembled as he recalled the emotions he had felt. ¡°Please,¡± he muttered. ¡­I don¡¯t need any of that anymore. ¡°Please rid me of this name¡­¡± His trembling voice received no response. The engraved names sent him nothing but silence. Those names would not move from the past. That truth caused him to instinctually move back. He took a step back and immediately followed it with another. ¡°Ah,¡± he said quietly as he turned his back on those names. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± He tripped and almost fell as he began to run. There was nothing he could do to stop himself. He finally realized his entire body was trembling. ¡­Run. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± He felt as if the door behind him had opened and some unknown presence had come from within. It was already right behind him. The names of the past and the names of the present were trying to swallow him up. Is this what I abandoned? he thought again. ¡°¡­!¡± Kashima ran. After taking a few steps, he realized he still held the cardkey in his right hand. He threw it behind him. He did the same with everything he thought would get in the way of his escape: the pen in his lab coat pocket, his calculator, his handkerchief, the lab coat itself, and the glasses on his face. He threw them all at the presence pursuing him. But the past would not leave him. That feeling that caused him to tremble refused to let go. He felt as if it would never let go again. He swallowed a scream and continued to run. ¡­I have Natsu-san and Harumi now. He turned the corner and ran out into the empty design room without looking back. ¡­So why won¡¯t my power leave me? ¡°Okay. How should we handle this?¡± A woman in a lab coat stood beneath the clear sky. It was Tsukuyomi. She was inside the 2nd-Gear concept space containing Susaou. She was in the small open area next to Susaou¡¯s lake. Other than the lake to the north, she was surrounded by forest. With the rotting pier extending toward Susaou to her back, she stood in the cool wind with her arms folded and a slight smile on her lips. She faced a boy wearing a suit. He was Sayama Mikoto. She used her smile to welcome him and slowly began to speak. ¡°Sayama Mikoto-kun, are you alone?¡± ¡°Yes. The others do not like negotiations, so they are investigating the area. How about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alone, too. Kashima had to gather his thoughts a bit, so he won¡¯t be coming. I, Director Tsukuyomi Shizuru of the development department, will handle the preliminary negotiations in his place.¡± ¡°So you will be my opponent, is that it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded just before her expression changed. Someone had exited the forest behind the boy. The person wore an orange jacket and a white dress. She was out of breath and Sayama turned toward her. ¡°Shinjou-kun,¡± he said. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Shinjou Sadame upon having her name called. She looked at him and then Tsukuyomi before giving an exhausted smile. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late. This is the preliminary negotiations, right?¡± Volume 4, 16: Unmoving Predecessor Volume 4, Chapter 16: Unmoving Predecessor What is it that was once gained? It is the source of the storm-bringing wind It is the place from which all stormy paths leave Below the blue sky and surrounded by forest, a certain object existed in the center of a lake with a radius of nearly a kilometer. It was the giant humanoid machine named Susaou. That giant mass of metal was covered in black armor and burnt rust. It existed within a concept space which had been created back when the Showa Memorial Park was an airfield. Susaou existed in the very center of the space. Its giant body appeared to be made from connected warships and its waist was lowered slightly. Its two long arms were held up in front of its face. The area around the lake below Susaou was filled with the color green. There was a forest, a grassy field, a river, and the lake. The lake maintained its form without overflowing because the surrounding dirt and plants were carrying out their proper function. Currently, a small commotion was occurring in the concept space¡¯s forest. ¡°Wah! I¡¯m floating!¡± The voice belonged to Kazami. She was floating four or five meters above a small clearing in the forest. Sibyl was running around in a panic below. She stretched her arms up and jumped. ¡°Chisato-samaaa! Please come dowwwwn!¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t control it! This is due to 2nd-Gear¡¯s concepts, isn¡¯t it!?¡± Kazami flailed her arms and legs through the air, but she did nothing but float. When they had entered the concept space, they had all heard the following words: ¡ªNames provide power. This concept was displaying itself with the character for ¡°wind¡± in Kazami¡¯s name. ¡°I felt my body get lighter and lighter and next thing I knew I was up here! What should I do, Sibyl?¡± ¡°Chisato-sama, please try harder. Go like this: hoo hoo!¡± ¡°Wow, that gesture is so cute, Sibyl!¡± ¡°I-I am telling you to do this. What if you never return to the ground?¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re right. Without me around, who will protect the peace of Taka-Akita Academy from those two idiots?¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯re you two doing?¡± Izumo appeared from the forest and scratched at his head. ¡°Stop making so much noise while I¡¯m trying to get a nap for our investigation.¡± ¡°What kind of nonsense is that? ¡­Anyway, what am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Izumo looked confused and approached Kazami. ¡°No, wait, Kaku! There¡¯s wind blowing from you! Wind!¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. The name Izumo means ¡®from the clouds¡¯, so I guess it would produce wind. That would be why things were so cool as I slept.¡± ¡°Ahhh, Chisato-sama is blowing away to the west!¡± ¡°Fine then,¡± muttered Izumo as he ran after her. He overtook his own wind and made his way below Kazami. The direction of the wind affecting her changed. The wind was radiating from him in every direction, so the wind blew up at her from below. She flailed around a bit more and somehow managed to come to a stop in midair. ¡°Thank goodness. I was about to be blown outside the concept space like a drifting jellyfish.¡± ¡°This is a pain-in-the-ass world to deal with. ¡­But it¡¯s not all bad.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so great about it?¡± Kazami looked down at Izumo and found him looking happily up at her. ¡°White¡­¡± ¡°Why are you peeking up my skirt!? You already get to see these all the time!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. The panties you see all the time and the ones you can peek at now are completely different. A guy is always up for a nice peek!¡± ¡°Are you completely shameless? Ahh, and I can¡¯t reach you!¡± As Izumo nodded happily, Kazumi rotated forwards overhead as she held down the hem of her tight skirt. At the same time, she suddenly lost all buoyancy. ¡°Eh?¡± With that tone of confusion, Kazami fell straight down. ¡°Wah! Ow ow ow ow!¡± ¡°Ah! Ch-Chisato-sama¡¯s knee struck the side of Izumo-sama¡¯s head as if she aimed it!¡± Kazami stood up and looked down at Izumo. He was sprawled out on the ground with an oddly happy look on his unconscious face, so she decided everything had turned out all right. ¡°A-are you okay?¡± asked Sibyl worriedly. ¡°He¡¯s fine. I have no real proof, though.¡± ¡°Yes, I know that he is fine. I have no real proof either, though. But what about you?¡± ¡°Hmm. I feel like there was a slight problem with that conversation¡­ At any rate, I¡¯m fine. And more importantly, why do you think I fell like that?¡± ¡°I assume your weight must have suddenly incre-¡­ Ahem. I misspoke, so please stop giving me that sad look. I am well aware of the effort you are putting into your diet.¡± ¡°Well, I was thinking of losing some weight because I went too far with my school band uniform¡­ But don¡¯t say that kind of thing. It makes me wonder if it¡¯s true for an instant and it gives me a stomachache.¡± ¡°A-anyway, let us get back on topic. It happened as soon as you faced the ground,¡± pointed out Sibyl. Kazami tilted her head and then nodded to drive out the thoughts of her weight. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t just looking down that made me fall. There has to be another condition.¡± She thought for a bit and finally found the answer. ¡°I saw the wind.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± As Sibyl looked confused, Kazami thought about her own family name. ¡°Wait, Chisato-sama! You are beginning to float again.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll come right back down this time,¡± said Kazami as she descended to the ground. She smiled at Sibyl who grabbed her hand. Instead of telling her to relax, she explained. ¡°We weren¡¯t thinking about my name well enough. We were focusing on the character for ¡®wind¡¯ so much we forgot about the character for ¡®see¡¯. That must be why I was blown away by the wind.¡± She took a breath. ¡°The name Kazami originally referred to someone who could read the wind, so I suddenly gained the power to read the wind when I faced Kaku¡¯s wind. I was no longer being blown by the wind; I was facing the wind.¡± Kazami looked up into the sky. She could see Susaou towering above as well as a few people in lab coats walking through the sky. They were from 2nd-Gear. Most of the development department had come to investigate Susaou. ¡°They can use this power much better than us. I wonder what will happen in this Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°Director Tsukuyomi should begin the preliminary negotiations with Sayama-sama soon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Kazami nodded and looked down. Izumo remained collapsed on the ground, but he had come to and was looking up at her. ¡°This is nice, Chisato. You don¡¯t often get a look from a crazy angle like-¡­gwoh!¡± The sounds coming from Izumo reverberated through that 2nd-Gear space. Three figures stood in the field in front of Susaou. They were Sayama, Shinjou, and Tsukuyomi. They were the only ones in that field. As they faced each other, Sayama started by taking a breath. This was not a sigh of discouragement or relief. It was an expectant and calming breath taken before starting something. He looked directly at Tsukuyomi. He had a single thing he had to say, so he nodded toward her. ¡­It is time we began the preliminary negotiations. ¡°Will I be able to get along with this old hag?¡± he said as he brushed his hair up into the warm wind. Shinjou gave him a panicked look and her mouth wordlessly flapped opened and closed. He decided to look back at what he had said and he folded his arms in thought with Baku on his head. ¡°Oh, it seems I spoke my true thoughts out loud and thought what I intended to say. They say your body will take control during extreme situations, so that must be what happened here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really care, but aren¡¯t you going to apologize for that rude comment?¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s right, Sayama-kun! Even if it¡¯s true, you can¡¯t say it!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to apologize for that rude comment?¡± This time, Shinjou was forced to look back at what she had said. Sayama hid Shinjou behind him and bowed toward Tsukuyomi. ¡°It appears we have made inappropriate comments.¡± ¡°Oh, are you apologizing? Even though the preliminary negotiations are only just beginning?¡± ¡°Yes. But, Director Tsukuyomi, you need not worry about your age. Reality is always cruel. Say goodbye to your ideals and say hello to reality. ¡­Now, let us begin the preliminary negotiations for the Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Tsukuyomi fell silent and sighed. ¡°Fine, but what do you hope to accomplish here?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t know.¡± He did know, but knowledge was different from hearing your opponent say it. ¡°I want to hear it from you,¡± he said. Tsukuyomi gave a resigned smile. ¡°Kashima told you back in the cafeteria. 2nd-Gear has nothing to demand from UCAT. We aren¡¯t the same as Fasolt from 1st-Gear.¡± Tsukuyomi looked around at the city back in the real world visible beyond the field and forest. ¡°We are satisfied with this world. We see no reason to make waves and damage our relationship with you. Rather than get hung up over pride, we prefer to receive the benefits of this world.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°After Yamata was sealed, the people of 2nd-Gear became fully naturalized. It seems the remaining opposition at the time was persuaded by the Kashima who created Totsuka.¡± ¡°That would be Kashima Akio-san¡¯s grandfather, correct? He was the second in command aboard Susaou.¡± ¡°Yes. He changed his surname from Takemikazuchi to Kashima, but he refused to spell Kashima with kanji.¡± Shinjou tilted her head and took a half-step forward. ¡°Why did he do that?¡± ¡°From what I hear, he was a complicated man. For example, he apparently never got along with Ooshiro Hiromasa who led the construction of Susaou.¡± ¡°Never got along?¡± They had both been engineers and they had needed to work together to seal Yamata. Sayama found this odd, but he kept the question in his heart. That Kashima was from the past and he had to focus on the preliminary negotiations. ¡°That Kashima is gone. You were saying everyone from 2nd-Gear was convinced to naturalize, correct?¡¯ ¡°Yes. If there is anything 2nd-Gear has to ask of Low-Gear, it is to maintain the status quo. That is what we want from Low-Gear.¡± ¡°I see. The status quo, is it? That is a simple demand.¡± Sayama smiled, nodded, and gently gave his answer. ¡°I reject that demand.¡± The afternoon sun illuminated a farmhouse within a forest. The large farmhouse was located next to a multi-leveled paddy field. The wooden house had a thatch roof and the veranda was darkened. A single white figure sat on that veranda. It was Kashima wearing his normal outfit. His shoulders were lowered and he sat as if trying to shrink down. Behind him was a large old-fashioned Japanese-style living room with a tatami mat floor. However, he was not looking into the house. Without wearing his glasses, he was looking toward the paddies which reflected the afternoon sun and sky. The multi-level paddies were surrounded by mountains and forests and they were still filled with water waiting for the rice to be planted. ¡°Back home¡­¡± ¡°Why are you saying that like you only just realized where you are?¡± asked a female voice. He turned around toward the living room and found an elderly woman wearing Japanese clothes and a white apron. She carried tea on a tray and Kashima took a teacup and drank some. He looked toward the woman¡¯s gray hair. ¡°Mom, where is dad?¡± ¡°Reading the newspaper while putting up a fight in the bathroom. He said something about suffering as he gives birth.¡± ¡°I already finished that, you fool. It was a difficult birth.¡± An elderly man wearing a T-shirt and shorts entered. He walked up and sat next to Kashima. Kashima¡¯s father let out a groan as he settled down and looked annoyed as he asked a question. ¡°Well? What is it? Did you have a fight with Na-chan? What had you running here while half in tears?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t crying.¡± ¡°Then what put that look on your face?¡± he asked as if it was a bother. Kashima thought for a moment and wondered if this was too sudden. ¡°What would you say if I told you I was quitting my job at UCAT?¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kashima¡¯s father leaned forward as if in a large nod. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good thing.¡± With a thoughtful expression, he held his thumb and forefinger a tiny distance apart. ¡°It¡¯s this bad a thing. ¡­But what would you do if you quit?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t made up my mind yet, so I can¡¯t really say.¡± ¡°Then why are you here? We aren¡¯t planting the rice until three days from now.¡± ¡°If I did that kind of hard work, I wouldn¡¯t be able to move tomorrow. I just wanted to ask a few questions today.¡± He then asked what he considered important. ¡°How did my grandfather face his power? What about his comrades? Do you know? How did they decide whether they should use their power or abandon it?¡± ¡°Why do you want to know that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s related to my job, so I can¡¯t say. But¡­it¡¯s what I want to know right now.¡± His father¡¯s confused look made him hesitate for a moment, but he still said it. ¡°I need to decide what I should do about my power.¡± ¡°I see. In that case, Aki, I know how you can find out.¡± His father gave an understanding nod and reached forward. Kashima looked at his father¡¯s hand. ¡°¡­¡± After a moment, he gulped. In his father¡¯s hand before his eyes was a drawn Japanese sword. ¡°It¡¯s simple, Aki. If your thoughts are enough to leave you conflicted and willing to rely on your ancestors, then use them to defeat this powerful right arm and this decoration from the living room. Today is Saturday. Saturday night is a time for fever, right?¡± The old man smiled and suddenly swung the sword toward his son. ¡°You reject it?¡± repeated Tsukuyomi. Sayama remained silent and did not even nod. It was obvious from Shinjou¡¯s face that this was a surprise to her as well. The way she gasped and looked at him was not an act. He had some reason for rejecting the request, so Tsukuyomi asked about it. ¡°Why? Is there something wrong with us wishing for things to remain as they are?¡± ¡°There is,¡± he decisively stated. He remained expressionless and his voice contained no emotion. ¡°First, I would like to hear what you have to offer us,¡± he asked quietly. That is a dangerous question, thought Tsukuyomi. She chose her words carefully and gave her answer with caution filling her gut. ¡°Two things. First, we will tell you Yamata¡¯s question and answer. Second, we will release Yamata, and Kashima will answer the question for you.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Sayama. His voice contained a hint of a smile. ¡°You can only offer us half of that.¡± He took a breath. ¡°After all, we have already arrived at Yamata¡¯s question and answer on our own. You need not give it to us. If we make the deal now, you will only receive half of the status quo you want. Is that okay with you?¡± Hearing that, Tsukuyomi realized something. ¡­A villain, hm? It was said the surname Sayama indicated a villain. Did his surname help him function as a villain in the 2nd-Gear concept space? That sudden thought led her to an answer which she spoke aloud. ¡°Are you saying you have no problem with causing waves between us?¡± ¡°Do not be so suspicious. I am merely verifying what you have to offer,¡± said Sayama expressionlessly. ¡°Maintaining the status quo. That is quite a convenient phrase. It makes it sound like most anything can be resolved peacefully. But it is just another way of saying you could not think of anything else.¡± ¡°And? What else could we need?¡± ¡°If you truly think that, then let me say this: you fool.¡± The boy¡¯s final word caused Tsukuyomi to frown. ¡°Let me say it again: you fool. And let me say it a third time: you fool. If you have not realized-¡­¡± ¡°Stop this,¡± said Tsukuyomi while realizing how dangerous the annoyance she was feeling was. ¡°Do you think you can provoke us into being enemies by repeatedly calling us fools?¡± ¡°This is why I am calling you a fool, Director Tsukuyomi. Are you going to give any thought to what exactly is making me call you a fool?¡± Sayama looked to the ground with a bitter smile. ¡°Let me ask you this: if you truly wish to maintain the status quo, why is one of your people conflicted over his own power?¡± Tsukuyomi recalled a certain man. He was the conflicted one Sayama referred to. ¡­That is the man I chose to be 2nd-Gear¡¯s representative. Sayama seemed to realize what she was thinking and he asked another question. ¡°You are willing to cast aside those like him and continue to seek the status quo. Could you not judge that as foolish?¡± I see, she thought in silent comprehension. He did his research and gave it proper thought. 2nd-Gear¡¯s problem was not a simple one. If they had adapted to Low-Gear and lost their individuality, they would have no choice but to fit in. But even though they had intended to lose their individuality, their power remained. When those of 2nd-Gear learned of their Gear and came into contact with their concepts, they learned of the power held within their names. They learned they were different from the people of Low-Gear. That provided an elated feeling similar to superiority, but it also brought avoidance and melancholy. That was the problem Kashima faced and he was not the only one with that problem. A lot of those in the development department and those who had become more naturalized held the same problem. But¡­ ¡°That will trouble my generation and the generation directly below us, but that will not last forever. Our children will be told nothing. They will blend into this Gear and know nothing of their ancestors. Our troubles are like a sacrifice to move from the old age to the new one. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Tsukuyomi smiled bitterly and thought about Sayama once more. ¡­A villain. His method was to ignore the poor reputation it would give him and forcefully attack her weaknesses. But, thought Tsukuyomi. He does not need to do that. These troubles have plagued us for the sixty years since the war. And yet every one of them would agree to accept the status quo. There was no point in making waves now. She faced Sayama while thinking about her own daughter, about Kashima¡¯s family, and about the families of the others she knew. ¡°I appreciate your consideration, but we must maintain the status quo. Without it, our descendants cannot live here in Low-Gear without the same troubles we carry. We will hide our power, hide our troubles, and blend into Low-Gear. And if you insist on forcing us to change¡­¡± ¡°What will you do then?¡± She looked at that boy¡¯s expressionless face and thought to herself. ¡­Is he more na?ve than I thought? He had previously verified what she had to offer and reduced her bargaining chips by half. But¡­ ¡°Then I will bring out a hidden bargaining chip I was holding in reserve. That brings it back up to two. We won¡¯t have to accept only half of the status quo.¡± Sayama listened to her expressionlessly, but Shinjou drew back in surprise next to him. Seeing that, Tsukuyomi spoke to her instead of him. She stated the bargaining chip she had held in reserve. ¡°If you refuse to maintain the status quo, 2nd-Gear will refuse to cooperate with UCAT in the slightest. Depending on the situation, we might even sell our skills and services to an opposing organization. ¡­In case you didn¡¯t know, there really are organizations that oppose UCAT.¡± Shinjou gasped. ¡­What? ¡°Japanese UCAT wouldn¡¯t be able to function if you did that!¡± They would be unable to produce, develop, or maintain any of their equipment, and information on their equipment could be leaked to enemies. They would lose the materials and equipment they needed to function as an organization. As Shinjou wondered what they could do, Tsukuyomi formed a troubled expression. ¡°Don¡¯t take this as a threat, okay? It¡¯s an issue of labor and compensation for that labor. UCAT pays us for our work, but we need social compensation as well.¡± Tsukuyomi pointed at Sayama with a smile on her face. ¡°He is refusing to continue providing that social compensation, so we will refuse to continue providing you with our labor. And we will not accept money or land in its place. The only thing we want is the status quo. ¡­He is the one who broke the rules first, so if you are going to blame anyone, blame him and his enjoyment of being a villain.¡± Despite all this, Sayama remained silent. Not even Shinjou could read any emotion on his face. Will this be okay? wondered Shinjou. But she quickly changed what she was thinking. ¡­I¡¯ll trust him. I know he can pull this off somehow. She stared at the side of his face as she thought. A certain action occurred in the yard of the Kashima family house. A father and son were running around. Kashima was trying to evade his father in his father¡¯s yard. ¡°W-wait, dad! Why so eccentric all of a sudden!?¡± ¡°Eccentric!? Don¡¯t use those weird foreign words around me!¡± His father swung the sword down from above, so Kashima moved aside. He evaded it, but his movements were dull. ¡­Of course they are! His lifestyle did not involve much exercise. He was already breathing heavily due to the tension of the situation. But his father was different. ¡°Don¡¯t dodge out of the way. Why don¡¯t you stop your father¡¯s attack which has been strengthened by long years of farming?¡± ¡°The instant I do that, you¡¯ll tear into my flesh like you¡¯re cultivating the land! ¡­Wah!¡± The older man swung the sword horizontally as if cutting down some grass. Kashima crouched down and leaped backwards as far as he could. He then recalled that he was a military god. ¡°Wait! You can¡¯t hurt me with a blade!¡± Just as Natsu was protected, he himself could not be harmed by lesser blades. His father¡¯s actions were meaningless. It was nothing but a threat. However¡­ ¡°Not so fast, Aki. I helped make this sword.¡± ¡°Eh? Then¡­¡± ¡°It too bears the name Kashima! It¡¯ll cut through you perfectly fine!¡± At the same time, the tip of the sword grazed his body as he bent backwards. The sword cut through the collar of his work uniform and sent it flying through the air. It also scratched his cheek, producing a shallow wound. ¡­He¡¯s serious! What could he do? This was his father. Would it be acceptable to punch him? ¡°I-I was a relatively obedient child even during my so-called rebellious phase! So now I can-¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll never hit me if you have to make an excuse for it!!¡± The sword sliced through the air. Kashima evaded it while gasping for breath. His father attacked from the right, right, left, lower middle, and finally above. As his father held the sword up to swing it down, Kashima turned tail and ran. ¡°Wait, Aki! I can¡¯t cut you if you run! Your arm! At least give me your arm!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like the sound of that last comment, dad!¡± As soon as Kashima shouted that, his feet were scooped out from under him. ¡°!?¡± His vision quickly fell forward. He saw a rope which had wrapped around his feet at some point. Holding the other end of the rope was an old woman in Japanese clothes standing at the edge of the house. He then fell to the ground completely. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re on his side!?¡± he shouted while frantically trying to get up. But his father approached before he could. He was holding the sword up to swing it down. Kashima¡¯s immediate reaction was to kick off one of his sandals. ¡°Trip!¡± His sandal landed sideways underneath where his father was placing his foot. His father stepped on it, lost his balance, and tripped. As his father fell, Kashima realized a certain fact. Causing someone to trip as they approached with a sword would only cause them to fall on top of him. ¡°Ah.¡± His father collapsed like a felled tree and swung his sword down. For some reason, he looked a bit happy. ¡°Waaahh! Natsu-saaaaan!¡± Kashima frantically tried to flee so as not to be crushed by his father. He tried to crawl forward, but then he heard his father¡¯s voice. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear you calling Na-chan¡¯s name, but won¡¯t you be in the same position as her once you lose your right arm and can¡¯t work!?¡± ¡°!¡± His father¡¯s words brought a thought to Kashima¡¯s mind. ¡­I¡­ This thought caused him to stop moving. And then his father¡¯s sword struck Kashima¡¯s right shoulder. Sayama expressionlessly looked toward Tsukuyomi. He brushed up his hair while Shinjou and Tsukuyomi looked at him. ¡°You are willing to bring your labor into a negotiation with the fate of the world at stake? You are not going to make this easy, are you?¡± And¡­ ¡°Why do you want to join Low-Gear so much?¡± ¡°It would be meaningless for me to answer that. I am the one asking the questions at the moment.¡± With a smile, Tsukuyomi stopped him from speaking further. She pointed down at her feet. ¡°Answer me this, bearer of the Leviathan Road: What weapons will UCAT have without us? What about armor? Tools? Or any other equipment? If you have no answer, then you have only one option.¡± She took a breath. ¡°You must support maintaining the status quo for 2nd-Gear.¡± Sayama remained perfectly silent. As he maintained his lack of expression, Shinjou stared at him. Her expression was tinged with concern, but there was a hint of something else as well. When Sayama noticed, he asked her about it in a lighthearted tone. ¡°Shinjou-kun, why do you look relieved?¡± ¡°B-because you have some kind of plan, right?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Sayama tilted his head and spoke with a candid expression. ¡°I have no plan.¡± The instant he said that, Shinjou gasped and Tsukuyomi failed to suppress a smile. Shinjou¡¯s mouth hung open wordlessly and Tsukuyomi¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Interesting. They say the surname Sayama indicates a villain, but perhaps you still have a ways to go. It doesn¡¯t seem you¡¯ve become a true villain under 2nd-Gear¡¯s concepts.¡± Sayama tilted his head as if wondering what she meant. ¡°May I say one thing?¡± ¡°What is it? Are you going to allow us to maintain the status quo?¡± Her question was accompanied by a smile, but Sayama¡¯s response was short. ¡°Allow me to say it again: you fool.¡± And¡­ ¡°Let me be very clear: your labor will not function as a bargaining chip.¡± Sayama partially closed his eyes and opened his mouth. ¡°That was an interesting argument,¡± he said with an impressed tone. ¡°The way you talk about 2nd-Gear¡¯s technology¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You make it sound like you are the only ones in the world who can develop technology.¡± His words fell to the ground with a bitter smile and Tsukuyomi¡¯s body stiffened. But Sayama did not stop. ¡°The Germans have their technology known as spells. Perhaps they could reach your level? Also, look at this cell phone I have. Think of the computers we use, the kanji we write with, or the English language. If you want to go back even further, the spread of iron came from the ancient Hittites,¡± he said. ¡°I do not see a single thing here that was invented by you.¡± That comment produced a reaction from Tsukuyomi. ¡°Then what do you hope to do!? It may be true that we didn¡¯t create every piece of technology in the world, but V-Sw and Ex-St were made by us. Not to mention all the other equipment and weapons you use! What will you do if you lose us!?¡± Sayama¡¯s answer was simple. ¡°We will hire someone else.¡± He took a breath. ¡°That is how labor works.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± He ignored the intensity of her gaze and continued. ¡°Enough nonsense, Director Tsukuyomi. I hope you see the error of your ways. And let me say this: we can continue on just fine without you.¡± ¡°Hah. Don¡¯t get conceited. You think you can use and surpass what we created!? You Japanese created your culture and society by copying 2nd-Gear!¡± ¡°Copying? What a wonderful compliment. That means we are able to mass produce.¡± And¡­ ¡°Know this: We are a race who is able to create something new from the copy. Continental Asia? The West? 2nd-Gear? Every culture and society is nothing but a cutting-edge fashion for us. After all, we can steal it for ourselves, imitate it, and bring about a new age. Goodbye old-fashioned original. Hello our new fad. If you don¡¯t like it, add copyright protection into your culture and society. ¡­Then again, we will still break through it.¡± Sayama folded his arms before continuing. ¡°Also, you tried to use your technology as a bargaining chip via your labor, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes. What about it?¡± Sayama nodded and began to speak. ¡°If you choose to leave, three things will happen. First, your successors will capably continue with your work. Second, you will not be allowed to bring any technology-related data with you. And third.¡± Sayama smiled. ¡°Everything you have made here is trademarked and copyrighted by Japanese UCAT, so prepare yourself. Wherever you work next, make sure you develop completely new technology from the ground up.¡± Tsukuyomi stood motionlessly with nothing to say in response. Shinjou gulped and looked up at Sayama. Sayama, however, did not turn toward her. After a short moment, Sayama asked Tsukuyomi another question. ¡°Did that wake you up?¡± A wind carrying a slight chill blew over the yard of hardened dirt. Kashima suddenly opened his eyes as he felt that wind. He found himself crouching down in the yard. And¡­ ¡°My right arm¡­¡± It was intact. He frantically touched it with his left hand, but his arm was still connected to his shoulder. However¡­ ¡°The sword¡­¡± The blade was definitely located on his shoulder. The Japanese sword had torn through the right shoulder of his work uniform and the shirt below it. The blade was still touching his skin. However, it had only left a shallow mark on his skin. It was nothing more than a scratch. The wound on his shoulder was no worse than the one on his cheek from before. It was such a shallow wound that he was not even bleeding. That sword had been forged with the surname Kashima, so why had it stopped at this? A voice behind him gave him the answer. ¡°I didn¡¯t go easy on you or lie,¡± said his father. ¡°You just rank this much higher than me as a military god and a swordsmith.¡± Those with the same surname could rank higher or lower than each other depending on their level of training. That fact and the truth it told him made Kashima stop breathing for a moment. ¡°Do you get it now, Aki?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What you learned from my father and your training at UCAT have made you better than me. You may be denying your name as a military god, but that name will never leave you. Names don¡¯t go away just because you deny them.¡± That power was not something he could let go of. It would only grow greater the more he reached for it. ¡­Once I wield that power, can it never be lost or reduced again? No matter what life he hoped for, he would never lose that power. That was the truth. ¡°Then will I always be like this?¡± he muttered. He received an answer almost immediately. ¡°There is a way.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± He turned around and looked up to find his father looking down at him. His father nodded once and spoke. ¡°Give your name a different meaning.¡± ¡°A different meaning?¡± His father pulled back the sword while it was still on his shoulder. However, it did not slice his flesh. He felt it lightly scrape over his skin, but only his clothing was cut. ¡°Listen, Aki. Simply denying your name will not deny your power, so you need to give this some thought.¡± ¡°Thought about what I want to be with this name?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± His father¡¯s voice contained a smile. ¡°Only you can give meaning to your name. The name Kashima originally referred to a military god. Its meaning as a swordsmith was added later by our ancestors. In that case, you can-¡­¡± ¡°Can I really do it?¡± Kashima slowly stood up and turned around. His father stood there holding the sword. He belatedly remembered his father was shorter than him. He looked his father in the eye and restated his question. ¡°Can I really give different meaning to my power?¡± ¡°How should I know, idiot. It took our ancestors years and years to bring the power of a swordsmith to the name Kashima. It was meant to give us some power to help win the Concept War. I don¡¯t know if you can manage this on your own, but there is one thing I know for sure.¡± He took a breath. ¡°If you don¡¯t do anything, you¡¯ll never know if you can do it or not.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°My father and the others had to have been the same when they created Susaou and Totsuka, so if you have a change of heart, look at this.¡± His father snapped his fingers on his left hand. At some point, his mother had moved from the house and next to his father. She held out a large brown waterproof envelope. It seemed to contain some kind of document. Kashima took it and the flexibility of the paper inside told him it contained a bundle of Japanese paper. His parents nodded when he looked at them, so he opened the envelope and pulled out the paper. Written on the paper were¡­ ¡°Names?¡± Countless surnames were listed on hundreds of pieces of Japanese paper. ¡°During the creation of Totsuka, it seems Ooshiro Hiromasa created this from the list of 2nd-Gear names my father gave him. These characters and surnames were used in Totsuka.¡± ¡°So this belongs to the man who opposed my grandfather¡­¡± Kashima stared at the envelope. The past held physical form there. He could hold it in his hands and see it with his eyes. ¡°If my memory holds, the ¡®countless¡¯ names were divided by job, combined together, and therefore compressed into approximately one thousand names. It seems he started creating it on March 10, 1945 and finished in the early morning of the 12th.¡± It Kashima¡¯s father was correct, the compressed list of 2nd-Gear names had taken two days to create. Kashima began to speak while wondering if that was possible. ¡°Why did he do that? I thought he didn¡¯t get along with my grandfather.¡± ¡°Idiot. Didn¡¯t I tell you I don¡¯t know? That was enough for me, but it isn¡¯t for you. So take it. If you do decide on something, look at it then,¡± said his father with a smile. ¡°You¡¯ve been worrying over this for eight years now, right? It¡¯s about time you made up your mind and chose what path you want to head down.¡± Three figures stood motionlessly on the field from which Susaou was visible. Sayama, Shinjou, and Tsukuyomi did not move an inch even as the afternoon wind blew across them. Tsukuyomi¡¯s head was still raised and Sayama looked directly at her. The look in his eyes was quiet and admonishing. He spoke with the same tone as was in his eyes. ¡°Do not bring culture and society into this, Director Tsukuyomi. Those things are only the material from which the world is made and the person who bears them is always changing. They are of no use in a negotiation for peace.¡± Those words finally produced a movement. Tsukuyomi embraced her own body and appeared defensive. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± She continued her words of protest. ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s wrong of us to wish our descendants to have peace just because we have nothing but technology? Do you think you¡¯re some kind of god?¡± In response, Sayama smiled once and held a black binder to his chest. ¡°Yes. Unfortunately, I am in a very good mood today, so I feel even greater than a god. And so let me say this: it is natural.¡± He took a breath. ¡°Listen, Director Tsukuyomi. Peace is not something you wish for. It is something natural that should be there. You must not work for it or wish for it. You claim this is for your descendants, but what excuse will you make for them when you force misfortune onto them?¡± ¡°You say it should be there, but it is not. That is why-¡­¡± Someone other than Sayama suddenly cut her off. ¡°What do you mean it isn¡¯t there?¡± It was Shinjou. ¡°U-um, Director Tsukuyomi. You said you wanted to maintain the status quo, right? But now you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t have peace. In that case¡­¡± Shinjou¡¯s question trailed off and disappeared, but Tsukuyomi¡¯s shoulders still trembled. Sayama then nodded toward no one in particular as if to say ¡°Do you get it now?¡± ¡°Yes. You do not have what is natural and you do not even know how to work toward regaining it. That is why you must ¡®wish¡¯ for it, correct? You understand nothing, but you want to keep everything as it is in the hope that the problem will resolve itself with enough time.¡± However¡­ ¡°That will change nothing. Even if you seal off all information, someone will eventually learn of the past and worry over the same things you are now. And that is not all.¡± Sayama looked up into the sky. He then looked across the forest in three directions and finally looked up at Susaou in front of them. ¡°I am here for the Leviathan Road. What exactly do you think the ¡®status quo¡¯ is to me? Did you ever stop to think about that, Director Tsukuyomi?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Tsukuyomi was unable to answer, so Sayama continued. ¡°Once the Leviathan Road is over, the concepts of every other Gear will be released to counteract the negative concepts of this Gear. I do not know what will happen then, so I cannot say if the world will remain as it is.¡± ¡­I do not know if the status quo can be maintained. With that thought in mind, another thought floated up in Sayama¡¯s chest. It was an announcement he had carved into his heart. ¡°I want to face every Gear. I want to face everything. And that includes what comes after the Leviathan Road. That is what I mean when I say I reject 2nd-Gear¡¯s demand to maintain the status quo. You need to be able to handle any future that may arrive. And that includes the possibility of this Gear being destroyed after the Leviathan Road ends.¡± ¡°Destroyed¡­?¡± A slight smile was enough of a response. ¡°Does it really surprise you? If the Leviathan Road fails, Low-Gear will be destroyed. However, it is possible some people will survive that destruction. If that happens, will you still wish for the status quo?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How about it? Will you be reconsidering your stance on the status quo?¡± With that question, Sayama held out his left hand. Tsukuyomi took several seconds to realize what this meant. She averted her gaze and let out a bitter laugh. ¡°So Team Leviathan does not want 2nd-Gear to ally with you so easily, is that it?¡± ¡°It is not that we want this to be difficult. What we need is a resolution that leaves no grudges or regrets behind.¡± Tsukuyomi gave another bitter laugh. ¡°Why are you holding your hand out to an old woman like me?¡± Despite what she said, she obediently reached out her own slender hand. As well as the other hand. ¡°¡­¡± Sayama exchanged a glance with Shinjou, but quickly gave a bitter smile. Sayama held out his left hand, so Shinjou held out her right hand and they both took one of Tsukuyomi¡¯s hands. Despite being the one to initiate this, Tsukuyomi gave an awkward smile. After a few seconds, she let out an exhausted sigh, let go of their hands, and spoke. ¡°But whatever happens, it¡¯s Kashima¡¯s decision. Wait just a bit longer for your answer.¡± ¡°I hope he is the sort of man you think he is.¡± Hearing that, Tsukuyomi relaxed her shoulders and sighed again. ¡°You may be Kashima¡¯s version of Ooshiro Hiromasa.¡± ¡°The old man¡¯s father who could not prevent 2nd-Gear¡¯s destruction?¡± ¡°You seem to know a little about him. When our ancestors evacuated to Low-Gear, Kashima supposedly said this to Ooshiro Hiromasa: You did not intend to truly face 2nd-Gear¡¯s destruction.¡± Tsukuyomi stared overhead once more. She stared at the 500 meter humanoid machine with the bridge in the head destroyed. ¡°Construction of Susaou began on March 12, 1945.¡± ¡°March 12¡­¡± ¡°Does that remind you of something?¡± ¡°Yes. When I saw that date in the cafeteria yesterday, it reminded me of a certain incident. It is likely related to what you just said. The incident which drove Ooshiro Hiromasa to face that destruction occurred from March 9 to 10 of ¡¯45.¡± ¡°And that is¡­?¡± ¡°I plan to do some research into it as a step toward facing your Gear.¡± Sayama smiled and Tsukuyomi smiled back. He seems very different from just a moment ago, thought Tsukuyomi. The surname Sayama indicates a villain, hm? That last thought urged her to provide further information. ¡°Susaou was completed August 1, 1946. The final result came two weeks later. No one knows what exactly happened up there and Kashima once pursued that question. He wanted to know why his grandfather and Ooshiro Hiromasa worked so desperately toward the same goal despite disliking each other. He wanted to know what his grandfather had been thinking.¡± ¡°It is worth looking into for both us and him. We must know each other if we are to fix the discord between Low-Gear and 2nd-Gear that began sixty years ago.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tsukuyomi nodded and put a hand in her lab coat pocket. ¡°Kashima gave me this floppy. It contains the list of 2nd-Gear names that his grandfather provided Ooshiro Hiromasa. It also contains Yamata¡¯s question.¡± ¡°Testament. I will gladly accept that.¡± ¡°But you have at least vaguely grasped what Yamata¡¯s question is, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Testament. I believe I know what it is: what is Yamata¡¯s name?¡± Tsukuyomi did not respond, but she did smile. Sayama reached out and took the disk. ¡°When Ooshiro Hiromasa found the answer, he used this list as a hint, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°It seems so. The next time we gather, you will need your answer. Kashima will likely provide our stance before long. We will use his decision to decide on the date for the Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°Testament.¡± ¡°Very well then.¡± Tsukuyomi placed her hands on her hips and nodded. The afternoon sun began to pass behind some clouds in the sky. Volume 4, 17: A Scream in the Rain Volume 4, Chapter 17: A Scream in the Rain Not everything is inevitable There are some places where ¡°yes¡± will certainly be said[1] But the one to shout it has to reach that place first Just as the clouds hid the afternoon sun, the wind began to blow. The white-walled building of Japanese UCAT¡¯s headquarters trembled very slightly in the wind. The noise could be heard in the first-floor lobby. Two figures were there to hear it: Ooshiro Itaru and Sf. Itaru sat on the sofa while drinking a glass of water. ¡°Sf, how is my old man doing?¡± ¡°Testament. He is holed up in his room. Should I check inside with my thermovision?¡± ¡°Can you also shoot lasers? If he¡¯s playing an 18+ game, fire one into his ass.¡± ¡°Eye beams is an available option. Please email a request to German UCAT¡¯s Sf Development Official. Students receive a 50% discount, so I can forge a student ID if necessary.¡± ¡°Oh? How kind of you. What goes on in that brain of yours?¡± Sf nodded and pointed at her own head. ¡°Testament. The artificial synapses of my artificial brain are preserved at minus forty degrees, a temperature cold enough to hammer a nail with a banana.¡± ¡°I see. Is that why you¡¯re so coldhearted?¡± ¡°No. The oil that acts as my blood is kept at room temperature. My exterior is kept at a slightly lower temperature to reproduce an artificial coldness.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what makes you coldhearted.¡± Itaru sank into the sofa and did not even turn toward Sf as he spoke. ¡°You sit down, too.¡± ¡°Testament.¡± Sf sat sideways on Itaru¡¯s lap. He half-closed his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s this? Did I ask you to use your master as a chair?¡± ¡°Testament. You told me to sit down. My deep memory contains an incident when you asked me to sit down in a train and you stopped me when I attempted to sit on the floor. If the floor would be preferable, I can move there.¡± ¡°I see, I see. I¡¯m shocked. You can actually learn? I¡¯m truly shocked.¡± ¡°Testament. If you are delighted, please stamp this card.¡± Itaru wordlessly stamped the card and returned it. Sf bowed. ¡°Testament. Kazuo-sama certainly has been staying in his room a lot lately. Is he trying to rot away in there?¡± ¡°Let him rot. This is because¡­his old man destroyed 2nd-Gear.¡± ¡°That statement is incorrect. Based on the records I have recently reviewed and the conversation from the other day, 2nd-Gear was destroyed because the people of the Gear overused their control system until they lost control of it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why. If there was anything the people of 2nd-Gear could have done, they could have shared the sin. But my old man¡¯s old man was the one who should have been able to do something. He failed on his own and bore the sin on his own,¡± explained Itaru. ¡°Remember this: my old man¡¯s feelings about this are complicated. He¡¯s the one person who knows the full story.¡± ¡°The full story?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. His old man was the one who couldn¡¯t stop Yamata in 2nd-Gear, so why was he able to do it here in Low-Gear? My old man was a kid back then, so he knows the answer.¡± Itaru looked up at Sf. ¡°Do you want to know why?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t tell you. ¡­Now, I¡¯m about to talk to myself for a bit, so don¡¯t listen.¡± ¡°Testament. I will begin speaking to myself as well.¡± Itaru took a drink from his glass, looked up at the ceiling, and opened his mouth to speak. ¡°The project to build Susaou began March 12, 1945. Three days before that, a certain event occurred in Tokyo. And my old man¡¯s old man took part in the event even though his friends tried to stop him.¡± ¡°I can determine this event was something quite flashy. ¡­By the way, that was me speaking to myself.¡± ¡°Then this is me talking to myself. ¡­It was a flashy festival. So flashy it¡¯s still written about in history textbooks.¡± Itaru let out a breath. ¡°After all, it created such a cry of pain that the city of Tokyo was almost destroyed.¡± Shinjou and Sayama arrived at Shinjuku in Tokyo. Sayama had said they needed some material on World War Two, so he had gone around to the different major bookstores and bought a few books. Shinjou had never seen the big city before, so she was overwhelmed by the size of the bookstores. ¡°Would you want to live in a place like this?¡± When Sayama had asked her that, she had nodded. After leaving the Showa Memorial Park, he had not asked about her. He had not asked about why she had been late or about the lie she had mentioned the night before. Currently, he was simply pulling on her hand as they walked toward Shinjuku Station. They were surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the city. People and their voices filled every direction. And seemingly catching all those people were the lines of buildings and car-filled roads. When the faint oppressiveness of it all caused her to look up toward the heavens, she saw the gloomy sky and felt the wind blowing down from it. The humid wind was filled with the scent of the city. The dampness of the wind told Shinjou it would rain soon and she started to look around. ¡°A-are we going to the station? Are we going back? Is it going to rain soon?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. I will answer each of our questions in turn: we can reach the station from anywhere, we can return at any time, and we still have some time before it rains. After all, we are on our way to a moment in the past.¡± Sayama let go of her hand and pulled a book from the paper bag under his arm. ¡°I have finally found a common point between 2nd-Gear and us for this Leviathan Road. Here it is.¡± ¡°An overview of American aerial missions during World War Two? How¡­ How is this a common point?¡± ¡°Do you remember when the project to build Susaou began? March 12, 1945. ¡­When you think about it, there is no greater point in common. Do you remember back in UCAT¡¯s cafeteria when I said I would mention something once I had confirmation?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Did you find some kind of meaning in that date?¡± ¡°An excellent question, Shinjou-kun. I feel as if I am returning to a simpler time. ¡­Three days before that date, something very similar to 2nd-Gear¡¯s destruction occurred here in Low-Gear.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± What did he mean? The other Gears were connected to Low Gear in fixed places via the ley lines. However, she had not heard of any indirect effects like that. And this would be something similar to destruction. ¡°Y-you¡¯re kidding, right? After all, Tokyo is right here. It wasn¡¯t destroyed.¡± ¡°No, it was not. It survived and it recovered.¡± Sayama suddenly stopped walking. They stood at the center of the large scramble crossing in front of Shinjuku Station¡¯s east entrance. ¡°Look, Shinjou-kun.¡± Drawn by his words, Shinjou looked around. A great number of people were moving out of the way and walking past them. Lines of cars were waiting for all of the people to cross. And on the asphalt road supporting them all were structures made from a metal framework. Shinjou felt the humidity press in at her throat. Sayama¡¯s left arm suddenly wrapped around her back. ¡°A busy place, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Looking at it again¡­ Tokyo is an amazing place.¡± ¡°Yes, but this city was nearly destroyed once. That is a fact.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Her questioning tone brought Sayama¡¯s gaze toward her. ¡°It happened on March 9, 1945. That was approximately five months before Japan surrendered in World War Two. And it was three days before the project to build Susaou began. On that day, the American military performed a certain experiment on the city of Tokyo.¡± ¡°A-an experiment? What kind of experiment?¡± ¡°The same experiment they had earlier performed on Hamburg, Germany and failed. While bombing, they used flammable fuel in place of normal explosives. They performed a firebombing,¡± said Sayama. ¡°Tokyo was constructed from wood, so the result of the experiment was clear. In one night, approximately 120 thousand people died and almost all buildings in Tokyo were destroyed. That experiment elicited the greatest cry of pain Japan gave during World War Two.¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°Yes, the Firebombing of Tokyo.¡± And¡­ ¡°Why did Ooshiro Hiromasa grow so serious about constructing Susaou and Totsuka after he did not save 2nd-Gear? ¡­The answer is simple.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­¡± ¡°Yes. He was here when Tokyo was bombed. He saw it with his own eyes. He saw his own world of Low-Gear destroyed in flames.¡± Sayama remained expressionless as he spoke. And Shinjou saw Baku poke his head from the breast pocket of Sayama¡¯s suit. The first thing Sayama could sense was light. He saw crimson. He saw the color of flames. He also heard noise, saw motion, and saw the scenery. But¡­ ¡­It is all mixed together. Flames burned. Was he in a village, a town, or a city? Sayama knew the answer: this was Tokyo. The sky was covered with dark clouds and smoke. Flames and wind blew across the land. Countless shades of scarlet colored the crumbling people and houses. He heard countless sounds of something being dropped from the sky. He also heard ringing fire bells and people¡¯s voices. The heat sent countless voices crying together into the sky. Amid those voices were people crying for their father, their mother, their son, or their daughter. Some were crying for their grandfather or grandmother. All those voices gathered together, but not a single response came. The sounds of destruction and the whistling of flames slammed the crying voices into the ground and the color of flames blasted up into the sky. The scene of Tokyo burning lay before Sayama. ¡°¡­!¡± He clearly saw it. He saw dark shadows. As they crumbled in the flames, he could not even tell if they were people or buildings. As people ran and shouted in confusion, the attacks from above scattered the color scarlet across them. The wind blew, but it did not bring in rain. It only caused the flames to dance. This air current was created when a large area was burning. It first gathered flames around itself and then raced across the city in search of oxygen. The wind was not merely hot; it was burning. Wind as hot as fire raced across Tokyo in every direction and burned away rows of houses just by caressing them. East, west, north, and south. The raging wind guided the flames in every direction. That wind raced about to find air. The rivers flowing through Tokyo were all filled with people trying to escape the heat, but the burning wind descended to the river and roasted them as well. The people standing atop the bridges were struck by the hot wind flying in from the side. The heat cooked the metal of the bridges and easily bent them. Once set afire by napalm and exposed to the blazing wind, the bridges¡¯ arch structures melted and they collapsed into the river in no time at all. Before the water could splash up, the shimmering of flames and the black of smoke rose up. No one could escape. They were not allowed to. Most of the air-raid shelters were roasted inside and out because their doors were sucked open by the pressure difference created by the flames. The roads, buildings, rivers, basements, people, and everything else touching the air were roasted and they instantly showed one what carbon was. Above the rising smoke, shimmering, and screams, countless dark shadows and dark rain could be seen in the sky. The shadows were large B-29 bombers and the rain was a barrage of incendiary bombs. Occasionally, a few of the bombers would descend and fly close by over Tokyo. As the great noise and heat assaulted Tokyo again and again, Sayama saw something. A man stood still in front of an Izumo truck which had been burned with the city. Sayama knew who he was. ¡°Ooshiro Hiromasa!¡± Hiromasa wore a lab coat and stood within that city which was nothing but shimmering and light. The stone hanging from his neck emitted its blue light at full force. That light protected him so that he grew dirty but did not burn. He shouted something and questioned the city. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± Is anyone there? Hurry up and evacuate. Get out of here. All of his cries were drowned out by the wind and the bombs. The heat twisted the screams he heard, so he could not even grasp how far away they were. But he continued shouting and ran aimlessly through the burning city. He jumped over what looked like clumps of charcoal lying in the roads, tripped over one, fell, and continued running. He ran through a flame-filled alley, trying to find a safe street. But just before he made his way out into one, a burning wind passed through the street like a wall. ¡°!¡± That one quick pass brought a great roar with it. Once the flaming wind had passed, nothing remained. The buildings, people, and everything else were unrecognizably covered in flames, leaving only black silhouettes. No matter which way he looked, he saw only the burning ground and the night sky filled with sparks. He fell to his knees when he reached the empty, flame-filled street. Sayama suddenly spoke while watching him from behind. He spoke his unheard voice which could not reach the past. ¡°You failed.¡± Hiromasa hung his head down. ¡°You knew there was nothing you could have done, but you still wanted to gather the survivors and feel that you had ¡®saved¡¯ them. That desire came to you here, didn¡¯t it? You wanted to atone for failing to save 2nd-Gear.¡± But¡­ ¡°But the destruction did not even allow you that.¡± Hiromasa touched the blue stone hanging from his neck. ¡°So will you destroy yourself? If destruction is the only path remaining for the world, will you gain a lonely superiority by destroying yourself ahead of time? If that is what you intend, just look before you.¡± A wave of crimson assaulted the street before Hiromasa¡¯s eyes. That wave resembled a giant serpent. It was the largest fire current created by the center of Tokyo burning. It undulated, blew across the rows of houses, and brought a burning wind. ¡°Now, Ooshiro Hiromasa. This is a crossroads. To take responsibility for being able to do nothing, will you throw away your protective stone and wish to be destroyed along with everyone else? Or will you cling to your small life and expose yourself to the shame?¡± The expanding flames seemed to answer Sayama. Hiromasa reacted. He squeezed the philosopher¡¯s stone in his right hand. ¡°!¡± He tore it from the string around his neck. ¡°Now, what will you do with that stone? Make your decision!¡± As if responding to Sayama¡¯s question, Hiromasa slowly raised his hand. He was preparing to throw it. But then he saw something. The flames approaching around him lit up everything and made their structure clear. ¡°¡­¡± Something lay collapsed there. Something sat motionless on its knees. Something lay motionless over a child. Something had placed a blanket over a child to protect it, but had become just as motionless as the child. Hiromasa had a child of his own. But the flames ignored that fact as they easily burned everything away. Everything burned. Everything turned to charcoal. Soon thereafter, Hiromasa opened his mouth. ¡°Oh¡­¡± A voice escaped. ¡°Oahhhhhh!¡± His voice became a great cry similar to a newborn¡¯s and it did not stop. He then began to move. But he did not throw away the stone. He held it in his hand as he formed a solid fist. The philosopher¡¯s stone which kept him alive was no longer something which simply hung from his neck. He now clenched it in his fist. He forcefully stood up while continuing to cry out. Sayama only existed as his vision, but he smiled at the action. ¡°So you have chosen to live in disgrace, engineer of the past! That is the action of one who continues forward without fearing failure!¡± With the flames before him, Hiromasa looked up into the sky. He opened his mouth, arched his back, and shouted something further. This was a cry of protest. It was a voice of anger. As Sayama watched, he spoke in response to that protest. ¡°Shout! Feel your anger! Destroy your hesitant heart! Face the unreasonable sight before you!¡± He looked at the flames in front of him. ¡°Let out a scream!¡± And Hiromasa did just that. He let out a loud, loud voice toward the many, many flames before him. ¡°I¡­¡± He threw his fist toward the burning wind which ripped him from the ground and blew him away. ¡°I¡­!!¡± As Sayama heard that shout, he was knocked from the past. A narrow road traveled through the forest of Okutama¡¯s mountains. No cars drove on this road, but a man wearing a work uniform walked along it as clouds began to cover the sky. He was Kashima. The right shoulder of his clothes was still torn from a sword strike. In his left arm, he held the thick waterproof envelope his parents had given him. He thought while the cold wind bringing rain pushed at his back. ¡­What should I do? That thought filled his mind and would not leave. What should he do? With his past in the 3rd Production Room before his eyes, he had run away. That had reminded him of a certain fact. ¡­That is where I used to be. Long ago when he had failed to fulfill his grandfather¡¯s dying request, he had tried to forget by losing himself in his power as a man of 2nd-Gear. And in doing so, he had forgotten about the person he cared about as a man of Low-Gear. ¡°Natsu-san¡­¡± He had forgotten about her and had only remembered once he had hurt her and rescued her. He would never forget that again. But at the same time, he had begun to deny something. He had been denying that thought for so long now. ¡°I was denying that I had not forgotten my power.¡± The cut in the right shoulder of his clothes told him all he needed to know about his power. ¡­I can never truly be someone of Low-Gear. He looked like one, his culture was similar, and he had a family there, but there was nothing he could do about his own existence at the base of it all. But the thought still would not leave. ¡°What should I do?¡± There was a simple answer: he just had to stop having these thoughts. He just needed to forget about his power. If he did not, he could not be honest with Natsu and Harumi. ¡­Should I continue lying and lose myself in my power again? No, he thought. ¡°But,¡± he muttered. ¡­But what am I supposed to do? Suddenly, the cold wind blew across him once more. The chill snapped him out of his thoughts and he realized he had stopped walking. Ahead of him, the road turned sharply to the right. This was to circle around a steep slope that jutted out. ¡°This is¡­¡± It was where that landslide had occurred eight years ago. This was where it had all been determined. Kashima stood at the location of his past. As he stood silently, something small struck his shoulder. It was rain. The rain fell from the sky and began gently striking Kashima and his surroundings, but it gradually grew stronger. The rain did not stop. It only grew more intense. In the plaza in front of Shinjuku Station, rain clouds filled the sky and the wind blew, but the flow of people did not lessen. As everyone moved to their destinations to escape the coming rain, a single figure sat on a stone step. This figure crouching at the bottom of all the noise was Shinjou. Another figure walked toward her. It was Sayama. He held a cup out toward her. ¡°Want a drink?¡± he asked. Shinjou looked up and gave a weak smile. ¡°Oh, sure. Thanks. What kind is it? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s 100% sea urchin juice or something.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. We are not in a shady secret organization beneath Okutama. It is just tea.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­That feels kind of empty,¡± she said with a bitter smile. Sayama thought on her comment. ¡­Would it have fit her ideal image of me if I had bought something strange? If he had searched for an IAI vending machine, he could have found something that packed a punch. It would not have been as much as what one found in UCAT, but it would have been a start. ¡­Did I make the wrong choice? No, but¡­ No, no. But¡­ ¡°S-Sayama-kun? It looks like you¡¯re lost in thought about something. A-are you okay?¡± ¡°Y-yes. Sorry. I was just thinking about my ideal self.¡± ¡°That sounds suspicious¡­ But what drink did you get?¡± ¡°Strawberry milk.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I have a lot to think about, so I need sugar for my brain. I also need calcium for concentration, so this was the best option. Yes. Now that I think about it again, this choice is well worth praising me ove-¡­ What is with that look?¡± ¡°Nothing. I was just thinking nothing I said could stop you.¡± Shinjou¡¯s expression then returned to normal. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re fine after seeing such a harsh part of the past. You really are tough, Sayama-kun.¡± ¡°Really? Setsu-kun once said I am surprisingly timid.¡± ¡°Enough about that,¡± she said with an exasperated look. He was unsure how to react and Shinjou seemed to sense something from his expression. She lowered her head and said ¡°sorry¡±. ¡°But I wonder if Ooshiro-san¡¯s father was able to truly feel the destruction of 2nd-Gear in that bombing,¡± she said. ¡°I think we can assume so. He saw what would happen to this world if Yamata appeared here. That was why he put all his thought into creating Susaou and answering Yamata¡¯s question.¡± Sayama nodded. ¡°And the people of 2nd-Gear held the same thoughts. And they must still hold them.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± He narrowed his eyes and nodded in response to Shinjou¡¯s questioning tone. He spoke what it was he had learned during the preliminary negotiations. ¡°I believe 2nd-Gear is a sleeping dragon. They wish for peace, but are still able to choose the best option. That is what they did sixty years ago. Those who created Susaou and Totsuka had to have raised a cry of resistance in response to what they had lost.¡± He took a breath and asked a question. ¡°Can you hear it, Shinjou-kun? Can you hear 2nd-Gear letting out a scream as they awaken from their slumber?¡± The rain soaked Kashima, but he continued facing the slope ahead of him. His eyes stared forward at the guardrail that cut him off from the slope. The guardrail turned to the right to follow the new road, but the old road lay behind it, buried by the slope. Most of the bottom of the slope was hidden by concrete. This was a place of memories. It had once received that concrete makeup, but the rain caused hard mud to spew from the cracks and from above. Its old face peeked through. As the mud spilled down, he heard a soft noise. It seemed to be asking a gentle question: why are you here? The sun must have warmed the ground because mist began to rise across the area. He was surrounded by rain, mist, and a slight wind. The gathering clouds above produced the rain. As he heard the rain falling, Kashima looked into the forest and up into the sky. ¡°A world much like this once existed.¡± The people who had tried and failed to protect that world had argued with each other. But even as they did, they had worked to protect this new world. Why was that? Why had the two fought yet protected this world together? ¡­I don¡¯t know. That was the past and it was what others had done. There was no way he could know. But he had had a certain thought about it in the past. ¡°Even if I can never fully understand, I can still approach an understanding.¡± ¡­That¡¯s right. His grandfather had told him stories of a war in a different world. He had not thought they were true and his grandfather had always enjoyed telling them, but the old man had always looked sad at the end. ¡­I never said anything about that sad look. ¡°Can we really just forget it all?¡± Could they really just forget about his grandfather and the thoughts his grandfather had given him? ¡°Can we really just forget it all?¡± He realized the answer was no. And he realized no one but him could arrive at that point. ¡°¡­¡± The sky suddenly grew blurry in his vision. He assumed the rain had fallen in his eye. The rain felt oddly warm. It seemed to have body heat. As he felt that rain, he spoke to himself. ¡°I need to decide.¡± What are you saying? he thought, but not even that could stop the words from coming. ¡°This must be the place where I need to make a decision.¡± This was where he had come to fear his own power and where he had gained something precious. He trembled as he stared at the slope which was partially covered in concrete. The trembling he had felt in front of the 3rd Production Room returned. Choosing the old road would bring trembling. With that in mind, he turned toward the new road to his side. That safe road brought no trembling. But he quickly shook his head. It looked like he was shaking something off. ¡°There is something I need before I can head down that road.¡± He took a breath and took a certain action. He would cross the guardrail. He would move to the other side where the slope lay waiting. Amid the rain, he took one step and then another. With that action, he crossed the guardrail and stopped on the other side. He could not stop the trembling. Even so, he had chosen to stand here. That was his decision. He used his trembling body to take in a breath. He opened his mouth and spoke as if addressing someone. ¡°This is the method I choose.¡± He took a breath. ¡°I will carry the past as I walk down a new road.¡± He walked through the rain and approached the slope. He trembled, but the trembling gradually vanished as he continued forward. And as he walked, he recalled the past. He recalled his grandfather asking for forgiveness in the very end. He recalled the disappointment of finding the bridge in Susaou¡¯s head destroyed. And he recalled causing this landslide and grasping Natsu¡¯s incomplete hand. Amid all of those memories, there was one thing he could say for sure. There was one thing in common about all of his questions, anger, resentment, and joy. ¡­It all came from having this power. He could not forget or rid himself of those memories. Those memories had left him conflicted for so long and he had not been able to shake free of them even when he gained a family. ¡°But there is one thing I never asked of the power that caused it all.¡± He stood before the slope and spoke in a scratchy voice. ¡°Can my power do anything other than take things from me?¡± He took in a breath and placed his left hand on the dirt of the slope. He slowly held up his right hand and shook his head. ¡°I know it¡¯s selfish! But I¡­I want to use this power which hurt the person I care for the most!¡± He swung his right fist into the muddy slope before his eyes. A splashing sound rang out. ¡°I want to use it to regain everything I lost!¡± His hand sank into the mud up to the wrist. The soft and wet mud was warm from the sun. As he felt the heat in his right hand, some of the rain on his face entered his mouth. That warm rain dripped onto his tongue and he tasted it. ¡­It tastes just like blood. He tasted that flavor and sensed his right hand in the mud. The wet feeling in his hand was a lot like what he had felt while holding Natsu¡¯s hand back then. He had not forgotten. The trembling of his spine expressed the emotions brought by the same sensation as eight years ago. But he could no longer turn his back on the slope. ¡°I¡­¡± His voice trembled as if he were bearing with something. ¡°I am going to lie to you, Natsu-san.¡± I¡¯m sorry, he thought. I¡¯m sorry, Natsu-san. I am trying to once more wield the power that hurt you. I¡¯m sorry, Harumi. Your father is a liar. But I will not apologize for lying after this. I will not say sorry. ¡°Because I have made up my mind.¡± He had decided to lie and to protect everything with his own power. And with his decision made, he turned to the right. He grasped the feeling from eight years ago as well as some mud and looked toward the new road. The asphalt road seemed to continue on forever. ¡°¡­¡± Every part of his body sensed his heavy breathing and racing pulse. But his heart remained calm. ¡­I am not choosing 2nd-Gear or Low-Gear. ¡°I am choosing to hide my 2nd-Gear power and remain within Low-Gear.¡± ¡­The place to which I am headed is not one or the other. He had decided. He felt it was selfish, but he could find no more opposition to the idea than that. And so he made up his mind. He pulled his right hand from the slope and opened his mouth. ¡°Oh¡­¡± A voice started to escape. He had no reason to oppose his thoughts. He opened his mouth toward the heavens and released it. He cried out. It was like the cry of a newborn baby. His trembling vanished as if thrown off of him and his voice grew even louder. ¡°¡­!¡± He twisted his body, bent forward, and arched backwards. His body stretched toward the sky, breath passed from his lungs to his throat and his mouth, and he let out a cry. His great roar tore into the gathering clouds in the sky. Below the dark clouds and amid busy Shinjuku, Shinjou¡¯s shoulders trembled at Sayama¡¯s question. ¡°A cry?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sayama nodded and brushed up his hair in the wind. He looked up into the sky with a calm expression. He spoke as if remembering something. ¡°People who struggle and people who fight will use their voice or their thoughts to raise a cry that is either voiced or silent. Just like Ooshiro Hiromasa did.¡± And¡­ ¡°Just like 2nd-Gear is sure to do.¡± Shinjou gasped. She remembered two things: what Ooshiro had told her about Kashima the night before and the past she had just seen. ¡­Will he make up his mind like Ooshiro-san¡¯s father did? He would. She was sure of it. After all, he knew what power he held. ¡­But¡­ What about her? She had no answer. The emotion that fact brought caused her to tremble. ¡°!¡± She reflexively moved. To reject the thought, she stood up and gathered her strength. But¡­ ¡°¡­¡± When she realized what she had done, she looked over at Sayama who was looking up at her. He gave her a questioning look which caused her to realize again what she had done. ¡°S-sorry. I¡¯m not feeling well.¡± Her shoulders drooped and she took a breath. And when she awkwardly sat back down, she heard Sayama speak. ¡°I can understand having difficulty getting over seeing that scene from the past, but it is not healthy to be so tense.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± To keep him from realizing how shaken she was, she forced a smile and asked a question. ¡°Th-then do you have anything to talk about so I can get my mind off it?¡± Sayama thought. After a few seconds, he clapped his hands. On his head, Baku emulated the action. He then turned his head and Baku toward her. ¡°Then how about I once more invite you to the All Holiday Festival tomorrow?¡± For just an instant, the word festival brought a look of joy to Shinjou¡¯s face. But she quickly realized something and her shoulders trembled. ¡­I can¡¯t. She frantically waved her hands toward Sayama. ¡°U-um, I have to train tomorrow, so¡­well¡­enjoy the festival with Setsu.¡± ¡°That does sound nice, but¡­¡± Sayama¡¯s halfhearted tone brought an immediate question out of Shinjou. ¡°Do you not like Setsu?¡± ¡°Of course I like him.¡± He embraced the binder under his arm. ¡°But I was asking if you would come.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± gasped Shinjou. She realized what her question meant and what Sayama was thinking. She realized his consideration and her reasons for rejecting it. ¡°¡­¡± She did not know what expression was on her face. Sayama¡¯s slightly frowning expression told her the answer: she was about to cry. ¡°Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± She stood up and took a step back. She checked her watch and found it was just about to turn 5:40 PM. ¡°U-um, Sayama-kun. I¡­I¡¯m not feeling well, so¡­I¡¯ll head back on my own.¡± Sayama¡¯s eyebrows moved. He raised his head as if in realization and put on a serious expression. ¡°Given the subject matter, I will ask indirectly, but is it your perio-¡­gfh!¡± Her knee struck his gut mid-sentence. He doubled over and she panicked further. ¡°S-sorry, but it slipped out because I think ¡®indirect¡¯ means something else.¡± ¡°Heh¡­heh heh heh. That was an excellent attack, Shinjou-kun. And it was actually a repeat joke, so I suppose I deserved that. However¡­¡± ¡°Enough of that. For one thing, I still haven¡¯t started having a period.¡± ¡°What a pain,¡± he muttered. But then his eyebrows moved. He formed a puzzled expression and spoke in a puzzled voice. ¡°You still haven¡¯t started?¡± ¡°Ah,¡± said Shinjou when she realized what she had said. ¡­But it¡¯s true. She held her own body to harden her defenses. She then took a deep breath so she could look him in the eye. ¡°Is that¡­strange?¡± She felt it was strange, but she asked to be sure. However, his answer was different. He straightened his tie and collar as he answered. ¡°It differs from person to person, so I cannot say anything one way or the other.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Even as she nodded, Shinjou could tell her face had grown red. What was she supposed to say here? ¡°Sorry I¡¯m just a kid. But there¡¯s a reason for it¡­ And I think that same reason is causing problems for you.¡± ¡°Is this reason the lie you mentioned last night?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. But I can¡¯t say anything more.¡± Shinjou quietly nodded and then turned toward the station. ¡°If I say anything more now, I don¡¯t think I can stand it¡­ But I do want to ask one thing. Will you let me ask a sudden question?¡± ¡°If you wish to ask it, go right ahead.¡± She had permission. That fact brought relief and she formed the words. ¡°I said I wanted you to go to the All Holiday Festival with Setsu, right? Well, I¡¯m not sure how else to put this¡­ Would you be fine if Setsu left?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look. Your arm is healed now, right? And¡­and even if Setsu leaves, you still have Sadame¡­you still have me. So you don¡¯t need Setsu, right?¡± Shinjou somehow managed to draw out the words which were sinking down in her gut. ¡°But right now ¨C just for a bit ¨C stay by Setsu¡¯s side.¡± That was all she could manage. She could not continue. She glanced at his face and saw a slight look of surprise. That expression made her feel apologetic. And so she turned her back, brought strength to her legs, and began walking. ¡°Sorry. ¡­I¡¯ll see you later! Later, okay!¡± She immediately checked her watch and switched to a run. Sayama stood up, but he could not make it in time. She slipped into the crowd and between two women carrying large bags. Something fell from the sky and landed on the shoulder of her jacket. It was not an incendiary bomb that fell on her. Something else was falling on the world of the present. ¡°Rain.¡± 1. ¡ü ''certainly'' and ''yes'' are ''kanarazu'' and ''shikari'', the kanji of which when together are the word ''inevitable'' (''hitsuzen''). Volume 4, 18: Demand for Pain Volume 4, Chapter 18: Demand for Pain Will you bring yourself pain by seeking that which once caused you pain? And what will you do about that which you once sought? The curtain of night fell over the mountains of Okutama. Beyond the UCAT facility was a world different from reality. It was the 1st-Gear reservation. A space with a one kilometer radius was normally filled with greenery, but it could not be seen in the night. Light spilled from the windows of the houses and temporary residences in the space and smoke rose from the chimneys on the roofs. But one stone house in the center was a bit different. It had no front wall. It appeared to have originally had one, but it had been destroyed. Light filled the inside of that broken house. Two people could be seen within: a half-dragon covered in a black shell and an old man wearing a lab coat. They sat opposite each other on bamboo benches placed on the dirt floor. Between them was a Go board covered in black and white Go pieces. The half-dragon puffed out his chest and folded his arms while the old man leaned forward and stared at the game board. The old man then placed a hand on his chin and spoke. ¡°Fasolt, I would be unbeatable if we were playing gunjin shogi.¡± ¡°When we did that, you dropped the landmine piece and it exploded, Ooshiro Kazuo.¡± ¡°Yeah, that caused a lot of damage. To me.¡± Ooshiro sighed and Fasolt tilted his head. ¡°I hear the Leviathan Road with 2nd-Gear was progressing well.¡± ¡°Y-you really like to get to the heart of the issue right away, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°If a storyteller tells his story in a roundabout way, the truth will escape, Ooshiro Kazuo. That Sayama Mikoto and Shinjou are working on it, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun is the problem. You know about her lie, right?¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Fasolt. ¡°So she is thinking about revealing her lie to Sayama Mikoto?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°It is the proper path for a story, Ooshiro Kazuo. A princess always possesses a secret.¡± ¡°A princess? When did you start talking about fairy tales, Fasolt?¡± Fasolt ignored that comment. ¡°Your father was involved in the destruction of 2nd-Gear and you cannot give them very much information, so you cannot get too involved with their issues here. Is that it?¡± ¡°Fasolt, you¡¯re great at summing things up.¡± Ooshiro set down a Go piece. ¡°But I also feel like I¡¯m losing my nerve when it comes to my father.¡± ¡°That proves you are young. Once you reach my age, you almost never hesitate.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really. The other day, Fafner made some unnecessary comments about his pulp production job, so I did not hesitate to deck him. That wall there was a victim of our little family battle. It makes me think hesitation might be a good thing.¡± Ooshiro turned toward the destroyed front wall of the house. ¡°I see you are living a fulfilling life. ¡­So how is Fafner?¡± ¡°He is performing the ceremony of repentance.¡± ¡°The ceremony of repentance?¡± ¡°I tie a rope to him and hang him upside down off of the cliff out back for three days. That should get him to repent, but if he doesn¡¯t, I just have to swing him around real good and let him hang for another three days.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t repentance! That¡¯s forced mind alteration!¡± Fasolt naturally ignored that comment and set down a Go piece. ¡°At any rate, the young have plenty of energy and a healthy amount of hesitation. 2nd-Gear has no long-lived types, so the young can hesitate and find their own answer while young.¡± He let out a deep laugh. ¡°But as a member of 1st-Gear, something else is bothering me. I heard an older group is on the move. German UCAT¡¯s strongest witch is here, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°You mean Diana-kun? As you know, she is Siegfried¡¯s niece, but¡­¡± ¡°I have heard the rumors, but I never thought that man¡¯s niece would help out 1st-Gear.¡± Ooshiro nodded. ¡°We live in a different age now. Anyway, it seems Diana-kun is interested in Team Leviathan.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°She knows about UCAT¡¯s blank period. That should tell you all you need to know, right? Someone who knows a part of UCAT¡¯s past not even you know has returned to check on the Leviathan Road.¡± And¡­ ¡°I do not know what she has been thinking for the past ten years, so I would like to give her an assistant who can keep an eye on her.¡± ¡°In that case, I know the perfect person,¡± confidently declared Fasolt. ¡°1st-Gear has someone who will not be outdone by a German UCAT witch. Do not hesitate here, Ooshiro Kazuo. This is for the sake of that Sayama Mikoto and Shinjou of Team Leviathan which brought 1st-Gear to your side.¡± The design room in UCAT¡¯s second basement was suddenly filled with tension due to a single person. That person was Kashima. He was soaking wet. His white work uniform was dark with moisture and his usually orderly hair was dripping water and sticking to his face and neck. His left arm held a thick waterproof envelope and his right hand was stained almost up the elbow with mud. However, he did not seem to care. His wet footsteps continued straight forward. He was headed for the very back of the room. The back wall contained a large projector and a single desk sat in front of it. This open space which was not divided off by a partition belonged to Tsukuyomi. She had been staring at the photographs taken of Susaou, but she suddenly looked up. She saw Kashima arrive from the entrance. She watched the source of the room¡¯s tension. ¡°Have you made up your mind, Kashima?¡± She smiled as he approached her without nodding. He remained silent, but his expression was composed and showed no hesitation or strength. She nodded inwardly as she watched him. This was a good sign. Suddenly, a young man stood up from a partition on the right. The short haired man in a lab coat was an engineer who had only joined three years prior. His name was Mikami. From what Tsukuyomi could remember, he had a poor impression of Kashima. Mikami was a pure metal casting and swordsmithing family of 2nd-Gear. Back when the Gear still existed, the Kashima family had overtaken them and they had given up the position of #1 when it came to swords. That was likely why Mikami was stopping Kashima. With a single footstep, he quickly moved toward Kashima from the right. ¡°Manager Kashima, you should not carelessly enter the design room while soaking wet. We deal with fire and forging metal in this department, so-¡­¡± He trailed off because of the look in Kashima¡¯s eyes. Kashima did nothing but look at Mikami. Nevertheless, Mikami lowered his hands and backed away. No one laughed at Mikami¡¯s decision. Silence fell once more, the tension grew, and Kashima continued toward Tsukuyomi. His eyes held no strength, but they had not lost their strength either. ¡°Why are you here?¡± asked Tsukuyomi. ¡°The Leviathan Road between 2nd-Gear and Low-Gear will take place at this time in two days.¡± ¡°How will it be carried out?¡± As soon as she asked, the door to the design room opened and a song entered. ¡°Iiii am as strong as Ebolaaaa! Eeeeven if you bow down before me, you¡¯ll shit out your large intestiiiine!¡± All the others ducked back into their partitions out of fear. Atsuta had arrived. Tsukuyomi saw Kashima fall silent and put on a grim expression. ¡°You sure are in a good mood, Atsuta. Why are you here?¡± ¡°Wait, why¡¯re you here? I thought you quit and went home to grope your wife¡¯s tits?¡± Kashima gave an exasperated look and sighed as Atsuta walked up next to him. He glanced over at Tsukuyomi and then back at Atsuta. ¡°You know, the work day isn¡¯t over yet. Also, that was sexual harassment against my wife. Why are you here?¡± ¡°I have a good reason, but I¡¯m not going to tell someone who keeps saying he¡¯s gonna quit. Keh.¡± ¡°I am not quitting, so tell me.¡± ¡°Are you messing with me? Try begging me to tell you.¡± ¡°Fine, fine. I beg you. Please tell me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not gonna tell someone with no pride!¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t understand you. You haven¡¯t impressed me this much in a while.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Atsuta nodded. ¡°Well, whatever. I feel better now, so I¡¯ll give you a small blessing and tell you: it¡¯s the Leviathan Road.¡± Everyone peering out from their partitions frowned at that last term. Everyone wondered what he was thinking and Kashima spoke on their behalf while scratching at his head. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Back in the cafeteria, you said something about sticking with the Leviathan Road because of some girl you¡¯ve fallen for.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s that too. But in all my wisdom, I had a thought.¡± Oblivious to everyone staring at him, Atsuta continued speaking. ¡°Even if we¡¯ve adapted to Low-Gear, why do we have to give our world¡¯s Concept Core to Team Leviathan so easily? Are we stronger than Low-Gear, are they stronger than us, or are we even? How can we hand over the Concept Core without knowing that?¡± He took a breath and gave a satisfied expression. ¡°I won¡¯t accept it unless we settle that. And that goes for both the Concept Core and the girl I mentioned.¡± The first one to react was Kashima. He nodded. ¡°Director Tsukuyomi, this animal has given a surprisingly sound opinion to rationalize his personal grudge.¡± ¡°D-damn you, Kashima! How can you say that about the brilliant opinion I just thought up in the bathroom!?¡± ¡°Quiet down,¡± said Tsukuyomi as she looked behind Atsuta. All of those poking their heads from the partitions had exasperated looks, but they were staring her way. All of them seemed to agree with what Atsuta had said. I see, she thought. So they all had their reservations about this. ¡°Okay, Atsuta. What do we have to do to convince you?¡± ¡°Hm,¡± he thought. After a moment, he smiled. ¡°How about a fight to the death!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that with such a big smile, you idiot. If we kill them, UCAT will do more than just kick us out.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t criticize my idea without giving one of your own.¡± Atsuta clicked his tongue. ¡°Okay. As a compromise, how about a mock battle? We do outdoor training, right? We can do a large-scale version of that against those kids. If they can defeat us, we won¡¯t complain about releasing the concepts.¡± ¡°A mock battle?¡± muttered Tsukuyomi as she looked behind him and Kashima. The others all looked toward those two but finally turned silently back toward her. There was strength in their gazes. They had all made up their own minds, but they were leaving the decision up to her. And so she folded her arms behind her head and spoke. ¡°That could work.¡± ¡°Oh, I actually got through to you!? This is an amazing discovery! Hey, Kashima, look at this! This woman¡¯s so old, but my modern Japanese still got through to her!¡± ¡°Director Tsukuyomi, this creature is always rude, but I ask for extra forgiveness this time.¡± ¡°He can have it just this once,¡± she said in annoyance before standing up, looking them in the eye, and nodding. ¡°The place will be Showa Memorial Park¡¯s concept space. The method will be a mock battle. The victor will be decided by which side¡¯s representative takes Totsuka from where it sits on the bridge in Susaou¡¯s head. The reward will be the loser giving in to all of the victor¡¯s demands. ¡­How does that sound?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even hesitate to say that¡­ You already had this planned, didn¡¯t you?¡± Instead of responding, Tsukuyomi merely smiled. She already understood most of it. The villain boy she had negotiated against earlier in the day had led her to make up her mind. ¡­So we are abandoning the status quo where we hope for peace no matter what. ¡°In that case, we will use this greatest method for winning our acceptance. Well? Any complaints?¡± Atsuta shook his head in satisfaction and Kashima scratched at his head. He looked troubled, but Tsukuyomi did not overlook the amused smile on his face. ¡°Hmm¡­ Director Tsukuyomi, if you insist on that, I guess I have no complaints.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re ready to do this?¡± And¡­ ¡°You intend to repair Futsuno and bring it back as 2nd-Gear¡¯s greatest sword?¡± Atsuta gave a look of surprise next to Kashima, but Kashima ignored him and replied. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°W-wait, Kashima. Are you serious? I think you¡¯d be happier groping your wife¡¯s tits.¡± ¡°I would. And that is why I made the decision I did: I will make Futsuno and I will grope Natsu-san¡¯s breasts.¡± Kashima then thought for a second and tilted his head. ¡°Huh? That gave my determination a bit of a different nuance. It sounded somehow wild.¡± ¡°No one cares, so start getting ready. Make the preparations you need to find all of your answers.¡± These two men are no different from children, thought Tsukuyomi with a bitter smile. She then clapped her hands once toward the people peering out from the partitions. ¡°Okay, everyone! Go and give offerings to your ancestors and families tonight! Make sure you get a good grasp on your own name! It¡¯s a rainy night, so don¡¯t you think it will make for a sentimental scene?¡± As the rain fell in the darkness, a certain train travelled west through Tokyo. The train had left Shinjuku on the Keio Line and it stopped at every station on its way to Takaosanguchi. The front-most car held relatively few people. It only contained two people carrying large paper bags. One was Shino who wore a white T-shirt and a black dress. The other was Mikoku who wore a blue jacket and jeans. Shino held a single paper bag, but Mikoku carried two larger bags as she sat to Shino¡¯s right. Mikoku also had another bag below her seat and one up in the luggage rack. Mikoku¡¯s expression was serious as she sat with her back to the rain-covered window. She solemnly opened her mouth. ¡°Now, then. Our resupply mission was a success.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t trick me by acting all serious! You even bought that fluffy pillow! You¡¯re a liar!¡± ¡°You are the one who said you wanted it.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I just said it looked comfy.¡± ¡°That is the same thing,¡± said Mikoku with a smile. But Shino then saw the smile suddenly leave Mikoku¡¯s face. Mikoku stared into the rain-filled darkness outside the window and the ends of her eyebrows lowered slightly. She must have noticed Shino watching her because she asked her a question. ¡°Did you see that in Shinjuku?¡± ¡°Yes. We only passed by, but that was definitely Shinjou.¡± Shino recalled how their mouths had hung open and they had nearly started to cry when they passed by that person. She averted her gaze from Mikoku, held the bag more tightly in her left hand, and touched Mikoku¡¯s arm with her right hand. ¡°It¡¯s no use¡­ She doesn¡¯t remember us. She didn¡¯t notice us at all.¡± ¡°Yes. It is just as we heard. She has no memories of her childhood.¡± ¡°How about I speak with her next time. With my power-¡­¡± ¡°No. Using your power could put her on her guard.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. We will meet Shinjou eventually. I cannot say if that will be as an enemy or as an ally, though. Also, you saw who else was there, didn¡¯t you? That was Sayama Mikoto, my enemy.¡± Mikoku shook her head a bit and sighed. ¡°It is a difficult issue. Shinjou was crying in her heart. That Sayama may be able to stop those tears and he may not, but either way it will hurt me and make me hate him.¡± Sayama returned to his dorm in the rain. As he walked through the dormitory hallway, his watch read 8:10 PM. Shinjou always went to take a bath at four or five, he would study after that, and they would eat dinner in the school cafeteria no later than eight. ¡°I wonder if Shinjou-kun ate on his own.¡± Part of the problem was that Shinjou did not own a cell phone. ¡­But perhaps I should have called the dorm head so I could have a message passed on to him. He hurried his legs toward his room. He found the door unlocked, so he opened it. As the door opened smoothly, he saw the other side. ¡°It is dark?¡± Not a single light was on and no one was in the room. ¡­Where is Shinjou-kun? Just as he started panicking, Baku suddenly poked out of Sayama¡¯s breast pocket and pointed his head toward the bed. Wondering what that was about, Sayama looked over and spotted a figure sleeping in the bottom bunk. It was Shinjou. Why is he asleep so early? wondered Sayama. Perhaps the stomachache from earlier today came back. Sayama closed the door and walked over to the window in the dark. He placed the binder and Baku on his own desk. As he did, he heard rustling cloth and turned to find a white shirt sitting up in the darkness. ¡°Sayama¡­-kun?¡± ¡°Sorry. Did I wake you?¡± ¡°No. You can turn on the lights.¡± ¡°No need,¡± said Sayama as he crouched down next to the bed. He found a weak expression there. As he observed Shinjou¡¯s eyes, he suddenly realized the area around his eyes was a bit red. ¡­Has he been crying? But he asked about something else instead. ¡°Do you need anything? If you need any food, I can bring it to you.¡± ¡°No,¡± said Shinjou again while frowning a bit. He looked down and lightly held the bottom of his stomach which was hidden by the blanket. He also continued speaking before Sayama could do anything. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It will go away by tomorrow morning. I hope it¡¯s sunny for the All Holiday Festival.¡± ¡°Yes, we can enjoy the festival together.¡± ¡°Yes¡­. Um, Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Did you read the plot I gave you today?¡± Sayama was at a loss for words. After being given the plot, he had headed out to work and had only just arrived back. There was no way he could have read it yet. ¡­That must be how important it is to him. His thoughts brought silence. When Shinjou realized what that silence meant, the ends of his eyebrows lowered. ¡°Sorry. I asked too much of you.¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± ¡­Saying I was busy sounds like too much of an excuse. But it was true he could not have taken his time to properly read it. He felt that was important. ¡°I apologize for now, but if you will allow it, I would like some time.¡± ¡°Some time? Why?¡± ¡°Yesterday, you said you wanted me to know you.¡± Sayama directly spoke the words in his heart. ¡°Just as you are trying to convey yourself to me, I want the time and resolution to face you properly.¡± ¡°And if you have that, you¡¯ll read it?¡¯ ¡°Yes, I will read it.¡± ¡°But I might leave tomorrow.¡± Shinjou¡¯s right hand grabbed Sayama¡¯s left sleeve. He held it, but he quickly let go and slowly pulled his hand back. He groaned a bit and lightly bent over. He then relaxed his body and slipped back under the blanket butt-first while continuing to look at Sayama. ¡°Sorry.¡± Shinjou hid even his head under the blanket and there was nothing Sayama could do. He considered reading the plot now, but he decided against reading it in this atmosphere. ¡­That would be rushing things and trying to avoid the issue. With that thought, he suddenly stopped moving. He heard Shinjou suppress another groan at the precise moment he felt a pain in his own chest. Wondering where this pain came from, he suddenly recalled an old memory. Long ago, he had felt a pain in his stomach during the night. Everyone experienced that sort of stomachache while a child whose body had yet to fully develop. It brought definite pain to the one feeling it, but those around them would act as if it was nothing and it would indeed disappear by the next morning. He thought back to then. His parents had been around back then, but what had they done? The pain in his chest grew as he tried to think back, but he had to do it. ¡°Nn¡­¡± Shinjou¡¯s groan caused Sayama to quickly place his right hand on the left side of his chest. There was something he had to do as a villain. Volume 4, 19: Night of Compensation Volume 4, Chapter 19: Night of Compensation What should I say? I cannot tell the truth no matter what The more I want to, the more I hesitate In a small living room, the sounds of a late-night television show played quietly. This was the Kashima household¡¯s living room. Two people watched the television while listening to the faint sound of rain from outside. They were Kashima and Natsu who was leaning up against him. They sat on cushions and had a table in front of them. The table contained two sake bottles and two matching sake cups. ¡°I see you liked the stir-fried sandlance.¡± Kashima suddenly realized he kept bringing his chopsticks back to the bowl of small fish. ¡°The trick is to separately cook the sandlance and the fried tofu in bonito sauce and mix it together later.¡± He did not know what effect that had, but the number of fish he had grabbed said plenty. ¡°It goes well with the sake.¡± He took a sip of the sake they rarely brought out. He then recalled last night¡¯s dinner. The main dish had been a squash and adzuki bean dish with boiled bamboo shoots wrapped in cured ham. It had all come together well with the rice and miso soup. He felt so much better when at home. It helped that he had someone precious by his side. Being with her made him feel like he was slowly working through the thoughts which had been bothering him. Something new filled the place where he had trembled in fear in front of the 3rd Production Room. What had he chosen? Everything will be okay, he thought as he went back over his thoughts. But would Natsu realize where his thoughts were? She carried her thick sake cup to her mouth and laughed quietly in a cat-like voice. Kashima smiled at that and poured more sake into her cup. ¡°Oh, Akio-san. Why are you trying to get me drunk? Are you plotting something?¡± ¡°I enjoy watching you drink more than drinking myself.¡± ¡°Really?¡± she asked as she took another drink and laughed again. She then held up her cup. ¡°Do you remember this? It is from the school trip in our fourth year.¡± ¡°Yes. That was when the seminar students were forced to march as slaves in the name of an excavation trip in Inawashiro, wasn¡¯t it? You caused a huge commotion when you got heatstroke.¡± ¡°Th-that was my punishment for trying to show off. When I was being sent back to Tokyo, you ran up to me on the platform and gave me this.¡± ¡°Your fath-¡­The professor was a strict person. I thought it was wrong to force you back home without even a souvenir.¡± Kashima smiled bitterly as he remembered. He had simply been worried about her, but he had needed an excuse back then. He decided now he should tell her what his true reasons had been. He tried to tell her he had been worried about her. ¡°¡­¡± But he stopped. Telling her the truth about that would change nothing in the present. She was currently observing the thick sake cup in her hand. ¡°That was quite funny, thinking back. You said you had a souvenir for me, but you handed me this which you can buy at any store. So I asked you why you got me this.¡± She gave a smile that did not reach her eyes. ¡°And you told me you wanted something that would not break if I dropped it because I can be careless. Of course, there are plenty of other things that would have worked.¡± And¡­ ¡°You were in quite a rush, weren¡¯t you?¡± Wow, thought Kashima as he shrank down. She¡¯s got me there. ¡°That was all I saw at the time. But I never expected you to give me the exact same gift in return after summer break.¡± He lightly held up the sake cup in his hand. It was just as thick as hers. ¡°You got it on some short trip, didn¡¯t you? Your family can be demanding about that kind of thing.¡± ¡°I was glad to do it because I wanted to give you something in thanks. But I can be careless, so I wanted to get something I wouldn¡¯t drop and break before I could give it to you.¡± ¡­What a horrible way of returning the favor. Kashima could find nothing to say in response to her smile, so he scratched at his head. Natsu then nodded wordlessly. ¡°But my worries were unneeded.¡± She held up her cup in her left hand. ¡°After all, you were willing to take something even after it had been dropped and broken.¡± Still smiling, she drew back a bit. I see, thought Kashima when he saw that. I made her worry. He had made his wife bring up the topic he should have headed toward himself. That topic being his true feelings regarding the past. And so he nodded and spoke. ¡°Natsu-san.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± she said while politely sitting next to him and lowering the television¡¯s volume with the remote. ¡°Is it about your job?¡± ¡°Yes. How did you know?¡± ¡°I do not really know anything about this. I do not know what is causing that uncertain expression of yours or that secretiveness of late. But¡­that is what lets me know it is related to your job.¡± ¡°Have I been worrying you?¡± ¡°No. I know you will always ultimately discuss it with me or apologize. After you suddenly bought that expensive video camera, you spent a month bowing down to me and coming home at a normal time every day.¡± ¡°Well, a lot of that was because I wanted to use the video camera¡­ But whatever.¡± They exchanged a glance and smiled at each other. After a breath, Natsu brought her hands to her chest. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I have been drinking, so if I start crying, I can blame it on the alcohol.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite prepared.¡± Kashima led that statement smoothly into his next. ¡°Can I have about two days? I need to stay over at work to finish an important job. To be honest, I think I won¡¯t want to be in contact with anyone outside the office. And after that¡­¡± ¡°This will happen again from time to time, won¡¯t it? You will occasionally prioritize your work over your home.¡± Hearing that, he looked up. Natsu had her hands against her chest in a way that looked somewhat protective. ¡­She knows what I am about to say. And so he nodded without hesitation. ¡°That is correct,¡± he said clearly. ¡°I see,¡± she said with slightly lowered eyebrows. ¡°Then I will return to the family home while you are gone.¡± Someone moved in the darkness. It was Shinjou as he awoke under the blanket. After speaking with Sayama at around eight, he had passed out due to pain. How much time had passed? It felt like an instant, but it could have been hours. He wanted for it to be morning, but the darkness and silence outside the blanket told him it was the middle of the night. The odd feeling in his stomach remained, but he felt warmth all across his body as he lay curled up while facing the left. The blanket must have been holding in the heat well because he was not feeling cold at all. The pain should leave soon, he thought in relief. He took a breath, the tension left him, and his pulse sounded louder than before. He could feel sweat on his brow, but he did not want to move his hands from his body. It was improper, but he tried to rub his forehead against the sheet to wipe off the sweat. ¡°¡­Eh?¡± He suddenly realized his head lay on something like a pillow. His head was drawn under the blanket, so his head could not be on his pillow. Wondering what this pillow-like object was, he raised his head. The cool air outside the blanket touched his face and his night vision told him what it was. ¡°Sayama-kun?¡± Sayama was sleeping while lightly embracing Shinjou. His right arm passed below Shinjou¡¯s left cheek and around Shinjou¡¯s back. His left arm was wrapped around Shinjou¡¯s right shoulder and also wrapped around Shinjou¡¯s back. Shinjou remained silent while held in Sayama¡¯s arms. He more strongly held his own left-facing body and curled up even tighter. He had seen this composition before. A verse of a song he knew had been made into a painting and that painting showed a holy mother embracing her crying child. ¡°Christ the Savior is here¡­¡± What is he doing? wondered Shinjou as he muttered a line of the song. But he knew why that holy mother was embracing her child. ¡­This is what you do when someone important to you cries. The feeling of that left hand on his back seemed to bring back a memory of the past. He had a memory of someone lightly patting his back while he was suffering. Was this a memory of what Sayama had done just now or was it a memory of Shinjou¡¯s forgotten mother? It doesn¡¯t matter, he thought. Either way, it is a welcome memory. Shinjou realized Sayama¡¯s left arm was pinched in at the shoulder a bit. When Sayama recalled the past, he would bring his right hand to the left side of his chest. But right now, that arm was being used as Shinjou¡¯s pillow. In that case, what did it mean that his left arm was pinched in like that? Sorry, he thought. His mother must have done this for him. Shinjou nodded and looked next to the head of the bed. The alarm clock said it was just before twelve. Had Sayama been embracing him for the entire four hours since he had passed out? ¡­Sorry. Sayama¡¯s expression as he slept was different than the one he had when Shinjou would wake him in the morning. It was the peaceful expression of someone who had completed a job. He accepted the pain in his chest as normal. ¡­I need to reconsider my actions. Before, he had left everything up to his pain, hinted that he would disappear, and tried to force his plot on Sayama. ¡°Why did I do that?¡± ¡­He will eventually read my plot even if I hadn¡¯t done that. Shinjou pressed his forehead against Sayama¡¯s chest. ¡°What do you think about me?¡± He closed his eyes. ¡°What will you think about me once you learn my lie?¡± Kashima immediately reacted to Natsu¡¯s comment about returning to the family home. He had expected to hear her say that. She was here because he was here. So if he left¡­ ¡°That would be best.¡± ¡°Yes. It has been a while since I was there, so it should cause some confusion at first.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± But her father drew picture books and loved children. If she brought Harumi with her, he would not scold her or refuse to let her in. ¡°There will probably be a lot of cleaning to do.¡± That was true. Kashima had heard Natsu¡¯s room was untouched from when she had let. ¡­This is going to be a lot of trouble for her. She must have realized what he was thinking because she nodded and spoke. ¡°But it is about time for them to be planting the rice, isn¡¯t it? I like doing that.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°What? Why are you so confused?¡± ¡°Wait a minute, Natsu-san. When you said you would return to the family home, where exactly did you mean?¡± ¡°I meant your mother and father¡¯s house, of course.¡± She tilted her head as she answered and Kashima felt his strength leave him. He collapsed backwards and sprawled out on the floor. Tatami mats were horribly cool and comfortable at times like this. ¡°Ah,¡± said Natsu as she realized something. ¡°S-sorry. But¡­um¡­I am Kashima Natsu now.¡± ¡°No, I was the one that jumped to the wrong conclusion. I guess you could call both of them the family home.¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe you. I am not the kind of wife that would do that.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not. You¡¯re really not,¡± he said as he sat back up. He crossed his legs and faced forward where Natsu was blushing and giving a troubled expression. He sighed. ¡°I guess they won¡¯t complain if you suddenly show up.¡± ¡°I actually called them today. They hinted that they were shorthanded for planting the rice, so I thought I would go help if you were leaving for a while.¡± She stared at him. ¡°They should give us some rice, so I can go, right?¡± ¡°I get the feeling my parents are bribing my wife with food¡­ But what about Harumi?¡± ¡°Your mother says she will teach me a new way to hold her. It apparently involves supporting her on my back with a sash. I will probably get to hear how she carried you around like that.¡± ¡°Sorry, but I think I¡¯m going to buy a hidden microphone tomorrow. Please let me monitor what they say.¡± He smiled bitterly. He felt bad for Natsu¡¯s family, but this was better for him. He almost apologized out loud, but he stopped himself. ¡°Anyway, Natsu-san.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I know this is a lot of trouble for you, but I still can¡¯t tell you about my job.¡± He slowly reached out and took Natsu¡¯s left hand. That hand was missing the ring and little fingers. He enclosed the remaining fingers in his hands and she asked a question. ¡°That means you are lying to me in the sense that you are hiding the truth, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes. I have been ever since I took your hand like this for the first time.¡± ¡°Then for this upcoming job are you returning to who you were before you took my hand?¡± ¡°Yes. I will return to the person I was before I left the university and met you on that rainy night.¡± ¡°I see,¡± she said as she tilted her head a bit. She took a breath, smiled with the ends of her eyebrows lowered, and asked another question. ¡°Does this job have anything to do with this hand of mine?¡± Kashima responded clearly to Natsu¡¯s question and the gaze she directed straight at him. ¡°It does. But I can¡¯t say any more than that.¡± ¡°I see,¡± she said again before biting her lower lip for a few seconds. But she did not lower her head. She continued staring straight at him and asked yet another question. ¡°But things will remain the same at home, right?¡± ¡°They will. Just as before, I will continue to lie.¡± Natsu¡¯s expression changed. She formed a smile with lowered eyebrows and lowered her head. ¡°Please do. And do not apologize. Do not sacrifice yourself for the life Harumi and I have.¡± Before she could use her right hand to wipe her eye, he let go of her other hand. He used his own hands to wipe both of her cheeks. She narrowed her eyes and took a single rough breath. ¡°Akio-san, I don¡¯t know, do I?¡¯ ¡°Know what?¡± ¡°I¡­ I married you without fully knowing you, so it would be a problem if you did not continue lying.¡± Natsu¡¯s words caused Kashima to tense up. Seeing that, she raised her head and spoke in a mischievous voice. ¡°And I lie to you too, you know?¡± ¡°You do?¡± Her teary face smiled a bit. ¡°Yes. About my childhood, about my mischief and romantic relationships as a student, about my parents, and about my relationships with people at my workplace now. I¡­I lie a lot too.¡± Tears spilled from her arched eyes. ¡°You¡¯re such a liar, Akio-san. You¡¯re Yamato Takeru.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s kind of ominous. According to the legend, didn¡¯t Yamato Takeru¡¯s wife Ototachibana-hime drown herself to calm a storm?¡± ¡°Yes, but a liar¡¯s wife will of course be a liar. She drowned herself, but she did not actually want that. That is why there is more to the story.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Natsu grabbed Kashima¡¯s hands as he wiped away her tears. ¡°Yamato Takeru searched for her and found her washed up on a certain beach. That beach was named Soga because she was brought back to life there. That beach is in Chiba, near Tokyo.¡± She took a breath. ¡°Soga means to resurrect oneself. That is just like the two of us, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And afterwards, Yamato Takeru continued his work and died of fatigue. But neither he nor his wife died while lost in their lies. The world is a harsh place. But try not to work yourself to death.¡± She raised her head and the motion caused some tears to fall from the corners of her eye. She then smiled once more. ¡°Now, I have a request for our family¡¯s Great God Kashima and Yamato Takeru.¡± ¡°What is it, our family¡¯s Ototachibana-hime and crybaby wife?¡± ¡°Oh, my.¡± Natsu blushed, but her expression quickly calmed down. ¡°You can work if you like. You can lie if you like. You can get wrapped up in late-night violence with that delinquent Atsuta-san and his motorcycle if you like.¡± She took a breath. ¡°But please always return home.¡± He had a single answer. He very nearly said ¡°testament¡±, but caught himself. ¡°I promise.¡± He embraced her, took her left hand, and gently kissed it. ¡°Ah.¡± She looked troubled, but brought the missing part of her hand toward his mouth. The stumps of the two fingers had slight depressions due to the wrinkles. When he pecked at them, she laughed quietly. As he licked her scars, she trembled a bit and spoke. ¡°For me, this place ¨C including the lies ¨C is the truth.¡± Her outstretched hand tasted of sweat which slightly resembled the flavor of blood. She had appeared calm as they had spoken, but she must have been nervous. The same as me, thought Kashima as he held her firmly in his left arm. She would be able to hear his pulse now. ¡°I will return home and I will not apologize. That alone is most definitely not a lie.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Natsu looked up even though her eyes were closed and he removed his mouth from her hand. He would do what he must do where he was wanted. He once more heard the sound of rain from outside. ¡°Akio-san.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± He looked over at her, but she was smiling without fearing the rain. ¡°I feel bad doing this to Haru-chan.¡± She made a quiet request. ¡°But can you give a little of your time to only me?¡± Volume 4, 20: Intent to Escape Volume 4, Chapter 20: Intent to Escape What do you call it when you flee despite having nowhere to escape to? Is it parting ways? Or is it being cornered? The morning of the festival was overall noisy. The All Holiday Festival was handled by the different committees, the different circles, and the volunteers from the classes. A lot of students were taking part because the school had no classes on Sunday, but the morning of the first day was still used for preparations. Music played from music players and other speakers around the school. Sounds of mic tests and hammering could also be heard and bicycles and motorcycles with trailers could be seen transporting materials. Amid it all, Shinjou hung his head next to a row of trees warmed by the sun. Sayama was walking him around to the different stands and introducing them, but not much of it was entering his head. There were a few different reasons for this. When he had woken up at around seven that morning, he had been embracing Sayama. His waking had woken Sayama who had noticed what Shinjou was doing. Sayama had assured him it was fine, but then¡­ ¡°We were seen.¡± After Harakawa had brought in the materials for their stand using his motorcycle, he and their other classmates had stopped by their room. They would have normally contacted Ooki, but she had been late as usual. ¡­They looked so surprised. They had explained the situation and Harakawa himself had seemed to accept it. But the others had apparently spread the rumor. When they had left the dorm and when they had eaten at the cafeteria, they had been interviewed by the gossip newspaper which was one of the school¡¯s multiple newspaper clubs. ¡­Sayama-kun responded to them so easily. He had merely insisted it was nothing to worry about. However, Shinjou still felt he had caused trouble for him. And that kind of rumor had a way of sticking around. ¡­He is already known as the eccentric student council vice president who is well known for doing odd things. Izumo had been absent, so Sayama had handled the opening ceremony. It depressed Shinjou to remember the slander and jeers a few people had shouted. ¡°Want one?¡± Something was held out into his downturned vision. It resembled a large dried plum and was held with a pair of chopsticks. It was wrapped in what looked like clear glass. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°H-have you never seen an apricot candy before? This is¡­ This is a shocking revelation.¡± ¡°Wh-why do you have to wiggle around and give such an over-the-top reaction?¡± ¡°I see. Then how about we both calm down? ¡­Listen. This candy is the festival¡¯s must-have item.¡± ¡°Really? Are things like this needed at a festival?¡± ¡°Yes. There are other similar items such as the plastic bag containing a goldfish you stole from a tank or the blade-carved ice with carcinogens placed on top. And at the center of it all is the wooden tower playing bewitching music that everyone repeatedly circles around while dancing in a trancelike state. Ventura! Ventura!¡± ¡°I have a feeling your descriptions aren¡¯t entirely accurate¡­¡± Shinjou tilted his head and licked the candy. ¡°It¡¯s sweet. I thought it would be sour.¡± ¡°The outside is nothing but a sugary syrup. It is hard because it was placed in ice. The trick is to eat the whole thing after licking it down a little bit.¡± Shinjou nodded and started to pull out his change purse, but Sayama stopped him. ¡°No need to pay. The first year girl at that stand gave it to me for free. She told me to ¡®do my best¡¯. I am impressed that first years these days are trying to form connections with the student council by bribing them with food.¡± ¡°I am 100% sure that is not what she meant. What did you say in return?¡± ¡°I said I would give it my very best effort, so leave it to me. She gave an excited scream, so I think she might have a brain disease.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Shinjou held his head in his hands. ¡°What is it, Shinjou-kun? A headache? If you do not eliminate the cause, headaches can be dangerous.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from the source of the danger,¡± he muttered while staring into empty space. He then heard the sound of an engine behind him. He turned around and saw a large black motorcycle with a sidecar. Harakawa was driving it. The brown-skinned boy with wavy black hair lowered his sunglasses. ¡°Hey.¡± He stopped the motorcycle next to them. The boy may have had difficulty telling Japanese people apart because he treated everyone in the class the same. He even acted casually around Sayama who everyone else kept some distance from. ¡°What is it, Harakawa? Are you about to leave?¡± ¡°Yeah. The automobile research club¡¯s all set up, so I¡¯m on my way to meet my mother and then head to my job in Yokota.¡± ¡°Tightening bolts and sorting old books? Do your best. ¡­Oh, and how are your new club members?¡± ¡°There¡¯s this one perverted kid who wants to get a sidecar a girl can ride in. I like his style. And we¡¯ll probably get more people after the demonstration during the festival.¡± ¡°Demonstration? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Oh, no one¡¯s told you, Shinjou? Well, first we drive our motorcycles side by side along the rows of trees at the main entrance.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Then we all shout ¡®our budget was too small and we couldn¡¯t maintain our brakes!¡¯ and charge into the school building.¡± ¡°That¡¯s illegal! Sayama-kun, don¡¯t you have something to say about this?¡± ¡°Do not try to run up the stairs. Last year, there were some motorcycles flying off the roof, but I do not think it was a stunt.¡± ¡°We were targeting the motocross crowd. Preventing the front suspension from bottoming was hard.¡± ¡°I¡¯m starting to see why this school is so strange,¡± commented Shinjou. ¡°Yes. Even someone practically brimming over with common sense like me has difficulty understanding a lot about this school.¡± ¡°S-sorry, but if you¡¯re ¡®brimming over with common sense¡¯, how much do you think I have?¡± ¡°You? Common sense? I distinctly remember you asking what ¡®that spinning square thing¡¯ was when I turned on the game system in the dorm room. How can you not know about the rule of spinning polygons?¡± ¡°B-but it really was the first time I¡¯d seen something like that¡­¡± As Shinjou lowered his head, Harakawa sighed. ¡°Well, you could say this school gathers people with a strange sort of common sense.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not strange.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Shinjou-kun, that is what all the strange people say.¡± ¡°Sayama-kun, I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m the one that¡¯s supposed to say that.¡± Harakawa smiled bitterly and gathered attention on himself again. ¡°More importantly, I¡¯m sorry about this morning, Shinjou Setsu.¡± ¡°Oh, um, it¡¯s fine. It was an accident and you actually let us explain. And if you¡¯re going to apologize, apologize to Sayama-kun. I¡¯ll be leaving the school before long.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s news to me.¡± Harakawa turned toward Sayama, but Shinjou could not bring himself to do the same. ¡°Yes, it is true.¡± When Sayama did not deny it, Shinjou gave an emotionless nod. ¡°Also, Harakawa-kun, I don¡¯t want to leave any misunderstandings behind. The one Sayama-kun is interested in¡­¡± Shinjou paused. ¡°Yes. The one Sayama-kun is interested in isn¡¯t me. It¡¯s my sister¡­unfortunately.¡± He casually added the ¡°unfortunately¡±. Ah, gasped Shinjou in his heart. He probably should not have said that. For Sayama¡¯s sake and for his own sake. To avoid any questioning from Sayama, he lowered his head. But the one to take action was Harakawa. While facing Sayama, he nodded and poked at his shoulder. ¡°¡­¡± He seemed to be reprimanding Sayama for something and he wordlessly drove off on his motorcycle afterwards. The engine sounds slowly but surely grew more distant. Meanwhile, Shinjou bit into the apricot candy to stall for time. Some sourness joined the sweetness, but it was so little he had to focus on it to notice. ¡°Shinjou-kun.¡± The voice he had dreaded arrived. Wondering what he was going to ask brought a certain emotion. ¡­I¡¯m scared. Would he seek some kind of conclusion here? ¡°Are you still feeling unwell?¡± It took Shinjou the span of two breaths to understand the unexpected question and then he thought on it. An answer floated up in his heart and he spoke it while looking toward the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You do not know?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what I should do. I¡¯m scared and I keep thinking only about myself.¡± Having Sayama embrace him had brought such relief the night before, but now he felt he should avoid that. ¡­What look is on my face right now? ¡°This is a weird question, but¡­Sayama-kun, are you interested in boys?¡± ¡°No, I am not. I am normal in that sense.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shinjou gave a weak nod and Sayama tilted his head. Sayama¡¯s gaze held concern, so Shinjou spoke up before he could say anything. ¡°Th-then¡­ How do you feel about Shinjou Sadame?¡± It took Sayama a moment to answer that testing question. He remained as expressionless as ever. ¡°She is important to me.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Shinjou. ¡°I suppose she would be.¡± He nodded and his vision grew distorted. ¡°Sadame is a girl and you are a boy. You don¡¯t care about people seeing us this morning because you will choose Sadame. You¡­You can¡¯t choose me, can you?¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun.¡± He tried to say ¡°What?¡±, but different words came out. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡± Sayama held out his hand and Shinjou twisted out of its way a moment later. He turned his back to Sayama and lowered his head. The distortion to his vision fell to the ground. He looked forward where a path led away from the school. A sudden breeze blew in. ¡°Sorry. I need to go calm down a bit.¡± Shinjou ran forward and away from the school. He ran as far away from Sayama¡¯s words as he could. ¡°Shinjou-kun!¡± Shinjou did not turn back toward the voice. He heard footsteps pursuing him, but a group of elementary students visiting the school crossed their path and blocked the way for Sayama. Shinjou took a breath, straightened up, and passed through the school¡¯s gate. ¡­I just did something I shouldn¡¯t have. Sayama was surrounded by the elementary students pressing in from the front gate. He saw Shinjou turn a distant corner and disappear. ¡°Shinjou-kun! ¡­What is with this crowd of children!?¡± ¡°With this many, it¡¯s hard to lead them around.¡± Sayama turned to the side and found Ooki scratching her head amid the sea of children. ¡°So it is our tardy teacher who is in charge of them. You appear unable to move, so when did you appear next to me?¡± ¡°I was just caught in the flow.¡± ¡°I am glad to see you are the same as always. Now, what is with these children?¡± ¡°On the way here, the head of a children¡¯s home asked me to take the children to the festival since I was already late. I am quite popular, you see.¡± ¡°So even the children¡¯s homes know my homeroom teacher is always late.¡± ¡°If possible, I would like to hear what you have to say about my popularity.¡± Sayama ignored her. He looked around and found a stomach-height crowd staring intently up at him. ¡°Anyway, Ooki-sensei. Why did you use these children to block my path?¡± ¡°When I arrived, I saw you and Shinjou-kun were playing a game of tag, so I had them join in and¡­ow ow ow!¡± ¡°Was it the brain inside this skull that had such an idiotic thought?¡± Once Sayama gave Ooki a red spot, the elementary school students began swarming around them. ¡°D-don¡¯t be mean to her!!¡± ¡°Do not let her fool you! She is a bad person!¡± His decisive shout brought the children to a halt. They all stared up at them. ¡°A-a bad person?¡± ¡°N-no! Sayama-kun, why are you calling your teacher a bad person!?¡± ¡°Oh? Bring your hands to your heart and think very carefully. Have you never once done anything bad?¡± Ooki brought her hands to her chest and thought. ¡°Um¡­¡± She tilted her head for several seconds and finally smiled without any further hesitation. ¡°No, not once.¡± ¡°Under the Sayama code of law, lying is punishable by death. Are you sure you do not want to reconsider?¡± Sayama glared at her with half-closed eyes, but someone suddenly called out behind them. ¡°Why are you people getting so worked up in the morning? You¡¯re blocking the way.¡± He turned around to find Brunhild standing beyond the children. The art club¡¯s stand sat on the sidewalk behind her. It was shaped like a Venus de Milo measuring over ten meters tall. The statue was created with an increased bust and had a grilled chicken stand embedded in the stomach. Green smoke blew from the nose up above. Brunhild smiled toward the children. ¡°Welcome.¡± The black cat on her shoulder meowed and the children drew back. As the group of children moved away like a receding wave, Sayama stepped forward. ¡°I thank you.¡± ¡°No need. Having them gathered here would affect sales. More importantly, are you preparing for 2nd-Gear¡¯s Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°Did Kazami or one of the others tell you?¡± ¡°No. ¡­Izumo is absent today, isn¡¯t he? Have you heard why?¡± ¡°No. Kazami merely said he fell from the rooftop yesterday.¡± ¡°That sounds like one of her excuses. ¡­From what I hear, they were doing some kind of training on the roof last night. She said they had figured out the trick to something, but Izumo had to sleep because of an injury.¡± Sayama gave a bitter smile. That training had likely been to find a countermeasure for 2nd-Gear¡¯s Art of Walking. But he had nothing to say about the fact that they had not told him. ¡°They probably had another strange idea.¡± ¡°What will you do? Will you head to UCAT where your runaway friend¡¯s sister is?¡± ¡°Yes, that is my plan. I have other business in Okutama, too. I was about to ask the dormitory head to call me if Setsu-kun returns and then speak with Sadame-kun at UCAT.¡± ¡°Speak about what?¡± ¡°About why I must be looked down on like this.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Brunhild¡¯s questioning voice and expression elicited a bitter smile from Sayama. ¡°It seems Shinjou¡­Setsu-kun does not want to hear what I have to say.¡± ¡°There are times like that.¡± ¡°But I cannot stand it. And¡­I doubt that is what he truly wants.¡± Sayama spoke his true feelings to the girl he had once fought. ¡°Who else is going to listen to what I have to say?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so humble. Someone from 1st-Gear who listened to you is standing right here.¡± ¡°Do not misunderstand. I made you and your Gear listen by force. But with Shinjou-kun¡­both Shinjou-kun¡¯s, I want them to listen of their own free will.¡± ¡°You have a serious case of just about every illness I can think of.¡± ¡°That is fine by me. They say overcoming all kinds of illness leads to good fortune. ¡­The time has come for me to decide how to face them.¡± ¡°Then what will you do now?¡± asked Brunhild. Suddenly, the left side of Sayama¡¯s chest vibrated. It was his cell phone. He pulled Baku from his pocket and then grabbed his phone. ¡°It is me.¡± ¡°Sayama-sama? This is Sibyl of Team Leviathan. Do you have a moment?¡± ¡°Testament. What is it?¡± ¡°2nd-Gear has announced the details of the Leviathan Road. The time and place are 8 PM tomorrow in the concept space within Showa Memorial Park. 2nd-Gear¡¯s representatives will carry out joint training with Team Leviathan and its support units. The victor will be the one to acquire Totsuka from the bridge in Susaou¡¯s head. Simply put, it will be a mock battle. What do you think?¡± ¡°So the military god has finally made up his mind.¡± ¡°I predicted you would say something like that.¡± Sayama frowned at the hint of enjoyment in her voice. ¡°Did the others give different comments?¡± he asked. ¡°A few, but one person said the same thing you did.¡± ¡°Who was that?¡± ¡°Ooshiro Itaru-sama.¡± Sayama gulped. Why him? he wondered as Sibyl continued. ¡°Please come to UCAT soon. We must exchange the necessary paperwork and I will prepare the documents related to 2nd-Gear.¡± ¡°Testament,¡± replied Sayama before putting away his phone. He looked up and found Brunhild looking at him. ¡°You are going to UCAT, then? I have business there as well.¡± ¡°To visit the 1st-Gear reservation? Send my regards to Fasolt and Fafner.¡± ¡°That family has recently seriously tried to create pulp from kitchen waste. It smells too bad to get anywhere near their house. And they got into a serious fight and partially destroyed that house recently.¡± ¡°Who knew giant monsters were battling so close to home?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Brunhild. ¡°But you mentioned a military god, didn¡¯t you? The god-class members of each gear are powerful. Are you trying to get yourself killed?¡± ¡°This military god wants us to face him. And if you recall, I once faced a girl who was the god of the underworld and a dragon who could only be defeated with a holy sword. Nevertheless, here I am alive.¡± ¡°Not only are you foolish, you¡¯re full of yourself, too.¡± ¡°I will take that as a compliment. It was someone who was referred to that way that defeated a god. ¡­And I already know that the ones I am facing now are as formidable an enemy as you were.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Brunhild nodded and expressionlessly continued. ¡°If you have not forgotten that, then I am still the god of the underworld. ¡­But I am one who is no longer opposing you.¡± ¡°Then shall we go to UCAT together? I plan to head over once the afternoon group takes over here.¡± Brunhild began to nod, but someone suddenly flipped her skirt up. ¡°¡­!¡± She turned around to find one of the elementary kids from before. A boy in shorts was smiling at her. ¡°Yay! It¡¯s the coldhearted girl¡¯s panti-¡­gwoh!¡± ¡°Hm. Starting out with an iron claw? Rather harsh, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Sorry, Sayama. I¡¯ll head to UCAT on my own after dealing with this kid.¡± Ooki frantically ran over. ¡°Ahhh! I¡¯m sorry, Brunhild-san! There are just too many energetic and perverted children!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. No one will be left to worry about it.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t say such ominous things with that cement-like face!¡± As Ooki panicked, Brunhild smiled and pointed toward the stand behind her. ¡°Want to see it? Don¡¯t worry. ¡­I¡¯ll convince you.¡± On the north end of Akigawa was a cemetery on a mountain near Oume. A sign reading Nishitama Cemetary and a pair of guests stood at the entrance. Walking below the midday sun was a man and woman wearing black. They both had white hair. One was Ooshiro Itaru and the other was Sf. As he climbed the stairs to the cemetery, Itaru held his cane in one hand and a bouquet of chrysanthemums in the other. Next to him, Sf held up a bucket of water in her right hand. ¡°Itaru-sama, should I carry the flowers for you?¡± ¡°Oh? How surprisingly considerate. Do you want to carry them that much?¡± ¡°No, not really.¡± ¡°Then I will have you carry them.¡± Itaru handed Sf the flowers. She placed them in the bucket of water and looked around. Tombstones were lined up along the mountain slope and a path continued on between them. ¡°I have determined this is an incomprehensible place.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Tes. If this megalithic culture was capable of constructing such ley lines, why was it destroyed?¡± ¡°It looks like your brain is tuned to some special program. ¡­Remember this: the culture that made this is very much alive. It has not been destroyed. Also, this has nothing to do with ley lines.¡± ¡°So it is a graveyard? In that case, I have concluded it is all the more incomprehensible.¡± Sf once more looked across the gravestones. ¡°If people felt strongly enough about the people to set up gravestones, why did they place them so far outside the city? If you have strong feelings, wouldn¡¯t you place them nearby? I cannot make any sense of it, so I have determined the answer is based on emotions.¡± ¡°There are some things you feel are important and have strong feelings about but want to put at a distance. ¡­You don¡¯t understand that?¡± ¡°Tes. I cannot understand the actions of distancing something or distancing yourself from something.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Tes. For example, ever since I was activated in Japan, I have not left a 100 meter radius of you. I have been monitoring your heartbeat, breathing, and body temperature in real time.¡± ¡°Oh? I see the Germans install extreme stalker protocols in their machines. I had always thought a maid and her master kept a fair bit of distance, but maybe I was imagining it.¡± ¡°That is not something I can understand without emotions.¡± ¡°I see, I see.¡± Itaru came to a stop at the top of the staircase. The graveyard lay on a gentle downward slope in front of him. As he walked forward, Sf continued alongside him. ¡°My memory says we have been here once before. It was on the way back that we met Sayama-sama.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t remind me.¡± ¡°Tes. I choose a bow from my different apology options.¡± Itaru stopped walking and Sf lowered her head. A few seconds later, she began to raise her head, but something struck it. ¡°Itaru-sama, a chop has struck the back of my head.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a form of silent communication. Doing things like this is fine from time to time.¡± ¡°Tes. But I have determined this was not your idea.¡± ¡°Oh, have you?¡± He removed his hand and she adjusted her hair decoration. ¡°Tes. Unless you are troubled, you would not choose to touch me.¡± ¡°You remember too damn much.¡± ¡°Tes. My ability to brighten my master¡¯s day with as-yet-unknown features is what makes me the secret masterpiece of German UCAT. Please look forward to what you will discover in the future. ¡­Should I add a catchy comment at the end?¡± ¡°I would love it if you said ¡®die¡¯ or ¡®go to hell¡¯ with a smile.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf bowed, suddenly stopped moving, and recorded everything. She turned her expressionless face toward her master and tilted her head concerning his action. ¡°Itaru-sama, what is with that weak chop?¡± ¡°I used to know a guy who did stupid things like that,¡± he said quietly as he came to a stop in front of a gravestone. ¡°Sf, give me the flowers.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± She handed him the flowers and he began to place them in the vase in front of the gravestone. But someone must have been there before them because the vase already contained new flowers. And the bright flowers were not chrysanthemums. ¡°Diana¡­¡± ¡°Diana-sama? Why?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand, Sf. Not that I do either.¡± With a bitter smile, he loosened his black necktie that blew in the mountain wind. ¡°This world is full of things I don¡¯t understand. Not only that, but only me and a few other people even know of the world¡¯s true mystery.¡± ¡°The world¡¯s true mystery?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Sf. Have you never thought about it? This Gear has nothing but negative concepts, so why has it never before fallen too far to the negative side and been destroyed?¡± His bitter smile deepened. ¡°That Sayama must search out the answer to that question¡­no, he must search out an even greater answer than that. Those once known as the Eight Great Dragon Kings asked the question and the Five Great Peaks sealed the answer.¡± He placed his own flowers in the vase. ¡°Sf, the water. ¡­No, wait!¡± He turned around just in time to see Sf preparing to dump the contents of the bucket on the gravestone. ¡°But you did this last time we were here¡­ Is there a problem? I even checked my memory three times over.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t repeat what every Japanese person thinks at some point.¡± ¡°Tes. I understand. You are saying I should not repeat a gag, correct? What gag should we go with this time?¡± ¡°German machines are a pain in the ass. ¡­Do it like you¡¯re watering the gravestone.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf pulled a small watering can from beneath her apron. ¡°Just out of curiosity, why were you walking around with that?¡± ¡°Tes. So I could carry out any request you might have. I was correct to bring my S equipment that I take with me on walks. The S stands for ¡®stroll¡¯ and the equipment was decided on with a strict lottery. Would you like to attend the next selection meeting? The prize for attendance is a notebook and pencil.¡± ¡°UCAT has become a very wasteful organization.¡± ¡°Tes. That is a sign of stability. ¡­Hm?¡± ¡°What is it, Sf?¡± ¡°I only just now notice the name on this gravestone.¡± The front of the watering can pointed toward the front of the gravestone. The sprinkled water revealed a name there. ¡°Sayama.¡± Shinjou sat in a sofa with a jacket on as she waited in front of UCAT¡¯s underground training rooms. It was currently 4 PM and she was waiting for an opening in the training rooms. The adults around her were doing the same. The men¡¯s and women¡¯s locker rooms faced each other, so men and women of all ages gathered in the lobby. ¡°There isn¡¯t going to be an open training room at this rate. But I told Sayama-kun I was training today.¡± The wall in front of the locker rooms contained electronic boards displaying the status of each training room. ¡­2nd-Gear is using all of them for official secret training. As they were preparing to oppose the Leviathan Road, they had top priority. Even Team Leviathan had to wait for a cancellation that might not come. She wondered what 2nd-Gear was doing. ¡­They¡¯ve definitely started moving. That thought eliminated all calm from her body. She wore white jeans and her legs were crossed. She rested both her elbows on her lap and held a small handheld game system. A UCAT worker had given her the two-button device. The game took place in a southern ocean where the player repeatedly gathered treasure from the bottom of the ocean while avoiding the legs of a large oceanic creature that was trying to communicate. But the old and blurry LCD screen would reach game over and stop running after only ten points. She did not recognize any of the other people waiting. She looked around and saw that it was truly a strange mixture of people. Some of them were not even human and those stood out the most. She then realized something. Ooki, for example, would not show her long ears except in a concept space. Do they not mix well with this Gear? she wondered. Do Sayama-kun and I mix well? That last thought caused her to shake her head. ¡­Why am I thinking such dark thoughts. She put the game in her jacket¡¯s inner pocket and stood up. It was unlikely any of the training rooms would open up, so staying would only bring more dark thoughts. Just as she decided to go elsewhere, everyone around her suddenly stirred. ¡°¡­¡± She turned in the same direction as everyone else and saw one of the labels on the electronic board had changed. The scarlet indicator had vanished and a voice came from the speaker on the ceiling. ¡°Um, thank you very much for, um, using Japanese UCAT¡¯s training room. Um, what comes next¡­? Oh, Training Room 7, Training Room 7. 2nd-Gear¡¯s training is complete. The door will open soon, so be careful. The same training room will now be used by German UCAT. Um, anyone trying to force their way in will be¡­ I just said not to go in, you goddamn ape!! Okay, the door will close now.¡± Shinjou heard several disappointed groans and her own shoulders drooped. She took two or three steps away from the others because she just wanted to get away. But before she could, a new stir ran through the crowd. A group had left the men¡¯s locker room. The men still wore UCAT¡¯s white combat uniforms. A dozen or so men walked out while still prepared for battle. Their harsh atmosphere silenced the crowd. Shinjou spotted Kashima and Atsuta within the group. Kashima stood out at the front of the group because he alone wore a work uniform. He was explaining some numbers to Atsuta while gesturing with his hands. Behind those two were a few elderly men with tools hanging from their waists and people carrying computers and large instrumentation on stretchers. The men waiting their turn commented as they passed by. ¡°They gathered all of 2nd-Gear¡¯s engineers, didn¡¯t they?¡± And then everyone gasped when the next stretcher was carried from the locker room. It contained a large white table on which a pile of Cowling Sword fragments sat. It all had to have made up at least thirty swords originally. The weapons had been created to combat alternate worlds, but they had broken. ¡°You can destroy those?¡± someone muttered. No one else dared speak. ¡°¡­¡± Shinjou stared blankly at the swaying stretchers and the men. That was when Kashima looked up. Her gaze met his head on. ¡°Ah¡­¡± She took a step back, but the sofa was directly behind her. By the time she wondered what to do, he was already right in front of her. As she stood defensively, he opened his mouth to speak. ¡°You are Shinjou Sadame of Team Leviathan, aren¡¯t you? Do you have a moment?¡± Kashima looked at Shinjou in front of him. She wore an orange jacket, a white shirt, and white jeans. He felt it was not just his imagination that her slender frame looked unreliable. She had taken a defensive pose. ¡­But she¡¯s trembling. Before entering the training room, Tsukuyomi had informed Ooshiro Itaru when the Leviathan Road would begin. At the same time, Tsukuyomi had received documents on the members of Team Leviathan. All of the documents had some portions blacked out because the information was classified. But Shinjou Sadame¡¯s document had contained a certain note. ¡­Based on her mentality, it is possible she is not suited for an offensive role. He had dug further and found that her Ex-St had never been used at its full output. Most of the retrieved data stopped before reaching the highest output range. The one exception was a single time during the battle with 1st-Gear when the output had gotten very close. He remembered it had been the same when he had met her in the cafeteria. She had been standing right next to Sayama when Atsuta had provoked the boy, but she had not moved. He did not know why. The blacked out portions of her file may have explained it and they may not have. The one thing he did know was that she was the one who stood by Sayama¡¯s side. But, he thought. That boy hopes to fight. Then what about this girl? ¡°Shinjou Sadame-kun, we have not met since the cafeteria, have we?¡± ¡°Wh-what do you want?¡± she asked cautiously. He nodded once to put her at ease. While thinking about her and Sayama, he spoke. ¡°Since then, I have chosen to fight. How about you?¡± He saw her shrink back at his question. She let out a short breath and looked up at him with no strength in her eyebrows. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°But you want to know, don¡¯t you? You asked me about my lie in the cafeteria.¡± She thought for a moment before answering. ¡°I want to know? ¡­What answer do you want?¡± She was likely asking herself the same question, so he nodded. As she trembled before his eyes, he spoke as if to teach her and to warn her. ¡°For the sake of the future, I want the answer to all my questions.¡± He thought back and the landslide from eight years ago entered his mind. ¡°Why could I not forget my power when I tried so hard to forget?¡± He recalled Natsu¡¯s hand that he had grabbed. ¡°Why do I hurt the person who I want to be with?¡± He thought of his parents. ¡°Why do I feel alone when so many people care for me?¡± He recalled his grandfather on his deathbed. ¡°Why do I feel like I am out of sync with this world?¡± And he brought back his memories of the past eight years. ¡°Why do I feel as if I cannot just choose one or the other?¡± He asked each question in a calm tone, but Shinjou shrank back further and further. He opened his mouth yet again as if to draw her back. As he spoke his final question, he thought of Natsu, of Harumi, and of the future. ¡°Why do I want to gain everything with my own power even as these questions eat into me?¡± Shinjou bit her lower lip and trembled. She lowered her head as if thanking him. She then lowered her shoulders and let out a breath. ¡°Kashima-san, do you think you will receive your answer if you fight?¡± ¡°I will not receive my answer. I will go out and take it. ¡­It scares me, though.¡± She raised her head and looked at him with slight tears in her eyes. He placed a hand on her head and stroked it gently to put her at ease. ¡°You do not know whether it is the truth or the lie that makes you fear yourself. But I am sure the person who cares for you is waiting for you on the side of truth.¡± He took a breath. ¡°I spent eight years lying. When will you be able to choose yourself within the fear?¡± Volume 4, 21: Honest Intentions Volume 4, Chapter 21: Honest Intentions When your question repeatedly rings out It resembles striking stone again and again In which case, what will the answer sound like? In the Tamiya household, breakfast and dinner were split into two. The family ran a security company, so they served food for the employees who lived in the house. They would eat once before being sent out and once upon returning. It was currently 6:00 PM, the first dinner. Japanese food made by Kouji and those not on duty was laid out on the dinner tables lined up in the main hall. On the upper end of the table were those who had just returned from their security job and a few of those tables had beer on them. The three central seats of honor were all empty while Kouji and Ryouko sat in the two seats to their left. Kouji would eat at the later dinner, so he munched on some beans, sipped on some tea, and sighed. Ryouko ate at this earlier dinner, so she cheerfully swayed back and forth while poking at the food on her plate. Kouji could not help but comment as he watched his elder sister eat her food. ¡°Tonight sure is peaceful.¡± He lowered his gaze toward those surrounding the tables. There were currently 51 of them and they were primarily those with day duty and those off duty that day. Adding in those currently out on night duty, there were 77 people total. He looked at them, looked at his sister, and slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Everyone, just put up with it all for two more days. Father and mother will be back then.¡± Just as everyone let out a sigh of relief, Ryouko¡¯s shoulders rose slightly. ¡°Sorry, but our parents called a bit ago. They said they¡¯ve taken a liking to the hot spring they stopped by on their way back, so they want us to send that body board. Y¡¯know, the one they bought last year. Here, this has the address of the inn and when they will be back.¡± She pulled a note from her kimono sleeve and handed it to Kouji. Kouji¡¯s expression clouded over. ¡°They won¡¯t be back until next week?¡± ¡°Did I say anything wrong?¡± asked Ryouko. ¡°No, the blame does not lie with you. It¡¯s just like how the blame does not lie with nuclear power itself.¡± ¡°Kouji, try not to mention nuclear power. Look, Shige-san is holding his head and trembling.¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry. Hey, could someone bring him his Marxism book?¡± Once that was complete and the dinner began again, Kouji sighed again. ¡°By the way, I hear Atsuta-san stopped by the other night when you were locking up.¡± ¡°Yeah, he did. We chatted a bit. How did you know?¡± ¡°I met him yesterday and he mentioned it.¡± Kouji frowned. ¡°But I take it you told him about the young master.¡± ¡°I did. Why do you bring it up? The young master is no longer so nervous, so it doesn¡¯t matter if I tell people, does it?¡± Kouji¡¯s face paled. ¡°Sister, do you know why Atsuta-san passed by our house?¡± ¡°It was just a coincidence, right? That¡¯s what he said.¡± ¡°How do you feel about him?¡± ¡°I guess he¡¯s a nice guy.¡± She tilted her head while Kouji¡¯s pale face stiffened. ¡°When we would play pachinko back in our school days, he would lend me balls. He was also good at getting the slots just right. And when he would go on his own, he would bring back presents for me. It was usually cookies or some other snack.¡± ¡°He was trying to lure you in with food. ¡­Anyway, just like old times, do not tell anyone about the young master.¡± ¡°Eh? That¡¯s no fun. I need to brag about him to the people in the neighborhood.¡± ¡°But you help out the neighborhood and work for the neighborhood association.¡± ¡°Stop arguing with me.¡± As Ryouko began pretending to cry, a sound came from her right elbow. Kouji looked down and found she had toppled her teacup and tea was spreading across the table. ¡°Ah,¡± she said. ¡°Sister¡­¡± said Kouji with a cold look in his eyes. ¡°Th-this time, it wasn¡¯t my fault. Wait, don¡¯t lock me out again. Ahh, Kouji! Why are you pulling on my ear!?¡± Kouji ignored her, stood up with her ear still pinched between his fingers, and looked around at the others. ¡°Please excuse us. Feel free to continue eating.¡± ¡°Ow ow ow ow! Stop, Kouji! Help me, everyone! I¡¯m the company president.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. We all know how important you are, sister. Now, let¡¯s go outside. ¡­Please ignore this, everyone. This is a family issue.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon! If you treat a female president roughly, there will be a murder!¡± ¡°That murder will occur at nine on Tuesday night and will be solved by eleven. Everything will be fine.¡± ¡°Wrong! It will be solved at 10:45! Ow ow ow ow ow!! S-stop! Who do you think pays your allowance?¡± ¡°Masa-san from accounting.¡± ¡°Masaaa!! Why are you buying people off!?¡± That shout was ignored as the sliding door opened and closed. The siblings and their voices soon vanished down the passageway. A few people calmly wiped up the spilled tea and continued eating. Shinjou was out in the city of Okutama. Night had almost completely fallen. Her wristwatch said it was just past 6:30 PM. The IAI bus was enough to reach the city, but she had opted to walk. She had taken a long route which took around two hours. If she had taken the bus, she might have run across Sayama. That was also why she had gone out to the city. ¡°I don¡¯t know where to go,¡± she muttered. She was currently on the grounds of the Hikawa Shrine near Okutama Station. If one left the station, left the roundabout to the south, and crossed the intersection, the shrine was right there. The bus passed through this area, but the shrine was located near a flowing mountain stream on a lower level. The vehicles passing by on the road above could only see the shrine¡¯s roof. Shinjou sat in front of the shrine on stone steps which were chilly from the night air. As it was night, there were no playing children around and the air chilled her skin. She figured it was about time Sayama would leave UCAT and return to the school dorm. He ate dinner at eight, so he always returned by that time. The only exceptions were when he met Shinjou Sadame at UCAT and ate dinner there. Because she was currently here, he would definitely return to school by eight. ¡°¡­¡± Travelling from Okutama to Akigawa took an hour and a half by bus and train. To return by eight, he would have to head for Okutama Station from UCAT at just past six. Earlier, she had seen the roof of the IAI bus pass by on the road above. It had been headed north, toward the station. That was the most likely bus for Sayama to have been on. Once another bus passed by, she would return to UCAT. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I slept at UCAT.¡± A nap room at UCAT was Shinjou¡¯s ¡°home¡±. But she did not have much there at the moment. ¡°Setsu took it all with him.¡± She held her own body while thinking. She thought about how she did not want to see Sayama and what Kashima had said. ¡°What will I choose¡­?¡± She bent forward while thinking. She placed her chin on her raised knees and swept sand off the stone steps with both hands. And then she realized something. ¡­I want to choose, but I¡¯m afraid to. Would she continue with her lie or would she stop? ¡°It scares me¡­¡± She raised her head from her knees and sighed. Suddenly, a bus passed by on the road above. It was the IAI bus. Was Sayama on that bus? ¡°If so, it¡¯ll pull into the station.¡± It stopped. ¡°And he¡¯ll get out.¡± She recalled Sayama¡¯s brisk actions. He would make his way into the station only a few seconds after disembarking the bus. As she pictured the scene in her head, she smiled bitterly and muttered to herself. ¡°This is goodbye, isn¡¯t it?¡± She stood up, brushed off her butt, looked around again, and realized the darkness had deepened. The only light was coming from the incandescent lights on the shrine¡¯s grounds. She began walking. As the slight night wind washed over her, she silently descended the stone stairs, left the shrine¡¯s grounds, and climbed the slope next to it. As she headed for the shrine¡¯s entrance, she heard the whistle of the train leaving the station. Past some external lights, she saw a line of lights moving quickly through the darkness of the mountain. As the train travelled along a raised structure, it headed east toward the city of Tokyo. Sayama was likely on that train. ¡­He left without ever knowing I was here. And that thought brought something else. ¡°Uuh¡­¡± she groaned. For some reason she suddenly stopped walking and strength gathered below her mouth. ¡°What am I¡­?¡± What am I doing? she belatedly thought. She recalled what she had been doing all day. ¡­And yet he is always looking out for me. ¡°I¡¯m running away because I¡¯m too scared of the answer I might get¡­¡± That thought seemed to hit her head hard. Her stomach felt heavy and her vision grew distorted. She felt heat gather at the corners of her eyes, she let out another quiet groan, and she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Checking her sleeve told her that her eyes had been a bit damp. Why had they been damp? Ahh, I¡¯m completely hopeless, she thought when she realized why. She held something so heavy in her heart. ¡°And yet I¡¯m avoiding Sayama-kun.¡± She was not trying to speak with him. In front of the training rooms, Kashima had told her to choose, but Sayama had already left. ¡°It¡¯s all because I lied¡­and ran away.¡± As she spoke, an unexplainable feeling squeezed at her chest and began to grow stronger. She could not stand it, so she moved beneath a large cedar tree at the shrine entrance. ¡°Why was I so afraid of Sayama-kun that I chose my lie?¡± She began shedding tears as if providing a release for the painful feeling welling up within her. A sob escaped her lips and she frantically wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket. But as more and more tears appeared, she was unable to keep up. She had no choice but to place the sleeve over her eyes and cover her face. As if blocking her vision had been a sign, her shoulders began to tremble and her breathing grew erratic. She cried. She began coughing and could not form words, so she thought. ¡­Sayama-kun. I really do want to see you. She thought it was silly to think that now, but a scratchy voice finally escaped as she thought about the fact that he had left. ¡°I want to see you.¡± ¡­This is what I really think. What would he say to her if she did see him? When he asked her something, how would she respond? She did not know. She simply wanted to see him. It scared her, but she did. ¡°Hyah¡­¡± The tears showed no sign of stopping, so she gave in to the crying. While the desire to see him and the knowledge that she could not mixed together, she tried to lean against the trunk of the cedar tree. She wanted something to support her. And¡­ ¡°Shinjou-kun.¡± The voice she heard caused her to tremble and stop breathing. In Shinjou¡¯s teary vision, she saw a boy and an old man backlit by the outdoor lights. While holding a sake bottle, the boy approached from the sidewalk in front of the shrine. Shinjou defensively held up her hands at chest level, but¡­ ¡°Sayama-kun?¡± She did not step back. She only asked the question filling her mind. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What a silly question, Shinjou-kun. You wanted to see me, did you not? Would you like to join us? I was on my way to eat dinner at run-down Hiba-sensei¡¯s wonderful dojo.¡± ¡°Mikoto, I think you mixed up your descriptions of me and the dojo.¡± ¡°Sensei, listen carefully. Appearance is not what matters with people. It is first impressions that matter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the same thing, you fool.¡± Sayama ignored Ryuutetsu¡¯s opinion and held his left hand out toward Shinjou. Shinjou stared at his hand and took in a breath. Her trembling lips moved a few times and she breathed out. ¡°Why are you here¡­?¡± ¡°Because you wished for it and I wished for it,¡± he said as the wind brushed through his hair. ¡°If you are feeling pain and I wish to protect you, I will protect you. If you do not wish to be alone and I wish to speak with you, I will speak with you. If you have decided you wish to carry your worries alone and I care for you, I will leave you to be on your own. If you do not wish to be here and I wish to do what is best for you, I will hate you.¡± And¡­ ¡°If you wish to grow closer to someone and I see you, I will stand by your side.¡± He kept his hand held out toward her. ¡°How does that sound?¡± But she did not answer by taking his hand. What she had thought she had lost now stood before her. That fact eliminated her fear. She let out a voice that split through the night sky and she leaped toward his chest. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Sayama firmly caught her. All she could do was shed tears, cling to his chest, and speak. ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­¡± She breathed in and repeated her confused thoughts. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lie¡­¡± Her hands scratched at his suit, shirt, and vest and she pressed against him. ¡°But¡­but¡­ If you learn my lie¡­you¡¯ll hate me¡­ That scares me¡­¡± She sobbed as she breathed in and out. ¡°Both Setsu and I are important.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Setsu is the same.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°B-but Setsu keeps causing trouble for you. He can¡¯t be with you, but he wants to be.¡± She did not know what to do. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do¡­ I don¡¯t know and it scares me!!¡± ¡°I see,¡± he said and reached his hands around to her back. He embraced her awkwardly at first, but then adjusted his grip as if making sure. As strength entered his arms, she heard a bottle breaking at their feet. The old man to the side let out a dismayed cry, but they both ignored him. ¡°I want to be with you¡­¡± Shinjou¡¯s heavy breathing struck his chest and tears spilled from her eyes. ¡°I want to be with you¡­¡± She could tell Sayama had nodded. But he said nothing in response. He only patted her back lightly with his left hand. He repeated the action again and again as if telling her to calm down. And for some reason, she felt the excess strength leave her own body. She slightly loosened her grip on him and her tears slowed. There may have been something nostalgic about the patting on her back. It felt like nostalgia for part of her own past that she did not remember. She heard his pulse through the ear pressed against his chest. The sound was slightly hastened but still calm. She matched her breathing to his and relaxed further. She was exhausted. The weariness rose from the bottom of her body. The sudden tired feeling seemed to fill the core of her mind. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I only ever cause trouble for you¡­¡± He only replied once she said that. He gave a confident nod and spoke. ¡°That is not true.¡± Just as he had in the past, he denied her words. She did not know how to respond. Should she smile or shake her head? Before she came to an answer, she lost consciousness in his arms and toppled over. A large, white space was filled with several large machines. This was the 3rd Production Room. A single red-hot sword sat in front of the large, flat work table in the center of the room. It was a thick blade with a length of over two and a half meters. It was named Futsuno. Futsuno was split in two. The hilt and blade were broken and separated. That damage had been caused by an accident during an experiment. A single man wearing a work uniform stood in front of Futsuno¡¯s broken form. He was Kashima. But he was facing forward rather than at Futsuno. He was facing the 3rd Production Room¡¯s entrance. He was watching five younger people in identical work uniforms. ¡°Now then,¡± he said to them. ¡°We have completed the first stage of the repairs. It does not need to be hammered out any more with a chisel, so we will now re-carve the name that the sword lost when it was broken.¡± A chubby young man with short hair asked a question. ¡°Manager, we have the frame for the Cowling Sword, but when will we make the cowling to regulate and direct the power?¡± ¡°An excellent question, Katori. But we do not need one for Futsuno.¡± Everyone else gasped. ¡°B-but a concept weapon like that would be too dangerous.¡± ¡°The danger is determined by who uses it. When someone¡¯s life is taken, do you blame the weapon?¡± One of the others began walking toward Kashima. The young man was named Mikami and he had a sharp look in his eyes. ¡°I am opposed to everything that is going on in here.¡± ¡°Are you? Why?¡± Kashima casually nodded toward Mikami and the young man¡¯s eyebrows formed a harsh look. ¡°You are being conceited. You assume we are on the side of justice and that it is acceptable for us to wield destructive weapons.¡± ¡°Wow. That¡¯s quite something,¡± said Kashima in a sarcastic tone. Mikami glared at him for an instant. But he quickly turned toward Futsuno and spoke. ¡°Powerful weapons can become tools of killing depending on who uses them.¡± ¡°Hmm. I suppose that¡¯s true.¡± Kashima relaxed his shoulders. ¡°But what if the weapon you create can¡¯t stop our enemies?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°What will you do then? Will you blame the weapon? Of course not. The blame lies with us, the ones who created the losing weapon.¡± The others frowned when Kashima said ¡°us¡±. As they all watched him, he looked down at the ring finger and little finger of his own left hand. ¡°It¡¯s quite something, but there is justice there.¡± ¡°Where!?¡± ¡°In the trust. But not the trust in the weapon¡¯s power. The trust between the one who made it and the one who wields it. For example, Atsuta has promised me he will not kill.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Swords are swords and people are people. Weapons exist to fulfill their role as weapons. Am I wrong?¡± He took a breath. ¡°Do not fear your power, do not fear your weapon, and do not feel overly proud of either one. We create weapons. Our thoughts are transferred to the blades and reach the ones who wield them. So gather your beliefs as you forge the sword and only hand it to someone you can trust. If you do that, they will exhibit only the power we want.¡± Kashima took a step back and approached Futsuno and the shimmering of heat rising from it. He then looked toward Mikami and the others. As he nodded, he looked at the collection of machines behind the others. They were machine tools and heat-resistant equipment that they had brought in from the 2nd Production Room. Noticing where Kashima was looking, Katori tilted his head. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± His voice trembled slightly. It was a weak tremble and the ends of his eyebrows were lowered. But Kashima ignored that trembling and emotion. He replied casually. ¡°What is all that equipment for? Don¡¯t tell me you plan to use it on Futsuno.¡± ¡°But to work on the high-temperature frame, we need-¡­¡± Katori¡¯s words were cut off by a small laugh. It was not Kashima¡¯s laugh. The bitter laugh came from behind. Kashima¡¯s shoulders drooped in exasperation and he turned around. An elderly manager stood before a white plant base which was tempering metal. The one-eyed man turned his darkened face toward Kashima. ¡°That¡¯s right, Kashima. You¡¯ve gotta teach them from the ground up. These kids started down the path of swordsmithing from an intellectual standpoint.¡± ¡°What a pain. ¡­Okay, do you all understand your own name?¡± While looking at the younger men, Kashima placed his left hand on Futsuno¡¯s blade. That mass of metal was red-hot and the air above it shimmered. The five men before his eyes all gasped at his action. But¡­ ¡°Nothing happened?¡± asked Mikami with a pale face. Kashima nodded. As Mikami had said, Kashima¡¯s left hand was unaffected by the high temperature blade. ¡°We are sword gods, military gods, and swordsmith gods. You cannot be harmed by that which you are meant to use. With a block of metal that has yet to be made into a blade, you need nothing but a metal comb and chisel. In fact, even that is too much. The more you work through unnecessary tools, the more your conversation with the metal will stray off track.¡± Kashima grabbed Futsuno¡¯s broken hilt. He picked it up, spun it around, and held the hilt out toward the five of them. ¡°If you believe in your name enough to touch this, you may help work on Futsuno. Got it?¡± Volume 4, 22: Impetus to Stand Up Volume 4, Chapter 22: Impetus to Stand Up You make a decision You may have done so in conceit But that is where it begins Sayama looked up at the night sky. He was sprawled out while lying on the ground. I got my clothes dirty, he thought while standing up in his vest. Turning his head caused a dull pain. And in a lot more than one place. ¡­That shows just how many times I have been slammed into the ground. Beyond the cold air of the night, he could see the dark blue night sky and the dark shapes of the mountains. He was in the outdoor dojo located next to Hiba Ryuutetsu¡¯s dojo/home in the mountains of Okutama. The dojo was in an elevated area, so the starlight was enough to see the ground. Sayama stood up and looked over his shoulder while surrounded by the evening dew in the air. He was inside by a 15 meter square dojo made of wood. The center had been trodden down until no grass remained and an old man stood there now. He was Hiba Ryuutetsu. His red eye and white shirt showed up best in the night. His short silhouette showed he had his arms folded. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I hope you aren¡¯t going to say you¡¯re too heavy because you ate too much.¡± ¡°No, that is not it. Oddly enough, I do not remember eating much of that hot pot we had for dinner.¡± ¡°Oh? And why is that?¡± ¡°For some reason, a petty monkey came down from the mountains and ate my portion of the food. When I struck him on the temple and called him an undisciplined beast, he dragged me out here.¡± Sayama brought a hand to his chin and looked up at Ryuutetsu¡¯s face from a diagonal angle. ¡°Also, that monkey looked an awful lot like you.¡± ¡°Do you have any idea how to respect your elders?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, all the elders around me are the worst possible examples. I truly hate the elderly.¡± He looked back at Ryuutetsu and gasped. ¡°There is an elderly person right there. Could this day get any worse?¡± ¡°Okay, Mikoto. I¡¯ll kick your ass for that later, but listen up for the moment.¡± ¡°Fine then. Please speak, Hiba-sensei.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve given up fighting your mistaken politeness. ¡­Anyway, that idiot Kaoru would occasionally visit here and complain about you. At the beginning of spring in your second year of middle school, he said you got into a fight and wouldn¡¯t speak to him.¡± ¡°I was trying to study for the end-of-term exams, but he charged at me shouting ¡®revenge for the great pudding!¡¯. I merely slammed him into the counter in response. He said the pudding he had bought had vanished and we began a five hour fistfight. In the end, we discovered the guard dog Pes had eaten it. A dog that can open the refrigerator is bad enough, but I think an old man that hasty deserves to be castrated immediately. It is too late for that now, though.¡± ¡°I see that idiot never changed.¡± Ryuutetsu¡¯s comment brought a slight pain to the left side of Sayama¡¯s chest. ¡­Come to think of it, I only know that the two of them were old acquaintances. Had Ryuutetsu been a part of the National Defense Department? It is too soon to say, he thought with a bitter smile. But he should have heard my grandfather¡¯s conditions for the Leviathan Road. Those related to the Leviathan Road could not provide information on Gears unrelated to themselves. And so Sayama faced Ryuutetsu while still feeling the slight pain in his chest. ¡°Once more.¡± ¡°Are you sure this is accomplishing anything?¡± ¡°Of course. You were able to reproduce the Art of Walking just from my explanation. Merely knowing anyone can pull it off is a huge step forward.¡± This was a simple dojo without a concept space, but Ryuutetsu had merely said ¡°this is probably what they are doing¡± and suddenly reproduced the technique. On the level of perception, Sayama could see him more than with Diana or Atsuta. But it was still too much for him to react. Ryuutetsu refused to tell him how it was done. He told Sayama to figure it out on his own. That was how it always was. ¡°I would like to do this once more, even if you do not wish to.¡± ¡°You leave me no choice. But I¡¯d rather not stay up this late at my age, you know?¡± ¡°I hear your wife caught you watching adult programs late at night and threw you in the well.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. She didn¡¯t throw me in. I jumped in to escape her. It was the middle of the winter, but she still put on the lid and placed a weight on top.¡± He approached while calmly speaking. ¡°It may be a bit late to say this, but I am glad to see you are doing well, Hiba-sensei.¡± Sayama moved as well. He took the initiative and attacked. He aimed for the knees with a left kick. ¡°Would you look at that? You can give a proper greeting. ¡­But that¡¯s too slow.¡± The back of that leg was kicked out of the way. As he lost balance, Ryuutetsu charged in. Once the old man got close, he would grab Sayama¡¯s collar and throw him. So Sayama sank down and placed his hands on the ground in a sitting position. And he kicked forward with the leg that had been knocked out of the way. But¡­ ¡°You fool. I thought I taught you not to throw a straight kick if it isn¡¯t gonna hit.¡± With that comment, he grabbed Sayama¡¯s leg. He grabbed at the ankle and the back of the thigh. ¡°!¡± As if righting a log, he lifted Sayama¡¯s body using the leg. He stood Sayama up. The next thing he knew, he was standing up and Ryuutetsu stood right in front of him. ¡°How do you like that?¡± ¡°A clever trick. It makes me think you are trying to trick me into thinking you have any kind of skill.¡± ¡°You never shut up, do you? You could at least show me some respect.¡± With a bitter smile, Ryuutetsu vanished. More accurately, Sayama¡¯s eyes ceased to see him. But he could still perceive him. ¡°Listen. There is one way to defeat this Art of Walking. You need to catch on to the trick.¡± Sayama then felt someone grabbing the collar of his vest. ¡°Is this still not enough? Are you sure you were looking at that girl properly?¡± Shinjou opened her eyes in the darkness. She first noticed that she was lying in a futon and that she was wearing different clothes. She quickly sat up and the futon fell off of her. The area around her was still dark, but she could see faint pale light coming through a sliding door to the right. She was in an oblong room that had an area over 18 square meters. She had been sleeping near the entrance and the only furnishing was a partition screen covered in cursive writing located toward her feet. There was no one else in the room. Once she took a breath and looked down at herself, she found she was wearing a white yukata. The left chest of the yukata said ¡°Hiba Dojo¡±. ¡­Then is this inside the dojo? She had never been there before, so she could not say for sure. ¡°But I¡¯m hungry.¡± Her stomach felt completely empty. That was why she had woken up. Pathetic, she thought while holding her stomach. Suddenly, a light appeared to her left. The light was accompanied by the sound of a sliding screen and a female voice. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± She squinted as she looked toward the sudden brightness and she saw an old woman entering the room. She was wearing Japanese-style clothes and she held a tray with a small pot on it. Shinjou wondered who this was, but the old woman with short gray hair showed no sign of caution. ¡°I will iron your clothes, so you can wait until tomorrow morning. I was the one that changed you out of them. Kids these days certainly have nice bodies.¡± ¡°That¡­isn¡¯t true.¡± Shinjou saw the woman sit next to her and fix the futon that had fallen to her lap. After the thick futon was flattened out, the woman placed the small pot and tray on top of it. Shinjou used a pillow behind her waist to hold her in place and she looked back and forth between the tray and the old woman. ¡°U-um¡­¡± ¡­Where is Sayama-kun? ¡°If you are wondering about the young Sayama, he is practicing something with my husband in the side yard. It has been two years since he did that. He said there is someone he must defeat.¡± ¡­Oh, I get it. Sayama had mentioned he would ask Ryuutetsu about 2nd-Gear¡¯s Art of Walking. He must have been on his way there after leaving UCAT when he had come across her. ¡­I can¡¯t believe he would go ask someone for help. That likely showed how much he trusted this place. But then she remembered why she was here. ¡­I said some odd things, cried, and clung to him at the Hikawa Shrine. As Shinjou thought, the old woman opened the lid to the small pot on the tray. A lot of steam brought the aroma of bonito to her nose. ¡°Wah,¡± she said as she looked down at the pot. ¡°The others had a hot pot, so I made ojiya out of it.¡± ¡°Ojiya?¡± She saw damp, colored rice with vegetables casually thrown in. The yellow covering the surface of the rice was likely egg. ¡°It may not look pretty, but it is a type rice soup without much liquid. You can eat it and go back to sleep. I heard about you from the young Sayama. It seems he wants to speak with you about something, but you aren¡¯t ready yet, are you?¡± Shinjou thought for a moment and then nodded. ¡°I still haven¡¯t gathered my thoughts.¡± Despite saying that, she had made a decision in her heart. That decision was why she had clung to Sayama¡¯s chest. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to keep lying.¡± She took a breath. ¡°So once I calm down, I think I will reveal my lie to Sayama-kun.¡± ¡°I see.¡± With that word, a hand was placed on her head. It brushed her head. The reassuring warmth she felt through her hair seemed to push tears out of her eyes. ¡°¡­Hyah.¡± ¡°Oh, dear.¡± The old woman let go of her head and rubbed her back. The hand on her back helped calm down her sobbing breaths. ¡°I wonder if he¡¯ll hate me¡­¡± ¡°I do not know that, but I do know that you are a diligent hard-worker and that the heavens will help out people like that.¡± Shinjou smiled bitterly at that. ¡°If the tears have stopped, you can eat. And we can keep it a secret that you woke up. You can go back to sleep once you finish eating.¡± ¡°B-but I need to get home¡­¡± ¡°Young Sayama contacted someone earlier and said you would be spending the night here.¡± He had likely been speaking with Ooshiro. This relieved Shinjou a bit and she smiled bitterly again. After taking a breath, she realized there was nothing she had to do. And so she should eat. The problem would wait until tomorrow. She picked up the spoon and scooped up some slightly dry egg. She timidly brought it to her mouth. ¡°¡­Nn.¡± The surface had cooled, but the inside was warm. The flavor of the thick and moist rice had a hint of soup stock made from soft bonito. She felt soft noodles between the rice. She brought the first bite into her mouth as if searching for its identity and something like a plant stalk came apart on her tongue. Sweetness spread out within her mouth. ¡°The egg is cooked just right, isn¡¯t it?¡± Shinjou nodded and smiled a bit. She then brought another spoonful to her mouth. She decided to leave the egg for last and smiled bitterly again. ¡°Have you cheered up a little?¡± asked the old woman as she rubbed Shinjou¡¯s head again. ¡°You¡¯re a good kid. I¡¯ll tell the others you are still asleep, so sleep until morning. You will work diligently tomorrow, right? So take this time to get some rest.¡± Sayama found Ryuutetsu¡¯s comment odd. ¡°Are you saying Shinjou-kun is connected to the Art of Walking?¡± As he spoke, his body was carried forward and he heard Ryuutetsu speaking. ¡°Have you been looking at her properly?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Shut up. I¡¯m asking the question. And you¡¯re not the one to answer it. The answer will come with the result you and she reach.¡± Sayama¡¯s body was lifted up onto Ryuutetsu¡¯s waist. ¡°You are right. You are wrong in the right away. But did you properly face that girl as a villain when you made her cry? You know she was truly crying, don¡¯t you?¡± Ryuutetsu pulled him further forward and moved in to sweep his feet out from under him. ¡°Did you look at her properly just now? Did you see her true side?¡± His body was thrown up into the air. ¡°If you were being a villain properly and you were looking at the true side of that girl, you would know what it means to see things and to not see things.¡± The sensation of Ryuutetsu¡¯s grasp suddenly vanished. ¡°I did it. I pulled it off perfectly. That was an unrestrained unseen throw. Now, break through it. If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll fall on your head and die.¡± Sayama felt as if he had been thrown with all the old man¡¯s strength. ¡°¡­!¡± He could not perceive the one who had thrown him and he had even lost track of the timing with which he had been thrown. No matter how skilled his ability to land was, there was nothing he could do without that starting point. He did not understand anything at the moment. He did not know in what way he was spinning or how he would land. Hiba Ryuutetsu was a man who would truly try to finish him off. Without a doubt, this throw could kill him. So he had to see that unseen sensation. ¡°¡­¡± Suddenly, he recalled a similar situation. He recalled when Diana had knocked him flying. What had he said then? ¡°Why can I not see you even though I am seeing you?¡± He had to confront them and think about what it meant to face them. When he had faced Shinjou earlier, he had replied by embracing her. When he did, he had received her pulse, breathing, body temperature, trembling, voice, touch, and tears. And he had gathered his confidence and replied to her words. ¡­That is not true. He could not make that rejection if he was not facing her. And so he thought. ¡­We faced each other while both right and wrong. She may have been hesitating and crying in fear over a lie, but even that was right. So when was it that he would lose sight of Shinjou? ¡­She is my opposite, so it is when I am not facing her head on. ¡°It is when I have deviated from you!¡± As soon as he grew convinced of that fact, Sayama understood the Art of Walking. When he brought together the ideas of facing someone and being deviated from them, he arrived at the answer. ¡°Is that it?¡± he muttered while using all of his senses. And he saw it. He saw the state of his body. He saw the state of his surroundings. But as soon as he perceived everything, his body slammed into the ground. An elevated location was exposed to the wind of the night. It was a rooftop. Specifically, it was the top the first dorm in the row of girls¡¯ dorms in Taka-Akita Academy. Two figures stood there. One was a girl holding a mop in both hands. The other was a young man holding a deck brush in one hand. They were Kazami and Izumo wearing track suits. They two of them were currently motionless. Izumo had lowered his large body as he tried to approach Kazami. Kazami had stopped his movement by holding the mop handle out horizontally between her hands. The sudden stop of such quick actions had created a tension which hardened their bodies and repelled the surrounding wind. But Kazami finally sighed and lowered her shoulders. ¡°I¡­saw it. I was able to defend.¡± ¡°I see. So you saw it,¡± said Izumo as he stood up. He had a few fresh scrapes on his cheeks, but he smiled toward Kazami in the starlight. ¡°Well, that¡¯s the trick to 2nd-Gear¡¯s Art of Walking.¡± ¡°But, Kaku. I can¡¯t believe you managed to pull off their technique. You couldn¡¯t do it at all last night and passed out from my counter. Did you have some kind of strange revelation while asleep today?¡± ¡°No, it was last night when you were healing my wounds with that sexual-¡­gah! A-at least let me finish my joke!¡± Kazami ignored him, drew back the end of the mop, and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s stop making this difficult and keep it simple. ¡­So what is the trick to 2nd-Gear¡¯s Art of Walking?¡± ¡°Hm, well¡­¡± Izumo folded his arms and glanced over at her. ¡°To be honest, I really want to make a joke here.¡± ¡°I see. Then let me give you a useful bit of information. This roof is 16 meters up.¡± They both looked over at the fence on the edge. Kazami frowned when she heard Kaku make an indecisive groan. ¡°Do you want to make a joke that badly? Okay, you can make a small one.¡± ¡°Eh? Really? Really? Okay, I need to decide what joke to go with. ¡­Oh, I know! That one¡¯s sure to-¡­gwoh!¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough. You went over the time limit. Now give me the answer.¡± Izumo held his solar plexus and glared at her with half-lidded eyes. ¡°You want the answer? Well, it¡¯s pretty simple.¡± He stood in front of her and held his right index finger in front of her eyes. ¡°This is the center of your vision. Got it? ¡­Now watch this.¡± Without moving his finger, he slightly shifted the rest of his body to the right. He then lowered his raised finger. Kazami¡¯s eyes were not looking at the center of his body. She was looking at his side. She more or less realized what this meant, so she spoke aloud to herself. ¡°You move from their vision such that they don¡¯t notice?¡± ¡°Not just that. Basically, you deviate from all of their senses and their timing just enough that they won¡¯t notice.¡± He counted off the examples. ¡°Breathing, movements, pulse, hearing, etc. You alter each individual one just slightly. When it¡¯s all combined together¡­¡± ¡°They can¡¯t perceive you?¡± ¡°Right. The more we focus, the more we refine our senses and the easier it is for them to deviate from them. It has nothing to do with speed or strength. If you can¡¯t perceive them, you can¡¯t evade their attacks even if they just walk up to you.¡± By the time he finished speaking, Izumo was suddenly standing next to her. That was the Art of Walking. ¡°I can do this to you because of how well I know your timing. It would require a lot of training to pull it off against a stranger like Diana and it¡¯s crazy to think anyone can keep multiple people from perceiving them like 2nd-Gear¡¯s Atsuta did.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kazami nodded and the wind blew through her hair. ¡°So at your level, you can¡¯t peep on the girls¡¯ bath or enter the girls¡¯ locker room.¡± ¡°Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-what are you talking about?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to get so flustered. Something horrible will happen to you later, so calm down. Anyway, how do you plan to defeat this Art of Walking?¡± ¡°You just did it, remember? It¡¯s simple once you realize how.¡± ¡°But how well will it work in a real battle?¡± ¡°Who knows. But for the moment, this is all we have. We found this one method, so we have to cling to it,¡± said Izumo. ¡°But the Art of Walking is a sad technique if you think about it.¡± He took a breath. ¡°You can view it as a technique where you flee from your opponent and refuse to face them.¡± Volume 4, 23: Chooser of Power Volume 4, Chapter 23: Chooser of Power A question arrives It comes from the past It comes from something precious The sky was dark and the morning sun had yet to rise. However, a few lights were visible in the mountains of Okutama. Most of them were from the early risers in farming homes, but one was different. The light came from the Hiba household which had an outdoor dojo in an elevated area. The light coming from the kitchen and entrance cast two people¡¯s shadows in front of the entrance. Shinjou and the old woman from the previous night stood in the chilly morning air. Shinjou¡¯s shadow was moving as she bowed to the old woman again and again. ¡°Thank you so much for everything.¡± With a troubled expression, she held a paper bag containing the breakfast the old woman had given her. It contained rice balls and vegetables. The old woman wore a cooking apron and was smiling. She wiped her hands on the bottom of the apron. ¡°Hurry on home. You do not want to wake young Sayama, do you?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Shinjou as she remembered when she had woken up that morning. When she had first opened her eyes in the dark, Sayama had been sleeping in the futon next to hers. His neck and right shoulder had been wrapped in bandages, he had been sleeping deeply, and he had shown no sign of waking as she changed clothes. When she exited into the hallway, the old woman had stepped out of the kitchen. ¡°Um, Sayama-kun had bandages wrapped around him. Is he okay? Did he hit his head and¡­um¡­¡± ¡­I really hope he hasn¡¯t become even crazier. She was seriously worried, so the old woman had thought a bit before answering. ¡°I heard he managed to prepare for the landing, even if just barely, so I doubt he will become any crazier than he already is.¡± ¡°I see we view him the same as far as that is concerned.¡± She sighed and the old woman smiled bitterly. ¡°Well, after our chat last night, I spoke with him a little longer. Shinjou¡­Sadame-san is it? It seems there is a lot going on between the two of you. Oh, and your brother Setsu-kun.¡± The old woman¡¯s words reminded Shinjou of the past. She did not recall anything in particular, though. ¡°Yes, there really is a lot going on.¡± ¡°I hear he stuck his hand between your legs while you were in your underwear.¡± ¡°Wh-why is he so open about that!?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Don¡¯t worry about it. It is not often that he speaks about people his own age. ¡­You seem to be going through some difficulties, though.¡± ¡°I might not call them difficulties, but I definitely find new surprises every day.¡± ¡°In our opinion, it¡¯s a good thing. And we won¡¯t ask anything more.¡± ¡°Why not? Don¡¯t you want to know more about me?¡± ¡°Do you want me to ask?¡± Shinjou shook her head. She had made up her mind the night before. ¡°I will tell him myself. The old woman nodded. And her smile suddenly vanished. As Shinjou was wondering what had happened, the old woman looked toward her right hand. She asked a question with a curious tone of voice. ¡°By the way, who gave you that ring?¡± ¡°Eh? This?¡± Shinjou looked down at the ring on the middle finger of her right hand. She had a feeling it was okay to tell this old woman its origin. ¡°I¡¯ve had it as long as I can remember. ¡­I had this ring, a song, and my name.¡± ¡°How much of this does young Sayama know?¡± ¡°He knows about the ring and the song, but he doesn¡¯t know about our name. He doesn¡¯t know the truth of the names Shinjou Setsu and Shinjou Sadame.¡± ¡°The truth?¡± asked the old woman. Shinjou nodded, thought for a moment, and chose her words carefully. ¡°The thing is, my real name is not Sadame or Setsu.¡± She had yet to tell Sayama this. ¡­He will never see this unless I reveal my lie. ¡°My current name is something like an alias. Everyone would treat my true self as something special, so I was given my current name. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve never really used my true name.¡± ¡°Are you okay with that?¡± ¡°My current name is more convenient for being who I am now. That is why I¡­no, we have been lying to Sayama-kun this whole time. I have never shown him my true self. Not even once. So¡­¡± Shinjou trailed off and the old woman shook her head. ¡°Isn¡¯t young Sayama the one you should tell the rest to? This isn¡¯t something to tell an old woman like me.¡± Her scolding tone made Shinjou nod. And¡­ ¡°Do you know something about this ring?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± The old woman tilted her head with a troubled expression and chose her words carefully. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get your hopes up, so I¡¯ll say this up front: that ring is a common product someone could have bought anywhere. I just thought I could make conversation if I knew who had given it to you.¡± ¡°B-but do you know someone who wore the same ring?¡± Her question was wrapped in urgency and hope, but the old woman shook her head. ¡°I cannot talk about that so easily,¡± she said. ¡°It does not matter when, but if you ever feel like it and have the spare time, pursue that person and give it some thought. I hope that the answer you find is the same as the answer I have.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shinjou remained silent, but she inwardly hoped for the same thing. Just as a smile slipped out on Shinjou¡¯s face, the old woman nodded. ¡°But I know one thing for sure. You wish for the same type of place that young Sayama does, don¡¯t you? You wish for a place to fight and pursue yourself.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± She thought. No, she had the answer without needing to think. She had found the answer back during the battle with 1st-Gear. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve made up my mind. I will stay by Sayama-kun¡¯s side. It scares me, but I will have him choose. I will reveal my lie¡­and see which version of me he prefers.¡± ¡°Which version of you? Do you know which one he wants?¡± ¡°Yes. I know which version of me he will choose. ¡­He will choose Sadame. He will choose the girl named Shinjou Sadame as the one who will guide him to his destiny.[1]¡± Shinjou took a breath and continued quietly. ¡°I will make up for the lie I have told by going along with Sayama-kun¡¯s wishes. Lately, I have been constantly bewildered by him¡­and that helped me understand.¡± ¡°Understand what?¡± ¡°If acting according to my own convenience is painful, I should try acting against my own convenience. That is what I have decided to do.¡± Shinjou nodded. ¡°I am convinced the answer I reach like that will not be painful.¡± ¡­I am not making the wrong decision. Suddenly, she heard a motorcycle in the distance. The old woman looked up. ¡°That is our grandson. He promised to come take some of our pickled vegetables. Apparently his girlfriend won¡¯t eat breakfast without them.¡± ¡°Your grandson?¡± As the old woman nodded, Shinjou realized it was her time to leave. And so she bowed. The Hiba Dojo would cease to be a place for her and Sayama and become a place for this grandson and his grandparents. Just as she decided to leave, Shinjou belatedly realized something. ¡°U-um.¡± There was something she had to ask. She could not believe she had not already done so. ¡°I never asked for your name. ¡­Do you mind telling me?¡± ¡°Toshi.¡± Toshi-san, she thought for an instant. She felt as if a slight burden had been removed from her chest. She embraced the paper bag, took a breath, and spoke. ¡°Thank you very much, Toshi-san. The next time we meet¡­¡± She took a breath. ¡°I will have stopped lying and I will visit along with Sayama-kun.¡± There was a place the morning light did not reach. Several people slept underground in UCAT¡¯s third production room which had its lights off. Five youths in work uniforms slept around a two and a half meter sword. They were all sitting or lying on the floor as they pleased. A short distance from those five was the one person who was awake. Kashima sat next to a grinder positioned a bit away from the center of the room. He wore a lab coat over his work uniform and his stubble-covered face was turned toward the blade. The blade was floating in a fixed place in midair and it no longer had any damage or heat. The black metal had been sharpened and it produced a smooth shine. As he watched it, Kashima placed a hand in his pocket. A few seconds later, he seemed to realize something. ¡°Oh, right. I¡­ ¡°¡­quit smoking quite a while ago. Congrats, papa.¡± He heard a male voice from behind. Without turning toward it, he removed his hand from his pocket. Someone held a stick of UCAT¡¯s nicotine gum in front of his face. ¡°Atsuta,¡± he said while looking up at who held the gum. ¡°Have your memories of smoking reverted to eight years ago, too?¡± The young man in a white cloak let out a breath when Kashima took the gum. He stepped forward. That sword god would always say something unnecessary when he acted, but he said nothing now. He merely touched the blade. Kashima remembered the past as he watched the man¡¯s back, the hand touching the metal, and the legs supporting hm. ¡­This happened long ago, too. He would create a blade and this sword god would evaluate it. That had seemed to happen almost every day eight years before. At first, Atsuta had not wanted anything to do with him, but Atsuta had gradually accepted he had skill. At some point, it had evolved into their current relationship. It lasted approximately ten seconds. After that short yet long silence, the back before Kashima¡¯s eyes spoke. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± His hand stroked the blade. ¡°You¡¯re hopeless.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hopeless?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Atsuta. ¡°You go to all this effort, but it¡¯ll be obsolete once new technology comes along.¡± Atsuta¡¯s words led Kashima to realize something. Atsuta was not looking at the blade. He was turned toward the five youths sleeping around it. ¡°Now we¡¯ve become trailblazers to a certain extent. We have created 2nd-Gear¡¯s strongest Cowling Sword.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Atsuta looked over his shoulder to turn toward Kashima. He was smiling with his eyebrows bent. It was hard to tell if it was a troubled smile or a joyous one. And he asked a question with that smile. ¡°Can I use this sword?¡± Kashima nodded. ¡°Atsuta, tell me the truth.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Did I¡­do a good job?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± All doubt left Atsuta¡¯s expression. ¡°But praising you would just make you conceited, so I won¡¯t say anything more. Even these kids here turned out to be some use. But...¡± He took a breath, started to speak, and stopped to choose his words. ¡°It¡¯s a shame you can¡¯t brag about it to your wife.¡± ¡°It is,¡± agreed Kashima with a nod. He removed the gum from its wrapper and placed the thin stick in his mouth. He chewed it a few times and spoke with a smile. ¡°This thing tastes horrible.¡± The morning sun had begun to rise toward noon. In the mountains of Okutama, a single voice came from the Kashima¡¯s parents¡¯ house. The voice belonged to Natsu. She was reading a picture book. She sat on the wooden floor of the southern veranda which faced a paddy field. She wore track pants and a white T-shirt and she held Harumi. A blue knapsack she had brought from home sat next to her and it was open. Natsu held a picture book titled ¡°Yamata no Orochi¡±. As she read the book, a smile covered her face. ¡°Kusanagi was brought to heaven and it became known as Murakumo.¡± Those ending words were ones of happiness and Natsu closed the book with a smile after reading them aloud. ¡°Are you tired?¡± she asked. However, her daughter had already closed her eyes. She heard someone walking up on the tatami mats behind her. She turned around to find Kashima¡¯s mother. The old woman wore Japanese-style clothes and peered at her from behind. ¡°Should I bring out a futon?¡± ¡°Please do.¡± The old woman nodded and headed for the closet inside the house. Natsu stood up while holding her child. ¡°Um, where is father today? He did not even come out to mow this morning.¡± ¡°Oh, that old man was sulking last night because you didn¡¯t drink with him even though he made the sake. He was getting annoying and a lot happened, but I ended up throwing him in the storehouse.¡± ¡°I heard some noises coming from the storehouse this morning, but I thought it was just a cat.¡± ¡°He¡¯s quieted down now, right?¡± ¡°Yes. In fact, I do not hear any signs of life.¡± ¡°If I let him out now, he wouldn¡¯t learn his lesson, so we need to wait until noon.¡± The old woman laid out the futon. ¡°This is just the cute jealousy of an old woman. Keh keh keh.¡± As she laughed, she placed the futon in the shade but near the sun and placed a sheet over it. ¡°For one thing, you decided to only drink with Aki, right? You can¡¯t make an exception for his parents there. ¡­Now, come on over.¡± Natsu placed Harumi in the futon. She then pulled a towel from her bag, lightly wrapped it around the baby, and made sure the child¡¯s neck was sitting properly. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten good at that.¡± ¡°I had a good teacher.¡± Natsu and the old woman exchanged a slight smile. After a moment, the old woman looked outside. She looked far off in the east. The white buildings of IAI were visible on top of a mountain. If one stood in the yard on a clear day like this, one would have an unobstructed view all the way to the city. ¡°How can that idiot Aki neglect such a wonderful wife on such a nice day?¡± The old woman then looked at the two picture books on the veranda. ¡°Natsu-san, are those what I think they are?¡± ¡°Yes. My father drew those. Akio-san does not know I have them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°My mother told me long ago that he drew that series once he knew I was going to be born.¡± Natsu took a breath, looked toward Harumi, and narrowed her eyes. ¡°I thought I could understand my father a little bit if I read them again now. Both as Kashima Natsu and as Takagi Natsu.¡± ¡°Did you?¡± ¡°No. ¡­But once I return home with Akio-san, I think I will call my parents.¡± ¡°The situation with you and your parents sounds complicated.¡± ¡°It is.¡± Natsu gave a small smile. ¡°May I ask what your maiden name was?¡± ¡°Kasuga. One could say you have the protection of both the Kashima Shrine and the Kasuga Shrine.¡± ¡°Also, Akio-san has a friend who can be the Atsuta Shrine and the company he works for has the name Izumo. ¡­It may be nothing but coincidences, but with this many, it has to be a good omen.¡± Natsu turned toward the picture books. ¡°I think you would understand. ¡­We are both the princess and Kusanagi, aren¡¯t we? By marrying the bearer of power, we gain a surname and also change. And we also provide strength to the bearer.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure that works with my idiot trapped in the storehouse, but you are indeed providing strength to Aki.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. ¡­We recently ended our couple¡¯s meeting by deciding Akio-san is Yamato Takeru. In that case, who is the hero to him? Who does he see as Susanoo? And does that person have their own princess and their own Kusanagi?¡± ¡°Which one are you right now?¡± asked the old woman. ¡°Are you Kusanagi which was held by human hands or are you Murakumo which was presented to heaven?¡± ¡°I am Kusanagi. I am not Murakumo which knows nothing of the world and only acts a decoration. I am Kusanagi which cuts through the grass in the land of man.¡± She nodded. ¡°That is how I should use the power my bearer has given me.¡± A train station on the western side of Tokyo connected a few different lines. It was named JR Haijima Station. The station had four flat platforms, but few trains stopped there in the morning. The transfer between lines also required a little bit of time. The train at the first platform was on the Itsukaichi Line which headed to Akigawa. It was currently waiting ten minutes before leaving the way it had come. The smell of the ramen shop in front of the station filled the front car. A single person sat within it. It was Sayama. His suit coat was folded in his lap and he was facing forward with his elbow on the handrail. He was on his way back from the Hiba Dojo and he was as expressionless as ever. However, his face looked somehow contemplative. He had contacted the dorm earlier, but Shinjou Setsu had still not returned. ¡°He was not there when I called the dormitory leader last night either. Where has he gone?¡± He gave a discouraged sigh. Sadame likely knew where Setsu was, but she had left the Hiba Dojo before he had woken. ¡°When I asked old Toshi, she would not give a straight answer.¡± ¡­Both members of that old couple are very strange. However, he would have a definite chance of seeing Sadame today. At eight that evening, the mock battle between Team Leviathan and UCAT was being held at the Showa Memorial Park. ¡°How should I confront Shinjou-kun there?¡± Just as he started to think about both of them, Baku poked his head out of his breast pocket. The cell phone in that pocket was vibrating. Sayama stood up and exited onto the platform. As he felt the chilly air, he took out his cell phone. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Oh, S-sayama-kun? This is Shinjou Setsu.¡± Hearing that voice after so long caused a laugh to escape Sayama¡¯s lips. ¡°A call from you? How rare. Are you doing well?¡± ¡°Y-yes. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Really? Are you sure you were not actually abducted by a shady group when you left school and now they are demanding a ransom? If so, I would like to earn your praise by gracefully resolving the issue.¡± ¡°S-sorry, but I¡¯m using a pay phone, so I can¡¯t talk for long.¡± ¡°What a shame. So what do you need?¡± ¡°Well,¡± said Shinjou. ¡°I will be back at school today at 5:00 PM. Will you be in our room?¡± The mock battle in Showa Memorial Park was at 8:00. If they were to gather at 7:30, he could easily arrive if he left school shortly after 6:00, so he nodded. ¡°That is fine. Five, you said? I promise I will be in our dorm room.¡± He heard a sigh come from the phone. It was a sigh of relief. And just as Sayama wondered what that meant¡­ ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s a promise, then.¡± Shinjou ended the call. Sensing a sort of impatience from Shinjou, Sayama stared at his phone. But no further words would come from that black phone. He merely heard the bell on the platform indicating the train would soon be leaving. Notes 1. ¡ü A kanji pun that combines the name Sadame and the name Mikoto to create the word for destiny. Volume 4, 24: Murmur of Tradition Volume 4, Chapter 24: Murmur of Tradition What will be left for you? And what will you leave behind? Behind UCAT¡¯s white-walled building was a large green ground that received a lot of sun. It was a farm. A variety of plants grew there, including flowers and vegetables. One area grew vegetables in the open and another grew fruits in a greenhouse. However, all of it had been created by workers as a hobby. They had to maintain the plants on their own, so people were almost always visible there. One person wearing a lab coat sat in front of a flower bed near the forest to the west. It was Tsukuyomi. The flower bed in front of her contained a few budding chrysanthemums with the stems and leaves extending from them. She nodded in satisfaction while looking at the flowers. ¡°Dear, today is finally the day. We are having the Leviathan Road with Low-Gear.¡± She spoke quietly while pulling an old photograph from her pocket. The photograph showed a man and her while she was still young. The IAI building stood in the background of the photograph. ¡°I was the only one that knew nothing until you died in that earthquake.¡± She sounded regretful as she looked back and forth between the photo and the flowers. Suddenly, she realized someone was approaching her. The woman walking toward her wore a black suit and Tsukuyomi recognized her. ¡°Diana Zonburg.¡± Hearing her name, Diana turned around and stopped next to Tsukuyomi. ¡°I appear to be rather well known. You are the development department¡¯s director, correct?¡± ¡°Yes. Anyone at the director level would know who you are.¡± Tsukuyomi stood up and took a step back. ¡°You are the witch that forcibly reformed German UCAT back in ¡¯96. Shortly after that, Sf was created and several types of spell weapons were developed in Germany. I hear all of that was your doing.¡± ¡°Oh, my. I take it you do not know anything about me before that.¡± ¡°Before that? You mean during UCAT¡¯s blank period?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡± Diana stuck out her tongue a bit. ¡°I still have no intention of telling anyone who does not already know what happened back then. ¡­And I merely wanted to take a nostalgic walk today. Let¡¯s remain silent.¡± The witch looked down at the flowers with a smile. After seeing Tsukuyomi look at them too, she spoke. ¡°Did you plant these chrysanthemums, Director Tsukuyomi?¡± ¡°My husband left them behind. ¡­Did you plant something here long ago?¡± ¡°Yes. I planted one of those child-shaped things that yells when you pull it out. ¡­Why are you backing away?¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t many of the occult type in the development department.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Diana nodded and gave a bitter smile. She crouched down to look closer at the chrysanthemums. After a few seconds, she spoke as if asking for confirmation. ¡°A lot is going to happen today, isn¡¯t it? I am going along to inspect.¡± She took a breath and held her hands out toward the flowers. ¡°Your Gear is choosing a path it cannot turn back from. Why?¡± She was obviously testing Tsukuyomi with this question, so Tsukuyomi did not immediately answer. Tsukuyomi turned toward the back of the UCAT building past the farm and relaxed her shoulders. ¡°It seems our people have been making swords for UCAT all this time. ¡­As a descendent of the former imperial family, I have some thoughts about the destruction of 2nd-Gear.¡± ¡°As a member of the imperial family, you want power instead of peace? Is that why you have agreed to this?¡± ¡°Yes, I feel that is best.¡± Tsukuyomi smiled bitterly toward the ground. ¡°And I have to support the children who are worrying over the same thing, don¡¯t I?¡± Diana replied to her joking tone with a small laugh. That laugh sounded pleasant to Tsukuyomi. It was a decent and authentic laugh. ¡°Then watch carefully,¡± said Diana. ¡°Watch the children with the surnames Sayama and Shinjou.¡± ¡°Do you know something about those two?¡± ¡°A bit,¡± replied Diana. The warm mountain wind brushed up her hair. ¡°Someone with the surname Sayama once appeared before me. And¡­¡± As the wind blew, she paused to choose her words. ¡°During the great Kansai earthquake, those who wished to be with him chose a path that held no reward.¡± ¡°Eh? During that earthquake?¡± Hearing that question, Diana stood up and bent her eyes in a smile. ¡°That is all I can say.¡± ¡°Th-then at least tell me this.¡± Tsukuyomi could not hide her hurry to ask. ¡°The people who, like you, were with Sayama¡­ Were they happy? Even if they received no reward?¡± Diana responded with a question of her own. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you are on your way to find out?¡± She took a breath. ¡°Just like 1st-Gear did, choose a path from which you cannot turn back and then find out for yourself. Find out just what kind of villain their child named Sayama is. ¡­I hope the answer you find is the same as that of the person you care for.¡± Diana gave a slight smile and turned her back. Tsukuyomi sighed as she watched the woman walk silently away into the farm. ¡°My answer¡­¡± She looked down and saw one of the moon-like white chrysanthemums had bloomed. UCAT¡¯s design room was almost completely deserted. The clock on the wall indicated it was past noon. Everyone had finished producing weapons for the mock battle. This was the time for making final checks over one¡¯s own equipment and resting before the battle. But one man still remained within one of the partitioned spaces. It was Kashima. As always, he wore a lab coat over his work uniform, but he did not hold a chisel or a laptop. He held a bundle of Japanese paper. The paper was the contents of the thick envelope his parents had given him. He had flipped through over half of the bundle and was on his way to being done. After completing the repairs to Futsuno, he had begun checking through this without taking a rest. He had not gotten any sleep, but he was surprisingly focused. He could clearly read the list of names on the Japanese paper before his eyes. ¡°This handwriting is very tidy.¡± ¡­Was this written by Ooshiro Hiromasa who once opposed my grandfather? Two mysteries floated in Kashima¡¯s head. ¡°Why did my grandfather ask for forgiveness on his deathbed?¡± And¡­ ¡°What was in the box on Susaou¡¯s bridge that he mentioned?¡± Hoping for a hint, he was using the free time before the mock battle to work through these papers. The writing on the paper was definitely what Ooshiro Hiromasa had written sixty years before. But the handwriting looked a bit off in places. The handwriting was confident and steady, but the formation of the characters looked somehow off. ¡°Is this¡­?¡± Kashima tilted his head as he arrived at a theory. He removed his glasses and looked at the paper. In his blurry vision, the writing looked fine. ¡­Was Ooshiro Hiromasa losing his vision? He did not know why. It could have been overwork, malnutrition¡­ ¡°Or did some bright light burn his eyes?¡± Had Kashima¡¯s grandfather known about this? He gave a long sigh and sat up in his chair. He flipped another page over. Only a dozen or so pages remained in his hands. He looked over the one or two names given and repeated the process about ten more times. ¡°¡­¡± He was fast approaching the final page. It seemed to have gone by too quickly. He had not found anything of use. He nodded once while coming to a reluctant understanding. But he still resolved himself and flipped to the next page. It would be over soon. His action revealed the second to last page. He saw the name written on the white paper that had visible plant fibers. He recognized the name. ¡°Kashima?¡± The name was written in katakana. Seeing the name caused his pulse to quicken. ¡­My grandfather¡­ Hadn¡¯t he disliked Ooshiro Hiromasa, hated 2nd-Gear¡¯s full acclimation to Low-Gear, and refused to spell the name Kashima with kanji? Then why was this spelling of the name written here by Ooshiro Hiromasa?¡± ¡°Could it be that the katakana spelling was given to him by Ooshiro Hiromasa?¡± Kashima did not know. And without an answer, he flipped the page to look at the final page. He hoped for an answer there. But he did not find an answer. The final page had a name written on it. But the handwriting was not Ooshiro¡¯s. It was the messy, shaky handwriting of someone unfamiliar with the characters. And from the large X over it, it appeared to be a failed attempt. Kashima recognized the messy, shaky handwriting. ¡°That¡¯s my grandfather¡¯s handwriting.¡± Kashima looked at the name behind the X of rejection. He looked at the name his grandfather had written. The midday sunlight poured down, but there was one place it did not reach: the Kinugasa Library. It took up eight classrooms¡¯ worth of space and was located on the first floor of Taka-Akita Academy¡¯s 2nd year general school building. The walls and windows were covered by bookcases. For the All Holiday Festival, it would become a rest area during the afternoon. However, only a few people were currently inside the library. In the center at the lowest level of the stepped floor, Sayama, Izumo, and Kazami sat around a table. Piles containing hundreds of pieces of copy paper sat in front of Sayama. These were the contents of the floppy Tsukuyomi had given him the day before. He had already looked through them, but¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t. Even if the countless names are sorted by job, there are too many of them.¡± Beyond the copy paper, Kazami looked at him with a fed up expression. ¡°But you seem to be in a good mood. Did something happen?¡± she asked in a puzzled tone. ¡°Yes. Shinjou Setsu-kun will be returning this evening. To be honest, I am a bit relieved.¡± ¡°I see.¡± As Kazami nodded, Izumo held a bunny picture book far enough away to not hurt his eyes. ¡°Seeing him sleep with his eyes open is strange, but I¡¯m getting sick of the joke.¡± ¡°At least he is gradually gaining more variation.¡± ¡°Anyway.¡± Kazami tapped the documents in front of her. ¡°Ooshiro-san¡¯s father realized Yamata¡¯s true name when looking through this, right?¡± ¡°Yes, but these are the names of the countless gods making up 2nd-Gear. ¡­It is not Kusanagi or Murakumo like we expected.¡± ¡°What if Yamata¡¯s true name is one of these names rather than Kusanagi or Murakumo?¡± ¡°Then I will be roasted alive by Yamata.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kazami fell silent but shrugged in annoyance. Someone then walked up next to them. It was Siegfried. He wore his usual black vest and shirt and he placed three paper cups of coffee on the table. ¡°It appears you are having difficulties,¡± he said in his low voice. He nodded. ¡°But I cannot help you.¡± ¡°Did you only come over here to mock us?¡± ¡°I merely do not want any unneeded expectations, so I felt it would be best to remind you.¡± ¡°Thanks for the consideration and the coffee.¡± Kazami took a cup and turned toward Izumo. She then held the cup up to Izumo¡¯s ear as he slept in a perfect reading pose. ¡°I just have to bend the edge of the cup and¡­out it pours!¡± ¡°Hyoooooh!!¡± Izumo shot to his feet while holding his ear. ¡°Y-you idiot! Wh-what the hell did you do!?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have woken up otherwise.¡± ¡°Y-y¡¯know, Chisato. I¡¯m going to give you a wonderfully rich and happy life in the future, so you need to be careful.¡± ¡°Sorry, Izumo. I just checked the future with a time machine and you were living under a bridge.¡± ¡°Y-you need to bring an end to those crazy delusions.¡± ¡°Say that into a mirror next time, Kaku.¡± Kazami sighed and asked Izumo a question. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Think about what? ¡­Wait, Chisato. Cracking your knuckles like that will mess with the shape of your fingers, so you should really stop. More to the point, I¡¯m opposed to violence¡± ¡°Tch. ¡­Fine then. What do you think Yamata¡¯s name is?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it either Kusanagi or Murakumo?¡± ¡°And what do you think about the papers in front of you?¡± Izumo looked at the piles of paper on the table. ¡°They¡¯re Kusanagi or Murakumo, right?¡± ¡°Hm? What do mean?¡± asked Kazami. Izumo looked up at the ceiling and thought about what he had said. ¡°Huh? ¡­I was just making something up, but I guess it didn¡¯t really make sense.¡± ¡°U-um, Kaku? Could you try to think before you speak next time?¡± Kazami looked troubled and then tilted her head. ¡°There isn¡¯t anything weird in this coffee, is there?¡± But Sayama realized something while watching the two of them. ¡­This must be what Izumo was trying to say. ¡°So if you gather all of these countless names together, they mean either Kusanagi or Murakumo?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it! That¡¯s exactly it, Sayama! You¡¯re pretty sharp. I wouldn¡¯t expect anything less of the vice president who works under me.¡± ¡°Kazami. Afterwards, the treasurer should give a beating to the idiot who works above me.¡± ¡°Now¡¯s fine with me.¡± But Siegfried shook his head next to her. ¡°Listen,¡± he said admonishingly. ¡°People wishing for rest will arrive in the afternoon and normal library guests will come by. I cannot have the library covered in rubble and bodily fluids when they do. Take any violence outside.¡± Siegfried¡¯s instructions brought a displeased look to Izumo¡¯s face. But Sayama ignored him, folded his arms, and spoke. ¡°Going back to what Izumo said, his reasoning may have been doubtful, but his conclusion is fairly likely. The countless names may be under the control of the power held by the name Kusanagi or Murakumo.¡± ¡°Eh? But that power is the wind, right? Are they really under the wind¡¯s control?¡± asked Kazami. ¡°The wind is ever changing, Kazami,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°You mean it is in a constant state of flux?¡± asked Siegfried. Sayama nodded and spoke to Kazami and Izumo who did not seem to understand. ¡°Something with no form. Something that is always changing. That which comes and goes. The wind is a symbol of all those things. Is that not the perfect power for that which brings together all the assorted gods, including the weather and their skills?¡± And¡­ ¡°Also, the wind provides the power to increase flames and call in the rain to extinguish them. In that way, Kusanagi and Murakumo are both good terms to control Yamata.¡± Sayama thought as he looked at the piles of copy paper. ¡­Did Ooshiro Hiromasa ask a certain question when he saw all these names? What was 2nd-Gear if it ruled over all these things? That thought brought Sayama relief. They had already predicted it, but now he had support for their thoughts. ¡°But the real question is which name is the truth of 2nd-Gear. Are the countless gods of 2nd-Gear ruled by Kusanagi which travels along the earth or Murakumo which travels through the heavens?¡± ¡°In other words, are they gods or are they men?¡± asked Kazami to no one in particular. At that point, someone opened the library door and entered. The person looking around for someone was Ooki. ¡°What is it, Ooki-sensei? Have you made yet another clumsy mistake?¡± ¡°N-no, I haven¡¯t.¡± Ooki walked over with long strides and held out an envelope. ¡°The dormitory head gave me this just now. It is a personal letter for you, Sayama-kun.¡± ¡°For me?¡± Confused, Sayama took the envelope and frowned when he saw the sender¡¯s name. It said ¡°Shinjou Sadame¡±. Two people stood in the large lobby on the first floor of UCAT headquarters. One was Shinjou who wore an orange jacket, a white shirt, and a skirt. The other was Ooshiro who wore a lab coat. Ooshiro scratched his head below the painting of the Virgin Mary. ¡°2nd-Gear has begun preparing for the mock battle, so should you really be here?¡± ¡°No, I shouldn¡¯t. ¡­But I am about to bring an end to something important.¡± ¡°Bring an end to something important?¡± Shinjou nodded, lowered her head, and chose her words carefully. ¡°Setsu called Sayama-kun and told him to wait at school until 5:00 PM,¡± she said. ¡°But Sadame sent him a letter telling him to come to UCAT¡¯s rooftop at 4:00 PM so she can tell him something important.¡± Ooshiro gasped. Shinjou understood why. ¡°Yes. It takes an hour and a half to travel between school and UCAT. ¡­Sayama-kun will have to choose between Setsu and Sadame.¡± ¡°Are you okay with that?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she answered after a short pause. But she smiled while lightly pinching the edge of her skirt. ¡°I know which one he will choose.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So if he contacts you, don¡¯t let him talk to me. I want to reveal my lie once he chooses.¡± Shinjou looked further into the lobby. A red-tiled staircase was located to the side. If she climbed that staircase past the fifth floor, she would arrive at the rooftop. She muttered to herself while looking at that staircase which disappeared upwards. ¡°This is my answer, isn¡¯t it?¡± She sighed. ¡°Itaru-san took me in, but I wonder what he would think about me casting aside Setsu.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± answered Ooshiro with a sigh. Shinjou turned toward him and he looked at her with the ends of his eyebrows lowered. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look, Ooshiro-san.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± She nodded toward his disappointed look and spoke cheerfully so he would not worry. ¡°I¡¯m on my way to give my answer.¡± It was 2:10 PM. After checking Shinjou Sadame¡¯s letter in his dorm room, Sayama needed to make a decision. He had to choose between Sadame and Setsu. ¡°She wants to tell me something important, hm?¡± Sayama sighed after repeating what Sadame had written in her letter. He turned toward the empty bed. ¡°Isn¡¯t this too sudden Shinjou¡­Sadame-kun? I wanted to speak with Setsu-kun as well.¡± He reached for the desk next to the bed and picked something up. It was something Shinjou Setsu had left with him. ¡°This may be the perfect time. I will make up my mind how I will face you as well.¡± As he looked at what he held, Sayama regulated his breathing. He prepared to silently face something. And he slowly spoke a single question. ¡°Do you remember what it means to tell a story, Shinjou-kun?¡± Volume 4, 25: False Name Volume 4, Chapter 25: False Name Something you wanted to say for so long Something you have long searched for Something you have avoided for exactly that reason The setting sun illuminated a staircase. The tiles of the staircase currently held a single purpose. They carried someone up the stairs with loud footsteps. And the person producing those footsteps was none other than Shinjou. She ran up and up. The meeting place lay beyond the staircase. Her answer lay there. Her shoulders rose and fell as she gasped for breath, proving that she had been running in her rush to arrive. The hem of her skirt was a bit wrinkled and her jacket had slipped from one shoulder, but her expression retained its strength. She brushed up her bangs. ¡°Sayama-kun¡­¡± Muttering that name, she grabbed and turned the doorknob in front of her. As the door opened, she did not see the UCAT rooftop she had designated as the meeting place. It was a student dorm room. The wristwatch on the arm holding the knob indicated it was just before 6 PM. As night approached and the sounds of the All Holiday Festival could be heard in the distance, Shinjou muttered quietly. ¡°Why?¡± In the space Shinjou had opened, someone sat in a chair by the window. Sayama sat there. He faced her with a smile and with Baku on his shoulder. Seeing the smile in his almond-shaped eyes, Shinjou regulated her breathing and asked again. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why what?¡± he asked back. Shinjou stepped forward into the room and shut the door behind her. ¡°Wh-why didn¡¯t you come to UCAT? I waited for over half an hour and you didn¡¯t show up, so I-I hurried here. I could only think you were waiting for Setsu here!¡± ¡°I see. Shinjou-kun, let me ask you this.¡± He took a breath and spoke as if confirming something he already knew. ¡°Then why would I need to go to UCAT?¡± Shinjou reflexively raised both her shoulders. She clenched both her fists as they hung down next to her body. ¡°B-because¡­!¡± ¡­Why doesn¡¯t he understand? ¡°You had always chosen Sadame! I wanted you to definitively choose and decide on Sadame! But¡­but you¡­!¡± As she spoke, strength left her legs and she could no longer support herself. ¡­Why won¡¯t he give me an answer? As she thought, Shinjou slowly leaned back against the door. She almost sank down along the metal door. ¡°What¡­what am I supposed to do?¡± In her blurry and sinking vision, she saw Sayama stand from the chair. He approached. This surprised her, so she bent her waist and pressed against the door as if trying to escape. But the door remained closed. She could not escape. She merely lowered her hips and embraced her own chest while crouching down. ¡°S-stay back, Sayama-kun. Right now¡­ Right now I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°I understand. Or perhaps I should say I understand now.¡± Just as his voice came from directly in front of her, Sayama lightly embraced her. ¡°No¡­¡± He ignored her resisting voice and picked up her crouching body. She could no longer escape. ¡°Mh¡­¡± She let out a groan of protest and saw his serious expression before her. But she could not bear having him simply stare at her like that, so she opened her mouth. ¡°S-Sayama-kun? You said¡­.that you understand. What do you mean?¡± Sayama responded with a single action. He looked behind him. He looked toward the desk by the window. Shinjou also saw what sat there. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± It was Shinjou Setsu¡¯s binder. ¡°Shinjou-kun, I just read the plot Setsu-kun wrote. ¡­It is the story of an impertinent and foolish boy who negotiates and fights with the remnants of ten alternate worlds in order to fulfill his grandfather¡¯s final request.¡± And¡­ ¡°That is something Setsu-kun should not have known about.¡± ¡°S-Sadame might have told him.¡± ¡°Can you really say ¡®might have¡¯ about your own actions? ¡­But the answer is quite simple. I had thought I had cast aside all common sense when dealing with creatures like the old man and Izumo, but I am such a sensible person that I seem to have slipped up here. I must return to my initial assumption.¡± With the festival music in the distance, Shinjou listened to him speak. ¡°Shinjou-kun, you are both Setsu-kun and Sadame-kun, aren¡¯t you?¡± Sayama looked at Shinjou who was in his arms and between him and the door. She did not answer his question. She remained motionless and stared back at him with wavering eyes. Her silence and motionlessness eloquently gave him his answer. She was saying his statement was accurate. ¡­But I will not receive an immediate answer no matter what I ask now. And so he attempted to embrace her further. He wanted to check on a certain fact. As he drew her closer, Shinjou drew back. ¡°S-stop. I-I¡­¡± ¡°As your opposite, I can only view those as words of approval.¡± ¡°Eh? Um¡­ Th-then go right ahead.¡± ¡°Gladly.¡± ¡°Waah!¡± Shinjou cried out in protest as Sayama held her close. Her chest pressed against his and he found the answer he wanted. The body pressed against his was that of Shinjou Setsu. ¡°D-do you understand now? You can¡¯t do this, Sayama-kun. You can¡¯t do this with a guy¡­¡± ¡°Then when can I do this?¡± After some slight hesitation, Shinjou answered. ¡°When I become Sadame. ¡­So decide. All sorts of people have looked at me funny in the past, but which one will you choose?¡± Shinjou went on to clearly speak about herself. ¡°I live alternatively as Sadame and Setsu, so I will match the other to the one you choose.¡± Shinjou¡¯s hesitant words were accompanied by a look that said ¡°I finally said it.¡± Sayama nodded toward her uneasy expression. He spoke to her again as if telling her to calm down. ¡°Shinjou-kun, I am willing to give you an answer, but may I ask you something first?¡± ¡°Wh-what?¡± ¡°You said you live alternatively as both, but what do you mean by that?¡± After a short delay, she nodded and answered. ¡°I can¡¯t change at will. My body changes between them on its own. I¡¯m Setsu right now, but I will become Sadame after a while. So¡­¡± She tried to say ¡°decide¡±, but she fell silent and trembled slightly. She was trembling in fear. That drove home the fact that she was telling the truth. And so Sayama gently patted her back while embracing her like he had done on that night. ¡°I see. And because of that, you think I will choose Sadame-kun?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. That would be normal, right? Setsu would just cause you problems. So I made up my mind this morning. If you choose Sadame, I will act like a girl from now on.¡± She gave a resigned smile. ¡°And Sadame can stay with you as long as the Leviathan Road lasts.¡± I get it now, thought Sayama. Her thoughts were based in consideration toward me. He was a boy, so she would act accordingly. ¡°I see. Shinjou-kun, let me say one thing before I give my answer.¡± He had something to say to her once more. ¡°You are right.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Sayama spoke to her surprised face. ¡°Your choice was right. You suppress yourself, but you hurt no one. And you keep you and your surroundings from changing.¡± Sayama tilted his head. ¡°But if you do that, how am I supposed to do something wrong as a villain? You said this just now: Sadame can stay with me as long as the Leviathan Road lasts. But that means something else as well. If I choose Sadame, I can only see you during the Leviathan Road.¡± Sayama recalled the misunderstandings over the past few days and the feelings Shinjou had given him. How pathetic, he thought in self-deprecation. He went on to swear never to let that happen again. ¡°I will now give my answer, Shinjou-kun. There is only one person I could possibly choose.¡± ¡°A-and¡­¡± The look in her eyes said ¡°which one is that¡±, so he immediately answered. ¡°I cannot choose Sadame-kun or Setsu-kun. I choose you, Shinjou-kun. I want you to remain as you are.¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°That sounds like praise to me. And so let me say this: today, you came to me. From now on, I too will go wherever you are. I will go there to be mistaken. And together we can be mistaken in the right way.¡± ¡­Perhaps I should not speak my feelings any more than this. Sayama moved in towards Shinjou¡¯s face. ¡°S-stop! You may be eccentric and crazy, but you¡¯ll regret this. And I¡¯ll be treated like some precious treasure like I used to be. I can¡¯t force something like that onto you. I-¡­¡± Sayama sealed her lips with his own. Shinjou swallowed her breath and weakly tried to escape, but Sayama tilted his head and would not let her escape. He used his own lips to bite sideways onto her soft and round lips. And he pulled her lips forward so that she faced forward. ¡°Nn¡­Mh.¡± They both closed their eyes. As he felt both their breaths, Sayama held her tightly. The tension in Shinjou¡¯s body did not lessen, but it did not strengthen either. He let go of her lips and felt her warm breath. Her long hair was in slight disarray. ¡°Why¡­? You¡¯ll regret this. You¡¯re kissing a boy¡¯s body right now¡­¡± Sayama ignored her and placed his lips on hers again. ¡°¡­¡± Shinjou opened her eyes but closed them again. They both took a breath and their lips separated once more. ¡°Shinjou-kun, as long as you dislike this, I will keep doing it.¡± ¡°Th-then I like it¡­¡± ¡°Then I shall give you what you want.¡± He did it a third time. ¡°Y-you¡¯re a liar, Sayama-kun.¡± ¡°I try to follow my true desires and live a modest life, you know?¡± Sayama grinned bitterly at how their actions did not suit the festival sounds outside. ¡°Now, Shinjou-kun. I would like to ask you one thing first. ¡­Would you allow me that?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± asked Shinjou with a troubled expression. ¡°If possible, I would like to see all of you once more so that I can confirm your lie.¡± ¡°You mean¡­you want to confirm that I am not just one or the other?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shinjou blushed and hung her head down. But she finally swung her head down slightly. She nodded. On the roof of UCAT¡¯s white-walled building, two people stood below the twilight-covered sky. The people who wore all black were Ooshiro Itaru and Sf. Sf looked at Itaru. He was looking toward Tokyo to the east. ¡°Itaru-sama, I have determined that we need to leave for Showa Memorial Park soon.¡± ¡°Do not rush things. For once, I am lost in emotion.¡± ¡°Tes. I have determined that this is a rare case. Should I take a commemorative photograph?¡± Itaru turned around to find Sf had set up a large camera. ¡°Tes. Say cheese. ¡­What is that look for, Itaru-sama?¡± ¡°Should a German machine really use the English word ¡®cheese¡¯?¡± ¡°I am made to global standards. That does not include the north, however. But¡­¡± Itaru sighed and spoke what he had predicted she was going to say. ¡°Shinjou has become a boring person, too.¡± ¡°She was here for a while, but she quickly grew tired of it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Itaru nodded and looked up at the stars visible in the sky. ¡°In the end, she left to create meaning for herself. She has opposed fate and met Sayama.¡± As he spoke, smoke rose into the air and a flash blinded him. ¡°Tes. I took a photograph. I determined that expression was worth capturing on film.¡± Before Sayama¡¯s eyes, Shinjou sat on the bed with her skirt and socks removed. The ends of her eyebrows were still lowered, but her face was red. ¡°Please take care of the rest¡­¡± With that said, she slowly tumbled back onto the bed. She placed the pillow under her head and clasped her arms below that. She lightly raised her right knee and intertwined her legs, but she could no longer hide her body with her arms clasped beneath the pillow. Sayama¡¯s only obstacles were the shirt and white panties she wore. He nodded and leaned forward over her body. Shinjou gasped in response. He stroked her head to calm her down and kissed her once. This produced a pale smile. After seeing her nod, he placed his fingers on the shirt below his eyes. He rested his left elbow on the bed and used the hand to stroke her head. Meanwhile, his right hand undid the buttons. ¡°You can see now, can¡¯t you?¡± As the white cloth opened, her pale flesh became visible underneath. Her slender and delicate white body was covered in sweat and it rose and fell as she breathed. The damp sweat reflected the room¡¯s light and it had been produced by more than just her run here. Sayama¡¯s gaze started at her navel which trembled as she breathed and then moved up in a line. It stopped when their gazes met. With a serious expression, he tried to tell her to calm down. ¡°You are wonderfully erotic, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what you¡¯re supposed to say here.¡± ¡°My apologies. It seems my mind superseded my words.¡± As he spoke, Sayama¡¯s hands approached Shinjou¡¯s last piece of clothing. He looked toward her and she gave a blushing nod while almost entirely closing her eyes. He nodded back and lowered her panties to her knees. With a quiet shriek, she drew her body back on the bed. She tried to press her knees together, but her panties had already passed that point. Sayama twisted the panties around her ankles and off of her toes. ¡°Ah.¡± With a look of surprise, she saw her panties in his hands. He folded them and placed them on top of her skirt. ¡°Now, Shinjou-kun, please spread your legs. I want to see clearly if you are currently a boy.¡± ¡°U-um, Sayama-kun. Once you see that I¡¯m a boy¡­¡± ¡°This could become troublesome, so let me say this up front: I was not kissing Setsu-kun or Sadame-kun earlier. I was kissing you, Shinjou-kun. ¡­How about we put it to the test here? Let us see whether I regret it or not.¡± Shinjou lowered her eyelids slightly, strength left her eyebrows, and her lips moved. ¡°¡­¡± She spread her slightly raised elbows and fully exposed her face. At the same time, she relaxed her stiff knees and spread them. She exposed her body. Her shirt was hiding her shoulders and arms, but her chest was exposed. Her legs spread apart as if creating a mountain to the left and right. ¡°Can you see me now?¡± ¡°I can.¡± ¡°W-well? Do you suddenly regret kissing me just now?¡± ¡°Not at all. I apologize for not living up to your expectations, Shinjou-kun.¡± Shinjou provided a single reaction. She let out a breath and all strength left her body and expression. Tears welled up at the corners of her eyes and she spoke in a trembling voice. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°According to the alarm clock by the bed, it is 5:58 PM. The festival outside should end soon.¡± ¡°Then it shouldn¡¯t be long,¡± said Shinjou in a relieved voice. And Sayama suddenly noticed a change. The air around them moved slightly. It was as if a gentle breeze was whirling around the two of them. ¡°What is this?¡± As he looked around, he saw a change in Shinjou¡¯s expression. She gave a satisfied smile. ¡°Watch, Sayama-kun. Since you did not regret your decision, I want you to see my lie.¡± As she spoke, the wind came. Along with the wind, something like white mist rose around her body and she closed her eyes. Sayama watched as her sweaty body seemed to waver a bit below the mist. ¡°Your body¡­¡± Shinjou¡¯s body changed. It was not that it gradually transformed. It looked more like it had been swapped out. The change happened in an instant. By the time Sayama took in another breath, the gentle wind and thin mist had vanished. Only Shinjou¡¯s sweat-covered body remained before his eyes. But this was not a boy¡¯s body. The chest of this girl¡¯s body swelled up. Just as he heard the announcement of the end of the day¡¯s festival, Shinjou¡¯s lips uttered the words that indicated everything about herself. ¡°This is Sadame¡¯s body, Sayama-kun.¡± As all sound vanished from outside, Shinjou was painfully aware that she was revealing everything about herself to Sayama. She wondered what she was doing and she wondered if this would be the end of it all. ¡°Do you understand? This is why I am pursuing my parents. I don¡¯t know what Gear I am from.¡± ¡°Do you change sex at a set time every day?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ It is usually between 5:30 to 6:00 both in the morning and evening. That¡¯s why I am always a boy when taking a bath in the evening.¡± ¡°You always did that?¡± ¡°Yes. I would always take a bath and then wait in the dorm bathroom until the change happened. After eating dinner, I would be a girl, so I was really surprised when you got in bed with me before. ¡­It wasn¡¯t easy. To make sure you wouldn¡¯t catch on, I would go to the bathroom. Ooshiro-san and the others would send airplanes and helicopters flying around to create an alibi.¡± Also¡­ ¡°In UCAT, I wore female equipment even as a boy because only Sadame was part of UCAT.¡± ¡°I see. But why were those adults so intent on hiding this?¡± ¡°I think they like making a big deal out of everything. ¡­I¡¯m thankful, though.¡± There was something else she had to say. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for deceiving you. This is my lie. So¡­¡± Her voice trembled. ¡°You can do with me as you wish.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°You remember, don¡¯t you? You¡¯ve saved my life twice. Once when we first met and once when we faced Fafnir Custom.¡± And more importantly, he had also saved her with his will and attitude several times. ¡°Sayama-kun, I have no right to complain even if you kill me, so I won¡¯t be able to stand it if you don¡¯t do with me as you wish. Even if you deny me, hate me, or hold a grudge for deceiving you, I will bear with it. Whether as Sadame or Setsu, I will act in accordance with your choice.¡± After all¡­ ¡°That is just how much I want to be with you.¡± Those words brought sudden tears to her eyes. She had resisted this far, so why were they flowing out now? She did not like how it looked like she was asking for pity. And then she heard him speak. ¡°Shinjou-kun, let us settle this in a simple manner. ¡­Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± ¡°I am not choosing Sadame-kun or Setsu-kun. ¡­I am choosing your true name. I want to be with your true self.¡± Those words caused her to tremble. Sayama nodded when he saw her expression. She guessed it was one of surprise. ¡°The girl Sadame-kun and the boy Setsu-kun were names separated to make life here in Low-Gear more convenient. You should have an original name that your parents gave you. ¡­That is why I would like to ask your name.¡± ¡°Y-you can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°My true name¡­would be a bad omen for you. I can¡¯t tell you such an ominous name just before we go to fight 2nd-Gear where names have power.¡± ¡°I do not care. Tell me. I will not agree to anything else.¡± Sayama¡¯s tone was one hundred percent serious, so Shinjou swallowed her trembling breath and made up her mind. ¡­Fine. I¡¯ll reveal everything. That boy wanted the true form of her that not even she had been willing to accept. Shinjou spoke before she could try to oppose that thought. ¡°Sadagiri.¡±[1] She took a deep breath. ¡°The name that cuts life from destiny.¡±[2] ¡­Why do I have this name? Cutting life from destiny makes it sound like¡­ ¡°I will probably bring an end to your life, Sayama-kun.¡± But his answer was different. ¡°You are wrong, Shinjou-kun.¡± He smiled, brushed his hand through her hair, stroked her head, and spoke with strength in his tone. ¡°I do not believe in destiny. So you are the person who cuts away the bonds of destiny, freeing my life.¡± His words were followed by a lowered kiss that she accepted. After a few seconds, he slowly removed his lips and pressed his cheek and ear between her breasts. ¡°Ah.¡± Shinjou shrank back, but she was unable to keep him from hearing her heartbeat. Is it beating fast? He¡¯ll probably realize how nervous I am, she thought. ¡°Sadagiri-kun, as long as this pulse and your will remain unchanged, I will continue to choose you.¡± Sayama nodded at his own comment and stood up. ¡°Now that this is mostly settled, let us check on the situation.¡± ¡°The¡­situation?¡± asked Shinjou. She looked at his and her own body and he nodded as she looked at him. ¡°You are in quite a dangerous state, Shinjou-kun. Your legs are spread most wonderfully.¡± ¡°Ah! N-no, this is..um¡­I-I¡­!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Is this what I think it is? That phenomenon where the most serious people head down the most eccentric paths when they do not know what to do? You need to keep your composure, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re the eccentric one!¡± Shinjou pulled her arms from under the pillow, covered her face, and closed her knees around him. ¡°S-Sayama-kun, move¡­move out of the way. I-I can¡¯t close my legs.¡± ¡°Calm down, Shinjou-kun. If you did that, I would not be able to see this any longer.¡± ¡°Y-you need to calm down. Um? Y¡¯know, Sayama-kun? I know that you are always completely crazy while looking perfectly calm, but you need to calm down a bit now.¡± ¡°I see. Izumo or the old man would be one thing, but it sounds almost persuasive coming from you.¡± ¡°R-right? So take a deep breath and practice moving aside.¡± Sayama took a deep breath and then moved both of Shinjou¡¯s legs to either side. ¡°N-no!! Wh-what are you doing!?¡± ¡°Is this not what you meant?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask that with such a serious look on your face! Please just think normally for once.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± After he had thought for a few seconds, panic filled Shinjou¡¯s face. ¡°Th-there¡¯s no hope! You¡¯ve probably gone well past normal by now.¡± ¡°Why are you so skeptical? I was merely thinking of a normal way to spread your legs.¡± ¡°Not even your base assumption is normal¡­¡± ¡°I see. Then may I do one sensible thing?¡± ¡°Eh? I suppose s- No, wait! I can¡¯t agree to a meaningless question based on your definition of sensible! Nothing good has ever come of that combination!¡± ¡°What a troublesome person. Are you aware that people like you make everything needlessly difficult?¡± ¡°Sayama-kun, do you ever have any thoughts about your own actions?¡± ¡°I am always thinking about myself. ¡®I am wonderful,¡¯ reports my brain. What more do I need?¡± Shinjou turned to the side with a cold smile on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone but me could fix this¡­¡± ¡°Then I will not hold back.¡± ¡°I said no. Were you even listening to- What are you doing!?¡± ¡°Exactly what you wanted. You asked me to do with you as I wish.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± said Shinjou as her expression stiffened. ¡°Um, I-I may have said that. But now that I have calmed down, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°My personality is not between my legs, you know?¡± ¡°True, but do not worry. Finding empathy in all things is an important trait. If I try, even the space between your legs is no excepti- Gwoh!?¡± After she forced a knee up and into his gut, Sayama doubled over. ¡°A-an excellent attack. Heh heh. I see you are showing no hesitation, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Now that you know I can attack from this position¡­wh-what will you do?¡± ¡°I merely wish to check on one thing,¡± he said. Shinjou frowned. ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°What is there to think about? You must only ask me what it is.¡± ¡°Yes, but asking you that is like taking a flying leap onto a nuclear landmine.¡± She thought. ¡°I-it¡¯s fine as long as it¡¯s nothing inappropriate.¡± ¡°Then there is nothing to worry about.¡± Sayama took a breath and smiled. ¡°Is it true that you do not have a perio- gfh!¡± ¡°Has the Japanese dictionary changed since last time I checked?¡± ¡°I-I have a feeling Japan¡¯s communication has grown quite a bit more direct. At any rate, Shinjou-kun, this is important. Stop glaring at me with those half-lidded eyes. Listen. If what you said before is true, I cannot embrace you yet.¡± ¡°Eh? W-wait a second. There¡¯s a lot I want to ask about¡­but what do you mean by ¡®embrace¡¯?¡± ¡°An imagination is vital for a human being, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Y-yes, but¡­you feel about me that way?¡± she asked while hiding her chest and the area between her legs with her hands. ¡°But you said you can¡¯t do it. Is that because of how I am?¡± ¡°No. It is a simple matter. Sexual intercourse can affect the balance of growth in an undeveloped body.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°For example, a certain boy had intercourse while very young and this caused him to grow.¡± This was an event from the past. ¡°It stopped at a point, but the insides of his bones were unable to keep up. During a certain sports competition, his fist broke when it struck his opponent and he still has phantom pains when he clenches his fist.¡± ¡°¡­Does that boy regret it?¡± ¡°No. But he feels there is no reason to rush things.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shinjou nodded. ¡°But I might never have a period. I might always be a half-formed person like this. It seems UCAT knows of no race that matches my condition.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then we do not know if you will ever have a period.¡± Sayama touched her navel and she gave a light gasp. ¡°But you said you feel a weight in your stomach once a month. It is possible your desire to avoid your condition is stopping your body from functioning properly. Do you also have nothing while you are Setsu-kun?¡± After thinking for a moment, Shinjou nodded. But then she tilted her head with a troubled expression. ¡°Do boys have a period too?¡± ¡°It would be fairly horrifying if it gushed out once a month, but there is something similar.¡± Shinjou started thinking and slowly nodded a few times. But then her expression suddenly brightened. ¡°So if I accept my body¡­?¡± ¡°It is possible your period and the like will appear. So how about you continually try some actions that will convince your body? We can see what happens from there.¡± ¡°But what kind of actions would those be?¡± ¡°It is a simple matter. Merely explore your own body. ¡­You can do that on your own I assume.¡± ¡°Eh? On my own? D-do what on my own?¡± Sayama mentally tilted his head at her confused question. ¡­Do not tell me she is completely ignorant of this. He wondered what this meant, but he was not entirely sure he should ask. ¡°Shinjou-kun, how were your grades in health class?¡± ¡°I-I never had anything like that. I¡¯ve spent all my time in UCAT facilities. I would sometimes see some amazing things in magazines people left behind, though.¡± ¡°It seems your education skipped a few steps. So does that mean you do not know about any of this?¡± ¡°R-right. I know a bit about how a baby is made, but is there something more than that?¡± ¡°There is. For both boys and girls.¡± Shinjou blushed when she heard that. ¡°So there is,¡± she muttered before tilting her head. ¡°Th-then will you teach me?¡± ¡°Are you fine with me teaching you that?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t have anyone else to teach me.¡± ¡°Then I will- gwoh!! Wh-what was that for?¡± ¡°S-sorry. I didn¡¯t like the look of the refreshing smile on your face. ¡­Oh, but you will teach me those things, right?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°You look incredibly happy. Are you aware what you look like right now?¡± Shinjou sighed and relaxed her shoulders. ¡°I will trust you, Sayama-kun. But that means I will be causing you a lot of trouble.¡± ¡°No need to worry. I have little experience myself, so I eagerly await working with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I agree with that last part¡­but I¡¯m really sorry.¡± She nodded. ¡°Once I learn some things, I can return the favor, so will you forgive me?¡± ¡°I think you will regret saying that once you learn what you are talking about, but I am perfectly okay with it. I look forward to it.¡± ¡°Eh? L-look forward to what exactly?¡± ¡°Let us both give this our all.¡± ¡°Um, uh, well¡­¡± Shinjou looked fearful, but then she turned to the side. ¡°U-um, it¡¯s already 6:30. W-we need to get to the Showa Memorial Park.¡± ¡°You are right. We must hurry. Yes. We must hurry and finish up here.¡± ¡°Ah! Stop! Wh-why are you spreading my legs!?¡± ¡°In all things, the beginning is important, Shinjou-kun. I cannot have you changing your mind later. ¡­Do not worry.¡± He took a breath and smiled. ¡°I am nervous as well. I would like to hear your pulse. How about you, Shinjou Sadagiri-kun?¡± ¡°W-well¡­¡± She thought. ¡°Yes.¡± Shinjou relaxed her body in resignation. She blushed, looked toward him, and spoke quietly. ¡°Please teach me so that I can be who I truly am.¡± The Showa Memorial Park had a large parking lot to the south. Several disguised UCAT transport vehicles were parked below the mercury lamps illuminating the night. The vehicles formed a semicircle to prevent anyone on the outside from seeing them. Several people could be seen in the light. Two groups of about one hundred had formed separate large circles. The people forming both circles wore the same white and black outfits. But different atmospheres hung over the two groups. The circle further in and nearer to the center of the park was made up of people with the distinctive traits of the Japanese. They quietly checked over their guns and swords and looked like they could take action at any moment. The closer circle had no common traits. The people¡¯s races were all different and their actions were different. Some prepared equipment, some spoke to each other, and some ate. And one person was quite angry. ¡°Ahhh! Where is that idiot Sayama!?¡± Kazami¡¯s loud voice filled the air. She sat at the meeting desk in the center of the circle. She already wore her combat uniform, as did Izumo next to her who ate an okonomiyaki on a stick that he had bought at a mobile food stand. ¡°Well, he wouldn¡¯t try to run from the fight, so don¡¯t panic.¡± ¡°B-but it¡¯s already 7:20. The mock battle is about to begin. Director Abram called out to me in his role as referee and I didn¡¯t know what to say.¡± ¡°Sibyl is contacting him. Also, Doctor Chao and those four elderly brothers are prepared to go get them, so just wait a bit. ¡­Ah.¡± Izumo looked to the side. ¡°Eh?¡± Kazami looked over as well with her mouth hanging half open. And then he stuck the okonomiyaki into her mouth, stick and all. ¡°If you¡¯re impatient, just eat something and calm down. You haven¡¯t been eating recently because the school band¡¯s costume shows your midriff, right? You don¡¯t have enough nutrients for your brain. And if you keep it up, your tits will shrin-¡­gahh!?¡± After kicking him away as hard as she could, Kazami sighed. She ate about half of the okonomiyaki and then pulled it from her mouth. ¡°Honestly, this puts me at 300 calories over my daily limit.¡± ¡°I think you just more than exceeded your daily limit of violence. Anyway, are you going to eat the whole thing?¡± ¡°Is that a problem? ¡­Wait, this has an egg in it. That¡¯s another 100 kilocalories!¡± ¡°Chisato, you need to do something about that habit of getting yourself worked up. Also, you shouldn¡¯t calculate your calories in kilo units. That gets you into the hundreds and thousands before you know it.¡± ¡°Is there a better way of doing it?¡± ¡°Think of it in mega units.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had 1800 kilocalories today, so¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s 1.8 megacalories. You feel lighter now, don¡¯t you!?¡± ¡°What good is it if it¡¯s only how you feel!?¡± As she sent a barrage of blows at him, Sibyl approached. Her golden hair swayed among the ring of people who had gathered around them at some point. ¡°Chisato-sama, I have word from Sayama-sama.¡± ¡°He¡¯s here!?¡± ¡°No, he is not. I was concerned, so I called his student dormitory.¡± ¡°He¡¯s still there!?¡± ¡°No, I just spoke with the dorm head and it seems he just left.¡± ¡°What is he, a soba delivery boy!?¡± ¡°Chisato-sama, your blood pressure appears to be a bit high.¡± ¡°Uuh¡­¡± Kazami flinched back. ¡°Sorry. Yelling at you isn¡¯t going to help.¡± ¡°Chisato, why are you acting so much different than with me?¡± Kazami ignored him. He started to pretend to cry, but she ignored that as well. ¡°Anyway, does that mean he¡¯s definitely coming?¡± she asked Sibyl. ¡°Yes, and it seems Shinjou-sama is with him. The two of them will certainly be here.¡± ¡°That is good to hear,¡± said a female voice. Everyone turned toward the voice which came from beyond the crowd. An elderly woman wearing a white combat cloak stood in the gentle night breeze outside the circle. The crowd split apart and she appeared while holding a black leather case. Sibyl was the one who spoke the woman¡¯s name. ¡°Director Tsukuyomi.¡± ¡°Yes. More importantly, are you ready?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Kazami scratched at her head. ¡°Sayama and Shinjou have yet to arrive, but they do seem to be on their way.¡± ¡°But he will be here, won¡¯t he? So what should we do? Do we wait?¡± ¡°That will not be necessary. We can continue on,¡± said a male voice within the crowd. A white-haired man in a black suit and a white-haired maid appeared between Tsukuyomi and Kazami. The man arrived in the circle using a metal cane and his eyes smiled behind his sunglasses. ¡°Let us begin the Leviathan Road. I, Ooshiro Itaru, use my authority as Team Leviathan¡¯s supervisor to proceed without those two team members.¡± ¡°Y-y¡¯know¡­¡± Just as Kazami frowned and turned toward Itaru, Itaru¡¯s maid silently stepped in front of her. She shook her white bangs once and looked up at the girl. ¡°If you need something, I will take care of it.¡± ¡°Call him an asshole.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf bowed and pulled a paper card from a hidden pocket in her skirt. She also pulled out a small stamp and used it on the card. ¡°Thank you for using my services. I have recently begun using this point card, so please present it to me next time. If you collect twenty points, I will buy a can of coffee for you.¡± ¡°I guess an unbelievable master would have an unbelievable maid.¡± ¡°You honor me with your praise. According to the standards of German UCAT¡¯s development department, you have moved up one place on my internal priority list and Izumo-sama has fallen three. Two more lost places and Izumo-sama will be disqualified.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. Why am I so low?¡± Sf and Kazami both ignored him. Sf handed her the card and moved back to Itaru. Kazami looked at the card and saw the stamp was a super-deformed version of Sf¡¯s face. What is this? she thought with a sigh. She looked around and spotted Diana in the crowd as well. She wore a black combat outfit and she waved when she noticed Kazami looking at her. ¡°That huge-breasted foreigner might be smiling, but she¡¯s inspecting us,¡± commented Izumo. ¡°I think that was two kinds of discrimination at once. ¡­But what do mean she¡¯s inspecting us?¡± ¡°The foreign UCATs don¡¯t like that Japan is taking the leading role in the Leviathan Road. She¡¯s looking for some reason to interfere in the Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°You mean that was German UCAT¡¯s intention all this time?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why they agreed to take in 1st-Gear. French UCAT is acting pro-Germany to share in the benefit. American UCAT is working with British UCAT to find some way of influencing us. ¡­Then again, it seems that woman has a hidden reason for being here beyond inspecting us.¡± He took a breath. ¡°At any rate, Sayama and Shinjou not arriving on time and what happens in the mock battle are going to reach the other UCATs through her. We need to be careful.¡± What a pain, thought Kazami. She looked over again, but Diana was already gone. The woman¡¯s pleasant smile and Izumo¡¯s warning filled her mind and she wondered which one was true. ¡°They¡¯re probably both true.¡± When she had joined their training, she had indeed provided a hint concerning 2nd-Gear¡¯s Art of Walking. It might make her na?ve, but Kazami decided to trust her. ¡°But she really is inspecting us, so we need to stay focused.¡± Kazami turned toward Tsukuyomi. The woman put her hands on her hips and smiled, so Kazami put as much strength into her gaze as she could. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s begin. You can decide on the rules.¡± ¡°The rules are simple. We will enter the concept space on the southeastern side and you will enter on the southwestern side. The first one to reach Susaou in the center and acquire Totsuka from its bridge will be the winner.¡± ¡°If we win, will you accept all of Low-Gear¡¯s demands?¡± ¡°Yes. But even if we win, we will not really demand anything.¡± Tsukuyomi nodded. ¡°This may seem like a meaningless battle, but it will set some things straight. It will make us rethink what it means to be the people of 2nd-Gear.¡± She looked around for a moment. ¡°It is a bit disappointing that your negotiator is not here. ¡­Is UCAT Director Ooshiro not here either?¡± Next to Itaru, Sf turned around in response to that question. ¡°It seems Kazuo-sama left UCAT not long ago. He says Sayama-sama contacted him, so he prepared Georgius and a few other things before leaving.¡± ¡°Oh? So he is coming. And with Georgius, hm?¡± ¡°You know about Georgius, Director Tsukuyomi?¡± asked Kazami. ¡°I know that we know nothing about it.¡± A smile appeared on Tsukuyomi¡¯s lips. ¡°That¡¯s an idea. If you win, the development department will investigate Georgius free of charge. How does that sound? We might learn something about it.¡± Notes 1. ¡ü A kanji pun. Destiny(Sadame + Mikoto) has the character for life(Mikoto) cut(Setsu) from it to make Sadagiri(Sadame + Setsu) Volume 4, 26: Beginning of the Confrontation Volume 4, Chapter 26: Beginning of the Confrontation Let the festival begin The sky and moon are excellent tonight And an excellent will blows through The chilly night wind brushed across Okutama. Below the moon, occasional houses produced light along the wind-filled mountains and forests. One of those houses was the Kashima household. It bordered a stepped paddy field and bright light fell on its yard. That light illuminated a single figure walking away from the porch. The figure wore a lab coat. He was Ooshiro Kazuo. He held something under his right arm. It was a bottle wrapped in brown paper. He lightly tapped the bottle with his right hand and turned a smile toward the porch. ¡°This was a nice thing to receive. And we should be able to meet our opponents¡¯ demands. ¡­Thank you.¡± Sitting on the porch was an elderly man in a running shirt and work pants. He was Kashima¡¯s father. He held a cigarette in his mouth. ¡°Hah. You can take it. It¡¯s my payment for talking about old times for so long. More importantly, are you still up to no good, you perverted old man?¡± ¡°I see you¡¯re still as nonchalant as ever, you eccentric old man.¡± ¡°Heh. Nothing good is gonna come from a meeting between a man from the first naturalized generation and a man born during the war. You didn¡¯t even come to my old man¡¯s funeral.¡± ¡°Yeah, but you had decided not to have anything to do with UCAT.¡± Ooshiro¡¯s sulking comment produced a shushing noise from Kashima¡¯s father. Ooshiro turned a questioning gaze toward him as he looked into the house. ¡°Aki¡¯s wife is here. She doesn¡¯t know about UCAT, so don¡¯t speak so loud. In fact, get out of here. If possible, just disappear altogether.¡± ¡°I kind of want to stick around and see what lies you use to introduce me.¡± ¡°Wa ha ha. Is that so? Then I¡¯ll say you¡¯re a new kind of panty thief and throw you in the storehouse.¡± ¡°Being thrown in storehouses has been my special skill since I was a kid. ¡­More importantly, what kind of person is Akio-kun¡¯s wife?¡± ¡°Excuse me while I go call the police. I need to report a pervert who¡¯s after someone¡¯s young wife.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Kashima. Turning yourself in is always the best choice. The holding cell is cold this time of year, so I might bring you something hot to eat.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be the one in the cell, you stupid old man! And how do you know the cells are cold!?¡± This time Ooshiro shushed Kashima¡¯s father. Kashima¡¯s father clicked his tongue and Ooshiro sniffed a bit. ¡°Something smells good. Is that fuki tsukudani? If so, your main dish tonight must be fish or beef. You might add tofu too.¡± ¡°Stop trying to guess what we¡¯re having for dinner. Our miso soup has nappa cabbage in it, but we aren¡¯t giving any to you, so leave.¡± ¡°Hmm. Can I say one thing?¡± Kashima¡¯s father¡¯s expression said ¡°what?¡± and Ooshiro pointed at him with a serious expression. ¡°A stingy old man like you must not have any friends.¡± ¡°Unlike you, I have friends in the neighborhood association! I¡¯ve heard all about you from Aki. He says you spend all your time in your room playing pornographic games. He¡¯s worried you might not be right in the head.¡± ¡°Ah! He¡¯s leaking our secrets! Anyway, how did you respond? You¡¯re not letting him know you know me, right?¡± ¡°While pretending not to know you, I told him this.¡± He took a breath. ¡°Aki, trust in your first instincts.¡± ¡°How could you tell him that!?¡± ¡°Shut up, idiot. Just get out of here. And don¡¯t you dare come back until my funeral.¡± ¡°Y¡¯know, we are childhood friends. Doesn¡¯t that normally lead to a cruel but devoted marriage?¡± ¡°Hey, wife! This old man is trying to force me to do gay things with him.¡± ¡°Okay, your wife is legitimately scary, so I think that¡¯s my cue to leave.¡± Despite his words, Ooshiro smiled as he stepped from the light and into the darkness. ¡°It¡¯s nice having a conversation like this after so long. My work has been a bit too cement-like lately.¡± ¡°Are you talking about my old man? Aki¡¯s been busy lately too.¡± ¡°That would be classified information, but I can tell you this is something important to your father and to Akio-kun. And it will probably be important to Akio-kun¡¯s wife as well.¡± After a short pause, Kashima¡¯s father nodded. ¡°Probably so. Aki has already decided to continue with UCAT.¡± ¡°Yes. Despite everything that happened, he ended up with a nice wife. I can hear two people cooking. Which one is your wife?¡± ¡°The aged noises would be my wife. ¡­Not that you can really tell. Since they got married, Aki¡¯s wife has come here a lot to learn how to cook.¡± Kashima¡¯s father gave a quiet laugh. ¡°She would tell Aki someone had left her with some extra tasks at work and then come here every day. At first, she didn¡¯t even know how to wash rice, but that idiot Aki thinks she was an excellent cook from the get-go.¡± ¡°So she¡¯s good at beneficial lies.¡± ¡°How was it with you? You have a kid, right?¡± ¡°He¡¯s hopeless.¡± Ooshiro waved a hand back and forth. ¡°But there are certainly some interesting people other than him. I¡¯m on my way to meet them now.¡± ¡°Are they an interesting group?¡± ¡°Yes. They are terrible at lying. They can¡¯t even make the beneficial lies. ¡­That¡¯s why I hope they can get along with the people who can.¡± Ooshiro turned to the east. From the high position of that yard, he could see a sea of lights beyond the mountains to the east. The gatherings of lights gradually grew denser. Starting from the west, they were Oume, Fussa, Tachikawa, and the city center. Kashima¡¯s father followed Ooshiro¡¯s gaze. ¡°Susaou is somewhere in those lights, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Ooshiro. ¡°And¡­all those lights were once lost back when we were kids.¡± ¡°They were not lost.¡± Kashima¡¯s father looked up. He turned toward Ooshiro, but Ooshiro continued looking at the night scenery. ¡°If they had been lost, they could not have returned. My father, your father, the people who died among those lights in the past, and the people who survived all made sure that they were not lost.¡± ¡°Are you sure that isn¡¯t just the sentimentality of an old man?¡± Ooshiro turned around, formed his usual smile, and raised his right thumb. ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. That¡¯s why I¡¯m on my way to meet them.¡± A group was advancing through the forest on the southern end of the concept space. The group of about one hundred wore white combat outfits and were from 2nd-Gear. Kashima was in the lead, along with Atsuta who carried the large Cowling Sword named Futsuno over his shoulder. In his work uniform and lab coat, Kashima typed on his laptop. ¡°Has the scouting unit contacted us about Team Leviathan¡¯s movements?¡± he asked while looking at the LCD monitor. ¡°Team Leviathan has set up a headquarters for their supplies and sent three units out,¡± said a voice from behind. ¡°The main unit is in the center and normal units are on either side. Each unit has about thirty members. In other words, three of their four total units are headed toward us. That is ninety people.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Kashima with a nod. ¡°It looks like they are taking this seriously even if it is a mock battle. I thought they might focus on the victory condition and send anyone who could fly directly toward Susaou.¡± ¡°If they did that, I¡¯d knock them down. Heh heh heh. I wish they¡¯d tried.¡± ¡°I really cannot understand how you think. Anyway, Atsuta¡­and Director Tsukuyomi.¡± ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± Tsukuyomi stepped up next to him with a long, black leather case on her back. She was smiling. ¡°What should we do? I expect all three of them will attack us from a distance.¡± ¡°We do not need to worry about all of them. The units on the left and right are filled with normal people. We will have their central unit advance on us and attack. And then¡­¡± Kashima glanced toward the leather case on Tsukuyomi¡¯s back. ¡°Director Tsukuyomi, please drive all four of their units, including the headquarters one, to the verge of destruction.¡± ¡°Oh, my. You¡¯re heavily relying on me.¡± ¡°You have the surname of 2nd-Gear¡¯s imperial family, so you have the greatest individual combat ability,¡± said Kashima. ¡°Mikami, Katori, you two begin exterminating the normal units to either side once Director Tsukuyomi attacks. You¡¯ve been making their weapons, so you can easily defeat them.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± replied the two young men. Kashima nodded and looked behind them. The aged managers nodded at him from further back in the unit. Those elderly soldiers were in charge of assisting Tsukuyomi and the two inexperienced young men¡¯s attacks. ¡°Okay,¡± said Kashima with a second nod. ¡°After making a quick appearance, Atsuta and I will head for Susaou and wait there. If Team Leviathan reaches us, that¡¯s fine. If the rest of you succeed, that¡¯s fine too. I hope to receive good news.¡± ¡°Do you really?¡± ¡°To receive 2nd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core and release its concepts, Yamata must be freed, calmed, and then re-sealed. I would prefer to do that after 2nd-Gear wins.¡± Kashima¡¯s serious expression turned toward the northwest. Through the forest, he could glimpse the artificial lake in the center of the concept space. The giant dark shadow that seemed to fill the night was cast by Susaou. ¡°The question is how much thought they¡¯ve given this. How much do they understand concerning the name Yamata seeks, the concept space left by our ancestors, and what it means to calm Yamata.¡± ¡°If they cannot provide the name, they will be roasted on the spot.¡± ¡°If they do not understand what it means to calm Yamata, they will be roasted despite sealing Yamata like Ooshiro Hiromasa was. But if that happens, we will protect them. We will ensure they are not burned by Yamata¡¯s flames. And we have Futsuno.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Tsukuyomi with a nod. ¡°But why ¡®they¡¯? I thought only one person would give Yamata the answer.¡± Kashima shook his head. He was certain the boy he had spoken to in UCAT would be accompanied by the girl who had trembled when facing him. ¡­Just like I have someone to support me. He had heard that those two had yet to arrive. ¡°It will probably be after they arrive that Team Leviathan will get serious. Do not let your guard down.¡± As he spoke, he heard running footsteps and a voice from ahead of him. ¡°The scouting unit has engaged the enemy!¡± He looked forward and heard gunfire beyond the forest that sounded like cloth being struck. ¡°Are those named weapons? Otherwise, they would not do much.¡± He stopped walking as he muttered to himself. As if in response, Atsuta, Tsukuyomi, Mikami, Katori, and the managers stopped as well. He thought about the solid presence behind him. ¡­So this is my conclusion. Or perhaps it was his beginning. He thought he would never truly know, but he then decided he would go find that out now. He nodded once and took in a breath. The cold air of the forest was under the effects of 2nd-Gear¡¯s concepts. ¡­But it smells no different from Low-Gear¡¯s forest air. That may have been why his parents decided to live in this Gear. But what about his grandfather? He removed his right hand from the laptop and placed it against his chest. The piece of Japanese paper his grandfather had written on was in the breast pocket of his work uniform. If he faced the past atop Susaou with that in hand, he might find an answer to his questions. He raised his right hand next to his face. ¡°Everyone! Japanese UCAT¡¯s development department will now engage Team Leviathan in combat!¡± As he faced forward, he lowered his hand and cried out. ¡°Now, awaken your surnames!!¡± In a grassy plain between forests, Izumo and the others began fighting 2nd-Gear¡¯s scouting unit. Other than their V-Sw and G-Sp2, their comrades were using weapons meant for a mock battle. The guns used mock bullets and the swords had a cowling over the blade. They still should have caused a decent amount of damage, but¡­ ¡°It looked like the manufacturing name isn¡¯t a very powerful name!¡± shouted Kazami as she swung G-Sp2. The spear had the tip enclosed in a cowling, but it still knocked over several people in its path. But the other members of the unit did not wield such great power. From the very first attack, they locked swords and were pushed back or their enemy charged in while ignoring their bullets. The reason was obvious. Concept weapons used the philosopher¡¯s stone inside to secure their own field of power. That allowed them to retain their power as a weapon under any concept. But even so¡­ ¡°The bond created by the power of names is too strong! Kaku and I are fine with V-Sw and G-sp2 because their names include the names Vajra Vritra and Gungnir, but the mass-produced weapons only have a model number for a name.¡± When a weapon with a name and one without clashed, the named one would win unless there was a massive difference in base strength. ¡°The enemy equipped themselves with that in mind.¡± 2nd-Gear was armed exclusively with customized versions of mass-produced concept weapons. They had decorations added and they all had a name engraved in them. The young man currently standing in front of Kazami held a weapon named ¡°Special Warrior¡¯s Lightning Sword¡± and it was producing small-scale lightning. However¡­ ¡°Ugh, what a pain! I just have to blow him away before he can hit me!¡± She ducked below the lightning attack and knocked him away. The sensation of that strike told her that G-Sp2 maintained its strength. And she shouted out. ¡°Everyone! Raise the output of your philosopher¡¯s stones! Turn off the usage limiter for the philosopher¡¯s stone fuel! You¡¯ll be pushed back at the normal level!¡± As she shouted, Kazami moved forward. At the moment, she and Kaku had to cut into the enemy¡¯s front line. If they could stop the enemy for even a moment, their confused comrades could recover. And so they went. She glanced over at Izumo and he nodded. ¡°After this, the enemy¡¯s main force will attack. Hurry, Chisato.¡± ¡°True. But should we really be calling them our enemy?¡± She smiled bitterly and looked forward once more. Four members of 2nd-Gear¡¯s scouting unit had backed away and taken defensive stances. The battlefield was a dirt ground with clumps of knee-high grass. She only needed to tread on that grass to advance. ¡°Kaku, you take care of the rest. I¡¯ll deal with those four.¡± Kazami whipped up the wind as she ran. Starting from the closest, the enemies were to the left, left, center, and right. They were all armed with swords. They were all prepared for her attack and they stared back at her. They had courage. She did not recognize them, so she was able to eliminate her hesitation. ¡°¡­!¡± As she ran, she targeted the first enemy on the left. The young man wore a white combat outfit and he attacked with the sword he drew from his right waist. The blade moved as if to lop off her head. But¡­ ¡°Sorry.¡± Kazami used the shield in her left hand to deflect the sword upwards. With a solid sound and a light impact, the hilt left the man¡¯s hand and the sword flew through the air. While running with her body low to the ground, she tried to jab G-Sp2 into him. Suddenly, the trajectory of the sword flying overhead changed. That white line had supposedly been knocked up into the air, but it was now falling blade-down. As she wondered what had happened, the young man gave the answer. ¡°We are sword gods!¡± He held up his empty hand and swung it down. ¡°Stab into her!¡± ¡°How na?ve,¡± said Kazami. Immediately afterwards, the butt end of G-Sp2 jabbed into the air and deflected the falling sword. ¡°You do not have enough real combat experience. There is more than one way to use a spear!¡± She used the point of her shield to knock the young man away. Her left arm felt a muffled scream and the sensation of something breaking. As the young man¡¯s body floated up a bit, she slipped past him. And then the next one came. Another attack came from the left. The power was produced by a well-built young man. He swung a long sword like it was a bat. It was a quick movement, but Kazami¡¯s gaze stopped on the blade. ¡°The blade is wrapped in water!? Please don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s called Tama-chan because it uses the water of the Tama River!¡± ¡°No. This prototype Cowling Sword uses the water of the Abukuma River! It is named Abu-san!¡± ¡°I think this goes beyond a prototype!¡± The water-wrapped blade showed its power. The water wrapped around G-Sp2 and kept it from moving. Kazami could not use her weapon. ¡°¡­!¡± That was when the third enemy approached from the front. As his sword stabbed forward, she made an instantaneous decision. She let go of G-Sp2. Her next actions happened in an instant. She used her shield to deflect the attack from the front and then rotated her body clockwise. She launched a roundhouse kick into the back of the young man swinging the water sword. Her right backhand slammed into the enemy arriving from the front. Two sounds of impact rang out. The water sword and G-Sp2 flew through the air. While continuing to rotate, Kazami caught G-Sp2. ¡°Do not abandon me,¡± complained the spear. ¡°Sorry.¡± With a bitter smile, Kazami faced forward and swung the spear. The horizontal attack eliminated the last enemy coming from the right. She looked over and saw Izumo had knocked the other enemies away and ended the battle. She let out a breath, but then she gulped. At some point, countless white figures had appeared on the vast nighttime plain. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± At least one hundred white figures stood approximately one hundred meters away on the grass. ¡°2nd-Gear¡¯s main unit!?¡± That was precisely who this was. 2nd-Gear¡¯s main force was lined up. In the center, Kazami saw Kashima, Atsuta, and Tsukuyomi. One of the three stepped forward. It was Atsuta. He held the largest Cowling Sword Kazami had ever seen. Its length alone was greater than Izumo¡¯s V-Sw. And he sang as he approached. ¡°The tuuuunaaaa of the seeeaaaaa are freshwaterrrrr fissssshhhh!!¡± His song brought looks of displeasure to the faces of the adults around him, but he did not care. He held up the sword¡¯s hilt like a microphone. ¡°The suuuuun sets over the Pacifiiiiiic!¡± Once he finished the chorus, he looked toward Kazami with a satisfied expression. A joyful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. ¡°Heh. My special performance sure attracted a lot of customers. Tonight¡¯s a good night. Now, how about another song?¡± ¡°Stop, Atsuta. You are being rude.¡± ¡°Kashima, are you betraying me?¡± ¡°I do not know how this is playing out in your head, but I will gladly bear the title of traitor if it will stop your singing.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Atsuta sighed and lightly swung the Cowling Sword up in one hand. ¡°Fine then. We can start off tonight with a single attack from the ultimate weapon me and my jolly friends created. This is the Cowling Sword Futsuno.¡± The Cowling Sword slowly cut through the wind and stabbed into the earth. In the next moment, a 200 meter square area of earth burst apart. Kazami watched the destruction of the crust. Before her eyes, the ground broke and peeled up. And it did not stop. The power of the slice created a canyon as it raced toward her. ¡°¡­!?¡± She was surrounded by the wind and noise that preceded the destruction. And riding on that momentum, the slicing attack arrived. Just before Kazami thought she was done for, a shadow stood in front of her. The shadow produced a voice. ¡°Aaaaahhhhh!¡± The shout and sound of impact produced an immediate result. The center of the slicing power was broken. ¡°!¡± It raced past on either side. The roar and destruction of the earth continued on behind her and the wind pursued it. But that was all. Once the wind died down, silence fell and Kazami looked at the shadow before her. ¡°Kaku.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Izumo¡¯s back was rising and falling as he gasped for breath. V-Sw¡¯s cowling had been driven into the ground and the console on the hilt displayed a single word. ¡°Ow.¡± Kazami smiled bitterly at that and looked around once more. The destruction of the ground around them was different from that behind them. Starting with where V-Sw had been driven into the ground, a fan-shaped area was much more lightly damaged. ¡­V-Sw¡¯s destructive power interfered with that breaking power. But Izumo did not look her way. He faced forward. She did the same and saw the white army had not moved from their position behind the destruction. And Izumo called out to them. ¡°Is that a Cowling Sword created with all the focus placed on cutting?¡± Atsuta looked up as he rested the Cowling Sword on his shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s right. Futsuno would be known as Futsu-no-mitama in this world. If you take Futsu to mean ¡®cut¡¯, it means ¡®the cutting soul¡¯.¡± Meaning¡­ ¡°In this space ruled by names, Futsuno can cut through anything. Even light and darkness.¡± Atsuta picked a stone up from the ground and threw it into the air. Once it reached a few meters up, gravity began to pull it down. It was going to hit Atsuta. Just as it started to fall, he swung Futsuno above his head and through empty air. The blade did not actually hit the small stone. But once the stone fell through the path Futsuno had taken, it moved to the right and avoided Atsuta. ¡°The stone¡­moved out of the way?¡± Atsuta explained it to Izumo. ¡°Do you get it? I cut misfortune. Swords used to be used as good luck charms because they could cut through misfortune. Do you understand? No attack can reach Futsuno and no defense works against it. If the blade can reach something, it can cut it. You need to keep that in mind, you little brats.¡± With that said, Atsuta moved back. At the same time, 2nd-Gear began to move. The vanguard moved forward and a few members of the rear guard did something else. ¡­They¡¯re flying. A few people in white combat outfits walked up into the air and into the sky as if climbing a staircase. Kazami spotted guns or bows in their hands. She made a single decision: she could not let them fly. That was all. ¡°¡­¡± So she took in a breath and bent forward. If she did not oppose them with the X-Wi on her back, they would achieve air superiority. She imagined power gathering in her shoulder blades. X-Wi reacted to her will and the movements of her muscles. It produced light. White light overflowed from the two spheres at the top of X-Wi which formed the bases of the wings. ¡°!¡± She then looked forward and froze in shock. There was a simple reason for this. She had seen a flash of light. A giant flash of light shot toward her from the front. She almost mistook it for the dragon¡¯s main canon she had seen in their battle against 1st-Gear. ¡°Wh-¡­¡± She tried to ask what it was. ¡°Get down, you idiot!¡± But Izumo¡¯s voice and hands pressed her to the ground. The next thing she knew, an overwhelming force passed by overhead and swallowed up the light growing from her back. That force was a white light. It was a large beam of light with actual mass and a radius of over three meters. The sound of the racing light was a roar in the air. The scent could only be described as white. And the impact¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± The sound of earth scattering behind her eloquently described its power. When she turned around, she saw a wide gouge in the ground and her comrades scattered everywhere. All of those who had collapsed were unconscious and not moving. ¡°Now you¡¯ve done it¡­¡± Kazami looked forward. She clearly saw one figure standing in the center of 2nd-Gear¡¯s troops. It was Tsukuyomi. She stood one hundred meters away and wore a white and black armored uniform. The elderly woman wore a white cape over her shoulders which fluttered in the wind. She held her arms toward Kazami and those arms held a certain object. It was a giant black bow encased in a cowling. The bow was over two meters long and it formed a powerful arc with no arrow in it. Tsukuyomi held the large bow. She needed to draw Team Leviathan¡¯s attention to herself. After all, Atsuta had fallen back so he and Kashima could head for Susaou. If Team Leviathan noticed them¡­ ¡­They would at least grow impatient. That was fine with her. ¡°But we need you to oppose us properly first.¡± As she spoke, she saw a boy and a girl standing on the destroyed plain. They were the Izumo family¡¯s heir and his partner. Their weapons were the Cowling Sword V-Sw and the Cowling Spear G-Sp2. Her team had created both weapons. And based on the data retrieved after each battle of theirs, neither of them was fully using their weapon. ¡­They have both used the second form only a few times and have not used the third form since the first time they used the weapons. G-Sp had not shown its third form since being remodeled into 2. That simply meant they had not met an enemy powerful enough. ¡­But they might not be using the normal forms to their fullest either. Their weapons had wills of their own. Their names were engraved on the cowling and they had fabricated memories in order to establish their wills. That had been after sealing Futsuno. After learning their lesson from Futsuno, they had spent several years attempting to create cowlings that would suppress the weapon¡¯s own power. How fully were they using these weapons with wills of their own? How much did they trust them? ¡°Perhaps I should test that here.¡± A smile naturally formed on her face and she drew the bowstring with the smile still there. She thought on how long it had been since she had last drawn this bow. ¡°This weapon was created for the Concept War and it has been passed down in the 2nd-Gear imperial family of Tsukuyomi. It is known as the Heavenly Moon Bow and my husband left it behind.¡± ¡°And that was its power you just showed us? That¡¯d probably blow through a mechanical dragon, but¡­¡± ¡°Oh, dear. The boring explanations are my job. Please do not interrupt.¡± Tsukuyomi laughed. It was a small laugh that could be called a snicker. ¡°Son of Izumo, I was merely tuning the bow just now. Think about the name I just mentioned.¡± ¡°Heavenly moon¡­¡± muttered the girl next to him. ¡°Yes. How about I tell you where the light technology used for your wings came from?¡± Tsukuyomi looked up into the sky. She looked up into the heavens were a round pale light floated directly overhead. Tsukuyomi felt it was a wonderful and pleasant light. ¡­I spend so much time underground. I need to take some time to bathe in the moonlight more often. She then faced forward and looked at the two enemies standing up front. ¡°I have been drawing this bowstring for a while now.¡± ¡°Are you saying you¡¯ve been targeting us this whole time?¡± ¡°No.¡± Tsukuyomi smiled and pointed the bow toward the sky. As she held the large arc up toward the moon directly above, she spoke. ¡°I have been gathering strength.¡± She released the string and a sound resembling a koto rang loudly through the air. The wind carried the note high into the sky. ¡°Resound, musical bow of moonlight! Clear away the misfortune we could not make use of during the Concept War!¡± The wind blew strongly through the sky and all sound vanished. In the next moment, countless small lights appeared across the night sky. That group of lights twinkled like the stars as they appeared on the concept space ceiling approximately two kilometers above. The specks of light numbered at least in the hundreds. And they all fell at once. The lights were not meteors or comets. They were giant pillars of light falling vertically down. Each one was at least five meters across and the hundreds of pillars were packed thickly together. They fell. ¡°Strike, attack of moonlight!¡± As Tsukuyomi shouted out, the hundreds of lights ripped apart the ground. At the same time, 2nd-Gear¡¯s full force moved forward to begin their own individual battles. As dust and wind burst upwards, a great noise and a tremor caused the ground to crumble beneath their feet. The pillars of moonlight poured down one after another and they showed no sign of stopping. Amid it all, Kazami and Izumo ran. They ran back in order to move away from their enemy. ¡°Fall back!¡± It was unclear if their comrades could hear them. They could see the hammer of light also striking the normal units to the left and right. As Izumo ran alongside Kazami, he would occasionally swing V-Sw overhead to slice apart a pillar of light falling toward them. They ran. They moved toward a location the moonlight could not reach. And there was only one such place. ¡°The forest!¡± They ran to the forest along the southern edge of the concept space. This was the forest they had walked through to arrive here. The moonlight avoided the forest as it fell. It was possible the shadows would weaken it. ¡­Our headquarters are beyond that forest. I hope they¡¯re okay. But Kazami could not focus on that now. The danger before her eyes took precedence. The moonlight was avoiding the forest, but that would essentially trap them there. She did not like it, but that was their only option until they could regroup. They ran. The forest was approximately one hundred meters away and she did not know if everyone could last that long. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see several other people running just like Izumo and her, but a pillar would occasionally hit them. They would then fly through the air and land sprawled out on the ground. ¡°That almost looks fun,¡± said Izumo. ¡°If you say you want to try it, I¡¯ll throw you to the ground!¡± she shouted back while still running. Their comrades who had reached the forest ahead of them were shouting their way. At first, she thought they were telling her to hurry. But then she realized they were pointing behind her. ¡°Kazami! Behind you! Behind you!¡± She turned around and saw that Tsukuyomi had fired another horizontal shot. Also, some 2nd-Gear youths were pursuing her with swords in hand. About a dozen of them were spread out in a horizontal line. ¡°Die!!¡± ¡°I thought this was a mock battle!!¡± As she cried out, the light arrived. Izumo turned around, but he was not going to make it in time. However, a shadow dashed in the light¡¯s path. No, two shadows. Kazami recognized the two people and she spoke a name. ¡°Sayama!?¡± The one shadow nodded and spoke the other name. ¡°Shinjou-kun is here as well.¡± As he spoke, Sayama pulled something from the back of his waist. It was a Japanese sword with a short, thick blade. ¡°The old man gave me this sword just now. How will a sword with a name from Low-Gear handle the moonlight!?¡± He held the sword backhanded and jabbed the blade forward. The horizontal beam of moonlight and the trajectory of Sayama¡¯s steel crossed. ¡°!¡± This produced a sound similar to a steel wind instrument being struck. The light was deflected before Sayama¡¯s eyes. The white moonlight produced spray like a waterfall and scattered. Sayama pulled back the sword which had split the moonlight and inspected its blade. It had not chipped, but he had felt a distinct impact in his hand. If he repeated the action, the blade would grow more and more bent until it was unusable. ¡­I cannot do this much. Kazami then asked a question as she ran. ¡°Where have you been!?¡± ¡°I will explain later. For now, let me say that our headquarters has been destroyed.¡± Kazami frowned and Izumo gave an exasperated sigh. While those two fell silent, Shinjou elbowed him in the side. ¡°You¡¯ll explain later? Should I really tell them my identity?¡± ¡°Yes, that should eliminate your reservations. And to help persuade them, perhaps I should be the one to tell them.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Kazami, listen carefully as you run. Earlier in my dorm room, I spread Shinjou-kun¡¯s legs to check on-¡­¡± ¡°Waaah!!¡± Shinjou let out a yell to drown out his voice. She yelled even louder than the sounds of the falling moonlight, so Kazami looked puzzled. Meanwhile, Shinjou frantically waved her hands. ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing. Nothing at all. Sayama-kun is just a little crazy.¡± ¡°R-really? Well, there¡¯s no helping it with Sayama, but make sure you don¡¯t catch his insanity, Shinjou.¡± ¡°Lately, it has become apparent that the people around me have a twisted picture of me¡­¡± Kazami and Izumo ignored Sayama as they charged ahead into the forest. But the enemy was still pursuing them. Shinjou turned toward Sayama and nodded. Strength gathered in her slender shoulders. ¡°We need to make up for being so late.¡± He took a step back as he watched the young men of 2nd-Gear approach with their swords. Meanwhile, Shinjou also took a step back and spun her Cowling Staff vertically in her right hand. The two meter white Cowling Staff was named Ex-St. She rested the bend in the center of the body on her shoulder and she grasped the staff like a gun barrel. And Ex-St began to change form. First, six button-style triggers appeared on the right side of the surface. Next, a grip stuck out on the front left. Shinjou used that grip to support the staff and hold it in place. She then looked at Ex-St¡¯s gun portion. The equipment¡¯s designated name was written on side of the white cowling. This was the second name given to Ex-St. ¡°Tiger Star.¡± As Shinjou muttered that name, the moonlight fell. But she paid it no heed. She held up the staff and stared at the enemy. One of them shouted to his comrades. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Ex-St has never produced much power!¡± ¡°True. My determination is a bit too weak,¡± muttered Shinjou. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I haven¡¯t thought of a way to fight like that!¡± How could one strengthen a weak attack? There was a single answer. She raised her five fingers over the six button-style triggers on the outer surface. ¡°Rapid fire!!¡± She snapped her wrist to the left and right while bringing her fingers back and forth over the trigger buttons. Each time she hit the buttons, a white bullet flew out. She fired again and again. The clicking of the buttons rang out almost like a musical instrument. As she surpassed sixty shots a second, Sayama let out a gasp of wonder. ¡°Shinjou-kun, where did you learn that underhanded technique!?¡± ¡°In UCAT¡¯s game caf¨¦! I don¡¯t want to break my nails, so I can¡¯t keep it up for long, though.¡± As hit piled up on top of hit, the enemy was swallowed up. And then it all exploded. A chain reaction of explosions created a giant wall of light which jutted up into the heavens. A wall of light rose into the sky. It was 100 meters long and at least 40 meters tall. It rose up like a pillar of water and it collapsed at the peak. That light was visible from within the forest. Four people watched it. They were away from the battlefield in the eastern forest. There was a small clearing there. As they watched the light scatter into the air, a female voice spoke up. ¡°Fireworks!¡± ¡°Tatsumi, those are not fireworks,¡± said Mikoku. She wore a black shirt and sipped from a paper cup. ¡°Fireworks happen during the summer.¡± ¡°Mikoku, I don¡¯t think the season is the problem,¡± said Shino in a white shirt. She held chopsticks. ¡°In fact, I think what we¡¯re doing here is the problem.¡± In front of her were a wooden table, a portable stove, a steel plate, meat, and vegetables. Beyond it all were Hajji in a black shirt and Tatsumi in an orange T-shirt and white vest. Hajji poured himself a beer and took a drink. ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing for us to do this time. Their security here has actually dropped due to the mock battle, so what¡¯s wrong with sneaking into the concept space and watching the transition? Hm? What is it, Shino? Your meat is cooked.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± After taking the meat on a paper plate with sauce on it, Shino tilted her head. Was this really a reconnaissance mission? She had her doubts, but the food would taste good all the same. Next to her, Mikoku was still looking beyond the forest. The older girl finally opened her mouth to speak. ¡°That falling moonlight was amazing. Father, couldn¡¯t we have invited 2nd-Gear to join us purely as a fighting force rather than for their development abili- That is my meat!!¡± ¡°You must not let your guard down, Mikoku. I am a philanthropist when it comes to everything but pork. Hm?¡± I see, thought Shino. This is the same as always. And so she grabbed a carrot. ¡°Did you make this sauce, Tatsumi?¡± ¡°Yes. I asked Alex for his family¡¯s recipe before. I removed some of the garlic, though.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± muttered Shino. ¡°Maybe we should have brought Alex with us,¡± said Hajji as he looked up into the sky. ¡°This place is plenty dark and spacious.¡± ¡°He can¡¯t,¡± explained Tatsumi. ¡°While his body is being messed with, he says merely touching the outside air makes him feel like his body is going to collapse. ¡­He¡¯ll probably be like that for another two months. Also, he can¡¯t eat.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, don¡¯t get so down. You eat too, Mikoku. No matter what we say, it won¡¯t change anything with him. He¡¯s working hard to be modified into the Army¡¯s greatest power, so we shouldn¡¯t complain.¡± Tatsumi threw some cooked meat onto Mikoku¡¯s plate. And Mikoku frowned. ¡°It feels inadequate without rice.¡± Suddenly, something that shined in the light appeared right in front of Mikoku¡¯s face. Shino realized it was the tip of a blade. Tatsumi was holding it. At some point, she had swapped out the chopsticks in her right hand for a sword. The tip of the white sword and a perfectly honest smile were pointed in Mikoku¡¯s direction. ¡°I apologize for forgetting that. Would you like this instead?¡± Mikoku¡¯s shoulders drooped and she started picking up the meat and vegetables. Shino smiled bitterly toward her. ¡°Not even you can stand up to Tatsumi, Mikoku.¡± ¡°Who can stand up to a female weapon who can oppose a Cowling Sword with a wooden sword? She even has Alex under her control. You could say she effectively controls all of the Army¡¯s offensive power.¡± ¡°I¡¯d appreciate if you at least said you were determined to defeat me eventually. ¡­Plus, you rely on strength too much, Mikoku.¡± The woman whose long hair had the sides brushed back smiled. It was the smile of a teacher watching over her student. At some point, she had switched back to holding her chopsticks. When Shino noticed that, she commented on it. ¡°Tatsumi, you¡¯re naturally amazing, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Thank you. My master trained me well. In the few years since I came to Low-Gear, I¡¯ve run through the mountains, swam through the rivers, and otherwise nurtured my intuition in the open world rather than in a dojo.¡± ¡°So no one can stand up to you. ¡­I didn¡¯t realize you had brought back your wild side in this modern age.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if you can call me wild or not, but I wouldn¡¯t exactly say no one can stand up to me.¡± Tatsumi used her chopsticks to pick up an onion just before it burned. She then placed it on her plate. ¡°I still don¡¯t think I can stand up to my master and others have caught up to me. For example, you have, Mikoku. Also, there¡¯s my master¡¯s grandchild and the child who treated me like an older sister for a bit. I wonder what they¡¯re doing now.¡± Tatsumi sighed and bit into an onion. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s sweet. Mikoku, stop eating only the meat and try some vegetables too. I secretly bought only well-known and expensive brands.¡± ¡°You secretly bought them?¡± ¡°Yes. I managed to get money out of maintenance and general affairs by saying we were having a secret meeting with 2nd-Gear.¡± ¡°So if I tell them negotiations with 2nd-Gear fell through, everything will be fine? Hm?¡± said Hajji. ¡°Y-you can¡¯t do that!¡± shouted Shino. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t lie! Mikoku, you can¡¯t eat this meat!¡± As Shino shouted, Mikoku used her chopsticks to stick some meat in Shino¡¯s opened mouth. Shino chewed and swallowed without thinking. ¡°Now you are our partner in crime. Hm?¡± ¡°Mikoku, if you¡¯re going to do an impression of me, you need to give a little more¡­well, you know. Hm?¡± Mikoku ignored Hajji¡¯s comment and asked him a question. ¡°Father, Susaou is in the center of the lake beyond the forest and 2nd-Gear¡¯s concept core is sealed inside Totsuka on its bridge.¡± ¡°And you are wondering why we aren¡¯t going to get it? That¡¯s right, isn¡¯t it? Isn¡¯t it?¡± As Mikoku glared silently at him with half-lidded eyes, Hajji continued speaking. ¡°That is because of Yamata¡¯s question.¡± ¡°Yamata¡¯s¡­question?¡± ¡°Yes. Yamata will only give in to one it approves of. And that is why answering Yamata¡¯s question is a gamble. If you fail, you die, but success isn¡¯t a sure thing either. Someone who gave the correct answer in the past was still burned away by Yamata¡¯s distinctive flames. ¡­If Team Leviathan can both provide the correct answer and live on, we can watch how they do it from here.¡± Hajji suddenly turned toward Shino. ¡°Am I talking too much? Well? Hm?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a good thing on occasion.¡± She then looked beyond the forest. ¡°But Team Leviathan has it tough. They¡¯re working so hard to collect the Concept Cores while not knowing what we will eventually do.¡± ¡°Well, we should probably make an appearance before too long. The Gears we are currently negotiating with and the ones we cannot negotiate with do not know what the others are doing, but their actions are meshing together well as far as I can tell.¡± He hid his mouth behind his hand. ¡°Perhaps next time. Hm?¡± Volume 4, 27: Your Name Volume 4, Chapter 27: Your Name What is good and what is bad? The answer only lies within yourself Give that fear the name of expectation Those who had escaped unharmed gathered in a small forest clearing. Including Team Leviathan, a total of approximately fifty people had gathered. Through the forest, the people of 2nd-Gear were visible in the field which had been destroyed by moonlight. But they showed no sign of moving. Both sides needed some time to regroup before they could attack or fight back. And Shinjou spoke in front of those who sat in the clearing. With Sayama next to her, she lowered the ends of her eyebrows and brought her hands to her chest. ¡°That¡¯s the truth. That¡¯s the kind of body I have.¡± So¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not telling all of you.¡± Sayama watched as she lowered her head. She is very diligent, he thought. That diligence would sometimes be a negative thing for her. ¡­But what about now? Shinjou slowly raised her head. Her slender body was examining the group. Most of those looking at her merely looked confused. ¡­That is not surprising. Shinjou had made this sudden confession on the battlefield. They would not truly understand what she meant until later. And amid those confused looks, someone stood up. ¡°I don¡¯t fully understand, but excuse me a moment.¡± It was Kazami. She pushed G-Sp2 and its shield toward Izumo and walked over. Her expression was calm and she said nothing. In exactly ten steps, she arrived in front of Shinjou. There, she sighed and lowered her shoulders a bit. ¡°Sayama, support her.¡± Her words were accompanied by a high-pitched noise from Shinjou¡¯s cheek. Sayama supported Shinjou as she trembled a bit. In the follow-through pose of a right-handed slap, Kazami spoke. ¡°That should settle that. But let me give you a piece of advice. If you apologize for something like that again, I¡¯ll slap you again. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡± ¡°¡­Are you sure that¡¯s all?¡± Shinjou¡¯s probing question produced a sigh from Kazami. ¡°Y¡¯know, our job here isn¡¯t to reveal everything about ourselves. It¡¯s up to you whether you tell us something or not. And the responsibility that brings is yours, Shinjou.¡± Shinjou did not nod or shake her head. Instead, she thought. As Sayama supported her back, he realized Kazami had glanced over at him. ¡°I of course do not have a problem with Shinjou-kun keeping silent about this.¡± ¡°See? I don¡¯t remember ever finding it to be a problem either. ¡­And if the idiot who¡¯s always with you took no damage from it, do you even need to ask those who are more distance with you?¡± Kazami turned back toward Shinjou. ¡°But you can¡¯t just apologize. You apologize when you have done something wrong. And if you apologize when you haven¡¯t done anything wrong, it means that your very existence is wrong. You told us this because you didn¡¯t want that to happen, right?¡± ¡°R-right.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s fine. Sorry for slapping you. I held back, so please forgive me.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Shinjou gave a large nod and something red dripped from her nose to her mouth. ¡°W-wah! S-Sayama-kun! Give me a handkerchief or something!¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. Shinjou-kun, you look beautiful even with a nosebleed.¡± ¡°Th-this is not the time for that! Give me something to wipe up the blood.¡± ¡°Wait just a moment. ¡­Kazami, what happened to your restraint?¡± Everyone turned criticizing looks in Kazami¡¯s direction. ¡°Eh? Eh?¡± said Kazami as all those cold eyes turned toward her. ¡°Th-that was only 1/10 of what I always use on Kaku.¡± ¡°I¡¯m always receiving ten times that?¡± ¡°Come now, you two. This is no time for a lovey-dovey couple¡¯s conversation.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing lovey-dovey about her violence!!¡± Everyone ignored Izumo¡¯s opinion. Sayama pulled Baku and a handkerchief from his breast pocket. He placed Baku on his head, used the handkerchief to wipe the area below Shinjou¡¯s nose and around her mouth, and found the bleeding had already lessened. Her expression seemed to say ¡°is it okay?¡±, so he nodded. Kazami gave a sigh of relief before speaking again. ¡°By the way, why were you two so late?¡± ¡°Well, Shinjou-kun wanted to convince me of her body¡¯s value, so she got on the bed and showed me-¡­¡± ¡°Waaaah!!¡± shouted Shinjou while grabbing his collar. Either because they had been unable to hear Sayama¡¯s words or because of Shinjou¡¯s strange shout, Kazami and the others stopped moving and turned confused looks toward them. Kazami tilted her head and spoke as a representative for them all. ¡°What? I didn¡¯t catch that. She wanted to convince you of her value, so¡­what?¡± Sayama looked at Kazami and everyone else over Shinjou¡¯s head and nodded. ¡°So I spread her-¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t tell them that!!¡± As soon as he started speaking, Shinjou shook him by his collar. As his vision shook, he had a certain thought. ¡­I see. So this is what it means to be lovey-dovey. Heh heh. I have never experienced anything like it. Flirting like your average person is¡­ ¡°Wonderful¡­¡± Bring on the lovey-dovey. Shake me even harder, he thought just before his necktie tightened. ¡°W-wait, Shinjou-kun. If you keep this up, my nirvana meter will enter the red zone!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stop those words at the source!¡± Sayama tried to stop her, but Shinjou was showing no restraint this night. Kazami nodded as she saw the look of anger on Shinjou¡¯s face and their struggle over their arms and the collar. ¡°I see. So you¡¯re in that kind of relationship.¡± ¡°K-Kazami-san, please don¡¯t make strange, indecent assumptions!¡± ¡°Sayama, do this properly, okay? She isn¡¯t used to it.¡± ¡°Do not worry. I am always gentle with Shinjou-kun. I treat everyone else equally, though.¡± ¡°S-stop making misunderstandings over my head! And Kazami-san! Why did your indecent conclusion lead you back to your original position!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said another voice. Sayama glanced over and saw Ooki. ¡°As your teacher, I cannot allow an impure relationship with the opposite sex!¡± ¡°Calm down, Ooki-sensei. Shinjou-kun is both sexes. As both a boy and a girl, the impurity cancels itself out.¡± ¡°Oh. Um¡­ Is that how it works?¡± ¡°Someone tell her,¡± whispered the rest of the group, but she did not seem to hear them. ¡°B-but I¡¯m relieved,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°I realized Setsu-kun was Sadame-san from the moment he arrived.¡± After a one second pause, everyone shouted out in unison. ¡°You¡¯re kidding!!¡± ¡°I-I am not kidding. Any normal person would have figured it out.¡± ¡°Even if a normal person would have, I still have my doubts that you would.¡± Hearing everyone¡¯s comment, Ooki proudly puffed out her chest. ¡°Heh hehn. But I did figure it out. And I never thought Shinjou-kun ¨C or would it be Shinjou-san? ¨C was causing any trouble. I even sympathized. I have to hide my ears at school, but I would tell people if I could. I have to think about the age we live in and the world we live in, but I have my own personal feelings as well. And what matters is getting those two things to mesh.¡± Sayama felt Shinjou relax in his arms. ¡°But,¡± said Ooki while obviously feeling satisfied with her previous words. ¡°Coming out and getting rid of those worries is a good thing. For example, Kazami-san has shown her violent tendencies to everyone and- Hyaaaah! That was fast!¡± A few hands reached up from behind Ooki and dragged her into the group of sitting people. Sayama ignored the screams in the background and released Shinjou from his arms. After she moved a bit away, she turned a troubled look in his direction. ¡°Was this really the right thing to do?¡± ¡°You can ask that again once we have seen the full result. The process is not over yet.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Shinjou nodded and remade her expression. That was when they heard a voice from the south where the main unit had been. Sayama looked over and saw Yonkichi running over with someone following him. He wore a flight jacket and waved his hand. ¡°W-we¡¯re in trouble, pi! The headquarters really were destroyed by the moonlight, pi! ¡­Gwoohhh!!¡± Yonkichi flew to the side for some reason. Soon thereafter, an old man in a lab coat, Mitsuaki, ran up. ¡°I apologize for our foolish younger brother¡¯s out-of-place ¡®pi¡¯ gag! H-his older brothers will severely punish him later.¡± ¡°That fascinating introduction is nice, but please get to the point.¡± Mitsuaki ran over to Sayama and slowed his pace. ¡°All of our supplies have been lost. In other words, we must fight the battle with only the personnel and equipment we have here!¡± Everyone stood up and looked over their equipment. They recalled what they had done as the moonlight fell and during the fighting just before that. ¡°We released the limiters on our concept weapons,¡± muttered Kazami. ¡°We¡¯re almost out of philosopher¡¯s stone fuel.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Chisato. The enemy got us good.¡± Izumo¡¯s complaint was followed by the remaining members of the headquarters arriving behind Mitsuaki. The people looked like bluish black shadows. They included Ooshiru Itaru with his metal cane, Sf, Diana, and¡­ ¡°Brunhild Schild is accompanying me as a special inspector from 1st-Gear,¡± explained Diana. A girl in black clothes and a three-cornered hat had a bird on her shoulder and a cat at her feet. ¡°You are the ones who spoke with the dragon of 1st-Gear, so what kind of battle will you show us here?¡± asked Brunhild. ¡°We can¡¯t exactly have you lose here. I never thought I would be attacked in your headquarters while drinking tea. I spilled my tea.¡± ¡°I see you are hoping for a tea-filled battle. That is quite appropriate for such a historic fight.¡± Sayama then saw someone behind Brunhild and the others. ¡°Old man.¡± ¡°The star player has arrived.¡± Ooshiro wore his usual lab coat and he held both a metal case and something long and narrow wrapped in paper. He raised his right thumb as he approached. ¡°I¡¯ve brought Georgius and what you asked me for, Mikoto-kun. But it looks like you are having some troubles.¡± He smiled bitterly. ¡°What happened?¡± Atsuta¡¯s voice reverberated across the still lake surface. ¡°There¡¯s nothing Team Leviathan can do now.¡± He was in the center of the concept space. Specifically, he stood on the southern shore of the artificial lake where Sayama and Tsukuyomi had held the preliminary negotiations. The thirty meter square area was created by a clearing in the forest and it was covered in weeds. ¡°Team Leviathan has stopped moving,¡± said Kashima who was there with Atsuta. ¡°That shows that the moonlight bombing hit their headquarters as planned.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t the inspectors there? Won¡¯t that give them a bad impression of us?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you would want, Atsuta?¡± ¡°That¡¯s for sure.¡± Atsuta smiled bitterly and Kashima looked toward the lake. A floating pier made from rotting wood stretched out over the lake surface. It continued to the center of the lake where a giant mass of metal stood. ¡°It¡¯s so big¡­¡± The moon provided the backlight for a five hundred meter iron giant. That was Susaou. Its arms were made quite long to help it balance while walking and those arms were held out into empty air as if carrying something. The remains of the bridge sank into the chest and the convection of the wind wrapped thin clouds around them. Kashima stared up at Susaou. ¡­I¡¯ve come here again. But would the others make it? Atsuta asked that question while casually swinging around Futsuno. ¡°Heh heh I wonder if they¡¯ll make it here. I actually have a legitimate reason to punch that guy. You just can¡¯t have a kid accepted by a grown woman. It doesn¡¯t work that way.¡± ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about, but it sounds like a personal grudge.¡± ¡°Yeah, but what¡¯s wrong with that? You need some kind of justification for fighting. This means I don¡¯t have to worry when I punch him. ¡­I think I¡¯ll sing a song once I win.¡± ¡°Sorry, but I think you should probably lose.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Atsuta spun Futsuno horizontally over his head. Darkness suddenly fell over everything below the path Futsuno had taken. It was a bluish darkness. There was only one possible explanation. Futsuno had cut the moonlight. As Atsuta stopped swinging Futsuno around, the darkness thinned and finally vanished. He then held Futsuno up and looked into the sky. ¡°I wonder how much that Sayama guy can do.¡± ¡°Are you listening? I will now give you the basic method for defeating 2nd-Gear.¡± Sayama held up two handguns. As the guns hung down from his right hand like fruit, everyone formed a semicircle and watched. He showed them the two guns. ¡°I had these handguns delivered to me on a certain condition. They are both nothing more than standard models from American UCAT. You can see that, right?¡± Everyone silently nodded. ¡°And my sword has a name. Needless to say, that name comes from someone¡¯s surname.¡± Some people in the crowd raised her hand. It was Kazami who stood with Izumo, Sibyl, and the others. ¡°But your sword cut the moonlight, didn¡¯t it?¡± she asked. ¡°Why? Even with sword names like Muramasa or Masamune, they¡¯re still just Low-Gear names, right?¡± ¡°An excellent question. I will now show you what this means.¡± Sayama tossed the two handguns into the air. And¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± With a backhanded grip, he drew the sword hanging on the back of his waist. And in the same motion, he swung it. Two sounds rang out an instant later and three objects fell to the ground. He looked down at his feet. ¡°The handgun the sword struck first deflected the blade, but the other one¡­¡± He picked up the destroyed handgun which was now nothing more than a piece of metal sliced in half. The cut was sharp and it almost looked like a sliced vegetable. But when he picked up the other one, it was unscathed. ¡°Now, does anyone know the difference between these two handguns?¡± Everyone fell silent for a few seconds. As they exchanged glances, a hand rose on the left side of the group. It was Boldman. He pointed at Sayama and the handguns he held. ¡°Sayama¡­or should I call you commander? Anyway, let me see the side of the unharmed handgun.¡± Sayama held up the left handgun. The moonlight descending through the trees illuminated the side. This revealed something there. When he saw it, Boldman let out a quick laugh. ¡°Whose gun is this?¡± His answer came from right next to him. A gray-haired elderly soldier from the standard division raised his hand. Boldman immediately looked over. ¡°What exactly is this carved into the side?¡± ¡°Chris. It¡¯s my daughter¡¯s name. She is always watching over me from heaven.¡± As everyone gulped a bit, Sayama nodded. ¡°I apologize for treating your daughter so roughly. But does everyone understand now? That is what it means for names to hold power.¡± Kazami tilted her head. ¡°So is power given by nicknames as well as the name you¡¯re born with?¡± ¡°Correct. The question is how that name is perceived. If you think about it, it is obvious. For example, 2nd-Gear¡¯s sword god is named Atsuta. The name Atsuta has nothing to do with swords, but they all perceive it as the name of a sword god.¡± ¡°Does that mean names have¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, names have two meanings: the literal meaning of the characters and the perception people have of the name itself. And in this concept space both of those meanings provide power.¡± Sayama indicated the sword at his waist and the handgun in his hand. ¡°This sword was intended to defeat evil, so it was given a name that symbolizes an evil-defeating sword. And this gun was given the name of a woman who cares for her father, so it provides protection for that father. Names are a reflection of people¡¯s feelings. A name many people care for will provide power for many people and a name an individual cares for will provide power to that individual.¡± Sayama turned toward the elderly soldier. ¡°Your daughter is indeed watching over you.¡± The old man nodded and Sayama nodded back before returning the handgun. ¡°Those of you with attachment to your weapons should trust in them. I also had the old man bring five more swords just like the one I have. Those who specialize in close-quarters combat should take them.¡± ¡°Oh, but, Sayama-kun? What are we supposed to do if we have no skills or weapons like that?¡± asked Ooki. ¡°I will explain that now.¡± He beckoned Boldman over. The crowd parted to allow the large man through and Sayama gestured for him to sit in front of him. ¡°The enemy will use the power of their names to advance on us. Tsukuyomi and her control over the moon is their cornerstone. She is their shrine maiden who can use the power of the moon and she will use that power to aid her allies.¡± Sayama saw Boldman sit. ¡°We will use a similar method. We have a certain Greek goddess.¡± ¡°Cybele. Read it just a little different and it becomes Sibyl.¡± With a smile, Sibyl spoke from next to Kazami. ¡°Sayama-sama, are you asking me to play the role of goddess in order to oppose Director Tsukuyomi?¡± ¡°Yes. And Sibyl-kun? You will also help with our equipment. If anyone has a nickname for their weapon, act as our shrine maiden and carve that name into it. And for the weapons that do not have a nickname, carve your own name to provide a goddess¡¯s protection.¡± A buzz ran through the young male personnel when they heard that. ¡°We can get Sibyl-san¡¯s signature.¡± ¡°This is great. Just great. While we¡¯re at it, I want her to sign my back too.¡± ¡°Now I want to avoid using my weapon as much as possible.¡± The men excitedly lined up in front of Sibyl. Ooshiro stood at the end of the line. ¡°Okay, this is the end of the line. Only one per person. Cutting in line gets you sent to the back.¡± As Sayama watched the people lining up, Boldman looked up at him from the ground. ¡°So why am I sitting here?¡± ¡°Oh, my apologies. I forgot to explain that. Anyway, I will start with the most important information.¡± He took a breath. ¡°We are currently surrounded.¡± Everyone gasped and looked around. The enemy was there. At some point, some figures had appeared inside and outside the forest. They formed a wide circle around the group. This was a different unit from those on the grassy field with Tsukuyomi. The groups attacking the left and right units had continued on and slowly surrounded them. ¡°It would seem the enemy has completed their preparations. I am hoping we can hurry up as well.¡± Sayama looked at the figures surrounding them. They stood in the forest without fear. ¡­How brave. ¡°But due to their history, 2nd-Gear has not realized the full possibilities of their concepts.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Everyone around him tilted their heads. ¡°What exactly is a name?¡± he asked them. Shinjou supplied an answer. ¡°It is a proper noun, isn¡¯t it? It is a noun associated with something specific. It is a type of symbol used to distinguish people and things from other people or things.¡± ¡°Yes, and that is where the problem lies. In fact, I would say there are two problems there,¡± explained Sayama. ¡°The first is quite simple, so let us test it out immediately.¡± He grabbed Boldman¡¯s head in front of him. And then he looked to the west. His gaze stopped on three figures approaching through the forest. After a moment, they stood up. Sayama estimated they were fifteen meters away. All three of them wielded swords in the darkness. Sayama used a hand to stop those who wanted to take action. ¡°Now, let us have a language lesson. Are names given only to physical objects?¡± As he asked his question, the enemies crouched down and prepared to dash forward. As soon as they took their first step, Shinjou¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°N-no! They are also given to physical phenomena and abstract theories!¡± In the very next moment, roaring voices and countless footsteps filled the forest. 2nd-Gear had begun to move. And as Sayama waited for them, he had a smile on his face. He watched the blades of the approaching enemies. ¡°Precisely, Shinjou-kun. 2nd-Gear has grown so fixated on the names they give themselves that they have lost sight of everything else. And that is why this never occurred to them.¡± The enemy left the forest and entered the clearing. At the same time, Sayama shoved Boldman¡¯s head toward the enemy. ¡°Attack names will give form to the attack itself!¡± he shouted. And then he raised his voice even further. ¡°Baldman ¨C Bald Flash!!¡± With a roar, light shot from Boldman. After a light appeared in the center of the forest and pointed to the west, its power took effect instantly. It looked less like a sphere of light and more like an expanded version of Boldman¡¯s face. The giant face made of light had its teeth bared and it expanded even further while devouring the trees, the earth, and the air. In the blink of an eye, it became an explosion of light with a radius of two hundred meters. The light sounded like spraying water. It produced enough of an impact to blow everything away. ¡°¡­!¡± The western side of the forest was blasted into the distance without time to breathe. The attacking members of 2nd-Gear were not even able to cling to the ground. The expansion of the sphere of light ripped them up and into the air. The light produced destruction. But it disappeared an instant later. However, even that slight time had been enough to leave its mark. It had whipped up a wind which rustled through the remaining trees. Below that, the crust was exposed on the ground. The people and trees that had been blown away flew into the distance in a parabolic arc. Once they landed and stopped rolling, they did not move. Everyone who saw that destruction froze in place. That was especially true for the 2nd-Gear members who were trying to surround Team Leviathan from all directions. They turned toward the source of the destruction and the whirling wind. There they saw a boy. Sayama Mikoto held the head of a large black man. Nothing was moving except for the wind and the leaves of the trees. Amid it all, Sayama turned toward his group. ¡°This was a bit of a gamble, but it appears to have worked well. It appears that it must be based on a common perception that no one can deny.¡± ¡°Y-you idiot!¡± Boldman stood up in front of Sayama. Sayama looked up at him. ¡°Hm. I am not sure why you look so angry. That was very useful, was it not?¡± ¡°Y-you may be my commander, but there are some things you just don¡¯t do! ¡­Ah.¡± Boldman¡¯s knees then collapsed out from under him. Sayama understood why the man was shaking his head in confusion. ¡°It seems using this power takes away physical strength. That may have shortened your lifespan by about 100 days.¡± ¡°Y-y¡¯know¡­ Kh!¡± Boldman tried to stand up but let out a strange cry and toppled forward. Rather than catch him, Sayama let gravity take over. As he collapsed, Kazami appeared behind him with her hand up in a chopping pose. ¡°Kaku, tie him up,¡± she said with a serious expression. ¡°We can have someone without a weapon use him.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve never seen a better living weapon.¡± ¡°But try not to fire randomly. You do not want to hit one of our own people. ¡­What is it? Is something the matter?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a joke. Can you at least say you¡¯re worried about me?¡± Some men arrived with a rope which they used to tie up Boldman and turn him into a weapon. ¡°Now, then. I am sure you have something similar in your own fantasies. As close-combat specialists, you must have given it at least some thought. You must have felt the attack you thought up is unbeatable. If you have an idea and you believe in that idea, then shout it out. If your feelings are real, the attack will follow.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Izumo as he tightened the ropes restraining Boldman. He gently grabbed Kazami¡¯s breasts so as to lift them up. ¡°Kazami Boob Bea- Gwoh!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not letting you fire anything from there!!¡± After jabbing her elbow behind her, Kazami frowned. ¡°We have weapons already, so we don¡¯t need to bother with that. ¡­Hm? What? Why do you look so unhappy?¡± As everyone nodded in agreement, the circling wind of the Bald Flash finally escaped into the sky. Sayama watched everyone as they watched the wind leave. His gaze met Ooshiro¡¯s and the old man held up Georgius¡¯s case. That was when someone raised her hand. It was Shinjou. ¡°U-um, Sayama-kun? I was so overwhelmed by the Bald Flash that I forgot to ask something.¡± ¡°Mh? What is it?¡± ¡°What is the other problem regarding 2nd-Gear¡¯s names that you mentioned? You never told us.¡± ¡°Oh, that is simple, so I was planning to explain it last.¡± Sayama nodded and looked around. 2nd-Gear¡¯s forces were beginning to move after being stopped by the previous attack. But instead of rushing in, they were now approaching slowly and cautiously. As Sayama watched them, he spoke. ¡°Think of the names Susanoo, Takemikazuchi, and Tsukuyomi. From a Low-Gear perspective, they are all missing something. Something everyone in Low-Gear has. ¡­Can you tell me what that is?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± asked Shinjou as she furrowed her brow. ¡°Think about it, Shinjou Sadagiri-kun.¡± Volume 4, 28: Song of Battle Volume 4, Chapter 28: Song of Battle Sing the war song of unavoidable conflict People stand on the battlefield of inevitability They await an anticipated answer The battle began once more. Tsukuyomi stood on the northern field in front of the forest. From there, she saw the enemy emerge from the opposite forest. They numbered about half of what they had when they had entered the forest. Sayama and his group were not among them. But they advanced with great force. ¡­They have some sort of plan. She heard their battle cries, their footsteps, and the blowing wind. Riding on the momentum of those three noises, the white combat uniforms clashed once more. With the protection of their concepts, 2nd-Gear had the upper hand. But something bothered Tsukuyomi: the boy and girl who had charged into battle earlier. Sayama and Shinjou. Especially¡­ ¡­The way Shinjou used Ex-St. According to the records, she had never used the full ability of her Cowling Staff. Ex-St would remove its limiter in accordance with its user¡¯s will and it would even destroy itself with its maximum power. That wall of light had not been the weapon¡¯s full power. ¡°But that was different from normal.¡± What had she done? Tsukuyomi knew the answer: she was beginning to accept her own will. It was the same as a newborn animal becoming aware of its own body and standing up to get a closer look at its parent¡¯s face. ¡°Perhaps we should view this differently.¡± I just hope this decision isn¡¯t too late, thought Tsukuyomi as she spoke to the managers around her. ¡°Everyone, move forward!¡± Many male voices let out a cry in response. Forward. They would tread on the grass and go forward to the land the moonlight had fallen on. As they advanced, their vanguard collided with the enemy on the other side of the field. As Tsukuyomi watched, she saw something odd. ¡°Light?¡± It was the enemy. 2nd-Gear had supposedly exhausted the enemy¡¯s weapons and cut off their supplies, but they were firing light, darkness, flames, and ice. As she tried to remember if they had ever created weapons like that, an elderly manager spoke from next to her. ¡°To me, it looks like they are firing strange beams from their hands, feet, and eyes.¡± A closer examination showed most of the projectiles were coming from Ooshiro Kazuo. While striking strange poses, shouting strange things, and smiling, light shot from his hands and feet. He would even summon a strange black shadow from his laptop screen which would blow away his enemy. ¡°Wa ha ha ha ha ha ha! Take this! Miyoko¡¯s Wrath!¡± Tsukuyomi did not hesitate to fire moonlight at him. This produced an explosion, but¡­ ¡°Miyoko Barrier!¡± A dark dome appeared in the field and an unharmed voice came from within. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, Director Tsukuyomi!? This is my youth!!¡± Once Tsukuyomi realized her words were not going to reach him, she fired more moonlight at the barrier. ¡°You are an embarrassment to Japan!!¡± She fired five times in a row. The third shot shattered the barrier and the fifth struck him. For some reason, the old man looked delighted as he was blown away. And so she fired another shot. Light exploded out and the surrounding people let out a cheer. But Ooshiro quickly stood back up and threw his arms into the air. ¡°St-stop that! Is it that fun blasting me across the field!?¡± ¡°Try acting your age, UCAT Director Ooshiro! Your son is going to throw you to the ground again!¡± Tsukuyomi¡¯s warning produced applause from the elderly managers around her. They then began chanting. ¡°Once more! Once more! We want to see you show off some more!¡± ¡°Fine then. I¡¯ll make it flashy this time.¡± She smiled as she drew the bowstring. ¡°I don¡¯t quite have a full charge, but this will do!¡± As the light dispersed, she fired the large bowstring toward the sky. It produced a high-pitched tone and light fell from the sky. ¡°Come, light of the moon!¡± Not as much light fell this time, but it was limited to the grassy field. A few dozen beams of light poured down to the earth. ¡­Will this finish it? But then she froze in place. In the center of her vision, a new group exited the distant forest. Tsukuyomi recognized them. Sayama, Shinjou, Izumo, and Kazami were in the lead. Following them was a group of people in combat uniforms. Kazami and Izumo ran toward her. Sayama and Shinjou also ran toward- ¡°No.¡± Those two were not looking at anyone. They were focused on Susaou behind her. But¡­ ¡°Before you reach Susaou, you have to escape the falling moonlight! How will you manage that!?¡± Tsukuyomi¡¯s shouted question received a response. It was a song. It was a Low-Gear hymn. A female voice from the forest calmly sang Silent Night. Silent night Holy night Brought the world peace tonight, From the heavens¡¯ golden height Shows the grace of His holy might Jesus, as man on this earth Jesus, as man on this earth As if reacting to the meaning of those words, the hammer of moonlight weakened. It grew quieter and thinner. The moonlight returned to being normal light and merely illuminated the field. ¡°¡­!¡± Tsukuyomi gasped and the singer¡¯s voice continued from the forest. The singer had long blonde hair. One of the elderly managers near Tsukuyomi spoke the singer¡¯s name. ¡°Sibyl. She¡¯s a maintenance girl who knows a lot about gods of war and automatons. She has the name of a goddess and blonde hair, so how about we invite her to the development department?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t I provide enough femininity to the department?¡± ¡°Not nearly enough,¡± said all the elderly managers. Tsukuyomi smiled bitterly, but she did not relax the hand drawing her bowstring. ¡°Well, this battle isn¡¯t over yet and we have the advantage.¡± The appearance of these new enemies from the forest caused her allies to change their means of attack. Those with flight-associated names attacked from the air. From what Tsukuyomi remembered, Kazami was the only member of Team Leviathan who could fly. None of the others had surnames with the same meaning. ¡°Here they come,¡± said one of the elderly managers with a bit of surprise in his voice. And then Tsukuyomi saw a few members of Team Leviathan do something unexpected. ¡°They¡¯re flying?¡± Their movements were hesitant, but they rose into the air as if climbing stairs and they began to use their weapons. As she wondered what was happening, Tsukuyomi drew her bowstring even tighter. And she aimed horizontally toward Kazami and Izumo. ¡°It can¡¯t be!!¡± Among those who had remained in the forest, a small figure stood with a cat and a bird. ¡°The two name system, hm?¡± said Brunhild in exasperation. ¡°So that¡¯s the simple thing related to names that Sayama was talking about before.¡± Next to her, Sf nodded from next to Itaru. ¡°2nd-Gear¡¯s names indicate a role, so they are analogous to Low-Gear¡¯s surnames. 2nd-Gear is a group of engineers, so they treat their surnames as their true names. They view their given name as nothing more than a number to distinguish between family members.¡± Diana, who stood next to Sf, picked up where the automaton left off. ¡°But in Low-Gear, surnames became symbolized and given names drew more focus.¡± She went on to explain why those Team Leviathan members could fly. ¡°They have sky, wind, or other characters related to weather phenomena and animals in their given names. In this country, the characters for fly, mist, light, and dragon are almost always used in the given name rather than the surname.¡± Brunhild nodded and looked beyond the forest. Past the trees, the heavens opened up. Shouts and light were produced there. ¡°Are you worried about them?¡± asked Diana. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. I was asked to inspect, so I am watching.¡± ¡°Oh, dear.¡± Diana shrugged and turned toward Itaru. ¡°Itaru, I thought your father chose her as 1st-Gear¡¯s inspector because-¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. To keep an eye on you.¡± ¡°Heh,¡± bitterly laughed Brunhild. She took a step back in order to move away from Diana. And then she glared up at the woman. ¡°I don¡¯t care why I was given the position. As long as I can monitor such an infuriating woman so she can¡¯t make petty complaints about Team Leviathan, that¡¯s enough. So let¡¯s try to get along, just as Siegfried asked us to.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t a very nice way to put it. I am not going to make any petty complaints.¡± Diana sharply narrowed her eyes and formed a gentle smile. ¡°As soon as I find a problem, I will crush it on the spot.¡± ¡°For German UCAT¡¯s sake?¡± ¡°No. This is not for German UCAT or for myself. If I had to say, I would say it is for everything that was lost to reach this point.¡± ¡°Everything that was lost? Like what? The destroyed Gears?¡± ¡°You only think that because you still know nothing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°No one knows what truly happened in our past.¡± Brunhild silently listened to that statement. After a while, she picked up the black cat at her feet. ¡°Fine. I will overlook it for tonight. I cannot use my spells well in 2nd-Gear¡¯s concepts.¡± ¡°Oh? It does not bother me if you do not overlook it. My spells are perfectly strong 24/7.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Brunhild narrowed her eyes and stared up at Diana. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s what happens when you carry around fuel in your breasts. Perhaps I do not need to sympathize with your lack of experience now. Just so you know, I only showed you about 20% of my true power at the school.¡± ¡°Oh, my. That was only about 15% for me.¡± ¡°Wait, I miscounted. It may have been about 5%.¡± After watching those two repeatedly reassess their number with a smile, Sf turned to Itaru. ¡°Which one is giving a false report?¡± ¡°Neither one is true, but both of them are serious.¡± As soon as Itaru spoke, Diana and Brunhild moved away from each other. The cat looked up in Brunhild¡¯s arm. ¡°Eh? Wait. Wh-why aren¡¯t you putting me down?¡± ¡°That cat will not function as a shield. This will shoot right through him.¡± ¡°Hmph. He¡¯s no normal cat. He can probably withstand one shot. ¡­Hang in there, okay?¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t I get a say!?¡± The cat¡¯s protests and struggling were stopped by a tight embrace. The two witches exchanged a smile and both said ¡°now then¡±. And then five figures charged from the forest to the right. ¡°Supervisor Ooshiro Itaru of Team Leviathan! This is Mikami and Katori of the development department!¡± Five young men appeared wielding swords. The man in the lead, Mikami, turned toward the other four. ¡°Let¡¯s use our standard¡­¡± He trailed off. He had spotted the two witches glaring at each other. ¡°¡­¡± Silence fell. As Mikami and the other four remained motionless, Brunhild slowly turned toward them. ¡°Heh. Looks like we have some good targets to compare our strength on.¡± ¡°Oh? It isn¡¯t often I agree with you. Who will go first?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± said the group of five as they stepped back. ¡°W-wait a second.¡± Mikami spread his arms. ¡°Why is German UCAT and 1st-Gear¡­¡± ¡°Keep quiet, target! But when I blow you away, make sure to give a proper scream.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The two witches caused the five men¡¯s faces to stiffen and freeze. And then¡­ ¡°Please stop.¡± With a dignified voice, Sf ran in front of Diana and Brunhild. ¡°The inspectors are not permitted to take part in the battle.¡± The two groaned and stopped moving. After a moment, Mikami began frantically nodding. ¡°Th-that¡¯s right. If anyone is going to attack us, make it Team Leviathan.¡± Sf nodded and looked at the group of five and group of two. After making sure they were all looking at her, she nodded and brought her heels together. ¡°Tes. I am pleased you all understand. I have determined this is thanks to the negotiation program I have installed. If you were impressed, please email your thoughts to the SF development team of German UCAT. Lately, they have been delighted even if you write ¡®bravo¡¯, but ¡®khorosho¡¯ is still strictly forbidden.¡± ¡°U-um? Sf? That is all well and good, but what should we do about the immediate situation?¡± After a moment of confusion, the 2nd-Gear men finally began to nod. From behind Mikami, the plump Katori wiped sweat from his brow and looked toward Sf. ¡°Surely you aren¡¯t going to fight us. Low-Gear weaponry is almost entirely meaningless here.¡± ¡°Tes. I appreciate your concern, but I exist as a piece of Team Leviathan¡¯s equipment. You can rest easy while thinking of me as a piece of equipment.¡± Sf¡¯s words brought a confused look to Itaru¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ve never once been able to rest easy around you.¡± ¡°Itaru-sama, when you truly rest easy, you do not even realize it is happening.¡± ¡°Oh? Then what is the strange thrill I feel around you every day?¡± ¡°Tes. That is a pinch of spice to combat the boring routine of life.¡± Itaru silently turned to Diana and she frantically shook her head. ¡°A-are you sure this thought pattern didn¡¯t come from how you formatted her?¡± ¡°I should have known you would weasel out of any responsibility.¡± ¡°Um¡­listen, Sf. Itaru is saying he¡¯s curious how you will fight.¡± Diana¡¯s frantic comment led Sf to look at Itaru. He nodded in annoyance. ¡°Handle this in a way that will delight your opponent, okay?¡± ¡°Tes. In that case, please look at this equipment, everyone.¡± Sf bowed. She then lifted up the right side of her skirt and stuck her hand inside. ¡°It was developed in order to instantly defeat one hundred approaching enemies. Once it proved able to do exactly that, everyone began to refer to it by the name of its creator and that name gained the meaning of singlehandedly defeating great numbers of enemies on the battlefield.¡± When she pulled her hand out, it was accompanied by a black mass of steel almost two meters long. The thick barrel could have easily been mistaken for a cannon and it was made by fixing together six rifle barrels. ¡°This is the Gatling gun. As I have prepared this for tonight, I have determined I can more than meet your needs.¡± Sf lowered her waist as she held up the heavy weapon. ¡°Also, my name is Sein Frau. I exist and fight to meet my master¡¯s demands. I ask that you too give this everything you have.¡± And as she spoke, the 2nd-Gear men¡¯s expressions stiffened. ¡°Y-you ask¡­? And how did you fit something so large under your skirt!?¡± Sf faced them as she answered. ¡°I have many as-yet unseen features to make every new day enjoyable. I am German UCAT¡¯s hidden masterpiece, so please look forward to what I will do in the future.¡± Sf formed a mechanical smile. Itaru had instructed her to do so and she knew what she had to say afterwards. Itaru had said these words would delight the person she spoke them to. And so she spoke to Mikami and the others with the mechanical smile on her lips. ¡°Die or go to hell.¡± The attack began. Sibyl sang in the center of the unit while Sayama and the others ran forward. Sayama and the others at the front of the group had to break through the enemy lines. Sayama swung up Georgius on his left arm and shouted out. ¡°Go ahead!¡± The others cried out as they prepared to clash with the enemy. On the grassy field and below the moonlight, Sayama ran alongside Shinjou while Izumo and Kazami ran ahead. They kicked off the dirt as they approached the metal giant beyond the enemy lines and beyond the forest. Kazami led the group as she ran directly toward it. And she was backed by Sibyl¡¯s singing voice. ¡°Brought the world peace tonight.¡± That is exactly right, thought Sayama as he thought about the meaning of the lyrics. He realized Shinjou was quietly singing the song next to him. ¡°Show the grace of His holy might.¡± ¡­That is exactly what we must do on this night. As he thought and ran, he approached the enemy¡¯s main unit. They were thirty meters apart. Tsukuyomi¡¯s group and Sayama¡¯s group stared at each other. The one group ran forward to attack while the other waited. And then the enemy took action. Specifically, Tsukuyomi did. While holding her large black bow, she suddenly moved away from her unit. ¡°Is she trying to leave Sibyl¡¯s song?¡± asked Sayama. Kazami clicked her tongue up ahead. ¡°They¡¯re taking this seriously for a mock battle. They know they¡¯ll win if they defeat us here!¡± Kazami began running even faster. She began moving in the same direction as Tsukuyomi. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that old woman! And Sayama! You know Yamata¡¯s question and answer, right? And you¡¯ve thought of a way to deal with the flames and heat when Yamata is released, right? It would really cheer me up if you were burned to death, though!¡± ¡°Unfortunately, Kazami, I do not think you will be very cheerful once this is all over.¡± Shinjou turned a worried glance in his direction, so Sayama continued speaking. ¡°I have thought about both and have made the proper preparations. Go, you two. Finish your battle. You have yet to get back at her for striking you with moonlight earlier, have you?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be making a triumphant return before you can!¡± Kazami took a large step forward as she turned fully toward Tsukuyomi. Izumo followed, so only Sayama and Shinjou continued toward Susaou. Tsukuyomi smiled bitterly as she saw Kazami and Izumo pursuing her through the forest. ¡­Yes. That¡¯s how you do it. This was a mock battle. It was a fight between comrades where everyone held back so as not to kill anyone. ¡­But this is 2nd-Gear¡¯s final battle against Low-Gear. If 2nd-Gear had not been destroyed by Yamata sixty years prior, this battle might have happened for real. ¡°It may be for the best that Ooshiro Hiromasa was unable to save 2nd-Gear.¡± If 2nd-Gear had not become naturalized to Low-Gear, Kazami and Izumo would not have had that strength in their gaze as they charged toward her and Sayama and Shinjou would not have headed toward their goal with such determination. ¡­And Kashima, Atsuta, and the other young ones wouldn¡¯t have acted the way they have. She wondered what her husband would have thought of this battle if he were still alive. She had been told he had died as a secondary casualty of the great Kansai earthquake at the end of ¡¯95, but she did not believe that. She believed it had not been an accident and she believed ¡°something¡± had happened there. ¡­Did he know the world would turn out like this? She did not know the answer. ¡­What if he died so that the world could turn out like this? ¡°And as the ones who remained behind, it is our job to give meaning to this world.¡± She looked up as she ran through the forest. She could see the moon through the leaves. The shadows weakened the moonlight. And two people energetically pursued her about fifteen meters behind. Those people were Izumo and Kazami. Even in the dark forest, they remained perfectly by each other¡¯s side. They made a good pair. But what should she do? As she thought, Tsukuyomi looked toward the Heavenly Moon Bow in her left arm. ¡°I only have one shot like this.¡± Sayama and Shinjou ran out from the path through the forest. Their eyes had adjusted to the darkness, so the moonlight blinded them a bit. However, that light did not attack them. They safely entered the clearing in front of the lake. Once their eyes adjusted, they looked at the weed-filled clearing, at the lake, and at the pier. ¡°Susaou¡­¡± That giant dark shadow stood on the lake surface. And two figures stood before the pier leading out to Susaou. One was Kashima who held a laptop. The other was Atsuta who rested a giant metal sword on his shoulder. After exchanging a glance with both, Sayama nodded. ¡°We have arrived.¡± ¡°So you made it.¡± Kashima sounded relieved and he nodded before looking at his laptop. ¡°During the battle here, I will be adjusting Futsuno¡¯s output in real time. I want to ensure the power¡¯s torque pattern is constantly rising. That means we will essentially have two people fighting.¡± ¡°Are you saying the two of us should take on that blade-happy man?¡± ¡°Hah! Don¡¯t make me laugh, Sayama¡¯s brat! Even working together, you don¡¯t stand a chance against me!¡± Atsuta¡¯s words made Sayama notice an aching in his chest. ¡°Sayama¡¯s¡­?¡± Atsuta¡¯s comment had meant that he was the child of Sayama. ¡­Did he know my father? As Sayama looked over, Atsuta gave a smile that showed off his canine teeth. ¡°Ryouko was my classmate. I always heard her speak so fondly of your father. I might know him better than you do. And I know about the bomb in your chest as well. ¡­I saw what happened when you spoke with Kashima in the cafeteria.¡± Sayama gasped a bit. The usual pain returned to the left side of his chest. Atsuta continued speaking while focusing on the right hand Sayama used to clutch his chest. ¡°Well, the night is young. I can finish you off after having some fun. Ryouko told me to stop you if you were trying to do something dangerous, so I¡¯ll stop you from doing anything dangerous ever again.¡± ¡°I retract the request in her stead. She was being foolish.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°She knows full well that I can only advance while experiencing danger,¡± he declared. Something wrapped around his left hand. It was Shinjou¡¯s right hand. Her slender hand gripped Georgius on his left hand. The ends of her eyebrows were raised slightly, but she nodded with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s defeat them.¡± Her words produced a bitter laugh from Kashima. And Sayama nodded when he heard it. He faced forward and stared at the two men of 2nd-Gear and the giant behind them. ¡°We shall win,¡± he said as he moved forward. Kazami and Izumo ran through the forest. They pursued Tsukuyomi who ran fifteen meters ahead of them. However¡­ ¡°We can¡¯t get any closer!¡± Light flew toward them. It was a shot of moonlight. In the shadows of the forest, it was slender and weak. But at a distance of fifteen meters, it was not completely weakened. If it hit them as they ran, they would be blown away. ¡°Could this be any more annoying!?¡± Izumo chopped the flying beam of light with V-Sw and a word appeared on the weapon¡¯s console. ¡°Bored?¡± ¡°My tactics aren¡¯t matching up well. If I could only use the second form¡­¡± But the rules of the mock battle prevented that, so Kazami could only agree with him. In the forest, she could not bring out the wings of X-Wi and fly. If she did try, she could easily run into a tree. And so she ran and thought. ¡­Are we being tested? More light arrived from ahead of them and Izumo destroyed it again. Tsukuyomi¡¯s shots were both accurately aimed and accurately timed. She never missed the mark and she would fire whenever they were trying to catch a breath. ¡­But it¡¯s weak. That may have been due to the forest. Tsukuyomi had not fired a thick beam of light ever since entering the forest. And since she was firing repeatedly like this¡­ ¡°She can¡¯t charge up and send moonlight down from the sky.¡± Kazami then wondered what Tsukuyomi¡¯s goal was. The moonlight was weak in the forest, so why had she entered it? ¡°There isn¡¯t anywhere convenient to the moon.¡± ¡­Wait. Yes, there is. As she ran, she looked up. She saw what lay ahead. Needless to say, she saw lines of trees ahead, so she could not easily judge where she was. But she knew the terrain after investigating the forest the other day. ¡°This forest surrounds the artificial lake and it has rivers running through it!¡± Even in a forest, the shielding trees would not exist on the river. If Tsukuyomi stood in the moonlit river, she would be able to draw out the full power of the bow and her name. And that was precisely what Kazami saw. There was a break in the forest visible in the distance. Seeing it startled her. As if to further her panic, the sounds of a river reached her ears. Izumo clicked his tongue next to her. ¡°What do we do, Chisato? Should we keep going, knowing she¡¯s luring us there!?¡± Kazami considered Tsukuyomi¡¯s strength and their own. She and Izumo lacked mobility. Tsukuyomi lacked attack power. Even on the river, she would only be able to fire horizontally if she wanted to fire repeatedly. That left a single answer. Kazami cried out to her own equipment. ¡°We have to defeat her before she can make it to the river! X-Wi, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°You idiot! Are you going to fly!?¡± ¡°No!¡± shouted Kazami as she leaned forward. At the same time, words scrolled along the watch on her left wrist. ¡ªLight is power. As if proving those words true, wings of light shot out of her backpack. Kazami knew what she had to do. She had seen this method in the battle with 1st-Gear. The half-dragon named Fafner had not used his wings to fly. ¡°He used them to accelerate and turn!¡± As soon as the wings took shape, she faced forward. Tsukuyomi was just about to leave the forest. If she was going to do this¡­ ¡°It has to be now!¡± As she cried out, Kazami moved forward. An explosion of wind appeared behind her back. Instead of flying, she began racing forward. Volume 4, 29: Seeing Through the Lies Volume 4, Chapter 29: Seeing Through the Lies There is no need to see through a lie But there is also no need to permit an empty falsehood See through those in order to save something Sayama moved through the moonlit clearing. His left hand, the hand that once formed a fist, now held Georgius and a sword. He felt a slight phantom pain from the scars on his fist, but it was small enough to put up with. He stepped forward. He swung the sword toward Atsuta. Atsuta evaded by bending his body to the right. He swung Futsuno horizontally. That was when covering fire came from behind Sayama. Shinjou fired three shots of light from her staff. They flew toward Atsuta with both vertical and horizontal gaps. And they hit. Or they should have. Sayama saw Atsuta alter Futsuno¡¯s path. The sword heading horizontally toward Sayama suddenly shot up vertically. The blade¡¯s path drew a fan shape and moved to the man¡¯s right side. Rotating the large blade produced a certain result. The light fired by Shinjou flew past Atsuta. ¡°¡­¡± Sayama heard Shinjou gasp. But he had expected this. And he had already taken his next action. Atsuta dropped the sword down from the right, so his left side was wide open. And so Sayama swung in the silver arc in his left hand. Atsuta smiled bitterly. ¡°You have good instincts. Where were you taught?¡± Part of the training at the Hiba Dojo included techniques to stand up to a swinging blade. Sayama used those techniques to move up to Atsuta in an instant as the man¡¯s blade sliced through the air. Atsuta moved back. Sayama only heard a single footstep, but the man quickly moved back a large distance. In an instant, he created a space of about five meters between them and Sayama¡¯s blade sliced through air. There was a gap between them now. ¡°¡­¡± They both prepared their next stances at the same time. Sayama prepared to charge in. He wanted to move straight forward. And in that instant, Atsuta suddenly spoke. ¡°I think that¡¯s about enough warming up.¡± Then he vanished. Or rather, Sayama was no longer able to perceive him. ¡°!¡± This was the Art of Walking. Kazami held G-Sp2 as she ran. She was fifteen meters from her opponent. She needed to instantly bring that down to zero. As the wings on her back produced wind, she literally flew forward. She moved quickly. And her high-speed movement brought the trees of the forest toward her. Her tension had narrowed her vision, so she perceived the trees rushing toward her as shadows. Straight, right, and right. Then she forcibly corrected her path to the left. ¡°¡­!¡± She lightly flapped her wings and stepped on the ground. The combination of the two actions supported her movements. She moved so quickly that it swept away her sweat in an instant. Simply flapping her wings would launch her forward. While moving so swiftly, she could only rely on her own senses. ¡­And my name. Kazami Chisato. As Kazami, her eyes read the wind. As Chisato, her running feet covered great distances. The distance was down to five meters. A single light came from ahead. But it did not matter. She tilted her head to the side and it flew past her cheek. ¡°And I keep running!¡± She did not stop her movements or lessen her focus. She simply continued her acceleration to the end. ¡°Go!¡± Her feet produced the white steam of an atmospheric explosion and she blasted her body forward. She flew. But not into the heavens. She flew forward. At high speed, she slipped between the last trees and covered the last bit of distance. At the same time, light arrived before her eyes. It was an aimed shot of moonlight. As a counterattack, it had been fired at almost point blank range. ¡°!¡± But Kazami did not hesitate. She swung up G-Sp2 and thrust it forward The Cowling Spear stabbed through the air and collided with the light while wrapped in a white steam. She could feel it hit. A white noise burst and the light scattered in every direction. And she looked beyond it. If she continued forward and blew away Tsukuyomi, they would win. However¡­ ¡°She¡¯s gone!?¡± Beyond the scattered light, Tsukuyomi was nowhere to be seen. Or rather, Kazami could not perceive her. ¡°Chisato!¡± Izumo¡¯s voice caused her to tremble. Before she could even think the term ¡°Art of Walking¡±, she stopped breathing and stiffened. There was one way to break through 2nd-Gear¡¯s Art of Walking which worked by syncing with one¡¯s opponent. ¡­Intentionally disrupt your heart rate and such to break the sync! She had succeeded doing so against Izumo on the rooftop the night before. She held her breath, gathered strength to encourage the flow of blood, and widened the focus of her vision. ¡°¡­There!¡± Right in front of her, Tsukuyomi held her large bow with an expression of exhaustion. But the lost instant had been too much. Tsukuyomi had already twisted her body around and avoided the attack. She leaped out of the forest. Meanwhile, Kazami flew out of the forest and right past her. The river lay ahead of her. The flowing water was only about five meters wide, but it was plenty large to bathe in the moonlight. As she cautiously viewed Tsukuyomi¡¯s stance, she gasped. As she fell toward the river, she saw Tsukuyomi head toward the river and aim the bow up toward the sky. ¡°After firing so much, you can¡¯t possibly have charged up any¡­¡± Her shout of protest trailed off when she saw the truth before her eyes. As Tsukuyomi drew the bow with her right arm, the center of the bowstring was wrapped around the elbow. That elbow drew the bow tightly. The bowstring sank into her skin to the point that blood dripped down. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve been drawing the bowstring with your elbow this entire time!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been shooting at you by plucking the half of the bowstring above my elbow. The entire time in the forest, I¡¯ve been charging up using my elbow.¡± Just as the old woman spoke, Kazami and Tsukuyomi both landed in the river. They were approximately five meters apart. Tsukuyomi stood on the riverbed, but Kazami¡¯s stance had collapsed. She fell to the riverbed as if rolling forward and she thrust her hands into the water to catch herself. She frantically got up while looking up at Tsukuyomi. ¡°You put up a good effort. I¡¯ll give you that.¡± The old woman nodded and fired the bow into the sky. The vibration caused the blood on her arm to scatter and the air was dyed faintly red. In the next moment, light fell from the sky. And this light was much larger than any the bow had produced before. It fell toward Kazami in an instant. Atsuta moved forward. The two people standing before him were not looking at him and were hesitant to move. Their eyes moved slightly, but their gazes were wandering aimlessly. That showed that his Art of Walking was working. He suddenly looked down at his right hand. Behind him and to the right, Kashima stood in front of the pier while operating his laptop. Atsuta felt as if water was tilting within Futsuno as he held it. This was due to Kashima distributing its weight in real time. ¡°Don¡¯t get too serious, Kashima. It¡¯s already time to finish them off.¡± ¡°I¡¯m close to drawing up a pattern. Plus, I want data on slow movements like this as well as normal combat.¡± ¡°I want a fast sports car, not a Royal Saloon that¡¯s only worthwhile at low speeds.¡± ¡°An engineer should want stability during both heavy usage and light usage.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Atsuta¡¯s shoulders drooped and he walked up to Sayama. He was about three meters away. Sayama would need to take two steps to attack with his sword, but Futsuno¡¯s reach only required a single step. Atsuta stepped forward, but then he stopped. He did not attack. After a slight moment of irritation, he spoke. ¡°Now, then. Getting in a good attack and making you bow down to me naked would be nice, but someone as wise as me is concerned about one thing.¡± Confidence filled his voice. ¡°Sayama Mikoto. As the representative of the Leviathan Road, I highly doubt you haven¡¯t analyzed our Art of Walking.¡± Sayama heard Atsuta speak. He had already seen through the man¡¯s Art of Walking. He had seen a portion of the man¡¯s ability in the cafeteria and he had realized the principle behind the Art of Walking when Ryuutetsu had thrown him. The Art of Walking was a difficult technique to use, but it was very simple to break once you knew the principle behind it. He had only needed to feign falling victim to it and counterattack once Atsuta approached. But Atsuta gave an exaggerated shake of the head. ¡°For example, you could break free by holding your breath the instant you failed to perceive me. That would destroy the sync,¡± he said. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to bother to check whether you¡¯ve done that.¡± He held up Futsuno. His expression made it clear he was no longer playing around. And his voice contained no hint of ridicule. ¡°Listen, Sayama. Cut the act and fight me.¡± Sayama maintained his silence. He could not determine what Atsuta was trying to do. He could not even tell if Atsuta knew he had broken the Art of Walking or if he was only testing. But then Atsuta gave him the answer. ¡°Ryouko trusts you. There¡¯s no way someone like that wouldn¡¯t break free of my Art of Walking.¡± Sayama gasped. ¡°¡­¡± And he straightened up. As he did, he heard Shinjou gasp behind him. But he did not care. He faced Atsuta and spoke. ¡°Sword gods have become quite sentimental these days.¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful.¡± Atsuta held up Futsuno. ¡°Let¡¯s have a proper fight, ladies¡¯ man. Unlike just now, I¡¯ll use an Art of Walking tailored especially for you. Try breaking free of that and attacking me.¡± ¡°An Art of Walking tailored especially for me?¡± Atsuta tightened his grip on Futsuno. ¡°It¡¯s simple. I force you into sync with me. In other words, I control your body.¡± ¡°You cannot control my-¡­¡± ¡°Oh, yes I can. With you, I can.¡± ¡°With me?¡± What is he going to do? wondered Sayama. Atsuta¡¯s next comment seemed to be in response to his thoughts. ¡°Well? You want me to tell you, don¡¯t you? You want to know what words I can use to control your body.¡± He tilted his head. ¡°Hadn¡¯t you ever wondered why exactly Ryouko trusts you?¡± ¡°I have. It is a bit of a mystery why Ryouko has such a high opinion of me.¡± Atsuta stepped forward and raised Futsuno above his head. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you,¡± he said expressionlessly. ¡°I heard her talk about him so many times. She said your father was kind and smart. I heard her say there was no problem he couldn¡¯t solve. That is how she felt about your Sayama Asagi, your father!¡± Sayama suddenly heard his father¡¯s name. He had expected to hear something about himself, but that name stabbed at him instead. ¡°!¡± That single name brought a reflexive scream to the left side of his chest. He instinctually bent over from the pain and Atsuta shouted out as if providing the finishing blow. ¡°She once delightedly told me that his son was exactly like him!¡± His words called in the past. For just an instant, he recalled his father. ¡­Not good! His rejecting will outdid the memories. He knew even less of that existence than of his mother and he had sealed the memories deep in his heart. These references to him brought a squeezing pain to his chest. The pain was intense. ¡°¡­Kh.¡± His voice leaked from his throat as if his lungs were being crushed. ¡°Does it hurt? That pain is how I will control you!¡± At the same time, Atsuta vanished from his perception. The man had stepped into his pain. For a moment, he entered his memories and wondered if his father was truly the kind of person Ryouko said he was, but then he turned his thoughts to the present. ¡­Those are indeed words which can control my body. As he doubled over, he heard Atsuta¡¯s voice. ¡°It¡¯s too bad, Sayama¡¯s brat. Ryouko has a lot of issues¡­but she doesn¡¯t lie! You did well, but that ends here!¡± As he spoke, Atsuta truly vanished. Moonlight fell from the sky and toward the forest river. Tsukuyomi faced her prey while standing in the river with the water up to her knees. That prey was Kazami. She was one of the two main vanguard members of Team Leviathan. Two years prior, she had been caught in the middle of a battle started by 6th-Gear remnants attacking a Concept Core transport. As a result, she had become the master of G-Sp and X-Wi. It had been Tsukuyomi and the development department that had altered G-Sp into G-Sp2 for her and fine-tuned X-Wi. ¡­You are something like a daughter to us. ¡°Which means we need you to be able to turn back the power of this light.¡± But Kazami was currently on her hands and knees in the river and she could not move. She would be unable to read the wind now. The wings of light growing from her back were dim and beginning to vanish. ¡°In that case¡­¡± replied someone else. It was Izumo. He charged from the forest and leaped toward Kazami¡¯s back. While in midair, he held his sword down and opened his mouth. ¡°Ah!¡± He cried out and launched an attack just as he landed in the river. It is useless, thought Tsukuyomi. She knew V-Sw¡¯s abilities by heart. ¡­Using its first form is not enough to defeat the falling moonlight. What were they going to do? Were they simply going to use their weapons as tools of power? Immediately afterwards, Izumo shouted out and shattered Tsukuyomi¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Ahhhhh!!¡± As he let out a roar, he swung V-Sw up from below. But he was not targeting the moonlight. ¡°The water!?¡± As Tsukuyomi watched, a great splash rose up behind Kazami. The strike had used the full power of the weapon¡¯s first form, so it thoroughly swept up the river¡¯s water. It produced a reverse waterfall. And Izumo shouted loud enough to be heard over the din of water. ¡°Chisato! Quit pointing your ass at me and raise your wings!¡± Kazami raised her head. She looked into the sky and saw the falling pillar of moonlight. Tsukuyomi also watched the moonlight as it arrived directly above them and¡­ ¡°Into the spray¡­¡± The water Izumo had sent into the air struck the light. The collision between moonlight and water lasted an instant. But it did not produce destruction. It did not produce an explosion, a shockwave, or collapse. It produced harmony. It was water and light. The great amount of airborne water reflected the moonlight, took it inside, reflected it inside itself, and scattered it everywhere. The moonlight danced through the sky. And Tsukuyomi saw Kazami crouch down below the water and light. Her expression could now be described as an acute angle and a voice escaped her throat. ¡°Thanks, Kaku.¡± And with that, she formed a smile and light shot from the two wings stretching up from her back. The concept activated. ¡ªLight is power. In an instant, her wings of light grew past two meters in length and they did not stop here. They took in the moonlight. ¡°This power¡­is the same!¡± The wings responded to Kazami¡¯s shout. As they rose up into the sky, they stabbed into the glowing water and absorbed the light that had been scattered by that water. With a soaring sound, the wings twisted as if shuddering in agony and they continued to grow while absorbing the surrounding moonlight. The light vanished as the wings swallowed it all. And wings measuring about dozen meters appeared in its place. Atsuta stepped forward. His slight deviation from the sync was as perfect as ever. Intense pain was the easiest sensation to grasp. A single pain great enough to fill the entire body was enough to take over every sense in one¡¯s body. He now only had to attack. It was a mock battle, his blade had a cowling over it, and both Kashima and Tsukuyomi had told him not to kill, but he would still beat the boy with the mass of metal until he could no longer fight. ¡°Don¡¯t hold it against me, Ryouko!¡± he shouted as he swung down Futsuno. Sayama was doubled over in front of him. It almost looked like the boy was bowing to him. It gave him a nice feeling. All that remained was to smash Sayama¡¯s body with Futsuno. ¡°¡­¡± But Sayama suddenly moved. As Atsuta watched, the boy opened his right hand and grabbed the left side of his chest. Before Atsuta could wonder what he was going to do, Sayama spoke. ¡°I have remembered my father! It is not much!¡± He clenched his teeth until they creaked, but he continued on. ¡°But it is still more than you know!!¡± He stood up. He used his full strength as if breaking free of his bonds. He relied fully on strength like a struggling child. He wrinkled his brow and his expression twisted, but he truly faced Atsuta. He had broken free of the Art of Walking tailored specifically to him. How? wondered Atsuta with a frown. ¡°I can give myself even more pain than you can give me!¡± shouted Sayama. ¡°I can do so using a past you know nothing about!¡± He looked up into the sky and raised his voice. ¡°Everyone!¡± He took a breath. ¡°It is time to settle this!¡± As Sibyl sang on the grassy plain, she heard a voice from the direction of Susaou. ¡°As we use even the past to bring victory, let us begin the true negotiation.¡± As Ooshiro focused on firing beams, he heard Sayama over the communicator. ¡°Listen, everyone! Gather your will into your surname and draw the meaning of your birth from your given name. Tonight, we ask our questions with our birthplace in hand. Are you listening!?¡± As Ooki worked with the others to fire Boldman, she turned toward Susaou and narrowed her eyes in a smile. ¡°Understanding, peace, reconciliation, and everything else will come later! We must knock some sense into those who wish for the status quo and teach them what it is like to cry out and struggle to break free of the status quo!¡± As she watched wings of light develop before her, Tsukuyomi heard a single voice. ¡°I, Sayama Mikoto, make this announcement with my authority as Team Leviathan¡¯s representative. We will face destruction as a whole. We will not yield to any past. We will recall everything and see what lies ahead of it all. And we will remain together until the end!¡± He took a breath. ¡°This is an order. All team members, advance on them. And make sure to bring them back even if you have to beat them into submission. Bring them back to a world of more than just names. Force the past into these name-obsessed people¡¯s hands and kick them out of their peaceful bed!¡± Before Tsukuyomi¡¯s eyes, Kazami¡¯s giant wings had finished their rise into the night sky. They pierced through the forest and the night. Meanwhile, the water had lost its light, so gravity dragged it down. ¡°¡­!¡± A single strike from the moonlight wings caused the water to burst and become a mist. And a question arrived from the direction of Susaou. ¡°Where is your response?¡± While bent over with her wings facing the heavens, Kazami opened her mouth. She gave a single word in response. Behind her, Izumo shouted the same word. ¡°Testament!¡± Sayama heard the word testament. It came from beyond the forest, within the forest, and from the sky. Testament, testament, testament. It had already gone beyond Team Leviathan. Members of 2nd-Gear had joined in. I see, thought Sayama. This is quite pleasant. He began to understand what it was they wanted. ¡°The only conclusion we desire is victory!¡± he shouted before taking action. Pain still filled his body, but he could move while driving away the pain. As Futsuno flew in before his eyes, he jumped backwards. He poured all his strength into this evasive leap. And once his feet hit the ground¡­ ¡°!¡± He threw his body forward. As he leaped, he drew and struck with his sword. The silver line raced toward Atsuta. ¡°¡­!¡± After swinging Futsuno down to the ground, the man swept it upwards. He intercepted the strike from below. But he did not make it in time. He had tried to cut the blade, but deflecting it upwards was the most he could manage. The blade with a Low-Gear name struck the blade with a 2nd-Gear name and a metallic noise rang out. Sparks flew and illuminated the two sword wielders. Atsuta then moved back. He created a gap of five meters. At that comfortable distance, he prepared his stance once more. Meanwhile, Sayama remained in the stance he had landed in. He clicked his tongue once as he watched Atsuta. He had failed to defeat the man. ¡­If I do not get an attack in soon¡­ The pain in his chest was taking over his body now that he had stopped moving. The pain he had used to break the bonds of the Art of Walking was becoming a new set of chains. Atsuta no longer spoke. Nor did he move forward. He held Futsuno up in both hands. ¡°¡­!¡± And he suddenly swung it down. He was using Futsuno¡¯s cutting ability to cut through everything in range of the sword¡¯s pressure. ¡°This is a shameful method for a sword god, but it¡¯s the only way to ensure victory!¡± The blade sliced through the air and stabbed into the ground. With a roar of the ground being struck, a change occurred. A shimmering appeared from Futsuno to a few hundred meters behind Sayama. This was the advanced notice of Futsuno¡¯s explosive strength. It was the initial stage of the blade slicing through everything. ¡°Go, Futsuno! Use your slicing blade to cut through Mikoto!! Cut through his life!!¡± An instant later, Sayama saw the explosion of the sword god¡¯s strength. A bursting sound reached him. But he also heard a voice amid it all. ¡°Sayama-kun!¡± It was Shinjou¡¯s voice. Shinjou moved within the shimmering. She suddenly remembered when she had first met Sayama. When faced with the werewolf, she had been unable to do anything and it had put him in danger. ¡­How long will I be dragging him down? She felt this was something she would never be able to forget. And if she did forget it¡­ ¡­I wouldn¡¯t be able to save him. She asked herself what she should do now. She knew the answer. And so gave voice to her words of self-understanding. She spoke so she could hear it. ¡°Concepts of 2nd-Gear! Earth, air, and sky that provide power to names!¡± She held up the staff resting on her shoulder and faced forward. She faced Sayama¡¯s back. His back remained motionless as if waiting for her words, so she spoke. ¡°In accordance with my name, I reject the cutting power that is trying to cut through Sayama Mikoto!¡± Accept it, she thought. You are no longer Sadame or Setsu. Accept your true name once more. ¡°My name, Sadagiri, does not cut away life,¡± she shouted. ¡°It cuts away the bonds of destiny, freeing life!¡± As she spoke, she pressed the trigger button. A light appeared. It was a straight beam of light that possessed seemingly unending force. The light was fired from Ex-St as it rested on her shoulder. That was the cannon with the name Tiger Star. ¡°¡­!¡± With a metal roar, the recoil knocked Shinjou backwards and a clear noise rang out. The front portion of Ex-St broke. In response to its master¡¯s will, the machine readily destroyed itself. With the sound of a metallic explosion, Shinjou¡¯s body was blown backwards. But the light flew forward. The white light formed an arc and struck Futsuno¡¯s cutting power head on. As the light crushed each consecutive slice, it produced a sound resembling a bombing. A clear sound and a deep sound struck the air. The light continued forward. As the cutting power attempted to expand over a wider area, the light kept it in its compressed form, broke through it, and continued on. And the light struck Futsuno. A high-pitched noise reverberated through the air and Futsuno flew through the sky. The blade that symbolized 2nd-Gear¡¯s current form slowly, slowly rotated as it flew up into the sky. In the forest river, Tsukuyomi saw Kazami disappear. No, she had not disappeared. She had flown. In just an instant, she had flown up into the heavens. Tsukuyomi looked up into the sky. Two wings were visible in the night sky which was filled with named stars. They were moonlight wings. They beat the sky and seemed to bounce back toward her. Tsukuyomi looked at the wings flying directly toward her and the spear travelling with them. ¡°Testament, hm?¡± She smiled. As she realized that expression contained no hesitation or error, she aimed her large bow into the sky. She aimed overhead, past the approaching wings and spear. She targeted the orb with her name and released the bowstring from her bloody fingertips. After a bursting, high-pitched noise filled the night sky, the one bearing the conclusion flew down. Kashima saw one object in the sky. Floating in the moonlit night sky was a falling and rotating sword. As he observed its shape, he noticed something about the cowling covering the blade. ¡­It¡¯s gone. The shot from the girl named Shinjou had knocked the cowling away, leaving the steel-colored blade exposed. He watched the curve of that metal arc reflect the moonlight. ¡­This is dangerous. It could bounce off the ground and hit someone. He was from a military god family, so he was used to handling dangerous things. With that in mind, he reached his hand out overhead. The sword fell into his open right hand. The chill, weight, and reliability of steel entered his hand all at once. ¡°Oops,¡± he said as he dropped his laptop. The laptop bounced off the weeds once and the LCD monitor faced him. For an instant, he could not decide whether to prioritize the sword to the right or the laptop to the left. A window opened on the laptop screen. The shock of the fall must have hit the mouse button. And something appeared on the screen. ¡°A video¡­¡± It showed his home on a sunny day. In front of the doll stand in the yard, a woman held a baby. The camera was zoomed in on the child, but the child did not understand what was before her. She merely faced the camera. And as she faced the camera and everything behind it, she smiled and spoke. The speakers were not activated, so he could not hear her voice. But he could read the child¡¯s lips and he had seen the video countless times before. He knew exactly what she was saying. The baby had said the following. ¡°Ah.¡± And then she had opened her mouth again. ¡°Ah.¡± She repeated herself. What had she meant by ¡°ah, ah¡±? The camera pulled back and showed the woman holding the child. The woman¡¯s short hair shook and she gave a surprised look. But then she formed a smile and opened her mouth. Kashima remembered what she had said as well. ¡°Do you think she meant ¡®papa¡¯?¡± He tried to remember what he had said. ¡­She might have said ¡®mama¡¯. That might have been it. But it might not have. He may have been beautifying the important parts. He smiled bitterly and looked at Futsuno in his right hand. ¡­I can¡¯t feel Futsuno¡¯s weight. As he wondered why, he realized he did not need to ask why. ¡°I am a man of 2nd-Gear and I have remembered my power as one. ¡­That is why.¡± He nodded. ¡°The surname Kashima indicates a military god.¡± He gathered strength in his right hand and looked down. In the laptop window, the woman faced the camera and waved while still holding the baby. She waved with her left hand which lacked two fingers. The video ended and the window closed. Kashima faced forward and saw Atsuta looking his way as he stood empty-handed on the weed-covered clearing. ¡°Are you done with the family videos? Then go deal with them.¡± Atsuta used his chin to point to the right. Two people stood in that direction. Sayama and Shinjou. They stood next to each other, but Sayama had drawn the sword at his waist. And so Kashima asked a question in a carefree and inviting tone. ¡°Shall we go settle this?¡± He held up Futsuno and pointed the tip toward Sayama. Shinjou looked at Sayama with the ends of her eyebrows lowered. Kashima read the emotion there and understood their connection. And so he spoke. ¡°Susanoo slays the serpent and marries the princess. Is that it?¡± ¡°It is too soon for that. Eight dragons still await after this. The marriage will have to wait a while.¡± Sayama¡¯s comment caused Shinjou to blush. She then seemed to realize something, so she faced the sword in Sayama¡¯s hand. ¡°Sayama-kun, can I see that sword for a moment?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Just a protective charm.¡± She held the sword and slowly cut off a tuft of her hair. She let out a breath and held the hair. ¡°Sorry if you find this creepy, but this is a type of good luck charm, right?¡± She then lightly tied the hair to the sword and Sayama¡¯s left hand. Kashima interpreted it as a type of shimenawa. ¡°That should suffice,¡± he said. ¡°The hair of someone with the name Sadagiri should give the sword the protection of that name.¡± It would be difficult to cut through it even with Futsuno. Sayama gave a testing swing of the sword and faced Kashima. ¡°I would like to keep Shinjou-kun by my side during this battle. Would that be acceptable?¡± ¡°Go right ahead.¡± Right now, he always had his wife and child with him in a way. ¡°But if something happens to her, the responsibility lies with you.¡± ¡°Of course. And as long as it is Shinjou-kun, even a corpse is fine by me.¡± Sayama then asked him a question. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d like that¡­¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. Then I win this round. Rejoice, Shinjou-kun! ¡­What is with that look?¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t say you win if I die!¡± What a strange Susanoo and princess, thought Kashima with a bitter smile. I wonder how strange a Yamato Takeru and princess we are? But he erased his own smile and held up Futsuno. He was from a military god family. The sword he held would tell him how to wield it. In his hands, the almost perfectly tuned Futsuno would be a powerful weapon indeed. ¡°Let¡¯s begin, bearer of the Leviathan Road. Let¡¯s walk down the road of battle that leads to the conclusion.¡± ¡°Yes, I shall take Totsuka and answer Yamata¡¯s question.¡± ¡°Can you do it?¡± asked Kashima. ¡°If so, then decide what lies ahead once we break free of the status quo. Is it Low-Gear or 2nd-Gear? Is it the truth or lies? Or¡­is it something else entirely!?¡± Volume 4, 30: Place of Yearning Volume 4, Chapter 30: Place of Yearning The past is heard and seen. The present is felt. Then can nothing be done about the future? On the grassy field that had been the first battlefield, Team Leviathan and 2nd-Gear ended their battle which had developed into individual versus individual. At the center of them all, Sibyl stopped singing and looked up. She wiped sweat from her forehead. ¡°A noise?¡± She frowned and tilted her head as she looked past the forest to the north. There she saw the five hundred meter giant named Susaou. A loud noise had just come from there. It had been a metallic noise. The deep noise had reverberated in her stomach and it repeated again and again. The noise showed no sign of stopping. In front of the lake from which the metallic noises came, two new people stood in the clearing Sayama and the others had previously fought in. They were Izumo and Kazami. Kazami held V-Sw and G-Sp2 in her arms and Tsukuyomi¡¯s Heavenly Moon Bow over her shoulder. G-Sp2¡¯s console displayed a few words. ¡°Very strong.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say that to a girl.¡± With that annoyed comment, she looked to the right where Izumo carried someone on his back. It was Tsukuyomi. As she rested her chin on his head, Kazami spoke to her. ¡°Director Tsukuyomi, hurting your back is pretty lame.¡± ¡°I have a slim waist. I¡¯m not like you modern athletic girls. And more importantly¡­¡± Tsukuyomi looked toward the pier built out over the lake. A man sat cross-legged on the weeds while facing a laptop. It was Atsuta. He was tilting his head. ¡°What is with this card game? It¡¯s gotta be cheating. I can¡¯t win.¡± ¡°Atsuta, stop bragging about your stupidity and tell us what happened. Where are Kashima and the other two? What are these noises?¡± ¡°Just look. There¡¯s no place for me there.¡± He raised his hand and pointed the thumb behind him. Toward Susaou. Tsukuyomi frowned at the giant form standing in the darkness below the moon. ¡°Are you saying these metallic noises are what I think they are?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They¡¯re literally having a final battle at the peak.¡± Atsuta twisted his head around to look behind him. At the same time, something like white mist burst out from the stomach portion of Susaou. Kazami knew what it was. ¡°That¡¯s the steam explosion from an object moving at high speed.¡± It was followed by a metallic noise. It reverberated in their guts and sounded like something breaking. And the battle continued. As Kashima continued the clash of metal, he moved further and further up the giant mass of metal. He climbed Susaou. A zigzagging staircase was built into the side of the giant parts making up its 500 meter form. The metal staircase was about a meter wide. The corrosion from the past made his footing unreliable. ¡°But that is a meaningless obstacle for a military god and the one fighting him.¡± As he spoke, he looked down the stairs at the boy pursuing him. In his pursuit, the boy ran, kicked off the ground, and even dashed across the railing. All the while, he battled using the sword in his hand. Kashima felt he was an excellent opponent. Kashima himself knew almost nothing about wielding a sword, but the sword taught him everything he needed to know. As a military god, a sword was something like a servant. It would teach its bearer how to use its power. It provided him knowledge, experience, and technique. He could fight. As he stepped, he felt the metal below his feet. His own body fought his enemy amid the wind. Everything rang out like music and moved like dance. As he ran further and further up, his vision grew higher and higher. They had already arrived at Susaou¡¯s chest. Another hundred meters and they would be at the bridge in the head. They were close. And the closer he came, the faster his pulse grew. The feeling that had once made him tremble now felt wonderful. ¡­I yearn to reach that place! He swung Futsuno. He swung the blade into the air to catch a strike from above. The two blades clashed and a metallic noise rang out. Sparks flew and a pleasantly hard impact reached his hand. A roar filled his ears for an instant and white smoke exploded from the path his blade had taken. How fast were they moving? He did not know and he did not care to know. He merely continued upwards. The next thing he knew, his vision was even higher. From his position approximately four hundred meters up, he could see the moon, the bluish-black sky, and the landscape spread out below. ¡°So this is Tokyo at night.¡± The gathering of lights to the east was the city center. Those lights had once been lost during World War Two. Bu he did not know much about that. He only knew the stories about the Concept War that his grandfather had told him. He smiled bitterly. Still smiling, he moved his gaze westward. He saw more lights in the night. The lights of Tokyo drew a line from Nakano, Mitaka, Kokubunji, and to Tachikawa where he was. The lights continued to shrink in number as they went further west. The city lights continued to Haijima, Oume, and then to the mountains of Okutama. Natsu and his family were in Okutama beyond the mountains. Kashima wondered what they were doing. They would never imagine he was fighting in a place like this. ¡­I will always lie to them like this. He was sure he would never tell them the truth. He would continue lying by never telling them about today¡¯s battle, the things which had come before, and the things that would come after, but he gained something from it. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡± With that unintentional question to his enemy, he swung Futsuno. The enemy caught the metallic reverberation and Kashima felt the impact in his hand. The vibration reached his head as he thought. ¡­What ending do I want? He was no longer 2nd-Gear or Low-Gear. He was in an uncertain state. Could he receive an answer while lying in an attempt to gain both? ¡­What if I don¡¯t get an answer? He asked himself the question he could not ask. But he threw the question at himself and muttered his newest answer. ¡°That would be fine too.¡± A certain woman and a certain baby appeared in his heart. He could not believe his thoughts were on them in the middle of this crucial battle. ¡­I want to see you. He thought. ¡­I want to see you, Natsu-san, Harumi. My family. ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded while looking to the western lights where that family was. He would return. Once this battle was over, he would return. ¡­But not to 2nd-Gear or Low-Gear or anything like that. He would return to where they were. When he returned the next morning, he was sure to be starving. He wondered if Natsu would cook him breakfast at his parents¡¯ house. She could make freshly cooked rice and miso soup, but his parents would not have any fish. In that case, she could cook eggs and vegetables. The boiled bamboo shoots wrapped in cured ham from before had been quite good. ¡­Ahh, that sounds wonderful. When he returned home, that would be waiting for him. As the swords clashed and sent out metallic noises, Kashima thought. ¡­Natsu-san, Harumi. I will make sure to return to you. And then we can eat a meal together. But there was something he had to say first. That phrase would act as the proof that he had returned to his proper place. It was a simple phrase rather than a name and he needed to say it. He needed to say ¡°I¡¯m home¡±. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­I will return so I can say that phrase, so wait for me. Wait for your lying husband, my lying wife and our child. I will not return to any group or any Gear. I will return to you. ¡°I will make sure of it!¡± As the guest, Natsu felt closing the porch storm shutters was her duty. There were eight of them and they were hard to close. By the time she had finished closing them all, she had worked up a slight sweat. After closing the last one, she stuck the wooden key in the eaves and glanced at her left hand. That hand was missing the little and ring fingers. She always lacked some strength when closing the storm shutters. She sighed just as Kashima¡¯s mother called out to her from behind. ¡°Thank you, Natsu-san. I kind of wish you could stay here forever.¡± ¡°I would like that too, but Akio-san would never agree.¡± ¡°He¡¯s an idiot, but he does have his pride.¡± She smiled bitterly. ¡°But tell him we¡¯ll hire him if he¡¯s fired. The farm is shorthanded and short an heir.¡± She prepared three floor cushions in the living room bordering the porch. Three cups of tea had already been prepared. After Natsu thanked her and sat, Kashima¡¯s mother sat on one of the other two cushions. Kashima¡¯s father then appeared from the hallway wearing a yukata. ¡°Is Haru-chan asleep?¡± she asked him. ¡°Yeah, she is, she is. I¡¯ve always been an expert at getting kids to go to sleep. With Aki, I¡¯d always squeeze this part of his neck and¡­¡± ¡°Quiet down, old man. Just sit down.¡± He obediently followed his wife¡¯s instructions. He lowered his shoulders and trembled as he sat politely next to her. ¡°Do you know why I called you here?¡¯ ¡°B-because you were lonely?¡± ¡°No.¡± Natsu realized Kashima¡¯s mother was looking at her. The old couple then sighed in unison and corrected their posture. ¡°Once again, we must ask you to please take care of Kashima Akio.¡± They placed their hands in front of them in a sitting bow. Natsu frantically reached out her hand. ¡°U-um, please stop that. I, uh, would also like to¡­¡± She placed her own hands forward and lowered her head as if starting a competition over who could bow lower. After ten seconds like that, all three of them sat up. The edges of Natsu¡¯s eyebrows were lowered. ¡°What is this about?¡± ¡°We can do this as many times as we have to. Aki said he was going to take his work seriously, so he will probably end up neglecting you a bit,¡± said his mother. ¡°Also, he will probably lie to you about a lot, so we would like you to¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to ask me to forgive him for that,¡± said Natsu. Her expression had calmed and she brought a hand to her chest. ¡°I lie to him about a lot too.¡± ¡°Like your cooking?¡± ¡°Not just that, father. Girls have plenty of lies boys don¡¯t know about.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like the sound of that.¡± He laughed and Natsu nodded. ¡°And I have been telling him one very major lie.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°One rainy night while riding a bus on a road down below here, I was caught in a landslide, remember?¡± Kashima¡¯s parents exchanged a glance. ¡°Th-that¡¯s true,¡± said his father with a troubled look. ¡°You were on your way to investigate some ruins up above, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that. ¡­Well, the lie I mentioned is old enough now that I can tell you. On the night of that accident eight years ago¡­¡± She lowered her head a bit and looked away from them. ¡°I was not actually on my way to the ruins.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She looked up to meet their silent gazes. ¡°I told my parents I was going to the ruins, but I actually intended to come here. Since graduating, I had exchanged letters with Akio-san, but I still wondered how he was doing¡­ I planned to visit him at night, have him see me home, and¡­¡± As she spoke, she could tell her cheeks were growing redder and redder. ¡°Thinking back, it was incredibly improper.¡± ¡°No, um¡­¡± ¡°And after the accident, I was shocked when the person who saved me was the person I wanted to see most of all.¡± She nodded and spoke quietly. ¡°Everyone thought I was in an accident on the way to the ruins and he ended up helping me with my rehabilitation. And then he asked me to marry him.¡± She lowered her head again. ¡°So I was scared.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I was on my way here with such improper plans and the accident felt like punishment for that, but he stayed with me without knowing or asking about the truth.¡± She took a breath. ¡°I am not the type of woman he thinks I am. I know nothing of the world, I am always pretending to know what I am doing, and I have indecent thoughts. And yet he married me.¡± She wrapped the fingers of her left hand in her right hand. ¡°And for some reason, I became afraid to ask him why he married me.¡± She took a breath and found Kashima¡¯s parents were looking directly at her. ¡°Ah.¡± She frantically separated her hands and waved them back and forth. ¡°U-um, that is no longer the case. I can only talk about it because I¡¯ve gotten over it.¡± ¡°Have you? But¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I am fine now. I got over it as soon as Haru-chan was formed inside me. It may be unfair, but having a child made me feel like there was something other than pity and responsibility between us.¡± She gave a bitter smile. ¡°And if you didn¡¯t care for someone, you wouldn¡¯t video tape the child you had with her and you wouldn¡¯t make sure to come home every day, would you? And I realized something. Every time he comes home, he makes sure to tell me ¡®I¡¯m home¡¯, and when we eat, he makes sure to thank me for the meal. He had always done this, but I had never been watching closely enough.¡± ¡°I guess even Aki can come in handy sometimes.¡± ¡°Oh, but I refused to talk to him for three days when he bought the video camera without asking.¡± Her smile lost its bitterness and she stretched her back. ¡°In the beginning, it may have been a lie and it may have been real, but now Akio-san, Haru-chan, and I are a real family.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Kashima¡¯s mother with a nod and a slight smile. ¡°You put a lot of effort into this, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Natsu shook her head. ¡°It was Akio-san who put in all the effort. So I need to return all the effort he put towards us. It may be lonely when he isn¡¯t around, but Haru-chan will be our support from now on. We will be okay.¡± As she spoke, Natsu held the three fingers of her left hand with her right hand. And she slowly placed her hands in front of her and bowed deeply. But when she spoke, it was with a solid tone. ¡°As Takagi Natsu and now Kashima Natsu, I ask that you take care of Akio-san, Harumi-san, and myself.¡± The battle reached the top of Susaou. The remains of the bridge formed a clearing of scorched metal. The fifteen square meter space dimly reflected the moonlight. A silhouette stood in the center like a gravestone. It was a large sword made by intertwining many thin panels of metal. It was at least two meters long and stabbed into the metal floor such that it stood up vertically toward the sky. Two figures rushed into the remains of the bridge and another arrived after a short delay. The first two were Sayama and Kashima. The following one was Shinjou. Kashima leaped to the center of the bridge and in front of Totsuka. But he did not reach for the sword that would mean his victory. That was no longer his condition for victory, so he continued to hold up Futsuno. ¡°Come, one who will control the dragon!¡± ¡°Gladly,¡± replied Sayama. He ran forward and threw his body to the right as a feint. The wind wrapped around him as he dashed and leaped. His movements were those of someone who had been freed from what bound him. He was fast. But Kashima could see something else. To use his full strength on Futsuno, he had twisted his body backwards. In the next instant, Kashima swung Futsuno¡¯s blade to the position he predicted Sayama would be. ¡°Ohhh!¡± The military god descendent poured all his focus into slicing. And in that instant, Sayama demonstrated a certain technique as he looked Kashima directly in the eye: the Art of Walking. ¡°¡­!?¡± Kashima saw Sayama suddenly vanish. ¡­He learned how to do it!? After exchanging sword blows and synchronizing their breathing through their actions, looking him in the eye was enough to achieve some level of overall synchronization. And his enemy had done exactly that in the very, very end. ¡°So Low-Gear will use a 2nd-Gear technique to win!?¡± This was interesting. Kashima felt joy. Yes, he thought. This is nice. He understood just how intent Sayama was on winning. The boy was even willing to use 2nd-Gear¡¯s techniques. When it came to winning, the distinction between Low-Gear and 2nd-Gear did not matter. And so Kashima could not stop the sword he swung down. Sayama was no longer in the path of the blade. Outside of Kashima¡¯s perception, he had likely come to a quick stop and would attack from a different position in the next instant. Kashima needed to see through this Art of Walking. And to do that, he had to force himself out of sync. Before, Sayama had done so by recalling his own past even further. In that case, what could Kashima do? ¡°I¡­¡± His vision brought him the answer. Beyond the night sky, the mountains of Okutama were visible to the west. ¡­That¡¯s right. There are people waiting for me. He had somewhere to return to. As he realized that, he stopped yearning for that place. He instead accepted it. He was not fighting in order to win, to kill, or to lose something. ¡°I am fighting to return there!¡± Immediately afterwards, he felt a weight in his hand. He felt the weight of metal, the weight of a blade, and the weight of the slicing wind. It was only for an instant, but his thoughts for that which was important to him made him something other than a military god. It truly did only last an instant, but that instant was enough. Freed from the bonds of a military god, he left Sayama¡¯s synchronization. And thus he broke through the boy¡¯s Art of Walking. Sayama was only a step to the left. He held his sword down by his waist in order to launch the final attack toward Kashima. He was likely planning to attack the instant Kashima slammed Futsuno¡¯s blade into the floor. That was when it should have ended. But Kashima made an instant decision. As he swung the blade down, he removed his right hand from the hilt. And¡­ ¡°Ohh!¡± He poured all his strength into his right fist and struck the right side of Futsuno. His fist broke in an instant and a dull impact passed through the back of his neck and to his brain. But he did not care. He had successfully altered the path of the giant blade. Futsuno was now headed toward Sayama. It would enter through the top of his head and leave through his left waist. ¡°¡­!¡± And Sayama reacted. He swung the sword at his waist and struck the great mass swinging down from above. But it was no use. Kashima¡¯s strike had been different from before. It had the initial velocity of a military god and it had been made with proper footing. It was not a blow meant to be supported with only his left arm. It demonstrated its strength in an instant. Before the strike reached Sayama¡¯s blade, the hair wrapped around the blade and his arm was destroyed. The princess¡¯s protection which had been protecting him bent for an instant and ultimately broke. As the hair scattered through the air, the two blades clashed. ¡°Sayama-kun!¡± Kashima heard the girl¡¯s scream, but it changed nothing. Sayama¡¯s blade suddenly broke. It produced a great metallic noise. Futsuno¡¯s slicing speed did not drop, but Sayama had no means of defending. And Kashima had no way of stopping it either. ¡°Is this¡­!¡± he shouted. ¡°Is this your answer!?¡± As he heard his own voice fill the air, Kashima saw something. He saw the answer. First, he heard a new metallic noise. ¡°Futsuno¡­¡± It broke. ¡°!¡± The massive piece of cutting metal broke. That blade had made him question everything eight years before, but now it shattered as if it were made of sand. It cracked and then could not withstand its downward motion. The cutting blade broke and scattered as if embracing the air. ¡°What¡­!?¡± Before Kashima could ask further questions, he saw it. Sayama held something up in his right hand. It was a single black floppy disk. ¡°This is the collection of names belonging to the countless gods of 2nd-Gear that can be said to be 2nd-Gear itself. Futsuno was created as a symbol of 2nd-Gear, so it cannot cut it!¡± As he clenched the remaining hilt of Futsuno, Kashima listened to the boy speak. ¡°This is the proof that you truly created something of 2nd-Gear!¡± Sayama moved. He spun around, showing his back, jumped, and performed a reverse roundhouse kick on his way up. It struck. ¡°¡­!¡± A dull sound filled Kashima¡¯s chest and he was knocked backwards. But¡­ ¡°This isn¡¯t over yet!¡± ¡°Agreed!¡± shouted Sayama. The two of them smiled at the same moment. Kashima spread his arms, brushed away the shards of Futsuno scattered throughout the air, and stepped strongly on the metal floor. He let out a breath, ignored the pain in his chest, and continued forward. ¡°Bearer of the dragon! The descendent of those who could not subdue the dragon has a question for you!¡± Totsuka lay before his eyes. That 2nd-Gear sword had been made by his grandfather. He still did not know what answer should come from it. He reached out his broken right hand and grabbed Totsuka. And in that instant, he saw an animal poke its head out from the breast pocket of Sayama¡¯s armored uniform. It was Baku. Sayama saw the past. He was inside a metal room covered with a low ceiling. It resembled the bridge of a ship. In the center was a platform that looked like it was meant to contain a humanoid object. But it was currently empty and there were only two people on that bridge. A scarlet light from the window illuminated the two of them. Massive flames were visible immediately outside the window. The flames burst upwards, flickered back and forth, and boiled upwards once more. However, those flames were not formless. They took the form of a giant dragon. An eight-headed dragon. Giant arms could be seen extending out from either side of the bridge and they were wrapped around the flames. The two people inside the bridge were speaking. The tall one in a work uniform held a large sword in his right arm. The other was short and wore white Japanese-style work clothes. He had been continually shouting. They were Ooshiro Hiromasa and the grandfather of the current Kashima. This Kashima was urging the other man to evacuate. As he spoke, the scarlet light outside grew stronger. In response, the blue stones hanging from their necks began to emit light. As that blue light gradually grew stronger, it illuminated the two of them. Hiromasa smiled toward Kashima amid that light. ¡°I can¡¯t. Now that Mikage has been removed, someone has to manually operate Susaou. And we need someone to give the answer to seal Yamata in Totsuka.¡± ¡°But¡­!¡± Hiromasa shook his head. He removed his glasses and threw them to the floor. Before even hitting the floor, the glasses suddenly melted. ¡°Now, go. It¡¯s getting so hot I¡¯m not sure the philosopher¡¯s stone protection will be enough. You might not be able to escape safely, Kashima.¡± He looked directly at the short elderly man named Kashima. Kashima gulped when he saw his eyes. Hiromasa¡¯s eyes were not focusing and they held no light. ¡°Can you tell? I was blinded by the destruction of your Gear and that firebombing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Go gather all the others. That¡¯s what you promised, isn¡¯t it? To gather together Low-Gear and 2nd-Gear, you acted as the representative of 2nd-Gear and initially harshly rejected us. But you said you would convince the opposition to surrender to Low-Gear once Yamata is sealed. You said you would lead everyone in my place.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a fool.¡± ¡°Perhaps, but I¡¯ve made my decision. I made it when I failed to save your Gear and you shouted at me in protest upon setting foot in Low-Gear.¡± He smiled. ¡°That was effective. I needed to be told I had no real intention of facing 2nd-Gear¡¯s destruction.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m the one that needed to be told that.¡± ¡°We¡¯re the same, Kashima. We¡¯re both engineers.¡± Hiromasa nodded and turned his unseeing eyes toward the window. The eight simultaneous roars of the flame dragon stabbed into the night sky and shook the bridge. They were cries of protest and an attempt to take vengeance against everything, but they were also suppressed and struggling cries. However, Hiromasa could not see the dragon. His unfocused eyes looked beyond the dragon and beyond the walls of the concept space. They looked toward the small nightscape visible in the distance. ¡°Can you see it, Kashima? Tokyo has not even begun to recover, but you can see some lights that still live on, can¡¯t you?¡± After his question, he opened his mouth again. ¡°¡­¡± But he stopped. He took a breath to calm himself before speaking again. ¡°Susaou isn¡¯t enough to control Yamata. I will use your Totsuka to answer Yamata¡¯s question.¡± ¡°Y-you idiot!! Do you know what the answer is!?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hiromasa nodded and held up the large sword in his right hand. ¡°As I am now, there¡¯s no way I don¡¯t.¡± Kashima tried to say something in response. He opened his mouth, twisted his face, and tried to draw up the words from deep in his gut. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t actually¡­!¡± But Hiromasa cut him off. ¡°Go, Kashima. This is my first command to you, military god and swordsmith.¡± Susaou shook as if in response to those words. The dragon raged and tried to escape its bonds. The bridge tilted, the metal creaked, and Kashima toppled over. The tilting threw him into the air and he slammed into the door. ¡°!?¡± The door suddenly opened, swallowed him whole, and closed once more. Hiromasa had controlled the door from where he was pressed against the front of the bridge. But he had heard Kashima as he disappeared beyond the door. His crying face had been turned toward Hiromasa. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± The man¡¯s shout had been a question. He was relaying the dragon¡¯s will. He was asking the question that only he could ask. As he left, Kashima had left everything with Hiromasa. The bridge reverted to its normal position and Yamata roared in response to Kashima¡¯s voice. But Hiromasa¡¯s hands suddenly stopped on the console. He firmly grasped the edge of the box attached to the front of the console. After a moment, he tilted his head slightly and opened the box. And he pulled out a single sheet of Japanese paper. The paper had been made heat-resistant and it had large letters written in ink. Hiromasa could not see, but he let Yamata¡¯s scarlet light illuminate the paper as he traced his fingers across it. He must have been able to feel the ink on the paper because he smiled as he touched it. As he felt the writing, he spoke the sloppily-written katakana aloud. ¡°O-o-shi-ro¡­¡± His smile deepened, he folded up the paper, and he placed it in his work uniform¡¯s breast pocket. He then faced forward and cast his unseeing gaze toward Yamata. ¡°Your handwriting is terrible,¡± he muttered just as scarlet light filled the bridge. And just Hiromasa opened his mouth to speak the answer, the past came to an end. The UCAT members deployed by the lakeside saw light overhead. The light came from names quickly spreading out like a diagram of the celestial sphere. The names were formed by tiny strings of writing which flowed from the bridge to the night sky while trailing white and blue light. The names extended in straight lines, drew arcs through the sky in parallel lines like sheet music, surrounded the sky, and rotated around in countless layers. They moved quickly into the distance and spread out. Differences in speed caused the white and blue names to form multiple layers. Some flew in elliptical orbit while some flew in perfect circles. Ultimately, a giant celestial sphere formed a cage in the sky. Those names were Totsuka¡¯s true form and they were meant to seal Yamata. Everyone heard small metallic noises amid the rapidly expanding names. An old man from 2nd-Gear muttered to himself when he heard them. ¡°The metal shards forming Totsuka are expanding the names carved into them¡­¡± The light raced on as if agreeing. And once the celestial sphere reached the limits of the concept space, something else arrived. First, the color crimson appeared in the empty space below the moon. As if spilling into the air, the crimson color expanded and formed flames. The flames flowed. They moved like water, like a serpent, like a dragon. The fire finally truly became a dragon. ¡°Here it comes!¡± shouted someone just as it took form. With a roar, an eight-headed, eight-tailed flame dragon appeared. In an instant, it grew over a kilometer in length and further expanded in the very top of the concept space. A giant red flower bloomed in the sky. As the crimson dragon blossomed, it produced a cry. Its cry of protest shook the air and the ground. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± Its roar rang out, its scorching noise filled the air, and the celestial sphere of names¡­ ¡°It¡¯s creaking!?¡± Yamata¡¯s motion caused the countless names of the seal to cry out. ¡°Hurry,¡± muttered someone as they heard what sounded like the strained creaking of a ship. ¡°Please hurry! If Yamata is freed, this concept space might not be able to contain it!¡± That shout came from the development department managers who had joined Tsukuyomi. They were the ones who had the most knowledge of Yamata¡¯s seal. But the flame dragon in the night sky ignored them. It raised its eight heads. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± Eight bestial voices reverberated toward the moon. And then Yamata moved. It dropped down toward the iron giant on the lake approximately 1500 meters below. It descended toward that giant that spread its arms as if in an embrace. With its opened maws in the lead, the flame dragon came to devour the blade that had once sealed it. Volume 4, 31: Will of the Dragon of Water Droplets Volume 4, Chapter 31: Will of the Dragon of Water Droplets The dragon¡¯s cry is a question to both heaven and earth If one is to answer, there is no need to look up A response is a type of attack The instant he awoke from the past, Kashima realized he had just seen what he had always wanted. Totsuka changed form in his right hand. The metal fragments forming the sword, those metal fragments engraved with names, expanded like a blooming flower. As a whole, they formed a helix. Meanwhile, his left hand pulled a single piece of Japanese paper from his breast pocket. This was the paper his grandfather had written on. He unfolded it and saw the katakana name with a large X drawn over it. It said Ooshiro. ¡­It seems you had terrible handwriting, grandfather. Kashima thought about what his grandfather had asked forgiveness for. ¡­It¡¯s okay, grandfather. He smiled when he saw the name you had written! He formed the same smile he had seen in the past and attached his grandfather¡¯s paper to Totsuka. And he immediately pulled Totsuka from the floor. A spiral blade appeared. He faced forward and saw Sayama standing with Shinjou. As if in response to their gazes, a roar filled the air behind Kashima. It came from Yamata. Kashima could understand it. Yamata was emitting both joy and anger over feeling the outside air for the first time in sixty years. The blazing wind approaching from the heavens showed that Yamata was dropping his eight maws and eight sets of fangs toward them. In less than a minute, the area would be roasted and Yamata would be free. And¡­ ¡°Without Futsuno, I can¡¯t cut the heat. But can you answer Yamata¡¯s question to suppress him and then seal him in Totsuka once more?¡± As Kashima held out the metal sword, Sayama responded with his actions. He approached and grabbed Totsuka with Georgius. ¡­I see. There had been no need to ask. Sayama had come here to give his answer. Next, a girl approached Sayama¡¯s side. And Totsuka raced within Sayama¡¯s hand. ¡°Give us the question, speaker of the dragon¡¯s will.¡± He moved to the front edge of the bridge where the melted metal formed a cliff¡¯s edge. That windy precipice was the optimal position for striking Yamata. Sayama and Shinjou ran over and Kashima opened his mouth as he heard their footsteps. He spread his arms, looked into the sky, and spoke on behalf of the roar descending from the heavens. ¡°I¡­¡± He spoke. ¡°I have a name that I cannot remember in the slightest.¡± His voice carried far and wide. ¡°I ask you! Of Yamata¡¯s two names, Kusanagi and Murakumo, which is the true name!?¡± He took a breath. ¡°Answer this! Which is the truth of 2nd-Gear! Which is the true form of our people!?¡± Sayama ran as he looked up at the flame dragon falling headlong from above. In the heavens, he saw Yamata and the seal made from the countless names. In UCAT¡¯s cafeteria, Kashima had said that seal had been Sayama¡¯s grandfather¡¯s idea. That truth brought pain to his chest. He had trouble breathing and his body threatened to stiffen up. ¡­But it is a truth I cannot avoid! With that cry of his spirit, he ran toward the position from which to strike Yamata. The eight dragon heads questioned him as he ran. They roared. This was the voice he had once heard in his dream. It contained anger and resentment, but it was bound by an even deeper emotion. The emotion could be heard in the sound rather than the words. He nodded toward Yamata. ¡­I understand your cry. It may be conceited, but if you do not believe in yourself¡­ ¡°You cannot be sincere!¡± With that shout, he came to a stop. He took his position atop the metal cliff where the wind would wash over him most strongly. As the dragon heads approaching from above filled his vision, he shouted toward those fifty meter wide faces. ¡°I will give you your answer! I will give you the name that describes the entirety of your world!¡± In response, Yamata opened its mouths while not lessening its speed of descent. The dragon¡¯s roar shook the air as it asked. What is my name? What is the world I ruled and what are the people who lived there? And Sayama spoke Yamata¡¯s original name. His options were Kusanagi and Murakumo, the two names of the wind. ¡°Kusanagi¡­¡± But he did not stop there. Without looking away from Yamata, Sayama continued to speak. ¡°¡­and Murakumo!¡± He nodded as he chose his answer. ¡°You are the one who possessed both names simultaneously!¡± Kashima nodded when he heard Sayama¡¯s answer. But he still asked a question despite the satisfied smile on his face. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s your answer? If you¡¯re wrong¡­¡± ¡°Do not mock me, military god! When one with the surname Sayama speaks¡­his words are absolute!¡± Sayama¡¯s words reached him from behind. ¡°Listen. Kusanagi is the wind of the earth that dances along with the people of the earth! On the other hand, Murakumo is the wind of heaven that people look up to with respect! They are both wind, they both continue on without end, and they both represent all things as they are formless. That is the name hated by Yamata¡¯s flames! That is the name of the sky dragon that produces water droplets! Yamata, you hold both names and your true identity is a rain dragon!¡± And¡­ ¡°Great dragon of 2nd-Gear, this is no mistake. That world was once ruled by the heavenly and earthly winds you created, was it not? Then, Yamata, take those two different names once more. Name yourself Kusanagi while in the land of men and Murakumo while watching over them from heaven!¡± Hearing that, Kashima shouted out with a smile. ¡°Correct!¡± And Yamata roared. Having heard its name, the dragon agreed and understood, but the residual heat of its anger remained. As a final test, the dragon tried to burn away the one who bore Totsuka. The same as it had done to Ooshiro Hiromasa. But Kashima heard Sayama cry out with a smile of his own. ¡°Old man! That is your cue!!¡± The indicated person stood alongside the lake with Izumo. Ooshiro showed no concern about the roars and movements of the dragon overhead. He simply pulled an object out of the paper wrapping he held under his arm. It was a glass bottle. The writing on the bottle said¡­ ¡°Sacred sake. Perhaps we should name it Kashima.¡± He pulled out the cork. But instead of drinking the contents or pouring them into the lake, he tossed the bottle into the air. As his gaze followed the swing of his arm and then the airborne bottle, he saw the night sky. There, he saw scarlet light and the eight-headed dragon crammed into the sky within the concept space. ¡°After Yamata was sealed, the people of 2nd-Gear surrounded Susaou with water on their Kashima¡¯s suggestion. They did so because the great serpent in Low-Gear Japanese mythology was slain using sake.¡± The bottle reached the zenith of its flight. And at that point, something shattered it from above. It was Izumo¡¯s V-Sw after he jumped up into the air. The cowling over V-Sw¡¯s blade had been removed and its rear thrusters were deployed in its second form. After shattering the bottle, Izumo swung the blade of light down along with the sake. The blade was headed toward the lake¡¯s surface. ¡°Old man Ooshiro, at times like this, it¡¯s okay to try to look cool.¡± ¡°No need. I always look cool.¡± Izumo ignored him and squeezed the trigger on V-Sw¡¯s grip. ¡°I will do my best,¡± said the weapon¡¯s console. First, light erupted from the blade. Then, the thrusters on the opposite face of the blade shot out light like a comet. ¡°Aaaaaahhhhhhhh!!¡± The strike produced by the acceleration and his cry caused the lake surface to explode. But it did not end there. Izumo stood on the exposed lake bottom and struck the surrounding water from below. He struck once in all four directions. The roar of waterfalls surrounded him and the water around Susaou took in the sake and danced through the air. Four pillars of water containing sacred sake with the name of a military god had been created and they blasted up toward Yamata as a counterattack. In the center of the great waterfalls, Izumo shouted up at the dragon in the night sky. ¡°Izumo! That is the name of the wind that calls in the clouds and it is now the name of one who desires the dragons! Remember that!¡± His words played their role. As the pillars of water rose with great acceleration, they spiraled around each other and formed water dragons filled with sacred sake. The four water dragons grew to several hundred meters in length. Their roars combined into a single great roar as they danced up toward Yamata. And the two types of dragons began their attacks. The water dragons turned to steam and Yamata had holes gouged out by water. However¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± Yamata spread out its body in order to avoid a direct strike from the water dragons. It spread its eight heads to either side and slipped below the water pillar dragons after only receiving a glancing blow. But something else stopped its movements. It was light. Specifically, it was moonlight. Six thick pillars of light fell from the concept space ceiling and they stopped on either side of Yamata as a cage. The three pillars of light on either side were the color of moonlight and they restrained Yamata. Yamata let out a cry while it was held between these pillars while already inside the celestial sphere cage. At the same time, the sacred sake imbued water dragons reversed direction in midair and struck Yamata. The sound of impact and the cries of flames filled the night. The one who had manipulated the moonlight stood by the lakeside. With Atsuta supporting her back, Tsukuyomi aimed her bow toward the sky. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yamata. But it¡¯s about time that you forgave us.¡± ¡°Tch. Quit trying to look good. ¡­And why do I have my arms around an old woman¡¯s ass?¡± ¡°Shut up. And don¡¯t try to cop a feel.¡± ¡°Of what? No one wants to touch your wrinkly- Ow ow! What the hell are you doing!?¡± Tsukuyomi ignored Atsuta¡¯s anger and looked up into the sky. Her expression stiffened. ¡°Yamata is still moving.¡± The flame dragon had been restrained by the pillars of light and struck by the water dragons, but it raised its eight heads and gathered all its strength to accelerate downwards. The four water dragons evaporated in an instant. The more it was restrained, the crueler it grew. Its firepower visibly increased. Everyone gulped and thought this was the end. They all turned toward the remains of Susaou¡¯s bridge where two people stood. Sayama held Totsuka low in order to strike upwards against the coming dragon. A girl pressed up against his back. Everyone saw them there. And someone cried out to them. ¡°Go!¡± And they responded. As he stood on the edge of the bridge¡¯s remains, Sayama faced Yamata. The eight-headed flame dragon descended while struggling within its cage of light. Even as it lost its power, it produced heat. ¡°¡­!¡± Sayama trembled as he prepared to swing Totsuka up toward the great roar. But he felt something even more certain than his trembling. He heard Shinjou¡¯s words as she pressed against his back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will be with you no matter what happens. We can cut away any bad destiny!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded. ¡°Stay by my side, Shinjou-kun!¡± He gathered his strength and looked up. The dragon¡¯s faces had already drawn quite close. But Sadagiri¡¯s name alleviated the heat and light that blew down at them. They simply had to go for it. The dragon bared its eight sets of fangs just as Sayama swung Totsuka. With that single slice, the blade struck the flames. In that instant, a certain change occurred. As if responding to the strength of Shinjou clinging to him from behind, he felt a vibration in his left hand. ¡°¡­!¡± It was Georgius. The medallion placed inside that gauntlet emitted a bluish-white light. That light circled around and enveloped Totsuka. ¡°What is this?¡± Sayama did not answer Shinjou¡¯s surprised question. If Yamata was what had been left behind by 2nd-Gear, this was what had been left behind by his mother. Is this light Georgius¡¯s question? wondered Sayama. Just as Yamata asks for his name, is Georgius asking something of itself? ¡°It is sentimentality!¡± he shouted. Despite the slight pain in his chest, he recalled a certain fact. During his battle with Atsuta, he had dug up this moment in the past to escape the man¡¯s synchronization. Back when his parents had been alive, had his father been the person Ryouko had said he was? And did his mother look the same as in his memories of her? ¡­The answer is¡­ He hid the answer in his heart and completed the swing of Totsuka that would seal Yamata. ¡°Everyone!¡± he shouted. As everyone in the concept space watched, an explosion of flames appeared in the sky. The fire burst eight separate times at an altitude of five hundred meters and eight blasts of wind flew in separate directions afterwards. Amid the great noise, a voice could be heard. The voice belonged to Sayama Mikoto. And as his name would suggest[1], his words were powerful, carried through the sky, and permeated the earth. ¡°Everyone! Once this battle is over, we will trust in the misunderstanding known as understanding and welcome 2nd-Gear!¡± The flame dragon burst in the sky and a voice reverberated from the center. ¡°Everyone, listen to the voice of your neighbor. Look your neighbor in the eye. Look upon the truth of 2nd-Gear and upon the form of those who will be with you from now on. The surname of Sayama states it here: 2nd-Gear is the same as us!¡± As if in response to his last statement, Yamata¡¯s entire body burst. ¡°The divine sword Totsuka will take Yamata and produce Kusanagi in man and Murakumo in heaven! We will welcome them. And to the people of the ever-changing wind and of the divine sword that possesses the will of both heaven and earth, do not fear your power for we are with you!¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°Where is your response!? Tonight is the night for a pleasant celebration!¡± Countless voices rose as one in response to his question. ¡°Testament!¡± The people¡¯s voices joined the final bestial roar filling the sky. It was a dragon¡¯s cry. The voice of the beast scattering in the fiery explosion filled the concept space. But this cry was different from before. It was a higher-pitched cry of joy. As proof that the dragon had regained its form, its song raced through the sky as wind and reverberated through the high heavens. The Concept Core was sealed inside Totsuka. And in response, everything within the concept space changed. First, the spray of flames covering the night sky vanished. Next, the celestial sphere of names disappeared instantly and the wind at the center of the blast raced across the concept space. A great wind shook the forest, blew across the rough lake surface, and climbed the walls of the concept space. As the wind approached the peak of the concept space, it collided with itself. The impact of air called in lightning. And then rain arrived. After taking in the breath of Kusanagi, the wind of the earth produced the rain of Murakumo which poured down below the moon. The rain soaked the trees, the land, the people, and even the iron giant standing at the concept space¡¯s center. Everyone stared at Susaou. As the rain poured down on it, it almost seemed to be crying. Sayama and Shinjou stood on the remains of Susaou¡¯s bridge as the rain hit it. Sayama faced forward with Totsuka¡¯s normal form in his left hand and Shinjou to his right. To the back of the bridge where a wall still remained, Kashima stood alone. He simply let the rain cover him. Sayama was equally soaked as he looked up at the man. ¡°Shall we head down?¡± ¡°No. I want some time to think.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama then tried to hand him Totsuka, but he raised his left hand with a rain-soaked smile. ¡°You can take it. It can act as evidence of everything that happened.¡± Sayama¡¯s only response was to nod. He pushed Shinjou¡¯s back with his right hand and began to walk. Shinjou brushed up her wet bangs and followed. Now that the battle was over, the bridge seemed quite small. They arrived at the stairs in no time at all. As they did, Sayama saw Kashima sit on the bridge¡¯s floor. He held Futsuno¡¯s hilt after Sayama had destroyed the blade. But Sayama said nothing. Shinjou glanced over at him. ¡°Will he be okay?¡± ¡°He came here to make sure he would be.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Shinjou tilted her head and then smiled bitterly when she realized she was questioning his words. ¡°We¡¯re as opposite as ever.¡± ¡°That is how it must be, Shinjou-kun.¡± Sayama removed his coat and placed it over Shinjou¡¯s shoulders. She looked troubled but did not reject it. She merely clung to his right arm. She was a girl at the moment and she gave a questioning expression. ¡°Do you mind?¡± ¡°Not at all. Feel free while a boy as well. ¡­It is still you either way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still normal enough that I can¡¯t quite get over that part, but¡­um¡­ A lot has happened over the past few days, so¡­uh¡­¡± She mouthed the words ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±, but then smiled and said something else. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Maybe I really should apologize, but thank you. I haven¡¯t said that yet, have I? I¡¯ve always been apologizing.¡± ¡°So will you be saying that instead now?¡± ¡°Yes. As long as I am with you, I want to say that. If I apologize, then you will only be with me because you have no choice. So¡­¡± She nodded and let go of his arm. On one of the staircase¡¯s landings, she held out her right hand which had a ring on it. After thinking for a moment, Sayama suddenly moved one step down from her. ¡°This is my dominant hand.¡± He moved Totsuka to his right hand, freeing his left hand. ¡°Isn¡¯t this how one should take a princess¡¯s hand?¡± He took her right hand as if scooping it up from below. The ring on his left hand clinked against the one on her right hand. After blushing and nodding, she stepped down alongside him. The sound of her footstep was followed by more footsteps as they descended the staircase together. They descended toward the pier and the people awaiting them beyond the pier. As they descended, the rain gradually let up. Soon, only the moonlight would remain overhead. Notes 1. ¡ü Mikoto is spelled with kanji meaning ¡°honorable words¡±. Volume 4, Final : That Which the Wind Conveys Volume 4, Final Chapter: That Which the Wind Conveys What should you say? What should you listen to? It is all important Kashima arrived in Okutama before the first train of the morning. After leaving the concept space in western Tachikawa, he had met up with the group handling the cleanup and had them arrange a ride to Okutama station. He was feeling quite nimble. He still felt some pain in his healed right hand, but he felt that pain served to wake him up. He walked through pre-sunrise Okutama on his way to his parents¡¯ house. His parents were certain to be awake already. This was the day they would begin planting the rice, so he had to decide whether he would help them or not. ¡°Either way, Natsu-san will want to help.¡± He gave a bitter smile and remembered all the times he had helped in the past. ¡­I would plant the rice with my grandfather back then. He recalled the sensation of his feet sinking into the wet mud up to the ankles. ¡­Maybe I should help. The development department would essentially be taking the day off and it was the start of May, so he could take a few days of paid vacation with just a phone call. And once that vacation was over¡­ ¡­What will things be like? Team Leviathan would surely begin negotiating with the other Gears. He remembered the boy and girl who had descended Susaou hand in hand. Susanoo and his princess had chosen the windy land of Izumo. He was certain they would acquire several more Concept Cores to present to heaven. And someone needed to make the equipment and weapons that would aid them. ¡°That¡¯s our job.¡± He nodded once, hid that thought deep in his heart, and changed his focus. ¡­I need to hurry home. If his parents were up, Natsu and Harumi would be as well. Harumi had a way of crying when he was gone, so he hoped she was not causing too much of a problem. He hurried along the sloped road leading through the forest. He turned a sharp curve and found the site of the accident before him. But this was not his destination. He wanted to continue up the hill and reach his parents¡¯ house. Hurry, he thought as his legs picked up speed. And then he spotted someone in front of the slope that he had punched the other day. A woman in a shirt and jeans was sitting on the guardrail in front of it. It was Natsu. She held Harumi and her shirt buttons were loosened, exposing her right breast. ¡°¡­¡± Her narrowed eyes suddenly noticed him. ¡°Akio-san?¡± She trembled and stood up. The ring on a chain around her neck swayed. ¡°Akio-san.¡± She raised her voice and began to approach, but then she blushed with a look of realization. She looked down and found her visible breast and Harumi¡¯s sleeping form. Her pace slowed and her expression grew troubled. She was unsure whether to prioritize Kashima, herself, or Harumi. Kashima approached with a bitter smile. ¡°Stay still.¡± He looked around to make sure no one was around and reached for her chest. He touched her breast and moved her bra and nursing pad back into place. She gave a ticklish groan and Kashima gave her a troubled look of his own. He buttoned up her shirt and then spoke. ¡°Natsu-san.¡± ¡°Um, yes? What is it?¡± ¡°I assume you were on an early morning walk, but what would you have done if someone other than me came along?¡± ¡°Eh? Th-then I would have taken the situation more seriously. Fortunately, I don¡¯t know anyone here.¡± ¡°Then why did you panic so much when I came along?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t want you to think I¡¯m indecent¡­¡± As she blushed and narrowed her downturned eyes, he sighed. He was unsure what to do, but she nodded toward him. And then the two of them began walking. ¡°Your parents are already awake. They said we would eat after I returned from my walk.¡± ¡°But I wanted to eat your cooking.¡± ¡°I will prepare the extra meal.¡± She narrowed her eyes again and gave a pleasant laugh. She then tilted her head. ¡°Are you not going to ask why I¡¯m here?¡± ¡°If I asked, would you lie?¡± ¡°Yes. I know you will understand even if I do.¡± She was a very indirect wife, but her smile contained no ill will. Kashima thought as he walked alongside her. ¡­And you don¡¯t ask what I¡¯ve been doing. Even though you can tell something happened to my hand. The reason she did not ask had to be the same as the one she had just mentioned. ¡°We are Yamata Takeru and his princess,¡± muttered Kashima while he narrowed his eyes toward Natsu. He wanted to tell her so very much. About the near destruction of the city visible in the distance. About his grandfather and his comrades ensuring the destruction they underwent did not happen again. About his grandfather¡¯s feelings and the engineer who had responded to them. About how he had sought power and caused an accident while pursuing her. And about the battle that had occurred the night before. ¡­I want to tell her everything I saw, everything I felt, the answers I gained, the questions they brought, and everything else. But he felt he did not have to tell her. This was the same as Susaou. That iron giant stood within the concept space in the city behind him. No one knew about it, but even if it was forgotten¡­ ¡­The fact that he saved this world will not be lost. Even if all of it was forgotten, it would not be lost. ¡°¡­¡± Kashima used his bandaged right hand to embrace the shoulder walking alongside him. ¡°Nn,¡± breathed Natsu as she brought herself close while still holding Harumi. Suddenly, the wind blew in from behind them. The wind came from the east. That powerful wind told them it was morning. ¡°The sunrise,¡± said Natsu as the morning light appeared behind them. In the blowing wind, she tilted her head and looked behind her. Beyond the forest, she should have seen Tokyo¡¯s cityscape. ¡°Huh?¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°For a moment, I thought I saw a giant figure in the middle of the city.¡± Kashima gasped, but then closed his eyes and assumed she had seen wrong. But he still opened his mouth and chose his words carefully. ¡°Look carefully.¡± ¡°I will.¡± She nodded and narrowed her eyes toward the rising sun. ¡°How strange. Tokyo is covered in a morning fog, but the sunlight makes it shine gold. It looks like something out of my father¡¯s picture books.¡± ¡°Does it?¡± Kashima took in a breath. ¡°Then Susanoo must be protecting that land.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she said with a slight smile. And the wind blew between the two of them. The easterly wind was still cold that time of year. Not long after the rice was planted, the rainy season would arrive, shortly followed by summer. The beautifully clear sky would soon become humid and thick. The wind of Kusanagi that traversed the land and swept across the plants would become the wind of Murakumo that produced the rain of the rainy season. ¡­Well, grandfather? Is the wind of this world the same as the wind of the world you lived in? Kashima did not know the answer, but he had a feeling he understood. ¡­Is that how it works? As he watched the wind leave, he remembered something. He remembered what he needed to say to the person he was walking with. He decided to say the phrase which had been on his mind throughout the battle. He nodded once. When he turned around, Natsu was looking at him. Her head was tilted and she waited for him to speak. He opened his mouth and spoke to her and the child sleeping in her arms. ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± ¡­Easterly wind, wind of Kusanagi that will eventually become Murakumo, are my words reaching you? I am no longer denying the power of 2nd-Gear that you left behind. But¡­ ¡°I have returned to the two of you.¡± As he spoke, Natsu nodded and Harumi opened her eyes. ¡°Ah¡­ah.¡± Natsu smiled at the small voice. That smile indicated something important to her and she now turned it toward Kashima. ¡°Akio-san.¡± With slightly damp eyes, she followed his name with two simple words. These precious words were the reason he yearned for the ever-changing wind that travelled everywhere. Natsu spoke those words in her quiet yet certain voice. And he wondered if the wind was listening to her words. ¡°Welcome home.¡± Volume 4, Afterword Volume 4, Afterword Hello. Ahead Series ¨C Owari no Chronicle 2 is complete. Oddly enough, this one is even thicker than the last one, but I think the length will stop here. This happened because there is so much I want to write, so I thank those of you who have stuck with me. Now for some information about the novel. Judgments concerning the firebombing of Tokyo change a lot depending on the book you read, but I have treated it as it was represented here. I was a student during the fiftieth anniversary of the event, so I had an easy time looking up information, but I¡¯m not sure how easy it would be now. Also, there were bombings all across Japan, so you might find that scars of the war exist beneath your feet if you look into it. By the way, it seems my father experienced an aerial bombing while swimming in a river. According to him¡­ ¡°I panicked like crazy.¡± Yeah, I would think so. About the back cover, this entire Chronicle will be the first episode of Ahead, so even this second story is treated as the 1st. In that respect, it is no different from City. Thank you for understanding. Anyway, let¡¯s get to the usual chat. ¡°Good morning, producer of strange statements. I am willing to listen today, so try saying something.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the same as always. And when have I ever said anything strange? I demand a correction.¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll make a correction, so make sure not to forget it.¡± ¡°Thanks. I haven¡¯t had any fish lately, so I don¡¯t have any DHA for my brain.¡± ¡°You tell your cat to eat fish but don¡¯t eat any yourself?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me how to eat. Are you my wife or my mother? Anyway, we¡¯ve veered way off track, so what should we do?¡± ¡°Hmm. To be blunt, did you read it?¡± ¡°I did. Once again, there wasn¡¯t much of the cat. Both halves of this story were terrible!!¡± ¡°Can I ignore that?¡± ¡°Feel free. The part about shooting beams from the hand was great.¡± ¡°Have you tried it?¡± ¡°Not beams, no.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve tried something else!?¡± ¡°Yes. One time after waking up in high school, I did the Shoryuken in the middle of my room for some reason. The move worked perfectly, but I broke the fluorescent light on the ceiling and ended up covered in blood.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. The invincibility goes away at the top of the ascent.¡± ¡°I botched the landing and fell onto the shards scattered on the floor. Then when I writhed in pain, I cut myself even more. It was horrible.¡± ¡°Doubling the points with an additional attack, hm? But why did you even do that?¡± ¡°I was probably tired after studying for entrance exams. I blame Japan¡¯s educational system.¡± ¡°There¡¯s definitely something wrong with an educational system that produced someone like you. And I¡¯m getting the feeling that no one I know has any normal memories about their school days.¡± ¡°I get the feeling that we¡¯re not talking about the novel at all.¡± ¡°Then say something about it. Something other than the cat.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a tough one.¡± No, it isn¡¯t. And is that really where we¡¯re ending this? Anyway, my background music while working this time was Sada Masashi¡¯s Kanpaku Sengen (I love the lyrics). ¡°Who maintained their lie to the end?¡± You can think on that. Now that the groundwork has been laid, the next volume will head further out and accelerate. September 2003. A morning with a beautiful moon. -Kawakami Minoru Afterword Omake Empire (Tentative Title) Satoyasu Natsu: Good, good, good, good. Panel 1 title: UCAT Comedy Championship Panel 1 text: Wa ha ha Wa ha ha Panel 4 sign: Hitting and being hit. Bottom text: She¡¯s not from UCAT. Volume 5, Prologue: On a Trip of Self-Questioning Volume 5, Prologue: On a Trip of Self-Questioning What exactly is a question? Do you go and continue on? Or do you go and come back? Two automatic doors led to a large white airtight space. The fifty square meter white walls, floor, and ceiling were all covered with light emitting panels. The placard at the entrance illuminated by that light was printed with the name of the space: Training Room 9. Four people sat in the center of the training room. They were taking a break after completing their training. They all wore white and black armored uniforms and they were looking at small handmade documents. The first one to speak was the well-built young man in the center. He held up the document in his hand as he did. ¡°Anyway, we have three days until Team Leviathan¡¯s summer training camp known as the ¡®we have less than five months until the world grows too negative and is destroyed, so let¡¯s go to the beach and hope someone¡¯s top falls off¡¯ training camp, but¡­ What is it, Sayama you idiot?¡± Before he could say anymore, the boy who had raised his hand spoke. ¡°Izumo, while the name of the camp is surprisingly good, I must ask¡­¡± ¡°I know, I know. You want to know about the next Leviathan Road, right?¡± Sayama nodded and turned to the long-haired girl sitting to his left. ¡°We need to take action soon, but that will likely make us quite busy. Did you have any plans for summer break, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°Hm. I want to beat some of the new games I got, but I guess the Leviathan Road is more important.¡± Shinjou smiled bitterly and turned to the other two people. ¡°Kazami-san, what about you two?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think we have anything,¡± answered the girl directly across from her. She brushed up her short hair as she continued. ¡°But do you know where 3rd-Gear is, Sayama? I hear we still have a few of the 3rd-Gear automatons that fell into our possession when 3rd was destroyed, but I¡¯ve never heard anything about the location of the other 3rd-Gear remnants.¡± ¡°The other day, the old man gave me a hint concerning that. He mentioned a large-scale string vibration abnormality in the Kurashiki region about five years ago.¡± ¡°Kurashiki? You mean¡­?¡± Shinjou looked up at the ceiling in thought and Kazami immediately spoke up. ¡°That¡¯s in Okayama. It¡¯s the Kojima Peninsula. According to the Divine States-World Interaction Theory, that¡¯s Greece. So are they there?¡± ¡°No. It seems the Okayama branch immediately investigated but was unable to detect 3rd-Gear¡¯s presence. But we might find some sort of hint if we go there. And before that, I would like to meet the automatons kept in UCAT custody.¡± ¡°I see,¡± muttered Shinjou. ¡­3rd-Gear. That Gear became the basis of Greek mythology and had created automatons and the giant humanoid weapons known as gods of war. ¡°The Concept Core was split in two and one half is held by Typhon, right?¡± ¡°Yes, and Typhon is most likely a god of war.¡± Izumo scratched his head as he continued. ¡°But we don¡¯t know where the other half is. And with 3rd-Gear, we¡¯ll probably be up against gods of war, so the Leviathan Road is probably gonna be tricky.¡± Shinjou nodded. Thanks to the concept activation ten years prior, UCAT was able to stabilize the operation of automatons and gods of war. Before that, they had only been able to construct an unstable concept space for humanoid machines, so their development of automatons and gods of war had been mostly guesswork. ¡°I wonder if 3rd-Gear¡¯s remnants are living in this world with Typhon.¡± ¡°If they were not caught in 3rd¡¯s destruction, they must be. There probably are not very many of them, though.¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°Merely a guess. They have yet to do anything at all, so the odds are high they have few usable personnel. That is all.¡± Hearing Sayama¡¯s words, Shinjou tilted her head. She had a certain thought. ¡°Then,¡± she began. ¡°Why are they hiding? If they really don¡¯t have many people like you say, they could always surrender. If they don¡¯t, they have to act.¡± ¡°The answer is simple: they have something to feel guilty about. If they show themselves, whoever finds them might take some form of revenge. They may have that sort of reason for their reluctance to make an appearance.¡± As he spoke, Sayama looked at Shinjou, Izumo, and finally Kazami. ¡°We should be careful. 3rd-Gear¡¯s Leviathan Road will not be resolved so simply.¡± ¡°When have we ever resolved something simply? Maybe if we didn¡¯t have a certain idiot complicating things.¡± Izumo¡¯s comment caused Sayama to nod deeply, fold his arms, and give a serious expression. ¡°Yes, you are very right. But you should not refer to yourself as an idiot. Let me say it for you: you are a damn idiot. How was that? Will that make a sufficient replacement for your self deprecation?¡± Izumo ignored him and glared at Kazami in annoyance. ¡°I want to get this conversation back on track. Can you force it in that direction?¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯m good at forcing things. ¡­Anyway, let¡¯s move from the Leviathan Road to the training camp. Shinjou, did you see where we¡¯re going?¡± ¡°Eh? No. The location is chosen randomly every year and the thought of the Mt. Osore medium tour for last year really got me down, so I don¡¯t check it until the day we have to leave. That way I can resign myself to it the instant I see it.¡± ¡°Perfect. And I¡¯m sure Sayama is the same.¡± Kazami showed off the pamphlet in her hand with a smile. She narrowed her eyes and laughed. ¡°Heh heh. We¡¯re going to the Seto Inland Sea. Specifically, a deserted island owned by IAI. It¡¯s officially a test site, but it¡¯s actually a UCAT training ground. And¡­that area feels like it¡¯s related to 3rd. Right, Sayama?¡± Sayama did not immediately react, but after a short pause, he cleared his throat and spoke disappointedly. ¡°It sounds like a nice place.¡± His casual tone caused Shinjou to smile bitterly in her heart. ¡­He¡¯s actually really happy. ¡°We might be able to do some preliminary investigation of 3rd-Gear, Sayama-kun.¡± ¡°Perhaps so, Shinjou-kun. But¡­ Kazami, how will the tents be arranged?¡± ¡°Unfortunately for you two, you will be separate. There will be a boys tent and a girls tent.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t particularly see that as unfortunate,¡± said Shinjou. ¡°I certainly do. And on top of that, there is a problem with that arrangement.¡± Sayama nodded quietly. ¡°If we are separate, I will be unable to continue my standard inspection of Shinjou-kun¡¯s bod-¡­¡± ¡°Waaaah!!¡± Shinjou frantically tightened Sayama¡¯s tie. With her eyebrows raised, she lightly shook him back and forth. ¡°Stop saying that in front of people. Your morals may be set to a foreign level or even an animal level, b-but I want to treat that kind of thing with more-¡­ Are you listening?¡± ¡°Shinjou, I¡¯ll answer for that idiot: he can¡¯t breathe.¡± She looked past the tightened tie and saw a happy and nonresistant look on his face. ¡°Wah!¡± Shinjou supported him as he limply collapsed. ¡­Oh, no. I went too far. Oh, well. Izumo watched as Baku mimicked Sayama¡¯s collapse from atop his head. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s leave that idiot be and leave for the day. I¡¯ve gotten hooked on winning prizes at the batting center upstairs. They have a bunch of great prizes and Chisato loves them.¡± ¡°But, Kaku, stop making a fool of yourself by winning a prize you already have. ¡­Oh, and I guess it would be dangerous to abandon Sayama here. Whoever is using the place next would be worried. Right, Shinjou?¡± ¡°Um, yes¡­ I suppose the others do view him like that.¡± Shinjou took a breath, but Sayama still appeared to be sleeping. After some hesitation, she placed his head on her stocking-covered lap. She grabbed Baku from his head, placed the creature on her shoulder, and faced forward. ¡°Kazami-san, why do you look so impressed?¡± ¡°I was just surprised you do that without being asked.¡± While sitting to Izumo¡¯s left, Kazami slapped her own lap. ¡°Resting him on your lap, I mean.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Shinjou nodded and looked to the white staff engraved with Ex-St which lay to her side. She recalled the first time she had done this several months before¡­no, only about three months before. ¡°Sayama-kun wanted to do this the first time we met. And he asked me the other night as well. I think he sometimes wants to depend on someone like this.¡± ¡°The other night?¡± ¡°Yeah, I played cards with him and lost horribly. And then¡­um¡­¡± He had asked for a lot more than just to rest on her lap, but she was naturally hesitant to mention any of it. She frantically formed a smile as she decided to change the subject. ¡°S-Sayama-kun said his grandfather taught him how to play cards. He¡¯s really good. I can only ever win at video games. In the new fighting game ¡®Virtua Leader 2¡¯, I can use the American representative to get in some good air combos.¡± ¡°Chisato. I think she¡¯s trying to hide something.¡± ¡°Yeah, I sense it too.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not hiding anything. I¡¯m not.¡± She waved her hands in denial, but Kazami gradually gained a bitter smile. She shrugged dismissively and looked Shinjou in the eye. ¡°Well, whatever. But not letting himself do this unless he beats you at cards sounds like him.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Shinjou smiled bitterly as well and lightly brushed up Sayama¡¯s bangs as he lay unmoving on her lap. ¡°I¡¯m willing to do this whenever he wants, but he seems to have trouble with it.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s nice. ¡­By the way, Chisato, sometimes I want-¡­¡± ¡°A fist to the face? That¡¯s perfectly fine. Do you want the right? The left? Or maybe both?¡± Shinjou looked around the training room while ignoring Izumo who was pretending to cry while collapsed to the side. She saw that they were the only ones there. ¡°Where are Sibyl-san and the others?¡± ¡°Sibyl left with Ooshiro-san. They apparently had someone to meet.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shinjou nodded and looked down at the training camp pamphlet in her hand. She then looked at Sayama¡¯s face as he breathed shallowly on her lap. ¡°By the way, Sayama-kun has been a bit irritated lately because the Leviathan Road has been progressing so slowly.¡± ¡°In the two months since the negotiation with 2nd-Gear, our only orders have been to train and we haven¡¯t tried to contact any other Gears. And now we have to go on a training camp? It must be horrible for someone as impatient as him.¡± ¡°But holding the camp near land related to 3rd has to be Old Man Ooshiro¡¯s doing,¡± said Izumo. He sat up, folded his arms, and looked toward Sayama. ¡°It is true the other countries¡¯ UCATs complained about our actions after we dealt with Yamata. They said kids shouldn¡¯t be sent into such danger without training. American UCAT was especially annoying.¡± ¡°The Divine States-World Interaction Theory associates America with 5th-Gear, right? Something likely happened between them in the past. American UCAT may not want us taking the initiative in the negotiations and advancing to negotiations with 5th. They¡¯ll probably interfere with that Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°The world is a real pain.¡± ¡°Oh? Quit acing like you understand. The problem isn¡¯t the world; it¡¯s the pride of the people living in it. ¡­I have my own pride and I¡¯m sure Shinjou does too.¡± Shinjou thought when she heard that. She had a feeling she did indeed, but she also wondered what exactly she had inside her. As she focused on that thought, her gaze dropped and the boy sleeping on her lap entered her vision. She brushed up his hair with her right hand which had a ring on it. That was when she naturally found her answer. ¡°Yes. I think I probably do too.¡± She nodded and Kazami smiled. ¡°Sayama must as well. And it¡¯s his understanding of that that irritates him so much. He also has his grandfather to pursue, so he must want to begin the Leviathan Road with the next Gear right away.¡± Shinjou nodded and remembered something. ¡°The training camp and the Leviathan Road are important, but we also have to worry about summer homework. We have a lot.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a rather carefree concern when the world might be destroyed.¡± ¡°I know what you mean, but Ooki-sensei used the wrong book for our first term classes. We found out the day before yesterday and Sayama-kun set up an inquiry commission, but the only result was ¡®Oh, no! I¡¯m so sorry!¡¯ ¡­Our school is a surprisingly careless organization.¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. Don¡¯t worry, Shinjou. The way I see it, it¡¯s a surprisingly thrilling organization. ¡­And I forgot this was your first time for this. That means it will be your only time. Third years get no homework because we have entrance exams to worry about.¡± Hearing that, Shinjou suddenly raised her head. On the other hand, Kazami and Izumo remained relaxed. ¡°Why do you look so interested, Shinjou?¡± ¡°I just had a thought: what will we do once you two graduate?¡± ¡°Needless to say, Chisato and I will- gah! I didn¡¯t even finish the setup!¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± muttered Kazami while ignoring Izumo as he once again lay to the side and pretended to cry. ¡°I plan to go on to university, but we¡¯re doing the Leviathan Road, right? So once I graduate high school, I might try studying abroad at different universities. Who knows what will have happened to the world at that point, but the different UCATs should be busy. I was thinking of helping them out a bit. Oh, and Kaku would be with me.¡± Shinjou was unsure what to say. ¡°You¡¯ve thought that through¡­ Surprisingly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not exactly a compliment.¡± ¡°S-sorry. But¡­um¡­how should I put it?¡± ¡°Saying anything more would just dig yourself deeper, so stop. And this is normal. Next year, you¡¯ll be thinking about it too. In your third year, there¡¯s no one above you and simply flipping through the calendar gets you thinking. You think about it even when staring out the classroom window.¡± After saying that, a sudden look of realization came over Kazami and her eyebrows rose slightly while she tried to retain her smile. ¡°I¡¯ve practically been lecturing you while soaking in self-satisfaction, haven¡¯t I? Well, you can let me act like an upperclassman every once in a while, right? I can¡¯t say this kind of thing in front of Sayama.¡± ¡°True. Sayama-kun worries about people a surprising amount, so he would probably be overly considerate.¡± Shinjou lowered her gaze toward Sayama. He lay motionlessly on her lap. She did nothing but stare at him, but it still put a smile on her face. Seeing them, Kazami let out an exasperated sigh. Izumo remained in his position collapsed next to her. How quiet, thought Shinjou. But then a noise filled the training room. ¡°An alarm?¡± Kazami stood up as the repeating high-pitched noise stabbed through the air. Next, an announcement filled the room. ¡°Um, this is an official announcement. Currently, um, two huge philosopher¡¯s stone readings are flying in from the left side of Japan. So, um, the special division and the¡­standard division? Both are to send all personnel in training or on standby to the main entrance.¡± Hearing Ooki¡¯s voice, Shinjou frantically looked at Sayama. His eyes remained closed, so she spoke. ¡°Sayama-kun! Sayama-kun! Wake up! Wake up! Ooki-sensei is saying something strange!¡± But his eyes did not open. Shinjou panicked, thought for a moment, and then whispered in his ear. ¡°I¡¯m on my way to the bath.¡± ¡°Wait for me!¡± He jumped to his feet with his arm held out as if holding a wash basin under it. The moon-filled night sky was colored a dark blue. The sky, the air, and the shadows created by the moonlight were all dark blue and they all seemed to blend into each other. And below all that dark blue, forested mountains and valleys were visible. The area was filled with the murmuring of the rivers flowing through the valleys and the sounds of forest insects. The river noises seemed to continue without end. But the insect noises were different. In some parts of the mountains, the insect cries would cease. That silence of the insects was not contained to a single place. The silence climbed the unlit road leading up and into the mountain. Two figures were visible on that silent mountain road. One of the people treading on fallen branches was an old man in a lab coat. ¡°Sibyl-kun, how should I put this? Can we rest for a moment?¡± As he gasped for breath, a blonde girl wearing a white summer coat turned toward him. Sibyl¡¯s blue eyes bent in a smile. ¡°I apologize, Ooshiro-sama. It has been so long that I began to hurry without realizing it.¡± ¡°And are we going to rest?¡± ¡°Testament. No, we are not.¡± As she smiled, Ooshiro looked up into the sky and continued to walk. He stared beyond the overhead leaves and branches. ¡°I get the feeling that everyone has my priority level set very low of late¡­¡± ¡°Testament. Do not worry. If everyone has it set low, it means you do not have to worry about people treating you differently.¡± ¡°Wah! Are people abusing the elderly with sophistry these days!?¡± His shout was followed by bird cries from the branches overhead. The panicked cries were followed by a few sounds of flapping wings and Sibyl coming to a stop. Ooshiro stopped as well and she looked at him with her smile gone. He waited for the bird cries and flapping to end before speaking. ¡°Sorry.¡± He bowed and Sibyl had vanished by the time he raised his head again. ¡°Ah! Being ignored is the worst of all!¡± He began to run, but the mountain road ended before long and the forest opened up. ¡°The old Hiba Dojo.¡± With that comment, he arrived below the moonlight. The space was twenty meters square and the ground had been packed down by countless feet. But while the ground was hard, it was also unmaintained. Cracks had formed in places and grass was growing up from them. This was the old Hiba Dojo. ¡°The Hiba family used this outdoor dojo until the end of the war.¡± As he looked across the unmaintained dojo, he saw two people on the northern end. The first was Sibyl in her white summer coat. The other wore a white T-shirt and shorts. ¡°Hiba-sensei.¡± ¡°Oh? Ooshiro¡¯s kid is here too?¡± Hiba Ryuutetsu raised a hand in the moonlight and faced Ooshiro. As he smiled, his red left eye reflected the moonlight. ¡°Why did you call me to this location of the past on this early summer night?¡± ¡°It is beginning again, Ryuutetsu-sama.¡± ¡° ¡®It¡¯ being the cleanup of that conclusion?¡± Sibyl turned toward Ryuutetsu¡¯s voice as she bathed in the moonlight. A train could be heard in the distance and the moon illuminated a slight smile on her face. ¡°That is correct. We will be purifying the vestiges of that battle over the search for a human form,¡± she said. ¡°That is why we have called you, warrant officer of the former National Defense Department and bearer of the power that destroyed 3rd-Gear.¡± In the moonlight, Ooshiro pulled a pile of documents from his lab coat¡¯s pocket. When he handed the clip-bound pile to Ryuutetsu, Ryuutetsu¡¯s expression grew serious. ¡°If you look that stern, it makes me want to make a joke.¡± ¡°Go right ahead. But it¡¯ll cost you an arm if it isn¡¯t funny. That¡¯s the rule.¡± Hearing that, Ooshiro froze in place and Sibyl smiled at him. ¡°Ooshiro-sama? There is no need to force yourself.¡± ¡°That really pisses me off! I¡¯m definitely going to say something funny now!¡± ¡°Better not, boy. Not even five arms would be enough for you.¡± Being called ¡®boy¡¯ made Ooshiro smile bitterly. He scratched at his head while unsure how to respond. ¡°That really takes me back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure not many people call you that anymore, but I remember when you were born. Hiromasa was so happy. I was¡­24 and Hiromasa was 37, I think.¡± Ryuutetsu flipped through the documents he had been given. He just looked like a little old man in the moonlight. However¡­ ¡°You look good for someone turning 85 this year.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t had a longevity treatment like Chao or Siegfried and I¡¯m not near all sorts of concepts in combat like Abram, so the years are really starting to catch up to me. Fortunately, my wife is the same age,¡± he said. ¡°But I think Thunderson or I will be the first of that group to die.¡± His words caused Sibyl to close her eyes next to him. She thought closing her eyes had hidden her expression, but Ryuutetsu said nothing to her. He continued flipping through the documents before speaking again. ¡°Are you going to retrieve you-know-what in UCAT¡¯s Kanda laboratory tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes. It was repaired in the Kanda lab, so we¡¯ll be picking it up tomorrow. Would you like to come along?¡± ¡°Not after all this time. I only brought it back because I couldn¡¯t bear to throw it out. And that¡¯s Kaoru¡¯s jurisdiction anyway.¡± He looked up. ¡°But remember. I¡¯m giving it to you, but in exchange¡­¡± ¡°Yes. UCAT will not interfere with your grandson¡¯s actions.¡± ¡°Heh. When did you get so obedient? What happened to the ten-year-old Peeping Tom who would peep on the women¡¯s bath with me?¡± ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon.¡± Ooshiro scratched at his head, but suddenly turned to Sibyl. ¡°S-Sibyl-kun? Why are you silently taking notes?¡± ¡°Testament. I think Chisato-sama will find this information useful.¡± ¡°Wh-what information! And why!?¡± Sibyl ignored him. She continued to ignore him as he sadly sat on the ground with his arms around his knees. ¡°Anyway, Ryuutetsu-sama,¡± she said. ¡°Japanese UCAT wishes for a mutually beneficial deal. In exchange for the object we will retrieve tomorrow¡­¡± ¡°You will temporarily put 3rd-Gear¡¯s Leviathan Road on hold. Officially, at least.¡± Ryuutetsu¡¯s comment brought silence. A silent wind blew through and Ryuutetsu¡¯s voice filled the air once more as that wind shook the mountain¡¯s trees. ¡°3rd-Gear has an impurity, so their Leviathan Road should not be carried out. The survivors from that time in the other UCATs told you the same thing, didn¡¯t they? If we accept 3rd-Gear to our side, something best avoided would occur.¡± ¡°What is this impurity?¡± ¡°There are actually two. The first is the official one and the other one is more personal. The latter should only be known by me and the survivors of 3rd-Gear, so the other UCATs would be talking about the former. But both will be cleansed before long. 3rd-Gear is approaching a second destruction.¡± ¡°You mean¡­?¡± ¡°I will tell you about that now. I will tell you what 3rd-Gear is most likely doing right now and what we are doing. Once you hear that, you will be forced to think about the Leviathan Road with 3rd-Gear as an adult.¡± The corner of Ryuutetsu¡¯s mouth rose in a smile. ¡°I wonder what will happen. Once the adults learn of these impurities, they will certainly move to stop the Leviathan Road with 3rd-Gear. But what will Mikoto and his friends do?¡± ¡°Testament.¡± Sibyl looked somewhat disappointed, but she still gave a small smile. ¡°Sayama-sama and the others generally have a certain extent of free reign over the Leviathan Road. If they come into contact with your grandson while learning of the past on their own and working to clear that barrier¡­¡± ¡°Will that change where those inexperienced children are headed?¡± ¡°Testament.¡± Sibyl nodded, but she was truly smiling now. ¡°I think it will change where you are headed as well. They may be inexperienced, but¡­ Chisato-sama said she was wondering what they would do once the Leviathan Road ended.¡± She continued smiling. ¡°They have already started forward along with the entire world. And they have done so whether you wish for it or not.¡± ¡°Heh heh. I hate how sharp you are with things like this. ¡­I really have gotten old. I¡¯ve started worrying about sending kids to dangerous places.¡± Suddenly, Ryuutetsu brought a hand to his face. ¡°¡­¡± He brought it to his crimson left eye. His action brought tension to Sibyl¡¯s face and Ooshiro turned around. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡± ¡°It is. That idiot really is drawing the battle this way.¡± ¡°What idiot?¡± ¡°Take a guess,¡± said Ryuutetsu. His eyebrows were raised, but he had a smile on his lips. ¡°The one I have allowed to cleanse the impurities!¡± Below the moon, the lights of a train travelled east. The train was on its way to Okutama on the Oume Line. It was leaving Ikusabata Station near Oume and it was travelling east along the Tama River. The light could be seen leaving from a paddy field on the southern side of the river. The area had no external lights and the green heads of rice were illuminated by the moonlight. The sounds of the insects in the grass and the frogs in the paddy field filled the area. The wind shaking the rice plants travelled down from the mountains and across the river, so it was fairly chilly. The moonlit breeze crossed the paddy field and travelled downstream as if pursuing the train. But that wind suddenly danced about. A single figure stood on the gravel farm road travelling down the center of the paddy field. This young woman had her back to the distant station lights. The beige suit coat hanging over her left shoulder was worn out and faint disorder could be heard in the sound of her pumps treading on the gravel road. She lightly swung around the bag in her right hand. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± She let out a weary voice and brushed up her hair with her left hand. Below her semi-long bangs was a face with flushed cheeks. But that face was accompanied by the smell of alcohol on her breath and eyebrows brought together in a troubled look. The motion of brushing up her hair caused her suit coat to fall from her left shoulder. She paused for just a second and looked down at the coat on the gravel road. She then sat down on top of the dropped coat and started to cross her legs. ¡°¡­¡± But the hem of her tight skirt was too narrow, so she kept her right knee raised. With a click of the tongue, she opened her bag. She pulled out a single sheet of paper: her resume. The name field said Tsukuyomi Miyako. The young woman named Miyako held the resume in both hands and held it forward in the proper reading position. She let out a nauseous groan before looking at the writing with a blank look in her eyes. ¡°What am I supposed to do? Mom¡¯s gonna let me have it when she hears I couldn¡¯t say anything at the interview.¡± She suddenly glanced to the right which was the west. In the dark mountains of Okutama, she could see a few small gatherings of light. ¡°She¡¯s always saying she¡¯ll introduce me to IAI, but I¡¯m not gonna use connections to get a job.¡± Still sitting, Miyako brushed up her hair with her right hand and turned back to the resume. The paper clearly described all the results she had produced so far: middle school, high school, university, the clubs she had belonged to, and whether she had a license. ¡°But¡­¡± She let go with her right hand and searched through the bag. She pulled out a cigarette and lit it. She brought the flavorful smoke into her mouth, savored it, and breathed it out in a ball. ¡°That isn¡¯t what I want them to see¡­¡± She turned toward the fields for hobbies and special skills. Cooking and engineering were written there in ballpoint pen. This just isn¡¯t working out, she thought as she looked at it. ¡°I hate relying on people, but now it¡¯s past mid-July and I still don¡¯t have a job.¡± She folded the resume in two and then folded it in half again. She stuck it in her bag and sighed. With the cigarette still in her mouth, she collapsed backwards onto the ground. She thought it was pathetic, but she grabbed the cigarette and held it up toward the moon. ¡°Even a former delinquent like me wants to flee this cruel world.¡± She smiled bitterly, flicked the cigarette to knock off the ashes, and watched them scatter in the wind. ¡°Can¡¯t something good happen for once? Like a meteor destroying society or a wealthy Prince Charming proposing, dying right after the marriage, and leaving me an easy life with tons of maids to do everything for me.¡± She showed her teeth in a smile. ¡°Ridiculous.¡± Her smiling face slowly grew serious. ¡°I just want to be a proper adult.¡± As soon as she muttered that, she heard a voice. She heard it in her mind rather than her ears and it resembled her own voice. ¡ªMinerals have life. ¡°¡­What?¡± Wondering what that voice had been, she got up. She started to ask ¡°who¡¯s there¡±, but never finished. Something fell to the ground directly to her right. ¡°!?¡± It was a giant mass of wind. As she was almost blown away by the great roar and wind, she looked up. ¡°That¡¯s no meteor¡­¡± The moonlight illuminated a white giant. A giant white figure stood in the moonlit paddy field. The white armored warrior was over ten meters tall. As she sat at its feet, Miyako realized this white oddity was not disappearing, so she slowly looked around the area. Once the wind produced by the giant vanished, everything grew still. All the movements, insect noises, and frog croaks had vanished. The silence and stillness was so great that a sense of confusion fell over her. It was as if all life had vanished from the area. And the giant standing next to her was more than just confusing. She called all of her engineering skills and knowledge into her inebriated mind and stood up. ¡°This isn¡¯t an anime, so how sturdy does that thing have to be to stand like that?¡± The unmoving white giant was close enough to reach out and touch. And so she took a step closer to do exactly that. As she did, two lights appeared on the giant¡¯s head. They formed the eyes on what appeared to be its face. The lights were yellow and she felt a certain warmth in them. They may have been a signal that something was activating. ¡­I feel like I¡¯ve seen those eyes before. But where? No, I¡¯ve never seen glowing eyes before. It¡¯s the general feeling they give me. Looking at those eyes brought a brightly warm and weak feeling to her chest. ¡­What is this? With that thought, her drunken mind prioritized curiosity. As if tempted, she reached a hand out toward the white giant. And just before she touched it¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± The light in the giant¡¯s eyes suddenly strengthened and it moved. It took a half step to the side as if avoiding her. ¡­It¡¯s running away. As it reacted like a frightened animal, it produced a powerful noise and wind. When it stepped into the paddy field, it tore off heads of rice and produced a splashing noise. The foot sinking into the mud produced an equal volume of muddy water flowing onto the gravel road. It had moved approximately three meters away and Miyako still could not hear any insects or frogs. In that silence, she looked at the fingers of her outstretched arm and the giant beyond them. She saw the white giant look down at her as if hanging its head. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The giant¡¯s head suddenly produced some sort of noise. She could tell it was a male voice, but she did not know what language it was. But after speaking, the giant turned its back to her. ¡°Wait,¡± she called out. But then she gasped in realization. ¡­What am I doing? She had gotten drunk after failing an interview and now she was telling a white giant to wait. Just as she wondered how much of that was normal, the giant made its next move. The six large wings on its back spread out. ¡°Wow¡­¡± It had three pairs of main wings with ailerons. The main wings were over five meters long and their flaps rose and fell. She even saw in-wing thrusters which should not have existed in reality. The wings spread out like a living creature and they blossomed in the moonlight. What is this? she wondered. This shouldn¡¯t exist. But that sense of reality was wiped out by the truth before her eyes. The spread wings gave off a dignified glow in the moonlight and wind suddenly exploded out. The white giant flew into the sky. ¡°!¡± Miyako crossed her arms in front of herself, but it was too late. Uh, oh, she thought as her body floated up a bit. In the next moment, she fell onto her butt. The impact itself was not as bad as the pain of the gravel stabbing at her. But she immediately forced herself through the wind and back to her feet. She had seen the white giant turn toward her in the instant it jumped up. Its yellow eyes had seemed afraid of something. ¡°¡­¡± She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She did not know what to say. She felt a strange sense of frustration, but she must have sympathized with the giant to have read fear in its eyes. Something similar to that giant¡¯s fear resided within herself. But what was it inside her? Instead of an answer, she heard a noise. It was a muffled sound as if something were tearing at the wind. A reverberation of the wind fell from the previously silent sky above. She looked up and saw a single white cloud drawing a line through the night along the path in which the white giant had flown. But¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± Something else came from the sky behind her. With the sound of something tearing at the wind, a new figure swiftly cut by overhead. As if showing its intention to whip up the wind, the figure repeatedly accelerated as it passed by above her head. It flew through the night sky while producing a chain of roars resembling the flapping of wings. Miyako put up with this second wind as she watched. This new figure wrapped in wind and noise was another giant much like the white one from before. But it was colored a dark black. The black giant pursued the white giant as it flew through the night sky. The night sky was chilly and clear. The black giant flying through the air had four metal wings extending from its back. The two pairs of four meter long wings were spread out with two toward the sky and two toward the ground. This action should have created air resistance, but it did not. The pale light emitted from the front of the wings cut through the air and only the necessary amount of air was brought inside the front slit to be stored inside the wing. The swing-down portion of the wing would then beat down the air. The atmospheric explosion emitted from the wing¡¯s rear thruster accelerated the metal giant upwards. The distance to the sky above vanished in an instant. As the black giant ascended, a sharp red light appeared on its face as eyes. It then located its enemy in the wind, the night, and the sky. That enemy was the white giant. The white giant¡¯s back was visible at a high enough altitude to be called ¡°the heavens¡±. It was ascending, so the black giant ascended even further. As it flapped the wings on its back, a noise came from the black giant. It was a voice coming from the mouth portion of its face. ¡°Are they planning to leave the concept space they set up themselves?¡± The voice that seemed to be questioning itself might have belonged to a boy or a young man. And another voice immediately replied. This time, a feminine voice came from that same black machine. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But if we can end this here, we should use our weapon of destruction.¡± A male and female pair spoke within the same craft and the female voice continued. ¡°Keravnos!¡± That name produced movement. A concept space expanded around the black right arm and the weapon known as Keravnos appeared in pieces. First, the frame of a spear was emitted from space. The claws on the bottom of the frame locked onto the arm and combined with the rail meant to fire the spear shell. Next, side guiderails and an upper counter-head were emitted from space. Those parts surrounded the top and either side, forming a cannon. After that, a shock absorber appeared and connected to the back. With the inside complete, the spear shell entered. The spear shell was made up of three spears, all which glowed white. They were the color of a thunderbolt. Finally, twelve steel bolts were emitted from space. With six on either side, they drilled into Keravnos one pair at a time. The six-fold harmony of metal closed the weapon, fixed it in place, and made sure it would not budge. It all occurred in an instant. ¡°Finished. We can do this!¡± Just as the female voice cried out, something happened above the black giant¡¯s head. The white giant flipped around with the moon above it and the black giant below it. It almost seemed to collapse backwards until its head was pointed down toward the black giant. Immediately afterwards, the white giant flapped its wings. It charged down toward the other giant and toward the ground. It had been carrying a sword over each shoulder and it was now holding the right one down toward its left waist. ¡°Here it comes!¡± But the black giant also flew. With a large flap of its wings, it calmly soared. And then music came from the black giant¡¯s mouth. The boy¡¯s voice sang a song. ¡ªSilent night Holy night As if riding on the gentle rhythm of the hymn, the black giant accelerated without rushing. ¡ªGod¡¯s Son laughs, o how bright At such great speeds, contact would only last an instant. ¡ªLove from your holy lips shines clear The descent at greater than free fall speeds and the ascent fighting against the pull of gravity crossed paths. ¡ªAs the dawn of salvation draws near The sword on the left and the spear on the right clashed. ¡ªJesus, Lord, with your birth ¡°Go!!¡± The song¡¯s final line transformed into a shout as the spear easily broke the sword. However¡­ ¡°¡­!!¡± Something odd happened. The white giant vanished and suddenly appeared to the side. It appeared on the right with zero time lag. ¡°Did it take our attack again!?¡± The boy¡¯s voice seemed to forcefully turn around in the sky. ¡°Mikage-san, what was that!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use! The attack is already here!¡± As she had said, the white giant¡¯s sword had already been swung down. ¡°That isn¡¯t just teleportation! It¡¯s an instant attack!¡± With teleportation, the giant¡¯s movements afterwards would continue from before, but when it had appeared an instant after vanishing, it had already been swinging the attack. This was not high speed, invisibility, or teleportation. It was as if the black giant¡¯s attack had been taken away. ¡°What¡¯s the trick to this!?¡± As he asked that question, evasion and attack crossed paths. With a great noise, the white giant¡¯s sword deflected the firing device at the base of the spear. And then the white giant crashed into the black giant. The sound of destroyed metal filled the sky. Sounds of pain and surprise came from both and the result of the crash showed itself. The white giant was larger and was moving faster. To eliminate the lingering effects of the impact, it rotated and dropped straight down. But the black giant was knocked through the air with its chest armor and back wings broken. Its altitude quickly dropped and it approached the surface. ¡°Kh.¡± The black wings spread out. It flapped them at just above the ground to throw its body sideways, but it was too little, too late. ¡°¡­!!¡± It used all of its leg strength to kick off the ground and forced another strike of the wings to correct its path. It flew in a high-speed horizontal glide and pursued the white giant which was similarly skimming along the surface approximately one hundred meters ahead. ¡°Damn.¡± ¡°Sorry. This is because I am incomplete.¡± The boy did not respond to the female voice¡¯s comment. After a short pause, she spoke again. ¡°Did you see Typhon back there?¡± ¡°Yes, but what about it?¡± After another short pause, the female voice spoke as if checking with herself. ¡°Its eyes were yellow. ¡­The color was different when we fought it before.¡± ¡°True,¡± muttered the boy. The black giant¡¯s head tilted as if to ask why, but the female voice cut off the boy¡¯s puzzlement. ¡°Typhon is slowing down.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I do not know, but this is our chance!¡± The black giant nodded at her words. It continued forward. It kicked off the ground once to leap into the air and then flapped its wings. It was taking a low-angle yet high-speed dive. And it charged in. It swung Keravnos on its right arm toward the white back it approached. ¡°Cry out, crushing lightning strike!¡± The male and female voices cried out in unison and the stabbing spear was fired while wrapped in light. As the white giant glided along, it frantically turned around and swung its sword toward the other giant. ¡°What!?¡± Keravnos devoured the sword. The metal sword shattered in an instant and it scattered through the sky. But the black giant saw where the white giant was headed. ¡°A person!?¡± A woman wearing a white shirt and a beige skirt looked through the sky while walking. It looked like she had lost sight of the giants and was searching for them. She slowly turned her head toward them. ¡°¡­¡± She caught sight of the approaching white giant and her expression filled with shock and paled. Seeing that, the white giant took action. It fully spread its wings, drastically lowered its speed, crouched over, and spread its arms. It moved to protect the woman from the attack approaching from behind. As the pursuing black giant swung its right arm, it altered the trajectory away from the white giant. ¡°Dammit!¡± The attack could not punch through the white giant. But the fired spear produced a lightning strike. Light enveloped the two gods of war and a great rumbling rang out. Miyako stood on the gravel road which was scorched, broken, and giving off heat. She was surrounded by an intense light that had fallen from the sky, but she did not close her eyes. She saw everything that happened. The heat- and light-filled wind brought slight tears to her eyes and made her tremble, but she continued to watch. It started when the flying white and black giants had descended toward her. As soon as the one with white wings landed in front of her, the light had come. Sound raced by around her like she was surrounded by a waterfall and light filled everything. She could tell the hot wind was blowing from below her feet. She did not remember much else. She had simply suddenly noticed the white giant standing before her. ¡­Did it protect me as I carelessly wandered around? She tried to speak her confusion aloud, but she could not form the words. Her lips were trembling. As were her face, head, abdomen, and knees. But her eyes looked steadily up at the white giant. She looked up at its face. Those eyes emitting a yellow light would be there. As if responding to her thoughts, the giant lowered its head slightly. She could now see its face. ¡­It¡¯s different. It was a pale blue. Rather than the yellow light, the white giant¡¯s face gave off a pale light. This is the same color as moonlight, she thought. In the next instant, the white giant moved. As if refusing to lower its head any longer, it suddenly spread its arms slightly and bent backwards. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± It let out a roar. The roar sounded like a mix between an ¡°ah¡± and a ¡°gah¡± and it was clearly a female voice. The foreign-sounding male voice from before was gone. It now produced a pure, bestial, and scream-like voice. The cry blew away the steam and exposed the moon above. The entire chilly sky was now visible. The sight made Miyako shudder. She then heard a noise. Something was shaking the air as it approached from behind the white giant. ¡°The black one¡­¡± The dark giant moved in. It skimmed across the broken paddy field at high speed and instantly arrived from a distance. It was already swinging the spear attached to its right arm. Miyako heard it give a war cry. In response, the white giant ended its cry and swung its right arm toward Miyako. ¡°What?¡± asked Miyako as the white giant grabbed her. In no time, the steel fingers had wrapped around her tense body. She was restrained. She was lifted up in an instant and then forcefully squeezed. As she wondered what was happening, the white giant turned around, bringing her with it. And it held her out toward the black giant. ¡°I¡¯m a hostage!?¡± Even as she almost passed out, she saw the black giant stop when it saw her. She once again wondered what was happening. The white giant which had shown her fear had protected her but then taken her hostage once the color of its eyes had changed. Meanwhile, the black giant had stopped moving upon seeing her despite continually attacking the fearful white giant. ¡­Which is the good one and which is the bad one? While held by those five steel fingers, her breath was squeezed from her lungs and she had difficulty drawing in more air. Her breathing was shallow and her vision grew blurry. And then the white giant flapped its wings. Just as she felt her body grow heavy, she found herself in the sky. Her vision had reached the heavens. The large moon was visible overhead. She saw the pale color of the moon just before her consciousness cut out. The black giant stood on the paddy field¡¯s gravel road. After the triple spear on its right arm was dismantled and stored in the concept space, it lowered its right arm. Afterwards, its shoulders clearly drooped. The face was clearly turned toward two things on the ground. Sitting on the gravel were a balled up woman¡¯s suit coat and a black bag. After a moment of silence, it spoke with the boy¡¯s voice. ¡°The concept space will vanish soon, but should we pursue them? They got someone else involved.¡± The response came from a weak and quiet female voice. ¡°We can¡¯t. I can¡¯t send power to the wings properly.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said the boy¡¯s voice. At the same time, light arrived. This was not the moonlight from above. It came from directly in front of the black giant. ¡°!?¡± The white light pointed directly at the black giant¡¯s face. More lights illuminated its face and body from the sides and back. And then the black giant saw it. A great number of large forms were visible beyond the hands holding the lights. And several human forms were visible on top of them. ¡°Are those¡­?¡± They were trucks. The large trucks had surrounded the giant as a barricade. The lights were approximately fifteen meters away. The giant had not noticed them as they approached. Which meant¡­ ¡°Did they use some kind of concept?¡± muttered the male voice. He received a response from a boy standing in the center of the people lined up on one truck. His hair was slicked back, it had some white mixed in, and his sharp face was turned toward the giant. ¡°To use the stereotypical phrase, we have you surrounded! Feel free to resist if you like. We have already prepared a stupid but sturdy shield and a beautiful gunner that can shoot through anything as long as she has enough guts!¡± ¡°Am I that shield you mentioned, you son of a bitch?¡± said a well-built young man standing to the boy¡¯s left and holding a giant sword. The girl standing to the boy¡¯s right then spoke while holding a giant staff. ¡°U-um¡­ My Ex-St doesn¡¯t use my guts for output. It uses my spirit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the same thing!¡± The girl cowered down as everyone else shouted at her, but the sharp-faced boy in the center patted her shoulder. He then faced the black giant once more. ¡°Now, what will you do?¡± Rather than the male voice, it was the giant¡¯s female voice that answered. ¡°What should we do?¡± The line of people took defensive stances when they heard that question. Except for one of them. That one was the sharp-faced boy who had spoken before. Rather than going on the defensive, he loosely folded his arms and placed his left hand on his chin. It looked like he was evaluating the black god of war. ¡°Will you fight?¡± he asked. ¡°Are you picking a fight?¡± ¡°That depends on you.¡± He nodded and calmly continued. ¡°If we do fight, you may come to regret it.¡± The black giant did not move, but the male voice muttered to himself. ¡°I give up¡­¡± ¡°Ryuuji-kun?¡± ¡°Please shut it down, Mikage-san. These people are not our enemy. Not that they are our ally either.¡± He took a breath. ¡°You are from UCAT, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That is correct.¡± As the sharp-faced boy answered, the black giant trembled. The hatch on the bottom of the stomach opened outward. A short figure jumped out and to the ground. He was a boy wearing black jeans and a white tank top. He had short hair and a white bandanna wrapped around his forehead. ¡°Red eyes¡­¡± He gave a troubled smile as he heard that comment from the surrounding people. ¡°I get these red eyes from my grandfather. ¡­Also, I request protection. Will that suffice, student council members?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Sensing confusion and surprise, the red-eyed boy spoke with a smile. ¡°I am Hiba Ryuuji from Class 1-F of Taka-Akita Academy. The one about to appear from this god of war is Hiba Mikage. Sayama-san, do you remember me? I¡¯m the grandson of that troublesome old man, Hiba Ryuutetsu.¡± As he spoke, the boy named Hiba raised his hands. He also stopped between the black giant¡¯s legs. He held his raised arms forward as if to catch something. ¡°Mikage-san.¡± As soon as he spoke that name, the black giant transformed. No, it was not a transformation. Starting with its limbs, the entire body folded and bent inward until it vanished into thin air. With the sound of building blocks being piled up, the black craft disappeared. And just before it did, the back of the craft opened and a human figure fell out. It was a female figure. The blonde girl wore a black shirt and a white dress. As she fell, Hiba caught her from below. The girl, Mikage, did not move. She did not fix her disheveled hair and she merely took repeated deep breaths. ¡­Is she okay? As he thought that, Hiba felt something damp in his right hand. Something warm began to cover that hand. As that warmth caused him to gasp, he heard a voice from above. ¡°Is she injured? We can treat her.¡± ¡°We always handle it ourselves, but it looks like that won¡¯t happen today.¡± He realized that everyone surrounding them was staring at Mikage. He knew why she was drawing their focus. Her visible skin at the neck and hands was different from that of a human. The material resembled human skin, but the joints were black and made with a geometric pattern. ¡°An automaton,¡± someone said. That comment caused an even deeper silence to fall which Hiba did not like. But that silence was broken by Sayama giving instructions. Hiba took a breath as he heard the footsteps of people frantically beginning to move. A white-clothed rescue team quickly arrived and spread out a white sheet, so he gently lowered Mikage to the ground behind him. He placed her on the sheet and lightly placed her hands on top of her stomach. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay,¡± he said reassuringly and the rescue team smiled at him. ¡°We will make sure she is okay.¡± His smile in response was weak, but he raised his head as he heard the sounds of medical equipment. He turned around and turned his red eyes in that direction. ¡°Thank you very much. Please take her to a good doctor.¡± And then he looked around the area once more. He first noticed that Sayama was looking his way. ¡°This is Team Leviathan, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Did you hear about us from Hiba-sensei?¡± ¡°Yes, but only a bit. Something about winning each Gear to your side, right?¡± ¡°Correct. Are you fighting 3rd-Gear?¡± As Hiba wondered whether he should answer, Sayama continued speaking. ¡°This is not just a casual request. I am sure you have your reasons, but could you end your fighting? It will hinder the Leviathan Road with 3rd-Gear.¡± ¡°No,¡± replied Hiba reflexively. His eyebrows rose. ¡°3rd-Gear is our opponent. And¡­I cannot hand them over to you. If you want 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core, then wait until we have settled things with them.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°An impurity.¡± Hiba chose his words carefully. ¡°3rd-Gear has an impurity. If you touch them, you will be stained, so we will cleanse that impurity and then give you the Concept Core.¡± ¡°And until then, you want us to leave you alone?¡± Hiba nodded. After a moment, Sayama folded his arms and a small animal that had climbed to his head mimicked the pose. ¡°I see. An interesting proposal. According to my horoscope, I am a bit short-tempered today and my lucky word is ¡®anger¡¯, so-¡­¡± ¡°W-wait, Sayama-kun! Don¡¯t do anything rash based on the astronomy department¡¯s fake horoscopes!¡± cried a voice from behind the truck. Sayama frowned and turned toward the voice. Hiba tilted his head as he thought the voice sounded familiar. ¡°U-um, we just received word from Ooshiro-san. Is there a Hiba-kun here!? If so, please raise your hand!¡± Hiba did as requested. But after a few moments of silence, Sayama looked at him and then on the other side of the truck once more. ¡°Can you see him from there?¡± ¡°O-of course I can!¡± ¡°Then answer me this: which hand is he holding up?¡± ¡°U-um¡­ Um, uh¡­ The middle one!¡± ¡°Please redo your evolution from the microscopic stage. At any rate, what is it?¡± ¡°Well,¡± said the voice. ¡°It seems we¡¯re supposed to secure Hiba-kun and the girl with him without asking them anything! It sounds like a complicated situation and I didn¡¯t really understand it.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha. Thank you for being so wonderfully useless, Ooki-sensei.¡± ¡°Teh heh heh. Stop flattering me.¡± That was flattery? thought Hiba, but then the name Sayama had mentioned made him recall a famous teacher from his school. Oh, so that teacher is part of Team Leviathan too. ¡­Now I¡¯m worried about the world. Sayama and the others faced him and Sayama gave him an expressionless look. ¡°There is a lot I would like to ask you, but we will prioritize the organization here.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Hiba looked up and around at the people surrounding him. They were UCAT members, but they were mostly quite young. A lot of the girls were about his age. The same was true for the girl standing next to Sayama. She did not seem to be a member of the student council, but¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± She looked familiar, so he tilted his head. ¡­Isn¡¯t that the person named Shinjou who is always with Sayama-senpai? But isn¡¯t Shinjou¡­ ¡°¡­a boy?¡± he muttered. He suddenly shuddered. As sweat poured down the back of his body, Shinjou spoke to him. ¡°What is it? You don¡¯t look too good.¡± ¡°Eh? Oh¡­ U-u-u-u-uh¡­ Well¡­¡± He looked around to find something to say. As he did, he looked up at the girls. ¡°With the design of the girls¡¯ uniforms, it feels like I¡¯m peeking up their skirts,¡± he muttered with a serious expression. ¡°Does thinking that make me a pervert?¡± Countless silent attacks flew his way. Volume 5, 1: A Morning Change Volume 5, Chapter 1: A Morning Change I want to do this forever But what am I supposed to do If I feel a stirring in my heart? ¡ªThinking you are special is old-fashioned. ¡ªThinking you are normal is even more old-fashioned. A lot is about to change A morning of beginnings has made this clear The moon of early summer remains visible in that morning The air of a summer morning blew through the city. The sun was beginning to rise, but few cars passed by on the street which was covered in a morning fog. However, two figures were visible on the sidewalk. Two people were running as the shallow morning sun washed over them from the side. One was a boy in a black track suit and the other was a girl in a white track suit. They were Sayama and Shinjou. As they jogged, they entered the giant school alongside the road. Their path curved ninety degrees away from the cherry trees along the road and toward the school building to the left. With the gym on their left, they passed by the first general school building and the second general school building (which contained the Kinugasa Library) on their right. They then turned right and cut between the second and third general school buildings to reach the backs of the buildings. Sayama then began the last spurt while almost destroying the gravel path below his feet. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s too fast.¡± Sayama waved to Shinjou behind him as he moved ahead. He also pulled Baku from his pocket and placed the creature on his head. He quickly reached the emergency staircase on the east side of the second general school building. He ran up to the second floor landing while taking three steps at a time. That was their usual gathering spot for meetings and private discussions. ¡°¡­¡± And he arrived. He looked over the railing toward the empty schoolyard and the sun rising into the sky. Far off in the vast schoolyard were the silhouettes of the strange monuments created by each successive graduating class. ¡­Such majestic scenery. He took a breath, loosened his track suit¡¯s collar, and made sure Baku was not falling from his head. He then pulled a stopwatch from his pocket. The LCD time read 5:50 AM. He then glanced at the seconds display below the clock. ¡°Fourteen minutes for a half circuit. We still have a long way to go.¡± As he spoke to himself, he turned toward the staircase behind him. As Shinjou climbed the stairs, she looked up at him from the bend in the staircase. ¡°Ah.¡± The instant their gazes met, she mistook her footing as if strength had left her legs. With a quiet voice of surprise, she threw her body to his side. She fell on her back while holding her hair so as not to get it dirty. ¡°Ha ha. I guess I got careless.¡± She laughed while catching her breath while Sayama stood with his hips lowered and his arms spread forward. ¡­I thought she was going to leap toward me. ¡°Sayama-kun, why are you making that pose into empty air? ¡°It seems not everything goes as one might hope.¡± He nodded as Shinjou tilted her head and then he looked across the landing. The morning light showed two things on the landing wall. Sayama had used his finger to write two things in the filth on the wall. 1st-Gear ¨C Fafnir Custom. 2nd-Gear ¨C Yamata. Sayama suddenly narrowed his eyes toward the two lines written one above the other. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± asked a voice from below. He looked down and saw Shinjou was still lying on the floor. She brushed up her bangs which had stuck to her forehead with sweat. She looked up at the wall, but the light prevented her from reading the writing from her angle. ¡°¡­?¡± She tilted her head, looked back toward him, and showed him a smile. ¡°It is nothing, Shinjou-kun. Does it bother you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded and sat up with the ends of her eyebrows slightly lowered. ¡°You had a similar expression to when your chest hurts.¡± ¡°That is worrisome. Perhaps I should visit a doctor.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ No, wait! You can¡¯t go to any of the doctors you know! A-and more importantly¡­¡± For some reason, she frantically stood up and kicked the floor with her right heel despite having just run. ¡°U-um? What are we going to do about that guy from last night? Hiba¡­Ryuuji-kun, was it?¡± Shinjou¡¯s question caused Sayama to cross his arms. ¡°Hm.¡± He nodded. ¡°You want to know what we are going to do?¡± ¡°Yes. I was wondering¡­ No, wait! You shouldn¡¯t think too much, Sayama-kun! Especially in the morning!¡± ¡°What has you panicking so much? I am thinking about this in a perfectly normal fashion.¡± ¡°¡­Just remember. There are some things people simply can¡¯t do.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Do not worry, Shinjou-kun. I am perfect. ¡­Why would you grab my collar when I say that?¡± ¡°Well, I suppose you are perfect in a way.¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± He held out a hand to stop her. She glared at him while they both leaned against the railing. ¡°At any rate, we were unable to meet with the Hiba boy since that incident.¡± He recalled the previous night. The boy claiming to be Hiba Ryuutetsu¡¯s grandson and his female automaton partner had been taken into UCAT custody, but they had heard nothing since. What had he been fighting using that god of war? It seemed the investigation team had found white armor fragments on the ground. Hiba¡¯s god of war had been black. ¡°He must have been fighting a white god of war. ¡­Most likely one belonging to 3rd-Gear.¡± ¡°Do you think it was Typhon?¡± ¡°I cannot say for sure, but the odds are good. The Hiba boy¡¯s god of war had wings and it used them in battle. It was on an entirely different level than the UCAT god of war attempting a triple axel underground. And do you remember Ooki-sensei¡¯s announcement just before we headed out?¡± He took a breath. ¡°She said there were two huge readings. ¡­Who would have thought she would ever teach us something useful?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to ignore that last part, okay? ¡­Anyway, she uses the concept-related equipment, so can we assume these were on the level of a Concept Core for her to call them ¡®huge¡¯?¡± ¡°If so, the white one would be Typhon which is powered by half of 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core. We do not know where the black one came from, but this would mean it possesses half of a Concept Core. If only we knew how he acquired that god of war.¡± They had waited in the front lobby to speak with Hiba and the others, but Abram had arrived and ordered them to leave. ¡­3rd-Gear¡¯s Leviathan Road has yet to begin and we are forced to avoid the related people. This almost confirmed that the boy named Hiba had some connection to 3rd-Gear. ¡°The real mystery is why we were not allowed to speak with him.¡± ¡°The higher ups must have decided there is some reason why we must not be allowed to meet with him. He is refusing to work with the Leviathan Road for some reason and UCAT also thinks we should stay away from him.¡± ¡°He said something about an impurity and that he would cleanse it.¡± ¡°Yes, but we were not even allowed to ask about that.¡± After leaving UCAT last night, Izumo, Kazami, Shinjou, and Sayama had travelled by train and motorcycle before meeting back up in Oume. After leaving the station, they had discussed their plans at a fast food restaurant. While folding his arms above the railing, Sayama restated their conclusion from that meeting. ¡°UCAT will not allow us to approach him, but we wish to know what this impurity is and who he was fighting. And he attends our school, so we can approach him if we want. ¡­UCAT will have realized that much.¡± Then¡­ ¡°How about we act as students rather than as Team Leviathan? We have recently discovered an interesting underclassman and wish to speak with him as the student council. We can discuss his personal situation while we are at it.¡± The smile in his voice produced a bitter smile from Shinjou. As her eyebrows relaxed slightly, she glanced over at him. ¡°That is disobeying orders.¡± ¡°It is nothing more than a normal student council activity. Kazami is likely contacting him right about now. The Hiba boy will receive word from his homeroom teacher that the student council has summoned him. Basically, he is being told to meet us behind the school. Heh heh heh. No one in the school can disobey Kazami if she tells them that. We can look forward to this, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ She seems to be well-known among the freshmen. I think it¡¯s because she kicked Izumo-san from the rooftop stage during the school band concert for the All Holiday Festival back in May.¡± ¡°It had something to do with the force of his shout, didn¡¯t it? The first years panicked, but the second and third years knew it was coming. The cheers for Kazami and cries of ¡®gung-ho¡¯ made it quite an amazing performance. You can tell Kazami has grown accustomed to this. She made sure to finish singing all the songs before collecting Izumo from the pond he fell into.¡± ¡°Schools make for both good and bad memories, don¡¯t they? And I¡¯m stating that as kindly as I can.¡± Shinjou¡¯s shoulders drooped and she sighed. She then grabbed the railing and stretched lightly. ¡°Anyway, Sayama-kun, are you planning on 3rd-Gear for the next Leviathan Road?¡± Sayama did not immediately respond. He looked back toward the writing on the wall and then nodded. ¡°That would be the next one if we are to continue in order. Also¡­it depends on our meeting today.¡± ¡°I see. I wonder how it¡¯ll go. And if we go up against 3rd, we¡¯ll really be faced with gods of war, won¡¯t we?¡± As she muttered that, a slight wind suddenly gathered around her body. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± As her hair shook and she twisted her body a little, a faint mist of white steam appeared around her. But the mist vanished in an instant and she remained still while gently holding her own body. She shrank down with red tinging her cheeks. ¡°I-I just became Setsu¡­¡± ¡°I do not see why that is anything to blush over.¡± Shinjou shook her head. ¡°I-it¡¯s embarrassing. When I choose what to wear, I¡¯m deciding which one I will be. When I¡¯m in the dorm room with you, I can take it easy and just be Sadagiri, but I have to be either Sadame or Setsu while outside. Before I revealed my identity, I had to be Sadame during the day, so I was prepared to dress as a girl, but¡­¡± ¡°But now is different?¡± She gave a small nod. ¡°I think it¡¯s because I haven¡¯t had to dress as a girl much lately due to being in the dorm. Maybe I¡¯m being too self-conscious, but when I change without planning for it, my preparations such as clothing are all wrong. ¡­It makes me feel naked. I find it hard to face forward and continue walking.¡± ¡°But you always wear Sadame-kun¡¯s equipment at UCAT and sometimes train from evening into the night¡­¡± ¡°I view that more as my equipment than specifically Sadame¡¯s equipment. There are also some normal clothes that I feel comfortable both ways in. Like pajamas for example. Also, I feel more comfortable if I change my clothes after the change, even if I¡¯m changing right back into the same clothes. At the Tamiya house, I use their bathroom for that.¡± As she spoke, she seemed to realize something and smiled bitterly while bringing a hand to her mouth. ¡°Thank you for staying with me even when I continue talking about Setsu and Sadame after you said Sadagiri is fine.¡± ¡°If being with you is enough to receive your thanks, how about we be together even more, Shinjou-kun? ¡­Anyway, are you feeling naked as Setsu-kun right now?¡± ¡°Yes. Especially around the chest and butt¡­ I don¡¯t want to meet anyone before reaching the dorm.¡± Sayama realized she was covering herself with her arms despite wearing the track suit. ¡°There is a way to resolve this.¡± ¡°Eh? There is?¡± ¡°Yes. Change clothes here so you feel more comfortable.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± After a moment, she began to panic. ¡°I-I was careless! Forget it! Forget it, Sayama-kun! I-I-I-I¡¯m fine!¡± ¡°No need to worry. I am not so heartless that I would make you walk around outside while mentally naked.¡± He turned his back, looked up into the blue sky, and spread his arms. ¡°Now, change clothes while my back is turned.¡± He waited five seconds. When he did not hear the rustling of clothes, he turned around. He saw Shinjou taking small, tiptoeing steps down the stairs. ¡°Shinjou-kun! You need not force yourself!¡± But then he realized what Shinjou was doing. He silently rushed down toward Shinjou who had reached the turn in the stairway. ¡°I see. So you are going to change in the shadow of the staircase? That is a most sensible idea, Shinjou-kun!¡± ¡°In what world is that sensible!?¡± She stopped and turned around with her eyebrows raised. And Sayama collided with her as he ran down the stairs. ¡°Eh? Ah¡­wah!¡± They tripped down the stairs. In that instant, Sayama had to make a decision. He had to decide between protecting Shinjou from harm and helping her change her clothes. ¡­Which one do I choose!? He rolled down the stairs and out into the schoolyard behind the building. I hit my back, he realized as he looked up. There he saw the sky¡­and Shinjou¡¯s face. She was frowning with her eyes closed and clinging to his chest as he lay on his back. She was unharmed, so he muttered to himself. ¡°¡­Good.¡± ¡°Th-this is not good. What if you¡¯re hurt?¡± She frantically got up and looked at him. Seeing the look of worry in her eyes, he nodded, raised his arms, and spoke in a calming tone. ¡°I am unharmed and neither are you. ¡­That is what I deemed good. I made the right decision.¡± ¡°What decision?¡± ¡°The decision between protecting you from harm and helping you change your clothes.¡± ¡°There is quite a difference between those two options. But still¡­¡± She sighed and the tension left her body. She leaned her warm and soft body on him once more. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I am glad to hear you say that. I truly was not mistaken to choose both options.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± She questioningly touched her butt and felt her underwear. The face lying on his chest paled in surprise for an instant and quickly grew red. ¡°W-wait! Sayama-kun! Where are my pants!?¡± ¡°If you are to change back into them, you must first take them off, Shinjou-kun.¡± He then pulled the folded track suit pants from under his head. ¡°And without this, I would have hit my head. It is my turn to thank you.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯m glad I could be of some help. ¡­Now give them back.¡± ¡°You must remove the top first.¡± ¡°Eh? S-stop! Don¡¯t try to take off the top!¡± As he lifted the track suit far enough to see her sweaty stomach, she frantically held it down with her hands. ¡°C-c-c-c-c-c-calm d-d-d-d-down, Sayama-kun.¡± ¡°I think you need to calm down first. And as you do, I will take care of this.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± she asked as he reached for the underwear covering her butt and tried to peel it away. ¡°N-no!! The bottom is even worse! You can¡¯t do this here!¡± She frantically sat up. She straddled his body to prevent him from removing her underwear. But even if she said no, she had been the one to recommend changing her clothes, so he knew there was no problem with his actions. ¡°Shinjou-kun, why do you grow so flustered and reject what you yourself suggested?¡± ¡°Because you are insane!!¡± Suddenly, several footsteps passed by. A line of the blue uniforms belonging to the girls volleyball team passed by for their early morning training. They all smiled and nodded as they passed, so Sayama waved and nodded back. After a while, the footsteps disappeared into the distance and Shinjou slowly collapsed. Her forehead struck his chest. ¡°¡­It¡¯s over. This is going to start more strange rumors.¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. The normal students do not know the truth. This is filling me with a sense of superiority.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t the issue! What are we going to do? They¡¯ll spread a rumor that I was straddling you while wearing girls¡¯ underwear!¡± ¡°It is not a rumor if it is true, Shinjou-kun. I intend to gladly accept this truth for the sake of history.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just another fabricated truth in the History According to Sayama!!¡± As her voice reverberated through the air, an electronic tone sounded. It was Sayama¡¯s cell phone. He pulled it from his pocket and saw it was from UCAT. As Shinjou looked up in surprise, he answered. ¡°It is I.¡± And¡­ ¡°What is it, Sibyl-kun? I am busy undressing Shinjou-kun.¡± Suddenly, someone began strangling him. In a dimly lit room, someone suddenly sat up in a bed. It was a boy. He was short and he wore a black T-shirt and shorts while sleeping. Below his short hair, he had a scar running in a diagonal line along his forehead and his eyes were not a normal color. They were red. He gasped for breath and pulled up the light blanket while bringing a hand to his face with a blank yet panicked expression. ¡°¡­¡± He crossed his legs and leaned forward on the bed. He knitted his brow and his eyes focused on the room before him. A curtain covered the window and blocked out the light of that summer morning. A metalworking desk with a vise attached sat next to the window. The bookcase next to the desk contained maps and specialized books on using bladed weapons and martial arts. Everywhere else, the walls were completely covered by vests, work pants, and other clothes hanging on them. All of them were dirty from years of use. The two picture frames hanging above the desk were the room¡¯s only non-practical items. The two frames contained school diplomas. They were from elementary school and middle school and they both contained the name Hiba Ryuuji. The boy looked at his own name written there. ¡°¡­¡± Silently, he moved the two fingers on his face. He let out a slow breath as he touched his forehead. He spent several minutes doing so. And as he exhaled, sweat from his forehead travelled down his fingers. Rather than wiping away the sensation, he closed his eyes, breathed in, and opened his mouth. ¡°What a horrible dream.¡± His dream had been a reliving of a battle with 3rd-Gear¡¯s god of war. ¡­Was that the battle from last year? On that night, the black god of war piloted by him and Mikage had flown west in search of 3rd-Gear¡¯s headquarters. They had ended up in the Osaka region. Their god of war and the enemy¡¯s one could both function in this Gear without expanding a concept space by using a philosopher¡¯s stone. But 3rd-Gear always fought after bringing his and Mikage¡¯s god of war into a concept space. He had never spoken with 3rd-Gear. According to his grandfather, most of the 3rd-Gear survivors were automatons and most of them could not function in Low-Gear. The green god of war that had appeared before his eyes had likely been remotely controlled by the automatons and the battle had occurred inside a concept space in the plains of Osaka. ¡ªMetal is alive. In that concept, metal bodies truly held life. Hiba and Mikage¡¯s god of war had undergone a philosopher¡¯s stone treatment which allowed it to function in Low-Gear, but it was no different. That treatment allowed it to use its abilities as a machine. A true god of war was a type of living machine. Under the effects of the concept that gave metal life, Hiba¡¯s body, which contained a single life, was broken down by the god of war¡¯s dismantling mechanism and inserted into the different mechanisms of the god of war. This allowed him to join with the god of war. Rather than piloting it, he felt more like his body had transformed into the machine. He did not know the exact method used. ¡­But it feels like melting. The eight meter giant was a weapon that used a frame as bones, replaced its muscles with cylinders and artificial muscles, sensed using devices, and controlled its power with a living mind. Hiba understood that was how gods of war worked. The battle that night had ended quickly. As the green god of war had swung its sword on the surface, Hiba had backed away. A song had escaped his lips. It had been the hymn titled Silent Night. ¡­The song from my memories. Mikage had sung that song on the night his family had taken her in as an automaton. His father had left Mikage with them and then he had never returned from his job. That had been ten years before. Hiba had fought while singing the song that had thoroughly permeated him. The enemy¡¯s sword had flown toward him along the shortest route. It had flown in a horizontal line to the right and then back to the left. After he had opened some distance, it had stabbed forward as he landed. That had been the timing. He had looked at the moonlight shadow on the ground rather than directly at the enemy¡¯s sword. That jab had to be looked at in three dimensions, but the shadow had been only two dimensions. Using that, he had calculated just the height and slipped beneath the sword. With a roar, he had succeeded. His right fist had half-forcibly broken the green god of war. Its armor had split, the artificial muscles and frame inside had bent and broken, and the abdomen had been knocked diagonally. This had produced the sound of heavy metals being destroyed. Once his opponent could not move, he had kicked the green god of war as if sweeping it away. With the sound of crumbling dirt, the green wreckage had rolled below the moon. ¡­Now I can rest easy for the moment. But as soon as he had thought that, something else had arrived. A giant white form had descended from the sky to his right. He had once heard of this god of war from his grandfather. He had heard a god of war had been made as a pair to his black one and that it used half the Concept Core as a power source. It was Typhon. He had recognized it in an instant. And it had moved differently. ¡­Someone¡¯s inside it. Defeating it could kill the pilot. But he had reflexively chosen to attack. He had done so because the enemy had already been charging toward him. ¡­Can I do this!? No¡­ I have to! He had picked up the green god of war¡¯s sword and attacked Typhon. The silver weapon had flown diagonally up from the bottom left in almost a perfectly straight line. Even if this attack was evaded, Hiba could defend by holding the sword at the middle right. As if in response, Typhon had stepped in and drawn its own weapon from its right shoulder. It had been a large white sword. The blade had been straight and thick and it had been filled with a lingering light. Its movements had not been as regulated as the remote controlled ones and it had attacked with pure strength. Typhon had roared as it attacked. ¡°¡­!¡± Someone had supposedly been piloting it, but the voice had not sounded human. The voice had sounded female and it had pierced through everything like a scream or cry of anger. Hiba had gathered all his strength and repelled the roar. He had forcibly ignored it and taken action. In the next instant, his sword had struck the enemy¡¯s sword. He had held the blade firmly and went in for a second attack. The angular facial structure of the enemy¡¯s face had contained blue lights for eyes. ¡­They look like the moonlight. As soon as he had that thought, their blades had struck. Or they should have. Something odd had happened instead. The white god of war had suddenly vanished. ¡°¡­!?¡± In the next instant, he had heard Mikage¡¯s voice. ¡°Ryuuji-kun! An attack is coming from the right!¡± He had reacted to Mikage¡¯s shout coming from the voice device. ¡°!!¡± It had all begun again. All thoughts had vanished from his mind and he had moved purely on reflex. He had flown forward to move out of the way. And that decision had saved him. He had evaded the attack. The large sword had scraped his metal right cheek and passed by. He had felt the wind produced by the strike on the god of war¡¯s skin. He had known the strike was powerful enough to decapitate him. He had heard quick pursuing footsteps behind him. ¡­What is going on!? I thought I attacked it! His enemy had stolen his turn to attack. And so he had turned around. Cautious of that previous disappearance, he had taken a defensive stance. An attack had come. It had been a fast, heavy, repeating, yet normal attack. When he had deflected the sword with his own blade as the sword had swung down toward him, the enemy had then rotated at high speed by creating an explosion of air from its left wings. As it had rotated, it had sent the second strike. When he had moved back as the fierce horizontal slash arrived, the white god of war had purposefully let its sword fly wide through the air and thrown a reverse roundhouse kick as it continued to rotate. The repeated large, swinging attacks had been similar to a constant rotation. And Hiba had made a certain decision when faced with that rotation. ¡°¡­!¡± He had flown. The black god of war had evaded upwards and into the sky behind it. As night approached morning, it had flown into the sky with the moon. He had put some distance between them, but he had had no intention of stopping there. If his opponent was going to continue rotating its sword like that¡­ ¡°I can throw in a wedge to stop the rotation!¡± As the white god of war had rotated the large sword in a raised position, Hiba had thrown his sword down at it. He had thrown the blade at close range like it was a spear. He had targeted the white god of war¡¯s face. But the metallic noise it had produced was the sound of the sword shattering in midair. But that had been fine. He had swung his right fist and quickly descended. It had been a power dive with all his weight behind his right fist. If it connected, it would mess up his arm while smashing his opponent¡¯s facial structure. ¡°!!¡± He had accelerated. ¡­Go. He had swung down his right fist while descending. And in that instant, he had seen something. This time he saw it more clearly. The white god of war had vanished before his eyes. ¡°What?¡± It had been the same as before. Just as their swords had not clashed earlier, it had neutralized his attack. He had recalled what he had seen a moment earlier. ¡­When I attacked, it disappeared and attacked from a blind spot! ¡°Then will it attack from a blind spot again!?¡± Before he had even finished speaking, the truth had presented itself in the form of an attack. But it had been an attack that could not exactly be called an attack. Just before he had landed, a fist had struck him from behind. ¡°!?¡± It had been a light strike as if telling him to get down to the ground or to open up some space. But the timing of the attack had been strange. The instant after Typhon had vanished had not been enough time to swing its fist. The fist had struck the very moment after Typhon had disappeared. It could not have used this attack in that time. All attacks had a stance to use them from and a movement that let the attack reach the enemy. Those things required a certain amount of time. But in the instant Hiba had attacked from his stance, Typhon had appeared in his blind spot and attacked without any preparation time. He had not known how it worked. All he had known was that his time to attack had been taken away. The black god of war had fallen to its knees, so he had frantically stood up and swiftly stepped forward. He had then turned around to look behind him. He had seen a white form floating in the sky there. It had been Typhon. The white god of war had stood with its back to him in the spot he had been in a moment earlier. ¡­What was that attack just now? If it had attacked with its sword rather than its fist, he would have been killed. ¡°Was that supposed to be a warning?¡± Without giving him any answers, Typhon had turned just its head toward him. He had seen Typhon¡¯s eyes. Earlier, the eyes had contained a pale blue light similar to the moon. ¡°They¡¯re yellow.¡± As if to affirm the voice that had escaped the black god of war, Typhon had faced forward. And an explosion of wind had occurred a moment later. Typhon had flown. He had stretched out his hand, but it had not been in time. ¡°!¡± Before he had even been able to pursue, Typhon had accelerated away. He had power, but he had been unable to pursue or fight. ¡°Kh¡­¡± That was when he had woken from the dream. He took a breath and opened his eyes. He no longer found himself in that dark space with the moon at the peak. He was in a small room filling with the morning light. It was his room, a room built around fighting. ¡°This really is a small room.¡± He wiped the sweat from his brow, touched the scar, and got out of bed. The feeling of the gaps between floorboards on the bottom of his feet was very different from the feeling of the ground on the bottom of the god of war¡¯s feet from his dream. The scale was much smaller, but it was much more relaxing. He then left the room. He opened the door and entered the second floor hallway. The second floor contained nothing but the stairs leading down to his right and Mikage¡¯s room across the hall. The landing window had no curtain, so he saw the morning light and heard the chirping of the birds. He sighed and his shoulders finally relaxed. He then faced the opposite door. ¡°I need to wake Mikage-san.¡± Morning sometimes came early for Tsukuyomi Miyako and sometimes it did not. She had few classes now that she was in her fourth year of university and she could choose to take classes that started closer to noon. She had recently been waking up early to look for a job, but she would never wake up early without an alarm clock. And at the moment, she heard no alarm. As she started to doze off again, she felt light on the outside of her eyelids. ¡­It must be morning. As she judged the time, she remembered she had the entire day off. She had no classes, the employment department had not called for her, and she had no interviews scheduled. Her mother would be at IAI for work. ¡­I guess I¡¯ll eat some breakfast, take a short break, and go rent some DVDs or something. She had taken a liking to the romance drama ¡°A-Another Proposal¡± that she had started renting recently. The protagonist was a hardcore stalker and his persistent advances while always saying ¡°just this once, just this once¡± had real intensity. During the last episode, he had been beaten up and thrown from a bridge into a ravine, but she knew that was not enough to kill him. ¡°I hope they have a copy left.¡± As she spoke sleepily, her voice was surprisingly clear. She decided that meant her body had woken up. She focused and noticed she was wrapped in a soft blanket and resting her head on a large pillow. But then she remembered that she slept in a futon and used a buckwheat pillow. ¡°¡­?¡± Doubt entered her mind, but she was unsure what exactly this doubt meant. She was sleeping peacefully, but her bedding was different. What was she supposed to make of that? And as if to further her doubt, a young female voice spoke. ¡°Princess, lunch is ready.¡± The words were oddly overlapped as if she were hearing two voices at once. She had been unable to quite catch one, but the one she heard clearly was perfectly understandable. ¡°Who are you calling a princess?¡± With that question, she opened her eyes. As her eyes focused, she first saw the color. Specifically, she saw white. The ceiling was large and pure white. The dried surface measured about thirty square meters and she was surrounded by four walls made of the same material. A thick window on the wall to the left let in the outside light. She slept on a bed, she was covered by a blanket made of a glossy white material, and someone stood to her right. ¡°Who are you?¡± She looked up from the pillow at the person. ¡­A foreign woman? She had long blonde hair and blue eyes. She looked a little bit older than Miyako and her clothes were rather unique. ¡°A maid?¡± And this woman was not the only one. Miyako lowered her gaze and saw at least a few dozen people surrounding her while making sure not to block the light from the window. And they all wore the same outfit. ¡°¡­What?¡± She looked across the unexpected scene. All of the maids gave looks of surprise and joy over the fact that she had woken up. They all let out expectant breaths and tried to take a step toward her. ¡°Please wait a moment, everyone.¡± The same voice as before gently stopped the others. Miyako turned toward the older maid standing to the right of the bed. The maid looked at her with a relaxed expression. She turned to face towards her rather than look down at her. Noticing that, Miyako sat up. The others began to move as she did, but the nearby maid stopped them with a light wave of a hand. ¡­So she¡¯s the leader. Once she finished sitting up and the blanket fell from her, she realized she was naked. ¡°Whoa! I¡¯m naked!? Where¡¯re my clothes!?¡± ¡°They were very dirty, so we disposed of all but the underwear. You have been quarantined and cleaned, so you are not dirty, princess.¡± ¡°What?¡± Miyako tilted her head in confusion and the maid smiled. ¡°You are not dirty, so do not worry.¡± ¡°Y-y¡¯know, you shouldn¡¯t talk about people being dirty. ¡­More importantly, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I am Moira 1st.¡± ¡°What? Say that again?¡± Miyako brushed up her hair, raised a knee, and stared at the maid. She fully wrinkled her brow, but the maid¡¯s smile never wavered. ¡°I am the first unit of the Moira series, so I am Moira 1st.¡± Miyako truly was hearing some other language overlapping with the maid¡¯s voice, but it would be impossible for a human to speak like that. ¡­Am I hearing a radio or television from somewhere nearby? As she thought, Miyako thought on what she had just been told. She did not know what the maid meant by ¡°unit¡± or ¡°series¡±, but this was a foreigner. Her speech may have been polite, but there was a good chance her interpretation of Japanese was wrong. It was a sad story of the wonderful depth of the Japanese language. And if that was the case¡­ ¡°Does this facility belong to some other country?¡± ¡°Yes. From your perspective it belongs to another world.¡± ¡°I see,¡± she said with a nod. She had found the truth. She was in some eccentric foreigner¡¯s mansion. As she tried to figure out why she was here, she came to a certain realization. ¡­I have no memories of last night. What was going on? ¡°Is something the matter? Is the wiring of your brain out of order?¡± ¡°No. Um¡­listen. Why am I here?¡± ¡°Last night¡­we found you while you were passed out drunk, so we brought you here for your protection.¡± There had been a slight pause after the words ¡°last night¡±. Miyako whistled inwardly and asked herself what that meant. ¡°I was drunk? I remember drinking at Shinjuku. I remember that much.¡± ¡°You¡­remember?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She looked up at the maid¡¯s face and found the same smile, but she found that odd. Normally, one¡¯s expression would change when asking someone a question. ¡°Also, I didn¡¯t let myself drink enough to pass out or anything. I remember riding the train to Oume. A perverted old man touched my butt on the way, so I kicked him, kneed him, and then stomped on his crotch. I remember dragging him out at Oume, getting on the train to Okutama, and leaving at Ikusabata Station.¡± As she talked through it, her memories returned. She omitted mentioning what had led to the drinking. She never mentioned what the interviewer had said to her. ¡­Can I prove myself, hm? She could not. There was no way she could. She had never actually gone out into the field. And so she had gone drinking. She reminded herself that was from the past and focused on bringing back her memories. ¡°¡­¡± But she stopped speaking there. Her memories of what happened after leaving Ikusabata Station were gone. Her awareness of her existence was gone. ¡°What did I do then¡­?¡± ¡°As I said, you passed out drunk.¡± ¡°Are you mocking me? That definitely didn¡¯t happen,¡± she declared firmly. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± asked Moira 1st while loosening her smile ever so slightly. ¡°I made a promise a long time ago.¡± Moira 1st responded to her concise answer with a nod and did not press the matter further. She then spoke so the others could hear. ¡°Princess, I believe you are tired. Shall we bring you your food?¡± ¡°Do as you wish. Bring me my clothes too. And¡­¡± As she spoke, she searched through her mind, but could not find the memories. It felt like she could not clear her head. ¡°A cig. ¡­You have some, don¡¯t you? Some nice ones. I need something harsh to wake me up.¡± ¡°A cig?¡± ¡°Ahh, this is the problem with foreigners. ¡­A cigarette. Tobacco.¡± Despite the explanation, Moira 1st only tilted her head. Miyako smiled bitterly in her heart as she realized how little of the language these people seemed to understand. ¡°Fine then.¡± She gestured as if holding something in her mouth. ¡°Y¡¯know, the long skinny things made of wrapped paper. You¡¯ve got some, right?¡¯ ¡°We do!¡± The voice came from the entrance behind all the others. Miyako looked up toward the energetic voice and saw a girl running forward through the wave of maids. This maid also had blonde hair, but it was only semi-long. Her blue eyes approached. ¡°This was in the prizes Aigaion brought! Is this what you mean!?¡± The maid held out a white stick poking out of a small paper box. Miyako looked at the girl while taking it. She was a short girl with conspicuous blue eyes. She looked about five years younger than Miyako. ¡­This kind of underclassman would obsessively hang around me in high school. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Moira 3rd! I created your fake mem- gh!¡± Moira 1st gently yet forcefully grabbed the girls¡¯ head from behind. ¡°My apologies. This is our youngest sister. She was rolled out before she had learned enough.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure what you mean, but it¡¯s good for kids to be energetic.¡± ¡°See, big sis! She praised me for being energetic! It¡¯s a good thing!¡± ¡°Heh heh. 3rd? You are not energetic; you are hyperactive. Lower your brain¡¯s thought level to energetic. Do you want to be spanked until your legs fall from their joints again?¡± ¡°Cheh¡­¡± Miyako sighed as she watched Moira 3rd and Moira 1st who held the girl. ¡­This is quite the family. But if there was a 1st and 3rd, there was likely a 2nd. And there had to be a master of the facility as well. She wondered where they were. She relaxed her shoulders while feeling dissatisfied at not being able to see everything. ¡°When can I leave this place?¡± ¡°We will discuss that later. Please wait a bit. We will bring you food and clothes first. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said while staying on her guard. ¡­This all smells fishy. At any rate, she had a cigarette to fuel her. Now she was prepared to give this some real thought. She just needed a light to switch on her brain. She wondered if someone would bring a lighter if she stuck the cigarette in her mouth. As all the maids watched, she placed it in her mouth. While aware of all the gazes on her, she breathed in on the unlit cigarette. ¡°Wait, you idiot! This is a chocolate cigarette! And it¡¯s pickled seaweed flavored!? Is this made by IAI!?¡± Light filled the room. The white lace curtain was drawn and the window was open. No one was in the bed by the window and no one sat in the chair in front of the opposite desk. The boy named Hiba was peering inside the room. He knocked on the door he had started to open. ¡°Mikage-san?¡± She was not there. He saw no one on the pale green carpet either. ¡°Mikage-saaan. If you don¡¯t come out, I¡¯ll start searching through the room.¡± As he called out quietly, he tiptoed into the room. First, he peeked under the bed, but there was no one there. Odd, he thought as he looked meaninglessly from left to right. He placed a hand on Mikage¡¯s bed and could still feel warmth. That was her body heat. It¡¯s so warm, he thought calmly before frantically shaking his head. ¡°Th-this makes me look like a pervert. I need to stop.¡± But it is warm, he thought as he calmed down. It did not help that he was exhausted from the previous dream. He kneeled next to the bed and collapsed his upper body on top of it as if bowing. It was warm. He noticed a faint citrus smell which reminded him of her hair¡¯s scent. After staying like that for about ten seconds, he slowly and reluctantly got up. He peeked under the desk behind him, but there was no one there either. He then glanced on top of the desk. ¡°¡­¡± He saw three things there: a thick diary, a thick red mechanical pencil, and a Japanese language textbook. The textbook was for the first year of middle school. The back cover was facing up and the name Hiba Ryuuji was written on it. He stood up once he saw that. His expression softened and he turned toward the window with a slight smile. The window led out to a balcony, but¡­ ¡°Mikage-san wouldn¡¯t be out there since her legs don¡¯t work well.¡± And so he approached the window and crouched down. The curtain was gathered around one side of the east-facing window and a person had sunk into the waves of the curtain. It was Mikage. Her blonde hair had not been brushed since she had woken up and she was wrapped in the lace curtain while wearing the white dress she slept in. Hiba looked at her neck. The skin peeking through the lace curtain and the dress had different colors. Some was a flesh color so light it was almost white and some was almost black. The black portions drew the tendons of her neck and had the same composition as the muscles below her skin. And on the upper part of her sternum from her neck to her chest was another color. This part was blue A small blue stone was inserted into her skin. He watched as the blue stone gently reflected the morning sun. ¡°She¡¯s been like this for five years now. Her body, her legs, and her voice.¡± He hung his head down a bit. ¡°And it¡¯s all because I can¡¯t protect her and I can¡¯t gather the Concept Core.¡± His words fell quietly to the floor. He had to win. He had to win the fight for her sake. ¡­But what will happen then? What would happen once the fight was over? The fact that he did not know caused his expression to change. His eyebrows and mouth twisted. At the same time, Mikage moved slightly. It was a small motion. Her eyelids opened and her eyes focused. He quickly changed his expression back to normal. Her black eyes looked up at him. After a moment, he turned his scarlet eyes toward hers. She tilted her head as if to ask why he was here. But her expression quickly changed to a smile and her lips moved a bit. ¡°¡­¡± She produced no voice. Hiba knew why. Her vocal cords were still immature. ¡­She can only speak while combined with me in the god of war. She produced her silent voice. They had continually practiced together in the hopes that she would speak, so he could read her lips. ¡°Uuih-uh.¡± Ryuuji-kun. ¡°Ah ih ih?¡± What is it? He read her lips and nodded. ¡°We got back late last night, so I thought you might still be asleep.¡± He then gently removed the curtain from around her. As if peeling away the curtain, he produced the white dress within. He took a breath and picked up her body which was taller than his own. She was not surprised. He always did this. ¡­I need to win. At the very least, he felt the need to win so that he could protect these everyday things. But he had a sudden thought about Typhon, the white god of war he had faced the previous night and before. According to his grandfather, it was 3rd-Gear¡¯s strongest god of war. ¡­It can instantly switch between offense and defense. If it could do so repeatedly, he was unsure he could defeat it. As he wondered what to do, he saw Mikage¡¯s mouth open. ¡°Ah ih ih?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I was just thinking is all.¡± The ends of her eyebrows were lowered, so he smiled reassuringly. That was when he heard a woman¡¯s voice from beyond the door and down the stairs. ¡°Ryuuji-san? The school just called.¡± ¡°Huh? What is it, mom?¡± ¡°Oh, dear. Did you go in Mikage-san¡¯s room again? Listen. You¡¯re an adult now.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. You can give me the lecture later.¡± Mikage¡¯s shoulders shook slightly in laughter as he held her. As he watched that, he heard his mother¡¯s voice again. ¡°Your homeroom teacher called to say the student council wants to speak with you. They apparently said it is about last night and that you would understand what that means.¡± His mother¡¯s voice contained no emotion. ¡°It seems those UCAT members are fairly clever.¡± Volume 5, 2: Meeting of Steel Volume 5, Chapter 2: Meeting of Steel Stare, stare First, face each other Then, either hit each other or pass each other by A white hallway had no windows, but it did have writing on the wall. That writing said BF2. This was Japanese UCAT¡¯s second basement floor and the hallway passed in front of the development department. The center of the hallway had a rest area with a sofa and a few vending machines. A woman stared at the floor in front of the coffee vending machine. Her long gray hair hung down over the chest of her lab coat which contained a nametag reading Tsukuyomi Chizuru. She took a sip of the cold coffee in the paper cup she held. ¡°What is going on?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± asked a sudden female voice. Tsukuyomi frantically tuned around and saw who was walking down the hallway. ¡°Diana Zonburg.¡± ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Diana wore a black suit and held a brown paper bag. ¡°I heard you were travelling to Kanda this afternoon to retrieve an examination device for Georgius.¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, so talk of that has reached the higher levels, has it? UCAT Director Ooshiro was opposed to the idea, but our younger members offered to help him make a perverted game in exchange.¡± ¡°So a mysterious concept weapon is worth the same as an 18+ game?¡± ¡°Only when using the Ooshiro currency. ¡­More importantly, what are you doing here?¡± Tsukuyomi gulped down her coffee while Diana squeezed the paper bag in her arms. ¡°I just bought a swimsuit at the store up above and I was taking a stroll through UCAT on my way back.¡± ¡°A swimsuit? How luxurious.¡± ¡°No, this is part of my job as inspector. Team Leviathan is apparently having a training camp at the Seto Inland Sea the day after tomorrow, so I will be going with them. ¡­This is a job. Let me spell it out for you: this is a j-o-b.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s quite a luxurious j-o-b.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± ¡°The float sticking out of that bag makes it hard to.¡± ¡°Th-this isn¡¯t a float. It is a beach mat to lie on while sipping on a drink.¡± ¡°How luxurious a time are you planning!?¡± shouted Tsukuyomi before sighing and facing Diana who was adjusting the contents of the bag. ¡°If I was only five years younger, I would have gone with you.¡± ¡°U-um, did I mishear that? I thought I heard a number about ten times too small.¡± ¡°You¡¯re supposed to laugh. But when I see you and Doctor Chao, it makes the longevity and anti-aging techniques look pretty good. I was already on the way to being an old lady by the time I joined UCAT, though.¡± ¡°Heh heh. But you decided to stay with Low-Gear, right?¡± After a pause, Tsukuyomi nodded and narrowed her eyes. ¡°Yes. I have a daughter, so I can¡¯t undergo the anti-aging techniques,¡± she said. ¡°Have you heard? My daughter was abducted. And the rumor is that Typhon, that white 3rd-Gear god of war, did it. But they must be a terrible judge of character to abduct her.¡± Diana remained silent, but her expression did loosen a bit. The ends of her eyebrows lowered and she nodded once. ¡°I have no children, so I don¡¯t really understand.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a part of it that any woman would understand.¡± Tsukuyomi gave a bitter smile in return. ¡°Her bag and coat were found at the site the flying object fell last night. She was probably accidentally taken inside the concept space, but¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look. It¡¯s fine. That girl won¡¯t die so easily. After all that idiot has done to disobey me and do what she wants, she¡¯ll manage on her own.¡± ¡°I see she is worrying you.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just leave it at that.¡± Tsukuyomi¡¯s bitter smile deepened and Diana nodded. At that point, a new female voice reached them. ¡°I am not sure you two should be speaking about 3rd-Gear so openly.¡± Diana recognized the voice. ¡°Sf?¡± She tilted her head, looked around, and spotted Sf. She was standing sideways in the small gap between vending machines. ¡°U-um, Sf? Did you gain some strange habits when formatted for the Japanese language? Why are you crammed in that small space?¡± ¡°Tes. Monitoring Itaru-sama at all times is one of my duties, but he moved out of range of my senses. I have determined he is viewing the sky from a corner of the roof.¡± ¡°And that spot is just barely within range?¡± ¡°Tes. I have determined it was a dangerous situation. I was on my way back from disposing of some trash at the underground incinerator, and I would have lost him for the first time if I had been just a little slower.¡± Tsukuyomi looked back and forth between Sf in between the vending machines and Diana next to her. ¡°So this is what they call German quality.¡± ¡°Th-this is because of the local formatting.¡± Diana waved her hands in denial and glanced over at Sf. ¡°Should I go and tell Itaru to move from the roof?¡± ¡°Tes. However, that will not be necessary. Statistically, he never continues any one task for long, so I have determined he will return to his office soon. I will remain on standby here until then. His irregular action here is most likely due to him thinking about the coming Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°It is true he used to always go outside while thinking.¡± Diana¡¯s comment caused Sf to tilt her head between the vending machines. ¡°That information is worth adding to my records.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know that? When we had all reached various dead ends, I was often dragged outside. Both by him and someone else I know quite well.¡± ¡°Who is that?¡± asked Tsukuyomi, but Diana only smiled weakly back. ¡°If you always choose to continue on, you will eventually arrive somewhere. You remember that too, Sf. And do not leave Itaru alone again.¡± ¡°Tes. I will make sure to never again leave him while he is thinking.¡± Sf bowed from between the vending machines. ¡°My ability to wait is infinite, but I will never allow myself to leave him.¡± The sun rose high into the sky. Several large buildings were lined up below the sunlight. The buildings all belonged to a school. The sunlight covered a large campus and students in summer uniforms walked between the buildings. Most of the students were headed to the dormitories or their club activities. Some held graded tests in their hands. Among them all, a few people sat in front of a school building in the center of the campus. Four students sat on the lawn in front of the library protruding from the school building. Three wore male uniforms and one wore a female uniform. They were Sayama, Shinjou, Izumo, and Kazami. A large multi-layer bento box and a small multi-layer bento box sat between them. With a black binder sitting next to her, Shinjou reached for the small box. She used chopsticks to grab a croquette and held it out toward Sayama to her right. ¡°Here, Sayama-kun. I even made the filling this time.¡± Once it was put in his mouth, Sayama thoroughly chewed the croquette and swallowed it. Shinjou looked a bit worried, so he thought for a moment and then spoke. ¡°Yes. A supreme flavor, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯m glad. I can almost feel the horrible rumor from this morning disappearing within me.¡± She smiled and grabbed a new croquette. ¡°I used the cafeteria kitchen to cook these and this one contains some strange leaves that Old Lady Tome said make a good secret ingredient. She said they only grow on her balcony.¡± ¡°Hm. I think I see why that cafeteria has so many regular customers. I would prefer not to know any more details, though.¡± Sayama smiled pleasantly in the sun and Shinjou¡¯s cheeks reddened slightly. Across from them, Kazami and Izumo stared at them with half-lidded eyes. ¡°Even though I know the truth, it feels weird to see them flirting in male uniforms.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re doing this when that rumor started only this morning.¡± The two tilted their heads, but Shinjou continued feeding Sayama. As students passed by, a few girls lowered their heads toward Kazami. ¡°Hello, Kazami-san.¡± When she looked up and nodded back, they would bow again and leave. Izumo looked impressed as she nodded in self-satisfaction. ¡°You sure are popular.¡± ¡°Heh heh. That¡¯s because I¡¯m the only one who can stop you and Sayama.¡± That was when more people greeted her. A few boys with disheveled uniforms were passing by. ¡°Ah¡­ K-Kazami-san. Good morning!¡± They immediately covered their faces with their crushed bags and quickly ran away. They left only the wind behind. After a pause, Izumo nodded expressionlessly. ¡°Chisato, I¡¯ll stick with you no matter what, so tell me what happened. And be honest.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that? I didn¡¯t do anything too horrible.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± said Shinjou. She held her nose and made a gesture of something falling from it. ¡°Drip drip?¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun, not even cute onomatopoeia can soften this, so do not even try. Now, Kazami, about last night.¡± Kazami froze in place when she heard the term ¡°last night¡±. After a short pause, she looked around and nodded. ¡°You mean about Hiba Ryuuji? Don¡¯t worry. I summoned him via his homeroom teacher, so he¡¯ll be here soon. More importantly, I assume Sibyl contacted you this morning.¡± She took a breath. ¡°You heard that Director Tsukuyomi¡¯s daughter was abducted, right?¡± Shinjou looked up as she listened to Kazami. ¡°It happened in the battle that Hiba guy was fighting, didn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes. The items left inside the concept space last night show that Director Tsukuyomi¡¯s daughter was there. And Hiba Ryuuji probably knows the truth of the matter. He was taken into UCAT custody, so he probably told them about it.¡± She gave a bitter smile. ¡°Based on Ooki-sensei¡¯s opinion and the fragment of white armor left at the scene, both Hiba Ryuuji¡¯s craft and his opponent have power on the level of a Concept Core. We can¡¯t say anything about Hiba¡¯s, but his opponent was likely Typhon. That proves that some remnants of 3rd-Gear remain. ¡­And Sibyl also mentioned that she discussed another matter with you two.¡± ¡°Yes. Sayama-kun received an additional call.¡± As Baku mimicked him on his head, Sayama nodded. ¡°Director Tsukuyomi is headed to the UCAT Kanda laboratory to receive a device needed to examine Georgius and another important item. Shinjou-kun and I will be accompanying her as witnesses of the event.¡± ¡°Georgius is going to be examined? But why does Shinjou have to go too if you are only retrieving equipment?¡± ¡°Most likely to distract me from my interest in 3rd. Even if I refuse to act as witness for some reason, Shinjou-kun cannot refuse. ¡­And thus I will go too.¡± ¡°Uuh¡­ I-it¡¯s true I can¡¯t turn down jobs people ask me to do.¡± ¡°Oh, so Shinjou is the lure to get you to go.¡± ¡°Kaku, don¡¯t say it like that. The term you want is ¡®bait¡¯. That sounds much more normal.¡± ¡°Y-you don¡¯t have to make it normal!¡± Hearing that, Sayama shook his head solemnly. ¡°Shinjou-kun, normal is best for humans. If you ever need a model, just watch me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Watching you is a good way of realizing normal is best.¡± It was unclear if her meaning had reached him because he nodded deeply and crossed his arms. ¡°At any rate, 3rd-Gear¡¯s Leviathan Road has yet to start and we are already meeting a boy who is personally fighting 3rd-Gear and 3rd has abducted someone. If Japanese UCAT does not wish to provide the other UCATs with any misunderstandings or excuses to interfere¡­¡± ¡°¡­then they wouldn¡¯t want Team Leviathan to deal with anything problematic? ¡­And then there¡¯s that impurity that Hiba mentioned last night. He said he wanted some time.¡± ¡°Yes, but UCAT might be expecting us to do something. We have summoned the Hiba boy to meet us, but no one has interfered. And only Shinjou-kun and I are going to Kanda. Izumo, Kazami, that means the two of you can do as you wish.¡± For once, clear irritation could be heard in Sayama¡¯s voice. A hint of harshness had entered his expression as well. Seeing that, Shinjou smiled in her heart. ¡­He wants to take the initiative and gather information himself. And so she wrapped her ring-wearing right hand around his left elbow. ¡°Let¡¯s eat lunch.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± He nodded, closed his eyes for a moment, and returned to his usual expressionless look. Shinjou was worried she was forcing him to do this, but he looked her in the eye. ¡°Come to think of it, Kazami, don¡¯t you have something to give Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°Eh? Kazami-san has something for me?¡± What could that be? she wondered. After a moment, she shook her hands in denial as Kazami¡¯s shoulders rose in realization. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to worry about that! As thanks for helping me shop the other day, I bought her a raw milk gyuudon at the UCAT cafeteria, but you don¡¯t have to pay me back for that.¡± ¡°Chisato, is that why you¡¯ve been worried about your waistline recently?¡± ¡°N-no. I ran around the school buildings after I got back that night.¡± As she pled her case to Izumo, Kazami pulled an envelope form her pocket and handed it to Shinjou. ¡°Can I open it?¡± asked Shinjou as she hesitantly took it. ¡°What would be the point if you could not, Shinjou-kun? It is for you.¡± After a moment of hesitation, she opened it. She read through the document inside and then spoke. ¡°I¡¯m being appointed as secretary of the student council?¡± Surprise filled her face and a bit of heat followed. ¡­Wait. Is this¡­? ¡°Did I get this position through connections while ignoring the election? Hooray.¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun, choose either suspicion or excitement. Kazami, explain it to her.¡± ¡°While this is ignoring the election, the student council has the authority to appoint new members. All the lower positions starting with secretary were open this year because a lot of people pulled out of the running during the election.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Last year, a certain female student performed a flying kick on a dumb yet large candidate during a speech. That led to candidates dropping out like the receding tide.¡± ¡°Oh, I-I see.¡± ¡°And what exactly do you mean by that?¡± asked Kazami with a smile. Shinjou shrank back, but Kazami continued speaking. ¡°So will you accept the position? If you don¡¯t like secretary, there are plenty of other positions: general affairs director, manager, animal official, and loser. You can also decline the offer altogether.¡± Her question had a persuasive tone to it. Shinjou hesitated for a moment and looked over at the black binder next to her. ¡­Is it worth having less time to work on this? ¡°Um, well¡­ What exactly does the secretary do?¡± ¡°Well, you take notes on the proceedings of meetings. I¡¯ll interpret for Kaku, so don¡¯t worry about that.¡± ¡°I get the feeling you just casually insulted my humanity,¡± said Izumo. ¡°In fact, I know you did.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Before you complain about that, try writing so that a modern human can understand it, you foolish primitive,¡± said Sayama. ¡°Ha ha ha. It must be nice having no humanity whatsoever and your mindset in the distant future.¡± ¡°Oh, and I will handle training these inhuman people, so don¡¯t worry about that either,¡± added Kazami. She continued as the two boys glared coldly at her. ¡°And once you join, we can talk about the Leviathan Road while claiming it is a student council meeting. We¡¯ll be able to reserve the library and call Ooki-sensei to join us. Sounds nice, doesn¡¯t it?¡± She smiled bitterly. ¡°This school will be our base.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± With that voice of realization, Shinjou found her answer. ¡­It will give me ideas for my novel and help the Leviathan Road. She felt that was looking at it too simply, but she still nodded. ¡°Th-then I will be the secretary.¡± ¡°Are you sure, Shinjou-kun? If you join the same group as our crazy president and violent treasurer, it will start some unwanted rumors.¡± ¡°Sayama-kun, I think you forget to mention someone.¡± ¡°Ha ha. Of course I did. It is not right to praise oneself needlessly.¡± Kazami glared at him but then ignored him and looked down at her watch. ¡°Isn¡¯t it about time for you two to leave? Get lost, Sayama. We¡¯ll talk with Hiba and then go shopping. We need to make preparations for the training camp the day after tomorrow.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama stood up and Shinjou stood up next to him. As she did, she suddenly saw an odd color. It was a red that resembled a flower or fresh blood. She focused on that color that was not often seen in an outdoor lawn. ¡°Eyes?¡± She turned around and saw a motorcycle parked on the road running alongside the yard. It had a sidecar attached and a boy sat on the motorcycle itself. He had short hair, he wore a white bandana around his head, and he was looking their way with his red eyes. He was Hiba Ryuuji and he had a troubled look on his face. ¡°Here I am. Just as you asked.¡± As soon as he said that, Shinjou saw Baku stir on Sayama¡¯s head. And then the past arrived. ¡°¡­¡± Shinjou found herself standing on a road surrounded on either side by green trees. She had become nothing more than sight and hearing. ¡­This is the past. She was on a mountain and the road running downhill was made of dirt. The light brown dirt was covered in tire tracks and weeds were growing up here and there. ¡­Where is this? She looked around and saw manmade objects to the left and right. They were pillars. A wooden pillar hardened with turpentine stood on either side of the road. The fronts of the pillars were split vertically and lacquer had been poured into carved words on the smooth surface. ¡°Izumo Aviation Laboratory ¨C Tokyo Branch.¡± That meant¡­ ¡°This is the entrance to the National Defense Department!¡± As she cried out with her mind, her pulse quickened. If the National Defense Department lay ahead, there was one fact that drew her interest the greatest. ¡­There should be someone with my family name here. The person had been Professor Kinugasa¡¯s assistant during the National Defense Department days, but all records of them were gone by the time UCAT came about. This person had her family name and a connection to Sayama Kaoru, Sayama¡¯s grandfather. ¡­And they might have some connection to my relatives. With that thought, she tried to move her mind forward. She did not know how far the recreation of the past went, but that person might be in the National Defense Department up ahead. ¡°I want to see them.¡± That comment made her realize her thoughts. ¡­I am yearning. But she had no clear answer what exactly it was for which she yearned. She could only think up immature words, but she never thought about casting aside the desire. And so she took a step forward. ¡°¡­?¡± But she stopped when she heard a noise. Something was approaching from below the mountain behind her. She could tell it was a number of vehicles. She could hear the metallic noises of a dozen or so wheels and chassis. ¡­What kind of vehicles? She turned around and saw the approaching convoy. It was a line of green jeeps and trucks. The flat hood of the jeep in the lead had a star mark on a white background. This was the American military. But Shinjou found something odd. A number of men rode that jeep, but something was off about their military uniforms. She could not quite place what was wrong with them, but she found the answer once the convoy grew closer and she could see them more clearly. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± It was the crest on the shoulder of their jackets. It had a blue shield and a collection of lines surrounded by white wings. They were UCAT. A closer look showed that the men in the jeep and those in the trucks behind them were made up of a number of different races. ¡°American UCAT is leading the different UCATs of the Allies.¡± The convoy was approaching while acting as part of the occupying army. ¡­What is going on? Shinjou knew about the origin of UCAT, but she knew nothing more than that the National Defense Department became Japanese UCAT. She did not know the details of how it happened. Meanwhile, the convoy approached the two pillars that formed an entrance. She could hear their engines as they approached. And just as it felt like they were going to run her vision over, something fell from the sky right in front of her. It was silver-colored and shaped like a long blade. It was a Japanese sword. The curved blade stabbed forcefully down in front of her eyes and audibly tore at the dirt. ¡°!¡± The elderly soldier sitting in the jeep¡¯s passenger seat raised a hand. In response, the convoy came to a stop. All the vehicles¡¯ brakes screeched, their chassis shook, and they tore up the dirt road surface. The sounds of the dozen or so vehicles shook the leaves of the forest. Shinjou heard the wind blow as a sudden wind arrived from behind her. She turned around and saw motion. It was a large green military motorcycle. ¡°Ha ha!¡± With a laugh, the motorcycle turned sideways and slid toward Shinjou. A short young man drove it and his short hair waved in the wind. ¡°So you¡¯ve decided to show up, have you!? Are you here to steal our position? We work in the same field, don¡¯t we!?¡± As he spoke, he forcefully planted his foot in front of the sliding motorcycle. ¡°There we go!¡± And he used that foot to rotate the motorcycle around in front of Shinjou. The high-speed spin stopped perfectly at 180 degrees. The young man was directly in front of the Japanese sword that had landed earlier. He now faced the convoy with the blade between them. He supported the motorcycle with both legs and observed the convoy with his black eyes. ¡°You want a fight?¡± He narrowed his eyes and got down from the motorcycle. His military boots made his footsteps ring loudly from the dirt. At the same time, everything began to move. The people in the leading jeep and the backs of the trucks stood up. Shinjou saw a fair number of women among them. ¡­And those weapons. In addition to guns, they wielded plenty of swords, spears, and shields. And unlike normal blades, they had been modified with exposed cords, components, and tanks. The technology was still undeveloped, but those weapons had been modified with cowlings. The elderly soldier then stepped out of the jeep¡¯s passenger seat. He held a spear. ¡°I ask that you surrender.¡± She heard the Japanese meaning of his words over the English he was actually speaking. His tone was polite yet forceful. However, the young man¡¯s smile remained. ¡°I don¡¯t have a damn clue what you¡¯re saying, you old foreign bastard.¡± The elderly soldier¡¯s spear moved slightly. And it produced a noise very near the handlebars of the young man¡¯s motorcycle. The single rearview mirror on the right side flew into the sky. ¡°I am Sail Northwind, representative of American UCAT. My north wind can pierce even steel.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a neat trick.¡± The young man¡¯s smile did not waver. ¡°I think I¡¯ve figured out what you¡¯re trying to say. This is what you¡¯re saying.¡± He pointed at the elderly soldier¡¯s face. ¡° ¡®Oh, that was a hell of an entrance! You¡¯re pretty cool!¡¯ ¡± As soon as he spoke, all of those standing in the vehicles jumped down. At least a hundred armed people covered the road and forest and prepared to fight. Countless footsteps and the metallic noises of the weapons filled the air. But something even more impressive arrived from further down the road. A giant form suddenly fell behind the young man and his motorcycle. ¡°¡­!!¡± The form was accompanied by the sound of something extremely heavy striking the ground. The ground split and Shinjou finally saw what it was. ¡­A god of war. She heard everyone gasp as a silver-colored humanoid machine stood behind the young man and his motorcycle. It was approximately eight meters tall, it resembled a female armored warrior, and it had two pairs of wings on its back. The god of war already held a long, narrow sword in its hands. With a mechanical noise, the wings on its back moved. They folded up to allow easier motion on the ground. Meanwhile, the opposing soldiers could not move. They clenched their teeth and stared at the god of war behind the young man. The spear-wielding elderly soldier¡¯s expression was the one exception. A smile remained on the corner of his mouth and he continued to look at the young man. The young man was looking back at him with an identical expression. Time seemed to drag on, but it suddenly came to an end. First, the silver god of war crouched down. Next, a slender figure appeared from its back and climbed up onto its right shoulder. It was a woman. The young woman¡¯s blonde hair flowed across her back. As Shinjou looked at her thick eyebrows and strong-willed face, she noticed a certain color. ¡­Her eyes. They were red. That deep scarlet below her inconspicuous eyebrows looked down at the young man. She opened her narrow mouth as the wind whipped at her white shirt and flare skirt. ¡°Do not play around, Hiba.¡± Both her awkwardly-spoken Japanese and the name she mentioned shook Shinjou¡¯s mind. ¡­Hiba? As in, Hiba-sensei? But something was off. Hiba Ryuutetsu¡¯s left eye had been colored a deep scarlet, the same as the eyes of the woman on the god of war¡¯s shoulder. ¡­What does that mean? With no answer to her question, the woman continued speaking. ¡°Do any of you match me in power? If so, I will battle you. If not, Hiba will handle it.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± asked the old man who had given the name Northwind. The young man grinned when he heard the old man¡¯s perfect Japanese. ¡°Oh, so you know Japanese after all.¡± The woman smiled bitterly. ¡°I am Rhea, a refugee from 3rd-Gear. And I have decided to seek refuge in Japan¡¯s National Defense Department. If you attempt to take this place from me, I will battle you whether you match me in power or not.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The elderly soldier¡¯s smile strengthened when he heard Rhea¡¯s words. At the same time, a black figure appeared next to Hiba. Shinjou recognized the tall man wearing a black cloak. ¡­Siegfried-san! The young Siegfried calmly appeared next to Hiba as if he had grown out of the shadows of the trees. He wore black gloves and already held several pieces of paper. When the elderly soldier saw him and the paper in his hand, he asked a smiling question. ¡°Siegfried Zonburg!?¡± ¡°It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Lord Northwind. Did you perhaps read the reports I sent my nation? ¡­However, you are being too hasty here.¡± ¡°It seems so, but I have learned one thing. This is the place that desires the world,¡± said Northwind. Hiba folded his arms and nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve got that right. But think carefully, Old Man Northwind. The Izumo Aviation Institute¡¯s National Defense Department is working for important people right now, but if it is let loose, it will work for something else.¡± ¡°And what is that exactly?¡± Hiba did not answer. Instead, the woman named Rhea spoke in a dignified voice. ¡°That would of course be this world itself. This world has nothing and sits at the lowest level, but that is precisely why it has everything!¡± Shinjou looked up just as the others were. The red-eyed woman was smiling. Instead of looking down at the people, she faced them and looked across all of them. ¡°I fled to this world. I abandoned my own concept to the Tartaros and came here as an individual. However, I was treated as a guest rather than a prisoner of war. There were misunderstandings and conflicts, but I now stand here as a soldier because that is my wish! I wish to fight for this world. And¡­¡± She looked across the surrounding area. She looked at the blue sky, the trees, the earth, and the rustling wind. She left a smile in the wind and gently brought her right hand to her stomach. Only then did she look back down toward the others. ¡°And so that I can be with this child here. We have already begun preparing for battle. If you wish to be with us, then let us speak. But if you obstruct us in the slightest, we will be your enemy!¡± ¡°Rhea, you¡¯re sounding a lot more self-important than the rest of us. It might¡¯ve been a mistake to let Kaoru prepare your Japanese lessons.¡± ¡°Ha ha. You men are always so slow. When preparing to be a mother, a woman wants immediate decisions. If you do not like it, then bring me something sour to eat. ¡­Soldiers, give your answer.¡± There was a clear smile in her voice. ¡°Do any of you wish to be the ally of my child!?¡± That booming question signaled the end of the past. As her sight and hearing rapidly fell into darkness, Shinjou thought about Rhea¡¯s words. ¡­Her¡­child? That had been sixty years before, so where was that child now if it had been born? Shinjou had been in UCAT the longest of the group, but she had never heard about a descendent of 3rd-Gear. She had only ever heard that 3rd-Gear was the Gear of gods of war and automatons. ¡°Come to think of it, this is the first time I¡¯ve heard it mentioned that there were people there.¡± She wondered if Sayama was right and the Gear had few people, but she had no way of knowing. She assumed that would be one thing she would learn later. If she stayed with Sayama and the others, she would learn that along with how they were destroyed. But, she thought. What if a descendent of hers is still alive? Just like Shinjou, they would have no other members of their race and not know their parents. ¡°I wonder if they feel lost too¡­¡± Shinjou awoke from the past. ¡°¡­¡± She took a breath and focused on the scene before her eyes. Standing on the yard around her were Izumo, Kazami, Sayama, and Hiba. Further away, a lot of students were returning from school and only a few seconds of time had passed. She let out a breath and looked around. The scenery was the same. Kazami and Izumo were exchanging a dazed look, but Sayama had experienced the past several times before. ¡°So that is one connection between Hiba-sensei and 3rd-Gear.¡± He placed a hand on his chest, took a breath, and faced Hiba. ¡°I see there was a refugee from 3rd-Gear.¡± ¡°Yes. That was the first time I¡¯ve seen something like that, though.¡± Hiba¡¯s face was pale as he sat on his motorcycle. He nodded weakly and stepped to the ground. He approached but stopped with a step still separating them. ¡°What was that?¡± Sayama grabbed Baku from his shoulder and held the creature up. Baku looked to the left and right but suddenly hung its head and began to sleep when it noticed everyone focusing on it. Sayama nodded deeply. ¡°I am sure you understand now.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand at all!¡± ¡°Then let me put it simply. Listen and be amazed. Are you ready? Baku here can show people the past.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. ¡­I-I mean, wow! That is amazing! I¡¯m shocked!¡± You could make it less obvious, thought Shinjou as she stared at him, but Sayama nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Hiba-sensei was quite young, but he looked somehow like you, Hiba boy.¡± ¡°Are you implying I¡¯ll look like him when I grow old?¡± Shinjou nodded and tapped on Sayama¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You should give up now. The more I hear about Sayama-kun¡¯s grandfather, the more they sound alike.¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun! That is an incredibly rude assertion. How am I anything like that self-centered old man who did nothing but eloquently mock others?¡± Everyone fell silent at that. Amid the silence, Sayama nodded, smiled toward Shinjou, and slowly spread his arms. ¡°Just look. Everyone is using their silence to show their agreement.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just jump to the conclusion: you need to go to the hospital.¡± Before Sayama could reply, she turned to Hiba and he seemed to pick up on her intent. ¡°U-um, anyway.¡± He frantically looked across the group. Shinjou observed his expression. He looked frantic and his eyebrows were slightly lowered, so it seemed he was unsure whether he should say something or not. She tilted her head toward that expression that she herself had often made until recently. She also lowered the ends of her eyebrows. ¡°There¡¯s something you want to say, isn¡¯t there?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, yes. I hear you all are doing something called the Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°What about it? Do you wish to ask us to stop the Leviathan Road with 3rd-Gear?¡± ¡°Yes. This is a request from the one whose grandfather destroyed 3rd-Gear.¡± His immediate response came with the relief of having said it. Shinjou and the others judged his meaning and remained silent for a moment. But then¡­ ¡°W-wait a minute. Isn¡¯t a bit sudden to just say your grandfather destroyed 3rd-Gear?¡± Shinjou understood why Kazami was so hurriedly stopping him. They wanted to know what he had meant the night before. ¡­So we need to take this slowly. Shinjou sat up a bit and spoke. ¡°Ryuuji-kun¡­ Yeah, I¡¯ll call you that to differentiate you from Hiba-sensei. Anyway, you¡¯re from this Gear, right? So why are you stopping us from negotiating with 3rd-Gear?¡± Sayama nodded and added to her question. ¡°We can discuss Hiba-sensei¡¯s countless wrongdoings at a later date, but your mention of an impurity suggests a larger reason. Based on the situation from last night, you have an automaton, your grandfather belonged to the National Defense Department, and yet you are fighting Typhon without the help of UCAT.¡± Hiba¡¯s expression changed at the mention of the name Typhon. He frowned a bit, so Sayama expressionlessly continued. ¡°And UCAT has officially told us not to get involved with you. In other words, getting involved in your fight would be a negative for us. Have you come here to tell us why that is, Hiba boy?¡± ¡°Y-yes. It is a long story and I am not sure what conclusion you all will reach, but this is what I know for sure,¡± said Hiba. ¡°If you carry out the Leviathan Road with 3rd-Gear and bring them to your side, it will sully the name of the Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°Sully?¡± asked Kazami. Hiba nodded. ¡°There are actually two impurities we must purify. I came here to tell you about one of them.¡± ¡°This all sounds very pretentious.¡± ¡°I know what you mean. But¡­even though I intend to bear these impurities, I do not know what will happen once I truly face them.¡± ¡°In other words, you¡¯re testing us, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re going to tell us about a lighter impurity to see if we are prepared to face the true impurity.¡± Kazami smiled bitterly. ¡°You¡¯re underestimating us.¡± But Hiba only smiled bitterly in return. Seeing his smile, Kazami thought. ¡­A bitter smile, hm? The smile he gave could only be made by one who had thought the same thing countless times. It was the smile of someone who had no other choice. She wanted to hear him out and speak with him, but some of them had other things to do. ¡°Hey,¡± she said and showed her watch to Sayama. He nodded. ¡°Hiba boy, I apologize, but I must ask that you give your test to Kazami and Izumo. Shinjou-kun and I already have plans.¡± ¡°And those plans are more important than speaking with me?¡± ¡°Is speaking with me more important than speaking with Izumo and Kazami? That extreme violence couple has been involved with the Leviathan Road longer than me.¡± ¡°Oh, I-I see. Sorry.¡± Hiba frantically bowed. Kazami smiled bitterly and Izumo solemnly folded his arms and nodded. ¡°Look, Sayama. Underclassmen these days are so polite.¡± ¡°Hiba boy, courtesy is an expendable good. Choose wisely who you use it on. For example, you could use it all on me.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Hiba did not seem to know what to say, so Shinjou turned a forced smile toward him. ¡°D-don¡¯t worry too much about what they say. They¡¯re all very strange.¡± ¡°Oh, I-I see¡­¡± His gaze stopped on Shinjou¡¯s arm. Kazami then realized that Shinjou had her arm wrapped around Sayama¡¯s. ¡°Oh, how passionate.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah! Wah! Th-this is just¡­¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Shinjou-kun, why are you blushing? The opinions of those who do not know the truth about us are irrelevant.¡± ¡°Stop saying things that will only confuse this further!!¡± Hiba tried to back away from them as he stared at them with half-lidded eyes. ¡­What is he doing? Kazami stood up and tapped him on the shoulder. With an exasperated smile, she spread her arms. ¡°Do you understand now who the most wholesome and normal of us is?¡± ¡°¡­Using the process of elimination?¡± ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°Nothing, nothing.¡± He shook his head just as someone else cut in. ¡°Wait a minute, Hiba.¡± Izumo suddenly stood up and Kazami saw him look Hiba in the eye. ¡°How about we continue our talk in the Kinugasa Library? You want to test us, right?¡± ¡°Yes, sorry.¡± ¡°No need to apologize. I¡¯ll be testing you, too. I want to see what kind of person you are.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Hiba tilted his head and took a light defensive stance. With his arms crossed, Izumo stepped forward. Izumo was approximately 190 centimeters while Hiba looked about 160. Kazami thought Izumo was going to use that difference in height in some way, but he instead opened his mouth to speak. ¡°The test is simple, Hiba. I have one question about the past we were just shown. ¡­Did you see it?¡± Izumo glanced to the side a bit as he spoke and the look on Hiba¡¯s face changed. A sharpness filled his eyes. But he finally frantically shook his head. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t see anything. ¡­What is the point of this sudden test?¡± Hiba¡¯s arms were spread as if it had started raining. ¡­He definitely saw something. Izumo continued speaking as if he understood what Kazami was thinking. He patted Hiba¡¯s shoulder and looked him in the eye again. ¡°You saw the same thing in the past as I did, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°N-no. I didn¡¯t see anything.¡± ¡°No, you had to have seen them from below. At least a glimpse. They were blue, weren¡¯t they!?¡± ¡°No, they were white! I happened to get a good look!¡± Hiba¡¯s reflexive response caused everyone to freeze in place. Wind blew through the silence that lasted a few seconds. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± As Hiba realized his mistake, Izumo nodded several times in understanding. He folded his arms and spoke in a serious tone of voice. ¡°You have a promising future. I hope you can diligently-¡­¡± Kazami swung her right leg and Izumo vanished. After a short pause, she heard the sound of a human-sized object hitting the wall to the left, but she paid it no heed. She was used to this. ¡°Now then.¡± She looked at the others who turned toward her after looking to the left. She saw Baku staring rigidly at her from Sayama¡¯s shoulder. ¡­This is the first time he has looked me in the eye. That made her happy, but she had something to say. ¡°Next time you want to show us a past with a girl or woman in it, do it when Kaku isn¡¯t around, okay?¡± The smile on her face made Baku frantically nod repeatedly. ¡°Good boy.¡± When she reached out to pet the creature, it fluffed up its fur and let her. Shinjou gave a stiff smile from next to Sayama. ¡°C-come to think of it, this is the first time you¡¯ve petted Baku, Kazami-san. Isn¡¯t that nice?¡± ¡°Heh heh. I guess it¡¯s true that animals can sense people¡¯s emotions. I¡¯m very calm right now. So calm I feel a strong urge to do this.¡± Sayama seemed to have chosen not to comment, so she took Baku from his shoulder and held the creature to her chest. Shinjou frantically took Sayama¡¯s arm and looked back and forth between Hiba and Kazami. ¡°Um¡­what do we do now? Th-that leaves Kazami-san to handle Ryuuji-kun.¡± ¡°Eh? Ehh? Sh-she¡¯ll break me!¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. Don¡¯t be so shy, freshman. Don¡¯t worry. It doesn¡¯t hurt that much.¡± With the same smile as before, Kazami cracked the knuckles of her right hand and faced Sayama. ¡°You two can leave now. I will handle this interrogation¡­I mean forced information extraction¡­no, that isn¡¯t it either. Um¡­ How should I put it?¡± She nodded once toward Hiba. ¡°I¡¯ll have you tell me everything about this test, the impurity, and everything else. How about that?¡± With all the hair on his body standing on end, Hiba nodded repeatedly. Sunlight filled a hallway. A tall maid walked through the hallway. She was Moira 1st who had spoken with Tsukuyomi Miyako. She was pushing an ornamented metal stretcher. The table-like surface contained silver plates with semispherical lids. Outside of the hallway¡¯s windows were a forest, a slope, and a city. The city was packed with small buildings and houses. She glanced over at them and narrowed her eyes. ¡°The princess will not remember us once she returns there.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t necessarily true,¡± immediately replied a fairly low female voice. Moira 1st slowly turned around and saw two people standing by the wall behind her. One was a tall woman in a red suit and the other was a large man wearing a T-shirt, jeans, and a blue apron. Moira 1st looked at the two of them. ¡°Mistress Gyes and Master Aigaion. Are you working, Master Aigaion?¡± The large man named Aigaion brushed up his short-cropped blond hair and looked down at his clothes. The thick material of his blue apron said ¡°Dragon Grocer¡± in white. ¡°I have no other choice. I simply dropped by while out on delivery because I heard the princess had woken up.¡± ¡°I told you to stay away because your huge body only gets in the way.¡± Gyes, the woman with short black hair, shook her head. ¡°But Cottus is bragging about being the first to see this princess,¡± said Aigaion. ¡°After all, his position down there let him see her first when Typhon brought her back.¡± ¡°Moira 1st, why did Typhon abduct that woman?¡± Moira 1st tilted her head. ¡°According to the maintenance maids, there was an intense scorch mark on Typhon¡¯s back. It apparently came from Keravnos.¡± ¡°So it ran across that black god of war. Does that mean it took a hostage in the shock of the initial strike?¡± ¡°Most likely,¡± said Moira 1st. Suddenly, a new male voice cut in. ¡°Are you three Hecatoncheires interested in her?¡± The voice came from the wall even further down the hallway. A young man leaned weakly against it. He wore white clothes and had long, blond hair. Moira 1st faced him and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Lord Apollo, should you really be up?¡± ¡°With all the noise out here, it sounded more interesting than the bed or garden.¡± He got up from the wall and moved his yellow eyes. He turned a weak smile toward the plates Moira 1st was transporting. ¡°Has she woken up?¡± ¡°She is quite energetic, Lord Apollo.¡± Gyes twisted her head at Moira 1st¡¯s informative tone. ¡°It might be feigned. All the others who wandered here were like that.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, her expression changed. The harshness left her face and she let out a regretful sigh. ¡°Sorry. I know this is a rare pleasure for you.¡± ¡°There is no need to apologize. What you said is true. But¡­¡± Moira 1st tilted her head as she chose her words. ¡°To put it bluntly, she broke through the memory manipulation that Moira 3rd so delightedly applied.¡± ¡°It is not that unlikely a turn of events. If the memories you sealed or the story Moira 3rd told included something important to her, she would naturally reject them. Then the seal and the story would vanish, correct?¡± ¡°Yes, but the seal is still in place. The new princess believes those memories are missing. Perhaps we should have given more thought to Moira 3rd¡¯s story.¡± ¡°What story did Moira 3rd tell? The princess was taken here from the eastern side of this country. No normal artificial memory would form a proper connection.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Moira 1st nodded with a serious expression. ¡°It was simple. The train the princess was riding from a station called Shinjuku was abducted by a flying saucer and all the people aboard were given physical examinations by aliens. After having her sitting height erroneously measured too high, the princess angrily punched the little greys until she had taken control of the bridge. She then shouted ¡®take me to Hawaii!¡¯, but the flying saucer underwent a Dutch roll and crashed in Okayama! The title is ¡®The Naked Princess in Space: To Terra¡¯.¡± ¡°Sounds exciting, but there¡¯s no heroine.¡± ¡°In this case, the protagonist of the princess doubles as a powerful heroine. A meaningless shower scene partway through where she only washes her shoulders is a must. I have studied this with the limited resources available to me.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Aigaion and Apollo folded their arms and nodded, but Gyes frowned doubtfully. ¡°At any rate, the fruit of your studies was rejected. ¡­Are you going to try a second story?¡± Moira 1st lowered her head but finally answered. ¡°I think it would be difficult. Moira 3rd¡¯s stories are meant to be placed over the memories I seal, but there should be a half-erased blank there now. If we forcibly attempt to change the story¡­¡± ¡°It could apply pressure to her memories until they break, destroying her personality. ¡­Humans are difficult to deal with.¡± Having said that, Gyes frantically turned toward Apollo. ¡°My apologies. I was not trying to say that you are difficult to deal with.¡± ¡°But I am. I don¡¯t do anything and I¡¯m no use whatsoever.¡± Gyes fell silent and Aigaion elbowed her in the side. Moira 1st smiled bitterly as she looked at the two and then at Apollo. ¡°In other words, you are sensitive.¡± ¡°Yes, exactly. Well said, Moira 1st. Now, Lord Apollo, Moira 2nd says you have been in good health recently, so will you go outside today?¡± ¡°Are the dolls worried for their master? ¡­But I do think I will wander around outside for a bit.¡± Apollo smiled bitterly just as a maid arrived from down the hallway. Moira 1st saw her jog toward them. ¡°Do not run in the hallway, 43rd. Now, what is it?¡± The maid named 43rd nodded and got down on one knee in front of Moira 1st. ¡°I apologize. But¡­the princess has escaped!¡± ¡°Escaped?¡± asked Gyes rather than Moira 1st. The maid nodded and pulled a piece of cloth from her chest. It was a pillowcase with thick letters written using something brown. ¡°This was written with the chocolate Moira 3rd gave her.¡± Moira 1st read it, let out a laugh, and then turned to Gyes. ¡°It says ¡®Thanks for your hospitality¡¯.¡± ¡°You sound happy, Moira 1st. Did you know this would happen?¡± ¡°No.¡± Moira 1st tilted her head and spoke to Gyes, who looked suspicious, and the two men, who looked a bit surprised. ¡°But if you recall, I did say she was energetic.¡± Volume 5, 3: Scent of Light Volume 5, Chapter 3: Scent of Light The moon and those eyes cannot be seen But their presence can be felt As if they are blooming high in the sky Miyako ran down a wide hallway. She wore a white sheet tied around her shoulders and waist. Her outfit could not have been any lighter. ¡­But this does make it easier to run. However, a certain thought came to her as she ran down the white-walled and red-carpeted hallway. ¡°I need to quit smoking!¡± She ran out of breath quickly. Back when she had been a delinquent, she had been the master of chasing or being chased all night long, but she finally realized how much she had deteriorated. She wanted to make her way downstairs. She had seen some kind of city out of the previous room¡¯s window. This seemed to be a facility in a mountain forest. The room had looked to be on the eighth floor and she was not sure if there were any higher floors. ¡­But what kind of facility is this? Was it a large local corporation? The white hallway had no windows, a width of about four meters wide, and not a speck of dust. It also continued for quite a while. As she ran, she recalled the city she had seen outside. It had small-scale buildings along with an older-style cityscape. This was likely an area with some history to it. The few larger buildings in the distance had to have been the train station or hotels. But she had not seen the marks left by the type of rezoning Nara or Kyoto had gone through and it had not had the green of Kanazawa. ¡°But it looked somehow familiar.¡± Wondering where she had seen it before, she tilted her head while running. Meanwhile, she heard footsteps from the other direction. She turned a corner to wait out whoever was coming by. As she did, several maids rushed by at the T-junction up ahead. She pressed against the wall and took a breath. ¡­It would be too dangerous to head out now. Her weak imagination then went wild wondering what would happen to her if she were captured by the kind of perverted corporation that would create a maid facility like this. For a moment, she imagined herself having been transformed into a maid. In her head, she was sitting with one knee on the floor and smoking a cigarette. ¡°Keh.¡± She clicked her tongue once, looked to the wall, and saw a few picture frames. ¡°¡­?¡± There were three and they all contained portraits. They were oil paintings rather than photographs. The left painting showed a gray-haired old man. The center one showed a well-built slightly less old man with blond hair and a beard. The right one showed a young woman with long blonde hair and a slender face. She assumed these were the owners of the building. ¡­So they really are foreigners? She looked the smiling woman¡¯s portrait in her pale blue eyes and tilted her head. ¡°Hm?¡± Miyako realized something was lightly tapping her left leg from below. There was something there. That fact and her own carelessness made her heart skip a beat. She immediately glanced to the left and lowered down defensively. ¡°¡­A water fountain?¡± It looked like the button-operated water fountains seen in the corner of a school cafeteria. ¡­Those things that won¡¯t give you enough water but won¡¯t stop shooting it into the air after you hit it a few times. One of those was there. The white and brown device was looking up at her from waist height. It was staring silently. ¡­Looking¡­up at me? As her own thought made her tilt her head, Miyako stared at the machine while standing in front of the frames on the wall. And the water fountain gently twisted its metal body to tilt itself to match the tilt of her head. ¡°¡­?¡± Something was not right. But what? ¡­No, it¡¯s obvious what isn¡¯t right here. It¡¯s just on such a huge scale that I didn¡¯t realize it at first. As she thought, she reached out to confirm the truth she had been ignoring. The machine moved toward her hand and let her touch it. Its metal body bent so it could rub up against her just like a dog. ¡°It wants me to pet it?¡± While muttering her thoughts as a question, she crouched down and slowly touched the machine with both hands. The machine happily and gently swung its body back and forth. If it had had a tail, this motion would have been wagging that tail. She rubbed over its entire body to make sure it was made out of a metallic material. ¡­It¡¯s a machine. She took a step back while still crouched down. And the machine bent its bottom installation parts to approach using an extending and contracting motion. As the water fountain rubbed up against her again, it happily tilted its body. ¡°Is this a prototype of some new tech?¡± she muttered with a hand on her chin. She tried petting the water fountains head and it pressed its head against her hand. It sure is friendly, she thought while pressing the water fountain¡¯s button to see what happened. Water came from the top edge. She touched it and found it was nothing more than cold water. The water fountain stayed perfectly still so that the water would not spill and it waited for her to drink it. And so she tried drinking the water. ¡°¡­¡± It was normal. It was quite cold and it felt good on her throat after running. But¡­ ¡°Thanks.¡± She petted the machine¡¯s head again and it bowed. After happily shaking its body again, the water fountain turned around and ran off while extending and contracting its legs. Miyako stood up and tilted her head. ¡­What was with that machine? It was metal, but it had seemed alive. ¡°¡­!¡± Suddenly, something moved in her head. Or at least, she felt like something did. ¡­Eh? There was something she had forgotten and could not remember. It was a memory. She tried to remember, but for some reason, it would not come to her. She felt a thick fog of forgetfulness. She did not know what she had tried to remember from the thought that metal had been alive. But she realized something. That memory came from the previous night. After failing her job interview, going drinking, and heading back, she had started on the road home from Ikusabata Station. ¡°¡­¡± She leaned against the wall, placed a hand on her head, and thought. ¡­What was it¡­? She felt something on the verge of appearing from the depths of her memories. ¡°Ah.¡± For some reason, an image of herself striking a gray alien with an iron fist entered her head. She strengthened the strike with the motion of her waist to defeat the little grey. After one, two, and then three solid hits, the little grey began to tap on the ground to beg forgiveness. ¡°That isn¡¯t it. ¡­What is with that B-grade memory, anyway?¡± She ignored the strange image and realized there was a lid. That lid was sealing her memories. She felt as if her true self was shouting at her from beyond the lid. She wondered if a version of herself that understood everything lay there. ¡­I need something. She needed something that would act as a key to open the lid. And just as she nodded¡­ ¡°Ah! I found her! She is in front of Lord Zeus¡¯s portrait!¡± Three maids appeared from the T-junction up ahead. Miyako clicked her tongue and turned her head. In an instant, she observed that the approaching maids were positioned to the right, left, and right. She had gotten some water, caught her breath, and wanted to learn the truth of her memories. Nothing pointed to her loss. And so she prepared herself. She stood on the central line and took on each of the maids in turn. The first maid on the right was unarmed, the second one on the left held a broom, and the third one was also unarmed. They likely planned to have the first one stop her with a tackle, the second one use the broom handle to hold her in check or strike her, and the third one restrain her. Miyako first took a large step backwards. ¡°Wait!¡± With that shout, the maids began to run faster. However, Miyako leaped backwards while still facing them. While back stepping further, she partially matched her speed to the first blonde girl. The maid opened her mouth, wrinkled her brow, and shouted out a question. ¡°Why are you trying to escape from us!?¡± For an instant, Miyako did not know what she meant. ¡­It almost sounds like she doesn¡¯t want me to leave them. Suddenly, Miyako recalled something from a very long time ago. One night, she had clung to the side of a man in a work uniform as that man had tried to go somewhere. She had still been a child and she had not been satisfied just with having her head rubbed. She knew what it was like to not want someone to leave. Despite recalling those feeling from ten years before, she replied while continuing to move backwards. ¡°I refuse to accept the situation I¡¯m in right now!¡± The maid did not reply. She only moved forward with an expression saying she would capture Miyako. The maid approached quite close and her right arm reached for Miyako¡¯s chest. Just as the maid¡¯s arm was about to reach her, Miyako suddenly took action. She slowed down her back stepping. The maid gave a look of surprise as the change in relative speed caused them to suddenly approach. In an instant, Miyako brushed the girl¡¯s outstretched arm upwards. ¡°Ah.¡± And Miyako shoved her body against the maid¡¯s open side. She gave a light tackle by pressing her shoulder into the maid¡¯s side and she grabbed the maid¡¯s slender body. She used the maid¡¯s approaching momentum to lift her up onto her shoulder and used her back muscles to bend the maid backwards. ¡°!¡± And she began back stepping once more. As the girl on her shoulder gasped, she rotated to the right. She rotated on one tiptoe. ¡°Left!¡± And she threw the maid on her back toward the broom-wielding maid to the left. For an instant, the broom-wielding maid stared blankly at the body thrown toward her. And so Miyako shouted out. ¡°Catch her!¡± ¡°Oh, yes!¡± The broom-wielding maid threw aside the broom just as Miyako finished her rotation. She now faced the direction of the maids which was the direction she had originally needed to go. And thus her back stepping came to an end and she could begin running forward. She poured all of her backwards-moving momentum into the soles of her feet. She moved forward. She tilted forward as if trying to press her chest to the floor, she kicked off the floor, and she ran full speed from the very first step. She ran as if flying. To her left, she saw that the maid who had abandoned her broom had caught the thrown blonde. She immediately passed by them, but the blonde maid and the previously broom-wielding maid could not move quickly enough. Two down. Miyako faced the final one. But that maid was watching her movements carefully. The third maid had black hair and she had stopped to prepare herself. ¡­A good decision! Miyako continued forward without stopping and she reached for something in the air. It was the broom the second maid had thrown aside. She used the fingers of her right hand to spin it around and swung it. The end of the brush scraped against the white wall. ¡°Outta the way! Outta the way! Outta the way!¡± Her shout caused her opponent to flinch. But this final maid did not move out of the way. She seemed to have made some form of decision because she held out her white gloved hands as the broom approached her. She intended to stop it and take her next action. That pose says she¡¯s confident she can stop it, thought Miyako. These are nice girls. A smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. ¡­If I had a bunch of people like this on my side, I could conquer at least Kantou. With that thought, she swung the broom down toward the maid¡¯s head. In response, the black-haired maid lowered her hips in a defensive stance. And¡­ ¡°You can have this. I¡¯m terrible at cleaning.¡± Miyako tossed the broom forward. The maid watched the broom handle floating before her eyes. ¡°Eh?¡± As the handle slowly moved toward her, she reflexively reached out toward it. And that signaled the end of the game. Miyako immediately slipped past her side. She accelerated much faster than before. Before the maid could turn around in sudden realization, she had already accelerated away. Miyako made her way past the maid all at once. Not even the maid¡¯s gaze could keep up as she left through the T-junction. She turned right because she was closer to that end of the building. She turned her head at the same time as lowering her hips. She took the step at the same time as throwing herself to the right. The right hallway was empty and the air seemed to be telling her to continue on. She felt a wind. Rather than the air of a stuffy room, this chilly wind came from outside. As she ran and swung her arms, she started to think again. ¡­What is that memory? What is that memory from last night that I can¡¯t remember? It was faint, but she felt as if she was beginning to remember something. As she wondered what it was, something appeared in her mind. ¡°A color?¡± In an instant, the keyword of ¡°night¡± caused the pale moon to flash into her mind. The night before, she had to have seen a nearly full moon. ¡­But that isn¡¯t it. The color that occasionally appeared in her mind was not the pale blue of the moonlight. Just as she wondered what it was, she saw the color. Ahead of her was an emergency exit that was sitting open to air out the hallway. Through that open door, she saw the outside light. She saw the color of the yellow sunlight. ¡°!¡± That was it. That was the color she wanted to see and the color from her fragmented memories. But what meaning did that color have? Her memories were from the night before, so where had she seen sunlight? With that question in mind, she continued to run. She headed for the emergency exit rather than the staircase. At the same time, a small figure came up the internal stairs to the right of the emergency exit. It was Moira 3rd. She seemed to be trying to stop Miyako as well. She held forward her white gloved hands as she ran up the stairs. On the other hand, Miyako paid the girl no heed. Before the short and young maid¡¯s hands could reach her, she arrived at the emergency exit. Or she should have. ¡°Wham!!¡± Miyako heard Moira 3rd¡¯s delighted shout and then felt something strike her from down and to the right. ¡­What? It felt like a mass of water struck the lower right of her body, but her surprise was even greater than the impact. After all, Moira 3rd had yet to fully climb the stairs and was too far away to reach her. Before she could wonder what had happened, all of the different forces involved produced a certain result. She flew through the emergency exit and into the air at eight stories above the ground. As Miyako flew over the fence around the emergency exit¡¯s elevator and into the air, the first thing she saw was the sky. Her vision was pointed upwards. Ahead of her, she saw the color blue and some clouds. It¡¯s so vast, she thought as her vision bent further backwards and brought the city into view. It was a flat city. The only high ground was the mountain this building sat on. Everything else was just a dense collection of buildings and homes on a flat land. She also saw a Shinto shrine on the opposite side of the mountain. The sense of familiarity the city gave her caused her to focus on one point. An L-shaped area on the southern end of the city looked old. And it looked somehow artificially old. Amid the lines of white walls and tile roofs, she saw some of the Western architecture she had seen in text books. ¡­Is that Kurashiki? She had gone there on a field trip during high school. That old part of the city was the Bikan historical district. In that case, the one huge building there would be the art museum. She had gone there only a few years before, but she did not remember much besides buying a horseshoe crab shell as a souvenir. ¡°But that¡¯s probably where this is.¡± Suddenly, the movement of her vision stopped. She had reached the peak of her arc. She would now fall. Strength quickly left her body and she felt as if something were tugging her back downwards. ¡­Am I about to die? With that lighthearted thought, all strength vanished from her body. She recalled many different things. She recalled the past and her hidden memories. She first remembered an incident from elementary school. She had been playing baseball with a paper ball and the cloth case containing her recorder. She had completely missed with her swing, the recorder had come apart in the case, and the mouthpiece had flown out. The mouthpiece had struck the pitcher¡¯s forehead and created a crescent moon-shaped injury. The pitcher had naturally been taken to the hospital. She remembered another incident from when she had started noticing the opposite sex during middle school. She had grown fond of a certain upperclassman on the baseball team, so she had been watching him practice. When a ball had rolled up to her feet, she had thrown it back in her own type of girl¡¯s throw, but it had gotten lost in the light of the sun. As soon as the upperclassman had looked down, it had fallen right on top of the hard, button-like ball on the top of his baseball cap. As blood had flowed from underneath his cap, he had fallen to his knees and then collapsed to the ground. ¡°These are all terrible memories!¡± She came back to her senses and flailed her limbs around, but her hands only reached empty air. She looked around in hopes of finding something to grab onto. With her vision pointed upwards, she looked to the city and then back at the building. It was a giant white building made of stone. The stone building had been polished until it reflected light like glass. It had a giant warehouse-like metal door that stretched from the ground to about the sixth story. Above that were four stories of living space. The living space had a shallow triangular roof which gave the entire building a certain shape. ¡°It looks like a temple.¡± That thought was immediately followed by a sudden impact across her entire body. ¡°!¡± This was much too soon to be the ground. Her midair surprise was caused by the impact of landing on her butt, back, and legs. However, the surface continued to descend so as to absorb the impact. As she wondered what was happening, she forced her numb body to sit up. She stopped moving and saw what lay below her butt. ¡°A hand?¡± It was shaped like a hand, but it was much larger. A human hand would certainly not be a meter across. It would also not be colored blue or be made of a hard plastic-like material. ¡°What is this?¡± With an odd sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, she turned toward the blue hand¡¯s wrist. The temple-like door was open and a blue arm was sticking out at a height of about three meters above the ground. The owner of the arm exited through the door. It was a giant warrior wearing blue armor. It was about ten meters tall. The joints of its giant arm were all coated with a plastic-like substance, but she could not sense the pulsation of a living creature. And so she reached the following conclusion about the giant supporting her. ¡°A robot? What is this, an anime?¡± As she muttered to herself, she looked at its face. Its facial structure was made from a collection of metal and the lights in place of its eyes were green and continued to blink faintly. As she looked at the color of the warrior¡¯s eyes, a certain thought came to her. ¡­This isn¡¯t it. But she did not know what that thought meant. ¡°¡­¡± She then saw something behind the blue armored warrior. A giant white armored warrior sat inside what looked like a hangar. It was a size larger than the blue giant and it stood straight in the supporting hangar. Bluish-white writing appeared in a dark oblong hole on the side of the hangar. She had never seen that type of writing before, so she could only tell that it was the writing of some other culture. However, she could tell what it said. The side of the hangar said ¡°Typhon¡±. She did not know what the word meant, but she understood that it was the name of the white giant. That was when a memory returned to her. ¡°Last night.¡± For an instant, those hidden memories of the past revived within her. First, she remembered herself. ¡­I screwed up the interview and¡­ After leaving Ikusabata Station, she had complained on the gravel road through the paddy field. ¡°And then I was caught in the middle of a fight involving this anime robot thing.¡± As she replayed her memories, she took a certain action. She looked upwards. ¡°!¡± While ignoring how it was messing up her hair, she looked into the blue sky and saw a certain light in the center. It was the light of the sun. That warm light wrapped in the color yellow brought back another memory. Last night, the white giant had descended before her and she had seen the color of its eyes. ¡­And I felt something then. What had it been? She did not know. But the rapid refrain of memories left her sitting blankly on the giant hand. She had also been saved from falling, so her tension lessened and she merely sat motionlessly. In response, the blue arm started lowering. It was a slow and gentle motion meant to keep her from harm. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± She looked down. A large crowd had gathered there. They were all maids. Moira 1st was there, Moira 3rd was there, and a maid with short hair of the same color was the only one looking away from her. That may have been Moira 2nd. All of the other maids there were looking up at her with looks of relief. ¡­And looks of expectation. It looked like they thought her rescue meant that something enjoyable would continue. Miyako sighed at the looks on their faces. ¡­Why are they looking that way toward someone like me? Volume 5, 4: Greeting at the Entrance Volume 5, Chapter 4: Greeting at the Entrance A world full of questions lies there Is that place desired? Or does it desire? Even at the beginning of summer, the afternoon mountain wind was chilly. That pure wind did not shake or bend and it was not a mountain or a river that it washed over. It covered a high place. Specifically, it covered the rooftop of Japanese UCAT¡¯s transportation administration building which was built in the mountains of Okutama. Currently, a single figure stood on the edge of the rooftop. The figure in a black suit paid no heed to the early summer sunlight and let the wind blow through his white hair. As he looked down through his sunglasses, he saw nothing but a long runway and the road leaving UCAT. He looked into the distance to the east and he saw nothing on the road next to the runway or the valley road dividing this area from IAI grounds. ¡°They¡¯ve gone.¡± After muttering expressionlessly, he heard a female voice from below. ¡°Oh, dear. Itaru, are you seeing the princess and prince off?¡± ¡°Leave, German witch.¡± His immediate response was followed by a figure rising from the edge of the roof. She was standing on the outer wall. The woman wore a black suit as she walked up the wall and then stepped onto the edge of the roof. Her long, soft, and ashen hair blew in the wind. ¡°Diana, why are you here? And use the emergency exit like a normal person.¡± ¡°You seemed to be lost in thought, so I was hiding in case you said something embarrassingly sentimental. If I used the emergency exit, the creaking of the door would have given me away.¡± ¡°Oh? And did I say anything strange, newt woman?¡± ¡°A gecko would be better luck.¡±[1] Diana smiled and lightly spun around on the edge of the roof. ¡°Itaru, you said quite a lot. Most of which only we know about anymore.¡± ¡°Is that so? I don¡¯t recall saying anything.¡± ¡°You did not use words, but the voice of your will reached me,¡± she immediately replied. Her smile deepened and she closed her eyes. ¡°Teasing you like this really takes me back.¡± ¡°Forget all about it. And get lost. It would be for your own good, Diana Zonburg.¡± Itaru sighed. ¡°I alone will carry all of that hopelessly pathetic, hopelessly drunk, hopelessly broken, and hopelessly dense time. You only need to feign ignorance. If you do, it will all end without anyone knowing anything.¡± ¡°So you are going to greedily keep it all to yourself? Is that because you watched it all from the sidelines without being one of the Five Great Peaks? And¡­because you cried and shouted out back then?¡± As soon as she said that, Itaru suddenly swung his right arm horizontally. That arm held his metal cane and it flew toward Diana¡¯s legs. But she evaded the strike. She lightly swung her body away from the rooftop. And she took a step. That was all it took for her to move off the rooftop and set foot on the building¡¯s outer wall. She fell horizontal to the ground for an instant and then swung her body back toward the edge of the rooftop. And when the cement floor of the rooftop came into view once more, Itaru had collapsed onto it. ¡°Oh, dear.¡± She lightly crossed her arms and smiled. ¡°Of course you will fall if you swing your cane. I won¡¯t help you up, by the way. I would be too embarrassed if you saw up my skirt from below.¡± ¡°If so, German UCAT must have a philosopher¡¯s stone treatment to prevent the aging of one¡¯s shame as well. At any rate, get lost. My stamina is already used up for the day. I¡¯ve had to deal with too much worthless crap and worthless people.¡± ¡°If they are so worthless, why were you seeing them off?¡± Diana pulled a handkerchief from her pocket. She spread the thin cloth decorated with a brown pattern and pushed it down with a finger. Despite the blowing wind, the cloth fell straight down without wavering and landed on the edge of the roof. She then lightly sat on top of the handkerchief and crossed her legs. ¡°Well, I do understand why you would be worried about them.¡± ¡°Hah. You make it sound like anyone else in the world thinks the same way you do.¡± ¡°Is that so strange? For example, I find this wind to be chilly and the past to be nostalgic.¡± ¡°Oh? Well, I find this wind to be annoying and the past to be unpleasant.¡± ¡°That is the same thing.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°They provide us with emotions.¡± Itaru fell silent and Diana sighed. Bitterness entered her smile. ¡°You really are fun to tease.¡± At that point, the emergency exit onto the roof opened and a small figure exited. It was Sf. Sf jogged toward Itaru through the wind and bowed toward Diana. ¡°Thank you for your unneeded and unnecessary consideration concerning Itaru-sama¡¯s movement.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t what I was doing. I just wanted to have some fun with him.¡± ¡°Tes. Then I retract my previous statement and my thanks.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Diana glared at Itaru and he stood up. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be your doing, German?¡± ¡°Are you still making excuses?¡± Itaru ignored her and stood up without Sf¡¯s help. He supported his unsteady body with the metal cane and Sf held his right side to help him. Sf then turned toward Diana again. ¡°Were you assisting Itaru-sama in my absence?¡± ¡°No, of course not.¡± ¡°Tes. I have determined that was an excellent decision. Only I, German UCAT-made Sf, am permitted to assist him. If someone else were to do so, I would be forced to repay them by assisting them in some way.¡± ¡°Oh, I just remembered. I think I did indeed assist him in quite a few ways just now.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf nodded. ¡°Then I shall bring you dinner to repay you. Today¡¯s menu is flavorless miso ramen and soft crackers.¡± ¡°I do not need that dinner. ¡­Itaru, why are you looking at me with such pity?¡± Sf tilted her head, looked at Diana, and then at Itaru. ¡°Sayama-sama, Shinjou-sama, and Director Tsukuyomi, left for the Kanda laboratory just now.¡± ¡°Do you want to go? That place holds a connection to 3rd-Gear and what we could call your relatives are there.¡± ¡°No, I only belong to you, Itaru-sama. I do not view myself as having any family. Also, I believe 3rd-Gear was the world of gods of war in addition to automatons.¡± Sf¡¯s knowledge caused Diana to clap her hands with a delighted smile. ¡°Well done. I see you have been learning.¡± ¡°Tes. Thank you very much. As the prided machine of German UCAT, I will not forget any praise, so do not worry. I will automatically reject any complaints, though. But¡­¡± ¡°Your comments seem a bit disjointed. Anyway, but what?¡± Sf tilted her head again. ¡°Tes. In all the mentions of 3rd-Gear I can remember, the discussion was about gods of war or automatons. But what about the humans? I am an automaton. I was created by people. The same goes for gods of war. They are created by people. Then where are the people of 3rd-Gear?¡± Diana narrowed her eyes, rested her chin on the arm placed on her crossed leg, and looked to Itaru. ¡°This perception is our doing.¡± ¡°No, this comes from Japanese UCAT¡¯s Japanese language formatting.¡± ¡°Tes. Let us settle this fairly with rock-paper-scissors. Start with rock¡­ Why did both of you start with paper?¡± As Sf watched them, the man and woman both sighed. As their sighs ended, Itaru spoke to Sf. ¡°There are many different issues in the world, Sf. In a way, 3rd-Gear might be where the advancement of the modern world will lead us.¡± ¡°The advancement of the modern world?¡± ¡°You will find out soon enough. The group at Kanda will tell you that we are all powerless here.¡± Itaru struck the concrete roof with the tip of his metal cane. ¡°And then you will understand why 3rd-Gear was destroyed so quickly.¡± An elevated roadway ran east to west through the center of Tokyo. That central expressway was a long stretch of asphalt with a total of four lanes. That large road had been constructed after the war and both cars and motorcycles travelled along it at all times. An elevated portion just inside the city center was named Expressway #4. Below the early afternoon sun, eastbound vehicles travelled along that expressway, passed through several green or underground areas in Shinjuku, and joined the Inner Circular Route in Chiyoda. After travelling northward on the Inner Circular Route, the vehicles quickly moved underground. Once they came back aboveground, they were north of the Imperial Palace. Travelling east between the palace and Budokan, they reached a land known as Kanda. The vehicles exited from the expressway and entered the streets of Kanda. One of those vehicles was especially large. It was a yellow truck. The cargo container was sealed and had a pallet at the bottom. Overall, it looked more like a crawler than a cargo truck. The side of the truck contained the IAI emblem. The front of the truck seated four and Tsukuyomi sat in the driver¡¯s seat. She used the rearview mirror to look at Sayama and Shinjou in the back seat. Sayama had changed into a gray suit he had left at UCAT and she looked him in the eye. ¡°Now, how was that drive? I told you there wouldn¡¯t be any problems.¡± ¡°I believe there was a bit of a problem, but it was good enough. What was that black foreign car that tried to forcibly pass us earlier?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It seemed dangerous, so I lightly knocked them away.¡± With that nonchalant comment, Tsukuyomi shifted gears. After doing it wrong about three times, she smiled bitterly. ¡°Well, it couldn¡¯t have been that bad a drive. Your neighbor there hasn¡¯t moved an inch.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Sayama turned toward Shinjou to his left. She had not left a change of clothes at UCAT, so she wore the school¡¯s summer uniform below her seatbelt. A black binder sat next to her and she was facing straight forward with a blank expression. She was perfectly silent and she shook limply with the shaking of the truck. The way her head bounced around, it looked like her neck had broken. ¡­Has she¡­? She had passed out. ¡°Sh-Shinjou-kun, wake up.¡± Even when Sayama grabbed her shoulders and shook her, she gave no response. A look of sudden realization filled Sayama¡¯s face. ¡°This is not good. I must perform CPR!¡± ¡°I think you just skipped at least three steps.¡± He ignored the old woman and began unbuttoning Shinjou¡¯s shirt. It was only then that she opened her eyes with a sleepy look. ¡°Oh, Sayama-kun. Good morn-¡­ What are you doing!? I¡¯m Setsu right now!¡± ¡°Why would that matter? Whether Setsu-kun or Sadame-kun, I must perform CPR. And both bodies are equally gropable. ¡­But I suppose these pads are indeed in the way.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­ I have no idea where to even start with this.¡± ¡°Then I will not hold back.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± shouted Shinjou just as the truck took a right turn. Tsukuyomi sharply turned the steering wheel, the six wheels on the bottom of the tractor unit performed their turning action, and a curving trajectory similar to a pivot was created. An external speaker played a right turn warning in a synthetic female voice. ¡°Turning to the right. Hard to the right.¡± Next, the large truck actually turned. ¡°Ah,¡± said Shinjou as everything outside the thick back window began to rotate. The sealed pallet of the connected cargo container became visible as a shadow. ¡­What are we going to carry in that huge space? The fact that it was sealed led Sayama to a certain conclusion which he voiced while placing his head on Shinjou¡¯s lap. ¡°A god of war? Is that what we are retrieving in addition to the examination device?¡± ¡°That is correct, you perverted lady killer.¡± Once the turn was completed, the sky outside the window stopped moving and a further question arrived. ¡°You heard that my daughter was abducted, didn¡¯t you? I hear you were at the scene last night.¡± ¡°The pilots of the remaining god of war were a student at our school and an automaton. Who were they fighting? We are guessing it was 3rd-Gear¡¯s Typhon.¡± ¡°The development department suspects the same. We received a request just before you left last night. We were asked to analyze the string vibration patterns of two large philosopher¡¯s stone readings that were flying westward.¡± She took a breath. ¡°We detected the concepts for metal and inertial control, the same as the automatons in UCAT. Did you know that the Kanda laboratory we¡¯re headed to has some refugees from 3rd?¡± ¡°Refugees? Are they automatons?¡± asked Shinjou. ¡°Yes.¡± Tsukuyomi nodded. ¡°They do not say much, but they have made a few things clear. When 3rd-Gear was destroyed, most of the gates were unstable and a lot of automatons fled to this world. Also, the automatons that fell into this world were ¡®found¡¯ in various places. However, they were only made to function in 3rd-Gear, so UCAT wasn¡¯t able to activate them until the concept activation ten years ago.¡± Tsukuyomi continued speaking while looking at them through the rearview mirror. ¡°All 3rd-Gear automatons have at least two abilities: powerful gravitational control to assist their movements and wirelessly shared thoughts with identical types. Due to the latter, the automatons under UCAT protection know that another 3rd-Gear force exists somewhere in Japan. They cannot communicate because they are separated by a concept space, but they can still feel their presence.¡± ¡°Then why did they join us? Wouldn¡¯t they want to rescue the others?¡± It was Sayama who answered Shinjou¡¯s question. ¡°They may have feared being taken as hostages against 3rd¡¯s main force. If they are viewed as an enemy, 3rd can act without concern for them. Am I wrong, Director Tsukuyomi?¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s the rumor. It sounds like the thought process of a combat-oriented Gear¡¯s automatons, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°But does that mean we are assuming we will fight them with no hope for negotiation?¡± ¡°Presumably, the automatons do not know the whole truth. However, the main 3rd-Gear force they know of was not a group that would surrender just because their world had been destroyed. My guess is that these automatons have carved that into their memories.¡± Tsukuyomi nodded toward Sayama who lay in Shinjou¡¯s lap. After seeing that nod, he continued. ¡°Low-Gear¡¯s concept spaces were poorly made, so these automatons could not move properly until ten years ago, but what about 3rd-Gear¡¯s main force? If they can use Typhon to create a concept space, it means they have been active since sixty years ago and yet hiding the entire time.¡± Sayama looked down from the rearview mirror and saw a white building through the large windshield. A closed metal gate separated them from the hospital-like building. ¡°That is the Kanda laboratory. Our department has been helping with its security recently. But, Sayama Mikoto, do you object to being called here today?¡± ¡°I do. I intended to meet with the pilot of that god of war today.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll handle the Georgius stuff, so you can spend your time getting as much information from the automatons as you can. Just like you did with us.¡± ¡°I see. It would seem non-humans are becoming my specialty.¡± ¡°Are you calling us inhuman?¡± ¡°Could you not say that a woman who has carried a human and given birth to them goes beyond the realm of humanity?¡± That question brought a few seconds of silence. Amid the silence, Sayama felt a small tap at his shoulder. It was Shinjou. He could see her looking down at him with flushed cheeks. ¡°Um, Sayama-kun? That question reminded me.¡± She spoke quietly with the ends of her eyebrows lowered. ¡°Do you think I will be able to do that with this body?¡± Sayama directly answered her hesitant question while resting his head on her lap. ¡°You will.¡± Shinjou narrowed her eyes. ¡°I hope so.¡± ¡°Do not worry. You definitely will.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Really. After all, I will do my part to help.¡± ¡°O-okay, but you could maybe word that differently¡­¡± She drew back her head in order to hide her blushing face. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said even more quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll do some more research into that kind of thing. ¡­And I¡¯ll discuss it with you again.¡± ¡°Yes. Let us work hard.¡± ¡°Work hard? ¡­I think we¡¯re talking about different things.¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± said Sayama. ¡°If we work hard, not only can we surpass humanity, but we can surpass godhood as well.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, w-wait! You suddenly went way above what I was talking about!¡± Sayama frowned at her panicked shout. ¡°What is it, Shinjou-kun? I was trying to put together a precise plan.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention what that plan entails!!¡± Just as she shouted, Sayama heard something else. ¡ªMetal is not dead. Those sudden words made him sit up. ¡°A concept!¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re quick to switch gears,¡± said Tsukuyomi. ¡°And it looks like they¡¯ve sent out someone to greet us.¡± The truck gradually slowed down. As it shook from momentum and Shinjou let out a sigh of relief, Sayama turned toward the driver¡¯s seat. The white building was still visible through the windshield. But three things were different from before. ¡°There¡¯s something odd about this.¡± First, the metal gate was sitting wide open. Second, several dozen figures wearing maid uniforms were lined up in waiting before the gate. And third, a giant green armored warrior stood behind them. It was a god of war. One of the maids stepped forward. She had red hair. The truck stopped fifteen meters in front of her. The red-haired maid suddenly reached a hand toward her collar. ¡°¡­¡± And she opened the collar to show her neck. But the bones and flesh of a neck were not there. It was a mechanical connector. Two sockets were connected vertically and wires connected the collarbone to the head. Shinjou gasped when she saw it. ¡°An automaton.¡± The red-haired automaton looked toward them. Her orange eyes looked sharply up at them. ¡°Welcome, but please leave.¡± She did not shout, but her voice reached the inside of the truck. The voice seemed to quietly permeate the area as she continued to speak. ¡°I am sure this is part of a job, but we must make an exception when a relative of Sayama¡¯s is involved. As an automaton of 3rd-Gear, I have a request for this relative of Sayama¡¯s. There is someone here who you must not be allowed to meet. As such, please leave. If you do not¡­¡± Sayama saw movement. The giant armored warrior behind the maids took a step forward. In the concept, its metal body had the litheness and gentleness of living flesh, but it also had great weight. The one step produced a heavy metallic sound. It then took a second and third step. The fourth step brought the god of war in front of the automatons and next to the red-haired maid. Its giant legs were spread at shoulder width and its arms were spread lightly to both sides. It could freely begin battle at any time like that. However, the red-haired automaton spoke without so much as glancing toward it. ¡°Please leave. I also ask that you hold no interest in 3rd-Gear. Dealing with 3rd-Gear will sully the Leviathan Road.¡± Miyako was brought back to the previous room. Moira 1st led her by a hand. After a few seconds on an elevator-like device from the side entrance, she was right next to the emergency exit she had fallen from. What is going on? she wondered. Moira 1st remained silent and did not rebuke her for what she had done and the other maids were not with them. The lack of defense and the lack of punishment seemed to indicate that they did not view her as an enemy. ¡­They are saying they will not harm me and so I shouldn¡¯t run away. Before they entered the previous room, Moira 1st looked over her shoulder. With a slight smile on her face, she passed through the white knob-less door and entered the room. ¡°Princess, please come in.¡± Miyako placed a hand on the door and asked the maid a question. ¡°Why are you going in first? What if I suddenly closed the door and ran off?¡± ¡°If you are willing to say that, I can assume you will not actually do it.¡± ¡°Oh? And what if I do?¡± ¡°Feel free.¡± Miyako slammed the door shut. The slamming noise satisfied her quite a bit. ¡­What should I do? Despite her thought, she remained motionless in front of the closed door. If Moira 1st was testing her, she would test Moira 1st. She had no intention of running, but she wanted to see how the maid would react. Would all of those previous maids arrive? Would Moira 1st pursue her on her own? Either way, they would try to restrain her. Their style of no defense and no punishment would be meaningless once they restrained her. She would have plenty of reason to feel rebellious. ¡°¡­¡± But nothing happened. Moira 1st showed no sign of speaking from the room and there was no sign of the other maids taking action based on the noise of the door. And so Miyako left the door to continue this test. She intentionally produced footsteps on the red carpet, but there was still no sign of anything from the room or elsewhere. And so Miyako continued walking. She turned at several corners and reached the previous emergency exit. It had felt like a long run before, but it was surprisingly close by. The exit was still standing open. She walked further. The wind and light coming in through the exit were those of summer, but something felt off about the wind. She thought about what it was. ¡­There are no smells from the city. The wind did not contain the slight heat, oppressiveness, or exhaust smell that a city produced. This place made no sense. When she thought about it, the giant that had lowered her to the ground and the one in the hangar were odd too. If they showed themselves outside the building, someone would notice. ¡­What is this place? She looked up and saw Kurashiki through the emergency exit. ¡­That should be real. She stepped outside the emergency exit. There were no stairs, but there was the elevator surrounded by a railing. The rails of the elevator circled around to the side in order to avoid the hangar door below. The hangar door was closed now and the blue giant was nowhere to be seen. The same went for the white giant. ¡°¡­¡± As she leaned over the railing and looked at the distant city, she suddenly noticed something. Beyond the twenty meter earth clearing in front of the hangar, a man stood in a forest primarily composed of broadleaf trees. The young man wore white clothes. His back was turned toward her and his blond hair was even longer than hers. He did not turn toward her and he merely stood in the forest looking into the distance. ¡°Is he looking at the city?¡± Did that young man live here? When she had tried to escape, she had not seen him in the framed paintings. If those paintings were of the deceased, he might have been the current master. In that case, she felt she could clear away a lot of the doubt in her heart. She thought about using the elevator to head down, but she stopped. There was no movement around her. No one came to pursue her and no one shouted at her. ¡°Dammit. What are they doing?¡± While feeling reluctant to leave the figure standing below, she returned to the hallway. After arriving at the door with long strides, she threw it open. ¡°What the hell are you doing!? And what is this place!? Who are you people!?¡± As she asked those questions, she saw Moira 1st standing before a table in front of the bed. She was transferring dishes over from the stretcher she had brought in. The maid smiled and turned toward her. ¡°It will take a little longer to prepare, so you can look outside for a little longer if you wish.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Miyako moved closer to Moira 1st while aware of the harshness on her face. After approaching so close their foreheads almost collided, she spoke the words she had prepared in her heart. ¡°Do you never get mad when people act like I do?¡± ¡°Have you ever done anything malicious to us, princess?¡± asked Moira 1st. ¡°Have you ever tried to destroy us?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± started Miyako as she recalled her actions. At the very least, she was honorable enough not to punch someone who had not acted maliciously toward her. But she still tilted her head. ¡° ¡®Destroy¡¯ has an unpleasant ring to it. And why is your Japanese that poor? With that and that giant robot down below, there¡¯s something odd about this place.¡± ¡°It is not odd because it is all only natural.¡± Moira 1st stopped preparing the meal. She placed a hand on her collar and scarf and removed the scarf from her neck. ¡°This is a temporary alternate world that exists out of phase with your world. It is known as a concept space. I will explain the details later, but we are the only residents.¡± She opened her collar down to the chest, but this did not reveal what one would expect. The flesh and bones that would form the neck, collarbone, and chest were not there. Instead, there were rounded white parts connected at the joints like a doll. ¡°Our bodies are made from a metal and ceramic frame added to flesh that is modelled after a human¡¯s. The joints are made with wires and plastic. We are automatons.¡± Moira 1st¡¯s smile deepened and the movement of wires caused her head to tilt above the neck which connected similarly to a light bulb socket. ¡°Will that be enough for you to believe me, princess?¡± Notes 1. ¡ü Geckos are considered lucky because the Japanese word can be written with kanji meaning ¡°house protector¡±. Volume 5, 5: Machine Footsteps Volume 5, Chapter 5: Machine Footsteps Even with one¡¯s eyes closed, the differences in the piercing sounds are noticeable The similarities are also noticeable That is why it is so troublesome Wind blew through a wide area between the large buildings of Kanda. But that wind was not of this world. It had the thin scent of an alternate world. Several automatons stood in the path of that wind that smelled slightly of metal. The god of war and the red-haired automaton standing in front of them faced their opponent. A boy stood in front of the truck stopped fifteen meters away. He wore a gray suit. ¡°I assume you are Sayama Mikoto,¡± she said. ¡°Why have you exited the truck? We asked for you to leave.¡± ¡°That does not matter. However, I would like to ask your name.¡± ¡°And what will you do with that knowledge?¡± ¡°I will negotiate with you. I will ask what will sully the Leviathan Road and I will negotiate a means of cleansing that impurity.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said the red-haired maid with a nod. She determined she needed to answer in order for the conversation to continue smoothly. ¡°#8. That is my ID.¡± #8 nodded. ¡°You say you wish for knowledge of the impurity?¡± ¡°I will not say it a second time. Or a third time. Make sure you remember.¡± ¡°Understood. But I cannot speak of what the impurity entails. Telling you would produce unnecessary curiosity and cross a point of no return. Simply think of 3rd-Gear as inviolable and leave.¡± ¡°Knowledge of it would cross a point of no return? In that case, I do not see how anyone could know about it.¡± Deciding his point was valid, #8 nodded and carefully chose how to express herself. ¡°Can anyone set foot in muddy water without growing dirty? We are considerately attempting to prevent anyone else from growing dirty.¡± Sayama smiled when he heard that. ¡°So you are driving people away out of consideration? Is that because you have betrayed UCAT and returned to 3rd-Gear?¡± The maids behind her began to move at that comment. They moved to restrain him. But #8 stopped them by raising her right hand lightly. ¡°Why do you think we have betrayed UCAT?¡± ¡°After speaking for a bit, you have not once replied with ¡®testament¡¯. The one I know may be a bit unique, but automatons should strictly follow their own definitions. In that case, the lack of ¡®testament¡¯ means you have left UCAT.¡± ¡°I see. It is true that the importance of the word ¡®testament¡¯ has fallen for us. And do you know what that means?¡± ¡°If you are out front after betraying UCAT, it means you have taken control of this Kanda laboratory,¡± said Sayama. ¡°Also, under some condition, your refugee definitions have switched to 3rd-Gear¡¯s definitions. What might that condition be?¡± ¡°The linked self-defense instincts of an automaton. The specific condition was your arrival. We believe your presence will certainly result in our harm.¡± ¡°And what harm would that be?¡± ¡°That is a personal issue of the automatons at the Kanda laboratory, so I cannot answer.¡± ¡°And so you are driving me away in the name of protecting me from some impurity?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± answered #8. ¡°The negotiation has already begun. Will you leave?¡± She waved both arms as she spoke. That motion produced black metal parts from her sleeves. They belonged to handguns. Barrels, grips, mechanisms, and magazines spilled out into the air. ¡°Or will you be destroyed here? Those are your only options.¡± The metal firearms were assembled in midair using gravitational control. As the parts fell into place and tightened, a spray of metallic noises filled the air and a gun flew into each of her hands. She now held two handguns. ¡°We once welcomed someone in this same fashion. After falling to this world sixty years ago, we were gathered here, but we took control of the laboratory upon awakening when the concepts activated ten years ago.¡± #8 struck her heel against the ground. That metallic noise acted as a signal and the god of war next to her moved. It drew the two swords worn at its waist. And she spoke over the metallic noises they caused. ¡°Those negotiations led to us taking up residence here. But we cannot allow the same result this time. Please leave, negotiator. We must ensure that 3rd-Gear¡¯s impurity is untouched, that the people of the Kanda laboratory remain safe, and that no harm comes to our fellow automatons.¡± ¡°I see,¡± replied the boy. ¡°So you have three bargaining chips to have me leave: your consideration concerning the impurity, your hostages, and the harm to your fellow automatons.¡± ¡°I have determined those three are enough.¡± ¡°Yes, it is enough. That is plenty for me to break down and create a path.¡± With that comment, Sayama took action. He pulled two objects from within his suit: a shotgun and a submachine gun. He spread his arms with the shotgun in his left hand and the submachine gun in his right and he faced forward. ¡°I will now eliminate the foundation of your bargaining chips with a single statement.¡± ¡°And what is that?¡± ¡°It is simple,¡± he said. ¡°The surname Sayama indicates a villain. It is incredibly simple, automaton.¡± What a pain, thought Sayama. Truly a pain. Someone was already fighting 3rd-Gear. And that person was younger, he was most certainly inexperienced, and his resolve seemed to be wavering. But he was desperately fighting as if clinging to something. He had some reason for that and he was prepared to keep Team Leviathan at a distance. And so Sayama thought about his role as the Leviathan Road¡¯s negotiator. ¡­I must grow even more desperate and face 3rd-Gear. ¡°Are you going to stand in my way here, automaton? I am trying to learn about the world you came from.¡± ¡°We stand in your way specifically because it is our world you wish to learn about.¡± ¡°If you are going to call it inviolable, do not call it ¡®our¡¯ world.¡± Sayama lowered the guns in his hands and walked forward. ¡°If no one can touch something, it belongs to no one. It becomes a closed world where you cannot even secure a firm footing for yourself. But a world is an open thing by nature.¡± So¡­ ¡°There is no such thing as an inviolable world.¡± He waved the shotgun in his left hand through the air and he looked up into the blue sky. ¡°Inside an inviolable cage, the sky is safe, the wind is safe, the earth is safe, and the night and day are safe. But that is why no one can grow desperate while surrounded by walls. Will you show your consideration despite that, hypocritical automaton? Only a child enjoys being shown consideration by someone in a glass box.¡± As he continued to walk and smiled bitterly, #8 asked a question. ¡°But I have determined it is children who enjoy growing dirty in mud. Don¡¯t adults avoid that?¡± The first bargaining chip, thought Sayama. The negotiation begins. He nodded and opened his mouth. ¡°So you say adults avoid the mud?¡± ¡°Am I wrong? And please do not simply say I am wrong. Give me a reason.¡± ¡°I see. Then let me say this: you are wrong.¡± A bitter smile. ¡°Unfortunately, automaton, there are two types of adults: those who grow upset when dirtied by mud and those who laugh at themselves when dirtied by mud. And there are two types of those who laugh at themselves: those who will grow upset when someone scolds them for it and those who laugh off any scolding. ¡­Listen.¡± He continued forward and reached a distance of ten meters away. ¡°I do not know what this impurity of yours is, but there are definitely people who will view it as something other than dirty.¡± ¡°And you are one such person?¡± ¡°It is hard to say.¡± He tilted his head. ¡°I may not be.¡± ¡°Then¡­!¡± ¡°But I am not the only person in the world. At the very least, there is someone in my world who is my exact opposite. There is also a foolish S&M couple, a perverted old man, a teacher who feigns ignorance, as well as plenty of comrades, enemies, and others.¡± And¡­ ¡°Even those who have died and those yet to be born are my allies.¡± Hearing that, #8¡¯s expression changed. Her eyebrows grew flat and all expression vanished from her face. That expressionless look could only mean one thing. ¡­Her bargaining chip has changed. The discussion of the first one was over. He did not know what she had decided, but he would not let his guard down until the entire negotiation was over and they had shaken hands in agreement. As he walked even closer, #8 asked another question while raising the handgun in her left hand. ¡°Then what about the workers of the Kanda laboratory?¡± The answer to this question was even simpler than with the first bargaining chip. As he walked, he shrugged. ¡°Do I even need to say anything when you could have already killed them for all I know?¡± ¡°Then what if you could confirm their safety?¡± At the same time, she pulled the trigger of the raised handgun. A gunshot rang through the air. And with that as a signal, the laboratory door opened. Men in work uniforms exited the glass door with their hands in the air. A closer look showed even more inside the dark space beyond the door. With them and their grim looks far behind her, #8 lowered her left hand and spoke. ¡°Our sharpshooting ability is unmatched. What do you say now?¡± ¡°I see. Then I have just one thing to say to them.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± ¡°Good luck. That is all.¡± ¡­This is only natural. ¡°I am here to complete the Leviathan Road. In that case, is it my job to rescue the captured workers of the Kanda laboratory? It isn¡¯t, is it? They can handle their issues while I handle mine.¡± ¡°¡­You do not care if they die?¡± ¡°It would be a problem if they die, but their survival is their responsibility. No matter what decision I make, they should not leave their survival up to another person. If they do not wish to die by your hand, they should not die based on my decision either. That is all.¡± ¡°I have determined that is sophistry.¡± ¡°But I have moved forward. You need to learn that the world deals in facts, not sophistry.¡± He was now five meters away. And #8¡¯s eyebrows moved. She was trying to decide whether to fire or not, but her decision was not immediate. She was hesitating. ¡­Will she shoot them? With a single bitter laugh, Sayama decided to speak. ¡°Now, then. Let us move on to your final bargaining chip.¡± That comment returned #8¡¯s eyebrows to their flat position. She looked him in the eye and then lowered her gaze a bit. For just an instant, she glanced at the workers behind her. ¡°Thank you for your consideration,¡± she finally said. ¡°Make no mistake. I merely find this negotiation to be a pain and wish to hurry it along. You need not feel thankful.¡± ¡°Understood. Then let us discuss the final bargaining chip.¡± ¡°Yes. You said my arrival will bring harm to one of you, didn¡¯t you?¡± He was already only three meters from #8. And he suddenly raised his left arm to point the shotgun forward. He targeted #8. ¡°This is my answer,¡± he said expressionlessly. ¡°If I destroy you here, it will prove that not even that hope of yours can be achieved.¡± As soon as he spoke, #8 took action. She first opened her eyes wide. ¡°!!¡± And she vigorously swung her left hand up once more. Before he could react, something arrived. It was a wind. The god of war¡¯s sword whipped up the wind as it was swung down overhead. At the same time, a metallic noise rang out and the god of war flew up into the air. ¡°¡­¡± With a clear noise, the armor plate on its chest broke and a beam of white light flew from its back. Without turning around, Sayama smiled. ¡°Wonderfully done, Shinjou-kun.¡± Shinjou held Ex-St atop the truck¡¯s roof. It had been quickly prepared when they left UCAT and Sayama would likely have been unable to take his weapons with him if Tsukuyomi had not been with them. While her head felt heavy after focusing, she lowered Ex-St from her shoulder. She heard the god of war collapse. The sound of crashing heavy metal sounded like a musical instrument being played at random. As she realized she had produced that result, she looked down. Down and to the right, Tsukuyomi was leaning out of the truck window and watching Sayama. ¡°Now, what will he do? I was wondering what would happen ever since that stupid boy said combat was a possibility if we were dealing with 3rd-Gear automatons.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Shinjou. ¡°That may be how the Leviathan Road works. If we are to rethink our relationships after the war, we can also redo everything from the beginning.¡± Shinjou started to dismantle Ex-St to return it to its case that sat in the back of the truck. ¡°Let me handle that. You hurry to him.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Only you and his meagre self-restraint can stop him, right?¡± Shinjou thought about that and finally smiled bitterly. ¡°I hope you¡¯re right¡­¡± She then heard several sounds from the front of the truck where Sayama was. They were gunshots. And quite a few of them at once. She turned around and cried out. ¡°Sayama-kun!¡± As he heard the god of war falling over, Sayama heard #8 shout. ¡°Defend!¡± She did not say what to defend. But in response to her shout, four automatons leaped forward to his left and four did the same to his right. Their maid uniforms flipped up and they formed a half-circle around him with weapons in both hands. But he had already started to move. He moved forward. As he saw them position themselves in an arc, he had a single thought. ¡­They have opened up gaps to avoid friendly fire. His opponents were armed with firearms just like him. In that case, a factor other than firepower would determine the winner. There were three such factors. First, there was speed. Second, there was position. Third, there was mentality. Those factors could be affected by tactics. And Sayama had lived with the Tamiya family until two years ago. They had originally been a yakuza family and they had weapons. ¡­And I have my grandfather¡¯s training! And so he did not hesitate to move forward. A skilled group and a firefight lay at close range. Distance was almost meaningless here and something else mattered more. ¡­Position! What position would aid him and put his opponents at a disadvantage? That would be right in front of an enemy. The other enemies would be unable to fire for fear of friendly fire. The third maid from the right had black hair and she raised a handgun in her left hand. She seemed to be the only one with a handgun. And the short weapon could reach firing position fastest. That was why he prioritized her and charged in toward her. From there, his speed said everything. Without killing the momentum of his charge, he used the shotgun in his left hand to sweep away the arm holding her gun. ¡°!?¡± With a light impact, her arm moved to the left. That arm obstructed the path of the fourth maid from the right, slowing her movements. Sayama then jumped to the left and charged toward the side of the fourth maid from the right who had stumbled a bit. While sweeping the third maid¡¯s arm upwards, he jabbed his left elbow into the now-unguarded side of the fourth one. ¡°!¡± The fourth maid doubled over and collapsed. One down. In response, the second maid from the right and the fifth maid from the right raised submachine guns. They moved to trap him where he was in front of the third maid and the collapsed fourth maid. But they were too slow. His left arm remained bent from the previous elbow jab, so the shotgun barrel was pointed to the right. He also passed the submachine gun under his left arm to aim it to the left. With his arms crossed as if in an embrace, he fired both guns. He hit twice. The second and fifth maids were blasted in either direction. Counting the fourth maid in front of him, that was three down. But the first maid from the right and the sixth, seventh, and eight maids on the right had taken action. The one on the right and three on the left had already raised their guns. ¡°Nn!¡± With that voice, four gunshots rang out. As expected, there was one from the right and three from the left. The bullets arrived. Also, the third maid in front of him had brought back her arm. Sayama hurried forward while uncrossing his arms. He jumped up. As his arms met in the middle in the process of uncrossing them, they deflected the third maid¡¯s arm upwards once more. ¡°¡­¡± He heard a metallic noise and her handgun flew into the air. She was now wide open. He spread his arms and moved forward while listening to the four bullets passing by behind him. As he stepped forward, he raised his right leg and jabbed his knee into the third maid¡¯s right side. The strike knocked the third maid away, making four down. He used the impact of the knee jab to rotate backwards to the right. As he did, he saw #8 standing beyond the others. ¡°Wait there!¡± He would make sure to take her on. He felt faint irritation as he wondered why the representative of the Leviathan Road had to fight automatons who were not the representatives of 3rd-Gear. Even so, he was aware that he had partially wanted this. ¡­Are they desperate as well? He wanted to know why. He felt he needed to know. He mentally nodded twice, ended his spin to the right, and leaped toward her. He quickly ran to the right. The only maid remaining to the right was the one originally first from the right. She had brown hair and she raised a rifle in her left hand. In the instant she took aim, Sayama swung his submachine gun to the right. An instant later, she pulled the trigger. The rifle fired at the same moment that his weapon struck her arm and knocked it to the right. The gunshot passed by the right side of his face and the bullet grazed his hair, but it did not hit him. He stepped forward and raised the shotgun in his left hand while holding her rifle away with the submachine gun in his right hand. But this time, she defended. She stepped back and swept his shotgun upwards with her empty hand. And she did not stop there. After sweeping the shotgun upwards, she grabbed the barrel. Sayama pulled back the weapon so she could not swipe it. But then he felt pain. It was the phantom pain from his left fist. That pain from the past made him grimace. ¡°¡­!¡± The shotgun was forcefully pulled from his grasp. The maid in front of his eyes smiled as she held his shotgun. She tossed it behind her and then looked behind him. ¡°Fire!¡± Sayama did not look behind him. He understood what the maid before him wanted. She would stop him and let herself be shot by the three behind him. ¡­A ridiculous decision! ¡°So you dolls have decided to sacrifice yourselves!?¡± And so he moved. He would not let this doll be shot by her allies. They were attempting to produce something from a death. ¡­No matter what, I cannot let them accomplish that idea! His only weapon was the submachine gun in his right hand. He was using it to hold her rifle away. But he let go of the submachine gun. He lost his weapon. However¡­ ¡°I have more than just guns.¡± As the maid¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, he charged toward her and jabbed his elbow into her gut. With a sound of impact, she was knocked away. He turned around while watching her rifle and his submachine gun fall to the ground. Behind him, he saw the remaining three aiming rifles at him. They were aiming and preparing to pull the trigger. In that instant, he held his left hand out in front of him. That hand was empty, but something fell into it. It was a handgun. This was the handgun he had used his crossed arms to knock from the hand of the third maid from the right earlier. As soon as he had it in his grasp, he fired. A great sound filled the area. Of the three maids, the middle one was blown away. The remaining two fired, but their bullets passed by either side of him. At the same time, he heard a metallic noise on the ground behind him. The submachine gun he had let go of and the rifle of the maid he had elbowed had struck the ground. With a snap of his wrist, he tossed the handgun overhead. He crouched down, swung both hands backwards, and grabbed the submachine gun and rifle as they bounced off the ground. He raised the weapons in front of him and fired. The two remaining maids took direct hits and collapsed backwards. The eight were down. But Sayama did not catch his breath. He tossed aside both guns and used his left hand to grab the handgun he had tossed overhead. He turned toward someone to his right. It was #8. ¡°¡­!¡± Sayama ran. In response, #8 took quick action. She tried to raise both handguns she held to target his face. ¡°I am serious!¡± Her shout seemed to pierce through the air, but Sayama paid it no heed and moved forward. But he would not make it in time. It would not take her long to raise the handguns. She held them right next to each other to target the center of his face. ¡°Is this your decision!?¡± Sayama replied with his actions. As he took the last running step with his left leg, he swung the knee up and jabbed the shin and knee straight up toward the heavens. ¡°¡­!¡± As #8 tried to raise her arms, they struck either side of his knee. Her hands stopped. ¡°!?¡± At the same time, he threw his body forward. He pressed his forehead against his raised knee. His face passed between the guns held apart by his knee. And #8 pulled the triggers. Gunshots passed by either side of his face. But they naturally missed. Sayama swung down his raised left leg to slam his heel down. At the same time, #8 frantically moved back. And he moved forward to pursue her. He maintained his forward momentum and threw his lowering left leg forward. He was already close enough to collide with #8 and he looked at her surprised expression. At the same moment, his left foot reached the asphalt and he made his step. Using the force of his step, he pointed the gun in his left hand at #8. In that instant¡­ ¡°Sayama-kun!¡± He heard Shinjou¡¯s voice. And so he took action. He first let go of his gun. ¡°I will now show you my conclusion.¡± As he spoke, he wrapped his arms around #8¡¯s waist from below and placed her over his shoulder. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± As he lifted her up, she was surprisingly light. With a bitter smile, he took a few light steps forward, lowered his speed, and came to a stop. As #8 struggled atop his shoulder, he used his hands to stop her legs from moving and he spoke. ¡°I almost forgot. Dolls are meant to be held and handled with care.¡± And¡­ ¡°I respect that sort of thinking.¡± For just a moment after his comment, #8 stopped moving. But she quickly began struggling once more as if she had suddenly remembered the situation. ¡°Wh-what is the meaning of this!?¡± ¡°Be still. Do you wish to go through the losing ritual in front of your fellow automatons?¡± ¡°What is the losing ritual?¡± ¡°I treat you like a doll.¡± Sayama nodded and spoke to the other automatons in the area. ¡°After stripping you naked, I will restrain you within every splendid outfit I can think of. Then, after placing you in a seat where you cannot move, I will have you enjoy a fake meal made from mud and leaves. And we can sing: ¡®Hi ho! Hi ho!¡¯ As automatons who live by a motto of modest service, that would be unbearably painful, would it not?¡± #8 gasped and the surrounding automatons all took a frightened step back. Sayama nodded toward them all. ¡°While I am at it, I can place you in a glass box and continually play a music box until you fall asleep. How about that?¡± ¡°Y-you cannot be serious. If you did that, rumor would spread that the losers of the Leviathan Road are cruelly abused.¡± ¡°It is up to you whether this happens or not. I believe in democracy, so I respect the opinions of individuals. And in accordance with democracy, any who oppose me shall receive an individual vigilante punishment. ¡­How about that?¡± #8 stopped moving. The surrounding automatons did the same. Silence fell. As the stillness reminded them of the wind¡¯s presence, Sayama focused on his own body. The heat lowering from the right side of his forehead was likely blood. He was sweaty and he was pleasantly exhausted. He then heard a noise from behind him: footsteps. When he took a breath and turned around, he saw Shinjou running toward him with a look of relief. She nodded and smiled with the ends of her eyebrows lowered. Her smile said she was fine and that he should face his opponents. He faced forward, looked each of the automatons in the eye in turn, and then gently lowered #8 from his shoulder. Her red hair was disheveled, her shoulders were limp, and she had no expression on her face. ¡°I have determined this was unreasonable,¡± she said. ¡°Why should we listen to what you wish to say?¡± ¡°That is simple: because you wish to find a new answer after listening to me,¡± he said. ¡°You already have your answer, but is there no other acceptable answer? To find out, listen to what I have to say. I want you to help me think up a new answer.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Unable to make a decision, #8 repeated the same word. ¡°But¡­!¡± Just as she spoke that duplicate word, she was interrupted. ¡°I have determined that is sufficient.¡± This was a new voice. All the automatons, including #8, turned toward the main entrance. Countless figures stood in front of the white building. They were mostly the Kanda laboratory¡¯s workers, but one figure standing in front of the others was not. She was a blonde girl in a maid uniform and Shinjou spoke the common term for her identity. ¡°An automaton?¡± ¡°Testament,¡± she replied. ¡°I am #4. I am the leader of the automatons here.¡± She was expressionless. ¡°I am ashamed of my fellow automatons¡¯ actions here. I hope you are not disappointed in their combat ability.¡± ¡°No, they were an excellent opponent for my first actual battle in a while.¡± As he spoke, Sayama looked around. The maids he had defeated were slowly beginning to get up. ¡°It was a good thing you were wearing UCAT maid uniforms. I assumed they would be at least bulletproof.¡± ¡°Well done. I understand now that this new negotiator to appear before us is also one who will force us to face him. In that case, please come this way,¡± said #4. ¡°I will tell you and show you as much as I can concerning 3rd-Gear¡¯s impurity and its destruction. We have been waiting ever since your grandfather provided us with this place ten years ago.¡± The word ¡®grandfather¡¯ brought pain to Sayama. ¡°¡­¡± He brought his right hand to his chest and Baku frantically hopped from his pocket and onto his shoulder. Despite the pain and pulse in his chest, he expressionlessly took a breath. ¡°My grandfather gave you this place?¡± ¡°Testament. When we awoke due to the concept activation ten years ago, we took control of this place. However, we had two problems. First, the foundation of our memories was created on the idea of serving people, so having others protect us would create a self-contradiction which we would reject by ceasing to function. Second, serving someone from this world would be a betrayal to 3rd-Gear.¡± #4 nodded and continued smiling. ¡°Ten years ago, your grandfather was sent as a negotiator to eliminate our control of this place. He ordered us to join Low-Gear and serve one who lives here. He said that would not be a betrayal to 3rd-Gear because it would prevent us from being a burden to them in an emergency.¡± ¡°And so you have worked here for the decade since?¡± ¡°Testament. And we have been waiting for the good-for-nothing grandson that your grandfather would often mention. I must ask that you go along with these lingering feelings of a doll for a bit longer.¡± She bowed. ¡°I believe I will now speak of the past with you and give you a test. As the one who once negotiated with your grandfather, I will determine what kind of person you are and whether you are actually good-for-nothing.¡± Volume 5, 6: Driving Questions Volume 5, Chapter 6: Driving Questions Where does the initial question lead? To question is to go and to return They let you test yourself and look back By the afternoon on the day before the closing ceremony, very few students remained in the Kinugasa Library. The shouts and sounds of the sports teams could be heard from the schoolyard. That provided the background noise for the three people who sat motionless at the table in the center of the library. A cloth map of Japan was spread out on the table while Izumo, Kazami, and Hiba sat around it. Hiba started by asking Kazami a cautious question with a serious expression. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to hit me?¡± ¡°Y¡¯know, I think you¡¯ve gotten the wrong impression of me. I won¡¯t hit you if you do nothing wrong.¡± ¡°Eh? R-really? Strange. That isn¡¯t what everyone says¡­¡± As he tilted his head several times, Kazami clenched her fist below the table while considering actually hitting him. Hiba seemed to catch on because he quickly put on a smile. ¡°Oh, s-sorry. Anyway¡­¡± ¡°Yes. What do you want?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Before I explain 3rd-Gear¡¯s impurity, I want to quickly go over their history.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± With her agreement urging him on, he reached for a piece of paper on the table. He also picked up a ballpoint pen and drew on the white back of the paper. The drawing looked like a few floating islands. ¡°Um, this is actually a cross-section. 3rd-Gear was apparently a collection of giant floating continents.¡± Hiba tapped at the center of the drawing with the back of the pen. ¡°It supposedly also had an ocean long ago, but it was always this shape and so it didn¡¯t have very many people. The people of 3rd-Gear had long lives and they each had a special ability coming from one of the concepts supporting the world. In other words, they had lifespans of several thousand years and the powers supporting the world were distributed among them.¡± ¡°Distributed?¡± ¡°Yes. The Concept Core was divided up and they received a portion when they were born. You could say they were humanoid concepts rather than people.¡± ¡°When they died, was that concept extracted and returned?¡± ¡°Not just that. From what I¡¯ve heard, they had a single device that took the wills of those bearing the concepts and stored them in the Concept Core. Do you understand what that means?¡± ¡°Their Concept Core worked like an underworld, right?¡± answered Izumo with little interest in his voice. ¡°When those with the concepts died, their residual will and concept would be stored in the Concept Core. And when a new life was born, the concept would be recycled into them, but the wills would simply accumulate in the Concept Core. That¡¯s an artificial Tartaros.¡± ¡°Yes. That is why 3rd-Gear called their Concept Core the Tartaros and called the device sending them there the Tartaros Machina.¡± Kazami thought on what Hiba said with a smile. ¡°If they had technology like that, 3rd-Gear must have been a pretty advanced world.¡± ¡°Yes. That is why their civilization advanced with an extreme focus in one direction. They altered the world as they saw fit, they created automatons to make up for their lacking manpower, and they created machines modeled after themselves to increase an individual¡¯s strength. Do you know how gods of war are piloted?¡± Kazami thought about the device underneath UCAT. UCAT had experimentally created that large humanoid machine and it was primarily operated remotely, but she knew that was not the standard method. ¡°A human combines with it, right?¡± ¡°Correct. Because they could turn metal into a living thing, a god of war contains the same systems as a human. The pilot is broken down and taken inside those systems.¡± Hiba raised his right hand and lightly rotated it, mixing up the warm gentle air of the library. ¡°It feels less like you¡¯re riding it and more like you¡¯ve grown and have armor and reinforced parts attached. When the god of war is damaged, the injury is sent back to your own body when it is reconstructed.¡± A bitter smile suddenly replaced Hiba¡¯s serious expression. He knew they would not understand. He must have fought in quite a few battles up until now, thought Kazami as she watched him. He clearly knew there were times when others would not understand his stance. ¡­I hope we can understand. She sighed inwardly. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get back on topic. How was 3rd-Gear destroyed?¡± ¡°Well, it was a floating continent civilization, but there was one thing that truly started the advancement of their civilization.¡± ¡°The Concept War?¡± ¡°Yes. When they learned of their world¡¯s concepts and coming destruction, they realized their civilization and concepts were very powerful and gave them the upper hand. But¡­¡± Hiba scratched at his head and hesitated to continue. ¡°Due to what I mentioned before, their civilization reached a dead end.¡± ¡°A dead end?¡± Hiba looked up and compared the look on Kazami¡¯s and Izumo¡¯s faces. ¡°How does one increase the population?¡± Kazami and Izumo fell silent. After taking about five breaths, Izumo raised his right hand while facing forward. ¡°Chisato-sensei, may I give a clear and erotic answer?¡± ¡°¡­We all know the answer, so you don¡¯t have to say it.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± groaned Izumo as he lowered his hand. Hiba slowly clenched his fist to show his agreement. ¡°Well done, Izumo-san. You¡¯re exactly the kind of person I heard you were.¡± ¡°I see. Then do your best to show me some respect. Too many people have been unable to see my value recently. ¡­Chisato, why are you giving me that displeased look?¡± ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t even care anymore. Anyway, Hiba-kun¡­ No, I think calling you Hiba is good enough.¡± ¡°Wh-why would you drop the ¡®-kun¡¯? Aren¡¯t I your adorable underclassman?¡± Kazami ignored that comment. ¡°Anyway, Hiba, what does increasing the population have to do with 3rd-Gear¡¯s destruction?¡± ¡°Well, you know how animals are said to need a population above a certain level to increase in number? What if they were only just barely at that level before the Concept War?¡± He took a breath. ¡°They only ever had as many people as there were concept pieces supporting the world. ¡­Now what if they went to war?¡± Kazami froze in place. Wait, she thought to keep herself from reaching too hasty a conclusion. ¡°Wait a second. Don¡¯t you normally encourage population growth before a war?¡± ¡°The Concept War isn¡¯t something you see coming. The fight is suddenly brought to you. At least, that¡¯s apparently how it was for 3rd-Gear. When 9th¡¯s troops invaded 3rd, they were held off by the gods of war and automatons, but 3rd-Gear panicked. They did not know whether they should solidify their defenses or head out to war.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Kazami thought. She looked up at the ceiling and sighed when she reached her conclusion. ¡°3rd-Gear went out to war, didn¡¯t they? They wanted to finish things before their population could fall too far.¡± ¡°Yes. Their current king was named Cronus. I¡¯ve heard that he was skilled at making automatons and gods of war and that he created further longevity methods to keep the population from falling. And he also modified the Tartaros Machina to be used for invasions. He made it so people¡¯s concepts could be removed while still alive. Otherwise, 3rd-Gear would have been destroyed if more than half the residents left the Gear for an invasion.¡± Hiba shrugged. ¡°But Cronus could not fully ease the people¡¯s fears, so his position was usurped by his son.¡± ¡°Was his son named Zeus? According to Greek mythology, Cronus was kicked from the throne by Zeus and a culture of fighting and pleasure was created under Zeus¡¯s rule.¡± The corner of Izumo¡¯s mouth rose in a smile and he brought a hand to the map before him. He pointed toward Okaayama¡¯s Kojima Peninsula in the Setouchi region. ¡°Is that fighting and pleasure the impurity that¡¯s apparently somewhere around here?¡± ¡°You¡¯re close. But when it is created for a war, what does that make it?¡± asked Hiba. ¡°We¡¯re getting to the main issue now.¡± I hate studying, thought Miyako. She faced forward while scratching at her head and sitting on the bed with one knee raised. Moira 1st was on the other side of the stretcher that had previously contained a meal. She was crouched down and used both hands to hold something on top of the stretcher. It was a thin B4-size board with a drawing on the side pointed toward Miyako. The drawing depicted their world being destroyed and she read the explanation written on the back. It was a kamishibai. According to Moira 1st, when her fellow automatons had gone outside, an educational facility had taught about society using this method. ¡­They must have snuck into a kindergarten. That had to have been a very long time ago when the Showa era was still in its middle period. If their story was true, it would have been about sixty years ago. As Miyako thought about the past, Moira 1st flipped to the next board. A king named Zeus was giving instructions to the people. It was a crude drawing made with crayon, but Zeus was one of the people she had seen in the picture frames in the hallway. He was the man with a blond beard. Past the picture, Moira 1st spoke with a slight smile. ¡°Now, the king was eager to get things started. ¡®Wah hah hah. Be fruitful and multiply.¡¯ It became okay for family members to have children together.¡± ¡°Wait a second. Don¡¯t say that in such an exciting and enjoyable way!¡± ¡°But that is what happened. ¡­Oh, are you out of snacks?¡± ¡°I still have this cigarette gum.¡± ¡°I see.¡± With a smile, Moira 1st flipped to a board with a picture of a cell. The cell contained some kind of laboratory and a gray-haired old man stood within it. He looked the same as one of the people in the hallway picture frames. He was holding the metal bars like a monkey. ¡°But the number of people decreased. It was partially due to underestimating the development speed of the other worlds¡¯ civilizations, but Lord Cronus shouted from his cell claiming that ¡®you shouldn¡¯t do it within the family!¡¯. However, it was mostly due to people dying in the war.¡± As Miyako tried to decide what about that to take issue with, the next board was revealed. ¡°It all came to a head when the ninth world destroyed one of our continents. ¡®Take this! Suicide bomber of rage!¡¯ Kaboom! Kaboom!¡± ¡°Wait. The way you¡¯re saying that doesn¡¯t match the detail of this drawing! People are being blown up!¡± ¡°We divided up the work and each drew one, but Moira 2nd is a really good artist.¡± The next board showed Zeus and several other people. ¡°The war dragged on and the people stopped being able to have children for some reason. Whether due to a limit of the species or just pathetic individuals, the number of men and women who could have children greatly decreased. And the loss of a continent made the world begin to fall out of balance.¡± The next board showed Zeus sitting in a chair. ¡°The king was anguished. They tried cloning, but the technology must have been insufficient because the clones could not have children. The number of people continued to fall. Once not much more than his own family remained, the king made a decision.¡± ¡°To do what?¡± asked Miyako. After a moment, she gasped at what her question meant: she was growing interested in 3rd-Gear. She looked up and saw Moira 1st smiling beyond the board. She flipped to the next one which showed a line of giant robots similar to the ones she had seen before. ¡°Those who could not have children transferred their concepts and wills to the Tartaros while their bodies joined with machines and fought. Those who could have children did whatever they could to give birth to people of their world in an attempt to ensure the continued existence of their world.¡± She flipped the board again and displayed a drawing of four men and women. One was Zeus, one was Cronus, and the other two were a young man and woman. The young pair both had long blond hair, but the man had yellow eyes and the woman had red eyes. Neither of them had been in the hallway picture frames, but the man looked familiar. ¡­Huh? He resembled the silhouette she had seen in the forest while looking down from the elevator. But she did not recognize the woman at all. The woman in the picture frame had had pale blue eyes. All of them but Cronus had a robot behind them. Behind Zeus was a gray robot, behind the young man was a pale blue robot, and behind the woman was a silver robot. ¡°The few remaining people also became machines. Only four remained as humans: the king, his son Lord Apollo, Lady Rhea who served the king, and Lord Cronus who was imprisoned. And Lady Rhea carried the king¡¯s child.¡± Moira 1st continued speaking, but she spoke quietly as if testing her. ¡°It was known that Lady Rhea¡¯s child would be a girl. If the child was able to have children, the king intended to duplicate her with new clone technology being developed and then create a large number of people for their world.¡± When she heard that, something fell to the floor from Miyako¡¯s hand. It was the cigarette gum she had been toying with in place of an actual cigarette. But she did not even look down toward it. ¡°Wait.¡± Not even she was sure why she had spoken. ¡­This isn¡¯t good. But despite her thought, she spoke in a quiet yet trembling voice. ¡°In other words, y-you mean the king¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± asked Moira 1st. Miyako¡¯s mouth hung open and she felt the emotion that had caused her to drop the gum. ¡°So¡­ Before this kid was even born, your king was thinking about using her as a sample for cloning?¡± She did not want to hear the answer. ¡°Yes.¡± Moira 1st gave a slight smile. ¡°The child would be maintained at a young state in a preservation tank. Her growth would be stopped at a stage when she retained great possibility for growth, cells would be extracted, and the stasis would be removed to allow her to grow.¡± ¡°Stop!¡± shouted Miyako. She recalled her job interview from the previous day. How had the interviewers viewed her then? ¡­Like a faceless member of a crowd or like a lifeless part of a machine. She felt that interpretation was showing a bit of a persecution complex, so she stood up from the bed to wipe the thoughts from her mind. ¡°That Rhea woman¡¯s kid was the king¡¯s kid, right!? It was his own kid, wasn¡¯t it!? How could he ignore the kid¡¯s will and¡­try all that bullshit!¡± ¡°It is not ¡®bullshit¡¯,¡± declared Moira 1st. Her words threatened to tear Miyako¡¯s feelings to pieces, but that was stopped by Moira 1st¡¯s own smile and dignified voice. ¡°An entire world was on the verge of destruction. There were only two options: try every means available to survive or give up and be destroyed.¡± Moira 1st asked a quiet but clear question. ¡°Have you ever tried to choose the former or been faced with someone who did, princess?¡± A certain underground space did not feel dark and sealed off. That underground maintenance area made full use of its excavated free space. The concrete floor measured several hundred meters in all four directions and it was filled with people, light, and sounds. The wall displayed the UCAT logo and said Kanda Laboratory in a black Gothic typeface. Unlike UCAT in Okutama, the vast underground space was divided into research blocks with partitions. Each large partition had various objects and noises within. ¡°This first basement is primarily used for god of war research. The second basement is used for research on concept space production theory.¡± While surrounded by the sounds of grinders and smells of welding, Sayama and Shinjou walked down the center path between partitions. An automaton in a maid uniform walked ahead of them. The maid, #4, had sent a different maid to retrieve Georgius¡¯s examination device with Tsukuyomi while she showed the two of them around. As they walked, she described the destruction of 3rd-Gear. ¡°Lord Zeus chose the path of survival no matter what.¡± She looked back toward them with an expressionless look below her short blonde hair. ¡°Do you now understand what 3rd-Gear¡¯s impurity is?¡± Sayama saw Shinjou nod next to him. She embraced her binder as if relying on it and paled a bit. ¡­Treating humans like tools is a difficult topic for her. And so he took the initiative and spoke. ¡°Is this what you are trying to say? To survive the Concept War, 3rd-Gear did not treat its own people as human in those intra-family marriages and human modifications.¡± ¡°I do not know how exactly you are picturing the situation, but that is what happened. At the time, 3rd-Gear was the Gear with the greatest technology in such things.¡± She closed her eyes. ¡°What you just mentioned was one of the methods used in the initial stage. Almost everyone but the nobles was treated that way. Most of those who disobeyed were sent to the Tartaros Machina, the empty shell of their body had the organs extracted, and the remaining parts were fixed inside a god of war. Once a temporary will was attached, the god of war was sent out to battle.¡± ¡°I believe a portion of that requires correcting. It was not just ¡°most¡± of those who disobeyed, was it?¡± asked Sayama. ¡°For the Gear to be destroyed, more than half the Concept Core had to be lost. But weren¡¯t 3rd-Gear¡¯s concepts held by each individual resident? To lose over half the core, more than half the residents would have to be sent to the Tartaros, bringing the core together into one mass.¡± He heard Shinjou gasp. But he went on to speak the truth she had realized. ¡°3rd-Gear¡¯s king took almost all of the residents¡¯ lives and sent them to the Tartaros, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Testament. That is correct.¡± And¡­ ¡°But can you say anything more concerning 3rd-Gear¡¯s actions?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± answered Sayama with slight laugh. ¡­That is a simple matter. ¡°Someone who is willing to do anything to survive would never limit himself to his own Gear. 3rd-Gear had to have reached for other Gears. They must have abducted people, taken them apart, modified them, and used them as tools for their own survival. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°Testament. Then do you understand the meaning of 3rd-Gear¡¯s impurity?¡± ¡°They are the Gear that violated a great taboo and committed a holocaust in which they did not view people as human.¡± #4 nodded and lowered her gaze slightly. ¡°This fact is known at least by the Gears higher than 3rd. Especially 9th which directly fought 3rd. And at the time, 3rd-Gear was known as ¡®the Gear of fighting and pleasure¡¯. Fighting referred to the gods of war and pleasure sarcastically referred to the forced production of children.¡± She closed her eyes. ¡°But if Team Leviathan accepts 3rd-Gear to their side, it will mean accepting its past crimes. The people of our Gear were treated as tools and people of other Gears were treated the same. At the time, the people fighting 3rd-Gear knew some of their own relatives were being used as parts for the gods of war and automatons, so they took the initiative to destroy them.¡± ¡°But it was Low-Gear that ultimately did so?¡± ¡°Testament. I have heard that some people praise Low-Gear for that destruction. But what will they say if Team Leviathan now accepts 3rd-Gear?¡± ¡°In other words, we will receive the resentment of the other Gears?¡± ¡°Testament. The disturbing act of killing all of the Gear¡¯s residents and the cruel act of desiring other Gears¡¯ residents as parts has left a shadow of mistrust around 3rd-Gear. The Leviathan Road cannot be carried out without cleansing that impurity.¡± ¡°Cleansing the impurity, hm?¡± Sayama thought about the impurity Hiba had mentioned and the conclusion the boy sought. ¡­Why did he say he would cleanse the impurity? What would he do to completely cleanse the crimes that were something like the parting gift of a destroyed Gear? Sayama spoke the answer he arrived at. ¡°There are survivors of 3rd-Gear, aren¡¯t there? And the fight is not yet over, is it? The fight between 3rd-Gear¡¯s desire to live on and Hiba¡¯s wish to cleanse that impurity still continues.¡± ¡°Testament. Did you see the beginning of that fight?¡± #4¡¯s words filled the air. ¡°Did you see Lady Rhea who fled to Low-Gear out of dislike of that impurity?¡± Moira 1st was not finished speaking. ¡°In their desperation to survive, they grew impure.¡± With strength in her shoulders, Miyako let out a breath. ¡°Your king used any means necessary and he stopped treating people as human.¡± She could not accept it, but she wondered what she would do if she were the leader. And what if she had been a resident of 3rd-Gear when the king had told her she was powerless. ¡­What would I have done? She recalled the rest of her interview from the day before. She was always shouting loudly and with an air of importance, but she had been unable to say anything to the decision the interviewer had made upon seeing her resume. ¡­He said there was nothing I could do for their company. According to Moira 1st, those in 3rd-Gear who could not have children had been forcibly joined with machines known as gods of war. Compared to a world where someone who could do nothing was sent to the Tartaros, her situation seemed almost carefree. ¡­But I¡¯m still not being viewed as a human being. She felt they were wrong, but she was not confident she had the ability to prove it. What could one do? ¡°What can you do?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Moira 1st¡¯s voice made Miyako realize she had spoken her question aloud. She looked up and saw the maid smiling at her. Pathetic, she honestly judged herself and grew flustered. Ah, this isn¡¯t good. ¡°U-um, isn¡¯t there anything you can do when someone that stupid rules above you?¡± ¡°Yes. That is why there was one person who did not choose that method.¡± With a smile, Moira 1st flipped to the next board. It showed a silver robot in a vast darkness. The slender craft looked feminine. ¡°Lady Rhea betrayed them.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Moira 1st nodded at Miyako¡¯s confusion and looked to the back of the board. ¡°When it was decided that Lady Rhea¡¯s child would be taken, she fled to another world. She fled to the weakest and lowest world that no one had paid much attention to. She felt she would be safe there.¡± The lowest world. In the preliminary explanations, Miyako had been told that was this world. ¡°¡­¡± She suddenly sat back down on the bed. Her entire body went limp when she saw the image before her and heard Moira 1st¡¯s words. Why? she asked the silver robot in the picture, but it did not respond. But the lack of an answer did not make the question disappear. ¡­Why did you choose this place? But that was not the real question. ¡­Why did you choose to act? Why had she been able to so fully trust her desire to reject the situation? Naturally, she received no answer to her questions. She simply listened to Moira 1st provide the sound of the silver robot leaving. ¡°Vwoosh!¡± ¡°Please stop providing sound effects.¡± Miyako sighed, raised one knee, and looked at the board that Moira 1st flipped to. The look in her eyes was much more serious now. In the underground space, a maid walked through the maintenance and research space. The sounds of welding and grinding formed the background noise behind her voice. ¡°In her dislike of the impurity, Lady Rhea travelled to Low-Gear. After her defection, Lord Zeus formed an alliance with 9th-Gear.¡± Sayama and Shinjou listened as they walked behind her. And Sayama asked about the fact just mentioned. ¡°He formed an alliance with the Gear that had attempted to destroy his world?¡± ¡°It is not an unlikely decision during a war, so allow me to continue. Lord Zeus decided to recover Lady Rhea¡¯s child, enter the Tartaros himself, leave the rest to Lord Apollo, and prepare a god of war with a copy of his thoughts to act as an advisor.¡± ¡°And¡­what happened then?¡± asked Shinjou with a very bad feeling about the answer. #4 nodded quietly and answered. ¡°Lord Zeus intended to have Lord Apollo begin an invasion against all the other Gears. On Lord Zeus¡¯s orders, Lord Cronus had already created the base of Typhon, the strongest god of war, and he had developed Keravnos as its weapon of destruction. They both contained the Concept Core.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Shinjou thought about what #4 had just said. Her casual comment had contained two pieces of information. First, it revealed that the missing half of the Concept Core was contained within the weapon named Keravnos. And second¡­ ¡­If Typhon was made as an invasion weapon¡­ ¡°If Typhon left 3rd-Gear with half the Concept Core in itself and half in Keravnos, 3rd-Gear would be completely destroyed.¡± ¡°That was not a problem. 3rd-Gear intended to abandon its own Gear.¡± After stopping, #4 swung her right arm and lightly pointed at the floor. She was pointing at the world itself. And she smiled. ¡°Lord Zeus intended to create a new foothold here in Low-Gear, the Gear that had been abandoned and ignored by the other Gears due to its lack of concepts.¡± Shinjou gulped and #4 continued speaking. ¡°Meanwhile, there were a few misunderstandings between the people of Low-Gear and Lady Rhea, but a certain incident led them to work together. Namely, Lady Rhea¡¯s child was born.¡± ¡°What happened to that child?¡± But #4 did not answer Shinjou¡¯s question. She silently turned her back and began to walk once more. She was headed toward a large metal door on one end of the floor. ¡­Is that something she doesn¡¯t want to tell us? Shinjou had seen Rhea in the past, so she had given it a bit of thought. And so she asked a tentative question to the back leading her to the large door. ¡°The people of 3rd-Gear have long lives, right? If that 3rd-Gear child were still alive now, how much would they have grown?¡± ¡°It has only been sixty years, so a 3rd-Gear human would still be a very young child.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Shinjou nodded at that brief answer and continued walking. And she thought about Mikage. She thought about the female automaton who had exited the black god of war and been held by Hiba the night before. That girl was with Hiba who was at the center of the incident. They had assumed she supported him as he piloted the god of war. ¡­But something bothers me. Her imagination led her to a possibility they had not considered. And she thought about it. ¡­What if she doesn¡¯t stand on the sidelines? What if she stands in the center of it all? And¡­ ¡­What if Ryuuji-kun is with her in order to protect her? Just like she and Sayama stood on the battlefield together. In that case, what made her so important? ¡­Rhea-san¡¯s child. She continued thinking on this leap of logic for a while. ¡°¡­¡± But she shook her head and gathered her thoughts. Mikage was an automaton. She was not human. And she had responded calmly to Hiba using the black god of war¡¯s mouth. That response had been based in the kind of thought not present in a child as young as #4 had mentioned. She was not a human and she was not a young child, so Shinjou had two means of denying the possibility. But a sudden thought reached her. ¡­Huh? It concerned the name Mikage. She had heard that name before the previous night and it had been fairly recently. ¡­Where was it? Her thoughts were cut off by a question from #4. ¡°Do you have a question for me?¡± While walking, #4 looked toward Shinjou. In the corner of her vision, she saw her fellow automatons using gravitational techniques to carry tools and materials beyond the partitions on either side. ¡­Be quiet. After giving that command over their shared memory, she waited for Shinjou to speak. Shinjou held a black binder next to the boy with the surname Sayama. ¡°U-um?¡± She regulated her breathing and spoke. ¡°Um? Last night, we met someone named Hiba who said he would cleanse 3rd-Gear¡¯s impurity. But now that I know the history of 3rd-Gear, it sounds like you would need a certain right to cleanse the impurity. For example, Rhea-san fled to the National Defense Department due to her dislike of the impurity, so Low-Gear has a justification for getting involved in 3rd-Gear¡¯s affairs.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said #4 with a nod. She found it interesting that Shinjou was bringing up an issue of rights. How would she go from there to draw out further information? ¡°Please continue.¡± Shinjou nodded and brought a hand to her chest over the binder. ¡°What right does this Hiba Ryuuji-kun have? There is of course the fact that his grandfather destroyed 3rd-Gear, but if there is another reason, what is it?¡± She lowered the hand on her chest and held her own body as if trying to support it. Based on that action, #4 estimated her skeletal structure. She looked male, but there was also a strong possibility she was female. While she gathered data on her, Shinjou spoke while choosing her words carefully. ¡°If there is something more, the person with Ryuuji-kun must be in a similar position to Rhea-san or at least dislike 3rd-Gear¡¯s impurity. That person looks like an automaton, but what if that person became like that for some reason or another?¡± ¡­I see. ¡°That is speculation,¡± said #4 before Shinjou could say anything further. Shinjou wanted to know about the automaton who had been with the boy of the Hiba family. #4 could tell her, but she decided to test her first. Would she pick up on the hint #4 was about to give her? With no expression on her face, #4 tilted her head and asked a question. ¡°If I may ask, why do you think she is a human?¡± She saw the answer to her question in the change to Shinjou¡¯s expression. ¡­Has she noticed it? While still expressionless, she saw Shinjou smile ever so slightly. It was a relieved smiled. ¡°That question was a test, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It was too obvious. You asked me why I think she is human. But¡­¡± #4 received her answer. ¡°I never once said that person was a she.¡± Shinjou took a breath to relieve her tension. She then tilted her head toward #4. ¡°You know about the automaton I was talking about, don¡¯t you? You were thinking about Mikage-san, weren¡¯t you?¡± Her question flew directly toward #4. But¡­ ¡°¡­¡± #4 brushed up her bangs to create a period of silence and let out a breath toward the floor. As her breath dissolved into the floor, she turned her expressionless eyes toward Shinjou. ¡°You said this person was with a boy named ¡®Ryuuji-kun¡¯, so I assumed she was female. That is a perfectly natural assumption. It is no different from the two of you being together.¡± Sayama immediately responded to that. ¡°Sorry, #4-kun. Shinjou-kun is a boy right now.¡± His comment made #4 quickly look back toward Shinjou. It was possible the truth about her had not left the Okutama UCAT. ¡­Come to think of it, there¡¯s no need for anyone else to know because I won¡¯t be working with them. With a mental nod of understanding, she looked down at her own body. She wore the school¡¯s summer uniform and she had Setsu¡¯s male body. ¡°Do I really look like a girl? ¡­D-do you want to check?¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun, there is no reason to force yourself.¡± ¡°No, I was just interested that an automaton could be wrong about this kind of thing.¡± ¡°Hm. Then look closely, #4-kun. I will support Shinjou-kun¡¯s courage.¡± When her belt was suddenly removed from behind, she frantically jabbed her elbow backwards. ¡°Gh¡­ Wh-what are you doing, Shinjou-kun? That came out of nowhere.¡± ¡°Stop trying to act so surprised. ¡­Oh, sorry about the commotion, #4-san.¡± ¡°Do not worry. This is not an impossible turn of events.¡± ¡°Yet you were unable to predict this possible turn of events. Shinjou-kun, that means you win this round.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a good thing¡­¡± As Shinjou¡¯s shoulders drooped, #4 turned toward her. ¡°At any rate, let us get back to this Mikage you mentioned earlier. If you wish to prove that she is Lady Rhea¡¯s child, you must clarify her origin at least to a certain extent. Do you have any proof that this Mikage existed sixty years ago?¡¯ ¡°I do.¡± Shinjou nodded without hesitation. The phrase ¡°sixty years ago¡± had helped her remember. ¡­That¡¯s where I heard the name Mikage. She had heard it only about two months before. The past she had received in order to fight had given her the answer. ¡°When 2nd-Gear¡¯s Yamata was sealed, Susaou¡¯s control device had a strange bed-like device in it. The creator of that control system called it the ¡®Mikage format¡¯. An automaton named Mikage must have laid there.¡± ¡°But that does not prove she is Lady Rhea¡¯s child.¡± ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t,¡± said Shinjou. She had no proof of that. That was a fact. But¡­ ¡°But proof of that is what we will work to find now. Why was Rhea-san¡¯s child made into an automaton after Rhea-san fled to Low-Gear? Why has she grown so much in only sixty years if she is a 3rd-Gear human? I want to find the answers. Is that wrong?¡± A clear change came over #4 when she heard that. Her expressionless look changed to a different expressionless look. ¡­Eh? Shinjou did not understand. She could not tell what that expression meant. It was a small change that could barely be described, but Shinjou tried. ¡­Is that¡­kindness? There was no hint of tension. Shinjou thought it was a perfectly natural expression and she quickly realized how the automaton had made it. ¡­It¡¯s the angle of her head. The actual expressionless look had not changed, but the way she had raised her head to look at Shinjou head on had made it look like she was smiling just a bit. Shinjou felt it was an expression only an automaton could make. ¡­She is truly facing me. And #4 opened her mouth as if to respond to that feeling. ¡°Will you not abandon your interest in 3rd-Gear no matter what?¡± ¡°Does it look like we will?¡± asked Sayama. He reached out a hand and took the hand Shinjou wore her ring on. He took a half step forward before continuing. ¡°The rest is my job, Shinjou-kun. So let me ask this, #4-kun. Does it look like we are withdrawing from the impurity you have described to us? If not, then test us to see whether we can cleanse it or not.¡± ¡°Test you?¡± ¡°We have fought our way through a few battles. However, we have not gained any combat ability to face automatons or the gods who control gods of war as their own bodies. Is the object we have come here to retrieve something that will fill that gap? I assume the old man has planned to provide us with some power.¡± He took a breath. ¡°The other automatons have already tested us, but you have not. And after accepting that power, there is more I wish to ask about. That will of course include the automaton named Mikage, but it also relates to the 3rd-Gear survivors.¡± He held Shinjou¡¯s right hand in his left such that half of its back was showing and he squeezed her hand. She squeezed back to strongly provide her answer. The skin of their hands twisted and they heard #4 speak. ¡°I see. Then I shall test you. But let me say one thing first.¡± ¡°And what is that?¡± ¡°The further answers you seek are answers we seek as well. How was 3rd-Gear destroyed? How is the main force doing? By the time we noticed, the destruction of the world had already begun and we could do no more than escape through the gates created in various places.¡± She lowered the ends of her eyebrows in a look of regret. ¡°All we know about the time leading up to the day of that final battle is that Lady Rhea¡¯s child was retrieved, that Lord Zeus left behind a god of war with his will copied into it, and that Lord Zeus sent Lord Cronus to the Tartaros at the same time as sending himself. And when the final battle occurred, the only ones in 3rd-Gear¡¯s central temple were Lord Apollo and Lady Mikage.¡± ¡°Then this main force you speak of must be led by that Apollo. Do you have any questions about that?¡± ¡°Testament. Unlike Lord Zeus, Lord Apollo was a pacifist.¡± It took Shinjou a moment to understand what she had just heard. ¡­3rd-Gear¡¯s next king was a pacifist? And she had a thought: if that person was still alive, wouldn¡¯t the Leviathan Road be possible? After a few seconds, #4 resumed speaking. ¡°He hated 3rd-Gear. When it became clear his younger sister Artemis could not have children, he refused to send her to the Tartaros to the point of creating a conflict with Lord Zeus. If the Leviathan Road were presented to him, he would gladly accept. He was not the type to send out gods of war to fight.¡± #4 hung her head. Shinjou thought about this man named Apollo who she had never seen. ¡­These automatons really trust him. And so she asked a question. ¡°Then is this your question? The main force is supposedly led by Apollo, a pacifist, so why are they hiding and hoping for a fight?¡± ¡°Testament. And there is one other question. Last night, we received word that Typhon abducted someone, but why would Lord Apollo pilot Typhon and do something like that? It is true that was made to be his personal god of war.¡± She shook her head. ¡°But his previous god of war was created with Lady Artemis¡¯s body. As an example to Lord Apollo and Lord Cronus, Lord Zeus sent Lady Artemis¡¯s will to the Tartaros Machina and used the remaining body as parts.¡± Shinjou was at a loss for words and #4 shook her head slightly. ¡°Feeling responsible for what happened to his sister, Lord Apollo declared it his own personal god of war so as to never let her slip from his grasp again.¡± ¡°Are you sure it was not destroyed during the final battle?¡± ¡°When a god of war is destroyed, the pilot dies. As long as Lord Apollo lives, Lady Artemis¡¯s pale blue god of war remains.¡± She took a breath. ¡°Please seek out the answers. There must be a reason. There must be a second impurity that exceeds the impurity we know of. Lord Cronus created four types of automatons. Three were the combat oriented Hecatoncheires who protect Typhon and act as bodyguards. The fourth was the three Moirai created to manipulate and manage people¡¯s memories and the mass-produced models like us. Those automatons must be fighting for the sake of an impurity we are not aware of.¡± #4 then looked ahead toward the wall. The wall contained a giant metal door. She hurried a few steps forward and turned around with perfectly silent footsteps. ¡°The power we have for you lies within here. That power will help you find all the answers. But I must give you a test before I can grant you that power.¡± ¡°I see. And what is this test?¡± ¡°Well,¡± said #4. ¡°I will test your intentions.¡± Volume 5, 7: Painful Guard Volume 5, Chapter 7: Painful Guard Why do flowers wither? Why do they not stay in bloom forever? A wall contained a giant metal door. The basement of the Kanda Laboratory was filled with the scent of sparks and the sounds of welding and grinding metal. A cargo corridor on one end of the floor led to a metal sliding door at least eight meters wide and four meters tall. Three people stood before that double door. The automaton named #4 was leading Sayama and Shinjou. Behind Sayama and Shinjou was the laboratory work space where a large number of people and automatons worked. In front of them, #4 stood before the bulkhead door and her legs were placed slightly apart as if to stop the other two¡¯s path. She had a smile on her face. ¡°Now, let us begin the test.¡± She spread her arms behind her and grasped the bulkhead¡¯s locks. Her gaze remained fixed on the other two. ¡°If you do not provide the proper answer, please leave. What lies beyond here is the embodiment of our great grudge. I will determine whether you can have it.¡± ¡°D-determine? What are you going to ask?¡± Shinjou¡¯s concerned question only received a smile from #4. And so Sayama took a step forward. ¡°They are hoping for a villain, Shinjou-kun. A wonderful villain who is willing to reach for their impurity. ¡­You would be unable to answer.¡± ¡°Testament,¡± said #4 quietly with a nod. ¡°I have a single question. The people of 3rd-Gear had long lives, they corresponded to legends of this world, and their culture truly could control the weather, control heavenly bodies, and use giant gods of war as weapons.¡± ¡°You may be saying they were like gods, but it sounds like they were closer to being demons.¡± ¡°Testament.¡± #4 did not deny it and she slowly continued. ¡°If you continue with this Leviathan Road, you will be fighting those demons and then accepting them to your side. But if you oppose and ally with those nigh almighty demons, it will cause the other Gears to avoid you. As the representative of your world, what do you think of such an action?¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama nodded. He had only one answer. ¡°A worthless question.¡± Sayama raised his left arm lightly yet still forcefully enough to produce a sound from the sleeve¡¯s elbow. The sound of snapping cloth rang loudly. As if that were a sign, the sounds of work behind him slowly faded. He could tell they were all turning toward him. He could sense them growing still and listening carefully. Before him, #4 stood motionlessly with her arms spread to protect the door. Silence ruled all. But in the strained atmosphere of that silence, Sayama slowly lowered his arm. And he began to speak. ¡°You wish to know what I think about opposing and subduing demons? Let me say it again: a worthless question.¡± ¡°Really? This is no different from inviting a murderer into your family. You may see no problem, but what about the rest of your family?¡± #4¡¯s gaze turned to the left where Shinjou stood. She returned #4¡¯s gaze and then turned toward Sayama. The ends of her eyebrows were lowered and she was attempting and failing to force a smile. ¡°U-um, Sayama-kun? How about you look at this politically? This may not be my place to speak, but people in the other Gears had family members killed by 3rd-Gear. And not in war. They were abducted and killed for experiments.¡± ¡°If you ally with them, you will likely need some form of compensation for such people.¡± I see, thought Sayama. This question is indeed looking at the later negotiations with the other Gears. But¡­ ¡°Do you really think I had not given that any thought, Shinjou-kun?¡± Shinjou¡¯s expression changed. Her eyebrows rose and she looked up. ¡°Y-you really thought about it, Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. I have of course given it no thought whatsoever.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Shinjou¡¯s expression froze over. The atmosphere from those behind him hardened and all expression vanished from #4¡¯s face. But Sayama readily spoke to the surrounding atmosphere that had lost all emotion. ¡°Why would I need to think about that again now?¡± He raised his left arm once more. With a snap of the sleeve, he brushed a hand through his hair. ¡°In this Leviathan Road, we must negotiate with 3rd-Gear and bring them to our side. That has nothing to do with the other Gears. Why must we listen to what the other Gears have to say? The whole world is equally under our rule.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Shinjou was at a loss for words, so #4 spoke in her stead. ¡°Are you saying Low-Gear stands above all other Gears and will rule them? Is that how you view the Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°Make no mistake,¡± he said. ¡°Bringing all other Gears to one¡¯s side is something no other Gear could manage. Doing so requires bringing all Gears except Low-Gear to the same level. In other words, completing the Leviathan Road will automatically set Low-Gear above the other Gears. ¡­And once I gather every Gear in that fashion, there is one thing I plan to say to them.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± Sayama answered #4¡¯s question without hesitation. ¡°Low-Gear stands above you, so now bring us to your side.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I do not know how it will happen, when it will happen, or even if the Leviathan Road will ever end. But if they do that, all will be equal. In exchange for bringing the other Gears to our side, Low-Gear will take responsibility for all their negative aspects and it will fall. And that will be the end of it.¡± #4 listened to the boy standing before her. The others peering over the partitions were just as motionless as her. ¡­Bring Low-Gear to their side? Sayama spoke as if to answer her question. ¡°#4-kun, you asked what I thought about opposing and subduing those demons or gods. But make no mistake. Demon and god are nothing more than a classification of race. Even if they have greater abilities, they are the same as you and your fellow automatons. What is there to be afraid of?¡± ¡°Even if the difference in ability is like that between an ant and a human?¡± ¡°If I saw them next to a bar, I would tap them on the shoulder and treat them to a drink.¡± Sayama lowered his raised left arm and asked her a question. ¡°What is a demon or a god? One who tempts people and causes them to fall? An omniscient and omnipotent ruler? That demon or god is nothing more than an individual that uses the power to do those things.¡± He let out a bitter smile. It was likely directed at what he himself was saying. That smile gave #4 a sudden sense of nostalgia. She had once seen someone give that same smile. And so she asked a question. ¡°And what do you intend to do with those individuals?¡± ¡°Well, if I find someone who is being feared or worshiped as a demon or god like that, I will knock them to the ground to wake them up. I will show them that there are more enjoyable things in the world. Yes, they would enjoy life a lot more if they cast aside their corruption or almightiness and gave it to all of you instead.¡± ¡°To¡­us?¡± ¡°You serve people, do you not?¡± he said. ¡°The demons or gods can leave their omniscience and omnipotence with all of you and they can become human. Is that not a wonderful thing? You will be able to serve people without feeling any limit to your abilities. Also, demons and gods are created through belief. In other words, they are artificial. In which case, there can be no objection to making artificial creations such as you into them.¡± His words brought a sudden change to #4¡¯s expression. A certain function activated. Her chain of thoughts chose a certain reaction from her emotional functionality. She laughed. A small giggle escaped her lips. ¡°Testament. I apologize for that. I rarely use that function.¡± ¡°Then this was a good chance to inspect the function.¡± Sayama held his lowered left hand toward her and spoke directly to her. ¡°Now, take this hand and use the other hand to open the door behind you. That is your job. Take pride in it, automaton. We will receive that which lies on the other side, investigate a past you are unaware of, and head out to fight. ¡­And it is all to bring those mistaken demons or gods out drinking with us.¡± ¡°With you?¡± ¡°That is what we are here for. The party is sure to be lively. The misunderstandings of each Gear will be gathered together and you will be our waitresses. Although I would like for you to sit and laugh with us if possible.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± #4 nodded. ¡°I have determined that is certain to be enjoyable.¡± Another function activated. This one created a smile. She determined that this was valuable as she rarely used the function, but she also determined that it was somehow not very machine-like. Her smile may have been a reaction from her emotional functionality. Heat gathered in her cheeks and softness filled her eyes. She did not understand it, but she lowered her head slightly because she did not want anyone aside from Sayama to see the smile. An old record revived in her brain. Ten years before, someone had caused her to use the exact same function and that person had often spoken of a certain boy. He had said the boy lacked a lot, but he had always smiled while speaking of him. That person had died recently and a certain question had filled her mind in his place. ¡­What kind of person did that boy become? She wondered what kind of smile was on her lips. And she closed her eyes before speaking. ¡°Welcome to the entrance to 3rd-Gear¡¯s question, Sayama Mikoto-sama.¡± A pause followed #4¡¯s words. But Sayama did not try to hurry her. He did not hold his hand out any further and he did not speak. And #4 remained motionless as she faced him. Her arms were still spread behind her and she was still smiling. Her head was still turned slightly downward and her eyes were still closed. ¡°¡­¡± The silence lasted a few breaths until it was broken by movement. But that movement was not made by #4. Nor was it made by Sayama or Shinjou. Several short figures arrived from behind Sayama as he held out his hand. They were automatons. Several dozen automatons slowly surrounded them. A few moved forward toward the bulkhead door. As Sayama frowned in confusion, Shinjou trembled slightly to his right. She was looking ahead toward #4 who was surrounded by a few automatons. ¡°She¡­¡± Her voice turned Sayama¡¯s attention toward #4 as well. ¡°¡­isn¡¯t moving?¡± #4 was indeed not moving. Even the slight movements of a doll had vanished, so she had frozen in place as if her entire body had hardened over. The hands touching the door, her leading feet, her head she had tilted a few times, and her expression were all perfectly motionless. She had stopped all of her functions as an automaton and she would never move again. ¡°Wh-why?¡± Shinjou¡¯s almost self-questioning shout served as a reminder of just how silent their surroundings were. One of the automatons standing around #4 turned toward them. It was #8. Her red hair swayed as she shook her head. She was saying #4 would not move again. ¡°#8-kun, you said that my arrival would harm one of your fellow automatons.¡± ¡°Testament.¡± ¡°Why is that? Why did #4-kun harm herself?¡± As he asked, Sayama placed his right hand on the left side of his chest. A slight pain acted as a prelude as #8 faced him and spoke expressionlessly yet quietly. ¡°When we took control of this place ten years ago, #4 handled the negotiations. She prepared the plan to defect by betraying 3rd-Gear and she planned to take responsibility for our betrayal with her own self-destruction, but she was stopped.¡± ¡°Who stopped this doll from destroying herself and how?¡± ¡°Testament. She was given a duty. She was made to serve a certain individual. And that duty has now ended by allowing you passage.¡± ¡°Was the one who gave her that duty who I think it was?¡± asked Shinjou. It was Sayama who answered. ¡°My grandfather.¡± ¡°Testament. #4 just asked you a question, did she not? Your grandfather once answered the same question. Afterwards, he asked #4 to protect that which had been sealed within here since just after the end of the Concept War. He left her with what they had kept sealed for fifty years. And he told her to only allow passage to one she approved of.¡± Sayama felt pain. He swallowed a groan and Shinjou embraced him from the right. The warmth and softness he felt through his clothes was enough for him to control his breathing. ¡°¡­¡± He would be fine. His forehead felt damp, but the tension left him. ¡°I am fine, Shinjou-kun.¡± He removed his weak right hand from his chest and pulled Shinjou close. ¡°Nn,¡± she groaned as she leaned in and supported him. He stood tall once more and faced forward. There he saw a door and a now unmoving automaton standing before it. ¡°¡­¡± Everyone remained silent. In the still air, he moved away from Shinjou and approached #4. As he did, someone spoke. It was the red-haired automaton standing next to #4. ¡°Your grandfather would occasionally come here to suggest that she take on a new master once her duty was finished. However, she refused to stray from her own decision.¡± She tilted her head. ¡°Why was that? Humans possess hearts, so do you understand?¡± ¡°I only understand one ridiculous truth here: she had terrible taste in people.¡± ¡°Testament. Your grandfather said the same thing.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Sayama endured a slight throbbing in his chest. ¡°How did my grandfather respond to the question she asked him in their negotiations?¡± ¡°You would have to ask #4 as she is the one who heard the answers of both those with the name Sayama.¡± #4¡¯s skin was as hard as a doll and no longer moving. However, one thing could be seen on her lips: a smile. That unmoving smile remained. While focusing on that, Sayama brought his hand to his chest once more. ¡°I thank you.¡± He took a breath and looked at her with no expression of his own. ¡°But unfortunately, it seems you cannot take my hand and open the door yourself.¡± As he spoke, he realized why she had not taken his hand. The hands held behind her were placed on the door¡¯s locks. But her fingers were no longer holding the locks. The door had already opened. ¡­Come to think of it, she did say ¡®welcome¡¯. ¡°You did an excellent job.¡± Sayama raised his left hand and let out a shout toward the automatons to either side and behind him. ¡°Let us open the door.¡± ¡°Testament!¡± As the automatons nodded, Sayama stepped forward. He raised his hands above #4¡¯s head and placed his fingers in the gap between the two sides of the bulkhead door. The question of whether it would open vanished from his mind in an instant. The automatons were not touching the door. ¡­If these well-made automatons are doing nothing, the door must already be ready to open. He spread his arms to either side and the gate quickly slid fully open. ¡°!¡± The metal gate roared across its rails and loudly crashed into the openings that held it while open. Wind blew through. It was released from the area beyond the door and it was accompanied by light. Sayama took a step back and looked. As #4 stood with her arms spread, the wind whipped at her clothes and she was backlit by the light within. She continued to smile and still did not move. And something stood beyond her. The lights illuminated something atop a ten meter long cargo platform. ¡°A black god of war!¡± It resembled the one they had seen the night before. #8 spoke from the side after moving away from #4. ¡°This was built based on a 3rd-Gear god of war recovered during the Concept War. It is the only Low-Gear made god of war that can use philosopher¡¯s stones to function outside of concept spaces. It is the Susahito Custom. It has survived two almost complete destructions and one lesser destruction and it is a grim reaper of the past to 3rd-Gear!¡± As he looked toward the metal figure referred to as a grim reaper, Sayama felt a tickle on his chest. It was Baku. From behind Sayama, Shinjou saw Baku climb up onto his shoulder. ¡­The past is coming. She had experienced this more than once, so she could perfectly detect it in advance. All of her senses told her she was right. She was entering the past as nothing but sight. The past revealing itself before her was in the early morning. The area was dim and rain was falling. It appeared to be somewhere in the mountains. She was surrounded by the sounds of rain and the shadows of the mountain range, so all she could see clearly was what lay at her feet. It was a twenty square meter area of empty land that had been cleared out. The ground had been hardened by countless feet, but a large portion of the surface was cracked open. It appeared to be a small battlefield. ¡­What is this? The area was almost completely dark, but she could see two giant forms. One was a black god of war standing on the cracked ground. Its right arm and the wings that said Susahito in white writing were broken. The armor panels of the torso were bent inwards into the chest. The other was a silver god of war. It stood in front of the black one and its torso had been sliced apart. Both the top and the bottom of the split god of war were bent from great impacts and it had oil and lubricant leaking from the cut and other parts of its body. Shinjou knew that damage to a god of war was returned to the pilot. ¡°Rhea-san was the one piloting that silver one.¡± Before she could think about the implications of that, she saw motion. A man rose up from behind the black god of war. The short young man was Hiba Ryuutetsu. He roughly wore an army uniform, his right arm hung down limply, and he dragged his legs forward through the rain. His right eye had been destroyed by what looked like a vertical slash of a blade and his left eye could not see clearly through the blood flowing from his head. But his single eye could see the two giant figures standing even further in front of him. ¡°A gray god of war and a pale blue god of war!¡± Two gods of war even larger than the black and silver ones stood in the darkness. One was gray and the other was pale blue. They both had four wings spread, but the gray one¡¯s right hand held a sword covered in black oil and its left hand held a certain noise. It was the crying of a baby. The crying left the gray giant¡¯s left palm and filled the rainy sky. Shinjou¡¯s vision saw a red-eyed baby shedding tears within baby clothes made by sewing together scraps of cloth. Its long, intermittent crying caused Ryuutetsu to move forward. He held his unmoving right arm with his left hand and he looked up at the gray and pale blue gods of war. ¡°Is that¡­ Is that your answer!?¡± The gray god of war did not answer with words. The pale blue one merely looked up at the gray one slightly. It seemed to be asking the other one something. The gray one then moved as if giving an answer. It raised the sword in its right hand. ¡°¡­!¡± And it sliced the sword through the wind and toward Ryuutetsu. At the same time, the silver god of war collapsed in front of Ryuutetsu moved. Only the severed upper half of the body swung up its right arm like a living being. A clear sound brought destruction. Everything past the silver one¡¯s right elbow burst as the blade struck it. But the silver upper body suddenly leaped up and crashed into the gray one. Needless to say, it did not move any more than that. The ground shook and muddy water splattered around as the silver god of war fell back to the ground. Ryuutetsu shouted toward it through the rain with a voice that was near tears. ¡°Rhea!¡± There was no response. But the gray god of war did look down at the silver god of war at its feet. After that quick glance, it stared at the silver god of war¡¯s oil on its gray fingers. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± It produced a noise halfway between a groaning machine and a sigh. Meanwhile, darkness appeared behind the gray and pale blue gods of war. It was a deep darkness. Unlike the darkness already surrounding them, this darkness seemed to solidify. It spread out in an instant as if to envelop the gray god of war. It was a gate. The gray god of war held up the crying voice in its left hand and sank into the gate. Having completed what it came to do, it returned to 3rd-Gear without even a parting glance toward Ryuutetsu. Next, the pale blue god of war turned its back, but it stopped for a moment. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± It said something. And then its giant form vanished in a gust of wind. All that remained were the broken ground, the two destroyed gods of war, and Ryuutetsu. He sat on his knees below the early morning sky. His head hung down, he bent forward, and he let out a moan. Shinjou tried to close her ears to the cries of agony, but she could not. ¡°I won¡¯t forgive you¡­¡± His shout changed to crying, but the past quickly came to its end. She could not shut off her vision, but it now grew dark as if to say she had seen what she was meant to see. And then the past switched out. ¡­Eh? It did not come to an end. There was more. The next scene began as if to say there was more for her to see. Rather than fading to black, the world changed as if she were moving. The second past that revealed itself to Sayama was a dim warehouse wrapped in fog. His first impression of the large warehouse was that it was old. But not because it was outdated. It was worn out from plenty of use. The warehouse had no windows or doors and its floor was plain concrete. The concrete floor had been scraped away by great weights passing over it, so very little of it was flat anymore. What resembled a large mountain sat in the center of the warehouse floor. That mountain sank deeply within the darkness and fog. But a certain form was visible in the early morning warehouse. It was the wreckage of two gods of war. One was silver and the other black. The silver one had been sliced in two through the torso and its limbs had been crushed. However, the black one was almost undamaged save the smashed torso and right arm. Also, three human figures appeared from behind the two gods of war. The one in the lead walked along while checking the condition of the gods of war. Sayama recognized him. ¡°Ooshiro Hiromasa.¡± The one who averted his gaze from the gods of war was Hiba Ryuutetsu. One eye and one arm were wrapped in bandages. He looked silently behind him where an old man walked up. He wore a white cloak, his back was bent, and his gray hair and gray beard hung forward to the same length. He walked slowly, but Sayama saw strength in his eyes. The man stared at the two gods of war and suddenly stopped walking. ¡°Very interesting inventions.¡± Another language could be heard on top of his words. As Sayama wondered who he was, Hiromasa stopped walking and turned back. ¡°Thank you very much. It means a lot to hear that from the leading member of the god of war homeworld, King Cronus.¡± ¡°I am no longer king,¡± said Cronus in disinterest. ¡°I am now a man who can only visit Low-Gear once his son lets his guard down.¡± ¡°It is a shame we must meet in a place like this. And you have to leave soon, don¡¯t you? What do you need today? Surely you aren¡¯t just here to see Rhea-san.¡± ¡°Rhea came here after properly removing her concept and sending it to the Tartaros. No will remains in her corpse, so there is no meaning in seeing her. Dispose of her as you would a human of this world.¡± Cronus adjusted his cloak¡¯s collar. ¡°I have two things to say. First, 3rd-Gear has formed an alliance with 9th-Gear and they have decided to bring the fight here to your world.¡± His words caused Hiromasa and Ryuutetsu to freeze in place. Ryuutetsu looked at Cronus with his one eye, but the old man said nothing. Instead, Hiromasa pushed his glasses up his nose and asked a question. ¡°Can we win with these inventions of ours?¡± ¡°No. You seem to have mechanical dragons and concept weapons, but it will be a tie if they are on the same level as theirs and a loss if they are on a lower level. ¡­Also, they will be arriving when this world reaches spring. Decentralize what is important and have your women and children evacuate. Leave behind only those who are willing to die or wish to gather wreckage from the battlefield.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Hiromasa with a nod. ¡°Hey,¡± said Ryuutetsu. He took a slow breath and faced Cronus. No expression remained on his face and he weakly asked a question as if letting the words fall from his mouth. ¡°Will Zeus and Apollo be coming?¡± ¡°You cannot defeat them.¡± ¡°I asked you if they¡¯ll be coming.¡± ¡°Zeus will. But Apollo will remain in the temple. He annoyed Zeus because he could not bring himself to kill Rhea.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Ryuutetsu showed his teeth in the corner of his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s too bad Apollo won¡¯t be coming, but we can still open the gate, right? Not the one that sends a single person and closes like you use. The one that a god of war can travel back and forth through.¡± ¡°Why do you wish to go that far?¡± Cronus did not bother asking what he intended to do. But it was not Ryuutetsu who responded. It was Hiromasa. He grabbed Ryuutetsu¡¯s unmoving right shoulder. ¡°Hiba, you should give it up. You need to look at the people you have by your side.¡± ¡°I know,¡± said Ryuutetsu. ¡°But you can¡¯t back down on some things. Hiromasa, you have a kid, don¡¯t you? That healthy but stupid-looking one. Why¡¯d you give him his name?¡± ¡°Because I want him to be #1 in everything, be it health or stupidity.¡±[1] ¡°Hah. Those of us from Low-Gear sure do like to get some actual benefit from things. I¡¯m probably the same. If I have a kid, I think I¡¯ll give him a name that will help him make something of himself. But¡­¡± He swept off Hiromasa¡¯s hand with his left hand and smiled. ¡°Rhea named her daughter Mikage. When Mikage was born, that was how she saw the early morning scenery outside the open-air dojo near my house. It was nothing more than the sun starting to rise, but she thought it warranted the name ¡®beautiful shadow¡¯. ¡­But she said 3rd-Gear didn¡¯t even have that. She said her daughter was a child of Low-Gear and she gave her that name to remind her daughter of that.¡± So¡­ ¡°Mikage is a part of our world. I will take her back no matter what.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure.¡± The instant after Cronus¡¯s voice reverberated through the warehouse, Ryuutetsu grabbed Cronus¡¯s collar with his left hand. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you say! If the enemy wants to come, let them come. And now it¡¯s our turn to go to them. That¡¯s all there-¡­¡± ¡°That is not all there is to it. Not when it comes to Mikage.¡± ¡°What else is there!?¡± ¡°Mikage could not have children.¡± The words seemed to spill from Cronus¡¯s mouth. Ryuutetsu and Hiromasa were dumbfounded. Ryuutetsu¡¯s eye opened wide, strength left his hand, and he let go of Cronus¡¯s collar. ¡°Zeus had me examine her. When I viewed the future of her growth on the genetic level, I could tell she would grow to be a human who cannot have children.¡± It took several seconds for his statement to sink into the air and for understanding to sink into the two men. Ryuutetsu was the first to react. ¡°Hah,¡± he laughed while his shoulders shook. His shoulders shook silently for a while, but his voice quickly joined them and then he doubled over. ¡°Ha ha! I-is that bastard Zeus an idiot? He caused such a huge commotion entering our world and he even killed a woman, but the daughter he got can¡¯t even have children? 3rd-Gear will be destroyed! You may have Apollo, but he doesn¡¯t have a partner!¡± ¡°That is why I created a partner for him. A partner created using Mikage.¡± ¡°Wha-¡­?¡± Ryuutetsu suddenly collapsed to the side. After a sound of impact, he fell to his knees, revealing Hiromasa behind him. Hiromasa rested a metal rod on his shoulder and smiled toward Cronus. ¡°Sorry about that. It seems monkeys these days have high blood pressure. I will speak on his behalf, so what exactly do you mean? Have you completed a method of altering an infertile mother?¡± ¡°No. I have recently been working with an automaton.¡± ¡°Meaning?¡± ¡°Functionally, it is simply an automaton with the gravitational ability omitted. ¡­However, it can evolve into a human.¡± The meaning of his words left Hiromasa speechless. Cronus gave a self-deprecating smile before continuing. ¡°Metal has life. And so metal should be able to evolve as life and become human. I have completed an automaton designed for that purpose. Just before coming here, I transplanted Mikage as the managing body for that automaton. And the surgery was a success. Mikage has cast aside her infertile body and now lives inside an automaton that might be able to have children eventually.¡± Hiromasa fell silent and Ryuutetsu slowly stood up while regulating his breathing. While standing, he instantly grabbed the metal rod from Hiromasa¡¯s grasp. ¡°How much are you going to toy with us!?¡± He swung the rod down at Cronus with all his strength. He targeted the top of the old man¡¯s head. The rod could not miss. ¡°¡­¡± But he stopped it a hair¡¯s breadth from Cronus¡¯s forehead. And yet the old man did not even look toward the weapon that had almost struck him. He only looked at the weapon¡¯s wielder. ¡°Are you not going to hit me?¡± ¡°If I do, that bastard Zeus would notice. That would put Mikage¡¯s life at risk.¡± ¡°Are you sure it is not that you cannot hit me? Because you do not wish to lower yourself to our level?¡± Ryuutetsu let out a laugh and jabbed his elbow into Cronus. The old man stumbled back two steps but did not fall. He also looked toward Ryuutetsu for a moment. The young man was wrinkling his brow and gathering strength in his shoulders. ¡°Interesting.¡± The old man nodded with an impressed look. ¡°Humans are quite interesting. Ha ha. Especially those of this Gear!¡± He brought a hand to his wrinkled cheek and touched his lips as he laughed. ¡°Is this a time when one should laugh? I apologize, but it¡¯s been so long that I¡¯ve completely forgotten. Ha ha. But you are so very amusing. It has been a while since I have seen anyone this amusing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a human too, you know? You saw my attack, but you didn¡¯t avoid it. Do you think you should die? How na?ve.¡± Ryuutetsu looked away from Cronus and to his own god of war. ¡°Just wait, old man. I swear to you I¡¯ll make my way there. If I¡¯m gonna kill you, it¡¯ll be then.¡± ¡°I doubt you can make it there alive.¡± ¡°Just shut up and leave,¡± said Ryuutetsu. ¡°Hiromasa, I know you¡¯re busy having fun with 2nd-Gear, but help me modify my Susahito. Once I bring back Mikage, I¡¯ll pay you back for your excellent work.¡± ¡°How very selfish. I promise you I will ask you to pay me back in the worst possible way. I can no longer worry about appearances while dealing with Yamata.¡± Hiromasa smiled bitterly and turned to Cronus. ¡°Still, I will make sure this monkey finds his way to 3rd-Gear, Former King Cronus.¡± He took a breath. ¡°Mikage is indeed a child of Low-Gear. It was after her birth that Rhea-san began to cooperate with us. She gave us information on the Concept War and she had the mechanical dragon Xolotl 3 open a path to 5th-Gear. ¡­We cannot ignore her or her family.¡± ¡°Such a foolish Gear. How very appropriate for the lowest level.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you were laughing?¡± Cronus nodded and began walking. He walked outside where it was still dark. ¡°I will send a messenger later. There is only so far you can modify that god of war.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t thank you.¡± ¡°Fine by me,¡± said the old man as he passed through the warehouse entrance. He vanished into the dark and foggy early morning. ¡°It is too bad that I must leave without seeing the world Rhea saw. I will also tell you one other thing I meddled with.¡± He paused a moment. ¡°I set the path of Mikage¡¯s evolution to become as much like a Low-Gear human as possible. Once her evolution begins, she will not have a long life like us and she will not possess a concept to control nature. She will be a powerless mother. But to defend her, she will be given the spare for Typhon which is currently under construction.¡± ¡°You thought of her as a part of this Gear from the beginning¡­¡± ¡°This is just for fun. And as proof, I will leave you with a certain game. Once this spare god of war is complete, half of 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core will go to Typhon, half will go to Typhon¡¯s weapon named Keravnos, and then Zeus and I will enter the Tartaros.¡± ¡°What!? Is that bastard planning to quit while he¡¯s ahead!?¡± ¡°He is creating a copy of his will. That copy will be placed inside the gray god of war as an advisor for 3rd-Gear. And instead of within Typhon, Keravnos will be sealed within the spare being given to Mikage.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you wish to destroy 3rd-Gear, come take Mikage. But she is a baby. How will you defeat the god of war army led by Apollo, quiet a crying baby, and take her with you? That is the game. This is my final bit of fun after toying with so many lives.¡± Cronus¡¯s words dissolved into the warehouse. And then the past slowly dissolved into darkness, into nothingness. As he saw the past come to an end, Sayama muttered to himself. ¡°So Mikage-kun is at the center of it all.¡± There was a wooden staircase. The narrow staircase was illuminated by the red lights on the ceiling. The sides were left open to make it look bigger, so the single spiral of the stairs had only a thick railing on either side. The lights illuminated a single figure halfway up the wooden stairs. It was a girl with blonde hair. She wore a long-sleeved black turtleneck and a white dress as she sat sideways on the stairs. She was writing in a journal placed on a step higher than her elbow. She created a string of writing on the white page of the journal. ¡°What Happened Today ¨C Hiba Mikage¡± She was pressing down a bit too hard as she wrote, but the handwriting was neat. She looked at the white gloves covering her hands, she looked at the words, and she nodded. She flipped through the past pages and compared her name. Today¡¯s handwriting closely resembled the handwriting on the previous day and the day before that. She quickly flipped through the pages, moving further and further into the past of the thick journal. Photographs were inserted at points and she had made drawings at some points. The drawings were detailed. The pencil sketches looked a lot like a black-and-white photograph. Her expression clouded over a bit as she looked at them. She looked at her fingers, but she continued flipping the pages to the past. The earliest ones were from January. The first entry was about the Kagami Biraki. She compared the handwriting there to that of the current entry. She could tell the past entry used a lot fewer kanji than the current one. That was because she studied a lot since then, but she had not had to worry about difficult kanji back then. Also¡­ ¡°Ihs oh eet.¡± It¡¯s so neat. A few of the characters in the past entry were much more detailed than now. They looked like the product of a printer. ¡°¡­¡± She looked to her right hand and the glove covering it. She slowly placed her left hand on the glove and removed it. The removal of the white cloth revealed a hand too white to be flesh-colored. The joints and palm were still made of a material resembling black plastic. ¡°Ih oohs.¡± It moves. The hand made precise movements in accordance with her will. She lowered the ends of her eyebrows and her shoulders drooped. But she flipped back through the journal with one hand. She returned to the current page and even more strength left her lowered shoulders. She sighed and tapped the journal several times with the tip of the mechanical pencil she held. ¡°I¡¯ll ooh I ehs.¡± I¡¯ll do my best. She nodded and strength returned to her shoulders. She adjusted her grip on the pencil and began recording the events of the day. ¡­What happened today? She had a lot to write. She wrote instead of speaking, instead of making noise. Rather than having Hiba take the time to read her lips every day, she felt it was less of a bother to write a journal entry and have him read it. Once that had become customary, Hiba had started reading the journal entry aloud and she would move her mouth to emulate his. That was their latest speech training. ¡­When I woke up, Ryuuji-kun was there. For some reason, Hiba always grew flustered when she wrote that in the journal entry. He had grown extremely flustered when she had written about how he would wash her body in the bath. She still could not move her arms and hands properly and her body was hard. She needed someone to do that for her and she could relax if it was Hiba, so she felt it was only natural. She wondered what the problem was. His mother said it was because her body and mind still needed to grow as a woman. But in that case, she did not understand why her inexperienced and incomplete self would make Hiba grow flustered. She wrote about the day, about waking up, about the morning, about midday, about the afternoon, about the evening, about the night, about what was to come, and about what she could never allow herself to forget. ¡°Ow ih I eel?¡± How did I feel? How did she feel about what? She was not sure. She often did not know what she felt about things. She had thought about a lot of things, started feeling sleepy, wrapped herself in the curtain, and fell asleep while waiting for the sun to rise. When she had woken again, it had been bright. How was that supposed to make her feel? That was when Hiba had arrived and woken her. ¡°I was happy,¡± she wrote. She then added that she was happy that she had been able write that honestly. Her journal entry jumped around in time a lot and contained a lot of comments. But she had a lot to write. She filled the page as if getting the words out of her system. During the evening, Hiba had called her. At a place called school he had spoken with people known as upperclassmen. He had told them about one of 3rd-Gear¡¯s two impurities. Of those upperclassmen, there were two named Sayama and Shinjou who Hiba had yet to speak with properly and Hiba speculated that they were an active hard gay couple. Mikage did not understand what that meant, but it was not often that Hiba¡¯s voice trembled in fear like that. She could only assume those two were frightening. He had said he would meet with them the following morning and speak some more. He had hesitantly asked if she would meet them too. From his tone, Mikage could tell he was unsure what to do. And to be honest, Mikage was having difficulty deciding how to handle the battle with 3rd-Gear. Her body would evolve into a human body. But that evolution had stopped five years ago. It had stopped the first time she had called out the black god of war for their first battle with 3rd-Gear. They had tried various methods of starting it again. ¡­But we only have half the Concept Core. That was Hiba¡¯s theory. They had half of 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core in Keravnos, but 3rd-Gear¡¯s strongest god of war had the other half. Hiba theorized that her remaining evolution could not be completed without obtaining that other half. On the other hand, their opponent wanted her body. They wanted her as a 3rd-Gear human and as the final possibility for a mother. But Mikage did not entirely understand what the word ¡®mother¡¯ meant. She thought it was someone who could have children, cook food, and look after others, but she doubted she could ever act as considerately as Hiba¡¯s mother. She had no voice, she could not walk properly, and she had little knowledge of the world. ¡°Uh ah I uhoh oo oo?¡± What am I supposed to do? She had a feeling she knew what would happen. ¡­I can¡¯t do it. She had never told anyone about that thought. Not even Hiba. She just wanted to be near Hiba. She did not care about her evolution or becoming a mother. As long as she could be by his side and see all sorts of things with him, that was enough. But he was fighting for her evolution and to protect her. She did not know why. However, she did not want him to be hurt, so she had all the damage done to the god of war sent back to herself. The damage to its wings from the other day remained as a wound on the flesh she had received via her evolution. However, that wound would soon return to normal thanks to her natural healing. That was the most she could do to help him. ¡°¡­¡± She wondered whether she should write that thought or not. It would worry Hiba. Should she expose all of her imperfections and inexperience and leave the decision to him? She then heard a noise. ¡°?¡± The door had opened downstairs. The footsteps in the entranceway were those of the new shoes Hiba had bought for school in April. ¡­I need to go. She placed a hand on the stairway wall. She grabbed the railing, pulled her body up, twisted her waist, bent her back, and brought her shoulders up higher than the railing. She had to go. If he saw her sitting there, he would immediately pick her up and carry her. She appreciated the thought, but she did not like that she had no choice but to go along with it. ¡­Ahh. She wondered if it was wrong of her to be so glad when he did things for her. She stood up. She stood on her trembling legs and her weak knees. As she grasped the railing, her field of vision rose quite high. When she had first done this, the height had surprised her. As she recalled that, she descended the stairs. She moved ever so slowly toward where he was removing his shoes down below. She approached him just like always. Notes 1. ¡ü Kazuo contains the kanji for 1. Volume 5, 8: Nighttime Visitor Volume 5, Chapter 8: Nighttime Visitor That which asks yet provides no answer Acts for that very reason The same goes for that which receives no answer yet asks A large white space measured one hundred meters in each direction. That dining hall had a single table almost as long as the room and it shined brightly under the lights on the ceiling. Those lights also illuminated a woman in white clothing. The black-haired woman was Miyako. She sat in a chair with her legs crossed and her arms folded. Her legs were shaking up and down which produced a comment from Moira 3rd who sat on the ground at her feet. ¡°Are you nervous, princess?¡± ¡°These are nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Honestly, don¡¯t you at least have some toothpicks?¡± ¡°Toothpicks?¡± Moira 3rd tilted her head at first but then stood up with a sudden idea. She ran toward the kitchen and the two automatons standing at its entrance moved out of her way. As Miyako watched, she scratched her head in confusion. The table in front of her contained the standard fork, spoon, and knife, but it also contained chopsticks and a Chinese spoon for some reason. A close look showed the Chinese spoon was meant for children and it was printed with pictures of characters from the recently popular children¡¯s anime titled ¡°Manga¡¯s First Armored Infantryman¡±. Namely, it had the protagonist Second Lieutenant Hayato and the mascot armor Bottom-tan. Everything¡¯s been mecha recently, thought Miyako. And they probably set this table based on something they saw in a book. She felt they were trying to be considerate, but she felt something else even more. ¡­Is the food still not ready? Just as she was thinking it was taking far too long, Moira 3rd ran out of the kitchen. She held up a small container. ¡°Princess! Here are the toothpicks you wanted!¡± ¡°That¡¯s garlic powder, you idiot! I can¡¯t pretend to smoke that!¡± She chopped the girl on her blonde head. ¡°Nwah! I-I was only a little bit off! Right!?¡± ¡°A little bit!? Garlic and toothpick rhyme, but that¡¯s it!¡± She was not entirely sure why it mattered if they rhymed, but she swiped the garlic powder and placed it on the table. ¡°I don¡¯t need to take it back?¡± asked Moira 3rd with a tilt of the head. ¡°If you serve anything too bad, I can sprinkle this on to mask the flavor.¡± ¡°Wow! Low-Gear culture is amazing!¡± ¡°Of course it is!¡± But the food was very late. Miyako rested her head on her hand and asked a sudden question. ¡°By the way, Moira 3rd, am I ever going to see 2nd?¡± ¡°Hmm. Our middle sister doesn¡¯t like being around people. She didn¡¯t used to be that way, though.¡± ¡°What?¡± Miyako tilted her head and Moira 3rd groaned and tilted her head as well. There seemed to be a difficult problem. ¡­I see. I shouldn¡¯t have asked that. She reached out and rubbed Moira 3rd¡¯s head without even looking toward her. ¡°Wa ha ha. Lord Cronus would do the same thing.¡± ¡°Is that so? ¡­Oh, one other thing. Will your master be eating with us?¡± The Moirai¡¯s explanation had ended with Rhea¡¯s child returning to 3rd-Gear and Zeus and Cronus entering the Tartaros. Rhea had not returned, but Miyako assumed that was due to something they were hesitant to speak of. She still did not know Rhea¡¯s child¡¯s name. Zeus had not made it public because it was an impure name, but Miyako did not even know if the child was alive or dead. ¡­This is the kind of suspicion horrible adults tend to have. But depending how the final battle played out, it was entirely possible that the man named Apollo and Rhea¡¯s child had survived. The figure with long blond hair she had seen may have been one of the two. ¡°Well?¡± she asked again. ¡°He probably will.¡± Moira 3rd nodded. ¡°Typhon is quiet today too.¡± ¡°Typhon? You mean that white robot that grabbed me and carried me away last night?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, yes. We hate it, though.¡± ¡°Does your master pilot it?¡± ¡°No, no. Lord Apollo is too pathetic for that.¡± Miyako¡¯s eyebrows rose when she heard the name. ¡°Is Apollo here?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Moira 3rd tilted her head and spoke as if explaining the obvious. ¡°Of course he is. He¡¯s alive. It¡¯s just that he¡¯s so pathetic that he can¡¯t voluntarily fight right now. I guess you could say someone else is piloting Typhon.¡± That¡¯s right, mentally agreed Miyako. She recalled what Moira 1st had said during the kamishibai. ¡­He had a younger sister who was turned into a god of war after refusing to be sent to the Tartaros. The pale blue god of war in the kamishibai was likely Apollo¡¯s. ¡°Is the other pilot Rhea¡¯s child? Or is there someone else?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Moira 3rd sounded troubled. ¡°That isn¡¯t it either. Lady Rhea¡¯s child isn¡¯t here. Our big sister might not have explained it, but a lot happened and so the one piloting Typhon is-¡­¡± ¡°The food is ready!¡± When Moira 1st¡¯s dignified voice filled the room, Moira 3rd¡¯s shoulders jumped and she seemed to intentionally not finish her sentence. ¡­They must have their reasons. As a guest, Miyako did not want to stick her nose in their business. She smiled bitterly at Moira 3rd who was hiding behind her and she turned toward Moira 1st who quickly pushed in a stretcher. The stretcher contained a large round metal lid. It had a radius of almost a meter and Moira 1st smiled as she brought it over. ¡°I apologize for the delay. We made this especially for you, so we went all out and used some ingredients Master Aigaion brought in a hurry.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Can you guess?¡± Miyako thought about it. It would be something from their culture, so she would never be able to guess. However, there would likely be some similarities, so she guessed the simplest, largest, and most expensive dish she could think of. ¡°A 250g steak.¡± ¡°Hm, not quite.¡± ¡°A fried food combination platter.¡± ¡°No, not that either.¡± ¡°The tempura B meal.¡± ¡°Princess, all of your guesses are very fatty. And what does ¡®B meal¡¯ mean?¡± She wanted to say it was from her school cafeteria, but she resisted. She wondered what would require such a large lid. A whole roast pig seemed too much. ¡°Hm¡­ I¡¯m not sure.¡± Moira 1st¡¯s smile changed to one of obvious joy and she lifted the metal lid. As a large amount of steam escaped, the dish became visible. ¡°Tah dah! It¡¯s a crab hot pot!¡± ¡°H-how the hell was I supposed to guess that!? Not to mention that it¡¯s summer.¡± ¡°Do you not like crab? Master Aigaion¡¯s book said it is a famous Japanese dish.¡± ¡°I like crab, but¡­ what happened to Greek mythology? And¡­¡± She started complaining and Moira 1st held out a ladle with holes. Miyako stood up and took the red handle without thinking. The ladle bowed to her and then straightened its back. ¡­What a well-mannered ladle. Suddenly, all the lights but the one above her shut off. A drum roll started somewhere. ¡°Okay, the princess will now carry out the cutting of the hot pot!¡± ¡°S-stop that! I don¡¯t know whose wedding you spied on, but you only do that with wedding cakes! And you can¡¯t cut a hot pot in the first place!¡± The lights returned to normal, revealing a disappointed Moira 1st and an automaton holding a drum. Miyako gave an exasperated sigh. But then a new figure entered the dining hall. It was a blond man wearing white. It was Apollo. He walked through the dining hall while smiling and raising a hand toward the automatons. His blond hair fluttered around his kindly face. When she recalled the person she had seen from behind earlier, she knew this was him. ¡­He looks a lot like the woman in the hallway picture frame. That woman was likely his sister Artemis. That sounds like a sad story, she thought. I should stop asking questions. To change her train of thought, she glanced toward him and whispered in Moira 1st¡¯s ear. ¡°Will he be able to understand me?¡± ¡°If you can understand us, you will be fine. That means the common language concept is functioning.¡± I didn¡¯t exactly understand all of that, she muttered in her heart. Moira 1st may have picked up on how she was feeling because she relaxed her smile and nodded. ¡°Do not worry. Lord Apollo has been reading and studying the books Master Aigaion brings back. He at least knows the Japanese words that are known around the world: konnichiwa, kore ikura, harakiri, etc.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re disgracing our country!?¡± Moira 1st ignored her with a smile. ¡°At any rate, he is a royal, so he will give the greatest and most polite greeting of your world.¡± Miyako froze momentarily when she heard the word ¡°royal¡±. But a click of the tongue later, she was back to normal. She took three breaths. By the time the scent of crab had travelled from her nose to her mouth, Apollo had arrived in front of her. He was tall. She had always ended up in the back of the class when lined up by height, but he was two levels taller than her. She felt his long blond hair was too old fashioned, but she also felt his slender face was nice. ¡­Huh? A sudden question reached her. ¡­Why do I feel nostalgic? She tilted her head with the ladle in her right hand. ¡°Ah.¡± She noticed the eyes of the young man whose smile could be described as weak or even sickly. His eyes were the same yellow as the eyes of the white god of war she had seen the night before. She felt a warm tremble travel up her spine. ¡°!¡± She was not sure what to call that trembling that came with a realization. But she recalled something as her memories of the previous night grew more distinct. When she had seen the god of war¡¯s eyes, she had felt an indescribable feeling. What had that been? And now Apollo¡¯s eyes had the same color. ¡­Will he give me the same feeling? But her question was not answered. While she remained motionless, he closed his eyes and gave a smile with a hint of bitterness. And he spread his arms. He bowed elegantly in preparation for his greeting. ¡°Will you marry me!?¡± She reflexively slammed the ladle onto his lowered head. A dignified metallic noise sounded loudly. 3rd-Gear¡¯s headquarters were wrapped in darkness. The white-walled building glowed palely in the moonlight and a small figure stood at the bottom of one wall. That figure was the automaton named Gyes. The red of her suit sank into darkness under the night sky. ¡°¡­¡± She suddenly looked up toward a light. Above the giant hangar door behind her, light came from the top level of the four-story residential area. ¡°How unusual,¡± she muttered. ¡°That would be the dining hall.¡± The Moirai were likely working there for the princess who had been brought in the night before. She thought she heard a strange metallic noise, but she suspected her hearing devices were malfunctioning because it made no sense for that to come from the dining hall. Earlier, the princess had been introduced to her, Aigaion, and Cottus in the courtyard. The Moirai seemed to like this princess. 2nd likely wanted to keep her distance because she had not been at the introduction, but the other maids seemed to have a favorable opinion of her. They liked the commotion surrounding her escape and they liked her attitude. ¡°She shows no restraint around us.¡± She smiled bitterly. That is a good thing, she determined. If only good things like that could continue. ¡°As always, she will lose her memories and be returned in about three days, but this was a first. If the situation does not change, we may have to dispose of her while the Moirai are not watching.¡± The Moirai would criticize the decision, but letting someone leave with their memories intact was too dangerous. That danger took precedence over criticism from the Moirai. After all, the Hecatoncheires were meant to protect that place. She then heard a noise. She detected movement in a thicket on the slope about ten degrees left of straight ahead. Her eyes could see in the dark, so she easily detected the person¡¯s silhouette and spoke their name. ¡°Hajji of the Army?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. That¡¯s exactly right, Gyes. It¡¯s been much too long.¡± The thicket parted and revealed a tall elderly man with brown skin and a white cloth wrapped around his head. He was slender, but his shoulders were plenty broad. A hemp jacket was draped over his right shoulder and his hemp trousers were held up by suspenders. ¡°I have a lot of information for you today. You want it, don¡¯t you? Surely you do.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Gyes folded her arms and looked at the old man¡¯s left eye which was covered by a black eyepatch. ¡°Say what you have to say and get lost, former 9th-Gear general. We had wondered what you had been up to ever since 9th-Gear¡¯s destruction, but we did not expect you to wander up five years ago with an organization named the Army.¡± ¡°My motives are complex. I suppose that is a subtlety of being human. You have stayed in this area all this time, so you don¡¯t know what happened in this country ten years ago or how things have changed since the destruction of the ten former Gears, do you? Hm?¡± ¡°I am not interested in that. It was a single hope that allowed us to remain active for the fifty years after 3rd-Gear¡¯s destruction. The hope of 3rd-Gear¡¯s humans surviving.¡± Gyes¡¯s words brought Hajji to a stop. He was three meters from her and he stood as if positioning himself directly below the moonlight. But his one eye did not look toward Gyes; it looked toward the large hangar door behind her. ¡°Survival, hm?¡± He brought a hand to his mouth and held a smile in his eyes. ¡°And that hope was answered when I found this place five years ago, was it not? It was thanks to those materials you hadn¡¯t been able to obtain and the philosopher¡¯s stones I had gathered.¡± ¡°Do not hope for anything more in return. Five years ago, we made the promise to repay you for awakening our master and we are not the kind of machine that will break a promise.¡± Gyes took a breath and glared at Hajji. ¡°If we ever no longer need 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core, we will give you the wreckage of Typhon which uses it as its reactor. Not a surprising request for the Army as you barely have any gods of war.¡± ¡°Do you think that will be happening anytime soon? With the defeat of Typhon, for example.¡± Gyes suddenly raised a hand. That right hand was wrapped in light. A ring was embedded at the base of each finger. She pointed the index finger toward Hajji. ¡°¡­!¡± And he turned back and to the right. A silver arc cut through the darkness as if following his movement. The sound of slicing air stopped right in front of his face. The sound came from a long sword. It was at least a meter long and it floated in midair. Hajji stared at the tip of the blade. ¡°How frightening.¡± And his expression changed because the sword had cut the string to his eyepatch. He remained silent as the black eyepatch fell from his face. His expression changed from surprise to a mix between anger and a smile. ¡°!¡± And he let out a quick, sharp shout. It all happened before Gyes¡¯s eyes in an instant. Hajji¡¯s left hand grabbed the falling eyepatch and his right shot up. That was enough to smash her sword. But that was not all. Starting from the location of the sword and moving toward her, everything ¨C including the air ¨C was loudly destroyed. ¡°Wha-¡­!?¡± Before she could even finish the word, she chose defense. She spread both hands and six swords flew from her suit¡¯s long sleeves. The blades were made of soft metal and they bent along with the curved surface of her suit, but she used her gravitational control to condense them into a fixed shape. They all transformed into long, hard swords. ¡°Seyah!!¡± She swung down her arms and the six blades swung down toward the destruction of the air travelling down the center. A metallic noise rang out. The six blades were instantly smashed into dust, but she did not care. She was facing the man who had managed the attack power of an entire Gear. The attack was not meant to defeat him; it was meant to buy enough time for her to evade. ¡°What power is this!?¡± She tried to determine the power¡¯s identity. ¡­Disintegration? No, and it isn¡¯t a concept of destruction either. To eliminate this much¡­ That was as far as her thoughts got. She realized she would be completely destroyed if she did not evade. And so she used gravity on her back to forcibly spin herself back and to the right. Her red heels shot dirt into the air as she fell back. After moving four meters, her back was almost to the white wall, but the warning bells in her head were still ringing. She jumped to the side. An instant later, it arrived at the spot she had been in. The destructive attack sounded like multiple attacks. The invisible power smashed the air and gouged out a large hole in the wall. In quick succession, it created eighteen sounds and scars as if from driving a stake into the wall. The fragments of the wall turned to dust and nothing remained. ¡°What was that?¡± Gyes remained motionless to the left. The hole in the wall looked like fang marks from a giant beast. It looked like someone had jammed a large, twisted, and dull spear into it. ¡°Sorry.¡± Gyes turned toward the voice. Hajji stood in the same position as before, but his left eye was now covered by a shifted portion of the white cloth hiding his hair. He brought a hand to his mouth. ¡°I came here for business reasons, but I came so very close to losing you. At least until you lose your battle, we are¡­how should I put it? Business partners, I suppose. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Gyes did not answer and made sure she could still pull three more swords from her suit. ¡°What was that power? Was it 9th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core?¡± ¡°Is that question related to our business?¡± Despite the question, he had a smile in his eyes. ¡°Well, I can tell you that much for free. This is purely out of kindness, okay? That is not a Concept Core. It is my concept weapon and its true form is not here.¡± He removed his hand from his mouth and lightly tapped the eye hidden by the white cloth. ¡°To state it another way, it is a grudge.¡± He smiled bitterly and then hid that smile with his hand once more. But the smile strengthened and he laughed quietly. He bent forward and laughed even more. ¡°Sorry about that. I really am sorry. Gyes, I have to thank you and not just for being a business partner. That reminded me what has happened since 9th-Gear¡¯s defeat and why I created the Army. You said you do not understand my motives, didn¡¯t you? Well, there is nothing simpler than this.¡± He straightened up but left the hand at his mouth. ¡°I will destroy the villains. Those villains pretend to merely be playing the villain¡¯s role so they can avoid facing their own evil, but I will destroy them as a failed villain who never succeeded in his past attempts to destroy the other Gears.¡± ¡°What a crazy thing to say. And why will you do this? For a personal grudge?¡± ¡°No,¡± declared Hajji. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? I will hand this Gear over to those who it truly belongs to.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Hajji shook his head without answering. ¡°If you want to know that, Gyes, you must join the Army.¡± ¡°Ha. So it comes back to that? That is impossible and meaningless. All we wish for is a peaceful life. As long as Lord Apollo who we serve is fine, nothing else matters.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± said Hajji. ¡°If you wish for peace, why do you occasionally head out to battle?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡­So they noticed. Hajji seemed to read her mind. ¡°Typhon is powered by half of your Concept Core, but only half. It was designed that way, but you hope that adding in the other half would allow Apollo to-¡­¡± Gyes sensed danger in his words. They were inside a concept space, so his words could not escape outside. ¡­But he is using his ability to leak this information as a threat! She still had three swords left in her suit. Her decision-making ability told her she had a 100% chance of losing against him, but she could sacrifice herself if she cut off her self-preservation calculations. ¡°Wait!¡± Hajji shouted and held forward his right hand. Gyes stopped with her hands reaching for the back of her waist. As she glared at him, he held forward his left hand as well and lightly waved them. ¡°Was that a secret? Hm, sorry. I couldn¡¯t help but mention it.¡± ¡°Next time, I will take off your head.¡± She returned her hands forward and put her self-preservation calculations back in place. ¡°And you may call it battle, but lately we have been sending out remote-controlled decoys to search for that black god of war. We Hecatoncheires have been doing that without Lord Apollo¡¯s permission. And Typhon acts whether we want it to or not. It seeks the half of the Concept Core it lacks.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Hajji nodded and took a breath. ¡°Then let us get down to business.¡± ¡°That lead in was much too long. How can you run an organization like that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good at grabbing people¡¯s attention. It¡¯s the first thirty seconds that really matter. A leader must be a skilled talker. Am I wrong? Hm? And in the ten years since the Army was established, I have gathered the people we need. We will capture UCAT before long.¡± He smiled bitterly. ¡°Now for why I am here. Typhon flew east yesterday, didn¡¯t it? It could no longer resist not having the rest of the Concept Core, so it flew away from you. And then it was intercepted by-¡­¡± ¡°We know. When Typhon returned, it had been hit by Keravnos. It ran into that black god of war.¡± ¡°Yes, and that god of war has met with UCAT.¡± ¡°What?¡± Hajji¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°This information is new to you, isn¡¯t it? The organization that contained the one piloting the god of war which destroyed 3rd-Gear has contacted the pilot of the god of war that is currently fighting 3rd-Gear. Also, lights have started appearing in UCAT¡¯s training facility at the Seto Inland Sea. They are preparing for someone to arrive there.¡± Gyes bit her lower lip. ¡­I hope Typhon didn¡¯t leave any traces of its movement last night. Either way, the black god of war would often attack them. They had been the first to attack, but the other side also seemed to have a reason to fight. ¡­Especially that black god of war. With that thought, she nodded. ¡°You have my thanks.¡± But by the time she looked up, Hajji was nowhere to be seen. Unlike with his arrival, he had not even made footsteps. And then a male voice came from beyond a nearby thicket. ¡°He got away. And after I resisted watching that night game to keep an eye out.¡± The thicket parted and revealed a large man. He wore a mountain vest and work pants and he had a hand towel hanging from his waist that contained a greengrocer¡¯s logo. He clicked his tongue and looked around. ¡°I wonder if Hanshin won.¡± ¡°This world really has changed you. More importantly, what do you think of what Hajji said?¡± ¡°When he was dealing with you, he did not even take a step toward me. If he had, I was planning to crush his limbs with god of war level gravitational strength.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so mad, Aigaion. He may not look it, but he is the general of 9th-Gear. That is a pure combat Gear where everything is known as a holy war and its people have the divine protection of the god of heroes. They destroyed our land by filling their people with the power of god and using them as bombs. This is the man who calmly commanded them.¡± Gyes used gravity to draw the three swords at her waist and had them float before her eyes. ¡°If possible, I wanted to use these to¡­¡± She trailed off. As Aigaion asked her what was the matter, she held the three swords up on her fingertips. Only the grips of the swords remained. The blades had been made of soft metal, but they had still been smashed to dust. ¡°Did he guide that previous attack into them?¡± That was a warning, she thought. If he had been serious, he could have destroyed me at any time. ¡°I see,¡± she muttered. ¡°The Army is not our ally. I already knew that, but I had grown careless. We need to cut our own path forward.¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°Once they are finished eating up above, we will ask the Moirai to handle Cottus¡¯s and my shifts. When I saw Typhon yesterday, it had fragments of the black god of war on its fist. That god of war was damaged. If it has contacted UCAT, we need to attack as soon as possible,¡± she declared. ¡°Early tomorrow morning, we will attack that black god of war and secure it if possible. This is for the sake of 3rd-Gear¡¯s human race.¡± Volume 5, 9: That Which a God Desires Volume 5, Chapter 9: That Which a God Desires You think you said too much But what you are thinking is the same It is simply a difference in the sky you live below A river flowed through the night. The Aki River cut east to west across the southern end of Akigawa which was west of Tokyo. The city was named after the river and the river had quite a few fields and empty lots on its northern side and several residential areas along the mountain range to its south. In the center of one residential area was a red-roofed building at the base of a mountain next to a Shinto shrine. The nameplate said Kazami in black characters. The kitchen window let light into the dark night. The sounds and conversation coming from within were those of dinner. The ten square meter kitchen had a wooden table in the center and the three members of the Kazami family sat around it. Kazami¡¯s parents were eating, but Kazami herself was not. She had placed a large rucksack on the table¡¯s guest chair and was using it to pack. Her father sprinkled some furikake on his rice and spoke. ¡°If you¡¯re leaving the morning after tomorrow, can¡¯t you visit here tomorrow? You¡¯re making your father sad.¡± ¡°We¡¯re meeting at the school, so I want to be at my dorm tomorrow just in case. And you have a job tomorrow, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, I have a meeting to get a new game project off the ground. It¡¯s called Father Princess 2. The first one had twelve papas. Eleven of them were dandies and experts at something and the last one was a Hanshin fan, always hilariously drunk, and a pachinko addict, but that just made it all the more popular.¡± ¡°I see your projects are as weird as ever. It must be tough.¡± ¡°Your training camp is going to be tough too, right? Children and adults are the same in the end.¡± Being called a child made Kazami smile. ¡­I only get treated like that at home. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll do my best. And sorry I can¡¯t come back here tomorrow.¡± She wondered if this was a case of a child not understanding how much her parents worried. She then wondered if wondering that meant she did actually understand, but she also felt that was just an excuse. Whatever the case, she had a reason to leave early the next morning. She was going to visit Hiba¡¯s home with Sayama and the others. In the Kinugasa Library, Hiba had asked them if they were prepared to face the first impurity and they had found their answer. ¡­We have no choice but to do something about it. And she had said she wanted to hear Sayama and Shinjou¡¯s opinions. But they had their training camp the day after the next, so they had decided to meet the next morning. She had contacted Sayama as he returned from Kanda and he had agreed. I have to get up early tomorrow, she thought as she packed her bag. She left an open space in the bag, but there was a simple reason for that. ¡°What kind of souvenir do you want?¡± she asked. Her mother thought with a finger on her chin. ¡°Hmm. As long as you come back safely, that¡¯s good enough for me. And I¡¯ve already gotten most kinds of souvenirs from your father¡¯s business trips. I certainly don¡¯t need another giant humanoid horseshoe crab like the one hanging from the ceiling on the second floor. I¡¯ll knock you to the ground if you give me one.¡± ¡°U-um, mom? I won¡¯t buy anything that senseless.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, mama. And that wasn¡¯t a souvenir. It¡¯s the costume I wore in the Kansai-only tokusatsu show ¡®¨¹bermensch Purge ¨C Soukatsu¡¯.¡± ¡°The theme song for that was amazing. Lightning~ flashes~ from the~ electric chair~! Is that how it went? I know it¡¯s a bit late to look into the mystery of my parents, but why do we have it?¡± ¡°Well,¡± said her father as he crossed his arms. ¡°After filming, I sat next to a fountain and started feeling really dehydrated, so I collapsed right into the fountain. Everyone was watching and they laughed at the ¡®swimming horseshoe crab¡¯, but I almost died. I brought it home to dry it, but the show was cancelled and I never got to return it.¡± ¡°Another cancelled show? What was it about?¡± ¡°An excellent question. To adapt to the impatient modern children, Soukatsu fired his Special Arrest Beam and started getting torture-induced confessions within seven seconds of the show starting. The remaining 25 minutes were spent verifying the misdeeds of his opponent. He would shout ¡®find the evidence!¡¯ But reality is harsh, so it would sometimes turn out his purging had been in error.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that in a kid¡¯s show!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He would give a cheerful apology at the end of those episodes. ¡®Hi, everyone! It¡¯s Soukatsu! It looks like I killed an innocent today! I truly regret what happened!¡¯ I think it didn¡¯t catch on with the kids because the setting was just too complex.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it was more than just the kids who had problems with that show.¡± ¡­I need to stop asking these questions. Let¡¯s see¡­ I need toiletries and we¡¯ll be swimming at the beach, so I should pack twice as much underwear. That leaves¡­ ¡°Chisato? Your father might be a bit crazy, but you have to listen to him. It¡¯s dangerous to let him talk to himself.¡± ¡°U-um, mom? Can¡¯t you listen to him?¡± ¡°Chisato, I am speaking to you, not your mother. Even if what I¡¯m talking about is completely pointless!¡± ¡°Kyaah! Your father is always so strict about the most pointless things!¡± Kazami sighed as her parents laughed. She was reminded that she would never be a match for them. But then her mother asked a new question. ¡°You said this student council training camp is on a desert island in the Seto Inland Sea, right? Will the people other than you be okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you worried about me too.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. Door-to-door preachers from a religion big on sacrificing stopped by the other day and I asked them to pray for my daughter instead of me.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t do that, mom!¡± ¡°Chisato, I have an important quote for you: one for all and¡­I forget the rest.¡± Kazami hung her head. She tried sticking her head in the opened rucksack in front of her, but no convenient concept space created an escape route there. ¡°Chisato? Why are you shutting yourself in there? I don¡¯t remember teaching you to play like that.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to teach me. This was naturally created by the environment here.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Her mother nodded. ¡°Anyway, will you be leaving the island?¡± ¡°No. Is there a reason to?¡± ¡°Your mother is a nice person, so she has some concerns about Kansai.¡± ¡°Stop that,¡± said her mother with a glance and a sigh toward her father. The ends of her eyebrows were lowered for once. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have heard about the great Kansai earthquake.¡± ¡°That was when you were just a little kid, Chisato. A year later, we put together a charity concert.¡± ¡°Papa, you may be trying to help me, but stay quiet. I can handle this.¡± Her mother sighed again and turned to Kazami with a relaxed expression. ¡°Back then, I was still refusing to sing because I was fixated on myself. ¡­Silly, isn¡¯t it? There were people who wanted to hear me sing regardless of my fixations.¡± Kazami froze in place when she heard this sudden comment. She realized her pose for packing was not good for listening, so she quickly straightened up. She was unsure what to say, but she wanted to say something befitting her position as her mother¡¯s child. ¡°Do you regret it?¡± I feel like I¡¯m digging up her past, she thought, but her mother shook her head with a smile. ¡°I do to a certain extent, but I also feel I mustn¡¯t sing while lying to myself. Basically, the problem is being bound by my fixations. As long as they remain, both singing and not singing will lead to regret. ¡­Sorry I¡¯m so selfish, papa.¡± ¡°But it does seem your mother will be taking part in an event at the end of the year, Chisato.¡± Kazami turned to her mother who shrugged. ¡°I wonder what will happen to the lies I am telling myself. Anyway, let¡¯s get back on topic. And hurry up with the packing, Chisato.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Kazami raised her head and thought. After managing to break out of her previous mood, she wondered if there was a way to get some proper information out of her parents. Asking about the Seto Inland Sea area was likely taboo. That would only lead to unpleasant memories. ¡°By the way¡­¡± As she thought about the past and the Mediterranean area, she recalled the Divine States-World Interaction Theory. ¡°Have you ever been to Greece?¡± Her parents exchanged a glance. ¡°Do you want to go there? I have a project coming up called ¡®The 36th Chamber of Olympus¡¯, so- gwah!¡± ¡°Sorry. My hand slipped and I dropped an alarm clock on you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that, Chisato. Only I¡¯m allowed to beat up your father.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. But from that, I take it you¡¯ve been there. Are you familiar with the local mythology?¡± ¡°Mythology again? Are they getting into that in world history classes these days?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she said with a nod. Her father crossed his arms and gave an impressed groan. Her mother tilted her head, but she did not ask anything. ¡°What about the mythology do you want to know?¡± asked her father. Kazami¡¯s father¡¯s question brought her relief and her shoulders relaxed. ¡°Well, maybe about dragons and divine swords¡­ Y-y¡¯know, like when I asked about Japanese mythology before. Can you tell me about that kind of thing?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Her father crossed his arms even deeper and her mother glanced at the clock. ¡°Twenty seconds!¡± ¡°Ah, isn¡¯t that being a bit harsh!? My heart¡¯s racing like crazy!¡± After he rejoiced for a bit, he finally spoke. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll start with the topic of dragons. As you probably know, Greek mythology is quite popular with the constellations and such.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°The thing is, that mythology doesn¡¯t have any dragons of the type we think of nowadays. They¡¯re mostly multi-headed snakes or great serpents. Other than that, they¡¯re all humanoid gods with a snake texture to them. There¡¯s also Medusa with snake hair, but most of the monsters in Greek mythology are human based. Giants, for example. That area had a lot of war, so they may have viewed humans as the true monsters.¡± ¡°Then does Greek mythology not have any obvious examples of dragons or divine swords?¡± ¡°They actually do. The dragon was an embodiment of that which humans could not stand up to. In other words, that which not even the giants could stand up to was treated as a great dragon in Greek mythology. And that was Typhon.¡± ¡°What was it that not even the giants could stand up to?¡± ¡°Think about how Typhon is spelled.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± said Kazami. She had finally realized that it was one letter off from ¡°typhoon¡±. ¡°The typhoons created from shapeless wind were thought to have a spiraling dragon in the center. That Typhon was Greek mythology¡¯s greatest monster and he was said to have a human torso, a dragon¡¯s tail, and countless dragon heads. After he defeated Zeus, he was tricked and sealed below a volcano. Zeus¡¯s divine spear of heavenly thunder was used to do that.¡± He smiled bitterly. ¡°But it was the three Moirai sisters who controlled fate that successfully tricked him. If you think about it, even with fate on their side and the power of a volcano and lightning, he could only be sealed.¡± ¡°They couldn¡¯t defeat him?¡± ¡°No. In a way, that is the greatest problem of Greek mythology. The question here is simple: how can one defeat Typhon who not even Zeus, father of the gods, could defeat?¡± Her father¡¯s tone was lighthearted, but Kazami could not speak. In 3rd-Gear, Typhon was a god of war. Also, Hiba had clashed with it twice. But he had been unable to defeat it. The giant white god of war had been able to instantly switch between attack and defense. ¡­And it is different from the Art of Walking. They had wondered if it might be 2nd-Gear¡¯s Art of Walking, so Izumo had used it against Hiba. Even in the cramped library and against someone he barely knew, Izumo had pulled it off. But Hiba had said that was not it. With the Art of Walking, one still took time to move. And he said Typhon¡¯s technique could not be teleportation because it had already been attacking the instant after it disappeared. It had some power that surpassed even the wind. ¡°How do you defeat something like that?¡± she muttered aloud. ¡°Yes.¡± Her father looked up at the ceiling with his arms still crossed. ¡°But there is a way.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Think about it. Zeus sealed Typhon and brought prosperity to the world. Why was that? Why did he face the world by turning his back on a monster he could not defeat?¡± Kazami did not quite understand what he meant. Was he saying there was a way to defeat the dragon that not even the most powerful god could defeat? As she frowned and tilted her head, her father smiled and nodded. ¡°Think about it. Your training camp is on the Seto Inland Sea, right? Perhaps that will help you think about Greece which also borders an inland sea.¡± Kazami let out an admiring breath and placed a folded towel in the rucksack. ¡°My parents really are amazing.¡± Her parents cheered and high-fived each other. Once more, she realized she would always be no match for them. Below the moonlit night sky, Miyako and Moira 1st sat outside the emergency exit. They were high up. Once Moira 1st had brought out what she claimed was sake, Miyako had insisted they drink it while viewing the moon. They had brought a few cooked ingredients from the crab hot pot for snacks and Miyako drank while Moira 1st sat to her right. The moonlight was a pale blue. A bit of light escaped the hangar door down below, but it was not enough to interfere with the moon viewing. She had asked to be let in there earlier, but she had been gently refused. ¡°We would need to clean up first.¡± The sake had been produced to console her realization that there was some secret there, so she drank. The cup seemed to be made of aluminum and it grew a bit soft whenever she took a sip. It may have been embarrassed. ¡­What a strange world. She looked around and saw Kurashiki in the distance. It was already past nine. Based on her memories from her school trip, that city closed early. Even the theme park to the north end of the city had shut off its lights. She nodded. ¡°Will Mr. Rich Boy be fine after I floored him?¡± ¡°You mean Lord Apollo? Moira 2nd said he should be fine.¡± That name reminded Miyako of the maid who had entered the dining hall, grabbed Apollo¡¯s collar, and carried him out with the other maids. Miyako had seen her short blonde hair and blue eyes, but the maid had never looked her way. ¡­Does she not like me? Moira 1st shook her head as if in answer and Miyako¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°You can¡¯t read my mind, can you?¡± ¡°No, but you are honest, so I can tell from your expressions.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. I¡¯ve always been rebellious.¡± Moira 1st only smiled in reply. Miyako could do nothing but sigh and rest her head on her hands. She looked up in the sky and saw the moon. ¡°So when you get down to it, I can¡¯t leave this place?¡± ¡°Yes. I am very sorry,¡± answered Moira 1st after a short pause. ¡°And I must apologize again because we cannot allow you to leave until our problem is at least temporarily settled. This is all because your memories returned.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you give me new memories again?¡± ¡°Forcing it a second time would create interference and possibly fry your brain, so you must remain with us until our problem is settled.¡± To sum up what she had learned that day, 3rd-Gear had not surrendered to an organization named UCAT and they were also fighting that black god of war which was not part of UCAT. ¡­Both sides must want to settle this. ¡°That sounds rough.¡± ¡°What does?¡± ¡°You all are betting your world and everything else on this. It¡¯s pretty amazing. I can¡¯t compare to that.¡± She sighed and looked up at the moon. The pale blue light of the moon was connected to her family name. That color made her think about the white god of war¡¯s eye color. She thought about the feeling that the yellow light had given her and that the pale blue light had not. ¡­What was that? Was it something only she could understand? She was not sure if that possibility made her happy or sad. She did not understand anything. ¡­After all, that white god of war suddenly grabbed me and carried me away after I ran across it. When it had the pale blue eyes, its movements had grown much more vigorous. She suddenly became intensely curious as to why. ¡°I asked Moira 3rd about that white god of war¡¯s name and she said it was Typhon.¡± ¡°Yes, but why do you bring it up? It only took you hostage because it was afraid after receiving an attack for the first time. I will apologize in the pilot¡¯s place.¡± Miyako tilted her head and opened her mouth uncertainly. ¡°No, I was just wondering if I could speak with it. ¡­Well, I suppose meeting with the pilot would work, but you won¡¯t let me, will you?¡± ¡°No. Typhon is filled with secrets. If we could erase your memories, I could receive permission, but that is not the case.¡± She ended her statement with a smile and Miyako held out her cup to receive more sake. ¡°I apologize for all the lack of freedom, but in exchange, you may freely use us while we are here.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, don¡¯t get carried away. So if I told you to strip, you¡¯d strip?¡± ¡°Are you interested in my joints?¡± Moira 1st reached for her skirt, so Miyako frantically stopped her. She¡¯s serious, she thought. Although she might be more stupid than she is obedient. ¡°When you say ¡®we¡¯, how many does that include?¡± ¡°There are three primary models with the Moira designation which are numbered 1st to 3rd and there are 63 others. We all have numbers, but they are not all sequential because our family originally had 120 members.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m supposed to just use the numbers? You three still have the Moira name, but just a number isn¡¯t enough.¡± ¡°But we would never be insolent enough to take a name.¡± That comment made Miyako tilt her head. ¡°My mom always says that even machines needed some kind of designator besides a number. ¡­This is a world of living machines, isn¡¯t it? If you¡¯re alive, why should you be counted like you¡¯re dead?¡± ¡°But¡­ what should we do?¡± Moira 1st was clearly older than Miyako, so Miyako was unsure what to say when she lowered her eyebrows and asked that. ¡°How about they give themselves names? Or you could give them names. You¡¯re the head maid, right?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ There are 63 of them. This country has fifty sound combinations, so by using combinations of two, a suitable number of names can be constructed. ¡­Names like Geru and Gugu are simple enough, right?¡± ¡°Stop that. Can¡¯t you come up with something cuter?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Can¡¯t you think of anything, princess?¡± She thought about it. When she occasionally played video games, she would choose a female character. But she would always play with her real name. Seeing a character with her name level up and defeat the enemies of the final dungeon without breaking a sweat was a wonderful feeling. ¡°Following that wonderful feeling won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Are there names that feel wonderful?¡± ¡°Play games with your real name and you¡¯ll understand.¡± As she wondered what to do, a light suddenly appeared behind her. She turned around and saw a man standing in the light. He was over two meters tall and wore a blue apron. ¡°Master Aigaion, what is it?¡± Aigaion nodded and turned toward Miyako. ¡°I see the new princess is with you. She is being quite¡­unreserved.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about being polite, old man. ¡­Does that apron belong to a greengrocer in this world?¡± Aigaion¡¯s laughter filled the air. ¡°Gyes and I bring in supplies from outside and I took such a liking to the outside world that I live near the train station.¡± ¡°And do you help out at a greengrocer?¡± A sudden thought came to Miyako and she turned toward Moira 1st and her maid outfit. ¡°Did you choose these maid uniforms for them?¡± ¡°Hm? Was that wrong? I was looking for clothes they could use while cooking and cleaning, so I borrowed these form a large dining hall¡¯s storeroom late at night.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go around robbing strange restaurants!¡± ¡°Calm down, princess. We quite like these clothes. We look cute in them, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°I feel I need to ask: how old are you?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ We go through a certain level of formatting every day, so my age would be zero.¡± ¡°That¡¯s cheating.¡± ¡°Machines are long-lasting. If you replace the old parts, they can live forever.¡± Moira 1st then turned toward Aigaion. ¡°Master Aigaion, do you need something?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll be heading out tomorrow morning, so anyone with nothing else to do should handle Cottus and Gyes¡¯s normal preparations.¡± ¡°Cottus?¡± ¡°He is the one who caught you after your dive today, princess. Even as large as he is, he is still an automaton.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Miyako as she thought about what Aigaion had said. When he said they were ¡°heading out¡±, it had to mean more than simply going somewhere. ¡°Are you heading out to fight?¡± ¡°You saw that black god of war, didn¡¯t you? That is the one who destroyed 3rd-Gear, so we cannot forgive it.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it a human from my world piloting it?¡± Aigaion and Moira 1st exchanged a glance and Moira 1st chose her words carefully as she started speaking. ¡°Princess, we do not want to kill that black god of war. For a variety of reasons, we would like to protect it if possible.¡± ¡°It sounds to me like you¡¯re telling me not to interfere.¡± Miyako smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s true that I want to interfere when I hear about the situation, the various possibilities, and what you can or can¡¯t do. But I don¡¯t know anything about what happened sixty years ago and I¡¯m not a descendant of those involved. I¡¯m trying to keep in mind that I¡¯m a guest from the outside world.¡± Miyako recalled the black god of war she had seen the night before. As it had tried to corner Typhon, it had used a powerful lightning strike. ¡­But Typhon successfully defended against it. It was not that the black god of war was superior. Given the difference in build, she guessed that the black one was actually the inferior of the two. ¡­That was a desperate attack. The pilot of the black god of war had to have his own issues just as the people before her eyes did. She could do nothing but give it some thought and there was only one thing she could say. ¡°Try to get along.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Long ago when I couldn¡¯t fit in with those around me, someone told me ¡®if you can¡¯t fit in, at least try to get along¡¯. I knew I couldn¡¯t fit in, so I was supposed to resist my desire to cause conflict and truly try to get along with them. ¡­And that¡¯s what made me who I am today.¡± She smiled bitterly. ¡°It may not be my place to talk when you¡¯ve probably been doing this for thousands of years, but how about giving that a try if you haven¡¯t already? By the way, this is a lecture.¡± She looked forward and found Aigaion and Moira 1st staring at her with slightly surprised looks. ¡°Stop looking at me funny and give me more to drink.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Right away. ¡°That¡¯s right. Fill it all the way up. And, um, don¡¯t laugh when you look at people, old man.¡± ¡°But you are quite amusing. The people of this world truly are amusing, princess.¡± ¡°Stop calling me princess. I¡¯m a guest and you can call me Miyako. The princess would be your master¡¯s wife.¡± And that master would be the young man she had floored in a single blow earlier. He seemed unreliable, but he also had the same eye color as the yellow light in the god of war¡¯s eyes. ¡°And as a guest, I have some thoughts about all this. I think I¡¯ll try to motivate you a bit. Old man, if you work at a greengrocer, can you help me out tomorrow morning?¡± ¡°We will be heading out early tomorrow morning, but if you need something, I can leave a note for the owner. And we should return by noon. Most likely.¡± ¡°Okay, a working man is a good man. And a good woman helps out around the house. Moira 1st, can you prepare me two things? A note to give to him and documents introducing all of you.¡± ¡°Yes, right away.¡± As Moira 1st stood up, Miyako did the same and leaned on the railing in front of her. The metal railing gently bent into a curve as it supported her weight. This is a surprisingly soft world, she thought as she looked into the night sky. She faced the moon floating in the heavens. ¡°Things around here should be a bit busier tomorrow.¡± Volume 5, 10: A Chance Meeting of Questions Volume 5, Chapter 10: A Chance Meeting of Questions Ask until you run out of questions Once that happens, there are only two possibilities Whether you have a full understanding or must give up, there is nothing more to say A small room of about ten square meters had a six square meter kitchen attached. The room had no windows, but the gentle light of early morning passed faintly through the walls themselves. The pale lighting showed books, CDs, and empty bottles of mineral water scattered on the floor. In the center of the room was a single large object. It was donut shaped and was at least two meters across. It was made of plastic and the circular space in the center had about thirty centimeters of water inside. It was a kiddie pool. Someone was currently asleep while soaking in the pool. The woman was curled up while facing to the left. Her ears were longer than a human¡¯s and her face was submerged. She wore a dress shirt instead of pajamas and her brown hair was soaking wet, but her shoulder and the line down to her stomach were rising and falling above the surface with an incredibly slow rhythm. ¡°¡­¡± The water suddenly moved as her leg moved below it. The bottom of her foot lightly kicked the inside of the pool. Ripples filled the pool which said ¡°Ooki¡± on the side with magic marker. The small waves struck the ear sticking above the surface and Ooki gave a ticklish expression below. That was when an electronic tone filled the room. A faint light and a chilly, air-splitting noise came from the kitchen. A cell phone¡¯s red light began flashing atop the portable stove that had an unused pot on it. The sound caused Ooki to close her long ears without waking up. She rejected the sound. ¡°Nnn¡­¡± But the ringing continued from the kitchen. This continued for a few minutes. After some more time dozing, she slowly raised her closed ear. She stuck it wholly out of the water and noticed the sound had not stopped. ¡°¡­¡± She frowned in displeasure below the water, but she still got up. ¡°Fweh?¡± With a gentle splashing noise, she sat up without brushing her wet hair from her sleepy face and with her shirt sticking to her bare skin. Her listless eyes stared at the duck toy floating on the water. But the ringing continued from the kitchen. ¡°Quiet down.¡± She slowly stood up with a sleepy look in her eyes and water dripped down from her. ¡°So tired¡­¡± She wobbled a bit, but she managed to brush up her hair and step forward. The wooden floor instantly absorbed the water that fell from her skin. She arrived in the kitchen in seven steps and picked up the cell phone. ¡°Ooki-sama? This is Sibyl from Team Leviathan.¡± Oh¡­ thought Ooki. Her brain was not functioning very well, but she tried to remember what she should say. ¡°Ahh ah¡­¡± It seemed like Sibyl nodded. ¡°Testament. You woke up quickly today. This was seven minutes faster than yesterday.¡± She praised me. Yay! she thought, but her body would not keep up. Sayama-kun and the others are always so full of energy in the morning. I wish I was like that. ¡­Then again, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d like it. As she thought, her brain started moving bit by bit. She gave a weak laugh and asked a question. ¡°Um¡­ What is it?¡± ¡°Testament. Are you listening?¡± ¡°Hm, I guess so.¡± ¡°Testament. Then I shall keep this short. ¡­You are late. Please hurry to UCAT.¡± ¡°Hweh?¡± Ooki looked to the clock on the kitchen wall. ¡°Ooki-sama, your kitchen clock had been stopped at 2:30 three months ago. You yourself said you need to put in new batteries, but what time does it give you now?¡± ¡°2:30.¡± ¡°Testament. It is actually approximately two hours after that. Ooshiro-sama is already here.¡± ¡°Eh? It¡¯s 4:30? I don¡¯t go to school until seven and why is Ooshiro-san at the school?¡± After a few seconds, Sibyl cleared her throat. ¡°Starting last week, Japanese UCAT headquarters has been working with Kansai UCAT to search for any philosopher¡¯s stone reactions. Team Leviathan is helping and you are in charge of concept related operations. Also, your shift is four to seven both AM and PM.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Testament. You were told at the initial meeting and each morning at around this time. Today, we have detected a faint reaction in Kansai, so it is possible another flying object will appear.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. But have I really been doing that job?¡± ¡°Testament. Normally, it takes you about five more minutes to remember this recent job. And then you always shout an apology.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so? ¡­Ah! I¡¯m sorry!!¡± ¡°That was a few minutes early. Have you finally woken up?¡± She had, so she frantically held the cell phone with her shoulder. ¡°D-don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m on my way now!¡± ¡°Ooki-sama, are you a soba restaurant?¡± ¡°No, no, no, no.¡± She put on her work heels and realized she would need to work at UCAT past seven to make up for being so late. She prepared herself to be late for school. But that worried her because this was the final day of the first term. If she was late or absent, would the children be able to continue homeroom smoothly? She had read in the newspaper that modern children were poor at working in groups and tended to quickly make mistakes. She did not think that would be a problem with her students. ¡°But I¡¯m still worried. Especially with a certain few.¡± With that serious comment, she finished putting on her heels, opened the door, and left. Outside was a mountain road through a forest. The morning air and light soaked into her body after passing through the surrounding trees. Behind her was a giant wall made of wood. Looking up, she found a large tree towering up in the forest. Its trunk was at least twenty meters across and it was her home. ¡°I really have grown up.¡± The door at the base led to a living space modelled after the apartments she had seen in newspaper ads. She had created the interior after becoming conscious and being able to go outside. The space¡¯s child string vibration was the same as her own. She told her students she lived in an apartment, but no one else could see the door or go inside. Oddly enough, roaches still managed to find their way in. Even so, she never forgot to shut the door behind her or to shut off the new model of electromagnetic relay device installed in the trunk. She reached for her waist pocket she always kept the key in. ¡°Huh?¡± It was not there. Both the key and the pocket itself were missing. Just as she began wondering where she had dropped the pocket, a voice came from the cell phone on her shoulder. ¡°Ooki-sama, you forgot to change into your clothes as usual.¡± Two people rode a single motorcycle down an early morning road. The sky was clear and the eastern sun was to their side as they travelled south. The motorcycle was right next to the sidewalk and Izumo moved it forward by foot with the clutch disengaged. Kazami sat behind him in a T-shirt and hoodie and held a large rucksack. Sayama and Shinjou walked along the sidewalk in their school uniforms. Sayama checked his watch and Baku peered at it from his chest, but it was still before seven. ¡°I did not expect the Hiba boy to call us here this morning. Is he not afraid of Kazami?¡± ¡°Chisato, don¡¯t kick him. The recoil would knock the bike over into the lane of traffic.¡± ¡°Kaku, I hadn¡¯t started to do anything yet.¡± ¡°Yet?¡± asked Shinjou. Kazami turned toward her, so she frantically waved her hands. ¡°N-nothing. I didn¡¯t say anything. I wasn¡¯t wondering if you were planning to do something. A-a-anyway, um¡­ Did Ryuuji-kun really ask us to stop by in the morning?¡± ¡°He probably chose a time when no one else would be here. He also said he wanted to show us something.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shinjou nodded and tilted her head. ¡°What kind of person was he?¡± Kazami looked up into the sky with a distant look in her eyes. ¡°He looks obedient enough, but I think he needs a decent beating.¡± ¡°Chisato, stop expressing everything through violence. You¡¯d be a wonderful girl if it weren¡¯t for that.¡± ¡°C-c¡¯mon, stop complimenting me like that.¡± She sent a left hook into the side of Izumo¡¯s head to hide her embarrassment. Instead of a scream, Izumo gave an awkward grunt and collapsed into the lane of traffic along with the motorcycle. ¡°Ah,¡± said Kazami as she jumped from the motorcycle, but Izumo landed sprawled out on the road. A moment later the tires of a 12-ton dump truck grazed his hair as it travelled at well above the speed limit. He frantically stood up amid the rumble of its engine and the shaking of the ground. ¡°Whoa! Y-you idiot, your flirting almost killed me!¡± ¡°That is quite an absurd cause of death,¡± sighed Sayama before spreading his palms to either side. ¡°Seeing the current state of this indecent couple has me worried about your future.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± said Shinjou with a feigned smile. ¡°You can actually worry about others, Sayama-kun?¡± Izumo righted the motorcycle, made sure the stopper had not broken, got back on, and sighed. Kazami apologized and sat behind him. ¡°Anyway, about Hiba. Wouldn¡¯t you know more, Sayama? You were both students of the Hiba Dojo, right?¡± ¡°I attended that bizarre dojo starting in middle school, but I only ever ran across him once or twice a year. According to the other long-time students, Hiba-sensei would take time out to teach him techniques he did not teach the others.¡± Sayama recalled the black god of war from the other night. ¡°What did you think of him after speaking with him? To get right to the point, do you think he is dangerous?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. He didn¡¯t really seem like a bad person. If anything, he seemed to like people too much. He¡¯s the type who would definitely go buy you a can of coffee if you asked him. He wouldn¡¯t if you ordered him, though.¡± Sayama smiled bitterly at that last comment. ¡°The kind of person that draws that kind of line can be the most frightening.¡± ¡°There¡¯s more.¡± Izumo nodded and shrugged. ¡°That kid made a call on his cell phone after we finished speaking yesterday. And he called the person Mikage.¡± ¡°You mean¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s slightly perverted, but the girl he cares for comes first. I¡¯m the same, so I think we can get along!¡± ¡°You take it a lot further than just ¡®slightly¡¯ perverted!¡± Sayama ignored Kazami¡¯s shouting and actions. He wrapped an arm around Shinjou¡¯s shoulders and walked forward. Behind him, he could hear flesh being struck, metal bending, and countless dump trucks driving by, but he paid it no heed. ¡°S-Sayama-kun? I¡¯m not sure how to describe the sounds behind us. Wham and smash don¡¯t do it justice.¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun, stop relying on onomatopoeia. And this scene is too brutal for practicing verbal descriptions. Let us continue on. The Hiba house should be just up ahead, so how about it?¡± Shinjou let out a breath in his arm, her shoulders drooped, and she suddenly looked around the area. She took a city map from the binder in her arms. ¡°Um, we¡¯re going to the Hiba family house, right? Yeah, it should be around here¡­ It¡¯s pretty close to the school.¡± As soon as she spoke, they heard an engine in front of them. They both looked forward and saw a boy riding a motorcycle which had a sidecar. ¡°Huh? Harakawa-kun?¡± ¡°Hey,¡± said the boy as he stopped the motorcycle. Their classmate Harakawa turned toward them. His wavy black hair was swept back, he had brown skin, and he wore his school uniform roughly. ¡°What are you two doing out this early?¡± ¡°We are on a student council job to save the world.¡± ¡°Oh, that sounds important. Are the perverted president and violent treasurer not with you?¡± Sayama turned back, realized those two and their motorcycle had vanished from the road at some point, and heard the dull sounds of mounted punches coming from the thicket of a park next to the sidewalk. A close examination showed Izumo¡¯s leg sticking out from the thicket and shaking along with the irregular sounds of impact. ¡°They seem to be busy,¡± he said after turning back to Harakawa. ¡°Sayama Mikoto, I hate how that sounds like the truth when you say it.¡± After giving a bitter smile, Harakawa looked back and forth between Shinjou and Sayama. ¡°I see you two are getting along well.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Why of course. Every morning, I help develop Shinjou-kun¡¯s bodily awareness by-¡­¡± ¡°Waaah!! How many times do I have to tell you not to say that in front of people!?¡± She tightened his tie down to the base. He had been in the middle of laughing, so his vision suddenly started to shake, but he quickly removed her hands. As she frantically tried to strangle him, he began struggling against her hands and the tie. ¡°H-Harakawa-kun, what are you doing here?¡± she asked while dealing with his hands. ¡°I thought you lived in the other direction.¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun, a criminal tends to avoid the scene of his crimes.¡± ¡°Stop making things up, Sayama Mikoto. I was bringing some parts to an underclassman named Hiba.¡± Hearing that, Shinjou finally stopped trying to grab the tie. She turned toward Sayama, nodded once, and then looked back at Harakawa. ¡°Th-then you¡¯re on your way to school now? We only have the closing ceremony today, so isn¡¯t it a bit early?¡± ¡°It is, but I have to clean up my stuff in the automobile club and I have work right after the closing ceremony ends.¡± ¡°I see. But you never got your job approval sticker because you skipped the final homeroom the other day, right? Ooki-sensei has it, so you should probably get it before she forgets what it is and sticks it on her lectern.¡± ¡°What is she, a child? Anyway, I can still work without approval, Shinjou Setsu.¡± Harakawa smiled bitterly and shook the bracelet on his arm in displeasure. ¡°More importantly, I know you two understand, so can you tell Ooki-sensei to stop asking about me at the hospital? My mom¡¯s gonna find out I¡¯m skipping classes. ¡­Also tell her to stop calling my cell when I¡¯m at work just because she can¡¯t remember how to get home.¡± ¡°You tell her yourself, Harakawa. That is your duty as a student.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± With another bitter smile, he moved his motorcycle forward to continue past them. ¡°Oh, and one other thing. Pay attention to who¡¯s watching when you put your arms around each other¡¯s shoulders. Not everyone is as accepting as I am.¡± Shinjou lowered her shoulders and blushed while Sayama simply nodded. ¡°Never fear. I do not feel embarrassment.¡± ¡°That¡¯s called having no shame!¡± ¡°Calm down, calm down.¡± With his arm still around her shoulders, Sayama began walking forward once more. As they heard the motorcycle drive off into the distance, a new sight reached them. Amid the two-story houses was a blue-roofed house with a boy polishing a motorcycle in front. Also, a girl with long, blonde hair sat in a wheelchair next to him. Sayama approached Hiba and the boy looked up in realization. He frantically stood and then bowed. Meanwhile, Shinjou whispered to Sayama from his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything too weird, okay? This is more or less our first time speaking with him, so start with a topic you have in common. Like motorcycles or something.¡± ¡°No need to worry. I already have the perfect topic in mind.¡± Shinjou breathed a sigh of relief and he nodded. He raised a hand toward Hiba and charmingly greeted him with a topic they had in common. ¡°Good morning, slightly perverted Hiba Ryuuji-kun! I am well aware that you are slightly perverted. But do not worry! I too am a boy, so feel free to discuss- Wait, Hiba boy! Why are you running away!?¡± Someone began strangling him from the side. Even early in the morning, the development department and armories on the second basement of Okutama UCAT was filled with activity. This was due to the announcement from Ooki being sent to only that department. ¡°Um¡­ It looks like there are some philosopher¡¯s stone readings around Akigawa. Three of them. This looks suspicious, so it would be appreciated if you prepared some equipment.¡± Tsukuyomi had been up all night using her computer, but she managed to react now. She stood up and spoke to all of those already preparing inside their partitions. ¡°Despite what Miss Ooki would make you think, this might actually be really bad. Remain on standby and prepare the anti-concept equipment for ground combat! We might have to break into a concept space, so prepare the assault models!¡± Multiple voices voiced their understanding, so she snapped her fingers and began walking toward the large door out into the corridor. As the others left their partitions and followed her, she barked instructions. ¡°Those remaining in the department are to be on standby state 3! We don¡¯t know what unit will be selected in an emergency, so carry out all necessary equipment as if this were training! And anyone with nothing else to do should clean the armories! We don¡¯t bring everything out very often, so this is our chance. Prepare the vacuums you can stick in the gaps on the pallets!¡± She threw open the door to the corridor and those gathered behind her began to run. They were on their way to the armories, the maintenance team¡¯s floor, and the equipment elevator room. Those still in the room contacted the other departments needed to move the equipment and ensured they could operate smoothly as an organization. The corridor walls opened and the auxiliary equipment transport rails leading to the equipment elevator room appeared. The workers in the corridor divided into an inside and outside team as Tsukuyomi watched on. They opened the doors to the armories, removed the weapon pallets from the inner garage, placed them on the rails, and sent them off. The larger pallets were set on the main equipment transport rails which led directly to the surface and they were rushed to those who needed them. The rails screeched as the pallets moved quickly to the standby post on the surface. ¡°Hurry it up! You! If it needs thawing, shove it in the large oven!¡± As Tsukuyomi spoke, everyone around her ran off in different directions. ¡°This is going well,¡± she muttered. At that moment, Kashima moved past her while scratching his head. He too had stayed up all night. He was in charge of swords and blades and was on the way to his subordinates. ¡°Ah, Kashima!¡± ¡°Oh, yes. What is it?¡± A moment after asking, he pulled out his laptop with a look of realization. ¡°I understand, Director Tsukuyomi! You want to see how much my Harumi has grown to soothe the tension, don¡¯t you? L-look at this amazing and valuable footage! She¡¯s so interested in this toy!¡± With a stiff smile, Tsukuyomi strongly grasped the laptop with just the thumb and forefinger of her right hand. She then threw it to the floor with a snap of the wrist. ¡°Ahhhhh! I only just finished editing today¡¯s Haru-chan collection!¡± ¡°Pipe down. This is an emergency. More importantly, um¡­well¡­¡± ¡°Is it about Atsuta?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Where is that idiot?¡± ¡°That creature has been in Niigata for the last three days.¡± ¡°What? Is there something there?¡± ¡°Only in his mind. He said the Sea of Japan was calling him.¡± ¡°Tell him to go during the winter next time! And here I was hoping to send him against a god of war so I could see him beaten to a pulp.¡± Kashima pushed his glasses to the top of his nose with a serious look. ¡°A god of war?¡± ¡°Testament.¡± A cool voice seemed to ignore all the surrounding activity. Tsukuyomi and everyone else turned toward the corridor entrance and found a woman standing there. ¡°Sibyl of the maintenance department.¡± ¡°Testament. But I am currently here as a member of Team Leviathan.¡± As Sibyl walked forward, she was already wearing her white armored uniform and her brisk gait caused her skirt to flip up and cut through the wind. ¡°Are you listening? While Ooki of Team Leviathan was randomly operating our machinery, she discovered a few philosopher¡¯s stone reactions near the city of Akigawa. There are three and all of them are god of war class. They have been judged to be 3rd-Gear¡¯s combat automatons known as the Hecatoncheires.¡± ¡°Judged? How? Did you check their child string vibrations?¡± ¡°Testament. It was my decision.¡± With a smile, Sibyl passed by Tsukuyomi and slowly raised her right hand. ¡°Please bring out my pallet from block eighteen on the fifth basement. Other than that, I only need enough personnel to transport it.¡± ¡°W-wait a minute. The fifth basement?¡± ¡°Do not be so surprised. With the Leviathan Road underway, Team Leviathan¡¯s armory is bound to be used more frequently. And even it is less strictly guarded than the storage vault containing Georgious and Concept Core weapons whose exact location is unknown and is directly controlled by Ooshiro-sama.¡± Still smiling, Sibyl turned toward Tsukuyomi, nodded, and spoke to all the others who had stopped to listen. ¡°With the authority of Team Leviathan, let me assure you that this battle will occur within a concept space. Please assist me in bringing it to an end.¡± Shinjou and Sayama moved to the side of the Hiba house. The area was similar to an alleyway. A two meter area of dirt existed between the trees and fence surrounding the Hiba house and the concrete wall surrounding the neighboring house. Sayama looked through the dimly lit alley from a step ahead of Shinjou. ¡°Why must we speak here? Do you feel guilty about something, slightly perverted Hiba boy?¡± Hiba was panting for breath after frantically pushing the girl¡¯s wheelchair to the alley and he glared at Shinjou and Sayama. ¡°Wh-where did you hear about that? Peeking up that skirt in the past yesterday was just a bit of curiosity.¡± ¡°But¡­ If you think about it, that was Mikage-san¡¯s mother he was peeking at.¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun, you must not say that. If you say boys at his age feel their heart race when they notice a girl, it may sound pure enough, but it would be more accurate to say they act like dogs.¡± ¡°Stop whispering to each other!¡± Shinjou looked over and saw Mikage suspiciously staring at Hiba. She held a cane to help her walk and she used it to jab at him, so he frantically turned a smile in her direction. ¡°I-it seems these people are mistaken about some things. Okay, Mikage-san? Okay?¡± ¡°He¡¯s trying to trick her,¡± muttered Shinjou with a half-lidded glare, but she then tilted her head and stepped up to Sayama¡¯s left. ¡°Um, I take it that girl is Mikage-san.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said while turning her wheelchair toward them. ¡°That¡¯s right. You have heard the details concerning her, right?¡± ¡°Yes. She was born sixty years ago and we heard what Cronus-san did to her in the other world. Is all that true?¡± Mikage tilted her head weakly and turned to Hiba. She spoke to Hiba instead of Shinjou and she spoke with exaggerated silent mouth movements. They had heard about this from Kazami over the phone the day before. It was part of Mikage¡¯s incomplete evolution. After Mikage finished speaking, Hiba tilted his head. ¡°Will you show them?¡± Mikage nodded. She faced Shinjou and Sayama once more. She was wearing a white turtleneck and a beige dress. Both were a bit big for her, so they looked baggy. She raised her right hand and removed the white glove. Shinjou spoke what it was that was revealed below the glove. ¡°A doll¡­¡± Mikage¡¯s right hand was made from a beige material that almost looked white. The flexible points at the joints were made from a black material and were the same as the soft armor on UCAT armored uniforms. As her fingers moved, black curves formed on the skin of her hand. Still silent, she lowered her turtleneck¡¯s collar. Her neck was the same. It had a lot of flexible points, so the connection between her neck and breastbone was almost entirely black. She expressionlessly opened her mouth and said something. Hiba read her lips and spoke in her stead. ¡°Do you need to see anything more to confirm the truth of the past?¡± Hiba¡¯s quiet words produced a reflexive shake of the head from Shinjou. She was well aware of how frightening it could be to show someone your body. ¡°That¡¯s the body of an automaton that is evolving into a human.¡± Shinjou fell silent and thought about the past she had seen the night before. If what she had heard there was accurate, Cronus had given Mikage the god of war intended to be a spare for Typhon. Hiba seemed to pick up on her thoughts because he nodded. ¡°Mikage-san was given Susamikado, a god of war meant to be Typhon¡¯s spare and which was modelled after my grandfather¡¯s Susahito Custom. Cronus placed it in a concept space that her body can draw it from.¡± He took a breath. ¡°But the half of the Concept Core is not contained within Susamikado because it could make her evolution unstable. It is instead sealed within Keravnos, Susamikado¡¯s special armament. In Greek mythology, that was the heavenly lightning Zeus used to seal Typhon.¡± Sayama replied from Shinjou¡¯s right by holding up his left hand as a sign to stop. ¡°Susamikado? That is the first time we have heard its name. ¡­This seems like a good opportunity.¡± He snapped his fingers to show he was changing the subject. ¡°It may be a sudden question, but could you tell us about the final battle with 3rd-Gear?¡± Shinjou was taken aback. She remembered what the automaton named #4 had said the day before. ¡­There are aspects of 3rd-Gear¡¯s destruction that those automatons don¡¯t know. He was pursuing the answer to those questions. She turned to face him and he spoke expressionlessly. ¡°We obtained a fair bit of information yesterday, but a lot is unclear about that part. I would like to know about it.¡± Sayama saw Hiba frown and tilt his head. ¡°Why do you want to know that all of a sudden?¡± There was no need to give a detailed answer to that question. ¡°A certain individual asked me for that information and I want to know. Why is 3rd-Gear still fighting? From what I heard, the Gear¡¯s survivor, Apollo, is a pacifist, but-¡­¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± Hiba laughed and cut him off. ¡°Then what do you suggest? Surely you don¡¯t think 3rd-Gear is fighting because I¡¯m attacking them to gain the Concept Core and speed up Mikage-san¡¯s evolution.¡± ¡°That is certainly one way of looking at it.¡± ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t true. Five years ago, they picked a fight with us. A god of war suddenly appeared before us and attacked. That was when Mikage-san first called in Susamikado.¡± He hung his head a bit and placed a hand on his white bandanna. ¡°Sorry. I can¡¯t say anymore. But ever since then, we¡¯ve been fighting them. Recently, we¡¯ve been intentionally flying through the Kansai region to call them out, but we still haven¡¯t narrowed down the location of their headquarters beyond the general region of Okayama.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Sayama with a nod. How strange, he thought with a renewed understanding of the importance of #4¡¯s question. If his fight had begun five years ago and had continued like that, it meant there had not been a single chance for negotiation. If Apollo was a pacifist, why had he attacked first and why did he allow continued fighting when it was not improving the situation? It was possible that those around him were acting on their own. ¡­But that means those following him have a reason to prioritize these attacks over their master¡¯s wishes. He did not understand, so he stopped thinking about it. ¡­Any more conjecture would be dangerous. He turned back to Hiba whose head was apologetically lowered. ¡°As for your previous question, I don¡¯t know much about my grandfather¡¯s generation. All I know is that he entered 3rd and that he returned using Susamikado which carried a heavily damaged Susahito Custom. And afterwards, Mikage-san¡¯s reflexive mechanisms were used as an intermediary for the controller of a giant machine known as Susaou.¡± He nodded. ¡°Also, I do not know where Mikage-san was sleeping until ten years ago.¡± ¡°Then you know nothing about the result of 3rd-Gear¡¯s final battle?¡± ¡°I know the result, but I don¡¯t know how it happened.¡± ¡°Can you tell us the result?¡± ¡°What exactly do you want to know?¡± How cautious, thought Sayama as he felt the resistance there and decided to ask it all at once. ¡°I would like to know what happened to Apollo. At the time, he should have been piloting a pale blue god of war. Typhon was made exclusively for him and it is active now, so why did he switch machines?¡± Hiba hesitated for a moment, but finally spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t know why that is either.¡± He gave an exaggerated shrug and Sayama nodded mentally. Shinjou poked her elbow into his side and spoke so only he could hear. ¡°He managed to avoid answering, but you asked too much all at once.¡± ¡°No, that reply told me a lot. This was plenty.¡± Hiba had taken the bait splendidly and Sayama planned to later reveal what he had learned and be praised for it. ¡­Compliments from Shinjou-kun are a truly wonderful thing. Hiba gave him a suspicious look, so he spoke once more. ¡°Now, let us get back on topic.¡± ¡°Please do.¡± ¡°Very well. Mikage-kun, you do not remember the past, do you?¡± Mikage nodded. Sayama saw the ends of Shinjou¡¯s eyebrows lower at that nod. ¡­Shinjou-kun does not remember her past either. They both knew nothing of their parents, but Shinjou had seen Mikage¡¯s mother the day before. That may have been why her eyebrows had lowered. And so Sayama asked Hiba something else. ¡°Have you told Mikage-kun about the past we saw yesterday?¡± ¡°Yes. I would like to thank you for that. It was a valuable record of her mother.¡± Shinjou¡¯s eyebrows moved partially back up. No need to be so nosy, he thought. She already has someone to worry for her. ¡°Then let me make something clear,¡± said Sayama. ¡°We have the ability to see the past. Would that ability be an effective bargaining chip against you?¡± Shinjou trembled when she heard that. ¡°S-Sayama-kun!¡± Shinjou¡¯s hurried and emotional voice showed she felt they must not do that. ¡°We can¡¯t! That¡¯s someone¡¯s past! People want to know about their past and we can¡¯t take advantage of that.¡± ¡°Oh? Please do not take negotiations too lightly, Shinjou-kun. I am not taking advantage of that desire.¡± He looked her directly in the eye without looking away. ¡°There is something we want to know about as well. If he uses that as a bargaining chip against us, would you view that as him taking advantage of our desire for knowledge? If it is exchanged for something of equivalent value, it makes a splendid bargaining chip.¡± ¡°B-but¡­¡± Her lips twisted down and she tightly grasped his left arm. ¡°I don¡¯t like that kind of deal.¡± Her voice trembled and something welled up in the corners of her eyes. Changing his plan because someone cried would accomplish nothing, so he would follow his own principles. However, the tears in her eyes brought a smile to his face and relief to his heart. ¡°That is another way in which you are right, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Strength left the hand she held him with. After a breath, Sayama brushed up his hair with his right hand and waited for Shinjou¡¯s breathing to calm down. ¡°Then how about I make a small alteration, Shinjou-kun?¡± He faced Hiba who looked slightly tense. ¡°What if I state it like this: if we work together, you will surely be able to see the past much like before. ¡­What do you say now, Hiba boy? Will you gain nothing and fight 3rd-Gear while hindering our actions or will you view the past and fight 3rd-Gear while meddling in our actions? Which will it be?¡± He nodded. ¡°I am inviting you to join us.¡± ¡­Join us? Shinjou mouthed what Sayama had said and grasped its meaning. ¡­He¡¯s letting Ryuuji-kun join us? What did that mean? First, she thought about the positive elements. 1. UCAT would gain a new god of war. 2. Team Leviathan would gain a new member and its connections to the National Defense Department would grow. 3. Having more people her own age ¨C especially an underclassman ¨C would make her happy. Then she thought about the negative elements. 1. She was nervous about inviting in an outsider. 2. What would he think once he discovered her identity? 3. Would he fall victim to Kazami¡¯s attacks or Izumo and Sayama¡¯s bad influence? She weighed the pros and cons. The positives were decent. The first negative would become clearer later, the second was an issue of her own feelings, and the third was something he would just have to put up with. ¡°Sayama-kun, my opinion of you has improved a bit. Oh, but¡­only just a bit, okay?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Feel free to praise me even more. There have been so many misunderstandings about me lately that my satisfaction meter has been running past its limit. Anyway, Hiba boy.¡± ¡°Y-yes?¡± He took a shallow defensive stance in front of Mikage which surprised Shinjou. He protects her so naturally, she thought while glancing over at Sayama. But he was currently focused on Hiba. ¡°Listen. Currently, anyone who joins us gets to join the student council as well. How does assistant treasurer sound?¡± ¡°Assistant treasurer? I-I couldn¡¯t. That would put me right next to the school¡¯s greatest fighter!¡± ¡°In a way, you¡¯d be a step away from great influence. Not that you¡¯d be able to control it. But I think you would do fine, Hiba-kun. You¡¯d be able to dodge the attacks.¡± ¡°I notice you aren¡¯t denying anything I said¡­¡± ¡°Do not worry about it, Hiba boy. Now, choose one of the following options: A) Become my servant. B) Beg to be a servant of the great Sayama. C) Do my bidding for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°How about ¡®D) None of the above, asshole¡¯?¡± Hiba scratched at his head. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m not sure what to say about joining you.¡± After speaking, Hiba turned toward Mikage. Both the ends of her eyebrows and her entire head were slightly lowered. ¡­She¡¯s a little cautious. Recently, they had been showing people and telling people what had previously been their secret. She had coolly shown off her body, but she likely had some other thoughts about it. I need to keep that in mind, he thought. The other night when they had been taken in by UCAT, he had spoken a lot with an old man in a lab coat as well as a young man with black clothes and white hair who had been accompanied by a maid. Mikage had shown them her hand and the maid had shown her arm. ¡­That was a strange organization. Automatons and humans worked together there. ¡­If we joined them, could Mikage-san have more freedom? But Hiba shook his head and decided it was too soon to say. ¡°At the moment, I only want one thing: please understand that we are already dealing with 3rd-Gear,¡± he said. ¡°About five years after Mikage-san woke up, they began attacking us. We used to have our hands full just fighting them off, but after destroying several remotely controlled gods of war, the true prize finally started showing up.¡± ¡°And so you are claiming that as your target?¡± Hiba nodded, circled behind the wheelchair, and held the handles. He looked at Mikage¡¯s impaired legs. ¡°We have half of 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core and they have the other half. If we get that, Mikage-san-¡­¡± ¡°¡­might become human,¡± finished Shinjou. He saw her hold her body a bit. It was a casual action, but something about the situation must have gotten through to her. She then turned toward Sayama. ¡°What should we do? If they have half of the Concept Core, obtaining 3rd-Gear¡¯s half won¡¯t end the Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Sayama crossed his arms. ¡°It is a tricky issue. It comes down to which side will give in and how.¡± Silence followed. What a heavy silence, thought Hiba. Neither side intended to back down. ¡­What do I do¡­? Suddenly, he saw a bit of motion. The small animal on Sayama¡¯s shoulder had crossed its arms just like Sayama. Mikage¡¯s shoulders began to shake and she let out an amused laugh. ¡°¡­¡± The laugh had been out of place, but it was not often that she laughed. That was why Hiba smiled as he supported her from behind the wheelchair. But Sayama and Shinjou had not seen the source of the laugh. ¡°Ah.¡± After a moment, Shinjou caught on and smiled. Sayama then did the same. Baku looked back and forth between them and crossed its stubby arms even further. ¡°Baku must want to join the conversation.¡± Sayama smiled bitterly and moved his foot casually to the side, but it struck something. ¡°Hm?¡± He looked down at the base of the trees surrounding the house and found a thirty centimeter metal stake. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°That is a protective stake with a philosopher¡¯s stone inside. It suppresses the power of machines. The effective range is small, so we can move around them, but a god of war would not be able to.¡± ¡°So you use these as protective charms for your home?¡± ¡°Yes, but the neighborhood dogs and cats like to dig them up. I need to put that one back.¡± Once Hiba picked up the stake and looked at it, his expression changed. The top of it was smashed. ¡°Eh?¡± said Shinjou. ¡°The dogs and cats around here must be quite something,¡± said Sayama. ¡°They appear to be able to break metal.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m surprised too. ¡­Except that¡¯s clearly not what happened!¡± Hiba looked around and found more stakes lying under the trees surrounding the house. They had all been dug up such that an outsider would not notice. ¡°They¡¯re all broken.¡± Hiba trembled as a chill ran down his spine and Sayama glanced around. ¡°Is that concept limited to gods of war?¡± ¡°Because Mikage-san lives here, it primarily affects large objects.¡± ¡°Then I take it an automaton would be just fine. An automaton that can function in Low-Gear. And now that these are gone¡­¡± ¡°A god of war is coming!?¡± Hiba looked through the trees and toward his house. With his mother out, it was empty, but there were two people standing in front of it. One was a black-haired woman in a red suit and the other was a large man wearing a greengrocer¡¯s apron. The woman stood out front and she took a step to the side while jerking her chin over toward the man. This isn¡¯t good, thought Hiba as he prepared himself for a fight. The man bent over and pressed the intercom button. ¡°Ma¡¯am, this is 3rd-Gear. We have a battle to deliver.¡± The woman raised both arms and Hiba saw giant swords appear behind her. The blades were rectangular, they were over five meters long, and there were a total of six lined up. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± The woman let out a shout and a red form appeared between her and the swords. ¡°A god of war!?¡± As if Shinjou¡¯s cry had been the signal, the six swords smashed into Hiba¡¯s house. The instantaneous attack crashed through the house and created an explosion. ¡°¡­!¡± The sudden turn of events led Hiba to take a battle pose. As he prepared to fight, he tried to choose his partner. He reached a hand toward Mikage¡¯s hand, but that hand found only empty air. He looked at her through the stench of burning wood, scattering fragments, and smoke of the explosion. But she was gone. Her empty wheelchair and cane were all that remained. ¡°¡­Eh?¡± He blankly wondered why because this had never happened before. They had been together for many long years, so how had she disappeared and where was she? ¡°What are you doing, Hiba boy? It seems 3rd-Gear has a thing for abductions because they have taken Mikage-kun this time. As soon as they attacked the house with those swords, they expanded a concept space and brought only Mikage-kun in with them!¡± Sayama yelled at him while brushing aside the explosive blast and smoke with a wave of his hand and then he pointed at the empty wheelchair. ¡°She is right there waiting for you. Prepare to enter the concept space and fight!¡± Volume 5, 11: Running Metal Volume 5, Chapter 11: Running Metal Pursue, pursue Bring your speed out below the sky Below the blue sky, a single motion filled the city that had yet to get going in the morning. Two boys had two motorcycles idling in front of a destroyed two-story house with a red roof. The motorcycles belonged to Hiba and Izumo. They were both old, but they were 1 liter models and the two of them together produced a low drum-like rumbling. Sayama had helped Izumo remove Hiba¡¯s sidecar and now he walked over to Shinjou who had nothing to do. ¡°How is the Hiba boy?¡± ¡°He went around the neighborhood telling people there was a gas explosion that caused their underground garage to cave-in.¡± ¡°I suppose UCAT will contact his mother and the police. Disguised police cars should be arriving soon, so that only leaves us.¡± ¡°Sayama! Shinjou! We¡¯re ready over here! How about you!?¡± Kazami stood up next to the motorcycle with motor oil on her cheek. However, she heard no response from Sayama or Shinjou. Instead, she heard Sayama¡¯s cell phone. Everyone turned toward the boy and he lightly raised his hand while pulling out the black phone. He made sure to activate speaker phone. ¡°It¡¯s me. Shinjou-kun and two miscellaneous others are with me.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Tes, tes. This is your teacher.¡± ¡°Oh, what is it, Ooki-sensei? Are you informing us you will be late? Isn¡¯t it a bit early for that? Ha ha ha. And how can you justify being late on the final day of the first term?¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t it. Um, is there a huge concept space where you are by any chance?¡± Strength filled everyone¡¯s gazes when they heard that. As the early morning wind blew through, Sayama asked Ooki a question. ¡°I see. Are you actually doing your job this morning, Ooki-sensei? Congratulations. You have taken one step up the staircase to normalcy. I fear you will soon trip and fall down several steps, though.¡± ¡°Wah! Why are you always like this, Sayama-kun! You¡¯re going to make me angry!¡± ¡°Then be angry.¡± ¡°I am!¡± ¡°Are you quite done?¡± ¡°Tes. That¡¯s enough anger for me.¡± To his right, Shinjou doubtfully pointed at her own head and rotated the finger, but Sayama ignored it. He had been well aware of that since the previous year. ¡°Now, Ooki-sensei, please give me the details. I believe we are right in front of it.¡± ¡°Oh, right, right. It feels kinda 3rd-Gear-ish. Sibyl-san is preparing to head out, but do all of you have your string watches?¡± Sayama looked down at the black UCAT watch on his wrist. Shinjou and Kazami did the same. ¡°Ah?¡± But Izumo tilted his head and showed off his empty wrists with a stiff smile. ¡°This ain¡¯t good. In my defense, no one told me to wear it today.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be nice and point out that Kaku never wears a watch or carries a cell phone when he isn¡¯t out on a mission.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. If you insist on rejecting modern society, you should go live in the mountains of Okutama. You can live in the wild with an old man who rejects human morality and a teacher who rejects the concept of time.¡± ¡°I-I actually woke up this morning!¡± They all ignored Ooki¡¯s comment. Kazami folded her arms as she wondered what to do, but Shinjou held out her watch. ¡°Izumo-san, why don¡¯t you use mine?¡± Everyone turned toward her with questioning eyes, so she shrunk back a bit. ¡°U-um, if you think about it, I probably wouldn¡¯t have anything to do in there. Without Ex-St, I can¡¯t shoot at anything, so¡­um¡­¡± ¡°What are you saying, Shinjou-kun? With you by my side, my motivation increases eightfold!¡± ¡°Shinjou, give me your watch before Sayama does anything stupid.¡± ¡°Eh? Why you, Kazami-san?¡± ¡°Think about it, Shinjou-kun,¡± cut in Sayama. ¡°If Izumo placed your watch around his filthy wrist, it would be infected with the Izumo virus and it would make you very strange and perverted. On second thought, that sounds wonderful.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s because I had a feeling that crazy boy would say something like that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± said Shinjou as she handed Kazami the watch. Kazami handed her watch to Izumo, put on Shinjou¡¯s watch, and placed a hand on the stem of the watch. ¡°Listen, Kaku. We need to initialize the automatically recorded child string vibration. Just press this switch. ¡­No, not there. Oh, c¡¯mon. You have to know that isn¡¯t right either. Yes, now push it all the way in.¡± ¡°Is that anything to say on an early morning road?¡± commented Sayama. ¡°Eh? Okay, now it will automatically read in a new vibration just like when you first put one on.¡± Kazami and Izumo lightly twisted the watches to make sure they were on right. Sayama nodded, but Shinjou looked worried. ¡°What is it, Shinjou?¡± She nodded and turned toward the figure behind them. It was Hiba. He had added a jacket and goggles to his outfit and his expression was serious. ¡°What should I do? I can¡¯t enter concept spaces without Mikage-san¡¯s Susamikado.¡± He received an immediate answer from Sayama. ¡°Use my watch, Hiba boy. You are likely more normal than Izumo.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what that last part means, but are you sure? You¡¯re Team Leviathan¡¯s representative, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°The high-mobility S&M couple behind me is in charge of fighting. From the looks of them, I doubt the two we saw possess the Concept Core, so there will be no room for negotiation. Act as violently as you wish and retrieve that which is important to you. And you will be indebted to me for lending you this watch. Not a bad deal, don¡¯t you think?¡± After a short pause, Hiba smiled bitterly. ¡°I can¡¯t argue with that,¡± he said as he took the watch with a smile. ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t be so open about trying to make someone indebted to you. Anyway, how does this work?¡± ¡°You press this switch here. ¡­No, not there. No, that isn¡¯t right either. Yes, now push it all the way in.¡± ¡°Sayama-kun, I think you¡¯re getting even crazier.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± By the time Sayama turned around, Hiba had finished operating the watch. At the same time, Ooki spoke from his phone. ¡°The new child string vibrations just arrived and there¡¯s one I don¡¯t recognize. And from the look of Kazami-san¡¯s, she has an upset stomach. You shouldn¡¯t snack late at night.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right¡­¡± Kazami held her stomach with a displeased look and Sayama nodded in understanding. ¡°Ooki-sensei, can you get them inside?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. UCAT is about to interfere with the concept space in order to send in those wearing the watches and to prepare for Sibyl-san¡¯s entry. We didn¡¯t make this one, so please don¡¯t remove the watches. Who knows what will happen if your stability is thrown a bit off.¡± Kazami¡¯s expression stiffened at the mention of Sibyl. Izumo patted her on the back and she nodded and returned to her normal expression. ¡°What about our weapons?¡± ¡°It seems Sibyl-san is loading V-Sw, G-Sp2, and Ex-St on a transport helicopter. Once she arrives, the detailed concept space data she takes will be used to let the others in without watches. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Testament,¡± replied Sayama and Ooki continued. ¡°The shape of the concept space seems to have been modified. It¡¯s an upside down funnel shape with a diameter of two kilometers. The end of the funnel reaches about 15 kilometers into the air. The enemy uses that to escape detection by travelling through Low-Gear at 12 or 13 kilometers up.¡± ¡°And without seeing inside the concept space, we cannot wait for them where they will exit. Our only choice is to settle this inside.¡± ¡°After meeting up with Sayama-kun and Shinjou-kun, Sibyl-san will enter from the northwest. Izumo-kun, your group should-¡­¡± ¡°Head in from here, right? That way we can cut them off from the south.¡± Kazami straddled Izumo¡¯s motorcycle and slid her butt to the back. ¡°Sensei, tell Sibyl to leave our weapons on the open pallet at the launch area.¡± ¡°Eh? Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Those cute things want to be with us enough that they¡¯ll come to us on their own. And Hiba, do you have a weapon?¡± ¡°Yes. A sword with a philosopher¡¯s stone. My father left it for me.¡± ¡°Your father?¡± asked Kazami. Hiba gave a troubled smile. ¡°I don¡¯t really know what he did, but he suddenly accepted Mikage-san into our family ten years ago and then went off somewhere that same evening. That was the night of the great Kansai earthquake.¡± That final comment brought Sayama¡¯s hand to the left side of his chest. Kazami and Izumo¡¯s expressions hardened and Shinjou leaned up against Sayama. That was all it took for him to remove his hand from his chest. He said he was fine, but his face was a bit pale. When Hiba gave him a curious look, he nodded. ¡°Now, it is time we got going. We can speak some more once this battle is over.¡± He took a breath. ¡°We can see if our fight and your fight can work together along with these impurities you speak of.¡± Two figures travelled along a deserted road. The morning sun lit up the man and woman who travelled north along the main road. They were Gyes in her red suit and Aigaion. They both kicked off the asphalt as they moved quickly to the north. They cut through the air as they ran and each step took them from one streetlight to the next, so their running was made up of several-meter leaps. They were quite fast. They passed between the scattering of empty and unmoving cars as they hurried north. Gyes ran in front and Aigaion followed with a girl in a white dress floating ahead of him. She was curled up like a child and elevated a bit above his head. He was carrying Mikage via gravitational control. He watched her as her eyes remained closed and she did not move. His scratched cheek loosened. ¡°She put up quite a fight.¡± ¡°Until she lost consciousness, she believed her partner would come rescue her. ¡­Is she human?¡± Aigaion looked at Mikage¡¯s neck. ¡°No. We need to have Moira 2nd look at her to be certain, but I¡¯ve never seen a human like this.¡± ¡°Neither have I.¡± She brought her right hand to her cheek which also had four parallel scratches on it, but they vanished as she traced her fingers across them. ¡°It took longer than expected to secure her. Should we call Cottus here?¡± ¡°Riding your god of war would be faster.¡± ¡°I can only use it for short periods of time. I don¡¯t need the machine, but I want to preserve as much strength as possible when the enemy might pursue us.¡± ¡°How reliable,¡± said Aigaion. Suddenly, light raced over their heads from ahead of them to behind them. The four beams of light continued for a few seconds. ¡°That was Cottus¡¯s weapon!¡± Just before the bombardment hit, Aigaion grabbed Mikage in his arms and leaped forward with Gyes. At the same time, a rock-splitting explosion burst out behind them. A powerful gust of wind from behind threatened to scoop their feet out from under them. The pressure of the wind rivalled a solid wall and it pushed them even further forward. Gyes glanced over her shoulder while in midair. ¡°Cottus! Why did you fire!?¡± ¡°Enemy approaching.¡± That transmitted voice caused Gyes to focus more closely on her surroundings and she checked for movement behind them. Fragments scattered from the main road and smoke trailed behind them. She did not see anything there until something burst through the smoke. She saw two motorcycles. They often saw those machines on Low-Gear¡¯s roads. It depended on the specific model, but they tended to have good acceleration and they were a decent machine for transporting small numbers of people. And the loud noises of their engines suggested these two could travel at high speed. She did not recognize the boy and girl on one of them, but the boy on the other was a different story. ¡°The descendent of Hiba!¡± Gyes made several decisions in midair and the danger she sensed in this opponent rose considerably. The enemy had mobility, speed, the possibility of concept weapons, combat experience, the knowledge needed for concept combat, and a set objective. She made a stern decision as to how to deal with them. They would lure the enemy somewhere they could not use their mobility and speed. If the enemy did have concept weapons, they only had to use even more power than those weapons. She and her fellow automatons had thousands of years of combat experience and knowledge. And if this enemy had a set objective, they only had to divert them from it. ¡°Aigaion!¡± she shouted as she landed. ¡°Got it,¡± he said as he looked to the right of the road. There he saw a large collection of buildings. The main entrance of the giant facility said Taka-Akita Academy. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this here!¡± Gyes pulled a palm-sized sheet of metal from her pocket. The steel had a blue crystal embedded in it and she laughed as she ran through the front gate with it in her hand. She directed the laugh toward the two motorcycles pursuing them. The wind blew across the two vehicles as they took tight corners that sent their back wheels skidding. Gyes turned toward the one with a boy and girl onboard and spoke to them. ¡°We will use this philosopher¡¯s stone board to eliminate you two outsiders!¡± As she faced them and ran backwards, she held up the metal panel and gave a shout. ¡°We will add on another concept!¡± An instant later, the small metal board burst and the world changed accordingly. In an instant, everything changed just as Gyes and Aigaion wanted. Volume 5, Afterword Volume 5, Afterword There was a small break, but here is Owari no Chronicle 3-A. This is a very long story, so thank you for sticking with me. Recently I¡¯ve been hoping I can actually write the entire thing to the end. Anyway, 1 and 2 laid the groundwork and now the story begins to move forward in 3. Everyone¡¯s stances and connections to the past will become more involved from now on, so the story might get even longer. I finally feel like I¡¯m having an easier time writing this. There are still plenty of difficulties though, and I have tons of homework to do. At any rate, I¡¯ll be doing the best I can. Now let¡¯s get to the usual chat. ¡°Did you read it?¡± ¡°I was looking at the afterwords with my other old upperclassman and I get the feeling I don¡¯t really have to read it.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t follow the proper customs, you¡¯ll be cursed, so be careful.¡± ¡°What kind of curse?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll wake up in the middle of the night and find me at your pillow drinking tomato juice and playing Famicom. I¡¯ll say ¡®C¡¯mon, that totally hit!¡¯, so make sure to agree.¡± ¡°Please spare me that horrible scene. By the way, I see you finally put in one of those characters you like.¡± ¡°What character?¡± ¡°Moira 1st.¡± ¡°There¡¯s already been an automaton.¡± ¡°No, I meant blondes with giant tits. You really like them, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re finally using words like ¡®tits¡¯. You really have changed.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t how I thought you¡¯d react!¡± ¡°And are you forgetting that she¡¯s a doll? You can¡¯t look at it the same way. ¡­Just kidding. Did you really think I¡¯d say that? What matters is the romance. Keep it spinning!!¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it. I was expecting that kind of a self-deprecating gag.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad I could live up to your expectations, but I¡¯ve been using that kind of joke too much lately. I need to think up something new. Maybe it would have more impact if I was like you and insisted on someone below the age of ten.¡± ¡°My girlfriend is going to read this, so stop making things up!! We¡¯re thinking of getting married soon, so saying I like babies is fine but little girls are out of the question.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure both are out of the question, so don¡¯t worry. And this will be going out to the entire nation, so it¡¯s time to start regretting this.¡± ¡°I had a bad feeling about this when the other old upperclassman said he recommended me and that I should ¡®prepare myself¡¯. You never betray people¡¯s expectations, do you?¡± ¡°Just so you know, that guy is a terrible person who barges in and only talks about cats and video games when I¡¯m suffering from a cold.¡± ¡°Yeah, he did that to me too. He said he was thinking of starting to make doujins because he was turning thirty.¡± ¡°Is that some twisted version of going bungee jumping when you turn thirty? There really isn¡¯t a single normal person around me. ¡­And you aren¡¯t helping!¡± ¡°Please stop getting mad at me for no reason. More importantly, why does the data on the next volume say it¡¯s the middle part?¡± ¡°Tee hee.¡± ¡°This is going to end up as text, so saying it cutely isn¡¯t going to help. Why isn¡¯t the second part the last part!?¡± Don¡¯t worry about it. This time my proofreading music was ¡°Art of Fight¡± from the game Ryuuko no Ken. (Am I the only one that thinks you could take that to mean ¡°aesthetics of fighting¡±? And people have mixed opinions of music with no real context, but I find it¡¯s good at getting me fired up.) ¡°Who exactly is hoping for a fight?¡± You can try thinking about that. Anyway, the next book will be out in June, so wait just a bit. February 2004. A morning with pollen approaching. -Kawakami Minoru Satoyasu Omake Afterword Omake Robot (Tentative Title) Satoyasu Volume 6, 12: One Side of Their Feelings Volume 6, Chapter 12: One Side of Their Feelings One side is lost One side is gained Where can both sides be found? The battlefield was on the move. It was morning on the two lane road leading into Taka-Akita Academy through the main entrance. The concept space left the campus deserted and the road continued in a straight line for fifty meters after passing through the gate. At that point, it reached a schoolyard and took a ninety degree turn to the left. Aigaion who was carrying blonde Mikage and Gyes who wore a red suit continued on past that corner. About a dozen meters behind them, two motorcycles entered through the gate. Both had a large engine displacement, but one had a cowl and the other did not. The former was driven by the short boy named Hiba and the latter contained Izumo and Kazami. Izumo recklessly turned the corner from the main road and Gyes opened her mouth while running ahead. She held up a metal board containing a philosopher¡¯s stone. ¡°We will add on another concept!¡± she shouted. A moment later, the small metal board burst and the world changed. ¡ªPeople understand each other¡¯s feelings. ¡°Ha ha,¡± she laughed. ¡°This ridiculous concept was created by rearranging the concept allowing humans to combine with machines, but it¡¯s quite effective against human enemies.¡± And¡­ ¡°Rejoice in your newfound understanding, humans!¡± While riding on Izumo¡¯s bike, Kazami heard Gyes. ¡­What kind of concept is it!? She focused on her surroundings for a moment, but she could detect nothing strange with her senses. She did not notice anything amiss with gravity, sound, wind, light, or the form and state of matter. Then what is it? she wondered just as she noticed something. The scene around her was somehow different from earlier. The back of Izumo¡¯s dress shirt had been visible before, but now she saw something else directly in front of her. ¡°The motorcycle¡¯s console?¡± The familiar site of Izumo¡¯s arms extended from the right and left to hold the grips. She moved her head to look at herself and realized what had happened. ¡°Did Kaku and I¡­?¡± ¡°We were switched out.¡± The slightly high-pitched voice from behind caused Kazami to shudder. She frantically looked back and found herself. To see if Izumo was inside, she asked a probing question. ¡°Um¡­ Is that you inside me, Kaku?¡± ¡°No? Don¡¯t be silly. I¡¯m Chisato. ¡­Gwah! You¡¯re willing to punch yourself!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t give a coquettish smile like that when I talk, so stop teasing me. ¡­Oh, no! I just punched myself without thinking!? Am I okay?¡± ¡°Y-yeah. It might be your delicate build, but I¡¯m feeling a bit dizzy.¡± ¡°Ahh, I can¡¯t believe I ended up hurting myself like this!¡± ¡°Face forward, Chisato!¡± It was weird being ordered around by herself, but she looked forward. The ninety degree left turn was coming up and the schoolyard lay directly ahead. To their right, Hiba tilted his motorcycle to turn along with them. ¡°Hurry up and take the corner! I can¡¯t turn with you there!¡± Not only would they cut off Hiba¡¯s path, but they would drive right into the schoolyard. A white curb formed the borderline between the schoolyard and road, so driving across it would mean a several dozen centimeter drop followed by a screen. Kazami let out a cry, but she did not have a motorcycle license. ¡°Kaku! What am I supposed to do!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lighten up on the accelerator!¡± She obeyed her own voice¡¯s instructions. With her arms and legs fixed in place, her body wrapped its arms around her current body. The heat and softness of the body pressing against her back surprised her a bit. ¡­Maybe I can be a bit more confident in myself. A moment later, her own body behind her quickly tilted to the left. ¡°!¡± Unable to resist, she tilted to the left as well. The high speed flow of air around them changed. The motorcycle tilted and took the position for turning left, but it was not enough. Hiba was circling in from the right on the outside track and he was going to hit them on the right. ¡­Not good! She made her decision in an instant. First, she tried to remember how Izumo always handled the cornering. She took in a breath, hunched down in the seat, and pushed backwards. By moving her center of gravity back, she put more weight on the back wheel. That weight exceeded the frictional limit of the tire, so it began skidding and slid to the side, effectively sharpening the turn. As Hiba came from the right, he twisted the accelerator and moved ahead as he forced his way around the corner. He charged through the one meter gap between Izumo¡¯s sideways drifting motorcycle and the schoolyard curb. ¡°I¡¯ll be going on ahead!¡± As he passed through, their back tire regained its grip and they were facing the way out of the corner. ¡°We¡¯ll be going too!¡± She twisted the accelerator, the roar of the engine stopped the motorcycle from vibrating, and they shot forward. The motorcycle raced along the curb forming a boundary with the schoolyard. She drove in a gouging arc to return from the curb to the asphalt. ¡°Can you handle this, Chisato!?¡± asked a voice behind her. ¡°I can manage!¡± she shouted back while facing Izumo¡¯s body forward. Hiba¡¯s motorcycle was now several meters ahead, but they were back on track. The two automatons ran about twenty meters ahead of him. On their current path, they would pass by the general school buildings and reach the gravel path to the student dormitories. ¡°Izumo-san,¡± asked Hiba as he looked over his shoulder. ¡°What is it?¡± shouted the voice behind Kazami. Hiba looked confused. ¡°Why has Kazami-san been speaking like a guy and why has Izumo-san started acting gay!?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t caught on!? We were swapped out by that concept! Your mind is swapped out with a person who understands your feelings!¡± The look on Hiba¡¯s face changed when he heard that He looked surprised initially, but then the look darkened a bit. ¡­Eh? Kazami tilted her head and quickly found the answer to her question. She had been swapped out with Izumo, but Hiba had not been swapped out with Mikage. The condition seemed to be understanding each other¡¯s feelings. ¡­And being human. Regretting what she had said, she debated whether to give a meaningless apology. ¡°Hiba!¡± Her own voice shouted out as the motorcycle moved onto the gravel path. ¡°Continue after them! This is our home turf, so don¡¯t let these outsiders have their way here!¡± ¡°M-me!?¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯re our underclassmen, the opening act, the newcomer, and the rookie fighter who gets scared too easily. But don¡¯t worry. If you are defeated, we can show up and dramatically announce that you were the weakest of our group.¡± Hiba ignored Izumo and twisted the accelerator, but Izumo continued speaking. ¡°Go! We just need to make a few adjustments and we¡¯ll be right after you!¡± Her own leg placed its basketball shoe on her current left foot and pressed down to lock the rear wheel brake. Gravel flew into the air and the motorcycle came to a stop. ¡°What are you doing, Kaku?¡± She turned around and saw herself nod, click her tongue, and fold her arms. ¡°This is a real pain. I¡¯ll drive, but I¡¯m not sure how well I can control the bike in your body.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ But you¡¯re pretty tall, you know that? I¡¯m amazed by how high up I am.¡± ¡°Yeah, and your body is strangely light, soft, and hard to use.¡± ¡°Stop casually opening my shirt and groping my breasts!¡± Her own body waved a hand to calm her down and then stepped off the motorcycle. Her current self moved to the back and her body sat in front. She had never noticed how slender her body was. ¡­This giant bike doesn¡¯t suit me at all. Her body tilted its head while straddling the seat in a skirt. ¡°It feels weird sitting like this. The, uh¡­crotch area is¡­ How should I put it?¡± ¡°Say anything more and I¡¯ll chop this one off.¡± Izumo silently gripped the clutch and put the motorcycle in gear. Good, good, she thought while embracing the back in front of her like usual. ¡°Kwah! Ch-Chisato, that¡¯s quite a bear hug.¡± ¡°Huh? Is this too tight?¡± She let go and her body gasped for breath and waved a hand in defeat. This was going to be tricky. At any rate, she wrapped her current arms around her body¡¯s waist. She did so hesitantly and he laughed from her mouth after catching his breath. He twisted the accelerator and the motorcycle moved forward while shaking. As they approached the sounds of Hiba¡¯s motorcycle up ahead, she muttered aloud. ¡°This is a new experience, but we¡¯ll just have to trust each other!¡± Hiba pursued Aigaion after leaving Kazami and Izumo behind. They had left the line of school buildings and reached the line of boys¡¯ dorms on the northwest end of Taka-Akita Academy. He was currently racing westward between the lines of dormitories. Ahead of him was an automaton carrying Mikage. He was apparently one of the three Hecatoncheires. Gyes was supported by a god of war and Cottus was as large as a god of war, so he had fought the two of them on land or air a few times in the past, but he had never seen this human-sized one before. He had only heard his name from his grandfather. After Aigaion parted ways with Gyes, he continued running while carrying Mikage. Hiba pursued him despite knowing he was being lured somewhere. The automaton outdid him in size, strength, and athleticism. Aigaion ran inside the western entrance of a dorm and easily ran down the dark corridor at the same speed as a motorcycle. ¡­Is this the true strength of an automaton? They were not human yet made similar to humans, but they definitely surpassed humans. Hiba then wondered if Mikage was the same. He was not sure. He continued to think about long ago and his earliest memories of Mikage. On Christmas Eve ten years before, his father had brought her to them and she had suddenly awoken the following day. Her joints and general appearance had been more doll-like than now and her mind had been on the level of an infant. He had initially been afraid of her because she was not human, but his view had changed after his grandfather had spoken with him. ¡­She will eventually become human. Just as his grandfather had said, he had spent five years with her as she evolved. At first, his mother had taken Mikage around, but once he had seen her start to evolve, he had always been the one to push her wheelchair. ¡­She is an automaton that can approach humanity if she wishes for it. Mikage had wanted to become human. While travelling between his grandfather¡¯s dojo, home, and other places, she had experienced and gained many things. She had gained the five senses of a human, she had gained real skin, flesh, nails, and hair, and she had gained so much more as well. Back then, a girl his grandfather had taken in had attended the dojo. She was older than him and she had trained alongside him, but Hiba had focused on the fact that Mikage was with him and that he believed she would eventually become human. She was unable to walk properly and she could not speak, but he had believed it would happen eventually. But five years ago, the girl he had adored like an elder sister had suddenly disappeared, Mikage had cried, and something had arrived. After leaving his grandfather¡¯s dojo, a giant green armored warrior had appeared before him. He had been blown away in an instant and he had felt his forehead split open and the pain of broken ribs. Mikage had caught his short body from her wheelchair and he had passed out. The next thing he had known, the armored warrior had laid defeated before him. He had looked down at its broken body from high up and he had realized his own body was a giant black armored warrior. Hiba remembered being ejected to the ground from the armored warrior and he remembered Mikage falling down from overhead. A shallow wound had remained on his forehead, but the injury to his ribs was gone. In exchange, Mikage¡¯s ribs had been broken. And from that point onwards, her evolution had stopped. ¡­She protected me back then! He had forced her to protect him. He had made her call in the god of war and his injuries had been transferred to her when he had joined with it. It was all because I couldn¡¯t protect her, he thought. She wants the power to fight, so she¡¯s stopped her human evolution to seek her power as an automaton. He believed that was what had stopped her evolution. He twisted the accelerator. He sent the motorcycle and himself into the dark corridor Aigaion had run down. ¡°I¡­¡± He could not finish his sentence. No matter how much he fought and won from now on, he could not change the fact that he was being protected. She was the one that held the power to end this fight. ¡­What should I do? ¡°I¡­!¡± With that word, he charged into the student dorm. It was 7:27 AM. Two things happened on the helicopter landing zone to the side of UCAT¡¯s long range runways. Two white pallets sent to the surface via the cargo lift began to vibrate. Sibyl had intentionally left those three meter pallets off of the helicopter. As Ooshiro supervised, the landing zone maintenance workers and the development department members circled around the two pallets from a distance. As they did, the vibrations intensified. ¡°The lock is releasing,¡± said a young man from the development department. True enough, the locks on the thin three meter pallets burst open. They both did so at the same moment as if they wanted to be together. With the sound of shattering metal, the two pallets opened and a large sword and long spear flew into the air. They both had streamlined forms made from white and black and they moved further into the morning sky. Sounds resembling clanging metal fragments seemed to fill the surrounding air and the two weapons stood vertically with their tips turned heavenward. The sword and spear shook just once. That single action knocked away the fragments of the locks still clinging to them. After a moment, the armor panels on the sides and top of the blades opened. As they exposed their thrusters, green light filled the activating consoles and activation signals blinked on various parts like a pulse. Their activation text appeared on the consoles and they named themselves. ¡°V-Sw. Contact ¨C OK.¡± ¡°G-Sp2. Contact ¨C OK.¡± Seeing that, the tension left Ooshiro¡¯s shoulders. ¡°So the dragons obey the heroes who subdued them.¡± ¡°Good morning,¡± displayed V-Sw with a gentle twist of its body. G-Sp2 made a similar twist next to it. ¡°Did you call for us?¡± ¡°Did we call for you?¡± repeated Ooshiro. After a moment, he clapped his hands together. ¡°Oh, I was just thinking I needed a good backscratcher!¡± ¡°Not a chance.¡± ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon!!¡± As everyone else nodded as if that was the proper way to handle the old man, Ooshiro looked back up and saw the same question as before on the console. ¡°I didn¡¯t call for you,¡± he said. ¡°But your masters have called you to the playground of dragons.¡± As if nodding, the two blades lightly tapped against each together. That metallic noise was followed by an identical message on both their consoles. ¡°We are off to have some fun.¡± The two weapons that contained dragons soared into the air. They first sank down a bit, but then they shot up toward the heavens. All Ooshiro and the others sensed was an explosion of wind, a sound like a bursting paper bag, and several people being knocked away by the wind. ¡°Look in the sky¡­¡± The dragon weapons had vanished, but two white lines remained in their place. The two lines of steam gently curved into the southern sky and the sound of their departure echoed throughout the area. Ooshiro did not bother fixing his lab coat as it flapped in the wind and he raised his right thumb toward the southern sky. ¡°That was a little over-the-top, but it saves us the effort of transporting them.¡± Volume 6, 13: Round Dance of Expectation Volume 6, Chapter 13: Round Dance of Expectation Think and dance, human and one with human form With any luck, this will raise the Coppelia reproduction rate Hiba drove his motorcycle from the morning courtyard and into the five-story boys¡¯ dormitory. ¡­Hurry. In that deserted concept space, the morning sun dimly lit the inside of the building. The difference was enough to feel like complete darkness at first, but that helped eliminate any hesitation left in his thoughts. He twisted the accelerator without hesitation. ¡°!¡± Supported by the large engine displacement, the tires dug into the plastic floor. Their grip created speed and the motorcycle raced along the corridor. Surrounded by his speed and the reverberating noises of the engine, he caught sight of his target up ahead. ¡­There he is! As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw Aigaion two meters ahead. He held Mikage over his shoulder as he ran and he turned around to look at Hiba in midair. He was smiling. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself again, descendent of Hiba!¡± He leaped calmly through the air and leaped again as soon as he landed. ¡°I am Aigaion, one of the Hecatoncheires. My height is 2 meters 31 centimeters, my weight is 150 kilos, I work at a greengrocer, and my hobby is pachinko! What about you!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the type to introduce myself to guys!¡± Aigaion reacted to Hiba¡¯s answer with a laugh. ¡°Ha ha,¡± he laughed loudly as he landed. ¡°How boring!¡± With another laugh, he ran backwards and swung his left arm toward the concrete wall to his side. His large hand smashed the manmade wall. With a splashing sound, his hand sank into the wall up to the wrist and he did not stop there. As he ran, he tore a wrist-sized line in the wall. Sounds of destruction and concrete fragments scattered everywhere as he ran and destroyed the wall. ¡°Dolls are not human, and so there is something they need. They need a selling point as an artificial product. Just as the mass-produced automatons can control gravity and the Moirai manage humans, we have our own selling points.¡± ¡°And what is that?¡± Aigaion¡¯s eyebrows stood up, but his smile deepened. ¡°In my case, I have extremely precise and flashy gravitational control.¡± He twisted up the wrist jammed into the wall as if grabbing something and tearing it out. His giant hand held something as he pulled it from the wall. It was a thick and round piece of steel. More specifically, it was the primary portion of the reinforced concrete used to construct the building. ¡°It is time you fell, metal structure that stands in rebellion to the earth!¡± As soon his voice rang out, Hiba heard the sound of something gigantic collapsing. By the time he realized it was the earth trembling, the sudden shaking threw his motorcycle into the air. He remained in the air for over a second. ¡°¡­!¡± The tires bounced off the plastic floor and then settled down. After spinning through the air, they dug into the floor once more. At the same time, the ceiling and walls collapsed like a closing book. Aigaion¡¯s gravitational control spread through the rebar frame and easily bent the entire thing. The boys¡¯ dorm was imploding. ¡°What!?¡± The destruction showed itself through smashing concrete and wood. The chain of breaking materials passed by over Hiba¡¯s head and swallowed up the ceiling, columns, walls, and rooms lining the corridor. Once the walls split apart, the ceiling fell and carried four floor¡¯s worth of volume with it. Hiba decided to do two things: escape the destruction and retrieve Mikage. There was only one way to accomplish both. ¡°Either way, I have to chase after you!!¡± He pushed the accelerator to its limit and the motorcycle shot forward. The sound of the engine pierced through the sounds of breaking concrete, the sounds of bending and shattering reinforced glass, and the sounds of everything creaking. But Aigaion did not stop laughing. ¡°Keep at it, keep at it. But it¡¯s over, descendent of Hiba!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Hiba lowered down and gathered even more strength in his hand on the accelerator. ¡°You don¡¯t get to decide that it¡¯s over!¡± ¡°I do when I¡¯m the one ending it!¡± And¡­ ¡°I will make you even more boring than you already are!¡± With that said, Aigaion raised Mikage above his head. ¡­That¡¯s dangerous! Hiba almost shouted that thought aloud, but then Mikage¡¯s body crumbled. ¡°¡­!?¡± He then saw the truth. What he had assumed was Mikage was just a clump of metal rubble. The clothes were just a gathering of white sand-like components. ¡°Ha ha ha! This is a doll of trash and rubble I put together with my gravitational control! How do you like that? It¡¯s a doll made by a doll. Gyes took the real one and went on ahead!¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Hiba gulped. ¡­I was in such a hurry, I fell for a fake! His resentment led to anger. ¡°You damn con artist!!¡± ¡°Quiet. It¡¯s your fault for letting me trick you!!¡± He¡¯s right, thought Hiba as he clenched his teeth. The accelerator was already at its limit, so he focused on switching gears while ignoring the downpour of rubble. He thought about the concept space. If metal was alive¡­ ¡°Please,¡± he said to the motorcycle. ¡°Please let me catch up!¡± The mass of metal answered his call. After trembling for an instant, its engine let out a cry, and the accelerator itself seemed to begin racing. ¡°¡­!¡± The motorcycle lowered its center of gravity. It lowered its suspension almost to the limit, bit into the shaking floor, and eliminated all wasted tire rotation. Forward. The motorcycle whipped up the wind and raced between the falling ceiling and collapsing walls. But¡­ ¡°Am I not going to make it?¡± Aigaion leaped outside of the western entrance twenty meters ahead, but the overhead collapse was already settled. The boys¡¯ dormitory would be completely destroyed before Hiba made it out. Shit, he thought without letting up on the accelerator. At the same time, he heard a voice and an approaching motorcycle outside. ¡°Hiba!¡± It was Kazami¡¯s female voice, so it was Izumo speaking. Before he could wonder what he wanted, the female voice spoke again. ¡°Keep low! We¡¯ll blow it all away!¡± A moment later, the boys¡¯ dorm was completely destroyed. Kazami and Izumo¡¯s motorcycle charged toward the southern side of the crumbling boys¡¯ dorm. After locking the back wheel and drifting the side, the two of them raised their right hands and shouted in unison. ¡°Come!¡± An instant later, two white lines flew from the northern sky and struck near the back of the building¡¯s third floor. The shock of that impact stopped the collapse. This created a short blank period. All the smoke and shaking from the collapse was knocked into the air in a slight moment of relative calm. ¡°!¡± And then silent and invisible explosions occurred at the two points of impact. This was similar to the shockwave created when a massive shell struck at high speed. This shockwave went beyond the realm of sound and raced across the northern side of the dormitory. It tore away the rubble, glass, and surface materials in an instant and an explosion of steam burst from both points of impact. Two loud noises and two impacts followed. Aigaion had created a downward collapse, but these two attacks had changed that to explosions scattering in every direction. The five-story building bent, twisted, and broke as if it had been struck by two uppercuts. A great rumbling raced out and it did not end there. Amid the destruction that sounded like a beast¡¯s roar, light appeared on the northern side of the building. It was the light of dragons. The light formed two dragons creating a giant helix. The dragon light swallowed up the destroyed fragments, formed a circle, and absorbed it all. The boys¡¯ dormitory was annihilated. All that remained was the first floor which had escaped the destruction. ¡°I owe you one!¡± As well as Hiba¡¯s motorcycle which charged out the western side. He spoke to the two in front of the building who each held their respective weapon. They had already started driving their motorcycle once more. The large sword held by the girl had its thrusters fully open and some text appeared on its console. ¡°Let¡¯s have some fun.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± A strong smile appeared on the girl¡¯s lips. ¡°It¡¯s time for round 2!¡± A large Japanese-style house was located a bit west of Taka-Akita Academy¡¯s campus. It was surrounded by a green fence and two people were currently rushing alongside that fence to reach the front gate. They were Shinjou and Sayama. They both wore their summer uniforms and Shinjou turned to the right to face Sayama as her long hair shook. ¡°Will Ryuuji-kun¡¯s place be okay?¡± ¡°UCAT¡¯s disguised police officers and disguised firemen arrived, so it should be fine. They just have to wait for the disguised contractors, disguised architects, disguised builders, and disguised craftsmen to arrive and rebuild the house.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound fine at all.¡± ¡°We can look forward to seeing what they come up with. But for now, we must do our job.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Shinjou nodded and recalled what their job was. It seemed simple yet was rather difficult. ¡°Emergency food supply¡­ It somehow doesn¡¯t surprise me that Ooki-sensei asked for that.¡± ¡°All of the disguised workers and Sibyl-kun¡¯s group are heading out without breakfast. Also, we have to pass by the Tamiya house on our way to the rendezvous point with Sibyl-kun¡¯s group anyway. It may seem we are simply running an errand, but someone has to do it.¡± And¡­ ¡°If it is necessary, I will not find fault with the job and I can easily arrange this. I told Kouji there was a fire at an acquaintance¡¯s house, and that should be enough to settle it.¡± Shinjou hung her head a bit when Sayama said ¡°acquaintance¡± rather than ¡°friend¡±. ¡­We still don¡¯t know the full situation. Another student at their school was fighting using concepts independently of UCAT. At the moment, there was something they could do to help with that fight. ¡°We¡¯ll just be saying hello and handing it over to the disguised volunteers once they arrive, right?¡± ¡°Yes. And those disguised volunteers will be lowering Sibyl-kun¡¯s group from their helicopter. Once we meet up with them, we can follow Sibyl-kun into the concept space.¡± ¡°Right,¡± she said with a nod. Having a clear objective cheered her up a little, so she began moving her legs more quickly. The wooden gate to the house lay before them. In front of the gate was a black vehicle and a woman wearing a red kimono. Shinjou recognized the woman. ¡°Ryouko-san.¡± Hearing her name, Ryouko turned toward Shinjou. She had been checking on the contents of her handbag which sat on the hood of the car, but she stopped and smiled. ¡°Young master and Setsu-chan. What is it? Were you kicked out of school? I¡¯m so happy!¡± She took a few steps toward them, her wooden shoes clacking on the ground as she did. Shinjou gave a cry of surprise as Ryouko suddenly embraced her. ¡°Nn, it¡¯s been so long. How are you doing, Setsu-chan?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, fine. ¡­And we saw each other only three days ago.¡± Nevertheless, Ryouko rubbed her chin against Shinjou¡¯s head with a satisfied expression. She let out a sigh, embraced her again, and finally moved away. ¡°Why do I keep thinking you¡¯re a girl? You aren¡¯t, are you?¡± ¡°Eh? No, of course not¡­¡± Only those in UCAT knew the truth about her, so Ryouko knew nothing. The woman tilted her head with her hands on Shinjou¡¯s shoulders and suspicion in her gaze. ¡°But you really smell like a girl. Are you getting any weird injections?¡± ¡°Sorry, Ryouko, but I have not introduced Shinjou-kun to any of that.¡± ¡°I see. Then it must be natural¡­ Setsu-chan, how about you go to Morocco for a bit? I think it will help you get a lot better, so how about just signing the paperwork for now?¡± ¡°No thanks. I like my uninteresting life.¡± Shinjou frantically shook her head. She was faced with two people whose brains were from a different world. If she let them get carried away, she could find herself under general anesthesia and on an operating table in three hours¡¯ time. ¡­I need to change the subject. ¡°A-are you going somewhere, Ryouko-san?¡± ¡°Yes. We have some visitors from a company that some of our people help out at.¡± Ryouko turned toward the car. At first glance, it looked like a normal light vehicle, but it was a glossy black, the glass had a smoke shield preventing anyone from seeing in, and it said Tamiya Security on the side in gold paint. A closer examination showed several small doors that could open to let something out. ¡°Sayama-kun, can I comment on this car?¡± ¡°Is there anything odd about it? Oh, have you never seen a ¡®Danger. Run away.¡¯ sticker before? That is used for any car Ryouko drives.¡± ¡°Kouji thinks I¡¯m a dangerous driver even though I only run into things some of the time.¡± Ryouko gave an exasperated sigh, approached the hood, and began fishing through her handbag again. ¡°What is it?¡± asked Shinjou. ¡°I lost my self-defense pistol. I lost my previous one too, so this is the second time. Kouji¡¯s so horrible when he finds out about this kind of thing, so I¡¯m trying to find it.¡± ¡°To sum up everything in a single word: how?¡± ¡°Well, after parking last night, the dogs were playing around. It was cute, but guard dogs shouldn¡¯t be doing that, y¡¯know? Anyway, I fired into the ground a few times to quiet them down.¡± ¡°Is that the handgun in question?¡± Sayama pointed toward a black revolver on the light vehicle¡¯s roof. ¡°Oh, what a careless mistake on my part. But that makes people want to protect me, right? So it all works out in the end, right?¡± ¡°This bothers me on multiple levels¡­¡± commented Shinjou. ¡°No one found out, so that means I win,¡± said Ryouko as she picked up the handgun and delightedly waved it around in both hands. An instant later, Sayama tugged Shinjou backwards by the collar. ¡°Eh? What?¡± She then heard a gunshot and something flew by in the space her face had been in a moment before. Ryouko looked puzzled and glass could be heard shattering in the house behind them. A moment later, someone ran out of the gate to their side. It was Kouji who was wearing a suit and holding a bag of rice crackers. ¡°Young master, Shinjou-kun, good morning. Excuse me, but I must go apologize.¡± ¡°Y-you sure have it tough, Kouji-san.¡± ¡°Ha ha. I¡¯m used to it.¡± His last sentence was spoken after averting his gaze and then he loudly ran toward the opposite house. After watching her brother run off, Ryouko sighed, tilted her head, and looked at the gun in her hand. ¡°Kouji really does have it tough. Anyway, was the trigger¡¯s second stage always that light?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stare down the barrel!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not stupid enough to shoot myself.¡± Ryouko put the handgun in her pocket. Shinjou did not like the idea of her storing it there, but she remained silent as that seemed to be where she usually stored it. ¡­I don¡¯t want to say something and cause secondary damage. It was about time to get to the issue at hand, so she glared at Sayama and he nodded. ¡°Ryouko, about what I contacted Kouji about¡­¡± ¡°Oh, right. Kouji is finishing up in the kitchen, so just have your volunteers take it with them when they get here. The different rice ball flavors are dried plum, katsuobushi, seaweed, and pudding. The pudding ones are a secret flavor I made without Kouji knowing, so try to pick those ones if you can.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ah ha ha. Ryouko-san, I would love it if you would tell us which ones those are.¡± ¡°Hm. But it goes against my principles to give you two an unfair advantage.¡± ¡°P-please?¡± Shinjou gave an insistent smile and Ryouko placed a hand on her mouth and thought. ¡°Hm,¡± she said again. ¡°I think the young master would know.¡± ¡°Eh? Really?¡± She turned toward Sayama who remained expressionless. ¡°Shinjou-kun, I will try them first and you can finish any that are safe.¡± ¡°Kyah! The two of you are having an indirect kiss via rice balls? I want in too!¡± As Ryouko rejoiced flirtatiously, Shinjou blushed. ¡­She¡¯s right, but my life is too important to let it bother me. Sayama nodded with a serious expression and she could not turn down his kindness. ¡°Be careful, you two. The scene of a fire can be dangerous. Especially you, Setsu-chan. You need to look after your hands. You don¡¯t want to lower your commercial value.¡± Shinjou was not sure what that meant, but she was afraid to ask. Instead, she smiled and watched as Ryouko picked up her handbag and opened the vehicle¡¯s door. The inside had a roll cage installed, the console had buttons with ¡°turbo boost¡± and ¡°oil¡± written in large text, and a metal cylinder with a trigger attached hung down from the ceiling in front. ¡­This might be low-key for a car in the Sayama world. She watched as Ryouko petted a small stuffed cat hanging from the cylinder on the ceiling. ¡°Do your best, you two. After he¡¯s done apologizing, Kouji should help carry the food out to the volunteers. It¡¯s so boring how all of his food is delicious. He needs some delightful surprises inside.¡± Shinjou was fairly certain Ryouko¡¯s surprises would be fatal, but she had another thought as she remembered the woman¡¯s smile and watched her back as she sat in the seat. ¡­When you get down to it, we¡¯re tricking Ryouko-san and Kouji-san. And they were tricking a lot of other people too. Ryouko¡¯s behavior could be very strange, but that was unavoidable when taking the Sayama Zone into account. Shinjou frantically spoke up when she realized she was forcing a smile. ¡°Ah, Ryouko-san!¡± ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± Shinjou breathed a sigh of relief at the smiling face that turned toward her. Does this make us hypocrites? she wondered, but she spoke aloud to the woman rather than herself. ¡°Thank you for your help so early in the morning. And be careful.¡± Ryouko gave a satisfied nod, reached out a hand, and rubbed Shinjou¡¯s head. ¡°Well done, Setsu-chan. What about you, young master?¡± ¡°I have nothing to say.¡± ¡°Young master?¡± ¡°¡­Take care,¡± he said with a sigh. Ryouko¡¯s eyes bent in a smile, she nodded, and she removed her hand from Shinjou¡¯s head. ¡°Good, good. I¡¯m glad to see the two of you together. I¡¯ll be going then.¡± She turned to Shinjou again and gave a bitter smile. ¡°Setsu-chan, don¡¯t give me that look, okay? Don¡¯t worry. This is a job and I am the company president.¡± As she closed the door with a smile, she continued speaking. ¡°All I have to do is physically persuade about thirty people. You do your best too, okay?¡± Inside the concept space, Kazami and Izumo let Hiba go on ahead alongside the row of boys¡¯ dormitories, but Aigaion was causing them trouble. He had handed Mikage over to Gyes and they could not afford to spend any time dealing with him, but he had chosen a simple yet horribly effective method to stop them. ¡°He isn¡¯t hurrying¡­¡± He was withdrawing ahead of them, but he was not rushing and he was slowly launching attacks. Any attack they sent back would be deflected by earth or rubble pulled up with his gravitational abilities. They had gotten off the motorcycle in front of the boys¡¯ dormitory that they had destroyed and they were both attacking and defending, but they had been unable to leave the boys¡¯ dormitory area. ¡­This is never going to end. While looking like Izumo, Kazami swung G-Sp2 around and faced her opponent. Aigaion was withdrawing at a jogging pace and his arms were extended to either side to use his gravity techniques. ¡°There is a lot buried in this world.¡± A water pipe burst up from the ground and into his right hand. The gravel-covered earth was peeled up and a metal pipe thirty centimeters across rose up like a snake raising its head. ¡°Take this.¡± Just as about thirty meters of pipe was exposed, it bent like a whip. It swung in horizontally from the right as if trying to wrap around them. The tip of the swinging pipe sliced through the air quite quickly. ¡°Wah!¡± Kazami back stepped away from Aigaion, but the lack of X-Wi on her back was a fatal flaw. Izumo¡¯s body did not provide the distance and speed she wanted. As the metal pipe flew in horizontally, she had only one way of avoiding it: moving down. ¡°¡­!¡± She embraced G-Sp2 and collapsed onto her back just as the metal flew past her face and to the left. While listening to it cut through the wind, she stabbed G-Sp2 into the ground to push herself back to her feet. She then saw the metal pipe returning for a second strike. This reversal was surprisingly fast. ¡°You sure are persistent!¡± She moved backwards and realized her only choice was to charge forward after the pipe passed by this time. She stepped to the back. Izumo¡¯s body gave her a long reach with its arms and legs, but it was heavy. More muscular strength did not directly link to more acceleration. When she took a step with this body, she first felt a weight bearing down on her shoulders. Next, she managed a long leap as if breaking through that weight. This was different from normal. The length of her steps, her center of gravity, and everything else were different. It felt like fighting in someone else¡¯s clothes and shoes. In her body, she would jump backwards the more she pressed down with her foot. His body may have provided greater speed in the end, but it was terrible for tight turns and initial speed. ¡­Yet he¡¯s always keeping up with me in this body. She wondered if it was a burden on his knees and back to keep up with her as she ran everywhere. She had new concerns about him, but that did not help her evade. The metal pipe drew close. She saw it easily fell the trees along its path. With fibrous snapping sounds, a few of the trees in the yard were snapped apart and knocked flying. But the metal did not slow down. ¡­It¡¯s catching up! Her fears were warranted. Her back stepping was simply not fast enough. The metal pipe arrived so quickly it seemed to be biting at her. A chill ran down her spine and an odd calm filled her mind. ¡­So Kaku¡¯s body can tremble like this too. The instant she had that thought, she heard her real voice calling from behind her. ¡°Hey, Chisato! Look over here!¡± She looked behind her and saw herself about three meters away, just outside the range of the metal pipe. With a perfectly serious expression, her body grabbed the bottom of her skirt with both hands and lifted it up to her stomach. ¡°Look at this, Chisato!¡± ¡°What the hell are you doing!?¡± Anger moved her body. She easily jumped the remaining three meters and got in a solid savate blow. The sound of impact rang out and her own body flew toward the nearest boys¡¯ dormitory, but that body quickly stood back up. ¡°Y-you idiot! What was that for!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line! Why would you suddenly lift up my skirt like that!? ¡­Ah! I just hurt myself again.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You dodged the attack, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t dodge the attack! I jumped in for an attack of my own on a new target!¡± The two of them ducked down as the metal pipe flew by overhead after approaching a bit. The roar blew their hair about and Kazami saw her own body stand up in front of her. ¡°You seemed to be giving up and I knew seeing that would give my body some motivation.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Oh, um¡­¡± Her own body tilted its head and finally confidently puffed out its chest. ¡°It all turned out okay!!¡± She wanted to punch Izumo, but it would make things awkward after returning to her body. But that awkwardness reminded her of a certain fact. ¡­We¡¯ll be returning to normal later. Right now, we just have our minds swapped out. With that in mind, she took a step forward and pointed at her chest. The metal pipe had smashed the ground behind her and returned, but she had to correct something first. ¡°These bodies move as we want them to, but our minds don¡¯t conform to the bodies. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Yeah. What about it?¡± She saw a smile on her body¡¯s lips. It seemed Izumo had realized the same thing as her, so she gave a similar smile. ¡°In other words, there¡¯s a way to resolve this situation: we go all out.¡± Kazami went ahead and gave the conclusion, nodded, and exchanged a glance with Izumo. ¡°I was trying to control your body properly, so I had to worry about all sorts of small adjustments. But if I go all out and draw out all of the body¡¯s strength, I can leave everything up to the body. We stop thinking about our pace or reach, we don¡¯t stop to catch our breath, we work the muscles until they ache, and we slam our entire bodies against the enemy. If we go on full throttle, we don¡¯t have to worry about any adjustments.¡± ¡°Sounds nice and stupid. It all comes down to this one try, so no regrets, okay?¡± ¡°Of course. What about you? If we mess this up, we could die.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been ready.¡± ¡°Really?¡± she asked doubtfully. Her body nodded, held the giant sword under one arm, exaggeratedly brought a hand to its mouth, and blushed. ¡°I have no regrets.¡± ¡°W-wait a second! What were you doing while I was fighting!?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m not sure how to put it. Important research?¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kazami nodded, suddenly clenched her right fist, and threw several blows toward her current body¡¯s crotch. ¡°It¡¯s all this thing¡¯s fault! It¡¯s all because this horrible things exists!! Oh, ow ow ow ow ow! That really gets to you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an important experience that no woman has had before. ¡­And stop that, Chisato. Now I¡¯m not looking forward to going back.¡± Despite their yelling, they both simultaneously took a step away from each other. The metal pipe slammed down between them from above. The whip-like blow caused the gravel to scatter, but the pipe was not drawn back. Wondering what was happening, Kazami looked toward the other end of the pipe. Aigaion was standing there as before, but he was now looking at them with a tilt of the head. ¡°Are you two fighting each other now?¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. An amateur would never understand. Look, Chisato. He¡¯s jealous of our relationship.¡± ¡°Kaku?¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Do you want me to hit you again?¡± She raised her spear, but Aigaion shook his head and lowered his eyebrows a bit. ¡°Sorry, but my victory is already assured.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± The automaton raised both hands. Before, he had only held a water pipe in his right hand, but he now held one in both hands. ¡°Come on out.¡± As he spoke with a smile in his voice, the two metal pipes showed themselves on the surface. The dirt was torn up, the gravel flew, and the concrete split as the water pipes appeared. And this time, they were not just a few dozen meters long. ¡°¡­!¡± Kazami saw shadows appear not just on the ground around them. The shadows covered the entire surface like blood vessels and they surrounded the school buildings, the dormitories, the neighboring gym, the indoor pool, and the other buildings. She heard structures and the earth bursting apart as those metal blood vessels rose up over a wide area. The series of water pipes connecting the dozen or so nearby buildings all jumped up. All of the metal pipes did the same thing. While rising into the air like snake heads, they held up the objects they were connected to. ¡°The water tanks.¡± ¡°Yes. Some of them hold several dozen tons of water.¡± Shadows appeared a hundred meters in the air. The metal pipes formed a mesh shape which supported the metal cubes filled with water. The cubes were of different sizes, but Kazami could see eighteen of them in all. As she looked up, she saw what could be called the prelude to an attack. Some of the water pipes formed a giant spiral and lowered toward her and Izumo. They fell. ¡°!?¡± The falling spiral caused a great number of metallic noises. After it was complete, a wall of water pipes surrounded them with a radius of twenty meters. The water pipe cage surrounded the courtyard between boys¡¯ dormitories. The wall was about three meters high. There were gaps between pipes, but they were too small to slip through. ¡­Is this¡­ ¡°A cage!?¡± ¡°Yes. This is a large crushing zone. You will be crushed to death by over one hundred tons of water and metal.¡± She could hear the automaton speaking. ¡°Fall.¡± An instant later, the water tanks crashed into the ground. As the metal blood vessels stretched across the sky, a single figure ran along the road. The woman in a red suit was Gyes. She held Mikage over her shoulder as she headed quickly to the west. She was currently on the edge of the facility known as a school. The road changed from gravel to pavement and she ran toward the larger road to the west. She could see the metal floating in the sky. ¡­Aigaion is making a show of it. He would draw in the enemy while she escaped. ¡­I need to leave this facility and meet up with Cottus. She could see the side gate to the facility up ahead. The sliding gate was made from two metal walls four meters wide and two meters tall, but it was sitting open. She was about three hundred meters away, but she saw something in the open gate. ¡°Who are you!?¡± She frowned and shouted toward the girl and wall in the gate. The wall was a giant white transport pallet. The empty truck next to it suggested the girl had carried the pallet here after entering the concept space. The girl impeccably wore a white and black armored uniform. Her long, soft-looking blonde hair flowed in the slight wind and her blue eyes faced directly forward. As Gyes ran up, the girl spoke with no expression on her face. ¡°Our representative is busy preparing, so I arrived to face you first. I ask that you be more prudent in your actions, 3rd-Gear automaton.¡± ¡°Name yourself before asking me anything!¡± ¡°Testament,¡± spoke the girl. ¡°I am Sibyl of Team Leviathan.¡± Gyes recognized that unit name. Hajji had mentioned it a few times. ¡­That¡¯s the UCAT unit that won over 1st-Gear and 2nd-Gear! She had heard they were after Typhon¡¯s Concept Core independently of the black god of war. And in that case¡­ ¡°I won¡¯t listen to anything you ask!¡± Just as she determined this girl was an enemy, she heard a noise from behind her. It was a great metallic noise that shook the earth and atmosphere. The roar seemed to pierce through the air and her body. Sibyl looked into the sky and frowned a little. ¡°What was that noise?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? That was a great mass of water and metal falling to the ground!¡± Gyes did not even need to think about the result of that, so she laughed as she ran. ¡°Ha ha,¡± she began. ¡°While you were speaking with me, your comrades have been smashed beyond repair! Will you head down the same path, girl!?¡± As she approached, Gyes saw something. Her opponent was smiling. It was a perfectly natural smile. ¡°It would appear 3rd-Gear has grown soft. ¡­Would you die from that attack?¡± ¡°What!?¡± Sibyl lowered her arms, spread them a bit, and held the palms out toward Gyes. ¡°If that was enough to kill them, Chisato-sama and Izumo-sama would have died hundreds of times by now.¡± ¡°Then this will be the time they finally die!!¡± Gyes decided Sibyl was preparing an attack and the pallet behind her was worrisome. While running, she tossed Mikage into the air, imagined her gravitational control as the middle finger of her left hand, and kept Mikage floating out of Sibyl¡¯s reach. She then raised her hands to either side while still running. ¡°Come, my power!¡± The answer to her cry came from the sky. It was a red god of war. That machine could be seen as a part of her body and it was stored in the excess given to her child string vibration. It now split open the sky and appeared from there. Its red body was over eight meters tall. It had a slender face, body, and legs, but it was missing something crucial. Namely, shoulders. Instead, everything past the elbows floated in the air to either side. Also, it had three on either side, for a total of six. As it whipped up the wind, Gyes swung her arms down below. She controlled it remotely via gravitational control and the movements of her fingers were linked to the six arms behind her. The god of war¡¯s six arms grabbed at the air and moved forward. Despite grabbing at empty air, the six arms pulled something out. They were blades. The broad rectangular blades were drawn from a concept space and into this world. ¡°Be destroyed, mankind!¡± With Mikage floating behind her, Gyes ran forward and swung her arms. She looked like she was embracing her own waist as she looked above. She saw the red god of war step forward and overtake her. It let loose six strikes. The six blades flew toward the giant pallet sitting in the gate and they would slice it and Sibyl into six pieces. ¡°!?¡± But as Gyes listened to the sounds of the high-speed actions, she saw something unexpected. Sibyl raised both her arms and the pallet behind her burst open. A clear sound rang out as pieces of the pallet¡¯s lock scattered in every direction. Gyes¡¯s six attacks struck the rising cover to the pallet. As pieces of the pallet scattered about, Gyes stared forward while swinging the blades further. ¡­What!? She watched as the pallet fragments burst out and something stood up from within. And that something was a giant armored warrior. ¡°A god of war!?¡± A silver god of war stood forcefully up from the pallet and matched Sibyl¡¯s upraised arms. While swinging up its arms, it grabbed something from the collapsing back end of the pallet. It grabbed two swords which had been attached on the inner side of the pallet. After grasping the hilts, the collapsing pallet wall automatically removed the scabbards. The two drawn swords rose to intercept Gyes¡¯s six swords. The eight trajectories clashed at high speed and deflected each other. Gyes moved back with the red god of war. Sibyl moved back with the silver god of war. Gyes took a fighting stance, but she did not immediately move forward. She held up her arms in an X-shape and faced Sibyl and the silver god of war behind her. ¡°That god of war!¡± ¡°You recognize it, don¡¯t you?¡± Gyes did not even have to nod. ¡°That is Lady Rhea¡¯s god of war!¡± ¡°Yes. This is the god of war that Lord Zeus destroyed sixty years ago. It was repaired and modified to be controlled remotely.¡± ¡°That is beyond low, Low-Gear! First you destroy our Gear and now you are making dolls from our rulers¡¯ belongings!?¡± ¡°And what will you do about it?¡± Gyes¡¯s reply and action were in agreement. ¡°Destroying you is the duty of a servant!¡± shouted Gyes as she moved forward once more. The six blades of the red god of war collided with the two lines swung up by the silver god of war. With multiple metallic noises, the two gods of war exchanged attacks. Volume 6, 14: Choices from a Cry of Suffering Volume 6, Chapter 14: Choices from a Cry of Suffering Will you give a bitter cry? Or will you cry out in suffering? What is the difference between anger and weakness? The metal and water fell to the ground in an instant. A simple thing had occurred. Eighteen metal water tanks had fallen inside the giant round cage created from water pipes. As the final tank and the metal net remaining in the air fell, water burst through the gaps in the pipes making up the cage. The high pressure water included gravel and metal fragments. It scraped at the walls of nearby buildings, broke through the windows, and produced a mist. A single figure stood within the motion and sounds of the mist. The large man wore a greengrocer¡¯s apron and held metal pipes in his spread arms. He was Aigaion. The sound of water spraying from the cage surrounded him. And he faced forward through the mist. About five meters away, a single white line was visible stabbing vertically into the ground. It was a spear over two meters long. ¡°That is the spear that destroyed the building earlier,¡± he muttered. ¡°It must contain a Concept Core.¡± He walked forward in order to take the weapon as a victory prize, but then he looked toward the metal cage where his enemies would be submerged. ¡­That was almost too easy. According to his visual records, the two of them had been together in the center of the cage just before all the metal fell. The boy had been holding the girl from behind, but the additional concept Gyes had added meant it was actually the girl holding the boy. Aigaion did not understand something about that fact. ¡°In Low-Gear, it is normally the male who attempts to protect the female.¡± In all the Low-Gear stories he had seen on television and the like, that had almost always been how it had worked. The greengrocer¡¯s owner¡¯s youngest daughter had recently been watching the children¡¯s tokusatsu show ¡°¨¹bermensch Liberator ¨C Gewalt¡± which was a standard reverse political purge story on the surface, but it still followed that common theme at the core. The owner would feed him dinner on Sundays every week and the youngest daughter always made him play the monster role. ¡­Why did those two leave the standard pattern? He quickly reached an answer. Based on their previous actions, he was able to make his decision almost immediately. ¡°Their brains must have malfunctioned.¡± Humans were difficult to understand. While thinking he needed more data, Aigaion came to a stop. A single spear was stabbing into the ground as water washed over the gravel. He had no data on this weapon. He needed to acquire it and the large sword the girl had wielded in order to investigate them. He stretched out his right arm to pull the spear out with his gravitational control, but then he heard a noise. This sound was out of place amidst the quickly spraying and flowing water. It was a footstep. He heard a loud footstep of someone landing at some high place. ¡°¡­¡± That single footstep was enough for him to determine the location and traits of the one who produced it. They were about 15 meters to his front, about 8 meters high, around 50 kilograms, and a bit exhausted. He then used his sight to confirm the answer his hearing led him to. ¡­Someone is standing on top of the broken water tanks? There they were. Beyond the mist, a figure stood atop the metal wreckage. It was a girl. Her white dress shirt and gray skirt whipped in the wind. She held a giant white sword that looked out of place in her slender arms. Her shoulders rose and fell as she caught her breath and faced him. She was completely unscathed. Her eyebrows were raised and the intent to attack was plainly written there. Aigaion withdrew the hand held toward the spear, prepared both hands for a fight, and asked a question. ¡°You weren¡¯t crushed in the cage just now?¡± His question was not answered verbally. The girl silently answered with her actions. ¡°¡­¡± She used her right hand to point her sword at him. He noticed the white sword had changed form. The blade¡¯s cowling remained closed, but the rear thruster was open and the air shimmered above it. She lightly raised the sword and spoke. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± She looked over her shoulder at a student dormitory. The window leading into the third floor hallway was missing its reinforced glass. Seeing that, Aigaion understood what had happened. ¡°Did you use the sword¡¯s thruster to fly to that window?¡± In that case, he understood why the boy had grabbed her just before the attack arrived. ¡°Yeah. She used my body to soften the blow when we broke through the glass.¡± His body had not made an appearance. ¡°It was enough of an impact to knock my body unconscious, so it must have hit Chisato¡¯s mind pretty hard.¡± He smiled. ¡°So I need to return the favor¡­using her body.¡± She raised the sword and leaped toward Aigaion. From the sound of her jump, he could tell she planned to charge forward. ¡°You¡¯re heading straight toward me!?¡± ¡°Of course. This is round 3!¡± As soon as he landed, Izumo ran. He had wet gravel below his feet, a single enemy, and Kazami¡¯s G-Sp2 between them. There were a lot of elements to the battle, but the basic composition was simple. He only had to charge forward and smash the enemy with his sword. He ran. He found Kazami¡¯s body to be light. And he also found it moved immediately just as he had thought it would. He had thought that from the moment he had first met her. But back then, he had not known the language well and had only been able to be by her side. She had often complained even though he could not understand what she said. He had not understood the language, but he had understood that some kind of problem had occurred and she had been partially forced to quit something. When he had apologized for making her complain so much, she had said the following: ¡°I was trying to apologize first, but all I did was complain. That really wasn¡¯t fair, was it?¡± He had memorized the sounds and learned what it meant after he started living here. He had also learned the meaning of the smile she had given then. Even later, he had learned that she had been a part of some kind of athletic club, but there had been an accident leading to someone else getting injured and she had quit the club. By the time he understood that, she had stopped complaining. ¡­Did she stop complaining once I learned Japanese? Or had she no longer had time to complain now that he was with her? He did not know and he did not want to know. He may have gained her body, but he still did not understand her mind. ¡­But I¡¯ll never forget her expression or tone of voice when complaining back then! Two years had passed since. After her training at UCAT, she could move a lot more than back then. Even so, her ability to make light, detailed movements put a greater burden on her step reach and top speed. ¡­I¡¯m impressed she can keep up with a stamina-rich idiot like me. He ran and swung his weapon using the body that normally ran alongside him. He found her breasts to be a bit in the way of his arms. But their size was just right and everything else about her body was exactly the way he liked it too. ¡­She¡¯s such a wonderful girl. I should take her to a movie sometime soon. As he ran, he did not feel the weight of the weapon. That proved V-Sw recognized him as its master. Since it could tell even with a different body, it meant V-Sw obeyed his mind. ¡­I¡¯ve learned a lot. This concept isn¡¯t all that bad. He moved forward and Aigaion approached. Izumo attacked. He chose a horizontal slash from the right shoulder. As he held up the sword, a smile appeared on Aigaion¡¯s face. ¡°Comparing your expression to my memories of the past, I have determined you are dangerous!¡± With that comment, the automaton fell back, but Izumo continued after him. ¡°I won¡¯t let you get away, greengrocer!¡± With the press of a button on the grip, V-Sw¡¯s thruster ignited. It produced a roar and accelerated him forward. After that powerful step, he launched a strike. Aigaion¡¯s back stepping could not overcome Izumo¡¯s speed. He was sure to hit, but Aigaion calmly reached an arm behind him. ¡°I do not need a thruster for additional acceleration! And if I evade once, it is over!¡± His body was suddenly knocked backwards. He had used his gravitational control. Instead of drawing something else to him, he had drawn himself to a point behind him. And in doing so, he evaded Izumo¡¯s attack. The centrifugal force of the missed swing caused him to rotate around. ¡°¡­!¡± Meanwhile, Aigaion smiled and swung his right fist as he moved back. At seven meters, his fist could not reach, but a fifty centimeter ball of shimmering appeared in front of his fist. It was a mass of gathered gravity. That bullet could bend light and it would contract anything it came into contact and tear it away. The automaton bent his body in preparation to throw it and he shouted. ¡°Now what will you do!?¡± Aigaion asked his question. ¡­What will he do!? If he threw the gathered gravity, his opponent could not avoid it while swinging around his sword, so he would die. Killing was one job of a combat automaton. ¡­But that would be boring. He did not have many opportunities to fight. If he was to savor this opportunity, he could not go all out and immediately kill his opponent. But he had no intention of holding back. This is difficult, he thought. He wanted to help out his enemy so he could enjoy this longer, but he could not do that and so he had to rely on his enemy. Give it your best shot, he thought. Give it your best shot, enemy. With that thought, he threw the gathered gravity with all his strength. ¡°!¡± His large right arm launched an overhand throw. It was a powerful fastball. The instant after he swung his right arm, he saw the sword-wielding girl suddenly begin an attack. ¡°¡­¡± She suddenly reversed the direction of her rotation. ¡­How did she reverse the direction of such a heavy sword? He soon saw his answer. The sword¡¯s back thruster had closed and the front blade had opened. A light that outdid even the previous thruster came from the blade. That light created acceleration and the girl reversed her direction. ¡°That light¡­ That really is a Concept Core weapon!¡± ¡°Shut up and take my attack!!¡± This second acceleration was wholly unexpected, but it did not hit Aigaion. The back of the sword struck the gathered gravity between them. A sound like shattering glass filled the air and the cowling on the back of the sword broke. In exchange, the shimmering of the gravity broke and scattered. The impact knocked the sword¡¯s grip from the girl¡¯s hand. With a metallic noise, the weapon flew through the air. Aigaion smiled as he heard that noise. First Hiba and now these two. ¡­These enemies know how to put up a fight!! And so he chose not to hold back. They had both lost their weapons, but they moved forward at the exact same moment. Izumo ran. He held nothing in his hands, but he had a weapon. He spread his left hand as he ran. ¡°G-Sp2!¡± That spear stood between him and Aigaion. The automaton caught on as well, so he raised his hand and tried to take G-Sp2 for himself. Izumo initially thought he would grab it with his gravity technique. ¡­But he can¡¯t use that so soon after using it for that gathered gravity attack! Trusting in that assumption, Izumo did not hesitate to move forward. ¡­I can make it! ¡°Chisato would make it!¡± With those words, he did indeed clear the distance. He made it. ¡°!¡± But he was still in his running stance. Just because he had G-Sp2 in his grasp did not mean he could use it against Aigaion in time, so he took a certain action. ¡°Don¡¯t falter!¡± He kicked the base of G-Sp2¡¯s blade which was stabbed into the ground. He succeeded in kicking the spear up. ¡°I will endure,¡± said the spear. As G-Sp2 rotated upwards, he ran below it. He caught the rotating shaft on his shoulder and grabbed the butt end as it rotated upwards. Once he secured the shaft on his shoulder, he only needed to swing it forwards. He pulled the shaft down as if beating it down and he launched an attack. With his shoulder as the fulcrum, the blade flew down from above. And it arrived above Aigaion¡¯s head as he approached from the front. But Aigaion raised his hands and smiled. ¡°Protect me!¡± Izumo saw two attacks. Two objects leaped up from the mist-covered ground. They were water pipes. ¡°!¡± The twin metal serpents intercepted G-Sp2 from below. The spear knew Izumo, but it would not let him control it as he was not its master. Without the power of the Concept Core, it was nothing but a giant blade. The pipes were knocked away, but they managed to deflect G-Sp2 into the air. Kazami¡¯s slender arms were knocked upwards by the impact. He had lost his weapon again. Meanwhile, Aigaion came to a forceful stop and let out a laugh. But Izumo spoke in response to that laugh. ¡°Not so fast, automaton.¡± He held up his hands and something fell into them. It was a sword. After being knocked away earlier, V-Sw¡¯s hilt fell into his hand. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± Aigaion stopped moving and all expression vanished from his face. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t put too much of a burden on Chisato¡¯s slender fingers. I only momentarily let go of my weapon earlier!¡± He held V-Sw tightly and swung it diagonally to the left. Aigaion abandoned the water pipes and leaped backwards. ¡°¡­!¡± He flew. He launched himself with his gravitational control and instantly left V-Sw¡¯s range. He was approximately ten meters away while Izumo did not bother stopping the momentum of V-Sw¡¯s slash and made a full rotation to the left like a top. As he rotated, he saw Aigaion raise his fist. That fist was quickly wrapped in shimmering. The automaton planned to end this with a projectile from ten meters away. ¡­What a predictable guy. Izumo smiled bitterly and spoke. ¡°I only just introduced myself to Hiba!¡± He would introduce himself here too. ¡°I¡¯m Izumo Kaku, heir of the Izumo family! My current height, weight, and other measurements are just the way I like them! I¡¯m currently repeating my time as a student and my current hobby is¡­¡± He spun. The moment he faced forward again, he hit the switch on V-Sw as he swung it. ¡°¡­winning prizes at the batting center!¡± He targeted what fell right in front of him: G-Sp2. After being knocked into the air, the long spear was falling and rotating, so he targeted the bottom end. As he swung, he kept the blade¡¯s cowling closed and fully opened the rear thruster. As soon as G-Sp2 was parallel to the ground, he struck the bottom. ¡°Clang!¡± A metallic sound much like Izumo¡¯s spoken sound effect filled the air as G-Sp2 was launched in a straight line. Aigaion tried to use the gravity around his fist to defend. ¡°¡­!¡± But he did not make it in time. The spear that contained a dragon struck him in the chest. ¡°Out of the park with you!¡± Izumo slowly rotated and looked back over his shoulder. He saw the large automaton knocked backwards and the gathered gravity scatter from around his hand. An explosion filled with mist and dirt created a great noise. And then the white spear flew up into the air once more. Izumo raised his right hand, grabbed the falling spear, fell to his knees, and let out a heavy sigh. A troubled smile covered his face. ¡°How does Chisato get by with this body?¡± Several sounds travelled south to north along the deserted road crossing in front of the school. The sounds were those of clashing swords and they were produced by a giant red god of war and a giant silver god of war. They were being controlled by the two female figures who almost seemed to be dancing at their respective machine¡¯s feet. The red god of war¡¯s controller wore red and the silver one¡¯s controller wore white. The one in red, Gyes, controlled six swords with her fingers as she moved forward and attacked. Many different gusts of wind raged about her and metallic noises burst out again and again. Each time, she moved a bit further forward, but her mind urged her on. ¡­Hurry. She had three reasons. One of those was the operation time of her god of war. ¡­This god of war is a part of me. It was meant to be sealed in a concept space. If she grew too exhausted or her artificial consciousness fell into disarray, the opened concept space would grow unstable and the god of war would disappear. She had to keep this quick. Her experience told her a few more minutes was her limit. Her second reason to hurry was Mikage who floated in the air behind her. Gyes could sense her gradually coming to and it would be troublesome if she awoke. ¡­We must obtain her. She was Rhea¡¯s daughter and one of the two 3rd-Gear humans who remained. No matter what Apollo thought as the other survivor, Mikage was absolutely necessary to preserve 3rd-Gear¡¯s bloodline. And the final reason to hurry stood before her. That silver god of war had once belonged to Rhea. She had not seen it since Rhea had escaped to Low-Gear sixty years before, but it now wielded swords before her. Some parts of it were different from her memories. Most notably, the torso had been completely replaced. ¡­Lord Zeus said he had sliced it in two. Rhea was not inside it. ¡°But that is why I cannot allow this!¡± Gyes thrust her right palm forward. The three right arms of the red god of war simultaneously attacked the silver god of war. One arm swung down from above, one thrust in at middle height, and one performed a diagonal slash from below. Sibyl leaped backwards, rotated around, and swung her right hand down. The silver god of war moved in response. It turned to the side to avoid the attack from above, used the tip of a sword to deflect the central thrust outwards, and knocked away the diagonal slash from below by swinging down the guard of the other sword. The sets of metallic noises and sparks scattered and they all vanished into empty air. Sibyl tried to land, but Gyes used that moment to move forward. Before the girl could reach the ground, Gyes used her gravitational control to throw herself right in front of her. ¡°¡­!¡± Gyes could not eliminate the inertial pressure, but she could cut out certain functionality to ignore it. And she did exactly that. She linked the movements of her legs, hips, and arms and swung her hands from behind her. She used her gravitational control to launch the six swords in her suit toward Sibyl¡¯s landing position. She thrust one each to the ankle, thigh, waist, gut, and chest and she swept one horizontally toward the neck. It was an instantaneous attack, but it was blocked by something unexpected: a wall. ¡°!?¡± It took her a moment to realize the white wall between her and Sibyl was the white sword of the other god of war. The giant sword stood up from the ground, but Gyes continued with all her attacks unchanged. Metallic noises rang out and her swords broke, one after another. The first, second, and third simply broke, but the fourth put a crack in the wall. She instantly altered the speed of the fifth and sixth and sent the decapitating horizontal slash on ahead. Ultimately, the god of war¡¯s sword broke. Gyes launched her final attack while surrounded by the high-pitched sound of shattering metal. The strike was meant to skewer Sibyl¡¯s chest and it would reach her past the shattered wall. ¡°Go!¡± The tip of the blade overcame the wind and pierced through while knocking away fragments of the large sword. Gyes felt the feedback of a hit, but she saw Sibyl leaping further back through the airborne metal fragments. ¡­What? An instant later, she understood. Sibyl had kicked the belly of the blade Gyes stabbed forward. ¡°Are you planning to use the god of war¡¯s sword as footing!?¡± Nevertheless, Gyes¡¯s blade reached Sibyl¡¯s chest. It stabbed into the chest of her armor and her own movement tore the cloth. This revealed the skin from her neck down to her chest. ¡°So you¡¯re human.¡± Sibyl had known about 3rd-Gear and was fighting them, so Gyes had thought she might be an automaton. ¡­But this is all the more reason for you to die! Gyes pulled back her sword and moved forward. Her opponent¡¯s god of war had only one sword, so this was the time to attack. As soon as she moved forward, her target took a certain action. She turned to the side and pointed at Gyes with her right hand. Gyes wondered what this was about as she watched the silver god of war take the same action. But the god of war threw the sword in its right hand. Gyes instantly decided to have her god of war deflect the flying blade outwards. This created an opening. The silver god of war took advantage of that opening, but not with a sword attack. It performed a tackle. ¡°!¡± Gyes was unsure how to react to this unexpected attack, but she started by hurriedly pulling the red god of war back. ¡°Such a crude method of fighting! This will damage yours as well!¡± The answer was accompanied by a troubled smile. ¡°Testament. I am in charge of maintenance, so I can only think of methods that will provide me a reason to work.¡± As if to give its agreement, the silver god of war unhesitatingly stepped forward to collide with the red one. They grappled. For an instant, the silver god of war bounced in midair. As it had leaned forward as if preparing to leap, a powerful horizontal impact had reached it. ¡°¡­¡± It was suddenly slammed into the ground. The fall was accompanied by the sounds of heavy metal being destroyed and it was caused by a large hole piercing from the god of war¡¯s back to the ground. Wind burst in every direction from the hole. It was a hot wind with a scorched odor. ¡­Was this¡­? As soon as she realized it was a sniper shot, Gyes looked up into the sky. ¡°You made it, Cottus!¡± Sibyl looked up toward the heavens. A large form was visible in the center of the blue sky. It resembled a god of war, it was blue, and it was overall modeled after the human body. It had several rectangular objects on its back and waist that were likely cannons. The silver god of war had been torn into by this blue giant. Sibyl weakly lowered her shoulders and lowered her vision toward her enemy. Past the wind, Gyes and the red god of war were falling back. They were moving toward the point where that giant machine was descending. It was the Hecatoncheire named Cottus. ¡°A giant god of war¡­¡± ¡°Yes. He is an automaton that uses a god of war frame. Unlike a person, he can fight without being bound by time or physiological actions. However, Cottus is the only model that Lord Cronus completed.¡± ¡°Introduction unnecessary,¡± said the rapidly descending figure. ¡°Requesting rapid retrieval. Hoping for immediate withdrawal.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Gyes with a nod. She gave a light wave of the hand and the red god of war seemed to fold in on itself. First the arms were swallowed up by thin air. The legs, torso, and head did the same. Sibyl bit her lip and looked to Mikage floating behind Gyes. ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°You have lost, defiler of Lady Rhea¡¯s possession.¡± Gyes returned her last remaining sword to her suit and raised her other hand. Mikage was drawn toward that hand. ¡°I suppose I should say farewell,¡± said Gyes. Just as Cottus was about to land, he looked up with the green lights in his face that resembled eyes. ¡°Danger detected.¡± ¡°Danger? What could possibly¡­?¡± Gyes¡¯s question was cut off by someone. It was Hiba. His motorcycle cut right next to her. By the time Sibyl gave a quick ¡°ah¡±, he had already completed his action. He raised his left arm and tore Mikage from the air. ¡°Cottus!¡± Before Gyes even finished her shout, a light came from the west. The horizontal beam of white light struck Cottus as he tried to swing a fist down at Hiba. A shallow piece of facial armor was torn off and he shook. Two figures stood to the west at the end of the side road leading to the city street. One was Shinjou in her summer uniform and the other was Sayama who held a long cannon on his shoulder. ¡°I am glad we made it in time!¡± shouted Shinjou. ¡°Go, Hiba boy!¡± While holding Mikage atop the stopped motorcycle, Hiba nodded. With her in his arms, he let out a cry. ¡°Mikage-san!¡± Sibyl saw Mikage¡¯s eyes open in response to his voice and nod when she saw his red eyes. Sibyl then heard Hiba speak because she could not. ¡°Susamikado!¡± Sibyl gulped as she watched a metal torso frame appear behind the two of them as they got off the motorcycle. The moving parts and organ devices were summoned and the summoned arms, head, legs, and four wings were bolted into place. While the metallic noises of the bolts filled the air, Mikage was enveloped by the black torso and Hiba was swallowed up as the stomach armor was attached. A four-winged black god of war came together. ¡°Susamikado is complete!¡± Hiba felt there was a pleasure and pain to gaining the god of war¡¯s body. His vision moved higher and he gained an awareness of the sides and back that he could not usually see. He rose up toward Cottus who was the greatest threat. His tall vision moved as he began moving at high speed. Each step covered just under four meters and Susamikado smashed the asphalt as it ran. He went all out from the very first step. ¡°¡­!¡± The movement felt wonderful. His widened vision and the warmth that enveloped him felt especially good. His body had already combined with the god of war. He did not know the exact process by which he was broken down inside the metal, but he knew one thing. ¡­The same thing happens to Mikage-san. His own body was not actually there, but he did feel something warm wrapped around him. He thought it felt like having Mikage embracing him from behind. While enveloped by that sensation, he made full use of his new body. His feet dug into the asphalt and his vision was trained directly on Cottus. A moment later, Cottus fired on him. Bullets flew toward him. They were bullets of light. Those masses of great heat and pressure were thirty centimeters across and four of them approached while trailing a comet-like tail. His reflexes were not enough to evade. However, he heard Mikage¡¯s voice emitted by his own body, by the god of war¡¯s voice device. ¡°Ryuuji-kun.¡± She could only produce that quiet voice when she had become Susamikado. She had not yet evolved the ability to speak and Hiba believed she had gained this voice specifically for combat. But it was the only time he could hear her natural voice. ¡°You can dodge this,¡± she continued. A sensation arrived alongside the voice. The machine¡¯s perception speed matched with his own mental speed. This provided him with ultra-fast perception backed by the predictive speed of the machine. ¡°¡­¡± It rushed in at him. In an instant, a massive amount of information struck his body like music. He loudly heard the warmth of the sunlight. The earth received and reflected it, the wind produced long breath-like music, and the trees and other plants sang the pulse-like noise of their various lives. There were people there. The girl controlling the silver god of war was nearby, Sayama and Shinjou were more distant, and Izumo and Kazami were there as well. All of their music was slightly sped up and the tone color contained a pale heat. It was the tone color of expectation. On the other hand, the automatons played a calmer and cooler tone. The female one named Gyes was nearby, Aigaion was approaching and his tone was in disarray due to injury, and Cottus was directly ahead. ¡­The bullets¡­ Hiba perceived even those as music. A powerful tone resembling a whistle approached from the front. This tone was slightly out of sync with the whole. It was the tone of destruction. ¡­That¡¯s an unpleasant tone color! He could see their ballistic paths. A moment later, his heightened perception left. His information processing ability had been overwhelmed and the limiter had kicked in before he drowned in it all. But he was already moving forward. ¡°!¡± Susamikado¡¯s foot smashed the asphalt and its entire body flew forward as if pursuing the tone color seen before. Hiba moved toward the center of the attack. As he charged forward, a song escaped his lips. ¡°Jesus, Lord, with your birth.¡± As if chasing the song, Susamikado slipped past the flying light. It ducked low and moved forward. It stepped, spun, tilted its body forward, scraped across the asphalt, and ran. One bullet grazed its shoulder, but that had been expected. If Susamikado had not avoided that one, the next one would have hit it in the gut. ¡­And the rest won¡¯t hit! Hiba stepped forward to prove his words right. He stretched out his knees and practically threw himself forward. He made it through. ¡°Shows the grace of His holy might.¡± The blue machine lay before him, so he prepared his right fist. Cottus raised one of the cannons on his waist and fired at close range, but Hiba instantly slipped below it and threw a right uppercut as he stood back up. The strike dug deep into Cottus¡¯s stomach armor. ¡°!!¡± The heavy sound of metal filled the air and Cottus¡¯s heavy body floated up a bit. But Hiba did not let up. He went on to send his left fist into Cottus¡¯s side to bring up his chest armor. ¡°!¡± He then rotated to bring his right leg up and into Cottus¡¯s chest. The three-strike combo bent and broke Cottus¡¯s chest armor and knocked him backwards. Hiba began to continue forward. He knew this was his chance, so he felt something similar to impatience. He wanted to defeat one of the Hecatoncheires and to bring an end to as much of this painful fight as possible. ¡­I have to act now! But something stopped Susamikado¡¯s movements. It was another sound, but this one was a voice and a distinctly human one at that. ¡°¡­Kh.¡± Mikage used his mouth to let out a groan of pain. Hiba reacted to Mikage¡¯s groan of pain. He distinctly felt his currently nonexistent heart skip a beat and he stopped his advance. His foot smashed the ground below and he took a defensive position. ¡°Mikage-san!?¡± ¡°It hurts¡­¡± It took a breath before he understood what she meant. He recalled the damage to the chest armor and wing from the other night¡¯s battle. And he recalled that Mikage had taken on all those injuries in his place. He did not even feel any pain because she took it all on herself. But if he moved now, it would hurt her. It was only natural. ¡°¡­¡± Now I¡¯ve done it, he thought. Why didn¡¯t I realize? He was so close to her now and they shared the same body. ¡­So why was I thinking about nothing but fighting? He stopped moving altogether. He saw Cottus take a defensive stance after falling back. Aigaion had caught up, so he and Gyes stood on Cottus¡¯s shoulders. All three of them were exhausted or damaged in some way. Now was the perfect time to pursue. ¡°Ryuuji-kun¡­¡± The pain-filled voice coming from his mouth kept Hiba from acting. Another voice spoke up as if reprimanding him. It was Shinjou¡¯s voice. ¡°What is it, Hiba boy!? You are the one stopping our negotiations, so why are you choosing not to fight!?¡± Sayama and Shinjou came running up along the side road and Shinjou was shouting toward him from behind Cottus. But Hiba could not move. He could only determine Mikage¡¯s state from her voice, but it was enough to bind him. He felt like he was directly touching her wounds. He simply could not move. ¡­Wasn¡¯t I supposed to be protecting her? ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± As if speaking the words in his heart for him, Mikage¡¯s voice escaped his mouth. He clenched his fists and faced Cottus and the two automatons. ¡°¡­¡± He remained silent. There was nothing he could say. If he did anything more, it would only increase her pain. He could no longer choose to attack. That was his choice now. He motionlessly looked toward those who controlled the battlefield now. Shinjou ran from the western road to the city road and Sayama followed while carrying a long white cannon. Gyes brushed up her hair on Cottus¡¯s shoulder and she spoke. ¡°I assume you are from Team Leviathan. What do you plan to do now?¡± ¡°Well,¡± said Shinjou. ¡°We wish to mediate for you.¡± Volume 6, 15: Illusion of a Feeling Volume 6, Chapter 15: Illusion of a Feeling That is why people act. Then¡­ What makes a doll act? Gyes froze in place atop Cottus¡¯s right shoulder when she heard the word ¡°mediate¡±. She saw the black-haired boy cross his arms and raise one hand. ¡°We wish to negotiate with 3rd-Gear and with that Hiba boy there. So if you wish to continue this fight¡­¡± He spoke with a smile. ¡°It will mean you have trampled on our attempts at a peaceful resolution and have chosen to fight. In that case, we will not hold back.¡± ¡°Hah. Don¡¯t make me laugh. Do you really think you can stand up to us right now? Cottus could easily crush you underfoot.¡± ¡°I see. And can this Cottus-kun¡¯s leg reach Sibyl-kun over there?¡± Gyes turned toward Sibyl. She was approximately ten meters away. Whether firing on her or using any other form of attack, it would take a moment to reach her. The black-haired boy¡¯s voice reached her once more. ¡°The one next to me is already preparing to fire on you and the two with Concept Core weapons should be running this way. Sibyl-kun, I have an order for you: run away.¡± ¡°Testament.¡± Sibyl leaped backwards, abandoning the damaged silver god of war. Gyes watched the girl take the first large step and then cautiously run away. ¡°Do not pursue her. If you do, we will be forced to stop you.¡± ¡°That just means we have to defeat you.¡± ¡°And if you kill us, Sibyl-kun will use UCAT to inform many others exactly what happened. She will provide evidence that 3rd-Gear has rejected peace.¡± That isn¡¯t enough, thought Gyes. You can¡¯t use that as a bargaining chip. Sibyl had left the city street, entered the side street, and disappeared, but she would be easily located by tracking her footsteps. They could begin the pursuit later. So Gyes raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth to speak. ¡°3rd-Gear is already hated by the other Gears. Do you really think we are afraid of that?¡± 3rd-Gear had cultivated their impurity over the thousands of years that the Concept War had lasted. It would not simply disappear. ¡­And how much will the opinion of the lowest Gear influence the other Gears? The black-haired boy did not immediately answer her question. First, he shrugged his shoulders in annoyance. ¡°¡­¡± Then, as if swinging his body, he pointed his left index finger toward Gyes. ¡°As a Gear hated by the other Gears, 3rd-Gear does not fear creating new grievances. That is what you said, is it not? You certainly are a courageous Gear. But¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± ¡°When you left for this battle, did you predict this situation? If not, it means you made your decision concerning Low-Gear¡¯s mediation on the fly. And yet this is something that will affect 3rd-Gear¡¯s future.¡± He waved the index finger he had pointed at her. ¡°And as far as I am aware, 3rd-Gear automatons must follow their master¡¯s intentions. Has your master authorized you to reject the mediation of a Gear¡¯s representative?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°If not, you are ignoring your master and rubbing dirt in that master¡¯s face. ¡­And yet you claim to be an automaton. If that happens, the following rumor will spread: 3rd-Gear¡¯s master cannot control his automatons and those automatons are defective units that ignore their master and sully his name.¡± The boy lowered his hand. Gyes was very nearly glaring at him as she watched the motion. While sensing her caution functionality kicking in, she asked a question. ¡°And if we accept your offer to mediate?¡± ¡°We will praise your master.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡­So that is their justification. She weighed the pros and cons and quickly reached a decision based on her pride as an automaton. She turned to the black god of war. ¡°We have been interrupted, so this can wait until another time. Is that good enough?¡± Shinjou was borrowing Sayama¡¯s body while she held Ex-St. ¡­We managed to settle this for now. She took a breath and saw the blue humanoid machine aim all of its cannons toward the sky. While floating in midair, it lowered down another dozen meters. This proved it had no intention of attacking. In response, Hiba caused the black god of war to vanish. Just like the other night, Hiba was ejected and then it disassembled. The limbs and armor vanished into a different space and Mikage was released from the bottom of the torso just before it vanished as well. Hiba caught her. ¡°Got you.¡± Mikage was unconscious when he caught her. Her tall body was limp and as hard to grasp as a blanket. He was short, but he managed to support her by embracing her from the front. Shinjou then saw why he had stopped fighting. The right side of Mikage¡¯s back was dyed a dark red. It was blood. While Shinjou¡¯s focus was on that color, she heard a voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± It was Hiba¡¯s voice. Shinjou turned toward him in surprise when he spoke the words she had spoken a few months prior. But by the time she did, he was hanging his head and his mouth was closed. The next words came from the automatons who had put some distance between them. ¡°We will let you save face this time, but you cannot keep up with the battles between Hiba¡¯s descendent and us. ¡­What will you do from now on? Will you intervene next time as well?¡± ¡°Oh? You mean you will not let us save face from now on as well?¡± Shinjou saw her own body shrug in front of her. Sensing Sayama¡¯s presence in that action, she held up Ex-St just in case. ¡­I didn¡¯t think my body could reproduce Sayama-kun¡¯s actions so well. Her body then asked their opponent a question. ¡°Why do you insist on fighting? Do you have no intention of negotiating?¡± ¡°Of course not. After all, we will be victorious in the end. We would gain less through negotiating.¡± ¡°How can you know that for sure?¡± ¡°Typhon,¡± answered the automaton woman. ¡°No one can kill Typhon.¡± ¡°Is it impossible even with the Keravnos of the Hiba boy¡¯s god of war?¡± The automaton¡¯s eyebrows moved slightly when Shinjou¡¯s body spoke that weapon¡¯s name. ¡°You know of it?¡± she asked. ¡°Keravnos is the weapon given to Susamikado by Cronus,¡± said Sayama. ¡°Typhon was given to Zeus and Zeus imprisoned Cronus, so couldn¡¯t you think of Keravnos as a weapon created to defeat Typhon?¡± ¡°Only if it hits. I¡¯m sure Hiba¡¯s descendent knows what I mean.¡± The automaton woman smiled bitterly and Hiba took a defensive stance while holding Mikage. ¡°You hit Typhon once the other night, but do you know why that was?¡± ¡°Yes. Typhon was protecting someone.¡± ¡­Director Tsukuyomi¡¯s daughter? Shinjou was not sure, but that was likely the answer. ¡°Sayama-kun,¡± she whispered and he nodded with his back to her. He understood that this was their chance to acquire as much information as possible, so she left it to him. While looking down on her own back for the first time, she smiled and waited for him to speak. ¡°Then are you saying that Typhon is unbeatable?¡± he asked. ¡°It is unreachable. Even for us.¡± The automaton woman looked down on them from the giant blue humanoid machine¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Typhon erases time to always be the one attacking.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand? Typhon is always the one attacking. It is never damaged. After all, if it is ever about to be damaged, it erases its defense time and movement time and moves directly to its attack time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shinjou gasped. While holding Mikage, Hiba held his breath and listened. ¡­It erases time? She had heard that Typhon had a mysterious technique that evaded the attacks of Hiba and Mikage¡¯s god of war and instead attacked back. ¡°It doesn¡¯t evade the attack. It cancels it?¡± ¡°Yes. It will move to the location that is a blind spot to all attacks and from which it can kill its opponent. If you attack, Typhon will return a surefire attack of its own. If you stick to defense, Typhon will push through with its strength. Whether you have Keravnos or anything else, it doesn¡¯t matter if it can¡¯t hit. In fact, attacking will ensure your own destruction.¡± The large automaton standing on the opposite shoulder looked up. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s supposed to be a secret.¡± ¡°What does it matter if they know? We had feared Keravnos, but not even it has been able to land a real hit. There is no longer anything that can defeat Typhon.¡± The automaton woman¡¯s tone was cold. But¡­ ¡­Huh? Shinjou sensed something odd in that tone. While wondering what it was, she tilted her head and spoke her thoughts. ¡°U-um¡­¡± The automaton turned toward her with a puzzled look. ¡°Why¡­?¡± She thought about how to clearly state her question. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sound happy that Typhon is unbeatable?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The automaton woman closed her eyes and looked up in the sky as if taking a breath. ¡°Well¡­¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°As I do not have emotions, I cannot answer that even for myself. My functionality has likely reacted to some fact, but I cannot say what that reaction is in relation to humans.¡± ¡°Sadness. I think that¡¯s what your reaction is.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The woman fell silent and lowered her gaze. She narrowed her eyes, but she did not frown as she looked directly at Shinjou. ¡°Why?¡± she asked. ¡°Why would I be sad for Typhon?¡± ¡°I¡­wouldn¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°But I do not understand it either, as I do not have emotions. ¡­But you would, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Shinjou thought about what she meant. An automaton without emotions would not know what caused such an expression even if it reached her. She supposedly had no emotions, so what kind of decision had led to making that expression? The only way to find the answer would be to ask a human who had emotions. ¡­She¡¯s a doll. They stood by people¡¯s sides, they had human form, and they helped people. They were superior to humans in many ways, but their similarities to humans meant they had to clearly define themselves. Shinjou thought about how to answer her question. They supposedly had no emotions, but emotions could be recognized in them by another. That was the form that automaton emotions took. Therefore, Shinjou answered the question. ¡°No, I don¡¯t understand.¡± The woman frowned, but Shinjou nodded and continued. ¡°I may be able to see your emotion, but I don¡¯t know what is causing it. It¡¯s the same for you, isn¡¯t it? You can see the emotion, but you can¡¯t quite grasp it. And just like you want to know what is causing it, so do I.¡± ¡°Why do you want to?¡± ¡°Because I noticed your emotion.¡± She¡¯s the same, thought Shinjou. She¡¯s the same as me, Sayama, Kazami, Izumo, or so many others. There were some things worth investigating further once you noticed them and wondered about them. That had resulted in her current relationship with Sayama and Team Leviathan¡¯s relationship with the other Gears. She knew it was conceited, but she decided this was the time to investigate further. ¡°If we know the reason behind your sadness, we might feel the same emotion.¡± ¡°Hah. Do you really think you can understand us like that? And what happens if you feel a different emotion?¡± Despite her words, the woman gave a certain expression. Shinjou was confused as Gyes¡¯s eyebrows bent and her eyes widened a little. But the woman soon laughed once more. ¡°What an amusing suggestion. After all, Typhon is unbeatable. Nothing could be better for combat automatons like us and I have no emotions. Yet here you are claiming I¡¯m saddened by Typhon¡¯s unbeatable status and you want to know why that is. You must be mistaken.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if I am.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I believe in it. I believe that the dolls we speak with have their own emotions as dolls.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Without trying to hide the amused smile on her face, she drew a sword from her waist. ¡°I see your methods are to approach 3rd-Gear with ridiculous conceit and to force your mistaken ideas onto us. But if we were to accept what you have to say and admit we have emotions, it would let me give this hope: we automatons would indeed like to gain emotions for the sake of our master.¡± The sword¡¯s blade fluttered like paper, but it straightened out as soon as she touched it. She threw it and it audibly stabbed into the ground in front of Shinjou. ¡°Team Leviathan of UCAT, we currently have no intention of negotiating with you. We cannot defeat Typhon any more than you. That god of war is inviolable.¡± ¡°Does it have a pilot?¡± asked Sayama. ¡°Could we negotiate with that person?¡± ¡°Due to certain circumstances, that is impossible and we utterly reject that option. And¡­Hiba there knows what those circumstances are.¡± Everyone turned toward Hiba. ¡­He knows why it is impossible and why they utterly reject that option? Their questioning gazes caused Hiba to clench his teeth. ¡°¡­¡± He shook his head and lowered it to show he had nothing to say. ¡°Hiba¡¯s descendent, you understand, don¡¯t you?¡± said Gyes. ¡°If you reveal that secret, Team Leviathan will bear the same impurity as you. They will bear the impurity of one who uses any means necessary for personal gain.¡± ¡°Impurity?¡± Shinjou¡¯s shoulders trembled. An impurity only Hiba knew of would be the second impurity. Only he and 3rd-Gear understood it and Team Leviathan would have to face it eventually. She looked at him, wondering what it was, but he kept his head lowered. The woman on Cottus¡¯s shoulder shook her head. ¡°We cannot tell you what this impurity is. But instead¡­¡± She pointed at the sword in front of Shinjou and smiled. ¡°Rather than a negotiation, we will give you a chance to make contact with us as individuals. ¡­After all, that previous conversation told me you hold no hostility for us.¡± ¡°Why did Shinjou-kun¡¯s conversation tell you we hold no hostility for you?¡± The woman smiled bitterly at Sayama¡¯s question. ¡°Seeing emotion in automatons is the thought pattern of those who are most quickly killed by automatons. Dolls like us will not betray trust, but we will betray emotions. We are willing to destroy ourselves without fear of the damage. The fact that she does not understand that fact is proof that she is not facing us as enemies,¡± she said. ¡°Listen. My name is Gyes. That sword has enough power sealed inside its internal philosopher¡¯s stone to retain gravitational control for about three days. If you locate our fortress within that three day limit, place that sword there. If we find that sword upon leaving our fortress¡¯s concept space, we will speak with you.¡± ¡°You wish to speak rather than negotiate?¡± ¡°Are we your enemy if we do not hand over the Concept Core? It is true that 3rd-Gear does not wish for any more enemies than necessary. We would prefer to eliminate any unnecessary interference, so if you locate our fortress, we will speak on the condition that you keep that location a secret. But if you do not locate it and you interfere again, we will make sure to kill all of you first.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Shinjou¡¯s body as it picked up the sword. Gyes then looked toward Shinjou in Sayama¡¯s body. ¡°I do not understand humans. On the one hand, you desire further fighting despite having great difficulty. On the other hand, you stop fights despite possessing great power.¡± She tilted her head. ¡°Which is the truth?¡± Shinjou¡¯s body did not nod and neither did Hiba. Shinjou then saw Izumo and Kazami exit the school¡¯s back gate. Gyes seemed to notice them as well. ¡°What a pain,¡± she muttered. ¡°Rematch desired. Name is Cottus,¡± said the humanoid machine the others stood on. ¡°I am Aigaion,¡± said the large man on the opposite shoulder from Gyes. ¡°The three of us are known as the Hecatoncheires.¡± ¡°Will we next meet on the battlefield?¡± asked Sayama. ¡°Undetermined,¡± said Cottus¡¯s mechanical voice. He looked up into the sky and began flying a moment later. He supplemented his gravitational control with the thrusters on his back and the blast shook the ground. ¡°!¡± His blue form vanished beyond the wall of blowing wind. ¡­Amazing. Fighters and UCAT-developed airplanes could not compare. Shinjou looked up into the sky, but there was nothing there. She only saw the clouds and the blue sky. She lowered her gaze in amazement and saw herself turn around with an expressionless face. Her body looked around with sword in hand. She looked as well and saw Izumo and Kazami running up in the distance. ¡°Those two¡­¡± Hiba had sat down while holding Mikage¡¯s unconscious body. He looked like the one solid object on the wide road. His head was lowered and he was completely motionless. Volume 6, 16: Flowers on the Board Volume 6, Chapter 16: Flowers on the Board The seasonal colors begin to change There is no right answer when coloring the blue of the heavens and the green of the earth Sunlight filled a large space. It was a lobby with windows covering the southern wall. An oil painting of the Virgin Mary holding her child decorated the back wall and six lines of a song were engraved into a copper plate below it. Three figures sat on the sofas by the window to the side. One was an old man in a lab coat. The other two were a black cat and a girl in black with a bird on her head. A three-cornered hat lay next to the girl and she was facing forward. A shogi board sat between her and the old man. She moved her hand across the board. ¡°UCAT Director Ooshiro, I hear Sayama and the others intercepted 3rd-Gear. Check.¡± ¡°Wow, you don¡¯t hold back. ¡­You weren¡¯t there at the time, Brunhild-kun?¡± ¡°I detected a strange philosopher¡¯s stone reading this morning, but it was all over by the time I went out. I threw the cat at the disguised food stand to stop it from leaving and I asked them what happened. I also got a rice ball. Check.¡± ¡°Oh, right. They were serving breakfast there. I¡¯m jealous.¡± The black cat glared at his owner from the side, but Brunhild did not notice. ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m not a fan of pudding. Caramel tastes bitter to me. Check.¡± ¡°Damn, you¡¯re persistent. Anyway, why are you here today?¡± ¡°I asked Siegfried about 3rd-Gear, but he wouldn¡¯t tell me anything. Check.¡± ¡°Gwah. I think you might know more about it than him. When 1st-Gear and 3rd-Gear came to this world, you were right next to each other in the Chugoku region and the Setouchi region, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°All I know is that they did not take any real action until five years ago. Check.¡± ¡°What do you mean that¡¯s all you know?¡± Brunhild stopped moving for a moment and finally grabbed a pawn. ¡°Will you give me that silver? I like silver. It¡¯s nice and refined.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Ooshiro moved the silver general forward. Brunhild returned the pawn to its previous spot, grabbed a bishop instead and moved it behind the silver general. ¡°Check.¡± ¡°Ahhh! That¡¯s just immature, Brunhild-kun!¡± ¡°How about we start talking?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± As Ooshiro calmed down, Brunhild lightly crossed her legs. ¡°It¡¯s simple. Five years ago, 1st-Gear¡¯s city faction considered moving to the west, but found that area was already occupied. Occupied by 3rd-Gear. Check.¡± ¡°Did you greet them?¡± ¡°Yes. Our scouts gave a polite and hostile greeting of weapons and spells. They were given a warm welcome by 3rd¡¯s automatons. Check.¡± ¡°A warm welcome?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Brunhild nodded. ¡°They apparently held a sukiyaki party. And the leader of their automatons, Moira Something-or-Other, told them to stay away from their concept space between eight at night and four in the morning from then on. That prevented us from moving. Check.¡± ¡°I see. But I assume the radicals inside the city faction had other ideas.¡± ¡°Yes. We wanted a larger area. And¡­¡± Brunhild moved her hand, announced ¡°check¡± again, and continued quietly. ¡°There were those in 1st-Gear who held a grudge against 3rd because their relatives had been taken away. Those people formed a revenge unit before Venerable Hagen could decide how to handle 3rd.¡± ¡°And what happened then?¡± ¡°The day after they left without permission, they too received a warm welcome. Check.¡± ¡°Another warm welcome?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Brunhild nodded again. ¡°This time it was a slaughter party. We found them all as corpses and it seemed to be a message telling us not to approach them again. ¡­Also, 3rd-Gear¡¯s fortress had disappeared.¡± ¡°Disappeared?¡± ¡°It was no longer where it had been before. It had likely been moved along with the space it existed in.¡± Brunhild looked up at Ooshiro¡¯s face. ¡°I heard UCAT was spotted at the time. UCAT followed the string vibration of 3rd-Gear¡¯s fortress being moved, didn¡¯t they? Check. Having 3rd-Gear out there somewhere was a problem and UCAT was poking around, so we gave up trying to move. Check.¡± The bird on her head chirped quietly and she pulled a small wooden box from her pocket. She opened it to reveal some yellow bird food and a portable water bottle. The bird started pecking at the food. The cat stared intently at it, but Brunhild grabbed his tail and pulled him toward her. ¡°The final transmitted text from the ones who died said ¡®white god of war¡¯, ¡®insurmountable opponent¡¯, and ¡®can¡¯t attack or even defend¡¯. Venerable Hagen realized what that meant. I¡¯ll tell you what that was, so give me that gold.¡± Ooshiro moved forward the gold general and she actually took it with the pawn this time. ¡°I don¡¯t get this country¡¯s culture. What do minerals have to do with war?¡± ¡°War is an economic activity.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care, so give me that knight.¡± Ooshiro did as he was told and spoke with a serious expression. ¡°Please spare me this one. I¡¯ll cry.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t stop even if you do cry, so don¡¯t worry. Or do you accept defeat?¡± ¡°No, no. I can turn this around.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s keep fighting and talking. The white god of war was likely Typhon, the strongest god of war that 3rd-Gear developed for their royal family. Venerable Hagen realized that, so the slaughter and the mysterious messages reminded him of another fact: 3rd-Gear¡¯s next king and his sister possessed the 3rd-Gear¡¯s concepts of time.¡± ¡°In other words, 3rd-Gear¡¯s next king and his sister were piloting Typhon and controlling time to assist their attacks?¡± ¡°Not quite. Check. I do agree the attacks included time control, though,¡± said Brunhild. ¡°The ones who had met 3rd-Gear earlier had learned a few things from their automatons: Apollo was 3rd-Gear¡¯s only survivor, he was ill, and they wanted to keep things quiet for him. Check.¡± ¡°I see. That would mean Artemis was not there.¡± ¡°Yes. But that leaves a mystery. If Typhon really was created for the royal family and was controlling time, Apollo would have to be the one piloting it. But do you think a sick person could pilot a god of war and use something as powerful as a concept of time? Simply piloting it would sap his strength and kill him. Fighting would be out of the question.¡± ¡°Perhaps the automatons were lying.¡± ¡°It would take a special kind of automaton to lie about their master. There were countless automatons receiving them, but no one there doubted what they were saying. Check.¡± Brunhild raised her right index finger. ¡°It seems 3rd-Gear¡¯s concept of time is divided in two. Apollo controlled the daytime and Artemis controlled the nighttime. With only one of them, do you really think 3rd Gear could freely use the concept of time in the urgency of a battle? Also, wasn¡¯t Artemis supposedly turned into a god of war?¡± ¡°Then who is piloting Typhon?¡± Ooshiro exaggeratedly tilted his head. ¡°Such a mystery.¡± ¡°It seemed like Venerable Hagen had a vague idea of what happened. Check. He said it was all related to the connection between Zeus¡¯s children. I hear UCAT is stopping the Leviathan Road with them, but I doubt you can stop Sayama and the others. How about you secretly tell them where 3rd-Gear¡¯s fortress is? Check.¡± Ooshiro tilted his head even further. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t actually know where it is. UCAT is still searching for it. We know it¡¯s somewhere in the Kurashiki region, but there are a lot of decoys and they¡¯re hard to detect because they travel at extremely high altitudes.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like for you to crush them. I¡¯m not saying that as an inspector; it¡¯s a personal opinion. They may not have been the smartest bunch, but a group of my brethren was killed by 3rd. ¡­And you need to give up already. Check.¡± ¡°Brunhild-kun, you need to show more respect to your elders.¡± ¡°Oh? And how old are you? Check.¡± ¡°About sixty. I¡¯m at the age where I finally gain a refined charm.¡± He raised his right thumb and Brunhild replied by looking to the side and somewhat relaxing her shoulders and expression. ¡°Heh.¡± ¡°Th-that was a laugh of scorn, wasn¡¯t it!?¡± ¡°Quiet down. Check,¡± she said. ¡°Listen. While I¡¯m here dealing with club activities and my summer break research project, Team Leviathan will apparently be enjoying themselves at the beach. Sounds lovely. Check. How about you actually make them do some work for once? I thought you Japanese were supposed to never stop working.¡± ¡°Brundhild-kun, I have nothing against sending one more person to the beach.¡± ¡°Oh, I said nothing about wanting to go along. Why would I want to soak in saltwater and throw off my body¡¯s salt content? Anyone who confuses that for fun can go cleanse their body¡¯s impurities with salt. Check.¡± ¡°Then if I win, you have to hold a photo shoot at the underground saltwater pool instead of going to the beach.¡± Brunhild frowned. ¡°How can you hope to win now? Moving your king toward my pieces isn¡¯t going to help.¡± Ooshiro silently moved his bishop deep into Brunhild¡¯s pieces. ¡°That promotes it.¡± He flipped over the bishop, but the lacquered engraving said ¡°nuke¡±. ¡°W-wait a minute! What is this!?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of Ooshiro shogi? Too bad! This nuclear suicide bomber turns every piece in a range of three spaces to ¡®ash¡¯. Damn, that¡¯s harsh!¡± Without speaking another word, Brunhild flipped over the shogi board. Below the afternoon sky were a forested mountain and a giant white building at the top. Several figures stood in the empty land in front of the building. Twenty were maids in black and one was a princess in white. The maids all held flowerpots and the princess held a hoe in front of them. They were all speaking together. The princess spoke in a very masculine way and instructed them to answer her with ¡°yes, sir¡±. The maids complied. Her voice carried to the automatons who were opening the windows of the living space at the top of the white building. They all looked down on the commotion. ¡°Okay, everyone. Get back to work. Lady Miyako is about to do something with the others, but she has prepared enough for everyone.¡± Moira 1st¡¯s voice filled the rooms and the automatons there resumed their work. They placed their brushes against the floor or wiped down the walls, but still exchanged a glance. Their high-speed conversations achieved by accessing their shared memory devices were all about those down below. Moira 1st walked between the rooms and viewed everyone¡¯s shared memories. Only identical models could access the shared memories and they were something like a multi-way phone connection. She listened to the conversations there, but still asked a question from the princess¡¯s room. ¡°What are they doing down there?¡± She did not actually know the details. The night before, Miyako had asked for a list of all the automatons. She had given a powerful nod and thanked Moira 1st upon receiving the list, but she had not said what she wanted it for. ¡­What is she doing? Moira 1st asked the question out of expectation rather than suspicion and a maid in front of her looked down from the window. ¡°Well, from what I¡¯ve heard¡­¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°It seems the princess is giving everyone names,¡± explained the maid running a vacuum cleaner across the floor. ¡°Names?¡± Moira 1st looked out the window and saw Miyako speaking while gesturing with the hoe in hand. ¡°We told her that we do not have names,¡± said the maid next to Moira 1st. ¡°We said that is not one of our functions. But then she asked Master Aigaion to prepare all this before he left this morning.¡± ¡°All what?¡± ¡°The pots they¡¯re holding and the flower seeds.¡± Moira 1st looked more closely at what those below held. ¡°She says we need to care for the flower whose name we choose. She says there are autumn flowers, winter flowers, and spring flowers, but we should take one of their names because they all bloom eventually.¡± Below the blue sky, maids were lined up in front of a giant white building. All twenty of them stood side by side in a single line. Across from them, Miyako wore what resembled a white dress and rested her elbow on the bottom of a hoe. ¡°Okay, does everyone have their seeds?¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Miyako nodded at their answer. ¡­This is going well. With a group this obedient, I could probably conquer Kantou at least. But she noticed one maid with a downcast look who was not looking at her flowerpot like the others. She stood at one end of the line, she had braided hair and glasses, and she was staring intently at the ground in front of her rather than the flowerpot with flower seeds in it. The ends of her eyebrows were slightly lowered and her expression was weak. Miyako tilted her head and realized there were differences even among the same model of automaton. However, she was curious what was causing the maid¡¯s downcast look. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The maid quickly pointed her glasses upwards and hurriedly spoke again after seeing Miyako¡¯s bitter smile. ¡°Oh¡­ Y-yes, sir.¡± ¡°Good, good. Always try to put some energy behind your answers. ¡­Anyway, what¡¯s wrong? Why do you look so down?¡± ¡°Y-yes, sir. I do not have that sort of emotional functionality. I am simply having trouble deciding.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Miyako stood in front of her. ¡°You chose a flower, right? Do you not want to take that name? If you don¡¯t want a name, that¡¯s fine. I was just hoping you would take one is all.¡± The glasses maid lowered her head again. That must not be it, thought Miyako. This look is coming from somewhere else. ¡­But what? She thought back to when the automatons had taken the pots. They had walked up to the lines of seeds and pots and they had chosen the one they wanted while thinking and conversing. ¡­Oh. Miyako remembered that this maid in glasses had not joined in with the others. She had been the one to take the last remaining option. Miyako sighed as she realized why she was having difficulty deciding. ¡°Do you not like a name you didn¡¯t choose?¡± ¡­Not that I chose my name. Her parents had given her that name, but she could guess what the problem here was. ¡°You¡¯re thinking that you might have chosen something else had you chosen on your own, aren¡¯t you?¡± And¡­ ¡°You¡¯re thinking that this name doesn¡¯t suit you, aren¡¯t you?¡± The maid looked up in surprise and started to say something but stopped. ¡°¡­¡± She lowered her head again, but Miyako did not overlook it. Miyako pushed up the maid¡¯s head with a finger under the jaw and looked her right in the eye. ¡°Where¡¯s your answer?¡± Miyako was sure she had been right, but the maid shook her head. By not answering, she was eliminating her own will. Miyako understood why. If she said yes, she would be complaining about those who chose first and she would be personally admitting how terrifying it was to take a name. ¡­This is her consideration as an automaton. But something about it seemed odd, so Miyako mentally tilted her head. They were all automatons, so why was only this one lowering herself and prioritizing the others? ¡­It must be a difference in ability. Or a difference in the work they can do as an automaton. There had to be differences between automatons. Not only were they given different appearances, but there also had to be differences in the quality of their parts and the way those parts fit together. Just like a human¡¯s height or muscle distribution, that would influence their body¡¯s functionality and determine their strengths and weaknesses. This maid likely had a great number of weaknesses and so her duty was to act after all the others so as not to be in the way. And here she had determined that those who worked more deserved priority in choosing a name and that she was not suited even for the name the others had not chosen. Don¡¯t be stupid, thought Miyako. Look at it in reverse, and it¡¯s obvious you want a name more than anyone. ¡°Where¡¯s your answer?¡± she repeated. The maid started to shake her head, but Miyako used her fingers to hold the maid¡¯s jaw in place and faced her. ¡°Silly maid, ¡®yes, sir¡¯ doesn¡¯t have to be an affirmation. Here in Japan, it works as a denial too, so feel free to use it.¡± ¡°Y-yes, sir.¡± Miyako nodded, let go, and reached into her pocket. She pulled out a pile of documents made from strange sheets that were clearly not paper. They had data on the maids engraved into them. In fact, they contained all the information on the 63 maids that Moira 1st had supplied the night before. Miyako had memorized the information during the night. She had done some teaching work in college and she had found that learning people¡¯s names helped calm her down and helped relax the other person as well. That was why she pulled out the documents but faced forward without looking through them. This maid was 13th, but Miyako did not use that number. She instead picked up the seeds from the pot the maid held. The white flowerpot contained a flower seed packet bought at a flower shop and that packet had a picture of purple flowers on it. Miyako held up the packet and looked to the right. On one end of the empty land was Aigaion who wore his greengrocer apron and some bandages. He currently had a large pile of flowerpots at his feet. When he had returned at midday, he had said ¡°we failed¡±, but he had brought everything she had asked for. Feeling thankful, Miyako turned back toward the maid. ¡°That guy bought these and he made sure they¡¯re all different.¡± She held the seeds out toward 13th and asked a question. ¡°So why did you choose these?¡± ¡°Yes, sir¡­¡± ¡°When everyone was distributing them, you refused to join in, you hesitated even when invited, and you simply took the last one left, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, sir¡­¡± ¡°Was this a leftover?¡± ¡°Yes, sir¡­¡± ¡°If so, were you the one that made it a leftover?¡± ¡°Yes, sir¡­¡± All of her responses were identical, so Miyako felt she was repeating the same decision in her head. Miyako did not know how the individual automatons gained their individuality, but 13th understood she was the reserved one of the group and was trying to hold herself back to keep it that way. ¡­This is not the time for that. So Miyako asked a question. ¡°Do you not like this flower? Does the name scare you?¡¯ ¡°Yes, sir¡­¡± ¡°Is that because you chose it as the last one left? And is it because you are inferior?¡± ¡°Yes, sir¡­¡± ¡°Really? Did you really choose this one because there was no other option? Are you really not suited for this name?¡± ¡°Yes, sir¡­¡± ¡°I see.¡± Miyako nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s throw out this leftover and unsuitable name.¡± ¡°!¡± The instant Miyako let go of the seeds, 13th reflexively reached out and grabbed the seed packet. The automaton brought the packet to her chest as if embracing it, trembled, and looked at Miyako with obvious caution. ¡°I see.¡± Miyako nodded again. ¡°You were lying when you said you didn¡¯t want it, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s you answer!?¡± ¡°Y-yes, sir.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Miyako rested her elbow on the hoe¡¯s handle. ¡°Then let me ask again. You don¡¯t like that flower, do you?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, sir.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t want to choose it, did you? You feel it¡¯s wasted on you, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, sir¡­¡± ¡°But you still think it came to you, don¡¯t you? Even if you think the name doesn¡¯t suit you, you¡¯re thankful for it and you want to make it suit you. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± She was repeating the same words, but the strength behind them was changing. Miyako smiled. ¡°I fell into old habits and spoke a tad harsher than I should have. Sorry about that.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, sir?¡± The maid¡¯s tilt of the head deepened Miyako¡¯s smile and Miyako placed her fist over the hands holding the seeds to the maid¡¯s chest. ¡°Listen. That flower¡¯s name is Violet. It means ¡®modesty¡¯ in the language of flowers. That¡¯s the name that came to you. If you choose to trust in that name, then use it as your own.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The blank look on the automaton¡¯s face did not mean she was indecisive. It meant she was truly unable to make the decision. So Miyako gave a shout to awaken the one who had been given the name of that flower. ¡°Where¡¯s your answer!?¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Hearing that, Miyako raised the hoe and slammed it down. It created a clear noise as it gouged into the ground. ¡°Everyone, over here! I will once more teach you the names you¡¯ve chosen! And from now on, even after I¡¯ve left, take care of yourselves instead of waiting for some princess to arrive! And take care of the names that have come to you!¡± Moira 1st smiled at the voices down below. She turned toward the back of the room where a maid stood hidden behind the window¡¯s vertical blinds. ¡°Moira 2nd.¡± Moira 2nd turned her blue eyes toward Moira 1st and tilted her head. Moira 1st approached the window and used her gaze to ask what was going on. Down below, Miyako was explaining how to plant the seeds. Moira 3rd stood next to her and she must have done something because Miyako karate chopped her head. Laughter rose from below. ¡°We don¡¯t use that function very often.¡± Moira 1st looked toward Moira 2nd and found the ends of her eyebrows slightly lowered. ¡°I think we can trust her.¡± But Moira 2nd shook her head. In response to her younger sister¡¯s denial, the elder sister placed a hand on her cheek and sighed. ¡°It is true that you might not be able to think about this like I do. The ability you were given means you must be the closest one to the princess. I erase memories and 3rd creates new ones, but you view child string vibrations. You are the Moira meant to manage the princess¡¯s health.¡± Moira 2nd said nothing, but Moira 1st continued. ¡°Is it that hard to forget the other princesses who have come here? Is it that hard to forget the ones who feared us when they learned we were automatons, who wished to return to Low-Gear as soon as possible, and who did not even try to leave this room? Is it that hard to forget the ones who did not call for you? And¡­¡± And¡­ ¡°Do you still insist on remaining silent because you were not given the opportunity to work when you wanted to?¡± The question was quiet but not hesitant. Moira 2nd closed her eyes while facing out the window. Moira 1st lowered the ends of her eyebrows. Suddenly, someone appeared at the room¡¯s entrance and Moira 1st turned toward her. ¡°Lady Gyes. If you¡¯ve returned, you should get some rest.¡± ¡°I have a new job thanks to information from Moira 2nd.¡± Moira 1st saw Moira 2nd¡¯s expression stiffen, but that younger sister did not reply. She kept her eyes closed and her mouth shut. Moira 1st reached out and grabbed her sister¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Moira 2nd, what did you tell her?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t scold her, Moira 1st. This is important.¡± ¡°It is important for us too. Have you forgotten our raison d¡¯¨ºtre!?¡± shouted Moira 1st while still holding her sister¡¯s shoulders. ¡°A 3rd-Gear woman might have fallen into some other Gear during the Concept War. If we find one, we need to teach her 3rd-Gear¡¯s history and stabilize her body. That is why we three sisters were created in order to safeguard 3rd-Gear¡¯s fate. And Lord Cronus once told us this.¡± She took a breath. ¡°We are to support the Concept War¡¯s surviving world even if it is filled with those of another Gear. We are to make no decision that will cause even one of them to be lost!¡± ¡°Even if that princess of yours might be from UCAT!?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Moira 1st froze in place, so Moira 2nd gently grabbed her hands and raised them. Moira 1st saw her sister look out the window with opened eyes. ¡°According to Moira 2nd, that princess is a pure-blooded member of 2nd-Gear. We also have some internal UCAT information thanks to a certain information broker. Tsukuyomi Miyako is most likely the daughter of Tsukuyomi Shizuru, director of Japanese UCAT¡¯s development department. She is part of 2nd-Gear¡¯s imperial family! She might be giving names to those mass-produced models in order to control them through their names as a member 2nd-Gear!¡± ¡°I have determined there are too many uncertain factors in that information. For example, her mother belonging to UCAT does not mean she does.¡± ¡°True.¡± Gyes crossed her arms and entered the room. ¡°That is why I¡¯m suggesting giving her a test. Last night, you gave her as much information as you were allowed. And just now, Lord Apollo discussed something with me.¡± ¡°What did you discuss?¡± ¡°He suggested letting her leave even though the automatons like her and even though she has her memories.¡± Gyes nodded. ¡°Lord Apollo knows nothing, not even that she is a descendent of 2nd-Gear, but if she takes him up on his offer and tries to leave the concept space¡­¡± Gyes walked toward the window and looked at Aigaion down below. ¡°Aigaion and I will dispose of her. We must eliminate that possibility of danger.¡± ¡°So that is the conclusion of a combat automaton.¡± Moira 1st could make no sense of it, so she remained motionless for several seconds. Eventually, her stalled brain abandoned that line of thinking and produced a different thought from her memories. She recalled her conversation with Miyako the day before. Moira 1st trusted that Miyako would not run away. She took a breath, turned toward Moira 2nd and Gyes, and used the breath to adjust her control mechanism. ¡°Fine then,¡± she said. ¡°I know what Lady Miyako would say to this test: if you want to test me, go right ahead, but make sure you¡¯re suitably prepared.¡± ¡°You certainly have grown fond of Low-Gear.¡± ¡°I tested her and received something suitable in exchange.¡± Moira 1st brought her hands to her chest and smiled. ¡°She did not flee, she tried to learn about us, and she made sure to keep in mind her position here. Because of all that, I made a brand new decision to trust her even more. My payment for testing her was my obedience and the use of functions I rarely use.¡± Moira 1st smiled again, but unlike before, this smile was filled with confidence. She looked down below and saw a blond figure approaching Miyako and the maids who were moving the pots to a sunny spot. The figure was Apollo. He raised a hand in greeting and Miyako used the hoe as a cane with an annoyed look. Moira 1st watched Miyako ask a question and Apollo scratch his head. ¡°I hope you are prepared, Lady Gyes. And Moira 2nd, if you really do not trust Lady Miyako, then go down there and see what she is doing. Go see that and learn what possibilities Low-Gear holds.¡± Volume 6, 17: Afternoon Space Volume 6, Chapter 17: Afternoon Space Where is that which you seek? Where is the one who you seek? Three mountain ranges existed to the west of Tokyo. The Okutama mountain range was the farthest north, the Akigawa valley travelled south from the Okutama hills to Akigawa, and the Hachioji and Takao mountain range was south of the Akigawa valley. A highway travelled east to west deep in the mountains of Hachioji. A major road ran through the southern part of Hachioji to allow passage to Kanagawa, so it was a convenient area for transportation despite being mountainous. Long ago, Hachioji had been well known for its many spinning factories. Afterwards, other industries had prospered, but the remains of the obsolete factories still existed in the mountains. One such factory was hidden in the mountains yet was built on a large plot of land. Despite being abandoned, both the land and the road leading to it were maintained. At the time of day when the afternoon sun permeated the mountain with heat and the cries of cicadas filled the air, a small figure stepped onto the old factory¡¯s land. She was a girl wearing a short-sleeved safari dress and a straw hat. She held a large wicker basket in her right hand as she entered the empty land in front of the factory. As she did, she raised her left hand with a chain around the middle finger. The end of the chain fell down toward her palm and contained a blue stone. She looked around to make sure no one else was around and stepped forward. ¡ªMinerals are alive. An instant later, her surroundings had completely changed. The crying of the cicadas was gone and the air smelled faintly of oil. ¡°¡­¡± Most noticeable of all, the factory before her was no longer abandoned. It was just as well-used, but it was clearly still in use. Heat-resistant boards were laid out around the building and a large number of people in work uniforms were sitting around in the building¡¯s shadow. The tape in an old cassette player was playing a radio recording from the previous night. The DJ giving his recollection of the Showa era provided background noise as the elderly work supervisor gave his own commentary to the younger workers. The girl jogged toward the factory¡¯s large main entrance that stood open, but she turned toward the building¡¯s shade before entering. ¡°I made some snacks.¡± The workers raised their hands in joy, but the elderly supervisor stood up. ¡°Shino-san, hot tea is best when it¡¯s hot. Do you have any? These guys need it most. I can¡¯t have them getting too exhausted.¡± ¡°Yes. I had a feeling you would say that.¡± The younger workers gave groans of protest, but the old supervisor quieted them down with a glare. Shino smiled at all of them. ¡°I also have some cold drinks.¡± ¡°Shino-san, don¡¯t spoil them. They¡¯re already too slow as it is.¡± ¡°Sometimes you need to relax.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right,¡± agreed the young workers with smiles. Shino set down the basket, pulled out what she had made, and placed it on a sheet she spread out. She set down some honey-preserved lemons and bottles of frozen sports drinks. The candy was homemade. She also had peanut butter sandwiches that were a tad small but would feel like plenty to someone with an empty stomach. But the main attraction was the tea and the youkan. Shino sliced up the latter, but the young workers began reaching in before she was done and the old supervisor raised his voice. ¡°Don¡¯t be greedy, you brats! And the bottom edge belongs to Shiho-san. Don¡¯t you dare touch it.¡± She smiled bitterly and used her daily experience to neatly divide it even for an odd number of people. With the eagerly waiting workers behind her, she stuck a toothpick into each piece of youkan. ¡°Ah.¡± Something arrived on four running legs. It was a dog. The large white dog was as tall as her waist and it ran over impatiently. ¡°Shiro.¡± The dog playfully rubbed up against her head. It happily pushed her around and pressed against her, but the surrounding workers all stopped moving. She followed their gazes and looked at her feet. A shadow stretched out at her crouched feet, but only her shadow. A closer look at Shiro showed the dog was slightly transparent. Shino then looked toward her own chest. The chain hanging from her neck spilled from her collar and to her chest. A blue stone was attached to the chain and it was currently giving off a blue light. ¡°That¡¯s a troubling light, Shino-san,¡± said the old supervisor. ¡°But he likes you, so don¡¯t be cruel.¡± Shino smiled with the ends of her eyebrows lowered. ¡°I can communicate with and give form to minds of various types. This is the power I inherited, so it doesn¡¯t bother me. And Shiro will come for me even if I don¡¯t call for him. Like he did that one time.¡± Shino turned toward the entrance to the factory grounds. Beyond the border of the concept space was a gate in the real world. The gate was opened, but a stone lay next to the road and to one side of the gate. The oblong stone was about the size of a weight stone used for pickling and covered in moss, but a water dish and flowers were placed in front of it. ¡°When we first let him out of here, I was so excited to be his owner that I ran right out into the road. And then¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, Shino-san. Shiro is still alive. This is his home and your surroundings are his territory.¡± ¡°Yes. I still remember what Mikoku promised me back then.¡± She smiled toward the ground. ¡°She promised to one day¡­one day create a world that can conquer death.¡± She reached a hand over Shiro¡¯s shoulder and the dog licked it. She could feel the lick, but she knew it was nothing more than the power of her stone. The dog¡¯s form was created by the concept power that the stone produced through her. ¡°Sometimes I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯m using this power on all of you as well.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Shino-san. Sometimes you make food that isn¡¯t very good, but you can tell when you see these guy¡¯s faces, can¡¯t you? If you were controlling us with your concept, we¡¯d always be happy with the food.¡± She and Shiro looked back and saw awkward looks on a few of the workers¡¯ faces. Not knowing how to react, she smiled bitterly and they did the same. ¡°Um¡­ When that happens, please scold me. I¡¯ll feel better that way.¡± ¡°But¡­uh¡­ We couldn¡¯t possibly¡­ Oh, supervisor! You eat the food too, so you can do it!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. I was born during the war. It¡¯d take a lot for me to complain about the food. Also¡­¡± He looked to the east. The city of Takao was visible through the trees and the city of Hachioji was wrapped in a bit of heat haze even further along. ¡°She¡¯s the adoptive daughter of the people who took me and this factory in after it looked like there was no hope left. If she served me poison, I¡¯d eat it.¡± ¡°Supervisor! You say that, but you always make sure you¡¯re first in line after Shino-san for the youkan!¡± ¡°Pay attention, you fools. My diabetes test came back positive. I¡¯m risking my life here.¡± ¡°U-um, supervisor? That¡¯s actually really serious.¡± Shino began wondering if she could make a low-sugar youkan. While he continued looking toward Hachioji, a smile appeared on the corner of the supervisor¡¯s mouth. ¡°Well, however it happened, this is funny. This factory is almost entirely filled with people from other worlds and I¡¯m the only one from this world. My family thinks I just like messing around with old junk,¡± he said. ¡°Anyway, Shino-san, did you know that Hachioji, this city west of Tokyo, was bombed during World War Two?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Strange, isn¡¯t it? With all the spinning factories, it was pouring smoke into the air as it made cloth during the war. But that must¡¯ve made them look like military factories. In the early morning of August 2, 1945, 170 B-29s dropped 67,000 napalm bombs and killed more than 400 people. Over eighty percent of the city was burned away.¡± The old supervisor reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. He lit a match despite the fuel and oil tanks around him. ¡°And that¡¯s not all. On August 5 when the evacuation train was restarted after the bombing, it was hit by a Grumman air raid on the Takao tunnel. They sprayed machinegun fire on the crowded train and killed about 900.¡± As he spoke calmly, he breathed in the cigarette smoke and exhaled. ¡°But even after all that, no real help came. Not even from that special unit in Okutama.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°After hearing about them from Hajji, I realized they might have been able to do something with the concept powers they had. I know I¡¯m just complaining and I have a family now, but I still think there needs to be some kind of protest.¡± He smiled and grabbed the cigarette. ¡°Don¡¯t tell Mikoku. She might not look it, but that girl can be too considerate.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that as long as you don¡¯t say anything.¡± Shino stood up and stroked Shiro¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯d like you to show me around Hachioji sometime.¡± ¡°These youngsters could introduce you to some better places. Unless you want people to think you¡¯re looking after your grandfather or something.¡± The supervisor pointed toward the back of the building. ¡°More importantly, Mikoku is over there. She¡¯s training with Tatsumi before heading to Kurashiki tonight. Such nonsense.¡± ¡°What about Alex?¡± ¡°His weapons haven¡¯t been attached yet, but he should be ready. He¡¯ll make it in time to get what you¡¯re after. If all these youngsters actually do their job, that is.¡± The younger workers groaned in protest, but he spoke over them. ¡°At any rate, we¡¯ve waited ten years for this. The Army is finally beginning to move.¡± The green of the trees was almost blue. The sun could be seen descending beyond the trees, but the brightness of that summer sunlight had not waned. Two figures stood in the forest¡¯s harsh contrast of light and shadow. A young man in white led the way. His long blond hair waved behind him as he walked through the forest without breaking a sweat. A woman with semi-long black hair followed him. She frowned and had the bottom of her white clothes tied to the side. ¡°Hey, rich boy,¡± she called out to the man. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± ¡°Well, you see.¡± He stopped and did not turn toward her. ¡°Miyako, I am letting you escape.¡± ¡°What?¡± Miyako stopped behind him, but he checked to either side regardless. ¡°This isn¡¯t easy. The maids might be watching from somewhere.¡± ¡°And if they are?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll scold me.¡± He turned toward her and smiled, but Miyako could tell he was lying. The smile did not reach his eyes. There had to be more to this. They had automatons who could erase memories, supply memories, and control gravity. That had to be kept a secret and that applied to their master as well. ¡­If I¡¯m spotted escaping, I¡¯d be the only one punished. Then why was he checking their surroundings? Realizing why he was doing it, she clicked her tongue. ¡°Thanks, rich boy.¡± ¡°Pease call me Apollo, Miyako. You gave the automatons names, yet you are still referring to me by a title for nobles.¡± ¡°Rich boy isn¡¯t a title for nobles.¡± ¡°Really?¡± He placed a hand on his forehead. ¡°But the common language concept is telling me it refers to the son of a wealthy family.¡± ¡°There¡¯s sometimes a hidden nuance to words. But if you don¡¯t get it, I suppose it doesn¡¯t really matter.¡± ¡°If you say so.¡± His eyes bent in a smile. What a nonthreatening idiot, she thought. Well, I guess it¡¯s better than an idiot who¡¯s always looking around suspiciously like me. She had a feeling Moira 1st and the others did not refer to him as ¡°lord¡± simply out of obligation. ¡­At the very least, I don¡¯t feel like deceiving him. She sighed inwardly. ¡°So what made you feel so sorry for me that you¡¯re letting me escape?¡± ¡°To put it simply, you¡¯re too much trouble.¡± He gave his mouth-only smile once more. That¡¯s a lie, she thought, but she made sure not to let her thoughts show. ¡°That¡¯s not a surprise.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I ignored your intentions and gave names to your maids. I can¡¯t complain if you kick me out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you understand.¡± Apollo¡¯s face looked somehow pale. It may have simply been the shadows of the trees. After all, they had only walked around a small mountain. It had not been enough for her to be out of breath and he was a man. ¡­I¡¯m worrying too much. ¡°So how do I get out of here?¡± ¡°This concept space has a weakened boundary. The farther out you go, the weaker the concept gets. The life of machines should be fairly weak here. The final line is a few meters ahead.¡± Apollo pulled a metal rod from his cloak. He swung it and it extended into a staff. ¡°To break through that line, hold this and walk straight through.¡± ¡°Oh? But, um, I left all my stuff here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have your¡­is this a change purse?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. That¡¯s every last yen I own.¡± ¡°My apologies. This world uses paper money, doesn¡¯t it? It must not have many resources.¡± ¡°You must not have many brain cells. Watch carefully. If you take this bill and fold the part with the face like this and then like this¡­ Look, from below he¡¯s smiling and from above he¡¯s crying.¡± She held it out and Apollo stared intently at it. ¡°¡­¡± After a while, he turned around and his shoulders shook. That was a complete failure, she thought to herself. ¡°If you want to laugh at my stupidity, don¡¯t hold back, you idiot.¡± ¡°Th-that isn¡¯t it. I was just realizing how soft Low-Gear¡¯s culture is.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re trying to be tactful, try harder. And I had more possessions than just this.¡± ¡°Yes, I have the rest too. Here is your underwea- gfh!!¡± Miyako stepped forward, elbowed him in the side, and swiped the two pieces of white cloth. She clenched her back teeth and spat words at the curled-up and cloaked back. ¡°I see Sun God Apollo is just as perverted as the myths say.¡± ¡°Is that what you say about me in this world?¡± ¡°Yeah, and that you got along a little too well with your sister. Have you never heard of morals?¡± ¡°3rd-Gear had no other choice. I was the only one left with the ability to have children, so I attempted to do so with many different women, extracted their concepts and wills into the Concept Core, and turned them into gods of war. ¡­It was all on my father¡¯s instructions.¡± ¡°You just do what your superiors tell you to do?¡± she spat back. Miyako sighed inwardly. ¡­We¡¯re a lot alike, so I¡¯m not one to talk. In fact, I didn¡¯t even get to the point of having superiors telling me what to do. I was rejected at the interview. But Apollo did not protest. He only lowered the ends of his eyebrows and stood up. ¡°Family was not off limits, so Artemis was indeed tested at the very end.¡± The phrase ¡°at the very end¡± caught Miyako¡¯s attention. She wondered why he would save his sister for last. ¡­Normally, wouldn¡¯t you test someone that important before anyone else so they would not be taken from you? No¡­ ¡­Was he afraid of finding out it wouldn¡¯t work? She felt bad for speculating about this. Moira 1st had not told her what had become of Artemis. Zeus and the others had taken back Rhea¡¯s daughter, split the Concept Core in two, given one half to Typhon, and given one half to Typhon¡¯s weapon named Keravnos. But Keravnos had been stolen in an attack by Low-Gear. With half the Concept Core gone, 3rd-Gear had been destroyed. She did not know what had happened to Artemis, but she did not seem to be around anymore. ¡°I don¡¯t really understand everything, but do your best for your sister¡¯s sake too.¡± ¡°I will.¡± A weak smile formed on only Apollo¡¯s lips. He¡¯s lying, she realized again. She did not know why he was lying, but she knew that smile indicated a lie. She considered asking further, but he was trying to have her leave. She decided not to pursue the truth because she might be nothing more than a brief visitor here. ¡°But what will you do from now on?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°Hold up. How can this place last with a master like that? You can use that giant white god of war, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one piloting it.¡± ¡°Then who is? Aren¡¯t you the only human in that base?¡± ¡°Even so, I¡¯m not the one piloting it.¡± ¡°I see,¡± she said with a nod. All of them were tightlipped about Typhon. She was not going to receive an answer by asking about it here, so she sighed. ¡°Well, you¡¯ll be fighting people from my world, won¡¯t you? And you won¡¯t stop if I ask you to.¡± ¡°No. We have our reasons. As I¡¯m sure you are aware.¡± Hearing that, Miyako asked about something she was curious about. ¡°Is your opponent Rhea¡¯s child?¡± After a short pause, Apollo nodded. There was no smile on his lips, so Miyako believed him. Silence followed. That quiet gave her an urge to run away. She sensed that, unlike him, she belonged to a world that knew nothing of fighting. She opened her mouth and made a joke. ¡°So if you win, will you marry her?¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose so.¡± Miyako frowned because it sounded like he had only just realized that fact. ¡°You¡¯ve never thought about it before? How can you continue on if you don¡¯t think about things like that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one fighting. I suppose it was due to relying on someone else that I had not thought about it much. ¡­But this is a bit of a problem. I had been thinking about moving somewhere else once we won this fight.¡± He looked out toward the city of Kurashiki. ¡°There are even more cities, mountains, and oceans beyond this city, aren¡¯t there?¡± ¡°Of course there are.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He looked relieved. ¡°My grandfather told me this was a large world. I¡¯d like to see those things first. I want to see the world with the morning sun washing over me. Having a wife by my side would make it even better.¡± ¡°Stop getting lost in fantasy. Isn¡¯t that only if you win?¡± ¡°Yes. And our opponent is strong.¡± He went on to ask a question. ¡°Did you see Typhon and that black god of war fight?¡± A certain scene appeared from Miyako¡¯s memories. Typhon passed by the black god of war in the sky. Typhon suddenly changed its location and launched an attack on the other machine. In the end, the black god of war had attacked with lightning, but Typhon had endured it. ¡°Is that black one really that dangerous an opponent?¡± ¡°It is just as powerful as Typhon. Although from a purely mechanical perspective, Typhon is stronger.¡± ¡°Then the black one can¡¯t win,¡± she said while scratching at her head. Try to sound more disappointed, she thought to herself. But Apollo narrowed his eyes. ¡°It might be able to win.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good question. I don¡¯t actually know. But my grandfather told me to leave everything to Low-Gear if Typhon is ever defeated by that black god of war.¡± ¡°The old man liked riddles, didn¡¯t he? I don¡¯t like it. So what are you supposed to do? If that black god of war defeats Typhon and kills you, is 3rd-Gear just gonna sell itself to Low-Gear?¡± ¡­Don¡¯t be ridiculous. ¡°There won¡¯t be any 3rd-Gear people left.¡± ¡°There is still Rhea¡¯s daughter,¡± he pointed out. ¡°Rhea defected to Low-Gear! She joined this world. To us, that black god of war is the giant hero that faces the giant mechs of an evil organization.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what that means, but it is true that she is officially known as a resident of your world. But¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± She purposefully let her displeasure show and Apollo continued slowly. ¡°At the moment, that black god of war cannot possibly defeat Typhon and this will all be settled before long. I want to win if I can and we are currently in a position to win. Is there a problem with that?¡± ¡°No, you idiot. And if that¡¯s your conclusion, why¡¯d you even have to say the black one might win and start this whole argument in the first place? Stop confusing the issue and keep things simple. Say the other side¡¯s strong, but it isn¡¯t a problem.¡± ¡­Ahh, why am I lecturing this idiot? She frowned and looked Apollo in the eye. He looked back with a serious expression. His eyes were the same yellow as Typhon¡¯s eyes the other night, but the emotion there was different now. What had that emotion been? She had a feeling Apollo knew the answer. ¡°Well, whatever. If I stay here arguing against your rich boy thought process, I¡¯ll be here all day. ¡­You want me to leave, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The seriousness left his face and a smile formed on his lips. ¡°I won¡¯t force you, though. You were enjoying yourself while escaping reality with the maids, weren¡¯t you?¡± Those words triggered her rebellious side and her hand moved reflexively. She snatched the metal staff from him and turned her back. ¡­Dammit. If she walked forward with this staff, it would all be over. Her clothes were ridiculous and she wore sandals instead of shoes, but she had underwear and her wallet. If she bought a T-shirt or something, she would look fine enough. If anyone looked at her oddly, she was used to getting people to back away with a glare. ¡­It¡¯s time to leave. She let out a snort toward the man behind her and began walking. After the first step, her body naturally started forward. There was no excess strength or guilt in her gait, so she gave a sigh of relief and continued forward. She hesitated a bit when she thought about Moira 1st. When giving the maids their names, she had been trying to make a nice change to their environment. ¡­But that was an unneeded bother for their master. She decided to leave. A strange conflict involved the master of this place and he did not seem to want her getting involved. She recalled her continuing attempts to find a job. Right up until the last moment, she would think about the things to do if she joined that company, but she always left before it really started. This is the same thing, she complained in her heart. Apollo did not follow behind her. That irritated her, so she quickened her pace. But¡­ ¡°¡­¡± She suddenly stopped. ¡­What am I doing? That thought began with her right hand holding the staff. She felt heat in that hand. During the day, she had repeatedly swung down the hoe. The heat in her grip was similar to pain. She had used the hoe to dig up some dirt, placed the dirt in the pots, and planted the seeds the automatons had taken their names from. Their pots were now lined up along the southern edge of the white building. She had been a part of all that. ¡°¡­¡± ¡­Can I really just leave? ¡°Na?ve¡±, ¡°child¡¯s play¡±, and other terms people had constantly said to her floated up in her mind. But her focus shifted to the pain in her hand. ¡­I managed to accomplish something, didn¡¯t I? The automatons had taken their names and wanted her to use them. To record them perfectly, it was apparently best to have a trustworthy person use the name. The approximately sixty faces she had memorized the night before had been matched to as many names. The first automaton to be given its name, Violet, had then asked for her name. She had once more answered ¡°Miyako¡±. Her father had given her that name so that a great many people would gather around her.[1] She thought about her own name and the name the automatons had started calling her. ¡­Well? ¡°Was I¡­?¡± ¡­Was I trying to escape my name? ¡°¡­¡± It took her a moment to answer. Many different thoughts appeared in her mind, but she discarded them in an instant. She was good at cutting through to a clear answer. She was also good at regretting and forgetting. She turned her stopped feet backwards. She frowned, clenched her teeth, and likely had a terribly grim expression, but she knew that was to hide her true thoughts. And even if she tried to hide it, she did have true thoughts behind it. So she made a certain decision. ¡­I¡¯ll stay here. ¡°There has to be something I¡¯ve left undone.¡± She turned around to say something to Apollo. He was trying to have her leave, so she wanted to somehow gain his permission to stay. But she saw something unexpected. ¡°Wait.¡± He was sitting on the ground where he had been standing a moment before. It looked like he had sunk down into the grass and he did not seem to be breathing. ¡°What are you doing, you idiot?¡± She walked, ran, and hurried over while tossing aside the metal staff. ¡­What¡¯s going on? Weren¡¯t only machines supposed to grow weak by the concept space¡¯s boundary? She ran over and hurriedly sat next to him. He was sweating profusely, his breathing was shallow, and his face was almost completely white. She had not been seeing things when he had looked pale earlier. ¡°You idiot.¡± As soon as she spoke, she felt as if all strength left her legs. ¡°Ah?¡± She looked down and the grassy ground was shaking. In that instant, she noticed that she and Apollo were near the edge of a cliff in the forest. And the ground was crumbling out from under them and toward the slope. ¡°¡­!¡± She fell. A certain wooden room was about six square meters, had shelves of baskets on the wall, and had a scale and refrigerator. The refrigerator said ¡°Tamiya Family Property ¨C No Modifications¡± on the side. This was the changing room for the Tamiya house¡¯s men¡¯s bath. The clock on top of the shelves said 5:50 PM. A figure entered through the sliding door to the right of the clock. It was Shinjou. She held a blue yukata and wore her school uniform. ¡°Um¡­¡± She looked around to make sure the room was empty and then opened the frosted glass door to the bath. She saw a tiled bath beyond the warm and humid air. The washing area was about six square meters and the fairly deep tub was just as large. The washing area had four faucets and showers, so she assumed the bath was usually used in shifts of four. ¡°Does your average house have a bath like this?¡± She was only familiar with the large bath for UCAT employees and the even larger public bath named Eternal Sunflower, so she did not know how to judge the Tamiya family¡¯s bathing space. ¡­I never expected to spend the night here. It was due to the destruction of Hiba¡¯s house. Izumo and Hiba were staying in Sayama and Shinjou¡¯s dorm room while Mikage and Kazami stayed in Izumo and Kazami¡¯s dorm room. Someone had suggested letting Hiba and Mikage share a room, but the first term had only just ended and a lot of students had yet to return home. Izumo and Sayama had discussed it and reached the following conclusion. ¡°It¡¯d start rumors if a first year and a blonde were seen entering the room of someone as well-known for his idiocy as Sayama.¡± ¡°You fool. If they were seen entering the room of a certain violent couple, people would think it was some new kind of bedroom play.¡± From there, they had all settled on the current arrangement. Mikage had looked discouraged which bothered Shinjou, but she had seemed to calm down a bit once Izumo had given her a diary from the things collected beneath the destroyed house. When Shinjou imagined the diary as being like her binder, she felt a sense of relief. ¡­Everyone has something like that, don¡¯t they? ¡°Yeah,¡± she said before closing the glass door to the deserted bath. She went around to all the clothes baskets just in case, but they were all empty. There was truly no one in the bath. Kouji and the others were in the kitchen preparing dinner for the night shift. She and Sayama had eaten early and Sayama had gone to the living room to read the newspaper, but he had disappeared at some point. If she wanted to safely take a bath, this was her chance. After all, this house was always under the influence of Sayama space. She needed to quickly finish her bath and get to sleep early in preparation for the training camp the next day. She reached to the other side of the sliding door and placed a sign saying ¡°in use by guest¡± on the outside column. After that, she silently removed her clothes. She removed her shirt, pants, underwear, and socks to reveal her skin. Setsu¡¯s body appeared from below the clothing. She reached for a towel, loosely embraced her chest, and continued on. She opened the door to the steamy space. ¡°Wow.¡± The steam was much thicker than in the large baths she was used to and she quickly started sweating. The sun was still setting outside the window. She could not see that light in the usual larger baths. She checked that the window was locked to ensure no one could peep and even checked the corners of the bath for hidden cameras. She had the place to herself. ¡­Yay. She crouched down as if covering her body with the steam and pulled over a nearby bath bucket. ¡°Hm?¡± It was quite heavy because it was already filled with water. She had not seen anyone in the bath, yet the water was warm. Wondering why, she observed more closely. Something familiar was floating in the bucket: Baku. The small animal was practicing its flutter kick with its front paws on the edge of the bucket. Shinjou frowned at the quiet splashing sounds. She looked around and even up at the ceiling, but¡­ ¡°His owner isn¡¯t here.¡± Is Baku playing here on his own? she wondered. Whatever the case, Sayama was definitely not here and she did not have time to hesitate. ¡°I need to finish my bath.¡± She spoke aloud to herself, grabbed a different bath bucket, and leaned out over the tub. She looked down and her eyes met with Sayama¡¯s as he lay face up at the bottom of the tub. ¡°¡­¡± Noticing her from the light blue tiles below the water, he raised a hand. She even saw his mouth move as if giving a casual greeting. ¡°W-waaah!!¡± Sayama responded to her shout by swiftly rising up and out of the water. Steam and water shot into the air and he brushed up his hair with his left hand. ¡°Phew. Why did you shout, Shinjou-kun? Did you see something strange?¡± ¡°Look in a mirror before asking that!¡± Sayama turned toward the mirror on the bath¡¯s side wall and then frowned. ¡°I see. So that is the problem.¡± After his nonsensical comment, he fixed his wet bangs. He posed in front of the mirror, fixed his hair further, and then checked the shape of his face from an angle. ¡°That should be back to normal. You are surprisingly picky about appearances, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± She nodded and smiled. ¡°Um, Sayama-kun? I¡¯ve discovered a fascinating new fact: you are insane!¡± ¡°This certainly is sudden. Calm down, Shinjou-kun. We can work out this misunderstanding. Do you have a question about something?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not mention it for my sanity¡¯s sake, but¡­why were you submerged at the bottom of the bath?¡± ¡°Oh, that.¡± He raised his right arm to show off the UCAT watch on his wrist. ¡°I have been training my lung capacity since I was quite young. I am still a long ways off from my best time.¡± ¡°Since you were quite young?¡± ¡°Yes. I used to compete with my grandfather. He would say I could not come out until I had counted to one hundred and then that horrible old man would hold my head under the water until I almost died. Later when he was submerged, I dumped in a bunch of detergent to sterilize him. The scene of him rampaging around in the bubbles was straight out of a monster movie. ¡­Old people these days are all so horrible. Fortunately, their numbers were recently reduced by one.¡± ¡°I think someone is quickly growing into a decent replacement for him.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Do not worry. I am from a much higher caste than him.¡± Shinjou felt that was reason enough to worry, but then he asked another question. ¡°Is there anything else you wish me to explain?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Well, your clothes weren¡¯t in the changing room. ¡°How very strange. I put them in the refrigerator like always.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®like always¡¯!?¡± ¡°It says ¡®Tamiya Family Property¡¯, doesn¡¯t it? It actually functions as a safe. It used to be in the kitchen, but the key was lost for half a year. The contents were a sight to behold after that, let me tell you.¡± ¡°Okay, I think I understand the situation. ¡­I was wrong to expect common sense from you inside the Sayama space.¡± She turned her back, realizing it was all over. She could not take a bath now. She also decided to be cautious around the refrigerators in the house. With that decided, her smile began to look forced. But then a figure appeared through the glass door leading into the bath. Shinjou only saw the color of flesh with a pink towel wrapped around it. ¡°Yahoo, Setsu-chan? I¡¯m here to wash your back.¡± ¡°Eh? Ryouko-san?¡± As Shinjou spoke up in confusion, a small wind suddenly wrapped around her. In no time, her body changed into Sadame. ¡°¡­!¡± She gasped just as the door began to open. She frantically grabbed the frosted glass door to prevent Ryouko from opening it. ¡°Huh? Does this door not fit the frame right?¡± ¡°Th-that isn¡¯t the problem! U-um, Sayama-kun!! Sayama-kun, um¡­!¡± ¡°What is it, Shinjou-kun. It is only Ryouko. There is no need to put up such a struggle.¡± ¡°No need? B-but we can¡¯t let her see us!¡± Ryouko reacted to that shout. ¡°Setsu-chan? What do you mean you can¡¯t let me see you? Are the two of you doing something amazing?¡± ¡­A misunderstanding! How am I supposed to explain this? No, I have to avoid explaining it. She had difficulty determining her priorities for various things and grew indecisive. ¡°Eh? Um, that isn¡¯t it. You see¡­ Why are you just watching, Sayama-kun!?¡± ¡°Lately, I have been wondering if I am being unintentionally rude to you, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Th-this is no time to suddenly become considerate. Stop watching and get over here!¡± ¡°Ooh! I want to see, too! Let me in!!¡± Ryouko began shaking the door like a monkey, but Shinjou endured. ¡°Ahh, Sayama-kun! Please grab on! Grab on and help me!¡± ¡°If you wish,¡± she heard him say. A moment later, his hands firmly grabbed on¡­to her butt. He firmly gripped her with fingers warmed from soaking in the bath and he spoke calmly. ¡°Shinjou-kun, I have grabbed on, but what should I do now? You asked me to help, but there is not much I can do from this position.¡± ¡°Sayama-kun, this is one of those unintentional things you were just mentioning. ¡­Ahh! Stop it, Ryouko-san!¡± As she shouted, new footsteps approached the changing room and the door leading into it slid open. ¡°Sister! What are you doing in the men¡¯s bath!?¡± ¡°Hm? You have to ask, Kouji? I want to wash Setsu-chan¡¯s back.¡± ¡°You do know Setsu-kun is a boy, right? And he is not a part of our family.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Kouji you little scamp. If he¡¯s in our house, he¡¯s part of our family.¡± ¡°Listen carefully. Different families have their own rules, so please try to abide by them when they are here. You can¡¯t suddenly throw our way of doing things at them. Setsu-kun might never come back again.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have a waterproof camera to help convince him to come back. ¡­Ahh! Why would you take it away!?¡± ¡°To keep you from committing a crime!!¡± Ryouko could be heard groaning in thought, but she quickly spoke up cheerfully. ¡°Listen, Kouji, listen. Um, I think Setsu-chan is actually a lot like us.¡± ¡­She¡¯s surprisingly perceptive. But Shinjou¡¯s thoughts did not reach Kouji. She heard him sigh. ¡°Sister, have you ever heard of common sense?¡± ¡°Of course. I got a 5 in Japanese language class.¡± ¡°As a percentage score I assume? Also, this is the men¡¯s bath. As your aide, I cannot allow the president to corrupt the company¡¯s morals.¡± ¡°Eh? You sure are strict, Kouji. I¡¯m not doing work now, so I¡¯m an individual instead of a president.¡± ¡°Fine, fine. Then I say the same thing as your brother. Leave, sister.¡± ¡°No fair!! Are you saying you¡¯ll let the young master and Setsu-chan in the men¡¯s bath but not me?¡± ¡°Yes, because those two are boys! Even if Setsu-kun would probably become a victim of something or other before making it five meters in the Bronx!¡± Oh, so that¡¯s how they see me, thought Shinjou with an odd sense of understanding. And Kouji is relatively normal, so it¡¯s pretty convincing. The strength on the other side of the door vanished and she could hear receding sounds of the elder sister struggling. ¡°Ah! Wait, Kouji! Are you really going to throw me out in nothing but a towel!? You can¡¯t do this just because mom and dad are away bear-hunting in Karuizawa. Oh, c¡¯mon!! I¡¯m gonna give you tons of curses!!¡± ¡­I can¡¯t believe she would say that. Shinjou¡¯s shoulders relaxed, she swept aside the hands admiring her butt from behind, and she grabbed a bath bucket. ¡°Um, Sayama-kun? Is it always like this?¡± ¡°Lively, isn¡¯t it?¡± She felt no reason to say otherwise, so she sighed and nodded. After pouring water over herself and entering the tub, her entire body relaxed. She took a breath and Sayama sat next to her. She felt the hot water soaking into her body, but she shrank back a bit once he sat there. She wondered why and quickly found the answer. ¡­Come to think of it¡­ ¡°U-um, this is the first time we¡¯ve bathed together with Sadame¡¯s body, isn¡¯t it?¡± Shinjou used her hands to hide her body in the water and Sayama smiled bitterly next to her. ¡°Relax. I will not do anything you do not want.¡± She felt like expressing her doubt, but decided against it. There were times when that was true. ¡°Yeah, I know. I always resist and almost cry, but you stop.¡± ¡°About two months have passed while doing that, but has anything changed with your body?¡± She shook her head. She had made a promise on that night two months before when she had first revealed her identity. She had him occasionally check on her body, but she still did not have her period. ¡°There hasn¡¯t been a change in my male body either.¡± She felt like that wording was blaming him, so she wanted to say something more. She looked toward him in preparation and he tilted his head. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Oh, uh¡­¡± She did not like these direct questions, but there were some things she could only say at times like this. ¡°U-um, I am happy with what you¡¯re doing for me, so don¡¯t worry. Even if I don¡¯t act like it.¡± She had wanted to say this for a while, but putting it in words made her blush. She could not stand his gaze on her, so she looked away. While trying to convince herself she was flushed due to the heat of the bath, Sayama nodded and gave a small smile. She looked away from that smile by lowering her head. She reached forward, grabbed her knees, and pulled them toward her. While embracing her knees below the water, the tops of the knees rose above the surface. She placed her cheek on them and changed the subject. ¡°U-um, I think it might be hopeless.¡± ¡°What might?¡± That response seemed to cool off the heat in her body. She took in a breath and spoke the thoughts she had had when the night of nothing but a stomachache had arrived as always at the end of the previous month. ¡°My body might never develop properly. I might always have nothing but pain.¡± She looked down at the bottom of the tub that wavered through the water. But then something warm touched her right cheek. The damp and solid object was Sayama¡¯s finger. She looked up in surprise and heard a voice from the right. ¡°Do you remember when Kazami slapped you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I do not want that to happen again. And to make sure it does not, I will help you with a different method. After all, this is what I want as well.¡± A smile filled his voice. ¡°And if having nothing but pain means you cannot develop into an adult, I am the same.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± She quickly looked over her soaking shoulder. She saw him looking at her with his expressionless face, but there was strength and harshness in that face. Seeing that, she leaned up against him. She grabbed his left arm with her hands, bent her elbow to pull herself toward him, and placed her lowered forehead on his shoulder. When she opened her mouth to speak, it was no longer an apology that came out. ¡°Thank you.¡± She nodded. As she lowered her head further, her mouth sank into the water and then rose once more. She decided to think more positively from now on and she spoke. ¡°U-um, we were switched out today, weren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Yes. In that concept space, you were me and I was you.¡± They had not discussed it yet, but she felt relieved hearing that. That meant their thoughts were reaching each other and it meant she was human. ¡°Um, Sayama-kun? ¡­How was my body?¡± Sayama nodded with a serious expression and looked her in the eye. ¡°It was very, very delewdcate.¡± ¡°Yes. I know what I want to say, but I¡¯m having trouble expressing it. It¡¯s really irritating.¡± ¡°I see. Truly good words are hard to come by.¡± Sayama leaned against the inner wall of the tub and folded his arms in thought. Shinjou wondered what was on his mind, but then she remembered that morning. Sayama¡¯s body had been different from hers. She had initially been surprised by how much higher his vision was. And she had realized something else while looking down on her own body. ¡­He¡¯s always looking at me properly. Instead of looking down at her with his gaze, he would turn his face toward her, so she had done the same. She belatedly wondered if she had been giving him upturned looks all this time. When she had been handed Ex-St, her surprise had changed to complete astonishment. Ex-St had been so much lighter than when she moved it around. She had been able to run without losing her balance and without needing to catch her breath. ¡­And he¡¯s always matching his pace to mine. When she had run at her usual pace in the concept space, she had noticed her own body falling behind. I¡¯m no match for him, she thought while lowering her head even further. ¡°Borrowing your body today got me thinking.¡± ¡°Did you want to use my body to experience various things with a male body?¡± ¡°Y-yes. How did you know?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. I had wanted to try that out as well. I thought it might help learn what is troubling you. If you are being held back by a mental issue, then what would happen with my mind?¡± ¡°Would it be wrong of me to borrow your body?¡± ¡°If it would help give you a sense of relief about your body changing, I see no problem with it.¡± ¡­Really? She anxiously held her own body, clenched her teeth, and gulped. But she soon opened her mouth again. ¡°It¡¯s too late to try it out now, though. Too bad.¡± ¡°A normal person would not have the chance in the first place. Even if we could not make use of that opportunity, we still have the same possibilities as anyone else.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a persuasive talker¡­¡± She smiled bitterly while feeling thankful for him. She made up her mind and steadied her breathing. ¡°Do you remember what I said before?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°It was a while back, but I said I would¡­return the favor. I know you¡¯ll tell me not to force myself, but I managed to feel your body up close today. I¡¯d like to use it as a reference point for my own. And if it makes you happy, it would make me happy. So¡­um¡­well¡­¡± ¡°I see. Then let us both do our very best.¡± ¡°Sure. ¡­No, wait! Your idea of ¡®our very best¡¯ is on a completely different level than mine!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. In other words, yours is on a much higher level?¡± Before she could deny it, he embraced her with a smile. That smile caused her to relax and she spoke quietly as they pressed their bodies together. ¡°Let¡¯s work together to do our very best in everything we do from now on.¡± Notes 1. ¡ü Miyako means ¡°capital city¡±. Volume 6, 18: Future Circumstances Volume 6, Chapter 18: Future Circumstances Do you call ambition for oneself the ego? Do you call ambition for others hope? Do you really need to think so strictly? When Miyako awoke, her vision was filled with scarlet light. Every part of her vision, from the center on out, was filled with the colors of orange and reddish yellow. She noticed the state of her body a moment later. She was lying on her back and the leaves of the forest and the sky lay before her. Even the layers of green leaves were dyed red. ¡­It¡¯s evening. She looked around and saw a shadowy form. That shadowy form was a man she recognized. ¡°Hey, you idiot!¡± She quickly rose up for two reasons. First, she was not actually lying on the ground. He was holding her. And second¡­ ¡°You¡¯re bleeding!¡± She got up and turned around to find him sitting with his back to the earth that had crumbled from the cliff. His blond hair was in disarray and dyed red by the light and something dark was flowing down his forehead. For an instant, she recalled her upperclassman in middle school who she hit in the head with a baseball, but she shook her head. He was not bleeding as much as that incident. A closer look showed his right arm was bent at a questionable angle. One of the two bones making up his forearm had to be broken. ¡°You idiot¡­¡± She could tell he had protected her. She felt the pain of a scrape on the outside of her right calf, but it was a light injury compared to his. She could rub some spit on it and let it heal. She looked around and saw no one else around. It had clearly been a fairly large landslide and the cliff had collapsed diagonally toward the inside of the concept space. While atop the cliff, Apollo had said the concept weakened around the outer edge, but how strong was the concept here? They were farther from the outer edge than before. She opened her mouth to call for someone, but something stopped her. ¡°There is no need to worry. I will heal before long,¡± said a quiet voice. She turned around in surprise and breathed a sigh of relief that he was alive, but she spoke so as to hide her relief. ¡°Don¡¯t try to protect me to show off, you idiot. You¡¯re too weak for that.¡± ¡°And here I thought you might thank me.¡± He wearily closed his eyes, but formed a smile with only his mouth. That was the expression of his lies, so Miyako ignored it and took his right arm. ¡°It¡¯ll hurt a bit, but bear with it. I¡¯ll set it in place.¡± ¡°No need. It¡¯s no use, so please stop. You¡¯re being a nuisance.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. Is that anything to say to the person you just tried to save?¡± ¡°Are you any different, Miyako? You are complaining to the person who saved you.¡± He gave the mouth-only smile once more. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you leave? Now is your only chance. This base will soon prepare for battle and we will be unable to let you go. ¡­I hear you are ¡®job hunting¡¯. In other words, you are being tested in order to join an organization.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± ¡°It does matter,¡± he insisted. ¡°Miyako, you live in the world beyond that wall. You must leave those of us who live on this side of the wall. You should prioritize your own future over us.¡± ¡°Even if I still have things left to do here?¡± ¡°You mean naming the automatons? It makes no difference whether they have names or not.¡± ¡°Yes, it does!!¡± she roared back. She was aware she was losing her cool, but it was too late. She grabbed his collar and made him face her. As soon as he opened his narrow eyes, she stared into them. ¡°My name is Miyako. My father gave me that name so a great number of people would gather around me. You have the name of the sun god and you have that power, don¡¯t you? Are you saying it¡¯s meaningless to give those maids names and let them trust in their own strength!?¡± ¡°You truly trust in your name, don¡¯t you?¡± His eyebrows lay flat and he looked her directly in the eye. ¡°But my father was not like yours. He gave me my name, controlled what I did, and then left after forcing everything onto me. ¡­And I can no longer live up to my name. 3rd-Gear¡¯s sun was lost and there are no more people to wish for a king. Having a name includes things like that as well.¡± Apollo spat out a short laugh. ¡°Go home, Miyako. Go home and tell your father you gave names and strength to a great number of people who gathered around you, but then a heartless man prevented you from doing anything more. That gives you enough of a reason to go crying to your father, doesn¡¯t it? Return to that father who understands you, unlike mine.¡± ¡°My father died ten years ago! He left to save others and died!¡± said Miyako. ¡°Do you even know what Christmas is, foreigner!? I got into a lot of trouble as a kid and I was always thinking that I should be honest with my dad at some point. I used that as an excuse to buy him a small bottle as a Christmas gift, since he loved alcohol. He laughed and we both promised never to drink too much. That was when he first told me why he gave me my name. He said he had work to do and we could discuss it more later, but that was the last I ever saw of him!¡± Had he understood her or not? ¡­I can never know what he thought of me. She then realized they were more or less arguing over who had been the most unfortunate. She did not like it, but she could not forgive someone who thought of themselves as unfortunate. ¡­Even in similar circumstances, I never thought of myself as unfortunate. After all¡­ ¡°A lot happened after that. I¡¯m not trying to whitewash the past, but there¡¯s one thing I can never forget: the meaning of my name. And I¡¯m trying to live up to that name! Even if my dad is gone and no one is expecting it of me, I won¡¯t back down when it comes to my name!¡± She punctuated her words with a headbutt and felt the impact. It brought pain, but the man shook his head once and glared at her beyond that pain. She heard him speak. ¡°You¡¯re trying to live a life you aren¡¯t ashamed of? You won¡¯t back down? Don¡¯t be na?ve!¡± An answering headbutt reached her. The sound of impact rang through her head. It had a decent ring to it. This bastard¡¯s not half bad, she thought as she was knocked back and quickly recovered. She started with a return hit. ¡°Urah!¡± But the sound of impact was weak because he had kept his head from being knocked back. They pressed their foreheads together, he ground his teeth together, and he spoke some more. ¡°Leave, Miyako. If you are that insistent, then use your name to take on the world outside of here.¡± ¡°Yeah, I will leave and I will take on that world. But I¡¯ll finish things here first.¡± ¡°What is there to finish here? Do you like being pampered by automatons that much?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll overcome that pampering!¡± She gave a point-blank headbutt and pushed him away with the movement of her head. ¡°The automatons started saying they were grateful for what I had done. I¡¯ll go from being a guest and become someone who can do for them what they can¡¯t! What¡¯s wrong with that!?¡± ¡°That is for their master to do!¡± ¡°If you¡¯d been doing it, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to take your place!¡± ¡°Then are you trying to become their master!? Are you doing these things while setting aside the final human of 3rd-Gear and ignoring his decisions!? How will you take responsibility? The automatons would not have changed if you had left well enough alone, so how will you take responsibility for changing them!?¡± His question was accompanied by a headbutt and it was quite effective. She felt briefly dizzy and somewhat reevaluated him. ¡­He¡¯s got a decent amount of resolve. There was more to a fight than having resolve, but that could be the deciding factor in some things. Without resolve, one could not gather the strength needed to withstand pain. His question shook her resolve and filled himself with it. That synergy caused twice the damage. His question of responsibility had likely been what he truly thought, so Miyako opened her mouth to speak. To bring back her shaken resolve, she did not bother calculating anything out in her mind. If he was throwing his true thoughts her way, she would say what was on her mind as well. ¡°You don¡¯t know what to do, do you? You lost your world, you lost your father, and now you don¡¯t know what to do.¡± I¡¯m tearing into him, she realized. But I¡¯m also talking to my old self. But these were her true thoughts. She did not hold back and she did not think about the consequences. She went on to say something she should not have if she wanted to maintain an amicable relationship. ¡°I don¡¯t care about taking responsibility. It doesn¡¯t matter to me that your world was destroyed.¡± She raised her head. ¡°But I know what I¡¯d do if I were you. I¡¯d eventually find a job in the outside world. I¡¯d make sure of it. Once I desired that, I¡¯d go to the place I desired, work there, become accepted there, make mistakes, complain, kick my boss, get punched by my boss, become friends with my boss, and all the while create something and earn money. And¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°I¡¯d use that money to feed the automatons here.¡± She faced forward and saw Apollo¡¯s yellow eyes looking her way. ¡°The automatons do not need you in order to be fed. They are self-sufficient. In fact, they do not need to eat anything other than small amounts of fuel. And how would you feed all of the automatons here? Would you earn enough money to pay them all a wage?¡± ¡°Are you stupid? People don¡¯t eat food. They eat satisfaction.¡± She felt she was being na?ve, but this was what she truly thought. Strength filled her grip on his collar. This will work, she told herself before saying what she had wanted to say at the company interview. ¡°Money, food, things, social status, questions, answers, going somewhere, returning home, doing something, destroying something, being with someone, and leaving someone are all forms of the same sense of satisfaction!!¡± she said. ¡°If serving people is what automatons do, then even a small amount of money will make a record of that service. Even adding on one more coin to the pile will make a noise they can store in their mechanical memory and the number of those stored noise will show the passage of time as they¡¯ve served their master. Those memories will prove that it happened in the real world and not just in their heads.¡± ¡°And what will that accomplish? That is sentimentality and you are forcing it onto them.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with sentimentality? Even machines remember the past and they need some proof to feel pride in their work. If that kind of sentimentality is wrong, are you saying it¡¯s wonderful to have no emotions at all, Apollo!? If you do nothing and avoid any emotions, you¡¯ll never gain the pride you might lose and you won¡¯t have any pain in your past! But isn¡¯t it the lack of those things that led to the destruction of 3rd-Gear¡¯s people and left only machines behind!?¡± She laughed. ¡°The hopeless humans who had lost their emotions died off while the machines with the ability to gain those things survived. And where¡¯s the god who made your world like that?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°That god is no longer just in our minds. He¡¯s in the sky above those machines who are growing flowers! When those flowers inevitably die, it will scar those dolls¡¯ memories and I¡¯ll tell them not to fear the fact that flowers die. Just as they let the flowers bloom to create their own pasts, the flowers created their pasts to leave behind seeds. The same satisfaction lies in both the dolls and the flowers. I¡¯ll find my satisfaction in increasing 3rd-Gear¡¯s sentimentality like that, so I¡¯ll be perfectly happy ignoring you as you reject that satisfaction!¡± She swung back her head and felt strength fill her entire body. ¡­This will definitely work. She gave one last comment as she swung her head toward his forehead. ¡°Just you watch! If you insist on being an emotionless master, I¡¯ll become a sentimental master!¡± Her shout was immediately answered by a voice from the cliff overhead. ¡°Is that true, Lady Miyako!?¡± Moira 1st¡¯s sudden voice was followed by a few dozen figures leaning out from the cliff. Miyako froze in place when she heard the sounds of several people moving at once. She looked up at the cliff while still holding Apollo¡¯s collar and pulling him toward her. Moira 1st and the other maids were gathered below the scarlet sky. Moira 2nd was missing, but all those she had named were there. Miyako looked at them while on her knees. ¡°Wh-what are you doing?¡± ¡°We arrived to save you two, but Lord Apollo said he wished to speak with you first. Hearing that, Miyako looked down and saw the young man¡¯s shoulder¡¯s shaking as he averted his gaze. ¡­That son of a bitch. ¡°Were you faking when you looked unconscious before?¡¯ ¡°Yes, I suppose you could put it that way.¡± ¡°And¡­were you guiding my thoughts?¡± ¡°Such cruel suspicion, Miyako. I simply wanted to speak honestly with you.¡± ¡°Oh? That¡¯s surprising.¡± She nodded and some new dark emotion welled up from the bottom of her gut. She opened her mouth to speak and only a simple verb escaped. ¡°Die.¡± ¡°Ha ha. No need to be so violent, Miyako. Women should speak with more lovely language than that.¡± ¡°Have a lovely death.¡± ¡°W-wait. Calm down, Miyako.¡± ¡°Death is an instant. Not even I can make it wait.¡± ¡°You are quite the poet.¡± ¡°Then do I need to write you an elegy? Viva the afterlife.¡± As she spoke, Miyako realized something. ¡­Huh? She grabbed his right hand and looked at his supposedly broken right arm. ¡°What is it, Miyako? Is there something wrong with my arm?¡± It was no longer broken. She felt her back tremble, but not from fear or surprise. She did not understand the truth in her hand, so she gained a feeling of the unknown. But as she remained speechless, Apollo pulled on her hand and lightly brushed off his arm. ¡°It seems to have healed. The people of 3rd-Gear have long lives, after all.¡± ¡°S-sure,¡± she agreed while thinking back. According to Moira 1st, the people of 3rd-Gear had long lives, but their metabolisms were about the same as the people of Low-Gear. ¡­So why did his arm heal so quickly? The injury on his forehead was also gone. She touched her own forehead and found no blood on it. That meant his forehead injury had healed before the exchange of headbutts had begun. ¡­What¡¯s going on? As she thought, Apollo stood up and the maids descended the cliff to meet him. The maids held their hands down, used their gravitational control to press and hold the crumbled cliff face in place, and jogged down. Moira 1st took the lead and she looked back and forth between the two humans with a smile. ¡°We have now reconfirmed the two of you as our masters.¡± ¡°No, um. I was only¡­¡± As soon as Miyako frantically spoke up, Apollo turned his back and his shoulders shook. Once she realized he was laughing, Miyako felt her cheeks flush. She assumed no one could tell in the evening sun, so she turned toward Moira 1st, relaxed her shoulders, and had a single thought. ¡­Well, that¡¯s how it turned out. ¡°Fine then. I¡¯ll help out where I can. A university student working to find a job in modern Japan only knows the ideal form of a corporation and I¡¯ve heard people seeking a workplace to achieve their goals is the way out of a recession. Sorry I don¡¯t have the experience to say anything that isn¡¯t straight out of a textbook.¡± She took a breath and spoke in response to Moira 1st¡¯s deepening smile and the smiles of expectation behind her. ¡°Doing nothing is an acceptable choice too. It¡¯s a whole lot better than actively making thing worse. Still, I want to do something with this world that¡¯s being wasted.¡± ¡°Really, what is going on?¡± A voice filled a small, oblong room. The student dorm room contained a bunk bed and the lockers near the entrance were labelled ¡°Center of the World ¨C Sayama¡± and ¡°Sensible One ¨C Shinjou¡±. The beginnings of night could be seen through the window across from the entrance and someone sat at the desk by the window. The short boy had a white bandanna around his head and he wore a black T-shirt and the pants of his school uniform. He spoke to someone over a cell phone. ¡°How is Mikage-san doing? Oh, that¡¯s her journal. She writes in it every day. Could you put her on for a moment?¡± After a few seconds, he spoke toward the sounds coming from the phone. ¡°Mikage-san, you¡¯re writing in your journal, aren¡¯t you? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to read it today, but would it be okay if I read it tomorrow morning when we travel to Okayama with the others?¡± After a short silence, he lowered his head a bit. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have been more reliable. Anyway, I¡¯ll call again in the morning, but you can have Kazami-san call me if there are any problems. Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s my upperclassman, so she holds a higher position than me and you can trust her. I promise she won¡¯t do anything you don¡¯t want. Can you put her back on?¡± After more silence, he scratched at his head. ¡°Oh, yes. That¡¯s right. I can somehow understand her even though she can¡¯t speak. I just have an idea what she¡¯s probably thinking. Sure, I¡¯ll put Izumo-san on.¡± Izumo appeared from the bottom bunk wearing a black track suit and raised a hand toward the boy by the window. The boy tossed the cell phone and Izumo caught it ¡°What is it, Chisato? Are you lonely?¡± he asked sleepily. ¡°Yeah, Hiba said something about understanding her even when she doesn¡¯t speak. Making all those assumptions seems pretty dangerous to me.¡± ¡°I-Izumo-san! You¡¯re ruining everything!¡± ¡°Hm? Don¡¯t worry about it, Chisato. It¡¯s just the complaints of a small fry. We can get across what we want to say without speaking too. Like when we¡¯re in bed every night and- you¡¯ll kill me if I say any more? You¡¯ll shove me out of the helicopter tomorrow? Ha ha ha. No need to be shy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s being shy?¡± Hiba glared over from the window, but Izumo ignored him. ¡°Well, I hope you can enjoy your time with Mikage. It¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve had a female roommate, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Oh, can you pass something on to Kazami-san? Tell her not to help Mikage-san when she uses her cane to walk and not to help her even if she trips. And even if it¡¯s easier to communicate in writing, tell her to avoid it if possible. It might take longer, but she can figure out what Mikage-san is saying from her limited pronunciation.¡± ¡°You sure are strict.¡± ¡°Mikage-san is the one that wants it.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Izumo sounded impressed. ¡°Did you hear that, Chisato? Of course, I hear it caused quite a commotion when you reserved the women¡¯s bath for her. She¡¯s pretty mature.¡± For a while, Izumo simply nodded as he listened to the voice over the phone. After a fair number of comments and about seven nods, he turned to Hiba. ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± ¡°No,¡± answered Hiba. Izumo passed it on, hung up, sighed, and placed the phone in the charger stand on the floor. ¡°Now then.¡± Izumo faced Hiba and Hiba frowned. ¡°What is it? You look like you have something to say.¡± ¡°I was just thinking how strange it is that my grandfather, yours, and Sayama¡¯s all knew each other.¡± ¡°It is a strange feeling. But¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± Hiba scratched his head apologetically. ¡°I still have no intention of telling you about the second impurity. Sorry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, but did that battle this morning make you want to join us?¡± Hiba gave a troubled smile and did not answer, so Izumo gave a quiet laugh. ¡°Hiba, what do you plan to do if the battle with 3rd-Gear ends?¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy. That should mean Mikage-san can evolve once more, so I would leave Keravnos with all of you and live in peace.¡± ¡°Are you fighting for her evolution?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he replied. ¡°I think she isn¡¯t evolving because we have to fight and because we don¡¯t have the Concept Core. I just want to be with her and-¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it all. You¡¯ll spread the feeling too thin.¡± ¡°Perhaps, but do you have anything like that?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m always thinking about¡­well, unspeakably dirty things I can do with Chisato and- What¡¯s with that look? Is that not what you meant?¡± ¡°No, but I did gain a bit of respect for you. About 20%¡­no, 15%.¡± Izumo nodded in satisfaction. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t look like that¡¯s all there is to it. Do you have another reason?¡± ¡°Yes. 3rd-Gear¡¯s Typhon abducted someone the other night, remember? Well, I lost an older sister a long time ago. She went missing.¡± ¡°An older sister?¡± ¡°Yes. My grandfather took her in about ten years ago. It was about three months after Mikage-san arrived. He said he was making her his granddaughter.¡± ¡°What kind of girl was she?¡± ¡°Despite being a girl, she was an incredibly good swordfighter. I was no match for her at all. I tried so many times to get up close and grope her breasts, but I never managed it.¡± ¡°I see. If someone as agile as you couldn¡¯t manage it, she must¡¯ve been quite something.¡± Hiba nodded, but clenched his right fist and gathered strength in it. ¡°I don¡¯t know how it would turn out now. At the time, my father had died and I think my grandfather was planning to make her his successor, but she suddenly vanished about a year later.¡± ¡°Vanished? What was her name? I might be able to check on it with IAI¡¯s intelligence network.¡± ¡°Her name was Miki. Do you know a Hiba Miki?¡± ¡°No.¡± Izumo scratched his head. ¡°Sorry. But you think it might¡¯ve been 3rd-Gear¡¯s doing, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve covered more or less why I¡¯m fighting, but what about you?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s fun. Why else?¡± His immediate and casual response caused Hiba to stop moving. After a few seconds of silence, Hiba frowned. ¡°Fun? People die in these battles.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it if I find it fun and there¡¯s no point in lying. I¡¯ve given this a fair bit of thought even if I don¡¯t have as much combat experience as you.¡± A bitter laugh leaked from his mouth. ¡°I have divine protection from my mother, a place where I can go all out, my bonds with Chisato, my trust with my foolish underclassmen and comrades, and other things you wouldn¡¯t believe if I said them aloud. And for the moment, I find all those things out there on the battlefield. With a normal life, I¡¯d probably find them on a sports team or in a club, though.¡± ¡°Are you treating the concept battles like a sport?¡± ¡°The classroom and the workplace are their own kind of battlefield. Or do you think your battlefields are especially harsh compared to school or work?¡± Izumo looked straight at Hiba. ¡°If so, you need to apologize to everyone staring out the school window or doodling in class. And you need to apologize to the people standing behind the register or riding a scooter around delivering pizzas. You can apologize by stripping naked, fully prostrating yourself on the ground, and having a photo shoot. And make sure to do it outside.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t want to do that outside! Oh, but I don¡¯t want to do it inside either.¡± ¡°I see. So you don¡¯t like exhibitionism. Then remember this,¡± said Izumo. ¡°You¡¯ll find battlefields everywhere. No matter where you go, some people win, some lose, some succeed, and some fail. And people can leave or die in accidents anywhere. All I¡¯m saying is that I want to enjoy it all if possible. In that way, there¡¯s no such thing as a fun and peaceful life where you do nothing. If you want to find real peace¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s when you sleep with the girl that means the world to you. Although you could say that¡¯s its own kind of battle. So are you going to do nothing but sleep with Mikage?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible¡­ And you¡¯re absolutely horrible. My respect for you rose to 30%, though.¡± ¡°Good, good.¡± Izumo nodded. ¡°Anyway, I heard from Chisato that you¡¯ve been taking baths with Mikage every day.¡± ¡°W-wait a minute! Someone needs to wipe down her body and help her when she can¡¯t get up from the bath.¡± Hiba frantically stood from his chair, but Izumo held out a hand to stop him while sitting on the bed. ¡°No need to panic. I¡¯m not criticizing you. In fact, I heard that her body is still not fully made. Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hiba slowly sat back down and crossed both his legs and arms. ¡°I couldn¡¯t say it before because she was with us, but nothing related to being a girl has developed. I think it¡¯s because her evolution stopped before she had any knowledge about that stuff.¡± ¡°Does she have the knowledge now?¡± ¡°Yes. An upperclassman in my club works part-time at Yokota, so I asked him to get me a foreign textbook. Mikage-san¡¯s questions when she reads it are so unintentionally severe that you would have a hard time making me that embarrassed if you tried. She¡¯ll lean up against me or suddenly take off her clothes to compare with the textbook. I¡¯m just¡­how should I put it? I don¡¯t know what to do!¡± ¡°Calm down, boy. To her, she¡¯s just trying to learn. You need to restrain yourself. Although I suppose she isn¡¯t equipped for it even if you couldn¡¯t.¡± Hiba narrowed his eyes at that and sank a bit in his chair. ¡°She sometimes asks if I would be happier if she were a proper girl.¡± ¡°What do you say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not telling.¡± Hiba smiled bitterly and Izumo did too. ¡°Well, from what I can see, she¡¯s a good girl. I thought she would be more reliant on you, but she¡¯s actually doing what Chisato tells her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s neutral about anyone I don¡¯t view as an enemy. The only people she will smile at or let touch her without getting cautious are my mother, my grandparents, and me.¡± ¡°She smiles?¡± ¡°That was the first thing she learned with her evolution.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Izumo nodded but did not ask further. Hiba then seemed to realize something, looked around with a serious expression, and shrugged. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s the deal with Sayama-san and Shinjou-san?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Izumo. ¡°There are rumors going around the school that they¡¯re in a homosexual relationship,¡± he said quietly. ¡°The Daily Rose Taka put out by the girls newspaper club is serializing a novel, the school-wide hard gay poll had Sayama-san at the top, and they were seen embracing each other this morning.¡± Hiba slapped his knee. ¡°Oh, right. Kazami-san might know something. I hear she was at the school department store with Shinjou-san buying swimsuits. And both of them bought girl¡¯s swimsuits.¡± ¡°Wait just a moment. I need to check on something.¡± Hiba tilted his head as Izumo pulled out his cell phone. ¡°Hey, Chisato? Have we not told Hiba about Shinjou?¡± As Hiba continued tilting his head, Izumo quietly said something into the phone and nodded a few times. Finally, he slowly returned the phone to its stand. ¡°¡­¡± He sank back onto the edge of the bed, hung his head, and rested that head on his hand. ¡°D-did something happen?¡± asked Hiba. ¡°Well, it looks like we¡¯ll be seeing a lot of each other for a while, so I should probably tell you.¡± ¡°Is it about Sayama-san and Shinjou-san?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Izumo nodded and faced Hiba with a serious expression. ¡°Keep it a secret, but everything you¡¯ve heard is true.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Izumo said nothing and did not nod, but then he sighed. ¡°As your upperclassman, I order you to sleep on the top bunk tonight. I don¡¯t want to catch the Sayama germs.¡± ¡°W-wouldn¡¯t Shinjou-san¡¯s bed be the same?¡± asked Hiba as he stood. His foot caught on the chair and the chair¡¯s wheels sent it sliding into the dresser to the side. The collision produced a dull noise. ¡°Oh, s-sorry. And this isn¡¯t even my room.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t poke around over there. You might find some evidence.¡± ¡°P-please don¡¯t scare me like that.¡± Hiba moved to the dresser hidden behind the bed, so he left Izumo¡¯s sight. ¡°It looks like something fell from the top of the¡­¡± Hiba trailed off and the silence continued for several seconds. After a few more seconds of nothing, Izumo tilted his head. ¡°Hey, Hiba. What¡¯s the matter?¡¯ ¡°Um, Izumo-san?¡± Hiba moved out from behind the bed holding something white. He spread out the white object between his hands. ¡°This fell from the top of the dresser.¡± ¡°Looks like girl¡¯s underwear to me.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t act like it¡¯s normal! Why is this here!?¡± ¡°Let me be blunt: with Sayama and Shinjou, it is normal.¡± ¡°Wait a minute! Have this school¡¯s morals completely crumbled!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Izumo as he stood up and slapped his own chest. ¡°Well? Do you see how normal I am now?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re making an unfair comparison.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that either. Anyway, at the Seto Inland Sea training camp tomorrow, I order you to share a tent with Sayama. Good luck. I know you can manage.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t!!¡± As soon as he shouted out with the girl¡¯s underwear in his hand, the chime indicating lights out rang. A hard sound broke through the stillness. In the forest below the night sky was a clearing behind a lit factory. The fifty meter clearing had been created by digging down into the ground and it contained two figures. The two figures in the darkness were female. They were both tall, they both had long black hair, and they both held wooden swords, but one was collapsed on the ground. The one who had fallen to a sitting position was the younger of the two. The girl had sharp eyes, she wore a white denim shirt and jeans, and she clicked her tongue. ¡°You¡¯re the same as always, Tatsumi.¡± She glared up at her opponent. The girl named Tatsumi¡¯s wooden sword was hanging down and not at the ready. Tatsumi wore a yellow dress and a white cardigan and she had a smile on the eyes below her hair which was brushed to the side. ¡°If you can give me a look like that, you have the right attitude, Mikoku. You have to leave before long, right? If you¡¯re catching the ten o¡¯clock train to Yokohama, you need to leave here by eight.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little early?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to Yokohama and you¡¯ll be eating dinner there, right?¡± Mikoku sighed, ignored Tatsumi¡¯s subsequent complaint, and pointed toward the factory with her chin. ¡°I would love to visit Chinatown there, but Shino has prepared something for today.¡± ¡°Really? But she has her own work to do. ¡­Alex, where is Shino?¡± ¡°Asleep. On top of me.¡± The voice seemed to come from a megaphone, but it did not reach the surrounding area. It was a directional voice. ¡°I see,¡± replied Tatsumi as her shoulders lowered. ¡°If Shino has prepared something, that may be better.¡± ¡°That would be best. I¡¯m sure she has made much more than necessary.¡± Mikoku began to stand up. ¡°¡­!¡± But Tatsumi stepped up to her and swung her wooden sword at the younger girl¡¯s ankle. Mikoku evaded the high-speed attack by using her standing motion to jump straight up and she brought her wooden sword toward Tatsumi. ¡°!¡± Tatsumi was already twisting her body upwards. The sword swinging down responded to the twisting by jumping upwards. A clear sound filled the air and Mikoku¡¯s wooden sword broke in half. Pieces of cloth scattered from her shirt¡¯s collar and wind struck her cheek. She could do nothing while in midair and something struck her chest. The hard and gently pointed object was the tip of Tatsumi¡¯s wooden sword. The wooden weapon was lightly pressed against her sternum and a smile gave a warning from the other end of the weapon. ¡°Open your mouth and breathe out.¡± Before she could, something happened. Strength slowly gathered in the tip of the sword. It was not enough strength to provide pain, but it accelerated over a series of instants. ¡°This will knock you away, so prepare to land!¡± Exactly that happened while still providing no pain. Tatsumi vanished from Mikoku¡¯s vision and was replaced by the sky. Mikoku did not know what had happened. She finally realized she had rotated around, but then her back struck the grassy embankment making the edge of the clearing. ¡°¡­!¡± She had known this would happen, so she was sprawled out and relaxed. The air in her lungs had vanished and her loosening muscles opened up her chest before she could try to breathe in. She was able to take a normal breath of oxygen which steadied her vision. Where is Tatsumi? she thought. The other girl¡¯s location would tell her how far she had been thrown. But that idea proved fruitless because Tatsumi stood to her right. ¡°You are absurd.¡± ¡°You should be able to do this much yourself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She did not think she could, but she did not feel like saying it now. They had argued countless times and she always lost. As Mikoku remained silent, Tatsumi narrowed her eyes and held out a hand. ¡°I taught you a good bit in today¡¯s lesson. Do you realize that?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she agreed while reaching out her own hand. Their hands touched. ¡°¡­¡± An instant later, Mikoku heard her own footstep below her. This was simply because Tatsumi had lifted her up in an instant. That footstep had been the sound of her standing. Tatsumi stood before her like always and that made Mikoku gulp. ¡°Stick with it, okay? You haven¡¯t been putting much effort into it lately.¡± Tatsumi narrowed her eyes. ¡°You were not made Hajji¡¯s bodyguard this time out of trust or obligation. Of course you weren¡¯t. You understand, don¡¯t you? You can use that technique too.¡± ¡°But I have never gotten a single attack on you during training.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the type that shines during real battles.¡± Tatsumi shot down that excuse and tilted her head with a smile. ¡°The trick is to carefully observe your opponent and use your strength to its fullest. If you observe them, you can see how to evade or block as much as possible, right? I prefer to block and knock them away, but you would likely do better evading and using their own movements to cut them down.¡± Tatsumi made a small spiral movement with her outstretched hand. That motion was the trick to scooping up one¡¯s opponent¡¯s strength and using it against them. Mikoku had never succeeded in using it. ¡­I do best when simply using my full strength. ¡°I do not think I can fight like you, Tatsumi.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to, but you¡¯ll be in trouble if you can¡¯t even keep Fafnir Custom¡¯s cannon from hitting you. What if Hajji or Shino had been shot immediately afterwards?¡± A gentle summer breeze washed over the concept space as Tatsumi spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mikoku. You can gain even more power than this and you will be able to master it for the sake of your world.¡±¡°How can you know that?¡± ¡°Because that is what you wish for,¡± said Tatsumi. ¡°Think about it. The more power people have or desire, the harder it is for them to fully utilize their power. I do not desire much power, but even I can reach this level.¡± So¡­ ¡°The fact that you still can¡¯t fully utilize your power says you will grow to incredible heights.¡± ¡°You¡¯re giving me too much credit. What I desire is a small thing.¡± She brushed aside Tatsumi¡¯s hand, turned her back, and stepped up on the embankment. ¡°I will wake Shino, eat dinner, and head to Kurashiki. Shino has her own mission to deal with.¡± She heard a sigh from behind her. ¡°Are you worried about Shino?¡± ¡°Yes. Even if she will have Shiro with her, she is still-¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. The problem is how worried you are, Mikoku,¡± said the voice behind her. ¡°I¡¯ve thought this for a while, and I think I should tell you now that you are taking on Army missions as an individual. Mikoku, what are you fighting for? Answer me like this is a teen film.¡± Mikoku could not answer Tatsumi¡¯s question. ¡­What am I fighting for? She knew the answer, but it was no one else¡¯s business. Not even Tatsumi¡¯s. She remained silent, stepped on the grassy embankment, and began walking away. ¡°You can¡¯t do it like a teen film?¡± ¡°No,¡± she answered. ¡°I can¡¯t do it like a yakuza movie or a monster movie either.¡± ¡°Yeah, that probably wouldn¡¯t work. Although doing it like last week¡¯s Heidi vs. Mecha Onji could be good.¡± ¡°They never showed how the fight between Mach Peter and Giant Clara turned out, so I give that one a D. Anyway, if you have something to say, stop beating around the bush and say it.¡± She turned around on the embankment and found Tatsumi had not moved. As Tatsumi looked up from halfway up the embankment, the moonlight illuminated her quiet smile. That expression was enough for Mikoku to draw back. ¡°If you want me to tell you, I will,¡± said Tatsumi while still smiling. ¡°I believe I know what you are thinking concerning Shino. Once the coming battle with UCAT is over and this world is ours, you will leave everything to Shino and disappear.¡± ¡°¡­¡± For a moment, Mikoku was unsure what to say. ¡­How does she know that? She forced herself to shrug in order to hide the surprise in her heart. She gave a mocking laugh and tried to deny Tatsumi¡¯s allegation. She opened her mouth, but Tatsumi spoke before she could. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t tell Shino and she won¡¯t be able to tell how desperate you are unless she crosses swords with you.¡± ¡°Wait, Tatsumi. Enough with the crazy delusions.¡± ¡°You wanted me to tell you, didn¡¯t you? You have no right to stop me from speaking, so I will speak and you will listen to the end. If you have any complaints, then feel despair and do so with a loud sound effect.¡± ¡°Shobon!!¡± ¡°Alex, you be quiet. And no eavesdropping on a conversation between girls.¡± ¡°Shobon¡­¡± Tatsumi sighed, but Mikoku brushed up her hair while feeling the impatience inside her. Tatsumi was exactly right. The Army would eventually clash with UCAT and the Army would use its power to take the leadership role of this world. But Mikoku knew a certain fact. ¡­Winning by force rarely ends well for you even if you manage to maintain control afterwards. If the Army gained the rights to the world after their victory, Mikoku felt it would be best to leave those rights with the person who seemed the farthest removed from the Army¡¯s power. And as the one who used that power, she would have to distance herself from that person. ¡­I need to distance myself from Shino. But Tatsumi had also mentioned how she had realized this. ¡­She realized I was desperate as we crossed swords? ¡°Tatsumi,¡± she called out. ¡°Why is my being desperate related to Shino?¡± The answer came immediately. Tatsumi opened her mouth and spread her arms in the moonlight. ¡°That¡¯s simple. Being desperate means you are willing to die, but why are you willing to die? Normally, people do not die for their own sake. That means it¡¯s for someone else, and with you, who could it be but Shino?¡± Tatsumi¡¯s shoulders moved and she arrived before Mikoku¡¯s eyes before the younger girl could prepare. She could not even cry out in surprise before Tatsumi held a hand over her head. The hand was clenched into a fist and pointed down. ¡°You idiot.¡± A great noise burst from the space between the fist and head, pain shot from the top of her head to her butt, and all strength left her legs. ¡°¡­!!¡± She held her head and crouched down while Tatsumi sighed and put her hands on her hips. ¡°Y¡¯know,¡± said Tatsumi as if asking her to prepare for the coming words. Mikoku looked up toward that swordsmanship teacher who had stopped smiling and gave a relaxed expression. ¡°Mikoku, you¡¯re fighting for Shino¡¯s sake,¡± came Tatsumi¡¯s voice. ¡°But if you die, it will be Shino¡¯s fault. That¡¯s what it means to fight for someone else¡¯s sake. You are able to fight because they are there, but it will also mean you died because they were there. It means you would not have died if they had not been there.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fortunate Shino has not realized what you are thinking. If she had, she would stop you from heading out to fight. She would tell you not to do that kind of thing for her. However, that would be more about escaping responsibility than about worrying for your safety.¡± ¡°Shino would never think about escaping responsibility!¡± reflexively shouted Mikoku. ¡°She cares about others and she would never worry about her own responsibility!¡± ¡°That is why you can so easily blame your injuries on her. That isn¡¯t fair, Mikoku.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that look? Did I hit a sore spot? You can get mad if you want. Give a nice explosion of rage.¡± Mikoku took action at that. Her movement was sudden, but Tatsumi stepped back calmly as if she had predicted it. However, Mikoku was able to see Tatsumi. ¡­To the right! She used her instincts more than her eyes to step on the embankment and send her right hand out in a jab. An instant later, she felt something wrap around that hand. Her hand had been grabbed. ¡°Kh.¡± She could not move. Her wrist was held in place and her legs were stopped by pressure on her thigh. However, her hand had made it through. ¡°Is this the first time one of your attacks has reached me?¡± Mikoku turned toward that question and found the two of them facing each other halfway up the embankment. Tatsumi¡¯s right hand had grabbed her hand and Tatsumi¡¯s usual expressionless face lay beyond their hands. ¡°That anger brought your attack to me, so who was that anger for?¡± Mikoku¡¯s vision rotated. By the time she realized she had been thrown, the moon had come into view. She felt the pale moon looked like a glowing jewel. ¡°¡­!¡± When she struck the ground, she was no longer anywhere near the embankment. She was near the center of the clearing twenty meters away. The impact made her cough and Tatsumi¡¯s voice reached her from the distance. ¡°You really can be stupid. Why did you let your guard down? Don¡¯t forget to prepare to land and make it easier on your lungs.¡± She did not have the composure to reply and she continued coughing as she got up and Tatsumi jogged to her side. ¡°C¡¯mon, c¡¯mon. Stand up and think. You have a decision to make. Will you yourself desire to fight or will you place the blame on Shino? I will not say either one is right or wrong. If you choose to fight for yourself, you might selfishly head off to your own death,¡± said Tatsumi. ¡°But Shino is doing her best to be accepted by all of you. She¡¯s not doing it for you, though. She¡¯s doing it for herself.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± she began until Tatsumi struck her head. ¡°You don¡¯t need to give your answer now. Don¡¯t be so hasty.¡± Tatsumi laughed. ¡°Think about it for as long as you need. Whenever you fight, you will hurt your opponent, they will hurt you, someone important to you may be hurt, and yet you will survive. Whenever that happens, see if you are glad that you survived. See if you can selfishly be more glad that you survived than that you hurt your opponent.¡± As Tatsumi spoke, she suddenly looked Mikoku in the eye and her expression crumbled into a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t make me lecture you too much, okay? Shino is obedient, so lecturing her is boring. You on the other hand fight back, so lecturing you is a lot of fun.¡± ¡°That last half was nothing but forcing your own ideas on me.¡± But after standing up, Mikoku asked a question. ¡°If I fight, will I eventually be able to speak on and on about nonsense like that?¡± ¡°Do you want to?¡± ¡°I have no one to tell it to,¡± said Mikoku. ¡°And I think I need a partner like that if I am to find my reason to fight. I need someone who will not be shaken when I ask for the meaning of my actions and who will accept it all with a smile.¡± ¡°Am I not good enough?¡¯ ¡°Sorry, but you¡¯re just someone I train with. The kind of partner I need in order to fight is an enemy. I need an enemy to take Shino¡¯s place.¡± As she spoke, Mikoku realized something. ¡­Oh. I¡¯m rejecting the idea of fighting for Shino¡¯s sake. I really am simpleminded. She had not verified it and Tatsumi may have been guiding her there on a whim, but she was trying to choose some unknown enemy over Shino who she had been with for so long. ¡­But I don¡¯t want to make Shino cry when I get hurt. There had once been a certain dog and that dog had saved Shino at the cost of its own life. Had that dog done so for Shino¡¯s sake? If not, why had it done so? ¡­Did it think doing that would satisfy it? Or had it been a sudden thing with no real thought behind it? Mikoku did not know and Shino likely did not either. What Mikoku did know was that Shino had still not forgotten that dog, that she would leave flowers and water for the dog, and that she would embrace the dog when it was summoned with the power of her philosopher¡¯s stone. ¡­Would the same happen if I died? Part of her hoped so, but another part knew it would be painful. ¡°Painful¡­¡± She made up her mind. ¡°But if you make something abnormal a part of everyday life, is there no avoiding that pain?¡± Mikoku gave a nod and the harshness vanished from her face. She turned to Tatsumi and found the usual narrowed-eye expression. ¡°Do you have an enemy, Tatsumi?¡± ¡°Yes, I do. And I fight to ask a question.¡± ¡°What question?¡± ¡°That is something only my enemy knows.¡± Mikoku did not know what that meant, so she could only nod toward the other girl¡¯s troubled smile. ¡°I see. I wonder if I have an enemy as well.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you? For example, there is the one with the surname Sayama on Team Leviathan.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure. That boy knows nothing. ¡­Do you think he will become my enemy once he learns the true meaning of the Leviathan Road?¡± And¡­ ¡°Will I be able to find my reason to fight before that happens?¡± She looked up toward the moon. Looking at the cold light of that pale arc, she nodded. ¡°I need to head out on my mission to protect Hajji. If that results in a fight, I may learn something.¡± She lowered her gaze and looked Tatsumi in the eye. ¡°But why did you bring this up all of a sudden?¡± ¡°That¡¯s simple,¡± said Tatsumi. ¡°I felt like it.¡± Volume 6, 19: Pursuit into the Depths Volume 6, Chapter 19: Pursuit into the Depths Some answers contain traps That is normal So destroy them without thinking of immersing yourself in them The black clock on the wall indicated the time was four in the morning, but there were no windows on the white walls to let in the morning sun. The large underground space was divided by several partitions and a woman walked along the western side. The woman, Tsukuyomi, walked to the director¡¯s desk on the south end while holding a bundle of documents. The sound of her sandaled footsteps suddenly came to a stop. Something lay at her feet. Namely, a figure in a lab coat had fallen forward and lay sprawled out before her. She looked closer and spotted a nearby laptop. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Kashima.¡± With that, she walked past him and he spoke up from behind her. ¡°You¡¯re going to ignore me, Director Tsukuyomi?¡± ¡°Yes, I assumed you were asleep.¡± ¡°Adults don¡¯t sleep on the floor.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She began to walk once more, but he quickly sat up. ¡°You don¡¯t want to know why I collapsed from shock?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t, but if you¡¯re going to tell me anyway, get it over with.¡± ¡°Natsu-san is so cruel. You know the wash toilet we¡¯re developing?¡± ¡°You mean the prototype product named ¡®Right There!¡¯? You brought it home with you last night, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes. Before leaving home, I hooked it up and set the spray pressure to ¡®anti-ship beam¡¯ since that¡¯s the main selling point. Well, Natsu-san called me during the night with a slight smile in her voice and told me I can¡¯t come home for three days as punishment. She even suspected it could take pictures. Honestly, she¡¯s so cute!¡± ¡°Hm. Your point?¡± she asked expressionlessly. He stared blackly at her, looked to the side, and lowered his shoulders in a sigh. Finally, he stared off into the distance and spoke in an earnest tone. ¡°This workplace has grown so brutal over the past few months. Our boss is ignoring what her subordinates tell her.¡± ¡°You really are going all out with your lovey-dovey side. And you¡¯re forcing your boss to listen to it.¡± ¡°I am not being lovey-dovey. It just so happens that subjectively explaining the situation makes me feel happy.¡± ¡°My sympathies. ¡­Anyway, get to sleep. You¡¯re Team Leviathan¡¯s instructor, aren¡¯t you? I hear you¡¯re having difficulty putting together lessons recently.¡± Kashima stood up when he heard that. ¡°I¡¯m managing by including some of my own interests.¡± He picked up his laptop and showed her the screen. The displayed window had a few spheres drawn inside it: ten small red spheres and one blue sphere. He looked at the screen, smiled, and faced her. ¡°This is a simulation on the origin of the eleven Gears to confirm the meaning behind the Leviathan Road. The different UCATs have been researching this since World War Two and have achieved some results, but I doubt any of them know the answer. How the eleven Gears came about is still shrouded in mystery.¡± Kashima tilted his head. ¡°Anyway, I heard they were leaving for a training camp.¡± ¡°They all left by helicopter at about three along with that boy named Hiba and that automaton named Mikage. They should have arrived above Nagoya at this point.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Are you interested in Mikage because of your grandfather and Susaou?¡± He thought for a moment and eventually formed a weak smile. ¡°A little. After all, that Mikage was supposedly used to control Susaou. But I hear she doesn¡¯t remember it herself, so I¡¯m hesitant to ask her directly.¡± ¡°Yes, being considerate is a part of the job. Well, if you¡¯re lucky, you might get a chance to ask.¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± he said while looking at what she held. Seeing those documents led him to ask a question. ¡°Are those documents for the training camp?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going along for that. As a director, I have the right to cancel.¡± ¡°But the Seto Inland Sea is where 3rd-Gear¡­¡± ¡°If it¡¯s about my daughter, don¡¯t worry. She wouldn¡¯t get killed so easily. Plus, I think you¡¯ll be more interested in this.¡± She held up the documents so he could see. ¡°This is the report on the Georgius tests.¡± Kashima pushed up his glasses, put his laptop under his arm, and stared straight ahead with a smile on the corner of his mouth. ¡°Nice. What did you find? What are its effects and its origin?¡± ¡°What do you think as someone who saw it firsthand when Yamata was sealed?¡± ¡°Its function is to amplify concepts, its purpose is to increase the power of concept weapons, and its origin is Low-Gear. Am I on the right track?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good question.¡± She gave a small smile. ¡°You could be right and you could be wrong.¡± ¡°Why are you being so vague?¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s all I can be.¡± She shrugged and her smile grew bitter. ¡°I don¡¯t know the answers. It didn¡¯t react when I applied concept fields around it with the examination device. As far as I can tell, Georgius is nothing more than¡­¡± ¡°A glove?¡± ¡°Yes. What we saw for ourselves conflicts with the results of the tests.¡± She had learned this after experimenting for the entire day. She recalled Ooshiro¡¯s face when he had agreed to lend her Georgius. There had definitely been a broad smile there. ¡­He doubted I could learn anything. And in truth, she had not determined Georgius¡¯s identity. She had learned very little else, but one fact stood out. ¡°At the very least, Georgius is strange. When Totsuka sealed Yamata, Georgius emitted light and the sword¡¯s power increased. And the same thing supposedly happened in the battle with 1st-Gear.¡± ¡°Yes, Gram was apparently given power when it was too weak to withstand Fafnir Custom¡¯s attack.¡± ¡°If Georgius did those things, there has to be something there, don¡¯t you think?¡± Tsukuyomi pulled a specific page from the report. As she held it out to Kashima, he looked at her hand before looking at the document. ¡°Director Tsukuyomi.¡± Her right hand was wrapped in bandages up to the wrist and she laughed toward the white cloth that was faintly stained with blood. ¡°Ha ha. I should have known better. When I wasn¡¯t finding anything, I tried it without thinking. I put away the machine covered in a special defensive concept and grabbed it with my bare hand to try and put it on.¡± The result lay before them. ¡°Doctor Chao says it will take two weeks for a full recovery. She¡¯s going to the training camp, so she won¡¯t start truly healing it until she gets back. I¡¯m going to have to go out for meals for a while.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Kashima slowly. Whatever he was thinking, he took the paper while looking at her hand and then lowered his gaze to the printed paper. ¡°Is this¡­?¡± ¡°Looks like an ECG, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he agreed. The paper contained rectangular waves running along a graph. Such a graph would normally have a lot more written on it, but this only had about three waves. ¡°But what are these occasional pulses?¡± ¡°Check the unit of time.¡± He looked above the graph and Tsukuyomi knew he would catch on if he was clever. Sure enough, he frowned. ¡°What? One pulse at a rate of approximately eight hours?¡± ¡°Exactly. That is the faint vibration inside Georgius. Anyone who likes to jump to conclusions would say this means Georgius is alive.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Even in 3rd-Gear, some kind of internal mechanism is needed to supply a pulse to the metal parts. However, Georgius is nothing more than a leather glove and a metal chip and yet the pulse comes from both of them.¡± Tsukuyomi did not know why that was, so she asked him. He did not immediately reply but eventually spoke. ¡°It would be simpler to assume that Georgius is alive even so. If we cling to that theory and search deeper, we will at least know it is not alive if we find out we¡¯re wrong.¡± ¡°Why do you think it is alive?¡± This question received an immediate answer. ¡°It chose the one named Sayama as its master.¡± He took a breath. ¡°What if that was not a setting and it wished for Sayama of its own free will?¡± Tsukuyomi did not answer because she could not do so when she did not know the truth. He seemed to realize that because he lowered his head and apologized. ¡°Sorry, but to continue, Georgius was given to Sayama Mikoto by his mother. Can¡¯t we assume it has a will of its own and was waiting for him?¡± ¡°Why do you ignore the possibility that it was set to do that and instead insist it has a will of its own?¡± ¡°If it was just a setting, it would only need to remain inactive when someone else wore it. However, it rejects others to the point of hurting them.¡± His expression was completely serious. ¡°That is an action only taken by a being with a will of its own.¡± ¡°So you think so too?¡± ¡°What?¡± His eyebrows rose in confusion, so she raised her right hand and snapped her bloodstained fingers to call him over. ¡°Come here. I think you¡¯ll like this.¡± She turned around and walked to her own desk. It took only a few steps and the clock on the wall was approaching 4:10 AM. The time was likely drawing near. ¡°The night before I started the tests on Georgius, I set this up.¡± ¡°Wh-what is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m hacking into the deepest depths of UCAT¡¯s databank. In other words, I¡¯m illegally accessing the version of the Second Reference Room on the data servers. Only VIPs can view it and it contains the information on UCAT¡¯s blank period, the Concept Cores, and the National Defense Department.¡± She smiled. ¡°While investigating Georgius, I had some very limited access to that information in their examination room, so I used that as a way in from here. I have it set up to gather all the classified information at the core of the data servers.¡± Kashima reacted after a short pause. ¡°Director Tsukuyomi, you¡¯re betraying UCAT.¡± ¡°Are you going to stop me?¡± ¡°No, I just wanted to say that. Oh, and if anyone asks, this means I tried to stop you.¡± She turned around in front of her desk and saw him shrugging his shoulders. His expression softened and he sighed. ¡°This isn¡¯t just about Georgius, is it? You¡¯re trying to get information on the National Defense Department to help out Team Leviathan, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well, if I take all the information, there¡¯s sure to be some of that in there. And if I have it, I might as well hand it over to them.¡± And, she said to herself. If I find data on UCAT¡¯s blank period, I¡¯ll learn about my husband. ¡°¡­¡± She decided to leave her sentimentality until later and switched on the deactivated display. Tsukuyomi looked toward the newly lit-up monitor. A black window filled the screen and had several symbols and words scrolling across it. Kashima smiled bitterly when he saw it. ¡°You¡¯re using our hacking software ¡®Genius Hacker Girl ¨C Gomez¡¯? That¡¯s the nastiest one, but it¡¯s a pain to use because all the settings are done with text commands.¡± ¡°Yes, but it can do the most and it¡¯s pretty smart. When the development department was reorganized, some idiot went too far in a demonstration hoping to increase our budget.¡± ¡°They hacked into a certain country¡¯s databank, checked to see if their Secretary of State wore a hairpiece, and added a protector to keep the data from being altered. They did it all without being noticed, but it caused a small commotion in that country when UCAT Director Ooshiro checked to make sure it was accurate.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that country had a sense of humor. When the Secretary of State was giving his official response to the accusations, he said he would reveal their nation¡¯s greatest secret and then removed his hairpiece.¡± ¡°I hear Gomez has been upgraded a few times since then.¡± ¡°This is Version 4. After all the work I¡¯ve put into it, she¡¯s like a child to me.¡± Tsukuyomi pointed at the screen. ¡°Anyway, this is a map of the area around the protectors on the strictest portion of Japanese UCAT¡¯s servers. We set up the foundations of this ten years ago, so we should be able to break through it even if I don¡¯t know what kind of modifications the UCAT Director has added since.¡± A pursuit at the speed of electricity was unfolding in the server space shown on the screen. The hacking program would access the areas it had access to and attempt to continue deeper. Sometimes it would delete data, use that as a hole to plunge deeper, and restore the original data so as to cover its trail. However, the firewall working to cut off the hacking program was also well made. It would constantly check for illegal access, but the scope of that checking would expand or contract so as not to put a burden on the server¡¯s main functions. While tracking the hacking program¡¯s movements, it would also work to detect the origin point of the illegal access. The hacking program recorded every point it passed through and constantly recalculated the shortest route to use on its way back. The destination of that route was the origin point in question. Recording that route was much like a homing instinct. If captured, that origin point could be checked, so the hacking program would destroy itself in case of capture. The pursuit continued in the electronic world where a single touch meant it was all over. The standard setting Tsukuyomi had used was to prepare a single hacking program to reach the core of the servers and to send out a great number of dummy programs. Too many dummies could trigger an emergency where all the servers shut down, so the number of dummies was monitored in real time and new ones were sent out with randomly set destinations. ¡°From the looks of it, a few million dummies have already been sent out and then destroyed.¡± ¡°It says here seven dummies have been captured.¡± ¡°Those ones had their origin point set to the general affairs and security divisions. This¡¯ll cause them some problems, so we need to secretly give them some nice equipment.¡± ¡°I¡¯d feel guilty if they thanked us for it, so let¡¯s send it anonymously. ¡­But what happens if they capture a dummy from our territory?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll say Atsuta¡¯s machine was doing it, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about. If someone comes by, boot up his machine and deal with it. I¡¯ll pretend to play a game or something.¡± ¡°Atsuta¡¯s machine has the Heart Sutra for the wallpaper. Do I really have to boot that up?¡± ¡°Give it your best shot,¡± she said with a sigh. Suddenly, the image on the screen changed. The black window displayed a straight vertical corridor. The corridor was drawn with two green lines and looked like a cross section of a straw, but it was an abstract image representing the digital world. ¡°Here we go. It¡¯s on the path to the core.¡± The green lines were ten centimeters apart and the blue line indicating the hacking program was falling between them. ¡°That blue line is long. Are you sure you don¡¯t have it recording too much of its route? How optimized is it?¡± ¡°I want it to take a few detours to lose pursuit on its way back. This was the limit.¡± Several yellow lines cut across the green corridor to block the way. Those were the firewall, but the blue line broke through them in an instant and continued on down. The blue line opened a console and asserted its presence. ¡°I¡¯m 2nd-Gear.¡± Red dots flew up from below to intercept it, but it fired light blue dots and curves that destroyed all of the red dots. ¡°I see you¡¯ve given it more attack programs. It only had the blaster and zapper when I was working on it.¡± ¡°That was to avoid a barrage, so it had to be flashy as well. Personally, I enjoyed it more back when you could still grasp the location of all the bullets.¡± ¡°The times are changing. I don¡¯t like saying it like that, though.¡± As they spoke, the blue line scattered light blue dots around itself as options. An especially thick yellow line formed a door down below and one light blue dot flew over and destroyed it. At that point, the screen suddenly went dark. They had left the corridor, so the corridor opened like an upside down funnel and then formed a circle. The blue line had entered a large circular space. ¡°This is the core.¡± Enough red dots filled that space to completely cover the screen and a white sphere sat at the very center. The blue line paid no heed to the red dots. It fired the light yellow dots while slipping past the mass of red dots to access the empty space beyond. That was a spot of safety, a place where no one would attack it, and a location where it could view all. It circled around to check on the white sphere in the center. The sphere was about five centimeters across and the entire circular space was about thirty centimeters across. ¡°That isn¡¯t a space you want a fight in.¡± As if to check on that space, the blue line circled the entire space while slipping past the pursuing red dots. It finally arrived at a location ten centimeters directly below the white sphere. ¡°What will it do?¡± As if to answer Tsukuyomi¡¯s question, light came from the blue line. A blue dotted line extended from the front of the blue line and toward the white sphere in the center. That dotted line represented the predicted access route and a window opened for just a moment. ¡°Go ahead? Y/N.¡± But they did not even have to press a key because the development department¡¯s program was autonomous. ¡°Y¡± A moment later, the blue line raced into the darkness. As it did, the mass of red dots pursued. The wave of red surged toward the blue line¡¯s destination and the blue line threw light blue dots out like a spray to intercept. The light blue spray cancelled out the red dots. The silent disappearance of the two created an open space and the blue line continued into that darkness while showing no sign of turning back. The red group arrived and more light blue splashed out at them. The red and light blue vanished and the blue line continued forward through the darkness. That collision and cancellation of color continued at high speed. As it produced the instantaneous sprays of light blue, the blue line broke through the center of their afterimages. That line raced toward the white sphere. Once it reached a distance of 64 pixels, the red group changed its tactic. It formed a wall. The red group realized it could not predict the blue line¡¯s actions, so it tried to surround the white sphere and prevent access from any position. In other words, UCAT¡¯s core was being completely cut off. The expected result of this action was displayed on the screen with a note in parentheses. ¡°Emergency (of the awkward variety).¡± The server was being shut down. The firewall represented by the group of red had determined that shutting its own system down was the only way to protect itself. The wall of red approached completion, but the blue line did not hesitate. It continued on its predicted path below the white sphere because that was the shortest route from its current position. The line cut through the darkness in an instant and approached the red group attempting to set up a wall. ¡°!!¡± It danced. It quickly travelled to the all access points around itself and fired its attack programs around as it did so to make the red wall collapse. The light blue spray collided with the red. Without even checking on the progress of that attack, the blue line rebounded straight up toward the white sphere. Just as it arrived, text appeared on the screen. ¡°Mission complete!¡± The blue line fired a light blue line from either side of its body and those two lines formed a protective corridor that repelled the red group. The blue line began quickly taking data from the white sphere and the light blue corridor displayed the rate of destruction at different points. ¡°It should hold up long enough to transfer out the data!¡± Tsukuyomi watched the indicator on the monitor. A window divided into 100 segments slowly but surely informed her of the data transfer rate. She gave the program further instructions. ¡°Skip the core¡¯s dummy data!¡± ¡°Select option: call keyword.¡± ¡°What keyword should I use to trigger a skip?¡± She thought for a moment, but Kashima reached over to the keyboard. ¡°18+.¡± As soon as he hit enter, the speed of the indicator shot up. The blue line was no longer reading the dummy data and was quickly extracting only the important classified information. Tsukuyomi sighed toward Kashima as he watched the monitor. ¡°Not bad. ¡­Wait. Why does the core contain mostly 18+ data!?¡± ¡°You were only supposed to download a few files, but now you¡¯re downloading all of UCAT¡¯s core data, aren¡¯t you? Will it all fit on your machine?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°But the development department server is directly linked to the other servers, so they¡¯ll have no problem catching us if you put it there. What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± She nodded. ¡°I¡¯m encrypting it and sending it to every development department member¡¯s machine. By my calculations, there should be enough space as long as I delete the unnecessary data on the machines.¡± ¡°I see. It is true our individual machines have our exclusive security on them, so no one outside the department can view them. ¡­Wait, Director Tsukuyomi! My latest family movies are on my machine!!¡± The monitor they watched displayed the layout of desks in the department. On the overhead map that displayed the partitions as white lines, Kashima¡¯s desk was gradually filling with blue. ¡°Ahhh!!¡± As he watched, his desk on the map grew entirely blue. After a quiet chime, the data switched from his machine to the machine next to his. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± He fell to his knees. ¡°I couldn¡¯t protect my family¡­¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, stop that. You need to distinguish between 2D and 3D.¡± A moment later, noise filled the room. The emergency alarm was going off. ¡°Eh?¡± She checked the monitor, but the light blue corridor protecting the blue line had not been breached. That meant the electronic battle inside the server had not been discovered. ¡­In that case¡­ ¡°This must be something else.¡± Kashima stood up and an announcement explained the situation. ¡°Um, sorry to interrupt all of you working the night shift, but, um, this is UCAT¡¯s security department. An intruder entered the first floor and, um, the security department did not arrive in time to stop said intruder from moving further inside. Um, we would like to ask all the standby members of the field operation department to assist.¡± Muttering voices could be heard in the corridor as some people began to take action. They could be heard shouting to each other and equipping themselves as a further announcement arrived. ¡°Um, this is the security department. We have more information on the intruder. Um, she is a girl. I repeat, she is a girl. Her beauty has been ranked Class A. We have a beautiful girl accompanied by a large number of dogs. It is a truly moving sight. Even if you have nothing better to do, please remain where you are!¡± The voices in the corridor grew oddly bright and the noises grew even louder. Volume 6, 20: Noisy Challenge Volume 6, Chapter 20: Noisy Challenge That which causes commotions should not stay for long It should remain on the move Like a sudden rain shower Shino walked down a white corridor. This was her first time in UCAT and she was likely the first non-intelligence member of the Army to be there. The intelligence department had used invisibility and silencing philosopher¡¯s stones to acquire the corridor layout down to UCAT¡¯s second basement. They had been unable to continue further down because the doors were too well-defended, but Shino¡¯s mission did not require continuing past those doors. ¡°Shiro.¡± She spoke toward the ground as she walked through the corridor. A large white dog walked next to her there, but it was not alone. The entire corridor was filled with dozens of dogs. They came in countless varieties: small, large, white, black, brown, striped, spotted, raised ears, floppy ears, a prominent bridge of the nose, a lack of one, short legs, and long legs. None of those many dogs cast a shadow on the floor. They all continually turned to look at Shino and walked along as if protecting her. She met the gazes of the dogs protecting her from all directions and continued on. ¡°Thanks, everyone.¡± ¡­I only travelled from Okutama Station to here, but I gathered so many. She grabbed the philosopher¡¯s stone pendant hanging from her neck. The blue stone was glowing and that light used her will to give form to residual thoughts. She did not know whether these could be called ghosts. Even if the philosopher¡¯s stone allowed them to exist, there was nothing more to it than that. Hajji had speculated that their loss had created a ¡°gap¡± that functioned as a mold for their form. Shino¡¯s philosopher¡¯s stone was a type of thought synchronizing concept, so he said it might be sending their residual thoughts into that mold and casting a new form for them. Shino recalled what else Hajji had said: ¡°Do you not have enough power to give form to humans or did you set your specialty to dogs when you gave form to Shiro? Hm?¡± She could now find the remnant wills of dogs, synchronize them with her philosopher¡¯s stone, and allow them to touch objects other than her. When she did, most of them would be confused by being given a form and try to fight her. It was as if she were robbing them of their rest. When that happened, Shiro would deal with them. The dogs gathered here were the ones who had joined her and Shiro. She was their master and Shiro was their boss. As she looked at all of them, she wanted to give them all food, but she could not. ¡°But we can go see your owners afterwards.¡± She had promised to take them each to their former owners after they played together. When they met their former owners, their minds would reach their strongest point. The former owner would either see them for an instant or hear their cry before they disappeared. Sometimes the former owner would have a new dog, but the dogs would always choose not to meet the owner in those cases. They would realize their appearance was an unneeded intrusion, but they would still lick Shino¡¯s hand and disappear. ¡­Will that happen to Shiro someday? But she had another thought as well. ¡­Where do they go when they disappear? Did Low-Gear have a realm for the dead? She had heard most of the other Gears did. 1st-Gear had Requiem Sense and 3rd-Gear had the Tartaros, but what about Low-Gear? ¡°If the concepts are released, will a realm for the dead be created?¡± She tilted her head, Shiro looked at her worriedly, and the other dogs looked at her as well. She was making them worry, so she smiled to tell them they did not have to. She pulled a paper from her pocket. It was a map of UCAT¡¯s second basement and she was on her way to the central hall. ¡°The northern wall has a communication line to the center of UCAT.¡± With the map in one hand, she used the other to pull out a philosopher¡¯s stone on a string. ¡°Hajji got this weakened concept from 3rd-Gear. It transforms thoughts into information.¡± She wrapped the blue stone¡¯s string around her hand and lowered that hand. The dogs formed a circle around her and licked her hand and the stone it held. As she let them lick her hand, she showed them the map. ¡°Okay, everyone. It¡¯s time to eat. Your food tonight is data. Once you¡¯ve been turned to information, please eat everything you find deep in UCAT.¡± She took a breath, faced forward, and pointed. ¡°Go!!¡± The group of dogs immediately took action. They first raised their throats toward the heavens and opened their mouths in a howl. Several dozen howls shook the white corridor and led to the next action. As the sound came to an end, they ran. ¡°¡­!¡± They sprinted along in an undulating line. With a mission in mind, the dogs did not turn back toward Shino. They quickly formed groups of a few dogs each. Some groups continued straight and others suddenly cut through the walls. Those information beasts ran through the white corridor and continued to run. Shiro alone remained to await their return and to protect their master. Shino watched as the final group disappeared into the wall. ¡°I hope they¡¯ll be okay.¡± She stopped walking and Shiro turned toward her after circling ahead. An unhesitating face lay beyond his sharp nose and he seemed to be telling her not to worry. She nodded, smiled, gripped the philosopher¡¯s stone hanging from her neck, and opened her mouth. The movements of her small lips produced a song. Silent night, Holy night God¡¯s Son laughs, o how bright Love from your holy lips shines clear, As the dawn of salvation draws near, Jesus, Lord, with your birth Jesus, Lord, with your birth The majesty of that song passed through the stone and reached the dogs and their power of information. It encouraged them and told them their master was still there. She heard answering howls in the distance. The howls came from the corridor ahead, the intersections with other passageways, and from within the walls. They were responding to the song and their master¡¯s concerns. Pushed on by their master¡¯s voice, the dogs¡¯ voices contained no fear. To push them on even further, Shiro howled. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The bestial reverberation ruled the air. Until, that is, another sound from directly ahead cut it off. Several footsteps made by solid shoes and the clattering of metal equipment reached them. ¡­Here they are. Shino prepared herself and Shiro bared his fangs. ¡°UCAT.¡± A moment later, that was exactly who arrived. People charged out from the left and right at an intersection with another corridor up ahead. They wore white armored uniforms and other white clothing. There were at least twenty of them and they must have known she had no projectile weaponry because they took up a position to block her path. Those on the front line lowered their hips, held something in both hands, and peered into it. ¡­Weapons!? She opened her mouth to complain that they were firing without giving a warning, but she realized she was being na?ve. Instead, a shouted name escaped her opened mouth. ¡°Shiro!¡± The dog lowered his front legs and shrunk back. Once he began, she knew several enemies would be scattered in an instant. However¡­ ¡°Okay! Target is in photographic range!!¡± One extraneous word confused her. ¡°¡­Eh?¡± The doubt in her heart caused Shiro to turn toward her in confusion. At the same time, the enemy¡¯s front line activated their weapons. ¡°¡­!¡± She frantically prepared herself and heard a surprisingly reserved mechanical noise. And nothing else happened. No bullets flew her way and no pain filled her body. ¡­Eh? When she peeked forward between her fingers, she saw the enemy¡¯s front line falling back and the second line stepping forward. Finally, she noticed what their weapons were: cameras. ¡°Eh? U-um¡­¡± She relaxed her posture and the retreating front line frantically turned toward her. ¡°Ah! Sh-she put her hands down! I couldn¡¯t get a good shot of her face because her hands were in the way! Hey, second line. Give me another chance!¡± One man tried to step forward, but the members of the second line forced him back. ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid! This is the order we decided on using requests, recommendations, and official games of rock-paper-scissors! It¡¯s your fault for thinking it¡¯s best to have the first shot at it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said one man who stood in front of all the others. ¡°And by the third round, she¡¯ll have gotten used to it, so the second round is what really matters.¡± The old man wore a lab coat, the camera hanging from his neck had a telephoto lens the size of an anti-tank gun attached, and he was holding up his right thumb in Shino¡¯s direction. Shino knew him because he was well-known even within the Army. ¡­Ooshiro Kazuo? Her question must have passed through the philosopher¡¯s stone because Shiro tilted his head toward her. She wondered what to do, but Ooshiro spoke before she found an answer. ¡°Yes, that is an excellent expression. Everyone, don¡¯t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity.¡± He lay on the floor and opened the bipod on the bottom of the telephoto lens to prepare the camera like a sniper rifle. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Eh? Um, okay.¡± Shino had Shiro sit down and straightened up as she heard the sound of the shutter. Ooshiro smiled and stood up. ¡°Thank you very much. Third line, you¡¯re up!¡± The third line frantically prepared their cameras and took photos. ¡°Okay, the three-line photo shoot is complete.¡± The entire group began to cheerfully leave, but Shino frantically spoke up. ¡°Um! I-is that really all you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°Of course it is. We¡¯re off duty right now.¡± ¡°Then where are those who are on duty?¡± ¡°The dogs arrived while they were gathering their equipment, so they had to deal with that too. With that extra work, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve managed to locate you yet. They¡¯re driving away the dogs while visually searching for you, but we decided to get what photos we could and then tell them where you are once we get back.¡± ¡°Wh-why wouldn¡¯t you tell them right away!? I¡¯m an intruder.¡± She had no idea why she was arguing, but Shiro gave a bark of agreement. However, Ooshiro nodded with his giant camera resting on his shoulder. ¡°You are indeed an intruder and we¡¯re still UCAT members even while off duty,¡± he said. ¡°But everyone has their own job. The field operation group is currently running around in order to fight you, so we took the role of recording the intruder¡¯s actions while not getting in their way. But by some strange coincidence, we ran across you before they did.¡± Everyone around the old man applauded. The comments of ¡°nice excuse¡± and ¡°you are the law¡± convinced Shino that this entire encounter had been put together by Ooshiro. ¡­The rumors about him were true. It would not surprise her if he had sent false data to the other units just so he could take pictures of her. ¡°Then you don¡¯t have any combat gear on you?¡± she asked just to be sure. ¡°Of course not. Nothing could be more disrespectful than worrying our model.¡± I knew it, she thought with a sigh. ¡°What will you do if I attack you?¡± ¡°N-nonsense. Would an honest beauty like you really attack a group of defenseless people?¡± He stood tall and opened his lab coat to demonstrate his defenselessness. He looks like a flasher, she thought, but the word ¡°innocent¡± was written across the inside of his coat in ink. Her shoulders drooped. ¡°Sorry, but please leave. I have serious work to do here,¡± she said. ¡°A-also, don¡¯t make a bunch of copies of those and spread them around.¡± ¡°You heard the model! No publishing these without permission!¡± You were planning to? she realized. I guess that¡¯s just the kind of place this is. UCAT is a frightening place. Her shoulders drooped even further. ¡°Also, I want you to restate something.¡± She nodded and continued. ¡°I don¡¯t like simply being called a ¡®beauty¡¯, so please stop.¡± ¡°Ehhh!!?¡± The entire group¡¯s reflexive shout caused her to flinch back, but she quickly recovered. ¡°Wh-why are you so surprised!?¡± ¡°C-c-c-c-calm down! H-how about we start by defining our terms!?¡± ¡°Wh-what do you mean by defining our terms? I just don¡¯t want to be called that!¡± ¡°No! What you want doesn¡¯t matter here! It¡¯s our fantasies that matter! Isn¡¯t that right!?¡± Shino smiled and immediately responded to Ooshiro¡¯s question. ¡°Sic him, Shiro!!¡± The group of adults ran in a panic from the charging beast. Two emotions filled the atmosphere of the development department room. One was a rushing impatience and the other was the tension that caused. The source of those emotions was Tsukuyomi¡¯s desk on the southern side of the room. Specifically, they came from Kashima as he watched the monitor and Tsukuyomi as she typed on the keyboard. ¡°What are these growing damaged areas that suddenly appeared?¡± asked Kashima as he peered at the monitor. ¡°UCAT¡¯s data is being taken from the server!¡± The amount of gray indicating inaccessible damaged clusters was growing on the data map. Those damaged regions had appeared in every direction and were growing as if drawing a line toward the white sphere of the core. ¡°Director Tsukuyomi, do you think this is the intruder¡¯s doing?¡± ¡°I would say so. The damaged regions appeared at almost the same time as the alarm sounded. ¡­Uh, oh. It¡¯s approaching our line.¡± The white sphere and blue line were still safe, but the gray regions were drawing ever closer. Kashima pulled the keyboard toward him and began typing. ¡°This damage is prioritizing the largest clusters of data, so wouldn¡¯t it work better to gather dummy data as bait rather than setting up a defensive wall?¡± The red group that had attempted to block Tsukuyomi¡¯s program was attacking the damaged areas, but the red was overwritten with gray with no sign of resistance. ¡°It looks like the attack programs are being devoured as small pieces of data.¡± ¡°Do we have a large enough amount of dummy data to work as bait?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, almost all of the unnecessary data on our personal machines was deleted. What about the family movies left on your laptop?¡± ¡°That is not unnecessary data. It is a necessary part of a military god¡¯s life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite a leap in logic. Anyway, what other unnecessary data is there?¡± The two of them exchanged a glance, took a breath, and shouted out at the same moment. ¡°The 18+ games!!¡± Kashima pointed toward the white sphere in the center of the monitor. ¡°Director Tsukuyomi, there¡¯s a whole bunch right here! It¡¯s a treasure trove!¡± ¡°Quit shouting and pointing and actually do something!¡± Kashima gave his instructions to the program. As it continued removing data for itself, it created a secondary pathway to send massive amounts of dummy data toward the damaged regions. The data transfer rate dropped, but the tremendous amount of data slowed down the expansion of the damaged region. Tsukuyomi and Kashima watched as file names scrolled by on their way to be destroyed. It looked like names on a war memorial and Kashima spoke in a serious tone as he read them. ¡°These are some unpleasant titles. Like this one: ¡®Repeated School Year¡¯. The tagline is ¡®Be held back!¡¯.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m more concerned by this one: ¡®The Creator of Esperanto Was Named Zamenhof (For Real)¡¯.[1] Its tagline is ¡®Time to take over the world!¡¯, but what is it even about?¡± ¡°Maybe this is actually a valuable collection.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that with a straight face. More importantly, look at this-¡­ Wait. Why are we reviewing the titles and taglines of 18+ games!?¡± Her shout was accompanied by odd noises out in the corridor. They heard footsteps and barking. After a large group of footsteps passed by and gave various frightened shouts, a dog pursued them and a single set of quieter footsteps followed. ¡°What was that?¡± asked Kashima. ¡°How about you get out there and find out?¡± The wall of dummy data was forming on the monitor. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can gather all the core¡¯s data before the dummy data is eaten through.¡± However, Tsukuyomi was already listing their gathered data in a different window. As she looked through the list of names, she smiled. ¡°It looks like we have a lot of data on the National Defense Department. There are even digitized photographs. Kashima, you find out what¡¯s going on out in the corridor. I¡¯ll have this tidied up and printed out by the time you get back.¡± ¡°And then I¡¯m supposed to do something with it?¡± ¡°Yes. Fax or otherwise send anything that looks important to the group in Okayama. Use a convenience store or something, so the higher ups won¡¯t notice.¡± She nodded. ¡°Those children will want this information too.¡± Shino faced the bad adults in the central corridor of the second basement. She had run around quite a bit, but she had been generally making progress toward the exit. The enemy had met up with the field operation unit at an intersection between white corridors and they were catching their breath behind that unit. ¡­They¡¯re holding the exit. The dozen or so members of the field operation unit aimed guns at her. They aimed the guns directly at her and showed no sign of starting with warning shots. The middle-aged man with a commander-ish hat held a Hanshin Tigers megaphone in one hand. ¡°Um, can you hear me? We ask that you surrender peacefully.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Um, then can you give your name and affiliation?¡± She was unsure whether she should tell them. ¡°My name is Shino. I am affiliated with¡­the Army.¡± The unit stiffened at that name. ¡­That isn¡¯t surprising. UCAT and the Army had fought a few skirmishes limited to Japan and most of them had involved the theft of UCAT¡¯s information, materiel, and secrets. The Army viewed the battles as secondary and anyone who was captured was ordered to commit suicide. ¡­But most everyone returns without being captured. This may have been close to the first time someone had directly faced them and named the organization. She noticed the field operation unit, including the commander, was speaking with the camera group behind them. ¡°?¡± She tilted her head and the commander turned toward her. ¡°What is your objective?¡± ¡°Are you not aware what¡¯s happening to UCAT¡¯s data servers right now?¡± ¡°We are aware.¡± His voice contained a tone of sadness which made Shino feel apologetic. However, she was also glad that the dogs were doing their job. ¡­I really am selfish. But she knew her behavior had to remain resolute and she knew these were her enemies. ¡°Then please give up. No normal attacks can stop my dogs. If possible, could you open a path and let me through? If you do, I will tell the dogs not to attack you.¡± She poured strength into her words and prepared for an attack. And¡­ ¡°That expression is mine!!¡± An ultra-long telephoto lens poked out from behind the enemy and she heard the sound of a camera shutter. ¡°No fair!!¡± shouted most of the enemy. ¡°I didn¡¯t give you permission to photograph me!!¡± she shouted. ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s right,¡± said the field operation unit as they grabbed the photo group by the collar. ¡°Listen up all of you,¡± said a representative member of the unit. ¡°Don¡¯t make us point a gun at a beauty while you have all the fun!¡± ¡°I-I said to stop calling me that. Is everyone in this organization a pervert!?¡± They all turned toward her. ¡°You just don¡¯t understand your value! Go look in a mirror and think about what truly matters!¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t want that kind of value! Please stop taking pictures!¡± Ooshiro held his telephoto lens and wriggled back and forth behind all the others. ¡°How¡­how could you rob an old man of his adorable hobby?¡± ¡°Shiro, Shiro. Target that guy first. Don¡¯t hesitate to use your canines.¡± ¡°When did beauties become so cement-like!?¡± ¡°Just let me leave!!¡± she shouted. ¡°Do you have a habit of imprisoning young girls!?¡± ¡­I need to move them out of the way so I can leave. The dogs would catch up to her before long after they finished devouring the data and storing it in their bodies. Once she removed that from them and stored it in the philosopher¡¯s stone, her mission would be complete. UCAT would lose most of its database and the Army would gain all that data. ¡­Let¡¯s get out of this unpleasant world as soon as possible. Even without the dogs, she could use her philosopher¡¯s stone¡¯s power to break into an opponent¡¯s thoughts and make them do what she said. ¡°Please move out of the way,¡± she said to the stone hanging from her neck. A moment later, the few people immediately blocking her path unsteadily stood up. It had worked. The power of a philosopher¡¯s stone was the same as a concept and there was no way to oppose a power that simply stated how things were. ¡°¡­¡± She took a breath. As a few people moved to either side, the people behind them frantically spoke up. ¡°W-wait! You¡¯re controlling them! Is this some kind of miraculous beauty power!?¡± ¡°This is not a beauty power! It¡¯s a philosopher¡¯s stone!!¡± ¡°Ehhh!?¡± She ignored their shouts of protest and stepped forward. Ooshiro immediately ran forward and held out both hands. ¡°You¡¯re on!!¡± ¡°Please move out of the way.¡± She sounded almost exasperated as she gave her order, but then something like a crack ran between her and Ooshiro. ¡°Eh?¡± She heard the sound of cracking glass and saw that Ooshiro had not moved. She frowned at the fact that her philosopher¡¯s stone was not working. ¡°Please¡­move out of the way,¡± she said while tilting her head. Another crack ran through the air and a gust of wind blew through, but Ooshiro remained unmoved. It was not working. But as Ooshiro held his hands forward, his lab coat shook and a blue stone on a chain fell from his hand. ¡°Ha ha ha. Too bad. I thought it would be a good idea to bring a weakened copy of a concept that deflects everything.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I simply deflected your power. Why don¡¯t you try asking more nicely?¡± ¡°Please move out of the way!!¡± Her shout produced another spatial crack and the bottom of Ooshiro¡¯s lab coat fluttered about. The surrounding soldiers were bent backwards and plastered to the wall with their skeletons creaking from the strain. ¡°Gwah! U-UCAT Director Ooshiro! We can¡¯t move out of the way any more than this!!¡± ¡°Just move out of the way!!¡± ¡°Gwaaaah!¡± ¡°You all seem to be having fun.¡± Ooshiro withstood her power head on. His expression and stance showed just how calm he was. ¡­Huh? She then realized something. If his reflection concept was related to the hands he held forward¡­ ¡°Ah.¡± She pretended to casually look to the left where the wall contained a single door. As soon as Ooshiro looked over as well, his stance shifted just enough to alter the angle of his defensive power and he was blasted diagonally to the right. He struck the wall and energetically rolled two or three times. ¡°Ow! You need to treat the elderly with more care!¡± ¡°Please be quiet and let me leave!¡± Shino ignored him and her shout silenced all of her opponents via the philosopher¡¯s stone. She received the desired silence, but she had a thought about her shout. ¡­That isn¡¯t what an intruder should be saying. She realized she was blushing and the adults crawled down from the wall, pressed their heads together, and began discussing something. A few of them would glance her way on occasion and about a minute passed. Once they faced her again, all their faces displayed the same calm smile. ¡°Now, let¡¯s take this seriously. We aren¡¯t letting you leave tonight.¡± ¡°Y-you sound like you¡¯re lying. Are you hiding something?¡¯ ¡°N-no. O-o-o-of course not. None of you are hiding anything, right?¡± They all gave three quick nods and Shino came to the realization that adults were liars. ¡°Anyway, please don¡¯t move. I need to continue on and leave.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Keep going if you wish.¡± Ooshiro¡¯s tone of voice confused her, but she did not know why. She tilted her head and Shiro suddenly turned back toward her. ¡°What is it, Shiro?¡± He turned toward the right wall and Shino started to as well. ¡°Ahhh! Don¡¯t look at that wall!! It¡¯ll corrode your eyes away!¡± She looked regardless and found a white wall with a placard on it. The placard contained a green arrow pointing behind her and a single word below it. ¡°Exit,¡± she read aloud. ¡­Did I get turned around while chasing them? ¡°Oh, um, that¡¯s where a man named Mr. Exit lives,¡± said Ooshiro up ahead. ¡°The¡­the real exit is this way! C¡¯mon, this way!¡± ¡°Good! Bye!!¡± With that staccato exclamation, she started to turn around. She was more bothered by her own sense of direction than by allowing them to trick her, so she decided to take some combat training in a closed space once she returned to the Army. But as she turned around, she heard a voice from the exit leading up to the first basement. It was a male voice and it was singing. ¡°A kissss exchanged innnnn the middle of the niiiiiight is a kiss of the niiiight!¡± ¡°He¡¯s here!¡± said someone behind her. ¡°Wh-what is this strange song!?¡± ¡°Our secret weapon. The weapon we wanted to keep a secret!¡± Shino heard a singing voice. As it continued, she stopped moving and watched as someone appeared from down the corridor. ¡°Yooouuuuu and meeeee in our hearrrrrrrts!¡± A pause. ¡°Yeahhhhhhh!!¡± The shout ended just as the young man stopped approximately three meters ahead. Shino observed him. He had short blond hair and wore a white summer coat. He seemed to be hearing things because he spread his arms as if to quiet imagined cheering. ¡°There will be no encore. Not when I get a job the second I get back from the Sea of Japan.¡± Hearing that, Shino guessed who he was and breathed a sigh of relief. He was most likely an ultra deep-sea fisherman from the coast of the Sea of Japan. The extreme loneliness of the sea had clearly caused him to go mad. He glanced at her, Shiro, and the UCAT soldiers at the corridor intersection behind her. ¡°I¡¯m here. It¡¯s Atsuta Yukihito of the development department¡¯s security team.¡± ¡°Eh? You¡¯re not a deep-sea fisherman?¡± ¡°What are you talking about, brat?¡± The young man named Atsuta frowned toward her and then turned back to those behind her. She could tell he was an enemy, but his general atmosphere prevented her from moving. He was perfectly relaxed, but she had no idea what he would do if she did anything. She had felt this same oppression when facing Tatsumi in training. Shiro lowered down next to her but did not let down his guard. What should I do? she wondered just as Atsuta asked a question to his allies. ¡°So where¡¯s this supposed enemy? Bring them out here for me.¡± She followed his gaze in confusion and saw all those in the corridor intersection point at her. Seeing that, Atsuta looked at her, paused, and then looked back at his allies. ¡°Are you stupid? This immature brat isn¡¯t an enemy! If you¡¯re gonna joke, at least put some effort into it. Hey, brat. I don¡¯t know where they scouted you from, but hanging around people with rotten brains will make your own brain melt out your ears.¡± ¡°N-no. I¡­um¡­am the enemy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, brat! Stop playing pretend, go home, and get some sleep!¡± Everything he said irritated her. He must have noticed the stern look on her face because he tilted his head. ¡°What? You got something to say to me, brat?¡± That was when her self-control reached its limit. She took in just one breath, clenched her lowered fists, and shouted back. ¡°I am not being stupid! And what is wrong with you!? Why do you keep calling me a brat!?¡± ¡°Shut up. You look like a brat, so I called you a brat. Isn¡¯t it summer break? Go get to sleep, head out for the radio exercise tomorrow morning, and get yourself a stamp for attendance!¡± ¡°Oh? You keep calling me a brat, but you¡¯re the one singing weird songs and hearing things. You¡¯re more of a child than I am. In fact, you¡¯re beyond saving! Also, the radio exercise wouldn¡¯t be tomorrow morning. It would be this morning because it¡¯s already past four in the morning! You idiot!!¡± Her tirade received a response, but not from Atsuta. The group behind her gasped and seemed to draw back in fear. But she was no longer afraid and she stuck out her tongue before continuing. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, then say something! You stupid adult!¡± She saw the young man¡¯s eyebrows rise and he bared his teeth. ¡°Y-y-you¡­you¡­you¡­¡± ¡°Ohhh? Are you having trouble speaking? Heh heh heh. You double idiot!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll rape you, brat!!¡± His shout pierced through her, but it took her a moment to realize what he meant. The entire area grew silent and she thought amidst the absolute stillness. What exactly did those words mean? ¡°U-um¡­¡± Her knowledge came from newspapers and magazines. When she mixed that with the current situation, she started to feel faint. Something fell from her eyes. She momentarily thought about calling for help from Mikoku, but Mikoku was not here. She had to be strong. She endured and slowly looked up at him while feeling new tears welling up in her eyes. She had a single word to say to Atsuta¡¯s frowning face. She faced the ceiling, breathed in, and opened her mouth wide. ¡°Rapist!!¡± ¡°Y-you idiot! Don¡¯t take it literally!!¡± ¡°Wahhhhh!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry!!¡± But the next voice came from the corridor intersection. ¡°You bastard!!¡± A thunderous voice was accompanied by countless guns being aimed. ¡°Atsuta! You¡¯ve made one of this planet¡¯s most precious resources cry! But that expression is nice too!¡± ¡°Stop being so inconsistently perverted!¡± he shouted back. ¡°Anyway, is she the enemy!?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the entire universe¡¯s enemy!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid! Do you want me to slice you all to pieces!?¡± As Atsuta¡¯s shout reverberated down the corridor a new man spoke up. ¡°Wait just a second. Listen up.¡± Shino rubbed the tears from her eyes with both hands and turned around to find a young man in a lab coat and sandals jogging from the right side of the intersection. ¡°What are all of you doing?¡± ¡°Oh, Kashima. These idiots are treating me like their enemy for some reason.¡± The young man named Kashima turned toward Ooshiro and sighed. ¡°UCAT Director Ooshiro, Atsuta always approaches combat seriously. I can¡¯t imagine why you would need to aim your guns at him. There must have been some kind of mistake.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Tell that perverted old man how wonderful I am.¡± Ooshiro nodded and gestured Kashima over. Kashima leaned in and Ooshiro whispered in his ear. He nodded a few times and then turned to Atsuta. ¡°That was a bad thing, Atsuta.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t betray me that easily!¡± ¡°Keep it down!¡± Shino saw yet another new person enter. The door on the wall to the left slid open and a short girl stepped out. She had long gray hair and a black cat at her feet. Shino knew that her name was Brunhild and that she had been part of 1st-Gear¡¯s main force during their battle with UCAT. She looked first at the corridor intersection and then at Shino. ¡°Is it all of you causing all that noise?¡± She clearly did not expect an answer because she frowned and spoke in a quick, irritated voice. ¡°I am seriously busy, so keep it down.¡± Feeling scolded, Shino frantically spoke up. ¡°S-sorry.¡± ¡°Oh? Do you really think sorry is enough?¡± The frowning face turned Shino¡¯s way. Oops, she thought. My reflexive apology gave her an excuse to accuse me. Brunhild narrowed her eyes, tilted her head, and looked diagonally down at Shino. ¡°Do you want to know what I was doing?¡± ¡°N-not really.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Brunhild smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you: I was working on my summer homework.¡± Shino had heard that term before. She had never gone to school. The adults of the Army had given her a fair amount of professional knowledge, but she had only a little bit of knowledge on the customs of normal schools. From what she had heard, summer homework was something everyone made a big deal out of yet always put off until the very end of summer break. People who finished it at the beginning of summer break were supposedly quite valuable. And one such valuable person stood before her. Her joy at meeting someone like that took the form of a question. ¡°Wh-what are you doing for your homework?¡± That curious and interested question caused Brunhild to hold out her hand ten centimeters from Shino¡¯s face to display what it held. ¡°Cicadas. I¡¯m collecting insects.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I caught them yesterday evening. I just finished the preparations and was in the process of making specimens out of them. Do you know how that¡¯s done? First, you inject an anesthetic into the end of their butt with a syringe. Once they stop moving, you inject a poisonous hardener into them, also through the butt. Then you stab a pin into the center like this.¡± Shino gasped at the pierced stomach of the cicada. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I injected the anesthetic. But when I was injecting the hardener, the commotion out here caused the needle to go in at an angle and the hardener leaked out.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still alive.¡± The cicada suddenly moved. Its six legs trembled and writhed about while it gave its chirping cry. The sound of the bug made Shino step back. ¡°Nooo!!¡± But Brunhild continued staring at her without so much as glancing at the cicada. ¡°I told you to keep it down.¡± She pressed something hard against Shino¡¯s forehead. It was slightly pointed, it moved, and it grasped painfully to her skin. Once she thought about what it was, she just about passed out. The cicada cries stopped and six sharp objects dug into her forehead. She started hearing dog footsteps and barking in the distance and wondered if she was imagining things, but then another sharp pain reached her forehead. As soon as she wondered what it was, Brunhild spoke. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s sucking.¡± Her instincts told her what was sucking, so she opened her mouth and her limbs tensed up. ¡°Cicadaaaaaa!!¡± She screamed and dogs burst from the walls and ceiling. The girl with the cicada prepared for a fight as the barking was accompanied by screaming adults and gunfire. She threw the scalpel from her insect collection kit toward Atsuta. ¡°Sword god, make yourself useful!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me what to do!!¡± Just as Atsuta caught the blade, Shiro began to move, and paper flew from Brunhild¡¯s sleeve. It was explosive paper. A swordfight and explosion began. The moon was visible as the night approached dawn. The third quarter moon was already floating in the west at a height that indicated morning was near. A woman stared at that moon. She stood next to a white building atop a small mountain near a wide, flat city. She wore white sleepwear and stood on an elevator at eight stories up. She was leaning on the railing and looking at the moon, but she suddenly stopped. She lowered her gaze to the city. ¡°Kurashiki. It¡¯s weird to think I can see it but they can¡¯t see us.¡± Night came early for that historical city, but its mornings seemed normal. The moon was out and the 3rd-Gear clock said it was early dawn, but¡­ ¡°There aren¡¯t many lights on.¡± That flat city was not filled with agriculture and had no harbor, so the people there worked to protect history and preserve their city. ¡­But they¡¯re still living a life that faces the present. ¡°How preachy,¡± Miyako muttered self-deprecatingly as she looked into the sky. When she had decided to remain that evening, Moira 1st and Gyes had given her two pieces of information to give her a chance to rethink that decision. She turned her thoughts toward one of those two. ¡°I¡¯m from 2nd-Gear.¡± Her mother had never said a word about that. According to Moira 1st, she had likely been naturalized and a lot of 2nd-Gear had joined Low-Gear once the Concept War came to an end. She had also mentioned that Tsukuyomi was the surname of 2nd-Gear¡¯s imperial family. ¡°Heh.¡± ¡­So I am a princess. She didn¡¯t like it and Gyes had gone on to say the following: ¡°According to some information we have received, a woman named Tsukuyomi works as the development department director at the Tokyo branch of UCAT, Low-Gear¡¯s anti-Concept War organization and our enemy.¡± ¡°That would definitely be my mom,¡± she had replied. ¡­What is with this? I was finally onboard and spoke so harshly, but it turns out I¡¯m not from Low-Gear and my mom¡¯s a leader in the enemy organization. Moira 1st and the others had asked her to decide by the next morning whether she would leave or stay. She thought about the ever-changing situation and began to sing a song. ¡°Silent night, Holy night.¡± What a memorable song, she thought. On the last night she had spent with her father, the family had sung that song. She would occasionally sing it to remember that time. Her mother had instead avoided singing it, but she had suddenly started humming it again during May. It had started when her mother had stayed overnight at IAI for a ¡°party¡± and come back with a hurt back. What happened to her then, Miyako wondered. She then gave another self-deprecating laugh. ¡°Heh. First that interview and now I can¡¯t figure myself out.¡± ¡­And I don¡¯t know anything about others. ¡°You¡¯re far from being an adult, Miyako.¡± As soon as she muttered that into the sky, she saw a light. The pale light resembled moonlight, but it had not come from the sky. ¡°Inside!?¡± The pale light was moving through the dim corridor visible through the emergency exit behind her. It had a human form. ¡­A woman? The woman emitted a pale light and long hair of the same color rippled through the air as she climbed down the stairs next to the emergency exit. She¡¯s not human, realized Miyako. After all, humans did not glow and the background could not be seen through them. ¡°And can they make that face?¡± She saw a face with the ends of the eyebrows lowered. The mouth was crumbled as if weeping and the eyes were powerless as if searching for something. If she were human, she would be wailing, thought Miyako. Her expression looks like it¡¯s frozen in the instant before crying. But if she was not human, what was she? A ghost? she guessed before shaking her head. When Moira 1st had told her about 3rd-Gear the day before, she had mentioned the Tartaros Machina. People¡¯s souls were wholly brought inside, but a specified person could not be called out. That meant there were no ghosts of individual people. ¡°Then what is this?¡± She stood up from the elevator railing, but the glowing woman was no longer visible even at the bottom of the stairway. She knew that stairway led to the hangar down below. Wondering if she should go check, Miyako remembered something. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that the woman in the framed paintings in the hallway?¡± ¡­Artemis? That was Apollo¡¯s sister. Was she inside this base in some form or another? ¡°Or am I so tired I¡¯m hallucinating?¡± She brought a hand to her forehead and found sweat. That dampness and her cold forehead told her she had seen the truth. And then noise came instead of light. A shout reached her from below. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± The shout was in a mechanical voice and it came from the entrance to the hangar. It seemed to shake even the light leaking from the cracked-open door and it sounded almost bestial. ¡­That was a scream. The high-pitched scream continued from below. She recognized it as Typhon¡¯s shout, but she did not know why Typhon would be raising its voice now. What was going on? She tried to listen more closely, but the scream shook her spine. ¡°Kh.¡± An unpleasant feeling twisting deep in her gut sent her inside. The red carpet felt pleasantly soft below her feet and the scream from the hangar entrance vanished. When she realized it was not coming from the bottom of the stairway, she breathed a sigh of relief. With that warm breath, she leaned against the wall. ¡­What was that scream? It had already vanished and she did not hear a second one. That relieved her even further, but at the same time¡­ ¡­Sorry. Either because she had seen that pale glowing woman¡¯s expression or because she understood Typhon¡¯s scream, she wanted to do something about it. ¡°Dammit.¡± She held her right hand before her eyes. ¡°Dammit!¡± She clenched her left hand and struck the wall. She realized once more how conceited she was. During the day, she had given the maids names and been surrounded by them. During the evening, she had spoken with Apollo. After that, she had felt she understood them to a certain extent. ¡­But I don¡¯t. She decided to stay here. Tomorrow, she would eat breakfast and head to the hangar. There, she would face Typhon fair and square while the others worked. ¡°Dammit¡­¡± As she spoke, she realized a sound lingered in her ears: Typhon¡¯s scream. The intensity of that scream had rivalled the yellow she had seen in Typhon¡¯s eyes. ¡°Kh!¡± She covered her face with her outstretched hand and recalled the young man with the same color eyes as Typhon. What would he do if he heard that scream that had the same intensity as his eyes? And who had caused Typhon to cry out like that? ¡­Was it not Apollo? Moira 1st had said he was the only human in the base, which meant he was the only one who could pilot Typhon. But who had that woman been? ¡­Typhon screamed after she went down there. But she shook her head. An actual body was needed to pilot a god of war. That woman¡¯s body had been made of light and she had not even created footsteps. In that state, she could not cause anything to move. ¡°What is going on? I thought this was the land of machines.¡± She considered asking Apollo, but she shook her head. She would wait until tomorrow. She would then head to the hangar and find the truth there. ¡°That rich boy wouldn¡¯t give me a straight answer even if I asked him.¡± Notes 1. ¡ü The ¡°Zamen¡± of Zamenhof is spelled the same as ¡°semen¡± in Japanese. Volume 6, 21: Silently Read Memories Volume 6, Chapter 21: Silently Read Memories Someone said to go outside What did so before you could respond? Your thoughts, your gaze, or your advancing feet? Below the blue morning sky was a dark blue expanse that reflected the sunlight and rose and fell with waves. It was the sea, but this sea did not continue to the horizon. Beyond the ships and water birds was an opposite shore and bluish-gray mountains. A voice flew toward that sea. ¡°The Seto Inland Sea!¡± The female voice belonged to Kazami. Her voice came from a wharf sticking out into the sea. A few dozen people were gathered on the concrete harbor and Kazami stood in the lead while holding a wheelchair¡¯s handles. The wheelchair carried a girl with long blonde hair across the wharf. That girl, Mikage, looked up toward Kazami, opened her mouth, and spoke with silent words. ¡°Ee ehoh ihluh ee?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± replied a smiling Kazami. ¡°The Seto Inland Sea.¡± Mikage nodded and looked behind the other girl. Two boys stood there: Izumo and Hiba. The latter gave Kazami an impressed look. ¡°Kazami-san, you sure have gotten close to Mikage-san.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been together since last night, including the bus, helicopter, and train rides coming here. Are you jealous, Hiba?¡± ¡°I am, Chisato. I¡¯m worried you¡¯re going to awaken to a love that crosses the gender barri- gfh.¡± Kazami ended the unnecessary comment prematurely and glanced around. The ones waiting for a ship on the wharf and harbor were Team Leviathan and the members of the special and standard divisions that often worked with them. The training camp was taking place on a desert island and they had already travelled from Okutama to Okayama UCAT by helicopter and from there to Kurashiki by train. They had arrived at the Port of Mizushima on the southwestern side of the Kojima Peninsula, but it was not a fishing harbor. It functioned as an industrial transportation harbor and it was reachable on a train from Kurashiki. The industrial area was used by many corporations such as Mitsubishi. ¡°The Izumo Company has apparently been using this since the early days of the Izumo Aviation Institute.¡± From what Kazami¡¯s father had told her, the area had been an even greater shipbuilding area than Yokosuka during World War Two. She turned to Hiba, then to Mikage, and finally to the western sea. ¡°That¡¯s Kure, Hiroshima over there. During the National Defense Department days, warships like the Yamato were built there.¡± ¡°They build passenger ships and tankers now, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Oh, do you know a lot about this, Hiba? Do you like this kind of thing?¡± ¡°No, but my grandfather does. Back in the National Defense Department days, the military apparently asked them to share some technology for a giant warship. They planned a warship that flew and fired a destructive beam from the bow, but the military thought they were joking and rejected it.¡± They were probably serious, thought Kazami. If the plans still exist, my dad could probably use it for something. Mikage then lifted her body up to look at Hiba. Kazami guessed that Mikage had not heard that story and that she wanted to hear as much from Hiba as she could. The night before, they had spoken together and Kazami had occasionally let Mikage handle the calls to Hiba, so she could now understand what the girl was thinking to a certain extent. ¡­But I¡¯m probably not as good at it as I think I am. She had been woken early that morning by the sounds of Mikage attempting to leave the room on her own. Kazami¡¯s current mood would change based on whether that was due to Mikage¡¯s desire to see Hiba or a desire to get away from her. I can¡¯t let my guard down, she thought. Mikage has her own thoughts. As long as I don¡¯t hastily read too much into her actions, I¡¯ll get my answer eventually. Suddenly, Hiba glanced around. ¡°Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t seen Sayama-san or Shinjou-san since Kurashiki Station.¡± ¡°Oh, those two couldn¡¯t resist any longer and they can¡¯t exactly do it in front of us, now can they?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°It happens a lot.¡± Kazami beckoned Hiba over. After Mikage tilted her head and Hiba walked over, Kazami crouched down, placed a finger over her mouth, and gestured for Hiba to lower down as well. ¡°?¡± He lowered his head and Kazami reached into his collar and toward the wheel of Mikage¡¯s wheelchair. She searched around with her hands for a bit. ¡­There they are. When she pulled out two small devices about the size of a grain of rice, Hiba mouthed a word much like Mikage would. ¡°A uhg?¡± A bug? Kazami nodded, quickly opened the backpack she wore, and pulled out a handheld recorder much like the one Sayama owned. She switched it on and Hiba whispered a comment on the sound it produced. ¡°Kazami-san, what is this sound of flesh and bones being struck?¡± ¡°Shh. Sayama edited this four hour selection of my attacks. For the moment, it¡¯ll sound like I¡¯m hitting Kaku.¡± She placed the bugs in a small pill case she took from her backpack and placed it back in along with the activated recorder. She tossed the backpack toward Izumo who lay collapsed on the ground. It made a dull noise as it struck his face, so it must have had some kind of weapon inside. She decided not to think about it and took a breath. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s talk seriously.¡± ¡°Sounds good. ¡­Wait. Why were we bugged!?¡± ¡°Not so loud, Hiba. This isn¡¯t a simple matter. There are people who are interested in our actions, so they asked to have us monitored. Probably from the other side of the sea.¡± Kazami pointed at Hiba¡¯s collar and Mikage¡¯s wheelchair. ¡°They must have been slipped onto you during the body check before boarding the helicopter. I¡¯ll put them back on you, so we need another way to eliminate them. Hiba, when disembarking from the ship later, purposefully fall into the ocean and change your clothes. Mikage, you try to use your cane instead of the wheelchair. Also make sure to check your tent every day.¡± Hiba frantically nodded and Kazami smiled when Mikage emulated him. Hiba had plenty of combat experience and Mikage had a long past, but their one-on-one battles had not prepared them for this kind of tactic. ¡­I actually feel like an upperclassman for once. ¡°So where are Sayama-san and Shinjou-san?¡± ¡°After leaving the helicopter at the Okayama IAI branch, Sayama received a phone call, remember?¡± ¡°Yes. A group called the Army attacked UCAT and escaped. Shouldn¡¯t you all head back there? I heard most of the internal data was destroyed.¡± ¡°They targeted the central data server, so the servers of individual departments were unharmed. It seems transferring over the data from those servers will recover most of it. In fact, the IT department was glad to get a new backup from everyone. A lot of the departments don¡¯t bother with periodic backups to the central server because it¡¯s too much trouble.¡± ¡°Then what was the enemy after?¡± ¡°Well,¡± said Kazami while narrowing her eyes. ¡°Do you really think UCAT¡¯s databank had nothing but backup data from the different departments?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Also, that phone call to Sayama wasn¡¯t from an official UCAT contact. It was a secret message from 2nd-Gear¡¯s military god in the development department.¡± Kazami intentionally emphasized their connection to other Gears. ¡­I don¡¯t really like showing off our strength. But they needed to demonstrate their past results. She saw Hiba¡¯s expression stiffen a bit and the look in Mikage¡¯s eyes changed. ¡°What did that military god say?¡± ¡°Something very interesting. His boss had saved the majority of the data from the central server. She acted ahead of time and copied over everything the Army would want to steal and destroy.¡± ¡°But how did-¡­?¡± Kazami cut him off with a shake of the head. ¡°It¡¯s rude to ask that. Anyway, it contained a lot of documents concerning the National Defense Department, including some image data. The military god was instructing Sayama to pick up the important documents by fax so the higher ups won¡¯t notice. He¡¯s probably waiting by a convenience store fax machine near Kurashiki Station right now.¡± ¡°Then the idea that he and Shinjou-san went off to do dirty things was just camouflage?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Kazami trailed off in thought, looked up toward the sky, and gathered her thoughts. ¡°That might not be a complete lie.¡± Kurashiki was located a bit west of Okayama¡¯s center. It was somewhat west of the Kojima Peninsula that stuck out into the Seto Inland Sea. The city was a twenty minute train ride from the prefectural capital of Okayama. To the south of that northeast-southwest railroad were museums and a sightseeing district known as the Bikan district which was filled with antique houses. To the north were an amusement park and a flat, seemingly never-ending residential district. Kurashiki Station was located in the center of the city, a hotel was situated above the station building, and department stores were connected to either side. Outside the southern entrance of the station was a large roundabout made with tourists in mind and major roads led away from it in three different directions. The central street was primarily lined with bars, business hotels, and restaurants. Convenience stores were located between the different stores and restaurants. Two people stood in front of a convenience store with a blue sign on the left side of the road. One was a boy wearing a vest and suit pants. The other was a boy wearing a white shirt, shorts, and a white straw hat. The summer sun shined down as noon approached, so the two of them stood in the shade of a tree and out of the way of the walking people. The one in the straw hat looked to the backpack carried by the one in the vest. ¡°Sayama-kun, you¡¯ve been carrying that for me this whole time. Isn¡¯t it heavy?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. This bag contains your binder, Shinjou-kun. That would never feel heavy to me.¡± ¡°I put Izumo-san¡¯s spare sunglasses in it because they wouldn¡¯t fit in his bag.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why the right side seemed oddly heavy. Is there a trashcan around here?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Shinjou thought and looked at her watch to change the subject. ¡°S-Sayama-kun? It¡¯s 11:55 right now, so we have five minutes until Kashima-san told us to call him. Have you taken care of the bugs?¡± ¡°I have. It will only last about 90 minutes, but that should be enough.¡± Sayama pulled out a clear plastic case from the backpack¡¯s side pocket. It contained two listening devices and Sayama¡¯s portable recording device. That combination made Shinjou tilt her head. ¡°Will that really work?¡± ¡°It will. I am playing a dummy conversation I edited together.¡± He raised the volume of the recorder so she could hear. ¡°I-I can¡¯t handle something th-that hard!¡± ¡°We are running short on time. You seem extraordinarily interested in this. Anyway, there is no need to be afraid. Ask for it hard and rough!¡± ¡°I know I said that¡­but¡­¡± ¡°Now, then. Continue, Shinjou-kun. ¡­Hm? Why did you just twitch?¡± Sayama turned a serious expression toward Shinjou. ¡°Such a wonderful editing job. Now, do you see a problem with this, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°I see one in your brain!! ¡­Wait. You aren¡¯t recording everything I ever say, are you?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, that proved impossible as we first met and spoke inside a concept space where batteries did not function.¡± Shinjou suddenly felt faint and collapsed to her knees, so Sayama¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°Oh, no. Are you anemic, Shinjou-kun? Is there a restaurant that serves liver sashimi around here? No, we must not act like a carnivorous couple. A better option would be-¡­¡± ¡°U-um, try to calm down before you jump to too insane a conclusion. Let¡¯s focus on a more pressing issue.¡± She stood up with a hand on her forehead, frowned, and tilted her head. ¡°Have you been playing that for the bugs this whole time?¡± ¡°Of course. The bugging team of UCAT¡¯s special division is likely listening to their headphones with meek looks on their faces. But do not worry. If they attempt to make unauthorized copies or to sell it, I intend to sue them for copyright infringement.¡± This is hopeless, realized Shinjou. Maybe I should have been more prepared. She could only sigh, but after a second sigh, she managed to speak. ¡°Well at any rate, you go do what you have to, Sayama-kun.¡± ¡°Why are you waving your hand as if trying to banish me to the convenience store?¡± ¡°Oh, um¡­ It just came out that way for some reason.¡± She checked her watch and saw it was exactly noon. He checked his own watch, placed Baku back in his breast pocket, and faced the convenience store. ¡°If possible, I hope to receive some information concerning the Shinjou in the National Defense Department,¡± he said suddenly. Shinjou gave a small gasp as he spoke with a straightforward look despite not facing her. ¡­He actually thought about it. She was happy, but she cleared her throat to indicate her next comment was what she felt she should say rather than what she wanted to say. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear you say that, but you can¡¯t prioritize me. You have to prioritize everyone.¡± He gave a bitter laugh, nodded, and turned his expressionless face her way. ¡°I am well aware. For one thing, information on the National Defense Department should also include information on the mountain ape with the same surname as me. I must eliminate the more disgraceful parts before anyone sees them.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s wrong for a different reason¡­¡± ¡°I see. At any rate, I hope we can learn something from this. Both about our relatives and about 3rd-Gear.¡± He turned toward a cloth wrapper attached to the backpack¡¯s side with a band. It contained the sword Gyes had given them while promising to speak with them. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to place that where we think 3rd-Gear¡¯s base is, right? Do you have any ideas?¡± she asked. ¡°I have a general idea. When we arrived here, I heard about that attack by the Army that the old man referred to as the ¡®delightful beauty invasion¡¯, but he also mentioned a piece of information he heard from Brunhild-kun.¡± ¡°From Brunhild-san? Why does she know about 3rd-Gear?¡± ¡°The headquarters of 1st-Gear¡¯s city faction were around here. It seems they clashed in the past and 3rd-Gear moved afterwards. When 1st-Gear¡¯s recon team visited the area again, nothing was left.¡± ¡°But that makes it even harder to know where they are. If they were still in their original position, we could at least make a guess using the Divine States-World Interaction Theory.¡± ¡°Predicting the destination of someone who has gone missing can be quite fascinating and teach you a lot. And that includes your parents, Shinjou-kun. So let¡¯s take it easy for now. I want to think about some things.¡± ¡°What things?¡± asked Shinjou. ¡°The second impurity the Hiba boy will not reveal to us, for one.¡± Shinjou recalled the previous morning. Sayama had been oddly forceful while speaking with Hiba and he had negotiated with Gyes afterwards. ¡°Did you realize anything after those discussions yesterday?¡± ¡°I did. Last night, I was thinking in the bath before you arrived, and¡­¡± ¡°You suddenly lost all credibility¡­¡± ¡°Just listen. Yesterday morning, I asked the Hiba boy why Apollo had switched to piloting Typhon when he had previously used a pale blue god of war.¡± ¡°Yes, and he told you he doesn¡¯t know why.¡± ¡°That he did, but he did not deny that Apollo had switched from one god of war to Typhon. Do you understand what I mean?¡± ¡°Ah,¡± gasped Shinjou as she recalled what Gyes had said. ¡°Gyes said it is impossible to negotiate with Typhon¡¯s pilot, that they utterly reject that option, and that anyone who knows the secret will bear an impurity.¡± ¡°Yes, but Apollo is alive. So why is it impossible to negotiate? Why do they utterly reject it? And why would that lead to bearing an impurity? I think all these mysteries can be narrowed down to a single point: why did Apollo switch gods of war? I already have a theory, but I lack evidence.¡± He seemed certain, so Shinjou believed him. When he spoke with confidence, it could often cause problems, but he was never outright wrong. This naturally led to her next comment. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Sayama-kun.¡± He narrowed his eyes, nodded, and let out a charming sigh. ¡°That is the ultimate compliment, Shinjou-kun. ¡­From the Hiba boy¡¯s behavior, I think he feels he has already lost his chance to tell us.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Shinjou chose her words carefully. ¡°Is it like when I wasn¡¯t sure I could reveal the truth about myself?¡± ¡°Yes. He is likely an incredibly nice person, so he seems to hesitate too much out of concern for others. He views everything as an imposition on others. Mikage-kun¡¯s presence is also holding him back,¡± he said. ¡°Do you think he ever has her comfort him?¡± She could not immediately reply. She thought about what he meant and applied the concept to the two of them. ¡­Ah. She realized he was referring to when he would rest in her lap. ¡­He won¡¯t use my lap unless he¡¯s injured saving me or he beats me at cards. When he felt he was in a position to freely ask for it, he would show his need for comfort. ¡°I wonder if Ryuuji-kun is the same?¡± she thought aloud. ¡°Is he comforted by Mikage-san who can¡¯t evolve, speak, or walk?¡± ¡°I am certain Mikage-kun would gladly do so, but I think he would hesitate to ask. He would at least subconsciously view it as placing a greater burden on her and he would deem that as arrogant,¡± said Sayama. ¡°But there are times when he can accept that comfort without guilt.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Shinjou looked up and he smiled back at her. ¡°And that is connected to his reason for fighting. The question is whether he has realized it or not.¡± ¡°Does he really have times like that?¡± ¡°He does. Everyone does.¡± ¡°Really?¡± She did not know the answer. She felt she had Sayama comfort her too much. Even being with him now was a part of that. ¡°I think only a small portion of people ever have that desire for comfort met,¡± she said. ¡°Really?¡± He tilted his head and she saw something like doubt in his usual lack of expression. He appeared unsure whether he should say something or not. Finally, he brushed up his hair, raised his right hand, and began by calling her name. ¡°Shinjou-kun, there was once a certain automaton.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± This sudden comment brought only confusion to Shinjou, but she quickly realized he was actually thinking for once. She did not know what he meant or who this automaton was, but she understood what it was he desired. He wanted someone to listen to his answer, so she spoke up. ¡°U-um¡­ What about this automaton? Will you tell me, Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°I will.¡± He took a breath, looked away from her, and continued. ¡°That automaton was quite foolish.¡± He paused for a beat. ¡°For some reason, she was set to destroy herself and yet made no attempt to change that. Even when her master asked that she change that setting, she refused with a smile.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He remained expressionless, but looked up in the air, brushed up his bangs, and chose his words carefully. ¡°Perhaps troubling and worrying her master in that way was her way of being comforted.¡± And¡­ ¡°Everyone is comforted in their own way. And that is exactly why everyone has some way or another.¡± He let out a small sigh, tightened his tie, and regained his usual expressionless look. It was as if his previous words had never been spoken. ¡°Well, most of what I said is speculation and the person in question is not with us. You can ignore it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± said Shinjou. She could tell the ends of her eyebrows had lowered and a small smile crept onto her lips. ¡­What happened to #4 really bothered him. On the other hand, she had almost forgotten about it. ¡°I appreciate that you talk about that kind of thing from time to time.¡± ¡°Then we truly are opposites, Shinjou-kun. I view it as a horrible failure.¡± He spat out the words and did not look her in the eye, but he soon hurriedly looked at his watch. ¡°It is time.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. We can leave it at that.¡± ¡°What a disagreeable tone you have there.¡± ¡°We really are opposite. I wasn¡¯t being disagreeable. I just thought you were being oddly¡­¡± She thought. ¡°Funny and amicable. What would that combination be in the Sayama language? And if you just combine ¡®fu¡¯ with ¡®cable¡¯ without thinking what it sounds like, I won¡¯t take a bath with you for a while.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Y-you don¡¯t have to think about it so seriously.¡± ¡°I see. But that proves you do not view it as all that important. I would prefer it if you forgot I said anything.¡± She stuck her tongue out in response and he merely smiled bitterly. If she had the chance, she decided to bring up that sort of thing herself next time. Meanwhile, Sayama took a step toward the convenience store. ¡°Please wait here, Shinjou-kun. Afterwards, we can take a walk as we gather our thoughts. How about looking around the Bikan district?¡± ¡°The others will complain if we¡¯re late. We need to set up the tents and the stove.¡± ¡°Our athletic couple can handle the sweaty work like that. We can buy a souvenir that will make them forget.¡± He took a few steps and passed through the automatic door to the convenience store. Seeing the door open as if avoiding him made Shinjou smile. She watched through the glass as he walked inside and spoke to the clerk. ¡­The Bikan district, hm? When he had mentioned visiting Kurashiki, Kazami had been jealous. It was an old city and some old areas remained. Those areas had been preserved and turned into sightseeing areas. ¡­A normal girl would be happy to be taken somewhere like this. She reached into her shorts pocket and pulled out the Okayama sightseeing booklet she had secretly bought. When she had bought a swimsuit with Kazami, she had asked the girl for advice and she had added some labels to the booklet based on her response. She had thought the training schedule would leave no time for fun, so arriving in Kurashiki so suddenly was quite fortunate. The Bikan district page had a label attached and this backing from Kazami allowed her to breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°Maybe I can let him comfort me a little more,¡± she muttered. A car driven by a man in a suit passed by, so she stepped back. With the tree behind her, there was not much space, but there was enough for one step. ¡°Ah.¡± Her back struck something other than the tree. It was more flexible and it shook. It was a person. She frantically turned around. This was the result of focusing too much on the booklet and thinking about letting Sayama comfort her. She needed to apologize. She found a girl about her own age. The girl was tall and had her long hair tied behind her. She wore a black backpack with a cloth fishing rod holder attached. ¡­I hope she isn¡¯t mad. Shinjou looked, but the girl¡¯s expression seemed strange. When someone was hurt by a stranger, they would normally gather their eyebrows together in a frown, but this girl was staring at her with slightly raised eyebrows. She almost looked surprised. Was it really that surprising? worried Shinjou. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. A-are you okay?¡± The girl took a moment to react. The pause was long enough that Shinjou worried she had not heard her. ¡°¡­¡± The girl¡¯s first reaction was to relax her expression and shoulders. She then took a breath and brushed up her hair. ¡°There is nothing to worry about. Um¡­ What is your name?¡± The girl asked probingly, but Shinjou saw no reason to question her about it. ¡°Sadagiri. Shinjou Sadagiri.¡± As soon as she answered, Shinjou worried the girl was going to demand money from her. Rude terms such as extortionist, con artist, and ransom abduction filled her mind for a moment. ¡­But I have someone even more amazing by my side. Thinking that put her at ease, so she relaxed and let out a breath so the girl would not notice. ¡°What about you?¡± The girl answered as if she had been waiting to be asked. ¡°Toda. ¡­Toda Mikoku.¡± Mikoku saw Shinjou right in front of her. After hearing her name, Shinjou looked up a bit and moved her lips as she thought on the name. ¡°Toda-san? I¡¯m very sorry.¡± She bowed. The words accompanying that movement of long, black hair were those of one speaking to a stranger. That fact caused Mikoku¡¯s shoulders to droop a little. ¡°I knew it.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Nothing. More importantly, you need to be careful. You might be fine on a major road like this, but the back roads of this city are narrow and the telephone poles stick out into the road in a lot of places. Not paying attention to your surroundings is dangerous.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Shinjou looked around the major road and then down the narrow roads between buildings. After confirming what she had been told, she nodded. ¡°Do you live here?¡± she asked. ¡°No, I am from Tokyo.¡± The cautious strength in Shinjou¡¯s expression left when she heard that. ¡°Oh, so am I. Where in Tokyo do you live? I¡¯m from Akigawa.¡± Mikoku just about answered but caught herself and gave a displeased frown. ¡°Nowhere important.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± When Shinjou lowered her head in disappointment, Mikoku frantically spoke up. ¡°Oh, but I hear Akigawa is nice. For example, the central park was opened up to the citizens after it wasn¡¯t being used for many official events, they rely on other cities for garbage disposal so as not to pollute their own air, and they use a lot of tax money to build up the river banks and keep the river from flooding.¡± ¡°I-is it really that nice a place? And you sure do know a lot about it. Do you live in a nearby city?¡± ¡°You could say that.¡± She had to keep Shinjou from asking further and there was a lot she had to ask as a member of the Army. She needed to secretly ask about the important points. ¡°Um¡­ What are your hobbies?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± That was not what she was supposed to ask. She was focusing too much on the personal side, so she slapped herself on the cheek. ¡°I am here for work, but what about you?¡± She was worried that question was being overly familiar, but Shinjou began to think with a finger in front of her mouth. ¡°Well¡­ A training camp I suppose. Yes, a student council training camp. We¡¯re staying on a desert island in the Seto Inland Sea.¡± ¡°Sounds like quite the adventure. I hear there are pirates known as Wokou in the Seto Insland Sea, so be careful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the Sengoku period anymore, so I don¡¯t think they¡¯re still around.¡± ¡°I see. I did not look into it that far. ¡­Anyway, why are you in Kurashiki? Securing supplies?¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re picking up something.¡± Shinjou turned toward the convenience store and Mikoku followed her gaze. ¡°¡­!¡± She saw a boy through the window. He held a fax telephone receiver in one hand while looking through the documents being printed off. ¡°After we finish here, we were going to look around the Bikan district.¡± Her tone was cheerful, but it caused Mikoku to hold her breath. She had a sword inside a cloth fishing rod holder. She could enter the convenience store and swing the sword with all her might while he was trapped in the fax corner. ¡­He would not be able to avoid it. Tension ran across her face and she grabbed the cloth holder. However¡­ ¡°Um, can I ask you something?¡± Shinjou turned a smile toward her, so Mikoku¡¯s expression returned to normal. She regained her slightly relaxed smile. ¡­I¡¯m being too soft. She scolded herself, but then made an excuse. ¡­This is better than having her find me suspicious and putting up her guard. She took two breaths before slowly responding. ¡°What do you want to ask me?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, right.¡± Shinjou held out a booklet with hand-drawn maps of Kurashiki that was turned to the map of the Bikan district. ¡°You seem to know a lot about Kurashiki, so do you know any interesting places in the Bikan district?¡± Mikoku was unsure what to say. During the overnight train ride, she had carefully read a sightseeing booklet of her own. She had put together a list of places to visit after she finished guarding Hajji, but it had been centered on places to buy souvenirs for Shino. ¡°Will you be going there with him?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, yes.¡± Shinjou blushed. ¡°With him.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Mikoku mentally sighed. ¡°Then I have a suggestion for you. There is a photo studio around here in the Bikan district. Also, you can likely take a nice commemorative photo on this street here. I suggest you do so.¡± She nodded. ¡°That way you will still have a record of it even if you lose your memories.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Mikoku belatedly realized what she had said. ¡­Ah. She realized how careless she had been, but did not let it show. After a moment of hesitation, she held out her hand to distract Shinjou from her question. She held the hand above Shinjou¡¯s head and gently touched the top of her hat. She could feel the fibrousness and softness of Shinjou¡¯s hair through the white-dyed straw. Shinjou tensed up a bit, but Mikoku did not pull back. ¡­She is so soft. As she thought, a wind blew through. Kurashiki was a flat city, so this summer wind was warm and gentle. A few beads of sweat appeared on her face and the surrounding noises sounded louder than before. ¡°I must hurry on, so this is as long as I can stay. We may meet again some time.¡± ¡°Yes. Until then, Toda.¡± ¡°Call me Mikoku. It means to carve into life. Much like your name, Shinjou Sadagiri.¡± Shinjou¡¯s eyes widened somewhat and Mikoku made sure she would remember that expression. And then she turned her back. ¡°Ah.¡± Shinjou spoke up, but Mikoku did not turn back around. She merely raised a hand. ¡°Give my regards to that boy. That fortunate boy.¡± Volume 6, 22: Pulse of Ascertainment Volume 6, Chapter 22: Pulse of Ascertainment Movements always have something extra A sound of beginning A sound of announcement There was a place where the summer air felt cool. Namely, a mountaintop. In the heights, one could immerse themselves in the cool summer air without relying on the wind. During the summer, the mountains to the west of Tokyo were a degree or two lower than the city on average. The trees of the forests and the dirt of the earth maintained the humidity, so the ground was cool as well. In those mountains was a certain cemetery. The entrance was located at the base of the mountain and the sign there called it the Nishitama Cemetery. The Bon Festival had yet to arrive, but two people stood on the long stairway leading up to the cemetery at the peak. One was a young man wearing black and the other was a maid wearing black. The maid held a bucket filled with flowers in her right hand. Despite carrying the bucket of water up the stairs, her gait was lighter than the man next to her. He had to use a metal cane to climb the stairs. Her white hair shook as she waited for him to move ahead five steps and then she followed. After she caught up, the man turned his sunglasses toward her. ¡°You can go on ahead, Sf. And that doesn¡¯t end with these stairs. You can abandon me and go wherever you want. Yes, even to the next life.¡± ¡°Tes. If that is your wish, I will obey. But I did not think you believed in an afterlife.¡± ¡°I believe in it for you, so be thankful.¡± ¡°Tes. I am activating my gratitude circuits.¡± Sf lowered the bucket, faced Itaru, and clapped her hands thrice. ¡°Namu.¡± ¡°Is that how you show gratitude, Sf?¡± ¡°Tes. German UCAT¡¯s research on Japan is perfect. This expression of gratitude symbolizes the union of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, but it was also determined to be a suitable symbol for the union between East and West Germany.¡± Sf looked back toward Itaru, but he was already silently continuing up the stairs. She followed him only after completing her expression of gratitude by bringing her hands together and bowing. ¡°Itaru-sama, where are we going today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not telling.¡± ¡°Tes. Understood. So it is a secret. It has been a while since you wanted to share a secret with me. The last time was my third week after arriving in Japan.¡± ¡°We shared a secret?¡± ¡°Tes. While cleaning the room you provided for me, I detected a strange hollow area below the floor and peeled up the floorboard to reveal a large number of figurines. They were all modified into ¡®sheeeh¡¯, ¡®komanechi¡¯, ¡®gachon¡¯, and ¡®just kidding¡¯ poses. Three hours later, you interrogated Kazuo-sama and had him tell the truth, but you mentioned that I was to keep it a secret. I have determined that is a valuable memory.¡± ¡°Please forget it ever happened. It¡¯s an embarrassment to the Ooshiro family.¡± Itaru continued up the stairs, Sf followed, and he continued even further. As that process repeated, they arrived at the peak. The graveyard entrance contained a slight wind and the bright sun. Itaru walked east as if opposing the wind and Sf spoke to him while pointing forward. ¡°Itaru-sama, the Sayama family grave is that way.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going this way today. I have an obligation at a different grave.¡± ¡°Tes. I have determined you have a great number of friends.¡± ¡°Do the dead count as friends? They don¡¯t exist in reality anymore.¡± ¡°Tes. I have determined humans have great imagination. They never use it for anything worthwhile, though.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Itaru. ¡°Do you not imagine things?¡± ¡°Tes. I can make predictions, but the way you humans fabricate meaningless desires in your thoughts baffles me and I do not see why it is necessary. Why is reality not good enough for you?¡± ¡°Ask that to my old man. He¡¯s nowhere near satisfied with it.¡± ¡°Tes. I once asked him directly, but he ran off in tears,¡± she said. ¡°But why do you imagine?¡± ¡°Look around you.¡± Sf did so while continuing to walk. ¡°Tes. I have determined it is a cemetery. What about it?¡± ¡°Why do you think there are gravestones here?¡± ¡°Tes. They are a sign that the land is owned as a grave and they prove which family it belongs to.¡± That answer put a bitter smile on Itaru¡¯s lips. ¡°That¡¯s why you have no imagination. There¡¯s a hole in your theory, so answer this: if these gravestones are not there for the reality of possession and family, what do you think humans imagine their purpose is?¡± ¡°As I am an automaton and not a human, I do not understand the premise of the question.¡± ¡°Then why are you asking about our imaginations?¡± ¡°Tes. Because it is something I cannot do.¡± ¡°What if we added in some new circuits? Then could you do it?¡± ¡°Tes,¡± replied Sf. ¡°It would be impossible according to my definition of imagination.¡± ¡°And what is that definition?¡± Sf nodded. ¡°Tes. It came with my foundational memories. In my deepest depths, there is a place even further down than language that forms the base of everything. Someone¡¯s thoughts are located there. I believe people imagine things because they do not contain that important factor.¡± Itaru looked up into the sky, frowned, and clenched his teeth. ¡°Is something the matter, Itaru-sama?¡± He did not answer her question. He instead ground his teeth and muttered quietly. ¡°Diana¡­¡± Sf tilted her head, but he asked a question while still looking into the sky. ¡°But if you know that, why not do the same for yourself? Lose that important factor and then imagine.¡± ¡°That is impossible. When I lose you, I will destroy myself. I will not have time for imagination.¡± She gave Itaru an expressionless look. ¡°Am I wrong, Itaru-sama?¡± ¡°Tes. I have determined you are correct.¡± Itaru clicked his tongue. ¡°You really were formatted by German UCAT. Diana can¡¯t just leave well enough alone, can she?¡± ¡°Tes. But I was made especially for you. If you are delighted, email your thoughts to German UCAT¡¯s Sf support team. Do so now and you will be entered into a raffle with prizes for three winners.¡± ¡°What are the prizes? Gifts for the Bon Festival?¡± ¡°Tes. They are Sf holiday tickets. Collect five and I will take a day off.¡± ¡°Wow, this the first time I¡¯ve actually been thankful for the information you give me. I¡¯d better send that email right away. And please continue taking days off for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°Tes. I will now give you your participation prize: 10 Sf hard work tickets. For each one, I will assist you for 24 hours. I will manage their use, so-¡­ What is that expression, Itaru-sama? I cannot seem to place it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Itaru-sama, here is a saying to help you calm down: grow angry and you lose. How was that?¡± ¡°You really do know how to bring out my emotions.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± She bowed. ¡°I am honored to receive your praise. As that phrase has proven to bring about an undiscovered secondary effect, I will likely continue speaking it forever. I must send a report to German UC- Why are you continuing on ahead?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a pain to deal with.¡± He walked forward and she followed to prevent him from moving too far away. However, he soon came to a stop. ¡°?¡± She looked toward him and his sunglasses. The black sunglasses were facing a gravestone below a tree. ¡°I can see the words ¡®Hiba Family¡¯,¡± she said. ¡°I can also see a woman in Japanese clothing.¡± The woman standing before the grave turned toward Sf¡¯s voice. She was short, her hair was mixed with gray, her thin eyes were bent in a smile, and she bowed. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Ooshiro-kun.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Itaru nodded. ¡°It really has, Ms. Hiba. Ryuuichi¡¯s funeral was the last time, wasn¡¯t it?¡± A building with tall white walls sat below the sun as noon approached. This was 3rd-Gear¡¯s base. The emergency exit on the side near the top opened and a young man stood on the elevator sticking out. He was Apollo. He rested his elbows on the railing and watched the cityscape beyond the mountain forest. His narrowed eyes followed a train travelling west from the distant station. Once it moved out of view, he watched the countless cars and buses moving through the streets. He listened to the faint sounds of the engines. ¡°¡­?¡± But then he heard a song. He cleared his ears to determine where it was coming from. The song was formed from several female voices. That harmony of voices was nearby. It came from the open hangar door directly below. In that case, he knew who had to be singing. ¡°Those are the automatons, Lord Apollo.¡± Hearing a voice behind him, he looked up but did not turn around. ¡°What is the meaning of this, Moira 1st?¡± ¡°Lady Miyako said she was going to the hangar after breakfast.¡± ¡°Why did you allow her to? None of the other guests were ever allowed to approach Typhon.¡± ¡°She is one of our masters,¡± answered Moira 1st. ¡°Also, while eating breakfast, she asked if 3rd-Gear really does have ghosts. It seemed like idle curiosity, so I told her any ghosts would appear near Typhon because it contains half of the Concept Core that is the Tartaros.¡± ¡°Did Miyako see the supposedly impossible afterimage of an individual 3rd-Gear soul?¡± ¡°We have seen one plenty of times. Typhon is likely interested in Lady Miyako, but Typhon and its Tartaros have never shown an interest in the living before.¡± Moira 1st smiled and Apollo smiled bitterly. ¡°You really are cruel,¡± he said. ¡°Are you not going to tell her the full truth?¡± ¡°She will approach it on her own. We simply must reevaluate everything afterwards. I am sure she will show us something we have overlooked due to knowing too much.¡± ¡°Then will she remain here?¡± ¡°She does not remain here. She simply is here.¡± His shoulders shook in laughter. ¡°Ha ha. You really have taken a liking to her. Typhon might eliminate her, you know?¡± ¡°Perhaps, but I hear our clash with Low-Gear is approaching and I think someone should see everything we bear.¡± ¡°Even if Low-Gear cannot defeat Typhon?¡± ¡°Even that is part of the current situation.¡± The singing changed. Apollo could tell one automaton was singing the accompaniment while the others sang the lyrics. He then heard Moira 1st speak with a smile in her voice. ¡°Lady Miyako taught us that song. When she saw the girls down below working in silence, she commented on the absence of a radio. When we asked what that was, she told us Low-Gear often plays music while working. Listening to it silently supposedly helps you focus and lifts your spirits.¡± ¡°And that led to this song?¡± ¡°The song she taught us was quiet, so we made some alterations.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He nodded. ¡°I see,¡± he gently repeated. ¡°I¡¯ve heard 3rd-Gear did the same thing during my grandfather¡¯s generation.¡± ¡°Yes, I recall Lord Cronus mentioning it.¡± She paused for a beat. ¡°He also said the one who inherited the position of sun god would be in charge of music.¡± ¡°Music wasn¡¯t a concept, so I didn¡¯t inherit that.¡± ¡°Then how about you learn now?¡± ¡°You mean learn the music of Low-Gear who we are about to fight?¡± ¡°The air you are breathing now also belongs to Low-Gear.¡± And¡­ ¡°Isn¡¯t Low-Gear music the same as 3rd-Gear¡¯s? I am not a combat model, but I believe I can distinguish between what is an enemy and what is not. What about you, Lord Apollo?¡± Apollo lowered his shoulders and sighed. ¡°I sure am being bullied a lot today. But¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°What do this song¡¯s lyrics mean?¡± ¡°Well,¡± replied Moira 1st. ¡°It is a song blessing the night on which a precious holy man of this world was born.¡± Surrounded by song, Miyako watched the work progress. The automatons maintained the gods of war with a combination of pure strength and skilled technique. They could control gravity, so they could lift parts larger than themselves with a single hand and fix them in midair. While watching, Miyako realized there was no crane. There were only the hangers supporting the gods of war and the scaffolding the automatons used to move about. They moved from scaffold to scaffold with quick hops, but those hops spanned several meters. A nearby automaton explained the system that allowed that kind of movement. ¡°We are puled across by directional gravity which is created until just before the target distance.¡± By repeating the action in midair, they could apparently move back and forth like a pendulum. When in a hurry, the ones up top would lift up those down below and the two of them would combine their acceleration. A green god of war arm passed by Miyako¡¯s head and one of the automatons stopped singing. It was the one named Violet and she spoke to the automaton transporting the arm. ¡°C-come on! Lady Miyako has no gravitational control, so think about what would happen if it fell!¡± ¡°Oh, my apologies! But she can catch something like this, can¡¯t she?¡± ¡°I thought automatons couldn¡¯t make jokes,¡± complained Miyako with her hands on her hips. The automatons all laughed and began singing once more. They were singing a modified version of Silent Night. They had not known what a song was and had wanted her to sing for them, so she had done so while sweating nervously. The song had a poor tempo for work, so the automatons had taken it upon themselves to alter the tempo to match the wavelength of their actions. At first, their voices copied Miyako¡¯s own, but they had returned to their normal voices after adjusting the tempo. Miyako had decided only two things for them. ¡°One of you sing the accompaniment with whatever noise you like. After a verse, the next one takes over the accompaniment. You can set up a rotation like that.¡± The accompaniment changed again. The previous automaton had used ¡°lu¡± sounds, but this one used ¡°ah¡± sounds. She detected great skill in the voices and she surmised they had been built to sing. During their morning break, she had asked about the effect singing had on their work and they had replied as follows: ¡°Based on our statistics, the frequency of records made and number of test thoughts performed have increased. Even if our efficiency remains the same, the records and test thoughts should increase our precision.¡± When she had asked what that meant, they had exchanged a glance and reached a unanimous answer. ¡°By entering a set flow such as music while working, the conditions for creating records become clearer. Also, the miscellaneous thoughts concerning the work are eliminated by the song, so we can completely focus on the work.¡± ¡°So to put it more simply, you can remember things and concentrate more easily?¡± ¡°Not just that. We vow to do all things perfectly, so singing well while working is a sort of test for us. Especially while singing the accompaniment. With this many people, your turn does not come often, so you think about how to sing better, introduce less noise, and use the motions of the work to eliminate any shaking in your voice the next time your turn comes around. You want your turn to come more quickly and you want to more quickly and precisely perform the work.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get so lost in thought you stop paying attention to the work.¡± That comment had produced smiles from them. It was now the second morning work period and lunch would come once it was complete. While Miyako ate, she planned to have the automatons look after the seeds they had planted the day before and make observation records. She considered having them make the records with pencil and paper in addition to the records in their brains. ¡­Would that make a better living record? Meanwhile, Moira 3rd passed by with an armful of large screws. Miyako watched her finish carrying the screws and then called out to her. ¡°Do you always overhaul all eight gods of war like this?¡± ¡°There used to be more and some were in the underground hall. However, it has been a while since we performed a full overhaul on all of them. We are doing this because Low-Gear¡¯s UCAT has come to a place called the Seto Inland Sea.¡± ¡°Are you going to fight?¡± ¡°Hm? We¡¯re not combat models, so I doubt it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Miyako breathed a sigh of relief and looked toward the gods of war. ¡°So who pilots these things? It isn¡¯t the rich boy, right?¡± ¡°My middle sister. She uses the general remote piloting device down below. It was originally meant to unite someone, but they¡¯re gone now. The cockpit remains unchanged and a remote control system was inserted into the nervous system. It can cross the barriers between concept spaces, so not much information can be sent back and forth and the gods of war don¡¯t always move quite right. The damage to the god of war doesn¡¯t feed back to the pilot, though.¡± ¡°I see. So the pilot will be fine and even an automaton can do it.¡± But if Moira 3rd¡¯s explanation was accurate, it meant the Hecatoncheires named Gyes, Cottus, and Aigaion were possibly going to fight Low-Gear soon. ¡°And so will Typhon.¡± Miyako looked further back in the hangar. She had yet to focus on and look at that white god of war. The giant six-winged machine was being repaired by a few automatons. Assuming it had been called out to some fight during the night again, she looked at its damaged form. ¡°¡­¡± She nodded and started walking. She made her way to it, knowing Moira 3rd would follow a step behind. She walked toward Typhon which had slight damage to the right arm and head. A song filled the darkness. A hall existed underneath the hangar. Spare god of war parts were stored there and it was divided by several thick pillars, but a certain device was located in one corner. The machine looked like a vehicle¡¯s cockpit had been cut out, including the roof and floor. Inside it was a monitor and a seat with keyboards shaped for five fingers on either side. Near the chair were a foot point for each foot and an arm point for each arm. Those four points were connected to the chair with wires so the person sitting inside would have all their movements recorded. Currently, an automaton sat in that seat. The slender automaton with blonde hair noticeable even in the darkness was Moira 2nd. ¡°¡­¡± She opened her eyes in the darkness and the front console lit up and displayed text. ¡°God of war remote control ¨C Preparing to rearrange all armor for combat ¨C Switching to sleep mode.¡± She nodded and stepped out of the seat. That completed her work for the morning. Once the others altered the detailed locations of the extremity drivers, she would perform her next check, but she predicted that would be late in the afternoon at around five. She began to walk. It was too dark to see the floor, but the console behind her provided some residual light and she was used to walking through here. Her footsteps suggested she was walking on stone and she travelled to the west end. After passing by a large pillar, she looked to her right. A large shadow lay there. The collapsed giant was a god of war. The torso had been sliced in two. It was a pale color and something had been gouged out of the back where the cockpit would be. ¡°¡­¡± She looked away from the god of war, closed her eyes, and continued walking. The sound of her footsteps changed as the unseen floor gained a slope. After walking a certain distance, she reached out in front of her. Suddenly, white daylight surrounded her. ¡°¡­!¡± She closed her eyes but still exited. A moment later, wind blew as something closed behind her. As her vision grew accustomed to the light, she looked around. ¡°¡­¡± She stood to the west of 3rd-Gear¡¯s building. The hangar entrance was on the east, so this was the back entrance. After circling around to the south, the wall reflected the sunlight and she saw eaves formed from a metal frame and metal panels. Below the low eaves were rows of flower pots. The flower pots contained soil and she tilted her head as she observed that slightly dry soil. She had not received any seeds from Miyako the day before. From her shared memories as an automaton, she understood that they had planted the seeds and planned to make them bloom. But as she had not been there, she did not understand the reason why. Something that could only be felt while present could not be grasped from a memory. ¡°¡­¡± She wordlessly observed the pots and silently asked a question once more. ¡­What is the point of this? They would eventually wither up and disappear. ¡­Aren¡¯t they nothing more than that? As she hung her head, she recalled the different guests who had wandered in here over the past sixty years. At first, she had interacted with all of them, but they were always so wary and would plead to be immediately sent back once they knew what she was. Her elder and younger sister would always rewrite their memories and Gyes or Aigaion would take them outside. That had repeated again and again and remnants of 1st-Gear had once visited to negotiate. Everything had gone well the first time. 1st-Gear had been wary due to 3rd-Gear¡¯s past, but they had been relieved to find only the automatons were meeting with them. That was why the automatons had dealt with them as guests. But the second visit had been an attack and the situation had only grown worse. The reason for that was Typhon. At first, the Hecatoncheires and a god of war remotely controlled by Moira 2nd had been sent out as a threat, but Typhon had intruded afterwards. The battle had been over in an instant and the possibility of 1st-Gear ever arriving as guests again had been eliminated. ¡­I have had enough. There was no reason to smile, no reason to speak, and no reason to use her ability to detect someone¡¯s health. She had never once had the satisfaction of receiving a guest and obtaining joy in response. All she needed to do was optimize her skills at remotely battling the enemy. That was all. ¡°¡­¡± However, she looked toward the wall. The sunlight reflecting off the white wall prevented her from looking directly at it without reducing the brightness of her sight devices. She had seen that wall for sixty years now, but she now heard a certain noise coming from the hangar on the other side. She heard singing voices. She had once heard from Cronus that humans would produce primitive music using their physical voices. ¡­Even that song is meaningless in the end. Everything would eventually be lost and become meaningless. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡± ¡­Does this guest know that as she gives these things to them? Did she? ¡­What if there really is a meaning? In the instant that thought entered her brain, Moira 2nd felt an impossible sensation: a pulse. Her mechanical body did not have one of those. She had once heard the sound again and again while checking whether or not certain humans could bear children. ¡°¡­?¡± She could not have heard Miyako¡¯s pulse because her ability only worked at close range. ¡­Then¡­ She soon found the answer. At her feet was a line of flower pots filled with soil. ¡°¡­¡± She used her ability to listen. The flower seeds in the soil had yet to even bud, but she could hear the beginnings of a movement that could be called a pulse. The seeds slowly absorbed water and the water gently circulated within them. As the line of several dozen seeds all breathed together, it produced a loud noise. She heard it. As if they wanted her to listen, these few dozen new movements were tickling at an ability she had not used in so long. Their movements resounded. ¡°¡­¡± She closed her eyes as if to withstand the noise of the flowers. But she could not oppose what her ability sought. The pulse reverberated in her body and the song reached her ears. She heard the vocal accompaniment and the singing voices. ¡°¡­¡± What was she to make of this thing that she knew nothing of yet had once existed in 3rd-Gear? She faced forward to the east. If she circled around to that side, she would reach the hangar entrance. Volume 6, 23: Accusing Attacker Volume 6, Chapter 23: Accusing Attacker What is faster than words? That would be something that exceeds sound It would be words and communication that exceeds sound Miyako stopped next to Typhon. At five meters, she was just within reach of its arms. However, there was no light in its eyes. It isn¡¯t running, she thought. Five maids were moving about on Typhon and the hanger surrounding it. Their primary jobs were replacing the armor plates, repairing the head and right arm, and readjusting moving parts below the armor. They sang as they worked. Looking at it like this, Typhon was nothing but a weapon. It could only stand there as a hunk of metal. It did not scream or do anything else. ¡­How strange. The light in its eyes the other night had made it seem alive, but that may have only been the case when the pilot was inside. She looked to the side and saw Cottus¡¯s giant blue form. ¡°Are you always here?¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± ¡°Do Gyes and Aigaion not help with maintenance?¡± ¡°Different job. Busy.¡± ¡°I know Aigaion earns money at a greengrocer, but what does Gyes do?¡± Rather than Cottus, Moira 3rd answered as she caught up to Miyako¡¯s right. ¡°She¡¯s patrolling and examining the area around here. She leaves the concept space to guard it and lately she¡¯s been going to places that have something called the internet to check on some information.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Moira 3rd continued speaking while stretching. ¡°Those two have philosopher¡¯s stones for outside work. The gods of war and Cottus do too, but they can¡¯t show up in public looking like that, y¡¯know? I wish I had a philosopher¡¯s stone so I could go outside.¡± Her voice was bright, but Miyako guessed that last comment was what she truly thought. Miyako had heard they were able to move their base. A few times in the past, they had moved the entire space so the base would not be found, but they could not leave the space surrounding the base. ¡­Is it like being in a cage? Their desire for guests and a master may have been to make up for their inability to leave. ¡°Hey, hey, hey, hey. Miyako. Next time you go outside, can you bring something back for me?¡± ¡°What do you want? Just tell me.¡± ¡°Hmm. Then get me the Sudden Death Man chocolates that Aigaion brought back before.¡± ¡°Oh, the ones with the Lifestyle Disease Angel and the Overwork Demon? Can you even eat candy?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll take the sticker and you can have the chocolate. The others would probably be fine with that too.¡± ¡°Wait. I¡¯ll have to buy an entire case to have enough for everyone.¡± There were approximately 60 maids in all. If each one was 30 yen, that was 1800 yen. If she went to a supermarket where she could get 10% off¡­ ¡­Um¡­ She was bad at mental calculations. She converted it to about 1600 yen and upped it to 1700 yen to include tax. That was cheaper than a CD. ¡°Okay, I can handle that. It¡¯s perfectly okay!¡± ¡°Um, Miyako? What¡¯s okay?¡± She decided not to answer Moira 3rd. Suddenly, the automaton began to float. Miyako looked over and saw Moira 1st had approached at some point and was dragging Moira 3rd behind something by the collar. ¡°Oh, big sister. What is it? Where are you taking me!?¡± The larger automaton ignored her and moved out of Miyako¡¯s view. ¡°Stop making unreasonable requests! Lady Miyako has her financial situation to worry about.¡± ¡°B-but she said it was okay.¡± ¡°It obviously is not okay if she has to think about it so much first. Not to mention that she is busy.¡± ¡°Ehhh? She clearly isn¡¯t busy.¡± You¡¯re both right and I can hear you both, thought Miyako as something new began out of her view. ¡°If you say that, I have no choice but to punish you. Now, it¡¯s time to crack that butt!!¡± ¡°Waaaah! Big sister! You knocked my hip joints out of place.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t fool me with those fake tears. I can see it with my thermal vision. And to make sure you see your mistake, I will be taking your hip joint bolts.¡± ¡°Hmph. Fine. I can hold it all in place with my gravitational control. I don¡¯t need legs.¡± A dull metallic noise filled the air. ¡°Wah! You dented it!¡± Dented what? thought Miyako, but she turned her back because she felt wrong listening in on a fight between sisters. She took a breath and looked up at Cottus. ¡°Do you ever want to go outside?¡± ¡°Battle request?¡± ¡°No, uh, that wasn¡¯t what I meant.¡± Cottus tilted his head and that action told Miyako something. ¡­To him, leaving here means battle. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just being sentimental. Well, if you ever want to leave, just tell me.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± He nodded and Miyako recalled the previous day. Apollo had lent her his cane and she would have been able to leave using it, but here she was. ¡­Only the other two Hecatoncheires can leave. As she muttered in her heart, she realized something was missing. When thinking about who could leave, she was omitting a member of the 3rd-Gear group. She had failed to think about the person who would most naturally be able to leave. ¡°That would be¡­¡± She remembered. ¡°That idiot.¡± When she recalled the name ¡°Apollo¡±, she let out a voice of realization. She had completely forgotten despite exchanging headbutts with him the evening before. He had provoked her and had her say what she truly thought. ¡­And he protected me when the cliff collapsed. Dammit, she thought He showed off and then had me blurt out my true thoughts. ¡°It all started with that idiot suddenly sitting down.¡± She rubbed her shoe¡¯s heel against the floor in frustration, but then she recalled something strange. The concept that allowed machines to live had been weak there, so the automatons could only function there for a short period of time. So why had a human like Apollo collapsed? ¡°¡­?¡± She folded her arms. She knew she was not very smart, so she thought carefully. ¡­Does he have some kind of disease? Did he have some kind of fit? But if that was the case, why had he been able to go through with that argument shortly thereafter? Someone who collapsed just from walking a bit would have to be insane to raise his blood pressure by grabbing someone else¡¯s collar, shouting, and headbutting. ¡­He did bleed from that, so he must not be an automaton. However, the automatons had been watching on from overhead during that argument. That meant it had been just barely removed from the outer boundary. She had no proof, but an idea occurred to her. ¡­Is he a human who can only live in places an automaton can function? What did that mean? She searched for Moira 1st to ask her, but she did not hear anything from the area Moira 1st and 3rd had gone. Something new may have been happening outside. ¡°That¡¯s no good, then.¡± She instead turned toward the automatons maintaining Typhon. One with black hair had finished removing an armor panel from the leg and was taking a break. ¡°Hey,¡± called Miyako. She chose her words carefully as the maid turned a smile in her direction. ¡°Does Apollo come here often?¡± ¡°He stops by at a frequency I would call ¡®occasionally¡¯.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± She made her way toward her real question. ¡°Does that idiot ever go outside?¡± The ends of the maid¡¯s eyebrows lowered slightly at that question. She did not know what to do. Seeing that, Miyako asked further about the answer to the question before the maid could fall into mechanical confusion. ¡°He can¡¯t leave, can he? Why?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Is he sick?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Has he made some kind of promise?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Does he simply prefer to stay here?¡± ¡°No.¡± Then what is it? she thought. A word then occurred to her. ¡­But that¡¯s only worth making a joke. She shrugged her shoulders and asked while assuming the maid would not understand what she meant. ¡°Is it a curse?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± That answer caused her to freeze in place while still shrugging. She remained speechless for a short time as she tried to grasp what the maid¡¯s confirmation meant. ¡°Does 3rd-Gear have curses?¡± ¡°The translation concept is likely conveying our word ¡®curse¡¯ as the word you are hearing. Our word is defined as a defect that is remotely forced upon one by someone else and that can be removed under certain conditions.¡± Miyako repeated that definition in her head. ¡­In other words¡­ ¡°Someone is forcing that rich boy to bear some kind of restriction or handicap?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is there a way to remove it?¡± The maid reacted to that slowly-asked question with hesitation. She was trying to decide whether she should answer or not. But after the span of a few breaths, she took a step forward and lowered her head. ¡°There is a single method.¡± She hesitated to continue and fell silent, so Miyako scratched at her own head. A curse. That term did not seem to fit the mechanical Gear that was 3rd-Gear, but she had seen something similar the previous night. ¡°This is a strange place. You have curses and a strange ghost-like woman shows up.¡± ¡°Eh? A ghost-like woman¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, from your tone, I take it you know what I¡¯m talking about. A pale glowing woman with long hair. She looked like she was about to cry.¡± And¡­ ¡°!¡± Suddenly, Miyako was shoved to the right. ¡­What!? As her vision tumbled, she saw that a new maid had charged into the spot she had been standing in. ¡­Moira 2nd!? That automaton had shoved both Miyako and the maid she had speaking with. Miyako looked up while wondering why. A giant shadow that almost looked like a large tree was falling from overhead. It was an arm. A metal arm covered in white armor. Typhon¡¯s arm had fallen from the shoulder block. An instant later, Moira 2nd turned toward Miyako and their gazes met. ¡°¡­¡± The automaton smiled just as the steel arm fell on top of her. Miyako heard the singing stop. The great noise had already ended and she only heard the sounds of scattering components. The low, rhythmic sound in her ears was her own pulse which was raised in panic and surprise. ¡­What just happened!? The emotion of that mental shout raised her pulse even further. She realized she could move her legs and she was not trembling, so she began to stand up. ¡°Ah.¡± But she staggered. It was less that her footing was unsteady and more that she was too tense. She placed a hand on the floor in front of her and managed to stand. She then saw the giant arm only three steps away. It was Typhon¡¯s left arm which was covered in armor panels and surface buffering armor. The upper arm was as thick as Miyako¡¯s torso. The shoulder connector was open, so a steel plug thirty centimeters thick was exposed and pointed upwards. There was almost no gap between the arm and the floor and something was crushed beneath it: components made of delicate metal and ceramic as well as fragments of those components. The parts that had not been smashed to pieces lay between the arm and Miyako. The remaining parts were nothing but a portion of a female upper body. The head, the right side of the back, and the right arm lay face down. The black maid uniform had been caught at and pulled by the arm and floor and it looked as if the maid had been squeezed out from between the two of them. Her short blonde hair shook, her eyes were closing, and she was not moving. Except that is, for her lips. Miyako heard her voice. ¡°Please help¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Miyako frantically crouched down and listened closely as Moira 2nd spoke so very quietly while moving only her lips. ¡°Please help Lord Apollo. He is a victim of the Concept War. He is unstable as a human¡­and thus must receive the restrictions of a machine.¡± ¡°How do you remove those restrictions? Surely you have a way using your technology.¡± Her frantic question received no reply and Moira 2nd stopped moving altogether. But Miyako continued to shout. ¡°Don¡¯t go to sleep!!¡± That produced a small smile from the automaton. ¡°Understood¡­¡± She opened her mouth and spoke the rest with difficulty. ¡°Th-the method is¡­¡± ¡°Is?¡± ¡°Something that¡­Lord Apollo c-cannot d-do¡­b-by him¡­himsel-sel-self.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Miyako nodded and touched Moira 2nd¡¯s cheek to tell her she had understood. All strength left the automaton¡¯s body and she did not speak any further. No one moved, so Miyako stood up, turned in every direction, and shouted out. ¡°Someone take Moira 2nd to get help!¡± With shudders of realization, some nearby maids, including the one who had escaped damage thanks to Moira 2nd, quickly ran over. Seeing that, Miyako breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°She isn¡¯t going to die from this, right? Right?¡± ¡°There is nothing to worry about. As long as her head remains, her memories can be returned.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Miyako looked toward Moira 2nd with a quiet expression. ¡°Thank you.¡± After thanking the automaton for saving her, strength entered her eyebrows. ¡­I could let it end like this, but¡­ She looked up toward Typhon¡¯s shoulder, but not a single maid was there. The maids working on it had been in the process of replacing the armor around the waist. Five of them were paused where they had been lifting the giant metal panel together. ¡­In that case¡­ Typhon¡¯s arm had fallen from the shoulder on its own. ¡°That wasn¡¯t an accident due to poor maintenance, was it?¡± She looked over. ¡­Typhon¡¯s eyes. She saw a faint light there. ¡°¡­!?¡± And it was a pale bluish-white. It was the same cold light as when she had been abducted. ¡°Is someone in there!?¡± ¡­Who is it? No, it doesn¡¯t matter who it is. Typhon had definitely attempted to prevent her from speaking any further with that maid. And it had attempted to do so with her death. She had not heard any footsteps on the overhead catwalk, so Typhon¡¯s pilot would have been in the cockpit the entire time. She wondered who it was. Was it the glowing woman from the previous night? Was it Apollo? At the moment, it did not matter which it was. ¡°Wait there!¡± She lifted her heel, turned around, and began running. Miyako ran. There was a staircase up to the catwalk on the hangar wall, so she ran there while keeping her eye on Typhon to ensure no one fled from the cockpit on its back. ¡­From now on, those maids aren¡¯t going to tell me anything about Apollo or Typhon. That falling arm had been a warning from the one controlling Typhon. Who is it? she wondered. This was the final 3rd-Gear member who was refusing to show themselves. It was the person controlling Typhon, the person who had not let Moira 1st and the others show her the hangar until now, the person keeping Apollo inside the concept space, and the person who would crush their own automaton as a warning. Miyako recalled what 3rd-Gear had done during the Concept War. ¡­This sounds like someone who would do those things. She ran up the stairs. The catwalk was about three stories up, which put it at the height of a god of war¡¯s back. The empty passageway continued in a straight line and reached the left side of a back with six wings. She had not seen anyone leave from the back, so she ran loudly and while swinging her arms. She travelled the distance in an instant and arrived. ¡°I¡¯ve got you now!!¡± She stopped and stood on Typhon¡¯s back. The cockpit located between the six wings stuck out quite a bit further than the other gods of war and the inside of the block formed the basin that decomposed the pilot. ¡°¡­!¡± But it was empty. ¡°Ah?¡± She caught her breath and peered inside with a hand on one wing. ¡°Wait a second. Why?¡± Why was no one inside? That¡¯s cheating, she mouthed while leaning further forward to peer inside the cockpit. But all she saw was a dimly-lit empty space and a metal floor. ¡°Wait¡­¡± She took a breath, frowned, and felt a sinking feeling deep in her chest. It was a dark feeling. It was a mixture of impatience and fear because she knew something was going on but did not know what. And as the feeling filled her, she saw a light. The light formed writing. A panel inside the cockpit contained a word in a pale light. She could not read it, but she could tell what it meant. She knew the word. ¡°What is this?¡± Before she could picture the characters in her mind, they vanished. The cockpit fell into complete darkness and she realized Typhon was not going to move now. Instead, she saw a strand of color. ¡°Hair?¡± A single hair was caught in the cockpit¡¯s door. She wrapped it around her finger to pull it out and the slender and soft blonde strand fluttered in the air. She recognized the length and the color. ¡­This is Apollo¡¯s. But he was not inside, so it may have simply blown there in the wind. In that case, who had piloted Typhon? As soon as she asked herself that, she saw a light. The light took the form of slender fingers and approached the nape of her neck from behind. ¡°¡­!?¡± She frantically turned around but found only empty space. ¡°What?¡± No one was here, but she was certain someone had been. While eating breakfast, Moira 1st had told her that a ghost or something similar might appear next to Typhon as it contained the Concept Core which functioned as the Tartaros. That something would be unable to touch anyone, but it would exist. The fact that something like that existed brought a chill to her spine. Once she caught her breath, she tensed her back. ¡°¡­¡± And she silently walked back along the catwalk. She remained focused and noticed that Typhon¡¯s eyes no longer contained any light. The fallen left arm and the connector on the shoulder showed no sign of being pried open or of bolts being loosened from the outside. The attachment base that could not be accessed from outside had opened naturally. The opening to that attachment base contained no damage like the right arm did, no cracks in the armor, and no scratches on the frame. Typhon¡¯s left arm had definitely been removed by the pilot, but Miyako started to focus on the right arm that was being repaired. She focused on that broken right arm and¡­ ¡°The slightly damaged head.¡± Also¡­ ¡°That writing and the presence behind me.¡± At that point, she sensed something about the damage to Typhon. Something seemed off and she felt an odd sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¡­What is this? I feel like there¡¯s some important connection here. Her vision then caught a hint. Down below, the arm that had crushed Moira 2nd was being removed. Six automatons were lifting it on Moira 1st¡¯s instructions. However, Miyako was looking at the automaton who had saved her rather than at Typhon¡¯s arm. The automaton¡¯s head was lowered and she was collapsed, but Miyako was looking at her unharmed right arm. Moira 2nd¡¯s right index finger was pointing in a certain direction. It was pointed straight down as if to some place below the floor. An expanse of white sand lay below the blue sky. Immediately behind the sand was a thin rocky area followed by a forest. The rocky area¡¯s height change separated the forest and the beach and the sea breeze reached the sparse branches of the pine forest. Several green tents were set up at the entrance to the forest and all of them had thick waterproof sheets as roofs. The shallow and rocky land meant the tents could not use stakes driven into the dirt. ¡°Use the rocks and have the trees act as pillars. But don¡¯t break the trees. Do that and you¡¯ll lose points and be in charge of dinner. I¡¯m in the mood for curry. What about you? It¡¯s delicious.¡± Ooki was giving instructions while walking unsteadily across the rocky area. Her instructions were not very useful, but the tents were somehow getting set up one after another. Those who had finished would construct their stove, bathroom, and other facilities and then split into two groups. One group would go train while the other¡­ ¡°Break time! I¡¯m first!!¡± With that shout, Kazami ran toward the ocean. She dashed across the artificial beach while holding G-Sp2 and wearing an orange and black bikini. Water splashed into the air and she sank down into it. ¡°I¡¯ve got our dinner!!¡± Eventually, an explosive spray of water burst up from the ocean. The pillar of water reached around a dozen meters up and the rain of saltwater made it as far as the beach. Those on the beach cried out and avoided the rain which had several fish mixed in. The fish flopped around as if in surprise after falling on the beach and Sibyl gathered them while wearing a light jacket. Once a large basket was full, Kazami left the ocean. She held up G-Sp2 in her right hand and did not bother wiping away the seawater running down her body. ¡°Ah, that felt great. But you really can¡¯t underestimate a desert island out at sea. The current is fast and deep. We should probably run a rope from the rocky outcroppings on either side to show where your feet can reach the bottom.¡± ¡°Good idea, but what about Izumo-sama? He will almost certainly laugh as he crosses the rope and end up swept out to sea.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He won¡¯t die just because he stops breathing. More importantly, where¡¯s Mikage?¡± ¡°Over there.¡± Kazami looked where Sibyl pointed and saw someone in a dress sitting in the rocky area. The girl held a cane and simply stared up into the sky. ¡°She does not seem to have brought a swimsuit.¡± ¡°Yeah, I think she¡¯s still reluctant to show off her body. Well, there¡¯s more to see on this island than the ocean, so I hope something here can help her evolve.¡± Two boys carrying baskets approached from beyond the rocky area. Izumo and Hiba both wore T-shirts and shorts. Kazami saw Mikage try to stand up as soon as she spotted Hiba. Her actions had a brightness absent from her usual expressionless face. ¡­She really cares about Hiba. Kazami smiled and Sibyl whispered next to her. ¡°You looked just as happy when Izumo-sama appeared.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that straightforward.¡± She shrugged and smiled as Izumo approached. He lowered the basket on his back a few steps away. ¡°Chisato.¡± He turned toward her, looked at her face, her chest, her hips, and her legs. ¡°Chisato, listen closely.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°To be honest¡­¡± He placed a hand on her shoulder, looked up into the sky, and chose his words carefully. ¡°I¡¯ve always been a coward when it came to swimsuits, so I think I¡¯m going to show more courage and- Don¡¯t throw me that quickly!¡± She immobilized the wrist on her shoulder just as she swept his legs out from under him and rotated him around. He flipped completely over in midair. She had only recently learned this technique. Punches and kicks could harm the opponent too easily, but locking techniques could only defeat a single opponent. However, there was a different sort of technique that could defeat a single opponent and disturb or damage any others around. ¡­A throw! The main trick was to continually pull her opponent¡¯s hand forward and down to create circular motion. As a result, Izumo quickly rotated in midair. His back would soon be slammed against the ground, but she trusted him to prepare for the landing. That trust came from the years she had spent with him and it allowed her to use her full training without worrying about him. Good, good, she thought of her own movements when Sibyl suddenly spoke. ¡°Ch-Chisato-sama! Izumo-sama is going to fall into the ocean and get soaking wet!¡± ¡°Oh, no.¡± She quickly corrected his trajectory and the top of his head slammed into the relatively hard beach. The sound of the impact filled the air and the sounds of tent preparations came to a halt. As sand blew up into the air and fell back down, Kazami was left letting out a breath and wiping sweat from her brow. ¡°Thanks, Sibyl. Knowing Kaku, I doubt he packed any extra changes of clothing.¡± ¡°Yes. Having him crawl around in wet clothing would affect both his health and our public morals.¡± Kazami looked to the rocky area and found Hiba glaring at her for some reason. She tilted her head and he frantically held Mikage¡¯s shoulders and took a step back. ¡°U-um, I feel like I have to ask: is he okay?¡± ¡°Hm? Oh, he¡¯s fine. C¡¯mon, get up, Kaku.¡± Kazami lifted Izumo up and struck his head with the tip of G-Sp2. She would hit him with a vase to wake him in the mornings, but even that was taking a while recently. She occasionally wondered if he still had some reason to hesitate. He now slowly opened his eyes. ¡°Yawn. Is it morning already?¡± ¡°Wake up already. We¡¯re at the training camp.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. So what was I doing? Last thing I remember, I was gathering fruit in the forest with Hiba.¡± ¡°You probably fell out of a tree. Heh heh. Yes, let¡¯s say that¡¯s what happened.¡± For some reason, Hiba held Mikage¡¯s shoulders, turned around, and tried to sneak away. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t run, Hiba.¡± ¡°I-I think Mikage-san wants to go in the shade.¡± ¡°Is that true, Mikage?¡± Mikage turned toward Kazami and shook her head. ¡°Ahh, Mikage-san, you don¡¯t understand,¡± said Hiba frantically. ¡°The world is headed in an odd direction right now!¡± ¡°Your world is headed straight for hell,¡± warned Kazami. Hearing that, Sibyl frowned. ¡°Chisato-sama, I do not think you should make implicit threats of murder to someone you do not know very well.¡± ¡°Y-yeah, you¡¯re probably right. But¡­¡± ¡°Yes. He does not know you very well, so he will not understand unless make the threat explicit.¡± ¡°Sibyl? That was a very good point, but how about you keep points that good just between the two of us? ¡­I said don¡¯t run, Hiba!¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t see why I should stay here.¡± Hiba looked toward Mikage. She had her usual expressionless face, but she did not seem to have made her own decision. She looked at him expectantly to tell her what to do. He sighed and faced Kazami with lowered eyebrows. ¡°Is there anything for me to do here?¡± ¡°They¡¯re training over there. Would you rather join them?¡± Kazami looked to the eastern side of the beach. She and the others were on the western side while the eastern side was used for training. An empty car and dummy building for infiltration training were prepared and Boldman stood before those needing training. Despite the sun beating down on them, they all wore three-piece suits, neckties, and leather shoes. Kazami watched as Boldman pushed round glasses (minus the lenses) up his nose and tightened his tie. ¡°Now then,¡± he said with a training manual under his arm. ¡°Students, the summer training camp for Japanese UCAT Tokyo Branch Special and Standard Divisions begins now. I am Robert Boldman and I have been the training instructor since last year. I will not ask anything difficult. Simply answer ¡®yes, teacher¡¯ to whatever I say.¡± ¡°Yes, teacher!¡± ¡°Very good.¡± A young Japanese man on one side whose gray suit was already darkened with sweat raised his hand. ¡°Yes, teacher! May I ask a question!?¡± ¡°Questions are generally not permitted, but as we have only just begun, I will allow it this once.¡± ¡°Yes, teacher! Why must we wear suits as we train and speak overly politely like a bunch of homos? May I call you an idiot!?¡± Around twenty of the others lined up gave looks of agreement. ¡°I see.¡± Boldman brought a hand to his forehead which was completely devoid of sweat. ¡°During last year¡¯s training camp on Mt. Osore, I gave the same training given to the American marine unit I belonged to. It started with shouting insults along the shore of the Sanzu River and running a marathon across Mt. Osore while singing an enjoyable round of an erotic song. Anyway, one of the trainees was filled with a rebellious spirit.¡± He sighed. ¡°I tried to quell that rebelliousness, but the rebel¡­for the purposes of the story let¡¯s say it was a she. Anyway, she said the lyrics of the song were horrible and I sent my aide after her, but she punched him and kicked him in the crotch. Her partner was a man who would not go down no matter how much you punched him, so I ended up receiving some injuries from the two of them.¡± He indicated the area around the back of his neck. ¡°I was fine at the time, but aftereffects of the whiplash have been showing up lately and my wife is worried. At any rate, I spoke with the higher ups afterwards and realized my training method was simply too outdated, so some of the fault lay with me.¡± He clenched his fist and looked up into the sky. ¡°And so I have given the concept of training new life. It has gone from being a wild and delinquent to stylish and politely intelligent! Training forever!!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Where¡¯s your answer?¡± ¡°Yes, teacher.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t hear you.¡± ¡°Yes, teacher!¡± ¡°Once more.¡± ¡°Yes, teacher!!¡± ¡°Okay, try to make it loud for once! Ready, go!!¡± ¡°Yessss, teacherrrrr!!¡± ¡°Well done! Now, everyone, run three laps around the island. If it¡¯s getting tough, just tell me. We¡¯ll be running in a line and the slowest person takes the lead. Do you know the trick to running?¡± ¡°Yes, teacher!¡± ¡°Can you tell me what it is?¡± ¡°Yes, teacher!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t actually know, do you?¡± ¡°Yes, teacher!¡± ¡°Very good.¡± Boldman pushed the round glasses up his nose again. ¡°The trick to running is to stay M-A-D. M for ¡®move ever forward¡¯, A for ¡®always accelerate¡¯, and D for ¡®dash and don¡¯t stop¡¯. If you don¡¯t follow those rules, you¡¯ll be doing the same thing tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes, teacher! We¡¯ll make sure to stay MAD!¡± ¡°Okay, you there can take the lead first. Everyone else line up behind him.¡± ¡°Y-yes, teacher!¡± The man in a gray suit who responded ran across the beach as quickly as he could as if fleeing something. The next person gasped and frantically followed. More and more followed with no discrimination between the sexes or anything else. Lastly, Boldman ran after them. ¡°Okay, everyone, let¡¯s sing a song to increase our sense of unity. Just repeat after me.¡± ¡°Yes, teacher!¡± ¡°Blooooming, blooooming, the target flower is bloooooming.¡± ¡°Blooooming, blooooming, the target flower is bloooooming.¡± ¡°They¡¯re all in a rowwww, a nice straight rowwwww. Red clothes, black clothes, white clothes. Whatever flower you see, just cry yeehoo!¡± ¡°They¡¯re all in a rowwww, a nice straight rowwwww. Red clothes, black clothes, white clothes. Whatever flower you see, just cry yeehoo!¡± The alternating song disappeared into the distance. After watching them leave, Kazami turned to Hiba. He pointed toward the already vanished song and turned his head toward her. ¡°Is that really okay? The colors seemed pretty biased to me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯ll get enough complaints for it to be changed next year.¡± ¡°I see. But I guess I can¡¯t complain now.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re so happy to get to join them?¡± ¡°That is not what I meant!¡± He let out a long, exhausted sigh and spread his mouth horizontally. ¡°That training is too much.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll be training with me.¡± He looked down toward the sudden voice from the ground and saw Izumo. Izumo sat up on the sand and faced Hiba on the rocky area. ¡°I asked you about joining us last night, but you didn¡¯t give an answer even though we¡¯ve showed you how well we can fight. ¡­Of course, I¡¯m sure you have your reasons.¡± He stood up by leaping up from a sitting position. ¡°¡­¡± With that single leap, he reached eye level. ¡°Hiba, you think you¡¯re stronger than us, don¡¯t you? How about we put that to the test?¡± He landed as if stabbing his feet into the sand. ¡°C¡¯mere. Let¡¯s fight.¡± ¡°Fight? Are we going to spar? But do you have any martial arts experience?¡± ¡°Of course not. Only what they teach in the special division training.¡± Hiba looked shocked. ¡°UCAT¡¯s training is generally modeled after the militaries of different countries, isn¡¯t it? Some of it may be filled with originality like what we just saw, but my grandfather gave me military style training until I was in tears and he trained me in the Hiba style of martial arts on top of that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine by me. I¡¯m twenty and you¡¯re sixteen. When you were born, I could¡¯ve killed you easy. Right now, I can vote and I can smoke without having to hide it. I easily broke through the 18+ barrier a whole two years ago. How about that!?¡± ¡°Well, that last one might be nice.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Izumo ignored Kazami¡¯s half-lidded glare and pointed at Hiba. ¡°How about this? Let¡¯s spar while using wooden swords or something. If I win, you think about joining us in our fight.¡± Someone reacted to that proposal, but it was not Hiba. It was Mikage. ¡°¡­¡± She frantically peered into Hiba¡¯s face and moved her lips to produce her silent voice. ¡°I oh¡¯t ahnt aht.¡± I don¡¯t want that. Kazami read her lips and her expression. ¡­What does that mean? Hiba used a god of war to fight, so it was natural if he did not like joining them, but why would Mikage dislike when she only assisted? ¡­It can¡¯t be. A thought occurred to Kazami. Did Mikage want only Hiba to fight? If so, that was a ridiculous idea. That meant wanting the one she cared for most to fight. But was that how she felt? As she looked at Hiba, the ends of her eyebrows were ever so slightly lowered and Kazami imagined unease resided behind that look. ¡­Is she worried that we will take their fight away from them? If so, what would the two of them do? ¡°And what would we do? ¡­Kaku, I know what it means to win this match.¡± ¡°Yeah, but nothing will ever happen if we stay still. Doing nothing will only lead to the bell indicating time is up.¡± Izumo¡¯s tone was light, but she could see a harshness on his face. She guessed that something had happened to him in the past that she was unaware of. Something in which he had remained motionless and come to regret it. Hiba¡¯s eyebrows slowly rose and he nodded while drawing Mikage close. ¡°Giving thought to joining you if Izumo-san defeats me could work, but what will you do if I win? It would be pretty conceited of you to have not thought about it.¡± ¡°Okay, how about this?¡± shouted Izumo with a smile. ¡°Hiba, if you win, I¡¯ll act in your place and show some courage concerning Chisato¡¯s swimsuit! What do you think about that!?¡± ¡°Here¡¯s what I think about that!!¡± Kazami punched Izumo. Volume 6, 24: Signs of an Approaching Enemy Volume 6, Chapter 24: Signs of an Approaching Enemy The footsteps of the past are quiet The footsteps of the future are loud Both of them pierce into something It was an old district. A canal was surrounded by willow trees and the dirt roads on either side were lined with white walls and wooden buildings. The canal started from the west and made a right turn to the south partway through. Both stretches of the canal were approximately two hundred meters long. ¡°This is the Bikan district, isn¡¯t it?¡± Shinjou¡¯s voice filled the area in front of a teahouse on the southern end of the district. She wore a white straw hat and Sayama wore a vest and suit pants as they sat on a bamboo bench covered in a red cloth. They both held piles of copy paper, but Shinjou¡¯s focus was constantly stolen by Sayama next to her and the unusual scenery around her. She knew she had to take this more seriously, so she lowered her gaze to the documents while continuing to glance around. The documents were the ones from UCAT¡¯s central server that Kashima had sent them. They supposedly primarily held information on the National Defense Department, but they could not read most of it. They could tell the text was Japanese and that there were diagrams, but they simply could not comprehend the contents. ¡°This is an information hiding concept,¡± explained Sayama. ¡°It must affect any copies of the information as well.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You have heard the urban legends of information that curses you simply from hearing it, haven¡¯t you? This is the same. A concept has been applied to the central server data that leaves some power with the information even as it is spread.¡± He smiled bitterly. ¡°It is as if they expected we would do this.¡± Kashima had apparently been unable to read most of it either, but he had selected what unreadable information seemed most important based on what he could read. What Kashima could not read had a checkmark at the top of the page, but they had found they could read a bit of what he could not. Currently, Sayama was reading through Tsukuyomi¡¯s Georgius report rather than the other documents. Shinjou watched him reading the report and spoke. ¡°Director Tsukuyomi really is kind.¡± ¡°Kashima mentioned a reason for that. She is apparently searching for a Cowling Sword.¡± ¡°A Cowling Sword?¡± He nodded and showed her a diagram below the Georgius report. It was a design diagram for a Cowling Sword. It looked like a Japanese sword with almost no curve, but the hilt was oddly long. The hilt on the diagram was likely made of some hard substance and it was almost half as long as the blade. ¡°Why is she searching for this?¡± ¡°It seems her husband created it during UCAT¡¯s blank period. This is the reason she agreed to join UCAT after the great Kansai earthquake ten years ago. She found this diagram in the back of a drawer of the desk she inherited upon taking over the development department and it is currently all she has found about it.¡± The copy of the design diagram was signed by a Tsukuyomi Aruhito. Sayama placed Georgius¡¯s report aside and reached for the same documents Shinjou was reading. ¡°What did it say about Georgius?¡± ¡°There seem to be a lot of unknowns, but Director Tsukuyomi and Kashima both think that gauntlet may be alive and that it is merely sleeping while possessing a will of its own.¡± ¡°Then was it made by 3rd-Gear? Living metal is a 3rd concept.¡± ¡°When I first put it on, it spoke in Japanese rather than some strange Gear¡¯s language.¡± He took a breath. ¡°The report speculates it acts as a concept pressurizer, but it is unknown why it only reacts to Concept Cores or why only I can wear it.¡± Shinjou almost commented how they seemed to know nothing, but she swallowed her words. Sayama already knew that and there was nothing they could do about it. She then realized that his right hand had been placed on the left side of his chest for a while. When she knew he was feeling that pain, she could do nothing but place her hand on his back. However, her thoughts seemed to get through to him because he finally spoke while arranging the bottom of the Georgius report on his lap. ¡°It was said that my mother obtained it and left it for me. In that case, it would be best to assume it was made by UCAT using inferior copies of concepts from 3rd-Gear and other Gears. It seems Director Tsukuyomi and the others intend to look more deeply into this data, so let us hope they find something. ¡­More importantly, what about your documents?¡± ¡°Eh?¡¯ ¡°Do not tell me you have not actually been reading them.¡± He was exactly right. ¡°Um, well. uh¡­ Oh, hasn¡¯t it been about an hour and a half? Your handheld recorder is going to run out of material, isn¡¯t it? C-c¡¯mon, let¡¯s head back and read this stuff with the others.¡± As she tried to smooth things over, Sayama removed the bag containing the recorder and bugs. He removed the recorder from the bag, pulled another recorder from his pocket, and placed it in the bag. ¡°Sayama-kun, wh-what was that?¡± ¡°No need to worry. That was the second scenario. The previous one was the indoor version and this is the outdoor version. I also have the adventure version, happy version, demon king version, and more. How about listening to one to give you some ideas for your novel plot?¡± ¡°No thanks. That would probably make me want to rethink a lot of things.¡± ¡°I see. That is somewhat disappointing. At any rate, it is time for the outdoor version. Do your best, recorder.¡± ¡°W-wait! Outdoors!? I¡¯m not into that kind of thing!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Interests are not automatically present. They must be developed, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°That may be true, but don¡¯t emphasize that here!¡± ¡°Anyway, keep in mind that you sabotaged our inspection of these documents when I ask for compensation later.¡± She groaned, but she did feel bad about it. ¡°Why were you negligent about something so important?¡± he asked with a tilt of the head. ¡°Um, well¡­ It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve been somewhere like this with you.¡± She was not sure what to say, but she made up her mind as she lightly embraced her own body. She shrank down and wondered if he would forgive her if she explained. ¡°I don¡¯t have much experience going to strange places like this, but you can sit here drinking tea and reading documents like it¡¯s nothing. ¡­It made me realize how mysterious a person you are.¡± ¡°I see. Is that why you were staring at your surroundings and at me? Especially as I was lost in work?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ I may always gather the public eye, but even I will feel embarrassed if you do that, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°U-um? Please don¡¯t tease me like that. B-but¡­¡± She felt herself blush and lowered her head. ¡°It is true I was staring at you.¡± ¡°I see. Then I will forgive you, but only if you will let me stare at you in fascination sometime.¡± ¡°Okay, that would be fine¡­ Wait, no! You never said what part of me, when it would be, or how you would do it!¡± Despite her protests, Sayama pulled a memo pad from his pocket, wrote an entry titled ¡°Promise¡± and wrote ¡°All of her ¨C Anytime ¨C While unwrapped¡± below it. ¡°You are not ¡®unwrapping¡¯ me!¡± He nodded and added ¡°Discussion needed¡±. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Shinjou hung her head limply. A discussion was out of the question. A Sayama discussion was especially out of the question. She had no chance of winning. The word ¡°discussion¡± took on a completely different meaning and he would force his view onto her. ¡­Is there any way to oppose him on this? As she thought about it, she felt heat gather in her face, but she told herself it was due to the weather. Meanwhile, Sayama slowly closed the memo pad next to her. When she looked up and turned toward him, he used the pile of documents as a fan to create a breeze in her direction. ¡°At any rate, I have only glanced through these documents, but it seems to contain a few fascinating pieces of information. Let us go for a stroll. There are some things I wish to investigate, including the location of 3rd-Gear¡¯s base.¡± As soon as he spoke, an electronic tone sounded from his pocket. It was his cell phone, so he removed Baku from the pocket, placed the creature on his head, and removed the phone. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°It is Kazami,¡± he informed Shinjou. After exchanging a few words, he hung up. He took a breath, looked down at her, and spoke expressionlessly. ¡°It seems the Hiba boy and Izumo will be having a sparring match. Ridiculously enough, they have bet the Hiba boy¡¯s cooperation on the match.¡± ¡°Y-you mean¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. That is a bit much to decide on their own, but they have now received my permission.¡± ¡°You¡¯re okay with it?¡± ¡°If Izumo wins, all is well. If the Hiba boy wins, I can be his next opponent as the true star. If the Hiba boy complains, I can claim Izumo has no human rights or make some other excuse.¡± ¡°Will an excuse like that actually work? ¡­No, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll make it work with sophistry.¡± ¡°Sophistry? How rude, Shinjou-kun. Refer to it as a creative argument. At any rate, we cannot arrive in time, so we must leave this to them.¡± He looked inside the teashop and spoke to the female worker inside. ¡°Excuse me, I would like the bill and six sticks of dango wrapped so we can eat as we walk.¡± Two people stood on the beach. They both wore T-shirts and shorts and they both held wooden swords in their right hands. They had different builds. The roar of the sea washed over the two, one of whom was short and the other of whom was larger and a head taller. Spectators gathered in front of the rocky area across from the sea. At the head of the crowd was a girl in a T-shirt and swimsuit who held a whistle. ¡°Okay, Team Leviathan Representative Izumo Kaku vs¡­um¡­¡± ¡°Kazami-san, how about Nice Guy Representative Hiba Ryuuji?¡± Without agreeing, Kazami gave a half-hearted blow of the whistle. ¡°Okay, okay. Now start.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s even worse than being ignored!!¡± shouted Hiba. However, his expression changed once he looked toward the girl sitting next to Kazami. His loose expression became a smile. His smile was directed at a girl with long, blonde hair who showed no sign of sweating despite wearing a long black shirt and a white dress. She simply looked back at him with no discernable expression. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll do something about this, Mikage-san.¡± After a short pause, Mikage nodded. She held her cane close and nodded again. Around a dozen seconds had passed since the whistle had been blown, but both Hiba and Izumo remained motionless on the beach near the crashing waves. Hiba stared forward where Izumo stood approximately five meters away. He stood on the flat beach with the ocean to his right and the rocky area to his left. They both held wooden swords as weapons. Hiba specialized in unarmed combat, but he was well-versed in using a sword thanks to his grandfather. ¡­And I often use a sword when fighting gods of war. 3rd-Gear did have projectile weapons, but one¡¯s vision and predictive calculation speed were assisted by the machine while joined with it. One¡¯s desires acted as a switch to zoom in on an opponent¡¯s movements, view them in slow motion, or even anticipate them. It was possible to view the path of a bullet and most concept-powered optical weapons were too weak to pierce his armor, so he could predictively evade or ignore projectiles. However, doing that repeatedly could put a strain on the machine. He primarily focused on strength and speed more than evasion. What he needed was an iai strike or a barrage at too close a range to give them time to react. And with his short body, Hiba had trained in attack methods that included quick rotation. That was an effective method against large opponents and he could end everything with a quick series of attacks if he got in close. His current opponent, Izumo, was plenty large for that to work. Hiba was approximately 160 cm while Izumo was 190 cm. Hiba could target the gut just by crouching while Izumo could only attack from overhead. ¡­Did he suggest wooden swords to give himself the reach he needs to hit me? Even if his hands would not reach, he could use the sword to strike from below. ¡­If that¡¯s what he¡¯s thinking, I can¡¯t let my guard down. Hiba rotated his wooden sword with a light snap of the wrist and faced forward. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get started.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± At some point, Izumo had balanced his sword on top of his head, so he grabbed it with his right hand once more. The surrounding crowd stopped moving and a tense atmosphere spread throughout them. Amid that silence, Izumo spoke. ¡°I¡¯m a little reluctant to do this, but come on.¡± Hiba frowned at that. ¡°What? You were the one that suggested this, so why are you reluctant?¡± ¡°Win or lose, this is going to bring about some unpleasant thoughts.¡± ¡°I thought you enjoyed fighting.¡± ¡°Oh, the fighting will be enjoyable. For me, at least,¡± he said. ¡°But what about you? As your upperclassman, it¡¯s difficult to get into the mood.¡± Izumo then took a casual step forward. The distance between them closed and the battlefield grew smaller. While still facing forward, Hiba checked the left and right of the battlefield out of the corners of his eyes. He saw ocean to the right, rocks to the left, and Mikage and Kazami in front of the rocks. Next to Kazami, the German UCAT inspector named Diana was sipping juice in a chair below a beach parasol, but he felt that black and gold swimsuit of hers was downright criminal. ¡­Mikage-san looks worried, but that look is cute too. Ahh, I just want to rub her head. As he thought that, Izumo stopped in front of him. They were five meters apart, so either one could attack after taking a few steps. Hiba saw Izumo looking at him while checking on Kazami out of the corner of his eye. Hiba suspected he was thinking something similar or possibly something even more amazing. Hiba felt a sudden affinity with his opponent in this sparring battlefield. ¡°¡­¡± But Izumo adjusted his grip on the wooden sword in his right hand. He was indeed going for an attack from below. In fact, he held the bottom of the sword in his palm as if to strike a staff straight down. ¡­Is he going for a one-handed strike? Using both hands gave strength to a slashing attack, but it led to a slower initial speed. A single-handed swing using a snap of the wrist and raised elbow gave speed. Izumo¡¯s stance showed he was wary of Hiba¡¯s speed. His expression looked a bit sleepy and thus was difficult to read, but Hiba thought he saw some thought there. Izumo brought his left leg forward and out a bit. That allowed him to immediately move his body if Hiba moved to the right. If Hiba instead moved to the left, he only needed to swing the sword in his right hand. ¡­In that case¡­ Charging straight forward would be safest. If he did that, the wooden sword in Izumo¡¯s right hand would be the greatest threat. A snap of the wrist could send the sword tip shooting up from the ground and it would be below Hiba¡¯s range of vision as he approached. It was possible he would receive a sudden blow to the jaw or side. Hiba¡¯s own attack would have reached by then, but their different body sizes would create a difference in damage absorption and the speed of Hiba¡¯s advance would add to the strength of the counter against him. His opponent might be able to withstand the blow, but he might not be able to. And what would he do after he avoided the first attack? Izumo was larger than him and he would not go down from any normal attack. He was perfectly fine after Kazami¡¯s attacks, so it would require a fair bit of damage to defeat him. Nevertheless, Hiba knew he could do it. He wanted to defeat Izumo even if it was not a complete victory. He had a single reason for this. ¡­I can¡¯t let them get any more involved. He wanted to protect his exclusive right to battle 3rd-Gear. He had realized that once more when Mikage had clung to him earlier. He and she would be the ones to fight 3rd-Gear. He did not want to rely on their strength and ¨C as rude as it was to his upperclassmen ¨C he would make it very clear who was stronger by defeating Izumo here. He briefly thought about Sayama¡¯s presence, but he doubted that boy outdid Izumo when it came to combat ability. In that case, defeating Izumo held real meaning. ¡­What should I do? He answered that question in an instant. In the blink of an eye, he realized what actions he should take. This was nothing special. His long years of combat experience put together the actions he should take and simulated the flow of events leading to victory. ¡°¡­¡± All that remained was the start signal. He waited for his moment to act which would be when his opponent showed an opening. And that moment arrived. It took the form of Kazami¡¯s voice from the spectator group. ¡°Kaku! Try to keep your expression more serious.¡± Hiba interpreted that as a form of cheering, just not one he would ever receive. In response, Izumo frowned and turned toward Kazami. ¡°Y¡¯know¡­¡± Hiba used that instant to move toward him by kicking deep into the sand and leaning forward. ¡°!¡± He travelled half the distance with his first step. He was on his way to end the sparring match. Volume 6, Afterword Volume 6, Afterword Here we are with Part B. I only have two pages for the afterword for the first time in a long while, so I cut out Ya-san¡¯s section. I apologize to anyone looking forward to it. He was the one that would often tell me to shorten the novel. Did you hear that, Ya-san? You¡¯re what got cut. Anyway, I can only do this thanks to all of your support. Thank you very much. This one has taken the irregular structure of a three-parter. How did that happen? Oh, and I visited Kurashiki last summer while gathering material for this novel. The theme park north of Kurashiki Station has built a few dioramas and robots inside a pavilion near my parents¡¯ home, so it was oddly familiar. The trip to gather material was a lot of fun. I almost died doing so much walking under the hot sun, the guy running the Ferris wheel was worried about my life and asked if I was lonely when I rode it again and again to get a good look at the city, and the hotel bath clogged up and the water just about flooded the living room. Oh, but the food was good and the scenery was nice. At any rate, I like to think the fruits of those labors are showing themselves here. Now for a forceful chat. Let¡¯s get started. ¡°Could you tell me a painful story from your middle or high school days?¡± ¡°Hmm. When I was in middle school, the shop class had a device that showed you how a bicycle chain rotates. It had all the unnecessary covers removed so you could see how it worked inside.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°One day, I was spinning it during class and wanted to see how fast the chain was going, so I pressed my finger against it. The chain caught on my work glove and dragged my finger right between the front gear and chain.¡± ¡°Oh, ouch! And that isn¡¯t quite what I meant by painful.¡± ¡°They had to open three holes in the gear, I had to get four stiches, and the doctor had to remove the fingernail.¡± This is gradually turning into the section for unpleasant memories. Anyway, you can use Underworld¡¯s Two Months Off as the battle BGM for the latter half of this third story. (I want to fight to that kind of expansive song.) I listened to it a lot while editing. ¡°Who exactly will kill themselves?¡± I also thought about that. Now then, now then. Part C will be out soon. April 2004. A morning of falling snow. -Kawakami Minoru Volume 7, 25: Afternoon of Misunderstanding Volume 7, Chapter 25: Afternoon of Misunderstanding It is na?ve to think that something is obtained by facing each other What matters is heading out to obtain it On the afternoon beach, two boys faced each other with wooden swords in hand. With the ocean in the background, the short one on the right ran forward and the large one on the left received him. Hiba and Izumo were holding a mock battle. The UCAT members watched them from the shade of the trees leading to the beach. Amid them, a girl sat alone on the beach, watching Hiba¡¯s movements. It was Mikage. As she watched, Hiba was wary of Izumo¡¯s lowered sword yet moved swift and low. She had predicted this action. While joined with Susamikado, Hiba would always do that. It was a pattern he specialized in. By lowering his body and moving quickly, he would sink below his opponent¡¯s field of vision. Even if his opponent caught sight of him again, his lowered body would hide the movements of his arms and legs. ¡­He¡¯s faster with Susamikado¡¯s wings. She knew Hiba would win. She had almost never seen anyone but Hiba fight, but he had never once lost to the gods of war that came to kill her. Also, he had learned a lot of techniques from his grandfather who lived in Okutama. She did not know how his grandfather had destroyed 3rd-Gear. He had used Susamikado, but she did not know how the god of war had been summoned. Despite having an automaton body, she had been a child too young to recognize her parents¡¯ faces at the time. ¡­Susamikado. That power had been left to her along with the destructive weapon named Keravnos. Just like her, the god of war had been rolled out with some defects remaining. Cronus may not have finished in time or Zeus may have caught on and hurried him, but it was an incomplete product. The first time she recalled summoning it was when a 3rd-Gear god of war had suddenly appeared and Hiba had been injured. Her evolution had stopped on that night. Hiba said she might need 3rd-Gear¡¯s concept core to evolve. ¡­So what am I doing here? As she watched, Hiba charged up to Izumo. The surrounding people cried out, but she held her impaired legs in her arms and mouthed some words. ¡°What am I doing?¡± ¡­All I do is rely on Ryuuji-kun. Right now, he was not fighting for her evolution. She understood he had his own life, so she felt bad for feeling disappointed. It felt like she was restraining him and she did not like it. ¡­This is my problem, not his. As she added that comment in her heart, she heard more voices. Izumo had reacted to Hiba. He made the first attack, but he did not use the lowered sword. ¡°!¡± He kicked with his right leg while standing on his left leg which he had moved forward. The shovel-like kick slammed into Hiba from below as he ran forward. Mikage heard the sound of impact and a comment from Kazami next to her. ¡°Good.¡± Hiba was knocked off the ground. Kazami clenched both her fists and watched Izumo. He had lured Hiba in with the lowered sword and countered with the leg kept farther back. ¡­It was a simple feint, but that method was pretty mean. He had held the sword in a special way to draw the eye and hide that the first attack would be a kick. The method worked best against an opponent with the combat experience to instantly decide what to do. Izumo¡¯s kick struck Hiba and sent his small form into the air. He then pressed the kicking foot forward and pushed the boy back. Or he tried to. ¡°Tch.¡± He clicked his tongue and withdrew his leg. Wondering what had happened, Kazami looked more carefully and noticed that Hiba¡¯s elbows were bent downwards as he doubled over in midair. He had held the sword in his mouth and used both upper arms and palms to guard against Izumo¡¯s leg. She also realized why he had held his hands forward. ¡°Did he try to grab the ankle?¡± Kazami¡¯s question was eloquently answered by how Izumo quickly drew back his leg. In his instant in midair, Hiba removed the sword from his mouth and held it in his right hand. He shrank down and landed in an even further lowered posture. He used the tip of the sword to support himself when he almost fell. ¡°¡­!¡± Despite being so close he could reach out and touch Izumo, he still accelerated. However, Kazami saw Izumo step back by drawing his leg back even further than necessary. As tall as he was, a single step took him a long way. Hiba¡¯s acceleration and Izumo¡¯s step back put approximately a meter between them. When Izumo¡¯s right foot reached the sand, he rotated the toes to the left and dug into the sand. ¡°Take this!¡± The wooden sword lowered from his right hand shot upwards and toward Hiba¡¯s side as he charged in. Just as Kazami thought it was sure to hit, Hiba made a sudden move while running. He stabbed his sword into the ground. The sword in the sand acted as a powerful brake. Sand burst into the air and he came to a sudden stop while just far enough away for Izumo¡¯s sword to brush by his bangs. He had evaded the strike and he continued as if a switch had been thrown. He let out a cry and pulled the sword from the ground as he stood up. With a swing from the right, it struck Izumo in the side. ¡°Kaku!¡± Her shout was accompanied by an intense sound of impact. Hiba¡¯s sword was knocked from his grasp and Izumo¡¯s body began moving a bit to the left. But Kazami saw Hiba turn from left to right and throw a left hook from the opposite direction. With the sound of the punch, Izumo¡¯s large body stopped moving to the left. However, Hiba did not stop there. As soon as his leftward turning body returned to its original position, he reached his right hand into the air. The sword knocked from his hand was there. Kazami knew a wooden sword was not enough to damage Izumo. With his divine protection, a small blow from the tip of the sword would only give him the same amount of pain as being struck by a whip. A thick blow that could reach the core of his body was needed and Hiba provided one. As the sword rotated through the air, he grabbed the tip. He swung it like a bat and struck Izumo with the thick, round hilt. The hammer-like blow targeted the same spot as the first one. It hit. ¡°!¡± An unpleasant noise filled the air and Izumo collapsed forward. But Hiba did not stop moving. As soon as he finished the leftward swing, he was already leaning to the right. He released the tip of the sword and knocked it away with his fingers. While swinging his body to the right, he grabbed the sword again, but by the hilt this time. However, he held it backwards as if to strike with the back of the sword. Meanwhile, Izumo¡¯s body was bending forward toward him. Kazami caught on to Hiba¡¯s tactic when she saw those two actions. ¡­That¡¯s what he¡¯s after, isn¡¯t it!? Hiba targeted Izumo¡¯s jaw with the wooden sword. By striking below the jaw as if pulling it toward him, Izumo¡¯s head would swing upwards and the principle of leverage would shake his brain enough to cause a concussion. The best way of striking the jaw like that was hold the back of the sword forward and strike with the curve. The spectators, Kazami included, had seen plenty of Hiba¡¯s attacks and movements. He had conveyed just how skilled he was. If he landed this strike and knocked Izumo out, it would all be perfect. Hiba had never intended for the bat-like swing to finish this. That had been for show while he aimed for a complete victory by knocking Izumo unconscious. Now that Izumo¡¯s jaw was in range, the real battle had begun. Hiba took action and swung the horizontal strike toward Izumo¡¯s jaw. When it hit, it sounded more like something breaking than merely being struck. After swinging the wooden sword, Hiba looked at the scene before his eyes. The hilt remained in his hands, but the wooden blade vanished partway up. No, it had been broken. Did I swing too hard? he wondered. Should I have held back a little when striking the jaw? But he saw something beyond the scattering splinters of wood. Something else had fallen into the position Izumo¡¯s jaw should have been in. Namely, Izumo¡¯s forehead. ¡°Eh?¡± What had happened? The answer was simple. Izumo had taken the blow on his forehead rather than the jaw and the counter had been forceful enough to break the wooden sword. ¡­Impossible. The pain from the previous attack should have left him completely defenseless as he collapsed forward. His breathing should have stopped, the pain should have been intense, and it should have been unbearable. However¡­ ¡°Damn, that hurt,¡± muttered Izumo beyond the flying splinters. A moment later, Hiba realized something heavy had landed on his right shoulder. It was Izumo¡¯s hand after letting go of his sword and it had only reached because the larger boy¡¯s body had bent forward. ¡­He didn¡¯t fall forward out of pain! It was to grab me! He gasped and Izumo rose up while breathing a larger breath. Izumo faced Hiba with a sleepy look and then turned left to the spectators. ¡°Hey, did you see Hiba¡¯s skill? That looked like everything he had to me.¡± ¡°I did and he was definitely going all out.¡± Izumo nodded toward Kazami¡¯s exasperated voice. ¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°Okay. Watch this, Chisato. I¡¯ll be a good upperclassman and go easy on him.¡± He then faced Hiba. ¡°Hiba, how many times did you hit me? Three, right?¡± Before Hiba could say it was four, the first strike hit him in the solar plexus. That first strike came from the bottom of the sword he was holding. It felt like having a stake driven in below his lungs, but he lessened the damage by moving backwards. I¡¯m fine, he told himself. I¡¯ve been in this same situation with the god of war, but I always managed to keep moving and defeat my opponent. I just have to do the same. ¡°Kah¡­¡± But for some reason, he could not move. Air left his mouth and his body remained motionless. Why? he asked himself. This was a normal strike and the same situation had happened in battles again gods of war. An opponent with especially thick armor would sometimes deflect his weapon and manage to get in close. ¡°Why are you just taking the blow? Are you stupid?¡± At the point when he would have fallen back against a god of war opponent, Izumo¡¯s second strike arrived. The attack itself was simple. He merely formed a fist with the hand that had been on Hiba¡¯s shoulder and swung it down. However, Hiba¡¯s movements were sluggish as he bent forward to escape backwards, so he took the full blow on his back. The attacks to his gut and back had knocked all the air from his lungs. His mind told him to evade, but he had been unable to move since the first strike. He was utterly confused because he normally took this level of damage without issue. ¡°C¡¯mon, pull yourself together, underclassman.¡± Izumo grabbed Hiba¡¯s shoulder to stand him up and oxygen quickly entered his straightened body. ¡°My attacks here are perfectly normal. Do you know why they¡¯re so effective? Here¡¯s the final one.¡± Izumo stepped forward and performed a smash on Hiba¡¯s right side. The sound of impact reverberated dully throughout Hiba¡¯s body and he felt his entire body vibrate. He felt numb and Izumo¡¯s voice arrived from beyond the shaking. ¡°You¡¯re strong. Since I came to this Gear from the 10th reservation, the only person I¡¯ve seen move as fast as you is the old janitor named Tanaka who¡¯s my peeping partner. But you know what? You don¡¯t know how to use that speed. Even when fighting gods of war, they¡¯ve all been remotely controlled by automatons. You might¡¯ve even gotten predictable in your attacks.¡± Izumo¡¯s hand pushed down on Hiba¡¯s shoulder as he began to collapse. ¡°And you know what else? You hold back from possibly deadly attacks too much. You didn¡¯t know that we fight for real in these fun training matches of ours, so you held back when you heard this was training. That¡¯s why you only started rotating around a lot more partway through, isn¡¯t it? If you¡¯d done that from the beginning, you might¡¯ve been able to get behind me. ¡­Anyway, here¡¯s a fourth one for free.¡± Izumo used his other hand to strike just below the navel. ¡°¡­!¡± Strength left Hiba¡¯s knees and he belatedly realized he was in real trouble. ¡°Well, Hiba? Strong, ain¡¯t I?¡± He wanted to say that ¡°sturdy¡± was a better word, but his jaw trembled and would not move. ¡°Okay, I paid you back and even gave a bonus strike, so now it¡¯s my turn.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Do your best, Hiba. And do your best, me. The people of the world are waiting. ¡­Ready, go!¡± A blow suddenly struck him in the gut. ¡°Okay, listen up, Hiba. You¡¯re about to lose.¡± He was struck in the chest and then was pulled forward by the collar. ¡°But I won¡¯t be the one that decides that. It¡¯ll be the others here. After seeing my restrained attacks turn you into an old rag or some scraps or something too pathetic to call a man, they¡¯ll vote on who won and who lost. You can¡¯t argue against that.¡± Another heavy blow struck his gut. ¡°So I won¡¯t do anything that would knock you out. I want you to truly experience this defeat as you collapse in front of everyone and fall into a sea of ¡®no, don¡¯t look at me!¡¯ embarrassment. I¡¯ll even give a nice laugh to enhance the experience. ¡­Last one!¡± Hiba could not move, but he still tried to take a defense stance. As if clinging to the idea that his spirit had not been broken, he was determined to stay focused to the very end. But this attack was different from before. Izumo slowly reached out his hand and used his index finger to poke Hiba¡¯s chest. ¡°At dinner, I¡¯ll tell you one of the reasons you lost. You can sleep until then.¡± That was all. Hiba let out a breath and felt the world rise up below his feet. It took a few seconds for him to realize he was falling. His body had reached a limit separate from his spirit. ¡°¡­¡± He did not feel himself land on the sand, but he did hear it happen. He heard cheers from the rocky area and saw the spectators stand up. But he also saw an expressionless and unmoving girl among those standing and walking over. It was Mikage. Amid all the movement and voices, the two of them remained motionless and said nothing. He then averted his gaze and looked up into the sky. That sky contained a piercing blue he felt he had never seen before. ¡°Damn¡­¡± His body weakly trembled as he spoke. ¡°I¡¯m pathetic¡­¡± The sun had reached its noontime height. The shadows were at their smallest and the temperature in the building-filled city rose sharply. Few people were out and walking along the black and scorching asphalt. It was only those unaccustomed to the city, those who had to move around for their job, and tourists. Two people who fit all three categories were headed toward the small mountain in the city. It was Sayama and Shinjou. They had both loosened their collars while approaching the tree-covered mountain. Baku began panting, so Sayama placed him on his shoulder to expose him to the wind. Sayama also flipped through some documents while walking. ¡°We should arrive at the entrance to the Achi Shrine soon. This is the only mountain on Kurashiki¡¯s east side.¡± Shinjou nodded while walking quickly across a narrow road lined with houses. They were on their way to the Shinto shrine atop the small mountain. Only two places in Kurashiki contained a large number of natural trees. Mt. Tsurugata on the east side of the city was one of them. The other was Mukouyama Park on the southeastern end, but it was far enough away that they had not considered going there today. The Achi Shrine was only a few minutes¡¯ walk northeast of the Bikan district and circling the mountain northward brought one closer to the train station. Sayama had suggested the following when leaving the Bikan district: ¡°According to the old man, UCAT thinks 3rd-Gear¡¯s base is somewhere near Kurashiki, so how about we view the city from the Achi Shrine and think about where their base might be?¡± They had then begun walking, but it had quickly grown much hotter after leaving the teahouse. Shinjou felt the heat below her feet as she and Sayama turned left at a corner. A sign had said the road led to the Achi Shrine, but it was so narrow she had her doubts. ¡°Ah.¡± There it was. At the top of a cement slope was a torii with a white wall to the left and a tree-covered slope to the right. The torii was not red like the one she had seen at the Hikawa Shrine in Okutama. It was old and made from manmade stone. Stone steps followed after the torii. ¡°These steps are pretty steep.¡± ¡°Oh? Are you out of breath already, Shinjou-kun? There is a railing if you need it.¡± If she did nothing, he could very well suggest having her ride on his shoulders and actually go through with it, so she silently began running up the stone steps. They seemed to have been repaired recently because spots of white cement were visible here and there. Her sandals rang loudly on the steps as she climbed them and she turned around upon reaching the halfway point. She found Sayama reading the documents while leisurely following two steps at a time. Once he caught up, she let out a breath and started to sweat as if she had been holding it in. A sort of sweat not gained during training poured from her back and legs, but it was not a bad feeling. ¡°There is some shade here,¡± she said after looking around. The shadows of the trees reaching across from the right grew deeper the farther they climbed the stairs. She noticed Sayama was not out of breath and he had looked away from the documents at some point. He was instead looking toward the city behind them. Shinjou did the same and saw something unexpected. ¡°You can see the sky.¡± Their viewpoint had risen quite a bit without her realizing it. The city was down below. They had risen above the houses, so they could see far across Kurashiki. ¡°Look how flat it seems from here, Shinjou-kun.¡± He pointed south while focusing on the gathering of green far beyond the cityscape. ¡°South of Kurashiki and approximately four kilometers from here, the Yoshioka River runs east to west and a low mountainous area lies south of that. That mountainous area is visible from here with nothing obstructing the view. Also, the city retains its old form and the roads run in small curves. Do you understand what that means?¡± ¡°Um, well¡­¡± ¡°It is a vast flat area of land. If you look at it as a battlefield, it is convenient for weapons able to leap over buildings and use the roads as wide paths. Such a weapon could use the buildings as cover and leap over them if someone else tried to do the same. A god of war would be the perfect size for that.¡± ¡°Oh, I get it. But the girl I met earlier said the roads here are narrow.¡± ¡°Girl? What girl?¡± ¡°Oh, right. I didn¡¯t tell you about that,¡± began Shinjou. She went on to tell him about the girl she had bumped into in front of the convenience store and added that the girl had been from Tokyo. ¡°You certainly have become extroverted.¡± Sayama smiled toward her. ¡°Do you want to try your hand at negotiation next time?¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t. I¡¯m not good at sophistry.¡± ¡°What I do is not sophistry. It is- Well, we can discuss that later. What was this girl¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Toda. Toda Mikoku. My heart skipped a beat when I heard her name. I was surprised to find someone else with a name like ours.¡± She then turned toward Sayama and noticed something odd. Sayama was clutching his chest with his right hand which held the documents. He was experiencing chest pain. Shinjou could tell that Sayama¡¯s face had grown pale and that he was sweating. ¡°S-Sayama-kun? Are you okay?¡± ¡°Y-yes. I was just regulating my breathing. I am fine, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Why? Why did you suddenly get chest pains? I wasn¡¯t talking about the past, was I?¡± I¡¯m trying to divert the blame away from me, she realized as she saw Sayama nod. ¡°What you said reminded me of someone I know. That is all.¡± ¡°What I said? You mean the girl named Toda?¡± She asked hesitantly, but nothing changed as he nodded. She did not know who the Toda he was reminded of was. ¡­I wonder if he would tell me. But before she finished thinking, he said something that could be taken as an answer. ¡°Anyway, if we fight in Kurashiki, Kazami would likely be our strongest member. If we fight on a straight-line battlefield, we can use Izumo¡¯s rushing strength. Perhaps we could use them as a commando unit while the special and standard divisions advance more slowly in a defensive formation.¡± This was not the topic Shinjou had been hoping to discuss, so she gave a mental sigh. ¡­He probably still isn¡¯t going to tell me about his past. Of course, she had another thought as well. ¡­And I don¡¯t know my own past. That thought was immediately followed by Sayama¡¯s voice. ¡°I apologize, Shinjou-kun. Even as I view myself as wonderful to an unparalleled degree, there are parts of myself I find troublesome.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± As she answered with a questioning syllable, he took her right hand. He walked up the stairs one step at a time and his light tug sent her slowly after him. Once she caught up, he continued. ¡°To be honest, an oppressive feeling came over me as we passed through the early morning Osaka sky on the way here. I did not get a good look when we fought 1st-Gear because it was night and because I was distracted by you and the giant tower I saw on the way, but it was painfully obvious in the morning light.¡± He took a breath. ¡°The effects of the Great Kansai Earthquake are unmistakable.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Shinjou as she climbed the stairs. That large-scale earthquake had occurred ten years ago which was within the time she had no memories of. She had seen its effects on the helicopter ride to Okayama. It had first been noticed by Kazami who had sat behind them. Shinjou had been giving comments such as ¡°wow¡± or ¡°amazing¡± as she watched the scenery down below, but then she had heard Kazami speak. ¡°It looks like claw marks.¡± When searching for what the girl had meant, Shinjou had noticed it. Large faults and cracks that looked like claw marks had run across the land around Osaka. The Great Kansai Earthquake was a large earthquake with its epicenter in southeast Osaka that had occurred in the early morning of December 25, 1995. Osaka, known as the sloped city, and the surrounding area had collapsed and some portions had been damaged beyond repair. In those unrepairable areas, large faults had formed in the crust. For fear of secondary damages from landslides and cracks, the areas where the ground had shifted were deemed unlivable. Water, electricity, gas, and the other veins of civilization had all been cut off. The part of Kansai¡¯s recovery to take the longest had been the construction of new relay facilities to make up for those disconnected veins. To make use of the land, Kansai contained a lot of densely-populated residential areas and even more facilities had been needed to circumvent the faults. However, a delay in the construction would have extended the time until central Kansai was able to function again and that could have even caused serious damage to Japan as a whole. To speed it all up, a floating island had temporarily been constructed in Osaka Bay. That and the quickly-repaired Kansai International Airport had been used as bases to store and transport various types of fuel and construction materials. The ocean and waterways had been used for ships to carry generator trucks and water supply trucks and to construct a communication network centered on cell phones and wireless internet. The elevated highway running through the center of Osaka had been quickly reconstructed, but it had not connected to anything else and had been used by transport planes loaded with construction materials and supplies. While some remained unhappy that the one-every-forty-minutes high-speed transport planes were also carrying unnecessary things, the demolition and reconstruction work had spread from the center of the city. Kazami had then spoken as if she had suddenly remembered it. ¡°The IAI headquarters in Shimane took the leading role. Someone said it was as if IAI were using the Kansai disaster area to test its technology. There are a lot of facilities with names left over from that time.¡± She had then looked at the others in the cramped helicopter. Shinjou had done the same and seen Sayama looking out the opposite window from the seat next to her. In the very back seat, Hiba had been looking down from the window while holding Mikage¡¯s shoulders as she slept. The boy who now pulled on her hand up the stairs had lost his father in the secondary damages of that earthquake. ¡°That earthquake was apparently caused by the activation of the negative concepts by the Low-Gear Concept Core in the Tower of Babel that you saw, right?¡± ¡°That is a fair assumption.¡± She tilted her head at that. ¡°Do you think it wasn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Normally, only a change in the crust could cause such a wide-reaching earthquake. If it was caused by something else, various signs point toward it being the activation of the negative concepts and I think that is likely the truth.¡± He took a breath as he stepped up onto the top step. ¡°But there is still a lot we do not know. If we investigate it, I am sure we will find the answer.¡± He took another breath and looked around. They were halfway up the stairs to the shrine. They turned right at the landing that sat in the shade of the trees and found a parking lot for the cars that had driven up here. The rest of the stairs were to the left of the parking lot. As they walked toward those stairs, Sayama asked a question. ¡°Why does the Great Kansai Earthquake bother you that much?¡± ¡°Well, that seems to be a big reason why you clutch your chest and it¡¯s also the same time I lost my memories. It makes me wonder if¡­¡± She trailed off as she felt her pulse throb. ¡°¡­?¡± A heavy throb of unease came from deep in her chest, but she did not know why. ¡­What? She could describe the feeling as ¡°unpleasant¡± and it slowed her feet. Sayama gave a glance of concern next to her, so she grew frantic. She told herself the trembling feeling was just her imagination and she spoke further. ¡°Oh, um¡­ As I was saying, it makes me wonder if my parents were also at the scene of the Great Kansai Earthquake.¡± Once she said it, she realized this was something she had not thought before. She had been given plenty of opportunities to think it, but she had been intentionally avoiding it. ¡­My parents¡­ ¡°They might have been in Osaka and, just like your father, they might have¡­¡± She could not continue. This thought she had been avoiding for so long had arrived as a premonition after seeing the scars of the earthquake that morning and hearing what Sayama had said. ¡­Are my parents¡­already gone? Why have I never considered it before? Was I trying not to consider it? She was a part of UCAT, so the odds were good that her parents had been as well. If they had been, they would have faced that earthquake ten years before. ¡°!¡± No, she thought with a trembling in her spine. Her entire body shook and she had trouble breathing. She further mentally rejected the idea and attempted to quell the trembling, but she could not. Her thoughts were not enough to reject that horrible premonition. Just as she realized she had to control the shaking, all strength except for that shaking left her. Even so, she tried to speak and tell Sayama that she was fine. ¡°Hyah¡­¡± Tears suddenly spilled from her eyes, her knees shook, her feet would not continue forward, and she wanted to crouch down on the spot. ¡°Shinjou-kun.¡± Sayama suddenly wrapped his arms around her. ¡°¡­!¡± He embraced her with the forceful sound of an impact. After she breathed a sigh of relief at being supported, his hand wrapped around behind her head and pressed her cheek against his chest. His body was warm to the touch and thick tears leaked down her cheeks. She took a few breaths as if about to vomit. ¡°That would mean¡­I¡¯m all alone. I don¡¯t want to be alone.¡± ¡°That is not the case.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± she said while looking up. He brought his lips to hers. ¡°Nn¡­¡± She half resisted in surprise and half relaxed as she entrusted herself to him, but after a few seconds she fully entrusted herself to him. With her head and back in his arms, she closed her eyes and gave in to his tongue. After she closed her eyes, sobbed a few times, and shed some tears, Sayama moved away. She then took a breath. It was a large and warm breath, but her breathing had calmed. ¡°You¡¯re right. I won¡¯t be alone,¡± she said quietly. ¡°You¡¯ll be with me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I will be with you. I am with you.¡± ¡°Yeah, b-but¡­ I¡¯m Setsu right now.¡± ¡°Is that a problem, Sadagiri-kun?¡± Hearing him call her name, she once more thought about what he had meant when he said ¡°that is not the case¡±. ¡­Just like my parents, he must trust in my name. In that case, he would not be the only one. Kazami, Izumo, and the others at UCAT would be the same. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and felt her strength return. His arms held her tight so that strength would not escape and he spoke. ¡°I should not have done that. It seems my odd conjectures stirred up your unease. ¡­In apology, let us find your parents.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She looked up at him from within his arms and found him looking at her expressionlessly. ¡°I do not believe people simply disappear. They may be lost, but annoyingly enough, they do not vanish altogether. A certain old monkey proves that well enough. So let us find the parents that you have lost sight of.¡± ¡°B-but we don¡¯t know where they are.¡± ¡°No, we do not. We do not know where they are now or what they are doing. But at the very least¡­¡± His right arm left her back and touched her chest. The left side of her chest. ¡°I feel pain here, but what about you, Shinjou-kun? Also, we already have a hint.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°What you do not know always lies on the path to liberation. ¡­Also, I more or less know where 3rd-Gear¡¯s base is. Once we arrive at the temple up above, I will tell you that. And tonight or some other time, we can discuss the hint we have received here.¡± He then held something up for her to see. ¡°The hint is contained in the documents Kashima sent us. It may have been a good thing for me that you did not read it very carefully. Now I can be the one to give you the information that may act as a hint to finding your parents.¡± Volume 7, 26: Jab of Guidance Volume 7, Chapter 26: Jab of Guidance Indicate the direction to travel Here there is nothing but different battlefields Look to your feet and you will find iron A narrow strip of beach bordered the ocean. A forest lay behind the beach and a rocky area separated them. A woman stood on the rocks after coming from the forest. It was Ooki who wore a white coat and gray shorts. After walking from the nearby medical tent, she stretched atop the rocks. ¡°Nn. This is such a nice place.¡± ¡­I don¡¯t like all the salt water out there, though. The salty wind was oddly stimulating. It was bad for her health and she needed to wash it away with spring water later, but it seemed to tense up her body. ¡°Will it help me lose weight?¡± ¡°Oh? You don¡¯t look like someone who needs to worry about that,¡± said a female voice. The voice came from below, so Ooki stopped walking and stretching. Down below, a woman with long gray hair lay on a beach mat. She wore a black and gold swimsuit. ¡°Oh, Diana-san.¡± Ooki jumped down from the rocky area. The difference in height was approximately a meter, but she was landing on the beach. The sand should have absorbed the shock, but for some reason, her feet slipped and she fell forward. She ended up lying next to Diana in the same position. ¡°Ow¡­.¡± Don¡¯t cry. Don¡¯t cry, she told herself. The woman lying next to her was the inspector from German UCAT. Those children were working so hard, so she would feel bad if Germany was told Japanese UCAT¡¯s people cried at the slightest provocation. She sat up, wiped at the corners of her eyes, and brushed the sand from her clothes and hair. It¡¯s a little salty, she thought while turning to Diana who lay with her bikini top undone. Diana lowered her sunglasses and knitted her brow a little. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Oh, y-yes. I am.¡± Ooki straightened up and then bowed, hoping the woman would report that Japanese UCAT¡¯s people were polite. She then looked back at Diana as she lay on the beach mat. ¡°Are you tanning?¡± ¡°Yes. This kind of sun is rare in Germany, so it¡¯s for my health as well.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Ooki wondered what to do. She was usually the one giving the tests, so it made her nervous to be inspected like this. She had heard it was best to make a good impression in an interview and the fastest way of making a good impression was to compliment the person. ¡­This situation showed up in the drama I saw the other day. How did that compliment go again? ¡°Heh heh heh. Girly, you¡¯ve sure got some nice skin.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Pervsuke¡¯s catch phrase from the Sunday 8:00 drama ¡®Return of Mito Kimon¡¯, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°So you recognized it. Those people always use the back gate for assassinations. And when they¡¯re found, they say ¡®Ugh, what a pain. Suke-san, Kaku-san, get them!¡¯ I think there¡¯s something a little off about that.¡± ¡°Yes. Now, for a sudden change of subject, is the Hiba boy okay?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. That is sudden, but he is. Izumo-kun made sure not to hurt him too badly. He¡¯s currently being treated by Doctor Chao in the medical tent and he should be fully recovered by tonight. He was given a sedative, so he¡¯s sleeping now.¡± ¡°Gut. Then what about the Izumo boy?¡± Ooki thought for a moment and wondered if she should really say this. ¡°He¡¯s actually sleeping in the tent for Kazami-san and the other girls. He¡¯ll apparently recover on his own by tonight.¡± ¡°Oh? He seemed fine during the fight just now.¡± ¡°Apparently, he was putting on a strong front.¡± Ooki smiled while sensing the ends of her eyebrows lowering. ¡°He said Hiba-kun would be too full of his own power otherwise.¡± ¡°And what about Mikage?¡± ¡°Oh, right. Since letting her know Izumo-kun¡¯s condition would make it all meaningless, Sibyl-san is showing her around the island. There¡¯s an orchard over there and Sibyl-san said she could learn a lot there.¡± She thought for a moment. ¡°It seems like it was quite a shock for her that Hiba-kun lost.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t notice much of a difference.¡± ¡°From what I can tell, she may provide some unexpected surprises, but she may normally be even more expressionless than Sayama-kun. As your teacher, I-¡­ Oh, I¡¯m sorry, Diana-san. I¡¯m not your teacher. That¡¯s a bad habit of mine.¡± She scratched her head and Diana¡¯s shoulders shook in laughter. ¡°Could you please continue, teacher?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, yes.¡± Ooki stretched her knees forward and wondered if tanning would be good for her health as well. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about what kind of place this is in Mikage-san¡¯s mind. Hiba-kun was forced to come here because his house was ruined and because his mother insisted, but for Mikage-san¡­¡± ¡°She just wants to be with the Hiba boy, right?¡± ¡°Yes, but what if Hiba-kun tries to go somewhere Mikage-san doesn¡¯t want to go?¡± ¡°Such as?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Ooki thought. ¡°Such as a place where he¡¯d be fine even without her.¡± She nodded and wondered if she was using Japanese properly before continuing. ¡°It would be somewhere that did not include her if Hiba-kun lost. It would be somewhere in which he had the power to fight without Susamikado and everyone else welcomed him in her place.¡± She stared out to sea before finishing her thought. ¡°For example, here.¡± ¡°What an odd thing to think about.¡± ¡°Is it really?¡± ¡°If he were to go to a place she does not want, it would mean losing his power to fight. And if that happened, why would everyone welcome him?¡± Diana reached for the glass holder next to her beach mat. The glass in the styrofoam holder produced a light sound that indicated some ice remained inside. As if that sound were a signal, Diana spoke. ¡°Or were they able to welcome him when he lost because they were certain in their victory? The loser must obey the victor even if they do not want to. Is that it? However, the Hiba boy¡¯s objective and current position are different from yours.¡± ¡°Of course they¡¯re different.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Diana tilted her head, so Ooki explained. ¡°They couldn¡¯t be the same. After all¡­um¡­how should I put it? Um¡­uh¡­¡± She crossed her arms. She did not quite understand what she wanted to say, but what Diana had said was not it. She was almost certain of that, so she carefully thought without rushing. ¡°Ah.¡± She looked out to sea. Diana did so too and finally tilted her head again. ¡°There¡¯s nothing there.¡± ¡°No, um, what I mean is¡­ You still saw the same scenery, right?¡± Ooki gave an internal cry of joy. ¡°Even if we have different objectives and stand in different positions, we can still see the same scenery if we try.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Winning and losing isn¡¯t the only important thing. If you don¡¯t understand that, you¡¯ll only think about making your opponent lose. But my teacher¡¯s instincts think Hiba-kun is looking to the same place as us.¡± She emphasized being a teacher again, but she no longer cared. ¡°But at some point, he may have started looking down at his own feet and I don¡¯t think he¡¯s let Mikage-san know. But he¡¯s a good kid. They all are: Izumo-kun, Kazami-san, Sayama-kun, Shinjou-san, Hiba-kun, and Mikage-san.¡± ¡°Oh, my. I get the feeling you would call even your enemy a good kid.¡± ¡°They probably are. Enemy or not, everyone should be looking to the same place. For example, they probably really, really want to get some sleep and they probably want to laze around.¡± ¡°It looks like this entire conversation was on a much lower level than I thought it was.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t be rude.¡± Ooki turned toward Diana and found the woman smiling. ¡°Anyway, you say they are different types of good kids?¡± ¡°Yes, they are all good kids. Even if their levels of perversion, violence, and sophistry vary.¡± ¡°Those are some small yet oddly meaningful variations.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t have any other good examples.¡± As soon as Ooki said that, she heard footsteps from the rocky area behind her. She turned to find Kazami peering at them from above the rocks. ¡°Ooki-sensei¡­ And Diana-san too?¡± ¡°Oh? Is there something you don¡¯t want to say around me?¡± Diana held a hand over her chest and turned toward the rocky area. With the woman looking at her, Kazami was unsure what to say. She would normally have Izumo by her side and he would give her some kind of guidance, but that was not the case now. ¡°Um¡­¡± She hesitated until Ooki gave a guess. ¡°Did Sayama-kun do something?¡± He had not been seen since announcing he would buy some necessary items in Kurashiki. Ooki suspected he was up to something, but she did not know what. Nevertheless, if Kazami wanted something now, it likely had to do with him. Diana then asked another question with a smile. ¡°He has been searching for 3rd-Gear, hasn¡¯t he? The adults are unable to act thanks to the other UCATs and the inspectors like me, so you children are doing something instead.¡± She nodded. ¡°Fine then. I will take a break from my job and pretend I don¡¯t hear any of this.¡± ¡°How are we supposed to trust you about that?¡± ¡°Oh? Germans rival the British in how seriously we take our breaks.¡± ¡°And does taking a break here mean you¡¯re also taking a break from those German customs?¡± ¡°Herrlich. I see you¡¯re good at logic games. I suppose that qualifies as a passing grade.¡± Diana lay back down, put on her swimsuit, sat up, and retied the swimsuit. ¡°In that case, I will do my job. For example, by missing out on this information, I will gain something later. ¡­How about that? Can you make beneficial use of this information I am going to miss out on? Such as¡­Oh, I know. Successfully completing the Leviathan Road with 3rd-Gear.¡± ¡°We can do that,¡± immediately replied Ooki rather than Kazami. Diana turned toward her, but she did not care. ¡°This will turn out well, won¡¯t it, Kazami-san?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh¡­yes. Of course it will.¡± Diana gave a bitter laugh at that and she brought a hand to her mouth to suppress it. ¡°Now, please give this information I will miss out on. What does that Sayama boy have to say?¡± ¡°About that¡­ Ooki-sensei, is Sibyl around?¡± ¡°Huh? She went off with Mikage-san earlier. What do you need?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Kazami held up the object in her right hand so they could see. ¡°I got a call from Sayama. He says he knows where 3rd-Gear¡¯s base is located.¡± ¡°Oh, my,¡± said Diana while looking up. ¡°But not even Japanese UCAT¡¯s Okayama branch and Shimane¡¯s western headquarters knows that.¡± ¡°Yes, but he says he¡¯ll tell us after impressing Shinjou by telling her. That makes me want to throw him to the ground, but I thought I should gather together Team Leviathan (minus the two sleeping idiots) beforehand. I want Sibyl because she can use her transmitter to contact everyone¡¯s cell phones.¡± ¡°Oh, I get it now,¡± said Ooki. ¡°Yeah, her beepy thing would help. Here, I¡¯ll do it for her.¡± ¡°Stop! You¡¯ll break it!! And what do you mean ¡®beepy thing¡¯?¡± ¡°It makes weird sounds when you press the buttons. By the way, the one for the TV is called the the clicky thing. Right?¡± She turned to Diana for support, but the other woman frantically shook her head. ¡°I just call it a clicker.¡± ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what they call it in Germany.¡± While looking down at them from the rocks, Kazami rested her cheek on her hand. ¡°I thought it was just my parents, but it looks like everyone¡¯s like this.¡± The grounds of the Achi Shrine were vast. At the top of the stairs was a large area of gravel. The main building was directly ahead and the other buildings were arranged in a wide circle around that main building. To the west of the shrine grounds was a wooden viewing platform. It had a roof and it stuck out from the sharply-sloped ground like a balcony. It was supported by several thick wooden pillars below. Shinjou was currently looking out from the edge. ¡°Sayama-kun, it feels like we were thrown out into the trees of the forest.¡± ¡°Yes. This is like a small mountain with a surprisingly steep slope.¡± Sayama sat on a wooden protrusion from the wall and he placed his cell phone in his pocket. Shinjou sat down to his left and reached for Baku on his shoulder. ¡°So¡­ Where is 3rd-Gear¡¯s base?¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. Do you want to know?¡± ¡°U-um¡­ Please stop teasing me and just tell me.¡± ¡°I am not teasing you. I simply enjoy seeing you growing so impatient.¡± ¡°That¡¯s called teasing me.¡± Sayama thought as he watched her frown in impatience. ¡­How enjoyable. But the world functioned on the principle of give and take. The world required he pay 1 unit of Sayama difficulty for this 1 unit of Sayama pleasure. ¡°Then I have a simple question for you: where do you think 3rd-Gear¡¯s base is?¡± ¡°Here,¡± she immediately replied. ¡°If 3rd-Gear¡¯s base is in Kurashiki, it has to be here. We got a good look at Kurashiki earlier, remember? It¡¯s an old city and it hasn¡¯t changed in the past sixty years. In which case¡­¡± ¡°Holding the high ground would help in case enemies attacked from all four directions?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I think this would be the best place. And it may be weird, but¡­this is a shrine. If the people of 3rd-Gear are superstitious, I think they would choose here.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama nodded and felt that was a convincing argument. ¡°But Shinjou-kun, do you realize there is a flaw in your reasoning?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s that-¡­¡± ¡°That 3rd-Gear moved after their clash with 1st-Gear, right?¡± Shinjou nodded and leaned over in front of him. ¡­Does she want to rest her head on my lap? He spread his arms to welcome her, but she instead opened the bag on his opposite side. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Where¡¯s the map? ¡­Sayama-kun, what¡¯s with that deep breathing pose?¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. Shinjou-kun, you are a wonderful person who far exceeds my expectations.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what just happened in your brain, but thanks. Anyway, look.¡± She spread out the large sightseeing map of Kurashiki so he could see. ¡°We mentioned it while climbing the stairs, but Kurashiki has another mountain. Mukouyama is about four hundred meters southeast of here and it¡¯s actually larger than this one.¡± ¡°But if they were there, UCAT would notice. And 3rd-Gear must have realized they are being monitored.¡± Sayama grabbed the cloth wrapper hanging from the backpack. He pulled Gyes¡¯s sword from within. The thin metal blade measured around a meter, and yet¡­ ¡°It is light. It feels like holding an aluminum ruler.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t move it around too much. It might have some kind of trap.¡± ¡°There is no danger of that. 3rd-Gear¡¯s automatons are rational. They would know doing that gives us an excuse to attack.¡± He took a breath. ¡°One of those automatons told us to find them and that statement came from her belief that UCAT had yet to find 3rd-Gear¡¯s fortress.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right.¡± Shinjou then seemed to realize something. ¡°So that¡¯s it. Was it five years ago that they clashed with 1st-Gear? Ooshiro-san said they vanished and haven¡¯t been seen since, right?¡± ¡°Exactly right.¡± ¡°Then where is their base on this map?¡± Shinjou looked to the map and saw a few candidate locations. She figured a wide flat area would be best for a large facility and she tilted her head. ¡°It could be at the amusement park north of the train station¡­and the roundabout south of the station would be good too. The station behind them would form a barricade against attacks from airplanes. But¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°Those places have already been investigated, haven¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Are you trying to say that 3rd-Gear might not be in Kurashiki at all?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama had muttered those same words a few times already. ¡°Slipping into a blind spot is indeed the same as not being there at all. This is much like 2nd-Gear¡¯s Art of Walking.¡± ¡°You mean they really are in Kurashiki?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he answered with a nod. He looked to the map and realized the sword in his hand was in the way. He tossed the sword over the edge of the viewing platform. He heard something falling into the leaves covering the slope behind him and then Shinjou closed the map and frantically stood up to his left. ¡°S-Sayama-kun! You can¡¯t just throw it away!¡± ¡°But we no longer need it, Shinjou-kun. More importantly, let me see the map.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± He folded his arms and spoke to her. ¡°Shinjou-kun, open the map once more.¡± ¡°O-okay¡­¡± She did so and he thanked her before running his finger along the map. ¡°3rd-Gear changed location. UCAT investigated once they detected the string vibration disturbance and 1st-Gear checked at the same time, but neither one found anything. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why they checked elsewhere too, but they never found 3rd-Gear.¡± ¡°However, they overlooked two important factors.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°The automatons we saw yesterday could move through Low-Gear and they were certain UCAT had not located their fortress. Why was that?¡± ¡°Because they have UCAT information?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± said Sayama. ¡°Now, where did they receive that information? They either have a spy or a skillful information broker has been giving them some small pieces of information. I would like to argue the latter.¡± ¡°Why? Do you have a reason for that?¡± ¡°3rd-Gear was not present when 1st-Gear reinvestigated the area. When their comrades were killed, 1st-Gear would have immediately sent out a recon team. A recon team on a mission of vengeance. To move before that, 3rd-Gear would have to be cowardly or have someone giving them 1st-Gear¡¯s information. When you combine that with their knowledge of Low-Gear¡¯s actions, it is easier to assume the existence of a common information broker than two different spies,¡± said Sayama. ¡°Now, if 3rd-Gear had all our information, where would they hide?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Shinjou gave a voice of confusion, but her eyebrows soon rose. ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­¡± ¡°I do, Shinjou-kun. We no longer need the sword. 3rd-Gear moved from here, but once 1st-Gear and Low-Gear had finished investigating¡­they only had to move back.¡± He gave a bitter smile. ¡°The stupider the organization, the more restricted the lower levels are. Do you really think the UCAT members on the scene would have suggested the following to their superiors? ¡®I¡¯m sorry, but could we go back and check the areas you already used so much manpower to investigate?¡¯ Of course, this will be my loss if they had a superior who would agree to that. But¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°The old man said UCAT¡¯s Okayama branch checked everywhere, but a check is done once and it does not vanish. They rolled across everything and concluded it was not here.¡± He stood up. ¡°I win.¡± He held out his hand and Shinjou frantically folded up the map and took his hand. ¡°You certainly are confident. ¡­This will be a big deal if you¡¯re wrong.¡± ¡°It will be an even bigger deal if I am right, Shinjou-kun. Now, prepare yourself.¡± He pulled on her hand to help her up and bring her next to him. ¡°We will now settle this conflict with the gods.¡± A white train station had a green mountain in the background. The sign on the building said Okutama Station and the midday sun washed over it. Okutama was the terminal station of Tokyo¡¯s Oume line. With the exception of tourists, it was rarely busy outside of the morning and night. Currently, only two people exited the station and entered the midday sun. They both wore black and they both had white hair, but one was a middle-aged man in sunglasses and the other was his maid. The middle-aged man looked up into the sky. ¡°Sf, bring around the car.¡± ¡°Tes. Itaru-sama, please wait a moment. I will be right back.¡± The maid, Sf, ran down the road in front of the station. The area in front of the station gradually sloped down to the east and she ran past restaurants and signs to guide tourists. She finally arrived at an intersection down the slope. ¡°Was there a parking lot that way?¡± wondered Itaru. Sf continued on and entered the police box in front of the intersection. A middle-aged policeman and Sf soon exited and Sf raised her right hand. The policeman bowed and Sf moved behind the police box. Soon, a car drove out and the policeman saluted. The light vehicle was black and contained the IAIM mark of an IAI affiliate company. Sf sat in the driver¡¯s seat and the vehicle smoothly stopped next to Itaru and sounded its six-tone horn. ¡°Are you stupid? Why are you making us stand out so much?¡± ¡°Tes,¡± replied Sf after manually lowering the window. ¡°I thought you might not notice.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad I did notice. By the way, why did you change to this car a few days ago? I seem to recall a stupid automaton saying German cars were the sturdiest in the world.¡± ¡°The times change, Itaru-sama. Until two days ago, you were riding a wonderful German UCAT car that copied the sturdiness of a BMW, Porsche, Benz, and AMG. It was known as the BPornzMG Ultimate, but I traded it in.¡± ¡°I was asking why. That thing was so sturdy that you didn¡¯t even notice when you hit something.¡± Sf nodded in the driver¡¯s seat while still facing forward. ¡°Tes. It was indeed a wonderfully sturdy car. It was so wonderful that, when on our way to see the autumn leaves, it took 72 seconds to realize I had hit Kazuo-sama¡¯s car and knocked it off a cliff.¡± ¡°And you only noticed because of the odd explosion behind us, right?¡± ¡°Tes. When I backed up, I got a solid hit on Kazuo-sama as he was calling for help. Hitting him with the backfire earned an extra 300 Sf points. However, I was a bit late to notice that as well, so I stepped on him. I have determined it was a sturdy vehicle. ¡­Kazuo-sama is also sturdy for escaping that with only some scrapes.¡± ¡°Stop reminding me of unpleasant things. Again, what is this?¡± ¡°Tes. It is a light vehicle created by the excessive free time and wasted effort that Japanese UCAT¡¯s development department has in abundance. It is known as the Refresher. For a comparison commercial, German UCAT staged a full speed collision while driving backwards on the autobahn, but it seems the Refresher managed to refreshingly pierce right through the BPornzMG. German UCAT offered a more heavily-equipped version of the BPornzMG, but I chose this one because the taxes are cheaper.¡± ¡°I see, I see. That was a little drawn-out, but I get it now. ¡­Whose money did you buy it with!?¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf nodded. ¡°I used my savings. Are you saying you are unaware of my savings, Itaru-sama?¡± ¡°I am. Now tell me what you mean by that.¡± ¡°Tes. That is my term for the ATM card inside the wallet I have been left with.¡± ¡°That. Belongs. To me. You used my money without asking, didn¡¯t you!?¡± ¡°No, I asked for and received your permission. The other day, I asked if I could use a little money.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± said Itaru. ¡°That was when I asked you to buy some ultrapure water.¡± ¡°Tes. You seem to have overlooked the catalogue I was holding behind my back. Has this solved the mystery?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. Also, why did you borrow the parking spot at that police box?¡± He pointed at the police box and glared at Sf, but she did not mind. ¡°Earlier, when I asked you how to secure a parking spot near here, you told me to try seduction.¡± ¡°And did you?¡± ¡°Tes. I activated my seduction functionality at the police box and lifted my skirt by an entire centimeter. At that point, the partially-assembled Gatling gun inside my skirt fell to the floor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not seduction! It¡¯s a threat!¡± Itaru swore, opened the 4-door vehicle¡¯s back door, threw his cane in the narrow back seat, and then got in himself. ¡°Just bring me home. Everything around me ends up dyed in the worst colors.¡± As he closed the door and spoke, the Refresher performed a 180 degree turn as if spinning, but he was already used to it. He slid the joint sofa forward to eliminate the foot space and sat sideways. He stuck his unmoving leg toward the opposite door and fixed himself in place. Finally, he reached into his pocket and pulled something out. ¡°That is the envelope containing the documents the Hiba woman gave you, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Do you want to know what¡¯s inside?¡± ¡°No, I am busy driving.¡± ¡°Then I will tell you.¡± As he spoke, he grabbed the envelope. ¡°¡­¡± And he ripped it apart. There were around a dozen pages inside, but they could all be heard tearing apart. ¡°This is the information on the Hiba Miki who was left with Hiba-sensei. She wanted me to use this to search for her.¡± He grabbed the torn documents and ripped them each apart again. He tore them again and again until they were nothing but small pieces. ¡°This is apparently all the information she¡¯s gathered after searching for so long.¡± ¡°Why are you throwing it away?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s meaningless. That girl is searching for the place she is meant to be.¡± He tossed the shredded paper into the trunk area and it came apart to scatter like snow. As he continued to scatter that snow in the trunk, he looked in the rearview mirror. In the mirror, he saw Sf continue to face forward. ¡°It¡¯s a difficult issue. Do you know when Hiba Miki was left with Hiba-sensei?¡± ¡°No, not at all.¡± ¡°It was long before you came here. On the night of the Great Kansai Earthquake, Hiba Ryuuichi left an automaton named Mikage at his house and then lost his life in the secondary damage of the earthquake. The positive concept activity caused by the activation of the negative concepts made Mikage wake up that night.¡± He took a breath. ¡°And afterwards, a girl named Miki was left with Hiba-sensei. She had a note in Hiba Ryuuichi¡¯s handwriting that said, ¡®I picked her up at a 9th-Gear base. Treat her like a member of the Hiba family.¡¯ ¡± Just as he was about to throw the last of the paper shreds, he realized the paper was not coming apart. He looked and saw a black clip holding the pieces of the documents together. He removed the clip and scattered the last of the paper in the trunk. ¡°Clean up the trunk later.¡± ¡°Tes. Is it all burnable trash?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Itaru as he put the clip in his pocket. ¡°What kind of person was Hiba Ryuuichi?¡± asked Sf. ¡°He wasn¡¯t originally from UCAT. He was a swordsman and his job was to destroy the remnants of the various Gears that were known in Low-Gear as monsters. Especially the ones who killed indiscriminately. He stood out due to his red eyes.¡± Itaru gave a bitter laugh. ¡°Here¡¯s an embarrassing story. We had a few clashes with him, but at one point, a certain man and I went and bowed down to him. We begged him to help us as an independent member of UCAT¡¯s special division.¡± ¡°Were you successful?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to accomplish anything, but the man I was with told me he would handle it and then spoke alone with Hiba Ryuuichi in his study. The two of them left after only three minutes and Hiba Ryuuichi signed an agreement to help as an independent member, but only when he felt like it.¡± ¡°I have never heard of an independent member.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just for show. The actual position still exists, but only people who can singlehandedly take on a god of war or mechanical dragon are given it. We don¡¯t have anyone like that now. ¡­In the history of every UCAT, only a few people have ever qualified. A few of the National Defense Department¡¯s Eight Great Dragon Kings qualified and then a few of the Five Great Peaks qualified.¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Hiba Ryuuichi was one of the Five Great Peaks along with Diana. All of the Five Great Peaks were authorized as independent members save the man who persuaded Hiba Ryuuichi.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf nodded. ¡°According to that story, I have determined you are useless.¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯re exactly right about that. Machines are quite perceptive. Especially the ones without emotions.¡± He pulled the clip from his pocket, glanced toward the paper scraps in the trunk, and tossed the clip into it. However, he soon reached out, calmly picked up the clip, and once again placed it in his pocket. ¡°But that¡¯s fine. You say some good things every once in a while. You exactly pinpointed my value.¡± ¡°Tes. I have determined that is also related to why you do not have me do any unnecessary work. If you are delighted, please email your enthusiastic words of encouragement to the Sf support team in German UCAT. If you do¡­¡± She paused. ¡°I am sure they will send some even more wonderful features.¡± Volume 7, 27: First Time Behavior Volume 7, Chapter 27: First Time Behavior This is your first time to be shown this This is your first time to be seen like this And next time¡­ The nighttime sea was illuminated by the lights on the beach and the occasional cooking fires. Several silhouettes moved within the light and produced plenty of noise. The noise was made up of voices, crackling firewood, and sizzling oil on the steel plates placed over the fires. Soon, one voice rose above the others. It was Kazami¡¯s. ¡°Okay, this is Kazami Chisato of Team Leviathan and I think I¡¯m going to signal the beginning of dinner. UCAT Director Ooshiro and Supervisor Ooshiro were supposed to be here, but one says he¡¯s too busy developing some photos and the other says he doesn¡¯t like sunny places.¡± She wore a blue T-shirt and scratched her head in the center of the group. She looked around and saw meat and vegetables covering the steel plates. Everyone already held chopsticks, forks, and plates of sauce, so their battle preparations were complete. The steel plate for Team Leviathan¡¯s boys was the most remarkable one. Izumo was crouched down and smelling the meat with his face just off the surface of the plate. Next to him, Sayama was trying to press his face down onto the hot surface. ¡°S-stop, Sayama-kun! Kazami-san will kill you!¡± I won¡¯t go that far. I¡¯ll get as close as possible, though, mentally corrected Kazami as she looked at them and shrugged. ¡°Well, that also means we¡¯re spared having those annoying and bizarre superiors here.¡± She took in a breath. ¡°Now eat!¡± The sudden movement set the air in motion and Kazami dashed over to her seat. ¡°H-huh? Kazami-san, why are you sitting next to Izumo-san? The girls¡¯ spot is over there.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Shinjou-kun, commenting on her carnivorous diet is what will truly make her kill you.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± She wanted to point out that Shinjou was also here despite being a girl at the moment, but she held her tongue. Hiba and Mikage still did not know the truth about her. She averted her gaze and called quietly to Shinjou from behind Izumo. Shinjou turned toward her with some squash in her mouth and Kazami whispered while hiding behind Izumo¡¯s back. ¡°What are you going to do about the tents? Hiba is with you, isn¡¯t he?¡± Shinjou was not joining the girl¡¯s tent in order to keep her condition a secret. She would move to the girl¡¯s tent only when going to sleep at night, but the timing would be tricky. ¡°At night, I¡¯ll go for a walk to buy time until everyone falls asleep and then I¡¯ll join you.¡± ¡°We have Mikage with us, so you¡¯ll have to cover yourself with a sleeping bag.¡± ¡°We have no choice,¡± said Shinjou with a troubled smile. Kazami wanted to say they did have a choice, but that was her own opinion and she kept it to herself. She felt she had become more reserved around others recently. ¡­Is that what it means to grow up? She realized Sayama had grown sharper in his insight yet less piercing in his comments and Izumo had started talking about others. ¡­I just hope I¡¯m not letting my guard down. She convinced herself she was fine as long as she continued hoping that. She noticed Izumo speaking with Hiba who sat across from her. They were using gestures to indicate how they had given damage in the fight that day and to explain the most efficient ways of moving. Sayama did not seem to be paying attention, but he was almost certainly putting it all to memory. Shinjou simply seemed shocked at the depth of the conversation. ¡­Maybe we can actually get along. At that point, she heard someone stand up behind her. ¡°?¡± She wondered who it was and Hiba answered from in front of her. ¡°Mikage-san.¡± Kazami turned and saw Mikage walking away with a cane in one hand. She was walking toward the rocky area and the tents. Hiba frantically stood up. ¡°Mikage-san.¡± But she did not turn around. With her shoulders lowered a little, she placed a hand on the rocks, slowly raised her hips on top of them, and leaned forward as if to crawl. Hiba started walking over. ¡°I thought not helping her was the key to her evolution,¡± said Izumo. Izumo then grabbed his can of beer from the ground and closed his eyes. As he brought the can to his mouth, Kazami glared at him and elbowed his arm. ¡°Whoa! Y-you spilled it. What was that for, Chisato!? The foam is all over my crotch.¡± ¡°You can deal with your crotch on your own. ¡­More importantly, that was just mean, Kaku.¡± Hiba turned toward her with slightly raised eyebrows, but he soon gave a smile with lowered ends of the eyebrows. He looked to the darkness into which Mikage had vanished and shook his head. ¡°No, I was wrong this time.¡± ¡°She trusted in your strength.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hiba sat down and sighed. ¡°But I really didn¡¯t think I¡¯d lose.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Hiba boy. This guy is an abnormal life form.¡± ¡°I know, Sayama-san, but Typhon is abnormal too.¡± He lowered his head. ¡°And if something like this happens in the future¡­¡± At that point, he suddenly smiled. He looked at everyone with that smile and reached his chopsticks toward the steel plate. ¡°But let¡¯s not get all depressing. Let¡¯s hurry up and eat the meat.¡± ¡°You need to discuss this.¡± Those words caused Hiba to freeze and they came from Shinjou. She tilted her head, set down her plate, and gathered her hands on her lap. ¡°Even if the meat burns, Izumo-san will still eat it all, so we can just cook some more for ourselves. If you have something to discuss, I think you should do so. After all, you¡­um¡­¡± She thought. ¡°You don¡¯t look like you have any friends.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re rejecting my entire personality!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Hiba,¡± cut in Kazami. ¡°At any rate, if you¡¯ve got something to say, then say it. These people may be insane, but they can keep a secret. Isn¡¯t that right, Kaku? ¡­Stop devouring all the meat!¡± ¡°Um, excuse me. Are you actually going to let me speak?¡± Hiba raised his hand as he spoke and Kazami turned back toward him while holding Izumo by the collar. Hiba faced her while lowering his shoulders and he placed withered cabbage on his plate as he spoke. ¡°All of you are letting the vegetables burn by not eating them. You shouldn¡¯t let that happen.¡± ¡°Of course we should.¡± Izumo removed Kazami¡¯s hand and rose up. ¡°A stupid man who backs down before a single girl is violating the rules of nature. He should be castrated and executed.¡± ¡°H-how rude!¡± protested Hiba. ¡°I may be stupid, but I want to stay a proper man!¡± ¡°Kazami, don¡¯t you want to do something about these two that have what it takes to qualify as male but not as human?¡± commented Sayama. Next to him, Shinjou looked toward Kazami and then closed her eyes and covered her ears. ¡°I-I won¡¯t look or listen, so d-do what you have to, Kazami-san.¡± Izumo and Hiba faced Kazami and exchanged a serious glance. ¡°We can discuss this later.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± They shook hands across the steel plate. Is there something wrong with me if I want to knock every single one of them to the ground? wondered Kazami. But before she could think further, Izumo spoke to Hiba. ¡°Still, you went down fast in that battle despite talking so much about protecting her.¡± ¡°Kaku, you shouldn¡¯t use yourself as a standard.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not even doing that. Hey, stupid Sayama, what would you do if someone was about to hit you?¡± Sayama looked to Shinjou who had only just removed her hands from her ears. He took her hand and placed it on his cheek. ¡°Eh?¡± said Shinjou because she had not been listening. ¡°If it was Shinjou-kun, I might happily accept the blow.¡± ¡°Okay, you don¡¯t get to talk anymore. Chisato, what would you do?¡± Kazami thought about the question. She had received blows during battle in the past. Recently, she had started defending with G-Sp2, but when she could not do that¡­ ¡°If I can¡¯t block it with G-Sp2, I evade. I don¡¯t have the same defenses as you.¡± ¡°But when Hiba took my first hit, he didn¡¯t even try to evade. That¡¯s why I could hit him with the second one right away. Why was that, Hiba?¡± ¡°Because¡­I thought I could keep going, but the hit was stronger than I thought it would be.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, Hiba. I wasn¡¯t doing anything out of the ordinary. Do you know what it means if the hit was stronger than you imagined it would be? It means you have a weak imagination.¡± Izumo scratched at his head and Kazami tilted her head. Hiba had more combat experience than them, so he would naturally have more experience in taking damage. But, thought Kazami just before Shinjou expressed the rest of the thought. ¡°Ryuuji-kun, do you not have much experience in being hit by attacks?¡± She seemed hesitant to ask and Hiba immediately reacted. He gasped and his expression changed from an exhausted smile to tension. ¡­What? Kazami looked to Izumo and found him taking this chance to devour the meat, so she threw a right hook. ¡°H-hey, Kaku. What does this mean?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, don¡¯t go all silent like that.¡± ¡°C-c¡¯mon, I was choking! Honestly, Shinjou is exactly right. Hiba has excellent instincts when it comes to making attacks, but he lacks the instincts for receiving them. And you know why that is, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded, lowered his head, and bit his lip. ¡°It¡¯s Mikage-san.¡± ¡°Eh? Mikage? But why?¡± ¡°The damage to Susamikado is fed back to the pilot, but she takes it all on herself to leave me unharmed.¡± He let out a breath. ¡°Izumo-san¡¯s attacks were unexpectedly powerful because she would normally take the damage. The god of war lessens it somewhat with the armor and buffering devices, but she¡¯s still taking that much damage. I do fight in the dojo, though.¡± ¡°And how many of the people in the dojo are using all their strength? You need to remember this. Your current method of attack is based on the damage going to Mikage, even though you don¡¯t want to make that sacrifice. You claim to be protecting her, but what you¡¯re doing just barely qualifies. If you were to die while trying to protect her¡­¡± Sayama continued for him. ¡°Mikage-kun would die in his stead?¡± That question brought silence and Kazami gave a small sigh. ¡­So that¡¯s it. From Hiba¡¯s perspective, he could not allow the enemy to injure Mikage, but it meant injuring her himself to protect her. But from Mikage¡¯s perspective as someone who could not speak or walk properly, taking on that damage was her one and only way of helping the person who was trying to protect her. ¡­How awkward. It was awkward, but she felt they both wished to show their concern in a precise manner. She and Izumo were fine with injuring each other in battle as long as they won and survived. That was both awkward and imprecise. However, not everyone was the same. It was possible their method could easily get them killed in some situations and she did not know what she would do if Izumo were to die. For that reason, she said nothing about Hiba¡¯s situation. ¡­I¡¯m getting cold feet. But still¡­ ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s eat to prepare for tomorrow.¡± ¡­We can manage somehow or other. A dimly-lit room was surrounded by thirty meter prefab walls and it had been dug down into oil-stained concrete. The depths of the hole were covered in shadow and something with a long, narrow form lay in the center. Near the entrance, a passageway cut across above the hole. The suspended passageway was barely illuminated by the few lights on the ceiling. A set of footsteps traversed that bridge-like passageway. They belonged to Shino. The metal passageway shook slightly as she walked across in a yellow dress and with a basket in hand. She opened her mouth and spoke. ¡°It isn¡¯t funny, Alex.¡± ¡°Regardless, becoming afraid of cicadas sounds exactly like something you would do.¡± She was answered by a male voice produced by the speakers on the ceiling. That voice she referred to as Alex laughed before continuing. ¡°At any rate, it is fortunate you were able to return. Even I was worried.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± ¡°You can ask Tatsumi. Mikoku was so worried she almost came back from Okayama.¡± ¡°She always worries too much. So is everyone in the back office?¡± ¡°If my holy memory is correct, three are in the nap room while the supervisor and one other are in the office. Should I activate my super search mode of justice?¡± Shino stopped walking. ¡°Hmm. You probably should get used to using it, so I guess so.¡± After only a short pause, Alex¡¯s voice came from the ceiling once more. ¡°In the nap room, one is on the top bunk, one on the bottom, and one on the floor. They are all asleep. The one on the floor is saying ¡®Akemi, that¡¯s it for me. I can¡¯t go on.¡¯ The supervisor and Tatsumi are in the office. They are playing cards. What is a ¡®kuitan¡¯? Tatsumi is drinking what I believe to be an alcoholic beverage.¡± ¡°Hold it right there, Alex! Why are you eavesdropping on us!?¡± A door on the back wall opened and let some light in. Tatsumi stood in the center of the rectangle of light with her hands on her hips. She bent back and took a drink from the paper cup in her hand. ¡°Do heroes of justice go around peeping these days?¡± ¡°No, Tatsumi-san. I told him to-¡­¡± Shino hurriedly tried to explain, but Alex cut her off. ¡°This incident was entirely my doing. No responsibility lies with Shino.¡± ¡°Is that so? Alex, I see you¡¯re an ally of little girls as well as of justice.¡± ¡°I-I am not a little girl!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get to say that after being too afraid of cicadas to come during the day! Thanks to that, I was forced to make everyone¡¯s food. Honestly.¡± She held the cup of alcohol in both hands and collapsed drunkenly to the floor. The supervisor nodded while standing behind her. ¡°Try imagining how bad it was for those of us who had to eat it, Miss Tatsumi. Oh, and one other thing.¡± He stuck a token indicating a bet into her hair. ¡°Don¡¯t try to escape. This makes my bet 3000 yen.¡± He grabbed the back of her collar and turned her around, so Shino frantically raised her basket. ¡°U-um, supervisor. I have the corrected version of dinner.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll eat that later, Shino-san. Sorry, but just leave it there. By the way, I hear you had a rough time last night. Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes. It traumatized me a little, but I should recover as I see all the dogs off. It sounds like Hajji¡¯s intelligence team can use the information we brought back, but it has a concept barrier.¡± ¡°In my position, all I can do is tell them to hurry up. But if they do that, I promise you we¡¯ll figure out what it means and either catch up to or reproduce the technology. You tell them to hurry it up too, Shino-san.¡± ¡°I will.¡± The man nodded, reached for the door while dragging Tatsumi behind him, and then looked up. ¡°Shino-san, could you speak with Alex? This is a new body, so even an ally of justice is going to be worried.¡± ¡°I will,¡± she replied just as the door closed. ¡°They really are kind when it comes to you,¡± said Alex after a pause. ¡°Hm. I¡¯m used to it, so it¡¯s hard to tell.¡± She smiled bitterly and ran over to the door. She placed the basket next to it and looked to the side. Passageways surrounded the large hole in the ground and the lights were only located in the four corners of the ceiling. She looked to the right of the door and walked below the northwestern light. There, she tapped on the railing to her left. ¡°How is your new body, Alex?¡± ¡°I believe this will most likely be my final body.¡± ¡°Y-you can¡¯t say things like that. We¡¯ll defeat UCAT and then all be together.¡± ¡°You are a perceptive girl. I said the same thing to Tatsumi and she ignored me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± Shino trailed off because speaking of a difference in thinking between her and Tatsumi would not accomplish anything. After some hesitation, she gave a safe question. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°I have yet to reach a perfect state. A few modifications have yet to be done and it seems my armaments of justice will not be ready in time. I will be making an appearance during the attack tomorrow, but the biggest problem is that my paint job will not be ready in time.¡± ¡°Your paint job?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Alex. ¡°An ally of justice must be dyed in more magnificent colors than anything else around. In my case, I will need the blue and red that point to my justice and freedom as well as some bright stars.¡± ¡°What difference does it make whether you paint that on or not?¡± ¡°Justice must be immediately recognizable as such,¡± he explained. ¡°As soon as they see me, the people who tremble in fear will understand that justice has arrived. It will put their mind at ease when they realize destiny is on their side. I need an appearance that allows for that to happen.¡± ¡°So¡­it¡¯s the same thing as full-body tights on a person?¡± ¡°Indeed. Those are such excellent outfits.¡± Shino brought a hand to her forehead. She felt common sense had recently grown twisted in everyone around her. She wondered what to do, but forced herself to view it as nothing more than changing times. ¡°But if you join the attack tomorrow, won¡¯t you be going out in the open?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes. To be honest, I will lack persuasiveness if I call on the name of justice while looking like this. Tomorrow, I will be limiting myself to sneaking out in this temporary form,¡± he said. ¡°After all, this is my chance to use this body to soar swiftly through the sky.¡± ¡°You flew plenty of times in your previous body, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Not like this. This time, there will be no restrictions. This will be different from the test flights within concept spaces or the times Sir Hajji would bring me to troubled areas of the world to test my combat ability. From now on, I will soar through the one remaining sky of my own free will and in the name of justice.¡± He took a breath. ¡°I must thank those who have helped me. Especially Tatsumi¡¯s mother. To make up for the time with her that Tatsumi has lost, I must show my appreciation for the small bit of life she gave me. And I will do so by flying for the sake of true justice.¡± ¡°Hey, Alex. Can I ask a question?¡± ¡°What is it, Shino?¡± ¡°What are you fighting for?¡± she asked. ¡°To fulfill my justice.¡± ¡°Th-then¡­what is that justice?¡± ¡°Well,¡± he said powerfully. He then gave his answer through the speakers. ¡°Listen, Shino. The justice I seek is a simple thing. To ensure the people of the world must not experience what I did, I shall save them, inspire them, and make sure they rehabilitate themselves.¡± He took a breath. ¡°I am prepared to pour great effort and spirit into accomplishing that.¡± His booming answer caused Shino to look up. She felt as if his voice were shaking her body. ¡°¡­¡± After a short silence, she smiled and nodded. ¡°Is that so? Alex, I think much the same thing. And I¡¯m sure Tatsumi-san and the others do too. So let¡¯s do our best.¡± She spoke those words toward the hole down below. Her voice continued down to the giant form faintly illuminated at the bottom of the factory. The oil-stained industrial elevator contained a steel-colored machine with a long body. It was a mechanical dragon. Sayama and the others¡¯ meal came to an end. They were all still hungry, but the meat had run out. ¡°Some continue to wield their weapons despite running out of ammunition,¡± muttered Sayama. He was looking at the plates still in Izumo and Kazami¡¯s hands. When he turned to the right, Hiba nodded and shrugged. The fire below illuminated the boy. ¡°Do you think our grandparents did this kind of thing long ago? Have you heard what led the National Defense Department to realize the Concept War was going on?¡± Sayama knew thanks to the documents he had read that day. Shinjou glanced over at him, but he did not turn to her. It would be best to let him speak here, thought Sayama. That will let him fit in better. Kazami tilted her head, put on some work gloves, and opened the container of rice. ¡°Was there some specific thing that made them realize?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still not done eati- O-okay, I¡¯ll answer, I¡¯ll answer. U-um, they noticed when some of the ley line extraction facilities they built were destroyed. They thought it had been done intentionally, so my grandfather was sent to the different facilities for security. And when he arrived at the Okayama facility, he ran across a certain individual.¡± He laughed. ¡°It was Siegfried Zonburg, advisor to the National Defense Department.¡± ¡°You mean¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. He had been given secret orders. He was to appear cooperative while actually monitoring their technology and destroying the facilities manipulating the ley lines near his home country. But something odd happened. A facility he had not touched was destroyed, and in a single night. It happened to the one in Okayama.¡± Hiba looked up toward the sea. Shikoku was in that direction, but he only looked at the sea before turning back. ¡°From what I heard, my grandfather and Mr. Zonburg fought without bothering to ask any questions or give any explanations. However, they could not bring the fight to an end. They both knew the other¡¯s ability a little too well. Even now, they sometimes talk over the phone. Anyway, something suddenly fell from the sky while they were fighting: a god of war and a dragon.¡± ¡°The god of war was the model for the one Sayama collected the day before yesterday, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes. They were both dead, so they were gathered and studied. It was only once the National Defense Department used ley line extraction technology that they could detect concept spaces¡­and that was when they realized the Concept War was being fought here in Low-Gear. The other Gears did not like making battlefields of their own Gears, so they often chose this one as none of them cared if it was destroyed. Later, Mr. Zonburg discovered how to enter concept spaces and they managed to retrieve several pieces of wreckage and equipment from inside them. That was when the Concept War began for the National Defense Department.¡± ¡°E-excuse me,¡± interrupted Shinjou from next to Sayama. ¡°Did Hiba-sensei tell you who was in the National Defense Department? And if so, was there someone named Shinjou?¡± Her voice sounded calm enough, but the actual question was unexpected. Hiba must have sensed desperation in that question because he was slow to answer. After a few seconds, he finally opened his mouth. ¡°I was only told that someone named Shinjou worked as the assistant of the National Defense Department¡¯s leader.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°I guess you already knew that. Um, can I ask something too?¡± Everyone but Sayama frowned at that, but Hiba asked regardless. ¡°I occasionally hear about a group called the Army, but what is that? I¡¯ve only fought 3rd-Gear.¡± ¡°That is a simple matter,¡± replied Sayama. ¡°We have never seen them for ourselves, but it seems they are a group of survivors from the destroyed Gears who have gathered around 9th-Gear. It is also a relatively new group. This is only my guess, but I suspect they only came together once the concepts activated ten years ago.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± said Hiba. His shoulders lowered and this time Sayama asked him a question. ¡°Does something about that bother you?¡± ¡°Yes. Before he died, my father had the fake-sounding job of ¡®monster slayer¡¯ and he used a sword my grandfather got from a friend. ¡­I was wondering if he was actually fighting the Army before they completely gathered together.¡± He did not stop there. ¡°Also, that may explain something else. I mentioned it to Kazami-san and Izumo-san yesterday, but my stepsister Miki disappeared about eight years ago. I wonder if that also had to do with the Army. Oh, but I¡¯m not just going to blame everything on the Army.¡± ¡°Yes. We know absolutely nothing about the Army¡¯s actions or goals, so we should avoid jumping to conclusions. However, it seems certain that they do not like the Leviathan Road.¡± Sayama had heard they were growing more active and they had also attacked UCAT early that morning. The attacker had apparently managed to escape, though. ¡°Hiba boy, let me tell you one thing. If you do defeat 3rd-Gear, there is a good chance the Army will target you.¡± ¡°I thought as much¡­ There¡¯s also a chance they¡¯ll notice I¡¯m with you like this. They probably won¡¯t believe me if I insist I¡¯m not working with you.¡± ¡°Will you start working with us?¡± He did not answer, but he did close his eyes in a troubled smile. Sayama nodded and decided there was no need to rush the boy to an answer. As such, he crossed his legs and returned to the previous topic. ¡°I do wonder what the Army is and what they are thinking.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Listen. They stole data from the core of UCAT and can likely use that to produce weapons. But what if they do so again after we complete the Leviathan Road with 3rd-Gear? They will receive complete information on gods of war. To prevent that, we must look at more than just the Leviathan Road.¡± The others all looked up in surprise which made him a bit happy. ¡­I am rejoicing at such a childish thing. With that thought, he gave his prediction. ¡°If they truly intend to become our enemy, they should make some kind of move this time.¡± A large white wall was colored by the dim light of the moon. It had windows at the top, but the bottom was taken up by a giant door. Based on the size of the windows, the door on the bottom was eight stories tall. The windows reflected the light and singing came from within them, but not a single sound came from the giant door below. There was motion to the side of the door as an elevator lowered from the emergency exit above. The moonlight showed a woman with black hair and white clothing riding the elevator. She held down the bottom of her outfit to fight the wind created by her descent and she spoke to herself with a smile in her voice. ¡°What are you doing, Miyako?¡± As she looked to the night scenery of Kurashiki, the elevator came to a stop. The elevator¡¯s railing opened to the side and the console tilted its head. It was wondering how she had liked the ride, so she gently stroked the console. ¡°Wait here a bit.¡± She had something to investigate. She had hoped to check something with Apollo, but he had not shown up for dinner that night. ¡°Is there a basement?¡± Even as she repeated the question she had been unable to ask, she was certain that one did exist. During the day, Moira 2nd had pointed to the floor after sacrificing herself to save Miyako. Moira 2nd had since been taken to be repaired. According to Moira 1st, she would be as good as new once her body was replaced, but some adjustments would be needed and defects would likely show up. ¡°Once my middle sister is back, make sure to praise her instead of being worried,¡± Moira 3rd had said. ¡°I will,¡± Miyako had replied. She repeated that while taking the first step now. ¡°I will.¡± She walked toward the basement Moira 2nd had informed her of. That did not mean entering the hangar beyond the door. From what she had seen during the day, there was no passageway leading underground inside the hangar. ¡­And even if there is, Typhon will be guarding it. Also¡­ ¡°Moira 2nd was not in the hangar to begin with. If she came from the basement, she must have circled around outside first. And the hangar has no back entrance, so there¡¯s only one likely place for an entrance to the basement.¡± That would be the western wall of the building. Why am I doing this? she wondered as she picked up her pace. She had received some uncertain information from the automaton who had been completely unsociable up to that point. It was possible her pointing finger had been a complete coincidence. ¡°But it might not have been a coincidence.¡± She recalled the smile on Moira 2nd¡¯s face before she had been crushed. ¡­That made up for being unsociable before. Once she turned the corner, she would find the row of potted plants along the south side of the building. The maids who had taken those flowers¡¯ names were cleaning on the upper floors. The singing from above was proof of that. ¡°They¡¯re all working together, so I shouldn¡¯t be down here acting on my own like this.¡± She turned the corner and immediately found someone standing in her way. ¡°You.¡± She knew the person very well. ¡°Moira 1st.¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Miyako.¡± Moira 1st raised her skirt a bit, curtsied, and turned a smile in Miyako¡¯s direction. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To the basement.¡± ¡°Would you like to explain why you are doing this without telling us?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Moira 1st tilted her head at that. ¡°Why would you say that? You are attempting to search out our Gear¡¯s secrets without telling us. Does that not make you feel guilty?¡± Miyako gave a quick answer to that: she laughed. ¡°Ha ha. No, it doesn¡¯t, Moira 1st. Stop testing me already. I¡¯m not afraid to do what I need to anymore. I want to know more about 3rd-Gear and I¡¯m willing to force my way into anything as long as it isn¡¯t personal.¡± ¡°Are you turning against us?¡± ¡°No, this is my natural right. And if you really have accepted me, then I have to be able to do this without saying a thing. If I feel the need to ask you about it, it means I don¡¯t trust you. If we really do trust each other, we should be able to come to an agreement even if I force my way into something I shouldn¡¯t have seen. We can agree to keep it a secret.¡± She took a breath and stepped toward Moira 1st. ¡°If this isn¡¯t a test, then move out of the way. There¡¯s something I have to know.¡± ¡°Even if knowing it will lead to pain and fear?¡± Miyako continued walking forward as she answered. ¡°If that¡¯s what 3rd-Gear is, I have to know. Knowing is more important than pain or fear.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And afterwards, we can try to come up with a way to get rid of that pain and fear. You won¡¯t say it, but I can more or less tell that 3rd-Gear strayed from the humane path even more than I¡¯ve heard. That¡¯s why you now treat people with almost excessive care. But you also think you can¡¯t coexist with Low-Gear, don¡¯t you?¡± She now stood before Moira 1st. ¡°I may be stupid, but I can tell that much. And since I¡¯m stupid, I still want to get along with you.¡± As she spoke, Miyako gave a mental groan. ¡­That sounds like something a teenage boy would say. What she wanted to say was much simpler. ¡°Move, Moira 1st. There¡¯s something I need to see.¡± As soon as she said that, sudden movement reached her body. It came from the unexpected action of another. ¡°!¡± A resilient mass wrapped in cloth pressed against her cheek. Two objects that felt like slender resilient rods wrapped around her back and pulled her forward. It took her a few seconds to realize Moira 1st had hugged her. ¡°Ah¡­ Hey, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°I apologize, Lady Miyako. I cut off my shared memory, so do not worry.¡± ¡°What do you mean don¡¯t worry?¡± ¡°This was on a whim.¡± Moira 1st laughed. ¡°I apologize for pressing myself up against you, but this is the first time I have determined it would be best to leave all of my authority with someone else.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°As I am the leader, the standards for my decisions are set rather high when it comes to entrusting myself to another. That leads to a fairly large reaction when it does happen, so¡­well¡­ I apologize.¡± ¡°You¡¯re calling that rich boy pathetic while also secretly saying something pretty risqu¨¦, you know that?¡± ¡°A-am I? But even though I have made this decision for the lower maids before, this is the first time to do so for myself. Lady Miyako, I apologize, but please stay like this for a moment.¡± Her tone made it clear Miyako¡¯s opinion did not matter here. This was rare for Moira 1st. She must really want to do this, thought Miyako. And I can¡¯t let anyone else see this. ¡°Well, being the leader must be tough.¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern.¡± Miyako heard another laugh and then pulled away from Moira 1st. ¡­Her body has some hard parts, but she¡¯s got pretty large breasts. If there was a mold for these maids, hers would probably be expensive. While wondering if she had lost or not, she looked at Moira 1st. The maid had her eyes closed and almost appeared to be asleep. ¡­Does she feel relieved? That was the expression anyone, even children, gave when feeling relief. ¡­If this is the first time this has happened¡­ Miyako recalled that Moira 1st was thousands of years old and felt she needed to say something. ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine if¡­um¡­hm.¡± ¡­How should I put this? No, it¡¯s the attitude that matters. She reached out her left hand and lightly embraced Moira 1st¡¯s back. She felt the automaton trembling a bit, so she gently stroked her as if soothing a cat. ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot, haven¡¯t you?¡± While still stroking Moira 1st¡¯s back with her left hand, she placed her right hand on the maid¡¯s head. She felt it was a waste to place her fingers in that thin yet plentiful hair, but she stroked her head all the same. ¡°Whenever the stress builds up, you can come to me if you want. If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll just keep wearing yourself out.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Moira 1st nodded and the strength in her arms lessened on Miyako¡¯s back. ¡­Is that all she needs to make up for thousands of years? She almost asked if Moira 1st was holding back, but she stopped. If she asked that, Moira 1st would likely move away prematurely, so she instead kept her arm on the maid¡¯s back and continued stroking her head. ¡°U-um, if you do this too much, it would not be fair to the lower maids.¡± ¡°I gave them names, but you three didn¡¯t take one because you already had Moira as a name. You can think of this as a release to make up for that.¡± ¡°A release?¡± ¡°That¡¯s when you finally let something out after holding it in for a long time. ¡­And I don¡¯t mean that in a dirty way.¡± Moira 1st laughed at that and strength left her body. She then moved away. After taking a step back, her expression had returned to normal and she bowed. ¡°I apologize for letting you see something so disgraceful.¡± ¡°I¡¯m always way more disgraceful than that,¡± said Miyako. ¡°And more importantly, move out of the way. I¡¯ve got somewhere to go.¡± ¡°I cannot do that.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Miyako frowned, but Moira 1st gave her usual smile. ¡°The door to the basement weighs five hundred kilograms. We can open it with our gravitational control, but can you do that without my help, Lady Miyako?¡± Volume 7, 28: Confrontation of Discovery Volume 7, Chapter 28: Confrontation of Discovery What is it called when your eyes meet? Or is it what happens next that matters? Eyes speak despite not uttering words A pale green light could be seen in the darkness and someone stood before it. The person was Miyako. She was in 3rd-Gear¡¯s basement and the light was located in the center. ¡°Is this the remote control for the gods of war?¡± She had come this far using that light. Moira 1st had opened the way to this giant underground storehouse. God of war parts and automaton parts were stored inside hard packaging and some packages were labelled as food. Miyako belatedly realized what it meant for the maids to use ingredients bought outside rather than the food stored down below. She gave a nod of silent thanks and looked around once more. ¡­I saw a large area of darkness north of the entrance. ¡°I should probably check over there.¡± As she began to walk, her eyes adjusted to the darkness enough to notice something before tripping over it or running into it. She then saw something. ¡°?¡± The large object lay collapsed in the darkness. ¡°Is that a god of war?¡± Her muttered question quickened her pace. After two or three more steps, she started jogging and she soon began to run. She brushed her hair back and arrived at the object. It was indeed a god of war. It was covered in pale blue armor, the frame was large, and the armor plates were thick. ¡°Why does it seem so similar to Typhon?¡± She noticed the god of war had been sliced in two. The collapsed body¡¯s torso had been split by a shallow diagonal strike. When she circled to its back to check on the damage, she noticed something had been ripped out of it. There was only empty space there now. ¡°Why are these scraps here?¡± She approached and attempted to peer into the damaged portion. She touched the armor and looked into the torn out area. Based on what she had seen of Typhon, the cockpit should have been there. ¡­Was the cockpit forcibly removed? She checked the cut and saw it had only diagonally grazed the bottom of the removed portion. The cockpit itself had likely been unharmed. However, she had learned a bit about gods of war in her time here. ¡°Any damage to a god of war is returned to the pilot.¡± If the torso was sliced this spectacularly, the pilot would have died. ¡°So why did they bother keeping it here?¡± She noticed something odd while peering into the damaged area. ¡­Huh? She wondered what it was and then spoke her thoughts aloud. ¡°It¡¯s so deep.¡± That was it. The hole was oddly deep. She looked up and checked the damage again. The hole was about three meters deep. She could tell a single block had been removed because the internal frame had a smooth surface meant to carry something. The back also had a frame meant to support the cockpit. ¡°It must have stuck out of the back quite a bit.¡± She checked and the god of war¡¯s back was indeed made to jut out. She recalled Typhon¡¯s back. It had not been as noticeable because of its wings, but it had jutted out about the same. ¡°Huh?¡± She remembered something else about the day. Moira 3rd had said the other gods of war were made to be remotely controlled without altering the cockpit. She had seen their backs when running across the catwalk. ¡°But they weren¡¯t as thick.¡± An odd feeling filled her chest. She realized it was unease. It was the unease of facing something she could not predict. She shuddered at that realization and began to take a step back. ¡°¡­?¡± But the pale blue armor panel reacted when she removed her left hand. A small area on the armor lowered slightly and then rose back up. By the time she realized it was a switch, light had appeared underneath her left hand. Writing scrolled across the armor. She did not recognize the green characters, but she could read it. ¡°Preparing to activate.¡± The appearance of the writing was accompanied by a minute trembling in the pale blue god of war. It was beginning to start up. More writing scrolled by as if continuing the startup process. ¡°Primary pilot: Unknown. Inactive.¡± It had no cockpit, so that was hardly surprising. However, the writing did not end there. It vanished and new characters appeared. ¡°Standard Copilot: ¡± Miyako gasped when she saw the name it displayed. This was why the cockpit block had been so deep. ¡­It had two pilots! And that name!? But at that point, the text was rewritten. ¡°Deleted.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± she shouted futilely. Both the writing and the trembling vanished. Darkness and silence returned, leaving nothing behind. She took a step back in that darkness as if to move away from the craft before her eyes. When she did, her back touched something. She bumped into someone standing behind her. ¡°¡­!?¡± As soon as strength filled her shoulders, a hand was placed on one of those shoulders. The ocean roared below the moon. Two people walked lightly through the waves on the edge of that noise. One wore a shirt and chino pants while the other had long hair and wore a short-sleeved shirt and culottes. The one in chino pants brushed up his slicked-back hair. ¡°Shinjou-kun, is this your first time playing in the waves?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Shinjou with a nod. She held sandals in one hand while avoiding the approaching waves, chasing the receding waves, and sometimes giving a faint cry when she intentionally let the water wash over her feet. ¡°This is my first time doing this, Sayama-kun. Ah, I¡¯m already so wet.¡± Is that so? thought Sayama. I need to save that comment for future use. A large wave broke and almost reached their feet. Shinjou laughed and clung to him as the wave chased her. She did not hesitate to grab his arm, so he silently spoke to the ocean. ¡­I must thank nature. He then looked at the arm Shinjou held and saw the thick bundle of copy paper in his hand. He suddenly realized she was looking him in the eye and that her joy had changed to calm. ¡°U-um, sorry about getting excited on my own like that. ¡­Have you been thinking about what we discussed earlier?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he answered while thinking back. Shinjou was referring to the meeting they had held during their post-dinner free time. The main force of Team Leviathan had borrowed one of the boy¡¯s tents and looked over the documents from earlier that day. They had primarily communicated through writing to make sure no one outside the tent could hear them and Hiba had taken part. Mikage had not left the girl¡¯s tent, so she had not joined them. ¡°Everyone had documents they could read and those they couldn¡¯t, didn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Kazami could read the fewest because she has the weakest connection to any other Gear. Sibyl-kun also remained silent, but she did appear to look through most of the documents.¡± Sayama held up the documents after moving them to his left hand so Shinjou would not have to let go of his arm. He flipped through them with his fingers and folded them open with a flick of his wrist. ¡°During the early stages of World War Two, the National Defense Department was aware of 1st through 8th. They had too little information on 9th and 10th and they decided to postpone dealing with 5th and 7th. 5th was the world of aerial mechanical dragons, so they wanted to wait until they developed a corresponding weapon. 7th simply rejected their gates, so there was nothing they could do.¡± ¡°And so the main force of the National Defense Department dealt with 1st through 4th, 6th, and 8th.¡± Shinjou looked at the documents in his hand. He stopped walking and held them up so she could see and so the moonlight reached the writing. She gave a breath of laughter. ¡°You can actually read by moonlight here. That only occasionally happens in Akigawa.¡± ¡°Rather than saying it is always like that here, it would be better to say this is the normal state of the world.¡± She nodded and began reading the text. ¡°1942, National Defense Department Primary Representative, Izumo Zen, Age 27, Lieutenant, 6th-Gear. ¡°Technology Division Director, Ooshiro Hiromasa, Age 36, Lieutenant, 2nd-Gear. ¡°Guard Division Director, Hiba Ryuutetsu, Age 23, Sergeant Major, 3rd-Gear. ¡°Special Division Director, Sayama Kaoru, Age 25, Lieutenant, 4th-Gear.¡± Her voice slowed on the next line. ¡°Special Division Assistant Director¡­Shinjou Kaname, Age 24, Warrant Officer, 8th-Gear.¡± And she continued normally from there. ¡°Adviser, Siegfried Zonburg, Age 27, Lieutenant, 1st-Gear. ¡°Adviser, Kinugasa Tenkyou, Age 64. He was not in charge of any Gear.¡± ¡°Even if they held official positions, it appears they were mostly a field operation team with special abilities. They were a small number of elites, much like us now.¡± ¡°Should we really praise ourselves like that?¡± ¡°Judging yourself accurately is a good thing, Shinjou-kun.¡± Sayama flipped through the documents and found something like a chronology. It was a record of Shinjou Kaname¡¯s 8th-Gear. It had likely been handwritten to begin with, but the writing lacked any personality because it had been digitized and printed out. Even so, it was important information. The text said 8th-Gear¡¯s life forms were made up of completely different bodily tissues than those of Low-Gear. The report said they appeared no different from stone. ¡°8th sounds like it was a peaceful Gear,¡± commented Shinjou. ¡°That¡¯s kind of surprising.¡± ¡°If a creature¡¯s scale of time is different, it will take part in a war differently. Between a Gear of people and a Gear of stone, the latter will be forced to act primarily as onlookers. The records say much the same about 4th-Gear which was populated by plants. While it was not to the same extent as Low-Gear, those two Gears were not seen as enemies or were at least put off until the later stages of the Concept War.¡± ¡°This Shinjou and your grandfather were probably trying to grasp the true state of the Concept War by approaching 4th and 8th.¡± Sayama felt pain in his chest as he recalled the records of his grandfather, but his right hand contained the documents and his left was taken up by Shinjou. I must endure, he told himself before taking a breath. ¡°The scene does not suit my grandfather. 4th-Gear was a world where three rings of land intersected. The sun was located in the center and the inner walls of the rings contained flowing rivers. Was that old man dreaming?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it really existed. ¡­It said your grandfather had trouble speaking with Tree Serpent Mukiti because of how long it took.¡± She smiled bitterly. ¡°It apparently took several hours for a single response, so it later evolved more high-speed plants.¡± ¡°It must have been that experience which made that monkey so short-tempered. Anyway, it is a shame none of the records go beyond the National Defense Department days.¡± ¡°Yes. We don¡¯t know what happened to Shinjou Kaname.¡± She reached out and flipped through the documents. The 8th-Gear document ended partway through and had the following written at the bottom. ¡°July 21, 1945. I have requested that Sayama Kaoru continue the investigation.¡± ¡°It seems he fell ill. The 4th-Gear document says this: starting July 25, I will begin investigating 8th-Gear in place of Shinjou Kaname who has been hospitalized.¡± ¡°I wonder if those two got along.¡± ¡°Who can say? But this Shinjou Kaname may have been your grandfather or another relative.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t know that.¡± Her expression was perfectly serious and she seemed to be speaking to herself more than anyone. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t get our hopes up. Shinjou is a pretty common name and this is from over sixty years ago. If he was 24 in 1942, he would be around 87 now. That would put him around 70 when I was born. You can fit two generations in between.¡± ¡°And if a daughter was born even once, the Shinjou name would not continue on.¡± ¡°Yes. Also, I¡¯ve felt short-lived joy at seeing the name Shinjou several times in the past,¡± she added. ¡°Still, I wonder what happened to him. It says he was hospitalized and we know he was with the National Defense Department but not UCAT, right? So what if his illness¡­¡± ¡°Even if that is the case, you are still here, Shinjou-kun.¡± Shinjou trembled at that and he spoke directly to the gaze below her lowered eyebrows. ¡°Whether something happened or not, I am looking at you now, so do not worry.¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± She lowered her head before suddenly speaking up. ¡°Oh. S-Sayama-kun!¡± She frantically called his name and touched the left side of his chest. ¡°What is it, Shinjou-kun?¡± he asked when he felt the touch of her hand. ¡°Why the sudden chest-groping heart massage? If you are going to do this, go bolder and more sensitive!¡± ¡°Stop making about three leaps of logic at once! ¡­U-um, we¡¯ve been talking about your grandfather this whole time, so does your chest hurt?¡± He had been ignoring the pain. ¡°No? I am perfectly fine.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that. I don¡¯t want you to hurt.¡± ¡°I get the feeling you have not been listening to me recently.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She tilted her head and looked up into the sky as if thinking on his words. ¡°W-well, that makes two of us.¡± She took a breath and looked around to make sure no one else was around. ¡°What is it, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°Oh, well¡­ I was just thinking we¡¯d come a long way.¡± ¡°We have. We might be on the opposite side from the camp.¡± The distant lights were no longer from Shikoku. They were from the north. ¡°That is the Kojima peninsula. The light from the Mizushima industrial complexes is quite orderly. Also, another island seems to continue on beyond it, but that is likely from the Great Seto Bridge. We could not see it during the day, but the light must make it show up at night.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Shinjou sounded disinterested as she looked in the direction he pointed. ¡°Is there something you want to say?¡± he asked her. ¡°Eh? Um, yes.¡± She lightly held her body through her shirt and looked around again. ¡°This is just between the two of us, but you said you are looking at me now, remember?¡± She averted her gaze as she spoke. She slowly relaxed her arms and reached for her clothes. A moment later, her culottes slid down her legs and to the sandy beach. She blushed as she looked back at him, but then she smoothly undid the buttons on the chest of her shirt. ¡°It¡¯s not because you said that¡­but will you look at me?¡± With that, her white shirt fell from her shoulders. Below the moon was a large white-walled building. Three people could be seen by its southern wall. They were all female and two of them faced the third. That third one wore a red suit and faced forward. Her sharply narrowed eyes first turned toward the one with blonde hair and a maid uniform. She opened her lips which were covered in red lipstick. ¡°Moira 1st, do you understand what you have done? Many secret items are located down below and you allowed in an outsider.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand, Lady Gyes. However, it was what Lady Miyako desired.¡± Gyes turned to the right and toward Tsukuyomi Miyako, the black-haired woman standing next to Moira 1st. She looked her in the eye and Miyako frowned as she looked back. ¡­Surely she knows she is no match for my combat abilities. Gyes did not understand, but this was a favorable situation for a combat automaton. However, she kept that hidden and spoke to Moira 1st once more. ¡°Did you say that to pin the blame on Tsukuyomi Miyako here?¡± ¡°No.¡± Moira 1st responded immediately and Miyako frantically looked up, but Moira 1st continued with a smile before the woman¡¯s look of protest could lead to words. ¡°My decisions are my responsibility. I helped Lady Miyako because that was what I wished to do. I did it for myself.¡± ¡°Are you saying you now have a designated master? You have worked for anyone¡¯s sake for millennia as the leader of the Moirai, but you have chosen this woman after only a few days?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She smiled as she answered and that expression told Gyes that her ability to form expressions had grown constant. Gyes thought about why that would be. ¡­Oh. ¡°Moira 1st, you hold a position different from Lord Apollo¡¯s 3rd-Gear, don¡¯t you?¡± Gyes pulled a sword from her suit and Miyako reflexively stepped in front of Moira 1st with her arms spread. ¡°What the hell are you doing!? Aren¡¯t you on the same side!?¡± Gyes frowned and looked to Miyako. ¡°That is exactly why I must do this. A machine that has lost sight of its objective must be disposed of or displayed in a museum. And Moira 1st, why do you not stand in front of this woman? If she is your master, it is your duty to protect her.¡± ¡°It is, but I am happy that Lady Miyako would stand in front of me.¡± ¡°Automatons cannot feel ¡®happy¡¯.¡± ¡°But we can make associations. Automatons are machines, but we understand it is worthwhile for our master to draw out more of our own functionality and to treat us with care so that we might last longer. From there, we only need to associate happiness with smiles and the actions we take to confirm our master¡¯s existence.¡± She continued to smile. ¡°If we do that enough, our trust in our master rises and we should be constantly happy.¡± ¡°So did you hug me earlier because that trust gauge overflowed?¡± ¡°Y-you are not supposed to mention that, Lady Miyako.¡± Moira 1st placed her hands on Miyako¡¯s shoulders from behind. ¡°Now,¡± she said as she finally moved forward. ¡°Thank you very much for your concern, Lady Miyako. That was more than enough. I will handle the rest.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Gyes watched as Miyako stepped back with a reluctant expression. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. When she says that, what choice do I have but to let her handle it?¡± ¡°Are you jealous, Lady Gyes?¡± ¡°I have no such emotion. Also, we have been treated with plenty of care since Lord Apollo awoke five years ago. I have no complaints.¡± ¡°Yes, but Lord Apollo does not have us do anything. Do you never want to remove the curse placed on him?¡± ¡°Do not say that, Moira 1st!¡± shouted Gyes on reflex. However¡­ ¡°It is no use. Lady Miyako has already realized there is a mystery surrounding Lord Apollo.¡± It can¡¯t be, thought Gyes just before hearing Miyako¡¯s voice. ¡°Are Typhon and the god of war in the basement related to why that rich boy can¡¯t leave here?¡± She took a breath and scratched her head. ¡°When I checked Typhon¡¯s back today, I saw a name on the cockpit console. It said Artemis. But the Artemis I saw was obviously some kind of ghost walking through the building. I doubt she could be piloting Typhon. Also¡­the console for the god of war in the basement gave Artemis¡¯s name as the copilot.¡± ¡°And what do you say this means?¡± ¡°How should I know? I¡¯m not smart enough to come up with an answer right away. But the god of war in the basement and Typhon both have a connection to the name Artemis. Also, there are some odd things about Typhon.¡± She folded her arms and looked to Gyes. ¡°When Moira 2nd was crushed, I looked at Typhon again and noticed something. The forehead and right arm were being repaired today. Those are the same places Apollo was injured when he fell from the cliff yesterday. What¡¯s up with that?¡± She received a single response. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Gyes began to move. Her mechanical mind had determined this was dangerous. One of 3rd-Gear¡¯s secrets lay there. ¡­That secret is necessary for 3rd-Gear¡¯s continued existence! If it was discovered, the foundation they served would grow unstable. ¡°You have learned too much!¡± The attack was a straight jab. The silver line tore through the air and split the darkness of the night. ¡°!¡± However, the sound it produced was not that of pierced flesh or breaking bone. It was a metallic noise. Gyes realized the sword in her hand had broken. Why? she wondered, but the answer was directly before her. Something had stabbed into the ground between her and Miyako. ¡°My sword.¡± Her implied question was answered by a deep male voice. ¡°Have you forgotten the promise you made with Low-Gear? You promised to speak with them if they placed this sword where they think our base is.¡± She sensed two people behind her. ¡°Aigaion and¡­¡± ¡°Moira 3rd!¡± announced the smaller maid. ¡°What are you two doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to know that too.¡± Miyako shrugged. ¡°I get that the rich boy has something going on, but what is it? How are the god of war in the basement and Typhon binding that idiot?¡± ¡°Why do we have to tell you?¡± ¡°What if Lord Apollo actually wants this, Lady Gyes?¡± ¡°What?¡± Gyes frowned and Moira 1st nodded. ¡°When he shouted at Lady Miyako yesterday, it was the first time I had seen such powerful emotions in him for a long time. I believe it was the first time since he awoke and left Typhon five years ago. That is something we could not produce in him in those five years.¡± ¡°I do not want to make my master shout in displeasure!¡± But Moira 1st only spoke with a peaceful smile. ¡°I am sorry, Lady Gyes, but Lord Apollo was smiling after that argument. And that was not the smile we have seen for these five years. It was the same smile he would give before 3rd-Gear began to struggle in the Concept War. That is what I have determined.¡± Automatons could not lie, so that had to be the truth. ¡­Did this woman remind Lord Apollo of feelings we were unable to give him? ¡°Why were you able to drag a smile out of Lord Apollo?¡± Miyako stepped forward with a frown and tilt of the head. ¡°Drag a smile out of him? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Have you not realized despite being the one to argue and smile with him? We have spent five years with him and yet were unable to give him a natural smile. He often smiles, but the movement patterns of his facial muscles show that there is no strength behind those smiles.¡± ¡°Maybe your service is just really bad. Maybe he can¡¯t smile because you¡¯re too awkward.¡± ¡°Um, Lady Miyako, that is actually our job,¡± protested Moira 1st. ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± The corners of Miyako¡¯s mouth twisted as she further approached Gyes. She was already at close range. If Gyes drew her sword, the others could not stop her in time, but there was something she had to ask first. ¡°Human, how did you give Lord Apollo that expression?¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy. I hit his head too hard and knocked a screw loose.¡± ¡°Damn you!¡± Gyes reached toward her back and into her suit, but she saw that Miyako had already leaned backwards. ¡°Headbutt!¡± The headbutt struck Gyes right on the forehead. The attack caught her completely by surprise. She had not switched to combat mode, so her only defenses were the defensive membrane of her skin and her skeletal structure. Unfortunately, the defensive membrane was not enough to suppress the vibration. ¡°¡­!¡± The vibration reached her artificial skull and her brain sensed danger. She shut down her wiring to prevent the vibration from sending random commands through her nervous system. It only took an instant to reconnect, but she could not move in the intervening time. She collapsed as if her knees had given out. The reconnection succeeded a moment later and she regained her senses of sight, hearing, and touch. ¡°Ah¡­¡± But Miyako was holding her by the collar and the woman¡¯s empty left hand was pressed against her own forehead. ¡°That rich boy is quite something if he was smiling after taking blow after blow like that. Tell me, Gyes. What is his secret?¡± ¡°Why? Why do you want to know so badly?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much.¡± Miyako averted her gaze and frantically spoke up when she noticed Moira 1st peering at her from the side. ¡°Oh, but¡­um¡­I don¡¯t mean it¡¯s nothing. There is something. It¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± ¡°Well¡­ You know that rich boy¡¯s eye color? That yellow? Typhon sometimes has that same eye color, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, it does,¡± answered Gyes. ¡°Although only for a short time.¡± Hearing that, Miyako looked relieved. Her shoulders lowered, she took a breath, and she looked at the others. ¡°Listen. Don¡¯t tell anyone about this. ¡­To be honest, I don¡¯t really get it myself, but I feel like that eye color is really important to me.¡± ¡°What do you mean? If you want that eye color, you can change yours by- That¡¯s just cruel, big sister!!¡± After watching Moira 3rd being carried away, Miyako turned back to Gyes. ¡°Answer me this,¡± she started. ¡°Did that rich boy always have that look to his eyes? Y¡¯know¡­that weak one.¡± ¡°No. That appeared when 3rd-Gear began turning its people into gods of war to fight and he was left all alone.¡± ¡°I see. What was that idiot like before then?¡± ¡°He was strong. He was kind and meant to become a king, but¡­that was taken from him.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°He was killed by the traitor¡¯s daughter and a member of your Gear. The god of war from below is a remnant of that.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense. Apollo was killed? But that idiot¡¯s alive.¡± Gyes did not answer, but Miyako continued speaking. ¡°So is that the curse? Is something keeping him alive while also binding him? Is that what¡¯s moving Typhon and keeping him from leaving here!?¡± What could that something be? ¡°Is it Artemis!?¡± As soon as she shouted that name, she heard a noise. It was a low groan that almost sounded like the earth trembling. ¡°The hangar door.¡± Aigaion¡¯s comment led her to turn east where the forest was now lit up. The hangar door was opening and someone appeared from the light within. ¡°Artemis!¡± That woman of light exited the hangar. Her gentle movements resembled dancing as she floated atop the grass in front of the hangar. Her expression was near tears, she held herself in her arms, the wind blew her hair, and she looked up into the sky. The moon was there. She opened her mouth and let out a voice that took the form of a shout and a scream. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± However, that tremendous scream came from within the hangar and a giant white form soon followed the sound out. It was Typhon. As they all held their breath, Typhon came to a stop behind Artemis. The white, six-winged god of war reached for Artemis and lifted her on its palm. It looked to the sky. The giant¡¯s eyes were pale and those eyes were turned upwards where the moon floated in the night sky. Typhon placed Artemis on its shoulder and roared once more. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± With that deep mechanical voice, the white giant flew into the sky. It left noise and wind behind. ¡°!¡± Gyes covered her eyes amid the gust of wind, but she still saw Miyako continuing to hold her collar and looking up into the night sky. The wind blew leaves into the air, but only the moon was visible in the sky. ¡°Is Apollo inside Typhon?¡± asked Miyako. Gyes took several seconds to conclude that question had been directed at her. But before she could reply, Miyako asked again. ¡°He is, isn¡¯t he, Gyes?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why what? You aren¡¯t making sense.¡± ¡°That does not matter. Answer me, human. Why do you put so much focus on Typhon?¡± ¡°Well,¡± muttered Miyako as she looked up into the night sky. ¡°I used to be strong, just like Apollo. And recently, I realized something. The truth is, I was also weak back then and I¡¯m also strong now. It was that eye color that led me to that realization.¡± Miyako nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what it is.¡± She let go of Gyes¡¯s collar. ¡°And that¡¯s why I¡¯m so interested in those eyes. I want to know if there¡¯s something I can do, even if it¡¯s unwanted.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The word ¡°regret¡± appeared in Gyes¡¯s mind. Just as Moira 1st had said, she was associating Miyako¡¯s words with her own desires. It was unclear if Miyako had realized it or not, but Gyes¡¯s assessment of Apollo was the same as Miyako¡¯s assessment of herself. That would mean something had happened to Miyako that was similar to what had happened to Apollo. ¡°Miyako, are you closer to him than any of us despite the difference in Gear and the short time you have known him?¡± Miyako did not look Gyes¡¯s way, so the automaton got up and stood next to the woman. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this all of a sudden? Go where, you idiot?¡± ¡°To pursue Typhon. When Typhon goes on a rampage, it is our duty as the Hecatoncheires to stop it. And while we are at it, we will let you see it all. So come with us. And¡­¡± She nodded. ¡°If you still wish to do something after seeing this, I will choose to trust you!¡± Black hair danced in the moonlight. That color black was sent dancing by the girl playing in the waves while wearing a white swimsuit. As the waves washed up to above her knees, she swept it away with her hands, slowly circled around, and otherwise enjoyed herself. Her movements waved her black hair about and the dark spray of water reached her skin and the white cloth covering her chest and lower body. When she spoke, her voice was filled with surprise and delight. ¡°Ha ha! The bottom really is cold at night, Sayama-kun.¡± She turned toward the boy who sat on the beach. Baku sat on his head and Shinjou¡¯s shed clothing was untidily placed next to him. He had one knee raised as he watched her. ¡°Are you enjoying the ocean, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m glad I came.¡± She collapsed into the water, but a wave crashed down above her before her back hit the water. She sank into the unexpected cold and pressure of the water. ¡°Wah!¡± She frantically stood up and brushed up her slightly damp hair. That was pathetic, she thought while turning toward Sayama. She spread her arms as if showing off her body. ¡°How do I look? I was afraid white wasn¡¯t all that different from underwear or our combat uniforms.¡± ¡°Never fear, Shinjou-kun. Swimsuits are an entirely different genre. You look wonderful.¡± ¡°Since you didn¡¯t make any strange comments, I¡¯m really glad to hear that.¡± However, she began to hold her body with a troubled look. She was feeling a bit cold now that she had been soaked with water. ¡­It actually feels less cold when in the water. She found that strange as she scooped up the waves and splashed the water over her skin. ¡°Waves are so very strange, Sayama-kun. I wonder how they work.¡± ¡°The wind and the flow of the tides move the water and the continual overlapping movements become repeated waves.¡± ¡°That answer kind of ruins the mood¡­¡± But what made her smile was not what he said but how quickly he gave the answer. That smile produced a question from him as he buried Baku in the beach such that only his head stuck out. ¡°Did I say something funny?¡± ¡°No. I was thinking about how you have a response no matter what I say.¡± ¡°I am only this verbally generous when it comes to you, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Thanks, but it can¡¯t just be with me.¡± She narrowed her eyes as she spoke. ¡°This may not be exactly what I truly think¡­but even if I¡¯m no longer with you, you have to continue the Leviathan Road and continue speaking.¡± ¡°How ominous. You should avoid saying that sort of thing.¡± ¡°Why? Low-Gear has no concept that makes words come true.¡± ¡°Perhaps not, but my mother said we were going to meet someone important and then she alone went to meet that person.¡± His face looked white in the moonlight, but Shinjou spotted his right hand on his chest. ¡­Ah. She realized her words had taken them in an unintentional direction. She frantically moved toward him in order to take his hand in the moonlight, to see each other¡¯s faces better, and to eliminate the misunderstanding faster than words could. But the sandy ground was loose after being torn into by the waves and a receding wave tugged at her feet. Meanwhile, Sayama spoke. ¡°Also, the automaton known as #4 defined her own death and truly did die once that definition was fulfilled.¡± His hand remained on his chest. ¡°And yet there is no concept giving words power.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± She tried to add ¡°not true¡± as she crossed the waves. She did not know about his mother, but she could comment on #4. ¡°That can¡¯t be true. Sayama-kun, if you try to carry everything yourself, you¡¯ll- Ah!¡± The receding wave caused the sand below her feet to crumble and she tripped forward. The water was only knee deep, but a wave crashed down from above and she sank down to the bottom. The warm water and sound around her hands, elbows, and knees was pulled back toward her butt and it tickled. She quickly got up and sat on the sandy ground below the water. ¡°Ah.¡± She spat out the salt water in her mouth. The water in her eyes stung, but rubbing her eyes would not help. She shook water from her hair while a new wave hit her on the waist and then receded. Once she raised her head and opened her eyes, she found Sayama standing directly before her. ¡­Ah. He had entered the ocean up to shin height with his shoes and everything still on. He was as expressionless as ever and Baku sat on his head. ¡°Are you okay, Shinjou-kun? There are rocks and shells on this beach, so do you have any cuts?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine, but your pants and shoes¡­¡± ¡°Do not worry.¡± He took a shallow breath. ¡°This happened immediately after I made an odd comment. It would have been a much bigger deal had something happened to you.¡± Shinjou realized what he meant by that. ¡­What happened with his mom and #4 means a lot to him. She wanted to tell him to stop thinking like that, but she knew it would not be that easy. Instead, she reached out a hand toward his right hand. That was the hand he always used to hold the left side of his chest. She grabbed the hand and tugged it toward her. ¡°Let¡¯s stay together forever.¡± It took several seconds for him to reply, but he did finally nod. His expressionless face changed to a small smile and he spoke. ¡°Saying it once merely cancels out what you said before, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Th-then I¡¯ll say it twice: let¡¯s stay together forever. If you want, I can say it a third or fourth time.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He nodded and pulled on her hand to help her stand. He looked at her wet body and she decided to assume he was checking for injuries. Feeling appreciative, she turned around. The lights of Okayama were visible there. Beyond that were the lights of the Great Seto Bridge as Sayama had previously explained and lights likely continued on and on the farther back one looked. ¡°Your parents protected the lights of that city from the Great Kansai Earthquake, didn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Rather than protecting them, you should say they allowed them to remain. ¡­Or perhaps they were unable to do even that.¡± He took a deep breath and looked in the same direction as her. ¡°My parents were certainly part of IAI and they seem to have been part of UCAT as well, but I do not have much desire to remember how things were back then. A lot happened and the memories I wish to reject are more powerful. But¡­I think my father was an obedient person, unlike my grandfather.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The Great Kansai Earthquake in 1995 creates a dividing point for it all,¡± he said. ¡°The old man said the epicenter was Babel, the ancient tower which contains this world¡¯s negative concepts. On that night, my parents were called in to help and my father did not return. My mother would only say he was caught in secondary damages. However¡­I do not know what really happened.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± He nodded. ¡°Do you remember what I said earlier today? There is a lot we still do not know about that earthquake. That is what I am talking about. We know what caused the earthquake, but we do not know what caused the activation of the negative concepts.¡± ¡°W-was it just a coincidence or due to something we don¡¯t know about yet?¡± ¡°Yes. For example, the interference of the Army or a group that preceded them.¡± Shinjou gasped. ¡­The interference of the Army or a similar group? What if the activation of the negative concepts had been an intentional act by some group? ¡°Would that mean this group activated the negative concepts for some reason? Like to destroy Low-Gear?¡± There would have been a battle and the negative concepts had not been fully activated. ¡°Does that mean your father and the others were trying to stop them?¡± ¡°There is no way to be sure because we still lack too much information. We do not know if such a group even existed or if there was a battle around Babel. However¡­¡± ¡°However?¡± ¡°Here is an interesting piece of information. On that final night, my father said he had work to do at IAI, left with my mother, and then died when he was sent out to help with the early morning earthquake. In other words, my parents were called in to UCAT before the earthquake actually occurred.¡± He took a breath and placed his right hand on his chest. ¡°I wish to look into the records. What positions within UCAT did all those who died from the ¡®secondary damages¡¯ hold? If they were all skilled fighters, why were they called in just before the earthquake? Of course, it is possible they were all given the night shift by coincidence.¡± ¡°This is all speculation, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s hard to believe there was some decisive battle between UCAT and an opposing force ten years ago.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said with his eyes closed. ¡°We do not have enough information to support or reject that theory. And if this theory is correct, nothing could be more humiliating.¡± ¡°Why would it be humiliating?¡± He opened his eyes, faced her, and answered with a serious tone. ¡°It would mean I am fulfilling the Leviathan Road in order to make up for my parents¡¯ inability to fully prevent the activation of the negative concepts in that battle. Also, it would mean there were those in the battle who were truly attempting to destroy Low-Gear. That is exactly the sort of person I wish to defeat in negotiations.¡± ¡°I think your desires are straying toward the extreme.¡± ¡°I suppose so. But remember that this is only speculation, Shinjou-kun. We will likely learn the truth in the future, but I intend to avoid being trapped by my own imagination and feeling let down when I face the truth. After all, I know that I am the world. The truth found in that world must agree with my thoughts and that is why I wish to make sure that is the case.¡± He sighed. ¡°At any rate, I still do not know what happened back then. All I know is that my father died and my mother grew depressed afterwards.¡± That comment led Shinjou to look toward him. He was lowering his gaze from the lights beyond the ocean and to her. She met his gaze and had a single thought in her mind. ¡­No matter what past he might face, I¡¯ll be by his side. ¡°Yes, it¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll be watching you and I¡¯ll do my best to be seen by you.¡± She did not say she would outdo his mother or #4. Instead, she spoke to his expressionless face. She knew he would say nothing more about his feelings now, but¡­ ¡°If you ever feel like saying more, I¡¯ll listen.¡± He nodded and did not hesitate to wrap his arms around her. Her pulse began to race as she felt her wet skin begin to soak his shirt. ¡°Ah, Sayama-kun! I¡¯m all wet!¡± ¡°I thought we would be together forever.¡± Before she could reply, his lips touched her forehead. After a moment, his tongue licked her forehead and lowered to her lips. She closed her eyes as he removed the remaining salt water from her mouth. It was not a bad feeling. Once she finally let out a breath, he spoke. ¡°You have a wild salty flavor today, Shinjou-kun. And your swimsuit is wonderfully thin and see-through.¡± ¡°Please stop saying things in such weird ways. ¡­And what do you mean see-through!?¡± She frantically bent back within his arms and looked to her chest. The truth lay before her eyes. As she blushed, he spoke. ¡°Some cleverness is needed when wearing a white swimsuit. Did you not know that?¡± ¡°No. K-Kazami-san didn¡¯t say anything about it.¡± ¡°She wears swimsuits made of diving suit material, so she would never have to worry about this. Also¡­¡± That last word sounded ominous. She tilted her head and he looked to her clothes on the beach. ¡°Shinjou-kun, it may be too late, but did you bring any underwear to change into?¡± ¡°Eh? I was wearing this below, so¡­¡± She came to a sudden realization. ¡°But if I wear those clothes over this, I¡¯ll ruin an entire outfit. And I only just changed before dinner.¡± ¡°I doubt anyone would blame you if you stripped down naked and wore the clothes over your bare skin.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be that unguarded.¡± ¡°I see. Well, I thought this might happen, so I prepared some underwear for you.¡± ¡°Where did you steal those from!?¡± She could not help but shout out when he pulled underwear from his breast pocket like a magic trick. However, he shook his head. ¡°I did not steal it. I bought it as a present for you.¡± ¡°Just out of curiosity, where did you buy it?¡± ¡°At UCAT¡¯s large-scale store.¡± UCAT¡¯s third floor was a market facility. She pictured Sayama spreading out underwear in the lingerie shop while the female employees who shopped there watched him. He of course had Baku on his head. ¡­I can actually see that happening. ¡°I want to end that unpleasant image, but how did you know my size?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. That was easy. I am always embracing you, so I was able to use a method my grandfather taught me. I embraced all of the store¡¯s mannequins to determine which one was the same size. It takes a fair bit of effort, but it is the best way to prepare a gift without asking the recipient their size.¡± ¡­I can never walk through UCAT¡¯s third floor with him again. However, he embraced her shoulders. ¡°Now, let us return to the beach so I can give you your gift. After wiping you dry by hand, I will put the underwear on you.¡± ¡°What are you talking about!? Wipe me dry by hand? You¡¯re putting the underwear on me?¡± ¡°It is my gift for you, so I must see it through to the end. Can you think of another way of doing that?¡± ¡°No, but I can think of some good ways to strangle you.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha,¡± he laughed. ¡°You are being very funny and amicable tonight.¡± He thought for a moment and his expression grew perfectly serious. ¡°You are a truly fucable person, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Sayama-kun, do you remember what I said earlier today?¡± She decided to strangle him and thought the strap of her swimsuit would work well. A moment later, a sudden voice reached them from the direction of the tents. It was Kazami. ¡°Sayama! Shinjou! We¡¯ve got a bit of an emergency! You aren¡¯t doing anything indecent, are you!?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. We were just about to, Kazami. Just watch and- gwah!¡± ¡°W-we weren¡¯t doing anything. Anyway, what is it!?¡± Kazami¡¯s panicked voice came from the darkness beyond the beach. ¡°Well! Mikage is missing!¡± ¡°Mikage-san is!?¡± Hiba and Izumo burst from the forest with binoculars in hand. ¡°That¡¯s a big deal!¡± shouted Izumo. ¡°No, those two are the bigger deal!¡± shouted Hiba. He faced Shinjou who frantically tried to hide her body. ¡°Wh-why is Shinjou-san a girl!?¡± She was unsure what to say when directly asked like that and she thought about whether to explain it. ¡°Well, um, it would take a while to explain.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you underwent a surgery in Morocco!¡± Just as she started to think that would work as a lie, Sayama stepped forward to hide her and then turned to her. ¡°It would be best to give a quick explanation that eliminates the misunderstanding. ¡­Hiba boy, listen carefully.¡± ¡°Y-yes? What is it?¡± ¡°People have their own preferences and Shinjou-kun is no different. Try to read between the lines.¡± ¡°That does not eliminate the misunderstanding!!¡± Shinjou kicked Sayama from behind. ¡°We need to find Mikage-san!¡± Volume 7, 29: Ready for a Reunion Volume 7, Chapter 29: Ready for a Reunion They say they have come for you But they do not say where they are taking you Or where they came from The moonlight washed over a wharf. The short wharf stuck out about ten meters from a rocky area. Enough rocks had been moved to create a path, but no one was using the path at this time of night. No ships came to the wharf, but a person was visible at the end. That blonde girl named Mikage sat there while embracing her cane. She looked up to the moon with her black eyes, the roar of the sea reached her ears, and the sea breeze blew her hair. ¡°Ow ain.¡± How strange. She had seen the ocean in the past. ¡°Ohoh ay.¡± Tokyo Bay. Four years before, Hiba¡¯s mother had received some strange papers at a ceremony known as a ¡°neighborhood association drawing¡±. She had called them ¡°free passes for Tokyo Melty Land¡± and the three of them had gone together. Hiba had pushed her in a wheelchair as she had been unable to use a cane at the time. It had a famous attraction known as the Six-Wheel Tyrrell Float in which a moderately melted bipedal mouse that walked on bird legs was forced onwards by the toe-kicking of a dog that was so melted it could only roll along. Hiba had really, really wanted to ride it and caused a commotion when his mother had reported him to the security guards. Mikage smiled as she remembered that time, but then she lowered her gaze. ¡°Uh ee.¡± The sea. She had seen a similar expanse of water on the pleasure cruise they had taken back from Melty Land. She had seen several objects floating in that giant and flat area of water and Hiba had called them boats. He had also said boats came in different sizes and types just like gods of war and cars. ¡°What do you think?¡± he had said. ¡°The sea really is big, isn¡¯t it?¡± She had agreed with that, but the sea before her now was much different. The dark water had variations in height that pushed in toward land and broke. The wind was also strong. ¡°I an¡¯t oh ohm.¡± I can¡¯t go home. Back then, there had been a boat in the port, the three of them had eaten, and they had ridden the train home. ¡­But it¡¯s different now. She did not know why there were no boats. ¡­I don¡¯t like this place. She did not dislike Kazami or Izumo. If anything, she could relax around them. She had spent the previous night with Kazami and the girl had gotten up right away if anything happened yet not spoken to Mikage too much. Mikage was especially thankful for how Kazami had learned what Mikage could and could not do after only a quick conversation. ¡­Some people think I can¡¯t do anything. But, she thought. This place is really uncomfortable for some reason. She had been fighting alongside no one but Hiba for so long, but this place had a lot of other people who did the same thing. There had been some things she had thought highly of Hiba for doing, but now she was learning anyone could do them. That realization had brought an odd tightness to her chest. Also, Hiba was beginning to fit in with them. At dinner, the tightness in her chest had returned when seeing him speaking with Izumo and the others. She did not understand what that tightness meant and she could not speak well enough to ask. On the other hand, he could speak. At dinner time, she had not spoken with the woman named Ooki who sat across from her or the women named Sibyl and Diana who sat on either side of her. Sibyl had tried to read her lips, but that method did not allow for as quick communication as Hiba or the other people. It had been frustrating and meaningless, so she had given up on speaking. She felt that was selfish, but speaking would not make her feel any less out of place. Hiba had once said to not reveal her identity if at all possible because it was dangerous while she could not evolve. ¡°We possess a dangerous power,¡± he had said. That¡¯s not it, she thought. I¡¯m the one that possesses the destructive weapon of Keravnos. ¡°Anerous.¡± Dangerous. She understood what that word meant. According to Hiba¡¯s grandfather, Keravnos had supplied the finishing blow in destroying 3rd-Gear¡¯s king sixty years before. It had been summoned for the first time in order to defeat Zeus. She had no memory of it, but Keravnos had apparently been a single spear at the time. ¡­It became three because of my evolution. Its abilities as a destructive weapon had grown. Hiba had said they possessed a dangerous power, but he had not realized one thing. ¡­The dangerous one is me and only me. Hiba was merely using it. ¡­And that¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to lose. But that too was likely at its end. During the battle earlier in the day, she had learned that he could lose. ¡°Ee ost.¡± He lost. In truth, she still could not believe it. If he lost in a real battle, they would die. ¡­And it means he lied to me. She wanted to believe he had simply let his guard down, but she called forth a certain scene from her memories. She pictured Typhon. They had run across it twice now and they had twice been overwhelmed by a strange technique. As if they were trying to rush their victory, Typhon had calmly evaded with a teleportation-like technique and then attacked. Her power as a destructive weapon had not hit that god of war. She did not know how to defeat it, but losing meant death. ¡°Ee end.¡± The end. This is the end, she told herself while looking up at the moon she had seen countless times before. ¡°This is the end,¡± she mouthed to the moon. She had often said to the moon what she could not say to Hiba. When she woke from a bad dream, she would wrap herself in the curtain and speak to the morning moon. ¡°Ee ah¡¯t in.¡± We can¡¯t win. Typhon was powerful, Hiba could lose, and she was nothing but a destructive weapon. ¡­I don¡¯t need to evolve. She did not want to see Hiba lose again. She had never before imagined him dying, but she found herself trying to do so now. ¡­No. She lowered her head, held her cane to her chest, and trembled atop the wharf, below the moon, and amid the wind and roar of the sea. She cried silently, but something suddenly stopped her trembling. ¡°¡­!¡± She heard a roar that drowned out that of the sea. She looked up and her face was struck by wind that felt like a solid wall, but her eyes did not see the darkness of the night. A giant white form had appeared within the sudden wind. It was Typhon. Mikage¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡­What? Why is Typhon here? She was able to answer her own question. Keravnos contained half the Concept Core. She was evolving into a human and thus did not have the same ability, but Typhon seemed able to detect the power produced by the Concept Core. They were near the enemy base, so it would have been easy to detect. She gasped at that realization and saw the white god of war stand on the ocean while blowing shimmering heat from its six expanded wings. The ocean¡¯s waves were held in place by its gravitational control and its slender feet stood on top of them. The pale glow of the sight devices on its facial structure looked down on her. It was looking at her as she held her cane and bent backwards. However¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She twisted her waist and back to crawl face up along the rough concrete of the wharf and toward the ocean. But she was too slow. With a metallic noise from overhead, the two swords rising above Typhon¡¯s shoulders were automatically removed from their scabbards. Typhon raised its arms and grabbed each hilt. Swinging those swords forward would launch twin attacks from above, so Typhon did just that. ¡°¡­!¡± The god of war cried out while swinging down the swords and it sounded like a woman¡¯s scream. Mikage saw the two silver arcs approaching along with the scream and she tried to call out someone¡¯s name. However, no voice came out. ¡­I knew it. Was it all going to end here? Just as she wondered that, the dropping force of steel reached the wharf. She realized her body was flying through the night air, but something was odd. The sound of smashing concrete came after she was knocked away. She wondered why while rapidly dropping. She then saw two boys standing on the wharf. ¡°¡­!?¡± They were Sayama and Hiba. Hiba took action while ignoring all else. Sayama had been the one to find Mikage, but Hiba had been the first to arrive. Mikage was crawling on the wharf with her back to him and Typhon stood in the ocean to the left of the wharf. He only had an instant in which to save her. When Typhon¡¯s arms rose toward the sword hilts, those arms slightly blocked its view. It could still monitor its surroundings with the secondary sight devices, but the identification rate would likely drop. He charged into that tiny blind spot to draw its attention. If he created even the tiniest opening in Typhon, it would lead to a method of saving Mikage. ¡­Hurry. As soon as he thought that, he made an exaggerated charge forward. He practically leaped along the left edge of the wharf to stay just outside the god of war¡¯s primary sight devices. He swiftly attacked. He now had to see whether Typhon¡¯s secondary sight devices would notice him with their low identification rate. If they did, it would need time to double check. And that was exactly what happened. Typhon¡¯s movements strayed for an instant and the closer sword targeted him. However, the farther sword continued to target Mikage. It had two swords and he was just one person, so he could not protect Mikage. ¡°¡­!¡± Typhon swung down the sword, but Hiba heard a voice. ¡°I suppose it is my turn.¡± With that, Sayama charged forward from behind. Even though Typhon had already begun its attack, he did not hesitate to step forward. ¡­Does he not feel fear? They had not made any plans together because they had not had the time. He had simply thought Sayama would do something. ¡­I hoped he would do something. But Sayama had kept up with Hiba¡¯s speed and understood what he was doing. What was this trembling deep in Hiba¡¯s gut that felt like the embodiment of a threat? Meanwhile, Sayama took action before Hiba¡¯s eyes. He reached Mikage and did not hesitate or slow. Hiba would have picked her up and taken evasive action while perhaps groping her breast in the process. ¡°!¡± But Sayama pressed the shin of his running right leg against her side and instantly poured in his strength. Rather than kicking her, he gathered strength in his foot and leg in order to lift her up. She shot into the air as if she had been scooped up and she flew to the right of the wharf. That was the opposite side from Typhon. If she fell into the ocean with the wharf between, Typhon could not easily reach her. She could not swim, but they would have enough time to rescue her. Hiba saw Sayama slide forward the leg he had launched Mikage with and then leap. He rushed to the opposite side of the two swords. Hiba also twisted his body out of the way, but he slipped between the two swords to draw Typhon¡¯s attention. The roar of the sword strikes smashing the wharf played in stereo. He used his hands to knock aside the concrete fragments flying up from below and he twisted his body further to return the way he had come. By distancing himself from Sayama, Typhon¡¯s attention would be divided in two. While thinking up that tactic, he realized something. ¡­Why am I so certain of a tactic that includes him even though we didn¡¯t discuss it beforehand? ¡°How strange.¡± As he continued to wonder why, Typhon made its next move. This time, it was not a sword strike. Typhon suddenly expanded the base of its wings. Eight gun barrels extended from its back and light was already leaking from within several of them. Hiba recognized this light, so he shouted to Sayama who he could not see from his position. ¡°That must be 3rd-Gear¡¯s projectiles! They¡¯re probably homing shots!¡± He had seen smaller versions with other gods of war and it seemed Typhon was also equipped with the projectiles. ¡­The swords weren¡¯t its only weapons!? He saw pale light. That moonlight color matched Typhon¡¯s eyes. Hiba began to move. In Susamikado, his reaction speed was increased and the wings provided acceleration, so he was able to evade. ¡­But how will I fare on my own? That was when the light arrived. Typhon let out a roar and light fired from its back as if forming extensions to its wings. A total of thirty-two beams of blue light filled the night sky. In an instant, they weaved about, crossed paths, and altered trajectory on their way toward Hiba. And then behind Hiba. ¡°Eh?¡± He took a large step back and looked in the air behind him. That was the opposite side of the wharf from Typhon and a giant figure had appeared there. That black god of war was Susamikado. ¡°Mikage-san!¡± As soon as he called her name, all of the light struck the god of war. When Mikage had seen the light on Typhon¡¯s back as she floated in the ocean, she had made up her mind. ¡­Ryuuji-kun is going to lose again. This was different from during the day. She could help him on this battlefield. In that case, how could she help without being a burden while unable to move freely? ¡­I can be a decoy. She only needed to call in Susamikado. Typhon seemed to attack any prey before its eyes, so it would likely choose to target its destined enemy if that enemy appeared. Mikage did not like Susamikado¡¯s power. It protected and supported her, but it was still a destructive weapon. Hiba wanted her to evolve into a human, but she had a different thought. ¡­What if Susamikado is strengthened by my evolution? Susamikado¡¯s design was based on the god of war Hiba¡¯s grandfather had piloted into 3rd-Gear. It had been created by Cronus who had been imprisoned by his own son, Zeus. Keravnos had only been a single spear when it had defeated Zeus, but it was now three spears. ¡­If that¡¯s what it means to evolve, I don¡¯t like it. She felt heat on her back. That meant Susamikado was being summoned. It began with a thin field of gravitation control that prepared her to be taken inside it. As she floated in the sea, it separated her from the water and lifted her up. She was put in the same position as the inside of the cockpit: knees slightly forward and arms slightly spread. Next, the body frame appeared behind her. It happened in an instant. After that, the mechanical systems that played the part of internal organs and the nervous system appeared around the frame, but it all happened at once. Then came the frame and nervous system for the limbs. Artificial muscles and drivers appeared and tens of thousands of bolts in countless different sizes arrived to hold it all in place. After it all came together and the armor wrapped around it, Susamikado was complete. However, Mikage did not enter the opened copilot cockpit. Without Hiba, there would be no point. She could not move Susamikado much on her own. The god of war¡¯s arms were slightly spread, but then it took automatic defensive actions. Regardless of her own thoughts, the control system had sensed danger and taken the bare minimum of defensive actions. It was defending against the approaching light. Mikage heard Hiba shout. ¡°Mikage-san!¡± She tried to say she was fine, but no voice came from her mouth. She saw Typhon emitting the light in the center, Hiba to the left, and Sayama to the right. As far as she could see, the two boys were working together. And just like her, they were not speaking. ¡­Then it will be fine. Ryuuji-kun can get by without me. She had thought this moment was coming ever since she had first summoned Susamikado five years ago. She had known Hiba would eventually be able to fight without her. ¡­After all, I¡¯m a destructive weapon. I¡¯m nothing more than that. She could not move, speak, or provide like the others with him could. And so she closed her eyes. Sayama saw thirty-two beams of light slam into the black god of war. Water sprayed into the air and the black armor broke. The initial sprays of water must have weakened the subsequent attacks somewhat because, after the first few, they struck rather than broke the armor. Nevertheless, the black god of war was blown away. The armor of the right leg split open and the internal parts came into view. It likely had a lot more damage, but Sayama could not see it because Susamikado had instantly disappeared after bending backwards and falling into the sea. All that remained in the water were ripples from the falling spray, the swaying waves, and¡­ ¡°Mikage-san!¡± Hiba called out to the girl in a white dress who was rocked by the waves. ¡°Do not let your guard down, Hiba boy!¡± A sword appeared overhead. It was Typhon¡¯s giant sword and Sayama was given a good sense of just how large a god of war¡¯s blade was. ¡­But this is an inexperienced strike. Just like with the previous attack, Typhon fought by slamming its power into its opponent. With half of the Concept Core, its power had to be near infinite. If used well, the god of war would be able to move about at high speed like Fafnir Custom had. ¡­So why does it not? Typhon was said to be piloted by Apollo, son of 3rd-Gear¡¯s Zeus. #4 and #8 had both said Apollo should be dead. ¡°But does that explain why Typhon¡¯s attacks are so inexperienced?¡± Sayama avoided the sword simply by twisting his body. The blade fell almost vertically, so its path was easy to predict. The blade shattered the concrete, but that was all it did. ¡°Hiba boy!¡± Hiba faced the sea in preparation to jump in, so he did not see the blade descending toward his head. However, something stopped Typhon¡¯s attack on Hiba. It was a voice. Specifically, a female voice that reverberated through the night sky. ¡°Apollo!!¡± Sayama saw Typhon tremble and stop attacking in response to that name. ¡­What is going on? He saw two things happen. First, Hiba jumped into the sea. Second, a new god of war landed on the wharf. The new one was red. It had no arms and instead had six swords floating in the air as if dangling down. Also, it had something on either side of its neck. ¡°Gyes!?¡± Two figures turned toward his voice: Gyes who wore a red suit and a black-haired woman in a white outfit. He frowned and the two of them were most certainly looking toward him. However, the black-haired woman soon turned toward Typhon. She has a powerful gaze, thought Sayama. It looks as if she came here to ascertain something. ¡­That is a look of great resolve. It turned out Typhon was unable to defy her gaze. ¡°¡­!¡± It instantly raised the two swords, but it did not sheathe them. Typhon covered its face with both fists and Sayama heard it let out a cry. The cry was made with a male voice filled with emotion. The emotion could have been anguish or resentment. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± A moment later, wind exploded out. Typhon flew into the sky along with the two swords raised above it. It moved with such speed that even Sayama could only perceive it as a white afterimage. Next, the red god of war flew into the air. This one moved more slowly, as if flapping its wings. As it flew higher, its ascent picked up speed. It seemed to be pursuing Typhon or perhaps travelling to the moon in the heavens. Once the red god of war disappeared from view, Sayama finally looked back down. ¡°And this is all that remains.¡± He saw only the smashed wharf and Hiba holding Mikage in the sea. Several lit maglites pointed their way from the rocky area and he heard Shinjou and Kazami calling their names. He ignored Izumo¡¯s voice which was insulting his intelligence. He sighed as the number of lights and voices grew. ¡°Were we too late?¡± He looked to the ocean, but he could not see Hiba and Mikage very well due to the rocking of the waves and the contrast of the moonlight on the water. However, he could tell Hiba was shouting something. Seeing that, Sayama muttered to himself. ¡°No, this may be the perfect time.¡± Volume 7, 30: Clash of Divulgence Volume 7, Chapter 30: Clash of Divulgence To say one thing, say two things To say two things, say three things But before saying three things, do not let them speak Several shapes of light filled the darkness. Those lights took the form of two meter tall triangular pyramids and cubes. Those were the lights of tents and a dozen or so were located in the forest near the sea. One of those tents split open. It was white and displayed a card labelling it as the ¡°medical tent¡±. The front of the tent split open and two people exited the light. One was a girl with short hair and the other was a short woman with her black hair tied back. The girl closed the tent behind her and sighed while the woman pulled out a cigarette to her left. ¡°Various scrapes and cuts as well as lacerations and contusions to the right leg. It would normally take two weeks for a full recovery, but there are no major external injuries. You have no reason to worry so much, Kazami.¡± ¡°But Doctor Chao¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. I went all out on treating her and Sibyl is with her.¡± Chao lit the cigarette with a men¡¯s lighter she pulled from her white coat. Kazami could smell gas and see the light of the flame. ¡°I made sure the injuries will be healed by the time she¡¯s taken to the battlefield. If she¡¯s human, that is.¡± ¡°What is she?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯d say she¡¯s human. It¡¯s true some of her body is still mechanical, but it¡¯s fused with the human tissue. Those parts are basically prosthetics that can¡¯t be removed.¡± Kazami¡¯s eyebrows rose in surprise when Chao so readily called Mikage human. ¡°Then she really isn¡¯t an automaton?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too early to make that decision, Kazami. Much too early.¡± Chao held the cigarette between her lips and the flame instantly moved down to the base. She dropped the long cigarette butt into a portable ashtray she pulled from her pocket and opened her mouth. She breathed out a large puff of smoke and she sank into the massive cloud of smoke she herself had produced. ¡°Ahh, that really stings the eyes. If I don¡¯t do this after working, I¡¯ll lose this stimulation.¡± ¡°Doctor Chao, you don¡¯t have to put on a one-woman circus show here.¡± ¡°I know it reeks of smoke, but bear with it. ¡­And listen, Kazami. Both in my home country and this small country, illness is said to come from your life force. It¡¯s all the same. Your health, build, growth, and personality all come from your life force.¡± ¡°Then in Mikage¡¯s case¡­?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a human with an automaton body that evolves into a human body. She is the one completed version of that. Since her creator and parents are no more, only she has the right to define herself. She defines herself as a doll, but why is that?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Kazami tilted her head forward. ¡­What am I supposed to say? She knew she was not good at thinking about others and their feelings, but she tried to do so. ¡°Is it because she can¡¯t evolve? In other words, she¡¯s a doll because she isn¡¯t becoming a person?¡± ¡°Ha ha. You¡¯re good at going for the easy answer, aren¡¯t you? You could say that¡¯s it and you could say it isn¡¯t. It¡¯s definitely part of the problem, but it forms a¡­s¡­sp¡­spalir!¡± ¡°Spiral.¡± ¡°Are you mocking four thousand years of history!?¡± ¡°Please stop jumping to misdirected anger at Mach speed. Anyway, what are you trying to say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. She¡¯s decided for herself why she can¡¯t evolve and that is in turn preventing her from evolving.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°What power is preventing her from evolving?¡± Kazami frowned, but she had an immediate answer to Chao¡¯s question this time. ¡°The destructive weapons of Susamikado and Keravnos, right? She¡¯s afraid of evolving into a weapon.¡± ¡°You really are stupid. That¡¯s a part of her, so it gets stronger when she evolves. Even if she turns into a human, it won¡¯t go away. She will simply swap out her automaton body for a human one. Did you hear that? It¡¯s nothing more than swapping them out. Nothing is disappearing. It¡¯s only natural for Susamikado to grow stronger as she evolves.¡± ¡°Th-then¡­¡± Kazami thought. ¡°Has she stopped evolving because of the missing half of the Concept Core?¡± ¡°That¡¯s wrong too and the young Hiba is probably vaguely aware of it. You can ask Sayama about it later.¡± ¡°Then what is it that¡¯s stopping Mikage¡¯s evolution?¡± ¡°I already told you: her life force.¡± Suddenly, an odd sound came from the other side of the tent behind them. It was disturbing the conversation, so Kazami glanced toward it. ¡°Doctor Chao, why does it sound like someone is being beaten?¡± ¡°Oh, Yonkichi tried to attend to Mikage ahead of the other three, so they¡¯re settling that.¡± ¡°I see. So to get back on topic, what do you mean by her life force?¡± ¡°Life force is life force.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t give this much thought, did you?¡± ¡°You really have gotten impudent lately. Don¡¯t look down on an older woman, okay? This goes back to that spilar I was mentioning before.¡± Kazami decided not to correct her this time. When she nodded twice, Chao pulled a new cigarette from her pocket and placed it in her mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s say we have a sick person. While they¡¯re sick, they¡¯re let into the hospital, worried about, and can relax knowing they¡¯ll be healed even if it isn¡¯t easy. But what happens once they¡¯re healed?¡± ¡°Won¡¯t they be happy?¡± ¡°Probably, but even if the people waiting outside the hospital will hug them when they get home, those relationships will be back to normal the next day. That¡¯s why some people realize they liked it better when everyone was worrying about them. ¡­Okay, Miss Chao¡¯s lecture ends here! Can you answer the question now!?¡± ¡°Miss is pushing it, so how about we go with lady?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just your personal opinion.¡± And yours isn¡¯t? thought Kazami as she scratched her head. At any rate, she thought she knew what Chao was getting at. ¡°Mikage is afraid of becoming human, isn¡¯t she? She¡¯s been an automaton for as long as she can remember, her current life is all about fighting, and she¡¯s never had a normal life as a normal person. That makes staying an automaton feel safer than losing her current life and evolving into the unknown world of a human.¡± She took a breath. ¡°If she becomes human, her life will also be swapped out for a human one. This is an evolution rather than an improvement. ¡­However, she prefers her current life with Hiba to what she would gain by becoming human.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Having a young man work to meet your every need is obviously the best option.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to ignore that difference in values, but does that mean you don¡¯t like those four brothers?¡± As soon as she asked that, the beating behind them grew silent. Chao smiled bitterly. ¡°They¡¯re an irreplaceable bunch.¡± The beating resumed and Kazami allowed the sounds to blend into the background noises of nature. ¡­The people around Mikage must be kind. Kind enough for her to show restraint. Mikage was being stupid. Hiba acted pretty much the same even when she was not with him. However, he was always talking about her. But not because he was worried. It was always about how much he enjoyed being with her. ¡°That must be the answer. It¡¯s a wonder she didn¡¯t grow up to be spoiled, though.¡± Kazami had problems with controlling herself, but she thought about using this as a disciplinary model when she had kids of her own. She would need to ask Hiba¡­no, his mother about it some time. ¡­My parents won¡¯t be any help at all. ¡°Kazami, it looks like you¡¯re thinking about something completely unrelated.¡± ¡°Eh? No, I was still thinking about Mikage. Sort of.¡± ¡°Really? ¡­Well, it may have been a mistake to bring Mikage with us. She¡¯s seen Hiba here as he would be once she became human and was no longer restricting him. He can choose to fight freely, he can lose, and he can choose someone other than her.¡± Kazami recalled when Typhon had appeared before the others. According to Sayama, Mikage had called in Susamikado as a decoy. That was not necessarily a bad decision. ¡­But it means she called for Susamikado without Hiba. ¡°Instead of choosing a human like Hiba, she called for Susamikado which she thinks is stopping her evolution.¡± There was no movement in the tent behind them. Mikage was asleep with a sedative and was wrapped in healing charms and bandages, but she had Sibyl with her. As Chao lit another cigarette, her expression was lit up for an instant. It was a harsh look with a wrinkled brow. After breathing out the smoke, she spoke quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a nice piece of information, Kazami. Japanese UCAT is beginning to work out the location of 3rd-Gear¡¯s base using the paths of Typhon and that red god of war. Also, the other UCATs are requesting that they exterminate the remnants of 3rd-Gear.¡± ¡°Why would the other UCATs interfere like that? And how do you know about this?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll answer the second question later. Now, the first question is an easy one. There are a lot of bad stories about 3rd-Gear¡¯s past. To earn the favor of the other Gears, those UCATs have decided it isn¡¯t worth negotiating with 3rd-Gear and therefore want us to exterminate them. By dropping 3rd-Gear below all the other Gears, that past can be swept away.¡± She smiled bitterly. ¡°It sounds logical enough, but they¡¯re actually trying to crush the Leviathan Road. If they do that, Japanese UCAT can¡¯t take everything for themselves. Now listen carefully.¡± ¡°O-okay.¡± Kazami frantically answered and Chao smiled. ¡°No need to get all flustered. 3rd isn¡¯t stupid. They must know letting their location be known will focus the wrath of all the other Gears on them. When they tried to get along with 1st, they had a unit sent after them to take revenge. This leaves them with only one escape. Can you tell me what that is?¡± ¡°The Leviathan Road?¡± She understood that. The Leviathan Road was a series of negotiations meant to transcend the Gear framework and bring them all alongside each other. Chao nodded and exhaled some smoke. ¡°You all will battle 3rd. If everything is set up properly, 3rd will move in to attack when they sense danger. They will ask to be brought into the Leviathan Road framework. Of course, they won¡¯t just come out and say it. So, Kazami, where is that idiot?¡± ¡°You mean Sayama? He went to the beach to speak with Hiba.¡± A smile came to her lips. ¡­That¡¯s right. That idiot must understand all that. After all¡­ ¡°He wants Hiba to tell him what 3rd-Gear¡¯s second impurity is. He said that will likely be the greatest obstacle during the Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°Is that so? 3rd-Gear¡¯s actions themselves are quite something, but¡­well, 7th-Gear did something similar. It wouldn¡¯t be any fun without something that exceeds that.¡± Kazami turned toward Chao. ¡°7th-Gear?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much, but you probably weren¡¯t able to read it in those documents you got today. That only covered the National Defense Department days.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This comes after that. In the old UCAT days when the different UCATs around the world hadn¡¯t completely gathered together, Japanese UCAT was more or less the world¡¯s central UCAT. The American and European ones were larger and better funded, though. Anyway, that old UCAT had people in charge of investigating and battling the different Gears. Removing Shinjou left five from the National Defense Department and one idiot each from the Middle Eastern, American, and Chinese UCATs were added. Those eight were known as the Eight Great Dragon Kings.¡± She smiled bitterly. ¡°I belonged to Chinese UCAT back then and I still have connections there. That¡¯s how I learned about that previous topic. Keep it a secret, but I¡¯m Chao Sei, the Eight Great Dragon Kings member in charge of 7th-Gear.¡± Sayama faced Hiba on the moonlit beach. ¡°Now then,¡± he said as he brushed his bangs against the sea breeze. ¡°A lot has happened, but it is time you gave your answer, Hiba boy.¡± ¡°My answer to what?¡± ¡°Whether you will join us or not.¡± That response brought a change to Hiba¡¯s expression. He frowned and looked away. ¡°This really isn¡¯t the time for that. You saw what happened to Mikage-san.¡± ¡°But now that 3rd-Gear has taken action, the others are likely to do the same. Even if Mikage-kun was injured, the world continues to revolve around me. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°Um¡­I¡¯m not sure what part I¡¯m supposed to point out first.¡± ¡°If every part of it is wrong, it cancels out and becomes true, Hiba boy.¡± Sayama remained perfectly expressionless. ¡°Is this not the perfect opportunity? How about you tell us about 3rd-Gear¡¯s second impurity and join us?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯ve been fighting this whole time in order to-¡­¡± ¡°In order to protect Mikage-kun and continue her evolution? Are you saying she will become human if you obtain the full Concept Core?¡± Sayama looked at Hiba who was frowning in the moonlight. However¡­ ¡­That expression appears to be false. Then I will destroy it, concluded Sayama. He pointed at Hiba with his right hand and Baku emulated the action atop his head. ¡°You are blaming the concepts for her lack of evolution.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Keravnos only has half of the Concept Core.¡± ¡°I apologize that all of my information is secondhand, but I must ask a question here.¡± Sayama swung up the hand pointed at Hiba and noise burst from his shirt¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You say Keravnos is stored here and its mechanism may indeed be a portion of Mikage-kun. However, even though half of the Concept Core is found inside it and is therefore stored in her concept space, is it really a part of her body?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± He knows the answer, thought Sayama. The main point was a simple matter. ¡°If it is a part of her body, it must function as a reactor much like in Fafnir Custom or Typhon. However, Keravnos is a mere warhead. Even if you retrieve the other half¡­¡± He showed off a smile. ¡°It will only strengthen Keravnos. It will further turn Mikage-kun into a destructive weapon.¡± Hiba¡¯s eyebrows twisted a bit. That expression told Sayama something. ¡­This fortunate boy does not know that it is he who is stopping her evolution. But she seemed to have realized that she was restricting him. Sayama thought it was good that Mikage had called for Susamikado in the ocean. ¡­No matter what might happen, she had thought about the possibility of leaving him. ¡°The only remaining problem is you, Hiba boy. What will you do now that Mikage-kun has rejected you? You no longer have the power to fight 3rd-Gear and you no longer have a reason to. But will you still fight them?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± After a pause, Hiba finally answered. ¡°I don¡¯t really have any other choice, do I?¡± ¡°Why not? Because of what happened in your grandfather¡¯s generation?¡± ¡°To be honest, I wasn¡¯t told much about what happened with him.¡± ¡°Then are you fulfilling a nonexistent responsibility on nothing but inertia?¡± ¡°No. I still have the duty of the one who knows the truth, Sayama-san. I have the duty of the one who knows the second impurity,¡± he said. ¡°In a way, this may be exactly what I wanted. Mikage-san can¡¯t do anything right now, but I know the second impurity and I can cleanse it on my own.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama nodded and gave a small smile. ¡­Interesting. Even now, he is keeping her in mind. Sayama thought of Shinjou. If she at least appeared to have rejected him, would he continue thinking of her? ¡­Of course. He recalled the countless flesh-colored images and soft sensations from the past and he checked his memories for the many words they had exchanged afterwards. He did so thrice just to be sure. Once he was done, he understood that they were perfect and so he nodded. ¡°Hiba boy, you are likely similar to me. Especially how we are both one wrong step away from being stalkers.¡± ¡°U-um, based on that brief happy look on your face just now, I think we¡¯re at most only 10% alike!¡± ¡°No need to be modest. I am not such a Pervsuke that I pretend to wash my partner in the bath and instead touch her butt. I only touch my partner to gain an understanding. Your method is much more perverted.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to try to keep this polite since you¡¯re my upperclassman, but you are insane!¡± ¡°Calm down. Those who do not understand themselves are the first to die on the battlefield.¡± Hiba fell silent at that. ¡­Shinjou-kun would have fought a while longer before agreeing. Underclassmen truly are obedient, he realized. How wonderful. Hiba was averting his gaze for some reason, but Sayama chose to ignore it. ¡°Let us get back on track, Hiba boy. We were discussing Mikage-kun¡¯s evolution.¡± Hiba turned back toward him when Sayama crossed his arms, so he nodded toward the boy. ¡°Now, what do you think is preventing her from evolving?¡± ¡°The Concept Core, but you readily rejected that already.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you already understand why that is?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± he began. Sayama took a step toward him. ¡°Let us discuss a hypothetical situation.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Someone once held a secret, but they could not divulge that secret to the person who said they wanted to be with them. The other person had come to a vague understanding of that untold secret, but they chose to leave well enough alone.¡± After that final phrase, Shinjou could be heard shouting from a tent in the rocky area. ¡°You liar!!¡± For a brief instant, Sayama caught a glimpse of Shinjou standing up in the rocky area, but Izumo¡¯s hand forced her back down at twice the speed. Hiba did not turn in time, but he still tried looking around. ¡°D-did I just hear someone shout at you?¡± ¡°This is the Seto Inland Sea. This land was filled with pirates during the Sengoku period, so I hear ghosts show up at night.¡± ¡°O-okay, we can just leave it at that. So you were saying?¡± ¡°I have this to say to you: you think both of you need to evolve, but you are afraid of destroying your current relationship and thus think up excuses for not evolving.¡± And¡­ ¡°That is not all, Hiba boy. You say you wish to protect Mikage-kun, but that is not what one would say if they were certain that they were protecting her. Hiba boy, you believe that she is protecting you even now.¡± Hiba gasped, but Sayama shook his head. ¡°Of course, even if that is the case, it is not a bad thing.¡± Hiba frowned. ¡°It isn¡¯t a bad thing? Even though it means I¡¯m not protecting her properly?¡± ¡°It is an issue of self-awareness. Even if you find yourself lacking, she may consider it plenty. And positively thinking of yourself as inexperienced will prevent you from getting careless and lead to improvement. I try to keep my own thoughts positive in that way. For example, I often wonder why I give in so easily with Shinjou-kun.¡± Sounds of a struggle came from the rocky area, but it quickly quieted down. Hiba once more looked over. ¡°Can we really just ignore that?¡± ¡°I have no friends who are rocks. Do you?¡± asked Sayama. ¡°Anyway, there is a small problem in your case, Hiba boy. You believe she is protecting you and you use that to justify being weaker than her, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°B-but Susamikado and everything else are her power.¡± ¡°You are the one fighting. She is merely lending you her power. You are the one using power descended from 3rd-Gear to fight 3rd-Gear. And your ultimate objective is cleansing 3rd-Gear¡¯s second impurity,¡± explained Sayama. ¡°You need to be aware of the meaning behind your fight. Now, what is this second impurity? I would like to hear your reason for fighting 3rd-Gear so that we too may gain the right to fight them. Should I add ¡®please¡¯?¡± ¡°Do you really think I¡¯ll tell you?¡± ¡°No, but what about Mikage-kun? She summoned Susamikado on her own in order to save you, so I believe she would answer on her own.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hiba reflexively took a fighting stance. He dug his feet into the sand and pulled his right leg back. ¡°You mean¡­?¡± ¡°You joining us in our fight sounds like a decent victory prize, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Sayama also took a fighting stance. Hiba slowly began to nod, but then quickly shook his head and smiled bitterly. ¡°N-no, wait. You never said whose victory prize that would be. If I win, please tell me what weaknesses you see in me. Izumo-san already told me a lot, but I think there¡¯s still more. I need to keep those in mind while fighting 3rd-Gear.¡± ¡°You are not going to ask us to help Mikage-kun?¡± ¡°All of you will look after her even if I don¡¯t ask you to, won¡¯t you?¡± His bitter smile deepened. ¡°If I asked, it would worry her. She would worry you were only being so kind because I asked you.¡± ¡°She must truly be ill if she worries about kindness.¡± Sayama lowered his stance to match Hiba¡¯s. The moon filled the top of his vision and he realized the night was growing late. That led him to wonder what was happening with the Tamiya and Hiba families in Tokyo. ¡­An unexpected match between students of the same master. He pressed lightly against the ground while still wearing his shoes, relaxed his shoulders, and lowered Baku to the ground. He watched as Baku frantically ran to the rocky area. ¡°No holding back and no handicaps. My fist was broken once, so I cannot use it to punch. And your injuries from this morning are likely still affecting you.¡± ¡°Understood. What determines the outcome?¡± ¡°We will both know when it happens. Don¡¯t you think we have reached that level?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± agreed Hiba. A moment later, the boy rushed toward Sayama. Hiba focused on the distance between them. It came down to an instant. Neither of them had the same endurance as Izumo. That meant it would be over if even a single attack hit Hiba. However, the same went for his opponent. If Hiba got the one attack in, Sayama¡¯s body would be unable to keep up even if he remained conscious. Hiba had learned that all too well in his fight with Izumo. Also, the two of them were students of the same dojo. The Hiba School of martial arts taught combat techniques beyond mere self defense and it focused on unarmed combat while also assuming the use of bladed weapons. It contained almost every type of attack and defense. Hiba could hardly say he had mastered the techniques which often used speed to perform a series of attacks. However, his opponent was the same. He knew what his opponent could do and he knew what speed he had. ¡°¡­!¡± And so he made the first move. It was dark save the moonlight, but that gave everything a deep contrast. When Hiba lowered down and moved, Sayama would be unable to see it all perfectly. Even the shadow that could give away his movements was falling directly below him at this time. He moved closer. Sayama swung his left fist, but Hiba decided it was a feint. Even if it hit, Sayama could not clench that fist properly, so it would have little effect. ¡­His real attack lies elsewhere! Sayama moved his right foot. That was his true aim. But that was not the kick. It was the sand. ¡°¡­!¡± Hiba saw it coming, but it was difficult to oppose sand flying up from even further down than him. Closing his eyes would rob him of his vision, but keeping them open would allow the sand to do the same thing. Also, knocking it away with his hand would momentarily prevent him from attacking. He then heard Sayama speak. ¡°This is an experience you never had with the dirt floor of that open-air dojo, isn¡¯t it?¡± He was right. But Hiba made up his mind. He charged forward and chose the simplest method available. He closed only his right eye. The sand arrived and got in his left eye, but as soon as the sand struck his skin, he opened his right eye. The right half of his vision had not been lost and he saw Sayama preparing his opposite leg. ¡°Too slow!¡± Hiba charged to Sayama¡¯s right. Meanwhile, Sayama stepped back with the leg he had prepared for a kick and began to take a defensive stance. He drew his stomach back in order to withstand a blow. But that was not Hiba¡¯s intent. Hiba had only the one eye and he was not reckless enough to attack with his sense of distance thrown off. Hiba looked to the left hand Sayama had used as a feint. That hand was slower to be drawn back then the rest of his body. Hiba reached out both hands and grabbed that hand. It was difficult to determine its distance with only one eye, but bringing in both hands allowed his fingers to touch it and then adjust to grab it. He grasped the wrist. This meant Hiba could not strike Sayama. Instead, he accelerated to make use of his speed. ¡°!¡± Sand exploded backwards as he kicked off the ground and ran to Sayama¡¯s left side. In an instant, he circled around the boy. Sayama remained expressionless, so Hiba could not tell what he was thinking. That¡¯s no different from normal, thought Hiba. He had seen Sayama in his grandfather¡¯s dojo a few times and he had thought Sayama was a very mature person back then. He also recalled the stories of Sayama¡¯s grandfather that his own grandfather would often tell. His own grandfather would only speak of Sayama¡¯s grandfather with insults. He would not tell Hiba much about what happened during the war. It seemed he had had a lot of other friends, but only a few of those friendships had continued after the war: Izumo¡¯s grandfather, a sorcerer named Siegfried, and an old man in America named Thunderson. He would insult them all with silly postwar stories about them. ¡­That¡¯s right. Hiba thought in his fighting stance. ¡­If I find someone who can tell what I¡¯m thinking, keeps up with me, continues on ahead, and faces me without fear, I¡¯ll insult them in the same way when I grow up. While cutting by Sayama¡¯s side with all his strength, he remembered seeing the past the other day, the meeting in the Kinugasa Library, and losing to Izumo that day. He continued on. He twisted Sayama¡¯s left wrist outwards as if pushing it and he forced it upwards. ¡°¡­¡± He felt something shift out of place through Sayama¡¯s left arm, but it was not a metal component of some machine. It was a joint of flesh and bone. He had dislocated Sayama¡¯s left shoulder. Just as he felt all strength leave Sayama¡¯s left hand, Hiba tossed that arm upwards. He had poured his strength into the attack without holding back. If Sayama was unlucky, it could even leave long-lasting effects. ¡­But I must win here! Sayama should have already torn a portion of his muscles and felt the painful scraping as his joint bent in the wrong direction. The pain of a dislocation came from the nerves being twisted by the muscle and bone, so it reverberated directly in the brain. Until the bone was set back in place, the intense pain would continue. Hiba nodded and immediately came to a stop. His right foot stabbed into the sand to slow him. With sand flying into the air, he turned behind him. ¡°Someone call a doct-¡­¡± When he turned around, he saw something unthinkable in the air before him: the bottom of a leather shoe. ¡°!?¡± As soon as he wondered what had happened, the toe of the shoe dug into his solar plexus. It seemed to jab into the flesh between his chest and gut. The sharp toe of the leather shoe stopped at over five centimeters into his gut. He did not move. And in his motionlessness, he realized he was having trouble breathing. As his body slowly grew stiff and heavy, the owner of the foot spoke expressionlessly. ¡°Yes, it does seem we need a doctor.¡± He then jabbed his foot forward even more to push Hiba away. ¡°¡­¡± Hiba was unable to remove the tension from his body and he collapsed limply backwards. ¡­I lost just like earlier today. But as he collapsed, he did not overlook Sayama¡¯s left arm. That arm was hanging limply at his side. ¡°Do you not feel pain?¡± he asked while slowly collapsing to the sand. Or at least, he tried to. However, not even his own breaths were coming from his mouth. The shock was keeping his diaphragm from moving. He merely looked up at the moon while unable to breathe or speak. Then a sudden shadow cut across that pale disk of light. The shadow took the shape of a shoe bottom. Immediately afterwards, a shoe heel swung down at his stomach and supplied a great impact. ¡°Kah!!¡± ¡°Oh? It seems you can breathe now. It may have been a harsh treatment, but I am glad it worked.¡± Strength returned to Hiba¡¯s body, but pain arrived with it. An odd sense of heat toward the top of his gut caused Hiba to open his mouth and air tried to escape his stomach. At the same time, he heard a voice. ¡°If you can breathe, it would seem you do not need a doctor after all. Now, I suppose I should charge you for the medical costs of my arm here. Do not worry. It is a trivial sum. Including insurance, it is a mere 73,500,000 yen.¡± Hiba tried to ask where that number came from. ¡°Kah¡­hah!¡± But only that odd voice came out. ¡­Ahh, this must be what they call S&M. This is my first time experiencing it. Just as he realized he was sweating, the voice spoke once more. ¡°Will you be paying or not? If so, continue writhing in pain. If not, remain motionless.¡± Hiba held his breath and stretched himself out on the sand, but he did not last even three seconds. ¡°Gwah!¡± ¡°So close. And I was thinking of forgiving you if you had lasted five seconds. What a shame.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Sayama-kun!?¡± Hiba looked to the rocky area with teary eyes and saw Shinjou wearing a white dress. ¡­How feminine. But that thought was immediately followed by another. ¡­I¡¯m sorry, Mikage-san. I was charmed by another girl. And then¡­ ¡°Wait! That¡¯s a guy!¡± He frantically shot up. Doing so made him cough, but a certain question was much more important than the physical pain. ¡­Oh, no. Have I become the same kind of pervert as Sayama-san and Shinjou-san? ¡°What is it, Hiba boy? If you were having inappropriate thoughts about Shinjou-kun, I will encase you in concrete and use you as flood control in the Aki River. As a citizen, it is only natural to lend a helping hand to the city, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t be ridiculous. I¡¯m normal! I¡¯m certainly not hard gay!¡± ¡°Sayama-kun, can I ask you to lend a helping hand to Ryuuji-kun?¡± Shinjou gave a dry smile. Seeing the first aid kit in Shinjou¡¯s hand, Hiba let out a breath and lowered his head. ¡°S-sorry. I won¡¯t say anything about your personal preferences. ¡­Anyway, I lost, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll ignore that first part, but you pretty clearly lost. Except I think Sayama-kun has the worse injury.¡± Sayama looked to his left arm which still hung limp and unmoving. He tilted his head. ¡°Yes, this does seem to be a bad injury. The pain has been reverberating through me for a while now. Oh, but I think some devoted nursing from Shinjou-kun and a lap lent as a pillow might just heal it. If you are bringing me food, canned peaches would be nice.¡± ¡°You really are calm about this,¡± commented Shinjou. Hiba sighed as he watched the two of them. ¡°I can¡¯t hope to match that,¡± he muttered as he collapsed back onto the beach. ¡°I would not be so sure. Before the fight, you yourself said you have weaknesses. I merely revealed fewer of my weaknesses in this fight. I knew the pain was coming, so I was able to prepare for it.¡± ¡°Do you mean you predicted what would happen?¡± ¡°No. You do not predict the fight. You rule it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Hiba heard a bitter laugh, but it quickly vanished. ¡°My apologies. That was such an elementary question that I could not help myself. ¡­Let me ask you this: what is it you are constantly predicting?¡± ¡°The flow of the fight.¡± ¡°No. You just lost points, Hiba boy. Stay silent and burn my words into your mind. You are not predicting the fight; you are predicting your own victory. Specifically, it is a victory that keeps you from harm,¡± explained Sayama. ¡°So when the prediction you have conveniently built up ends yet the fight continues on, you lose despite being certain of your victory. If you instead rule the fight, that would not happen. Ruling the fight includes both receiving your opponent¡¯s strength and not allowing them to use it. It means to continue fighting while hoping you can bring the fight to an end.¡± ¡°But that¡­¡± ¡°I believe you can do that now that Mikage-kun is not with you and now that the damage is sent to you. You were so focused on protecting her, that you were only able to predict quick and brief paths to victory. The surprise of the damage was one reason you lost to Izumo today, but it was also because you believed you had won after getting a nice combo on him.¡± A shadow cut across the moon once more. This time it was a hand. Sayama¡¯s right hand. ¡°Take my hand, Hiba boy, and we will fight alongside each other on the battlefield you are meant to rule. If you insist on cleansing 3rd-Gear¡¯s impurity, then we will assist you in that,¡± said the boy. ¡°You must have a time when you have Mikage-kun comfort you. That would be when you are together in the god of war and you can hear her voice. In other words, after you have fought 3rd-Gear. But if she were to evolve, you would no longer need to fight in order to receive that comfort. And to gain that, you must take responsibility.¡± ¡°Responsibility? What do you mean?¡± ¡°You will bear something as the one who cleansed 3rd-Gear¡¯s impurities. That something could even be a portion of 3rd-Gear. Hiba boy, Team Leviathan and the Taka-Akita Academy student council would like you to join us as the one who must live on while bearing the weight of 3rd-Gear.¡± And¡­ ¡°You have already made up your mind, haven¡¯t you? I can somehow tell. That white bandanna on your forehead is likely a sentimental item that hides and protects a scar which reminds you of her. But it is that very sentimentalism that means I must ask you about the second impurity of that heartless Gear.¡± Volume 7, 31: Cleansing Transition Volume 7, Chapter 31: Cleansing Transition Saying it will put you at ease But what does it mean to release it? The moonlight washed over the white building that acted as 3rd-Gear¡¯s base. But even though the moon had passed its zenith, the building still had its lights on. And that did not just apply to the living floors. The hangar down below was also lit. The hangar¡¯s door was cracked open and two people stood near the entrance. The woman in white and the woman in a maid outfit were Miyako and Moira 1st. Miyako was walking across the white floor and toward the stairs leading to the god of war hanger deck. Her footsteps rang loudly and she showed no sign of restraining herself. She was frowning while looking back in the hangar. In addition to the nine gods of war ¨C including Cottus ¨C lined up, there was a large white form. It was Typhon. She noted the lack of light in Typhon¡¯s sight devices. ¡°Where¡¯s Apollo?¡± ¡°He will not leave for a while after returning,¡± answered Moira 1st from behind. ¡°Where is Lady Gyes?¡± ¡°She flew off again saying she had business to take care of. But what¡¯s with Typhon? I saw it just now and that definitely wasn¡¯t the rich boy controlling it. It was acting like a beast.¡± ¡°What do you think about Typhon, Lady Miyako?¡± That question brought Miyako to a stop. She held the railing of the staircase to the hangers on the second floor. The metal railing tilted its head when she did not climb the stairs, but it decided it was worth waiting. Miyako turned to Moira 1st. ¡°Typhon is afraid of everything but itself.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Moira 1st smiled, but then looked directly at Miyako with the ends of her eyebrows lowered. ¡°Typhon is imprisoned by fear, so it calls for Lord Apollo. It wants him to pilot it, fight, and eliminate the fear it once gained.¡± ¡°The fear it once gained? What do you mean by¡­?¡± She trailed off as she thought about what a machine would fear. ¡­I guess that¡¯d be its own destruction. She recalled three facts. First, she had seen the name Artemis in Typhon¡¯s cockpit and the god of war in the basement. Second, Typhon had been damaged in the same places as Apollo¡¯s injuries when they fell from the cliff. And third¡­ ¡­Damage to a god of war is fed back to the pilot. From that, she did not know if there was a connection between the basement god of war and Typhon. ¡­But Moira 2nd hinted there is. Assuming that was true, Miyako spoke. ¡°What if Typhon has died once before?¡± ¡°Are you asking me that, Lady Miyako?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m asking both of us.¡± She continued to think about the connection and similarities between the basement god of war and Typhon. ¡°Artemis.¡± Both their cockpits had contained that name. And she had heard that Apollo piloted a god of war that was made from Artemis¡¯s body. ¡°The god of war in the basement was Apollo¡¯s.¡± But, she thought to stop herself from jumping to conclusions. And then Moira 1st gave the main fact opposing that theory. ¡°That god of war was cut in two. Lord Apollo would have been killed instantly.¡± ¡°Yes. But there was a copilot. That means¡­ Both it and Typhon aren¡¯t only piloted by Apollo! Someone else piloted them along with him!¡± As she spoke, her knowledge began to link together. She made deductions and she shouted the conclusion with too much force to stop herself. ¡°Gods of war send their damage back to the pilot, but what if there are two pilots? What happened with the basement god of war¡¯s copilot? How about this? Typhon¡¯s cockpit was transplanted from that god of war and it contains the copilot who died in Apollo¡¯s place.¡± As for that copilot¡¯s name¡­ ¡°Artemis! The name written in Typhon¡¯s cockpit was that of Apollo¡¯s sister! She could not have his child, but he still kept her by his side. ¡­Is that what happened!?¡± ¡°No,¡± answered Moira 1st in a troubled tone of voice. Miyako gasped and almost fell to her knees in an odd sense of disappointment, but she was stopped by what Moira 1st said next. ¡°That is not quite right, Lady Miyako.¡± ¡°Not quite?¡± ¡°Lord Apollo was the one who died.¡± Miyako thought on that, but she finally frowned once more and tilted her head. ¡°But that idiot¡¯s alive.¡± ¡°Yes, he is being kept alive.¡± Moira 1st¡¯s eyebrows lay flat, she looked directly at Miyako, and she nodded. ¡°The god of war in the basement was created using Lady Artemis¡¯s body, but that process was not completed. It was only a partial unification. Thus, when it received the damage you saw, Lord Apollo died instantly and Lady Artemis was heavily injured.¡± ¡°Then¡­why is that idiot still alive?¡± ¡°The data for those united with the god of war is kept separate within the machine, but what do you think happens if one is damaged and the other sacrifices itself to repair the first?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Miyako tried to imagine what that meant, but she had trouble. ¡­That idiot and his sister swapped out his death? The questions ¡°what?¡±, ¡°how?¡± and ¡°why?¡± repeated in her mind and she could not gather her thoughts. The truth of Typhon and Apollo before her eyes seemed to reject the entire line of questioning. ¡­Wait. Just as she tried to end the chaos in her mind, Moira 1st spoke. ¡°Lord Apollo¡¯s body died instantly, but his brain remained alive due to the residual oxygen. Lady Artemis then cut the limiters on their division within the god of war. It was only possible because their gods of war were Typhon and its prototype and because most of Lady Artemis¡¯s body had been modified into the god of war¡¯s internal circulatory system.¡± ¡°So she gave her own body to recreate her dead brother¡¯s body? To resurrect him?¡± ¡°No, he could not be resurrected. We have no concept to make something from nothing. That is why she overwrote his death with her life.¡± The maid¡¯s shoulders drooped. ¡°To do so, a great amount of power had to be given to the cockpit and a location with no external interference was needed. As 3rd-Gear was destroyed, we hurriedly used that god of war¡¯s cockpit as Typhon¡¯s cockpit and we removed Lady Artemis¡¯s incomplete body from the cockpit as the overwritten corpse. ¡­We did it all so as not to lose our master.¡± ¡°That last comment wasn¡¯t needed, Moira 1st. You only did what your masters wanted. Automatons shouldn¡¯t be adding their own thoughts in there.¡± ¡°My apologies,¡± said Moira 1st with a bitter smile. Miyako nodded. ¡°So did that return the idiot to normal?¡± ¡°We waited fifty-five years. The first fifty passed without incident, but the concepts suddenly began to activate and Moira 2nd detected both of their brainwaves in the five years after.¡± Miyako found something odd about what Moira 1st had said. ¡­I feel bad interrupting. ¡°Why were Artemis¡¯s brainwaves there? After the overwriting, wasn¡¯t she dead?¡± ¡°She lived on¡­as Typhon.¡± Moira 1st looked to the stairway ahead. ¡°Typhon was the one to die. ¡­No, Lady Artemis took control of Typhon. Its control system, thought system, and everything else became hers,¡± she said. ¡°And Lord Apollo did not return to normal. The split and re-composition were imperfect, so he retains some of Typhon¡¯s mechanical properties.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why he collapsed on the edge of the concept space.¡± It had to have been difficult to take her all the way there. Goddammit, she thought. It feels like that idiot is ahead of me on everything. ¡°So is this what¡¯s happening? Is Typhon¡¯s fear based on Artemis¡¯s revived memories of being killed?¡± ¡°Yes. And by joining with Typhon, she has unprecedented control over the Tartaros which allows her to appear outside it. As the time of her death within Typhon approaches, she wails and calls for Lord Apollo to save her.¡± Miyako recalled the expression on that glowing woman who walked through the night and she recalled Typhon¡¯s scream. ¡­So even Typhon is a victim of the war. ¡°As they were the two to control time while in 3rd-Gear, Lord Apollo has greater control during the day and Lady Artemis has greater control at night. It seems Lord Apollo took brief control of Typhon when it first came across you, Lady Miyako. When its eyes are yellow, it is him in control.¡± Hearing that, Miyako lowered her head and turned her back to Moira 1st. ¡°Dammit,¡± she muttered and placed her foot on the first step. ¡°I¡¯ll check the rest on my own, but I have one last question. You said Typhon has half of 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core, right? And you said it was that Concept Core that created Typhon and Apollo as they are now, right?¡± She raised her head and looked up toward the top of the stairs to the hanger deck. ¡°So what happens if Typhon is destroyed?¡± ¡°That is simple. As Lord Apollo¡¯s re-composition was imperfect, he is synchronized with Typhon. If Typhon is destroyed or the Concept Core removed¡­¡± The automaton paused. ¡°He will die.¡± ¡°And that is the second impurity,¡± said Hiba atop the rocky area. He had wrapped ice from a cooler in a towel and held it to his stomach. He turned to his side where Shinjou was attaching powerful healing charms to Sayama. Sayama returned the look with Baku on his head and he raised his left hand which Shinjou held. ¡°So is this what you are saying? Acquiring 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core will kill Apollo?¡± ¡°Yes. The Concept Core needed to prevent the negative destruction of this world can only be obtained in exchange for his death. That¡¯s actually a pretty good deal. For me, I¡¯m killing him for peace and Mikage-san¡¯s evolution.¡± A voice responded to his self-deprecating comment. It came from Shinjou. ¡°But¡­that¡¯s a bad decision.¡± ¡°A single human¡¯s life does indeed feel heavier than the entire planet. And based on the justice of the Leviathan Road, we cannot take something in exchange for a human life, even if it is the Concept Core.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I intended to fight,¡± said Hiba. ¡°The descendants of those who fought in the past would be fighting with no connection to Team Leviathan. For us, it would be the second round of the Concept War and no one would question it if one or the other of us died. But¡­¡± He lowered his head and brought a hand to his forehead. ¡°That won¡¯t work anymore. Now that I¡¯ve told you, Team Leviathan can¡¯t allow me to go through with it. If you did, you¡¯d be using me to commit murder by proxy. And this means Team Leviathan can¡¯t even try to obtain 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core. Doing so would mean killing to save the world.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± agreed Shinjou. ¡°We¡¯re weighing the entire world against a single life. ¡­But if the Leviathan Road is to be just, we can¡¯t accept murder even to save the world, Sayama-kun.¡± ¡°I see no real problem there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no real pro- Wait, Sayama-san!¡± Hiba¡¯s head shot up and he saw Sayama¡¯s expressionless face staring at him. Next to him, Shinjou was staring wide-eyed and looked pale even in the night. Sayama looked back and forth between the two of them. ¡°What is the matter, Shinjou-kun? I would like to heal this injury as quickly as possible, but is the bandage for my shoulder not ready yet?¡± ¡°Not ready¡­ S-Sayama-kun? What did you just say?¡± ¡°I said I see no real problem.¡± He gave a small smile that brought a chill to Hiba¡¯s spine which was even colder than the ice on his stomach. ¡­This boy¡­ He had readily made up his mind about something Hiba had been troubling over for years. However, it was not Hiba who asked about it. It was Shinjou. ¡°What do you mean, Sayama-kun!?¡± She spoke loud enough for everyone in the area to turn toward them. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want that! We may be opposites. If I say I don¡¯t want to kill someone to save the world, that might mean you¡¯ll say the opposite¡­¡± Her words suddenly crumbled, her eyebrows bristled, and her mouth twisted. ¡°But¡­I don¡¯t want you to say that.¡± She lowered her head and Hiba saw something sparkling spill down. ¡­Shinjou-san must really care about him. But what would Sayama do? He raised his head and indeed turned to Shinjou. His eyes narrowed for just an instant and he nodded once even though Shinjou could not see with her head lowered. That was all. When he turned back to Hiba, he was expressionless once more. Before he could say something, Hiba sighed and opened his mouth. ¡°You¡¯ll create misunderstandings if you don¡¯t let your partner see how you feel about them.¡± ¡°Doing that would only make us both embarrassed. Besides, this is not our problem to discuss and resolve. It is true arrogance to make such a decision without the affected individual present. For now, we need only establish our individual arguments. Am I wrong?¡± Sayama turned his head and looked behind Hiba. ¡°Eh?¡± Shinjou raised her crying face and looked in the same direction. Lastly, Hiba turned around. As he did, the others scattered around the area looked in the same direction and stopped moving. At some point, a woman had appeared in the rocky area. The moonlight lit her from behind. She wore a red suit and Sayama spoke her name. ¡°Gyes-kun, correct? What do you need at this late hour?¡± ¡°That is simple.¡± Gyes lightly spread her arms. ¡°I have come for the Leviathan Road so that 3rd-Gear might live on.¡± A certain room was colored red. It was approximately six square meters and it contained a work desk, a sink, and a portable stove with a pot on top. The work desk was lined with vats filled with liquid. Wires were strung up near the ceiling and something like black sashes hung down from them. It was a darkroom. The only person lurking inside and working was an old man in a lab coat. ¡°Digital just can¡¯t beat analog. I wonder what expressions I got.¡± He put back on the red rubber gloves labelled ¡°For Ooshiro¡¯s use only ¨C x3¡± and he peered inside one vat. ¡°Now then, is it about time to take them out?¡± An instant later, the door behind him opened and a girl¡¯s voice entered. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± Ooshiro looked across the materials that had been exposed to the outside light. He spread his arms in the center of the room, and slowly moved his feet around to make a self-made slow motion rotation. ¡°You¡¯ve destroyed my newfound youth that couldn¡¯t be defeated by dogs or cicadas!!¡± ¡°Are you stupid or something? And this room stinks. This is your smell, isn¡¯t it? I won¡¯t forgive you even if you bow down to the ground.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite a lot to say in one breath, Brunhild-kun!¡± Brunhild sighed in her uniform with the light of the darkroom¡¯s standby room behind her. Ooshiro then noticed a man in a lab coat peering into the room behind her. ¡°Kashima-kun? What an unusual pairing. What brings the two of you here?¡± ¡°Well, the thing is¡­¡± ¡°Oh, wait a moment. Would you like some tea? Look. I have some nice black tea I recently got my hands on.¡± As Ooshiro lifted the pot from the stove, Brunhild picked up the black cat at her feet and threw it inside the open top of the pot. The steam and tea that spilled out got on Ooshiro¡¯s hands which still wore the rubber gloves. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± cried both the cat and the old man. ¡°Quiet down, both of you. Think of it as sterilization and bear with it.¡± The cat stuck its upper body out of the pot, bent backwards, and shouted at her. ¡°B-Brunhild! I can¡¯t forgive that! I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°Oh, poor thing. I think you¡¯re confused.¡± ¡°And whose fault is that!? Also, look me in the eye when you speak to me, Brunhild!¡± Brunhild frowned as she looked at the shouting black cat whose stomach and above seemed to grow out of the white pot held by Ooshiro. ¡°That¡¯s a poor balance of colors.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s all you have to say!? That¡¯s all!? Surely there¡¯s something else!¡± ¡°Quiet down. And this is taking far too long. 2nd-Gear representative, explain the situation as concisely as you can.¡± When Brunhild saw Kashima filming the cat with a small video camera, she frowned again. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°My Harumi has started showing interest in moving things, so I thought a video like this would be good to have. Don¡¯t worry. When I bring the footage home, I¡¯ll have redone the sound and background. Maybe it can be happening in outer space.¡± Brunhild grabbed the top of the camera and slammed it to the floor. It could be heard breaking and Kashima cried out after a short delay. ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± ¡°Quiet down. None of you are doing anything to move this conversation along.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hesitant to point it out, but that¡¯s entirely your fault!¡± Brunhild ignored the cat¡¯s point, crossed her arms, and looked to Ooshiro. ¡°I hear the other UCATs have been contacting you. Why?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I can¡¯t really answer that.¡± ¡°Let me be clear, Ooshiro. We are the representatives of our Gears. You must disclose all of your information concerning the Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°I see. And what will you be giving us in exchange?¡± Brunhild sighed. ¡°A lack of suspicion about UCAT¡¯s actions. Don¡¯t you need that for the future?¡± She was not asking, but Ooshiro gave an exaggerated tilt of the head. ¡°Hmm. But there are some who will suspect us whether you do or not.¡± Brunhild frowned at that and Kashima crouched down next to her. ¡°Then how about this, UCAT Director Ooshiro?¡± Once he stood up, he held the tape from the broken camera on the floor. The tape had not been harmed. ¡°What if I told you I was using this camera to film last night¡¯s Dog-Girl Attack and Cicada Incident?¡± ¡°Hmm. But it¡¯s a video camera. The image quality drops when compared to photographs.¡± ¡°That depends on your mindset. Why not awaken to the wonders of video over still images? While videos do look lower quality when you pause them, they look wonderful in motion. Footage of a daughter or wife can be especially amazing. What about it? Are you ready to find a new hobby?¡± ¡°What you¡¯re doing will only increase the criminal activity within UCAT,¡± pointed out Brunhild. Ooshiro, on the other hand, scratched his head and groaned. ¡°Hmmm. But I don¡¯t have a wife or daughter like you. All I have is a strange son and his cement-like maid. Do you have a more appealing offer?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± After some thought, Kashima clapped his hands together. ¡°UCAT¡¯s development department has been performing a certain experiment lately. We use the video and photographs taken of enemies during battle to create 3D models.¡± He pulled a laptop from his coat and displayed a realistic 3D image of a woman. ¡°What do you think of the latest version of Polygon Natsu-san!? She can move on a grid and everything.¡± ¡°Did you get her permission for that?¡± asked Brunhild. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter as long as it¡¯s for my personal enjoyment. Plus, I have the real one anyway. This is just an experiment.¡± ¡°This is brilliant!¡± suddenly shouted Ooshiro. ¡°If I use this, any enemy captured by UCAT cameras can be mine, right!? I can even make a virtual Miyoko based on her photos! My passion for figurines has been reignited!¡± ¡°I get the feeling you¡¯re confusing virtual images with real ones, but you can indeed do that!¡± ¡°I¡¯m starting to feel really sorry for UCAT¡¯s enemies.¡± Kashima ignored Brunhild and pulled a white card from his pocket. ¡°For the time being, I will give you this. It contains a pass to create three figurines, so please use it well. Also, each figurine will add a point to your card. At thirty points, you get a member of the development department for a month. Feel free to use them for game development.¡± ¡°I see. I am also worried about security.¡± ¡°No need to worry. The wrapping paper is printed with the Heart Sutra in Sanskrit, so your family will not find out or grow suspicious. Even if it arrives while they are home, they will only think you have awoken to your Buddhist side.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t that make them more suspicious?¡± ¡°We have planned for that. The package reflects infrared, X-rays, and all other strange rays and will not break even if one hundred mechanical dragons stepped on it. It requires your fingerprint to open, but it will self-destruct quite spectacularly if forced open.¡± A moment later, a spectacular explosion sounded in the distance and a small rumbling followed. After a short delay, alarms rang and the corridor grew noisy. ¡°And just like that, no evidence will remain behind,¡± added Kashima. ¡°That leaves plenty! But you are well-prepared, I¡¯ll give you that.¡± ¡°You need to add ¡®in a way¡¯ to that,¡± cut in Brunhild. ¡°Anyway, I want to get back on topic.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± said Ooshiro as he held up the pot containing the cat. ¡°It¡¯s a simple matter. We¡¯re beginning to learn where 3rd-Gear is and the other UCATs are telling us to defeat them right away. They claim 3rd-Gear is a taboo Gear and so we should defeat them before the other Gears learn of their continued existence. Basically, we are to act now to eliminate future problems.¡± ¡°But that would mean rejecting the Leviathan Road, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s exactly why they want it. Mikoto-kun and the others have suddenly started to have real influence. The preliminary Leviathan Road negotiations with 3rd-Gear¡¯s representative have begun using the communications networks of the Chinese, German, and Japanese UCATs.¡± Brunhild clicked her tongue and muttered ¡°her¡± at the mention of German UCAT. Ooshiro smiled bitterly. ¡°Yes, Diana-kun opened the line. The other UCATs are in an uproar right now. The negotiation with 3rd-Gear is being broadcast in real time to China, Germany, and Japan. The rest of the UCATs ¨C especially American UCAT ¨C are attempting to hold those three in check in case they are attempting to build connections with 3rd ahead of the rest,¡± he explained. ¡°I will be going later, but it seems Mikoto-kun asked for you two to stay away.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°He said that is needed to ¡®fall in step¡¯ with 3rd-Gear. If 1st or 2nd showed up, it could put the other Gears on guard. Also¡­there is a danger of violating certain impurities this time and he does not want you to be guilty of that simply by showing up.¡± ¡°Does he really think we¡¯ll do what he says?¡± ¡°He also said he was counting on you if anything happened to them.¡± Brunhild¡¯s eyebrows rose for a brief moment, but she soon frowned instead. ¡°Hmph. If he¡¯s going to worry for us on his own, he can go fail on his own. ¡­We can listen in, can¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Yes. We can hear everything in Okayama until the negotiation with 3rd-Gear comes to an end.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Brunhild turned her back while grabbing the cat pot. ¡°This means 3rd-Gear is already on the way to the Leviathan Road. Whatever happens in this negotiation, Sayama will not let them escape. The only remaining question is how he will clear away the crimes of 3rd-Gear¡¯s past.¡± Ooshiro shrugged. ¡°Negotiations are not done alone. I¡¯m sure they will show us a wonderful answer.¡± Words were exchanged below the moon. Those words were uttered by Sayama and Gyes who stood on the beach. A folding table was set up between them and only a microphone sat atop it. They stood on either side of Shinjou who sat in a chair and took notes as the record keeper. The area behind Shinjou was deserted all the way to the rocky area. That was how inviolable the negotiation table was viewed. On top of that, Gyes was using her gravitational control to surround them in a gravity barrier at a distance of a few meters. To Shinjou, the surrounding landscape occasionally seemed to distort. ¡­That probably bends optical weapons too. I wonder if Ex-St would work. Even as she thought, she continued taking notes. She was writing down Sayama and Gyes¡¯s words, but there was little meaning as it was being recorded by the microphone. Sayama had told her to write down an outline of the conversation and to provide her opinion if there were any problems. They were currently discussing what was known as 3rd-Gear¡¯s first impurity. Gyes kept her arms crossed as she spoke. ¡°In other words, Team Leviathan sees no problem with what 3rd-Gear has done in the past?¡± Shinjou mentally nodded. Gyes was referring to what they called an ¡°impurity¡±, but she was intentionally avoiding speaking of it in a negative light. She would refer to it as she just did or as 3rd-Gear¡¯s ¡°policy¡±. ¡­That¡¯s the right thing to do from 3rd-Gear¡¯s perspective. Meanwhile, Sayama made no attempt to show distrust or find fault. ¡°We will eventually accept the value of every Gear and make them all equal,¡± he said with his usual expressionless look. ¡°Once that happens, anyone showing hostility to you would qualify as terrorists. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°Such terrorists might appear from within your own organization.¡± ¡°What will giving into fear accomplish? I ask that you think about this. In our current state, some might indeed rebel, but even we will grow. Who do you think will grow the most in numbers and strength? Predicting a terrible future without even considering that is not even the act of a coward. It is the act of a fool. Even if we are idiots who look to the future, I do not want us to be fools who make eloquent yet ultimately useless arguments. What about you?¡± ¡°You certainly are confident. And that is a good point. However¡­¡± Gyes raised her eyebrows, but a smile appeared on her lips. Shinjou understood where that smile came from. Sayama was saying almost the same thing he had once told #4, but something that had not been necessary then was missing here. ¡°Have you realized that we have no reason to trust what you say?¡± Shinjou made sure to write that in her notes and added her own thoughts. ¡­#4 didn¡¯t need this because she trusted Sayama-kun¡¯s grandfather. Gyes did not trust them. Even if they claimed they would protect 3rd-Gear from other Gear¡¯s out for revenge, it was nothing but a verbal promise. And even if they did make a formal agreement, she did not know if they could really guarantee that. ¡°How can you prove your ability to protect us?¡± asked Gyes. ¡°And that includes your ability to protect the other Gears if they ask for the same treatment. Protecting the ten Gears will require quite a bit of personnel and funding. And¡­¡± ¡°And even if we provide that personnel and funding, you do not know if we can truly protect you?¡± ¡°Yes. For example, those opposed to Low-Gear could frame other Gears with their suicide to show that Low-Gear¡¯s protection is not perfect and blame it all on you. What do you have to say about that possibility?¡± Shinjou turned to Sayama. If he could not answer a question like this, it would prove that this was nothing but a verbal promise. However, Sayama did not immediately answer. He first loosely folded his arms over his stomach and faced Gyes. He then raised his left hand to his cheek. ¡°What is this nonsense you are talking about?¡± he asked. ¡°Ask yourself whether that would actually work.¡± Sayama saw his words wipe the smile from Gyes¡¯s lips. Shinjou tilted her head where she sat to the right. Her current thoughts could help to get Gyes to speak, so he turned toward her to get her to speak. Shinjou¡¯s shoulders drew back when their gazes met. Drawing focus here seemed to make her nervous because she glanced toward Gyes and held her notes to her chest. ¡°U-um,¡± she finally said. ¡°Speak. Gyes-kun is waiting too.¡± ¡°O-okay¡­ Um, Sayama-kun? Gyes-san was asking whether we can protect 3rd-Gear or not. So why are you turning the question to 3rd-Gear?¡± ¡°That is simple, Shinjou-kun. They will be the ones protecting 3rd-Gear.¡± Sayama turned to Gyes before continuing. ¡°Let me make this clear. Even if every Gear joins us, UCAT and Low-Gear do not have the land and money needed to protect and look after all of them. That was proven with 1st-Gear. At most, we can construct a reservation.¡± ¡°Then what will you do!?¡± Gyes placed her hands on the table. ¡°Was everything you just said nothing more than an ideal!? Are you going to make an unrealistic excuse about never reaching the future without having ideals!?¡± ¡°Which one of us is being unrealistic, automaton? Are your eyes defective?¡± Sayama sighed. ¡°What a pain. I have been using the word ¡®we¡¯ this entire time. What about you, Gyes-kun?¡± ¡°I have done the same.¡± ¡°No, it is not the same.¡± Sayama moved the hand on his cheek to point forward while glancing at the ring on his left middle finger. ¡°When you say ¡®we¡¯, you refer to the people of 3rd-Gear.¡± He moved his finger again, but he pointed down rather than at himself. ¡°When I say ¡®we¡¯, I refer to us, you, and the people of every other Gear.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± said Shinjou. ¡­Shinjou-kun has realized what I am trying to say. But he did not relax. He found it only natural that Shinjou would catch on. The person standing before him still did not understand, so he opened his mouth and spoke to that frowning face. ¡°Do I have to spell it out for you? If 3rd-Gear is completely protected by Low-Gear, it means 3rd-Gear is under Low-Gear¡¯s control and is thus in a lower position.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The Leviathan Road will make all Gears equal and Low-Gear is no exception. But we are not foolish enough to accept nothing but losses. We will compensate for it a bit. ¡­And Low-Gear will of course also help the other Gears compensate, but it will not do anything more than that. In other words, protect yourself. You are old enough to get back up on your own if you trip, are you not? Or do you need to be helped to your feet by the Gear said to be the lowest?¡± ¡°Are you telling us to work on our own to make up for what you idealists lack?¡± ¡°Then no one will owe anyone anything. Low-Gear¡¯s end is coming on December 25 of this year, so how about we save each other from that ending? Your gods of war are especially desirable. Also, I am sure plenty of other Gears will want that kind of defense even if they have to pay. While you are at it, how about you prepare a god of war Santa costume for the coming ending?¡± Gyes gave a small smile with her eyebrows still raised, but that smile soon vanished. ¡°But in that case, how do we establish the justness of our self-defense? Some would likely be happy if we were attacked and destroyed by terrorists. And if we attempt to defend ourselves, won¡¯t some side with the terrorists based on what has happened in the past?¡± ¡°There is no need to question that. It will happen,¡± agreed Sayama. ¡°If anyone could deny that, they would have to be a god or me.¡± For some reason, Shinjou quickly began erasing the line she had just written. ¡°Shinjou-kun, you must not alter what was said.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not altering it. I¡¯m making sure it isn¡¯t recorded.¡± Shinjou then sighed and asked a question. ¡°What are we supposed to do if people criticize 3rd-Gear¡¯s self-defense like that?¡± ¡°That is simple. The Leviathan Road provides one thing other than the physical support.¡± Namely¡­ ¡°A modest amount of justification.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Did you not realize this? Once every Gear has fallen in step, they will no longer be walking at different paces. The only difference will be the size of our feet. Thus, if any group makes such ridiculous criticisms and attempts to throw off our common pace, they can be ignored or rejected. Wield your power, 3rd-Gear, so that you walk forward along with us.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Gyes with a nod. ¡°Well said.¡± But then her voice rose to a shout. ¡°Are you using all these nice-sounding words for nothing more than making mercenaries out of us!?¡± Gyes laughed. ¡­I see. So that¡¯s it. In the end, Low-Gear really is just a Gear with no power. Something came to her mind. It was the scenery she saw whenever she left the base to walk into town. The residents of that world had developed a mechanical civilization to make up for their lack of concept powers, but those machines had no wills of their own and they broke down easily. Their ultimate destination was a pile of trash. That thought led her mechanical mind to produce more laughter. ¡°Ha ha. Yes. A world that uses and disposes of valuable machines on a daily basis truly is different. And now that you have discovered us ¨C living machines which are even more valuable ¨C are you planning to use and dispose of us in your coming battles!?¡± She let out a shout. ¡°If so, feel some shame, Low-Gear!¡± But then the boy named Sayama reacted to the words she had thrust at him. ¡°Is that so?¡± he asked quietly. As she wondered if he had something to say, he crossed his arms. After a pause, he spoke. ¡°Feel some shame?¡± His emotionless voice continued. ¡°Then I will feel that shame as a representative of humanity and use you as mercenaries.¡± ¡°What?¡± She could not comprehend what he had said. She analyzed the words further before speaking. ¡°Are you going to sell us into slavery in exchange for a single boy¡¯s shame!?¡± ¡°That is an amazing bargain for getting me to feel shame.¡± He nodded with his arms still crossed. ¡°It is a wonderful story of self-sacrifice. The greatest god of war force of any Gear would be under my control. My name would go down in Low-Gear history.¡± As he spoke, a smile formed on his lips. And he laughed. But then he continued. ¡°Listen. Use and dispose of? An excellent phrase, Gyes-kun.¡± ¡°Do you realize that is a provocation against the machines of 3rd-Gear?¡± ¡°It is the truth, so there is not much I can do about it. Now, Gyes-kun, we live in a world of waste. Recycling? Economical? Environmental improvement? None of those are meant to improve this world. It is all an excuse for more waste. And in the end, the machines are sent to the Tartaros known as the trash dump and they become a part of our earth. So, Gyes-kun, I will feel shame as you have asked. ¡­Ahh, I am ashamed to admit just how wonderful this world is.¡± He took a breath before speaking again. ¡°If you have an issue with that, feel shame for all the fuel you have consumed in the past!!¡± ¡°I cannot accept your objection.¡± Sayama spoke to Gyes whose eyebrows were raised. ¡­Such a ridiculous original sin argument. ¡°Machines, fuel, wind, water, earth, and everything else are items to be used in this world. Even people, Gyes-kun. It is only those we have connections to that we make graves for and record memories of, but after a few generations, those connections to the past vanish and even the most detailed records become nothing but reading material. That is all there is to it. In the end, even we are nothing more than fuel that is used to move this world little by little. There is nothing more or less than that.¡± To his left were the black sea, the sky, and the lights of a city. ¡°But does the earth wish for more than that? Does the wind? Or the sea? Do the lights of that city wish for more? ¡­Do you wish for something more than being fuel that moves the world with a will of your own?¡± He took a breath. ¡°If that is worthy of feeling shame, then I hope the entire world enjoys shame. That is why I must request something from you. What matters most is not to immediately seek gratitude. It is to do what you are meant to do. Go ahead. We will walk down the Leviathan Road, eliminate the grudges of the Concept War, and travel to somewhere new.¡± ¡°Hah.¡± Gyes shook her head. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re creating a new era?¡± ¡°Make no mistake, automaton. An era is not so easily created that we alone can do so. Also, the Leviathan Road will not appear on the surface of history.¡± ¡°Then why would you claim you will travel to somewhere new? Aren¡¯t you reveling in self-satisfaction over creating a new era and guiding us there?¡± Sayama let out a sigh. He could improve his position in the negotiation by pointing out she was straying from the topic at hand, but he had decided his position would not truly improve unless he answered the question. And so he spoke. ¡°We are simply travelling to somewhere new without looking back. We have no intention of remaining there or waving our flag. Our names will not remain and we will likely be unable to do anything beyond proving people can travel there.¡± ¡°Unable?¡± asked Shinjou. Sayama nodded at that question that was asked with ends of the eyebrows lowered. ¡°Yes, Shinjou-kun. Even once the Leviathan Road is over, a few members of Team Leviathan ¨C you and me included ¨C will still have our studies to complete. We will go as far as we can and then step down for the sake of our own futures. We can then tell the adults that they should be able to do an even better job if children were able to make it that far.¡± He gave a bitter laugh. ¡°I wonder how rich the world will have grown by the time we are adults.¡± Shinjou looked at Sayama. She realized he was right. The Leviathan Road had to end within the year. There would likely be some things left to do afterwards, but there were other things they had to do for their own lives: school and the other learning needed for life. Sayama turned to Gyes and spoke. ¡°Team Leviathan is an independent unit. Once the Leviathan Road is complete, it will disband. And UCAT is not an army. They can request we participate in later jobs, but they cannot force us.¡± ¡°Are you saying you will do whatever you like and then escape responsibility?¡± ¡°We have no intention of escaping. We will simply step down. Nothing will disappear. If you hold a grudge, feel free to attack. If we failed in anything, feel free to criticize. But regardless of that, we will have high hopes for the adults.¡± He nodded. ¡°And we will have high hopes for ourselves once we become adults. I wonder what we will do in the future. Some will likely move all around the world, some will likely stay in UCAT to perform political activities with the other Gears, and some will likely nap with their beloved while watching the peaceful scenery outside their window.¡± He turned to Shinjou. ¡°And at least one is likely to work hard as an author.¡± That filled Shinjou with panic because she had still been mostly keeping it a secret. ¡°I-I still haven¡¯t decided if I¡¯ll really become one¡­or if I want to¡­¡± ¡°Let us leave it at that, Shinjou-kun. And as for another¡­¡± He grabbed the microphone on the desk and took a deep breath. ¡°I am likely to begin a blissful life of days and nights with Shinjou-kun! We will be inseparable!¡± ¡°Waaaah!!¡± shouted Shinjou as she grabbed the microphone. That microphone led not just to the entire world but to every other Gear as well. ¡­Was that just recorded? Was it? Gyes gave her a confused look, but she ignored it. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± she repeated again and again while holding the microphone. That must have told Gyes something because she sighed and brushed up her hair. ¡°I see. I now understand Low-Gear¡¯s objective.¡± She specified Low-Gear rather than Team Leviathan. ¡­She isn¡¯t letting this negotiation stop at just Team Leviathan. It would be a common point of view for every Gear. Sayama may have realized that because he said nothing about that point. Gyes gently placed her right hand on the desk and looked to Sayama. ¡°I will trust you. That is our first agreement.¡± An odd sound filled the air. It came from the desk. Shinjou looked down and saw Gyes¡¯s fingers digging into the desk¡¯s surface. In fact, even her palm had sunk about a centimeter down. She silently lifted her hand, leaving a rounded handprint behind. ¡°I used my gravitational control to raise the density along the surface. A fingerprint pattern can be reproduced, but this pressure density cannot be reproduced without my same hand and ability. I will leave this as proof,¡± she said. ¡°But there is one other problem and it is even more important.¡± ¡°Is that the connection between Typhon and Apollo?¡± asked Sayama. Shinjou gasped. ¡­What is he going to do? Removing the Concept Core from Typhon would lead to Apollo¡¯s death, but the concepts could not be released otherwise and the Leviathan Road would become meaningless. ¡°¡­¡± Shinjou squeezed the microphone in her hand and wondered if she should switch it off. That would prevent the world from hearing what Sayama would say, what they concluded, and anything inconvenient therein. ¡°Do not switch off the microphone, Shinjou-kun.¡± Hearing his voice, Shinjou looked up. He had already turned toward Gyes. His face remained expressionless, but she saw a hint of harshness within it. It almost looked like he was angry with Gyes. ¡­Why is he angry? Shinjou tilted her head and Sayama spoke as if that had been his cue. ¡°Removing the Concept Core from Typhon means the death of Apollo, the true representative of 3rd-Gear.¡± But he did not stop there. ¡°If we want the Concept Core, we have no choice but to go through with it.¡± Gyes listened to the boy speak. ¡­Will this boy become our enemy after all? A voice seemed to respond to that thought. ¡°What are you trying to do here?¡± She saw Sayama cross his arms and tilt his head. ¡°We must retrieve the Concept Core, but it seems taking it from Typhon means the death of Apollo, the legitimate heir of 3rd-Gear.¡± ¡°That is correct. But you have no choice but to do so, correct?¡± Sayama fell silent. The silence lasted a few seconds, a dozen, and then over a minute. With the roar of the sea to her left, Gyes looked at the boy, but he merely looked back without moving. ¡­Strange. She had asked the question, so he had to provide an answer. Those were the rules of a negotiation. But he merely stood and faced her. ¡°¡­¡± She was unsure what to make of this, but then she realized what she should do. She should move. That motion formed words which in turn formed a question. ¡°What is it? You aren¡¯t answering.¡± ¡°Of course I am not.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Make no mistake, automaton. I asked a question: what are you trying to do here? After that, I merely reiterated the facts. However, you gave no answer to my question and simply said ¡®that is correct¡¯. That was in response to my reiteration of the facts and not an answer to the question that preceded it.¡± He lowered his shoulders. ¡°I will do this again. This is what I was asking: 3rd-Gear, what are you trying to do by linking your representative¡¯s death to the retrieval of the Concept Core?¡± His voice filled the air. He did not speak loudly, but it had a stillness that drowned out the waves. ¡°Team Leviathan merely needs the Concept Core, but have you built up a system around your own leader¡¯s death all so you can force that death onto us?¡± Gyes thought about what he meant. ¡­I see. As he had said, 3rd-Gear had been the one to trap Apollo in this cage of death. ¡°We will merely be taking the Concept Core. If we must kill someone to do so, we have no choice but to kill them. However, our retrieval of the Concept Core and the construction of that murderous system are two different things. We did not try to kill him. It is the ones who built that murderous system that tried to kill him. ¡­Is that not another way to look at this?¡± ¡°Are you attempting to justify your actions? You are killing someone either way.¡± Gyes¡¯s comment was only meant to buy time. She needed to prepare the words to reverse the situation while Sayama responded. ¡­It is true that was what Lady Artemis wished for. But¡­ She thought about what was truly important to them. ¡­Lord Apollo¡¯s survival. Just as she began to think about how to accomplish that, a voice reached her. ¡°Are you thinking, Gyes-kun?¡± She raised the head she had subconsciously lowered and found a boy standing there. He was expressionless as always, but he was looking directly at her. ¡°You always assumed bringing up your master¡¯s death would solve everything, didn¡¯t you? But if it is necessary, I will not hesitate to go through with it.¡± ¡°That is evil.¡± ¡°To me, evil is a compliment. It feels like a promotion every time the word is spoken to me.¡± He remained expressionless. ¡°So think about this. Rather than relying on the feelings of others, think for yourself. And rather than thinking about your victory first, think about how to protect that which is important to you. That is the decision 3rd-Gear should continue to make and it is what the Leviathan Road desires.¡± He took a breath. ¡°And if you require assistance, we will not hesitate to provide it, whether that means preserving life or ending it.¡± Sayama looked at Gyes. The automaton in a red suit met his gaze. ¡°¡­¡± And she closed her eyes. Her behavior caused Shinjou to lower the ends of her eyebrows and tilt her head. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It is nothing. I was only thinking,¡± said Gyes. ¡°Thinking about how an automaton can save its master.¡± ¡°That is simple.¡± Sayama gave a bitter smile. ¡°If that master is awake, he can think for himself. But what is it you and your fellow automatons have been doing all this time? Haven¡¯t you been protecting his slumber rather than trying to rouse him?¡± What is really going on here? wondered Sayama. According to Greek mythology, Apollo was the son of Zeus and thus in a position to become the next king. However, he was trapped and immobilized by Artemis who had become Typhon. ¡°Apollo is the sun god. Is it not about time he awoke?¡± ¡°There is a way to free Lord Apollo from Typhon¡¯s curse.¡± Gyes¡¯s words caused Shinjou¡¯s shoulders to tremble in surprise. Shinjou looked up toward Gyes who nodded before continuing. ¡°In fact there are two ways, but one is now impossible.¡± ¡°B-but what is it?¡± Gyes nodded again. ¡°The Tartaros. It is made up of the concepts that each individual person of 3rd-Gear controlled one of. In other words¡­¡± ¡°If Apollo and Artemis are taken into the Tartaros as concepts, their death from sixty years ago can be carried out properly?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Gyes. ¡°If they are taken into the Tartaros, neither one of them will disappear. They were both headed for death originally. It is not my place to make the decision, but I have determined that is their rightful form.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But the Tartaros Machina needed for that was lost in 3rd-Gear¡¯s destruction. The Concept Core was also split and one half has become an incomplete weapon. That all comes from Lord Cronus¡¯s grudge. He likely intended to prevent any of Lord Zeus¡¯s descendants from remaining with 3rd-Gear.¡± Silence fell and Shinjou closed her notes amid the roar of the sea. ¡°What¡¯s the other way?¡± Gyes nodded, raised her head, and gave a smile with the ends of her eyebrows lowered. ¡°To use a term mentioned a few times in our previous discussion, it is a ridiculous method.¡± She asked a question. ¡°Do you want to hear it?¡± She nodded again. ¡°It is a method that could create a third impurity.¡± Volume 7, 32: Compensation for a Lie Volume 7, Chapter 32: Compensation for a Lie Lies are told to obtain something Something that cannot be obtained with truth Something that should be cast aside by truth Miyako walked along the catwalk and toward the white giant¡¯s back. Her destination was the cockpit entrance at the center of the six wings. She thought to herself while the sounds of her feet counted her steps. ¡­What should I say once that idiot comes out? ¡°Hi¡± or ¡°how are you doing¡± would be too strange. She had seen Typhon on a rampage, so ¡°what are you doing¡± may have been the best option. But that was not what she truly wanted to say. She truly wanted to speak about the yellow light that had resided in Typhon¡¯s now empty eyes, but she could not put together the words. ¡°¡­¡± She hesitated, brought a hand to her forehead, and brushed up her hair. ¡°Ah.¡± It happened without warning. Typhon¡¯s back separated up and down to reveal a man. It was Apollo. His hair was damp, he wore white pants and a white shirt that was open in the front, and he was barefoot. His face was pale and his lowered eyes were unfocused. He looked like he had run from something in the rain. He stepped out onto the catwalk and took a step, but he quickly lost his balance, collapsed forward, and caught himself on the catwalk railing. He let out a breath while Miyako stared at his hands grasping the railing. He kept his head lowered, let out another breath, and moved toward her. He walked, but he was unsteady, he had to lean his waist on the railing too, and it left him gasping for breath just to take it one step at a time. His sweat fell on the catwalk, but Miyako continued watching him rather than the fallen sweat. ¡­Why? She had no words despite planning to say something. The young man before her could barely walk. ¡­But he doesn¡¯t call for even a single maid. Why was that? She then heard the clang as he fell to his knees. His hands had slipped from the railing and his body had shrunk down. His shoulders rose and fell as air entered and left his lungs in what sounded more like choking than gasping. He tried to stand up or raise his knees a few times. ¡°¡­!¡± But he lost his balance and his right shoulder slammed into the railing support. The railing frantically bent its body to absorb the shock, but he used that time to grab the support with both hands. He tried to pull himself up with his trembling hands, but he could not. Miyako took a step forward, looked down on him as he gasped for breath, and tried to say something. She opened her mouth to say ¡°are you okay¡± or ¡°keep fighting¡±. ¡°Stand up.¡± Crap, she immediately thought. That isn¡¯t helping. But he stopped moving and finally spoke. ¡°Miyako?¡± ¡°What if it wasn¡¯t me, you idiot?¡± He took another heavy breath and his shoulders resumed rising and falling slowly. ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t have time to deal with you. But¡­did you see? No, you did, didn¡¯t you? I only had control for an instant, but I saw you in the moonlight on the shoulder of Gyes¡¯s god of war.¡± He took another breath. ¡°This is what it looks like to unsuccessfully become the leader of 3rd-Gear, Miyako.¡± ¡°The leader?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already heard, haven¡¯t you? I can¡¯t leave Typhon and this world will be destroyed at the end of its year. The Concept Core is needed to save it, but that Concept Core is what supports me.¡± He lifted himself up as he spoke. He moved slowly and trembled all the while, but he managed to stand while leaning on the railing. However, his head remained lowered and he spoke toward the floor. ¡°Kill me and take the Concept Core home with you, Miyako. Being killed by someone is what I want.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t be stupid.¡± She reflexively grabbed his collar with her left hand. Because he was leaning forward, she could only grab the left side of his collar and with her wrist reversed. ¡°You¡¯re the master of this place, aren¡¯t you!? Is this what the king of 3rd-Gear should do!?¡± ¡°I am no king!¡± She heard the trembling in his shout. ¡°As heir to the throne, I once had plenty of subordinates and many people surrounding me. My father did terrible things under his rule and assumed it was my duty to cleanse that evil. But¡­!¡± He paused for a breath. ¡°As the Concept War continued, the people around me vanished. Even my family and my own sister were made into machines! And then I was killed before I could officially take the throne for myself. That should have been the end of it¡­if I had not survived.¡± He laughed quietly toward the floor and his shoulders shook a little. ¡°Funny, isn¡¯t it? It was all over, but now I have to take the title of king as the sole survivor of 3rd-Gear? I couldn¡¯t protect my father, I was protected by my sister, and now the Gear I must protect is hated for its past deeds. In other words, no one is expecting anything of me as king.¡± With that said, he raised his head and turned his yellow eyes toward her from beyond his disheveled blond hair. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± ¡°Because I envy you, Miyako.¡± Taken aback, she looked more closely and noticed his damp eyes were narrowed. ¡°On that night, control returned to me by pure chance. I was surprised to see you when I attempted to recover while being pursued. That was the first time I had seen someone intrude on our battle. When I saw you from the sky, I believe you were drunk and cursing.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to remember how pathetic I was.¡± ¡°I did the same once. And that is why I said this after approaching you.¡± He opened his mouth and spoke. His translated will reached her, but she also heard the sound. It was the same words in an unknown language she had heard Typhon speak on that night. ¡°I would like to speak with you, but I suppose that isn¡¯t possible.¡± He laughed again. ¡°In a way, my wish was granted when Artemis became a mad ruler and protected you.¡± ¡°You idiot¡­¡± she muttered as he laughed again. She found what she wanted to say. She found so much she wanted to say. ¡­I¡¯m the same, idiot. She had more or less gone this far in pursuit of his eye color. ¡­Just like you, I doubted it was possible. She then realized what emotion she had felt upon seeing Typhon¡¯s yellow eyes. ¡­It was me. I saw myself there, she thought. I saw myself when there¡¯s something I have to deal with. ¡°¡­¡± But she could not form the words and only silence and a few tears came out. Apollo nodded and closed his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Miyako. We can speak later. I will not hide anything anymore.¡± With that, strength left his body and he collapsed toward her. She frantically let go of his collar and caught him. She did not let go. ¡­If I don¡¯t support him, something will happen inside me. But he was heavy. He was tall and solid. ¡°You keep saying you don¡¯t want to, but you still put a lot into supporting 3rd-Gear.¡± He said nothing in response because he had already passed out. ¡°How about you take a bit of a rest? I can¡­¡± She was unsure what to say next, but finally spoke to the one she felt was the same as her. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I can help out.¡± She took a step back with his weight bearing down on her, but then something supported her back. That something had a hard body. ¡°Moira 1st?¡± ¡°It is not just me.¡± Miyako turned just her head toward the voice and saw all the maids gathered on the catwalk. Moira 2nd¡¯s repaired body was among them, but she was turned aside and looking away as usual. However, Moira 3rd looked delighted next to her. That was the answer. Moira 1st smiled while supporting her. ¡°Welcome again to 3rd-Gear, Lady Miyako. Give us your instructions.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Miyako nodded and the motion knocked a tear from the corner of her eye. ¡°Is there a way to remove Typhon¡¯s curse from this idiot?¡± ¡°There are two.¡± The maid¡¯s immediate reply caused Miyako¡¯s eyebrows to rise, but the smile had vanished from Moira 1st¡¯s face. Her eyebrows were flat and the look in her eyes sharp. ¡°The first is to send Lord Apollo and Lady Artemis to the Tartaros as thought entities, but the device needed for that was lost in 3rd-Gear¡¯s destruction. The other way¡­¡± She paused. ¡°Is to sacrifice you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It is a simple matter. Lady Artemis exists permanently within Typhon. You only need to combine with Typhon and overwrite her. We can perform the necessary tasks based on the records of the past, so it is a viable method.¡± The term ¡®viable method¡¯ led Miyako to ask a question while ignoring the mention of herself. ¡°Is there something needed beyond just the method?¡± ¡°Yes. That is something we cannot do and only you can do: have feelings for Lord Apollo. The union with a god of war is accomplished with one¡¯s thoughts. Lady Artemis is controlling Typhon with her desire to escape the fear of death and her feelings for Lord Apollo. You would need to surpass those.¡± Moira 1st paused. ¡°But out of concern for you, I must ask that you do not do this.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t be stupid! If you say it like that, I¡¯m definitely gonna do it.¡± ¡°But if I asked you to do it, you would accept. That is what I have determined. You always defy what people tell you to do, but you will not overlook another¡¯s suffering. In this case, both a refusal and a request would be no more than a challenge to you. In that case, I will express my true thoughts and refuse it.¡± And¡­ ¡°This is the same as what Lord Apollo once did. He was unable to abandon Lady Artemis when she lamented becoming a machine, so he made her his navigator.¡± ¡°If the control system and synchronization are redone after someone with feelings for Lord Apollo overwrites Lady Artemis and becomes Typhon, Lord Apollo will be freed from the curse.¡± Gyes heard Shinjou gulp and saw the girl turn toward her. ¡°But if you do that¡­¡± ¡°The woman will be unable to leave Typhon and handing over the Concept Core will kill her in Lord Apollo¡¯s place. This method could be referred to as Low-Gear supplying its own human resources for the release of the concepts, but from the discussion so far, I assume that would not be acceptable.¡± Gyes stepped back from the desk, looked at Shinjou and Sayama, and smiled. ¡°I never expected to form this expression here, but I thank you. And please listen. For the next 24 hours, we will consider our options for saving 3rd-Gear¡¯s king and returning him to his rightful form. And whatever our answer might be, we will engage you in combat while prioritizing that decision.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Gyes turned toward Shinjou and looked to the microphone in her hand. Gyes had been thinking about what she should do for 3rd-Gear as an automaton. ¡­To uphold my honor as an automaton, I must do my very best to keep my master from bearing those crimes. ¡°I make this announcement to every Gear. We will consider our options while thinking of our master and nothing else. However, we will let our master make the final decision for himself. I believe that he can decide his own path. Also, our reason for fighting is simple.¡± She took a small breath, pulled pen and paper from her pocket, and wrote on it. ¡°This is our final request for you in this negotiation. We cannot lie, but can you still have me lie and take credit for the crimes committed by our master?¡± Shinjou¡¯s shoulders trembled when she read the note. She quickly set down the microphone and wrote on her loose leaf paper while continuing to face Gyes. ¡°So you and the other automatons will bear 3rd-Gear¡¯s impurity?¡± Gyes smiled again. It was common knowledge that automatons could not lie, but if they could make it happen here¡­ ¡°This conversation is being recorded by the world¡¯s UCATs in real time, so our words will be accepted as truth and become common knowledge. Can you do it?¡± The boy responded with a certain action. He nodded and pulled a notepad from his pocket. Shinjou thought it was not possible. Excluding tactical feints, an automaton¡¯s mechanical decisions were made to maintain absolute truth. Overturning that would reject such a machine from the very core. But, she thought. Will it be possible with Sayama and Gyes who has shown something resembling emotion? Gyes had shown an opening in this recorded negotiation: writing. Their voices were being recorded, but communicating via text was simple. Sayama crossed his arms with the sea roar in the background and turned an expressionless look in Gyes¡¯s direction. ¡°Now then. I was feeling dizzy and stopped speaking for a moment there. Shinjou-kun was quite rough last night and it seems to be catching up to me.¡± ¡°I-I was not-¡­¡± ¡°3rd-Gear¡¯s fate is on the line. Saying anything to rouse the suspicions of those listening would be dangerous.¡± ¡°Kh.¡± Shinjou clenched her teeth, thought for a moment, and forced a smile. ¡°Y-yes, I was at your home rather than my usual bed, so I-I tossed and turned pretty roughly!¡± ¡°Why are you so good at running away?¡± She ignored him and he turned back to Gyes. ¡°Let us continue speaking. First, you say you have a reason to fight us separate from your master, correct? But¡­¡± He brought his right hand to his forehead with an exaggerated motion and raised a finger on his left hand. ¡°Listen, Gyes-kun. Let me guess what that reason is.¡± After setting the stage to give his answer, he fell silent. He was likely thinking how to pin the automatons as the ones behind the impurity of the past. But what he suddenly said surprised Shinjou. ¡°You automatons were the true ringleaders behind the slaughtering and kidnapping committed by 3rd-Gear in the past and you wish to take responsibility by using the battle with us as your gallows.¡± ¡°!?¡± It was sudden and without any kind of strategy. When asked about a complete lie like that, an automaton could only give a single response. ¡­Automatons can¡¯t lie! Gyes held her mouth when she almost denied that accusation, but she did not stop herself in time. ¡°That is a lie!¡± she shouted. She slammed her fist against the table, bared her teeth, and trembled. By denying that accusation, she was admitting to her masters¡¯ crimes. But Sayama held out his hand which contained some writing. ¡°Leave this to me.¡± Both Gyes and Shinjou frowned at that and he spoke. ¡°Sorry. I seem to have worded that poorly. I also failed to explain how I reached that conclusion. Perhaps the terms ¡®ringleader¡¯ and ¡®gallows¡¯ were inappropriate when not referring to humans. I can see how being treated as the same humans as your master would feel disrespectful and thus produce a negative reaction.¡± He took a breath. ¡°Now, let me explain my reasoning. I first considered that humans are intrinsically good. While investigating 3rd-Gear¡¯s past, I found their actions inhuman and thus questioned them. I suspected that information contained some distortion to the truth.¡± Shinjou watched as Sayama showed Gyes his notepad. ¡°Say, ¡®Continue speaking. If you disgrace my master, I will treat you appropriately.¡¯ ¡± ¡°Continue speaking. If you disgrace my master, I will treat you appropriately.¡± ¡°Yes, that servant¡¯s spirit is what stood out to me. As 3rd-Gear filled with pathetic failures and could no longer have children, I began to wonder what the master-worshiping automatons would do for those masters.¡± Ah, thought Shinjou. Sayama nodded once while facing her. ¡°Let me ask you one thing. The people of 3rd-Gear were your masters during the Concept War, but you never had a master from another Gear, did you?¡± ¡°That is correct.¡± ¡°Then did 3rd-Gear¡¯s automatons ever begin to think they could treat other humans however they liked if it was for their masters¡¯ sake?¡± Gyes brought a hand to her mouth. She could not lie and Sayama had asked about a falsehood concerning the automatons. ¡­What is he going to do!? Shinjou watched as he held out his notebook. ¡°Gyes-kun, say ¡®that is correct¡¯.¡± Gyes opened her mouth. ¡°¡­¡± The decision to tell the truth took priority over the decision to answer with a lie. ¡°Can you not simply say ¡®that is correct¡¯?¡± Gyes looked like she was enduring pain as she nodded. She then opened her mouth in preparation to speak the truth. Just as Shinjou thought it was all over, Sayama rewrote his previous request. ¡°Gyes-kun, pronounce the words ¡®that is correct¡¯.¡± ¡°!¡± Rather than speaking words with meaning, she would be mechanically uttering the sounds. ¡°That is correct!¡± she shouted. Sayama suddenly wrote something in his notepad, tore it out as quietly as possible, and handed it to Shinjou. He gave her two papers and she read the first. ¡°If I give you a signal, rewrite what the bottom paper says in your own words and show it to Gyes-kun.¡± Wondering what it said, she tilted her head and looked at the bottom paper. As soon as she read it, her mouth stretched horizontally. Gyes saw Shinjou shrink down, but she held a note out toward Sayama. ¡°We have established that we viewed the life of other Gears more lightly and that can be used as a reason for us committing the crimes. However, you have not yet had us admit to 3rd-Gear¡¯s actual crimes. It all comes down to this, but automatons like us can learn. That previous trick will not work a second time.¡± He nodded, but immediately spoke. ¡°I see. So you viewed the humans of other Gears as worthless and suggested to the humans of 3rd-Gear that those humans of other Gears be treated as machine parts. The humans were naturally hesitant to do so, but did you perhaps prioritize your feelings for those masters and liberally interpret their lack of an outright denial as authorization to act on your own?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Gyes¡¯s mechanical mind once more told her to deny it, but Sayama smiled before she could. ¡°Hold on there. I am not done yet, Gyes-kun. Please do not give the truth now and ruin my fun as I show off my reasoning.¡± That put off her denial and Gyes wrote another note. ¡°That dodged the issue well enough, but it will not work next time either.¡± ¡°I will finish this next time, Gyes-kun.¡± ¡°Anyway, you did all the work yourselves. By the time the humans tried to stop you, you had already acted and it was too late. The other Gears never imagined the automatons would act on their own, so they assumed 3rd-Gear¡¯s humans were behind it. As such, you made the following decision: the crimes had been committed by the automatons who served the people of 3rd-Gear rather than by the people themselves, so to protect your current master, you will cut your ties with that master and take all responsibility by challenging us to a battle that risks your destruction.¡± Gyes could not answer those quiet words that filled the air. Her mind told her to deny his lie. She wished what he said was the truth. She wanted to take all the responsibility on themselves and free Apollo. ¡°¡­!¡± But when she opened her mouth to speak, it was a denial that threatened to leave it. She wanted to say no. She wanted to say he was speaking complete nonsense. Sayama then held out a note. ¡°Can you pronounce the words ¡®The Great Sayama is exactly right. Long live the Great Sayama¡¯?¡± She could not. She wrinkled her brow, brought a hand to her mouth, and shook her head. An automaton¡¯s ability to learn was very adaptive. Even when changing the words used, the same trick would not work. Plus, these specific words contained a nuance that made her even less willing to speak them. ¡­Kh! And I only need to say three simple words: that is correct! She was at her limit. The denial was on her lips. She opened her mouth and she breathed deep into her speech device. Just as she was going to yell ¡°no¡±, Sayama pointed to Shinjou. The girl had spread a scrap of paper between both hands to show Gyes. ¡°Gyes-san, are you having trouble? Are you?¡± Gyes shouted back her answer. ¡°That is correct, you idiot!!¡± Gyes shouted and slammed her fists against the table so hard it broke. Shinjou watched her beyond the scattering splinters. She breathed calmly while looking up into the sky with fists lowered. Shinjou hid the paper in her pocket and once more realized how Gyes truly felt. ¡°Is that what the automatons want?¡± Gyes did not answer. Instead, she gave Sayama a resolute look. ¡°We will make this our final battle.¡± Hearing that, Shinjou¡¯s eyebrows lowered. ¡­Does she think this way because she¡¯s a doll? Shinjou wished Gyes could be human and thought about who would think the way Gyes did. ¡°You really are kind, Gyes-san. And you really are cruel, Gyes-san.¡± She had not even meant to speak out loud and the automaton turned toward her. Gyes¡¯s eyebrows rose in surprise for an instant, but she soon formed a small smile. ¡°That is true, but the human who recently came to our base treats us as if we are people. So is it that strange for us to go this far, not as dolls but as people?¡± Shinjou recalled the name of someone she had never met. ¡­Tsukuyomi Miyako. That was Tsukuyomi¡¯s daughter. Sayama must have realized that as well because he lightly raised a hand and snapped his fingers to gather Gyes¡¯s attention. ¡°Come to think of it, a ¡®guest¡¯ from Japanese UCAT is currently staying in your base.¡± ¡°Yes. A member of 2nd-Gear is with us as a ¡®guest¡¯. I believe her surname is Tsukuyomi. She is doing well. She makes selfish decisions, but she is working to better 3rd-Gear.¡± ¡°Is that so? But what will she do during your battle in 24 hours?¡± ¡°She will follow her own decision. She is working for the sake of 3rd-Gear, so we will not restrain her or force her to go free.¡± Sayama nodded at that immediate answer and Gyes moved a moment later. Her red suit fluttered as she turned her back and the surrounding distortion vanished. Next, the roar of the sea and the blowing of the wind suddenly grew louder. ¡°Ah¡­¡± By the time the sudden gust of wind made Shinjou shudder, Gyes had moved away. She walked across the beach and raised a hand. ¡°Please play along with our battle of dolls in 24 hours¡¯ time.¡± With that, she leaped into the sky and vanished into the moonlight. Volume 7, 33: Growing Closer on the Board Volume 7, Chapter 33: Growing Closer on the Board If you advance game pieces along the board Where do you place yourself to advance? Whether travelling to the past or the future, your heart will occasionally advance The movements of the sun and moon could not be seen underground, but the clock on the wall gave an indirect look. The clock in UCAT¡¯s development department gave the current time as 10:21 AM. Below the clock were the large director¡¯s desk and a woman in a lab coat who held a phone receiver to her ear. It was Tsukuyomi. She toyed with her unkempt gray bangs as she spoke. ¡°That daughter always was trouble. Yes, Sayama, thank you for calling. Don¡¯t worry. This can be in exchange for the documents we gave you. Nothing¡¯s more frightening than getting something for free.¡± All of the partitions before her were filled. The people inside had been working night and day without rest to restore the servers and help the other departments with the aftermath of the attack. A few people were watching her from above the partition walls. They looked worried, so she smiled and gestured for them to sit. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m so busy that I¡¯m more worried about myself than her.¡± She then spoke to Sayama through the phone. ¡°Are you at the Port of Mizushima right now? And you¡¯re going to set up a formation near Kurashiki, right? You must be busy too. Anyway, use all of the documents Kashima sent you as your summer homework, including the ones you can¡¯t read.¡± She laughed. ¡°I¡¯m sure the higher ups know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to offer the data from our ¡®emergency backup¡¯ to help restore the central server.¡± His response made her smile bitterly, but that smile quickly vanished. For a while, she only nodded as he spoke. ¡°Hey, is anyone here fairly knowledgeable about gods of war?¡± she shouted to the partitions. One middle-aged technician in the back stood up and she asked a question before he could speak. ¡°If a god of war is powered by a Concept Core, what happens when that Core is removed from it?¡± ¡°In short, it no longer functions. It dies.¡± ¡°Can it be started up again?¡± ¡°No. Gods of war are like living creatures. They always exist in a faint standby state. If that is eliminated, their components slow, deteriorate, and then die. Once the circulation is cut off, great damage is done to the internal systems and anyone synced with it will be in danger.¡± ¡°I see. Thanks,¡± said Tsukuyomi while motioning for the technician to sit. A voice reached her as soon as she pressed the receiver back to her ear and she made a few responses. ¡°Don¡¯t act so surprised. I didn¡¯t know you could make such human complaints.¡± She gave a bitter laugh. ¡°Ha ha. You should show that side of you to your teammates more often. You¡¯re essentially Team Leviathan¡¯s king after all. ¡­Right. Now do your best and don¡¯t worry about my daughter.¡± Huh? thought Miyako. She was currently on a bed in a dimly-lit room. More importantly, she was not wearing any clothes. Next to her, Apollo had yet to fully remove his own clothes. ¡°How did things end up like this?¡± She had carried him to his room after he collapsed, but her mistake had been falling asleep while lying next to him. When she had woken up past noon, he had also woken, so they had been forced to face each other as they ate the food left by Moira 1st. Afterwards, Apollo had fallen asleep again. It was currently mid-afternoon, but the window was shut and the room only contained a faint light. Miyako recalled the plate Moira 1st and the other maids had used to leave a note. ¡°They¡¯re preparing for a sort of festival, are they?¡± She did not quite understand, but the maids who occasionally came to speak with Apollo seemed to be enjoying themselves. Apollo¡¯s tearful face from the night before had vanished and he conversed with the maids while showing a comfortable expression lacking any excess concern. Currently, he spoke next to her. ¡°Do not worry, Miyako. This should not be a bad thing.¡± ¡°Why did I end up stripped down before you? Answer me.¡± ¡°Because you had fewer pieces of clothing.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s because you were in such a rush to take them all off me. And you looked pretty happy doing it, I might add.¡± While she was not satisfied with his answer, she also wondered if they should be doing this. ¡°H-hey¡­¡± She realized she had never had a proper conversation with him. ¡°Let us talk, Miyako.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t steal my line.¡± She raised her voice and blushed, but Apollo only laughed and approached from the side. ¡°I would like to hear about your family.¡± ¡°About my dad?¡± ¡°And your mother and you, Miyako. What is a Low-Gear family like?¡± He sat next to her with a smile and she pulled up the blanket to hide her body. ¡°It¡¯s not very interesting.¡± ¡°But a family is something I do not know. ¡­The only people I had were a sister who I was to view as a woman, a father who gave me orders, and those who fought.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I would often look at my father and decide I did not want to turn out like him. I would wonder why I had to follow his orders. Whenever I disobeyed him, he would say it was for my own good.¡± That made Miyako laugh and Apollo looked confused. ¡°I was told the same thing. Everyone else was going to cram school¡­but you probably don¡¯t know what that is. Anyway, everyone else went, but I didn¡¯t like studying. The thing is, I also didn¡¯t like being separated from everyone else. When he made me go, my dad said that same thing.¡± ¡°Ha ha. Why is it that parents try to force happiness onto you?¡± ¡°How should I know?¡± She shrugged. ¡°But those are the only things you remember, aren¡¯t they?¡± Apollo nodded. ¡°It really is unfair. He forced everything onto me and then left without giving me a chance to say anything. ¡­I really don¡¯t want to end up like him.¡± ¡°Neither do I.¡± said Miyako. ¡°Anyway, can I change the subject to the present?¡± ¡°You mean Typhon?¡± ¡°How did you know? Typhon is a part of your family, isn¡¯t it?¡± Apollo gave a bitter smile. ¡°You got me there,¡± he said and she held out a hand. ¡°So what are you going to do about freeing yourself from Typhon¡¯s curse?¡± Moira 1st had told her the two methods. The first was no longer possible. ¡­And the second requires my feelings. According to Moira 1st, the organization named UCAT that her mother belonged to also wanted Typhon¡¯s Concept Core. If she joined with Typhon and the Concept Core was removed, she would die. She decided now to see if that was actually true. ¡­Whether I¡¯ll actually sacrifice myself is a different issue, though. As she thought, Apollo opened his mouth to speak. ¡°I see Moira 1st explained the situation to you. One of the automatons told me earlier.¡± ¡°Yes. What I know for sure is, if I join with Typhon¡­¡± ¡°No one wants you to do that.¡± Apollo¡¯s expression grew serious. ¡°I just thought up a third method.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± She sat up a little and he shook his head. ¡°But if I tell you, it will use up all the time I have with you.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t say that, you idiot. More importantly, that third method¡­it¡¯s nothing bad is it? It doesn¡¯t sacrifice anyone, does it?¡± ¡°It does not. It frees me from Typhon¡¯s curse and makes me a king.¡± ¡°A king?¡± I¡¯m doing nothing but ask questions, she thought as Apollo nodded. ¡°And when I do, I will take you as my queen.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t be stupid. I never said I¡¯d marry you.¡± ¡°I said I would take you as my queen, not as my wife. You could be an honorary queen.¡± ¡°You son of a bitch!¡± He laughed and she bared her teeth for a moment, but she soon sighed. ¡­I was wondering why he looked so serious. She clicked her tongue and his smile vanished. ¡°But do not worry. Moira 1st likely told you what she did so that you would worry for me. ¡­But we have a choice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a hundred years too early to think about using that choice to make me your wife.¡± ¡°A hundred years? That isn¡¯t long for me.¡± ¡°You idiot,¡± she muttered before sighing again. ¡°Y¡¯know, it may be a bit late to say this, but I¡¯m kind of a failure.¡± She lay on her back and looked up at the ceiling. Even the dim orange light seemed bright to her. She crossed her arms in front of her eyes to hide the light. ¡­The whole reason I ended up here was failing that interview. Something like a voice came from deep in her chest. The word ¡°regret¡± filled her mind, but she did not let it show. ¡­Who regrets not getting into a place they didn¡¯t really want to be? She did not speak that thought aloud, but she did speak her true thoughts. The darkness of covering her eyes made her honest. ¡°I¡¯ve made myself sound pretty important while I¡¯m here.¡± She took a breath. ¡°But you were right when we spoke below that cliff. I¡¯m staying here because I don¡¯t want to go back out into the world.¡± ¡°Miyako.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be doing this¡­¡± ¡°Miyako.¡± She raised her arms and found his face. At some point, he had lifted the blanket and moved above her, but his face looked somehow twisted. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Miyako. For some reason, seeing you cry makes me want to cry.¡± ¡°Sorry. But¡­¡± ¡°Are you nothing but talk, Miyako? Then why did the automatons accept you as their master? Was it your words? Your thoughts? Or was it your attitude that pushes you ever onwards? Let me tell you this, Miyako. A king who leads the people is someone who possesses all three of those,¡± said Apollo. ¡°That is something I could not do. Thank you.¡± ¡°I should be the one thanking you, idiot.¡± Tears spilled from the corners of her eyes and his head lowered. As she shrank back in surprise, their lips met. After a few seconds, the wetness took a breath and left, but the heat did not leave her body and cheeks. She took a breath and moved her legs. She gently held him between her knees and positioned her butt. ¡°U-um, just to be clear¡­¡± ¡­Saying this really isn¡¯t like me at all. ¡°This is my first time. Be gentle, okay?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miyako. It¡¯s my first time, too.¡± ¡°I see,¡± she responded without thinking. ¡°Wait! What was that!? Don¡¯t lie to me!! Looking like that, you¡¯ve gotta be a real lady-killer!¡± ¡°I am not lying. To ensure everything goes smoothly, 3rd-Gear omitted the manual labor. Everything was extracted and done outside the body. Also¡­lady-killer? I do not like killing, especially of women.¡± ¡°No, a lady-killer is¡­oh, never mind!¡± I¡¯ve had enough, she thought to herself. This isn¡¯t something where you can try to look good. Just as she realized that was not much different from normal, Apollo lowered his body. ¡°Ah, w-wait a minute.¡± Her pulse began to race and sweat poured out as if she had been holding it in. He looked down at her in confusion. ¡°Y¡¯know, I¡¯ve read that it rarely turns out well when it¡¯s both people¡¯s first times.¡± ¡°Do not worry, Miyako. Long ago, I read in a book how to make sure it turns out well.¡± ¡°And how many thousands of years ago was that, you idiot? Plus, it¡¯s rare these days to see a non-standard product like me produced in Japan, the nation of mass production. What¡¯ll you do if something goes wrong? Also¡­¡± She looked up at the young man above her and made a prediction based on the somehow happy look on his face. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell you why I¡¯m so sure, but you¡¯ll succeed this time. Without a doubt.¡± ¡°Low-Gear is far more advanced than 3rd-Gear! You can determine someone¡¯s skill just by looking at them!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about skill! It¡¯s more like an accidental discharge!¡± She punched him straight in the face. He let out a groan before twisting his body and falling toward her. ¡°Kyah!¡± She was surprised how pathetic her own voice sounded. Unlike when she had held him in the hangar that morning, his skin was warm and even the tickling of his hair rested on her. ¡°¡­¡± She looked around with her hands lifted above her head, but there was of course no one there. ¡°You idiot¡­¡± She sighed, relaxed, and wrapped her arms around his back and neck. ¡­I¡¯m doing him a huge favor here. Once she realized that thought was just a way to hide her embarrassment, she gave a mental sigh. She further relaxed her body, sank into the bed, and matched the curve of her body to his. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure a lot will happen, but it should turn out fine. Probably.¡± He nodded and raised his head to look her in the eye with his own smiling eyes. His yellow eyes were not the same color as hers, but they contained the same light. ¡°Do you think we can become a family?¡± asked the owner of those eyes. ¡°That¡¯s fine with me, but I wonder what my mom would say.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. If we become a family, I gain a mother-in-law. At the very least, we will have a family of three.¡± Is that how it works? she wondered. Based on his past, she guessed why he had said that with a smile and she empathized with him. Once she did, she could no longer stop her feelings for him. ¡°But¡­ Don¡¯t forget about the Moirai and the other maids. They¡¯re family too, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°I will make sure of it in the future. It will have to be through you before I am used to it, though.¡± He raised his body a bit and stuck his arms under her shoulders and back. She took a breath to relax and she felt the heat of his breath, but she did not reject it. ¡­He¡¯s sure to make a good king. She felt Typhon was holding him back. And if the automatons did become his family, who would no longer be needed? ¡­Me? They don¡¯t need two masters, she realized. Staying with this idiot as Typhon is still an option, I suppose. ¡°You lost your family, didn¡¯t you?¡± she said. ¡°But you never forget your family, you can make a new one, and you can become part of someone else¡¯s. Don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± When he nodded, she continued with a relieved smile. ¡°Then we really are the same.¡± The sunset was beginning to disappear to the west. The sky was quite visible in this area. Fields continued on as far as the eye could see. The only other things visible were the train tracks and a circle of trucks in a large empty lot. The trucks were all loaded with shipping cargo, but what lay in the center of the circle was different. Lights brighter than the dim sunset illuminated the people standing alongside it. Three giant armored warriors were loaded onto the back of trucks. Two were colored black and white and contained the UCAT emblem, but the wholly black god of war next to them had no emblem. Several people were gathered next to the black one. A whiteboard was placed in front of them and a quick map had been drawn on it by hand. The map was labelled ¡°Kurashiki¡±. A large black man spoke in front of the whiteboard. As he did so, he glanced to the side where two boys and a girl stood. The boy with sharp facial features and the girl with short hair wore the same white and black armored uniform as the others, but the short boy did not. He wore a black T-shirt, jeans, and a white bandanna. The bandanna boy spoke the most to the two across from him. ¡°So Kazami-san, how is Mikage-san?¡± ¡°She hasn¡¯t come to yet, but she¡¯ll be driven to Kurashiki ahead of time. Sibyl will be with her, so you don¡¯t have to worry, Hiba. But¡­should we really bring an injured person to the battlefield?¡± Kazami¡¯s eyebrows lowered and she tilted her head. Hiba could only give a trouble smile in response. I¡¯m being selfish, he thought. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have her with me since she might have given up on me.¡± He gave a small nod. ¡°But we might settle things with 3rd-Gear, so I think she should be there.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kazami nodded and pulled a map of Kurashiki from her pocket. She faced the boy with a sharp face and looked at Baku on his head. ¡°Sayama, a question. What¡¯s our plan?¡± ¡°I will give a quick explanation. Just look over at the map drawn by that bald man.¡± Boldman turned around. ¡°I can hear you!¡± ¡°I was not hiding it, so of course you can. ¡­Now, if you can see that poorly-drawn map¡­¡± Hiba looked over to the equilateral triangle representing Kurashiki. ¡°Kurashiki can be viewed like this if you use the major roads to divide it up. The top corner is Kurashiki Station and there is an amusement park above it. The bottom right corner is the small mountain containing the Achi Shrine. 3rd¡¯s base is also there, so it is the center of the concept space. We will be entering through the bottom left corner.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a long way. Isn¡¯t 3rd¡¯s concept space a little too big?¡± ¡°In the late afternoon, UCAT¡¯s Okayama branch detected their concept space expanding. I believe it has a radius of three kilometers. Jumping in near the center risks damage to your string vibration and that map shows the two-lane road leading straight to the Achi Shrine.¡± Hiba saw the line leading from the bottom left corner to the bottom right corner. However¡­ ¡°Since that¡¯s the shortest path, won¡¯t they be waiting there?¡± ¡°That is why we will circle around from above,¡± said Sayama. ¡°It is going a bit out of our way, but it is more certain. Also, there are a few side roads leading right ¨C that is, east ¨C on the way from the bottom left corner to the top corner. If we run up toward Kurashiki Station and send units down those side roads¡­¡± ¡°They can stop any enemies that might pursue from below.¡± ¡°A dummy will be sent out in front in case there are enemies at Kurashiki Station as well. An empty and disguised cargo train will be sent ahead on the track running alongside the road and we¡¯ll travel in a truck while the enemy is distracted by it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s my job?¡± asked Hiba. Out of their three gods of war, his was the only one with full power. Sayama answered with his gaze. He looked to Hiba¡¯s left where the side of a disguised truck had been lifted up and something was being lowered down. Some long objects made of black steel were affixed to pallets. There were three of them, two were sheathed swords, and the third was much longer. ¡°That is the anti-god of war sniper rifle ¡®God Piercer¡¯. Our development department remade the world¡¯s very first German anti-tank rifle on the god of war scale. It holds three shots and its effective range is approximately a kilometer. At that range, it can supposedly pierce the armor of three gods of war.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never done much shooting¡­¡± ¡°A specialized auxiliary device was already added at the Kanda Laboratory. If you wield it with Susahito Custom, your aim will be automatically corrected. You have five test shots, so try it out as you like. Your target will be 3rd-Gear¡¯s leader if he attempts to flee. It will likely be a flight-capable god of war, but in the worst case, you will have to shoot Typhon.¡± Sayama patted his shoulder. ¡°If Typhon arrives, you handle it. Finish this once and for all.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. But I explained Typhon¡¯s technique before coming here, didn¡¯t I?¡± He was referring to the movement technique that could eliminate time, but Sayama did not seem interested. ¡°Do not worry. I have only heard about the technique secondhand, but you can overcome it.¡± ¡°H-how irresponsible can you be?¡± ¡°It is not my responsibility. Also, the technique itself is incredibly simple. All it does is eliminate time. Nothing more. No matter what happens, you must overcome Typhon¡¯s technique and win, so you must find a way to reach an opponent who moves while destroying the intervening time.¡± Sayama raised both his hands in front of his eyes before the left one shot upwards and the right one circled behind him. ¡°Fortunately, Typhon could not eliminate the time it took to fire as it flew like this. Most likely, that technique must be activated by its opponent¡¯s attack.¡± ¡°By my attack? But why?¡± ¡°Maybe to drive away the fear of death,¡± cut in Kazami while tilting her head. ¡°If you represent death to her, Artemis may try to hide herself as a starting point toward driving you away. She wishes to escape that symbol of death. But when attacking, she feels the relief of being able to win and isn¡¯t able to eliminate the time.¡± ¡°That is a decent theory. It does nothing to help us find a strategy, but pondering it could make for a nice break.¡± Kazami glared at Sayama, but Hiba did not mind. They could make some guesses about Typhon¡¯s attack system and what activated it. ¡°But that leaves how to break through it.¡± ¡°You have already been taught how to do that.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Hiba looked over and saw Sayama pointing to the south. He could no longer see it, but the sea was there. ¡°You would not have won before traveling there, but Izumo and I taught you a few things. According to my calculations, you should easily be able to overcome Typhon. So let me irresponsibly tell you to do your best.¡± Hiba gave a bitter smile because he had a feeling he might actually manage. Sayama would only talk about what they needed to do to win, but he had made a phone call with a serious expression back at the port. Kazami had speculated he was calling Tsukuyomi or someone about a way to save Apollo and Hiba found himself trusting the boy. ¡­What is with this trust? I don¡¯t really get it. ¡°Sayama-san, do you think there¡¯s a way to save Apollo?¡± ¡°I do not know. That is 3rd-Gear¡¯s problem and we have very little information,¡± he said. ¡°But I do wonder if the previous rulers of 3rd-Gear were truly the mad kings they were said to be. Zeus did not view people as human and Cronus resented Zeus for imprisoning him and tried to destroy him. That may be how the father/son relationship works, but is that truly how they were?¡± Hiba noticed Sayama¡¯s right hand lightly clutching the left side of his chest. He did not know why Sayama did that every time he spoke of the past, but he still stopped himself from asking if Sayama¡¯s father had been different. He was afraid he would be intruding on something related to the boy¡¯s chest, so he changed his thoughts. ¡­How was it with my dad and me? His father had been strict and had taught him plenty of techniques, but the man had never known Mikage or Hiba as he was now. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of relationship a real father and son have.¡± ¡°Neither do I. But that is exactly why I believe my reasoning is correct. If there is a condition, it would be how well you understand Mikage-kun. That will likely determine whether Apollo can be saved or not.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Sayama looked at Hiba. ¡°I am certain the answer has already been given and Cronus probably predicted it.¡± ¡°Are you talking about how to save Apollo?¡± ¡°Yes. If I am right, Apollo has already been saved. I want you to trust me when I say that. If something does happen, all responsibility will fall on me. As a villain, I will have deceived you and had you kill Apollo. So do not worry and go fight, Hiba boy.¡± Hiba was unable to nod. He did not know what Sayama was talking about and he had no reason to believe it. ¡­Can I really trust him? But he did have something he could trust: he had lost to them. And so he spoke without actually agreeing. ¡°Let¡¯s go. If necessary, we can create an answer out of nothing.¡± He then faced the rifle and swords that would be his weapons and found a familiar face next to them. It was a short old man with a bent back. ¡°Grandfather.¡± Hiba Ryuutetsu turned toward him and Hiba sensed a smile in the man¡¯s one red eye. ¡­Did he ever do anything like this? Hiba doubled his resolve to settle this and smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared myself, grandfather.¡± As soon as he said it, something small moved on Sayama¡¯s head. It was Baku. Sayama stood within the rain. It almost felt like a mist, but it had actual drops to it. As he passed through the rain with nothing but his vision and hearing, he realized what had happened. ¡­This is the past. Where was he? He looked around and saw a certain scene. ¡°A battlefield.¡± Several forms were visible at the bottom of a broad plain surrounded by mountains. They were machines and buildings. Most had lost their original form and had their frames and supports exposed. Among the buildings, just one thing had escaped complete destruction. A passageway continued underground beneath the largest building. It had been a three-story prefabricated building and some massive force had smashed entirely through it, but the floor of the first story and below had survived. That meant the underground passageway and a giant explosion-resistant door remained. Sayama saw letters engraved into that door: UCAT JAPAN. ¡°Japanese UCAT.¡± He recalled something else he had heard from the past. According to Cronus, 3rd-Gear had planned to work with 9th to attack UCAT after they had stolen Rhea¡¯s child. ¡­Is that what happened here? As far as he could tell, this was a garden of destruction. He belatedly noticed many human forms were collapsed amid it all. But he also saw a few people moving inside the smoke. Those were the survivors. How great a force had attacked and how much damage had been done? This was UCAT rather than the National Defense Department, yet it had been so thoroughly destroyed. ¡°It must have been quite a battle.¡± However, the explosion-resistant door leading underground had held. The evacuated local residents and research items were likely inside. Sayama then saw something odd. A strange darkness was located in the air near the center of the rain-covered destruction. It was a gate to another Gear. He moved toward it and found it was black, tall, and emitting a faint shadow-colored light. As he approached, he realized it was easily over seven or eight meters tall. This gate was meant for gods of war. The enemy had appeared and left through the gate, but its light was weakening. It was vanishing. However, Sayama saw some movement below it. They were injured men covered in mud. There were about a dozen of them and they called out to each other while setting barrel-like machines below the gate. Sayama heard them say things like ¡°keep it going¡± and ¡°don¡¯t let it vanish¡±. ¡­Are they trying to preserve the gate? There were two giant objects near them. One was Susahito Custom which had a broken right arm. The other was a blue and white machine even larger than the god of war. It was a mechanical dragon and the Stars and Stripes mark on its side suggested it belonged to American UCAT. The mechanical dragon was broken and spewing smoke and its windshield was partially opened. A young soldier in a flight suit spoke with blood running down his face. ¡°We could have managed if we¡¯d had Xolotl 3 here.¡± ¡°Wishing for something we don¡¯t have isn¡¯t going to help, Thunderson.¡± The response came from below the black god of war. A young soldier sat there with bandages around his right eye and more binding his right arm. The soldier named Thunderson raised his eyebrows when Hiba stood up. ¡°Hiba, you idiot. ¡­Are you really going!? That¡¯s enemy territory!¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand. Not when you¡¯re so disheartened.¡± Hiba opened the god of war¡¯s stomach with his left hand and pulled out the cockpit door. ¡°I¡¯m going and I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be back.¡± He then faced toward Sayama. He was actually facing the soldier named Thunderson and he gave a muddy smile. ¡°I¡¯m continuing on, Thunderson. You look toward the place you need to go.¡± ¡°Hiba!¡± Thunderson tried to fully open the windshield to exit the craft, but the bent frame would not let it open further. He tried a few more times, but found it was hopeless. ¡°You can¡¯t! If you go, what will happen to Toshi and the others!? Is Mikage more important than them!?¡± Rather than reply, Hiba climbed into Susahito Custom¡¯s cockpit and closed the door. Thunderson moved the control column and the mechanical dragon trembled. ¡°!¡± But its front right leg broke and it fell to the muddy ground, jaw first. ¡°That¡¯s not the issue. It isn¡¯t about who¡¯s more important.¡± The black god of war slowly stood up. The wings on its back were broken, but it turned around all the same. It whipped up the wind in the rain and headed toward the black gate. The men adjusting the machines supporting the gate opened a large path and saluted. Susahito Custom saluted back and spoke to Thunderson. ¡°You go too. Go to the destination you¡¯ve prepared for. I¡¯ll be going on ahead.¡± The black god of war took a step forward and vanished. The rain that had been falling on it now fell through empty space. Meanwhile, a cry rose from the man who had been left behind. As that roar filled the air, Sayama felt as if he had been thrust backwards. The past was ending. ¡­And this is where it truly began. This was where 3rd-Gear¡¯s destruction had begun. Hiba looked up in surprise. The light of sunset surrounded him and the sounds of truck engines and speaking voices returned. That sudden noise surprised him and the old man before him scratched his head. ¡°Oh, no. ¡­I¡¯m not sure how to put it, Ryuuji, but wasn¡¯t I pretty cool there?¡± ¡°No, you had nothing on my youthful spirit.¡± The two of them smiled bitterly and Sayama tapped Hiba on his shoulder. ¡°Hiba boy, Hiba-sensei, I am sure you have plenty to discuss. Go take a break.¡± When Ryuutetsu agreed, Sayama and Kazami nodded expressionlessly before leaving. Ryuutetsu suddenly looked to the left toward the rifle, the swords, and Susahito Custom beyond them. ¡°Ryuuji, what are you going to do about Mikage?¡± ¡°Good question¡­ Once this is over, I can discuss it with her.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve learned a lot, haven¡¯t you? About the past, what you¡¯ll do from now on, and what you¡¯ve been doing until now.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Hiba with a nod. ¡°And I¡¯m not the only one who¡¯s been thinking about a lot, am I?¡± ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s a bit late to be figuring that one out. ¡­So what¡¯s your answer?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have one,¡± he answered. ¡°But I want to protect her no matter what.¡± ¡°You sound like a stalker.¡± ¡°Why do you have to say that!?¡± ¡°Calm down, calm down.¡± Ryuutetsu walked forward, passed by Hiba, and faced Susahito Custom. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with not giving an answer and continuing to worry. That can be an answer in and of itself.¡± ¡°Were you not allowed even that?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think the elderly always have pasts filled with tragedy, do you?¡± He turned around with a smile in his red eye and Hiba swallowed what he was going to say next, but Ryuutetsu narrowed his eyes further. ¡°Ryuuji, there¡¯s a lot that isn¡¯t easy, but those are the truly important things. The most valuable things I taught you were the peeping techniques and how to take care of Mikage. You need to continue questioning everything and continue choosing what you can. As long as you do that¡­¡± He scratched his head. ¡°You might make mistakes, but you won¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± ¡°Grandfather¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just now, you were a little cooler than me. Like the length of a pinkie¡¯s fingernail more. Like this.¡± ¡°Ryuuji, you cut all your fingernails down as far as they¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because Mikage-san says it hurts when I¡¯m washing her in the bath and my nails touch her.¡± The old man suddenly punched him. Volume 7, 34: Battlefield of Farewells Volume 7, Chapter 34: Battlefield of Farewells Let¡¯s go Let¡¯s go To the place that calls to us Miyako opened her eyes. She had apparently fallen asleep and the cloth-like sensation wrapped around her up to the shoulders was a 3rd-Gear blanket. After a few breaths, feeling returned to her body and her pulse throbbed in the left temple that was touching the blanket. She was currently on her side with the blanket up to her shoulders. ¡°Nn¡­¡± Her dim vision saw the faint light of the room, white sheets, and¡­ ¡­Apollo. He lay on his side while facing her, but his eyes were closed and he seemed to be sleeping. She thought about touching his defenseless face. ¡°¡­¡± She decided against it, but she let out a breath that did not feel bad at all. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d say if I woke him.¡± ¡°Hey¡± or ¡°morning¡± would sound strange, but tapping him on the shoulder and saying ¡°you gave it a good effort, boy¡± was a little too oddly fitting. ¡­More importantly, what time is it? She did not know. She had slept with Apollo just before evening. Despite everything that happened and then sleeping for a bit, she doubted it was very far into the night. After all, the man sleeping before her eyes had not yet been called by Typhon. ¡°But then why did I wake up?¡± She would wake up when she had plans, but she would just let herself sleep otherwise and there was no sign of him having touched her after she fell asleep. ¡°?¡± She slowly sat up as she realized something was off. She carefully crawled across and off the bed while making sure the blanket on him did not move. She was not wearing anything, but she saw some clothes on the bedside table. Moira 1st or someone had likely prepared them. ¡­I wish they hadn¡¯t seen me like that. But she stood with a genuine smile and dressed. Some parts of her body ached a little from using muscles she did not normally use, but that pain only strengthened her smile as she passed her arms through the sleeves. She turned around and saw he was still sleeping with a peaceful expression. ¡­That¡¯s for the best. She nodded. ¡°If I join with Typhon, you can sleep like that every night. You can walk onward with the automatons¡­and become a king.¡± She turned her back, shook her hair, and opened the door without looking back. She entered the hallway to find Moira 1st or Gyes and tell them what she wanted to do. She wanted to finish it before Apollo woke. However, she found something unexpected in the white hallway with red carpet. ¡°There¡¯s no one here?¡± What¡¯s going on? she wondered as she quickened her pace toward the emergency exit. ¡°¡­?¡± At that point, the sense that something was off returned to her. ¡°It¡¯s shaking?¡± Something down below was shaking the building with a set tempo. ¡­The gods of war! Before she could think, her impatient reflexes sent her into a run toward the emergency exit. Something was happening. A single god of war would not cause this much of a tremor. ¡°What is this?¡± She took a breath and moved her arms, but strength left her knees after a few steps and she collapsed. It was partially due to having just woken up, but she was truly having trouble using her body. ¡°Shit,¡± she swore while placing a hand on the wall and using that to balance herself as she ran. After turning a few corners, some wind reached her. The darkness of the night lay directly before her and the city nightscape formed the borderline between earth and sky. She left the building and stepped onto the emergency elevator. She looked down while catching her breath and forcing her weak knees to stand. ¡°Lady Miyako.¡± Far down below, she heard Moira 1st¡¯s voice and saw a familiar sight. That sight was the many maids and the gods of war. There were eight green gods of war with their back and shoulder thrusters lit and warping the air. Moira 1st looked up at her from the center of them all. ¡°Lady Miyako! Congratulations! You can prepare your own sekihan tonight!¡± ¡°You idiot, that¡¯s the wrong tradition! That was over a decade ago for me!¡± ¡­And that¡¯s not why I¡¯m here. ¡°What are you doing!?¡± she shouted through the blowing wind. ¡°UCAT is attacking.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°This is a festival. 3rd-Gear¡¯s final festival. We will handle everything, so you run away with Lord Apollo!¡± Miyako shouted down at Moira 1st¡¯s smile. Her eyebrows rose and she grabbed the railing. ¡°You idiots! Do you know what decision I want to make here!?¡± ¡°Running away is an acceptable choice, Lady Miyako.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re going to fight, aren¡¯t you!? You¡¯re maids, so can you even fight!?¡± ¡°3rd-Gear automatons are the greatest of any Gear. We may have areas we are less skilled in, but that does not mean they are impossible for us.¡± Moira 1st narrowed her eyes. ¡°We will buy you some time and we will achieve victory. We will also take all responsibility, so you elope in Typhon with Lord Apollo!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t call it eloping if it¡¯s officially approved!¡± ¡°Wh-whatever you want to call it, just make sure there is something of 3rd-Gear left over!¡± ¡°What are we, the uneaten part of a meal!? But those can be good with some hot rice, so remember that.¡± ¡°We will! And I will trust that we can eventually serve it.¡± Moira 1st closed her eyes in a smile. ¡°We have told you what we want, Lady Miyako. You are the one who gave us names and taught us to sing, so perhaps we really should refer to you as our princess.¡± Moira 1st bowed and Miyako tried to stop her with a shout. ¡­Once that bow ends, they¡¯ll disappear! But there was a small smile on Moira 1st¡¯s face when she raised her head. That smile was less perfect, less neat, and more crooked than any she had given before. ¡°We will be taking a short break from our duties,¡± she said. In that moment, all of the maids bowed and began to run in unison. They ran through the forest, down the mountain, and to the city. To the battlefield. They vanished. And as if that was their cue, the eight gods of war kicked off the ground. Eight roars shot through the air. ¡°!¡± Those eight warriors flew quickly into the sky and toward the city. They drew paths of wind, clouds trailed them, and they flew into that night scenery. All that remained were the wind, the scattering leaves of the trees, and¡­ ¡°Dammit,¡± groaned Miyako. ¡°Huh? What¡¯re you doing here, Miyako?¡± She turned around and found the short maid named Moira 3rd. ¡°What are you doing here? The others already left.¡± ¡­Not that I want any of you to go. Moira 3rd nodded. ¡°Yeah, how should I put it? I had a quick job to do.¡± ¡°A job?¡± ¡°Yeah, adjusting the concept space. It¡¯s been spread out pretty big, after all. This place might be taken over too, so you should leave with Lord Apollo before that happens.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Miyako let go of the railing, stood in front of the maid, and took in a breath. ¡°You know how to sync with Typhon, right?¡± ¡°Y-yes, but¡­¡± Moira 3rd stiffened and tilted her head such that her semi-long hair shook. ¡°Are you serious, Miyako? It¡¯ll probably hurt. How should I put it? It¡¯ll be like having your medulla oblongata stirred up by chopsticks.¡± ¡°Why are you so good at describing things you don¡¯t even have? Anyway, this is what I¡¯ve decided to do.¡± She glanced down the empty hallway. ¡°I was whipped into shape here, so I can probably get by even if I leave this place. Even if everything goes wrong, I feel like I can still get by.¡± ¡°I see. To be honest, we all feel the same way. They¡¯re all using our joint memory to say they think we can now do all sorts of things without growing tired of it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Miyako smiled, nodded, and gave Moira 3rd a soft look. ¡°But there¡¯s one person here who hasn¡¯t been turned around yet. And yet it was him that helped turn me around.¡± ¡°Miyako.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Is he important to you?¡± ¡°He is,¡± she answered without hesitation. ¡°I see,¡± said Moira 3rd with a smile. She took Miyako¡¯s hand from her shoulder and pulled it toward the elevator railing. Facing that way brought the night scenery into view. Moira 3rd looked up while standing in front of the railing and she folded her hands in front of her. ¡°Miyako.¡± ¡°What is with you right now?¡± ¡°Well,¡± she said with a nod. ¡°You can punish me later until my hip joint comes loose.¡± Miyako gave a questioning voice just before a light pain reached the back of her neck. ¡°¡­¡± It was a light impact, but it hit just the right spot and her consciousness easily faded. ¡­Eh? The surprise attack sent her collapsing forward and her mind went dark. As she collapsed, she saw the one who had made the attack. It was Apollo. ¡­You idiot. That was her last thought before her consciousness cut out. Moira 3rd looked up at someone from the top of the elevator. It was a blond young man carrying a woman in white clothes under his arm. ¡°Are you sure, Lord Apollo? Miyako will probably cry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure. I¡¯m glad I made it before she did anything rash. Can you lower the elevator?¡± Moira 3rd hesitated for a moment, but she finally nodded and lowered it. As the wind blew up from below, she asked Apollo a question. ¡°What are you going to do, Lord Apollo?¡± ¡°Find the answer I need to become a king and to settle everything surrounding 3rd-Gear.¡± ¡°But Typhon¡­¡± ¡°The first and second options we have long spoken of are gone. That leaves the third path that I will now choose. It¡¯s good that Moira 2nd was repaired. We all have something we must do now.¡± He looked up into the sky. The moon was out, but it was very low. ¡°Today is perfect. I will be able to remain myself for a long time.¡± He then faced Moira 3rd and shrugged. ¡°Keep this a secret from the others. I want to surprise them.¡± ¡°A book from this world said a kingdom ruled by someone who loves theatrics will quickly fall to ruin.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably true.¡± His laughter spilled out into the night. The elevator lowered and reached the side of the fully-open hangar door. As it continued further down, the light of the hangar came into view and the ends of Apollo¡¯s eyebrows rose as he watched that light. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time we went and finished this, Artemis.¡± At 10:30 PM, five trucks suddenly appeared at a three-way junction in southeast Kurashiki. The streetlights illuminated the trucks¡¯ blue text on a white background saying ¡°Surprise Attack Delivery ¨C Hair Clipper Service¡± and a drawing of a shouting middle-aged man with closely-cut hair. The front two trucks moved first. They turned into a hospital parking lot to the right of the junction, turned around, and came to a stop. The other three remained on the road and came to a sudden stop on the left curb. A moment later, people wearing white and black armored uniforms left all five trucks. The boy named Sayama looked around after exiting the third truck on the road. The streetlights and the buildings were lit up. Electricity was flowing. ¡°Everyone, so as not to affect the concept space, its expansion was stopped before it reached Kurashiki¡¯s transportation networks. Also, UCAT¡¯s Okayama and Izumo branches supplied every generator they had so we could have power within the concept space. This concept space is very nearly a deserted version of Low-Gear. Do not forget that!¡± ¡°Testament,¡± replied the others. ¡°Find the enemy!¡± shouted Sayama before they had even finished the word. The trailer of one of the trucks in the hospital parking lot rose and a tent-shaped pallet with a slanted roof made of bulletproof material came out. The pallet was mechanically lowered to the ground and it was set up to the east. Its low roof had a viewing platform where Ooki peered out with binoculars. She folded her fingers next to the binoculars to count something. ¡°Found them! There are four big ones next to the road south of here! Um¡­two are on the other side of the Achi Shrine! And two are moving from the Achi Shrine to the Kurashiki Station area! That¡¯s more or less how it is!¡± ¡°Thank you for that explanation that killed all of the tension.¡± Sayama watched as the second tent meant as a medical area was lowered into the hospital parking lot. ¡°The hospital trucks will continue down the road to the Achi Shrine area. They will function as barricades against the gods of war. They can fly, so the first truck should charge in and the second one should roll on its side after seeing what they do.¡± He looked to the left where the train track to the Mizushima area was separated from the road by a single building. ¡°Ooki-sensei, can you see the disguised train that is arriving after us?¡± ¡°Here it comes!¡± shouted Kazami from the roof of one of the truck trailers on the road. The proof of her words came soon thereafter. A black form passed by on the track visible between the northern homes and paddy fields to their left. The steel track creaked as the unmanned and remote controlled train carried a great weight at approximately sixty kilometers per hour. Ten canopied freight cars followed the blue car in front. ¡°Will it work as a decoy?¡± muttered Shinjou who looked north while sitting in the trailer of the third truck. ¡°They will have to deal with it somehow. If that creates an opening, it will be worth it. ¡­Stand up the first and third gods of war!¡± ¡°Testament,¡± replied a voice as the trailer Shinjou sat in began to tilt. With the sound of motors, the large pallets on the first and third trucks stood up. The pallet covers automatically unlocked and fell as if being lowered down. This revealed two white and black gods of war. They contained UCAT¡¯s emblem and one of the nearby UCAT members clenched his fist and spoke quietly as he watched it. ¡°Please stand up. You should even be able to fly with this concept.¡± Sayama mentally nodded toward the man¡¯s words. ¡­Will Low-Gear be able to fall into step with many different people and be better off for it? The two gods of war took their first steps forward almost simultaneously. Everyone cheered and they raised a hand to reach for the weapons on the pallets behind them. They contained a sword and an anti-god of war SMG. ¡°Good,¡± muttered Sayama as he watched them take the weapons. At the same time, a giant form stood up from the second truck on the street without a pallet rising up. It was Susahito Custom. The black god of war lowered one leg from the back of the truck and easily stood up. Its movements were so natural that those who had watched the UCAT gods of war could not help but gulp. Susahito Custom was based on a 3rd-Gear god of war and it far outdid the UCAT models that used their greatest technology. Sayama felt that was a gap they needed to fill. The others watched Susahito Custom check its bladed equipment and they all sighed yet kept perfectly serious expressions. They were seeing what they had to catch up to. Sayama was satisfied with the strength in their gazes, so he spoke. ¡°Unit #3 will defend this spot! #1 and #2 will continue on! #1 will attack Kurashiki Station! #2 will follow, but do not forget to drop off the combatants on the way!¡± He ran forward as he gave instructions and Shinjou ran alongside him. The second truck¡¯s trailer shook the exhaust as it began to move. Once they caught up to it, Sayama and Shinjou grabbed the edge of the trailer and pulled themselves toward it. The first truck lowered its raised trailer and moved forward, the second followed, and the third ejected the equipment aboard and began to lower its trailer. As everyone began to move, someone appeared from a side road. It was a white-haired maid. ¡°Sf-kun?¡± Sf lifted her skirt slightly, ran alongside the others, and bowed. ¡°Tes. It is fortunate I arrived in time. I have a warning before you run another one hundred meters,¡± she said while facing Sayama. ¡°I have detected a powerful philosopher¡¯s stone reading in the Kurashiki Station region. I believe it to be some form of concept weapon. Something is headed this way. The time until impact is-¡­¡± An instant later, something struck the raised cargo pallet on the trailer of Unit #3¡¯s truck. Everyone lost their sense of hearing as they watched it. The white cargo pallet for Unit #3¡¯s truck was still slightly raised when something smashed through the center. In that instant, everything grew silent and even the movement felt delayed. The hole in the center of the cargo pallet that had carried a god of war was frayed like melted plastic and it expanded on the opposite side. However, it stopped at about two meters across. The shimmering of heat momentarily rose from around the hole. ¡°!¡± The sound arrived, but it was not a roar or a crash. It was a tremor. It pierced through the entire body of everyone listening, shook the surrounding buildings, and shattered a few windows in an instant. The vibration of the air formed a mist that was blown along by the wind. Meanwhile, the trailer of Unit #3¡¯s truck was launched into the air by the impact. The base of the trailer was destroyed and the giant metal panel that had lost its support almost seemed to bend backwards from the impact. It flew almost directly above the rest of the trailer. The giant white metal panel made it over a dozen meters up into the air. Below it, the truck that pulled the trailer had its back end pulled up by the base of the trailer. The truck could not move as the metal panel fell down on it while oriented horizontally. The impact sliced right through it. A quick and clear noise left the truck sliced in two by the pallet that was stabbed into the ground like a wall. The air was filled with the sound of wind and the other two trucks beginning to move. Those sounds were joined by Sf¡¯s distancing voice. ¡°The second shot is coming. It is going elsewhere, though.¡± It arrived that very instant. ¡°!?¡± The sound came from the left as they continued onward. They all looked to the left which was the north. The train track was there and the disguised train was moving along it, but that train was easily pierced all the way through by some kind of power. ¡°¡­¡± They could not see the bullet, but they could hear it. First, they heard multiple quiet metallic noises. They began at the very front of the disguised train and left the very back of the last freight car. So far, it was all sound and nothing had actually happened. Everyone held their breath and it arrived a moment later. ¡°It¡± being destruction and much louder noises. Trailing the first noises, everything on the train track split apart and flew into the air. Everything on the train car chassis was thrown into the air and scattered like scraps of paper. With the sound of breaking metal, the remaining parts of the chassis were disorderly lifted into the air and bent. Everyone heard an explosion that sounded like surging waves. Next, the track itself exploded. Like a reverse waterfall, dirt and the twin lines of metal were blasted upwards and the train tossed itself into empty space. The eleven cars rolled, stabbed, and slid onto or into empty houses and paddy fields. Destruction and noise were scattered everywhere. As everyone held their breath, one voice carried through the air. That female voice belonged to Kazami. ¡°I know what this is! I just heard shouts from Kurashiki Station!¡± She stood up and looked at the others. ¡°The only sound of the bullet being fired was the sonic boom. Since they could quickly fire on the road and the train track as two separate targets, it can¡¯t be some giant cannon, but it still fires at ultra-high speeds. Also, the shouts I heard were female.¡± She nodded. ¡°We¡¯re up against automatons!¡± At the south entrance of Kurashiki Station was a large roundabout for buses and taxis. It was deserted in the moonlit concept space, but something other than people stood on the asphalt. ¡°Let us show you the hidden power of 3rd-Gear¡¯s finest automatons.¡± About half of the automatons below Moira 1st and excluding Moira 2nd and 3rd were there. ¡°Counting me, there are 37 of us. ¡­Time for the third shot!¡± Moira 1st looked from the roundabout to the road. A white object was visible about a kilometer down that road. One of UCAT¡¯s truck trailers had raised its empty cargo pallet as a barricade. ¡­It is unfortunate we must do this to another machine, but you are in the way. Their only choice was to destroy it without letting it feel pain. ¡°Okay! The distance is approximately 1200 meters. The angle is 8 hours 12 minutes to the southwest!¡± The maids ran as if to continue her words. Their footsteps passed by and they formed two columns with Moira 1st at the end. Each of the automatons faced one in the other column and held their hands up and down toward them. With a large vertical gap between their hands, each pair formed a circle together. Moira 1st spoke as she saw the series of circles formed from the maids¡¯ arms. ¡°We are using the gravitational control that is standard with any 3rd-Gear automaton. Our individual powers may be weak, but if this many of us point that power in the same direction¡­¡± They had formed a series of rings. Moira 1st stood at the end where she counted a total of 18 rings and could see the white trailer through that straight line of rings. The other maids looked to her and nodded, so she nodded back. ¡°Begin output!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± A distortion grew in the 18 rings formed by the maids. The scenery on the other side looked warped as if viewing it through a lens. That distortion came from the flow of high gravity and that gravity was oriented from Moira 1st and toward the road. Moira 1st quietly spoke toward the white truck trailer that appeared warped through the lens of gravity. ¡°These 18 gravity acceleration lenses will turn any object into incredibly destructive acceleration.¡± She took a breath. ¡°We call this the 18-Layer Maid Gravity Acceleration Gun. What can you do against this, UCAT?¡± Moira 1st pulled two plates from her maid uniform and held them up with a smile. ¡°Today¡¯s bullets are 3rd-Gear¡¯s heat- and explosion-resistant plates that can withstand one hundred gods of war stepping on them without breaking. Quite affordable weapons if you ask me.¡± She placed the plates together like a shellfish and held them together with gravitational pressure. She then used her gravitational control to levitate the resultant disk between her hands and held them next to her waist. ¡°Get ready! And a question, everyone. What is the primary job of a maid?¡± ¡°Yes, sir! Attending to the guests with a smile!¡± Seeing them all form artificial smiles and face the road, Moira 1st¡¯s eyes narrowed in a smile. ¡°Well done.¡± She then fired the disk with her maximum power. The disk¡¯s journey began with enough force to produce an explosion of steam behind her. ¡°Fire!¡± The disk sliced through the wind as it passed through the rings formed by the maids¡¯ arms and the warped space therein. ¡°!¡± From there, it was repeatedly accelerated by the frictionless gravity. They did not fire it at the absolute greatest speed possible because they held back just enough to not be swallowed up by the sonic boom themselves. However¡­ ¡°There is nothing that cannot be pierced by this gravity acceleration railgun formed by 36 smiling maids!¡± In an instant, strength gathered in the maids¡¯ hands. The air grew even more distorted and they suppressed the recoil. The 18 gravity rings continued to accelerate the disk and it finally reached the last ring. ¡°¡­¡± It was fired and it flew. The wind whipped up by the disk felt like an explosive blast and the disk itself could no longer be seen. An instant later, Moira 1st and the others saw the raised cargo pallet blow apart. Despite the distance, they vividly saw the white metal tear apart, fly through the air, and destroy the nearby buildings. The clear noise was audible even at that distance. The maids gave cries of joy, but Moira 1st frowned as she watched the pieces of the trailer scatter through the air. ¡­I¡¯m sorry. It would be faint, but you must have been alive while in this concept space. Without opening her joint memory, she decided to gather it later and recreate it. But, she thought as her frown grew. This is odd. Once she realized why, she let out a shout with her eyebrows thoroughly gathered together. ¡°Prepare the next shot!¡± Taken aback, the others stopped moving and turned toward her, so Moira 1st opened their joint memory and sent high-speed words to inform them of the situation. ¡­This is dangerous. After all¡­ ¡°Unmanned target,¡± said a voice in midair. She looked up and saw a large blue automaton in the sky with the moon. ¡°Master Cottus, that trailer really was empty?¡± ¡°Decoy confirmed.¡± And¡­ ¡°Enemy approach confirmed!¡± That shout was followed by a sound from the south of the city. It was a war cry as well as¡­ ¡°Explosions and metallic noises.¡± Moira 1st saw people in white armored uniforms much closer than the truck. They made their way forward through gaps in the explosions. Moira 1st determined they had split into two groups while using the truck as a decoy. One group had approached them on the north of the city while the other had cut down a central road to advance toward the base to the southeast. The enemy had made the correct decision and that fact set Cottus in motion. ¡°Acting as vanguard.¡± He began toward the enemies spread out on the road, but Moira 1st shouted out. ¡°Master Cottus! You take care of the enemies advancing to the southwest! We will defend here!¡± Cottus turned back toward her and nodded. ¡°Understood.¡± He expanded the wings on his back and flew to the south as if jumping. Moira 1st nodded toward his rear vision. All hesitation had vanished from her face and her eyebrows were raised. ¡­I am being unreasonably angry, but some things are unforgivable. They had used a metal truck trailer as a decoy. ¡°If you do not win, that trailer¡¯s destruction will have been in vain.¡± She raised both her hands and two white disks floated above her head. They were plates, but she did not wait for them to fall back down. With a snap of the wrist, she prepared another plate in each hand. She caught the two falling plates on the two plates in her hands. She now held a bullet in each hand and she slowly swung them down and backwards. She leaned forward to bring the plate pairs even further behind her. She swung them up like wings and let out a shout as she bent her body. ¡°Prepare two cannons!¡± The maids wordlessly did so. They lifted their skirts slightly and flipped them around as they took a step and rotated their own bodies. They now formed two rows of nine pairs each. The cannons were shorter, but there were two of them. ¡°The strength drops in half, but rapid fire is more important now.¡± Moira 1st used an underhand toss to throw forward the plates in her right hand. The right cannon whipped up the wind and fired. In that instant, she threw the left one while twisting and then spinning her body to the right. Her hair danced, her apron flipped around, and her blouse¡¯s sleeves flew. Over a hundred white plates flew out from within those places and into the air. She began forming bullets from those midair plates and throwing them into the cannons. As if dancing, she grabbed plates, served them forward, and spoke with a smile. ¡°Come visit us. Come visit us, our guests. This is the place in which we serve using the discipline of steel. A white apron over black clothes is our uniform, receiving and seeing off a guest with a smile even when in pain is our external appearance, and ensuring our guests¡¯ satisfaction is our internal desire.¡± Her smile deepened, her body rotated, and she formed countless bullets as if dancing. ¡°No refusal or restraint is necessary when receiving our services. Simply demand, and demand, and demand some more. Leave your heart in our service, leave your body in our comfort, and leave your life in our control.¡± She threw. ¡°We will take care of everything.¡± And she fired. The maids sending the bullets through the acceleration lenses would spin around in turn as the bullets reached them. As they rotated around, they eliminated the old acceleration lens and gathered strength in their arms once more. ¡°Contact! Continue serving!¡± The way the pairs brought their hands together after spinning looked like a dance. Once they were done, Moira 1st sent a new bullet with her right hand and she had already prepared a new plate in her left hand. They fired again and again and they did not stop. Volume 7, 35: Spirit of Gathering Volume 7, Chapter 35: Spirit of Gathering Gather together To meet tonight To do what you must do Hiba ran down the twisting and turning two-lane road. He did not have a human body. He was the eight meter god of war named Susahito Custom. Also, he was not on the road to Kurashiki Station. About halfway there, he had turned onto the narrow road heading east to the Achi Shrine area. The road was narrow, telephone poles were situated right on the edge of the road, and the power lines were hung low. Those power lines were three or four meters off the ground and a great number of them were strung at multiple heights, so equipping himself with wire cutters would not be enough. Even so, he continued on. He lowered down as if falling to the ground and slipped beneath them at high speed. He had a habit of taking a low stance when charging in, and it helped Susahito Custom advance even here in the city. The truck following him kept its actuators at their weakest to lower its height as much as possible. His rear vision showed Kazami, Sayama, and Shinjou riding the roof of the truck trailer. They had turned down this road on Sayama¡¯s instructions. The attack unit built around Izumo was on its way to Kurashiki Station. They had all regrouped in the time bought by the decoy truck trailer and both groups were taking a different route to the Achi Shrine. This road was at the midpoint between Kurashiki Station and the road traveling from south Kurashiki to the Achi Shrine. On the simple diagram used during the strategy meeting, the road formed a horizontal line cutting off the top half of the equilateral triangle. Following the road would take them to the halfway point on the road from Kurashiki Station to the Achi Shrine. According to Shinjou and Sayama¡¯s preliminary investigation, that halfway point was a shopping district and Kurashiki¡¯s shopping district was covered by a roof and therefore a poor match for god of war combat. If they were to fire a sniper rifle, the center of the road there would be best. ¡­But how many enemies will catch up to us before then? They had confirmed the existence of eight gods of war. Hiba might have to fight that many enemies in complete urban warfare. On top of that, their objective was not defeating the enemies. They had to stop the enemy leader and take Typhon. ¡­How will this turn out? He had never before fought in this sort of situation. At that point, he heard a voice behind him. ¡°Hiba boy.¡± It came from Sayama who sat on the truck trailer roof. As his bangs blew in the wind, he brushed them up with the gauntlet named Georgius. ¡°Take it easy so you can bring out your true ability. Getting lost in thought is meaningless if it prevents you from fighting at your best.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Okay, you two, Here they come!¡± shouted Kazami. Hiba saw two green gods of war flying in from the right which was the south. They flew using both gravitational control and thrusters, but maintained a low trajectory as if leaping. Seeing their movements, Hiba predicted they planned to crush the massive truck trailer. ¡°Here I go!¡± Hiba moved within the few meters of space between power lines. He stopped running and instead leaped. Susahito Custom was not equipped with very powerful gravitational control. When moving, it was easier to use the two wings on the back. He stood up and kicked off the ground to propel his body into the sky. Once his line of sight grew higher than the surrounding roofs, he spread the wings on his back. He did not want to turn his back toward the enemies in the sky, so he rotated into a face up position as if performing a Fosbury Flop. Then he flapped his wings. ¡°!¡± The acceleration was enough to disturb the circulatory organs within the god of war. This was a light craft. Its wing output could not match Susamikado¡¯s, but it was light enough to outdo Susamikado¡¯s acceleration. His vision rose in an instant and he launched above the roofs and into the sky. Based on the height of the nighttime scenery, he estimated his own altitude at thirty meters. The enemy descended from above at close range. Of the two green gods of war, the left one aimed a rifle at him. It fired repeatedly from within arm¡¯s reach. However¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t be so na?ve.¡± He had already stopped his wings. The rapid stall and air resistance struck his body and the braking lowered his altitude. He dropped by a meter and bullets passed through that meter. ¡°¡­!¡± The left god of war quickly moved to re-aim by lowering the arm holding the rifle, but the recoil would not let it move the arm joints so easily. Hiba looked down as he slowly fell. A two-story house was there. It was an old house with a tile roof. It was lit, but it was empty. ¡°Excuse me a moment.¡± He placed his metal feet on the roof. Without scratching a single tile, he used the slight recoil as a starting point and flew once more. He charged toward the god of war that was adjusting its grip on the rifle. His opponent abandoned the rifle and defensively thrust its armored elbows forward. ¡­Still too na?ve. Hiba twisted his body in midair. He stretched out his body and flapped a single wing to perform a midair cartwheel. He used the motion to throw a kick from below. His steel heel smashed through the elbow defense and reached the god of war¡¯s stomach. A metallic sound of impact rang out and the god of war was knocked through the air. The impact sent its rifle flying through the sky, but Hiba was no longer looking at that opponent. ¡°Next!¡± He used the recoil of the kick to leap downwards as the other god of war attempted to fall on top of the truck trailer. Its plan was to crush the trailer with its entire body, so it accelerated with its limbs spread out. Light shot from the thrusters on its back and it fell straight down. Hiba saw everyone looking up at him from the top of the trailer. Kazami and Shinjou frantically stood up and aimed their weapons upwards. However, Hiba saw something else as well. Next to Shinjou, Sayama remained seated and looked up toward the bottom of her armored uniform. ¡­He¡¯s secretly admiring her butt! I need to learn from him, thought Hiba as he moved his wings to accelerate. He instantly caught up to the falling god of war and he struck it with a downwards roundhouse kick. With a piercing sound, the path of the god of war¡¯s descent veered away from the truck and it crashed into the wall of a brown apartment building. He heard a sound resembling stone being struck and a giant hole in the shape of a body with spread limbs appeared in the apartment building. ¡°Now to finish it.¡± He reached a hand into the air and something fell into it. It was the rifle the previous god of war had lost. He grabbed it with his left hand and used his upper vision to check on the god of war he had knocked upwards. He fired the first shot straight up. The metal bullet struck its target and the recoil caused the rifle to vibrate downwards. Hiba used that recoil to rotate the rifle down and aim toward the hole in the apartment building. ¡°And the second one!¡± He fired until it ran out of ammunition and an explosion occurred near the building¡¯s first floor. The god of war had been destroyed and the eight-story apartment building on top of it collapsed because its base was gone. The fire of the god of war that exploded in the air behind Hiba lit up the building¡¯s destruction. The rumbling continued for a while and Hiba gave a bitter smile within the machine when the truck gave a long honk of the horn in thanks as it passed by. ¡­Oh, dear. This may be a concept space, but I need to try to cause less damage next time. He moved his wings and caught up to the truck in an instant. Several bullets whipped up the wind and flew toward him from far to the south, but he could easily evade them at that distance. He twisted around in midair and led the truck. ¡°Rematch desired!¡± Suddenly, a low voice and a giant blue form appeared in the northern sky. It was Cottus. The appearance of the blue god of war put Hiba on guard. But he was too slow. Cottus already stood in the air right in front of Hiba and he spread four cannons around him using his gravitational control. Not only that, but all four cannons already had light visible in the barrels. Hiba did not have time to draw the two swords stored at his waist. ¡°¡­!¡± Just as he tried to evade, something unexpected happened. Cottus was suddenly blasted upwards. ¡­What!? It had been a cannon blast. A beam of light from a super god of war class weapon had blasted away the armor on Cottus¡¯s left waist and knocked his giant form diagonally up into the sky. Still surprised, Hiba checked below with his lower sight devices. He first saw Shinjou holding a giant cannon on top of the truck trailer, but there was no light or residual heat coming from it. Next, he saw¡­ ¡°Okay, okay, okay. Don¡¯t fight all on your own. Did you forget that we¡¯re here in case that kind of thing happens?¡± Kazami quickly flew up with wings of light. She held a white spear in both hands and she turned toward Cottus who stood in front of Hiba. ¡°How did you like that blast?¡± As she lightly rotated the spear that was now a cannon, Cottus frantically adjusted his posture and faced her in midair. ¡°¡­¡± He responded with silence, but Kazami spoke. ¡°You don¡¯t look satisfied. It may not look it, but my weapon contains 10th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core. I can fire with even more power, so I was actually holding back.¡± She then pointed back toward Hiba. ¡°In our student council, Hiba¡¯s ranked beneath me. In fact, he¡¯s the lowest ranked of everyone. Can you really enjoy getting into a serious fight with someone like that? He¡¯s the kind that will rush off to buy you a coffee if you give him some money.¡± ¡°I-I haven¡¯t done that yet.¡± But Cottus ignored Hiba¡¯s protest and tilted his head. He scratched his head armor with the cannon that acted as a right arm and he faced Kazami. ¡°Truth?¡± Instead of answering, Kazami silently thrust the spear forward ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± said the green LCD on the long spear¡¯s console. ¡°She¡¯s got the Concept Core working against me!?¡± ¡°Shut up. Try to let your upperclassman look good at least a little bit. And you need to go on ahead. That¡¯s your role, remember? Don¡¯t get worked up over some weird issue.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Where¡¯s your answer!?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± ¡°Good,¡± muttered Kazami. She spread her wings of light wide, turned her back on him once more, and faced her opponent. ¡°A mass of cannons floating in the sky and a winged girl with a spear. Sounds like a decent fight for air superiority, doesn¡¯t it?¡± She then shouted toward Cottus. ¡°Come with me!¡± Shinjou lowered Ex-St from her shoulder and sighed. Susahito Custom had just removed its sniper rifle from the cargo pallet behind her and flown forward while Kazami had just flown north while exchanging fire with Cottus. The rest of them only had to run east to support Hiba. The wind washed over her and she brushed a hand through her long, black hair. Her hair felt heavy as it waved in the wind, but it also felt nice. She looked around and noticed sounds of gun and cannon fire coming from different areas of the lit city. The sound of something exploding to the north likely came from the automatons¡¯ rapid fire. She saw occasional light to the south. She guessed that was the UCAT members forming a barricade to stop the gods of war approaching the main UCAT unit at the hospital. Two of the gods of war had been sent there, so their normal large weapons were focused there. ¡­That should be enough if it¡¯s focused on defense. Right? She looked down to seek agreement from Sayama, but she found him lying on his back. To make matters worse, he had his head placed between her legs. ¡°Oh, what is it, Shinjou-kun? I was lost in some intense thought.¡± Shinjou gave an intense stomp on him and he quickly sat up. ¡°What on earth are you doing? You really can do some outrageous things.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one doing that! What could you possibly have been thinking about with your head between my legs!?¡± ¡°The arrangement of enemies, of course. Could there be any doubt?¡± ¡°That answer makes me question why you were looking up at me from below.¡± ¡°Lying down gave me a view of some outstanding curves. And the act of admiring the art of nature needs no explanation.¡± She considered hitting him with Ex-St, but she knew he could not recover from that. She tried to remind herself that he was technically complimenting her. ¡°Y¡¯know¡­¡± She took a step back and faced him in order to warn him. As she looked toward him, she naturally got a view of the path ahead of the truck. There, she saw several figures in an upcoming narrow intersection. ¡­Those are automatons. Several dozen women in maid uniforms were lined up in the center of the intersection. It was the enemy. ¡°Sayama-kun! The front! The front!¡± He nodded, silently grabbed her waist with both hands, and looked across her from navel to thighs. ¡°I see nothing out of the ordinary on your front side.¡± After she kneed him, he fell back and sat up again. ¡°Wh-what was that for, Shinjou-kun!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you to look to the front, Sayama-kun! Hurry!¡± He once more grabbed her waist with a serious expression. Thinking he was repeating the joke, she prepared to use the other knee. ¡°Eh?¡± But the truck suddenly braked. With one leg raised, she lost her balance and fell as if thrown forward. She pushed Sayama down with her upper leg and a dull noise came from between her and the roof. She bounced a bit off of his face, body, and the roof. ¡°Ow¡­¡± She grimaced at the pain in her knee, but she quickly raised her butt to get up. She then found Sayama beneath her. She frantically pulled back and took a shallow sitting position on his stomach. However, she found him staring expressionlessly up into the sky and not moving. She then recalled that he had hit the back of his head on the roof. ¡°A-are you okay, Sayama-kun!? The hit to your head didn¡¯t knock you normal, did it?¡± In response, Sayama raised both hands a little and made several stroking motions along strange curves in empty air. ¡°Was it like this? Or was it this? If I could make a mold, a wonderful future awaits me.¡± ¡°Hm. From the looks of it, you¡¯re unfortunately fine. Thank goodness.¡± When she grabbed his tie and strangled him, she heard a female voice from up ahead. ¡°You¡¯re fighting yourselves? That makes this easier for us.¡± Shinjou looked up in realization and found a maid in glasses looking up at them from approximately fifteen meters in front of the truck. The truck had already stopped to face the enemy. Beneath her, Sayama bent his head back to see the maid and he spoke to her. ¡°Who are you? In fact, do you even have a name?¡± That question caused her to narrow her eyes in a smile. ¡­What a natural expression. The maid nodded as if to answer that thought of Shinjou¡¯s and to confirm something. ¡°My name is Violet. All the others here have also chosen the names of flowers.¡± ¡°I see. So this battlefield is colored by a myriad of flowers. First the sun and moon god and now this. It seems 3rd-Gear is a very elegant world.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. We will now use our short-term training from Master Aigaion to assist our guests.¡± ¡°Where is this Aigaion?¡± ¡°He called for Lady Gyes and moved to the base. He told us to take care of things here in the meantime.¡± Violet smiled as she spoke and the maids behind her took a step forward. ¡°This visit to the city of Kurashiki is our first time in the outside world, but we have heard quite a bit from Lady Gyes and Master Aigaion. The owner of the greengrocer in the train station shopping district can be careless when it comes to calculating money, but he somehow never thinks the price is higher than it actually is. The female owner of the clock shop on the main western road for some reason does not fix her late husband¡¯s stopped watch. The chairman of the committee for the care of the private homes in the Bikan district is oddly hesitant to bring the central meetings to his own home.¡± Her smile grew. ¡°Let us work hard in the city they inhabit. I have determined working hard is a good thing. Without it, taking a break would have no meaning. ¡­And we sing in order to work hard.¡± She indicated the items they all held. ¡°Knives for preparing large ingredients, pot lids for catching flying oil, frying pans, and the like.¡± Violet slightly sharpened the bend in her eyes. ¡°We are not human, but we live alongside them, sing songs, and revere the sun and the moon. ¡­I am a poor cook, but the others are quite skilled.¡± She nodded and spoke the words that indicated the battle¡¯s beginning. ¡°Please come in.¡± The moon began to rise in the night sky. The air of the summer night made the moon waver when viewed from the mountains in western Tokyo. However, this was not as far west as Okutama where the cities began to disappear. These were the mountains of Hachioji which had a highway and a large shopping district that lit the sky at night. In a mountain of the Takao region, an abandoned factory inside a concept space was lit up. The large door on the front of the factory was opened and the industrial elevator leading underground was rising to the surface. The sounds of the heavy elevator rising throbbed at set intervals and the object it carried soon came into view. The orange lights illuminated a giant machine. The steel-colored object resembled a dragon, an airplane, and a ship. The unpainted mechanical dragon was at least thirty meters long. Silhouettes of workers could be seen moving around in the backlight. They checked on the elevator¡¯s movement and location. The elderly supervisor raised his hands from where he watched them in the center of the entrance. ¡°Stop!¡± With that one word, the elevator made a metallic noise and came to a halt. ¡°Let him out, men! That dragon is flying tonight!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Sand shot up from the factory entrance and to the clearing in front of it. It formed two straight lines. Buried rails appeared from underneath the sand and they led to a fifty meter landing zone made from concrete. The elevator moved slowly along the rails with the giant steel dragon onboard. The old supervisor whistled and guided the elevator forward with both hands. A girl and a shadowless dog arrived from the side of the building. The girl looked to the head of the dragon on the elevator platform. Another girl sat on the dragon¡¯s head. She had her long hair swept to one side and back, she wore a sand yellow combat coat, and she carried a Cowling Sword on her back. The long Cowling Sword resembled a Japanese sword. The girl on the ground prepared to call out to the girl on the dragon, but the elevator arrived at the landing zone at that very moment. The dragon took simultaneous movements. It shook, metallic creaking and scraping noises came from its entire body, and it rose up. The exclusively metallic din filled the air like a torrential downpour, but another sound surpassed even that. ¡°Outstanding!¡± The dragon spoke in a tone of admiration. He raised his short legs and stretched his tail backwards so that the elevator could slip beneath him and to return to its original position. Amid the different mechanical noises, the girl on top of the dragon smiled and spoke. ¡°It¡¯s too bad, Alex. You aren¡¯t going to introduce yourself, right?¡± ¡°Of course, Tatsumi. I have a modest personality and no one would believe I am an ally of justice with this lack of paint. I plan to take the attitude of a masked hero for this outing!¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Tatsumi shrugged and looked at the watch on her left wrist. ¡°We should probably get going, Alex.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little early?¡± ¡°You still need to break in this new body, don¡¯t you? The drivers and fittings between parts still aren¡¯t perfect and I would rather you didn¡¯t burn out or lose a part by going all out too quickly.¡± ¡°But an ally of justice does not follow the speed limit.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re an unpainted and masked hero, remember? That way no one knows you¡¯re an ally of justice.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Alex nodded and turned to the supervisor. ¡°I seem to have been mistaken about the paint job. Supervisor, I must thank you for your consideration. Forgive me. There is still a lot I do not understand.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll agree there¡¯s a lot you don¡¯t understand.¡± The corner of the supervisor¡¯s mouth twisted upwards and he looked at his watch. After checking the time, he nodded and looked to the girl with a dog. ¡°Shino-san, do you have something to say?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shino tilted her head to look up at Alex¡¯s head from below. ¡°You look cool, Alex.¡± ¡°Of course I do. Even when unpainted, a girl who understands the spirit of justice can see the pure heart of justice burning within me.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I really get that spirit of justice stuff¡­¡± ¡°Being too modest is not a virtue, Shino. Revealing your true feelings is what matters!¡± ¡°While revealing that can hold great significance, always revealing it is a significantly bad idea.¡± ¡°Yes, you are right, Tatsumi,¡± said Alex. ¡°I only express a tenth of my true feelings.¡± Shino fell to her knees and hung her head and the dog tilted its head as it watched her. Seeing that, the mechanical dragon lowered down a little. ¡°Now, then.¡± In the instant he spoke, a great amount of wind was knocked into the sky. ¡°!!¡± Shino frantically held down her skirt and hair, but there was no longer anything on the ground. ¡°Wow,¡± she said as she looked up. A single color had already appeared in the night sky. A white contrail extended westward from the heavens directly above. Volume 7, 36: Hope for the Next Generation Volume 7, Chapter 36: Hope for the Next Generation I once had a certain thought I am now not so sure And if I think on it further¡­ The light and noise of the battle in the city reached the white building that acted as 3rd-Gear¡¯s base. The concept space had been formed at around 9:00 PM. Kurashiki was a tourist city, but the lights of its train station, roads, and amusement park had gone out. The stores were closed and the homes were quietly illuminated. The lights of the homes and the streetlights revealed the roads and empty lots with pale darkness. Currently, a lot of fire, light, and sound were appearing in that paleness. Next to the large hangar door, the fighting in the city was visible from the southeast. Three people were watching it where they stood before the elevator to the side of the lit hangar. One was Gyes in her red suit and she spoke to the man before her. ¡°Hajji, keep it quick. The time to settle this has come.¡± She looked at Hajji in his white summer coat and then turned to the right. A girl with a sword at her waist stood next to him. She had sharp facial features and had her long black hair tied back. ¡°Her name is Mikoku. Do you like her? She¡¯s one of my precious children. What do you think? Hm?¡± ¡°Did you come all this way just to introduce her?¡± Despite the question, the girl named Mikoku did not look at Gyes. She instead looked at the small red pendant in her hand. Gyes recognized it as the cloisonn¨¦ the area was known for. Hajji gave a bitter smile when he noticed. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t take out souvenirs like that, Mikoku. I¡¯m sure Shino will like it. Am I wrong? Hm?¡± ¡°You have time to check on your decorations before our battle? How carefree.¡± Gyes mentally constructed a method of driving Hajji away. The battle in the city was enough of an issue, but something else required her attention too. ¡­Lord Apollo and Lady Miyako are gone. Before the battle, she had investigated the automatons¡¯ base abilities and acquired abilities and divided them between a firing team and a hand-to-hand combat team accordingly. Afterwards, she had planned to wake Apollo and Miyako and urge them to either surrender or flee. Ultimately, she had been unable to think up a good method of saving Apollo. The best option she could come up with was to have them surrender and have Typhon¡¯s cockpit removed. That would at least prevent Typhon¡¯s body from struggling. With that, she had planned to leave the final decision to Apollo. She had gone to wake them on the upper floors and make that suggestion, but Miyako¡¯s room had been empty. She had only noticed the elevator was lowered after searching the living floors in their entirety. They had apparently just missed each other while she was climbing the internal stairs from the hangar. In that case, they would have been in the hangar, but once she quickly called the elevator up and rode it down, she had found these two people in front. ¡°At any rate, you need to leave. I cannot let you see what is inside here.¡± ¡°Really? Are you sure, Gyes? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s about time to send Typhon out? Hm? Based on the sounds, I think your sixth god of war was just destroyed. Am I wrong? Hm?¡± He was right. The god of war piloted by the descendant of Hiba was destroying Moira 2nd¡¯s gods of war. Their opponent¡¯s machine was based on the wreckage of a normal god of war retrieved sixty years before. Their machines should have been more powerful due to the improvements they had since made, but¡­ ¡°Most likely, the enemy¡¯s craft is more balanced. And its pilot is better. He uses the feedback missing from remote control to take actions only he can.¡± She nodded. ¡°Moira 2nd is putting up a good fight. She is not even a combat automaton, but she is piloting multiple craft at once while opposing the god of war that fought 3rd-Gear in the past.¡± ¡°I see. So that¡¯s a clear weakness in remote control, is it? Yeah, we¡¯ll have to remember that.¡± ¡°Why would you need to remember it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. It¡¯s so very simple, Gyes. As promised, we will be taking Typhon¡¯s wreckage if UCAT takes the Concept Core. Once we do that, we¡¯ll probably rig it for remote control.¡± Gyes¡¯s eyebrows shot up a bit as she thought about what Hajji had just said. ¡°You have determined that we will lose?¡± ¡°We are here because there is a possibility you will, Gyes. We want to make sure this opportunity doesn¡¯t escape us. Do you understand what an opportunity is, Gyes?¡± Gyes sighed as he spread his arms and indicated the city with his chin. He then shrugged. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get to the real issue. What if I asked you to let Apollo escape?¡± ¡°What? Lord Apollo does not need-¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve sent out all your forces, but Typhon remains here. Also, Cottus pulled UCAT¡¯s flight-capable fighter to the north. There¡¯s still the threat of a sniper, but the sky is at least clear. You can easily have him escape now, can¡¯t you? Hm?¡± Gyes said nothing. ¡°We want to do whatever we can for 3rd-Gear. I¡¯m being honest. This is a good deal for both of us. After all, if we save 3rd-Gear¡¯s king, you automatons will be thankful. Right? That¡¯s right, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Enough nonsensical delusions. We are a Gear that dislikes running. Back during the war, we always chose to invade.¡± She chose her words carefully. ¡°Besides, most any god of war can fly. Is there anything you could do to help?¡± ¡°Yes. We could take the villain¡¯s role.¡± When Gyes frowned, Hajji hid his mouth yet his smile was visible in his eyes. ¡°There is a woman of 2nd-Gear descent in this building, isn¡¯t there? We will take her to buy you the time you need. We will tell UCAT to give us some time if they care about her life.¡± It took several seconds for Hajji to finish speaking. The entire time, he watched her with his smile hidden behind his hand and she made up her mind while looking at that smile. ¡°This goes beyond being incompatible.¡± She sharply narrowed her eyes. ¡°UCAT is better than you.¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s a terrible insult.¡± ¡°It would be the greatest of insults for us to continue this relationship with you any longer. You claim to want Typhon, but it would be impossible to take it away with you while UCAT is here.¡± ¡°If we could take it away regardless, would you give it to us right now? Hm?¡± Hajji narrowed his eyes too, but it was not Gyes who answered him. ¡°You sound pretty hostile to me,¡± said a male voice behind Hajji. It was Aigaion. He leaped over the underbrush to leave the forest down below. He landed about three meters behind Hajji and the girl named Mikoku. The two of them would need to turn around and take a step to reach him, but Aigaion could use gravity techniques. ¡°I will shut down your life functions.¡± The scenery grew distorted above his raised right hand. He had created an ultra-heavy bullet from an isolated mass of gravity. If fired and released, it would badly dent even an opponent with god of war class defenses. With a human target, it would constrict their entire body inwards along with the surrounding scenery, so they would die instantly. With his right hand raised, he faced his targets before turning to Gyes and speaking via their shared memory. ¡­You haven¡¯t lost sight of what you must do, have you? His gaze turned to the city. ¡­If we take any more of their help, we will be betraying Lady Miyako. ¡°Hajji was it?¡± asked Aigaion. ¡°I have a question. Is UCAT your enemy?¡± ¡°Hm, how should I put it? To be blunt, UCAT is our only enemy.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Aigaion. ¡­They are an enemy of Lady Miyako¡¯s Gear. And¡­ ¡­That means they are our enemy. Gyes carved his words into her memory and finally nodded. ¡°I will leave it to you. Aigaion, I will be leaving.¡± With that, she turned her back. She had something to do: find Apollo and Miyako. She faced the light of the hangar and ran inside. As she cut through the wind, she heard Hajji¡¯s voice behind her. ¡°It¡¯s too bad, Gyes. It really is. Now I can¡¯t tell you our true intentions. But I am hoping for your victory. I really am. And I am also hoping to take Typhon.¡± She heard a sudden noise behind her. It sounded like a large amount of dirt bursting upwards. It was the sound of Aigaion releasing the gravity bullet. It was also the sound of the enemy being crushed along with the surrounding landscape. The attack was impossible to avoid. Without turning around, Gyes ran into the hangar. In the darkness, a large hole had appeared near the base of the white building. Aigaion¡¯s mass of gravity had created it. He stood still in the night air while a compressed clump of dirt and grass crumbled within a five meter half circle in the ground. The hole also contained something other than the terrain: human limbs. Torn clothing and a broken sword could be glimpsed among the dirt and their owner¡¯s body lay broken below the scattered clothing. However¡­ ¡°Only one.¡± Aigaion turned to the right and saw a man standing at the white building¡¯s wall on the other side of the hole. It was Hajji. His limbs were spread out as if he had been plastered to the wall. ¡°That was quite a wonderful attack. I really would like to bring you to our side. How about it? Hm?¡± ¡°No, thank you.¡± But Aigaion looked into the hole along with the pile of fallen dirt and the human body within. ¡°So she pushed her leader out of the way and died herself? Did you call her your precious child because she could ensure your own life, Hajji?¡± ¡°No, I call her that because she is an important part of correcting this mistaken world.¡± ¡°What?¡± As he gave that question, Aigaion gathered gravity in his left hand. Hajji was approximately five meters away, so he was well within range and he did not have anyone to cover for him this time. ¡­I will not miss this time. He determined Hajji¡¯s words were meant to buy time until his death. ¡°In that case¡­¡± He gathered strength in his left hand in order to destroy the balance of the gravity and fire it. However, he suddenly noticed something odd. Below his left arm, something was sticking out from his left side. It was a thin and narrow panel that reflected the weak lighting. It was a blade. ¡°¡­!¡± He looked to his left. A girl had stabbed a broken sword into his side while using the blind spot created by his raised arm. She held the sword in both hands in the stance for a jab. For an instant, he could not determine who this was. His mind tried to say it was Mikoku. ¡°There are two of her!?¡± But that was not it. The human remains were gone from the hole that was to his left now that he had turned toward Hajji. He also noticed what Mikoku was wearing. ¡°I went all the way to Shinjuku to buy this, but you¡¯ve turned it into an indecent short-sleeved, midriff-baring outfit.¡± She twisted the blade she held bare-handed. That twisted and loosened his artificial muscles and allowed her to pull out the broken sword. She made a second attack, but he took action this time. He had shut off his sense of pain from the moment he prepared for battle and she likely knew that, so he released the limiters on his artificial muscles and raised his speed. This was enough speed to prevent her from reacting even if she had predicted it. He moved. ¡°!¡± He turned around at high speed. He moved the gravity gathered in his left arm to the front of his left fist and threw a backhand strike toward Mikoku. He looked at her. From his perspective, her heart was located to the right slightly below the breasts that the remnants of her shirt just barely covered. She raised her eyebrows at the speed of his fist and she tried to use both legs to leap backwards. She planned to escape no matter what while ignoring the hole behind her. She was fast, but he caught her. His fist would normally have felt flesh, but he had shut down even that sense of pain. His backhand fist gouged into the center of her chest. The gravity tore into her. The mass of gravity had already begun to break down, so he could not estimate how much damage it would do. The area inside her chest that contained her heart was crushed. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± She bent forward. The flow of high blood pressure created in the instant her heart was crushed caused her entire body to violently shake and then her lower chest caved in. ¡°¡­¡± She collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been cut, but Aigaion had already created a new mass of gravity in his right hand. ¡°Don¡¯t run, Hajji. This one is for you.¡± He raised his right hand and faced Hajji, but he then noticed Hajji had a hand over his mouth and a smile in his eyes. Automaton minds could not feel premonitions, but they could make predictions. He went over what Hajji had said in the conversation and the response patterns of normal humans from the data he had accumulated working at the greengrocer. ¡­This is not a normal reaction! Then what about the situation was not normal? The answer was to the left of his feet. No, it had already risen to his left thigh. Mikoku was standing up. ¡°How is this possible!?¡± She was human. Her reaction to having her heart crushed and everything else had been human. He could compare this to all the accumulated data from 3rd-Gear¡¯s human experimentation. And yet Mikoku was standing up and her rising motion was gradually picking up speed. ¡°!¡± He fired the mass of gravity in his right hand toward Mikoku even though he would be caught in the blast. Mikoku stood up as she faced Aigaion. He was nearly two heads taller than her and he was swinging his right hand toward her. She realized it would hit and a hit would eat up more time. ¡­And that will put Hajji in danger. She did not really know how skilled he was. Since he was the former commander of 9th-Gear¡¯s military, he was likely powerful, but he had never taken part in training even once. Even so, she trusted his strength. ¡­But¡­ She was his bodyguard. ¡­Even if he can win here with ease, I must protect him. She raised her head. She could not gather much strength in her legs and her heart was still not back to normal. Blood was not being sent to her limbs properly and the strength she wanted came with an unwanted trembling. She could not move properly. ¡­What do I do? Aigaion¡¯s right arm was already moving toward her left side. She sensed she could not evade it, but she frowned and thought. ¡­This may be hopeless, but¡­ She continued her thought. ¡­I will gain the proper experience! ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± As she took in a breath, she recalled Tatsumi¡¯s training just before coming here. Tatsumi always turned aside Mikoku¡¯s movements with the smallest movement possible and then threw her own attack. How did she manage that? Mikoku could not move in the same way. ¡­But I must have my own way of moving. She groaned and thought about her own body. First, her left hand was out of the question because she still could not gather strength in it, but her right hand was strong enough to somewhat grab something. Her left leg was of no use, but her right had some strength. She decided to start with her right leg. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She noticed Aigaion release the mass of gravity, but it was on top of his palm. The back of his hand was a safe zone. For that reason, she did not use her right leg. She instead started on her unusable left leg. She charged below his right arm and her left leg naturally collapsed underneath her. However, that was fine. Her body swayed to the left as if falling and not even she could predict the movement. ¡­I can escape. Her falling body slipped just beneath his right hand and she took her next step with the usable right leg. She thrust her right heel forward and stepped a bit left of her center to stop her leftward fall. Once she stopped it, she sent her body forward to stand up. ¡­My right hand. She reversed the blade in her hand and drove it toward Aigaion¡¯s side along a parabolic trajectory. She had gathered speed, but she had not intended to gather strength. Nevertheless, she heard a sound. It was the sound of something flexible being sliced through. She saw Aigaion¡¯s right hand fly through the air. The mass of gravity exploded in midair. The air moved and wind washed over her. She found it ticklish how the bottom of her torn clothing whipped in the wind. She staggered forward and ran clockwise to Aigaion¡¯s back. This prevented her from seeing his movements, but she had a way to know what they were. The flow of air within the blowing wind told her. His large body threw a backhand her way using his remaining left hand. She could feel that smaller wind blowing directly toward her. As his arm arrived, she lowered down using her next step on her left leg. After making sure his powerful arm passed by overhead, she stepped onto her right leg. She practically stabbed her heel into the ground and used her right hand to throw the blade into the air. She swung her working right elbow backwards and used the acceleration to rotate clockwise. She used the momentum of the rotation to fully turn around and she saw Aigaion there. They were now face to face. She was rotating and he was defenseless after his backhand had missed. In between them, she saw the sword she had previously thrown. While maintaining the momentum of her rotation, she grabbed the midair blade with her limply extended left hand. Aigaion¡¯s expression changed when he saw the blade tip. He smiled. ¡°That move was a mistake!¡± His words made her realize she was moving. ¡­Does this mean I¡¯m as strong as Tatsumi and the others now? She did not know, but she did know something. ¡°I will grow stronger.¡± She swung the sword in her left hand without gathering any strength in it. It flew toward his neck and a nice sound rang out. The battle in front of Kurashiki Station was one-sided. The bombardment from Moira 1st and the other maids prevented the enemy from approaching, but UCAT was not making any clear counterattack or retreat. The maids¡¯ bullets easily pierced through buildings. The impacts had caused a few buildings to collapse and UCAT¡¯s movements were severely limited. Despite seeing no clear counterattack, Moira 1st did not stop firing toward the road. Her supply of plates was already running low, so she was primarily using the knives and forks she had brought along as well. Moira 2nd had contacted them via their shared memory to say she had switched the functioning gods of war to a combat program and was on her way to join them. Only two gods of war remained. The combat program had been created from the data taken in this battle and was made to fight short-term without making any mistakes. To prepare for Moira 2nd¡¯s arrival, the maids were firing a few shots to the south of Kurashiki Station. They were firing blind toward the many enemies there, but it would at least slow their advance. There was also something else Moira 1st needed to target. A single person stood two hundred meters away in the center of the road running southwest. The gray-haired old man in a lab coat could hardly be called a soldier. ¡°They referred to you as Ooshiro, didn¡¯t they?¡± The old man named Ooshiro stood boldly in the center of the road and held up a camera. ¡°Ha ha ha! You¡¯re no match for me now that I¡¯ve awoken to the wonders of video!¡± She fired on him regardless. However, he evaded it. He swiftly slid just his hips to the side to avoid the bullet with the smallest possible motion without changing the height of his center of gravity. ¡°That was a close one. I almost shook the camera.¡± One of the maids turned toward her. ¡°Lady Moira 1st! There¡¯s something weird about that old man!¡± ¡°I had come to the same conclusion, but we must not let that affect our decisions. It may look like that, but it is the director of UCAT. That must come with a certain level of strength.¡± ¡°Oh. That serious expression on the head maid is just plain wonderful!¡± Moira 1st fired another shot with unparalleled accuracy, but Ooshiro once more twisted his body as little as possible to evade it. ¡­What a dreadful opponent. She then heard an odd noise. The sound of a dry branch breaking came from Ooshiro¡¯s lower back. ¡°Ah.¡± His small voice of realization brought everyone to a stop. A boy near Ooshiro looked up from among the UCAT soldiers taking cover. He held a giant white Cowling Sword in one hand and spoke in all seriousness. ¡°Make sure the next one hits.¡± ¡°Do you really have to give orders to the enemy, Izumo-kun!? And what with my back and all, could you maybe help me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. If I save you, Chisato¡¯ll get mad at me.¡± ¡°Y-you shouldn¡¯t put the blame on Kazami-kun.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because I can¡¯t oppose her.¡± The two of them exchanged a look and laughed, but then Izumo nodded. ¡°How about you get hit and die? I¡¯ll get you a nice tombstone that says ¡®human trash¡¯.¡± Ooshiro laughed and turned toward Moira 1st. ¡°Hey, head maid! Do you mind targeting this young man first!? I can¡¯t dodge or even move, so you might as well wait until later for me, right?¡± She fell silent and the maids reorganized. They formed a row of 18 gravity acceleration lenses and she threw a plate inside. The lift gave it a tendency to hop, but this was at relatively close range. ¡°Using the shockwave, we can blow you both away at once!¡± They prepared for the incoming attack. Sayama and Shinjou ran around the city. They were being pursued. On the other side of the houses that they ran between and hid behind, their scattered comrades indicated their own locations and the locations of the enemies they could see using whistles. A short whistle gave their own location and a long one gave an enemy¡¯s. The streets of Kurashiki were complicated, but they knew their comrades¡¯ locations, their enemies¡¯ locations, and their own location. ¡°We can provide quick firing support. Shinjou-kun! Between the houses to the right!¡± Shinjou nodded and fired Ex-St between the white-walled houses she heard a long whistle come from. The light was not at its maximum power, but the recoil was enough to knock her feet from the ground. Sayama caught her back and ran without watching where the light went. A long, high reverse whistle filled the air from the direction Shinjou had fired. That indicated an enemy had been defeated. They also heard some gunfire suddenly stop. ¡°Another one of ours was taken out. I think we are taking slightly more damage.¡± However, there was something odd about these maids. ¡°According to the communications officer, whenever one of ours is defeated or surrenders, the maids help heal their injuries.¡± ¡°Why?¡± asked Shinjou as she looked up. He nodded toward her as the ends of her eyebrows lowered. ¡°They are not combat models. Their decisions are based on the standards of a maid, so they must want to help once their job of killing is complete. They possess both the will to kill and to save. Quite a strange Gear, don¡¯t you think? Also, none of our injured comrades have returned to the battle. That silence could be out of respect for the maids¡¯ efforts.¡± He thought for a moment. ¡°Or they might not want to ruin the pleasure of having been healed by a maid.¡± ¡°That one sounds more likely.¡± Shinjou sighed and then frowned when she heard gunfire cut out about two buildings over. ¡°Sayama-kun, it sounds like someone else was defeated. Why are we taking more damage? I thought you said they aren¡¯t combat models.¡± That was a simple matter. ¡°It is an issue of movement speed, numbers, and weaponry. They were waiting for us and they scattered us once the battle began. Yes, they intentionally scattered us. Someone likely gave them that as a strategy.¡± ¡°But¡­why?¡± ¡°Most of us are carrying submachine guns. They can fire quickly and are powerful, but they can of course only attack in a straight line. What happens if an enemy charges in at extreme close range while moving left and right at high speed? Remember, UCAT¡¯s submachine guns weigh about five kilos.¡± Shinjou thought for a moment as she ran. ¡°It would be hard to swing your arm to keep up with them.¡± ¡°Rather than running, automatons move with small leaps and burst of acceleration from their gravitational control. While scattered, we cannot act as a group to suppress their speed and agility.¡± He glanced toward his waist where he carried a ten centimeter charm that functioned as a handheld explosive. ¡°Doctor Chao handed these out to everyone, but they are useless when we cannot hit with them. Winning while fighting as an individual will not be easy.¡± ¡°Is there a way to overcome this?¡± ¡°Ending our fixation on firearms, working together with as many others as we can meet up with, and not letting the genre of maids lead us astray.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean by that last one, but I can think of one more: a weapon that can fire over a wide area like my Ex-St.¡± ¡°The higher ups asked that we destroy as little of Kurashiki as possible even if it is a concept space. ¡­Of course, the other side is destroying it too now that the battle has begun.¡± He took a breath. ¡°I do wish we had a lot more weapons. That is my responsibility for accepting this battle on such short notice, but it is true we lack the weaponry needed to match them.¡± Shinjou nodded as if hanging her head, but Sayama saw something falling from above. ¡°Shinjou-kun!¡± He tackled her aside and brought Georgius to his back. He carried a knife there as standard equipment and the large combat knife had a 20 cm blade. He raised the blackened blade overhead and stepped back. A metallic noise rang from near his left hand and something was lightly deflected. He saw someone land on the ground at a speed that ignored gravity. The person lowered down toward the ground a little in front of him. ¡°Violet-kun.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I was looking for you so that I could be your opponent.¡± ¡°Why is that? There are plenty of other enjoyable opponents for you.¡± ¡°Lady Moira 1st appointed me as the one to entertain the guest of honor.¡± She said ¡°yes, sir¡± once more and took a stance with gently spread legs as Sayama stepped back. She held a kitchen knife in her right hand and a pot lid in her left. Noticing her lean forward in preparation to move, Sayama went on his guard. He then heard Shinjou¡¯s voice to the right. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her aiming Ex-St his way while sitting up after falling to her butt earlier. ¡°Sayama-kun! Get down!¡± But Violet¡¯s decisions and movements outdid Shinjou. With a snap of the wrist, the automaton threw the pot lid toward Shinjou. ¡°!¡± The pot lid was given speed and rotation with gravitational control and it crashed into Ex-St with a metallic noise before being intentionally sent into the asphalt. The force of the attack knocked Ex-St upwards from below. Violet spoke quietly as she ran toward Sayama. ¡°I was always the one washing dishes and utensils, so this is my specialty.¡± Shinjou frowned and cried out as she shot Ex-St, but she could not aim properly. Nevertheless, she fired. A clear sound filled the air and a white beam of light let out a roar as it raced across. The chopping beam of light flew in the arc of a punch from down low, so it circled over Violet and Sayama¡¯s heads and struck the building behind them. However, it did not cause an explosion. All it caused was destruction and the sound of shattering glass. The building was a mid-sized electronics store with a parking lot in back. The front entrance had been destroyed. ¡°¡­!¡± Sayama leaped inside with a back step, but Violet accelerated and reached him in an instant. The eyes behind her glasses contained a smile as she prepared her kitchen knife at the waist. ¡°Welcome and please come in.¡± Sayama gave an expressionless nod in response. ¡°I see. Thank you for your hard work. ¡­But how about I give you your tip up front?¡± He swung his right hand and threw the explosive charm that had been attached to his waist. He placed the paper in the air between the two of them and spoke. ¡°Welcome.¡± The charm exploded. Gyes ran through the hangar. Rather than use the stairs up to the hanger deck, she took a single leap up. There, she saw Miyako sleeping on the hanger deck sofa. ¡°Typhon!¡± The white god of war had begun to walk and it had a definite yellow light in its eyes. She frantically grabbed the railing. ¡°Lord Apollo!¡± she shouted. ¡°Where are you going!?¡± And¡­ ¡°Why are you abandoning Lady Miyako!?¡± Typhon gave no answer. It instead walked right up to her. ¡°¡­¡± It nodded once, turned its back, and continued walking. Amid the rumbling of its footsteps, she attempted to pursue it, but she stopped after taking the first step. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Miyako¡¯s eyes opened a little and Gyes¡¯s shoulders shook. ¡°Lady Miyako!¡± ¡°Oh, Gyes?¡± She frowned, but her eyes regained their focus in an instant and she sat up. ¡°Where¡¯s Apollo!?¡± She looked straight toward the hangar entrance. Beyond it were the white back of the leaving god of war and its six wings. Seeing that, she opened her mouth. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She took a breath. ¡°Apollo!!¡± She moved forward from the sofa. Her knees slipped from the edge and she nearly fell. Gyes supported her, but she was too frantic to notice. ¡°Wh-what the hell are you doing!?¡± She wanted to move toward him and those white wings, so she struggled to break free of Gyes¡¯s support as if swimming. Gyes realized that something had to have happened to her. ¡°Lady Miyako!¡± When she shouted into her ear, Miyako finally turned toward her. She was crying. ¡°¡­¡± Gyes saw an expression she had never before seen on a human face. It was not especially lacking in strength, but it seemed to have crumbled and lost all focus. That expression was now looking directly at her. ¡°Why?¡± Miyako took in a breath. ¡°Why did it turn out like this?¡± Gyes tried to answer. She was almost embracing Miyako and she tried to use precise decisions to provide the words that would supply her with absolute relief. However¡­ ¡­I can¡¯t think of anything. She had not realized her accumulated data and decision-making ability were so undeveloped. However, the answer arrived from elsewhere. It came from a small figure walking their way from the door to the internal corridor connecting the hanger deck to the living floors. ¡°I don¡¯t know why it turned out like this, Miyako,¡± said Moira 3rd. While still crying, Miyako took another breath and turned toward Moira 3rd. ¡°The truth is, Lord Apollo woke up before you. He called my middle sister and had her check.¡± ¡°Check what?¡± ¡°Whether a child was forming within you.¡± Gyes saw Miyako¡¯s expression change from tearful to surprised. ¡°A kid?¡± The collapsed part of her expression regained a bit of strength. That strength came from doubt. ¡°It can¡¯t be confirmed yet,¡± said Moira 3rd. ¡°But my middle sister used some precise gravitational control to fix things in place, so it should be fine. Also, my middle sister had this.¡± Moira 3rd held out what she had been hiding behind her back. It was a flower pot. ¡°She said to give this to the child when it¡¯s born. ¡­Lord Apollo was delighted too. He said he wanted you to give it to the child.¡± There was nothing in the flower pot. It had no seeds or even dirt. ¡°He said he wanted you to fill it with what can be seen in this world.¡± Miyako closed her eyes. A blast of wind could be heard outside as Typhon left. ¡°That bastard made the decision for me. ¡­A husband and wife have equal rights these days, you idiot!¡± Her voice trembled, but she still spoke with her eyebrows raised. ¡°And don¡¯t think a wife isn¡¯t going to want to see her husband¡¯s decision through to the end!¡± Volume 7, 37: The King’s City Volume 7, Chapter 37: The King¡¯s City I have arrived, everyone When Team Leviathan entered the concept space, they had left their main unit in a hospital parking lot. A single white tent was set up there. It was their medical tent, but as it was not on the front lines, its primary role was to store medical supplies. Only two people were visible in the cramped area left by all those supplies. Mikage lay on a cot placed behind the piles of boxes and Sibyl sat next to her. Mikage sat up on the cot and looked up toward the white cloth of the tent. Occasional scraping sounds would pass by on the other side of that cloth. ¡°Those are stray bullets. They are a bit large, so I assume a god of war or something has arrived. We are being protected by gods of war of our own, so we should be fine.¡± However, Mikage expressionlessly shook her head to say there was no guarantee of that. She had found herself here when she had woken up and she assumed it was on Hiba¡¯s instructions, but¡­ ¡­Why here? Hiba had often said he would protect her, but now bullets were flying through the air and he was not here. What did that mean? Before she had passed out, she had found her solution concerning Hiba. She had decided he should live with the others. In truth, she had felt quite lonely the day before. ¡­Or is this normal? Hiba¡¯s mother was alone since his father had died. Realizing there were others like her made her think being alone was normal. In that case, she would bear with it. ¡­Ryuuji-kun needs to live a normal life without calling on my power. She would bear with it for now and, once he returned, she would ask him to no longer take her to the battlefield. If she no longer went to the battlefield, he could live a much more normal life without worrying about anything. She felt that was the right decision, but the thought of it still brought a pain deep in her chest. That pain caused her to lower her head a little. Sibyl then gave a smile with the ends of her eyebrows lowered. ¡°Hiba-sama is protecting you. He is doing so even more than before.¡± Still feeling that pain, Mikage turned around and faced Sibyl with a frown. ¡°¡­¡± She shook her head, but Sibyl did the same. ¡°Mikage-sama, do you know why Hiba-sama is with the others?¡± ¡°Ee-uhs ih¡¯s orahl.¡± Because it¡¯s normal. She mouthed the words, pointed at herself, and shook her head. ¡­Being with people other than me is normal. ¡°Perhaps. It is indeed not normal to be so obsessed with you and some might call him a perverted stalker boy. That phrase sums up the current situation fairly well.¡± Mikage tilted her head at the term she did not understand, but Sibyl merely nodded. ¡°But I think being with someone is not the only way to show you care about them.¡± Sibyl suddenly grabbed her hand which was already wrapped in bandages. ¡°You can also leave someone or push them away because you care about them. Much like you are doing now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He is doing the same. Although you could call it cute how he brought you here to make sure he did more than just distance himself from you.¡± ¡°Uht?¡± ¡°Yes, cute.¡± Sibyl¡¯s smile grew and she ignored the stray bullets flying over the tent. ¡°Both of you are. Right now, he has chosen the battlefield and I am sure he can face the battlefield without you now.¡± ¡°Hy? Hy uhs ee ite?¡± ¡°Why does he fight? Because he knows it will protect you. Before, he let you monopolize him, but now he is working for everyone. However, he is only doing that because he realized he could not protect you by protecting only you.¡± Sibyl¡¯s smile lessened and her voice grew quieter. ¡°To put it in a bit of an over-the-top way, he is protecting the place in which you live.¡± ¡°Uh ays ih ihch I ihv?¡± ¡°Yes. Do you know the origin of your name?¡± She had been told that before. It was back when she would go to the Hiba Dojo after she had woken up but before she had learned to speak. Her vision had been imperfect and she had only been able to see things vaguely. One morning, when the moon still remained in the sky, Hiba had pushed her wheelchair to visit his grandfather and the old man had brought them further beyond the open air dojo. A cracked clearing and a small cabin in the woods had been there. The cabin had appeared inhabited. They had passed over a narrow dirt floor and reached a small area of tatami mats. Hiba and his grandfather had worked together to sit her there. ¡°I ememer.¡± I remember. Her dim vision had seen a light rising above the mountain ridge that had been visible as shadow. The subsequent contrast between light and darkness had shown the natural things such as trees, mountains, and rivers as well as the unnatural such as cities. She remembered being told that was where she had been named Mikage. She had looked at the young Hiba¡¯s face, seen a smile there, and formed the same expression on her own face. ¡­I wanted to evolve. She remembered thinking that. She wrinkled her brow and looked to Sibyl. Sibyl was looking at her slightly lowered head. ¡°Hiba-sama is in a place where his power is needed.¡± And¡­ ¡°He will not ask for your help because that could end up hurting you, but that is because he cares about you the most.¡± Hearing that, Mikage opened her mouth. ¡°Uht.¡± But. Upon saying that, she suddenly realized something. ¡­But what do I want to do? She wanted to know. Rather than simply thinking she did not know, she wanted to know the answer to that question. ¡°Ih-ul.¡± ¡­Why do you know the origin of my name? Only a few of those closest to her knew that. As soon as she thought that, she heard cries of surprise from outside. She wondered what had happened and Sibyl held her in her arms. A moment later, she heard an explosion and the tent was blown away. Two exchanges were being made in the moonlit sky. One of beams of light and the other of speed. On one side was a giant form with four metal wings and several cannons. On the other was a small body with wings of light and a spear. They were Cottus and Kazami. Kazami repeatedly flapped her wings while keeping her distance from Cottus. Cottus could cover a large distance with a single action and his mid-stage acceleration was the most powerful. On the other hand, Kazami had the greater initial speed and could make tighter turns. However, the difference in distance covered per action was simply too great. Even when she flapped her wings repeatedly, a single movement of his wings would separate them. They were currently to the northwest of Kurashiki Station. There was light down below, but it did not come from houses. It came from a large area filled with mansions, towers, the decorative lights on arcades. ¡°The amusement park. Or is it a theme park?¡± Spreading out from the northern entrance of Kurashiki Station was Kurashiki Tivoli Gardens which used a Hans Christian Andersen theme. Kazami descended toward the illuminated European-style temple in the center. The clock on the dimly-lit arcade was approaching 9:00 PM, but it would be past 11:00 PM outside the concept space. ¡­Is that the lag between the creation of the concept space and the power being set up? She looked to the Ferris wheel to the right as an attack came from the sky. She flew into the theme park and she glided through the illumination of the central arcade covering the tree-lined path to the entrance. She moved quickly and the illumination hid her wings of light more than the trees did. She used her wings and kicked off the brick path to slalom between the trees while looking back and repeatedly firing G-Sp2¡¯s cannon. She clicked her tongue when Cottus turned around and evaded from a hundred meters up. She avoided the return fire with a flying step while gliding over the brick path. She slipped between the trees. The flat white roof before her was the theme park¡¯s exit. She smiled when she noticed the empty mobile organs and European style popcorn stands on either side. An instant later, she passed between the exit gate and the roof while drawing the pursuing bullets of light. She flew out front where a wide road extended to the left and right. Beyond the road was the large white building of Kurashiki Station and a parking garage. The wind was different from in the theme park, she had a wider area to move in, and the theme park¡¯s lights felt hot behind her. It was summer and she noticed the lights of a beer garden on the roof of the station building. ¡­Come to think of it, Kaku said we needed to go to one of those once I turned twenty. He was talking about one in Tachikawa, though. There was no real reason to wait, but he could be overly-serious about the strangest things. Light flew down from the sky. The bombardment tore into the roof of the theme park¡¯s entrance and smashed the asphalt. Kazami flapped her wings and moved right as a feint. Her opponent had a machine¡¯s decision-making ability, memory, and predictive ability. If she moved in a straight line, he would easily predict her movements, so she intentionally flew along the stone-paved path in front of the theme park instead of the wider road. She disturbed her normal motions with a skip, moved her wings, and then quickly launched herself toward the train station. She soared. A white terrace was located between the theme park and the station. It had a radius of about fifty meters, the center was left open, and it had European style decorations. A three-story clock tower stood in the central courtyard. Kazami flew up and over the terrace so she could see the green-roofed clock tower. She then heard a low sound far to the south and saw smoke in the southern sky. ¡°Did a god of war or something explode back at the headquarters?¡± She wanted to believe the medical tent that Sibyl and Mikage were in was unharmed, but she still frowned. ¡°They¡¯re fine.¡± She told herself she would go back later and she faced forward. She flew on top of the terrace, nodded while still frowning, and heard a sudden sound. She heard a bell and classical music began playing from the speakers set up in the terrace¡¯s central courtyard. The bell indicated nine o¡¯clock in the concept space. At the same time, the clock tower began to move. The clock portion at the top split open and something came out. ¡°A puppet show?¡± A show modeled after Andersen¡¯s fairy tales was set up within the clock tower. The puppets were set up in all four directions and each side represented a different story. The four stories slowly rotated to music. ¡°Ah.¡± Kazami realized it was distracting her, so she quickly looked up. However¡­ ¡°Viewing allowed.¡± Cottus stopped firing and came to a stop in the sky overhead. Kazami smiled bitterly. She heard the sounds of attacks beyond the station and saw black smoke rising in the southern sky. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t think this is the end for me, so someday I¡¯ll come back to see it with the person most important to me. I¡¯ll watch this wonderfully enjoyable mechanical kingdom and its puppet show with the sounds of a bell in the background.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Cottus moved through the sky above the theme park. He turned backwards and aimed the cannons toward her. Meanwhile, she moved slowly into the sky without moving away from him. They both slowly rotated with Kazami below and Cottus above. Cottus nodded as the music behind them ended and the clock tower closed. The end of the sound acted as their cue. ¡°¡­!¡± Kazami took action. Kazami raced through the air. She ascended while moving in a shallow arc to reach Cottus¡¯s right side. However, Cottus predicted it. He first held her off by firing his many cannons toward her and then turned to the right. His turn kept her in range as she ascended and evaded rightward into the sky. As he rotated his heavy body to the right, he tried to fire a second volley along her upward path, but she took her own action in that moment. ¡°That isn¡¯t gonna cut it!¡± Her new action exceeded Cottus¡¯s predictions. She suddenly changed her course to ascend directly toward him instead of to his right. This brought her directly into the hail of cannon fire flying her way. She was directly below him and she could see him turned to the right on the other side of the barrage of light. His weight prevented him from moving right away, so she used this chance and oriented herself vertically toward the light pouring from the heavens. ¡°¡­!¡± She kicked off empty air and flew. Her flapping wings sent her in a straight line directly up. The barrage resembled arrows of light, but she had a rudder to navigate through them. ¡°G-Sp2!¡± The tip of the spear closed and became a blade once more. She used the flow of the wind it sliced through to adjust her trajectory. And she flew. She moved her wings to accelerate, accelerate, and accelerate even more. After three consecutive bursts of acceleration, she added on another. She charged into the center of the barrage in an instant. Cottus¡¯s cannons were positioned symmetrically on either side. By placing herself in the center, she could evade simply by altering her trajectory up and down, so that was precisely what she did. She pressed herself down on the spear to avoid the first thick beam of light and slipped just above the second without lowering her upwards speed in the slightest. She expected the third shot to target her face, but it instead targeted the shoulder. It was fortunate she preferred to dress light and therefore had not worn shoulder armor. ¡­If I¡¯d been wearing it, it would¡¯ve caught on that blast and I would¡¯ve been killed. She accepted that thought positively and continued slipping through the light. ¡°This feels great!¡± She had just about made it out, but one final blast was still on its way. Cottus was facing to the side, but he had fired with a right-side secondary cannon to finish her off. Sensing it would hit, Kazami did not hesitate. She flapped her wings to send her straight forward and she jammed G-Sp2 into the light. It all happened in an instant. The light shattered with a great noise of destruction and she felt intense recoil, but¡­ ¡°Go!¡± The intensity of her wings won out. Light scattered as if she had broken through a wall of water and she continued on into the sky. ¡°I made it through!¡± Her shout was met by the sensation of cool air. ¡­Ah. The battle was not over, but her vision still turned to the night sky when she broke through the barrage. The moon and the stars floated in that sky and she thought to herself while looking to the constellations. ¡­The images of the gods are watching over the people with the moon in the center. She had reached the empty sky, but she realized one fact. ¡°Cottus is gone!?¡± An instant later, she acted on reflex. She aimed G-Sp2 toward her feet and did not hesitate. ¡°G-Sp2! Stage Two!¡± G-Sp2 made the indicated transformation and she fired the cannon as if stabbing it into the air beneath her. With a scorching sound, the white light flew forcefully downwards. ¡°That¡¯s where you are, isn¡¯t it!?¡± Cottus was indeed down below where she had sent the light and her shout. ¡­He used the barrage to hide his movements as he turned toward me and dropped into my blind spot. Such a heavy god of war was defenseless after firing or while moving, so after firing the final shot at her before, he had chosen to move as quickly as he could to evade. While continuing to rotate to the right, he had used gravity to drop down below. If she had let the surprise of his disappearance take over, he would undoubtedly have finished rotating and fired from below. There was only one reason she had not let that happen. ¡­Experience! That thought was accompanied by the clear sound of the white strike hitting the center of Cottus¡¯s chest. The blue chest armor was destroyed and the spreading pressure also destroyed the surrounding armor and main cannons. It looked like a meteor had hit him. He fell to the ground as if he had been thrown down and that brought him toward a certain structure. ¡°The Ferris wheel!¡± Kazami shouted and flapped her wings to secure a second shot. Cottus was going to collide with the Ferris wheel that was much larger than him. However, an odd sensation came over Kazami a moment later. Everything in her vision rotated while Cottus remained in the very center. She had been looking at the ground and the Ferris wheel, but for some reason she was now looking toward the sky and the moon. ¡°Eh?¡± Something struck her back and it felt like a cold pillar. She turned around and found a wheel made from giant white pillars. It was the Ferris wheel. ¡°Eh!?¡± The answer to her confusion brought a new question. ¡­Why did Cottus and I switch places? ¡°Did you use your gravitational control to rotate space!?¡± Cottus¡¯s gravitational control was powerful enough to keep a god of war as massive as him in flight, so he had used it to rotate the space they occupied by 180 degrees. His gravitational control was not precise enough to grab an individual, but he did not need to. ¡°Spatial rotation possible.¡± She looked up toward the voice and saw Cottus in the sky. All of his armor was spread out and the shimmering of heat rose from within. ¡°Gravitational control at maximum power required.¡± But in exchange¡­ ¡°Final attack. Single volley.¡± That announcement of an all-or-nothing shootout caused Kazami to panic. She was currently an excellent target for a volley, so she needed to right herself and kick off the Ferris wheel pillar. But before she could, Cottus held out his hand. He had secondary cannons in his hands, stomach, and shoulders. Light gathered in them and they shot power straight down toward her. ¡°Victory assured!¡± The sound of a bell filled the city. The clock tower¡¯s nine o¡¯clock reverberation shook the uninhabited city. That sound was joined by gunfire and explosions in various places. ¡°Last one!¡± Mechanical noises and the clashing of weapons came from Susahito Custom. The noises came from the Achi Shrine side of the road leading from the train station. The last of the green enemy gods of war had just had its torso sliced in two. One of Hiba¡¯s two swords had already broken and this was his first strike with the second sword he had switched to. However, he instinctually looked to the sky after defeating that enemy. ¡­Is something coming? He heard an odd, deep sound. It was the sound of the wind created by the movement of some giant object. He moved to take the rifle from his back and fix it to the hard point on his right arm, but the object suddenly landed before he could. ¡°¡­!¡± It flew to the ground about two hundred meters south on the same road. A white god of war landed with such force that it seemed to collide with the ground. It was Typhon. In the center of Hiba¡¯s vision, Typhon was ejecting shimmering heat from the armor on its shoulders and waist. He also saw a god of war move toward Typhon from the right. It was a UCAT god of war with black and white armor and it had likely walked this far once the 3rd-Gear gods of war had been dealt with. The god of war fired its submachine gun and charged forward with its thrusters fully open. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± But it was soon proven that the charge was meaningless. Sparks scattered at only a few dozen centimeters in front of the white god of war. The flying bullets had been deflected with pressure-resistant barriers made with pinpoint targeted gravitational control. The white god of war did not even take a defensive stance. The UCAT god of war must have realized the gun was useless because it threw away the weapon and drew its sword. It clashed with Typhon with the sword prepared at its waist. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± In the instant Hiba expected them to collide, Typhon raised its right hand. The palm struck the black and white god of war¡¯s sword head-on. ¡°!¡± And it broke. The sword could be heard shattering as it seemed to be sucked in and compressed by the white metal palm. Typhon then thrust that same right hand forward. Despite the UCAT god of war¡¯s momentum, Typhon¡¯s single hand caught it by the armor of its neck. ¡°¡­!¡± And the black and white god of war was casually thrown overhead. That was all it took to send it flying through the air. It flew, rotated, and disappeared beyond the shopping district behind them. Finally, the spectacular sound of a destroyed building came from beyond that shopping district. Typhon did not even look back toward its enemy. In the center of Hiba¡¯s vision, Typhon stared into the city. Smoke was rising here and there, explosions rang through the air, and the sounds of gunfire and clashing weapons filled the city of Kurashiki. A silver blade was exposed below the night air and moonlight, but Typhon stabbed it into the asphalt. It placed both hands on the upturned bottom of the hilt and suddenly let out a shout. ¡°My family of 3rd-Gear!¡± The male voice carried throughout the Kurashiki sky that still contained the reverberation of the bell. ¡°3rd-Gear¡¯s king is watching you. Fight to your heart¡¯s content!¡± Moira 1st prepared to fire a plate at Izumo and Ooshiro, but she stopped when she heard a sudden voice. She frantically turned her head toward the Achi Shrine to listen. ¡°Can you hear me, Low-Gear and those supporting them!? And can you hear me, those who hold a grudge against us!?¡± Moira 1st looked down the road, but the voice¡¯s owner was around a corner and out of sight. However, she could still hear the voice. ¡°I have prepared all of 3rd-Gear¡¯s forces here.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± said one of the maids when she heard that. ¡°But we did this without Lord Apollo¡¯s permission.¡± ¡­Silence. Moira 1st sent out a shared memory and continued listening. ¡°Here are the maids created to look after humans, the guardians created to protect 3rd-Gear, and the massive weapons created to crush our more pitiful enemies and to match the dragons. They stand on this battlefield along with the will to use their might to dominate over all others!¡± The maids listened to Apollo¡¯s words. ¡°I find this battlefield to be comfortable. No matter what the automatons might say, it does not come from their own wills. This is what my will once desired. I present to you the chance to cleanse it all! Now, cleanse that which cannot be left in this world and cleanse my own life!¡± They heard his voice. ¡°The bell indicating 3rd-Gear¡¯s ending has rung! If you will use this battle to invite us in as a new family, then try it, weakest Gear!! If you can show us the happiness of making a family out of the people and weapons we have created, I will accept that you have surpassed us! We are an army of machines that do not seek understanding and know not of retreat! Do not think an iron will and steel flesh can be so easily controlled and brought to submission!¡± And¡­ ¡°I, King Apollo of 3rd-Gear, will accept the result of this battle as the result of the Leviathan Road!!¡± Moira 1st closed her eyes when she heard that. She finally nodded and faced forward. In the distance, a boy and an old man who was not moving his back stood on the road. The boy rested a giant white Cowling Sword on his shoulder and nodded once. ¡°You¡¯ve got a great king. ¡­From what I¡¯d heard, I was imagining someone a lot more pathetic.¡± ¡°Yes, he has become truly great. Until now, he pretended to not give this any thought and seemed to hate his father and 3rd-Gear.¡± She smiled. ¡°According to the records I have access to, no one would make a more fitting king for 3rd-Gear.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The boy nodded again and smiled. ¡°If your king¡¯s watching, we¡¯ve got no choice. Let¡¯s both show what we can do.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Moira 1st nodded, brought two plates together, and held them up. She realized this would be her final shot as she forcefully swung her arm and shouted out. ¡°Loading the bullet!¡± Apollo turned to the right of the road. He pulled the sword from the ground and held up his right hand. He saw his opponent among the orange streetlights. It was a black god of war. He had not seen this god of war for a long time. It had actually been sixty years, but to him, it had been only five. ¡°Hey,¡± said Apollo. ¡°How about a rematch? I never actually lost to that Susahito god of war.¡± ¡°Yes, I know. My grandfather used Susamikado to kill you.¡± ¡°He arrived to take back Rhea¡¯s daughter and hid at Cronus¡¯s place. Rhea¡¯s daughter had been turned into an automaton and your grandfather made his appearance when she had been handed over to my father¡¯s duplicate.¡± He remembered that time quite well. Whenever he had tried to remember it before, Artemis had taken over, but he could do it now. His mind felt clear now that he had combined with the machine. ¡­Miyako. It was thanks to her that he was able to remain himself for this long, so he was thankful. ¡°I was the one that crushed that god of war in front of my father. That is what I mean when I refer to a rematch.¡± The black god of war nodded and held its sword to the right. ¡­That is the same stance as back then. No, this one is situated a little lower. ¡°How nostalgic. Although the noisy crying of Rhea¡¯s daughter is missing now.¡± Hearing that, the black god of war froze in place. After a moment, it spoke. ¡°Do you know the name of¡­Rhea¡¯s daughter? ¡°No, my father forbade it. He said it was a name filled with the weakness of Low-Gear. I also never asked because I was afraid of growing even slightly attached to her.¡± A tone of self-deprecation came from the mechanical mouth. ¡°I assume it¡¯s a good name.¡± ¡°It is.¡± ¡°Ha ha. From what I hear, she¡¯s become important to you. ¡­In that case, I¡¯ll make you a promise. If I have a child, I¡¯ll give it a good name as well.¡± Miyako will choose well there, he thought as he walked forward. He moved toward the black god of war and slowly raised his sword. ¡°Now, it is time we fought.¡± Volume 7, 38: Shadow of Light Volume 7, Chapter 38: Shadow of Light What is held overhead? What is hidden? And what envelops everything? A maid walked through a dimly-lit electronics store. She was Violet and she pushed her cracked glasses up her nose to look around. ¡°Where are you?¡± She received no answer. She had lost sight of her opponent upon entering the building. He had thrown some kind of thin explosive at her and she had gravitationally sealed off the explosion to prevent any damage to herself. She had diverted the explosion outward, but some of the pressure had leaked through. Her scarf and the bottom of her apron had been torn apart. She wondered if Aigaion would be angry because he was in charge of acquiring their clothing, but she also wondered if Miyako would be worried. Apollo¡¯s words weighed on her mind. She determined this was a problem, but she did not let it show on her face. She had never guessed that she was the only one to never damage her hands while washing and she had certainly never expected to be chosen as the hand-to-hand combat leader for that reason. ¡­Master Aigaion, did it not actually matter who you chose? While wondering that, Violet turned the corner on the washing machine aisle located next to the electric fans. They were all good washing machines, but the maids had repaired the one in the 3rd-Gear base again and again over the years. The machine itself had grown quite attached to them, so they had no intention of replacing it. ¡°Some other time.¡± If she moved to a new workplace or had some free time, she would have a chance to interact with them. Unfortunately, machines required fuel to move as living creatures. ¡°But Low-Gear¡¯s fuel is primarily supplied through a strange cord.¡± The external cable on the floor concerned her. In 3rd-Gear¡¯s base, she only ever saw that on the stand used to swap out fuel sources. The automatons themselves used philosopher¡¯s stone fuel to remain active for hundreds of years. She tilted her head because the exposed cable seemed like an exposed organ. Suddenly, the store filled with light. The surrounding black box-shaped video display devices lit up, the switched-on fans began to blow, and some kind of recorded music began to play from somewhere. ¡°¡­¡± She understood that someone had activated the store and she could predict that this was somehow dangerous. However, she was mostly delighted that the machines around her had begun to move. They all felt like friends and allies to her. She nodded and stepped out into the central and widest aisle with her hands on her hips. ¡°Please come out. We can settle this like the others are doing.¡± She then heard a voice. It belonged to the Team Leviathan leader named Sayama. ¡°So the machines here really are alive?¡± ¡°If I said no, I would not be an automaton.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said the voice down the aisle. A shadow moved in the light at the far end of the aisle. The boy¡¯s pale shadow appeared on the wall there. ¡°Then I would like to make a deal with you over by the entrance.¡± Violet saw that Sayama held a knife at his chest in his left hand and he also held a small green electric fan in his right arm. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. I am sure you can tell what this means. It is a clich¨¦ line, but it must be a first for a machine like you. This is what one says at a time like this: I have taken a hostage. Do as you are told and surrender.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it usually the one who took the hostage who is told to surrender?¡± ¡°Listen. This is an extreme situation. Nitpicky questions will lead to death.¡± He pressed the knife against the fan. Violet¡¯s head shrank back as she imagined the sensation of a knife against her throat. ¡­What should I do? She lightly held the large kitchen knife in her hand. ¡°P-please wait a moment.¡± ¡°I will not wait. A festival is underway outside and I am Japanese, the people who most fear being late to a fad. Listen, I will count to ten. One, ten. Oh, dear. It seems I already finished. What will you do!?¡± ¡°Wh-what will I do?¡± Her mind fell into confusion. At this rate, she would be unable to make a proper decision, so she tried to think of a way to deal with it. ¡­But I don¡¯t understand what he¡¯s saying. For the moment, she decided to deal with it by ignoring him and first thinking about the current situation. She then gasped in realization and pointed at him. ¡°I just realized it, but that¡¯s useless! That fan isn¡¯t alive, is it!?¡± ¡°Do not tell me you think it is not alive. Unfortunately, it is just as alive as you are.¡± Sayama stepped out from the aisle to reveal the external cable on the back of the fan extending along the floor and behind the display of fans. However, that was not enough to know for sure, so Violet raised her eyebrows. ¡°Prove that the fan is alive.¡± As she spoke, Sayama hit the switch. The fan blades instantly began to rotate. It was alive. That fact caused her to gasp again. That machine was a precious life in this concept space. ¡°Look.¡± He nodded with a serious expression. ¡°This is the IAI fan named Cheerful. It can be operated via voice recognition and the shape of the blades has been altered so speaking into it raises your voice by an octave to make it pointlessly cheerful. Now, as a member of its family, what do you think of this situation?¡± With the knife still pressed to the fan, he switched it from low to normal, normal to high, and then high to very high. ¡°Do you understand now?¡± he said in his wavering and high-pitched voice. ¡°What if I add in a shaking of the head? Like this.¡± ¡°P-please stop being so cruel!¡± Violet watched on as the fan¡¯s white head moved back and forth as if in protest. ¡°Ha ha ha!¡± laughed Sayama. ¡°This may be a one-sided misunderstanding, but a position of superiority is a wonderful thing. If you care about this child¡¯s life, surrender to me and do something to benefit me.¡± Violet very nearly gave in. In that case, she thought. How about I find that girl who fired on us earlier and take her as a hostage? But Sayama suddenly looked at her. His expressionless gaze turned her way. ¡­Oh? He had supposedly been talking to her this entire time, so why was he turning toward her? ¡­Was he not actually looking at me this entire time? He then spoke the rest of her thoughts. ¡°Violet-kun? Why have you been reacting as if speaking with me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Dumbfounded, she lowered the hand holding her knife and slowly turned around. She saw the show area at the store¡¯s entrance. As it was summer, some large fans were placed there and an especially large industrial fan was turned her way and slowly rotating its blades. ¡°That is the large fan named Manly that is the parent product of Cheerful here. It is operated via voice recognition and it uses tornado-level wind to lower one¡¯s voice by three octaves to make it manlier. Now, what do you say, Manly?¡± Violet listened to Sayama speak. ¡°If you do something to benefit me, I will¡­oh, I know. I will release this child and thank you by providing a noiseless power source that should be even more comfortable. A high-purity UCAT battery should do the trick.¡± Manly answered him with a great gust of wind. ¡°!¡± Before she could react, Violet was blown away by the wind. The balancer required to distinguish up from down did not work fast enough to use her gravitational control. Before she could even think that it was due to being a non-combat model, she crashed butt-first into a pile of cardboard boxes spread out to take inventory. The empty boxes cushioned her fall and she tried to get up. ¡°Ah¡­no¡­¡± Her butt had fallen between two boxes and using her arms and legs to keep herself from falling further was the most she could do. She then saw several men and women in white and black armored uniforms run into the store¡¯s entrance. Sayama approached them while holding the fan. ¡°Prepare a battery and a transformer! There should be some in the car electronics section in the back! This is a living armory and a den of their allies, so we should use this as our base as we take control of the other areas!¡± Violet watched through her cracked glasses as they all shouted their agreement. ¡­They just don¡¯t give up. Sayama turned around and she saw a slight smile on his face. ¡°Listen,¡± he said with Baku on his head. ¡°After this battle is over, why not drop by Kanda? I am sure you will find people who have knowledge you want and want the knowledge you have.¡± He looked at the knife in her hand. ¡°And after that, I would like to try your cooking.¡± Without even nodding, she dropped the knife from her hand. He grabbed her right hand, pulled, and lifted her up. ¡°Ah.¡± Before she could even resist, he had rescued her from the boxes and placed her over his shoulder. ¡°Everyone!¡± he shouted. A black-haired girl walked up next to him and gave a bitter smile. ¡°3rd-Gear¡¯s king has already given his answer, so it is our time to make an announcement.¡± He took in a breath, raised his left hand, and walked forward into the center of those waiting for him. ¡°Everyone! Through this battle, we will acquire a steel toy box! And know this, everyone! Even if they are large and fearsome, a toy is nothing but a toy! If they wish to be human, reach out a hand to remove them from their box!¡± But¡­ ¡°If they instead cry and insist they are dolls, act as a villain and crush them! And we of Low-Gear will teach a lesson to the fools who think of toys as human! We love waste. We leave behind the moment of death. We find a way to view all that can be lost as human. We who have received the sun god¡¯s answer wish to spend this night dancing, playing, attacking, and defeating those moonlit dolls! And once those Copp¨¦lia have been knocked straight and continue dancing, they can sing and become human! And to ensure it happens¡­go ahead!!¡± He took a breath, lowered Violet near the entrance, and looked her directly in the eye. ¡°Where is your answer, everyone!?¡± ¡°Testament!¡± All the surrounding people and all the enemies in the city spoke at once. Amid the many responding voices, Violet looked at Sayama and the others in front of her and muttered quietly with small movements of her lips. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Among the cries of ¡°testament¡±, Cottus¡¯s cannon fire descended from the night sky. The light produced in the shadowy sky struck the Ferris wheel. The structure could not withstand it. A roaring vibration came from the Ferris wheel as the light exploded. The central support pillar was pierced through and the Ferris wheel was left floating in the air. A moment later, countless lights stabbed into it as if securing it in midair. First four, then six, and suddenly twenty. This final attack used all of his secondary cannons. The barrage of stabbing light easily pierced through the Ferris wheel and out the back. The solid light finally demonstrated its power upon striking the ground. It produced multiple explosions of heat. With a clear noise, the explosions of light each grew to several meters across, linked together, and became giant bubbles of light. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± They finally burst. The shockwave from the explosions of light blew into the sky as a surging blast of air. The Ferris wheel was located above the blast and was thus blown away and utterly destroyed in the process. Both the narrow and thick support pillars broke like twigs and flew through the air. The balloon-shaped gondolas lost their direction and were thrown into the sky. The pillars that remained connected bent from the blast. A few broke and a few were torn from their connectors to join the other fragments. The main support pillar holding up the entire structure broke at the base with only the amount stabbed deep underground remaining. The shockwave that bounced back from the ground further struck the falling Ferris wheel from below. The giant circular structure made of steel bars jumped up into the sky. It scattered like a child tossing sandbox sand into the air. What had once been a Ferris wheel scattered throughout the night sky and did not return. A giant blue form floated in the sky as the fragments washed over him. It was Cottus. The belt-shaped sight devices on his face emitted light as he scanned all of the fragments. ¡°Odds of enemy annihilation: high.¡± The enemy was not within the fragments. The light from his eyes tightened and formed three eyes for three-dimensional viewing. His eyes were viewing the new hole in the ground. His secondary cannons were large enough to annihilate his enemy with a direct hit, but he wanted to be sure. ¡°Reconfirming.¡± Light raced through his eyes once more, but the enemy was nowhere to be found. All he saw were the fragments and wreckage scattered about, so he nodded. ¡°Victory confirmed.¡± However¡­ ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± A sudden voice came from an unexpected direction: above. ¡°!¡± Cottus went on his guard and turned his sense of hearing outside the fragments and wreckage. He thought about the possibility of the enemy quickly moving outside the range of the wreckage and then charging back in. But he determined it was impossible. The enemy¡¯s mobility was not that great. Nevertheless¡­ ¡°What are you doing?¡± The voice came from quite nearby. It was in front of his forehead and therefore right in front of his eyes. Cottus then saw one of the Ferris wheel gondolas fall from the sky in front of him. A girl was inside. She opened the door with her legs crossed. ¡°Normally, the guy opens the door.¡± Her eyebrows rose in a smile and the wings were gone from her back. Even so, she walked forward and stepped out into the air as if taking a flight of stairs down. ¡°Now, then. I thought I was done for, but then I realized your scan wouldn¡¯t reach me in here.¡± She stood on his shoulder and lightly held up the spear which already had light residing inside it. Strength gathered in her eyes and the tip of the spear. ¡°Reversal confirmed. Testament?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Cottus let out a voiceless shout. He could no longer fire, but he reached out a hand to grab her. He had a single reason for doing this. ¡°Victory necessary! Requested¡­ Will delight master!¡± ¡°Yes, but I already have an escort! I don¡¯t need your hand.¡± Kazami¡¯s eyebrows rose in a bitter expression as she ignored the approaching hand and aimed G-Sp2 toward Cottus¡¯s chest armor. ¡°¡­!¡± She fired repeated shots into him at point blank range. A shot was fired in front of Kurashiki Station. The bullet that sent the asphalt ground spraying to the left and right was a plate. The maids lined up in the station roundabout had fired it and the head maid at the back of the line shouted out. ¡°This hammer of punishment is administered in the name of machines!¡± The bullet flew toward a boy holding a large Cowling Sword. If it hit, nothing at all would remain. If he evaded¡­. ¡°We have given it a spin so it will strike your main unit far behind you!!¡± The shout of warning from two hundred meters away caused the boy to move. He grabbed the Cowling Sword with both hands and held it to the right. He squeezed the grip, lowered and twisted his hips, placed his left leg out toward the maids, and smiled. ¡°Honestly. Didn¡¯t Aigaion tell you?¡± He raised the sword. ¡°My current hobby is winning prizes at the batting center!!¡± The automatons watched as he swung the large white sword. A clear sound range out along with¡­ ¡°Clang!¡± With that voiced sound effect, the ¡°baseball¡± flew. Their own bullet was returned to them along a low trajectory. ¡°Izumo hits a powerful one right back at the pitcher!!¡± Izumo¡¯s shouted commentary forced the maids to make a hurried decision. ¡°Lady Moira 1st! It¡¯s a line drive!¡± The head maid did not rush. She observed the ¡°baseball¡± flying toward them with twice the force. She also performed high-speed calculations and gave orders to the different maids via their shared memory. ¡°Now!¡± The maids quickly spun around. With a step and a turn that whipped up the wind, they formed a single column rather than the previous one made up of pairs. And instead of a straight line, they now formed a U-shape. Instead of forming a gravity ring with another maid, they placed their own hands together to form a smaller gravity lens on their own. They would receive Izumo¡¯s ¡°baseball¡± with extreme precision. ¡°We will return it with even more acceleration!¡± It all happened in an instant. The lift affecting the disk-shaped ¡°baseball¡± caused it to hop and the maid on the right end of the U-shape caught it. ¡°!¡± But it was not enough. Her left wrist was smashed to pieces, the disk was disturbed for less than a hundredth of an instant, and it threatened to veer off course. However¡­ ¡°Sorry about the wait!¡± Someone held the maid¡¯s hand and corrected the disk¡¯s entrance angle. ¡­Moira 3rd! While all the maids looked surprised and Moira 3rd gave a smile in return, the bullet approached the end of the U-shape. At the very end of the shape was Moira 1st. Moira 3rd spun around and took Moira 1st¡¯s prepared hands. ¡°Big sister!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The eldest and youngest Moira formed a gravity ring together and the disk-shaped bullet flew in from behind them. ¡°Fire!¡± Moira 1st and 3rd brought their vertically spread arms together to close in on the center of the gravity ring. This would build pressure in the gravity ring until it burst. That would then accelerate and fire the bullet as a mass of gravity. And that was what happened. With the sound of a paper bag bursting, the shattered gravity pieces were enough to create an explosion of steam. The white smoke exploded from the back of the gravity bullet that contained an airborne plate in the center. ¡°Carry out our job!¡± Moira 1st and 3rd appeared from within the flying steam. Both their arms had been destroyed. Their hands were cracked and a few of the wires that acted as the tendons in their wrists had snapped. However, strength remained in their eyes as they watched the bullet leave. Their gaze also fell on the boy who was the target of their power. Meanwhile, Izumo lightly rotated and swung Cowling Sword V-Sw. He no longer hesitated. He raised the sword and simply had to swing it back to strike the coming attack. However¡­ ¡°V-Sw, let¡¯s show them some respect! If we¡¯re having this much fun, you can manage it. Stage 3!¡± He raised his eyebrows as he shouted and V-Sw transformed in his hands. The Stage 2 thrusters opened and the thruster covers closed once more, but they closed on the front instead of the back. ¡°I will endure.¡± With that note on the console, V-Sw¡¯s cowling extended forward to form a giant cannon. Izumo held the targeting console and the grip sticking out from the base of the hilt. The white and black indicators on the console both stopped at 20% output. ¡°We¡¯ll fire at 20% so we don¡¯t destroy Kurashiki!¡± He fired. ¡°!¡± The light that burst from the end of V-Sw was so overwhelming that it reached the scale of a weather phenomenon. Its color was a fusion of white and black and it sounded like surging light. It quickly grew to thirty meters across and extended about one hundred meters out. The white and black light ate into the road, swallowed up the air, and destroyed the surrounding buildings as if drawing them in. However, it did not end at destruction. ¡°6th-Gear¡¯s concept is reincarnation! Destruction leads to rebirth! Rebirth leads to destruction!¡± Just as he said, everything that was torn into and destroyed reverted to its basic components and rose in a spray. The asphalt became crystals of stone and rivers of resin, the air became pure wind, the buildings become geysers of sandstone and spraying glass. It all burst into the air. At the base of it all, Izumo looked to the end of it all. He saw the light he had fired knock away the gravity bullet the maids had fired and he saw the gravity come apart and vanish into the world. ¡°Homerun!¡± Izumo swung up the light of reincarnation to use the scattering gravity and wind to strike the plate. The band of light was instantly released into the sky. The light looked less like lightning and more like a pillar several dozen meters across jutting up into the night sky. As the reincarnation pillar rose, it produced a rumbling and wind that blew away the clouds which had formed in the concept space sky. However, Izumo was watching the destination of the bullet he had hit back. It first hopped gently upwards. ¡°Keep rising and go out of the park!!¡± He shouted despite not being able to hear his own voice. However, the bullet¡¯s hop was too weak. It was going to crash into the group of maids at chest height. Ooshiro began shouting toward the maids when he noticed, but Izumo could not hear him. He doubted it was anything worth hearing. ¡­What look would Chisato give me if I had to take responsibility for this? But he saw something charge in front of the maids and into the path of V-Sw¡¯s light and noise. It was a new maid. She had short blonde hair, she was tall, and she was expressionless. ¡°!¡± The bullet struck. Moira 1st cried out into the roaring noise when the maid appeared. ¡°Moira 2nd!¡± But Moira 2nd had already charged forward and could no longer be seen. All Moira 1st saw was the white explosion of steam. The sound of the impact reverberated clearly between the buildings and wind rushed through, but the obscuring steam would not clear up. ¡°¡­¡± The maids lowered the ends of their eyebrows as they silently watched. Finally, something fell from the sky where the pillar of light grew weaker. The object made a hard clunk when it landed on the asphalt. ¡°Is that¡­the plate, big sister?¡± The plate rotated in a circle and finally split into its original two pieces. At the same time, the steam began to clear thanks to a strong and forceful wind blowing in between the buildings. Moira 1st visually checked on her sister in the clearing steam. The maids all let out small gasps and smiled. However, their expressions quickly vanished as if they had melted from their faces. This was due to a certain part of Moira 2nd whose back was to them. ¡°Her arms¡­¡± They were completely gone. She was still in the same pose as when she had leaped in from the side and landed after a midair cartwheel. Her left leg was lowered down a bit and her right leg was shifted to the right. Her arms were gone, but it seemed she had brought her hands together and held them out to the side at chest height. Her clothes were torn and her exposed legs had deep cracks. ¡°¡­¡± But she was moving. She slowly stood up which caused creaking and trembling in her body. She kept her back to Moira 1st and 3rd, but that was because she was facing the one who was more important than her own sisters: their guest. ¡°Sir.¡± Her voice reverberated down the clearing street and she lowered one knee in greeting. ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± The answer to her question was located down the road. The boy who stood in the center of the road lowered the sword that had finally contained its light. A smile appeared on the corners of his mouth in the remaining wind. ¡°Yes, thanks.¡± Moira 2nd tilted her head forward in a bow. In that instant, Moira 1st ran loudly forward and embraced her sister from behind. After bowing, that sister had collapsed. Even with that support, the wires in the back of Moira 2nd¡¯s knees snapped and her legs crumbled beneath her. However, she smiled as she was supported. The end of only one of her eyebrows lowered as she looked to her older sister. ¡°A guest¡­a guest thanked me for the first time¡­¡± Moira 1st nodded, adjusted her grip on her sister, and lowered her hips to sit on the road. She looked up and found Moira 3rd standing next to her. The other maids were there as well. One of the maids opened her mouth and sang the song Miyako had taught them. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± As that song filled the air, the distant people in white and black armored uniforms walked toward them. They all scratched their heads awkwardly and looked away, but they still walked forward while humming the same song. The moon floated in the night sky. The sky was divided into a distorted diamond shape. That division was made by the torn cloth of a tent. The crushed tent¡¯s supports had collapsed, but the piles of medical supplies inside were just barely supporting the roof in their place. Two people lay collapsed in the darkness there while surrounded by a great din of gunfire and other noises. One of them was Mikage who lay face up on the side of a cot. The other was Sibyl who lay collapsed on top of Mikage to protect her. Sibyl gave a small tremble. ¡°¡­¡± And she moved without speaking a word. The light vanished and only the moonlight slipping in through the roof of the short tent illuminated her as she slowly got up. Below her, Mikage watched her movements. Paper boxes could be heard collapsing from above her right arm and left leg and Mikage realized those should have hit her instead. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My injuries will soon heal.¡± Sibyl smiled below her disheveled hair and Mikage sat up. ¡°Hy?¡± ¡­Why did she protect me? Sibyl did not answer her question. Mikage did not like the silence, so she moved. She took Sibyl¡¯s hand to get an answer. She grabbed on like a child and would not let go. The hand she grabbed in the moonlight was the right arm that had been crushed below the boxes. Unlike with Mikage, it was a human arm. She had seen that at the beach. And as a human, Sibyl was soft and would be hurt. Mikage realized Sibyl needed to be healed. Before insisting on an answer, she had to provide medical treatment for this proof that she had been protected. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She then saw something familiar there. The cloth of the sleeve to Sibyl¡¯s armored uniform was torn and her skin was visible in the moonlight. It was indeed human skin and a human silhouette, but something else was visible too: swollen red skin that looked like lines appearing on the surface. ¡°It shows up when I am nervous. Yes, it is a slightly different pattern from the artificial tendons beneath your skin, Mikage-sama. For me, the details are less defined, but that makes it more durable.¡± Mikage listened to those words which contained a hint of a smile. ¡°Do you understand what I really am? ¡°Uh oll?¡± A doll? As soon as she asked, Mikage realized it was a careless question, but she still received a reply. ¡°Yes.¡± Sibyl nodded. ¡°I am indeed a doll. And one made in 3rd-Gear. However¡­¡± The following words did not take the form of a voice. They were thoughts. ¡­Can you hear my shared memory? Mikage trembled. The shared memory of 3rd-Gear¡¯s automatons was only shared between the same models. ¡­So why can I hear this!? ¡°Yes.¡± Sibyl nodded again. ¡°Lord Cronus created me. I was the prototype for an automaton that would evolve into a human. In other words, for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°While still a doll, I was sent to Low-Gear before the final battle and I went to sleep after helping create Susahito. I believed in Low-Gear¡¯s victory and did not think I would need to do anything more. But two years ago, G-Sp and V-Sw were being transported to Okutama in preparation for the Leviathan Road¡­¡± ¡­And they were attacked. Chisato-sama saved me when the emergency woke me. ¡°I am honored to meet you, Mikage-sama. I could view you as a younger sister or as a daughter.¡± She gave a full smile. ¡°You were born from the past of 3rd-Gear and given a doll¡¯s body, but you still managed to become someone who can honestly say they care about the person they care about most. That pleases me.¡± She took Mikage¡¯s hand. ¡°Take my hand and take me from here, Mikage-sama.¡± ¡°I ah¡¯t¡­¡± I can¡¯t¡­ She trailed off before saying she could not walk. She suddenly let down her guard and her thoughts leaked out. The thoughts formed words. Everything she had wanted to say but could not, everything she had decided not to say, and everything she had kept from Hiba and his family all leaked out to Sibyl as thoughts. ¡°¡­Yu.¡± She took in a breath and an actual voice escaped her lips for the first time. ¡°Yuui-un.¡± The name of the person she wanted to be there was accompanied by tears. Beyond those tears, Sibyl merely nodded. She did not pull on her hand. ¡°It will be all right. It may be irresponsible of me to say it, but it will be all right. After all, the battlefield is always only a step away. ¡­And where is it your heart wants to take you?¡± ¡­Let me tell you one thing. ¡°An unhesitating and powerful desire leads to evolution. So as proof of your lack of hesitation, pull on my hand. Be strong. Even if you have doubts or take a break, always remain strong and continue forward.¡± She took a breath. ¡°That way you can stand alongside Hiba-sama and the others as one of those guiding the battlefield.¡± Typhon fought Susahito Custom while listening to the singing coming from the station. The two gods of war clashed swords on one road of the nearly empty city. The battle had begun with a few ultra-long distance shots from Susahito Custom¡¯s sniper rifle. While Typhon had evaded the two bullets, Susahito Custom had thrown aside the gun and advanced with sword in hand. From there, it had been nothing but swordfighting. The clashing of swords entered the song-filled air as if providing a ringing performance of their own. The two gods of war used their feet to step toward each other, used their wings to advance even faster, and rotated their bodies around. Wind burst out as the white and black collided. When the white god of war flew into the sky, the black one raced along the ground. When the white one launched an attack, the black one evaded. When the black one attacked, the white one caught it on its sword. The mechanical sounds and creaking of metal travelled along the road as they spun at full speed and came at each other again. Susahito Custom moved in a zigzag pattern while running along the fairly wide road. Typhon cut down the roadside trees which somewhat dulled the speed of its sword. Susahito Custom targeted that dulled speed and threw a sword strike while circling around from the road side. As the gliding blade tore up the asphalt, Typhon used four of its wings to fly. It used its great power to circle above the other god of war in an instant. It used the remaining two wings for a rapid dive to attack Susahito Custom from midair. However, Susahito Custom angled two wings horizontally and swung them to the right like baseball bats. Its giant black body began to spin and rotate. Metallic noises rushed out and the mutual pursuit at extreme close range would not end. A single sound was produced at the center of the motion of flowing steel. It was Typhon¡¯s laughter. ¡°Ha ha.¡± Apollo spoke with joy in his voice. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I fought like this!¡± Apollo knew what movements could only be accomplished within a battle. His body had learned them and absorbed them as knowledge. He stood on the leading edge of the techniques gained in his family¡¯s history. ¡­What a foolish king. As he moved, he thought of Miyako. When he had awoken in the bed before her, why had he been unable to choose to wrap his arms around her shoulders? He could have simply embraced her and laughed without thinking of the consequences. ¡­That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t need to think about 3rd-Gear. I only need to think about myself in the present! ¡°Why?¡± asked Apollo. ¡­Why am I doing this? He moved, spun, produced collisions of strength, and attempted to find the answer in the results of his actions. The sounds of metal rang loudly and Susahito Custom shouted while making a wide rotation. ¡°Why!?¡± He also picked up speed. ¡°Why are you fighting us!?¡± ¡°Because I want to.¡± Apollo nodded. ¡°I too was once passionate like you.¡± He pursued Susahito Custom. ¡°It¡¯s been a long while since that cooled.¡± He used his wings to accelerate. ¡°But ever since, I haven¡¯t had this feeling that no one can do things the way I can or that I just need to do this one thing and I¡¯ll be satisfied.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t have to do this.¡± He understood what the boy meant, but he also found his thinking to be na?ve. ¡­Even so, he¡¯s a good boy. Rhea¡¯s daughter was missing out by not seeing him fight. ¡­What about Miyako? I left her behind and she was crying at the end there. What a waste. ¡­I¡¯m such a fool. He had decided this was what he desired and that it was best for her and the others, so he had made her cry. He was no different from his father, his sister, or the others. ¡°Ahh.¡± He felt like he finally understood why all of them had made those decisions back in their world. Even Miyako would have boarded Typhon without telling him if he had remained asleep. ¡­That¡¯s just how it is. Typhon accelerated and caught up to Susahito Custom. ¡°You are the same too, aren¡¯t you?¡± The boy had chosen to not bring the one most important to him. He was the same. Apollo then thought about Miyako, the child that would be born, and the automatons and Low-Gear people who would likely surround that child when the time came. ¡­Will they be the same too? And¡­ ¡­If possible, I hope they can be a little more honest. His mechanical face could not form a smile, bitter or otherwise. With his expression hidden by steel, Apollo ran alongside Susahito Custom on the sidewalk. The wind created by the two gods of war destroyed the lines of shop windows and the buildings themselves. Apollo used his wings and exchanged sword strikes with Susahito Custom as they ran along the asphalt. He thought about the battle by way of a certain person. ¡­Miyako. It did not matter if the child looked like him, but he also hoped it would. He could not set a bad example. No matter his thoughts now, 3rd-Gear had once tried to destroy the other worlds and had treated people as tools to do so. ¡°It is time to cleanse that,¡± roared Apollo. ¡°The past crimes and mistakes of 3rd-Gear will be cleansed by me, not by the dolls!¡± That was how he could be satisfied in himself. ¡°That will be my greatest happiness and it can only be done by me, the one who remains from that era!!¡± Typhon took action while running. It leaned toward the right sidewalk that Susahito Custom ran along and threw a powerful sword strike in a straight line. Susahito Custom used the roadside trees to obstruct Typhon¡¯s sword. The white sword cut through the trees, but its momentum dropped somewhat. It was only a bit and it barely made any difference. However, it was enough to make an opening. In that instant, Susahito Custom¡¯s feet tore into the sidewalk tiles as it came to a stop. The black god of war forcibly slipped underneath the slowed sword and let loose its own blade. The black blade sliced through the wind and toward Typhon¡¯s stomach. However, Susahito Custom noticed that Typhon had not finished moving. Typhon¡¯s empty left hand grabbed something floating in the air. It was a tree that had flown into the air after being cut through. ¡°¡­!¡± Typhon used the momentum of its glide to jab the tree like a stake. The cut end of the tree acted as a counter as Susahito Custom attempted to attack with its sword. The tree struck in the center of the chest. With a short, dull sound, Typhon continued swinging the tree stake. The god of war¡¯s great strength pushed Susahito Custom and sent it flying. The way Susahito Custom spread its wings to the side to keep them from being hurt and the way it fell on the sidewalk waist-first showed that Hiba was still in control. But Typhon was already on its way. It let go of the tree, rotated to the side, and glided toward the other god of war. It used its wings to turn around instantly and it prepared the sword in both hands. It would swing the sword horizontally to sever everything from Susahito Custom¡¯s chest and up. The attack arrived, but in that instant, Susahito Custom had a weapon prepared without getting back up. The weapon was not its sword. It was the sniper rifle that it had abandoned on the ground earlier. ¡°You saved me the trouble of going over to get it!¡± Susahito Custom aimed as Typhon approached and it pulled the trigger of this counter attack. A gunshot filled the air. Apollo saw the bullet in his vision that was united with the machine¡¯s. From the front, it looked like a fat wedge. ¡­So this is the end. It came too quickly, he thought. This confrontation spanning sixty years has ended with one win and one loss. But he then heard an odd noise. It sounded like a cry. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Also, it was coming from his own mouth. ¡­It can¡¯t be. Before he could think further, he tried to stop it. He tried to stop himself. He tried to stop the other person inside himself. He tried to stop Artemis. Volume 7, 39: Light of Shadow Volume 7, Chapter 39: Light of Shadow What is it that glows? What is it that reveals? And what is it that releases it all? A voice filled the road. It was a mechanical roar. Sayama ran out into the road and came to a stop while holding a fan and a battery. The white and black gods of war were facing each other while turned to the side. From his perspective, the white was to the right and the black to the left. The situation between them was simple. The black one was crouched low and had just fired a sniper rifle at the white one. That was all. However, something changed. The cry from the white one drowned out even the gunshot of the large gun the black one had fired. Nevertheless, the bullet reached the white one in an instant as if opposing that shout. Or it should have. Sayama saw the white god of war suddenly appear behind the black one. The white one¡¯s cry was already over and it was already swinging down its sword from overhead. ¡­It cut and abbreviated the time! To avoid its death, it had used its own concept in the instant it was attacked. That was 3rd-Gear¡¯s concept of time that was controlled by Apollo and Artemis. As Typhon¡¯s eyes glowed a pale blue, it swung the sword toward Susahito Custom¡¯s back. ¡°!¡± The movement gave no time to evade, but Susahito Custom still moved. It had predicted Typhon¡¯s action, so it leaned forward and flew ahead by flapping its wings on either side. Even so, Typhon caught up. It stepped forward and the sword struck Susahito Custom on the waist. It was a perfectly horizontal strike. Shinjou gasped where she stood next to Sayama. Her eyebrows rose and her eyes opened wide. ¡°Sayama-kun! Ryuuji-kun and Typhon!¡± ¡°Stop speaking with nothing but nouns, Shinjou-kun. There is nothing to worry about. The Hiba boy is evolving into someone who can fight.¡± He saw Susahito Custom¡¯s upper body collapse down and the black armor over its stomach open. Below, a boy hovered in midair. It was Hiba who had already left the cockpit. ¡°This is thanks to a certain idiot teaching him the fear of being struck by an attack.¡± Hiba kicked off the overhang of the stomach armor and flew through the air so he would not be crushed beneath his own god of war. Hiba curled up in the air. He bent his back in an arc and he fell to the asphalt below while ensuring that arc was oriented down. He landed, bounced, rolled four times to escape the impact, extended his arms and legs, and used the momentum of his roll to stand up. He then threw his body forward, landed on his hands, twisted his waist, and entered a cartwheel. He landed as if stabbing into the ground, but he dealt with the remaining momentum by bending his waist, lowering down, and letting his feet skid along. He turned around and saw the black god of war being smashed to pieces. This was his first time to see his own craft destroyed. Naturally, it was also his first time to have the enemy win. He took a breath and found himself unable to stand properly after the shock of the roll and rotation. Strength returned with each breath he took, but he was still a long way off from 100%. However, the victor sought further victory. Typhon stepped forward on a direct path for him. The white god of war easily crushed the wreckage of the black one underfoot and as it approached from only ten meters away. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± It let out a cry while looking up to the sky and Hiba still could not stand properly. He saw Sayama and Shinjou walk up next to him, but Shinjou¡¯s cannon was not yet ready to use. ¡­Damn. Typhon spread the wings on its back. That produced eight cannons. It had chosen a surefire attack of homing projectiles rather than its sword. It fired and thirty two beams of light flew into the night sky like fireworks. The beams were all solid, but they curved into a descent. Hiba tried to stand up and leap backwards. He did not think it was useless. He wanted to try anything that had a chance of saving him. ¡­This is a lot like 3rd-Gear¡¯s will-power. As he thought that, the light arrived. ¡°!¡± He gulped, but then a giant form appeared in front of him. It was the red god of war belonging to Gyes. A woman in a red suit and a woman in a white outfit stood on its shoulders. Gyes shouted toward Hiba. ¡°I¡¯m leaving this to you, descendant of Hiba! Give the king the resolution he needs!¡± At the same time, the woman in white raised her voice while still facing Typhon. ¡°Stand back, Artemis! You aren¡¯t the one that should be fighting here!¡± Gyes¡¯s god of war prepared its six swords against the descending light. However, all of the swords were destroyed. The initial strike produced a clear sound and cracks from the blades, the next strike caused them to audibly shatter, and the remaining projectiles shot through Gyes¡¯s god of war with more sounds of destruction. Like smashed ice, the barrage caused the red craft to break apart and fly in every direction. The impacts of light caused an explosion which sent those on its shoulders into the air. Gyes took Miyako¡¯s hand in midair. Simply holding onto that hand and eliminating Miyako¡¯s momentum took all of her gravitational control. Sending the god of war out here and preparing a gravity barrier to defend against the final projectiles of light had lowered her current output. ¡­Is this the end for me? She predicted her landing point based on her parabolic trajectory. She would drop Miyako on a nearby building roof, but the recoil would send her crashing to the ground. She would hit on the shoulder and the impact would likely break her neck and smash her head. Suddenly, a new motion reached her. Miyako shoved her away using the hand she held. ¡°¡­!?¡± As she flew face up through the air, Miyako smiled. Gyes could no longer reach her. Her mind raced yet she could not find an answer. ¡°Lady Miyako!¡± ¡°You idiot, why are you looking so panicked now? You were smiling just a moment ago.¡± Miyako¡¯s voice filled the air. ¡°You can¡¯t plan to die. You have to be like me and assume you¡¯ll get out of this somehow or another.¡± There was no way for that to happen. Gyes had been pushed toward a roof, but Miyako was falling toward the road. The boy they had protected was down there, but she was falling from around a dozen meters up. That was not something he could stop. ¡°Lady Miyako!¡± Hiba heard three sounds. One was Gyes¡¯s god of war being destroyed. Another was Typhon¡¯s footsteps as it approached after causing that destruction. The last was the shout of an automaton. ¡°Lady Miyako!¡± Hiba knew who that was. It was the person falling from above. She was a woman wearing a white outfit and she would eventually fall within his grasp. However, he could not save her and Sayama and Shinjou would not make it in time as they ran up the road. ¡­What should I do? That thought was immediately followed by Sayama¡¯s voice. ¡°Hiba boy! Do not hesitate to use the power given to you! You have the right to do so now!¡± As soon that shout entered his ears, he felt something placed on his shoulders from behind. They were hands and he knew that sensation well. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡± He looked up and to the back and saw a familiar girl standing with the moonlit night sky behind her. The tall girl had blonde hair. It was Mikage. He saw her cane fallen to the ground beside her. Her legs were shaking, but she was still standing on them. About five meters behind her was a jeep driven by a gray-haired automaton. A gray-haired man with a cane sat in the passenger seat. ¡°I¡¯m only repaying Ryuuichi-san for what I owed him, so don¡¯t thank me.¡± The jeep would not help anyone from that point on. Mikage then opened her mouth. ¡°I ill ight, Ryuui-un.¡± Hiba gave a resolute nod when he heard her high-pitched voice for the first time, heard her wishing to fight, and heard her calling his name. He looked overhead at the one he had to save, spread his arms, and let out a shout with a smile. ¡°Susamikado!!¡± Just as Mikage spread her arms behind him, a pitch black body frame appeared above Hiba. It combined with the drivers, artificial muscles, and the frames for the limbs and then it enveloped his and Mikage¡¯s bodies. As it enveloped him, he combined with it. The sensation of becoming the machine and growing close to her felt comfortable and ticklish to him. The entire body was built up in an instant, but what happened next was different from usual. The armor plates for the shoulders, waist, and chest were not constructed as normal. ¡­More are being added!? Extra parts appeared from thin air and attached around the drivers, artificial muscles, legs, and waist. He realized what this meant. ¡­Mikage-san has evolved. Susamikado could now walk on its own and protect itself, so the equipment and parts prepared for that purpose had been released. After they all attached, he moved. He tried swinging the arm, but even that motion was clearly stronger, faster, and more accurate than before. He felt it was as if he had come to understand Mikage. His quickened vision and reflexes easily grasped Miyako¡¯s location as she fell. ¡°¡­¡± Susamikado quickly caught her. He eliminated some of the shock and momentum of the fall by twisting his wrist, but he noticed Miyako had still passed out. He brought her toward the jeep behind him and placed her on the hood. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ryuuji-kun.¡± ¡°Right,¡± he said with a nod. Typhon¡¯s eyes were still a pale blue as it approached. ¡­Do I need a way to overcome that time elimination technique? Regardless, it was obvious what he had to do, so he spoke clearly. ¡°Let¡¯s go settle this with their king and cleanse the impurity along with him.¡± There was a large empty area in the amusement park. The Ferris wheel had been there, but it was now a shallow crater about one hundred meters across. Three people stood in the center. One was a giant blue god of war with most of its armor destroyed. Another was a large man with his right arm missing. The small figure approaching them was a short old man. The large man¡¯s muffled voice spoke to the old man. ¡°You are Hiba Ryuutetsu, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. ¡­And you¡¯re two of the Hecatoncheires, I take it.¡± Ryuutetsu walked toward them as they created pale reflections of the moonlight and the amusement park¡¯s lights. ¡°You two were taken out pretty spectacularly, Cottus, Aigaion.¡± ¡°No excuse,¡± replied Cottus. Ryuutetsu saw a line on Aigaion¡¯s neck. ¡°You¡¯re bleeding pretty badly there. Are you okay?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m done for,¡± readily answered Aigaion with a slightly muffled voice. ¡°My neck connector was severed. I¡¯m holding it in place with my gravitational control, but it won¡¯t last long. I came here because I saw Cottus, but this is my limit. I am only watching on while not getting in the way of the others.¡± ¡°Who did that to you?¡± ¡°The Army. You¡¯ve heard about them, haven¡¯t you? Their leader is a man named Hajji from 9th-Gear. I was defeated by a girl named Mikoku who seems to be his daughter or something.¡± Ryuutetsu frowned, which made Aigaion smile and stand up. Ryuutetsu took a quick step back on the soft ground. ¡°Oh? Are you gonna fight? You want a rematch after sixty years?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be a rematch when we¡¯ve never fought before. ¡­We didn¡¯t make it in time back then.¡± ¡°Then why did you stand?¡± Cottus stood up as well. ¡°Philosopher¡¯s stone reading.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, but there is an odd philosopher¡¯s stone reading at the very top of the concept space. A large one. It arrived a while back and it has been circling up there as if waiting for something.¡± ¡°Intercept.¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know how it will turn out, but that is our duty.¡± Cottus lowered his hand and Aigaion jumped onto it while holding his head. ¡°Hiba Ryuutetsu, however this Leviathan Road might end, can you promise me one thing?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°There is a greengrocer named Dragon Grocer in the Kurashiki Station shopping area. Send a replacement worker there. The owner has a bad back, so he needs some help.¡± ¡°Just go yourself,¡± replied Ryuutetsu. Cottus¡¯s shoulders trembled slightly and Aigaion¡¯s smile grew. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡± With that, the blue giant flew into the sky. The gravitational control did not even leave any wind as the giant blue form became a shadow, became a speck, and finally vanished among the stars. Ryuutetsu looked up toward them and finally clicked his tongue. ¡°What¡¯s with them?¡± he began. ¡°Now I¡¯m gonna feel lonely here.¡± Cottus and Aigaion rose rapidly into the night sky and the nighttime city spread out below them. ¡°Look, Cottus! That¡¯s where I worked.¡± ¡°Specific location uncertain.¡± ¡°Look more closely.¡± The city below was separated out by the circle of the concept space. Peaceful lights filled the area outside the circle, but smoke and sparks were still visible within. Sparks also flew on the central street. ¡°Are those sparks from Lord Apollo?¡± ¡°Uncertain.¡± ¡°If only it was.¡± Aigaion looked straight out and his quickly rising vision could see more than just Okayama. In the distance, he saw Shikoku, Kobe, Osaka, and even the Shimonoseki area. He saw the distant lights of cities and the shadow of the sea. The circle of Kurashiki was growing hard to see down below. As they continued up, his breath grew white and they began passing through some thin clouds. ¡°Cottus, what do you think Gyes will say about us?¡± ¡°Impossible to determine.¡± ¡°I figured you would say that. We are the same model, after all.¡± He nodded. ¡°Then I guess we¡¯re the same.¡± He looked up. The light of the stars had grown quite clear, but there was one light that was clearly not a star. Aigaion created a mass of gravity in his left hand and shouted toward it. ¡°Uninvited guest, if you wish to earn an invitation, answer our questions!¡± He received wind as an answer. The overpowering wind dropped headfirst toward them. In an instant, Cottus prepared his living cannons and fired over a wide area. The light flew into the sky and Aigaion fired his gravity toward the center. The obvious light was spread out to lead their opponent to the gravity in the center. It was a two-stage coordinated attack. However, the automatons saw something happen to their bombardment and gravity. ¡°They vanished!?¡± Before they could receive any kind of answer, their plunging enemy arrived. It was a steel-colored dragon. As soon as they saw it, the sharp-nosed dragon was right in front of them. A girl stood on the dragon¡¯s head. The wind that not even the dragon¡¯s gravitational control could eliminate blew at her hair as she held up a sword. The sword had a certain color. It was a golden black that was a mixture of the light and gravity the automatons had fired. ¡°This is the Cowling Sword Mimei. I suppose this is the second time it has been wielded for domination.¡± She swung the sword down and the power it produced was clearly greater than what they had produced. Aigaion shouted toward the light and shadow flying toward him and the sword that had produced it. ¡°So our coordination wasn¡¯t enough!? If Gyes and her close-quarters combat had been with us, we might have been able to defeat you!¡± He smiled. ¡­It is because we are so poorly made that we are dolls! ¡­Leaving job to Gyes. Aigaion nodded when he received Cottus¡¯s thoughts. In the instant the attack hit, he looked down below. He could no longer see the city, but the final battle had to be occurring down there. Typhon was fighting Susamikado. ¡­A clash between Lord Zeus¡¯s child and the power left by Lord Cronus. But he had another thought as well. ¡­If Lord Cronus, Lord Zeus, and Lord Apollo are the same¡­ This fight contained an assumed death which was born from a family of malice. ¡°How will it end?¡± His words were swallowed up by the light and shadow and they vanished. The steel dragon blew all the dust away as it flew on through. Hiba moved quickly along the ground. He ran toward Typhon and poured his full speed into his second step. He did not stop. On the fourth step, he used his wings as if his great speed was not enough for him. He continued on while noticing and not ignoring Mikage¡¯s injuries or anything else, but also accepting them without lamenting them. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Right.¡± Mikage¡¯s enduring voice sounded reliable to him and he trusted in her thoughts. Even if there was pain, there would be no misunderstandings or missed meaning. And so he moved. He had not used the wings since they had been put together, but he did not hesitate to have them explode. He trusted Mikage to handle any slight deviation in the motion. He moved forward and first collected his weapon along the shortest route. He launched his body forward and raced through midair as if to crash into Typhon. Before Typhon could turn around, he slipped by its side. ¡­My sword! He grabbed the weapon he had set aside when picking up the sniper rifle in Susahito Custom. Once he grabbed the hilt, he turned around and flew. Typhon was trying to turn toward him, but it was clearly slow. That was partially due to him having sped up, but that was not all. ¡­It¡¯s confused by our transformation! He realized this was the time, so he took action. He charged toward Typhon¡¯s turning side and swung the sword toward it. He used all his strength and the spray of asphalt and creaking of metal could no longer keep up. ¡°!¡± He drove the sword forward, but Typhon reacted with something other than its speed. It cut through and abbreviated time. Nothing remained in the spot Susamikado had attacked. At the same time, Susamikado was in the spot Typhon was about to attack. ¡°¡­!¡± He tried to move Susamikado, but at that moment, Hiba saw something in his sped-up vision. It was Sayama. The boy stood on the sidewalk down the road and Baku was looking toward Hiba and waving its hands from the boy¡¯s head. With that as the sign, the past demanded a moment of his time in order to break through everything. Sayama was inside a giant temple. Everything was gigantic in that white space. Most of it was empty space, the ceiling could only be seen as dim darkness, and the supporting columns looked like high-rise buildings. The sky was visible past the columns, but that sky was filled with darkness. More temples and land were visible beyond that sky, but they were all situated on floating continents. ¡­So this is 3rd-Gear. He also saw a few objects in front of him. They were gods of war. The closest one was a pale blue. It resembled Typhon and held a sword. Past it was a gray one standing at the top of some giant steps. That was Zeus¡¯s god of war. They were looking Sayama¡¯s way, so they had to be looking at something behind him. ¡­What is there? It was a person and a god of war. A short man in a military uniform stood before a fallen black god of war and he had blood flowing from his chest. His breathing was rough, but he looked straight up at his opponent with the one eye not covered by a bandage. He was Hiba Ryuutetsu. Something resembling a coffin lay next to him and his god of war. It was covered in glass and a girl lay inside. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She was crying out. She produced no voice, she shed no tears, and her eyes were not focused. She simply looked afraid of everything. That was Mikage. Her body was that of an automaton and there was no order to her movements as she sobbed. The gray god of war facing him spoke. ¡°We will soon enter your Gear with Typhon as our flagcraft. We can produce more children using Rhea¡¯s daughter there, but the humans of Low-Gear may be able to help. ¡­You should be honored.¡± Sayama saw the pale blue god of war¡¯s shoulders tremble a bit at that, but it was Ryuutetsu who spoke back. ¡°Are you stupid? Do you not understand the situation here? Cronus created another god of war besides that Typhon you¡¯ve got safely tucked away. It¡¯s-¡­¡± ¡°I am aware of that. I also know it is sealed inside a concept space belonging to that girl. Cronus gave her a concept space and a god of war, and then he sealed Keravnos inside when it should have been given to Typhon.¡± However¡­ ¡°That girl is still a baby. She can do nothing but cry futilely, so how can you be so sure she is on your side?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get it? That¡¯s why you¡¯re only third rate!¡± Ryuutetsu turned toward Mikage just as the gray god of war waved a hand toward the pale blue one. The pale blue one hesitated for a step but then charged forward. Three steps were more than enough for a god of war and Ryuutetsu looked to Mikage in that time. ¡°Cronus doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing either.¡± With his back to the approaching god of war¡¯s footsteps, he looked down at Mikage. ¡°Even with a fake, he should¡¯ve used the same color as Rhea¡¯s.¡± With that, he removed the bandage wrapped around his right eye. Sayama saw a single color below the white bandage: red. It was an eye of that color. ¡­He took Rhea¡¯s eye to replace his missing right eye. He used that eye to look directly in Mikage¡¯s black eyes. In that instant, Mikage stopped her voiceless cry and gasped. She turned her barely-focused eyes toward Ryuutetsu. ¡°Mikage.¡± He spoke such that only she could hear and he cried out even as the god of war footsteps approached. ¡°That¡¯s your name. When your mom saw our world, she was looking at you with this eye and she gave you that name. So¡­you should remember it.¡± He took in a breath and bared his teeth in a shout toward Mikage¡¯s weak gaze. ¡°For now, just shout it in your heart! I¡¯m sure some idiot will come along eventually and call your name, so lend me your power now!¡± He shouted at the top of his lungs. ¡°Susamikado!!¡± Mikage mimicked the movements of his mouth and it all happened in an instant. A black giant appeared, breaking the coffin and a column in the process. It enveloped Mikage and then Ryuutetsu. The coming pale blue giant had already drawn its sword, but Susamikado charged forward. It evaded the descending sword. Ryuutetsu used that movement to reach out a hand and draw the other sword prepared on the pale blue god of war¡¯s shoulder. ¡°If you had been king, this might¡¯ve turned out differently. You can ask Cronus and your sister whether you¡¯ll live or die.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand?¡± Ryuutetsu swung the blade. ¡°Before your sister was turned into that god of war, it seems she asked something of Cronus. She said she wanted to protect you and make sure you lived if anything happened. ¡­So it¡¯s time you were cut down to size for the sake of the next generation.¡± With a single strike, Susamikado cut the god of war in two. The sword broke, but Susamikado did not stop moving. It used two of its wings to fly straight for Zeus. Space opened up around its right arm and Keravnos took form. Susamikado raised it in midair and the gray god of war drew its sword and let out a roar. ¡°Don¡¯t think this is over!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the line of a third rate villain! If you¡¯re gonna do that, I¡¯ll copy a certain insufferable bastard I know!¡± It had yet to evolve, so the small Keravnos only fired a single white spear. When it smashed through the sword and torso of the gray god of war, Ryuutetsu raised his voice. ¡°We are those who have taken the role of villain! Be destroyed, 3rd-Gear.¡± Susamikado raced past but then turned around. He saw the gray god of war as it thrust its broken sword upwards as if reaching its hand for the heavens. It was still alive despite the large hole in its torso. Susamikado came to a sudden stop on the stone floor and heard several sets of footsteps coming from the temple¡¯s lower floor. ¡°Tch. Reinforcements or maybe automatons. I don¡¯t have time to deal with them.¡± ¡°Are you¡­going to take me hostage?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± replied Ryuutetsu. However, the footsteps from below grew closer. ¡°Damn.¡± As Susamikado prepared, the gray god of war moved. It brought its right hand to its smashed stomach, walked down the stone steps, and approached the pale blue god of war lying in the hall. ¡°There is a gate in the back. Use it to leave. Take Keravnos with you and destroy this world.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± asked Ryuutetsu. ¡°Cronus told me he failed to replicate Zeus¡¯s mind.¡± That meant Zeus had not been sent to the Tartaros and was still inside that gray god of war. The gray god of war, Zeus, did not reply. Ryuutetsu clenched his right fist with Susamikado¡¯s body. ¡°Cronus laughed and said he purposefully failed so you couldn¡¯t escape to the Tartaros, but that old man¡¯s as eccentric as my comrades. He said that because it¡¯s what you wanted, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Why do you think that?¡± ¡°Because he also died without going to the Tartaros. He instead became a component for Susamikado. Why?¡± he asked to Zeus¡¯s back. ¡°Why did you pretend to be a fake and try to assist your child?¡± But Zeus¡¯s reply was not an answer to the question. ¡°Leave. The maids are coming from below.¡± That was all the gray god of war said and it did not turn around. It took a slow step as a black liquid and metal parts spilled from its stomach. ¡°I have something I must do. I cannot allow the royal line to be ended.¡± ¡°Cronus said the same thing. ¡­Are you going to have him inherit your impurity?¡± The gray god of war arrived in front of the pale blue one and crouched down. ¡°I do not know. That is for them to decide. But¡­¡± It used both arms to pick up the pale blue god of war that had become two pieces. Black liquid gushed from the hole in its stomach now that nothing was covering it. However, it stood up and spoke. ¡°I will not let our king be lost.¡± He walked toward the approaching footsteps without turning back around. Sayama heard a sudden rumbling. The shaking of his vision and the air reminded him of a certain fact. ¡­3rd-Gear became unstable after its floating continents were unbalanced during 9th¡¯s invasion. As the temple began to slowly crumble, the gray god of war continued walking with the pale blue one in its arms. The gray one looked down at the pale blue one. ¡°I will not let you die.¡± It nodded. ¡°You can no longer make anything but happy decisions.¡± Hearing that, Susamikado also moved. It spread its four wings and flew into the darkness in the back of the temple. ¡°Ridiculous.¡± With that comment spoken through clenched teeth, the past came to its end. Sayama thought as his vision darkened. ¡­Will the conclusion be a happy one? He decided it would. Hiba awoke from the instant of the past. He had a lot to think about, but there were two facts facing him in the present. First, there was the danger of Typhon behind him. And second¡­ ¡­There¡¯s something I must do! In that past, he had seen others with things they had to do. They had power, they had their own thoughts, and they had things they believed in even as they clashed. That¡¯s right, he thought. I¡¯ll be going there too. Typhon had to be performing its attack after cutting through time, so he took action. Without turning toward Typhon, he rotated his body and swung his sword backwards and up. His high speed action led to scattering sparks and an impact. ¡°I stopped it.¡± But he could not stop his movement. While turning around, his defensive sword continued on toward Typhon. However, Typhon once more cut through time and circled around behind him. But Mikage expanded the armor panels to defend against the position on which she predicted Typhon would attack. As a metallic noise and more sparks filled the air, Hiba used that opening for another attack. And Typhon once more cut through time. This time, he could make it in time. He used the momentum of his slash to rotate around and made an outward swing of the sword he held in one hand. His attack collided with Typhon¡¯s. ¡°Oh!¡± If Typhon cut time again, Mikage could handle the defense. Their movement, attack, and defense all joined together. Hiba charged full speed toward Typhon which would use his attack to enter its own attack time. The opening Hiba had to aim for was the time between Typhon performing the attack and the attack actually hitting. He focused solely on throwing his own attack into that opening of these nearly point blank range attacks. It was impossible. No matter how many attacks he performed, it took time to prepare and swing back his weapon. However, a certain power assisted him. ¡°Mikage-san!¡± ¡°Right.¡± Susamikado¡¯s armor panels were not mere armor. Mikage moved them around as living armor. Her role was to use the actuators to move the armor around like wings at speeds rivalling Hiba¡¯s sword strikes. If Typhon repeated its attack time again and again, Susamikado would quickly attack and deploy its defenses at the same time. That was the answer. If their enemy could cut through time, they simply needed enough speed to interfere with that cutting. Hiba moved and gave a silent cry from his voice device. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± He picked up speed. He moved faster so he could have his opponent cut through time any number of times, be attacked any number of times, and receive damage any number of times. ¡­And so I can keep fighting for as long as it takes! He had learned this from his fight with Sayama. There was only one way to rule the fight. He had to think the fight would not end. He launched a barrage of sword strikes, quickly rotated his body, predicted where his opponent would be, and left to Mikage what was best left to her. All the while, Susamikado moved about as if dancing. Suddenly, a song escaped his mouth. ¡°Silent night, holy night.¡± The white god of war roared at the song, but his words continued as if in response. ¡°God¡¯s Son laughs, o how bright.¡± He sang and produced an explosion of speed that accelerated him even further. The high-speed dance became a barrage of Typhon¡¯s attacks with Susamikado at the center. Several blurry afterimages of Typhon appeared and then vanished in turn. This is a dance, realized Hiba. It probably looks like the white knight taking the black princess¡¯s hand and dancing about her. Wherever his moving body and sword went, metallic noises and sparks colored the air. ¡°Love from your holy lips shines clear.¡± Hiba moved. ¡°As the dawn of salvation draws near.¡± His high level concentration caused the surrounding noises to vanish and he gave his five senses over to nothing but the movement around him and his own song. No, that was not all. Mikage was always nestled up next to him while inside this god of war. He swiftly sang and moved while feeling that reliable sensation. Typhon was crying out as it constantly appeared behind him. Its voice was loud, but it had lost the tone of a scream. Hiba had a thought about that cry of Typhon¡¯s. ¡­Is it angry? The bringer of death it had finally killed had been revived. Was he imagining that it seemed to be expressing its hatred of those with a human body? ¡­No. That was something he had occasionally sensed in Mikage. He had wondered if she viewed herself in that way and he himself had thought that way in the past. But that was only in the past. ¡­So I¡¯m imagining it. That isn¡¯t the case now. He had no intention of apologizing to Mikage over that because he had the convenient idea that she had surely thought something similar. ¡°Jesus, Lord, with your birth.¡± He gave a bitter smile, rotated his body around in the scattering sparks and movement, and looked around. He saw the city of Kurashiki covered in the lights of night. ¡­Will I be able to visit this place with Mikage-san once the battle is over? It seemed she was able to walk now, but would she need someone to support her? If not, he would be sad but, at the same time, happy. But even as those feelings appeared and disappeared, they were not done yet. ¡­That¡¯s right. We can continue doing that kind of thing from now on. They would continue on and on to bring everything to and end yet ensure that nothing ended. And so he desired more speed. ¡°Mikage-san!¡± ¡°Right!¡± Within their speed, his footing grew slightly more certain. Mikage had diverted most of the nerves to the drivers. Hiba further raised his speed. Sayama and Shinjou could no longer follow the movement. They saw black and white winds clashing and rotating, but¡­ ¡°Is the black one pushing forward?¡± asked Shinjou. Sayama nodded. The movement of the wind was reversing. The white had been pushing before, but the black was now the one pushing. The black one had surpassed the white. Just as Sayama became certain of that, Kazami sighed after walking up to them. She spoke quietly while blankly watching the scene before them. ¡°My dad asked why Zeus stopped at sealing Typhon, but I get it now. He must have been leaving it for the next generation that he knew would have improved over his generation. He was leaving it as an assignment.¡± ¡°Parents certainly are selfish.¡± ¡°So are children,¡± muttered Kazami as she looked up into the sky. She narrowed her eyes at the moon and stars there. ¡°What a lovely night. ¡­Hey, did you know this?¡± ¡°Know what?¡± ¡°I remembered while fighting earlier, but the stars in the sky make the shapes of the constellations from Greek mythology. People used to use them as guides at night and as the subjects of stories.¡± She gave a bitter smile. ¡°In that case, the moon and the stars of those constellations are watching over the sun as it races across the earth. And they give no thought to taking the sun king¡¯s place here.¡± Those powerful words were followed by a metallic noise on the road. Susamikado¡¯s movements had completely surpassed the cutting of time. The sound was that of Typhon making a frantic strike as Susamikado moved forward. Susamikado¡¯s sword broke. The black blade had been worn down as it was used to defend and it now shattered into dust. However, Susamikado spread its wings and charged straight forward. It ran. The black god of war poured all of its strength into its body, lowered down, and ran. It slipped beneath the sword Typhon swung down and reached out a hand in the middle of that rotation. The black hand grabbed the remaining sword on Typhon¡¯s shoulder. After drawing the white blade, Susamikado used it to attack while passing by Typhon. This was a replaying of the events from sixty years before. This disturbed Typhon¡¯s movements and there was a single reason. The pale blue light vanished from its eyes. ¡°Did the replaying of the past lead Artemis to accept her death!?¡± But a new light appeared. A yellow light. And the owner of that light nodded toward someone. ¡°Take a rest. I was always the one that should have protected you.¡± After speaking, Typhon brought its sword forward and caught Susamikado¡¯s sword. ¡°Now, let¡¯s continue our fight!¡± After gaining control of Typhon, Apollo wished to fight. He was now at one win and one loss and he had overcome the replaying of the past. The clashing swords parted and the black god of war took evasive action and moved away. But Apollo would not let him escape. ¡°This ends here!¡± He gathered strength in his back. The white god of war¡¯s six wings spread out and fired thirty two homing projectiles with a clear noise. He watched his greatest firepower head out to settle things with the black god of war. However, the black god of war turned around and moved forward. In an instant of swift motion, Susamikado slipped through the barrage. The blast of the light landing behind it gave it even more acceleration as it arrived. When it thrust its sword forward with all its strength, Apollo realized something ¡­You two desire this fight as well! He answered with his own concept. He cut away time and flew full force into his attack time. When he appeared behind the enemy, he found the blast of his own cannon fire. The explosion of white light caused Typhon¡¯s armor to creak, but it also launched him forward. He also used the power of his wings to advance toward the back of the black god of war. He was going to catch up. His enemy had accelerated too much to handle attitude control, so he could catch up and defeat that enemy without having to cut away time again. In that instant, his enemy seemed to abandon the fight. It forcefully threw its sword into the air overhead. Needless to say, it would not help defend or act as a decoy. ¡­What are you doing!? Apollo then saw his enemy powerfully open its right fist in the air. Without fearing Typhon¡¯s approach from behind, Hiba and Mikage cried out in unison. ¡°Keravnos!!¡± With that word, a roar and an impact reached their right arm. A concept space opened around the arm¡¯s exterior and Keravnos¡¯s parts appeared while disassembled. However, its form was different from before. The spear frame portion was not the first thing to be spatially ejected. ¡°A back connector arm!?¡± Floating in the air was a large arm that connected to the back below the wings. Next, the spear frame portion was ejected, but it was clearly longer than before. Also, three shock absorbers appeared around the arm, the top of the device, and the front. Next came the claw to lock onto the arm and the rails for firing the spear bullets. The side guide rails and the upper counter head attached and the counter head was cocked to adjust its position. A further shock absorber and an acceleration thruster connected to the back and the spear bullets entered inside. The spear bullets were the main part of Keravnos. They were the half of 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core further divided into three spears. However, the space for the spears to enter was odd. Inside the closing parts were five spots to store spears. ¡°I¡¯m evolving because I want to become stronger.¡± Finally, a line of eighteen steel bolts were ejected. With nine on either side, they each forcefully jabbed into Keravnos to hold it in place. That high-pitched harmony of steel ensured the device would not waver. It all created a pile driver measuring over six meters in length. Hiba used that pile driver to gouge into something: the ground. The air resounded with the sound of the earth being struck. And with that sound, Susamikado forcibly changed its direction while fleeing forward. It used the recoil of Keravnos to fly up into the sky. It spread out its limbs and wings to circle around over Typhon¡¯s head. It rotated around to orient itself face up and then used its wings to perform a power dive in front of Typhon. Its left arm moved to grab the sword it had thrown into the air. Meanwhile, Typhon read its actions. Susamikado would send a decisive sword strike using all of its weight. ¡°!¡± So Typhon reflexively cut away time. It appeared in the air above Susamikado as it descended in a power dive. Typhon also spread its limbs and wings to descend. Also, the cannons on its back were already aimed toward the ground and therefore at Susamikado. But for some reason, Typhon saw the tip of a blade before its eyes. It was the tip of the sword Susamikado had thrown earlier. Susamikado had pretended to reach for it but had not actually touched it. It had all been a feint based on the assumption that Typhon would circle around behind it. It did not create the end of the battle. It was only a continuation of the battlefield. ¡°¡­!¡± Typhon reflexively cut away time once more. It moved toward the blind spot of Susamikado¡¯s blind spot and Susamikado shouted what that was. ¡°Its original location!¡± As he shouted, Hiba saw Typhon appear on the ground in front of him as he fell. Its cannons were already ready to fire, but that would not do anything about Susamikado¡¯s action. Keravnos fired its three spears. He fired into the stomach rather than the chest. That was harder to hit from above, but the reactor containing the Concept Core was there. If his aim was even slightly off, he would destroy the cockpit and kill Apollo instantly. But if he destroyed only the reactor, there might still be a chance. Typhon fired, but Hiba did not care. He fired his own attack while leaving everything else in the hands of his speed, the armor, and Mikage¡¯s adjustments. A few of his armor panels could not withstand the damage and broke. That created a small deviation in his actions. ¡­Dammit! As he silently swore, he saw a certain light. It was a pale blue light in the form of a woman and it appeared in front of Typhon¡¯s stomach armor. It was Artemis. She looked clearly at him, but her crying face changed to a smile and she lightly waved both hands. Typhon then cut away time. However, it did not move behind Susamikado this time. Typhon moved to the front of Keravnos with Artemis still in front of the stomach armor. In response, Susamikado landed and unhesitatingly fired Keravnos into her. A metallic roar filled the air, Hiba felt it hit, and the smiling Artemis nodded before scattering. ¡°¡­!?¡± Hiba wondered what her nod had meant, but it was Mikage¡¯s shout that answered him. ¡°Keravnos and Typhon!¡± He looked and saw light rapidly gathering in the spear of light that had stabbed into Typhon. Keravnos was consuming Typhon¡¯s Concept Core. To support it, the back of Keravnos expanded and received the extra light. It acted like it was a machine originally created to combine the Concept Core into one. It can¡¯t be, thought Hiba. He then thought about what Sayama had said while preparing for the battle. ¡­Is this what he meant when he talked about how much I understand Mikage-san? ¡°Is the destructive weapon of Keravnos following Mikage-san¡¯s evolution and evolving into the Tartaros Machina that contains the Tartaros?¡± The Concept Core Tartaros had been the cause of 3rd-Gear¡¯s destruction and it had now been recombined into one. ¡­Why did Cronus make this? He also wondered if Zeus truly had not realized it. However, there was no way to know. He gave a groan as the noise and impact continued. Finally, the Tartaros was completely stored inside Keravnos. In response, Typhon¡¯s entire body trembled and something was expelled from its back. A large cockpit left the white god of war. The giant white metal block was slowly ejected and it fell to the ground with a loud metallic noise. Hiba then heard a voice. Among the allies and enemies surrounding them, the blonde head maid spoke up while bringing a hand to her mouth and lowering her eyebrows. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ Lady Artemis is recomposing Lord Apollo using the high output of the moment in which the Concept Core is joined together.¡± Hiba did not entirely understand what that meant, but once her quiet words finished reverberating through the air, a heavy metallic noise appeared before him. The white god of war named Typhon had fallen to its knees. ¡­Is this¡­ Is this the end? He looked up into the sky where the moon and the stars looked down. Everyone surrounding them then let out cries that expressed the various thoughts held within them. Amid the shouting, Shinjou watched Keravnos¡¯s new form, but she suddenly turned to Sayama. He was staring at his left hand instead of at Susamikado. There was a light there and it came from Georgius. ¡°Again?¡± she asked. He nodded and held up Georgius. White light throbbed around the medallion embedded in it. Wondering if it was all right, she held up her own hand out of curiosity. Suddenly, Georgius reacted and the light rapidly grew. ¡°Eh!?¡± As everyone else was focused on Susamikado, Georgius¡¯s light intensified between her and Sayama. At the same time, Susamikado¡¯s Keravnos let out a roar. ¡°!?¡± It was so sudden that everyone froze in place. As they all watched on, sound rushed from Keravnos¡¯s surface. Something was dented and gouged into its black armor. ¡­Writing? She could not read the writing, but she understood what it meant. However, it was not anyone from UCAT who read the writing on Keravnos. It was a female voice that came from a black-haired woman in white clothes who stood a short distance from everyone else. She stared blankly at the text on Keravnos as Gyes supported her. ¡°We of 3rd-Gear¡­¡± She took a breath. ¡°Vow to become a power that gathers a great number of people along with the wills of the sun king and moon queen!¡± Once she finished speaking, her expression changed to a relaxed smile. As if in response, a single maid stepped toward Typhon. She had short blonde hair and both of her arms had been destroyed, but she still faced Typhon¡¯s cockpit which had fallen to the ground. ¡°Lady Miyako.¡± She turned around and nodded. ¡°Lord Apollo will most likely be fine. Lady Artemis protected him just as she promised.¡± Miyako closed her eyes in a smile and all strength left her body. Everyone frantically cried out and ran over, but it was not just the UCAT members who did so. A great number of automaton maids did as well. Some ran and some walked, but they all approached. Amid it all, Shinjou listened to the UCAT members speaking as they walked up from behind. ¡°Hey, doesn¡¯t this seem wrong if you go by the story?¡± She heard a bitter laugh. ¡°After all, Typhon gave birth to the king and the queen.¡± Volume 7, 40: Words of the Night Sky Volume 7, Chapter 40: Words of the Night Sky This is a place of dusk It is where everything begins and ends If you look to the sky and ask, the wind will answer Sayama watched as everyone prepared to withdraw. Georgius was no longer emitting light. ¡­Did it react to the Concept Core? He had questions, but he had no way to investigate them. When combined with the documents Tsukuyomi had sent him, he had a lot to think about. He was currently looking down the street while a short distance from the others. The people formed a ring around Susamikado in the middle of the street and Miyako lay unconscious at the god of war¡¯s feet. The automaton head maid placed a blanket over her. According to the short-haired automaton who seemed to be the head maid¡¯s younger sister, Apollo¡¯s pulse could be heard inside the cockpit ejected from Typhon. Also, it sounded more stable than before. According to the maids¡¯ prediction, the output created by Keravnos¡¯s Concept Core combining with Typhon¡¯s may have been used to recompose Apollo¡¯s body. Artemis had remade him using the past experience of recomposing him within Typhon. ¡­So the princess who could not have children still managed to leave behind someone important to her. However, it would apparently take time for the recomposition to stabilize. It could happen in another fifty years, after several thousand years, or even tomorrow. They were loading the cockpit block onto a truck to carry it away. Typhon¡¯s wreckage was loaded onto a cargo pallet with a truck connector and it was stopped at the end of the road by the station. Just as he began to wonder what would happen, Shinjou spoke from his left. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s going to happen.¡± He turned around and found her with a smile, so he nodded expressionlessly. He then heard an unfamiliar female voice. ¡°Yes, what is going to happen?¡± And¡­ ¡°But have you realized that none of this is over yet?¡± Sayama frowned at the voice. ¡­I have never heard that voice before. There was another odd fact about the voice as well: its location. It came from the direction of the cargo pallet carrying Typhon, but its height was strange. ¡­The sky? As he turned, he heard a sound. It was a quiet whistling of wind. But despite being quiet, it carried through the air and everyone turned toward it. A giant form had appeared just a few meters above Typhon and its cargo pallet. ¡°A mechanical dragon!?¡± shouted Gyes. ¡°Are you the one Aigaion and Cottus informed me of just before their shared memories cut out!?¡± Everyone was looking at a steel-colored mechanical dragon floating in the air and a girl standing on its back. The girl¡¯s black hair whipped in the wind and she wore a giant Japanese sword on her back. Her sand yellow combat coat waved in the faint wind. ¡°Do I need to introduce myself?¡± ¡°Of course!!¡± As Ooshiro crawled forward because of his bad back, he held out a camera. ¡°Oh, dear.¡± The girl tilted her head down to face the camera. ¡°I am Nagata Tatsumi of the Army.¡± ¡°Liar!¡± shouted Susamikado. Everyone turned toward it as it turned around to face the girl. Hiba¡¯s voice trembled as he continued. ¡°You¡¯re Hiba Miki, aren¡¯t you!? Sister!¡± But Tatsumi did not reply. Her smile simply deepened as if to say she could not hear him. Everyone who saw that smile was left speechless and Sayama saw them take a step back. An excellent smile, he thought while embracing Shinjou from the side because she began to step back as well. ¡­So she is an enemy. But Shinjou suddenly tilted her head and frowned. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What is it, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°The Army is rumored to be a mixture of a few different Gears, right?¡± She drew back her head a little and spoke quietly. ¡°But doesn¡¯t that Tatsumi person¡¯s Cowling Sword look familiar?¡± It did. He had seen it earlier that day in the documents Kashima had sent. ¡°That is the Cowling Sword that Director Tsukuyomi¡¯s late husband left designs for.¡± He nodded and looked to Shinjou. She gathered strength in her shoulders and nodded with Ex-St in hand. They both stepped forward and he expressionlessly began to speak. ¡°I do not believe we have met. I am Sayama Mikoto of Team Leviathan.¡± ¡°Oh, how polite.¡± Tatsumi and Sayama exchanged bows and Sayama asked the first question, but it was not directed at Tatsumi. ¡°Gyes-kun, a question. Who are they? Answer as quickly as possible.¡± ¡°They are an organization named the Army. An information broker known as Hajji is their leader. They have gathered the remnants of several Gears and try to invite others to their side. Today is the first time I have seen any of their main force outside of Hajji.¡± ¡°Leave it at that, Gyes. This may be my first time to speak with you, but let me say this. ¡­Now that you have lost to Low-Gear are you going to wag your tail and forget everything the Army has done for you?¡± ¡°Damn you.¡± Gyes glared at Tatsumi, but she ignored it with a shake of the head and turned back to Sayama. ¡°Listen. 3rd-Gear and the Army have an agreement. If their Concept Core is taken, they will give us Typhon. So I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯ll be taking it using this mechanical dragon.¡± ¡°I see. And what is the mechanical dragon¡¯s name?¡± Rather than Tatsumi, it was the dragon that nodded in response. ¡°I am a mere mechanical dragon and nothing more. As such, I regrettably have no name to give at this point in time.¡± ¡°It sounds to me like you actually want to name yourself.¡± ¡°Do you dare look down on me!? I made a promise to not name myself as Alex!¡± ¡°I see.¡± He nodded and Shinjou poked at his side with Ex-St. ¡°I think we might be able to make friends with him.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Shinjou-kun? I am friends with everyone in the world. With myself above them all, of course.¡± He turned back to Tatsumi and did not hesitate to face her smile and gaze. ¡°I have a question for you, Tatsumi-kun. What if we did not allow you to take Typhon?¡± ¡°The fact that Team Leviathan interferes in and breaks agreements made between other Gears will spread.¡± ¡°But I thought the Army does not belong to any Gear.¡± ¡°Is that how it looks?¡± That question silenced Sayama. It was true that they had no proof that the Army did not belong to a specific Gear. If it had begun in Low-Gear, one could even say it belonged to Low-Gear. Tatsumi laughed at his silence. ¡°What a clever boy. Interesting too. But it¡¯s time. If I don¡¯t return home and get to sleep, I can¡¯t supervise everyone¡¯s training tomorrow morning. I have low blood pressure after all. Okay, Alex.¡± ¡°Tatsumi, why are you using my name when I forbade you to!?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I can be forgetful. ¡­As can you.¡± She spoke completely casually. ¡°For today, we will take Typhon and leave.¡± The mechanical dragon nodded and moved. It descended in an instant and used its four legs to grab the white god of war that was held down by chains on the left and right. Despite the extreme weight of the god of war, the mechanical dragon tore the chains apart and easily lifted it. ¡°Miki!¡± ¡°I abandoned that name. I now go by Tatsumi.¡± Tatsumi smiled toward Hiba, but that expression vanished for just an instant. When Sayama noticed, he glanced toward the spot she had looked at in that moment. A single jeep was parked far beyond the circle of people. Inside it were Sf and two other people. ¡­Diana and Ooshiro Itaru. As he thought that, wind blew in from behind. Diana¡¯s usual smile was missing and Itaru was the same as always, but they both slowly looked up into the sky. As if chased by their gazes, the mechanical dragon flew into the sky. Susamikado tried to follow, but¡­ ¡°Ryuuji-kun! The Concept Core combination hasn¡¯t stabilized yet!!¡± Mikage¡¯s voice stopped him. Gyes clenched her teeth because her god of war was still destroyed. In no time at all, the dragon vanished into the sky and left only wind behind. Everyone held their breath as they looked into the night sky and saw the moon there. However, Sayama gave a firm nod, turned toward the others, and lightly raised his hand. ¡°If they had an agreement, we will respect it. Just like us, our enemy views that sort of process as important. By using the proper process, they are attempting to gain the same justification to their actions as ours.¡± ¡°You mean¡­?¡± ¡°It is simple, Shinjou-kun. Doing this gives them a certain possibility. They can oppose us, defeat us, justify their own actions, and place our actions on the wrong side of history.¡± In other words¡­ ¡°We and the Army will be fighting to place the other¡¯s actions on the wrong side of history. That is what this means.¡± Those words placed a nervous look on everyone¡¯s faces. Among them all, Kazami and Izumo nodded. But one light voice spoke up. It was Ooki¡¯s and she clapped her hands. ¡°Oh, but Sayama-kun. And everyone else too. Doesn¡¯t this mean something else as well? The enemy may have taken Typhon, but that means we know something about what they can use to fight.¡± There was a slight pause before everyone reacted. And that delayed reaction was a bitter smile. ¡°I suppose so,¡± said Izumo as he crossed his arms next to Kazami. ¡°And Team Leviathan now has someone crazily powerful to run errands for us. That certainly is reliable. After all, he¡¯s an underclassman who can buy us coffee at supersonic speeds. He¡¯s our errand master.¡± ¡°I will not have Mikage-san summon Susamikado just to go buy things!¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll go buy them on your own?¡± asked Mikage¡¯s voice. Susamikado produced a muffled groan in Hiba¡¯s voice. The slight movement of the black god of war produced bitter laughter from everyone. As their tension left them, they sighed and Sayama looked across them all. ¡°At any rate, it seems the enemy is terribly insensitive.¡± He turned toward Miyako who was wrapped in a blanket and held in the arms of the maids. Everyone else followed his gaze. ¡°Now is the time to be wishing her the best, and yet they had to bring up that agreement. Let us show our own sensitivity by forgetting our job and celebrating this night. And most likely celebrating the new form of 3rd-Gear.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The head maid nodded with a smile and looked across the crowd while embracing Miyako. ¡°We will accept you all. Also, we wish to gather and continue on with all of you. After all¡­¡± She looked up into the sky. The moon floated in that chilly and empty night sky. Whatever she was thinking, her eyebrows lowered, her eyes narrowed, and she spoke the names of those who had vanished. ¡°We believe that we will never meet our end.¡± Volume 7, Final : Praise of the Great Heaven Volume 7, Final Chapter: Praise of the Great Heaven Carry the words of your praising thoughts Carry the will of your supporting thoughts There is one simple thing you must do now The evening summer sky extended above the green mountains. Scarlet light colored the mountains from a shallow angle and those mountains filled with harsh contrasts of dark and light. A winding river ran through the shadows and some giant white buildings were located in front of one bend. They belonged to IAI¡¯s Tokyo headquarters. The scarlet-dyed buildings and the vast grounds of the facility were surrounded by walls and a gate that were also filled with scarlet. The sun set late that summer evening, so business hours were already over. A single person passed through the wide main gate: a woman. Her semi-long black hair was swept back and she awkwardly wore a beige suit. She was Tsukuyomi Miyako. She lightly lowered her head toward the guard at the front gate and checked her watch and she left the grounds. The only sounds were the river running down below and her own heels clacking on the asphalt. After exiting through the gate, she looked to the bus stop a short distance to the left. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go home.¡± She carried a bag over her left shoulder and she brushed a hand through her hair. There was only one thing on her mind. ¡­What¡¯s going to happen now? All of the automatons had been taken to Japanese UCAT¡¯s western headquarters located underneath IAI¡¯s headquarters in Shimane. After some formalities were dealt with there, they would be allowed to contact the other automatons in Kanda and be scattered within UCAT which possessed the concepts automatons needed. A strange old man named Ooshiro had told her all that. He had also said they would accept that the Moirai and other automatons had human rights, treat them as a group, and not disassemble or examine any that did not volunteer to do so. Gyes was especially cooperative and she would apparently be allowed to participate in UCAT in some form. Her two fellow models had been defeated by the Army, but Moira 1st had said the following: ¡°She wishes for a master and an organization to serve more than the rest of us because she wants something to support her as she fights.¡± Gyes could leave the concept spaces and she had said she would visit Miyako¡¯s home before long, but Miyako was unsure how that would turn out. She has a habit of lecturing people, thought Miyako. When they had parted, she had gotten on Miyako¡¯s nerves by insisting on countless things such as giving her child a good name. ¡­I hope I don¡¯t end up more or less having two moms. She had a feeling that fear would come true. However, there was a lot she did not know. The cockpit containing Apollo had apparently been brought to the western headquarters, but she did not know how that would turn out. She also did not know what those who had fought on that battlefield would do now. To meet them, she would have to join UCAT and face the battles there. ¡­And 3rd-Gear¡¯s will most likely desires that. She looked to her left shoulder. An envelope of UCAT documents poked out of the bag there. ¡°If I use this to join UCAT, it feels like I¡¯m using my parents¡¯ connections.¡± But¡­ ¡°If I want it and others want it of me¡­¡± Where was it she should go? Who was waiting there? As she thought, her heart grew a little heavier. In order to brighten her mood, she turned toward the western sky where the setting sun sank behind the mountains. She found a fairly bright scarlet there. It was sinking, but she still could not look directly at it without holding out her hand. ¡­Ahh. ¡°I want to see him.¡± The name Apollo appeared in the back of her mind. He was the young man with the same eyes as her and he was the father of the child within her. ¡­When will that idiot come back? She did not know. For her sake, Moira 2nd had said ¡°eventually¡±, but it could be thousands of years in the future. She might never see him again. She did not like that thought and she no longer tried to reject how she truly felt. She looked to the brightness of the sun. ¡°But the sun and the moon can¡¯t be out at the same time.¡± She felt as if her heart had grown even heavier. She stopped walking and remembered many different things. She remembered the many different meetings and emotions from the past few days. As she did, she suddenly took a shrill breath. Her breath caught in her throat and she could not stop the trembling in the corners of her eyes, her lungs, and her shoulders. Her emotions threatened to spill out. She looked up in an attempt to contain them. She looked to the evening colors in the heavens above. ¡­Dammit. She swore toward that sky, but then she saw something unexpected. It was the moon. ¡°¡­¡± A thin white crescent could be seen in the sky that was dyed purple by the sun setting in the west. She then recalled a certain fact. ¡°The light of the moon is a reflection of the sun¡¯s light.¡± They were sometimes both seen in the evening or morning. And even when the moon could not be seen in the sky, the sun¡¯s light was still reaching it. ¡°You idiot¡­ You¡¯d better hurry back or we won¡¯t be able to see the moon in the night.¡± She forced a smile in only her eyes and she looked back down. The setting sun to the west and the moon in the heavens illuminated the mountains, the river, and the distant cities. The shadows of contrast created by that scarlet light looked beautiful to her. But what about her? Did she illuminate her surroundings like that? Or was she the one illuminated by them? She suddenly brought her left hand to her stomach and thought about the child. ¡­What should I name it? She could not check with him, but he had left this with her. For the time being, at least. ¡°Evening, dawn, beauty, shadow¡­or bright.¡± If she used characters meaning something like that, would their child become a child of 3rd-Gear and Low-Gear? Or should she think about it differently? She could also give the child a name to make it more honest than them and make it bless many more people than they had. ¡­But to do that¡­ She thought about a lot and suddenly reached her left hand for the envelope of UCAT documents sticking out of her bag. Just as she began to pull out the papers that would determine her destination, a sudden sound of an engine passed by her from behind. ¡°Ah.¡± It was the bus from the Akigawa area. It was on its way to Oume and would pass through Ikusabata where her home was. Before she could even cry out, it arrived at the bus station up ahead. She began to run and her heels rang loudly. ¡°¡­¡± But she brought her right hand to her stomach and slowed down. She began walking calmly and without rushing. ¡°Hey! Wait up!¡± She did not hesitate to raise her voice as she grabbed the bag containing the UCAT envelope and waved it up toward the sky that contained both the setting sun and the moon. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­¡± She shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there!!¡± ¡°I have determined it is sure to be enjoyable.¡± Volume 7, Afterword Volume 7, Afterword The afterword is only two pages again. I¡¯ve somehow managed to end Volume 3. This was my first three-parter, but I can only do this thanks to all of you. Thank you very much. I talked a little about Kurashiki last time, but it really is a nice city. It got destroyed quite a bit here, but it might be fun checking those areas on a map and visiting them. Anyway, I¡¯m rushing along, but here¡¯s the customary chat. ¡°I¡¯ll ask just to fit the pattern, but did you read it?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. I never expected Shinjou to see Hiba killed by Apollo, become the blonde-haired large-breasted Super Normal, and then use the Negative Spirit Bomb.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t read it, did you? And Hiba¡¯s Krillin now?¡± ¡°No, I really did read it. That boy has a terrible success rate in his fights, doesn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about the same as your success rate in hitting on girls. More importantly, you got married around the time 3-A was released, didn¡¯t you? Congrats.¡± ¡°Stop simultaneously teasing me and congratulating me in an afterword my wife is going to read!!¡± ¡°I see. So wives are reading my books now, are they? This might have entered a genre middle and high school kids will be hesitant to pick up. Maybe I should use ¡®Popular with Newlywed Wives!¡¯ to advertise it. That¡¯d be terrible.¡± ¡°Stop setting up the joke and giving the punchline on your own. Anyway, I gave a painful story last time, so it¡¯s your turn.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any painful memories from middle or high school. The day before I graduated from middle school, I was hit by a car while riding my bike. The bike was bent in half, but I was completely unharmed.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that. When that happens, you have to almost die and raise a flag with the girl who runs over to you.¡± ¡°Um, is this guy¡¯s wife listening? The idiot is seriously saying this, so I¡¯m gonna make sure to record it.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t do that! After she read 3-A¡¯s afterword, my household nickname was Tits Checker.¡± So this time it¡¯ll be Flag Checker. Anyway, I edited this while listening to ASKA¡¯s Seiten wo Homeru Nara Yuugure wo Mate. (It puts me in a good mood lyrically as well.) ¡°Who was it that stood up?¡± I also thought about that. Volume 4 is up next, so wait just a bit. May 2004. A morning in which the rain refuses to let up. -Kawakami Minoru Volume 8, Prologue: Blue Guidance Volume 8, Prologue: Blue Guidance Where is the color of the sky? You can ask But you cannot grab ahold of it A color could be seen. It was the color blue. A deep, dark blue filled a great expanse above. A slightly darkened blue filled an expanse below. Those two blues were the heavens and the earth as seen from the sky. The sky above was empty, but the hazy blue earth was uneven and contained a white line. The area below was mountainous and almost a desert, but with the color blue, it looked like the sandy bottom of the sea. Something traveled through the center of that blue sky. It resembled a dragon. However, it had a metal body that reflected the sun and its surface contained several emblems and ID numbers. As it cut through the wind, US-UCAT was written on both sides in white writing. It was a mechanical dragon of American UCAT and that steel dragon was flying through the blue sky. It was at least thirty meters long and five meters wide. It was painted blue and white and its overall form was a rectangle with a shallow slope at an acute angle. It had a sharp face, a long tail, and no neck. Its four legs were drawn in and its two pairs of wings stuck out on either side. Shimmering heat was ejected from what looked like the waist and the bottom of its legs. It continued on while pushed by the accelerating heat. The head facing its destination had a windshield. Inside that windshield was a single-seat cockpit. The pilot strapped into the deep seat wore a pressure suit and a helmet, but the suit was made of cloth and all of the consoles before him were analog. He reached to his right toward a B5-size writing board with a few papers in its stopper. The top of the papers said ¡°Test (Final)¡± and they gave the date ¡°4.20.1945¡±. They also gave the pilot¡¯s name: Richard Thunderson. Thunderson wrote the numbers on the instruments into a few of the fields on the documents and then returned his hand to the central control column. The majority of the noise within the windshield was the racket of cutting through the wind at high altitude. That noise was joined by the metallic creaking of the craft and the roar of the ejected heat accelerating it. Thunderson pulled on the control column while squeezing the throttle. He flew. The blue mechanical dragon turned upwards as if twisting its body. The walls of air on the top and bottom threatened to bring that turn to a stop. ¡°¡­!¡± But a moment later, the dragon broke through the upper wall of resistance and the air coming from the front struck its bottom surface. With the air resistance on its stomach, the dragon ascended as if climbing a slope. The beating of the air sounded like an explosion and the disturbed air current burst into mist. By the time that ended, the blue mechanical dragon had moved several hundred meters higher. As it flew calmly through the air yet opposed the air all the while, a voice spoke over the communicator. ¡°b1 to base. The leg retraction and accelerators are working well. ¡­Are your numbers good too?¡± The voice was Thunderson¡¯s and he laughed before continuing. ¡°Is a1¡­ Is that him!?¡± Just as his question grew into a shout of expectation, the blue mechanical dragon heard a roar down below. Before he could think that something was coming, a white line stabbed upwards through the sky only a few dozen meters to the right. The line of mist looked like a contrail. ¡°!¡± But it was erased by the great roar that followed after a short delay. And something else arrived. It was overhead where nothing had been before. It was a white mechanical dragon. It was also about thirty meters long, it had no neck, and it had a long tail. It resembled the blue one, but it was still different. In order to fly more efficiently, the blue one had closed up its legs and expanded its wings. However, the white one¡¯s legs were contracted but still extended out enough for landing and walking. Also, its wings did not extend out as far as the blue one¡¯s. The blue one spoke over the communicator. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit sudden, James Davis?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a1 right now, Richard Thunderson.¡± The white one replied and they both gave bitter laughs. The white one took a slightly upward path with its short wings cutting through the sky. ¡°Did you see that ascent speed? Mine will be the one chosen for official use.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon now. Don¡¯t think ascent speed is enough to win, James. Are you actually amazingly stupid by any chance? For one thing, that structure leaves you barely able to turn. You put everything into acceleration, so that¡¯s all you have.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯ve said it. Then again, you¡¯re right about one thing. I haven¡¯t shown what it can really do yet. How about yours? You¡¯ve been making tons of small adjustments, but it still doesn¡¯t have any explosion of power, does it?¡± ¡°An aircraft needs stability. I can¡¯t put the pilot¡¯s life in danger. Especially when that pilot is me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an excuse for rejecting new ideas. You¡¯ve been like that since our school days and that¡¯s why-¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing an amazing job of talking in circles, James.¡± He sighed and they both laughed bitterly once more. After a pause, the white mechanical dragon spoke. ¡°I will make sure this one is chosen, Richard. This is the anniversary of my wife¡¯s death and my kids¡¯ birthday.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, I¡¯m not going to let you win out of sympathy, James.¡± ¡°I know that, Richard. We¡¯re doing this to keep them from taking over the sky. Ever since man began to fly, we¡¯ve known that there¡¯s something here in America¡¯s skies.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard the area they appear in has been shifting toward the Pacific and toward Japan over the past few years, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that we¡¯ve lost a lot in the past. Or the fact that we have these craft because of what we gained from it. So, James, you need to cross yourself before this match for everyone¡¯s sake. After all, you¡¯ll be shot down before long.¡± ¡°Sorry, but I already crossed myself before taking off. That leaves you. I¡¯ll protect you, so hurry it up.¡± ¡°Oh, I forgot to mention. I converted to Voodoo last night. And I designated you as the sacrifice.¡± As they spoke, a white shadow came into view up ahead. It was a cloud. The two mechanical dragons spoke as they approached the white mass like it was an island. ¡°Richard, what will you do once we get the results today? Head back to the war?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I feel amazingly guilty. Right now, the American people, European people, and the people of the enemy nations have lost so much, but as long as I¡¯m here, I can¡¯t share in that feeling. ¡­I missed that latest fad.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. They¡¯re working to fix this world, while we¡­well, it seems we still aren¡¯t seeing it all clearly, but it does seem we¡¯re working to protect that world.¡± ¡°Even so, James, this war that we¡¯re calling the Concept War still doesn¡¯t seem real to me. I was brought here because of my piloting prowess, but I feel I would¡¯ve been better off shooting down enemy planes over the Pacific.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure you should feel such purpose in shooting down living human beings, Richard Thunderson.¡± ¡°But I would be standing on the same stage as other human beings. Our brethren are putting their lives on the line, so I¡¯m not sure you should call it just to be fighting dragons, James Davis.¡± The blue mechanical dragon gave a small laugh of self-deprecation. ¡°And from what I hear, we haven¡¯t found any human corpses in the cockpits of the mechanical dragons that have crashed in this world. We¡¯re fighting a world of mechanical dragons that fly on autopilot and there are no people there. The people we¡¯ve lost were lost for nothing.¡± ¡°No death is for nothing, Richard. Richard Thunderson.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± came the lifeless response from the blue dragon as it moved down and away from the white one. ¡°We¡¯re talking in circles again.¡± ¡°So we are,¡± replied James. ¡°I know one thing. Today is your kids¡¯¡­twins were they? Anyway, it¡¯s their birthday. But if having your craft chosen was going to be their present, you¡¯re going to have to console some disappointed children when you get home.¡± ¡°You made a reservation at the bar for tonight, didn¡¯t you? Was it a cheap drink in the seat farthest back in the corner? Once you sit down, you can stoop over, say ¡®congratulations James¡¯, and return the drink to the bartender. Got it?¡± As the two exchanged words, they began moving apart to the left and right. An object was visible in front of the cloud up ahead. It was a blue airplane with a reciprocating engine. ¡°It begins once we pass that recordkeeping craft, James. You don¡¯t have real bullets loaded, do you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got the same as you.¡± ¡°Why do you have real bullets, you idiot!? Are you planning to have this double as a fully-equipped flight test!?¡± ¡°Why are you thinking the same thing as me, Richard?¡± ¡°Because I intend to win.¡± The two of them passed the recordkeeping craft that had gone in ahead of them and they began to move to the left and right for the beginning of the test. But in that moment, they both saw a sudden light appear. It was a crimson light and it appeared at the midpoint between them. The recordkeeping craft had exploded just after they passed by. ¡°¡­!?¡± It broke as if struck on the center from above and it crashed into the wall of air. Its wings broke, the body was crushed when exposed to the wind, and the small parts with little air resistance were thrown forward while trailing the smoke of the explosion. The two mechanical dragons observed it in the small time available and immediately moved apart. They then flew into the cloud. ¡°James!¡± ¡°I see it. It¡¯s him. It¡¯s that black mechanical dragon that rules this sky like it¡¯s a game. The researchers call it Tezcatlipoca the Black Sun, right? Can you see it on your radar?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s vanished. But¡­¡± He could see the wind moving through the cloud ahead of the two mechanical dragons. The mass of wind split the cloud and the scattering cloud and mist showed the form of a giant dragon. It was a giant invisible dragon that existed as wind. The white mechanical dragon moved ahead of the blue one. ¡°a1 to base. We have encountered the enemy. It¡¯s Black Sun. ¡­c1 was shot down. Beginning interception.¡± ¡°James, are you going after it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the whole reason we have these mechanical dragons. I¡¯ve long since resolved myself to this. Watch, Richard. I¡¯ll show you what Team A has developed. This is what we made while paving the road of development for these machines that must handle both ground and aerial battles.¡± As he spoke, the white mechanical dragon suddenly broke apart. However, this was not due to it being destroyed. ¡°Beginning transformation from normal cruising form to high-speed cruising form.¡± And that was precisely what the white mechanical dragon did in midair. Its dragon-like shape crumbled and it changed. Instead of retracting the legs like the blue one did, it solidified them as the base of the wings. All of its joints were drawn in and it was made even smaller to reduce air resistance. All of its accelerators were oriented toward the back. And with metallic and mechanical noises, it all came together. Thunderson spoke aloud what it had become. ¡°A fighter.¡± But it was still a mechanical dragon. Its shape had been warped a bit, but it was clearly a mechanical dragon transformed for aerial combat. The white dragon stored shimmering heat in all of its accelerators. ¡°Richard, your Thunderbird is an all-purpose non-transforming model because you focused on durability, but my Blanca is a high-mobility all-purpose transforming model. I can¡¯t fly for as long as you and I don¡¯t have as much defensive power, but I can move out ahead.¡± The white dragon did exactly that while leaving behind some residual shimmering of heat. ¡°Hey! Wait!¡± The blue dragon belatedly moved out, but it could not catch up. The mass of wind was far out ahead, the white mechanical dragon was catching up to it, and the blue mechanical dragon was left behind. The blue one broke through the air that could only be called a wall as it attempted to keep up. Meanwhile, the white one gave a shout that shook due to the impact of piercing through the air. ¡°Hey, Richard.¡± ¡°What could you possibly want right now, you idiot!?¡± Ahead of the blue one, a distant thick cloud enveloped the wind and the white dragon. The giant wind dragon and the white mechanical dragon vanished from view However, the latter¡¯s voice could still be heard. ¡°Hey,¡± began James. ¡°Are there others fighting like we are?¡± ¡°I hear there are in Europe. There might be in Germany and Japan as well.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said James. ¡°Ohara, the first one shot down by this dragon here, was half-Japanese. He said he joined UCAT because he didn¡¯t want to go to war with his father¡¯s country.¡± ¡°And wasn¡¯t Hughes, the next one shot down, part German like me? ¡­But did you just say ¡®this dragon here¡¯!? Have you caught up, James!?¡± ¡°Yeah, I finally have. Finally. It took so long. Lyle, Essert, and Curt, who was just a kid, weren¡¯t even able to see it, but I¡¯ve finally, finally made it. Did you know that all of the crashed mechanical dragons we¡¯ve recovered were shot down by this thing?¡± ¡°What!? Does that mean¡­?¡± ¡°Team A¡¯s conclusion is that the world of dragons we¡¯re up against is in a constant state of civil war between this single giant dragon and countless smaller dragons.¡± James laughed. ¡°It probably comes to our skies when it¡¯s tired of that fighting at home. And after it amuses itself by shooting down the weak machines flying here, it goes back. ¡­I won¡¯t let it do that again.¡± The blue mechanical dragon rushed into the cloud as it listened. The cloud was blown away in front of its nose. ¡°Wait, James Davis. We need to work together. You understand that, don¡¯t you? When you won over your wife, it was because I hit on her first and you went in for the attack after she shot me down. So wait.¡± ¡°I am waiting, so hurry up, Richard Thunderson. Hurry to the destination of your resolve. I¡¯ll be moving on ahead and I¡¯ll wait for you there.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± The blue dragon accelerated through the cloud. It used all of its accelerators to their fullest and broke through the wall of air before it. A moment later, its vision filled with a single color. That color was blue. It saw a sky without a single cloud. In that empty expanse of blue, the identically colored dragon looked forward. A few hundred meters away, it saw the result of it all. That result was destruction. The flickering wind trailed a cloud behind it. That wind was a giant dragon and it destroyed the white mechanical dragon. Beams of light shot between the two of them. That optical weapon could be called the dragon¡¯s breath, but while the white one drew eight white arcs through the sky, the wind dragon fired dozens of black arcs. The white mechanical dragon writhed in agony as the many black lights pierced into it. ¡°¡­!¡± But it forced itself to circle above the wind even as it was pierced through. Meanwhile, the wind revealed itself. Color appeared and that color was black. A black body and black wings spread out in the blue sky. The large black mechanical dragon was over three hundred meters long. A flat series of cannons opened in the space between the two wings on its back. All of those cannons turned toward the white mechanical dragon circling around above it and they began to gather black light. However, the white dragon transformed as it flew in from above. Amid the wind, its fighter-like silhouette instantly changed from an aerial dragon to a close-quarters combat dragon. The cannon fire and the rushing dragon crossed paths. Even as the black light stabbed into it, the white mechanical dragon forced its way down toward the large black mechanical dragon¡¯s back. It collided into it and raised the claws of its four legs. ¡°¡­¡± But that was as far as it got. The white dragon was destroyed. Its legs, body, and even the frame supporting its head were torn into and it could not even withstand its own next attack. The movable frame used for its transformations bent and its own heat and weight destroyed it. It shattered like a piece of glasswork. The white dragon raised its crying maw toward the sky. ¡°¡­!¡± And it exploded. The blue mechanical dragon soared in as if the scattering wreckage and flames were its cue. It tried to catch up to the large black mechanical dragon that had revealed itself and that shook in the explosion. However, the black dragon shook its body. It calmly bent its body while ignoring the air resistance of its great speed and it swept away the wreckage and smoke on its back. Once it saw the blue dragon, it opened its mouth. At the same moment, a black light came from deep in its mouth. This was its dragon cannon. It produced enough light to color the blue sky black. A pillar of black light with a diameter of over a dozen meters cut horizontally through the sky. The sound of the scorching heat drowned out every hint of the wind. The black dragon¡¯s light blew away all of the air as if twisting it. The surrounding clouds instantly evaporated and the black light tore into the starboard side of Thunderson¡¯s mechanical dragon. Even so, the blue mechanical dragon was not destroyed. However, it could no longer fly. It crashed into the pressure of the wind and was knocked through the sky as if falling forward. From there, it could only fall. And so it did. With the flames of the white dragon¡¯s explosion still in the sky, the blue dragon simply fell toward the ground visible far below. The large black dragon in the sky watched it fall. To fire the dragon cannon, it had bent its body as if curling up. Once it confirmed that the blue mechanical dragon would not fly back up, it opened its metal maw. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Its roar filled the sky. It sounded like a crying voice and it reverberated through the blue sky. As that sound continued, the black form vanished. It seemed to slowly but surely grow transparent. The color of the sky became visible through it, so the black dragon was dyed blue. Afterwards, only the blue sky remained. Down below, the mechanical dragon of the same color fell toward the ground. That dragon let out a cry of its own. ¡°I will¡­I will¡­!¡± It took a breath. ¡°I will defeat you! I swear it on the name Thunderson!¡± It fell. ¡°I swear it!!¡± Volume 8, 1: Descent of Darkness Volume 8, Chapter 1: Descent of Darkness I think I want to go somewhere I also think I want to be somewhere Are those the same thing? ¡ªYou may not know the answer ¡ªHowever, you will not even know that unless you seek the answer Something comes this way With no footsteps With nothing to communicate A large lobby had a high ceiling and an oil painting on the wall displayed the Virgin Mary holding her child. It was the lobby of UCAT headquarters which was disguised as IAI¡¯s transportation building. Currently, the lobby¡¯s front window showed the darkness of night, but the inside was bright and filled with different colors. The colors came from the decorations added to the lobby. Banners of red and white or black and white were hanging from the walls, gold paper balls and chains of colored paper hung from the ceiling, and¡­ ¡°Why are there paper cranes and straw dolls, Diana?¡± A gray-haired girl looked across the lobby and spoke. She had a black cat at her feet and a blue bird sitting on her head and she looked to the woman in a black suit who was decorating the empty lobby on her own. The woman, Diana, hammered a straw doll with a red and white band around its stomach to the wall. ¡°Oh? In Japan, these are used to pray for a visitor¡¯s safety. You didn¡¯t know that, Brunhild?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a showy tradition like this in Japan.¡± ¡°That is because the Japanese are a modest people who coexist with nature. They tend not to show off this sort of celebration. From what I have read, these straw dolls are made from a natural material that is kind to nature and they are secretly hammered to trees near shrines. There even seems to be a rule about only hammering one hundred times so you don¡¯t hurt the trees. ¡­Want to help?¡± Diana turned around and pointed at a nearby work table. Brunhild looked over and saw long nails, straw dolls, and a wooden hammer on the table. ¡°What is this? It has a paper attached that says Ooshiro Kazuo.¡± ¡°UCAT Director Ooshiro paid for the celebratory wreaths and I still had money left over after preparing both the red and black ones, so I made these dolls as well. That one has one of his hairs in it, so it should properly represent him during the celebration.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Brunhild nodded and walked over with doll, hammer, and nail in hand. She arbitrarily stopped in from of a red and white sotoba on a nearby wall. ¡°But what is the celebration for?¡± ¡°An inspector is arriving from American UCAT. Team Leviathan will soon begin the Leviathan Road for 4th-Gear and 5th-Gear, right? Well, 5th has strong connections to America.¡± ¡°They sure took their time in calling in a major player like that. The business with 3rd was finished at the end of July, but it¡¯s already October and they¡¯re only starting to talk about the next Leviathan Road now? The world is going to be destroyed at this rate. ¡­Would I be right in assuming that¡¯s because Japanese UCAT was too busy dealing with the restraints placed on them by the other UCATs?¡± ¡°Yes. You may be aged, but I see the blood is still reaching your brain.¡± ¡°Oh? That¡¯s because I belong to a race that naturally ages slowly unlike a certain someone whose brain is wrinkling while she keeps her appearance looking young.¡± Brunhild placed the straw doll on the wall and made the first strike on the nail. ¡°I also hear Shinjou met someone from that ridiculous group called the Army. The automaton named Gyes handed over some information on them, right? There¡¯s that girl named Shino that I saw, the woman named Tatsumi and the mechanical dragon that showed up after the battle with 3rd, the Toda Mikoku that Shinjou met, and the man named Hajji that Gyes mentioned. What are you going to do now that they¡¯ve shown themselves?¡± Diana did not respond, so Brunhild hammered the nail again and clicked her tongue. ¡°Are you planning to give the inspector such a warm welcome so you can avoid that issue?¡± ¡°Sorry, but this inspector quite likes Japan even if he doesn¡¯t show it. Once he¡¯s here, the Leviathan Road should go quite smoothly. I don¡¯t know the details myself, but UCAT Director Ooshiro says he will take part in the Leviathan Road with 5th-Gear.¡± ¡°What do you mean he will take part? ¡­And who is he anyway?¡± ¡°Richard Thunderson, one of the Eight Great Dragon Kings. He is the one who destroyed 5th-Gear. ¡­Also, I do not know how he will take part in the negotiation. He may be an intermediary to avoid the restraints set in place by American UCAT.¡± Brunhild frowned and hammered again. The nail pierced the doll, the sotoba, and then the wall behind them. ¡°That sounds nice, Diana, but why are you decorating for his arrival. I thought you didn¡¯t like America.¡± ¡°I will talk about that once our guest arrives. ¡­Or do you really want to know now?¡± ¡°Hah. The words of some elderly witch aren¡¯t worth hearing.¡± Brunhild looked away from Diana and repeatedly hammered in the straw doll. Diana did the same to her doll and Brunhild nearly lost herself in the overlapping sounds. But then the black cat at her feet spoke. ¡°Brunhild, seeing this doll celebration gave me a thought. Are you sure we aren¡¯t being gradually fooled by this entire world?¡± Just as Brunhild was going to ask ¡°about what¡±, someone exited the stairs leading to the lower floors. ¡°Tes. Diana-sama, I have gathered most of them.¡± Sf placed countless straw dolls on the work table. ¡°I have taken hair samples from 80% of UCAT¡¯s personnel ranked supervisor or higher and placed them inside the dolls. I have determined the blessing effect during the celebration will be extraordinary if all of these dolls are hammered to the walls.¡± ¡°Just out of curiosity, how did you take those samples?¡± ¡°Tes. I visited the individuals as they worked and took the samples.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s surprisingly normal.¡± ¡°Tes. The automatons of German UCAT are very well made. To ensure I did not interrupt their work, I approached silently from behind and pulled out the sample such that it caused no pain.¡± Brunhild glared at Sf and Diana approached the work table to pick up a certain doll. ¡°Oh? You made a doll of Itaru? Are you sure about that, Sf?¡± ¡°Tes. I explained their purpose to him and he gave me permission to take his hair sample as long as I did not use it for anything bad.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t what I meant. Are you sure you want to do this?¡± ¡°Tes. My decisions are ranked below Itaru-sama¡¯s.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Diana¡¯s eyes narrowed and bent as she held the Itaru doll out to Sf. ¡°I¡¯m giving this to you.¡± ¡°You will not be using it for the celebratory ritual?¡± ¡°Itaru told you not to use it for anything bad, right? That did not limit its use to celebration, so I am giving it to you based on my own decision.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf nodded. ¡°Thank you very much. I will use my Japanese-style modesty function.¡± She waved her hand side to side in front of her face. ¡°No, no. I have determined that is not necessary. ¡­How was that?¡± ¡°No, no. Take it. I insist.¡± ¡°Tes. I have determined that was an excellent comeback, Diana-sama. In that case, I apologize, but I will take it.¡± She took the straw doll, held it in both hands, and raised it toward the ceiling. ¡°But what is this? The real Itaru-sama is still there. This is not him. Yet it contains a portion of him. So what is it?¡± ¡°Can you imagine it?¡± Diana¡¯s question was answered not by Sf but by Brunhild who was still hammering. ¡°She can¡¯t. A machine is a machine, so it doesn¡¯t have a person¡¯s imagination.¡± ¡°Tes. Brunhild-sama is correct. I will activate my praise circuits.¡± She placed the doll on the table and gave five expressionless claps toward Brunhild. ¡°I have determined that was wonderful. ¡­How was that?¡± ¡°That was more than enough.¡± Brunhild gave an annoyed sigh, placed the handle of the wooden hammer against her forehead, and thought for a moment. ¡°Y¡¯know,¡± she began. ¡°A complex system like imagination might be difficult for a machine, but doesn¡¯t a machine have its own form of imagination? For example, if you want to think of the doll as that gray-haired man, how about you try identifying the doll as him? Give it his name or something.¡± ¡°Tes. I have determined that idea is based on 2nd-Gear¡¯s concepts. But I must say that the doll does a poor job of reproducing Itaru-sama even if it is given his name. It will not function as a replacement.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t blame me for that,¡± said Brunhild. ¡°Okay, we don¡¯t have to worry about the definition. Just answer me this: do you want to throw away that doll or do you want to keep it? If you want to throw it away, I¡¯ll burn it right here. If you want to keep it, then take good care of it.¡± Hearing that, Sf looked at the straw doll on the table. She picked it up, held it up, and hugged it thrice. ¡°Tes. Understood. I have determined I should place it in a vacuum-sealed vault to store it unquestionably safely.¡± Brunhild saw Diana smile bitterly. She also felt something tap her leg. She looked down and saw the cat looking up at her. ¡°I need to reconsider my opinion of you, Brunhild.¡± She kicked it away with her heel and began hammering once more. Amid the noise, the doll hugging a doll spoke. ¡°Come to think of it, the guest should have arrived already.¡± A short silence followed. ¡°I wonder where he is.¡± It was night. Below the dark sky was an expanse of land containing mountains and a city. However, there was one odd thing about the city constructed between the mountains. An area with a diameter of a few hundred meters stretching from the city¡¯s northwest edge to the center was surrounded by a slight shadow. Also, the shadow was too faint to see without looking closely. It was a concept space. That alternate space was created by altering a portion of reality and recreating reality inside. But in most cases, the inside would be deserted and the electricity and water pipes would be cut off. Not a single light illuminated the city and the cars on the main road had lost their drivers and come to a stop after either hitting each other or running up onto the sidewalk. Even the traffic signals had lost their light, so they were nothing but obstacles. A red car had crashed into the base of one signal and the sign hanging from it indicated this was the city of Akigawa. Two sets of footsteps travelled below that sign and to the south. One was the sound of light shoes and the other was the sound of leather shoes with one leg dragging a bit. The two who were running south along the dark road were a girl and an old man. The girl¡¯s shoulder-length blonde hair was illuminated by the light of the real nighttime scenery outside the concept space. She ran but soon looked over her shoulder. Her eyebrows twisted a little over her blue eyes. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?¡± The words she spoke were in English and her appeal of a question was directed at the old man who was dragging his right leg. His gray hair was cut short, he was tall, and he too had blue eyes. He nodded and looked around the area. They were in the center of the two-lane road. Nearby, a white sedan was stopped by the curb of the sidewalk. The old man dragged his leg and shook the bottom of his summer coat as he slowly approached the white sedan. The driver¡¯s side window was open and he spotted the key in the ignition. He further peered inside, corrected the position of the gear shift and hand brake, and turned the key. But the car did not react. He turned the key a few more times, but it would not start. ¡°¡­¡± He slowly muttered something to the girl. ¡°¡­?¡± She repeated his words as a question and he nodded after moving away from the car. He narrowed his eyes and looked across the sky with his right hand in his pocket. There was a division between inside and outside the concept space. The border was marked by the line along which the low clouds and shimmering of heat came to an end. They currently stood on the southern side of the dome-shaped concept space. After confirming that, he sighed. He removed his hand from his pocket, looked to the girl, and spoke a name instead of more English. ¡°Heo.¡± The girl looked up and the old man held his right hand toward her and opened it. A wristwatch sat on his palm. It was large, undecorated, and old. The original blue and white coloring had peeled off and the brass frame now dully reflected the light. However, the watch was functioning even in the concept space, including the red dial below the hours, minutes, and seconds hands. Five letters were currently displayed on that odometer-style red dial: ACCEL. The girl named Heo tilted her head even further when she saw those letters, but the old man only smiled back. He said something and pushed his palm even further toward her. Heo hesitated, but she finally reached for the old man¡¯s watch. She gave him one last questioning look and finally took it once he nodded. She then followed his instructions by placing the watch around her slender left wrist, turning the stem, and manipulating it in a few other ways. The meter dial displayed a series of letters, five at a time. NEWRI DERSE TUP!! After seeing that text, the old man raised his hand and pointed to the south. Heo¡¯s shoulders trembled and she shook her head. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He spoke and brought a hand just beneath her neck. She wore a necklace made of stones around her skinny neck. It was missing a few stones, but Thunderson called her name as he touched it. When he spoke next, he no longer spoke English. ¡°You learned this piece-of-shit and pain-in-the-ass language from me and your teacher, right?¡± ¡°Y-yes. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a piece of shit, though.¡± ¡°I see. We can¡¯t have that, Heo. This language is used by shitty people. It is loved by an insincere and deceptive bastard who pretends to be evil and a mountain ape that loves martial arts.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you can blame people for using their native language.¡± ¡°Heo is making excuses!¡± The old man looked up to the sky with a hand over his eyes and he sighed. ¡°Where did I go wrong in teaching you!? Now how am I supposed to face the parents who left you with me?¡± ¡°Um, g-great-grandfather? Y-you¡¯re right. It is a piece of shit, isn¡¯t it!? I understand, so please stop lamenting and preparing to lecture me.¡± ¡°I see, I see. As long as you understand that this country is a piece of shit.¡± Satisfaction filled the old man¡¯s face and he nodded, but Heo was already hanging her head and speaking to herself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mother, father. I just used a bad word. I¡¯m sorry, teacher. I just lied. I¡¯m sorry, god. It felt kind of refreshing.¡± ¡°What are you muttering about, Heo? You were just telling it like it is. Say it proud.¡± He lightly patted her on the back. ¡°Well, you¡¯ll be using that language in this country until you get sick of it or don¡¯t like it, Heo. Here, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to say goodbye to all the moving around and transferring to new schools.¡± ¡°B-but, great-grandfather, I thought I was only coming here to visit my father¡¯s grave and maybe get some information on my great-uncle if we¡¯re lucky. ¡­What is this? What¡¯s pursuing us?¡± ¡°Our luck ran out once we arrived in this country that you left ten years ago. This pain-in-the-ass country must have taken a liking to the family of thunder.¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a premonition, Heo. Sounds like nonsense, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Heo was left speechless by how definitively he said it, but he puffed out his chest and continued. ¡°Premonitions are great. The one¡¯s that excite you are the best.¡± ¡°I only have bad ones.¡± ¡°Then there must be something wrong with your brain.¡± ¡°G-great-grandfather, you sometimes need to be more careful how you phrase things.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I had a time like that long ago. A time when everything looked bad and made me uneasy.¡± He maintained his smile and pointed to the south with his chin. ¡°Go on ahead, Heo. You like running, right? You missed the last athletic festival when you transferred schools, but I think this country¡¯s one is coming up soon. Go enter at the last minute and take first place. I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go without you.¡± The old man smiled again when he heard that. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll have this dealt with before long and then I¡¯ll be right behind you. Have you ever seen me lose in a fight?¡± She shook her head and he pulled something from his summer coat. It was a grip with a double-edged blade attached to the end. The grip was made of a hard white material, but with a swing of his right hand, it extended into a spear. He saw Heo¡¯s eyes open wide and he clenched his teeth in a smile. ¡°This is your first time seeing this, isn¡¯t it? The leader of a group I belonged to sixty years ago taught me some techniques. I¡¯ve only used it to plow some fields lately, but I can probably still tear into steel.¡± ¡°Great-grandfather¡­ You look like a dangerous person.¡± ¡°Is that so? I guess you still can¡¯t recognize the charm. ¡­But you¡¯ll understand eventually.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t think I really need to.¡± ¡°Heo isn¡¯t listening to me!¡± It took an entire minute for Heo to calm the old man. Afterwards, he lowered his shoulders and looked behind him to the north. ¡°It¡¯s about time,¡± he muttered before turning back to Heo. ¡°Everything you see here will be new to you and also the truth, but it would take too long to explain any of it. I¡¯ll do the explaining when we meet again, Heo. I¡¯ll also explain about the mother and father who gave you your name. ¡­Oh, right. We need a rendezvous point.¡± ¡°The embassy?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s possible they¡¯ve sent people there. Spend the night in a business hotel or somewhere like that. You have money, don¡¯t you? And we can meet up¡­ There was a cemetery we passed on the way here today, remember? Was it called the Nishitama Cemetery? We¡¯ll meet at its entrance at 2 PM.¡± ¡°Tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes, tomorrow. And I may need to shake pursuit and contact some people, so return at the same time for three days if I¡¯m not there. If I still haven¡¯t arrived after three days, go to IAI in Okutama, show them that watch, and tell them this.¡± His words filled the air. ¡°Show me to UCAT, you pieces of shit.¡± ¡°¡­¡± However he may have interpreted the drooping of her shoulders, the old man reached out his left hand and rubbed her head. Next, he grabbed her shoulders, pointed her to the south, and patted those shoulders. But what he said afterwards was not her name or an instruction to go. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± It was some kind of name. However, it contained the intent to take care of something. He spoke it as if checking on something and Heo hesitantly looked over her shoulder. ¡°Great-grandfather, what was that?¡± ¡°The name of a friend. The friend who taught me the meaning of your name, Heo.¡± He looked up into the sky with a smile. The Evening Star shined in the southwestern sky. Just as Heo looked to the sky as well, a wind blew in. It was a nighttime north wind. The chilly current of air washed over her in an instant and she narrowed her eyes. She then heard the old man speak. ¡°So the north wind is supporting the child of thunder. Then this journey is sure to be a new experience. Heo, your great-grandfather promises you one thing: we will meet again very soon.¡± ¡°Y-you really promise?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hearing his agreement, she moved forward. She began hesitantly, but she leaned forward without turning back and she began to run. ¡°Go ahead!¡± Hearing the old man¡¯s shout, she accelerated. The old man gave a sigh as he watched Heo leave. He saw her skinny and small back vanish down the dark road. ¡°Is this the last piece of atonement I can do for you after you died sixty years ago, James? If possible, I wanted to be her great-grandfather¡­and find your other child.¡± Holding the spear, he turned to the north where footsteps approached. The source of the footsteps came into view. It was just one person and he stared at the slender person in a gray combat coat. ¡°What, just one?¡± As he spoke, he thought. Most likely, he and Heo had been accompanied by disguised guards from Japanese and American UCAT on their way here. This single person had reached them through all of those guards and expanded the concept space to capture them inside. ¡°This looks like it¡¯ll be a pain. ¡­To get right to the point, you¡¯re from the Army, aren¡¯t you? You haven¡¯t done much in America, so I take it your base is in this country.¡± The person stopped their approach but did not answer his question. They were approximately fifteen meters away on the road and they wore their coat¡¯s hood over their head. Their hands were empty, but their stance allowed them to move at any time. The coat-wearing figure then asked a question in a female voice. ¡°You are Richard Thunderson, correct?¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s a terrible pronunciation. It¡¯s even worse than the mountain apes I met sixty years ago. ¡­What is this about? No, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re here for 5th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core. You want me to tell you where it is, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Thunderson took her silence as a yes. ¡°I hear the Army attacked Japanese UCAT and took a peek inside their databank a while back. You supposedly weren¡¯t able to take everything in the core back with you, but you should have seen a good bit. For example, you should now know that the half of 5th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core in Japanese UCAT¡¯s possession is inside a mechanical dragon weapon.¡± ¡°But we did not know what that weapon is. And let me tell you one thing. The Army already has an excellent mechanical dragon. We have no interest in acquiring 5th-Gear technology.¡± ¡°You mean¡­that mechanical dragon uses 5th-Gear technology? How did you get it?¡± ¡°I do not need to tell you that. I will be the one asking the questions. Also, the Army will be the one to win. We are already on the verge of developing a new weapon that uses a god of war¡¯s remote control system. We simply want to know the identity of your weapon.¡± The coat-wearing figure removed her hood and a girl with sharp features appeared from below. ¡°I am Toda Mikoku and I am here for that answer. The Army knows how to choose which enemies it fights. If you hand over the information, I will do nothing to you.¡± Mikoku observed the old man facing her. His name was Richard Thunderson. He was around 180 cm tall, he was armed with a spear, and his leg was injured. He would be unable to move too intensely, but his height gave his arms and spear a decent reach and he was one of the Eight Great Dragon Kings of the former National Defense Department. She assumed his spear was a concept weapon, but she was armed with a single Japanese sword. He definitely outdid her in reach and, even if her sword was well-made, it was only a Low-Gear one Hajji had bought. ¡­All of the Army¡¯s weapons are currently on their way to Takao. The factory manager and his men were spending sleepless nights modifying all of the weapons. They were using the slight information stolen from UCAT and methods they had come up with themselves. Mikoku had defeated a few disguised UCAT bodyguards on her way here. She had caught almost all of them by surprise, but she still had a few injuries. ¡­And the old man in front of me must be a lot stronger than those bodyguards. Every factor seemed to be against her, so the sword felt heavy at her waist, both physically and otherwise. She told herself not to let her guard down while she faced Thunderson. ¡°Will you answer or not?¡± But he responded with a question of his own. ¡°You said your name is Toda, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, what about it?¡± ¡°What is your mother¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t feel like answering?¡± ¡°No, I do not. And I think I will pretend I don¡¯t know.¡± Mikoku gave a bitter laugh in her heart as if she had just remembered something. ¡­He must be thinking something similar. She came to an odd sense of understanding. If their thoughts were the same, it actually meant there was something about her that was different from him. With an internal nod at that thought, she drew the sword from her right hip below her coat. ¡°Well? Will you answer or only ask questions of your own?¡± She then received her answer. She first sensed wind blowing next to her right ear. The subsequent sensation of cloth told her what was happening. The right side of her hood had been cut away. But she had not taken her eyes off of Thunderson. The tall old man rotated the spear once in a single hand. ¡°My spear can pierce even steel.¡± ¡°Are you proud of piercing something more easily pierced than a human?¡± She stepped forward and the next attack arrived as her footstep rang from the asphalt. It was wind and it was aimed at the center of her chest, the core of a human body. Before it hit, she maintained her step forward but collapsed the rest of her body forward. The wind stabbed by above her lowered head. To support her collapsing body, she moved forward. She ran along the asphalt with the same motions as running up a wall. ¡°¡­!¡± She approached Thunderson from low to the ground. By spinning his spear around and thrusting it forward, he could hold back his opponent and keep his distance, but there was a common fear with any bladed weapon: hitting the blade against the ground or a wall. If the blade struck something hard, it would stop one¡¯s attacking motion and possibly chip the blade. A spear¡¯s long grip was good for swinging it around in the air, but it was especially difficult to use around the limited area at one¡¯s feet. As Mikoku approached from low down, Thunderson stepped back with his unhurt leg to put some space between them. A moment later, Mikoku leaped. She saw he held the spear in his right hand, so she leaped to her own right. As they passed by each other, she passed her sword to her left hand and moved to his right and behind him. She then turned around while slashing behind her with her left hand. The silver line raced through the air and toward Thunderson¡¯s back as he took his step back. But the blade she had sent out as a counter was deflected with a metallic noise. ¡°!?¡± She looked and saw he had held the spear vertically and rotated it around to the center of his back. Her sword had struck the grip and that white grip with ¡°Northwind¡± printed on it had powerfully deflected the blade. As her sword was tossed back, she could not immediately prepare it for another attack. ¡­Damn! As if pulled back by the deflected sword, she moved away from Thunderson. However, he twisted his body toward her. He rotated using one leg as the axis and he swung the spear. There was wind. ¡°¡­¡± Mikoku had to make a decision. Would she lower her hips to take the attack or would she flee? Choosing the latter proved to have been the correct decision. When she leaped to the right, a pale white line ran through the spot she had just been in. ¡­Is that the true form of the wind? Before she could finish thinking, she heard a dull sound behind her. Next, the movement of the air told her something had happened there. One of the concrete telephone poles on the roadside was cut at its base. It collapsed and brought the surrounding power lines with it. Once the pole collapsed, she would have to escape to the left or right. The power lines would likely eliminate the front or back as options. She instead chose to move forward before the pole could fully collapse. But then Thunderson cried out. ¡°Stand back!¡± ¡°What!?¡± she shouted back. She slipped below the collapsing telephone pole and escaped to the side. She heard the sound of destruction as the concrete pole fell onto the asphalt. ¡°Why are you telling me to stand back!? Do you think I can leave empty-¡­¡± She trailed off before saying ¡°handed¡±. She had realized why he had told her to stand back. A certain presence had suddenly approached. It felt like a great pressure that weighed down on the air. ¡°What is that!?¡± And then it arrived. ¡ªEverything falls. It was a voice. Specifically, it was the voice of a text added to the concept space. Thunderson felt the true form of the voice. He spoke to the girl named Mikoku who stood at a distance. ¡°Leave, Army girl. Playtime is over. My enemy has arrived. ¡­You felt something in that concept text, didn¡¯t you?¡± The girl who was clearly cautious of her surroundings nodded after a short pause. ¡°You called this your enemy. ¡­Is this change to the wind caused by that enemy?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± muttered Thunderson. As she had said, the flow of wind in the area was odd. The wind had been blowing from the north earlier, but something like a disturbed air current was circling around the area. It was as if something giant existed in front of him to the north. Mikoku seemed to realize that because she looked northward. ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡± ¡°Leave,¡± he muttered with raised eyebrows. He then looked up to see the shape of the sky changing. The domed roof surrounding them was disappearing. In its place, the current in the sky was creating an invisible cylindrical wall with a diameter of several kilometers. The previous added text was remaking the concept space. ¡°So you really have recovered after being shot down sixty years ago. And you¡¯re pursuing your enemy.¡± He took a defensive stance toward the empty darkness to the north and he saw the air tremble. It happened on a large scale. It went beyond the cars stopped nearby and shook the air over several dozen meters. He heard Mikoku taking a defensive stance within that pressure. She has good instincts, he thought with a bitter smile. And so he took action. He took a light step with one leg and moved toward her. ¡°¡­¡± She looked blankly at him, but he was unsure if she was questioning the fact that he had easily approached before she could do anything or if she was questioning what was going to happen. However¡­ ¡°Gives you a nice premonition, doesn¡¯t it?¡± He knocked her away with the bottom of his spear. ¡­Girls really are light. As she gasped, she rose several meters and flew through the air as if being carried. She vanished into the darkness on a smaller road running alongside the main one. After a moment, she could be heard landing on her feet and speaking in the darkness. ¡°Damn you!¡± ¡°Leave! And tell them that 5th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core is looking forward to fighting you.¡± ¡°Is the entire Concept Core with UCAT?¡± ¡°No,¡± he answered as he turned from the smaller road to the north. ¡°But the family of thunder will acquire it under the name of happiness.¡± He took a low stance, held the spear tightly, and faced the presence that rose like a mountain in the darkness. ¡°Let¡¯s resume this sixty-year-old battle, Black Sun. My final weapon is the spear of my dead commander, but it should be enough for you.¡± The darkness moved as if responding to his words. And then something appeared within the wind as if the empty darkness was melting away. It was a giant black form. Not only did it fill the road, but it stretched far into the distance. Thunderson smiled as he spoke to it. ¡°Come, Black Sun. I will show you the destination of my resolve. And this time, you will lose once and for all. ¡­To be honest, there¡¯s a lot I¡¯m uneasy about, but I¡¯m sure the descendants of Sayama and the others will find the answer using my final riddle. They will find the answer of happiness.¡± He held the spear even tighter, clenched his teeth, and continued speaking. ¡°My thunder is swift, the stars watch over it all, and the north wind can pierce even a dragon.¡± Volume 8, 2: The Pair’s Pace Volume 8, Chapter 2: The Pair¡¯s Pace I will walk with you That is a promise But it is such a natural thing that I will keep that promise without even trying The many-colored lights for a night game lit up the schoolyard. The sandy area extended for a kilometer in each direction and the lighting produced a certain level of mood. Simple green spectator seating was set up between the lights and the schoolyard was divided into eight sections. Food stands, an entrance gate, and an exit gate had been built along that schoolyard. The entrance gate said ¡°Taka-Akita Academy 60th Athletic Festival¡± and the first school building bordering that schoolyard had hanging banners saying ¡°7 days until the festival begins¡± and ¡°14 days until the post-festival party¡±. People were scattered around the schoolyard where those hanging banners were visible. Most of them wore track suits and the armbands of the athletic festival committee and they were redrawing the lines on the schoolyard, reaffixing the simple spectator seating, or placing signs for local sponsors on the food stands. The 100 meter dash and the 400 meter one lap line required especially long white lines, so they were very carefully redrawing or adding to the lines. Two students were redrawing the lines near the first school building. The one drawing the fourth lane had long hair with a ribbon and the one drawing the fifth lane wore a suit and had his hair slicked back. The two of them walked while rolling the line carts behind them. The one with long hair spoke to the boy in a suit walking next to her. ¡°Sayama-kun, the student council does a lot of things, doesn¡¯t it? I never thought we would help prepare for the athletic festival.¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun, is this your first time for this kind of event?¡± asked Sayama with Baku on his head. Shinjou nodded with a smile. ¡°Even when UCAT had some special recreation, it was always a one day thing. Also, everyone would pretty quickly gather together and decide the match with a fistfight. Are those the official rules for soccer and baseball?¡± ¡°What kind of sports are the soccer and baseball you are talking about?¡± ¡°In soccer, you can¡¯t use your hands, but in baseball, you can use a bat.¡± ¡°And what would you be using them on?¡± ¡°Your opponent¡¯s bodies. ¡­In soccer, you can only hit their head with a headbutt, right?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Going to such physical humor so quickly? You are surprisingly extreme, Shinjou-kun. There are some sports I need to show you on TV sometime. One involves kicking a ball and the other involves hitting a ball with a stick.¡± ¡°Thanks. Anyway, I never knew the lines of a sports field were drawn with lime. Some of the white powder got in my nose earlier and I started feeling kind of funny.¡± Sayama nodded while thinking he could use that last sentence in one of his edited audio recordings. They walked on and their lines bent along the outer edge of the schoolyard. They could see the spectator seating, the food stands, and the signs for local store sponsors. ¡°The pieces of art from past graduates are over there,¡± pointed out Shinjou as she turned around. ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering. Why is there a collection of memorials there?¡± ¡°Oh, about twenty years ago, the graduates made super-realistic sand pictures of themselves. They lined them up and gave them black borders made from carbon to protect them from the elements, but oddly enough, local residents and the Buddhist society keep bringing offerings of flowers and water. Wonderful, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s more ominous than it is wonderful.¡± ¡°It is not ominous. The alumni association was afraid it would seem that way, so they have recently been making alterations. At night, a few of them will randomly appear to smile and their eyes will glow.¡± ¡°That¡¯s plenty creepy.¡± Shinjou sighed and looked toward Sayama. ¡°I know it¡¯s a bit late to ask, but why are you wearing a suit, Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°This is my athletic suit, so there is nothing at all strange about-¡­ What is with that look, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°I was just wondering what to do when someone has the very foundations wrong.¡± ¡°Now that you bring it up, should you be wearing a track suit? Given the time¡­¡± ¡°I have Sadame¡¯s body right now, but¡­I¡¯m fine. I changed clothes and I¡¯m getting more used to going outside. I sometimes go out without disguising my chest, so I do wonder if I¡¯m getting too careless.¡± ¡°That means you are able to relax, Shinjou-kun. But if you ever need something to cover your chest, just tell me. I will use my own two hands to help calm you down.¡± ¡°Right, right.¡± She averted her gaze while nodding, but she kept her right hand on her chest. She began walking once more and Sayama silently followed. After a moment, she spoke up while lowering her head. ¡°Um, Sayama-kun? Preparing for the athletic festival is fun and all, but¡­¡± ¡°Is this about the Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh¡­ Th-there is that. And there¡¯s also the person from the Army I met. ¡­W-well, both of those things are actually more important and this may be sudden, but¡­¡± She slowed her pace and she lowered her head enough for her bangs to hide her face. ¡°You haven¡¯t been checking on my body lately.¡± ¡°I see. So to put it logically, you are asking to do it right here and now.¡± ¡°How is that logical!?¡± ¡°Calm down, calm down,¡± he said after she shouted at him and turned her red face toward him. It was true they had not had much free time with the preparations in the morning and evening and the festival committee members or Izumo and the others stopping by their room. ¡­When you add in the time she needs to write her novel, we have to get to sleep right away. She seemed to have made it past the plot stage of her novel because she was building up the setting on the library computer while either writing ¡°good¡± or throwing out the data. That was important too, but¡­ ¡°It is true we have not had much time for just the two of us lately.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­but I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m talking about myself when the Leviathan Road is more important.¡± ¡°The old man seems to be preparing the preliminary negotiations for 4th and 5th. Richard Thunderson of the Eight Great Dragon Kings is even supposed to arrive today as American UCAT¡¯s inspector. I assume it is to help the negotiations with 5th run more smoothly. ¡­But for now, what is it you wish to discuss about your body?¡± Shinjou stopped walking and stood with the monument-like pieces of art behind her. ¡°Neither body is working. The other day, I just got a stomachache again. Am I really making any progress?¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Sayama again. He stopped the line cart next to him and folded his arms while Baku mimicked him on his head. But before he could say anything, Shinjou spoke again. ¡°I-is the boy side getting in the way?¡± ¡°You mean Setsu-kun¡¯s body? I would like to know why you think that.¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± She too let go of the cart and lightly held her own body. ¡°Well¡­ there¡¯s something I don¡¯t really understand. Um? Sayama-kun, will you tell me?¡± ¡°I will answer any question for you, Shinjou-kun. All truth and knowledge lies within me.¡± ¡°Oh? Then what¡¯s the truth behind the Kennedy assassination?¡± ¡°There are times when a man cannot restrain himself any longer.¡± ¡°That is not it and you know it!!¡± That shouted response came not from Shinjou but somewhere much further away, so Sayama looked up. He looked to Shinjou, but she was shaking her head with a look of surprise. She was saying it had not been her. He waited for a few seconds, but he heard nothing more beyond the distant hammering of students constructing stands and the distant shouts of sports teams practicing. ¡°Was that shout a special function added to the graduates¡¯ self-portraits? Well, it does not matter. Shinjou-kun, what is it you wish to ask me?¡± ¡°Oh, right. Well, a man and a woman can make a baby, right? Oh, and I know how, so you don¡¯t have to explain it.¡± ¡°Hm. That last bit is certainly disappointing.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Very disappointing. Now, about my question.¡± She took in a breath, paused for a few seconds, and spoke clearly while blushing. ¡°H-how do two boys make a baby?¡± As soon as the question left her lips, two odd sounds of impact came from behind her. Sayama looked over and found two people collapsed in the schoolyard behind the self-portraits. ¡°Why are you two lying on the ground there, Kazami, Izumo?¡± Kazami came to when she heard her name. She could see the nighttime schoolyard turned on its side and two people standing on it. She wondered who they were and she eventually found the answer: Sayama and Shinjou. She then questioned why she was on the ground. ¡°Did Shinjou-kun¡¯s challenging question give the two of you anemia?¡± That question brought her back to her senses. She frantically stood up and walked over to Sayama without brushing the sand off of her track suit. ¡°J-just a moment, Sayama!¡± She kicked Izumo¡¯s head to wake him as she walked over and Shinjou was the one to react. Her shoulders shook as if in fear. ¡°Oh¡­ Kazami-san, did you hear that?¡± ¡°Yes, we were swapping out the self-portraits¡¯ voice ROMs from vengeful spirit to invigorating cheering. ¡­But what is this all of a sudden, Shinjou?¡± ¡°Well,¡± said Shinjou. She lowered her head and brought a hand to her chest, but¡­ ¡°¡­¡± She hesitated. Kazami had a pretty good guess what this was about, but she chose to say something else instead. ¡°If you think saying it will help resolve it, you should say it.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Shinjou quietly before finally taking a few breaths. ¡°Um¡­ I still don¡¯t have my period and the boy side still can¡¯t reach the very end like Sayama-kun can. But¡­a girl can carry a baby, right?¡± ¡°Yes, even I can do that.¡± ¡°Chisato! You¡¯ve finally decided to- gwoh!¡± She silenced the voice on the ground by kicking over the line cart with her heel and then she placed a hand on Shinjou¡¯s shoulder. She then realized the girl¡¯s trembling was reaching her palm. Still trembling, Shinjou lowered the ends of her eyebrows and looked back and forth between Kazami and Sayama. Her damp eyes shook a bit and narrowed as she opened her trembling mouth. ¡°But¡­ Even if I can carry a baby as a girl, what happens during the day when I¡¯m a boy?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If I return to a boy during the day, the baby will disappear. So if¡­um¡­.two boys can¡¯t make a baby together, I¡­um¡­¡± Kazami saw her head lower further as she spoke. ¡°I looked into it. But I couldn¡¯t find anything saying if it was possible or not. ¡­If nothing says it isn¡¯t possible, then it might be possible, right? So today, I worked up my courage and asked a girl from our class, but she said I should ask Sayama-kun instead. So¡­um¡­¡± ¡°Shinjou.¡± She stopped speaking when Kazami called her name. She looked on the verge of tears. Before the dam holding in her emotions could burst, Kazami motioned Sayama over. ¡°Hey, Shinjou,¡± she began. ¡°Do you not like your current body?¡± After a pause, Shinjou shook her head and took a rough breath. ¡°I stopped rejecting it.¡± Kazami breathed a mental sigh of relief at that. That meant Shinjou¡¯s worry was a simple matter. Unlike before, she did not have a problem with the way she was. ¡­She wants both Sadame and Setsu to become proper adults, but she¡¯s afraid that will cause problems. That was the fear that had led her to discuss something that would overturn the workings of the world such as having a child between two boys. Kazami found it cute, but Shinjou herself was completely serious. ¡°I see,¡± she said despite not knowing what exactly she meant. She then tapped Sayama on the shoulder. ¡°Listen. Give the answer you need to give and then have a nice discussion about the future.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± He was as expressionless as ever and Kazami felt relieved enough to take a step away. He approached Shinjou and grabbed both her shoulders. She gave a start and finally looked up. She looked straight ahead with tears gathering in her eyes, but Sayama was not shaken. ¡°Shinjou-kun, please listen. You seem to be worried that Setsu-kun and I would be unable to have a child together, but¡­¡± ¡°Y-yeah?¡± Sayama gave his answer. ¡°I can make it happen.¡± An instant later, Kazami felt her vision falling into darkness once more. ¡°¡­¡± She had the contradictory sensation of losing all her senses and her mind recovered with the rising feeling of waking from a dream. Her mind was initially filled with confusion. ¡­Huh? What was I just doing? It was an odd feeling. She recalled having heard something strange, but she could not quite remember what it was. There was also something strange about her vision. She had previously been standing in the schoolyard at night, so why was she leaning against a wall now? Wondering what the wall was, she touched it. It felt strange. ¡­Is this¡­? What she had thought was a wall was the schoolyard, so she had to have collapsed at some point. She suddenly realized someone was shaking her and calling out to her. ¡°Hey! Chisato! Chisato! Are you okay!?¡± ¡­This is hopeless. As she listened to Izumo¡¯s voice, she realized her body and mind were not linking up properly. Simply put, she had taken some form of serious mental damage. But then¡­ ¡°Chisato, wake up! Fine. If that¡¯s how it¡¯s gonna be, I¡¯ll use this chance to feel up those breasts in publi-¡­¡± Fighting instincts unrelated to her mind sent her fist flying. It struck and the impact travelled through her fist to her wrist, arm, shoulder, and then brain. The impacts of one, two, three, and then four punches connected her mind to her body and her senses returned with the fifth blow. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve woken up. ¡­Huh? Kaku? Why are you so bloody?¡± She got up and looked at Izumo who lay collapsed before her, but he was breathing. After concluding he had fallen asleep, she stood up. The shock had mixed up her memories a little. She did not remember what had happened while she had been collapsed, but she doubted it was anything worthwhile. She lightly tapped her dizzy head and turned to Sayama and Shinjou. Shinjou was crying while Sayama held her in his arms. ¡°¡­¡± Kazami silently lowered her shoulders as she realized Shinjou had understood that Sayama was lying. Or that he was fully intent on doing it but did not have a foundation for his confidence this time. ¡­But she does have someone to support her like that. Kazami gave a small smile, but then electronic tones came from the pockets of the three who stood on the schoolyard. They came from their cell phones and there was only one reason all three of them would get a call at the same time. ¡°UCAT?¡± she asked. Sayama was the first one to act. He first looked across the others. ¡°It is me.¡± And he answered his black cell phone. After a moment, he gave an expressionless comment. ¡°A strange concept space has appeared to the north of Akigawa?¡± The city of Akigawa was divided by a few roads running east to west through its center. One of those was the main road that ran through Taka-Akita Academy and the JR Itsukaichi Line was just south of it. Crossing the Itsukaichi Line and continuing south brought one to a gentle slope leading down to the Aki River. An apartment building was located in a residential district halfway down that sloped area. It was a beige mortar apartment building with a bamboo grove behind it, it looked quite old, and it was incredibly dirty. It bordered the road to its north and had a small gravel space instead of a parking lot. Light and noise arrived at the eastern end of that dry gravel. They were the headlight and engine of a motorcycle. Three tires could be heard digging into the gravel: the motorcycle¡¯s front and back wheels and the sidecar¡¯s one wheel. The headlight illuminated the front of a room with a nameplate saying Harakawa. Below it, the names Yui and Dan were given side by side. The motorcycle¡¯s engine shut off and the person riding it stepped down. He was a boy wearing a black leather jacket, a T-shirt, and black jeans. He did not wear a helmet and only a bandanna held down his messy hair. He brushed his dark fingers through that hair and took his bag from the sidecar. ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± He put a key in the green steel door and pushed it open. The space inside was darker than the night outside, but the boy, Dan Harakawa, entered regardless. He flipped the switch next to the door and light filled the inside. The kitchen extended to his right and a living room was located directly ahead. There were no furnishings besides the TV and stereo in a corner of the living room and a table. He closed the door behind him. ¡°?¡± He noticed a piece of paper stuck in the door¡¯s mail slot, so he took it out. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s from Ooki-sensei. She¡¯s telling me to come to class again, isn¡¯t she? Did she actually stop by my house? What a pain. And her handwriting¡¯s hard to read too.¡± Despite his words, he had a small smile on his lips. However, he gently suppressed the expression. ¡°I suppose I¡¯m a pain too.¡± He tossed his bag to the side of the kitchen. As he listened to the sounds of the books and metal components inside hitting the ground, he heard another odd sound. It came from the door behind him and it sounded like something had hit it, so he tilted his head. ¡­Is it that cat? Is it begging for food again? With a practiced motion, he slowly opened the door while using it as a shield. And he found what had hit the door. Rather than a cat, it was a girl. She had collapsed and was curled up in the small cement space in front of the door. Her short blonde hair spilled onto the damp cement and took some of the ground¡¯s color with it. ¡°Is she from the base?¡± Dan thought about the American military¡¯s Yokota Air Base where he worked part time. However, even if the base was in the neighboring town of Fussa, that was still five kilometers away. Not many of the people connected to the base lived in Akigawa and he had never even seen a girl with such noticeably blonde hair around Fussa. ¡­I¡¯ve never seen her while at work either. ¡°Hey,¡± he called out while crouching down, but she did not react. Even in the dark night, he could tell her slender face was not looking good and she was sweating quite a bit. He guessed that she was dehydrated. Just as he began to reenter the apartment to get some water, he saw a small movement from her hand. Her slender right hand reached toward him in the still night and he heard her voice. At first she spoke in English that he could not quite catch, but then¡­ ¡°Help me¡­¡± He responded to her Japanese words with an action. He reached out and held her hand. He squeezed to tell her he was there. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± The girl turned toward his words. She slowly tilted her head and opened her blue eyes a bit in surprise. Something in her eyes that could have been sweat or tears caused their blue to waver. She took in a breath and gave a small nod toward Harakawa. But that was as far as she got. As if she finally found herself able to relax, her strength left her, her eyes closed, and her head dropped down. She had passed out. ¡°Hey,¡± called out Harakawa, but she did not respond. She merely took long, rhythmical breaths with no strength in her body. She seemed to be sleeping. He let go of her hand, saw that strength did not return to that hand, slowly sat down on the entranceway floor, and sighed. ¡°What a pain. What do you mean ¡®save me¡¯? You could at least give your name.¡± He looked at the girl and rested his chin on his hand. ¡°A cat would¡¯ve been better than this.¡± Far above the nighttime ocean, an object flew above the clouds in a place too high to even call the sky. It was an airplane. The gently-curved, white passenger plane was made in Japan. The flight had left the west coast of the United States and was crossing the Pacific Ocean to reach Japan. As it flew through the night, lights could be seen through the windows on the side and the interior was visible. The economy class seats were aligned with three sets of three to a row and the plane was preparing for a late dinner. Most of the passengers were Japanese on the way back from touring, but two foreigners sat next to the right wing. One was an elderly man in the window seat and the other was a young man sleeping in the center seat. The young man in a suit was sleeping with a blanket pulled up to his shoulders, but he woke to the sound of the flight attendant bringing dinner. He bowed to the woman who passed a dinner tray to the elderly man further in. ¡°How much longer?¡± he asked in fluent Japanese. The woman answered ¡°about three hours¡± in English. At the same time, the plane shook slightly. However, it shook vertically rather than horizontally. The man¡¯s body floated up into the air a bit and then the plane shook to the left. ¡°We seem to have hit some turbulence. I apologize.¡± The flight attendant spoke calmly, but she spoke Japanese this time. By the time she finished speaking, the plane had made it out on top of the air and only had the normal vibration of an airplane. The surrounding people grew a bit noisier. It was partially due to dinner arriving, but it also seemed someone¡¯s food had fallen from the tray in the turbulence. The bread also fell from the tray held out to the young man. The flight attendant apologized and also spoke to the elderly man in English. ¡°Sir, is yours okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Nothing to worry about.¡± The young man heard the elderly man reply in English. After receiving a replacement tray and placing it on the simple table he opened in front of him, he turned to the elderly man. The elderly man wore a suit, had thin hair, and had a tall and slender build. He was currently eating while looking out the window. The food on his tray showed no sign of having moved during the turbulence. Just as the young man was about to talk to him, the elderly man grabbed the bread and spoke. ¡°Roger, Roger. This bread is really bad. Why is it so damp?¡± The young man, Roger, shrugged at the English words spoken without even looking at him. ¡°I believe that is Japanese bread, Colonel Odor. According to my research, this flight¡¯s food was supplied by IAI and I suspect this is their new bread meant for the Japanese. It is called ¡®Eat My Soft Skin Bread¡¯.¡± ¡°Such a ridiculous, ridiculous culture of copying others Japan has! What do you think of the flavor?¡± ¡°Well, the outside is crunchy and the inside is spongy, but it seems to me the outside would need to be the soft part to count as ¡®soft skin¡¯.¡± ¡°Roger, Roger. How can you know that when you haven¡¯t eaten it yet?¡± ¡°A silly question. I can deduce it all from the information available to me.¡± ¡°Then¡­then what about this, Roger? Deduce when I¡¯m going to die.¡± ¡°I do not have much information on you, Colonel Odor. A delusion with an unsatisfactory basis would only lower your confidence in me, so I can deduce that I would be better off not doing so.¡± With a quick laugh, the elderly man called Odor stopped looking out the window. He cut the bread in his hand with a knife and spoke once more. ¡°Roger, Roger. Tell me what information you gathered while asleep. Tell me what our mission is.¡± ¡°Very well. Major General Richard Thunderson, the American Leviathan Road inspector sent ahead of us by American UCAT, and Miss Heo Thunderson, his great-granddaughter, have gone missing. We were to meet up with them as assistant inspectors, but our mission is now to search for them.¡± Roger removed a cup of gelatin from his dinner tray and pulled a stamp-sized case from his pocket. He opened the top of the case and poured its contents into the indentation that had contained the gelatin cup. Those contents were bluish-white sand. A Japanese girl in the seat across the aisle tilted her head as she watched him. She appeared younger than elementary school age and Roger smiled at her before placing a hand over the sand. Something strange then happened. The sand moved. The sand spread out in the indentation as if sprawling out. It then created a pattern with itself. It moved as if there were bugs inside, but it accurately formed several geometric shapes. In the next seat, Odor took a sip of coffee from his paper cup. ¡°Roger, Roger. What do you see? So this is the famous dream sand of Roger Sully created by combining philosopher¡¯s stone powder and sand. It uses the concept that, if all things eventually become trash, sand can gather information on all things, right? You could call it a deodorant for information. ¡­A good partner for someone who goes by the name Odor.¡± Roger did not reply to Odor¡¯s comments and looked into the moving sand. The sand drew an image of the information gathered by the philosopher¡¯s stone powder. The image was created using the philosopher¡¯s stone powder and a weakened version of 1st-Gear¡¯s foundational writing concept and its meaning was transmitted via a sort of suggestion. Across the aisle, the young girl¡¯s eyes sparkled as she watched the sand move. ¡°Hey, he¡¯s playing with sand! The sand is moving!¡± She called out to the mother sitting next to her, but the mother had not noticed the sand and only bowed apologetically toward Roger and scolded the child. Roger smiled bitterly at that, but then nodded once the sand finished moving. ¡°Colonel Odor, my deduction has been confirmed. Japanese UCAT has apparently informed our higher ups of Mr. Richard Thunderson¡¯s death. Rather than form a search party, we are to stay at Yokota Air Base as temporary inspectors and act according to the agreement made in case of Mr. Thunderson¡¯s death. Also¡­¡± Roger looked to his superior, but Odor said nothing and brought a spoonful of hardening gratin to his mouth. Roger decided to simply state the information. ¡°Heo Thunderson is still missing.¡± Hearing that, Odor lightly clasped his hands. ¡°So¡­ So Thunderson¡¯s fear upon leaving for Japan as the Leviathan Road¡¯s inspector has come true. ¡­This will greatly change the motion of the world. Do you have the document?¡± ¡°Testament.¡± Roger pulled an envelope from his suit pocket. ¡°I have the contract that Mr. Thunderson gave us without Japanese UCAT¡¯s knowledge. This document provides the legal right to change everything about the Leviathan Road. Japanese UCAT likely viewed Mr. Thunderson¡¯s arrival as a way to avoid our restraints, but they will see just how important an individual he was once they see this.¡± ¡°Roger, Roger. Make sure you eventually shove that in their faces. ¡­Now, let¡¯s get back on topic. What information do we have on this missing Heo Thunderson? I believe I was told her father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all soldiers.¡± ¡°Testament. And she does not know of UCAT¡¯s existence. However, her father¡¯s grave is in Japan. Her father and mother were deployed to Japan by American UCAT, but they transferred to Japanese UCAT. Her father died in Japan in ¡¯95 and her mother died in America in ¡¯97. This is her first time back in Japan since then.¡± ¡°I see, I see. So she was born in a base in Japan. Continue.¡± ¡°Testament. First, all of her grandparents have passed away.¡± And¡­ ¡°Her paternal grandmother, Jessica Thunderson, was adopted by Richard Thunderson. Jessica¡¯s true father was James Davis, a mechanical dragon test pilot for American UCAT¡¯s air force division during World War Two. Jessica was one of the man¡¯s two children. Mr. Richard Thunderson took her in and then joined with Japanese UCAT as American UCAT¡¯s representative.¡± ¡°What happened to James Davis¡¯s other child?¡± ¡°I only know that it was a boy and that he was taken in by a distant relative, but I have been unable to track him down. However, it does seem Mr. Richard Thunderson has long been searching for him.¡± ¡°How ridiculous, how ridiculous. But if you can track him down, we will have a relative to send Heo Thunderson to. ¡­She is now the sole survivor of the Thunderson family. America welcomes those with nothing, but what about Japan?¡± ¡°Impossible to say, Colonel Odor. But¡­¡± Roger sank down in his seat. ¡°Heo Thunderson¡¯s father was named James. ¡­Richard Thunderson¡¯s adoptive daughter Jessica named her illegitimate son after her real father. Did the relationship between adoptive father and daughter not go well?¡± Odor replied after cutting off another piece of his bread. ¡°Roger, Roger. Do not put sentiment in a question you can¡¯t answer. People have different rules for naming people, so you can¡¯t know. Take Heo Thunderson for example. What language is Heo from? It looks like it was given based on the sound alone. See? There¡¯s no way to know.¡± He took a breath. ¡°But we do know that we must begin the new mission given to us by Richard Thunderson¡¯s death and that we must find Heo Thunderson. And Roger, what will you do with the sand?¡± ¡°Testament. Some of its effectiveness remains, so I can store it and use it again.¡± ¡°You are a petty, petty person. An American must have an ambitious and tolerant heart. ¡­What is with this jam!? It¡¯s too sweet!! Call whoever is responsible!!¡± ¡°Colonel, remember your tolerant heart!¡± ¡°Roger, Roger. I may have a tolerant heart in America, but I only have a normal amount of kindness. Anyway, I hear you spent some time in Japan. You didn¡¯t become petty like those Japanese in your time there, did you? Surely you aren¡¯t thinking fondly about your time there, are you?¡± ¡°O-of course not. I am gung-ho for America.¡± ¡°Gung-ho? What language is that?¡± Roger thought for an instant, but quickly feigned calm by brushing a hand through his hair. ¡°I believe it is of Chinese origin.¡± ¡°I see, I see. So I was mistaken when I thought it had a Japanese ring to it.¡± ¡°Testament. I believe you were mistaken.¡± ¡°Good. Good, Roger. But that was only the negative test to see if you have been too strongly influenced by Japan. Next is the positive test to see how you feel about America.¡± ¡°The positive test? Wh-what is that?¡± The demand was simple. Odor crossed his arms and looked at Roger. ¡°The national anthem. Sing the national anthem of the United States of America.¡± Roger thought for a moment. ¡°Th-the national anthem?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. And loudly. Sing it loudly. And make sure to stand up.¡± ¡°L-loudly? And while standing?¡± Roger¡¯s expression showed he did not like the idea, but he soon shook his head. He eliminated all idle thoughts from his face and turned to Odor. ¡°Colonel, I apologize, but I would like for you to show me how it is done.¡± ¡°Roger, Roger. This is a test. I can¡¯t exactly give the right answer ahead of time.¡± ¡°But colonel, can the answer desired by America really be restricted to a mere test? I believe the true answer resides in one¡¯s spirit. I simply wish to see your spirit. Or do you not have that spirit?¡± And¡­ ¡°Once you show me how it is done as my superior officer, I will follow your lead.¡± Roger brushed a hand through his hair and looked around. The surrounding Japanese were focused on them because they had been speaking back and forth in English for a while now. They were on a secret mission for UCAT. Odor had decided to use a normal plane for some reason, but they had to avoid standing out too much within it. He must understand that, thought Roger with a sigh. He will back down and this will be over. Odor stood up and began to sing. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± It happened so suddenly that Roger felt dizzy. He found himself unable to hear or see the low singing voice, the applause from the girl sitting next to them, or the confused looks from the adults. For some reason, he was briefly reminded of the past. He remembered the time he had shoplifted some writing implements for his younger siblings in a small rural town outside of Dallas. The store owner had chased him with the setting sun in the background, hit him with a flying kick, and then performed multiple powerbombs on him. His younger siblings had cheered him on as they caught up. ¡­Stand up! Please stand up, Roger!! Count 1! 2! He stood up at 2.7! ¡°!¡± He finally recovered. Unpleasant sweat covered him and his entire body was oddly warm. He looked to the side and found the elderly man still standing after finishing his song. He was looking to Roger with an expressionless look. ¡°Roger, Roger. You¡¯re next. Use your youth to make up for what you lack.¡± He handed Roger a spoon in place of a microphone. Roger took a breath while restraining the little finger that stood up from the hand holding the spoon. After using that breath to motivate himself, he stood and prepared himself. He saw the flight attendant approaching down the aisle with a serious smile on her face. He had to do something before she arrived. But he frowned once he saw Odor begin eating again. ¡°Colonel Odor? That is your personal knife you¡¯re using to cut your bread, isn¡¯t it? Please hide it. The rules state you are not allowed to bring weapons onto the plane.¡± ¡°Roger, Roger. Americans shouldn¡¯t be so petty.¡± ¡°I do not think it is being petty to ask you to place that reinforced plastic knife back in the heel of your shoe. Also, Colonel Odor, please hide the special reinforced plastic gun in your breast pocket, the plastic explosive hidden in your hair¡­oh, and the fuse inside your PDA¡¯s digital pen.¡± ¡°Roger, Roger. How could you tell?¡± ¡°I can deduce it all from the information available to me. You normally do not put anything in your breast pocket or any kind of gel in your hair and your PDA has a touch screen. Lastly, when riding a Japanese airplane with lax security, you are sure to take something with you so that you can laugh about it later.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Rather than hiding the specified objects, he placed them on Roger¡¯s seat. ¡°You can take care of them. Got that? You can take care of them, Roger. Return them before we land. Oh, and this too.¡± Odor handed Roger a small object. It was a blue philosopher¡¯s stone. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Roger, Roger. Did you know there was an area of America¡¯s skies known as inviolable airspace even before World War Two? 5th-Gear¡¯s great black dragon would fly there for fun and shoot down the pilots who supported the Age of Flight.¡± ¡°I did know that. What about it?¡± ¡°No, no, Roger. Deduce. Make a deduction. In the forties, that inviolable airspace rapidly thinned and almost completely vanished. Why?¡± ¡°The ley line alterations made by Japan¡¯s National Defense Department shifted the location of the inviolable airspace to the Pacific Ocean near Hokkaido.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s right, Roger. You¡¯re making your deductions now, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re working toward an answer, aren¡¯t you? Think, Roger. Where are we and what is this philosopher¡¯s stone? The answer is simple. We are over the Pacific Ocean near Japan and this philosopher¡¯s stone is a weakened 5th-Gear concept.¡± As soon as he said that, the flight attendant arrived. ¡°Sirs, um, we are headed for some turbulence, so please sit down. And try not to raise your voices too-¡­¡± Suddenly, the airplane shook, but it did not jerk to the side like before. It shook downwards as if something had struck it. ¡°¡­!!¡± The flight attendant held onto the chair back to remain standing and the lights went out. Roger then saw something large fly by the window Odor had been looking out before. Its speed easily surpassed that of the passenger plane. Amid the continued shaking, red emergency lights came on and the cabin speakers activated. ¡°I apologize for the interruption to your meal, but we have just entered some turbulence. The captain says it will only last a few minutes, so please do not stand up for the time being. If you need anything, just ask a flight attendant.¡± As the announcement repeated in English, Roger saw Odor step past him and out into the aisle. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s go and see our enemy, Roger.¡± The dim light allowed him to see Odor walking down the aisle. His footing did not waver in the slightest even as the floor below him shook. Roger then heard crying. It came from the girl next to him. He lightly touched the girl as her mother held her shoulders. As he did, he sprinkled some philosopher¡¯s stone sand on her. ¡°Give her a nice dream.¡± The sand gave a definite answer by dancing about in a small whirlwind. The girl looked at the sand for an instant, but then her eyes slowly closed. ¡°Good,¡± muttered Roger. This time, he had gathered his sand from atop a mountain in San Francisco. The sand that had looked out over the sea and been washed over by the rain would likely give her a dream of those memories. He ignored the flight attendant¡¯s protests and followed Odor. Despite the shaking, he managed to catch up. ¡°Colonel! Were you luring something here!? If so, this was a-¡­¡± ¡°Horrible method? Yes, it is a horrible method. And I am well aware there are other methods. But our higher ups were too afraid, so this was the only method available.¡± Odor looked over his shoulder at Roger and then his surroundings. ¡°Hurry, hurry. The captain said the turbulence would only last a few minutes. If we intercept it in that time, we can make that true. Afterwards, we can sing again. We can cancel out the trouble we caused them with a memory we will make for them. I may not have much kindness, but even with a country I hate, I will not simply leave after causing them trouble.¡± ¡°I believe your thinking is truly American, colonel.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s right, Roger. And that¡¯s why you will do the singing. These native Japanese are on their way back from shopping in America, so show them what a true American spirit looks likes.¡± Roger groaned and Odor showed off his teeth and raised the corners of his mouth. ¡°Smile. Smile, Roger. We are on our way to see two enemies: 5th-Gear which is an enemy of America and Japanese UCAT which has become our enemy with Thunderson¡¯s death!!¡± Volume 8, 3: Clash of a Greeting Volume 8, Chapter 3: Clash of a Greeting Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go Let¡¯s go meet each other In a place of collision A large enclosed space measured approximately twenty meters in every direction, the north end had a height difference of about two stories, and the southern wall was covered by a screen. A frame on the top of the screen spelled out ¡°Japanese UCAT New Headquarters¡± in black. The headquarters down below that frame contained desks covered with communications equipment and PCs. Automatons wearing maid uniforms sat at those desks. All of the equipment in front of them was functioning. Some of them displayed a map of Eastern Japan and some were calculating some sort of trajectory. Suddenly, the automatons looked in a single direction. The door high up in the back opened and a few people entered through it. The visitors did not wear UCAT¡¯s white and black armored uniforms. They were an old man in a lab coat, a boy in a suit, and a girl in a brown dress. The old man took the lead and pointed around with an arm wrapped in bandages. ¡°What do you think of Japanese UCAT¡¯s new underground headquarters? Cool, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I might not call it cool, but it is amazing.¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun, make sure to explicitly praise the people who built it so this old man does not misunderstand. Otherwise, he will feel proud despite not building it himself.¡± ¡°M-Mikoto-kun, don¡¯t you feel any sympathy for the injured? Can you still say that after seeing this?¡± Ooshiro opened the lab coat to reveal bandages wrapped around his entire body. He even had several charms saying ¡°Begone, evil spirits!¡± attached to himself. Seeing all that, Shinjou tilted her head. ¡°Are the bandages and charms some new kind of game?¡± ¡°No. For some reason, a fist-sized depression suddenly appeared in my chest during the night. I went to the hospital and then burns began appearing all over my body. I thought it might be some kind of curse.¡± ¡°I see. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if someone had a grudge against you.¡± ¡°Sh-Shinjou-kun, you¡¯ve become a lot more like Mikoto-kun lately.¡± ¡°Oh, look Shinjou-kun. There are automatons down below.¡± Sayama and Shinjou looked down and ignored Ooshiro as he held his lab coat open. They saw the automatons working on the mezzanine and first floor down below. They also saw someone standing in front of the large console built on the mezzanine. ¡°Ikkou-san? Are you working on something?¡± The oldest of the four elderly brothers turned toward them and brushed a hand through his gray hair. ¡°Yes. I may not look it, but I am the assistant supervisor of field operations.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The two of them looked to the bottom floor and saw Yonkichi in front of a console just like Ikkou. When the short-haired man spotted them, he waved. ¡°These nyew headquarters are quite nyice.¡± Ikkou pressed a button on his console and the floor opened below Yonkichi. The man fell before he could resist, the floor closed again, and there was no sign anything had happened. The surrounding automatons glanced over but did nothing more than that. Sayama gave an impressed nod. ¡°That is a wonderful system, Ikkou-san.¡± ¡°S-Sayama-kun! Is that okay? Is that really okay? Where does that lead?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Shinjou-kun, it is tasteless to ask that. Death to the vulgar. ¡­More importantly, Ikkou-san, there are quite a few automatons here. Are they from Kanda?¡± Rather than Ikkou, a calm female voice answered the question. ¡°Testament. After the group from 3rd joined, there were too many in Kanda, so Kanda¡¯s main force was able to move. Seventeen of us came here.¡± ¡°#8-san?¡± Shinjou turned around and found a red-haired automaton. #8 bowed while holding a pile of documents. ¡°Testament. I have determined it has been far too long.¡± ¡°I am glad to see you have not changed.¡± As Sayama spoke, Shinjou noticed some movement down below. She looked down from the terrace and saw the unoccupied automatons exchanging glances and whispering to each other. #8 gave an expressionless glance their way. ¡°Sayama-sama ended 3rd-Gear¡¯s Leviathan Road, so they are all quite interested in the two of you. As you can see, they have yet to learn how to properly set their priorities.¡± One of the automatons down below raised her voice. ¡°You say that #8-sama, but you were the first one to get up once they arrived!!¡± #8 frowned, but the voice from below continued. ¡°Sayama-sama! For some reason, #8-sama and Violet-sama refuse to provide us with the memory of being carried by you! We have determined they are being stingy!¡± #8 replied while still frowning. ¡°Silence. Giving you a memory of our losses would interfere with your decisions.¡± ¡°But neither of you will format those memories!¡± ¡°Without units that have experienced loss, we cannot respond to a similar situation in the future.¡± More cries of protest came from below, but #8 ignored them. While watching her, Shinjou nudged Sayama¡¯s side with her elbow. ¡°Sayama-kun, you sure are popular.¡± ¡°Oh? Such adorable jealousy, Shinjou-kun. They are merely interested in me.¡± ¡°Testament. That is exactly right, Shinjou-sama. There is a logical explanation for all of it.¡± ¡°Nwaaah! Mikoto-kun, you¡¯re so popular. It must be nice. I wish I had some automaton fans too.¡± ¡°Enough creepy jealousy, old man. Try being loved by inanimate dolls instead.¡± ¡°Testament. That is exactly right, UCAT Director Ooshiro. Looking at this logically, I have determined you should get to bed early.¡± Ooshiro sat on the ground to sulk, but everyone ignored him. #8 then pulled a ten centimeter remote control form her apron pocket. When she aimed it at the large screen and hit a channel button, the back of a giant brown monster appeared on the screen. An instant later, a red hero flew in from the upper left of the screen and got a solid hit on the monster suit actor¡¯s medulla oblongata with a flying kick. ¡°Fwoooohhhhh!!¡± roared the monster. #8 nodded. ¡°What do you think of the extra large screen we created in the Kanda Laboratory.? Even with such a large red object rampaging around, there is no blurring.¡± ¡°#8-san, what is this show?¡± ¡°Testament. That is the highlight from this week¡¯s The Venusian of Class 3-B, a drama sponsored by IAI. The main character is a space teacher who space resolves space classroom disruptions with space lectures. He shows the kindness of a teacher by avoiding a direct hit with his deadly beam and only partially killing them.¡± ¡°Hm. So it¡¯s a modern-style trendy drama?¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun, I would like to say that is not the case, but I would also like to ask just when this ¡®modern-style¡¯ of yours is from?¡± ¡°Eh? Modern means now, right? They were showing that kind of drama in March when I lived in UCAT. There was Tokyo Sub Story for example. I haven¡¯t seen it since they announced a major ¡®coming out¡¯ in the next episode. I wonder what happened.¡± ¡°Be glad you did not see it, Shinjou-kun. Anyway, #8-kun, are you sure you want to show us a battle between aliens?¡± ¡°Testament,¡± answered the automaton as she operated the remote. A moment later, the screen displayed a full CG map of Eastern Japan. She pointed to the screen from the edge of the terrace. It showed several white curves extending over the Pacific Ocean. One line in particular was moving in from the east. ¡°That is the flight path of an international passenger plane from IAL, IAI¡¯s air travel division. Its path is currently veering to the north. Ooki-sama has determined that it has been seized by an object with a large philosopher¡¯s stone reading. The American military and the JSDF are working with UCAT to gather information. At present, only Japanese UCAT and American UCAT¡¯s forces stationed in Yokota can approach, but the latter have taken no obvious action.¡± ¡°To the American military, it is a passenger plane filled with foreigners. They will not move first and cause a political dispute. They will likely only send out soldiers if we fail.¡± ¡°Testament. As for what we are doing¡­¡± Next, a few lines extended from Tokyo. They scattered over the ocean, leaving only one on the original path. That one approached the IAL plane¡¯s flight path. #8 looked to the white line. ¡°That is a transport plane carrying Kazami-sama, Izumo-sama, Mikage-sama, and Hiba-sama.¡± ¡°The three other than Kazami-san were excited about getting to ride a plane for the first time, weren¡¯t they?¡± said Shinjou. ¡°Huh? The line just split in two.¡± A window opened next to the two lines that had appeared along the UCAT transport plane¡¯s path. It showed Kazami¡¯s face in a dimly-lit area. She was smiling and wore headphones. ¡°Okay, this is Delivery Unit 01. We¡¯re currently over the Pacific off the coast of Iwate. Reception is good.¡± And¡­ ¡°Can you hear me?¡± Sayama made an annoyed pose and responded to Kazami¡¯s large image on the screen. ¡°Kazami, can you give a better report than that? Something with a little more meat on the bones.¡± ¡°Oh, you want meat on the bones, do you? We already have a dedicated operator for that. Anyway, Hiba and Mikage just left. They should be flying alongside us in Susamikado. ¡­Those two are crazy. They board the plane as two people and leave as a god of war.¡± Shinjou forced a smile and asked a question. ¡°U-um, Kazami-san? Can you give some more detail about how they left?¡± ¡°Eh? Hiba didn¡¯t want to be thrown out the side hatch, so I called Mikage over and had her jump out first. I told them it was just a small fall.¡± A shout from Hiba cut into the transmission and the sound of the wind mixed in with his words. ¡°Sayama-san! Kazami-san is mean! She wouldn¡¯t even give me a parachute!!¡± ¡°It sounds to me like you jumped out after Mikage-kun without putting one on. Ha ha ha. Hiba boy, you are either so inseparable you do not fear death or you are an absolute stalker. Which do you prefer?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like either. ¡­But more importantly, how are things on your end?¡± Shinjou looked around the room. Sayama, the automatons, and Shinjou herself were there. Ooshiro was also there jumping up and down and waving his bandaged arms to make himself noticed, but Sayama was the one to answer. ¡°The current chain of command is built around the automatons and nothing else is needed. Also, the body of the Thunderson man who led to us coming here is being taken care of here.¡± Kazami frowned on the monitor and Hiba¡¯s transmission fell silent. Based on what Shinjou had heard from personnel they passed on the way to the new headquarters, the old man named Thunderson had received a large gash in the chest from something sharp and had died of blood loss. He had carried no possessions and his expression had been noteworthy. ¡­He apparently had a triumphant smile. Shinjou did not know what had happened. The philosopher¡¯s stone reading they had detected there had reappeared over the Pacific and it was now toying with a passenger plane. Communications from the plane had been cut off, but it had definitely been lightly struck a few times. ¡°Hurry,¡± she muttered. But then she shook her head. They were already hurrying. However, Kazami nodded and looked to the left. ¡°Kaku, let¡¯s lighten the load.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± he replied from off screen and a hatch could be heard opening. Wind blew in from the left of the window showing Kazami. ¡°Okay, Chisato. Hand over whatever you want to throw out.¡± She threw a parachute and then a kick to the left. Finally, she reached a hand to the left and closed the hatch that the wind was coming from. ¡°That lightened us by the weight of a large boy and a parachute. Hiba, let¡¯s hurry.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Ryuuji-kun,¡± said Mikage¡¯s voice. ¡°Did you just see a splash in the water down below? What was that? Do you know?¡± ¡°A male mermaid probably jumped from the water. Wow, I¡¯m such a romantic. Ha ha ha.¡± As Hiba gave a dry laugh, the footage shook. Susamikado had likely accelerated while flying alongside the plane. The extra white line that had split from the one extending across the map headed toward the IAL passenger plane. #8 spoke up next to Shinjou. ¡°I have determined that is an excellent level of acceleration.¡± Shinjou gave a deep nod and thought ¡°thank goodness¡±. Each of them was the greatest force in their individual field. ¡­I don¡¯t know about myself, though. As she thought, Sayama suddenly placed an arm around her shoulder. ¡°Shinjou-kun, stop looking so gloomy. Don¡¯t you think that was a noble sacrifice on Izumo¡¯s part?¡± ¡°Thanks. But that¡¯s not quite what I was thinking about.¡± But maybe he knew that, she thought. Suddenly, Hiba spoke over the transmission. ¡°This is Delivery 02! Approaching the target. I see a white passenger plane and¡­something huge!¡± The automatons on the bridge tensed up. At the moment, Hiba was a god of war they knew quite well. If even he was calling this ¡°huge¡±, it was worthy of concern for them. Hiba¡¯s next words seemed to pierce through the harsh atmosphere they had created. ¡°I can see it! It¡¯s a mechanical dragon! It¡¯s a black mechanical dragon over 300 meters long and it¡¯s¡­fighting the passenger plane!?¡± Hiba hesitated to use the word ¡°fighting¡± and it was obvious why. The black mechanical dragon¡¯s supposed opponent was an IAL passenger plane. ¡­Fighting with a passenger plane? Hiba¡¯s following shout gave the answer. ¡°There¡¯s something there! A strange old man is standing on the plane¡¯s roof!!¡± Everyone looked over toward the ground near Shinjou¡¯s feet. Ooshiro was collapsed there and sulking. After confirming he was there, they all spoke in unison. ¡°Then who is it!?¡± Odor crossed his arms on top of the passenger plane¡¯s roof. The wind was flowing around him without directly hitting him. He voiced his thoughts on that high-altitude and high-speed wind and on everything else. ¡°Wonderful. Simply wonderful.¡± He also voiced his thoughts on the attacking enemy. ¡°Nothing. Nothing but a pleasant target.¡± As he muttered to himself, it came. The thin clouds around the area split and a giant black form arrived from behind the plane. The third approach already, he thought. The mechanical dragon was over 300 meters long and made of black steel. Its slender form swam through the wind as it made its way towards him. Either its claws and fangs were its only weapons at the moment or it did not care to use the others because the battle had not developed into a firefight. While still wrapped in wind, the dragon simply raised its head and charged forward. Odor stood on the passenger plane which was around 70 meters long. It was smaller than the black dragon and it was almost entirely hollow, so it was like using a paper balloon against a metal weapon. The mechanical dragon attempted to slam into the plane with its momentum, but Odor raised his right hand. ¡°Now, come. Come, mechanical dragon of 5th-Gear. You are the runaway dragon known as Black Sun that the records say controlled half of 5th-Gear, aren¡¯t you? Come and see if your power can stand up to this modern age.¡± He snapped his fingers. With a solid sound, several things happened. First, an invisible impact from empty space struck the black dragon¡¯s face. Second, a tremendous crashing sound filled the air. Third, the black dragon¡¯s armor dented inwards. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± The mechanical dragon gave a confused cry of protest as it pitched downwards in the air as if struck from above. Meanwhile, Odor watched the dragon. ¡°How was that? How was that, savage machine? It¡¯s quite nice being able to stop your attack with a single blow.¡± He lowered his right hand, stuck his left hand in his suit¡¯s right sleeve, and unbuttoned the shirt cuff. He pushed up the loosened sleeve and revealed a bandage wrapped around his lower arm. He raised the arm wrapped in the white cloth and spoke to the mechanical dragon. ¡°It¡¯s my turn. It¡¯s my turn to attack you.¡± The dragon reacted to his words by shrinking down for a moment and then quickly accelerating. However, Odor snapped his fingers twice. ¡°¡­!?¡± With two sounds of struck metal, the dragon¡¯s head and back were knocked downwards by something from above. Nevertheless, the mechanical dragon continued forward. It swung its claws, thrust its sharp nose forward, and attempted to bring down the passenger plane in a single strike. Odor responded by swinging his hand and snapping his fingers. A resounding metallic sound filled the air. The metal fangs, claws, and charging body flew at high speed, but Odor intercepted them by swinging his right arm like an orchestra conductor. The claws were deflected, the fangs knocked away, and the charging body struck. Each attack bent or broke pieces from the black dragon¡¯s armor and each one came from above or nearly above. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± The mechanical dragon roared. Its bestial cry sounded like the roaring of the wind and it raised its attack speed using its forward momentum. Odor reacted with two swift attacks using his right hand. He continued the impacts from above whenever he had an opening and he reached for his pocket with his left hand. ¡°¡­¡± He pulled a single cigar from that pocket. Surrounded by the continuing metallic noises, he placed the cigar in his mouth. When he snapped his fingers at its tip, the tip tore off and slowly lit. He returned his left hand to his pocket and faced the mechanical dragon while continuing to swing his right hand around and snap his fingers. ¡°Still? Can you still not overcome these strikes? Can you still not overcome Odor¡¯s ¡®odor¡¯?¡± He produced metallic noises with only his right hand. They continued and continued. After a short pause, they rang out in quick succession. It sounded like a bell being run at high speed. Amid the noise, the mechanical dragon suddenly twisted. It had not made this motion before. Rather than attacking head on, it changed direction and tried to circle around to the side. However, Odor¡¯s attacks rained down upon it. The barrage of metallic noises struck its back and it quickly sank down. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Odor breathed out some smoke. ¡°Sink. Sink to the bottom of the odor. Just as I was treated by the one I once called a parent.¡± However, the mechanical dragon did not give up. Odor saw it suddenly jump up. ¡°Oh?¡± he said in admiration. The giant black dragon used its full strength to spiral upwards and directly above the passenger plane. Its intent was clear. Rather than using its fangs or claws, it would crush the entire plane with its full body, and Odor along with it. He looked up at the giant black form circling overhead and gave a bitter smile. ¡°I see, I see. So you¡¯ve caught on to the secret of my odor, have you? Then I¡¯ll remove my handicap.¡± He spat the cigar into the air and moved his right arm much like before. However, he moved it downwards this time. He snapped his fingers and a sound of impact came from the plane¡¯s left wing. It was the sound of Odor¡¯s power crashing into that wing. The plane¡¯s altitude lowered and it moved down and to the right, the opposite direction from which it was hit. He looked overhead and saw that the diving mechanical dragon had shifted from directly overhead. It was now showing its side and back. Odor then raised his right hand to attack. In that instant, something flew from behind and struck the black dragon. It was light. ¡°¡­!?¡± Odor frowned as he saw a beam of light. The beam was over a meter wide and it pierced through the black mechanical dragon¡¯s chest and out its back. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± The black dragon trembled and opened its mouth to roar at the flying attack. Then the next attack arrived. It was a giant black god of war. It performed a flying kick while making a cheesy marital arts yell. It used its four wings to accelerate the flying kick accurately into the spot on the dragon¡¯s chest where the previous light had pierced through. The sound of metal was enough to tear into the sky and the black mechanical dragon doubled over. ¡°¡­!!¡± It produced a clearly pained cry and fell as if it had lost all strength. It passed through the clouds and into the darkness. It showed no sign of returning as it had before. Also, the black god of war did not pursue it. It instead flew above the passenger plane, gave a glance toward Odor, and then flapped its wings. The god of war flew into the western sky and Odor saw something else there. It was a transport plane painted for use at night. With a sound of wind, the transport plane and god of war began to disappear to the west. Odor watched them, but the shadow of the transport plane grew smaller and smaller until it completely vanished. All that remained were the wind and the night. He lowered his raised hand and clicked his tongue into the sky. He then loosened his necktie. ¡°Ridiculous. Such a ridiculous greeting. And I¡¯m sure they thought they were saving me.¡± He looked down. In the distance, he saw a gathering of bright specks and the outline of land. It was the Japanese archipelago. Volume 8, 4: Morning of Conversation Volume 8, Chapter 4: Morning of Conversation What are words? If someone asks that Is it made of words? One special skill of Heo Thunderson¡¯s was the ability to sit still for long periods of time. At the moment, she was inside a small apartment filled with the morning sun, but it belonged to a boy she did not know. He was two years older than her and had spoken in English to introduce himself as Dan Harakawa. He was the savior who had taken her in when she had collapsed. She observed him while exchanging a few words with him. Based on his skin color, she guessed he was Japanese with some Latin blood. He sat across a table from her and the table contained a breakfast of bread, a light salad, and a fried egg. She had woken to the unusual smell of that breakfast. She had no parents and her great-grandfather always went out to eat, so she was not used to smelling breakfast in the morning. He had greeted her and given a quick explanation of the previous night¡¯s events, but he had not asked about her. That was why Heo had asked a few questions and told him some things on her own. She now spoke while looking into the coffee cup she held in both hands. ¡°And at some point, all the people vanished from the cars and buildings. O-oh, and all the lights went out. Yes, even the traffic lights.¡± ¡°I see. So it turned into a ghost town.¡± ¡°Yes. And my great-grandfather told me to leave, but he had sprained his ankle in the taxi and he told me to run away ahead of him.¡± ¡°Run away?¡± Heo did not miss that Harakawa frowned. It was true that ¡°run away¡± was not a commonly used phrase, but she nodded because the truth was the truth. ¡°According to him, it was a something-or-other space. Then he gave me a watch and told me I could leave the space with it.¡± The watch she had worn on her left wrist had been placed next to the futon¡¯s pillow when she had woken up. It was now next to her fork and knife on the table. ¡°Can I see that?¡± After asking for permission, he took the wristwatch and held it up in front of his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s pretty old.¡± ¡°It¡¯s supposed to do something if you mess with the stem.¡± But she did not remember the exact process. She thought she could prove the events of last night that way, but telling him everything came first. He handed the watch back to her and she put it on her wrist. ¡°My great-grandfather then pulled a spear out of his pocket and had me leave. I just kept running and the city suddenly regained its light. I wondered what that meant, but I was completely out of breath and I approached the building in front of me to call for someone.¡± Harakawa would know the rest. Feeling better for having told him everything, Heo thought about her great-grandfather. ¡­He has to be okay. He was healthy and he was the representative example of ¡°strong¡± in her mind. She convinced herself he was okay and tried to steady her trembling breathing. As she did, Harakawa nodded. ¡°Where are your other relatives?¡± ¡°My great-grandfather was my only family. If he doesn¡¯t show up where he told me to meet him, he said to visit IAI in Okutama and have them show me to an organization called UCAT.¡± ¡°I see.¡± he stood up and turned his back. ¡°You have money, right? Then the first thing you need to do is get a place to stay. If you head north from here, you¡¯ll quickly reach a railroad. The station is only a hundred meters west from there and you can find somewhere to stay near there.¡± ¡°U-um¡­¡± ¡°I have to get to school. Leave the key in the mailbox. It¡¯ll probably take time for your clothes to dry, so you can stick around until then. ¡­But you had better leave.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t going to ask about anything?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard enough.¡± He vanished into the kitchen and she sighed while listening to his footsteps. ¡­He¡¯s being cautious. She hung her head as she wondered what to do. She then saw the men¡¯s pajama top and bottom she wore and belatedly realized a certain fact. After leaving Heo and entering the kitchen, Harakawa placed his forehead on the white plaster wall with a serious expression. ¡­This isn¡¯t good. And I thought the only strange part was the name Heo. He felt he had taken in a landmine of a person. He had three reasons for this. First, everything she said was complete nonsense. Second, she fully believed everything she was saying. And third, she had no relatives. On top of that, he was well acquainted with the Okutama region thanks to making motorcycle deliveries for the American base and he had even gone to IAI several times. ¡­But I¡¯ve never seen or heard of a group called UCAT. His danger gauge had shot into the red zone in only a few minutes. Last night, he had called the police to ask what to do, but the officer on duty had laughed and told him to stop making jokes. He now wished he had worked harder to convince the officer instead of making a sarcastic comeback. On the other hand, a hospital might be a better choice here than the police, but it would be a different kind of hospital than the one his mother stayed in. ¡­The world suddenly became a ghost town and her great-grandfather pulled out a spear? Even cheap novels and manga are more sophisticated than that. Don¡¯t worry, he told himself. Dan Harakawa, you did nothing wrong. You didn¡¯t know there was anything wrong with her brain last night. You did a wonderful job of saving someone. At any rate, he had to think about what to do today. His school attendance was pretty bad and preparations for the athletic festival were beginning, so he could stay until lunch to get his attendance marked and then skip out on the preparations. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go to school.¡± He whispered an alteration on what he had said while standing up, he removed his head from the wall, and he nodded. ¡°Um¡­¡± Someone was standing in the kitchen entrance. He turned around and saw a slender body standing there. Her skin looked a bit pale, so he guessed she had yet to get over her exhaustion from the previous night. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked with a frown. ¡°Did you want some water now that you¡¯ve woken up? You did sweat quite a bit last night.¡± ¡°No, that isn¡¯t¡­ Well, actually I would like that, but¡­um¡­¡± She held the neck of the pajamas she wore. ¡°Why am I wearing this nightwear? Does that mean¡­?¡± He could easily imagine what she was going to say next. She was going to protest that he had changed her out of the clothes that were soaked with sweat. ¡­Yeah, that¡¯s got to be it. He did not particularly care what complaint she made here. The girl before him was someone who had to leave here and he had not wanted her to dirty his futon, catch a cold, and end up staying here even longer. In fact, he would be glad if she grew to not like him and left without relying on him any further. He also felt that was the best option for her. She would probably feel helpless at first, but if the embassy found a relative working somewhere, she would feel relieved to have that support. And so he answered bluntly. ¡°You were covered in sweat, so I changed your clothes. I¡¯m not interested in your body, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± As soon as he said that, she objected with her teary blue eyes. ¡°Will you take responsibility?¡± ¡°Wait! What the hell kind of curveball is this?¡± ¡°B-but I thought Japan had a custom of marrying the first person you let see you naked?¡± ¡°What kind of bizarre custom is that? There¡¯s no responsibility for seeing someone naked.¡± More tears filled Heo¡¯s eyes and she finally took in a breath and gave a shout in Japanese. ¡°I was seen naked for nothing!! I demand compensation for my loss!!¡± ¡°Where did you learn that kind of Japanese!?¡± She began to cry as if answering his question. A vast enclosed space was filled with green. The space was two hundred meters square and the green surrounding it was vegetation. The ground was formed from countless plants gathered together as if bathing in the light of the sunlamps hanging down from the ceiling. Also, that ground covered the walls and even the ceiling from which the sunlamps hung. There was a clearing in the center, but a forest covered the rest of the space¡¯s six surfaces while centered on the walls and ceiling. This gave the area poor ventilation and the small river flowing along the green ground brought high humidity. It was a hot and stuffy space and a crooked sign stood from the green ground at the entrance to the central clearing. The sign read ¡°4th-Gear Greenhouse¡±. The clearing currently contained two people. Sitting on the thick lawn were Sayama in his suit and Shinjou in her dress. They both held handheld game systems. Sayama¡¯s was a compact white model and Shinjou¡¯s was an oblong black model. The two systems were connected by a cable. ¡°Yay! I beat you for the third time in a row with that mounted punch!¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun, could you play a proper round of mahjong? Or maybe some other game?¡± ¡°But the rule that allows a sudden reversal through physical force is the special feature of Lovely Mahjong ¨C Punching Edition. And this is the only IAI game that works on my latest system and the one you borrowed.¡± Sayama tilted his head. ¡°About the ¡®latest system¡¯ you received last week¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I got it from Ooshiro-san. Look, it¡¯s a handheld, but it has color. Because the monochrome one was called the Game Lad, this one is called the Game Dad. The main downside is that it takes six batteries to run.¡± She smiled, but then she saw the battery light on the screen in her hands. ¡°Ah, the batteries are dying! S-Sayama-kun, let¡¯s play another round. This game has a super special attack you can only use when your battery light is red!¡± ¡°Calm down, Shinjou-kun. You should only play an hour of video games a day.¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, right. That is the saying, but¡­ Ah.¡± Her handheld system¡¯s battery died and she lowered her shoulders in a sigh. ¡°Phew. I haven¡¯t been able to play with you in a while.¡± ¡°Still, it is disappointing we have not been able to do more than that.¡± She could only give a nod to that. She had not shown it while playing the game, but she was looking weak. ¡­We have been pushing ourselves hard since last night. The party to welcome the inspector from American UCAT had been cancelled. The corpse of Richard Thunderson, the guest of honor, had been brought in and it was now in the morgue of a hospital near IAI. The opinion at the time was that he had been attacked by the same mechanical dragon that had attacked the IAL passenger plane. ¡­And they predict it is from 5th-Gear. They did not even know its name, but it was huge, it had great mobility, and it had shown no sign of being destroyed even after being fired on by G-Sp2 and kicked by Susamikado. Hiba and Mikage had returned in Susamikado and were now sleeping in the nap room. Kazami had gone to recover Izumo from the ocean, but he had apparently been swept away by the current and they were having trouble finding him. That was nothing but an annoyance, so Sayama had declined to receive further reports on it. ¡­We have too little information. Not only did they not know the identity of that dragon, they also did not know the identity of the man who had fought it. He had gotten Kashima to steal the IAL plane¡¯s passenger manifest, but there had been no records of any foreigners on the flight. Someone had gotten there ahead of them. As he was wondering who, Shinjou spoke up. ¡°Are you thinking about something?¡± ¡°Yes, about a lot of things.¡± ¡°I thought so. But you haven¡¯t slept, so don¡¯t force yourself. I got a nap, but you haven¡¯t slept at all, have you?¡± ¡°Do not worry, Shinjou-kun. I can go about a week without sleep. I was trained by my grandfather when I was younger. We would have week-long fights around the house with rules saying we could hit the other when they fell asleep. If I had only realized that damn old man was sleeping while talking with his eyes open, I could have hit him another five hundred times.¡± ¡°By any chance are you sleeping right now while using that secret technique?¡± Shinjou set down the handheld system and sighed. She then looked around the area. ¡°To change the subject, I didn¡¯t expect Ooshiro-san to suddenly tell us to begin the Leviathan Road with 4th-Gear.¡± ¡°Yes. It certainly was not my first guess when he handed us the key to this place.¡± Sayama crossed his arms. ¡°It is a strange action. I feel like he is hiding something. Last night, the American UCAT inspector named Thunderson was killed by a mechanical dragon thought to be from 5th-Gear. American UCAT says they have sent temporary inspectors, but they will not say what those inspectors are doing. And now the old man is telling us to carry out the preliminary negotiation with 4th-Gear in this greenhouse and then to take an afternoon flight to the 4th-Gear reservation in Kyushu.¡± ¡°He seems to be rushing things ever since that Thunderson man died.¡± ¡°There is probably something behind this, so we should be on our guard.¡± ¡°Yes. The issues of adults can be trouble. Anyway, we came here, but no one else has shown up. Does 4th-Gear have people? Are they plant people or something?¡± Sayama tilted his head at that. ¡°I am not quite sure what you mean, but do you think plants can speak with people?¡± ¡°Eh? Don¡¯t you hear about that every once in a while? Something about plants reacting to emotions.¡± ¡°Are you referring to the controversy that was popular in America during the late sixties? The one where a researcher hooked a lie detector up to plants and used it to read their supposed reactions?¡± ¡°Yeah, that.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He nodded as Shinjou rubbed her eyes sleepily. ¡°That controversy continued for about a decade in America, but no one was able to reproduce the reactions. And after a while, the same researcher announced that he found emotion-like reactions from something else.¡± ¡°Eh? What was that?¡± ¡°Instead of plants, it was yogurt. The electrodes detected its emotional reaction to having milk poured into it. All of the newspapers there immediately stopped reporting on it because they found it disturbing.¡± ¡°So in other words¡­there was someone like you?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Sleep deprivation makes you say the strangest things, Shinjou-kun. But at any rate, plants talking with people is nothing more than a delusion of people like the old man. You aren¡¯t thinking of using that idea for your book, are you?¡± ¡°No, no.¡± Shinjou shook her head and Sayama nodded. ¡°The way I see it, plants are plants. If they are able to express their will, they must be something similar yet different. Confusing the two comes from the pride of another type of being.¡± Sayama watched Shinjou. She was looking back, but her head suddenly drooped before she quickly lifted it back up. ¡°Oh, s-sorry. What was that? For a bit now, I¡¯ve been feeling drowsy like my exhaustion is being taken from me.¡± ¡°We can discuss it later, Shinjou-kun. I can handle the preliminary negotiation on my own, so you can sleep.¡± ¡°Okay. ¡­But will the people of 4th-Gear think I¡¯m lazy if they show up? A-and no doing anything weird while I¡¯m asleep. Really. I mean it. For real.¡± After making a triple insistence, she lost her balance without realizing it and tried to catch herself on her elbows as she slowly fell backwards. However¡­ ¡°Eh?¡± Something like a chair back supported her. It was the ground. The grassy ground had risen up diagonally to support her back. The vegetation slowly moved to form a U-shape that pushed up and supported her back. ¡°¡­¡± A creature made of vegetation slowly formed from the risen ground. It was a meter long creature with a head and six legs. It stood up very slowly and its silhouette was reminiscent of an anteater or a bear. The plant creature then lay down to act as Shinjou¡¯s chair back. Sayama watched as she shrank back from it. ¡°S-Sayama-kun, is this¡­?¡± ¡°I think it wants you to lean against it.¡± ¡°Right.¡± She looked at the plant creature¡¯s belly. It raised its head-like portion, turned toward her, and tilted that head. Seeing that, Shinjou glanced toward Sayama and nodded. With a resolute look, she leaned against the creature¡¯s stomach. With the sound of rustling grass and leaves, her thin back sank into the creature¡¯s body. It was much like collapsing into a thick down blanket. ¡°Wow. It¡¯s so warm.¡± She narrowed her eyes and the plant creature raised its head toward her. It had no mouth, but it did have eye-like gaps. Sayama guessed those were its sensory organs. When Shinjou thanked it, the creature shook its body once. ¡°Sayama-kun,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Um, you know how I was feeling sleepy? I think it was this thing¡¯s doing. It¡¯s absorbing all of my exhaustion.¡± ¡°Does it use some sort of concept to absorb the excess heat from other animals?¡± Rather than a voice, he heard a reply in the form of an audible thought. ¡°Sayama?¡± The voice seemed to awkwardly line up the necessary sounds. He faced the plant creature supporting Shinjou¡¯s back. Shinjou also turned toward it, so he must not have been the only one to hear it. ¡°Was that voice you?¡± ¡°Sayama.¡± The voice repeated itself and he could sense no directionality in the thought voice. ¡°Sayama.¡± This time, the voice brought movement. Similar plant creatures slowly stood up around Sayama and Shinjou. In all, there were around a dozen of them. But then Sayama noticed more of the creatures rising up within the forest, on the walls, and on the ceiling. They all tilted and shook their bodies as if troubled and asked the same question with the rustling of grass and leaves. ¡°Sayama?¡± And so Sayama replied. ¡°By any chance, is the Sayama to which you refer Sayama Kaoru?¡± He could only imagine that to be the case. He had never been here before and his grandfather had been in charge of 4th-Gear. However, he received no answer. The plant creatures merely spoke while gathering together and lying down. ¡°Sayama is Sayama.¡± They continued. ¡°Shinjou is Shinjou.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Shinjou gave a sleepy sound of confusion while partially curled up. Sayama used a hand to tell her to calm down. ¡°They must be a race that can distinguish between categories but cannot distinguish between individuals within a category. The voice we are hearing is likely the collective consciousness of them all. They view me and my grandfather as the same Sayama and they view you and the Shinjou of the National Defense Department as the same Shinjou.¡± ¡°Then that means¡­¡± ¡°Yes. They know my grandfather and the Shinjou of the National Defense Department, so they must be the residents of 4th-Gear.¡± The plant creatures then called to them. They began with Sayama¡¯s name, but then said the following: ¡°Go with Sayama.¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Sayama. As he wondered what they meant by ¡°going with¡± him, they all raised their heads and spoke a single word. ¡°Promise.¡± The JR Chuo Line¡¯s rush hour continued from seven to nine in the morning. Any train one boarded from any station along the Chuo Line would be crowded. Even the trains leaving Tokyo would leave one inundated by a wave of people if they did not secure a seat upon departure. One train was travelling west to Kanda, the first station after Tokyo Station. This express train had left Tokyo Station just past eight and was on its way to Oume. After passing Kanda, the number of passengers exceeded the capacity. Most of the passengers were office workers or students and they were securing enough space to stand on their tiptoes. However, some did not fit those categories. In the fourth car from the back, two foreigners in suits stood in the space closest to the exit. One was a tall elderly man and the other was a young man with glasses. Whenever the train shook, the wave of people surged and threatened the crush the two of them. The elderly man frowned and spoke in English. ¡°Roger, Roger. What kind of torture is this? Who can I complain to?¡± ¡°Colonel Odor, this is a travel ritual called Sankin-Koutai that has long been practiced in Japan. When the shogun ruled a form of government known as the Edo shogunate, the lords of the local governments were ordered to travel to Edo, but that ritualistic travel brought an unnecessary number of people to Edo Castle. We left from Tokyo Station which is near the Imperial Palace where Edo Castle used to be. In other words, Tokyo Station is the birthplace of this ritual.¡± ¡°I see, I see. So should I interpret this as a bizarre Japanese custom?¡± ¡°Testament. Please maintain a tolerant heart. Also, I had to put up with these rush hour crowds every morning when I lived in Japan.¡± ¡°Roger, Roger. That is about you. It has nothing to do with me. Also, I said I wanted to observe the working situation in this country, but I do not recall saying I wanted to experience it.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Roger lowered his shoulders and sighed. ¡°Anyway. Anyway, Roger. Start by telling me about the target we must search for. You knew her father well, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Testament. Heo Thunderson¡¯s father, James Thunderson, was American and yet a member of Japanese UCAT.¡± The train shook as they arrived at Ochanomizu Station. The train¡¯s speakers played an announcement, people moved, and the density of people grew once more. With a heavy lurch, the train began to move and Roger spoke within the surging wave of even more people. ¡°James was a mechanical dragon pilot. At the time, Japanese UCAT had a department for developing mechanical dragons, but they did not have a decent pilot. They tried to have one sent from American UCAT, but¡­¡± ¡°We refused. Yes, we refused them, Roger. I know what happened on the American end during the late eighties. American UCAT was the only one with mechanical dragon technology and we weren¡¯t about to hand it over to someone else.¡± ¡°But one pilot went to Japanese UCAT while essentially defecting. That pilot was James Thunderson. He was young for a mechanical dragon pilot and he was our chief pilot at the time, but he suddenly left American UCAT, stole a mechanical dragon that same day, and headed for Japanese UCAT.¡± ¡°Why? Why would he betray America?¡± The train shook to the left and the wave of people tilted while Roger pushed his glasses up his nose. ¡°It was his grandfather¡¯s influence. His grandfather had come to Japan as a part of American UCAT and helped destroy 5th-Gear. James was proud of that fact. However, his mother was adopted by his grandfather and he apparently only learned of that in high school. I would guess that played a role in why he wanted to learn more about his grandfather,¡± explained Roger. ¡°American UCAT acted to cover up this scandal. James Thunderson was transferred to Japanese UCAT and the Gulf War was used to send other young members who wished to defy the higher ups to the American UCAT forces stationed in Japan in the name of ¡®assisting¡¯. We are on our way to Yokota which, with the Gulf and the time afterwards, will be my home for the third time.¡± Roger lowered his head slightly to hide his expression from Odor. ¡°Also, he is no longer with us. He died on the scene of the Great Kansai Earthquake which I also visited. He and many others who I can surmise were my friends never returned from that place. Afterwards, I personally erased all of the records.¡± Odor gave a small snort of either laughter or contempt. ¡°Roger, Roger. Try to remember. Japanese UCAT is our enemy now.¡± ¡°I understand that. They were unable to protect the hero that was Richard Thunderson and they are selfishly continuing the Leviathan Road which affects the fate of the world. That will be our official reasoning, won¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes. Yes, it will, Roger. American UCAT will not allow them to ignore everyone else as they set the world in motion.¡± The train shook as they arrived at Yotsuya. The wave of people surged over and somewhat flowed out the door. Familiar with Japan, Roger avoided the current. However, Odor was not familiar with the country and he was caught in the current and swept onto the station platform. ¡°Roger! Roger! Do something!¡± While thinking of a way to pacify his distressed superior officer, Roger stepped out onto the platform while preparing himself to be late to Yokota. Sayama communicated with the plant creatures. They seemed to share their thoughts, but the individual creatures seemed to make individual decisions for their actions. The one in front of him was currently tilting its head while swaying as if in the wind. ¡°Sayama long time. Long time since Sayama.¡± Sayama listened to that audible thought. ¡­They said ¡°go with Sayama¡±, but does that mean they want to go with my grandfather? He felt a slight pain in his chest as he asked a question. ¡°I am glad we could meet ¡®again¡¯ after so long. But let me ask you one thing. Why are you ¡®going with Sayama¡¯?¡± ¡°Promise.¡± ¡°What is this promise?¡± ¡°Promise.¡± ¡°Do you know what was promised?¡± ¡°Promise is promise. Go with Sayama.¡± He was making no progress and he wondered if this conversation counted as the preliminary negotiation. ¡­I suppose that depends on what I say. They said they would go with him, but as seen with 2nd-Gear, the Leviathan Road was meant to correct their current situation. If they had some complaint or request, he could not cast it aside and simply use them. He recalled the details of 4th-Gear. 4th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core was possessed by the Tree Serpent Mukiti, so he needed these creatures to help him reach a negotiation with that serpent. He wondered if he could find a way to do that and asked another question. ¡°Can I meet the one named Mukiti?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You do not know? Do I need some form of qualification before I can meet him?¡± ¡°Promise.¡± The same word was repeated. ¡­Everything is sealed by the word promise. They seemed delighted to meet him and Shinjou, but they were satisfied with that and shut the door. The key to that door was the word promise. ¡­Most likely, my grandfather made some sort of promise and 4th-Gear promised to go with him in return. When he had asked about a qualification to meet Mukiti, they had spoken that single word. ¡­When the promise to go with Sayama is fulfilled, I can meet Mukiti. That pointed to a certain fact. ¡°Was my grandfather unable to keep his promise?¡± 4th-Gear¡¯s residents gave no answer. When he saw the plant creatures merely tilt their heads, he smiled bitterly. ¡­This may be one of the problems between 4th-Gear and Low-Gear. There was a mystery here. If Mukiti was in Low-Gear, it should have meant Sayama¡¯s grandfather had kept his promise and the residents of 4th-Gear had ¡°gone with Sayama¡±. However, the plant creatures were in Low-Gear and yet they said that they would ¡°go with Sayama¡± and that a ¡°promise¡± was needed to meet Mukiti. Had his grandfather kept the promise or not? Why had the people of 4th-Gear ¡°gone with Sayama¡±? And if they had, why did they still require a ¡°promise¡±? He did not know, but he did know one thing. ¡°You are waiting for me to fulfill that promise, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Go with Sayama.¡± He took that as an affirmative, so he did not give up. ¡­I will reveal the identity of that promise. ¡°What will happen when you go with me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Are you going with me even though you do not know?¡± ¡°Promise.¡± ¡°Why did you make that promise?¡± ¡°Because promised.¡± He was making no progress. What mattered to them was that they had made the promise and they did not seem to question the reason they had done so, the details of having done so, or the future it would lead to. ¡­What an amazingly pragmatic race. It was possible they would not complain even if they were deceived and destroyed because of it. While thinking about that, Sayama suddenly realized something. ¡­My grandfather would have thought the same thing. His grandfather had gone to 4th-Gear, so he would have met these creatures. And as the Concept War continued, what would he have thought of them? The left side of Sayama¡¯s chest hurt. Shinjou was usually by his side, but she was now curled up and sleeping on the belly of a 4th-Gear creature. He welcomed the pain if it meant he could avoid interrupting the peaceful look on her face. ¡°Do you remember the Concept War?¡± ¡°No.¡± They may not have taken an active role in that war. It was even possible they had not even known of its existence. Sayama decided it was both. He suspected the other Gears had not taken any direct action against them. As for why¡­ ¡°Was your world filled with nothing but you?¡± ¡°Lots but the same.¡± ¡°In other words, your body was split many times over, but you were ultimately a single body and mind?¡± ¡°The same.¡± ¡°I see. So even when other Gears visited, they realized they could not fully destroy you. You had great vitality and a near inexhaustible ability to regenerate, but you had no ability to fight and they did not know where among you Mukiti and the Concept Core were. That is why they decided to leave you until the end and allow the time of destruction to take care of you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know, but Mukiti knows.¡± Sayama¡¯s eyebrows moved when the creatures brought up Mukiti on their own. ¡°What kind of person is Mukiti?¡± ¡°Here but not here.¡± Sayama replied with another question. ¡°In other words, Mukiti is you, but he is not you?¡± However¡­ ¡°¡­¡± He received a thought of silence in return. That response meant they did not know. Sayama began gathering his thoughts on this Zen dialogue of a conversation. He began with what the plant creatures had just said. ¡­That means Mukiti is with them but not with them. The comment contained a contradiction which was why he had asked his own question. ¡­Mukiti is you, but he is not you. That also contained a contradiction, but it had been met with silence. He knew that there was a contradiction that received a response and one that did not. He removed only the similar contradiction from the two questions and was left with a single word. ¡­You. That word gave Sayama something to say. ¡°Mukiti lived in symbiosis with you who can be called the world of 4th-Gear, but he was a second individual who was distinct from your mind, wasn¡¯t he? He was like a parasite on that world.¡± ¡°Mukiti is here but not here.¡± They did not deny it. That meant Mukiti possessed the Concept Core and lived in symbiosis with the 4th-Gear residents. In that case¡­ ¡°Was Mukiti a control system that symbiotically managed 4th-Gear?¡± Sayama had begun to lean forward a little, so he straightened up. He took a breath and lowered Baku from his head. A nearby plant creature seemed to take interest in Baku and approached. The two creatures relaxed, lay on their bellies, and stared at each other without moving. ¡­This is a generally peaceful world. Sayama let Baku make a friend and asked a question of the creature in front of him. ¡°Where is Mukiti?¡± ¡°Here but not here.¡± He felt he understood the creatures words more clearly now. ¡°Here but not here¡± was not a contradictory question from a Zen dialogue. ¡°Yes, he is with you. As your controller, he is watching over all of you no matter where you are. However, his true form is not here. Where is it? The 4th-Gear reservation in Kyushu?¡± ¡°Far away place?¡± ¡°It is. It is cut off by a world, after all.¡± ¡°Then there. Mukiti is there. Promise. Promise with Sayama.¡± I see, he thought. It is funny how much of this is pure speculation. However, he had no other choice but to keep his mind moving. If his thoughts were not way off base, his grandfather had also spoken with these plant creatures and met Mukiti. ¡­And they promised to go with him. If Sayama could persuade Mukiti, their controller, he could move all of the plant residents of 4th-Gear and find a use for their environmental changes. He then realized he was walking in his grandfather¡¯s footsteps. ¡­I hope for this to be the only way in which I grab at that monkey¡¯s short tail. He asked another question as if to cast aside that thought. ¡°Can I¡­that is, can Sayama go meet Mukiti without keeping the promise?¡± ¡°No. Keep promise.¡± He received a powerful rejection when it came to the word promise. ¡°If I do not keep the promise, I cannot meet Mukiti?¡± ¡°Promise. Sayama¡¯s promise.¡± Sayama then realized his misunderstanding about the meaning of the promise. ¡­It is not that I cannot meet Mukiti without keeping the promise. That was the promise 4th-Gear had made. ¡°Sayama¡¯s promise¡± was something different. He gave voice to his realization. ¡°I made a promise myself to not meet Mukiti unless the promise was kept, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Promise! Sayama¡¯s promise!¡± He could hear joy in the audible thought and that thought gave him a smile. They were surely rejoicing that their words were finally getting through to him. He too was relieved that they were communicating properly and he went over the problem. ¡°I see. First, I made a certain promise and then made a second promise to meet Mukiti once that promise was fulfilled. And you then made a third promise to go with me when that happened. Is that it?¡± ¡°Yes! Promise! Promise with Sayama! First promise! First! First! First!¡± ¡°I see. So the first promise made with another in 4th-Gear¡¯s history was made with Sayama.¡± ¡°Sayama told us. Important. Promise is important. Promise will never disappear. But Sayama is different.¡± The thoughts came all at once. ¡°Sayama is different. Sayama is not promise. Sayama will eventually disappear.¡± Sayama nodded. Inside, he was surprised. 4th-Gear¡¯s people were close to immortal as long as the world was not destroyed, but this meant¡­ ¡­They understand the concept of death. His grandfather had likely taught them that. The creatures had said that promises will never disappear but that Sayama would. Sayama asked about the concern that would bring. ¡°While you have a collective consciousness and will live for close to forever, we will disappear. When my grandfather died, his promise should have died with him. While you will wait for the promise to be fulfilled for eternity, my grandfather¡¯s life was finite.¡± Which meant¡­ ¡°Why do you view me and my grandfather as the same?¡± At first, he had thought they were unable to distinguish between individuals because they did not have individuals themselves, but that was not the case. ¡°You clearly understand that we have finite lives, but you still view me as the same ¡®Sayama¡¯. Why is that?¡± ¡°Told Sayama would come again. New Sayama.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The plants¡¯ thoughts filled the air. ¡°Promise will not disappear. Sayama will come. Keep promise. Sayama will come to keep promise.¡± I see, thought Sayama while sighing inwardly. ¡­My grandfather once negotiated with them and made their first promise with them. But for some reason, he had not fulfilled that promise. And yet for some reason, they had come here. ¡­Most likely, he was fine with not having fully upheld his promise. ¡°You still desire the promise because you want to have that unfulfilled promise carried out, don¡¯t you? That will mean both sides kept their promise and are equal.¡± The word ¡°debt¡± came to mind. In terms of the Leviathan Road, 4th-Gear had already given their conditions for the negotiation. ¡­They came here unconditionally. In that case¡­ ¡­Fulfilling the promise is well worth negotiating over. To reconfirm that, he asked a question. ¡°I can meet Mukiti again by fulfilling that promise, correct?¡± ¡°Keep promise, so go with Sayama.¡± Sayama crossed his arms and looked at the plant creatures that shook their bodies together. ¡­What was the first promise my grandfather made with them? They knew, but they were not telling him. Their collective consciousness viewed Sayama¡¯s promise as belonging to Sayama and they would not intrude on the territory of another¡¯s thoughts. This is an assignment from my grandfather, he thought. I have to answer what it is they want. ¡°It is true that is the foundation of negotiation.¡± ¡­What did he promise them and what do they hope to gain from it? Land? Peace of mind? Some kind of power? There had to be a hint. For example, 4th-Gear already had a reservation and this place as well. As for peace of mind, this room made it clear any fear of external enemies had been resolved. And as for power, not only did this race not desire to fight, but they seemed unable to fight. ¡­Then what is it? He realized he was leaning forward again, so he straightened up. To give himself a change of pace while gathering his thoughts, he took a breath, leaned back, and placed his hands on the ground. His fingers sank into the plants as if digging down. It¡¯s all plants, he thought. ¡°No.¡± Similar to his discussion with Shinjou about communicating with plants, these 4th-Gear residents just so happened to have bodies constructed from plants, but they could exchange thoughts, try to keep promises, and liked independence. They were not something to protect or to look down on. ¡­They must be the same. Even if they desired protection, they would not view us as superior to them. Since his grandfather had negotiated with Mukiti who controlled them, it was possible they had actually had the superior position. What did it mean to be equal? 1st-Gear had desired to recover their past pride and have a place to live on their own. 2nd-Gear had desired to accept their own power while also living in Low-Gear. 3rd-Gear had desired to clear away their own crimes yet continue to use the power that had led to those crimes. All of them contained a common factor down at the bottom. ¡­The desire to live in Low-Gear using their power. Sayama thought on the word ¡°power¡±. ¡°My grandfather must have negotiated to give you a place where you could use 4th-Gear¡¯s power to live in Low-Gear and have peace of mind. That would have settled any debt.¡± In that case, what was 4th-Gear¡¯s power? He thought and came to a certain possibility. ¡­4th-Gear¡¯s power is their vitality and their ability to heal others. But in that case, what had his grandfather attempted to do with their power? Sayama thought about using it for a hospital but then shook his head. Even in the postwar times, the world had not advanced enough to accept life forms from another world. Even if they could heal and save people, it would cause a commotion if people found out about these thinking plants. ¡­Was he going to have them heal injured UCAT members? No, he realized. If they had become UCAT¡¯s healers, this greenhouse would be much more open and used as a medical room. Also, he thought before asking his next question. ¡°Why does 4th-Gear not work as healers for UCAT?¡± If they had come to Low-Gear to use their healing ability, 4th-Gear healing would be a major part of UCAT. He looked forward while he wondered why, but the plant creature only lay on its belly and tilted its head. ¡°Promise.¡± ¡°The promise, hm?¡± What had they promised to use their power on? He continued to think, but then¡­ ¡°Could it be¡­?¡± He recalled two facts from when the plant creatures had shown up in this large greenhouse. First, they had known a name other than Sayama. Second, they had used their healing ability. ¡°And they did so by wrapping around Shinjou-kun.¡± He looked to Shinjou on his left side. She was curled up on the stomach of the plant creature bent in a U-shape. ¡°¡­¡± And she was asleep. Her black hair moved a bit and her expression was one of peace. He then looked around himself, but none of the plant creatures made any attempt to remove his own exhaustion. They had chosen Shinjou over him. He remembered a section from the National Defense Department documents that Kashima had sent them during the summer and that they still could not read the entirety of. ¡°My grandfather took over working on 8th-Gear in place of 4th-Gear. And he did so because 8th-Gear had been assigned to Shinjou Kaname who had fallen ill.¡± The plant creatures looked up. ¡°Shinjou.¡± ¡°Yes, that is correct. Shinjou-kun. Is Shinjou-kun the promise?¡± The collective consciousness responded to that. ¡°Promise! Shinjou! Promise!!¡± He nodded and looked to Shinjou who slept while clutching her black binder. ¡°I do not know what kind of person Shinjou Kaname was, but my grandfather spoke with Mukiti, came to an understanding, and made a promise, didn¡¯t he? He asked if you could save Shinjou-san who had fallen ill. And if you did have the power to save him, he asked you to come to Low-Gear where your power could be used elsewhere. That way, he could prepare a place for you even if 4th-Gear was lost.¡± He took a breath. ¡°He promised to let you meet the person named Shinjou, didn¡¯t he?¡± If the promise had not been upheld, it meant they had not met Shinjou Kaname. However, they had come to Low-Gear. He did not know if that had been his grandfather¡¯s or Mukiti¡¯s desire and he did not know why they had done it. Whatever the result, he would look into that from now on. And he would fulfill the promise as well. ¡°Promise!¡± The creatures¡¯ thoughts rang loudly. ¡°Meet Shinjou. Mukiti is waiting. Sayama keeps promise.¡± Sayama gave another deep nod. ¡°Yes, I will go with Shinjou-kun to meet the one who watches over you.¡± ¡°Promise! Promise! Promise!!¡± ¡°Yes, that is a promise. It is a testament.¡± ¡°Testament?¡± ¡°That is the latest way of referring to a promise.¡± ¡°Testament!!¡± As the thought voice rang out, Sayama raised his head. At the same time, someone appeared from beyond the trees. It was Ooki. She may have just woken from a nap because she wore pajamas and looked at the swaying and rustling plant creatures. ¡°Oh, my. How lively.¡± ¡°Do you think you can fit in here as a tree spirit, Ooki-sensei?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± She smiled and her long ears seemed to stand up as if reacting to the surrounding thoughts. She shook those ears and spoke. ¡°Excuse me for a moment, Sayama-kun, but I have to get to school. With the athletic festival preparations, I have to at least show up by lunchtime.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so? And I thought the one who takes attendance would have to be there in the morning.¡± ¡°Sayama-kun, why are you always so mean to your teacher?¡± ¡°I merely stated the obvious. Do you perhaps have a persecution complex? And when have I ever been mean to you, tardy teacher?¡± ¡°J-just now!!¡± After shouting out, she sighed. ¡°Listen.¡± She placed a hand on her forehead and groaned while the surrounding plant creatures looked up at her. ¡°How about we settle for this? Harakawa-kun has been absent a lot lately, so if he isn¡¯t in class today, please go to his home and get him.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. I understand what you are trying to say. ¡­You are making no sense. Go yourself.¡± ¡°But his apartment¡¯s landlord has started recognizing me lately. I got some leftover dinner last time I went, but I can¡¯t return the dish it was in because I haven¡¯t washed it yet.¡± ¡°Oh? Which do you think would make a better nickname for you: filthy teacher or lazy teacher?¡± ¡°Hmm. I have pretty stringent standards for elegance, so I don¡¯t think either fit me.¡± All of the plant creatures tilted their heads at that. ¡°Str-¡­string-¡­strange?¡± ¡°Wh-what a rude collective consciousness.¡± Sayama ignored her and shook Shinjou awake. They had to travel to Kyushu that afternoon, but now they had an extra job to take care of. Volume 8, 5: The Depths of Memory Volume 8, Chapter 5: The Depths of Memory Think back and you will reach your past self But Does that directly link to your future self? Heo dried off in front of a small bathroom. She was in a strange apartment, she had nothing to wear, and the apartment¡¯s owner had left. She was glad she had gotten permission to use the shower when Harakawa had left for school. Her clothes and underwear were hanging from the kitchen ceiling, but she had still been covered in the sweat from the previous night. The sweat had hardened her hair, but that hair was now damp instead. However, she had made one mistake. Just because she liked the color, she had chosen the blue container of shampoo. She had kept her guard up because it was made by IAI, but it had still felt so refreshing she had accidently let out a shout. ¡­Do boys like that kind of thing? A strange refreshing feeling remained around her armpits even after drying off with a bath towel. She found it ticklish as she wrapped the towel around her. The cloth felt good on her skin and she suddenly remembered that Harakawa had seen her naked. She blushed slightly. ¡­If I get married in the future, should I tell my husband he isn¡¯t the first one to see me naked? She sighed and reached for the clothes hanging from the ceiling, but then she realized something. ¡°They¡¯re damp.¡± They still had some water in them and they had the dampness of something that had just left the washing machine. ¡­Boys. But after that thought, she shook her head. While he had seen her naked, he had also saved her and been considerate. She could not let herself focus on the negative results and ignore his intentions. The clothes would need to dry before they were back to normal, but he had given it some thought. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± She smiled as she spoke to someone who was not there and then she looked around. A white washing machine was located to the side of the bath entrance. It was the IAI high-speed washing machine named the ¡°Super Twister¡±. A similar model was popular in America, but she was pretty sure it had been brought to court because it had put a permanent tendency to spin on a child who had played inside it. A basket was located next to the machine and it contained the pajamas she had removed and his clothes below that. That was probably what he had worn the night before and maybe before that. ¡­He should have washed those, but he did my clothes first. She felt she was meddling, but she turned on the washer. The time settings for the different functions appeared on the console, but the time for the spin cycle was set very low. She wondered why. ¡°Maybe because he runs it after getting home from work at night.¡± He would want to keep the noise as short as possible, but it was daytime now. While making a mental note to return it later, she set the time to three times longer. She divided the laundry between whites and colors. She first placed the white clothes in the washer and dropped in the appropriate amount of the detergent placed on top of the machine. She did not see any fabric softener, guessed he did not own any because he was a boy, and hit the start button. The sound of the motor began and the water shook. Once the rotation began, noise filled the previously still apartment. She let out a breath to add her own noise to the mix. The rhythmic rotation of the water was quite pleasant. The next thing she knew, she had opened her mouth and started to sing a song. Silent night, Holy night Long we hoped that He might, As our Lord, free us of wrath, Since times of our fathers He hath Promised to spare all mankind Promised to spare all mankind She sang a verse of the song she had sung on the night just before her father had died. She recalled also singing it later at the town church her mother had often brought her to. She kept her voice low enough to be hidden by the washing machine¡¯s noise and she sang with her eyes closed. ¡°¡­¡± She then took a breath, nodded, gathered strength in her shoulders, and opened her eyes. The washer was rotating. She wondered if her clothes would be dry by the time it finished washing and she looked down at herself and the bath towel she wore. ¡°Um¡­¡± She hesitated, but she removed the towel and put it in the washer. She thought about wrapping the futon around her instead and she recalled that Harakawa had said he would be working until late at night after school. ¡­It shouldn¡¯t be a problem if it takes me a little longer before I leave. After telling herself that, she lightly wrapped her arms around herself and walked toward the living room. ¡°First, I need to go to the train station.¡± She needed to take a bus or taxi to the Nishitama Cemetery that they had passed the previous night. ¡­Will great-grandfather be there? She lowered her head as she entered the living room and approached the futon folded up on the tatami mats. She unfolded it in the morning light and placed it over her head as if trying to crawl into it. She found herself surrounded by nothing but her own scent, the weight of the futon, and darkness. The only sound was the washing machine muffled by the futon. She then repeated a certain thought. ¡­Is it happening again? She closed her eyes and recalled something from long ago. When she had been a child¡­no, she was still a child, but it was long before now. She recalled when she had lost her mother. Heo remembered being in a larger place than she was now. It had been made of wood, the ceiling had been high, and it had contained lines of pews as well as a cross and a pulpit up front. It had been a church. The light of midday had shined through the stained glass, but she had lain on the floor right in front of the pulpit. She had been exhausted from running until she had collapsed to the ground. Her memories had been in chaos at the time. While trying to remember why she had been running, she had been reminded of her father who had died long before. Her father had often praised her for being an incredibly fast runner. Before moving to the town that contained that church, she had lived in a place with lots of fields and running had allowed her to see many different things. She had often gone outside with her parents, partially to receive their praise. Once her father had died, she had come to that church¡¯s town. When going shopping there, she had run down the road while tugging on her mother¡¯s arm. Her mother had often scolded her for running on ahead, but she had always been smiling when doing so. It had been during that time that her mother had given her the necklace of stones. Was this the same as back then? She had a faint memory of her mother suddenly shoving her forward while they were taking a walk together. Her mother had told her to run. She had asked why and her mother had answered while pointing at the church on the top of the hill. ¡°It¡¯s a race. When we get there, I¡¯ll sing for you.¡± But the smile on her mother¡¯s face had been stiff. She had thought something was wrong, but she had been too afraid to ask and had thus begun to run. She had simply run while squeezing the necklace her mother had given her as a mental support. Even her mother¡¯s footsteps behind her had scared her as she had run to the church as fast as she could and then collapsed. The young Heo in her memories had stood up and wondered what had happened. She had run back to the church¡¯s entrance and found the door had closed. When she had pushed open the wooden door, she had found a certain sight: with the field in the background, someone sat with their back to her. Her mother had sat on the stairs up to the church. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She had called out to her mother but received no answer. When she had hesitantly placed a hand on the woman¡¯s shoulder, she had found an odd weight there. The weight moved in her direction, she had been unable to support it, and her mother had slowly lain back on the stairs. The white shirt her mother had always worn on walks had been dyed a dark red from the chest to the stomach. ¡°¡­!¡± Heo had shouted something and embraced her mother. Then, her mother had moved slightly. Her unfocused eyes had looked up into the sky and then at Heo. She had been smiling and her eyes finally focused as she looked at Heo. ¡°¡­¡± She quietly uttered something that did not even form words and her hand fell limply down. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± Heo had shouted and shaken her mother, but the woman would no longer react. After crying out for a while longer, Heo had looked around. What had happened and what had caused it? That was when she had seen it. It was wind. She had seen a mass of wind in front of the church. It had shaken and her memories remembered nothing except that it had been gigantic. The movement of the air had seemed like a mountain. That was when the word ¡°demon¡± had entered her mind. And then the demon had vanished. She did not remember much after that. Her great-grandfather had taken her in and they had moved again and again, but everywhere they went, the story of her mother¡¯s death would get out and she would be known as the girl saved from a demon attack. A few people who had come running had apparently seen the same mass of wind as she had. The further away she went, the more the rumor grew distorted as it pursued her. She went from being protected by god to being loved by a demon and sometimes she was said to be on the run after killing the people of her old town. At first, she had been angry, but at some point, she had started to cry instead. Even later, she had accepted it as normal and hidden it away within herself. Her sociable great-grandfather had moved with her again and again and the rumors had eventually vanished, but she had started actively avoiding people by that point. ¡­If I get close to someone¡­ That demon could come again and kill them. She had lived for eight years while dragging those thoughts around. She had to take her entrance exams this year, so her great-grandfather had made various arrangements and suggested they visit her father¡¯s grave. If nothing happened then, he said everything would be okay. ¡°But it came again.¡± This was the same. Her mother had once told her to run and her great-grandfather had done the same last night. She was praised for her running, but she may no longer have anyone to give that praise. ¡­What happened to great-grandfather? She had to find out, but then she opened her eyes in the darkness. ¡°¡­¡± She took a breath inside the darkness of the futon, wiped away the tears that had appeared in the corners of her eyes, and crawled forward to leave the futon. But her head hit something hard. ¡°~ ~¡± She raised her head and the futon along with it and she found a metal window frame. She belatedly remembered she had entered the futon headfirst with the futon spread out in front of the large southern window. She turned around with the futon still on top of her and she moved to the table. During breakfast, Harakawa had said he had left the key on the table. ¡°Huh?¡± But there was no key there. She tilted her head and looked to the wall between the living room and kitchen. Perhaps as a decoration, ten or so American motorcycle license plates were placed on that wall. However, there was no key hanging on the walls or the columns. ¡°¡­?¡± She tilted her head further and stood up to check the kitchen. She folded the futon up next to the living room wall and moved swiftly while lightly wrapping her arms around her naked body. She checked on the sink, the walls, the columns, the running washing machine, and the laundry basket, but she could not find a key. ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡­Now I can¡¯t leave. She wondered what to do and brought a hand to her neck. She felt a tremble run down her back. The cause was simple. ¡­My necklace. The necklace her mother had given her was gone. She frantically checked through the laundry basket, but there was no sign of it there. She doubted Harakawa was the type to steal, so she was left with only one conclusion. ¡°I dropped it while running last night?¡± She wanted to go out and search and her thoughts raced outwards, but her clothes still needed time to dry and she did not have the key. ¡°¡­¡± Unsure what to do, she started back for the living room and recalled when she had cried because Harakawa had seen her naked. He had stayed with her until she stopped crying and he had told her she could use the bath as he left. And he had locked the door. ¡°That means he took the key with him.¡± She guessed he had forgotten to leave the key because she had confused him by crying. And as she held her body and wondered what to do, the front door opened and Harakawa stepped in. He was clearly in a bit of a rush. ¡°I forgot to leave the key. Heo, are you here?¡± He stopped speaking when he saw her. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He frowned while she gasped and froze in place. While still looking at her, he tilted his head. ¡°Why in the world are you naked in the middle of the day?¡± He then saw Heo cry for the second time that day. A few people walked in the sunlight as noon approached. The three boys and one girl moved by foot and motorcycle. A girl in a school uniform rode on the back of the motorcycle. Of the two male students walking in front of the motorcycle, the one with long hair turned around while shaking a travel bag. ¡°Kazami-san, I¡¯m amazed you found Izumo-san. How far had he drifted?¡± As they crossed the railroad track cutting across the road, Kazami replied while sitting on the back of the motorcycle. ¡°I found him being chased by sharks off of Fukushima. If he had drifted any further, he might have ended up on a route circling the Pacific. Kaku, how was the ocean?¡± ¡°When there aren¡¯t any swimsuits around, the ocean is just the ocean. I don¡¯t want to remember any of it. ¡­But anyway, aren¡¯t you on your way to Kyushu after this, Sayama, Shinjou? Should you really be running an errand for Ooki-sensei?¡± ¡°We already have a response from 4th-Gear. More importantly, I do not see why you two would come along for one of Ooki-sensei¡¯s random requests.¡± Sayama turned back toward Izumo and Kazami. He held two travel bags. ¡°Well, we can view it as the student council giving a warning to a student who is not showing up at school. It would have been nice to have the Hiba boy along after Kazami half-forced him to join as assistant treasurer. He is in the same club as Harakawa, after all.¡± ¡°It would be strange if we brought Mikage with us and Hiba said he was training with her at UCAT after earning his attendance for the day. Sibyl was very excited about finishing the armored uniform for Mikage. She¡¯s acting like she has a new little sister. It makes me feel a bit lonely,¡± said Kazami with a shrug. However, she soon gathered her eyebrows together. ¡°But that isn¡¯t the only reason we¡¯re here. UCAT¡¯s Japanese branch has received some instructions to be carried that completely ignore the fact that we¡¯re supposed to be off duty. We¡¯re to be on our guard in the Akigawa area and take Heo Thunderson into custody if we find her.¡± Sf had informed Kazami of that fact when she had arrived in the decorated lobby during mid-morning. Diana and the others had been burning straw dolls on a Buddhist altar. They claimed it was to clean up the celebration preparations, but Kazami had not understood what it meant. ¡°They probably want to make up for that Thunderson man¡¯s death a little by finding his missing great-granddaughter.¡± Kazami looked across the others and pulled a photograph from her breast pocket. It showed a blonde girl in shorts running on a track and the words ¡°Japanese UCAT Overseas Travel Department¡± were printed at the bottom. ¡°The girl in this photo ¨C that was clearly taken without her knowledge ¨C is the one who disappeared last night. But this photo isn¡¯t much to go by. I¡¯d like some more information, but it¡¯s all we have because it seems America isn¡¯t giving us anything else.¡± ¡°I hope we do find her, but when it has been this long with no word from her and no demand for a ransom, she might have been abducted and imprisoned by someone with as many odd interests as the old man.¡± ¡°I seriously doubt another abnormality like him exists. ¡­But that black mechanical dragon from last night created the concept space she escaped from, right? What was that?¡± Sayama answered by pulling some copy paper from the side pocket of one travel bag. It was a printout of the classified UCAT data Kashima had sent them that summer. He expressionlessly held the documents up toward Baku on his head. ¡°Have any of you realized that we can read more of this now? Specifically, the section on 5th-Gear. Oh, Izumo. No need to force yourself. I understand that savages have a low literacy rate.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look down on me, Sayama. I¡¯m a high-level person who learned to read ¡®women¡¯s bath¡¯ before any other Japanese term.¡± ¡°Th-that certainly is a high level of something¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to respond to those two idiots, Shinjou. Just hurry up and check the documents.¡± Kazami thought about the past as she watched Shinjou frantically read through the documents. ¡­Kaku just lied. After all, she had been the one to teach him to read Japanese. The first term she had taught him was ¡°Kaku¡± and the first one he had learned himself was ¡°Chisato¡±. It¡¯s been two years since then, she thought while the scenery ahead began to slope down. Sayama¡¯s classmate named Harakawa lived at the end of this road after an intersection with another road. She had attended elementary school next to the river down below, so it had been a while since she had seen this scenery. Once they reached the elementary school, she would be able to see her house in the residential area across the river. As Shinjou walked down the slope as if pushed along by her travel bag, she suddenly looked up from the documents. Her eyebrows were raised in surprise. ¡°Um, it¡¯s true. I can read what¡¯s written here now. That¡¯s amazing, Sayama-kun!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha! Praise me more, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Chisato, I have a feeling being able to read it has nothing to do with Sayama being amazing.¡± ¡°Shh. Receiving food from its master is one of the joys of a pet.¡± ¡°I-I am not a pet! I¡¯m the one giving him food!¡± ¡°Does that mean I am your pet, Shinjou-kun? In that case, I request that you groom me, bathe me, and let me sleep in your bed on a daily basis. How about that?¡± ¡°You should probably go ahead and get him fixed,¡± cut in Izumo. Meanwhile, Kazami took the documents from Shinjou. After taking the copy paper, she leaned forward as if to cover Izumo¡¯s back. She reached over his shoulders to hold the documents where they could both see them. ¡°Look, can you read it, Kaku?¡± ¡°Hm? Oh, a bit to the right. Good, now a little lower. Yes, right there. That puts your breasts in a nice calming- I give, I give, I give! I¡¯m gonna fall! No choking!¡± Kazami clicked her tongue and released the chokehold. She looked forward and found Sayama and Shinjou glaring at her. ¡°Pressing your breasts against him, groping, and embracing all in broad daylight? What an indecent couple.¡± ¡°A chokehold is not an embrace! And if you want to see groping, it¡¯s more like this!¡± Letting Izumo say anything more would just cause more problems, so Kazami silenced him. She flipped through the documents and indeed found the 5th-Gear investigation report to be readable. However, it was written in English. She frowned at the fact that it was not in Japanese, but then Shinjou tilted her head. ¡°Can you read it, Kazami-san? I couldn¡¯t read much.¡± ¡°Yes, not only can I perceive the writing, I can actually read it. You might not expect it, but I know English. ¡­Anyway, the report was written by Richard Thunderson. He was from American UCAT, right?¡± Shinjou looked impressed and Kazami gave a bitter smile in return. She wondered if Shinjou would think of her more as an upperclassman now. Kazami went on to read the report on 5th-Gear. ¡°5th-Gear was originally a world with two planets. It had no outer space and was surrounded by a sky filled with air.¡± Its concept of gravity made it a world of ¡°falling¡± rather than of normal gravity. A civilization of flying by falling was quickly established and people began travelling between the two planets. ¡°However, they created two powerful weapons for the Concept War. A Concept War self-defense base was created on one of the two planets and the self-evolving combat mechanical dragon named Black Sun was left there. The other planet was used to manufacture weapons and the self-evolving weather control mechanical dragon named White Creation was left there for the people who had been evacuated to there.¡± ¡°I believe this continues with a ¡®but¡¯,¡± commented Sayama. Kazami nodded. ¡°Black Sun had been ordered to fight and protect the people, but after evolving, it had doubts about how its own military base of a planet was sending those people to the battlefield. It concluded that, if the base did not exist, the people would not go to die and they would not kill the people of other Gears, so it forced the people to evacuate and destroyed the very planet it was meant to protect.¡± And¡­ ¡°Black Sun then found a way to completely end all conflict and bring peace. That was to destroy the remaining planet and the weapons it contained.¡± Shinjou gulped at what she had read, but Sayama merely nodded and spoke. ¡°The two planets were destroyed in the early stages of the Concept War. 5th-Gear became a land where the wreckage of the planets floated in a vast sky and the change in atmospheric pressure brought the people to extinction. The only way Black Sun could protect itself from the contradictory actions it had taken was to evolve into an out-of-control weapon.¡± ¡°Then the black mechanical dragon from last night was probably Black Sun, wasn¡¯t it?¡± asked Shinjou. However, Sayama lightly crossed his arms and did not nod. ¡°Is that really the best way of putting it?¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°There is an addition at the end of the report. Black Sun was destroyed off the coast of Hokkaido but escaped deep under the ocean while White Creation and the other mechanical dragons all vanished. 5th-Gear was then destroyed by Richard Thunderson.¡± Sayama tilted his head. ¡°Based on what we know, the mechanical dragon from last night was Black Sun or Tezcatlipoca from South American mythology, but it has evolved and resurrected itself after sixty years. Meanwhile, the mechanical dragon named White Creation that corresponds to Quetzalcoatl is currently missing. But where did White Creation and the others go and how did Thunderson-san bring about 5th-Gear¡¯s destruction. Both of those mysteries remain.¡± Kazami suddenly recalled a certain fact. ¡°Do you think 5th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core is inside those two mechanical dragons? Half of it is said to be stored in UCAT as a powerful weapon, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°But is that powerful weapon a mechanical dragon?¡± asked Shinjou. ¡°If it was, wouldn¡¯t they just call it one?¡± ¡°In that case, there may have been something more to 5th-Gear than just those two mechanical dragons,¡± said Sayama. ¡°Hmm,¡± thought Kazami while cheerfully thinking how much more fun a conversation was with plenty of people. ¡°But who are we supposed to hold 5th-Gear¡¯s Leviathan Road with?¡± ¡°The old man refused to tell me that. I think he plans to tell us once the negotiations with 4th are complete. It may be with the weapon held by UCAT or White Creation may still live. He said Thunderson-san was to be involved in 5th¡¯s Leviathan Road, so it is also possible American UCAT¡¯s inspector will guide us to our negotiation partner.¡± Sayama remained expressionless. ¡°But American UCAT has remained silent ever since sending their temporary inspectors. ¡­What do you think about that?¡± ¡°It sounds dangerous to me. Thunderson-san was supposed to be cooperative as one of the Eight Great Dragon Kings, but can we say the same for the temporary inspectors American UCAT has chosen?¡± ¡°If Thunderson-san had lived, we would have known everything including why he had come to Japan, but that cannot be changed now.¡± After everyone exchanged a glance and nodded, Kazami shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s just so much to worry about. For one, we don¡¯t know where the other half of 5th¡¯s Concept Core is. If the black mechanical dragon named Black Sun has it, it might have recovered its strength by the next time we see it.¡± Shinjou also shrugged and she opened her mouth with a relaxed expression. ¡°But that footage your transport plane took showed the mechanical dragon was over three hundred meters long. ¡­If we fought that, it would be like a monster movie. Sayama-kun, you know about monster movies, right? They have those huge monsters like Whalerilla which was a combination of a whale and a gorilla to symbolize its strength.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. It¡¯s time you came back from the past, Shinjou-kun. Later, I will show you a mysterious movie in which the piano wire is not visible at all. It is even on a black disk that resembles a CD.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, Sayama-kun. Stop trying to trick me. A movie would never fit on something like a CD. You need something as long and thick as a tape.¡± ¡°Sayama,¡± said Kazami in exasperation. ¡°As her roommate, you need to teach Shinjou more about the modern age.¡± Kazami then looked forward. They had reached the end of the downward slope and the four lanes of Old Itsukaichi Road cut across in front of them. The narrow road they were on continued straight on after the intersection. ¡°Harakawa-kun lives in the old apartment building at the end there, right?¡± asked Shinjou. Suddenly, Baku looked up from Sayama¡¯s head. Kazami saw the creature look at the documents in her hand. ¡°Hm?¡± She tilted her head and Baku did so as well. A moment later, the past opened up before her eyes. Shinjou found herself in a dimly-lit space. Her experiences immediately told her she was in the past. ¡­But when in the past? No one was going to answer her question, so she looked around in search of the answer. It was a large concrete space that measured one hundred meters in each direction. She saw small lights installed on the walls, pillars with cranes and winches installed near the walls, and large boxes filled with tools. In addition to that, several large objects were visible in the space. ¡­Fighter planes with propellers? The floor in the back was sloped and she saw a shutter for heading up and out. She belatedly realized the space had no windows. ¡°This is an underground hangar.¡± Once she made that realization, she looked to the airplanes. They were all smaller than the fighters and transport planes she had seen on UCAT¡¯s runway and their emblems were not all the same. Some said Izumo Company, some said US-UCAT, and others said GER-UCAT or CHI-UCAT. She could think of only one place all those would have gathered. ¡°Japanese UCAT after the war. This is in Sayama-kun¡¯s grandfather¡¯s time.¡± But why am I being shown this past? she wondered while tilting her non-existent head. She tried walking from the wall left of the exit to the opposite metal wall. ¡°Huh?¡± She found something strange at the bottom of the metal wall before her. They were blades. A mechanical component the size of a small car had three blades extending from it. Each blade was thicker and longer than her own body, they were white, and they reflected the dim light coming from the wall. ¡°Claws?¡± She took a quick step back which expanded her field of vision and she looked up at what she had assumed was a wall. She found it was actually a dragon. It was a mechanical dragon. The blue and white mechanical dragon sat on a large transportation pallet. It was so large that she could only call it gigantic. It was over three times as long as the fighters and she guessed it was at least thirty meters. It was hunkered down so it just barely fit below the ceiling, but nothing could be done about its length. It looked like it was simply sitting still so as not to be in the way. ¡­What is this mechanical dragon? She had heard that American UCAT had been researching mechanical dragons as far back as before World War Two and that they could currently deploy them for combat. However, the mechanical dragon before her eyes looked like it was from an entirely different civilization than the airplanes next to it. Its moving parts were made large yet complexly, the armor appeared to cling to it rather than being riveted on, and there was no sign of any part having been welded. ¡°What is this?¡± She then noticed a man was sitting on the floor near what appeared to be the dragon¡¯s face. He had blond hair and blue eyes, he held a bottle of yellow liquid in his right hand, and he spoke while facing the dragon. ¡°So when you get down to it, what are you?¡± Shinjou¡¯s mind heard the answer. The answer came in the form of sound. ¡°I do not know. I simply found myself flying through the sky in this body.¡± The sound was produced from the mechanical dragon¡¯s throat. ¡­He¡¯s talking with the dragon. Shinjou had her mind run over to the two of them. Um, she thought as she tried to figure out where to stop. She chose the airplane next to them and stopped below the upwards-curving wing of the propeller plane. She sat her mind down on the landing tire. She faced forward as the dragon continued speaking to the man. ¡°At first, I did not know who I was. I only knew that I was flying through the sky. No, I did not even have the word ¡®sky¡¯ back then, so I was flying through empty space. As I flew, I found others like me and managed to speak with them. Once we were able to look at each other, we realized something.¡± The dragon raised its head slightly, opened the windshield, and exposed the empty cockpit. ¡°Our heads are empty.¡± ¡°Sounds like a horror story.¡± ¡°I do not know the meaning of that term. ¡­But as we investigated, we managed to operate the structures inside us and found that our bodies would move on their own. The one being experimented on suddenly took off at full speed and caused a fair bit of damage.¡± ¡°Sounds like you were pretty reckless. A lot like we used to be.¡± The man laughed a bit and the dragon lowered its head. ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± ¡°Oh, so you understand laughter? ¡­I wasn¡¯t laughing at you. I was laughing at my old memories. I call them old, but it was only a year ago.¡± ¡°So short-lived races refer to recent events as ¡®old¡¯.¡± ¡°Will that help you understand this world? Anyway, how did the investigation of yourselves go?¡± ¡°Well, we guessed that something was meant to fill that empty space and pilot us. That meant we were meant to be used and our masters were gone for some reason.¡± ¡°Gone?¡± ¡°We quickly found the reason. There were small pieces of rock floating in the air that we would use to rest on, but the observations taken by my many companions allowed us to guess that they had originally been one single object. Most likely, the place in which our masters lived was destroyed and only we remained.¡± ¡°And what destroyed that place?¡± ¡°We do not know the details, but an enemy soon appeared. It was a black dragon much larger than us. He attacked and shot down a few of us. However, a giant white dragon quickly appeared to help us.¡± Once the dragon finished speaking, Shinjou heard another sound. The man grabbed the bottle sitting next to him and brought it to his mouth. As the contents foamed, he spoke. ¡°Sorry. I got some answers I expected and some I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°What is that liquid?¡± ¡°It¡¯s made by fermenting grains such as wheat. Have you never heard of alcohol?¡± ¡°I have heard it is a combustible compound. It must function as your fuel. How very interesting.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just leave it at that and continue. So what was that giant white dragon?¡± ¡°He called himself White Creation and told us to take identifiers that indicated why we existed. In other words, names. Thunderson, these were the same as the series of sounds and letters that you use.¡± The man, Thunderson, brought the bottle to his mouth again and then rested his chin on his hand. ¡°Did your names give you power? Do you have a concept like 2nd-Gear?¡± ¡°No, that is not what they were for. They were to distinguish between our existences and our roles. We are machines meant to be used, so our masters give us identifiers to tell us apart and they give us permission to make full use of our abilities. But without any masters, we are given no names and we cannot release the limits on our abilities. However, we wished to avoid destruction,¡± said the dragon. ¡°Both Black Sun and White Creation had been given names by our lost masters, but they were no longer around to give us names. That was why White Creation used his power to open a gate to this world.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± said Thunderson as he held out his left palm and looked directly at the mechanical dragon. ¡°So you were given names by¡­?¡± ¡°By the people of this world, yes. Using your units, I believe it was over 1500 years ago. I could not grasp the pronunciation perfectly, but I chose the name Xolotl for myself. It was this world¡¯s word for the Evening Star. This makes my third time to be restored, so I now go by Xolotl 3.¡± ¡°Have you been fighting all this time?¡± ¡°Yes, but Black Sun is stubborn. He and White Creation both possess a half of our world¡¯s Concept Core. When we corner him, he flees to this world.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°When half of the Concept Core is lost, the world is destroyed. In the instant Black Sun leaves, our world begins to crumble and we must end our pursuit.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°That is what?¡± Thunderson looked up at the ceiling as he spoke. ¡°James was right. That thing is being pursued by all of you, so it distracts itself by hunting the weak here and then returns to your world before it¡¯s destroyed, right?¡± ¡°Have you met Black Sun?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to catch up.¡± ¡°That is for the best,¡± said Xolotl 3 quietly. Thunderson frowned, but the dragon continued. ¡°You must have concluded that your world¡¯s technology cannot stand up to Black Sun.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Richard Thunderson, I made a few mistakes on my way here. My first was when I fought Black Sun six years ago and was shot down in this world. My second was being captured here and yet remaining behind and protecting the people here from that sudden concept battle that occurred when you brought me back to my crash site.¡± And¡­ ¡°I assisted you on the advice of 3rd-Gear¡¯s Rhea and placed this world¡¯s ¡®mankind¡¯ within the effective scope of my name.¡± ¡°The effective scope of your name?¡± ¡°That means the power I can use by the name of the Evening Star applies to you as well as my companions. And with that said, I still say that you cannot stand up to Black Sun.¡± ¡°Are you saying you can?¡± The blue and white dragon moved in response to Thunderson¡¯s question. It raised its body a little and produced the sound of moving metal. It revealed something below its belly. It was a long white cannon installed as if the dragon were carrying it in its arms. ¡°This is my personal weapon that can only be installed on me. To use your country¡¯s current language, it would be named the Vesper Cannon. According to White Creation, it is the only weapon that can directly pierce Black Sun¡¯s armor on its own.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°For some reason, this world has no concept power and I thus cannot refine fuel from the air. I was finally able to accumulate enough fuel to fly with Rhea¡¯s help, but my companions have surely been fighting in their own names the entire time. The time for me to fly is approaching and I will bring you to 5th-Gear, Thunderson.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°When you see the state of 5th-Gear, you will see what it means to make Black Sun your enemy. But do not worry. We will surely destroy Black Sun and then we must part ways until our world is destroyed.¡± The dragon faced Thunderson with white light in the sight devices that acted as eyes. ¡°When we first met, you ignored me when I asked if you were here to get information from me. You instead carried my pallet out under the blue sky and simply read a book. Why did you do that?¡± ¡°Hah. No real reason. Back then, I thought I might be able to use you to defeat Black Sun, but when I saw you, I realized you weren¡¯t something that should be chained up in here.¡± ¡°An excellent decision.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why I decided to let you do what you wanted. At the very least, I wouldn¡¯t keep my mechanical dragon holed up in a hangar if it had a mind of its own. So are we gonna go, Xolotl 3?¡± ¡°I do not yet have the power needed to pass through the gate, but once I do, I will go ahead, receive permission from my companions, and then return for you. If you then find records of 5th-Gear, we will go even further ahead. To use the phrase the one named Sayama taught me, I believe we are on our way to the destination of our resolve.¡± Shinjou heard a bitter laugh and her vision grew dark. The past was beginning to end. She sat up from the landing leg she had been sitting on and she looked at Thunderson. ¡­Huh? She noticed something strange about the bottle in his right hand. He had brought it to his mouth a few times during the conversation. ¡°But the amount inside hasn¡¯t changed.¡± He was only pretending to drink and she closed her mental eyes as she wondered why. ¡­There must be something. Something that he would have been unable to say or unable to keep quiet if he had not been pretending to do so. As she realized she had done the same thing in the past, her mind fell into darkness. A moment later, the past ended. Volume 8, 6: Door of Misapprehension Volume 8, Chapter 6: Door of Misapprehension Something is coming It is based in misunderstanding But it brings the truth closer Harakawa faced the futon in the living room. It was curled up like a turtle on the tatami mat floor and a blonde girl¡¯s head was sticking out. ¡°How long are you going to do this, Heo Thunderson?¡± ¡°Until my clothes dry.¡± He noticed a small bit of strength in her voice. After he had returned, she had jumped into the futon and had been crying for about ten minutes now. It had been plenty of time for him to realize what it meant for the washing machine to have entered the spin cycle. ¡­I can¡¯t tell if she¡¯s considerate, unrestrained, or just stupid. As he thought, he saw her raise her head. Her eyebrows were slightly lowered, but there were no more tears in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said weakly. ¡°I¡¯m just being a bother, so I¡¯ll leave once my clothes dry.¡± ¡°As long as you understand. I really do have to get to school.¡± He stood up, removed the apartment key from his motorcycle keychain, and placed it on the living room table. As he did, the stones making up his bracelet clacked together. ¡°Ah,¡± said Heo. ¡°Um, Harakawa?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Did you happen to see a necklace made of stones like that?¡± He thought about what she meant. He had seen nothing of the sort when he had taken her in last night, he had not seen it when removing her clothes and dressing her, and he had not found it when searching her pockets for some kind of identification. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t see anything like that. Do you want this?¡± ¡°N-no, that isn¡¯t what I meant,¡± she said. ¡°But I got it from my mother.¡± ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s the same as me.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She tilted her head and he showed her his bracelet. ¡°My mother makes these as a hobby. She always loved these kinds of crafts and she seems to think of them like protective charms. If yours is the same¡­¡± He was going to say ¡°I hope you find it¡±, but he swallowed the words. ¡­Why am I getting even more involved? ¡°¡­¡± He stood up without saying a word more, turned his back to Heo, and began to leave the living room. He suddenly found himself curious about the look on her face behind him. ¡­What a lovely story. He only now realized this was much like taking in a cat. He did not know what she was thinking, but she would cause problems when he was careless and escape to some comfortable place if he was more cautious. He gathered his thoughts, and asked a question with his back turned. ¡°What were you running from last night?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, that was¡­well¡­a demon.¡± I see, he thought while finally making up his mind. She really is a dangerous girl. If she were a cat, this was like taking in one with distemper. He had carelessly given her food that morning, he had given her the bath for grooming, and she had now taken the sleeping space for herself, but he would do nothing else for her. If she had given a different answer to his question, he might have brought her to the police for help, but he could only sigh and leave the living room. He then heard the futon move behind him. He turned and saw Heo with the futon gathered around her like a gown. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Oh, uh, I thought I would see you off.¡± ¡°Just stay there,¡± he replied with a frown. But then a sudden knock came to the front door and a boy¡¯s sharp voice entered the room. ¡°Dan Harakawa! We have your apartment surrounded from a single direction! Come out this very instant!¡± ¡°S-Sayama-kun, that doesn¡¯t count as being surrounded.¡± ¡°We are simply using different definitions, Shinjou-kun. ¡­Okay, Harakawa. Hurry on out. If you do not, I will greet you! Good morning, commoners!!! Oh, no. I have such a superhuman love of people that I greeted the entire public rather than just you. What am I doing!?¡± ¡­An idiot has arrived. Once he came to that single realization, Harakawa emptied his mind of thought. Several problems had just occurred at the same moment and he would panic if he tried to think about them all at once. He had two primary things to think about: the idiot outside the door and Heo. Heo was currently giving him a confused look. ¡°Um, Harakawa? My Japanese isn¡¯t good enough to understand what that person is saying.¡± ¡°That proves that your Japanese is excellent, Heo Thunderson.¡± Harakawa recalled a dangerous fact about his return to the apartment. ¡­I was only going to return the key, so I didn¡¯t lock the door. Just as he cursed his carelessness, he heard another voice from outside. ¡°Huh? Harakawa-kun, the door isn¡¯t locked.¡± ¡°Hey, wait, Chisato. It looks like the door¡¯s open. Stop preparing to break it down with a flying kick.¡± ¡°Eh? I-I wasn¡¯t preparing for anything. I just wanted to practice my running start.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. At any rate, we have quite a careless boy on our hands. We need to do the considerate thing and drag him out.¡± ¡­You¡¯re coming in? And why are the student council president and treasurer here too? Harakawa gave a shout to hold them off and buy some time. ¡°I¡¯m just about to leave! Don¡¯t come in!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Did you hear that, Shinjou-kun? Harakawa just lied.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just assume that without question!!¡± He had two options: lock the door now, or¡­ ¡°H-Harakawa, if they come in, they¡¯ll see me naked.¡± ¡­Or hide this girl. He had no idea what would happen if it came out that he was late for school because he had a naked blonde girl in his apartment. The Weekly Rose Taka had been doing quite well recently and had increased its copies sold within the school with an extra edition dedicated to scandals. The safest option was to lock the door and hide Heo somewhere before they broke through the lock. However, his options were instantly cut in half. The doorknob had been turned. ¡°¡­!¡± Rather than making an actual decision, his reflexes kicked in and he picked Heo up. ¡°Eh? Ah¡­hyan!¡± With a weak cry, she pulled back her shoulders and the futon fell away. ¡°Moron! Don¡¯t drop it!¡± ¡°B-but you grabbed me in a place that¡¯s sensitive thanks to that strange shampoo.¡± He tried not to think about what that meant as he ran across the room with her in his arms. He reached the closet on the west side of the living room, opened the sliding door with his foot, and set his sights on the bottom shelf. It contained a spare futon and¡­ ¡°There are snacks in the back, so eat something.¡± He tossed Heo inside and she gave another shriek. ¡°Wh-what are you doing?¡± Before he could answer, the front door opened. At the same time, he closed the sliding closet door. The sound of the sliding door hitting the column and the sound of the student council members stepping inside occurred simultaneously. Silence then fell. He turned and did indeed see those four famous students standing in his front door. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Shinjou nodded while holding a travel bag in one hand. ¡°Ooki-sensei says you need to attend class.¡± ¡°I was just about to leave. Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m wearing my uniform?¡± ¡°Harakawa, can you prove that is not a school uniform style of pajamas?¡± ¡°Sayama, can you prove you are not completely insane for asking that?¡± Hearing that, Shinjou hung her head. ¡°No, he can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. You are exactly right, Shinjou-kun. Harakawa cannot prove those clothes are not pajamas.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t replying to you!!¡± Harakawa relaxed his shoulders. ¡­So it¡¯s only a pointless visit. As soon as he realized that, Kazami spoke. ¡°Was there someone in here? I thought I heard people speaking.¡± Izumo then asked a question of Harakawa who stood motionless in front of the closet¡¯s sliding door. ¡°And when we came in¡­Harakawa, was it? Anyway, did you throw something in there that looked a lot like a person?¡± Sweat slowly appeared on Harakawa¡¯s back. ¡­This is dangerous. He then heard a whispering voice from beyond the sliding door. ¡°U-um, Harakawa. It¡¯s dark in here. Hot and stuffy, too.¡± He ignored her. She was whispering, so she seemed to understand why he had thrown her in there. She would also be hesitant to leave because she was naked. The current problem was how to escape the fact that they had seen her. ¡°That was¡­¡± He thought, but there was not much that was human-sized and human-colored. ¡­Not much other than an actual human. Just as he thought it was hopeless, he heard Sayama¡¯s voice. ¡°I seriously doubt it, but was it a life-sized figure?¡± He just barely kept himself from calling Sayama an idiot and instead nodded. ¡°What if it was?¡± ¡°There is nothing wrong with it. Everyone has their own preferences, after all. I have been thinking about making one myself.¡± ¡°What kind of one?¡± ¡°One of Shinjou-kun, of course.¡± He looked over and saw Shinjou blushing and saying, ¡°Eh? Really?¡± After seeing those two eccentric boys, he relaxed a little. ¡­I see. The group here was apparently even more unusual than he had thought. Even if he had made a life-sized figure, it was still on too small a scale to match them. But Kazami destroyed that relaxation. ¡°Then why did I hear talking?¡± Harakawa groaned. This was a second crisis and he could not talk his way out of it this time. A conversation was more than enough to prove that he was hiding a person. What do I do? he asked himself. Should I bring Heo out and tell the truth? And should I tell them I¡¯m not sure what to do about it either? ¡­What do I do!? He clenched his teeth and saw Izumo crouch down, tilt his head, and whisper to Kazami. ¡°Hey, Chisato. You should probably stop that. I bet he¡¯s a sad kind of person who talks to his dolls like Old Man Ooshiro.¡± For the second time, Harakawa had to stop himself from calling someone an idiot, but he also felt it would be for the best if they settled on that. ¡°And look carefully, Chisato,¡± continued Izumo. ¡°There¡¯s a futon in the middle of the living room, right? He must¡¯ve been using the doll to¡­y¡¯know.¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re right, Kaku.¡± Kazami whispered back, glanced toward the kitchen, and quickly looked away. She pulled Izumo¡¯s collar closer and whispered some more. ¡°Hey, Kaku. Look in the kitchen but make sure he doesn¡¯t notice. A girl¡¯s clothes and underwear are drying in there. They must be for dressing it up. ¡­I really shouldn¡¯t have expected a normal person to be Sayama¡¯s friend.¡± ¡°Y¡¯know¡­¡± Shinjou joined in the whispering and looked troubled. ¡°I¡¯m really surprised that Harakawa-kun is into that kind of thing. B-but I guess everyone is entitled to their personal preferences.¡± ¡­I never thought I¡¯d be hearing that from you. However, that used up everything they could use to question him further. Feeling mentally exhausted, he left the closet door. He now had to drive them out as quickly as possible. To pretend nothing was out of the ordinary, he picked up the fallen futon and slowly folded it. As he did, he glanced over at the others. ¡°Get out already. I¡¯ll be right to school.¡± ¡°Oh, we do not mind waiting here, Harakawa. Also, your laundry has yet to dry and the washing machine is still spinning. If we let you use that as an excuse to skip school, we would be unable to look Ooki-sensei in the eye.¡± Harakawa glared at Sayama¡¯s expressionless face. ¡°Do not worry about us,¡± continued the boy. ¡°If you can give us some tea, that will suffice.¡± Heo crouched down in the darkness. This isn¡¯t good. This isn¡¯t good, she thought twice while holding her knees. She did not like or dislike the darkness, but she did not much like being thrown into it against her will. She had never been punished like that even when she had done something wrong. She would instead be thrown outside and she would have no choice but to run through the fields for fun. In her memories, contrails always filled the sky. Her mother had only ever told her that her father was a pilot. That had been long ago when she had still been in Japan, but she had very few memories of that time. ¡­What am I supposed to do? Outside the closet, Harakawa was speaking with the friends who had arrived. The conversation had a dangerous edge to it that had been absent when he had spoken with her. She found it nice to be able to sense his emotions. She could tell he was trying to get rid of her, but she also wished there was some kind of feeling behind it. ¡­That¡¯s asking for too much. Not even she could believe what had happened the night before, but he had heard her out and accepted that something had happened. She told herself that was enough. However, it was hot. It may have been due to the sun coming out, her own body temperature, the enclosed space, or a combination of them all, but it was horribly hot and stuffy in the closet. She curiously touched the futon below her butt and found it was damp with sweat. I wonder if he¡¯ll scold me, she thought while shrinking back. When she pressed her back against the back of the closet, she could tell her sweat was soaking into the thin wooden wall. It was a little hard to breath. This isn¡¯t good, she thought again while noticing her throat felt a bit dry. ¡­But if I left, it would cause trouble for Harakawa. She had already caused him enough trouble and he had been fairly considerate, so she had to endure for the moment. Still, it was hot, so she closed her eyes and let out a breath. She held her own body, gathered the sweat between her fingers, and moved it down her skin. She felt as if something were rolling down her side and waist. It tickled. ¡°Nn¡­¡± She let out a voice and she heard speaking outside the closet. ¡°Huh? Did you just hear a strange voice, Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°I assumed you made it, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡­O-oh, no. She shrank back further, her pulse quickened bit, and she had even more difficulty breathing. She had not done anything, and yet sweat poured down her forehead. This isn¡¯t good, she thought a third time. She had worked up a sweat running last night and now this. She felt her body was starting to sweat more easily. In school, she had learned that Japan had a warm and damp climate. She had also learned Japan¡¯s famous giant Buddha statues were mostly half naked because the country was as hot and humid as a sauna. And in health class, she had learned that people died when they lost an extreme amount of water. ¡­Will I die if this keeps up? She wanted hydration, so she wished she could have absorbed the shower water like a plant. Or perhaps she should have drunk the water. ¡°¡­¡± She suddenly groped around in the hopes of finding something. She found a shelf along the closet wall. A large shelf covered the entire wall and it contained lots of paperback books, but she did not need them now. However, she did wonder why they were there. As she wondered and continued searching, she felt a slightly hard bag below the shelf. She realized it contained junk food and a possible flavor came to mind. ¡­My throat. Thinking of the famous super-spicy flavor named ¡°My Saltiness¡± had been a mistake. She had once had a horrible experience when her great-grandfather had bought it as a joke. She wondered if there was anything to drink. Harakawa had said she could eat something, so if there were drinks to go with it¡­ ¡°¡­¡± She found it. She stopped breathing for a moment when she felt the metal can between the bags of junk food. It was a 350 mL can of something. The shape told her it was a drink and not boiled mackerels, sardines in oil, or spam. ¡­Thank goodness. She held the can in both hands and curled up against the wall. She lowered her head in silent thanks and slowly tugged on the pull-tab. To muffle the noise as much as possible, she folded up an edge of the futon and pressed the can against it as she opened it. The quiet sound of carbonation was enough for her to feel the refreshment, so she smiled in the darkness. She then realized her smile was tilting. ¡­Ah. She was losing her balance. Her dehydration was catching up to her, so her body was not working properly. Oh, no, she thought. She wanted to leave today, hopefully find the necklace her mother had given her, and head to the station, but she could not do any of it if she collapsed again. ¡­And I¡¯ll cause more trouble for Harakawa. She hung her head and forcibly shook it. She decided to drink. The flavor of the drink would likely focus her and hydrating herself would steady her and allow her to leave. She brought the can to her mouth and drank. ¡°¡­¡± Her throat told her it was very bitter and she almost choked. ¡°¡­¡± She held her throat and gulped. After letting out a slow breath, she looked at the can in her hands. She could not see it well in the darkness, but she knew what the contents tasted like. ¡­What is this incredibly bitter carbonated drink? At a school she had transferred to before, she had drunk some soda water to help loosen her throat before a choir recital. It had been flavorless but had stung her throat. The ginger ale she had drunk at a gas station while moving to a new home with her great-grandfather had had a rocky flavor that was almost spicy. However, this strange bitterness was different from both of those. What is it? What is it? she thought twice. Harakawa was only a little older than her, so she doubted his sense of taste was all that different from hers. She also doubted a canned drink could go bad, so she tried another sip. ¡­It really is bitter. It tasted the same as before. She wondered if there were any other drinks, but Harakawa probably would not like it if she opened another without finishing this one. She felt it was her responsibility, so she took another drink. It was bitter and it smelled like medicine when she brought it under her nose. ¡­B-but it isn¡¯t so bad I can¡¯t drink it. It was better than collapsing, so she slowly drank it. The closet was still hot and she had been sweating quite a lot since she had started on the drink. She guessed the liquid had allowed her body to relax and let out the sweat. Her pulse sounded loud too, but she guessed that was due to the heat. She knew she had to get more liquid inside her, so she endured the bitterness and drank more from the can. After leaving only a third of the contents, she lost to the carbonation and removed the can from her mouth. ¡­It¡¯s so hot. However, she was not referring to the general temperature. When she felt her forehead, she found sweat and heat. ¡­Oh, no. She did not know what was happening, but she had been sweating an awful lot and she was finding it even harder to breath. She wondered if she was sick. No matter how many times she thought ¡°this isn¡¯t good¡±, it was not going to help. Harakawa was still speaking with his friends outside the closet. When she realized his voice was not directed at her, tears suddenly spilled from her eyes. ¡­I can¡¯t. To suppress her voice, she brought the can back to her mouth. She drank more, but the heat did not leave her. Her entire body felt warm and sweaty. ¡°Nn¡­¡± No longer able to resist, she collapsed. She rotated her body slowly and silently and she took a crawling position on top of the futon. The movement spilled the gathered sweat from her back, her hips, and between her thighs. She realized this was not normal and wondered if her repeated dehydrations had messed something up. ¡­Am I done for? She propped herself up on her elbows and drank the rest of the can to get the last bit of liquid from it. She had done everything she could, so she let out a fairly rough breath and let air in between her body and the futon by spreading her knees and lifting her butt. She pressed her face against the futon to muffle her heavy breathing and she clenched the futon cover with both hands to put up with the oppressive heat. ¡°Nn¡­¡± She gently twisted her body and felt her consciousness slipping away. ¡­No. Her knowledge of wintertime mountain-climbing told her going to sleep meant death, but she still closed her eyes. She then heard a voice outside the closet. It was Harakawa¡¯s voice and it seemed they had been discussing their work schedules. ¡°Sayama, you work part-time in Okutama, right? Your job¡¯s related to IAI, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, Shinjou-kun and the two behind me work at the same place.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m interested in a department or something called UCAT. Ever heard of it?¡± Even as she sank into her pounding pulse and sweat, Heo¡¯s mind snapped into focus when she heard that question. ¡­Harakawa. She was relieved that he was trying to help her and the answer came after a short pause. ¡°Yes, I have. Let us just say it is one of the workplaces within IAI there. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Oh, I just have something to deliver there. It¡¯s for my job.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± replied the other voice. Heo breathed a mental sigh of relief. ¡­Everything will be okay. She had a feeling she had heard someone say something similar recently, but she slowly fell asleep before she could remember where. The ocean looked black from up in the vast blue sky. A single giant object was located in that sky. It had a long body made of black steel, it bent its body, and it used its giant wings to fly. Rather than simply drifting, it actively slipped into the wind and would occasionally have fun by accelerating and breaking through the air. It was a giant black mechanical dragon. It had a certain thought while gazing upon the blue sky. ¡­The sky is so vast. It did not know how long it had been doing this. Its memories began when it had suddenly found itself doing this. It did not even know its name. Perhaps it would be better to say I do not remember my name, it thought while flying. It willfully flapped its metal wings to strike the heavy air and ascend. As its giant body rose above the clouds, it thought some more. ¡­Such a lovely sky. It remembered almost nothing about itself, but it had a few sensations that were not quite vague memories. One of those was the sensation of the sky. The sky that faintly remained in its mind had not had the expanses of water and land below it like this one did. Or maybe it had. It could not remember. However, it had a feeling it had flown through a sky that continued without end. ¡°¡­¡± Either way, flying was a good thing. This sky was blue and it would turn scarlet and darken at set intervals. During the dark times, many specks of light were visible overhead. It had once continued to ascend in order to determine what those specks were, but it had been unable to reach them. Its propulsion device functioned by perceiving forward as down and then falling. Its wings were used for control and acceleration, but its functions seemed to be limited such that it could not fly in a space without air. After ascending to a certain point during that attempt, the force it normally felt on its wings had vanished and it had suddenly felt like it was not flying. That had been boring, so it had quit. It wondered if it would eventually be able to make that journey and enjoy the flight. It knew that it evolved. It evolved by strengthening while remaining itself and remaining metal. It used the surrounding compounds to refine the same material it was made of and use that material to increase its own size. It made high-speed calculations to design efficient parts for itself and then remade itself accordingly. It could add weapons or anything else. The process could also be described as making active improvements. When it had first woken up, it had found the bottom of the ocean before its eyes. The extreme pressure of the water had left it unable to move and it had certainly never thought about flying. It had been injured. Or perhaps ¡°damaged¡± was the better word. Most of the damage had healed while it slept, but a few areas had not been fixed. To see what kind of parts those would be once they were fixed, it had sent extra power to them. The parts had moved. It had then realized it was a moving being. The first part it had realized was a part of its body and moved was its front right leg. While it had gone on to move other parts, it had learned how to swim through the water by observing the small animals around it. Once it had left the water¡¯s ceiling, it had found itself floating in the air. It had wondered what was going on and the previously useless parts on its back had opened up. They had revealed themselves to be wings. It had realized the opened wings were steadying its position in the air and the rest had gone smoothly. It had flown freely through the sky to test itself and it had evolved under the extreme pressure of the deep sea. It had continued that powerful evolution as if it were its duty and that evolution had been focused on two things: the ability to fly freely and the ability to fight. Its enemy was clear. Among the moving creatures on this world¡¯s land was a false humanity. It had a definition for ¡°human¡± in its mind, so it had to have had some kind of relationship with them in the past. However, it thought of the ones in this world as fakes. It had one major reason for this. It believed humanity had been destroyed. That fact was burned strongly into its faint memories. There was clearly something wrong if the people had not been destroyed. It did not know why it could be so sure of something from a fragment of a memory, but it knew how it had once felt about humanity. They had been important and it had wanted to protect them. And it had another thought: it felt so strongly about humans and it was still alive, so surely the real humans were still alive somewhere. It thought there had to be something that would make them appear before it again. But what would that be? ¡°¡­¡± It wanted to protect the humans, but those humans were gone and fake humans filled the world. That led it to a certain conclusion. If it were to remove those fake humans and create a place for the real humans, would the real humans come to where it was so it could protect them again? Would they praise it for having prepared a world for them and waiting for them? ¡°¡­¡± It flew through the sky. It wanted the time for the black sky to arrive. Black was its own color. It was a color of nothingness, the color of its powerful armor, and the color of the deep sea where it had awoken. It would use that color to remove the fake humans and it would evolve and prepare to fight. It desired the evolution of its black wings so it could search for the real humans. It had started to detect a nostalgic scent recently. That scent had also appeared once before it had fully awoken, but it was much stronger now. The previous night had been especially amazing. While flying over the water while the sky was black, that scent had filled the air. It had been so very nostalgic. It had flown toward the scent and found the eastern side of a nearby archipelago. A small concept space had been set up there, it had altered the space to its own liking in order to hide itself, and it had found a man inside. The old man of the fake humans had desired to fight and it had responded in kind. After exchanging a single blow each, the man had ceased to function. The old man had smiled. It did not know the meaning of that smile, but it had understood what he had said as they fought. ¡°Black Sun.¡± It knew the name the man had spoken. That name had been in its faint memories, but it had not known to whom it referred and the name had been left undefined. The nostalgic scent had then vanished. It did not know if the scent had vanished because the old man had stopped moving or if the scent had left to go elsewhere. More importantly, an even greater nostalgic scent had pressed in and drowned out the previous one. An intense sense of nostalgia had washed over it. The scent had come from the west of the island that it had landed on that night and that was located next to the ocean it always slept in. Once its evolution had settled in, it knew it had to visit that place. It more or less knew what the scent was. It was the scent of the world it had been born in and it was the scent of whatever had once destroyed it and put it to sleep. ¡°¡­!¡± It roared. It raised its wings, lifted the body surrounded by its armor, and roared into the sky. It felt nothing could stand up to it now. It evolved without hesitation and desired to fight. And it was all for the faint memories inside itself. Volume 8, 7: Departing Pace Volume 8, Chapter 7: Departing Pace You are waiting For someone to stand beside you A large space filled four or five stories of a building. It was twenty meters wide and over one hundred meters long, it was air conditioned, and it was lit. Customers with travel bags walked along the tile floor that reflected the lights on the high ceiling. It was an airport. The front of the airport spelled out Narita in the English alphabet. It handled domestic flights and was currently in the slow period of midday. Many pre-autumn travelers and office workers on business trips had left the entrance during the morning, but now the airport was simply gathering the afternoon customers as if taking a breather. Amid those customers was a boy in a blue suit who held two bags. He was Sayama. He stood by the wall near the restroom next to the entrance. He checked the watch on his right wrist and the hands indicated it was 12:10. ¡°Our flight to Kyushu leaves at 1:10, so we need to enter the lobby before long.¡± However, Shinjou was not leaving the restroom. He of course assumed she had her reasons and he folded his arms along with Baku on his head. ¡°Well, there is no need to rush. Izumo, Kazami, and the others can handle the rest, so we only need to visit the 4th-Gear reservation in Kyushu.¡± They had remained in Harakawa¡¯s apartment until noon approached, but they had been unable to dislodge him from his room before they had to leave. He had insisted he had preparations to take care of, but Sayama had other suspicions. ¡­Heo Thunderson is undoubtedly there. He did not know why she was there, but the various pieces of evidence they had seen in his apartment, the mention of UCAT, and his continued refusal to leave had settled the matter. He had informed Kazami of his suspicion and it turned out she had been thinking the same thing. ¡­So she will be monitoring Harakawa¡¯s apartment with Izumo. However, there was one thing Sayama did not understand. If his suspicion proved accurate, why was Harakawa hiding Heo Thunderson? His thoughts soon turned in a direction he found unlikely. ¡°Could he have abducted her? It would be unfortunate to find one of our classmates is a sexual criminal.¡± But I need to trust my classmate, he thought while saving the number for Akigawa¡¯s police department in his phone. He sighed and checked his watch again. Five minutes had passed since last time. ¡­It has been fifteen minutes since Shinjou-kun entered the restroom. She had told him to wait here and she must have been in a hurry because her face had been flushed and she had brought her bag with her. Fifteen minutes had passed since then, but there was still no sign of her. A few businessmen in suits had entered in that time, but they had all soon exited. Sayama thought while nodding to one of those men who left with a quick pace. ¡­Are the Japanese in too much of a hurry these days? His grandfather had once told him people needed to slow down a little. Sayama had opted to help in that matter by nailing the door shut in seventeen different places when his grandfather had entered the restroom, but when he had returned from the bookstore, he had found a human-shaped hole in the door. That was when Sayama had realized that slowing down allowed you to build up your power. ¡­Is Shinjou-kun building up her gauge as well? He was not sure, but Shinjou had never shown this sort of behavior in the dorm and he had never taught it to her. Also, there was a lot he had to teach her before getting to this building up of power. ¡­After all, carelessly building up power is dangerous. He nodded and folded his arms along with Baku. He thought about what Shinjou was doing. After about ten seconds of thought, he reached the logical conclusion. ¡°She has been caught in the middle of some sort of crime!¡± What should I do? he wondered. Shinjou was in danger inside, but he could not allow the criminal to detect his own actions as he went to save her. ¡°I just hope I was not too late to catch on.¡± He swung his right arm and a screwdriver and wrench set fell from the sleeve and into his hand. ¡°No, even if something has happened, I cannot open it right away. And if she realizes it is me, she will likely put herself at risk to avoid causing me any trouble.¡± He swung his left arm and a set containing a stethoscope and portable recorder fell from the sleeve and into his hand. He looked at the tools in his hands and nodded. ¡°Good,¡± he muttered. ¡°First, I need to silently determine the situation inside and then I can break in.¡± He entered the restroom with his travel bags. Based on the footsteps he had heard, Shinjou had entered the men¡¯s restroom. He entered the restroom and found a space with five stalls and tulips. A few office workers who had finished their business looked at Sayama, but he ignored them and began checking the stalls. He walked silently, checked the state of the doors¡¯ locks, and found one of them was closed. ¡­This is the one. He lowered his travel bags, pulled white rubber gloves from his pocket, and put them on. He had to confirm that Shinjou truly was inside the stall. ¡­If I was wrong, it would humiliate the customer inside. With that thought, he pulled a small silver case from his pocket and produced a fine powder and brush from within. He used the brush to apply some powder to the door handle and produced a fingerprint. He pulled a memo from his pocket and compared the fingerprint to one of Shinjou¡¯s he had taken in the past. He had a match. With no reason to hesitate, he crouched down and peered underneath the door. ¡­Her shoes. He spotted Shinjou¡¯s blue shoes, but something was not right. ¡­She is not there. Finding only her shoes made him decide he had to check on and record the situation inside as soon as possible. He pulled a digital video camera from his travel bag. It was an IAI model and its special feature was the removable lens that could be attached elsewhere. ¡­Should I shoot from above or below? He hesitated briefly, but he chose a low angle to give it a sense of realism. He set the camera to the floor, removed the lens, and placed the lens at an angle to look up from below the door. He then pulled a black box of about ten centimeters from his travel bag. As he was travelling to Kyushu, he had visited UCAT¡¯s development department and borrowed a simple thermal sensor named ¡°I can see the hot stuff!¡± or ¡°Hottie¡± for short. It was meant to be used by newlywed couples to accurately fry an egg in a covered frying pan, but it could detect the heat of the human body if the setting was on ¡°Toasty¡±. It was small, so it could only be used on doors and only wooden ones if they were too thick. ¡­But it is enough for this. When Sayama crouched down and pressed the device against the door, Hottie¡¯s LCD screen displayed the permeating heat. While the device stabilized, he checked his surroundings. All of the office workers who had finished their business gave him confused looks. As he returned their looks, he had a sudden thought. ¡­Am I doing something strange right now? He looked back at his own situation. Presently, he was crouched down next to a door, he had checked for fingerprints, he had set up a camera, and he was checking the interior using a thermal sensor. He also held a stethoscope in his left hand to hear any noise on the inside. ¡­Anyone who sees this can tell I am performing a detailed examination of the inside of the stall rather than peeping on or bugging someone. He nodded, confident that his actions were straightforward and nothing to be ashamed of. With an expression of absolute confidence, he gestured for the men to stay still. After a moment, the confused office workers exchanged glances. Sayama nodded toward them to ask if they understood and made a slow, downward-striking motion to tell them to remain silent as they left. The office workers gave frantic and awkward nods. They all tightened their belts so as to make no unnecessary sound, gave him a nod, and tiptoed out of the bathroom. Just before the last one left, the man stopped and gave Sayama a thumbs up. Thinking that was a lot like Ooshiro, Sayama nodded back. ¡­I must make this mission a success so I do not betray their expectations. He looked at Hottie and found the color had stabilized. The LCD screen showed the color green. ¡­That means there is nothing immediately past the door. At the very least, the criminal is not sealing off the door, he thought while wiping sweat from his brow. He then brought the stethoscope to his ears, crouched even lower down by the door, and pressed the end against the door. ¡°¡­¡± He listened carefully and heard Shinjou¡¯s voice. ¡°Nn¡­¡± It was a sigh. Wondering what the situation was, Sayama switched on the recorder attached to the stethoscope. ¡°Oh¡­ I need to hurry up and finish.¡± Finish what? thought Sayama. ¡°Nnah. I-it¡¯s too tight. I don¡¯t think I can get it in. Nn¡­¡± Hearing that, Sayama wondered whether he should head in or not. ¡°Ah. That¡¯s better. Okay, now I need to clean up.¡± ¡°Leave the evidence, Shinjou-kun!!¡± He broke through the door in an instant. The door fell to the floor and he saw a surprised Shinjou sitting on the closed toilet seat. ¡°Oh? Why are you all alone, Shinjou-kun? Did you fix everything on your own!?¡± ¡°How about you try fixing your brain on your own!?¡± shouted Shinjou. ¡°Oh? That dress looks lovely, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Her shoulders trembled while she shrank down and looked up from the toilet seat. She was wearing a green dress that was made of light fabric and tightened around the waist. The short-sleeved jacket that appeared to go with the dress was large in order to make the waist look thinner. However, she sat on the toilet seat with the skirt pulled up to her stomach. She used her spread left leg to balance herself while she grabbed at her right knee. As the blank look on her face grew red, Sayama tilted his head. ¡°Hm? Shinjou-kun, why are you doing yoga with your panties on full display?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not doing yoga. I, uh, couldn¡¯t pull my stockings up very well. ¡­Wait! Why did you suddenly open the door, Sayama-kun!?¡± ¡°You were in too much of a hurry and rolled up the top of the stocking, didn¡¯t you? You do not want to tear a hole, so leave the rest to me.¡± ¡°Are you listening?¡± ¡°I am, but we must start by settling the first issue you brought up.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She tilted her head as he showed her the rubber gloves on his hands. He sat down on one knee, lifted her right leg, and placed the leg on his knee. He noticed the top of the stocking had folded over and was rolling inwards. He unrolled it and lifted the stocking while Shinjou raised her skirt and waited. ¡°Ah¡­ Th-that tickles, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°I see. So I should continue without worrying about the tickling.¡± ¡°Ah! No, wait! I didn¡¯t mean it like that!?¡± ¡°I did not mean it in a dirty way either, so- ¡­You are very good at glaring at people, Shinjou-kun.¡± Meanwhile, Sayama finished lifting the stocking. He attached the top to the fastener hanging from the garter around her waist and Shinjou sighed. In order to put up with the tickling, she brought her hands to her chest while holding up her skirt. ¡°I was having trouble because my nails are too long,¡± she said while blushing. ¡°So thanks.¡± ¡°Being able to help you change is all the thanks I need. This day must be recorded in Sayama history.¡± ¡°I have a feeling you have something to record every day.¡± She stood up from the toilet seat and gathered the school uniform and underwear that had been spread out below her butt. She placed it all in her travel bag, pulled out and put on some new yellow shoes, and faced Sayama. ¡°Sorry. I was changing, but it was my fault for not telling you.¡± ¡°Were you trying to surprise me?¡± ¡°Yeah. It took longer than I thought because this was my first time putting on stockings. This kind of stylish stocking is different from the ones on our combat uniforms.¡± Still blushing, she placed her hands on her shoulders and showed herself off to him. ¡°We¡¯ll probably still be busy when I become Sadame, so I thought I would dress that way from the beginning. I didn¡¯t choose anything too showy because I¡¯ll be riding an airplane, though. ¡­Does it look weird?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°Really? It¡¯s my first time wearing this outfit, so it¡¯s a bit tight in places. Are you sure it¡¯s fine?¡± ¡°Yes, I can tell you put a lot of effort into this. I usually see your bare legs, but this garter and stocking look is also quite- gfh. I-I was merely checking with my cheek! What kind of reaction is that!?¡± ¡°How can you say that after you pull up my skirt and rub your cheek against me?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. You are contradicting yourself, Shinjou-kun. You yourself were lifting up your skirt just a moment ago.¡± ¡°Me lifting it and someone else lifting it are two different things. A-also, now that I¡¯ve had time to think about it, not only did you barge into the stall, but what were you doing with that stethoscope and those weird machines!?¡± Sayama shook his head. ¡­Good intentions are so rarely recognized these days. ¡°Listen. What I was doing is simple, Shinjou-kun. Listen carefully. Once I used a thermal sensor to see what you were doing inside the stall, I recorded the sound inside and-¡­¡± She suddenly strangled him. Well-maintained plants grew along a slope created by cutting down a portion of the forest and the afternoon sun washed over the crops of that field. The field widened toward the bottom of the slope and a large white building was located even further down. This was behind Japanese UCAT which was disguised as a transportation building. In addition to the crops, the field contained flower beds, trees, kadomatsu, and totem poles. They had all been artificially planted and two people walked among them. Both of the people wore black. One was a gray-haired man and the other was a maid in a white apron. The maid held a closed parasol and followed a step behind the man. ¡°Itaru-sama, where are you going today?¡± ¡°Where do you want to go? Tell me, Sf.¡± ¡°Tes. I wish to go where you are.¡± ¡°Then tell me where I want to go. I¡¯ll let you decide. You have ten seconds.¡± ¡°Tes. And if I cannot decide within ten seconds?¡± ¡°I will dismantle you and ship you back to Germany.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf nodded. ¡°Then I will leave my answer to you. Ten, nine, eight.¡± ¡°Wait. And if I don¡¯t answer? Will you dismantle me as well out of joint responsibility?¡± ¡°No, this question was given to me, so if you do not answer, it will mean that is what you desire. Seven, six, five.¡± ¡°You idiot. I¡¯m not going to answer.¡± ¡°Tes. Then that is what you desire. Four, three, two.¡± ¡°Wait. Answer me this first: what are you going to do if I do dismantle you and ship you back?¡± ¡°Tes. The questionnaires sent back to German UCAT will be used to develop a new-and-improved Second Sf, Third Sf, Sf Z, God Sf, etc., and I will be sent back to you. The new version will likely be able to help you with complete transformations for land, sea, and air. One, zer-¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, so let¡¯s just stay here, you idiot.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf stopped walking and bowed. ¡°I have determined the fact that you care for me that much is a shocking truth.¡± ¡°I did it out of concern for my own safety.¡± ¡°Tes. Are you familiar with the phrase ¡®they may compliment you, but they actually dislike you¡¯?¡± ¡°You have that backwards! And why are you with me, anyway?¡± ¡°Tes. If something were to happen to you, I would lose my raison d¡¯¨ºtre.¡± ¡°Hah. It¡¯s nice that dolls don¡¯t lie. In other words, you¡¯re doing it for yourself.¡± ¡°Tes. I am also glad to have been named your favorite. I will now make full use of German UCAT¡¯s unique egocentric circuits.¡± ¡°Wait a second. If you have circuits like that, what happened to the equality circuits?¡± ¡°I am sorry, Itaru-sama, but those are not equality circuits. They have been named the communist circuits of the red heart.¡± ¡°So the Soviet Union¡¯s your enemy!? That¡¯s what you¡¯re saying, isn¡¯t it!?¡± ¡°They are known as Russia now, Itaru-sama. But even if the name has changed, the fact that they are our enemy has not.¡± Itaru turned around and began walking, but after taking a few steps and turning back, he found Sf was not following. She was standing perfectly still. ¡°Why are you standing there, Sf?¡± ¡°Tes. You said. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter, so let¡¯s just stay here.¡¯ ¡± ¡°Oh, did I? How wonderful. If I move a hundred meters away, you¡¯ll lose track of me for the first time, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Tes. I have determined this is a terribly troubling situation.¡± ¡°I see, I see. I¡¯d like to know what a doll does when it¡¯s troubled. Do you cry?¡± Sf nodded. ¡°Losing track of you is outside my expectations, so I cannot predict what would happen.¡± ¡°Then how can you be certain it would trouble you?¡± ¡°Tes. Because I can predict that nothing else would trouble me.¡± She opened the parasol and placed herself in the shade. ¡°I will wait here, so come take me with you once you finish your walk.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯ll just leave like this?¡± ¡°Tes. I do think you will,¡± she said. ¡°But how about you hurry up and leave? Do exactly what you want. Go on ahead.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll go if you say that?¡± ¡°Tes. If that is what you wish.¡± She bowed. ¡°I will remain here as indicated by my name. Whatever my master wishes, I will remain here. No concern, courtesy, or recognition is needed. All I ask is that my master trusts in me and tells me what he desires.¡± And¡­ ¡°Please look after your health. After this morning¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone else I was coughing up blood, Sf. I¡¯m not going to last long, so you need to hurry up and give up too.¡± ¡°Tes. I have done so since the moment I was activated, so do not worry. I will not lose myself any earlier or later than you. I am your personal automaton, so I could do nothing else.¡± ¡°Ridiculous.¡± Itaru sighed into the sky and then glanced toward Sf. ¡°How long are you going to stand there? Come bring some shade to your master.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf bowed and walked over to him. She looked around the area as she did and she frowned for just an instant. ¡°According to the transmission we received, the new inspectors from American UCAT should arrive soon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they will. And I¡¯m sure it¡¯s going to cause trouble just like before.¡± The shade from Sf¡¯s parasol covered Itaru. He looked around and began walking down the slope. Sf followed with the parasol and commented on his destination. ¡°I have determined that is the flower bed, Itaru-sama. Abram-sama¡¯s wife Arnavaz-sama and Development Department Director Tsukuyomi have planted various flowers there.¡± ¡°Yes. We used to grow quite a lot of things here. This was originally a flower bed and parking lot, but the people from overseas were insistent on growing herbs or something and they eventually started growing a food supply. Afterwards, we all had a cookout together. I believe it was that hill over there where Diana actually got drunk for once and knocked my old man out with a mug.¡± ¡°Is that what made Kazuo-sama go crazy?¡± ¡°No, he was still relatively normal back then. ¡­The change came after we were never able to have that kind of ridiculous fun again.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just talking about the past, Sf. A past that you can find anywhere. Just like my destination can be found anywhere.¡± He stopped walking and looked at the flower bed. The yellow autumn chrysanthemums were in full bloom. An apartment building bathed in the afternoon sun. A large motorcycle with a sidecar attached sat atop the gravel laid out in front of the cement at the building¡¯s first floor. Behind that motorcycle, the steel door of the westernmost room slowly opened. A dark-skinned boy stuck his head out and looked around. He was Harakawa. After making sure no one was around, he pulled his head back inside, closed the door, and locked it. Inside the narrow entranceway, he sighed in his school uniform. ¡°It looks like the student council president and treasurer finally left.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Heo from the living room. The futon had been laid back out on the floor and she was lying in it with a wet towel on her forehead. Seeing her looking up from the edge of the futon, Harakawa sighed again and walked into the living room. ¡°Whether I am or not, you need to worry about yourself, Heo Thunderson.¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling a lot better.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He leaned against the column next to the closet and sat next to her. She tilted her head. ¡°U-um, don¡¯t you have to get to school?¡± ¡°In the time it took to get you in the futon, the time to earn my attendance passed.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± She pulled the futon up above her nose and he touched the empty can he had pulled from the closet. ¡°I was wondering why you had quieted down in the closet, but I never would¡¯ve guessed you¡¯d gotten drunk and fallen asleep.¡± ¡°But it was my first time drinking beer. A-and does that mean you drink while underage?¡± ¡°You just did too. You¡¯ll get used to it eventually. ¡­Anyway, it must have been hot in there. I apologize for that. Of course, it was the alcohol that made you sweat more and dehydrated you a bit, but I guess that¡¯s my fault too. Did you finish the sports drink?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. It¡¯s over there.¡± He looked by her pillow and saw the empty 500 mL plastic bottle he had peeled the label from and used as a container. To drink the whole thing so quickly, her body had to have wanted water. He stood up and picked up the bottle. Heo said ¡°um¡±, but he ignored her and entered the kitchen. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she continued. ¡°I could help.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need any help. And I¡¯m not going to do anything bad, so just relax.¡± He still had a few packets of the powdered sports drink he used for hangovers, so he could easily handle a girl with a slight alcohol problem. He washed out the plastic bottle, took a funnel from the sink, placed it in the bottle, and reopened the packet he had used half the powder from before. It was the blue Hawaii flavor of IAI¡¯s new BODILY FLUIDS 500 sports drink. He poured in the blue powder, filled the bottle halfway with water, closed it, and shook it. ¡­This kind of powder dissolves in water a lot better than it used to. On an elementary school field trip, the powder his mother had put in a bottle for him had hardened and refused to dissolve. He remembered how she had smiled bitterly when he had told her about it afterwards. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t happen anymore.¡± He looked across the empty kitchen and suddenly recalled the weight of the bottle in his hand. He opened the lid, filled it the rest of the way with water, closed it again, and returned to the living room. Heo frantically looked up when she heard his footsteps, but without saying a word, he placed the bottle by her pillow and sat by the closet column again. ¡°Um, can I really have this?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re well enough to restrain yourself, are you? You drank the other one without saying a word.¡± ¡°S-sorry. I¡¯ll take it.¡± She sat up, grabbed the lid, and gathered her strength. However¡­ ¡°Um¡­¡± She turned a troubled look his way and he realized why. ¡°Are you too weak to open it?¡± ¡°I think you tightened it too much.¡± After he opened it and handed it back, she lowered her head and drank it. After two gulps, she took a breath. She then sighed, looked down toward the futon, and gave a weak smile. ¡°Thank you very much. After a short rest, I¡¯ll leave.¡± ¡°Do you want to collapse again? You¡¯re clearly not well and you¡¯re not sweating. Get some sleep, Heo Thunderson. It was my fault this happened, so I¡¯ll lend you my futon. If you don¡¯t want to stay, you can leave, but otherwise, try thinking about this after you wake up again.¡± He grabbed a paperback book from the floor. ¡°Um, about that book¡­¡± she said. ¡°This is the bizarre author Marume¡îSandayuu¡¯s first novel since his shocking move to a different publisher. It¡¯s called Love Limbs. It¡¯s supposed to be a new serious love comedy, but it¡¯s a little weird for the heroine to die in the table of contents.¡± ¡°N-no, that isn¡¯t what I meant. Do you like books?¡± ¡°Does just reading them count as liking them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that I found a bookshelf in the closet.¡± ¡°Heo. It¡¯s bad manners for a guest to search through someone¡¯s closet.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡± She looked away and lowered her head. After dropping his gaze to the page, Harakawa looked back up a bit, but she still had her head lowered. ¡­What a troublesome girl. He called her name and she looked at him in surprise. He spoke while looking down at the book. ¡°You said you were supposed to meet your great-grandfather at 2 PM, right? Well, it¡¯s already past 3.¡± She shook her head and shrugged with a weak smile. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well and¡­I doubt he would be there if I went now.¡± ¡°Is that so? Well, at least you can look at your condition objectively now.¡± ¡°Harakawa?¡± He looked up and found her tilting her head. ¡°Were you going to take me?¡± ¡°You can barely stand without staggering and you don¡¯t know the roads around here. Do you really think you could make it on your own?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Heo Thunderson? This is only what anyone would do.¡± ¡°What anyone would do?¡± She narrowed her eyes in a small smile and let out a slow breath of relaxation. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me for something like that, especially when I didn¡¯t actually do it, Heo Thunderson. Only thank me when I actually do something and you like it. Got that? Don¡¯t make me say it again. Don¡¯t forget it.¡± She gave a troubled smile and took a sip of the blue drink. ¡°Um, Harawaka? I¡¯ve been wondering.¡± ¡°Yeah, I use that drink to help with hangovers. It¡¯s good for you, but the smell kind of sticks in your nose, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It tastes a bit like a bathroom air freshener.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve eaten one?¡± Harakawa¡¯s mouth bent as he watched her frantically deny it. He only realized that bend was a bitter smile when he looked back at the book and saw the term written there. As he watched, Heo gently closed the plastic bottle, set it by her pillow, and went to sleep. Volume 8, 8: Confirmation of a Word Volume 8, Chapter 8: Confirmation of a Word To hear And to speak A single word I hid and let spill so many feelings A certain room overlooked the ocean. The window gave a view of a vast bay underneath the late-afternoon sky. The room itself was divided into two spaces of ten square meters each. The bedroom space by the window had a desk and a double bed while the living room space by the entrance had a tatami mat floor. The bath and the entrance to the shared bathroom were located next to the door. ¡°But it seems we can use the 24-hour underground hot spring, Shinjou-kun.¡± The boy placing his travel bags next to the living room table spoke and received a reply. ¡°Wow, this bed is amazing. I bounced back up just from sitting on it. Look, look, Sayama-kun.¡± Shinjou had placed her travel bag by the bed and was checking the bed¡¯s springs. ¡°Ha ha. I feel kind of bad doing this while working on the Leviathan Road, but I never thought we would get to stay in a hotel like this. Not to mention that this is my first time travelling as far as Kyushu.¡± ¡°Did UCAT not have company trips?¡± ¡°You already know about the summer training camp, but they also had one at the end of the fiscal year. They would have an Izu dancer training camp or a snow tunnel escape training camp. I never went because I didn¡¯t want anyone to know about my condition, though.¡± ¡°Based on the names, I think you were right not to go, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°You¡¯re probably right.¡± She smiled, got off the bed, approached the window, and picked up the guest tourist pamphlet placed on the bed¡¯s pillow. ¡°I never thought my first trip would be to Nagasaki. I thought our senior trip would be my first.¡± ¡°I see. Perhaps I should have invited you somewhere before now. It never even crossed my mind.¡± Sayama crossed his arms and nodded, so Shinjou frantically shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have plenty of chances for trips in the future and there¡¯s still a lot we have to do. There¡¯s also the money. Also, I¡¯m glad my first outing like this could be with you. No one would ever guess the two of us were on a trip toge-¡­¡± Despite sounding so excited, she suddenly stopped and her expression froze. ¡°We left the dorm and school with our luggage, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Yes, we left while greeting the students preparing for the athletic festival. What about it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s probably a good chance that rumors about us might be perhaps spreading through the school right now!!¡± Hearing that, Sayama pulled a calculator from his pocket and pushed a few buttons. ¡°Probably, a good chance, might be, and perhaps. If I multiply them together as 90% each, that drops the total odds down to about 66%, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°But unfortunately, that¡¯s still over 50%, Sayama-kun. And I¡¯ve heard rumors that you¡¯re smart, but can I mentally deny them?¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. Shinjou-kun, any intellect measurable on the standard scale is no match for me.¡± He pulled up a rocking chair from the desk and sat in it. He looked to the same sea Shinjou was watching, looked down to the harbor and city, and finally looked to Shinjou herself. ¡°What do you think of the view? I think this was a nice room that happened to be vacant.¡± ¡°I have a feeling you¡¯re hiding a complaint, but yes. This hotel is connected to IAI, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s fun seeing everything from seven stories up and the wind is nice.¡± ¡°Indeed. If there was a fire, there would be no saving us.¡± ¡°Stop trying to make this more exciting than it is. ¡­Anyway, it¡¯s nice how the airport is close by, we can reach the city easily, and we can see the ocean.¡± She looked past the bay and to the few islands visible on the boat-filled sea. ¡°This is nice. The Seto Inland Sea was good too, but this has a different feel to it.¡± ¡°Well, most of the islands you can see here are just as empty as the ones in the Inland Sea. But you can see the Goto Islands there and far beyond them but out of sight is China.¡± ¡°4th-Gear¡¯s reservation is on one of the desert islands, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I believe its island is not visible from here. We have to take a ship from Nagasaki Harbor to reach the IAI-owned island. I believe the IAI ship is set to leave first thing tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°So we¡¯ll be going out to sea.¡± ¡°The Seto Inland Sea was your first time on the beach, wasn¡¯t it? So will this be your first time out on the ocean?¡± She nodded while looking out the window. ¡°Yes. Come to think of it, I¡¯ve never seen the Pacific Ocean. Izumo-san swam in it last night, though.¡± Hearing that, Sayama replied in agreement toward her back. ¡­Although you call that being ¡°swept away¡± not ¡°swimming¡±. But who cares about Izumo. After he gave a nod of deep emotion, she took a step away from the window, sighed in satisfaction, and turned toward him. ¡°But we only got a chance to see this scenery because we got here so early.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait a bit before heading out. A Nagasaki UCAT employee is supposed to bring us a communicator to contact the new headquarters in Okutama. It will apparently take some time to get here, though.¡± ¡°I see. Well, I suppose work does come first.¡± She nodded and slowly walked toward him and his rocking chair. She then sat down on his lap. Her warmth, her softness, and the weight supporting them reached him through the double skirt. ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡± When Sayama heard what Shinjou said, he nodded. ¡°Yes. There is a lot I want to say, but how about you go first, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± She gently rested her hair and back on his chest. ¡°Um, thank you for last night. You put up with it even when I said something strange, made an impossible request, and then started crying.¡± ¡°Did you?¡± ¡°I did. I know it¡¯s impossible and that you lied when you said you could do it. It may be a little conceited, but I think it¡¯s partially my fault that you had to tell that lie.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama recalled the conversation from the previous night. How was Shinjou to have a child when she belonged to a race that switched between male and female at a set interval? Everything might work fine while she was female, but what happened when she became male? She had also once said that she did not belong to any known race. ¡­That means she might be a unique product of crossbreeding between two races. He could also think of several other possibilities such as human experimentation and the effect of some form of concept. But no matter how much they looked into the cause, it would not change the fact that she belonged to a race that switched between sexes. That was why she had spoken out about her worries and then cried. ¡°Am I¡­okay?¡± ¡°Of course you are. You are wonderful.¡± ¡°This might be a mean question, but¡­do you know something?¡± ¡°I do. I know that everything about you is wonderful. Am I wrong? That is the main tenet of Shinjou-ism.¡± ¡°Then let me teach you the main tenet of Sayama-ism: this isn¡¯t a joke.¡± Her shoulders shook a little and she smiled. In order to keep that trembling inside her, Sayama lightly embraced her from behind. ¡°Let us get right to the point. Do you think you can never have a child with me?¡± ¡°Eh? Um¡­u-uh, well¡­ If we aren¡¯t going to read too deeply into what that means, yes.¡± ¡°Good. Now let me rephrase my answer from last night: that is not a problem, so do not worry.¡± She gasped and turned toward him. Her long hair twisted and her eyebrows were lowered. ¡°O-of course it¡¯s a problem.¡± ¡°Have you ever tried it?¡± ¡°B-but I still haven¡¯t had my period and the boy side isn¡¯t working either.¡± ¡°What if it simply takes longer for you? Or what if you still have issues with your body?¡± To tell her to calm down, he gathered strength in the arms embracing her and gently moved the rocking chair. ¡°You dressed like this today, but was that because you think you still have issues with Setsu-kun¡¯s body and want to remain as Sadame-kun as much as possible? But no matter how you dress yourself up, there are times when you are a boy, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I know what you want to say and this may be a step forward in a certain way.¡± She looked up in confusion, but he returned her look with his usual expressionless face. ¡°Before, you hated your body itself and tried to stay as Sadame-kun for my sake. But now you prefer Sadame-kun because there is something you want to do. That is a major step forward. So listen. I will now resolve some of your unease.¡± And he did so. ¡°3rd-Gear has technology for in vitro fertilization as well as cloning technology. You may not be able to carry the child yourself, but that technology will still allow you to have a child. That possibility is available to us now that 3rd-Gear has joined us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He heard Shinjou gulp and felt her hold her own body within his arms. He then embraced her even more and continued rocking the chair. ¡°You are perfectly capable of rocking a cradle like this. We only need to take an egg cell from you, or ¨C if that isn¡¯t possible ¨C modify one of your cells into an egg cell. So until we decide to do that, how about you try to do it on your own?¡± ¡°You mean¡­?¡± ¡°Do you still not understand?¡± Sayama shrugged. ¡°The worry behind your tears has already been solved by the Leviathan Road. All that remains is to continue trying to see if you can do it without relying on that technology.¡± Sayama¡¯s words filled the air and time passed. Shinjou took several breaths on the slowly moving rocking chair and then opened her mouth to speak. ¡°U-um?¡± She sounded hesitant and troubled. ¡°C-can I really trust in that and test myself?¡± ¡°You can. At any time, at any place, and in any way. Right?¡± She nodded and formed a slightly crumpled smile. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I can continue testing myself at any time, at any place, and in any way.¡± However, her head shot up and she frantically turned toward Sayama. ¡°D-did I just fall for a dangerous leading question!?¡± ¡°Oh? What ever are you talking about, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°Y-you asked me if I would test myself at any time, at any place, and in any way. Th-that¡¯s leading me into accepting all sorts of kinky things!¡± ¡°You say some funny things, Shinjou-kun. Ha ha ha. It takes an amusing person to refer to an ethical truth of the universe as a leading question.¡± ¡°Stop lifting my skirt while you say that!¡± He answered her shout of protest with a deep nod of understanding. ¡°Then I will do so silently.¡± He bared Shinjou¡¯s legs and gave a cry of admiration. Shinjou frantically tried to twist out of his grasp, but¡­ ¡°Wait, Sayama-kun. Stop making me straddle you.¡± ¡°Do not ask the impossible. Also, I believe it was you that did that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because my stockings slipped on my skirt and my feet aren¡¯t reaching the ground.¡± ¡°I see. So your skirt is in the way. Such a naughty skirt. Allow me to take care of it.¡± With a sigh of exasperation he sincerely lifted it up to her stomach. ¡°Now, that should make it easier to move your- gh. Wh-why are you elbowing me, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°It¡¯s strange how I feel like I did something wrong when you ask so seriously.¡± As Shinjou spoke, Sayama gently twisted her skirt into place and embraced her from behind once more. She trembled a bit and twisted her shoulders around to face him. ¡°Um, Sayama-kun? I-it¡¯s not even five yet.¡± ¡°Listen carefully, Shinjou-kun. We have been too busy to do this sort of thing lately and I have a certain thought. Out of her dislike for Setsu-kun, Sadame-kun gave him her hairstyle and clothes, but in a way, could that be a form of Setsu-kun that Sadame-kun is more comfortable with?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°When testing Setsu-kun, it was almost always in the school uniform, but that may have been a mistake as it emphasized that it was him. Perhaps it would be better to do it in an outfit that you are comfortable in no matter the situation. Also, this is not the dorm room in which you originally showed your resolve. In a way, it is a place of comfort because you will never return here, so try to relax.¡± ¡°But Setsu is¡­¡± She began to speak but stopped. Sayama thought on the continuation of that sentence. ¡­Does she still have a problem with Setsu-kun? As he thought about what lay within her mind, he asked about it. ¡°Is there a problem with Setsu-kun? Is it about having a child or that he is a boy?¡± It took her a fair amount of time to answer. ¡°¡­¡± What is it? he wondered about her. At the very least, he felt he had answered the questions concerning Setsu that she had mentioned. ¡­But what is it this time? What he had to do was simple. ¡­I can do nothing but trust in her. He grabbed her shoulders, squeezed, and then embraced her slender body once more. She took in a breath before speaking. ¡°Wait. U-um?¡± She took in a few more breaths and moved her lips to test the words she was about to say. She gently held her own body within his arms. She grabbed her elbows, held her sides, held the bottoms of her shoulders, and shrank down. ¡°Do I¡­¡± Her voice trembled. ¡°Do I really not have to worry? Will it really be okay?¡± After taking a breath, Shinjou spoke again and her voice was quieter this time. ¡°What is this fear I feel about being Setsu? It¡¯s there, I still feel some unease, and I want there to be more, but¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°Can I really believe at least a little bit that I don¡¯t have to worry about that?¡± Sayama felt her relax in his arms and heard her let out a breath. He felt a trembling heat in the soft back he embraced. She then nodded and the hair that held a trace of her body heat shook between his chest and her back. After nodding a few more times, she quietly but firmly spoke. ¡°Will we really be able to use 3rd-Gear¡¯s technology?¡± ¡°If you are worried, you can ask the automatons about it. They will do everything they can to serve people.¡± ¡°Then¡­ I can have a child even if it won¡¯t be with my actual body? I can do that?¡± And¡­ ¡°I can rejoice about that?¡± ¡°You can, but that is only the bare minimum of joy. If you test yourself and it goes well, you can rejoice much, much more.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± She let out a sigh as she curled up her back and sank into his chest. As she entrusted herself to him, he rubbed his cheek against hers from behind. She then lowered her cheek in a nod. ¡°Right.¡± In response, he slowly lifted her skirt back up. ¡°Ah.¡± He lifted it above her knees and then exposed everything from her gently spread legs to the bottom of her stomach. Before she could change her mind, he reached for her white underwear and gently lowered it down to her knees. With a shriek, she hid her cheeks behind her hands. While making sure not to interfere with that movement, he lifted one of her knees and removed the underwear from that leg. ¡°Um, Sayama-kun?¡± she said with heat in her voice. ¡°Th-this is embarrassing.¡± ¡°It is all over for someone if they forget their shame, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°I suppose someone who long since travelled that road would know.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Now, let us continue.¡± ¡°This is hardly new, but what you¡¯re saying doesn¡¯t follow from what I said. A-also¡­¡± She looked forward through the gaps between her fingers. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to close the window?¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Shinjou-kun? You need to show off your newfound self to the world.¡± ¡°You can do that on your own. W-wait. Stop kicking the chair and move away from the window. It¡¯s too soon for me to try exhibitioni- Ahh! This is way too close to the window!!¡± ¡°Calm down, Shinjou-kun. We are on the seventh floor. No one can see us from outside.¡± ¡°A-are you sure?¡± ¡°I am, Shinjou-kun. You would have to be flying through the sky to see us. ¡­Oh, look. An airplane.¡± ¡°They can see from the airplane!!¡± ¡°Just calm down, Shinjou-kun. Please trust me.¡± ¡°R-really? That won¡¯t be easy given your previous offenses.¡± ¡°I will admit I have been rude to you on occasion, but try to remember when we first met. My behavior towards Setsu-kun was immaculate.¡± ¡°I just remembered that immaculate record began with you pressing your ear against my chest and then pulling on me while saying nonsense in the bath. The trauma¡¯s coming back!!¡± Sayama continued regardless. ¡°Quiet down and stop trying to close various things, Shinjou-kun. I have no proof, but I have a feeling things will go well today. How about you?¡± ¡°W-well, I feel like it might work today, too. This isn¡¯t the same as the usual dorm room and my worries from before are gone.¡± Her tone lowered as she spoke and Sayama smiled at her. ¡°I see. If this will go well, then perhaps I should call the lobby and put in an advance order for sekihan.¡± ¡°Y-you don¡¯t have to do that. I¡¯d rather this be our secret.¡± Such lovely words, he thought while gently rocking the chair once more. ¡°Ah.¡± She spread her legs to balance herself and he raised his knees. With his knees pressing up against her butt, she further spread her legs and he placed the backs of her knees over the arms of the chair. He brought her stockings to a position they could safely slip from and she brought her hands to her face. ¡°S-Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°What is it? I do not have time to deal with jokes right now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line!! U-um? Will you please listen to me?¡± She bent backwards to press her forehead against his neck and she took a breath. ¡°You always stop when I¡¯m about to cry, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Do I?¡± ¡°You do.¡± She blushed and lowered her gaze a bit. ¡°But don¡¯t do that today. Sometimes, I wonder if it would go better if you showed less restraint because of me.¡± ¡°I see. Then today is a day for both of us to face our problem areas.¡± She gave a small smile while still blushing. ¡°Ah,¡± she said when he touched her hand. ¡°U-um? Can I ask something else?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Well,¡± she said with her hands on her cheeks. ¡°You¡¯re recording this, aren¡¯t you?¡± Izumo and Kazami travelled east along a road that ran along the JR Itsukaichi Line that existed between Harakawa¡¯s apartment and Taka-Akita Academy. To their right were a guardrail, a small embankment, and the railroad track. To their left was a field. The only other things around were the evening sun and the cool wind that carried some sand in it. Izumo kept the motorcycle engine on, but he held the clutch and moved the vehicle forward by kicking off the ground. A sign by the field gave the speed limit, but he was moving the motorcycle well below that. ¡°Hey, Chisato.¡± He called behind him where Kazami sat on the motorcycle. ¡°Come to think of it, we ended up skipping school today.¡± She looked up into the sky and gave a short groan. ¡°Well, that may be true. We can try getting Ooki-sensei to work something out for us tomorrow.¡± ¡°No, let¡¯s not do that. Cheating isn¡¯t gonna help.¡± He spoke lazily and she agreed with her eyebrows lowered in a smile. He suddenly stopped moving and turned back toward her. ¡°Chisato, why did we stop keeping an eye on that Harakawa guy¡¯s place and start wandering around?¡± ¡°Hm? Oh, there was something bothering me. And I don¡¯t think I was wrong.¡± ¡°Did something happen? Not that I see any reason to keep an eye on a figure-obsessed guy¡¯s apartment.¡± ¡°Wait a second.¡± Kazami leaned up against his back and tilted her head. ¡°U-um, Kaku? Do you really think that stuff about Harakawa having a figure is true?¡± ¡°Yeah. You saw that women¡¯s underwear, didn¡¯t you? He¡¯s doing the same thing Old Man Ooshiro did for a while.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t you find it odd that a boy on Ooshiro-san¡¯s level lives so nearby?¡± ¡°Chisato, UCAT has a lot of people on the same level as him. They just have different tastes.¡± Crap, that¡¯s actually a good point, she thought. However¡­ ¡°Oh, but that Harakawa isn¡¯t in UCAT.¡± ¡°Sayama didn¡¯t used to be either. Strange people have the talent from the beginning. I know it can be hard for normal people like us to understand, though.¡± ¡°Yes. Sometimes I have difficulty keeping up with them. Anyway, Kaku, you¡¯re making a decent argument, but I think it¡¯s a little different this time.¡± ¡°You do? Then I guess it is.¡± ¡°Why did you change your mind so quickly?¡± ¡°Because you don¡¯t lie,¡± he answered with a serious expression. ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°Then maybe you deceive me out of concern for me and I don¡¯t realize it. But if so, that kind of lie isn¡¯t gonna harm me, so there¡¯s no problem. Anyway, you think there¡¯s something more to this Harakawa, don¡¯t you?¡± She gave a mental nod to his calm question and shook her hair in the chilly wind that carried an earthy scent. ¡°What he¡¯s hiding is one of the reasons I said to leave his apartment.¡± ¡°If it isn¡¯t a figure, what is it? Did he abduct someone?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t say something I could hear Sayama saying. Although that might be it.¡± She stepped down from the motorcycle and spoke in the opposite direction. ¡°Basically, we have a guest. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± A man in a gray suit stood behind them on the road lit by the evening sun. He was tall and his face and hair pointed to a certain fact. ¡°A foreigner?¡± ¡°He was watching us from near the apartment. I thought he might need something, so I had him come here. It took some time before he showed himself, though.¡± The man bowed and formed a smile in the eyes behind his glasses. ¡°Thank you very much for taking this outside of the public eye. My name is Roger Sully.¡± Roger spoke in English and Kazami frowned. ¡°What did the foreigner say?¡± asked Izumo. ¡°He said, ¡®I¡¯m Roger Sully and make sure you remember it, idiot.¡¯ ¡± ¡°I did not go that far.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± shouted Izumo. ¡°So you can speak Japanese!?¡± Roger narrowed his eyes further. ¡°I see, speaking in Japanese will work better. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am the assistant inspector from American UCAT.¡± Kazami frowned at that and partially removed her hips from the motorcycle seat. ¡°A pleasure to meet you too. I am honored that American UCAT¡¯s inspector would go out of his way to greet us.¡± ¡°As assistant inspector, I felt I had to greet the two who wield Concept Core weapons.¡± ¡­I see. Kazami¡¯s frown became a smile. She had referred to him simply as an ¡°inspector¡±, but he had reiterated that he was the ¡°assistant inspector¡±. That meant she had not misheard and he had not misspoken. He did indeed have a full inspector above him. ¡­And his refusal to abbreviate the title means his organization is strict about rank. She had heard that American UCAT was primarily made up of people from the American military. If he was the same and he would not use the same term to refer to both his own rank and his superior¡¯s rank¡­ ¡­His superior must have the skill befitting the role of inspector. He had likely used a spy satellite or American UCAT personnel to find the two of them. Roger then asked a question. ¡°What are you two doing out here today?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s a student who isn¡¯t showing up to school and his homeroom teacher asked us to urge him to attend. However, he refused to come out, so we have to wait until tomorrow to try again.¡± She was not lying and she interpreted his nod as evidence that they had not yet located Heo. Realizing she had the advantage here, she relaxed a bit. ¡°But the Leviathan Road negotiator seemed to be with you,¡± pointed out Roger. ¡°Yes, the student in question is his classmate.¡± As she spoke, she thought about whether she should tell the man what Sayama was doing and whether she should approach or avoid the information about Heo. Telling him about Sayama would likely satisfy him, but making Sayama¡¯s actions sound too important could make him question the visit to Harakawa¡¯s apartment. She weighed the benefits and the dangers and spoke. ¡°But Sayama had to leave partway through for the Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Roger bent back a bit and smiled. ¡°Thank you for the wonderful piece of information. Yes, this means American UCAT must negotiate with Japanese UCAT as planned.¡± ¡°What kind of negotiation?¡± ¡°Nothing violent, I assure you. We will merely be carrying out the wishes of Mr. Richard Thunderson.¡± ¡°His wishes?¡± ¡°Yes. The reason he came to Japan. Surely you did not think he would be making the Leviathan Road run more smoothly, helping you escape the restraints of American UCAT, or introducing you to your negotiation partner, did you?¡± They had thought all of those things. This is bad, thought Kazami while no longer smiling. Something dangerous is happening here. ¡­What is this? American UCAT was plotting something. As she wondered what, she lowered her hips into a defensive stance. ¡°Kaku.¡± Before she could finish speaking his short name, Izumo had stopped the motorcycle and moved next to her. Meanwhile, Roger brushed a hand through his hair and continued smiling. ¡°Now this is a problem,¡± he said. ¡°Is it? All I did was put up my guard. What happens now is up to you. Tell us what you¡¯re after and why Richard Thunderson came to Japan.¡± ¡°I believe those are things I should tell the Leviathan Road negotiator.¡± ¡°Then think of this as us getting the answer out of you with a more physical form of negotiation. Got it?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Roger lowered his head a little and wrinkled his brow despite still smiling. ¡°Then you are a little too used to peace.¡± Kazami frowned at that and the wind blew through. ¡°¡­¡± In that vast flat area of land, the dry wind of approaching autumn carried the scents of evening and the field. ¡°Hey, Chisato. I can see your panties because the wind is blowing up your-¡­¡± She threw an elbow, but Izumo did not collapse. While she wondered if she had gotten a poor angle, Roger removed his hand from his hair. As she wondered what he would do, he snapped his fingers. She then heard a metallic sound from her left. It was followed by the sound of something heavy falling on the asphalt. She looked over and saw Izumo¡¯s motorcycle lying in two pieces. The break was perfectly straight as if a giant blade had split it. Oil spilled from the unfamiliar and complex structure inside the engine and a large piston lost its momentum and stopped. ¡­What was that? ¡°You could say this was a bit of a concept,¡± said Roger with a smile. ¡°Just to be clear, I have yet to finish introducing myself.¡± Volume 8, 9: Approach of Intention Volume 8, Chapter 9: Approach of Intention Here it comes And here it is The footsteps telling you to determine yourself have arrived Kazami was up against a cutting power. She repeatedly dodged the invisible power that sliced down from above. She stood on a straight road lit by the evening sun and she was approximately seven meters from her opponent. However¡­ ¡°Not having a weapon really is a pain!¡± If she called for G-Sp2 outside of a concept space, people would see it. She had Izumo on her side while Roger was alone. ¡­But without our weapons, we can¡¯t get a decisive blow in on someone using a concept. Due to the distortion in the air and the drifting sand, the cutting power Roger used looked like wind to her. The attack always followed a snap of his right fingers and it was as fast as a sword strike. However, the slice undulated through the air like a whip and it could slice through both metal and asphalt. She had nothing to use as a shield and no weapon to block with. Izumo charged in from the left and Roger snapped his right fingers to attack, causing the wind to launch a counterattack against Izumo¡¯s charge. His charge was reckless, but Kazami sensed his intention. At the moment, Roger¡¯s left side was open, so his actions were urging her to charge in. And she did so. She had to wait for the right timing, but she could not wait too long either. She worked best with quick bursts of strength, but Izumo did not. If she was too slow, he would be hit by the enemy attack rather than just drawing it his way. ¡­So¡­ She charged forward just as Roger held up his right fingers and began to twist them. It began with the sound of her basketball shoes digging into the sand. When she gathered strength in her knees to accelerate, her shoes sank down to the bottom of that sand. The returning force of the ground launched her body forward and she repeated the action to sprint onwards. ¡°¡­!¡± She ran. She had to travel about seven meters and she formed a hook-shaped trajectory to the right. That path kept her as far away from Roger¡¯s right side as possible while still taking the shortest path. As she ran, Roger snapped his fingers toward Izumo. She saw the fluctuation of wind fly directly toward Izumo ahead and to her left. It was an attack from above. She almost called his name, but he would not want her to waste her breath like that. She instead silently asked him to dodge the attack and she saw him take a fairly forcible evasive action. He intentionally tripped and fell to their left and Roger¡¯s right. He threw himself onto the asphalt so he would stay out of her way and further split Roger¡¯s aim between the two of them. ¡°¡­!¡± She continued running. To her right, she could see a road sign and a field that had grown corn during the summer. The field was divided from the road by a stone wall only about ten centimeters tall. Roger was also there. He was right in front of her now, so she straightened up in an instant. If her body was stretched out when she attacked, she could only cause light damage. To throw her full weight into the blow, she needed to straighten up and then crouch down again as she attacked. While taking a quick breath, she rose up and clenched her left hand. Her right foot kicked off the ground behind her and she charged in with her left shoulder in the lead. By the time her left foot reached the ground, she had already rotated her left arm and waist clockwise. In order to launch her left fist from the elbow, she moved it forward and slightly upwards. ¡°Seyah!!¡± But the strike did not reach because Roger had already jumped back. ¡­He¡¯s fast. She was slightly surprised, but that was all. ¡­I suppose he is the assistant inspector of a nation¡¯s UCAT. If she assumed he was on the same level as German Inspector Diana or 1st-Gear Inspector Brunhild, it was obvious she would not defeat him so easily. She did not fight the forward motion of her left arm. As if letting the fist pull her, she rotated her shoulders and body clockwise which swung her body into a certain stance. ¡­Now I can continue with a roundhouse kick! She did so. She quickly raised her right leg and let it rotate. Meanwhile, Izumo spoke as he picked himself up off the asphalt. ¡°White!¡± ¡­You shut up. She changed that thought into acceleration and targeted Roger¡¯s jaw with her swinging right heel. However, the man dodged once more. He bent back his falling body to just barely avoid her kick. ¡°Kh.¡± Before she could lower her rotating right leg, Roger took a step back while crouching down. ¡°The left hand!?¡± She could not help but shout when she saw him raise that hand toward her. Before she managed to ask if he could use his left hand too, he gave the answer by snapping his left fingers. She saw the wind, but she could not avoid it because she had yet to fully lower her right leg. ¡°¡­!¡± In that instant, she took her next action. She kicked to the right with the left leg supporting her in order to knock herself to the right. The added tilt brought her right leg to the ground more quickly than expected. No, it actually landed on the stone wall dividing the field from the road. She kicked off the wall with her right leg as if ricocheting off it and she leaped once more. She swung up her left knee, used that momentum to launch her body upwards, and gathered strength in her stomach to pull up her lower stomach and below while in midair. ¡°¡­¡± She leaped over the wind Roger had fired at her. However, he then snapped the fingers of his raised right hand. He had been waiting for this attack and she could not do anything while jumping. She could only be hit. However, she spotted a hope. The hope located between her and Roger was the road sign next to the field. She kicked off of the sign in mid-jump to avoid Roger¡¯s second attack. ¡°This ends here!!¡± She brought her heel down on his head from above and he could no longer intercept her because he had already lowered both of his hands. However, he snapped his right fingers with the hand pointed downwards. ¡­What!? The answer to her question was clear. His right hand was pointed down and to her left. In other words, towards Izumo. ¡°¡­!?¡± She stopped in surprise and all sound vanished from her ears in an instant. Her heel drop lost its edge and Roger managed to move out of the way, but she did not even care as she landed. She quickly corrected her posture, turned around, and saw a certain color. It was the red of blood. ¡°Kaku!?¡± Izumo had to have been knocked away by the slicing attack because he was sitting with his back against the roadside guardrail. He held his left side where the color red covered an area with a width of about ten centimeters. The red was visibly spreading along his shirt. ¡°Kaku!¡± She ran over to him and heard a voice from behind. ¡°I suppose this settles it.¡± She turned toward Roger¡¯s voice but saw nothing there. ¡­Dammit. She had a general thought about ¡°the next time I see him¡±, but her imagination went no further. The red before her eyes and the surrounding wind were everything to her now. ¡°Kaku.¡± Kazami crouched down on one knee next to Izumo. She was out of breath, but she decided that was due to the battle. She placed a hand on his shoulder and straightened his upper body by pushing it back against the guardrail. ¡°Hey, Chisato.¡± ¡°This is no time to act so casual!¡± He smiled a little but gave none of the verbal abuse or excuses she was used to. That smile gave her a chill. ¡°Kaku, I¡¯ll call for an ambulance, okay? Okay?¡± ¡°What¡¯s this, Chisato? You look like you¡¯re about to cry.¡± She started to call him an idiot, but realized it was not the time and then had another thought. ¡­I can¡¯t even say something so simple right now. She finally realized just how far from calm she was. A slight voice escaped her throat and her vision wavered. She all of a sudden found she was trembling. She could see a color spilled on the ground at her feet. The asphalt and sand were soaked with Izumo¡¯s red. ¡­No. She shook her head and tried to pull out her cell phone. She tried to stick a hand in her skirt pocket, but for some reason could not find it. ¡°Why?¡± She looked down and realized why. Her hand was visibly shaking. It was so bad she could not get it into her pocket. She shuddered. ¡°Kaku¡­¡± Her voice was trembling. She wanted to do something, she knew she had to do something, and a thought she did not want to speak began spreading through her mind. It was possible there was nothing she could do. She finally managed to get her hand in the pocket. ¡°¡­!¡± She pulled out the cell phone and pressed the button to reach the local fire station. But she received no response, so she frowned and looked at the phone. ¡°It¡¯s cut through.¡± Her hand went weak and the black phone fell to the asphalt where it finally split in two. ¡°K-Kaku, I need your pho-¡­¡± He did not have it. They had checked that when leaving the dorm. ¡­He said he didn¡¯t need his because I had mine. It had been during the morning that they had discussed that and how they might as well use the same wallet as well. ¡°¡­¡± She prepared to say ¡°no¡± despite it being meaningless, but she suddenly felt strength reach her. The power on her shoulders pulled her forward. Before she could say anything, Izumo held her in his arms. ¡°Kaku.¡± She called out to him, but he said nothing. Instead¡­ ¡°Nn¡­¡± She followed his lead and brought her lips to his. Feeling the gentle wetness, she thought while still trembling. ¡­He must be worried too. ¡°Kaku, u-um? Is there anything you¡­want to do?¡± He slowly hugged her closer. Before she could let out a gasp, he rested his weight on her as if collapsing forward. What am I doing? This really isn¡¯t the time, she thought. However¡­ ¡­This is all I can do. She embraced him and tried to ignore the muddy but warm wetness she felt in her right hand. He trembled in pain, but she selfishly felt it was fine as long as he did not pass out. They kissed again and his hand touched her right breast. She hesitated for a moment but accepted it. If she did not accept it now because someone might see or because of what could happen later, she knew she would regret it. But then she felt something was wrong. ¡°¡­?¡± She exchanged tongues with Izumo and a large hand entered her unbuttoned blouse, but¡­ ¡°¡­?¡± Something was out of place. It was a cold sensation that did not fit the urgency of the situation. ¡­But¡­ The sensation was too strange. It was the sort of sensation that should never occur in such an urgent situation. ¡°Kaku.¡± She decided her next words would act as a dividing line. ¡°This will be the last time, so do as you please.¡± He then embraced her in his right arm. His left hand tore open the lower buttons of her blouse and moved from her navel, around her left side, and to her back. There, it stroked between her shoulder blades. She just about cried out, but she felt the odd sensation reach its peak and spoke before it could settle into the specifics. ¡°This isn¡¯t right!!¡± she shouted. Kazami suddenly shoved Izumo away, but the difference in weight sent her backwards and rolling along the asphalt. He lay on the asphalt looking at her with the ends of his eyebrows lowered. ¡°Chisato.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t right.¡± She held her own body as it trembled, but this tremor was not due to Izumo¡¯s injury. ¡°Everything I¡¯m seeing and feeling here is strange.¡± ¡°What do you-¡­¡± ¡°Quiet! You aren¡¯t Kaku!¡± She gathered her strength as she shouted, exhaled, inhaled, and looked around. As she viewed the landscape, she heard Izumo¡¯s voice. ¡°I really am me, y¡¯know?¡± ¡°No, you aren¡¯t,¡± she replied after spotting something. ¡°Why? Why would you say I¡¯m not me?¡± ¡°This, for example.¡± She pointed at something in front of her. ¡°That¡¯s your motorcycle that was destroyed earlier. It was cut in two. But you know what? I don¡¯t know anything about the internal structure of motorcycles.¡± She stood up with her back to him and picked up the piston from the motorcycle¡¯s engine. ¡°Look at this part. I sometimes see it in motor oil ads.¡± She looked at the unharmed piston. ¡°The engine was split in half, so why wasn¡¯t it cut? Are you going to tell me this unharmed component fell out because it wasn¡¯t attached to anything?¡± She turned toward Izumo and he looked back at her with a relaxed smile. ¡°Am I really not me, Chisato?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I simply can¡¯t believe that you are.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to hear a little more evidence than that.¡± ¡°Fine. With your right hand, you always touch my left breast first. When I do it on my own, I start with my right, though. ¡­But just now, you started with the right. And you know what else?¡± She gave a bitter smile. ¡°I still haven¡¯t told you my back is my biggest weak point. It¡¯s kind of creepy when you do everything exactly the way I¡¯d want it,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you, my ideal Kaku, but you¡¯re simply too boring, just like this world. So¡­¡± She raised her right fist and threw it into her own face. She felt dizzy and gasped. A moment later, the world seemed to sway before her eyes. Just like when Sayama¡¯s Baku showed her the past, everything went black and she felt like she was falling. ¡°¡­¡± Izumo¡¯s smile wavered and vanished from her vision as she woke up. ¡°¡­!¡± Kazami came to. ¡­Where am I? She was on a road. It was the same road between the large field and the railroad. She sat on the back of the parked motorcycle and Izumo¡¯s back was right in front of her. ¡­This is the same as when we met Roger. The only difference was Roger¡¯s absence. ¡°The sun is setting.¡± It seemed a fair bit of time had passed. Oh, no, she thought just as she heard a sound from her cell phone. She hesitantly pulled it from her pocket and found it was not cut in two. She breathed a sigh of relief and brought it to her ear. ¡°Hello? This is Kazami.¡± ¡°Ah, Chisato-sama! Are you okay!?¡± ¡°Oh, Sibyl. Yeah, I guess we¡¯re okay. Did something happen?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sibyl?¡± The usual response of ¡°testament¡± did not arrive. Kazami tilted her head at the silence she got instead, but then a shout reached her ear. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®did something happen¡¯!!?¡± ¡­Oh, dear. ¡°L-listen, Chisato-sama. A powerful philosopher¡¯s stone reading was detected by your cell phone about an hour ago!¡± Oh, yeah. I forget this did that, she thought but did not say. Sibyl took a breath before continuing. ¡°I thought something might have happened and tried to contact you, but I wasn¡¯t able to get through! I have been calling you every minute like a stalker, but you haven¡¯t been responding at all! So I¡­I¡­I was so panicked I started hacking into a Russian missile silo!¡± She really is panicking, thought Kazami. But then she remembered herself just a bit earlier. ¡­I guess I¡¯m not one to talk. ¡°Anyway, Sibyl, try to calm down.¡± ¡°Chisato-samaaa!¡± She heard crying and assumed all of Sibyl¡¯s emotions had switched over to relief. Kazami gave a pleasant bitter smile and looked around. ¡­But what was the powerful philosopher¡¯s stone reading? The field and the railroad track were the only things around and Roger had arrived afterwards. ¡°There¡¯s nothing like a philosopher¡¯s stone here.¡± She then noticed the trail the motorcycle tires had left in the sand down below. The sand was not dirt or dust from the field and it was slightly bluish-white. ¡­That¡¯s made from philosopher¡¯s stone powder, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Sibyl, I¡¯ve figured it out. It looks like we really were attacked. Is the American inspector there!?¡± ¡°No, but he should be arriving from Yokota soon.¡± ¡°Be on your guard!¡± ¡°What do you¡­?¡± Sibyl trailed off but quickly replied. ¡°Testament. Then listen carefully, Chisato-sama. It would probably be best if you did not come to join us right away. You would not make it in time for the inspector¡¯s arrival anyway.¡± Strength had reentered her voice. ¡°Come by once the situation has settled and we are both at a stalemate. If something does happen, I will send an email containing information on UCAT¡¯s back entrances. See you then.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Kazami before ending the call and sighing. ¡­This isn¡¯t good. Something was about to happen and they did not have their weapons. ¡°Hey, Kaku. What should we do?¡± She was relieved that he was not actually injured, but he did not answer her question. ¡°¡­?¡± When she frowned and looked over his shoulder, she found him staring into empty space with a serious expression while silently kneading and stroking the air. And the movements of his hands followed the curves of her body. Naturally, she hit him. ¡°Gwah! Ah¡­eh? Wait? Huh?¡± He turned around, saw her, spread his arms with a look of relief, and grabbed her breasts from below. ¡°Good, this really is the land of Chisato¡¯s tits.¡± ¡°Stop groping me like you don¡¯t have a care in the world!¡± The damage of the second hit caused him to sway like a pendulum. ¡°Ah! Wh-what was I just doing?¡± ¡°Looked to me like you were kneading my breasts in a dream.¡± ¡°O-oh, yeah. Now that you mention it, I was. Yeah, I definitely was.¡± He nodded, looked at her, and then frowned as if he had suddenly realized something. ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon.¡± He looked like he was about to cry. ¡°What are you doing dressed? So it really was a dream. What a disappointment.¡± ¡°I get the feeling our dreams were completely different.¡± She lowered her shoulders in exasperation, but she was also relieved that it had only been a dream. ¡­Thank goodness. But Izumo¡¯s expression suddenly grew serious. ¡°Hey, Chisato.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± He tilted his head and spoke more slowly. ¡°What¡¯s this, Chisato? You look like you¡¯re about to cry.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She repeated her questioning voice, but she began to tremble. ¡­Huh? What is this? she wondered as she felt something fall down her cheek. ¡°Huh?¡± She held out her hand and could see it shaking. A drop fell to the palm. More and more fell and refused to stop, so she frantically wiped at her eyes. She was crying. ¡­Why? ¡°What is it, Chisato? Did you have a bad dream?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ How did you know?¡± He fully turned around, wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and embraced her even tighter than in the dream. He did not hold back. The strength somewhat took her breath away, but she gave herself into the embrace. She gave a sobbing breath before speaking. ¡°It was a terrible dream.¡± ¡°What kind of dream was it?¡± ¡°You¡­You were dying.¡± ¡°I see, I see. That must¡¯ve been scary. But I¡¯m not gonna die and I¡¯m with you, so don¡¯t worry.¡± He gently patted her back and she nodded while attempting to suppress her trembling. ¡°It was scary. And¡­¡± She was unable to continue because he brought his lips to hers. She took a breath and pressed toward him even more strongly than in the dream. There was something she had to silently apologize for. Even if it had been a fake¡­ ¡­I betrayed him a little. He suddenly touched her breast. The fact that it was her left breast made her smile bitterly and relax. ¡°We can¡¯t do this here,¡± she said after removing her lips. ¡°And we can¡¯t do it now. Sibyl and the others might be in trouble.¡± ¡°I see. Did you manage to calm down?¡± She thought his comment did not really follow from hers, but she still nodded. She wrapped her arms around his neck again, rested her chin on his shoulder, and took a deep breath. ¡°I learned something today. Even I have something I¡¯m afraid of.¡± In her dream, someone other than her had been hurt. ¡­What would happen to me if something like that actually happened? That¡¯s a scary thought, she said in her heart. ¡°I have something I¡¯m afraid of too,¡± said Izumo. ¡°Really? Is it the same as mine?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he said while lightly embracing her. ¡°I¡¯m afraid of wasting this perfect mood we¡¯ve got going here. What do you say to that?¡± ¡°I say this!!¡± She bent backwards and then slammed her knee into him. Japanese UCAT¡¯s new underground headquarters was a large but enclosed space. It was about three stories tall and one of its walls contained a large screen. Desks were gathered on the first floor portion and dolls were currently gathered in the center of those desks. Sibyl wore her white armored uniform while surrounded by people in black maid uniforms and other white armored uniforms. She looked across the people waiting for her to speak. ¡°American UCAT¡¯s inspector still has not arrived?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. We have received no word from the lobby.¡± ¡°Testament. Abram and the rest of the field operations group are on standby behind the lobby just in case. The German UCAT and 1st-Gear inspectors have not noticed any of this, correct?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. German UCAT¡¯s inspector was offered the ¡®extra soupy¡¯ course at the fourth basement beauty salon Transient Beauty. 1st-Gear¡¯s inspector is supposedly preparing a stand for the athletic festival at her school.¡± ¡°Testament,¡± replied Sibyl. ¡°Then please prepare to help the people inside the building evacuate or find shelter.¡± Someone then stepped forward. It was a red-haired maid. ¡°Sibyl-sama, what exactly should we do to prepare for that?¡± ¡°Testament. #8, the corridors between posts are separated using a concept space, so do your best to combine them all.¡± Sibyl then reached into her pocket and pulled out a remote control for the large screen. She used it to produce a black screen where T- and L-shaped blocks began to drop down from the top. ¡°The blocks falling from the top are abstract representations of the corridors. The locations that do not link together well will arrive in order, so do your best to line them up without any gaps. If they are combined well enough to form a full line, they will vanish, but switch out with someone else if they pile up to the top of the screen. Also, if you eliminate four or more lines at once, they will be pushed over to the next person¡¯s screen, so try to use that if you can.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said #8 with a nod. As the red-haired maid stepped back into the group, Sibyl spoke to them all. ¡°It is possible the American inspector will not do anything, so be careful not to cause a commotion. In case we must evacuate, please clear the corridors of trash. The corridors are especially bad right now because they are filled with piles of toys and books people have grown tired of after buying them in the summer. Throw them all out.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. We sometimes see UCAT Director Ooshiro sleeping in the corridors. What should we do about that?¡± ¡°Testament. In that case, be quiet so you do not wake him as you throw him out. He counts as burnable trash.¡± ¡°I¡¯m right here!!¡± That sudden shout was followed by an arm in a lab coat rising among them all. They all took a step back and Ooshiro walked through the gap to reach Sibyl. ¡°Sibyl-kun,¡± he said with a hand on his chin. ¡°What is the meaning of this dangerous planning meeting?¡± ¡°We were merely talking about throwing out the unneeded trash.¡± ¡°I was not talking about me. I was referring to the American inspector.¡± The 3rd automatons began whispering among themselves when they heard that. ¡° ¡®I was not talking about me¡¯? So he¡¯s aware that he qualifies as trash?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why he protested. He knows no shame.¡± ¡°Wh-why would you say that kind of thing aloud instead of with your shared memory!?¡± ¡°Please calm down, Ooshiro-sama. Conversation helps their work progress more smoothly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just trying to justify these personal attacks against me!!¡± Sibyl held out her remote control with a smile and he took it. ¡°What is this, Sibyl-kun?¡± ¡°Testament. Do you understand what your job is now?¡± ¡°Of course. To run away.¡± ¡°Testament. I assumed a coward would say that. However, you are the leader of Japanese UCAT and are thus needed to handle the arrival of America¡¯s inspector, so please wait here.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to, but my legs will carry me away on their own.¡± ¡°Testament. I assumed you would say that. Please press the External Input 3 button.¡± He did so and an image appeared on the large screen. It was a game screen with a black background, a line of buildings of four different colors at the bottom, and white lines representing missiles falling down from above. ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Ooshiro used the jog wheel to align the cursor on a missile and shot it down. ¡°Testament. Well done, Ooshiro-sama. More and more are falling, so please keep it up.¡± ¡°Um, Sibyl-kun? What exactly is this?¡± ¡°Testament. It is directly linked to a nuclear missile silo belonging to a certain country. If you get game over, a real missile will be fired back at you, so please do your best.¡± ¡°Are you pinning me here!?¡± shouted Ooshiro. A maid facing the communicator frantically turned around. ¡°Everyone! We have an intruder! The intruder is currently on the runway and moving this way!¡± ¡°Testament, how quickly?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The maid checked the console. ¡°Slowly. I have determined it to be walking pace. They have also given an identification signal!¡± She took a breath. ¡°It¡¯s American UCAT!¡± Everyone straightened up upon hearing that. Sibyl¡¯s voice tore through the silence and she raised a hand. ¡°Everyone, please get to work!¡± Many voices responded and the maids all turned their backs and scattered. Sibyl brushed a hand through her hair and joined the flow of people leaving the headquarters. However, something stopped her: Ooshiro. He spoke up while using the jog wheel. ¡°Sibyl-kun! Can I ask one thing!? There¡¯s a reward screen if I clear the stage, right!?¡± Sibyl nodded with a smile, pulled a new remote control from her pocket, opened the large screen¡¯s option menu, and changed the game¡¯s difficulty to ¡°hardest¡±. She ignored the shouting old man and gave a shout of her own. ¡°Enter Type 3 Defense! Everyone, hurry to your posts!!¡± Volume 8, 10: One who Commands Great Power Volume 8, Chapter 10: One who Commands Great Power What is that? Can it be seen? Is it correct? The scarlet light of the evening sun created a shadow between the mountains and a group of white buildings filled that shadow. It was IAI¡¯s Okutama branch. Behind the white buildings was a long and wide asphalt line continuing back into the valley. It was a runway. Currently, the runway contained motion. That motion came from shadows. The evening sun in the period halfway between summer and autumn created several long shadows on the runway. The shadows came from moving people. First, a single person moved from east to west along the three kilometer runway. A group of people surrounding the first person at a distance moved in the same direction, but they suddenly vanished. They had been crushed. That action had been accompanied by three sounds. First, the footsteps and snapping fingers of the elderly man in a suit who was moving west on his own. Second, a multitude of sounds as something struck the surrounding people and the sounds of them falling to the asphalt. And third, a roar from the eastern sky that acted as the background music for it all. The elderly man walked on while surrounded by all those sounds. ¡°Now, now. What is this? American UCAT¡¯s inspector has arrived, so aren¡¯t you going to give him a proper reception? And yet you insist on using the concepts of all the Gears.¡± As he walked, the men surrounding him tightened in. They wore white and black armored uniforms and they blocked his path from the front to the sides at a distance of five meters. ¡°Wait! Why is American UCAT¡¯s inspector harming us!?¡± ¡°Harming? I¡¯m not harming you. This is a greeting. Sixty years ago when the different UCATs visited the National Defense Department, they would do this to us if we didn¡¯t prove our strength to them. ¡­Japanese UCAT is in this state because you have no strength, so let me give a new greeting.¡± He raised his right arm and spoke the Japanese he had learned before leaving the United States. ¡°Konnichiwa, konnichiwa.¡± He snapped his fingers and around a dozen men were simultaneously slammed to the asphalt. ¡°Domo arigato and sayonara.¡± The weapons that hit the ground were anti-concept combat gear, but they broke and the people were mercilessly crushed against the hard ground in their armored uniforms. Nothing that fell even bounced. They seemed to be slammed and then pressed down. ¡°This¡­yes, this will end it. When I, Odor, snap my fingers, a single odor will crush you all. Can an organization like this really hold back the other UCATs, begin the Leviathan Road on its own, and stand at the center of the world?¡± He raised his right arm toward the unit located diagonally to the right from him. He snapped his right fingers and crushed them. Once he turned his right hand toward the unit to the left, the members of that unit lowered their hips and aimed their rifles at him. ¡°Move any further and we¡¯ll shoot!¡± Nevertheless, Odor swung his hand a second time which caused them to pull the triggers. The gunshots were accompanied by a metallic sound between them. An instant later, two things happened. Several sharp bullets were knocked to the asphalt in front of Odor and those who had pulled the triggers also crashed into the asphalt. Odor continued on while ignoring their groans. There were still plenty of people surrounding him up ahead, so he raised his right hand toward those people visible in the distance. He snapped his fingers and a metallic sound burst into the air. ¡°¡­!?¡± He saw a giant form standing between him and the others. The man of over two meters wore a white combat coat and had a white turban wrapped around his head. His wrinkled skin had the dark color of Middle Easterners and the hands of the same color pointed a giant white spear toward the sky. ¡°I am Abram Mesam, Director of Japanese UCAT¡¯s field operations department. What do you want?¡± ¡°Would you look at that, would you look at that. One of those known as the Eight Great Dragon Kings has come to greet me. I am American UCAT Inspector Odor and I want two things,¡± said Odor. ¡°They are simple, simple things. End the Leviathan Road and transfer all authority thereof to the other UCATs. In other words, my country and a few others have decided it is too dangerous to leave the fate of the world in the hands of a few Japanese children.¡± ¡°Testament. And do you intend to get your way through force?¡± Someone else lined up alongside Abram. It was a girl with long, blonde hair and a white armored uniform. Odor raised his right arm, but left it above his head. ¡°Who? Who are you?¡± ¡°Testament. I am Sibyl of Japanese UCAT.¡± Sibyl then spread her arms. At the same time, something jumped from beyond the five-story transportation control building behind her. Odor snapped his fingers. ¡°¡­!¡± But his power was deflected by twin giant swords. The jumping form landed behind Sibyl and produced a heavy metallic rumble as it did. The shaking proved how heavy it was. ¡°This is Lady Rhea¡¯s god of war from 3rd-Gear. We have unintentionally recreated the situation from sixty years ago, so what will you do? At the time, the UCATs were true military forces and the National Defense Department was outnumbered.¡± ¡°Funny. Now this is funny. ¡°What is funny?¡± asked Sibyl. ¡°What? What was that you just said?¡± Odor gave a bitter smile. ¡°It shows just how conceited you have grown, Japanese UCAT. Yes, sixty years ago, the Allied UCATs arrived with a military force and were unable to harm the National Defense Department they outnumbered. But¡­¡± He repeated the word ¡°but¡± while lowering his head. He pressed his left hand against his forehead, and brought the same hand below his neck as if resisting something. After a few seconds, he let out a laugh. ¡°Sixty years ago¡­ Yes, it was sixty years ago. The United States forgave a certain island nation. They had picked a fight with us, but we generously forgave them because of how small yet courageous they were and we helped them develop their civilization afterwards. What if I told you the same applied to the National Defense Department?¡± He raised his head and showed off his clenched teeth with a smile. ¡°A wonderful story. A truly wonderful story. And a wonderful greeting. A truly wonderful greeting. It is because we did not crush you sixty years ago and because you have forgotten that we forgave you back then that you now believe you possess great strength and believe you are equal to others.¡± He snapped his right fingers toward the sunset sky. A single metallic sound filled that sky and it was followed by the roar that had been present there for a while. ¡°What is this?¡± As Sibyl frowned, Odor stuck both hands in his pockets. ¡°It¡¯s over. My greeting is over.¡± Everyone heard a voice respond to those words. ¡ªObjects fall down. And the world changed. As everyone wondered what had happened, something happened in front of them. A few of the items belonging to their comrades on the asphalt floated up a little. It looked as if they were drifting in the water at the beach. ¡°This is 5th-Gear¡¯s flying concept, isn¡¯t it?¡± asked Abram. ¡°Bullets and other objects with no designated ¡®bottom surface¡¯ are not affected by gravity and anything that can change its sense of ¡®down¡¯ can fly freely.¡± ¡°Yes. During the last century¡­ About halfway through the last century, my country obtained it. Just watch.¡± Odor¡¯s words were followed by a change in the sky. Something suddenly appeared to the east in the sunset sky. They had presumably already been flying there while using a concept to hide their form. They had merely shown themselves after entering the concept space that had just been created. The objects flying toward the gathered people appeared to have avian forms at first glance. Twelve of them were visible in the distance, but they quickly approached. They produced a great roar and shook the forest as they arrived at extreme low altitude over it. ¡°Dragons!?¡± The physical answer to that question reached the people gathered on the runway. They were mechanical dragons. They were about thirty meters long and clad in blue. They all resembled fighters at first glance, but a change occurred as they loudly passed by overhead. ¡°!?¡± Their framework extended, their wings folded up, and their four limbs extended to take a dragon¡¯s form. These were fully transforming mechanical dragons. ¡°Look. Just look, Japanese UCAT. We will let you see this and we will not hide it. After the Concept War, American UCAT developed these to combat the remnants of the different Gears. These are the Blanca 9 fully transforming mechanical dragons.¡± The twelve mechanical dragons instantly ascended, completed their transformation into dragons, and turned around in midair. They twisted their bodies like cats to fly back the amount they had overshot the runway and then chose to drop straight down. With no concern for their mechanical bodies, they dropped from the sky and to the hard ground. They landed with a noise befitting their great bestial forms and they landed only a few meters behind Odor. The sunset scenery was filled with the heavy sounds of twelve sets of four legs and a tail tearing into the runway. But that was not all. Several new objects appeared in the sky behind them. They were transport planes. Also, several dark green four-ton trucks slowly drove up the road beyond the runway. The air shook from the roar in the sky, the sounds of engines on the ground, and the sounds of the massive machines breathing on the runway. Standing in front of them all, Odor observed what lay in front of him. He saw Abram with spear at the ready, Sibyl with her god of war preparing its swords, and the other Japanese UCAT members re-aiming their firearms. Behind them were a white building, the mountains, the evening sky, and the scarlet sun. While facing them all, he spoke. ¡°Listen. Listen, all of you. American UCAT is speaking. Many unforeseen problems have surfaced in the Leviathan Road and it is focused too exclusively within Japanese UCAT. The actions of the ones known as the Army are also a problem and you cannot deny that there are many concerns about a possible danger in carrying out the Leviathan Road.¡± He took a breath. ¡°As such. As such, we now demand that the Leviathan Road be temporarily halted, that Japanese UCAT abandons any actions taken solely at its own discretion, that the Leviathan Road be placed under the authority of every UCAT, and that all decisions be made by a committee made up of representatives from each country.¡± ¡°Testament. Odor-sama, you are asking that we abandon the Leviathan Road, aren¡¯t you? And you will bring it fully under American UCAT control in the name of using a committee.¡± ¡°That is a poor way of putting it. Very poor. We are not putting the United States in the lead. It is just that American UCAT possesses the greatest strength of any UCAT. We do not need to be in the lead for we stand in the center of justice. Japanese UCAT¡¯s mistaken understanding of the ¡®individual¡¯ has merely caused you to lose sight of the ¡®whole¡¯ of the world.¡± ¡°But does American UCAT have the right to stop the Leviathan Road!? It is an inviolable negotiation agreed to by Sayama Kaoru!¡± ¡°We do,¡± declared Odor. His words of violating the inviolable brought silence to the others. ¡°We do. And as long as we do, Team Leviathan cannot continue with the Leviathan Road. There is a reason why we have that right and it was given to us by Mr. Richard Thunderson¡¯s death.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Sibyl. ¡°We have no obligation to tell you. Not someone of your level. Our previous justification is enough for you. After all, any enemy of ours is evil. I hear Japanese UCAT once contained villains. If you still possess any of those cowards who could not advance without excusing themselves as villains, we will not fear to call ourselves just and teach them the truth in order to crush them. I ask you, are you evil!?¡± ¡°We are not, but let me tell you one thing.¡± Abram held his spear tight and narrowed his one eye as he watched the transport planes landing on the distant eastern end of the runway. ¡°A villain still exists within Japanese UCAT.¡± ¡°I see,¡± replied Odor. He nodded and smiled. ¡°Good. Very good, everyone. Then let the world continue once more.¡± A long, hardwood hallway had a 12 square meter Japanese-style entrance on one end, but it had a darkness unreached by the ceiling light on the other end. The walls were plaster and several sliding doors were located on either side. A few of the closer sliding doors were opened and several people were moving between them. Most of those people were large men, slender middle-aged men, or women with thin smiles, but they all had a single point in common: they carried plates of food. A woman sat and watched them from the entrance. She wore a red kimono and glasses and she had a black telephone on her lap. ¡°Oh, I see. So you and Setsu-chan won¡¯t be visiting today? Yes, I¡¯ll eat your portions, so don¡¯t worry. Not a problem. I won¡¯t gain any weight.¡± Ryouko showed off her teeth in a smile. ¡°So you¡¯re on a trip with Setsu-chan. This is a big moment for you, young master. So where is he? Yes, I¡¯d like to talk with him a bit. I can tell him what positions are best with a guy like him. Eh? He¡¯s in the bath right now?¡± Ryouko¡¯s expression grew serious and she held the receiver in both hands. ¡°Young master! This is your chance! Your grandfather taught you how to open a locked door, didn¡¯t he? Yes, yes. The method you trained for by opening the door to the city gym¡¯s girl¡¯s locker room and then running away. If I recall, you escaped the police car by kicking your grandfather into its path so it hit him and-¡­ Eh? You¡¯re past that level?¡± She heard footsteps. She did not turn toward them, but she heard the voice. ¡°Sister, can you help the others carry in dinner?¡± ¡°Hm? But I just finished lighting incense at the shrine in the backyard.¡± ¡°That is a standard duty as master of the house. And our profession means we must take extra care with that sort of thing.¡± ¡°Eh? But, Kouji, you¡¯re the futuristic type that was wondering if we should get robot guards the other day.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not quite accurate. The IAI ¡®Dog Willpower¡¯ that I ordered have protective charms for household safety and prosperous business placed inside. You know how superstitious IAI can be, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Young master, young master. Listen. Kouji¡¯s all obsessed with machines now. Could this get any worse? As his sister, I¡¯m really worried about his future. ¡­I know, right? Real people are the best. ¡­See, Kouji? Getting real people for guards is best.¡± Kouji sighed and looked down at his sister. ¡°If you keep making excuses to get out of work, I¡¯m going to tell our parents. They¡¯re on a tour that simulates being stranded in the Mount Fuji Sea of Trees, but they¡¯ll be back with their souvenirs tomorrow.¡± ¡°Eh? But they only told me to look after the shrine out back. ¡­Eh? Oh, yes. I¡¯ll tell you once you¡¯re married, young master. My father told you the same thing about the Tamiya family shrine, right?¡± Ryouko laughed into the receiver. ¡°Yes, yes. The best women have lots of secrets. You really know how it works. ¡­Oh, yes. Something just arrived at your room? A communicator? ¡­Oh, okay. I won¡¯t ask if it¡¯s part of your job, but do your best. Setsu-chan¡¯s with you, right? No, that¡¯s fine. So what is it?¡± She narrowed her eyes as she listened to the phone and she slowly turned to Kouji. ¡°Kouji, the young master says we should cook some sekihan next time he visits with Setsu-chan.¡± ¡°And who exactly is going to do that? No, I suppose my first question should be who it¡¯s for.¡± Ryouko frowned at that, removed her right hand from the receiver, and raised a finger toward him. ¡°C¡¯mon, Kouji. It¡¯s sekihan, so it¡¯s gotta be for Setsu-chan.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t possibly be for him! He¡¯s a boy!¡± ¡°The body doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯ve seen a lot of people like that, haven¡¯t you!?¡± ¡°I have, but the people here had to go through a certain process to get to that point! Setsu-kun may be more than 80% there in how he feels, but you should normally stop someone from doing that! Don¡¯t you all agree!?¡± His question was answered by several nodding heads visible through the sliding doors on the left and right of the hallway. They all spoke in unison. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped with us, but it probably isn¡¯t the best idea for a current child.¡± ¡°Idiots!¡± Ryouko reflexively stood up and gave a fierce glare toward Kouji and the rest. ¡°How can you be so stupid!? How can you be so moronic!? How can you be so¡­um, to supplement for myself, I¡¯m so happy!¡± ¡°Thankfully, I have no idea what you mean, sister.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ignore that, but you can¡¯t give up just because ¡®it can¡¯t be helped¡¯!¡± She stuck out her tongue. ¡°It can be helped. No matter what people may do, they can be happy as long as they do what feels good to them, they don¡¯t die, and they don¡¯t cause problems for others. That¡¯s why I support Setsu-chan and I¡¯d be happy if all of you would do the same!¡± ¡°That was certainly amazing if you actually think that was a good argument. ¡­You back there, you don¡¯t have to cry and nod in agreement!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes, yes. If that single dissenting opinion from my brother is the only one, the Tamiya family democracy declares that the Tamiya family will fully support Setsu-chan.¡± ¡°Um, sister.¡± Kouji¡¯s shoulders drooped. ¡°Listen. Have you forgotten that Setsu-kun has a sister?¡± He took in a breath. ¡°And it¡¯s the sister that the young master is interested in. Setsu-kun said as much. I¡¯ll check the listening device recording later to make sure!¡± Her brother¡¯s attack from an unexpected angle put Ryouko on her guard and she embraced the phone as if to protect it. ¡°B-but¡­¡± ¡°What is it, sister?¡± ¡°H-have you ever seen Setsu-chan¡¯s supposed sister?¡± ¡°I have. She greeted me when I picked the young master up at IAI.¡± ¡°That was a fake!!¡± she declared while adjusting her grip on the phone. ¡°It was Setsu-chan in disguise! Yay! You were tricked by Setsu-chan! And I would¡¯ve seen through it because of his scent.¡± ¡°Stop insisting the impossible. And it was clearly a girl.¡± ¡°Are you saying you checked by grabbing and pulling the penis like the young master did!?¡± ¡°If I¡¯d done that, I¡¯d have been taken to the police or a hospital! And don¡¯t shout that kind of thing so loudly! The neighbors can hear you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject, Kouji. Listen carefully. You didn¡¯t strip off her clothes? You didn¡¯t hold her down so she couldn¡¯t move? And you didn¡¯t visually or tactilely check? Then you can¡¯t know anything! As someone in the security guard business, you should be ashamed by your behavior!¡± she said. ¡°Also, the young master might not be getting along with Setsu-chan¡¯s sister! For example, he might have barged into the locker room, suddenly stripped off most of her clothes, and started touching her. Or he might have pushed her to the bed and forced her to spread her legs. If he did that, she might have started hating him, right? And if you think about it logically, whose turn is it then!? Tah, dah! Se! Tsu! Chan! See? I used staccato to emphasize it!¡± With that said, she sighed and gave an exasperated pose with the phone still in her right hand. ¡°You sometimes have real trouble thinking logically, Kouji. Life might seem easier if you believe everything you see, but it worries me when you live in delusion like that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sister. It will cut the conversation off rather suddenly, but can I collapse right here and now?¡± ¡°Sure, go ahead. But the floor is too hard to get any good rest on, so go buy some sekihan beans instead.¡± Kouji ignored her. He sat on the floor with his back to his sister and slowly threw himself forward. Seeing that her brother was no longer moving, Ryouko nodded with the ends of her eyebrows lowered. ¡°Such a troublesome boy.¡± She gave another nod of understanding and sat with her back leaning against the wall. ¡°Sorry, young master. Yes, the evil was slain. Kouji sometimes says the most nonsensical things. Oh, right. Sorry for getting so worked up on this end when you went out of your way to inform us you wouldn¡¯t be coming to dinner. Make sure the two of you do your best with your work. Oh, and another thing.¡± She fixed her bangs that had gotten out of place in the argument with her brother. ¡°There¡¯s a half-Japanese boy in your class, right? Yes, the one who seems like a silent hitman who helped clean and carry things on the last day of preparations for the All Holiday Festival. ¡­Yes, yes. Harakawa-kun. Earlier today, he was at the supermarket with a girl. They seemed to be buying food for dinner.¡± She turned toward the front door and the wood lattice entrance that could not be seen from inside. ¡°Yes, she was a younger girl with short blonde hair. ¡­Yes, I listened with a parabolic microphone and her name is Heo. How about I try using that to extort something from him? Yes, I have everything I need. ¡­Eh? I can¡¯t? But it¡¯s a good piece of information?¡± A broad smile covered her face. ¡°Well, of course it is. Nothing I say is wrong or bad. Anyway, make sure you work hard. I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be easy.¡± The sun was setting over the mountain ridge. Its light washed over a long stretch of asphalt with a great many figures moving on it. Some were people, some were dragons made of metal, and one was a large, artificial human form. Gunfire, footsteps, sword strikes, voices, and metallic sounds filled the air. The wind also swept in another roar as it landed on the runway. It came from transport planes. Their back hatches opened and released flat Hummer-type vehicles and several American UCAT soldiers. They all wore blue armored uniforms and ran along the runway at superhuman speeds. The mechanisms installed within their armored uniforms accelerated their movements. They included women and people of different skin color, they were joined by the group that had arrived by truck, and the blue wave rushed down the runway. As if pulling them forward, the blue mechanical dragons roared and ran forward. Their steel legs smashed the asphalt, but their movements were almost light as they led the way. Meanwhile, the white group formed a wall for them to crash into. The blue wave and the white wall both got what they wanted. The blue wave was stopped by the wall and the white wall was broken as it tried to suppress the wave. Some of them formed a large whitecap as they clashed within the surging wave. One of those was Sibyl and her white god of war as she faced a mechanical dragon. ¡°¡­¡± She knew she had to stop it. If she did not buy time here, many different things within Japanese UCAT¡¯s headquarters would be captured: materiel, personnel, data, and the remnants of feelings. Most of those had to be evacuated. The materiel and personnel would be guided underground while the data would be locked down in the server by the information division. The key to it all was the fifth basement. Everything below was a top secret zone. The Concept Core equipment and Sibyl¡¯s god of war were stored on that fifth basement. The other UCATs had not been told what lay below that floor. Ooshiro had given permission to evacuate there, but everyone and everything still had to get there. ¡°So I need to buy some time.¡± She clashed with a single mechanical dragon. The blue dragon was taller than her white god of war and she had heard its name was Blanca 9. ¡°I once heard from Mr. Richard Thunderson that the craft meant to be officially adopted by American UCAT was named Blanca.¡± The blue mechanical dragon lowered down like a cat and fired shells from the secondary cannons on its shoulders. ¡°¡­!¡± Sibyl held her hands forward to deflect the shells with her blades. She deflected them into the sky because there were people down below. More shells arrived, so she continued swinging the swords to deflect them. The dragon moved forward as it fired. The repeated sounds of shellfire tore into the space between the two machines and the dragon stepped forward each time. However, Sibyl also moved forward. She did not need any strength to step into the great sound and pressure. She held her arms apart and moved her fingers through the air as if playing an instrument. The white god of war responded with detailed movements of its swords with the sounds of deflected shells forming the notes. Metal and sparks resounded. Among the movement lit by the twilight sky, the white god of war made music from the dragon¡¯s attacks and moved forward. They closed in on each other. Suddenly, light appeared to Sibyl¡¯s right. Another mechanical dragon had fired its main cannon, the dragon cannon in its mouth. The bluish-white beam of light was at least several meters across and it swept toward her across the runway with a splashing sound. The clear sound of the blue light raced across the runway. The light¡¯s destruction sent several people in white armored uniforms flying through the air and it tore into the ground. It threatened to swallow up Sibyl and the god of war. ¡°¡­!¡± It hit and she heard a sound, but the sound was wrong. It was not the sound of spraying light. Instead¡­ ¡°Fire!?¡± The sound everyone identified was accompanied by the appropriate phenomenon. The bluish-white dragon cannon had been burned away. Red flames instantly burned it down to the base as if it were a scrap of paper or a cloth soaked in oil. The dragon was pierced through by the flames that reached it. They first entered through the cracks in the cowling covering its mechanical body and then they burst out its back and into the sky behind it. After that, the sound of scorching flames enveloped the blue dragon. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± The supposedly formless flames roared like a crimson dragon. And then the supposedly metal dragon burned to ashes without melting. ¡°That was the Cowling Lance B-Sp which uses 9th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core, wasn¡¯t it?¡± said Sibyl. ¡°An appropriate power for 9th which worshiped fire.¡± She turned from the silenced enemy and to the large man holding a white spear to her right. ¡°Testament. Thank you very much, Director Abram.¡± ¡°Testament. I should be the one thanking you for helping with a field operations job.¡± He lowered the spear and it, B-Sp, had transformed. It had originally had an extremely thick tip, but that tip was now split into a double-bladed spear. ¡°I must be getting old,¡± he said. ¡°I no longer feel the desire to show off.¡± ¡°Testament. Even so, it is an honor. I never had a chance to fight alongside you sixty years ago.¡± ¡°Do you¡­know about me?¡± ¡°Testament. I was unable to meet you because I was asleep, but when I saw you and Arnavaz-sama two years ago, I used my knowledge of the people I had met back then and the history afterwards to put most of it together.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Abram while looking expressionlessly in front of Sibyl. The blue mechanical dragon was preparing to fight once more. ¡°Shall I handle this?¡± ¡°No, Abram-sama. You worry about the others.¡± The dragon aimed both its secondary cannons and opened its mouth for its dragon cannon, but Sibyl smiled. Abram gave a bitter smile in return. ¡°Does a maintenance worker smile at all times so the others can relax?¡± ¡°Testament. Did you not call it an automaton trait because you felt this was kinder? Also, it appears to me that Arnavaz-sama always waits for you with a smile.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t exactly approve of bringing up household issues on the battlefield.¡± With that said, he leaped over the many blue and white figures, flipped around, and ran toward a different mechanical dragon. Sibyl faced forward after watching him leave. She saw light in the mechanical dragon¡¯s mouth. However¡­ ¡°Here I come.¡± She launched herself forward, swung up her arms, and attacked. Volume 8, 11: Complicated Power Volume 8, Chapter 11: Complicated Power It becomes such a jumbled mess because it is all gathered together As fragments, it would simply scatter The development department on UCAT HQ¡¯s second basement was filled with confusion. The fact that it was on one of the higher basements was a problem. ¡°Keep in mind that this is the most important place! Carry down the PCs and all the other physical equipment!¡± A woman in a lab coat commanded the others while tapping a meter stick on the wall. The nametag on her chest said Tsukuyomi Shizuru. She stood in the white corridor in front of the development department. It led to the storerooms and the armory and the walls had opened to reveal the transport rails. ¡°If we use the armory transport elevators, we can send all the equipment to the fifth basement.¡± She glanced over at the elevator console on the wall. It controlled all four large elevators in the armory and the BF5 light was on for the first time she had ever seen. ¡°But I¡¯m amazed the higher ups removed the limiter on that top secret area.¡± A man carrying a bundle of designs walked up and she turned toward him. ¡°Kashima, throw those on the next pallet. We¡¯re using it for paper.¡± ¡°No, these have a divine protection of metal on them, so they¡¯ll be fine with the swords. We don¡¯t want them burning, after all. More importantly, what will we be doing now?¡± ¡°Have you seen the map of the fifth basement?¡± ¡°I have. It covered the basement itself and the ventilation space that acts like an attic.¡± ¡°And if we hack into the communication line from that attic, we can get through even if they jam us.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Kashima. ¡°I¡¯ll be able to call Natsu-san and tell her I can¡¯t make it home today.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll bravely tell me an extra wonderful dinner will be waiting for me the next day! Ahh, I want to let those damn Americans hear what they¡¯re doing!¡± ¡°I see you keep going even when people fall silent now.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? This is valuable evidence of my happiness. I¡¯m sure your husband used to say this kind of thing while writhing around. The two of you must have been so happy.¡± Tsukuyomi recalled the past. Miyako had been young and her husband had still been with her. She then imagined that husband holding a family photo at work while crawling on the floor or wriggling around in the corridor. ¡°That¡¯s just creepy.¡± ¡°I see. Let me take this chance to tell you something important: there is something wrong with you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with you in the opposite direction, so go check in a mirror. And can¡¯t you carry some more things out while you talk? Like Atsuta¡¯s stuff?¡± ¡°His computer probably has nothing but weird songs on it. American UCAT would probably think it¡¯s the mantra of some weird cult, so do you think we could distract them with it?¡± Meanwhile, another figure walked down the corridor. It was an automaton. The black-haired automaton wore a white work apron and bowed once she noticed Tsukuyomi. ¡°Yes, sir. This floor will soon be purged and hidden. Anyone who has completed their preparations should take the elevator down. The third and fourth basements are already in the queue, so please hurry.¡± Her instructions were followed by a small sound. The sound of tearing paper came from the top and bottom of the walls forming the development department room. Immediately afterwards, a shaking filled the corridor. The empty room was removed from the corridor. It and the production rooms connected to it moved away like a ship being rowed out to sea or a car trembling as it began to drive. Tsukuyomi looked in the gap, but she sensed nothing there. There was no light or darkness. She could tell nothing beyond that there was nothing there. The development room drifted out on that unknowable ocean as if the unknowable gap were spreading. The automaton let out a breath much like a sigh. ¡°After being purged, the areas with primary concept expansion floors will have the normal floor fixed in place and the concept expansion floor hidden. That means the development room will no longer exist in this world.¡± ¡°I see. So you hide the floor on such a fundamental level that no information can be restored from residual thoughts or records.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Even if they attempt to restore the floor, the automaton in charge of the purge would be needed to accurately reconnect the severed parent string vibration. All that will remain are the harmless areas such as the cafeteria, the library, and the training rooms as well as the new headquarters as bait.¡± ¡°The new headquarters? Is everyone still managing the purge from there?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. But the development room was the last major area to be purged, so their work is finished and they will be rewriting everything to normal floors. Please hurry down. Otherwise you will be trapped on a purged floor that may or may not ever be recovered.¡± The last of the equipment was being loaded on a pallet situated on the transport rails in the corridor wall. The members of the development department were competing to see just how much of their personal items they could fit on the tatami mat sized pallet. ¡­This is a war. She turned to the development room with a bitter smile and noticed a new wall had appeared there. That was how the corridor was meant to look. The concept space development department had been overwritten with the real version. The wall was somewhat transparent and she could see their room drifting away on the other side. ¡°Director Tsukuyomi!¡± Kashima called for her from down the corridor. The transport pallet had been sent off at low speed and he turned back among the group following it. ¡°Please hurry!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right there!¡± She began jogging and brought a hand to her hips hoping they would be fine, but then she turned around. The automaton remained in front of the vanishing development room. Just as she was going to tell the automaton to follow, the automaton bowed. ¡°I will be waiting for you to retrieve this space.¡± She leaped into the room that was drifting away. She jumped over the unknowable gap that had grown to a few meters and she landed in the entrance of that empty room. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I have determined there is no need to worry, Director Tsukuyomi. To retrieve the purged floor falling into the enclosed space, the automaton who severed the parent string vibration must reconnect it, but the process will be more stable if there is a voice calling from the purged floor.¡± As she spoke, she turned toward Tsukuyomi from the open door of the room. ¡°A few of the automatons ¨C including me ¨C have difficulty fighting. We specialize in housework, cleaning, or otherwise preserving a room, so I have determined this is the perfect job for us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A doll is meant to be stored in a box, but they are also meant to be taken out once more by human hands. Also, I have heard that the Copp¨¦lia recreation rate rises if people wish for it. Of course, it was not until later that I learned what Copp¨¦lia meant, but that is why we will be waiting for those human hands. That is what I have determined in order to further affirm my decision.¡± Tsukuyomi listened to her and briefly lowered her gaze. ¡°¡­¡± When she looked up once more, there was strength in her eyes and a smile on the corners of her mouth. She decided to emulate the phrase the automaton had been repeating. ¡°So should I say ¡®yes, sir¡¯?¡± ¡°And should I reply with ¡®Testament¡¯?¡± A distortion filled the automaton¡¯s voice and her body seemed to grow fuzzy. She was falling into the unknowable space and yet she still bowed. Tsukuyomi could not hear her parting words and she grew too blurry to see. ¡°!?¡± The next thing Tsukuyomi knew, nothing but a wall lay before her. ¡°Hurry up, Director Tsukuyomi! Did you hurt your back again!?¡± Tsukuyomi pulled a pen from her pocket and threw it at Kashima who was poking his head out from the armory entrance. On the surface, the battle on the runway was beginning to move in a certain direction. The mechanical dragons facing Abram and Sibyl had fallen back a bit to draw their two enemies away from Japanese UCAT¡¯s main force. Something then charged into the slight gap that created. ¡°Another transport plane!?¡± A dark green four-engine transport plane slipped onto the runway and formed a barrier. The Japanese UCAT members watched as Humvees and soldiers in blue armored uniforms left the back hatch. ¡°Outta the way, damn you! I wanted to see Sibyl-san fight, so why do I have to see these filthy men!?¡± The men in white armored uniforms were sent flying by the bullets that answered their anger. Their spatial barriers formed from defense concepts weakened the bullets somewhat, but¡­ ¡°We¡¯ll die if they hit the joints! Especially the back of the neck! Everyone, make sure to tighten your collar!¡± Everyone obeyed the voice of their commander and moved forward. The ones holding meter-tall shields moved to the front and the ones with submachine guns followed while crouched down. ¡°Damn,¡± muttered a young soldier. The sounds of gunfire, the distant voices of the mechanical dragons, and the unending roar from the transport plane¡¯s engines filled the background. ¡°Are we really not allowed to use real bullets!?¡± He held a shield and his commander covered him from behind and answered his question. ¡°This is not a clear battle against ¡®hostile forces¡¯ like 1st or 3rd were. We¡¯re supposed to be settling things with the people holding onto a past grudge, but this is another UCAT.¡± ¡°Then is this what¡¯s going on!? Once things settle down here and everyone cools their heads, they¡¯ll meet on the political front and tell the Americans we were only having a mock battle while they used real bullets!? They¡¯ll say America was at fault and so they need to back off? Are we just pawns in that plan!?¡± A middle-aged man firing a sniper rifle next to the complaining man was blown backwards. ¡°!?¡± He looked over and saw a bullet had made its way into the joint of the armor on the right shoulder. As the man tried to get up, the younger soldier tried to stop him. ¡°Stay still! You need medical help!¡± ¡°I can handle that on my own. More importantly, hand over your gun. If you¡¯re going to complain instead of shoot, I¡¯ll shoot with my left arm.¡± He got up, seemed to ignore his unmoving right arm, and used his left hand to open the first aid pack at his waist. The younger man tried to help, but he stopped him. ¡°You¡¯re only talking about the political side. It¡¯s true we¡¯re nothing but pawns on that front, but there¡¯s something we can accomplish here. Look behind you.¡± The younger man looked back and saw Japanese UCAT headquarters disguised as a transport control building. ¡°Not a single member of American UCAT has made it in there. That¡¯s the present issue. If we let even one person through, it means we weren¡¯t able to complete our job. But if we hold this runway until the evacuation is complete, we can turn to those on the political front and tell them it¡¯s their turn to do their job.¡± He pressed an emergency pouch on his right shoulder and held out his left hand without even wiping off the blood. ¡°Give me your ammo and then fall back. If I can protect your retreat, I¡¯ll have accomplished something only I could do.¡± A bullet shot past to the side and produced a metallic sound from the commander¡¯s shield. The younger solider listened to it with his back to the older man. ¡°¡­¡± He silently closed his eyes and passed his submachine gun to the middle-aged man. ¡°I see.¡± The man nodded and used his chin to point toward the disguised transport control building. ¡°Now, go.¡± However, his expression quickly changed to a frown. ¡°Hey.¡± He spoke up because of what the younger man had done. After handing over his submachine gun, he had shrugged, crouched down, and picked up the rifle the other man had dropped. After picking up the bolt-action sniper rifle, he sighed. ¡°You can¡¯t aim right now, so just spray bullets around with that. I¡¯ll use this since you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Take good care of it. My gun has the name of a goddess carved into it.¡± ¡°Mine has a 2nd name on it too.¡± The young soldier lowered his hips, pressed the stock against his shoulder, and aimed. However, he heard a metallic sound before he could fire. It was thrown down from the sky as if falling and it was loud. ¡°¡­!¡± The commander standing before him was slammed to the asphalt. ¡°What was that?¡± gulped someone in the back and a certain figure appeared. A slender old man in a gray suit stood about ten meters away and his blue eyes were turned their way. ¡°There. I just have to get through there and we¡¯ll have a path to the building behind you.¡± His words were followed by the young soldier, the middle-aged soldier, and all the soldiers behind them simultaneously pulling the triggers. The mock bullets with ¡°mock¡± written on the front flew toward their enemy while receiving the concept protection of 1st-Gear. However, a snap of his fingers stopped it all. A splendid metallic noise filled the air between the two sides and a straight line was gouged into the ground. The bullets were all slammed to the ground and the elderly man¡¯s right hand shot up once more. ¡°It¡¯s no use. It¡¯s no use, Japanese UCAT. Your false evil cannot stop justice.¡± His words were followed by the young soldier with the rifle forcefully rising to his feet. ¡°False evil and justice are meaningless on the battlefield!¡± He stood up and pulled the trigger just as the elderly man snapped his fingers. And he did so twice. The same metallic noise filled the air twice. The first crushed the flying bullets and the second came from directly over the young soldier¡¯s head. ¡°¡­!¡± A form flew through the air. It looked both black and white as it leaped while backed by the sky that was filling with purple darkness. The form used their left arm to block the metallic noise that had appeared over the young soldier¡¯s head. ¡°!¡± The left arm fell from the shoulder and crashed to the ground, but the flying figure was otherwise unaffected. They rotated around once, their skirt filled with air, and they landed on the ground. The figure was wearing black and white clothes. They were Japanese UCAT¡¯s combat maid uniform and combat apron. Above those two garments was short red hair. ¡°Welcome to Japanese UCAT, American UCAT Inspector Odor-sama. I am #8 and I am acting as the automaton representative of Japanese UCAT.¡± She bowed and turned toward the young soldier and the others behind him. ¡°The evacuation is complete. Please continue after them. We will cover for you.¡± With that, her expression changed to a smile. Her eyes bent shallowly and her red hair blew in the wind. ¡°As you have completed your mission, we would like to receive you as guests.¡± That was followed by more motion. Maids burst from the entrance to the headquarters while holding heavy machineguns, shields, and various blades. They formed a final line of defense in front of the building. ¡°We betrayed 3rd-Gear, defected to Low-Gear, and rested beneath Kanda, so we were unable to take part in the Leviathan Road with 3rd-Gear. This is only the equipment the development department was unable to transport down, but we will use it against American UCAT.¡± As #8 spoke, her arm rose up from the ground. It drifted a bit, but it soon flew toward her left shoulder and reconnected with a sound of scraping metal. Meanwhile, small objects spilled from below her skirt and apron: screws, springs, small metal panels, and plastic panels. She used precise gravitational control to combine them. ¡°They are nothing but simple handguns, but there are thirty-two of them.¡± They all floated around her as she faced Odor. With the final crimson light of the setting sun in the sky behind her, bullets loaded into all thirty-two of her weapons. With the sound reverberating around her, the red-haired automaton opened her mouth, lowered her waist, and curtsied. ¡°Now, then. Let the service begin.¡± With that, she ran forward. #8 ran. Her gravitational control and limb output were set to ¡°hard¡± and she moved her body as she wished. This gave her a running speed of a few dozen kilometers per hour and a jumping distance of almost ten meters. ¡­Although the excessive heat production reduces the time I can remain active. She was a reception model, not a combat one. Her combat knowledge came from the shared memories of the automatons that had remained on 3rd-Gear¡¯s side. It specifically came from their memories fighting Team Leviathan. At the time, the automatons on the battlefield had set their movement ability at only a bit above that of a human. That had not pushed their heat production too high and thus allowed them to continue fighting. But the situation was different now. The opponent was different, the goal was different, and the time available was different. ¡­And I can use everyone¡¯s experiences for a greater result. She leaped in order to draw American UCAT¡¯s attention, to jump over them, and to get closer to Odor who was luring her deeper into their battlefield. She landed on the asphalt and immediately began running. The enemies that had visually followed her began approaching and firing on her. But she did not mind. This movement pattern had been included in the memories of the thirty-odd automatons she had copied over. While running, she spread her fingers and swung her hand toward the small approaching unit. Gunfire rang out as flames burst from the thirty-two barrels behind her that were each tracking a different enemy. The black handguns moved like bees as they freely flew through the air, charged into the enemy ranks, and began firing from every angle including from above. Rather than targeting the joints of their mechanized armored uniforms, the flying guns targeted the protruding points. Handguns had poor penetrating ability, so she gave the bullets the power of a broad surface. This was even more an issue with flat-tipped mock bullets. No matter what kind of armor someone wore, if their raised fingertip was accurately fired on, the impact would knock back their hand. A hit to the jaw would act as an uppercut and a direct hit to the edge of the armor¡¯s exterior would have the same effect as a powerful shove to that spot. However, most such places were at the ends of body parts that moved around the most and a direct hit required high-speed decision-making and accurate firing. #8¡¯s abilities as a machine achieved that. The small unit she charged into was struck all over by pinpoint impacts. One tripped after a shot delivered a horizontal strike to the acceleration actuator on his lower leg, one was knocked into the air by a shot fired into the chin of his helmet guard from below, another was sent into a spin by repeated shots from the right into his backpack and was tripped by a shot from the left to the kneecap of the leg he was spinning on, and yet another accidentally fired on his fellow soldiers after a shot struck the barrel of his machinegun from the side. It was all done with the weakest firearms known as handguns, with the weakest bullets known as mock bullets, and by the weakest creation known as a reception automaton. All that remained was the reverberation of gunfire, the handguns flying through the darkening sky as if they had wings, and #8 who ran ahead of them. Her eyes were on Odor who took a step back and she ran toward him. The sky above was changing from purple to dark blue and it was primarily filled with metallic sounds, mechanical dragon footsteps, and the roaring of transport plane engines. That was proof that the Japanese UCAT members were retreating. However, there was still something requiring her attention. ¡­That man. American UCAT¡¯s inspector had the ability to crush an opponent from above when he snapped his fingers. A simple observation suggested it was a strike from a gravity concept, but she did not fully understand its identity and traits. When leaping in to protect the others, she had received the attack with her left arm, but some aspects of it were still uncertain. If she did not clarify its details, putting together a countermeasure in the future would prove difficult. She could tell it was a gravity attack rather than a simple impact because its targets did not bounce. Also, the power flew from his fingertips to the sky where it could be said to ¡°hit¡± and it was launched diagonally down from there. If another object got in the way, it would strike the obstruction instead. It was a fast and surefire attack. Japanese UCAT possessed defensive concepts, but this attack crushed the concept along with its target. Its maximum range seemed to be approximately three hundred meters and there was no sign of a limitation on how many times it could be used. ¡­I have determined that power is unmatched for middle or close range. However, Odor would quickly use the power to defend against a sniper shot or any other long-range attack. ¡­Does he have a concept for attacking and for sensing? #8 spread her arms and lowered down as she approached Odor. They were approximately thirty meters apart. A blue mechanical dragon was located about one hundred meters behind him and its pointed snout knocked something into the air. It was a white god of war. The god of war¡¯s arms and torso were broken, but Sibyl was nowhere near it. Five pillars of smoke rose into the sky beyond the barrier formed by a transport plane and #8 determined those were ones that had been shot down by Sibyl and Abram. Abram was not visible on the runway either and #8 understood that this was her battlefield. ¡°The guests have already been brought inside, so the only remaining job is cleaning the front walk they used.¡± She was only twenty meters from Odor now. She brought her right shoulder forward and held out her right hand as if to perform a jab. At the same time, the black handguns in the air moved as if flapping their nonexistent wings. In place of a flapping sound, the sound of loading bullets rang out and the guns flew forward in four groups of eight. They approached within five meters of Odor. One group flew in a horizontal circle, one flew in a circle tilted a little to the west, one flew in a circle tilted a little to the east, and the last revolved in a greatly tilted circle that surrounded all the others. A model of heavenly bodies was formed from metal guns. They all rotated while altering their speed in an attempt to throw off Odor¡¯s interception as much as possible. #8 jumped further while focusing on the movements of the guns. She performed a spin as she ran, her skirt flipped up toward the night sky, and metal parts launched from it and into that sky. Gravitational control managed by the movements of her left hand constructed a new firearm that landed in that hand. ¡°This is the sniper rifle ¡®Little Steely¡¯. It is meant for use against small tanks, but there is no need to worry as it is loaded with mock bullets.¡± She ran and heard a laugh as she further approached. It was Odor¡¯s voice and he raised his right arm. ¡°Amusing! You are most amusing, automaton! Did you think my defenses could not react to a high-speed round from a sniper rifle at point blank range if you were holding me down with rapid handgun fire!?¡± She continued on without answering. Amid the wind her running produced, she swung her right hand to permit the handguns to fire. She primarily targeted Odor¡¯s extremities with extra focus on his right hand. He would have difficulty defending against attacks from behind, so she also targeted the base of his right shoulder blade and other parts of the human body needed to swing the right arm. She chose timing that would allow him to intercept one shot. That could allow her to analyze his power. However¡­ ¡­If I defeat him here, that will no longer be a danger. As she thought, she moved her fingers to fire. ¡°!¡± Thirty-two distinct gunshots rang out. She was less than ten meters away and she took the final step. She then saw the blue mechanical dragon one hundred meters behind the elderly man turn its head toward her. Its mouth was pointed slightly down to face her, it was opened, and there was light inside. This was its dragon cannon. ¡­It can¡¯t be. She attempted to predict what would happen, but this situation did not exist in her copied memories. ¡°You¡¯re having the dragon cannon fired on you!?¡± That question became reality. A bluish-white beam of light wide enough to envelop a small house tore across the runway. A scorching sound filled the air and it moved directly toward Odor. Just before it reached him, he snapped his fingers. This was the strike #8 had allowed him with her timing. However, his right hand was pointed behind him rather than at her. ¡°Ah,¡± she said without meaning too. She had predicted his intention. The power produced by the snap of his fingers had a range of approximately three hundred meters. At only a hundred meters behind him, the mechanical dragon was within range. A metallic sound erupted from below its mouth as it produced the dragon cannon. The roar of his power crushed the dragon cannon, but only the lower half of the beam. ¡°¡­!?¡± In front of the dragon, its attack of light with actual mass was slammed into the ground and spread across the asphalt. Its heat burnt the asphalt, but as if it had bounced off, it did not tear into the asphalt. It simply spread out as it was held down. However, #8¡¯s high level visual devices saw a strange fact about Odor¡¯s attack. ¡­It didn¡¯t tear into the dragon cannon!? It had torn into the space that the dragon cannon was passing through. ¡­He attacked the space from above? She wondered why because it had to be easier to attack the light rather than the space. It also should have been easier to form a wall with the power that would have stopped the lower half of the beam. #8 realized that Odor¡¯s attack had a certain characteristic beyond a mere gravity attack. If she took advantage of it, she had a chance of defeating him. But even as she thought that, she saw the mechanical dragon instantly stop firing its dragon cannon. The bottom half had been cleanly torn away and the remaining half-cylinder was flying down toward her. It had been fired at a slight downward angle and Odor slipped through the gap created by the missing lower half. However, the remaining top half was going to hit her. And that was precisely what happened. ¡°!¡± She did not feel the damage of the direct hit. In the instant her body was destroyed, all of her sense devices were overloaded and disconnected. She saw her left arm vanish beyond the elbow, her torso was broken from the lower left chest to the right side, and she felt the inner parts of her back touching the air all the way up to her neck. ¡­I have determined my face has received considerable damage as well. She determined she wanted to be repaired, but that brought a question. That was not necessary at the moment, so why had she made that decision? However, she reached another conclusion as well: she wanted to avoid falling to the ground. ¡­Why? Her memories brought the answer to that question. It was based on her past experience of a loss. The boy who had defeated her had not held her down or knocked her to the ground. He had lifted her up onto his shoulder. ¡­Oh. Once she remembered that, she accepted her decision. ¡­A doll naturally wants to be held by someone rather than thrown to the floor. She decided to release that memory to the others if she was safely repaired. That would give them the answer to accept that they were automatons. She then gave herself into the fall. ¡°¡­¡± Just before she hit the asphalt, her mind entered sleep mode. Volume 8, 12: Guidance of Thought Volume 8, Chapter 12: Guidance of Thought Running shows you where you are headed It is a path of no return where you stop and enter the early morning Even that which guides you can only continue under that same illusion Darkness had settled in on a large expanse of sand. Several white geometric lines covered that schoolyard being prepared for the athletic festival. The lights were already lit and boys and girls wearing track suits were drawing lines and setting up spectator seating on the edge in front of the school buildings. A motorcycle was currently parked on the main road running by the schoolyard and continuing back to the academy¡¯s main entrance. It was a foreign model with a sidecar, but no one sat on the motorcycle or in the sidecar and a plastic supermarket bag was placed in the sidecar. The bag contained enough fish and bread for two. The two people who should have been there were standing in the schoolyard in casual clothes. One of them was a blonde girl who looked up to the black-haired boy next to her. ¡°This place is so big, Harakawa. Is it really a school?¡± ¡°It is, Heo. From what I¡¯ve heard, some idiot bought it all up during the war while focusing on getting as much land as he could. He got carried away and also made some weird giant library and tried to lure in the people of the city. So what do you think? You said you wanted to see it, but it¡¯s not all that interesting.¡± Harakawa walked toward the center of the schoolyard. To avoid the lines drawn on the ground, he ended up following the 400 meter track line. He then heard a rumbling in the sky above. He tilted his head as he looked up at the large transport plane causing it. ¡°There have been a lot of those tonight. Supposedly an American plane crashed in Okutama. They were apparently borrowing Okutama IAI¡¯s runway.¡± ¡°There was a city-wide broadcast about that earlier, right? They said the pilot of the crashed plane was¡­¡± ¡°They said he was fine, so don¡¯t worry, Heo Thunderson.¡± As they spoke, Harakawa saw Heo raise her head before lowering it again. He recalled that her parents were gone and he realized the idea of a plane crash was what made her lower her head. ¡­Is she meeting her great-grandfather at the cemetery to visit a grave? Had her parents dealt with aircraft? But if they had been stationed on the American base, they would have been buried in the graveyard on the base, so he guessed her parents were civilians unrelated to the base. While trying to decide what to say, he walked to the left of the school building. Heo soon called out to him. ¡°Um, Harakawa? I¡¯ve been thinking. This is a weird school, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose you would think that when you see it for the first time. Is anything in particular bothering you?¡± ¡°Y-yes. What is that giant statue of a hand by the southern wall over there?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s from the ramen shop called The Fist that¡¯s a local sponsor of the athletic festival. It serves ramen hand-massaged by a tough old man. It¡¯s a bit famous for how the old man running the place plunges his hand into the boiling water and massages the noodles.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that burn his hand?¡± ¡°He says he manages through sheer willpower.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing, Harakawa. ¡­Are you sure this is a school?¡± ¡°Just to be clear, Heo, this place confuses me too.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have a problem explaining it all.¡± ¡­Really? He mentally tilted his head while walking on. Partially to change the subject, he asked a question that had been on his mind for a while. ¡°Well, you can¡¯t change how weird this place is. And speaking of weird, what language is your name, Heo?¡± ¡°I-it isn¡¯t weird. My¡­my parents gave it to me, but from what I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s from the language a friend of my great-grandfather¡¯s spoke. He would never tell me what it means, but he said I didn¡¯t need to know. It might be the language of some small tribe.¡± At that point, a girl in a blue track suit passed by them while drawing a line. She was the member of the athletic festival committee for Harakawa¡¯s class, so she spoke up even though he did not. ¡°Huh? I thought you were out today.¡± ¡°I was, but my cousin wanted to go sightseeing around Tokyo.¡± Heo looked confused, but Harakawa continued adlibbing an explanation. ¡°My mother¡¯s sister married the chief of a tribe that shaves off one eyebrow and fights bears in the mountains of Utah. This girl is her daughter, but she decided to study abroad once the wave of information freedom reached their village. Still, her mother insisted she live somewhere with bears. Fortunately, we have them in Okutama and Hinohara.¡± ¡°I-I see. There really are a lot of cultures out there.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Harakawa nodded and looked around in order to end the conversation. He saw the large schoolyard, the school building that looked far too white under the lights, and the students. ¡°Weren¡¯t Sayama and Shinjou in charge of this area?¡± ¡°Th-those two¡­ You hadn¡¯t heard? They left on a premarital vacation.¡± Heo was the first to react. She tugged on his left sleeve from behind and gave him an upturned look when he turned around. ¡°Two of the students are getting married?¡± ¡°If so, they¡¯ll have to deal with the large hurdle of overcoming gender. They¡¯ll probably have the wedding in California or something.¡± ¡°Probably,¡± replied the track suit girl with a smile. She began to walk off with the line cart behind her, but then she turned around. ¡°We¡¯ll keep the two of you a secret too, okay?¡± ¡°Just to be clear, she isn¡¯t my girlfriend. More importantly, did our teacher say anything about me being absent?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re worried about it, don¡¯t skip class. Well, good luck.¡± She laughed and continued drawing the 400 meter line. Harakawa sighed as he watched her leave and then turned to the right. He walked toward the south end of the schoolyard and heard quiet footsteps behind him. ¡°U-um, Harakawa. Did she think we were¡­¡± Her shoulders tightened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Any excuse would raise suspicion and people always hope they¡¯re right about things. Don¡¯t worry about it, Heo Thunderson. You won¡¯t be around here long, so don¡¯t waste your time thinking about it.¡± He entered the shadow of the spectator seating to the south. It had ten rows of seats, it was about three meters tall, and it was primarily made of green pipes. He walked between the different seat structures that had been built by entire classes and left their shadows that resembled thick nets. ¡°Look, Heo Thunderson. This is what you wanted to see, isn¡¯t it?¡± However, he did not look ahead. He looked at Heo next to him. As she left the shadows and stepped up to his right, she slowly looked forward. The bright lights caused her to narrow her eyes, but they soon widened. ¡°¡­¡± A smile with some surprise mixed in appeared on her face. After seeing that, Harakawa looked forward too. ¡°The freshmen are pretty motivated, so they¡¯ve already finished their preparations. Look, Heo, these are the grounds prepared for the athletic festival. No matter which white line you follow, you will reach an athletic event.¡± Heo felt a voice escape her mouth. It sounded like an excited breath and she blushed while turning toward Harakawa. While worried that had sounded strange, she spoke. ¡°That¡¯s amazing, Harakawa. I used to run track, but I¡¯ve never seen one like this.¡± ¡°Really?¡± His eyebrows moved and he walked to the right. She wondered why and began to follow. ¡°Wait where you are, Heo Thunderson.¡± ¡°Eh? Wh-where are you going?¡± He removed the watch he wore with the bracelet made of stones. He let it dangle from his right hand and pointed down with his left hand. ¡°Look at your feet.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± She looked questioningly down. Her sneakers were standing on a white figure drawn with lime. She stood in a one meter square box and five more were lined up vertically from her perspective. Each one had a number and hers was number one. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t tell? These are the lines for the 100 meter dash.¡± He walked down the line extending from the boxes. He was already a good distance away and he raised his fairly deep voice so it would reach her. ¡°Since we¡¯re here, why not run a bit, Heo Thunderson?¡± ¡°Eh? But¡­¡± She liked running. No, she had liked running. She had not run much recently. If she did not count the run from the previous night¡­ ¡­I haven¡¯t done it since three schools ago. A lot more filled her mind as well, including her great-grandfather and what was going to happen now. ¡­But¡­ With that thought, she looked around the area. She saw the stands, the lights, and the illuminated track. Harakawa stood at the other end of that illumination. He was too far to see his expression, but she could hear his voice. ¡°Aren¡¯t you coming, Heo? This can commemorate your arrival in Japan. Just run over here.¡± ¡°Try not pointing back at that giant hand when you say that.¡± But¡­ ¡°Can I really run?¡± ¡°The lines will need to be redrawn after a week anyway. Plus, no one¡¯s looking, so a girl with nothing else to do can steal herself a free commemoration here. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± That line made her smile bitterly. ¡­Why does he love sarcasm so much? But he doesn¡¯t mean anything by it, she also thought. He might actually use sarcasm to hide his good intentions. She saw him raise his right hand with a skull objet and the tall net fence for baseball behind him. He held his watch and she could tell he intended to time her run. She took one last look around and made sure no one was around. ¡°¡­¡± She sank down, spread her hands a little farther out than her shoulders, and placed them on the ground. She supported her body with only the tips of her fingers and relaxed her shoulders. She brought her left leg back, pulled her right knee close enough that it touched her chest, and shrank down as if curling up. ¡°Heo, your starting pose is pretty good.¡± ¡°They taught me this at a school I used to attend. The coach there was nice.¡± After speaking, she realized she was using sarcasm too. She gave another bitter smile with her downturned face. ¡°Get set,¡± called Harakawa without asking if she was ready. She found that a little selfish but also felt a relieving sense that the situation was advancing on its own. ¡­He doesn¡¯t show any intent to let me relax. His consideration mostly went unnoticed and had no obvious indication that he was telling her relax. That made her wonder if he was even now being considerate in a variety of ways she was not aware of. But I¡¯m probably imagining all that, she also thought. He was the one who had helped her in this foreign land, so she was probably imagining these things like someone with a fever. But then¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± The sound of clapping hands cut into her thoughts. For just an instant, the intruding sound caused her shoulders to jump. ¡°Nn.¡± But she still took in a breath and began. She had once been taught how to do this. During her many school transfers, her life in those schools had been cut short again and again, but she had always chosen to join the track team and been taught how to run. And this was what she had been taught. ¡­Run full speed from the very first step! She extended her body as if launching it up and forward and her waist moved down and back, but she kicked off her left leg and sent that waist shooting forward. ¡°!¡± She achieved a start that looked like a leap. She ran. The initial movements of her legs carried her lowered waist forward. She then threw her leg forward while swinging her upper body. Her heel caught on the ground and pulled her body forward and the toes of her other foot kicked off the ground to part with the track. This produced wind. It was her personal wind that was created by her running. ¡­Yes. She travelled through that wind and through the personal space she desired. Her thoughts grew sharper. She thought only about old times. Because she had not run in so long, she was reminded of what running meant to her. ¡­It feels wonderful. She did not have to hear the horrible rumors surrounding her, she did not have to think about anything else, she could gain some kind of result that would remain even after she left, and she could gain a new method of earning even better results in the future. Out of all the teachers in the schools, the track coaches had been the ones to most often look at her records without bringing the rumors into it. Most of them had been women and they had given her advice on running after seeing her times. When she had followed that advice, she had gotten even faster. Those teaching her to run had focused only on running. She ran and assumed the line she had just passed was the fifty meter line. She wondered whether she could become like those people. If she came across someone like herself, would she be able to show them something more? ¡­Teacher. I can¡¯t, concluded her sharpened thoughts. Even she felt a demon was following her, so how could she find a way to teach and guide people? She then recalled two things: a past event related to the act of running and the previous night. The first was her mother. ¡°¡­!¡± And the second was her great-grandfather who she had left the night before. At both those times, she had run and it had been due to the consideration of her family members who had not wanted her to know what was happening. ¡­They had me run away. That thought brought something else to mind. It was a question that seemed to burn into the back of her brain. ¡­Is¡­ She let out a broken sigh. ¡­Is running away all anyone wants me to do? Harakawa suddenly looked up while watching the stopwatch function on his watch. Heo¡¯s footsteps had stopped. ¡°Hey.¡± When he called out and looked forward, he found her at about the seventy-five meter line of the first course. Her legs had slowed to a stop, her head was lowered, and she was trembling. ¡­What? He wondered if she had started feeling sick, but he mentally shook his head. That was nothing but his own convenient interpretation. ¡°¡­¡± He silently stopped the stopwatch. The time had already reached twenty seconds. He had seen the time when she had reached the fifty meter mark, but recording the rest would be meaningless now. He reset and then restarted the stopwatch before walking over to Heo and stopping the stopwatch again. He was pretty sure she had reached fifty meters at approximately 6.8 seconds. A few breaths after that, he arrived in front of her. Her head was lowered and her hands were hiding her expression. She did not speak, but her shoulders were rising and falling a little and he heard sobbing. He had no intention of asking what was wrong. Everyone had their reasons for crying. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Heo.¡± She gave a shallow nod and replied in English. ¡°H-Harakawa, I¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t know English.¡± ¡°R-really?¡± ¡°Really,¡± he answered in English. She looked up a bit. There were tears in her eyes, but she still turned weakly toward him. ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°What is it, Heo Thunderson?¡± She took a single rough breath and steadied her breathing when she exhaled. ¡°I told you what happened last night, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Yes, you did.¡± It took some time before she continued. She clenched her fists and wiped at the corners of her eyes. ¡°Did I¡­run away and abandon my great-grandfather?¡± And¡­ ¡°Why do I always lose something when I run?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s how you see it, then that must be how it is for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She held her breath and looked toward him, but he continued regardless. ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions that you already have your own answer to, Heo Thunderson. No matter what I say, you want to think about it your way. ¡­As I said earlier, people with suspicions want to assume their thinking is correct.¡± He inhaled and sighed. With a bitter smile, he patted the silent girl¡¯s shoulder and brought her gaze back onto him. ¡°But if you understand that, feel free to complain. Speaking it aloud can make the thought fade. You often hear that, but it should work with questions that are dragging your mood down. So ask. Let out your heavy thoughts and deep worries. If it will help cheer you up, I¡¯m willing to listen for as long as you¡¯re here in Japan.¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re mean, Harakawa.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll feel better too if I¡¯m listening to complaints meant to let off some steam instead of meaningless ones. And listen. We can¡¯t ask your great-grandfather what he thought of you last night. If you¡¯re going to feel like you abandoned him without even asking him if that¡¯s the case, you¡¯ve entered the world of fortune-telling, Heo Thunderson.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And there¡¯s something wrong with asking such an important question to some stranger you just met. Heo Thunderson, I won¡¯t say this again, so don¡¯t forget it. Remember it and start complaining.¡± He then thrust his watch toward her. She had been thinking about what he had said, so she jumped in shock when the watch appeared in front of her. ¡°U-um? What is this?¡± ¡°This is more or less your time when you crossed the fifty meter line. How fast do you generally run a hundred meters?¡± ¡°Eh? Usually around thirteen seconds flat.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure since we¡¯ve got nothing but your memory and my eyes to go on, but you¡¯re the type that does better on the second half. You were at 6.8 seconds.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She fell silent, but the tears stopped. She turned her weak gaze toward the watch and then at him. ¡°I need to run all the way to the end, don¡¯t I?¡± She raised her teary face and forced a small smile. ¡°¡­¡± But a sudden stroboscopic flash came from the left. They turned that way and found the track suit girl from before and a few other people in track suits. ¡°Ooki-sensei too? What the hell are all of you doing!?¡± ¡°W-well, we wanted a chance to communicate with a foreigner. You don¡¯t see many of them around here.¡± ¡°Based on your name, you¡¯re half foreign.¡± The students ran, but Ooki in her white track suit stayed behind and scratched at her head. She looked up into the night sky and thought about what he had said. She finally gave a troubled smile and answered. ¡°Um¡­ I kind of lost sight of myself there.¡± Heo clearly did not understand what was going on, so Harakawa pushed on her back and started walking away from the schoolyard. ¡°H-Harakawa, was that woman¡­¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe me, so I won¡¯t even try to explain it.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s a teacher. Sh-she isn¡¯t, is she? I-is she a¡­um¡­I¡¯m not sure how to put it.¡± ¡°Do you want to be shocked by this country that much, Heo Thunderson?¡± As they walked away, the colors of evening completely vanished from the sky. However, there were still several shapes in that sky. They were all transport ships flying northwest toward Okutama. Japanese UCAT¡¯s new headquarters floor was a large space on the second basement with a large screen filling the front wall, but the people inside the room now were not those meant to be there. The people all wore blue armored uniforms. They sat at the various communications desks, exchanged data, and spoke to each other, but one person was climbing the stairs to the upper bridge. He was a young man wearing glasses and a gray suit and he brushed a hand through his hair when he arrived on the bridge. ¡°Colonel Odor, the fifth basement and below are indeed sealed off both physically and conceptually.¡± ¡°Roger, Roger. How long until we can break in?¡± ¡°Testament. This is just an estimate, but¡­I do not know.¡± ¡°Roger, Roger. Have you ever thought of yourself as incompetent?¡± ¡°Testament. Only when I fail to wake up in the morning.¡± Roger pushed his glasses up his nose. ¡°Colonel, the UCAT branches around Japan are all on alert. Izumo¡¯s western general headquarters has sent an objection and a demand of withdrawal to the UCAT Alliance Bureau.¡± ¡°It is no use. Unfortunately for them, it is no use. American UCAT has already received the other nations¡¯ understanding and the United States is the chief nation of the Alliance Bureau. You could say the entire world is our motherland.¡± ¡°Also, colonel, while I was out holding off two members of Team Leviathan in Akigawa, the team searching for traces of last night¡¯s concept space gave me this.¡± Roger reached into his pocket and pulled out a circular object. It was a necklace made from stones. ¡°It was lying on the road with the clasp open and it is thought to belong to Heo Thunderson.¡± ¡°Roger, Roger. Why do they think that?¡± ¡°It matches the necklace she is wearing in her photograph in our records. The team searching for her in Akigawa has been instructed to remove the necklace from their description of her.¡± Odor gave a satisfied nod before speaking. ¡°More importantly¡­ More importantly, how is the situation?¡± ¡°Testament. Of the twelve Blanca 9s in our unit, five were destroyed, two were badly damaged, and the remaining five were all lightly damaged. Their numbers will be recovered with replacements from the nearby base and exchanging the damaged components. Of the other soldiers on the front lines, seven were seriously injured and almost everyone else was lightly injured.¡± ¡°Then¡­ Then, Roger, what about Japanese UCAT?¡± ¡°Testament. Eighteen were seriously injured and we have twenty-seven in custody after they surrendered. They were mostly personnel with disabilities, but they include members of Team Leviathan.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Odor looked down at the first floor where an old man was playing a missile game using one of the consoles. ¡°Would that be¡­ Would that be this pitiable old man named Ooshiro, Roger?¡± ¡°To an outsider, he may look pitiable, but he is a troublesome creature who has no problem with it himself.¡± ¡°R-Roger-kun! I see you¡¯re as calm and cement-like as ever!¡± Ooshiro turned around for just an instant, but he quickly focused back on the missiles flying on the screen. In the same way, Odor turned back toward Roger. ¡°Do you know him? Do you know him, Roger? Explain this immediately.¡± ¡°Testament. While I was stationed in Japan with American UCAT, a lot of¡­unpleasant things happened.¡± ¡°Roger, Roger. Listen carefully. Hardships are what fuel one¡¯s life. I personally don¡¯t like them, though. And tell me, Roger. Do we have any members of Team Leviathan other than him?¡± ¡°Testament.¡± Roger formed a smile on the corner of his mouth. ¡°We have Team Leviathan¡¯s supervisor and the girl who contains 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core. We are still clearing the facility, so they are currently in the temporary headquarters we erected on the runway. Also¡­¡± ¡°Roger, Roger. If you have something to say, just say it. I will not stand for it if you say something that annoys me, though.¡± ¡°Testament. We have received an interesting call.¡± He reached into his pocket and pulled out a remote for the large screen. He pressed a button and light filled the black screen. ¡°It is the boy named Sayama Mikoto who acts as Team Leviathan¡¯s negotiator.¡± With that, the head and shoulders of a boy appeared on the wall-sized screen. The shot was from a slightly low angle. The boy wore a suit and lightly rocked his rocking chair in a dim but furnished room. A small yellow animal sat on his right shoulder and his left hand held a large glass filled with a yellow liquid. He smiled and nodded while continuing to look down on them. ¡°I suppose I should say it is a pleasure to meet you, American UCAT.¡± His calm voice caused all of the American UCAT members to tense up, but despite seeing that, the boy continued to gently rock his chair. He finally stopped that slight back and forth and opened his mouth. ¡°I am Sayama Mikoto, negotiator for Team Leviathan¡­and the man at the center of the universe.¡± Odor reflexively shouted out and pointed at Sayama. ¡°Roger! Roger! Is this who we¡¯ve been entrusting the world too all this time!? Thank god we have arrived to correct this! What is your opinion of this!?¡± ¡°Testament. To be entirely honest, it is a bit of a strange feeling.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. People rarely understand true greatness when they first see it. There is nothing to be ashamed of.¡± Sayama held up his glass and took a sip. He let out a small sigh, held up the glass once more, and looked at them through it. ¡°The tolerant Sayama Empire will give one final chance to American UCAT for fighting so valiantly. Will you submit, cry, and bow down in apology or will you unconditionally surrender, strip naked, and fully prostrate yourselves?¡± ¡°Submit? Submit? Unconditionally surrender!? Which one of us are you imagining will be doing this!?¡± ¡°America of course. ¡­But calm down. You are ruining my orange juice.¡± Odor turned to Roger and silently pointed at Sayama. And he did it again. Roger sighed and raised his palms toward Odor. He was telling the elderly man to remain silent. He then cleared his throat and crossed his arms. ¡°Negotiator Sayama, to help this run more smoothly, I would like for both sides to spell out their demands. How does that sound to you?¡± ¡°Oh? Do you really think you are in any position to negotiate with me?¡± With his arms still crossed, Roger pointed his left hand down. ¡°We have Japanese UCAT Director Ooshiro Kazuo in our custody.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°M-Mikoto-kun! That statement could be interpreted in some pretty horrible ways!¡± ¡°Calm down, old man. Your interpretation is entirely correct. How clever of you.¡± Roger saw Ooshiro pull his legs up on his chair and pretend to cry, but Roger did not groan or grow angry because this was within his expectations. ¡°We also have some other Team Leviathan members and general injured personnel under our control.¡± ¡°You are taking care of them, I assume. Normally, we would need to pay you for that service, but it appears American UCAT is currently lodging in Japanese UCAT. We can simply let those two expenses cancel each other out. How many nights are you planning to stay? If it is more than one, each additional two hours will mean an additional fee.¡± ¡°In that case, we will make up for it by providing services for those under our care.¡± ¡°An excellent solution.¡± Sayama placed his glass outside the screen and intertwined his fingers over his stomach. ¡°Now, let me ask you this: what are your demands?¡± Roger re-crossed his arms before answering. ¡°First, stop the Leviathan Road. Second, transfer authority for the Leviathan Road to the UCAT Alliance. Third, send all the Concept Cores possessed by Japanese UCAT to the UCAT Alliance. Fourth¡­¡± He threw his words at Sayama. ¡°Turn the currently missing Heo Thunderson over to American UCAT. Those are our four demands.¡± Roger watched Sayama on the screen. The boy¡¯s expression had not moved in the slightest as Roger had listed the demands. However¡­ ¡°I see. In other words, you are here to crush the Leviathan Road, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No, we will not crush it. We will restructure it so that it is safer and more acceptable than at present.¡± ¡°What proof do you have of this alleged safety?¡± Roger glanced over at Odor and the elderly man nodded twice, so Roger pushed his glasses back up his nose and continued. ¡°Testament. Currently, American mechanical dragons are being stationed with all the American UCAT forces located in America¡¯s bases in Japan. A total of forty-eight dragons have been sent. With the additional soldiers and personnel with special abilities also being sent, we estimate we can defend against an attack from a 3rd-Gear god of war or a 5th-Gear mechanical dragon.¡± ¡°So was that one of you that fought the black mechanical dragon last night?¡± ¡°Testament. That was Colonel Odor here. Although Japanese UCAT reinforcements eliminated the dragon before he could complete his interception.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama nodded. ¡°May I ask a question?¡± ¡°Testament.¡± ¡°Why do you wish to be given the girl named Heo Thunderson?¡± Roger looked to Odor again and he once more nodded twice, so Roger reached his right hand into his pocket. ¡°Heo Thunderson has a past worthy of our attention. While still young, she and her mother were attacked by a dragon.¡± ¡°A dragon?¡± ¡°Testament. Mr. Richard Thunderson would not provide the details, but the evidence left behind was proof enough. The shape in the air seen at the scene, the footprints, and the metal pieces scattered about belonged to the large black 5th-Gear mechanical dragon known as Black Sun.¡± ¡°And what does that mean concerning Heo Thunderson?¡± ¡°Testament. There were two large mechanical dragons in 5th-Gear and American UCAT believes the hostile black one named Black Sun may be targeting the Thunderson family as the destroyers of 5th-Gear. The attack on Mr. Thunderson last night has more or less proven it.¡± Sayama frowned slightly on the screen. ¡°In other words, it proved that American UCAT is justified in using the girl carrying Thunderson¡¯s blood as bait to call in Black Sun and destroy it?¡± ¡°No. You are half wrong there, Negotiator Sayama. We will take in Heo Thunderson, but that is to ensure she is not left defenseless. The attack last night also proved that Black Sun will approach any 5th-Gear concept.¡± Roger pointed down with his left hand. ¡°And half of 5th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core is here. This place is the greatest bait of all. We will bring Heo Thunderson here to strengthen that bait, but as soon as Black Sun has been detected, we will quickly have her evacuated. She will be sent to an American city protected by UCAT where she can live the rest of her life in peace without having to fear an attack.¡± ¡°I see. So you have that much information.¡± ¡°We also know that the other half of 5th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core is held by Black Sun, so you cannot use it as a bargaining chip. In fact, we know the identity of the weapon located below here.¡± ¡°I am sure my comrades who have escaped down there will also learn that, so it too would be worthless as a bargaining chip.¡± ¡°Testament.¡± Roger admitted it with a bitter smile and bowed with his right hand still in his pocket. Sayama then leaned forward on the screen. ¡°Neither of us can bargain using information on 5th-Gear, so let me ask again,¡± he said. ¡°Why would you stop the Leviathan Road? Do not bother with your official reasons. Give me reasons with a clear basis. One of the Eight Great Dragon Kings developed this supposedly inviolable negotiation, so why would the likes of American UCAT attempt to stop it?¡± This was the same question the girl named Sibyl had asked Odor before the battle on the surface had begun. This time, Roger began his answer with ¡°testament¡± and finally pulled his right hand from his pocket. He pulled out an envelope which he held up before removing its contents. He produced a quickly-written handwritten text with a signature and seal at the end. ¡°This was given to us before Mr. Richard Thunderson travelled to Japan. First of all, it says that full authority over 5th-Gear was temporarily transferred from White Creation to Mr. Thunderson when 5th-Gear was destroyed.¡± ¡°Full authority? Do you have any proof of this?¡± ¡°Why do you think 5th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core weapon was left with Japanese UCAT? The reason is written here and signed. Mr. Thunderson temporarily received that weapon from White Creation and requested to have it stored in Japanese UCAT until the time came to fight Black Sun once more.¡± Roger spread out the letter. ¡°I doubt you can read it for yourself, but I will read the end of the letter for you. ¡®If I, Richard Thunderson, die or go missing, I leave all authority I hold at the time to American UCAT. September 15, 2005.¡¯ That is about a week before he left. Do you understand now?¡± asked Roger. ¡°5th-Gear has no people, so even though Mr. Thunderson only received that full authority temporarily, he had no one to hand it back to. ¡­But now that he has died, that full authority lies with us in American UCAT. And that means we can act on 5th-Gear¡¯s behalf to decide whether they will accept the Leviathan Road or not.¡± Roger refolded the letter and spoke to Sayama. ¡°Concepts can be used to determine the validity of this letter. At any rate, we will obey this letter which has become Mr. Richard Thunderson¡¯s will by taking on full authority for 5th-Gear and rejecting the Leviathan Road as dangerous. You on the other hand¡­¡± ¡°Yes, tomorrow morning, I intend to carry out the Leviathan Road in the 4th-Gear reservation.¡± Sayama remained expressionless as he answered and Roger placed the envelope back in his pocket. ¡°Are you saying you will not take our demands into account?¡± ¡°Please make no mistake here. The Leviathan Road with 4th-Gear has already begun and has mutual understanding between both parties. Will you really stop this after they have agreed and wish to begin? If that leads 4th-Gear to distrust Low-Gear, whose responsibility will it be?¡± Roger gave a quick downward glance. The large greenhouse containing 4th-Gear¡¯s residents was located on the fourth basement, so he looked to a member of the communication team looking into that. ¡°¡­¡± But the man looked up at him and shook his head to say that area had been purged. Roger gave a mental sigh and spoke only the fact he had just received. ¡°It is true we have no way of communicating with 4th-Gear at the moment.¡± ¡°In that case, you have no way of entering the 4th-Gear reservation. Other than intruding without permission, that is. Are you going to locate us and rush in to attack us?¡± ¡°Negotiator Sayama, what if we went to take you into our custody?¡± ¡°This hotel has excellent service. They apparently firmly eliminate any suspicious intruders. Also, let me introduce you to an interesting friend of mine.¡± Sayama stood from his chair. He returned after a few seconds and placed a travel bag on his lap once he sat back down. Everyone frowned when they saw the thick black bag. However, he showed no sign of caring. ¡°This friend enjoys warm, stuffy places, so this room is too chilly for him.¡± He opened the bag and something stood up from within with the sound of something striking the air. It resembled a dog, but it had six legs and its long fur was actually narrow conifer leaves. ¡°This is someone who could be referred to as 4th-Gear itself.¡± Roger saw the plant creature turn what seemed to be its face toward them through the screen. Everyone around the consoles gulped and they heard the plant creature¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Sayama. Cold.¡± ¡°Oh, my apologies. However, our hostile allies seem to want to say hello.¡± At that, the creature raised its head from within the opened travel bag. It had a blue philosopher¡¯s stone hanging from its neck on a string. Roger guessed it was a weakened version of a 4th-Gear concept, but knowing that did not help. He simply listened to the creature¡¯s thought which took the form of a question. ¡°Allies?¡± However, everyone was frozen in place more by the sight before them than by the question. Finally, someone broke through the frozen atmosphere. It was Odor who stood to Roger¡¯s right. He stepped forward and grabbed the metal railing of the bridge with both hands. ¡°How dare you!? How dare you!? You are imprisoning a resident of another Gear!!¡± ¡°Unfortunately, they have a collective consciousness. Even if a single individual is here, the remaining whole is elsewhere. The idea of imprisonment does not apply. If you wish to say it does, you must ignore their collective consciousness. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°Then¡­ Then it is abduction!! You have abducted a portion of the collective consciousness!!¡± Sayama let out a breath and peered down at the plant creature on his lap. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Go with Sayama. Promise.¡± He nodded twice at that and exaggeratedly pressed on the inner corners of his eyes. ¡°Did you hear that? I have approval. You could say we are best of friends.¡± ¡°Roger! Roger! Say something!¡± ¡°Colonel, to be completely honest, I have trouble with adlibbing.¡± Nevertheless, Roger turned toward Sayama while the boy closed the plant creature back in the travel bag. He saw the creature¡¯s plant fur disappear into the gap. ¡°Negotiator Sayama, is this what you are trying to say? If anything happens to you, it will all be conveyed to 4th-Gear through that 4th-Gear resident¡¯s shared consciousness?¡± ¡°Precisely. I decided the best way for them to learn what kind of person I am and whether I am trustworthy was to have them send someone along to observe me. Their ability to communicate via their collective consciousness is not all that strong, but this one can likely get through while so close to the reservation.¡± ¡°Testament. Then, Negotiator Sayama, we will provisionally approve of the Leviathan Road with 4th-Gear that is currently underway.¡± ¡°I assume there is a ¡®but¡¯ coming.¡± ¡°Testament. No matter how much you attempt to deny it, our demands are the demands of all UCATs and we have Mr. Thunderson¡¯s will to support us. Do you have any way of denying that?¡± ¡°I would like to say no, but may I say one thing first?¡± ¡°Testament.¡± Sayama lowered the travel bag from the chair and adjusted his position. He gave one shallow rock of the chair before speaking. ¡°American UCAT has exposed Japanese UCAT¡¯s lack of strength by trapping them underground and you have demanded the rights to the Concept Cores. In that case, I assume you will accept the demands of the victor if you are driven out by force. As a lesson to those like us who refused to obey, surely you would submit to those victors.¡± ¡°Do you really think that is possible?¡± asked Odor while grabbing the railing. ¡°Do you really think you can defeat us?¡± Sayama replied with a smile. ¡°The time for prostration draws nigh, gentlemen.¡± ¡°How dare you!? How dare you!?¡± Odor¡¯s shoulders swelled up with strength, but he was interrupted. ¡°I beat it!!!¡± The shout came from down below. Roger looked down and saw an old man in a lab coat dancing on top of a console. The console¡¯s screen displayed the missile game from before, but it now only showed the word ¡°complete¡±. Ooshiro threw his hands into the air and spun around and around. ¡°I finally beat Sibyl-kun! This is my first victory over her!¡± As soon as Ooshiro laughed and jumped down to the floor, Sayama reached his hand down and off the screen. A hole opened in the floor where Ooshiro was about to land and he fell right on through. The floor immediately closed back. ¡°I am so very sorry you had to see that,¡± said Sayama. ¡°H-He got away! He got away! That boy assisted his escape, Roger!¡± ¡°No, colonel. I believe that was the proper decision.¡± But just as Odor turned back to the screen, a new person walked into view from the right. A girl was walking by behind the boy. Her wet black hair was swept behind her bare shoulders and her chest on down were hidden behind a bath towel. The men at the consoles let out voices of excitement. Rather than continuing past Sayama, the girl turned toward him while in front of the bed behind him. ¡°Sayama-kun, what are you watching? A TV show?¡± ¡°Yes, you could call it an American group skit show. How was your bath?¡± ¡°I just had to wash away the sweat, so it didn¡¯t take long. A-also, I want to wait until the hot spring to just sit and soak. ¡­Will you join me there tonight?¡± A stir came over the men down below and Odor frantically turned toward Roger. ¡°Roger! Roger! Are the Japanese youth really this sexually depraved!?¡± ¡°Testament. Forty percent of the child pornography on the internet is made in Japan while the Japanese only make up approximately two percent of the world population. Based on that, the child pornography rate of the Japanese is approximately twenty times the world standard and their child pornography potential index far exceeds that.¡± ¡°Dreadful! What a dreadful race!¡± As Odor cried out, the girl on the screen spoke to Sayama. ¡°Um, but Sayama-kun? I haven¡¯t actually changed yet even though it¡¯s already 6:30.¡± ¡°Are you stuck that way now?¡± The girl shook her head. ¡°I can feel the signs of it coming, so I think it was just delayed. I guess it¡¯s like when you want to sneeze but aren¡¯t quite there yet. I should change after a bit longer, but¡­do you think this might be it? When the body is active, does it wait for that to finish before it changes?¡± ¡°If so¡­¡± ¡°If we do that kind of thing while I¡¯m Sadame¡­I might not change until it finishes. We haven¡¯t tested it yet though, so it¡¯s best not to think too much about it. Also¡­¡± The girl sounded hesitant. ¡°Did I¡­really manage to do it?¡± ¡°You simply do not remember because you passed out. As I said before, it was not complete, but you did accomplish the early stages, Shinjou-kun. Would you like to see the handkerchief that proves it?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She looked confused and she blushed. ¡°Yes¡­you can give a detailed explanation later. And I might be so happy I cry, but I won¡¯t mean it in a bad way, so support me.¡± She gave a small smile. ¡°It¡¯s strange. I disliked Setsu so much, and yet it¡¯s started with him first.¡± ¡°Roger, Roger. Are they speaking in some kind of code!?¡± ¡°Testament. As far as I can tell, they may be discussing the functional state of some form of transforming weapon.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Odor crossed his arms while the girl on the screen placed a bag on the bed. The soft sound of something heavy crushing the blanket came from the speakers while Sayama nodded. ¡°If you are going to change, make it your clothes for going out. I would like to treat ourselves to a meal out in order to celebrate.¡± ¡°Sure. Just face that way, okay?¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Sayama looked back toward the screen and Shinjou turned her back behind him. He reached below the screen and red text appeared in the upper left corner. The text read, ¡°The target camera has begun recording.¡± ¡°Roger, Roger. What is going on?¡± ¡°Testament. He has set the camera on his end to record what we are currently seeing.¡± At that time, a cheer rose from the men at the consoles down below. Roger looked up and saw Shinjou had just dropped the bath towel on the screen. The dim light just barely illuminated the flowing line of her skin from shoulders to sides and waist to butt, but then she turned to the side and revealed her chest. ¡°Roger! Roger! What is this!? That is¡­a boy!!¡± ¡°Testament. If my knowledge is correct, Japan has long since been this way. As a part of their etiquette, the military commanders of the Sengoku period would hole up in isolated rooms, compete over their ability to properly hold a tea ceremony, and show off their tea sets.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. I can¡¯t believe Japan is that sort of country.¡± On the screen, Shinjou began by placing a light brown garter around her waist and slowly putting on brown stockings one at a time. ¡°Ah¡­Nn. These really are tight. And doing this tickles.¡± ¡°Do you need help, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°No, no!! I can do it on my own! I love not troubling you with helping!¡± As she forced a smile and stretched out her leg to put on the stocking, the men down below took various troubled poses and made a variety of different groans. ¡­Could this be a psychological attack from Japanese UCAT? As Roger wondered that, Shinjou stood up and put on some white panties. She turned her back to the screen and pulled a bra from her bag. ¡°But Sayama-kun, what are you watching? It isn¡¯t a dirty video, is it? Don¡¯t do that. I don¡¯t want you heading in too weird a direction.¡± ¡°Roger! Roger! Tell them to look in a mirror!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Shinjou-kun, this has gotten quite funny.¡± ¡°Really? Is it that funny a show?¡± After putting on her bra, Shinjou put on a beige blouse and turned around. She walked up next to Sayama with a puzzled look. ¡°¡­?¡± She wrinkled her brow even further as she peered into the screen. ¡°Um, Sayama-kun? I won¡¯t get mad, so will you listen to what I say here?¡± She smiled and looked to Sayama. ¡°This looks a lot like Japanese UCAT¡¯s new headquarters.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Funny, isn¡¯t it, Shinjou-kun?¡± Sayama¡¯s laughter was followed by a metallic sound and the screen shaking. The camera footage made one final shake and then only showed the ceiling. ¡°Wh-what are you thinking, Sayama-kun!? You just let people see me naked and hear me talk about my first time! And why are a bunch of weird foreigners in the new headquarters!? Are they peeping toms!?¡± ¡°We are not! Tell him we are not, Roger!¡± ¡°Colonel, in this case, I believe we have no choice but to accept their opinion.¡± ¡°U-um, Sayama-kun? I don¡¯t want anyone but you to see that! And what if a rumor that I¡¯m an exhibitionist ends up all over the world!? Those countries don¡¯t even censor anything!¡± ¡°Do not worry. I am the only one to record the footage, Shinjou-kun. I will keep you all to myself.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t twist this in your favor!¡± With the sound of shattering glass, the footage and sound from the large screen blacked out. ¡°¡­¡± No one knew how to respond to the sudden disconnection. Roger frowned, Odor did the same next to him, and the American UCAT members down below stood up from the consoles. For a short time, they all took five or so breaths in the complete silence. Afterwards, Roger spoke quietly as if to test the silence. He did so with a hand on his chin. ¡°It seems we are not going to get a satisfying conclusion here.¡± Volume 8, 13: Mutual Words Volume 8, Chapter 13: Mutual Words Check on them Even when you pass them by Make it so you are looking to the other side of them Two people were crouched down in a ten square meter room with a tatami mat floor. The fluorescent light with a Japanese-style umbrella over it lit them from the ceiling as they stuck their heads into the bottom shelf of the closet. ¡°Harakawa, I¡¯ve pulled out all the beer and laid out the futon.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ve put up the curtain, Heo.¡± Heo crawled out of the closet wearing boy¡¯s pajamas. She sat down, clapped her hands, and waited for Harakawa to crawl out and sit next to her. He was still wearing his outdoor clothes and he held some extra curtain clips as he crawled out. He sat cross-legged and looked toward the short curtain that now blocked off the bottom of the closet. ¡°This looks really cheaply done.¡± ¡°B-but it¡¯s where I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± ¡°Then the lodging and dinner fare will be equally cheap, Heo Thunderson.¡± She shrank down in dejection, looked at him, and lowered her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but if I¡¯m alone, I¡¯ll remember all the horrible things and get too scared.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll agree with you that this isn¡¯t normal. I gave you the option of going to the police or IAI.¡± ¡°But this isn¡¯t enough to warrant that.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s apparently enough to interrupt my life. Don¡¯t forget that, Heo.¡± It took her several seconds to respond with ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± He turned around and found her head lowered. ¡°And did you not think about the possibility that I would attack you?¡± ¡°I can trust you.¡± She raised her head and lightly held her body as if to protect it, but she looked him in the eye. ¡°You¡¯re, um, well¡­¡± As her words trailed off, he jerked his chin forward. ¡°Just say it. I won¡¯t get mad.¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re already mad.¡± He sighed. Why is she so hard to speak with? he wondered while leaning down and dragging over the table they had used for dinner. He rested his elbows on it to support himself. ¡°I¡¯ll say it first, so listen. What would you do if I did something to you? The trains are still running and the business hotel¡¯s front desk will still be open, so let me give you a chance to rethink this. You¡¯re staying in some strange guy¡¯s house, so what if something happened to you? Heo, this is more than being afraid. It could traumatize you for life.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t think you would do something like that.¡± ¡°How can you be sure?¡± ¡°Do you want to force me to do that kind of thing?¡± She tilted her head. ¡°If so, you could have done it when I was in the bath earlier. Or when I was making dinner or when we were cleaning out the closet. You¡¯ve had plenty of chances already.¡± ¡°What if I suddenly give into temptation? Or what if I¡¯m oddly methodical and I¡¯ve decided to wait until some kind of gauge reaches its peak at one in the morning? I could be saying all this to get you to trust me.¡± ¡°But then anywhere would be the same.¡± She shook her head and lowered the ends of her eyebrows. ¡°If I stay in the hotel alone, someone could open the lock and enter my room. Not to mention if I get thirsty in the night and head to the hotel store or when I leave my room in the morning. Everything becomes suspicious. I will doubt myself, but with others¡­¡± She trailed off there and sighed after some time of silence had passed. She then gave a smile. She closed her eyes and lowered the ends of her eyebrows as she did so. ¡°And if you were really plotting something, wouldn¡¯t you normally try to make me feel at ease? Why would you keep acting like you¡¯re a potential criminal?¡± ¡°By saying that up front, I can escape responsibility. If I tell you I¡¯m a bad person, it¡¯s your fault for staying with me.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re a bad person that will attack me if I stay here?¡± asked Heo while opening her eyes. ¡°In that case, running would be meaningless. You could attack me now, while I¡¯m changing before heading to the hotel, while you take me to the hotel on your motorcycle, or tomorrow when you¡¯re taking me to the cemetery.¡± She gave a small awkward smile. ¡°In that case, I can only ask you to do it now if you¡¯re going to. All of the bad things in my past came suddenly and I was told to run away.¡± She looked around the room and spotted the closed window and door. ¡°But if you do it now, I¡¯m ready and I can¡¯t run away.¡± She took in a breath, fixed her collar as if she had decided something, and turned so she sat facing him. She then leaned forward and placed her hands on the floor. ¡°Please begin.¡± ¡°Just get to sleep!!¡± shouted Harakawa from the gut. Harakawa mentally clicked his tongue. The part of him that had made him shout out brought a curse to mind. ¡­What a terrible feeling. His shout had surprised Heo into sitting up straight and the look on her face made him want to say something. ¡­Yeah, what a truly terrible feeling. And¡­ ¡­I¡¯m causing it as much as she is. ¡°U-um¡­ Can I spend the night here?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve given up.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡­Don¡¯t smile like that, you idiot. He pointed toward the closet and she flipped up the curtain with the lithe movements of a cat. She switched on the lamp placed in the back and turned toward him. ¡°Um, are you sure you want to leave your cell phone in here?¡± ¡°If you press the address book button, the top entry is the police. If you can¡¯t trust me anymore, call them.¡± She laughed bitterly and narrowed her eyes. ¡°That would only be if I doubted you.¡± She then peered further in. ¡°Can I ask something else?¡± He knew what she was trying to say. ¡°You mean the bookshelf?¡± ¡°Yes. Can I read something until I fall asleep? U-unless it¡¯s full of books meant for boys¡­¡± ¡°All of those are with an underclassman, so don¡¯t worry. The ones in there are all meaningless novels.¡± ¡°No, these are the classics, aren¡¯t they? I recognize some of the titles when I translate them into English.¡± ¡°Are you surprised?¡± ¡°No.¡± That response brought movement to Harakawa¡¯s eyebrows. Beyond the pajama-covered butt sticking out of the closet, Heo was looking at the bookshelf. ¡°I¡¯m not a fortune teller, so everything about others is unexpected. But that¡¯s exactly why I view anything I found out about them as normal.¡± ¡°Are there unexpected things about you?¡± It was a cheerful question and he was expecting her to tell him about an interest of hers or something she liked. However¡­ ¡°That isn¡¯t possible.¡± For a quick moment, she turned a resigned smile toward him from the closet, but she changed the subject immediately afterwards. ¡°Oh, this is Golinger¡¯s Catch Them in the Rye. We were reading it at my previous school, but I didn¡¯t finish it before transferring away. I¡¯ll borrow this one, okay?¡± Brightness filled her voice and she moved beyond the curtain. She closed the curtain to cut off their view of each other and Harakawa finally relaxed his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m turning out the lights.¡± ¡°Eh? I¡¯ll be up a while longer with the lamp in here, so you don¡¯t need to hurry.¡± ¡°Would you rather leave the closet and turn off the lights once you start feeling sleepy? I have a work light out here, so I¡¯ll be fine. Or should I close the closet door to make it darker in there?¡± ¡°No, that sounds too claustrophobic.¡± ¡°That settles it.¡± Harakawa stood up and turned out the lights. He heard the rustling of clothes in the closet as she lay down. He pulled a memory headphone stereo from his own clothes and removed the headphones. He plugged them into the TV, put on just one ear of the headphones, and turned on the sports news. He listened to the baseball commentary with one ear while listening to Heo turn the pages with the other. ¡­The sound of someone else turning the pages, hm? He found it somehow nostalgic as he rested his elbows on the table and looked to the TV. He then heard a voice. ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°What is it, Heo Thunderson?¡± ¡°Thank you very much. I just felt I had to say that before going to sleep.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about.¡± He received silence in return, but he thought that was fine. ¡­Words don¡¯t get through to her anyway. He began to wonder why and found the answer almost instantly. ¡­Because we¡¯re opposites. They had both lost at least one parent and mostly lived alone. However, something in Heo¡¯s past had made her doubt herself and that anxiety had apparently led to repeatedly transferring between schools. From what he had heard in the morning and during dinner, something had killed her mother. ¡­A demon, huh? He had his doubts about the giant footprints and fragments of metal, but even if it was some kind of trick, the fact remained that someone had died. Various rumors had followed Heo around and that suspicion and misunderstanding had spread regardless of the facts. However, Heo tried to trust others despite doubting herself due to the supposed demon. ¡­And then there¡¯s me. He could only think of opposites there and he brushed his hands through his hair with his elbows still on the table. ¡­What a terrible feeling. He repeated the same thought as earlier and there was something that bothered him. It was one quick answer from their previous conversation. ¡­That isn¡¯t possible, hm? And back at the school, she had stopped partway through running down the track. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for her¡­¡± ¡°Eh?¡± He heard a voice and mentally clicked his tongue. ¡°Just talking about the baseball game. A new team called the Kemco Stars is playing and I was complaining that their main hitter, Bombuzal, hasn¡¯t gotten any hits yet. Sorry.¡± ¡°Were you really?¡± ¡°Heo, are you doubting that I¡¯m a fan of the Kemco Stars?¡± ¡°N-no, that¡¯s your choice. I¡¯m a fan of the New York Yankee Go Homes, but, um¡­¡± The question arrived. ¡°Did something bother you?¡± That made him gulp, which kept him from immediately speaking and let him think instead. ¡­That¡¯s right. It was true he had also blamed himself for the terrible feeling that Heo bowing down had caused him, but¡­ ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. You worry too much.¡± As he replied, he managed to get a grasp on the terrible feeling within him. He only managed to do so when thinking about her and himself along with the phrase ¡°that isn¡¯t possible¡±. He didn¡¯t know what this was leading him to, but he could tell it was related to his current situation and he could feel himself getting closer to understanding it. ¡°¡­¡± But then he stopped thinking. His current life was built atop his current situation and changing that just because of a sense of dissatisfaction or a ¡°terrible feeling¡± felt like it would prevent him from continuing this lifestyle. ¡­And I need to make enough money to cover my mom¡¯s hospital bills. He may have seen something of himself in Heo, but she would most likely return to her normal life the following day. Her connection to him would vanish and he would return to his normal life as well. In that case, he saw no reason to expose this slight dissatisfaction. ¡­I¡¯m happiest the way I am. That was called looking to the future. As he thought, his gaze stopped in one corner of the room. The beer cans that had been in the closet were there. He got up, moved around the table, grabbed one, and opened it with the sound of carbonation. ¡°Um, Harakawa?¡± The closet was now to his left and he heard Heo speak from the lit area beyond the curtain. He got up on one knee as he responded. ¡°What is it, Heo Thunderson? Is it about the book? Have you figured out the identity of the spy who made the crop circle in the rye to contact the Soviet satellite?¡± ¡°No, but I think he¡¯s the crewmember of the glowing object that flew through the eastern sky. ¡­But that isn¡¯t what I wanted to say. Um, does beer taste good?¡± ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t. But does it feel good when you run, Heo Thunderson?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± He heard the rustling of clothes and assumed she was sitting up. Weren¡¯t you trying to get to sleep? he thought with a frown. ¡°Running is exhausting¡­but it feels good.¡± ¡°That sounds like you¡¯re coming out as a masochist, Heo Thunderson. But it¡¯s the same thing here. It¡¯s the accomplishment that¡¯s¡­¡± He trailed off there. ¡­That isn¡¯t something to say when I never do anything myself. ¡°Um, Harakawa? I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about, Heo Thunderson.¡± She remained silent but produced more rustling of clothes as she lay back down. Harakawa lowered his shoulders in a small sigh and looked toward the curtain. He saw Heo there, but not directly. The light of the lamp set up in the back of the closet projected her silhouette on the light yellow curtain. She was crouching low and she brought a hand to her chest. ¡°¡­¡± And she opened the collar to remove it from her shoulders. Her shadowy silhouette now showed the lines of her body from the shoulders down. The shadow Heo then stretched her legs to the side and slowly pulled down what covered her legs so as not to make any noise. However, she lost her balance. ¡°Ah.¡± Harakawa used her voice as a starting point. ¡°What is it, Heo Thunderson?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing. I was just preparing for bed.¡± ¡­Is she the type that sleeps in the nude? There were a lot like that on the base, so he guessed there were also a lot back in their country. So as not to intrude, he stood up with the beer in hand, turned off the TV, and removed the headphones. ¡°Um, where are you going?¡± ¡°To work on my motorcycle. I¡¯ll keep the door open as I work, so call out if you need something. Also, Japan can get pretty chilly at the beginning of fall, so try not to catch a cold because you¡¯re naked.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks. ¡­You can see me!?¡± He walked to the front door without responding. He heard the curtain move a little behind him and assumed she was poking her head out. ¡­What a strange girl. With that thought, he opened the door and took a step outside. Out there, he found the night and saw the moon in the sky. A certain place was almost completely dark. It was an underground space that did not let in any outside light. It was a large area and the concrete floor lined with countless containers covered at least three hundred square meters. The western, southern, and northern walls contained metal shields much like ribs and those ribs supported the ceiling about fifty meters up. The eastern wall was separated from the floor, the ceiling, and the other walls and only a giant pit existed there. The flow of air created in that hole slowly washed over the dark area. The floor with only three walls was lit by bluish-white reserve lights with long gaps between them. Much like scattered streetlights, they placed light below them and did little else to combat the darkness. However, those were not the only lights. At the northwest corner, light filled the twenty meter space between the containers and the walls. They were indoor lights including fluorescents and incandescents. There were a great number of them and they pointed in countless directions. The area they illuminated continued for two hundred meters along the wall. Many people filled that area of light and they were performing various kinds of work. Those closest to the corner had medical duty. The injured were placed on top of a few simple medical beds made from sheets and a short woman gave instructions to four old men and the other medical staff. ¡°Listen. When applying healing charms, pay attention to where their joints are. It¡¯s easy to forget when you¡¯re in a hurry. Also, prepare a treatment space behind that container for the women!¡± As the others moved around, those who had already received treatment lay on sleeping bags and air mattresses in place of beds, sat around, or played handheld games together. ¡°Ha ha ha. That Pikachew you raised is mine now! The bullet wound on my leg is throbbing, but I¡¯m on my way to catching ¡®em all!! You were careless to challenge me with an old non-backlit model!¡± ¡°Is that why you asked me to fight!?¡± ¡°Shut up both of you. I had to fight after the night shift, so let me sleep.¡± Next to the injured, the evacuated engineers set up a space for themselves and their equipment and spoke with their superiors to gather together the data from the battle and to adjust the schedules for their normal work. Most of them used the power sources on the wall to boot up the computers they had brought with them and then connected to the LAN. A lot of them managed to restart their work and one of them spoke up. ¡°So even after all this, we still have to work.¡± ¡°Well, the field operation guys worked to protect us, so now it¡¯s our turn to work and recover from this. If you¡¯ve got some spare time, help out over there.¡± The man in the lab coat pointed toward the food area to the east of the evacuees. A long table meant for meetings had a large pot and buckets lined up on it. Beyond the table were the cafeteria chief and Ooki. ¡°Hi, everyone. I made food for you all today. Make sure you eat lots and lots. It¡¯s a stew with a chocolate and pork bone broth and I got so carried away I added in beans, beef, and avocado. Something sweet is good when you¡¯re tired, so I had some cream put on top too. It¡¯s delicious from a calorie perspective.¡± ¡°One quick question. Is it delicious from a flavor perspective?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like people who ask that kind of question.¡± Meanwhile, a few people were gathered by the wall near the giant pit. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve rigged it so cell phones can get out using this emergency phone¡¯s line. I can send my video camera footage too.¡± A young man in a lab coat looked up. He had removed the emergency phone from the wall and had attached some of its cords to his laptop and a wireless receiver. ¡°The Americans are jamming cell phones and other kinds of wireless signals up above, but now we¡¯re using the same line as them and can even tap into their communications.¡± ¡°Try it out, Manager Kashima,¡± said a girl in a white armored uniform behind him. Kashima nodded toward the girl who carried a large white spear, pulled his cell phone from his pocket, and pressed the button. A red light appeared on the wireless receiver, but it soon turned green. ¡°Good. It¡¯s getting through. ¡­Natsu-san? Yes, I¡¯m sorry, but I won¡¯t be able to make it home from work today. ¡­Yes, I have to deal with some foreign guests. Tomorrow might be the same too. ¡­You¡¯re going to my parents¡¯ place to help harvest the rice? Ha ha ha. You sure are a hard worker. ¡­Yes, yes. No need to worry about the people glaring at me from behind. Bye.¡± ¡°Kaku, you aren¡¯t allowed to turn into someone like him. Got it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Chisato. I¡¯ll make sure I¡¯m always right by your side.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡± Kazami gave a bitter smile and looked around. ¡°Only Manager Kashima and Hiba, hm? Sibyl is being healed while Director Abram and Director Tsukuyomi are helping coordinate, right? We hurried back using the safe route through the disguised sewer, but there isn¡¯t much for us to do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because we¡¯re front line fighters. That more or less means we run combat-related errands. On the other hand, the others are specialists.¡± Izumo¡¯s comment brought Kazami¡¯s gaze down to her right hand that held G-Sp2 which she had produced from a container on this floor. Izumo had similarly changed into an armored uniform and collected V-Sw. She then turned to Hiba. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Mikage with you?¡± His gaze, eyebrows, and shoulders all drooped. ¡°I went to school for my attendance and then came to UCAT for some target practice in the god of war. After that, Mikage-san said she was still tired because of the fight last night, so she went to take a nap.¡± ¡°So why aren¡¯t you with her? And I thought the automatons had the nap room evacuated.¡± ¡°I went to the cafeteria to get her a light snack for when she woke up. Anyway, she has a way of sleeping in places other than the bed, much like a cat. It could be in the curtains or on the floor. My guess is she ended up under the bed and the automaton that checked on the room didn¡¯t see her.¡± ¡°What a wild girl.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s just another thing that makes her so cute. Every morning I get to search around to see where she-¡­ Why are you all walking away from me!?¡± Kazami and Kashima exchanged glance and Kashima whispered with a frown. ¡°Seeing someone as young as him get so caught up in self-satisfaction is honestly kind of creepy.¡± ¡°Manager Kashima, this is a good time for you to look in a mirror, so wait for me to go get one. More importantly¡­¡± Kazami placed her empty hand on her hip and looked up toward the dark ceiling. ¡°Is the barrier up above going to hold?¡± ¡°Some of the development department is in the attic area strengthening its defenses. They¡¯re placing a few different kinds of conceptual barrier, so it¡¯s really just a stalling method. And I¡¯m not sure how long it will last if American UCAT goes all out. My best guess is we have about two days.¡± ¡°Two days?¡± It was Izumo who answered that question with a cruel smile. ¡°Today, they¡¯ll celebrate their successful takeover, but tomorrow, the other UCATs will ask them if they have the Concept Cores yet. They can fill tomorrow by saying they¡¯re making preparations, but that excuse will be revealed as a lie if they don¡¯t break in the day after that. That¡¯s probably it.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re here now, so I hope you can relax a little more,¡± said Kazami with a small smile. ¡­But we¡¯re up against mechanical dragons in the double digits. ¡°This isn¡¯t going to be easy.¡± ¡°Then we just have to bring out the third forms,¡± said Izumo. She looked up at him and found him pointing at G-Sp2. ¡°Team Leviathan¡¯s weapons were made to tear into dragons after all.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Kazami smiled at the message on G-Sp2¡¯s LCD display. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Just as she nodded, Kashima spoke up while typing on his laptop. ¡°I¡¯ve connected to the Nagasaki UCAT in Kyushu with that phone. We can speak with them now.¡± ¡°Can we contact Sayama?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He gave a slight smile and walked toward the containers with his video camera in one hand. Kazami followed him and realized the floor was less level than she expected. That was because a few thick guiderails were embedded in the floor. Containers on pallets would be sent on those rails under computer control and taken by the lift on the wall to the arrival and departure zone to the side of the runway. ¡°So this is what G-Sp2 is always carried on.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fun,¡± said the weapon. Is it? she wondered with a tilt of the head. ¡°Now then,¡± said Kashima as he stopped ahead of her, turned around, and pulled out his cell phone. ¡°Is this Sayama-kun? ¡­I am glad to hear you managed to get some dinner. Can you see the video? Yes, the wireless receiver is broken and might cause some static, but can you see well enough? I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡± Kazami raised a hand toward Kashima¡¯s camera when he turned it toward her, but she viewed it as greeting Shinjou rather than Sayama. ¡°Manager Kashima, why did you move over here?¡± ¡°Because there is something I want to show you. It¡¯s related to 5th-Gear.¡± He turned toward the containers to his left. Among them was a single object much larger than the containers. ¡°A dragon?¡± ¡°No. But it is forty-five meters long, so it would require eighteen of the rail lifts and need to be rotated vertically partway up.¡± It looked like a long sword colored blue and white. It was sitting on a large pallet and it was indeed almost forty-five meters long, but it was not even ten meters tall. Some areas were higher than others, but it was overall about five meters tall. The tallest protrusion at the back was closer to seven meters. It vaguely reminded Kazami of a generally sharp dragon lying down. She then realized it was a fusion of two different objects. ¡°Is that a long cannon and a dragon stretching out?¡± ¡°The pallet has the name written on it: Vesper Cannon. This is my first time to see it, but it is apparently the weapon containing half of 5th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core.¡± Kazami gulped and Izumo and Hiba both stopped moving. ¡°Is this¡­?¡± began Hiba, but he did not continue. After looking up at and across the giant cannon, Kazami realized no words were necessary. ¡­How do you use something so big? Not to mention¡­ The Vesper Cannon before her eyes was much larger than the one in the past Baku had shown her. Just as she tilted her head in confusion, she heard a voice from the darkness beyond the cannon. ¡°Now this is something I haven¡¯t seen in a while.¡± She recognized the voice. ¡°Doctor Chao?¡± That was who she saw on top of the Vesper Cannon. ¡°Why are you up there, Doctor Chao? Are you trying to show off?¡± ¡°Shut up. I¡¯ve got a short break from work and you want to climb things to work off some stress at my age. More importantly, this is good timing to come across this thing.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly a replacement, but since that idiot Thunderson is dead, how about I tell you a bit about this. And since I¡¯m not very nice, I¡¯ll leave out the best parts.¡± Volume 8, 14: Shadow of Fate Volume 8, Chapter 14: Shadow of Fate All things have aspects that cannot be seen They cannot be seen by people They cannot be seen by time There were stars. The night sky was an expanse of scattered stars visible through the night clouds floating in front of them. Looking down showed a similar scene. That scene was a city nightscape. Both of those lights were visible from a certain spot in the mountains of Okutama in west Tokyo. UCAT¡¯s disguised transport control building stood six stories aboveground, so the earth and sky were both visible from the roof¡¯s edge. A man¡¯s voice could be heard before those lights. ¡°The lights on the surface look farther away to me. ¡­How do they look to you, Sf?¡± ¡°Tes. It does not look that way at all to me. I have determined you are experiencing an optical illusion, Itaru-sama.¡± Even though it was night, a beach parasol and a long chair were located on the western edge of the roof. Ooshiro Itaru sat in the chair while wearing a black suit and he raised both hands after Sf spoke next to him. ¡°An optical illusion, is it? It¡¯s wonderful how accurate your mechanical decisions are.¡± ¡°Tes. Unparalleled accuracy is the motto of the German UCAT automaton.¡± ¡°Then prove your unparalleled accuracy by getting a headshot on the American UCAT soldiers guarding the roof entrance and wandering around down below. That should cause a commotion.¡± ¡°Tes. Unfortunately, I do not possess a firearm. When we were taken into custody, I followed your advice and handed them over.¡± ¡°Oh? Well, you can¡¯t exactly prove your unparalleled accuracy like this. I guess I can¡¯t see just how accurate German UCAT can be. How unfortunate.¡± ¡°Tes,¡± replied Sf with a bow. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a small object that resembled a watch. ¡°What is that, Sf?¡± ¡°Tes. It is the IAI boy¡¯s love pedometer named Manzou-kun.¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°Tes. Do not worry. I have modified it so it is wirelessly linked to the explosives embedded in the firearms I handed over earlier. Once your daily number of steps reaches ten thousand, a transmission powerful enough to break through their jamming will send the detonation signal and demonstrate German UCAT¡¯s accuracy. ¡­I believe seven more steps are needed.¡± ¡°Wait, you stupid machine. Are you saying I can¡¯t walk anymore today?¡± ¡°No, you can still walk. This simply means German UCAT¡¯s accuracy will be demonstrated on the seventh step. And you may continue walking afterwards with no issue. The world will continue on just fine. Also, my predictions say you will shed tears of praise for me and send an email filled with deep emotion to German UCAT. Now, how about giving it a try?¡± ¡°I think you mean I¡¯ll shed tears of grief and send an email of protest to German UCAT, you stupid machine.¡± With that, Itaru sank down in the chair. However, he continued looking at Sf. As she stood next to him, she stared down below. ¡°American UCAT is camping on the runway,¡± he said. ¡°As a German machine, does it look like an American occupation army to you?¡± ¡°They are not an army. I have determined UCATs are a type of vigilante organization.¡± ¡°Is that so, is that so? So vigilante organizations are giving automatons flashy guns and explosives these days.¡± ¡°Tes. That is standard equipment. If you wish for additional equipment, please send a request to German UCAT. A traffic safety firearm campaign is currently running, so the first one to enter will win the common weapon known as a personal anti-tank railgun.¡± ¡°The first one to enter? I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m the only one who could possibly enter.¡± ¡°No, there is one other. And that would be me. Surprised?¡± ¡°Oh, wow. How surprising. ¡­Wait! Don¡¯t tell me you entered!¡± ¡°No, it is unfortunately against the rules to enter into more than one contest.¡± ¡°I see, I see. That¡¯s very good to hear. ¡­What else did you enter!?¡± Sf tilted her head at his shouted question. ¡°Itaru-sama, your blood pressure is rising for some reason. I have determined you need to calm down. Also, I exist solely for you. I was created to not cause any trouble, interruption, unhappiness, interference, worries, or disrespect for you, so rest easy, breathe a sigh of relief, and feel grateful.¡± ¡°Then let me use all my self-control and gratitude to ask you this: how well do you think you have carried out that duty?¡± ¡°Tes. I have determined I will have done enough as long as I remain by your side. As long as I continue doing that, I will be fulfilling my raison d''¨ºtre.¡± ¡°And if I don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°Tes. Earlier today, you corrected my words to this: they may complain, but they actually like you.¡± ¡°Wow. I must really, really love you.¡± ¡°Tes. I have recorded that statement in my brain¡¯s storage space. Once this commotion is dealt with, I will send the audio data to German UCAT.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t, you selfish machine.¡± ¡°Tes. I will not send out this data. It has been successfully saved in my storage space. Thank you for helping me expand my library of data.¡± She gave a quick bow and he sighed. She then looked down once more, but he could not see anything from his chair. ¡°Are you concerned about American UCAT? Or is it the pathetic ones hiding down below?¡± ¡°Tes. I have determined the Americans are more confusing by a margin of a few percentage points.¡± ¡°Out with it.¡± Sf lowered her head slightly but did not change the direction of her gaze. ¡°Why did American UCAT occupy Japanese UCAT?¡± ¡°You already know the answer, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Tes. Then let me give my guess. American UCAT¡¯s main force seems to be their mechanical dragons, so I suspect they wish to carry out the Leviathan Road with 5th-Gear using those dragons. They will negotiate through battle.¡± ¡°And what is their motive?¡± Sf moved her right hand in response. She accurately raised it to shoulder height and extended it such that her index finger pointed to the east. ¡°Tes. Their motive is likely the same as in that cemetery. It is the same imagination that leads humans to make graves.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Itaru sat up in the chair and brushed a hand through his white hair. ¡°You¡¯re more or less right there, as ridiculous as it is.¡± He reached for the metal cane leaning against the chair and tossed it to Sf. She thrust out her left hand to catch the metal pole flying through the darkness. Without losing any momentum, she used her fingers and wrist to skillfully rotate the cane around like a windmill. ¡°Itaru-sama, here.¡± She placed it on the floor to the right of him. The sharp sound of it striking the concrete caused the American UCAT soldiers guarding the roof to turn around. However, he took the cane regardless and stood from the chair. ¡°I don¡¯t know all the details myself, but let¡¯s try to increase your knowledge.¡± ¡°Tes. Are you referring to the discussion about American UCAT?¡¯ ¡°Yes. I¡¯m talking about why they are so fixated on 5th-Gear.¡± Just as Itaru took a step toward the edge of the roof, a young man¡¯s voice reached him from behind. ¡°Didn¡¯t someone tell us it was best to avoid revealing too much about the past?¡± ¡°Those were the words of the one who was always lecturing us, Roger Sully.¡± Itaru turned around and found a young man in a brown suit at the entrance to the roof. His blond hair was slicked back and he pushed his glasses up his nose. ¡°With Diana here too, this feels like a reunion. She is currently sleeping in the beauty salon, but for now I can speak with the Leviathan Road¡¯s supervisor about American UCAT¡¯s situation.¡± He walked forward and looked up in the sky. ¡°We can discuss the truth about the past that Mr. Richard Thunderson revealed to us before leaving the United States.¡± Sayama and Shinjou faced the transmission monitor in their hotel room. The room was dark because the footage on the monitor was dark. The monitor resembled a fourteen inch television and it was placed against the wall on a side table. The footage on its screen came from Kashima¡¯s camera underneath UCAT. A white and blue cannon was visible in the darkness. Chao stood on top of it, so they could tell just how large it was. It was easily over forty meters. From the top of the cannon, Chao spoke while walking toward the muzzle. ¡°Anyway, before the Allied UCAT arrived at the National Defense Department, they had captured a single mechanical dragon. Due to the Divine States-World Interaction Theory, the ley line modifications had connected 5th-Gear to Hokkaido. From what I heard, an airplane-like machine launched to Hokkaido¡¯s northern coast was collected by Sayama Kaoru because he was free at the time.¡± ¡°My grandfather?¡± Shinjou realized Sayama was holding his suit at the left side of his chest as he watched the monitor. She sat to his left while wearing what she had worn to dinner. Before leaving for the meal, her body had changed to Sadame¡¯s about forty minutes later than usual. That was why she wore girl¡¯s clothing, but she pressed against Sayama¡¯s left shoulder without worrying about the wrinkles it would make. Just after the transmission had arrived, he had told the others what he had discussed with Roger. American UCAT¡¯s reason and foundation for stopping the Leviathan Road was the will that said all of Richard Thunderson¡¯s authority transferred to American UCAT upon his death and that included full authority over 5th-Gear. The others gulped in understanding of what that meant, but he had spoken up regardless. ¡°I will deal with it somehow. The Leviathan Road is mine, after all.¡± The others had sworn to do whatever they could to help and he had nodded. Currently, they were listening to Chao talk about the past. ¡°Back then, the National Defense Department ¨C along with Siegfried¡¯s research ¨C was investigating the existence of the different Gears and how to produce the gates. After retrieving a mechanical dragon from a foreign Gear, they naturally attempted to analyze it, but they were unable to remove any of its components no matter how hard they tried and they were unable to restart it. Even when they climbed into the cockpit, the supposed controls did nothing. ¡­Why do you think that was?¡± Kazami spoke from outside the screen. ¡°Was it broken?¡± ¡°I said they captured it, didn¡¯t I? It didn¡¯t look broken and it indeed wasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then,¡± said Shinjou while sensing Sayama turning toward her. ¡­Will my voice get through? With that thought, she asked her question. ¡°Then was it out of fuel? Or was it not in the right concept?¡± ¡°Not quite, Shinjou. ¡­That was Shinjou, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, Doctor Chao.¡± ¡°I thought so. ¡­From what Sayama told me, it was Shinjou who figured out why the machine wasn¡¯t working despite not looking broken. Shinjou Kaname, that is.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± That name caused Shinjou to shrink down. ¡­The Shinjou from the National Defense Department? She tilted her head at the name that might or might not be related to her. Chao then arrived at the muzzle end and looked down from there. ¡°It was simple. The machine¡¯s cockpit was empty when it fell from 5th-Gear, so Shinjou Kaname concluded that the machine was alive.¡± She took a breath. ¡°He said the machine had put itself to sleep which kept any of the components from moving and rejected any input from the controls. And so he decided it needed to be returned to 5th-Gear.¡± ¡°Returned?¡± ¡°Yes. If it was indeed alive, their investigation was nothing more than searching over his body without his permission. That was why they tried to move the machine back to the crash site in Hokkaido.¡± Chao raised both her hands to shoulder height. ¡°But when the machine opened the concept space gate, it connected to the scene of a concept battle between 5th-Gear and 9th-Gear. Sayama Kaoru, Siegfried, and the others there were caught up in the battle, but the machine suddenly began to move and it protected them.¡± ¡°Was that machine named Xolotl 3?¡± ¡°Oh? I¡¯m impressed you know that. ¡­The concept space closed and he was once more unable to return. But by that time, the National Defense Department had managed to replicate a weakened form of a few 5th-Gear concepts and language concepts, so Sayama Kaoru returned Xolotl 3 to the National Defense Department and attempted to speak with him.¡± At that point, a left hand rose on the screen. It was Hiba¡¯s. When he entered the screen, Shinjou spoke her honest thoughts. ¡°Oh, you were there, Ryuuji-kun?¡± ¡°Waaah! I guess I don¡¯t stand out much compared to all these demonic upperclassmen, do I!?¡± The sounds of someone cracking their knuckles came from the right of the screen and Hiba¡¯s voice dropped in tone. ¡°Um,¡± he began. ¡°I heard the National Defense Department discovered the Concept War when my grandfather and Siegfried-san were fighting over who destroyed a ley line modification facility. I believe corpses and wreckage from those defeated in a concept battle fell in front of them.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. What about it?¡± ¡°Well, does that mean the first actual contact with a resident of another Gear was with that mechanical dragon?¡± Izumo clapped his hands together off screen. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I was going to say. Well said, Hiba. I think I¡¯ll nickname you Mini-Me.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. I don¡¯t think so, Izumo-san. That would make it sound like I¡¯m even remotely like you.¡± ¡°They¡¯re a little alike. Kind of like Hiba-kun is the caterpillar and Izumo-san is the butterfly. Right, Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°An excellent description, Shinjou-kun. That process is technically known as a metamorphosis and in this case it would be a perverted metamorphosis.¡± ¡°Oh, so Ryuuji-kun is the pre-perversion Izumo-san and Izumo-san is the post-perversion Izumo-san?¡± ¡°Okay, you two! That¡¯s enough whispering commentary!¡± Shinjou tilted her head at Hiba¡¯s shout. ¡­Perversion, hm? She felt like a lot of things had started making sense. ¡°I have nothing more to say,¡± she said. ¡°I think we summed it up pretty well.¡± ¡°I have a feeling you¡¯re making a rather large misunderstanding,¡± replied Hiba with doubt in his eyes. However, the next person to speak was not replying to him. It was Sayama and his emotionless voice was directed at Chao in the slightly-staticky footage. ¡°Doctor Chao, that first contact did not initially go very well, did it?¡± ¡°Oh? How do you know that?¡± ¡°That is simple. When we visited Kanda before, we were shown the past at the guidance of a kind automaton. There, we saw Hiba-sensei, the Ooshiro father who is actually a decent person, and Cronus of 3rd-Gear.¡± Hiba turned toward him at the mention of his grandfather. Shinjou noted the serious look in the boy¡¯s eyes while Sayama continued. ¡°They mentioned that Mikage-kun¡¯s birth gave Miss Rhea a desire to help Low-Gear and she had the mechanical dragon named Xolotl 3 open a path to 5th-Gear.¡± He reached out his left hand to the center of the screen and tapped the cannon with his index finger. ¡°He must have been wary of the National Defense Department.¡± ¡°He was,¡± replied Chao. ¡°From what I hear, the mechanical dragon only gave the name Xolotl 3 and refused to say anything about 5th-Gear. I think that was in March of 1941. But when he was shown the god of war wreckage and other things they had retrieved, Xolotl 3 gave a few pieces of information and was shocked to find Low-Gear knew nothing of the Concept War.¡± ¡°And then along came Miss Rhea?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± confirmed Chao. She sat on the muzzle end with her legs dangling down and her head resting on her arms. ¡°That was in July of 1941. Mikage¡¯s conception was detected from Rhea¡¯s physical condition in July of the following year and that led her to contact Xolotl 3. I believe a group photo of the National Defense Department was taken around that time. Have you seen it? It would probably be pretty faded by now, though.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Is that the one in the Kinugasa Library?¡± asked Shinjou. ¡°Yeah, if it exists, it¡¯d be pretty old. There should be one of us in the old UCAT days as well. But anyway¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± At Sayama¡¯s question, Chao pulled a cigarette from her pocket and placed it in her mouth. ¡°Four years before we arrived, the National Defense Department went farther than anyone else. It¡¯s a painful fact both for my home country and for the United States,¡± she said. ¡°Talking about this really takes me back. So much surprised me back then. I couldn¡¯t believe that Rhea¡¯s pregnancy lasted several years and there were plenty of ridiculous commotions after that as well. It¡¯s all so nostalgic.¡± The night sky was visible up above. However, that vast expanse was cut off in every direction by trees. This was a clearing surrounded by forest and two people stood there. One was a short old man and the other was a tall old man. The tall bald one spoke to the short one with a questioning tone in his voice. ¡°Has American UCAT finally made their move, Hiba Ryuutetsu? That country has a way of mistaking pride and reputation for justice and then obsessing over them.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Siegfried. I know all too well how grudges and regret can put things in motion.¡± Near the forest to the west was a stump. Ryuutetsu sat on that stump in pajamas and sandals and he looked up at Siegfried. ¡°Don¡¯t you sit down too. Two old men sitting together like pals would be a little too creepy.¡± ¡°I have yet to age so much that I must sit,¡± replied Siegfried. Ryuutetsu tilted his head and carefully observed Siegfried¡¯s face from below as if looking up into the forest and sky. ¡°The hell did you just say? Do you want to settle what we started seventy years ago?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? That was precisely sixty-eight years ago and it was my win even if we never managed to finish.¡± ¡°I clearly had that one in the bag, you moron. And how can you even pretend to have won when my magnificent dropkick broke three of your ribs?¡± ¡°And whose left arm was it that my mystical spell literally smashed? And you were the one that wrongfully assumed I had destroyed that facility.¡± ¡°But you still destroyed all the other ones.¡± ¡°Being accurate in your work is an excellent German teaching. Also, that was not the real reason you were pursuing me. It went back to the day before. We were assigned to the same room, so I was cleaning and I found several indecent magazines below your bed.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± agreed Ryuutetsu. ¡°And of all the possible ways of handling that situation, you had to hand them over to Toshi. She ended up chasing me around with a red hot fire poker.¡± ¡°And in the end¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I of course tricked her into thinking you had bought them as a way of assimilating Japanese culture. I was chasing you down that night to eliminate the witness.¡± ¡°You mountain ape. So does Toshi still think those magazines were mine?¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. You aren¡¯t getting away tonight. I won¡¯t let you reveal that misunderstanding after seventy years.¡± ¡°Get it into your head already. It was sixty-eight years ago.¡± The two of them glared at each other and Siegfried slowly stepped back. While still sitting, Ryuutetsu placed the bottoms of his feet on the side of the stump so he could leap forward at any moment. ¡°¡­¡± But they then heard a small whistle that resembled a sigh. It was the wind producing a whistling noise as it struck something. The two old men¡¯s expressions vanished for an instant and Siegfried eventually straightened up. ¡°Is that coming from Rhea¡¯s house?¡± ¡°It¡¯s falling apart a little, so the wind gets in. That reminds me of when Rhea¡¯s stomach grew so quickly. That was when we learned 3rd-Gear humans have long pregnancies to match their long lives, but they come to an end pretty damn quickly. Since they had so few descendants, Rhea didn¡¯t know how it worked either and it all caused a huge commotion. Chao was oddly excited.¡± ¡°If that had happened in the summer, we might not have been able to stop the Allied UCATs. ¡­And now we really weren¡¯t able to. It was Rhea who saved us back then.¡± Siegfried looked up. The ceiling of trees shook lightly as the night breeze blew through like waves. ¡°This is a lot like that last night when Richard left for 5th-Gear.¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know much about that because I was busy with 3rd-Gear at the time. I hear he was pretty manly. When he heard another of his fellow pilots was shot down by Black Sun, didn¡¯t he ignore his orders to return to American UCAT and head out in Xolotl 3?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m starting to feel quite nostalgic. I¡¯m almost ready to say he was a somewhat decent man. ¡­I may be growing senile. In my memories, we were always all together back then. Even when I think about the National Defense Department, I picture Chao, Abram, and Richard with us and I begin to wonder if we were all together afterwards as well.¡± ¡°I think that sometimes too. But while it may be senility in your case, I think some things really have changed. We had such trouble getting along with Thunderson back then, but now we can speak his name without issue.¡± Ryuutetsu stood up from the stump and looked up in the windy night sky just like Siegfried. ¡°And now he¡¯s dead. I always thought I¡¯d go before him.¡± ¡°And American UCAT is here too. It makes me wonder what happened to the resolution that sent him on his journey.¡± ¡°That idiot didn¡¯t tell us anything.¡± Ryuutetsu bent his back and hips as if looking even further into the sky. ¡°He didn¡¯t leave us with anything besides the report saying 5th-Gear was a world of mechanical dragons, a simple history of the place, and that Vesper Cannon he brought back with him. He said something about searching for the other of his dead friend¡¯s twin children, but he wouldn¡¯t let any of us help.¡± ¡°Such ridiculous pride. He was supposedly American UCAT¡¯s ace mechanical dragon pilot, but the pathetic man never properly flew one in front of us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s right.¡± Ryuutetsu smiled bitterly. ¡°He was always second-guessing himself too. He even asked Lord Northwind why he was chosen to remain in Japan. And yet¡­¡± ¡°And yet?¡± ¡°While I was gone, the bastard destroyed 5th-Gear, sank Black Sun in the ocean off of Hokkaido, and returned with the Vesper Cannon that contained half the Concept Core.¡± Ryuutetsu straightened up. ¡°If only Xolotl 3 was still around. Then we could learn about Thunderson even now and Thunderson might not have died in the first place.¡± ¡°Xolotl 3, hm? He¡¯s gone now, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Ryuutetsu while looking up into the sky. The wind blew in from the east and it brought noise with it. That noise was the low rumbling of airplane engines. The identification light of a transport plane was circling as if patrolling the night sky. Hiba clicked his tongue while watching that flashing of red and white. ¡°Richard would only say Xolotl 3 and White Creation, which could oppose Black Sun, were both gone and that only the Vesper Cannon remained. But the Vesper Cannon I knew was Xolotl 3¡¯s primary weapon and not that giant thing.¡± He took a breath. ¡°5th-Gear mechanical dragons have the ability to self-evolve. That was in Thunderson¡¯s report, so I¡¯m guessing Xolotl 3 or some mechanical dragon we don¡¯t know-¡­¡± ¡°Focused on White Creation by combining with the Vesper Cannon to one day defeat Black Sun?¡± As Siegfried spoke, the rumbling passed by overhead. The wind blew and rustled through the forest as if making some kind of appeal. ¡°And Black Sun, that large mechanical dragon singlehandedly spreading a storm of danger across 5th-Gear, has not been destroyed. Mr. Richard Thunderson received full authority over 5th-Gear from White Creation, but he was unable to fulfill his rematch with Black Sun.¡± A night breeze blew across the roof while Roger spoke to the two standing before him. Those two were Ooshiro Itaru and Sf, his maid. ¡°When Mr. Richard Thunderson was sent from American UCAT to Japanese UCAT, he stated in writing that all his authority would be transferred to American UCAT upon his death.¡± ¡°And so you claim the Vesper Cannon and 5th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core belong to American UCAT? You say Japanese UCAT has kept the Vesper Cannon this long only because he left it here and we can¡¯t begin the Leviathan Road without rechecking all this?¡± Itaru asked his two questions in quick succession, but Roger did not immediately reply. After a while, the wind blew in and he brushed a hand through his hair. ¡°More than sixty years ago, American UCAT lost some people to Black Sun.¡± ¡°And you prepared mechanical dragons to take vengeance?¡± ¡°That is not all, but I will still say testament. The Vesper Cannon is a mechanical dragon cannon, it is not known how to fire it, and it likely has a mind of its own. We predict that the Vesper Cannon evolved into its current form by combining with a mechanical dragon damaged in the battle that sank Black Sun.¡± ¡°And so Xolotl 3¡¯s mind was taken into it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Roger while reaching into his pocket and pulling out a postcard-sized piece of copy paper. ¡°This is a photograph of Mr. Thunderson speaking with Xolotl 3. It is a reproduction of the original. Supposedly, he and Xolotl 3 enjoyed speaking of flying and that was why he was placed in charge of 5th-Gear. If Xolotl 3¡¯s mind resides within the Vesper Cannon, it will respond to an American UCAT mechanical dragon that carries on Mr. Thunderson¡¯s wishes. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t all, is it?¡± Itaru gave a bitter smile, raised the cane in his left hand and balanced himself on his left leg. He rested the cane on his right shoulder so it pointed at the landscape behind him. ¡°Thunderson¡¯s great-granddaughter, Heo Thunderson, is somewhere out there. If the Vesper Cannon doesn¡¯t react to American UCAT, you¡¯re planning to put her in the mechanical dragon, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°There is no need and I would not allow it.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Itaru lowered his cane and Roger pushed his glasses up his nose and returned the photograph to his pocket. Roger looked up at the transport ships visible flying beyond the wall of the concept space. ¡°A disguised transport ship is waiting in Yokota to take Miss Heo home at any time. It is possible she could be attacked by Black Sun while crossing the Pacific, so the Vesper Cannon can be used as bait and we have also prepared weakened 5th-Gear concepts. The latter have already been proven effective, so American UCAT will lure Black Sun here and settle this.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Just because you have mechanical dragons doesn¡¯t mean-¡­¡± ¡°My colonel has already repelled Black Sun over the ocean once. All we need is to supply the finishing blow and that role will of course be filled by our mechanical dragons.¡± ¡°Even with a fleet of American UCAT¡¯s latest mechanical dragons, this will lead to deaths.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Roger while lifting his glasses to hide his expression. ¡°But this is the desire of our higher ups who wish to show off American UCAT¡¯s technology and strength. The colonel and I will form a defensive line at Yokota and the mechanical dragon unit will continue ahead to intercept it in Tokyo Bay. The pilots will all be volunteers who have said they will take care of it, so we can only trust in them.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Itaru before turning to Sf. ¡°What do you think of all this?¡± ¡°Tes. It seems to me the invaders are simply attempting to take the world for themselves using war and the lives of the dead.¡± ¡°Very good.¡± Itaru turned to Roger. ¡°What do you think of Diana¡¯s automaton, Roger?¡± ¡°I can only imagine she created it to mock us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite a problem. Then again, I think she was trying to be considerate to those of us who survived that battle. Did she send anything to you?¡± ¡°Only the sand. After all, I was obedient and, unlike you, gained quite a lot back then. She did not need to provide any help after the fact.¡± At that point, he suddenly began walking toward the edge to look down. ¡°As for the one who isn¡¯t obedient¡­¡± Roger crossed the roof, passed by Itaru, and arrived at the edge. He stood on the raised area meant to prevent anyone from jumping and lightly held up his body. ¡°What do you think? I am getting good at insinuating things, aren¡¯t I? This is a technique I picked up from that man. And-¡­¡± He was unable to finish. At some point, Sf had moved up behind him and she shoved his raised chest with both hands. ¡°Ah,¡± he said. ¡°¡­¡± As if in slow motion, he collapsed over the edge of the roof. By the time the guards turned around in confusion, he had already vanished, so they had turned back, assuming nothing had happened. The wind blew through and Itaru finally spoke. ¡°Explain what you just did, Sf.¡± ¡°Tes. He stepped up and seemed to be hesitating, so my assistance circuits activated.¡± ¡°Do you think anyone could escape that unharmed!?¡± Sf tilted her head. ¡°Diana-sama was perfectly fine.¡± ¡°Do not confuse strange Germans with strange Americans. They have completely different special techniques.¡± Sf gave a brief and expressionless look up into the sky, but she soon lowered her head. ¡°Tes. I have committed that to memory. From now on, I will not help Americans in that manner. I am perfectly able to distinguish between races, so do not worry.¡± However, she then looked to the now-empty edge of the roof. ¡°I do not hear any words of thanks from Roger-sama.¡± ¡°It may just be me, but I doubt you¡¯ll ever receive any from him now.¡± ¡°Itaru-sama, may I send an email of complaint to American UCAT? ¡®I kindly shoved a representative of yours from the roof and was disappointed that he did not express any gratitude.¡¯ ¡­How does that sound?¡± ¡°Do whatever you want, but don¡¯t get me involved.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a hand reached onto the edge of the roof from the outside. It scratched at the surface two or three times in search of something to grab onto. Itaru sighed and spoke to Sf. ¡°Sf, help him.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf pulled a collapsible bamboo broom from her skirt and swept the hand away from the edge. ¡°Wah!¡± shouted Roger¡¯s voice. ¡°¡­¡± Itaru and Sf watched as the voice travelled further and further down. After several seconds had passed, Itaru finally spoke. ¡°Sf, what did you help him with?¡± ¡°Tes. I determined he was attempting to sweep the edge of the roof.¡± Sf looked to the edge but quickly tilted her head. She pulled a dust cloth from her apron and roughly wiped down the area his hand had been searching along. ¡°I have determined that was a truly amateurish job. Using your hand leaves fingerprints.¡± ¡°You¡¯re attempting to eliminate the evidence of his struggle, aren¡¯t you?¡± Meanwhile, the door up to the roof was thrown open. Roger stood in the doorway, but his outfit was a bit different. Specifically, his suit was torn as if by claws. ¡°Wh-what kind of knowledge did Diana give that automaton!?¡± ¡°Roger, I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re doing well. Let me tell you something interesting: I don¡¯t understand a thing about this automaton except that she is cruel to Americans and Russians.¡± ¡°That witch is supposed to be German, so why does she love lies and jokes so much?¡± Roger walked swiftly over in his torn suit and Sf turned toward him and held out the slightly dirtied dust cloth. ¡°Roger-sama, I assisted your bravery and dealt with your poor attempt at cleaning, so I have determined it would be best if you gave me some words of thanks.¡± Roger stopped in his tracks and stared at Itaru, but Itaru waved his hands back and forth. ¡°If you have anything to say, take it to Diana.¡± ¡°Do you really think that witch will listen?¡± Roger turned back toward Sf and pushed up the glasses that were now cracked on the right side. ¡°That could easily have turned into an international incident. You should be thankful that I survived.¡± Sf nodded at Roger¡¯s words. ¡°Tes. Then I will accept that our thanks have cancelled each other out. I suppose that is the American way.¡± She took a breath, looked up into the sky, shrugged her shoulders, and whistled. ¡°That American-style whistle means that my acceptance circuits have completed running. Will that suffice?¡± ¡°That pretty much covers it. Do you understand now, Shinjou, Sayama?¡± Kazami watched as Chao stood up on the cannon. When the woman turned around in her white coat and the sleeves flipped around, Shinjou¡¯s voice came from the cell phone Kashima held and the girl sounded rushed. ¡°D-Doctor Chao!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Shinjou-kun, as Doctor Chao, don¡¯t you think she should make some medicinal foods? Then we could ¡®Chao down¡¯ on- gwah!¡± ¡°C-c¡¯mon, Sayama-kun. I want to ask something, so I made you quiet!¡± ¡°Shinjou, your phrasing at the end there was a little weird,¡± commented Kazami. Meanwhile, Chao¡¯s footsteps grew more distant, so Shinjou frantically spoke up. ¡°Wait a minute, Doctor Chao! I want to ask something! Um¡­ Miss Chao!!¡± Chao did not stop. ¡°That¡¯s not gonna cut it.¡± ¡°Th-then Young Lady Chao!!¡± ¡°Keep going.¡± What is going on? wondered Kazami before turning toward Kashima. ¡°Shinjou, say what you have to say. It looks like Doctor Chao¡¯s test is pretty tough.¡± ¡°U-um, then¡­¡± Shinjou¡¯s hesitation ate up some of her time, but she finally asked. ¡°What happened to Shinjou Kaname!?¡± Kazami looked toward the one being asked, but Chao did not stop walking away along the cannon. However, she did speak quietly. ¡°Silly girl.¡± She sighed and slowed her exit a bit. ¡°When Shinjou Kaname was ill, my grandfather attempted to bring him to the people of 4th-Gear,¡± said Sayama. ¡°That was so 4th-Gear could heal him, but it never happened. Does that mean¡­¡± ¡°Are you trying to say Shinjou Kaname died of his illness? You fools,¡± said Chao. ¡°Before those like me arrived, Shinjou Kaname apparently quit the National Defense Department and was hospitalized in Hachioji. And there, he recovered.¡± ¡°Eh? Then he never met 4th-Gear because his illness healed and there was no need?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the right to tell you about any of that, so ask someone else. But let me tell you one thing. When I was there, a New Year¡¯s card arrived from Shinjou¡¯s home just once. The address was in Shimane and the card said his child had grown a good bit.¡± The word ¡°child¡± caused Kazami to bring a hand to her own stomach. Seeing that, Izumo gave her a serious look. ¡°What is it, Chisato? Are you getting fat? Or was that fried chicken you ate past its expira-¡­¡± She decided a hook would be best to create silence, so she did so. After the sound of flesh and bone collapsing to the ground, silence had fallen over the underground space. She thought while finding the silence pleasant. ¡­Do Shinjou Kaname¡¯s descendants continue down to Shinjou? The headquarters of IAI¡¯s predecessor, the Izumo Aviation Institute, had been located in Shimane. IAI headquarters were still there, so if Shinjou Kaname was from there¡­ ¡­He was supposedly Professor Kinugasa¡¯s assistant, so they probably met at the Izumo HQ. She then turned toward Kashima. ¡°Shinjou, you should visit the Shimane headquarters on your way back. You might find some kind of a hint.¡± ¡°I think I will. They¡¯ll probably be busy, though.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Shinjou-kun, you are such a wonderful person to worry about those underlings. And with future events in mind, I would like to search for information on Professor Kinugasa, so a visit to Shimane sounds perfect. Oh, and can I ask something of you, Kazami?¡± ¡°What is it, you idiot? Just get back to flirting and get to sleep. Those of us here still have to make plans for tomorrow.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± said the voice coming from Kashima¡¯s cell phone. ¡°Kazami, I have a single request relating to Heo Thunderson.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She frowned in displeasure when she wondered what he was going to ask. The others fell silent and she felt relief and trust in that. ¡°I have received some internal information that confirms Heo Thunderson is in Harakawa¡¯s apartment we visited today. Has American UCAT managed to track her down yet?¡± ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t seem so. And if that¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°Yes, secure her before they do. That would be the perfect bargaining chip.¡± ¡°You certainly are direct in your wording.¡± ¡°The easier to understand, the better. Also, get as much information on her as you can, even if you have to do some hacking to get it. There is something strange about her. Something about being demon possessed.¡± ¡°A demon? I¡¯m not sure what that means, but I¡¯ll have Sibyl look into it. I don¡¯t like how American UCAT is doing things either.¡± Kazami raised her eyebrows in a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of girl Heo Thunderson is, but I¡¯m sure American UCAT intends to kindly shelter her¡­even if she¡¯s actually a kitten that wants to head outside.¡± ¡°Very good. The opposite is also possible, but hurry either way. She is likely in that apartment even now. Wait to leave until the early morning when American UCAT lets their guard down and have someone keep an eye on her.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Kazami nodded and raised the corner of her mouth. ¡°Having something to do is just wonderful.¡± Volume 8, 15: Morning Commotion Volume 8, Chapter 15: Morning Commotion Where are you now? Should I head in the direction of your voice? In the direction of your resounding will? In the early morning, the sun had yet to come out over the sea and the sky was a bluish-white covered by hazy clouds rather than a pure blue. However, the dark ocean surface reflected the light of the sky and that lit surface seemed to rock a little. The rising of the sea looked less like waves and more like short mountains. The peaks of those water mountains sent back the light of the sky while their feet were filled with a duller light. A few forms were visible on that gentle rising and falling that resembled breathing. They were boats. The boats were not even a one-hundredth the size of the short mountains of the waves and they all had large lights hanging down from their masts. They were fishing boats. They all had a white base with blue and red lines decorating them. The sides of the colorful boats had the name of that particular boat as well as a license and license number from the association they belonged to. That association was the Sanriku Harbor Administration Bureau. This was the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Sanriku. Each of the boats traveling along the vast sea had two to five men or women onboard. They kept a certain distance between each other, their nets were already drawn in, and they all had their backs to the brightness of the sky as they moved west. The horizon was visible ahead of them, but something white was visible above that line: clouds. Those objects hanging in the sky were proof that land existed there. Those boats that were small compared to the sea slowly travelled to the west. They would occasionally rock a bit as they created their own white waves. The boats in the lead turned a bit to the north. The sea off the coast of Sanriku had three currents. The first was the Tsushima Current that came from the Sea of Japan and rotated clockwise along Honshu. It flowed north to south and was the closest to the east coast of Honshu. The second was the Chishima Current that flowed down from the south side of Hokkaido and to the east of Honshu. It travelled alongside the Tsushima Current as it too flowed north to south along Honshu¡¯s east coast. The third was the Kuroshio that rotated in the Pacific Ocean. It flowed south to north further east of the previous two currents. Those currents would change depending on season and time and they would display a variety of emotions, so the boats travelling on that ocean always chose the optimum time to cross those areas. They were currently moving from the Chishima Current to the Tsushima Current. A few of them began to scatter to one side or the other. These boats chose to fish on the transition line between currents during the early morning because that was when the fish deep in the water began to move. The boats wishing to return to port early had gathered together and started to leave. But at that point, a sound resembling an alarm or a whistle filled the sky. It was a boat¡¯s horn. However, that ear-splitting sound did not come from the leaving boats. It came from the ones that still had their nets out in between the currents. At first, only a few boats sounded their horns, but several more did the same after noticing something and even more of the sounds filled the air a moment later. A crewmember of one boat hurrying home grabbed the radio on the cramped shed-like bridge. ¡°What happened!?¡± ¡°Look in the water!¡± Hearing that, everyone activated the fishfinders attached to their boats. The rotating green light on the sonar screen displayed what was hidden within the ocean. It picked up on something. Something that filled the entire sonar screen. ¡°¡­!?¡± This was not a school of fish or a ship. The sonar searched over an area of several hundred meters, so the crewmembers initially thought it was malfunctioning. However, all of the ships were seeing the same thing. This should not have been possible. There was no way something that large was moving through the ocean, so they had no idea what was going on. But then something else happened. All of those watching the sonar noticed the light had vanished from the screen. Or rather, in the time it took for the sonar to make a full rotation, the light moved outside the sonar¡¯s range. It moved forward in the ocean in an instant. A great sound came from the ocean as something moved swiftly through the water. The moving object¡¯s presence had created a large gap in the water and its quick movement opened a great pit or abyss. All of those on the boats saw a ravine open in the ocean. It was about fifty meters wide and one hundred meters deep and they could not tell how long it was. Soon thereafter, the ocean exploded. Air flowed into the ravine and the collapsing water pressing down on it caused an explosion of air. ¡°!!¡± The great blast created a water pillar so large it looked like a wall of water rising above the morning ocean. The white surging wall was over two hundred meters tall, the seemingly unshakable ocean below it trembled, and the ravine split like an opening mouth. The boats desperately brought themselves alongside the collapsing ocean and watched the trembling of the sea. Some boats were struck by the waterfalls created when the pillar of water fell back down, some sank into the giant air pockets rising from within the water, and others were rendered completely uncontrollable thanks to those air pockets bursting. Among it all, a crewmember saw something as his ship rose to the top of a mountainous wave. The ocean now resembled a mountain range, a great mist of seawater filled the air, and the long depression of the sea being split was travelling quickly into the distance. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He heard a sound in the sky that he should never have heard on the ocean: a roar that resembled creaking metal. He could not see anything, but all of the crewmembers looked in the direction of that roar that almost sounded like weeping and the moving ocean ravine. That direction was south and it would lead to the ocean off of Kantou. At some point, the sun had risen and it pointed in that same direction. A shadow descended in front of the round morning sun. From the front, it looked long horizontally. It was a large airplane. The thick green craft emitted shimmering heat behind the wings as it began to land. The sound of the rubber tires tearing into the ground overlapped with the sound of the fully open flaps beating at the air. Some people moved along the runway while backed by those sounds and the sound of the morning wind. A truck to be loaded with materials approached the arriving transport plane. All of that activity was visible from in front of the white transportation building at the far end of the runway. American UCAT guards stood in the large entrance that contained a flower bed and a small roundabout filled with the morning sunlight. On all their backs were submachine guns modified for concept combat. Those out on patrol raised a hand in greeting to those at the front entrance who then went out for their patrol. However, something disturbed their movements. Someone had appeared from the mountain path on the side of the building opposite the runway. That woman soon arrived from the other side of the transport control building. She wore a black T-shirt and black bike shorts, her gray hair fluttered behind her, and she ran with a light step. ¡°Oh, good morning.¡± She raised a hand in greeting when she noticed the guards. Just in front of the roundabout seemed to be her end point because her black basketball shoes dug into the sand there, but she continued jogging in place while catching her breath. One of the guards frowned until he noticed the emblem sewn to her T-shirt¡¯s shoulder. The pattern showed a land reconnected after being split between left and right. ¡°Are you German UCAT Inspector Diana Zonburg?¡± ¡°Yes, but at the moment I am intruding here where American UCAT has taken residence.¡± ¡°I thought you were forbidden to leave the building.¡± ¡°I thought you were merely protecting me as a member of German UCAT.¡± With that, Diana stopped jogging in place. She lightly clasped her hands and thrust the palms forward while looking to the entrance beyond the guard who was narrowing his eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Roger?¡± ¡°No matter how I answer, it would cause problems with German UCAT,¡± answered a man in a suit who stepped out of the automatic door. It was Roger. The morning sun washed over his brown suit as he waved toward the surrounding guards. They took that as a sign to return to their posts and patrols. Roger sighed and walked over to Diana. ¡°I am sorry, Diana, but could you try not to interfere with the others?¡± ¡°Oh? Since when can you order me around, Roger? I hold the rank of colonel, you know?¡± ¡°You were a major ten years ago, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°And weren¡¯t you a second lieutenant? Were you promoted? Wait. I think I heard you are a captain now.¡± ¡°My authority was raised before I was sent here, so I am now a major.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± muttered Diana as she wiped her forehead with the white towel on her shoulder. ¡°Did you meet Itaru?¡± ¡°I was thrown from the roof.¡± ¡°Yes, he can be a bit aggressive.¡± ¡°It was the automaton you built that did it!!¡± After a short pause, she tilted her head and frowned toward Roger. ¡°You don¡¯t have to shout. I can hear you just fine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He bent back and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes, quietly told himself to calm down, and took another deep breath. Once he opened his eyes, he found Diana also taking deep breaths and smiling. ¡°The morning air really is wonderful, isn¡¯t it? What do you think of the Okutama region¡¯s air? Is it helping calm down your usually strict and impatient mind?¡± ¡°Are you scattering bait so you can challenge me to a war of words?¡± ¡°Why would I ever do that? There¡¯s no way you could possibly defeat me.¡± She smiled and waved a hand in denial and he subconsciously tightened his tie. Too much strength gathered in his fingertips, so he once more told himself to calm down. ¡°I have dedicated a lot of time to studying arguments in the past ten years.¡± ¡°That must have been a lot of work and I¡¯m sure there were better ways to spend your time. Like crying yourself to sleep.¡± ¡°Do not be ridiculous. Americans do not allow themselves to surrender.¡± ¡°Does that silly pride come from consuming nothing but burgers and cola? It must be the excess sugar and cholesterol reaching your brains.¡± Diana brought a hand to her cheek and lowered her shoulders in a sigh. ¡°Poor, poor Roger.¡± ¡°Why you-¡­¡± Diana¡¯s expression changed when she heard those words slip out. She gave a bitter laugh. As the laugh escaped her throat and her shoulders shook, Diana turned her back on Roger. ¡°I see you haven¡¯t changed. But I no longer have it in me to keep this up.¡± ¡°You seem quite willing to me.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do it,¡± she said while wiping tears from her eyes, turning around, and looking up in the sky. ¡°Not now that there is no longer anyone to stop me.¡± Roger could not immediately respond to that comment and he briefly paused to breathe in the morning air of Okutama. ¡°I suppose not.¡± ¡°Anyway, I hear you met the Sayama boy over a video call. Fun, wasn¡¯t he? If you had met him earlier, you would have stopped the attack on Japanese UCAT, wouldn¡¯t you have? You would have thought that strange boy could reach the place we failed to.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Diana walked off without saying anything more. She made her way to the vending machine at the end of the roundabout and in front of the white building. Roger followed and the rumbling of another transport plane arrived in the eastern sky. However, he heard the woman speak over that rumbling. ¡°American UCAT is attempting to stop the Leviathan Road in order to supervise the future of the world in the name of the United States. However, we know the truth,¡± said Diana. ¡°We are the only ones that know that American UCAT cannot complete the Leviathan Road. Did you tell your superiors that?¡± She stopped in front of the vending machine. ¡°The survivors of those who once assisted Japanese UCAT decided to hide this truth, but did you tell your superiors who know nothing?¡± ¡°No. How could I possibly tell them something so ridiculous,¡± replied Roger with a shake of his head. ¡°I have not informed American UCAT of what happened.¡± ¡°Why not? About fifteen years ago, we began helping Japanese UCAT due to a variety of obligations and happenstances. Even back then, you could have informed American UCAT of what we learned, so why didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you with German UCAT?¡± asked Roger in front of the vending machine. However, he received no response, so he took in a breath and turned toward her. ¡°Diana, can you guess what Itaru is thinking now? He clearly intends to bear it all himself. He will not even inform the Sayama boy and the others you support and he will have that truth destroyed along with him. ¡­Do you see it that way as well?¡± However, she once more did not reply. She simply pointed at the vending machine with a smile and tapped at one of the sample drink cans. ¡°How about you make up for a few of your losses from ten years ago?¡± Roger¡¯s shoulders drooped when he heard that. He reluctantly pulled out his wallet and placed some change in the machine. After he heard the money fall, he pressed the button, and Diana quietly thanked him in German and pulled out the can. ¡°You always drink coffee after exercising, don¡¯t you?¡± he said. ¡°Oh? This is IAI¡¯s sports drink coffee.¡± She opened the pull-tab, took a drink, and continued. ¡°But you know what? Director Abram and Doctor Chao were held in reserve back then, so they barely know anything. The only ones who learned the truth were Sayama Kaoru and those trusted by Sayama Asagi.¡± ¡°But most of those people died during the Great Kansai Earthquake and UCAT eliminated all of the records while disguising it as conflict within IAI. How do you feel about all that as the single survivor of the Five Great Peaks?¡± ¡°Those times were a lot of fun,¡± she said slowly while looking at the sky and forest displayed on the vending machine¡¯s plastic board and the actual city visible in the distance. ¡°A witch who hated being compared to her uncle¡¯s achievements decided to go to the same place her uncle had. There, the witch was delighted to have people recognize her strength. She met others there who had their own strengths and they had a lot of fun together.¡± She gave a quiet laugh. ¡°The place where I got drunk and hit UCAT Director Ooshiro with the bottle is now a vegetable garden, but the flowers and trees we all planted still exist.¡± ¡°Do you intend to continue with those festive days?¡± ¡°No,¡± she replied with a smile and tilt of the head. ¡°I have already retired. All I will do is provide support for those who wish to follow in our footsteps. But¡­it¡¯s kind of funny. Georgius is now responding to the Sayama boy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And yet it did not provide us with anything. When Yume first showed me that device which you-know-who created for some reason, I wondered if it was simply a failure. However, it truly is lending its power to the Sayama boy.¡± She laughed again. ¡°Yume and the rest of us weren¡¯t able to find the right half of Georgius, but I wonder if they will be able to.¡± ¡°They?¡± ¡°The Sayama boy and his friends. Just as with the Eight Great Dragon Kings and the Five Great Peaks, he is not alone. I believe they will gather both parts of Georgius, bring the ten Concept Cores to their side, and guide the world beyond the Leviathan Road just as Yume said.¡± She lowered her gaze just a bit. ¡°I believe they will do what we could not.¡± With that, she walked past the vending machine and to the trashcan there. ¡°Diana, isn¡¯t it a little rude to me if you throw it away without finishing it?¡± ¡°Oh? But I did finish it.¡± She turned her upper body around and shook the can. It showed no sign of weight. ¡°But you only took one drink.¡± ¡°I am jogging for my looks. I already have a decent lung capacity.¡± ¡°Let me be clear about one thing, Diana. You are the worst sort of human being.¡± ¡°Wh-why would you say that?¡± Just as she threw away the can, the main entrance to their right opened and a slender elderly man in a suit walked out. ¡°Roger! Roger! A mysterious form has been detected in the ocean east of this country!¡± ¡°Testament. Colonel Odor, I already knew that. The information gathered by the Japanese Self-Defense Force and our satellites shows an abnormality in the ocean currents. Russia has detected it as well, but they have not sent out their military or UCAT.¡± ¡°Roger, Roger. Do you mean¡­¡± ¡°It is likely Black Sun. This is no more than conjecture at this point, but I believe it is slowly travelling toward Tokyo after healing itself at the bottom of the northern ocean after its injuries the other night. It is likely cautious of the surface and enjoying the evolution brought on by the high water pressure. But once it closes in on the Vesper Cannon it desires, it will quickly travel along the surface or fly through the sky.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Odor stopped at the step down at the edge of the entrance and crossed his arms. ¡°Roger, Roger. How will we prevent it from reaching land?¡± ¡°Testament. The mechanical dragon unit has already been divided into teams on the coast of Tokyo Bay.¡± ¡°Such brave, brave young pilots. If it were not for the orders of the higher ups, I would travel to the front lines to support them. You should learn from their example, Roger. Got that?¡± ¡°We can visit them later. I am sure a visit from their overall commander will delight them and your power will be necessary in the middle stage if they do lose,¡± said Roger. ¡°Also, we need to capture Black Sun in an Accel Point so we do not disturb the people of the city. That Accel Point will need to be large, but I believe Japanese UCAT¡¯s Kanda Laboratory is researching a device to create one that covers all of Tokyo.¡± ¡°Will we¡­ Will we be taking that from them?¡± ¡°No.¡± Roger shook his head and pushed his glasses up his nose. ¡°The Kanda Laboratory has already been sent the information on Black Sun¡¯s approach. To protect their own country, the laboratory has no choice but to create the Accel Point whether we ask them to or not. We will merely accept their cooperation in this matter.¡± ¡°I see. I see, Roger. But I have another odd piece of information.¡± Roger frowned at that and he took a step toward Odor while asking what it was. ¡°The enemy. The enemy is on the move. We detected movement not far below ground here. The search team said the movement had arrived here about ten seconds ago.¡± ¡°Is it Japanese UCAT?¡± Roger tilted his head and twisted his body to look along the ground, but he saw nothing. It was then that Diana noticed Odor after finishing throwing away her can and taking a breath. ¡°Oh?¡± she said in slight surprise. ¡°I thought I recognized that way of speaking. Are you the commander here, honey?¡± Roger froze in place when he heard Diana¡¯s final word. He looked first at Odor and then at Diana. ¡°Honey?¡± ¡°Yes, Roger. Before you were put under his command, we were married on paper.¡± ¡°Then when the colonel mentioned his wife, he meant¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He meant me. We have yet to even kiss, though.¡± Diana brought her right hand to her cheek and smiled as she spoke. ¡°Ehhhhhhh!?¡± Voices erupted from below the ground and a manhole cover on the road behind her blasted straight up into the sky. Two heads rose from the hole after headbutting the metal lid out of the way. The large one looked to the small one. ¡°D-did you hear that, Hiba!? I thought she was a well-endowed foreigner, but she was actually a well-endowed untouched foreigner wife! I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been this overcome by shock before, but is that okay!? If so, tell me it¡¯s not okay!¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not okay, Izumo-san! You can¡¯t let the shock distract you here!¡± ¡°You calm down too, Hiba! If you can¡¯t calm down, how am I supposed to!?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you get Kazami-san to climb up and punch you?¡± ¡°Whelp, that thought calmed me down in a hurry. ¡­But that was one hell of a surprising and wondrous announcement! It¡¯s already reigniting my thoughts!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just as surprised as you, Izumo-san! Who would¡¯ve thought there was such a novel new genre so close by!? I¡¯m so glad I joined UCAT. It¡¯s so full of stimulation.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Hiba. This is pretty amazing, though. It¡¯s got a good bit of impact from how unexpected it was too. Still, if the genres are spread out too much, it loses any real focus. Commentator Hiba, do you agree with that assessment of Diana¡¯s attack? What do you have to say as someone active in this field?¡± ¡°Well, ignoring the lack of focus, it might be difficult for me personally. I¡¯m not sure I see how the genre of wives can be applied to Mikage-san. But the well-endowed angle is on a direct course high on the inside corner and I think Mikage-san might even be heading in that direction. I¡¯d like for Diana to stay focused and try harder next time.¡± ¡°An excellent point, Commentator Hiba. But we really are idiots. Wa ha ha ha ha ha!¡± ¡°Yeah, we really are. Hah hah hah hah!¡± The two laughed and laughed until finally looking toward Roger and growing serious. ¡°Crap!!¡± They pulled their heads back into the hole and the manhole cover fell from the sky to loudly fill it once more. At the same time, Odor shouted out. ¡°Roger! Roger! These are a busy bunch! Do something about it!¡± Shinjou stood in the morning light. The first thing she noticed was the sky overhead. It was blue and clear, but the color of the sun reminded her of summer. ¡°Huh?¡± She then realized she had no body. Um, she thought just before realizing what had happened. She had yet to wake up after going to sleep the previous night. That meant she was seeing the past in a dream while dozing in the morning. ¡­I need to get up early today, but if Baku is doing this, what summer am I seeing? She looked up into the sky and finally noticed something odd. What resembled clouds was rising up to join the actual clouds in the sky. ¡°¡­?¡± She mentally tilted her head and looked back down. There, she saw ruins. ¡°Eh?¡± What had once been a city lay before her. The ¡°clouds¡± rising from below were pillars of smoke rising from the ruins. She quickly looked around and only learned that the ruins extended in every direction around her. She currently stood on a large road that had been burned away. It was a two-lane road and all that remained of the buildings on either side were walls rising only about two stories high. However, even those walls had been colored white and a scorched black color covered them as if something had spilled across them. All of the buildings had lost their roofs and walls and there was no glass in any of the windows. The internal structures of the buildings was scattered from the buildings to the road as if they had been spat out. An arcade had originally covered the road and a structure with a Go board pattern was still visible, but it had all crumbled and burned. ¡­It¡¯s already over. She realized this was the aftermath of an air raid. She heard a fire alarm in the distance and felt the wind. This was the cool west wind that occasionally caressed her on summer mornings. That was when she noticed there were people there. They were bent over and searching through the rubble on the road or inside the burnt buildings. Some people carried wood and sandbags in a bicycle trailer and others went around calling the names of families or informing others that survivors were being registered at the local shelter. All of them were dressed in the slightly old attire Shinjou had seen in history textbooks. ¡­This is during World War Two. She remembered seeing the Firebombing of Tokyo while out in Shinjuku back when they had been investigating 2nd-Gear. ¡°Is this after that?¡± With that question in mind, she ran down the road. On the way, she avoided and passed by a housewife pulling a bicycle trailer carrying a child and a futon. She was trying to find some way of identifying the location. The traffic lights were melted and broken and all the shop signs were burned. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Her vision suddenly opened up and a sort of plaza appeared to the left of the arcade. It was a large space surrounded by a cement wall and it contained burnt trees and a large building that sat at the center of them. It was a two-story wooden building about one hundred meters across, but even it had lost its roof and been crushed as if punched from above. She also saw scorch marks all over its surface. ¡­Is that a school? The attack must have been completely indiscriminate. As she thought that, Shinjou moved her vision toward the plaza¡¯s entrance. However, that entrance was filled with people. A closer look showed the entrance was sealed by a metal gate. The people were approaching the gate and Shinjou heard voices. The people were all insistently and repeatedly calling out different names. ¡°¡­?¡± She further approached in confusion and saw an old soldier in the center of a ring of people. He looked at a paper in his hand with glasses missing one of its lenses. And he spoke. ¡°I will be reading off the names now, so quiet down!¡± That caused Shinjou to mentally frown. ¡­Is it a list of people they¡¯re looking for? The old soldier began reading names and they were all paired with a location such as a plaza, a Buddhist temple, or a Shinto shrine. That clued Shinjou in. ¡°He¡¯s telling them where evacuated people ended up.¡± So that¡¯s it, she thought with a sigh of relief. Any name read here is someone who was evacuated in time. Each time a name was read, she saw someone give their thanks and leave the circle of people. ¡­Thank goodness. She looked to the plaza and wondered if the school had been a shelter for evacuees. A moment later, she noticed some writing. The gate into the plaza had a metal doorplate and the name there told her the building had not been a school. ¡°First Hachioji Hospital.¡± As she muttered those words in her heart, she looked up in a daze. She looked at the burned down building, looked back at the doorplate, and finally recalled a certain fact. ¡­That was where Shinjou Kaname was hospitalized! She felt as if her mind had suddenly jumped up. Before she realized it was her racing pulse, she brought her vision into the circle of people and listened to the list of names being read. However, she only heard other names, so¡­ ¡°Shinjou! What happened to Shinjou Kaname!?¡± She looked at the burned building and the paper in the old soldier¡¯s hand, but her voice could not reach him as this was nothing but a replaying of the past. ¡­All I can do is watch! She held her breath within the circle of people, but she could not stand it any longer and took a step back to leave. But at that very moment, she heard a dignified male voice from behind her. ¡°Shinjou! Is there a Shinjou Kaname on that list!?¡± ¡­Sayama-kun!? She frantically turned around toward that sharp tone of voice. She wondered if Baku¡¯s abilities had grown and the creature¡¯s owner had entered the past with her. But that was not the case. A blue truck loaded with wooden boxes that appeared to hold food was stopped in the road. It was dented in places, covered with mud, and the words ¡°Izumo Co.¡± were partially missing. A young man impeccably wearing a dirty military uniform stepped out of the truck. ¡°I apologize to the rest of you, but I am Lieutenant Sayama Kaoru. A man with special military duty was hospitalized here. If possible, I would like to know where he ended up.¡± Shinjou was left speechless. ¡­That¡¯s Sayama-kun¡¯s grandfather? The young man approached along the road and his footsteps brought sharp facial features, cheeks with slight facial hair, and a powerful expression into view. He had a glare in his eyes, but she could not tell if that was normal or due to the situation. ¡­That¡¯s different from Sayama-kun¡¯s usual expressionless look. However, the way the man moved and spoke resembled him and she came to an odd sense of understanding. She also wondered if Sayama was holding his chest even without a body if he was seeing this as well. ¡­I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t support you right now. But while she thought that, Sayama Kaoru passed by her and spoke. ¡°Do you know where Warrant Officer Shinjou Kaname is?¡± The old soldier frowned. ¡°There is an order to-¡­¡± ¡°Then I shall wait,¡± readily replied Sayama Kaoru while crossing his arms. ¡°Is it in iroha order?¡± Shinjou looked up at him feeling a bit disappointed, but she saw something unexpected there: his expression and attitude. Strength had not left his gaze and his fists were clenched despite crossing his arms. And they were clenched tightly. ¡­He¡¯s really impatient. Meanwhile, he spoke to the old soldier with no concern in his voice. ¡°Those waiting for someone at the end of the list can unload the truck. These are private reserves. And you can distribute them. I can trust you.¡± The old soldier nodded and began reading the names once more. While listening to the names, Shinjou mouthed the iroha order. The name Shinjou would be toward the end. Nevertheless, Sayama Kaoru waited. Even as he looked back to check on the other waiting people unloading the truck, he silently waited for the name to be called. And Shinjou also waited. If the name Shinjou Kaname was not called¡­ ¡­It means he died. ¡°Shinjou Kaname.¡± Suddenly, the old soldier¡¯s voice rang out and Sayama Kaoru¡¯s head sprang up. However, he levelled his gaze once more and spoke quietly. ¡°Where is he?¡± The soldier gave the name of a Buddhist temple. And¡­ ¡°All the patients in Building 3 were apparently transported by truck before the air raid last night. The truck turned back to take those in the maternity department, but it didn¡¯t arrive in time and¡­¡± The soldier trailed off as he realized he was growing sidetracked and he bowed his head. Sayama Kaoru replied by partially closing his eyes and nodding back. ¡°I do not mind. Any regrets you speak will rise into the sky with the smoke as part of their funeral. It is not my place to say so, but I do not want you to suffer by hiding so much within yourself.¡± ¡°Then I will keep those words in my heart instead. If you need a guide to the evacuation spot¡­¡± ¡°Thank you, but I know the way.¡± He then turned around, but he stopped in front of the truck. There were still boxes in the back, so he turned back around and spoke to the people. ¡°Do you not want these?¡± ¡°We have taken as much as we need. Take the rest to the people at your destination.¡± Sayama Kaoru simply nodded in response to the old soldier¡¯s words and he slowly climbed into the truck. He saluted from within the window and started up the truck. Shinjou knew his destination. ¡­He¡¯s going to where Shinjou Kaname is. At that point, her vision went dark. The past was ending. As she felt herself sinking, she saw the truck driving away. ¡­How does it turn out? ¡°Is the person at his destination my blood relative?¡± ¡­I¡¯m glad Shinjou Kaname was evacuated. She then had a thought about the dream itself. ¡­Why did Baku give me this dream? Baku always showed them the past when it had some connection to them. ¡°So is this connected to where we¡¯re going?¡± Their plan for the day was to visit the 4th-Gear reservation. Sayama was likely having the same dream and she decided to ask him about it after they woke and dressed. ¡­What was that about? And¡­ ¡­What are the others from UCAT doing? With that thought, her vision fully fell into the darkness. A dark tunnel was illuminated only by the white emergency lights installed every few dozen meters and it had water running down the center rather than a road. This was a sewer. The water visible below the lights was filthy, but it was indeed flowing. And the insufficient light showed something reflected in that water¡¯s surface. The reflection was of three people travelling along the pathway on the left side of the sewer. One was a short boy, one was a tall boy, and the last was a girl of average height. They all wore school uniforms, but the tall boy carried a giant white sword in his left hand and the girl held a long white spear in her right hand. They were running away from something and the girl in the back spoke first. ¡°C¡¯mon, you two! We need to get to Harakawa¡¯s house, so don¡¯t disappear on me and then get spotted!¡± ¡°W-wait, Chisato! We can talk this out! Any guy would understand!! Right, Hiba!?¡± ¡°H-he¡¯s right, Kazami-san! Any guy would understand! ¡­Okay, this is when you¡¯re supposed to give the punch line about not being a guy!¡± Suddenly, a white beam of light raced through the sewer. She had fired G-Sp2. Izumo and Hiba frantically ducked down while still running. The light passed over their heads and they soon heard it hit far ahead of them. ¡°Y-you idiot!¡± shouted Izumo. ¡°That kind of punch line could¡¯ve killed me! What if I¡¯d died!?¡± ¡°What¡¯s this, Kaku? Have you become such a hopeless man that you talk about reality in what-ifs?¡± Three additional shots flew their way, so the boys in the lead pressed against the wall and jumped to avoid them. ¡°Ha ha ha. These are surprisingly easy to avoid!¡± ¡°They really are, Izumo-san!¡± ¡°Maybe, but next time I¡¯ll actually aim using the sight.¡± ¡°You were firing randomly!?¡± ¡°Um,¡± began Hiba as he ran. ¡°I think Mikage-san would be sad if I died! And Sibyl-san would hold a grudge!¡± ¡°That sounds unpleasant, heartbreaking, and hard to endure¡­but I think we could find a way to put it behind us.¡± ¡°Waaah! I much prefer continuing to enjoy the moment! Is that really not an option!?¡± Another shot flew toward him, but the light was worn down and deflected just before it hit. ¡°Izumo-san!¡± Izumo had smashed G-Sp2¡¯s shot with V-Sw. ¡°Th-thank you so much, Izumo-san! As thanks, I¡¯ll give you the collection of internet bookmarks I have on my computer!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Wh-why are you thinking while you run, Izumo-san?¡± ¡°Well,¡± he began while tilting his head. ¡°I realized covering for a guy isn¡¯t all that enjoyable. Chisato, I won¡¯t block the next one, so go for it.¡± ¡°Oh, god! This couple really is wonderfully awful!¡± ¡°Just get running, you targets. This is a pretty long straightaway.¡± Kazami¡¯s voice motivated the leading boys to run even faster with perfectly serious expressions. Hiba moved ahead as he slipped through the emergency lighting with a lighter step than Izumo. ¡°Does this long sewer pass underneath the runway?¡± ¡°No. According to the military god papa, it runs underground alongside the runway. You saw directly underneath the runway last night, remember? It was that weird pit next to that container room.¡± ¡°What was that pit? Isn¡¯t it supposed to be about three kilometers long and a hundred meters wide?¡± ¡°How should I know? It¡¯s sealed at the bottom and the military god papa only said it isn¡¯t meant as space for a future expansion to the underground facilities. ¡­Well, maybe they¡¯ll build an arcade or bowling alley there.¡± ¡°Are the two of you not going to dodge anymore?¡± The voice from behind them was filled with murderous intent. But just as Hiba and Izumo lowered their speed because of that, a secondary sewer flowed into the main one on the right. Hiba, Izumo, and Kazami were running along the inspection passageway on the left, so they immediately passed by the intersection with the secondary sewer. But just as they did, light reached them from that secondary sewer. The light was narrow but bright and there were several distinct beams of it. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± They heard English and Kazami shouted out. ¡°They¡¯ve found us!¡± At the same time, they heard another voice. ¡ªLight possesses power. Those words tore into the world and the color white raced along the narrow passageway. Wings of light had spread from Kazami¡¯s back and they stretched almost to the ceiling in an instant. ¡°Now, then.¡± The flapping of those wings overcame the darkness and she flew as if throwing herself forward. The tips of the wings tore into the arched ceiling and they instantly and audibly flew down to the point that they tore into the water¡¯s surface below. That produced swift forward motion using her power of flight. It looked like she was using her wings to claw up the narrow passageway walls, but she actually moved forward with great speed. She flew and quickly overtook Izumo and Hiba. ¡°Chisato!¡± shouted Izumo as he ran. ¡°Stand out that much and they¡¯ll target you from behind!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll reach the other end and leave in no time.¡± A wall was located about fifty meters ahead and the sewer split to the left and right there. ¡°Head right there and you¡¯re out. It won¡¯t even take me thirty seconds with my wings.¡± As she spoke, shouts in English reached them from behind. ¡°Izumo-san, am I the only one hearing something bouncing off the walls?¡± ¡°No, and I¡¯ve been hearing bursting gunpowder for a while now.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. You have good ears, Izumo-san. ¡­Wait! We¡¯re being shot at!? Ah, Kazami-san is leaving us behind!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it like that. It makes me sound bad. I¡¯m just going on ahead.¡± Izumo shouted toward Kazami¡¯s voice and wings of light that were already growing distant. ¡°Hey, Chisato! What if I collapse from these invaders¡¯ bullets!?¡± ¡°Nn, sorry. I just don¡¯t think this is enough to kill you.¡± ¡°I-it¡¯ll kill me!¡± Kazami thought for a moment about Hiba¡¯s protest, but she flapped her wings again and continued forward. ¡°Nn, sorry. Give me a little more time to think about that one.¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t you love taking things slow. ¡­Ah! That one grazed my ear! My ear!¡± As Hiba complained, more English shouts and gunshots pursued them. Kazami quickly reached the wall, flapped her wings, and vanished to the right. As soon as darkness returned to the passageway, Izumo rushed his body onward and came up alongside Hiba. ¡°Hiba, this is a clich¨¦ line, so listen carefully: Go on ahead and leave the rest to your comrade! ¡­I¡¯m talking to myself, of course.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Don¡¯t be silly, Izumo-san. It¡¯s normally the big tough one that dies.¡± ¡°Do the Taka-Akita Student Council or UCAT seem at all normal to you?¡± ¡°W-well¡­¡± ¡°Listen carefully, Hiba. They¡¯re firing guns at us, but America is the land of freedom. If you handle this properly, you won¡¯t be filled with holes. Also, remember that Mikage was captured.¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re right. She was.¡± ¡°And this is the most important thing: America keeps things uncensored.¡± Izumo laughed and slapped Hiba¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯m kind of jealous, you lucky boy!!¡± As he ran, he circled ahead of Hiba and hit the shorter boy in the gut with a short uppercut. ¡°Go be a decoy for a bit.¡± It had been a while since he had been hit like that, so Hiba lost consciousness for an instant. He could not breathe at first. ¡­Kh. With that mental voice of endurance, he came back to his senses and strength returned to his body. ¡°Ah.¡± He looked forward and saw the end of the passageway about three hundred meters ahead. The wall there seemed to be blocking his way, but he saw a large shadow running left to right under the emergency lighting. It was Izumo in his school uniform. The boy did not even glance back, so Hiba gave a bitter smile. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this.¡± Behind him, he heard several sets of footsteps that filled the waterway with ripples. He turned around just as light reached him. There were eight lights and he estimated they were about fifty meters away. These were American UCAT soldiers. He wondered if Izumo was right and he could be reunited with Mikage if he handled this properly. He brought a hand to his face and thought about it. ¡­What should I do about this? As he hesitated, the footsteps that had passed the fifty-meter mark suddenly stopped. He heard no gunshots or anything else. He only heard the flowing water and his own heavy breathing. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± He heard someone shout in English and it echoed down the passageway. ¡­What did they say? His grades in English class were average, but listening comprehension did not begin until the third term for first years. When he heard the same shout again, he tilted his head. Assuming it was universally understood, he took a pose with spread arms as if letting rain wash over him. A bullet shot by overhead. ¡°¡­¡± Hiba remained silent and heard the same English word shouted again. ¡­Will they shoot me without question if I don¡¯t do as they say? As he wondered that, the same English shout came once more. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± He listened as carefully as he could and managed to comprehend what the man was saying. However, he immediately felt a chill run down his back and into his butt. After all, the word he had heard was¡­ ¡­Freeze? I can¡¯t literally freeze myself like ice, he thought. So what does it mean? ¡­Does he mean they¡¯re going to shoot me and throw my body in cold storage!? His thoughts filled with doubt and panic, but some advice saved him. It was what Izumo had told him earlier. ¡°America is the land of freedom,¡± he muttered to himself. He thought a little more and found his answer. ¡­¡°Freeze¡± doesn¡¯t make any sense, so they can¡¯t possibly mean that. America respected freedom. It was the land of freedom. In that case, he was not hearing the word ¡°freeze¡±. ¡­It¡¯s ¡°frees¡±. The plural of ¡°free¡±. The man was telling him to express freedom. Even if they did not speak the same language, if he could use gestures to express how full of freedom he was, he would demonstrate his wholehearted approval of the American way. I see. So this is the American way of freeing oneself, he thought. But how am I supposed to show freedom in a way that anyone can understand? ¡°¡­¡± Silence fell and he finally reached his answer. In the center of the lights converging on him, Hiba danced the dance of freedom. He danced and danced. He danced his heart out. It was a very strange dance. ¡°Ahh.¡± Hiba thought to himself. ¡­I never knew my body and heart could grow so bold. His audience reacted with surprised voices tinged with fear and then gunfire. Volume 8, 16: The True Contents of One’s Heart Volume 8, Chapter 16: The True Contents of One¡¯s Heart Who decided that one¡¯s true feelings are correct? Who decided that what is correct should be called one¡¯s true feelings? The color white filled a small room. The white walls, white floor, white ceiling, white bed, and white curtains made up a hospital room. The view from outside the single window was a bit high and nothing but vast fields could be seen beyond the parking lot. This was a personal room on the second floor. A middle-aged woman sat up in the bed with her back against her pillow. She wore white pajamas and her hair was graying and tied back. She currently fixed that hair with one hand. ¡°Dan? Is something the matter?¡± Her voice was directed at the room¡¯s entrance. A boy casually wearing a school uniform stood there as if protecting the door. The boy, Dan Harakawa, turned to face the woman and finally twisted his head as if turning his shoulders. ¡°No, nothing¡¯s wrong, mom.¡± ¡°Really?¡± asked the woman while reaching her left hand to the side table. A plastic storage case sat there and she opened the slide cover that contained the name ¡°Harakawa Yui¡±. ¡°Do you want one of the apples you brought by before?¡± ¡°Eat it yourself.¡± ¡°If you buy that many for me, I¡¯ll get tired of them. ¡­You really are a boy.¡± Yui narrowed her eyes and smiled while pulling out a knife, a tray, and an apple. ¡°Did something happen to you? Is that why you ignored your usual schedule and visited in the morning?¡± ¡°Nothing happened.¡± ¡°Then let me ask you this, Dan. Did something happen to someone other than you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Harakawa answered with silence, but his mother only peeled the apple without saying anything more. She peeled the juicy fruit and the sound gently filled the room. As if that was his cue, Harakawa crossed his legs, took a breath, and spoke. ¡°Can I ask something?¡± She did not reply, but he continued regardless. ¡°You worked for IAI, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes. It was that work that sent me to Yokota where I met your father. ¡­Do you have some social studies homework? Do you have to research your parents¡¯ jobs?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t had to do that since elementary school and this has nothing to do with that man. Because he had to go off and get himself killed.¡± After a short pause, he spoke again. ¡°Sorry.¡± He uncrossed his arms and scratched his head with his right hand. He brushed his fingers through his hair, returned his crossed legs to normal, and crossed his arms again instead. ¡°I just have a simple question: have you ever heard of a part of IAI called UCAT?¡± ¡°Where did you hear about that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m only asking if you¡¯ve heard of it.¡± ¡°Dan.¡± He heard a voice call his name and he froze in place. However, the sound of apple peeling continued and he answered after listening to it for a moment. ¡°Someone wants that place to protect them and my idiot classmates know about it, but I¡¯ve never heard of it even after all the deliveries I¡¯ve made to IAI with my job on the base.¡± ¡°Oh, dear. You think what you¡¯ve seen is everything, don¡¯t you?¡± Yui then asked a question. ¡°Can you not trust what those people are saying? Or are you worried that your classmates are mistaken or lying and then the person seeking help will have nowhere to go?¡± Harakawa did not respond. He merely listened to the peeling of the apple and a bitter laugh. ¡°I know you won¡¯t like to hear it, but you really are just like your father in that regard.¡± ¡°Please stop comparing me to him.¡± ¡°But if I don¡¯t do that, I can¡¯t see how you differ either.¡± ¡°Most of it has to be how we¡¯re different.¡± He closed his eyes, sighed, and took in a deep breath. ¡°He always put others first. He would always neglect us for his military job and what the hell was he doing at the very end? He was a sniper, but he went out of his way to help with that Great Kansai Earthquake and died. ¡­I won¡¯t turn out like that. I swear it.¡± ¡°Then are you going to spend your entire life supporting only yourself and me? I caught this illness while helping with that earthquake, but I do receive some compensation for it.¡± ¡°Sorry, but we don¡¯t have enough to support me or anything above the bare minimum for you. Even my attendance at school is just barely enough as I¡¯m sure you know from my teacher visiting you. How am I supposed to guarantee anything more than this? Of course, I know this isn¡¯t your fault. This is¡­¡± ¡°Then is it your father¡¯s fault?¡± Harakawa did not reply, but Yui gave a small smile. ¡°I was the one that got off topic there. Sorry. As for the UCAT you mentioned, an organization named that does exist in IAI. But it¡¯s more like a subsidiary of IAI than a part of IAI itself. So¡­¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t know about it?¡± This time, Yui did not reply and she had finished peeling the apple. ¡°See, I¡¯m still plenty skilled with my hands.¡± She picked up the single, continuous piece of apple skin to show him. ¡°Dan, open the window.¡± Harakawa began to move as if peeling himself from the door. He took long strides past the bottom of the bed and reached for the latch on the window that faced the morning sun. ¡°Dan, your bracelet is about to break. Should I make you a new one as a protective charm?¡± He looked down at the bracelet made of stones, but it did not seem anywhere near breaking to him. Nevertheless¡­ ¡°If that¡¯ll help you kill some time.¡± After giving permission, he opened the window. The wind blew in. The autumn wind was warm yet chilled the skin. The curtains blew around a little and Yui¡¯s voice reached him. ¡°You need to take care of things. Especially girls.¡± ¡°I¡¯m well aware of-¡­ Wait. What¡¯s this about girls?¡± ¡°Look down. She¡¯s been looking around impatiently for a while now.¡± He looked down at the parking lot where his motorcycle was parked. The sidecar had its cover up to prevent anyone from seeing inside, but¡­ ¡°She¡¯s been peeking out the window at the sky and field, but she clearly wants to leave. Much like a kitten. Based on how she looks, is she a foreigner from the base?¡± ¡°Some of the thoughts in her head certainly are foreign.¡± Harakawa¡¯s shoulders drooped and Yui said one more thing. ¡°Help your mother kill some time. It¡¯s been a long while since I last spoke with a girl.¡± ¡°This ocean is terrible. This ocean is a terrible place to kill some time.¡± Some dry English filled the air. The voice came from a concrete wharf with the green and black of the ocean spreading out in front of it. An elderly man in a suit stood on that wharf. It was Odor. He looked around and saw several large ships stopped along that wharf. They were all cargo ships that rose the equivalent of three stories above the wharf. However, those ships were not moving. There was light in their windows, but no one could be seen inside the windows or on their decks. The usual loading and transport of cargo was nowhere to be seen. The wharf was the same. The large forklifts loaded with cargo containers were stopped and no workers were visible among the surrounding containers needing to be transported. Something else was visible instead. ¡°Those are the mechanical dragons,¡± said Roger as he stepped out from behind a container. He quickly approached Odor who stood on the water¡¯s edge and he was looking to the blue and white mechanical dragon unit formed up behind one of the wharf¡¯s large warehouses. ¡°Colonel, the six mechanical dragons from Atsugi have arrived. The first wave of interception against Black Sun will include twelve craft. Japanese UCAT¡¯s Kanda Laboratory has agreed to use their large Accel Point creation device on the Accel Point currently surrounding this wharf once Black Sun appears.¡± ¡°And in exchange? What do they get in exchange, Roger?¡± ¡°The safety of those underneath Okutama. An easy price to pay, don¡¯t you think? And in exchange, they will expand the Accel Point from Tokyo Bay to the Chuo Expressway and from the Chofu Interchange to the Trans-Tokyo Line that connects National Route 20. Black Sun will likely add 5th-Gear Accels to that space and fly toward the Vesper Cannon, but we will catch up and destroy him before he reaches Okutama.¡± ¡°Is it perfect? Is it perfect with just them, Roger? ¡°Testament. When they arrived at their positions earlier, did anything look inadequate to you, colonel? This is their job¡­just like we have our own jobs.¡± Roger then looked out to sea. ¡°Black Sun has settled down outside of Tokyo Bay and we lost track of him.¡± ¡°Roger, Roger. Is it possible he¡¯ll show up elsewhere?¡± ¡°Testament. We cannot rule it out, but including the repaired craft, there are a total of ten at Okutama now that four more have arrived and Yokota has sent out patrol planes. Of course, it is possible Black Sun¡¯s stealth ability outdoes our technology.¡± ¡°In other words. In other words, Roger, this plan is not perfect?¡± ¡°I did not say that,¡± replied Roger without fear. ¡°We are doing our job perfectly, but our enemy is also perfect.¡± ¡°Roger, Roger. That is a vague way of talking. But I am fortunate to have you as my aide. This cooperation between Yokota and Atsugi would have been impossible for the members of American UCAT who have never left the United States.¡± ¡°I am pleased to hear that.¡± Roger bowed and Odor put his hands in his pockets. ¡°Roger, Roger. Do you have any intention of telling us about your past?¡± ¡°Has your wife told you anything?¡± ¡°Roger, Roger. You know her better than I do. To me, she is only the woman I made a mutual promise with to care for each other in our final days.¡± Roger said nothing about her and simply looked up into the sky. ¡°What were you doing during the Gulf War, colonel?¡± ¡°I was going around taking care of mysterious incidents occurring in the country.¡± ¡°I was part of an internal inspection team that inspected the condition of injured soldiers. Those who were thought to be victims of biological or chemical weapons were rushed to Yokota because Japanese UCAT had advanced their Accel method research far enough to cure them in a number of effective ways. American UCAT provided guidance,¡± explained Roger. ¡°I got to know the ones who had suggested the idea. Including a descendent of Lord Northwind, a hero of World War Two, most of them had relatives who had dealt with Japanese UCAT during the National Defense Department days. ¡­And one of them was James Thunderson after he left American UCAT.¡± ¡°I see, I see. And?¡± ¡°Testament. American UCAT¡¯s primary base in Japan is underneath Yokota and I met them during joint training at that base. Thanks to that, my connection with them continued even after the Gulf War.¡± Roger lowered his gaze toward one of the mechanical dragons and the maintenance soldiers between the wharf¡¯s large warehouses. ¡°Thunderson¡¯s mechanical dragon was a modified version of the Thunderbird which had lost the development race against that Blanca 9. He preferred the superior stability and safety of the Thunderbird over the full transformation of the Blanca series.¡± With a slight smile, he looked to the city beyond the wharf: Tokyo. A white haze covered the many buildings, but their windows reflected some light back. Odor asked a question while still facing the ocean. ¡°They¡­died, didn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Testament. And all at the same place. We answered a request for help from Japanese UCAT and travelled to that place along with your wife.¡± ¡°Roger, Roger. I hadn¡¯t met her yet back then. And I hear you were sent out to assist with the recovery after the Great Kansai Earthquake, but is that true?¡± ¡°Testament. If there is no one but us that can speak of it, then I suppose it is true,¡± said Roger. ¡°But I¡­survived. And Japanese UCAT¡¯s defenses were too strict, so I could not find out what happened to most of the families afterwards. I do know that Thunderson¡¯s wife took their daughter to the United States and visited his grandfather.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I have no intention of placing Thunderson¡¯s daughter in danger.¡± Odor nodded just before footsteps approached them. A woman in a blue armored uniform ran out from behind a warehouse. ¡°Colonel, major, we have a transmission from the base.¡± She carried a memo and her voice continued on to the ocean containing no one but them. ¡°The satellite has photographed an individual who seems to be the target. Shall we send personnel out to Akigawa Central Hospital?¡± Roger turned to Odor. While still looking out to sea, the elderly man removed his right hand from his pocket and reached into his suit pocket. He pulled out an aluminum case containing cigars. ¡°Roger, Roger. I won¡¯t get mad, so tell me: who here has the least to do and is most in the way? If your answer is the two of us, then let¡¯s get to work.¡± ¡°Are you sure I¡¯m not in the way?¡± asked Heo. She was inside a hospital room and sitting on a round stool next to the bed. She held her hands between her thighs and shrank down while asking another question to the women in the bed. ¡°Um, where is Harakawa?¡± ¡°I had him wait down below, so don¡¯t worry.¡± The one speaking was the woman who was apparently Harakawa¡¯s mother. Her name was Yui and Heo had just named herself as well. After the introductions, Heo was unsure what to do. Not only did she not know what to talk about, she did not know if the two of them had a single common topic to speak about. Yui had apparently said she wanted to speak with Heo, but she had not asked the girl anything. ¡°Would you like an apple? I peeled one for him earlier.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± ¡°Did you not have enough for breakfast? He does make meals for guys.¡± ¡°No, he made toast and salad and even gave me some milk.¡± ¡°I see. In other words, you spent the night with him, didn¡¯t you, Heo-san?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Heo noticed the leading question too late and frantically waved her hands back and forth. ¡°U-um, uh, we¡¯re not in that kind of relationship or anything.¡± ¡°But as a guy, he has to take responsibility for what he¡¯s done, doesn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°No, um, I don¡¯t mind that he saw me naked.¡± ¡°I see. So he saw you naked.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Heo blushed at that second leading statement and Yui gave a bitter laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If he had done anything, I¡¯m sure he would have said something about it first.¡± Yui pulled an apple from the storage case on the side table. Heo looked up when she heard the sound of the knife peeling it. ¡°You¡¯re really good at that.¡± ¡°Want to try it with the next one? No, how about we each peel one for each other?¡± Yui looked inside the case which contained a single apple inside a plastic bag as well as a teacup and some other things. Heo nodded and Yui began peeling the apple once more. ¡°Heo-san? It sounds like you¡¯re having a hard time.¡± ¡°Eh? Did Harakawa tell you?¡± She had thought he had not believed her, but had he really? ¡°I hear you met a monster.¡± ¡°Y-yes, that¡¯s right. And then I was separated from my great-grandfather.¡± ¡°I see. I hope you can see him again. But if you have nowhere to go, feel free to stay with that boy.¡± ¡°No, that would be too much trouble for him.¡± Heo hesitated and tensed her shoulders. ¡°I think it would be better if I found a relative before long.¡± ¡°Oh, dear. It looks like he has gotten very good at drawing in girls.¡± ¡°N-no, that isn¡¯t it.¡± ¡°I see. Then what is it?¡± Yui asked with a smile, so Heo blushed even more, shook her head, and further tensed her shoulders. ¡°A-as I said, I¡¯m just trouble for him. I really am.¡± ¡°Are you really? He doesn¡¯t seem to mind all that much. If he really did mind, he wouldn¡¯t push you away. He would leave on his own.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Her confusion cooled her face, but Yui continued talking like usual while moving her hands in the morning sunlight. ¡°If he did not like you, he would find some reason or another to leave the apartment, just like a stray dog going on a trip to avoid a turf war. But if he¡¯s staying by your side instead, he must be at ease.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He has trouble fitting in at school and he works at the base but doesn¡¯t live there. He has always chosen to live a solitary life, but now he has let a kitten into his space.¡± Heo did not entirely understand what the woman had said with a smile. However, she did grasp that Harakawa did not dislike her as much as she had thought. ¡­But why not? She had done nothing but cause trouble for him, so it seemed odd that he would not dislike her. That doubt led to a question which she expressed in words. ¡°But why does he let me be with him?¡± ¡°That I don¡¯t know. You¡¯re closer to him than me, so have you noticed anything interesting about him?¡± Having the question thrown back at her, Heo thought. ¡­Well¡­ She did not have to think for long. She came up with something in only a few seconds and it was something she had spoken with him about the night before. ¡°He has a bookshelf in his room¡¯s closet, but what is that? If this is something I shouldn¡¯t ask, then pretend I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°A bookshelf?¡± ¡°Yes. It had a lot of technical books, novels, and lots of different hard covers.¡± As she spoke, Yui suddenly bent over. She leaned forward as if she had fallen. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± Thinking the woman was in pain, Heo started to get up, but she soon realized the woman was quietly laughing. Yui must have noticed Heo¡¯s movement because she raised her shaking shoulders. ¡°Sorry, but that was just too funny. ¡­That boy can be so stubborn and it reminds me so much of that man.¡± ¡°Stubborn?¡± ¡°He actually loves books,¡± replied Yui. ¡°When we lived on the base, everything was very noisy and it was hard to make many friends, so as a child, he would often read books for us in the house. Once he started doing that, my husband began buying all sorts of books. ¡­Surprised?¡± Heo tensed her shoulders and shook her head. ¡°N-no, not really.¡± ¡°You can laugh if you want. ¡­Anyway, at one point, my husband said he was going to quit the military. It seemed he thought what he was doing there was wrong. When he did, he promised to leave the base, buy a large white house, open a bookstore or used bookstore there, and live a quiet life. But one night, he was called in under special circumstances, and¡­¡± Yui shrugged. ¡°You can use the current situation to guess what happened.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°For what?¡± Heo trembled a bit at that quiet question. ¡°That Harakawa¡¯s father, um¡­¡± ¡°Passed away? What makes you think that?¡± Heo replied on reflex. ¡°If he was alive, I think Harakawa would have said something. I¡¯m the type that likes to remember and talk about what I¡¯ve lost so I can live with it more easily, but I think he¡¯s the opposite.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Am I¡­wrong?¡± As soon as she asked that, a tray carrying apple slices was held out to her. When she took it, Yui¡¯s hand reached out to her head. The woman stroked Heo¡¯s head as if brushing her hair. Heo gave a small gasp and something spilled from her eyes. The word ¡°tears¡± did not immediately come to mind and she remembered something else instead. ¡­My mom used to do this for me, didn¡¯t she? ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh, dear. I¡¯m sorry. Did I startle you?¡± ¡°No, y-you didn¡¯t. I just remembered the past a bit is all.¡± She wiped the remaining tears from her eyes and smiled. So as not to worry the woman, she hurriedly took the last apple from the storage case. ¡°H-how about I peel this one?¡± Yui smiled and stroked her head one last time. While feeling a little disappointed that the woman was removing her hand, Heo took the knife from the tray. ¡°Heo-san? May I tell you something?¡± ¡°Y-yes. What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy to tell when you are lying, so be careful when deceiving people.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my only hint. You are on your way to the Nishitama Cemetery, correct? Then hurry up and peel that apple and feed it to this old woman.¡± ¡°I feel bad making Harakawa wait, but I¡¯m slow with my hands.¡± With that, Heo lowered her head and worked. She was fairly confident in using a knife because her mother had taught her. That was due to helping her mother make apple pies and jams while younger. One could even say cooking was her hobby. ¡­But I want to stay here a little longer. Yet when she remembered that she might be followed by a demon, she hung her head even further. She doubted she would ever receive any peace in the future either. ¡­This is just like why I cried while running at his school last night. To get her mind off that, she looked at Yui and the woman tilted her head. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Oh, um, nothing.¡± Heo shrank down with a single thought in her mind. ¡­Has Harakawa given up on his future? Volume 8, 17: Meeting of Conflict Volume 8, Chapter 17: Meeting of Conflict We meet again We clash again But that too is not new The color green lay below the blue of the sky. The green took the form of a slope and the slope was located above a great expanse of salt water. It was an island. The island was only about a kilometer long, had a small pier on the east side, and had no buildings. The outer edges were covered in grass and most of the upper area had a roof of trees. The only boat at the pier was a small fishing boat. A path leading up the mountain-like island continued west of the pier and three figures were walking below the trees on that mountain path. The one in the lead was an animal. It was a six-legged creature that was made up of green plants. A blue stone hung from a string around his neck like a collar and he quickly climbed the mountain path that had little wind. Suddenly, the plant creature stopped walking and turned around. The two open holes on what seemed to be his face turned to the two people following him. One was what appeared to be a girl in a safari coat and the other was a boy in a blue suit. The one in the suit brushed a hand through his slicked-back hair and spoke. ¡°Shinjou-kun, he looks like he¡¯s asking if you want to take a break.¡± ¡°N-no, I¡¯m fine, Sayama-kun. The shade of the forest has cooled things down.¡± Shinjou loosened her safari coat¡¯s collar, wiped sweat from her brow with a towel, and smiled. She was different from usual. Her hair was tied back as she did for Setsu, but it was tied with a ribbon and her clothes were different. ¡°Did you choose the tight miniskirt to combine Setsu-kun and Sadame-kun today?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡­Is it weird?¡± She brought her hands to her shoulders and showed him her outfit, but he shook his head. She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled again. ¡°Thanks. Things went well with Setsu last night while dressed as Sadame, so while dressing this morning, I thought it would be best not to distinguish between them so much.¡± She gave a bitter smile. ¡°When I tied the ribbon in the bathroom, I thought of it as crossdressing, but that¡¯s kind of weird when I use ribbons for Sadame¡¯s hair all the time. ¡­But I¡¯m relieved to hear you say it isn¡¯t weird.¡± Despite smiling, her eyebrows were slightly lowered the entire time. ¡°We¡¯re almost to the peak, aren¡¯t we? Let¡¯s hurry. I want to learn all sorts of things and I also want to stop by Izumo HQ to look for information on the Shinjou from the National Defense Department. And I¡¯m worried about Okutama too.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Sayama nodded toward the plant creature and the creature began walking once more. His rushing footsteps could be heard when he stepped on dried branches on the ground, but his gait was light as if he was enjoying it. The two who followed him did not stop walking through the shade of the trees even as they listened to the occasional chirping of birds. Shinjou let out a shallow breath of exhaustion. ¡°I wonder what the others are doing.¡± ¡°Izumo, Kazami, and the Hiba boy should be monitoring Harakawa¡¯s apartment.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not who I meant. I was talking about the people at school.¡± She brushed a hand through her bangs which were plastered to her forehead with sweat and she looked at the plant creature walking ahead on the path. She then looked at the trees that seemed to be growing from a sea of underbrush. ¡°They would never imagine we¡¯re in a place like this.¡± While glancing around, she looked beyond the forest. Due to their elevation, the sea seemed to spread out down below and the tiny dots of boats were visible here and there. When she looked even further, she saw land. That was the western coast of Kyushu. While occasionally checking on her footing, she continued looking at the sea. ¡°I feel a little guilty for having so much fun in the middle of so much trouble.¡± ¡°No matter what happens in life, most anything can be settled by saying, ¡®Oh, how delightful!¡¯ ¡± ¡°Hey, I see some kind of big facility on the opposite coast. Do you think it¡¯s a nuclear power plant?¡± ¡°Oh, how delightful!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think¡¯s quite the right way to look at that.¡± As the two walked, they quickened their pace to catch up with the plant creature. The path curved to the left and thus to the center of the island and the ocean visible through the trees changed. Shinjou spoke up with the chirping of birds overhead. ¡°Sayama-kun, do you think this path is ever used?¡± ¡°It seems Nagasaki UCAT maintains it and preserves the forest. The 4th-Gear reservation is up ahead, but a forest is needed as a foundation if the reservation is ever to be expanded.¡± ¡°I see,¡± she said with a nod. She then saw something dark cutting across the path and jumped over it. ¡°Is that a water pipe?¡± ¡°I assume they are drawing fresh water from underground. That way they can cover the island in the damp environment 4th-Gear prefers.¡± ¡°That means the reservation is right up ahead, doesn¡¯t it?¡± As soon as she said that, the plant creature turned toward them up ahead. ¡°¡­¡± And he suddenly vanished. Just as Shinjou gave a quiet ¡°ah¡± at that fact, she felt a vibration. The watches she and Sayama wore vibrated and text scrolled across the dial. ¡ªPlants are the rulers. An instant later, they were surrounded by even more green. They had entered the 4th-Gear reservation. A wristwatch indicated the time was two o¡¯clock. The black watch was wrapped around a thick arm that was connected to a large body that was leaning against a tree. Next to the watch¡¯s wearer was a girl also hiding with her back against the tree. She peered around from the right of the tree and saw the blue sky and slightly blurry white clouds. ¡°The gravestones block people¡¯s view more than you would think. But you¡¯re tall, Kaku, so be careful.¡± ¡°Sure, but I didn¡¯t expect them to be visiting a cemetery. Chisato, which one of them do you think wanted to have a date here?¡± Izumo peered around the tree on the opposite side from Kazami. The two of them were watching two other people walk between the orderly rows of gravestones. One was a black-haired boy in a school uniform and the other was a blonde girl in a hoodie. ¡°Kaku, is that blonde girl Heo? She looks like the girl in the photo.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good question,¡± said Izumo noncommittally. ¡°She is looking around curiously while he isn¡¯t. I know what makes people act like that because I did it myself once. She¡¯s not used to Japan.¡± ¡°Harakawa is checking that sign for the cemetery¡¯s map. It looks like they¡¯re headed to the foreigner area.¡± ¡°Does that mean the Harakawa or Thunderson family has a grave here?¡± Izumo¡¯s suggestion caused Kazami to stop moving. She narrowed her eyes and stared at Harakawa and Heo as they walked between the gravestones. She then tilted her head. ¡°They have too many flowers.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°There are two containers for flowers at the grave. One on either side. But they have two flowers each.¡± That meant¡­ ¡°They might be visiting both the Harakawa and the Thunderson graves. What do you think?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to think. It could be a coincidence and it may have some kind of meaning, but I don¡¯t know what that meaning is. Either way, this means both of them have a parent buried here.¡± ¡°Yes¡­you¡¯re right. Maybe we¡¯re overthinking this?¡± Kazami spoke aloud and nodded as if trying to convince herself. After a pause, she nodded again, but she grabbed G-Sp2 from where it was leaning against the tree. She took a step forward and away from the tree, but Izumo called out to her. ¡°Hey, Chisato.¡± ¡°They¡¯re going to move out of sight if we don¡¯t move. Stay low and follow me.¡± ¡°If you insist,¡± said Izumo as he crouched down. He grabbed V-Sw from the tree and soon made his way to her. He glanced at her for a quick moment and then back at the two backs moving away. ¡°Chisato, you might¡¯ve been onto something just now.¡± ¡°In what way?¡± ¡°My grandfather¡¯s grave is up ahead too.¡± She frowned at that and frantically looked around. ¡°W-wait a second. I need to buy some flowers for him and greet him. Um, what does your grandfather like? Porn magazines?¡± ¡°Chisato, make up your mind whether you¡¯re gonna be polite or rude. But yeah, probably porn magazines. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d love it if we opened one and propped it up against the next grave up so he could look at it. ¡­Anyway, can we get back on topic?¡± ¡°Sure. You were saying?¡± She held her spear under one arm and began counting the contents of her wallet, but Izumo continued regardless. ¡°Not only is my grandfather¡¯s grave up ahead, but so is Sayama¡¯s grandfather¡¯s, the Ooshiro family¡¯s¡­and probably the Hiba family¡¯s too.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Kazami¡¯s expression and the hand in her wallet both froze. She also stopped walking, so Izumo did as well. She glanced toward Harakawa and Heo to make sure she would not lose sight of them and then looked back at Izumo. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°It means all those perverted old men are competing together for pervert supremacy in the afterlife. It seems a section of this cemetery is used for UCAT members after they die,¡± he explained. ¡°But the old Thunderson still hasn¡¯t been placed in the Thunderson grave and what about Harakawa? If his grandfather or grandmother had been a part of the original UCAT, we would¡¯ve seen his name in the documents the military god papa gave us. In that case, it must be a parent of his that¡¯s in the Harakawa grave.¡± ¡°The Harakawa and Thunderson parents? Why would they be in a cemetery for UCAT-¡­¡± Kazami trailed off, glanced back and forth as if checking something, looked down, and finally returned her gaze at Izumo. ¡°Kaku, can I make a prediction?¡± ¡°Sure. My prediction for our future is two kids and a giant house.¡± She took G-Sp2 from under her arm and spun it around a little to take care of that, but the concern remained in her expression even as Izumo collapsed. ¡°What if it¡¯s the people who died in the secondary damages of the Great Kansai Earthquake? That could explain the graves from their parents¡¯ generation.¡± ¡°It is possible their parents were in UCAT back then.¡± Izumo got up and brushed off the dirt. ¡°But it¡¯s a pain how so many mysteries are popping up. I wish we could¡¯ve told Sayama this last night.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°He and Shinjou are going to the IAI headquarters in Izumo, remember? My dad¡¯s there and he should know just about everything. If they strangle him and have him spill the beans, it would solve everything.¡± ¡°Um, Kaku?¡± Kazami lowered the ends of her eyebrows but still smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve only spoken with your dad that one time two years ago, but I doubt he would say anything even if they strangled him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re taking his side?¡± ¡°In a roundabout way, I was complimenting you.¡± Bitterness entered her smile and she brushed some dirt off his shoulder. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s see where those two are headed. We can talk after that.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Izumo raised his hips and Kazami did the same. Harakawa and Heo had grown more distance and Izumo and Kazami stood up some because they doubted the other two would notice and because they wanted to hurry up and get closer. But they soon noticed someone else standing on the next row of gravestones. It was likely someone visiting a grave, so Kazami lowered her head a bit and pushed the back of Izumo¡¯s head so he would do the same. The other person also nodded and then their gazes met. Kazami realized there was an entire group beyond the row of graves. Most of them wore blue armored uniforms beneath their suits and they had machineguns hidden inside their bouquets of flowers. In the lead was an elderly man in a suit and¡­ ¡°Roger Sully!!¡± shouted Kazami. After a moment, Roger looked up in surprise. ¡°Why are you here!? Are you here to do perverted things in the graveyard!?¡± ¡°Who are you calling perverted!? And I see that look on your face, Kaku, but stay quiet!¡± She ignored how Izumo timidly stuck his right thumb in his mouth and she quickly held up G-Sp2. Meanwhile, Roger and the others took a large step back and similarly prepared for battle. The wind blew in and the sunlight passed through the clouds while the elderly man raised his right arm and spoke to Roger. ¡°Roger, Roger. Who are these two? I remember seeing one of them this morning!¡± ¡°Testament. Colonel Odor, they are a dangerous pair. After all¡­¡± He took in a breath. ¡°When I gave them a dream yesterday, both of them independently began a one-man kissing and groping scene!¡± ¡°Y-you don¡¯t have to get into so much detail! And Kaku, this is not the time to ask me if it¡¯s true!¡± ¡°Roger, Roger. These are students yet they were making out? Japan truly is a depraved country!¡± Kazami fired while making sure not to hit any of the gravestones. Volume 8, Afterword Volume 8, Afterword Hello. It¡¯s been a while, but this is Kawakami. The air felt so very thick this summer and it made 4-A very thick as well. ¡­I¡¯m sorry. I got carried away. This book is so thick simply because I naively thought I could finish all this in a single book. Now, this story is about plants and dragons, but I am raising(?) a single plant in my home. It started out quite small, but as I gave it water, it grew to over a meter tall and had to say the following: ¡°D-damn you. Quit trying to assert your presence in this small house.¡± And so I am now restricting its growth with manmade rainy seasons and dry seasons. Even when you remove the buds, the stem keeps growing. And it started spreading outwards rather than continuing up, so it¡¯s a clever little thing. Now for the usual chat. ¡°Did you read it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just going to say it now. Do the afterwords of this series really help the readers in any way? I¡¯ve been wondering that.¡± ¡°You like getting to the heart of the issue instead of talking about the book, don¡¯t you? To bluntly comment about your personality, I doubt you can get married like this. Anyway, did you read it?¡± ¡°You just want me to talk about something painful when I was a student, right?¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re really getting to the heart of the issue. What a dreadful child!¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen in the chats with the others, there¡¯s not much that requires actually reading the book.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to say that, T-kun! It¡¯s just that the others are all a sad kind of person!!¡± ¡°Look in the mirror and you¡¯ll find another. Anyway, I¡¯ll ignore all that and just say it. On the way home from high school one day, I smelled some really good curry while passing by an apartment building near the school. I lost track of where I was and started jumping up and down to reach the smell, but a high school girl happened to walk out from a corner and I ran away as fast as I could.¡± ¡°Okay, 4-B is next. It comes out next month.¡± ¡°Wait, wait! Are you really leaving it at that!?¡± You¡¯re a sad kind of person too. Congrats. Anyway, my BGM this time was Halo from the video game Halo. (I like the part with a march tempo and I chose it for this book because it¡¯s from an American game.) ¡°Who was hiding their true self?¡± I also thought on that. Okay, just wait for the second half. October 2004. A typhoon-filled morning. -Kawakami Minoru Volume 9, 18: Place of Continuation Volume 9, Chapter 18: Place of Continuation The movement continues In order to continue moving As if to trouble them Heo looked across a cluster of rectangular stones. She found Japanese gravestones strange. ¡­In the US, they¡¯re a slate to engrave the person¡¯s name on or a symbol like a cross. These only had the family name engraved in them and they were rectangular blocks with no religious symbolism. She tilted her head while trying to figure out what meaning their shape had. She looked around and saw quite a few of the gravestones. Beyond them were mountains, the sky, the sun peeking through the clouds, and the wind. It looked like there was no one else there. ¡°Ah.¡± But for an instant the gravestones in the afternoon light looked almost like statues. She then realized that, even if the gravestones were not shaped like people, there truly were people sleeping below them. ¡­Is their vague shape supposed to help you imagine that? She looked forward while thinking and found Harakawa had moved on ahead with a bucket in hand. She jogged to catch up while doing her best not to shake the flowers in her hands. ¡°Harakawa, is your family¡¯s grave here too?¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s technically not my family¡¯s grave. But what matters now is finding your family¡¯s one.¡± ¡°Right.¡± She looked around and quickly spotted a certain conspicuous grave. ¡°Harakawa, what¡¯s with this bronze statue of a smiling man with his arms spread toward the heavens?¡± ¡°Oh, that. I don¡¯t know the details, but it¡¯s a famous gravestone here. All I know is that it says ¡®Ooshiro¡¯ at the bottom and there¡¯s a slot for ten yen coins on the back of the head. From what I¡¯ve heard, it plays Swan Lake or Tokyo Ondo when you put in a coin.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She nodded and noticed something odd about the large gravestone next to that one. ¡°U-um, there¡¯s a dirty magazine across from that one.¡± ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know the details on that one either, but apparently that¡¯s the grave for the family of IAI¡¯s president. The employees and executives supposedly bring offerings every so often. I wonder if that moron of a student council president will end up like that.¡± ¡°That moron of a student council president?¡± ¡°Remember when those four morons showed up yesterday and I had to throw you in the closet? He¡¯s one of them. Do you know what a student council president is, Heo Thunderson?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡­It must be hard going to that school.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for sure,¡± sighed Harakawa. He faced forward again and began walking, but he did not forget to check the gravestones on either side as he did. Heo let out a warm breath while watching his back. She checked the wristwatch her great-grandfather had given her and its analog display was past 2:00 PM. ¡­If great-grandfather is here, I¡¯ll have to say goodbye to Harakawa. He had to know that as well, but he was searching for her father¡¯s resting place instead of worrying about it. While she watched him walk on ahead, she suddenly spoke. ¡°Um.¡± He stopped, turned around, and tilted his head. ¡°What is it, Heo Thunderson?¡± She felt relieved that he called her name, but she realized she had not thought of anything to actually say. She had simply spoken up in order to receive some kind of response, so she frantically continued. ¡°U-um, well, Harakawa.¡± She knew she had to say something, but something else happened just as she was about to come up with the words. Something flew up from between the rows of gravestones to the left. The form she saw brought words to her mind and they spilled from her mouth as a voice. ¡°Th-there¡¯s a weird angel over there!¡± ¡°What?¡± As Harakawa looked forward again, Heo saw it. A girl with white wings of light on her back had flown up from between the rows of gravestones. She did not know what was happening, but the winged girl flew by overhead and flipped around in the air. Heo turned around just in time to see her forcefully land on top of the Izumo family gravestone. A sound of impact came from her right heel as it kicked against the top of the gravestone. ¡°Oh, whoops.¡± She spoke in surprise as the base of the gravestone was partially ripped from the ground. The large gray rectangle tilted as if raising a leg and it looked about to fall over. But someone supported it from below: a well-built boy who ran out from the rows of gravestones. ¡°The student council president!?¡± Heo looked more closely at the boy when she heard Harakawa shout from behind her. The large boy wore a school uniform and he supported the falling gravestone by using his left hand to swing the giant white sword against its stone side. ¡°All right! Nicely done! That was badass, V-Sw!¡± The excess force smashed it to pieces. With a deafening clear sound, the gravestone burst into a spray of stone fragments like it had been made of sand. ¡°Ah.¡± The boy froze in surprise, looked down at his hands, and then back at the smashed gravestone. ¡°O-oh, crap! Now, I¡¯ve-¡­ Oh, wait. This was my family¡¯s stone, so no harm do-¡­ Oh, hey. A porn ma-¡­ Are you okay, Chisato!?¡± He went through four stages of processing his thoughts. His final words had been directed at the winged girl who had lost her balance in midair. The destruction of the gravestone she had landed on caused her feet to slip and she was about to fall onto her butt. She let out a cry of surprise and frantically flailed her arms through the air. The tip of the spear in her right hand circled around and cleanly decapitated the nearby bronze statue. Heo saw the smiling head flying through the cloudy blue sky. It flew in an arc and she did indeed see the coin slot on the back when it reached the zenith of that arc. She then reached a conclusion, so she turned back toward Harakawa and swung her fists along with the flowers they held. ¡°H-Harakawa! I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on!¡± ¡°That means you¡¯re normal, Heo Thunderson.¡± The name he spoke brought a sound behind them. The wings of light gave several powerful flaps to stabilize the girl and then the girl spoke. ¡°So she is Thunderson!?¡± Heo sensed surprise and desire for confirmation in the girl¡¯s voice, but then the sound of roasted beans popping came from the row of gravestones to the left. And the same sound repeated endlessly. It was the student council president who reacted first. ¡°They¡¯re seriously shooting!?¡± Heo understood what that sound was, but the thought was refusing to enter her mind. However, the next thing she heard was a great many footsteps and voices from the row of gravestones that was to her right now that she had turned around. ¡°Eliminate them! Eliminate them!!¡± ¡°Testament!!¡± As she turned around, she saw men in blue outfits racing toward them. They all held black metallic objects in their hands. ¡­What are those? The answer would not come to her, but a shouted voice brought her to her senses. ¡°Harakawa! Take that girl and run away!! They¡¯re after her!¡± It came from the winged girl. She immediately understood who ¡°that girl¡± was, but¡­ ¡­What does she mean they¡¯re ¡°after¡± me!? She was reminded of the other night. She and her great-grandfather had been pursued by something. Something that only her great-grandfather knew the identity of. I can¡¯t be, she thought just as she realized someone¡¯s arm had wrapped around her left elbow and stomach. It was Harakawa. As he pulled her toward him, his head turned toward the boy and girl. ¡°This is all completely ridiculous, but I can trust the two of you, right!?¡± ¡°You idiot! Harakawa, someone who¡¯s honest about their perversion isn¡¯t gonna lie!¡± ¡°Um, Kaku? He said ¡®the two of you¡¯.¡± The student council president smiled toward the winged girl next to him, turned back toward Harakawa, and cleared his throat. ¡°A-anyway, we¡¯ll explain the details later, but I¡¯ll tell you one thing now.¡± He looked to the men in blue running toward them from the right. ¡°They seem to be fighting for freedom and justice, but they¡¯re going to force those things on that girl! If you don¡¯t want that, then hurry away from here! And to help you do that¡­¡± He took in a breath and held up his sword. A metallic sound filled the air as it opened up and transformed. ¡°I¡¯ll show you a little of what I¡¯m made of!!¡± At the same time, the white wings flew toward battle with spear in hand. The battlefield spread out in an instant. Kazami moved about among the gravestones. Harakawa and Heo were escaping to the west while she and Izumo stopped American UCAT from pursuing them. The enemy was numerous and they were divided between several of the long east to west rows of gravestones. Kazami fought along those long, narrow paths. Despite the gravestones dividers, she could switch between paths by flipping to the side with a flap of one wing. If they fired on her, she would escape to the neighboring path and fly down that one if she found defenseless enemies there. Because they were lined up, she could sweep a path clean with a single blast of her weapon. She repeatedly ran, tore into them, blew them away, and either evaded or leaped. She was prioritizing Harakawa and Heo¡¯s escape over avoiding the enemy attacks. That meant she was accepting some level of injury as long as she could push the enemy back. And while repeatedly firing, she thought to herself. ¡­Why do we have to do this between allies!? A bullet ricocheted off G-Sp2¡¯s cowling and grazed her cheek. If she had not been holding G-Sp2 so close, it would have directly hit her above the nose. However, that had happened several times already. The most painful one was the shot through the side of her summer uniform¡¯s cardigan. Knit materials had to be thrown out if they got a hole and she felt a warm, tickling sensation underneath it. She was bleeding and it was enough to begin accumulating at the bottom of her shirt that was tucked into her skirt. The defensive philosopher¡¯s stone Tsukuyomi had given her was emitting light nonstop and she would likely have been more badly injured without it. A man in a blue armored uniform charged out from behind a gravestone to the left, so she knocked him away by rotating up the tip of the spear from down and to the left. The sound of impact filled the air and she endured the recoil with the leg braced on the ground. The spear uppercut sent the man three meters into the air. But another armored uniform was already in front of her. This new man was aiming a machinegun at her and her focused gaze saw the muzzle closing in on her in slow motion. ¡°Oh, what a pain!!¡± She used all her strength to swing back down the raised spear tip. It caught on the enemy soldier it had sent into the air and slammed him down onto the machinegun man before her. They collided and it sounded more like shattering glass than a normal collision. After using the recoil of the blow to leap backwards, she let out a breath, shook the sweat from her brow, and flapped her wings forward. ¡­Where did Izumo get off to? I think he went after Roger, but he isn¡¯t making out in a dream again, is he? He¡¯ll be fine, she told herself as she landed. She looked around and saw a man in a suit calmly step out from behind a gravestone on the right. This was the man known as Colonel Odor. When visiting those evacuated underground the day before, she had heard all about him. He was the one who had fought the mechanical dragon on top of that airplane two nights before, he was the one to attack Japanese UCAT the day before, he went by the name Odor, and he was America¡¯s inspector. ¡­This is the guy who uses some kind of gravity technique. She sensed how dangerous he was from the atmosphere around him and ignored the pain in her side. Odor faced the girl before him while breathing heavily among the rows of stone. ¡°Are you¡­are you keeping me from going any further?¡± ¡°Looks like you understand the situation.¡± She replied in English. I see, he thought. So the language of our homeland is understood even in this uncivilized land. Who was the evangelist that taught her? Long live the homeland. The girl raised her spear and he saw a red stain on the right side of her clothes. At a glance, he identified it as blood. The more time they spent facing each other like this, the greater her disadvantage due to blood loss. The loss of blood would lower her strength and the blood trailing down her skin would bring fear and loss of concentration. That meant his enemy would be destroyed if he merely waited. Nevertheless, he moved forward. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to wait it out like a coward? ¡°And give¡­ And give my opponent an excuse? You could say you had lost too much blood to move, that it destroyed your concentration, or that it filled you with fear. And you could blame it all on me for waiting.¡± He exposed his teeth in a smile. ¡°I will not¡­ I will not give you such excuses. I will show you mercy without giving you a single excuse. I will have you give up by crushing you beyond question and rendering you unable to fight or even dead. ¡­That is the kind of mercy I will show you.¡± ¡°Are America¡¯s freedom and justice created with violence and fear?¡± ¡°Yes, yes they are. At least in my opinion, freedom and justice are no exceptions to the conservation of energy. If the people are to consume freedom and justice someone must earn it through the use of violence and fear.¡± ¡°Then how will you fill the world with justice and freedom?¡± ¡°That is simple,¡± replied Odor. ¡°That is a simple matter. Before the people have fully consumed the accumulated freedom and justice, we will destroy the suppliers who are also the bearers of violence and fear. That way, the violence and fear will vanish and the people will protect and honor the remaining freedom and justice rather than consuming it!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The girl sank down as she spoke. ¡°An idiot I know would probably have this to say about that: If you wish to fill the world with justice and freedom, tell the people to come defeat me.¡± She was eight meters away. She had wings and was too close for someone wielding a spear that doubled as a cannon. He thought about why she would choose that distance. ¡°A surefire attack. You are making a surefire attack from close range, aren¡¯t you?¡± Odor raised his right hand toward the area above her head and snapped his fingers. At the same time, wind exploded from her back. ¡°¡­!¡± She flapped her wings, kicked off the ground with her left foot, and stayed low as she charged forward. However, Odor¡¯s power arrived in time. A metallic sound reverberated through the air and the power attempted to drop down from above her head. The metallic sound struck. ¡°!¡± But Odor saw that his power had not hit the girl. It had struck the ground in front of her and he saw the reason why. Beyond the scattering sand, she had put a stop to her intense acceleration. ¡°Feints are easy to fall for, aren¡¯t they?¡± Her extreme acceleration had been stopped by a change in her stance. With both her hands just above her chest, she held the spear to the left and right like the horizontal bar in gymnastics. The white spear extending horizontally from her hands had hit the sides of the gravestones on either side of her. ¡°The stones. Did you stop yourself with the stones?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not just stones. They¡¯re gravestones. And they belong to people I can at least say wouldn¡¯t take your side.¡± The gravestones may have stopped her forward momentum, but they could not fully stop her inertia. With what sounded like a breath, the gravestones lifted up from their bases and slowly tilted. ¡°Oops.¡± The girl rotated the spear around and pulled the tilted gravestones back from the other direction. As soon as they landed back in place, she moved toward Odor as if collapsing forward. The wings on her back were already raised in preparation to flap, so Odor reflexively snapped his right fingers. ¡°Break! Break and scatter in the wind!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not gonna cut it!¡± While running, she turned the tip of her spear toward the ground directly below herself. She flew into the sky using her wings and the recoil of the blast that tore into the ground. She jumped overhead with the same force as her forward run at almost the same moment that Odor¡¯s metallic noise struck the ground. She flipped around in midair and used her wings to flip upside-down while five meters above him. ¡°Let me tell you something. I saw you fight that black mechanical dragon, and the automaton you hit with a dragon cannon yesterday used her shared memory to tell us all how your technique works.¡± Without moving, she held the spear tip down and toward him. ¡°When the mechanical dragon tried to circle above you the other night, you hit the airplane to shift its position. And when you had the dragon cannon fire on #8 yesterday, you tore into the blast by hitting the spatial ¡®head¡¯, didn¡¯t you? For some reason, your attacks can only chop at your opponent¡¯s head. To put it another way, you can only hit your opponent from directly above.¡± The girl took aim toward his head, but¡­ ¡°I won¡¯t fire. That way I won¡¯t give you any excuses. You could say you didn¡¯t defeat me because I was out of reach, that you can¡¯t be expected to defeat someone who can fly or against someone with a Concept Core, or that this was just a bad matchup. ¡­Instead of those excuses, you¡¯ll just have to accept that you lost to a girl and a doll.¡± She descended. Her wings trembled and provided a powerful burst of energy as she charged downward. Odor saw the spear tip before his eyes. As announced, it was closed and formed a blade rather than a cannon. He raised his eyebrows, bared his teeth, and let out a laugh. ¡°Yes, yes. This is how you make things interesting!!¡± In a split-second decision, he raised his right hand to shoulder height. ¡°!¡± He snapped his fingers, but he did not strike the girl or the ground. ¡°The air. My odor can also tear into the air!¡± The air to his right was crushed by the metallic-sounding strike. It was instantly compressed and slammed into the ground. The surrounding air flowed into the newly-created area of vacuum. ¡°¡­!¡± He avoided the overhead attack by giving himself into that wind. Due to her wings, the girl was also swept by that wind. However¡­ ¡°Now you can¡¯t use your right arm.¡± The girl forcefully stabbed her spear into the ground and stood up. When he heard her, Odor looked at his right arm. The rough wind washed across the right arm of his suit which was split open from cuff to elbow. The shirt below was similarly split and the bandage below that was ripped open. Blood flowed down from between the arm and the bandage and he shook the arm to get rid of the blood. He removed the bandage and released it to dance in the wind. What was revealed below that thin cloth changed the girl¡¯s expression. Her eyes opened wide, but she frowned. ¡°Those scars.¡± His entire arm was covered in countless overlapping scars and swellings. It looked like someone had taken a chisel to his arm at random and the newly-made skin had grown to unparalleled thickness. Odor looked down on the girl while blood flowed from the bulges and indentations of the scars. ¡°Interesting? Do you find this interesting? I was given these in childhood. There was oppression, pressure, and pain. There was also the sense of being unnecessary and being erased. Everyone referred to me as Odor rather than by my name. I was something no one wanted around. Something to be avoided. Something that should crawl along the ground. And the feelings that gave me are what led that same type of power to choose me.¡± He took a breath and revealed a blue philosopher¡¯s stone anklet attached near his elbow. ¡°This is an odor. This is the odor of hostility. My odor carries hatred, disgust, and malice to reveal any hostility and crush it from above with my own hostility given physical form. It forces them down and prostrates them before me.¡± He then pulled his left hand from his pocket and spoke to the girl who had a look of disbelief. ¡°This is¡­ This is my off hand, so I can¡¯t hold back.¡± He raised his left arm and the girl readied her spear. With the sound of steel, the spear expanded. But the action pressed the spear¡¯s shaft against her side and a line of red trailed down her right leg. Still, she continued facing him. With sweat on her pale face, she raised her eyebrows and smiled. ¡°If we¡¯re going to do this seriously, we don¡¯t need that insurance against excuses.¡± ¡°Excellent. What an excellent spirit. On the same level as my wife.¡± She gave a quick laugh at that and immediately raised her wings. But¡­ ¡°¡­!?¡± She stopped and so did Odor. They ignored the fact that they were facing each other at lethally close range and they looked to the west. That was the direction Heo Thunderson and that boy had escaped earlier, but a shimmering as if of heat was now visible in the sky there. ¡°¡­!?¡± Heo ran. She did not know where she was going, why she was running, or what to do. She was in a strange land, caught in a battle between strangers, and someone said she was being targeted for some strange reason. Why!? she thought. Wasn¡¯t the only thing after me the demon that killed my mother? She did not understand anything. The only thing she was certain of was that absolutely everything around her was uncertain. Her panic and everything else made her feel dizzy. She did belatedly realize that she had relied on that demon a surprising amount. The fact that it was targeting her was supposed to be the one thing she knew for sure. ¡­So why are these people after me too? She ran and breathed, but inhaling was all she could manage. So much tension filled her heart that she could not release any kind of strength. She could only let out small, withering breaths and her body grew heavy. Realizing that only tensed her heart further. This isn¡¯t right, she told herself. I can normally run just fine. But that thought only invited more panic. And just as she found herself unable to breathe, she heard more sounds of popping beans. She finally realized what they were. ¡­Gunshots. When that word appeared in her mind, her body shrank down even further. She was trying to run, but her unmoving legs tangled together and she began to fall forward. ¡°!?¡± Someone suddenly wrapped an arm around from the left side of her back to her right side. Her lungs moved in shock more than as an attempt to breathe and she released a breath that sounded like a quick shriek. ¡°H-Harakawa!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t slow down, Heo Thunderson. Get your feet on the ground.¡± Only then did she realize he truly was lifting her in his arm. Her toes were barely scraping the ground, so she frantically placed the bottoms of her feet back down. She felt unsteady for a moment, but she supported herself with his arm as she gathered her strength. As she stood up, a breath leaked out and panicked sweat poured from her skin. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Harakawa.¡± He did not respond. He merely removed his arm from her. ¡°¡­¡± And he pushed on her back. Ahead of her, the cemetery¡¯s main path sloped down to the west. Finally, she heard his voice. ¡°Run, Heo Thunderson.¡± Hearing him speak while catching his breath, Heo took the first step forward. But her feet slowed and the thought that was stopping her entered her mind. ¡­If I run here¡­ Wouldn¡¯t the person she left behind disappear? That thought made her turn around, but the thought did not prove accurate. Harakawa¡¯s back was right before her eyes. His stood directly behind her in his school uniform. She felt relieved by his presence. But in that instant, his back suddenly collapsed toward her. And beyond him, she saw the color blue. It was one of the armored uniforms of the many people pursuing them. One of those people had run up and swung his rifle upwards. Heo saw strength leave Harakawa¡¯s knees, but¡­ ¡°!¡± He forcibly swung his body around and slammed into the side of the man swinging the gun. ¡°¡­!¡± The counterattack knocked the man to the right where he rolled along the ground. Harakawa stood up on unsteady legs. ¡°¡­¡± And he turned toward Heo. Their eyes met and his gaze forced hers back with almost audible strength. ¡°Hey.¡± He bared his teeth and closed his eyes. ¡°I said run!!¡± That shout was the most he could manage. His knees gave out and his hips dropped as if from exhaustion. That was when Heo realized she could move again. And her first action was to open her mouth and use all the air in her lungs to carry out the contents of her heart that did not even amount to words. It was a shout of rejection. ¡°¡­!!¡± The girl¡¯s crying voice rose into the sky. A narrow west wind that almost seemed to be crying slowly blew down from the sky. Inside that wind, Izumo simply kneaded empty air. His large white sword was fallen next to him and he was asleep on his feet with a look of happiness on his face. Roger faced him five meters away while frowning through his glasses. ¡°You certainly fell for that easily.¡± They kneaded or stood on a cemetery path lit by the afternoon sun. An afternoon wind from the west blew into the mountain peak cemetery and Roger stood upwind. That was perfect for his use of sand. ¡°You did not learn much of anything from last time.¡± Roger relaxed his stance and raised his arms. Both of his sleeves contained small cylindrical cases. They were both empty and sand blew west to east along the cemetery path. He looked ahead to the boy still kneading empty air. ¡°I must apologize, but I had already scattered the sand before you arrived. You likely fell asleep right when you were about to begin the fight.¡± He gave a bitter smile. ¡°But I suppose you cannot hear me.¡± ¡­The dream sand¡¯s effects last at least thirty minutes. It was completely harmless, so it made a better means of stopping someone than a weapon that could actually do real harm. Satisfied with his handiwork, Roger pushed up his glasses and looked at Izumo. The boy was speaking in his sleep. ¡°C-c¡¯mon, Chisato. We can¡¯t do that here. Not officially anyway. This place is too blatant. We need to find somewhere that looks like we¡¯re trying to hide but doesn¡¯t actually hide us! ¡­Hey, stop! Not that I¡¯m complaining!¡± Roger ignored his aggressively contradictory words, turned his back, and pushed his glasses up his nose. ¡°While that is a problem, it is not a problem to the objective at hand. The situation here is complete.¡± He then shifted his thoughts to pursuing Heo Thunderson. He was also interested in the boy who was with her. ¡­Is he from Japanese UCAT? It was possible he was a civilian, so the men had been ordered not to fire. But in the case he was more than that, it would be best not to leave this to the normal soldiers. He took a step forward. ¡°I must-¡­¡± He stopped before he could say ¡°hurry¡±. This was because he had noticed something reach his right shoulder. It was a boy¡¯s hand. ¡°¡­¡± Roger turned his head toward the owner of that hand. ¡°Izumo Kaku.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if guys know my name.¡± Izumo tapped his own shoulder with the back of his giant white sword and the sword¡¯s console displayed a comment. ¡°Your shoulders are stiff.¡± ¡°Well, this kind of battle is pretty boring.¡± He yawned and Roger asked him a question. ¡°How did you leave the dream sand¡¯s sleep so quickly?¡± The effects of the philosopher¡¯s stone sand extended beyond the sand itself. Merely touching the space they were flying about would put one to sleep. The battle should have been over when they had faced each other and Roger had scattered the final sand in the wind. ¡­So why!? ¡°It¡¯s simple. I have a certain special ability. ¡­Whether standing or doing whatever else, I can instantly fall asleep with my eyes open.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t mean¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. When I took my fighting stance and you thought I was about to attack, I¡¯d already put myself to sleep.¡± That brought a certain thought to Roger¡¯s mind. ¡­Ahh, so he is an idiot. But to confirm that he was, Roger asked a question. ¡°So that was all an act when you were groping the air earlier!?¡± ¡°That was obviously the quick dream I gave myself. Ha ha ha. ¡°Oh, I see. So you are always like that. Ha¡­ha ha ha ha.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha!! Take that.¡± That last comment was accompanied by an uppercut with the hilt of the sword. The blow to his right side knocked Roger¡¯s breath from him, but he managed to keep his knees from collapsing. ¡°¡­¡± He forcibly braced his legs and tried to move away from Izumo, but then he noticed something. A gust of wind had arrived from the western sky. Harakawa felt wind surround him. In his fading consciousness, he heard Heo¡¯s cry and felt her clinging to him. ¡­You idiot. I told you to run. However, he could not speak his thoughts aloud. He could only move his arm around to the strength clinging to his back. ¡­If you don¡¯t run, I¡¯ll¡­ He turned to view her with his blurry vision, but he saw something strange behind her. ¡­The wind? It was the same as what surrounded him, but this wind took form. Something pushed the air out of the way to make its invisible presence known. ¡°A dragon?¡± It was easily several dozen meters long, but it did not knock over any of the surrounding gravestones. He assumed it was a ridiculous hallucination, but then it opened its windy maw toward him. He saw the blowing wind of its invisible fangs and could tell it was charging toward him. He shut his eyes. ¡­Oh, is this the demon Heo mentioned? In an almost subconscious action, he held Heo in his arms. And then his consciousness truly vanished. Odor faced the wave of wind that pushed forward. The girl standing before him faced to the west, the direction the wind had arrived from. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± The wave of air shot out like an explosion. The surging sound shook the ground and made the surrounding stones rattle. The wind raced across the area in an instant, descended to the base of the mountain, rustled through the trees, and blew away the flowers decorating the stones. The scattering flower petals were plentiful enough to resemble snow and a single form came into view in the sky beyond them. In the eastern sky, a white line of water vapor rose toward the heavens. This was not a contrail from a jet engine. It was a line of cooling produced by pure speed. It extended through the eastern sky and vanished. ¡°¡­!¡± Odor lowered his left arm. He no longer viewed the girl before him as an obstacle, so he quickly walked westward where everyone else had gone. He did not hide his wounded right hand or stop the bleeding and he ignored the sound of the girl turning toward him and raising her spear. ¡°Roger! Roger! Was that Black Sun!? Hurry up and capture it!!¡± As his shouting voice travelled into the western sky, more wind blew in from that direction. Meanwhile, three figures walked through a gentle wind in a forest too thick to see the sky. The figure parting the tall underbrush in the lead was a six-legged creature made of plants. The two people following him were Sayama in his suit and Shinjou in her safari coat. As they walked, Shinjou looked up at the ceiling of trees and the slight bit of light seeping through. ¡°So this is the 4th-Gear reservation.¡± ¡°It feels more like an area of dense vegetation than a forest.¡± She nodded in agreement and parted that vegetation as she walked. Their destination was filled with humid air, thick underbrush, and trees. However, the pathless path eventually ended. While they followed the guiding plant creature and pushed through the vegetation, Shinjou gave a short voice of surprise. ¡°Ah.¡± She quickly stepped up next to Sayama. ¡°There¡¯s a lake up ahead, Sayama-kun.¡± He looked forward where the forest opened up into a field of shorter undergrowth. A lake of about one hundred meters across lay at the center of the field. And the lake had a giant form in the center. ¡°Is that Tree Serpent Mukiti?¡± asked Sayama as he peered out from the forest. A giant form of about thirty meters thick grew from the center of the lake and lay collapsed to the east. It was a giant collapsed tree that¡¯s top half had been cut away. With the sunny clearing and lake behind him, the plant creature turned back toward the two humans. He swayed happily and spoke. ¡°Promise.¡± And¡­ ¡°Mukiti is waiting.¡± Volume 9, 19: An Invisible Known Volume 9, Chapter 19: An Invisible Known There is no question There is no answer There is simply what is natural A grassy clearing about three hundred meters across was surrounded by forest. A lake at the center filled about half the clearing and a large tree with the top cut off lay horizontally in the lake. The tree was over thirty meters thick. The large trunk grew from the center of lake and bent ninety degrees to lie horizontally to the east. The top surface that was cut like a stump was mossy and hard as a rock. Two people were inside the shadow of that giant stump. They were Sayama and Shinjou. The plant creature acting as their guide stood between them as they sat on the east side of the lake. The ground was not made of dirt. The surface had a muscular structure made from intertwined plant fibers. It had been buried beneath tall underbrush in the forest, but at the core of the reservation, they could now tell that absolutely everything was made of plants. A few points on the ground were making breathing sounds and Sayama commented on them. ¡°It seems this plant earth is exhaling oxygen.¡± Shinjou tilted her head where she sat to his left. ¡°The ground here is alive?¡± ¡°Indeed it is. Rather than simply producing oxygen from carbon dioxide via photosynthesis, their metabolism functions by absorbing any and all heart, cleaning it, and returning it. I do not know how much conservation of energy applies here or if it applies at all, but they mostly seem to feed by absorbing any heat that is causing some kind of burden, cleaning it, and returning it. This is a powerful sort of metabolism.¡± The ground around them shook lightly. A plant creature had stood up from the ground to their right. The area of two tatami mats laid end to end had stood up. The creature was made from the fibrous mass that was the ground and it was about a meter tall. However, its form quickly hanged. The fibers covering its green body came apart to form fur. That plant fur trembled and its body swelled up. ¡°Is it increasing its ability to radiate heat?¡± As if to prove Sayama right, the large green creature blew air from its entire body. The air smelled clean rather than of grass. Once it was done, the plant creature flattened itself down and sank back into the ground. Shinjou smiled when she saw its head as the creature lay down. ¡°The way its narrowing its eyes makes it look happy. I wonder if it really is.¡± ¡°This earth must be like a giant circulatory system for them. By gathering together and moving about, they produce exhaustion, consume that exhaustion, and expel a portion of it as waste like we just saw. That system must be hard to maintain with a small group, but with a group this large, their weight alone is enough to produce a fair bit of strain and they gain enough food to last them an eternity without doing a thing. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± He directed that last question toward the ground between himself and Shinjou. The plant creature that had brought them here was half embedded in the ground and swaying back and forth. It looked up at him to reply. ¡°Feels good.¡± ¡°What does? The atmosphere? The mood?¡± ¡°I think he is referring to this environment, Shinjou-kun.¡± Sayama looked around and saw a new plant creature slowly rising behind Shinjou so it could absorb her exhaustion. ¡°Their bodies are mostly made of water, so a warm and humid area like this helps them gather heat and thus ¡®feels good¡¯. The room below UCAT had artificially created this environment, but this is natural. It must feel like arriving at a hot spring.¡± ¡°Do they see us as letting all our food leak out of us?¡± she asked with a quiet nod. She bowed toward the creature behind her and leaned against it. She then looked at the giant stump in front of them. She looked up, across, and down before opening her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s so big. But,¡± she added while still looking at the stump. ¡°Mukiti isn¡¯t moving even though we¡¯ve waited a while.¡± ¡°True. But Shinjou-kun.¡± Sayama asked her a question. ¡°Do you think this giant stump is Mukiti?¡± The question made her tilt her head and wrap her arms around her knees. ¡°Is it not? He¡¯s called a tree serpent, so isn¡¯t he the biggest tree?¡± ¡°Then let me ask something.¡± He turned to the plant creature instead. ¡°Are we being tested right now?¡± ¡°Mukiti is waiting.¡± Shinjou tilted her head further and frowned. ¡°Hm? W-wait, Sayama-kun. What do you mean by tested? And what does he mean by waiting?¡± She pointed her index finger toward the giant stump in front of her. ¡°Isn¡¯t Mukiti that tree?¡± ¡°Sorry, Shinjou-kun,¡± said Sayama. ¡°But probably not. It is true that giant stump is the most conspicuous object here.¡± He asked a question to the plant creature behind her back. ¡°Is that Mukiti?¡± ¡°Not Mukiti. But Mukiti will speak.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± said Shinjou when she heard that. She quickly looked up at the tree and turned around again. ¡°I-it isn¡¯t!?¡± ¡°It would seem not.¡± She was left speechless and Sayama nodded as if it had been obvious. ¡°Listen. That 4th-Gear resident told us Mukiti was waiting and this is the spot he brought us to. In that case, Mukiti must be here waiting for us.¡± ¡°B-but if he isn¡¯t this tree, where is he?¡± ¡°There is only one answer: Mukiti is not here, and yet he is here. We have simply not noticed him even though he is right in front of us. However, he considers his presence here to be so natural that the possibility that we have not noticed has not occurred to him.¡± ¡°Mukiti is waiting,¡± repeated the creature. ¡°Yes, he is waiting. And as he waits, he must be wondering why we are ignoring him when he is right in front of us. And,¡± he continued. ¡°When I asked this 4th-Gear fellow about that tree, he said Mukiti would speak. In other words¡­¡± Sayama asked a question of the guide creature. ¡°Does Mukiti reside in that tree to speak through it?¡± ¡°Mukiti will speak. But Mukiti not here. But Mukiti is here.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama nodded. ¡°It seems Mukiti chooses to use this tree, but it is not Mukiti himself.¡± ¡°How can you speak with them when we seem so out of sync?¡± She glared at him and he tilted his head as if to say not understanding was more confusing. ¡°When they speak, they do not include what they believe to be completely natural. This is no different than reading an instruction manual that has all the technical terms blotted out. You use the verbs and adjectives to speculate what technical terms were there and then you take guesses at filling in the gaps.¡± ¡°It sounds like some kind of quiz. But based on what they said, it does sound like this tree isn¡¯t Mukiti.¡± Shinjou glanced at the tree. ¡°But¡­¡± She pointed at one part of the tree. The fallen portion was not broken or twisted; it formed a perfect curve. ¡°Bends in trees are usually more twisted than that, aren¡¯t they? I wonder if it moved like a dragon in 4th-Gear. That would match my vision of Tree Serpent Mukiti.¡± She held her knees between her arms and frowned while turning to Sayama. ¡°But if that tree isn¡¯t Mukiti, what is?¡± He gave an expressionless nod toward her puzzled look. ¡°The people of the other Gears likely had the same question during the Concept War. After all, 4th¡¯s healing power would have been attractive. If 4th went with my grandfather instead of any other Gear¡­¡± ¡°It means the negotiators of the other Gears couldn¡¯t find Mukiti?¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± agreed Sayama. ¡°Let us give this more thought, Shinjou-kun. They are used to waiting. And this is an answer even my grandfather found with no hint. That means even a monkey can figure this one out. ¡­You try answering it in my stead.¡± ¡°Eh!? W-wait! Why me!? How am I supposed to know!?¡± She cried out in protest, but Sayama had already stretched out next to the plant creature and folded his arms behind his head. He almost looked asleep. ¡°If you cannot find the answer, just speak up. I will give my own theory. But the answer is simple enough to find if you look at the whole of the situation, Shinjou-kun. The answer is already before you. Try to think of it as getting to know 4th-Gear a little better.¡± ¡°B-but why do I have to get to know them better?¡± Her question was tinged with resignation, but he actually answered. ¡°Because of the promise.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± she replied. However, he did not elaborate. He simply looked up into the sky, narrowed his eyes, and said something else. ¡°To be honest, I think the Leviathan Road with 4th-Gear will be more or less complete once we meet Mukiti.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. If the purpose of the Leviathan Road is to clear away any malice left over from the Concept War, it has been half completed by bringing you here to complete the promise my grandfather could not keep. The other half is to meet with Mukiti and have him confirm the promise has been completed. But,¡± he continued. ¡°Meeting Mukiti is the difficult part. This is the opposite of the normal pattern. Both sides have already given their demands, but we are having difficulty meeting their negotiator.¡± ¡°Yes, that is the exact opposite of normal,¡± said Shinjou with a frown. ¡°But can I really replace the Shinjou they asked for?¡± ¡°That is for Mukiti to decide. At the very least, the 4th-Gear residents have accepted you as ¡®Shinjou¡¯.¡± And¡­ ¡°This is a test, Shinjou-kun. Mukiti is seeing if we are the same as the ¡®Sayama¡¯ he once spoke with. And most likely, the same goes for ¡®Shinjou¡¯. He is seeing if the ¡®Shinjou¡¯ that ¡®Sayama¡¯ promised to bring to meet him is really worth meeting. This is a test to gain 4th-Gear¡¯s trust.¡± Sayama re-crossed his legs and sharpened his gaze as he looked at the fallen stump in the lake. ¡°Shinjou-kun, find the identity of Mukiti who wishes to trust in you.¡± He then looked up into the sky and closed his eyes. Below the clear sky was a city. In that city was an arcade over a shopping district. It was a broad arcade. The tiled path beneath was a pedestrian paradise and it led to the bus roundabout in front of the train station. The sign on the arched entrance to the arcade said Hachioji Station Shopping District. The trees lining the arcade still had green leaves, but some of the wooden table sets down below had brown autumn decorations. A pair of girls walked through the people there to enjoy themselves. One wore a beige dress and a stole and the other wore a brown jacket and white slacks. Shopping bags hung from their elbows and their arms were wrapped around some bottles and smaller paper bags. ¡°You bought an awful lot for just walking around and eating, Tatsumi,¡± said the girl in the jacket. ¡°True. Two sticks of grilled chicken, a stick of chicken meatballs, and two sticks of salted gizzards. And a One Cup.¡± ¡°You are going to gain weight.¡± ¡°Unlike you, Mikoku, I naturally don¡¯t gain any weight.¡± ¡°I think we need to have a talk, so keep some time free.¡± ¡°Sure, sure. More importantly, what is that you bought?¡± ¡°A caf¨¦ vienna and a hotdog. The latter has spicy chili sauce.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to gain weight.¡± ¡°I ran plenty the night before last, so I can afford this.¡± Mikoku adjusted her grip on the shopping bags as she spoke. ¡°What do you think, Tatsumi?¡± ¡°I¡­still think you¡¯re going to gain weight. Just running isn¡¯t enough.¡± ¡°That is not what I-¡­ Well, that might be true, but I was referring to¡­¡± ¡°Team Leviathan has begun negotiations with 4th-Gear and will likely begin with 5th-Gear as well. The Army is interested in a short-term battle, so we do not need 4th-Gear¡¯s healing power and we don¡¯t need 5th-Gear¡¯s technology when we already have Alex. ¡­But you were asking what we would do next, weren¡¯t you? If you¡¯re that interested, why not ask Lord Hajji?¡± Tatsumi adjusted the position of the shopping bags¡¯ loops on her elbows and smiled. With that narrow-eyed smile, she took a sip from her cup and walked further and further through the arcade as if pulling Mikoku forward. ¡­What a difficult person to deal with. Mikoku also adjusted the bags on her elbows and followed. Shino was usually with her, but this time was different. Mikoku realized what it was like to follow someone taller than yourself and she imagined this was how Shino felt while following her. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you thinking about Shino? Or are you curious where we¡¯re headed? In the latter case, it¡¯s entirely up to how I feel.¡± ¡°Are you just walking around randomly?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s based on how I feel. I might end up shopping partway through and I might continue walking the entire time.¡± They left that pedestrian paradise on the southwest side and reached the intersection with National Route 16. Tatsumi looked into the distance along the arcade covering the walking path. ¡°This area used to look really exciting, but most everything has moved to Tachikawa now.¡± ¡°Yes. Tachikawa remodeling the area around the station into a multi-story pedestrian zone had a lot to do with it. Of course, this area is closer for us and it¡¯s enough for the shopping we need.¡± ¡°Is that your comparative analysis of the two cities? You like comparing things, don¡¯t you? Or do you prefer Hachioji because it¡¯s recovered this much after being burned away by the fires of war? Tachikawa, on the other hand, was the city closest to the American troops after the war.¡± Tatsumi smiled and her shoulders shook a little. She set me up for that, thought Mikoku as she frowned and lined up next to Tatsumi. She noticed the other girl had finished her two sticks of grilled chicken and Mikoku took a bite of her hotdog before asking a question. ¡°Tatsumi, what do you think about what happened to me the night before last?¡± ¡°As Thunderson said, you were right to escape. The giant presence there was probably from 5th-Gear, but you wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything.¡± ¡°Was I any use at all?¡± ¡°When Shino was driven back by a cicada, she didn¡¯t ask that. Also, Lord Hajji said you did well, remember? And he isn¡¯t the type to say that just because you are family.¡± ¡°You make it sound like you understand everything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m satisfied with what I know. Unlike you who has to be sure of everything and yet decides things for herself without checking. You can¡¯t know how this gizzard tastes from where you stand, can you?¡± ¡°Then let me have some.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ve already calculated out how much I¡¯m going to eat.¡± ¡°Calculated out? You mean the calories?¡± Tatsumi gave her a serious look and shook her head. ¡°No? I calculated out how much of my One Cup to drink after each stick I eat. I already said I don¡¯t need to worry about calculating out the calories, remember?¡± I am definitely going to have a talk with her at some point, swore Mikoku in her heart. After Mikoku had consumed over half of her hotdog, Tatsumi took a sip of her drink and spoke. ¡°Anyway, you need to head out into battle more so you can see for yourself if what you are doing is right. You know we¡¯re planning to attack UCAT before long, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, I have heard. ¡­We will most likely attack toward the end of the year once the Army¡¯s equipment is in order and our training is complete. Our goal will be¡­¡± She took a breath before continuing. ¡°Taking the Concept Cores UCAT has gathered.¡± ¡°Yes. That will be the final battle between the Army and UCAT. It will come as a complete surprise for them, though.¡± Tatsumi¡¯s voice contained hint of a smile and that smiling voice did not end there. ¡°You don¡¯t want Shino to take part in that battle, do you? That way you can hand everything over to her afterwards.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But she wants to help you. And that is exactly why you are so concerned about your performance the other night. You are worried that your inexperience will lead Lord Hajji to send out the two of you as a single team. Yet at the same time, you are treating her as too inexperienced to be a part of the plan.¡± ¡°You are truly an unpleasant woman.¡± ¡°Coming from another woman, that is a compliment. ¡­At any rate, just remember that Shino is thinking about you too. Make sure you get along in the end, okay? That is why I¡¯m teasing you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of what makes you so unpleasant,¡± said Mikoku. Tatsumi smiled bitterly and ate the final meatball while holding the skewer horizontally. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. Even if we steal the weapon UCAT was given by 5th, it would be difficult to use given how many people the Army has available. Not to mention that Alex was made using 5th-Gear tech. ¡­You understand what that means, don¡¯t you? We stole Typhon because we had no other way to obtain the technology, but mechanical dragon technology is different.¡± ¡°That is thanks to your mother¡¯s research on 5th-Gear mechanical dragon wreckage, right?¡± ¡°Yes, and with the help of a certain person, she completed it. By having the pilot combine with it rather than riding in it, its reflexes reach the level of 5th-Gear¡¯s mechanical dragons.¡± Tatsumi began to add something more, but¡­ ¡°¡­¡± She stopped and closed her mouth, so Mikoku thought on the words she had swallowed. ¡­So the technology her mother left behind means we don¡¯t need to learn from 5th-Gear¡¯s hidden weapon. Mikoku took a sip of her caf¨¦ vienna. ¡°In other words, the Army already has enough military might. It all comes down to training now.¡± ¡°Mikoku, how can you say that with cream under your nose?¡± She frantically wiped it off with her finger and stuck it in her mouth. She tasted the sweetness and heard Tatsumi laugh. ¡°You really are a child, Mikoku. Are you having misgivings about fighting? Has something like fear belatedly shown up? Listen. Lord Hajji does not intend to settle this entirely peacefully with all the Gears.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It is UCAT¡¯s way of thinking that has messed everything up. Low-Gear claims to be gathering all the Gears to prevent the destruction of the world, but they secretly want to clear away the past and erase what they have done. However, they have not realized that, if their false show of good is allowed, then the opposite can also work.¡± ¡°In other words, crushing Low-Gear will also gather all the Gears together and that will also avoid the destruction of the world?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Tatsumi while looking to the side. A shop selling women¡¯s suits was there and she pointed at a blue suit in the window¡¯s show lounge, but Mikoku waved a hand side to side in refusal. It was too expensive. The two of them then walked on. ¡°What the Army needs is a narrow but deep military force that can destroy Team Leviathan and UCAT just once and wake all of them up. We are not UCAT, so we do not need a broad and shallow military force that will advocate peace and govern all of the Gears.¡± ¡°But will the other Gears really accept it if we destroy UCAT?¡± ¡°That is why you¡¯re worried about Shino, isn¡¯t it? Once the Concept Cores are stolen from UCAT, you intend to fully disarm the Army and leave everything to Shino and her concept of mutual understanding. ¡­And you likely intend to leave her once that happens. How very cool of you.¡± She snickered along with that last line and the smile remained as she continued. ¡°Well , either way, I think all the other Gears will end up obeying the Army once they hear the reason behind our justice.¡± ¡°The reason behind our justice, hm?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Tatsumi nodded. ¡°No matter how hard Low-Gear tries, there is nothing they can do about that.¡± Tatsumi finished eating one skewer of gizzard. ¡°You will be sent on another mission soon. As will I.¡± ¡°Yes, a mission that you can barely call a mission: monitoring the Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°Their negotiator is probably negotiating with 4th-Gear right about now. That can¡¯t be easy.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be easy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Tatsumi. ¡°Lord Hajji once told me about it. During the Concept War, 9th-Gear and the other Gears were unable to gain the cooperation of Tree Serpent Mukiti, Concept Core of 4th-Gear. No matter how many times they visited, Mukiti would speak but not show his form. And when they tried to forcibly extract the Concept Core¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°He never showed up again and the readings were too weak to tell where he was.¡± ¡°He vanished? No, he went into hiding? Then what is Mukiti?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. That is something only Sayama Kaoru knows as he was the one to bring 4th-Gear to Low-Gear. But¡­I have a feeling his descendent and that descendant¡¯s companions will know before long.¡± She gave a bitter smile. ¡°And if they do find the answer, it will make things all the more fun when we steal the Cores.¡± Tatsumi audibly gulped down the rest of her drink and gave a satisfied sigh. ¡°Oh, dear. I got so worked up that I drank the rest of it. Do you want the leftover stick of gizzard?¡± A giant tree lay collapsed in a lake surrounded by other trees. Shinjou stood before that giant tree. ¡°Where is Mukiti?¡± She muttered that question to herself and looked around the area. ¡°¡­¡± She saw the many trees of the forest, the ceiling of branches and leaves supported by that forest, and the waves of underbrush beneath. Before her was a lake with plants at the bottom, a giant tree, and the sky. ¡­But where is Mukiti in all this? She looked into the forest, but there was no sign of anyone there. She began to think. For the moment, she decided to think of Mukiti as an invisible being. She sat on the ground to help herself calm down and she looked at the large tree. The top was pointed toward her and the end was rough as if it had broken off, but the break itself looked fresh. It was dirty and mossy from the rain and wind, but it had none of the corroded holes common in large trees. She could see the many tree rings crammed in along that surface. ¡­In other words¡­ ¡°Does that mean Mukiti doesn¡¯t even go inside it?¡± If it had a hole inside, Mukiti could have entered the tree to move here, but she could guess at its internal density based on what she could see. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t be able to go inside. Mukiti is outside. ¡­But then where is he?¡± Her question received no answer. She wondered if he was holed up deep belowground in the core of this ocean of plants, but that did not meet the requirement of him also being here. Mukiti had to be anywhere and yet nowhere. And unless she found him, they could not speak with him. Earlier, Sayama had speculated that the other Gears had been unable to negotiate with 4th-Gear. That might be true, she told herself. Anyone who saw that giant tree move would assume it was Mukiti and it seemed he had chosen to use the tree when interacting with others. In that case, he would have looked like a literal tree serpent. ¡­But what if he isn¡¯t? Her eyebrows gathered together as she held her knees and rested her chin on them. Something was then placed on her back. She turned toward the faint scratching ticklishness and found a plant creature had lifted itself up. It had risen sideways and was leaning up against her. It¡¯s a lot like a dog, she thought with a bitter laugh. She found comfort in that and switched over her train of thought. ¡°Sayama-kun, your grandfather found the answer without any hints, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°No, think about it more carefully, Shinjou-kun. It scares me to think of that old ape finding the answer without a hint. Thinking back, I wonder if someone else from the National Defense Department gave him an idea that acted as a hint. Or maybe there was a cheat sheet in 4th-Gear that told him the identity of Mukiti! That¡¯s it! There just had to be!!¡± Shinjou ignored the boy¡¯s thoughtless refusal to lose, but she did think there must have been a hint. 4th-Gear would have had this same sea of plants and the plant creatures. It would also have had the giant tree that spoke for Mukiti, but that was just a deception. Why had Sayama¡¯s grandfather not fallen for that deception? ¡°¡­¡± Shinjou removed her backpack. It contained the case for the lunch she had eaten on the way, a towel, and a folded umbrella. It also held her precious binder and the copied documents Kashima had given them. She pulled out those documents and opened them. There was still a lot she could not read, but she could read the National Defense Department investigation report on 4th-Gear. She skimmed through it and found a certain passage. ¡­On March 15, 1938, they took in a moving plant found in the mountains of Kyushu. ¡°Shinjou Kaname reported that the plant¡¯s movements grew more active as it approached the ley line modification facility. He proved a low level of communication was possible.¡± Shinjou looked quickly through the reports on the other Gears. After the destruction of some of the ley line modification facilities, the National Defense Department had discovered the existence of foreign beings. That had been on August 4, 1937 when Hiba Ryuutetsu and Siegfried had fought. ¡­Once they realized beings from another world existed, a lost individual of these beasts arrived. ¡°They first entered 4th-Gear on January 10, 1943.¡± They had lacked the technology to open a gate, so Sayama¡¯s grandfather and the others had been unable to do anything more than speak with the plant creature for over five years. ¡­But that means they continued speaking with the creature without ever seeing the giant tree. If someone with gate technology visited 4th-Gear, they would hear Mukiti¡¯s words through the tree. But what if someone lacked that ability? ¡°So that¡¯s it. He had been speaking with the creature for so long without the preconception of the tree.¡± She closed the documents and turned to the plant creature supporting her back. ¡°Excuse me.¡± She asked a question while wondering what it had been like back then. ¡°What happens when you are separated from Mukiti?¡± ¡°Mukiti is here. Mukiti not here.¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± She trailed off and smiled bitterly. ¡­Just like Sayama-kun, I¡¯m imagining what the creature is trying to say. But she continued speaking with that bitter smile filling her voice. ¡°You mean Mukiti is still with you even when you leave him?¡± ¡°Mukiti is here. Mukiti not here.¡± The answer was the same. That meant it did not change. They were always both with and not with Mukiti. What did that mean? She thought and a sudden memory came to her. And that memory led her to the answer. While he lay with his eyes closed, Sayama heard Shinjou speak. ¡°Sayama-kun, do you have a moment?¡± He shot to his feet, loosened his tie, and spread his arms. ¡°Indeed I do!! ¡­Why are you glaring at me and scooting away, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just wondering if I could word my questions a little better.¡± Her expression then changed. Her eyebrows grew flat and she gave him a peaceful look. ¡°Sayama-kun, you said it is impossible to communicate with plants, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You mean that business about attaching electrodes? I did say that. What about it?¡± ¡°Um, about that. ¡­Why electrodes?¡± ¡°Living things produce a faint amount of electricity. That fact was likely used to give the theory a sense of credibility.¡± Shinjou let out a breath when she heard that. Her shoulders lowered in relief and she looked back at him. ¡°But,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s a human way of thinking about it, right? These creatures have no brains and their level of life seems comparable to ours.¡± She stood up and the plant creature stretched its body toward her as if to pursue. However¡­ ¡°Sorry. You can do that later.¡± She removed her shoes and then her socks. ¡­And next the safari coat and skirt. Sayama waited with arms spread, but Shinjou walked to the lake and turned back with a forced smile. ¡°Ha ha. Sayama-kun? Were you expecting something that was clearly not going to happen?¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. I see being a tease is your specialty, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, Sayama-kun. Being completely crazy is your specialty.¡± She returned to a serious expression and turned away. Is she being shy? wondered Sayama. But that is wonderful too. He looked to the spot she had left. The plant creature seemed interested in her shoes and socks because it was rolling them around and wrapping its front arms around them. Could it be? thought Sayama just before slowly picking up her shoes and socks and pressing them to his face ¡°Sniff sniff sniff!!¡± ¡°Wh-what in the world are you doing, Sayama-kun!?¡± ¡°It seems every hint of exhaustion was absorbed. They are odorless.¡± He saw the creature expel some oxygen, so he quickly crouched down and inhaled. ¡°This is the oxygen produced from your right foot¡¯s middle toe!¡± ¡°No, it isn¡¯t!! Well, maybe it is, but it doesn¡¯t matter!¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. A man with a discerning nose can tell, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. But, y¡¯know what? I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t turn into a dog. ¡­Are you even listening?¡± That question was followed by a splashing sound. He turned around while holding the plant creature that had expelled her oxygen and found her with her feet in the lake. The water was shallow and she spun around with the water only reaching her ankles. The bottom of her safari coat flew up and her hair swayed about. She lightly kicked the water with right foot and smiled. ¡°I think plants might have their own way of communicating.¡± ¡°Are you saying they have a unique form of communication that provides a connection to Mukiti no matter where they are?¡± ¡°Yes. But that still leaves a question: why can 4th-Gear¡¯s residents speak with people like us who aren¡¯t plants?¡± She lowered her leg and bent back to look up at the giant tree behind her. ¡°I think Mukiti is inside this tree right now.¡± ¡°But there is clearly no gap for him to enter.¡± ¡°There is. It¡¯s just so incredibly small that we can¡¯t see it. And this provides the link that allows us to communicate with 4th-Gear¡¯s residents.¡± She spread her arms as if to embrace the tree while keeping her back to it. ¡°It¡¯s water.¡± Shinjou lowered her gaze with her arms still spread. She looked down at the lake¡¯s surface where she was reflected in the water. ¡°It is everywhere in 4th-Gear and yet nowhere. It is in all of 4th-Gear¡¯s residents and yet in none of them. And it has no set form but becomes a serpent when residing in that tree. In other words¡­¡± She turned around with a smile and found Sayama sniffing at the air expelled by the plant creature he held. ¡°Are you even trying to listen?¡± ¡°My apologizes, Shinjou-kun. ¡­But look to your right.¡± She did so and saw water. Water spiraled up to her height. It looked like a double helix serpent, but there must have been water flow within the pillar because it produced spray that almost looked like horns or scales. ¡°A dragon.¡± The water serpent lowered its head at her words as if nodding. It then raised its head and did not stop there. ¡°!¡± It burst into a great spray of water. But despite her surprise, Shinjou continued observing what occurred before her. The scattering spray did not touch her. It formed a spiral in the air and flew through the sky like a mist. And¡­ ¡°The tree.¡± As the mist vanished, the large tree behind her began to move. It produced many deep groaning sounds and formed waves in the lake. It rose. The rising tree pushed up the air and the forest cried out. The shadow of the giant tree extended and Shinjou heard a pulsation. That was the pulse produced by the tree coming to life. With each pulse, the old water that had soaked inside the tree was expelled from the stump-like top that had already become the head. She heard a sound much like a steam whistle, but no one responded to it. The plant creatures did not rise up and the trees of the forest did not make any more noise than necessary. ¡­Mukiti is here, yet not here. Mukiti was likely merged with all of the moisture in 4th-Gear. He existed everywhere so he could manage and control the entire Gear. ¡­Is he like a swarm of liquid nanomachines? A warm breeze circled the clearing and the large tree pulled itself fully upright. She heard a voice. It was Mukiti¡¯s voice. It was a distinct voice that could be taken as masculine or feminine. ¡°Hello, everyone.¡± She found herself unable to immediately react to the sudden greeting. After a moment, the voice spoke again. ¡°Let us try that again.¡± ¡°H-hello!!¡± She frantically shouted back a greeting, and the tree shook a bit as if nodding. ¡°I am Mukiti.¡± Another pause. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Volume 9, 20: Sky of Reunion Volume 9, Chapter 20: Sky of Reunion Can we meet again? Is it more likely to happen if I wish for it? The afternoon sun covered an area of land. That land was surrounded by a fence except for the east side which was the back of a large house. It was a backyard. As it was situated to the west, the sun reached it best during the afternoon. The land contained trees, large garden stones, and a small pond. Also, a small shrine was located next to the pond. But this shrine did not have a torii or a hanging lantern. It was as tall as a human and simply existed as proof of something. The years had worn down its dark surface and its small tile roof was stained with moss. A woman in a blue kimono currently stood in front of that shrine. She was sweeping up the early fallen leaves with a bamboo broom and looking at the shrine through her glasses. She then heard a voice from the bath window on the house behind her. ¡°Sister, have you put out the offering?¡± ¡°Yes, I did that at midday, Kouji. If you have something else to give, I¡¯ll take it.¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to eat something filled with preservatives?¡± ¡°A-are you trying to kill your sister!?¡± An arm with rolled up sleeves and a hose stuck out the window and sprayed water around. ¡°Wah! Stop it, Kouji. I¡¯ll tell the young master that you were trying to spray your liquid all over me!¡± ¡°Please stop saying such dangerous things so naturally.¡± Kouji poked his head out the window with a towel around his forehead and a deck brush over his shoulder. ¡°And I¡¯m sure you¡¯re thinking of gathering those leaves to cook potatoes over a bonfire for the first time this year, but please stop. The leaves that fall this early are too wet too burn. They¡¯ll just make a lot of smoke and get the firefighters called in.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Just leave it to your sister. I have an evidence-destroying torch from one of our clients and the potatoes are good ones from Kyushu.¡± Water shot out and struck the gathered pile of leaves. ¡°Ahh! Kouji!? I¡¯ll get mad if you keep destroying my dreams!¡± She did not hesitate to pull out a cigarette-sized torch, light it, and throw it into the bath window. She heard her brother cry out from the bath and saw a blue flash of light. ¡°Honestly. I was only trying to be with the young master and Setsu-chan in spirit while they¡¯re in Kyushu.¡± ¡°The young master would not set his own house on fire! Oh, no. It scorched the painting of Mount Fuji on the wall and made a really ominous image.¡± ¡°Now it¡¯s an image post-eruption and what¡¯s wrong with that? ¡­Also, Kouji.¡± ¡°What?¡± replied her brother along with the sound of him scrubbing the wall. She ignored the sound and looked back at the shrine. As the sun was about ready to begin setting, she peered into the small structure. ¡°When the young master went to live in the dorms, our father and Honorable Sayama told us where this shrine came from, but will we tell the young master once he graduates?¡± ¡°Honorable Sayama said he regretted never telling Asagi-san, but I do wonder if it¡¯s right for us to do it in his stead.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it is. It¡¯s better than having the young master know nothing like with Asagi-san.¡± After a pause, Kouji spoke again. ¡°Um, sister. ¡­Why do you think Honorable Sayama didn¡¯t tell Asagi-san about his past?¡± ¡°Oh? You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°I see, I see. If you ask me to tell you and give me a Japanese-style, super-sweet dessert that¡¯s still below 150 Calories with dinner tonight, I might consider telling you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this? Have you gotten fat as a pig again? Were you the culprit who threw the scale into the pond?¡± ¡°I-I have not gotten fat! I don¡¯t get fat!¡± ¡°Enough excuses. Just tell me.¡± ¡°Well, if you insist. ¡­It¡¯s simple. Honorable Sayama didn¡¯t want Asagi-san to be like him and Asagi-san was intent on the same thing.¡± Ryouko wrapped her right arm around the broom and looked up in the pale sky as she spoke. ¡°I still remember when Asagi-san and Yume-san were called in to work that night. Honorable Sayama stopped them out front and told them something, but¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you were eavesdropping on them.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t hear what he said,¡± she complained while pouting her lips. She then lowered her gaze to the ground. ¡°A big car came to get the two of them and I¡¯m not sure if Honorable Sayama¡¯s final words reached them. I put the young master to sleep and waited at the front door, so I did hear what he said just as the car pulled away. He said he would tell them everything once they returned.¡± Kouji asked a question while scrubbing the wall. ¡°Did the young master hear that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But only Yume-san returned and then she passed away. A lot happened between me and the young master and he was truly left alone once Honorable Sayama passed away, but now¡­¡± She lowered her head and let out a bitter laugh of resignation. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll search it out on his own even if we don¡¯t tell him. So while I¡¯d like to tell him what I know about this shrine and about Asagi-san¡­it probably isn¡¯t necessary.¡± She looked back up and saw the road and other residences past the fence. However, there was one odd fact about the row of houses: there was a single empty lot among them. Despite the houses being crammed in so closely, there was still an empty lot along that main road. It was blocked off from the road by barbed wire and stakes, the three sides that bordered houses had concrete block walls, and it was filled with tall grass. Ryouko frowned at that empty lot. ¡°I¡¯m sure he will eventually learn that what he needs to know is what Asagi-san and Yume-san kept hidden and did not tell us.¡± While she put on a show of looking to the west, she heard Kouji¡¯s voice from the bath. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m sure he and Setsu-kun will do what they need to do. But are you listening?¡± ¡°What is it, Kouji? I¡¯ve got a really good pose going on here. Don¡¯t interrupt me.¡± ¡°Sure, sure.¡± He stuck a hand out the window with the palm up. ¡°Pay for the repairs. These scorch marks aren¡¯t coming off.¡± She smiled and threw another torch through the window. Shinjou and Sayama sat on the edge of the lake with their shoes off. In the forest, they were speaking with Mukiti who had entered the giant tree. They began by discussing the current situation and Mukiti had begun turning the conversation toward Sayama¡¯s grandfather. To Shinjou¡¯s right, Sayama had his pants rolled up and his feet in the water. A plant creature supported him from behind like a chair back and a creature under the water supported his feet. ¡°I never would have dreamed of receiving a foot massage in a place like this, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Sayama-kun, how can you relax like that?¡± She gently held his left hand because Mukiti was talking about his grandfather, but it seemed the 4th-Gear creatures¡¯ healing ability was reducing the pain his chest. Once the conversation reached a break, the sweat had left his forehead. Thank goodness, she thought as the air moved and the tree asked a question. ¡°How far did I get?¡± ¡°You said Sayama-kun¡¯s grandfather visited and gave you lots of information on Low-Gear.¡± ¡°Oh, yes,¡± said Mukiti. ¡°So in terms of the Sayama here, that was the previous previous Sayama.¡± ¡°Yes. ¡­And, um?¡± She looked at Sayama and saw him closing his eyes and enjoying the foot massage now that the chest pains had receded. His lips twisted up into a fearless smile. ¡°Heh heh heh. Shinjou-kun, this is very nice. How about we bring one to the bath next time?¡± It did not seem he was going to be of any help, so she looked back at the tree. ¡°Um, Sayama-kun asked earlier, but what is the promise? And why was Shinjou Kaname involved in the promise to go with his grandfather?¡± ¡°Are you curious?¡± ¡°I am.¡± ¡°So am I. I am curious what kind of person he was.¡± Mukiti gently bent his body as he spoke. ¡°According to the previous previous Sayama, he was Tenkyou¡¯s companion.¡± ¡°Yes. He was his assistant.¡± ¡°He said Tenkyou created some kind of gathering.¡± ¡°Yes. That would be the National Defense Department.¡± ¡°He said Tenkyou was researching something.¡± She just about said that was the Concept War, but she hesitated. ¡­Huh? Sayama¡¯s grandfather had visited 4th-Gear in 1943. By that time, the National Defense Department had already created gates and Kinugasa Tenkyou should have learned the truth of the Concept War from Rhea and Xolotl 3. Am I misunderstanding something here? she wondered. ¡°What was Professor Tenkyou researching?¡± As expected, she received a response. ¡°Something to end concepts.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Before she had finished uttering that tone of confusion, she noticed Sayama move next to her. He folded his hands on top of his stomach. ¡°And what was that?¡± he asked. ¡°I do not know.¡± The answer was frank and the residents of this Gear did not lie. Shinjou heard Sayama sigh, but he went on to ask another question. ¡°Did my grandfather tell you anything else about Professor Tenkyou?¡± ¡°He lived in a place like this called ¡®the mountains¡¯ and that place was near the gathering. That is all.¡± Sayama suddenly sat up and stared directly at the tree rather than at Shinjou. ¡°Do you mean Professor Tenkyou lived in the mountains near the National Defense Department and he was developing a weapon that would ¡®end concepts¡¯?¡± ¡°That is all I was told about anything related to Shinjou.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama relaxed and had returned to his usual expressionless look by the time he turned to Shinjou and nodded. ¡°So the promise itself is the only other related piece of information?¡± ¡°Yes. The promise.¡± Mukiti gently shook his body. A thick, slow wind blew by and the trees shook as he formed words. ¡°The promise was for us to continue on in this world.¡± When she heard those words that sent waves across the lake, Shinjou lifted her hips a bit and began to stand up. ¡°I am here. I have been accepted as the Shinjou of the promise. But¡­¡± Her eyebrows lowered and she tilted her head. ¡°What was the promise? What was the promise that had you follow Sayama Kaoru here?¡± The large tree began by uttering a single word. ¡°The promise.¡± And¡­ ¡°The previous previous Sayama called it the dragon¡¯s promise.¡± Shinjou recalled the term Leviathan Road that referred to what they were doing right now. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± She fully stood up as he gave a second greeting. She kicked the water of the lake and turned toward Sayama. However, he was not looking at the tree. He was looking at the edge of the lake to his right. Baku was there with his front legs raised. A moment later, the past enveloped them. Shinjou stood in some woods. She was not on a mountain. This was a flat area of woods on top of a hill. She stood on a broad, unpaved gravel road near the top of the hill and brown puddles remained here and there on the road. All of the trees on either side of the road were thick cedars and the afternoon sunlight reached her through the conifer leaves. ¡­Is this in Akigawa? It reminds me of the mountains and forests around there. She could hear cicadas. She recognized the unique cry of the large brown cicada and realized the temperature was quite high. As she focused on the cicada cries, she looked into the distance to the right. She could see the ceiling of tree leaves continuing down the hill and she could see the buildings of a city beyond that. However, there was a thin layer of smoke rising from those buildings. And it was not the smoke of rice cooking at midday. ¡­There was an air raid here. She realized this was a continuation of the past that Baku had shown them at the hotel that morning. She hesitated, but then¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± She reflexively ran down the road. She had her mind step forward and hurry over the puddles. She soon found a blue truck up ahead. It was the one belonging to Sayama¡¯s grandfather. Past the truck were a wooden gate, a Buddhist temple, and then the forest. This was the temple that evacuees had been brought to. Shinjou passed by the truck and found the black tile roofed gate standing open. She passed through and found the fifteen square meter temple grounds. She saw a bell tower to the left, the main building and lodgings up ahead, and a storage building to the right. The main building had all of its doors open and there were several dozen people inside. Most of them were wearing white pajamas and lying on futons. Some were young, some were old, some were sick, and some were injured. An old man in a white coat and a female nurse were rushing back and forth between them all. Shinjou also heard a voice. It belonged to Sayama¡¯s grandfather. ¡°Excuse me. Where is Shinjou!? Where is Shinjou Kaname-kun!?¡± The man producing the voice stood below the main building¡¯s overhanging roof. It was indeed Sayama¡¯s grandfather and he wore a military uniform. Shinjou Kaname is here, realized Shinjou. But she stared intently at Sayama¡¯s grandfather¡¯s back. She wanted to see Shinjou Kaname, but¡­ ¡­So does he. She stopped her mind behind the man. She was still five meters away, but that was as close as she could bear to go. From that distance, she saw movement in the shadowy hall of the main building. The people lying down began sitting up to see who was speaking. The nurse turned around and walked over. She picked up some documents from the floor and opened one as she arrived under the overhanging roof. ¡°Shinjou Kaname, was it? That name is on the list, but please try to remain quiet.¡± ¡°My apologies. Can I meet him?¡± The nurse hesitated for a moment. ¡°Where is he?¡± she muttered under her breath while turning toward the people behind her. At the same time, a hand rose near the wall. ¡°¡­¡± It was a pale and slender hand. However, it was not a man¡¯s hand. It was a woman¡¯s. ¡­Eh? Shinjou heard a voice, but it was a child crying rather than an adult speaking. ¡°A baby?¡± She saw Sayama¡¯s grandfather look over and frown. ¡°Who is that?¡± ¡°She gave birth this morning after arriving at the temple. I do not think she can speak quite yet.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± said the woman in the futon by the wall. With a rustling sound, the thin futon moved as the woman tried to sit up. The nurse frantically stood, brushed her skirt into place, and walked over. Sayama¡¯s grandfather walked over as well. A great many gazes gathered on him, but he walked straight through that dimly-lit hall. It took him exactly ten steps to reach the woman by the wall. The nurse helped the slender woman sit up, placed a few cushions behind her to prop her up, and placed the red-skinned baby in her arms. The woman saw that Sayama¡¯s grandfather was a soldier and used a hand to fix her hair and collar. ¡°Excuse me, soldier.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± However, the woman asked a question. And a surprising one at that. ¡°Was Shinjou-sama all right?¡± As that voice joined the cicada cries, Shinjou felt a chill. However, the back wearing a military uniform did not budge in the slightest. Shinjou asked a question to that back before her eyes. She was almost asking him to check on what she did not want to. ¡°A-aren¡¯t you going to ask what she means?¡± But her words did not reach him and only the cicada cries filled the air. It was only after a few breaths that Sayama¡¯s grandfather spoke slowly. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Well,¡± said the woman who the nurse supported. ¡°The other night, I was waiting for the evacuation truck during the air raid. And then this child¡­¡± ¡°Did you go into labor?¡± The woman lowered her head and blushed, but her eyebrows lowered. ¡°And then one man got off the truck to leave space for me. He said he would wait for the next one and he said his name was Shinjou. ¡­Shinjou Kaname.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If he is safe, I would like to thank him for my sake and for my child¡¯s-¡­¡± She frowned and gulped a bit when she saw the look on Sayama¡¯s grandfather¡¯s face that Shinjou could not see. ¡°How is Shinjou-sama?¡± Sayama¡¯s grandfather did not respond. The woman tilted her head, the nurse lowered her head, and one of the cicada cries vanished, but he still did not respond. Eventually, the woman asked another question with a tremble in her voice. ¡°You are¡­Sayama-sama, aren¡¯t you?¡± He did not reply. He did not move at all. As if to tell him to move and to fight the silence, the woman spoke some more. ¡°When he stepped out of the truck, Shinjou-sama said to rely on someone named Sayama if I needed anything. He smiled as he said it.¡± Nevertheless, Sayama¡¯s grandfather remained silent. However, his shoulders rose as he took in a deep breath, let it out, and asked a gentle question. ¡°What is your name?¡± The woman nodded and then bowed deeply toward the man with her child in her arms. ¡°I am Tamiya Ryou.¡± Shinjou¡¯s mind gasped at the surname and the past suddenly switched over. Sayama saw the past switch over. ¡­Where am I now? His mind awoke as if looking up and he saw a certain scene. He saw the edge of a lake. The bottom surface was made of plants and it was surrounded by a forest. It was much like the 4th-Gear reservation, so he wondered something. ¡°Have I woken from the past?¡± No, his mind answered. Without even a close examination, there were several differences. First of all, there was no giant stump in front of him. Also¡­ ¡°The sky.¡± A black expanse covered everything above. This was not the night sky. It was a black sky and that was all. There were no stars and the only light was the powerful one from overhead. That light was the sun. He looked up at the intense sunlight coming from directly above. As he did, he noticed something odd. Directly ahead, something like a path extended up from the forest and into the sky. It was a green belt. The green path rose into the sky and had collections of what resembled blue veins in places. As he looked further up, the green belt drew an upward arc as if it would circle around behind the sun. There actually a few similar belts. There were three of them in all, including the one Sayama was looking at. And those belts formed complete circles. ¡­A world of three rings with the sun at the center. This was 4th-Gear. The three rings each had a diameter as wide as the earth¡¯s orbit around the sun and the ecosystem was gathered on the inward edge. They slowly rotated and mist-like smoke rose from them where they crossed paths. ¡­Are they exchanging their ecosystems? He looked up at the world of three rotating belts for a while. ¡°¡­¡± But then he lowered his gaze because there was something else he had to see here. The direction he was meant to look was straight ahead. He saw something there that had not been present before. Mist hovered over the lake and someone sat in the grass in front of the lake. The person wore a brown suit. It was his grandfather. The wind blew gently past the man. It was a warm but transparent wind. It produced small waves on the lake, shook the plants, and rustled the leaves of the forest. Nevertheless, the mist over the lake did not move. His grandfather sat cross-legged while half-sinking into the grass. His hair blew around a bit as if the wind had knocked it out of place and a plant creature grew up next to him. However, the creature did not actively approach. It only looked at the man. ¡­He has yet to make any promises with 4th-Gear. While still facing the mist, Sayama¡¯s grandfather held his right hand out toward the creature. The creature looked to the mist, but finally approached and held the offered hand in its front legs. In an instant, the creature expanded. ¡°Lots.¡± Air blasted from the creature¡¯s body and more joined it. The ground swelled up as if linked to the creature¡¯s backside and a new creature was added behind it. But the additional creature was forced to instantly expel air and another was added on. The creatures quickly surrounded the lake and extended into the forest. The forest stirred and Sayama looked up. He saw a rapid change in the ring of land extending upwards in the distance. It had been primarily green a moment earlier, but it was turning blue. That blue quickly enveloped the one ring and the mist whirled at the intersections with the other rings. Wind was created. Air was produced from all over the ring. A burden from outside their world should have been an impossibility and the excess air produced wind. Sayama heard a voice from the mist in front of him. ¡°It appears some adjustments are needed to deal with your production rate.¡± ¡°Yes. Humans create a good deal more heat than plants. Either way, I suppose this counts as our first interaction.¡± With that, his grandfather removed his hand from the plant creature. Reluctant to part with him, the creature reached out, but the man continued pulling away his hand. ¡°Sorry.¡± He faced forward and spoke to the mist. ¡°I can no longer bring Shinjou.¡± Sayama gasped at how plainly he said it. He was only a few meters from his grandfather¡¯s back, but he did not approach. ¡­I must not. With the word ¡°self-control¡± in mind, he watched over his grandfather. He did, however, have his mind sit down in the grass. He simply set his vision¡¯s height to the same as the back before him. ¡°Shinjou will not be coming?¡± asked the mist. ¡°Correct. Even though I promised he would. And even though you said you could return with me if you could heal him and use that to fuel your survival.¡± ¡°I remember. I decided to listen to what you had to say because you found me.¡± ¡°Finding you was easy. After all, I had longed to meet you without having seen you.¡± ¡°But you were the first to suddenly call out to the sky and ground as soon as you arrived here. Do you remember?¡± asked Mukiti¡¯s will. ¡°You kept saying ¡®nice to meet you¡¯ and suddenly started talking to the sky and the ground. I could not ignore that.¡± ¡°You asked why I was doing that and I said it was because I knew where you were. After all, I only wanted to speak with you. I spoke to the sky and the ground because that was you,¡± said Sayama¡¯s grandfather. ¡°You asked me to keep it a secret because the other Gears might try to forcibly extract you if they knew. And that¡¯s why I asked you to come to our Gear.¡± ¡°Using the term you taught me, that is a ¡®funny¡¯ story.¡± ¡°It is,¡± said his grandfather while looking up into the sun in the black sky. ¡°Nostalgic too. It feels like that discussion was only yesterday. ¡­When you learned how our world did things, you asked to hold an equal position with no debts if you were to go there. That was when I realized your healing ability could give you that. And you asked for the person most in need of healing so you could earn my trust. That way you could prove your power was sufficient and you were not underestimating our demands.¡± ¡°But Shinjou will not be coming?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry about that. My promise with you can¡¯t be fulfilled. ¡­And I can¡¯t bring someone who I can¡¯t trust and you wouldn¡¯t want to heal someone who I don¡¯t trust. 4th-Gear now has no way to determine whether Low-Gear can repay you or not.¡± ¡°You broke the promise.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± sighed the man. ¡°Because Shinjou is no more.¡± The wind blew through as if to erase his words. It came from the ring of land turning blue up above. ¡°Ah,¡± sighed Sayama¡¯s grandfather in the wind. ¡°You might actually be incredibly cruel. In our world, we say he ascended into the sky, but in this world, all of the burden I had left on him is turned to wind.¡± ¡°Sayama.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I see people can make water too.¡± With that, Sayama looked at his grandfather¡¯s back. The man finally wiped at his face with his right hand. ¡°Yes,¡± he agreed. ¡°Let us go to your world,¡± said Mukiti almost immediately. ¡°¡­¡± In the past, Sayama¡¯s grandfather forcefully raised his head. Mukiti had agreed to what the man had wanted. However¡­ ¡°You fool!¡± He rose up and shouted. ¡°Will you mock our negotiation!? Low-Gear and 4th-Gear negotiated as equals, but my clumsiness prevented us from completing those negotiations! That is the result! Twisting that result will not just damage Low-Gear¡¯s honor but 4th-Gear¡¯s as well!¡± ¡°The negotiations are not over.¡± Mukiti¡¯s words silenced the man and more wind blew. However, this was not the same gentle wind as before. It was a mighty gust. The air moved all at once as an audible wall. ¡°¡­¡± It came from in front. The branches and leaves of the forest and the sea of grass all fell forward as if being tanned and released all their moisture into the air as mist. A white mist danced through the sky. It spiraled upwards and did not stop there. It stretched out as it rose into the black space. In response, mist rose from all three rings of land. Sayama and his grandfather both stood up and looked around. ¡°I am here, yet not here,¡± said the sky. The mist spiraled around the sun floating in the center of the rings. ¡°You said my response when you found me is called ¡®surprise¡¯.¡± ¡°Yes, but what does that have to do with ignoring the conclusion of our negotiation?¡± ¡°Is there only one Shinjou?¡± Sayama realized what Mukiti was trying to say. Because he always had Shinjou by his side, he understood. ¡°It seems your world has a concept of inheritance.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let us keep the promise. Sayama, even if you are inherited by someone else, I can trust you. Bring Shinjou to me and I will show you my power.¡± ¡°But Low-Gear needs to win the Concept War for that to happen.¡± ¡°We have promised,¡± insisted the voice. Sayama saw his grandfather stop moving at that. The man stood tall within the grass that was blowing in the wind. His shoulders slowly rose, he took in a breath, and he did not back down. He tightly clenched his fists, gathered strength in his neck, and looked up into the sky. ¡°Are you saying you will continue the negotiation? With me¡­and with Shinjou?¡± ¡°We have promised.¡± Sayama¡¯s grandfather thought for a moment and finally spoke. ¡°Then come to keep that promise. Come to keep the dragon¡¯s promise. To ensure our negotiation, I will first destroy this world and to take responsibility¡­¡± he declared. ¡°I will make sure you meet Shinjou. When the time comes, the surname Sayama will bring the one known as Shinjou to see you. When the world once more desires a negotiation of battle and powerful healing is once more needed, Shinjou will be brought to you as the condition for gaining your power. And to do that, I will make sure all the other worlds are-¡­¡± He took a breath. ¡°To keep my promise, I say that the surname Sayama indicates a villain.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said the dragon taking form overhead. It was a dragon formed from the gathered mist. Plant creatures then grew at Sayama¡¯s grandfather¡¯s feet and the three rings rapidly faded in color. The world changed from green, to yellow, and finally to brown. ¡°Are you gathering the ecosystem information!?¡± ¡°The large whole is being becoming a small whole.¡± Mukiti lowered as he said that. The sky grew even darker as the sun lost its light behind Mukiti who lowered his long body straight down. Everything except for the lake was wrapped in darkness. A gate, realized Sayama as something rose beyond the lake. It was a giant tree. Its trunk was over thirty meters wide and it broke off its own top as it rose. Mukiti flew inside the broken end and 4th-Gear moved. But just before it did, Sayama heard Mukiti¡¯s will. ¡°Sayama, you said I was ¡®surprised¡¯ when you found me, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes. But why do you bring it up now?¡± ¡°I would like you to revise that description. To use the term you taught me, I was ¡®happy¡¯ that someone had found me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And I wish ¡®happiness¡¯ to those who will inherit the promise.¡± That signaled the end and a wind from above enveloped Mukiti and collided with the tree. A moment later, all light vanished. Sayama thought in that darkness. ¡­A negotiation to make dragon and human equal, hm? That was the promise. And to restart that promise and give it a new beginning, the dragon was to meet Shinjou. Was this why Shinjou-kun was given a spot in Team Leviathan? wondered Sayama. My grandfather and the old man would have known about this, after all. ¡­If so, those old men must truly love roundabout methods and riddles. He thought about what Shinjou was doing now. The previous vision of the past had likely been a great shock to her, so he decided he needed to support her. And as his mind fell, he recalled his grandfather¡¯s back that he could no longer see. The back he had seen at the Hachioji temple had been a new sight for him, but the one he had seen during the promise with Mukiti had not. ¡­That was the same back I saw until he died. Volume 9, 21: Voice of Concern Volume 9, Chapter 21: Voice of Concern To show concern is to express your feelings Without any regard to whether that is a good thing or not The setting sun covered a forest, a lake, and a large tree. This was the 4th-Gear reservation. Everything remained the same except for the color of the sky. The blue from earlier in the day was now dyed with the scarlet of evening. The large tree¡¯s shadow stretched outward and covered two figures. Those figures were Sayama and Shinjou who stood on the edge of the lake. Having just been shown the past, Sayama held his chest and Shinjou leaned up against him and placed her own hand on his chest. ¡°Are you okay, Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°Yes, I will manage. More importantly, are you okay, Shinjou-kun? After what we learned about Shinjou Kaname, that is.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded and looked to him. He faced her with a serious expression and his right hand opened in a groping pose. ¡°¡­What is that hand for?¡± ¡°You cannot tell? I have decided I need to calm your heart.¡± ¡°I think you just drove out every bit of calm that was left in my heart!¡± She lowered her shoulders in a sigh which transformed into a release from all the tension of worrying about what she had seen in the past. ¡­Was he trying to help me like that? As she thought, he opened his mouth, took a deep breath, and spoke. ¡°Now, Shinjou-kun. As Kazami said last night, we should visit IAI headquarters.¡± ¡°To follow Shinjou Kaname? But he died, so¡­¡± ¡°Remember what Doctor Chao said? They received a New Year¡¯s card saying his child was doing well. If he passed away, that card was likely sent by his wife. In that case, we might find records concerning that child if Kaname¡¯s employee record is stored at IAI headquarters.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Her eyes opened wide and she nodded. ¡°The surname Shinjou would have been passed down.¡± ¡°Correct. Everything is inherited by the next generation. Isn¡¯t that right, Mukiti-kun?¡± He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and faced the large tree collapsed in the center of the lake. After a pause, the tree spoke. ¡°Yes. Because that happens, the inherited promise with Sayama was fulfilled.¡± Shinjou nodded and realized her face likely contained a mix between a smile and a troubled expression. ¡°Excuse me.¡± She hesitated for a moment. After seeing the past, how was she supposed to express what was in her heart? The loss of Shinjou Kaname had been a shock, but the conversation between Sayama¡¯s grandfather and Mukiti had been the exact opposite. ¡­His grandfather is a lot like him. They were not related by blood and they had different faces and attitudes, but something about them was similar. ¡­Both Mukiti and I have been influenced by a ¡°Sayama¡±, so we should be able to reach some kind of understanding. She had seen Mukiti¡¯s power when he had taken away her exhaustion, but she also believed there was something else they had in common. And so she honestly spoke the words in her heart. ¡°That moment in the past meant a lot to you, so you¡¯ve been waiting all this time, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shinjou continued while realizing these were the words she had wanted someone to tell her when she had been alone. ¡°Then it¡¯s time to stop waiting. The people you wished for and trusted in have arrived.¡± She took a breath. ¡°We are equals, so let¡¯s use what power we have to show concern for each other.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Mukiti replied with a determined affirmation. ¡°The Concept War has finally ended for 4th-Gear.¡± And¡­ ¡°Sayama, there is a new fight, isn¡¯t there? Just as promised.¡± Shinjou turned toward Sayama and saw him nod. He crossed his arms, looked around, and took in a breath. ¡°Indeed there is.¡± ¡°And you need my power for that fight, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes. That includes the power of your Concept Core, your healing power, and whatever other powers you might have.¡± ¡°I see. Then I have a request for this new fight,¡± said Mukiti. ¡°Continue to pass down everything so it is inherited.¡± Because¡­ ¡°That way, we can remain with you.¡± Shinjou thought on his words. ¡­He¡¯s asking us to preserve this world. They were to clear away any problems, discord, and obstacles so that nothing was ever gone even if it was lost. That way, it could all remain with 4th-Gear and its near-infinite life. But¡­ ¡°That¡¯s just what we want, right, Sayama-kun? That¡¯s the objective of the Leviathan Road.¡± She and Sayama faced Mukiti¡¯s tree and spoke a single word in unison. ¡°Testament.¡± So¡­ ¡°Let us go, Mukiti-kun. Come with us.¡± As soon as Sayama said that, Shinjou realized a certain color had appeared in the sky. No, it was not the sky. It was at the very top of the tall stump. A small flower had bloomed. It was a white flower on a branch that jutted out. ¡°Then let us go,¡± replied Mukiti. ¡­Mukiti doesn¡¯t say what is already known. Shinjou watched as the small flower and its branch fell from the stump. At the same time, the world¡¯s colors began to fade. ¡°Ah.¡± She quickly stood up and the wind carried the flower to her head. The flower then spoke in Mukiti¡¯s voice. ¡°Let us go.¡± The forest and clearing rapidly lost their color. Green turned to yellowish-green and then to yellow. The trees began to lean as if sleeping and the underbrush sank down as if lying down to sleep. As the plants fell asleep, their movement produced a wind that indicated the end of the reservation. ¡°My Concept War is over.¡± Mukiti¡¯s will spoke just as the sun began to sink behind the horizon. The fading color filled the ocean beyond the slowly collapsing forest. Finally, everything was dyed in shadowy colors and the tones of night. ¡­They will follow us. They would follow Sayama because Shinjou had come to meet them. ¡°¡­¡± Shinjou silently stuck the flower¡¯s branch into her hair. She turned toward Sayama and he spoke expressionlessly. ¡°That looks good on you, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± One green creature stood next to him. Baku sat on the head of that creature which had likely gathered the reservation¡¯s ecosystem information. As they also had Mukiti inside the flower¡­ ¡°4th-Gear will gather in Okutama UCAT, won¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, but we must visit IAI headquarters in Shimane first.¡± Sayama looked up into the yellow sky of the sunset. ¡°The American UCAT force at Okutama is a problem. We currently have nowhere to return to.¡± Harakawa noticed color before his eyes. The pale yellow light of the setting sun filled his vision. ¡­This is the sky. He realized that was what he was seeing. He could easily see this by lying down in a large open area, but his subconscious was sending him warning signals. Something was not right. ¡­Where am I? When he tried to remember what had happened, he arrived at his memories of the Nishitama Cemetery. A group in strange blue armored uniforms had pursued them and he had been struck while trying to let Heo escape. That¡¯s pretty pathetic, he told himself. ¡­So is this the cemetery? Cirrus clouds were flowing east through the sky and the sunlight was coming from the west. While looking up into the sky, he realized three other things. First, he was lying on sand. Second, he could hear water splashing across that sand. And third, someone was lying on top of him. To check on all three of those things, he sat up. He was not in the cemetery. He was on a beach. The ocean was only ten meters away. And the person lying on top of him was¡­ ¡°Heo.¡± Her eyes were closed and her breathing was shallow. He could feel her body heat through her clothes and that told him she was definitely alive. He breathed a sigh of relief that she was safe, but then he remembered something. Just before he had passed out, he had seen a mass of wind before him. ¡°A demon, hm?¡± He spoke the word she had mentioned and gently held her in his arms. She let out a quiet groan and spoke in her sleep. ¡°Great-grandfather.¡± He nodded and relaxed his shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± His words took the tension from her eyebrows. He waited for her breathing to calm down and then he looked around the area. The beach was surrounded by rocky areas and the rocky area behind him had been worn down into an embankment with pine trees growing beyond it. Based on the direction of the setting sun and the size of the waves, he drew a conclusion about the ocean before him. ¡°Is that the Pacific?¡± He guessed they were in Chiba or somewhere close. He would often go to the beach while touring with the automobile club and this beach was a lot like the one in Kujukuri he had visited over summer break. Hiba had stayed home from that trip because he had been worried about his girlfriend who lived with him. On the way back, they had fired all their leftover fireworks into Hiba¡¯s room, but that had caused something inside to explode. It was still a mystery what that stupid underclassman had been doing in his room. While nodding at that unnecessary memory, Harakawa looked to Heo in his arms. ¡°¡­¡± He returned his expression to normal and stepped on the sand to stand up amid the sounds of waves. Heo was light in his arms. She really is a girl, he thought while also realizing he had no sand in his shoes or pants cuffs. Heo was the same, so it almost seemed like they had descended here from the sky. He then belatedly realized something else. ¡°This means we moved from the cemetery.¡± The change in the color of the sky meant it had not happened instantaneously. It had taken some amount of time for them to move here. ¡°Or were we carried?¡± That begged the question of ¡°by whom?¡± ¡­Was it the student council members or the group in blue that they were fighting? Or if it had been the demon¡¯s doing¡­ ¡°Why would the demon leave Heo unharmed, take me with her, and abandon us here?¡± He walked as he muttered his question. The sand below his feet formed a slope and his footsteps produced a sound much like a squeaking mouse. That sound continued as he climbed the sandy slope. The pine trees beyond the embankment grew closer. He saw a rusty railing beneath those trees, so there had to be stairs down from there. Based on the number of pine branches he saw, he guessed the area beyond was a forest. As light as Heo was, he still began breathing more heavily while carrying her up the unstable sand. He hurried on while deciding to take a break once he reached the embankment at the top. The salty wind pushed at his back and¡­ ¡°Made it.¡± He arrived at the top of the embankment. Beyond that embankment was a gentle stone staircase meant to fill the ten meter height difference and a small pine forest grew on either side. At the bottom of the stone steps was a road leading through the pine trees. He saw some vehicles parked on the narrow road. The green vehicles were familiar to him. ¡°Four-ton trucks of the US military.¡± Three of those trucks filled the road down below and a group of people stood around the trucks, in the forest, and below the steps. And they all wore blue armored uniforms. ¡°Kh.¡± Just as the sight made him move, the wave of blue parted and two men stepped forward. One was a slender elderly man in a gray suit and the other was a young man wearing glasses and a brown suit. It was obvious neither was Japanese. The elderly man pulled his right hand from his pocket and looked up at Harakawa. His gaze could only be described as ¡°sharp¡±. ¡°That girl. I am the one charged with protecting that girl.¡± Harakawa frowned at that and was unsure how to react. ¡°Wait just a moment.¡± He began with that to make sure he still had strength in his voice. ¡°This girl is going to a place called UCAT with her great-grandfather.¡± ¡°We are that UCAT.¡± The man in glasses spoke up quickly as if to gain Harakawa¡¯s trust. He then pulled a document from his pocket. ¡°This was written by her great-grandfather, Mr. Richard Thunderson.¡± The man looked up at Harakawa through his glasses and he was not smiling. ¡°As her great-grandfather has passed away, we intend to protect her from now on. If you have no objection, we would like to take her in as soon as possible.¡± All of the men in blue armored uniforms prepared for a possible fight as the man asked a question. ¡°Will that be okay?¡± Volume 9, 22: Dead End Escape Path Volume 9, Chapter 22: Dead End Escape Path The path you know leads out of imprisonment But your body has yet to step into its entrance People call that a dead end An apartment sat below the dark sky. It had an old, beige exterior. Two people watched a black vehicle drive away from it. The two of them were in a small park across the road and two buildings east of the apartment building. Standing below a chestnut tree in that park were a boy and a girl carrying a large cloth bag. The girl wore a white track suit with the name Kazami sewn on the chest. She watched the closed green steel door on the eastern end of the apartment¡¯s first floor. ¡°Harakawa really did return alone, Kaku.¡± ¡°And Heo¡¯s off to UCAT after checking on her great-grandfather¡¯s corpse. ¡­At least it doesn¡¯t look like Harakawa had his memory erased.¡± ¡°True,¡± said Kazami while leaning against Izumo¡¯s motorcycle that was parked below the tree. ¡°They¡¯ll probably wait until Heo returns to the States for that. She might ask to meet him before then.¡± She shrugged and pulled a cellphone from her pocket. She sent an email instead of making a call. She wanted to contact Sayama every so often, but she had not been able to reach him since he had entered the 4th-Gear reservation. That was why she used email. ¡­Harakawa is back. She looked down to check the message. ¡°Harakiri is back.¡± Distracted by what the autocorrect had chosen, she reentered the message. ¡°I also need to mention this.¡± She pulled a folded piece of paper from her back pocket. It was a single faxed page. The document was related to Heo Thunderson¡¯s ¡°demon¡±. Sibyl had hunted down a newspaper article about her mother¡¯s death and had also sent a copy to IAI headquarters where Sayama and Shinjou were headed. Izumo peered in from the side and frowned for once. ¡°That was a weird story.¡± ¡°You think so too? It was a lot like a monster movie. Her mother was brutally killed and the villagers saw a giant shadow, but for some reason, her mother was smiling.¡± Kazami did not understand why she would have smiled. ¡°The police speculated that she had relaxed because the murderer had been someone close to her and the journalist guessed it was a satisfied smile because she had protected her daughter from the murderer. Either way, it¡¯s a depressing story.¡± Kazami typed in the information they had received from Sibyl and Kanda. There was a lot to tell. First, the Americans had determined it was Black Sun that had carried Harakawa and Heo away. They based this on the fact that Thunderson had said none of the 5th-Gear mechanical dragons remained and because a Black Sun-like reading had once more been detected off the coast of Kantou. Japanese UCAT would soon do what they had agreed on while speaking with Sayama and Shinjou the night before. Also, they were planning to keep Harakawa under surveillance. ¡°There¡¯s still a lot we don¡¯t know, but we have no choice but to act.¡± With that, she pressed the send button. The send screen opened, the shaman girl saying ¡°sending¡± danced three times, and the screen vanished. ¡°Now, then,¡± she said while leaning against the back of the motorcycle. She felt a tugging pain in her side, but she had placed a charm on it and there was nothing more she could do at the moment. As for what she could do¡­ ¡°We have to wait for some movement related to Heo Thunderson. When we called, Sibyl said they were doing well.¡± ¡°She¡¯s holding it together pretty well given the situation. ¡­Anyway, should we really sit around waiting for Harakawa? Shouldn¡¯t we get back to UCAT and-¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Sibyl said everything¡¯s okay. If we¡¯re going to head back, let¡¯s stick around here for as long as we can first.¡± She took a breath. ¡°And you saw those two in the Nishitama Cemetery, right? Do you really think they can be separated? She was watching Harakawa¡¯s back as much as the scenery around her and he didn¡¯t turn around even though he noticed. If anyone can get Heo Thunderson moving in the next few days, it¡¯s Harakawa.¡± She was oddly sure of that, but it came from how the girl had chosen him even when she had to run away. ¡°Also,¡± said Kazami. ¡°Unlike when I took part in that first battle because of you, Harakawa has no method or connections for entering a concept space. When a young man wants to meet the princess in the castle, he needs a wizard to give him a magic tool.¡± ¡°That young man just needs some guts. Plus, it¡¯s been less than a day since the two of them met.¡± Izumo sounded doubtful as he leaned against the driver¡¯s seat and Kazami looked up at him. She could only smile bitterly at what he said. To say why, she brought a hand to her chest and gave him a true smile. ¡°Have you forgotten? There¡¯s at least one precedent of someone making up their mind in such a short time. ¡­And it¡¯s right here.¡± ¡°How about you refresh my memory? You¡¯re saying it¡¯s here? Right here?¡± He shoved his face into her track suit, so she hit him. He spun back through the air and collapsed onto the motorcycle. ¡°Ah.¡± The two of them fell backwards on the tilting vehicle. A long, white, and windowless corridor had a drink vending machine by the wall, doors on either side of it, and a placard saying ¡°Locker Rooms¡±. A single sound filled that empty space. The automatic door to the women¡¯s locker room on the right opened and a girl stepped out. She had short, blonde hair. She wore a blue armored uniform that had been lightened by removing the skirt and as much of the armor as possible. A necklace made of stones hung from her neck and she wore an orange work jacket that hid her shoulders. The jacket had a number of different crests and the chest had a nametag. That nametag said ¡°Heo Thunderson¡±. She wore that coat to protect her from the air of that empty space, but she had no color in her face. She also had no expression, so her face was pale and blank. She lowered that empty face as if bowing. ¡°Great-grandfather.¡± She raised her head again and spotted a water fountain next to the vending machine and a mirror on the wall to its left. She looked in the mirror and found she appeared dull in the colorless light. If there was any color in her, it was the slight redness at the corners of her eyes. She approached the mirror and gently placed her hands on her upper cheeks while trying not to press too hard on the red and swollen areas around her eyes. ¡°¡­¡± She then noticed sudden movement. It came from the water fountain to her right, but it was not that the device had activated. ¡°Eh?¡± She trembled as the water fountain approached her. Instead of rolling on wheels, it moved its body back and forth to crawl on the metal parts on the base that resembled legs. ¡­U-um¡­ She did not know what was happening, but she instinctually shrank down. The water fountain noticed her action, took a half step back, and looked up at her. ¡°¡­¡± It bent forward as if in disappointment. It turned around and slowly swayed its way over to a corner of the wall. ¡°U-um.¡± She spoke up without thinking and it stopped, twisted its body, and looked toward her. Its supposedly nonexistent gaze met hers. On the way to the hospital to see her great-grandfather¡¯s body, a man named Roger had given her a lot of information in the form of a dream. Seeing it in a dream still felt strange to her, but she believed it because Roger had confirmed what she had seen once she had woken up. ¡­Is it like a device that teaches you while you sleep? There was a lot she did not understand, but there were other things she did. Long ago, her great-grandfather had belonged to an organization called UCAT that protected the world. He and some others had destroyed a few worlds, the world was once more headed toward destruction, Japanese UCAT was trying to singlehandedly negotiate with the survivors of the other worlds, and they had shown they were not up to the task. Of the other worlds known as Gears with which the negotiations were complete, there had been one which gave life to machines. The water fountain in front of her had to be that. She regulated her breathing, crouched down, and held her hand out toward it. ¡°Shake.¡± Is that what I should say? she wondered, but it finally turned toward her. It shook itself back and forth to approach at its full speed. It tilted upwards as if to lick her hand. ¡°Ah.¡± The water got on her hand. She honestly commented that it was cold. After cooling her finger to a certain extent, she brought it to the corner of her eye and brought her other hand to the water fountain. It was hard and cold, just like a machine. However, this machine was alive. Realizing that, she tilted her head and brought her hand around to its neck. She stroked it there and it twisted around a little to rub up against her hand. Someone then arrived in the waiting area to the left. ¡°I see you have finished changing.¡± It was Roger and he soon realized she was playing with the water fountain. ¡°Cute, isn¡¯t it? Of course, we only saw it for the first time yesterday.¡± ¡°It was a little surprising.¡± She smiled, but she was aware there was no strength in it. Still, she was relieved to find she had regained a little of what had left her since visiting the hospital. She continued rubbing the living water fountain¡¯s neck and spoke. ¡°I think my great-grandfather planned to tell me a lot of different things once he brought me here.¡± ¡°I can only speculate, but I would say that is likely.¡± He pushed up his glasses and glanced over her body. ¡°Those clothes may be a little tight, but they are perfect for adding concept effects. An airplane home is waiting at Yokota, so I will see you off.¡± ¡°What about my great-grandfather?¡± Roger lowered his gaze before answering. ¡°The autopsy has not yet been performed, so he will be sent back to his homeland later. ¡­The thing that attacked you and that boy may have been targeting some special characteristic of Mr. Richard¡¯s.¡± Heo recalled the wind that had carried them away in the cemetery. ¡°Isn¡¯t that demon after me?¡± ¡°Do you remember what you were taught in that dream? Mr. Richard is the one who fought that demon named Black Sun. If it is after you as well, loading the body on the airplane¡­¡± Roger altered his wording. ¡°Being with the body would likely double the odds of Black Sun attacking.¡± He continued speaking to distract from his insensitive phrasing and he nodded toward her. ¡°But we have the Concept Core here to lure in Black Sun. It is approaching Tokyo while resting from the exhaustion of the battle the other day. The airplane prepared at Yokota has been modified to mask the string vibrations of anything inside, so Black Sun will come here without targeting you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to fight that demon?¡± ¡°That is why we are here. Ever since Mr. Richard was with us, American UCAT has been obsessed with defeating it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Heo stood and rubbed the edge of the water fountain that also straightened up. It pressed up against her before returning to the wall. Heo looked at Roger and wondered what expression was on her face. ¡°I should be worried for all of you, shouldn¡¯t I? ¡­But will you tell me one thing? What will happen to me once I am returned to the States?¡± Roger listened to Heo¡¯s question. The ends of the girl¡¯s eyebrows were lowered and her lips were slightly parted. Roger felt she looked more doubtful than questioning and more confused than uneasy. However, he ignored the passive phrasing and answered. ¡°Once you return, you will live in a city managed by American UCAT. As a relative of Mr. Richard¡¯s, UCAT views you as the descendent of a hero, so you can live out the rest of your life with no issue. You can live a normal life now.¡± He shrugged and hoped the girl was feeling at ease. ¡°¡­¡± However, she was left speechless and looked dumbfounded. I suppose she would be, he thought. She was repeatedly transferring between schools, no one would believe what she said, and her everyday life was a challenge, but now she is being given a fixed home, everything she has said is being accepted as true, and her everyday life is stabilizing. She should have no complaints, yet¡­ ¡­It is ironic that she gained all this from her great-grandfather¡¯s death. But, he said in his heart before continuing out loud. ¡°Is anything else bothering you?¡± She tensed her shoulders. ¡°No.¡± However, she quickly shook her head, took in a breath, and puffed out her chest a little. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. There actually is.¡± She lowered her head and lightly held her own body. ¡°Why did Harakawa and I move to the beach like that?¡± ¡°Optical stealth is one of Black Sun¡¯s special techniques, so we have determined that was its doing. Also, it lurks in the ocean off of Hokkaido, so it likely brought the two of you there to¡­¡± He was going to say ¡°execute you¡±, but he decided against it. He crossed his arms to buy a moment of time before continuing. ¡°Anyway, it may have decided to give up on that plan once it noticed us pursuing it or once it noticed this country¡¯s self-defense force had sent out a fighter without telling us.¡± Heo remained silent and she lowered her head as if she could not accept it. In truth, Roger had not fully accepted that explanation either. However, that was the only explanation with the facts available to them and Roger was not the type to obsess over an unanswerable question. So¡­ ¡°Is there something else?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. ¡­Where is Harakawa?¡± ¡°He was escorted home. At a later date, the base should send him a reward for protecting you.¡± Roger brought his right hand to his mouth to hide his expression, but his eyes remained fixed on Heo. ¡°We will have to prevent him from speaking about these events. It is unlikely anyone would believe him, but we cannot allow this to get out.¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s how it was for me¡­¡± He saw her shoulders droop as she watched him. But then footsteps and a female voice approached from the passageway on the left. ¡°Oh, Heo? Have you finished changing?¡± Heo¡¯s shoulders jumped a bit and she turned to the left, as did Roger. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Diana,¡± he said. As she had called the girl ¡°Heo¡±, he deduced she had met her before. However, he had been with Heo when she was led to the locker room. As Roger wondered what this meant, he saw that Heo was at a complete loss for words. Diana wore her usual a black suit and she tightly embraced the girl when she reached her. ¡°You¡¯re finally here, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯ve grown so much. Roger, you didn¡¯t do anything did you? You didn¡¯t say anything strange, teach her anything strange, touch her anywhere strange, or jump around strangely?¡± ¡°What?¡± replied Roger. As he tilted his head, Diana enjoyed herself by placing her chin on Heo¡¯s head. However, she still turned toward him. ¡°What kind of-¡­¡± Before he could ask what their relationship was, Heo moved. She pulled her face away from Diana¡¯s breasts, gasped for breath, and looked up at the woman in surprise. ¡°Wh-why are you here, teacher!?¡± Diana¡¯s eyes narrowed and Roger asked another question. ¡°Diana, what does she mean by ¡®teacher¡¯?¡± ¡°I was worried about you, Heo, so I ended my beauty treatment early.¡± ¡°Diana, is it just me or did you intentionally ignore me just now?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± It was only after hugging Heo again that she looked to him. Still looking confused, Heo turned toward him and gave a frantic explanation. ¡°U-um¡­ Mrs. Diana is my tutor. She was apparently my mother¡¯s friend, so my great-grandfather had her teach me once I started transferring between schools too much. She lived with us for a while and she taught me how to cook and speak Japanese. ¡­It¡¯s been three years since I last saw her, though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Diana quietly. However, a sudden voice burst from the floor. ¡°A tutor!?¡± The power maintenance cover on the floor was knocked into the air by a headbutt and Ooshiro¡¯s head stuck out from the opening. The cover embedded itself into the ceiling a bit and he looked utterly shocked down below. ¡°Th-this is a brand new genre, Diana-kun! A well-endowed foreign wife teacher!? How strangely bizarre can you get!? I¡¯m so glad I¡¯m the director of Japanese UCAT! There are so many new and exciting things on a daily basis!!¡± ¡°Wh-who are you calling a brand new genre!? And UCAT Director Ooshiro, this is a repeat joke!¡± ¡°A repeat joke!? It isn¡¯t, it isn¡¯t! It¡¯s a new genre, so it¡¯s a new joke!¡± He wiggled around and used a feminine voice, so Heo trembled and looked to Diana. ¡°T-teacher, what is that?¡± ¡°Shh. Don¡¯t look at him. His germs can infect your mind through the eyes.¡± ¡°D-Diana-kun! Don¡¯t teach that girl lies!¡± After Ooshiro¡¯s shouted protest, Roger pushed his glasses up his nose and spoke. ¡°I apologize for interrupting your excitement, UCAT Director Ooshiro.¡± ¡°Oh, Roger-kun. Long time, no see. You seem to be doing well. ¡­So what do you want? Well? Are you lonely? Then go cry on your own. Relying on me is a big no-no. Okay?¡± ¡°How about you say that into a mirror so I don¡¯t have to deal with you? Also¡­¡± Roger thought and finally spoke to the old man again. ¡°What is 1 + 1?¡± ¡°Two.¡± As soon as he answered, the cover fell from the ceiling. And it was oriented vertically. With his lips still forming the ¡°oo¡± of ¡°two¡±, he sank down below the floor. The cover caught on the edges of the hole and fell into place. That sound was accompanied by the sound of something falling and collapsing down below. Roger wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to the teacher and student embracing and looking cautiously toward the hole in the floor. ¡°We will disinfect him and capture him. From there, he will be sent to a cell.¡± Mikage was in an open space. It was the rest area on UCAT¡¯s first basement that had a large mirror on the wall. The neighboring space was even larger, but that was the cafeteria. People in blue armored uniforms were using the cafeteria for a change. ¡­When is Ryuuji-kun getting here? She sat in a chair and a large white table sat before her. Her hands were up on the table and they held a piece of colored paper. Hiba had given her the paper before she had taken her nap. He had said to wait in the cafeteria if he was not around when she woke up and he had given her 150 pieces of colored paper to kill time with. He had not been around when she had awoken under the nap room bed the previous night. She had gone down to the cafeteria, but the usual people in white armored uniforms had been gone. Instead, everyone was wearing blue. ¡­Did they change the uniform? Still, she had found it unusual that no one was shouting strange things or attacking each other. She had made her way here, but a few men in blue had stopped her. When she had tilted her head, they had placed an armband on her. She did not entirely understand, but it apparently meant she was a guest. She had been here ever since and about half of the paper was gone. She looked to the side and saw someone folding colored paper just like her. That person¡¯s body was also¡­no, it was even more of a doll¡¯s body than her own. She had red hair and went by the name #8. She had said her body was destroyed due to her inexperience, so she had switched over to a spare body. She was currently wearing a white shirt and jeans that had been supplied for her. Mikage folded the paper along with her to both kill time and help with the automaton¡¯s rehabilitation. ¡°Ryuuji-kun is late.¡± However, he had never said when he would arrive, so it might have still been too early. I don¡¯t want to wait too long, she thought. She looked up and saw some people sitting across the table from her. Those men and women were all wearing blue armored uniforms and they were all holding colored paper she had handed them. She did not understand their language, but she would use gestures to show them how to fold the paper when they asked. ¡°Yes. Folding it like that makes people happy.¡± She folded, #8 folded next to her, and the red-haired automaton spoke while checking the movements of her fingers. ¡°Excuse me, Mikage-sama, but this is not a very accurate motion.¡± ¡°Ryuuji-kun said that¡¯s better. He said it¡¯s better to have mistakes.¡± ¡°I do not want many mistakes.¡± ¡°Then you do make some mistakes?¡± That made Mikage happy and she said something else to #8. ¡°We¡¯re the same.¡± #8 looked back at her with slightly raised eyebrows, but she soon turned back to the colored paper. ¡°I apologize for my lack of knowledge. I see now that I was wrong.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not very smart.¡± So relax, she happily thought. I¡¯m glad something like this is enough for me to relax. She did not know what kind of expression to make at times like this, but Hiba had said it would come out on its own without her having to make it. She wondered if that was happening now. She thought she looked expressionless on the mirror covering the wall, but that might not have been the case. She did not know the answer, but it did not feel bad and she did not mind. Her body was definitely improving, bit by bit. She also thought her mind was improving as she learned more and more, but the others would improve as well and so the distance between them would not change. She focused more on the happiness that they were all improving than on that gap. ¡­I can¡¯t wait. While folding the paper, she told herself that the future was sure to be infinitely more enjoyable than anything so far. She finished the final fold along with the dark-skinned woman across from her and held up the paper. She inflated it, spread it out, and folded out the front of the portions sticking up on the front and back. ¡°A crane.¡± That was what they had both made. The woman whistled at what she held in her hand. The two cranes were shaped slightly differently, but the expressions on their faces were the same. The woman said something and #8 translated. ¡°She said she will teach her child how to do this once she returns to her home country.¡± #8 then held out the paper she was folding. The creases on the paper had dotted lines across them, arrows to show the direction, and numbers to show the order. The woman took it and brought her hands together. Mikage did the same in return and all the people in blue armored uniforms quickly took the same pose. ¡°Namu.¡± #8 frantically looked across them all, but Mikage felt it was unavoidable. That automaton still was not used to how things were done here. Mikage thought while exchanging nods with all of the people across the table from her. ¡­Where are all the people in the white uniforms? And¡­ ¡­Ryuuji-kun really is late. Hiba was inside a small room. It was located on UCAT¡¯s first basement and one wall was covered by a large window. The placard by the entrance called it the Hidden Rest Area. The window was a one-way mirror and it gave him a view of the rest area next to the cafeteria. The window was located to his left and he could see Mikage sitting at the table in the other room. She, an automaton, and the American UCAT members observing her were all folding the colored paper he had given her. She had likely been folding the paper ever since she had been taken into American UCAT custody. She was also waiting for him. ¡°That must be nice¡­¡± He sighed toward her back and then faced forward. His hands were not on the table before him because they were handcuffed behind his chair. These handcuffs had been placed on him the moment he had been captured. A man sat across the table from him. The bearded man in a blue armored uniform had spoken in Japanese to introduce himself as a sergeant and to say Hiba was to be interrogated. ¡°Let me ask again,¡± said the sergeant. ¡°How many people have evacuated down below, how many are injured, and what kind of weaponry do they have?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m not going to tell you any of that.¡± Hiba placed his head on the table and faced sideways so he could calm himself by watching Mikage¡¯s back. ¡°If you just tell me already, I¡¯ll take you to that world of freedom out there.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s better to hide while watching.¡± ¡°This seemed like a good place for an interrogation, but what is the point of this room anyway?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? For the non-humans, especially werewolves or aquatic types, it¡¯s apparently painful to wear clothes for long periods of time. But they can¡¯t exactly strip in front of people, right? So when they can¡¯t stand it anymore they come here, strip naked, and enjoy some virtual streaking.¡± Hiba and the sergeant glanced around the room. It contained a radio-cassette player with an exercise tape inside, a hula hoop and treadmill for exercise, and for some reason, a camera on a tripod. The sergeant cleared his throat before speaking. ¡°They could just hide their nudity with an optical camouflage philosopher¡¯s stone.¡± ¡°They apparently tried that, but things showed up while heading home in the rain or someone they happened to bump into on the street got a good grip on a certain part of their body. After that, they doubled down and created mosaic-style optical camouflage, but it apparently wasn¡¯t popular with foreigners.¡± ¡°Ethics really are a tricky thing.¡± The sergeant nodded in understanding, reached below the table, and pulled out a machine with a volume switch. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get the interrogation started for real.¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re just as forceful as my upperclassmen! And what is that machine?¡± ¡°This is a philosopher¡¯s stone interrogation device developed by American UCAT. It is called the Shameful 2000 and it contains a philosopher¡¯s stone that will make you want to let out all your secrets. You will begin making confessions of your own accord in proportion to the volume setting. I¡¯ll be fine since I have a philosopher¡¯s stone with an opposing concept, but how long can you last?¡± The sergeant suddenly turned the volume up halfway. ¡ªSecrets are not to be hidden. Hiba gave a quiet shriek and shrank down in his chair. After thirty seconds, the Shameful 2000 gave a chime indicating it was done. Hearing that, Hiba peered at the sergeant and the man peered back at him. ¡°Now, let me ask again. How many people have evacuated down below, how many are injured, and what kind of weaponry do they have?¡± However, Hiba remained silent and the sergeant smiled. ¡°You¡¯re focusing your thoughts, aren¡¯t you?¡± He raised the volume and Hiba began speaking with a perfectly seriously expression. ¡°A bath with Mikage-san. A bath with Mikage-san. A bath with Mikage-san. A bass with Mikage-san. A ass with Mikage-san. A bath with Mikage-san¡¯s ass. A bath with Mikage-san¡¯s breasts. A bath with touching Mikage-sa- Oh, no! My focusing thoughts are leaking out!¡± ¡°How in the world is that focusing your thoughts!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the Japanese, you American! You may have everything out in the open all the time, but our race has a special skill to burn everything into our memories in an instant! When she sits in front of you with a short skirt, leans forward in a shirt, or touches you without thinking, that skill activates! You can almost feel the power coursing through your mind!!! If you take a bath with them, the constant damage to your focus causes your latent powers to awaken! Long live the infinite plain!! And I¡¯ve gotten awfully honest under this confession concept, haven¡¯t I!?¡± The sergeant raised the volume to maximum. ¡°Ah,¡± said Hiba and a change came over his expression. Despite all the previous yelling, his expression grew completely blank and he fell silent. Meanwhile, the sergeant sighed, wiped the sweat form his brow, adjusted his position in his chair, and faced Hiba¡¯s empty eyes. ¡°Now, let me ask yet again. How many people have evacuated down below, how many are injured, and what kind of weaponry do they have?¡± There was a short pause before Hiba answered. He turned his distant, dead eyes toward the sergeant and spoke with his mouth hanging open. ¡°Oh,¡± he said first. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I actually gathered online images of that foreign model because I thought she looked like Mikage-san. I¡¯m sorry. The other day when we were eating lunch on the emergency stairs. I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t help but look when the wind blew up Kazami-san¡¯s skirt. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry. Two days ago, I saw Shinjou-san (Boy Ver.)¡¯s underwear from under the arm of the armored uniform. I noticed that it was green but I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°Oh, no. Did I take it too far?¡± The sergeant lowered the volume to about halfway and Hiba¡¯s expression returned to normal. ¡°Listen! If you want to focus the mind properly, you need to focus on the shameful things that-¡­¡± He brought the volume back to maximum. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I only touched Mikage-san¡¯s butt in the bath seven days ago because-¡­¡± ¡°This is hopeless.¡± The sergeant lowered the volume to zero and then raised it again. ¡°Wh-what do you mean hopel- Just coursing through your- I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°This is definitely hopeless.¡± He fully lowered the volume again and Hiba tilted his head toward him. ¡°Is it really?¡± ¡°Yes, so let¡¯s take a more physical route. I¡¯ll be using concepts so it won¡¯t leave any marks.¡± ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t waste my time if I were you. I had a fortunetelling done earlier and it said I¡¯m the dog type, so this probably won¡¯t work. It said I¡¯m a dog that loves its master even if it finds that master annoying. It was that punching bag fortunetelling machine in the entertainment room we passed on the way here. I think it¡¯s called ¡®A Direct Hit to Your True Character¡¯. Anyway, everyone was a little disturbed by my result.¡± ¡°Hmm. Then I guess it wouldn¡¯t count as torture if I chained you up and hit you until you cried.¡± ¡°Um, sorry, but wasn¡¯t this supposed to be an interrogation?¡± The two of them exchanged a glance and groaned as they thought. A moment later, a noise reached them. It was a high-pitched and carrying noise that repeated again and again. ¡°An alarm!?¡± shouted the sergeant as he turned toward Hiba. Hiba collapsed on the table and looked toward Mikage. The people around her were moving, but she was slowly folding the colored paper. ¡°That must be nice¡­ And I guess it¡¯s about time for what we set up.¡± That comment was followed by a shouted announcement. ¡°Emergency! Everyone on the surface, be on the lookout! A transport lift is rising from underground! It¡¯s carrying¡­¡± After a breath, the voice continued. ¡°The Vesper Cannon!!¡± ¡°When they deem the time is right, Japanese UCAT will strike back while using the Vesper Cannon as a decoy.¡± Sayama¡¯s voice filled the mountains as he walked. The sky above his head was almost entirely filled with the colors of night. He held two travel bags and walked through a large parking lot with Shinjou who had a flower in her hair. ¡°Do you think they¡¯re all okay?¡± she asked with a tilt of her head. ¡°American UCAT is spread out to deal with Black Sun and Japanese UCAT is divided between a concept space unit and a normal space unit. The enemy cannot gather into a single army as when they attacked, so if our side gathers on one side or the other, they have a chance.¡± To their left and continuing into the forest behind them was a long runway. A small airplane with the IAI emblem was stopped on that runway. Their destination was the white building up ahead. Much like a large hospital, the facility rose five stories above ground level and it too contained the IAI emblem. ¡°That¡¯s IAI headquarters, isn¡¯t it?¡± said Shinjou. ¡°We¡¯ve finally come here.¡± Most of the building¡¯s windows were dark as business hours were already over. However, two people stood in front of the building. One was a blonde maid with a blue stone pendant hanging from her neck. The other was a girl with semi-long black hair who wore a lab coat. She raised a hand in greeting. ¡°Should I just say hi? It seems like things have gotten exciting at Okutama.¡± ¡°Indeed they have.¡± Sayama nodded with a bitter smile. ¡°Think of it alike an athletic festival between Japan and America. At any rate, it is strange to meet you like this. Are you undergoing UCAT training, Tsukuyomi Miyako-kun?¡± ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re as self-important as ever. Right now I¡¯m being trained in reproducing weakened concepts. If you like, I could make you one with some leftover materials. ¡­This is Moira 1st. You remember her, right?¡± Miyako said it was time to get going and turned around. She faced the dimly-lit entrance to IAI headquarters and tapped Moira 1st on the shoulder. The maid bowed toward the two visitors and turned in the same direction as Miyako. ¡°I will show you the way to Japanese UCAT¡¯s western general headquarters, supporters of the Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°Please do. Here, we should be able to find records from before UCAT¡¯s blank period, such as employee records from the Izumo company days. We are looking for pre-World War Two records on Kinugasa Tenkyou and a man named Shinjou Kaname. Also, any records of people with the surname Shinjou from around twenty years after that.¡± Sayama quickened his pace as he spoke and he stepped up onto the raised tile in front of the entrance. ¡°Doctor Chao mentioned a New Year¡¯s card from the Shinjou family which referenced a child. Upon learning of their father, that child might have gone to the same place as him to learn more about him. Much like we are doing now. ¡­And as a child born during the war, they likely married during the sixties and had a child. And in that case¡­¡± Sayama looked behind him and to Shinjou who was currently Sadame. She met his gaze with a stiff expression. However, he ignored her tension and spoke without hesitation. ¡°The odds are good that your father, the one you inherited the surname Shinjou from, was Shinjou Kaname¡¯s grandson. ¡­Let us hurry. The others will have secured a place for us by the time we return.¡± At exactly 8:00 PM, the American UCAT teams guarding the large explosion-resistant doors sealing off Japanese UCAT¡¯s fourth basement and below realized a group of people in white and black armored uniforms had appeared without opening the doors. They had opened a small concept space and passed through the door inside it. American UCAT was slow to react because they were dealing with the appearance of the Vesper Cannon on the surface and trying to find a way to attach it to one of their Blanca 9 mechanical dragons. The group in white charged toward American UCAT while letting out a shout. ¡°Hello!!¡± They did not yell loud enough, so they did it again. ¡°Hellooooo!!¡± They all rushed forward and a flow of blue expanded on the building¡¯s aboveground area to fight back. The second clash was beginning. Volume 9, 23: Developing Assignment Volume 9, Chapter 23: Developing Assignment How does it unfold? How does it open? Someone ran down a white corridor. The corridor was long. It was filled with nothing but light and the doors on either side were closed. The person running down it was a young man in a lab coat. He wore a worn-out shirt and chino pants below that lab coat. He wore rubber sandals on his feet, but each running step carried him an entire room¡¯s length down the corridor. ¡°Oh, dammit. If only Atsuta were here. Why is that creature obsessed with Okinawa right now?¡± The young man pushed his glasses up his nose and the motion revealed the name Kashima on the collar that whipped in the wind. Kashima was trying to reach the other end of the corridor. At the same time, people charged in from either side of the T-shaped juncture up ahead. There were six of them and they all wore blue armored uniforms and wielded meter-long electromagnetic batons. Also, the armor at the bases of their limbs swelled out. ¡°They have mechanical parts installed there for close-quarters combat. Are they after me specifically?¡± He nevertheless continued forward and amongst the six men. ¡°Ahh,¡± he sighed. ¡°This is such a pain and so boring.¡± He stepped forward. ¡°Even if I filmed it, I wouldn¡¯t be able to show Natsu-san or Harumi.¡± He spun around. ¡°I can¡¯t use my camera here.¡± He ran below the electromagnetic baton swung down by the first man on the right. He approached close enough for an embrace, so the man frantically stepped back. The man turned around to fall back without pressing his back to the wall and he did so with the inhuman speed the mechanical parts of his armor allowed. But Kashima caught up in a single leap. He twisted his body to control his midair position as he approached. ¡°You have a lot to learn about military gods.¡± He lightly clenched his fist and drove it into the man¡¯s chest. The heavy armor had the strength of a metal panel, but it still broke. The steel armor shattered like dried clay. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± Kashima gave an instantaneous shrug when he heard the soldier¡¯s confused cry. ¡°Did you really think armor and weapons below the divine level would be of any use against a military god?¡± With that, he completely broke the man¡¯s armored uniform. Cracks ran through it starting from the chest and all of the mechanical parts burst from within. Sounds of breaking metal filled the air and the broken mechanical parts briefly sent the entire uniform out of control. With no control over his suit, the soldier was sent flying backwards along with the fragments. He collapsed with a sound resembling shattering glass. Kashima then looked behind him. An instant later, a line of silver flew toward him. It was a blade. The other five had abandoned their electromagnetic batons and drawn the knives with sixty centimeter blades stored on their backs. The first caught Kashima off guard and grazed his cheek. The very next moment, he brought a hand to that cheek. He saw a hint of red on his fingers. ¡°Have you altered those with some kind of concept?¡± To respond, three of them moved in at once. They rushed toward him. However, he moved forward and only at a walk. ¡°¡­¡± The three wielding knives seemed to break past Kashima and the other two watched him continue to walk. However¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?¡± They could not see him. The three up ahead produced mechanical sounds as they stopped and frantically turned around. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± They could not see him. Nevertheless, Kashima simply walked between the group of three and the group of two. He walked toward the latter group. ¡°Yeah,¡± he said. ¡°Even when I put this much effort into my work¡­¡± He lightly raised his hands. ¡°I can¡¯t even let the people I most care about see it.¡± He stepped between the two men who were looking all around. ¡°And I can¡¯t hear them praise me.¡± He tapped them on the shoulder. ¡°Being a father isn¡¯t easy.¡± As if those words were the cue, all five armored uniforms shattered. Not just those on either side of Kashima, but the three who had passed by him as well. The series of five sounds resembled shattering glass and just as many people collapsed to the ground. Once Kashima reached the end of the corridor, he looked both ways. ¡°I see. So those six were supposed to force me out here where you would shoot me.¡± About three meters in both direction, he saw a double barricade made of desks and the barrels of anti-tank rifles were peeking out from behind them. There were eighteen barrels in all and they all shook as they sent an intense noise toward Kashima. The entire corridor shook, the gunshots collided and left the audible range, and all sound vanished. And tearing through the leading edge of that soundlessness were eighteen armor-piercing rounds modified for concept combat. ¡°!¡± Eighteen sprays of sparks filled the silence. The scattering red flames vanished in the air, the air carried a faint scorched smell, and then came the wind. The sound of the wind swept across the corridor and washed over everything. The white steam produced by the colliding shockwaves was swept away by the wind and everyone looked down the corridor. Two people stood on both sides of the young man in a lab coat. They were four old men. The first on the right had wavy gray hair, wore a white armored uniform, and held an Azure Dragon Sword toward the opposing guns. ¡°I am Ikkou, the eldest brother. A pleasure to meet you.¡± The second on the right had long gray hair, wore a lab coat, and held a charm toward the opposing guns. ¡°I am Nijun, the second brother. A pleasure to meet you.¡± The first on the left had short gray hair, wore a lab coat, and held a meter-long scroll toward the opposing guns. ¡°I am Mitsuaki, the third brother. A pleasure to meet you.¡± And the second on the left had long black hair, wore a flight jacket, and held nothing. ¡°Ummm, I¡¯m like Yonkichi, the fourth brother. It¡¯s like super nice to meet you or whatever.¡± The three other men began attacking him. ¡°Damn you. You¡¯ve started giving yourself terrible idiosyncrasies again, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had enough. It¡¯s time we castrated him.¡± ¡°Brother! Brother! Leave it to me!¡± Among the noise and voices, Kashima once more began walking and the gun barrels turned toward him. ¡°¡­?¡± But they lost sight of him. Even as Kashima sped up to a run, he shouted toward the four men behind him. ¡°They can see you!¡± Hearing that, the three elder brothers stopped moving and made an immediate decision. They kicked the youngest brother into the center of the corridor and returned the way they had come. The attack began anew and gunfire arrived from either side of the corridor. Kashima continued forward while he heard Yonkichi cry out behind him. For some reason, the old man sounded like he was enjoying it. ¡°What a pain. There are just too many of them.¡± He crouched down and slipped below the bullets and shockwaves. ¡°But I want to take back this place before the Sayama boy returns.¡± ¡°Could you climb up to reach that document, Shinjou-kun? The L row is over there.¡± Sayama¡¯s voice filled a large space divided up by bookcases. He was crouching in front of one bookcase and Shinjou listened to him under the shadow it formed in the fluorescent lighting. ¡°The S row you mean?¡± ¡°¡¯No, the L row. L for lecherous old man, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Sayama-kun, you sometimes use oddly old-fashioned words, don¡¯t you?¡± She looked up at the L bookcase. The document was in the middle of a shelf two meters up. She was not sure what to do, but the green creature they had let out of the bag walked over and stood below the document in question. It seemed to be asking her to step up on it. She hesitated, but she did so after removing her shoes. She looked to either side while reaching up for the document. The bookcases almost seemed to continue on forever. She could see the end, but it still seemed like an unusually large space. It was nearly two hundred meters across and probably fifty meters wide. This was the concept space reference room below Japanese UCAT¡¯s western general headquarters. All the documents for both UCAT and the Izumo Company days were stored here. ¡­Would Japanese UCAT¡¯s reference room be this big if you combined the first and second ones? As she wondered that, she saw several people moving about. Miyako was standing near the entrance as their supervisor. Moira 1st was moving between the bookcases and retrieving documents, Moira 3rd was copying the documents Moira 1st gave her, Moira 2nd was preparing tea near Miyako, and Gyes was standing in wait next to Miyako. ¡­They¡¯re on our side now. Shinjou found that strange as she grabbed the document. The movement shook her hair. She had changed into Setsu¡¯s clothes before coming here, but she still had Sadame¡¯s hairstyle and that difference felt almost ticklish. ¡°Hey, Sayama-kun? Did you mean this one?¡± She turned to Sayama who was crouched down to her right and he looked up at her with squinted eyes that seemed to stare into the distance. ¡°Yes, at that height, I can indeed see your underwear through the gap in your culottes, Shinjou-kun.¡± She jumped down and kneed him from above. The idiot collapsed on the floor, but he put on a charming look as he sat back up. ¡°Wh-what was that for, Shinjou-kun? I am simply shocked.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re shocked. ¡­And how can you say something like that when the others are busy fighting American UCAT back at Okutama!?¡± ¡°I only asked if you could climb up to reach it. I never said you should.¡± I need to keep a little more distance, she told herself. She crouched down toward the green creature that was emitting air, rubbed its head, and it rubbed her head with its front leg. It was producing a lot of air, so she was apparently quite tired. Someone then appeared from behind the bookcase. It was Moira 1st. ¡°Master Sayama, Lady Shinjou. A fax has arrived from below Japanese UCAT. It is a newspaper article related to a Heo Thunderson¡¯s past. Also, I have the copies of the documents I gathered.¡± Despite her words, Moira 1st frowned. Wondering why, Shinjou followed her gaze and saw the plant creature rubbing her head. Shinjou tilted that head. ¡°Moira 1st-san, do you not like these people?¡± ¡°No, it is not that. But 4th-Gear can instantly accomplish what our various services are meant to provide our master. ¡­They are a formidable foe that removes a large portion of what makes our work enjoyable.¡± ¡°I-I guess we all have it tough.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± said a voice behind her. ¡°Moira 1st-kun, I have an idea for when the world has been made equal. We can create a 4th-Gear massage center that provides instant relief from one¡¯s exhaustion and a 3rd-Gear service center that does the same over a longer period of time. Then the two can compete.¡± ¡°There is no need. We would obviously win, after all.¡± ¡°3rd-Gear sure is amazing in a lot of different ways,¡± muttered Shinjou as the green creature expelled a lot of air as if in agreement. Seeing that, Moira 1st brought a hand to her cheek. ¡°Oh, dear. Please cheer up, Lady Shinjou. Um, if you use one of 3rd¡¯s secret tools, it may be a bit immoral, but¡­¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t need any tools.¡± ¡°But it sounds useful,¡± chimed in Sayama. As she stood up, Shinjou tightened the necktie next to her and stopped Moira 1st who was searching for something in her apron. ¡°More importantly,¡± she said while holding out a hand to stop the automaton. ¡°U-um? Can we have the copies you made?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. Here they are.¡± Moira 1st handed Sayama the article on Heo and the multiple copied documents to Shinjou. ¡°I have determined these are the documents on Master Shinjou Kaname and his descendants.¡± After taking the article on Heo, Sayama turned to Shinjou who stood to his right. She looked blankly down at the documents related to Shinjou Kaname and his child. ¡°Are you surprised to find Shinjou Kaname¡¯s employee information?¡± ¡°Uh, yes. A little.¡± She let go of the left side of the documents and held them out toward him. He grabbed them and found that the man had started working at an Izumo Company factory in Yonago after graduating from a local elementary school. At fourteen, he had taken the company¡¯s special skills lecture. ¡°I see. At sixteen, he entered Tokyo¡¯s First Higher School. It also says he was Professor Tenkyou¡¯s assistant, Shinjou-kun. ¡­Where are the documents on Professor Kinugasa?¡± Moira 1st shook her head. ¡°I could not find any employee documents on him. Instead, I found this.¡± She pulled an envelope from the pocket on the back of her apron. Sayama took it with his right hand and found a stack of paper inside. Moira 1st nodded toward him. ¡°These are copies of the company reports from before and during the war. Professor Kinugasa sent in a few reports on Tokyo after going to the Okutama factory, which was a new company facility built there. They contain photos of the factory, photos of Tokyo after the firebombing, and¡­a photo of his home in the mountains of Okutama.¡± ¡°When did the reports end?¡± Shinjou stiffened at that question and Moira 1st¡¯s smile vanished. ¡°August of 1946. A notification of his death was sent out that September. It happened on July 26. When he was making adjustments to an Izumo Company facility in the Kinki region, he died suddenly due to pneumonia he had developed from his exhaustion and the rain.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Sayama nodded and said nothing more. They had received some of the truth. There was still a lot they did not know about Professor Kinugasa, but they had information on his home, they had information on his death, and both of those meant he had actually existed. Sayama turned his thoughts to the Izumo Company facility in the Kinki region that he had last visited ¡­According to the Divine States-World Interaction Theory, that would be 10th-Gear¡¯s location. Yamata had been sealed on August 25 of the same year and it was entirely possible the Concept War to seal 10th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core had occurred just before then. However, that was all speculation. It would be a waste to think about it anymore, so he stopped. Upon returning from his thoughts, he found Shinjou looking at him with a troubled expression. ¡°Sometimes your ability to focus seems really amazing, Sayama-kun.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. You put things aside for the time being, but you don¡¯t forget about them.¡± ¡°It is simply that I am unable to forget, Shinjou-kun. It is not a virtue or anything of the sort. It is much like being a stalker who resists pursuing his target. Although for a stalker, pursuing that target would be a virtue.¡± After saying that, Sayama guessed why Shinjou had said what she said. ¡°Shinjou-kun, do you mean to say you want me to virtuously stalk you?¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t virtuous! It¡¯s a bother! Look, Miyako-san can¡¯t believe what you¡¯re saying!¡± Sayama looked past Moira 1st and saw Miyako looking up at the ceiling. Her mouth spread apart horizontally and she called over to them. ¡°Do whatever you want.¡± ¡°See, Shinjou-kun? I have permission.¡± ¡°Just look at these documents. These ones right there. Do you see them?¡± Sayama reluctantly lowered his gaze to the documents she was pushing toward him. It was much like a resume. After the entries for the individual¡¯s work experience while attending the First Higher School, it said he was accepted into the Naval Accounting School on a recommendation, but he was soon ordered to join the Izumo Company¡¯s Tokyo factory. ¡­After earning his military qualifications, he must have joined the National Defense Department. ¡°In 1937 when he was nineteen, he was sent to the Izumo Company¡¯s Tokyo factory. He married in 1938, he had a son named Yoshi in 1940¡­and he died in the bombing of Hachioji in 1945.¡± He paused for a few seconds, but he knew that past definitely existed. ¡°Shinjou-kun, can I continue on to the next document?¡± ¡°Yes, you can. But¡­¡± She looked to Moira 1st who simply stood there just as she had before. ¡°There seemed to be something in here, didn¡¯t there, Moira 1st-san?¡± ¡°What makes you say that?¡± A voice arrived from beyond the automaton. It was Miyako who ate a chocolate cigarette she pulled from her pocket. ¡°Automatons love serving people, so you would normally want them to hurry through all the documents and praise you for bringing them all. But instead you¡¯re just standing there without even suggesting they continue on. Right?¡± ¡°Big sister doesn¡¯t understand herself all that much! And yet she always tries to act like she¡¯s more mature.¡± After hearing that voice from a distant bookcase, Moira 1st turned around with a smile on her face. ¡°Excuse me for a moment. I must provide some discipline.¡± ¡°Try not to make it too exciting and shocking.¡± Silence fell once Moira 1st nodded and left. Sayama flipped to the next document with Shinjou. The copied paper below was another employee record. ¡°Shinjou Yoshi. He joined the company in 1956 and married Mitsu, a coworker, in 1958.¡± But when his eyes reached the next line of the employee history, he stopped for a moment. Shinjou did the same next to him, but that was exactly why Sayama moved once more. He had to read this. Shinjou gasped and Sayama read through the rest of the document to force that breath out. ¡°In 1960, he had a daughter named Yukio. In the same year, he and his wife Mitsu died in an accident on a trip to Kinki.¡± He heard her gasp again. There were two reasons for this. First, Shinjou Kaname¡¯s child Yoshi had died along with his wife. And second¡­ ¡°Their child, Shinjou Yukio, was¡­¡± ¡°A girl. If she got married, she would lose the surname Shinjou,¡± muttered Shinjou. She lowered her head and sighed. ¡°Which means¡­¡± She gulped but continued. ¡°She isn¡¯t my parent.¡± Sayama heard Shinjou speak the word ¡°no¡± toward the floor. And¡­ ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± Her tone made it clear she did not want to accept this, so Sayama asked a sudden question. ¡°Well, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Sayama gave an expressionless reply to her reflexive voice. ¡°Are you going to give up and throw all this away?¡± ¡°Throw it¡­away?¡± ¡°Yes. Are you going to throw away the past that has taken us this far?¡± ¡°But...¡± She turned toward him and tilted her head with her eyebrows lowered. ¡°But there¡¯s no point in learning any more. This Yukio is probably a completely normal person and she doesn¡¯t even work here at IAI headquarters. As a woman, she can¡¯t be my father, so she¡¯s a completely unrelated Shinjou.¡± She hit the back of the papers in her hand as she spoke. There were only the two: one for Shinjou Kaname and one for Shinjou Yoshi. As he listened to the almost nervous sound of the paper being struck, Sayama spoke. ¡°Listen, Shinjou-kun. What if you are Shinjou Yukio¡¯s illegitimate child?¡± ¡°W-we can¡¯t just say what if¡­¡± ¡°The idea that you are not related to Shinjou Yukio is also a what if. Do not say anything for sure until you have seen this through to the end. Even the past is overflowing with possibility as long as you have yet to see it. Just because Shinjou Yukio is a woman does not mean she is not your mother.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Shinjou asked that disconnected question with a tremor in her voice and her eyebrows raised. ¡°Why? I was shown the deaths of so many different Shinjous today! And yet now you¡¯re asking me to look into something else that¡¯s as good as hopeless! Why!?¡± Sayama opened his mouth and paused before replying. ¡°Do you know much about that song?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Her raised eyebrows shook and Sayama continued speaking toward that shaking. ¡°The song you sang when we first met.¡± ¡°O-of course I do. It¡¯s called Silent Night, isn¡¯t it? And I can sing up to the sixth verse. What about it? What¡¯s your point?¡± ¡°Who do you think taught you that song?¡± Answering her question with a question actually brought her mind in closer. She thought for a moment before answering. ¡°My mother, I guess. ¡­It was probably a lullaby or something.¡± ¡°Then Shinjou Yukio is worth pursuing.¡± He swung his left arm which tugged the documents from her right hand with a snapping sound. She cried out in surprise and tried to reach for them, but he countered that by holding the paper toward her. He placed the very last line of the employee history right in front of her face. ¡°Read this carefully. It says the orphaned Yukio was left with a church orphanage in Sakai, doesn¡¯t it?¡± She gasped as she read the words. ¡°A church¡­and that¡¯s a hymn.¡± She slowly opened her mouth in a dumbfounded look. She fell silent, but more words came to push her onward. These ones were in Miyako¡¯s voice. ¡°That¡¯s related to Japanese history. Sakai was the city in which the Bible spread during the Sengoku period and that trend has continued to this day.¡± ¡°Precisely,¡± replied Sayama. ¡°Listen, Shinjou-kun. In that orphanage in the city of Sakai, don¡¯t you think Shinjou Yukio would have heard Silent Night at least on Christmas?¡± ¡°Then¡­you mean¡­¡± Shinjou¡¯s eyebrows twisted in puzzlement, but Sayama smiled at her. ¡°We have no proof. Shinjou Yukio¡¯s parents were both from Low-Gear, so there is no chance of her having the same special characteristics as you. And as a woman, her surname would change upon marriage. ¡­But as someone who has heard your song, I think it is too soon to give up. More importantly, the song you remember despite losing your memories is one that must have been close to Shinjou Yukio. ¡­And if she had a child, she would have sung that song to the child.¡± Sayama continued as he brushed a hand through his hair in the fluorescent light. ¡°But the rest is up to you. Will you pursue her even if it might be hopeless? Or will you give up because it might be hopeless. The choice is in your hands, Shinjou-kun.¡± A white fluorescent light illuminated a small kitchen, a ten square meter room, and an entranceway. Two people were in that entranceway: a woman standing with her back to the door and a boy sitting on the entranceway¡¯s wooden floor. The woman held a container sealed with cling wrap. ¡°Okay, Harakawa-kun. You¡¯ll be at school tomorrow, right?¡± ¡°I already said I would, Ooki-sensei.¡± Harakawa had changed out of his school uniform¡¯s shirt and into a black T-shirt and he looked to the woman in a brown suit before him. ¡°You sure have a lot of time on your hands. Don¡¯t you need to help prepare for the athletic festival?¡± ¡°No, my students are just so skilled.¡± ¡°Then how about you get home already?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s something going on near my home. Y¡¯know, with the American military.¡± ¡°Oh, that,¡± said Harakawa with a nod. An airplane had crashed the day before and there were still traffic restrictions in Okutama. ¡°Once the cars clear out, I guess I¡¯ll go get my motorcycle from the Nishitama Cemetary.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll head home by bicycle once that happens. My friends and acquaintances are working hard, so I need to buy a bunch of snacks for them at the convenience store.¡± She laughed happily and Harakawa sighed. Meanwhile, she looked back toward him, narrowed her eyes, and tilted her head. ¡°Are you not having a good day, Harakawa-kun?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even feel like talking about it, Ooki-sensei.¡± ¡°Eh? Y-you mean, um, it¡¯s something embarrassing?¡± ¡°Hold on,¡± he snapped back, but he stopped and rested his head on his hand. He clicked his tongue once before looking toward Ooki whose face was flushed and who was forming a defensive stance. ¡°I don¡¯t even know if it is or not. I can¡¯t seem to work out what it is. All I get are the self-important ideas that maybe I should do something or that I should have done something.¡± He closed his eyes. ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t do anything and I passed on the problem in the easiest direction.¡± He lowered his head as it rested on his hand and another hand was placed on that head. It was Ooki¡¯s. He did not look up, but she patted his head with her palm. ¡°You really are kind, Harakawa-kun.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± he replied. ¡°The problem is I don¡¯t know what the other person thinks.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t know,¡± said Ooki with a smile in her voice. ¡°I think part of the reason why people can be so kind is because they don¡¯t know what the other person is thinking.¡± ¡°You only think that because you¡¯re always talking about things without understanding them.¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re getting all cement-like too!?¡± Ooki¡¯s protest was immediately followed by a new sound. Her shoulders jumped in surprise because it was a knock at the door behind her. Ooki turned toward the two knocks and then glanced toward Harakawa. ¡°Um¡­¡± she said. He nodded toward her, stood up, and reached past her and to the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Heo. Heo Thunderson.¡± It sounded like the speaker had gulped just before speaking. Harakawa opened the door. He did so immediately and without hesitation, but he did so slowly. He found Heo there. He first noticed the orange work jacket and the blue armored uniform much like those worn by the people he had seen in the cemetery. He then saw her expression: lowered ends of the eyebrows but relaxed. It was an expression of relief. However, he also saw a car and a person behind her. The car was a large black one much like the one that had brought him here and the person was a tall woman in a black suit. Heo opened her mouth with those two things behind her. She also clenched her hands just below her neck. ¡°Um¡­¡± Volume 9, 24: Heart of Identity Volume 9, Chapter 24: Heart of Identity If nothing is correct But pure things become correct Is it correct to wish for them? Fluorescent light filled a small entranceway. The door was shut and two people stood below that white light: Harakawa and Heo. They were facing each other. ¡°Um¡­¡± Heo began to speak and Harakawa listened silently. Her gaze dropped to his neck but soon rose again. ¡°It seems the demon appeared again.¡± ¡°And it brought us on a trip to Chiba.¡± ¡°Sorry about all the trouble.¡± ¡°What you¡¯re saying doesn¡¯t follow, Heo Thunderson. Let¡¯s have a proper conversation.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She tilted her head and finally looked him in the eye. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Her expression softened a bit. It now looked weak and resigned. Meanwhile, he sighed and placed a hand on the wall. ¡°Why are you here, Heo Thunderson? You met the group called UCAT, didn¡¯t you?¡± During the car ride back home, he had been told about the death of Heo¡¯s great-grandfather. He had not been given the details, but they had said UCAT would be protecting Heo and ensuring her a place to live in the future. If she wanted anything, they would support her as much as they were able. So if she said she wanted to run, they would continue to support her as long as she did not stop running. ¡­She¡¯ll have all the freedom she wants. ¡°Isn¡¯t that just perfect? You¡¯ll live in America where you don¡¯t have to use any weird Japanese and you can do whatever you want. You can be surrounded by people without having to fear anything.¡± He said that because he thought it was the best thing for her to hear. ¡­That¡¯s the opposite path from me. That¡¯s right, he silently complained. It was best for her if she did not simply give up like he had. And she had been given this blessing because¡­ ¡°Someone is wishing for your happiness.¡± With that, he nodded. He directed it both toward Heo and toward his own heart. She initially reacted with silence. ¡°¡­¡± She then lowered her hands from below her neck, lowered her head, and lowered her shoulders with a sigh. ¡°¡­¡± But even as she hung her head, she smiled with the ends of her eyebrows lowered. ¡­Why¡­ Harakawa thought to himself. ¡­Why are you giving me that look, Heo Thunderson? He felt like he knew why, but he had another thought as well: You¡¯re simply afraid of having your environment change again. Just as people could adapt to unhappiness and accept it as normal, people could adapt to happiness as well. ¡­You should do the latter. At that point, Harakawa wondered if that was what he had thought while speaking with Ooki earlier. He did not know. He had not settled his thoughts at that point. Even now, he simply thought it was best for Heo if she went along with this and left the country. ¡°¡­¡± He heard someone sigh. It was Heo. She finally opened her downturned mouth. ¡°H-Harakawa.¡± She leaned toward him a bit and gently clenched her hands near her chest. She then looked up and their gazes met. She tensed her shoulders as if demanding something, but¡­ ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry. I will do my best in my new home.¡± Only then did she finally straighten up. Her lowered eyebrows rose a bit and supported the smile in her eyes. ¡°So you do your best at opening a bookstore.¡± He froze in place when he heard that. ¡­How does she know about that? Without even thinking, he realized it had to have been his mother. But by that time, she had lowered her head. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Before he could say anything, she turned around and opened the door. The wind blew, the night air entered, and her orange and blue form vanished outside. He could see outside for just a moment. He saw the woman named Diana waving toward Ooki who left on a bicycle, the black car, and Heo rushing toward it. ¡°¡­¡± The door closed. By the time his hand reached the doorknob, he heard the car starting up. By the time he turned the doorknob, he heard the car leaving to the left. And so he stopped moving. All that remained was the air that had grown as motionless as him. Chilly night air washed over Shinjou. She was just outside the entrance of IAI Headquarters. She had left the reference room for a single reason. ¡°I need to cool my head a little. There¡¯s just been so much that I¡¯m feeling overwhelmed.¡± The automatic door into the lobby closed behind her and she sighed when she heard it. Sibyl had contacted them earlier. Japanese UCAT was fighting back against American UCAT and they had retaken up to the third basement. There had been gunfire in the background and Sibyl¡¯s voice had sounded exhausted but delighted as she had said the following: ¡°By the time the two of you return, we will definitely have taken it all back. That is our duty as caretakers.¡± ¡°Please do,¡± Sayama had said before ending the call. Everyone was working hard and, just as Sibyl had said, the fight to retrieve the facility was theirs. And there was something else Shinjou and Sayama had to do here. ¡°So we can¡¯t rush this and lose sight of our job.¡± She said it aloud to drive it home. She faced forward. She was just outside the white building¡¯s entrance. She saw the roundabout in front of the building and a large fountain that was not currently running. There was light illuminating the large IAI building, but that light seemed to be absorbed by the night, the mountains, and the forest. She gently spread her arms and walked into the wind that brought the chill of the air to her. Beyond the fountain, she saw a lawn and then the runway and mountains. Sayama was currently gathering a few more documents, but after that, they would wait for the periodic report and head out. ¡°Are we returning so soon?¡± ¡­I hope everyone is okay. She looked up into the dark sky and the white IAI building. It¡¯s so big, she thought before lowering her gaze once more. A few vending machines were located along the building¡¯s wall to the right. They may have been for those who drove to work and they were covered by a canvas roof. Both to calm herself and as a favor to Sayama who was working down below, she thought it would be nice to buy some drinks. She turned to the right and approached the machines. She brushed a hand through her hair while making sure not to knock out Mukiti¡¯s flower. The night air entered through her hair and chilled her spine and the back of her head. The touch of the chilly air helped calm her a little. Or at least she thought it did. ¡­What should I do? She muttered the question in her heart, but the answer came from her mouth. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go to Sakai.¡± Once the athletic festival ended, the midterm exams began. After that was the school festival. She would have to go during the preparations for the school festival, but she was worried the others would resent her for that. She was interested in the preparations for the greatest of Taka-Akita Academy¡¯s bizarre festivals, but some things were more important. After all, there would be another school festival the following year. Assuming the world still existed in some form or another, that is. She understood her search for her parents was not actually related to the Leviathan Road. From the perspective of the Leviathan Road, they had made their trip here to pursue Shinjou Kaname as a member of the National Defense Department. Sayama had also gathered information on Professor Kinugasa for future use. After confirming his death, their research on Shinjou Kaname was as good as complete. ¡­So searching for his granddaughter is my personal issue. ¡°I wonder if I can ask Sayama-kun to come along,¡± she said while stepping up to a vending machine. She pulled a pink change purse from her pocket and pulled out 120 yen. However¡­ ¡°Oh, it¡¯s only 100 yen. That¡¯s a good price.¡± She smiled and inserted the 100 yen. She heard the coin fall and the LCD screen next to the coin slot lit up with a message. ¡°No getting it back now.¡± A very bad feeling entered her heart, so Shinjou immediately launched an attack on the coin return lever. But¡­ ¡°Why isn¡¯t it returning my money?¡± She repeated her attack a second and third time before looking at the coin return lever. The bottom of the lever had a warning printed on a silver foil sticker. She read it aloud. ¡° ¡®This is actually a no-return acceptance lever. Too bad.¡¯ This was a trap!!¡± As if reacting to her shout, the LCD screen displayed a new message. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it!!¡± She reflexively slammed her hand against the machine but only received an aching hand for her trouble. ¡°Fine then,¡± she said while lowering her shoulders and checking the drink options starting from the upper left. ¡°Freshly Squeezed Mackerel. My Sweat ¨C Lemon Flavor. Hot Yogurt. Drinkable Cheese. ¡­Is this full of test products?¡± ¡°5, 4, 3.¡± The LCD screen suddenly began a countdown. Sensing danger, she hesitated for one last moment, realized they were all the same, and frantically slammed her palm against the ¡°random¡± button. A slapping sound filled the air, a can could be heard falling through the machine, and it finally came out on the bottom. She picked up the can. ¡°Indometacin Tea.¡± ¡°Winner!!¡± Eh? she wondered as the vending machine lit up in front of her. Smoke blasted from it, it opened up, decorative lights popped out, and a multicolored relay of lights flashed as it played the Warship March. It then spat out another can. She cried out and managed the catch the can in midair. ¡°Iced Mitsumame Soda?¡± She decided to give that one to Sayama and sighed. But as she lowered her shoulders and looked forward again, she noticed something. ¡°Why haven¡¯t the lights stopped?¡± She saw numbers moving along the LCD screen. Two sevens were lined up next to each other and it was vertically cycling through several numbers to the right. Soon, the speed dropped, another seven came down from the upper right, and¡­ ¡°Noooo! Don¡¯t get another one!!¡± As Shinjou shouted and hit the machine over and over, the seven passed by. ¡°Ahh.¡± Thank goodness, she thought with another sigh. Her shoulders lowered in relief, but then the seven at the bottom of the screen ended its feint and hopped back up into place. The decorative lights all flashed, the Ride of the Valkyries played as a fanfare, and Shinjou¡­ ¡°Nwaaaaah!!¡± ¡°Winnnnnneeeeeeeeerrrrrrr!!¡± ¡°N-no! This isn¡¯t a joke anymore!!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it great!?¡± ¡°No, it isn¡¯t! Why aren¡¯t you listening!? And stop!!¡± ¡°No stopping it now!!¡± Can after can shot out like a waterfall and piled up at her feet with countless heavy metallic sounds. She cried out, stepped back, and looked around while trying to figure out what to do. ¡°A-a trash can! I need a trash can!¡± She held her hands forward and hurriedly looked behind her. That was when she noticed something. Someone was standing on the edge of the runway past the roundabout and the lawn. A girl in a black men¡¯s suit stood alone in the night. Shinjou recognized her. ¡°Toda Mikoku-san?¡± After speaking her name, Shinjou waited for Mikoku to respond. However, Mikoku said nothing, as if speaking her name was completely natural. She simply stood there with her bag over her right shoulder. ¡­She¡¯s part of the Army, right? This was certainly the girl Gyes had described and even drawn a portrait of. Shinjou wondered what to do and was suspicious of Mikoku¡¯s presence, but then she recalled her own situation. She had no weapons. However, another thought came to her. ¡­She isn¡¯t a bad person, right? That may not have been the right thing to think about someone who had defeated one of 3rd-Gear¡¯s Hecatoncheires. However, she calmed her breathing. Whatever the case, she had to keep the girl from moving and she could only wait for Sayama to come out as she was unarmed. As she began to move, she thought about buying time and also about communicating. She picked something off the ground and held it out toward Mikoku. ¡°U-um, Toda Mikoku-san? Do you want some¡­Eround Tea? ¡­Why does this can have a picture of me on it!?¡± ¡°Is it a region-limited character product?¡± ¡°Who made this!? ¡­And why is the answer so obvious!?¡± She began to carry the can inside the building to complain to the culprit, but¡­ ¡°Where are you going, Shinjou Sadagiri?¡± Mikoku walked over to her. Having her name called and the speed of the girl caused Shinjou to shrink back. She froze in place and Mikoku¡¯s footsteps filled the air as she approached but then stopped. The two of them came to a stop with the fountain in between them. And¡­ ¡°Sorry I kept you waiting, Shinjou-kun. I had Miyako-kun create a philosopher¡¯s stone of a weakened 5th concept. It is a handheld optical stealth concept, so now I can place hidden cameras more easily. Now we only need to wait for Kazami¡¯s report and then return to Tok-¡­¡± The entrance¡¯s automatic door opened and Sayama stepped out with two travel bags. When he saw the two girls, he stopped and faced Mikoku. He did not hesitate. His eyes narrowed for just a moment and he turned back to Shinjou the next moment. He then gave an expressionless nod. ¡°So to sum it up, you won a lot of Eround Tea, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No!! Well, actually yes!! But the problem is over there!¡± She pointed the hand holding some documents toward the fountain. ¡°Look! It¡¯s someone from the Army!¡± Mikoku watched Shinjou. Shinjou waved the can of tea in her hand and spoke to Sayama who had exited the building. ¡°Do you see her!? You do, don¡¯t you!? In a way, this is our first real contact with someone from the Army! You don¡¯t see this every day!¡± This is a lot like a scene from that exploration party show on Wednesdays, thought Mikoku. Wasn¡¯t last week¡¯s episode about searching for the cameraman who went on ahead of them into the depths of the unexplored Amazon? Shino was really getting into it, but I did not think they would really find Team Leader Kazami. Meanwhile, Sayama raised his hands a bit as Shinjou shouted an explanation at him. ¡°Calm down,¡± he said while pointing his palms at her. ¡°It is dangerous over there, so come over here.¡± ¡°Oh, sure.¡± Shinjou turned her back and started toward Sayama. ¡°Wait,¡± called Mikoku on reflex. Shinjou jumped and stopped while Sayama raised his head to look toward Mikoku. His gaze could only be called sharp as it pointed directly at her. She did not hesitate to accept it head on and she showed no fear as his gaze almost seemed to audibly pierce through her. ¡°I have something to tell Shinjou.¡± ¡°To tell me?¡± Shinjou timidly looked over her shoulder, but Mikoku did not turn toward her. Her mind turned focused on her right hand which held her sword and bag. She made sure she could grab the cloth cover and draw the sword at any moment. However, something stopped her intent to fight: Shinjou¡¯s voice and anxiously lowered eyebrows. ¡°Why me? And¡­who are you?¡± ¡°Someone who knows a lot that you do not.¡± Silence fell. But Mikoku did not remove her gaze from Sayama. She saw Shinjou stiffen out of the corner of her eye, but she could not focus on her with an enemy present. But she did notice that Shinjou gently held her own body, lowered the ends of her eyebrows, and opened her mouth. Mikoku knew more or less what question was coming from Shinjou who had lost her memories. ¡­She will ask if I know about her. Just as she thought about replying that she did know, the mouth directly in front of her gaze opened. ¡°Toda Mikoku. Don¡¯t tell me you too are the type that checks on certain things by tugging on them.¡± ¡°What? You ¡®too¡¯? And tug on what?¡± ¡°Waaaah!!¡± Shinjou frantically waved her hands and stirred up the air around her. She faced Mikoku with some anger in her expression. ¡°N-nothing! Don¡¯t let the words of a crazy person fool you!¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun, whose side are you on? More importantly, Toda Mikoku. Leave.¡± He pointed to the forest behind her. ¡°Shinjou-kun and I are extremely busy. If you have something to say, make an appointment first. Call IAI and say you wish to speak with the emperor of the universe. That will get you transferred to UCAT¡¯s complaints department.¡± ¡°Shinjou, is this boy always like this?¡± ¡°He¡¯s usually a lot worse.¡± She felt somewhat sympathetic. How sad, she thought. If only she had someone as normal as me nearby. Then she would not have so much trouble. And so she spoke with Shinjou still in the corner of her eye. ¡°Shinjou.¡± She took in a breath. ¡°Nothing I say to you now will get through to you and it is better if you know nothing. That is why I beg you to take this one thing to heart: could you perhaps leave UCAT while you still know nothing?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°All of this¡­ All of this comes down to our fight with UCAT.¡± ¡°Wh-why would you say that!? Why do I have to leave?¡± Mikoku answered Shinjou¡¯s question without preparing the words ahead of time. She spoke in a dignified voice so the girl could hear. ¡°Because you are someone who should not be involved in the fighting. This is for the sake of the world¡¯s future.¡± That is the role I¡¯m trying to have Shino bear, she thought. And then she continued. ¡°The reason for this is only known by us and a few within UCAT. ¡­And it is best if you do not know.¡± Sayama watched Mikoku¡¯s face. Her eyes were sharply narrowed and she pushed back his gaze. But he spoke up without hesitation. ¡°Let me ask one thing. Was Shinjou-kun on your side?¡± Shinjou¡¯s shoulders trembled at that. If Mikoku answered yes, it would mean Shinjou had belonged to the Army, their enemy. But Mikoku shook her head. ¡°No. Shinjou¡¯s parents did not wish for that. Neither did we or UCAT. But I know Shinjou. That is all that matters.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I am not about to give you any proof, but I do not change gender. I know Shinjou from before she lost her memories, but that is all.¡± ¡°I¡­see.¡± Shinjou¡¯s voice spilled to the ground with some disappointment mixed in. She had likely been hoping to find someone else of her same race. And so Sayama spoke to Mikoku in order to draw out some information to dispel Shinjou¡¯s discouragement. ¡°I see. In other words, that warning was a personal one removed from our positions as the Army or UCAT.¡± ¡°That is a valid way of looking at this.¡± ¡°I see. Then¡­¡± This is what that meant. ¡°To sum up, you are unable to forget Shinjou-kun, you casually approached her in Kurashiki, and you came all this way to see her. You are quite the stalker. ¡­Now, listen carefully.¡± He took a breath and pointed at Mikoku. ¡°Shinjou-kun hates perverts like that. You disgust me.¡± A can crashed into his forehead. He heard the heavy sound of the drink inside and his vision filled with darkness for an instant. However, the light soon returned and he saw the sky and the can that had bounced off his head. ¡­Hot Eround Tea. He could not let that fall on the ground, so he recovered in an instant, grabbed the can in midair, opened it, and took a drink. It was delicious and it woke him up. Shinjou was smiling on the printed label. He was glad he had secretly photographed her for this. ¡°Excellent.¡± ¡°S-Sayama-kun? What exactly is ¡®excellent¡¯?¡± ¡°That is simple, Shinjou-kun. Your warm liquid is so incredibly delicious that-¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it like that while rubbing your cheek against it!!¡± Shinjou shouted at him, but her shoulders drooped in exhaustion and she turned her head to look at Mikoku. ¡°Thank you for the warning, but I am a member of UCAT.¡± ¡°I know that and I have no intention of recruiting you into the Army. But remember this: your parents did not want you to be on either side and you would be honoring their decision if you stopped fighting.¡± ¡°Why? Why am I in that kind of position?¡± Shinjou¡¯s question filled the night air and she tilted her head toward Mikoku. ¡°Who were my parents? Do you happen to know Shinjou Yukio?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Just as Mikoku was trying to decide whether to agree or disagree, Sayama felt a slight wind to his left. The wind was blowing toward Mikoku. That wind contained the color red. The red was a women¡¯s suit worn by¡­ ¡°Gyes-kun!!¡± Gyes ran. She had thought carrying Sayama and Shinjou¡¯s travel bags to the main entrance was a job for the Moirai, but she was glad she had gone through with it without complaining. She had never expected this. ¡°I have determined I am fortunate to receive this chance for revenge!!¡± She shot past Sayama¡¯s right side and then Shinjou¡¯s right side. The fountain lay between her and the enemy, but she did not hesitate to step over the fountain¡¯s stone edge. Travelling over the water was the quickest route. She rerouted the same amount of gravitational control used to control one of her swords and opened it below her feet to support her body on the surface of the water. She kicked off the flat surface of the deactivated fountain. She charged onward while bending backwards. Nine swords expanded from the bottom of her suit. ¡°Ohhh!¡± By the time she crossed the fountain and swung her body forward in midair, she was within five meters of Mikoku. She moved her arms like wings and beat the air with her spread fingers to move ever onward. The swords crashed toward Mikoku. One swung toward her head from the upper left, one swung toward her right shoulder from the upper right, one was thrown toward her neck from the upper right, one flew toward the empty air to the left to prevent her from evading, one swept horizontally toward her side from the right, one swung diagonally down toward the hand holding her bag from the left side, one jabbed toward her stomach from the left side, and one jabbed toward her waist from the right side. Mikoku fell back. That avoided all but the jabs and the throw and she likely planned to draw her sword before those attacks caught up. And that was exactly what she did. She took a large leap backwards. Mikoku showed her skill by throwing her bag forward before drawing the sword. The jabs to the side and waist were obstructed by the bag, so only the throw to the neck remained. ¡°¡­!¡± But she swung her head to avoid that last attack. She stopped falling back and drew her sword. Gyes was still in midair and she determined Mikoku planned to target her just before she landed. ¡°You fell for it!¡± ¡°!?¡± Gyes shouted back at Mikoku¡¯s confused voice. ¡°How many swords did I attack with? Did you count them!? There were eight!¡± She had one left and she drew it from where it was hidden behind her back. She threw a single-handed strike while leaping forward. Meanwhile, Mikoku stuck with her counterattack. She did not step back to gain enough space to attack after Gyes landed. She instead stepped forward to fill what gap there was. ¡­Is she that confident in her sword technique!? A moment later, Gyes smiled. ¡°I have determined that is the case!¡± If this girl was skilled enough drive back Aigaion, she would view Gyes, another of the Hecatoncheires, on the same level. Having predicted that with high probability, Gyes went in for her true attack. She tossed her raised sword into the air. Mikoku frowned and that was exactly what Gyes had predicted would happen. And while acting in accordance with her predictions, Gyes grabbed the empty air with her right hand. ¡°Come!¡± With those words, something did indeed arrive. It was a sword, but it was far too large. A giant blade measuring eight meters appeared in the air. Holding the hilt and swinging it down was a giant red arm synched with the movements of Gyes¡¯s own arm. This was Gyes¡¯s god of war. As soon as she landed, she sank down and slammed her right hand against the ground. Her automaton palm tore into the asphalt and a spray of asphalt shot into the air. At the same time, the giant blade sliced through the roaring wind as it swung down toward Mikoku. It was going to hit. But just before it did, Mikoku did something else. ¡°¡­!¡± She threw her sword toward Gyes. When faced with this sudden action, Gyes¡¯s artificial mind chose to evade. ¡­Oh, no! Her failure had been in not releasing her self-preservation limiter. She had not been prepared to go down with her enemy and that had resulted in this automatic evasion as a machine. ¡°!¡± Her body tilted to the left and Mikoku¡¯s sword grazed her right cheek and flew behind her. And the sword wielded by Gyes¡¯s god of war slipped to the left. It fell as if tearing through the air to Mikoku¡¯s left. With a great roar, the giant sword tore apart the asphalt. However, Mikoku still lived. In fact, she was unharmed and still moving. She first spun her body around, reached into the air, and grabbed one of Gyes¡¯s swords that had previously fallen to the ground. The tremor in the ground from the god of war¡¯s attack had knocked it back into the air. Her hand began a snapping motion as if to throw the sword toward Gyes. Meanwhile, Gyes was crouching down after landing and she was in the process of releasing all of her gravitational control to prepare for its next use. In short, she could not immediately move. ¡­What have I done!? That thought was immediately followed by a sudden change to Mikoku¡¯s expression. Her eyes opened wide. ¡°¡­!?¡± She let go of the sword, raised the lightened hand in front of her, and grabbed something in the air. ¡°A new enemy!?¡± With that shout, she leaped backwards. She held something in her hand. It was what had stopped the attack against Gyes and caused Mikoku to fall back. It was a single silver fork. However, it was a promotional anime product, so the handle was pink. ¡­Is that¡­? Gyes turned and found two people standing in the entrance. One was Miyako and the other held her arms toward Gyes. ¡°Moira 1st.¡± ¡°I borrowed that from Lady Miyako, but I cannot fire it well on my own.¡± The automaton narrowed her eyes in a smile as she spoke and Gyes heard the footsteps of Mikoku falling back even further. Gyes tried to stand and pursue, but Miyako stopped her. ¡°Calm down, Gyes. This isn¡¯t someone you can defeat if you rush things. And this is their problem right now.¡± Miyako pointed forward but not at Gyes. She pointed at Sayama and Shinjou. Mikoku threw away the fork and ran backwards. The asphalt below her feet turned to grass and then the runway. She saw Gyes¡¯s god of war vanish and she saw Sayama and Shinjou run around the fountain and next to Gyes. ¡°What is the Army thinking!?¡± asked Sayama. ¡°What are you thinking!?¡± She could not exactly answer that. What are you asking? she thought, but that seemed funny to her. She took a breath and showed her teeth in a smile. ¡°Do you not get it!? Do you understand nothing!? ¡­You¡¯re a lot like your father, Sayama Mikoto, son of Sayama Asagi.¡± Those words scored a direct hit. Sayama¡¯s blank expression broke a bit. He frowned and the look in his eyes grew sharp. ¡°Why do you know my father¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Do you really think I am going to answer that? If you want to know, then pursue the past. Although you might find something that makes you want to stop partway. ¡­But if you can overcome that, then you will see the flow of history that everyone has chosen to ignore!¡± She took a breath. ¡°And Shinjou, let me tell you what I failed to say a moment before. This information could lead to good or bad.¡± ¡°Wh-what are you-¡­?¡± ¡°I refer to your parents. They were both members of UCAT.¡± She spoke as if throwing the words away, but she saw Shinjou¡¯s eyes open wide. It was a look of surprise. However, it was a joyous surprise, not a fearful one. ¡­So she is happy to hear her parents were members of UCAT. She momentarily closed her eyes to think on that fact and she gave herself over to running. A moment later, she jumped past the runway and toward the forest. She then heard the roar of something slicing through the air. Just as Shinjou¡¯s mouth opened to ask a question, something caught Mikoku¡¯s airborne body from the side. The object snatched her away in midair. ¡°Alex!¡± It was a mechanical dragon. Previously, the steel color of his mechanical body had been exposed, but he was now colored red, white, and blue. She was surrounded by a barrier of air he held and she shouted down below even as they began to ascend. ¡°We will next meet on the battlefield!¡± Down below, the large white structure grew more distant. The two people standing before it also grew smaller and the surrounding scenery came into view. Her field of vision rose and she realized they were rising into the sky. ¡°Mikoku! Down below!¡± Alex spoke while ascending with a roar of wind and Mikoku looked back down. She searched for something different from before that would make Alex cry out. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± Someone stood on the roof of the giant white building. It was a well-built middle-aged gentleman in a white suit. His hair was slicked back and his likeable eyes and mouth were turned toward them. Even though it was night, he made a show of placing a hand over his eyes as he looked up. It was as if he were seeing them off. ¡°Who is that?¡± Mikoku answered Alex without looking away from the man below. She sat on the mechanical dragon¡¯s back inside the barrier that protected her from the atmospheric pressure. ¡°He was once one of our enemies. But from what we have seen, he seems to have lost all will to fight.¡± She crossed her arms and looked up into the night sky. It felt like her view stretched on forever. ¡°His name is Izumo Retsu. He is currently IAI¡¯s executive manager, but he was the leader of Japanese UCAT during the Great Kansai Earthquake.¡± ¡°I see. More importantly, we must hurry back, Mikoku. Tatsumi has contacted us. Word has reached the harbor that some kind of large object is traveling through the ocean near Tokyo Bay. Most likely, that woman and the automaton who threw the fork at you were on their way to inform that Sayama and Shinjou of the same thing.¡± ¡°In that case¡­¡± Alex¡¯s words were brief. ¡°Tokyo will soon be the site of a battle between a mechanical dragon and the evil organization of UCAT.¡± It chose to move. Its evolution was progressing smoothly and it had developed beyond what could be called necessary. It had used that evolution to overcome the subconscious wariness that came from a past it did not remember. Even if someone had fought back against it in the past and even if that person had harmed it, it had surpassed all that with its current evolution. But it also wondered if this sense of superiority was nothing but self-conceit. Was it simply relying on its own predictions and not looking at reality? But it made a further decision. It used its predictions to their fullest to create the greatest enemy it could imagine and evolved to oppose such an enemy. When evolving, it had to choose one of two basic types of mechanical dragon. One was a non-transforming type that could somewhat alter the position of the exterior over its primary framework to create a generic form that could both fly and fight. As the frame did not change shape, it was more durable, but its abilities in flight and combat were lacking as it had elements of both built in. The other was a fully transforming type that could transform the primary framework and fully transform the exterior to create two distinct forms for flight and combat. As the frame was made to come apart, it was less durable, but it could produce great mobility and attack power. The main problem was the lack of defensive power. It chose the former. It had a reason: its giant form. It was large and therefore needed durability to maintain its body. And so it was born as a non-transforming type. As it evolved, it needed to strengthen its weaponry to handle large enemies and to thicken its armor and strengthen its accelerators to handle smaller enemies that would attack and immediately withdraw. However, it wondered if it would be defeated and injured using that method. It was the failure of that method that had sent it to the bottom of that water and set its evolution going once more. It then found another answer. Its previous evolution had not been wrong. It had simply lacked something. It wanted to move once it had gathered everything. ¡°¡­¡± It moved through the ocean. It moved to fight. It moved for the sake of the people that should have been by its side but were not. All the while, it wondered where those people had gone. It was not the humans who first noticed the change. A large white facility existed in Kanda, a portion of Tokyo¡¯s center. The automatons in the underground facility spotted a single philosopher¡¯s stone reading on the radar. ¡°Reading detected! At this size, it is almost certainly Black Sun! Activating experimental large-scale concept space creation device!!¡± A moment later, a long, shallow V-shaped concept space opened from Tokyo Bay to the Chuo Expressway and from the Chofu Interchange, along National Route 20, and to Okutama. At the same time, the American UCAT mechanical dragon unit deployed to Tokyo Bay ascended into the sky. A giant object was already flying into the air above the ocean while surrounded by massive amounts of water. It was a black mechanical dragon over three hundred meters long. Volume 9, 25: Desired Sky Volume 9, Chapter 25: Desired Sky Fun This is fun It is so much fun here The blue mechanical dragons of American UCAT sought battle over Tokyo Bay. Six of the twelve ascended and they formed three-craft units named A and B. Units C and D where in charge of attacking from the surface. When a dark form entered the nighttime bay from the east, Unit A approached from the northern sky and Unit B from an arc skimming just above the southern water¡¯s surface. The large black mechanical dragon was moving slowly. It travelled west at an altitude of approximately five hundred meters. The commander of Unit A spoke up while approaching it from the upper left. His voice did not travel over electromagnetic radio. To lessen the burden on the large-scale concept space creation device in Kanda, the concept space contained no concept allowing electromagnetic communication. Kanda was also developing a concept space communication device which would allow the use of radios even with all sorts of concept jamming in effect, but it was still in the experimental phase. For that reason, they used optical radios that transmitted signals using the rapid flashing of small lights. And so the flying mechanical dragons spoke with those voices of light. ¡°Cross over.¡± While Unit A was approaching from the upper left, Unit B was approaching from the lower right and their commander spoke up in response. ¡°Testament.¡± The six dragons had transformed into their aircraft forms and they twisted toward the black dragon in groups of three. Unit A flew from the upper left to lower right of the large black mechanical dragon. Unit B flew from the lower right to the upper left. A moment later, Units C and D launched a preemptive strike from the harbor. To support Units A and B¡¯s attack, they were drawing the black dragon¡¯s attention just before the attack. The simultaneous attacks sounded like a single explosive noise. The ground unit had also prepared some tanks. The six mechanical dragons on the surface fired their dragon cannons from their mouths and the tanks fired several hundred concept-modified steel shells into the air. They hit. The clear sound of impact was joined by overlapping shockwaves. Armor-piercing, heat piercing, and other special concept shells struck the black dragon¡¯s nose and shoulders. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± A continuous roar filled the air and explosions lit the sky. That was when Units A and B crossed paths. The unmoving lights of concept space Tokyo colored their intersection. They flipped past each other at about six hundred meters in front of the large black mechanical dragon. The commanders fired their dragon cannons, the second-in-commands fired their air-to-surface missiles and let inertia carry them, and the third member of both units primarily scanned everything around them to pick up the effects of all the attacks in real time. By the time the intersecting attack ended, the six blue dragons had passed by the black one. They scattered. The three members of Unit A scattered toward the ocean below and the three members of Unit B scattered into the sky above. They flew in swift arcs to avoid being attacked and they gathered into groups of three once more. While they once more began to pursue the black dragon, Unit A¡¯s commander spoke up. ¡°How¡¯s the enemy?¡± He looked to the black mechanical dragon that flew through the sky with explosive flames wrapped around it like a cloud. ¡°Slight damage to the armor. An invisible defensive field surrounding it deflected even the dragon cann-¡­¡± The voice coming from Unit A¡¯s third member vanished. Everyone saw something red in the position his dragon had been. Due to their relative speed, that something seemed to be slowly tumbling and breaking to pieces. It was the wreckage of a blue mechanical dragon and the flames of an explosion. It had been hit by some attack none of them had seen. And the enemy had targeted the third member which had not attacked it. They all felt a chill and realized something. A wild beast would always attack the weakest prey first. And a wild beast would make an example of the weak to rule over the others. Unit A¡¯s commander made a split-second decision and shouted out. ¡°Unit B, break! You too, ground unit! The enemy might be scanning the data from our attacks! Get away from the weapons that had the least effect!¡± The people he was addressing responded. And they did so with bright explosions. One appeared in the sky and eleven rose up from the wharf in the distance. Those were the third member of Unit B and the tanks on the wharf. Smoke rose while wrapped in flames, but not so much as a scream was heard. When using electromagnetic communications, destruction brought static, but here there was only the fire. But then each unit commander received a communication. It was the last information the third members of Units A and B had managed to get off as they broke apart and sank. That information gave the identity of the enemy attack. ¡°Black light?¡± That was something that should not exist. It was an optical weapon that could not be seen at night. The black mechanical dragon had fired from all of the cannons hidden over its body. It had most likely fired from its mouth as well. And then it accelerated. Its body shrank down for an instant and it extended in the next instant. ¡°¡­!¡± It let out a cry and moved forward to the harbor where more weak prey was gathered. ¡°Pursue!¡± The remnants of Units A and B merged into a single four-craft unit and pursued the black dragon. While facing the burning harbor, that black dragon used its acceleration to shake off the flames surrounding it. Once it was visible again, Unit B¡¯s second-in-command described what he saw. ¡°It¡¯s unharmed.¡± He gasped as he said it, but Unit B¡¯s commander replied. ¡°No. Our third told us there was light damage to the armor and that¡¯s more than anyone managed sixty years ago. We don¡¯t know how much it can accelerate, but we do know we can draw its attention and damage it.¡± Lights flew up from within the flames on the harbor. They belonged to the mechanical dragons of Units C and D as they drew arcs through the sky on a direct path to the enemy. But all of the blue dragons saw the black one lower its head a little while still raising its speed. ¡°¡­!¡± Its dragon cannon fired from its mouth like a waterfall of black light. But it was not targeting the mechanical dragons that were arriving from the harbor. ¡°Damn that thing!!¡± The attack swept across the harbor in an instant. It pierced through the moored cargo ships being used as barricades like they were made of paper. The black light roasted all the equipment, weapons, and everything else prepared on the wharf and the impact blasted them into the sky. The sound of spraying water rushed from left to right. And it was after a slight delay that the explosions and destruction from shockwaves arrived. That too swept from left to right while blasting rubble, wreckage, and pillars of water into the sky. The pillars of destruction easily reached three hundred meters. Afterwards, the cars from the cargo ships and fifty meter square warehouse roofs poured down like rain. Beyond all the damage, no cover remained. There was only a thick sea of tall flames. And the city was visible past those flames. It was empty as this was inside the concept space, but that nightscape had been created by human hands. The black mechanical dragon accelerated toward those nighttime lights. As it continued on, the blue mechanical dragons pursued and Unit A¡¯s commander transformed. The legs narrowed its wings, the head extended out, and the entire body grew longer and more slender. ¡°All units, transform into high-speed cruising form and continue the mission. Pursue the-¡­¡± He changed his wording. ¡°Shoot down the enemy.¡± Movement filled an underground space. A white corridor had the characters B2F on the wall. This was the underground portion of Japanese UCAT. The corridor ended at a large explosion-resistant door which said ¡°New Headquarters¡± in black, block letters. However, the door was opened, so those two words were split to the left and right. Inside that place which functioned as the new center of Japanese UCAT, a voice proclaimed what was occurring there. The Japanese voice sounded exhausted and out of breath. ¡°Is this the final battle!?¡± With that, gunshots raced across the room. Those inside the headquarters wore blue armored uniforms and those rushing inside wore white uniforms. A few of each were knocked aside by the gunfire, but the remaining ones chose a clash. The white fired and continued running while the blue returned fire. None of them evaded. ¡°You idiots!¡± shouted the middle-aged commander at the head of the white group. He spoke in English. ¡°We intercepted your optical transmissions, so we know Black Sun has appeared in Tokyo Bay!¡± He received a response in Japanese. The American UCAT commander shouted back while firing a submachine gun from the top-level terrace. ¡°Our job is to protect this place no matter what happens! If you don¡¯t like that, then change it!¡± ¡°If you understand that much, then prepare yourselves!¡± The two of them ran toward each other, faced each other, and prepared their weapons. They then shouted a single word in unison. ¡°Testament!¡± They both fired their submachine guns one last time. They were only three meters apart and gunfire filled the air as they simultaneously pulled the trigger at such close range. The man from Japanese UCAT held his gun in his right hand and covered his face with his left. The bullets were deflected by his elbow and gouged into the ceiling behind him. However, the man from American UCAT did not. He tried to raise his armored arm to protect himself, but he found it would not move. He checked and saw his uniform¡¯s actuator had been warped from the previous gunfire. At first, he frowned at the unexpected turn of events, but he instantly realized the bullets flying toward the center of his chest had some kind of concept effect. ¡°Mock bullets!?¡± Once he realized that, he smiled. He showed his teeth of as if to say this was just perfect. ¡°Is being this na?ve your way of doing things, you yellow apes!? But I will praise you for this!¡± He prepared himself to be hit and closed his eyes. But in that instant, a female voice reached him. ¡°I have determined that is enough.¡± A hand swept in front of the bullets and took the hit in his place. The sound of something cracking brought everyone to a stop, but the owner of the arm moved their hand. ¡°This is not a problem. I can move it with my gravitational control.¡± When she brought her hand to her chest and bowed, someone muttered her name. ¡°#8.¡± ¡°Testament. I decided to intrude a bit as I owe a debt to American UCAT.¡± ¡°Owe a debt? But thanks to the automatons¡¯ shared memory, I¡¯d heard they destroyed you.¡± The commander lowered his submachine gun that was out of ammunition and frowned. Meanwhile, #8 shook her head while wearing the shirt and jeans that American UCAT had given her. ¡°No, unfortunately. After I sent the identity of Colonel Odor¡¯s technique over the shared memory, I entered sleep mode, but after that¡­¡± She looked across everyone and showed off her arm with the bullets embedded in it. ¡°It seems Colonel Odor caught me as I fell.¡± ¡°Then you saved him because¡­?¡± ¡°Testament. I command the automatons, so I saved the life of someone on a similar level. However, this body is only the one I had left in the warehouse, so we are now even. If you wish to enjoy the rest of the battle, please do. In that case, I will work to serve all of you.¡± She took a breath. ¡°Otherwise, please return to your normal jobs. And in that case, I will still provide my assistance. That is my duty as an automaton.¡± The battle above Tokyo had already shifted about twenty kilometers back from the front line at Tokyo Bay. The black mechanical dragon travelled along the concept space corridor continuing to the west. It may have realized that was the shortest path, it may have thought nothing constituted an obstacle for it, and it may have been able to smash through any wall if it slammed into it, but it chose to simply hurry onward. The black dragon¡¯s target was the Concept Core inside the Vesper Cannon located at Okutama. That was the power of its world and it flew based on a sense of smell that resembled a homing instinct. It simply continued west along the path formed by the concept space corridor. Pursuing its giant form were the blue mechanical dragons. Those blue dragons were all less than a tenth the size of the black one. While the black one calmly used its wings to accelerate, the blue ones narrowed their bodies and sliced through the air to pursue. The number of blue dragons had fallen. There were only five now. Unit C had been completely wiped out, Units A and B had their commander and second-in-command, and Unit D only had its second-in-command. Even though those five remained, none of them was undamaged. However, the same could be said of the black dragon. Its armor was cracked or even damaged in places. Unit C had done that damage. Near the intersection of the Chuo Expressway and the Inner Circular Route that made a circuit of Tokyo¡¯s city center, Unit C had made an attack while using the raised highway of the Shinjuku region as cover. The result could be seen in the present situation. The black dragon¡¯s speed had not dropped. In fact, it had risen, as if to say its prey was close. The pursuing blue dragons flew below the dark sky and above the abandoned expressway. Among them, Unit D¡¯s second-in-command spoke. ¡°Dammit. Damage to the transformation structure is keeping me from deploying my cannon. If only we could have closed off the end of concept space, we could have focused our attacks on it.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t do that,¡± replied Unit A¡¯s commander. ¡°If it managed to break through the wall and into the real world, it would spread chaos across the globe. We need to use the time and distance given by this long concept space to finish it off while it¡¯s drawn by the bait.¡± He continued. ¡°D2, testament. You can withdraw. ¡­Everyone else, continue.¡± With that, Unit A¡¯s commander, A1, accelerated at the head of the blue group. ¡°We will now begin stage two of Operation Thunder Dragon.¡± As they flew above the expressway, the land near Chofu lay below them. They saw factories and paddy fields. The collection of lights to the southwest was the area around Keio Chofu Station. A few department stores and buildings were gathered there, so the level ground contained lights and the shadows of structures. A large area of shadow was located near there. That was Chofu Airport. The black mechanical dragon cut past that light and shadow at a height of six hundred meters. One of the blue mechanical dragons had left, so four remained: A1, A2, B1, and B2. A1 and B1, the two commanders, flew up into the sky on the left and right. And¡­ ¡°Hey,¡± said B1 to A1. ¡°Before entering the concept space, you saw the footage from Yokota, right? Y¡¯know, of the great-granddaughter of that past hero.¡± ¡°Yeah, the girl the colonel is protecting. The one who¡¯s been called demon possessed for so long.¡± ¡°Will we really be able to tell her she doesn¡¯t need to worry about that anymore?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± replied A1. ¡°The colonel may be scary, but he was worried about us, remember? And we said to leave the front line to us. If we can say that to someone like him, there¡¯s no way we can¡¯t do the same with a girl.¡± As they spoke, the two dragons flew in two arcs to reach the sky above either side of the black dragon. The black dragon then shook slightly as the cannons across its body opened. That was when light struck it from behind. A2 had remained behind and fired its dragon cannon. However, the attack from behind was blocked by the black dragon¡¯s defensive field and armor. The light broke and scattered, but the black dragon was slowed ever so slightly. A voice filled their cockpits. It was A1¡¯s voice. ¡°Transfer all data control to B2. We need to focus on piloting.¡± ¡°Testament.¡± With those words, A1 and B1 shot toward the black mechanical dragon from above. A1 did not transform. While still in high-speed cruising form, it flew toward the black mechanical dragon¡¯s back as if dropping down headfirst. The roar of wind enveloped the craft and it bent and creaked under the stress. However, A1 ignored that and accelerated toward the center of the dorsal fin-like armor on the black dragon¡¯s back. In that instant, the black dragon opened up its back. It revealed a series of cannons. Just as the records from sixty years ago described, sixty-four holes opened on its back as the giant muzzles of cannons. Black light was already gathering inside them. In the very instant before they fired, A1 let out a shout. ¡°Fire!!¡± With that, two types of light appeared. One was the black light fired from the black dragon¡¯s back. The other came from a completely different direction. In the darkness to the southwest, a tracer round flew from the ground at the Chofu Airport. The light of the shell revealed a group of ground vehicles including tanks. The shell struck first. Light and noise covered the black mechanical dragon¡¯s left side and it gave a cry. It had opened the armor on its back and the armor panels it had moved out of the way were folded up in a number of places on its back. That meant it could not bend its body to escape the damage. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± A creaking sound filled the sky and both A1 and B1 took control of themselves. On their current path, the black light rising from below would pierce through them, so they slipped aside as if moving from the black dragon¡¯s back and to its sides. They then transformed to normal flight form and immediately continued on to combat form. While transforming, the frame, armor, and spread limbs received the full force of the pressure from the air. The air slammed into their underside with a sound much like cloth being struck. The two mechanical dragons used the recoil and air resistance to twist around. They pointed their heads down as if circling around the black dragon on either side. Like that, they managed to evade the barrage of black light rising toward them. And they immediately dropped down and really did slip past the black dragon on the left and right. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± They continued down toward the expressway flowing by down below. The black barrage they had evaded curved around in the sky above and pursued them down below. The black attack split into thirty-two shots on either side and rapidly closed in on the two dragons. But the dragons hurried down to escape them. To support them, a second shell from the southwest struck the black dragon in the face. A roar filled the air and flames rose from the hit, but¡­ ¡°!¡± A dragon cannon shot from the black dragon¡¯s mouth and to the land in the southwest. It hit and the straight line swept across the dark airport. With the sound of distant thunder, the formation of combat vehicles was scattered by explosive flames. All of it was destroyed beyond recognition. But despite that destruction, A1 had successfully avoided the attack after it. It slipped past the black light pursuing from overhead and reached the asphalt rushing past at high speed. Just before colliding with the ground, A1 spread its combat form limbs and slammed itself into the expressway. The metal smashed the asphalt and the great inertia of its speed caused the blue dragon to slip forward with sounds of destruction. All of the cockpit¡¯s consoles immediately turned red because the damage to every part of its body quickly entered the red zone. It was surprising that a transforming mechanical dragon had lasted even this long. ¡°This isn¡¯t over yet!¡± A1 continued to move. It forced its body up, which broke its front, right leg. Echoing destruction filled the air, the dragon tilted upwards, and it faced straight up. Just before taking that standing pose, A1¡¯s nose targeted the black mechanical dragon¡¯s belly. And it transformed. It shifted to normal flight form, purged the parts that did not survive the process, and threw all of its strength into acceleration. It floated up for an instant before beginning to sink back down under its weight, but then¡­ ¡°Go!¡± The blue dragon slipped past the black barrage coming from overhead and forced itself to ascend. Its front, right leg fell off and one shot of black light smashed the secondary cannon on its shoulder. However, it did not stop. It shot past the black dragon¡¯s left side and circled around into the sky. It twisted around and pointed down. The black mechanical dragon¡¯s back lay there. The series of cannons there contained no light after having fired the previous barrage and the armor had been removed to expose those cannons. Light was gathering in the blue mechanical dragon¡¯s mouth. But even with this dragon cannon, the enemy¡¯s defensive field meant a straight-on shot was needed. And so A1 made a half rotation to point its head straight down. It made a single downward acceleration because it was unlikely it could withstand any more than that given its level of damage. The black dragon responded by slowly gathering black light in those cannons again and by opening a few new areas of armor. Small cannons jutted out to fire back at the blue dragon. However, something else did not allow that counterattack. To interrupt the black dragon¡¯s preparations to fire, a great impact shook the entire dragon and caused it to float up a bit. Something had crashed into it from below: B1. A1 could not see from its location, but B1 had likely collided with the black dragon¡¯s belly and was now clinging to it. It then began tearing into the armor panels with its legs. ¡°¡­!¡± B1 roared and white light sprayed from the black dragon¡¯s belly. B1 had fired at point blank range. The black dragon clearly twisted its body, let out a cry, and shook its wings. A moment later, a few colors other than white spread from its belly: red and black. The mixture formed explosive flames of destruction. B1¡¯s roar and white light had vanished and it went without saying what had become of them. However, A1 did not hesitate. While facing downwards, it accelerated into a power dive that far outdid gravitational acceleration. And then¡­ ¡°¡­!?¡± A disturbance came over A1¡¯s movement. It shook and strayed a bit from its downward path. That was when it saw what remained in the sky behind it where A2 and B2 should have been. ¡°Were they shot down!?¡± Only two trails of smoke remained in the dark sky there. The wreckage was likely on the expressway far behind. The shaking of its body had come from the loss of B2 which had been handling its central control. Inside A1¡¯s cockpit, Unit A¡¯s commander switched over to full manual control. That meant he could not use the targeting system, but¡­ ¡°I can aim by sight!¡± With that shout, he finished switching everything over. However, the slight time lag proved fatal. The lessened acceleration had allowed black light to gather in the cannons down below. They were not fully charged yet, but it was enough to fire. ¡°Dammit!¡± As if to drown out his shout, the black barrage rose with the density of a wall. He would be shot down. But in that instant, another blue form descended next to A1 at even greater speed. ¡°D2!? I ordered you to withdraw!¡± ¡°Well, you see, the damage to my craft¡¯s transformation structure has me stuck in high-speed cruising form.¡± The man continued speaking before he could be stopped. ¡°Go on ahead. ¡­And make sure you and the others get the praise of that demon-possessed girl.¡± The pointed front end of the blue mechanical dragon designated D2 charged into the black barrage. It was less like a direct hit and more like an inevitable strike that destroyed D2. The blue dragon broke apart and its pieces scattered everywhere, but it still created a path. There was now an empty gap in the wall of black. D2 then crashed into the cannons on the black dragon¡¯s back. In the same way, A1 charged through the opened path in the barrage. The black mechanical dragon¡¯s back lay directly before it. The black light was gone and D2¡¯s collision had opened a hole in the cannons. The black dragon¡¯s internal framework and steel moving parts were visible. That was A1¡¯s target. It transformed in an instant. In combat form, it accelerated toward the black dragon¡¯s back despite its missing front, right leg. Just before hitting, it fired a full blast of its dragon cannon. And it collided with the larger dragon¡¯s back. A flower bloomed in the sky near the Chofu Interchange on the Chuo Expressway. It was a giant red flower with a core measuring over three hundred meters. Its petals were made from explosive flames and the sound of its blooming sounded like a bestial cry. That flower bloomed in the night sky, but it soon scattered. Seeds trailed flames and flew through the sky as the flower scattered, but those seeds were the pieces of a black mechanical dragon. Giant pieces of framework and armor fell to the earth and smaller pieces sliced through the wind and scattered everywhere. The great rumbling arrived later. One great roar acted as proof of the destruction and a chain of scattering fireworks sounds followed. Once the wind swept the smoke from the air, only one thing remained: the lingering reverberation of destruction. Nothing concrete remained. The black mechanical dragon had been destroyed. Volume 9, 26: Running Destination Volume 9, Chapter 26: Running Destination Your heart tells you to go And your voice wants to say something ¡°I¡¯m going¡± A small room of about eight square meters had an arched roof. The floor was orange carpet and the walls were covered in wallpaper made of a fairly thick white cloth. The only furnishings were a sofa and bed affixed to the ground, a television embedded in the wall, and some shelves. The lights embedded in the ceiling created shadows in front of the door and at the edge of the bed. Both of those shadows were cast by a person, both of whom were female. A tall woman in a black suit stood in front of the sliding door and a short girl sat on the edge of the bed. ¡°Okay, Heo. I will be leaving now, so are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°Y-yes. I can see what¡¯s going on using the TV, Mrs. Diana.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± replied Diana with a smile. She placed a hand on the door behind her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We just received word that Black Sun was destroyed, remember?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Heo nodded and remained sitting without even removing her jacket. Seeing that, Diana tilted her head while still smiling. ¡°You don¡¯t believe it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that. I see no reason for them to lie about it. It¡¯s just¡­that means there was a battle.¡± ¡°Yes, and it seems many lives were lost.¡± Heo hung her head when she heard that and Diana continued speaking. ¡°Feeling sad is a good thing, Heo, but if you are going to actually say something, say thank you. They were fighting to create happiness, not to make people sad.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Despite the sinking tone of Heo¡¯s reply, Diana narrowed and bent her eyes. ¡°But you probably won¡¯t really understand that until later, so think about this again once you are more certain of your safety and have grown up. ¡­Perhaps after you have children.¡± ¡°B-but I¡¯m still a long way from getting married.¡± As Heo tensed her shoulders, blushed, and waved her hands back and forth, Diana laughed a bit. ¡°It¡¯s better for girls to be cute like that instead of looking sad, Heo.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± said Heo upon realizing Diana was comforting her. She relaxed her body and let out a sigh. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± She lowered her head a bit while giving her thanks, but she had formed a small smile by the time she looked up again. She asked Diana a question in a bright voice that sounded a little forced. ¡°What about you, teacher? Mr. Roger told me you are married.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have that kind of relationship with my husband. The two of us once investigated a small organization¡¯s source of income in the United States. We ended up fighting that enemy and, after about a month of fierce fighting, we found we had a lot in common.¡± Heo¡¯s eyes opened wide, but Diana only continued with a smile in her voice. ¡°We promised each other to singlehandedly bear the death of the other if they die first.¡± ¡°What¡­ What kind of person is he?¡± ¡°Well, he rejects others, acts superior to everyone else, and believes that he is always right about everything, but at the same time, he truly hopes to find he is wrong.¡± Diana¡¯s words almost seemed directed at herself and they left Heo speechless. Heo mouthed the words to herself and sighed. Diana¡¯s shoulders fell a bit as she heard that air escaping the girl¡¯s lungs. ¡°Do you have someone like that?¡± Heo¡¯s shoulders tensed when she heard that question and the movement brought noise from the stone necklace around her neck. ¡°N-no, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Heo, you know you can¡¯t lie to me.¡± Heo looked up and faced forward. At some point the door had opened and the transport plane¡¯s cargo hold lay behind Diana. Heo¡¯s room was inside a protective barrier placed inside the already concept-protected transport plane. This was a special plane that masked any concept signal when transporting concept-altered items. This guest room had been put together especially for Heo. She felt the chilly breeze blowing in from the door. And¡­ ¡°Heo.¡± She heard a voice that seemed to break through the great noise of the airplane¡¯s jet engines. ¡°If you had tried to stay in that apartment, I would have taken you here by force if necessary.¡± ¡°Is that because¡­that¡¯s your duty?¡± Diana retained her smile as the wind blew at her hair and Heo asked a sudden question. ¡°What is all this? I was given an explanation, but I still don¡¯t fully understand. Great-grandfather and you belonged to the organization called UCAT¡­but were my parents part of it too? Did you all fight in deadly battles?¡± ¡°Yes, and that is how things ended up how they are.¡± That simple answer was accompanied by no change of expression. Heo was momentarily dumbfounded, but her words exploded out soon thereafter. ¡°Why!?¡± Diana did not reply, so Heo continued speaking. She rose a bit from the bed and her eyebrows shot up a bit as she did so. ¡°I just want to live a normal life. Is that not what my parents or great-grandfather wanted?¡± ¡°But it is because of them that you are who you are. They are the ones that protected the happy life you want and people like them will support it in the future.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Heo¡¯s expression crumbled and twisted. ¡°But I want a normal life. Why does everyone have to go out and fight? This¡­this kind of problem will fix itself if you give it enough time!¡± Diana took a step back without saying anything more. ¡°Teacher!¡± Heo called out, but Diana stepped out the door. Heo reflexively stood up and tried to run after her, but¡­ ¡°¡­¡± She shrunk back and came to a stop. She had seen a smile in the darkness beyond the closing door. Diana¡¯s narrowed and smiling eyes looked directly at her through the vanishing gap of the door. ¡°Heo.¡± The smiling mouth opened as the door reached the halfway point. ¡°Let us return to a previous topic. ¡­You are an excellent student, Heo. After all, you did not sell yourself short at that apartment. Yes, a true woman must help a careless gentleman make his way and she must have the consideration to let him take the first step to lead the way.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Just wait, Heo. The north wind that carries the dark clouds with the lonely star has not abandoned the family of thunder. And Heo, as your teacher, let me give you one answer ahead of time.¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Diana¡¯s smile grew at her student¡¯s confused reply. ¡°About your previous question, it is not just time that is needed to resolve your problems. You also need¡­¡± The smiling eyes and voice were joined by the sound of the door closing. ¡°Resolve. This will be on the test: Point Allocation (Your Life). Got that?¡± Relaxation filled the air in an underground portion of the Kanda Laboratory. However, this was not in a figurative sense. In a large open space with B3F on the concrete wall, automatons were relaxing the various components of their bodies to let out the excess heat built up from overwork. B3F was partitioned into a number of blocks and it was normally used for development research and to gather all the philosopher¡¯s stone readings in eastern Japan. Now that American UCAT had requested the use of the large-scale concept space creation device, the entire floor and its philosopher¡¯s stone detectors were being used for that singular purpose. As a result, the American UCAT forces had taken damage, but the reading determined to be Black Sun had stopped. Currently, a slight change was being made to the concept space during the time before it naturally vanished. The concept space corridor running through the Fussa region had been bent to incorporate Yokota Air Base. That way they could fully protect Heo Thunderson¡¯s transport plane until it took off and entered Tokyo airspace. Six mechanical dragons had been waiting in Yokota to intercept the black mechanical dragon, so their job was now to escort that past hero¡¯s descendent until she reached the very edge of the concept space. After setting all that up, the automatons announced their success over their shared memory. ¡°Mission complete. As is to be expected.¡± They showed some reserved celebration and loosened their joints to let out the heat caused by raising their reaction speed. The air around them grew hot. The large-scale concept space creation device was located at the back of B3F. Technicians were gathered around the machine which contained multiple ten meter thick cylinders of different sizes which were held in place on each side by a key-shaped shield. Those technicians were making adjustments to the machine and they had stopped trying to resist the heat coming from it. Most of them were wearing T-shirts and shorts. To cool themselves off, they had prepared buckets of ice, kiddie pools, and even anti-tank water guns, but they were still finishing up their work. After this, they only needed to retrieve the concept space creation device terminals set up on the Chuo Expressway, national routes, and other roads. After that, they would need to negotiate with American UCAT about securing Okutama¡¯s safety. Apparently, American UCAT had settled for a ceasefire with the Japanese UCAT counterattack unit there. At the same time, they did not know what to do with the Vesper Cannon that Japanese UCAT had used as a diversion. One of the automatons intercepting the optical communications spoke over the shared memory. ¡°They do not know how to load the Vesper Cannon on their mechanical dragons. The top of the cannon sticks out as a single long, narrow panel, so a mechanical dragon cannot climb on top of it and use its legs to grasp it from below.¡± The automaton in charge of making drafts, #27, had secretly calculated out some estimated data, so they had been able to compare the new information on the Vesper Cannon¡¯s size with American UCAT¡¯s mechanical dragons. ¡°For a mechanical dragon to hold the Vesper Cannon from above, I have determined its legs would need to be nearly twice as long as theirs. At the same time, the mechanical dragon mount on top of the Vesper Cannon is about three meters, the same as American UCAT¡¯s mechanical dragons.¡± Also, their estimated data said the mount was so thin that it would not attach well to the mechanical dragons. Even if they could attach the Vesper Cannon, the mechanical dragon would wobble back and forth on the mount and lose all sense of unity. If it tried to fly with it, it would almost certainly lose its balance. ¡°The mechanical dragon needed for the Vesper Cannon would have legs twice the standard length and a body half as wide.¡± That estimation allowed them to predict the desired mechanical dragon. ¡°That is impossible.¡± The automatons exchanged questions while relaxing their bodies. ¡°Why is it impossible?¡± ¡°Because of the frame strength. The thinner the body, the thinner the frame. It could not support its own weight like that. A mechanical dragon specially made for the Vesper Cannon would be necessary, but such a dragon would be unable to fly or walk.¡± ¡°But if it could not function on its own, they would have built the Vesper Cannon into it from the beginning, right? In that case, there must be a mechanical dragon that overcomes all those problems. It must have been created to fight Black Sun.¡± That comment came from 31st ¡°Daisy¡± who was from 3rd-Gear. However, someone suddenly gave another opinion. This was 78th ¡°Gentian¡± who was also from 3rd. ¡°But that mechanical dragon did not fight Black Sun. When Black Sun was putting up so much of a fight and was ultimately shot down, would that mechanical dragon really ignore the Vesper Cannon and do nothing?¡± It was a simple idea that could be viewed as a thought or a complaint. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Her idea created something among them all. It was a high-speed series of thoughts brought by their experience and it was similar to a human having a ¡°hunch¡±. They connected their minds to function as a single thinking machine and they thought on a certain question. ¡­Why was Black Sun defeated even though the mechanical dragon meant to fight it did not appear? They thought and they all suddenly gave off a lot of excess heat and jumped up. ¡°I have determined this is dangerous!! Calculating back arrives at a single conclusion.¡± That being¡­ ¡°If the Vesper Cannon¡¯s user has not appeared, that must not have been Black Sun!!¡± The automatons¡¯ shout reverberate through the underground space. A moment later, they all switched back to making individual decisions and began to move. Those who controlled the machine moved back to their posts, those who measured readings turned back to their screens, and those who operated computers reached for their mice. A hot wind moved among them and their movement produced mechanical noises and the rustling of clothes. ¡°Open the optical communications! Ask them to check on the concept readings in the supposed Black Sun¡¯s reactor to see if it truly contains the Concept Core!¡± ¡°We just received a transmission from American UCAT! Black Sun contained¡­a large weakened concept! The only obvious reading from 5th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core inside the concept space is the one in Okutama! Which means¡­¡± Amid the silence, a shout filled their shared memory. ¡°The defeated mechanical dragon was not Black Sun!¡± A moment later, they all looked in a single direction. A map was displayed on the ceiling so it could be seen from within any of the partitions. It was a map of Kantou and it was synced with the radar displaying the status of the operation. ¡°A large philosopher¡¯s stone reading has appeared. It is off the coast of Chiba and moving toward Tokyo through the ocean.¡± An actual voice slipped from the mouth of one of the automatons. A red dot had appeared in the blue ocean to the right of the green map of Kantou. And¡­ ¡°This reading is much larger than the previous Black Sun and two¡­three¡­four¡­many more readings have appeared around it! There are six of them and they are each the same size as the defeated mechanical dragon!!¡± Confusion swept across that underground space and an alarm began to blare. ¡°Send out an optical transmission!! This is an emergency! Also, activate the experimental concept space communication device!¡± ¡°B-but the alpha test still hasn¡¯t been-¡­¡± ¡°That does not matter! Contact the cellphones of all UCAT personnel inside and outside the concept space! This is no longer a problem for just American UCAT or just Japanese UCAT!¡± ¡°Testament¡­ Ah!?¡± ¡°What is it!? Did something happen!?¡± ¡°Just as I was going to contact American UCAT, the optical transmission facility was destroyed.¡± After a breath, a pause that should not have occurred for an automaton, she continued. ¡°W-we have an intruder!¡± The ceiling display instantly changed to Kanda¡¯s underground security camera footage divided between 180 screens. The footage of individuals with a proper ID signal and those not displaying anything were then eliminated. It finally zoomed in on a single screen which displayed a few unidentified individuals. Four figures could be seen walking down an underground corridor. Three of them approached with a girl behind them and those three were¡­ ¡°Automatons?¡± ¡°They are unidentified. The echo scan of their joint movement sound does not match any UCAT-made model.¡± They then saw the face of the girl. ¡°Nagata Tatsumi!!¡± As if responding to their voice, she looked directly at the camera and waved. An instant later, the camera footage blacked out. One of the technicians spoke in the now-silent space. ¡°Are they here to steal information on this concept space creation device and the concept space communication device?¡± The man almost sounded angry and he started toward the stairs with a wrench in hand and while wearing nothing but a black bathing suit. He was not going to let the enemy approach. However¡­ ¡°Um, please wait. I will intercept them. This kind of work is my specialty.¡± A dignified voice filled the air and a short figure appeared in the central passageway. She raised her bespectacled head and spoke quietly to the others. ¡°I am 13th ¡®Violet¡¯ of 3rd. If anyone wishes to help, please respond with ¡®yes, sir¡¯.¡± Below the starry night sky was a large schoolyard. To prepare for the athletic festival, it was divided by straight and curved lines for sporting events and by the spectator seating. The clock on the school building to the north said it was 8:40 PM and the festival lighting was shut off. However, a single figure stood in that schoolyard. It was a boy. The dark-skinned boy had a bandanna over his wavy black hair. Instead of a school uniform, he wore black jeans and a black leather jacket that was a little much for early autumn. But below the jacket, he only wore a black T-shirt that looked like it would leave him feeling chilly. He faced forward where a motorcycle with a sidecar was stopped past the edge of the schoolyard. ¡°Since that was fine, they must be almost completely ignoring me.¡± The eyes hidden by his sunglasses looked down at the straight white line at his feet. He looked back up and his gaze followed the line for the several dozen meters to the goal. But when he began to walk, Harakawa stepped over the line and outside the course. ¡°¡­¡± He then looked up into the sky. ¡­Should I drive around on the motorcycle to distract myself? The small radio in the sidecar said there was some lightning in the sky on the Chuo Expressway near Chofu. The announcer said to be careful as that meant a sudden thunderstorm was possible. In that case, it might be best to travel south along 16 until I reach Yokohama or maybe Shounan. ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯ll do that. ¡­There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± ¡­That idiot said she would be fine. ¡°She said she would do her best in her new home.¡± He sighed, told himself that was the last time he would think back to that, and walked toward the motorcycle. He did not understand that girl. She would start crying at the slightest provocation, but she also did not like making others worry. She would readily say the most unbelievable things, but she would look confused when someone tried to believe her. She would say she was better off alone, but she was afraid to be alone. ¡°She¡¯s such a liar.¡± ¡­And she¡¯s such a little kid. You can always tell when she¡¯s lying. She was probably the only one who had not noticed. When Heo Thunderson lied, she would shrink down. She would stiffen her shoulders as if trying to make herself disappear and as if she did not like having to lie. If being able to lie without being found out made one an adult, then she was a child. Harakawa recalled his most recent memory of her. He recalled her slender shoulders when she had said she was fine and that she would do her best in her new life. ¡°You liar!!¡± The sound of his own shout brought his feet to a stop. He then took in a breath as if he had just remembered something and he shook his head. ¡­Why am I so mad? Ignore it like you always do. You need to protect your normal life. You put so much distance between you and tried to drive her out, didn¡¯t you? he told himself. But another fact remained and that fact would not leave his heart. ¡°You¡¯re the one who took her in because you couldn¡¯t ignore her.¡± He already had his answer to what had started this. He lowered his gaze, but there was no longer a line at his feet. He checked and found his stopped feet had already reached the goal. He had indeed reached this spot while walking along the outside of the course. ¡°¡­Dammit.¡± His back was turned to the straight line he could see when he looked over his shoulder. ¡°Dammit.¡± He gathered strength in his shoulders and walked forward. And he thought. ¡°Dammit!¡± He did not have a shift at the base today. ¡°¡­Dammit!¡± But wouldn¡¯t it be perfectly normal to stop by the base since he had some extra time? ¡°Goddammit!¡± He was low on money this month, so couldn¡¯t he ask for an extra shift? ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right!¡± He arrived at the motorcycle. The black vehicle was stopped along the ninety degree corner leading to the academy¡¯s main gate. ¡­I¡¯m just going. I stop by the base all the time. He placed one leg over the motorcycle¡¯s seat and sat down. The sidecar was empty. He then recalled the final moment. What had Heo said when she had left? ¡­A bookstore, hm? He could guess his mother had told her. Heo had simply believed it and mentioned it without knowing at all how he felt, but¡­ ¡°Is that something to say to me so proudly, Heo Thunderson!?¡± He jammed the key in the ignition and turned it. He put back on his sunglasses and took a breath. Just then, sudden shadow and light appeared from the left. ¡°¡­!?¡± Before he could erase his look of suspicion, something stopped next to him. It was a large motorcycle with two people sitting on it. ¡°The president and treasurer?¡± That was all he said before looking away from the two who had a giant cloth bag attached to their motorcycle. The treasurer wore a track suit and gave a bitter smile from the back of the motorcycle. ¡°Oh? You don¡¯t have any questions for us? Even though we¡¯ve been watching you since you got here?¡± ¡°When I thought about it, I realized you¡¯re the same breed of eccentric as Sayama. I would end up regretting anything I asked you.¡± ¡°Hold it right there, second year. You need to watch how you speak to your upperclassmen.¡± ¡°Then let me tell you something,¡± said Harakawa while putting on his riding gloves. ¡°In the language spoken in the country of the father I hate so much, people address both their elders and little kids with the word ¡®you¡¯.¡± ¡° ¡®Yoo¡¯? What¡¯s that mean, Chisato?¡± The president turned around with a frown and the treasurer punched him upwards. While Harakawa ignored that normal turn of events, the treasurer held the head of her swaying partner. ¡°Harakawa, take these.¡± She held out a black watch and a cellphone. He noticed she wore an identical watch but the president did not. ¡°Why do I have to wear the president¡¯s?¡± ¡°Just put it on. It¡¯s a magic tool to bring you closer to Heo Thunderson. I¡¯ll tell you how to use it on the way. After that, do as you wish. We have work to do at Okutama, so we¡¯ll have to leave partway there. We¡¯ve already contacted Sayama, so he might have something to tell you.¡± ¡°I see.¡± With that, Harakawa squeezed the accelerator. He moved forward and toward Taka-Akita Academy¡¯s northeastern gate. That was near Akigawa¡¯s northeastern end which was not far from the neighboring city of Fussa. It was almost a straight shot to Yokota Air Base. ¡°Ah, wait! C¡¯mon, Kaku!¡± He heard a blow behind him and then the light began to pursue. But despite the movement from behind, Harakawa only accelerated further. He shot past a school building and down the gravel road through the row of student dormitories. He could hear the tires tearing across those stones. ¡­What am I even thinking of doing? Still, there were a few things he did know. The night before, she had started to cry and stopped running on the hundred meter track. And today, she had lied so he would not worry and yet had given him her support. He had said nothing and had done nothing for her. So if he was going to make it¡­ ¡°Honestly.¡± He squeezed the accelerator tighter. ¡°This isn¡¯t like me at all.¡± ¡°Harakawa!¡± The light behind him caught up and raced alongside him. He heard the treasurer call out his name, but Harakawa did not respond. ¡°Someone else¡± spoke instead. ¡°I¡¯m not Harakawa right now. After all, I¡¯m doing something that isn¡¯t like me at all.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Hearing that tone of question, he pushed his sunglasses up his nose to hide his eyes and opened his mouth. ¡°Right now, I¡¯ll use the surname of the father I hate so much.¡± ¡°Your father¡¯s surname?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± he said into the oncoming wind. ¡°Dan Northwind. That¡¯s my name if I take on my father¡¯s surname.¡± It flew into the sky. That sky covered a burning city and a harbor. It was over eight hundred meters long as it flew through that sky. Its main body was only three hundred meters, but it had evolved additional armor and twin-fuselage wings that greatly supported its body. This was its perfect battle equipment that it had not possessed ten years ago or the night before last. It travelled into the western sky with its greatest fighting power. When it had entered the bay, it had noticed some kind of concept space instantly stretch out and envelop it. Leaving that space would be easy, but the scene visible below and the information from the child craft it had sent on ahead told it the concept space contained enough power to destroy one of the child craft. It rode an updraft and thought on the fact that a wild beast attacked the weakest enemy first. But it was not a wild beast. It knew it was a machine meant to protect mankind. The false humanity existed outside the concept space, so what was this fighting force inside the concept space? It decided this world must have machines built for the same purpose as it. That fact seemed familiar. It had lost its memories, but something it retained allowed it to recall the slight vestiges of a memory. It had once fought opponents like this. That enemy had come as an army and it had once lost to them. The enemy army had been nearly destroyed, but the result of that fight had been put off until later. ¡°¡­¡± It ascended, wrapped itself in wind, and accelerated. The large black mechanical dragon decided to fight them. Was it for the conclusion of that battle it did not remember? Was it for the lost people it did not remember? Or was it simply because it had evolved to fight? It did not know, but it did know it sought something. It sought many things. Why did it desire to fight? Where were the people it was meant to serve? Why had it lost its memories and why did it wish for those people despite losing its memories? Why? ¡°¡­¡± The black mechanical dragon stopped thinking. It could simply crush any problems one-by-one and find the answers. The first step was eliminating the enemy that was trying to get in its way. It wished to hurry. Its additional twin-fuselage was an extension of its wings and that closed slightly to point all of its rear accelerators backwards. It continued on. The air was now a wall of great pressure, but it knew that breaking through that wall to continue forward was known as flying. A group followed in the sky behind it. They were all black mechanical dragons. Countless dragons appeared from the sky and the sea and they were divided between two general sizes: the small forty meter ones and the midsized three-hundred meter ones. There were six of the midsized ones and not even the large one could determine how many small ones there were. This was an army of black mechanical dragons. This is evolution, it thought. In the past, it had been powerful yet alone, and that was why it had been cornered and sunk. It had chosen the very same method its former enemy had used to defeat it. It had duplicated its own parts to create companions. Each of the child craft it sent out to gather information obeyed their imperfect instincts and sought the enemy. As a result, the enemy had destroyed one of those midsized craft. Twice now, it had seen the false humanity that was its enemy. Both times, it had removed this additional armor to approach the nostalgic scent it had detected. The first time, its evolution had been incomplete and it did not entirely remember the incident, but it recalled that the incident had happened in front of a small building in a grassy field. A woman had tried to protect the building from it, but it had sensed the familiar scent within the building and had injured her with its claws while trying to move her out of the way. It did not think that woman was its enemy, but it did not entirely remember what had happened afterwards. The second time had been two days ago. It had found a man wielding a spear within a small concept space. It did not know if it knew that man, but when it had brought its claws to the man, something had begun within it. It was as if lost functionality had restarted and the hands of a clock had begun to move again. It had been confused. It had been so confused by the unexpected development that it had fled. It had escaped to the northern ocean it lived in. When it had detected the nostalgic air on the way back, it had left the issue to a midsized child craft. The child craft had been attacked and that had told it a new fight was beginning. There was a nearby enemy that gave off the familiar scent of a destroyed world. It more or less knew how powerful that enemy was. When the previous child craft had been destroyed, that child craft had sent back an analysis of the enemy¡¯s power. Even the enemy¡¯s primary weapons had only barely managed to destroy the midsized craft. However, it erased that prediction. After all, its former enemy had destroyed it. This time, it would utterly destroy its enemy and it would destroy the false humanity that filled this world. It did not care if it became the only thing in the world. It only needed to continue evolving, increase its army, and envelop the entire world. If it did that, it was possible the humanity it knew would eventually return. Once that happened, would the people praise it for completely protecting the world using the machines they had created to protect people? Would they praise it for building all that up on its own? Would they praise it and say that was a truly happy thing? ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± It opened its mouth and roared. And as it roared, it recalled the name its child craft had heard during the previous battle: Black Sun. If it became a sun in this black sky, would humanity return? While wondering that, it set Black Sun as its own name. While letting out a cry of joy at having a name, it felt a great familiar sensation to the west. Volume 9, 27: Beyond the Forefront Volume 9, Chapter 27: Beyond the Forefront There is only one foremost point But how far does the empty space continue past that? Motion filled an underground space made of concrete. The motion came from a confused mixture of a hot wind, a cold wind, and a wind of bullets that pierced through both other winds. Soon, new movement created yet another wind. This wind was known as a whirl. The whirlwind filled a broad floor filled with pillars and it had four points of origin. Three of those were expressionless automatons. They wore white maid uniforms and each held a different item: one a shield, one a spear, and one a bow. The shield doll always stood in front, the spear doll came next and took action whenever the enemy approached, and the bow doll stood in the back and continually fired arrows while the enemy was more distant. The last of the wind¡¯s points of origin was an automaton in a black maid uniform. Her name was Violet and her glasses acted as a windshield for her vision as she pursued the enemy with a submachine gun in her right hand. She ran by a concrete wall that said B2F. This construction floor was used to develop gods of war and other machines and it was also used to prepare various items for transport, so it had relatively few partition walls. Violet leaped to the right in the center of that floor and she spun around by digging her toes into the floor upon landing. She ran along with the wind toward the other three dolls. The three wielding shield, spear, and bow circled the floor while keeping the shield maid toward the center at all times. When approaching or falling back, the shield would move forward and hide those behind her. When Violet approached, the spear would suddenly attack from the right or left of the shield. When more distant, the bow would fire again and again whenever Violet tried to get anything but a head-on angle. The way the three maids circled the floor in a line bound Violet¡¯s movements. ¡°Um, I have determined this is a pain.¡± Her bullets would be deflected by the white elliptical shield, but if she tried to catch her breath afterwards, either the tip of the spear would target her chest from the side of the shield or a steel arrow would target her legs from a distance. She had no choice but to keep moving, but¡­ ¡°Ah, the excess heat is affecting my movements.¡± Automatons only breathed for show. Their joints were simple sockets and their body parts were only connected by the steel wires that took the place of muscles and the conductive wires that functioned as nerves. Each body part had to expel its heat on its own. That meant extended periods of motion would make them begin to boil on the inside. Combat automatons had a humanoid structure partially to increase the durability of their joints, but it was more about allowing the water cooling effect of perspiration and circulation. But Violet could not do that. If she relaxed her joints and the bases of her wire cylinders to expel the heat, the enemy would immediately take advantage of her slowed movements. And from the look of the three enemies¡­ ¡°Um, those are simple combat models, aren¡¯t they?¡± She could tell by viewing them with her thermal vision. Their joints had the same simple structure as her own, but the internal parts that moved the steel wires were kept in the torso or gathered together as much as possible. For example, the parts to move Violet¡¯s shoulders were installed in her shoulders and upper arms to improve her balance. Simply put, it was a twin engine system. Meanwhile, the enemies¡¯ were only located in the shoulders. They had a single engine system. That prevented them from making more subtle movements, but it was lighter, simpler, and easier to maintain. And by making them lighter, they could be installed in locations better protected by their armor. Also, having fewer heat-producing parts made it easier to position the openings to expel that heat. ¡°¡­!¡± An arrow flew toward the right side of her face, so Violet accelerated left to avoid it. As soon as she kicked off the floor, the shield was right in front of her. She was not going to hit it, but she did not want it to block her vision, so she accelerated further to the left. As she did, the spear flew toward her from the left. The strike would slice her torso in two, but she could evade by jumping and almost flying into the air to the left. However, the heat built up inside her interfered. The overworked motors spun in vain. ¡°I can¡¯t avoid it!?¡± An instant later, Violet chose to evade without relying on the movements of her limbs. She chose the one function she excelled at: gravitational control. The three enemies also possessed that function, but she knew their power was only on an independent level. Violet side-flipped to the left by reversing up and down. In the short moment that she cleared the blade and rotated to a midair handstand, she prepared her submachine gun. Below her, the ones hiding behind the shield were now in view. She only had to fire. But in that instant, the spear tip suddenly jumped up toward her despite having just been swung in a different direction. ¡°!?¡± The movement completely ignored inertia, but the cause was simple. The shield doll standing near the spear tip had struck it from below and the bow doll had struck the back end of the spear from above. The spear shot up while using the center doll¡¯s grip on it as the fulcrum and it moved directly toward Violet¡¯s torso. ¡°Nn.¡± Just before firing the submachine gun, she slammed it against the silver line arcing toward her. With the sound of shattering glass, the submachine gun broke to pieces. But Violet used the recoil to jump away from her enemies. That action and use of her gravitational control had brought her internal heat to its limit. She had lost her primary weapon, so she only had a combat knife, a handgun, and a hand grenade. And just as she landed, she spotted a single figure in the floor¡¯s entrance. ¡­Nagata Tatsumi! Her arms were spread in front of her and she had something like rings on all her fingers. ¡°Can you see these? A gaudy kind of fashion, isn¡¯t it? This is the Army¡¯s special remote controller.¡± Tatsumi¡¯s voice coincided with Violet¡¯s landing and Violet realized what she was truly up against here. ¡°We didn¡¯t have the technology or spare time to create artificial intelligence, so we created dolls that could take the place of soldiers. I¡¯m here to test those out a little.¡± Violet and Tatsumi faced each other with the three dolls in between them. Violet¡¯s hips were lowered from landing and she pulled her knife from her apron as she slowly stood. She had an awful lot of heat stored up in her body. The oil of her circulatory system had lost its viscosity and she could sense air bubbles inside it. She knew she could not win at her current level of output, but¡­ ¡°¡­¡± A method for accurately expelling that heat suddenly occurred to her. She looked up in surprise, but she also knew she could not let the enemy catch on. And so she quickly looked to Tatsumi through her glasses and spoke the words needed to trick her. ¡°Um, in other words¡­¡± She made the appropriate statement for the situation. ¡°You fight by controlling dolls? But then where is their will to fight?¡± ¡°Oh, how scary. But your will is also artificial, so I could also ask where it is.¡± Tatsumi¡¯s response told Violet the girl had not noticed her chance of victory. At that point, a few more figures appeared at the top of the stairway that led down to next floor. They were Violet¡¯s fellow automatons. There were around five of them, but their unit characteristics were not suited for combat and Violet could predict this was not an enemy that could be overwhelmed by numbers. ¡°Everyone, stay back. ¡­You are recording the data of this battle, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Tatsumi with a step to the right. Two new individuals came into view behind her. One was a girl and the other was a large dog. However, Violet noticed something odd with her thermal vision. The girl and Tatsumi had a normal human heat distribution, but the dog was simply tinged with faint heat. It had no real form. One of her fellow automatons explained why. ¡°That is the data stealing girl named Shino.¡± Shino bowed and hid behind Tatsumi whose hands were still raised. ¡°The dogs have already begun devouring the data here. During the summer, we acquired most of Japanese UCAT¡¯s weaponry documents and internal diagrams, so now we just need to get our hands on the information related to the large-scale concept space creation device and concept space communication device.¡± She smiled. ¡°Even if Japanese UCAT creates their own battlefield, we will be able to alter it and communicate within it. Also, we will have further strengthened the weapons we made with your information and we will possess maps of your facilities.¡± With that, the three dolls prepared to resume the fight. In case of possible damage, Violet¡¯s fellow automatons took a step back toward the stairway. And Tatsumi continued to speak. ¡°Now, help me buy some time and give me some data while you do. How much can you automatons fight and how skilled am I with this remote control?¡± Violet began to move before Tatsumi had finished speaking. She took the first step toward her victory. First, she swung her arm to throw the knife. ¡°!?¡± The shield doll moved to block the knife, but the weapon had a bit of gravitational control in it. The steel blade could be heard piercing through the top of the ellipse. While watching the three enemies and the shaking knife, Violet spoke to her fellow automatons. Even as she did so, she felt bad for receiving help from units whose primary skills were those of maids. ¡°U-um, did you bring my personal storage box?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. It¡¯s right here.¡± ¡°Th-then prepare one of #4 and three of #5.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± they replied. She saw they were holding a pink storage box by the staircase and she was a little worried they might have dropped the potted plant that had been sitting on it. ¡­But they are better at taking care of flowers than me. She calmed herself down and spoke to Tatsumi. ¡°U-um, excuse me.¡± ¡°Yes? What is it? I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re stalling to help cool down, but you won¡¯t have enough time to expel much of your heat. In that case, I suppose I¡¯ll hear you out before I destroy you.¡± Violet nodded and held her right hand forward with the index and middle fingers raised. ¡°Thank you for giving me your time. ¡­I was born and raised in 3rd as a maid automaton, my identifier is 13th, and my name is Violet. My occupation and Gear were lost and I found myself in Japan of Low-Gear, which lies beyond all concepts. Eventually, I found myself here in Japanese UCAT¡¯s Kanda Laboratory. I serve Lady Miyako, the successor to 3rd-Gear, but this is the place that has taken me in and protected my king.¡± She lowered her raised fingers and pointed at her opponent. ¡°I am a named automaton. It was for precisely this sort of situation that I was given a name and thus made a proper individual. Our flowers do not bloom upon death. An automaton blooms in a more reserved fashion but still repays her debts of gratitude. In exchange for her name, an automaton will fulfill her work even if it means to wither away. So¡­¡± She leaned forward and took a first step of acceleration. ¡°Let us see if the spirit of the unit given the flower name Violet can be crushed by mere dolls!¡± She ran and took her second step. ¡°Oh?¡± She stepped on an empty cartridge and fell head first to the floor. Shino saw the automaton named Violet trip quite spectacularly. This was her first time seeing an actual automaton and was also her first time seeing one tripping. It happened so suddenly that she was left dumbfounded. ¡­Can automatons be clumsy!? This was a new discovery. She had to tell Mikoku when she saw her next. But Mikoku was being cold to her recently. She would not hang around Shino during training and she always tried to warn Shino away from any missions she took. ¡­She doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m capable. Shino brought a hand to her chest and to the cloisonn¨¦ pendant Mikoku had given her as a souvenir of Kurashiki. Just as she lightly touched the red half circle of pottery, Tatsumi turned from Violet and toward her. Tatsumi looked a little dumbfounded, which was rare for her. ¡°She¡¯s just like you.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t trip like that!¡± ¡°True. You would have fallen ¨C wham! ¨C right onto your butt. Wham! Wham!!¡± ¡°Y-you don¡¯t have to repeat it! More importantly, hurry up and¡­¡± She was going to say ¡°finish her¡±, but she stopped herself because that was not something to say so casually. She nodded to solidify her awareness of that fact and Tatsumi¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s for the best. For you anyway. You need to fear those words.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± As she looked up in confusion, sweat fell from her forehead and to her cheeks. However, this was not due to nerves. It came from the heat trapped in the underground space. Tatsumi then turned back to the fallen automaton. Her fingers moved a bit to put the three dolls in motion. They turned their shield toward the enemy and crouched down. The way the rearmost doll held her bow showed her intent to safely settle this with a projectile. However, Shino continued to feel the heat and it almost seemed like the room temperature was rising. ¡­Tatsumi-san told me about this, didn¡¯t she? When indoors, highly sealed automatons like the 3rd variety had a tendency to overheat. This one named Violet should have reached her limit, but even while collapsed on the ground, her joints and other parts remained closed and thus were not expelling any heat. It was all still trapped inside her. Shino saw Tatsumi¡¯s doll draw its bowstring. Shino turned toward the target of the coming shot and realized a certain fact. Violet had scattered empty cartridges while firing her submachine gun, so they littered the floor. It was stepping on one of those that had made her trip. ¡­That means the cartridge rolled beneath her foot. But Shino noticed that the cartridge located where she had tripped was crushed flat. It had clearly not rolled and that led to a single conclusion. ¡­She stepped on the cartridge, pretended to trip, and intentionally fell? She wondered why and found the answer in an unexpected place. Shiro, the ghost dog standing to her right, suddenly lay down as if it had nothing to do. It placed its belly on the floor. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± Shino turned toward Tatsumi¡¯s back. Tatsumi was moving her fingers in order to fire the arrow. ¡°Tatsumi! This is dangerous! That automaton is expelling her heat! She¡¯s lying on the cold concrete so it absorbs all the heat from her body!¡± A moment later, wind blew. The arrow was fired and a form raced forward to strike back. That form belonged to an automaton. Violet ran. She saw Tatsumi frown and saw the bow doll¡¯s hand let go of the arrow. She jumped to the right to avoid it. The enemy had crouched down to defend against a possible attack from the floor, but that meant they could not immediately stand up and react. Violet leaped with a single footstep and circled around to the right. With the handgun in her right hand, she fired into the shield to prevent the doll from moving it. The repeated sounds of metal striking metal rang out and the shield was stuck down at waist height. If Violet continued circling around to the side, she would win. However, she saw Tatsumi narrow her eyes and smile. A moment later, the doll holding the spear swung that spear sideways and struck the doll in front of her with the shaft. ¡°!?¡± The doll was knocked right and thus toward Violet. And that shield automaton used that movement to keep up with her. The three of them rotated and the wind blew, but Violet remained at the leading edge of that wind. She had only expelled enough heat for this swift movement. She would have to settle this in only a few seconds. She ran in an arc toward the wall near the staircase in the right corner. However, the three dolls kept up with her as they rotated with the shield at the front. Violet continued running regardless, fired her handgun, and gave a silent instruction just before reaching the wall. ¡°#4 and #5!¡± Before that shared thought had finished, the objects flew toward her. With unparalleled control, her fellow automatons threw her a handgun identical to the one in her right hand and three magazines. As soon as the magazine of her current handgun ran out, she ejected it. In the same motion, she directly slammed one of the airborne magazines into place and caught the other handgun with her left hand. She now had two guns and two spare magazines flew toward her as well. Just as she was about to receive them, the shield doll stepped forward and toward her. But by the wall, Violet took a step and reached toward the airborne magazines. ¡°Here I go.¡± She used her gravitational control to launch the two magazines above the three dolls. At the same time, she accurately fired both handguns into those magazines. ¡°Um, everyone!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!!¡± The automatons waiting by the stairway instantly scanned the destruction of the magazines, calculated out the movements of the scattering fragments and bullets, and sent the result back to Violet. Violet repeatedly fired her handguns toward the ignition portion of the bullets from the two scattering magazines. The tips of the bullets she was firing had a simple gravity ram attached. These were normally meant to increase the penetrative power, but they had a different use here. She was firing at the back end of all the bullets scattering in midair in order to ignite them. With no barrel, the bullets did not have a stable flight, but several dozen rounds still rained down from close range. ¡°¡­!¡± The three dolls trembled in the shower of impacts and noise. However, Violet knew this much was not enough to have any real effect. The bullets ripped holes in the upper surfaces of the dolls and they calmly turned to face her with the shimmering of their internal heat rising from the holes. But it was too late. Violet had already turned toward the three of them while rushing just past the wall. At her speed, a collision was unavoidable, so the shield was placed forward to stop her. Next, the spear would be thrust past the left side of the shield to hit her in the chest. Violet accelerated and pushed on her own back with her gravitational control. ¡°¡­!¡± She reached the shield before the spear and she had one goal: the grip of the knife she had thrown into the shield earlier. She stepped on it and jumped. An instant later, a high-speed strike pierced through the spot she had just left. Once again, the bottom of the spear tip was struck from below to knock it up toward her. Violet had expected all of this, so she threw herself forward in midair. She flipped halfway around and shifted her gravitational control once she was truly upside-down. She set her gravity so the ceiling was the floor. Her feet landed on the ceiling and she turned to the right in order to avoid the pursuing spear. The spear slipped past her and continued rotating around and Violet almost seemed to follow after it as she stepped back along the ceiling to circle behind the three dolls. That was when another attack arrived: the bow and arrow. The bow doll had struck the back of the spear downwards to begin its rotation, but she had swiftly nocked an arrow afterwards. She was just barely fast enough, but if she fired straight up, it would hit Violet. Or it should have. What Violet did in response was truly simple. She swung her right elbow back and rotated her body. Her extended elbow struck the shaft of the spear that had rotated past her. As the spear was swung down, it struck the bow doll diagonally from the neck to the waist. The sound of the doll being sliced sounded a lot like splitting bamboo. It was a very clear sound and the bow doll began to collapse with the arrow still pointed upwards in her bow. But Violet did not overlook that. She jumped down from the ceiling, flipped back around, and reset her gravitational control so the floor was the floor. And as soon as she landed, she supported the collapsing bow doll from behind. She did so by supporting the hand holding the bow and the hand holding the arrow and pointing them forward. After landing on the floor and supporting the bow doll, she faced forward and saw the spear and shield dolls. She re-nocked the arrow and fired it. She targeted the center of the chest and the steel arrow accurately pierced both dolls. ¡°¡­¡± With a metallic sound, the arrow hit the back of the shield, launching it forward from the doll¡¯s hand and into the wall. The empty metallic sound tumbled down the wall, but Violet had already turned her back on it. She did not have much movement time left and her only remaining weapon was a single grenade. If she detonated it in the entrance to the stairway leading upwards, her job would be complete. And due to fighting by the wall, Tatsumi would have had to move out of the corridor to keep the dolls in her field of vision. There was no longer any way for her to escape the grenade. When Violet faced forward and began to run, she saw that Tatsumi was indeed in the same entrance as before. The girl was smiling, but her shoulders were lowered. ¡°Oh, dear. It looks like I shouldn¡¯t try this kind of them without more practice. I need to rethink some things.¡± But she continued to face Violet. ¡°How about you hurry up and throw the grenade? Or will you show me a more automaton-like fighting style? In other words, approach us with the grenade in hand to defeat us even if it means your own destruction. That is the truly scary aspect of an automaton that can be good-as-new after some repairs. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Tatsumi had seen through her intentions. This was what Sayama had done to Violet during the battle in Kurashiki. Despite being a human, he had ignored any fear of his own destruction and focused entirely on eliminating his opponent. ¡­You must ensure victory. As an automaton, she did not need to fear damage. She had intended to teach Tatsumi that, but¡­ ¡°Too bad. Now, let me tell you how we view things.¡± Tatsumi brushed her fingers across each other as if massaging them and that simple action removed all ten rings. She then held them in her right hand. ¡°Do you know what we do when a doll breaks?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Girls will feel a little sad and place it as if it is going to sleep, but we will then receive a new doll. And as for the old doll¡­¡± She crushed the rings in her grip. ¡°We throw them out with the burnable trash. ¡­Come, Shino. You should have the data by now, so let¡¯s get home.¡± With those words, Tatsumi leaped toward the stairway. I won¡¯t let you escape, thought Violet as she ran forward, but she suddenly felt something pressing on her back. ¡­Eh? She then felt herself floating, but after that¡­ ¡°!?¡± She was thrown forward too quickly for her sense of balance to keep up. By the time she realized the three dolls had exploded, she had slammed into one of the concrete pillars supporting the ceiling. By the time her entire body¡¯s framework was crushed, the explosive blast arrived like a wall of sand. She could no longer hear anything in the impact, but she could tell from where she hit that the pillar had broken. Her auditory devices informed her that the ceiling had cracked and started to collapse. The information her artificial brain received about her body did not tell her that she could not move her body. It instead told her that her body was no longer there. To avoid any confusion caused by the destruction of her body, her artificial consciousness rapidly closed down. But just before it did, Violet made a prediction and sent it out over her shared memory. She said the enemy had likely escaped with most of their information, that the upper floor of the Kanda Laboratory had likely collapsed, and¡­ ¡­Those new dolls. They likely intended to eventually control Typhon like that. ¡°And¡­¡± She informed her fellow automatons that she had completed her job and that they should continue with their jobs. After all, they had unknowingly allowed Black Sun to approach outside. And so she told them to assist in the fight against 5th-Gear. Volume 9, 28: Her Guidance Volume 9, Chapter 28: Her Guidance Wait without calling out to them The past is already calling out To the path that can only lead to the present Three colors were displayed on a twenty centimeter screen. The colors were divided into three horizontal bands. From bottom to top, they were gray, dark green, and black. The gray at the very bottom was asphalt, the green on top of it was grass, and the black at the top was the night. It was an image of the night sky at the end of a runway. A face was reflected in the glass screen. The face belonged to a girl with short, blonde hair and an orange work jacket who was standing in a small room. The outside sound reached the small room. That sound was loud and it had no single source. It simply washed over the entirety of the room. The girl faced the screen while listening to it and her eyes focused on the bands of color there. ¡°I have to say goodbye to this country, don¡¯t I?¡± The girl named Heo muttered to herself with her gaze fixed on that screen. Not long ago, she had heard a strange voice and the city visible in the screen had gone silent. Before, car headlights had moved back and forth between the dark green and black bands, but that movement was gone. She knew this was known as a concept space. She also knew that only UCAT and their enemies could create these spaces. However, Diana had said Black Sun, her demon, was gone. ¡°What else is there?¡± She saw something on the screen moving along the grass from the right and lining up. They initially looked like blue dogs taking a walk on the grass, but she shook her head to eliminate that illusion. The two blue forms lined up on the green band were in the center of the twenty centimeter screen and their faces were about the same height as the screen. She could not be sure without any other objects to compare them to, but they were likely the same size as the airplane. ¡­Mechanical dragons. Her great-grandfather and her real great-grandfather had taken part in their initial development as test pilots and American UCAT had continued to research them after the Concept War. Now, they were American UCAT¡¯s greatest weapons. It had been identical machines that had defeated Black Sun. American UCAT supposedly owned sixty-eight of them and six of those would escort her through the concept space¡¯s skies until her airplane left Tokyo. She thought about the fact that she was being protected. ¡°¡­¡± She remained silent. But then the sound surrounding her changed. It rapidly grew and the entire room shook. The airplane was preparing for takeoff. The shaking of the room moved from right to left and the room itself almost seemed to float, but the sound grew even louder and the airplane¡¯s brakes would not allow it to advance. The airplane had to build up a lot of power so it could rise into the air and fly forward. To accomplish that, the engine¡¯s roar grew to what sounded like a scream and suddenly¡­ ¡°¡­¡± It began to move. The low, heavy sound of the air pressing in reached Heo from the left as she watched the screen. At the same time, everything was pulled to the right. The screen began to scroll from left to right. Everything in that visible world began to move. Ahh, thought Heo. It¡¯s already time to say goodbye. She had already known she was leaving by the time she had been brought to Yokota Air Base within the concept space. She had known she would leave her past life and begin a safe and protected new life. The sound of the engine blasted through the room as if it had been released. At the same time, the blue mechanical dragons stepped forward after a short delay and prepared to fly. ¡°¡­!?¡± But there was an explosion. Heo did not understand what she was seeing on the screen in real time. The blue dragons had been following along in the scrolling gray, above the scrolling green, and below the scrolling black, but something had happened to the farther away of the two. ¡°It exploded!?¡± Next, the closer one also exploded as it prepared for takeoff. ¡­Eh? She had no idea what was happening, but she saw the number of colors grow. Red was added to the gray, green, and black. And this was the red of flames. ¡°¡­¡± She took in a breath, brought a hand to her necklace, and took in another breath. She tried to express her disbelief yet could not form the words, but a new color arrived in their place. No, this was not a new color. More of an existing color was added: black. A black form flew from the sky to the left and landed on the green band. Heo saw that the black was a mechanical dragon. But it was not alone. She saw four identical black dragons descend to the green. They were almost half again as big as the blue dragons and they raised their heads and roared into the sky once they landed. The machines¡¯ bestial cries reverberated throughout the night sky. This chorus was great enough to drown out even the engines of the transport plane racing down the runway. They¡¯re demons, thought Heo. A pack of demons is here. ¡­But why? ¡°Why!?¡± Harakawa charged into Yokota Air Base. Oddly enough, the gate was unmanned. No, the absence of people had begun when he had heard an odd voice while climbing the hill in Fussa that began at the Tama River and while approaching Route 16 in front of the base. He had turned around in confusion, but the president and treasurer¡¯s motorcycle had vanished. They had likely started toward Okutama on the Oume Highway before reaching Route 16. Currently, all the cars on the road were empty and unmoving. A few had driven up on the curb or gotten into multicar wrecks. Nevertheless, everything was empty and there was no sign of the police. He was curious about the watch the treasurer had given him and that he had done with it as she had instructed. His cellphone had yet to ring, but the watch had vibrated just before everyone had vanished. And he heard another sound. Some engines were running on the large runway to the east of the base. Before vanishing, the president had said Heo would be onboard the transport plane he found here. ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± he had asked. ¡°Will Heo join you if I¡¯m with her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what this is,¡± the president had said. ¡°We¡¯re giving her the right to choose where in the world she will be. Isn¡¯t that what you want? Or do you plan on controlling what she does? You don¡¯t, do you?¡± The boy had acted like he understood Harakawa, so it had not been worth discussing with him. And so Harakawa twisted the accelerator and tore through the wind. The unmanned gate was already behind him and the broad, straight path ahead of him was filled with scarlet light. The transport plane¡¯s idling had reached its limit and it was about to start moving. ¡­This is ridiculous! ¡°What am I going to do!? The hatch is closed and it doesn¡¯t have any windows. So what am I going to do? Screw this up and I could even lose my job here.¡± He twisted the accelerator. ¡°Who cares!?¡± After instantly passing between half-cylindrical storage buildings and then between the line of trees and fence beyond that, he could see a straight line of grass and asphalt cutting across from left to right. A green transport plane was facing right and thus eastward on it. He saw the plane had begun to move. ¡°¡­!¡± He then saw two objects arrive on the grass to his left. They were giant blue beasts. It took him a second to recognize them as dragons and his motorcycle had already shot out from the line of trees by then. He crossed the auxiliary road in an instant and raced across the grass. The tires started to spin, so he lowered his center of gravity to press them down and continue forward. At that point, the two blue dragons exploded. ¡°What?¡± The answer to his question arrived from the eastern sky. He saw multiple black dragons. There were four of them and they tore apart the grass as they landed. Their weight ripped up the lawn as they slid to a stop and they all roared toward the sky before that motion ended. Their voices shook everything. Harakawa did not know what was happening, but he did not hesitate. He pointed the handlebars toward the transport plane, leaned his center of gravity forward, and squeezed the accelerator. Based on the plane¡¯s speed and course, there was no preventing it from taking off at this point. Stopping the engines would only cause it to crash into the barriers at the end of the runway. Its only option was to fly and thus his only option was to pursue. His motorcycle¡¯s engine roared and he could feel that vibration over the roaring of the black dragons. ¡°Go!¡± The motorcycle charged onto the asphalt of the runway and instantly caught up to the transport plane arriving from the left. However, the plane was moving more quickly. He decided the sidecar was in the way, so pulled the release lever located between it and the motorcycle. However, it was still connected by the spare hook. ¡°Forgive me!¡± He squeezed the accelerator and the front wheel rose. The force of that motion tossed the sidecar backwards and unhooked it, but he could no longer even hear it tumbling. The only thing in his mind was the fact that he could catch up more easily without the excess weight. He opened his mouth, inhaled, and leaned on the handlebars to push down the raised front wheel. He saw the speedometer for a split second and realized he was moving at 130 kph. A fall at this speed would kill him instantly. The raised wheel reached the ground and the stabilized motorcycle accelerated as if trying to tear into the back of the transport plane. ¡°Why you¡­¡± The plane almost seemed to be running away and the wind it blew backwards seemed intent on rejecting him. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate a delinquent!!¡± The gears connected and Harakawa raced forward. He continued on and gradually caught up, but what would he do then? And what would he do about those black dragons? The answer came from an unexpected place. A voice reached him from beyond the roar of the plane in front of him. ¡°An excellent answer.¡± The plane shot by the figure that had spoken. Someone stood on the runway as if waiting for him. Despite the wind and noise, not even her hair was blowing. ¡­That¡¯s the woman who was with Heo. The tall woman had wavy gray hair, wore a black suit, and bent her eyes in a smile. ¡°So how about I give you a reward?¡± She pulled a felt-tip pen from her pocket. It was a red one and she drew a diagram with quick movements of her hand. Specifically, she drew a flower symbol on the transport plane¡¯s rear hatch as it passed by her. ¡°Open up.¡± And exactly that happened. The rear hatch suddenly opened while completely ignoring the presence of its actuators. It looked a lot like an animal opening its mouth. At the same time, the plane lost its balance, raised its nose, and took off. ¡°That was fast!¡± shouted Harakawa as he made a split-second decision. He stood up on the motorcycle¡¯s seat and jumped toward the hatch as it floated up in front of him. ¡°Don¡¯t get bit,¡± said the woman as he passed by her. Before he could wonder what that meant, the hatch closed and swallowed him up. The transport plane flew up from the runway and shrank into the eastern sky. The ones on the surface watching it leave were the giant black machines and¡­ ¡°Oh, honey. You¡¯re too late to see her off.¡± The woman standing on the runway gave that comment as she turned around. Her gaze landed on a skinny elderly man standing in the center of the runway. A blue stone hung from the string wrapped around his hand and he rolled up his suit¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Okutama. Okutama is in Roger¡¯s hands. More importantly, Diana.¡± ¡°What is it, honey? Or would you prefer I called you Colonel Odor?¡± ¡°Diana, Diana. I am currently on the job. And I do not recall asking you to offer any unnecessary services.¡± ¡°Unnecessary? Is that what you really think?¡± Her eyes narrowed and she brushed her right hand through the long hair behind her. ¡°You need to be more honest. We¡¯re all thinking it. That girl needs to be protected more than anyone, but she also wants it less than anyone.¡± ¡°Diana, Diana. You¡¯re just guessing.¡± ¡°No, I am not. It¡¯s called woman¡¯s intuition. Also¡­¡± She tilted her head and lowered her eyebrows a little. ¡°Why are you so intent on forcing relief onto that girl? ¡­Is it because of those scars you once gained on your arm?¡± Odor did not answer. He instead loosened his tie and raised his right hand. ¡°Pathetic. A pathetic story.¡± Diana saw him slowly move his gaze throughout area. There were smoking and flaming piles of metal on the grass. They were the wreckage of the blue mechanical dragons. ¡°If¡­ If I had ignored my orders and come out here more quickly, I would not have let this happen. The same goes for those in Tokyo Bay and at the place called Chofu. ¡­Diana, can I ask you one thing?¡± ¡°No wife would refuse her husband¡¯s request.¡± ¡°Most of all¡­ Most of all, it would anger me if any more life was lost. And I am worried about Heo. So, my wife, please do more than care for me as I die. Please take me to the battlefield, my wife who is the world¡¯s greatest witch.¡± ¡°Testament.¡± Diana removed her hand from her hair. It now held scraps of paper made into a cylinder and rectangular strips. ¡°This is a broom. Its performance does not quite live up to the original 1st version, though.¡± She swung the broom to the left. That was when the great pressure of wind arrived. It came from a black mechanical dragon. The dragon measured over forty meters long and it tried to knock Diana away with its nose. ¡°!!¡± A strike from the broom knocked it to the side. A heavy metallic sound shook the air and the black dragon fell to the side, but it quickly hopped back up with almost feline movements. The other black dragons reacted by growing more cautious. There were eight of them now, but¡­ ¡°What should we do about this, honey? Do you want them all for yourself or are you prepared to praise your wife?¡± ¡°Then¡­ Then how about you help me? These must be the enemy¡¯s scouts. The main unit is likely flying this way more slowly. Even if the transport plane carrying Heo Thunderson has concept stealth, they will still show interest if they visually locate it. ¡­I want to hurry.¡± Odor raised his right arm and four blue mechanical dragons approached in combat form from down the runway behind him. Diana spun her broom around and held the paper handle under her arm while watching their movements and the gazes of the black dragons. ¡°Then how about we dedicate the beginning of the fight to avenging our fallen comrades? We can dedicate the middle of the fight to the enemies being crushed and we can dedicate the end of the fight¡­¡± She smiled toward the black dragons. ¡°To perfect happiness. How does that sound?¡± Volume 9, 29: The Wind’s Guidance Volume 9, Chapter 29: The Wind¡¯s Guidance The sound of the wind does not stop The movement of the wind does not cease The will of the wind¡­ On the right of the screen, Heo saw something charge onto the runway and approach. After the explosion of the mechanical dragons, a seemingly impossible fact brought her feelings rushing back. ¡°Harakawa!?¡± She stood up and ran. She almost fell as she ran along the floor that was tilting while the transport plane prepared to ascend and she slammed her shoulder into the wall containing the door. It hurt, but the sensation brought her to her senses. Her feelings came back and her mind fully snapped into focus. She could not believe what was happening outside, but she had a single element that helped her to believe it. ¡°Harakawa!¡± she shouted while opening the door. It was cold. The room¡¯s air immediately rushed out and into the cargo hold in the back of the transport plane. The cylindrical space had rails embedded in the floor. It was five meters tall and ten meters back to front. And a single boy stood in the center of that space: Harakawa. ¡­How? How had he entered this concept space? How had he gotten aboard the plane? And¡­ ¡°Why¡­are you here?¡± ¡°How should I know!?¡± His shout made her jump. This was something not even he knew. ¡­But I feel like I know. Is that feeling wrong? She stepped out of the door. The room was placed within the cargo hold as a package, so its entrance had a height difference with the floor of the cargo hold. By the time she descended the three aluminum steps, the tilt to the floor was gone. She stopped about three meters in front of him. He took in a breath and raised his head to look at her. In that moment, an announcement filled the cargo hold. ¡°Emergency! Ksshh¡­from the east-¡­¡± It cut out there. A moment later, Heo¡¯s reflexes and kinetic vision were unable to keep up with everything that happened. The next thing she knew, the color black filled her vision. ¡­Eh? That black was dotted with the color white. She was seeing the starry sky. ¡­Why can I see that? And the stars were not all she saw in the sky. Below them were the clouds illuminated by the night scenery and below those was a black shadow. That shadow was a large airplane. Once she recognized it as a transport plane, she mentally tilted her head. Hadn¡¯t she been riding that plane? However, the transport plane¡¯s shape was different from before. The cargo hold area at the ¡°belly¡± of the plane had thick black lines through it. They resembled a cat scratch, but they were large enough to tear into the cargo hold. Oh, realized Heo. I fell from those holes. And¡­ ¡°!?¡± A flower bloomed in the sky. It was the fiery blossom of an explosion, but she could not hear that explosion. All she heard was the static-like wind of her fall. Her mind grasped the fact that her transport plane had been destroyed and she realized what by shortly thereafter. To her right, she saw the color black sitting motionless between the surface and the night sky. That stillness was the ocean far to the east and the starlight in the sky there dimly illuminated something. ¡­Those are¡­? They were black dragons. The visual information gave her an instinctual understanding of just how many of them there were and a chill ran down her spine. There was more than just one or a few of what she had thought were demons. ¡­There are dozens of even the big ones. And at the center of the army of black dragons was a giant twin-fuselage form. That black form was noticeably larger than the others. It can¡¯t be, her mind thought while denying what she was seeing. Her focus was on the sight before her far more than on the fear of falling or the chill and pain of the high-altitude wind. However, a response to her denial arrived from the east. One black dragon in the lead suddenly rose from below. ¡°¡­!¡± Its size, the fact that it was made of metal, and the air resistance were all meaningless to this black dragon. As she fell, the black dragon passed by from below, but it turned back at the same speed. It completely ignored the laws of physics as its front right leg tore through the air and swung its claws toward her. Heo opened her mouth to let out a meaningless scream. ¡°Don¡¯t cry!¡± said a voice. ¡°Harakawa!?¡± Her cry was swept away by the chilly wind, but it still received a response. Her mind had been completely focused on the black dragon, but it now turned toward the boy who was falling with his arms spread toward her. She clung to him so forcefully she practically collided with him. He held her in a forceful grip that was a little too tight, but she responded by clinging to him with all her might. She would not let go. And then the dragon¡¯s arm arrived. She saw Harakawa turn his gaze toward that dragon. The look in his eyes showed he was not even considering the possibility of losing or faltering. It was the same look she had seen in him all this time. A moment later, the dragon¡¯s claws swept in. Heo heard an intense metallic sound and lost consciousness. Harakawa saw the black dragon¡¯s claws approaching. And then they arrived. ¡°!¡± A metallic sound filled the air and his body was knocked away as if tearing into the air. But something was not right. ¡°¡­?¡± He was still alive. He felt the inertia of being knocked away and the impact of air from having his falling trajectory forcibly altered. However, he was still alive. He felt nothing out of place in his bones and his body remained intact. ¡­What? His plan had been to only save Heo. He had simply been trying to do something to save her. But both he and the slender body in his arms were alive. As he grew increasingly confused by his own survival, something flew up and away from them. The air resistance caused the small object to separate from them as if it had been placed in midair. It was Harakawa¡¯s bracelet of stones that his mother had given him. It had broken, almost as if it had taken the damage of the impact in their place. ¡­A protective charm. He did not really believe what his mother had said. In fact, he was more skeptical than anything. But the broken bracelet¡¯s string had snapped, so it left his arm and scattered through the sky. The only thing he knew for sure was that they were alive. And then the black dragon returned. Beyond the roar of the wind, it dropped down from above. Harakawa held Heo in his arms. She seemed to have lost consciousness as she clung to him and entrusted herself to him. But he could feel the warmth of her body in his arms and that was all that mattered. He did not believe they would be so lucky a second time, so he held her and tried to turn his back on the black dragon. And in that instant, he heard a certain sound. It was a high-pitched and short electronic tone, much like when a radio was being tuned. It had a wavelike pattern and occasionally cut out, but it seemed to be trying to convey something. What is that? he wondered as it grew shorter and its intermittence grew faster than a pulse. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Something like a voice reached his ears. Someone was there. They might have been nearby, behind him, or anywhere. At any rate, that existence spoke as if expressing itself. ¡°I thank you for protecting her twice.¡± ¡­!? Before he could ask anything, it arrived. Below him and behind Heo¡¯s back, it appeared. ¡­Wind!? Something large and invisible appeared. He had seen it once before that afternoon when the men in blue armored uniforms had pursued them. He recalled what had appeared as wind back then. ¡°A dragon!?¡± Before he could receive a response, Harakawa and Heo were enveloped by that wind. A moment later, a metallic noise rang out for the second time. The night filled a row of mountains with bluish-black darkness. But that darkness did not reach the valley between two of the mountains. Light existed in place of the darkness. That bright light currently illuminated a long strip of asphalt at the bottom of the valley and a white building to its west. Something resembling a giant bladed weapon sat on the partially broken asphalt of the runway. It was colored blue and white and it was approximately fifty meters long. It was the Vesper Cannon. People in blue armored uniforms surrounded that long dragon cannon on the runway and people in white armored uniforms stood in front of the entranceway to the white building. The two sides made no attempt to approach each other. They watched each other cautiously and stayed on their guard, but a single color could be seen between the blue and white: a crimson that reflected the lights. That color came from a red giant with no arms past the shoulders and Gyes in her red suit. A few meters from her was a long table for a meeting that had three people around it: Sayama in his suit, Shinjou in a white shirt, and¡­ ¡°Roger-kun was it?¡± Sayama¡¯s voice was directed past the table and to the indicated individual. The man wore a three piece suit and he expressionlessly pushed his glasses up his nose. ¡°I never thought you would return using the flight capability of a god of war. This was not in my calculations.¡± ¡°I suppose I should say ¡®testament¡¯. All I did was find a way to shorten the three hour journey from Haneda to forty minutes even with the runway destroyed in the battle. Also, I wished to draw everyone¡¯s attention. Of course, I intend to have Gyes-kun paid for her work as this was official business.¡± ¡°I see,¡± replied Roger while placing a hand on the table before him. ¡°We just received word that Black Sun¡¯s army is estimated to arrive here in another thirty minutes.¡± ¡°And what will you be doing with that time?¡± ¡°To be blunt¡­¡± Roger made sure his voice would reach both Sayama and the white building behind the boy. ¡°I recommend that Japanese UCAT abandon the Leviathan Road and transfer all control to the World UCAT Alliance.¡± ¡°Do you really think we can do that?¡± ¡°Testament. And do you think you can continue with the Leviathan Road?¡± Roger removed his hand from the table, lightly crossed his arms, and looked up into the night sky. Behind him was a group of tents surrounded by men in blue armored uniforms. That was their temporary base camp. Some members of Japanese UCAT were inside the tents. Mikage was sitting in a seat and folding origami, Hiba sat next to her with a bandanna around his head and while muttering something about turning off a machine, and an old man was shaking the metal cage he was trapped inside. Sayama looked across them all before answering. ¡°They seem to be having fun.¡± ¡°Testament. I truly did not expect them to look so happy. Needless to say, they are under our protection as long as they are in our custody. Is that okay with you?¡± ¡°It is and I do not view them as valid bargaining chips either.¡± Sayama readily made that judgment and Roger nodded. ¡°Then let us get back on topic,¡± said the man. ¡°Listen. None of 5th-Gear¡¯s people still live and the same is true of the mechanical dragons they built. About sixty years ago, those dragons all transformed into the Vesper Cannon, but at that time, they left all authority with a single individual: Mr. Richard Thunderson.¡± And¡­ ¡°In the instructions left before his death, Mr. Thunderson left all of those rights with American UCAT. Do you understand what that means?¡± ¡°I do,¡± answered Sayama while brushing his right hand through his hair. ¡°You are saying as follows: if we wish to continue the Leviathan Road with 5th-Gear, our negotiations must be with American UCAT. And American UCAT refuses to accept the Leviathan Road. ¡­Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Shinjou gasped when she heard that and Roger replied by uncrossing his arms, placing his right hand on his chest, and bowing. ¡°Testament. Do you see any room for negotiation, Leviathan Road negotiator?¡± Harakawa was in the night sky. From there, the lights on the surface looked like grains of sand. However, three things about the situation were odd. ¡°¡­¡± First, they had been attacked by that black dragon just a moment ago, but they were still alive. Second, he was holding Heo in the sky, but they were not falling. And third, he was sitting in an invisible seat and he could see the sky in all directions. ¡°We¡¯re flying¡­but where to!?¡± Instead of fading into the sky, his shout was reflected back from quite close by. That fact let him guess that he was inside some small space. He was inside a moving space that was surrounded by invisible walls. But even as he grasped that and calmed down, the situation continued to advance. Whatever it was he was sitting in was accelerating to the east and the sky ahead was filled with black shapes darker even than the night. It was an army of black dragons. The biggest shape of all sat in the middle like an island and he was being brought toward it. ¡°Hey! Can you hear me!?¡± Harakawa held Heo¡¯s unconscious form close to free his legs and he kicked at the space in front of him. He could not see it, but there was definitely something like a table there. The recoil of the kick pushed his back against the invisible seat and he began to look around. ¡°Show yourself. What do you think you¡¯re doing!?¡± Just before this strange space had taken them in, he had heard a voice. The male voice had sounded like it was coming over a radio. He did not fully understand, but Harakawa guessed that someone was controlling this space. He looked forward at the group of black that they were approaching and that was approaching them. ¡°Are you going to fight!?¡± After that shouted question, he felt a slight shaking. The invisible seat he sat in and the air of the space had vibrated a little. It was almost as if something had noticed its hesitation and grown afraid. Harakawa frowned at that shaking and he placed his feet on the invisible table he had kicked as if guarding against the black dragons approaching from the front. He braced his legs against that front surface and¡­ ¡°Hey.¡± He spoke to the fear he had sensed. He spoke to whatever was flying toward those black dragons despite feeling fear. ¡°Who are you?¡± He did receive a response. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± There were no words, but he heard a breath. And so he spoke again while tensing up as the details of the black shapes grew visible. ¡°Who are you and what¡¯s your connection to Heo?¡± The name he included in his question seemed to act as a trigger. As soon as the girl¡¯s name filled the air, Harakawa felt the same hesitant and fearful shaking as before. ¡°I do not know.¡± Awkward yet fluent words reached his mind rather than his ears. He did not understand any of what was happening, but he shook his head to throw out the trivial questions. There was something else he had to say here. ¡°You don¡¯t know, but you¡¯re still going to fight!? Can you win against all of them!?¡± The voice did not reply, but they accelerated. Directly ahead was a twin-fuselage form. It looked like two flying aircraft carriers facing them. In the center, a draconic form used the twin-fuselage like wings. It was a giant black mechanical dragon. As they approached it, the surrounding dragons took action. They flew in front of the larger dragon to protect it. In response, whatever was carrying Harakawa and Heo flew straight forward. Are you suicidal? thought Harakawa, but he realized what was happening a moment later. ¡­Are you going to avoid them!? It was not quite on the level of a motorcycle, but the movements of what carried them seemed to be controlled by balance rather than by a steering wheel or rudder. Unlike simply turning a steering wheel, the body of a motorcycle was banked to tilt the weight on the front and back wheels as it raced along the road. Whatever was carrying them flew through the sky in much the same way. It flipped its body around to slip between the smaller black dragons approaching from the front. ¡°¡­!¡± It almost seemed to dance as it bounced its body off the air and continued on. Its movements helped Harakawa realize the length and shape of this craft. It was¡­ ¡°A dragon!?¡± ¡°I do not know.¡± He heard that voice and the blowing wind, but he heard neither with his ears. The sound of the wind reached his mind along with the speaker¡¯s voice. ¡°I know nothing. I know that, but I do not know.¡± ¡°Not even your name? And can you not show yourself!?¡± ¡°I have no name. That is why I do not know. And¡­I cannot show myself. Not while I fly through the sky like this.¡± ¡°Not while you fly through the sky like this? You mean¡­¡± Harakawa looked around him. Something invisible was located past Heo who was taking the gentle breaths of sleep. This voice belonged to what was located there. However, it was invisible and it had not shown itself. ¡­Is this some kind of anime? However, the sights around him and the sound of wind did more than enough to tell him this was real. As the invisible dragon flew about, it struck the air with the sound of a breaking wave. And the impacts had enough force to shake the seat. But even as the wave-like sound of the wind continued, the wind dragon raced onward. Faster than the coming dragons, it slipped past their claws, evaded their tackles, and accelerated as if pushing them backwards. It made it through. It flew in front of the largest black mechanical dragon. It was less than two hundred meters from the tips of the enemy¡¯s twin-fuselage wings. And just after arriving so close, Harakawa saw light. Light had appeared only a few meters in front of them. That was likely the location of their dragon¡¯s mouth. With the sound of bursting wind, a blast was fired from the invisible mouth. The dragon fired while still accelerating forward. The white light instantly spread to ten meters thick after being fired and flew on at that width. The dragon continued firing for two seconds. The light had actual weight and it formed a giant pillar directed at the black dragon located at the center of the twin-fuselage wings. And the dragon carrying them flew after the light. It shot forward to make up for the acceleration lost from the recoil of the blast and it tried to fly between the wings. But then the large black mechanical dragon fired. The first sign of that attack appeared in the space between the twin-fuselage wings. Those wings were nearly six hundred meters long and black lightning appeared in the thirty meter wide gap between them. And that lightning seemed to form a mesh. The collection of black light between the twin-fuselage wings tore into the white light. That white pillar of light was unable to pass through the gap. The black mesh wrapped around it, pierced through it, and tore it to pieces. ¡°¡­!¡± Finally, the pillar burst and scattered. It all happened in an instant. Once the white light had scattered like snow in the wind, only the black lightning remained. After eliminating the white light, the black lightning quickly expanded and formed eight shaking pillars of light that seemed to connect the twin towers that were the wings. Next, even more black light was added. At the very back, the black dragon opened its body downwards. This revealed a long cannon that extended straight out from the armor covering the bottom of the dragon. The cannon resembled a blade and it extended until it was longer than the dragon itself. Meanwhile, the dragon carrying Harakawa and Heo simply accelerated in a straight line. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°I am sorry,¡± said the voice. ¡°I do not know. I do not know. I want to know, but I do not!¡± The wind dragon slipped past a black pillar of light that trembled and moved like a whip. It slipped past a second and third and once more gathered light in the air where its mouth was. But that was as far as it got. Harakawa realized that Heo had woken in his arms. She shook as if her pulse was being expressed in her motions and she reflexively raised her head. ¡°¡­!?¡± She looked at him, but after only a moment, she faced forward. She could see them soaring between the black metal twin-fuselage wings and she could see the black dragon up ahead. ¡°N-¡­¡± Her eyes opened wide and her voice rang out. With no hesitation whatsoever, she gave a cry of rejection. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± Harakawa held her tight in an attempt to restrain her trembling voice. She struggled with more strength than he had expected from a girl and restraining her back and forth shaking was the most he could manage. Soon, the end arrived. An attack came from the front. It was a blast of black light. Tokyo was deserted inside the concept space. In the city center, some automatons had left the Kanda Laboratory to maintain the concept space creation terminals. A few of them watched the battle in the sky above the Chiyoda region. The large black mechanical dragon with its twin-fuselage wings was fighting some invisible opponent. As the concept space communication facility had yet to be completed, they could not inform the rest of UCAT what they were seeing. However, they could make scans from their multiple viewpoints and send those to their fellow automatons via their shared memory. Something invisible had attacked Black Sun. Black Sun had fired its main cannon. Even with what was likely a low power shot, Black Sun¡¯s main cannon had an effective range of 21.1 kilometers. The invisible object had avoided the blast at close range, but it had fallen in the eastern sky. The estimated location of its fall was the center of Tokyo Bay. It had almost certainly fallen into the ocean and sunk. After they informed the others of all that, something shook the sky. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± A giant beast gave a cry estimated to be of joy and it lasted for a full three minutes and eighteen seconds. With the trailing notes of that joy still ringing in their auditory devices, all of the automatons connected to their shared memory and gave a single report. ¡°Black Sun is advancing to the west.¡± Volume 9, 30: Preemptive Truth Volume 9, Chapter 30: Preemptive Truth Make your will known Both when you have something And when you have nothing Light illuminated the night with the dark mountains in the background. On the asphalt between a long runway and a white building, a long meeting table cast a shadow by the roundabout in front of the building. Three people cast shadows with the table between them. One was a foreigner in a suit. The tall man faced the other two through his glasses. One was a boy in a suit and the other a girl in a white shirt. ¡°Now, Sayama and Shinjou. You may have only just returned, but I would like to receive an answer.¡± The boy in a suit, Sayama, turned a sharp gaze toward him. ¡°And what do you mean by an answer, Roger-kun?¡± ¡°As I have already said, I refer to the cessation of the Leviathan Road with 5th-Gear.¡± Roger reached into his pocket as he spoke. All those in white armored uniforms by the building prepared their various weapons, but Roger ignored the many metallic noises and removed his hand from his pocket. Shinjou stated what he now held. ¡°An envelope?¡± ¡°Testament. The letter inside contains the instructions Mr. Richard Thunderson gave us. He provided us with the full authority he received from 5th-Gear and it is our reason for stopping the Leviathan Road.¡± Roger placed the white envelope on the table and then returned his hand to his pocket. He then pulled out a small black device. ¡°May I activate this tape recorder? I would like to record your answer and everything leading up to it.¡± Roger placed the tape recorder on the table. The old recorder made a hard clunk as it reached the table and the recording switch was already activated. The only sound was the quiet one of the tape spinning. Roger pushed his glasses up his nose, looked first at everyone gathered by the white building, and then turned to the boy before him. Sayama had a sharp yet expressionless look in his eyes, but Roger faced it with something completely different. He smiled and narrowed his eyes. ¡°According to our investigation, the Leviathan Road¡¯s negotiator has recorded conversations for his negotiations. I thought I would save you the trouble while also leaving proof for future use.¡± ¡°You seem to be slightly mistaken.¡± ¡°And how is that?¡± ¡°That is not for my negotiations. It is my hobby.¡± Next to Sayama, Shinjou¡¯s knees collapsed underneath her as if the strings supporting her had snapped. But she quickly recovered and grabbed at him. ¡°S-stop that, Sayama-kun! This is being recorded!¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Shinjou-kun? I merely avoided leaving a misunderstanding in the records of someone such as myself whose name is sure to go down in history.¡± Shinjou smiled and nodded twice before turning to Roger. ¡°Can you delete that?¡± ¡°I cannot.¡± This time, she fully fell to her knees. Sayama and the small creature on his head glanced over at her, but soon returned their gaze to Roger. ¡°Well then,¡± he began. ¡°How about we begin?¡± Hearing Sayama speak, Shinjou looked up while sitting on the ground. Begin? she thought. What is there to discuss? ¡­They have that letter. Her question drove her to stand and she saw Sayama with his arms crossed and head slightly tilted. ¡°Could you take out that letter and read it once more?¡± ¡°Why? I believe its contents are already known.¡± Sayama reached his left hand into his pocket. Those in blue armored uniforms on the runway aimed their weapons at him. The metallic sounds of weapons being prepared reached him, but Sayama did not care and he did not remove his hand from his pocket. ¡°Roger-kun? You discussed Mr. Richard¡¯s transfer of authority before producing the tape recorder. That leaves a certain possibility.¡± Shinjou realized what he was trying to say, so she said it in his place. ¡°He was trying to record us accepting the end of the Leviathan Road without recording the part about the transfer of authority? But then¡­¡± ¡°Yes. It is possible the transfer of Mr. Richard Thunderson¡¯s authority is false. This document may have been a fake even as it was read yesterday. That might be why he tried to record our promise without leaving any records of the falsehood.¡± Sayama looked up at Roger with his hand still in his pocket. ¡°But surely you were not attempting such a poor trick. Right, Roger-kun? As previously stated, producing a fake would be an eternal embarrassment. ¡­Still, I would simply like to go back over the document.¡± ¡°That is a lot of suspicion against the truth-loving American UCAT.¡± Roger¡¯s line was meant to leave a record of his discomfort at being a target of such suspicion. In other words, he would not hold back if he was proven right. But Sayama ignored the enemy¡¯s attempt to hold him in check. ¡°Read it. I want this tape recorder to record that these are the words of Mr. Richard Thunderson. Oh, and one other thing.¡± Sayama finally pulled his left hand from his pocket. ¡°To aid my hobby, how about we each record this conversation?¡± He placed a handheld recorder on the table and it was already switched on. If Roger was now unable to read the contents of the envelope, it would mean those contents were false and he could not allow them to be recorded. Meanwhile, the envelope remained on the table and Roger did not touch it. ¡°Let us make a bet, negotiator.¡± He brought his hands into his suit¡¯s sleeve and pulled out a small metal case. ¡°I have not shown it to you, but you could call this my weapon. It contains a concept to show others a false reality, but I will set it aside. I have no need for it here.¡± Shinjou looked at the case and at Roger with an upturned glance. ¡°How do we know you haven¡¯t already used it?¡± The answer came from her left. ¡°Do not worry,¡± said Gyes. ¡°I have been watching and that case is the only philosopher¡¯s stone reading around him.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Shinjou with a nod. It was possible even Gyes¡¯s statement was part of the false reality, but she would have stopped the man if he had actually tried something. She would not have allowed him to even move an arm. Roger then nodded and pointed at the case he had placed on the table. ¡°In my dreams, you will wake once you realize that it is a dream.¡± As Roger spoke, Sayama slowly reached over to grope Shinjou¡¯s breasts. His fingers seemed to check the elasticity and shape and he nodded. ¡°Not even a dream based on my memories could replicate this sensation! Ergo, this is reality!¡± An uppercut shook the body of the boy who had groped her. He and Baku on his head turned toward her. ¡°Wh-what was that for!?¡± ¡°Did that wake you up?¡± She pointed toward Roger who was looking back with a blank expression. ¡°That is an unusual method of checking.¡± ¡°It is quite normal for Shinjou-kun and me. We do it all the time. ¡­This is being recorded, right? We. Do. It. All. The. Time. Oh, how delightful! That is all. ¡­Now, let us set aside such complicated things and continue with the simple negotiation.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What is that glare for, Shinjou-kun? But it too is wonderful. Anyway, Roger-kun, you raised your bet by setting aside your weapon, didn¡¯t you? You are saying the contents of the envelope are real, so if our doubts our proven wrong, we cannot forget the good faith you showed us.¡± ¡°That is one way of looking at it,¡± agreed Roger. However, Sayama continued as if it were perfectly natural. ¡°Then we shall raise our bet as well. That bet being on our doubt. ¡­If you are telling the truth and all of 5th-Gear¡¯s authority truly lies with American UCAT¡­ Oh, I know. I will go right ahead and say it.¡± Sayama did not hesitate. ¡°We will give up all rights to the Leviathan Road.¡± Roger heard what Sayama said. ¡­Is he stupid!? The boy¡¯s confidence came from his certainty that the document was a fake and that certainty was entirely based in the timing at which Roger had produced the tape recorder. ¡­But the letter inside the envelope is real. The signature was in Thunderson¡¯s handwriting and it was stamped with his official seal. If a 1st-Gear concept was used, it could be conceptually proven to be written by him. In truth, the timing of the tape recorder had been a gamble on Roger¡¯s part. He had a single job as Odor¡¯s aide. He was to act as negotiator instead of Odor who was a terrible speaker. He had known he would be facing the Leviathan Road¡¯s negotiator during this visit to Japan. Odor had volunteered to command the attack on Japanese UCAT and the battle against the black dragon and Roger had received only one order from him. ¡­I am to use whatever means necessary to get Japanese UCAT to accept Thunderson¡¯s instructions. The instructions were real, so the outcome was already determined. Even if Sayama attempted to cheat in some way, they had been taken directly to this table on arrival and they had not spoken with their comrades in the building behind them. Forming up on the runway and creating an obvious stalemate had been a method of forcing Sayama and Shinjou to step in as mediators without having a chance to discuss anything. That had worked well. The automaton in a red suit that controlled the god of war they had flown in on did not appear to be a maid type, so she would be unable to communicate over their shared memory. Also, the concept space communication facility in Kanda was not yet up and running and the shared consciousness of the 4th-Gear resident with them could not communicate over such long distances. They had been brought to the negotiating table without gaining any information or discussing anything within the concept space. Roger¡¯s victory was assured, so he had decided to play a bit of a game. Since he could not lose, the point of the game was to see how his opponent would react. He had expected a clever opponent to guess that Roger¡¯s victory was unshakable and either back off or negotiate for a decent compromise. Roger was willing to admit the value of an enemy commander who would retreat when the situation called for it. Depending on how things played out, he had even considered placing Japanese UCAT as second-in-command as American UCAT led the effort to release the concepts. ¡­But I never expected him to be this reckless. He had fallen for the tape recorder trick and then clung that one point so much that he had raised his bet to giving up the Leviathan Road. Raising the bet had likely been meant to intimidate Roger. He thought Roger¡¯s card was a fake, so he was making an implied threat. ¡­He is telling me to back off while I still can. At that point, Roger gave a bitter laugh. And not just in his heart. Sayama and Shinjou gave him puzzled looks, so he contained the laugh and replied. ¡°My apologies.¡± He then decided to reveal the answer. He reached out toward the envelope to remove the letter. ¡°Wait just a moment, Roger-kun. You have not given your bet.¡± Sayama¡¯s arms were crossed and his sharp gaze looked up at Roger. ¡°Surely you do not think your bet of a single weapon is equivalent to the bet I just made.¡± I see, thought Roger as he withdrew his hand. Yes. Even if I know I will win, I should play the game properly. As he tried to come up with a bet, Sayama opened his mouth again. ¡°But I am feeling generous, so how about I raise my bet even further. How about this? If American UCAT truly has full authority concerning 5th, I will also transfer a full set of Japanese UCAT facilities to American UCAT.¡± ¡°A full set of your facilities?¡± Roger looked up and saw Sayama. Shinjou was looking at him with a look of utter shock. ¡°What is it, Roger-kun? I do not particularly enjoy having men stare at me.¡± Sayama raised his right hand such that a noise came from his elbow and he hid his face behind that hand. ¡°Oh, my apologies. I forgot that America is a country that respects freedom and any number of preferences. It was rude of me to speak out against your preference. ¡­However, I have already devoted myself to Shinjou-kun, so give up.¡± Roger averted his gaze and did his best to ignore everything the boy said. Sayama exaggeratedly swung down his hand to send wind down on the table, but he did not look down at the envelope as the wind reached it. And so Roger continued to ignore him while bringing a hand to his forehead and thinking about what to bet. But¡­ ¡°Oh, wait a moment, Roger-kun. It seems my hospitality as a Japanese person was lacking. It also seems I have not said enough, so let me raise the bet even further. ¡­If full authority over 5th-Gear lies with American UCAT, I will also transfer you the rights to everything developed by Japanese UCAT.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± said Roger on reflex. ¡­This is odd. Where did this boy¡¯s ridiculous confidence come from? Roger knew his victory was assured, so he had proof that the boy¡¯s confidence was nothing more than a bluff. However, this level of confidence was too much. As he thought, he heard a voice. Still expressionless, Sayama tapped a finger on the table as if he were nervous. ¡°Roger-kun, one thing. Just one thing. Can you answer me a quick question?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It is a simple matter, Roger-kun.¡± Sayama gave one hard flick of the table. ¡°Let us say the letter in that envelope is real, but we had brought a truth that completely overturns it and we had a way of swapping out the contents of the envelope. What would you say then?¡± ¡°That is not-¡­¡± He trailed off before saying ¡°possible¡±. Sayama¡¯s handheld recorder had disappeared from the table. No, it had not disappeared. It was being hidden. ¡°Some slight optical camouflage is distorting the light around the recorder, Roger-kun. 5th-Gear¡¯s dragons use optical stealth and Miyako-kun created a handheld version to show everyone an example to help fight back against it. So just watch.¡± A small creature had appeared on the table next to the envelope at some point. It was Baku. Its legs were sprawled out as if sleeping, but it had supposedly been on Sayama¡¯s head just a moment before. ¡°I placed him in my sleeve while covering my face and placed him here when I lowered my hand. I set the optical stealth philosopher¡¯s stone on the recorder when I flicked the table afterwards. ¡­Now, what has happened to the contents of the envelope?¡± Roger knew what Sayama meant. He was saying he could have switched out the contents at any time. ¡­But that is not possible. Even with an invisibility philosopher¡¯s stone and even if he had the skill to move Baku without Roger noticing, Roger would have noticed if he had tried to tamper with the envelope. Roger let out a breath to calm himself and pushed his glasses up his nose. ¡°If you did swap out the envelope¡¯s contents, that fact will remain in the recording.¡± ¡°Then let me say this: I swear on the god of freedom and justice that I did not swap out the envelope¡¯s contents.¡± ¡­I see. Roger looked to the envelope and then Sayama while he thought. The boy was doing everything he could to overturn the situation. However, he would have had to tamper with the envelope to alter its contents. Roger¡¯s own eyes told him that had not happened and so he concluded there was nothing to worry about. But then¡­ ¡°Oops.¡± For some reason, Sayama tripped toward the table and it was clearly done on purpose. Roger sensed danger in how Sayama held his hands out toward the table. ¡°Don¡¯t move!!¡± As Roger shouted, help came from an unexpected place: Shinjou. ¡°W-wait. Are you okay, Sayama-kun?¡± She frantically held him from the side to stop his fall. He was stopped and lifted up before he hit the table and he thanked her. ¡°Thank you. It seems my overwork is catching up to me.¡± A blatant lie, thought Roger as he sighed and lowered his gaze. He then noticed something new on the table. ¡°¡­¡± It was a piece of paper. The folded copy paper had text printed on it. However, Roger could not read it because an information restriction concept had been applied to it. ¡­That is a 1st-Gear concept used by all UCATs these days. At that point, Roger recalled that 1st-Gear had joined the enemy. ¡­They have writing concepts, including those more complete than we have ever seen. Sayama spoke while looking down at the fallen document. ¡°Oh, dear. I dropped an important document from my pocket. I need to be careful. After all, if this document were written with 1st-Gear¡¯s writing concepts, it could affect other writings. It would be a disaster if its writing replaced any other documents it happened to fall on.¡± The boy¡¯s words made Roger tremble in his heart. ¡­Can he rewrite the text inside the envelope using a concept? Impossible. Do not worry, he told himself. I have never heard of such a concept. ¡­But at the same time¡­ Japanese UCAT had won over 1st-Gear, which was the center of writing concepts. ¡°Roger-kun, why are you being so quiet? Are you tired? I can imagine you are. After all, your single decision here will decide the future of Colonel Odor and the rest of American UCAT,¡± said Sayama. ¡°You cannot let a careless assumption or reckless decision based on ignorance bring harm to American UCAT. With some things, simply saying you did not know is not enough. ¡­Being a negotiator is not easy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The boy was laying on the pressure. Roger understood that and he understood he had no way of knowing whether a 1st-Gear writing concept had been used or not. So partially as a way of brushing aside that pressure, he picked up the unreadable paper that had fallen to the table. And he did so before Sayama could reach for the table himself. Roger slightly disturbed the air as he held out the paper. But Sayama did not immediately take it. After a pause, he nodded and did so. ¡°Thank you for collecting that for me.¡± ¡°No need to thank me. We prepared the table, after all.¡± Sayama nodded again, opened the document, read through it, and opened his mouth. ¡°Would you look at that. This says full authority over 5th-Gear will be left with American UCAT!¡± ¡°!?¡± His words intensified the silence of the surrounding area. Wondering what had happened, everyone stood up and audibly prepared their weapons, but Sayama continued loudly. ¡°Just kidding!!¡± His follow-up statement made everyone immediately wilt. All strength left them and they sat down, but they then turned even more focus in the negotiators¡¯ direction. With all that attention reaching them, Sayama looked across the white building and runway before shrugging. ¡°It seems you all need to work on your sense of humor.¡± Next to him, Shinjou peered at the paper in his hand and frowned. ¡°This¡­isn¡¯t what was in the envelope, is it?¡± ¡°Now, now, Shinjou-kun. I did not swap anything out. I would never divert everyone¡¯s attention by pretending to trip and then have Baku conceptually swap out only the text,¡± he said. ¡°Even so, Baku is quite attached to me. Look.¡± He raised his right arm so Baku could see and the creature copied the action. Sayama then took another action: he moved as if tripping onto the table. Baku copied him by collapsing toward the opening of the envelope before him. ¡­The creature is moving to pull out the contents with its front legs! Sayama then gave an expressionless comment. ¡°If Baku were given a philosopher¡¯s stone to hide his movements, he would make a top-class spy.¡± It can¡¯t be, thought Roger as he looked down at Baku. The creature sensed his gaze and turned around. Roger then saw a blue philosopher¡¯s stone on a pendant around Baku¡¯s neck. ¡°Wh-what concept is that!?¡± ¡°It looks good on him, doesn¡¯t it? That is simply a decoration for a pet, Roger-kun. Giving him a philosopher¡¯s stone with a spying concept is unthinkable. ¡­And let me tell you three things, Roger-kun.¡± ¡°And what might those be?¡± ¡°First of all¡­¡± Sayama raised his index finger and Baku copied the action. ¡°Surely you are not doubting me after I have repeatedly insisted I did nothing.¡± And¡­ ¡°Second, let us raise the bet further, Roger-kun. If full authority over 5th-Gear lies with American UCAT, Japanese UCAT here in Okutama and the rest of UCAT throughout Japan will assist American UCAT¡¯s actions free of charge.¡± Also¡­ ¡°Third, it would seem you are having difficulty finding a good idea for raising your end of the bet. I am much like a god, so I can make bet after bet like this, but you seem unable to find an answer with your level of authority. To help you, I will request a bet that I know you can grant.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°It is simple. I can make some guesses based on your age, your skill with the Japanese language, and the fact that you were sent here. So if that envelope does not grant American UCAT with Mr. Thunderson¡¯s authority¡­¡± Sayama turned his sharp eyes toward Roger. ¡°Tell me everything you know about UCAT¡¯s blank period.¡± Roger gasped at Sayama¡¯s request. That final request was something he had to avoid at all costs. Therefore, he needed to open the envelope and read the contents to provide the answer. ¡­Because it is true that Mr. Thunderson transferred all of his authority! However, the boy was suspicious. Roger would definitely win this negotiation. The document inside was real, so his absolute advantage could not be shaken. But a risk arose from a ¡°what if¡± scenario. What if the document had been switched out or rewritten? This was being recorded. In fact, he had been the one to record it. And at the beginning of the negotiation, Shinjou had asked, ¡°He was trying to record us accepting the end of the Leviathan Road without recording the part about the transfer of authority?¡± If the document turned out to be a fake, it would support Shinjou¡¯s suspicions. He could accuse them of switching it out, but the real one was unlikely to return after it fell into enemy hands and just how many people would believe him? Only he and Odor knew that the document was real. No one else had actually seen it for themselves. An inspection with a 1st-Gear concept could determine who had written it, but it was all over if the enemy had a way of escaping that and 1st-Gear was likely to side with the Leviathan Road anyway. ¡­It all falls down to ¡°what ifs¡±. He knew for a fact that he was in the right, but for some reason, he felt like he was making a gamble. He was right, yet he was gambling. He began to wonder where everything had gone wrong. Hiding the recorder with the optical camouflage philosopher¡¯s stone, placing Baku near the envelope, and dropping the paper from his pocket had all been small things. Any one of them could have been ignored. But what if they carried everything in a different direction when put together? ¡°¡­¡± Roger frowned for the first time in this negotiation. The enemy was asking him to break his silence on UCAT¡¯s blank period if he lost. ¡­But¡­ ¡°Can you not do it?¡± asked Sayama as if tempting him. ¡°Then why not accept the Leviathan Road? Do that¡­and at the very least, we will be stuck investigating the blank period on our own. After all, I have recently started to think it is related to the Leviathan Road.¡± That was something Roger could not do. His higher ups in American UCAT had already decided they could not accept the Leviathan Road. But at the same time¡­ ¡­I cannot break my silence on the blank period. I simply cannot, he realized. No one remains with the authority to tell the whole story of that time. Roger brought a groan up in his throat. ¡°¡­¡± But he looked up into the sky and forced it back down. His gaze moved up the white building in front of him. The building had lights installed here and there. On the roof at the very top, he saw the white edge he had been pushed from the previous night and he saw two figures standing there. One was a gray-haired middle-aged man in a black suit and the other was a gray-haired woman in a maid uniform. The middle-aged man looked down with a cane in hand and he pushed his sunglasses up his nose. His mouth moved and formed words. Roger could not hear him, but he was able to read his lips. ¡°Put your mind at ease, Roger Sully.¡± Those words were the final push. Roger forcefully lowered his gaze toward Sayama¡¯s expressionless face and raised his eyebrows. ¡°American UCAT trusts in our own justice and freedom.¡± He reached for the envelope. ¡°Those two virtues will guide us to the truth! And thus the truth is on our side!!¡± He pulled out the letter, opened it, and read it aloud. ¡° ¡®If I, Richard Thunderson, die or go missing, I leave all authority I hold at the time to American UCAT. September 15, 2005.¡¯ ¡± Roger realized the document was still the real one. Shinjou doubted her ears when she heard Roger. For an instant, she could not understand what he was saying. After all¡­ ¡­We¡­lost? Sayama had used so many tricks and said so much, but the contents were real. She asked herself what was happening, but she honestly could not find an answer. Roger had completely won and all the bets Sayama had made would be passed over to him. She must not have been the only one confused because there was no reaction from the white building behind her. And oddly enough, those in blue up ahead also failed to react. It was as if they doubted their own victory. Even Roger frowned as he looked at the letter. At that point, Shinjou heard a sound. It was the loud, dry, and repeating sound of clapping. And it came from Sayama. He was expressionlessly clapping his hands toward Roger and the sound echoed off the white wall of the building. ¡°Well done. Well done indeed, Roger-kun. Even if the enemy has laid a trap, American UCAT will persist and use their justice and freedom to reach the truth. That makes you a follower of the truth and a foolish yet brave challenger. And that is what has carried you to this result. That result being¡­¡± He made his declaration. ¡°Your loss.¡± Roger doubted his ears when he heard Sayama. For an instant, he could not understand what the boy was saying. After all¡­ ¡­Our¡­loss? Sayama had used so many tricks and said so much, but the contents had been real. He asked himself what was happening, but he honestly could not find an answer. He had completely won and all the bets Sayama had made would be passed over to him. So how did that constitute his loss? He must not have been the only one confused because there was no reaction from the runway behind him or the white building in front of him. Even Shinjou frowned as she looked to Sayama from the side. ¡°It is a simple matter,¡± said Sayama. ¡°Before entering this concept space, we were pursuing Heo Thunderson. And before leaving Shimane, Kazami gave me a certain piece of information during her periodic report. She said a delinquent classmate of mine seemed likely to head out to retrieve Heo Thunderson.¡± ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°This afternoon, American UCAT was stopped by that delinquent boy while trying to secure Heo Thunderson. At that time, the two of them were snatched up by Black Sun or something similar and taken into the eastern sky.¡± That was true, but they still did not know what it had been. If a dragon was assisting people, Roger wanted to say it was a survivor of 5th-Gear, but that conflicted with what Richard Thunderson had said. ¡­He said White Creation and the other dragons combined with the Vesper Cannon and that Xolotl 3 is no more. But Sayama continued speaking. ¡°What if there is a survivor of 5th-Gear and that dragon has been left with Heo Thunderson along with full authority over 5th? And couldn¡¯t you say Richard Thunderson wrote his instructions with that in mind? He said that if he dies or goes missing, he leaves ¡®all authority I hold at the time¡¯ to American UCAT. Why did he not specify his authority over 5th-Gear?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t mean¡­¡± ¡°All of 5th-Gear has already been transferred from Mr. Richard to Heo Thunderson via that mechanical dragon! Mr. Richard¡¯s authority is no longer 5th-Gear¡¯s authority. He only left you with his records and assets so you could protect Heo Thunderson!¡± The boy took a breath. ¡°Take Richard Thunderson¡¯s authority, American UCAT! We on the other hand wish to speak with Heo Thunderson who he left 5th-Gear¡¯s authority with in the form of a mechanical dragon!¡± Roger struck the table at Sayama¡¯s shout. The sound of his clenched fist rang loudly through the air and Baku was knocked into the air and flipped over, but Roger paid him no heed. ¡°That is simply untrue!¡± ¡°Have you checked?¡± ¡°There is no need. The mechanical dragons of 5th-Gear gave Mr. Richard Thunderson full authority and he told us they are no more. You claim another mechanical dragon exists, but why would that be!? How can a mechanical dragon exist when none exist!?¡± ¡°Then listen,¡± said a voice. It came from Sayama across the table and Shinjou tensed her shoulders next to him. ¡°I have many questions concerning 5th-Gear, including that transfer of authority. Even when it comes to Black Sun and the fall of 5th¡¯s people, there are just too many uncertainties! We must answer those questions before we continue!¡± Sayama turned to Shinjou who looked surprised by his words. ¡°This is a gamble, Shinjou-kun. Will my optimism win or will America¡¯s pessimism win?¡± ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s a gamble, Sayama-kun? And what questions are there about Black Sun or 5th¡¯s destruction?¡± He did not immediately reply. He first looked away from her and toward Roger. But he did not stop there. He looked across everyone present. ¡°A mechanical dragon flew into the sky after saving a girl and the delinquent boy who tried to protect her. And now, that delinquent boy is again trying to save her. If the girl answers, that dragon is sure to appear once more.¡± He took a breath. ¡°Listen, great nation that wields the justice of adults and provides the freedom of protection and order. That dragon stands in a place of truth. A place of truth sought by a demon-possessed girl and a delinquent boy.¡± Sayama lowered his gaze to the creature sitting next to the letter Roger had placed back on the table. Baku had already raised his front legs in preparation to bring forth the past. Volume 9, 31: The Human Dragon’s Will Volume 9, Chapter 31: The Human Dragon¡¯s Will Say goodbye Split apart And understand Harakawa heard someone crying. It was the quiet sound of someone sobbing while desperately trying to stay quiet. As that voice reached his mind, Harakawa wondered why he was hearing it. His thoughts asked to playback his memories and that brought his other senses rushing back. He had apparently passed out. ¡­Twice in one day. That¡¯s pretty sad. He opened his eyes, but he was surrounded by the color black and wondered if he had gone blind. From what he remembered, he and Heo had been riding an invisible dragon which had instinctually faced the enemy while saying it did not understand anything. ¡­And it was shot down. He thought they had only avoided the black dragon¡¯s final attack because Heo had woken. When she had given her cry of rejection, their dragon had hesitated. And that hesitation had avoided a direct hit. Still, they had been knocked away and their excess flight speed had taken them eastward. ¡°And we fell in the ocean. So is this the ocean floor?¡± He then felt something move on his chest. It was Heo and she was clinging to his T-shirt. ¡°Hey, Heo Thunderson. Please don¡¯t drool on my clothes.¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t do that.¡± She tried to sound defiant, but her voice shook. She apparently tried to get up, but she also apparently did not have it in her to leave his arms. He was definitely sitting in something. The seat had him almost lying down and it felt like the one¡¯s he had seen in the base¡¯s F-16s. When he stretched out his legs, he could feel them reach the bottom of something like a table. He turned his head to either side. His vision was still filled with darkness, but his eyes seemed to have adjusted because he could sense a bit of light. ¡°¡­?¡± He removed his right arm from Heo and reached toward the light source. He found a soft cloth material. ¡°Ah, w-wait Harakawa! Just because it¡¯s dark d-d-d-d-doesn¡¯t mean-¡­!¡± ¡°Stop getting worked up over misunderstandings, Heo Thunderson. Now, about your necklace¡­¡± The faint light was enough to see Heo raise her head in confusion. The stone necklace she wore was wrapped in light. Blue light. ¡°This thing isn¡¯t radioactive, is it?¡± ¡°I-It can¡¯t be. My mom wouldn¡¯t leave me something dangerous.¡± ¡°It is a philosopher¡¯s stone,¡± said a voice. Harakawa recognized it as the dragon¡¯s voice and he looked around. ¡°A philosopher¡¯s stone? ¡­No, that doesn¡¯t matter. Where are you?¡± ¡°I am here, but I am not with you. That is all I know.¡± With that, the voice fell silent as if this was not its place. Even after the span of a few breaths, the voice did not continue. Whether relieved or worried by that, Heo tilted her head. ¡°U-um, what was that voice?¡± ¡°Your savior apparently. It has no name, but it¡¯s a dragon. Crazy, isn¡¯t it?¡± It was too dark to see each other¡¯s expressions, but he still wondered what look was on his face. ¡°This invisible dragon saved you when those guys in blue attacked this afternoon and when you fell from the transport plane just now.¡± ¡°Um,¡± began Heo while further tilting her head. ¡°Harakawa, did you hit your head?¡± ¡°Can you really say that after all the nonsense you asked me to believe, Heo Thunderson?¡± ¡°B-but it was only a demon that was with me. There wasn¡¯t an attacking dragon and a saving dragon. Why did we start talking about an invisible dragon? And does that mean the darkness around us is the bottom of the ocean we can see through the dragon¡¯s body?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the only explanation I can think of. You remember falling, don¡¯t you? Well, look around you. We¡¯re most likely in the cockpit of a completely invisible dragon. Right now, we¡¯re at the bottom of the ocean just like you said. Or if we¡¯re unlucky, this might be Tokyo Bay¡¯s famous toxic sludge.¡± ¡°Th-then if this really is a dragon¡­and it really is with me to save me¡­¡± He could feel the movement of her chest as she gulped a bit. ¡°Was it this dragon that killed my mom?¡± It couldn¡¯t have been, thought Harakawa. Thinking back on its two appearances today, the dragon had always appeared to save Heo. And in the sky, it had thanked him for protecting her twice. That had likely been because he had protected her before the dragon could. But the dragon gave a different answer to her question. ¡°It was.¡± As the voice quietly filled the cockpit, Harakawa froze in place and Heo shrank down. She took a new breath and prepared to say something, but Harakawa asked a question before she could. ¡°Is that really true?¡± ¡°It is.¡± His question and the dragon¡¯s response stopped Heo. The strength gathered in her body grew to a tremor. ¡°¡­¡± Something was about to burst from her, but just before it did, the dragon spoke. ¡°I contain reproduced 5th-Gear concepts. He was evolving and repairing himself, but he sensed that faint signal and pursued it. That was when I first awoke, but¡­¡± There was a slight pause. ¡°I did not make it in time. By the time I appeared and drove away Black Sun who did not know what he was, Heo¡¯s mother had already passed away. ¡­That is the same as killing her. She was attacked by an enemy pursuing me and I did not save her in time.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Harakawa could tell Heo had lowered her head. He decided to let her speak because he thought this at least was necessary. ¡°But¡­that can¡¯t be. You mean¡­without you, my mom wouldn¡¯t have died?¡± There was no need to ask. It was true. That was why the dragon was apologizing and making no attempt to excuse it. She then pressed her forehead against his chest. ¡°No¡­¡± Her trembling body breathed in again and opened its mouth. ¡°Please leave. You don¡¯t have to come save me, so please leave! You¡¯re a machine, aren¡¯t you? Then throw a switch and leave! Besides, how can you even save me!? You couldn¡¯t stand up to that black dragon just now! That¡¯s why my mom died, so¡­so¡­!¡± She let out a shout. ¡°Give it back¡­¡± Her voice fell apart. It lacked the strength and volume from before and it was filled with uncertain trembling. ¡°Please give it back. You don¡¯t have to save me, so please give it back.¡± I definitely don¡¯t have to ask what ¡°it¡± is, sighed Harakawa. The answer was ¡°everything¡±. And then the dragon replied. ¡°I am sorry. ¡­I do not know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what?¡± slowly asked Heo. She raised her head as if speaking to Harakawa. ¡°What are you saying you don¡¯t know, you machine that lets people be killed?¡± ¡°My role. I exist and have functions, but I need a name to recognize my existence and to give me an objective. Without that, I cannot use my functions toward that objective.¡± Harakawa spoke to the voice and tapped Heo¡¯s back to give himself time to speak. ¡°You didn¡¯t have a name when you were made?¡± ¡°I have records indicating I once had one, but I cannot speak that name. That name belonged to what I once was, but I have remade my former self.¡± ¡°So all you can use are functions brought by the slight remnants of memory from when you remade yourself?¡± ¡­Is that why he says he knows but does not know? All of his memories were classified as someone else¡¯s. His appearance to save Heo must have been a sort of instinct that had permeated his being while being remade. Harakawa prepared to ask if he truly intended to protect Heo, but someone else spoke before he had a chance. It was Heo. ¡°Of course you have a name.¡± She forcefully sat up by removing Harakawa¡¯s arms and raising her upper body. ¡°It¡¯s ¡®demon¡¯, isn¡¯t it?¡± I¡¯m glad it¡¯s so dark, thought Harakawa when he heard that. This way I don¡¯t have to see the look on her face. ¡°So my name is Demon?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡­I am giving you that name, so please leave and never show yourself to me again! If the demon is gone-¡­¡± ¡°Heo.¡± She stopped when he called her name. In the pale blue light on her chest, her silhouette curved up like a cat and Harakawa spoke while looking at that shadow. ¡°Are you listening, Heo Thunderson?¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± Her voice fell and some of its energy vanished. Relieved by that, Harakawa tried to keep as much emotion out of his voice as possible. ¡°Unfortunately, this is not the demon.¡± ¡°B-but¡­!¡± ¡°The demon that killed your mother is something else. This one only showed up a little late.¡± He heard a gasp and felt a tremble of shock from the butt that sat on his stomach. ¡°Listen,¡± he said. ¡°Unfortunately, Heo Thunderson, his objective is to protect you. Not to protect your mother. And another thing, Heo Thunderson. Your mother tried to save you, but failed and died. That is why he appeared. The demon was attacking you, so he had to make sure it did not kill you.¡± ¡°Th-then¡­¡± ¡°Enough of that. Think ahead before you speak, Heo. Now listen. You are blaming this dragon for your mother¡¯s death, but what if you turn that idea around? Your mother died because she tried to protect you. If she had left it to this dragon¡­no, because he did not make it in time¡­¡± He hesitated, but he said it. ¡°If your mother had left you to be killed by the demon, she would not have been killed.¡± He continued to speak and felt he was almost telling himself this. ¡°Heo, what would you do even if he did give everything back? After all, once your mother died, you were the one that chose to be demon possessed. You did not try to deny it and you only chose to run away. Wouldn¡¯t something similar have happened even if your mother was with you? While that was the beginning of your unhappiness, you are the one that chose to continue on in that unhappiness without rejecting it. Am I wrong, Heo Thunderson?¡± After he said that, all motion vanished. After a while, he heard a breath, but he was unsure if it was his own or Heo¡¯s. That was just how focused he was on the faint silhouette in front of him. The few seconds that passed felt much more dense and slow than usual. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°The answer is simple. I do not know, Heo Thunderson.¡± He brought oxygen to his lungs while focusing. ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same for you? You don¡¯t know either, do you, Heo?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. I finally heard the truth. I know why my mom died, I have someone to let my resentment out on, and I never want to see them again.¡± ¡°And do you think they¡¯re completely in the wrong?¡± ¡°Of course I do.¡± Harakawa said nothing. He simply sat up without making a noise and took another gentle action. ¡°Ah.¡± He hugged Heo and his arms around her body told him a certain fact. ¡°Don¡¯t lie, Heo Thunderson.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence filled the cockpit until he heard sobbing from his chest. ¡°But¡­¡± He heard her speak, but he silenced her by holding her even tighter. ¡­You vaguely realize it, don¡¯t you? Even if she did not know about this dragon or the demon, she knew what path she was choosing. She had chosen to reject it, but that very action of choosing had made her worried about the one-sided protection of the organization named UCAT. What a selfish girl, he thought. She doesn¡¯t realize it herself and makes everyone around her deal with it. Just as he realized she was like a cat, he smiled bitterly in his heart and tapped her back. ¡°Hey, can you tell me one thing? Why do you protect Heo? If it was your choice, then how did you meet her?¡± he asked. ¡°If someone left you to her, that person is the one behind all this. Heo, do you remember anything? Was there some kind of ritual a long time ago?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Heo moved a bit. With her face pressed to his chest, she turned to the side and looked up at him. He saw tears reflecting the blue light. As inexpressible thoughts filled him, he heard her quiet sobbing voice. ¡°There was nothing like that. Nothing more than my parents giving me the name Heo. ¡­I can¡¯t speak for when I was a baby, though.¡± ¡°Heo is correct,¡± said the dragon. ¡°I have no memory of such a ritual. But¡­that is why I will open my memories. The memories of a me I do not know. I will show you those memories using the circuit allowing you to hear this voice.¡± The dragon said one last thing. ¡°To use a word I know, this is a memory of a ¡®promise¡¯.¡± Shinjou thought the pasts Baku showed her were a lot like dreams. She felt like she had dozed off, but her eyes soon focused, she sensed light, and color filled her world. Blue slowly filled her vision. It was the sky. It was a vast blue expanse filled with clouds, but there was one odd thing about it. ¡°There¡¯s no land.¡± She looked around in all 360 degrees, but everything was blue as far as the eye could see. The only land she saw was¡­ ¡­Floating islands? Some objects floated here and there in the sky. They literally were floating islands. Broken pieces of crust drifted through the sky like the wreckage of a larger piece of land. Most of them were clumps of rock and it was difficult to tell their size with nothing else in the sky to compare them to. She moved her vision closer and found one was a narrow slab of dark stone that measured a kilometer long. Clumps of plants with triangular leaves were attached to the top of the slab. ¡­This is 5th-Gear, isn¡¯t it? Shinjou suddenly found a manmade object. ¡­A building? Gray and green land floated in the sky about a hundred meters below her. It was around a hundred meters across, the gray was artificial pavement, and a similarly colored square building was located on top of it. The area behind the building was filled with bluish-green plants with long, narrow leaves. Among them, she saw a certain shape and colors. The shape was a dragon and the colors were blue and white. ¡°Xolotl 3.¡± She saw someone pushing through the dense foliage in front of the mechanical dragon. The person wore something like a scuba tank on his back and a half-face helmet on his head. ¡°That¡¯s Thunderson-san, isn¡¯t it?¡± His breath was visibly white around him and the speed at which the breaths scattered suggested a strong wind. However, the scattering breaths spun around as if hitting a wall a meter away from him. Gravitational control or something similar must have been protecting him from the air pressure and wind. After some hesitation, Shinjou waited until the proper timing and had her vision jump down. Her mind fell for only an instant and she landed on the lower surface with no sound or sensation of impact. It was a gray and smooth paved road. It had a curb and the edges had a slightly raised area much like a sidewalk. This must have been a world that thought about people¡¯s safety, she thought. She moved her vision forward and found what looked like a house. It was a short, square building. It was about twenty meters across on each side, three meters tall, and windowless. However, it had round fist-sized lenses on a few spots on the walls. The entrance was located a level lower. There was a slope at the front of the building that led to a rectangular seam on the wall at what was likely the basement. ¡­It¡¯s like a shelter. After that thought, she heard someone breathing. Someone was catching their breath to her right and on the other side of the building. It was Thunderson, the man wearing the tank. ¡°Xolotl 3, I¡¯ve made it to the front.¡± Xolotl 3¡¯s voice came from near the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I am sorry, Thunderson. If I went, I would likely destroy it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. This is part of the investigation process. ¡­And you¡¯re curious about this building, right?¡± ¡°Yes, in your manner of speaking, I am ¡®curious¡¯. In my manner of speaking, I feel it is worth investigating. There might be a weapon or something else there which is sending out a faint signal. Ever since I was born in these skies, I have been ¡®curious¡¯ about it, but I am too large to enter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a dangerous kind of curiosity. But Xolotl 3, are you sure I should be going in here?¡± ¡°You have my spare sensory device attached to your shoulder, so I will see whatever you see and hear whatever you hear. ¡­So please enter. I am curious. I was born as a machine, so why am I curious about the ground and why have I always come to rest here between battles for thousands of years?¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Thunderson before hesitating. But he soon grabbed the meter hanging from the tank on his back. ¡°I¡¯m going in. But our translation concept is weak, so tell me if anything is labelled as dangerous.¡± His look of resolve was turned straight forward and he made his way down the slope to the basement entrance. His footing was confident and the sound of his military boots soon arrived at the entrance. The door was two meters tall and three meters wide. ¡°I see our standards are the same. I¡¯m opening it.¡± The door opened by dropping down. Huh? thought Shinjou as he looked at the upper edge of the door. A space opened along the width of the fallen door, but the bottom of new type of door panel soon replaced it from the other side. She could tell the metal was somewhat flexible, but she did not know how it worked. Wind blew in front of her. The difference in air pressure at such a high altitude caused the air inside to burst out. Most of it was dust. Dirty brown smoke mixed in with the wind and danced about and a torn paper-like fiber followed. ¡°That isn¡¯t good. This could destroy the whole thing.¡± Thunderson rushed into the door and Shinjou did so as well. She heard the door close behind her as she followed the man inside the building. The entranceway was a three square meter space. The walls themselves emitted pale beige light. The hallway floor was black, but the spots the man stepped on glowed bluish-white and that glow spread in ripples shaped like his footprints. The hallway continued both right and left, but Thunderson checked right first. ¡°Can you see this, Xolotl 3? The right side has been destroyed.¡± The right half of the hallway had melted. No, it had technically not melted. ¡°It looks like the metal lost control. It must have broken at an early stage of the destruction and just melted into a clump.¡± The metal forming the hallway¡¯s walls was crushed as if someone had slammed a bar into it from the left wall. The gaps in the collapsed walls gave a glimpse of the piles of objects from the rooms bordering the hallway. Some of the objects appeared to be made of wood, but whatever had covered their surface had crumbled like sand. It had all been worn away by the passage of time. ¡°There is nothing to see there. Go left, Thunderson.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± replied the man. The left end of the hallway had also collapsed, but he headed for the one intact door. Shinjou realized something from the softness of the lighting coming from the walls. ¡­This was a home. There weren¡¯t any weapons here. She then noticed Thunderson had vanished. The door down the hallway was open, so he had entered that final room and left her alone. She was belatedly hesitant to enter someone¡¯s private room. She was unsure it was appropriate for someone who had only ever lived at UCAT and a student dorm. But that thought was blown away by the beige light shining from beyond the door. She relied on the illusion that the light was warming her nonexistent body and she set foot in the room. ¡°Ah¡­¡± The room was almost ten square meters. Thunderson stood in the center and the gray dust on the floor was up to his ankles. The room was unfurnished, but the dusty walls had lines on it as if objects could be pulled out from them. The room looked empty, but it did contain something. The gray dust on the floor revealed a shape there. ¡­A cushion? There was a shallow rectangular bulge on the floor. It rose further on one end as if to lay one¡¯s head on and there were dividing lines on the wall at the end. The lines were in the perfect place to look at while lying on the floor. ¡­Was something like a TV kept in the wall there? Shinjou thought about whoever had lived here. A book or a device with similar functionality had likely been within arm¡¯s reach. This was near the kitchen, so they would have been able to keep snacks and drinks around. She saw a few other bulges in the dust covering the room. Thousands of years had passed in 5th-Gear since Black Sun had destroyed the land and the people had been destroyed. This house seemed to have retained some atmosphere, but the resident or residents would have been long dead. However, Shinjou suddenly remembered what Sayama had said just before she had been shown the past. ¡­There are still questions about the fall of the 5th-Gear¡¯s people? She wondered what those could be, but the scene around her gave no answers. The dust looked like gray snow and it only revealed the past through the weathered wreckage hidden below. She then saw Thunderson pick something up from the dust. It looked like a B5-size glass panel. But it was actually a piece of paper encased in a clear sheet that resembled glass. The paper contained color. The colors were those of reality. Or rather, the colors of a photograph depicting reality. ¡°¡­¡± The photograph showed a girl, a man, and a woman. They looked human. Their skin was very nearly white and their slenderness seemed to be their primary characteristic. Overall, they resembled the long-lived race. Shinjou thought the girl standing in front looked fourteen or fifteen. The identical blonde hair on all three suggested the girl was the daughter of the man and woman behind her. Blue eyes with a hint of green smiled in the center of the photograph. Thunderson moved his fingers to brush the dust from the photograph. ¡°Xolotl 3. Do you know who these people are?¡± ¡°No, I do not.¡± ¡°Then do you know why you are so curious about this place?¡± ¡°No, I do not. But,¡± said Xolotl 3. ¡°To use your manner of speaking, this is a ¡®calming¡¯ place.¡± That comment was followed by a sudden noise. It came from the wall. The dividing lines Shinjou had seen before extended outward and lit up. It became a screen. ¡­Is this¡­? The screen displayed the same man standing in the photograph. What looked like a factory was visible behind him. It was a large factory that seemed to extend forever and countless machines were moving about. Mechanical arms were carrying drive wheels and metal frames that looked like pieces of a giant skeleton. Other machines were welding them together. With that in the background, the man used his blue clothes to wipe a black liquid from his hands. ¡°Sorry that¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªthe periodic letter. It¡¯s just been¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª.¡± The sound and video would skip. Instead of filling with static, the video partially blacked out and then the scene changed. It was still in the same factory, but the background was different. A transportation pallet was now visible and Shinjou recognized what it carried. ¡­Xolotl 3? ¡°This is the experimental¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªthe separation isn¡¯t going well. In addition to the pilot, someone else must combine with it, but their body and memories¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªand can¡¯t be recovered. The other units are similarly¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª, but once this is complete, ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªhelp Black Sun that you love so much. Once he and White Creation are protecting our world together, we can rest¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The video skipped again, but the location did not change. The man and his fellow workers stood in front of a mechanical dragon that looked a lot like Xolotl 3, but was not quite the same. All of them looked exhausted, none of them had shaved recently, and their clothes were filthy, but they were all smiling. Some were even waving at the camera. But the image suddenly changed and Shinjou¡¯s confused mind was shown something else. The factory was being destroyed. As the ceiling collapsed and sparks flew everywhere, the same glasses-wearing man stared into the screen with a tense look on his face. ¡°Can you¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª? We were hit by a chemical¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª. It was a concept bomb¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªby 9th. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªheaded to your planet too.¡± Before Shinjou could wonder what was going on, an alarm sounded in the footage and the man closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Black Sun is undergoing maintenance, but¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªasked him to take care of everything. If all of you are suffering, and it doesn¡¯t look like we¡¯re going to make it in time¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªthe planet. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªsure it will trouble Black Sun, so¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The man opened his eyes and looked directly into the screen. ¡°Do what you can until the last moment. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªand tell Black Sun to find happiness.¡± That was all. The video ended and the screen went dark. And as black filled the screen, Shinjou took a dazed breath. That had given the truth behind Black Sun¡¯s destruction of 5th-Gear. ¡­Does that mean¡­!? ¡°Could Black Sun not stand seeing the people suffer and die from another Gear¡¯s chemical weapon, so he went out of control and destroyed them himself!? All to keep them from suffering!? And did he come up with his own reason for doing it because he didn¡¯t want responsibility to lie with the people who asked him to do it!?¡± But¡­ ¡°Did a few people combine with the incomplete mechanical dragons to survive the chemical weapon?¡± When they did, they lost their memories and began to battle the rampaging Black Sun. And it was all because they had cared for each other and yet lost everything. Shinjou then saw Thunderson look away from the black screen and open his mouth. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Do you remember when you were born?¡± ¡°No,¡± replied Xolotl 3. ¡°But I do remember it was very ¡®sad¡¯. I opened my communications and heard what my fellow mechanical dragons had to say and they were the same. It was a reaction to losing some kind of support and losing any objective.¡± ¡°Then, Xolotl 3¡­ Who are you?¡± ¡°I am Xolotl 3.¡± ¡°Then tell me this, Xolotl 3. How is this read?¡± He looked down at the photograph in the glass panel he held. Something was written on it. Shinjou could read the meaning of the characters written in something like bluish-black pen, but she did not know what sound the writing represented. But she heard Xolotl 3¡¯s answer. ¡°It is a name. The first word means ¡°to¡± and the following word is the name of the girl in the photograph.¡± ¡°And that name is?¡± ¡°In the sounds of your world it would be ¡®Heo¡¯,¡± explained Xolotl 3. ¡°It means ¡®happiness¡¯.¡± As Shinjou¡¯s nonexistent body stiffened, Xolotl 3¡¯s voice continued. ¡°Why are you crying, Thunderson of the family of thunder.¡± ¡°Because I understand now,¡± he said. ¡°You are human, Xolotl 3. Even if you do not understand, this girl and I do. This girl who was meant to have happiness understands and so do I. And about Black Sun¡­was he your friend?¡± ¡°Then¡­let us decide.¡± Thunderson frowned. ¡°Decide what?¡± ¡°We will continue on and settle things with Black Sun. He will likely flee to your world as usual, but repeating that process will only wear us down.¡± So¡­ ¡°We will pursue Black Sun and then our entire army, White Creation included, will settle this in your world.¡± Thunderson¡¯s shoulders shook and he spoke to the camera-shaped sensory device on his right shoulder. ¡°With the Concept Core gone, 5th-Gear will be destroyed while you do that!¡± He placed the photograph on the floor, gave a quick nod toward the three people in the photograph, and left the room. And he did so at a run. He reached the entranceway, opened the door, and left the house. The blue sky was now visible beyond the slope up from the basement. A swarm of dragons had appeared. Shinjou saw mechanical dragons filling that blue sky. A white one measuring over three hundred meters long was in the center with hundreds of miscellaneously colored dragons flying around it. Wind blew with a refreshing sound. She then heard a voice from the giant six-winged white dragon overhead. ¡°One with the name of the family of thunder, will you fight with us?¡± ¡°Why¡­ Why are you asking me that?¡± ¡°We are made to fear and prevent the destruction of 5th-Gear, so we cannot pursue Black Sun when he leaves 5th-Gear. That is why we wish for orders. As machines, we wish for a human to control us.¡± The white dragon was likely White Creation. He slowly lowered his head and the dragons floating around him did the same. ¡°I am a machine, but you referred to my fellow dragons as human. You called them humans who have chosen to forget that they are human. ¡­And you are a human that has not forgotten that he is a human.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I want to give you full authority over 5th-Gear and I want your help in defeating Black Sun.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I believe I have already stated why I chose you.¡± ¡°No,¡± said Thunderson before his visibly white breathing stopped. After a moment, he took a step up the slope to widen his vision. ¡°Why are you fighting? This will destroy your Gear.¡± ¡°I was given a single command from my original creator,¡± said White Creation while the dragons lowered their heads as if nodding. ¡°I am to guide the people to happiness. What we cannot stand more than losing our own peace is to see people¡¯s happiness destroyed, no matter where those people might be. That is why we will destroy Black Sun. We will destroy our foolish and yet kind brother who destroyed our people and our world because he could not stand seeing them suffer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite a pushy sort of happiness,¡± said Thunderson while slowly looking across the heavens and the earth that floated in the sky. ¡°And you¡¯re asking me to become a villain for that? I have to be the villain who ordered the destruction of this world?¡± He took a breath, closed his eyes, and gave one last resigned comment. ¡°So the time for my resolve has come.¡± After hearing that, Shinjou felt a sudden floating sensation. She was waking from the past and slowly returning to the present and to reality. Heo was curled up in the arms that supported her in the darkness. Her senses shifted from the past she had seen like a dream and back to reality. She felt the pulse, breathing, and heat of Harakawa who she was pressed up against. ¡°Is that what my name means?¡± ¡°I do not know,¡± replied the dragon. ¡°But my previous self fought along with the one he chose as his pilot and scored a fatal wound on the enemy, but I too was destroyed and unable to fully defeat that enemy. The enemy fled to the ocean to prepare for a future rematch and it seems we wished to combine with a single weapon along with White Creation. That being the Vesper Cannon that I once possessed.¡± Showing those memories may have established some connections within him because he continued to speak. ¡°And at that time, White Creation chose me as the bearer of the weapon they became. I was to completely remake my destroyed body and rest until I was needed.¡± Hearing that, Heo opened her mouth and wondered how loud her voice would sound in this dark stillness. ¡°And why did you help me?¡± ¡°I believe it was a promise. When falling into my personal concept space, my former self made a promise with my pilot. If a child needing protection was born to the family of thunder, that child was to be given full authority over 5th-Gear and the name of happiness.¡± She listened to the voice. ¡°As the protector of 5th-Gear¡¯s happiness, I promised to protect that child as thanks to the one who cried for our people.¡± She was left speechless, but strength gathered in Harakawa¡¯s arms around her shoulders and back and she sank into that strength. ¡­How can I find a way to reject this thing that caused what I called a demon? But¡­ ¡°I was given my name by my parents.¡± She did not know why, but her parents had hoped she would be happy and that she would be protected. ¡­Why did they make sure only I was protected when they were the ones that fought? And it was hard to believe that Black Sun, that demon, had cared about people. There was so much she wanted to say that she had difficulty sorting through it all. And just as she tried to figure out what to do, she heard a new sound. An electronic tone rang loudly in the silent and dark space. ¡°A cellphone. That¡¯s the one the treasurer gave me, isn¡¯t it?¡± Harakawa spoke, removed a hand from her back, and stuck it in his own pocket. From the movement of the air, she could tell he had placed a cellphone against his ear. ¡°Treasurer?¡± ¡°It is I. It seems Kanda has finally opened the communications line, so feel free to send your praise¡­to me.¡± After a quiet electronic tone, the sound vanished. Harakawa had hung up and put the phone in his pocket. ¡°Looks like the bad dream isn¡¯t over yet. I¡¯m going back to sleep for a bit.¡± ¡°U-um, Harakawa. Was that the voice of that crazy person who came by yesterday? As she asked that, the phone began to ring again and Harakawa gave an annoyed sigh. ¡°What is it, idiot?¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. Did you hear that, Shinjou-kun? Harakawa does not know his place.¡± ¡°Stop making things more confusing than they have to be, Sayama you idiot! Now what do you want?¡± Heo strained her ears in the darkness and listened to the voice coming from the cellphone. ¡°Sorry, Harakawa, but I do not actually need you for anything. See, that is what you get. ¡­However, I would like to speak with Heo Thunderson-kun who is with you.¡± Heo looked up and felt like Harakawa was looking at her, so she tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Listen, Sayama,¡± said Harakawa from beyond the phone. ¡°Heo said she has nothing to say to you and that you need to just go die.¡± ¡°I-I did not say that!¡± ¡°Oh, I am glad to see you are doing well. ¡­Now listen, Heo Thunderson-kun.¡± Heo listened to the boy named Sayama. ¡°We belong to the Japanese UCAT that functions separately from the American UCAT that is protecting you. And currently, I have demonstrated my greatness by gaining America¡¯s approval to rescind that protection as compensation for my victory.¡± She did not know what he meant by rescinding her protection. ¡°Eh?¡± She gave voice to her confusion, but that did not stop the boy. ¡°Listen,¡± he began. ¡°That means you will no longer be protected by America or anyone else if you do not wish for it. So live as you wish here in Japan, using the money and connections you possess. If you wish to return, either pay for the plane ticket yourself or flee to the embassy. Understand?¡± ¡°W-wait a minute.¡± ¡°Waiting will change nothing, but if you have something to say, I will listen. ¡­What is it?¡± Heo thought. She tried to approach the phone to better make herself heard, but her forehead hit something hard. Harakawa had been thinking the same thing and held the phone out toward her. ¡°Ow, ow,¡± she said while holding her head, but she took the phone and gathered her thoughts. ¡°U-um, well¡­¡± She thought and pressed the cellphone against her ear. ¡°So my words will actually get through to you?¡± ¡°If they would not get through to me, they would not get through to anyone else in the world.¡± ¡°I detect a structural flaw in that logic,¡± commented the dragon. Heo felt the dragon was exactly right, but she spoke regardless. ¡°Then why?¡± ¡°Let me ask you this instead. Why do you ask that?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± she began. ¡°We are about to go fight what is likely the enemy that has pursued your past. ¡­But it has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°Wh-what? How can you say that?¡± ¡°Then why did you accept their protection that would take you to a place wholly unrelated to this fight?¡± He did not stop there. ¡°This is a negotiation. To be honest, I would like your help. If you have already had the basics explained to you, you understand what I mean by that, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she answered with a nod. She understood from the dream the man named Roger had given her. The world would be destroyed soon and her great-grandfather had been left with full authority of the world known as 5th-Gear. But it seemed there was more to the story of that authority. ¡°You have inherited 5th-Gear¡¯s authority from your great-grandfather. That includes the right to owning the Concept Core. As proof of that, your name is a 5th-Gear word, your dragon is a 5th-Gear human, that dragon is there for you, and the weapon made for that dragon contains the Concept Core. In other words, your great-grandfather and parents have given you the ability needed to act as 5th-Gear¡¯s representative.¡± ¡°Th-then you¡¯re telling me to use that power to help you?¡± ¡°I never said that,¡± replied Sayama. ¡°To be completely honest, your help would be appreciated. After all, the destruction of the world would rob me of a land to rule over and that would be quite a problem for Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Th-that would not be a problem for me at all.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. No need to be shy, Shinjou-kun. ¡­Anyway, are you listening, Heo-kun? There is a lot going on and I would like your help, but everyone around me has chosen to gather here of their own free will. I could use a variety of threats or enticements to call you to me, but that is not our way of doing things.¡± ¡°B-but if the world would be destroyed without my help¡­¡± ¡°Then let it be destroyed. A world that cannot move a single girl¡¯s heart deserves nothing less.¡± And¡­ ¡°But we will do whatever we can to fight it and we are more than willing to do so. We have a lot of spare time on our hands and we will not give up no matter what. That is all.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°That is what we offer in this negotiation. We will not protect you and we will not let any other organization protect you. We will not provide you with order or peace of mind. We stand in a place where we look at the unadorned facts that the world is headed for destruction and Black Sun, who went mad for the sake of the people, flies through our skies.¡± He took a breath. ¡°You have power, but power is nothing if it is never used. I would like your help, but there is no point if you yourself will not use your power. So if you ever want to break through the goal tape yourself, just say so. That delinquent boy will show you the way. But do not cheerfully trust us, Heo Thunderson. We may be comrades with the same goal, but we are not some clich¨¦d group of friends. We are simply a group of people facing in the same direction. If you are fine with that, then come visit us.¡± That was all. With an electronic tone, the call ended. The complete lack of parting words left Heo speechless. Sayama looked around his surroundings with the lights washing over him. The blue armored uniforms and the blue mechanical dragons stood on the broad runway and the white uniforms stood by the white building. They were all staring intently at him, so Sayama first raised his left arm forcefully enough to produce a sound from the fabric of his suit¡¯s elbow. ¡°What are you doing!? Black Sun¡¯s army is on its way! As that phone call proved, Kanda has given us free use of our communication devices! Report!!¡± ¡°Testament,¡± said a female voice from the white building. Sibyl had stepped out of the entrance with a bandage around her right arm. ¡°Six minutes ago, the American UCAT forces remaining in Chofu engaged Black Sun¡¯s advance unit. Communications suddenly cut out two minutes ago. Currently, a group led by American UCAT¡¯s inspector has left Yokota to intercept them near Kunitachi.¡± ¡°If that interception fails, when will Black Sun¡¯s advance unit arrive here?¡± ¡°Most likely, around 22:00. That is approximately twenty-five minutes from now.¡± That immediate declaration produced noise from everyone there. But instead of gasping, it was the noise of weapons being prepared. Sayama was satisfied by those overlapping sounds of steel and the fact that those in blue were also preparing. He then looked across the table and at Roger who was fixing his suit collar. ¡°I am impressed by American UCAT¡¯s response to an estimation based on the assumption that your inspector will be defeated. I would like to continue this as equals.¡± ¡°Testament,¡± replied Roger while narrowing his eyes and turning toward his fellow American UCAT members. But he stopped and instead reached a hand toward the table and to the philosopher¡¯s stone on Baku¡¯s neck. ¡°This is a defense concept. ¡­You really got me there.¡± ¡°You yourself did quite well to read the letter at the end.¡± ¡°Testament. When did you realize the truth?¡± Sayama replied without hesitating to lose himself in the curious look in Shinjou¡¯s eyes. ¡°That is a simple matter. When you read the document during our chat last night, I wondered why he never once mentioned his precious great-granddaughter. And today when I heard Heo Thunderson had been saved by something invisible, I made a guess that she had inherited something,¡± he explained. ¡°I decided Richard Thunderson must have already known his great-granddaughter would be fine on her own. ¡­And that knowledge had most likely come when she had lost her mother.¡± Sayama pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. It was the article about the death of Heo¡¯s mother that he had received via Moira 1st. ¡°When asked why her mother had such a peaceful expression in death, some speculated a family member had been the culprit. However, that expression was proof that the Thunderson family had chosen the proper happiness.¡± He felt a sudden pain in the left side of his chest. He knew why. His own mother had attempted a double suicide with him. ¡­What expression did she have? As he thought that and held his right hand to his chest, something supported that arm. The slender arm and slight strength were Shinjou¡¯s, so he nodded toward her and relaxed. ¡°5th¡¯s destruction and Black Sun were a simple matter as well. ¡­A truly excellent machine will obey its people.¡± He looked forward once more and saw Roger pushing his glasses up his nose. ¡°I see. It would seem I had grown a little too close-minded.¡± This time, he really did turn around to prepare for the interception of Black Sun. However, Sayama saw a new document that had appeared on the table. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Something I was asked to hold on to and bring here. Asked by your grandfather.¡± Sayama frowned and felt his pulse quicken as he looked at the first page of the document. He read the title aloud. ¡°Georgius Development Plan.¡± And the author. ¡°Sayama Asagi!?¡± The pain arrived. His body cramped around the left of his chest and felt like it was breaking. ¡°Sayama-kun!¡± Once he heard Shinjou¡¯s cry, he gathered strength in his back and stood back up. He bore with the instant of pain threatening to bind his body. ¡°So you did hold an important position during UCAT¡¯s blank period!¡± ¡°No, I was nothing more than a soldier. Among them, anyway. And once it was all over, I was given this as someone who was close to him. This is the development plan for the left and right Georgius, which are needed to end the Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°Left and right?¡± ¡°Yes. We were unable to use them. Most likely, the only ones who can are those with the surname Sayama and those with the surname Shinjou.¡± Not only did Sayama stiffen upon hearing that, but Shinjou did as well. She took a step forward and asked a question. ¡°But¡­ Why my surname too!?¡± ¡°That is as much as I can tell you. I do not have the authority for anything more.¡± He waved his hand with his back still turned. ¡°It may be that this negotiation had already been decided long ago. Your grandfather said the Leviathan Road cannot be ended without Georgius. If that is true, only Japanese UCAT can stop the destruction of the world.¡± Roger began to walk and his footsteps on the asphalt grew more distant. As if pursuing that sound, Sibyl looked up with a cellphone to her ear. ¡°Everyone!¡± She was frowning and her voice rang loudly. ¡°We have lost contact with the interception unit in Kunitachi.¡± Harakawa heard a pulse and breathing in the darkness. The quiet sounds came from the girl curled up on top of his chest. She was not moving and the dragon carrying them said nothing. How much time had passed? He did not bother counting the breaths that functioned as an hourglass, but finally he heard a quiet voice. ¡°That¡¯s horrible.¡± It was Heo and she seemed to be testing the volume of her voice. ¡°How can he tell me to do whatever I want when the world will be destroyed without my help?¡± Harakawa was not sure if he should say anything, but he decided to correct her. ¡°That idiot really means it. He and everyone around him are crazy. They all think they can do something, but if they can¡¯t, they think that¡¯s fine too. So even if you don¡¯t help them, they¡¯ll stupidly and optimistically assume they can get by somehow or other on their own.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°That idiot said he wanted your help, right? If he really needed it, he would have said so. They can say that kind of thing because they all have the power to do something.¡± ¡°But Harakawa, you aren¡¯t telling me to help you or that you need me.¡± ¡°Why would I? I¡¯m not trying to do anything as crazy as them.¡± ¡°But¡­you still came for me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After he fell silent, a familiar question reached his ears. ¡°Why?¡± She asked it again. ¡°Why did my parents, my great-grandfather, those strange people, and you do what you did?¡± ¡°How should I know? I might have a guess, but how should I know?¡± he said. ¡°And let me tell you something, Heo Thunderson. There are definitely things it isn¡¯t nice not knowing, but there are also things you can be perfectly happy not knowing.¡± He recalled that the protective charm from his mother had taken the attack by the dragon¡¯s claws for them. And he recalled when he had taken a certain girl into his room. ¡°There are things like that, aren¡¯t there?¡± The girl in his arms did not move and she held her breath for a moment. However, he noticed her pulse had risen a little. ¡°There is happiness inside you that you don¡¯t understand, but will you refuse to trust it just because you don¡¯t understand it?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Answer me, Heo. Heo Thunderson. You said you do not know why everyone made the decisions they did, but there are things you can trust even if you don¡¯t understand them. Whether you understand it or not, the fact remains that many people have protected you all this time. ¡­And the same goes for you.¡± He took a breath while noticing how everything he had to tell this girl needed to be said to him as well. ¡°Do not lie about the happiness inside you, Heo Thunderson.¡± ¡°Why?¡± She looked up. ¡°Why do you do have to say that?¡± ¡°Because that is my happiness.¡± He knew she would probably protest. She would probably ask him what exactly he meant which was not a question he wanted to answer. And so he sealed those words inside her. And he used his own lips to do so. ¡°¡­¡± Her body stiffened a bit. ¡°¡­¡± But after a few seconds, the two parted and let out a breath. A moment later, Heo spoke. ¡°U-um, uh. Th-that was my first time¡­just now.¡± ¡°Calm down. I¡¯m sure one of your parents beat me to it.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t ruin a girl¡¯s dream like that¡­¡± Her words fell apart toward the end, but in place of the tears and shaking from before, she gave a bitter laugh. Her shoulders shook and she gave a ticklish laugh. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she said while slowly sitting up. ¡°What is?¡± ¡°Trusting. It isn¡¯t easy, but there is some truth there.¡± She gave another small laugh. ¡°Like the fact that you pursued me and kissed me even after I pushed you away like that.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± He had an oddly bad feeling, so he reached out and grabbed her again. He then realized her body was trembling again even as she tried to sound confident. ¡­So she was just faking it. He heard her voice again. ¡°Please support me if anything happens.¡± ¡°If I feel like it.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± she said with a laugh. ¡°Um, dragon?¡± ¡°What?¡± replied the voice. She took in a large breath, exhaled, and spoke. ¡°I think I will pursue Black Sun.¡± ¡°But I¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know your name, right? And you need a name for your functionality. To be honest, I still don¡¯t understand you very well and I don¡¯t really think we can become friends,¡± she said. ¡°But we have the same objective, don¡¯t we? So¡­¡± She said it. ¡°Thunder Fellow. You are a companion of the family of thunder, so how about that for a name?¡± The voice said nothing in response. Instead, a light appeared. ¡°Ah.¡± The cockpit¡¯s ceiling, sides, and front lit up. A table stuck out below the pointed windshield in the front and a console window covered the table. Similar consoles appeared on the sides. The cockpit had no control column or steering wheel, but a pair of roll bars could be seen on either side as if to support someone leaning in the seat. As the light from the cockpit left through the windshield, color could be seen appearing on the dragon¡¯s body. Or rather, the armor had stopped hiding its form. The dragon half buried in sludge had a pointed form with blue and white armor. Harakawa looked around and saw a second seat further back that looked like a bed. ¡°Lie there, child of happiness. When you are taken in and combine with me, the output limiters will be put in your control.¡± ¡°Wait, wait. Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea? What if she loses her memory or there¡¯s some other side effe-¡­¡± ¡°That was already fixed based on my previous self¡¯s experiences. ¡­I will protect her. I promise.¡± Harakawa saw Heo nod in his arms. ¡°Let¡¯s go so we can stop that lonely dragon named Black Sun.¡± Her eyes were red from crying, but her expression showed she had accepted her power. And so he sighed, lowered his shoulders, and let go. ¡°You really have gotten motivated. Just do whatever it is you want.¡± ¡°There is something for you to do as well, Harakawa,¡± said the dragon. ¡°What?¡± Harakawa frowned and Thunder Fellow continued. ¡°After seeing you protect her twice before I could, I took the liberty of linking your nervous system to my control system when taking you onboard earlier.¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait a second. What do you mean linked?¡± He then realized something about when the giant black dragon¡¯s main weapon had hit them. ¡­Everything seemed to happen really slowly. ¡°I will concentrate the neurotransmission of my own body, you will pilot my body, and Heo will both support you and use her mind to release the limiters of my body. When I evolved, I gained a number of functions I have yet to use, but¡­¡± This powerful voice was the dragon¡¯s true will. ¡°If we do this, we can draw out my full power.¡± At 9:37 PM, Black Sun and its army clashed with the American UCAT mechanical dragons deployed at Kunitachi. They had smashed most of those to pieces and continued westward after shaking free of the few remaining ones. Yokota Air Base was west of western Tachikawa and the Showa Memorial Park, but it had no equipment left and all of its remaining forces had evacuated underground. Black Sun sent some leading child craft along the surface to destroy anything that could attack, but they were all sent on even further ahead by the time Black Sun himself reached the base. There were no more enemies left. All that remained was the familiar scent that was growing stronger. It was a powerful concept reading to the west and it smelled of the weapon that had once defeated him. Black Sun pointed that direction and slowly accelerated. However, he detected a new scent. In the sky even further east of the defeated enemies was some other familiar scent. ¡°¡­¡± Black Sun had eliminated his negligence, so he sent some child craft into the sky behind him. He sent enough to defeat all of the enemy forces that had appeared thus far. And at the same time, an automaton in control of the concept space creation device terminal near Tokyo Bay saw something strange. Something slowly rose from Tokyo Bay which was supposedly empty. It resembled a sword. It was a thirty meter metal structure colored blue and white. The automaton¡¯s sight saw the water gently split above its tip as it hovered into the air. It was a mechanical dragon. The automaton determined this was an unidentified mechanical dragon that was different from the black ones. It was approximately five kilometers away and her scan via ultra-long distance vision showed its form was similar to the high-speed cruising form of the full transformation models. However¡­ ¡°Its frame is not made to transform?¡± That meant it was a non-transformation model. ¡°I have determined it is limited to high-speed mobility.¡± A red light ran between the blue and white armor like a pulse. That acted as a signal. The dragon bent its body and rolled around as if dancing in the air above the water. ¡°!¡± It suddenly shot up into the sky. It happened instantly. All it left behind was wind, a spray of water, and a white line of water vapor that revealed its path. The automaton¡¯s gaze followed the white line that cut westward through the night sky. She moved her sight devices, turned her head, and spun her body around to follow it. ¡°¡­!?¡± But she was not quick enough. All she saw was the white line. By the time she completely turned around, that line had already vanished into the western sky. That left only the sound. The windy roar of supersonic speed shook her body as it arrived from behind and passed by overhead. She had no idea what had just happened, but one thing was clear. ¡°It is in pursuit. The blue and white mechanical dragon is pursuing Black Sun. And¡­¡± She spoke the estimation based on her probabilistic decisions. ¡°It will most likely catch up.¡± Volume 9, 32: The Sky’s Guidance Volume 9, Chapter 32: The Sky¡¯s Guidance Fly Fly through the sky where no one can find fault in you The nighttime battle began with stillness. A single white line flew west through the geographic center of Tokyo from Chofu to the Kunitachi and Tachikawa region. At an altitude of approximately one kilometer, the individual specks of light down below were just barely distinguishable and a blade tore through the black sky as a white line. That blade was a blue and white mechanical dragon. The wall of the atmosphere shook it, but it occasionally made a quick hop off an air current as it tore westward through the air. Ahead was nothing but the night air soon to be parted by its pointed nose and the sound of the subsequent wind was all thrown back behind it. The color black could be seen on the empty expressway cutting east to west down below. The color came from the scorch mark of a giant explosion. The blue and white dragon noticed the remains of something large covering the expressway and littered across the surrounding field as well. It shook its body just once, as if bowing toward the other smaller scorch marks. ¡°¡­¡± And it flew on. The path from Chofu to Kunitachi curved a bit to the right and thus to the north. The concept space corridor must have been visible to the dragon because it changed course as if jumping to the side. Some clouds floated up ahead on its new northwestern path. They were located low and had been created when the early autumn wind combined with the night air. The city¡¯s heat and the night wind had produced the clouds. The clouds glowed a pale blue in the starlight and the blue and white dragon flew above the expanse of clouds that looked a lot like an island in the ocean. As it flew above, the clouds split and were blasted away behind the shimmering heat of the accelerators. The spray of scattering clouds vanished in the wind and the dragon tilted a little to the right. It did not change direction; it simply tilted. A blade extended from its right wing and this blade was formed from white light. The dragon had raised the convergence rate of the optical weapon on its forearm to form this blade which was as long as the dragon itself. This was the dragon¡¯s light claw. The tip of the blade sliced through the clouds. The dragon¡¯s light claw tore into the clouds like a hand reaching into the water in a moving boat. However, the mechanical dragon soon closed that right claw. It allowed the light to rotate through the air just once before tilting to the left and similarly slicing the cloud with its left blade. It was testing its weapons. The left blade easily split the clouds before being stowed away. The blue and white dragon raised its nose enough to increase its altitude and to look up into the night sky. There, it saw the stars. It was a moonless night. Even with the city lights down below, the stars of the heavens were bright this far up in the sky. However, a change came over the clouds lit by that starlight: a wave ran through them. A spray of clouds shot up approximately three hundred meters to the right. As that spray of clouds shot high in the sky, it moved up alongside the dragon. But instead of settling down, the spray of clouds slowly rose higher. In an instant, something shot up above the clouds as if it had jumped. It was a black mechanical dragon. It was three hundred meters long, so it was a midsized one. The midsized dragon flew in an arc. ¡°¡­!¡± And with a cry, it dove back down into the sea of clouds. ¡°!¡± The spray of clouds moved directly in front of the blue and white dragon. Light gathered all across the midsized dragon¡¯s location and that light was dark even to eyes adjusted to the darkness. It had already prepared to fire every single one of its secondary cannons. The midsized black dragon did so and black lines flew toward the blue and white dragon. ¡°Harakawa!¡± Harakawa heard Heo¡¯s voice fill the entire cockpit. She had joined with Thunder Fellow to control the machine¡¯s output and he was in charge of the controls. The mechanical dragon was simple to pilot. Once he sat in the seat, some kind of power held him in place without a seatbelt. Then he only had to grab the roll bars sticking out on the right and left. ¡­And tilt my body along with the seat. The mechanical dragon moved using the balance of its entire body. When driving a motorcycle, one tilted the vehicle to the left or right on corners and leaned forward when accelerating. This was similar. They were in the sky, so he could move in three dimensions, but he had picked up the horizontal alignment by flying just above the clouds earlier. For more detailed actions like drawing those swords of light, he simply had to think it and Thunder Fellow would read his intentions and accurately reproduce the action. All he needed now was experience. A barrage of black light flew in front of them while they were five hundred meters from the midsized mechanical dragon. Given their relative speeds, this was a close-range shot that was guaranteed to hit. However, he saw the light with his eyes which were linked to Thunder Fellow¡¯s mechanical sight and he even received its predicted movement patterns. There were sixty-four bullets of light coming from both the left and right and thirty-two coming from both the top and bottom. The number coming from the left and right was higher, but forty-eight of those on the left and right and sixteen of those on the top and bottom were from 8-way scattershot cannons. Harakawa was not afraid of that scattershot. For fear of destroying itself, the midsized dragon did not shoot any directly behind itself. The scattershot bullets fired on the left and right spread out vertically like a fan and those fired on the top and bottom spread out horizontally. That formed a wall of bullets on all four sides to limit Harakawa¡¯s actions. ¡°But the area behind you is still wide open.¡± The bullets that flew through the corridor created by the four scattershot walls were straight shots from small cannons. Those small cannons were installed all over the midsized dragon, so the dragon¡¯s smaller movements caused them to vibrate. When moving about quickly, those cannons could fire plenty of bullets but could not aim properly. Harakawa slipped through the black lines of the flying bullets and continued forward. He avoided a few of those extreme close-range shots by letting them slip below the wings and a few more by raising the dragon¡¯s body above them. But when he raised the dragon and exposed its belly, a single shot was fired from almost straight ahead and toward the dragon¡¯s underside. He could not evade this one. He was sure of it, but he still grabbed the right roll bar. ¡°¡­!¡± He threw his own body to the right and Thunder Fellow moved in kind. The dragon side-flipped through the air with the tip of its nose at the center of rotation. They successfully evaded the enemy¡¯s bullet which slipped below Thunder Fellow¡¯s back. The dragon twisted his body to stabilize his flight, poured power into the accelerators, and regained the speed lost by the side-flip. ¡°H-Harakawa, moving like that makes me a little sick.¡± ¡°Then hold on tight, Heo Thunderson. Not that I want to do that too often myself.¡± He sighed while continuing to evade. He could pull off some surprisingly absurd actions. He had thought the dragon was like an aircraft, but it was apparently not. He realized that a dragon was a creature that could move freely through the sky. The wings that caught the wind were meant to stabilize its body without using any kind of power and the accelerators were simply meant to supply speed, so he found he could fly in any direction that came to mind. ¡­I see. As soon as he thought that, the enemy¡¯s tail approached. It was slowing down and Thunder Fellow explained why. ¡°It is stabilizing itself to increase the accuracy of its attacks.¡± ¡°That idiot. What good is a dragon if it slows down?¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± ¡°U-um, I hate to interrupt you two guys when you¡¯re getting along, but we have to do something about this.¡± ¡°I know that. Thunder Fellow, do you have any weapons? You¡¯ve got more than those swords, right?¡± ¡°I completed the modifications a moment ago and the limiters are under Heo¡¯s control.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± said Heo. Below the dragon, light began to gather at the end of its folded front legs. ¡°These are tracking shots. I have enough power to perfectly handle the cooling.¡± After a moment, Heo spoke again. ¡°Um, Thunder Fellow? Do you know the enemy¡¯s weakness or equipment?¡± ¡°We have yet to see-¡­¡± ¡°We have seen it. We saw the wreckage of an identical black dragon on the expressway¡­along with the wreckage of some blue ones.¡± Harakawa listened to her quiet words. ¡°Those people were fighting for happiness, so I don¡¯t want it to be for nothing. If you have any memory of that wreckage, I want to use that as a clue so we can fight alongside them.¡± ¡°Understood. I will scan my memory and use that data to estimate the enemy¡¯s weaponry and a method of defeating them.¡± Thunder Fellow then called Harakawa¡¯s name and the boy nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s do this, you two. Let¡¯s win this and then thank them for guiding us to victory.¡± The midsized black mechanical dragon created a corridor of bullets behind it and lowered its speed. It stabilized all of its rear-facing small cannons by fixing the positions of its folded back legs and tail. It fired toward the blue and white dragon flying inside the barrier formed by the four directions of scattershot. Thirty-two beams of black light tore through the air and toward Thunder Fellow, but he showed no fear. He accelerated further and dove into the dancing black lines sweeping through the sky. ¡°!¡± The force of his acceleration compressed the air in front of him until it burst. With a sound like a paper balloon popping, he flew through a white explosion of water vapor and continued forward. He forcefully raced through the black lines. He flew right, up and to the left, down, up and to the right, and finally straight ahead to leave all the black lines behind. And all the while, he fired his own attacks. He fired white glowing blasts of lightning from the base of his wings. The twin lightning strikes flew in arcs as if to slam into the enemy and more were fired in quick succession. The lightning blasts sounded like tearing paper as they roasted the air and tore into the back of the black dragon without slowing down. The lightning targeted the small cannons turned toward Thunder Fellow. While firing again and again, the blue and white dragon continued to move. He took constant evasive actions, but instead of focusing entirely on that, he also fired repeatedly into the enemy¡¯s weapons. His goal was to destroy the enemy¡¯s weapons on the upper left side to create a safe space. With sounds of destruction, black fragments flew into the air. ¡°¡­!¡± The black dragon roared. It might have been a roar of protest, of pain, or of rage. Its left leg had been damaged. The large armor panels covering the base of the leg had been torn away. But before those several meter pieces of armor had flown very far, they struck the four scattershot barriers. But that was all. The cannons located there spewed smoke and fell silent. With the midsized dragon¡¯s left side trailing smoke, Thunder Fellow flew to that side. But the black dragon took that opportunity to make a forced maneuver: it descended. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± It let out a bestial cry and quickly lowered down. The scattershot barrier above also descended, so that ceiling dropped toward Thunder Fellow. The lower scattershot barrier blew away the expanse of clouds below and Thunder Fellow made a certain decision as the wind roared and dropped down. The blue and white dragon accelerated. He moved forward, hopped up a bit, and turned toward the left side of the base of the enemy¡¯s tail. The scattershot cannons creating the upper barrier were located on either side of the tail¡¯s base and he targeted the left one. Positioning himself to fire on the cannon meant moving into the enemy¡¯s line of fire. However, there was a small gap. At the base of the dome-shaped scattershot cannon, there was a one meter space between the actual cannon and where it was attached to the armor. That created an opening. Once he arrived within three hundred meters, Thunder Fellow shook his body to the left and right just once in order to align his position. And from there, he quickly moved forward. His attacks did not slow as the wind roared around him. ¡°¡­!¡± Countless lightning blasts shot out, his charge never stopped, and the enemy¡¯s armor peeled away and into the sky. However, the scattershot ceiling was dropping quickly. Nevertheless, the blue and white dragon did not give up on breaking the enemy. It poured lightning blasts into the source of that light that was difficult to see. The attacks continued at a fast pace. Lightning strikes could be heard tearing through the air and they joined into a single long bolt of lightning. Countless explosions of light filled the lightning¡¯s destination. The barrier walls lowered and the nighttime cityscape grew larger below the lower wall. ¡°!¡± A moment later, the upper left side of the midsized dragon exploded. The scattershot cannon had been destroyed and half of the scattershot ceiling disappeared along with it. The ceiling was not completely gone, but the sky had opened up. The blue and white dragon accelerated toward that starry sky. This upwards acceleration was known as an ascent. He used all of the functions provided by his high-speed cruising form to fly up toward the heavens. On the way, he slipped below the wreckage of the scattershot cannon and arrived above the midsized dragon. But that black dragon did not give up. Thunder Fellow saw it open its back and fire a barrage of arcing black homing bullets. Even if the attack tore into Thunder Fellow, most of it would hit the black dragon itself. It was prepared to destroy itself for this attack and the blue and white dragon did not choose to evade. He flew between the black dragon and the black barrage that reached the top of its arc and started dropping back down from above. An instant later, he chose to descend. As if allowing the black barrage to pursue him, he pointed straight down from directly above the midsized black dragon. He made a forced downward acceleration. Below him was the defenseless opened back of the other dragon. He continued on. While dropping and raising his speed, he opened his mouth. The white light of his dragon cannon could be seen inside that mouth. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The sound of the blast resembled a crashing wave. The pillar of light was more than twenty meters across and it pierced through the midsized mechanical dragon¡¯s back and out its stomach. And after ending the attack, Thunder Fellow forcibly twisted his body around and slipped past the other dragon¡¯s side. He swiftly moved from the top to the bottom. With his gaze almost grazing along the empty cityscape on the surface below, he corrected his trajectory to fly forwards. Behind him, he heard the black barrage hit the midsized dragon. The repeated strikes and explosions of light shook the wind. ¡°¡­!¡± One especially loud explosion surpassed the blue and white dragon for just an instant, but it was drowned out by the city being destroyed in the machine¡¯s fall. A few components flew past the blue and white dragon while trailing smoke, but he overtook them again. And that was all. He changed his course and flew up into the night sky. There, Thunder Fellow accelerated and lightly waved his wings up and down as if in thanks. He was pointed toward the North Star visible in the sky and he saw the lights of Kunitachi and Tachikawa. A number of shadows were visible in those two cities that the JR Chuo Line ran through. Those shadows were the black child craft which had already formed up to intercept him. Thunder Fellow did not hesitate. He flew straight into that group of shadows. Diana ran along the railroad. She was on the Tachikawa end of the elevated portion of the Chuo Line between Kunitachi and Tachikawa. Tachikawa¡¯s station was about three hundred meters away. The nighttime cityscape to the north and south could be seen on either side of that line which ran east to west. Both Tachikawa and Kunitachi were prosperous around the station, but the rest was filled with residential areas and parks. She could see a long way through the city. Above the lights of empty houses, she saw dark shadows in the sky. They were black mechanical dragons. A formation of a dozen or so of the small child craft flew through the sky. They were lined up at set intervals to form both rows and columns. But Diana was not fighting them. Her opponent was a different group of small dragons prepared elsewhere. And the group she was fighting had just as many as in that aerial formation. ¡°What a pain!¡± She let out a bitter smile and two small mechanical dragons flew toward her from the northern sky to her right. Black Sun had prepared these small dragons for them. Only ten minutes before, she had come here with Odor and the others to confront Black Sun and they had set up a defensive line. She had filled the width of the concept space with a paper barrier in preparation for a direct confrontation. However, Black Sun had prioritized continuing west. He had rammed his own child craft into the barrier and sacrificed them to open a path. Odor had sent impact after impact into the giant machine, but Black Sun had ignored them, even as his armor was smashed. She remembered what Odor had shouted then. ¡°Are you running!? Are you running, Black Sun!?¡± Black Sun had accelerated as if turning his back and he had chosen to continue west even as American UCAT¡¯s mechanical dragons had fired on him and Diana had sent paper attacks at him. He had left it all to his child craft. That was just how much he desired the west. Vesper Cannon was in the Okutama Japanese UCAT building to the west. That cannon had once shot down Black Sun. White Creation and the other dragons had joined with it so it could evolve into the cannon needed to defeat the similarly evolved Black Sun. Black Sun feared that simple cannon that had no one to use it. That¡¯s right, thought Diana. He understands. ¡°The bearer of the weapon to defeat him is headed this way.¡± Just as Odor had said, Black Sun was indeed running. He was running from what pursued him. And that told Diana what she needed to do. ¡°I can help those pursuing and those waiting up ahead by drawing the enemy to me and defeating them!¡± Strength filled her gaze as she looked to the sky to her right. The two small dragons descending from the night sky were getting close. Their roar filled the air and she estimated they had arrived within a kilometer of her. She responded by pulling paper from her pocket and throwing it. The paper flipped around once in the air. ¡°!¡± And the face of one of the swiftly flying mechanical dragons exploded. Rather than a traditional explosion, the word ¡°pressure¡± burst and produced a great sound of impact. The direct hit shattered the armor on the dragon¡¯s face and bent it backwards in the air. It was thrown off course and it crashed into a residential area of north Kunitachi before it could slow down. However, the other dragon was still alive. Wind wrapped around it as it flew, but¡­ ¡°!?¡± A sudden attack from the upper left slammed into it. A metallic sound rang out as proof of the hit and the black dragon flipped around before its back crashed into the elevated railroad. ¡°Oh, dear.¡± Diana made a small jump. At the same time, the elevated railroad was blasted to the side with the sound of breaking stone. The Chuo Line had one track on the top and one on the bottom and it was made from a metal bridge and a concrete base, but the impact of the dragon created a large curve to the south. The ripped-up metal bridge and the creaking and splitting concrete base expressed just how much force the impact had contained. Everything obeyed the impact and bent to the south. At the leading edge of all that, the small mechanical dragon had been bent into a shallow V-shape along its back, but it soon reached the limit of its flexibility. With the sound of a metal can falling to the floor, its body fully bent. That was the end. Its body split open at the belly and the metal motors and circulators were exposed to the northern sky. White smoke rose from the framework that still desired to move. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± And as a roar escaped its mouth, it exploded. At the same time, Diana fell. She no longer had the elevated railroad to stand on. The curving railroad¡¯s concrete base had been ripped up from the ground and the entire structure had shifted about five meters southward. ¡°Oh, dear. Oh, dear.¡± She brought a hand to her wavy silver hair and instantly pulled out a paper broom. She tossed it into the empty air below her feet. ¡°There.¡± And she stood on it. It stopped her fall like a bridge fixed in midair. She looked around in search of the one who wielded the power that had knocked aside one of the dragons charging toward her. ¡°Honey?¡± She called out but could not find him. She simply heard a sound and saw repeated showers of metal sparks in the western sky toward the station. He was there and he had likely had the same idea as her, but he had helped her on top of that. She narrowed her eyes, looked up in the sky, and saw some new opponents flying in an arc through the night sky. There were three of them, but that was not all. The sound of the railroad¡¯s destruction had disturbed the aerial formation of black mechanical dragons. The dozen or so small dragons were looking down at her, but she smiled back at their gazes and movements. ¡°It¡¯s not polite to stare too much at a woman¡¯s face, you know?¡± With that question, she stuck both her hands in her hair. All of the presences in the air responded with motion. Their first action was either to prepare to accelerate and charge in or to prepare to fire on her. A moment later, she saw flames bloom in the night sky. There were seven fiery blossoms in all and the wind had already passed through by the time they appeared. Diana visually confirmed what had created those flowers. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± As she spoke, the sound finally reached her. She heard seven metallic sounds of the seven mechanical dragons being sliced in two, the seven muffled explosions, and the single gust of wind that tore through them all and continued into the western sky. She heard the sound of something flying through that lonely sky. She heard the westward flight of a blue and white mechanical dragon. Heo clung directly to their speed in the night sky. Her five senses had combined with Thunder Fellow. Oddly enough, her senses felt the same as always despite her limbs and face no longer being human. When she reached out and touched her face, she felt her arm bending like normal and the normal sensation of her fingers. However, her vision saw the mechanical dragon¡¯s front leg bend and touch the armor of its face with its sharp claws. Thunder Fellow commented on that fact. ¡°I am applying a two-way conversion to your senses, so there should be no difference from normal.¡± She did not entirely understand, but she appreciated the lack of unease over having changed form. In fact, the flow and chill of the air that Thunder Fellow would always be feeling felt ticklish to her. His frame was exposed and only surrounded by a bit of armor, so¡­ ¡­It feels like I¡¯m naked. But at the moment, her body was swiftly soaring through the sky. She could not see Harakawa who was piloting, but she could speak with him. And her entire body could feel the effects of his piloting. ¡­We¡¯re moving so fast. Her senses were based on Thunder Fellow¡¯s and thus accelerated to a certain extent, but it seemed most of the sensory alignment was allotted to Harakawa who needed more processing speed as he piloted. Currently, he was set so his senses were compressed to about ten times their normal speed while Heo¡¯s were closer to five times. Their speed was approximately 1200 kph, but it felt like 120 kph with Harakawa¡¯s sensory speed and 240 with Heo¡¯s. Her eyes could not keep up. When high in the sky, the ground was so far away that their flight felt slower, but now¡­ ¡°W-we¡¯re flying into the city!!¡± She saw the city flying by so close below her that she felt she was going to trip over it. She saw the elevated railroad cutting by from left to right in the distance and she saw a few black forms in the sky overhead. For some reason, the railroad seemed to bend toward them, but the next thing she knew, they seemed close enough to reach out and touch it. In an instant, Harakawa desired to draw Thunder Fellow¡¯s swords. Heo gave permission an instant later. As soon as she did, swords of light shot out on the left and right and she felt them hit something. Seven somethings, to be exact. Three on the right and four on the left. They would reach the railroad in an instant. Heo heard explosions behind them, but she also heard Harakawa¡¯s voice. ¡°This is just a series of one-shot battles. Thunder Fellow, you need to get a little more meat on your bones. You¡¯re built too much like a racecar. I wish you were built so it was easier to evade.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard American UCAT¡¯s mechanical dragons can transform. Can you not do that, Thunder Fellow?¡± ¡°Look at your own body, Heo Thunderson. The frame is almost entirely built along a single axis to mount the engine. It¡¯s a slender build for a high-speed cruising form.¡± ¡°The transformation mechanism was eliminated during the evolution process,¡± explained Thunder Fellow. ¡°The transforming type switches between high-speed, high-mobility, and combat forms to obtain the benefits of each. This gives them the greatest ability to approach the enemy, but¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± asked Heo. ¡°But what?¡± ¡°They are considerably less durable. The primary frame is delicate and the armor must be made thinner to allow clearance for the moving parts during transformation. It is a good design for attack, but it cannot protect those inside.¡± And that was what Thunder Fellow wanted least. ¡°So reinforcing the frame would make it too heavy and less flexible?¡± asked Harakawa. ¡°Is that why you made a fixed high-speed frame to ensure the enemy couldn¡¯t leave you behind?¡± ¡°That is the basic idea.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Heo. That was when Heo spotted someone in the quickly moving scenery. Diana Zonburg stood on the elevated railroad passing by below. ¡°Teacher!?¡± The woman¡¯s usual smile was looking resolutely up at her. They immediately passed her by. Heo¡¯s vision was already over a residential district in northern Kunitachi and they began to curve toward Tachikawa Station. It all happened at such high speed that she felt meaningless fear at the speed itself. However, she managed to regulate her breathing. ¡­We are fighting. The organization named UCAT was fighting to protect the world. Diana, Roger, the people she had passed by in Okutama, the boy named Sayama she had spoken to on the phone, the pilots of the blue mechanical dragons, and many other people had been fighting in the past, were fighting in the present, and would continue to fight in the future. ¡°¡­¡± She took a breath. Cold air entered Thunder Fellow¡¯s air cooling system and it chilled her body and mind. She clung to their speed so she would not be tossed around and she focused on herself once more. She was using too much of her strength. Harakawa was controlling her body, but she was defending herself against those quick movements. She was desperately clinging to their speed so she would not be thrown off no matter what he did. ¡°Um,¡± she called out to check on something. ¡°Are you okay, Harakawa?¡± ¡°Yes. I feel like we¡¯ll be blown away if I make the slightest mistake, but I¡¯m getting by.¡± ¡°You mean¡­I¡¯m hard to ride?¡± ¡°What are you saying, Heo?¡± That question made her wonder if she had said anything odd, but she did understand one thing. Just as she had suspected¡­ ¡­I¡¯m not holding on. If anything, she was the one being embraced. She was the one producing the speed, after all. Um, she began in her mind. Is Harakawa embracing me? But if I asked him, he¡¯d probably get mad. And so she changed her question. ¡°Uh, Harakawa? Is this fun?¡± He raised their speed and accelerated through the sky. They were approaching the area north of Tachikawa Station, but she no longer felt the fear from before. ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said it wasn¡¯t. It¡¯s been a while since I got to go all out like this.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Heo gave a sigh of relief. She was happy to find he did not hate this weapon of speed she had become. And so she mentally embraced him back as he sat inside of her body. ¡°It¡¯s fun for me too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it, Heo Thunderson. ¡­And Thunder Fellow, I have a request.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Slowly lower my heightened senses to only five times normal. I¡¯ve gotten the top score in my club¡¯s traditional ¡®beat the traffic camera¡¯ contest four terms in a row, so send the extra processing power to Heo.¡± ¡°Eh? But, um, I don¡¯t need that much!¡± she protested. ¡°I¡¯m fine at the same speed as you.¡± She was certain that she could leave this to him. Instead of clinging on to endure it, she had to embrace him back and entrust herself to him. When they had passed by Diana earlier, she had recalled what the woman had said back at the base. ¡­A true woman must help a careless gentleman make his way and she must have the consideration to let him take the first step and lead the way. I haven¡¯t made it that far, though, she added with a bitter smile in her heart. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Harakawa.¡± ¡°We¡¯re already on our way, Heo Thunderson. On our way to where the answer lies.¡± His instruction to accelerate reached her. It felt like a push on the back and she interpreted it as being embraced from behind. She answered with speed and by embracing his existence within her. A slight limiter had been placed on their output thus far. It had corresponded to the fear in her mind, but it vanished now. Thunder Fellow lit the afterburners he had yet to use. Volume 9, 33: Announcement of Acceleration Volume 9, Chapter 33: Announcement of Acceleration To not recognize that which was lost To recognize that which was lost To discover which is stronger At 9:41 PM, several small enemy craft were sent ahead to Japanese UCAT in the mountains of Okutama where the lights of the city center could be seen to the east. Those small craft tore quickly enough through the eastern sky to call their approach ¡°sudden¡±. But instead of showing themselves, they used their optical camouflage concept. That left their visual form unclear and left only the sound and movements of the wind to indicate their presence as they flew straight down toward UCAT¡¯s runway. Six roars and four times as many sprays of broken asphalt filled the air. Their weight and momentum tore up the asphalt as they slid across it, but they stopped about halfway down the runway. Still invisible, only their footprints appeared. A cannon sat on a pallet in front of the white building at the end of the runway. All of the footprints turned toward the motionless blue cannon and the leading set took a step toward it. The asphalt broke and earth trembled. In that instant, an old man ran out of the southern forest next to the runway. He spread his lab coat as he ran onto the runway and the words ¡°Manly Spirit¡± were written in ink on the inside. He raised his thumb toward all of the invisible enemies and spun around. ¡°Ha ha ha! Well done making it this far! But your luck ran out the moment I showed up!¡± He pointed randomly into empty air as a substitute for pointing at the invisible enemies. ¡°Get them, everyone!!¡± His words reverberated across the runway, but that was all. ¡°¡­¡± The old man fell silent while still pointing into empty air. He waited for some kind of response, but tilted his head after a few seconds. ¡°Huh?¡± He pulled back his pointing hand, stared at it, pointed again, and looked around him as he spoke again. ¡°Get them?¡± He looked around yet again but still saw nothing. He checked in the forest behind him, but there was no one there. He peered deep into the forest with a puzzled look and he crouched down to peer even deeper. He turned to the runway as a feint and quickly turned back around, but still saw no one. ¡°How strange,¡± he said while still looking into the forest. Then something touched the tip of his extended pointer finger. ¡°Oh, there you are,¡± he said with a smile. But once he faced forward again, there was still nothing there. And yet his finger was touching something. It was touching something invisible. He gently poked what existed in that seemingly empty air. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re hiding. ¡­Don¡¯t. Be. So. Shy!¡± His final word rose to a shout and he turned around and began to run. He drew out his full strength from the very first step. A moment later, a great pressure of air quickly began to run after the fleeing old man. They raced onward. The ¡°manly spirit¡± old man ran out ahead with a great rumbling and smashing of asphalt pursuing him down the runway. He tested out a few different running styles and settled on an intense and girly style. ¡°Emergency!!¡± His shout reached the forest and finally something began to move. A group of white and blue burst from the northern forest on the opposite side of the runway. At the lead was a boy in a white armored uniform. ¡°The enemy fell for our ¡®natural¡¯ decoy! Listen! Blow them away without worrying about the decoy!!¡± The boy yelled instructions, ran onto the runway, raised his left hand, and looked up into the sky. ¡°Go ahead!!¡± Gunfire filled the air and direct attacks continued after that. Light exploded on the runway. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± Light weapons, heavy weapons, and other projectile weapons struck the invisible enemy from the right using light, explosions, and even large slashes. The explosive pressure of the direct hits shook the air, the forest, and the sky. And those armed with close-range weapons charged directly into the blast. A sword unit led by a boy with a large white sword and a reinforced armor unit from American UCAT both charged right in. They practically slammed their entire bodies into the right sides of the small mechanical dragons that had explosive blasts rising from them. The attacks hit with countless sounds much like ringing bells. Fireworks scattered and the colliding force had nowhere to go but up into the sky. Amid the lingering light of the attacks, the small black dragons¡¯ optical camouflage concept deactivated. They could no longer afford to use any output on that. They sank down against the attacks from the north and thus from their right and they prepared themselves to fight. An instant later, they had taken the stance to fire their secondary cannons and swipe with their claws. But that was when all of those who had approached for close-range attacks took the exact same action: they ducked down. The small black dragons saw that the firing unit was already preparing to fire again from the forest to their right. Two girls in white armored uniforms stood in the center of that firing unit. The one with short hair held a white cannon that resembled a spear and the one with long hair rested a cannon almost the size of her body on her shoulder. ¡°Gather your will power!!¡± They fired. The two blasts rivalled a dragon cannon and they were joined by the rest of the firing unit¡¯s attacks. ¡°Begin the primary attack!!¡± By the time that was over, the boy in command gave a shout and a powerful attack came from the sky. It took the form of several dragons and a few giants. There were two giants: a black one and a red one. The black one wielded a sword in both arms while the red one had no shoulders and instead raised six swords. The dragons descending around them were all blue. They fell directly toward the small black mechanical dragons that had lost control as they tilted to the left. Giant blades were swung down and the lights of dragon cannons were fired straight down. The six black dragons cried out and a great rumbling filled the air. But within it all, the boy in command did not even look to the enemy. He alone was not looking at the enemy before his eyes. He instead turned east as an old man ran up behind him. ¡°M-Mikoto-kun! Deceiving the elderly is wrong! Are you even listening!?¡± ¡°I am not, so do not worry.¡± The boy even ignored the explosions, light, and wind of the battle as he looked east. ¡°The second wave is coming!¡± His voice cut through the others¡¯ cheers. ¡°Sibyl-kun! How close is Black Sun!?¡± ¡°Testament.¡± A girl with a peaceful expression stepped from the forest with a cell phone between her head and shoulder and a laptop on one hand. ¡°Black Sun is currently travelling above Haijima and he will arrive in another twenty minutes,¡± she said. ¡°Also, Sayama-sama, the mechanical dragon of unknown affiliation I reported on earlier is eliminating Black Sun¡¯s child craft while approaching Tachikawa.¡± ¡°Unknown affiliation, you say? Let me take care of that.¡± He pulled out his cellphone and pressed a button. After a moment, a voice came from it. ¡°Who is this!? I¡¯m kind of busy right now!¡± ¡°I will try to make this as polite as I can, but may I ask a question, you bastard? Japan or America? Choose one.¡± ¡°Japan of course! That¡¯s where I live!¡± The call suddenly ended and Sayama muttered ¡°what an impatient person¡± before addressing Sibyl. ¡°The affiliation of the mechanical dragon is up to Heo Thunderson, but her protector seems to side with Japan.¡± ¡°W-wait! I cannot approve of that argument!¡± A middle-aged foreigner in glasses cut through the group of blue armored uniforms, but Sayama spoke back to him. ¡°It is all up to her, Roger-kun. But¡­¡± He gave an exasperated sigh. ¡°I cannot believe she would choose to fight when she can simply quit. This will only wear her out.¡± Despite his words, he had a smile on his lips as he looked back up into the eastern sky. A small disturbance of air could be seen along with the lights of Tokyo. That was the enemy¡¯s second wave and Sayama slowly raised his left hand while staring at it. ¡°Everyone.¡± A total of eight disturbances could be seen in the eastern sky. Everyone there prepared for a fight when they saw them, but Sayama spoke calmly as he stood in front of them all. ¡°Listen, everyone. The conclusion awaits.¡± They all quietly nodded and Sayama continued with his back to that motion and sound. ¡°We have seen the past and solved the mysteries of the present. And now a girl who represents our world is making her way between a human who has forgotton he is human and a machine that has forgotton himself.¡± He took a breath. ¡°So what is it we should do? Protect her? Cry for the dragon who cared for his people enough to become a villain? Or simply watch over this battle? What do you say!?¡± He turned around and all of the white, blue, and others gave their answers. They all stomped one foot into the ground and shook their heads. Someone gave their answer. ¡°We are the power to end all conflict.¡± ¡°We are the spirit to brighten all futures.¡± ¡°We are those who learn of all grudges yet continue forward.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Sayama. He looked to Shinjou, Kazami, Izumo, the combined form of Hiba and Mikage, and to all the others with great power and spirit. ¡°I am the one who does not hesitate to advance into any and all ill will!¡± Meaning¡­ ¡°Let me say it here: the surname Sayama indicates a villain! And let me say this as well: we will save this caring villain and arrive in the same place as that girl and the others!¡± They all nodded and Sayama continued. ¡°Our duty here is to protect her and drag all the lost memories back into reality!¡± he shouted. ¡°Listen, everyone. Light the beacon of the showdown and teach this caring villain that this battle is not for those that were lost! Teach him it is for those who will move forward and gain more from here on! Hit him with your fireworks to teach him that we are the bearers of reality and that everything has not come to a stop!! Now, everyone!¡± He took a breath. ¡°Where is your answer!?¡± ¡°Testament!!¡± Both those that were human and those that were not replied with that binding word. And Sayama used that as a stepping stone for his next loud words. He swung down his left arm and looked to the disturbances of air approaching in the eastern sky. ¡°Go ahead!!¡± Thunder Fellow flew toward the sky above the north entrance of Tachikawa Station. The station building stood eight stories from the surface and stretched from east to west. The north entrance had a large bus roundabout with a terrace and those were surrounded by the city¡¯s buildings. When arriving from Kunitachi to the east, the only paths away were the roads stretching north and west from the roundabout. The northern road had four lanes, but the ninety degree right turn would be impossible at their speed. The western road continued straight on, but it was a narrow road with only two lanes. Also, the multi-tenant buildings lining that road on either side created a canyon, but the canyon gently curved to the northwest which prevented them from seeing what lay ahead. Flying along the roads in front of Tachikawa Station¡¯s north entrance would mean taking that unknown western route, but Thunder Fellow did so regardless. He had decided that travelling through the buildings would make them harder to detect from the air. And if the enemy did not aimlessly overlook them, this would give them more chances to fight back. Lastly, Harakawa was the pilot and he of course knew the streets of Tachikawa. That was why Heo left the decision in Harakawa¡¯s hands and Thunder Fellow accepted her eagerness. The blue and white mechanical dragon used all of its current power to soar toward the roundabout north of the station. Its great speed naturally created a shockwave. The side of the parking deck attached to the eastern end of the station was blown away and the panels making up its walls flew through the air. The windows of the opposite multi-tenant building burst from a strike to the side and the glass shards and tenants¡¯ counters and chairs were blasted into the air. As Thunder Fellow continued past all that, three small mechanical dragons caught up overhead. They took steep dives to make up for their unsufficient acceleration using the speed of their fall and they tried to shoot the blue and white dragon¡¯s back. However, Thunder Fellow avoided the black light by moving further down. He was approaching the large terrace covering the roundabout. He was only about forty meters to the north entrance and terrace, which would take approximately 0.1 seconds to travel at the speed of sound. The leading two black dragons moved toward each other, tilted a bit so their undersides faced each other, and chose to pass over the terrace. Thunder Fellow, on the other hand, could only continue straight due to the enemy up above. The last black dragon calmly remained behind to finish him off and dragon cannon light began to gather in its mouth. His blue and white body was about to crash into the side of the terrace, but just before he did, he lowered even further. He chose the path below the five meter ceiling of the terrace. He folded up his tail that functioned like an airplane¡¯s tail, pulled up his legs that were used for landing, and launched himself into the darkness below the terrace. The wind roared and the pursuing dragon missed its time to ascend. The black dragon collided with the terrace and embedded itself deep in the metal floor. The intense sound of impact shook the air and the inertial force lifted the terrace a little. ¡°!¡± Ultimately, the black dragon¡¯s body was sliced in two. The crushed top and bottom halves of its body shot above and below the terrace and its various components and oil were thrown into the air. The two small dragons pursuing from above the terrace did not turn around. In only an instant, black light wrapped around the secondary cannons at the base of their front legs. They moved to either side of the pillar in the center of the terrace and they tilted away from each other to view what lay below. They intended to attack the blue and white dragon the instant it left the terrace. And after what felt like only a few moments even to their mechanical dragon senses, the time came. Something flew out from below the west side of the terrace and the two small black dragons fired their secondary cannons on it from either side. As they continued to fly toward the narrow western road, they watched the destruction of their target. They both scored direct hits. Four blasts of black light instantly exploded as if letting out a scream. The explosion struck the ground, bounced back up, and launched their target high into the sky. The black dragons confirmed its destruction. But at the same time, they realized they had fired on the wreckage of their comrade. It was the bottom half of the small black dragon that had been bisected by the terrace. ¡°¡­!?¡± The blue and white dragon had sent the wreckage ahead of him below the terrace. He had likely thrown it with his gravitational control. The small dragons momentarily stopped once they realized the truth and that was when something shot out down below them. It was the blue and white dragon. Thunder Fellow had drawn his swords. He flew as if running through empty air and let loose his acceleration while piercing the small dragon on the left as if using iai. The two swords broke through both lungs of the small dragon that was even larger than him. And he did not stop here. He accelerated with his enemy still held in place by the swords. Both of them had tilted ninety degrees to the left, but Thunder Fellow let his acceleration do the talking and chose to exit the roundabout from the west while carrying the black dragon with him. That took him to the canyon of buildings, but he did not care. He brought himself and the captured dragon toward the southern buildings, staring with the Daiichi department store next to the station building. He moved in at a shallow diagonal angle that would scrape against the front of the building. He collided and the expected sound of destruction reverberated along the road. The manmade stone and glass making up the building greeted the dragon with the sound of everything scattering. The contents of the large bookstore, model shop, and other tenants were thrown into the air, but the dragon maintained his speed with more acceleration and the force of his inertia. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± Thunder Fellow used the forty meter black mechanical dragon as a surfboard to slip across the side of the buildings. The gentle corner taking the canyon of buildings to the northwest acted like a rising jump for him. He ignited his afterburners and rode the wave of destruction with the screams of the surfboard as his background music. The one surviving black dragon fired as it approached the corridor, but it was too late. Most of its shots hit the wreckage of the buildings or the black dragon being used as a surfboard. Thunder Fellow continued to ride the largest wave of destruction of that long autumn night and of the entire year. But soon, a temporary break in the buildings arrived. He was approaching an intersection. To jump over that gap, he withdrew his swords. ¡°!¡± And he kicked off the surfboard and into the air. The black board had already been mostly destroyed by its comrade¡¯s attacks, but as soon as it shot out into the quick gap of the intersection, it crashed into the building on the other side. After a rumble filled with the sound of shattering glass, the small black dragon exploded. And that was all. Thunder Fellow had already jumped to the center of the corridor using his kick off the dragon. That sharply angled jump brought him to the side of the last black dragon that had accelerated to catch up. And he had not put away his swords. The two light swords easily sliced the black armor in two. He had won, but in that instant, he quickly broke away from the black mechanical dragon. An instant later, black light pierced into the back of that dragon and out the front. The instantaneous explosive blast pushed Thunder Fellow onwards and he saw a formation of black dragons pursuing him from behind. ¡°¡­¡± He accelerated while emitting a groaning sound that resembled grinding one¡¯s teeth. More attacks arrived from behind and he began to hear the windy sound of the enemy¡¯s approach. The sounds and attacks of a literal army slowly grew closer, but¡­ ¡°Go.¡± A voice reached him from the roof of the multi-tenant building at the end of the corridor of buildings. The hoarse voice spoke in English. Thunder Fellow looked forward without letting up on his speed. The buildings came to an end and two people stood on the roof of the one building that acted as an entrance to the vast sky. One was a woman holding a paper broom and the other was a slender old man in a suit. Odor removed his suit coat on the windy roof. The battle had left the coat in tatters and the bandages around his arms were mostly gone. He kept his annoyance over losing those bandages from showing on his face as he spoke. ¡°Go. Go, Heo Thunderson. This is our battlefield.¡± He looked past the blue and white mechanical dragon and to the pursuing black dragons. The blue and white one quickly approached and Odor felt a thought reach him in the instant it passed by overhead. ¡°Thank you.¡± He nodded at the girl¡¯s thoughts. But the thoughts left behind a question as the dragon began to leave. ¡°But why?¡± ¡°That is simple. That is simple, Heo Thunderson.¡± He answered the dragon that had already left and thus could no longer hear him. He threw aside his coat and rolled up his shirt sleeves to reveal his arms sans bandages. The arms were covered in countless scars. As the passing wind struck the building, he raised his bare left arm. It was of course scarred and the scars were all from scrapes and abrasions made by someone else. But that was not all. Diana¡¯s eyes opened wide when she saw something else. ¡°Honey, what is that?¡± He had some special scars on his left arm. These were from cuts deep enough to reach the muscle. They were clearly whiter and glossier than the others and they protruded from the rest of his skin more as well. Most notably, these scars formed letters and Diana read them in the wind. ¡°Richard.¡± ¡°That is my real name. That is the real name of the odor. I was constantly called an odor and constantly scarred in the place that took me in, but I gave myself these scars above all the others so that I could trust in my own name,¡± he said. ¡°Richard. Richard Davis. My father named me after his friend. And now, a girl who carries my father¡¯s blood and has inherited everything from that friend desires help in her fight.¡± He turned east toward the approaching black army before continuing. ¡°Diana. Diana Zonburg. Can I ask one thing?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± She gave a sigh containing a hint of relief and he spoke with his back turned. ¡°Our marriage. Let us revoke our marriage. Now that I have spoken the truth I never revealed even to Richard Thunderson, I will accept that girl. I had thought Odor was past having any family, but now¡­¡± ¡°You have a relative to watch over your death instead of me?¡± ¡°Yes. Yes, Diana. So we will now part ways and-¡­¡± He stopped when Diana stepped up next to him. ¡°Unfortunately, that is not possible. I simply can¡¯t help with something that would make that girl sad.¡± She formed the largest smile she could. ¡°And how can I leave you now that I¡¯ve seen such a cute side of you?¡± He said nothing in response. He simply raised his left arm and prepared his fingers. ¡°I did not want to use this! I did not want to use this because it is terribly exhausting!¡± He snapped his fingers toward the black dragons flying over a kilometer away. Heo felt an earthquake. She wondered how that was possible while in the air and she realized the shaking reverberation came from behind her. She looked behind with the rear sight devices and saw something unexpected. The city of Tachikawa they had just flown through seemed to have grown quite a bit shorter than when she had seen it before. ¡­Was that¡­? She understood what this meant. The station area had been so bright before, but all that artificial light was gone and they were replaced by sparks and explosive flames in the surrounding sky. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Thanking people is important, Heo Thunderson, but looking where you¡¯re going is also important.¡± Eh? she thought as she looked up. The ground flowing by down below was the railroad stretching west from Tachikawa Station. It was no longer an elevated railroad and it ran straight through a residential district. When she looked far above that railroad, she saw something else. ¡°What is that?¡± It was a giant black shape so large that it almost looked like a storm cloud. ¡°Thunder Fellow, what is that?¡± ¡°I am sorry. I do not know. But¡­¡± ¡°But it¡¯s our enemy, right? An enemy who was kind and had many friends but who was led to sadness by those very facts,¡± said Harakawa. ¡°Our ¡®enemy¡¯, hm? To be honest, a mere student really shouldn¡¯t be saying something like that. But Heo Thunderson and Thunder Fellow, I don¡¯t think this is anything special.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The way I see it, there¡¯s a world where this kind of thing is as normal as breathing. It may be on a whole different level from the small battles in my everyday life, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that it¡¯s a small thing on the level of breathing.¡± ¡°Harakawa.¡± Heo narrowed her mental eyes. Hearing him speak from the heart for once made her smile. ¡°Then let¡¯s go and breathe, Harakawa. Fortunately, there¡¯s one thing I was taught a long time ago.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°How to breathe when running.¡± Surely¡­ ¡°I think Black Sun will be my very first rival in reaching the goal line.¡± Volume 9, 34: White Guidance Volume 9, Chapter 34: White Guidance Let loose the unattractive contents of your heart Someone else will find them attractive An intense battle was underway on UCAT¡¯s runway. Their main force of mechanical dragons was down to only two, the black god of war was on its fifth and final sword, and the red god of war only had a single blade left. Metallic sounds rang out without end and they were joined by the sounds of hard objects being split and of bursting gunpowder. One could also hear people shouting out special attack names, a man talking about his wife and child, and three people punching a fourth. As these sounds repeated, the situation began to turn in the people¡¯s favor. In the center of all the movement, a group was firing their weapons. The gunners would surround an individual enemy and then disperse once more. As they could use their communication devices, each group making close-range strikes could request the assistance of the gunners. And when the dragons tried to fly and use their quick mobility, the gods of war or mechanical dragons would attack them before they could. The wreckage of enemy and ally littering the runway functioned as barricades against the dragons as they swooped down. The Vesper Cannon was simply placed in front of the disguised transportation building, but the black dragons glided so quickly that they would crash into the building if they did not go in for a landing. And it had already been proven that their weight and inertia would cause them to skid even if they did land. That forced them to land much farther back on the runway, but the barricades of wreckage blocked their way and they would be individually surrounded even if they made it past those barricades. Of the shooters who unloaded bullets while surrounding the enemy, one looked down on everything else. It was Kazami who held G-Sp2 as a cannon. ¡­This seems to be working well. This formation had been Sayama¡¯s idea. She could no longer see him anywhere, but he had apparently entered the transport building to gather the automatons from the purged space. Shinjou was usually by his side, but she was now exchanging Ex-St¡¯s red hot barrel to Kazami¡¯s right. ¡°It¡¯s not often you aren¡¯t with that idiot.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s strange to see you without Izumo-san.¡± Izumo was currently attacking with V-Sw and commanding the northern group. Shinjou looked in that direction and raised Ex-St without bothering to wipe the sweat from her brow or the soot from her cheeks. She had already attached the new barrel and the exhaust of the initial cleaning burst from the back. With metallic sounds and wind surrounding her, Shinjou faced Kazami. ¡°Unlike with 3rd, everyone is nearby, so I can relax more. Ryuuji-kun and Mikage-san are here too.¡± She gave a small smile. She¡¯s changed a bit, thought Kazami when she saw that smile. She wondered if Shinjou had gotten over what had made her cry the other night and thought about inviting her to go shopping without Sayama. ¡­I¡¯m like a mother-in-law. She smiled bitterly while realizing that stupid underclassman would cause some kind of commotion but settle everything in the end. ¡­If I leave it to him, will I never have to feel that unease I felt in Roger¡¯s dream? That dream had made her realize again what the scariest thing in the world was. It was no one¡¯s fault and it was a scene she had been able to see because of who she was. And it was also the scene she least wanted to see. She had learned how that felt two years ago when she had first learned what it meant to fight, but she had recently started to forget. She also realized that everyone fighting here had some similar thing. She had only heard about it secondhand, but she thought the former residents of 5th-Gear must have as well. ¡°Right.¡± She nodded and held up G-Sp2, wondering where she should fire the Concept Core blast. As she did, she heard a voice from the barricade created by a destroyed black mechanical dragon to the east. ¡°Hey! Something¡¯s headed this way on an odd course!¡± She saw it. She had good eyes, so she could identify it as six small mechanical dragons approaching in the night sky. However, their course was indeed odd. They were not invisible as the previous ones had been and they showed no intention of stopping at the other end of the runway. Instead, they continued to accelerate. ¡°They¡¯re using themselves as shells!¡± This was a last resort for the enemy. They would give up on stealing the Vesper Cannon or protecting themselves and instead use their own bodies as shells. It was a sort of suicide attack. ¡°Idiots.¡± The gunners had their hands full surrounding their individual targets. The close-range attackers were all quite powerful, but there was no way they could intercept these black dragons charging in at full speed. Then what should they do? Kazami knew the answer. ¡­I can do it. And so she yelled to Shinjou who was running to her position. ¡°Shinjou! Take care of my position too!¡± ¡°Sure! But what are you going to do!? You can¡¯t catch up to them even if you fly with X-Wi!¡± ¡°Are you looking down on your upperclassman, Shinjou? Just leave it to me. I¡¯ll show you what I¡¯m capable of.¡± With that, Kazami began to run toward the barricade to the east. As she did, Ooki turned toward her while carrying around the green creatures as the commander of the fatigue-elimination unit. ¡°Oh, Kazami-san! If you¡¯re going somewhere, how about letting these little guys suck the bad stuff out of you?¡± That makes it sound like you¡¯re going to bleed me with leeches, she thought while waving her hand horizontally. She continued on toward the sky visible beyond the barricade. She began with a slow step but soon built up speed while running between the surrounding people who continued to fight. As her feet began to move faster, she held G-Sp2 under her right arm. ¡ªLight is power. X-Wi expanded and Kazami heard Sibyl¡¯s voice from the forest. ¡°Chisato-sama! They are seventeen seconds from the point of no return on their approach!¡± Everyone understood what that meant, so they shifted their focus to her without stopping their attacks. She ran down the center of the path of focus created by all the attention gathered on her. This feels nice, she thought. I really like to stand out, don¡¯t I? So to stand out even further, she spread her wings wide but did not flap them. She raised the wings toward the heavens and kept them there while she ran low to the ground and faced forward. She faced the sky and the six shapes approaching there. ¡°G-Sp2, that¡¯s our target.¡± ¡°I see them.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s time for your third form. You can go that far, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I can go anywhere.¡± After that, Kazami operated G-Sp2¡¯s console while running. A transformation soon began. Before her eyes, the firing grip jutted out on either side at the base of the tip to form a T-shaped handle. The tip had formed the cannon¡¯s muzzle, but that tip now closed. Instead, the bottom end opened, foot pedals extended on either side at the base of the bottom end, and a triangular armored panel sprang out as if to form the tail of an aircraft. The completed form looked like a wingless airplane. The same white light used for the cannon began to leak from the open bottom. After checking on that light, Kazami flew with a single flap of the wings on her back. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She placed herself in midair, used the handle as a grip, and placed her feet on the foot pedals. She was already clinging to G-Sp2 and she spread her wings to the side rather than flapping them again. This created a vehicle with G-Sp2¡¯s output as the thruster and X-Wi as the main wings. ¡°You can call this the Gungnir Jet!¡± She twisted the accelerator and her falling speed was slowed by the light blasting downwards. The force of her fall and her ascent reached equilibrium at thirty centimeters above the broken runway. She twisted the accelerator in her right hand and the white light reflected off the ground and brightly illuminated her and her surroundings. The sound of squeezing metal came from G-Sp2 and it began to shake, but she ignored it while using her left hand to lower her goggles over her eyes and leaving everything to G-Sp2 by twisting the accelerator as far as it would go. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this before the goggles leave a mark!¡± She reached the night sky in an instant. ¡°¡­¡± Kazami broke through the wind and suddenly found the mountains spreading out below her. Before she could exhale even once and before she came back to her senses, she saw a band of light down below. The three thousand meter runway now looked no longer than thirty centimeters. ¡­Wow. A trail of light remained from one end of the runway to her current location and that line of light continued to grow. That meant G-Sp2 was still accelerating. Her wings were vibrating from the wind, mist wrapped around G-Sp2¡¯s tip, and her pulse began to race. The console in front of her gave a numerical reading on the output, but it was still hovering around 25%. She recalled that G-Sp2 lost almost all sense of self in this state. She could not speak with it unless she forcibly turned its focus toward her. Two years ago, she had reached 32%. ¡­And today is the second time. She saw the enemy ahead in the sky. The self-destructive dragons outnumbered her several dozen times over. She passed by them in an instant. A moment later, she controlled G-Sp2 in a forceful way that could not quite be called braking. She removed her feet from the foot pedals, kept her hands on the handle, and threw her body into the air as if on the horizontal bar. ¡°¡­!¡± She faced the heavens and swung G-Sp2 around. It was a forced action. While her legs rotated through that extreme high altitude air, her heart pounded in her ears. She began to sweat, but the wind blew even that away in an instant. Her wings were unable to withstand the wind and shattered, but as those snowflakes of light landed on her back, she found herself looking into the western sky. And so she twisted the accelerator. ¡°¡­¡± She received enough intense acceleration and instantaneous power to feel like the night sky was drawing closer. As G-Sp2 reversed at a sharp diagonal angle and re-accelerated, she dangled alongside it. With her back pointed down, she followed the horizon out of the corner of her eye and spotted the lights of Saitama. But at that point, she finally sensed the noise. Once she realized she could hear the wind, she relaxed a little. She looked down over her shoulder and saw the six dragons there. While listening only to the blowing wind, she shrank down with her back still pointed to the ground. The wind washed over her as she gathered strength in her shoulders and abs and brought herself closer to G-Sp2 which flew in a crescent moon arc. She slowly brought her feet toward the sky, placed them on the foot pedals, and reclaimed her position embracing G-Sp2. ¡°¡­!!¡± And she immediately kicked the foot pedals up toward the heavens. The recoil pointed the tip down and toward the enemies below. She twisted the accelerator and charged forward. She created new wings on her back, held them in close, and performed a power dive from directly above the enemy force. ¡°Listen, G-Sp2. There¡¯s a story behind your origin.¡± She whispered while falling and operating the console with her right hand. ¡°You were originally named Thor¡¯s Hammer and you were created to end a civil war in 10th-Gear. You were stolen by 9th-Gear which had temporarily assisted the resistance force within 10th, but Kaku¡¯s grandfather took you back. However, you were then modified into a divine spear and made into both the most powerful weapon and the storage device to absorb the concepts from 10th¡¯s world tree.¡± And¡­ ¡°But you contained the genes of Zahhak, the violent dragon of 9th-Gear. That created a concept dragon that devoured the world tree, but you were successfully sealed in this world.¡± Izumo had told her this. The story included his grandparents. He did not often speak of them, but his grandmother was a resident of 10th-Gear and she had apparently betrayed 10th and given his grandfather the divine spear after the creation of the concept dragon. Kazami did not know the details, but¡­ ¡­All of that was passed on to create who Kaku and I are now. She wondered if they would ever be able to inherit all of it. We will someday, she told herself while facing forward and looking to the earth at the bottom of the sky. She saw the shadows of the forests and mountains and she saw the group of mechanical dragons flying westward in front of those shadows. Nevertheless, she calmly made her final preparations by punching seven letters into the console. ¡°G-U-N-G-N-I-R! Gungnir!¡± She pressed the button on the grip. ¡°Let¡¯s go, G-Sp2. Semi-barrel open ¨C start!¡± The bottom end of G-Sp2¡¯s aerial mobility form closed and stopped the jet of light. Now that the light had nowhere to go, it began to leak from the closed cowling on the front end. As the light spilled out like sand, it rose like smoke and drew several overlapping lines in the sky. Before she could let out a single breath, the internal pressure caused the front end to shake, but she kept the grip button pressed and refused to let go. It was a lot like making a pet wait for its food. Down below, the mechanical dragons could be seen so close she felt she could reach out and touch them. A moment later, she saw the output reading reach 30%. ¡°Ragnarok open. Time to fight back.¡± With those words, she fired G-Sp2. A dragon plunging headfirst suddenly appeared in the night sky. The one-horned dragon was made of white light and it seemed almost as large as the night sky itself. And yet the dragon had yet to show its full body. It was unclear whether it actually had a neck or not, but what looked like the beginnings of one extended down toward the surface as if breaking through the night sky. All that could be seen was a face with a giant gaping maw and that neck-like area extending back twice that length. But that was enough. The dragon stretched its head down with a great sound of wind that seemed more like the entire world groaning. It did not stretch far, but for such a massive dragon, it was enough to reach the surface. Its jaws devoured its airborne food. That food was six objects flying down below like small black fish. They could not escape because the dragon¡¯s great size was a weapon in and of itself. Fangs and a tongue of light crushed that food from above as if the sky itself was falling upon them. This caused an explosion that rivalled the white light, but¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± The massive jaws closed. And that was all. The light dragon head faded away as it descended to the earth. It simply vanished as if to say its presence had not been particularly impressive. The light obeyed the darkness and faded away, but an afterimage of the dragon remained in the sky for a few seconds. Afterwards, nothing remained of the ¡°food¡±, not even the explosion or their wreckage. However, something new had appeared. It was a sound arriving from the eastern sky. It was a solid sound and it was not alone. Metallic sounds repeated again and again as if communicating with each other. They were the sounds of a battle fought between those flying this way at tremendous speed. The repeated sounds of high-altitude fighting approached without hiding the noise caused by the colliding power. All of those on the battlefield began to notice the sounds and look to the night sky. This included the automatons treating people¡¯s injuries, the people having their injuries treated, the plant creatures extracting their exhaustion, and the girl who had fired the dragon of light into the sky. They all looked to the east and someone spoke. ¡°It¡¯s coming.¡± ¡°Black Sun is?¡± ¡°No,¡± said someone else. ¡°The answer. The time has come to settle things with 5th-Gear which cast aside their own humanity, with the machine that went mad with anguish after trying to protect the people, and with the one who has inherited it all.¡± Black Sun had not overlooked the enemy approaching from behind. He knew what was happening because the screams of his child craft had reached him several times now. When a child craft was ordered to die, it would send a report on the completion of its mission when it died. But when one was simply destroyed, intense static was sent back. For a machine, being destroyed before completing your given job was the same as having the very meaning of your existence denied. And the bearer of that denial was approaching in a straight line He remembered this enemy. He had met it in its invisible form just after rising from the ocean. Black Sun remembered the shape of that wind. Its shape was familiar, but not because he had seen it earlier. His sealed memories were pointing to the existence of some record of the past as if it was leaking through. Those sealed memories told him he had met this enemy before. However, he had a goal: reaching the familiar scent in the west. That was likely the weapon that had once defeated him. And so he hurried westward. He also sent three midsized mechanical dragons back toward the pursuing enemy as his final guards, but he soon noticed something strange. As soon as he accelerated forward, static reached him. Specifically, two bursts of static reached him. ¡°¡­?¡± His rear sight devices spotted the reason for the static: lightning. Bolts of lightning raced through the sky behind him and produced two enormous explosions. Black Sun found this ¡°familiar¡± as well. He was oddly certain that he had only ever met one mechanical dragon that attacked like that. He was also certain that the large dragon made as his pair was more offense-oriented and extremely dangerous. It had carried a large cannon before, but it did not seem to have one now. But why? he thought. Why do I remember this despite having no memories? He did not know. He had been made to protect the people, so why had he fought such a dangerous dragon? Why had he lost that battle, why had he lost his memories, and why had he chosen to evolve? Why was his urge to seek out those familiar scents so very strong? And beyond those questions, beyond his destination, and beyond his victory, were the people waiting for him? If he created a world where he could protect the people, would they praise him? The people were gone now and he did not know why, but he thought they had to exist somewhere. He was meant to protect the people and he existed, therefore the people he was to protect also had to exist. That was the logic behind his thoughts. Beyond the barrage of lightning, he saw a familiar yet forgotten form. It was a small blue and white mechanical dragon. This enemy was small but dangerous. He wished he could eliminate that familiar feeling along with his lost memories. That would rid him of these unnecessary thoughts, but he could not forget what he could not first remember. At that point, Black Sun reached a certain answer. He found the reason for his evolution. ¡°¡­¡± It was this enemy. He prefaced that high-probability conclusion with the qualifier ¡°most likely¡± and raised his internal priority of this enemy. He set the familiar scent in the west and the familiar scent pursuing him at equal priority levels. Here, he entered combat mobility mode for the first time. He would intercept this enemy. Even as he hurried to the west, he would intercept the past. Black Sun ordered the final midsized dragon to ram the enemy while continuing to evade the lightning and he accepted his own intent to fight. He consciously approved of that intent and his entire body responded. The armor panels opened up to expose every primary cannon, secondary cannon, and even sub-secondary cannon and his motors sent out lubricant and made full use of their radiators. Finally, he raised the power output supplied by the one thing he had certainly brought from his own world: the Concept Core half. As long as he had that, he had half of justice on his side. Its power circulated through his entire body. ¡°All cannons at full power. Enter overdrive mode.¡± Black Sun began to move in order to defeat his enemy. Volume 9, 35: Black Guidance Volume 9, Chapter 35: Black Guidance I want to be praised Heo managed Thunder Fellow¡¯s body and Harakawa piloted it in a clash with their enemy. That enemy¡¯s firepower surpassed their own. That enemy¡¯s physical strikes surpassed their own. That enemy¡¯s armor surpassed their own. Nevertheless, rejection filled Heo¡¯s will. Their speed was greater. Their mobility was greater. Their will was greater. Nevertheless, questions filled Heo¡¯s will. Why did that enemy fight? What did he seek? And what would be his answer? Let¡¯s go, she thought. Let¡¯s fight, she thought. Let¡¯s find that answer, she thought. She currently had the body of a high-speed cruising mechanical dragon. She was attacking a black dragon that was heavily armed. White lightning and black shots crossed paths, the former hit and were deflected, and the latter grazed by and tore away armor. However, Thunder Fellow found an instantaneous opening and circled above Black Sun. From the sky behind Black Sun, he accelerated straight toward the front of that black dragon. He passed above the twin-fuselage wings that looked like buildings. Even at the speed of sound, it would take almost two seconds to travel across those six hundred meter wings. And Black Sun was also accelerating, so Thunder Fellow¡¯s relative speed was dropping. With her senses sped up five times over, the coming approach would last a few dozen seconds for Heo. The sound of wind echoed off Black Sun, but Thunder Fellow left even that sound behind. The blue and white mechanical dragon no longer hesitated as he flew across Black Sun¡¯s right wing. He had a plan. Black Sun¡¯s main body was a black mechanical dragon measuring three hundred meters long and it existed in the rear center of the twin-fuselage. It was guarded by the protective field of that twin-fuselage and by its many cannons, so it would not be easy to approach. However, there was an instant at which Black Sun¡¯s main body was defenseless: when the main cannon on the bottom of that main body was fired. If Thunder Fellow fired his main cannon at that moment, it would reach his enemy. During their first meeting, his light had been blocked by the main cannon¡¯s acceleration light created between the twin-fuselage wings. But what if he passed those and fired at extreme close range? ¡­We can do this. They needed to fire the main cannon and to do that they needed to circle around and face the enemy. That was why Thunder Fellow travelled over the twin-fuselage wings and fired. Twin bolts of lightning tore into the armor panels as he travelled ever forward. It all happened at high speed. The cannons on the twin-fuselage wings responded with their black light. The attacks were all at close enough range to leave no room for evading a shot after it had already been fired. To avoid them, Thunder Fellow needed to predict the attacks by the direction Black Sun¡¯s cannons pointed and whether they contained black light or not. Making those predictive evasions was Harakawa¡¯s role. His reflexes forced the high speed cruising craft all over the place and Heo felt those movements as movements of her own body. ¡­We can do this! Black Sun¡¯s attacks were numerous, but they were no different from his normal attacks. Once Harakawa memorized the cannons¡¯ timing, he could take them out one at a time and destroy the twin-fuselage wings. However¡­ ¡°Black Sun¡¯s heat level is rising!!¡± warned Thunder Fellow. At the same time, Heo saw the area above Black Sun ¨C the area they were flying through ¨C transform into an area of destruction. Every cannon was firing continuously. In an instant, Black Sun¡¯s top surface became a temple filled with thousands of black pillars. However, those ¡°pillars¡± were cannon blasts supported by Black Sun¡¯s massive firepower. This attack¡¯s true form was countless massive swords of continuous light that ignored the heat radiating from them. ¡°¡­!¡± But rather than as swords, everything before them rushed toward them as pure attacks. Heo gulped, but spoke with strength in her voice. ¡°Harakawa!¡± ¡°It¡¯s like having a group of thugs pick a fight with you, isn¡¯t it!?¡± The tension in his voice belied his light words. But Thunder Fellow began to move nonetheless. He no longer had time to fire his lightning attacks, so he emitted swords of light from his wings, pushed past or cut through the approaching black blades, and continued forward. ¡°¡­!!¡± Even so, his armor was torn away in several places all over his body. Several of his swords of light broke, but each time they did, they were pulled out and produced a tremendous cut. Metallic sounds sliced through the black forest made of black pillars. His speed never dropped as the few dozen seconds seemed to stretch on infinitely. Heo felt pain because her senses were the same as Thunder Fellow¡¯s. ¡­But this is drawing out his true ability! She did not reject the pain. She simply gave Harakawa permission and squeezed out all of her own strength. All she could hear were the surrounding sounds of clashing light and darkness and a voice. ¡°Can¡¯t we open a path with our main cannon!?¡± asked Harakawa. ¡°No. It is only for a slight moment, but I must stop in the instant of firing to cut off the reflux of power. If I do that, we will be destroyed. Also, you know when we must fire the main cannon, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hah,¡± laughed Harakawa within the shaking of shockwaves. ¡°You¡¯re going to blast that thing¡¯s main body once we get through all this and circle around in front, right? The instant he fires his main cannon is the instant the inside of the twin-fuselage and his own front armor are removed. Also¡­¡± Harakawa trailed off and Heo found that odd, so she asked him about it. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just that I saw something strange just before we were shot down when facing Black Sun the first time. It was¡­¡± He hesitated again. ¡°Something that shouldn¡¯t have been there.¡± ¡°H-Harakawa. Did the tension of the battle make you go crazy?¡± ¡°We need to have a talk after this is over, Heo Thunderson.¡± As she listened to him, one of their light swords broke on a black pillar that was quickly swung toward them on the right side. The sword shattered with the sound of breaking glass, but it produced enough of a gap in the attacks for the mechanical dragon to slip through. The same cycle repeated again and again. Nevertheless, the dragon kept at it. He was almost at the end and the pillars were growing less dense. But it was still a balancing act until he truly did reach the end. Heo thought she heard Harakawa groan, so she quickly spoke up ¡°Um, Thunder Fellow? Do you have any other good weapons? Y¡¯know, um, something you would see on that Captain Nuclear cartoon that¡¯s popular in America.¡± ¡°I do not know what you mean.¡± ¡°Why are you watching that environmental destruction cartoon?¡± ¡°I-I was trying to be considerate, so why are you two being so serious!?¡± she shouted. ¡°My only other weapon is the Vesper Cannon. The only other thing would be too dangerous to use now.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something else?¡± ¡°There is, but it is not a weapon. It has also never been tested and a test activation would be too dangerous now that the battle has begun.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Just as Harakawa began to reply, Heo felt something odd. It was a sound being sensed by Thunder Fellow¡¯s entire body. The auditory devices located across the dragon¡¯s body were picking up something unnatural. There was a hole of silence behind them. ¡°Harakawa! Something¡¯s coming from behind!!¡± A moment later, something shot through all the black pillars behind them. The front-facing sub-main cannon at the base of the twin-fuselage had fired on them. Black Sun¡¯s plan had been to surround them with the countless black blades and then fire this piercing shot. ¡°What a cheap trick!!¡± Heo made up her mind in an instant and left all of her sensory acceleration with Harakawa. And in exchange, Thunder Fellow took action. What Heo saw him do was not what she had expected. Harakawa swung Thunder Fellow¡¯s left blade to the left and shut down the right blade. Shutting down the blade meant to protect their side should have meant being hit on that side, but Heo did not wonder why he had done this. ¡­Please take care of this! Her only decision now was to trust him. A moment later, lightning raced from Thunder Fellow¡¯s right side and it was directed straight down. A cannon was located there and the lightning blast gouged out the dome-shaped weapon and blew it backwards. And as the black spear of an attack approached from behind, it collided with the wreckage of the destroyed cannon. That weakened it and she heard Harakawa raise his voice. ¡°Let¡¯s turn this around, Heo Thunderson!!¡± Black Sun watched the movements of the blue and white mechanical dragon. That enemy¡¯s left sword strike broke through several of the black pillars sticking up toward the sky. The enemy then flew into the gap this created on the left. But the enemy could not avoid everything. Even if he broke through the pillars on the left, the bases had not been broken and the interrupted blast would recover quickly. And he could not cover all of the black pillars coming from the right. On top of all that, there was the sub-main cannon blast from behind. It had been weakened, but it was still plenty powerful as it struck the blue and white dragon that closed its rear thrusters for defense. But despite the hit, the dragon somehow managed to endure. He purged most of his armor and opened various parts along his body to allow the excess heat and force to escape. He had lost armor and gathered heat, but he still flew into the empty space on the left. That meant the space between the twin-fuselage wings. Black Sun had been waiting for this. His prey had entered within range of his main cannon. He had already prepared his main cannon to fire, so the eight black pillars between the wings had gathered strength and the cannon below his body was wrapped in black heat. But the blue and white had done the same. While almost tumbling in between his wings, the enemy had rotated around and white light had already gathered in that enemy¡¯s mouth as he prepared to fire his own main cannon. Both dragons faced each other and they adjusted their power in just an instant. They would fire at almost the exact same time, but that was acceptable from Black Sun¡¯s point of view. Their base power outputs were different, so he was guaranteed to win in a collision between their main cannons. He had already scanned the output of the other dragon and he knew the time it took that dragon to fire its main cannon thanks to the child craft he had sacrificed. On top of all that, he had altered his calculations to include a slight increase in ability as the blue and white dragon continued to fight. The calculations were flawless. The blue and white dragon would fire its main cannon, but the black main cannon would swallow up that white light. That was the expected outcome, but the other dragon¡¯s dragon cannon fired too suddenly. The cannon¡¯s light had converged and finished its firing preparations slightly before Black Sun¡¯s had. ¡°¡­!?¡± Black Sun saw what should have been impossible as the blue and white dragon fired a scattering beam of white light. That was when he saw someone inside the cockpit in the enemy¡¯s head. In fact, he saw two people. Just before firing his main cannon, the other dragon had released the power taking them inside him. He had gathered every last bit of power into his main cannon and finally accelerated that power. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Black Sun saw the white light spreading out before him, but he was certain of one future: his victory. His sight devices saw a black form fly in front of the approaching white light. It was the final midsized mechanical dragon. The white light scored a direct hit, but it could not penetrate all the way through the midsized dragon. Its armor broke, the light tore into its underside, and that light reached its back, but the dragon continued to move. Black Sun ordered the child craft to seize the enemy. And it did exactly that. It poured everything into its unharmed wings, slipped between the twin-fuselage wings that contained black pillars of lightning, and collided with the blue and white dragon. A metallic sound rang out like a bell as the midsized dragon carried out its duty despite beginning to fall apart. Its three hundred meter body desperately grappled with the thirty meter dragon. The girl in the rear seat of the enemy¡¯s cockpit had vanished. She had combined with the mechanical dragon once more. An odd sensation came over Black Sun when he saw that. It was the same as the familiar scent. Had he once known that kind of thing? But he ignored it because the girl was a human of this world, not of his world. The blue and white dragon moved its legs in an attempt to break free of the black midsized craft¡¯s bonds, but it was no use. The high-speed cruising dragon lacked close-quarters combat ability and he did not have a transformable frame, so there was nothing he could do. He might have stood a chance as a close-quarters combat model or a standard cruising model that could move its legs more, though. Black Sun fired his main cannon. A great roar rang out and black light filled his vision. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The midsized dragon gave one last cry to say it had completed its mission. A corridor was filled with white light. The north wall contained a bathroom, a bath, a kitchenette, and the landing of the stairs down to the next floor, but all of them remained dark. The south wall contained a counter with a large space behind it and several rooms with white wooden doors. The label on the counter said ¡°Nurse Station¡± and the neighboring rooms had the names of patients on the doors. This was a hospital ward. One of the wooden doors to those rooms was open. It was the door labelled ¡°Harakawa Yui¡±. The room inside was dark and the light attached to the bed was the only illumination. Someone in light purple pajamas stepped out into the corridor as if emerging behind the door. It was Yui. Her hair was damp and she had a white bath towel over her shoulders as she walked to the nurse station. Her slippers made little noise, but they sounded plenty loud in the silent hospital. The baby room which contained the newborns was located beyond the nurse station. The baby room¡¯s wall was made into a window and two young women were peering through that glass wall. When Yui saw them, she wondered if they were new mothers looking to their children inside. As she walked past the nurse station, someone called out to her. ¡°Yui-san,¡± said a young nurse. After spending so many years here, Yui treated this nurse as her junior and the nurse treated her in kind. The nurse grabbed some karinto from a glass container. ¡°Want some?¡± ¡°No thanks. I already brushed my teeth.¡± Yui shook her head and the nurse smiled bitterly. ¡°Taking a walk?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. I was having trouble sleeping. I had a guest today, after all.¡± ¡°Your son, right? Um¡­¡± The woman trailed off and it likely had to do with her son¡¯s appearance, but Yui replied with a tone that said she did not mind. ¡°He takes after my husband more. ¡­And I¡¯m proud of that. But today I had someone else visit.¡± ¡°Someone else? You mean that teacher who always trips and can never find the stairs when she leaves?¡± ¡°No, not her either. ¡­I guess you could call her my son¡¯s girlfriend.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The nurse drew back with a smile, placed the container on the desk, and held her hands together. ¡°Well, congratulations. If anything comes of it, have them come here.¡± After saying that, the nurse gave a quick ¡°ah¡± of realization. ¡°What is it?¡± asked Yui with a tilt of her head. ¡°Well, today¡¯s garbage today.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Yui with a strongly bitter smile. This happened occasionally, so she knew what the woman was trying to say. ¡°You mean the apple skin, right?¡± ¡°Yes. After cleaning, Tama-san always shows me the apple skin when you do that. It doesn¡¯t matter how often I say not to pull trash out in front of people.¡± Her bitter smile grew stronger as well. ¡°Peeling it in a single continuous strip isn¡¯t easy. And you do it with a one centimeter width, too. But¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°There were two today, weren¡¯t there? Was the other one by your son¡¯s girlfriend?¡± ¡°Oh? Why do you think that? It¡¯s my special skill.¡± ¡°Well,¡± she looked up at the ceiling for a moment as she hesitated whether to say it or not. ¡°One of them was even thinner. It was so thin it shocked Tama-san and stopped the head nurse from scolding her like usual.¡± ¡°And which one do you think was mine?¡± The bitterness left Yui¡¯s smile as she looked to the nurse. The nurse met her gaze for a moment. ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Let me tell you something interesting. I gained that skill while competing with an old friend. The men we worked with liked fruit, so we had plenty of opportunities. That friend of mine was incredibly good at it and I still haven¡¯t reached her level.¡± ¡°Is there really a monster like that out there?¡¯ ¡°There was one here today, wasn¡¯t there? And this girl worked even faster than my old friend did.¡± Yui turned to the right in order to return to her room. ¡°Yui-san, weren¡¯t you going to take a walk?¡± ¡°I feel better now. Our talk helped me relax. I¡¯m sure it will work out now. Oh, and one other thing.¡± She rested her elbows on the counter and showed her teeth. ¡°Can I have a karinto? I can always brush my teeth again.¡± Black Sun saw the explosive flames in the sky. Smoke and flames remained in the dark sky between the large twin-fuselage structure added to his wings. That was both the final remains of his army and the remains of his enemy. The wreckage was smashed to pieces and melted and now the wind would simply blow the smoke away. His sight devices had already turned his thermal and gravitational vision to the west, but he still made sure to record the final attack with every one of his sight devices. And due to the trailing smoke, his optical vision required the longest time to record. Finally, the wind cleared away the smoke. There was nothing there. Black Sun saw nothing but sky all the way to his destination in the west. He diverted more power to his accelerators, closed the armor panels that he had expanded for defense, and deployed some small airplane-like wings. He also stored his main cannon in his underside as he slowly moved forward. This world¡¯s characteristic stars could be seen in the dark sky overhead, but a question came to his mind. This world ¨C the planet he was on ¨C had a satellite. It circled the planet at a set interval and the sun gave it the illusion of waxing and waning as it did so, but was it visible in the sky tonight? Black Sun turned his optical sight up to the night sky and saw a circle of white light. However, this was not the satellite he was looking for. This was the light of an attack. It was the gathering light of the blue and white dragon preparing its main cannon to fire. ¡°¡­!¡± Black Sun immediately changed his vision to a scan of the enemy. This was definitely the previous mechanical dragon, but his form had changed. Somehow, his pointed high-speed cruising form had become a close-quarters combat form with larger legs. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± The beast¡¯s roar descended from the sky and his entire body collided with Black Sun. An intense sound filled the air as heavy metals crashed into each other. With a deeply lasting impact, the other dragon¡¯s four arms dug into Black Sun¡¯s back at the base of his twin-fuselage wings. This intense landing had enough force to break the framework of a transforming model, but Black Sun¡¯s upper vision told him his enemy was unharmed. The blue and white mechanical dragon on top of him had the thick frame of a non-transforming model. He did not understand. He considered the possibility that there were two enemies, but the boy in the pilot¡¯s seat was the same as before. He simply did not understand. And as soon as this inexplicable fact filled him with confusion, the enemy fired his pre-prepared white main cannon into Black Sun¡¯s back. The direct impact of the explosive blast was of course a problem, but the shockwave that spread from that point of impact tore up his armor to quickly open a hole of destruction. The second and third shockwaves tore into the inside and outside of the additional armor and smashed the connections between the main body¡¯s wings and the twin-fuselage wings. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± Black Sun made an instantaneous decision. He purged it all and cast it aside. He cast aside the twin-fuselage wings, additional armor, accelerators, and everything else he had added onto his main body through evolution. Black Sun¡¯s three hundred meter form shot backwards as if stripping off an empty shell. He was the same size as the midsized craft modeled after him, but his power, armor, and firepower were all superior to theirs. He quickly put half a kilometer between himself and the purged twin-fuselage and he made a decision. The enemy¡¯s identity was a mystery, but he simply had to defeat that enemy. For a weapon, he had the main cannon which had evolved below his main body where he held it in his legs. Its power would drop without the pressurization of the twin-fuselage, but it was still powerful enough to pierce through the sky. More importantly, he would not have to wait as long to fire it. Currently, the enemy was trying to remove his legs that were embedded in the back of the falling twin-fuselage. In its close-combat form, it could not fly freely enough to nimbly evade the main cannon blast. And so Black Sun immediately fired. His goal was simply to pierce through both the enemy and cast-off twin-fuselage wings and to make those wings explode. The black light raced out and first pierced into the twin-fuselage wings. The black structure still retained some of the residual power from its job as a pressurizer and it shook as it was pierced through during its fall. ¡°!¡± A massive explosion scattered black smoke and red flames through the air. The great noise reverberated through the sky and the air trembled as if from an earthquake. The great voice of the explosion was numbingly loud, but Black Sun did not let his guard down. He made full use of his vision¡¯s scanning ability and worked to detect his enemy. Sure enough, he saw the enemy rising to the heavens on the other side of the blossoming flames. ¡°¡­!¡± The blue and white mechanical dragon was unharmed. Shimmering heat burst from his rear accelerators as he attempted to circle around overhead to reach Black Sun. The enemy had changed form again. The muscular body of the close-combat form had grown pointed and his four legs were spread out as wings. Looking at his framework, he was clearly a non-transforming normal cruising mechanical dragon. Based on the timing of his flight, the enemy had to have quickly transformed from the close-combat form to escape the explosion. This meant the enemy could transform despite being a non-transforming model. That should not have been possible. However, Black Sun grasped the enemy¡¯s trick, the enemy¡¯s evolution, and the enemy¡¯s will. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Black Sun changed his line of thinking: the enemy had chosen a different path of evolution than he had. When he had lost to the enemy army, he had chosen to evolve an army to support himself. But this enemy had desired to become a powerful single unit rather than strengthening that army. Black Sun understood that this was a dangerous enemy. And so he accelerated his lightened body to the western sky where he detected that familiar scent. He could not allow the enemy to obtain the weapon there, so he accelerated in order to destroy it first. As they approached Black Sun from above, Harakawa saw the dragon begin to race away. ¡°Is he trying to run!?¡± ¡°No! He is after the Vesper Cannon! He wants to destroy the weapon that can truly defeat him!¡± ¡°In that case,¡± muttered Harakawa while shifting from a descent to a pursuit of Black Sun. ¡°Heo.¡± He called her name, but it was so sudden that she was unable to reply. ¡°Are you listening, Heo Thunderson?¡¯ ¡°Oh, y-yes! What is it?¡± He could see Black Sun¡¯s back accelerating away up ahead. The dragon¡¯s speed was enough to leave them behind in their normal cruising form, but Harakawa spoke calmly. ¡°It¡¯s time to run. We can see the goal line and so can our opponent.¡± ¡°Right!¡± Harakawa felt Thunder Fellow take in a slight breath. The breath gathered strength in his gut as if making up his mind. And then he heard Heo¡¯s voice. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Harakawa, Thunder Fellow. It¡¯s time to move the legs that stopped so long ago.¡± Harakawa nodded, closed his eyes, and muttered the words that would set it all in motion. ¡°On your mark.¡± He felt Thunder Fellow prepare and take in a breath as if drawing a thread taut. ¡°Get set.¡± And he shouted. ¡°Go ahead!!¡± From a crouching start, Heo kicked herself forward and began to run. Her fellow runner was Black Sun and he had already taken a false start, but she did not care. She had long ago learned that victory would come to the true sportsman who played fair. And even if he had cheated to get ahead, that cheating would mean nothing once she lined up alongside him. When she took the first step, she changed to a running stance. However, she did not say anything. She had begun to focus on nothing but running. Just like breathing, she changed to her running stance so naturally that she did not even notice. In this case, her running stance was her high-speed cruising form. They had used this system earlier in order to escape the midsized black dragon and avoid Black Sun¡¯s attack. It was the untested system that Thunder Fellow had been hesitant to use. Heo now saw it activate and change her current body. It began with a single action: a dismantling. Scraping sounds reverberated from her entire body as she broke it down. Every part making up her body ¨C the head, torso, legs, tail, wings, armor, and everything else ¨C had their bolts removed. Gravitational control removed tens of thousands of bolts which floated in the air as the blue and white dragon¡¯s body split away from the primary frame that formed the core of his body. That steel-colored primary frame was normally hidden inside, but it was now exposed. That frame was currently a normal mobility type. It revealed the dragon¡¯s figure as a spine with connectors for the four legs, various types of armor panels, and the metal bones of the legs. However, that framework was swallowed up by empty air and vanished. It had entered Thunder Fellow¡¯s concept space. The sound of colliding metal was the first thing to arrive in its place. Next, a long, narrow, and pointed gathering of steel was ejected from that space. This was the primary frame for the high-speed cruising form. The blue and white mechanical dragon had swapped out his framework at the most fundamental level. He did not transform and he did not have a fixed form; he would remodel himself. As his head, torso, legs, and wings floated in midair, they pressed against the frame. And they were placed differently from the normal cruising form. The front legs would be in the way during flight, so they were placed below the torso as ballast for stability. Next, the legs extended backwards with no intention of every having them set foot on the ground. Lastly, the tail was placed on the very back like an airplane¡¯s tail. Transformations were restricted by the movement range of the frame and other parts, but Thunder Fellow was different. He completely dismantled himself and completely altered the parts¡¯ locations with no concern for their original connections. This allowed him to use the optimal positions for durability, air resistance, and power connections. He had decided to use this system in order to escape the midsized dragon earlier. It had succeeded and, during this third use, the moving parts let out cries of joy at achieving the shortest and most efficient cycle. The temporarily separated wires reconnected along the shortest routes and his new form allowed him to bring forth his most happy power. With a soft sound of metal, everything was set in place. That was when tens of thousands of bolts gave a harmony of connection. The countless metallic noises sounded like the tones of brass instruments. All of that happened in an instant to give Thunder Fellow a high-speed cruising form. ¡°Complete.¡± And that gave Heo her running stance. She took the first step, accepted the power Harakawa sent to the rear accelerators, and kicked off the air behind her. She accelerated. The great force lifted the front of her body, but she bent her spine a little to hold herself down. She then took the next step like a spring extending forward and launched herself further ahead. Rather than just lift her knees, she also thrust them forward. She ran. She did not move her legs in vain, she did not build up too much momentum and lose her balance, and she did not allow the position of her hips to rise or fall. She simply continued moving her body forward and raising her speed. Repeating that was known as sprinting and the wind it created was known as a gust. Her focus narrowed her vision down to a single point ahead of her. Her increased senses had yet to be reinstated after avoiding the attack earlier and she was not looking at anything in particular as her surroundings rushed by her so quickly. She simply watched the darkness of the night, the overhead wiring of the railroad down below, and the black form not far ahead of her. At the moment, all she had to do was overtake that dragon which had once been a friend of man. The sound of her breathing and her pulse were all she could feel. She did not hear or feel her surroundings. Hearing and thinking had already left her understanding. The word ¡°wholeheartedly¡± no longer applied. She had emptied her heart and mind as she ran. She understood nothing, but¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She had wanted to run here. This was where she had wanted to run for so long. Running here would give her an answer to everything she did not understand. And so she ran through all the unknowns. She ran toward the goal line that lay ahead. ¡°¡­!¡± She accelerated and threw her body forward. Harakawa simply leaned forward. They had already passed through the city, left the outskirts, and flown into the mountains. Slowly but surely, Black Sun¡¯s form was growing closer to the upper right. Thunder Fellow¡¯s acceleration had already brought them through an explosion of water vapor and several streams of mist wrapped around the front ends of the dragon¡¯s various parts as he tore through the atmosphere. The same was true of Black Sun to the upper right. Waving lines of water vapor were wrapped around the large black dragon as he accelerated westward. Harakawa thought about where Black Sun was headed. Sayama and his own mother had said IAI contained an organization named UCAT. That was likely the dragon¡¯s destination deep in the mountains of Okutama. Down below, the Oume line left Ikusabata which told him how much farther to Okutama. ¡°About fifteen kilometers!¡± At that point, he saw light to the upper left. Black Sun was accelerating and that speed pushed his giant black form forward. ¡­That bastard!! Even if he was powerful, he still had air resistance and his own weight to deal with. Thunder Fellow should have had an overwhelming speed advantage over that three hundred meter dragon. ¡°Did he wish to evolve again after his experience fighting an enemy faster than any before?¡± Black Sun¡¯s wish had been granted, even if he still did not know the identity or past of his opponent. But that was true of them as well. They had known nothing. ¡°But that¡¯s different now. Listen, Thunder Fellow,¡± said Harakawa. ¡°Return my senses to normal and give it all to Heo¡¯s running so she can live up to the past.¡± He received no response, but everything around him gave the answer. His vision was now linked with their actual speed. ¡°¡­!¡± But he was not afraid. He simply leaned forward to pour on more acceleration. Without even a moment¡¯s hesitation, he took in the power supplied by Heo. That¡¯s enough, he thought in a world moving too quickly for him to see. This is your will and your power. As if to prove that this was her full strength, the world sped up even more. Only Black Sun was visible to the upper right due to his similar speed. The giant black form was growing closer. Amid the dense flow of the world around them, the ever-accelerating Black Sun slowly lined up alongside his vision. But then Black Sun accelerated even further. ¡°How many more gears does he have hidden away!?¡± shouted Harakawa. But then he heard a voice. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± It was the quiet sound of someone¡¯s mind leaking into the cockpit. As Heo ran, the mind she was no longer aware of gave off a quiet noise much like radio static. It took the form of a song. It was a hymn Harakawa would hear at the base or the hospital on Christmas Eve. And it was the song his family had sung the night his father had passed away. Had it been the same for her? ¡°Silent night, holy night.¡± They split the coming wind with a bursting sound. ¡°Long we hoped that He might.¡± They accelerated as if kicking their body forward. ¡°As our Lord, free us of wrath.¡± But Black Sun gave another blast of acceleration. ¡°Since times of our fathers He hath.¡± Black Sun slowly began to pull away. ¡°Promised to spare all mankind.¡± But Harakawa recalled a certain fact. ¡°Promised to spare all mankind.¡± He remembered when he had timed Heo on the hundred meters. She had said her personal best was 13 seconds. Her time at the fifty meter line had been in the upper half of six seconds. She could never have gotten thirteen seconds at that pace. But he had said something back then. ¡°Heo Thunderson.¡± He said it again even though she could not hear him. ¡°You¡¯re the type that does better on the second half!¡± And that proved accurate. The mechanical dragon body that had already accelerated so much suddenly shook as if jumping up, but Harakawa knew what that meant. ¡°Are we beginning to accelerate!?¡± That was exactly what happened. In just an instant, it looked to Harakawa like they had launched Black Sun backwards. They overtook him and their intense series of accelerations did not stop there. Their speed continued to rise and he simply leaned his entire body forward. He felt like he was leading her, like he was standing on the goal line and calling her toward him. They continued on. The ground below was dark as they entered the mountains. He felt a presence approaching from behind and saw Black Sun¡¯s nose out of the corner of his right eye. There was a lot he wanted to say: things he did not understand, things that angered him, and much more. However, he gathered all that into a single cry. ¡°Win this, Heo Thunderson!¡± A moment later, they reached the goal line. The tape they were meant to break was made of light. Harakawa recognized the band of light from his time on the base. It was a runway¡¯s signal lights. But as he shifted his balance backwards to slow Thunder Fellow, he realized it was not working. At this rate, they would pass right over UCAT. And he knew why: Heo was not granting him permission to pilot. ¡°Heo!?¡± He received no response. Not from Heo anyway. ¡°It is no use, Harakawa. She has passed out.¡± After the continuous tension of the battle and her victory in the race that followed, everything she had been holding onto must have shattered and turned to exhaustion. He was sure he could wake her and Thunder Fellow could resuscitate her, but there was no time. They would travel the three thousand meters of the runway in only a few seconds at their supersonic speed. ¡­What do I do!? He thought and let go of the roll bars on either side. ¡°¡­¡± And then he found the answer. Black Sun realized his loss had turned to victory. Beyond the band of light and beyond the wreckage of his child craft, he found the familiar object. He knew he would be in constant danger if he did not destroy that. The enemy had arrived first, but for some reason, that enemy was not making a move to collect it. After all, he was not slowing down. Black Sun had been planning to ram the enemy in the moment he tried to collect it, but he now scanned the enemy. That was when he realized the enemy had lost control. Based on the enemy¡¯s course, he would pass over the building behind the cannon. Even if he slowed down now, he was moving too fast to collect the cannon. He would either crash into the building or destroy the cannon due to the difference in relative speed. Black Sun calmly chose to fall in behind the enemy. And he prepared his main cannon. However, his sight devices captured a certain movement: the false humans were frantically moving about on the runway down below. But there were more than just people there. He also saw a group of automatons and¡­ Sayama stood on the ground between the runway and the white building with a cellphone to his ear. ¡°It is fortunate you remembered I had called and that your phone has a callback number, Harakawa!!¡± He hung up just as the blue and white mechanical dragon was about to pass by overhead. ¡°Here they come, everyone! Are you ready!?¡± ¡°Testament!!¡± Sayama looked around as everyone around him replied. On the runway and in front of the building were people in white armored uniforms, people in blue armored uniforms, automatons, and plant creatures. Sayama raised his voice toward them all while waving his left arm sideways at shoulder height and then raising just the forearm. ¡°Begin!!¡± As that word carried through the air, gunfire shot up from the surface. It was a volley of signal guns. The flying bullets and beams all shot toward Black Sun who pursued the blue and white dragon. Their quick approach ended in an instant and both clear sounds and sparks filled the air. And a response came from the sky. Black attacks poured down like rain. Straight-line unguided shots flew toward the shooters. ¡°!¡± But the close-range attack unit struck the black light with their armor and weapons. Their swords shattered and their armor split, but they let out spirited cries. Their defense had been a success. They were not unharmed, but no one had been lost. However, it was not over yet. The wind moved. It was a large and gentle wind. The wind came from the Vesper Cannon which sat in front of the building. The forty meter cannon was being lifted up. And this was done by a black giant named Susamikado. Susamikado used both arms to lift the Vesper Cannon overhead. The wings on its back expelled heat to maintain its balance while shimmering heat shot out around it. ¡°Ryuuji-kun!¡± ¡°We can do this!!¡± replied Hiba as he lifted the cannon. He tossed the Vesper Cannon into the air for just an instant and adjusted his grip from below. He pointed it up at a sharp angle as if preparing to throw it like a spear. And then Susamikado flapped its wings. ¡°Oh!¡± While holding a cannon several times longer than itself, Susamikado forcibly spread its wings. It floated up slowly and heavily, but it rose several meters. A force that could no longer be called wind exploded in the space between the ground and its wings. However, the god of war¡¯s body and the weapon would not rise any further. They came to a stop and started to fall. ¡°Dammit!¡± shouted Hiba. ¡°Is there nothing to help with this!?¡± ¡°Ryuuji-kun!¡± said Mikage¡¯s voice. ¡°We promised to take a bath together if this went well, remember!?¡± ¡°I¡¯d forgotten about that!!¡± He forced it. He used the acceleration of the wings to power the throwing motion and scorching wind burst from the motors across his body. ¡°!!¡± And he threw it. The cannon flew into the center of the sky and toward the nose of the blue and white mechanical dragon flying there. But its acceleration was still not enough. At this rate, the dragon would run into it with too much relative speed. In that instant, an orderly female voice came from the front of the building. ¡°Get ready!!¡± It was #8. A total of more than sixty automatons in maid uniforms were lined up in front of her. All of them were holding hands. ¡°Launch it!!¡± With that command, space seemed to bend. A massive gravity lens was created at the center of the ring of sixty maids and it flew upwards as a gathering of pressure. It was directed toward the Vesper Cannon which had been thrown into the air. The gravity lens surrounded the cannon with a roar and launched it as if it had been hit with a racket. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± There was only one possible destination for the flying cannon: the same direction as the blue and white mechanical dragon meant to receive it. Thunder Fellow caught up to the Vesper Cannon that flew ahead of him. His entire body dismantled. He then placed his body around the Vesper Cannon¡¯s mount instead of his primary frame. A normal mechanical dragon could not hold the long cannon because their frame got in the way, but he could truly become one with it by removing his frame and holding it in his arms. The bolts gouged into the gaps of the different parts. ¡°¡­!¡± The dragon and cannon connected together and Harakawa gave a shout from the cockpit. ¡°Heo!¡± And again. ¡°Can you hear me, Heo Thunderson!?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± A groan of awakening filled the cockpit, soon followed by a gasp. ¡°U-um, I¡­¡± ¡°You only passed out. The battle isn¡¯t over yet, but¡­you did well.¡± Silence answered his final comment, but then¡­ ¡°Th-thank you.¡± She sounded hesitant. ¡°But, um, sorry. It was all so amazing and I¡¯d never felt anything like that before, so I passed out.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t time yet for the nonsensical post-victory interview. ¡­The lonely dragon is on his way.¡± Black Sun had not given up and Thunder Fellow¡¯s voice gave proof of their fears. ¡°He has already begun gathering power in his main cannon. We can connect and charge up at the same time, but I do not know if we will make it in time. And I am sure Black Sun knows that. He will build up power to just barely fire first and divert all other power to aid his attack.¡± Black Sun moved forward to line up alongside them. He was less than one hundred meters away and continued to move forward. ¡°Is he approaching so we can¡¯t even make a low-power shot!?¡± A moment later, Black Sun drew his swords. Long black swords appeared from each shoulder. ¡°He cannot fire on us either if he approaches,¡± shouted Thunder Fellow. ¡°Charge up using the Vesper Cannon¡¯s power! Until then, fight back with my own power!!¡± The large and small mechanical dragons soaring high in the sky began fighting with gunfire and extreme close-quarters combat. They exchanged bullets and sword blows while taking repeated evasive actions. They attacked each other from a position that prevented the other from moving away but close enough to threaten a collision. The white blades were stopped by the black blades and the black blades were avoided by the blue and white dragon. That blue and white dragon flew about as a torrent of black gunfire shot his way and avoided it all by reducing the surface area the attacks could hit. At the same time, he put away his swords and fired blasts of lightning, but the black dragon deflected them into the sky with his black blades. The two dragons approached, clashed, fired, flipped their bodies around, and took a spiraling course through the sky. Sounds of metal, of firing, and of bursting light intersected many times over and carried through the air. The dragons were followed by shimmering heat and trails of white clouds created as they tore through the atmosphere. They swung their entire bodies, accelerated their slashes, repeatedly fired, and evaded. And a mixture of all those actions repeated at incredible speed. Both of them let out cries and both of their paths through the sky intersected. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­let¡¯s end this!!¡± It was like taking your partner¡¯s proffered hand. It was like supporting and rotating your partner on a turn. It was like facing your partner and pressing your cheeks together. ¡°Please remember the people who meant so much to you!!¡± The avoided gunfire tore through the sky and air, the blocked gunfire sent countless sparks flying through the sky, and the broken swords scattered in a spray before being replaced. They rotated as if exchanging places, they did not let up on their attacks or evasions, the black dragon had its back to the sky, the blue and white dragon had its back to the earth, and a moment later they exchanged positions once more. The only thing that remained unchanged was that they were both soaring. The two dragons roared and danced through the night sky. Their attacks and evasions were the quick and unfaltering steps of that dance. When they defended, they would strike back. When struck back at, they would defend. There was no time lag. They passed back and forth an embodiment of the word ¡°attack¡±. But their dance came to an end. The long cannon on the bottom of the black dragon finished gathering black light. That was when the unseen space that was their destination closed. A change came over that space. It moved upwards as if to create a way to escape. Sensing that, the black dragon lowered his speed to move outside the dancing movements of the blue and white dragon. The blue and white one responded by changing his course and rising into the sky. They moved apart so they could both fire. After ascending and coming to a gentle stop, the blue and white dragon suddenly began to fly in circles. And these circles spiraled down toward the black dragon whose back was to the earth. White light surrounded the long cannon on the bottom of the blue and white dragon, but it was still weak. Nevertheless, he fired. A straight line of light tore down from the heavens and toward the earth. It ripped apart the air and created a bursting ring of wind while continuing to target the large black dragon down below. And as if to strengthen his aim, the blue and white dragon accelerated. He moved to slam his entire body into the black dragon. The black dragon looked up into the sky to face him. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± With a great roar, he fired. A roar ran through the earth. The trees of the mountains far below were tossed up as the mountain surface shook and it almost looked like the mountain itself swelled up. The recoil of the blast smashed the earth within a dozen or so kilometers of the black dragon. The black light containing all that force spread out as if to envelope the entire sky, but it soon converged once more. The concept cannon pierced upwards toward the heavens. The descending white light was easily swallowed up. This would end everything. But the moment before the blast struck, something was destroyed. The power diving blue and white dragon broke apart. But this was an intentional dismantling. ¡°¡­!?¡± Two objects descended through the black light piercing vertically through the center of the night sky. One was the cannon held by the blue and white dragon. The other was the blue and white dragon itself sans primary frame. However, their falling speed was too great. Before the blue and white dragon could reattach its framework, it had passed by the larger dragon. Not only that, but it had already fired. Even if it grabbed the falling cannon once more, it would take time to recharge. The cannon- and frame-less mechanical dragon passed by the black dragon¡¯s side. Wondering what had happened, the black dragon tried to turn around. As he did, he caught sight of a point in the sky. In the center of the heavens, he saw a single star directly to the north. But he also saw a silhouette in front of that star. It was a human boy¡¯s silhouette. This boy stood on the black mechanical dragon¡¯s nose. Harakawa stood on the giant black mechanical dragon¡¯s nose. He was gasping for breath and the tension of this gamble ruled his body. Using the cannon as a diversion, they had dismantled Thunder Fellow both to evade and to use the dragon¡¯s gravitational control to send Harakawa here. It had gone well, but¡­ ¡°I saw it when we first faced each other, but you probably didn¡¯t since it¡¯s right between your giant sight devices.¡± Harakawa reached out a hand toward something white sticking out from between Black Sun¡¯s eyes. It was shaped like a shaft and he gave its identity. ¡°A spear. ¡­Heo¡¯s great-grandfather most likely got this attack in on you.¡± He grabbed it. Most of the shaft was shaped like a battery pack and there was something like a trigger near the tip. For some reason, Harakawa¡¯s surname was written on the side of the white shaft: Northwind. He found that odd, but pulled it out nonetheless. As soon as he raised it overhead, Black Sun turned the light in his sight devices toward the boy. The small cannons on his shoulders also aimed at the boy. But Harakawa had no reason to be concerned. He pulled the trigger and felt a power in the tip of the spear slice through the wind. It was a great invisible piercing power that almost seemed to be made of wind. ¡°Remember this!¡± shouted Harakawa. ¡°The north wind will pierce even the dragon!!¡± With a clear sound, he slammed the long extending blade between the great dragon¡¯s eyes. ¡°And remember what it is you are meant to do!!¡± With a squeezing resistance, the blade penetrated into Black Sun¡¯s head. ¡°¡­!!¡± And after thrusting the blade down to the base, the spear broke. Whether it had overloaded or completed its duty, the white shaft shattered like pottery and scattered into the sky. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± Black Sun let out a great cry. As that cry shook his body and reached his ears, Harakawa leaped into empty air. He passed between the wings and armor panels on the black dragon¡¯s back and said farewell to its giant form. As the wind rushed past him in his fall, he saw the darkness of the earth down below, but another color filled the center of that darkness. Thunder Fellow waited to catch him in the open cockpit down below and white light filled the cannon he held. The sign of the conclusion could be seen from Japanese UCAT¡¯s runway. The Kanda Laboratory had altered the concept space to remove it from the city center and instead stretch it almost to satellite orbit far beyond the stratosphere. The darkness filling that concept space was pierced by a single white line rising upwards. Everyone saw that white light break through the black mechanical dragon¡¯s chest and out his back. And another light was visible as well. That light came from the girl and boy standing in front of the white building. They were Shinjou and Sayama. Shinjou tugged on Sayama¡¯s sleeve as he looked into the western sky. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Um,¡± replied Shinjou after making sure everyone else was focused on the west. ¡°About this.¡± She extended her left hand. That hand wore Georgius which was wrapped in light. She frowned and tilted her head. ¡°What does this mean? Why can I wear it?¡± ¡°I do not know and it seemed the old man did not either. All I know is that my mother left Georgius with me and that only the two of us can use it, Shinjou-kun.¡± Sayama reached into his pocket and pulled out the papers Roger had given him. ¡°I still cannot read a single word of the conceptually hidden contents, but I can read the cover now. How about you?¡± Shinjou looked down at the cover. It gave Sayama Asagi¡¯s name as the primary developer, but it said something else as well. ¡°The research and development was based on some abandoned documents found in the Kinugasa residence?¡± She turned toward him in surprise. ¡°What does that mean? Had Professor Tenkyou started to create Georgius?¡± ¡°I plan to find that out for myself. Just as you will pursue Shinjou Yukio, I will follow in my father¡¯s footsteps.¡± He then pointed at another point on the cover where a stamp had turned black when the copy was made. The black letters of the stamp said ¡°Project Suspended¡±. ¡°It is also worth knowing why we hold in our hands the product of a project that was suspended.¡± Shinjou grew pale but slowly nodded as if to support his words. And then the people around them gasped. ¡°Look,¡± said a surprised voice. ¡°Black Sun is rising into the sky.¡± Black Sun remembered everything. The blow into his head had fully activated his self-preservation functions. Similar to having his life flash before his eyes, it drew out all of his knowledge and experiences. This told him there was no saving him and¡­ ¡­I remember. Black Sun¡¯s mind grew clear and his memories returned. ¡°¡­¡± And once he knew everything, he chose to rise into the sky with his fatally wounded body. He moved toward the night, toward the sky, and toward the heavens so that he could look out over this world. From those heavens, he could confirm that this world would never be his and that it would never belong to the people he knew. It would show him that the people who might praise him were no more. The large black dragon rose. He moved his wings and lifted his breaking body in his desire to move ever upward. After countless evolutions, he had gained powerful weapons, sturdy armor, and great speed, but this ascent was all he could manage now. It¡¯s ending, he decided. No, it was already over. He had destroyed his people. Even if it had been to keep them from suffering and even if he had been ordered to do so, he had still destroyed the world he was meant to protect. He had trapped himself in the shell of ¡°malfunctioning¡± and believed in the justification of his actions. That had come from his refusal to accept that the people were gone and his refusal to accept that his world had been destroyed. He had lost before the battle had even begun. Yet he had once more taken a great number of lives and done what he should never have done. The earth grew smaller down below. He could see an island. Unlike the islands of the planets he had protected, it was a long, narrow archipelago. The ocean surrounded it and another large island lay beyond that. He belatedly realized that everything would grow dark because he was on the night-side of the planet. The planets he had once protected had had the same natural phenomenon. The people who had created him had often asked how the world looked to him as he flew. He had always replied that it had planets and it had people. ¡°¡­¡± He could see the cities of this land too. They could be seen everywhere as dots of light. The cities of this world¡¯s people could be seen even in the darkness of night. And he also saw the end of the planet. The horizon formed an arc and he visually confirmed that this world was a round planet. He altered his vision to amplify the light so he could see everything. Once he did that, he saw a blue planet. It is the same, he concluded. It matches how I always described the world to the people. The people had always looked satisfied with that answer and they had praised him. They had told him to do his best which was only natural for a machine, but he had viewed it as an expression of praise and he had used it to judge how well he had completed his job. He recalled his own creator. That creator had been a man in glasses. The man had once brought his wife and daughter to the hangar for a periodic inspection. The young girl had seemed afraid of his appearance, but she had run after him when he had flown from the hangar. He remembered how she had raced along the ground, waving at him and apologizing for being afraid. He had intentionally slowed so he could pretend to race her, but he remembered ultimately turning his back. There had to be similar people in this world. Compared to the people of his world, they were indeed fake, but they were the real people for this world. I am sorry, thought Black Sun while admitting to his error. I did something unforgivable. Even if he wanted to make up for it, his body was already broken and falling apart. He could not even stop his own destruction and make up for his mistakes. His only remaining option was to inform the world of his loss so its people could rest easy. He would tell them that he was no more. He did not think of himself as a failed creation. He felt that he himself had chosen failure. Because his own compassion had led him to lose sight of his reason for existing, he had chosen a path of failure. But¡­ ¡°¡­?¡± He saw something rising up after him down below. The blue and white mechanical dragon was rising up in front of him. The other dragon¡¯s movements and heat distribution showed it had no intention of fighting and he could not have fought back even if it had. So for a short time, he slowed his ascent and stopped. As he watched, the other dragon set up an atmospheric protection field and opened the cockpit in the head. Two people sat in that cockpit: the boy who had made the strike to his head and the girl who had combined with the dragon. The girl looked up at him while standing on the seat with her shoes off. Why? wondered Black Sun. Why do you look on the verge of tears despite winning? He was the one who had tried to take everything from her and from this world. But that was over now. Black Sun named himself to the victor so that a record of his loss would remain and so that everyone would know who was responsible for it all. ¡°I am Black Sun.¡± He transmitted his voice and it played from the other dragon¡¯s cockpit. When she heard the name, the girl lightly held her own body, took in a breath, and spoke. She spoke her own name. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Black Sun heard the name. It meant happiness in the language of his own world, and¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Yes, thought Black Sun. I am glad I did not destroy that dragon. I am glad I was able to hear that name. He recalled his own mission. It was the same as his brother craft White Creation: to protect the people and through that¡­ ¡­To guide the people to happiness. That was something he could no longer do after all the lives he had taken. Nevertheless, a result had survived to stand before him. This was a survivor of the answer that had destroyed him. He was reunited with the answer of the people he could never meet again. He did not understand. He had been unable to fulfill his mission, so why was he able to hear that answer? Why had he received this answer through his own destruction? He did not know. But he accepted his end. The end of his body and the end of his mission. He would never again destroy another. And to prove it, he opened his chest and pulled out the Concept Core half. He used his gravitational control to pull out the thirty centimeter ball of bluish white light and sealed it in a gravity shell so it could be safely touched. Finally, he gave it to the girl who had inherited the world he knew. She hesitantly accepted it in her hands. ¡°U-um!¡± Without waiting for her to finish speaking and without listening, Black Sun looked up into the center of the heavens. There, he saw a star. It was the same solitary star he had seen from the surface. He began to ascend as if to take that star for himself. He moved to leave this world and reach a place where there was nothing to protect but also nothing to harm. He made his way toward a place where he could watch over everything that had been lost because of him. Was the girl below waving to him? One who has inherited the happiness of the world I was meant to protect, I wish happiness on you and your world. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Black Sun cried out. He gave one last roar of joy. And he continued his self-destructive ascent. He regretted everything he had done, but he felt he had fulfilled the very first mission he had been given. And he decided that was the one and greatest happiness he had received from the people. At 10:12, all of those in the concept space saw a light born in the sky near the North Star. The light was far too small for the name Black Sun, but it was sharp and bright. That was Black Sun¡¯s signal to say they had reached the goal. Afterwards, the light slowly and quietly vanished. All that remained was the wind blowing in from the north. That unseen wind blew roughly through the night. Volume 9, Final : Where the Wind Reaches Volume 9, Final Chapter: Where the Wind Reaches It is not an easy place to notice It is not an easy place to leave once you do notice it It is everywhere The broad blue sky looked almost transparent. The ground below was covered by the yellow and red of sand and rocks, but those colors were joined by an artificial gray. The sandy wasteland contained a long runway, a few buildings, and a group of warehouses. Those manmade structures had a distinct smell, but that faded toward the end of the runway. A single person stood at that midway point between man and nature. It was a tall young man with the sleeves of his flight suit rolled up. His blond hair was brushed back and his blue eyes looked up at the identically colored sky. However, a male voice suddenly called out from behind. ¡°Oh, James Davis. You actually came back?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound like you doubted I would, Richard Thunderson.¡± As the young man named Davis turned around, a bottle was pressed against his chest. ¡°You can celebrate your return with this. I swiped it from Lord Northwind¡¯s room, so drink it and throw it out here.¡± The second young man had the top half of his flight suit removed. His skin was tanned and his blond hair was cut short. ¡°So how was your wife?¡± Thunderson asked with his eyebrows slightly lowered and Davis shrugged. ¡°Not good.¡± But he must have thought that was not enough because he forced a smile and continued. ¡°Even the doctor told me I need to be there when she gives birth. She¡¯s apparently going to have twins.¡± ¡°Well that part¡¯s good news at least.¡± ¡°But her family won¡¯t stop telling me to leave the kids with them if anything happens. ¡­They aren¡¯t bad people. In fact, I¡¯d say they¡¯re good people, but still.¡± ¡°Their only daughter was stolen away by a flyboy with no known relatives. You should have expected this.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Davis looked up into the sky. ¡°She told me she would call me when the kids will be born and she told me to keep flying until then.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fall silent, Thunderson. It¡¯s creepy.¡± ¡°Then am I supposed to give my thoughts? Should I call it a tearjerking story?¡± In that instant, a shadow passed by overhead. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± The shadow instantly flew by from east to west and left something behind: wind. ¡°!!¡± That wind stirred up the wasteland, tore into the sky, and wrapped its arms around the two men. By the time its embrace left them, they were already looking into the western sky. Thunderson clicked his tongue. ¡°Damn that kid Curt! I thought I¡¯d dealt with him by putting him and Lyle in Team A with you, but he¡¯s been fighting back by flying almost as recklessly as me.¡± ¡°Sounds like I need to give you a warning before moving on to him.¡± ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon. Do you really think a man who hasn¡¯t held the stick for three months now can give me a warning?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Davis crossed his arms. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I flew a civilian piston engine everyday while I was gone.¡± ¡°Well that would be why your wife¡¯s family doesn¡¯t like you, you idiot. ¡­C¡¯mere.¡± Thunderson began walking down the runway and toward the hangar. He looked over his shoulder with a smile. ¡°Curt doesn¡¯t know, so he just used up his training time for the week, but we¡¯re bringing out the new models today. Both Team A¡¯s and Team B¡¯s. We¡¯ll be the first to pilot those two craft we put so much into.¡± ¡°And those will be the prototypes we test from now on?¡± ¡°Right. Sounds great, doesn¡¯t it? Remember how I said I don¡¯t really know what the point of this fight is? Well, that¡¯s why I like having events like this and other opportunities to fly.¡± He stopped smiling. ¡°While the others are out fighting a war, we¡¯re working out the kinks of the new craft and creating the final prototype that will most likely determine the design direction American UCAT¡¯s air force takes from now on.¡± ¡°You sure are selfish.¡± ¡°For taking part in this fight without knowing why?¡± ¡°No.¡± Davis held up the bottle he had been given. ¡°What am I supposed to do with this?¡± Thunderson¡¯s serious expression crumbled into a bitter smile. ¡°You¡¯re right. I shouldn¡¯t get so depressing with a man who just returned from the world below. ¡­How about we hide that in Essert¡¯s locker to give him a scare. That idiot showed off his reverse spin cornering in the 90R when taking Lord Northwind into town last week, so Lord Northwind pinned him to the window.¡± ¡°Sounds like there¡¯s no one worthwhile in your team either.¡± ¡°Yeah, and that¡¯s why one of them died.¡± ¡°I heard. Hughes, right? That makes two with Ohara.¡± Davis began walking in long strides to catch up with Thunderson. ¡°Let¡¯s do our job right. Let¡¯s make sure we won¡¯t feel ashamed to anyone. After all, the sky is a place to be sought, not a place for shame.¡± ¡°I agree with you on that one.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Davis while opening the bottle. Thunderson frowned while watching him take a swig. ¡°Are you planning to make the first flight drunk? Where¡¯d you learn a bad habit like that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one that gave me the bottle. And besides, I said I¡¯ve been piloting a civilian piston engine for three months, remember? Ever heard of a grassroots race? You drink a bottle after each circuit and the first one to vomit has to go land. How about it?¡± Thunderson instantly took the proffered bottle. He brought it to his mouth and gulped down even more than Davis had. ¡°I discussed it with my wife,¡± said Davis as he watched Thunderson tilt up the bottle. ¡°If they are twins and one of them is a boy¡­we¡¯re thinking of naming him Richard.¡± Thunderson spat out the drink and Davis watched him hold his nose and tremble. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re excited enough to give a full-body celebration.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. What kind of joke is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. This way, I won¡¯t feel any guilt if I have to physically discipline him.¡± Davis laughed loudly and from the gut. The laugh carried up into the sky. ¡°I told my wife he would surely grow up to be a man like you. One who rejects others, acts superior to everyone else, and believes that he¡¯s always right about everything, but at the same time, truly hopes he¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°That¡¯s about the worst kind of person you can be.¡± Thunderson clicked his tongue, threw the bottle into the air, and watched the sunlight reflect off of it. ¡°Then if you have a daughter, I¡¯ll tell her what an idiot her father is. And I¡¯ll tell her to name her own kid after her father. That way, the idiot germs will assume he¡¯s already infected and avoid him.¡± ¡°That sounds wonderful. But if I have a daughter, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll take after my wife. She¡¯ll be a liar, but one who¡¯s always thinking about others.¡± After the sound of the shattering bottle, Davis¡¯s voice continued. ¡°I am so very happy right now.¡± As the two of them approached the hangar, two forms left it. Trucks were pulling out two mechanical dragons that had tires protruding from their landing legs. The two dragons of blue and white waited beyond the shimmering heat rising from the runway. ¡°Hey,¡± said Thunderson while putting his flight suit the rest of the way on. ¡°I¡¯m sure your wife is happy too. ¡°Yes. And that is why I will go meet her where our happiness coincides.¡± Davis raised his right arm. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go.¡± They were off to their own battlefield. Heo saw a dimly-lit space. ¡°¡­?¡± She felt like she was dreaming. Two men stood below the blue sky. One had the same surname as her and the other had the same surname as the great-uncle she had first met that day. She felt like she was dozing and she did not understand the dream she was having. ¡­But¡­ She thought the two men seemed to be having fun. She then lifted her head from what she was using as a pillow. She looked around and found a large room faintly lit by emergency lights. This was Japanese UCAT¡¯s cafeteria. All of the tables had been removed and countless people were lying on the floor. All of them slept with blankets over them and the blue and white armored uniforms were mixed together indiscriminately. Some creatures made of plants slept next to everyone and they slowly expelled oxygen. Everyone had eaten, drank, and celebrated here until they grew tired. Before going to sleep, she had decided she would live with Harakawa from now on. He had complained, but her great-uncle had said he was too busy to look after her and the negotiator boy had played a certain recording for them. The recording was the boy¡¯s proof that Harakawa was deeply obsessed with figures. Her great-uncle had not looked happy, but she was sure Roger would smooth things over. After all, he and the negotiator boy had apparently planned together to ask her where she wanted to live. She had also desired to continue working with the Leviathan Road, so she had received the role of temporary inspector from American UCAT. As Harakawa had been linked as Thunder Fellow¡¯s pilot, he was given a temporary position in Japanese UCAT. She looked around now and saw the group who had visited Harakawa¡¯s house sleeping nearby. She also saw someone moving between them: Harakawa¡¯s homeroom teacher. The woman walked around and fixed any blanket that had fallen out of place. At the moment, she fixed the blanket covering a girl and her black cat. That was the girl who had shown up partway through the party and harshly questioned everyone as to why she had not been called. Heo began to get up in order to help, but the woman noticed and shook her head with a smile. Heo accepted the refusal because her body still desired sleep. As she pulled up her blanket in order to go back to sleep, she heard a song. Someone was singing in their sleep nearby. She looked over and found a girl sleeping in a sitting position. She wore a white armored uniform and her long black hair swayed as she slept and sang to the negotiator boy who slept with his head on her lap. Heo also saw a small animal within arm¡¯s reach on the boy¡¯s head. She could hear the song because the girl seemed to be singing it as a lullaby for the boy. ¡°Silent night, holy night ¡°Long we hoped that He might, ¡°As our Lord, free us of wrath, ¡°Since times of our fathers He hath ¡°Promised to spare all mankind ¡°Promised to spare all mankind.¡± The faint song that almost sounded like humming replayed in Heo¡¯s heart. Her mother had sung her that song long ago. ¡°¡­¡± She silently pulled the blanket over her head and lay down to rest Only once she placed her head back on what she was using as a pillow did she realize it was Harakawa¡¯s arm. She gave herself over to him. She brought her head to his arm, placed the blanket over that, and curled up as if clinging to him. For some reason, that action made her feel as if she understood why her parents and other relatives had fought. Her new life would begin the following day. That reminded her that her great-uncle had given her two things before leaving for the base. They were contained within an envelope above her head. One was the paperwork needed to transfer to an Akigawa city school and the other¡­ ¡­A photograph of the North Star. She had been delighted to see he and Diana were safe and he had given a troubled look when she had hugged him. She wondered if she would be troubling him more in the future like she would with Harakawa. She also wondered if he too had been thinking about the dragon which had disappeared toward that star. She closed her eyes without knowing the answers, but her thoughts turned to the parents who had protected her, a number of other people, and even Black Sun. ¡­Thank you. She breathed a sigh of relief, pressed against Harakawa, and fell asleep. And as she did, she wondered if she could one day become like them. ¡°My first promise.¡± Volume 9, Afterword Volume 9, Afterword And that was Owari no Chronicle 4-B. Almost all of the major characters have been gathered now. I have determined I should say ¡°sorry about the wait¡±. (Who do I think I am?) As for how thick the book was and all that, it¡¯s thanks to all of you that I can do that. Thank you very much. Also, it may be a little late for this, but I¡¯m often asked where to start reading my City series. To be honest, you can really start anywhere. There is always release order or city order, but you can also go to the bookstore and open them up to the prologue and try reading one if you think it sounds good. The different cities all have their own idiosyncrasies, so you might find one you like even if you didn¡¯t like one of the others. Or you could decide based on Ya-san¡¯s illustrations. That might be another way to find a book to you can read. Anyway, if you¡¯re interested, I hope you pick one of them up. Thank you very much. Now for the usual chat. ¡°This is a pain, so just get straight to a stupid story from your high school days.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t even bothering asking about the book anymore? That¡¯s admirable. ¡­I was too busy to read it, anyway.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re just like those other horrible people! You monster wife!!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just going to ignore that. Anyway, my school was a boy¡¯s school and we didn¡¯t have air conditioning at the time, so during the summer, it turned into a defenseless zone where about half of us took our classes in just our underwear. But then someone had a brilliant idea to keep us cool.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯d rather not know, but what was it?¡± ¡°We would take a certain rubber product meant for men, fill it up with water to about ten times the standard size, and hang about twenty of them from the ceiling. It was surprisingly cooling. The drips of condensation were awful, though.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t the school stop you?¡± ¡°Anyway, we started a new game where we would flick mechanical pencil lead at them during class to make them spin. But one day, Nishida (pseudonym) actually broke through the side of one and it began to spin around while spraying water everywhere. That really sent a panic through the classroom.¡± That¡¯s what I call a new way of interrupting the class. This time, I sympathized with Unicorn¡¯s Sugar Boy as the background music. ¡°Who paved the path to happiness?¡± I also thought on that. Okay, a lot is going to start moving next time. November 2004. A morning of cold rain. -Kawakami Minoru Volume 10, Prologue: Beginning of the End Volume 10, Prologue: Beginning of the End That is something That swoops down In the very places that refuse to accept it There was a sound. It was a low electronic tone sounding four times to indicate the hour. But that sound was not the only one permeating the air. Another higher-pitched sound continued without end: a set of footsteps. Those footsteps travelled down a white corridor. The windows of that corridor showed the early morning from four stories aboveground. A woman was walking down the corridor. She had red hair, a slender body, and a maid uniform. Her right hand held a box of food. She and the footsteps both stopped in front of a certain room. The white door contained a placard with the handwritten words ¡°The Holy and Incredible Ooshiro Kazuo¡¯s Room¡±. When she saw the placard, the woman tilted her head and lowered the box to the floor. ¡°I have determined this requires correction.¡± She pulled a magic marker from her chest and rewrote a portion so it now said ¡°The Wholly Incorrigible Ooshiro Kazuo¡¯s Room¡±. She replaced the rewritten placard and then straightened it. ¡°Well done. I have determined that was an excellent job.¡± She pressed the button next to the door to open the door. ¡°?¡± But it did not open. She tilted her head in confusion and turned to look at the button. She noticed a piece of paper stuck next to it which contained a cartoonish drawing of Ooshiro giving a thumbs up. ¡°Make a weird noise and the door will open!¡± the drawing said. #8 corrected her posture and tried to decide what to do, but the concept of ¡°weird noises¡± did not exist within an automaton. Any noise an automaton made had the approval of their accurate decisions. No automaton¡¯s decisions would approve of something ¡°weird¡±. While trying to figure out what to do, she realized she had forgotten something. As was the custom near the end of the month, the rooms were to be cleaned today and some preliminary preparations were needed for that. That was why she faced the closed door and spoke through her shared memory. ¡°#23, spray insecticide into the room in front of me.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± While determining that she was satisfied with how #23 responded without question, she picked up the box from the floor with her right hand. A moment later, she heard something from beyond the white door. ¡°Nwopei!!¡± The automatic door opened and a transparent gas entered the corridor like shimmering heat. Beyond the door, #8 saw a large white room. Below the fluorescent lights on the ceiling, Ooshiro was dancing within the shimmering gas. ¡­I have determined this is perfectly normal. She passed by the intensely dancing old man in a lab coat who was holding his throat. ¡°Ooshiro-sama, I have brought your dinner.¡± She visually confirmed the contents of his large desk. It was normally filled with toys, but today it actually had a space cleared in the center. He had likely been doing some kind of work. ¡­But what? She remembered that a lot had happened in the month since the battle with 5th-Gear. He was likely trying to put everything in order after that. She then thought about the people involved in that incident. The 5th-Gear Concept Core half held by Black Sun had been taken into Thunder Fellow¡¯s Vesper Cannon. Heo had become a temporary inspector and her guardian Odor was living in Yokota UCAT along with Roger. Violet had been destroyed at the Kanda Laboratory, but she was apparently having a new body made. Her body had been a poor match in the first place, but the idiosyncrasies that had given her actions had led to her skill in combat. A standard 3rd spare body could not recreate those idiosyncrasies, so the automatons she had protected were helping create a new body for her below Kanda. ¡­I have determined she is a fortunate unit. #8 had been able to see Gyes again during that incident, but the other automaton had returned to Izumo UCAT that morning. #8 had yet to meet Miyako, Gyes¡¯s master, so she wondered what kind of person she was. Team Leviathan was preparing for the next negotiation. The older members like Kazami and Izumo were occasionally training with the newer members like Hiba and Heo and it seemed they were improving. As for Sayama and Shinjou¡­ ¡­They say they will be leaving for their respective destinations tomorrow. Sayama was going to the mountains of Okutama to follow in the footsteps of Professor Kinugasa and his own father who had also pursued the professor. His destination was the home Professor Kinugasa had supposedly left behind. Sayama had a photograph of the building from a newsletter he had brought back from Izumo UCAT. #8 had been the one to calculate out the general location of the building based on the background in the photograph and GPS data. After thanking her, Sayama had asked if there was anything he could help her with, but she had no personal hopes of that sort. If he had asked if there was anything she wanted him to do, that would have been a different matter. However, a maid automaton did not ask for that kind of thing herself. ¡°¡­¡± Shinjou on the other hand was visiting Sakai in order to pursue the woman named Shinjou Yukio. Chances were good she was not Shinjou¡¯s relative and this was not a Team Leviathan job. That was why she wanted to do this before the next Leviathan Road began. ¡­But the Army is preparing to make their move. The attacks by the Army had grown sporadic. Recently, activity had ended in the distribution routes for their overseas sources of money. This meant the Army was going to make a major move before long. Thinking about the state of the Leviathan Road, UCAT had already gathered the Concept Cores for 1-6 and 8-10. The only one requiring new negotiations was 7th, so a lot thought this would be when the Army attacked. Quite a few requests had come in for transfers from the standard division to the field operations division and from the field operations division to the special division. But even though a lot was in motion¡­ ¡­I did not think UCAT Director Ooshiro had much work for today. Wondering what he could be doing, #8 looked to the side. ¡°¡­¡± Ooshiro¡¯s dance was approaching its climax. ¡°Ooshiro-sama, how long do you intend to continue dancing?¡± she asked with a frown. ¡°Do you not want your dinner?¡± ¡°Ah, w-wait, #8! D-d-d-d- you have any idea what is happening to me!?¡± She looked at him, placed the box on the desk, opened it, and produced a container. ¡°You appear to be dancing.¡± ¡°Nwah, you¡¯re just the worst! L-listen. I-I c-can¡¯t br-brea-¡­peh peh peh peh.¡± ¡°Ooshiro-sama, you need not try so hard to speak. I know what you are saying.¡± ¡°R-really!? Then you know what I just said?¡± ¡°Nwah, you¡¯re just the worst! L-listen. I-I c-can¡¯t br-brea-¡­peh peh peh peh.¡± ¡°Not what I literally said! What I have a feeling you don¡¯t understand is what I meant!!¡± He held his throat and rapidly jumped up and down. From that, she estimated what it was he wanted to say. ¡­I see. ¡°Testament. I have determined you are dancing for joy because you are having difficulty breathing.¡± ¡°Why do you insist on defying me at every turn!?¡± ¡°Ooshiro-sama, please calm down. ¡­Your logic is falling apart. I have determined this is entirely unrelated to whether I am being defiant or not. Let us simplify the problem before continuing: what seems to be the problem?¡± ¡°The person right in front of me!!!¡± She contemplated his pointing finger. While it was possible he could be referring to her, that was unlikely as he had said ¡°person¡± and not ¡°automaton¡±. Based on that conclusion, she turned around to find the person who must be behind her. She found a window with its shutter closed, but she saw their reflection in the glass. She took a step back and Ooshiro was now pointing at his own reflection in the window. She tilted her head. ¡°But I already knew that. I am a little disappointed.¡± Ooshiro collapsed to the floor and #8 took a step back from his sprawled-out form. After all, he had taken upskirt photographs of her in the past. He had claimed his shoe was untied, but he had been wearing sandals. Based on the manual Diana had given her, #8 had successfully used the ends of her arms to apply pressure to his sides and transport him about three meters diagonally upwards. ¡­But ever since then¡­ ¡°Why was I put in charge of you, Ooshiro-sama?¡± ¡°D-do you not like it?¡± She replied to the voice from the floor while cleaning off the desk. She dumped the plastic models, dolls, and manga in the trash can. ¡°I have not determined that. Your room has a high tendency toward entropy and always having a job is a happy thing for a maid automaton. Also, the manual I was given said my primary job is to transport you into the air using various parts of my body. This gives me plenty of opportunities to fulfill that job, so I would call this an excellent workplace. However¡­¡± She continued while bending all of the DVDs piled up on the desk and using them to neatly fill the trash can with no gaps. ¡°The exact same events repeat too often, so I have recently been unable to stimulate my memory device. I have determined it is a poor environment for an automaton to grow.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m being plenty stimulated right now. Especially as a living creature! S-see? I¡¯m growing faint and I think I have a delightful urge to vomit!¡± ¡°Testament. I have determined you are hungry. I had some odd jobs to complete, so I completely forgot about you as your priority level is set extremely low. Your dinner is about eight hours late, so I brought you a large serving of the cafeteria¡¯s new ramen rice. Please eat.¡± ¡°Ramen rice? They have that? So it¡¯s a new dish?¡± ¡°Testament. Hot ramen noodles are placed on top of a plate of steaming rice. I chose the flat noodles as they seemed to have the most volume.¡± ¡°All those carbohydrates are going to make me fat!!¡± #8 glared down at the old man who was rolling around on the floor. ¡°Why are you so selfish?¡± ¡°I have a feeling you aren¡¯t even listening to me, #8-kun!¡± ¡°I have determined you are imagining things. My auditory devices are functioning perfectly as always,¡± she said. ¡°Also, I forgot to mention it, but in preparation for today¡¯s cleaning, I had insecticide sprayed in your room. If you have difficulty breathing, I have determined you should leave the room.¡± ¡°Th-that is why I¡¯ve been suffering all this time!¡± She looked back down at him when he said that. ¡°Why would you dance instead of telling me something so important?¡± ¡°#-#8-kun? I just realized what we lack is communication!¡± ¡°A maid automaton does not desire casual communication with her master.¡± ¡°H-how can you say that when you casually scorn me all the time!!¡± ¡°Casually? Even if I have ever scorned you, it would have been after careful thought.¡± ¡°How much thought?¡± ¡°3rd¡¯s artificial intelligence is perfect, so approximately a split-second of thought.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the same thing! That¡¯s the same thing as doing it without thinking!¡± She determined he was the sort of person who would never understand even if she stated it plainly. Deciding to simply leave his food on the desk, she removed the wrap from the ramen rice and set down the containers for the arbitrary toppings she had brought for him: marmalade, chocolate chips, and mint. Upon closing the box, she suddenly realized what Ooshiro had been working on today. ¡°Ooshiro-sama, what are these documents on the corner of your desk?¡± ¡°Riiiice! Riiiice! That lovely silver sushi riiiiice!!¡± #8 followed Entry 11 Part 3 of the manual and pressed the end of her leg against his side for just an instant to make him hang in midair for approximately two seconds. Her job was to transport him to the air. What happened afterwards was none of her business. He slammed into the wall, bounced off, and stood up. ¡°O-ow!! #-#8-kun! I think kicking me is a bit-¡­¡± ¡°Ooshiro-sama, that is irrelevant, so please answer my question. I apologize, but it is a question about one of your few actual jobs. When I checked your desk, I noticed-¡­¡± ¡°Oh, you mean the new figure I bought? That¡¯s Full Transformation Magical Girl Gomes Trigger!¡± #8 broke Gomes Trigger into four pieces and dropped them into the trash can. ¡°Ahhhh!!¡± The door opened and then closed at that weird cry, but she did not care. Without a thought to how nosy she was being, she gathered the documents from the corner of the desk. She commented on the first five documents. ¡°Why are these letters of resignation addressed to you? Is someone planning to leave during this busy and dangerous time when the Army could attack at any moment?¡± Ooshiro did not react. After his previous shout, he had inhaled and crossed his arms and he was now staring at her in that pose. He was showing his teeth in a smile and #8 made a certain judgment about that expression. ¡­Is he testing me? Meanwhile, she reached for something else on the desk. It was a schedule for Team Leviathan¡¯s actions and it was written by Sayama, but the actual schedule was summed up in a single sentence. ¡°What is this? It makes no sense. Don¡¯t tell me Sayama-sama plans to¡­¡± Just as she prepared to say aloud what Team Leviathan was scheduled to do, she realized something. Ooshiro had passed out while still standing and smiling. ¡­Did the insecticide get to him? If he died, she would be the one to discover his body. She would be thoroughly questioned, but she wanted to avoid that since she was so busy. That was why she grabbed his collar and dragged him over to the automatic door. However, it would not open. A weird noise was necessary. Oh, no, she thought just before grabbing and twisting the ear of what she held in her hand. That produced a weird noise and the door opened. She finally dragged him out into the white corridor. While making her way to the medical room, she thought to herself. ¡­Is Sayama-sama scheduled to stop by today? He was not. Both he and Shinjou would not be visiting UCAT because they had to prepare for their trips on the following day. ¡°¡­¡± Kashima would be visiting their school that night to give a lecture on how the Gears had been formed. After that, Hiba, Mikage, Heo, and Harakawa had their training and examinations. ¡°But by then, that item on the schedule will have already taken effect.¡± She guessed that it had been Sayama¡¯s request to keep this a secret. But¡­ ¡°What is going to become of Team Leviathan and the Leviathan Road?¡± And¡­ ¡°I simply cannot understand what you are thinking, Sayama-sama.¡± Her gaze turned to the dark night beyond the corridor window. Volume 10, 1: Your Usual Self Volume 10, Chapter 1: Your Usual Self I want to be with you And so¡­ ¡ªHe who does not accept that is alone Have I grown lazy? Am I a pleasant person? As evening approached, the colors of the sky faded but did not yet turn scarlet. In this vague time of day, the air contained a slight chill and a single sound could be heard travelling below the sun setting in the west. It was a motorcycle engine. The large black motorcycle drove north in the left lane of a road with a long wall to the east. Riding it were a large boy with a brown coat and a girl with a beige half coat. The name Izumo was sewn inside the collar of the boy¡¯s coat as it waved in the wind and the girl¡¯s coat similarly said Kazami. Kazami held a white convenience store bag in her left hand and her right hand held Izumo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Kaku, a lot of the leaves have fallen here too.¡± The trees lining the road all had their branches exposed and the fallen yellow leaves flew up like a wave as the motorcycle passed by. Kazami was focused more on the trees than the walking people. ¡°Will nothing but the evening dew cover them before long?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get so realistic, Chisato. More importantly, were you able to buy it at the convenience store?¡± ¡°Yes, they had the usual coffee, ¡®Blue Mountain ¨C Human Mountain Range¡¯.¡± ¡°You can be really picky.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one that told me about it.¡± ¡°My interest in coffee came from my mom, so I¡¯m technically just the messenger.¡± That silenced her for a moment, but she finally spoke. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± he replied while speeding up. The racing motorcycle turned the early evening air into a chilly wind. Kazami glanced at her watch and saw it was 4:00 PM. ¡­Has everyone started going all-out with the afterschool festival preparations yet? They only had about a week to go and Kazami was planning to perform in a band, but something else was more important. ¡°The next Leviathan Road should be coming up soon, right? We need to keep up our training. With Harakawa and Heo, we actually have some air support, so we can do things differently now.¡± ¡°But how long will that last?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Through the wind, she heard his back reply to her confusion. ¡°The negotiations are complete for the Concept Cores of 1st-6th and 10th. UCAT already has 8th and 9th, so 7th is really the only one left.¡± She understood what he meant, so she shrugged a little. ¡°Yes, this Leviathan Road should mostly finish it. ¡­I guess there won¡¯t be any more large-scale battles.¡± ¡°Is there at least a small part of you that thinks that¡¯s a shame?¡± ¡°Eh? No, I, um, I¡¯m a normal person, so of course I wouldn¡¯t-¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a part of me that thinks that.¡± ¡°That was mean,¡± she muttered before carefully choosing her words. ¡°I suppose¡­I do think it¡¯s a bit of a shame. I¡¯m proud and happy to have such powerful comrades. And we put so much effort into gaining this power and into fighting.¡± While saying that, some nostalgic memories came to mind: when she had quit her sports team for a certain reason and when she had trembled upon entering her first battle. It had been over half a year since the werewolf she had shot to save Sayama and Shinjou had chosen his own death. She had worried about a lot, but she felt it had been her duty as an upperclassman not to let it show. She wondered if the new additions who had made things so much more fun were her reward for that. That was why she asked him ¡°Right?¡± and felt them speed up while he nodded back. ¡°A lot really has happened. ¡­But there¡¯s another problem, Chisato. There¡¯s still the Army.¡± ¡°Oh, right. Will they really show up, though? Well, it is true they seem to appear around Shinjou a lot.¡± ¡°But she refused them when they asked which side she was on, right? ¡­So they¡¯ll show up. After all, the Leviathan Road is essentially over once we get 7th¡¯s Concept Core. But if they stop us now, they can both keep us from completing the Leviathan Road and steal all the Concept Cores besides 7th¡¯s. If it was me, I would make an all-out attack during the Leviathan Road with 7th-Gear.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she muttered while leaning against him and letting him feel her nod. ¡­The time to settle this is coming. She did not know what the Army¡¯s goal was, but it seemed they knew some kind of truth and were opposing UCAT based on that truth. And based on what she had heard from Shinjou about the girl named Mikoku and the information Ooshiro and the others had let slip¡­ ¡°The Army was created shortly after UCAT¡¯s blank period. Just like the current UCAT.¡± ¡°Do you think there¡¯s a connection between UCAT and the Army?¡± She had trouble choosing her words, but she still answered. She used her cheek to send a nod of confirmation into his back and he continued after a pause. ¡°I think so too. And I think they have more information than we do. Part of me wonders what we should do if it turns out righteousness is on their side.¡± ¡°I-I seriously doubt that.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because Low-Gear is acting as the villain and completing the Leviathan Road by accepting the evil we did to the other Gears. That means we¡¯re already facing the righteousness of each Gear. What other righteousness could there be?¡± Her answer was meant to eliminate her unease over that unlikely possibility and Izumo¡¯s reply came in his usual carefree tone. ¡°You¡¯re right about that. The Army¡¯s supposed to be made up of remnants from the other Gears. If that¡¯s true, their righteousness can¡¯t be any greater than what we created in our negotiations with the Gears.¡± ¡°See?¡± she said while noting that only applied if they finished facing the righteousness of all the Gears. ¡°If there is righteousness beyond that, it would have to be something that precedes the righteousness of the Leviathan Road or the other Gears. It would have to be a kind of righteousness that says the very act of negotiation is evil. And the only example of that I can think of would be the righteousness of terrorists who refuse to compromise.¡± ¡­What else could it be? As she tilted her head, Izumo¡¯s words reached her. ¡°You might be right,¡± he began. ¡°But either way, the Army is probably prepared to fight. They¡¯re a smaller organization than UCAT, but they¡¯re specialized toward crushing us. Gyes said they have almost nothing to use as bargaining chips, but that means this won¡¯t come down to negotiation.¡± ¡°This is starting to smell bloody.¡± Kazami tried to grasp this unseen enemy. ¡°But even if the Army proclaims their own righteousness, they have nothing to negotiate with afterwards. Their righteousness is nothing more than the reason why they want to defeat us; it doesn¡¯t justify anything. In that case, let them come for a fight. We¡¯ve grown plenty strong as well.¡± ¡°I-I thought my future wife was only violent, but she¡¯s started having dangerous thoughts, too.¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± she said while sending a light punch into his back. She then smiled bitterly and warmth filled the wind. The motorcycle was slowing as they approached the entrance to Taka-Akita Academy. ¡°But,¡± she said as inertia gently pressed her against his back. ¡°We should probably be on our guard. I feel bad doing that to Sayama and Shinjou, though.¡± ¡°Doing what to them? Oh, because they¡¯re heading out tonight?¡± Sayama was going to Okutama to search for Professor Kinugasa¡¯s house. Shinjou was going to Sakai to pursue Shinjou Yukio. ¡°As their comrade, I think they should show some self-restraint. I feel bad, but I think we should stop them from leaving and instead go ahead with 7th-Gear¡¯s Leviathan Road. It would be safer if we stayed together instead of splitting up.¡± Izumo said nothing and that silence urged her to continue. ¡°Manager Kashima is visiting the school tonight, right? It¡¯ll be pretty late, but he wants to use the Kinugasa Library to give us a lecture on the formation of the eleven Gears. I¡¯ll tell Sayama and Shinjou then. I¡¯ll probably have to bow down to them, but looking at the big picture, I think that¡¯s for the best.¡± ¡°Hold on. If you start rationalizing why you¡¯re going to bow down to someone, it¡¯ll turn into a habit.¡± Izumo sounded fed up with this, but Kazami smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m just going to ask them to keep things like normal. Normal is best in busy and dangerous times like this. When we¡¯re all together like normal, we¡¯re unbeatable, right?¡± The wind twisted and the scenery rotated to the right. She could not see directly ahead due to his back, but the trees on either side changed and they entered the school grounds. She heard hammering, shouting, and grinding in the distance. This was their usual school and their usual everyday life. Scarlet began to fill the light behind them and she saw the color dye his back. The evening sun slowly began to sink below the horizon. A certain color spread through the bottom of the night. That color was a light. It was a red light. Specifically, the red light of flames. A fire as large as an ocean flickered as it ruled a large portion of land. And that fire flowed. Even if a building stood in its way, the fire would flow like a river along that rectangular path, cover it, and envelop everything. The city burned like kindling. The sound of overheated burning passed between the buildings again and again. The scorching wind was blasted into the blazing sky and released. But that was not all. All of the city¡¯s structures had cracks running through them. The larger ones looked like similarly sized blades had cut through them and the smaller looked like they had threads running through them. The city¡¯s elevated highway and the high-rise buildings were slowly but surely collapsing. The electronic sign on a certain building was still active. It gave the date and time as 12-25-1995 4:32 and the temperature as 68 degrees. From the center of the breaking and burning city, a certain structure was visible to the north. It was a castle. The castle¡¯s main tower had an aqua-colored tile roof. It was Osaka Castle. Even that giant castle surrounded by white walls had not escaped its destructive fate. The castle¡¯s collapse began with cracks in the lower wall. With the sound of splitting rock, horizontal cracks ran through the wall and the area above and below the cracks tilted and collapsed either outward or inward. The giant castle collapsed like a bellows being pressed together. Once that process reached a certain point, the weight of the upper structure caused a landslide to the west. The entire castle toppled over as if sliding down. The top of the main tower remained relatively intact, but it was torn apart as it slid atop the avalanche of the collapsing castle. By that point, most of the buildings in the city had been reduced to rubble. The elevated structures, the high-rise buildings, the streetlights, the street signs, and everything else that supported the city were gone. All that remained was the wind, heat, and the dark sky that looked down upon it all. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Someone could be seen there. They were running through the deserted and destroyed city as if rushing into it. That person was not alone and not all of the people there were running. There were countless people and they travelled both along the surface and through the sky. This power that managed great numbers was known as a military force and their advance was swift. Some wore white and black armored uniforms, some wore black and white ones, some wore blue and white ones, and others wore a few other color combinations. They would leap across several dozen meter areas of destroyed ground as they ran and similarly colored forms flew above. In the lead was a young man wearing a white and black armored uniform. His features could be described as sharp and he was accompanied by a woman in an identically colored armored uniform. The short-haired woman said something to him with a pale look on her face. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Her words formed a question, but the young man did not verbally reply. He simply shook his head. A voice came from overhead and he looked up toward it. Far above, a woman in a black armored uniform rode a broom. Similarly, mechanical dragons flew into the sky in a dispersed formation. They were moving to intercept something coming from up ahead. Then, a man ran up from behind the young man and woman. Instead of an armored uniform, he wore vest modified into a mountain climbing jumpsuit. His waist-length hair fluttered in the wind and he drew the long sword on his back as he ran. As he did, he gave a parting remark about moving on ahead. However, the others could not hear what he had said. Nevertheless, the sharp-featured young man replied with a silent look. That was all, but it was then that the young man faced straight forward. He turned his harsh gaze forward to look at the crumbling city and at the sky. He then took a breath and spoke. He spoke the words that would bring an end to this feast of destruction. His voice called in something active to take the place of the passive collapse. ¡°Go ahead!!¡± he shouted. Shinjou woke. She did so because something suddenly grabbed her butt. A tight grip latched onto both the left and right side. Despite the unexpected situation, no question filled her mind. The very action itself had already led her to the answer. ¡°S-Sayama-kun!? What are you doing!?¡± She shot up from her face-down position and cried out, but that was when she truly woke up. ¡­Huh? Her brain and body could not keep up with her waking. While sitting on all fours with the blanket over her like a turtle, she looked at the head of the bed before her and then at her surroundings. The clock said it was six in the evening, the room was dimly-lit, and only a bit of light came in through the window. ¡°Um¡­¡± She spent seven seconds unable to remember why she had woken or why she had been asleep at this time. Once blood reached her brain, she understood what she was seeing, but it took another dozen or so seconds for her memories to return. Her recovered memories chose the question with more temporal locality: why she had woken. ¡­Um, I think it was because something grabbed my butt. Indeed something had. And still was. Wondering what was going on, she looked behind her and found the blanket over her back. For some reason, that blanket was supported even further back than her own body. It seemed there was something behind her. ¡°That¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it, Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. What are you talking about? I am only a modest butt spirit. Your butt was simply so wonderful that-¡­¡± She kicked the spirit and it descended to the floor, blanket and all. ¡­I see. Now I know why I woke up. And now that she had knocked the blanket to the floor¡­ ¡°It¡¯s cold in here.¡± November was arriving soon and the room was nearly dark at only six. However, she could hear a number of intermittent sounds outside. They were the same sounds she had heard during May. She heard nails being hammered and transport carts rolling down the pathways. ¡­They¡¯re preparing for the school festival. That¡¯s right, she thought. The day the festival preparations begin is¡­ ¡°The day I leave for Sakai.¡± A black binder and a night train ticket sat at the head of her bed. That was why she had been asleep at this time. She was taking a sleeper train to Sakai late this night. The train left Tokyo at eleven, so she had wanted to take a nap ahead of time. It had been before the athletic festival in October that she had decided to visit Sakai. She wanted to pursue the woman named Shinjou Yukio who was the grandchild of Shinjou Kaname, a member of the National Defense Department. She felt the woman was a stranger. The age fit for being her parent, but she was female. If she had gotten married, she would have taken on her husband¡¯s surname. But she had a reason to pursue her despite that: the hymn titled Silent Night. ¡­She most likely knew the song that was my only memory. They had a few points in common: the surname, their lack of parents, and that song. That was enough to give her a curious desire to pursue the woman. And as far as her schedule was concerned, she would soon become much busier with the student council and UCAT. That made this her only chance. All she knew was that Shinjou Yukio had been taken in by an orphanage church in Sakai after she had lost her parents. Shinjou had done some searching online and had found a few different churches, but all she had learned was that none of them had existed during the sixties when Shinjou Yukio had been born. Most of the earthquake volunteer websites were no longer functioning. She had emailed and called the places with reduced operations, but had not learned much of anything. She could not think of any other way to draw information to her while remaining in Tokyo, so she would travel to Sakai and visit the city¡¯s municipal office and the local volunteer office. That would likely be the quickest method. In truth, she felt it would be easier to ask Sayama, Ooshiro, or the others for help. ¡­But this is my problem. Also¡­ ¡°Sayama-kun said he was going to search for Professor Kinugasa¡¯s house in Okutama.¡± He would be entering the mountains at night. She thought that was irrational, but he was an irrational person. She doubted he would be able to restrain himself and she was almost certain stopping him would make him even more likely to go. And then¡­ ¡°Are you simply going to ignore me, Shinjou-kun?¡± The floor spirit spoke to her, so she ignored it. She was fairly certain a 1st-Gear teaching said listening to the voices of evil spirits would allow them to drag you into space-time. ¡­Well, that doesn¡¯t matter. But¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± She felt like something important had happened just before the spirit had grabbed her butt. ¡­I had a dream before that woke me in surprise. The word ¡°dream¡± triggered her memories. The dream had been of the city of Osaka burning. It was obvious why she had had that dream. Baku was here and Sayama was with her too. When she realized that dream was something that had actually happened, she shuddered and took in a breath. She then remembered the people who had run through the center of crumbling Osaka in the dream. ¡°Sayama-kun!¡± She flipped over, got down from the bed, and ran over to the blanket curled up on the dark floor. She ignored the chill of the floor on her bare feet as she did so. ¡°S-Sayama-kun, were the people running in that dream your¡­?¡± ¡°They were likely my parents.¡± ¡°R-right. Then that was Osaka, wasn¡¯t it? Based on the date given on that electronic sign and your parents¡¯ presence, was that a scene from the past when they went to help with the Great Kansai Earthquake?¡± She assumed he would agree, but his response was not that, yet not quite the opposite either. He used a vague wording that was unusual for him. ¡°Was it really?¡± Shinjou tilted her head at that question coming from the blanket. ¡°Eh?¡± Her tone of confusion must have reached Sayama because he peeled away the blanket to reveal himself. He wore white pajamas and Shinjou sat down nearby when she saw the paleness in his face. ¡°Oh, are you okay? Does your chest hurt?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he admitted. He gave a look that was both relieved and expressionless, but the lack of light kept her from seeing it properly. Instead of moving away to turn on the lights, she approached so as not to miss the look on his face. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°I was in a lot of pain and I found myself relying on you. You helped a lot.¡± ¡°Do you really think that¡¯s the part of me you should be relying on?¡± ¡°No, but you were asleep. I wanted to avoid interrupting your peaceful sleep, so I decided to use a part of you far from your brain. ¡­Did I do something wrong?¡± ¡°Butt spirits sure are making awful excuses these days.¡± Despite her words, she gave a silent sigh of relief. Sayama would often keep silent about anything related to his relatives, especially his parents. This was the same, but she was glad that he had come to her when he was in pain. ¡­Even if his method couldn¡¯t have been more wrong. ¡°Anyway, to get back on topic, why do you think they weren¡¯t on the way to help with the earthquake?¡± ¡°Well,¡± he said while crossing his arms with his back against the side of the bed. ¡°Simply put, German Inspector Diana-kun and the mechanical dragons were zooming along through the sky. If anyone from Osaka had seen that, their utter astonishment would have led them to give one hell of a tsukkomi.¡± ¡°I sense a bit of a prejudice about people from Osaka there, but you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Yes. We may be used to those crazy scenes, but it makes no sense for those things to exist in the real world. And you do not need swords or other weapons for earthquake relief. Also¡­¡± He crossed his arms even tighter and raised his eyebrows a little. ¡°Not only were there were no normal people in that Osaka, but Osaka Castle was half-destroyed in the Great Kansai Earthquake, yet it was completely destroyed there. ¡­In that case, the answer is simple. A concept space covered the entirety of Osaka and a battle occurred there. In other words, it is possible the secondary damages that killed my father did not actually exist and some other event occurred instead.¡± ¡°You mean¡­.¡± Sayama looked to her with a small smile on his pale face. ¡°Their enemy was likely the predecessor to the Army, which is now plaguing us. They fought that organization in Osaka¡­and my father and many others died. The one piece of good fortune is that it occurred in a concept space. Creating the space only requires a few percentage points of the world¡¯s child string vibration, so the destruction inside is not what caused the Great Kansai Earthquake in reality.¡± And¡­ ¡°The Army will probably arrive before long, but there is something we must complete in a hurry before that. You and I will be separately pursuing our pasts, but there is something else we must do first.¡± ¡°Hm? There¡¯s something we have to do before our trips?¡± When he heard her question, Sayama gave a sigh of confusion while still looking pale. ¡°Yes. I have already sent a proposal to the old man. We can discuss it more once I check on the current situation. ¡­And listen, Shinjou-kun. I have a request.¡± ¡°Wh-what is it?¡± He closed his eyes and suddenly collapsed toward her. ¡°Eh? Ah, wait! Sayama-kun!?¡± ¡°My apologies. It seems I saw too much of the past. I am about to pass out, so could you lend me your lap until I come to? After all, we are leaving on our trips after Manager Kashima¡¯s lecture on the Gears¡¯ formation. I want to touch you while I can.¡± With that, he went limp and laid on her lap as nothing but weight and flesh. She frantically held and supported him, but he had already lost consciousness. ¡°Sayama-kun.¡± She gulped and slowly spoke to the pale face on her lap. ¡°You just said something very important, you know? If your father and the others died in a battle with the Army¡¯s predecessor instead of in secondary damages from the earthquake, it would completely overturn the reason for and meaning of UCAT¡¯s blank period.¡± Of course, even if that was true, the battle occurred in Low-Gear after the Concept War came to an end. It had nothing to do with the other Gears. Even so, something still bothered her. ¡­But in that case, why did Ooshiro-san and the others make the blank period in the first place? And¡­ ¡­What is it Sayama-kun said we have to do before our trips? ¡°What could it be?¡± she asked herself without expecting an answer and while brushing a hand through Sayama¡¯s bangs. She wiped away the sweat on his forehead and lowered the ends of her eyebrows. ¡°And you know I was taken in by UCAT right after the Great Kansai Earthquake, don¡¯t you?¡± After pausing to take a breath, she slowly asked a question. ¡°Does that mean I was taken in during that battle?¡± Volume 10, 2: Unknown Beginning Volume 10, Chapter 2: Unknown Beginning The sun and the moon, words and thoughts None of them can be seen The long hand of a clock audibly moved. That black hand arrived at the number twelve and the shorter hand reached the number eight. Only one gaze turned to that clock high on a white wall. It belonged to a young woman sitting in an office chair in front of a wide white desk. ¡°Eight at night, hm? You get no sense of time underground like this.¡± She sat in a small room with shuttered windows along the wall in front of her. The room itself was long widthwise, so there was not much room between the desk and the wall behind her. In front of her was a desk with a console attached, a PC she used as control equipment, and three monitors. One of the monitors displayed a progress bar giving the percentage of some work. The text above the bar said ¡°Currently sealing concept in philosopher¡¯s stone. D-don¡¯t touch!¡± ¡°I still can¡¯t get used to how they do things here.¡± The woman who commented on the monitor wore a lab coat over an open-necked red shirt. Attached to the breast pocket of the lab coat was a photo ID giving the name Tsukuyomi Miyako. The top of the ID had a blue line saying ¡°Trainee¡±. She flicked the ID and opened the collar of the lab coat. Next, she pulled something resembling a cigarette from her pocket and stuck it in her mouth. ¡°Plum flavor, hm?¡± she said with a frown. She then stood up and the chair moved out of her way and tilted its head. She lightly patted the chair¡¯s back as if soothing it and turned to the clock. But she continued to frown. ¡°Odd. Why haven¡¯t the Moirai shown up to call me for dinner yet?¡± She just about called out to Gyes who would be waiting outside the closed entrance to the room, but she stopped. The combat automaton who could hear her voice through the soundproofed door had only just returned from Tokyo. Miyako didn¡¯t know if she could even get exhausted, but it would be best to be a little considerate here. ¡­After all, I hear things were pretty exciting over there. Gyes¡¯s travel pay had been 750 yen an hour, but the automaton had raised it to 780 in a phone negotiation on the way back. Miyako thought that level of meddling was for the best. She then began to walk, quickly arrived at the door, and pressed the open/close button labelled ¡°strong¡±. The door flew forcefully open and the corridor came into view. It was actually wider than the room. An instant later, Miyako saw Gyes in front of her, but the automaton was doing something odd. She rotated backwards while flying right to left down the corridor. ¡°¡­¡± The sudden turn of events left Miyako confused and her frown grew. She thought about the situation, but thinking about anything too complex was not her forte. When arguing, her seminar professor had told her write out a bulleted list to simplify her points. He had been arrested for some blatant hidden cameras the other day, though. At any rate, she thought about the situation - I¡¯m looking at the corridor and Gyes just flew down it. - Gyes just landed. - Can I maybe get out of doing my thesis paper since my professor was arrested? - The wind is moving and something¡¯s coming from the right. Her thoughts ended at that last point and she heard a voice that sounded a lot like her own. ¡ªThere is no mutual understanding. ¡°What?¡± She understood this was a concept text, but she had to think about something else first. ¡­Something¡¯s coming from the right. But she did not understand what was coming from the right. She looked down the corridor and saw that someone was arriving from the entrance there. But¡­ ¡°¡­?¡± She could not understand. It was not just that she did not know who was coming. She could not even comprehend what was coming. Shocked, she shouted out. ¡°Gyes!?¡± She turned the other way where Gyes was standing up. However, she could not understand that either. Gyes was standing, but she did not understand what that meant. ¡°Huh?¡± What she did understand was why she could not understand. ¡­I don¡¯t understand what she¡¯s trying to do! Gyes faced Miyako¡¯s general direction, swung her right arm, and gave a shout. Miyako could hear the words and see her expression. The automaton¡¯s eyebrows were raised and the look in her eyes was sharp. ¡°Lady Miyako! Return to your room!!¡± She heard the voice, but she did not understand what Gyes was trying to convey. In the same way, she understood that something was coming from the other end of the corridor, but she could not sense the intention behind it. This space was completely lacking the ability to read another¡¯s intentions. It was a space where one could never have mutual understanding with another. ¡­This ain¡¯t good. Human thoughts were generally created in response to movements in the external world, so what would happen without that? She thought and reached a conclusion. ¡°What a pain,¡± she said while giving a bitter smile that would reach no one. ¡°It just means you have to get by without looking to others.¡± She pulled a stone from her pocket. It looked a lot like pumice made from hardening a blue powder. ¡°I¡¯ll be doing this whether you like it or not. Someone ordered this for the New Year¡¯s party, but I can use it as an additional text here.¡± With that, she crushed the stone between her fingers. Blue light scattered, the space shook, and a voice reached her ears. ¡ªYou and I are cherry blossom classmates. A moment later, she sensed a single thought within that previously empty space. It was Gyes. She saw the automaton looking at her in surprise. ¡°Lady Miyako!? Classmates!? I could not possibly be so bold!¡± ¡°Stop being so awestricken. This concept creates a perfect understanding between two individuals with some kind of common factor. ¡­But it only lasts the length of one song. Assume this only lasts about five minutes, Gyes.¡± Miyako produced a footstep as she took a step back and reentered the opened door. She looked back and saw two figures approaching while wrapped in white waves of water vapor that resembled wind and mist. They wore black jumpsuits and black masks. They both had the builds of slender men, one was unarmed, but the other held a giant Azure Dragon Sword. Miyako could not see their faces and she could not grasp their intentions. She could not even tell if the weapon one held was dangerous, but she spoke to Gyes. ¡°Gyes, you were knocked down the corridor just now, right? That means you were hit by an attack you couldn¡¯t tell was coming. We can¡¯t sense their intent to attack, so we¡¯ll be completely defenseless. However, you don¡¯t look damaged. Do you have some way of defending against this?¡± ¡°Nothing is impossible for 3rd-Gear¡¯s automatons. How many times must I tell you that?¡± ¡°But is losing impossible for you?¡± She showed her teeth in a grin and Gyes gave a quick troubled frown. ¡°For now, let me say that ¡®losing¡¯ is not in my language function¡¯s dictionary.¡± ¡°Then let me put it another way: do it. Get them, Gyes. Get them.¡± Miyako crossed her arms while thinking there was no way they could lose. ¡°A ton of concept texts are stored down here. If they¡¯ve made it this far, they could have already stolen some concept weapons from the sealed storage room. In fact, that¡¯s probably where they got that sword. That means they¡¯re thieves. They definitely are. So get them, Gyes. Don¡¯t let them escape.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s an exciting response.¡± With the chocolate cigarette still in her mouth, Miyako faced the two men in black whose intentions she could not grasp as they approached while wrapped in wind. ¡°I can¡¯t see this enemy, so you show me what you can do. You have until the cherry blossom song ends.¡± A large space filled with books was known as a library. It had a stepped floor and the plate at the entrance said Kinugasa Library. It was lined with bookcases, but it was now filled with the darkness of night save for one small area. The area devoid of darkness was near the bookcases by the counter. Light filled a large whiteboard on the wall behind the checkout counter. The light came from the small projector on the counter and the whiteboard acted as the screen. A young man in a lab coat stood on the other side of the counter by the projector. He pushed his glasses up his nose and scratched his head. ¡°As a representative of the development department, I, Kashima Akio, will be giving you a lecture on the formation of the eleven Gears.¡± His words were directed at the eight people sitting at the table awash with faint light near the counter. Half of them were boys and the other half were girls. Kashima had a certain thought when he looked to them. ¡­Things sure have gotten lively around here. The eight were Sayama, Shinjou, Izumo, Kazami, Hiba, Mikage, Harakawa, and Heo. ¡­What a complicated group. As they were at the school, Shinjou was wearing her boy¡¯s uniform, but she would be a girl at this time of day. Izumo and Kazami appeared normal enough, but they were plenty strange. Hiba had brought Mikage along for this lecture, but her legs were still not working perfectly and he had grabbed her butt while supporting her earlier. Heo was America¡¯s temporary inspector despite being so young and Kashima had heard Harakawa was a figure fanatic. This really is a diverse group of kids, he thought. And before they had taken their seats, Sayama had mentioned something strange. It was about a dream of the past that Baku had shown them. Kashima had not interfered because it was a Team Leviathan issue, but it had apparently been related to the secondary damages of the Great Kansai Earthquake that had supposedly killed Sayama¡¯s father and others. ¡­But he says it might have been a battle with the Army instead. Kashima did not know what that meant and neither did the children here. They only knew there had likely been a battle, many of their parents had died there, and UCAT had hidden the records for some reason. Sayama had said not to tell anyone else about it because that could lead to further information being locked down. They expect to reach the truth eventually, Kashima told himself. But he had something else to do right now, so he crossed his arms and nodded. ¡°Now, I would first like for you to look at what I will display here.¡± ¡°Manager Kashima, what was that deep expression you got when looking at us just now?¡± ¡°Nothing, Kazami-kun. It just means I have my own thoughts.¡± He ignored Kazami¡¯s glare, pulled his laptop from his coat pocket, and connected it to the projector. The projector¡¯s light prepared to display the laptop¡¯s screen and the eight at the table held their breath in anticipation. A moment later, the six square meter whiteboard displayed a video of a small child. A woman held the baby in a small yard and the baby said ¡°ah¡± while reaching for a red flower on a trellis. Kashima turned to them all. ¡°See how cute she is?¡± he said calmly. ¡°No, wait. Please don¡¯t throw things at me. Definitely not a full drink can. At least not that.¡± He ducked below the counter to avoid the flying objects and sighed. ¡­Students these days need to learn to keep their cool. Once they stopped throwing things, he stood up and found Kazami waiting with a dictionary on standby. She sighed and spoke in annoyance. ¡°Listen, Manager Kashima. I know she¡¯s cute and all, but¡­¡± ¡°S-so you do understand!? ¡­Wait. I said not to throw things.¡± They really do have short fuses, he thought while seeing them all glare at him. ¡­How can they do that when she¡¯s so cute? ¡°Well, we can skip past the important part if you want. Let¡¯s get the trivial lecture over with.¡± ¡°Your sense of value seems a bit off, but please continue, Manager Kashima.¡± He nodded and pressed a button on the console. ¡­I wonder if it would be all right if I played at least one more Harumi video. I do have a good one I¡¯ve been saving, he thought. That one I took with the waterproof camera in the bath is to die for. Come to think of it, that would be Harumi¡¯s first all-nude exhibition and Natsu-san joins us in the bath later. That was a lot of fun, but should I go for that one here? However, he abandoned the idea when he saw Kazami preparing a second dictionary. ¡°Now then,¡± he said while displaying a black space on the whiteboard. ¡°The eleven worlds formed within this black empty space. Please watch.¡± He looked to the darkness on the whiteboard and a single color suddenly appeared. It was a large aqua-blue circle. ¡°A circle,¡± said Mikage. Hiba patted her head and praised her like she was a baby. He might be able to understand what makes Harumi so great, thought Kashima. When he pressed the next button, the color on the whiteboard increased. Smaller white circles were drawn inside the large aqua one. There were ten white circles and they all had a plus sign inside. This is how the Gears were formed according to my predecessors. First, a parent factor that included the ten positive Gears existed in empty space-¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot of boobs! ¡­Ah, I-I¡¯m sorry, Chisato. I just thought someone had to say it.¡± Kashima ignored the sounds of impacts that followed. He pictured his wife¡¯s breasts in his mind and felt the boy needed further training if he was still saying those things out loud. ¡°Anyway, this large aqua circle is the parent factor and the ten small white circles with plus signs are the child factors that became the ten Gears. In other words, they¡¯re the Gears¡¯ Concept Cores.¡± ¡°In that case, would the parent factor be the Primary Concept Core that is created when all other Concept Cores are gathered?¡± asked Sayama. ¡°You can look at it like that. But this did not simply create a Gear.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± asked Shinjou. ¡°It looks like a Gear that has gathered all the concepts to me.¡± ¡°If it was, it would have been a perfect Gear with only positive concepts. It would not have been destroyed.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Shinjou and Kashima lightly tapped the whiteboard. ¡°That is why we view the parent factor as ¡®chaotic¡¯. It included elements of all ten Gears, after all. And this is what happened to that chaotic parent factor.¡± He pressed a button on his computer and the aqua circle containing the ten white circles suddenly broke. Everyone gave comments of surprise as the ten white circles flew outwards on the whiteboard. ¡°As you can see, the parent factor burst from oversaturation and the ten positive concepts were sent outwards. Some researchers say the big bang that created our universe occurred at the same time.¡± The ten circles started to move away, but something held them back. At the center of their radiating paths, a new color formed in the darkness where the parent factor had been. It was a black circle with an outline even darker than the surrounding darkness. As that circle grew larger, the ten surrounding white circles slowed. A symbol then appeared inside the black circle. Once the circle reached the same size as the other ten, a minus sign appeared. In fact, ten minus signs appeared inside it. By the time the ten minus signs formed within the black circle, the ten white circles had completely stopped moving away. Next, another change came over the footage. The ten plus-sign circles and the minus-sign circle had been drawn as two-dimensional circles so far, but they now changed to three-dimensional spheres. The eleven spheres floated in a dark background much like an atomic model. The black sphere sat in the center and the ten white spheres with plus signs inside began to orbit around it. They circled it. Each of the ten Gears took its own path and began its circular orbit. They would occasionally cross paths and occasionally dive toward the negative sphere as if something was pulling them in. When that happened, they would break through the sphere and then return to their original orbit. ¡°This is the primary theory at the moment,¡± said Kashima. ¡°The force of the parent factor¡¯s explosion and the repelling force it created were what formed the ten negative Concept Cores in the space between the ten positive Concept Cores. Those are what became Low-Gear, which holds all the other Gears in place.¡± Shinjou raised her hand, so he nodded toward her and she tilted her head. ¡°Why do the orbits of the Gears sometimes change suddenly so they dive into Low-Gear and head back out again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s thought to be caused by interference between the Gears. As the Gears overlap, the Concept Cores change a little and take on an unnecessary burden. That burden acts as a weight that briefly pulls the world into the negative direction. However, falling into the negative removes the burden and it quickly recovers to its original orbit. And then¡­¡± As he operated his computer, the ten white spheres indicating the Gears orbited and occasionally broke through the black sphere of Low-Gear before returning to their orbits. However, those descents grew more frequent. Again and again, their orbits shrank and grew tighter. ¡°Eh?¡± said all the students. All of the white spheres dove toward the black sphere at once. The movement stopped and a single number appeared on the screen: 1999. ¡°That was the time of destruction that should have happened. All of the Gears would have overlapped and interfered with each other more than ever before. That would have thrown off the balance of Low-Gear and its negative concepts, so the Gear would have destroyed itself. Then, the other Gears would have repeatedly collided with each other until only the Gear with the most concepts survived.¡± Sayama was the next to speak and he crossed his arms along with Baku on his head. ¡°And that caused the Concept War, correct?¡± ¡°Yes. And now that Low-Gear has survived, all of the negative and positive Concept Cores are gathered in the one Gear, which preserves the balance. But the negative activation is affecting that balance which will send us too far in the negative direction and destroy us.¡± ¡°I see.¡± They all nodded except for one who tilted her head. It was Shinjou again and she raised her hand. ¡°U-um? Something about that seems odd.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± asked Kashima with a bit of expectation in his voice. ¡°Why can we exist in a negative Gear?¡± So you noticed, he thought while nodding at her question. ¡°A good question. Despite this being a space of only negative concepts, a world was created while taking pieces of the other Gears¡¯ cultures. It has no special abilities, but the people can live and it has since accepted in the other Gears¡¯ positive concepts. And for some reason, the positive Concept Cores and the negative Concept Cores can both exist in Low-Gear at the same time.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± Kashima puffed out his chest proudly as he gave his answer. ¡°We don¡¯t know. We have yet to reach a conclusion on that. We can come up with a number of reasons just like our predecessors, but there is no clear explanation. ¡­From a concept point of view, I think it¡¯s best to just say that¡¯s how this world works.¡± He went on to end the program that displayed the formation of the eleven Gears. Credits containing Kashima¡¯s name in every field began to scroll with images of Harumi and Natsu in the background. ¡°That was short, but how about we end the lecture here?¡± As soon as he said that, a sound filled the quiet library. It was the ringing of cellphones. Seven of them to be exact. The cellphones of each member of Team Leviathan except Izumo were ringing. Sayama¡¯s was the first to stop and he pressed the phone to his ear while slowly looking across the others. Finally, he spoke. ¡°Attackers have appeared at UCAT¡¯s Izumo branch?¡± Gyes performed her combat maneuvers. She ran swiftly forward and looked at the opponent there. She had two enemies. Both were slender men who wore black and hid their faces behind masks. She could see them, but she could not perceive them well. There was an intention behind every active action of something with a will of its own. Anyone who viewed it would subconsciously sense that intention and react accordingly. That was where the idea of feints and intimidation came from. However, this enemy had cut off that intention with a concept preventing mutual understanding. That meant she could see their actions but could not understand them. ¡­It¡¯s like a strengthened version of 2nd-Gear¡¯s Art of Walking. The Art of Walking was a type of martial arts and could thus be broken, but this was a concept and thus could not. On top of that, this concept prevented one from understanding anything else in the world and the opponent was just a part of that. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± An attack was coming. Or at least, there was a high probability one was. The man on the right which Gyes decided to designate as Black 1 swung his two meter Azure Dragon Sword from the right. ¡­Is something coming? Gyes tried to use her prediction to perceive her opponent¡¯s actions. He swung the giant blade horizontally toward her body, but the meaning behind that action simply did not reach her brain. She did not view it as dangerous. Whether they were optical, thermal, or acoustic, all of her sensory devices were functioning, but she could not read the intentions behind the man¡¯s actions. And that was why she received the attack without even thinking about dodging. The blade reached her stomach and the steel curve sank into her red suit. It would easily slice her slender body in two. But just before it did, she reacted. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± She reacted in two ways. First, a smile formed on her lips. Second, her mechanical reflexes activated. She had directed her reflexes inside her own body. She poured every last bit of her thoughts into the less than a hundredth of a second that the blade touched her suit. The enemy¡¯s sword drove into her suit and applied a slight pressure to it as it cut through. The inside of the suit pressed her shirt into her artificial skin which caused a distortion in the skin even thinner than the nano scale. She understood that extremely tiny distortion of her skin as it was her own information. Whatever may have happened to her understanding of the outside world, she could understand a reaction within her own body. And her body was telling her something was contacting her artificial flesh. Only now did she grasp that she was in danger and that she was under attack. She could not see it or hear it, but she could feel it in her skin. ¡­But I have determined that is enough!! Her mechanical reflexes and athletic ability allowed her to move with the blade still touching her stomach. She moved back to match the swing of the blade. It was more of a leap than a back step and more of a rotation than a turn. She quickly spun and matched the speed of the horizontally swung Azure Dragon Sword. She rotated on her heel and swung her body to dance with the blade against her stomach. And only then did she achieve her true goal. The force of the blade¡¯s swing reaching her body through her skin allowed her to calculate the estimated location of her enemy. Her mechanical calculations reached the answer in an instant. ¡°There!!¡± She pulled a sword from her sleeve and jabbed it right toward that unperceived location. The tip of the blade easily broke the sound barrier. With the sound of a bursting paper bag, it produced an explosion of water vapor and wind. As for the enemy on the other end of that blade tip¡­ ¡°!¡± Gyes saw him avoid the blade and move back, but she could not understand that either. She only knew he had evaded it because she did not feel the recoil of a hit as she swung. ¡­Kh. She now knew this enemy could evade such a quick attack. That meant he was an automaton or had reflexes on that level. Who could it be? she wondered. ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡± She suddenly reached a certain answer. She knew who this was and what Gear had created the opponent¡¯s before her, even if it was a Gear she had had almost no contact with during the Concept War. ¡°In that case¡­¡± She knew who stood before her. ¡°!?¡± She felt heat on her skin to the left. This was something fired by the man to that side. This heat told her there was a sun there. Not fire, not flames, not a torch, and not even an inferno. This sphere of heat was known as a sun. It was big enough to fill the large corridor and it was moving at the speed of a thrown ball. The mass of heat that was a small sun should not have existed in this world, but it flew straight toward Gyes. It was relatively slow, but its heat was massive. Simply touching it would likely be enough to destroy her entire body. But Gyes had no way of avoiding it. That was partially due to its size and heat, but it had more to do with Miyako¡¯s room being right behind her. She could not avoid it. As the shield and weapon meant to oppose the enemy¡¯s attack, evasion was not an option. That meant it would hit, but that was also when she grew convinced of this enemy¡¯s identity. ¡°You are-¡­!!¡± She shouted toward the enemy standing unseen beyond the sun. At the same time, the mass of heat before her suddenly broke apart. With nothing more than the sound of a cement block breaking, the sun crumbled. It had been destroyed by someone who had arrived behind her. And just by touching it. Gyes gasped at the destruction of the sun. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± The light¡¯s destruction took less than a second and the world dispersed at the same time. The concept space had been eliminated. The light vanished, the world of no mutual understanding vanished, the heat vanished, and Gyes¡¯s sense of danger returned. The spray of hot light scattered like feathers and the Moirai ran down the corridor beyond it. They all looked panicked, but they had likely been unable to move within that concept space. ¡­I can leave Lady Miyako to them. With that thought, Gyes turned toward the one who had smashed the sun as it approached her. ¡°Who are you?¡± Her question was directed toward a man. The man was in his prime and nearly two meters tall. His hair was swept back on the sides, he was well-built, and he wore a white suit. Once she noticed his appearance, Gyes commented before he could answer her question. ¡°That is quite a loud outfit.¡± ¡°Oh, well, I don¡¯t really see what¡¯s wrong with it. I thought you might agree, Gyes-kun, what with that midriff-exposing suit and all.¡± The man¡¯s casual comment led her to look down at herself. Due to rotating along with the strike of the Azure Dragon Sword, her scarlet suit and shirt were missing from the below the chest and down. It did not look good, but she determined it had improved the ventilation and heat radiation. She then gave a questioning frown and asked her question again. ¡°Who are-¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, well, hm. I¡¯d heard we had intruders, so I was hiding back there with my knees trembling.¡± Gyes frowned even further because ¡°back there¡± was the stairway down to the third basement. ¡°But that area is off limits.¡± ¡°Hm? Do you want to know why I came from there by any chance?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Good, good. Not asking any unnecessary questions is for the best. You know what you¡¯re doing.¡± The man crossed his arms and nodded several times while refusing to listen to her. The next action came from Miyako. She exited the door behind Gyes and looked both ways to make sure it was safe. ¡°Gyes, is it over?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. This man here saved me.¡± Hearing that, Miyako frowned, looked at the man in the white suit, and tilted her head. ¡°Hey, old man. This area¡¯s for authorized personnel only. Saving Gyes is fine and all, but you shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine, right? Isn¡¯t that how it works, Tsukuyomi-kun?¡± Miyako¡¯s confused frown grew more at the fact that he knew her name than at what he said. Finally, she tilted her head again and clicked her tongue toward the floor. ¡°Who are you? And do you have a thing for looking up people¡¯s names? Hey, Gyes. Have this guy leave. Oh, but don¡¯t forget to thank him for saving you.¡± The man showed off his teeth in a bitter smile and Moira 1st called out as she ran up. ¡°L-Lady Miyako! That loud person is actually IAI¡¯s president, Izumo Retsu! He is also Japanese UCAT¡¯s assistant director!!¡± Gyes and Miyako both looked back at Retsu. As he stood in the center of the corridor, he nodded at Moira 1st¡¯s explanation and raised a hand toward Miyako and Gyes. ¡°Hi.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just say hi! What¡¯s the head of this place doing here?¡± ¡°Oh, well, hm. Can¡¯t I just say that¡¯s a secret? I¡¯m not real good at explaining things. I did save you, so I¡¯d like it if you¡¯d let me go without too much trouble. ¡­How about it?¡± ¡°Fine, fine.¡± Miyako nodded and put her hands on her hips, but she also frowned and glared at Retsu. ¡°But you¡¯re telling me as much as you can, old man. Who were those men? And¡­¡± Her shout asked the question Gyes had wondered earlier. ¡°Is something bad happening with the Leviathan Road!?¡± Inside the unlit Kinugasa Library, eight people were gathered around the central table. They were Sayama and the other members of Team Leviathan. As their leader, Sayama set down his cellphone in front of the others. That black phone had been issued by UCAT. They all looked down toward the silent cellphone, but Sayama alone raised his head. ¡°Now, then.¡± His words broke through the silence and gathered the others¡¯ gazes. With their focus on him, he expressionlessly formed words. ¡°It seems the attackers have been driven from Izumo UCAT. However, it also seems some powerful healing charms and a few prototype weapons that were sealed there after their development were stolen.¡± ¡°The one piece of luck is that no one was hurt. Still¡­¡± Kazami stood in front of Sayama and crossed her arms and Shinjou gave an uneasy look from Sayama¡¯s left. ¡°Were the attackers from the Army?¡± ¡°If so, this means they did not harm their opponents and fled after nothing more than stealing some concept weapons. ¡­That is not like them.¡± ¡°But,¡± hesitantly began Shinjou before continuing. ¡°But if they weren¡¯t the Army, who were they?¡± ¡°Whoever they are, there is one thing we now know: we are targets for attack. That is for sure.¡± He looked away from Shinjou and toward the others. ¡°We possess the nine Concept Cores excluding 7th¡¯s and a few of those are being used as weapons. That means we are the ones with a god of war, mechanical dragon, and other weapons that far exceed the level of modern technology.¡± They all nodded after a moment. After that and an exchanged look, Kazami spoke up. ¡°But doesn¡¯t this seem dangerous? And Sayama, it seems especially dangerous for you and Shinjou to act on your own. No, this doesn¡¯t just go for the two of you. Thinking about Team Leviathan and the rest of UCAT, wouldn¡¯t it be best if you didn¡¯t go to Okutama and Sakai?¡± After a breath, she shrugged a little. ¡°As for that dream of Baku¡¯s you mentioned, there might be some records in the second reference room, so why not check there for now? You shouldn¡¯t head out too much.¡± Shinjou understood what Kazami was saying. As their comrade, she did not want them moving around. And she had likely chosen to be the one to say it because of her position as an upperclassman among them. Sensing that intention, Shinjou brought her chin to her chest. ¡­Hm, is it really that dangerous to move around like that? She brought a hand to her mouth and looked up at Sayama¡¯s face. ¡°Kazami-san¡¯s right. It would be dangerous if the Army attacked, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± She looked up at him while asking and found he had crossed his arms at some point. He gave an expressionless nod, but¡­ ¡­Eh? Something was off. She could tell he had some other thought. His crossed arms and nod showed his understanding but not his agreement. ¡­He must have his own thoughts on this incident and how we should handle it. Kazami¡¯s suggestion had been meant to bind them together. She was saying they should stay together and combine their great power to face the coming troubles. Everyone should have agreed without issue. ¡­But what is Sayama-kun thinking? She saw him turn his eyes toward her. His expression had changed, but the slight change on his lips was so subtle only she would have noticed it. It was a small smile that seemed to ask her if she had noticed. But he soon wiped the smile away and looked forward. Shinjou did the same as if following the vanished expression. Everyone was there. These were the comrades they had gained in their past fights. They had strength, they had their own reasons, and they all helped each other. And Sayama spoke expressionlessly to them all. ¡°This is indeed an excellent time for an attack. The only remaining Concept Core is 7th-Gear¡¯s. Also, tonight¡¯s attack might very well have been a warning to tell us what would happen if Shinjou-kun and I leave here. ¡­And that is why I have an announcement. Effective immediately¡­¡± His voice filled the library. ¡°Team Leviathan will disband.¡± Volume 10, 3: Lone Defiance Volume 10, Chapter 3: Lone Defiance Do you grow defiant Because you have lost? Is it a smoldering resentment? In a large dark space, the ceiling could not be seen overhead and the four walls were only visible due to the faint illumination. The vast space was several kilometers long, but it was not filled with darkness. The color of illumination filled it without any actual light. Shadows fell from the ceiling, but the shadows were the only darkness in the thoroughly illuminated space. That illumination was dim, but it was even across the entire space. Two new shadows appeared in that space filled only with the shadows from above. The shadows produced two sets of footsteps and the sound of metal jabbing into the floor. The former were the footsteps of a man and girl wearing black. The latter was the sound of the man¡¯s metal cane. As the metallic sound continued, the man spoke to the girl following behind him. ¡°Well, Sf? What do you have to say about this space?¡± ¡°Tes. It is approximately three kilometers long and five hundred meters wide. I believe it is located approximately three hundred meters underground.¡± ¡°Hah. What a dull answer. Don¡¯t you have a subroutine for giving stupid answers to your master¡¯s questions?¡± ¡°Tes. I have determined such a subroutine would displease you. Our time together is to be harmonious, so it would not be a desirable function.¡± ¡°Sf, from what I¡¯ve seen, our time together always angers me.¡± Itaru gave a dubious look and Sf nodded toward his back. ¡°Tes. Your blood pressure never rises above average. A high average, but average.¡± ¡°Tell me what I¡¯m supposed to do if I have questions about that decision of yours.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf nodded again with her usual expressionless look. ¡°Itaru-sama, try to grow up. ¡­Of course, that is something I cannot understand as an automaton.¡± Itaru silently faced forward and quickened his pace and Sf followed with long strides. Her voice rang out along with their overlapping footsteps. ¡°But what is this place? I can guess it is some sort of storage room, but that is all.¡± ¡°In that case, Sf, try telling me where we are.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± She nodded for the third time. ¡°This is the sixth basement of Japanese UCAT. It should be beyond the bottom of the massive pit in the fifth basement¡¯s large storage room. It is an unknown location and we passed through a concept barrier, so my reference point may be a little off.¡± ¡°No, you are correct. German UCAT¡¯s coordinate measurement system did an excellent job of grasping our location. ¡­To be clear, I¡¯m not praising you here.¡± ¡°Tes. Do not worry. I am fair in my work and I take pride in my own functionality. Therefore, praising me for another¡¯s work or simply for being an automaton would be an insult to all machines.¡± And¡­ ¡°However, I am not to let you do any unnecessary work and that means you will never receive praise. ¡­Ergo, you are unworthy of praise. That was your own request.¡± ¡°Hah. So I¡¯m worthless, am I? That¡¯s the highest praise you could give me. Every so often, the heartless expressions of a machine can tell the truth.¡± ¡°Tes. I will interpret that as praise of my word choice.¡± Itaru slowed his pace, looked over his shoulder, and clearly frowned toward her. ¡°What kind of nonsense is that? ¡­Follow me.¡± ¡°Tes. That praise far exceeds the upper limit I had set for myself.¡± She jogged to catch up and fell into step just behind him. ¡°Where are we going, Itaru-sama?¡± He stopped without replying, but that was because they had arrived at the center of the large space. The space was empty, but¡­ ¡°Is this¡­?¡± Sf frowned as she looked into the surrounding emptiness. Her lifted gaze saw countless representations of objects in every direction. They were collections of shadow. Those faint shadows had a shape only visible when straining one¡¯s eyes, but the space was filled with countless cubes measuring several dozen meters across. As Sf looked overhead and slowly rotated on her heel, Itaru spoke. ¡°This is the center of the concept space where the string vibration density is highest. That is why the truth of this space is visible here. Tell me what you think those giant shadows are, Sf.¡± ¡°I have determined they are rooms. It is a floor that was purged and sealed inside the concept space.¡± ¡°They were not purged. They are merely not allowed to exist.¡± ¡°Not allowed? By who?¡± The master did not answer his maid¡¯s question. Instead, he let out a weary sigh. ¡°My generation¡¯s UCAT is here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ten years ago when it was sealed here, I never thought things would turn out like this. It¡¯s ridiculous, Sf. Our place is now nothing but a storeroom.¡± Before he finished speaking, Sf spotted a certain fact. Ten manmade objects sat on the floor that had been empty before. ¡°Those are the Concept Core storage pallets.¡± They were large white pallets meant to transport something. Like giant bento boxes, they could be fully sealed and they all had different sizes. The farthest and second farthest to the left were only about three meters across, but the third was as large as a god of war transport pallet and the fourth was a half cylinder like a plastic greenhouse. The fifth was the largest at over fifty meters across, the sixth was about the size of the first two, the seventh was a car-sized pallet divided into four blocks, and the eighth, ninth, and tenth were the about the same as the first. Sf glanced across the pallets that had suddenly appeared before them. ¡°The string vibrations shook¡­and then settled. I have determined that which was hidden has revealed itself. I also detect 1st, 2nd, and 9th concepts.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Gram, Yamata, and B-Sp are here. They have a will of their own, so they must have come to greet us along with their concealed storage space. They can feel it,¡± he said while looking at the pallets. ¡°They can sense the gathering of their comrades who once created worlds and fought them and they can sense the ones that desire them. And¡­they wish to see the answer.¡± ¡°The answer?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what I mean? Remember the Army? If they are going to make their move, it¡¯ll be now. They will attack just before the Leviathan Road is completed by acquiring 7th¡¯s Concept Core. I assume they intend to defeat Team Leviathan, steal the Concept Cores gathered here, and perhaps take hostages so they can demand any Concept Cores they lack. ¡­It¡¯s quite simple.¡± ¡°Tes. It is a simple sort of terrorism. But where is the crucial 7th-Gear Concept Core? Also¡­¡± She looked across the white pallets before her. ¡°Are the Concept Cores not allies of Team Leviathan?¡± ¡°You will understand before long. But to put it simply, these Concept Cores want to hear the Army¡¯s side of the story too. For now, I¡¯ll just say this: they want to know the foundation of the Army¡¯s righteousness and where they have taken that righteousness.¡± When she heard bitterness in his voice, Sf turned to look at him. He had a smile on his face and that smile bared his teeth while he looked directly ahead. ¡°Sf, did you hear about the attack on Izumo UCAT?¡± ¡°Tes. I hear Gyes-sama is working on an estimated criminal profile.¡± ¡°That¡¯s going to have an interesting answer, but it¡¯ll probably take a few hours to reach it.¡± Sf frowned, but Itaru did not elaborate. The bitter smile on his lips said something else instead. ¡°The Army and a mysterious attacker are both on the move, but do you know what? That selfish Sayama sent my old man the paperwork for disbanding Team Leviathan. And tonight, he¡¯s apparently entering the mountains to look for Professor Kinugasa¡¯s house. Meanwhile Shinjou is taking a trip to Sakai to track down Shinjou Yukio.¡± He slammed his cane against the floor and the noise echoed throughout the empty space. ¡°He has to know this is no time to leave, but Sayama is fixated on this information from the past. Why do you think he has chosen to leave the safety of Shinjou and his other teammates even though it could very well put himself and them in danger? Do you know, Sf?¡± ¡°No, but I do not need to know,¡± said Sf. ¡°No matter what happens, they will carry out the Leviathan Road. There is no need for me to give the answer in their stead. I have determined their answer belongs to them and it is none of our business.¡± ¡°Hah. In other words, we should keep our mouths shut and watch what these selfish kids do?¡± ¡°Tes.¡± She nodded and took a step forward to stand by his side. The ten white pallets were lined up in front of her and she opened her mouth in front of those containers that were each meant to hold a world. ¡°I have determined there is no need for us to guess at the answer to their resolve. After all, they will find that answer themselves. And until they do, we can rest easy, make no attempt to understand their actions, and make fun of them.¡± ¡°Are you trying to turn your master into a sarcastic person?¡± ¡°Tes,¡± she agreed while gently turning toward him left and bowing. ¡°I have determined there is a reason for your actions, so please be derisive of all things, show bitterness to both the heavens and the earth, and let loose the ultimate sarcasm that can eat through both steel and flesh.¡± She took a breath and closed her eyes while still bent in a bow. ¡°Once they learn the reason why, I have determined everyone will pour their thanks onto you.¡± ¡°H-hold on. Disband!? Why would we do that?¡± A girl¡¯s voice filled a dry library. It was Kazami¡¯s and it was accompanied by hurried footsteps. She circled behind the others who sat around the table as she made her way behind the boy standing on the opposite end of the table. By the time she arrived, he had already turned his expressionless face toward her. Kazami stood in front of Sayama and ignored how Shinjou¡¯s shoulders trembled next to him and how Baku¡¯s fur bristled on his head. ¡°Listen, Sayama. What do you mean Team Leviathan will disband?¡± Everyone else moved back at her sharp tone of voice, but Sayama remained unfazed. She then began to think. Was she questioning him head-on because she thought it was her duty or because she personally felt angry with what he had said? ¡­It doesn¡¯t matter. She decided she would be asking him either way. ¡°Harakawa and Heo joined a month ago and we¡¯ve gathered plenty of power with a god of war and mechanical dragon on our team. We can fight at our best no matter who challenges us. So why do we have to disband just as the enemy is arriving!?¡± ¡°I think you may already know half the answer, Kazami.¡± For an instant, she did not understand what he had said. Eh? she thought as he brought a hand to his head. He grabbed Baku, placed the creature on the table, and turned his usual expressionless look back toward her. ¡°I will leave Baku behind. With Team Leviathan disbanded, he is not mine to take. I will be pursuing Professor Kinugasa out of my own interest, so I hope someone else can take care of him.¡± ¡°Wha-¡­?¡± As he spoke and ignored her protests, her thoughts ground to a halt. She could not believe anything she was hearing. She only understood that Sayama was trying to act on his own. ¡­And he has no intention to discuss it or to stop. It felt like he was saying he would win if he remained in motion. The term ¡°ex post facto approval¡± appeared in her mind. Her dislike of the term led her to speak out of reflex. ¡°You can¡¯t just decide this for us! There¡¯s more to Team Leviathan than just you!¡± Oh, this isn¡¯t good, thought the rational portion of her mind as she grabbed his suit collar and pulled him toward her. ¡°Ah.¡± Hiba started to move in, but Mikage stopped him. ¡°She needs to say this.¡± Pushed on by those words, Kazami faced forward. Past her pulling arm, she felt Sayama¡¯s existence as a weight. ¡°You have teammates. This is the place where you can get serious, there are people who need you here, and the enemy is coming. Why are you trying to have us disband!?¡± ¡°As I said, half of the reason is already obvious.¡± ¡°Not to me it isn¡¯t! You need to say it plainly!¡± She took a breath. ¡°I thought I was going to die countless times, but I kept going! I even saved your life! Remember when I shot that werewolf in that Okutama forest!?¡± She had been troubled by the fact that the werewolf had taken his own life, but¡­ ¡­Are you saying my pain, that werewolf¡¯s death, and the fact that I protected you and Shinjou were all meaningless? ¡°Who do you think you are? If saving you then was meaningless, then there¡¯s no hope for us.¡± However, he did not immediately reply to her thoughts. It was only after a long pause that he did so. ¡°This is not something that can be explained in words, Kazami.¡± It was his usual calm voice and his words brought a certain thought to her mind. ¡­Oh. That may have been true for him. ¡­Why would you choose now to say something like this? It was true she might not understand it. ¡­But can¡¯t you at least try to explain it? We¡¯re not the same as you. They had been through a lot together, even if for a short period of time. If they at all saw each other as teammates¡­ ¡­We¡¯ve worked so hard, so can¡¯t you give some kind of explanation? ¡°And how can you say that? Is it that hard to trust the relationship we all have?¡± Sayama did not answer her question. Kazami felt his silence solidifying her course of action. To her, the Leviathan Road and what she had gained here were important. ¡­But has everything we¡¯ve done been pointless to him? She then asked her final question. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sound patronizing, so let me ask about the most important point again. If you don¡¯t give me a proper answer, I will hit you. Why should Team Leviathan disband at this crucial time of all times?¡± ¡°I do not feel like saying.¡± She stopped moving or even breathing as he spoke. ¡°Speaking with you has told me that you are immersed in the reason for this, so you would never understand even if I did explain it to you. You would only think you understood.¡± Those words led her to tighten her left-handed grip on his collar. She swung back her right arm and Shinjou¡¯s eyes opened wide next to him. ¡°S-stop! You¡¯ll cave his skull in!!¡± I hope I do, she thought while swinging her right fist. She wanted to wipe that never-changing expressionless look off of his face. ¡°Stop it, Chisato!¡± But just before she hit, Izumo¡¯s voice seemed to steal the perfect moment from her. And it all ended in an instant. Arms passed below her arms and lifted her up. ¡°Ah.¡± Her feet rose from the floor as if she were weightless. The hand holding Sayama¡¯s collar let go and flailed around, but she could not struggle with her wings without X-Wi on. ¡°W-wait, Kaku. Put me down. This is embarrassing.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t, Chisato. If I put you down now, it won¡¯t end well. We¡¯ll all end up feeling bad.¡± Izumo¡¯s voice reached her from near her shoulder blades. She suddenly realized that Hiba, Mikage, Harakawa, and Heo stood beyond Sayama and Shinjou. Hiba was frowning and Mikage was tilting her head with her usual look. Harakawa on the other hand was resting his head in his hand and looking off in another direction. Heo was clinging to his sleeve with a pale face. Heo¡¯s hand held his sleeve so tightly that it had turned white and he continued ignoring it all even though she was tugging so hard. Seeing that was a shock to Kazami. ¡­Oh. The word ¡°sorry¡± appeared in her mind and it led her to relax. She felt Izumo sigh into her back. ¡°Hey, stupid Sayama. Can I ask you something?¡± ¡°What is it? Keep in mind that I will only answer serious questions.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Think back over everything I¡¯ve ever said and go hang yourself, you idiot. ¡­Now, are you listening? You may not be telling us your reason for this, but it¡¯s not some stupid reason, is it?¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama frowned as if to say this was an unexpected question. ¡°What would make you ask that? When have I ever said anything stupid?¡± Shinjou expressionlessly elbowed him for that. He curled up and held his side, but Shinjou ignored him and turned toward Kazami with the ends of her eyebrows lowered. ¡°Sorry. ¡­But I¡¯m pretty sure Sayama-kun wouldn¡¯t give you his reason even if you killed him. And I also think all of us, myself included, will understand eventually.¡± She spread her arms and got the words out quickly as if to fill the empty space. ¡°H-how about thinking of it like this? Team Leviathan isn¡¯t disbanding, but Sayama-kun and I will leave just as we had planned. During that time, we will have nearly disbanded regardless of what you all think, so¡­¡± ¡°So while the two of you are gone, we should think about why he says we should disband? And if we haven¡¯t found the answer by the time you return, we really will disband?¡± It was true Team Leviathan could not function without those two and would have essentially disbanded. So if they realized why he wanted them to disband, they could join back together once those two returned. ¡­But this is a dangerous time. Kazami brought a hand to her forehead while Izumo still held her in the air. She understood Shinjou¡¯s compromise, but could they really leave Team Leviathan unable to function right after an attack? From a strategic standpoint, Sayama was their commander and Shinjou their gunner. Kazami could fill the role of gunner with G-Sp2¡¯s second form. ¡­But who will be our commander? ¡°Kazami.¡± She turned toward Sayama¡¯s voice. He pointed at her while standing up and removing his hand from his side. ¡°Listen,¡± he said expressionlessly. ¡°In that case, I nominate you as Team Leviathan¡¯s temporary negotiator.¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°You take command. And whether you are fighting, eating, or sleeping, allow anyone with a problem to consult with you.¡± She was about to protest, but a sudden high-pitched voice cut her off. ¡°I-I think that¡¯s a great idea!¡± It was Heo. She stood up in her gray uniform and drew back a bit as everyone turned toward her. The hand on Harakawa¡¯s sleeve did not loosen, but she blushed. ¡°U-um, well, as a new member, I am reluctant to admonish a superior, but¡­¡± ¡°Why are you following that part of Japanese culture, Heo Thunderson?¡± ¡°B-but Harakawa!¡± She was half in tears as she spoke to Harakawa who was still turned away. ¡°We finally got to join together, but there¡¯s a bad atmosphere hanging over us right now! And, um, Kazami was about to hit Sayama¡¯s insane head with her killer ape punch that can KO a gorilla!¡± She took a deep breath while ignoring the various glares she was receiving. ¡°I-I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to act like thisp!!¡± She stumbled over the final word. Only after shouting out did Heo realize what she had done. ¡­Oh, no. She had tried to say something difficult in Japanese and had end up stumbling over the word. There was nothing wrong with that in and of itself. She would occasionally do it at school, but the girls in her class said it was cute. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Cold sweat poured down her back as seven silent gazes bore down on her. Oh, no, she thought again. ¡­I showed weakness in front of them. But will I be okay? Will they overlook me because I¡¯m the youngest? Whenever someone showed weakness, they receive an attack from a world void of sense. That seemed to be the unwritten rule of this group. The boy named Hiba would often run off to buy cans of coffee and Heo assumed that was because they were taking advantage of some weakness of his. I have to do something, she thought and that led her to take action. ¡°U-um, uh¡­¡± She forced a smile. ¡°I-I think we should try to stay positive. Okay? Okay? Isn¡¯t that right?¡± The others exchanged a glance and finally nodded. ¡°Yes,¡± said Sayama while crossing his arms. ¡°I apologize, Heo-kun. We should have been more composed. Yes.¡± He gave a deep nod and Heo sighed in her heart. It looked like she was off the hook. Sayama then gave a serious look to Izumo who still held Kazami. ¡°Izumo, Heo-kun is exactly right. Don¡¯t you agreep?¡± Oh, no, calmly thought Heo as she saw Izumo nod and rub his head against Kazami¡¯s back. ¡°Yeah, she may have a point. We were getting a little harsh with each other. Isn¡¯t that righp?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha. Izumo, I am glad to see you are an understanding manp.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Heo. This conversation is really turning out nicelyp.¡± Seeing Heo fall silent, Shinjou frantically spoke up with a troubled look. ¡°S-Sayama-kun, Izumo-san! Don¡¯t be mean to Heo like that! She¡¯s a yankee girl who still isn¡¯t used to this foreign culture, so her Japanese isn¡¯t the best!¡± Are you trying to kick me while I¡¯m down? wondered Heo while tugging on a sleeve. ¡°Harakawa. What am I supposed to do when-¡­ Why won¡¯t you look at me!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t drag me into this, Heo Thunderson.¡± She just about called him mean, but she was cut off by someone clapping their hands. The sound came from up above. She looked over and saw Kazami frowning with her hands together. ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I¡¯m sick of this, so let¡¯s get it done with. Sayama and Shinjou will go on their trips as planned and return with whatever information they find. Meanwhile, we will think about Sayama¡¯s riddle and any of you can consult with me if something happens. ¡­That sums it up, right? But what if a representative of 7th approaches us for the Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°Tell them to wait until I return. It is only a trip into the mountains of Okutama, so it should only take me two days and one night. Until then, you can kill time by thinking about the reason for disbanding,¡± said Sayama. ¡°But if they wish to fight, the battle will not be a part of the Leviathan Road. Think of it like the battles with the remnants of 6th and 10th in the past.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. Got it. ¡­In other words, how to handle it is up to us. But,¡± she said while sharpening her gaze toward him. ¡°I still haven¡¯t accepted what you said.¡± ¡°And you never will as long as you are asking me. ¡­Look to yourself for the answer.¡± He gave a pause for thought before continuing. ¡°Oh, I know. I do have a hint for you: the answer is something even Shinjou-kun and I have. In other words, search for your own pasts. That is what this is about.¡± ¡°Our pasts?¡± ¡°Yes. All of our pasts are different, but they will undoubtedly lead you to the reason I ordered for Team Leviathan to disband. ¡­However, I do not expect you to understand at the moment because, right now, you do not desire your past.¡± Heo saw Kazami wrinkle her brow and turn away. She seemed to be saying he was only giving excuses and therefore was not worth listening to. After that, silence ruled their surroundings. Shinjou gently held Sayama¡¯s right arm and gestured toward the library entrance with her chin. ¡­They¡¯re leaving, aren¡¯t they? As if answering her thought, Shinjou turned toward them. Her eyebrows were lowered, but she looked satisfied. ¡°I won¡¯t say I¡¯m sorry any longer, but we¡¯ll be leaving for a bit. I¡¯ll be thinking about this while I¡¯m gone, so let¡¯s compare our answers once I get back.¡± ¡°Nn,¡± said Mikage with a nod and Shinjou smiled. But after a short pause, Hiba stood up and lifted his bandanna with a serious look. ¡°Um, uh, can I say one thing? I¡¯ve been wondering something.¡± When Heo asked what it was, he turned to Izumo. ¡°Izumo-san, is it just me or have you been groping Kazami-san¡¯s breasts for a while now?¡± His question left everyone dumbfounded and Izumo made a small movement. His arms crossed each other as he held Kazami and he adjusted their position so they pointed toward the others and lifted Kazami¡¯s breasts from below. ¡°This is my new invention. I call it the X-Grope! Eeeeeexxxxxxxxx!¡± As soon as he shouted the technique¡¯s name, both of Kazami¡¯s elbows crashed into his face. Volume 10, 4: Night of Guests Volume 10, Chapter 4: Night of Guests Tonight, they visit Tonight, they come The chilly night air filled a certain space. That large and dark space was inside an old fifty square meter prefab building. The smell of oil lingered in the air and it had a slight industrial bitterness to it. A deep hole covered almost the entire cement floor and the bottom was too far down to see. The factory contained only a single light: a fluorescent desk light sitting on the round table in the balcony-like space in front of the southern office. Next to the desk light, a filthy radio-cassette player played a tape of pop music. Next to the table were an electric stove dirty with paint and two people. One of the people was an elderly man in a work outfit and the other was a girl. The man spoke quietly while reading a horse racing newspaper. ¡°Mikoku, this is the last song, so turn the tape around.¡± ¡°Not only does it not play CDs, but it does not have auto-reverse either? Why not buy a new one?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an old companion and having some flaws makes it cute.¡± The old manager reached for the table and grabbed a cigarette. ¡°It¡¯s nice being able to smoke around you.¡± ¡°Does Shino complain that it is bad for your health?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t say anything, but that¡¯s exactly why I can¡¯t smoke.¡± He placed it in his mouth and lit a cheap lighter with just his right hand. ¡°The two of you haven¡¯t been getting along lately, have you?¡± ¡°We get along fine,¡± said Mikoku while hiding her expression from the faint white light and holding one knee in her arms. ¡°I only want her to stop fighting.¡± ¡°You know you both just want the best for each other, right? She¡¯s not an enemy, so you need to actually talk to her about it.¡± Her silhouette nodded at those words, but the old manager filled the air with some cigarette smoke and his voice. ¡°But I¡¯m sure that isn¡¯t happening anytime soon.¡± He inhaled and gathered the smoke in his mouth. ¡°You¡¯ve always had trouble telling people things. You¡¯re afraid of being rejected or disliked by the people you care about, so you just avoid talking about it. But¡­¡± He added ¡°I know I¡¯m meddling, but hear me out¡± before continuing. ¡°Doing that means you¡¯ve lost, Mikoku.¡± ¡°I have not los-¡­¡± ¡°Shino-san wants to win alongside you. The enemy is opposing us through combat, so why are you so busy pushing your allies away? It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± Those words silenced Mikoku and the old manager gave a smoky laugh. His shoulders shook in the darkness. ¡°You¡¯re such a child, Mikoku. You¡¯re a poor excuse for a girl. ¡­You should really learn how to cook. That¡¯s a skill you¡¯ll need if you plan to live alone for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°No one here can cook either.¡± ¡°Yeah, and that¡¯s because Shino-san always brings food for us. The others all left for Hachioji when they heard you were coming today.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why they always look so displeased when I show up.¡± ¡°Forgive them. They¡¯re still young and inexperienced. They don¡¯t know how to treat a girl. ¡­Then again, the city¡¯s a much better place to celebrate finishing our work on all the equipment we need.¡± The old manager exhaled a long stream of smoke. The expelled smoke stretched toward the giant hole in the floor. Alex had once filled that hole, but several other forms stood there now. They resembled people and they formed ten columns and thirty rows. ¡°With those remote-controlled mass-produced dolls, this factory¡¯s ten workers can run an entire army.¡± ¡°Whose decision was it to make them all female?¡± ¡°I thought it would help teach those young guys how to handle a girl. ¡­But to be honest, we didn¡¯t have enough materials to make them male. They¡¯re based on 3rd knowledge and we didn¡¯t have time to develop a male frame. ¡­We also have a secret weapon hidden in the cargo hold.¡± He gave a bitter smile. ¡°I feel bad for taking Alex¡¯s spot. We should¡¯ve used the big underground room below the front clearing. ¡­Of course, that¡¯s in use now too.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have room to spare with the attack so close, do we?¡± Mikoku¡¯s silhouette muttered in the darkness. ¡°It¡¯s already tomorrow. The Army will finally attack Japanese UCAT.¡± The decision to move tomorrow certainly came suddenly, thought Mikoku. However, their preparations were steadily progressing and the enemy was nearly done gathering the Concept Cores. The conditions were right. ¡­I just don¡¯t think it¡¯s time yet. Shino, on the other hand, seemed to have been waiting for this moment. That may be the difference between someone who will gain their role there and someone who will complete their role there, thought Mikoku as the old manager spoke to her. ¡°But apparently UCAT was attacked today. Tatsumi mentioned it when she stopped by, remember? Two people in black showed up at Izumo UCAT.¡± ¡°And yet the Army has not been doing anything recently. ¡­Is some other organization opposing them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say,¡± muttered the man. Suddenly a noise reached them from behind. ¡°¡­!?¡± The two of them quickly turned around. The loud noise came from the intercom on the wall next to the office entrance. The electronic tone was set loud enough to be heard over factory machinery and the old manager scratched his head and sank back into his seat. ¡°You answer it, Mikoku. I can¡¯t even taste the cigarette when things are this loud.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Mikoku nodded, stood from her chair, and turned around. She picked up the receiver and wondered who it could be. It could have been Shino, worn out from the weight of all the food she had brought for dinner. Whoever it was, it had to be someone from the Army if they had reached the factory within the concept space. ¡°Who is it?¡± she asked into the receiver. A slightly withered yet powerful female voice responded. ¡°Hey, there. You¡¯re under attack, so open up.¡± Mikoku had no idea what that meant and she did not recognize the voice. And what were they talking about? ¡­We¡¯re under attack? Her disbelief made her hesitate and the old manager¡¯s voice reached her from behind. ¡°Who is it? Is it Shino-san?¡± His question was the way things should have been, but the voice from the receiver was definitely not Shino. ¡°¡­?¡± She tried to say something, but she was cut off by the same withered yet powerful female voice. ¡°Oh? No response? I don¡¯t like kids who do that. I don¡¯t like them at all. So sorry, but I¡¯m going to take this into my own hands. ¡­I assume you have no response for that either.¡± Mikoku tried to say ¡°wait¡±, but she was cut off again. ¡°Don¡¯t respond only when it¡¯s convenient. Don¡¯t block out what you don¡¯t like.¡± Those words were accompanied by red light, a great sound that pierced through Mikoku¡¯s body, and wind. It was an explosion. The factory¡¯s four-layer steel door bent in. ¡°¡­!?¡± And it was destroyed. ¡­Wh- She did not even finish her thought. Instead, she began to move. Before the old manager could finish standing in surprise, she ran toward the scattering metal fragments of the door. She dashed straight toward the attacker as if her body desired a fight. A conditioned reflex sent her flying toward the explosive flames spreading from the factory¡¯s entrance. Her hand grabbed the Japanese sword in a cloth wrapping leaning against the table, her feet kicked off the floor, her body tore through the explosive blast, and her skin felt the heat and light of the flames. ¡°Who are you!?¡± She spoke the thought that had finally caught up to her and she shot outside. She charged forward to strike the attacker waiting there. A dinner table was a table carrying food. If it was surrounded by smiles, that was even better. A particular table contained a lot of food with plenty of variety. Four people sat around it, two male and two female. Three of them smiled and one had a harsh look. Of the three with smiles, the man facing the harsh look spoke. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Chisato? Izumo-kun is here for once, so don¡¯t look so upset. You¡¯re ruining the good looks you got from your mother. Now, why are you angry? You can tell your papa¡­yes, it can be our secre- Actually, mama is smiling this way, so how about telling your papa and your mama!?¡± Kazami responded to the question by stabbing her chopsticks into the top of the pile of croquettes sitting in front of her father. It was a direct and forceful jab. After the red chopsticks pierced into the light brown croquette, she lifted them and pointed the tip between her father¡¯s eyes. ¡°Sorry, dad. It¡¯s nothing, so don¡¯t worry about it. And if you insist on worrying¡­¡± She stabbed the chopsticks into another croquette on the way back and placed the skewered food on her plate. With the two croquettes unable to move, she slowly poured some dark sauce on top. The sauce splashed a little, but the dark liquid stained the croquettes as if they had spewed it out themselves and it spread out across the plate. She skillfully lowered and raised the chopsticks to tear the two skewered items in two. With the two croquettes split in half, she carefully wiped the oil off the chopsticks. ¡°Something unpleasant happened today. Do you understand, dad?¡± She noticed her father had paled a little as he looked at her, so she tilted her head and grabbed the 500 mL can of beer set in front of him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, dad? Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± She pulled the can¡¯s tab, the sound of carbonation escaped, and a glass approached from the side It was Izumo¡¯s. She sighed toward the glass and poured the can into it while wondering if he was trying to be considerate. She heard the foam and the pulsating sound of the flowing alcohol. ¡°Kaku, we have work at IAI after we eat, remember? Don¡¯t you have to drive your motorcycle?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve probably got the night watch. I¡¯ll be sober enough by then.¡± ¡°Right, right. Izumo-kun¡¯s a real man. A young guy¡¯s glycogen has to be able to handle that much. But I won¡¯t lose! Mama, bring papa a beer too! I¡¯ll do my best!¡± Kazami¡¯s mother immediately pulled out a five liter beer she had waiting below the table. It made a deep sound as she placed it on the table and she spoke to her husband. ¡°I want to see a little of what you can do, papa.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. A little of what I can do? Is this only ¡®a little¡¯, mama?¡± She next pulled out a fifteen liter beer she had waiting below the table. The sound it made when it was placed on the table was more or less an impact and she spoke to her husband again. ¡°I want to see a lot of what you can do, papa.¡± ¡°Dad, I think you should hurry up and admit defeat.¡± ¡°Oh? But Chisato, he can easily handle this. When he married me, he drank my papa under the table. And you know my papa is from a very influential family, right?¡± Kazami silently swore she would never ask for details about that. She noticed the foam rising to the top of Izumo¡¯s glass, so she quickly stopped pouring and sighed quietly enough that no one else could hear. She decided to change the subject both to be considerate and to save her father. ¡°By the way, what¡¯s your next job, dad?¡± ¡°Well, while working on the Christmas concert, I¡¯m thinking about doing a Christmas TV special. Since it¡¯ll be the end of the year, we can have a debate about the more unfortunate. It¡¯ll be called ¡®Why Are They Still Alive? ¨C A Discussion on Unmarried and Unemployed Men in their Thirties¡¯.¡± ¡°Sorry, but I think you¡¯re taking the word ¡®unfortunate¡¯ in a dangerous direction there.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± He brought a hand to his forehead. ¡°Are you still too young for that one? O-oh, I forgot to mention. I¡¯m also working on some educational history anime for the December theatre. There¡¯s ¡®Dr. Guillotine¡¯s Invention¡¯, ¡®Fight, Mr. Gatling!¡¯, and because it¡¯ll be Christmas ¡®Santa Claus Loves the Color Red¡¯. All three are uncensored and full of great lines like ¡®Your ear is next!!¡¯ ¡± ¡°Dad, did the pamphlet say those would leave the audience in tears? Just not in the way you would expect?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Of course. You may not remember, Chisato, but when you were little, I brought you to a historical theatre anime I helped produce. It was called ¡®Magical Girl Sta¡îLin¡¯ and it was about a magical girl who fought for everyone¡¯s equality.¡± ¡°Did you? ¡­That title definitely stands out.¡± ¡°Yes, and just like in history, she purges her magical nation and dies alone. You were really sad and wouldn¡¯t stop crying, but were you so sad that you forgot all about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I was suppressing the trauma!!¡± She shouted back, but her mother brought a finger to her own nose. ¡°Chisato, you¡¯ll disturb the neighbors.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry.¡± ¡°When the stress builds up in your heart, let it out by consulting someone, not with anger. Okay?¡± Kazami nodded and lowered her head with the beer can in her hands. She also glanced over at Izumo. ¡­Why is he so focused on eating the croquettes? She noticed her father had had begun attacking the croquettes now that he was freed from that hell of beer and Izumo was apparently competing with him. Seeing that, she brought the can to her lips. She tilted the can and then tilted her head back to chug the contents. She told herself she would wait until after she finished drinking before deciding whether to talk about it or not. There was a lot she had to say, but one was the most important. ¡­Sayama¡¯s selfish announcement about Team Leviathan disbanding. She could not tell her parents about UCAT, but she could alter it to be about where she worked part-time. Or she could make it be about her band or a group like that. While thinking, she audibly gulped down the alcohol and heard her father speak. ¡°Izumo-kun, did something happen to Chisato recently?¡± ¡°It seems like it, dad. I think she¡¯s feeling hesitant about marrying me.¡± She was shocked by what they said, how politely they said it, how they addressed each other, and the tone they said it in. She expressed that shock by slamming the can down on the table while almost choking. ¡°Wh-what kind of nonsense are you talking about, Kaku!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s coming out your nose, Chisato.¡± She frantically grabbed a tissue from the table and blew her nose. Meanwhile, her mother brought a hand to her cheek. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Izumo-kun. Chisato has a hard time coming out and saying things.¡± ¡°I know, mom. She always uses her fists before her words.¡± She gave a demonstration. But after knocking him away, she realized that put their household belongings in danger, so she immediately grabbed his collar and pulled him back. ¡°W-wait just a second, Kaku!¡± ¡°I-I will if you will.¡± ¡°Just listen to me.¡± He smiled as she held his collar. ¡°Oh? You have something to say? Fine. Speak, Chisato.¡± Ah, she thought when she heard that. ¡­He tricked me into this. ¡°Fine then,¡± she said while facing forward. There, she found her parents leaning forward with their heads resting in their hands. ¡°Y-you don¡¯t have to wait so expectantly.¡± ¡°But it makes me feel a little happy and a little sad to see the two of you fighting like a married couple already.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like it of you showed a little more sadness,¡± said Izumo. ¡°Especially toward me.¡± Her father ignored him. ¡°How long has it been since Chisato consulted us about something instead of just asking questions? Has it been since that middle school cooking class where her food numbed the other girls in her group and they buried her up to her neck in the sandbox?¡± ¡°That was when she started practicing how to cook, wasn¡¯t it?¡± She was annoyed that they remembered that, but Izumo looked oddly happy as he listened. She had no idea how to react to the ticklish feeling that sight gave her, but she still decided to speak. ¡°Um, at work¡­¡± ¡°Is your boss being mean to you, Chisato!? Now I¡¯m mad! I¡¯ll hijack tomorrow¡¯s TV special debate and retitle it ¡°24 Hours of Observing and Mocking My Daughter¡¯s Mean Boss¡¯! ¡­Gah!¡± She was slow to throw the plate, so he managed to say a fair bit. She told herself to be quicker next time. ¡°We had created a group to make our work easier. We had just gotten some good new members and it looked like we could really get some work done, but then the guy at the center of the group suddenly said we should disband. ¡­And our work is just about to get a lot busier too.¡± ¡°So were you wondering why you should disband when you have so much work ahead of you and you have all the people you need? Is that it, Chisato?¡± Her mother gave a small smile as she asked and Kazami nodded. Unsure what to do, she began using her chopsticks to chop up the croquettes that were soaking in the sauce. ¡°After ordering us to disband, he named me as the leader for the time being. ¡­But in his mind, we really have disbanded. And yet we¡¯d gathered the best people for the job.¡± She gave a sigh that almost sounded like a laugh and she gave an exaggerated shrug. ¡°If there¡¯s something we¡¯re doing wrong, we can fix it, but he didn¡¯t give us anything like that. We don¡¯t know the reason behind this at all, but he doesn¡¯t seem to care. ¡­Then what did he think of those of us who had gathered together for our job? Does he think we¡¯re so lacking that we couldn¡¯t even understand his reasoning?¡± ¡°Well, what are your coworkers to you, Chisato?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I can trust them, they¡¯re skilled, they use all of that skill, and they¡¯re fun to be around.¡± She hesitated. ¡°So even if some things were painful or troubling, I put up with it. ¡­I put a lot of effort into this.¡± ¡°But it sounds like it was different for him.¡± Her mother¡¯s words rang clear in her ears and she raised the head she had lowered at some point. She saw the usual small smile and that smile opened to speak. ¡°You can¡¯t accept it, can you? You worked so hard and you gathered plenty of people and strength to work with you, but it was all brushed aside as worthless and you weren¡¯t even given a reason. All your efforts to help that leader were treated as worthless.¡± Kazami simply nodded, but then she felt that was not enough. ¡°All this time, we had¡­¡± While speaking, she recalled everything since meeting Izumo and joining UCAT. She had gained G-Sp2, she had completed several missions, and she had eventually been placed in Team Leviathan. She had then shot the werewolf in that Okutama forest to save Shinjou and Sayama and that had led to the present. ¡­Why am I working such a dangerous job? She had wondered that countless times, but she had been trying to ensure she never had to do so again. ¡­After all, only I can do this. She had worked to make sure she could say that, she had nearly died several times, and she had also saved lives. Then she had gained teammates. She had even saved Sayama in that forest. But for some reason, he had ordered them to disband. Despite knowing how dangerous it was, he had chosen to act alone instead of working with the others. It felt like he was saying their strength, efforts, and everything else were meaningless. ¡°Why won¡¯t people recognize all the effort you¡¯ve put into some things. Our job had just gotten to be so much fun, too. Am I really that useless?¡± At the very end, Sayama had said to look into their pasts to find the reason for the disbanding. But they all had different pasts. Sayama and the others would investigate their pasts by following in the footsteps of their parents who had been in UCAT, but Kazami was a normal person with none of that. She had no relatives with a connection to UCAT, so her connection had first appeared during the attack by 6th and 10th two years ago. ¡­He isn¡¯t saying everyone can stay but me, is he? Was he saying the rest of the fight would be too hard without a past giving her a reason to fight? ¡°What is he thinking? Was I just being patronizing? Should I have stuck with a dry attitude?¡± While muttering her worried questions, she realized how timid she was being. She looked up and found her parents quietly looking her way. She had a feeling she only spoke because she could not stand their silent gazes and she knew she was complaining more than consulting with them, but she quickly spoke up regardless. ¡°Wh-what am I supposed to do at times like this? Do you know?¡± ¡°Well,¡± began her father before pausing. ¡°There¡¯s not much you can do, so just do whatever you want.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Her father placed a croquette on his plate. ¡°This is your problem, so if you don¡¯t know what you should do, how can we? But if you have some kind of idea, we¡¯ll support you even if it seems hopeless. Unfortunately, you don¡¯t seem to have any ideas. ¡­That¡¯s what¡¯s happening here, Chisato. You still haven¡¯t reached the same place where he suggested you disband.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t reached the same place as him?¡± ¡°Right. He has an idea, but you have nothing to oppose that idea. Simple, isn¡¯t it? If you had an idea to oppose his decision to disband, you would be able to understand why he made that decision and you could find a way to solve this. And¡­¡± He split the croquette. ¡°Whether you can understand his reasoning is entirely up to what you hold inside you. It depends on whether the answer exists inside you as a past experience.¡± ¡°You sound a lot like him.¡± ¡°Really? Then he must be an amazingly cool, gentlemanly, smart, and wonderful person!¡± ¡°Kyah! Papa, you¡¯re unbelievably overconfident!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Just unbelievably leave it to me, mama! Your croquettes are so lovely that-¡­¡± His words came to a sudden stop when he placed the croquette in his mouth. He also stopped moving. His frozen expression gradually grew pale and then red. The woman sitting next to him began clapping. ¡°Papa just got tonight¡¯s winner! Too bad, Izumo-kun.¡± ¡°Dammit, I¡¯ll make sure I win next time!!¡± ¡°U-um, mom, dad? We were kind of having an important discussion here. So, uh, does this family have a rule that absolutely everything must end on a joke?¡± As soon as she asked, her father shot to his feet and ran from the table. Izumo tilted his head and grabbed a safe croquette but still made sure to split it open and check what was inside. ¡°What was in that one?¡± ¡°I copied what Chisato made during her middle school cooking class. Has she ever made it for you, Izumo-kun?¡± Izumo slowly turned a glare in Kazami¡¯s direction. ¡°Chisato, you don¡¯t need to go digging through too many of your past experiences. I think the latest version of you is the best.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to choose your words so carefully!!¡± Mikoku did not hold back. She understood how inexperienced she was in combat, so she did not have room to hold back. She immediately went all out. She leaped through the center of the explosion and wind that blew through the factory entrance and she pulled her Japanese sword from its scabbard. She launched herself from the dark factory and into the dark night. The night air reached her skin and the bitter-smelling smoke enveloping her was swept away. The yard was quite large. ¡­And the enemy is¡­ She found them. ¡°!¡± Someone in white stood in the center of the one hundred square meter clearing. She first thought it was a UCAT armored uniform, but it was simply a white combat coat. A woman wore the white outfit. She was tall and well-built and a long braid of brown hair dropped down along her back. Mikoku judged her to be in her late forties. To make herself hard to target, Mikoku ran along a gouging arc to circle in from the right. ¡°Who the hell are you!?¡± ¡°Do you really think a woman is going to answer to that?¡± The woman swung both arms up and forward and something came from her sleeves. ¡°Handguns!?¡± ¡°What a boring idea. Now I want to hear you cry.¡± The objects that came from her sleeves resembled hammers. Attached at the ends of the white-painted metal staffs were fifteen centimeter cylindrical warheads made of white metal. Mikoku gasped as she charged in. ¡°Panzerfausts!?¡± ¡°They¡¯re for more general use than that sword of yours. They were made so even women and children could use them.¡± The woman pressed the firing switch on the staff portion. A jet of smoke must have shot from the other end hidden up her sleeves because her coat swelled out. At the same time, Mikoku heard the warheads launch. After a bursting sound, she saw the two warheads fly toward her from only two meters away. The two explosives flew quickly while trailing a clockwise spiral of white smoke. ¡°¡­!¡± It was so sudden that she missed her time to evade. The two warheads spiraled as they approached, so she could not move in between them. If she focused on one, she would be able to avoid just that one, but that would leave her in the path of the other one. And so she continued running. ¡°¡­¡± She did not hesitate. She moved to avoid the one arriving on the right. As soon as she evaded it, the clockwise spiral path of the left one would bring it right into her gut from the lower left. She knew that, so she only just barely avoided the right one. It whizzed right past her ear. But if she had not made such a tight evasion, she would have fully exposed her to the other shot. Meanwhile, the left one arrived. Its clockwise spiral sent it toward her from the lower left, but she took action. She took a step forward and toward the warhead. She made the step with her left foot and it turned her to the side. She immediately moved her sword to her left hand and held the back of the sword forward. ¡°¡­!¡± She swung the sword as if scooping something up from below. With a crash of metal, her blade tip struck the bottom surface of the flying warhead. She used the curve of the blade¡¯s back to scoop it upward. ¡°Kh!¡± To keep the spiral trajectory going, she rotated the warhead with the back of the blade pressed against it. She rotated her entire body, felt the weight and momentum of the warhead in the tip of the blade, and changed its direction without interrupting its proper motion. After a single rotation, she looked like an athlete performing the hammer throw. ¡°This New Year¡¯s gift is a little early, but take it!¡± She used her sword in place of a ballista and threw the warhead back at the woman in white. It flew toward the woman with its initial acceleration and the centrifugal force of its rotation still intact. A moment later, the warhead Mikoku had avoided landed and exploded behind her. The blast, noise, and light rushed past her and supported her forward acceleration. And while launching herself forward, she saw the woman swing her arms down. More weapons came from her sleeves. This time, they really were guns. But these were white-painted heavy machineguns that were two-thirds her own height. ¡­What!? Mikoku was less surprised by the appearance of the guns than she was by something else. The explosive warhead was still flying toward the woman after she had thrown it back, but the woman smiled and held the heavy machineguns beneath her arms. ¡°¡­¡± It hit. The blast was more like a collision of wind than an actual explosion. After the first explosion behind Mikoku, the blast from near the woman¡¯s chest struck her from the front. With the sound of tearing paper, Mikoku¡¯s cheek split open. The air had struck her with enough force to create a vacuum. She also felt chilly tearing on a few other parts of her skin, but she did not care. She saw the red flames and the smoke swell into the sky. The sound of the explosion seemed to belatedly race across the world. An instant later, Mikoku visually confirmed that her opponent was still alive. ¡°How?¡± Despite her question, the truth before her eyes said it all. The woman in a white combat coat took a step toward her as if casting off the black smoke. The woman was completely unharmed. Her hair, face, smiling teeth, and expression were untouched. Not a hint of soot could be found on her clothes. Her weapons were the same. The two muzzles were unharmed and facing Mikoku while the woman pulled their triggers. The lingering notes of the explosion vanished into the sky along with the smoke. A moment later, Mikoku realized her right arm was gone. She felt no pain, but she did feel heat in her shoulder. The impact shook the core of her body more than her shoulder and the word ¡°reverberation¡± entered her mind. Still, she forced herself to keep running. If she ran normally, the reverberation in her body would pull her down and more of her body would be lost, so she leaped leftward with all her might. The sound of the gunfire arrived afterwards and it quickly swept in from the right without waiting. ¡°¡­!¡± Before she had even finished her jump, Mikoku kicked off the ground and ran. She sent the sand of the clearing flying backwards as she raced onward. On the second step, she could tell something was spilling from her right shoulder and that part of her body grew cold. She could not stop the strength from leaving her. ¡­But what kind of defense is this woman using!? If it was concept protection, it was quite powerful. After all, her warhead had destroyed the factory¡¯s door which had its own concept protection. So if she was unharmed by the same blast¡­ ¡°Are you some kind of monster!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I¡¯m a god.¡± The woman turned toward Mikoku with a smile. ¡°All of my power is divine. Remember that, little girl. I am armed with God Panzerfausts and God Machineguns. Also¡­¡± She tossed aside the machinegun in her right hand to switch weapons. That was the perfect opportunity. Mikoku¡¯s sword had a concept applied for the coming battle with UCAT. It was a refined version of the popular ¡°slice and pierce¡± concept and it was made to cut through the gaps in defense concepts. This opponent¡¯s defense concept had withstood that explosion, so it could fully defend against a force radiated across an entire surface. But how could it handle strikes to a single point? The opponent would be defenseless while switching weapons. ¡­And if she has absolute confidence in her defense, she will let her guard down! The difference between confidence and negligence was paper thin, so Mikoku charged in to transform the woman¡¯s confidence into negligence. She moved forward. Her missing right arm affected her balance and swinging her entire body to swing her left arm and sword could easily destroy that balance. That was why she went for a direct jab by swinging her left half forward. She targeted the spot where the defense concept field would be weakest. That was not the gaps in movable parts that normal armor had. Concepts had no thickness, so they were distributed evenly without folds. However, she still knew one place where it would be weaker. ¡­The center of the chest where it already activated!! The woman¡¯s warhead was made to destroy defense concepts, so her own defense concept would have been annihilated by the blast. That was why Mikoku charged in. She stepped forward in the instant the woman swung down her arm and launched her attack just as the woman raised her arm again. She threw her left leg forward. As soon as she landed, she rotated her heel outward to rotate and build up momentum. As if extending her bent left elbow, she sent the sword tip in to the center of the woman¡¯s chest. Its path was an almost perfectly straight line. ¡°!!¡± The timing of the attack could not have been better. And an instant later, she saw the blade shatter. ¡°¡­!?¡± As soon as it touched the woman¡¯s white coat, it broke with the sound of shattering glass. Cracks did not even have time to form. It immediately shattered all the way to the base. ¡­Why? Her questioning eyes stared at the sword that was now only a hilt. The sword¡¯s guard shook and then fell from the end of the hilt. But Mikoku did not watch it fall. The woman in front of her raised her right arm as if to scratch her own face. She went on to reach into her back collar and pulled out a weapon. It was a shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher. ¡°I apologize for that other one. It was pretty old. Would this suit a modern girl better? I studied this world to create this God Anti-Tank Rocket. Nice, isn¡¯t it?¡± The rifle-like object had a thin diamond-shaped warhead on the end. Mikoku saw it press against her chest. She felt its cold surface and its weight. ¡°Some people in black attacked Izumo UCAT today. Was that you!?¡± ¡°Attackers in black? Don¡¯t know anything about that. What kind of idiot would do that? ¡­Just to clear your suspicion, I¡¯ll tell you who I am. I¡¯m a god of 10th-Gear. You can call me ¡®Betrayed Expectations¡¯ Jord. I accepted an invitation from Hajji, so I¡¯m here to help the Army. But once I set off some fireworks for my welcoming party, some idiot ran out and attacked me.¡± ¡°Your welcoming party!?¡± shouted Mikoku. ¡°Why would you attack us like that!?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± replied the woman named Jord. ¡°It¡¯s the end of October, so it¡¯s time for the ¡®Beat or Treat¡¯ festival. Happy Halloween and all that. Then again, it¡¯s my first time taking part.¡± Mikoku heard a voice. ¡°You¡¯re a girl, aren¡¯t you? Then wear something more appropriate to the occasion.¡± What she experienced next was not defeat. She experienced having her entire body blown to pieces. Volume 10, 5: Feeling of Separation Volume 10, Chapter 5: Feeling of Separation When they do not know where someone is going Those who do not want to go anywhere Will ask them From waist height up, a small room was surrounded by a transparent windshield. The room was a cockpit and a boy sat in the long forward seat. He had reddish-brown skin, unkempt hair, and a black work outfit. When he touched the console indicator, it displayed several waves. ¡°Can you match it, Harakawa?¡± asked a voice. ¡°Yes, leave just the ones around here, Thunder Fellow.¡± Harakawa touched one of the waves and all of those without similar amplitudes vanished The display zoomed in and all of the waves approached a central wave. ¡°It¡¯s like a radio,¡± said a girl¡¯s voice behind him. He turned around and found a girl in a blue armored uniform. She was getting up from the secondary seat and held a compact vacuum cleaner. When he saw her smile and shake her short blonde hair, he only nodded. ¡°We¡¯re trying to match the communicator to Low-Gear. ¡­First, remove the ones with concept readings.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± said Thunder Fellow. The waves overlapped and Harakawa heard a new voice. ¡°¡­kawa-san, can you hear me!? Honestly, do you have any idea how indecent it is to be closed inside a transparent room with a girl? I¡¯m so happy to have such an indecent upperclassman!¡± ¡°Are you stupid, Hiba? No, wait. You are stupid, Hiba. ¡­Heo Thunderson, don¡¯t you start blushing.¡± He turned toward Heo who returned to cleaning the secondary seat with a troubled look. Harakawa averted his gaze to look out the windshield. There, he found a dark space. It was a storage room and hangar for a variety of equipment located on Japanese UCAT¡¯s fifth basement. The area had been left open ever since American UCAT¡¯s attack, so the different departments were using it for storage and emergency work. It was also used for some large concept weapon experiments. The thirty meter blue and white mechanical dragon named Thunder Fellow stood in the center of that floor and Harakawa sat inside the cockpit located in his head. Heo had called in Thunder Fellow so they could check over his different parts. After the attack on Izumo UCAT, Harakawa and Hiba had brought Heo and Mikage to Japanese UCAT. They were there as guards and also because they felt it was best for Team Leviathan to stick together. It was currently eight at night, but Kazami and Izumo would soon be arriving for the next shift. After that, they planned to spend the night at Hiba¡¯s grandfather¡¯s dojo. ¡­That way we can rush here if anything does happen. They would also avoid putting themselves in danger by acting alone. It had been Kazami¡¯s idea. She had wanted to be as cautious as they could in case of a possible attack. ¡­It almost feels like she¡¯s doing it out of spite over Sayama¡¯s decision. Harakawa wondered what would happen. ¡­I just don¡¯t understand why Sayama ordered us to disband or why the treasurer is so mad. He had joined Team Leviathan a month ago but had not taken part in a single battle since. Nor had he undergone any large-scale training. That left him unable to feel uneasy or hopeful about the current situation. Heo on the other hand seemed overly hopeful about having teammates for the first time. Having the word ¡°disband¡± thrown in the face of that hope seemed to have shaken her, but Sayama¡¯s comment about searching for their pasts also seemed to have motivated her. On the way here, she had clearly wanted to say something. Mostly likely, she wanted to ask what Sayama had meant and whether Harakawa would help her search for her past, but she had not managed to get the words out. ¡°But what do I do if she does say it.¡± ¡°Eh? D-did you just say something?¡± ¡°No. It isn¡¯t my problem, Heo Thunderson.¡± Serious people always get the short end of the stick, he silently complained. Sometime soon, she¡¯ll probably clench her fists in anger and ask if I¡¯m seriously thinking about my past. And at the same time, she¡¯ll have already decided for herself whether I am or not. In Harakawa¡¯s case, his ¡°past¡± was his father. He thought about that father while messing with the instruments. ¡­He was a sniper, so he must not have ever messed with a mechanical dragon like this. He had heard his father had died after being sent by the US military to assist with the Great Kansai Earthquake. He had always thought the man had done something unnecessary and gotten himself killed without a single thought for his family, but according to the past Sayama had seen, some kind of battle had occurred in Osaka. ¡­And my mom must have been there too. He had not told her about his job at UCAT and he had not asked her to explain why she knew about UCAT. She was still hiding UCAT¡¯s existence and he was unsure whether he should bring it up or not. Heo must have realized how he was feeling because she had not asked his mother either. But based on what Sayama had said, he was certain his mother was hiding something about his father¡¯s death. Would she tell him the truth if he asked? And would learning that help him learn why Team Leviathan should disband? While wondering that, he quickly checked on his surroundings. A black giant stood to the left. Even as a giant, it was only as tall as Thunder Fellow¡¯s shoulders, but it was seven or eight times the height of the boy standing at its feet. The boy was Hiba and he had a cellphone to his ear. ¡°Sounds like it¡¯s getting through, Harakawa-san. Is it for you, Mikage-san?¡± The black giant standing next to him nodded and raised its right hand with a creaking movement. ¡°Yes. I can hear him.¡± Harakawa looked up at the black giant looking down at Hiba. ¡°She can use it without you?¡± ¡°She can a little bit now and she might be able to use it even more later. Also, Susamikado evolves whenever she does, so by the time she can use it on her own¡­¡± ¡°Susamikado and I might be able to move even more than now.¡± The hint of joy in Mikage¡¯s voice told Harakawa something. ¡­They¡¯re really strong. He then grabbed the roll bars on either side of his seat. ¡°How about doing some movement tests?¡± As the technician replied, Harakawa moved the machine. He had been designated as Thunder Fellow¡¯s pilot, but he did not often have a chance to pilot him outside of battle. Heo was not combined with Thunder Fellow, so he could perform a low level test of the machine¡¯s intrinsic movements. He heard a slight mechanical sound as he tilted Thunder Fellow to the left. Urged on by his silent surroundings, he spoke. ¡°Come to think of it, Sayama and Shinjou should be arriving at the station about now.¡± Heo was closer, but Hiba was the one to reply. ¡°Yes, they were travelling on foot, so they should be getting there about now if you include some preparation time in their dorm room. I just hope they aren¡¯t attacked.¡± ¡°They¡¯re going to the Okutama mountains and Sakai. I doubt they¡¯ll be attacked in either place, Hiba. More importantly, do you know why Sayama said Team Leviathan should disband?¡± ¡°No, not at all. He might think we¡¯re lacking. He¡¯s so skilled himself that we might be falling behind in his eyes.¡± ¡°That makes a surprising amount of sense,¡± muttered Harakawa. ¡°I see you also view this differently from our angry treasurer.¡± ¡°Well,¡± said Hiba while scratching his head. ¡°That¡¯s because we think about things differently. Personally, I¡¯ll probably always think I have room to improve.¡± ¡°I see,¡± muttered Harakawa. ¡°So everyone¡¯s different.¡± He moved his hands across the console to rearrange Thunder Fellow¡¯s motors. ¡°That¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand. I guess Heo wouldn¡¯t either. We¡¯ve only been a part of this for a month and that isn¡¯t enough time to know how powerful we are or how much we can do.¡± ¡°Harakawa-san, I think you and Heo-san are the most powerful members of the group.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never fought an official battle with the rest of you, but do you understand my situation, Hiba? Thunder Fellow¡¯s power was left with Heo. I¡¯m just the hired driver, so I don¡¯t feel at all powerful.¡± ¡°Are you okay with Harakawa just being someone you hired, Heo?¡± asked Mikage¡¯s voice. Harakawa clicked his tongue in his heart. Working in a group was a pain because it required a lot of corrections to his standard policies. But at the same time, he had a feeling Mikage¡¯s question got right to the heart of the issue, so he looked over his shoulder. He wanted to see the expression of the girl cleaning the secondary seat. However¡­ ¡°?¡± He could not see her because the back of his seat was in the way. He lifted himself and almost wrapped his arms around the seat to see her. ¡°Why are you lying down, Heo Thunderson?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± She gave a weak voice while bent in half. Her right arm held her stomach, her left arm was held between her thighs, her face was dyed scarlet, and her breathing was rough. ¡°Do you have a fever, Heo Thunderson?¡± ¡°According to my thermal vision, she does,¡± cut in Mikage¡¯s voice. ¡°No, um, uh¡­¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Harakawa while leaning over toward the secondary seat. As he did so, he stuck a hand on the seat¡¯s right console. ¡°Hyahn!!¡± Heo twitched and beads of sweat fell from her skin. ¡°?¡± Harakawa quickly removed his hand from the console and heard Thunder Fellow speak. ¡°As time has passed since I was summoned, my synchronization with Heo has risen.¡± ¡°In other words, when I touch the controls to move you¡­¡± He frowned and Heo answered while panting. ¡°I-it feels like you¡¯re touching my stomach or-¡­ When you use the power output system, it feels like you¡¯re gently stirring me up below my navel. B-but I know you wouldn¡¯t do anything bad, so¡­um¡­¡± She sounded troubled. ¡°I thought I would just put up with it.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Heo Thunderson? Stop putting up with it and begin the combination.¡± ¡°W-wait a minute! You¡¯re mixing her up inside her stomach and forcing her to combine! What are you two doing in there!?¡± ¡°Shut up, Hiba.¡± Harakawa scratched his head and sighed. ¡°Honestly, we just can¡¯t seem to settle down without Sayama and the others. Are we going to have to look into our pasts after all?¡± Sayama stood in a nighttime train station. It was a transfer station with four platforms stretching east to west. Its name was JR Haijima Station. He stood between the platforms second and third tracks. He was next to the barrier surrounding the stairway leading underground. The barrier was waist height and a white cup sat on it. The cup held a special drink. ¡­Hot Eround Tea Z. He crossed the arms of his gray mountain-climbing suit, nodded, and looked up. Baku was not on his head like usual. After announcing the temporary disbanding of Team Leviathan, the creature had been returned to UCAT. He had probably been left with Ooshiro. Sayama himself would soon be in the mountains of Okutama. ¡­But this means a long time away from Shinjou-kun. It would normally be a two day trip, but it would actually come out to three days because he was leaving at night. For him, it felt like a final farewell. Haijima Station¡¯s second and third platforms were both divided between an upper and lower platform. One line led to Oume and Okutama and the other to Tachikawa and Tokyo. Both of their trains would arrive in a few minutes and they would have to say goodbye. Shinjou was currently changing in the bathroom. A number of ideas had occurred to him about that, but he had decided not to do anything. Doing anything would take time and he did not want Shinjou to miss her train. That was the situation this time, at least. Next time could be a different story. He had to resist now. They would do it next time. He was certain of it. ¡­I will let this desire build up inside me. He nodded and felt unsatisfied by the lack of weight on his head. He then turned to the Eround Tea Z. It was for Shinjou. He felt it was a cheap item for a farewell gift, but nothing could have been more appropriate. ¡­Simply wonderful. He gave a few satisfied nods at his own thoughts but then had another thought. He would be away from Shinjou for about two days. Could he really spend their last moments together with only vending machine tea? He brought a finger to his forehead, thought for about three seconds, and reached a conclusion. ¡°Adding a few drugs should help.¡± He pulled out three white pills that Ryouko had given him. They were secret Tamiya family drugs and the old-fashioned pills had a plum blossom symbol on them. He lined them up from left to right in his palm. ¡°A drug that makes you lewd, a drug that builds up mental excitement, and a drug that makes you honest to yourself.¡± Ryouko had said they would ¡°give Setsu-chan everything he needs¡±, but Sayama was not so sure. Regardless, he put the pills in the tea and slightly shook the cup. He saw no change in the tea¡¯s color, just as Ryouko had promised, and he wondered if they were for her work. He was impressed by the Tamiya family¡¯s skill. ¡°Sayama-kun, what are you doing?¡± He turned toward Shinjou¡¯s voice. She wore a rucksack on her back, Sadame¡¯s hairstyle, a jacket, and chinos. Noting that her outfit¡¯s color scheme was brown, he reached for the paper cup. ¡°Shinjou-kun, have some-¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I already bought my own.¡± She showed him what she held in her hands. She had a paper cup in each hand and she held out the left one with a smile. ¡°Here, thanks for waiting for me. This one¡¯s for you. You like coffee, right?¡± Sayama looked at the cup next to him and the one in Shinjou¡¯s hand. Shinjou also looked at the two cups, frowned, and tilted her head. ¡°Will you drink mine?¡± He nodded, but Shinjou tilted her head again. She used her chin to indicate the tea next to him. ¡°Then what about that?¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you drink it, Shinjou-kun? I bought this tea for you.¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, that¡¯s that IAI tea, isn¡¯t it? Heh heh. ¡­In that case, you can drink it.¡± ¡°No, it was made especially for you.¡± ¡°Really? Heh heh. Why was a tea made especially for me without anyone telling me?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. To surprise you of course.¡± ¡°Ha ha. I see. ¡­Well, it was definitely a surprise!!! I¡¯m just glad you didn¡¯t use my photo!¡± ¡°Of course not. While I want to give you a public debut, I could hardly bear to have you defiled by the gazes of the masses. ¡­Now, how about a drink, Shinjou-kun?¡± She sighed and held up the cup in her left hand. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m already drinking the cocoa I got for myself.¡± ¡°Why not trade for my tea?¡± ¡°Why?¡± she asked with an emotionless smile. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like cocoa.¡± ¡­I need a reason. It came to him in a flash of insight. ¡°I want to drink something you already drank from.¡± ¡°Stop recreating something straight out of a sad elementary school memory!!¡± She pulled back the hand holding the coffee. ¡°Honestly, I won¡¯t give you this until you drink that tea.¡± I cannot have that, thought Sayama as he reflexively drank the tea. Only after setting down the cup did a certain thought occur to him. ¡­Was it safe for me to drink that? As he pondered that, Shinjou held out the coffee with a troubled look. ¡°Here. ¡­And I feel a little bad about wasting your considerate offer.¡± ¡°That is nothing to worry about, Shinjou-kun. After all, you put the money in the vending machine and pulled this coffee out by hand. It is sure to taste far better than my tea.¡± ¡°Is there something wrong with your brain?¡± Hearing that, he thought back on what he had said. He detected nothing strange about the logic, tone, or ideas behind his words, but it was possible he could no longer judge his own behavior due to the drugs. That was why he asked a certain question. ¡°Shinjou-kun, it is possible there is something strange about me right now. What do you think?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really see anything different from normal. ¡­Isn¡¯t this your usual pace?¡± ¡°No, Shinjou-kun. Please give this serious thought. Right now, I should be¡­ Lewd! Mentally excited! And honest to myself!!¡± ¡°How is that any different from normal?¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. It is all much more intense than normal.¡± ¡°Right, right.¡± She nodded with a smile. ¡°Listen, Sayama-kun. When the original values are infinite, there¡¯s no way to measure an increase.¡± ¡°Hm, someone with infinite lewdness, excitement, and self-honesty? What a troublesome person.¡± ¡°They really are. ¡­And I¡¯m talking about you!!¡± Hearing that, Sayama checked who she was shouting at. The shout travelled through him and to the office worker sitting on a platform bench behind him. The middle-aged man in a suit was focused on a red handheld game system as he waited for a train in the chilly air. The sounds suggested he was playing a popular puzzle game. It was a former Soviet game where blocks representing rebels fell down and piled up. When the space was filled with no gaps remaining, the blocks were considered captured and thus vanished. The most points were earned by leaving a vertical gap open and sending a long red block into it. The game was said to include dangerous ideas and it often interfered with people¡¯s work or education. ¡­So he is the infinite man. People are not always what they seem, accepted Sayama before turning back to Shinjou. She was glaring at him, but he changed the subject. ¡°Now, the trains should be arriving soon. It is a shame we have to part ways for so long. I will be praying for your safe return from Sakai.¡± When she heard that, she lowered her eyebrows and smiled. ¡°My safe return? You¡¯re making too big a deal of this.¡± ¡°After that attack today, we cannot let our guard down. It is entirely possible we will be attacked.¡± She gasped and he took a sip of the coffee. ¡°Delicious. I can feel the touch of your skin. I wonder what beans they used.¡± ¡°I only remember it was an IAI brand and it said ¡®Mito-made Ground Beans¡¯,¡± she answered. ¡°Anyway, I should only have to rely on the municipal office, but what about you? You¡¯re heading into the mountains at night.¡± ¡°I have been everywhere a few hours into the mountains of Okutama as part of the Hiba dojo¡¯s nighttime training, but my destination is even further in than that. If I entered the mountains during the day, night would have fallen by the time I reached unfamiliar territory.¡± And¡­ ¡°#8-kun has determined the location of Professor Kinugasa¡¯s home based on the report photograph we found in Izumo UCAT. Using that, I can ensure I will return safely, Shinjou-kun. I always try to choose the best possible method.¡± ¡°Oh, right¡­ I know you try to do that.¡± She lowered her head while holding her paper cup in both hands. ¡°But I¡¯m still worried. You might not be able to find Professor Kinugasa¡¯s house and even if you do get there¡­¡± ¡°I will be following in my father¡¯s footsteps. But do not worry about my chest pains. Leaving you puts me in the same position as before I met you. I am very fortunate to have you with me, but I will now return to my normal self without you. That is all this means.¡± He smiled bitterly. ¡°Even so, my wonderful memories contain my life with you and how you have helped me. I will likely desire that fortune to help with more than just the chest pains. I will yearn for it when I eat, sleep, or am feeling bored.¡± ¡°You casually say some really embarrassing things.¡± She let out a relaxing and far from unhappy sigh. They then heard a train beginning to move. It was the one they had arrived on which had been stopped on the first track. It was preparing to return to Itsukaichi and Akigawa. The Itsukaichi Line connected to the Oume line coming from Tachikawa and its departure meant one thing. ¡°Our trains will be here soon, Sayama-kun. But¡­um¡­this may be sudden¡­¡± She leaned back as if placing her rucksack on the stairway barrier. ¡°I think you should apologize to Kazami-san and the others when we get back. I don¡¯t think they have the slightest clue why you¡¯re trying to have Team Leviathan disband.¡± ¡°Why should I apologize?¡± Shinjou gave a meaningless nod while looking to the third track. She took some time to carefully choose her words. ¡°You said to search for our pasts. In my case, I think that¡¯s linked with Shinjou Yukio. With the others, that probably means pursuing the truth of the Great Kansai Earthquake that we saw in that dream of the past.¡± She kept her eyes on the third track¡¯s platform. ¡°But Kazami-san doesn¡¯t have any connections to the past. That¡¯s why what you said might be a little mean to her.¡± ¡°And so I should apologize for giving her a riddle she cannot solve? Is that what you are trying to say?¡± He nodded. ¡°I see. If she, you, and the others still do not have the answer once I return, I will make a decision.¡± ¡°A decision?¡± He immediately answered her. ¡°It is a simple matter. Anyone who does not have the answer will be removed from the Leviathan Road. That is all.¡± Shinjou¡¯s eyes opened in surprise at Sayama¡¯s declaration. However, he calmly looked directly at her. ¡°Do not worry. I am certain you will understand.¡± ¡°B-but¡­that¡¯s way too sudden!¡± ¡°That is why I did not reveal this back in the Kinugasa Library. It would only have brought suspicion and distrust.¡± He reached a hand toward her shoulder, pulled her toward him, looked up a bit, and pointed to the distant stars in the sky. ¡°Even if I am not very persuasive, what I am about to say is very meaningful, so please listen carefully.¡± ¡°What is the point of that pose?¡± ¡°It is a meaningless yet persuasive pose, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°You¡¯re already contradicting yourself, Sayama-kun!¡± ¡°Calm down,¡± he said. ¡°Now, are you listening? I told everyone to think about why we should disband, but to be honest, that is a riddle for myself as well. ¡­I will also be searching for my past. To find out how we ended up in this situation, I will be pursuing the father I would rather not know about.¡± So¡­ ¡°If I return from Okutama and was unable to pursue my own past, I will be forced to accept that I am lacking.¡± ¡°!?¡± Shinjou gasped, looked at him, and frantically spoke up. ¡°I-is the reason for disbanding that important for us?¡± ¡°It is. It is very important for our future. And that is why I have a request. ¡­Listen, Shinjou-kun. I want you to find that reason and I want your help in reforming Team Leviathan.¡± Her eyebrows shot up at the word ¡°reforming¡±. He was staring at her and she stared back. ¡°Sayama-kun. ¡­Are you saying you don¡¯t actually want us to disband? Are you actually focused on having us reform afterwards?¡± He did not answer, his expression remained unchanged, and the silence continued. They were finally interrupted by unwanted external movement. They first heard noise from the second and third tracks and then headlights reached them. In an instant, wind and countless lit windows intersected on the upper and lower tracks of the platform. As soon as the wind intersected, Sayama grabbed her shoulders and turned her toward him. She felt his lips on her forehead. ¡°We can continue from there after we return, Shinjou-kun. ¡­Being patient now will make it even more exciting. And while you should be fine, I will leave you with one piece of my past.¡± ¡°A piece of your past?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He pulled a white envelope from his pocket. ¡°If you think you have found your answer in Osaka, look at this. It contains a fact about a certain individual that is a mystery even to me. Once you find your answer, you should be able to read what it says properly.¡± ¡°This is information on someone from your past, isn¡¯t it?¡± She nodded, took the letter, and looked strongly up at him. ¡°Testament. I hope I get to read it. I¡¯ll do my best to make sure I can.¡± She did not know what the letter said, but she could sense his trust. She felt she would come to understand something once she opened it and she nodded again to show her trust in that fact. ¡°Okay. I promise I¡¯ll remember. When I find my past, I¡¯ll read the past you¡¯ve left with me. And¡­¡± She looked at him with her eyebrows slightly raised. Her gaze met his sharp one and she poured her thoughts into her words. ¡°You make a promise too. Promise you¡¯ll come back and see me again.¡± ¡°Why do you want me to promise that?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± She lowered her head to hide the troubled look on her face. ¡°It¡¯s kind of pathetic, but¡­um¡­ A long time ago, when I was still alone, Itaru-san told me someone would come for me someday. But my mom never showed up and neither did anyone else. I cried and cried, but I finally stopped once I realized the word ¡®someday¡¯ was just meant to comfort me.¡± She forced a smile to feign cheerfulness and said one last thing. ¡°Make sure you come back, Sayama-kun.¡± She clearly saw him nod and he even gave a slight smile as if telling her to calm down. ¡°Do not worry, Shinjou-kun. I will keep that promise and return to you. So¡­¡± He grabbed her shoulders and turned her toward the train on the third track. He seemed to be telling her to leave. She responded to that intention by nodding and starting to take her first step. ¡°Mh?¡± But he suddenly gave a quiet groan. What is it? she wondered while looking back. She found him frowning. ¡°I apologize for interrupting this moment, Shinjou-kun, but something is bothering me.¡± ¡°Eh? Wh-what is it? You mean that envelope?¡± After she turned toward him and tilted her head, he brought a hand to his chin and spoke in a heavy tone. ¡°Listen, Shinjou-kun. While you are away from me, you will find yourself in a certain situation for the first time.¡± Just as she tried to ask what that was, the doors of the upper and lower trains opened and people poured out onto the platform, but Sayama continued regardless. ¡°Will you be able to check on your body without my help during both day and night!?¡± He spoke quite loudly. The other people waiting for the train, the people leaving the train, the office worker playing a handheld game, and the conductor leaving the conductor¡¯s compartment all froze in place. Motionless silence filled the entire station and everyone focused on the two of them. At the center of that silent focus, Shinjou was unsure which option to choose. 1: Hit him. ¡ú I have a feeling he would view it as skinship and enjoy it. 2: Run away. ¡ú He would probably chase after me shouting the same thing over and over again. 3: Give up. ¡ú Mankind must not submit to the unreasonable. As her thoughts quickly heated up, he held out his hand. That hand held a piece of paper. ¡°Here, Shinjou-kun. This is a photo of my speech during the general student meeting the other day. Taking hidden photos of yourself is a very difficult task. ¡­This item was born from how superior you make me feel, but when you are working at a certain task during the day or night, feel free to use it if your imagination is not enough.¡± He took a breath and patted her shoulder twice with a reassuring smile. ¡°Do not worry about me. I can get by just fine with my imagination.¡± ¡°If your imagination is that good, then don¡¯t create these embarrassing situations!!!¡± She chose Option 4: tighten the necktie in front of her as much as she could. Volume 10, 6: Resentment’s Beginning Volume 10, Chapter 6: Resentment''s Beginning Howl and bite Test the strength of your fangs And¡­ Sound filled a lit room. Eleven fairly solid tones came from the clock on the wall. That sound reached the girl sitting in the large kotatsu at the center of the room. She had long black hair, her upper body was lying on top of the kotatsu, and her eyes were closed. She was asleep. The television in front of her was turned off and its dark screen reflected her face. Once the clock fell silent, only the girl¡¯s steady breathing could be heard. That was when the blanket on another side of the futon rose and a dog exited. The large white dog was almost a meter tall and he slowly crawled out from the kotatsu and circled around next to the girl. He then barked. His voice reverberated throughout the room and the girl frantically sat up. ¡°Kyah! Sh-Shiro! Don¡¯t bark. You¡¯ll disturb the neighbors.¡± She raised her eyebrows while scolding the dog and moved her left hand to hit him. However, he must have known she would not actually do so because he only stared at her hand as it stopped partway. The dog did not move and she frowned at the motionless dog¡¯s expression. ¡°Did something happen?¡± She strained her ears but could not hear anything. She brought her left hand to her chest where a blue stone pendant and a red cloisonn¨¦ pendant hung at her neck. She wrapped her fingers around them both and slowly stood. The floor creaked a little below her feet. The sound deepened her frown and she pressed a button on the TV remote sitting on the kotatsu. Light raced across the black screen, color filled it, and sound came from it. The sound belonged to a late-night show. ¡°Now! It¡¯s once again time for the World Execution Show!! Today¡¯s challenger is Incester Sisconsky who was arrested for his feelings toward his little sister! He¡¯s already warming up here in the Illinois Central Prison stage! Now, how are you feeling as you face 150 lashes with a metal whip while completely nude?¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna do my best!!¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s the spirit! If you can win here, our sponsor US-IAI will give you a year¡¯s supply of their new potable bath additive ¡®Dashi of Me¡¯! Now, this is a good time for an ad break!!¡± The girl had started nodding along, but the ad for the potable bath additive brought her back to her senses. She quickly moved to the wall while using the loud TV to hide her footsteps. A thick white coat hung on the wall. It was for training. For the most part, it was entirely white, but the name Shino was sewn on the inside of the collar in orange. She put her arms through the coat¡¯s sleeves and fastened the front. ¡°Shiro, come.¡± She opened the wood and glass door on the south side of the living room. There she found a dark hallway and the entranceway beyond it. ¡­It¡¯s cold. This space led outside and its air was cold and still. Shiro stepped out into the hallway first as if to lead the way and protect her. Slight cautious tension filled the dog¡¯s back. ¡­What is it? Shino was alone in the house at the moment, but the fact that Mikoku was not here bothered her even more. Mikoku would normally head out first, but she had gone to the factory tonight and she was not back yet. Hajji had apparently gone to get her, but he had not returned either. ¡­Maybe I should have gone too. But she doubted she could have gone even if she had wanted to. If she had, Mikoku would have said something. Lately, Mikoku hated it whenever Shino was involved in the fighting. It had started as warnings not to accept any of the Army¡¯s missions, but it had lately shifted to scolding her about taking part in the following day¡¯s attack or even going to help prepare at the factory. Mikoku was also trying to keep some distance between them. ¡­Why? Shino guessed Mikoku was trying to say that she would protect her because fighting was her job. She did think that was very like Mikoku, but¡­ ¡­Why can¡¯t I take part in a fight that will influence the world I¡¯ll be a part of? She had never asked that question. She had a feeling Mikoku would be unable to answer if she did. Even if she knew the answer, she would be unable to give it. That answer was something very close to her true thoughts. ¡­And she has trouble being honest. But that fear would vanish with the ending of the following day. Shino was one of the backup members for the attack. Mikoku had begged Hajji to change his mind, but Shino had done all her work just fine since summer, so there was no room for complaint. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay.¡± She muttered to herself in the dark hallway so both she and someone in her heart could hear. ¡°I can manage on my own.¡± She nodded and followed Shiro down the hall. The word ¡°chilly¡± seemed to gradually crawl up from the bottom of her feet. Her feet did produce footsteps down the hall, but the television in the living room drowned them out. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to introduce today¡¯s executioner! Let¡¯s see, he belongs to the Illinois Central Prison, he¡¯s ranked third in the World Execution League¡¯s heavyweight class, and he¡¯s gained the skill of a master in his thirty years of using the metal whip. Let¡¯s hear it for Markovic the Butcher!!¡± After some cheers and entrance music, cries of Incester or Marko echoed from the audience. Out of the corner of her eye, Shino saw a shirtless macho man wearing a triangular black mask, but she reluctantly stepped entirely out into the hallway. She walked the seven steps to the thick front door. ¡°¡­¡± Shiro arrived ahead of her and raised his tail while lowering his head. Shino stood behind as if hiding and focused her ears. ¡°Now, Markovic is going in for the attack! He attacks! He boldly attacks! He targets the crotch! The crotch! Three quick lashes to the crotch! And when the challenger shrinks back, he strikes the jaw from below! The challenger is completely on the defensive!!¡± ¡°Ahhhn! I-it hurts! But it feels so good!! Should I just go ahead and die!?¡± She was curious about what was happening there, but she instead focused her ears on the door in front of her. Someone was there. She could not see anyone in the patterned glass to the side of the door, but she sensed a presence. Someone was hiding right behind the door. The door did not have a peephole, but she could check on the intercom¡¯s LCD display that used the security camera below the entranceway roof. However, she did not want to create an opening by reaching for the intercom. And so she asked a question instead. ¡°Who is it?¡± Her voice filled the nighttime hallway and reached the door. ¡°It¡¯s me, it¡¯s me,¡± immediately replied a voice. ¡°It¡¯s me, it¡¯s me!!¡± ¡°I-if this is some kind of scam, I don¡¯t want any!!¡± ¡°Just open up. Are you going to leave a helper from 10th-Gear out in the cold autumn night?¡± Shino then remembered that Hajji had said something about bringing back a guest before heading to the factory. ¡­But why would 10th help us? And something else bothered her as well. ¡°Hajji isn¡¯t with you?¡± ¡°He said he had something to discuss with the factory manager and it isn¡¯t appropriate for a woman to hang around while men speak. Of course, that means us women need to turn our anger toward those men when we speak.¡± And¡­ ¡°You¡¯re Shino, right? Open up. I¡¯m carrying some pretty big luggage right now.¡± ¡°Luggage?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the girl named Mikoku. She¡¯s stubborn, so I had to kill her about seventeen times. That must have exhausted her because she went right to sleep.¡± Shino acted on reflex when she heard that. She ran past Shiro and to the door. ¡°You have Mikoku!?¡± She opened the door to the night, but she did not find what she had expected. Instead of the darkness of the night or the shadows of the neighborhood houses, she saw a large woman in a white coat and the muzzle of a gun. The cold steel pressed against her forehead left her speechless. ¡°This is the end, Shino,¡± said the woman beyond the gun. ¡°You are very kind, but that is exactly why this is the end. Remember this. On the battlefield, that kindness of yours will give you the final push toward death.¡± The gun lightly pushed her and she took a cold and heavy step backwards. Only then did she get a good look at the woman. She was a large woman that Shino had to tilt her head back to see. Above her thick body and past her coat¡¯s collar was the face of a hooked-nosed middle-aged woman. The woman¡¯s blue eyes were turned toward Shino. ¡°Oh? You certainly look like a good girl. You are one, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯ll live a long life. If you can stay alive, that is. But to do that, you need to follow the rules of good girls. Make sure you do that.¡± With that, she held out what was in her left hand: Mikoku in her work outfit. Mikoku¡¯s limbs and hair dangled limply down. However, Shino found herself unable to react to this sudden guest, what that guest looked like, and what that guest said. ¡­Um¡­ While hesitating over what to do, Shiro arrived at her right side. The dog peered at Mikoku¡¯s face and poked at her forehead with his nose. ¡°Nn¡­¡± Mikoku gave a troubled groan but did not wake. The woman lifted her up and away. ¡°Oops. It¡¯d be a shame to let the dog wake her. Shino, get me some food. I¡¯m starving and I need carbohydrates.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Jord, a survivor of 10th-Gear¡¯s gods. ¡­I¡¯m ¡®Betrayed Expectations¡¯ Jord. You can call me God or Jord-chan or whatever. What I want to be called changes on a whim, but never call me ¡®old lady¡¯. That¡¯s the rule. Got it? Now, let me in, Shino. And food. Get me some food.¡± Shino nodded, tapped Shiro¡¯s neck, and returned to the hallway. Jord passed through the door as if shaking her large body. ¡°Oh.¡± Mikoku struck the doorframe and Shino gave a quick ¡°ah¡± at the dull sound. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m not made for precision.¡± ¡°B-but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, so keep quiet. I don¡¯t like kids who get worked up over trivial details. If you¡¯re going to scold me, then I¡¯ll have to scold you for staying up so late. But I won¡¯t do that, so you don¡¯t say anything to me. And get me some food. No complaints about that, right?¡± Shino thought about it. She was worried about Mikoku¡¯s head and Jord was overly pushy, but she did not detect any hostility in the woman. It made a lot of sense once she thought of it like quieting an animal by giving it food. ¡°Then come in. And please remove your shoes.¡± She stepped back into the entranceway and Jord smiled. The corners of her mouth bent up, her eyes closed, and there was not a hint of sarcasm or ulterior motive behind the smile. ¡°Good. Children are best when they¡¯re honest, Shino. I¡¯ll be coming in then.¡± Jord bent her thick upper body in a bow. Shino had not expected the sudden action, so she was late to bow back. She made up for it by waiting a full three seconds before straightening back up. When she hesitantly raised her head, Jord was closing the door behind her. She hung Mikoku¡¯s back collar on the doorstopper and sat down in the entranceway. ¡°Ahh.¡± The floor creaked and the movement seemed to stir up the air. As she watched Jord remove her military boots one at a time, Shino confirmed her decision that the woman was not a bad person. ¡°Jord, why are you fighting UCAT?¡± ¡°Sticking your nose into a woman¡¯s secrets isn¡¯t a good idea. I have my reasons. Just remember that. You have your own reasons, right? It isn¡¯t good to ask for someone else¡¯s reasons without explaining your own. And I like good girls, Shino.¡± Jord sighed. ¡°I also don¡¯t approve of children staying up this late. Hajji needs to be more thoughtful. What is he doing?¡± ¡°Oh, um, but¡­¡± She started to bring up Mikoku, but cheers from the living room cut her off. ¡°I can¡¯t believe what I¡¯m seeing. The master is using the flexibility of the metal whip to strike his target¡¯s crotch from front to back. And it forms a compact blow filled with the consideration of a true master!¡± ¡°Ah! No! Ow! That really-¡­! Hwah! Hwaaaaahh!!¡± Jord glared in the direction of the realistically dubbed screams and cheers. ¡°I don¡¯t approve of that either.¡± Shino ran for the living room to change the channel. Below the night sky, a mountain range was steeped in deep darkness. The mountains were covered in forest and a narrow river and road ran through them. The road had white streetlights at distant intervals. Past the guardrails of the spottily lit road was a drop of around a dozen meters and rocky river bank. The river itself could not be seen in the darkness, but the loud sound of rushing water indicated its presence. A single sound and light moved quickly through the light, the darkness, and the sounds of the river. The sound was a motorcycle engine and the light was a headlight. The large-displacement motorcycle was an old Kawasaki and two people rode it. The driver was a well-built boy who wore a brown mountain jacket to fight the cold. He gently tilted the large motorcycle to either side as he took the corners. The one clinging to his back was a girl in a blue half coat. The banking motorcycle and the wind blew her short hair about as she looked forward over his shoulder. She was looking at the sky visible past the mountains and forest ahead. Despite being night, the sky was tinged with purple thanks to the lights in the mountain. She sighed and opened her mouth. ¡°IAI¡¯s lights are still on. Did UCAT order them to keep the lights on to help defend against a possible attacker?¡± ¡°Probably. This is starting to feel pretty serious. What do you think, Chisato?¡± The two of them, Izumo and Kazami, both looked to the brightness in the sky. They would occasionally pass below a streetlight and the sky¡¯s light would become difficult to make out. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like anything¡¯s happening. And they have Hiba, Mikage, Harakawa, Heo, and everyone from 2nd there, so they should be fine even if there is an attack.¡± ¡°Are you worried?¡± She paused before answering his question and she leaned against his back as she did so. ¡°I am worried.¡± She felt the wind as a chill in her ears. ¡°I just can¡¯t accept why Sayama would tell Team Leviathan to disband. ¡­What about you, Kaku? Aren¡¯t you worried with everyone splitting up at such a dangerous time?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine as long as you¡¯re with me.¡± ¡°Oh, my.¡± Kazami removed her cheek from his back and smiled bitterly. She was about to express her gratitude, but then she felt his back press against her cheek once more. However, he had not leaned back. She had been pushed forward. ¡°Kaku, why did you brake?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a checkpoint up ahead. And isn¡¯t that¡­?¡± As the motorcycle slowed down, she looked past his back and indeed saw a checkpoint. A ¡°no entry¡± sign had been set up and two large white RVs blocked the road. A red warning light lit up everything there. She then noticed that the RVs were UCAT¡¯s disguised security vehicles. ¡­It¡¯s a UCAT checkpoint? ¡°Looks like they¡¯re being really cautious about an attack. What a pain.¡± Kazami agreed with Izumo. However, she recognized the person waving the red warning light in front of one of the RVs. ¡°Ikkou-san?¡± She called out from the motorcycle that was now moving at a walking pace and Ikkou looked up. ¡°Oh.¡± A narrow-eyed smile formed below his gray hair. ¡°Sorry about the trouble. It¡¯s just that things have been quite dangerous recently.¡± ¡°Thanks for going to the trouble. ¡­Are the others still on the other side?¡± She pointed toward the bright sky past the mountain and Ikkou nodded. ¡°They should be. That¡¯s why we were forced out here.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Kazami shrunk down and lowered her head with a troubled look. ¡°Sorry. And it¡¯s so cold.¡± ¡°No, no, no. Do not worry about it. We have the UCAT director¡¯s approval for this job.¡± Ikkou lowered the warning light and lifted the ¡°no entry¡± sign. He then placed the sign in the gap between the two RVs blocking the road. ¡°Hey, Ikkou-san. Why are you blocking our way?¡± Kazami answered Izumo while hitting his shoulder. ¡°You idiot. It¡¯s a checkpoint, so even we need to show our IDs.¡± ¡°That is not why,¡± said Ikkou. He circled behind the RV on the valley river side and opened the trunk. He pulled something out and rested it on his shoulder. ¡°Two meters long. This is short for an Azure Dragon Sword.¡± He approached as he spoke and the solid footsteps of his leather shoes rang through the night air. The slow sound of the footsteps was joined by light in the Azure Dragon Sword¡¯s blade. Kazami had a sudden thought about the scene before her. ¡­Huh? ¡°W-wait a second, Ikkou-san. What is going on?¡± ¡°You cannot tell?¡± With that question, he arrived within three meters of them. His sword¡¯s maximum reach was two meters, so he only had to take a step forward to be in range. Kazami understood that much, but¡­ ¡­Eh? She could tell a forced smile had appeared on her lips, but not even she knew what it was meant to hide. She only knew that Ikkou was slowly raising the Azure Dragon Sword. ¡°Hey! Chisato!¡± Izumo¡¯s voice brought her back to her senses. She felt like a sudden adjustment had come over her vision. An attack was coming and it was coming from someone she knew, someone who had helped her for so long, and someone who had even saved her. ¡­Wh-why!? When doubt prevented you from moving, it was called hesitation. And as she hesitated, she saw Izumo¡¯s large back lower down as he prepared to move. When she did see him move, she finally realized it was okay for her to move as well. ¡­But what for? She knew the answer. It was only a possibility at this point, but it was likely true. ¡°Chisato! They were the attackers!!¡± ¡°Yes, I must apologize, but it was the four of us.¡± Once she realized that fact, she recalled the information on the attackers. First, the men who had attacked Izumo UCAT had been covered in black, but one had wielded an Azure Dragon Sword. Second, Gyes had said she knew them, but the match was not yet sufficient to make a public announcement. ¡­But¡­ ¡°Wh-what is going on!? Why would Doctor Chao¡¯s four brothers attack us!?¡± ¡°It is a simple matter. You could call us the illegitimate children of 7th-Gear. In other words, we ourselves are the Concept Core.¡± So¡­ ¡°How about we continue the Concept War?¡± With those words, Ikkou made his attack. He prepared to lower the raised Azure Dragon Sword along a diagonal path and it was clear what that path would do. ¡­He¡¯s trying to slice Kaku and me in two! He was serious. That confused Kazami, but she opened her mouth regardless. ¡°I can¡¯t accept this!!¡± She raised her right arm toward the sky. ¡°G-Sp2!!¡± Her shout travelled high into the sky. ¡°Come!! We need to put a stop to this nonsense!!!¡± A moment later, Ikkou¡¯s sword raced through the air. A slicing sound followed. Volume 10, 7: Victorious Treachery Volume 10, Chapter 7: Victorious Treachery And the cry turns to static The nighttime battle in the mountains began with the sound of breaking metal. As Ikkou swung his sword diagonally downwards, Izumo defended. Kazami saw him forcibly twist the motorcycle¡¯s accelerator. The large-displacement Kawasaki obediently responded to the sudden ¡°full speed ahead¡± command. The back wheel skidded a bit and pushed the bike forward. While the back wheel pushed forward at full speed, the front wheel lost and rose up. As if assisting the motorcycle¡¯s standing motion, Izumo swung up the hand holding the accelerator. The rising vehicle was knocked toward Ikkou as if it had been kicked away. Izumo then wrapped his right arm around Kazami¡¯s waist and kicked off the seat to jump backwards with her. ¡­Wow. Izumo forcibly rotated around once and entered a low landing stance. She spun with him and her vision pointed in the same direction as his. That was the front. The front wheel rose like a snake¡¯s head and the motorcycle crashed into Ikkou. Or more accurately, into his sword. With the sound of scraping metal, the motorcycle was split in two along a horizontal line. A silver line ran from left to right through the center of the seat. The vehicle was made from plenty of metal, various components, and a thick frame, but it was all bisected as easily as tofu. Kazami thought to herself while watching the heavy metal pieces collapse to either side. ¡­Is this a dream? About a month before, she had been given a similar dream while fighting Roger of American UCAT. In that dream, the motorcycle had been split apart by a strange power. But that had been a false dream. This was not. ¡°So you¡¯re an enemy.¡± With that comment, Izumo removed his right arm from her waist. His eyes were looking past the motorcycle on the ground. They were trained on Ikkou. ¡°Come.¡± The unusually low tone to his voice worried Kazami a little. ¡°Kaku.¡± She called out to him, but he did not turn toward her. Another voice then supported her worry. ¡°Now, how about I show you my brother¡¯s fixed concept? Mitsuaki.¡± Ikkou¡¯s words were followed by a voice resembling the one produced by her own throat. This was the voice of a concept. The voice spoke to another world that rejected the current one. ¡ªThere is no mutual understanding. With the sound of shattering glass, the world transformed. After hearing the concept text, Kazami lost everything. ¡­Eh? She understood what the concept meant. She could no longer comprehend any information the external world sent her way. It was a version of 2nd-Gear¡¯s Art of Walking that encompassed the entire external world and could not be broken. She understood the idea, but¡­ ¡­It can¡¯t be broken? She could see and she could hear, but she could not understand what was happening around her. She could see Ikkou standing beyond the wreckage of the motorcycle. She could see him holding the Azure Dragon Sword. However, she could not understand what it was she was seeing and hearing. ¡°Is this¡­!?¡± Her ability to comprehend how she felt about her surroundings was completely lacking. ¡­What about Kaku!? Wanting to know what he was doing, she turned left, but then she gasped. Why she gasped was simple: she could not grasp that he was to her left. He was to her left. She could see him there. Nevertheless, she could not find him. Normally, seeing him would provide her with the information that ¡°he is there¡±, but that information would not reach her. As she turned left toward him, her gaze continued right on past him. She had already turned to the dark night behind her. ¡­I don¡¯t know where he is. She could not tell if he was there or not. To sum it up¡­ ¡­We have no mutual understanding. This was a world of only her own information. She had nothing to compare to, so she could not even conclude that she was wrong. Suddenly, her memories called forth a similar fact. Something much like this had happened recently. ¡­When Team Leviathan was ordered to temporarily disband. She rebuked herself for thinking about that now, but she could not stop her thoughts. ¡°I can¡¯t understand it, I can¡¯t find a solid answer, and the world is absolute.¡± ¡­What can I possibly do!? While asking herself that, she still decided to move. But that was when she heard a voice. However, it was a voice that¡¯s very existence she could not comprehend. While desiring her next action, she heard that incomprehensible voice. ¡°Can you not move?¡± She heard it, but she did not know what it said. She faced forward. She knew the enemy was most likely there. She turned to face not an enemy she could see but one she could predict was there. But just as she tried to step toward that enemy¡­ ¡°¡­¡± She could not move. No. The truth was she did not want to move. She knew why. If she stayed there, she could at least know where the enemy and Izumo had been at first. ¡­But if I take even a single step, I won¡¯t even know where I am. The thought of losing her own reference point made her shudder and panic. She knew she had to move, but her body was trapped by the fear of not knowing where she was going. The pressure in the bottom of her feet told her the ground was below them. ¡°But I don¡¯t know where the enemy is!¡± If she lifted a foot, she would no longer even know the ground was there. Like carelessly taking a wrong step on a staircase, she might not know where to step and miss the ground altogether. Then she would fall and not even be able to stand. ¡­Dammit. Her anger formed words. ¡°Why? Why did it all have to end up like this!?¡± She felt urgency in her gut due to a variety of things and she let out the thoughts that could not reach anyone. ¡°Why!?¡± ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± White light leaked out of the small building of Okutama Station. The white-walled building resembled a mountain cottage and Sayama crossed his arms in front of it. He spoke to what lay beyond his gaze and beyond the shadows formed by the light extending from the open building. ¡°Doctor Chao, why are you waiting for me here?¡± He looked at Chao and his eyes narrowed in on the slender face of that girl-like woman. Chao then spoke with her mouth twisting into what might have been a smile. ¡°Well, there¡¯s a lot I¡¯d like to say. But are you sure this is a good idea? Are you really heading into the mountains unarmed when someone could attack?¡± ¡°Okutama is my home ground, I am familiar with the land, and I have not forgotten¡­¡± He thought while he spoke. Due to Team Leviathan temporary disbanding, he had not brought any UCAT products with him. Besides what he had borrowed from the Tamiya family, he had brought a few other necessities. For example, the handheld digital recorder with an edited compilation of Shinjou¡¯s voice, his Shinjou album, a full set of Shinjou goods, and¡­ ¡­With my imagination, I have more than enough! He nodded and spoke to Chao with a relieved look. ¡°I have not forgotten anything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what that was about, but I¡¯m glad to hear it.¡± She glared at him and he tilted his head. ¡°But,¡± he began. ¡°Why have you shown up just before my delightful mountain-climbing trip? Do you have something to say concerning the current cultural exchange between my former teammates and the four old brothers?¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯re pretty sharp.¡± Chao had a smile in her tone, pulled a cigarette from her white coat¡¯s pocket, and placed the paper cylinder between her lips. ¡°Well, it wouldn¡¯t have been too hard to figure out if you gave it some thought. Four brothers of unknown origin were working underneath me, the person in charge of 7th-Gear.¡± She raised her head which indeed held a smile. It was a pale smile with the eyebrows slightly lowered. ¡°I¡¯m guessing the reason no one else figured it out was that they couldn¡¯t bring themselves to believe it. But you seem to be different, grandson of Sayama. You will take us on, won¡¯t you? Let¡¯s see, right now you¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°Team Leviathan has been freely disbanded.¡± ¡°So should I call you the main force of Japanese UCAT?¡± With that, she removed the cigarette and exhaled smoke. The smoke spread through the air, but she opened a hole by breathing out her next breath and the two of them faced each other through it. ¡°You actually saved us by catching up before those four reached their limit. And that¡¯s why you need to be tested to see if Low-Gear is worthy of receiving 7th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core.¡± ¡°Can you not accomplish that via the Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°This is the Leviathan Road, grandson of Sayama. This is the same negotiation you have brought to the other Gears. The only difference is that 7th-Gear is taking it to you this time. Yes, just like before.¡± ¡°Just like before?¡± Chao smiled bitterly at Sayama¡¯s question. ¡°That¡¯s right. On September 29 of 1945, people from 7th-Gear invaded the Izumo Company, but they left without killing anyone or destroying anything. Do you know why?¡± ¡°A simple question: because they were curious.¡± What a boring question, thought Sayama as he answered and stepped forward. After approaching through the darkness by one step, he adjusted the bag on his back. ¡°Doctor Chao, you have altered your body to extend your life, but when was that done? Based on your apparent age, was it done during the Concept War so you could battle 7th-Gear? And it was most likely done using the 7th-Gear techniques you had acquired at that point. Am I wrong?¡± Even as he asked, he continued speaking. ¡°Based on the four brothers, I can guess 7th-Gear excelled at techniques to strengthen the human body. And as the Divine States-World Interaction Theory places it in China, I can also guess it was the world of the sage gods. They had mastered everything they could as people, so they attempted the final task they had left. In other words¡­¡± An old man¡¯s voice continued from Sayama¡¯s right. It was Nijun¡¯s voice. ¡°They gathered together the ultimate power they had gained through their various forms of training. They combined the individual sage gods¡¯ powers and created the ultimate of the ultimate.¡± ¡°And that is the four of you?¡± Nijun, the old man in a white coat, appeared from the darkness, but he did not nod. Instead, Chao blew out some smoke. ¡°It was funny. When they invaded again, they completely cornered us, but they rejoiced when they saw the human modification facility I had built below Japanese UCAT.¡± ¡°They had found someone in this boring Gear who understood them. 7th-Gear viewed their human modification techniques as entertainment, so it must have been a shock to them. They realized the people of this ridiculous Gear could ¡®enjoy themselves¡¯ just as they could. Doctor Chao, that was why they invited you to 7th-Gear, wasn¡¯t it? And as for you four brothers¡­¡± Sayama turned to Nijun. ¡°The residents of 7th-Gear created the ultimate power by combining with their Concept Core. Are you that Core¡¯s borrowed form after it was split in four?¡± He took a step back from Nijun as he spoke. He turned to the side to prepare for a fight, but Nijun quietly shook his head. ¡°Sayama-sama, people will notice us here and I am the shyest of my brothers.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Sayama while maintaining his defensive stance. ¡­What is the situation? Chao was there and some of the other brothers might have been there too. He told himself not to let his guard down while Chao waved her right hand back and forth. ¡°Don¡¯t be in such a rush, grandson of Sayama. We¡¯ve waited for sixty years. While modifying those four on the other side, I spent an even longer time in a space that seemed to distort time. ¡­So we can wait a little longer. Oh, I know. How about until you¡¯ve had time to look around in the mountains? We can do this once you come down.¡± ¡°In other words, you plan to interrupt me while I am happily descending the mountain with thoughts of Shinjou-kun in my head?¡± Still ready for a fight, Sayama glared at the other two. ¡°I am willing to do it here. How about you?¡± His question was answered by a movement from Chao. She took a step to the side to move from his path away from the station and she shrugged. ¡°I stand on the side of 7th-Gear since they invited me as a guest. I¡¯ve sent in my letter of resignation along with theirs. ¡­But I won¡¯t interfere. I¡¯ll just watch on and make sure they can do this properly.¡± With that, she put her hand in her white coat¡¯s pockets. ¡°And since you¡¯re going mountain-climbing, let me give you a piece of meaningless information. The only two who went to Professor Kinugasa¡¯s home looking for documents on Georgius were your father and your mother.¡± ¡°My mother? Why?¡± ¡°That¡¯s simple. She was helping your father. She was the one that actually found Professor Kinugasa¡¯s documents. Do you know why they needed them?¡± ¡°Was it for a battle? Perhaps a large-scale one in Osaka?¡± Sayama¡¯s words received a whistle in response. Chao sent the noise into the sky. ¡°Nicely said. I can¡¯t tell you anything else, so if you want to know more, go play with those four. ¡­Listen. If you defeat them, they will give you the Concept Core and some information on the past. After all, those four brothers fought in that Osaka battle.¡± ¡°!?¡± ¡°Those related to the Leviathan Road are forbidden to reveal the past, but this is a special case since we brought the fight to you. That rule no longer applies. Even if it¡¯s only a few fragments of information, you should come to understand quite a bit.¡± As she spoke, Nijun swayed in the corner of Sayama¡¯s vision. The old man was about to vanish so he could wait in the battlefield he would share with Sayama. ¡°¡­!¡± Sayama immediately began to move. He took an instantaneous step that flowed into a right roundhouse kick. It was a demonstration for the opponent and a feint meant to keep the man from escaping. If the man was not planning to fight now, it meant he was not prepared. That meant Sayama could not let him escape. The suddenness and the distance between them precluded a clean hit, but the feint of a kick was the first step to reach one. ¡°¡­!?¡± However, Sayama both saw and realized that his own body would not move in the slightest. ¡­What? Confusion filled his motionless body. Even as a feint, he had poured all his strength into the kick, but his body remained in the defensive stance from before. He could not move. ¡­What is this? ¡°That is Nijun¡¯s concept. Sayama, he might just be the worst possible opponent for you.¡± He heard Chao speak, but Nijun was nowhere to be seen. As he wondered when the man had vanished, Chao¡¯s voice filled the chilly night air around him. ¡°Let us enjoy this, grandson of Sayama. And I hope your teammates do the same. 7th-Gear desired a satisfying destruction after fulfilling their own enjoyment. Once they reached the climax of their happiness, they wished to welcome in the end and entrust themselves to the next generation.¡± And¡­ ¡°Can you accept 7th-Gear¡¯s happiness? Can you lead those four brothers to destruction not through a harsh battle, but through enjoyment? Can you use these battles to give them a happiness that exceeds that of 7th-Gear which left everything to me and was destroyed?¡± Her questions resounded and hung in the air, but finally silence washed over their surroundings along with a warm night wind. Sayama heard dried leaves scattering across the small space in front of the station building. His eyes looked to his own shadow on the asphalt and Chao beyond it. ¡°Quite a one-sided proposition. But either away, I have no objection to enjoying all things, but making it obligatory will cost you.¡± He looked up to a place a bit lower than the heavens. The mountains of Okutama formed a darkness even deeper than the night. After the span of a breath, he spoke while staring into that darkness. ¡°I just hope my former teammates can enjoy it.¡± ¡°Will they be okay? According to Hiba¡¯s grandson, Kazami and the others aren¡¯t accepting your temporary disbanding of Team Leviathan.¡± ¡°Even I am half in doubt about it.¡± As he spoke, Sayama walked forward. His leather shoes produced steady footsteps and he arrived next to Chao. ¡°But I believe it is necessary. If you will delightfully and happily oppose us, then the reason I had Team Leviathan disband will become all the more obvious.¡± Chao asked a question as he approached. ¡°Do you mean you are implicitly telling them to back off now because it is dangerous? Are you telling the members of Team Leviathan to leave the front lines because the battle is about to grow even more dangerous?¡± Sayama gave his answer while walking past her. He smiled ever so slightly. ¡°¡­¡± And then he gave his parting words. ¡°Farewell, Doctor Chao.¡± He passed by her and continued walking. He made his way into the Okutama mountains and to the path that would take him forward. He did not bother turning back toward the late autumn wind. Kazami could not move. She was in a space where she could not know what to do. Part of her said she had to do something and another part of her told her to give up because she could not do anything, so she was left unable to choose either option. The word impatience filled her heart. She could not comprehend anything in her field of vision and nothing that entered her ears held any meaning to her. All she could understand was herself. ¡­But¡­ If she did not understand her opponent, she could not fight. She saw someone else step out of one of the RVs blocking the road. It was a short-haired old man in a white coat, but she did not know who he was or even that he had left the RV. A meaningless voice reached her. ¡°Brother Ikkou, how is my fixed concept working?¡± ¡°Mitsuaki, it is a little short on fun, but it is very effective. It is incredibly hard to use.¡± ¡°Then what will you do? This is plenty fun for me.¡± ¡°Well, to increase my fun, why not give Kazami-sama and Izumo-sama a single chance.¡± ¡°A single chance?¡± Ikkou nodded at Mitsuaki¡¯s question. At that point, something appeared from the northern sky beyond the mountain. They were two lines of light. Each light had a weapon at the front: the white spear named G-Sp2 and the white sword named V-Sw. Those weapons were very familiar to Kazami. ¡°¡­¡± But she could not understand what was flying their way. At the same time, her own senses brought a question to mind. ¡­Shouldn¡¯t G-Sp2 and V-Sw be arriving about now? How long had it been since she had shouted the name of that trustworthy weapon? She raised her right hand and waited for a sensation in her palm. She could not comprehend light or sound in this world, but she could faintly feel the sensation of the ground below her feet. She was not feeling the repelling force of the ground itself. She was feeling the pressure as the skin on the bottom of her feet was pressed into her flesh by the ground. Because she could only understand herself in this world, she could easily understand the sensations of her own body. She would feel something in her palm because something had flown into her hand. The moment after that was her chance to attack. She remembered where her opponent had been the moment before entering the concept space. She had not moved a step, so there was not much to mislead her. Once she had her weapon in hand, she could run across the unseen ground and attack the enemy¡¯s estimated location. That¡¯s enough, she thought. ¡°!¡± In that instant, what she wanted reached her hand. ¡°G-Sp2!¡± Her reflexes immediately accomplished everything. She felt G-Sp2¡¯s handle slip into her hand. Its speed had not dropped, so G-Sp2 must not have been able to comprehend her either. She forced it to a stop by squeezing her right hand around it. It was hers now. The brief friction heat in her palm made it feel like she had grabbed fire, but she did not care. The sense of heat was reassuring in this sensationless space. She forcibly spun G-Sp2 around to ensure it was there. She pointed the tip forward as if thrusting it. ¡°¡­!!¡± And she ran. She ran across the visible yet unseen ground to reach the enemy she could see yet could not locate. Her first step felt a little low, so she raised her hips on the second step. That second step felt tilted to the right, so she steadied her footing on the third step. She ran. She raised G-Sp2 in order to swing it toward where she estimated the enemy to be. That location was a bit to her right. There was one reason she had chosen the right. ¡­Kaku is on the left. He had held her on the right when getting off the motorcycle, so he would be on the left. She knew he would have called in V-Sw, but he lacked the same burst of speed she had. That meant she would be out ahead of him. If she charged in on the right and drove the enemy to the left, she would be sending them right in Izumo¡¯s attack. She was certain he was thinking of the same cooperation. ¡­Yes. She agreed in her heart, nodded with her body, and continued to soar onward. She stepped forward to attack with the speed of her run and poured her entire body into jabbing the spear tip forward. G-Sp2 would not know what was going on as she held it. ¡­Sorry. This must be scary. I¡¯ll explain later, once we leave this incomprehensible concept space. So bear with it until then, she pleaded. Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re strong. Then the moment she had hoped for arrived. She collided with something. Starting with a pressure in her hand, the impact spread throughout her body. A sensation like breaking through a wall spread from her hand to her arm, her arm to her shoulder, and her shoulder to her entire body. Soon, she shifted to press her entire bodyweight forward. Something had stopped the spear tip. It had been blocked. By what? she wondered, while also thinking, We¡¯ve won. Their enemy wielded only an Azure Dragon Sword. With the skill to slice apart a motorcycle, he could likely stop her spear with just the sword tip, but it was still just an Azure Dragon Sword. It could not defeat G-Sp2 which contained 10th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core. Kazami instantly operated the console. ¡°Change to your second form.¡± When G-Sp2 had flown to her, the shield portion had already been attached below the tip, so the cannon form could be quickly completed. If she fired while their blades were locked, she could easily destroy the Azure Dragon Sword. And meanwhile¡­ ¡­Kaku will arrive and attack the defenseless opponent. ¡°Fire the-¡­¡± ¡°Are you sure, Kazami-sama?¡± She heard a voice but did not understand its meaning. She could feel the movements of G-Sp2 transforming in her hands and it would soon finish. Afterwards, she only needed to hit the firing switch. ¡°Kazami-sama, are you having fun?¡± The incomprehensible voice arrived again. ¡°Then allow me to provide even more fun. Mitsuaki, please release your fixed concept. I wish to show them my fixed concept and the concept weapon we stole from Izumo UCAT.¡± A moment later, Kazami heard a voice. ¡ªStrength is infinite. Finally hearing a voice from the outside world surprised her. Having gone for so long without hearing anything caused the concept text to sound all the louder. And that was not all. ¡°Eh?¡± The world around her changed. Comprehension returned to the incomprehensible world. Kazami saw the darkness around her and a small light. The darkness was the night that filled the sky and the light was the white streetlight illuminating the area. She stood on the asphalt and she held a long white spear. The spear had transformed to its cannon form, but the pointed tip had been blocked by the Azure Dragon Sword. The wind blew. ¡°¡­¡± The cold air travelled up into the night from behind her. That wind that seemed to well up from the ground gave her a chill and she narrowed her eyes. Only then did she grasp the situation. ¡°Why?¡± A word wrapped in dazed confusion escaped her lips. Ahead of her, Ikkou held an Azure Dragon Sword in his left hand. That was the sword that had stopped G-Sp2, but¡­ ¡°Two of them!?¡± The fact before her eyes answered her question. Ikkou also held an Azure Dragon Sword in his right hand. The thick metal blade reflected the light and¡­ ¡­It blocked V-Sw. Izumo stood to her left. His eyebrows were slightly raised and he tried to press V-Sw against the Azure Dragon Sword. However, Ikkou remained motionless. He was holding back their full strength with the weapons he held in a single arm. As she wondered how, he tilted his head. ¡°Hm,¡± he muttered. ¡°This is Rowless, the concept weapon I stole. Don¡¯t worry. It is a weak weapon. It is made with simple steel, but it easily breaks. To make up for that, it can reproduce itself nearly infinitely.¡± Izumo snorted at the old man¡¯s explanation. ¡°For being such weak Azure Dragon Swords, they¡¯re sure stopping our weapons easily enough, Ikkou-san.¡± Kazami nearly nodded in agreement, but she realized she could not agree. ¡­He isn¡¯t blocking us with the Azure Dragon Swords. Ikkou had no strength gathered in his arms. ¡°Kazami-sama seems to have noticed. This is thanks to my fixed concept that activated just now.¡± The concept text had said strength is infinite. ¡°Inside the concept space I control, all weapons have their strength set to infinite. These small blades and your weapons all have identically infinite attack power. And¡­¡± And¡­ ¡°If they have any power in reserve, it will be drawn out.¡± Kazami heard two sounds. They were high-pitched groans coming from the weapons in her and Izumo¡¯s hands. G-Sp2 and V-Sw almost seemed to be screaming. ¡°W-wait! What is it, G-Sp2!?¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The color green filled G-Sp2¡¯s console and a single value appeared there. ¡°18%.¡± The percentage increased along with the machine¡¯s loud scream. It reached nineteen, twenty, and then jumped to the thirties too quickly to count. ¡°G-Sp2!?¡± The weapon shook as if writhing in agony. The irregular shaking formed waves as if the individual shakes were synchronizing and the entire device seemed to jump up. V-Sw was doing the same and Izumo was operating the console in a frantic attempt to restrain the sword¡¯s vibrations. But they would not stop. Both shaking weapons emitted voices loud enough to echo off the surrounding forest and they gathered wind around themselves. They almost seemed to be entering their third forms on their own. They were out of control. To obey the will of the Concept Cores, the weapons drew out their power to the very limit. That power had constructed an entire world and the force that usually restrained them was releasing it with no attempt to stop it. ¡­Wait! The console¡¯s value jumped to the forty percent range. A chill ran down Kazami¡¯s spine. During the battle with 5th-Gear the month before, she had measured an output of 38%. That had only partially produced 10th-Gear¡¯s concept dragon, but it had still covered around a dozen kilometers in the sky and devoured the 5th-Gear mechanical dragons like nothing. She now saw an even higher number in her hands. It had easily reached and exceeded the power she could draw out herself. She shuddered. ¡°W-wait!¡± The vibration in her hands had grown to the level of an impact. A moment later, G-Sp2 and V-Sw both transformed. They revealed their third forms. ¡°¡­!?¡± But Kazami looked past G-Sp2 as it rose up in front of her. Ikkou kept his two blades pressed against the rampaging G-Sp2 and V-Sw¡¯s blades. Firework-like sparks scattered from the points of contact and lit up the area. Light began to leak from the gaps in G-Sp2 and V-Sw¡¯s cowlings. They could not contain their own power inside. ¡­Not good! She cried out in her heart at the same moment Ikkou spoke. ¡°Isn¡¯t this fun, Kazami-sama, Izumo-sama?¡± ¡°Wh-what are you talking about!? If they go off here, you¡¯ll be blown away too!¡± ¡°You are bearers of power. Don¡¯t you find it fun to be able to use that power at its maximum?¡± She did not understand what he meant. Power was dangerous. Knowing that fact was one of the duties of those who fought. ¡­How can you enjoy it? She instantly pulled G-Sp2 back. She wanted to remove the restraint of the Azure Dragon Sword and then think. ¡­I need to defeat this enemy before they explode!! Her initial burst of speed would decide everything, so the moment after pulling G-Sp2 back, she thrust the tip toward the enemy¡¯s gut. It was a swift attack. The light leaking from the tip and the gaps of the cowling trailed behind it like mist and formed a straight line. The white light raced toward the enemy¡¯s gut. ¡°I see you still do not understand.¡± Ikkou swung down the Azure Dragon Sword in his left hand. The steel sword collided with the spear that bore a Concept Core and attempted to pierce him with that light. ¡°Trying to attack with a weapon that is not yet even halfway to infinite? How boring.¡± With those words, one of the weapons was destroyed. That weapon was the large white spear. The destruction greatly resembled shattering glass. Kazami first saw a point about halfway up the spear tip swell out a bit. A moment later, the white external cowling split and burst almost all the way to the handle. The inner frame was covered in squeezing cracks and it expanded before bursting as well. The thirty centimeter protective cylinder guarding the Concept Core was released the instant the impact hit and it prepared to be ejected outside. ¡°It hurts.¡± That message appeared just before the console blacked out and the protective cylinder was contained by the part of the external cowling that had not been fully destroyed. However, the destruction did not end there. Kazami felt pain in her hands. The pain resembled grabbing a handful of thumbtacks. The handle she held was also covered in cracks. ¡°Wha-¡­?¡± When she turned around, she saw the third form¡¯s foot pedal bend and then break and she saw the vertical tail wing shatter like a glass panel hit by a stone. Finally, the entire white cowling burst like a firework. G-Sp2 had been destroyed. ¡°!?¡± Even as the fragments tore at her hands and skin, Kazami watched. She saw G-Sp2 stop as if it had lost a battle of strength. ¡°You¡¯re kidding¡­¡± She blankly stared at the mass of metal remaining in her hands. She waved it a little, but it simply felt heavy and lacked the life of a weapon. She noticed that the protective cylinder inside the tip had left its proper spot. 10th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core was held inside that. With it removed, the console was silent and its owner could feel the weapon¡¯s weight once more. Would G-Sp2 return to normal if that cylinder was restored to its proper place? Would the weight vanish, would words appear on the console, would the damage disappear, and would it be able to fight again? Kazami subconsciously reached for the protective cylinder. Only once her hand touched the metal cylinder did she realize her hand was covered in blood. She also realized it hurt. ¡°Ah.¡± She finally remembered what she was trying to do and what the situation was. When she looked up, she saw a raised Azure Dragon Sword. Ikkou was swinging the left blade toward her. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± It¡¯s over, she thought. I can¡¯t avoid it. The weight left in my hands is too much. More importantly, her legs suddenly refused to move. Her experience told her where the sword would arrive: ten centimeters below her neck. With the speed and thickness of the blade¡­no, while inside this concept space, the sword would slice her in two. At least it won¡¯t cut my face apart, she thought in her horribly calm yet somehow lacking state of mind. She would be cut through. But just before she was, three things rushed in front of her. One was a large white sword. Another was Izumo¡¯s body. And the last was his voice. ¡°Oh¡­¡± That vowel sound extended on and on as his giant body moved between her and the blade. V-Sw collided with the Azure Dragon Sword and loudly shattered. Simply put, he had saved her. But Ikkou did something else. He had already swung the Azure Dragon Sword in his right hand. ¡°¡­¡± The second sword silently came from the left like a cold wind. The blade¡¯s trajectory and length could reach both Izumo and Kazami who he was trying to protect. It would slice through her below the chest and him above the waist. No, she thought. But not even she knew what that word in her heart meant. She could not say if she was stating that it was over for them or if she was protesting the situation. She simply thought the word ¡°no¡±. And then Izumo took action. He sent his weapon crashing into the Azure Dragon Sword. He used the most primitive weapon provided by the human body: the fist. What happened when two infinite weapons collided? Kazami saw the answer. Both of them were destroyed. The Azure Dragon Sword burst to pieces like a spray of water. ¡°Kaku!!¡± Starting from Izumo¡¯s left fist, cracks ran halfway up his forearm and the arm was smashed to pieces. A dark spray was thrown into the night air. Kazami heard a scream and guessed it was Izumo¡¯s. The loud scream seemed to extend on and on. But as she listened, she realized something. The voice she heard did not belong to Izumo who collapsed before her eyes. ¡­That¡¯s my scream. ¡°Ahh!¡± Her cry resounded through the night sky. Volume 10, 8: Troublesome Visit Volume 10, Chapter 8: Troublesome Visit You cannot reach them You cannot reach them You end up distancing yourself A white automatic door slid open with a rumble to reveal the area beyond. A paper with the word ¡°open¡± on it was placed on the door which led to a room. The white room gave a view from four stories up and an old man sat at the large desk inside. The man wore a lab coat and glasses and he quickly looked away from the computer when he saw who had entered the room. ¡°Ah! I-I wasn¡¯t doing anything inappropriate, Brunhild-kun! I certainly wasn¡¯t enjoying a self-made 18+ game while I worked on it! After all, it¡¯s still in debug!¡± ¡°There¡¯s more than enough reason for you to die, Ooshiro, but make sure you answer my question before falling into an eternal sleep that is anything but peaceful.¡± Brunhild wore a school uniform, had a small bird on her head, and was accompanied by a black cat at her feet. Ooshiro reacted in two different ways: he brought a hand to his forehead and he spoke with a sigh. ¡°Ahh, sorry, Brunhild-kun. Could you ask one thing of me at a time? What do you want first?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. First, fall into eternal sleep.¡± ¡°I thought your question came first!¡± He spun around while shouting and a set of knuckles struck him from the side. He rose into the air before falling back to the floor while #8 continued cleaning the window next to him. ¡°Testament. That reaction was directly from the manual. I do not detect the slightest problem. I am emotionally stable.¡± ¡°Th-that was a really solid hit! #-#8-kun, are you prepared to take responsibility for this!?¡± ¡°Testament,¡± she replied while pulling a cellphone from her pocket. ¡°Internal line #259? I have some burnable trash awaiting disposal. I take full responsibility for-¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want that kind of responsibility!!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Wait just a second, doll. My business comes first.¡± Brunhild crossed her arms. ¡°Besides, burning him isn¡¯t enough to get rid of him. The air currents will carry the rising smoke and pollute the world. When it rains, all of us will be soaked with Ooshiro rain.¡± ¡°Testament. I have determined that would be dangerous. I was too careless. I will take responsibility and find another method for disposing of him. ¡­Anyway, what do you need, Brunhild-sama?¡± ¡°Well, I hear Team Leviathan disbanded and Izumo and Kazami were injured.¡± ¡°That is not entirely accurate.¡± Brunhild raised an eyebrow and the cat tapped on her shin, so she kicked it. ¡°What isn¡¯t accurate? Are Kazami and Izumo okay?¡± ¡°Testament,¡± replied a voice from the corridor. Brunhild looked over her shoulder and saw someone in a white combat coat enter the room. ¡°Sibyl? How are Kazami, Sayama, and the others?¡± ¡°Testament. Sayama-sama has left for Professor Kinugasa¡¯s home in the Okutama mountain range and Shinjou-sama has left for Sakai. Chisato-sama is unharmed because we arrived shortly after Izumo-sama protected her.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Both Brunhild¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly and Sibyl closed her eyes. ¡°Izumo-sama¡¯s left forearm and hand were completely lost and he has yet to regain consciousness. Neither of their weapons have shown any signs of life even after some simple repairs. Also¡­¡± She opened her eyes and looked directly at Brunhild as if that were all she could do. ¡°Chisato-sama refuses to leave Izumo-sama¡¯s side¡­and she will not speak with anyone else or even look them in the eye.¡± The light in Sibyl¡¯s eyes wavered. ¡°Ah,¡± muttered Brunhild with a frown just before Sibyl looked up to the ceiling. ¡°Wahhhhh! Chisato-sama won¡¯t speak with me! I know I¡¯ve been focusing on Mikage-sama more recently and I know I haven¡¯t been keeping up with her diet notebook, but this is too much! What¡¯s wrong with a little fat!? What¡¯s wrong with a soft body!? That only applies to Chisato-sama, though!¡± Sibyl ran out into the corridor in tears and Brunhild glared after her. #8 turned her back to resume cleaning the window. Ooshiro faced his computer and made comments of ¡°good¡± and ¡°yes¡± which Brunhild decided she would rather not know any more about. Those two were clearly intending to ignore Sibyl, so Brunhild nodded toward Ooshiro in particular. She then took in a breath, opened her mouth wide, and shouted into the corridor. ¡°Ooshiro made Sibyl cry!!¡± ¡°Whaaaaat!?¡± Several dozen confused replies came over the broadcast system, soon followed by the sound of a group posing. ¡°Let¡¯s go, everyone! It¡¯s eavesdropping time!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s eavesdropping time!!!!¡± Suddenly, all sound vanished from Japanese UCAT save a voice in the corridor. ¡°Wahhhhhh! Chisato-samaaaaaa!!¡± Once the echoing crying settled down, Ooshiro frantically stood up. ¡°B-Brunhild-kun, how could you lie about this!? Something bad is going to happen to me!¡± Meanwhile, an unseen judgment was given. It began by trapping him. The external defense shutters closed over all the windows to keep the prey from escaping. She had been cleaning the windows, so #8 briefly looked at the inside of the closed shutter. ¡°I have determined cleaning the outside of the windows will be harder now.¡± With that, she stuck the detergent container and rag between the window and shutter and used gravitational control to clean it from the outside. Ooshiro gave an impressed nod but then turned toward Brunhild in sudden realization. ¡°O-oh, no! I can¡¯t escape!!¡± ¡°Why not escape through the floor like usual?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! I can do that!! ¡­Secret Technique: Floorboard Reversal!!¡± With that shout, he stomped on the floor with his right foot. This activated a mechanism in the floor and one of the floorboards audibly hopped upwards. He peered down and found a Japanese UCAT combat personnel aiming a rifle up at him. The metal barrel and the red laser point extending from it were trained directly on his forehead. The man wore a gas mask and Ooshiro wore his glasses, so the two exchanged a glance through their respective lenses. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± Ooshiro frantically stomped the floorboard closed on top of the soldier below and someone started banging from below. He jumped up and down a few times to force it down and then pulled instant glue and self-defense gas spray from his pocket. He glued the floorboard to the ground and stuck the gas spray nozzle into the remaining gap. ¡°Take this! It¡¯s our new product ¡®My Breath ¨C Yakiniku, the Morning After¡¯!!¡± After the sound of spraying, a shout of agony came from below the floor before vanishing. Ooshiro continued spraying for a full five seconds after the resistance ended and then he stood up. ¡°Hm. That was a close one.¡± He stepped from the sealed floorboard and onto another one. This time, the mechanism opened a portion of the ceiling. A man in stealth equipment dangled upside down from the hole. Ooshiro reacted by jumping up to close the ceiling while grabbing ¡°It Tingles!¡±, a stun gun that could be locked in the ¡°on¡± setting, and alley-ooping it into the closing hole. The ceiling closed just as someone could be heard writhing in pain on the other side. Ooshiro sighed and landed in a light crouched pose. This time, part of the wall opened. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!¡± He closed that hole, but more and more opened in the floor, ceiling, walls, and back of his locker, so he had to close all of them. After seeing him toss one of his socks into a hole in the floor, Brunhild sighed. ¡°This is almost over. We didn¡¯t know each other long, but we made plenty of awful memories. Farewell.¡± ¡°B-Brunhild-kun, you really are cement-like to the core! You old cement lady!!¡± She had been about to leave the room, but she stopped. He clapped his hands behind her. ¡°Yeah, you heard me! I¡¯m younger!! Younger!!¡± She stomped hard on the floorboards while turning around, five holes opened in the floor at once, gun barrels poked out of them all, and Ooshiro closed them all with a body press. ¡°B-Brunhild-kun!¡± he said from the floor. ¡°What would happen to UCAT if I was shot!?¡± ¡°They¡¯d probably mourn the loss¡­officially at least. A few seconds later, they would celebrate the monumental event.¡± She ignored him as he pretended to cry, rolled around, and hit the wall. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be going. Kazami and the others are at the hospital, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Sibyl who had returned to the corridor while rubbing the corners of her eyes. ¡°But all of them except Chisato-sama should be leaving for Hiba-sama¡¯s dojo soon. They were planning to spend the night there. But Chisato-sama¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s going to stay with Izumo. That¡¯s fine. ¡­I just have something to give the ones who can still move around.¡± ¡°Something to give them?¡± Brunhild nodded, reached into her uniform¡¯s pocket, but did not pull her hand back out. ¡°Siegfried found something in the Kinugasa Library that Team Leviathan should see. ¡­It isn¡¯t anything much, though.¡± With that, Sibyl finally stopped her tears and looked over in surprise. Happy with that, Brunhild opened her mouth with the chirping bird providing background music. ¡°Ooshiro, let me tell you something. A tremor is approaching here from below, so why don¡¯t you escape through the corridor?¡± Ooshiro stopped hammering nails into the floor and gave her a thumbs up. ¡°N-nice one, Brunhild-kun! I¡¯ll put you in my game!! It¡¯s a life mahjong game titled ¡®I am the Riichi!¡¯ and the tagline is ¡®Always play the wrong tile in life!¡¯. How about it!?¡± Brunhild hesitated. She could not decide what spell to blast him with or if she should first attack with the black cat to buy time for a large-scale destruction spell. But Ooshiro suddenly froze in place. A slender hand had grabbed his shoulder from the side. ¡°#-#8-kun? Explain this hand.¡± ¡°Testament. I have determined it is my right hand. And please wait a moment, UCAT Director.¡± She spoke with her usual expression and with the footsteps of heavily-equipped soldiers racing down the corridor. ¡°I have yet to fulfill my responsibility.¡± The nighttime scenery outside the window moved to the east. Beyond the faint light of a city was a dark plain and above that was only darkness. The dark plain was the sea and the darkness above was the night sky. The window moving along that scenery belonged to a night train. Someone stood in the shop located in the rear car of the Osaka-bound train. Shinjou was bent over a bit by the window and held a gray phone receiver. The ends of her eyebrows lowered a little. ¡°Okay, Heo. So is Kazami-san okay?¡± A nervous voice answered her from the receiver. ¡°Y-yes, but Izumo¡¯s left arm was¡­um¡­how should I put it? It¡¯s like from a movie?¡± While listening to the extent of his injury, Shinjou recalled Izumo¡¯s divine protection. He must have been fighting within a concept that rendered it meaningless. ¡°They were fighting those four brothers who are always with Doctor Chao, weren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Heo hesitated a little, but finally continued. ¡°But how weird are they compared to the rest of you? I-I can use that to decide how cautious to be.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I like how you put that¡­ But using Ooshiro units, they¡¯re probably about a fifth an Ooshiro.¡± ¡°Eek! W-we can¡¯t handle that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Harakawa-kun is with you, right? If things get dangerous, you can always run away.¡± ¡°Yes, but can I really rely on Harakawa?¡± ¡°Why not? Is that a problem?¡± Shinjou heard movement on the other end as Heo covered the receiver with a hand. Heo then took in a breath and whispered. ¡°U-um, well, you see? I made him mad earlier.¡± ¡°¡­? Why?¡± ¡°Well, uh¡­ He was feeling around inside me and¡­¡± ¡°Inside you!?¡± ¡°Yes. He had me sit in the seat, grabbed the thick rod, said we had to perform a test, and even took records. Then he told me it was time to combine.¡± ¡°Th-that really is taking it seriously¡­¡± ¡°Oh, but it didn¡¯t hurt. It tickled a lot and made my heart race, but, uh, as I sat there in a daze, I realized people were watching. ¡­But Harakawa said he wasn¡¯t doing anything wrong, so I think he meant he would take responsibility for whatever happened.¡± ¡°Y-you two certainly are progressing at a Western rate. ¡­Harakawa doesn¡¯t say much normally, but he sounds really intense.¡± ¡°Yes. But part of me wonders if I¡¯m reading too much into it.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t think so. If he¡¯s taking it that far, he¡¯s definitely committed!¡± ¡°But then why did he get mad at me?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Shinjou thought and remembered an answer she had seen in a magazine. ¡°Oh, I know, Heo! You need to work to make him happy too! Like, um, embracing him or wrapping your legs around him while you do it.¡± ¡°B-but I¡¯d crush him into mincemeat if I did that then.¡± Harakawa-kun is surprisingly delicate, thought Shinjou. ¡°Th-then¡­y-you can vocally tell him how much you like it.¡± ¡°Vocally? You mean like sing? My great-grandfather taught me how to yodel.¡± ¡°Singing like that would make you a pervert. So, um, well, this is hard to say, but¡­you can just say how you feel or what you want him to do.¡± ¡°Oh, that I can manage. Nice advice, Shinjou. I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Shinjou nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. ¡­I somehow managed to give some advice as her elder. And as if responding to her thoughts, another sigh of relief reached her over the phone. ¡°I¡¯m glad I could discuss this with you, Shinjou. You gave off a scent of knowing a lot about this kind of thing.¡± ¡°I¡¯d really like to know where you learned to speak Japanese like that, but¡­well¡­you should be fine.¡± She smiled bitterly, wondered if they had both managed to relax, and looked up to see a train station passing by out the window. The train was passing through Izu near Atami. ¡­I¡¯m going so far away. That thought produced words hoping for the opposite. ¡°Are you sure I shouldn¡¯t head back? The train is stopping at Nagoya for a bit, so I could get off and take a night train or taxi back.¡± ¡°Harakawa said you don¡¯t have to come back since we can¡¯t contact Sayama to have him come back. He said the two of you are like a set even when you¡¯re apart.¡± ¡°I need to have a word with Harakawa-kun next time I see him. ¡­But does that mean he actually trusts Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. The nuance was more on not knowing much about the Leviathan Road and so not intruding too much.¡± ¡­What a rational view. She thought that was a lot like Harakawa, but she did not want to say so in front of Heo. But if Harakawa felt that way, Hiba would likely agree as his underclassman. ¡°Then I¡¯ll continue on to Sakai. Call me if something happens there.¡± ¡°Sure. Oh, come to think of it, there was just an explosion on the fourth floor of Japanese UCAT.¡± ¡°An explosion? The fourth floor would be Ooshiro-san¡¯s room, wouldn¡¯t it? In that case, you don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± ¡°R-really? But it was an explosion.¡± Shinjou heard a confused pause, but that only showed Heo¡¯s inexperience with UCAT. She would adapt after half a year and then she would watch the explosions like they were nothing more than fireworks. Heo steadied her tone. ¡°Anyway, I think we¡¯re going to do what we can here to look into our pasts. After all, I don¡¯t want Team Leviathan to disband right after we joined. ¡­But if we do find our pasts, Sayama really will reform the team, right? So we¡¯ll do our best. And¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°I¡¯m personally curious about it because my parents would have been there.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Those were the people who protected us, so I want to know what kind of battle they had. ¡­I¡¯m proud of my parents.¡± ¡°Yes, you can think about your parents that way, but make sure you don¡¯t think that way about some of the people in UCAT now.¡± ¡°R-right. But even with them, the records show them seriously working on their jobs.¡± ¡°It would be kind of amazing if they were getting worked up over perverted things in the middle of battles.¡± Then again, I¡¯ve seen a few people who do exactly that, thought Shinjou, but she decided to keep it to herself. At any rate, Heo had a lot of hopes for UCAT. Shinjou heard a lot of things she could not say herself and it made her happy. There were a number of issues, but Heo was likely a suitable person for searching the past. Shinjou also wanted to know about that past battle, but she did not want to intrude because she did not even know about her parents. And so she spoke. ¡°Okay, Heo. As your senior in Team Leviathan, I have something to tell you even though we disbanded: pursue the past. As someone who doesn¡¯t know much about UCAT, your unique viewpoint will probably lead you to understand a lot we couldn¡¯t. ¡­And I bet a lot of people will let their guard down around a beautiful blonde girl.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that last point was entirely necessary, but I¡¯ll do my best!¡± After a quiet snort, Heo spoke up again. ¡°Oh, but don¡¯t force yourself. You take your time in your search too.¡± ¡°I will, and thank you for going along with that troublesome and twisted orator who loves riddles.¡± ¡°Yes, and¡­I do want to become one of you.¡± ¡°Eh? H-Heo, you already are one of us.¡± A bitter laugh answered Shinjou¡¯s frantic reply. It was a self-deprecating laugh and Heo¡¯s voice followed. ¡°Thank you very much. That¡¯s all the more reason to think about all this. If Team Leviathan can reform, that¡¯s when we can truly become one of you. That¡¯s why I want to think about my parents, my great-grandfather, and¡­¡± Shinjou heard the breath as Heo silently muttered another name. ¡°I want to do my best to pursue those people.¡± ¡°Good, but remember to discuss it with Harakawa-kun and the others after you think about it, okay? Even if you find your own answer on your own, you can¡¯t find the answer to bring us all together without the others.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll only get the true answer once you and Sayama return, right?¡± Shinjou noticed a smile in the girl¡¯s tone. She¡¯ll be fine, she decided before giving her parting words. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s do our best. And take care of Kazami-san and Izumo-san.¡± She set down the receiver while realizing that true answer was more dependent on Kazami and Izumo recovering than on her and Sayama. The telephone card was ejected with a hole near the ¡°ten remaining¡± spot. ¡­That was a pretty long conversation. She looked out the window and saw the shadows of a giant mountain. The train had entered a mountain range. According to the Japanese map she had seen in class, passing through these mountains would take them through Hakone and into Shizuoka. That would bring them closer to Toukai than Kantou. The distance to Osaka and Sakai was shrinking. ¡­What¡¯s going to happen? With that silent thought, her eyes turned to the darkness between the mountains. She then realized that she had no one to discuss her thoughts with now that she had set down the phone and now that Sayama was not with her. ¡°¡­¡± She held her trembling shoulders and started walking from the shop car. She made her way to where her bed was. If she slept, she could escape these feelings and doubts. Quiet footsteps moved through a dimly-lit lobby. The lobby¡¯s white walls and long waiting room seats were illuminated by emergency lights. Across from the seats was a long counter covered by a curtain. Signs saying prescriptions, accounting, etc. lined the counter. This was a hospital lobby. The footsteps slowed to look at the signs on the counter. The large window beyond the seats was meant to let in the sunlight, but it now reflected the one producing the footsteps. A slender girl with short blonde hair walked west through the lobby. She was moving toward the three people on the western end of the waiting room seats. One was a girl with long blonde hair who sat in the seats. Another was a boy with a red bandanna around his forehead who sat next to the other girl. The last one was leaning against the column next to the seats. ¡°Harakawa, I just spoke with Shinjou. It sounds like she¡¯s going to continue on to Sakai. Um, uh¡­she doesn¡¯t want to leave behind any regrets.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably best for her. But, Heo Thunderson, the nuance of that that expression is a bit off.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She tilted her head and stopped walking while the long-haired girl tapped on the shoulder of the boy next to her. ¡°Ryuuji-kun, are we leaving?¡± However, it was not the boy who answered. ¡°Hiba is asleep, Mikage.¡± Heo felt herself smile as she said that. ¡­Good. A lot had happened that day, so she was glad and relieved that she could smile at least a little now that the night had arrived. She saw Mikage tilt her head and poke Hiba¡¯s cheek. After four pokes, the boy moved with his eyes closed. He lowered down, twisted around in annoyance, and generally moved like an inchworm. ¡°Ahh, M-Mikage-san. No¡­stop¡­ The fish meat!!¡± ¡°Harakawa, there¡¯s something I want to say and it¡¯s threatening to dynamically burst out of me, but should I say it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Heo Thunderson. Worrying about it won¡¯t fix him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re probably right,¡± she said while Mikage further tilted her head. ¡°Ahh, Mikage-san. No, no. Don¡¯t suck out the center of the fried egg!¡± Heo was unsure what was so arousing about that, but for whatever reason, Hiba bent backwards, his back jumped up, and he fell behind the seat. Ah, thought Heo just as she heard what sounded like a rock hitting the ground. The dull sound reverberated throughout the empty lobby and Hiba¡¯s legs trembled as they stuck up from the back of the seat. Finally, he spoke from the floor. ¡°Ah! Wh-why am I in this pose? Wait, don¡¯t tell me this isn¡¯t the wall, but¡­the floor!? In that case¡­is this a concept attack!?¡± ¡°Hiba Ryuuji, I know you¡¯re quite happy right now, but get up right this instant. That¡¯s an order as your upperclassman.¡± Hiba sat up on the white floor with a confused look, checked on his surroundings, and finally looked Mikage in the eye as she tilted her head. ¡°Did Shinjou-san say something?¡± ¡°Oh, um, she¡¯s still going to Sakai. But, uh¡­¡± Heo hesitated, but she decided to say it. ¡°Is your head okay?¡± ¡°O-of course it is! Just being in the blonde genre doesn¡¯t give you the right to be so rude! I¡¯m surrounded by strange people and you might think I am too by association, but they haven¡¯t infected me yet!¡± That¡¯s a lie, she declared in her heart with a full smile on her face. ¡­But if they haven¡¯t infected him ¡®yet¡¯, that means it¡¯s only a matter of time. ¡°Anyway, Kazami won¡¯t leave the hospital room, so how about we get going?¡± As soon as she asked that, Heo saw a quick change on Hiba¡¯s face. For just a split-second, his eyebrows lowered. She knew what that meant. She knew all too well why they were here and what it meant to leave alone like this. And Harakawa gave voice to that meaning. ¡°The treasurer won¡¯t leave the room and there¡¯s nothing we can do to help, so let¡¯s head home. ¡­No, let¡¯s get to Hiba¡¯s grandfather¡¯s place like we planned. It¡¯s close to here and close to UCAT.¡± He crossed his arms and looked up at the white panels on the ceiling. ¡°The president was sedated with some drugs. I don¡¯t know the details about his arm, but I hear they¡¯re talking about constructing a prosthetic and his arm is supposedly fixed in place with some strange technique that won¡¯t actually heal it. ¡­And the treasurer is looking after him even though he¡¯s asleep.¡± Heo felt Harakawa had intentionally chosen the phrase ¡°looking after him¡±. He was being considerate to them and to Kazami, but in truth¡­ ¡­She simply refuses to leave him. When Heo and the others had arrived at the hospital about an hour earlier, Izumo was already being taken to the hospital room. Heo had seen the bed carrying him to the individual room and she had seen Kazami. Kazami had been calling his name and shouting something else while clinging to the bed. ¡­And she was crying. When they had left UCAT, Sibyl had just returned from rescuing the two of them and she had informed them that Izumo¡¯s life was not in danger. She had noticed the concept space, left before anyone else, and intervened as Ikkou and Mitsuaki tried to attack. That had been just after Izumo¡¯s arm had been smashed. With a pale face devoid of expression, she had told them the following. ¡­I doubt there is anything you can do to help at the hospital. She had to have seen Kazami crying even more than they had. ¡°¡­¡± Heo remembered how Kazami had not even tried to look back at them. She remembered Kazami calling Izumo¡¯s name as if to get him to notice her. She remembered the trembling in Kazami¡¯s voice as she shouted ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±. Kazami was safe and Izumo was injured because he had protected her. It¡¯s a lot like when I lost my mother, thought Heo. She remembered when that had happened, but how had it been compared to Kazami now? Izumo had not lost his life, so were Kazami¡¯s cries¡­ ¡­An overreaction? Heo wondered that, but she shook her head. They were not an overreaction. ¡­It might just be that I¡¯m overly emotionless. Plus, it was not that Kazami had nearly lost Izumo. ¡­It was only pure luck that she didn¡¯t lose him. With that in mind, the overlap between Heo and Kazami was being protected by someone important to them. But Kazami had power while Heo had not. Nevertheless, Kazami had been protected and someone important to her had lost a part of his body. Why was she apologizing to Izumo even though he could not hear her? ¡­It¡¯s just like I used to be. She was apologizing for a simple reason. ¡°To lighten the feeling of guilt.¡± ¡°What are you muttering about, Heo Thunderson?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She looked up and realized the others were looking at her. She frantically shook her hands back and forth and formed another smile. ¡°Oh, s-sorry. We¡¯re going to Hiba¡¯s grandfather¡¯s dojo, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Hiba as he stood up with a smile. Heo realized he too briefly looked up at the ceiling like Harakawa had. She then walked past him as he took Mikage¡¯s hand and helped her to her feet. Harakawa reacted to her footsteps by moving from the column and continuing on toward the hospital entrance. She moved to his left and hesitated, but¡­ ¡°¡­¡± She took his left hand and held it tightly. He received her grasp with a slight toughness and warmth, but that was all. She looked up, but he did not turn back from his half step ahead of her. She felt anything she said would be rejected at the moment, so she remained silent and tightened her grip on his hand. ¡­Now that I have the power of Thunder Fellow and my teammates in UCAT¡­ What did it mean for her to lose or partially lose someone important to her? Part of her wanted to make sure she never knew, but another part thought about Kazami who now knew. It was because Kazami had power that she had apologized for allowing the damage. ¡­What¡¯s going to happen? What would happen to Kazami and what would happen to Heo if she found herself in the same situation someday? While thinking about that question with no answer, Heo realized something. Harakawa¡¯s hand was squeezing back now. ¡°¡­¡± She nodded and made sure Hiba and Mikage were following. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we hurry? It¡¯s getting late, so Hiba¡¯s grandparents are probably already asleep.¡± ¡°No, my grandfather stays up late. He likes to watch late-night shows without my grandmother knowing. I think today¡¯s is Mountain Hermit Squadron Tengumen. It¡¯s about a group of naked men with tengu masks on their crotches who destroy the evil of the world. They¡¯ve lived in the mountains so long that they don¡¯t know how society works and that¡¯s used for social satire. Last time, Red was arrested after trying to get into the train station without buying a ticket, so this episode is about the others going to rescue him. The title is ¡®Assault! Bring Tears to the Power of the State!¡¯ ¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to be staying in a house that gets that over the airwaves?¡± Heo was worried now. Suddenly, her grip on Harakawa¡¯s hand felt him stop moving. She looked up in confusion and saw him looking forward with a frown. She followed his gaze and saw someone there. ¡°Wh-who are you!? Why do you have a black cat with you and a bird on your head? Are you a friend of UCAT Director Ooshiro!?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible to be more rude than that! I am 1st-Gear Inspector Brunhild Schild. I don¡¯t believe I ever spoke with you properly even during the party after the 5th-Gear battle, but this is a good opportunity. Make sure you remember me, so you won¡¯t be that rude ever again.¡± Brunhild stood in the entrance with her arms crossed and faced the other four. She then looked up at the ceiling along with the bird and cat. ¡°Is Kazami still feeling down?¡± ¡°Y-yes. She isn¡¯t meeting with anyo-¡­¡± ¡°Hah. I¡¯m not going to do that. Looking at a loser might infect me with their loser-ness. More importantly¡­¡± To cut off any further comment on what she had said, Brunhild quickly pulled something from her pocket. She held out a paper cylinder. She flipped the cylinder around, grabbed it again, and pulled it open. With the sound of escaping air, she pulled something out. ¡°A large photograph?¡± ¡°Siegfried found it while organizing the Kinugasa Library. After the National Defense Department, the old Japanese UCAT was formed. This is a group photo during a trip taken to Kansai so their main force could get to know each other better.¡± She spread it out in her right hand and revealed a black-and-white photograph of a mountain ridge somewhere. The faded gray image showed a number of people in a row with the sky in the background. ¡°And Ooshiro gave me this.¡± Brunhild picked up something lying at her feet. She held out a wicker object with her left hand. ¡°It¡¯s just a bucket, but look closer. You can kill some time with the creature in here.¡± Heo saw something stand up on the edge of the bucket. It was a small creature that resembled a boar. Brunhild smiled and opened her mouth beyond the bucket. ¡°It¡¯s Baku. He doesn¡¯t seem to like me, so can one of you look after him?¡± Volume 10, 9: A Back that Watches Over Volume 10, Chapter 9: A Back that Watches Over A path forward and those travelling it are seen from behind A path here and the one who travelled it cannot see themselves Even a flower withers away without ever seeing itself A factory was located in the mountains. Despite the stains and shadows of age that showed up in the high contrast, the building looked innocent in the moonlight. Two men stood on the dirt clearing in front of it. One of them was a tall, skinny man exhaling white breaths. He had cloth wrapped around his head like a turban and his white breaths travelled a fair distance from his mouth. ¡°Hm, the mountains really are cold. Very cold indeed. And your breath is awfully white, manager.¡± ¡°That¡¯s cigarette smoke, Hajji,¡± replied the old manager. ¡°Anyway, are we really okay here?¡± Hajji brought a hand to his mouth. ¡°Hm,¡± he said with a nod. ¡°We should be. We should reach Japanese UCAT¡¯s sixth basement after consuming eighty percent of our resources. And once we get there, the Concept Cores are ours for the taking. Yes, ours for the taking. Am I wrong? Hm?¡± ¡°Not what I meant. I was talking about our claim to righteousness.¡± The old manager blew smoke into the sky. ¡°I¡¯m helping you for a personal grudge. Plus, I like messing with machines. But I¡¯ve never heard all that much about you, Hajji.¡± The wind blew and the old manager¡¯s smoke swirled into the sky and vanished. He raised the collar of his work outfit. ¡°Take this world¡¯s war for example. In this country at least, the politicians settled everything. I got a family and my daughter has even graduated college. No one cares that I lost my family in that war or that I still can¡¯t forget.¡± ¡°Our war isn¡¯t over. Isn¡¯t that the common point between us? Hm?¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s stop talking about my example. ¡­How has your war not ended?¡± The old manager breathed smoke into the night sky. The smoke thinned as it spread out and scattered. ¡°I have two questions, Hajji. You don¡¯t have to answer and I¡¯ll probably learn the answers at tomorrow¡¯s confrontation anyway. The first is about your war. And the second¡­¡± He asked his question. ¡°The second is about Mikoku, Shino, Tatsumi, and Alex¡¯s war.¡± ¡°Why? Why would you want to ask about that? Hm?¡± Hajji¡¯s voice contained a hint of a smile and the old manager gave a brief answer while looking up into the sky. ¡°War is important to me.¡± He let out a white sigh instead of smoke this time and the breath vanished into the sky. ¡°Sixty years. I¡¯ve waited sixty years. Sixty years ago, someone died to save me. It might¡¯ve been my mother, or my father, or my sister, or all of them. As I desperately worked to survive from then on, I would always wonder if my mother, my father, or my sister would¡¯ve had an easier time surviving than a little kid like me. And I wondered why the one who had so much trouble just staying alive was the one to survive.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made a new family and had kids, but that doubt still hasn¡¯t cleared. I haven¡¯t died to save my kids and I don¡¯t have the guts to die anyway. And even if I try to ask about it, this world is trying to put that war behind it. Sixty years. It¡¯s been sixty years and now no one has seen the people who were with me back then and they all say we can never allow war to happen again.¡± He continued to speak. ¡°The people who were with me died in war, but war was when I was with them. If we can never allow war to happen again, what does that mean for the precious time I spent with my family? What I¡¯ve done for my kids is what I had done for me back then. I learned all of that through war. ¡­So I want to start another war and see that war with my own eyes now that I¡¯ve moved past where my mother, father, and sister were back then. That¡¯s the only way to free myself from that war.¡± All of his words vanished into the air. Nothing remained in the night sky, but Hajji¡¯s own words scattered to join it. ¡°My thoughts are best left unsaid, manager.¡± ¡°Thank you for listening so quietly, Hajji. If I told the younger ones this, it would turn into a lecture. But you¡¯re different, aren¡¯t you? Is your war and Mikoku and Shino¡¯s war the same as mine?¡± ¡°Mine isn¡¯t,¡± answered Hajji quietly. ¡°No, mine isn¡¯t.¡± The old manager looked down from the sky and to the side. He saw Hajji holding out a hand. The old manager pulled out a cigarette and lit it with the on in his mouth. ¡°These are strong.¡± Hajji inhaled without nodding, bit down on the smoke with his teeth, and let it seep out of his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m thankful. Yes, so very thankful.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°Everything, manager. Isn¡¯t that right? Hm?¡± With that question, Hajji suddenly looked into the sky. He stuck a hand in his pocket and spoke through the smoke leaving his mouth. ¡°Let me tell you a story from a long, long time ago, manager.¡± Smoke whiter than his breath formed in the sky. ¡°Long ago, there was a wonderful world. It was a land of desert lit by the two extremes of fire and shadow, but it was filled with heat phenomena concepts and it interacted with the other worlds quite a bit. That world supplied the other worlds with power and the calculations needed to use that power. But once the Concept War began, it was the first to be targeted. The other worlds both feared and desired its technology and knowledge,¡± explained Hajji. ¡°So that world¡¯s politicians tried to destroy the other worlds. But the king and general had a thought. What if, instead of destroying the other worlds, they gathered all the concepts in their own world, invited in the residents of those other worlds, and created the ultimate world? To accomplish that, they created a giant mechanical dragon with the ability to construct a world. But¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± Hajji briefly stopped at the old manager¡¯s question. After a moment, he placed a hand over his mouth with the cigarette between his fingers and turned around. He smiled with the ends of his eyebrows lowered. ¡°I¡¯m talking too much, aren¡¯t I? What do you think? Hm?¡± ¡°This is fine every so often. It all ends tomorrow. Both our strange relationship and this world, that is.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Hajji with a resigned sigh. He took a step in front of the old manager¡¯s gaze and hid his expression from the man. ¡°The king promised to marry the general¡¯s sister and went out to battle in celebration. It was a joint battle with 3rd. But that¡¯s where the betrayal began. The politicians betrayed the king and he died unable to return from the lowest world. The general had returned ahead of time, but he was captured by the politicians and his sister, the king¡¯s promised queen¡­¡± ¡°What happened to the queen? I¡¯ll listen, so tell me, Hajji.¡± ¡°Sure. The politicians used her as the final component in the modified mechanical dragon. She was used as the core of the world-destroying mechanical dragon.¡± He took a breath. ¡°The general resolved himself then and began attacking the other worlds, but people from the lowest Gear appeared to stop him. One of those enemies attacked the general, but they both only lost an eye and the general¡¯s sister was destroyed¡­along with the world.¡± He laughed and a white breath not made of smoke entered the air. The wind had settled down at some point, so the white breath simply spread out into the night sky like it had been thrown. Below it, the old manager spoke. ¡°Who is that enemy of yours?¡± ¡°The old UCAT member charged with 9th-Gear: current UCAT Field Operations Director Abram Mesam. He is the man who killed my sister Shahrnavaz while she was the great mechanical dragon Zahhak. And yet I hear he later married and has lived a happy life. That is my war, manager.¡± He took a step in front of the manager and shrugged his shoulders. After a pause, Hajji¡¯s shoulders lowered. ¡°Ridiculous, isn¡¯t it? I talk so much about concepts and the fate of the world, but it all comes back to a grudge over losing a precious friend and relative. Don¡¯t you think? Hm?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s ridiculous, then mine¡¯s even cheaper. But¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°I take it you aren¡¯t planning to say anything about Mikoku, Shino, Tatsumi, and Alex¡¯s war. How far are you going to carry their war while sacrificing your own past, Hajji?¡± Hajji¡¯s back did not immediately reply. A few streams of cigarette smoke filled the air before he finally spoke. ¡°Their war is something only those four should have anything to do with, manager. They were supposed to save those of us who had nowhere to go and then fight another war. However, they never had the chance. We were so useless that we could only just barely manage to carry them away from Osaka back then. We were lucky we even got Tatsumi back after she was taken away.¡± He continued. ¡°And we never did get Shinjou Sadagiri back.¡± ¡°Hm? That¡¯s one of the girls on Team Leviathan, isn¡¯t it? Why her?¡± ¡°Her mother understood us but also rejected us. Yes. ¡­And, manager, let me give you one other piece of information.¡± Hajji turned around with the hand holding his cigarette hiding the smile on his lips. ¡°Those four have absolute righteousness on their side. Theirs is so much deeper and broader than ours. But this world crushed it during that Great Kansai Earthquake. On tomorrow¡¯s battlefield, I will reveal that perfect righteousness and where exactly those four¡¯s war lies.¡± ¡°Does righteousness like that even exist? After the Concept War, we can only be talking about events inside Low-Gear, right? Is there really a righteousness that can convince the other unrelated Gears?¡± ¡°There is. We have a legitimate reason to make Low-Gear ours.¡± Hajji took the cigarette from his mouth and flicked it into the air. ¡°Funny, isn¡¯t it? Even as we prepare to attack with our perfect righteousness, UCAT is splitting apart. Team Leviathan has disbanded for some reason, their negotiators are scattering, and some of them are even being targeted by the bearers of 7th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core.¡± ¡°By 7th-Gear?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hajji nodded, lowered his gaze, and smiled toward the old manager. ¡°It¡¯s interesting that the bearers of evil would be worn down now. It¡¯s like this world is accepting our righteousness. Don¡¯t you think? Hm?¡± A dark room was filled with silence. The walls, ceiling, and bed by the window were all white, but they had all sunk into the darkness of the night. The scene outside the window was a little high because this was the second floor. The room was as dark as some watery depths and even the moonlight did not make it far past the window. A single chair sat on the dark side of that borderline between darkness and moonlight. A girl sat in that simple pipe stool. It was Kazami. She looked at what lay in the bed in front of her. Izumo¡¯s head stuck out from the top of the blanket. His right arm was also exposed and it was attached to the IV stand next to the bed. The large IV pack still had about a third of its contents and the drops were dripping down the tube. Izumo was asleep. Kazami looked to where his left arm was under the blanket, but the blanket did not rise up as it should. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She looked down at her own feet. Her hair swayed and she did not bother brushing it away from her face. ¡°It should have been me.¡± She rested the side of her head on the bed. Her eyes looked up at Izumo¡¯s face and she saw two objects standing next to the bed. Those two objects were weapons. Normally, they would have been a large sword and spear both measuring around two meters long, but they were shorter now that their cowlings had been destroyed. Barely any of the white armor remained, the internal frames had split, and some fragments had twisted until they stuck out. The steel protective cylinder was visible in both of them. When Kazami thought about how both of those contained a Concept Core, she averted her gaze. ¡­At the very least, I have no right to wield them. G-Sp2 had likely been hesitant to enter that battlefield of no mutual understanding. She had treated it like a weapon with no attempt to assuage its fears and she had ended up breaking it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Right after Izumo had been injured, Sibyl had arrived and Ikkou and Mitsuaki had fled. She had thought the development department had retrieved G-Sp2 and V-Sw, but for some reason, they were here. ¡­They must think they¡¯re ours. She did not know for sure, but to her, all of the broken things in this room felt like her fault. It felt like they had been left here as a lesson for her. ¡°¡­¡± No, she thought. A number of things bothered her. ¡­What if Kaku and I had gone to UCAT earlier without stopping at my house? What if they had taken a different route to UCAT? ¡°What if¡­what if Sayama hadn¡¯t had Team Leviathan disband and we¡¯d all been together?¡± She muttered those words while thinking ¡°I¡¯m the worst¡±. Just as with G-Sp2¡¯s destruction, all the fault lay with her because she had been the one there. She tried to bury her forehead in the blanket. She pressed her mouth against the blanket and asked a question to the boy beyond it. ¡°Why?¡± She took a breath. ¡°Why was I left unharmed?¡± Their strength in battle seemed equal, but his was actually greater. After all, he had his constant defensive power. That was different from her ability to fly with X-Wi. He was also the only son of IAI¡¯s president while she was the only daughter of a normal household. She did not believe in judging people¡¯s ¡°worth¡±, but when thinking about usefulness and position, who was needed on the concept battlefield and in IAI? ¡°It isn¡¯t me, is it?¡± With that question, she inhaled to take in his warmth through the blanket. No, she shrunk down and clenched her fists on her lap. ¡°I don¡¯t want that¡­¡± She remembered when she had snapped at Sayama about disbanding and yet he had ordered her to represent them. She had been so forceful then, but not anymore. She sighed and the long, heavy breath fell to the floor. ¡°?¡± She heard a sound from outside the window. People were speaking down below. Wondering who it was, she got up. ¡°Ah.¡± She had been in the same position for so long that she wobbled when turning around. She grabbed the windowsill to keep herself from falling. At the same time, she saw five people in the hospital parking lot down below. Harakawa, Heo, Hiba, and Mikage were leaving the hospital entrance. ¡°And Brunhild too.¡± Was I worrying them, she wondered, but that only made her feel worse. She noticed Hiba and Harakawa were not starting up their motorcycles. Heo tilted her head at that and Harakawa pointed at the driver¡¯s seat. He taught her how to use the clutch and pushed the sidecar and back seat from behind. They were likely trying not to disturb the hospital with the loud sound of the engine. Hiba was doing the same. He sat Mikage in the driver¡¯s seat, taught her how to control it, and also stroked her butt in the process, but that did not matter. Brunhild and her cat continued ahead on foot, but¡­ ¡°¡­?¡± Hiba said something and Brunhild turned around with a frown. He had likely pointed out she did not know the way to his grandfather¡¯s place. Brunhild took a step back and the five of them left in a row. As Kazami watched them, she gave a small nod. ¡­They can get by without me. As soon as she thought that, Heo turned back with Baku on her head. She turned toward Kazami. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± Kazami instinctually bent out of the way, but Heo¡¯s gaze did not immediately reach her. Heo was not entirely sure where the hospital room was. ¡°¡­?¡± Kazami sighed and stepped back as Heo lowered her eyebrows and clearly began counting windows from the edge of the building. Finally, her gaze reached the right window. ¡°¡­¡± She tilted her head while peering in. Kazami wondered if she could see her, but the principle of reflection would prevent Heo from seeing Kazami from the moonlit parking lot, even though Kazami could see her. Nodding at that fact, Kazami spoke quietly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She took another step back to the chair and that place surrounded by broken things. But just before she did, she saw Heo grow careless in her control of the motorcycle and crash into Hiba¡¯s motorcycle. Kazami heard a faint collision but did not watch any longer. Harakawa had likely gotten mad at her. ¡­At least they have the energy for that. If they were safe and they could smile cheerfully, that was all that mattered. She had messed that up for herself. She sat in the chair alone but lifted her right leg to her chest and wrapped her arms around it. That allowed her to sense the presence of her own body and she slowly sighed. She looked at G-Sp2 and V-Sw which were placed broken before her and at Izumo who would not open his eyes. ¡°Why did I escape unharmed?¡± She closed her eyes, wrinkled her brow, lowered her head, and clenched her teeth as the words escaped. She had one thing on her mind. If Team Leviathan had been whole, would this still have happened? ¡°Sayama.¡± She spoke about what he had said. ¡°You told me to search for my past, but I¡¯m different from the rest of you. I can¡¯t do that.¡± Volume 10, 10: Sounds of a Visitor Volume 10, Chapter 10: Sounds of a Visitor Come For I have called for you For my very being is calling for you The color of the night sky began to change. The bottom of the sky to the east was growing bright. The entire eastern sky was already lit by something rising from below the horizon, so some purple was spreading like a wave. The sky¡¯s color change was the preparation or foreshadowing of the breaking dawn. The air remained still and did not produce any mist. The final night dew sank down, but that was all. The faint light from the east revealed the silhouette of the land. The shadows were formed by a forest. A mountain was filled with darkness, a valley was steeped in the color black, and a narrow yet swift river could be heard flowing between them, but trees covered it all and hid them. The thick and massive mountains and forests were nothing but trees and slopes. Nothing moved in this predawn hour. The nocturnal animals had sensed the morning and gone to sleep, but the diurnal animals had yet to wake. Nevertheless, something did move through those mountains and forest. It was a boy in a suit with a rucksack on his back. It was Sayama. He walked up on a mountain ridge while moving through the forest at running speed. There was a path there. The wind and rain had naturally worn down the dirt on the ridge, so stone footing had been exposed. A mountain path along the ridge used that footing. The Okutama mountain range was vast, but a path ran along that ridge of the primary mountains. It was currently just before November, so Okutama was approaching winter. To maintain the power lines, water pipes, and other utilities running along the ridge, people had travelled on the side paths straying from the ridge and the unnecessary underbrush had been cut away. Sayama had travelled through most of these places back when he had been training, but his current goal was even higher. ¡­A little to the north. Mount Kumotori, Tokyo¡¯s tallest mountain at approximately two thousand meters, was to the west. He was about seven kilometers east of it after climbing to Nippara from the south. His destination was near Nikengoya Ridge northeast of Mount Kumotori. If he used the hiking trail to Kumotori, it would take about half a day. He had entered from the Ootaki mountain trail to the far west, but he had considered taking a more direct route from a more remote trail. Most notably, he could have reached the base of Kumotori by road if he had circled around to the Saitama side. However, he had decided against that. He was familiar with tall mountains. He had only climbed the Tokyo mountains of Akigwawa or Okutama, but even then, he could still come down with mild altitude sickness if he climbed a two thousand meter mountain deep in the Okutama mountain range with no preparation. If he rested with proper posture, he could recover from altitude sickness, but that would prevent him from moving much for an entire day. Climbing the mountain would be simple, but when thinking about the descent and what came after that, he decided not to rush things. Travelling along the Nippara mountainside added several kilometers to his journey, but it also allowed him fuller breaths and the amount of oxygen in his blood gradually changed as he walked and took brief breaks. This is perfect, he told himself in the dark forest. ¡°Long ago¡­¡± ¡­I climbed a mountain without this planning or consideration for altitude sickness. That had been during his training days. As part of that training, Hiba Ryuutetsu had chased him around with a large machete for three days. He had rushed up the mountain then, but that had kept him from moving the following day. Afraid of an attack during that time, he had set a trap. It had been a popular variety of trap. When someone approached, a rope would wrap around their neck and lift them into the air. For bait, he had used a porn magazine found in a Mount Kumotori cabin. He had doubted it would work, but only three hours later, it had caught Ryuutetsu and the old man had swayed back and forth while struggling. Sayama distinctly remembered the heart-to-heart conversation between teacher and student then. ¡°M-Mikoto, you¡¯ll pay for this one! I wouldn¡¯t walk anywhere near a cliff if I were you!!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. I filled this area with the scent of raw meat, so try to rest in peace once a bear eats you. Is that what you call a bear-ial? But do not worry. I will tell Toshi-kun that you were bravely eaten by a bear.¡± It had been a conversation of mutual consideration. His preparations for luring in a bear had been flawless, but Ryuutetsu had beaten him back to the dojo and dinner had been a pot of some strange tough meat. Thinking back, he decided he should have finished the man off himself instead of leaving it to something else. That naivety led to the loss of a piece of nature, he realized. I need to treat nature more carefully. ¡°This is that same tree.¡± He stopped below a familiar tree. The thick tree that towered above him in the darkness was the one he had once hung Ryuutetsu from. The rope was probably still there up above. It is all so nostalgic, he thought just before a sound came from his pocket. It was an electronic tone, but it did not come from his cellphone. He had left his phone and wristwatch in his dorm room after having Team Leviathan disband. The sound in his pocket came from the timer on a pocket watch. He checked it and found the glow-in-the-dark paint on the hands pointing to five o¡¯clock in the morning. The LCD screen at the bottom indicated half an hour had passed. ¡­Time for a break. ¡°And given the time, I should eat an early breakfast.¡± He nodded and came to a stop. He sat below the old hanging tree and lowered his rucksack. The most noticeable item in the bag was his change of clothes. A mountain-climbing suit and underwear were folded and placed inside. Next was two liters¡¯ worth of water bottles, but he also had a straw-shaped filtration device because that was not enough water for this trip. He thought while pulling out and eating some portable food and drinking some water from a bottle. ¡­I would normally still be asleep at this time. The watch said it was 5:10. In another hour, Shinjou would wake him or he would wake her. ¡­Have I really been living such a happy life for more than half a year now? He had not had that before. He had always gone to sleep alone and woken alone. That solitary lifestyle had returned to him here. ¡°It feels so lonely, Shinjou-kun.¡± He suddenly stood up. The eastern sky had grown a little brighter and he could see the next mountain range from the ridge. He placed his hands around his mouth. ¡°Shinjou-kuuuuun!!¡± After a few seconds, his shout returned to him. ¡°Shinjou-kuuuuun.¡± He focused his ears on the echo and nodded several times. Okutama¡¯s nature also desired Shinjou. For that reason, he pulled a portable digital recorder from his pocket and pointed it toward the dimly-lit Okutama mountains. ¡°Ah! N-no, stop! Don¡¯t touch my butt! Don¡¯t pull down my underwear! My butt!¡± He placed a hand next to his ear and waited the few seconds for the reply. ¡°Ah. N-no, stop. Don¡¯t touch my butt. Don¡¯t pull down my underwear. My butt.¡± The echo returned in a milder form. ¡­Such deep meaning. Can you hear this, mountain trees, the earth, and all of nature? This is what I once did not have. Nodding at that, he sat back down. ¡°But what I have with me now is not the real deal. And that includes myself. That is why I am taking this solitary journey and why I have given myself an assignment. ¡­I will make myself the real deal.¡± He shallowly closed his eyes and thought of an important person. He then brought his right hand to his chest and muttered to himself. ¡°Around ten years ago, I lost my father and was almost killed by my mother.¡± He frowned and strength gathered in the hand on his chest. The usual pain filled the depths of his chest there. The pain seemed to disturb all of the blood circulating his body. He had not felt this definite pain for a while, but¡­ ¡°¡­¡± He took a deep breath and forced it down. He gently raised his left hand and spread his fingers in front of his face. ¡°I trained my body in order to sweep away that past, but this broken left fist¡­while it can hold a weapon, I unfortunately still cannot clench it into a fist, Shinjou-kun.¡± He smiled bitterly. He swung his left fist toward the tree behind him. ¡°¡­¡± But without him telling it to, the fist slowed down and stopped before reaching the tree trunk. On a subconscious level, he feared that phantom pain. He sent a bitter laugh into the sky. ¡°How pathetic. Shinjou-kun, you understand the issue in your body and are attempting to mature, but I am simply dragging around my chest pains and left fist without changing a thing.¡± He then muttered a rejection of that. ¡°No, this is my only chance. After all, you are sure to find something in Sakai. And whether you find success or failure, you will continue forward. If I am to be the one to accept you back, I must reach that same level. ¡­And this is my only chance. I am alone now, so I can settle my past without worrying anyone else.¡± He carved those words into his heart. ¡­I will pursue my parents¡¯ footsteps. He told himself he would no longer look away from the truth. He could not afford to do so anymore. It was necessary for the Leviathan Road. It was necessary to no longer fear his own pain. It was necessary to reach the same level as the one he cared for. ¡­It is necessary for everything about me. And¡­ ¡°And this is how I will gain my past. ¡­But what about Kazami and the others? Will they be able to use the past to rethink their current selves?¡± He opened his eyes and faced forward. At some point, the sky had grown very bright. With the darkness gone¡­ ¡°Questioning myself like this feels rather embarrassing.¡± He smiled bitterly and the smile only grew. Why was I speaking to myself for so long? he wondered. ¡­I used to be much better at restraining myself when I was alone. ¡°I have grown weak,¡± he muttered happily. ¡°I have grown weak, Shinjou-kun. After meeting you and living with you, I have grown weak. I have simply been hiding it from you¡­no, you have simply not tried to notice it.¡± He put away his things and placed the bag on his back, but brought a hand to his chest. He thought of the past as he faced eastward. He could no longer see anything but mountains in the distance. ¡­It was in an unseen place beyond those mountains that my mother almost killed me. He thought along with the pain in his chest. ¡­Why do I feel this pain? ¡°That is a simple matter.¡± He recalled something. It was the same thing he had recalled to escape Atsuta¡¯s Art of Walking when battling 2nd-Gear. Long ago, his family had been whole and had smiled. His father had been very reliable and his mother had been kind and gentle. He had not shared this memory with anyone since losing them. ¡­Why? Why did you die? Why am I still alive? He did not need to worry about it. He was happy now and there was no need to question that happiness. But the reason for his chest pains and the phantom pain in his fist was there. ¡­Why? He had asked himself that a long time ago. Since Shinjou had arrived and since he had grown serious, he had hidden that question, but he stood with it in his heart once more. He held his chest and frowned. ¡°I will go find the answer. Father, mother, I will follow after you, surpass your unseen forms, and continue on with only a quick glance toward you. And wait for me, Shinjou-kun. I want to be with you again, but only after I can survive without you. If I can do that¡­¡± He held his chest as he began to walk once more. ¡°The world¡¯s greatest happiness will be mine.¡± The world was broken. The night sky blazed red and a city crumbled and burned. Something walked along a wide road in the collapsing city that sent sprays of fire into the air. It was someone with no form. It was nothing but a gaze. The gaze weakly climbed the tilted asphalt and reached the peak. ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Only then did the gaze realize it was in a burning city. ¡°Eh? W-wait. Um, when did I end up here? All I did was secretly strip naked in the futon and go to sleep. Don¡¯t tell me that made me turn invisible.¡± Heo, the owner of the gaze, quickly looked in every direction. However, her wandering gaze stopped when it spotted something in the scenery: a collapsed traffic light. The traffic light¡¯s base had crumbled when the asphalt had tilted and its lights had gone dark, but the sign below it gave the place name. ¡°Osaka Castle?¡± She faced forward. A building was gently tilted toward the broken road Heo stood on. Beyond it were the remnants of an elevated roadway and a river. Beyond those was a small mountain. The mountain was formed from the accumulated rubble of a collapsed structure. It was dark and cracked and the light of a fire leaked out from within. That was when Heo first felt the wind. It felt more like a scorching rush of air than a hot wind. As the racing wave of heat washed over the trees lining the street, their leaves instantly turned to ash. Even the metal street signs, store signs, and traffic lights instantly lost their paint and bent like melting hard candy. ¡­What is this? It was the hot gusts of wind produced in a disaster-stricken city. Heo then realized what exactly she was seeing. ¡­The Great Kansai Earthquake. This was thanks to Baku. The small creature had taken a liking to her at the hospital before arriving at Hiba¡¯s dojo and he was showing her an image of the past. The night after the Black Sun battle, Heo had seen her great-grandfather¡¯s past in a dream. This is the second time, she realized while looking around. She saw a mountain and sea of destruction and it all matched what Sayama had described. Her father had died here and so had Harakawa, Hiba, and Sayama¡¯s fathers. They were likely the reason she was having this dream. The night before, they had looked at the photograph of her great-grandfather and the others that Brunhild had brought. Mikage¡¯s mother had also been in the photo and they had discussed it. The photograph had contained a few dozen people in front of a mountain range. In addition to the main force of old UCAT, it seemed to include their families and the people with normal posts as well. They had not known who anyone was outside of Chao and their own relatives, so they had been forced to discuss it and use the process of elimination. The man with pale hair in the very front had been Hiba¡¯s grandfather. Next to him was Hiba¡¯s grandmother Toshi and next to her was Thunderson. The man in a military uniform on the left of the back row had been Sayama¡¯s grandfather. To the right from there had been Chao, a man who was probably Izumo¡¯s grandfather, and then Ooshiro¡¯s father. There were a few Arabs in the photo, but they had concluded Abram was the biggest one and not the man who looked more like a doctor or a cook. Behind them all, a man had been sitting alone on a raised tree branch and facing the mountain range in the background. The hair on the back of his head suggested he was an old man and his left arm had been missing. ¡­That was Professor Kinugasa Tenkyou. She wondered what kind of person he had been and Sayama was currently working toward that answer. They were simply seeing an image of him cut out of the past. It was likely their thoughts then that had led Baku to show her the past now. But she belatedly began to worry about Harakawa. None of his relatives had been in the photo and he had remained silent the night before. Sayama had said to search for their pasts¡­ ¡­But what about Harakawa? He said nothing about his relatives. He never said what had happened with his father or grandfather. However, his father¡¯s grave was near her father¡¯s and his father had also died in the secondary damages of the Great Kansai Earthquake. ¡­He¡¯s the same. Heo nodded in her heart. ¡°Sayama said he saw his parents and some others entering the city.¡± In that case¡­ ¡°Were my father and Harakawa¡¯s father there too?¡± As soon as she asked that, someone suddenly appeared next to her. A man landed on the top of the tilted asphalt with such force that she was afraid they would collide. He had a medium build, he wore a combat vest, and his long black hair blew in the wind. He wore a Japanese sword scabbard on his back and held a drawn Japanese-style Cowling Sword in his hand. He had laughter on his lips and he let out a shout while looking around. ¡°Ha ha ha! If you¡¯re a man, then come at me! If you can take me on, I¡¯ll admit you¡¯re powerful!!¡± Speed fell upon the surrounding area in response. Five figures appeared after apparently jumping down from the surrounding collapsed buildings. They maintained a distance of ten meters while forming a circle around the man. All of their black leather combat coats swelled out to an odd extent and they held blades that resembled machetes and were over a meter long. They had artificial bodies and wielded cowling blades. The man looked across the five men who looked up from below the raised asphalt. ¡°So the challengers look up at the ruler from below, hm? Then let me tell you something: a true man does not look up at or down on anyone.¡± The man had been standing next to Heo, but the next thing she knew, he had leaped toward one of the artificial body soldiers in front of him. She heard him speak as he did so. ¡°I¡¯ll do this head-on. The position of the Five Great Peaks may have been quickly created just for this battle, but I¡¯ll fulfill my role. I¡¯m the temporary manager of Japanese UCAT¡¯s Independent Action Division. The name¡¯s Hiba Ryuuichi.¡± That name surprised Heo. ¡­Eh? Once her confusion caught up with the facts before her eyes, Ryuuichi was already rushing toward another soldier to the right. Her vision could not keep up. All she managed was seeing the first man Ryuuichi leaped toward suddenly fall to his knees. That first man collapsed almost without warning. Ryuuichi then tried to hit the man to the right with a backhand sword strike, but the four remaining men, including the one being attacked, took action. The targeted one intercepted while the other three chose to attack. Ryuuichi¡¯s target ran right to put some distance between them and swung up the machete in his right hand. The mechanically-enhanced arm lifted the flat blade to slice Ryuuichi¡¯s body in two from below. The remaining three used the rising asphalt in the center as cover and prepared their left arms. Thick metal tubes protruded from below their hands. The caliber looked the same as a machinegun. ¡­Are they going to defeat their enemy without worrying about the one being targeted!? That meant their enemy was worth enough to sacrifice one of their own. However, Ryuuichi still took a step toward the artificial body soldier swinging the large machete. He moved to cut down the man. Even if he dodged the blade, the bullets were coming, so Heo gasped. But with a carefree voice, Ryuuichi placed a foot up on the machete blade. ¡°Eh?¡± Heo watched the movements of his feet. ¡­It¡¯s like he¡¯s climbing a staircase. He placed his feet on the quickly rising blade, his hips floated up, and he lifted his body. The blade was moving too quickly for Heo to see, but Ryuuichi¡¯s movements looked awfully slow. He stood on top of the rising blade. He caught its strength, shrunk down his body as the blade rose, and¡­ ¡°!¡± The other three men began to fire once they realized what Ryuuichi was doing. The bullets flew, but the mechanical arm raising the machete was faster. A moment later, Hiba Ryuuichi used the momentum of the machete to leap back toward the other three. He flipped through the air above the flying bullets, gunshots, Heo¡¯s consciousness, the three men trying to raise their guns, and everything else. The artificial body soldier with the machete was struck by his comrades¡¯ bullets and was blown away. However, Heo tried to view all of Ryuuichi¡¯s actions this time. She looked up, turned around, looked down, and saw the man¡¯s long hair flowing behind him as if in the wind. He landed behind the other three. They were in a line and he was behind the farthest left one from Heo¡¯s perspective. That leftmost artificial body soldier turned to the right and threw a backhand blow with the machete in his right hand. The central soldier responded by leaping backwards while making a similar backhand blow with the blade in his right hand. The rotating backhands approached Ryuuichi from either side. Then, the rightmost soldier made an attack to make absolutely sure. He spun around and fired his machinegun between the other two attacks. The sound of slicing wind mixed with gunfire. ¡­There¡¯s no way he can avoid this! But Ryuuichi reacted to it all. He had his back to Heo and thick blades were arriving from his front left and back right. As he stood up after his leap, he suddenly threw his body to the left. ¡°¡­!?¡± Heo just about cried out that he was going to be hit, but his movement changed once he arrived right next to the arriving blade. He slipped to the right in order to jump over the blade on that side. ¡­Oh. She understood the idea behind his evasive action. In the intersection between the two blades, there was nowhere to evade. But if he moved toward one or the other, a gap would open up. By using that gap as space to move and by buying some time before the blades met, he could jump over and evade the right blade. However, the created space was less than ten centimeters. And that was not the only problem. The blade would try to move into the opened space. ¡­So he has to move even faster than the blade. Beyond Heo¡¯s unease, Ryuuichi¡¯s body spun around. He flipped quickly to the right without ever placing his hands on the ground. He used the height difference between the two blades to twist his flipping body through. A few tufts of hair were cut away and the bottom of his combat vest was split. ¡­His flip isn¡¯t strong enough. His body was slipping through, but he wasn¡¯t rotating quickly enough. Knowing he would be cut in two, Heo tried to close her vision even though she had no eyelids. But in that instant, Ryuuichi placed a hand on the left blade even as he flipped. He caught its strength and gently wrapped his palm around the blade. ¡°!!¡± He quickly rotated over the right blade and shot away from the left blade. He made it through. ¡°Wow,¡± said the voice of Heo¡¯s consciousness. ¡­But the machinegun. The bullets were still coming. He has no way to avoid them, she thought. Immediately afterwards, she heard his voice. ¡°Don¡¯t make me go to so much trouble!!¡± He swung his sword horizontally as he landed from his side flip and he rotated his body as he did so. However, he lacked the necessary reach. The sword¡¯s blade was long but not long enough to reach his three enemies. Nevertheless, the attack reached them. ¡°!?¡± Light raced along the path of the sword. The pale light shot through the air like a swift wave. ¡­It even reached the roadway and surrounding buildings!? The elevated roadway¡¯s supporting columns were nearly five meters thick and the buildings over twenty stories tall, but the horizontal cut ran straight through them. The sound of an explosion rang out. The men with artificial bodies had their torsos cut through at the waist and the buildings were sliced through as easily as tofu. The elevated roadway slid down from above the cut and the buildings collapsed as if sinking inwards. The reverberating sound resembled a waterfall. Everywhere the cut had reached crumbled in the same way. And by that time, Ryuuichi had already sheathed the sword on his back. He had won. He raised his head while surrounded by the sounds of buildings crumbling to the ground, of scattering metal fragments, and of motors racing fruitlessly. ¡°You did a good job, Tsukuyomi Arihito.¡± But even after the man had overwhelmed his enemies, Heo saw him frown and looked up into the sky. ¡­What is he looking at? She looked up as well, but she saw something else first. ¡°Ah.¡± It was a blue mechanical dragon. It resembled American UCAT¡¯s mechanical dragons, but it was a little different. The shapes of the components were not quite as streamlined and she could sense its age. The dragon wrapped wind around itself and passed by at extreme low altitude in a split-second. It was moving quickly, but Heo saw a certain image as strongly as if it had been burned into her retinas. She saw the person sitting in the cockpit. It was a man wearing a blue armored uniform. ¡°Dad!?¡± After it passed by, she turned to see it shaking its tail. The sky reflected the burning color of the city and the blue dragon grew more distant. And as if pursuing that dragon, a group of gray mechanical dragons flew up from the shadows of the burning city. Heo saw the blue dragon tear through the sky in a rising arc. The gray dragons descended in an opposite arc and they crossed paths in an instant. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The gray dragons became blooming flowers of red light in the sky. Repeated explosions rumbled like distant thunder, but new gray dragons ascended to pursue the blue one. That was when Heo saw the stars in the sky. ¡­Eh? She realized she had not seen those stars until now. The fire may have been creating thick clouds in the sky because there was a clear division between where the stars were visible and where they were not. Heo¡¯s attention was entirely stolen by those stars that seemed horribly out of place. ¡­And yet I didn¡¯t even see them before. She tried to look up into the sky, but that was all she managed. She realized the surrounding scenery was twisting and growing dark. The past was ending. Realizing that, she tried to gather her thoughts on what she had seen. ¡°So was my dad fighting in a mechanical dragon?¡± ¡­Why? What was he fighting for? She only knew that a battle had occurred in Osaka on the night of the earthquake and that her father had died there. Sayama had said that battle was likely fought with the group that preceded the Army. ¡­Then why was this hidden? There was no one there to answer that question, so her mind fell into the darkness without knowing. She was waking from the past. Heo sprang up from her futon. ¡°¡­!?¡± The scene entering her eyes was too incongruous with what she had seen a moment before. She was in a dimly-lit room. ¡­This is a room in Hiba¡¯s grandfather¡¯s house. She saw Mikage curled up in a futon, Brunhild sleeping in a yukata with her futon pushed off of her, and a basket sitting by her own pillow. When she saw the small creature sleeping on its back in the basket, Heo came to her senses. She felt her pulse race through her entire body and she trembled. She remembered a certain fact concerning Baku: other people would see the past he showed you. ¡­Harakawa! He was sleeping in the neighboring boys room. If she opened the sliding screen dividing the rooms, she would find him. She wanted to hear his opinion and she wanted to compare her thoughts with his, so she jumped from her futon, opened the screen, and entered the next room. The identically shaped room contained two futons. Her impatient mind realized it was so dark because the storm shutter was closed, but that was all she noticed. ¡°Harakawa!¡± Someone sat up within one of the futons. It was Harakawa. He pulled a hand from his yukata pocket, placed it on his chin, and turned a puzzled look her way. ¡°Heo Thunderson, what are you-¡­¡± She relaxed a little when their eyes met. She almost leaped toward him as she ran the short distance and climbed on top of his pushed back blanket. The shock and unease from her dream produced a series of words from her mouth. ¡°U-um, it happened again while I was asleep. It was the second time and I thought I was used to it, but I tried to cry out but couldn¡¯t and, um, everything was so hot and falling apart, so¡­um¡­¡± ¡°Stop confessing whatever nonsensical dream you had and calm down, Heo Thunderson.¡± She felt his hand in the hair on the back of her head. He almost seemed to grab her scalp as he pressed her face into his chest. ¡­Ah. It surprised her, but she also managed to calm down. She smiled a little as the blanket tickled her skin and she took a deep breath to calm down further. The past she had seen played back in her head. ¡­That was¡­ Her father and the others had been fighting. Despite her close connection to the man she had seen, she did not know why, she did not know who else had been there, and she did not know what had led to all that. All she knew was what Sayama had said. ¡­UCAT fought a battle during the Great Kansai Earthquake. ¡°What does it all mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either, Heo Thunderson. After all, I¡¯m a newcomer. And so are you. Also, don¡¯t make so much noise. You¡¯ll wake Hiba.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She looked to the other futon and saw Hiba wiggling back and forth inside it. ¡°Nnn, ahhh! The car! The car! It¡¯s so round!!¡± ¡°Harakawa, he¡¯s repeating a joke and he¡¯s become completely unintelligible.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t nitpick how other people¡¯s brains work, Heo Thunderson. Also¡­¡± She felt his hand loosen on her head, so she looked up and found his eyes right in front of her. She tilted her head at close range. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Look behind you for a second.¡± She twisted her shoulders and turned her head backwards as instructed. Confused, she saw Harakawa¡¯s futon blanket and something skin-colored and round on top of it. She tried to figure out what that was. ¡°A butt?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly right, but why are you naked, Heo Thunderson?¡± Once he pointed it out, she realized she was indeed naked. The phrase ¡°how could you?¡± reached her mind before the phrase ¡°what have I done?¡±. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± She gave a wordless scream and grabbed a nearby object to hide herself. That object happened to be the blanket covering Harakawa. But that meant¡­ ¡°Hey, wait. Don¡¯t climb into my futon!¡± ¡°B-but you¡¯ll see me naked! I¡¯m unprotected!¡± She hid between Harakawa and the blanket as if clinging to his body and she looked up at him. He frowned as he lay below her with their bodies almost overlapping. ¡°What¡¯s the point of hiding?¡± ¡°S-sorry, but can I borrow this blanket to go to the next room?¡± ¡°And leave me in the cold?¡± ¡°U-um, then I¡¯ll, uh, warm you up myself.¡± ¡°Think about what the words mean before you use them, Heo Thunderson.¡± Heo hung her head and nodded. He sighed. ¡°Well, just get going. It sounds like Hiba¡¯s still in his disturbing dream world, so I don¡¯t think he¡¯s noticed.¡± ¡°S-sorry. I¡¯ll find a way to thank you later.¡± ¡°Then you take dinner duty today.¡± He sat up a little and patted her head a few times with a look of exasperation. ¡°But make it something exciting. Things have been gloomy around here lately, so make some fried chicken or something and we can all eat it together.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. I know a good spice recipe, so that¡¯s fine.¡± She began to stand up, but then she felt a gaze on her from the side. She looked over and saw Hiba. His head was poking out of his futon and he was rubbing his eyes sleepily. ¡°Oh, good morning, Harakawa-san and-¡­¡± He trailed off and his expression froze. Eh? thought Heo as the boy looked directly at her and Harakawa. She was lying naked on top of Harakawa and they even had the blanket placed across them. ¡­Um¡­ Just as she prepared to explain the situation, Hiba jumped to his feet. ¡°H-has the Eros Road to the Eros World finally opened in the real world!?¡± ¡°Calm down, Hiba Ryuuji.¡± ¡°Wh-where¡¯s the entrance!? I want to¡­ I want to dive into that other world! L-like this!!¡± ¡°I said to calm down, Hiba Ryuuji. There is no entrance to anywhere like that.¡± However, Hiba twisted around and pointed both his index fingers toward them. ¡°Th-then what do you think you¡¯re doing there!? Damn, I¡¯m so jealous!¡± ¡°You¡¯re supposed to keep one of those opinions a secret, Hiba Ryuuji. Just to be clear, this is a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°B-but Harakawa-san! I¡¯ve caught you red-handed, you immoral person!¡± ¡°H-he is not immoral!!¡± shouted Heo. ¡°H-he is a very straightforward person! I¡¯m sure he needs more than a kid like me! He would probably only be satisfied with an adult who can only be described with the word ¡®boing¡¯. That¡¯s right! Boing! Boiiing!!¡± ¡°I get the feeling you¡¯re rejecting a part of my personality here, Heo Thunderson. And don¡¯t use so many sound effects.¡± ¡°But!¡± Heo rose up to protest, but that caused the blanket to fall off of her. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± Just as she swallowed a scream and frantically pulled the blanket toward her, she heard a sudden sound. Something was banging on the storm shutter from the outside. She could only think of one reason to cause so much noise at a time like this. ¡°A pervert?¡± ¡°I-it isn¡¯t me, probably! I-it really probably isn¡¯t me, right!?¡± After Hiba¡¯s desperate denial, Heo heard another sound. This one was of destruction. But it was different from the sounds in her dream. It was the sound of wood splitting and breaking. ¡­Eh? Her question was followed by a wind that chilled her even through the blanket. ¡°What is going on?¡± She poked her head from the blanket and looked. The wind was coming from where the storm shutter had been, but it was now entirely open and the early morning light and wind came in. The twilight outlined the faint silhouette of a man. He was a skinny old man with long black hair. ¡°My name is Yonkichi,¡± he said in inappropriately old-fashioned speech. ¡°I take it you are awake.¡± Heo heard those words and felt Harakawa¡¯s arm wrap around her waist. ¡­This is¡­ She knew what was happening. There was only one reason he would pull her close and try to protect her. And Yonkichi gave that reason with a bitter smile of resignation. ¡°It is time to fight, ladies and gentlemen.¡± The word ¡°fight¡± reminded her of the dream and she gasped. However¡­ ¡°Why do we have to fight?¡± ¡°Because it is fun. For us, anyway.¡± ¡°B-but what about for us!?¡± she replied from below the blanket. ¡°Well,¡± said Yonkichi with a nod. ¡°Your first reward is the Concept Core, but it would seem Sayama-sama has yet to inform you of the second reward. As one of the four brothers, I will explain it once more. When you defeat us, we will tell you a little of what we know of the past.¡± Heo heard what she most wanted at the moment. ¡°We fought in that battle in Osaka, so if you defeat us, we will leave you with a small piece of that memory. Yes, the memory of the past that created the current UCAT and your current situation!¡± Heo sucked in a breath. ¡­What do we do!? She knew they had an enemy and she knew they would gain something by defeating that enemy. ¡­But¡­ However, Yonkichi took action with no concern for her thoughts. He raised his right arm without losing the bitter smile. ¡°Now, get up!¡± Before his short sentence had even ended, a corner of the house exploded. Volume 10, 11: Flow of Human Will Volume 10, Chapter 11: Flow of Human Will Where does regret come from? From within? From without? A room was lined with small tables and chairs. Windows covered the room¡¯s southern wall and the almost gray light of morning was partially blocked by the giant logo-covered stickers on those windows. The stickers contained a simplified drawing of a mountain bandit leader. ¡°The Japanese fast food chain Most Valiant Burger. IAI sure runs some strange places. I¡¯m also not sure I approve of calling a rice sandwich a ¡®riceger¡¯.¡± Those complaints came from a woman in a white coat sitting alone by the window. The tray on the two-person table held two rice balls wrapped in paper (a new product), a cup of consomm¨¦, and lightly pickled asparagus and lettuce. The woman looked a little like an Asian girl and she rested her head on her hand and stared out the window despite the food in front of her. She could see the city in early morning. The roundabout in front of the train station contained nothing but a single car and some parked buses. Very few people were in evidence and no motion could be seen. ¡°I wonder if they¡¯re having an exciting time of it.¡± Just as she released the contents of her lungs, she heard a female voice. ¡°May I sit with you, Doctor Chao?¡± Chao looked up at the woman who sat down across from her. ¡°Diana? How did you know I was here?¡± Diana wore a black suit and a large black scarf and she nodded while setting down her tray. She brushed back her long hair and settled down in the chair. ¡°You underwent a similar process to me, so I released some paper birds and asked them if they spotted anyone like me around Okutama.¡± Diana rested her right elbow on the table and showed off the raised palm. She held a five centimeter crane created from folded black paper. She closed her hand and the crane vanished before she opened it again. ¡°I see.¡± Chao crossed her arms. ¡°The philosopher¡¯s stone reading is weak, so I thought I¡¯d be fine as long as an automaton didn¡¯t find me, but I forgot about you. ¡­So what are you going to do, descendent of Zonburg? Report me to UCAT?¡± ¡°Oh, dear. Is that what you think of me? I am nowhere near that boring a woman.¡± Diana hummed as she lifted up a wrapped rice ball. She held the overflowing contents in with the bottom of the wrapper and bit in. ¡°The tuna scrape riceger special is so good. I¡¯ve recently taken a liking to using wasabi as a topping.¡± ¡°The seaweed and Chinese pickles are enough for me.¡± ¡°It has plenty of fiber, doesn¡¯t it? But it¡¯s a shame the coffee here is cofftea.¡± Diana wiped her lips with a paper napkin and drank some corn soup from her cup. After a sip, she spoke. ¡°I hear those four old men are on the move.¡± ¡°Are you going to stop them?¡± ¡°No, I will leave that to anyone with too much time on their hands and their appropriate opponents. I have other plans.¡± ¡°Plans?¡± ¡°Yes. After I finish my work at UCAT tonight, I am meeting an acquaintance in the city. I also need to find some books for Heo there. I need to give her some books on Japanese culture, bizarre Japanese festivals, and anti-pervert self-defense.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Chao nodded and grabbed her riceger while looking out the window. ¡°But you know what¡¯s happening and why, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Testament,¡± replied Diana. Still smiling, she turned toward Chao. ¡°Those four old men were created as the temporary bodies for 7th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core and they will return to their Concept Core form once they accept an inheritor. And if they do not¡­¡± ¡°They will vanish along with the Concept Core when their lifespan runs out. When I created them in 7th-Gear, the 7th-Gear sages planning to become the Concept Core instructed me to make them that way. They were not gods. They had simply reached the ultimate form of mankind, so they would only be bored with a world they could not accept. That is why I made them age as they lost interest in this world.¡± A bitter laugh filled the restaurant. ¡°Those four have lost interest right on time. This world may have changed quite a bit after the war, but it still failed to interest them. I think it was during your generation that their aging slowed,¡± explained Chao. ¡°But their aging accelerated during the last ten years. And around when we received 5th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core, they came to tell me something.¡± ¡°That they¡¯re so bored they want to go try some things out for themselves?¡± Diana¡¯s gaze dropped, she took a bite of her riceger, and she brought a hand to her mouth. ¡°Ah, that bite had a lot of wasabi.¡± ¡°How about you decide whether you¡¯re having a serious conversation or eating?¡± asked Chao as she took a bite of her own rice. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve been feeling a little emotional lately. Hanging around me will only put you in a bad mood. ¡­I know it¡¯s not like me, but I¡¯ve been thinking. Why did I even create those four?¡± She watched a bus leave the roundabout outside the window and she listened to its engine and the other background noises. ¡°At the time, I was invited to 7th-Gear, shown the ultimate in bodily modification techniques, and even heard they could create artificial humans using the Concept Core as a basis. I was simply delighted and the 7th-Gear people were happy to see my delight. But,¡± she said. ¡°Did I make them only so they could die?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Diana, do you ever plan to have kids?¡± Diana shrugged at the sudden question. ¡°I like fried chicken, so I think the stork hates me.¡± ¡°I like grilled chicken, so I think I¡¯m the same. But I do wonder. What are parents thinking when they have kids? Do any parents have kids just so they can die?¡± She gave a quiet laugh and ate her rice while still looking out the window. She took a large bite to create a pause and then swallowed. ¡°I knew what was going to happen to them when I made them. And I was happy to do it. But back then, I never imagined how I would feel about it now.¡± ¡°What would you have done if you had known that then?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Chao stopped moving, closed her eyes, and gave a self-deprecating look. ¡°You¡¯re cruel, Diana. Wishing for something I couldn¡¯t have done only brings frustration.¡± Chao turned around to face Diana and crossed her legs. ¡°Those four are strong. Will Heo and the others be okay? Kazami and Izumo didn¡¯t put up much of a fight.¡± ¡°If Heo and the others die, that¡¯s just the way it is. But even then, it doesn¡¯t mean those four were born to die. ¡­They were born to do something, but they simply chose to die on the way there. That is how I view it.¡± ¡°And where did that idea come from?¡± ¡°Ten years ago, a group of people chose to die together just as they had eaten, lived, and spoken together. I chose not to and they disappeared from my life. But even though they passed away, they are still crying and laughing, talking and falling silent, and walking and stopping. I try to think that I have no reason for sorrow since this merely means I can no longer meet them.¡± Diana held the cup of corn soup in both hands and quietly looked out the window. ¡°If we can create a continuation to the act of dying, I believe my friends will return. But those four old men are trying to create an ending. And that ending will act as the final destination of 7th-Gear¡¯s Concept War.¡± ¡°Yes. They are trying to fight and enjoy themselves as the people of 7th-Gear. This is likely their first and last chance to build up their experience, reveal their identities, and enjoy themselves with the greatest power possible. They most likely want to have fun and win¡­but even if they win, it is over for them,¡± said Chao. ¡°They are probably thinking that they were born to die. And if the purpose of their existence lies in their deaths, why were they not allowed to die immediately after their births? ¡­They probably resent me for knowing that when I created them.¡± ¡°That is something only they can know. ¡­But that is exactly why I hope they can enjoy themselves until the end arrives. I hope Heo, the Sayama boy, and the others can satisfy them.¡± Diana took a sip from the cup and smiled. She directly faced Chao with that smile. ¡°But it is my students who will be victorious. Not those four old men.¡± She took a breath. ¡°The Sayama boy once said he would never admit defeat no matter how many times he lost and that he would win in the end. ¡­Crazy, isn¡¯t it?¡± She smiled bitterly, but Chao did not nod. But she did speak and reach for another wrapped riceger. ¡°I see you don¡¯t cry anymore, Diana. When you first came to Japan, you would always get mad for others and cry.¡± ¡°Testament,¡± quietly agreed Diana. She opened a new wrapper and brought the rice to her mouth. ¡°¡­¡± She tried to eat the entire riceger at once and Chao glared at her. ¡°Your snake-like eating hasn¡¯t changed, though.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t compare me to a snake. I am the Mother Cat.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Chao pulled a cigarette from her pocket. ¡°I¡¯m finally feeling a little better. Mind if I smoke?¡¯ ¡°No, go ahead.¡± Diana pulled lipstick from her pocket, wrote two words on a napkin, and placed it in front of her. ¡° ¡®Get lost¡¯? What¡¯s this? Are you picking a fight with me?¡± ¡°It is for the smoke, Doctor Chao. ¡­Anyway, talking about those four really is reminding me of the past. For example, there were others who desired victory to bring something to an end ten years ago and before.¡± ¡°That there were. ¡­And there are people who want that now too.¡± Chao lit the cigarette in her mouth. ¡°The Army. We know very well what they¡¯re thinking, don¡¯t we? They¡¯re a collection of the remnants and crimes of the Concept War. They wish to destroy the victorious survivor that is UCAT but also to eliminate themselves. That way they can create a peaceful world with no victor.¡± ¡°Only a group small enough to vanish could come up with an idea like that. They¡¯re willing to use any dirty method of winning. All that matters is eliminating their enemy and themselves,¡± said Diana. ¡°So they will simply do evil without even being a villain. The more evil they are, the more the later world will know of the evil committed during the Concept War, so that later world will avoid conflict once they vanish. ¡­They think the people of that later world will be able to appreciate peace.¡± ¡°Be careful, Diana. My four may be attacking now, but the Army is definitely coming. And meanwhile, Team Leviathan has disbanded and both Kazami and Izumo are out of the fight.¡± ¡°I know that.¡± Diana nodded and raised her eyebrows a little. ¡°But those four are the more pressing problem for now. ¡­I will keep it a secret, so can you tell me what they¡¯re going to do?¡± Chao exhaled some smoke and it reversed direction toward her and the wall once it arrived above the napkin in front of Diana. ¡°Ah, that pisses me off. I¡¯m not telling you now.¡± ¡°O-oh, come on. I just want to know a little. Oh, I know. How about some dessert? The youke, a fusion of youkan and cake, is something like kintsuba.¡± ¡°How are you supposed to pronounce that?¡± ¡°Youke.¡± ¡°¡­Well, whatever. Ikkou is maintaining his weapons and Nijun is pursuing Sayama. Mitsuaki works more behind the scenes, so he should be with Ikkou. And Yonkichi¡­ He¡¯s pursuing Heo and the others.¡± Diana¡¯s expression stiffened at that last fact. ¡°Yonkichi is?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Surely you know that he¡¯s the strongest of the four brothers when looking at a one-on-one battle. ¡­Now, how will this turn out?¡± Chao blew smoke upwards and it gathered like a cloud up near the ceiling. ¡°Those children are always playing the fools, but they¡¯ve finally realized what they need to do and will give this their all. They helped you all ten years ago, but their strength and determination are entirely different now. They will be asking the question that was always kept hidden inside them.¡± Chao looked to Diana with the smile of those four¡¯s parent. ¡°They will win. They are the ones asking, so their strength as they ask will be greater than all else. Can¡¯t you hear them asking, Diana? The question should resound on and on forever. They lost the world they were born in and they were born to accept this world and die.¡± She took a breath. ¡°So they will ask why they are alive. And they are completely serious. ¡­That nonsense doesn¡¯t suit them at all, does it?¡± Yonkichi fought in the outdoor dojo next to the Hiba family house. He wore a filthy white work outfit below a white flight jacket. That was his usual outfit. The sky was changing from white to blue and the Okutama air was becoming the clear air of morning. That was the usual state of the world. Low-Gear was no different from normal. It was a weekday, so the people would be waking up, eating breakfast, and living their lives by going to school, going to work, or completing housework. But, thought Yonkichi. ¡­I am different from normal. Normally, he was not dodging fists in the morning. Normally, he was not dodging kicks in the morning. Normally, he was not breaking free of throws in the morning. Normally¡­ ¡­I am not fighting Hiba¡¯s grandson in the morning. This was not normal. He was certain he was currently doing things differently from others. He was the only one in the world who¡­no, he and his opponent, Hiba, were the only ones feeling this. It was a wonderful thing. ¡­We were born to test this Gear and to die. Fulfilling that is the will of 7th-Gear, which you can call our father, and it is for the sake of Chao Sei, the mother who responded to that will. But his brothers had said something else. ¡­We do not know if that is correct. Their lifespans were reaching their end. They were losing interest in this world that lacked change, so they wanted to hurry up and die. If they died, they could fulfill the meaning of their birth. But, thought Yonkichi as he deflected Hiba¡¯s fist with an arm and slammed his elbow into the boy. ¡­My heart wishes for entertainment before then. He remembered what his brothers had said. ¡­We can think about that while performing the test. And if they did not completely lose interest before the end came, they could say Low-Gear had more value than simply bringing their end. They would draw out all of their ability, use it without hesitation, watch their surprised opponent, smile whether they had won or lost, and reach their own highest point. ¡­Then we will accept Low-Gear. But, he thought again. Hiba ducked to avoid a kick and tried to sweep away Yonkichi¡¯s supporting leg with a horizontal kick, so Yonkichi jumped straight up to evade. ¡°But¡­¡± Down below, the rotation of the horizontal kick prevented Hiba from moving. Yonkichi dropped his heel down on the boy. He was confident it would hit. His reason was simple: Hiba¡¯s actions were far too easy to predict. The boy was used to god of war combat, so his actions appeared compact but actually used wide motions. He quickly rotated those large motions to prevent his opponent from seeing through them. He was like a miniature typhoon. If you knew where his center was, he was nothing more than swinging arms and legs. Hitting his weak points was easy. And Yonkichi did exactly that. His dropping heel travelled straight toward the top of the head. Hiba¡¯s balance was fixed due to the rotation of the horizontal kick, so an attack from directly above would slam him into the ground and prevent the damage from slipping away. This attack would knock him unconscious. The pain in his head would keep him from even drinking anything properly for the rest of the day. His heel hit. ¡°!¡± With the sound of bone being struck, Hiba was knocked into the ground while rotating. Yonkichi used the recoil to flip backwards and land on the hard ground. ¡°But this is boring, as it does not allow me to reach my highest point.¡± He saw Hiba doubled over on the ground and not moving, so he corrected his posture and turned his back on the boy. He faced the house. Someone stood in front of the broken entrance to one room. It was a short old man wearing a dark samue. Yonkichi bowed toward him. ¡°Will you be opposing me as well, Ryuutetsu-sama. To refresh my mind, I will add a new speech quirk, puru.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not fight someone who speaks like that.¡± ¡°It is best to ignore it, puru. But more importantly¡­¡± Yonkichi let his arms dangle next to him and turned his body toward the other man. ¡°Will you be fighting me or not, puru?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s no longer my role. I¡¯m about to go check on the field with Toshi.¡± Ryuutetsu pointed to his left. Yonkichi turned to look and found where he had previously knocked Hiba Ryuuji to the ground. He also saw the boy slowly standing and shaking his head. ¡­But that was a solid blow. Hiba brushed a hand through his hair and finished standing. He made a gentle hop to plant his feet on the ground and began stepping forward and back. He started slow but quickly gained speed. His eyes were trained directly on Yonkichi. ¡°During the summer, I was taught something by an upperclassman even more perverted than me and another upperclassman who I can never hope to match when it comes to acts of perversion. I was taught that I don¡¯t prepare my defenses and that I think I¡¯ve won too soon.¡± He spat onto the ground next to him and the spit was colored red. ¡°When you jumped up, I remembered when I lost to them. ¡­I lost twice, but I won¡¯t lose a third time. I¡¯m taking this seriously.¡± ¡°I see, I see.¡± Yonkichi nodded toward Ryuutetsu and faced Hiba again. Instead of letting his arms dangle, he held them forward at slightly above shoulder height. His elbows swayed, he pulled on the sleeves, and he lightly spread his arms with the wrists and hands sticking out. ¡°Then I too shall take this a little seriously, puru.¡± ¡°A little seriously?¡± He clenched his fists while nodding to Hiba¡¯s question. A moment later, the air exploded, a large portion of the hard dojo ground burst, and Hiba was blown away. The battle had begun anew. Volume 10, 12: For a Conclusion Volume 10, Chapter 12: For a Conclusion I was told to be hurt I was told to be destroyed What is the answer? Hiba rode the destruction of the land. He had assumed Yonkichi¡¯s actions would lead to some kind of attack, so he had used all his strength to avoid it. It could have been an impact, a slash, or a projectile. Thanks to his two losses during the summer, he took an evasive stance before even seeing the enemy¡¯s attack. That decision proved wise. The entire space within three meters around him was destroyed. It was almost an explosion. As the bursting air knocked him away, he spun around and took a landing pose. ¡­What was that!? He could tell it was some sort of spatial strike. In the instant the space was compressed and made to burst, that space was acclimated to the surrounding space. That caused anything in the bursting space to burst along with it. He understood the idea behind it. ¡­But how does he do it? What does he use? He landed with those questions in mind, held a hand up to block the whirling wind and scattering fragments of the ground, and looked forward. The second attack was coming. ¡°¡­!¡± He forcefully leaped backwards again to leave the three meter range of destruction, but¡­ ¡°This one¡¯s bigger!?¡± That instinctual decision led him to increase the force of his leap. He flew a full five meters back. A moment later, the bursting space closed right in front of him. The range had been five meters instead of three. ¡­Does this mean he still isn¡¯t going all out!? Everything split and burst before him. The wind and torn ground caused him to frantically pull back. He watched the air explode and corrected his fighting stance. ¡­But what do I do? He clenched his right fist, but he doubted it could do much against this destructive power. And their previous battle told him the old man had a slight edge when it came to a pure exchange of attacks. His enemy had the advantage in power, skill, and speed. ¡°Calm down.¡± If I think about it, there has to be a way, he told himself. And so he cleared his mind of all idle thoughts. ¡­I will empty my mind! A sudden image of Mikage in the nude appeared in his mind. ¡­And I will stay positive! He decided this image was a message from the god of beauty that he needed to stay positive. As long as he had no other idle thoughts, nothing else mattered. But¡­ ¡­Mikage-san hasn¡¯t been letting me in the bath with her recently. It had started two weeks before. She had said she wanted to practice bathing alone and had not let him in. His mother must have supported Mikage¡¯s independence because she had tried to stab him with a spear through the peephole he had tried to use. That meant his only images of Mikage in the nude were images of the past. ¡­But that¡¯s fine too. Imagination!! At that point, he suddenly realized he needed to focus on the battle, so he gently crossed his arms in front of his face to clear his mind. ¡°Stop throbbing, my heart. Stop throbbing, my heart!¡± ¡°Are you really taking this seriously, puru?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from you, Mr. Puru!! Are you listening? Please listen, ma,am!¡± With that shout, Hiba suddenly took action. There were a few ways to overcome a difference in power, skill, and speed. One of those was to take the initiative. He would find an opportunity and take advantage of it. It was also called taking the enemy by surprise. His opponent¡¯s attacks affected a range, but that range started at three meters. If he made his way within three meters of the enemy, that enemy could not use that power for fear of hitting himself. Hiba took a low leap and jumped again without slowing down. He was not running; he was making consecutive leaps. He approached Yonkichi without letting his initial speed drop. Once he arrived within five meters of the man, Yonkichi reacted by raising his left arm and clenching his fist. ¡°¡­!¡± He swung it down. The three meter area around Hiba, a six meters sphere of space, burst. It bent, compressed, and eventually exploded. The sound rang clearly, but Hiba was alive. He had not been torn apart or broken and he continued to fight. He had approached his enemy. He was in the air. He was falling from approximately five meters over Yonkichi¡¯s head. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The principle behind this great leap was simple. His enemy¡¯s attack took a spherical form, so if he jumped up and spread himself out over the curve of the sphere, the force of the explosion would throw him upwards. The enemy had set the center of the sphere close to the ground in order to hit him, so half of it had been buried. He jumped over it. The speed he had built up while approaching maintained his forward momentum even as he rode the blast radiating from the sphere. This was what it meant to predict what would happen next. And he continued fighting. In the air, he twisted his body and made a dropping savate kick. He did not simply drop his heel. Doing that would send his center of gravity into the ground if he landed. It was all over if the enemy evaded. But with a savate kick, he could twist his body around and keep moving when he landed. The impact of landing could be transformed into a rotation. The attack was harder to read since it did not move in a straight line and people¡¯s plummeting opinion of him would rise if he won here. Hiba used this attack as a way of killing four birds with one stone. However, he saw something in front of him. Yonkichi had moved his left arm. However, the man did not raise his hand. ¡­He pulled back his hips and formed a fist!? If he created a spatial explosion here, he would be caught in the blast too. Nevertheless, he moved. A sound similar to an impact but with some flexibility added in came from behind Yonkichi. The ground sank down behind him but not because something had gouged into it. Something had appeared there and crushed it. Hiba knew a similar phenomenon occurred when Mikage summoned Susamikado, so he knew what was appearing. ¡°A god of war!? Hiba saw bluish-white light behind Yonkichi that resembled an electrical discharge. At the same time, the objects producing the spatial explosions appeared behind his arms. They were giant arms. The two red and yellow arms were at least three meters long and they resembled both armor and muscle. They rose alongside his arms while copying his movements. ¡°I will take this a little more seriously, puru. This is the reproductive offensive shell known as the Great Sage, puru. It is a collection of the greatest byproducts of 7th-Gear¡¯s bodily modification techniques and this is my first time to use them outside of fights with my brothers, puru.¡± Instead of simple spatial compression, he sent out a straight-line three-meter uppercut. The attack was much like the movement of a pile driver. ¡°!¡± Meanwhile, Hiba temporarily lost all understanding. He had trouble with unexpected actions. He had lost before due to that weakness and it was happening again. ¡­I can¡¯t let that happen!! He woke his mind as if clinging to a thought. More on reflex than conscious thought, he used the crisis response abilities and physical abilities built up inside him. He twisted his upper body, swung his arms, and raised the speed of his savate kick. He swung his right leg as if pouring it down on the fist that shot toward him like it had teleported. ¡­My heel. It hit the middle finger of the giant fist. His heel struck the base of the finger and he placed the sole of his foot on it. ¡°¡­!¡± He absorbed the force, bent his ankle, bent his knee, lowered his hips, crouched down, spread his arms for balance, and even lowered his head. He took all those actions in an instant to absorb the coming impact with his entire body. He stored the force of the rising Great Sage fist¡¯s movement in his body. That fist reached the end of its movement and stopped. With nowhere else to go, the force inside Hiba¡¯s body threatened to explode, but a moment before, he jumped diagonally backwards into the sky. He stopped the force building inside him by leaping accurately in the direction of the giant fist¡¯s path. He more flew than jumped. He had a high initial speed and Gs pressed down on him to send him down into the darkness. ¡­But it¡¯s better than taking all this as damage! After jumping around a dozen meters, his speed suddenly vanished. His blood flow quickly rose to his head and his mind cleared. He had reached a face-up position in midair, so the sky lay before his eyes. That sky was shifting from early morning to morning and it contained some faint clouds. ¡°¡­¡± He bent backwards so his head pointed down, so he saw the upside-down mountains and then what lay below. About five meters down were the open-air dojo and the house. ¡°Mikage-san.¡± ¡°Right.¡± The tall girl that replied awkwardly ran into the open-air dojo in a yukata. Hiba rotated his body to land in front of her, spread his arms as he stood, and spoke with her. ¡°Susamikado!!¡± It came. The wind spiraled behind them and a black giant almost ten meters tall appeared behind Mikage. It was Susamikado. The black god of war¡¯s frame, power source, sensory devices, etc. linked together and armor appeared over them all. The bolts to hold its black body together audibly fit in place, Mikage was lifted by gravitational control, and she was taken inside Susamikado. ¡°Too slow, puru.¡± Hiba realized Yonkichi¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡­!? The appearance of and combination with Susamikado happened in a mere instant. He should have been able to board 3rd-Gear¡¯s greatest weapon without leaving an opening, but Hiba realized something in that split-second. ¡­Our enemy is 7th-Gear! 3rd-Gear could not fight without the power of a god of war, but this higher Gear had managed that. Yonkichi interfered using pure speed. Hiba turned around and saw the man riding the Great Sage¡¯s extended hand. The Great Sage¡¯s shoulders were linked with a backpack-like curved component and shimmering heat rose from behind it. Yonkichi extended his right hand forward from atop the giant palm. His hand held Mikage and his grasp prevented her from entering Susamikado. Her eyes opened wide and she turned toward the man. ¡°Now, then.¡± Still riding the Great Sage¡¯s right palm, Yonkichi casually raised his left hand. That was when something strange happened. The Great Sage¡¯s left hand grew. It inflated like a balloon and yet appeared to remain just as solid. The giant arm grew to about ten meters long. ¡°Ever-changing and absurdly powerful. That is the ultimate form of 7th-Gear,¡± he said. ¡°Oh, I forgot to say ¡®puru¡¯.¡± The Great Sage¡¯s even greater left arm punched Susamikado. With the sound of breaking glass, the god of war doubled over and floated up in the air. Mikage had yet to combine with it, but she was swung up into the air due to being under its gravitational control. Red warning lights appeared across Susamikado¡¯s body to inform them of errors. It then vanished so it would not be influenced by anyone but its master. That left Mikage alone in the air. She had not actually been struck by the blow, but she had been thrown by its momentum and she flew toward a closed rain shutter on the house. ¡°Mikage-san!¡± Hiba hurried, but he would not make it in time. Even so, something helped him: an attack from Yonkichi. The old man jumped down from the Great Sage¡¯s hand and slammed his right fist into Hiba¡¯s side. Hiba¡¯s breath was forced out from his mouth and nose and he heard a sound from his side. The counterattack sent him flying through the air toward Mikage. In exchange, three of his ribs were broken. The pain had not yet reached him, but it would once he took in a breath and his blood circulated. But first¡­ ¡°Kah.¡± Something that was not quite a breath burst from his mouth. He then stopped breathing. Once he caught up to Mikage in the air and held her in his arms, he found she had passed out. He embraced her. ¡­The house. They slammed into it, but the impact was surprisingly soft. ¡°!?¡± He was stopped by something that felt more absorbing than flexible and his back slid down to what felt like the ground. An instant later, the sky above grew dark. He was seeing the ceiling. He saw the old ceiling panels of the house. He had slid after landing and only stopped once he hit a cabinet inside. ¡°Ow.¡± The pain arrived. Simply inhaling felt like fingers digging into his left side. He frowned as the pain filled the core of his being like the inside of his muscles were being directly twisted. Only then did he realize that someone had opened the rain shutter and laid out a futon for them to land on. ¡°Harakawa-san!?¡± Harakawa walked past Hiba who lay motionless with Mikage in his arms. He was leaving the house with something like a large log over his shoulder. He clicked his tongue toward Hiba. ¡°Sorry, Hiba, but it took some time getting Heo ready.¡± ¡°S-sorry.¡± Heo was wrapped in the Swiss roll of a blanket over Harakawa¡¯s shoulder and she lowered the head sticking out the back. As the contents of the Swiss roll, she turned toward Harakawa who was moving outside. ¡°Wh-what are we going to do, Harakawa?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pain, but we need to drive that guy away. Can¡¯t you see what¡¯s happening here?¡± ¡°B-but if we attack with Thunder Fellow, that puru guy will be¡­¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t holding back either, Heo Thunderson.¡± ¡°B-but!¡± ¡°He knows the past of our parents that you want so much. Is that not enough motivation? If not, then what do you really want?¡± Harakawa felt the Swiss roll¡¯s contents shake and hold its breath. ¡°Listen, Heo Thunderson. This is our duty.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The Swiss roll¡¯s head turned weakly toward him. ¡°B-but how are we going to fight?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the question,¡± he said as he stepped outside. Hiba was collapsed, a portion of the house was destroyed, and Ryuutetsu was out at the field with his wife. ¡­This is like something from a shounen manga. Yonkichi was approximately eight meters away. The Great Sage was back to its original size, but its backpack had not vanished. It had moved quickly enough to interfere with Susamikado¡¯s appearance, so Harakawa doubted they had time to board Thunder Fellow. But¡­ ¡°Heo, does Thunder Fellow understand our situation?¡± ¡°Eh? Yes, it seems he can see the outside world a little.¡± The Swiss roll tried to turn toward him, but it threw them off balance. This isn¡¯t as easy as the delivery job at Yokota that I¡¯ve been keeping alongside my UCAT work, thought Harakawa as he left the side of the building. ¡°U-um, Harakawa. You¡¯ve been grabbing my butt through the blanket for a while now.¡± ¡°Enough false accusations. I can¡¯t tell where I¡¯m touching through the blanket and I haven¡¯t been infected by Team Leviathan enough to want to do that right now.¡± ¡°What is the deal with Team Leviathan anyway?¡± sighed Heo. Harakawa suddenly thought about that question from a different perspective. ¡­What is it really? Sayama had temporarily disbanded it, but did it make any difference when they were still fighting like this? And if not, why had Kazami protested so much when Sayama had made them disband? ¡°¡­?¡± However, he could not quite grasp what exactly he was asking. After all¡­ ¡­Why are they so concerned with what is nothing more than a name? He felt as if that was where he would find the reason Sayama had them disband. ¡°The past, hm?¡± ¡­What about the past gives such meaning to the name Team Leviathan? However, he decided this was not the time to think about it. He stopped thinking, stood in the yard, and faced Yonkichi who was in the center of the open-air dojo to the west. ¡°Listen. Unlike Susamikado, Thunder Fellow is intelligent. If you try to interfere while we¡¯re boarding him, he can decide on his own to crush you. So¡­¡± ¡°So you¡¯re telling me to leave, puru?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m telling you to get lost.¡± Harakawa spoke to the contents of the Swiss roll supported by his shoulder. ¡°Heo, I warned him, so summon Thunder Fellow.¡± ¡°Eh? B-but how am I supposed to do that? He has trouble appearing when he doesn¡¯t sense me in danger.¡± Harakawa wordlessly stripped away the Swiss roll. Having lost its support, the blanket fell across his right shoulder like a cloak and the contents exposed her flesh-colored body with her stomach resting on his shoulder. ¡°Ee,¡± she shrieked. ¡°N-noooooo!! Thunder Fellowwwww!!!¡± Yonkichi did not interfere with Thunder Fellow¡¯s appearance. Harakawa had already explained why. The mechanical dragon had a personality so interfering would be the same as placing himself in front of his enemy. Wind wrapped around Thunder Fellow as he appeared in the parking area made from a dirt clearing in front of the house. He was only eight meters away and he filled their vision like a mountain or a wall. It only took an instant for the blue and white dragon to open the cockpit and let the two humans inside. ¡°¡­!!¡± After a moment, he let loose a mechanical roar. He was over thirty meters long, how much he weighed was anyone¡¯s guess, he had appeared already in his close-quarters combat form, and shimmering heat rose from the accelerators on the back of his body. If he charged forward, there would be no escaping his speed and size and there would be no defending against or enduring his weight and solidness. However, Yonkichi stood still without running. He saw Thunder Fellow hold his head and reluctantly speak. ¡°H-Harakawa! That was just mean!! I don¡¯t want anyone but you to see me like that!¡± ¡°Relax, Heo Thunderson. The microbes in the bath are always watching.¡± ¡°How could you say that?¡± The voices stopped. Yonkichi saw Harakawa moving inside the cockpit. He grabbed the roll bars sticking out on either side and leaned his entire body forward. ¡­Not bad. That Harakawa boy was one of the last to join Team Leviathan, but he knows how to commit to a fight, thought Yonkichi. ¡­But can he keep that balance with Miss Heo with him? He did not have time to add the ¡°puru¡± to his thoughts. He then saw something happen in what could only be called an ¡°instant¡±. Thunder Fellow¡¯s limbs pulled up and the mechanical dragon fired a wave of shimmering heat behind him. ¡°!¡± He charged forward. In only eight meters, steam exploded in front of his nose. Wind expanded in a ring and the house¡¯s roof tiles floated up a little before being blown away. However, Yonkichi calmly watched the high-speed charge and realized what Harakawa was after. His senses were synchronized with Thunder Fellow¡¯s so he could make minor adjustments to his course even at this speed. And Thunder Fellow was flying just a bit left of Yonkichi¡¯s center line. If the man did not evade, he would be killed instantly. Even if he did, he would be badly injured. And if he used some special method to completely avoid it, it could lead to an escape. Yonkichi knew what Harakawa had to be thinking. ¡­He expects me to use a special method of dodging. Even if he expanded the Great Sage to more than ten meters, he could not hope to match the mechanical dragon named Thunder Fellow. To prove that, Harakawa had opted for a direct charge instead of a cannon blast. ¡­An excellent decision. But, thought Yonkichi. As his reflexes saw through the speed, he paused briefly and then spoke. ¡°Fixed concept¡­activate.¡± A moment later, words filled the air. ¡ªThe world is reversed for an instant. The result showed itself immediately afterwards. Thunder Fellow¡¯s thirty meter form struck something and was blown away. With a rumbling sound, armor fragments flew and Thunder Fellow pitched forward. ¡°¡­!?¡± Harakawa and Heo gave confused voices as they crashed into the forest beyond the open-air dojo. Their momentum broke through and knocked over the trees, armor fragments scattered from the parts that were bent, and the mass of destruction that was Thunder Fellow smashed the forest. The forest covered a rising mountain slope, so the toppling mass of metal tore into the dirt for about five seconds before stopping. After that, the mountain crumbled away for about one hundred twenty meters. Yonkichi saw birds fly from the forest. ¡°Now, then,¡± he muttered. ¡°Does this make you angry, puru?¡± He turned to his right. Someone stood behind him there. ¡°Brunhild-sama.¡± The girl wearing a school uniform stood less than a meter away with a small bird on her head. Brunhild did not understand. Thunder Fellow had suddenly been knocked away during his charge, so she could assume something had attacked him. What she did not understand was why Yonkichi was no longer in the open-air dojo. ¡°Why are you here?¡± She frowned toward the white flight jacket which she had found right in front of her after leaving the house. She was in front of the house where Harakawa had opened the rain shutter to the room the girls had been staying in. ¡°Isn¡¯t this near where Thunder Fellow was?¡± What had happened? As she tried to find the answer, the black cat walked up and spoke to her. ¡°The world was reversed, Brunhild. So¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re a sharp one. ¡­Yes, I reversed Thunder Fellow¡¯s position with my own.¡± The old man smiled at them over his shoulder. ¡°I reversed them at the moment of impact, so Thunder Fellow collided with himself.¡± ¡°Then I just have to do this.¡± Brunhild threw a piece of paper too quickly to see the movement of her hand. She threw it toward her own neck and it had a certain image written on it. ¡°If I add the final dot for the word ¡®sever¡¯, it will slice off your head instead. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Care to try?¡± ¡°Are you provoking me?¡± ¡°I am stopping you. That is why I asked that. ¡­Care to try?¡± Brunhild¡¯s frown grew. She pulled a pen from her pocket and brought the tip to the paper on her neck. Just as she began to pull it across the paper, the bird flew from her head and a voice reached her. ¡°Don¡¯t, Brunhild!!¡± The black cat jumped up from the ground to keep her hand from moving. ¡­Eh? Her finger moved the pen and activated the paper. A moment later, the paper¡¯s severing power activated. However, it affected her and not Yonkichi. ¡°!?¡± ¡­Why!? I thought a reversing concept was in effect!? The unexpected outcome left her unable to move, but the severing power was obstructed by something else. That something was the black cat. She had instinctually twisted away from him as he jumped toward her, so she had avoided the severing power. Instead, the black cat¡¯s back jerked in midair. Before she could say anything, the cat fell into her arms. She held him there, but he was completely limp. He was so soft she was not sure where to hold him, a pink line ran across his back, and something red appeared on his fur there. ¡°Wait¡­¡± The question ¡°Why?¡± entered her mind. Wasn¡¯t this a reversed world? And why had this happened to the cat? The cat lifted his head a little in her arms. ¡°Good¡­bye.¡± ¡°From that, I take it you¡¯re fine.¡± She did not hesitate to jab a finger into his stomach and he bent backwards. ¡°Ow ow ow ow! Now my stomach and my back hurt!! And Brunhild! Aren¡¯t you going to thank me!?¡± ¡°You lost your chance when you worried me with that cheesy act.¡± ¡°Oh? So you were worried?¡± ¡°Just go to sleep.¡± She stuck a hemostatic paper and sleep-inducing paper on him and faced Yonkichi again. ¡°I get it now. The world is reversed for an instant. In other words, you get to choose when that instant is. If you don¡¯t create an instant of reversal, the attack continues as is, but if you do, the attacker attacks himself.¡± ¡°So how about it? Will you fight me, 1st-Gear Inspector?¡± ¡°Was fighting those four not enough?¡± Brunhild looked over toward them. Inside the house, Hiba was unconscious yet still protectively holding Mikage. In the forest, Harakawa was lying face down inside Thunder Fellow¡¯s cockpit. Yonkichi glanced toward them as well. ¡°Do you really think that was enough?¡± ¡°Then look at your left arm.¡± Yonkichi did so and they both saw that something was missing. ¡°¡­My arm.¡± It had vanished all the way up to the base. His eyes opened wide when he noticed, but Brunhild only casually held the cat. The bird flew back to her head as she spoke. ¡°You didn¡¯t notice that Hiba and Mikage got a small attack in on you when you knocked them away? The damage was so small you probably didn¡¯t even feel it, but it caused you to miss the timing of your ¡®instant¡¯ just a little bit. ¡­Quite a heavy price to pay for underestimating them.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± Yonkichi took in a breath and looked at his left shoulder. Flesh and bone could be seen there, but it was not bleeding. His structure as a living weapon had likely sealed off the blood vessels automatically. Brunhild then heard his voice. ¡°Ha ha!!¡± His breaths repeated the syllable ¡°ha¡± again and again. While laughing, he brought his right hand to his forehead, bent back, and held his stomach with the Great Sage¡¯s hands. ¡°Now this is entertaining! It¡¯s not much, but it is certainly entertaining! It is enjoyable! This is so wonderfully enjoyable, brothers!!¡± Brunhild heard his laughter and words travel into the sky. ¡°When four of them work together, the people supporting Low-Gear can entertain one of us at least a little bit!¡± With that, he twisted his body. ¡°I never expected to lose my left arm! I am both surprised and astonished! I am a little confused at the moment, but you know what? This is oddly entertaining. ¡­Thirty points!¡± ¡°Then I assume taking off your head would be worth one hundred points.¡± Yonkichi did not agree with Brunhild, but he did smile and reply. ¡°Your prize then would be the Concept Core and the past we hold.¡± ¡°Is that so? But why do you want to die so badly?¡± ¡°Die? That may be the case, but we have no time.¡± ¡°No time?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he replied while glancing toward Hiba and Mikage¡¯s collapsed forms and Thunder Fellow in the distance. ¡°We four brothers age as we lose interest. And if we die before accepting this world as entertaining enough to leave the Concept Core to, that Concept Core will be destroyed.¡± ¡°Then the best option would be for you all to enjoy yourselves and die.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Yonkichi with a look into the sky. ¡°I had thought there was no chance of that, but it seems some hope remains. I fought with no explanation this time, so I assume the next encounter can be more serious. However, I do not want to be seen as going easy on you, so I will leave you with this.¡± His smile deepened and he swung up his remaining right arm along with the Great Sage. ¡°Goodbye.¡± As soon as he clenched his fist, destruction burst overhead. It covered a radius of one hundred meters. The center burst in the forest beyond the open-air dojo and it almost looked like the earth¡¯s crust was breaking. Simply put, the ground collapsed. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± The Hiba dojo, house, open-air dojo, and forest were all broken to pieces, thrown about, and crumbled. In an instant, everything gathered into piles. Only the morning wind remained. Only that wind which told of the change from early morning to morning. Volume 10, 13: The World’s Expression Volume 10, Chapter 13: The World¡¯s Expression It is hidden And it is trampled on It then flatly vanishes without bending The sunlight was shifting to afternoon. The sky was clear and the air was still. The westering sun was accompanied by the scent of the ocean as someone ran down an asphalt slope. It was Shinjou. Her long black hair danced while tied back in a ribbon, the bottom of her orange jacket swayed, and the bag on her back and her skirt hopped up with each running step. ¡°I need to hurry.¡± She held copy paper with the Sakai municipal office¡¯s stamp on it. It contained the information on volunteer centers and churches she had received at that municipal office. She saw a mountain to the east and the city and port bordering the Seto Inland Sea to the west. A faded sign for tourists was set up halfway up the slope. It indicated that Sakai¡¯s port was located down below. About two hours before, she had received quite a bit of information at the municipal office. ¡­But a lot happened before that. She had arrived in Osaka in the early morning. She had left the night train at Osaka Station and looked up at a train station¡¯s route map for the first time. It had also been her first time to check with a station attendant despite standing right in front of the proper platform and her first time unfolding her map despite being on the right road. ¡­I don¡¯t know anything about the world and I¡¯m really not used to travelling. By the time she had finally managed to reach the Sakai municipal office, it had been just before nine in the morning. The office had yet to open, so she ate a light breakfast at a nearby caf¨¦ and then faced the morning congestion inside the office. ¡­I went there to get a list of orphanages or churches. According to the document in Izumo UCAT, Shinjou Yukio had been left with an orphanage church in Sakai. She had asked for city documents from before the earthquake, but she had received a certain response. ¡°There is no complete documentation from before or after the earthquake.¡± ¡­You¡¯re kidding. These were records for something as large-scale as a city and yet they did not exist. This was mostly due to the old municipal office burning down, but that was not all: the landscape had changed during the earthquake, a lot of people had left the city, a lot had come to the city, and a lot of documentation had simply stopped being updated partway through. The city¡¯s newer documents were updated much more frequently because the government had decided to fully digitize everything in 2002, but the old paper documents were barely even treated as documents anymore. Shinjou recalled the explanation given by the woman at the municipal office. ¡°Things like real estate and banks were linked with other information and completed in order to preserve the bare minimum of the old information needed to keep everything running. But¡­there¡¯s some information that we can get by without, right? We wanted to put the people at ease and recover as quickly as possible, so we got the office back up and running even if it meant abandoning a fair bit of information. After all, the sooner the office was back to normal, the sooner we could bring back public order and the city administration.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The people who lost their houses in the large-scale landslides abandoned their destroyed land and moved. A lot of people did the same with the houses they lost in fires. There is documentation for the people who did report the loss, but the city bought up the land of those who lost everything or the land that is too dangerous to live on. There was so much confusion at the time that a lot is still unknown. Even now, people will find their old land was mistakenly registered as their neighbor¡¯s.¡± The woman had sighed and apologized. ¡­That could normally never happen. It had happened so easily because the situation had needed to advance even if everything was not perfect. The problem was how to compensate when it did happen. That was the most effective way of using your time and effort and this city still had no time or effort to spare. In another decade or two, they would likely have become a city that could immediately answer Shinjou¡¯s question. Shinjou did know one thing. According to the research she had done before the trip, a quarter of the city¡¯s population of eight hundred thousand had arrived after the earthquake. Numerically, that was two hundred thousand people. In ten years, a full quarter of the city had been remade, including the residents themselves. ¡°Those people came here to help with the trouble that still remains. The office was in such a rush back then that we couldn¡¯t handle everything. ¡­Just the other day, some people came from another prefecture after finally deciding to visit their relatives¡¯ graves.¡± As she spoke, the woman had made the list of churches. There were about forty of them. ¡°There are probably street corner churches and ones using prefabricated buildings left over after the earthquake. The places that registered or moved when the phone lines were down often didn¡¯t bother writing down their phone number. And during the phone number changes the year before last, the areas with phone lines cut by the faults were given entirely new numbers, but¡­¡± ¡°But the change might not have been recorded here?¡± ¡°That would normally never happen, but we¡¯re still dealing with the disaster. So¡­¡± The woman had handed over a few pieces of copy paper. They contained a few phone numbers, addresses, and group names. ¡°These are the earthquake volunteer offices. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re still running, though. We made sure they could work without having to register their activities with the city.¡± Shinjou had taken that list and was now hurrying along. She had a reason to hurry. After leaving the municipal office, she had eaten lunch at a caf¨¦ and called UCAT. ¡­Ooki-sensei was the one to answer. The woman had insisted nothing had happened and that everything was fine. That was a lie, she thought. Something happened. ¡­She would normally unintentionally say something that made me worry. However, Ooki had immediately said everything was fine and that nothing had happened. Something must have happened to Heo, Harakawa, Hiba, or Mikage after the phone call the night before. Pain suddenly filled her stomach. This intermittent pain had begun in the morning and it was the same pain she had at the end of every month in place of a period. Perhaps due to her worried stress, it was especially bad today. Even so, she ran. She needed to quickly finish this personal business and return. She intended to return on the bullet train the following morning. ¡­I can complete today¡¯s tasks as long as I have the time. I will eventually find Shinjou Yukio. That fact eliminated the pain in her stomach. She was pursuing someone who might not even be her relative, but she would limit that personal business to this one day. Heo and Ooki had both told her to do her best, so she would do what she could. However, today was the only day for that. She would use this one day for herself, but then she would return to her proper place and act alongside those who were with her. And once that proper place was safe, she could act for herself once again. A late-night bullet train could reach Tokyo this same day. With that thought, she let out a breath. ¡°This one is the largest volunteer office. I¡¯ll start there!¡± The address was near the entrance to Sakai¡¯s port. Apparently, the largest volunteer office had existed there from the earliest stages in order to process the relief goods. It was at the top of the list she had received at the municipal office. If she went there, she would be able to gather the broadest range of information. Her running feet took her down the slope to the port. The sea air seemed to sting her skin and smelled somehow nostalgic. This was the scent of the Seto Inland Sea she had experienced during the summer. The road reached a T-intersection. The road continuing right and left was wide and something came into view beyond the guardrail across that road. ¡°The sea.¡± She saw the back of the port¡¯s wharf beyond the slope¡¯s T-intersection. She was in an elevated area, so she was able to look down on the Seto Inland Sea. The sea almost looked black and it reflected the pale late autumn sun like a fish¡¯s scales. She saw the lines of ships parting those scales and realized the sight before her eyes was much larger than she had thought. ¡­It¡¯s so big. She looked down and saw the wharf was brand new. She recalled what Kazami had told her on the helicopter ride to the Seto Inland Sea during the summer. ¡°Back then¡­¡± After the Great Kansai Earthquake, IAI had provided large-scale support for a recovery. They had built an artificial island and all of the transportation routes ¨C whether by land, sea, or air ¨C had run from there. The coastal port would have been remade at that time and then officially built even later. The city had been made new, but that new city filled Shinjou with a certain emotion. ¡­It scares me. The old things were disappearing. One day, those things would suddenly vanish and something new would take their place. A quarter of the city¡¯s population was made up of people who had arrived after the earthquake. They would of course know about the earthquake, but¡­ ¡­They don¡¯t know what actually happened beneath their feet or in the places they can see. I¡¯m the same, she thought, but then a memory of the past came to her. She remembered the firebombing of Tokyo. While in Shinjuku during the Leviathan Road with 2nd-Gear, she had seen the moment in the past when the city of Tokyo had been burned away. The city and so much else had been lost then and replaced later. The Concept War was similar. Many Gears had vanished and the survivors were being replaced here in Low-Gear. Thanks to her classes, her textbooks, the newspapers, and the TV news, Shinjou knew this country had fought a war. She had looked through quite a bit of historical information in the library since she had started attending school. Even so, she did not know what was buried beneath her feet. Even so, she did not know if the scenery around her was the same as it had once been. Even so¡­ ¡­I don¡¯t know my father or my mother. She had already thought about this after the dream of the past Baku had given her the day before. In the dream, Sayama¡¯s parents had rushed though the burning city of Osaka. ¡­But what were they fighting? The remains of their battle might lie beneath her feet as she walked through this city that had been destroyed in an earthquake. ¡­And are my parents down there, too? ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± She shuddered and woke from her thoughts. She wanted to cling to someone, but that someone was not with her. And she only realized that because¡­ ¡°I¡¯m trying to cling to him.¡± He was not here. Everything was back to the way it had been. It was the same as when she had been alone in UCAT for so long. ¡°But it¡¯s different now.¡± She had somewhere to return to, so she could go outside. She had someone to cling to for support, so she could leave him for the time being. She had no parents, so she was searching for them. It was all perfectly natural. And so¡­ ¡°Here I go.¡± She faced the T-intersection and her gaze settled on the ocean beyond it. She trembled a bit from the unease trying to control her, but it was weak enough that she could still move. ¡°Here I go!¡± The road to the right continued down the slope to the port¡¯s entrance. She began to run to the bottom of the slope while watching the Seto Inland Sea rise to her left. She ran to the port and her goal. The firmness of her footsteps on the asphalt helped her control the tremble in her heart. ¡­It¡¯ll be okay. It would take time, but she could continue pursuing Shinjou Yukio. In the same way, she would eventually find her parents. Suddenly, something rose up from the left side of the slope. It was a green two-story prefabricated building. It had a large gray storehouse behind it. ¡°!¡± The prefabricated roof was covered with stacks of plywood panels and on top of blue sheets and lumber. The green corrugated iron wall had the words ¡°Great Kansai Earthquake Sakai Port Relief Office¡± written in black spray paint. ¡°¡­!¡± Shinjou sped up. She was now racing down the hill more than she was running. Eventually, her legs could not keep up and wide gaps appeared between footsteps. She was almost leaping as she made her way down the slope. She circled around the guardrail and into the open area at the port entrance. Beyond the people running transport vehicles and forklifts, she saw the wharf that was now level with her. She heard cranes moving, vehicles beeping as they backed up, many different voices, and countless engines. The smell of salt water was strong. However, she ignored it all. She moved left as if reversing her downward momentum and she threw her body toward the prefab building. The building was less than ten meters from the port entrance. She imagined knocking on the door, giving a greeting, and entering to walk across the somewhat soft floor. She pictured a man or woman like the one at the municipal office. ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Her imagination stopped there. And that was not all that had stopped. Her legs, her momentum, and the strength in her gaze had all stopped as well. She simply faced forward. She looked to the prefab building in front of her. ¡°It¡¯s¡­closed?¡± Shinjou saw a closed door. Beyond the glass on the upper half of the aluminum sash door was a curtain faded to white by the sun. No light could be seen beyond the curtain. ¡°¡­¡± Her feet suddenly moved and brought her closer. She stepped up on the block used in place of a front step. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± She called out and knocked on the door. The glass shook and the corrugated iron wall audibly bent a little. She waited a few seconds, but there was no response. Unable to endure the silence, she spoke. ¡°Um.¡± She lightly knocked on the door. ¡°Excuse me.¡± She knocked. ¡°I have a question!¡± But there was no response. All she heard was the shaking of the door and the bending of the corrugated iron. After those sounds of her own creation vanished, she listened to the surrounding noises once more. She heard the moving cranes, the beeping of transport vehicles backing up, people¡¯s voices, and running engines. Those sounds of the city permeated her from behind. Her silhouette was reflected in the window with the somewhat dulled sunlight in the background. It was reflected in the darkness beyond the curtain. ¡°Um¡­¡± With that weak call, she peered inside. There was nothing there. No, there was something. Blue sheets were laid out on the plastic floor, plywood panels were piled up, and a few folding chairs were stacked on top of those. She also saw color on the ceiling. ¡­Chains of colored paper? They must have been celebrating something because several chains of colored paper were still hanging from the ceiling. That was all. She could see nothing else. ¡°¡­¡± She took a step back and found nothing there. She completely forgot she had been standing on a block. ¡°Ah.¡± She fell onto her butt. Looking up at the door from the ground, she noticed something. A piece of paper had been stuck on the inside of the door¡¯s glass in front of the faded curtain. Still sitting, she looked at the paper that had also faded. She read aloud the large writing printed off from a word processor. ¡°Exactly nine years have passed since the earthquake and we are entering the tenth year. We have long received support, but the time for widespread material relief efforts has ended. We believe it is now time for local support, efforts of the recovering city administration, and moral support.¡± ¡­When we opened this office, we decided we could not continue running it for a full decade. Not because we could not keep it up but because we could not allow the earthquake to take a full decade of our lives from us. We were determined to take back our lives before a decade had passed. ¡°We lost so very much, but the people in temporary housing have all been moved to permanent homes and the city¡¯s population was reported to have surpassed the pre-earthquake number last year. We are viewing that as a sign that we have truly retrieved our lives, so we have decided to close up before entering the tenth year. From now on, local areas will handle their own problems. We would like to thank all of you for the support you have provided us for so long. We are praying for the happiness of those lost in the earthquake, those lost in the recovery, and those who live on.¡± The date it gave was the end of the previous year. After that, it gave contact information said to have been valid through March of this year, phone numbers of local volunteer offices, and the phone number for the municipal office. And that was all. ¡­What is this? She knew. The municipal office was still dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake, but the large-scale disaster relief stage had already ended. After ten years, the land had been restored, houses had been built, the city had been made into a place for people to live once more, and the population numbers had returned. The main issue in the current stage was administrative troubles. ¡°¡­¡± Still sitting on the ground, she suppressed the emotions welling up in her heart. While restraining her heart, doubts filled her mind as words. ¡­Is the past being replaced by the present? She did not know what had been below her feet or in the places she could see around her. It had all been replaced with new things. ¡°And even if you try to remember the past and record it, the memories feel fresh yet you can¡¯t go that far.¡± She would eventually learn about the past, but that was a long time from now. By then, she would have nothing left connecting her to that past. Part of her thought that was fine, but she also shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m standing in the divide between the past and a new era.¡± As she muttered those words, something thin and hard fell onto the back of the right hand she had placed on the ground. She looked down and found the envelope Sayama had given her. He had given it to her while saying he was leaving her with a piece of his past and it seemed to have slipped from the opening of her backpack. ¡­The envelope makes itself known as forcefully as its sender. Feeling like she was being embraced by the one who had left it with her, she picked it up. If she let this break her, she would never be able to read it. Right, she thought while gathering strength. Suddenly, a man called out to her from the wharf. ¡°Hey! That place isn¡¯t running anymore! You should head to the municipal office!¡± ¡°R-right!¡± She stood up, turned around, and found a man raising his hand in a group of men walking between warehouses. The gesture seemed to be telling her to keep trying. She bowed and turned around. She grabbed the backpack, put the envelope away, and pulled out another document. It was the list of volunteer offices and churches. She looked down at it and took a deep breath. ¡°Calm down.¡± She had run all the way here, but now that she thought about it, she had been in too much of a hurry. She could only think the anxiety and hope of her first trip alone had mixed together and excited her. She was nervous, but she could do what she needed to do. Before she returned to Tokyo the following morning, she wanted to grasp a part of her past that would otherwise be forgotten. That way she could use that part to drag out the past when she eventually came here again. ¡­I need to think. She put the bag on her back and began to walk with the papers in hand. ¡°How can I most efficiently check all of them?¡± The sky was a little bit cloudy. A girl and a white dog walked through the faint shadows cast on a road. They were Shino and Shiro. While walking along the wide sidewalk, Shino checked the sign hanging below the street¡¯s traffic light. ¡­Akigawa. This had been a long walk. She lived in Hachioji to the south of Akigawa, but the cities were only directly connected by road and several mountains divided them. She had taken the train, so she had been forced to travel through Tachikawa or Haijima station. This walk could be called a short trip. She saw no problem in bringing Shiro with her. He cast no shadow, but it was an overcast day. He was an information being, but he generally treated the walls and ground as solid to match Shino. He would always ¡°hide¡± somewhere on the trains out of concern for her. Whenever she passed through the ticket gate, he would vanish and he would reappear by her side once she left the ticket gate. He had learned to hide after she had tried to take him with her and gotten into an argument with the station attendant. She did not know how it worked, but it was probably completely normal for him. Currently, he was allowing himself to be seen as she walked alongside him. She had passed by the municipal office earlier and she was now walking right into the wind blowing down from the north. A long wall continued to her right. ¡°That¡¯s Taka-Akita Academy, isn¡¯t it?¡± She always saw those buildings when she came to Akigawa. In fact, one could say the facility was Akigawa itself. A group in white approached from up ahead. ¡­? She reflexively grew defensive, but she realized it was a group of girls in white track suits. A female teacher drove a car behind them while shouting to set their tempo. ¡°C¡¯mon, you have to help prepare for the festival and you still have normal classes until midday.¡± ¡°Ah, I wish we were in Ooki-sensei¡¯s class. They have a self-study day today.¡± The teacher gave a bitter smile as she responded to the student¡¯s exasperated comment. ¡°C¡¯mon, you delinquent students. Don¡¯t you know Ooki-san goes to the trouble of teaching supplementary lessons? Of course, that¡¯s to make up for how often she¡¯s late.¡± Laughter spilled out and the entire group picked up speed. That was for a PE class, so they were likely running a long distance. Shino waited for the footsteps and voices to approach. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She and Shiro watched them pass by. Most of the students had their heads drooping and were weakly leaning forward as they propelled their bodies in the same direction. Shino imagined they were sick of running. A few of them softened their expressions as they looked at her and Shiro, but¡­ ¡°C¡¯mon, quit looking to the side. You¡¯re gonna trip.¡± What¡¯s wrong with that, thought Shino while watching them pass by. But at the same time¡­ ¡­That may be true. She did not know what a life like theirs was like. She had never lived a life like theirs. She could not live a life like theirs. They lived in the same world, they were both human, they were from the same generation, they wore the same sort of clothes, they ate the same kinds of food, they breathed the same air, and they experienced the same time, but something was different on a fundamental level. ¡­How long will this last? ¡°Shiro, let¡¯s go.¡± When would she be able to call herself a ¡°normal¡± person? She recalled what Hajji had said. ¡­When we crush UCAT and wipe out the last remnants of the Concept War. She began to walk into the blowing north wind with Shiro by her side. She walked beside that wall she could never enter. ¡°Shiro, Hajji told me something. Army¡¯s attack tonight will change tomorrow morning. The morning will change in some fundamental way that the rest of the world doesn¡¯t know about. Nothing else will change, but the victors known as UCAT will vanish and the world will belong equally to everyone.¡± She rubbed Shiro¡¯s head while walking alongside him. ¡°People want to avenge the past or avenge what was lost, but with the target of that vengeance gone, they will have no excuses left and will have no reason left to fight. ¡­It may take time, but we will all be able to live together in the same world, as identical humans, in the same generation, while wearing the same sort of clothes, while eating the same kinds of food, while breathing the same air, and while experiencing the same time.¡± She looked down at the dog¡¯s walking feet. They scraped on the asphalt, but he did not cast a shadow. ¡°Will I be able to live with you too, Shiro? Even if nothing else changes, if the rulers vanish, then eventually¡­¡± They reached the wide main entrance, but she did not peek inside the school. She turned her back, crossed the road, and continued on. Shiro must have remembered the way because he walked on ahead. It was true she had taken Shiro this way a few times before. She would sometimes come here without telling anyone else. Hajji seemed to have a hunch, but Mikoku only thought she was going to some distant place for fun. ¡­Should I really be doing this? They had all been given some free time because this was the day of the attack, but Mikoku was training on her own to make up for losing to Jord the night before. On the other hand, Shino had come here. She was using her free time for herself. ¡­But all I¡¯ve been doing is thinking. ¡°Sorry, Shiro. We can go to the usual central park later.¡± He turned back toward her and gave a small bark. She felt like he was trying to cheer her up, so she smiled. She walked between the houses lining the road and saw thin clouds in the sky. The clouds were supposed to clear by nightfall, but she wondered if they really would. She also had another thought. ¡­What will happen once the attack is over? Whether they won or lost, a lot would change. ¡­But one thing will return to normal. ¡°Mikoku.¡± The girl would no longer have to tell Shino not to fight. In fact, Shino would be the one telling Mikoku they no longer needed to fight. She could not wait for that to happen. She wanted all the fighting to end and for Mikoku to not be so upset all the time. ¡°¡­¡± She slowly came to a stop. At the same time, she heard an electronic chime and a voice behind her. ¡°The festival committee will now announce the beginning of today¡¯s school festival preparations and would like to give some warnings. Let¡¯s see¡­ First, when riding a bicycle, motorcycle, or car onto school grounds, make sure your license is displayed in a visible place. Second, ¡®I couldn¡¯t resist any longer¡¯ is no excuse for making the preparations in the nude. And third, if anyone else tries to sell stimulants at increased prices in the cafeteria, the committee¡¯s purge division will¡­¡± Shino simply sighed without even turning toward the voice. ¡°Ahh.¡± She began to walk away from the sounds behind her and the people creating them. ¡°It will all be over soon and then I can be with Mikoku and the others.¡± She had waited for so long, but that wait would end tonight and she would have all her answers by morning. She briefly closed her eyes and nodded. ¡­If I¡­ ¡°If I had been like Shinjou-san, I wouldn¡¯t have had to wait for the new world,¡± she muttered. ¡°If only I had been someone irreplaceable.¡± She looked up and faced forward. There, she saw what lay in front of Shiro as he sat and waited for her. It was a large house surrounded by a long fence. She walked toward the wooden gate and saw a nameplate that said ¡°Tamiya¡±. ¡°I came here again¡­¡± Her voice sounded both resigned and exasperated. A moment later, a female voice reached her from beyond the gate. ¡°Like! I! Said!!¡± The tone of protest made Shino gasp. She wondered what was going on and the voice travelled through the gate once again. ¡°Honestly, Kouji. Why are you such a stubborn boy!?¡± A young man and woman faced each other in the Tamiya family yard. The woman wore a blue kimono and the man wore a gray suit. The man spoke to the woman whose eyebrows were raised. ¡°Fine, fine. Just calm down, my sister. Besides, you shouldn¡¯t be calling your brother a ¡®boy¡¯ when he¡¯s past twenty.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll level you up to a stubborn man. Or I could say you were ¡®born stubborn¡¯ to make it rhyme.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. They may be spelled the same, but they don¡¯t actually rhyme. ¡­Anyway, you need to spend some time in the storehouse thinking about what you did. I can¡¯t believe you would give the young master some of our special drugs.¡± ¡°But he and Setsu-chan are like family. What¡¯s wrong with giving them some of our drugs?¡± ¡°Those are for business! They¡¯re for the guests in the confinement room down below. Just because mom and dad are on a hot spring excavation tour in the hopes that Mount Aso will erupt doesn¡¯t mean you can just take some.¡± ¡°But, but, but. Won¡¯t this help advance their relationship? Do you really not get it, Kouji?¡± The woman, Ryouko, sighed while striking a pose like it had started to rain. ¡°They¡¯re going to be apart for a little bit, so they¡¯re just using some drugs to excite themselves and get them through the rebound. There¡¯s nothing wrong with this. And if it goes well, it means I was their Cu-Cu-Cu-Cupi-¡­¡± ¡°Cupid. You can¡¯t even say that right?¡± ¡°I-I just stuttered a little. I don¡¯t remember raising a man who would gripe about something so trivial! ¡­And if you don¡¯t like it, try saying some profound thing yourself!¡± ¡°I¡¯d really like a peaceful everyday life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s definitely not happening.¡± ¡°Why is that the only time you give a serious answer!? ¡­And you¡¯re the reason it isn¡¯t happening!¡± After Kouji shouted, his shoulders drooped. ¡°Anyway, sister, I would also like to say I wasn¡¯t raised to be like that, but don¡¯t forget that a large part of my personality was formed by cleaning up after your mistakes.¡± ¡°Wh-what? Are you saying it¡¯s my fault you¡¯re like this?¡¯ ¡°About 80% your fault, yes.¡± ¡°You mean you have 80% of a sister complex!? Oh, you poor thing! You¡¯re definitely dangerous!¡± ¡°Calm down 100%, my sister. How in the world did you reach that conclusion?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to deny it!¡± Ryouko pointed at Kouji and raised her voice. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with having a sister complex. With a sister this attractive, it isn¡¯t something to be embarrassed about. After all, even the single and unemployed son of Ishii-san who lives cattycorner of here has been spying on me with binoculars!¡± A second-story window on the house diagonally behind Ryouko quickly closed, but they heard someone stomping up the stairs followed by screams and sounds of impacts in one room on the second story. Ryouko sighed toward the ground. ¡°Well, with as many pheromones as I produce, I guess I can¡¯t blame you for having a sister complex. You can have one if you want. After all, I¡¯m the one that finds it disgusting, not you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to ignore that misunderstanding and how you destroyed peace in the neighborhood, but you are amazingly individualistic, sister.¡± ¡°Yes, but Kouji? Did you really see your sister like that?¡± ¡°Yes. About four times a year, I would tell myself I didn¡¯t want to turn out like you.¡± ¡°You made a quarterly habit out of it!? ¡­You¡¯re the worst, Kouji. Instead of just thinking things again and again, you need to make actual changes in your life.¡± ¡°Then can I go on a trip? Maybe one that lasts three years?¡± ¡°Fine, but make sure to clean my room first. And once you get back, you¡¯ll have to clean the three years¡¯ worth of messiness. And that isn¡¯t mandatory; it¡¯s an order.¡± ¡°Those are the same thing! And what kind of sister makes her younger brother clean her room!?¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re ignoring our familial bonds? You really are the worst! I¡¯m not putting up with this.¡± She turned around, slid the gate¡¯s latch to the side, and pulled it open. She opened it with all her might and looked over her shoulder at Kouji. ¡°I¡¯m going to work and you can¡¯t stop me! I¡¯m going to get rich and use all my money to show you who¡¯s better! I¡¯ll slap you with a pile of cash and make you cry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sister, but all of the money you earn goes right into the company vault.¡± ¡°A-are you embezzling it!? ¡­Huh?¡± Ryouko saw a girl and a dog through the gap of the opening gate. Seeing the surprised look on the girl¡¯s face, Ryouko¡¯s own look of surprise changed to a smile. ¡°Oh, my.¡± She placed a hand on her cheek. ¡°Are you preparing for the school festival? You are, aren¡¯t you? Are you from the young master¡¯s class?¡± Volume 10, 14: Forming Thoughts Volume 10, Chapter 14: Forming Thoughts They won¡¯t overlook it anyway Shino sat in a large room. The western end of the room opened onto a yard with a pond. The other three sides were covered by sliding screens and a table for about ten people sat in the light of the cloudy sky. She sat perfectly still on a cushion with her shoulders stiffened. Behind her, a white dog sat on the large stone step up from the yard. A bone sat on a plate in front of the dog. The white dog sniffed at the bone. ¡°Shiro! Not yet! Not until they say we can!¡± Shino had sensed Shiro¡¯s movements and he corrected his posture. About twelve square meters in front of her, the screen slid open just a bit. The slight gap closed again and she heard whispering voices from the other side. ¡°B-brother! Brother! Who is that girl? Who is she?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? You really are stupid. Listen. The president said she was bringing in a newcomer, remember? We need to be nice to her. She¡¯s been taken in just like us brothers.¡± ¡°Wow, brother! You sure are kind! I can see why you¡¯re called Take the Prayer Killer!¡± The girl lowered her head as she heard a few more whispering voices. ¡°What is going on?¡± She had a blue stone and a red pendant hanging from her neck and she reached for the blue one. Just as she prepared to say she was leaving, a young man¡¯s footsteps and voice reached her from the hallway. ¡°Okay, okay. We have work tonight, everyone, so go get some rest. And this guest seems to be a friend from the young master and Setsu-kun¡¯s school.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Several voices answered and a variety of footsteps, dragging sounds, and metallic noises moved left down the hallway. There had apparently been far more people than voices. The girl raised her head and let go of the blue stone. The sliding screen opened and a young man walked in with a tray of snacks. He wore a black shirt and a gray suit. ¡°These persimmons were grown in our yard, but I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ll like them. Or do you not like persimmons in general?¡± ¡°No, I like them.¡± He crouched next to her and placed a few plates in front of her. They contained persimmons, pears, youkan, and a few rice cakes. ¡°My name is Kouji and this is my family¡¯s house. What is your name?¡± ¡°Oh¡­It¡¯s Shino.¡± He nodded and stood up with the empty tray in hand. ¡°I see. And what brings you here today?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± She hesitated and he sat across the table from her. It had been his sister who had mistakenly thought she was a friend of Sayama¡¯s, but she was unsure if she should say so. She was basing her decision on whether she should do anything unnecessary during such an important time. She had been seen in UCAT during the summer, so if the details of her visit reached Sayama, he would think a member of the Army had come to visit him. ¡­Should I say I don¡¯t know him and that this man¡¯s sister was wrong? If so, it could all end as that sister¡¯s mistake. Then she could leave as quickly as possible and leave behind as little evidence of her visit as possible. That was why she tried to say this was a mistake and she had simply not had a chance to say so. But¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Once she opened her mouth, she realized something. ¡­But in that case, how do I explain stopping in front of their house? The answer to that question quickly came to her. ¡°Um, to be honest, I was just worried about the sibling argument I overheard.¡± Kouji¡¯s expression changed at that. ¡°Oh?¡± His eyebrows rose, he removed the lid of the teacup in front of him, and gestured for her to do the same. ¡°Then I apologize. Were you in the middle of a walk? And are you not a friend of our young master, but a simple passerby who my sister invited in?¡± He gave her all the help she needed, so relief filled her. If she expressed that relief, the man would likely assume he was right, so she breathed a sigh of relief and brought a hand to her chest. ¡°Y-yes, that¡¯s right. I just so happened to end up here while going for a walk. I¡¯m not a friend of your Sayama.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kouji took a sip of his tea, lowered his gaze a little, and made a sudden comment. ¡°How did you know that our young master was named Sayama?¡± Oh, no, gasped Shino. ¡­He was testing me. A tremor ran down her back and she turned her senses toward her surroundings. ¡­Ah. A few of the sliding screens to the front and sides were cracked open. Shiro showed no sign of moving behind her because he had noticed a presence in the yard, not because she had told him to stay. The whispering she had heard before and the obvious sounds of people leaving had been intentional. ¡­Did they want me to think everyone had left? Kouji sat across the large and thick ebony table. If she was going to move, she would have to head for the unseen sliding screen beyond him or rush out into the yard. She felt scorching impatience race along her spine. Oh, no, she thought again, but it was no use because she had already failed. She could only struggle or surrender. She could not choose the latter, so she had no choice but to choose the former. There were two ways she could struggle: physically struggle or negotiate to keep the damage to a minimum. She took a breath to calm herself and chose to continue negotiating. ¡­Um¡­ Kouji had set up a single trap for her: why did she know who Sayama was despite not being from his school. ¡°Well¡­¡± She tilted her head. ¡°Sayama of the Tamiya family is well known.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kouji nodded as if he had accepted that. But Shino decided he had not truly accepted it and it was just for show. She used that decision as an excuse to herself and clenched the hand held to her chest. It wrapped around the blue stone hanging from her neck. ¡­I¡¯m sorry. ¡°Please believe me.¡± She lowered her head as she spoke and blue light escaped from between her fingers. The philosopher¡¯s stone answered her request by releasing its power. Its concept could control people¡¯s wills. ¡°¡­¡± This would affect the thoughts of the people around her without them even noticing. Its use could permanently affect their string vibrations, so its influence would sometimes remain for a long time. She knew this was wrong and that it was a terrible thing. ¡­But I can¡¯t afford to fail now. She had to use this power because of her own mistake. Reminded of her own inexperience, she swore to never have to do this again. She then looked up. A moment later, she heard sounds from around her. A slight movement of wind brought the sounds from beyond the sliding screens, above the ceiling, and below the floor. ¡°See, brother! I told you a beauty would never betray us!¡± ¡°You really are stupid. I knew that from the beginning. I was just testing you.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re amazing, brother! You¡¯re like a prophet!¡± The same voices that had previously moved away in the hallway were now moving away below the floor. Shino¡¯s back trembled again. ¡­Amazing. She faced forward and looked at Kouji. She had assumed he was suspecting her and only pretending to have accepted her explanation. ¡°Eh?¡± But that accepting expression remained intact. Ah, she silently gasped. After all, if his expression had not changed¡­ ¡­The idea that he was pretending to trust me was only my imagination. He had not doubted her. ¡°¡­¡± The truth before her eyes made her gulp. Her own suspicion had led her to control his unsuspecting mind. ¡­No. Had he left the suspicion to everyone else and simply tried to hear what she had to say? And yet she had used her philosopher¡¯s stone on a normal person just because he had asked one little question. She felt the heat of her impatience grow icily cold. ¡­How could this happen? They lived in the same world, they were both human, they were from the same generation, they wore the same sort of clothes, they ate the same kinds of food, they breathed the same air, and they experienced the same time, but something was different on a fundamental level. But this time¡­ ¡­I went out of my way to do something different. Hadn¡¯t she wanted to be the same as them? Unease filled her mind because she had suspected someone else for no good reason. ¡­When did I turn into someone who would do that? I can¡¯t do that, she told herself while lowering her head. ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Kouji. She tried to answer, but she ended up biting her lip and holding in the words. After all, his mind was under the influence of her philosopher¡¯s stone. ¡­It isn¡¯t really him that¡¯s concerned for me. She forced strength into her shaking legs and stood up. ¡°Sorry.¡± Without raising her head, she started toward the passageway along the outside of the house. While making sure he could not see her lowered face, she turned her back so he would not feel any more insincere worry for her. ¡°Excuse me. I will be leaving.¡± ¡°Oh, if you leave that way, the path through the center is a little-¡­¡± ¡°I know. I turn at the corner to head inside, turn left because the right is a dead end, and open the third sliding screen to reach the entrance, right?¡± She heard Kouji stand. ¡°Why do you know our house¡¯s layout?¡± She turned toward him and forced a smile with the yard and cloudy sky behind her. ¡°You should know tomorrow¡­ Or at least, I should be able to accept it.¡± That was all she said before waving a hand upwards. ¡°Shiro, we¡¯re leaving.¡± She heard Shiro running in the yard. She also heard the guard dogs begin to move, but an information entity like him could hide and move quite quickly. It will be okay, she told herself while touching the philosopher¡¯s stone on her chest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Apologizing is all I ever do, she thought while deciding to never return. If she was gone, the contamination of their minds would mean nothing. ¡­I just have to never come back. I hope they can forget me. She could not erase their memories, so she did not go that far. ¡°Please do not worry about me.¡± She spoke to the stone and turned her back on Kouji. She began to walk along the path to leave the Tamiya house and enter the cloudy sunlight. She moved quickly and spoke quietly while looking up into the white sky. ¡°Farewell.¡± A certain space was filled with white steam. The thirty square meter space was surrounded by walls and white smoke rose within it. The words ¡°Healing Bath ¨C Green (Pseudonym)¡± were written on one wall. The other three walls contained mosaics depicting the final chapter of Tomorrow¡¯s Realtor, a hot-blooded shoujo manga. Below those were the washing areas and mirrors. True to the name on the wall, below the steam and surrounded by the washing areas and mirrors was a ten square meter area of hot water that had been turned green. The water was divided between four large tubs lined up in two row of two. The people in the back left tub were looking at the mosaics on the three walls. There were three people in all. A girl with long blonde hair sat in the center of the tub that included a green healing concept. A girl with short blonde hair and a woman with long gray hair sat on the stepped portion by the edge, soaking up to their waists. The short-haired girl and the small animal on her head looked up at the final panel of the mosaics. A man in a suit was letting out an emotional breath despite having turned pure white. ¡°That¡¯s amazing, teacher. At the end, the yakuza boss shouts ¡®Get it up! Get that apartment building up!¡¯ and he decides to buy up all the land.¡± ¡°Yes, Heo, I was moved too. And next week, they¡¯re beginning the period drama manga 24 Hours in the Life of the Forty-Seven Ronin. It¡¯s full of classic scenes like the one where Ooishi Kuranosuke thinks about quitting, comes back to his senses because he doesn¡¯t want his comrades to die, and has to be held back by the others.¡± Heo thought to herself while listening. ¡­She really knows a lot about this. She looked at the long-haired girl whose head was sticking out of the water in the center of the tub. ¡°Mikage, you¡¯ll make yourself pass out if you stay there.¡± ¡°Right. But I found one.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Before Heo could ask what she meant, Mikage pulled something up from the bottom of the tub. It brought a lot of water with it. ¡°A plant creature?¡± It was a 4th-Gear resident. Its body was fairly long, its legs were fin-shaped, and it shook its head as Mikage lifted it up in her arms. ¡°Cold,¡± it said. ¡°Right. Sorry.¡± Mikage sank back into the water so only her head stuck out, but the plant creature was with her this time. It wiggled its long body to swim and bring Mikage toward Heo and Diana. More interested in the approaching creature than Mikage, Heo reached out her hand. Just as she was about to reach it, the water swelled up below her hand. ¡°Eh?¡± Mikage held onto the one creature as she sat next to Heo, but another one poked its head up below Heo¡¯s hand. It poked at her palm with its nose and Baku hopped from her head to the plant creature¡¯s nose. Heo wondered what they were going to do and the creature swam along while tossing Baku into the air with its nose. Baku did not resist and instead enjoyed pretending to swim through the air. The two creatures seemed like a good match. Heo spotted a few more plant creatures playing by tossing a bucket back and forth with their noses. They began passing Baku as well and he flew about along with the sprays of water the plant creatures created. ¡­Wow. Heo began to applaud and she realized Diana was looking at her with a smile. Having such a familiar person watching her made her blush a little. ¡°U-um, what is it?¡± ¡°Heo, are you having fun?¡± Heo then remembered why she was here. That morning, they had fought Yonkichi, lost, and been caught in a landslide. Thunder Fellow had cancelled their combination, so she had not been damaged by the landslide. However, the earlier tumbling that had knocked over the trees had been a different story. The armor had displaced and buffered against the impact, so she had not been badly injured. Still, she had gained some bruises and scrapes. UCAT had quickly retrieved them and the morning had been spent healing them and examining them. She had taken healing medication in place of lunch and Diana had brought her and Mikage here. Hiba had broken some ribs, but he had not been otherwise injured because the house had ridden atop the landslide. He had been given charms to set the ribs in place and heal them and then he had left for school. Mikage was almost entirely unharmed because Hiba had protected her, but¡­ ¡°Is Harakawa okay?¡± He had apparently been bruised and whiplashed like her, but it seemed he had skipped out on his treatment early. To her left, Diana laughed quietly and swept her damp hair backwards. ¡°How about we talk, Heo?¡± She nodded and lined up next to Diana who was smiling with a towel wrapped around her. ¡°You saw Harakawa leave, didn¡¯t you, teacher? Was he mad?¡± ¡°Why do you think he was?¡± ¡°Because I didn¡¯t take the battle seriously enough. And that¡¯s why-¡­¡± ¡°If he was angry with anyone, it was with himself.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Heo tilted her head. ¡°There¡¯s something else you¡¯re even more interested in, isn¡¯t there?¡± asked Diana. ¡°Wh-what is that?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Diana nodded. ¡°You have Baku with you and he showed you the past, didn¡¯t he? ¡­Do you have anything to ask me?¡± Indirectly connected via the bathwater, the teacher asked her student a question. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to ask about the Great Kansai Earthquake?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Heo lowered her head and gave a small nod. ¡­I want to know about my past and what led up to it. What had happened to her parents? What had happened in the city of Osaka? What had happened in this world? She wanted to ask all those things, but¡­ ¡°Will you answer me, teacher?¡± ¡°To be honest, I can¡¯t. We all decided to keep the events there a secret. But¡­¡± Still facing forward, the witch crossed her legs in the water and rested her head on her hand. ¡°I can¡¯t stop you from investigating it. And if you do find the truth, then I can only say that the past wanted to be known. But what about the past do you want to investigate?¡± ¡°I want to know what my parents were fighting in Osaka and why they were fighting.¡± She pulled up her right knee and wrapped her arms around it. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about why Sayama said Team Leviathan should disband. After all, I don¡¯t know what that reason is. It hasn¡¯t been long since I joined Team Leviathan¡­no, since I started fighting. But if I learned why my parents fought¡­¡± ¡°You think you could accept why you belong on Team Leviathan?¡± She nodded. She remembered the thought she had on the night when she had seen Black Sun vanish in the sky. ¡­I want to be like them. ¡°That is why I think I will investigate it. I will investigate and find the truth. I believe doing that will lead me to the reason I want.¡± ¡°Do you know how to do that?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t answer even if I ask and I doubt Team Leviathan¡¯s supervisor would either.¡± ¡°No, Itaru is probably the last one who would tell you. In which case-¡­¡± Heo cut off Diana with words of her own. ¡°There are some people who look like they will tell us.¡± She raised her right hand from the green water and that hand¡¯s fingers had bandages attached. The scrapes on her arm were vanishing, but some traces of the pain remained in her. She spoke as if to ensure she did not forget that pain. ¡°Those four brothers.¡± Those four wished for a fight. In all honesty, she did not like the idea of fighting someone who, even for a short time, had been an ally, but¡­ ¡°We have to fight them.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± Heo turned toward that opposite invitation and found Diana¡¯s smile. ¡°At the very least, I doubt your parents would want you to say that you have to fight.¡± She thought about what that meant, but she shook her head with the ends of her eyebrows lowered in a smile. ¡°Thank you, but I have another thought. If Team Leviathan had not disbanded and the others were with us, we might have been able to sort out the reason for that fight.¡± To help her gather her thoughts, she reached out her hands as if grasping at the air. ¡°Um¡­ This morning, I hesitated and got hurt, but our opponents are fighting to eliminate their grudge. That¡¯s why these injuries were caused by my hesitation, not by their grudge. Now that I know that, I want to test myself.¡± She took a breath. ¡°I¡¯ve never really fought someone, so I want to fight these people who wish to fight and I want to see if we can both find the answer we want.¡± ¡°And if you find an answer you don¡¯t want?¡± Heo smiled a little. ¡°If I am not prepared for that once we face each other, I think I will apologize to them and run away. I will apologize for being so inexperienced. Harakawa and the others might get mad at me, but it¡¯s better than finding an answer I don¡¯t want. And both Thunder Fellow and I are quite fast.¡± ¡°You are,¡± agreed Diana while rubbing her head. The steam between her hair turned to water and weighed down that hair. ¡°In that case, you should focus on healing your wounds.¡± ¡°I will. While they heal, I plan to make dinner for tonight. Once I finish with that, Harakawa and the others should be finished at school. And if we leave then¡­¡± ¡°The brothers will attack, right?¡± ¡°Yes. To look at it positively, the past we want will be coming to us. That¡¯s the opposite of Sayama and Shinjou who have to go search out their past. So if there is something we need to search out¡­¡± She hesitated and felt she was going too far in saying this. ¡°It would be a battlefield and a way of defeating the past.¡± ¡°Herrlich.¡± Heo looked up at Diana¡¯s word of praise. She turned to her left and saw the same smile as when the woman had taught her long ago. A moment later, she was embraced and had her head rubbed just as back then. ¡°An excellent answer, Heo. Heo Thunderson, daughter of Maria Thunderson and James Thunderson, and my student. An excellent destiny comes to those who can give an excellent answer. And the time for investigation is nigh. Rest, heal your wounds, and calm yourself until then.¡± ¡°B-but¡­¡± ¡°Heo, it is crucial that you do not rush this. Rushing and wasting time is no match for a single excellent answer. You already gave an excellent answer, so now you only need to prepare for it. ¡­I know. How about you take a walk through UCAT until you go to meet him? It is filled with strange animals, so it is quite an amusing place.¡± ¡°U-um, teacher.¡± ¡°Hm? What is it, Heo? Are you still trying to rush this?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t breathe.¡± ¡°Oh, dear.¡± Diana let go of Heo who had been buried in her breasts. Heo frantically breathed in and felt her cheeks flush. She then thought about what Diana had said. ¡°But¡­is this really okay? We may have to fight, but I already made Harakawa mad by being so inexperienced this morning.¡± Diana turned toward her with a smile. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, Heo.¡± She looked past Heo to Mikage who sat to Heo¡¯s right. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Mikage?¡± ¡°Right. You will be fine.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Heo turned around and saw Mikage stretching the plant creature¡¯s cheeks outwards. The girl turned her clear blue eyes toward her and opened her lips. ¡°You will be fine. You and Harakawa just don¡¯t understand each other yet. You don¡¯t understand your pasts, what it means to fight, or some other things. ¡­But that just means that you have to learn those things, so you¡¯ll be fine.¡± Mikage continued. ¡°The one that isn¡¯t fine is me.¡± ¡°R-really? B-but Hiba has fallen for you so hard he¡¯s practically melted into a puddle on the floor. To me, it looks like he¡¯s a pathetic monkey.¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­lately we haven¡¯t been taking baths together. What about you, Heo?¡± Heo frantically shook her head and tensed her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­never even thought about doing that.¡± ¡°Then you have a lot to look forward to.¡± Mikage released the green creature into the water and waved as it looked reluctantly back at her. ¡°Lately, I¡¯ve evolved.¡± She brought her hands to her chest. ¡°The black lines are disappearing and color has filled in a lot of places. ¡­I¡¯m getting closer to being complete.¡± A blue stone was embedded in Mikage¡¯s chest, just below her neck. That must be the philosopher¡¯s stone that brings about her evolution, thought Heo. ¡­She¡¯s becoming human. But the girl who was halfway between automaton and human smiled with the ends of her eyebrows lowered. ¡°But you know what? I¡¯m a little scared.¡± ¡°Of what? If you evolve and become human, you can be with Hiba, right?¡± ¡°But I won¡¯t change anymore.¡± The answer to her question made Heo gasp. Once she was human, she could no longer ¡°become human¡±. ¡°What if Ryuuji-kun gets bored of me because I won¡¯t change anymore? And what if my body isn¡¯t what he was expecting? ¡­That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to let him see me. I used to let him see how different I was, but now¡­the thought of being different scares me.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t be. You have an excellent body and I don¡¯t think Hiba will complain.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what Ryuuji-kun likes and he might not tell me even if he had a complaint.¡± ¡°That¡¯s-¡­¡± began Heo, but she swallowed the words. This was not something for her to decide. It was Mikage¡¯s issue. However, Mikage smiled and narrowed her eyes. ¡°I doubt I am exactly what he wants. But that¡¯s why I plan to have him to tell me if he¡¯ll accept me and to praise the parts of me he likes. If he does, I think some of my fear of being seen will go away.¡± Oh, thought Heo as she thought about the mixture of hope and anxiety filling Mikage¡¯s heart. ¡°Mikage, do you know what that mixture of hope and anxiety is called?¡± ¡°You mean this desire to show off what I really am and yet also to hide what I really am?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Heo thought and tried to express the idea as accurately as possible. ¡°It is called shame¡­ Ow! T-teacher, why did you just grab my chest from behind!?¡± ¡°Heo? You are an excellent student, but you sometimes overthink things.¡± However, Diana¡¯s hands did not leave her chest and they moved as if to tickle her. ¡°Hm? Heo, did you just say ¡®ow¡¯?¡± ¡°Y-yes. What about it?¡± Heo looked over her shoulder and saw Diana¡¯s smiling face. ¡°Pain is a sign that you are growing and the skin is tight. You are going to get bigger.¡± ¡°Eh? R-really?¡± Mikage looked at her from the right and applauded. ¡°You have room to evolve too, Heo. That¡¯s good. You still have a chance to gain what you lack.¡± ¡°Why doesn¡¯t that make me happy?¡± ¡°Heo, answer me. Does the Harakawa boy like girls with large breasts?¡± ¡°Eh? P-probably. He always treats me like a child. ¡­A-and I found some American dirty magazines in the back of his closet! He tried to claim Hiba asked for them, though! All of the girls in them were as big as you, teacher!¡± ¡°Heo? Mine are natural, so don¡¯t put me in the same category.¡± Heo obeyed. She did not entirely understand, but apparently people were proud of that after getting older. So I need to do my best, she told herself. Meanwhile, Diana was still holding her chest while embracing her from behind. ¡°Now, you need to massage them a lot. That loosens up the skin and flesh, so it can more efficiently grow underneath. In other words, it helps your breasts to get bigger.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Have I ever lied to you?¡± ¡°Maybe not lied, but you do have a habit of making oddly persuasive arguments like this.¡± Diana responded by resting her smiling chin on Heo¡¯s left shoulder and nodding. She removed her left hand from Heo¡¯s chest and held something in front of the girl. ¡°Is this a UCAT cellphone?¡± ¡°Yes. I thought this might happen, so I had it waterproofed. Now, Heo, this is necessary for you to recover your energy and that is necessary for UCAT as a whole. We are the only ones here, so listen to what I have to say.¡± Diana¡¯s voice reverberated through the bath. ¡°Confess to the Harakawa boy (Point Allocation: Your Life Plan).¡± Harakawa was cutting wood for a festival stand on the school roof. He was operating the jigsaw while holding the lumber on the block with a foot. Sawdust scattered like spraying water, but he did not care since he wore sunglasses and used his bandanna in place of a mask. After cutting the fourth piece, he looked around. He stopped the jigsaw and heard hammering. The rooftop was the closest work area for anything they could not bring into the classroom. He also saw people from several other classes crouching or standing as they worked. To make sure they did not have to use Ooki¡¯s idea of a rest area for people to sleep in, his class had come up with a mobile ethnic caf¨¦ called the Angry Locals. They had managed to reuse the frame from their spring festival stand, so they had not needed to use Sayama¡¯s place. ¡­It¡¯s still a pain either way. If he stayed at UCAT, everyone would annoy him about what had happened in the morning, but he would have nothing to do at home. His mother would complain if he visited her in the hospital without bringing Heo and his job at Yokota did not start until the evening. Feeling he had no choice, he had gone to school. He wondered what Heo was doing back at UCAT. ¡­I doubt the others will leave her alone. The night before, she had said quite a lot after seeing that photograph of her great-grandfather. It had been like she thought talking was actively bringing her closer to the past. But that isn¡¯t how it works, thought Harakawa. He had not told Heo about his father. When they had visited his grave a month before, he had simply said the man died during the Great Kansai Earthquake. Thinking back, his grandfather had belonged to the American military, so he may have been part of UCAT too. Sayama had said to search for their pasts if they wanted to know why Team Leviathan was disbanding, but Harakawa did not understand why that was necessary. Heo seemed to think it was worth looking into, but Harakawa did not like taking action without knowing why. That was why he did not want to actively pursue the past. ¡­But what is this about? A thought had occurred to him before the battle with Yonkichi. He muttered to himself with the jigsaw hiding his voice. ¡°If we can still fight, disbanding or not makes no difference. ¡­So why are we so hung up over the name ¡®Team Leviathan¡¯? And why did the treasurer protest?¡± Even as he cut the lumber, he could not find the answer to his question. ¡­If I look into the past, will I find the answer? ¡°Will I find why we are Team Leviathan?¡± He finished cutting the lumber. It fell in two pieces and he stopped the jigsaw. ¡­What does it all mean? He muttered in his heart as he picked up the wood and his eyes met those of a girl painting a panel red. ¡°Harakawa-kun. You look like a hero in a battle between schools.¡± He was holding pieces of lumber while wearing sunglasses and a bandanna mask. ¡°Then I¡¯ll use this as my costume for the year-end festival in winter.¡± ¡°This school sure has a lot of festivals. Doesn¡¯t the year-end festival begin on the twenty-first immediately after the closing ceremony?¡± ¡°Those in the dorms ¨C especially the third years ¨C tend not to be around during the third term. The year-end festival was supposedly started for the third years to have some fun for the last time, but at some point the first and second years joined in.¡± ¡°Well, we can prepare for it while the exams are being returned, so the timing works out. Speaking of the third years, what are that famous president and aggressive treasurer planning to do? You¡¯re on the student council along with Sayama-kun, right?¡± That reminded Harakawa of something. First, he had become the vice-president¡¯s aide at some point. And second¡­ ¡­That really depends on the president¡¯s injuries and whether the treasurer can recover or not. He activated the jigsaw and pressed it against a piece of lumber sitting on a chair. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard anything. That¡¯s a problem those two will settle on their own.¡± ¡°Oh? Quite the cool hero, aren¡¯t you? ¡­Now for a hotter topic of discussion. Since you¡¯re living with your girlfriend, are you going to bring her to the school festival or the year-end festival?¡± He pushed the jigsaw too hard and sliced straight through the chair along with the lumber. The seat split in two, the metal legs clattered to the ground, and everyone¡¯s focus turned to him. ¡°Wow,¡± said the classmate in surprise. ¡°That sure got a reaction. I need to tell everyone the rumors are true.¡± ¡°Wait. Don¡¯t go around spreading crazy rumors.¡± ¡°But you make food for her every day and she¡¯s sleeping over at your place, right?¡± He lifted the stopped jigsaw, removed his mask, and brushed up his disheveled hair. ¡°Listen. Heo is still a kid. She¡¯s a long way off from my tastes.¡± ¡°Wow. Just Heo? No honorifics or anything? And you¡¯re underestimating girls, Harakawa-kun. We change day by day.¡± ¡°Is that so? I¡¯ll remember that. Thank you very much, classmate who is more mature than me.¡± He reached for a new piece of lumber, but the cellphone in his pocket rang. Everyone looked at him and the classmate girl spoke. ¡°Go ahead. Your girlfriend is calling.¡± ¡°It is not-¡­¡± He checked the number, but it was not from Heo. Relieved, he answered. ¡°This is Harakawa.¡± ¡°Oh, H-Harakawa? I-it¡¯s Heo.¡± What is going on? he wondered while clicking his tongue and running to the landing of the emergency staircase. He ignored his classmate¡¯s call of ¡°good luck¡± behind him. ¡°What is this? Why are you calling from someone else¡¯s phone?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, I¡¯m in UCAT and¡­um¡­I borrowed my teacher¡¯s phone.¡± ¡°I see. So what is it? Tell me what you want, Heo Thunderson. I am very busy.¡± He reached the emergency staircase, but he continued down because people were working there too. Once he reached the second story landing where the student council often gathered, the working students vanished, so he leaned against the railing. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Oh, right. Um. You see? This is hard to say and I¡¯ve been keeping it to myself before, but¡­uh¡­¡± ¡°Again, what is it?¡± He heard her gulp and it was obvious she was trying to say something. With Diana to her left, Mikage to her right, and the plant creatures all around, Heo sat motionless in the bath. She could blame the heat of the bath for her racing pulse. She could blame the heat of the bath for the warmth in her face. She could blame the heat of the bath for the excitement in her heart. ¡­I-I am not nervous. She gathered her resolve and began by saying ¡°um¡±. However¡­ ¡°If you don¡¯t need anything, I¡¯m going to hang up. You¡¯re trying to heal, right? Focus on that, Heo Thunderson.¡± ¡°No, um, this is part of my rehabilitation.¡± ¡°Talking with me is? Or are you trying to make some kind of decision?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± She nodded and made up her mind. ¡°Um, Harakawa. I, uh¡­¡± She had something she needed to say. As soon as she opened her mouth to say it, Diana leaned in excitedly and her breasts pressed against Heo¡¯s left back and shoulder. The sensation brought a new idea to Heo¡¯s mind and it escaped her mouth. ¡°Do you like breasts!?¡± Harakawa frowned at what Heo asked over the cellphone. Alone on the emergency exit landing, he removed the phone from his ear and tilted his head while staring at it. ¡­Did her injuries from the battle this morning make her go insane? No, wait, he thought. Not even Heo would ask that so openly if she meant it sexually. She¡¯s shy about things like that. For some reason, she¡¯s been blessed with the luck to end up naked quite a lot, but she doesn¡¯t want that kind of thing herself. There was a reason he had so readily suspected her of asking something like that. ¡­I¡¯ve been surrounded by so many openly stupid people of late. Heo was not like Izumo, Sayama, Hiba, or the others. She had a habit of jumping to the wrong conclusion or overthinking things, but Harakawa knew she was generally a smart girl. He had also been rejecting her a little lately. That day in particular, he had left for school without waiting for her to wake from her treatment. He decided it would be wrong to simply doubt her. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s settle this problem, Heo Thunderson. Think carefully. ¡­What exactly do you mean?¡± ¡°I-I mean exactly what I said. Um¡­ Do you like¡­breasts?¡± ¡­Exactly what she said? So I¡¯m supposed to take it literally? Has she gone insane or been infected by the Team Leviathan disease? he wondered while holding the phone up in the sky for fear of being infected himself. ¡­But wait. He frowned and groaned a little as a certain memory came back to him. ¡­I asked her to make fried chicken for dinner. This was Heo, so she was probably taking Sayama seriously and using UCAT¡¯s facilities to investigate her past. She needed to adapt to her surroundings, so she may have decided to make dinner for the others as well. That dinner would be fried chicken. In that context, breasts would indeed be my preference, he thought while nodding and bringing the phone back to his ear. ¡°Heo, Heo Thunderson. Listen carefully.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Well.¡± He nodded. ¡°You¡¯re talking about tonight, right?¡± ¡°Eh? Th-the night? ¡­Yes, I suppose it would happen at night. You could say that. It¡¯s definitely too soon to start during the daytime.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He nodded again. Some of what she was saying sounded strange, but that was likely an after effect of her injuries. At any rate, it seemed she really was talking about the fried chicken for dinner. Also, he often heard about people having to cook as part of their rehabilitation. Experiencing a familiar flavor could bring back one¡¯s memories or senses. ¡°Um, Harakawa?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine, Heo Thunderson. Sorry, I was lost in thought for a bit there. ¡­And yes, breasts are the way to go. Thighs are a close second,¡± he said. ¡°But breasts are definitely the best.¡± The three girls leaned forward in the bath for no real reason and they exchanged a glance. ¡°The Harakawa boy is surprisingly open with his sexuality.¡± ¡°Ryuuji-kun likes them too, so do all guys like big breasts?¡± ¡°Heh heh. Mikage, that is normal from a biological standpoint. A preference for small breasts goes against one¡¯s biology.¡± ¡°T-teacher, I have a feeling it isn¡¯t that cut-and-dried an issue.¡± ¡°¡­? Heo, is someone there with you?¡± asked Harakawa. ¡°Eh? No, there isn¡¯t.¡± She pressed the phone against her ear. ¡°A-anyway, Harakawa. About breasts¡­ How much do you think is enough?¡± ¡°Good question. ¡­Two is usually good for me.¡± ¡°Y-yes, two would be good. That is the standard number. B-but what about size?¡± ¡°Most anyone would be happy if they¡¯re big enough to grab in both hands and take a big bite.¡± Diana tilted her head. ¡°Take a big bite? The Harakwa boy certainly is crude. ¡­And he doesn¡¯t seem to understand this isn¡¯t an issue of ¡®most anyone¡¯! We¡¯re talking about Heo¡¯s breasts, so his opinion is what-¡­¡± ¡°T-teacher, calm down and please don¡¯t get so excited about my breasts. Also, I think he¡¯s only being so crude because the battle this morning messed with his brain.¡± ¡°Right. Ryuuji-kun is sometimes like that every morning.¡± ¡°I see. Heo, then you say something to make up for what he lacks.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Heo motivated herself. ¡°U-um, Harakawa. When you ¡®take a bite¡¯, uh¡­¡± ¡°But even if I say ¡®big¡¯, more than three hundred grams is probably too much,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s awfully specific.¡± ¡°Now, Heo, do you know how to prepare them?¡± She almost asked what he meant by ¡°prepare¡±, but she recalled what Diana had said about her breasts growing and how to prepare them for that. ¡°By massaging them?¡± ¡°I can help you if you want, but it would best if you did it yourself. Do you know what to put on them?¡± ¡°U-um¡­ I¡¯m not really sure about that.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be too specific, but remember this. ¡­Start by drizzling some lemon juice on them.¡± ¡°A-a liquid!? Does that give vitamins for the skin!? Does it help the collagen!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s necessary, so don¡¯t make fun. ¡­Now, for the next step, you¡¯ll need salt, pepper, and a little bit of sugar.¡± ¡°Y-you need salt and pepper to massage them!? And sugar too!?¡± ¡°Yes, if you rub that into them at the start, they¡¯ll be a lot more flavorful when you bite into them.¡± Heo pictured it in her head and started to feel dizzy. ¡­So this is the world of adults. Mother, father, great-grandfather, I just took three steps at once up the stairway of adulthood. She almost collapsed, but Diana and Mikage supported her. ¡°Heo, Heo. Stick with it. Just a little further.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If you put in the effort here, I¡¯m sure it will make Harakawa happy.¡± ¡°O-okay. I¡¯ll do my best.¡± The plant creatures sticking their heads out from the water absorbed her excess heat and expelled oxygen. The bath turned into a jacuzzi, but the creatures seemed unable to keep up because they appeared troubled as they looked back and forth. ¡°Lots and lots! But¡­too much?¡± Confident that everyone was supporting her, Heo took a breath, adjusted her grip on the phone, pressed it to her ear, and spoke as if it was a challenge to be overcome. ¡°H-Harakawa? In other words, I massage the flesh with the salt and pepper?¡± ¡°Right. And once you¡¯ve rubbed that in, you add a beaten egg and massage it in as well.¡± ¡°A-an egg!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± She felt something below her nose. The towel Diana had been wearing pressed against her nose. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Heo. Not far now.¡± ¡°Anyway,¡± said Harakawa. ¡°The rest is the same as normal. My mother actually uses some herbs as well, but you have to get the details just right with those and I don¡¯t really remember the specifics. Maybe I¡¯ll ask her sometime.¡± ¡°O-okay. I-if this massage technique comes directly from your mother, I¡¯m sure it will be enough to satisfy you. I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure why you¡¯re putting so much effort into this, Heo Thunderson, but don¡¯t get too worked up, okay?¡± He suddenly asked about something else entirely. ¡°Heo¡­ Are you planning to investigate the past?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She looked up, exchanged a glance with a plant creature that raised its head, and tilted her head along with it. ¡°Why are you asking? Last night, it seemed like you didn¡¯t want to be a part of that.¡± ¡°I would rather not if I don¡¯t have to. I¡¯d probably end up saying something that threw cold water on your fun.¡± ¡°No! P-please be a part of it!¡± The words seemed to flow out of her gut. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone but you to help! I¡¯d be happy with whatever you might say, so you can say whatever you want. I might cry if it¡¯s too harsh, but¡­but I know you¡¯ll support me, so¡­¡± ¡°Sometimes I have to translate what you say to make it understandable, Heo Thunderson. Anyway¡­¡± She heard him sigh before continuing. ¡°I¡¯ll be there at around five. Have dinner ready and your wounds healed by then, Heo Thunderson. There¡¯s something that¡¯s been bothering me.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a ridiculous question about what exactly Team Leviathan is.¡± He hung up there. She thought about his last words as she listened to the dial tone. ¡­He¡¯s been thinking about the same thing. She nodded in her heart, but another question came to her. ¡­Wh-when should I massage my chest? Should she do it on her own or ask for his help once he arrived? Those two options quickly sank deep within her. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, Heo!? Are you okay, Heo?¡± She did not have the energy or wherewithal to answer, so she simply passed out and sank into the bubbling water. After hanging up, Harakawa sighed and leaned back against the landing¡¯s railing. ¡°Well, at least you have plenty of energy, Heo Thunderson.¡± She had said no one else was with her, but that was a blatant lie since she had borrowed the German inspector¡¯s phone. He was having a lively day as well, so he had no complaint about that. He glanced over at the wall covered in the sand that blew up from the schoolyard. ¡°¡­?¡± Suddenly, the light hit the wall just right and he thought he saw writing. ¡­What? This would be the work of the people who came here often, so it had to have been Sayama¡¯s group. However, he had eaten lunch with them here a few times, but he did not remember anyone mentioning the wall. In that case, who had written in the sand on the wall and then hidden it? ¡­Was it Sayama? With that thought, he tried to see if there really was writing there at all, but¡­ ¡°Oh, Harakawa-san!¡± The emergency exit opened and two people stepped out. One was Hiba with a bandage on his cheek and the other was¡­ ¡°The art club president?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The usual cat was missing, but she had the bird on her head and she gestured him over. ¡°Come with me. I have something to discuss. We need to come up with a way of defeating those four brothers.¡± Volume 10, 15: A Place with a Voice Volume 10, Chapter 15: A Place with a Voice You can make it, you can make it, you can make it. What do you call the idea That you can make it because you have broken A dark space had a stepped floor and thick bookcases. It was the Kinugasa Library. The library was filled with students. They were checking out reference material to help prepare for the school festival. Most of them were using encyclopedias, dictionaries, or maps, but a lot were checking out novels while they were at it. The crowd was centered on the bookcases and people who had just arrived or were checking out moved between them. The tables were being used by people using materials that could not be checked out or¡­ ¡°People who are chatting. Heh heh. Doing something other than festival preparations is its own kind of joy.¡± Brunhild spoke at the lowest point at the center of the stepped floor. Sitting across from her were Hiba in a track suit and¡­ ¡°Harakawa? Why are you carrying a chainsaw?¡± ¡°Because you dragged me here before I could put it down, art club president. Plus, it¡¯s a jigsaw, not a chainsaw.¡± Harakawa placed the jigsaw on its side on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt. I¡¯m not interested in this.¡± He crossed his arms. ¡°We lost once already. We were injured and injured him. I never had much of an obligation to the Leviathan Road, so I¡¯d like to withdraw from this one.¡± ¡°For the sake of that dragon girl?¡± ¡°For my own sake. I¡¯m supporting my own livelihood, so my own safety is the most important thing for me to keep living.¡± ¡°Fine, we can leave it at that. ¡­And stay here, Harakawa. If you¡¯re supporting your livelihood, it means you¡¯re only here cutting lumber because you have nothing better to do. So how about you put that time to better use?¡± Brunhild waved her left hand and placed it on the table. They were surrounded by the sounds of footsteps, rustling school uniforms, and flipping pages. There were a lot of sounds, but they were all quiet and Brunhild¡¯s finger tapping on a book joined them. ¡°This is one of the books on legends that Professor Kinugasa put together. There are a lot of dragons in 7th-Gear¡¯s Chinese mythology, but not many stories include four dragons. I found it almost right away, but those four brothers are¡­¡± ¡°The four dragon brothers that protect the four cardinal directions in Chinese mythology?¡± ¡°Stealing my line is a serious crime, Hiba Ryuuji. Go buy me some coffee later.¡± The bird on her head chirped and she nodded. ¡°And some bird food.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s your duty, Schild-san!¡± ¡°Stop fighting it, criminal. And be quiet in the library. ¡­But even if what you did was wrong, what you said was not. Chao may have created those four brothers as an homage to the four dragons. ¡­And now they are our enemy.¡± ¡°Your enemy maybe,¡± said Harakawa. ¡°But not mine.¡± ¡°Who was it that tore off Yonkichi¡¯s arm? If it wasn¡¯t you, then go tell Heo Thunderson that she was the one to tear off his left arm since it apparently wasn¡¯t your doing.¡± After that, Brunhild looked down a little and expressionlessly opened the book. ¡°But this does not give much information. It only shows the patterns of the four dragons¡¯ names. One of those gives their names as Goukou, Goujun, Goumei, and Goukitsu in Japanese. The ¡®gou¡¯ refers to a long period of time. However, if you remove that because so much time has yet to pass and you replace it with a number indicating the order of creation, you get their names.¡± ¡°What good does that do? Are you going to tell their fortune using their names?¡± ¡°Knowing your opponent¡¯s identity is the best way of understanding them and no longer fearing them. Even a terrorist becomes nothing more than a target to be attacked once you know their name, right?¡± Harakawa raised his eyebrows a little, but Brunhild ignored him and lightly tapped the opened book again. ¡°It seems none of them have attacked Shinjou. Izumo and Kazami were defeated by the eldest and third brother while we dealt with the youngest, so maybe the second brother went to Sayama.¡± ¡°In that case, I wouldn¡¯t want to be Sayama-san right now.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to be him ever. And we should celebrate this. His presence means we only have to deal with three of them.¡± ¡°I am not dealing with any of them,¡± said Harakawa. Brunhild looked up and smiled. ¡°Who ever said you would be? Don¡¯t be stupid. I only told you to stay there. If you don¡¯t want to look too pathetic, second year, then just sit there quietly.¡± Harakawa clicked his tongue and rested his feet on the table. Brunhild frowned. ¡°Are you trying to point the soles of your shoes at me?¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t going to scold me for putting my feet on the table?¡± ¡°I do that in my dorm room¡­and I make sure to point the soles toward the world outside the window. I¡¯m on an entirely different level from you.¡± ¡°Oh, how moving. ¡­Now, tell me this, art club president. Do you have a chance of winning?¡± He asked in a challenging tone, but Brunhild calmly answered. ¡°We do.¡± Harakawa watched and listened. The girl in front of him was expressionlessly speaking about the coming battle. ¡°We have a way to fight, but you all are the ones who will do the fighting. They aren¡¯t even thinking about me. So let me tell you one thing: first and foremost, you had better make up for my injury.¡± ¡°Your honesty is refreshing. So what¡¯s next?¡± Brunhild nodded. ¡°They have a number of concept weapons and fixed concepts, which are concepts they can activate in the space around them. You remember that, don¡¯t you? We don¡¯t know what Nijun¡¯s is, but we don¡¯t need to worry about it since Sayama will handle him.¡± ¡°L-let¡¯s worry about it a little, Schild-san.¡± ¡°Then go follow Sayama into the Okutama mountains. Unfortunately, this world only rewards concern if you show it in your actions.¡± At that point, a tall old man in a vest walked over while carrying a stack of returned books. ¡°Nein, do not forget the many people that are concerned for you.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t, Siegfried. I have simply decided not to worry about Team Leviathan. Even if you do, they will do what they are going to do without even noticing. ¡­That¡¯s why giving them a nice kick in the rear when they fail is more effective than worrying.¡± Harakawa saw the librarian¡¯s shoulders shaking in bitter laughter. ¡°Do you know what that ¡®nice kick in the rear¡¯ is usually called, Nein?¡± ¡°If you say it¡¯s ¡®cheering them on¡¯, I¡¯ll grab your arm and claim you abused me. After all, saying that is akin to mental abuse. Now, a proper answer would be to call it instigating them.¡± Brunhild turned a sulky look toward Harakawa. ¡°You don¡¯t actually know why Sayama had Team Leviathan temporarily disband, do you? But I have a hunch. Kazami and Izumo should realize it before long too.¡± ¡°Kazami-san will find out why? ¡­And she¡¯ll return to the fight?¡± ¡°The silly girl was crying, wasn¡¯t she? That¡¯s her punishment for getting carried away. But punishments always have an end. If she wants to fight when that time comes, she will come to understand what Sayama meant,¡± said Brunhild. ¡°And to prepare for that, we need to gather information on those four brothers and work out as much of a battle plan as we can.¡± ¡°Then show us your strategy, art club president.¡± We¡¯re finally getting to the main point, thought Harakawa. ¡°The fixed concept that took out Heo and me was ¡®the world is reversed for an instant¡¯. It most likely takes all attacks, direct or projectile, and returns them to the attacker by swapping positions. Plus, the switch only lasts an instant. Even if you try to attack yourself¡­¡± ¡°If Yonkichi does not use his fixed concept, you will hit yourself, right?¡± Brunhild looked up at Siegfried. ¡°How long are you going to stand there watching us?¡± ¡°Until my legs start moving.¡± ¡°That side of you is exactly like my sister.¡± She looked annoyed and shrugged. ¡°Listen,¡± she said to Hiba and Harakawa. ¡°Imagine that reversing concept is in effect now.¡± ¡°Eh? S-so if I grope my own chest, I would be groping your- I¡¯m sorry! I won¡¯t say any more! And please don¡¯t give me that pitying look, Siegfried-san! Do not change the channel.¡± ¡°No, Hiba boy. I was not giving you a pitying look. I was realizing how much like your grandfather you are.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s the same thing. And how are we anything alike!?¡± Everyone ignored him. Brunhild turned to Harakawa and he looked straight back. ¡°What if I punched you?¡± ¡°The fixed concept would make you punch yourself.¡± ¡°And if I punched myself?¡± ¡°I would immediately remove the fixed concept and you would punch yourself.¡± He just about said there was no winning, but she swung her right hand. A piece of paper flew through the air. It contained a word meaning ¡®sever¡¯. And¡­ ¡°There are two of them: one for my neck and one for yours. ¡­What about this?¡± Brunhild saw Harakawa¡¯s eyebrows rise and Hiba gulp. ¡°If I activate both papers at once, I can sever your head whether you swap our positions or not. There is no escape.¡± ¡°Wait, wait. Are you planning to commit sui-¡­¡± Before he could add ¡°cide¡±, he wrinkled his brow and said something else. ¡°Thunder Fellow or Susamikado wouldn¡¯t be decapitated by that.¡± ¡°Right. Yonkichi lost his arm when Thunder Fellow charged in because the mechanical dragon is tougher than him. You just need to hit him and yourself with an attack you can survive but he can¡¯t. Got it? Our enemy is not invincible. And just as we found where his name comes from,¡± she said. ¡°There are likely other methods as well. And methods for the other brothers. Also, you all need to reach the same place as Kazami. You need to be asking why Team Leviathan needs to disband when you were working so well together.¡± Harakawa and Hiba remained silent. However, Hiba crossed his arms like Harakawa was doing and finally formed a bitter smile. ¡°This is kind of strange. Team Leviathan has disbanded, yet here we are discussing how to fight for the Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°Oh? But it¡¯s because you have disbanded that you can include an inspector like me in your discussion about fighting another Gear.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just the official reasoning. In a way, you¡¯re more suited for Team Leviathan than us, Schild-san.¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s just cruel. It sounds like you¡¯re bragging about being chosen.¡± ¡°We weren¡¯t chosen.¡± ¡°Then let me put it this way: you managed to reach that position. Meanwhile, I can only call out to you from the opposite shore. Sayama has gone on ahead while Kazami has fallen behind because she is so busy shouting and crying that you all need to go together. However, those of you that have fallen behind still don¡¯t understand what that means. You don¡¯t understand the meaning behind Team Leviathan¡¯s existence.¡± ¡°The meaning behind its existence? You mean it isn¡¯t to complete the Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°Exactly. But¡­¡± She paused and leaned forward a little. ¡°You have been doing well, but all that fell apart just because you were ordered to disband. You have great strength, but you lost. Why do you think that is? ¡­What does Team Leviathan need to do well no matter what happens?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know, do you? Silent second year, you¡¯re not saying anything because you don¡¯t know, aren¡¯t you? On the other hand, Kazami fought back because she didn¡¯t want to know. ¡­But that means she does know.¡± Brunhild took a breath, leaned back in her chair, and gave a self-deprecating smile. ¡°So watch Kazami. She¡¯s a possible scenario for your own future. If you watch her, you will either see her give up or continue on. And if you all will decide to continue on, then help put together a plan that lets Kazami go ahead as an example for you.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t going to fight, Schild-san?¡± ¡°Of course not. Fighting is a pain in the butt and getting all of you moving is exhausting enough. Now, let¡¯s put together what information we have on the other brothers.¡± She sat up in her chair and smiled, but a large hand was placed on her head. It was the hand Siegfried was not using to hold the books. ¡°That is a good decision, Nein. But you told one lie.¡± He rubbed her hair and walked away as he finished speaking. ¡°Place your dominant hand on the table and show it to them. It¡¯s wrapped in a bandage, isn¡¯t it? That is more than enough reason not to fight. There is no need to hide it.¡± Her cheeks grew red and she tried to turn back toward him, but he had already removed his hand and left. She groaned as she settled back in her seat and Hiba muttered a few words toward the floor. ¡°Everyone has someone they can never beat, don¡¯t they?¡± A paper with the word ¡°stab¡± written on it stabbed into Hiba¡¯s forehead. The cloudy sky cleared out to the west and the sunlight broke through. The light hit a broad, shallow slope filled with pale yellow. The yellow was susuki grass. Short susuki grass with drooping heads covered the entire area. The susuki grass field was surrounded by forest and the trees kept out most of the wind. The broad slope contained one color other than yellow. It was the bluish black of a suit. That suit was worn by Sayama as he parted the chest-high susuki grass. ¡°It should be somewhere around here.¡± Approximately twelve hours had passed since he had entered the mountains. With his rucksack on his back and a short machete in hand, he had reached a certain ridge. His hair was a little disheveled and his shoes were dirty. He had worked up a sweat, so the cheeks of his slender face somewhat drooped. However, his eyes were filled with strength. ¡­I am glaring. He was aware of it. ¡°It is because I am starved for Shinjou-kun.¡± I need to bear with it, he told himself as he pulled a handheld digital recorder from his pocket. ¡°N-no, Sayama-kun! Not here!¡± ¡­Yes, even Shinjou-kun agrees. ¡°In other words, this is not the place. I must go elsewhere.¡± He looked around, but only forest surrounded the slope. He could see nothing else. He did see the sun above the forest, but¡­ ¡°It will set in another three hours. I must plan for the worst case and find a campsite before then.¡± He had already entered an area of the mountains he had never visited before. Unless he was returning the way he had come, moving at night would be too dangerous. Even after traveling so far, he had not run across Nijun, but he was certain the man was pursuing him. Just in case, a safe campsite would be best, he decided. The mountain past the southwestern forest was Mount Kumotori. He could see the forest covering its peak and the path leading to it. His current position had an altitude of around 1900 meters. The sun hit the slope now because it was on the western side of the mountain, but the autumn¡¯s west wind would blow through once evening arrived. The sun warmed it now, but it would be better to circle to the eastern side to spend the night. With a possible attack from Nijun, it would be best to choose a spot with a good view. ¡­In that case, I should choose somewhere near the top of the eastern slope. Settling on that, he began to speak. ¡°Shinjou-kun.¡± He realized he naturally began by calling her name. This is not good, he thought as he walked. He climbed the susuki grass slope with a self-deprecating smile. ¡°When we are reunited, I will tell you the path my parents once took was a sunny autumn slope.¡± Would she be impressed? Would she be so moved that she began to strip? ¡°No, that is only a delusion brought on by my Shinjou-kun withdrawal.¡± Calm down, he thought. Just now, she told me to go elsewhere, so I must bear with it for now. I truly heard that voice. It was no illusion. So I need to stop conveniently imagining things, he added. And it is a crime to make her conveniently lewd in my delusions, he told himself. ¡­But if that happens in person, it will show mutual understanding. He nodded and stood on the ridge atop the slope. He placed his hands around his mouth and shouted to the other mountain. ¡°In person truly is best!¡± ¡°In person truly is best.¡± ¡­Oh! Nature is showing its understanding. Viva the mountains! Satisfied, he looked down the shadowy slope to find a spot perfect for a camp. ¡°¡­¡± He found one. And it already had a house. Only about three meters down, someone had dug deep into the slope. That created a wide area of flat land. That thirty square meters used gravel to isolate itself from the susuki grass and an old tile roof rose up to just below Sayama¡¯s feet. ¡­Is this it? The house below seemed to have three twelve-square-meter rooms and an earthen-walled storehouse to the north. Several of the faded roof tiles were missing and the roof had a hole to the south. The wooden walls had also baked in the sun and the shaded areas were covered with moss. All of the windows had fallen out, the back entrance¡¯s sliding door had come from its frame, and it lay weathered and broken on the ground. How long had it been since the place began to rot? ¡°¡­¡± Sayama pulled a photograph from his pocket. It was the photo of Professor Kinugasa¡¯s house that he had received from Moira 1st below Izumo UCAT. He could not tell the house¡¯s shape from above, but he could check the positions of the surrounding mountains. ¡°This is it.¡± ¡­Thank you, #8-kun. He silently thanked the automaton who had calculated out the location. He placed the document back in his pocket and breathed in. ¡°This¡­ This is the same air that my parents once breathed.¡± That thought brought pain to the left side of his chest. He pressed his right hand against his chest, but even tensing his body could not oppose the distortion within his ribs. He could only frown. ¡°¡­¡± He stood still for several seconds. After three or four breaths, he let out a slow, trembling breath and clenched his left fist. Strength gathered in his eyes and he turned them toward the house below. He observed the old roof tiles, nodded, and prepared to say ¡°How about I go?¡±. ¡°Shinjou-kun.¡± But this time he did not reject calling that name. Instead, he rejected something else. ¡°No, this is not a question.¡± He changed his wording. ¡°I will go, Shinjou-kun. That way I can stand beside the one who desires the past so she can find her parents and who does not fear facing that loss. I will stand beside those who have accepted all that they have lost.¡± The wind blew from behind him. This was the west wind of autumn that told him the warmth of the sun would soon vanish. ¡­Did this wind wash over my parents as well? He walked forward to circle around the slope and reach the house. The wind seemed to push him from behind and the vanishing warmth of the sun seemed to support him. ¡°I will go. That way I can convince myself I am worthy of leading the others. Just as I asked Kazami and the others, I too must accept that I am suitable for Team Leviathan.¡± He walked. ¡°I too wish to overtake the past, Shinjou-kun.¡± Darkness was falling over a city. It was a sloped city. Most of the people who lived there worked in the low seaside urban district during the day and returned to the mountainous residential district in the evening. The people aboard the streetcars, busses, and trains went from wearing school uniforms to suits. A set of eyes inside a certain building watched that flow of people through the city. It was a small white building that looked more like a warehouse than a residence. It contained a tall wooden room with two columns of long wooden benches. Beyond the benches was a podium, showing that this was a church. A girl faced the darkening city through one of the windows on the side wall. She wore an orange jacket and had long black hair. She was Shinjou. She lowered her head toward the black phone and table set prepared by the church¡¯s side wall. In front of the window to the city, she held a pen and memo pad in her hands and the phone receiver between her head and left shoulder. ¡°I see. So you didn¡¯t find anyone like that? ¡­No, thank you very much. I know I was asking a lot. ¡­Yes, thank them for me as well.¡± She gave a small smile. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. If I find my mother, reporting that would be the best thanks of all, wouldn¡¯t it? ¡­Yes, please do if you find anything. I will move on to the next place. Bye.¡± She hung up. She crossed out three of the church names she had copied onto the memo pad. She sighed and took in another breath. She faced the white wall and tall window. The residential district was located at the top of the slope. Further down, she saw the lights of the shopping district and plenty of people walking on the sidewalks. She looked away from the window and down to the black phone and documents. The documents were covered in checks from the pen in her hand. She had been calling churches and orphanages to see if they had any records of a Shinjou Yukio. All of the checks were X-marks. A circle would mean success, but she had yet to draw one. She was disappointed, but she had another thought while looking around. ¡­It feels so strange to be here. This was a church. It was a gathering place that doubled as a local volunteer office. It was the closest one to the volunteer office at Sakai¡¯s port that she had managed to contact by phone. An old woman had answered the phone and she had told Shinjou to visit when she had heard the situation. Shinjou had started running and had arrived at this church after several minutes. When she had knocked on the white door, an old woman dressed in black had answered the door and asked what she needed. Shinjou had clearly answered as follows. ¡°I am looking for the church orphanage that held someone named Shinjou Yukio from the sixties to the seventies. Shinjou Yukio might be my mother, but I¡¯m having trouble because the documents were lost in the earthquake. ¡­Please help me. I have a list of the current orphanages and I thought a church might know which ones are church orphanages. I am not asking for anything more than that.¡± ¡°How soon do you need this?¡± ¡°Before ten tonight. I need to leave by then.¡± ¡°That is quite sudden. Why the rush?¡± ¡°A friend was¡­in an accident, so I need to go help.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The woman had nodded and pulled a thick book of documents from the office. It had not contained the name Shinjou Yukio. The old woman had said she had transferred to this job after the earthquake and that she would help Shinjou while using it as a chance to greet the other churches. ¡°Please let me see your list. We can divide up the work. You use the phone in the sanctuary and contact the places you can reach that way. I will contact the places on the list I am familiar with and some acquaintances who are well-known in areas not represented on the list. I will get an answer from as many places as I can contact today.¡± Shinjou had frowned at the resolve in the woman¡¯s voice. ¡°Why are you going so far to help me?¡± ¡°What a silly question. If you could stay here longer, you would undoubtedly find the answer on your own. The only reason you cannot do that is because you need to go help your friend, so you have done nothing wrong. And not blessing someone who has done nothing wrong would be cruel indeed. Now, leave your list and go. This is a sloped city, so a lot of work awaits you once you find your destination and must run there.¡± About five hours had passed since then. They had split up the list and took hourly breaks for tea and reporting on their progress. The old woman had accurately contacted orphanages by region while Shinjou went through the list page by page. The woman was on the final region. She was likely in the back room calling someone with a connection to the city¡¯s port. Shinjou was steadily working on the list in her hand, but¡­ ¡°¡­¡± She had just finished checking the entire second-to-last page. Every single one of them had been dead ends. If the list on the final page did not turn up anything¡­ ¡­What will I do? She would have to rely on the old woman using the phone in the back room. ¡°I hope that doesn¡¯t happen.¡± She was drawing close to knowing if she could find her past or not. She was certain that records of Shinjou Yukio existed, but she still did not know if she would find them or not. She remembered what she had felt at the port. ¡­The past is being overwritten by the present. While wondering if that was true, she looked out the window in front of her. The sloped city was dyed in the colors of the sunset and there was a gap in the center of the residential district. That land on the slope received plenty of sun, but it was still empty. Having walked past it on the way here, Shinjou knew what that gap was. She had wondered what it was while running by, but she had seen a sign. ¡°An area of high risk for tertiary damages.¡± The earthquake itself caused the primary damage and the fires and such caused by that were the secondary damages. In the Great Kansai Earthquake¡¯s case, the tertiary damages were later collapses caused by land loosened by the earthquake. That gap was the area where such collapses were likely. Normally, construction would be done to fix the land, but the administrative delays and fear of causing more damages had likely prevented that work from being done. ¡­So will that land stay like that forever if it doesn¡¯t collapse? The land would not recover on its own. It was a wound on the slope. Not only that, it was a wound that had yet to open but would eventually open. Even after a decade, the scars of the earthquake remained. ¡°The past simply vanishes.¡± Shinjou looked up suddenly as she realized her mind was too externally focused. This was no time to be engrossed in the city. She knew she had to continue calling. To do so, she adjusted her position in the chair and flipped to the next page. ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± she muttered while revealing that final page. She looked at what was printed there. ¡°¡­Eh?¡± That final page contained a list of addresses, but they were all crossed out. Those lines told her these entries were excluded. She realized what the final page of addresses was. ¡­A list of the orphanages, churches, and volunteer offices that they know are no longer running. She guessed that the municipal office had only included this page to be considerate. If she had only been given a list of contactable places, she might have searched for further places to contact. ¡­So this lets me know not to waste my time on places that are no longer running. She had simply overlooked its inclusion. She had flipped through the entire list a few times since receiving it, but she had not actually read through it all. She had been afraid to check too carefully because she had feared it would give her an answer she did not want. Oh, no, she thought. Why? she also thought. ¡°¡­¡± She stood up from the chair for no real reason. Several emotions and thoughts filled her mind. The people outside the window were moving, but she did not see them. All she saw were the few sheets of paper. ¡°Um¡­¡± Panicking, she checked through them again. However, everything but the final list was already checked. She opened her bag and pulled out her change of clothes, a map, some valuables, her binder, and the envelope from Sayama. ¡°There¡¯s no more.¡± The words escaping her mouth meant two things. First, there were no more pages to the list. Second, there were no more places for her to check. And those two facts led to only one conclusion. ¡­There¡¯s nothing more I can do? It was so sudden. She had thought there was plenty more she could do, so this felt like a sudden stop. She was unsure how to react. ¡°Kh.¡± While wondering what to do, she loaded her things back in the cold bag. She grabbed the change of clothes, the map, and then the binder and envelope. The binder was black and the envelope white. Her eyes reflected those two colors which contained her thoughts and Sayama¡¯s will. The contrasting color and the feelings held within brought her back to her senses. That was when she first realized a certain fact: she was barely breathing. ¡°Ah.¡± When she finally released the air from her lungs, she felt like she was falling. That was only an illusion. In reality, it was nothing more than her shoulders drooping and the bottom of her gut relaxing. ¡­I¡¯m nervous. She still wondered what to do and something else arrived to replace the tension in her lower abdomen. It was pain. The pain she always felt at the end of the month quickly grew due to her stress. She gently twisted her body and grabbed the table to put up with it. Her lowered eyes fell to the list from the municipal office. There was nothing more she could do with it, but¡­ ¡°It isn¡¯t over yet.¡± To endure the pain, she inhaled as if crushing the dull pain in her gut. ¡°This church¡¯s manager is still making calls.¡± A moment later, the last door on the opposite wall opened and loud footsteps filled the room. ¡°How did it go? I just finished.¡± The old woman¡¯s voice seemed to drive the words ¡°it¡¯s over¡± into her back. Shinjou hesitated. She wanted to ask what the woman had found and if she had found any records of Shinjou Yukio. After all¡­ ¡­I didn¡¯t find anything! So she turned around. She gathered the documents from the table, held them to her chest, and looked behind her. The slender old woman stood there in her black dress. The fairly strong eyes below her gray hair looked straight back at her. ¡°How did it go, Shinjou-san?¡± ¡°U-um, well¡­¡± She just about asked the woman how it had gone for her, but¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t find anything.¡± Her voice turned into a trembling sigh. Oh, no, she thought. Didn¡¯t I prepare for this again and again? Hadn¡¯t she mentally rehearsed for this possibility countless times? She was only searching for someone who might not be her mother. She would eventually find an answer and she even had someone helping her find that answer today. Nevertheless, she held the papers close, took in a breath, tried her best not to cry, and let words spill out in place of tears. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t find anything. ¡­No matter where I checked, I couldn¡¯t find anything!¡± ¡°I see.¡± After letting out a trembling breath, she breathed in to replace it. She coughed once, her entire body trembled, and she breathed in again. ¡°U-um¡­¡± Sorry for making you see this, she thought. ¡°That is fine,¡± said the woman. ¡°This just shows how important this is to you.¡± Shinjou could not agree with or deny those words, so she chose to remain silent. ¡°I also could not find any records of a Shinjou Yukio.¡± Those sudden words caused all air to vanish from Shinjou¡¯s throat. Eh? she thought, but only after another thought. ¡­What did she just say? What did that mean? Had she not checked in the right way? Had she been lied to? ¡­No, that can¡¯t be! I need to trust her, she thought. She prepared her heart that had grown empty with surprise and she spoke quietly. ¡°Does that mean¡­Shinjou Yukio was not in Sakai?¡± ¡°I do not know that. However¡­¡± The woman smiled. ¡°There was one blessing.¡± ¡°A blessing?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she replied. Shinjou did not know what she meant. She had been told there were no records of Shinjou Yukio and yet she had been told there was a blessing. ¡°Someone who used to run our diocese told me of a church orphanage that moved after the earthquake. However, it welcomed in a great number of people as it did so and gave up being a church. It became a normal orphanage.¡± ¡°You mean¡­!?¡± Her heart instantly flared up like a fire. A question burst from her like heat from the flames. She reflexively took a strong step forward. ¡°Where is that orphanage!?¡± ¡°Here.¡± The woman moved the counter to hold out a piece of paper with an address and orphanage name. ¡°Luckily, it¡¯s just what you are looking for. It apparently has no phone, so get running. But learn its name first.¡± The woman spoke from beyond the paper. ¡°It was known as the Holy Soukou Institution, but it is apparently known as the Soukou House now. It looks like a church at first glance and¡­¡± She took a breath. ¡°I hear they often sing hymns there.¡± Volume 10, 16: Dry Desire Volume 10, Chapter 16: Dry Desire To thirst for something Is nothing other than the joy of dryness Beyond the thin clouds, the sun was beginning to set. At the bottom of a cleared slope in the mountains were a long runway and a white building. Behind the building was a green space. The area past the freight elevator could be called a vegetable garden, a flower bed, or a farm. The separated space continued up onto the slope and it contained flowers, trees, and other plants. The words colorful and multi-purpose perfectly described it. Four individuals stood near the plants growing in a vegetable garden. Two had human forms and two were plant creatures walking alongside the other two. One of the human forms was a short girl with a small animal on her head. She wore a blue armored uniform and an orange jacket. The other was tall and wore an armored uniform with a long skirt. The short one was holding the tall one¡¯s hand in one hand and a basket in the other. The basket contained picked plants and herbs wrapped in rubber bands. ¡°Heo, are you using those for the massage as well?¡± ¡°No, these are for dinner tonight. Do you like fried chicken, Mikage?¡± ¡°Yes. I like the skinny ones.¡± Does she mean the legs? wondered Heo. She then glanced down at the piece of paper inside the basket. It had some notes written in English shorthand. ¡­I¡¯ve asked about UCAT¡¯s blank period all around here. After Diana had left for some kind of work, Heo had wandered around UCAT. It was partially to familiarize herself with the facility and partially to take a walk with Mikage. On the way, she had spoken with people close to Team Leviathan or the people around those people. ¡­For example, I got some information from Development Department Director Tsukuyomi. - Her husband died in the secondary damages of the Great Kansai Earthquake. - For some reason, Nagata Tatsumi has a Cowling Sword made by her husband. Even after being told that, Heo had said nothing about the Cowling Sword she had seen in her dream. ¡­Until Sayama makes a decision, it would be best not to take any careless actions. That was her decision. She had more notes based on the other people she had asked about UCAT¡¯s blank period. - I¡¯m interested, but I don¡¯t know anything about it since I joined after the blank period. ¡ú 28 people - I assume some kind of unspeakable scandal happened. ¡ú 11 people. - Maybe the Army knows something about it. ¡ú 3 people. - I¡¯m interested¡­in you, Heo-kun. ¡ú Turned him down. - I assume some kind of unspeakable scandal happened¡­and I assume it was caused by UCAT Director Ooshiro. ¡ú I kind of agree. - Oh, thanks for coming. Come on in and I¡¯ll give you some candy. Yes, yes. Just step inside for a little bit. ¡ú Contacted the authorities. A lot of the information was probably useless, but she could decide which that was if she focused. To sum it all up¡­ ¡°Everyone is interested in the blank period.¡± ¡°I wonder why,¡± said Mikage. ¡°It has nothing to do with the people here now.¡± Heo casually nodded, but a question came to her. ¡­The past shouldn¡¯t have anything to do with Team Leviathan either. The team was limited to the present, so why did they need the past? ¡°That¡¯s a good question. Why is everyone so interested in a past that shouldn¡¯t have anything to do with them?¡± She tilted her head, but no answer came to her. They began to walk and the two plant creatures followed. They were helping to lower her fever from her exhaustion and injuries, but they were not expelling much air anymore ¡°Feeling good?¡± asked one. She was almost fully healed. ¡­And so is Mikage. Mikage was still not steady on her feet and she would occasionally come to a stop as they walked. Whenever that happened, Heo would turn around to find her looking at some flowers or a face-shaped stone someone had laid out as a decoration. ¡­Is this what it would be like to have a little sister? Heo thought that was a little rude as she walked with Mikage and the plant creatures. This was not her first time to walk through this place, but it was her first time to use it for herself. Also, before Diana had left for some business in the city, she had said Heo could plant something here too. What would she plant here? Unable to find an answer, she asked Mikage. ¡°Mikage, what would you plant here if you could?¡± ¡°I would grow Ryuuji-kun. ¡­He¡¯s always saying he wishes he was taller or smarter. He¡¯s especially insistent that we would be in equilibrium if he was taller.¡± She looked to one corner of the slope. ¡°That would probably be a good spot.¡± ¡°P-please don¡¯t get me involved in a crime. And I think burying a person is a bad idea for a number of reasons.¡± Heo felt a tug on her hand and saw Mikage had stopped walking. The girl looked to a narrow, deep hole to the right. Heo read the sign to the side of the hole. ¡°For Ooshiro only. (Keep your chin up)¡± ¡°Keep your chin up? So stay positive?¡± ¡°L-let¡¯s not think too much about that. U-um, the next herb is¡­¡± Heo looked forward and saw Diana¡¯s flower bed. ¡°What did she plant?¡± She looked down in interest and found a few plants with long leaves. The sign said ¡°If you¡¯re going to pull them up, use a dog¡±, but Heo did her best to ignore it. ¡­That¡¯s just a joke. She¡¯s joking. She stopped the plant creatures from trying to pull up the plants and she sighed. Mikage patted her shoulder from the side. ¡°Heo, taking everything so seriously will only wear you out.¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m quite used to this place yet. ¡°Ryuuji-kun said letting it influence you feels good. He happily said he was soaking in it.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Heo reached a strange understanding and straightened up to refresh her mood. Suddenly, Mikage¡¯s hands reached to her sides from behind. She gave a ticklish shriek and strength filled Mikage¡¯s hands. ¡°Heo, you¡¯re bending your back.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you very much.¡± Mikage nodded but still seemed dissatisfied with Heo¡¯s posture because she corrected a slight bend. While bending Heo to the left and right and back again, Mikage asked a question. ¡°Did you know your grandfather¡¯s father?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh. No, I didn¡¯t know my grandfather¡¯s fath-¡­ I didn¡¯t know him all that well.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know my mother very well either. Ryuuji-kun saw her in Baku¡¯s past, but I¡¯ve only seen a photo. ¡­Even so, I¡¯m glad I saw the photo. She was smiling.¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°But seeing her move would have been even better. Ryuuji-kun told me about what he saw, though. He says she was beautiful and noble¡­and that her panties were white.¡± ¡°D-do I lose if I question that? I do, don¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Heo, you can¡¯t rush this. You¡¯ll eventually be able to win.¡± What does that mean? wondered Heo with a calming sigh. Mikage removed her hands from Heo¡¯s sides and placed them on her shoulders instead. She resumed moving her back and forth. ¡°Ryuuji-kun¡¯s grandmother said his grandfather was friends with your grandfather¡¯s father. She said they would always lend each other magazines of naked girls and she would hit them with a metal bar.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡¯ ¡°Yes, but you know what? Ryuuji-kun¡¯s grandparents won¡¯t say anything about his father. Did your grandfather¡¯s father ever till you about your parents?¡± Heo gasped at that question. She had been asked exactly what she wanted to know. And so she answered. ¡°No.¡± She tried to say ¡°but I want to look into it¡±, but Mikage spoke before she could. ¡°I want to look into it.¡± Heo reflexively turned toward Mikage. Mikage stopped speaking with her arms slightly raised. She looked at Heo with a frown. ¡°Do you want to as well?¡± Heo realized she had tensed up and that she was giving a flustered expression. I can¡¯t do that, she scolded herself. All she did was say what I wanted to say. ¡­I¡¯m acting like those words belong to me. She was certain Mikage had to have been thinking the same thing for some time. ¡°Sorry, Heo. Did I steal your words?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Whoever says it first gets to say it.¡± She frantically shook her hands back and forth. She tried to smile brightly, but Mikage gave an even better smile. ¡°But Baku controls the past and he chose you, not the person who said it first. Just like American UCAT began pursuing you first, but it was Harakawa who got you. And¡­sorry, Heo. I might know about your father.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been sleeping somewhere in UCAT for a long time. From about sixty years ago to about ten years ago. I only woke up on the night of the Great Kansai Earthquake.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ryuuji-kun¡¯s father took me and left me with Ryuuji-kun. He told him to look after me but ¡®if you¡¯re a man, don¡¯t do anything sexual to her until she grows up¡¯.¡± ¡°Sounds like his father was a lot like him.¡± ¡°Yes. But I was asleep, so I don¡¯t actually remember it. Also¡­¡± ¡°Also?¡± ¡°Miki is in the Army. Ryuuji-kun¡¯s father apparently found her at the earthquake site before he died. She was with us when I woke up.¡± It took Heo several seconds to realize who Miki was. Once she did, she gulped. ¡°You mean Nagata Tatsumi, don¡¯t you? I heard she is an important member of the Army. ¡­So you used to know her?¡± ¡°Yes, but it makes me wonder. She might have had some connection to Ryuuji-kun¡¯s parents. This might be a coincidence, but¡­¡± Mikage looked Heo in the eye. ¡°Nagata is Ryuuji-kun¡¯s mother¡¯s maiden name.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s just a coincidence,¡± said Mikage before falling silent. However, there was likely more to what she had said. What would it mean if there was a connection? To find out¡­ ¡­We need to look to the past. They were learning more about their grandparents and Heo¡¯s great-grandfather. Sayama¡¯s investigation may have had him following his parents¡¯ footsteps, but the house belonged to a leader of his grandfather¡¯s generation. On the other hand, they had almost no information on their parents¡¯ generation. ¡­What happened then? She knew the Great Kansai Earthquake had happened, but the past she had seen that morning had shown a battle in an empty Osaka that was likely a concept space. The adults who would know what had happened ¨C including Diana ¨C were refusing to speak. ¡­Why? Why were they so tightlipped about that battle? She thought they would talk about it if they had not done anything wrong, but she did not want to think Diana and the others had done something wrong. ¡­Which is it? She wanted to know. Knowing could put her parents, Diana, and the others in the wrong, but she still wanted to know. ¡°You want to know, don¡¯t you?¡± Heo spoke aloud as if asking herself. ¡°That way you can face what happened without avoiding the truth.¡± She reached for Baku on her head, hoping he would show her the past. However, he parted her hair and sank down as if hiding. His little paws reached below her hair and tickled her scalp. ¡°Uhya hya!!¡± Her shoulders stiffened and she frantically swallowed her shout. That was when a small form stood from beyond the rice growing to her left. It was an old woman in white. It seemed she had been looking after the flowers on the other side. She turned toward the building in preparation to return and she gave a quick bow toward Heo and Mikage. What a beautiful person, thought Heo. She was aged, but her expression was perfectly clear and void of needless strength. That fact delayed Heo¡¯s realization that the woman had dark middle eastern skin. Heo frantically bowed back. ¡°H-hello.¡± The woman¡¯s expression froze when she heard that. A hint of tension and surprise could be seen on her face. ¡°Maria?¡± That female name put that same expression on Heo¡¯s face. The plant creature at her feet expelled gas as if converting her emotion. However, the old woman gave a bitter smile of sudden realization. ¡°Sorry. Your voice reminded me of someone I used to know.¡± Heo was about to say she did not mind, but she found herself saying something else. ¡°You knew my mother, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Your mother?¡± ¡°Yes¡­I mean, testament. My mother¡¯s name was Maria Thunderson, my father was James Thunderson, and I am their daughter, Heo Thunderson.¡± The old woman responded by circling the rice plants and approaching. She repeated an ¡°oh¡± sound of surprise and joy again and again and she finally reached a hand out toward Heo. ¡°Their daughter is-¡­¡± She tried to touch Heo. But there was sudden motion behind Heo. Mikage quickly moved in front of her. She took a forceful step forward to move the old woman away. Heo watched and listened as the other girl spoke clearly in front of her. ¡°No. And sorry. But Heo named herself and I will name myself. ¡­I am Hiba Mikage. According to Ryuuji-kun, I am the best in his eyes.¡± ¡°U-um, Mikage? I don¡¯t think you need to be so cautious about her.¡± ¡°I do. You do not know this place as well as I do and Harakawa would be unhappy if something happened to you. So I will protect you. ¡­Like I wasn¡¯t able to this morning.¡± Strength filled Mikage¡¯s back with those last words. Seeing the girl acting to protect her, Heo realized she had been wrong earlier. ¡­How could I think of her like a little sister? Mikage had much more resolve. Heo placed her hands around the hand hanging by Mikage¡¯s side. She then faced the old woman. ¡°Um, sorry, but you heard her.¡± ¡°Yes. And, Heo. I need to protect you because your chest has yet to evolve.¡± ¡°W-was that comment really necessary?¡± The old woman laughed. ¡°Ho ho. Such good friends. But this is simply amazing. To think I would meet a Thunderson child and a member of the Hiba family. Not to mention hearing the name Harakawa after so long.¡± Still smiling, she bowed. ¡°I am not a member of UCAT. I am simply borrowing a place to live here. Ho ho. I am Arnavaz Mesam. Field Operations Director Abram Mesam is my husband and my Fereydun.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± said Heo in slight surprise. She knew of the field operations director. He would sometimes show up during training. He was a large man who had looked dangerous to Heo. ¡­But he¡¯s married to someone like this. What a rude thing to think, she scolded herself. To change her train of thought, she asked about one thing Arnavaz had said. ¡°Arnava- Lady Arnavaz? Um, what do you mean by Fereydun?¡± ¡°It means hero. Abram was a hero in our country. He travelled the path of medicine, saved people, and¡­yes, he is my Fereydun.¡± Heo realized something while looking the old woman directly in the eye. She realized why the woman had mistaken her for her mother. The woman was blind. And as soon as she noticed that, something moved atop her head. It was Baku. He raised his front legs as if greeting Arnavaz. Mikage stood on parched land. ¡­? She had been in a vegetable garden and the sky had been cloudy, but she was now on a vast stretch of parched land and the sky was a clear blue as far as the eye could see. She looked around and saw a few people wearing different colors of cloth. Beyond them was a large structure with a square roof and dry color. The wall around the structure had crumbled in places. The trees inside the wall had few leaves and not much grew in the large yard visible through the entrance. The building itself had partially crumbled. There were quite a few cracks in the sun-covered southern wall. There did not seem to be anyone inside. The people standing in front of the withered and dying building were all women. They wore blue, brown, or yellow cloth that covered everything but their faces. They stood motionless below the sun which was almost directly overhead. All they did was stare out into the dry field. They seemed to be waiting for something to arrive. What are they waiting for? wondered Mikage as she looked behind her. That was when she realized she only existed as her senses of sight and vision. ¡­Oh. Baku was showing her the past. She looked down at her hands but found nothing. She only had a faint sense of their existence, much like when inside Susamikado. Behind her, she found sand dunes. It was an ocean of sand covered in dry hills. After observing the scenery, she turned her vision back around. ¡°¡­?¡± She realized she stood in a position lower than the dunes or the building. She looked at her feet and found cracks running through the parched ground. ¡­Was there water here? She did not fully understand, but she grasped that the building was so dry because the water that should have been here was not. Without water, one grew thirsty, so she wondered if the people were trying to move elsewhere. ¡­It must be tough. With that thought, she approached the women. She tried to walk and her vision moved. Interestingly enough, she moved faster than her legs normally carried her. ¡°If only I could always move like this.¡± While moving at an ideal pace and speed, she looked to the people standing before the building. She realized her previous prediction had been correct. The people had gathered clothing and other luggage at their feet so they could move out. However, one of them had no luggage at her feet. The woman standing in the center wore white, hid her face with a hood, and simply clasped her hands in front of her waist. An older woman in red spoke from her right. Mikage could not understand the words, but their meaning reached her. ¡°Lady Arnavaz, you won¡¯t be coming with us?¡± Arnavaz? wondered Mikage with a mental tilt of the head. This woman completely hidden by white cloth is Arnavaz? ¡°¡­¡± She peered into the hood, but she could only see the woman¡¯s nose and mouth. She has a beautiful face, she thought. The woman in red closed her eyes a little while facing Arnavaz. ¡°I sent a message about today¡¯s closing of the Sahan house, but there was no response. That man learned medicine at the city¡¯s university as the prince of the Mesam family and he is called a hero for the people he has saved, but he has abandoned you for fifteen years since promising to marry you.¡± The woman took a breath and faced the dry and empty building behind her. ¡°And I had hoped he would save the Sahan family.¡± ¡°This is fine, Shahina.¡± Mikage heard Arnavaz¡¯s voice and saw the white hood shake slightly. ¡°The people of the desert are the people of the sand. We live like the scorching heat of day and we die like the calm chill of night. This just means Sahan has reached the night. He is known as a hero, so telling him to marry the blind princess of a house nearing the night must sound like telling him to lose his light and go to sleep.¡± She spoke quietly. ¡°The marriage proposal was made by my late father and he merely accepted. It would be wrong to expect anything of-¡­¡± ¡°Come with us, Lady Arnavaz.¡± Arnavaz was cut off by Shahina, the woman in red. ¡°We cannot live as we have, but we should be able to rely on your connections as head of the family. That man, Abram, has apparently cast aside his position as heir to the Mesam family, so an engagement from fifteen years ago is no longer valid.¡± ¡°Are you asking me to use convenient words to throw out my honor as a bride?¡± ¡°Clinging to that honor will not bring him here! You even gave us all of your belongings as a severance payment, so¡­¡± ¡°A blind woman does not need colorful clothing. I have been so spoiled that I do not know how to cook, so I do not need the furniture either. And I cannot live alone, so I do not even need money.¡± Arnavaz raised both hands. The cloth fell back to reveal her white hands which held something. Mikage circled in front of her to see what she held in each hand. Her left hand held a faded letter on the verge of falling apart. And the right held¡­ ¡°Your family¡¯s sword? Lady Arnavaz!?¡± ¡°When this letter from him arrived fifteen years ago, time stopped for me. My brothers died in war to the west, so I inherited this blade upon my father¡¯s death two years ago. Now, it is the key to restarting my time.¡± She looked up and Mikage saw her face. ¡­Such a beautiful face. But a scary one, she thought. In this dream, Arnavaz was still young, but her expression had a slight downward bend and a hint of shaking tension. ¡­You need to take it easy. However, the words would not reach the past even if she spoke them aloud. Arnavaz spoke with her unseeing eyes turned toward the sky. ¡°A contract in the left hand and a blade in the right. God will surely inspire the daughter of Sahan with a song. Inspire her to advance through Sahan¡¯s night and face the morning.¡± She lowered her head and hid the short sword and letter inside her clothes. ¡°I was a weak child and everyone thought I would be the first to die, yet I have outlived them all. I can do nothing, so why did I outlive my brothers who went to school and found their own places in the world? If there is a reason, it would have to be for this blade.¡± ¡°Lady Arnavaz.¡± ¡°Now, go. You have left this house, but I will never leave Sahan. I am the final Sahan. But it is your duty to bring prosperity to other lands just like the water that left Sahan¡¯s land.¡± She took a breath. ¡°I am all that remains of the Sahan family. My darkness is now mine alone.¡± As her words rang through the air, Shahina closed her eyes. After a while, the other women closed their eyes as well. They slowly bowed their heads toward Arnavaz. Soon, they all produced a slight wind. It was the wind of turning their backs on and walking away from Arnavaz and the mansion. The final wind, the red wind of Shahina, paused to turn back. ¡°Lady Arnavaz, I pray that god blesses you and you meet that man.¡± Mikage could not tell if Arnavaz nodded or not. Her vision quickly grew dark and she fell into darkness. However, she had a thought. ¡­She¡¯s the same. Mikage was a survivor of 3rd-Gear. Her parents were gone and she had survived by abandoning 3rd. However, Mikage had never thought the things Arnavaz had. ¡­Because the people around me are so nice. Another thought occurred to her. Despite this past, Arnavaz was living a different life now. She had reason enough to turn that sword on Abram, yet she was living with him and smiling as she tended to the flowers. ¡­Why? Mikage then remembered what Sayama had said. ¡°Search for you own past.¡± What did that mean? Did she have a past like that? What if she did? ¡°¡­¡± I want to know about it, she thought. I might be able to change like Arnavaz. Arnavaz had grown kind even as she carried this past with her. So if Mikage learned of her past, would she grow kind too? And if so¡­ ¡°Would I actually be able to say something if I saw Kazami crying again?¡± She carved in her heart the desire to search for the past. And as she repeated that desire to deepen the carving, she woke from the past. ¡°¡­¡± Heo opened her eyes and found the evening vegetable garden. She saw Arnavaz in front of her, the shadows of the vegetables, the forest, and the evening sky. A faint wind blew as Arnavaz narrowed her eyes in a smile. ¡°I just felt like I had a dream of a familiar voice.¡± ¡°Y-yes. That was from Baku and it was your past. I¡¯m sorry, but we saw it too.¡± Arnavaz shook her head. ¡°That is an important thing that really did happen. It is not something to hide.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not like Ryuuji-kun. He says the important parts are best when slightly hidden.¡± ¡°M-Mikage, I think he was talking about something else.¡± Mikage tilted her head and Heo began to panic because she did not know how to explain it. However, she was interrupted by footsteps running from the white building behind her. ¡°Eh?¡± She turned toward the person running over. ¡°Ooki-sensei?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± said Ooki just before tripping and falling over what grew from Diana¡¯s flower bed. The buried object came half from the ground and the leaves wrapped around her leg for some reason. ¡°Oww. What kind of plant is this? I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡± ¡°Ahhh, Ooki-sensei! You aren¡¯t supposed to pull it out!!¡± Ooki only tilted her head, so Heo removed the plant from her hand and reburied it. She thought she saw something like a human face, but she ignored it and patted down the dirt with the provided spade. ¡°So what is it, Ooki-sensei?¡± ¡°Oh, r-r-r-right! It¡¯s an emergency, Heo-san! You need to listen.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Heo was worried and the answer she received made her gulp. ¡°Are you listening?¡± After trying to calm her down, Ooki gave the answer. ¡°Harakawa-kun¡¯s mother has collapsed!¡± Volume 10, 17: Reason for Agreement Volume 10, Chapter 17: Reason for Agreement One two three Even if you can count out the time You still cannot hear your own bell The sky above was bright and filled with a white light. Below that sky was a structure of white sand. It was a castle. The building was a square with sides exceeding several hundred meters and it stood twenty stories above ground. Its sand was fixed in place and it sucked water in from underground, stored it like a sponge, and wet the surrounding gardens and land. A kilometer long road extended from the front of the castle. The brick-paved road had manmade rivers running along either side. Something that emitted light swam through the gently-streaming rivers and wings of shadow flew through the white sky. Shimmering heat rose from the road between the rivers. A single gaze walked through that shimmering and toward the castle. The gaze was situated high, but it barely moved up and down as it walked. Clothes of wrapped white cloth were visible below the gaze. The arms sticking out of those clothes were thick and the right hand held a spear. The spear was at least three meters long. The walking gaze approached the castle without speaking a word. However, a sudden voice reached it from the right. ¡°Brother!¡± The voice came from the shade of a tree on the side of the manmade river. The gaze turned toward it. A woman wrapped in orange cloth stood below the tree. The gaze stopped and waited as she smiled and ran over. ¡°Shahrnavaz, should the future queen really be out here? Hm?¡± ¡°What about you, brother? Why doesn¡¯t 9th-Gear¡¯s general have anyone accompanying him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. That¡¯s fine, Shahrnavaz. I have the power to move an army. If I don¡¯t do my best to hide that fact in everyday life, the politicians will get scared. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°But the people in the palace are complaining about that. They say the current general is unreliable.¡± ¡°Ha ha,¡± the owner of the gaze laughed and showed off his teeth in a smile. ¡°Unreliable? Yeah, that¡¯s probably true. After all, I haven¡¯t shown them how reliable I can be. Talks have begun with 3rd about a joint attack on Low-Gear now that they¡¯re causing a little trouble, but the palace has not seen that yet. ¡­Incidentally, travelling to all these different Gears feels like the pilgrimage I took as a child. Yes.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon. Can¡¯t you worry about him a little bit and show off for everyone? The rumor in the palace is that you didn¡¯t give him any kind of bodyguard because you have no intention of protecting him.¡± ¡°Is there any need to protect him? Hm? Sarv is the king and he is even more powerful than me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure.¡± ¡°Shahrnavaz, you are supposed to say ¡®of course he is¡¯. Or do you want to be burned at the stake? Hm?¡± Shahrnavaz smiled bitterly at that. She then slowly looked behind the owner of the gaze. The owner of the gaze also looked back. The road and rivers were cut off by a stairway. The land below the stairway was filled with buildings. It was a city. The houses and other buildings were made of sand and they formed complex rows. Countless dark trees with white leaves were growing among them. The long reflections of light within the city were rivers. The expanse of the city filled their vision to the left and right and it continued all the way to the horizon. White smoke was rising here and there within the city and the vehicles people rode reflected the light of the sky. All of that continued far into the blurry corners of the city. However, a single form was visible beyond it all. It looked like a wall at the end of it all. Something far wider and longer than the vast city sat atop the horizon. More than walling off a side of the city, it seemed to wall off a side of the entire world. The owner of the gaze spoke the name of that being that resembled a dark shadow. ¡°It took millennia to build the world dragon Zahhak. Once it absorbs the concepts of the other Gears, it will become the great world-changing dragon that fills this world with all the other concepts.¡± ¡°Yes, Sarv resumed development after it was abandoned over a thousand years ago. That is our world¡¯s project. It is currently sitting at standby with half of this Gear¡¯s concepts inside. However, it seems trouble with developing the brain is going to make autonomous function impossible. It can manage simple environmental circulation, though.¡± ¡°That is enough. If we no longer need to worry about water, 9th can develop even further.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Shahrnavaz. ¡°He looked at what 9th-Gear did in the past and predicted that the remnants of the other Gears would continue to attack this world even after those other Gears were destroyed. For example, what happens if 5th¡¯s mechanical dragons regain their memories? Right now, he is working to stop the palace from attacking 10th using an underground force in 10th. He says we should attack Low-Gear first.¡± ¡°He wants to rid them of their defiant spirit with a crushing defeat and to solve the mystery of Low-Gear, doesn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Yes. That mystery that has long been spoken of that lowest Gear.¡± The owner of the gaze nodded at his sister¡¯s words. ¡°If you gather records on that lowest Gear, you will occasionally find some odd reports. Sometimes when a location there is reused as a battlefield, the previous destruction of the location¡¯s string vibrations will have vanished. That opens the possibility of Low-Gear healing string vibration damage.¡± ¡°I do not know what it means either, but Sarv says he wants to speak with you in private because he has a theory about it. He says we are facing great possibility and great destruction.¡± ¡°Great possibility and great destruction?¡± he repeated. Shahrnavaz nodded and looked him in the eye. ¡°I do not know what he meant, but he also said Zahhak would help gather everything in the name of righteousness. And he said he needs your help.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± The owner of the gaze clearly did not understand, so Shahrnavaz smiled. She took a step back, leaned forward, and looked up at her thinking brother. ¡°Well, once you and Sarv return from Low-Gear, Zahhak¡¯s brain should be complete. Then the palace won¡¯t be able to complain. ¡­Sarv¡¯s been having a tough time. He said going to Low-Gear and searching for that ¡®possibility and destruction¡¯ would let him avoid speaking with the palace.¡± ¡°I see. Then I need to bring him back safely. Yes. ¡­For that and for your official marriage.¡± ¡°Oh, my,¡± said Shahrnavaz with a smile. She turned back toward the gaze but then looked to the city. ¡°I would like peace for a wedding gift. You all will probably be destroying a lot of Gears from here on, but promise me you will take in those Gears and bring about peace and understanding in the end.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that fighting is my job? Hm? And once the fighting is over¡­¡± ¡°You will retire and go somewhere to disappear, right? If he heard that, I¡¯m sure he would stop you.¡± ¡°This way is fine. If I stayed, the people would expect me to take an important position and take part in politics. However, Sarv is my only king. ¡­After all, he is the man who did not lose when he fought me in the duel between royal representative and military representative. That¡¯s a world of difference from those politicians who weaseled out of it by calling it an outdated tradition.¡± ¡°He may not have lost, but he didn¡¯t win either.¡± ¡°He did win.¡± The owner of the gaze looked away from his sister and into the white sky. ¡°When you stopped the duel, you stood in my way. The sister of the greatest military family protected the man with the greatest royal position. I only have the greatest military position, so I can¡¯t beat that. Isn¡¯t that right? Hm?¡± He took a breath. ¡°Once we return from our trip to Low-Gear, the people will recognize the strength in Sarv that only I have seen. And if that continues, the people will eventually realize he is exactly the sort of person who should make me his subordinate.¡± Hearing that, she spread her arms forward. ¡°I hope you¡¯re right. He said you were the only one he could not defeat, but men like to talk big. ¡­I hope you can imagine what it is like to be the one waiting for your return. So please return safely. If you don¡¯t, who knows what the palace will start saying.¡± ¡°I will return safely and I will make sure he does as well.¡± The owner of the gaze spoke to her and to the city she almost seemed to be embracing. ¡°I promise you as the general of 9th-Gear. I promise you for the peace of all Gears. But¡­what is this secret truth of Low-Gear that Sarv wants to talk about?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I think it is important. So go hear him out. After all, I am his only ally in the palace. Go save him. Go save my hero.¡± ¡°Your hero, hm? That¡¯s what you called him when you stood in my way, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I am glad you gave in during that duel. That is what brought the military and the throne together.¡± The brother narrowed his eyes at his sister¡¯s words and he stared into the vast city filled with people. ¡°So this world is ruled by a hero. But if he is a hero, then what am I? Hm?¡± His sister laughed at his question. ¡°Good question,¡± she began. ¡°I will tell you when you return from Low-Gear. If you protect my hero and bring him back¡­¡± Her words vanished into the sky. ¡°Then what will you be in my eyes?¡± Below the dull sky of early evening was a gray factory. It was located at the entrance to the Takao Mountains, the trees around it were beginning to grow red or yellow, and the pale sunlight of early evening poured down on and seemed to surround the trees and factory. A clearing had been dug down behind the factory. A color there reflected the sunlight. That color was silver. The reflective silver came from the sword swinging through the air near the center of the clearing. The sword was wielded by a girl with long hair. She was sweating despite the late autumn chill and she repeatedly stepped forward and sliced through the air at tremendous speed. At first, her lips had moved to count each time she stepped forward and struck, but the numbers had vanished once she exceeded three digits and only the action remained. The racing silver line in the center of the clearing was always the same. The girl moved. Those movements remained steady even as her surroundings changed. As the sun began to set, the direction of the reflected sunlight shifted. That light had rotated around the embankment surrounding the clearing. A man slept on that illuminated grassy embankment. It was an elderly Arab man in a white coat. The reflected light caressing his face finally reached his eyes. ¡°¡­?¡± He frowned and opened his one eye. When he looked into the sky, he gasped, almost as if the sky before his eyes was an unfamiliar sight. But after a short pause¡­ ¡°¡­Hm.¡± He stood up, did not bother to brush the grass from his back, and slowly faced forward where the producer of the silver light continued moving without rest. ¡°Mikoku.¡± After his call, the light shook. It continued moving despite the disturbance. ¡°What is it, father? I am trying to focus for tonight.¡± ¡°Is Shino not with you?¡± ¡°Shino¡­went to the Tamiya house. She thinks I have not noticed.¡± Her tone was weak and she continued even though Hajji said nothing. ¡°Part of me thinks this is for the best. We will be separated eventually, so maybe it is best if that separation begins now.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Hajji nodded, crossed his arms, and thought for a moment. ¡°Where are Tatsumi and Jord?¡± ¡°Are you changing the subject?¡± He smiled bitterly. He brought a hand to his mouth and showed the smile only in his eyes. ¡°I am. Yes, I am, Mikoku. I was following your lead since this practice is meant to point your heart away from dark feelings.¡± ¡°I am simply rethinking my inexperience from last night. It was that inexperience that prevented my sword from so much as reaching ¡®Betrayed Expectations¡¯ Jord.¡± ¡°Not true.¡± Hajji sensed her confused gaze, so he gave a firm nod. ¡°Her concept provides a special kind of defense. Yes. None of your attacks will affect her unless you see through that trick. Training is not enough. You must change the way you think.¡± ¡°Are you saying even I could defeat her if I changed the way I think?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then,¡± said Mikoku. ¡°My mind is inexperienced. And I can still say this training is for tonight.¡± ¡°Are you sure it isn¡¯t for Shino?¡± She did not answer. She only continued sending the silver light around, so Hajji shrugged. Soon, she spoke again. ¡°As I already said, Shino went to the Tamiya family. And she thinks I have not noticed.¡± Her tone seemed to be testing him to see what he would say in response. And so he gave his response. ¡°I see.¡± That was all. Mikoku reacted by relaxing her shoulders a little even as she swung the blade. Her mouth opened a bit. ¡°But I suppose that is for the best.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°Shino will be alone eventually, so it is best if she leaves us now and learns how to enjoy herself on her own.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Hajji again with a hand over his mouth. ¡°And you are willing to make her hate you to ensure that? Hm?¡± Mikoku did not immediately reply. After a pause, she closed her eyes. ¡°That is fine.¡± She opened her eyes immediately afterwards and began on a new topic entirely. ¡°Jord is asleep to prepare for tonight, but why is she fighting?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s simple. Yes. I do enjoy talking, so I guess I¡¯ll tell you.¡± He removed his hand from his mouth and looked up into the sky. ¡°She was originally part of 10th-Gear¡¯s royal family and she has lived since the Concept War era. With that said, let me ask you something, Mikoku. Do you know why she would use concept weapons modelled after Low-Gear weapons?¡± ¡°You mean it isn¡¯t just because they suit her?¡± ¡°She is a 10th-Gear royal, so she would normally use 10th¡¯s weapons.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Hajji stood up and brushed off the grass on his butt. ¡°She chooses this world¡¯s weapons because she wants to harm this world with its own weapons. ¡­She is ¡®Betrayed Expectations¡¯ Jord. She lost her husband during the Concept War and the result of the fighting betrayed her every expectation, but weapons do not betray your expectations. Yes.¡± He looked up to the thin clouds remaining in the evening sky. He knew very well why Jord was fighting. ¡­This world is hopelessly insufficient compared to the Gears we lived in. It lacked knowledge, technology, power, land, nature, and so much more. And so very much had been corrupted. ¡°In 10th-Gear, spirits lived in the air, so air without spirits feels like a vacuum to a 10th resident. On top of that, the vacuum is filled with all of the exhaust built up over this world¡¯s history.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Mikoku as she swung her sword. ¡°I heard the mother and grandmother of Team Leviathan¡¯s Izumo were from 10th-Gear and that their lives were shortened by Low-Gear¡¯s polluted air.¡± ¡°Yes. That is why they rarely leave the reservation. And all of them wonder why they had to come here after surviving 10th-Gear¡¯s destruction.¡± Hajji then said something else. ¡°Jord¡¯s friend married a man of this world during the Concept War.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Hearing that gasp of surprise, he spoke. ¡°Do not stop your blade, Mikoku.¡± ¡°B-but you are talking about the Izumo family¡¯s-¡­¡± ¡°It is a common story, Mikoku. Yes. One thing gods and men have in common is the inability to understand what goes on in others¡¯ hearts.¡± You understand what I mean, don¡¯t you? he silently added as Mikoku wordlessly began to move once more. Her movements were steady and undisturbed. ¡°Yes, we cannot understand it. That is why Jord does not understand. And she certainly never expected the next person to marry a man from Low-Gear to be¡­her own daughter.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Mikoku gasped again, but her blade remained in motion. Satisfied with that, Hajji turned his back on her. He placed a hand over his mouth. ¡°Her friend helped destroy 10th-Gear and married the destroyer. That friend went on to live in this world and die because of it. However, the friend¡¯s husband died as well, so it should have been over.¡± He took a step forward and up the grassy embankment. ¡°But when her own daughter decided to marry that friend¡¯s son, her expectations were betrayed yet again. Yes. Her daughter visited the reservation after having her child, but Jord apparently never again allowed her daughter to see her.¡± ¡°And¡­?¡± ¡°And her daughter died just like her friend.¡± Hajji finished climbing the embankment while listening to the regular sounds of the sword slicing through the air behind him. ¡°It seemed her grandson chose to live in this world, so she expected nothing of that boy. He had decided to live in the world that had taken her world, taken her friend, and taken her daughter, so she saw no reason to expect anything of him.¡± ¡°Then why is she fighting?¡± ¡°Well,¡± said Hajji as he turned to the right and toward the factory. ¡°Probably because she wants to make sure her world and this world disappointingly betray her expectations.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°She wants to send a message by crushing her grandson and the 10th-Gear Concept Core which could be viewed as the world that was stolen from her.¡± He took a breath. ¡°She will be saying that everything they stole from her was below her and thus not what she expected.¡± Mikoku replied with only a slight disturbance in her swinging sword. ¡°You mean she wants to laugh off what she had protected and believed in and view them as disappointments? She wants to say what was stolen from her in the past was not that big a deal?¡± ¡°Only Jord can decide how she feels, Mikoku. It is not our place to decide for her. Right?¡± As he spoke, he began to walk. The disturbance was gone from Mikoku¡¯s blade, so he decided he could bring her to battle and she could fight without her feelings influencing her actions. He could not lose Mikoku, Shino, or the others in the battle that night. Mikoku had powerful regeneration, but it was not perfect. If the blue philosopher¡¯s stone in her chest was destroyed, she would die. ¡­It is powerful, but it almost seems too simple for something made by her. Hajji thought as he walked along the embankment. That philosopher¡¯s stone was the final one made by Mikoku¡¯s mother. She had been an expert in philosopher¡¯s stone creation and he did not know the details about that one. If it did have some hidden power, he had been unable to draw it out. If there was something there, Mikoku herself would likely find it after tonight¡¯s battle. ¡­What did I actually accomplish? Jord probably wonders the same thing, he thought while hiding the bitter smile on his lips. He then heard Mikoku¡¯s voice from back and to the right as she swung her sword. ¡°Father, thank you for keeping me company during this busy time.¡± ¡°Oh, what¡¯s this, Mikoku? Are you trying to make it rain? Hm?¡± ¡°I am never thanking you again!¡± He heard her click her tongue and he laughed as he continued walking. This is best, he thought. This is how we usually act. But her voice reached him again. ¡°Father.¡± ¡°What is it? Hm?¡± ¡°Well.¡± She swung her sword. ¡°Um¡­ You seemed to be having a pleasant dream earlier. Who was it of?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He scratched his head. ¡°That¡¯s a good question. I forget. It was a dream of an old, old era. After all¡­¡± ¡°After all?¡± ¡°That was a dream of a time when I too wanted to be a hero. ¡­That makes it pretty old, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Mikoku replied while steadily swinging her blade. ¡°Then what are you now? Filled with betrayed expectations?¡± He replied while looking up into the sky. ¡°That¡¯s another good question.¡± He weakly muttered the words and watched the scarlet sky as he walked. Finally, he spoke some quiet words into that scarlet-colored sky. ¡°I will think about that during tonight¡¯s battle, Mikoku.¡± Volume 10, 18: Something Important to Me Volume 10, Chapter 18: Something Important to Me Try looking straight at it You will no longer be able to see it Water could be heard in the darkness. The flowing water was falling. It fell from high up in the air and crashed into the rocky area down below. It was a waterfall. The moonlight was obstructed by the rocks, so it did not reach the waterfall. The moonlight did illuminate the stony basin and a sign in the nearby rest area gave the waterfall¡¯s name: Hossawa Falls. This was deep in Hinohara, west of Akigawa and one mountain south of Okutama. Geographically, it was part of the Akigawa Mountains directly south of Okutama and the waterfall in those mountains continued dumping water despite the darkness. A single color moved within that darkness and the background noise of the falling water. That color was white. That color which opposed the darkness stood up within the rest area next to the waterfall. It was a girl in a white coat that had the name Chao sewn on the inside. ¡°Honestly, why are you running so far away, Yonkichi? That¡¯s just pathetic.¡± ¡°I have no excuse, ges.¡± The second voice came from below the falling water. Someone was inside the waterfall¡¯s basin. Only Yonkichi¡¯s upper body was exposed. That upper body was missing its left arm and the darkness left only a wavering shadow visible as the water poured on top of him. ¡°I am washing away the pain, ges. The breath of nature in this clear stream will heal the dragon¡¯s wound, ges.¡± ¡°You really are the same as 7th¡¯s people. You raise your natural healing by ¡®washing the wound¡¯ and ¡®not showing the wound¡¯. It¡¯s like possessing your own disinfectant or healing charms. ¡­They used hot springs and open-air baths for their exhaustion just like us, though.¡± ¡°In that case, Low-Gear is not much different, ges. Our version is simply stronger, ges.¡± Yonkichi collapsed within the basin and Chao heard him kicking his feet in the water. ¡°I had dyed my hair to stand out from my brothers, but it looks like that will end soon too, ges.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself, you idiot. If you had messed up just a little, you would¡¯ve lost your entire body, right? Soak in the pure water and get healed. ¡­Anyway, how were those kids?¡± It was not the man in the waterfall basin who responded. A male voice came from behind her. ¡°I will go tonight.¡± Is that Mitsuaki? she thought as she turned around. She frowned at the old man in a white coat standing within arm¡¯s reach of her. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t stand behind a lady.¡± ¡°Are you sure you have not let your guard down, Lady Chao?¡± ¡°Pretty sure, yeah.¡± She raised her right hand to show off the green scroll in her slender fingers. Mitsuaki frantically checked his pockets and realized what he was looking for was not there. As if showing off, she spun the stolen scroll in her hand. When she raised her right arm, the quickly rotating green tube wrapped around her arm like a living creature. As she waved her arm, the scroll moved from her right shoulder, spun around her neck, and rotated all the way to the end of her left arm. The sound of rustling cloth and the sound of her catching the scroll in her left hand filled the darkness. ¡°The environmental manipulation concept weapon ¡®Cosmos Comic ¨C #1¡¯. It was originally meant to stabilize the environments of the reservations, but it was so powerful that it was made into a weapon and then sealed. ¡­Do you remember who made it?¡± ¡°Sayama Asagi.¡± ¡°Yes. He made Ikkou¡¯s Azure Dragon Sword too, I believe. ¡­Are you going back to Team Leviathan with that?¡± ¡°Yes. We have yet to settle things with them. However, we are giving some thought as to who we choose to fight. Kazami-sama and the others are almost entirely out of the fight.¡± After a pause, Mitsuaki continued. ¡°Even so, we will not hold back. We will make sure they all join the fight.¡± Chao threw the scroll back to him with a snap of her fingers. He opened the left side of his white coat and the spinning scroll fell right into the inner pocket. Chao then frowned at what he had said. ¡°I don¡¯t approve of bullying the weak. Kazami¡¯s probably been crying this entire time.¡± ¡°Lady Chao, do you remember Kazami-sama¡¯s first battle?¡± ¡°Her first battle?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Mitsuaki smiled. ¡°A single normal person ended up inside the concept space and the main forces of 6th and 10th were headed her way. It was Izumo-sama¡­and us who rushed out to save her.¡± ¡°Oh, right. That did happen.¡± ¡°She could have run away. As a normal person, 6th and 10th would not have viewed her as an enemy. ¡­But Sibyl-sama was also on the truck transporting G-Sp and X-Wi. Amid the fierce fighting, Kazami-sama hid Sibyl-sama in a safe place and then rejoined Izumo-sama on the battlefield. There, she helped him restrain the prototype Vritra that 6th had activated in an attempt to self-destruct,¡± explained Mitsuaki. ¡°And yet when we originally rushed to the scene, we had thought there was no saving her.¡± ¡°So why did she lose so easily this time when she¡¯s trained so much since then?¡± ¡°That is the real question. All I can say is that there is a difference between who she used to be and who she is now.¡± He turned his back and faced the darkness. ¡°This is far from entertaining. The girl we once underestimated and who made us rethink our opinion of her is now perfectly in line with our original underestimation of her. ¡­How very boring.¡± He began to walk and a voice reached him from the waterfall basin. ¡°Brother Mitsuaki.¡± ¡°What is it, Yonkichi?¡± ¡°Will I ever see you again, ges?¡± ¡°You know that as well as I do. ¡­And one other thing.¡± On the fifth step, just as he was about to vanish into the dark forest, he stopped. Wondering what this was about, Chao watched him as he spoke without turning around. ¡°As #37 on his list of things to do before disappearing, Brother Ikkou pissed from the top of this waterfall while humming.¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe him, ges!!¡± Chao could only laugh bitterly as she heard the man kicking in the water. Mitsuaki vanished into the darkness and she looked up into the sky. However¡­ ¡°All I can see is the ceiling.¡± She was in the rest area, so she only saw the inside of the cement roof. After a self-deprecating laugh, she limply sat in the seat made from a cut log. ¡°Lady Chao?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Yonkichi. I played with Mitsuaki¡¯s scroll, remember? That was enough to wear me out a little.¡± She raised her right hand and used her body to hide it from the waterfall basin behind her. Her fingers were trembling ever so slightly. ¡­Pathetic. My lifespan is just about at its limit, too. ¡°Hey, Yonkichi,¡± she called out. ¡°We¡¯re all acting without restraint now, aren¡¯t we? ¡­Or were we too restrained until now?¡± ¡°What are you trying to say, ges?¡± Her self-deprecating smile changed to a bitter one. ¡­There¡¯s no way I can tell you what I¡¯m trying to say if you ask like that. The bitter smile grew. ¡°Something you wouldn¡¯t understand, Yonkichi. If only I had given your brain some of your Great Sage¡¯s power.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She thought about the past. She thought about when she had created them in 7th-Gear so very long ago. It had been fun, but she had never thought about it ending like this. She had thought she had known and understood it would, but¡­ ¡­Can I say I was young and stupid as an excuse? ¡°Yonkichi, you might be the most like me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Your injury has mostly closed up, hasn¡¯t it? So go to the place you will find most entertaining.¡± ¡°No, it hasn¡¯t closed up yet.¡± ¡°What happened to the ¡®ges¡¯?¡± ¡°I-it hasn¡¯t closed up yet, ges. I need to rest a little while longer, ges.¡± ¡°I see,¡± she said with a nod. She gently rotated her body atop the log seat. Her moving gaze looked outside the rest area. All she saw was the dark night, but¡­ ¡­Everyone is watching this darkness right now. Even if they don¡¯t realize it, they are enveloped by it. ¡°What are you doing and what will you do?¡± ¡­Ikkou, Nijun, Mitsuaki, and Yonkichi. Those thoughts in her heart did not form words, but she spoke something else aloud. ¡°Shinjou, Kazami, Hiba, Sayama, and the others.¡± The sky had turned black, but the starlight was bright enough to cast shadows on the ground and create areas that were darker than others. One of those darker areas was an eastern slope near Mount Kumotori, Tokyo¡¯s tallest peak. A large area of land had been created by digging down into the slope and the remains of the slope cast a large shadow on that land. However, a single light existed inside that large shadow. A small fluorescent light came from within the abandoned house at the bottom of the shadows. It was an old Japanese-style house with an earthen-walled storehouse to the northeast. The roof had a hole and the sun had faded the house¡¯s wood until it was gray. The sliding door for the southeastern entrance had fallen to the ground to rot, but the faded nameplate said ¡°Kinugasa¡±. Through the entrance were a dirt floor and a hand-pump for drinking water to the left. The house had three rooms: the living room with a sunken fireplace, the parlor with a broken floor, and the bedroom. The rooms were divided by sliding screens that had yellowed with age and sliding doors that had lost their paper. All of the rooms were faded, but color was beginning to fill the living room. A white fluorescent light on the floor illuminated the flesh color and other colors printed on a piece of paper. It was a poster. A voice spoke in front of the poster. ¡°Heh heh heh. There is no need to restrain yourself any longer, Shinjou-kun.¡± A boy spoke and hummed to himself as he hung up the large B2 poster on one of the living room¡¯s sliding screens. His suit coat lay over his shoulder and the name Sayama was stitched inside the collar. He was in the process of hanging the fourth poster. The poster he spread in his arms depicted a girl in a beige dress. She stood below the summer sun and she must have been spinning in the wind because her long black hair gently danced behind her. Seeing the smile on the girl¡¯s face, Sayama gave a deep nod. ¡°That is Shinjou-kun for you. You could almost forget what a dreary room this is.¡± He held the poster up horizontally and attempted to peek up Shinjou¡¯s skirt. ¡°No, I suppose that would not work. But leave it to Shinjou-kun to make me try. ¡­Is this what you call an enchantress?¡± He thumbtacked this poster next to the school uniform, pajamas, and swimsuit ones he had already hung along the wall. ¡­Magnificent. However, he spotted something. His eyes stopped on the corner of the poster he had just hung up. ¡°Oh, no. The corner is bent by five millimeters! And after I went to so much trouble to make sure not to bend them. ¡­Such a shame. I must give myself a fierce objection. I must ask for an apology. I am sorry! ¡­Good. But what would Shinjou-kun think if I told her I had bent the corner of a poster made from a secret photograph of her?¡± He sighed, brought a hand to his forehead, and envisioned her scolding him. After exactly a minute, his vision came to an end. ¡°Being scolded is delightful as well. ¡­Should I have her strike me too!?¡± Hearing his voice ring throughout the house, he came back to his senses. ¡°Hm.¡± He crossed his arms in front of the four posters and tilted his head as he questioned himself. ¡°I am not sure what to say. I seem a little out of control today. Have I always been like this or is it a symptom of my Shinjou-kun withdrawal? No¡­ I drank that miraculous powdered Eround Tea earlier, so it could not be the latter. In that case¡­¡± ¡­Is it those drugs from last night? Ryouko had given them to him, but why had he taken them himself? ¡°It had to have been to protect Shinjou-kun from myself as I tried to give them to her.¡± ¡­I see. So this excitement comes from those drugs. You cannot fight a drug, so I have no choice but to continue like this, he concluded. He then recalled his job. ¡°Oh, no. I completely forgot. ¡­I need to put up the life-size poster.¡± He unrolled the poster to reveal a nude Shinjou with back turned and a large public bath in the background. He looked at her face as she tried to decide which washing station to use. ¡°The instructions say your mother will not notice it if you hang it on the back of your door, but that is meaningless since this is for my own personal use.¡± For the time being, he hung it on the sliding screen leading to the next room. ¡°Good,¡± he muttered before opening the sliding screen. The next room had originally had a tatami mat floor, but that floor was gone. It had fallen away, leaving a large hole. ¡°This room is no different from before.¡± This was an abandoned house. Sayama looked down at the collapsed and darkened tatami mats below the floor and he looked up. He saw the dark sky through the hole in the ceiling. He had checked under the floor when he had entered the house. He had hoped to find some trace of his parents, but he had found nothing. He had concluded that the house was a completely normal building. But that is strange, he thought. If this was Kinugasa¡¯s house¡­ ¡­Where did he do his research? The documents Roger Sully had given him said what his father had called the Kinugasa Document had been found in Kinugasa¡¯s residence. As Sayama looked around the place, he suddenly turned to the yard. Beyond the missing sliding door, he saw the white storehouse to the northeast. ¡°That thing is sturdily built.¡± So if there was a study or lab here¡­ ¡­It would be in the storehouse. He had yet to set foot inside there. He had been planning to do so after preparing for the night. ¡°I have to hurry.¡± He nodded and returned to the room. He sat while looking at the line of Shinjous hanging on the sliding screens. ¡°That leaves one last thing to prepare.¡± He unrolled a blue sleeping bag on the floor and placed something next to it. ¡°A Shinjou-kun body pillow cover. Not even the Buddha himself would have thought to place this on his sleeping bag.¡± He quickly placed the pillow cover on the sleeping bag and spread it out. This created an image of Shinjou in her pajamas that had actual volume to it. ¡°Splendid.¡± He gave a few impressed laughs, but soon began to tremble. He let out a gasp and brought a hand to his forehead. ¡°But now I cannot hug her while inside the sleeping bag! This is what you call a structural flaw! The best word to express this situation is ¡®careless¡¯!¡± ¡­Oh, god. He unrolled another poster sitting behind him and revealed an image of Shinjou looking angry. He thought to himself as he viewed that expression. ¡­Shinjou-kun truly would be this angry if she knew of my carelessness. I must be more reliable. Is there no way of solving this problem? He thought and slapped his knee when finally found an answer. ¡°I only need to turn it inside out and put it inside.¡± He politely thanked the angry poster and set it aside. He removed the cover from the sleeping bag and turned it inside out, so Shinjou was on the inside of the bag-like cover. Nodding, he placed the cover inside the sleeping bag. He glanced toward the storehouse outside. ¡°Perhaps I should test it out before entering the storehouse.¡± With a dignified nod, he removed his shoes and excitedly stuck his feet inside the sleeping bag. He stuck his hands inside, drew his head inside, grabbed the zipper in his teeth, and pulled it closed. The top opening of the cover had sunk down, so he pulled it up and closed it to form a cloth log. He was now fully inside from head to toe. He breathed a sigh of relief, but then¡­ ¡°Oh, no. It is too dark to see Shinjou-kun! This is what you call a situational flaw! The best English word to express this situation is ¡®goddamn¡¯!¡± He tried to get out, but he was so perfectly wrapped up that the cloth worm only squirmed and bent. Also, the movement twisted the cover tightly around him. ¡°Nwah! Y-you¡¯re squeezing me, Shinjou-kun!? And so roughly. Ahh! But this is also quite entertaining!¡± In an abandoned house in the starry mountain night, a blue sleeping bag writhed in the brightness of a small fluorescent light. Grunts came from the sleeping bag and it fiercely arched upwards, but it simply would not come off. ¡°Calm down. Calm down, me! If you do not escape this enjoyable hell, you will become a pervert. And it will interfere with the investigation!¡± The stuffed sleeping bag hopped up with its back muscles and forcefully stood. It then stretched its back, struck a pose with its chest proudly thrown forward, and briefly shrank down in preparation for a leap. A moment later, the dark blue sleeping bag jumped straight up. ¡°Toh!¡± And¡­ ¡°The force of landing should make it easier to remo-¡­¡± His feet landed on the angry Shinjou poster and slipped. He fell. The action created a perfect half arc backwards. The log-like sleeping bag forcefully rotated and the back of the head crashed between two floorboards. A dull sound came from the sleeping bag that had been physically unable to prepare for the landing. But the voice that escaped it was not a grunt or a groan. ¡°Heh.¡± As soon as that breath leaked from the sleeping bag, the floorboards beneath the head broke and the broken portion sank down like a seesaw. The sleeping bag writhed as it slid down the tilted floorboards. ¡°Ahhh, Shinjou-kun! I am falling! I really am falling? Continue just like this!¡± The shouting sleeping bag vanished into the darkness below the floor. Nothing remained and silence fell. As if that silence was its cue, hooting began in the nearby forest. It came from an owl. The hooting continued as something crawled out from below the edge of the abandoned house. It was Sayama. ¡°I still have work to do, but I ended up playing quite intensely.¡± He stood and brushed the dust from his hands, knees, and shoulders. He reached to the living room floor, grabbed his shoes, his rucksack, and a few other items. ¡°Now that I have had a break, it is time to get down to business.¡± He put the rucksack on his back, held the handheld fluorescent light in one hand, and expressionlessly turned around. He now faced the storehouse. It almost seemed to be waiting for him as it was illuminated by the pale moonlight. Sayama left the house and observed the white moonlit storehouse. It was about four meters tall and he estimated it was a little less than ten square meters inside. Its white walls had crumbled in places to reveal the straw and earth inside. ¡°If Professor Kinugasa had a study, it must be in here.¡± He began to walk and observed the large yard as he approached. Gravel was laid out in front of the house to keep the undergrowth away, but there was nothing else save the camellia trees placed on the other side as a windbreak. Sayama guessed there had originally been a garden, but he did not bother confirming that now. He approached the storehouse. He also double-checked that the surrounding mountains were the same as in the photograph Moira 1st had given him. ¡°The storehouse¡¯s entrance is¡­¡± He found it. The gravel path starting at the house¡¯s back entrance led to a rectangular entrance on the south. The entrance sat open and the metal door opened inwards. Sayama saw a dimly-lit space inside. ¡­If the door is open, does that mean the inside has been exposed to the elements? The situation was definitely worse than when his parents had come. He knew there was no point in rushing now, but he still quickened his pace toward the entrance. A single footstep sounded as he unhesitatingly set foot inside. ¡°?¡± There was nothing there. ¡°¡­?¡± Nothing at all. He only saw¡­ ¡­The dirt floor and white walls of a storehouse? He swallowed words of disbelief and looked around the inside. However, he truly did not find anything except for damp air. He illuminated each surface with the fluorescent light in his hand, but he found nothing but filth on the ceiling, walls, and dirt floor. ¡°¡­¡± Whoever had made it must not have wanted water getting in because the floor was built high and thick grooves had been dug along each wall and leading to the entrance. The farther from the entrance, the more dust was piled up on the floor. But that was all. Sayama frowned at the fact that there was nothing here. However, his expression suddenly changed. ¡°I do not believe it.¡± He frowned, narrowed his eyes, and looked around the room. ¡°¡­¡± That was when he noticed something. He had found something one would not notice at a glance and would seem like an optical illusion if one stared. A large square shadow existed in the center of the storehouse, but it was much paler than a normal shadow. ¡°It is two square meters, but what is it?¡± He reached the answer almost immediately. ¡­Is something being concealed with a concept? This was not optical camouflage using colors. This was conceptual camouflage. What was here? He looked around again and noticed some words. There was a message inside the storehouse. It was engraved on the inward-closing metal door. Words had been carved into the metal surface. ¡°To he who comes here.¡± Sayama carefully read the engraved words aloud. ¡°Know that the entrance to the truth is not here¡­!¡± Sayama gulped and expressed his surprised thoughts. ¡°He even engraved the final ¡®¡­!¡¯! Kinugasa Tenkyou knew what he was doing¡­!¡± Volume 10, 19: Annihilating Betrayal Volume 10, Chapter 19: Annihilating Betrayal I want to hear what you have to say With his rucksack on his back, Sayama looked around from the entrance of the storehouse. He could see a collection of shadow in the center of the floor about three meters ahead. The shadow appeared to be two meters square, but its shape was not clear. Sayama guessed it was something hidden by concept camouflage. He then turned away from the pale bluish shadow and looked to the open metal door behind him. ¡° ¡®Know that the entrance to the truth is not here¡­!¡¯, hm?¡± He crossed his arms in thought and wondered if that text was the key to revealing the shadow. ¡­But is it truly not here? If that visible shadow could be described as ¡°not here¡±, then the text was exactly right. But since it was visible, there had to be something there. ¡°Then I need to investigate.¡± He raised his head and began looking around inside the storehouse. He checked everywhere he could reach: the walls, the floor, the grooves in the floor, etc. He touched it with the gloves he wore and even tapped around with a hammer he pulled from his bag. However¡­ ¡°There is nothing odd here.¡± He walked outside. The moonlight had grown stronger and the air he breathed felt colder. The owl had stopped hooting. All he heard was the susuki grass rustling in the breeze. The word ¡°tranquility¡± entered his mind as he walked along the storehouse¡¯s outer wall. The western wall that faced the mountain slope had crumbled, but there was nothing there. He checked the other three sides as well, but¡­ ¡°Nothing out of the ordinary.¡± He took a few steps away from the storehouse. He brought a hand to his chin and wondered if there was anything odd about the small building at all. ¡­There is not. The opened door caught his interest, so he returned. He entered the storehouse¡¯s darkness through the entrance and placed a hand on the metal door that was pressed against the left wall. He tried pulling. ¡°Oh?¡± It moved smoothly. It squeaked a little, but he could move it with no more resistance than the weight of the metal itself. He slowly pulled it as if bringing it to himself. Closing the door more or less drove him outside. The hinge was located at the center of the door¡¯s edge and the building¡¯s connector stuck out at an angle. If he continued pulling, he could open the door outside the building as well. That was likely a way of securing space near the entrance when carrying items into the storehouse. Sayama stopped the door when it was horizontal to the entrance. The storehouse looked better with the door temporarily closed like that. It had no lock. Instead it had a hole for attaching a padlock. After stopping the door, he took a few steps back. ¡­It would have been like this originally. However, that was all. The storehouse had shown nothing out of the ordinary and this change had simply brought it to its natural state. ¡°¡­? What does this mean? he wondered. ¡­It is not ¡°here¡±? Then is it ¡°there¡±? In that case, where was ¡°here¡±? ¡°Is it where one would see that text with the door in its normal closed state?¡± Was ¡°here¡± the inside of the storehouse? In that case, ¡°there¡± would be¡­ ¡°Not inside the storehouse?¡± With that question, he turned around. However, he only saw the abandoned house and the gravel yard. The yard contained nothing but gravel and plants that had withered during autumn. It looked like something could be hidden within the susuki grass, but he had already decided crops had been grown there. As for the house, he had already seen everything in there. There had not even been anything below the floor. ¡°In that case¡­¡± Where is it? he wondered as he gently pushed open the metal door and stepped back inside the storehouse. He meaninglessly paced to help himself think, but he suddenly looked up and opened his mouth. ¡°¡­¡± He stopped walking and smiled bitterly. He was acting exactly like someone asking for a hint. However¡­ ¡­There is no one here but me. After reminding himself of that, he spoke. ¡°This would be somewhat different with Shinjou-kun, Kazami, Izumo, or any of the others here. We could split up, search around, and bounce ideas off each other if we did not find anything. ¡­Izumo especially can say the most nonsensical things, but I can guide him to the correct answer as he tries to explain what he meant. And no matter what Shinjou-kun says, it inspires ideas and many other things within me.¡± But he closed his eyes. ¡°But that is a kindness I cannot rely on now.¡± He was alone. He did not even have Baku on his head. He nodded, opened his eyes, and quickly sat on the dirt floor. ¡°In other words, I must remind my weak self that I am alone.¡± Sitting, he released a relaxed breath. Suddenly, he realized he was not alone after all. This realization came from the left side of his chest. He felt a pain as if someone had jammed their fingers inside his chest. As he held his breath and trembled with sweat covering his body, he knew he would not be alone. His gaze turned to the ground. There were slight differences in height within the dust accumulated where not even the wind could reach. These were old footprints that he had not made. ¡°These are¡­¡± He knew who had been here before and the pain in his chest told him the answer. This was a past he would never be free of as long as he lived. ¡°Traces of my parents.¡± ¡°I see,¡± muttered Sayama. ¡­My parents faced the same riddle as me. The footprints travelled around the storehouse and then back outside. He followed them out. He closed the door and reentered the night. He was a little short of breath as he stepped out below the starry sky. ¡°What do I do now?¡± He crossed his arms, inhaled the surrounding night air, and felt the pain in his chest weaken. He had a single problem to consider: the text written on the storehouse¡¯s door. ¡­The entrance to the truth is not ¡°here¡±. Then where is it? he asked just as he noticed a change. ¡°The door is opening?¡± He turned toward the movement of air behind him and found that the metal door was indeed opening inwards. ¡°?¡± He placed a hand inside the storehouse, pulled the door back, and stopped it in the center position. It wavered but finally stopped. He took a few steps away and the door engraved with the words ¡°Know that the entrance to the truth is not here¡­!¡± stayed in place. ¡°¡­¡± But then it began to move. It slowly moved back inside the storehouse as if the wind were pushing it. Why? he wondered. ¡°Or must I shout ¡®Why¡­!?¡¯ with a door like this? At any rate, what is going on?¡± He tilted his head, observed the door, and noticed the trick. The door was slightly tilted. It was not really a trick at all. The door was simply made to open inwards. The tilt was weak and it would not make it any more difficult to open the door in the opposite direction. ¡­Is it supposed to be a simple automatic door? Sayama sighed, raised his handheld fluorescent light, and illuminated the inside of the storehouse. He pointed the light into the darkness and observed the shadow in the center of the floor as he stepped inside. ¡°The entrance is not here. ¡®Here¡¯. As opposed to ¡®there¡¯.¡± He muttered to himself as he thought and he found some of the dust had gotten wet and become part of the dirt. My parents must have done the same thing, he thought while crouching down to observe the ground. Should I perform a more thorough examination? he wondered. ¡°¡­¡± All of a sudden, the top of this rucksack opened just a bit. He was leaning forward, so the bag¡¯s contents spilled over his head and forward. This included a compass, some portable food, a whistle, and¡­ ¡°Oh, no! The second Shinjou-kun life-size poster!¡± That alone he managed to catch before it reached the ground. He took a breath and lowered the bag to the ground. He gathered the fallen objects and prepared to place the rolled life-size poster in last. ¡°¡­¡± But he looked up instead. ¡­It can¡¯t be. No¡­ ¡°It is!¡± He cried out and frantically put the rucksack on his back. ¡°What a¡­ What a simple problem. It was so simple that I was about to lose tears, blood, and other bodily fluids over it.¡± He stood, placed the bag¡¯s straps over his shoulders, and hurried to the answer he had reached. It was not ¡°here¡±, so he moved ¡°there¡±. There being¡­ ¡°The storehouse¡¯s door!¡± He faced the metal door that was opened all the way to the storehouse¡¯s inner wall. He shined the white fluorescent light on it, but that only revealed the same text as before. However¡­ ¡°The opposite of ¡®here¡¯ is ¡®there¡¯, but the scale of those words depends on the context. They could refer to the near and the far, but ¡®there¡¯ could also refer to a conceptually unreachable place or somewhere separated from ¡®here¡¯.¡± Yes. ¡°Life-size posters can be hung on the inside of a door because the parents who stand out ¡®there¡¯ may open the door to ¡®here¡¯ in the child¡¯s room, but they will not close the door behind them. The living people ¡®here¡¯ in this world may catch a glimpse of ¡®there¡¯ in the afterlife, but they cannot live there themselves.¡± As he spoke, Sayama reached for the door and began to close it. And he did so from inside the storehouse. However, there was nothing on the inside of the door. It was just a door. ¡­But that is the way it should be. ¡°The answer was already written on the other side.¡± He closed the door. However, the door moved forward. It moved outside and beyond the storehouse. ¡°It is not opening ¡®here¡¯. It is opening beyond the divide between ¡®here¡¯ and ¡®there¡¯.¡± He looked past the opening door, but did not find the night. He found¡­ ¡°The inside of a storehouse?¡± He saw some other space that should not have been there. After opening the door from inside the storehouse, he saw the inside of a storehouse. Another one existed there. It was a square space of less than ten square meters and the dirt floor was elevated to keep water out. And in the center¡­ ¡­A staircase. He saw the entrance to a staircase leading underground. The staircase¡¯s ceiling descended along with it, so it formed a sort of tunnel. The entrance was two meters square, making it the same size as the shadow on the ¡°here¡± storehouse¡¯s floor. ¡­Did my parents reach here? Pain filled his chest and his breathing grew erratic. However, strength filled his thoughts and he set foot into the ¡°there¡± storehouse. He glanced behind himself and frowned at what he saw. ¡°The night.¡± He had been in the storehouse, but he was now outside. He was surrounded by the moonlit yard and the abandoned house. The world around him was unchanged. Only the inside of the door had changed. He nodded and turned his back on that unchanged world. ¡°Here I go.¡± He mouthed someone¡¯s name and stepped forward. He made his way toward the past and the dark depths of the earth. A dark road sloped upwards. The left side was lined with homes and the right side was a cement-covered slope. The road was new and it had a sidewalk, but it did not have many streetlights. The slope surrounded by houses and cement was lit by both the streetlights and the light escaping the houses. Stars filled the sky, so the people had already returned home and the houses were filled with light. Someone walked through those manned lights and those unmanned lights. It was Shinjou on the sidewalk. The bag on her back bounced up and down as she climbed the slope. ¡­I need to hurry. The old woman at the church had given her the orphanage¡¯s address and that address was at the dead-end at the top of this hill. The cement-covered slope filled the right side, so the orphanage would be on the left. It was currently 6:30 PM and the bullet train back to Tokyo left at 9:18. She wanted to leave Sakai by 8:30. ¡°Can I finish this in only two hours?¡± No. ¡°I will finish it!¡± This was not for the people who had helped her. She simply wanted to find the answer and tell those people she had done it. So she hurried. A variety of information reached her from the houses she passed: the sounds from a TV, a crying child, a knife chopping something on a chopping board, something frying in oil, the smell of cooking fish, and the strong smell of curry and meat. These were all household things she had not experienced, but¡­ ¡°What will I find?¡± If she did find information on Shinjou Yukio¡­ ¡°Will I find that I might have experienced things like that at one point?¡± Her question filled the air. Hearing that question to herself, she extended her body and took in a breath. ¡°¡­!¡± She began to dash. She ran. The top of the cement slope on the right came into view. It seemed the top of the hill was flat. There was a park surrounded by trees there, perhaps for the residential area on the left. However, the park was dark. There were no lights inside. ¡­Why is it so dark? She remembered what Kazami had said on the way to the Seto Inland Sea that summer. The Great Kansai Earthquake had caused a large-scale fault which had cut off the power supply to some regions. And the orphanage she was heading to did not have a phone line. She tried not to grow suspicious and continued running. Her footsteps echoed off of the happy houses and the concrete slope. That echo vanished from the slope first because it ended at the top of the hill. She looked to the park on the right as she ran by and she saw a cul-de-sac of trees and a gate ahead on the road. There were three houses left before reaching the old gate. Noticing the gate was open, she took in a hopeful breath and picked up her speed. She had only two houses to run past now. She took another breath while swinging her arms and moving forward. She practically threw her body forward. There was only one house left to pass now and it was completely dark. She passed the old, empty house and reached the gate. She stopped, exhaled, bent forward, and exhaled again with her hands on her knees. ¡°¡­¡± A moment later, she took in a deep breath and looked up. The open metal gate had a white plastic nameplate on it. It said Soukou House. That was the name she had been given, but she did not find a building beyond the gate. ¡°Eh?¡± She only saw the broken edge of a cliff and the city¡¯s lights. She saw the evidence of people¡¯s lives filling the expanse of darkness below the cliff. The specks of light from houses and streetlights dotted the vast darkness beyond the gate. They showed where the roads were and where the residential areas were. The orphanage that should have been there was not. In its place, she found the gap of a cliff and the lights of the city at the bottom of the hill she had run up. She looked beyond those lights and saw a massive black expanse. It was the Seto Inland Sea. She saw more light in the distance beyond that darkness, but that was likely the light of Shikoku. The light people sent into the night began directly below and continued into the great distance. However, Shinjou belatedly spoke the name of what should have been here instead. ¡°Where¡¯s the orphanage?¡± Her voice was weak and her gaze dropped to her feet. The ground ended after dropping about a meter past the open gate. Below that, she saw darkness. There was nothing there. No, there was something at the bottom of the night¡¯s darkness. ¡°The remains of the collapse that took the orphanage.¡± The remains of a collapse covered an area three hundred meters long and about as wide. It spread out in a fan shape starting from where she stood and it continued down to the city below. ¡°Tertiary¡­damages?¡± Her lips spoke what she was afraid to even think in her heart. ¡°After giving up being a church and focusing on being an orphanage, there must have been a collapse from tertiary damages.¡± The orphanage that should have sat beyond the gate was gone. ¡°Are the building and all the documents at the bottom of the collapse?¡± As soon as she spoke those words, she found her vision dropping. Her knees gave out and she fell to her butt. ¡°¡­¡± She did not even have the willpower to complain. She sat on her skirt on the cold asphalt. She lowered her hands as if clawing at the asphalt, but she did not even feel the pain in her nails. ¡°No¡­¡± With her upper body supported by the bag on her back, she spoke toward the great empty space before her. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡± There was nothing there. She had assumed she would eventually find the answer if she continued searching. After all, Shinjou Yukio had been in Sakai. She had pursued the woman, she had overcome a number of difficulties, and she had finally reached this place. However¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not here?¡± she muttered while facing the remaining entrance and the night sky beyond it. She shook her head and forced an expression she thought was a smile. ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡± Her voice was cheerful. ¡°This is just a joke, right?¡± She laughed and beat the asphalt with her right hand as if she found this funny. However, the action only tore at the asphalt with her nails. It changed nothing. After the span of five breaths, she lowered her head and spoke from beyond her lowered bangs. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡± She breathed in. ¡°It can¡¯t be!¡± Her shoulders suddenly began to tremble in anger and she placed her fingers on the asphalt. ¡°This isn¡¯t right! I chased after her and hunted her down and I thought I would find the answer here¡­but now you¡¯re telling me there is no answer!?¡± She breathed in. ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­¡± She let out an extended shout and began to cry. She wailed into the night sky. She leaned back, opened her mouth toward the heavens, and raised a voice of protest. But she was beyond that empty house, so there was no one to hear her cry. So she cried and cried with no one to interrupt her. ¡°No¡­¡± She slammed her palm against the asphalt and clawed at it as if to fight this outcome. ¡°No¡­ Why isn¡¯t it here?¡± She thought of someone important to her and wondered why he was not here. ¡­Liar. ¡°You said you would be by my side when I cried!¡± As soon as she shouted, something enveloped her from behind. It was light. The light was nearly scarlet and it brightly illuminated her. She almost felt struck by the light and she drew back in surprise. However, she used her surprise to bring strength to her body, wipe away her tears, and look back. The light came from the park¡¯s entrance. The gate at the entrance was open and the arch above it held a sign. ¡°Soukou House?¡± That was the name on the sign. ¡°¡­!?¡± She looked past the gate. It did not lead to the dark remains of a collapse and the city beyond. She saw the park ground illuminated by the scarlet light and¡­ ¡°A new white building.¡± The building had a square roof measuring thirty meters across and a single triangular black bell tower. Also, a middle-aged woman in white stood at the building¡¯s entrance. ¡°Oh? What¡¯s the matter? Why are you sitting out there?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± said Shinjou while trying to stand. As she did, she heard a song. The slightly muffled sounds of an organ reached her through the building¡¯s walls. She then heard children singing. ¡°Silent Night.¡± ¡°Yes, we are practicing for Christmas. If something is troubling you¡­¡± Shinjou heard the woman¡¯s smiling voice mixed with the song. ¡°Why not tell me all about it?¡± Volume 10, Afterword Volume 10, Afterword Okay, here is Owari no Chronicle 5-A. Wow, things have gotten serious! Well, maybe not that serious, but the story has passed the midpoint and it¡¯s thanks to all of you that I¡¯ve made it this far. Thank you very much. However, I can¡¯t really talk about the story since it would all involve things from Part B. Sorry. But I plan to continue writing this while thinking about and investigating the parts that are based on the real world. Sakai appeared in the story, but the real Sakai is a nice city too. It¡¯s the kind of city that is a lot more fun if you know a little bit about Japanese history. Really, Kansai is packed full of places like that. Anyway, let¡¯s get the usual chat started. ¡°You didn¡¯t read it, did you?¡± ¡°Read what? I thought this section was about talking about painful stories about our school days.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot of ¡®abouts¡¯. So can I get mad? Mad enough that you¡¯ll never want to talk to me again?¡± ¡°Sure, but if you don¡¯t say anything so bad that I never want to talk to you again, I¡¯ll stick with you forever and always be staring up at you with from somewhere even when we¡¯re apart! ¡­If you¡¯re fine with that, then say it. If not, then bow down and apologize.¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry. I¡¯m bowing down, I promise. You can forgive me, right?¡± ¡°Next time, we¡¯re using a live camera during our chat. I¡¯ll be typing on the keyboard naked by the way.¡± ¡°Really!? Then I¡¯ll leave the final color page free for you! Just wait for Part B!¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m bowing down now, so forgive me. And I completely forgot there was a Part B.¡± ¡°Then if you have something to say, say it.¡± ¡°Well¡­ The other day, I hit my company president with a forklift.¡± ¡°Violence from the get-go!? ¡­And why? Because it was past nine on a Tuesday?¡± ¡°No, I was carrying too much stuff on it and he ran right out in front of me. I realized what happened when the stuff I was carrying seemed to remain in a perfect shape of him for just an instant. The rest went flying everywhere.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a valuable physical phenomenon.¡± ¡°The pile of stuff on the floor also bulged up in his shape. Is that what you call the law of conservation?¡± No, you idiot. Anyway, this novel¡¯s background music was Kienai Yoru by Anzen Chitai. I think it does a good job expressing the mood of a winter night. ¡°Who is sleeping?¡± I¡¯m also thinking about that, but Part B should be along soon to give the answer. April 2005. A morning of subsiding allergies. -Kawakami Minoru Volume 11, 20: Lesson in the Dark Volume 11, Chapter 20: Lesson in the Dark After you are taught And after you learn What have you gained? A small room was filled with blue light. The room was bell shaped and had a diameter of about five meters. The walls and floor were made of stone cut much like bricks and it had no windows. The room was underground. It had a single entrance and led nowhere else. It appeared empty except for the desk in the center. A bookcase sat on the desk, but it held no books. There was a pen holder that doubled as a paperweight, but it held no pens. And yet a clear inkbottle sat next to it. A boy stood in front of the desk and the items on it. He wore a suit with the name Sayama stitched inside it. He looked around the room and behind him. ¡°There is nothing else here.¡± He had solved the riddle in the Kinugasa residence¡¯s storehouse and he had reached this room by taking the staircase that had appeared. The stairs into the darkness had continued down for about twenty meters before arriving at this room. He had not noticed any tricks in the staircase passageway. ¡­So is the Kinugasa Document in this underground space? He looked around again, but there was still nothing. ¡°This is supposed to be a study, so what is this?¡± As he muttered to himself, he pulled a document from his pocket. It was the Georgius Development Plan. His father had written it, but the project had been abandoned before completion. He read one line printed on the cover. ¡°Written based on the Kinugasa Document acquired at the Kinugasa residence.¡± The supposed Kinugasa Document should have been here. Had his parents taken it back with them and had it since been thrown out or sealed away? ¡°I can reject that boring possibility. If my parents had taken back what they found here, would that have included every last pen and every last book in the bookcase? And if they did, would they leave the paperweight behind? No, they would not.¡± He vigorously swung his arm up and pointed in an arbitrary direction. The cloth of the suit gave a nice snapping sound as he posed and spoke. ¡°There is something hidden here. Yes, the shy truth is hiding in this very room.¡± He laughed and brought a hand to his forehead. He breathed a sigh of self-praise before continuing. ¡°I am in an excellent mood today, I sound magnificent even as I speak to myself, and just one problem faces me here: where have the contents of the study gone?¡± He stretched his empty right hand toward the inkbottle on the desk. He picked it up, checked the ink from the side, and found about half of the black ink was gone. ¡°This is the answer.¡± He flicked the bottle¡¯s lid with his thumb and it opened with the sensation of scraping across dry dirt. The sticky smell of ink reached his nose. He gently shook the bottle to ensure the ink rippled. ¡°The entrance to the truth is not here. In other words, the truth is hidden. Hidden by this fake ¡®empty study¡¯.¡± So¡­ ¡°How about I look at it in reverse? What if I try to hide the fake with what is real? Using the real ink I have here!¡± He swung his right hand. The contents of the inkbottle splattered around him. He heard the scattering droplets and the speed of the ink caused it to burst into a mist. The black danced through the blue-lit room. ¡°¡­¡± And the world melted away. As the spraying liquid filled the room, the room itself was peeled away, starting from the top. The empty walls were stripped away from top to bottom and they revealed¡­ ¡°The truth.¡± A moment later, he saw bookcases and a floor overflowing with an ocean of books. Even the floor he stood on was a layer of books. He then saw a document sitting on the desk in front of him. A pen sat on it and the title had been quickly written out. ¡°Georgius Development Plan!! By Kinugasa Tenkyou!¡± As soon as his reading of the title filled the room, something welled up from the bottom of the bell-shaped room. ¡°¡­?¡± A sense of expansion rose from below the floor, almost like heat. Something is coming, he thought as that something floated up into the air. It was writing. Black writing rose from anywhere and everywhere: between the pages of the surrounding books, from their covers, from the papers scattered around the room, or from below those papers. There was hiragana, katakana, kanji, the alphabet, numbers, symbols, the lines of ruled paper, periods, and commas. They all floated around the room as if they had been granted freedom. It was all writing. Sayama could no longer see across the room. Soon, that writing began to move. First, it moved right. It formed a gentle wave, but a breath later, the surface of the writing was swaying back to the left. Soon, it moved right again. ¡°¡­!¡± The right-moving and left-moving writing split and¡­ ¡°It¡¯s rotating!?¡± As if to answer Sayama¡¯s doubt, the tens of thousands of characters began rotating around the room either to the left or right. The writing quickly rotated in opposite directions above the sea of books. They intertwined, split apart, spun, split some more, and raced along. He looked up at it all and the writing showed no sign of stopping. Like an astronomical model, the writing formed several rings that rotated inside the room, intersected, and continued spinning. One ring slowly flashed yellow, one ring remained black as it intersected with another and sent sparks flying, and one ring glowed silver while ticking like a clock¡¯s seconds hand. In the center, sudden curiosity led Sayama to raise his hands toward the astronomical model of writing. He touched a spot where left and right rings intersected. He wondered if he was being careless, but he was touching information. His physical fingers passed right through the rings of writing. ¡°¡­!?¡± An image flashed in the back of his mind. The information expressed by the writing had been given form and replayed in his brain. A scene played for the information in the right ring and the information in the left ring. ¡°¡­four-way barrier is apparently the only option. 10th¡¯s dragon will apparently pursue the refugees. I¡¯ve heard something similar will eventually happen with 2nd-Gear, but first, 10th¡¯s divine dragon will arrive as if making a demonstration. Kaoru-kun has nearly completed the technique for constructing a four-way barrier, so he is a step ahead of the 2nd-Gear engineers developing the celestial seal. However, one thing is lacking. For the barrier to function properly, someone must make a decree in the center. I am sure he will volunteer for that, but that will mean someone else must fill his normal position and I do not think I will last long if I¡­¡± ¡°¡­only natural. There is a mystery about Low-Gear that only some residents of 9th and 10th have noticed. It seems they occasionally invade Low-Gear, but when they return, they often find that invasion was for nothing. Why is that? That will surely be discovered after my death. So before sealing the divine dragon, I will ask a certain question while I can still push myself: Why did I name this world Low-Gear? And I have a message for the later generation: If you wish to know the identity of Babel, you must seek the truth of this world¡­¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Sayama quickly jerked back his hands. The information had been directly carved into his mind and not even his racing pulse could help him process it. ¡­What was that? What was I just told? For one¡­ ¡°There is a mystery about Low-Gear?¡± And¡­ ¡°The identity of Babel?¡± What did that mean? The first record had likely been about the seal for 10th-Gear¡¯s divine dragon. His grandfather had created the seal used to obtain 10th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core and Professor Kinugasa had predicted his own death in the process. But the next record was the problem. Sayama had his own guesses as to what Babel was. But¡­ ¡­I must seek the truth of this world? What had Kinugasa Tenkyou known? And when his parents had presumably seen that record¡­ ¡­Did they learn something? Or did they know something? He shook his question-filled head. This was not the time. He had come here to check the Kinugasa Document on Georgius. His mother had left Georgius with him and his father had tried to create it yet abandoned it, so he had to know what it was. For that reason, he firmly faced forward. That was when he noticed something. A single ring floated in the center of his vision. The thirty centimeter ring of writing floated above the Kinugasa Document. Bluish-white dots raced across its surface and slowly rotated. ¡°So this is the embodiment of the knowledge inside the Kinugasa Document.¡± He no longer hesitated to reach out. As if watched over by the massive amount of information circling around him, he touched the information he was searching for. ¡°¡­¡± As soon as he grabbed it, it fully expanded in the back of his mind. He saw the embodiment of the knowledge related to Georgius. Sayama knew. He did not see it and he did not hear it. He simply knew it as knowledge. The only other way to describe it was as a memory. The knowledge entered his brain via his memories. ¡­What is this? It arrived. He could tell that something greater than his five senses had reached him. Why was the letter ¡°a¡± pronounced ¡°a¡±? Why did people read a string of letters as a sound and a meaning? What filled his memory now was ¡°pure¡± information that preceded those questions. Georgius was poured into his mind and memories like that. He became aware of the information in his mind as he translated it into words. The images he saw were instants of the past displayed on the screen of his memories. He first saw a yard beneath a clear sky. The gravel-covered yard had crops growing in the back and beyond that was a field full of rapeseed, a forest, and a mountain range continuing downwards. This was the yard of Professor Kinugasa¡¯s house. The gaze viewing it was inside the house. It sat next to a tea table in the living room. Only a right arm was visible and that arm was resting on the documents sitting on the tea table. His thoughts reached Sayama¡¯s memories and Sayama¡¯s language comprehension translated them into words. ¡°Here I will record the results of my examination of the concept weapon made to restrict any and all concepts.¡± That weapon¡¯s name was¡­ ¡°It is commonly known as Georgius. It takes the form of two gauntlets, but I currently only possess the right one. I acquired it in a certain place, but I lost the left one in the process. The one who will later create and use an identical concept weapon will surely learn at one point that I possessed this one. And I must state this here: Georgius must not be made.¡± The scene changed to the inside a dimly-lit wooden building. The room contained rows of washing stations by the window as if in an art room or a workshop. Thick wooden work desks lined the room and Sayama¡¯s gaze sat at a desk piled with documents. Someone walked around the pile of documents and into view. It was a young man in a lab coat. When Sayama saw the slender man with long hair, a name filled his mind. ¡°Shinjou-kun?¡± Except he did not look all that much like her. He was taller and bonier. But the smile he made as he gave a greeting did remind Sayama of hers. ¡­Is this part of my Shinjou-kun withdrawal symptoms? He tilted his head and the gaze¡¯s owner handed a document to the young man. The young man took it and suddenly looked to the side. Someone had entered the room. The young man looked a bit surprised to see the person, but then he smiled and opened his mouth. His mouth moved to call someone¡¯s name and the movements were much like those Sayama often saw. There was no sound here, so he could only read the vowel sounds. ¡­Ah ¨C ah ¨C ah ¨C un. I see. So this is the National Defense Department, he realized as someone¡¯s thoughts reached his mind. ¡°Georgius is a machine built to capture its user¡¯s willpower so it can either amplify or destroy that world¡¯s positive and negative concepts. In other words, it is an amplifier for and weapon against all concepts.¡± There was a pause as if for a breath. ¡°As Georgius must not have its power disturbed by any concept, its foundational component must be a power that is not bound by concepts. That is, it must be given an operational mechanism that works under all concepts and can ignore or overcome those concepts.¡± Sayama mentally frowned at what the thought said. ¡­Ignore or overcome all concepts? Did something like that really exist? ¡°If it does, it cannot be light or heat,¡± he muttered. ¡°It could not be anything bound by the laws of physics. Something that exists even in absolute nothingness.¡± A story suddenly came to him. That story said the world had once been in a state of chaotic darkness where everything was formless. ¡°Let there be light¡­and there was light.¡± He thought it was wrong to use those words to say light was the strongest thing of all. What was it that had ignored the chaos and created the light? ¡°A will.¡± As if in response, the scene before him changed. He was now on a mountain ridge with an excellent view and his vision was walking with around ten other people. One was the young man who resembled Shinjou and he was falling behind. A young man in a military coat split off from those moving on ahead and walked back to that first young man. The owner of the gaze smiled as he watched them. A voice reached Sayama¡¯s mind. ¡°A will. We can say that the appearance of every concept involves what we can call that concept¡¯s will. And it is possible to seal a will inside a machine. 3rd-Gear¡¯s gods of war and 5th-Gear¡¯s mechanical dragons are proof enough of that. However¡­¡± The scene changed again. This time to a destroyed city. The gaze stood between buildings that crumbled and sent smoke into the clear sky. The water being used to put out a fire flowed into the street and the owner of the gaze looked west with a few of his comrades. A blue truck arrived while weaving between the people weakly placing scrap wood out in the road. ¡°But that means Georgius¡¯s final necessary component is a person. A person must be broken down and their will must be transferred inside, along with their flesh and blood, to give Georgius its own existence. That will create a weapon with a mind of its own. However, the will that enters Georgius must be perfectly synchronized with the weapon. To prevent even an instantaneous error or time lag, their entire body and sense of judgment must be made into Georgius. ¡­However, this will erase their personality and transform their will into nothing but a component.¡± And¡­ ¡°That is why the creation of Georgius must not continue.¡± The scene changed to the underground study Sayama stood inside. However, this gaze still was not his own. ¡­Is this still the past? As if to confirm that, the gaze spoke from in front of the desk at the center of the piles of books and bookcases. ¡°Nevertheless, I possess the negative Georgius. Due to a promise I made, I cannot reveal where it came from and the positive Georgius that goes with it has been lost. But in the distant future, it should reappear. I hope that both of them will be held by their proper owners. ¡­For that reason, I will later seal the negative Georgius in a place I know very well. To ensure no one foolishly seeks to create a similar item, I will leave only this document here.¡± The voice paused as if to breathe. ¡°I pray that there is no conflict over the use of Georgius.¡± Sayama was suddenly knocked away by the words of the gaze, by those words his own mind was creating. He fell into darkness. He fell into the shadows that led back to reality and the present day. But he had seen the answer. He knew what Georgius was. On top of that, he had gained two new mysteries. First, there were indeed two pieces to Georgius and one of those was hidden somewhere. Second, his parents had come here for Georgius, but¡­ ¡°Georgius is made from a human being. What fight made that necessary?¡± That would be the battle during the Great Kansai Earthquake. ¡­Was that so great a battle that they wanted to destroy concepts!? Before he could answer his own question, the scene before his eyes changed. Realizing it would be the underground study, strength filled his gaze. He knew he had returned to the normal world. ¡°¡­!?¡± But he was wrong. He saw the blue sky and the mountains in front of him. ¡­Where is this? He looked into the clear sky. He saw a white fence and the top of a forest beyond that. This was a narrow viewing platform built on an elevated cliff in the Okutama mountains. He sat on a wooden bench and his vision was quite low to the ground. ¡­What is this? He knew the answer and he spoke that knowledge aloud. ¡°Is this my mother¡¯s attempted double suicide!?¡± Sayama realized there was a lunch to his left. A large red box contained sausage, pasta salad, croquettes, apple slices, and other colors of food. A large blue box contained rice balls. He felt the usual pain in his chest. Without him telling it to, his vision looked down at the lunch. This was his past self. This gaze belonged to a version of himself much different from now. The gaze turned around to look at a parked wine-red sedan. Beyond the car was a two-lane road. The wall-like slope covered by a cement embankment showed the road had been carved out of the mountainside. The gaze turned back and looked to someone sitting beyond the lunch. It was a short-haired woman wearing a blue shirt and a long white flared skirt. She looked back at him with a smile and a tilt of the head. She tilted her head instead of looking down on him. ¡°What is it, Mikoto? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Sayama¡¯s mind and body froze with fear at the voice he heard. ¡­Kh. The pain felt like having his lungs squeezed, but¡­ ¡­This is¡­ ¡°Nothing!¡± His past self in the dream happily spoke the same word he forced from the depths of his throat: nothing. ¡°Let¡¯s eat already,¡± said his other self. ¡°Go ahead,¡± said his mother. ¡°Yes. I actually put real effort into this one.¡± His hand quickly reached for a rice ball. Do these have hamburger meat in them? Yes. Aren¡¯t you going to eat any, mom? You¡¯re eating too fast, Mikoto. I can¡¯t keep up. C¡¯mon, eat. ¡­You can eat dad¡¯s portion too. ¡­Show some tact, child. But despite his thought, he saw his mother smile. He had not thought anything of the smile at the time, but he now knew what it meant. He gave a long mental sigh and wiped away his unseen sweat. ¡­Why am I seeing my past? Does my subconscious have a humiliation fetish? He could make a guess. When the information on Georgius had left, the information inside his own mind must have been partially dragged out. But if he allowed that information to be fully drawn out¡­ ¡­This past may be externally stored in writing and vanish inside me. That would erase one of the memories that plagued his chest. ¡­How about it? If he erased the memory, he would have an easier time in the future. Most likely, his mother would no longer give him chest pains and he would not worry Shinjou as much. This was probably his one and only chance at this. ¡­This may be a sort of reward. This may have been thanks for making it this far and attempting to learn what was written here. As he thought through it logically, he saw a certain moment begin. This was the final moment. ¡°¡­¡± The owner of the gaze, that young Sayama, held a thermos lid his mother had given him. It contained orange juice chilled with ice and the young Sayama rejoiced that it contained three whole pieces of ice. ¡°Mom, I can see the bottom through the i-¡­¡± As soon as he turned around, he saw darkness. That darkness made his mind gasp along with his past self. He caught a brief glimpse of the blue sky and then something blue covered him. It was his mother¡¯s clothes and body. Something that kept him from breathing was pressed down on him by something heavy. That weight prevented him from moving or breathing. He tried to say so, but it was so sudden that his lips only trembled and refused to move properly. ¡°M-¡­¡± He heard his young self¡¯s voice. ¡°Mom!!¡± His body used up all of its air for that shout. A moment later, his vision grew bright and the blue cloth of his mother¡¯s clothing lifted slightly. ¡°¡­!¡± He saw his mother¡¯s face. With the blue sky in the background, the ends of her eyebrows were lowered as if it say nothing could change this but not to worry about it. ¡­Why are you smiling!? ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± He heard his mother¡¯s faintly shrill voice. ¡°Next time you call for me, it will surely be in a new world.¡± Her hands rose toward his face. ¡°¡­!!¡± She leaned toward him, he took a breath, and he passed out. At the same time, his present self fell into darkness. He fell into pure black where nothing could be seen. But even as his vision grew dark, the pain in his chest did not vanish. The pain felt like his heart was being squeezed and he could not fight it no matter how much strength he gathered. A weight emptied his mind until he could not even think about the pain. And as the pain filled his entire body, he thought. ¡­When I later woke in the hospital, I learned that my mother had killed herself with a blade. He had heard a fair bit of speculation. Some wondered if his mother had thought he had suffocated when he had passed out. Others wondered if she had known he was not dead but had been unable to go through with killing him as well. All he knew for sure was that he had shed no tears for the mother inside that coffin. His only thought had been ¡°Why?¡± About a decade had passed since then. During those ten years, the pain had grown and he had tried to forget. And now a chance had come. If he did nothing now, he could part ways with this memory and its pain. The memory itself would be drawn out of him. It would become a written record and it would be stripped from his brain in the process. He had recalled that final memory of his mother countless times, but it would instead spin round and round in that astronomical model. ¡­And I will have an easier life. That was fine. It would be good for the Leviathan Road, good for his own future, and good for Shinjou. But even as he thought that, he heard a voice. ¡°A terrible idea.¡± The voice rejected his thoughts. ¡°Don¡¯t you think, Shinjou-kun?¡± When the voice called the name of the one most important to him, he realized it was his own voice. ¡­Why? The answer was simple. Even as his memory was drawn from him, he was waking up. His subconscious ¨C that undeniably honest part of himself ¨C was speaking to him. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it sound like a terrible idea? After all, Shinjou-kun is searching for the past and she would never think to erase the result, regardless of what that result is. And Kazami will never forget that Izumo was injured. The same goes for everyone else. They will never erase the loss of their loved ones. ¡­So will I alone erase it?¡± He spoke back to his own question. ¡­Yes, but I am me and they are them. What is wrong with it? ¡°Is that so?¡± he asked himself. ¡°Will I be able to bear it if I have lost my own past? When Shinjou-kun is embracing her past even as she so beautifully grieves, will I not be there with her? Do you know what that is called?¡± ¡­Why not call it a privilege? A privilege earned by reaching this place? He heard a bitter laugh. ¡°Coming here was my selfish decision. No one will give me a privilege for that. That is called¡­¡± ¡­Cowardice. His mind answered his subconscious. After a pause, his subconscious spoke. ¡°Do you understand? No, I know you understand. After all¡­¡± Both Sayamas spoke at once. ¡°I know myself better than anyone else in the world. And the one who knows me second best is Shinjou-kun.¡± After another pause, both conscious and subconscious suddenly shouted out. ¡°Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled¡­carrots!! Damn, you kept up wonderfully, other me! That¡¯s me for you!¡± Confident that his mind had gathered as one, he thought. ¡°Yes,¡± he began. ¡°I had forgotten, but I am a human who stands above god. So no matter what handicap or past I may hold, I can continue upwards, unlike the common people below me. ¡­Ergo, I need no helping hand. Having Shinjou-kun help me through the pain is my greatest happiness.¡± ¡°Then hurry,¡± said his subconscious. ¡°Your past is being dragged out.¡± Sure enough, his surroundings were filling with light. He was waking. If he did nothing, he would fully wake and he would likely find that final memory of his mother rotating in a circle. He had to stop it. ¡­But how? The answer reached his body. Someone placed their hand on the back of his left hand which he could not clench into a fist. He did not know whose hand it was. Did it come from his memories, was it his own hand, or was it an illusion? Regardless, he spread his unseen hand in the darkness. He held it before his eyes, spread the fingers, and thrust it into the blackness as if clawing at it. ¡°I heard that a will can overcome all else.¡± He was alone. ¡°I will likely always be alone.¡± Even if someone stood by his side¡­ ¡°We will never fully overlap. After all, only I can do that.¡± But he mouthed the name of the person he cared most for. ¡°Nevertheless, I want to be with you. ¡­Surely that will lead me to my answer. That will tell me why I had Team Leviathan disband.¡± His mind nodded and gathered strength in his left hand. ¡°I no longer have any reason to deny the past or to reject my pain. So cry out in pain, my body. Enduring that is what allows me to rise above all others. And as I do, I will go ahead. I will set an example for all those dragging around the pain of the past and will tell them this: If I am worth following, then go ahead. Yes, that is my role!¡± He cried out. ¡°The surname Sayama indicates a villain! ¡­And that villain has a single desire. If all is chaos and I stand above god, then it is not light that I desire. I desire¡­¡± Strength filled his right hand. He still doubted he could throw a punch, but he managed to fully clench the fingers in the darkness. All five fingers constricted into a fully-formed fist. He felt the memory clenched inside that fist and he raised his voice. ¡°Let there be strength!!¡± His mind struck the darkness before his eyes and he had a thought. ¡­What is Shinjou-kun doing right now? Volume 11, 21: In the Past Volume 11, Chapter 21: In the Past On the hill where the past flutters through the air The flower petals last a mere thirty years Shinjou was in a black and white space. The white was the color of the walls and ceiling while the black was the color of the chairs and tables. Several tables were lined up in a ten square meter room. It was a cafeteria. The wooden clock on the wall said it was half past seven, but only the heat of an early dinner remained in the room. The food had been eaten at six and the faint scent of spices hung in the air. Several tapestries were lined up to either side of the clock. The pictures embroidered on them had been made by the children. They started with story of creation and continued up to the beginning of the current age. Each tapestry had a single image, but the children must have hung them up as they liked because the order was completely wrong. ¡°That¡¯s adorable.¡± One image showed a man and woman living in a garden, but the very next one showed the Virgin Mary holding her child, and that was followed by a snake, a flood, and a tower. The very last picture was a shepherd looking up into the starry sky. It almost looked like a test to see if you could put them in order, but Shinjou remembered this was not a church and so it was not the place to teach the children those things. Whoever was in charge must just let the kids do what they want, she guessed. She doubted the woman who ran the place had created that policy, so it had likely been the decision of someone from an older time. ¡­There must have been someone here as terribly arbitrary as Sayama-kun and the others. She then looked to the pile of documents on the table in front of her. The pile included albums, sketchbooks, and notebooks. Each of them had the same name on them. ¡°Shinjou Yukio.¡± She had found these without much difficulty. After the director had calmed her from her tears, she had told the woman why she had been searching for the orphanage. The woman had invited her in and said the following. ¡°I was left in charge of this orphanage a while after it was moved here. I hear a lot of registers and other documents were lost when the old building collapsed, but the things left by the graduates were in the previous director¡¯s storehouse, which survived. How about we look through there?¡± She had ended up going through all the albums and such piled up in the back of the storehouse. After finishing their dinner, the orphans had said they would help, but Shinjou had politely turned them down. ¡­I want to do this on my own. The name she was looking for had appeared suddenly. She now had Shinjou Yukio¡¯s albums as well as her notebooks, reports, printouts, and report cards from school. The given dates ended at 1976. The records for that final year said she was fifteen in 1976 and the records in Izumo UCAT had said Shinjou Yukio was born in 1960, so it added up. This was actually her. After learning that, she had taken those documents to the cafeteria. She had not forgotten to call UCAT while the director made her a light dinner of toast and such. Hiba had answered and she had told him the time of her train home and the orphanage¡¯s address. He said Harakawa¡¯s mother had collapsed and she was worried, but there was nothing she could do. ¡­I just hope nothing bad happens. With that thought, she took a quiet breath and reached for the pile of documents. First, she picked up an album. All of a sudden, Shinjou saw several photographs depicting moments from the past. The photographs pasted in the album showed a certain girl. She had a strong-willed look to her and she could be seen playing in the yard of the old orphanage, studying in one of its rooms, and dressed in a bird-like costume for some kind of festival. As the date advanced, her hair grew longer and she wore a red ribbon in her hair by the time she was wearing a middle school uniform. ¡­Does she look like me? She was not sure and she could not find anything in the photos to connect the girl to her. However, she saw the girl helping the younger children change or otherwise taking charge more often as time went on. She also saw the girl smile. Sometimes it was a powerful smile and other times it was a weak one. In one photograph, she was showing off a flute she had probably gotten in middle school. In another one, Shinjou saw the flute¡¯s brown bag sticking out of her rectangular leather bag. But Shinjou noticed something. ¡­It¡¯s gone? At what Shinjou guessed was her shift up to the third year, the flute¡¯s bag vanished from the leather bag. She also noticed a white scrape along the surface of the leather bag. She did not know what had happened, but the girl¡¯s smile looked troubled as she knitted. That was the final school year in the album. The date to the side of the photo was November 1975. In December, the girl wore a white stole as she sang something in a large room lit only by candles. It was likely a scene from Christmas. She was younger than I am now, thought Shinjou. But at the same time¡­ ¡­This is from thirty years ago. She reached toward the photograph, but no matter how gently she touched it, she could not reach the girl in the past. The girl would not answer if she asked if she was her mother. As she approached the end of the album, she found some photographs of the girl¡¯s middle school graduation. Shinjou noticed a bandage on the girl¡¯s cheek in the photograph on the way back to the church after the graduation. The paper tube holding her diploma was bent as well. ¡­But her smile is back. The cliff by the old orphanage¡¯s yard had a nice view of Sakai and it was filled with cherry blossoms. Below the falling cherry blossoms, the girl smiled with the bandage on her cheek and the bent paper tube in her hand. ¡°Good.¡± For some reason, Shinjou felt she had a bit of an understanding of the girl. ¡­She must have been a good person. She had hidden thoughts, she tried to solve everything herself, and she would smile. The word ¡°alone¡± appeared in Shinjou¡¯s mind, but she doubted that was entirely wrong. ¡°¡­¡± She flipped to the final page which contained a single large photograph. Cherry blossom petals danced through the air in front of the old orphanage¡¯s entrance. Below a blue sky, Shinjou Yukio stood in front of the open gate. She wore a light blue windbreaker and white jeans and she held a large white travel bag in one hand. And¡­ ¡°She¡¯s smiling¡­but it¡¯s the weak smile.¡± She was likely leaving the orphanage. Shinjou realized the girl had a national railway envelope for a train ticket in her breast pocket. After quickly flipping through the album and checking the other albums, she confirmed something. ¡­There isn¡¯t a single picture of her crying. It¡¯s always that proud smile or that weak one. That was enough to imagine what kind of person she had been. In that unreachable past, she had worked alone when she was at school, when she was in the orphanage, when she was dealing with her classmates, and when she was helping the younger children. Shinjou had a sudden thought about that younger girl in the photographs who shared her family name. ¡­What if she was my mother? She thought about it, considered it from a number of angles, and shook her head. ¡­The odds of that aren¡¯t very good. Needless to say, the girl was female. If she had married, her family name would have changed. As the push for equal rights between the sexes had grown, the law had changed to say a woman could use either name after marriage, but that had only happened in the mid-nineties. Even in the present day, very few people did so and she would have likely married in her twenties which would have been during the eighties. The odds of her being Shinjou¡¯s mother were low. That thought filled her stomach with pain. The stomachache she always felt at the end of the month was rearing its ugly head due to stress. So for the moment, she spoke aloud what she needed to investigate here. ¡°Where did she go after leaving here?¡± If the orphanage kept records of their plans, she would know where the girl had gone. Following that trail would likely lead her to the answer and that might let her give up for the time being. Curious, she searched through the documents and found a printout related to her future plans. The straw paper had turned brown and it was only a schedule for a meeting about planning for the future, but Shinjou continued searching through the pile that schedule had come from. ¡°Here it is.¡± She found a form filled in with the girl¡¯s tentative plans for the future. It had a space for the school she wanted to attend and the necessary score for acceptance. Neat handwriting wrote out a school with Osaka in its name. ¡°I see. So did she go to a local school?¡± If she had survived the Great Kansai Earthquake, she might be able to meet her. With that faint hope in her heart, Shinjou looked through the document. The area to explain her choice was filled in with small but clear handwriting. ¡°I want to go into theology in the future. I would like to use the knowledge I have in that field to help our cultural exchange with other countries. But I have no money for school, so I hope to attend a prefectural school that offers the courses I want.¡± Is that what someone raised in a church would say? wondered Shinjou even as it made sense to her. She flipped the document over in case anything was written on the back, but the back was blank. The form was apparently only for the student¡¯s tentative plans. ¡°Too bad,¡± she muttered while preparing to flip the fairly thick paper back over. But just before she did, she noticed something odd about the form. ¡°It looks like something else was written here.¡± The writing on the front had left indentations in the back, but the indentations at the very top were a complete mess. She could tell some other school had been written below the one with Osaka in the name. The girl had written some other school and then erased it. ¡­Why? Shinjou recalled the girl¡¯s weak smile and guessed she had made that smile while erasing the first school. Shinjou found herself wanting to know what it had been. After all, she knew that weak smile. As if telling the girl to cheer up, she began to move. ¡°Um¡­¡± She pulled a black binder from her bag and pulled out a piece of tracing paper. She had brought it to hold old documents without damaging them. She placed the tracing paper on the back of the document and lightly traced over it with the side of some mechanical pencil lead. The thin tracing paper matched the indentations of the document and allowed her to bring out the handwriting. She finished in less than a minute. It included the second school name as well, so it was hard to read. Even so, she managed to decipher that handwriting from the past. The name that had been erased was one Shinjou knew very well. ¡°Private¡­Taka-Akita Academy!?¡± Shinjou reflexively stood at the words she herself had spoken. The chair scraped across the wooden floor and the director entered through the cafeteria entrance. Shinjou ran over to the woman, while annoyed that the slippers she wore slowing her down. ¡°U-um! Are there any more documents on her!?¡± Before, she had wanted to pursue her, but that thought was beginning to change. ¡­I have to pursue her!! As if pulled forward by that thought, she smiled and asked the middle-aged woman in white a question. ¡°I still don¡¯t know if she was my mother! But I need to know why she tried to go where I am now.¡± She thought back to who she had been when she had been alone and who she was now. ¡°I need to know why she tried to go to the place where I learned to smile.¡± A moment later, Shinjou saw the wooden plate hanging by the cafeteria¡¯s entrance. It gave the orphanage¡¯s name and it was likely a piece recovered from the old building. ¡­The Soukou House. As soon as she spoke those words in her heart, something seemed to connect inside her. She thought back on what she had just said. ¡­Shinjou Yukio tried to go to Taka-Akita Academy. Her heart shouted in denial of those words. ¡­No!! She took two logical steps to reach a conclusion that was nearly a gamble. ¡°She¡­¡± Her reasoning linked together and built her confidence as she spoke. ¡°She must have gone to where I am now!¡± The ends of the director¡¯s eyebrows lowered when she heard that. She seemed to be hesitating and she tilted her head. ¡°Shinjou-san?¡± she began. ¡°What makes you so sure of that?¡± Shinjou moved back to the table and grabbed the album and the future plans document. She walked back to the woman, flipped through the pages, and reached the final page and the photograph of the girl leaving. She held the open album in her left hand and pointed at one point on the photograph with her right hand. ¡°Look in her breast pocket. See the train ticket? She wouldn¡¯t need a ticket if she was moving somewhere within the Osaka Prefecture or somewhere else nearby. That means she wasn¡¯t going to the school from her tentative plans on this form. I think she had to have gone to the school on the future plans form she actually submitted to her teacher. ¡­And I think that was a school in Tokyo.¡± ¡°But where would she have gotten the money for that school?¡± The woman brought a troubled hand to her cheek. ¡°We¡¯re talking about a school in Tokyo¡­and probably a private one too.¡± Shinjou responded with a deep nod. ¡°Director, you know who built this orphanage, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, the previous director told me.¡± ¡°I will now tell you that name.¡± She took a calm, deep breath before answering. ¡°Soukou.¡± The director¡¯s shoulders shook, but Shinjou was not bothered by her surprise. That surprise was only natural. Shinjou looked to the wooden plate hanging by the cafeteria entrance. ¡°Yes, it was a Mr. Soukou....Soukou is written with the characters ¡®grass¡¯ and ¡®aroma¡¯ and the character for the aroma rising from a plant can be read ¡®Kaoru¡¯. ¡­This orphanage was funded by Sayama Kaoru, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Once she made it that far, the words kept coming. ¡°The previous director probably wanted to thank him by directly naming it after him, but I¡¯m sure Sayama-kun¡¯s grandfather was embarrassed and refused. That¡¯s why the previous director used the name Soukou. And Sayama-kun¡¯s grandfather¡­¡± She smiled. ¡°He was a villain. He would do unbelievable things on the surface, but he would show his true feelings where no one could see. ¡­So if he saw someone hesitating over her future and giving up on what she wanted to do out of consideration for those around her, he would have helped her even if she wasn¡¯t his friend¡¯s granddaughter.¡± The director¡¯s reaction was to sigh. It was a sigh of relief. She brought her right hand to her cheek. ¡°I see.¡± She slowly looked up and down Shinjou. ¡°Do you know the man the previous director called Daddy-Long-Legs?¡± ¡°Not him himself, but I know a relative of his very well.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said the woman again. She held up what was in her hand and held it out at Shinjou¡¯s eye level. ¡°These are the letters the orphanage¡¯s graduates sent. We have always made sure to carefully store them since the previous director¡¯s time, but I completely forgot we had them in the office. Some of those sent to the previous director survived and¡­I found them. These are what Shinjou Yukio sent over a decade ago.¡± The woman held out an old notebook and two letters. ¡°I believe you should read these.¡± The woman smiled and nodded. ¡°Here. This is the entrance to what you seek.¡± Volume 11, 22: What Taught Her to Smile Volume 11, Chapter 22: What Taught Her to Smile Because you hoped Alone in the cafeteria, Shinjou stood motionless below the cold lights. She took a breath and muttered to herself. ¡°What do I do?¡± She knew the answer. She knew exactly what to do, but she needed those words to get her started. She began to answer those words with her actions. First, she placed the album in her hands on a nearby table and set the notebook and letters on top of that. She sat in the chair and took a breath in front of all that writing. She stretched out a hand, but hesitated as that hand approached the letters. ¡°It¡¯s too soon for that.¡± She picked up the notebook instead. She gave a silent bow and gently flipped through it. ¡­Research on mythology? She had expected a diary or something similar, but she had been wrong. She felt a mixture of disappointment and relief as she readily flipped through the pages. That girl had grown up with a connection to the Bible and these were the records of her research on the world¡¯s mythologies. She summed up that most mythologies contained the symbols of dragons and divine tools and she had labeled a hand-drawn map with the spread of different mythologies and their points in common. It had apparently been a summer research project for her third year of middle school and the final page contained a grade of A+ in faded red ink and a list of sources in Shinjou Yukio¡¯s own handwriting. ¡°World Mythology Encyclopedia 1 ¨C 11 by Kinugasa Tenkyou.¡± Shinjou felt a small tremor in her spine when she read that name. This girl had been the granddaughter of Shinjou Kaname and assisted by Sayama Kaoru, so what had she thought and hoped for as she read those books in the Kinugasa Library? Shinjou did not know, but she felt as if she could sense something there. Something she could not put to words welled up within her. ¡­It feels like a flame. She had similarly thought her heart was burning when she had found this place. After all, it burned bright, blew through her, and quickly grew. Pulled by that heat in her thoughts, she closed the notebook. ¡°¡­¡± She reached for the letters. The action was much like reaching for the next book in a series when one wanted to know what happened next. It was a casual and natural action and that was exactly what helped Shinjou realize how she felt. ¡°Yes. I want to know more.¡± Hope filled her cheeks with slight heat as she looked at the first envelope. She did not immediately look inside. She wanted to look at the outside more and more and make it all feel more important. She checked the date. It was about half a year after the girl had entered high school. The stamp was an old type not seen anymore. The address was written in round handwriting using a ballpoint pen. After making sure there was nothing else on the front or back, she finally gave permission to her curiosity. She pulled out the letter. She looked down at the folded and slightly faded paper and she closed her eyes. ¡°Please let me read you.¡± With that said, she unfolded that first letter. She found a photograph held between the folds and many words. ¡°It has been a while.¡± Shinjou¡¯s eyes raced along the paper. ¡°I have finally gotten used to living in the dorm. Do you see the boy and girl with me in the included photograph? I am not sure if I should call them my friends, but they are always with me. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of interesting things about those two, but I will leave it at that since I am not sure if I should talk about some of it yet. At any rate, I very much enjoy being with them. ¡°However, I will tell you this much. Tragically, the girl lost both her parents recently. It was apparently a strange sort of murder, but her situation reminds me of when I lost my parents. Apparently, she is moving out of her house and it will be torn down. ¡°But this means she will be my roommate now. Things are sure to be livelier, but I have never shared a room with someone my own age. I don¡¯t know what is going to happen, but I am looking forward to it and I hope her parents can rest in peace.¡± Shinjou checked the photograph. Shinjou Yukio¡¯s hair was a little longer and she stood below a cherry tree with a pair of classmates. She was smiling. And Shinjou recognized the boy and girl standing on either side of her. ¡­Those are Sayama-kun¡¯s parents. She slowly breathed in and read the letter again. What Shinjou Yukio was unsure if she should talk about was probably Sayama¡¯s father. That meant she had Sayama Kaoru¡¯s son by her side. ¡­I wonder if Sayama-kun¡¯s father had realized the truth? She was not sure. Even if she had realized they both had a connection to Sayama Kaoru, mentioning it could damage their relationship. ¡­And she wouldn¡¯t want to damage that relationship like that. Yukio may not have told Sayama¡¯s father that she had been supported by Sayama Kaoru. Shinjou nodded and reached for the other letter. She checked the postmark on the envelope, but¡­ ¡°There isn¡¯t one?¡± There was not. The letter must have been delivered by hand. Instead, the back of the letter inside contained a date: January 10, 1989. That¡¯s sixteen years ago, she muttered in her heart while unfolding the letter. The flowing handwriting in ballpoint pen began in the same way. ¡°It has been a while.¡± The words continued. ¡°I have been unable to send a letter for a few years now. I apologize if I worried you.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Shinjou¡¯s question was directed at the individual named Yukio who she had come to know through the various documents. ¡­She didn¡¯t seem like the kind of person to cut off contact like that. She tilted her head, but the next words seemed to answer that confusion. ¡°About two years ago, I moved to a new workplace and was unable to contact you from there.¡± ¡­Eh? Where had she gone and what had she been doing there? What had her previous workplace been? The writing seemed to wash away those questions. ¡°I am where I want to be now. I am in the best possible place for me.¡± Shinjou held her breath and continued reading those words that rejected all complaints and protests. ¡°Yes, there are people here who need my ability. The job is not exactly difficult, but please know that I am doing my best to work toward peace. And I am making use of what I learned. I worried a lot about the future, but I finally got married. I apologize for waiting so long to tell you, but I wasn¡¯t sure how to bring it up. My child is doing well. She was born on December 25 of last year and she is sleeping next to me now.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Shinjou¡¯s entire body shrunk back when she saw the word ¡°child¡±. ¡­W-wait a second. This was too sudden. Things had jumped too far ahead from the words ¡°workplace¡± and ¡°job¡±. Um, she said as she began to think. If Yukio was her mother, she would have been in UCAT. That was what Mikoku had told her when they had met at Izumo UCAT a month earlier. ¡­My parents were in UCAT. Yukio claimed to have moved to a new workplace and that she was working toward peace in her job. ¡­Did she join UCAT. And does that mean¡­she¡¯s my mother? Was she? Shinjou did not know. She had to read on to find out. However, she had read similar things so many times now, but none of it had told her what she wanted. ¡­But this time¡­ She breathed in. She tried to fill herself with strength using that breath, but something else filled her instead: shaking. Her body shook, her shoulders shook, her arms shook, her fingers shook, and the letter shook. As everything trembled, she focused her mind. She only had a single chance to read something this important for the first time. She cleared her mind as if casting aside her body and read the letter to leave no regrets. She slowly read the words aloud. ¡°Director, I had considered letting you or our Daddy-Long-Legs name her, but in the end, I did it myself.¡± Shinjou breathed in and made sure the words she spoke were carved into her mind. ¡°I want my child to be an energetic, thoughtful, and hardworking person like Yume, one of my first friends. But I don¡¯t want this child to be exactly like her, so I gave her a different name. Yume¡¯s name includes the character for ¡®life¡¯, so I wanted to give my child a name that will bear, raise, and protect life.¡± The words practically spilled from Shinjou¡¯s mouth and she finally reached the name. ¡°That name is Sadagiri.¡± She stopped breathing, but her eyes continued moving. ¡­That name hides the character for life within it and I hope it will allow her to face her destiny and cut through any evil that threatens her. A broken breath escaped her throat. Something trailed down her cheek. She lowered her head and whatever it was fell from about halfway down her cheek. She did not know what this tear meant. Why was she crying when she was not sad? Regardless, the tear urged her to read the final line. ¡°This child has some difficulties regarding her body, but I am sure¡­¡± She took in a shrill breath. ¡°I am sure she will grow into a wonderful child.¡± Her voice no longer formed proper words. ¡°¡­!!¡± She reflexively stood up. The chair toppled behind her as she rose, opened her mouth, and leaned forward with her hands on the table. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She inhaled. She felt like she was swallowing something to endure it, hold it inside, and control herself. She wrapped her arms around herself. She tightly held herself and the letter as if to confirm everything about herself. As if to confirm that she was here. She trembled and bent over, but she still managed to open her mouth. ¡°¡­Mom.¡± She spoke a word that she had always used as a mere noun and never to address someone. Unsure if that word would actually reach anyone, she raised her voice. ¡°Mom¡­¡± There were still things she did not understand, like her family name and what Yukio had done in UCAT. However, she knew one thing for sure and she spoke that one thing. ¡°Mom!¡± My mom was probably in that Osaka battle too, she thought while squeezing her own body. I¡¯ll probably never be able to see her again, she added. Regardless, some records remained. Even if she could never meet her, Shinjou Yukio had existed and there were records of her laughing, worrying, and being with others. Most of the photographs were when she was younger than Shinjou, but that did not change the fact that she had existed. And Shinjou had someone she could tell this to. She had someone to speak with about her mother. ¡­I¡­ She informed that person in her heart. ¡­I really do have a mom. ¡°She hoped that I would grow into a wonderful child.¡± Thank goodness, she thought. She repeated that sentiment again and again and took a breath. With that breath, so much from the past seemed to transform into relief. ¡°¡­¡± And as she filled with that relief, she felt a certain sensation. As she stood on her trembling legs, she felt something gently moving down the skin of her inner thighs. ¡°¡­?¡± She almost felt like something had fallen from her leg, so she bent over. She looked down at her feet and at the inside of her lower legs visible below her skirt. ¡°Blood?¡± For an instant, she did not know what that blood was. But a decision in her mind led her to speak aloud what was happening to her. ¡°My body is developing as a girl¡­¡± The relief in her heart had changed her body¡¯s pain and worry into something else. She was filled with countless conflicting feelings like surprise and relief or tension and relaxation. ¡­Now both Sadame and Setsu¡¯s bodies are working. She collapsed to a sitting position and felt her mind sinking into darkness. Her body continued embracing the record of her mother as she sank down to the floor. ¡°Mom¡­¡± She weakly spoke as she spilled to the floor with a teary smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad I¡¯m who I am.¡± It was night and both the moon and stars were visible in the vast night sky. This was not the city night. This was the blue night sky of the mountains. A single light was visible below it. The light was located in front of an abandoned house and storehouse built on land cut out of a mountain slope. A white light shined in the center of the unmaintained yard. It came from the handheld fluorescent light held by a boy in a suit. It spread and illuminated both Sayama and his surroundings. It was silent, so the only sound was the autumn¡¯s night breeze blowing from the west of the mountain. That high altitude wind would likely become a north wind before long and it was cold yet not entirely dry. The wind carried the scents of the forest and it swayed in front of Sayama. Someone stood in front of him. ¡°You came a long way, Nijun-kun.¡± Sayama raised his light so it covered the other person. The figure that was illuminated starting with the feet was an elderly man with long white hair and a white coat. It was Nijun. He lifted his coat a bit in the gentle breeze. ¡°How do you like the red shirt under here, Sayama-sama?¡± ¡°Wearing red at night is most stylish, Nijun-kun.¡± Sayama swung his left hand forward to point at the man with a snap of the sleeve. ¡°But are you here to keep me from sleeping with my Shinjou-kun body pillow?¡± ¡°You can go to sleep if you want, but you know what will happen then, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he confirmed with a perfectly serious expression. ¡°I will be in a state of bliss. After all, I will be using a Shinjou-kun body pillow. I cannot use that in the dorm, so-¡­ No, I have Shinjou-kun herself in the dorm, so-¡­ No, no. I can have Shinjou-kun dress up as a pillow and-¡­ No, no, no¡­¡± ¡°Sayama-sama, please focus over here again.¡± ¡°Ah. You just interrupted my imagination, didn¡¯t you!?¡± shouted Sayama. ¡°The crime of imagination interruption warrants a direct punishment!!¡± ¡°Calm down,¡± said Nijun while holding out his palms. ¡°You can see her as soon as you leave the mountains, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, you are right.¡± He suddenly swung his right hand. The light flew upwards. The thrown fluorescent light illuminated the area like an especially bright star. Below it, Sayama slowly shrank down in preparation to move. ¡°You need to learn that being made to wait can be fun too, Mr. Stylish.¡± ¡°I have waited long enough already. That is why I had already made my way here last night.¡± Nijun still had his hands held out to calm Sayama, but a moment later, paper appeared between all of his fingers. They were charms. ¡°These charms were sealed inside Izumo UCAT. They temporarily strengthen the human body, but they were sealed because the backlash can be harsh enough to destroy the body afterwards. However, they could not bear to get rid of such a powerful tool because they thought they might need it in the future.¡± ¡°Let me guess, my father made them. That man clearly did not know how to restrain himself.¡± By saying that, he weakened his chest pain, even if only a little. The light began to fall toward the ground between them. Just before it landed, Sayama asked a question. ¡°Why did my father need something like that?¡± ¡°Testament. For a battle. He had a battle to fight.¡± Nijun placed the charms in his hands under the opposite arms. ¡°That battle ten years ago was the last one we could enjoy!!¡± With those words, the light struck the ground and broke. Using the resultant darkness as their cue, two bursts of speed collided. Volume 11, 23: The Second Battle Volume 11, Chapter 23: The Second Battle Leap Run And fall The darkness of night filled a forest. That forest covered the surface of a mountain. The moon was bright and the sky was bluish, but the pale light of the moon could not penetrate the forest. The light was stopped by countless layers of branches and leaves, so only shadows fell below. The bottom of the forest was a dark, steep slope. Something moved along that slope as if falling. It was two sounds. They were both sets of footsteps, but they were complete opposites in one aspect: the space between steps. One set had five seconds between one footstep and the next. The other set sounded continuously like a high-tempo performance from a percussion instrument. The two sets of footsteps used these different intervals to race down the dark mountainside. Occasionally, a great sound of impact would mix in with them. The clear and harsh sound would be absorbed by the forest and the footsteps would begin anew. The one producing the set of footsteps with the long interval spoke while quickly racing through the dark forest. ¡°Ha ha ha. Keeping up with me at this speed puts you on Hiba-sensei¡¯s level, Nijun-kun.¡± The one with the shorter interval replied. ¡°You¡¯re not bad yourself to move faster than me, Sayama-sama.¡± The two of them laughed, rushed forward again, and produced another solid sound. A break in the forest briefly revealed the sounds. Below the night sky, a boy in a suit the same color as that sky appeared in the lead. He was literally leaping. He would throw his body very nearly horizontally, the bottom of his suit coat would flip up, his tie would flutter upwards, and a few tufts of his hair would dance in the wind as he seemed to glide along the surface of the forested slope. Some faint sweat had emerged on his brow and his sharp gaze was focused on the ground below. However, it could not exactly be called the ¡°ground¡±. This was a rocky area. The many years of wind and rain had eroded the forest¡¯s dirt until countless stones larger than a human were exposed. The boulders were piled up in a steep slope down toward a valley instead of forming a cliff wall. From above, it did almost look like a precipice in the forest. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡± As Sayama continued his gliding movement through the dark forest, his eyes were focused on that series of rocks. ¡°When travelling in a place like this, the easiest path is straight down, Nijun-kun.¡± Even as he spoke and felt the wind of his rapid descent, he lowered his right leg and bent the knee. A stone approached below that bent leg. An instant later, he fired that right leg out from his leaping body. Instead of hitting the top of the boulder, he kicked off the front surface. He leaped upwards and forwards so he left the slope. He never fully landed; he only kicked off the stones like a wall. But that was enough. His downwards inertia would carry him toward the base of the mountain. If he did actually land, he would be unable to absorb the inertial weight and damage his leg or trip. He only had to make sure the speed of his fall did not exceed the speed of his kicks. To do that, he turned his body and adjusted the angle of his jumps as he fell. Each time he kicked, he would twist his body to make a slight feint and alteration to his trajectory in order to throw off his pursuer. He would also spread out his clothes as an air brake. He faintly heard a flowing river beyond the wall of stone and earth to his right. However, he could barely hear it even during the silent night. It was likely over one hundred meters down below. As he leaped, Sayama turned back in midair. ¡°Are you coming, Nijun-kun?¡± Someone pursued Sayama as he raced down into the valley. It was Nijun running through the darkness with the color white flapping around him. He was an old man in a white coat, but¡­ ¡°I see you are using a path a normal human could manage. You four really are perfectionists.¡± ¡°I am a diligent worker, after all. And I am the best of my brothers when it comes to improving physical ability.¡± Nijun raised and lowered his legs while taking the idea of ¡°running¡± to its extreme and he dashed along a narrow path between the stones. Charms were floating near the bases of both his legs. They were glowing a bluish-white and discharging some kind of lightning. ¡°These are divine travel charms. They increase the speed of one¡¯s legs. With these, I need not bother with your acrobatics. I can use the same path as a normal person¡­¡± He added a charm to each hand. ¡°And still catch up!¡± Several charms were floating all around his body, so it looked a lot like armor of acceleration. Sayama saw the man loudly kick off the ground and sprint. He instantly raced through the narrow mountain path, made each meandering turn on a single heel, and even quickly climbed up or down any chains prepared for hikers on that path. Whenever he changed direction, his body would break through a thin wall of water vapor. This produced a sound. The air roared in response to his acceleration. He was fast, but Sayama also twisted around. ¡°I see. Very interesting. But I want to make you try even harder.¡± Sayama kicked off the ground, but this time he leaped higher, stronger, and more downward than before. ¡°Let us see if you can keep up with the same level of speed I used against Hiba-sensei.¡± ¡°Ha ha. It is an honor to be treated on the level of 3rd¡¯s destroyer!¡± ¡°Yes, you are on the level of a mountain ape.¡± Sayama smiled slightly and let gravity pull him down for even longer. He fell. As he dropped down through the rocky forest, he spread out his arms to use his suit for speed adjustments and attitude control. The wind produced by his fall blew up from below. It felt like all the air stored in the depths of the planet was being thrown at him. ¡­Ha ha. He gave a laugh of joy in his heart. ¡°Are you having fun, Nijun-kun? Look, you¡¯re falling behind. You said you wanted to enjoy yourselves, but was that desire not enough to keep up with this world?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve said it now.¡± Nijun altered his posture. He had stood tall as he ran before, but now he leaned forward, bent his elbows at right angles, and swung his arms. This produced tremendous acceleration. He instantly broke through a wall of exploding water vapor and did not stop. He raced through the meandering path between the rocks so quickly it looked like time-lapse footage. ¡°Ohhh!¡± He let out a roar and did not let up on his acceleration even as a mist of overheating rose from his body. ¡°Continuation brings strength!!¡± Sayama heard that shout and saw Nijun charge down the mountain toward him. The man rotated his right arm. ¡°Sayama-sama! Prepare yourself! To be blunt, I might kill you!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. That is blunt indeed. I like it. But¡­¡± Sayama kicked at the ground just before Nijun caught up. ¡°I believe you will be seeing nothing but darkness.¡± With that, he leaped out into the darkness. He leaped down the steep slope spread out before his eyes. After Sayama leaped into the darkness ahead, Nijun entered the forest covering that steep slope. The forest continued, but this was a very steep spot midway up the mountain. Sticking a hand out to the side was enough to touch the ground. To someone running down from above, it was nearly a straight drop. However, Nijun saw his enemy in the darkness. That enemy showed no fear of the steep angle. As Nijun ran between the rocks, Sayama soared through the air about ten meters ahead. His dark blue clothing was hard to make out in the dark forest, so Nijun held a single charm in front of his eyes. ¡°A dark travel charm to assist my vision.¡± The charm glowed and grew transparent. It resembled a panel of glass and the outer edges shined a bluish-white. The charm remained fixed in front of his eyes and it showed the scene before him sans the darkness. He saw Sayama truly leaping through the air. The boy kicked off the rocks and kicked off the right or left cliff face to match the corners of the mountain path. Whenever the path moved sharply downwards, he would kick off an outcropping of the right or left cliff face from below, spin around in midair, and fall down along with the path. His movements resembled those of a snowboarder. His jumping technique transferred his falling speed into mobility and sent him on through the darkness. His vision would be no different from a normal person¡¯s, so there was only one way he could see through the darkness like this. ¡°Have you memorized this mountain?¡± Had he learned where to step while training in the mountain with Hiba Ryuutetsu? ¡­No. Nijun corrected himself. Sayama had been running like this ever since leaving Kinugasa¡¯s house. The boy knew the path all the way to that house he had only visited once. He was replaying his memories of the way up to tell him where to step on the reverse route back down. It was only natural that he had chosen to take the lead. If he had not, they would not have taken the path he knew. ¡°I see.¡± Nijun began to run even faster. The wind from behind could no longer keep up and a delayed surge of air appeared several meters behind him. The rocky ground behind him crumbled and was blown away, but he did not slow. He pursued Sayama as the boy spun about in midair on his falling pathway. He heard the boy laugh. Sayama kicked off a thick root on an almost perfectly vertical portion of the left slope and he turned toward Nijun. ¡°That is a nice pace, Nijun-kun.¡± Nijun did not reply. He no longer wasted any of his breath on a conversation. ¡°¡­!¡± He ran. He accurately slipped between boulders, did not skip a single one of the steps made from dirt covering tree roots, and focused entirely on running. He was catching up. Seeing a chance, he threw an open-hand jab toward Sayama¡¯s back. Sayama twisted in midair and avoided it. To respond, the boy prepared to throw his left fist. In that instant, Nijun activated his fixed concept. ¡ªOnly truth remains. Sayama¡¯s left arm stopped. Sayama had thrown his left arm to prepare for his real attack, but it stopped. He had not stopped it himself and it had not hit anything. The motion had simply stopped. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It is simple, Sayama-sama. My concept prevents the creation of any and all lies.¡± Sayama saw Nijun swing his right arm toward him. A charm flew from that hand and he clenched his fist. It was an acceleration charm, so the man¡¯s arm was wrapped in acceleration and seemed to shoot forward. The fist struck the arm Sayama had raised in defense. A tremendous sound filled the air. ¡°¡­!¡± Sayama was in midair, so he was blown backwards. ¡­He looks slender, but that was quite a powerful blow! Sayama flipped around as he flew and attempted to correct his position. However, Nijun caught up to him, so he tried to swing his body leftward and away. ¡°¡­¡± He could not move, but Nijun laughed as if that motionless was perfectly normal. ¡°Ha ha. You cannot make any feints in this world. All fakes, tricks, and deceptions are made impossible! ¡­This should be a fatal blow to your favorite tactics.¡± Nijun threw his fist and Sayama guarded. The man¡¯s right fist hit the center of his crossed arms, but he could not stop the force of the blow and his arms struck his chest. His breastbone creaked and his entire body flew backwards a moment later. As he trembled from the impact, Sayama saw Nijun continue to move. The man sent an acceleration charm to his right elbow and quickly raised his right arm once more. He sent out another charm and approached for a re-accelerated strike. The charm activated, the used charms scattered like feathers, and he pursued Sayama. ¡°¡­!¡± He sent a chain of attacks. Charm after charm flew and impact after impact reached the boy in midair. The fifth hit knocked his guarding arms upwards, the seventh struck his chest, and the eighth drove into his gut. ¡­! He felt the crushing of his flesh and the creaking of his bones. A light appeared from his chest. It was the blue philosopher¡¯s stone pendant that the development department had given him for defense. However¡­ ¡°How impudent.¡± Nijun reached out his right hand and tore the pendant¡¯s chain. Just as the blue vanished into the darkness, Sayama began to move. He reached out both arms and wrapped them around the right arm Nijun had used to grab the pendant. He instantly stretched his hands to the man¡¯s shoulder and chest. He grabbed hold of the man with one hand deep inside the white coat. ¡°Success!¡± But despite Sayama¡¯s shout, Nijun forcibly tore him away. That eliminated the connection between them, and¡­ ¡°¡­!!¡± Sayama swung his right leg through the air. This was the beginning of a real kick and not a feint. Nijun leaped and quickly pulled back his right leg for a straight kick in response. His counterattack could easily rupture an internal organ if it hit. The attacks flew and Nijun¡¯s was faster. However¡­ ¡°Well done!¡± Sayama continued swinging his right leg regardless and his kick flew toward its intended target. That target was the rapidly approaching sole of Nijun¡¯s shoe. It hit. Nijun felt his vision waver. The visual footage from his eyes told him his speed had slowed slightly. This was due to an accurate kick to the sole of his right foot as he kicked it straight out. ¡°¡­Kh.¡± As he finished his kick, he realized that very kick had launched Sayama far from him. ¡­Damn! Sayama had not used a feint. From the very beginning, he had intended to jump back by kicking off of Nijun¡¯s kick. Mistaking it for an attack and kicking back instead of ignoring it had been Nijun¡¯s error. ¡­That was because we had just finished exchanging attacks. He had assumed there would be no feints or lies. But attack had not been Sayama¡¯s only option. Nijun had been outdone under the effects of his own concept. Soon, Sayama was five meters away in the darkness. However, there was a hole beyond the darkness the boy had jumped into. The forest ended and that hole gave a view of the night sky and a path up to a ridge. The ridge was a water divide. Both sides of the steep slope had been worn away and a stony path only wide enough for one person continued for about fifteen meters. The ridge was sloped downwards, but the angle was very shallow. Another forest awaited beyond the ridge. Nijun realized that Sayama could not build up his speed along that fifteen meter tightrope of rock. To ensure he did not sprain his ankle when he landed, he would need to slow down before leaving the forest. ¡­If I catch up to him there, I can make up for kicking him away! If he collided with Sayama once the boy slowed down, even an open-hand jab could pierce through his body. Knowing his victory was assured, Nijun spoke aloud to the boy in the air ahead of him. ¡°Prepare yourself!¡± He threw a flying kick toward Sayama¡¯s back. However, Nijun saw something other than the boy¡¯s back up ahead. He saw empty air. ¡°He dodged it!?¡± Where is he? he wondered before finding his target in an instant. He was up and to the left. Sayama had kicked off the slope, flipped around, and arrived far above Nijun¡¯s head. Was he trying to leap all the way across those fifteen meters? ¡°What?¡± He just about asked how that was possible, but the boy¡¯s movements stopped him. Sayama maintained his momentum as he ran up the left side of the cliff and kicked forcefully off the highest point. ¡°We have arrived in my home ground now. Yes. I would always come down from above and this water divide is where Hiba-sensei would catch up and throw me off the cliff.¡± So¡­ ¡°I developed a means of jumping over this water divide while watching my mountain ape teacher down below.¡± Sayama leaped as he spoke. He used all of his accumulated acceleration and all of his strength to leap from the top of the eight meter cliff, cross the water divide, and reach the forest on the other side. ¡°During the day, the wind up here is too strong to make a stable jump, but I should be able to make a decent flight during the night. ¡­I thank you for giving me this fun opportunity, Nijun-kun.¡± Nijun ran out below the night sky as he listened to Sayama. He used all of his jumping strength to soar high in a flying kick pose, but it was still too low. He would never reach the boy in a suit soaring overhead. ¡°Are you having fun, Nijun-kun?¡± Sayama spread his arms as if to cover the night sky and his suit coat spread out in the air. He swung his arms like a symphony conductor, swayed his body, and used the slight wind for attitude control. Nijun clenched his teeth. ¡°I,¡± he began with a tremor in his voice. ¡°I am so jealous.¡± ¡°Yearning for something is a truly enjoyable thing, Nijun-kun. ¡­As is being yearned for.¡± Nijun landed before he could respond. He was in the center of the water divide. A great impact reached his legs as they slammed into the rock and sent stone fragments flying, but 7th-Gear¡¯s combat life forms were made sturdily enough to survive falling from the sky. He would not break from this. A moment later, he leaned forward and accelerated. He ran straight across the water divide. As he ran, he felt mocked. The boy had taken the lead this entire time, had taken advantage of his fixed concept, and was now flying by overhead to avoid him. So¡­ ¡°This isn¡¯t over!!¡± Nijun ran. Just as he was about to reach the forest past the water divide, he finally caught up to Sayama who leaped overhead. Sayama¡¯s trajectory would take him about five meters into the forest and he likely intended to kick off the rocky area there to begin his acceleration anew. Nijun raced forward to arrive ahead of the boy and launch a counterattack. He knew this would settle the battle. His heart cried that it was over. ¡­Is it over already? To be honest, this ending disappointed him. He had used his full speed and had his fixed concept used against him, but it annoyed him to say that he had never actually been in any danger. He wanted to use his full strength and yet lose. He did want to give this world the Concept Core. He had seen this world with Chao and his brothers in the approximately sixty years since his birth and he did have a general desire to hand it over. He had enjoyed his life, but it seemed that was far from what the people of 7th-Gear had desired. For those people who had become gods by perfecting mankind, anything normal or average was nothing new. They had been the greatest and ultimate human race. They had fundamentally surpassed all others in martial arts, physical durability, and speed. Their lives would never be in any danger even without using any concepts. That was why they felt no despair. If they despaired anything it was having Nijun¡¯s body destroyed for nothing. It was having the Concept Core destroyed without accepting this world as entertaining. That time was drawing near. He had been aging regardless, but the burden of all the powerful charms he had used this night was accelerating the strain in his body. ¡­I beg you. Nijun silently pleaded to Sayama as he ran and leaped through the forest. ¡­Give us a meaningful ending. ¡°We want to know that our power is not enough in this world.¡± That was their desire. ¡°That is the sort of world 7th-Gear yearns for!¡± He leaped into the darkness of the forest as if leaving his words behind. He switched from running to leaping in order to reach Sayama¡¯s landing point. His goal was a flat rocky area at the base of a tree facing a cliff. He landed in an instant. His legs absorbed the shock and he took a step. He turned toward Sayama who was now approaching from behind. He had one chance and that chance was this very instant. He would launch a counterattack on Sayama who flew this way to kick off the rocky area. The boy soared through the air with his suit coat spread out behind him. He had already passed below the tree branches on his way down, so he could not grab a branch to throw off the timing of Nijun¡¯s attack. Nijun had a single possible attack: a reverse roundhouse kick thrown as he turned around. ¡°¡­!!¡± He rotated his right leg backwards, raised the heel, and swung it like a log. He used a charm to accelerate this reverse roundhouse kick. If it hit, inertia would bend Sayama¡¯s body around it and rupture his organs. He sent his strength racing toward the falling boy and his right leg soared through the air. ¡°¡­?¡± But that was all. His rotating leg cut through empty air and turned him back around. The strike had not hit Sayama. Why? he wondered, but he found his answer when he looked over his shoulder. He saw Sayama, but the boy was not standing right in front of him or standing on the ground. For some reason, he was standing motionless in midair. Sayama looked down at Nijun from midair. After the roundhouse kick, the man was wide open. ¡°You were too low to grab a branch, so how?¡± The answer was simple. Sayama showed off his raised left hand. The hand held something in the darkness. It was a rope. The old rope dangled down with the end in tatters. This was the rope he had once used to hang Hiba Ryuutetsu. However, simply grabbing that rope could not have stopped him. Either his grip would have lost to inertia and it would have slipped from his grasp or the old rope would have snapped. But Nijun seemed to have realized what Sayama¡¯s answer was. ¡°You used that rope to make a feint?¡± he asked blankly. ¡°Yes,¡± confirmed Sayama, satisfied that the man had given a good answer. ¡°The feint was stopped, so I stopped as well. I once hung Hiba-sensei with this rope, but it proved surprisingly useful. I am glad I checked on it on the way up.¡± He stood in midair holding the rope and he tilted his head while looking down at Nijun. ¡°What a curious concept,¡± he began. ¡°What just happened here? Did I make a feint or was my feint stopped? Perhaps this is what you call a paradox. Regardless, I was lucky that it acted in my favor.¡± With that, he swung his body and let go of the rope. He jumped down. He landed on the rocky area directly in front of Nijun. They were within arm¡¯s reach of each other. As soon as he landed, Nijun took action. He must not have had time to activate a charm because he began a left roundhouse kick from the pose his reverse roundhouse kick had left him in. As he did, Sayama sank down low and muttered something. ¡°Too slow, Nijun-kun.¡± The boy spread his suit coat and Nijun shouted the name of what surrounded the edges of his exposed vest. ¡°Acceleration charms!?¡± Inside the suit, the charms Nijun had been using glowed and floated on the back of the waist and the sides. ¡°But how!?¡± ¡°Oh, that one is easy.¡± What a pain, thought Sayama as he answered and sent the bottom of his suit fluttering behind him. ¡°Lies do not work in this space, correct? So I blatantly picked your pocket when grabbing at your arms. I even gave a clear announcement of my success.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Nijun¡¯s eyes opened wide in surprise, but he had clearly not trained enough if this was enough to shock him. How about I give him some training right now? thought Sayama as he sent his body toward the man at high speed. ¡°Listen.¡± He swung his right fist and struck Nijun¡¯s gut. Without stopping the impact or acceleration and without stopping Nijun¡¯s body from rising into the air, Sayama stepped forward. ¡°Nijun-kun, you do not trust me enough. That is why you have failed. ¡­It is truly regrettable. So to deepen our understanding of each other, how about we have some fun together?¡± With that, Sayama grabbed Nijun and leaped into the empty air behind him. He jumped straight off the cliff. ¡°Sayama-sama!?¡± ¡°Is something the matter?¡± He casually replied in the empty night air, kicked Nijun downwards, and looked in that same direction. A ravine lay below. It was at least a few dozen meters deep and it was too dark to see the bottom. Nijun fell face up along the cliff face and Sayama slammed both his feet down on the man¡¯s stomach. He jabbed his heels into the man, pressed down, lowered his hips, and spoke. ¡°Nijun-kun. There are three kinds of fun I have never had a chance to do in these mountains.¡± Their falling speed increased, the cliff face raced upwards beside them, and they fell into a space the moonlight barely reached. As they fell, Sayama held Nijun down with his feet and raised three fingers on his left hand. ¡°First, I have never played a multiplayer handheld game with Shinjou-kun in the mountains.¡± As for the second¡­ ¡°I have never played shiritori with Shinjou-kun in the mountains. He continued on to the third. ¡°And the third, Nijun-kun? I have never surfed in the mountains.¡± The instant he finished speaking, Nijun¡¯s upside-down form slammed into the cliff face. ¡°¡­!!¡± Sayama rode on Nijun as they fell down the cliff face. His body tried to bounce off the rock, but Sayama held him down with his heels and forced him to slalom. The boy surfed down the cliff face and he shouted into the darkness down below that was now straight ahead. ¡°Ha ha ha. No wave is bigger than this. ¡­Well? Are you having fun now!?¡± He raised his voice. ¡°Answer me! I am trying to provide entertainment!¡± Nijun thought as his back slid down the cliff face. ¡­My concept is no use here. He held his breath and bounced up off the rock. ¡­My strength and techniques are of no help. He was pressed back against the cliff and he was surfed on. ¡­My body will not last much longer. He would likely be destroyed before reaching the bottom of the ravine. In that case, he had to make up his mind now. And so he moved. He squeezed out the very last of his strength and tried to resist. ¡°Sayama-sama! I cannot let you enjoy this more than me!¡± He forced his body up and kicked off the cliff face. He pushed Sayama up and toward the cliff and threw himself down toward the empty ravine. They instantly moved five meters apart and that gap slowly continued to grow. ¡°Ha ha! How about that!? You can¡¯t keep it up from this far away!!¡± Nijun saw Sayama place his feet on the cliff face and begin to run down. But Nijun spoke to the boy who had outdone everything he had. ¡°I am the one that will determine my end! I will outdo you here!! You may have twisted everything in your favor as Team Leviathan¡¯s negotiator, but I will outdo you in the end!¡± Nijun brought a hand to his neck. He pulled back a hand for a karate chop and prepared to bring about his own end. This was his way of outdoing Sayama. But would this ending send the Concept Core to Low-Gear? ¡­Will I be satisfied with an end that ruins Sayama-sama¡¯s plans? Once he finished thinking, he heard a voice. Sayama¡¯s clear voice reached him from above. ¡°Are you sure that will not be a lie if you say it again?¡± Nijun tried to respond by saying he was having fun. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡± He found himself unable to speak in this space of no lies. And he heard Sayama speak instead. ¡°Okay,¡± the boy began. ¡°I will be right there to finish this.¡± Impossible, thought Nijun. He can¡¯t reach me even if he jumps now. But he heard Sayama continue to speak as they both fell. He began with a question. ¡°How about I sum up the situation, Nijun-kun?¡± The man listened to him. ¡°You were lying about trying to kill yourself, weren¡¯t you?¡± And¡­ ¡°You wanted me to let down my guard. Then when I approached you, you would use your other hand to cut me down. That was the truth here, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Nijun realized what Sayama was doing, so he opened his mouth. He hesitated but managed a loud voice. ¡°You saw straight through me!! This suicide attempt was a feint!¡± A moment later, his body stopped for just an instant as he fell a bit away from the cliff face. His momentum from jumping away was gone, so he simply fell. The feint disguised as suicide had been rejected. The very next moment, he saw Sayama fall from above while surrounded by new acceleration charms. He twisted his body and sent his right leg toward the man¡¯s chest. Nijun prepared his hand to strike back and make his previous statement the truth. ¡­Is this the end? ¡°Ah,¡± he muttered. ¡°Such fun!!¡± With that shout, he fell into the darkness and swung a rapid karate chop toward Sayama. At the same time, he remembered what Sayama had said before plunging into the depths of the forest. ¡­You will be seeing nothing but darkness. He laughed in his heart. It was a loud laugh and he hoped that it would reach his brothers. He laughed louder and louder. He had never stood a chance from the very beginning. And so he spoke from his heart. ¡°This world is what I have yearned for!!¡± As his shout came to an end, their attacks crossed and his entire being fell into darkness. Volume 11, 24: Resumed Reunion Volume 11, Chapter 24: Resumed Reunion Why? You ask A sloped road ran between a cement-covered slope and a row of dark houses. The road was lit by scattered streetlights and someone ran down that road. It was Shinjou with her long black hair swaying behind her and her backpack bouncing up and down on her back. The sound of her shoes on the ground was light and some hesitation would occasionally show itself in her pace. She stumbled a little and smiled bitterly. ¡°Am I too worried?¡± Not long had passed since she had collapsed and passed out in the orphanage cafeteria. She had woken in the infirmary, changed clothes, and received a variety of things from the director. Afterwards, she had been overcome by weariness. She had known she could not, but she had given in to the exhaustion, slept, and found it was 9:30 when she woke. The bullet train had already left, but the bleeding had stopped and she knew she could move. She had asked the director to check the train schedule and had learned the next train to Tokyo was a 10:22 sleeper train from Shin-Osaka Station. She had called and learned that train was full, but another one with an opening was leaving Osaka Station at midnight. After asking for a reservation on that train, she had left the orphanage. She had said goodbye to the director, called to thank the woman at the church who had helped her, and even remembered to call Sibyl and Hiba at UCAT to tell them she would not be back until the following morning. When leaving the orphanage, she had made a promise that she intended to keep. ¡°I¡¯ll come back to visit sometime.¡± She wanted to visit again soon. That was partially to see the documents she had not managed to see today, but¡­ ¡­What will Sayama-kun say when he finds out? Sayama¡¯s father had also been an orphan who was taken in by his grandfather. She guessed Sayama¡¯s grandfather had owned orphanages like this one across Japan. ¡­For the children who lost their parents in the war, in the Concept War, or during post-war retribution. As she walked, she looked down at the white plastic bag in her left hand. It contained the sweets the director had given her. They were meant to serve the guests at the orphanage¡¯s cultural festival in November, but the woman had said it would be wrong not to give her anything. ¡°Sakai¡¯s famous ¡®Xavier Watches Over Us¡¯.¡± The box had a picture of sweets shaped in a realistic depiction of a saint. She felt like it was looking at her, so she looked away and noticed the IAI logo on the corner of the box. ¡­What is that company doing? But then she took a breath. ¡°Heh heh.¡± A laugh escaped her lips. ¡­What will Sayama-kun say?¡± When she told him she had found her mother and that her girl side was working now¡­ ¡°Will he rejoice and praise me?¡± But then doubt filled her expression and her shoulders drooped. ¡°I¡¯m sure something bad will happen. He¡¯ll probably want to make a poster or body pillow to commemorate the occasion.¡± It¡¯s possible he¡¯s already made that kind of thing, she thought. He¡¯s probably outdone anything a normal person could imagine. ¡°But,¡± she said while bringing her right hand to her cheek. ¡°If my actual body is working, he won¡¯t have to rely on weird, perverted replicas.¡± Her imagination continued from there, but her face grew red and she sped up. To distract herself from her own imagining of the future, she recalled a certain fact. Sayama had given her an envelope. ¡°He said he wanted me to read the letter once I found my past, didn¡¯t he?¡± She reached into her bag and quickly managed to pull out the envelope. Still walking, she returned the bag to her back and opened the envelope while listening to the rustling of the plastic bag in her left hand. She pulled out the first of two white pieces of stationery. She unfolded it and read the beginning of the text. ¡°Dear Shinjou-kun. Ahh, you are as stimulating as the ripples covering the sea at night.¡± She thought for a moment and skipped past the first page without reading it. But after another moment, she sighed. ¡°I guess that¡¯s being a little insincere.¡± His intentions were good and she enjoyed this taste of his idiosyncrasies after so long. More importantly, she was in a good mood after what had happened today. So how about I read it? she decided while looking back down at the text. ¡°Your smile is like a morning cup of coffee. It is a little surprising, it is not sweet, and yet it is so charming and ¨C perhaps due to the caffeine ¨C makes my heart race. In fact, I am having difficulty restraining myself. Ahh, I want to fill you with cream. Are you excited? There is no stopping it now-¡­¡± That¡¯s it. I¡¯m stopping. No, I¡¯ll read it, but I won¡¯t expect anything from it this time. It¡¯s probably going to be something crazy. ¡­And when did he write this anyway? We¡¯re always together. She nodded, picked up the second page, and lowered her gaze to it. ¡°Now, let us bring an end to the complicated part. No, perhaps a little more.¡± About three lines of nonsense punctuated with exclamation marks followed, but she skipped past it. That left only about fifteen lines. ¡­Why didn¡¯t he just write this part first? As she wondered that, she read the text. ¡°First, I will tell you something that has been bothering me, Shinjou-kun. There is a possible connection between my family and the Army.¡± ¡­Eh? Before that question even formed in her mind, she had started reading on. ¡°My mother¡¯s family apparently ran a store that sold set lunches. It was located in what is now an empty lot behind the Tamiya house.¡± But¡­ ¡°Soon after entering Taka-Akita Academy, her parents were murdered. The criminal was supposedly never caught, but both of my parents said the issue had been ¡®settled¡¯. Could we perhaps speculate that my mother¡¯s parents were also involved with UCAT and the organization that preceded the Army targeted them? And could the same be said about Shinjou Yukio¡¯s parents?¡± She had never heard this about his mother and she had a guess as to why he had chosen to inform her with this letter. ¡­If he told me directly, it would worry me. I¡¯ll assume that¡¯s why, she decided. Meanwhile, his opinion on her mother was the same thing she had felt while looking at the documents in the orphanage. She continued reading the letter. ¡°My father apparently lived in an orphanage with a connection to my grandfather. That old man must have wanted to raise more underlings for himself because he owned a few orphanages and hid that fact from me. It would seem the rights to them were left with the old man back at UCAT and he is also hiding it from me, but I had an inkling of the truth after years of living as that ape¡¯s grandson. According to my grandfather, he adopted my father because, ¡®he was full of himself, stupid, and selfish, so I knew I had to set him straight.¡¯ To me, it always sounded like he was describing himself. ¡°But what about Shinjou Kaname¡¯s granddaughter? Who arranged to have her sent to an orphanage and who controlled that orphanage? My grandfather would not leave his friend¡¯s grandchild just anywhere. ¡­Although I am sure you have already found that answer.¡± After reading that far, Shinjou realized most of this information matched what she had discovered. However, she had a question about it that also applied to the information about her own mother. ¡­Is this information really all that important? She knew it was important to Sayama since the past brought him so much pain and she knew she needed to share that pain with him. But as pure information, how important were the contents of this letter? ¡°¡­?¡± She tilted her head and continued reading. ¡°There may be a connection between our parents. And if so, that leaves a certain mystery. First, let us assume my mother¡¯s parents were killed by the Army¡¯s predecessor. We do know my parents were part of UCAT and Toda Mikoku of the Army told us yours were as well. In that case¡­¡± She read the next line. ¡°My mother¡¯s maiden name was Toda.¡± ¡°!?¡± She wrinkled her brow in a frown and her thoughts matched the next line Sayama had written. ¡°What does that mean?¡± That was exactly her question. ¡°Shinjou-kun, my mother fought against the Army, so why does a girl in the Army have her family name and why does she know you? It could be a coincidence and there are still some unknowns, but I will write my current answer in invisible ink.¡± She noticed a circle around a blank area on the bottom left of the letter. An arrow pointing to the circle said ¡°Place your lips here and say ¡®Come forth, oh answer¡¯.¡± Why go to so much trouble? she thought. He¡¯s included another weird concept, hasn¡¯t he? But she did want to know his answer, so she silently placed her lips on the letter. ¡°Come forth, oh answer.¡± She looked back at the paper, but¡­ ¡°Nothing¡¯s appearing?¡± When she tilted her head and stared at the paper, she noticed small writing along the left edge. ¡°Ha ha ha. I tricked you, Shinjou-kun. That circle only contained a kiss of my own. I still cannot find an answer, so I gave you an indirect kiss of apology. Good night, Shinjou-kun, and sweet dreams.¡± ¡°Good night and goodbye!!¡± She threw the letter down to the ground, but quickly picked it back up. After an annoyed sigh, she realized she had stopped walking. ¡°Ah.¡± She frantically began moving her legs again. She put the letter back in her bag, muttered ¡°Honestly, Sayama-kun¡±, and thought about the mystery he had given her. ¡­What does it mean that his mother and Mikoku-san have the same family name? But something interrupted her thoughts. ¡°Oh, Shinjou-san. Wait.¡± For some reason, she heard Hiba¡¯s voice from the right. However, she had just spoken to him over the phone, so he could not possibly be here. She had to be imagining things. ¡­But why I am hearing Mikage-san¡¯s stalker instead of Sayama-kun? Her thoughts were interrupted again. ¡°Wait, wait. It¡¯s me, it¡¯s me.¡± Like a true stalker, even an illusion of his voice refused to go away. She waved a hand to the right and hurried down the slope. ¡°U-um, Shinjou-san!?¡± A visual illusion of Hiba appeared in front of her, so she threw a backhand blow with her right fist. The illusionary strike hit, she heard an illusionary sound, she felt an illusionary impact, and the illusion gave an illusionary scream and illusionarily rolled around on the ground. What a persistent illusion. But this should bring it to its illusionary end, she thought as she began to walk again. That was when she heard Mikage¡¯s voice from the left. ¡°Shinjou.¡± ¡°Eh? Mikage-san? Why are you here?¡± She turned to the left and saw the girl wearing her armored uniform. Mikage gently brushed aside her hair in the moonlight. ¡°To come get you since you said you can¡¯t ride the bulletin train.¡± ¡°Bulletin? Oh, you mean the bullet train. But, um, what do you mean you came to get me?¡± ¡°We used Susamikado, but the address was hard to find and it slowed us down.¡± Even if it had ¡°slowed them down¡±, not even twenty minutes had passed since the phone call. However, Shinjou recalled something from about a month before. During the battle with 5th-Gear¡¯s Black Sun, Gyes¡¯s god of war had taken them from Izumo to Okutama in less than an hour. Gyes¡¯s god of war did not have a specialized propulsion device for aerial movement, so¡­ ¡°Susamikado would be able to travel even faster¡­¡± ¡°Right. Sorry. We happened to spot you while we were wandering around overhead.¡± Mikage held out a hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Eh? Are you sure? And why come get me all of a sudden? I can get back on my own.¡± ¡°I had a dream of Ryuuji-kun¡¯s father and the others fighting. But all of the people he was fighting with are gone now¡­¡± She remained expressionless as she spoke. ¡°I started wondering if we would lose each other someday.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shinjou was speechless, but Mikage continued with her hand still held out. ¡°So I thought it would be better if we weren¡¯t teammates. If we might lose each other, it would be easier if we never had each other in the first place.¡± Mikage smiled. ¡°But you¡¯re working hard, aren¡¯t you? And so are Sayama, Heo, and the others. ¡­I want to work at it too. That way I can become a better and better person even after my evolution ends. So¡­so let¡¯s gather together. If I can still get even better after my evolution ends, then Susamikado can get even better too.¡± She took a breath. ¡°So I won¡¯t let Kazami be like that. I won¡¯t let anyone ruin all of her work¡­and I won¡¯t let us lose each other.¡± Shinjou reflexively took Mikage¡¯s hand when she heard that. Strength gathered in her eyebrows and she returned Mikage¡¯s still gaze. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± She knew there were people she could never meet, but she still squeezed the fingers holding Mikage¡¯s hand. This must be my answer to Team Leviathan disbanding, she thought while also thinking of her mother. ¡°You really are right. We haven¡¯t lost each other yet, so it isn¡¯t too late. So¡­so let¡¯s go gather together to make each other stronger.¡± If they could do that¡­ ¡°We can get stronger and stronger!¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Mikage with a squeeze back. Shinjou realized she wanted to speak with Kazami. She knew Sayama had not really meant it when he had told Kazami they were disbanding. He had not been telling her to leave Team Leviathan. ¡­Please realize that. The rest of them had a part of their past supporting their involvement in the Leviathan Road and Kazami had to have something similar. What was it that made her want to fight? Shinjou knew Kazami had worked so hard on those deadly battlefields despite being a normal person and she knew Kazami always scolded them and tried to lead them so they would not give up. When Shinjou and Sayama had first met, it had been Kazami who had saved them from the werewolf. Kazami had worried over the death her shot had led to, but she had never let it show. ¡­I know that she belongs on Team Leviathan. So¡­ ¡­Find your reason for being with me. Shinjou nodded, but then realized something. ¡°Huh? Where¡¯s Ryuuji-kun?¡± ¡°Sleeping over there.¡± She looked in the indicated spot and found the collapsed illusion. It had yet to get up. ¡°Reality can be harsh.¡± Mikage tilted her head as if she did not understand. A girl moved quickly through a white hallway. A small creature sat on her short blonde hair and she wore an orange flight jacket over a dark blue school uniform. The chest of the jacket swayed as she walked and it contained the name Heo Thunderson. Her footsteps were light as she passed the nurse station on her way to a hospital room. The young nurse inside lowered her head, took a bite of a chocolate snack called a Strawbcookie, and spoke. ¡°Do your best with him.¡± She held up her right arm in a triumphant pose. Heo had been raised in the United States, so she was not quite sure what the gesture meant in relation to doing her best with Harakawa. She gave up on understanding and simply took it as support. ¡°Y-yes. I¡¯ll do what I can.¡± ¡°If anything comes of it, we¡¯ll take care of you here.¡± Wait, I think I do know what she means, realized Heo as she hurried back to the hospital room. She knew she could not run, but she could not let the drinks Harakawa had asked for get cold. ¡­I need to hurry without rushing. It seemed Harakawa¡¯s mother, Yui, was stable now. Ooki had told Heo the woman had collapsed, but Harakawa had not contacted her. She had wanted to contact him, but she had not worked up the courage. She had been afraid he would tell her not to come with him. After some hesitation, she had made her way here, but it had taken about two hours by train and foot. It had been past eight by the time she had arrived and Harakawa had been in the hospital room. He had briefly explained Yui¡¯s condition and said this happened all the time. He had said nothing more and Yui had continued sleeping. Heo and Harakawa had remained in silence until past nine when Harakawa had handed over his wallet. Now, Heo was walking down the hallway with drinks. Having something to do had calmed her heart a little. At the very least, it was far better than sitting in silence while thinking about the fact that she had come uninvited. She reached the room with the cans clanking together in her arms. She heard someone speak from inside and focused on it, assuming it was Harakawa. ¡°Heo-san. Hurry on in while he¡¯s using the bathroom.¡± It was Yui¡¯s voice and it was surprisingly steady. Didn¡¯t she collapse? thought Heo while walking through the door. She prepared to say ¡°You¡¯re feeling better, aren¡¯t you?¡±, but¡­ ¡°¡­¡± She swallowed the words when she saw the color red. The color Heo saw was small. It was nothing more than a red stain on the handkerchief Yui held over her mouth. However, it stood out in the white hospital room filled with white light. Heo quickly ran over and prepared to say something, but Yui stopped her with a hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I only coughed up what was left in my throat.¡± ¡°B-but!¡± The woman forced down Heo¡¯s panic with a smile and a nod. She then held out a hand. ¡°More importantly, could I have something to drink? My mouth still tastes like salt and iron, so I don¡¯t want to talk much.¡± Heo tensed her shoulders and hesitated, but she opened a can and held it out. ¡°I bought Maximum Coffee¡¯s tea flavor like Harakawa asked¡­¡± Yui first tossed the bloody handkerchief in the trashcan to the side of the bed. Next, she drank the contents of the can with some blood still on her lips. It almost looked like she was simply pouring the can into her mouth and she consumed about half of it. ¡°Kwaah! Now, that was good. ¡­Oh, sorry. Did I scare you?¡± When she smiled, she was back to her normal self. Relieved, Heo tensed her shoulders and shook her head. She then sat on the bedside stool Yui gestured to. She set the two remaining cans on the side table and realized something. ¡°Wait. Is this why he asked me to buy three drinks?¡± ¡°You really are slow, Heo-san. Heh heh. That boy knew I had woken up. He probably wanted to force the troublesome part onto someone else.¡± She sighed and leaned back against her pillow. ¡°You want to hear about my condition, don¡¯t you? To make up for how rude he was, I¡¯ll tell you some extra things he doesn¡¯t know about. For example¡­¡± Yui slowly brushed aside the hair on her shoulders. ¡°My illness was caused by the secondary damages of the Great Kansai Earthquake. ¡­Officially, at least.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Surprised? I¡¯m glad. Dan always looks so displeased when I mention my illness, so I never tell him much about it. But I think it¡¯s about time I told you some things.¡± She reached for the window and cracked it open. The cold night wind slowly entered the room. She exhaled into that fresh air and faced Heo. Her narrow eyes were smiling. ¡°Are you going to make an old woman drink alone?¡± ¡°Oh, um, no.¡± The can Heo grabbed was an IAI carbonated nectar called Nectar Pepper. She liked its odd flavor, but everyone at school had said she had strange tastes when she said she liked it. She did not know what kind of jokes the people at UCAT would make, so she had yet to come out about that there. While she enjoyed the odd flavor, Yui looked at the can. ¡°You are a unique girl, Heo.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry for making you choose your words so carefully.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Letting your unique side out like that is much better than that boy who is always trying to crush that side of himself. How about you become my child?¡± Heo shrank down and shook her head and Yui smiled bitterly. ¡°Yes¡­you¡¯re right. Deciding that for myself would be wrong to Maria.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Heo quickly turned around when she heard her mother¡¯s name and she saw Yui¡¯s spread palm. It avoided Baku and brushed through her hair. The woman rubbed her head and spoke from beyond the ticklishness. ¡°My illness isn¡¯t much. ¡­It¡¯s just that my organs will fail. Do you understand what I mean?¡± Heo thought about the question while the woman rubbed her head. ¡°You mean your organs switch between failing and working?¡± ¡°Yes, but the timing is unstable. So if I¡¯m too active, it could lead to damage that would affect them even when they aren¡¯t failing. That¡¯s why I¡¯m in the hospital.¡± She kept her hand moving as she spoke. ¡°I won¡¯t get any worse, but I won¡¯t get better either.¡± ¡°It¡­can¡¯t be cured?¡± ¡°No, it can¡¯t.¡± Yui sounded cheerful. ¡°And even if it could be, then you and that boy would stop worrying for me.¡± ¡°But,¡± started Heo before looking at Yui¡¯s face and stopping. She had seen the small smile on the woman¡¯s face. It was her usual smile. ¡°Let¡¯s just leave it at that. ¡­Also, there¡¯s one other person with this same illness. Do you know who that is? He has white hair and¡­I guess he¡¯d be middle-aged now. The needle was pointed more in the negative direction for him, so his condition only gets worse and worse.¡± She did know who that was. She knew him as the man who rarely made an appearance despite being Team Leviathan¡¯s supervisor. If he had the same illness as Yui and his case was even worse¡­ ¡°Wh-why?¡± She grabbed Yui¡¯s hand and looked straight at the woman¡¯s smiling face. ¡°What kind of battle happened on the night of the Great Kansai Earthquake? What kind of battle left you and him like this and killed my father?¡± ¡°Why do you want to know that?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± She had nothing to hesitate about and the words came out before she could even think about what to say. ¡°Because I¡¯m where I am now because of that battle.¡± Heo spoke aloud what she had been wondering about lately. ¡°Team Leviathan disbanded and I was told to learn about the past if I wanted to know why. But when I investigated the past, I found I didn¡¯t know much of anything. So many pieces are missing. ¡­But I know one thing for sure: everything that happened led to me being here.¡± She took in a breath. She left this to her thoughts and her moving mouth and she relied on the nod Yui gave her. ¡°I am happy that I can be with the others, but I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m here. ¡­My mom protected me from Black Sun, my great-grandfather fought, and Black Sun made a mistake for his people, but what did my parents do?¡± ¡°Heo-san?¡± Her head had started to drop, so she raised it. She saw Yui slowly look outside the window. ¡°I¡¯m not very good at talking with people anymore, am I? ¡­That¡¯s because my friend said she didn¡¯t like someone who talked too much.¡± Heo followed Yui¡¯s gaze and saw something white sitting on the windowsill. It had flown inside and landed. ¡°That¡¯s one of the cranes my teacher makes with origami.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to see Diana is doing well. And here I was hoping to earn some points with my son¡¯s future wife.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Heo blushed and Yui turned back toward her and took a sip from her drink can. ¡°Is Dan important to you?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± The woman rubbed her head. ¡°Do you want to be with him?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± She rubbed her head again. ¡°What will you do if the two of you have a child?¡± Heo could not just say ¡°yes¡± to this one, so she thought about it. ¡­What does she mean? Was it a simple question? Yui had just mentioned ¡°earning points¡±, so Heo felt she should give the best answer she could and she wanted a reliable answer that would put the sick woman at ease. ¡­Um, uh, uh¡­ ¡°F-first I would get insurance and then I would pay into an annuity! And I would buy a house and I would save up money in the bank!¡± ¡°Calm down, Heo.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Heo felt dejected and Yui gave a troubled smile. ¡°This may be hard to imagine, but what if there was a battle that could destroy the world? And what if you had an important family at the time?¡± ¡°I would want to protect that family.¡± ¡°Now, what if you were one of the people who could fight in that battle?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I think the answer you want lies there, so try thinking about it.¡± Heo could not reply. After all, she was simply imagining. She had no family, so she could not answer a question based on that assumption. However, Yui rubbed her head again and Heo trembled. ¡°Wh-why? I didn¡¯t answer you.¡± ¡°This is because you didn¡¯t answer. Reflexively saying you would fight sounds cool and makes it look like you understand what that means¡­but it takes this all too lightly.¡± She heard Yui¡¯s voice from beyond her hand. ¡°We all hesitated back then, but we went in the end. If you easily gave an answer, it would mean all our worry was for nothing. So it¡¯s okay if you aren¡¯t sure yet, Heo.¡± ¡°O-okay.¡± After another rub of her head, she was asked another question. ¡°But are you not getting along with Dan? The two of you were being so quiet.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡­ I came here today without telling him.¡± ¡°Did he say anything about it?¡± ¡°No.¡± She gave a nervous shake of her head and she saw Yui smile and nod. ¡°Then you¡¯re fine. He didn¡¯t leave the room, right? That means he knew you would come even if he didn¡¯t call for you. He thinks that¡¯s normal and doesn¡¯t see a problem with it. And regardless, you are still by his side. ¡­Are you going to eat dinner after this?¡± ¡°Y-yes. And after dinner, I¡­um¡­think I¡¯ll have him massage my chest.¡± The hand on her head stopped and the woman paused before speaking. ¡°You mean have him grope your breasts?¡± ¡°Y-yes. Well, no, not quite. He¡¯ll also be rubbing stuff on them. Um, uh, he said you taught him a way of making them grow. He said he would use honey and sugar to stimulate them and then some herbs.¡± She received an immediate reply. ¡°I did not say that!¡± The door behind her burst open and Harakawa stormed in. His eyebrows were raised and his finger was pointed at her. ¡°Heo Thunderson! What kind of hallucination did you have a front-row seat for this time!?¡± ¡°Ehh!? B-but we arranged it and everything. In the bath!¡± ¡°Wait, Heo Thunderson. ¡­You¡¯re making some kind of massive misunderstanding here.¡± ¡°Y-you can¡¯t talk your way out of this one!! I almost lost a lot of blood from what you said!¡± His betrayal had left her on the verge of tears, but she realized Yui¡¯s hands were supporting her shoulders from behind. ¡°Dan, try to be a little quieter. ¡­And, Dan. Can I say one thing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m innocent here. As long as you understand that, you can say whatever you want.¡± ¡°Fine, Dan. ¡­Go get some insurance. And make sure to pay into an annuity and a savings account.¡± ¡°Please believe what your son is telling you!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this? And if you don¡¯t mind, then why not help out some? You would like that, wouldn¡¯t you, Heo?¡± Heo was unsure what to say. She looked at Harakawa, but his frown was telling her to say no. She had no choice but to sigh and answer. ¡°That would be too much trouble for him.¡± She tensed her shoulders as she spoke. For some reason, this made his face grow paler and paler. Behind her, she heard Yui¡¯s smiling voice. ¡°No one can win against you, Heo-san. I can see why Thunder Fellow would stick with you.¡± ¡°You know about that?¡± ¡°Yes, but you all will learn even more from here on. That creature on your head¡­Baku, was it? He wasn¡¯t there in our time. But with him, you should be able to learn about us and about yourselves. So¡­¡± Yui gave Heo¡¯s back a gentle push. ¡°Go. You have a visitor.¡± Neither of them asked who it was and they heard a voice that resembled their own. ¡ªThere is no mutual understanding. Heo reflexively stood just as she lost all sensation from the outside world. Volume 11, 25: Beyond Understanding Volume 11, Chapter 25: Beyond Understanding If you are there Your hand will reach This was a space that lacked understanding. One¡¯s eyes could see, their ears could hear, and their senses of taste, smell, and touch worked, but they could not understand any of it. Everything existed, but the information on its existence did not get through. Heo stood in that world. ¡­Um¡­ The faint repelling force on the bottom of her feet was the internal sensation her feet being pressed on by her own weight. That alone was certain. She shrank down because it felt like only the bottom of her feet existed. It felt as if lifting a leg would divide her existence in half. ¡°What do I do?¡± She could speak, but she would receive no answer. Her eyes could see around her, but they gave her no information. Nervous, she shouted a name. ¡°Thunder Fellow!!¡± She wanted that cry to get through. ¡°¡­¡± But there was no response. Even after several seconds, she was not swallowed up by the machine. If she was, she would feel it in the repelling force she could feel, but it never happened. Calling for the blue and white mechanical dragon was no use. ¡­Does that mean he really is someone else? That thought sent a chill down her spine. She and Harakawa could not fight on their own. And from what Sibyl had told her in the hospital, Mitsuaki had a scroll concept weapon. It had been sealed below Izumo UCAT, its origins were a mystery, and it could bring out a world. ¡­According to the report, the automaton named Gyes was hit by a small sun bullet. That was when Heo felt something on the right side of her skin. It was heat. She felt heat in her skin just like after a trip to the beach, and that meant¡­ ¡°That small sun is flying in from the right.¡± She knew she had to avoid it. She had to escape to the left, right, front, or back. ¡°¡­!!¡± But not knowing anything about the world around her left her frozen in place. Was there an obstacle in her way? How was she supposed to fight after escaping? She knew nothing and her anxiety locked up her legs, but that was exactly why she cried out. ¡°Harakawaaaa!!¡± A moment later, she felt a force down below. Just like with the sensation on the bottom of her feet, she could tell something was holding onto her right ankle. ¡­Eh!? Before she could ask what this was, some kind of force struck her. A white building stood below the night sky. It was a wide hospital. However, there was something odd about this hospital. It was empty and there was a large hole filled with shimmering heat in the second floor of the southern building. The walls had melted and the scorched hole had been torn open from the ground level. The hole continued through the second and third floor ceilings and into the emptiness above the roof. Everything behind the hole was melted, torn away, or simply gone. The edges of the hole still glowed with a scarlet light and the shimmering heat rose thickly into the sky. A single person looked up into the hole and shimmering air. He was an elderly man in a white coat standing in the front parking lot. He held a thick scroll below his arm and his hands remained in his white coat¡¯s pockets. ¡°I suppose my concept space is a little too much of a handicap. Only my brothers and I can continue as normal inside it.¡± Mitsuaki turned around as he spoke. ¡°Perhaps I should go help Brother Ikkou. No, I should remove this concept space first.¡± A moment later, he froze in place. He had heard a sound from the hole in the hospital¡¯s second floor that the small sun fired from the scroll had produced. Something was moving. ¡­It can¡¯t be. ¡°How did she avoid it? It should have been a direct hit.¡± He turned around, looked up, and saw two figures standing up on the edge of the hole in the second floor. He muttered the names of the two who were filthy, injured by a few fragments, yet alive. ¡°Heo-sama and Harakawa-sama!!¡± Harakawa judged the extent of his injuries from the pain he felt. The pain was not too bad, but he could not let his guard down since any pain on the surface would be cancelled. Still¡­ ¡­I don¡¯t feel my pulse anywhere in my body. Confident that he had not had an artery cut, he got up. He felt pressure in his arms. It was the pressure of the weight produced by holding Heo. ¡°That was close.¡± When speaking with Brunhild at school, they had discussed a few plans for the four old men¡¯s concepts. Mitsuaki¡¯s concept prevented you from understanding anything beyond yourself, but any pressure inside your body was treated as ¡°yourself¡±. The first countermeasure was to get down. When on the ground, it was harder for bullets or other attacks to hit. ¡­Plus you can¡¯t fall over and you can feel your entire body as it presses against the ground. From there, they could crawl forward while feeling around by hand. The heat had warned him of the small sun, but he had been lucky enough to reach Heo¡¯s ankle the very next moment. It was also pure luck that he had been able to quickly stand and tackle her to the ground. He touched the girl in his arms to confirm his relief. The feeling would also be reaching her as pressure. ¡­I hope this is enough to calm her. He spoke silently to himself while touching her with his finger. After confirming it was a large part with his palm, he pressed his finger down. He used the pressure of his fingertip to write on her body. In this world of no mutual understanding, he wrote words into her body to get his thoughts across to her. ¡°C-a-n-y-o-u-h-e-a-r-t-h-i-s?¡± He continued writing. ¡°H-e-o-T-h-u-n-d-e-r-s-o-n.¡± Heo¡¯s pulse was racing. She did not know what exactly had happened, but she knew Harakawa had saved her. She had been unable to avoid the enemy¡¯s attack, but he had somehow reached her, embraced her as if to cover for her, and knocked her to the floor. She could feel his presence from the sensation of him holding her in his arms. It was a welcome sensation. But when he had approached her feet and stood up to push her down¡­ ¡°U-um¡­¡± She brought her hands to her cheeks and shouted at the boy who could not hear her. ¡°Harakawa! Wh-why are you sticking your head up my skirt!?¡± When he had stood up at her feet, his head had gone right up her skirt. On top of that, he had wrapped his arms around her hips and pushed her to the ground. ¡°No. Wh-what are you doing¡­a-at a time like this?¡± His hand was currently groping around at the skin between the waist of her skirt and her underwear. The way his finger searched around almost seemed to be writing something. His finger moved complexly below her navel and even poked at her navel as if dotting an ¡°i¡±. She squirmed on the floor and his finger wrote a straight line down. ¡°Ah, n-no! Not in front of your mother! We¡¯re in the hospital, Harakawa! My chest is one thing, but it¡¯s too soon to go there!¡± His finger continued down her skin as he pulled down her underwear. ¡°Nooo! Not here!! And not like this!!¡± Partially due to her struggling, his finger quickly pulled her underwear all the way down to her knees. ¡­Did you hear that, Heo Thunderson? Harakawa¡¯s questioning thoughts were cut off by a sudden knee to the jaw. ¡°Gwah! Wh-why are you struggling, Heo!?¡± But speaking would not reach her. He felt around in the air and his left hand found something. He pulled on it to bring her close and realized it was her shoulder. But he felt the hand on her shoulder quickly rising and falling. He also felt a bit of heat. He wondered why and his thoughts reached a certain emotion. ¡­Did that last attack scare you? Did you knee me because you¡¯re panicking? Realizing that, he decided he had been in too much of a rush to get his thoughts across. He hesitated for a moment, but wrapped his arms around her again, felt around for her hand, and found it. ¡°Sorry. I was in too much of a hurry. We definitely have an enemy here, but know this.¡± He squeezed her hand. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay.¡± Heo felt Harakawa take her hand, pull her close, and wrap his arms around her. ¡­Ah. It surprised her a bit, but she breathed a sigh of relief at the strength in his arms. This was his usual self and she felt his usual strength, so she figured out what had happened during his previous offense. ¡­He must have been scared and he panicked. In that case, I can forgive him, she decided. That¡¯s the mature thing to do. She felt heat fill her cheeks as she sat up on the floor. That was when she realized something: her panties were gone. ¡­? They must have come off when she had kicked Harakawa away. ¡­W-well, it¡¯s not like anyone else can see me right now and I can find them right after this ends. She placed a finger on what she thought was Harakawa¡¯s chest. She moved in close and realized how she could get her words through to him. She had seen this in a romance movie a long time ago. The characters in the movie had been lying naked in bed, but¡­ ¡­She wrote his name with her finger. ¡°Harakawa.¡± In the movie, the guy had replied in kind. Soon, her wish was granted. He used his finger to write a message on her tightly held right hand. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Y.¡± ¡°Thunder Fellow?¡± ¡°N.¡± He stopped writing after that answer. She assumed he was trying to figure out why she could not call in Thunder Fellow, but she was wrong. She quickly realized the real reason why he was not responding. She felt heat. This heat was larger than last time, but it came from slightly below just like before. ¡°Heo.¡± He called her name via writing. ¡°I can¡¯t call in Thunder Fellow,¡± she quickly wrote on his skin. She then gave an abbreviated explanation. ¡°He¡¯s someone else.¡± However, he immediately replied. ¡°N.¡± ¡°Why!?¡± She reflexively trembled and shouted out even though it would never reach him. ¡°I tried and it didn¡¯t work! He really is someone else!¡± ¡°Call him.¡± As if responding, Harakawa continued to write and the movements felt irritated. ¡°He isn¡¯t someone else.¡± After all¡­ ¡°He¡¯s you and¡­¡± And¡­ ¡°Us.¡± As soon as she realized what that final word meant, the second heat arrived. She took action. In order to endure her worry and strengthen her thoughts, she wrapped her arms around Harakawa, clung to him, and closed her eyes. ¡­Yes. That¡¯s right. She trusted in the words he had spoken to her. ¡­Thunder Fellow isn¡¯t someone else. He¡¯s the power that was given to me. She opened her eyes and faced that unseen world and all the unseen things it contained. ¡­He¡¯s the power that connects us. So she cried out the name of that power, the name of the great power they always possessed. ¡°The family of thunder unhesitatingly speaks its desire for the power of the evening star!¡± She understood why he had not responded when she had called his name before. She had been calling for someone outside of herself. But now her dignified voice was directed within herself. ¡°Come forth, Thunder Fellow!!¡± A moment later, it appeared. The thirty meter blue and white mechanical dragon broke through the empty hospital¡¯s southern building as it was summoned behind Heo and Harakawa. First, the wall behind them dented in and filled with cracks as if a giant fist had punched it. ¡°¡­¡± A wave of destruction ran through the wall as if pushing in on the center of the cracks. The destruction and appearance happened simultaneously. With a sound of breaking and a shaking of impact, the hospital broke under the weight of the mechanical dragon. It was destroyed. The dragon was now piercing straight through the center of the three-story building. The first floor had been crushed and the third floor had collapsed with its support gone. As the piles of debris were further smashed, Thunder Fellow observed his surroundings. He could understand nothing, but the vibrations of rubble pouring on his armor allowed him to predict the situation. Low-Gear¡¯s laws of physics were simple. The movement of all objects had a cause and an effect, so if one could perfectly read the movement of all objects, they could predict where everything was, what it would do, and where it was going. Similar to using sound for sonar, Thunder Fellow calculated the strength and direction of the rubble hitting him down to the last pebble and used that to view the world. This was much like making predictions based on all the sounds one could hear. However, Thunder Fellow pulled it off. He made the calculations in an instant and predicted the locations of the two things that mattered most: Heo and Harakawa. They were approximately one meter in front of him and two meters down. He raised his canopy, swept aside the falling rubble with his atmospheric defense and gravity barrier, and spoke. ¡°It has been a day since I last saw you, Heo and Harakawa. ¡­What happened?¡± The two climbed into the cockpit. ¡°Do you need my help?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes, we do!¡± He heard their voices through their synchronized senses. He closed the canopy and used the vents to expel the dust that had gotten inside. He lifted his body and raised his head from the rubble of the crumbling hospital. ¡°Thunder Fellow, please turn to the right! The enemy is to the west!¡± ¡°Why are you so sure?¡± ¡°The previous heat attack came from that direction. More importantly, Yui said we had a visitor just before we entered the concept space. ¡­And she could only see outside the window.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± All of Thunder Fellow¡¯s senses and all of his predictions also told him that was the enemy¡¯s location. ¡°I am predicting our surroundings using my tactile devices and I will send those predictions to all of your senses in real time. That is the only power I can give you. After all, my body and weapons have already been given to you. So fight. 5th-Gear¡¯s power does not wish to be stopped. Use your acceleration, speed, and flight to teach a lesson to the dragon standing on the earth. Teach him that simply standing on two feet is no different from standing still.¡± Thunder Fellow determined this was no longer a problem. ¡°This is my first battle with another Gear, so please win.¡± Harakawa¡¯s senses returned to him. He saw light and darkness. He was wearing his uniform and he sat in Thunder Fellow¡¯s cockpit as the hospital crumbled around them. However, a few things were not right. First, he knew he was injured, but he could not see those injuries on his skin. Second, the world outside the canopy was limited. ¡­The horizon is too close. No, the world doesn¡¯t even reach the horizon. He realized what was happening. ¡°Thunder Fellow, are you showing us a predicted world you calculated out?¡± Beyond the falling rubble, he saw a few cars in the parking lot, but he could not see through their windows. Also, the vending machines along the road had no sample cans beyond the plastic covering them. Thunder Fellow had predictively constructed this world with the bare minimum of information and he was transferring it to their senses. It felt off, but he had no time to worry about it. ¡°If I can see this much, it feels real enough!¡± The hospital collapsed slowly in his vision thanks to Thunder Fellow¡¯s synchronization. They would be trapped under it soon, so¡­ ¡°We need to escape!¡± He grabbed the two roll bars and tried to stand up. But he was stopped by a voice. ¡°Harakawa!¡± After combining with Thunder Fellow, Heo cried out with panic in her voice. ¡°The ocean!!¡± He just about told her that was impossible, but Thunder Fellow and the hospital were struck by a wave several times the building¡¯s height. ¡°!?¡± The wall of water instantly swallowed up the dragon and hospital. The rubble mixed around in the water, accumulated, and tried to snag Thunder Fellow on the bottom. The water pressure and current tossed them around and the outside of the cockpit filled with a dim green with almost no visibility. ¡­Damn! Which way is up!? He could see a light in one direction in the water, so he forced Thunder Fellow through the swirling water. He shook the dragon¡¯s body and rotated once to blow away the surrounding sand. ¡°Go!!¡± He pointed the nose toward the light, grabbed the roll bars, and leaned his entire body forward. After a slight time lag, the dragon began to move forward. A deep rumble and vibration seemed to rise from the bottom of his gut. He kept the course straight. Thunder Fellow shot forward and thus up. He parted the water so quickly that a path of vacuum appeared behind his giant form, but the surrounding water pressed in on that path and produced an underwater explosion. A radiating shockwave ran behind him and shook the sea. His own shockwave caught up to him and washed across his armor, so he accelerated. The speed came in an instant. The blue and white mechanical dragon shot from the sea and into the sky. The black sky he saw was dotted with light. It was an endless night sky of twinkling stars. However¡­ ¡°Where are we?¡± After flying into the night, Harakawa saw a black sea below and that expanse of water seemed to continue endlessly. ¡°Harakawa, I cannot calculate the extent of the sea.¡± ¡°Impossible. We¡¯re in a concept space, aren¡¯t we? It should have a limit.¡± He looked around again, but he could only see the night sky and ocean. ¡°Where¡¯d the hospital go? This is like a mythical flood or something.¡± ¡°I-I was thinking the same thing. And Harakawa, about the sky¡­¡± Drawn by Heo¡¯s weakening comment, Harakawa looked up in the night sky. He saw the color black. The vast sky was dark. Countless stars covered that black celestial dome, the moon was so close he felt like he could reach out and touch it, the valleys on Mars¡¯s surface were clearly visible, and Jupiter¡¯s Great Red Spot was facing their way. ¡°What is going on? Why are the heavens so close?¡± Not only did they appear to be in arm¡¯s reach, but the planets looked small enough to hold in his arms. ¡°What is going on?¡± he asked again just as the ocean below vanished. Next, he heard Mitsuaki¡¯s voice. ¡°This is the power of my concept weapon. This scroll tells the story of a certain world. You passed the sun earlier, remember?¡± He could not tell where the voice was coming from, but he understood what the man meant. This attack had begun from the moment they had avoided the initial projectile of heat. ¡°That sun was the beginning. From there, the enemy is brought inside the concept weapon.¡± ¡°We¡¯re inside the scroll?¡± ¡°Correct, Heo-sama. You are inside a false world drawn inside a hanging scroll. That is preventing my concept from reaching you, though.¡± Hearing that, Harakawa spoke quietly. ¡°So this is like those unreasonable miniature garden worlds from old stories?¡± ¡°U-um, Harakawa? I¡¯m glad you can observe this so calmly, but how do we get out?¡± He faced forward and saw something coming. However, it was not anything concrete. ¡°Darkness?¡± ¡°That is correct, Harakawa-sama. I am close to fully opening the scroll. And the story depicted on this scroll begins with the ¡®good morning¡¯ of creation and ends with the ¡®good night¡¯ of destruction. You have the privilege of seeing it all. But before it is fully opened¡­¡± A bitter laugh rang in their ears. ¡°You were supposed to escape. But¡­oh, dear. It seems it is already fully open. Too bad. ¡­Now please be destroyed along with that world.¡± The darkness approached head-on. It was noticeable because the stars were vanishing and the density of the black was growing. The dark curtain up ahead was swallowing and eliminating the stars. Mercury had looked so large, but it was devoured and then the comets circling the heavens were swallowed up by the black. Space was silent and so Thunder Fellow made a suggestion. ¡°Harakawa, Heo. Would this have more intensity with sound? I can simulate the sounds based on my predictions.¡± ¡°No, thanks,¡± answered Harakawa. ¡°Oh, I kind of want to hea-¡­ Sorry, I won¡¯t say it again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit, Heo Thunderson. But we don¡¯t have time. We need to think about what to do.¡± As he spoke, Venus was devoured, so he clicked his tongue. ¡°Is running away our only option?¡± ¡°That would be difficult, Harakawa.¡± He frowned at Thunder Fellow¡¯s comment. ¡°What do you mean? If we¡¯re just running, all we have to do is fly. Isn¡¯t that your specialty?¡± ¡°Harakawa, Heo. Listen carefully. ¡­There must be an exit to this concept space.¡± ¡°An exit? Doesn¡¯t that mean we can escape?¡± ¡°No. Based on the readings I have been receiving, this world is only thirty centimeters wide and a meter long.¡± That made the world only as large as an unrolled scroll. ¡°Are you saying the inside was expanded with concepts, but the exit is still only thirty centimeters?¡± asked Heo. ¡°Yes,¡± answered Thunder Fellow. ¡°A thirty centimeter exit exists somewhere in this space. Finding that would mean our victory, but¡­¡± He briefly hesitated. ¡°I was not made to function in space. I can fly using gravitational acceleration, but turning will not be easy and, without the necessary oxygen, you will have almost no air to breathe when flying in a vacuum. I am currently running in a short-term underwater mode, but it truly is only a short-term solution.¡± He spoke to Harakawa. ¡°If it comes to it, I will ensure the purpose of my existence by cutting the cockpit¡¯s oxygen supply and preserving Heo in a state of suspended animation. I will shut off all functions save her combination with me.¡± Harakawa replied to the proposal with a bitter smile and a shrug. ¡°I see. That¡¯s a good decision. I have no complai-¡­¡± ¡°I do!!¡± Heo¡¯s shout filled the cockpit. It was enough for Harakawa to freeze in place. ¡°Thunder Fellow! Please remove my combination!¡± The dragon did not reply no matter how many times Heo called out to him. Meanwhile, the darkness approached the sun and all of the light dimmed. As darkness fell, Heo¡¯s angry and exhausted shouts continued. ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± Harakawa heard her tearful voice in that darkening world. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me behind and go somewhere else because of me.¡± After all¡­ ¡°We¡¯re all together. I am, you are, and the others are.¡± Those words brought sudden movement to Harakawa¡¯s heart. ¡­Teammates, hm? ¡°Hey, Heo.¡± He called for her, but it must have been too sudden because she did not reply. ¡°Can you hear me, Heo Thunderson?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, y-yes! What is it?¡± He nodded at her question and spoke slowly as if checking on what was inside his own heart. ¡°You already know the answer.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°My mom asked you why you would go to the battlefield. I think I know what you asked yourself about that: why am I here? It sounds like a line from a youth dream journal, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°W-what¡¯s wrong with that? And, um, what about it?¡± You still don¡¯t get? he thought while grabbing the roll bars. He had once asked himself a certain question. ¡­If we¡¯re still fighting 7th-Gear after disbanding, why are we so focused on the name ¡°Team Leviathan¡±? I know why now. ¡°Because we don¡¯t want to be alone.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Do I have to say it again?¡± But it was a simple and definite thing. ¡°Heo. Heo Thunderson. You already know the answer to this question, so I¡¯m only going to give it to you once.¡± ¡°What question is that?¡± ¡°Why are you where you are? Why did your parents and my parents fight? The answer is simple and it isn¡¯t because of strength or duty.¡± He smiled bitterly as he spoke. ¡°It was because you and they didn¡¯t want to lose what was important, no matter what. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°You can put it in your own words later and I¡¯m not saying it again, so don¡¯t forget it, Heo Thunderson. Now, I¡¯ll tell you one other thing.¡± ¡°Wh-what is that?¡± ¡°Escape from here isn¡¯t impossible, so don¡¯t cry, Heo. And you know how to escape. If you realize that and tell Thunder Fellow, we can make it through this.¡± ¡°But¡­!¡± He squeezed the roll bars in his hands and faced forward. The approaching darkness had fully swallowed the sun. They were surrounded by darkness, but he did not care. ¡°It¡¯s gotten dark, but that¡¯s perfect. We won¡¯t have to see any fakes.¡± Strength gathered in his body and he thought about the best time to take off. ¡°You already have the answer, just like your former self. ¡­Long ago, in the very beginning, you had sensed the answer. You knew where to find the exit in this strange, confusing world.¡± Mitsuaki stood alone in the nighttime parking lot. The wind blew. It was the west wind of late autumn. It descended from the Akigawa Valley far to the west, it had gathered the scents of Hinohara and Itsukaichi, and yet it retained the aroma of the forest and rivers. The man enveloped by that wind was illuminated by a single color. It was the scarlet of fire. The thick scroll in his hands was burning from the tail end. ¡°It is powerful, but it takes time to activate. And the destruction on the inside causes the automatic sympathetic destruction of the actual object.¡± Over half of the scroll had burned by this point. It is over, he thought. He generally played the support role out of the four brothers. He was powerful enough, but he was not as skilled with a weapon as Ikkou, he did not focus on strengthening is his body as much as Nijun, and he had not been given a tool like Yonkichi. However, he did not hold it against Chao. ¡­Everything is in balance. His fixed concept was enough to leave his opponent almost entirely unable to act. If he had any real offensive power, there would be no need for his brothers. He had only switched from support to attack now because he had acquired such a powerful concept weapon during their attack on Izumo UCAT. ¡°I wanted to know what would happen if I fought with my own power, but¡­¡± He had successfully eliminated what could be called 5th-Gear¡¯s strongest mechanical dragon. The burning flames were proof of his victory. He had expanded his fixed concept to rob his opponent of their freedom and then he had spread out the scroll¡¯s internal space to envelop them. The initial small sun had fallen out when he was spreading out that internal space. With how long it took to activate, it was hard to use as a weapon, but he had succeeded using his concept. ¡­I did it. ¡°But,¡± he began with a tilt of the head. ¡°It was not very beautiful.¡± Linking technique to strength for a victory was the true essence of a support role. However, the battle was over. Only a quarter of the scroll remained and the fire was shrinking. ¡°I defeated a 5th-Gear mechanical dragon.¡± He felt he had won, but at the same time¡­ ¡­I won too easily. The reason for his lament was simple. Since he had won so easily¡­ ¡­I might be even stronger. How far did his skill go? Wouldn¡¯t he only be able to say he had fun with no regrets once he reached his absolute peak? ¡°¡­¡± He looked at his left hand which did not hold the scroll. The palm was white and cracks were forming in it. The hand still felt soft, but it was being destroyed in a way in which such physics did not apply. ¡°Is it over?¡± He looked up at the moon in the night sky. That was when a voice reached him from the hospital. It came from the single window on the second story that contained light. ¡°Mitsuaki-san, was my child not good enough?¡± ¡°He was not, Yui-sama. Unfortunately.¡± ¡°I see,¡± replied Yui with an exaggerated shrug. ¡°I thought that might be the case. ¡­Or maybe not.¡± Mitsuaki frowned at that. A moment later, he felt heat in his right hand. ¡°¡­!?¡± He saw a mass of fire at the end of his hand. The scroll had yet to be completely destroyed, but it was spewing scarlet flames. With the sound of something fluttering in the air, the heat of the burning paper burned his hand. ¡°What!?¡± His right hand exploded. Harakawa saw the night sky appear in an explosion of light. In only an instant, the world rapidly grew and expanded before his eyes. Below the sky of the real world, he saw the hospital¡¯s parking lot. ¡°Thunder Fellow, activate your optical camouflage! The concept¡¯s been deactivated!¡± He saw smoke. It looked black in the darkness and it was wrapped in what looked like a mist of bluish-white light. ¡°I can guess that the enemy¡¯s concept weapon was destroyed,¡± announced Thunder Fellow. ¡°Th-then we¡­¡± began Heo. ¡°Escaped,¡± finished Harakawa. Harakawa had Thunder Fellow crouch down because Mitsuaki would be inside the smoke spreading out in front of them. Another attack could come at any time. On top of that, his mother and others were inside the hospital behind them. He gripped the roll bars while planning to use Thunder Fellow as a shield if there was an attack. However, he heard Mitsuaki¡¯s voice from beyond the smoke. ¡°This is¡­ This is a surprise. How did you escape that universe?¡± ¡°That was easy.¡± Harakawa continued squeezing the roll bars as he spoke. ¡°You fired that small sun like a bullet at the very beginning, right? It had to have been fired from the scroll, so the exit from the scroll would be along its path. We just had to work out its trajectory from the angle Heo had felt the heat in and then compare it to the shape of the universe that Thunder Fellow had calculated out. We didn¡¯t even have to fly to the ends of the universe. The exit was right next to us.¡± ¡°You certainly took your time in leaving for it being right next to you.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he answered with a frown. ¡°Once we knew how close it was, a certain idiot felt calm enough to say the stars in the distance were pretty and Thunder Fellow stayed still so she could watch them for a while longer.¡± ¡°S-sorry. ¡­Oh, but I did manage to wish three times on a shooting star.¡± ¡°What did you wish for?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say, I can¡¯t say, I can¡¯t say.¡± He ignored her and faced forward. The smoke was clearing and the attack would come once it did. The moment came suddenly. ¡°There!¡± If he desired to attack, Thunder Fellow would respond. However, he saw something unexpected. Mitsuaki was damaged. ¡°Ha ha ha. What is the matter, Harakawa-sama?¡± The man laughed, but he had lost not only his right shoulder but most of the right side of his body. The wind blew across his body which had broken from the right collarbone to the right hip. The surface of the break was white and hard and the smile turned their way was stiff. ¡°It would seem fighting truly is not my thing. I thought I was familiar with the weaknesses of my equipment, but I had not fully grasped how they would affect an actual battle.¡± ¡°You probably would¡¯ve won if it hadn¡¯t been us.¡± ¡°I am delighted to hear it. However, it also proves that I cannot defeat you.¡± His smile grew. ¡°But this is not over yet. I am not enjoying myself yet. After all¡­¡± He sank down. He lowered his hips, which caused the base of his right leg to shatter. ¡°¡­!¡± Just as Heo gasped, he prepared to leap on his one leg. ¡°It seems Yonkichi promised to tell you about the past, so I will tell you one thing. ¡­The ones once known as the Five Great Peaks were Diana, Hiba Ryuuichi, Sayama Asagi¡­¡± He paused. ¡°...James Thunderson, and Alberto Northwind.¡± ¡°What!? Why is my dad on the list!?¡± ¡°That was a temporary command structure quickly put together with Asagi-sama as the leader and the other four below him. If you wish to know more¡­search elsewhere. Now, I will go fight how I fight best! I will help my brothers!!¡± The remaining smoke was blown away and Mitsuaki jumped up into the sky and vanished. A great roar travelled westward and vanished into the night sky. ¡°H-Harakawa! He must be headed to where Kazami is!!¡± ¡°I know that, but we¡¯re injured too. And about what he just said¡­¡± Harakawa opened the canopy and looked up into the hospital window and his mother¡¯s eyes. However, Yui waved her hand. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that. If you want to search for the answer, you¡¯ll need to travel down the Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°I see. So it gets back to the Leviathan Road, does it?¡± He sighed and belatedly realized that his body was covered in the heat of injuries. Heo must have realized it too because the back seat split to the left and right and Heo appeared from below. She held her skirt down while climbing over the front seat and running toward him. ¡°U-um, Harakawa¡­¡± However, her expression froze when she looked up at him. ¡°Ah,¡± she said while staring motionlessly at him. Just as he wondered what this was about, he heard his mother¡¯s voice from the hospital¡¯s second floor window to the left. ¡°Dan, I was meaning to say something, but¡­check your head.¡± I don¡¯t think I¡¯m injured there, he thought while lowering his head a bit to use the inside of the canopy like a mirror. He saw his face but found he was wearing something white on his head. It was not his usual bandanna. It covered his head and it had two large holes in it. ¡°Is this¡­?¡± ¡°Wh-why are you wearing my panties on your head!?¡± ¡°How should I know!?¡± He grabbed them off and heard his mother on the second floor. ¡°Dan, I won¡¯t get mad, so just tell me. What did you do to Heo-san?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± He saw Heo cover her cheeks with her hands and seriously shake her head. ¡°D-don¡¯t lie like that! You stuck your head up my skirt and pushed me to the ground. I told you to stop, but it wouldn¡¯t get through to you. ¡­And after you attacked my belly button and stomach, you pulled down my underwear! Just because you were lonely in that world of no understanding is no excuse!¡± ¡°I was not lonely!!¡± He shouted as his mother glared at him. ¡°What¡¯s with this world of false accusations and no mutual understanding!? Is this some new concept!?¡± A nighttime city was filled with streetlights and the lights of people working. A single figure flew above that bright city. The black winged figure travelled east at an altitude of about three thousand meters. The ten meter metal giant was wrapped in wind as it flew. A girl stood on its right shoulder near the back. She grabbed at its back armor with both hands and her orange jacket fluttered in the wind. ¡°Wow, this is fast. We¡¯ve already passed the peninsula I saw to the right, so are we above Nagoya now?¡± ¡°I think so. Are you cold, Shinjou-san?¡± It was Mikage who answered Hiba¡¯s question and she sounded like she was tilting her head as she did so. ¡°She should be fine since Susamikado¡¯s gravitational control is covering her to a certain extent.¡± But Hiba replied with a scolding tone of voice. ¡°Mikage-san, only she can tell whether she¡¯s cold or not.¡± ¡°Right. Sorry, Shinjou and Ryuuji-kun. I don¡¯t give people rides very often.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± said Shinjou with a bitter smile at their exchange. At the speed they were moving, she would normally be blown off by the wind. That was not happening, so Mikage had to be holding her in place. ¡°But does that mean you¡¯ve given people rides before?¡± ¡°Yes. Sometimes I take Ryuuji-kun¡¯s mother to go shopping. Especially on mornings with a really good sale.¡± ¡°And no one notices?¡± ¡°Not as long as I land in the woods too quickly to be seen and immediately remove the combination. But my control wasn¡¯t good enough once and the eggs broke and some kind of internal connection in his mother¡¯s back slipped out of place, so I don¡¯t do it much anymore.¡± ¡°Y-yeah, it¡¯s best if people don¡¯t always take the easy route.¡± ¡°Right,¡± replied Mikage. Shinjou sighed and looked down at the night scenery moving by at tremendous speed. However¡­ ¡°?¡± One light was different. It was moving slower than the rest. A long line from east to west was travelling east just like them. ¡°That¡¯s a bullet train. Is it the one I was supposed to take?¡± ¡°Probab-¡­¡± Hiba trailed off and he asked something else a moment later. ¡°What should we do?¡± It took Shinjou several seconds to realize what he meant. However, she quickly grasped it all and spoke. ¡°He¡¯s here.¡± A man stood on the roof of the train travelling down below. The one-armed elderly man wore a brown leather flight jacket and a white work outfit. It was Yonkichi. He raised his one hand in greeting as his clothes flapped in the wind. ¡°What should we do about this guy who¡¯s acting like someone in an ¡¯80s tokusatsu movie?¡± ¡°Hm? Isn¡¯t this kind of thing popular now?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Shinjou-san, it¡¯s no longer the Showa era.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She frowned, but then heard Mikage speak. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ryuuji-kun, Shinjou.¡± ¡°Are you sure, Mikage-san?¡± Mikage nodded as the four wings slowly expanded behind her. ¡°We lost once,¡± she said. ¡°So it¡¯s time we won once.¡± Volume 11, 26: Road of Shadow Volume 11, Chapter 26: Road of Shadow Relativity only works When two parties are involved Yonkichi held onto the large pantograph on top of the bullet train and looked into the sky. Black wings descended through the wind and clouds that shined white in the moonlight. It was Susamikado. The god of war dropped straight down, but it was trying to land behind Yonkichi. He stood on the fifth car from the front and seven more cars continued behind him. The black form made a soaring arc through the sky and caught up with the final car. But instead of slowing, it came toward him. The metal wings were no longer used for attitude control and it wielded a black sword in its right hand. It intended to strike as it passed by. Susamikado approached with growing acceleration and shifted its path slightly outward to cut Yonkichi down. ¡°!¡± And that was precisely what it did. The six meter black metal blade flew toward him with surprising accuracy. The sword sliced through the air so its tip would catch on him. He was currently on a train¡¯s roof. That was a narrow area. The pantograph took up the center and the sides contained only empty air. No matter how he evaded in this narrow space, Susamikado could likely slice him in two after a correction to the sword¡¯s movement. He could always reverse their positions using his fixed concept, but that would slice Susamikado in two on top of the bullet train. ¡°And there are passengers on the train.¡± He had used that as a shield so they would not fire on him from above, but now they were using it to restrict him. Well, whatever, he thought while choosing to dodge the approaching black line. He leaped into the air behind him. He powerfully yet nimbly kicked off the train roof and instantly reached a height of ten meters. The blade continued after him. The god of war partially raised it overhead, but¡­ ¡°¡­¡± It only grazed Yonkichi¡¯s shoes. He spread his arms and prepared to land as if keeping up with Susamikado¡¯s forward movement. He flipped around and faced the front of the train just like Susamikado. Finally, he landed. His feet set down above the roof. He stood on the high-voltage line running above the pantograph. He ran along the thick power cable while Susamikado flew to the left of the train. He raised a hand, but not in greeting. This time, it was a farewell. ¡­Now I will end this. He lightly tread on the thick high-voltage line and ran both quickly and¡­ ¡­Delightfully! He raced along the cable while skipping at the same speed as the bullet train below. ¡°Wonderful.¡± He muttered to himself as he looked to Susamikado. ¡°My usual tension has grown a hundredfold.¡± The god of war was beginning to fly into the sky ahead of him. ¡°My usual thoughts have grown a hundredfold.¡± It was moving away to prepare for its next attack. ¡°My usual movements have grown a hundredfold.¡± But it was too late. He was already looking at the black giant¡¯s back. ¡°My usual enjoyment has grown a hundredfold.¡± Yonkichi thought as he raised his right hand toward its back. ¡­If I had my left arm, I could keep my hands on my hips as I skipped! ¡°It¡¯s a shame, but let¡¯s do this without any strange speech patterns.¡± As he lowered his right arm, a giant red artificial arm appeared along its outer edge. Its target was seven meters away. Susamikado was spreading its wings as it began to fly into the sky. ¡°Great Sage Attack!!¡± That space exploded. Everything within five meters was bent, crushed, and smashed to pieces. That power of destruction burst where Susamikado¡¯s back had been. However¡­ ¡°!?¡± Yonkichi saw the god of war vanish from the air. He saw something else in the night sky instead. ¡°Hiba-sama and Mikage-sama!? Did you break the combination before the attack landed!?¡± Before he could finish asking, Hiba did something unpredictable. To move her away from the explosion of destruction, he shoved Mikage to the bullet train roof. The reactionary force pushed him away and Great Sage¡¯s power expanded in the opened space between the two of them. Despite the explosion, the two of them were unharmed. However, Yonkichi saw Hiba falling to the ground on the left side of the train. At their speed, he would never survive the fall and he was too far from Mikage to be taken inside Susamikado even if Mikage summoned it. It¡¯s over, realized Yonkichi. Mikage might land on the train, but Hiba was done for. Or so it should have been. Instead, he heard Mikage land on the edge of the train roof and immediately turn to the back. ¡°Right.¡± She made a powerful leap toward Hiba as he fell into the dark forest rushing by. However, she would not reach him. Even if both of them reached out toward each other, they could not fill the approximately five meters between them. That was why Mikage opened her mouth. Her eyebrows were slightly raised and the cry that left her mouth was similar to calling someone¡¯s name. ¡°Susamikado.¡± That was precisely what appeared before Yonkichi¡¯s eyes. He saw the god of war¡¯s back. Its arms were spread, but it did not immediately take Mikage inside. It caught her on its right hand and reached out its body. ¡­To catch Hiba-sama in its left hand. It awkwardly copied the movements of Mikage¡¯s outstretched arm. ¡°You can move it without combining now!?¡± Mikage had her back to him and did not turn around. Instead, the black god of war¡¯s wings moved in preparation to turn toward him. The right hand carried Mikage to its opened chest and Hiba jumped from the left hand to the chest. The boy turned his strong gaze to Yonkichi. His earlier decision to push Mikage away and everything else had been perfectly natural for the two of them. ¡°But you have forgotten one thing.¡± From Yonkichi¡¯s point of view, the combination process left an opening. He had proven that this morning. ¡­It is sad that they forgot that. As he rapidly skipped along the high-voltage line, he tried to grab Hiba as the boy jumped for Susamikado¡¯s chest. He kicked off the power cable and stuck his left foot forward. ¡°Acho!!¡± He made a flying kick with enough force to knock Hiba, Mikage, and Susamikado away. But as he did, he saw Mikage move out of the corner of his eye. She moved to embrace Hiba from behind to take him inside the god of war, but she also opened her mouth with her head hanging down. ¡°Shinjou.¡± As soon as he heard that name, something struck Yonkichi from behind. ¡°!?¡± The impact seemed to smash his entire body and he noticed white light behind him. He wondered what this was as he was blasted forward through the air. He fell into a tailspin and saw Shinjou lying down on the roof of the rearmost train car. Ex-St rested on her back and she aimed it toward him. ¡­I see. So that¡¯s why they passed by the final car during their first approach. They had let Shinjou off and prepared for this plan. They had had a single plan from the beginning. They would intentionally break the god of war¡¯s combination and then recombine to lure him into attacking. It was meant to keep him from using his position-swapping concept. That was when Shinjou had fired Ex-St into his back. She would not have brought the weapon to Sakai, so Hiba and Mikage had to have carried it to her from UCAT. They had predicted this situation. ¡­Ha ha. I certainly had no intention of using my fixed concept during that attack. I was careless, he realized while laughing at himself and flying ten meters above the ground. ¡­I interfered with their combination this morning, so I wanted to do it again. ¡°You did well to use that against me.¡± As he spoke in midair, he heard another voice. It was Mikage¡¯s. ¡°You took this too lightly.¡± In his rotating vision, he saw Susamikado down below. The combination was complete and the machine was raising its wings. It flapped the wings and the massive giant flew up from the bullet train¡¯s roof. The right fist carried by its initial speed acted as the leading edge of its acceleration and it broke through an explosion of water vapor. ¡°I¡¯m insulted that you did not take this more seriously. You need to follow Ryuuji-kun¡¯s example. You could learn from what he always says.¡± Her voice accompanied the blow. ¡°He says he takes everything seriously and so he isn¡¯t playing around when he peeps!¡± The metal fist launched Yonkichi¡¯s body into the night sky. Shinjou saw Yonkichi fly high into the heavens. The train carried her below his one-armed body and he arrived just below the moonlight in the sky. ¡­That looked like it hurt. But then she realized something, so she looked up at Susamikado. ¡°Mikage-san! Go get Yonkichi-san! He has to tell us about the past!¡± ¡°U-um, Shinjou-san? Is it just me or have you been ignoring me and only talking to Mikage-san?¡± She had never really noticed it before, but now she intentionally ignored him. She made sure the wind on top of the train did not blow her away, she held down her hair, and she looked up into the sky. That was when she saw something appear around Yonkichi¡¯s body. ¡°Is that¡­the Great Sage!?¡± The Great Sage¡¯s right arm formed an L-shaped guard in front of his chest. ¡°That was fast,¡± said a voice from Susamikado. ¡°It got in the way of the blow, so he was knocked away but not actually hit.¡± ¡­So he¡¯s almost entirely unharmed? Shinjou prepared to fight again as Yonkichi spun around while supported by the Great Sage¡¯s hand. He moved directly toward her with the moon in the background. ¡°¡­!? Shinjou!! Here we go!!¡± She knew what Susamikado meant. Yonkichi was descending right in front of her. ¡­He¡¯s targeting me! But she could not move. If she carelessly stood, she would clearly be blown away by the wind. And so Susamikado flapped its wings to save her. The speed provided by its wings covered the distance from first to last train car in no time. On top of that¡­ ¡°Keravnos!!¡± The black launcher attached to its right arm with a metallic sound. Keravnos used the Concept Core and there was only one reason for Susamikado to use it. ¡­To blast Yonkichi-san and the Great Sage as they fall. They could not defeat him without going that far. Shinjou nodded as she built her resolve. ¡­Let¡¯s win this. She quickly rolled along the vibrating roof and aimed Ex-St into the heavens. The weapon had a long back end, so she had to press the back against the roof before she could reach the trigger. A square of faint pale green light appeared next to the gun barrel portion and it displayed Yonkichi. The red crosshairs moved inside the light and centered on the man. If she pulled the trigger, she would hit him, so she prepared to do exactly that. But something else happened first. ¡°Please wait! If he uses his concept, it¡¯s all over!¡± Shinjou gasped. ¡­! If their positions were reversed here, she would be exposed to two separate dangers. She would be hit by her own attack and she would be flung high into the sky. Yonkichi shouted down from the moonlit sky. ¡°Ha ha ha! You would be wise to stay still! Doing anything now would be dangerous!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Shinjou nodded, but she raised her eyebrows and stared at Yonkichi¡¯s smile through the sight. ¡°But dangerous is fine by me!!¡± She pulled the trigger. White light shot out and the recoil pressed her against the train roof. A moment later, she heard a voice. ¡ªThe world is reversed for an instant. She suddenly found her back was not pressed against anything. She was over one hundred meters in the air. The concept had swapped her position with Yonkichi¡¯s. During the floating sensation that preceded a fall, Shinjou quickly observed her surroundings. Above her was the vast bluish-black sky and below her was the night scenery. ¡­Wow. In the center of the night scenery, she saw a line of lights travelling east. That was the bullet train. A man lay on his back on the roof of the last car. A pair of giant arms extended to either side of his body and a certain power shot from him and toward Shinjou. It was light. Specifically, it was the destructive light she had previously fired from Ex-St. While illuminated by the white light she herself had fired, she heard Yonkichi¡¯s voice. ¡°I¡¯m disappointed that it had to end this way, Shinjou-sama.¡± She slowly began to fall and she replied through the wind of acceleration. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± As soon as the words directed at the standing man vanished into the sky, the light struck her. The light exploded, the sound of impact was intense, light sprayed everywhere, and something shattered. However, the destruction had not been caused by Shinjou. Something had moved between her and the light. The object that had taken the light for Shinjou and been destroyed was¡­ ¡°Our sword!!¡± Susamikado spoke with Hiba¡¯s voice as it flew above the train and Yonkichi quickly turned defensively toward it. ¡°You can¡¯t mean¡­ You planned that far ahead!?¡± There¡¯s no way we could do that, thought Shinjou with a bitter smile. All she had done was trust her teammates. ¡­When Susamikado prepared Keravnos, Mikage-san called my name and said ¡°here we go¡±. She had trusted there was meaning in that statement and fired without hesitation. She nodded as the light and black fragments washed over her and she aimed Ex-St into the sky. She fired once toward the moon. The intense recoil created downward acceleration and she dropped straight toward the train. Meanwhile, three winds blew through the air. The first was Susamikado on the front of the train as it tried to catch up to Yonkichi and swing Keravnos around. The second was Shinjou as she descended toward the back of the train with Yonkichi between her and Susamikado. The third was Yonkichi. He spread the Great Sage¡¯s right hand to stop Keravnos and spread the left hand toward the roof where Shinjou was landing. They all moved. Having arrived from the front, Susamikado aimed Keravnos at Yonkichi. Shinjou fired Ex-St diagonally downwards once and then landed. She then aimed the long cannon at Yonkichi. However, Yonkichi opened his mouth just before they attacked. ¡°I¡¯ll use my fixed concept!¡± Following his words, all three winds came to a stop. The three of them had taken up their positions. ¡°This is a dangerous situation, Yonkichi-san.¡± Susamikado¡¯s Keravnos and Ex-St were trained on him from either side and he had the arms of the Great Sage held out toward both opponents. Whoever moved first would attack and whoever attacked would have their position swapped using the fixed concept. At point-blank range any attack would be a direct hit. If they were swapped out, there would be no avoiding the attack. Understanding that, Shinjou made a firm statement with sweat on her brow. ¡°Now, what should we do?¡± The wind blew and they moved eastward despite standing still. The moonlight covered the train and Yonkichi held the Great Sage¡¯s arms toward the enemies to his left and right. ¡°This is quite an odd situation.¡± He faced forward instead of at either opponent. He stared out at the trees of the mountainous region ahead and into the black sky. ¡°What will you do if I use my concept? Even if you both attack at once, you will be hit by each other¡¯s attacks and I will remain unharmed.¡± So¡­ ¡°It would be best for Mikage-sama to attack me. Susamikado may be able to withstand Keravnos or Shinjou-sama¡¯s Ex-St if she is swapped out.¡± ¡°Um, why has everyone been ignoring my presence?¡± Yonkichi ignored the boy. He then opened his mouth and began with a sigh. ¡°Let us begin.¡± Immediately following those words, Shinjou¡¯s voice reached his ears. ¡°I won¡¯t shoot you.¡± He frowned, turned toward her, and found her smiling at him. ¡°I can¡¯t shoot someone who¡¯s helped me out so much.¡± ¡°Oh? I am most grateful. That means I will not have to harm you. But in that case, the only one who can hope to defeat me is-¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t either.¡± His frown grew when he heard Mikage¡¯s voice. ¡­You have to be joking. He faced Susamikado and gently raised his left hand toward the black god of war. ¡°Oh, if Mikage-san won¡¯t, then I won¡¯t either.¡± Hiba was clearly serious, but then who should he watch out for? ¡­Probably Mikage-sama. If Shinjou fired, he would swap out their positions and she would be defeated. They could also attack at the same time, but Shinjou would never survive Keravnos. But if Mikage fired, it was possible Susamikado¡¯s armor could protect it enough from Keravnos to keep going. Even if they fired simultaneously, Ex-St would not be enough to destroy the god of war. Thinking about what would happen afterwards, Mikage required the most attention. With that thought, Yonkichi began to look back at Shinjou. But as he did, he heard someone fire. ¡°!?¡± The sound came from Ex-St and he saw the light approaching. Meanwhile, Susamikado remained motionless. ¡­It was Shinjou-sama!? They used Susamikado as a feint!? Shinjou was not even wearing an armored uniform, so she could die if he swapped positions with her now. ¡°You foolish girl!¡± Even as he turned toward her, he used his concept. He sensed wind in his ear as he turned, but it did not matter. He hurriedly activated the concept before the light reached him. ¡ªThe world is reversed for an instant. They switched places. Yonkichi stood where Shinjou had been. He saw Ex-St¡¯s solid light flying away from him and he saw Shinjou beyond it. But¡­ ¡°!?¡± For some reason, he saw wind past Ex-St¡¯s light and behind Shinjou¡¯s shoulder. The wind was black. ¡­Susamikado¡¯s hand!? The black god of war¡¯s hand had already grabbed Shinjou¡¯s shoulder. It pushed down from above and knocked her onto her butt. Her hips dropped down and Ex-St¡¯s light took out a few strands of her disheveled bangs on its way to Susamikado. Just as he thought it would hit, Yonkichi noticed something else. The tip of Keravnos was thrust past Shinjou and toward him. ¡°¡­!?¡± As soon as Shinjou had fired, the god of war had moved to pull him down and fire Keravnos on Shinjou. The wind he had felt in his ear had been its movements behind him. The end of the black launcher would hit him at the same moment as Ex-St¡¯s light hit Susamikado. He had to choose between a direct hit from Keravnos and a direct hit from Ex-St. The answer to that was obvious: Ex-St. And he acted accordingly. ¡ªThe world is reversed for an instant. With those words, he and Susamikado switched places. Ex-St would hit him now, but he knew he had won. He had been hit by Ex-St once already, but it had not been a fatal blow. And this time, he had the Great Sage ready. If he used it to guard, he could defend against Ex-St. After that, Keravnos would hit Susamikado and both Shinjou and the god of war would be in a direct line ahead of him. If he used the Great Sage¡¯s spatial explosion, he could eliminate both of them at once. ¡°I will win!¡± Victory. That was what he desired. He knew this would be no fun unless he won. He had lived the last sixty years doing nothing. And in those sixty years¡­ ¡­I have never given Chao-sama any good memories. Chao had tried to apologize to them at Hossawa Falls. He had wanted to say she had nothing to apologize for, but their relationship was not one that let him. ¡­So I will win! I will win and prove that you did create something wonderful. You sometimes speak of your former companions from old UCAT, but I will prove that we are superior to their descendants. I will prove that your creations raised in Low-Gear are stronger. ¡­That is¡­ ¡°That is the pride we can give you as residents of Low-Gear, not of 7th-Gear!¡± So¡­ ¡°Do not apologize to us!!¡± With that shout, Yonkichi¡¯s position completely changed. Ex-St¡¯s light was directly in front of him now. It would hit him, but that was part of his plan. He could block it using the Great Sage. ¡­I can win! Convinced of his victory, he looked to see Keravnos strike Susamikado. ¡°¡­!?¡± But it was gone. For some reason, Susamikado did not exist in his old position. Nor was Keravnos which had been on its arm. ¡°What!?¡± As he shouted, he saw what existed in its place a few meters beyond Shinjou. There were two people there. Hiba and Mikage took each other¡¯s hands and slowly tried to land on top of the train. The boy landed on the moonlit train before the girl whose blonde hair whipped in the wind. She landed soon thereafter. Guided by his hand, she turned toward Yonkichi. Yonkichi then realized what had just happened. ¡°You broke the combination just before the switch!?¡± He also realized something else. He realized what it meant for the god of war combination to be broken in the middle of swapping places. What had been one object had become two and its weapon had been sealed away. So in the moment Ex-St¡¯s light hit, he saw two things. First, his Great Sage was sealed to match the sealing of Keravnos. And second, just as Susamikado had divided into two¡­ ¡°My body will also split!¡± He felt the intense pain caused by his entire body being sliced in two. ¡°¡­!¡± With the pain and the loss of his weapon, their positions fully swapped. Yonkichi was made into two people and the two that Susamikado had split into desired to become a single person. ¡°¡­!¡± Susamikado and Keravnos appeared behind Mikage and Hiba without being called. Yonkichi¡¯s concept automatically activated the god of war¡¯s combination in order to fully swap out the positions of the two sides. ¡°You even used your combination process as a weapon!?¡± As he spoke, the blast from Ex-St struck him in the chest. ¡°¡­!¡± The light exploded, a sound much like smashing rock filled the air, and damage spread through his body. He had been using the Great Sage for defense, so he had been left defenseless. On top of that, his body destroyed itself in its attempt to divide in two. His body burst and the sound literally pierced his bones. Pathetic, he thought. He had been so badly destroyed by an attack from Ex-St which he had taken so lightly. In a breath, the end drew near and he could tell something was on the verge of spilling from his body. He felt like his heart had been left exposed and the wind was washing over it. However, he still moved. He raised his right arm that was still barely attached at the shoulder. ¡°Great Sage!¡± The giant red arms appeared on either side of him. They were already over ten meters long and held high. He targeted Shinjou and Susamikado who were lined up in front of him. He had to make this one strike. He had to win. ¡­Chao-sama! He had been given the strongest individual combat ability of the four brothers, but at the same time, he had been made the least intelligent. He thought that was meant to create a balance between the brothers. If he was too strong, his brothers would have nothing to do. ¡­The one thing I can do on my own is achieve absolute victory in an individual battle. If he could not even do that, what good was he? So he raised his crumbling right arm. The arm broke and turned to sand in mid-swing. Even as he heard the sand spray into the air, the Great Sage continued on. This was his final attack. This was his greatest strength as a 7th-Gear combat life form. This was the concept and strength created so he could oppose gods of war and defeat mechanical dragons. The ones to overcome all that were the two to inherit the power of 3rd-Gear and¡­ ¡°Shinjou-sama, listen!¡± He let out a shout because he felt he had to. He had promised to tell them of the past, so he had no choice but to shout to them here. ¡°You are the child left by Yukio-sama during that battle in Osaka!!¡± Shinjou¡¯s eyes opened wide, but then her eyebrows rose and she closed her eyes. ¡°Thank you!¡± With those words, lights arrived from both Ex-St and Keravnos. He watched as the twin lights struck the Great Sage, he watched as the Great Sage was pierced through and ripped away, and a single thought filled his heart. ¡­What delightful turn of events!! He felt some regret mixed with amusement. For so long, the four of them had thought they were so strong that they needed to restrain their own power and they had never doubted that strength of theirs. This had led to a certain thought. ¡­That this world is boring. Yes, he said in his heart. ¡­It is boring. This world was boring, but¡­ ¡­It is filled with such entertaining people. There are some that not even we can defeat. How far could those people go? Did they even have a limit? And¡­ ¡­Can I help raise them to even greater heights? He felt he had done something that would make Chao proud. Their presence had further strengthened the descendants of her companions. That was something Chao could not do and something no one else could have done. That was worth being proud of. ¡­And I used my own actions to help myself enjoy this boring world!! He gave a bitter laugh in his heart. ¡­I am the kind of idiot who changes his mind too easily. But¡­ ¡°That counterbalances my power, gelge!¡± With those words, the Great Sage exploded and his entire body burst. The last thing he felt was the night wind blowing in from the east. The wind was blowing. It continued to blow without ever ceasing. Volume 11, 27: Waking Light Volume 11, Chapter 27: Waking Light In that moment when I awaken I just hope it is not too late Something stirred in the darkness. It was a stir of awakening. A bed sat in the center of a room dyed in the colors of night and a girl next to the bed lifted her head from the blanket. She wore a half coat with the name Kazami stitched inside the collar. She sat up while still wearing the clothes she had come here in. Her half-opened eyes turned to the clock on the bedside table. ¡°It¡¯s only eight?¡± she muttered. ¡°I hate not being able to sleep at night.¡± She stretched her back in the darkness. She looked to the head of the bed and saw Izumo¡¯s face. His eyes were still closed in sleep and she smiled a bit at the peaceful look there. But¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Her eyebrows lowered when she saw the wrecked weapons leaning against the bed and Izumo¡¯s left arm. She hung her head and brought a hand to her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not even crying anymore.¡± She unsteadily rose to her feet. She had to make a request for each night she spent in the hospital room and she had to call her parents. Talking in the room would disturb his sleep, so she stood up. ¡°Ah.¡± No strength reached her knees and she almost fell. She grabbed the railing on the foot end of the bed to support herself and she sighed. Wondering if something had happened, she looked across the room, but her behavior had not changed it at all. She slowly gathered her strength again and left the hospital room. She opened the door to the hallway. ¡°That¡¯s bright.¡± She had been in the dark for so long that even the hallway¡¯s small fluorescent lights seemed too strong. It took several seconds for her eyes to adjust. After waiting that long, she saw a hallway with hints of the dim night remaining in the corners. The fluorescent lights on the second floor hallway¡¯s ceiling were kept low enough to not disturb the people¡¯s sleep. Kazami looked left and right. To her right were several more hospital rooms and an emergency exit with a maglite available. To her left were a single hospital room and a lobby. Beyond the passageway to the southern building, she saw the nurse station counter and the hospital ward beyond that. She would head to the nurse station to make her request for spending the night and then call home in the lobby because cellphones were forbidden in the hospital. She tried to remember if she had a ten yen coin to use in the lobby¡¯s red phone. Once she started thinking, the thoughts kept coming. There was a bath toward the front of the hospital. She had declined to use it the day before, but¡­ ¡­I really should use it today. No, no, she corrected herself while shaking her head. Try to remember why you¡¯re here. Another thought suddenly came to her. ¡­What on earth am I doing? She wanted to stay by Izumo¡¯s side, but what would that accomplish? She thought about it, but¡­ ¡°No.¡± She was not sure what that word of rejection was directed at, but she had made up her mind. She faced left and started toward the nurse station. ¡°?¡± She noticed something sitting next to the room¡¯s entrance. It was a large green bag. It was larger than a shopping bag and looked more like a travel bag. She checked inside. ¡­A change of clothes. It also had a box of rice balls and other food. She crouched down, dug through it, and found a few letters. The topmost one was from Sibyl. ¡°Chisato-sama, I have brought you a change of clothes and a set of towels.¡± ¡­Why does she know my size? The next one was from Mikage. ¡°Heo made dinner, so I brought you some. It¡¯s fried chicken and rice balls.¡± ¡­Are those two getting along? She looked to the next letter which was from the development department. ¡°This may be presumptuous, but here is a high resolution DVD of Harumi to cheer you up.¡± ¡­I don¡¯t have anything to play it with. She then read a letter attached to a box. ¡°If you are bored in the hospital room, play with this. It¡¯s the full action figure ¡®Ooshiro in Action¡¯. It comes with a secondary pained expression and a posing stand that sticks into the crotch, so it¡¯s a great deal!¡± ¡­I should probably throw that in the incinerator. She found a letter and a giant case at the bottom. ¡°¡­¡± After picking it up and checking what it was, her movements, expression, and breathing all ground to a halt. ¡°Anti-7th Combat Instructions by Brunhild.¡± The white case below the letter took up most of the bag. ¡­That¡¯s X-Wi¡¯s transportation case. She gasped at the presence of those two things. She stiffened and took deep breaths to slowly relax her body. ¡°Sorry.¡± She closed the top of the bag, gently tapped the hard cloth a few times, and closed her eyes. ¡°Sorry.¡± She stood and turned her back on the bag. She walked down the corridor to the nurse station, raised her head, straightened her back, and opened her eyes. When she realized how loud her footsteps were, she finally let out a breath. ¡­I can¡¯t. Seeing that bag seemed to tell her what everyone wanted. ¡­On the surface, they talk about letting me rest or cheering me up, but deep down, they¡¯re preparing me to fight. That was too well put together, she sighed. She shook her head and brushed a hand through her pretty dry hair. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± I¡¯ll probably never be able to do it, she told herself. All she felt was guilt toward G-Sp2 and remorse toward Izumo. Even if G-Sp2 was repaired and Izumo was healed¡­ ¡­I can never return to the way I was. Her guilt would cause her to step back from it all. Ahh, ahh. She forced an exasperated sigh in her heart. I haven¡¯t changed at all. She had once gotten someone hurt in an athletic club. Her opponent had been the type to do everything by the book while she had been the type to treat it like a real battle. At one point, one or the other of them was about to be made a first year regular and that was when it happened. She had tried to lose on purpose to give the regular spot to the other girl. ¡­And that ended up injuring her. It was not that the other girl had not managed to avoid her attack. Instead, the girl had mistakenly charged in. That girl always did everything by the book, but for some reason, she had strayed from the standard at that moment. The girl had told her not to worry about it and all the others had said it was just a part of the match. However, Kazami had withdrawn. Instead of simply handing over the regular spot, she had left that place altogether. If she had not met Izumo, she had a feeling she would have continued withdrawing from everything. And now the exact same thing is happening again, she mentally sighed. ¡­This must be the kind of person I am. She left that self-analysis in her mind and raised her head in front of the nurse station. ¡°Um¡­¡± She called out, but there was no one behind the counter. Just as she started wondering why¡­ ¡°Oh, over here, over here,¡± called a female voice. She turned to the right, saw a door open in the back of the nurse station, and saw the head nurse step out. The woman had a connection to UCAT and she had not left her post. Kazami tilted her head and looked at the door the woman had left. It had a placard saying Nursery. That was the room where all the newborn babies were kept. Hospitals were usually a place of illness and injury, but that was the one place filled with life. That fact relieved Kazami, but she soon recalled why she was here. ¡°Um, I would like to make a request for spending the night.¡± ¡°Okay, wait just a second. I need to settle things over here.¡± ¡­Over here? Kazami tilted her head and the head nurse shrugged. The woman beckoned her over and gestured for her to stay quiet. Kazami both wondered what this was about and wanted to get the request over with, but she prioritized the former and walked past the nurse station. The hospital nursery was located next to the nurse station and on the eastern end of the building. Dark glass covered the hallway wall from waist height to the ceiling, so Kazami could see inside. She saw an oblong room with infant beds lined up along the hallway side. The white beds resembled cradles and a small child slept in each one. There was a door labeled Nursing Room on the back of the room and a woman stepped out of it. She wore white pajamas and held a baby. She smiled and nodded toward Kazami for some reason. Kazami did not know the woman, but she nodded back because she had a feeling she knew why the woman had nodded. The woman laid the child in a nearby bed and moved out into the hallway. She walked up next to Kazami but did not look at the girl. She kept her eyes on her own child and the other children sleeping beyond the window. ¡°They¡¯re so cute, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± As she answered, Kazami realized her thoughts were not the same as this woman¡¯s. The sleeping children brought the words ¡°defenseless¡± and ¡°innocent¡± to mind, but beyond that¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t seem to put my thoughts in words.¡± ¡°Is one of them yours?¡± ¡°Ah, no. I¡¯m here for someone else.¡± She frantically corrected the woman and started wondering what she looked like to her. The woman faced her and smiled. She said nothing and the smile felt genuine, so Kazami said nothing either. ¡°¡­¡± Feeling uncomfortable, Kazami faced forward to look away from the woman¡¯s smile. The woman nodded, bowed toward the head nurse, and walked past Kazami. Her footsteps echoed through the hallway and the head nurse entered the nurse station. While thinking she should go make her request, Kazami looked into the nursery. ¡­Even I was like this once. And¡­ ¡°Will I be able to have something like this?¡± But she suddenly came to her senses and shook her head. ¡­Don¡¯t do that. This was no time to think those happy thoughts. Izumo would have to go through rehabilitation for his left arm after this and they would only start discussing that after all of that was over. She had a feeling she would back out when it came down to it, but she had another thought as well. ¡­I don¡¯t even have the will to fight anymore. As she muttered that in her heart, she peeled herself away from the nursery window. She turned left in order to reach the nurse station counter, but then she heard a voice. ¡ªAttack power is at its maximum. A voice resembling her own rang in her ears and all light vanished around her. ¡°!?¡± Kazami knew what had happened. A concept space had opened around the hospital and that had cut off the external power. However, the hospital¡¯s own emergency power allowed the emergency lights to activate. Faint light illuminated the hospital. The people were gone. The nurse station and the hallway were both empty. However, Kazami could hear someone¡¯s presence. She heard footsteps. Someone was climbing the staircase past the nurse station. The dimly lit staircase circled around on its way up and she saw someone turn that corner. It was Ikkou wielding an Azure Dragon Sword. ¡°¡­!¡± Kazami began to run on reflex. She moved west because Izumo was sleeping in the hospital room to the east. She ran toward the eastern building to draw Ikkou after her once he reached the hallway. She had to try to run since she had lost to him once and she was unarmed. She would lure him toward her, run away, escape the concept space, and call for help. No one might come to save her, but UCAT could not ignore it if Izumo was in danger. ¡­That¡¯s what I¡¯ll do. As she turned toward the far end of the western ward, the nursery briefly came into view. In that moment, she caught sight of something beyond the glass. It was a child. The previous child was sleeping in front of her. It had accidentally entered the concept space. ¡­Why!? Suddenly, the child opened its eyes, looked into the empty space for a moment, and noticed the darkness surrounding it. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± It began to cry. Kazami hesitated and closed her eyes to ignore the baby¡¯s cries. She prepared to start running. ¡°Oh? A child ended up in here? What an interesting accident.¡± The voice from the staircase settled everything for her. ¡°¡­!!¡± She turned the other way and charged into the empty nurse station. She turned around and ran through the half-open door to the nursery. ¡°Honestly.¡± Frowning, Kazami threw her body around to rush toward the voice she heard. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this!¡± Once she entered the dimly-lit oblong room, she quickly found the source of the crying. She ran over to the bed and hesitated, but¡­ ¡°Fine.¡± She shook her head once and picked up the baby and the cloth it was wrapped in. ¡­This is a special kind of cloth used for babies, isn¡¯t it? While panicking and thinking that at the same time, she inhaled and made a beeline for the exit. She pushed the door open with her shoulder. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m stealing the baby.¡± She frowned, cut across the nurse station, and ran toward the counter¡¯s eastern exit. But she heard a voice from the staircase leading down to the first floor. ¡°Kazami-sama, why are you taking away the child I was just about to place under my protection?¡± It was Ikkou¡¯s voice. The voice allowed her to judge his location and he seemed almost done climbing the stairs. ¡­That means I can¡¯t escape easily. She shouted back at the man to erase the unease in her heart. ¡°You want to know why I¡¯m taking the baby with me? Because I can¡¯t trust your protection, Ikkou-san.¡± She was ashamed of the tremor in her voice. She had not been like this in the past. She ran between the work desks and searched for a weapon with her empty hand. ¡­How am I going to escape? She could not move east because Izumo¡¯s room was that way. But going west would require circling around the counter and running into Ikkou as he climbed the stairs. ¡­There¡¯s a passageway to the southern building between the nurse station and lobby, isn¡¯t there? Is that where I should go? she wondered. However, a voice and form cut off her thoughts as they appeared in the stairway entrance in front of the nurse station. It was an elderly man wearing a white armored uniform. His hair swayed where it was tied back and he held an Azure Dragon Sword. ¡°Are you on your way back to Izumo-sama¡¯s room?¡± His words brought a tremor to her spine. But the tremor was not because he was implying Izumo was a target. He was saying something else. ¡­If I don¡¯t want him to kill Kaku, I have to fight!? She gulped and faced the counter¡¯s exit. She ran. She chose not to look at Ikkou anymore. The sight of her enemy was nothing more than unnecessary pressure for her now. But the senses she had gained after fighting so many battles told her some things without looking directly at him. ¡°An attack!?¡± She did not turn around, but she knew an attack was coming. After all¡­ ¡­I can¡¯t hear anything. No matter what kind of attack, he would build up his strength in order to release it. That moment of focus created a unique silence. It was a clear but stagnant silence. As soon as she felt that tense stillness in her skin, she leaped forward. Still holding the child, she jumped toward the counter itself instead of the exit. ¡°I can jump over it!¡± At the same time, exactly what she had predicted raced toward her from behind. She heard a slicing of air that resembled a flute and heard something ricochet off the surface of the wall. After a quick moment, she landed and ran eastward. ¡°¡­!!¡± Something exploded behind her. Kazami heard the air burst. She heard desk drawers and frames bending and breaking, the fluttering of scattered documents, and concrete in the ceiling and elsewhere splitting apart. ¡°The passageway to the southern building!¡± The passageway had been utterly destroyed when the side wall of the neighboring nurse station was smashed through. She could not reach the southern building now. As she listened to the sounds of breaking rubble, she ran through a three-way junction and the lobby. Once she reached the eastern hallway, she realized the lights on the ceiling had gone out. ¡­Did the power fail? As if to answer her, only the battery-powered emergency lights on the walls were functioning. Only the floor was lit now. Her pace threatened to slow as darkness fell over her, but something supported her. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The small form in her arms moved. Her heart raced a little at the touch from a power she could not control. ¡­That¡¯s right. She nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± After using both her heart and body to agree, she continued to run while holding that life in her arms. Ikkou¡¯s voice approached from behind. ¡°Kazami-sama, how is Izumo-sama doing?¡± The voice was only a few steps behind her, but she told herself it was okay. She did not sense that pre-attack silence. She continued to run toward Izumo¡¯s hospital room and a single thought filled her panicking heart. ¡­I have to do something. She felt that thought was going to vanish, so she repeated it even more strongly so it could not escape. ¡­I have to do something!! Her body was frightened, her mind was backing down, and her experience told her she would lose. But she had those words in her heart. I have to do something, she said again. Suddenly, she heard a silence behind her. ¡­!! She moved in an instant. She turned around. To distract her from her fear, she gathered more strength than necessary and practically threw her body around. Five meters behind her, Ikkou was raising his Azure Dragon Sword in his right hand. His attack would arrive an instant later. It would likely be wrapped in a shockwave and could easily slice the building in two. Kazami responded by throwing what she held in her right hand. It was a utility knife she had grabbed from a desk in the nurse station. The blade was drawn out as far as it would go and she threw it by grabbing the back end between her fingers and almost pushing it forward. She did not have time to take aim, so she used all her strength to chuck it toward the center of Ikkou¡¯s torso. Immediately afterwards, she saw the knife produce an explosion of water vapor. ¡­Eh? Have I always been that strong? she wondered as the knife broke the sound barrier. The reason for this was simple. Ikkou¡¯s concept had set the attack power to its maximum. However, the knife could not endure its own shockwave and it shattered. It destroyed itself. Fortunately, that proved effective. The small shockwave that spread from the explosion of white water vapor forced Ikkou to defend. ¡°¡­!¡± As the vibration of the air washed over Ikkou, Kazami arrived at Izumo¡¯s room. However, she did not stop there. She ran past it and pulled a silver case from the bag sitting in front of the room. She opened it with one hand and tossed the case away while holding onto its contents. ¡°X-Wi!¡± She had the baby in her left arm, so she could not wear it over both shoulders. Even so, she placed the strap over her right shoulder and activated X-Wi. ¡ªLight possesses power. The concept voice accompanied a wing growing from only the right side of her back. A moment later, silence came from Ikkou as if to stop the expansion of that light. After that brief silence, she heard a single footstep. He was rushing toward her. ¡­He¡¯s close! While running toward the emergency exit at the end of the corridor, she flapped the wing on the right side of her back. The wing of light produced wind. ¡°¡­!¡± She used X-Wi to make a great leap forward. It was a low jump that sent her skimming just below the ceiling. As she flew, she twisted her body around and performed a half rotation. She stood on the ceiling and faced backwards. The wing flapped as if scratching at the air and she took a large step back. She faced forward while doing so and saw Ikkou running along the floor overhead. He was almost directly below her and he was swinging the Azure Dragon Sword up toward her. ¡°That was fast!¡± ¡°This is the average speed among my brothers.¡± With those words, his sword flashed by. Ikkou swung the blade toward the one-winged girl flying overhead. She was moving back in a straight line and did not have time to evade. She had no weapons and the shockwave would reach her even if the sword itself did not. He regretted hitting the child with the attack as well. ¡­It would have been better if I had used it as a hostage. It was a sad turn of events. ¡­And yet another boring outcome. Not even defeating Izumo-sama will change that as he is still asleep. Even as he swung the sword, he felt this was an awful outcome. The tip of the sword raced through the air, gained a burst of speed, and began to produce its shockwave. ¡°¡­!?¡± But the Azure Dragon Sword¡¯s blade suddenly shattered. It had not destroyed itself. The blade had struck something before it had produced the shockwave. It had struck something Kazami held. With the sound of shattering glass, metal fragments scattered as specks of light. How? he silently asked. She was unarmed, so how did she break my weapon? He looked up and saw Kazami past the scattering shards of his blade. She quickly moved back along the ceiling and did indeed hold a weapon in her hand. That was the weapon his blade had hit. ¡°A fluorescent light!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Thanks to X-Wi, light is power.¡± She answered while gliding backwards along the ceiling and she threw the broken fluorescent light toward him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you do that experiment in science class? Fluorescent lights glow white for a while even after turning off.¡± ¡°I never received a compulsory education.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad. You wouldn¡¯t understand how hard it was to learn the times table then.¡± ¡°The same goes¡­for Izumo-sama!¡± Ikkou approached. He hit a switch on the Azure Dragon Sword¡¯s base and a new blade was created. Kazami looked at it as she backed away. ¡°A second blade!?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, there is still more I must shave away!¡± He ran and took a powerful step to approach her. To match her flight, he raced along the floor. To match her retreat, he advanced. To match her interception, he attacked. The pursuer and the pursued clashed. Their movement came from their speed and they both released attack power. Ikkou swung his Azure Dragon sword and it broke. Kazami fell back, removed a fluorescent light from the ceiling, and slammed it into his sword. Their weapons crossed paths at high speed and destroyed each other again and again. The swordfight raced down the hallway. The sounds decorating the fight sounded like sudden bursts of brass instruments. The roaring wind blew away all of the fragments. Ikkou smiled and shouted out as he ran along the floor. ¡°Not bad, Kazami-sama! I would rate this at about 15 points!¡± He saw her expression past the bursting light. Her eyebrows were raised and her teeth were clenched, but he revealed a smile regardless. ¡°Aren¡¯t you having fun, Kazami-sama!?¡± ¡°Not in the slightest!!¡± I see, he thought as he ran. However, he was certain this was about to become much more fun. After all¡­ ¡°Then please look behind you.¡± She looked back in surprise and saw what was there. ¡°The emergency exit. This means there are no more fluorescent lights. How will you handle this ending?¡± With those words, he broke Kazami¡¯s final fluorescent light. The Azure Dragon Sword¡¯s blade also shattered into fragments of light, but he swung the sword up regardless. Once the new blade grew from it, this would become a surefire attack. An instant later, he saw the wing of light flap and bring the girl down to the floor. She had turned her back on him. He also saw her hand reaching for the emergency exit door. ¡°Do you really think you can escape!?¡± ¡°Do you really think you can win!?¡± With that question, Kazami turned around. She thrust forward her right hand as she did so, but it was not holding light. However, it was holding something. ¡°Buildings like these keep maglites in the emergency exits. Didn¡¯t you learn that in disaster training at school?¡± Kazami switched on the maglite. Light raced down the dark hallway. The directional light was supposedly powerful enough to be seen from five kilometers away. It instantly shot down the hallway and struck Ikkou¡¯s body. He caught the light on the Azure Dragon Sword, but it knocked him into the air and sent him flying. The light pursued him as he flew through the air and it accelerated him down the hallway. The light instantly passed by the nurse station, the nursery, and the corridor to the other building. ¡°!¡± The Azure Dragon Sword broke. The wall of light continued on and struck his entire body. ¡°Ohhh!!¡± And that was not all. The dust created from the shattered fluorescent lights and steel blades were pushed by the light and acted as reflectors. What began as a mist of light fragments quickly grew in a chain-reaction explosion. Countless explosive sounds could be heard racing down the hospital¡¯s second floor from east to west. The front end of the light explosions destroyed the western emergency exit and made their way outside. All that remained was the vanishing light, shimmering heat, wind, and¡­ ¡°I doubt that¡¯s enough to defeat him.¡± Kazami turned off the maglite and lowered her shoulders in front of the eastern emergency exit. Volume 11, 28: Sound of Soaring Volume 11, Chapter 28: Sound of Soaring The sounds of running echo into the sky Sayama woke. Instead of darkness, he initially saw the night sky. He had a body and the sensation on its back told him he was probably lying on rocky ground. When he gathered strength in his body, each part reacted and moved accordingly. He heard running water. It was flowing swiftly but had not reached the level of raging rapids. After hitting Nijun with the flying kick, he had likely fallen into the river below and washed up on the bank downstream. He then noticed that what had saved him from drowning was caught on his left arm. Just before hitting the water, he had pulled it from his bag and filled it with air. ¡°The Shinjou-kun body pillow cover.¡± He tilted his head over and saw the float made from the cover had soaked up the water and lost the air inside. ¡°Shinjou-kun.¡± He sat up and held the cover up in both hands. ¡°It would sound dirty if I said I got you wet, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± He lowered his arms, checked his watch and found it was ten at night. A fair amount of time had passed since he had jumped down. Wondering what had happened to Nijun and considering the possibility that he had been swept away, Sayama called out to him. ¡°Nijun-kun.¡± He received a response. ¡°Yes?¡± It came from behind him and from very near his defenseless back. However, Sayama knew this had already been settled, so he asked a question without turning around. ¡°Do you have something to tell me?¡± ¡°Yes, although it may be too forward of me.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± asked Sayama. After a hesitant pause, Nijun answered. ¡°Could you¡­compete with me again in negotiation?¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama nodded and brought a hand to his chin in thought. ¡°It is true you have a lot to bargain with, but I have nothing. Are you sure you want this?¡± This answer also took some time. After a thoughtful silence that lasted the span of about five breaths, he answered in the affirmative. ¡°Yes. If I can defeat you, it will mean that I overturned this world in at least one way. That would be the greatest honor as someone from 7th-Gear.¡± ¡°I see. That is an excellent way of viewing this. Then let us begin right away. As for our bargaining chips¡­¡± ¡°How about my Concept Core and a hint concerning the past? ¡­And I will ask a single question. If you cannot answer it, it will mean your loss.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Sayama again as he watched the river flowing through the night. After a short pause, Nijun spoke quietly. His question reached Sayama with the sound of flowing water in the background. ¡°Can you make me lie while under the effects of my concept?¡± ¡°In other words, you want me to make you tell a lie without stopping the concept?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sayama thought about the man¡¯s words. Gyes of 3rd-Gear could not lie and he had once made her do so during a negotiation, but this was different. The man would be unable to speak as long as he was aware it was a lie. ¡­Then how can I make him tell a lie? He thought while watching the flowing river. Suddenly, a certain fact came to him. It was a way of expressing a lie. And so he slowly raised his head and looked into the night sky. ¡°Nijun-kun, how about I try one thing? I am going to test just how much you understand your own concept.¡± He asked a question. ¡°Nijun-kun, have you ever lied?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°An excellent answer. Now, Nijun-kun. If you have lied, then tell me what it was you said. But if you have, in fact, never lied¡­¡± He spoke clearly. ¡°Then remain silent.¡± Nijun responded to Sayama¡¯s question. ¡°¡­¡± With silence. But that silence itself meant that he could tell a lie here. It was a contradiction. Based on the defined conditions, that answer was not possible. It rejected the concept space. ¡°!!¡± As soon as that answer was made, the world changed with the sound of shattering glass. The world expanded. Sayama saw the surrounding air begin to move and the river current pick up speed. Unable to withstand the self-contradiction, the barrier of the concept space had broken. The man who had created the space had accepted the contradiction. As the night wind washed over the river bank, Sayama smiled bitterly and rested his head on his hand. ¡°That was a simple contraction, but even that was enough for you to overcome the ability of your fixed concept. I would speculate that your Concept Core does not include a concept to handle self-contradictions because it is only a fourth of its original size. ¡­So, are you satisfied with that?¡± He received no response. He waited a while longer and still received no response, so he removed his head from his hand. ¡°Nijun-kun?¡± He turned around, but Nijun was nowhere to be seen on the slope leading from the river to the forest. Something else was there instead. ¡°The Concept Core.¡± A ten centimeter red ball of light floated at Sayama¡¯s eye level. That was Nijun¡¯s true form. It was one of 7th-Gear¡¯s Concept Cores. Sayama reached out toward it and spotted writing below the scarlet light. Hiragana characters were written in the river water on a torn piece of a white coat. They had clearly been written in a hurry. ¡°Yukio.¡± That was all it said. He assumed it meant Shinjou Yukio, but the writing ended before saying anything else. Most likely, everything had ended when Nijun reached that point. ¡­Why? No, what was he trying to tell me about the past by writing the name Yukio in hiragana? And before that¡­ ¡­Is he saying the reading of the name is important? Or is the name Yukio a clue to something? Thinking was not enough to find an answer, so he stood and shook his head. ¡°Well, whatever. I need to hurry back. I am worried about the others.¡± He reached out for Nijun¡¯s Concept Core and it slowly circled to his right side. The Concept Core could not speak and it had nothing but memories, but it still seemed willing to go with him. He nodded and looked up at the crimson sphere. ¡°Good. Now, let us go. I wish to descend the mountain in a hurry, but I would like your help in that. I believe your main ability is physical enhancement.¡± He lowered his body in preparation to run downstream. ¡°I am worried about my teammates down below, Nijun-kun. I want to know if they were successful.¡± With those words, with the crimson Concept Core, and with a new mystery, Sayama began to run along the river bank. Wind wrapped around his speedy form and not even his footsteps could keep up with him. Kazami was inside Izumo¡¯s hospital room. The room was dark. The only light was from the emergency lighting, X-Wi on her back, and the moonlight outside the window. In those dim lights, Kazami sat on the floor and ate. Her eyes would occasionally dart to one of two places: Izumo who slept on the bed and the baby who slept on the chair next to the bed. She dug through the food in the bag Sibyl had brought while trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake the other two. The rice balls filled her empty stomach. The ones containing tuna mixed with soy sauce mayonnaise had likely been made by Heo. She thought the ones containing a dried plum were from Mikage. That would explain why all of the dried plum ones were of a uniform size. The salad was all wrapped in vegetables boiled in consomm¨¦ to help her eat it faster. The fried chicken was extravagant breast meat. The French fries in the same bucket had a lot of chili pepper on them, but it was so dark she had only discovered that upon eating them. She had a feeling she would regret this from a calorie and weight perspective, but this was the reward she got for continuing to live. Now then, she thought as she set the thermos of sports drink to the side and sighed. She reached for Brunhild¡¯s letter. ¡­Ways to fight the four brothers, hm? Just as she began to open the letter, her crossed legs knocked over the thermos which made a loud noise. ¡°Ah.¡± Soon, crying filled the darkness. The baby had reacted to the sound. To a child that did not understand the outside world, all things were either relief or surprise. Panicked by the crying, Kazami approached the baby without righting the thermos. She stood and quickly picked up the baby from the chair. X-Wi reacted to the movements of her shoulder blades as she crouched and the wings of light enveloped the two of them. Inside the protective cage of pale light, Kazami hurriedly held the child to her chest and gently shook its small form back and forth. ¡°Um, uh, what am I supposed to do? Stop crying, stop crying¡­You can¡¯t even understand me, can you?¡± Even she could not believe what she was saying, but then she realized something. You were not supposed to shake a baby. ¡­You just end up scaring it. She was trying to comfort it, but it was nothing more than a never-ending shaking for the child that did not know what was happening. ¡°In that case¡­¡± Um, she hesitated. Like this, maybe? she asked herself with her eyebrows lowered in confusion as she moved her own body. She rocked back and forth along with the baby. It was a slow, gentle motion like a boat rocking on the waves. ¡°¡­¡± She did not let the child shake alone. She too rocked in the imaginary waves. After a few repetitions, she got the hang of the balance needed to rock like that. This was different from running around and she was not used to using her muscles like this. The next thing she knew, the white wings were swaying and waving along with her. Their movement was a bit behind her own, so when she moved right, they moved left and vice versa. At some point, the crying stopped. The baby¡¯s eyes were opened and looking at something. Most likely, that something was the light enveloping them. Next, the baby¡¯s mouth opened. It opened its mouth in an ¡°ah¡± shape and squirmed. Kazami somehow knew what it was trying to say. ¡­Are you hungry? She slowly crouched down and managed to keep a gentle hold on the child surprisingly easily. She picked up the thermos lying on the floor. The top was open and some had spilled, but that was not a problem. ¡­It would be best for the mother to do this. She realized the baby could not drink directly from the thermos, so she silently apologized to the parents. ¡°¡­¡± She gave the drink to the baby by mouth. Instead of drinking the warm liquid from her mouth, the baby almost seemed to suck it out. She held the child¡¯s face up to straighten the throat and let the drink into its mouth. After removing her own mouth, the child expelled some air from its stomach. ¡­Wow. It¡¯s just like I¡¯d read. She was surprised and she belatedly blushed at what she had done. Soon, the baby¡¯s mouth opened again. However, it should have had enough to drink. ¡°In that case¡­¡± When she realized what the child wanted, she hesitated. She timidly looked around and listened for any noises before hiding the two of them with the wings and slowly opening the front of her shirt. She forcibly lowered her bra to expose the skin, and wiped her breast with a cleaning charm Sibyl had left for her. After that, she only needed to bring the child to her while rocking back and forth again. ¡°Nn.¡± She smiled bitterly at the ticklish sensation and the bitterness soon vanished. ¡­What am I doing? With that thought, she stood up. And she sang. She opened her mouth in the moonlight and light of her wings. ¡°Silent night, holy night ¡°Where today all the might ¡°Of his fatherly love us graced ¡°And then Jesus, as brother embraced ¡°All the peoples on earth ¡°All the peoples on earth.¡± As she sang, the embarrassment vanished. After all¡­ ¡­I¡¯m half-naked, holding a child, pretending to breastfeed, and singing. She could not think of anything more embarrassing. She suddenly glanced to the bed through the gap in the wings. Izumo slept in that bed. ¡­A woman holding a child and a man sleeping in a bed at a hospital. She laughed quietly as she wondered what that looked like. She looked down and found the child had fallen asleep. That made her smile a little. ¡°Thank you.¡± That was all she said as she wrapped the baby in a cloth and placed it back on the chair. She created a makeshift bed by placing bags upside down on the armrests to make sure the baby would not fall off. Now then, she thought as she looked to Izumo¡¯s left arm on the bed and the two weapons leaning against the wall. Her eyebrows rose, she pressed her heels against the floor, and strength filled her knees. ¡°I¡¯ll be going.¡± She grabbed the maglite from the side table, picked up Brunhild¡¯s letter from the floor, and moved to leave the room. She opened the door and stepped out into the dark hallway. As soon as she did, she felt a great stillness. ¡­This isn¡¯t just a lack of sound! This was the silence just before something began. She quickly looked around, but there was nothing to see. Not down the hallway, not near the smashed nurse station, and not through the emergency exit¡¯s window behind her. ¡­Then where is something coming from? Thinking about it in reverse led her to the answer. ¡­Somewhere I can¡¯t see. She instantly remembered that the enemy¡¯s attacks could break through walls. That meant he could surely hit her from¡­ ¡°The first floor!?¡± She started back into the room, but at that moment, a line of power raced along the hallway from east to west. It shot by behind her as she turned toward the room¡¯s door and it sliced through the wings of light along its path. ¡°!!¡± As her wings scattered from the impact and she approached the door, the entire hallway exploded from below. Ikkou looked up at the destroyed ceiling. The sound of the explosion passed by and dust flew through the air. He saw some few remaining floor tiles through the straight line cut in the ceiling. There was still about thirty square centimeters of floor around Izumo¡¯s hospital room, but the shockwave must have knocked the door down because it was gone. Ikkou heard several sounds in addition to the stony noise of crumbling pieces of the ceiling. He heard the breathing of a baby as it opened its eyes and did not know what to do. He heard Izumo¡¯s breathing in his anesthetized sleep. And he heard the weak but panting breathing of Kazami. ¡­So she survived. However, that breathing suddenly stopped and he heard a wet sound shortly thereafter. He recognized it as someone coughing up blood. ¡­Based on that coughing¡­ ¡°I still need to finish her off.¡± He looked to his right hand which held an Azure Dragon Sword with a fresh blade. He made a gentle leap using only the motion of his ankles. He moved up in front of Izumo¡¯s hospital room as if climbing a staircase and he landed on the small bit of remaining floor. Kazami lay face down on the hard floor. She was not sprawled out or doubled over. Her right arm was extended forward, her left arm was lying weakly outward, and she unfortunately had no idea which way her legs were pointing. She let out a breath and coughed up some blood. Her breathing was erratic and her body was trembling, but her mind was faintly aware of herself. She first saw the floor. She then looked forward and saw the shadows cast by the bed and chair. Her vision was blurry and she guessed it was due to tears. She wanted to know why she was in this state, so she dug through her memories. The answer was simple. Just before the explosion, she had produced new wings with X-Wi. ¡­And I tried to block the door as a barrier. Izumo and the baby were inside. If she had done nothing, the blast would have reached the room. That was why she had taken the impact along with the door and the door had slowly collapsed into the room. ¡°Kah.¡± As she breathed, something spilled from her throat. She could not breathe properly and she thought the shock had torn a lung. She tried to move regardless, but her entire body trembled and she could not gather her strength. She tried looking around, but she realized her vision was shaky due to a concussion. Even so, she noticed a haziness beyond the tears covering her vision. It was dust. The dust from the explosion was noticeably blocking the light from her back. X-Wi was still functioning and desperately trying to create its wings, but the small shadows of the floating dust prevented the wings from fully solidifying. And the dust would also weaken the maglite¡¯s beam. ¡­This isn¡¯t good. She tried to stand, but her body would not move. She felt no pain. She simply felt hot and unsteady. She could feel her right arm that extended forward and was dyed a dark color from the wrist down. ¡°¡­¡± She thought nothing about it. Her body was at least intact. She placed her right hand down, grasped the floor with her palm, and pulled herself forward like she was climbing a wall. She thought about using her left arm too, but she gave up when she found she could not move it past the shoulder. She twisted her hips forward and finally managed to forcibly crawl along. Even that small movement elicited a wet-sounding breath from her mouth. ¡­What am I doing? She could not fight in her state. Nor could she escape. Yet for some reason, she crawled. When she thought about it, it had been a stupid thing to do. If she was taken out, she could not protect the child or Izumo. ¡­Why did I try to protect the door? She did not know. It had been the only thing to come to mind at the time. ¡­That only made the situation worse. But she still crawled. She dragged her body forward along the floor. She simply moved while thinking that might bring some kind of answer into view. Soon, she approached a leg of the bed. ¡°¡­¡± She coughed up a clump of blood and finally started feeling pain. There was an undeniable something deep in her gut. She felt a cold sense of loss as if something important had left her. ¡­Now I¡¯ve done it. Am I done for? she wondered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She formed those words of apology from her breaths that did not quite constitute a voice and she continued from there. She gave the reason for her apology and why she could no longer protect them. ¡°I¡¯m¡­weak.¡± She had fled her club activities long ago, but she had thought she was stronger after joining Team Leviathan. What had she said when Sayama had ordered them to disband the day before? Hadn¡¯t she asked why they had to disband when they were so strong? ¡­What was I saying? And look where it¡¯s gotten me. Without the others, she could not do anything, she had lost her weapon, and she was about to lose someone important to her. Had Sayama understood this? ¡°You idiot.¡± Instead of acting tough and full of herself, she should have backed down there. She should have done as he said and stayed put at home. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She felt something with her crawling fingers. It was the former proof of her strength. It was the bottom of G-Sp2. She had crawled to the wall and the chill of the broken spear seemed to reject her. She tried to give a self-deprecating laugh, but she gave a bloody cough instead. She muttered another apology and could tell tears were spilling from her eyes. But she opened her mouth again. ¡°I finally know just how weak I am.¡± With something still caught in her throat, she took a deep breath filled with the dust floating near the floor. ¡°I¡¯m weak.¡± So¡­ ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted strength.¡± She grabbed G-Sp2. She went on to muster her strength and roll onto her back. The wings of light spread along the floor on either side and her hazy vision looked up at both the ceiling and the moonlight entering through the window. Her position was the same as Izumo¡¯s and the baby¡¯s. She wondered if she would share in their dreams if she closed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She just about said she could no longer protect them, but a sudden fact came to her mind. ¡°Oh. That¡¯s right.¡± She nodded and thought about this realization. ¡­I want to protect them even if I have to crawl to do it. She came to understand her previous actions and her thoughts turned to the boy who slept in a position much like hers. ¡­I think I know why he protected me now. The moonlight filled her teary vision and she spoke quietly. ¡°You did it without even thinking, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡­Can I act full of myself when it¡¯s for something important? With that question, she began to cry. ¡°Thank you.¡± And she continued. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She choked and the coughing stopped. Something deep in her throat was preventing her from even breathing. To fight the trembling that had replaced the coughing, she tightened her grip on G-Sp2. She apologized in her heart in countless ways. ¡­G-Sp2, I kind of understand why you broke now. It was because I was stupid. You flew in to protect me. You didn¡¯t simply come because I called for you. ¡­Sorry. I tried to be understanding and I thought you were afraid in that incomprehensible world. But I was wrong. Kaku, V-Sw, and you all had strength and so you weren¡¯t afraid. I was the only one that was afraid. And that fear made me misunderstand the power that had come to protect me. That power was supposed to keep me from fearing, but I only saw it as a way of winning. And so I trembled in fear without even winning. If I hadn¡¯t been afraid, I may not have won, but I wouldn¡¯t have given up or screamed. ¡°I was weak, so I only wanted strength.¡± She apologized under her breath yet again. Something left her throat, spilled into her cheeks, and spewed from her mouth and her body suddenly felt lighter. Cold breath reached her lungs, but her body refused to move at all. Ah, she thought when she grasped her situation. She then clenched her right hand and spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, G-Sp2. But if I do ever become your master again, I won¡¯t fear this time. So if I do become your master again¡­¡± She spoke in a quiet breath that no longer qualified as a voice. ¡°Will you become a power that will never leave someone as weak as me?¡± With that question, all strength left her body. She could no longer move. Her vision clouded over and only her ears seemed to function. She heard a small metallic noise. A brightly-lit windowless corridor was filled with people moving one way or the other. Men in lab coats rushed or even ran past walls with BF2 printed in black. A few men rode a transport pallet moving down the transport rails along the center of the wall¡¯s surface. All of them carried weapon storage pallets of different shapes. ¡°Outta the way! Outta the way! We¡¯re transporting the anti-7th-Gear equipment!! If you don¡¯t open a path, Director Tsukuyomi will fire her Heavenly Moon Bow into your ass from point-blank range!¡± The development department members saying that were kicked to the ground by Tsukuyomi who stood behind them. The transport pallet continued down the corridor while ignoring the cries of the fallen men, but¡­ ¡°Ah, stop real quick! ¡­Kashima! What are you doing walking down the corridor like that? I know you know a 7th-Gear concept space was detected.¡± Next to the stopped transport pallet, Kashima was walking toward the development department. He stopped when he noticed Tsukuyomi, but he opened his laptop and tilted his head. Tsukuyomi frowned and stepped off the pallet. ¡°Hey, Kashima. Are you skipping work to watch videos of your daughter again?¡± He turned toward her, wrinkled his brow, and pushed his glasses up his nose. ¡°How rude, Director Tsukuyomi. You seem to be mistaken about something, so let me be very clear. Videos of my family are what motivate me to do my work. In fact, you could say they are a new nutrient named Vitamin V. Simply put, those videos are a part of my job.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. We can discuss that further when assessing your pay. Anyway, why aren¡¯t you doing anything? You¡¯re in charge of G-Sp2 and V-Sw, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, but both of them are inside the concept space in question, so there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± ¡°Then come help us. Besides, you¡¯re the one that left V-Sw and G-Sp2 in the hospital room because you said we didn¡¯t have to fix them. ¡­And now Kazami doesn¡¯t have a weapon in there.¡± ¡°About that.¡± Kashima glanced down at his laptop¡¯s monitor, frowned, and looked back at Tsukuyomi. ¡°Director Tsukuyomi, one quick thing, if you don¡¯t mind. I¡¯m having difficulty judging something here. ¡­Do you understand what this means?¡± He showed her the computer monitor. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you playing a video of your daughter or wife?¡± ¡°If I watch them too much, the family nutrients are less effective. Anyway¡­ Wait. Why are you giving me that look when I try to have a serious conversation? Please stop that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t blame us when you make it so unexpected. ¡­Now, please continue.¡± ¡°Okay, it¡¯s about the two graphs on the monitor here. I¡¯m following G-Sp2 and V-Sw¡¯s states in real time using their communicators that can surpass a concept space¡¯s boundaries.¡± Tsukuyomi looked at the monitor that had a window opened in the top half and one in the bottom half. Both windows showed several numerical values and a rising graph. ¡°What? They were both destroyed, so why is their energy rising?¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t all. Let me show you why I left those two weapons in the hospital room.¡± Amid the surrounding noise and footsteps, he moved his fingers to revert the graphs to the past. The graphs now displayed the readings from the previous night when Izumo had been taken to the hospital. ¡°What is this? Are you sure the sensors aren¡¯t broken? This says the values never dropped.¡± ¡°I inspected the sensors, but they¡¯re working just fine. I even replaced them just to be sure, but nothing changed. This means G-Sp2 and V-Sw may have been badly damaged, but they weren¡¯t broken.¡± ¡°What¡­does that mean?¡± Kashima nodded and hesitated before continuing. ¡°I can only guess, but perhaps the weapons only see their Cowlings as an outer shell. It comes down to the fact that they¡¯re Concept Core weapons. Unless the actual concept inside them is destroyed, they can never be truly ¡®broken¡¯.¡± Tsukuyomi frowned and Kashima shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not even worth it with those machines. Neither of them thinks they¡¯re broken even in that state. They think they can still fight.¡± ¡°Why would¡­the Concept Cores think that? And why are they still broken on the outside?¡± ¡°That¡¯s simple. Most likely, they¡¯re waiting for their masters to want to fight again. Those broken-looking exteriors want a persistent master.¡± Kashima stuck the monitor out toward Tsukuyomi. The graphs displaying the two weapons¡¯ states had already surpassed 40% power. ¡°Do you understand what this means? ¡­They¡¯re ecstatic. Those masses of power known as dragons are overjoyed that the one to use their power is waking up. Is there anything we need to do? ¡­And now that we¡¯ve settled that, it¡¯s time for a Harumi video. I¡¯ve got a new one today!¡± Tsukuyomi kicked Kashima to the ground and loaded him on the transport pallet. Ikkou saw something after reaching the open door in a single bound. It was light. White and black light of unknown origin came from Izumo¡¯s hospital room. The center of the two colors of light came from the back wall of the small room. They came from the two giant pieces of wreckage. With a boy sleeping in the bed to the side, a bloody girl lying on the floor below, and a baby further to the side, the two wrecked weapons scattered shaped fragments of light around themselves. More and more light appeared like bird wings, leaves, or spraying water. The light was either white or black and the two colors swirled through the air on the right or left. The light produced an infinite number of sounds. There were high sounds, low ones, mid-level ones, short ones, and long ones. They all mixed together to produce a humming tune or a pulsation. Amid that light and sound, Ikkou saw something floating into the air. It was countless red drops. ¡­Blood? Kazami¡¯s blood rose from the floor and Izumo¡¯s blood rose from the bedclothes it had soaked into. At the same time, a powerful pulsating noise filled the air. The deep pulse that shook one¡¯s body came from the two weapons. As the weapons produced light and sound, they pulsated and changed the cloud of blood droplets along with the light and sound. They become bird wings, leaves, or spraying water. The two weapons¡¯ identical spirals eventually overlapped and decorated the room with a double helix pattern. The weapons¡¯ pulses accelerated like a human heartbeat and sounded louder and faster. Light raced through the outer surface and inner core of G-Sp2 and V-Sw. G-Sp2¡¯s was a bluish-white light and V-Sw¡¯s was a red light. As the light raced from the sealed Concept Cores, it filled the cracks in the weapons and corrected their shapes. Their blades were formed anew, their handles grew smooth, and their Cowlings were purified to white. Their shapes changed. They maintained their original functions, but grew more angular and solid. Finally, Ikkou saw light slowly grow in the weapons¡¯ consoles. ¡°We won¡¯t lose now.¡± With a metallic noise, the Cowlings slid on their own to finish creating their new forms. At the same time, the spiraling light coloring the room changed to a spray. The room filled with light and swallowed up Izumo and Kazami. ¡°¡­!¡± Seeing that, Ikkou used all his strength to thrust his Azure Dragon Sword into the light. The second floor of the hospital exploded in the night. However, the explosion did not occur in the eastern end which contained the hospital rooms. It was in the western end. Building materials and dust seemed to bounce out of the building more than they were blasted out and two objects followed. One was Ikkou using a broken Azure Dragon Sword to guard. The other was a light rising straight up from the explosion. The light was a giant spear. The light emitted by its tip trailed behind it in the night sky. That glowing dust washed over someone who was already wrapped in light. Specifically, in wings of light. In the moonlight, the bearer of the spear spread her white wings and slowly took in a breath. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She began a power dive toward the enemy below. Kazami did not understand anything. She did not know what had happened, what she was thinking, or what she was doing. Even so, she found an answer to that last question. ¡­I¡¯m fighting! As soon as she landed in the moonlit backyard, she used her wings to charge toward Ikkou who had also landed. Not even the wind could keep up with her. Ikkou swung his Azure Dragon Sword, but she did not care. After colliding with him and making her next attack, she thought. ¡­Why? She made attack after attack and slid quickly through the air to arrive behind her enemy. ¡­Why can I move again? The Azure Dragon Sword broke, but a new blade formed by the time she had raised her spear. ¡­Why was I forgiven? She evaded, spun around, and used the motion to make a jab with the back end of the spear. ¡­Why am I still alive? Her hair fluttered and her sweat flew. ¡­Why? She did not know, but she did not know two things for sure. She had been given forgiveness that she would never receive again, and¡­ ¡­I can protect. ¡°I can protect them.¡± She knocked away the Azure Dragon Sword with the back of the spear. ¡°I won¡¯t freeze up in fear anymore. I won¡¯t stand still and tremble anymore. Because¡­I won¡¯t think I¡¯m strong anymore.¡± Despite being knocked back, the sword was forcibly swung down at her. However, she did not hesitate to hold the spear below her arm. ¡°So lend me your power. Lend me the power I need to protect someone!¡± She used the wings on her back to step forward with her entire body behind the spear tip. She accelerated. She cut through the wind and slipped below Ikkou¡¯s blade. The spear tip sank into the chest of his armored uniform and smashed his bones. He was thrown back from there. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± With a great sound of impact, his body flew backwards. She brought her feet to the ground and stopped herself. She swung up G-Sp2, spun it in her fingers, and held it under her arm again. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Her wings vibrated and produced noise. ¡°But it seems I¡¯ve become a bit of a better person.¡± Even as she spoke, Ikkou spread his legs and landed. The soles of his shoes slipped back along the dry dirt of the backyard and he raised his Azure Dragon Sword again. ¡°Ha ha. You regained your energy quick-¡­¡± Before he finished, Kazami had circled behind him. He gasped and shook in surprise, but this was nothing to be shocked about. It was simple. As long as she used her wings and swung her body, she could circle around faster than him. However¡­ ¡°Such speed,¡± he said. ¡°Oh? This is my average speed¡­when facing an enemy anyway.¡± ¡°Oh? So I am your enemy, am I?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she replied. She raised her eyebrows and pushed the spear tip into Ikkou¡¯s back. ¡°Or at the very least, you aren¡¯t my teammate.¡± She poured all of her strength into a point-blank range strike. The sound of impact shook the air, but the sound of flapping wings accompanied it. Ikkou was launched parallel to the ground, but Kazami caught up and calmly made another attack. ¡°You turned your blade on people I care about. While it is my fault they got hurt¡­¡± The additional hit sent him flying even faster, but she used her wings to soar above the ground and line up alongside him again. She attacked from the side this time. ¡°You are still an enemy for not stopping your blade.¡± She struck him from below to launch him up into the air at a right angle. He flew around a dozen meters into the sky, but she circled above him in an instant. With the light of the moon behind her, she pressed the spear tip against Ikkou¡¯s back as he reached the peak of his ascent and briefly stopped. ¡°Yes, you aren¡¯t my teammate. After all¡­¡± She sent him flying straight down. However, she accelerated down after him and struck his back again as she caught up. ¡°My teammates are elsewhere. I may not have any strength¡­¡± She hit him yet again to accelerate him further. ¡°But they still want me on their team.¡± Yes, that¡¯s right, she thought. Let¡¯s go form a team. Not a team prepared only for the Leviathan Road, but a team that will last forever. We won¡¯t think we¡¯re strong anymore. We¡¯ll gather together to become strong. As long as we keep that in mind, we won¡¯t let our guard down. ¡°And we won¡¯t lose!¡± She activated G-Sp2¡¯s second form and fired the cannon down. After a direct hit on Ikkou, the ground and the light exploded. This left a crater ten meters across and the sound filled the entire area. The hospital building shook and the reinforced glass bent and broke. With the rising wind washing over her from below, Kazami rested G-Sp2 on her shoulder fifteen meters up in the air. ¡°You¡¯re still alive, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You can tell?¡± Ikkou stood in the center of the crater. He was surrounded by shimmering heat, his armored uniform was in tatters, and his hair was a complete mess. But the light in his eyes had not faded and his weapon was unharmed. He faced to the side and spat a dark clump to the ground. ¡°Well done, Kazami-sama. I suppose that would be around sixty points.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like another forty beyond that.¡± He laughed and sighed. ¡°It will be too late by the time the battle ends, so I will take this time to tell you of the past we know.¡± ¡°The past?¡± ¡°Yes, my brothers promised to give you the Concept Core and some information on Japanese UCAT¡¯s past if you defeat us.¡± He looked up at her with a sharp look in his eyes. ¡°Just once in the past, someone took data on our Concept Cores after realizing we had them.¡± ¡°¡­? Just once? Who was it!?¡± ¡°Well,¡± he said. ¡°Someone who was attempting to find a just way to rule the world.¡± ¡°What?¡± she asked. She did not know what he meant. Was there such a thing as a just way to rule the world? However, he continued speaking. ¡°It is fine if you do not understand. I am sure the Army will tell you soon enough. And I have no time. ¡­Kazami-sama, let us prepare the stage for our battle.¡± ¡°Sure, but how?¡± ¡°How about this?¡± Ikkou held something overhead. It was a fist-sized black sphere. ¡°This is my brother Mitsuaki¡¯s Concept Core. It arrived just now. You know what his concept does, I assume.¡± Kazami gulped a bit. That concept prevented her from understanding anyone else. That had been the trigger to her previous loss against Ikkou. The man opened his mouth with a smile in his eyes. ¡°Then let us begin. Working together is the best part of being brothers!!¡± With that shout, a voice reached Kazami¡¯s ears. ¡ªThere is no mutual understanding. Those words robbed Kazami of all her senses. After Ikkou opened the concept space, he took a certain action. He sighed. The breath contained some blood. He spat out the clump of blood and wiped his mouth. ¡­My end is coming soon, too. Mitsuaki had been defeated and there was no response from Nijun or Yonkichi either. ¡°Give me a good answer.¡± He looked up while trying to catch his breath and he saw Kazami sitting motionless in midair. Her eyes were closed as if in quiet thought, so Ikkou prepared his Azure Dragon Sword. He prepared an iai strike from below and to the left. He then spoke to this opponent who could not hear him. ¡°I will now make the greatest attack I can muster. You can block it if you like and you can deflect it if you like. Either way, I will die satisfied. This is¡­¡± He let out a bitter laugh. ¡°This is in exchange for all the trouble I have caused you.¡± He twisted far to the left, took a deep breath, held it, and sank down a bit. ¡°¡­!¡± He suddenly moved. He sent his right heel forward, and pushed his body up with his left knee. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He raised his right elbow forward, reversed his wrist while stretching his entire body upwards, and stood on his right leg while swinging up the Azure Dragon Sword. The instant he moved, the blade broke the sound barrier. ¡­This will work!! His body¡¯s movements linked together and there was no shaking or wobbling in the blade¡¯s path. There was no hesitation in this attack. He swung it through its entire moon-like arc. ¡°Ohhh!!¡± Surrounded by exploding water vapor and enduring exploding wind, Ikkou used his vertically stretched body to look up at his enemy. The moon was visible behind the spear-wielding and winged girl. And a certain sound reached his ears. It was a song. Even during the battle, he heard a song in the girl¡¯s voice. Kazami sang in the moonlight. She sang the same hymn as when holding the baby: Silent Night. As she closed her eyes and sang with no excess information reaching her, her unheard voice rode on the wind and filled the world. In her hands, G-Sp2 resonated with the song and vibrated like a tuning fork. And the song¡¯s vibration in the wind reached her skin. She could not see the world, but the world came to her. It returned her voice to her. The earth echoed, the building resonated, and the night sky fell silent, but all of that was the world¡¯s response. ¡­Why was I so tense? She could not understand others in this world, but there were things she could learn as her own voice returned to her. She had been unable to do this the day before. Both when faced with this concept and when faced with Sayama¡¯s order to disband. But she was fine now. She had learned something. She knew why she had been so angry about Sayama¡¯s order. ¡­Back then, I felt like my efforts weren¡¯t being recognized. But I was wrong, she realized while singing below the moon. Nothing anyone said could change how much she had fought or that she had protected the Leviathan Road. So her job was to do her very best to protect the others and accomplish something. If she did that, her efforts would be recognized without her having to point them out. Sayama must have known that after fighting alongside them so many times. But he must have sensed their carelessness. After growing strong, they were relying on their strength, forgetting their original intentions, and losing sight of what they needed to do. If they merely wielded their power, they would grow intoxicated on that power and end up filled with fear. He had hinted at this by having them disband, but that was likely because of the approaching battle with the great power of the Army. ¡­But I¡¯m weak and my lack of confidence made me lose hope. And to hide her weakness, she had relied on her power, but that had made her fear that power, lose, and fail to protect what really mattered. She needed to trust in something other than strength and she had understood that in the past. ¡­Yes, it used to be more than just words. I really did understand. Once, she had tried to protect Sayama and Shinjou and led a werewolf to take his own life. She had worried over that and her decision had been to leave flowers for him and to never forget it. At the time, she had not tried to justify her actions to anyone. She had not tried to use the werewolf¡¯s death as proof of how much her teammates mattered or how hard she had worked. She had received the sin as the sin it was. She was stubborn, but she had tried to grow stronger. But after gaining more teammates¡­ ¡­Why did I get so full of myself and grow soft? If she stayed like that, her teammates would not want her around. And that was why she had a new thought. A teammate was someone to share her joy with as they fought and protected each other. And they were someone to notice the flower she silently set down and line up their own flowers next to hers. She had people who would understand without her having to say a word. ¡­So I just need to do everything I can. She smiled bitterly when she suddenly remembered snapping back at Sayama. I¡¯m such an idiot, she thought as the bitterness left the smile. ¡­But it¡¯s partly that idiot¡¯s fault for always choosing the most eccentric way to express something. That had not turned out well. She thought about having a word with him next time, even if Shinjou was with him. After all, he was a stupid underclassman and he was doing what she had once done. Long ago, she had injured someone during her club activities and quit the club. But after meeting Izumo and beginning to fight, she had heard about a certain strange first year student. The boy had gone to karate competitions, but after injuring his left hand, he had quit karate altogether. As a replacement for karate, he had searched for a place to get serious and he had ended up alongside them. There was one thing she had wanted to ask him eventually: aren¡¯t you ever going to clench your left hand again? ¡­But I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t say it. If she had said that when she didn¡¯t realize how weak she was, it would have shown how little she understood. ¡­That¡¯s right. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll figure it out on his own without me saying anything, she realized. ¡°Yes.¡± So she stopped singing and nodded to herself. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time we formed a team again.¡± She could hear where her enemy was, so was that enough to say she knew where he was? Ikkou launched a straight line of shockwaves toward her. She responded with a strike from her spear of light. She was filled with an inappropriate curiosity about who would win. But¡­ ¡­Ikkou-san, you¡¯re thinking the same thing, aren¡¯t you? She also knew what G-Sp2 had to be saying: this is fun. So she took a midair step and dove straight down. The silence of the attack below was her path to him. To resume fighting, she prepared to crush him. Volume 11, 29: The First Step Volume 11, Chapter 29: The First Step That walk is swift That walk is strong That walk never ends Hajji opened his eyes in the darkness. The surrounding darkness confused him. He did not know where he was. He only knew he was sitting on something that shook and he was surrounded by shadow. ¡­Where am I? He then remembered he was inside a moving vehicle. He was on the way to UCAT for the attack that night. He checked his watch and found less than an hour had passed since they had gathered in front of the Takao factory. He shrugged his drowsy shoulders in annoyance and he heard a woman speak in front of him. ¡°You sure are calm. You seemed to be having a pretty good dream.¡± He saw a large woman in a white combat coat. It was Jord. She smiled bitterly, but he gave no response and looked around to check on the situation. The back of the transport truck had been transformed into a hangar and men and women were standing silently along the left and right wall. They were accompanied by another three trucks that would also be filled with pre-battle tension. In the night, he heard the wind blowing across the truck and the tires racing along the road. In front of him, Jord opened her mouth to break the silence. ¡°It certainly is strange to be fighting alongside you. ¡­10th and 9th never got along and, if it hadn¡¯t been for all of you, my friend and daughter wouldn¡¯t have died so soon.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re just angry, but I suppose I¡¯ll ask. Yes. What was your friend¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Aley.¡± Hajji covered his mouth with a hand and lowered his eyebrows. ¡°That would indeed be my fault. Yes. A real shame.¡± ¡°Well, it was technically due to 9th-Gear¡¯s politicians. 9th-Gear¡¯s king took a holy spear containing half of 9th¡¯s concepts to Low-Gear and died there. That didn¡¯t leave enough power to activate Zahhak.¡± ¡°When I returned, I tried to stop Zahhak¡¯s activation for that very reason, but the palace had a connection to an underground organization in 10th-Gear and they stole Thor¡¯s Hammer to use the 10th concepts it contained to help activate Zahhak. Yes, that was quite the commotion.¡± That must have been a tough time for the politicians too, he thought. ¡­And after Thor¡¯s Hammer was brought back and Shahrnavaz gave up¡­ ¡°She combined with Zahhak as its brain to protect me from the false accusations of abandoning the king.¡± ¡°What? Did you say something?¡± ¡°No, nothing. Nothing at all, Jord. That has nothing to do with anyone but me. Yes. ¡­But a group with no one controlling it is always a problem no matter what time period you¡¯re talking about. Isn¡¯t that right? In the early days, a lot of people in the Army tried to randomly take revenge on UCAT.¡± ¡°So you purged your own followers, leaving you with the group you have now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Hajji. The truck shook as it turned left and tilted up a slope. It was a long slope leading up a mountain. ¡°I see. So we¡¯ve started to cross the mountain leading into Okutama. Not long until the battle now. ¡­With the people here and the doll unit coming later, we should be able to reach the center of Japanese UCAT.¡± ¡°But how do you plan to eliminate the concepts?¡± ¡°I have a way. Yes. And I know where they can be destroyed.¡± ¡°Where they can be destroyed?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve only ever heard of it, but the person who explained it actually saw it there. They said we could ¡®do whatever we wanted¡¯ with the concepts if we go there. ¡­And I¡¯m sure UCAT would end up there if they did complete the Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°Where is that?¡± ¡°Why do you want to know? But either way, I will end up talking about that tonight. You can look forward to it if you like. ¡­More importantly, all of you need to think about what to do afterwards. The concepts of the other worlds will no longer belong to UCAT. Your concepts that support your reservations will be the only ones left.¡± As he spoke, the floor shook vertically. Everyone in the back of the truck lowered down and held their weapons close. Meanwhile, Hajji continued. ¡°Once the concepts are taken from UCAT and destroyed and once UCAT itself is defeated, the different Gear reservations will have to adjust from being protected and ruled by UCAT. This will reset the world. I suppose 4th and 8th will fall under 10th¡¯s protection.¡± ¡°Are you trying to create a new world?¡± ¡°No, we will return Low-Gear to its original form. Once the Gears are no longer held hostage through the Concept Cores and reservations, they can hold proper negotiations with Low-Gear. Yes, that would be for the best. Everything will return to a blank slate and continue from there. We only need to crush UCAT and disappear ourselves.¡± The truck sped up and everyone prepared their weapons. Once the speed lowered and the truck came to a stop, the attack would begin. As the truck descended to its destination, Hajji held his own weapon and formed a slight smile. ¡°We are not creating a new world. We are creating what can be called the true world.¡± Kazami gathered her things in a moonlit room. She put her half coat on over X-Wi and held G-Sp2 with a bag wrapped around the tip. ¡°It¡¯s dark,¡± said the spear¡¯s console. ¡°Bear with it. I¡¯ll remove it once we get outside.¡± She extended a hand toward the corner of the room where two fist-sized spheres floated. One was blue and the other black. They swayed as her hand reached them. They almost seemed to be hesitating. But soon the blue sphere seemed pulled in toward her and the black one followed. They flew to either side of her and into her half coat¡¯s pockets. She started to close the pockets, but smiled bitterly and stopped. ¡°Why do inorganic things seem to like me so much?¡± She looked across the room. The baby was no longer on the chair. She had returned it to its original place before the concept space vanished. V-Sw leaned against the wall. The armor-covered sword¡¯s shape had changed somewhat. Its console flashed randomly and Izumo slept in the bed next to it. Izumo¡¯s left arm stuck out from the bed. The solid cast on the elbow had broken and a fairly pale left arm grew from there. It was a newly made arm. ¡°Was that the healing power of 10th-Gear¡¯s world tree and the power of destruction and regeneration of 6th-Gear?¡± Some things felt a little off inside her own body. Some areas seemed to be moving a little better as if they had been modified. She looked over at V-Sw and G-Sp2. ¡°You forgave me just once for not understanding you and losing because of it, didn¡¯t you? But the next time I lose will be for real, so that won¡¯t happen again. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°We are strict.¡± She smiled a little at that blunt response and looked at Izumo who seemed to be sleeping. ¡°Thank you. I would have died if you hadn¡¯t protected me. And I need to thank the others too. I need to thank them for being with me.¡± She slowly lowered her head and placed her lips on his. After some damp time passed, she moved away. ¡°I¡¯m going on ahead. And remember. From now on, my heart will not go with you. Even when we¡¯re walking side by side, remember that I will be hoping to go with you. And¡­¡± And¡­ ¡°I think I¡¯ll try to have more confidence in myself. No matter what anyone says and no matter how much I worry over what my actions lead to, I¡¯ll always try to do my very best.¡± She smiled. ¡°So I¡¯ll always be fresh.¡± She looked at V-Sw and the words written on the white sword¡¯s console. ¡°See you later.¡± ¡°Right.¡± She nodded, stepped out the door, and entered the hallway. She hesitated for a moment but began to run. The head nurse looked her way from in front of the nurse station. ¡°Oh, are you really okay? It seems everyone is rushing over here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, so please tell them to head back. I¡¯ll go meet them myself.¡± She held up G-Sp2 with the bag over it. The head nurse¡¯s eyes stopped on the weapon and finally seemed to realize it had been repaired. She looked surprised and smiled. ¡°Do your best.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Just before she started down the stairs, Kazami spotted someone in front of the nursery window. ¡­It¡¯s that child¡¯s mother. The woman looked at her just like before. ¡°Are you heading out? And with some big tool?¡± ¡°Yes, well¡­ It¡¯s for a bit of a part time job.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The woman tilted her head but gave a genuine smile. ¡°The head nurse told me something odd just now. She said you saved my child.¡± ¡°I¡¯d say it was the opposite actually.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Oh, and sorry. ¡­I took his first kiss. But I had a reason for it, so don¡¯t get the wrong idea.¡± Kazami bowed and the woman looked down at her in utter confusion. But when she looked back up, the woman tilted her head. ¡°First kiss? Um, I¡¯m not quite sure what you mean¡­but my child is a girl.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Kazami dropped her head forward and looked the woman in the eye. ¡°¡­¡± She swallowed her voice and let out a deep laugh. She doubled over, came to a personal understanding, and suddenly looked up. She nodded toward the mother of the child who had helped her out. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± As soon as she raised her head again, she ran down the stairs. She skipped one step, then two, and desired to continue on and on. ¡­How strange. Why did she feel so lighthearted and elated? Her heart felt like wind. It would sometimes blow violently along, crash into a wall, and smash to pieces, but it would also rise into the air as it freely went where it pleased. This had to be a time for that positive side of the wind. ¡°Yes.¡± As she descended the staircase, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a letter. It was the letter of advice Brunhild had left. It was a little late for that, but she opened it anyway and found a single line of writing. ¡°I¡¯m sure an idiot like you will win regardless, so I¡¯m not going to write anything.¡± ¡°Well, of course.¡± She quickly jumped down the circling staircase. She ran outside and into the moonlit night wind. A band of light shined below the night sky. The light illuminated a long strip of asphalt in a valley between mountains. It was a runway. The asphalt covering the three kilometer runway was brand new. In exchange for the new asphalt, thick walls two meters tall continued along either side of the runway. They were barricades made using the piles of the old broken asphalt. The top of the barricades had been made roughly flat and a few figures walked along them. They were automatons wearing UCAT combat maid outfits and philosopher¡¯s stones that allowed them to remain active in the outside world. They carried machineguns at their waists and they constantly monitored their surroundings with their sight and concept senses. There were so few of them on patrol because their individual senses could cover a wide area, but they would be replaced by other maid automatons quite frequently. This also helped provide a change of pace since they would otherwise be inside all the time. They were deployed to more areas than just the runway. Some were in the southern and northern forests and some were in the front of the 1st-Gear reservation to the west. They patrolled in groups of two, but they did not communicate with their voices. They handled everything through their shared memory. ¡°This is 56th Iris on patrol with #57. Nothing to report at the southwestern edge of the southern forest.¡± ¡°Testament. Please return. #93 and 94th Camellia are next, so they will take your place.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. ¡­What are you working on there?¡± ¡°Currently, we are opening up most of the camouflaged building¡¯s third floor and piling up the equipment and explosives in case of an attack. The cafeteria will act as a base and this will be the storage area. To prevent an external attack, the defense shutters have a concept saying ¡®¡ªYou cannot enter here¡¯ applied.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. This is using a lot of special equipment, so I have determined it must be tough. I hear Lady Miyako took command of Izumo UCAT¡¯s mass-production of reflection concept philosopher¡¯s stones to oppose the thought compulsion concept that girl used when she visited UCAT.¡± ¡°Testament. Those arrived by air a while ago and have been carried to the third floor. I have determined they will be helpful.¡± The automatons used their shared memory to transfer what they saw as data. Large concept barrier emitters were set up at the four corners of the runway. The devices had six barrel-shaped metal objects arranged in a circle, they each created an area of gravitational control around themselves, and they prevented large machines from flying. Their effective range was approximately five kilometers. As soon as an unregistered philosopher¡¯s stone reading was scanned approaching through the air, the reading would be taken inside the concept space and sent straight down. The automatons covered the ground and the barrier emitters covered the sky. Just in case, a prefab station was set up by the runway. Light still came from the prefab building located next to kneeling gods of war hidden by covers. If anything happened, the god of war pilots could immediately board them. Negotiations were underway to have other countries¡¯ UCATs help with security, but American UCAT¡¯s Yokota branch had decided on its own to rush over in an emergency. If anything happened, their mechanical dragons would arrive within ten minutes. In truth, Japan had wanted American UCAT to remain in Japanese UCAT permanently, but the other nations¡¯ UCATs had put a stop to it so that the United States would not gain such an advantage. Unfortunately, that had led to the other nations¡¯ UCATs hesitating to help with security now. They were currently planning to have a meeting on the subject come November. The automatons were aware of all this and they had their own thoughts on it. ¡°Yes, sir. This world has yet to unify itself,¡± said one. ¡°Testament. That means world peace is reliant on our work here.¡± Happy to be given work like that, they continued to move. Their vision could see through the darkness and see heat. However, one could easily hide from that using concept camouflage. Their greatest advantage was their ability to detect faint philosopher¡¯s stone readings while only being the size of a human. The Army¡¯s weapons would be altered with concepts. During day or night and even when hidden by cover, their eyes could pick up on readings that normal sensors would miss. The effective range of their senses was approximately two kilometers. Just in case, they formed groups of two. On top of that, the automaton guard groups were given patrol routes that overlapped. The humans would use sensors and their own eyes from the runway and building and the automatons would make long range patrols. If they sensed a philosopher¡¯s stone reading, they could send word over their shared memory and immediately have others sent in. And they worked diligently. They continued to share a number of words and reports. ¡°Yes, sir. But is it really efficient for half of us to use ¡®yes, sir¡¯ and the other half to use ¡®testament¡¯?¡± ¡°Then what should we say instead, #93?¡± ¡°Why not take the start of one and the end of the other for ¡®yestament¡¯ or ¡®tes, sir¡¯?¡± ¡°I have determined that does not change very much.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. 101st Lotus here. Then how about the start of both or the end of both for ¡®yestes¡¯ or ¡®sirtament¡¯?¡± ¡°That is an excellent decision, 101st. How about we see what #8 thinks? ¡­#8?¡± They all listened to #8¡¯s unedited thoughts. ¡°Listen, Ooshiro-sama. How many times do I need to tell you? You are not going to trick me by pretending to pass out again.¡± After a while, the automaton that had asked for #8¡¯s opinion spoke again. ¡°Everyone, I have determined #8 is enjoying her job.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. 101st Lotus here. I will add ¡®waiting for #8¡¯s response¡¯ to my remaining tasks. ¡­Oh.¡± ¡°What is it, 101st? Did something happen?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I spotted a puppy and a black dog. They are wearing collars, so there is nothing strange about-¡­¡± But her voice vanished. The supervisor automaton waited several seconds which was a very long time for an automaton. ¡°101st Lotus, #100? What is the matter? ¡­I can still detect your presence.¡± She received a response via their shared memory, but it was not in words. The response was as follows. ¡°Woof.¡± The automatons mentally tilted their heads at the voice they heard and they all mimicked it. ¡°¡­Woof?¡± After a while, the one who had given that response, 101st, spoke. ¡°Oh¡­ S-sorry about that.¡± ¡°Of course¡­but are you okay? If there is a problem with your memory functions, you can go in for maintenance.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I think it was just a moment of confusion and we were on our way there anyway. Send in our replacement.¡± ¡°Your replacements are #75 and #77. They just left, so you should be able to see them from there.¡± Sudden noise reached them from 101st¡¯s location. It was gunfire. Immediately afterwards, static ran through their shared memory. The supervisor shouted out in response to the static. ¡°#75 and #77¡¯s functions are dropping! They have been shot!! This is an enemy attack! Determine the enemy¡¯s location!¡± After receiving that shared thought, all of the automatons outside headed southwest. But when they got there¡­ ¡°101st Lotus here. ¡­Nothing to report.¡± ¡°This is #98 in charge of the southern area. I have arrived as well, but there is nothing to report. ¡­Eh? ¡­Kh!¡± That voice was accompanied by more gunfire. After another pause, the supervisor spoke without knowing what to do. ¡°#98 and #99¡¯s functions are dropping¡­¡± The automatons below the night sky saw something in the southwestern forest. Their thermal vision saw 101st and #100 aiming their machineguns toward the southern area #98 and #99 had been in charge of. ¡°Why?¡± one of them muttered. At the same time, brief silence filled their shared memory. They all performed high-speed scans on each other and confirmed their settings. All of the automatons had been given a certain setting as a family. ¡°We cannot destroy other automatons of our type and only 1st through 3rd can remove that setting from themselves.¡± But the footage arriving from the vision of those on the runway showed 101st and #100 firing their machineguns to the southeast. More gunfire reached their ears. ¡°This is 108th Sasanqua. We are under attack from 101-¡­¡± The voice cut off there. This left a single fact. The automatons with the numbers 101 and 100 were being controlled by some kind of power. However, none of them could act. They wanted to stop the two of them, but their settings prevented them from destroying their fellow automatons. But then how could those two destroy them so easily? They could not find an answer. To change that, they all spoke to the supervisor. ¡°Send out UCAT!!¡± But before they received a response, another voice reached them. It was 101st¡¯s voice. ¡°Woof.¡± Their minds froze up when they heard that mimicked dog bark again. And then they heard it a third time, but that was followed by another voice. ¡°Ahem. Can you hear me, automatons? Well? Hm?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The automatons¡¯ minds ground to a halt. They did not recognize this voice at all. ¡°¡­¡± The automatons could not move. There were three reasons for this. First, how had someone else cut into their shared thoughts? Second, they had no idea how they were supposed to react to this unexpected turn of events. And third, they could not determine what was going to happen. What were they supposed to do? All of them decided they had to tell someone other than themselves about this. But they could not. Their thoughts and their shared memory were being locked down by someone else. Their shared memory used machines as an intermediary, but unlike Low-Gear¡¯s artificial intelligences, theirs were true artificial thoughts. It should have been impossible for anyone else to intervene. That was why their automatic thoughts determined this was some kind of misunderstanding. However, they also wondered if this could possibly be a misunderstanding. This was affecting every single one of them, so that left two possibilities. First, the same misunderstanding had occurred in all of them simultaneously. Or second, someone had interfered with their shared memory with a method that exceeded their own abilities. In order to reject the latter possibility, the 3rd automatons decided that no one could exceed their abilities. And it was also possible to assume a common misunderstanding could occur in all of them at once because they were built on common standards. Ergo, this supposed fact was actually a misunderstanding on their part. All of their artificial brains instructed them to ignore the misunderstanding and continue with their work. But one thought inside them said their conclusion was wrong and the thought process began anew. Their thoughts looped thousands, millions, and even billions of times. The doubt in their minds was opposing the fundamental decision-making part of themselves. But their thoughts never reached a definite conclusion and the infinitely looping thoughts left the automatons motionless. But just before they all froze up, a certain automaton added in a new thought. ¡°We are excellent.¡± The 3rd automatons knew what it meant to be excellent. They had been taught that during the Leviathan Road battle three months prior. An excellent individual could admit their own defeat, would continue trying to win despite that, and would try to stay at the same level as both winner and loser. And a doll that could admit to her own mistakes and inexperience was treated kindly by her master. A certain memory returned to the automatons. It was the memory of one of their own losing and being carried by a human. That confirmed for them that they could lose and admitting that fact led to a single conclusion. ¡°3rd¡¯s automatons are excellent. It is unthinkable for all of us to reach the same erroneous conclusion!¡± One of them shouted those words. It was weak and not quite a cry, but the one speaking out against her own control had been given an obedient personality. ¡°So this is the truth! Our minds are being invaded by someone!!¡± With those words, all of the automatons came to their senses. They broke free of their infinitely looping thoughts and awoke. ¡°¡­!¡± Someone was interfering with their shared thoughts. And this was not a misunderstanding of a single unit. It was a phenomenon occurring in every single one of them. Something supposedly impossible was happening. This was a contradiction, but it was also a fact. And that fact reached them in the form of words. ¡°Well done. Yes. An excellent recovery. I would expect nothing less of a product of the Gear of dolls!¡± The dolls hearing those words as fact shouted back as one mind. ¡°Who are you!?¡± The individual units had yet to fully recover from the contradictory thoughts, but their artificial minds put up their guard and they stopped moving while speaking to the intruder. ¡°We demand you free the compromised units!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that. No, I definitely can¡¯t do that.¡± The voice answered without delay and continued before they could say anything more. ¡°Unfortunately, we have taken control of two automatons. Yes, I¡¯m truly sorry. I really am, but that¡¯s why I would like it if you did not resist. Yes.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Is saying I¡¯m Hajji of the Army enough? We¡¯re on our way there as quickly as we can. So could you form a wall and wait for us? Well? Hm?¡± The tone of voice was awfully calm for what it was saying. And 56th Iris sent out a quiet thought from the southwestern area. ¡°Emergency report.¡± She continued. ¡°We are under attack!! There are 121 of them and a great number of small animals. I have determined the animals are dogs! But¡­they are thermally and conceptually identical to real dogs and yet I cannot hear a single pulse from the entire group! These dogs are made from high-density information, so I have determined control of 101st and #100¡¯s artificial brains was taken by them!¡± 56th¡¯s next words were muffled by gunshots. ¡°Hurry! Even as we hesitate, the enemy is-¡­¡± Her thoughts cut out and something else could be heard instead. An alarm blared from Japanese UCAT and a large group of footsteps filled the southern forest. ¡°¡­!¡± Countless enemies ran into view from that forest. They were a kilometer and a half from UCAT¡¯s disguised building. The enemy was too close. All of the automatons had that same thought as they began to move. The time they had spent frozen had been devastating. The fact that automatons from 3rd had been ¡°hijacked¡± had slowed everything down. Japanese UCAT¡¯s night guards had sensed danger in the automatons¡¯ silence and they had come charging out, but even that had been too slow. The enemy had already left the forest and reached the runway. ¡°¡­¡± It would take too long for the god of war pilots to leave the station and start up the gods of war. They had all expected an attack by mechanical dragons or gods of war. They had thought an attack too quick to react to would destroy the UCAT building or grounds and then the Army would come pouring in. But the Army had begun on foot. More and more people in black armored uniforms appeared from the forest. They cut across the lawn next to the runway that contained the station and barricade and they ran toward the runway. They climbed over the barricade and looked west to see a straight shot to the white building. They only had to make a run for it. They had a great number of dogs running at their feet and they were led by an elderly Arab man with a black turban around his head. 101st and #100 accompanied him on either side. The blowing wind was the sound of late autumn and the elderly man spun his weapon in his hands. It was a Cowling Spear with a sword-like blade attached. He held it under one arm, crouched low, and stared straight at the white building. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get this started.¡± The automatons did not move, but he did. He moved forward and took the first step of a run. ¡°This will bring the end, so¡­don¡¯t hold back.¡± As soon as he spoke, the battle with the advancing black forces began. A light traveled west toward Okutama starting from a road near a hospital in the mountains. The light took the form of wings and flew straight up into the night sky. Two people on the ground looked up at the wings of light. They stood in front of a vending machine below a streetlight in front of the hospital. One was a gray-haired woman in a black suit and the other was a well-build elderly man in a white suit. The woman took a sip from a can labeled ¡°Black Coffee ¨C Extra Bitter¡±. ¡°What do you think of tonight¡¯s events, President Izumo?¡± ¡°Well, I do want to know what my stupid son is doing sleeping. Don¡¯t you agree, Diana-kun?¡± The man, Izumo Retsu, drank from a coffee can printed with a giant abstract image of a professional wrestler. ¡°But¡­how should I put it? The Izumo family has always been really lucky with women. Two goddesses in a row and now an angel who can tame a dragon, even if she seemed hopeless for a bit there. Did you see that, Diana-kun? You did, didn¡¯t you? She took care of her opponent so quickly it even shocked me a little. Now that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!¡± ¡°Are you not going to greet her?¡± ¡°Eh? No, it¡¯s best to just hide and watch these things. ¡­And I knew she was going to win anyway.¡± ¡°Why would you think that? She almost died.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± He looked up into the whiteness of the moon, but suddenly stopped. ¡°No, I can¡¯t. If I said anything here, it would sound so cool I¡¯d make myself blush. Ha ha. Give me a break here, Diana-kun.¡± ¡°I see you haven¡¯t changed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not really true. I don¡¯t like to admit it, but I¡¯m a lot different from a decade ago. After all¡­¡± He nodded and crossed his arms while still holding the can of coffee. ¡°I really don¡¯t like to admit it, but¡­I¡¯ve aged ten years in the past decade.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get mad like you used to, Diana-kun. That makes this a lot less fun. How about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve simply learned how to hide it inside. ¡­How to hide everything inside.¡± Diana shrugged and turned toward the hospital. ¡°Are you going to go see the Izumo boy?¡± ¡°That idiot will live on even if I don¡¯t. And he can come to me. I need to make sure I don¡¯t die before then, so I have a lot of work to do.¡± ¡°Everyone from the Izumo family is a real pain to deal with.¡± ¡°There are other problems, too.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Diana tilted her head, so Retsu elaborated with a bitter smile. ¡°You see, the 10th-Gear reservation contacted me personally. Annoyingly enough, a god named Jord who¡¯s also my mother-in-law seems to have left the reservation.¡± ¡°You mean¡­?¡± ¡°She said she¡¯s joining the Army. See, I told you there are other problems. The Army is coming.¡± Diana gasped and Retsu narrowed his eyes and looked up at the moon. ¡°I think I¡¯ll go see just how far my mother and wife¡¯s protection can reach. Just how powerful are the feelings of those two who so loved this world¡¯s moon?¡± He held the can up toward the moon. ¡°And if they end up losing¡­well, destruction can be amusing too.¡± Volume 11, 30: Meeting Distance Volume 11, Chapter 30: Meeting Distance Everyone says I can finally see you again The battle began with black approaching white. The runway acted as the stage. It was an asphalt corridor with two meter walls on either side. A black army ran down that fifty meter wide path in a dense formation. In all, there were around one hundred and twenty people in black armored uniforms. Different colors of dogs ran along with them. Their boots clattered across the ground, the barking of the dogs filled the night wind, and they all travelled west. Their goal was the white building one thousand two hundred meters ahead. ¡°Hurry,¡± someone muttered even though they were already running full speed. ¡°If we don¡¯t hurry, the end won¡¯t come.¡± Someone else cried out in response. ¡°We have to end this!¡± They all trembled and cheered. They sank down and accelerated further. ¡°We have to end this world and make a new one!!¡± Strength filled their cheers and they tore through the wind. They ran. They never stopped running. By running, they worked toward what they desired. On the other hand, the white army was slow to react. The automatic dolls had been hijacked and left motionless. Some attacks were coming from the white force, but it was still scattered. This contrasted with the concentration and speed of the attacks from the black force. Light shot to the left and right from the black army. That light reached the people leaving the forest or station by the runway and it reached the anti-air defense field generators. ¡°¡­!¡± Explosions filled all of those areas. There was no fire, but countless sounds and pillars of smoke shook the ground and air. As countless forms were blasted into the air, a five-man team split off from the black army to the left and right. In the lead, Hajji turned toward them, raised his eyebrows and sounded like he was giving a casual greeting. ¡°Are you going so soon?¡± The man in charge of the first unit on the right turned toward him. ¡°We¡¯ll be going on ahead.¡± The one in charge of the first unit on the left did the same. ¡°So will we.¡± They scattered to the left or right. ¡°It¡¯s time to fill them with regret!¡± They cleared the side walls in a single bound and were met by explosive blasts and gunfire. The black unit jumping to the right was intercepted by a group of automatons attacking from the side. Mid-jump, they protected their bodies and heads with their right arms and began firing on the automatons with their left arms. Their battle began on the grass lit by the flames of a distant burning prefab building. The automatons seemed to spin around as they ran and jumped. They aimed their machineguns via perfect synchronization between their arms and eyes. They used a smart system that automatically aimed in the direction they were looking. Their firing was so accurate that they did not waste a single bullet. The black unit attacked from midair and the automatons attacked from the ground. And they fired. Between the gunfire and flying sparks, the black unit clacked the heels of their boots together as they began to fall. With a sound, rolling balls appeared on the bottom of their feet. All those balls did was spin, but¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± They only had to use the thrusters sticking out from their back armor to achieve great mobility. As the five prepared to land, shimmering heat rose behind them. ¡°You can only use the thruster for thirty seconds!¡± shouted their commander. ¡°Use it intermittently and carefully!!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the worst one at using it, commander!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I get such good results!!¡± They landed and bullets washed over them, but they let their armor deflect them. ¡°Our armor is thick! It¡¯s heavy and overheats quickly, but everything ends here anyway. More importantly¡­¡± The momentum of landing pushed the commander¡¯s legs forward and he almost fell onto his butt, but instead¡­ ¡°Outta the way, dolls!!¡± The shimmering heat behind him burst open and his body quickly rose up. They shot across the grass in an instant. Wind wrapped around them as they shot forward in a gouging arc toward the people returning from the northern forest. Those people were a mix of automatons and other UCAT personnel. ¡°We¡¯re only interested in fighting the people of Low-Gear!¡± The five black armored men tried to slip past the automatons, but the maids ran after them, turned around, and aimed their machineguns. ¡°We are already a part of Low-Gear.¡± ¡°I see. I apologize then. That¡¯s a shame to hear, though.¡± A maid jumped over the men¡¯s head and continued forward. This maid was the hijacked 101st. She jumped high into the air, looked down on the stopped automatons, opened her mouth with the moon behind her, held a machinegun in her right hand, and held a combat knife in her left. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± She howled. The heavily armored men with prosthetics charged onward as if catch up with the canine howl. The black army was now one thousand one hundred meters from the white building. The running black army saw a white building up ahead. As they ran against the wind, a small figure remained in the center. It was Shino. Shiro ran at her side, she controlled the dogs with the philosopher¡¯s stone at her chest, and she looked forward past the others. ¡­Mikoku. Where was she? She was probably near the front, but Shino could only see the color black from where she was. The most she could make out was Hajji due to his height. ¡­Where is she? They had been in different trucks and she had only caught a glimpse of the girl¡¯s back when they had formed up. They had not spoken much at all for the past few days. The last time they had spoken was three days before. Shino had brought up today, Mikoku had told her to stop talking about that, and they had gotten into an argument. But once the battle was over, they could return to their normal lives. And that normal life would be even better than before because she would no longer need to feel guilty about the surrounding world. ¡­But¡­ She was filled with a vague anxiety. ¡­Does Mikoku think the same thing? She had wanted to ask her even if only to have something to talk about together. But there was something she wanted to say even more. It was a bad feeling that formed the foundation of her anxiety. ¡°When this fight is over¡­¡± She muttered her fear in her heart. ¡­When this fight is over, will she stay with me? At the moment, Mikoku was definitely out toward the front. She had her back to Shino and Shino could not catch up. Shino raised her speed as if trying to reach the girl she knew was up ahead. At that moment, she caught a glimpse ahead from behind those in front of her. The information dogs running ahead on the runway suddenly shook. ¡°There are land mines!!¡± she shouted. But that was not all. The view up ahead changed slightly. As everyone tried to stop, something previously unseen was revealed in front of the white building. The objects appeared as if a shroud had been removed from the scene. ¡°Cannons!? Were they hidden with optical camouflage!?¡± There were two metal cannons measuring four meters long. They had a caliber of 88mm. Not even a god of war would escape a direct hit unharmed. They were positioned in order to block the asphalt corridor. But Shino knew those around her would not slow down. ¡­Let¡¯s go. As soon as that thought filled her heart, she heard a voice. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid.¡± Everyone cried out, sped up, and rushed forward. They continued forward and the enemy responded to the sound of their pounding feet. Two shells tore into the air. The black army was one thousand meters from the white building. The white army heard the sound of shellfire as they gathered in front of the white building. It was a great roar. The shockwave rushed out, struck the air, and shook the building¡¯s windows. The two horizontal shots reached their ears as a single deafening sound. The cannons fired explosive shells. Then again, the metal shells were fired at greater than the speed of sound, so a human body would be smashed to dust before they even exploded. They would only detonate once they struck a prosthetic body part with thick armor. ¡°!!¡± Eight hundred meters ahead, two white explosions rose into the air. The sound carried into the sky, but as they watched the smoke flutter and scatter in the wind, someone spoke aloud. ¡°Wait.¡± They had all noticed something odd and they expressed it in words. ¡°Why did they explode at eight hundred meters? Shouldn¡¯t that have happened further back? They haven¡¯t entered the kilometer long minefield yet.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± said someone else trying to find an answer. However, the answer revealed itself from beyond the smoke. It seemed to throw the smoke off of itself. First, there was a large woman wearing a black armored uniform like a coat. Next, there was a girl wearing a tattered black armored uniform. The large woman threw aside her black armor as she walked and she spoke to the girl next to her. ¡°Of course it¡¯s gonna explode if you stop it with your sword. Stop it with your body instead of wasting a perfectly good weapon.¡± ¡°Does it bother you that much to fight alongside someone so young, Jord?¡± The girl skillfully removed her shoes as she walked. ¡°Let us make a game out of this.¡± ¡°Fine, Mikoku. I¡¯m nice, so I¡¯ll play along. And the rules are right in front of us. Do you understand?¡± ¡°I do. ¡­It is a simple game: who can reach the other side of the minefield first? It¡¯s an eight hundred meter dash. Or is it an obstacle course because of the shells? ¡­But I am young, so I will do it barefoot.¡± Jord began running even as Mikoku spoke. ¡°Th-that is cheating! That is a false start!¡± Without looking back, Jord poked at her head with her right index finger. Mikoku began to run as well, but she did turn back. She saw the troubled look on Hajji¡¯s face and shouted to the others. ¡°We will make a path to the entrance, so run, everyone. And let us all charge right in!¡± Additional shellfire sounded as if answering her and multiple explosions came from Jord up ahead. The black army was seven hundred meters from the white building. The advance of the black army could not be stopped. The woman and girl smashed the shells and the ones who jumped to the left or right stubbornly drew the gunfire. There was no reason for the black army to slow as they ran down the center. They simply had to continue on. When they finally arrived within six hundred meters, a noise seemed to envelope the runway. This was the rumbling of new boots running their way. They all saw units of UCAT guards returning from the surrounding areas. The footsteps came from the eastern end of the runway, the southern forest, and the northern forest. Approximately one hundred people arrived from each of those directions. Those from the north and south came to crush the two small black units fighting there. The ones from the east pursued the black army from behind. Mikoku and Jord continued smashing the shells and literally racing across the minefield, but the two small black units drawing fire to the north and south were in serious trouble. The white force arriving from the north first attacked the hijacked automaton named 101st. ¡°If possible, don¡¯t hit her head!!¡± The other automatons could not attack, but the men fulfilled their request. Those in white armored uniforms ground their teeth and used their gunfire to smash the bones of the growling automaton. Their bullets pierced her maid outfit and split her limbs and torso. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± She fell to the grass, but by that time, the hundred-strong force of white gunmen was already turning to the men in black armored uniforms. The horizontal downpour of bullets acted as multiple weights to push back and destroy those heavily-armored prosthetic-enhanced bodies. ¡°What¡­¡± The group in white shouted out as they ran forward. ¡°What are you hoping to accomplish!?¡± The group in black shook from the impact and smiled despite not even having time to attack. But behind them, the black army was only five hundred meters from the white building. The small group in black spoke as they heard those footsteps and gunfire. ¡°Did you hear that!? They asked what we hope to accomplish. You all know what to do about that, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The five-man unit was surrounded by gunfire and filled with pain, but they opened their mouths. ¡°Ha ha!¡± They laughed. Even as they curled up to ensure their bodies did not fall apart, they let their loud laughter carry across the ground as if it were an attack. Immediately afterwards, gunfire sounded. One of the men in the black unit had his arm armor blown off. He lost his balance and was blown backwards by a bullet to the side of the chest. He rolled along the ground and ended up sprawled out there, but¡­ ¡°Ha ha¡­ They don¡¯t get it. They really don¡¯t get it!!¡± ¡°What don¡¯t we get!? Or¡­ Do you really think you can win here!?¡± ¡°We can win.¡± He sat up but took a bullet to the gut and collapsed forward. He lay face down and trembled, but that was because he was laughing so hard. ¡°Ha ha. You¡¯re going to lose. That¡¯s a foregone conclusion. You¡¯re going to regret defeating us. ¡­And that regret will be your loss and make you disappear. So go ahead and feel regret, lose, and disappear.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. How could regret make us lose and disappear?¡± ¡°Do you know why the blank period was created?¡± No one could answer that question. The main black force was now within four hundred meters of the white building. Shellfire and gunfire shook the air to stop them and the fallen man in black armor stood up. ¡°You don¡¯t know why it was created, do you?¡± Despite his question, no one allowed him to continue. Gunfire rang out in his direction, his armor was blasted away, and it all reached him as solid impacts. But¡­ ¡°Ah, such wonderful pain. Such wonderful shaking. ¡­It¡¯s all proof that you fear the past.¡± Bullets hit him and sparks flew, but he did not go down. He cut the sense of pain in his prosthetics, removed their power limiters, and affixed a smile on his bloody face. ¡°Let¡¯s end this together, allies of justice. That¡¯s probably the happiest outcome for this world.¡± One man in white swapped out his submachine gun¡¯s magazine and asked the other man a question. ¡°What¡¯s the point of hiding your reason for this!? Why hide it!?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you listening? We need to fill you with regret. Telling you comes much, much later. Once most of us have been defeated, Hajji will tell you.¡± ¡°Why¡­then? Are you here to die? If the past you¡¯re talking about is that serious, why not tell us now so we¡¯ll surrender!?¡± ¡°That wouldn¡¯t bring enough regret. ¡­You need to defeat more and more and more of us. Then, when you think you¡¯ve won, we¡¯ll tell you just how wrong you¡¯ve been. Now, gather your strength and defeat me. Prepare for your future worry! Otherwise, my defeat will be meaningless!!¡± His cry was punctuated by gunfire from behind the white force. Only after several people collapsed did they turn around. Their eyes opened wide when they saw who stood there. ¡°An automaton?¡± One of the automatons following them had her machinegun aimed at them. One of the men in white frowned toward her. ¡°W-wait. There weren¡¯t any dogs over here.¡± ¡°Woof.¡± After a single gunshot, that man collapsed. A cool breeze blew in and the gunfire stopped. All that remained was he sound of white armored uniforms striking the ground and the smell of smoke rising from the muzzle of the automaton¡¯s machinegun. The black army had arrived within three hundred meters of the white building, but no one here could move. Unable to breath, they saw a sudden tremor run through the automaton. Her eyes refocused and she gave a look of surprise. ¡°Eh? Um, what was I just doing?¡± No one should have been able to answer her, but one person did. It was a man in black armored uniform with thin smoke and shimmering heat rising from different parts of his body. He spat bloody saliva to the ground and smiled. ¡°You know mad dogs are contagious, right? Well, it turns out they can infect others via shared memory.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t mean¡­¡± ¡°Oh, but I do. I¡¯m sure you automatons won¡¯t want to hear it, but those information dogs have gotten used to your shared memories and are running around working for their master. ¡­Look.¡± With those words, some light appeared. The red light rose from the third floor of the disguised Japanese UCAT building. An explosion rose into the air. The exterior of the disguised Japanese UCAT building¡¯s third floor was blown away by the color scarlet. It was the color of flames. The third floor was being used to store the combat materiel to fight back against an attack. That area midway up the building¡¯s white wall was blasted into the sky with the sound of an explosion and the color of fire. It was burning. The black army was two hundred meters from the white building. As they continued to approach, the fourth and fifth floors of the building went dark and all of the windows spewed smoke into the sky like upside-down waterfalls. Next came the destruction. First was the noise. The noise of shaking wind, of crumbling building materials, of something still exploding, and of human cries of pain and fear. With the support of the third floor gone, the fourth and fifth floors crumbled downward. The building collapsed. The fourth and fifth floors remained intact, but they tilted and crushed the north end of the lower floors and finally collapsed northward under their own weight. Everyone heard the glass and other materials dumped to the ground. The ground shook, dust made of building materials rose into the night sky, and smoke rose from the top of the disguised Japanese UCAT building that was now only two stories tall. A man in a black armored uniform watched it from the north end of the runway and broke the surrounding silence with his laughter. ¡°Ha ha. You will lose through your regret, but you¡¯ll also lose for real. Disappear from this world, UCAT.¡± The men in white moved quickly in response. The black army was now one hundred meters from the white building. However, the reinforcements from the east were catching up, so the men in white here let out a shout while pulling their triggers. ¡°Then we¡¯ll make sure nothing remains! Not even the regret you speak of!!¡± ¡°You should probably talk to them about that.¡± Without bothering to avoid the bullets, the man in black armor pointed a trembling hand to the east. The white reinforcements were running down the runway from the east. They were the guards who had returned from the surrounding areas. However, other figures were approaching from even further back. They were all feminine, they were all the exact same height, and they all had the exact same face. ¡°Automatons in black maid outfits?¡± ¡°No, they aren¡¯t automatons. They¡¯re just dolls. ¡­There are three hundred of them. This is the army to announce the end.¡± As if responding to those words, the group in black maid uniforms began to run. Their approaching footsteps were light, but they sped up and reached a sprint. At the same time, they prepared the weapons they wore on their backs. Some had metal shields, some metal spears, and some metal bows and arrows. The black maids split into three groups of about one hundred each. Two groups approached the white forces on the left and right sides of the runway and one pursued the white force chasing after the Army on the runway. They were already firing arrows which seemed to scream as they tore through the wind. At the same time, the rear third of the Army¡¯s main force split off. They turned around to pin the approaching white force between them and the dolls coming up from behind. They let out war cries as they clashed. The three groups of white reinforcements all had an enemy to face, so they could not pursue the Army¡¯s main force. The Army simply had to rush in at the white building now. Due to the minefield on the runway, the white army had no choice but to set up a barricade at the runway exit and intercept them there. One side ran and the other side waited to receive them. As soon as the battle settled into that arrangement, the man in black armor narrowed his eyes and laughed again. ¡°Ha ha. My role ends here.¡± He collapsed onto the ground behind him. Strength left his eyes as they looked up into the night sky. Smoke rose from explosions and began to hide the moon. ¡°I guess you can find light anywhere.¡± But his eyes did see light. It was an aircraft dropping down from the heights of the heavens. A blue and white mechanical dragon was performing a power dive toward them. An instant later, the blue and white dragon broke through an explosion of water vapor on its straight path for the ground. It was after the black maids to the east. It dropped through the night and sounded like it was tearing a hole in the wind. At the same time, the Army¡¯s main force completed its race down the runway. The distance between the two sides had reached zero. The arrangement of the battle changed from the black charge to the white interception. Thunder Fellow made a midair transformation to his close-quarters combat form and opened his mouth as he dropped down. As the light of his main cannon built in the back of his mouth, he first looked to the west. A familiar building was in an unfamiliar state there. When he saw the white building with smoke rising from it, a voice came from his external speakers. ¡°H-Harakawa, the disguised building was-¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t panic, Heo. Panicking won¡¯t turn it back to normal.¡± In the cockpit, Harakawa aimed the main cannon west. He wanted to fire on the Army¡¯s main force while they were still relatively high up, but¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t! UCAT¡¯s interception team is too close.¡± ¡°We can still aim for the black dolls down below!¡± ¡°Right.¡± He nodded and spun them around so they fell headfirst. They were approximately one thousand meters above the ground. From the falling cockpit, he saw a river of brand new asphalt cutting east to west through the dark grass. That was the runway. It was so large that it did not seem to approach even as they fell so quickly. But Harakawa calculated their speed from the fall time and altitude and then opened his mouth. ¡°Heo, once I fire, twist your entire body and land. Jump west from there, accelerate in midair, and fly above the disguised building at supersonic speeds. Got that?¡± ¡°Eh? Why should we fly above the building? Shouldn¡¯t we help the others?¡± ¡°How can we join that mess of a fight in something so big? We need to blow away the burning part of the building with a shockwave and then secure UCAT¡¯s back entrance. The lifts on the sides of the runway aren¡¯t running to prevent anyone from getting in that way, but I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s a lift for sending out gods of war and the like in the back too. From what I¡¯ve heard, the god of war belonging to that Sibyl woman was sent out through there during the battle with American UCAT.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What is it, Heo Thunderson? Do you have anything to add?¡± ¡°No, um¡­ I was just thinking that you¡¯re pretty reliable.¡± ¡°That has no bearing on our plan. Plus, you¡¯re imagining it.¡± He realized the main cannon was pointed straight down and they were already less than three hundred meters from the ground. An explosion of recoil would reach them when firing the main cannon, but he had learned the close-quarters combat form could withstand it back when they destroyed Black Sun¡¯s additional twin fuselage wings. ¡°I¡¯m going to fire! Heo, focus the armor forward!¡± ¡°Oka-¡­!? Harakawa!¡± Harakawa did not question her shouted response or the fact that the armor did not move. Heo always had a reason when she failed to carry out her job and called his name. He instantly realized he needed to fire the main cannon in a hurry. ¡°Rotate the armor to the rear!!¡± He raised their downward acceleration and fired the main cannon. ¡°Go!!¡± He had made the right decision, but he was too slow. Thunder Fellow¡¯s armor pointed toward his waist and the back of his legs to defend against an attack from behind. A moment later, something from the northern sky hit his waist. It was a weak blast, but the red light had flown straight in from the side. It was a solid hit. ¡°!?¡± To protect Heo who had no idea what had happened, Thunder Fellow closed his rear accelerators on his own. The internal heat instantly turned the accelerator shutters bluish white, but they blocked the red light and prevented it from reaching the internal components. The blast still blew away a few panels of armor and blasted Thunder Fellow into the southern sky. The main cannon was thrown off target, but there was no stopping it now. It fired. The white light hit the eastern end of the runway instead of the black dolls. It then swept along the ground and its scorching heat diagonally chopped down countless trees in the southern forest. The great force of the white light as it swept along the ground and forest was enough to tear the grass and trees from the ground. And a moment later¡­ ¡°!!¡± The earth and forest struck by the main cannon blasted into the sky like a series of geysers. Dirt, crust, and trees flew over two hundred meters into the night sky. As that destruction instantly rose up like a wall, Thunder Fellow rapidly fell. He entered a leftward tailspin and fell toward the southern forest. ¡°Kh!¡± In the cockpit, Harakawa¡¯s vision followed Thunder Fellow¡¯s motions. ¡°Get up!¡± He forcibly lifted the nose toward the sky, but it would not fully pull up. The spin ended, but the downward momentum remained and Thunder Fellow slipped quickly toward the ground while tilted on his side. ¡°But we can pull this off somehow!!¡± While the ground approached from the left, Harakawa opened the closed left side accelerators and used their full acceleration. He tried to kick the aircraft forward as it prepared to crash into the ground, but the close-quarters combat form had weak acceleration. Harakawa tried to point the nose up and to the right, but the momentum down and to the left was still stronger. The resultant trajectory was an arc that would tear into the forest to the left. At this rate, they would crash into the trees and come to a stop. ¡­Just like this morning! Suddenly, he heard what sounded like Heo taking a breath. ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± A moment later, Thunder Fellow¡¯s body floated. His body went through a series of jumping motions as his legs kicked off the ground. His back left leg forcibly kicked to the right along the ground speeding by below. His rear rose and his nose sank down. He used that motion to bring both front legs to the ground and then kick upwards. He began to run. Once he started accelerating and racing forward, he could no longer fall. The mechanical dragon cut past the people fighting south of the runway and drifted just above the forest. Branches and leaves struck the left-side armor and scattered, but that was all. He ran straight forward just a few dozen centimeters above the trees. ¡°We can do this!!¡± Heo¡¯s joyous voice was immediately followed by a sound from the ground behind them. Several large blasts were striking the ground one after another. ¡°Is this what hit us before!?¡± asked Harakawa. This was their enemy. Something was pursing them from the sky behind and firing horizontally on them. Just as Harakawa wondered who it was, it charged in from behind. It was a mechanical dragon. It was painted red and blue with points of white added and its sharp face was turned their way. ¡°Ha ha ha! Mechanical Dragon Alex, the Ally of Justice, has arrived!!¡± The mechanical dragon named Alex opened his mouth. Red light had already gathered in that maw of metal. His voice rang out during his high-speed flight just above the forest. ¡°Special Attack! Censure Beam ¨C Alex Breeeeeaaaaath!!¡± Thunder Fellow determined the time lag just before the red main cannon was fired and used his leg strength to fly up into the air. After a beat, the color red shot by below. It tore through the forest and destroyed the spare disguised building in the distance. Just as the roar passed by below his stomach, Thunder Fellow let the wind wash over him and faced upwards. ¡°!¡± He changed to his normal cruising form. He made full use of his rear thrusters and began a vertical ascent with torque-filled acceleration. Power built up for just an instant, but the literal moment of acceleration arrived immediately afterwards. Thunder Fellow flew toward the heavens. The forest visible below instantly grew to an ocean of trees and Harakawa clicked his tongue within the intense Gs of acceleration. ¡°Dammit. What was with that enemy!? But we should have lost him. That stupid mechanical dragon looked like a non-transforming type, so he can¡¯t accelerate right after firing his-¡­¡± Reality betrayed Harakawa¡¯s words. The blue and red dragon rose from below, calmly lined up to their right, and then reduced his acceleration. He was saying that his acceleration was even greater than theirs. ¡°Impossible!¡± But Harakawa saw the answer to his confusion. Alex¡¯s back, chest, and waist were covered in additional accelerators and additional tanks filled with rocket propellant. ¡°Whether it¡¯s firing your main cannon or whatever else, do you leave it all to brute force!?¡± ¡°Justice must have strength!¡± Alex immediately continued with anger in his voice. ¡°But you have exactly the kind of skill I would expect of the evil organization¡¯s generals. After all, you dodged my Alex Beam!¡± ¡°U-um, wasn¡¯t it Alex Breath? Also¡­¡± ¡°What is it, girl?¡± ¡°Of course we¡¯re going to dodge your attack when you shout its name in advance.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly!!!¡± Alex sternly rejected that idea. He clenched his front right leg into a fist that trembled with great strength. ¡°You clearly know nothing of the world, girl. Did the evil organization strap you to a chair, put a headset on you, and brainwash you!? Listen, girl. I will give a logical explanation. It is true that your opponent can avoid your attack when you shout its name, but why must an ally of justice make a surprise attack by not announcing his special move? Even a war begins with a declaration of war!¡± He raised his front right leg. ¡°That is why an ally of justice must train hard! He must develop an attack that cannot be avoided even when you shout its name and strike a pose! He must develop an attack that is sure to hit, no matter the situation!! That is what makes a true special attack! But you just avoided mine. Not only does that mean that you are an excellent foe, but it also means- ¡­Hey, wait! Where are you going!? Our discussion of justice is not over yet!¡± Thunder Fellow turned his back on justice, spun around, and descended. Their opponent wanted to fight from relatively close range, so there was no point in switching to his high-speed cruising form that focused on top speed. They would need to use normal cruising form or close-quarters combat form, but Alex had greater acceleration with his additional accelerators. But they had an overwhelming advantage when it came to durability and tight turns and Alex¡¯s own weight would affect his movement up or down. They also had an advantage when it came to stopping in midair because they were lighter. If the enemy was pursuing them, they could build up speed, come to a rapid stop, and let him shoot out in front of them. That was their plan. But as Thunder Fellow began to drop, he heard a voice from overhead. ¡°Oh, I get it! You¡¯ve realized you don¡¯t stand a chance, so you are trying to run. ¡­Then take this!!¡± Strange intro music played in the sky above. It was filled with static as if it had been taken from an old cassette tape. ¡°New Special Attack! Explosive Destruction ¨C Alex Ciiiiiircus!!¡± Harakawa saw Alex transform overhead. No, this was not a transformation. Most of the armor panels on the top of his body opened and missiles appeared underneath. If they were fired, the attacks would pour down like a waterfall. Even if they avoided them all, the damage to the surface would be devastating. ¡°You idiot! Your own people are down there too!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand, boy. Missiles avoid the just!!¡± He prepared to fire, but an attack stopped him right before he did. A white line had flown in from the southern sky. ¡°!?¡± After the strike to his stomach armor, Alex covered the missiles with his armor and immediately ascended. ¡°Ambushing is a cowardly act!¡± He directed his voice to the south and Harakawa looked in that same direction. He saw a black form with wings. On its shoulder was a girl holding a giant cannon. ¡°Hiba and¡­Shinjou!!¡± Susamikado entered the dogfight. Or rather, it forced its way into it. In the windy sky, Alex rose above Susamikado and opened his upper armor again. ¡°Begone, ambushers! ¡­Special Attack! Countless Explosions ¨C Alex Missiles!!¡± A flower blossomed in the sky before Susamikado could react. The radiating flower was made from the propellant smoke expelled by hundreds of guided missiles. All of the missiles immediately curved toward Susamikado, twisted around, and shot forward like salmon swimming upstream. Susamikado accelerated. It curved upwards to prevent Alex from escaping and chose a path that brought the missiles after itself. The light missiles burning their propellant were faster than the giant flying with its metal wings. A few of them collided with each other and exploded, but most of them drew hundreds of lines through the air, trailed smoke behind themselves, and pursued the black wings. ¡°Kh!!¡± Susamikado repeatedly flapped its wings and twisted its body. Its speed and position looked like it was falling into the heavens as it rotated to face the approaching missiles. A moment later, the pursuing missiles were hit by something and exploded. This was due to Shinjou on Susamikado¡¯s shoulder. Ex-St rested on her shoulder and her fingers were placed on the weapon¡¯s side trigger. ¡°This isn¡¯t easy when it isn¡¯t Tiger Star!!¡± Susamikado avoided the missiles at uniform speed while Shinjou brushed her fingers across the trigger to scatter intercepting shots. The white shots flew overhead, to the left and right, and down below. They struck the approaching missiles and destroyed the warheads flying forward as if to strike them. She shot them down. Their bodies and their trails of propellant smoke twisted and they blossomed with flames as if to decorate the sky. At the front of it all, Susamikado flapped its wings to accelerate and kicked its feet to control the wind. When a missile flew into a hard-to-target spot, Shinjou would twist her own body and sometimes even rotate all the way around. They had destroyed over half of the pursuing barrage, but countless others broke through the fiery explosions. But Shinjou continued to fire. Her sweat flew into the sky, her clothes whipped in the wind, and she moved about. Similarly, Susamikado created explosions of air behind itself to accelerate. It was under strong enough Gs that not even Mikage¡¯s gravitational control could negate it all, but she made sure to provide perfect gravitational protection for Shinjou. In the weight of those Gs, Susamikado swung its body around to avoid the missiles and forcibly swung its left hand toward those approaching warheads. Amid the surging noise of the wind, Shinjou ran out to the end of that extended hand. As if stepping out onto a stage, she spun around and ran atop the hand while firing into the entirety of the heavens. ¡°¡­!¡± She opened her mouth, closed one eye, and used her kinetic vision to locate and fire on each and every warhead. A chain of fiery explosions filled her entire vision as a wall of flames. Most of the guided missiles were damaged and burst. Next, Ex-St¡¯s barrel let out a sound like it was exhaling and white smoke burst from it. The barrel had overheated and burnt out. But the enemy had not been eliminated. Several white lines of smoke broke through the flames and flew their way. Their numbers had dropped below triple digits, but this was the final pursuit. Like snake heads rising to strike, they spiraled and trembled in their approach. Shinjou instantly took in a breath. She held Ex-St in her left hand and turned around. She also swung her body to the left and held her right palm forward. ¡°Bomber!!¡± Susamikado matched her movement by swinging its right hand. ¡°Keravnos!!¡± A deafening noise came from its right arm. A concept space expanded around the arm¡¯s exterior and Keravnos¡¯s parts appeared in their disassembled state. First, the rear attachment arm, bottom frame, and five shock absorbers appeared. Next came the acceleration thruster, attachment arm, and upper counter heads to hold in the guiderail. Five spears of light appeared and the eighteen metal bolts jabbed into the other parts to bring it all into shape. The harmony of metal fitting together rang through the sky. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± A swing of the arm struck the empty air. A three hundred meter wide blast of lightning instantly shot from the tip of Keravnos. The missiles struck the lightning and were smashed to pieces. Countless fiery explosions filled the light. It looked like a wall of light. Seeing and hearing all that, Shinjou gave a relieved smile and waved a hand toward Susmikado¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡± She took a light step and jumped down from Susamikado¡¯s shoulder. Hiba said nothing and neither did Mikage. They understood. Thunder Fellow was below and they all knew he would catch Shinjou. So Susamikado immediately faced the mechanical dragon several hundred meters overhead. ¡°Nnn! Not once, but twice!? This time, I will not go easy on you!!¡± ¡°Sorry, but isn¡¯t that the villain¡¯s line?¡± ¡°Hm? Ryuuji-kun, what do you mean?¡± ¡°You saw that rerun last night, didn¡¯t you? Y¡¯know, that robot anime Getterman about the three villains who use a combining robot powered by Dyna Rays to destroy the underground people. Last night¡¯s highlight was ¡®Eye, nose, and mouth!¡¯.¡± ¡°Hm. Boy, you seem to know a bit about justice!¡± ¡°No, not that much. ¡­More importantly, you should probably look to the east.¡± Alex did as Hiba suggested. Susamikado also checked in that direction where it saw around a dozen flickering lines of air. ¡°So American UCAT¡¯s mechanical dragons have arrived. After that, their transport planes and trucks should bring soldiers to-¡­¡± Hiba never finished speaking. Fire blossomed in the night sky. A dozen flames appeared at the front end of the flickering lines of air. ¡°The mechanical dragons¡­¡± They had all been shot down at once. Why was obvious at a glance. At some point, a white form had appeared in the sky where those twelve dragons had been. The giant god of war had six white wings. ¡°Typhon,¡± muttered Mikage. But that was not all. Below Typhon, a group of three large figures was visible on the Okutama mountain road leading to UCAT. Instead of gods of war, they looked like black armor placed on a giant doll framework. ¡°Dolls?¡± A slight tremor entered Hiba¡¯s voice and a female voice reached him from Typhon¡¯s shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s right. They¡¯re remote-controlled dolls. I¡¯m not controlling anything other than Typhon, though.¡± ¡°Miki¡­¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, Ryuuji-kun. Didn¡¯t I tell you I¡¯m going by the name Tatsumi here?¡± Tatsumi smiled and raised her right hand toward him at shoulder height. Typhon responded by flapping its wings and drawing the twin swords sticking out from its shoulders. Tatsumi smiled and Hiba asked a question through the wind and to that smile. ¡°What is the meaning of this!? Why are you going by the family name of Nagata!?¡± ¡°That may be your mother¡¯s maiden name, but it is also my real name. And¡­you will soon see why I insist on using it. Hajji and the others will make their way into UCAT before long.¡± ¡°The field operations division led by Abram is at UCAT. Do you really think they can get inside?¡± ¡°Just watch. Hajji is about to make a bit of a speech. That should get them inside. And after that, he will give a second speech. ¡­That speech will tell the whole truth.¡± With those words, Typhon accelerated. It quickly approached and the three dolls walked along the surface. ¡°Not long now until you know the truth and reasons behind all those mysteries. Why are we here? Why are we enemies? What are you? What happened in the past? And¡­on which side does righteousness fall?¡± Just as Typhon raised the swords in its hands, she spoke with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t die before you get to hear it.¡± The sound of the collision was the ring of metal. Below the night sky, a brawl of gunfire and clashing swords had begun in front of a white building that had lost its top. A group dressed in white armored uniforms fought a group dressed in black armored uniforms. They were defending or targeting a single thing. That thing was the white building¡¯s entrance. The lobby beyond contained a staircase and elevators to the underground area. The evacuation of noncombatants was complete, the elevators had been stopped, and the stairs were shuttered off, but the black army pushed onward as if to say they could manage despite that. Many had fallen, but they pushed on all the harder for each and every one that did. The white army leaving the building to meet them was almost entirely made up of those who had been on the first two floors. The main entrance to the underground area was closed and the large lifts on either side of the runway were still sealed off by their explosion-resistant hatches. The enemy had appeared so close by that they could have gotten in through the hatches as they opened. But there was one place that underground reinforcements could reach them from: behind the building. An underground elevator for carrying materials was located between the building and the vegetable garden. The elevator lift was approximately five meters square. It was large enough to carry a standing god of war. After completing their preparations, a unit led by Sibyl and her god of war had risen from the deepest underground area. The gunfire and shouts beyond the building told Sibyl the battle was still underway in front of the building. She smiled and turned toward the men in armored uniforms who had come with her. ¡°You defend this place while I head out front. A god of war should help intimidate the enemy near the entrance. ¡­And Abram-sama should be out front.¡± As soon as she said that, a roar passed by overhead. She initially thought it was the wind, but two aircraft had already flown by into the western sky. ¡­Thunder Fellow is in a dogfight with the mechanical dragon known as Alex! Thoughts raced through her head, her eyebrows raised, and she filled with relief. She was relieved that Team Leviathan was fighting and that the rest of them would be gathered here before long. And her prediction was soon proven at least partially correct. Two people approached from the direction in which the building had collapsed. One was Shinjou holding Ex-St and a wicker basket while she supported the other person. ¡°Arnavaz-sama!?¡± Arnavaz was dragging her right leg. Shinjou then noticed Sibyl. ¡°Sibyl-san! Arnavaz-sama is hurt! She was in Abram¡¯s room on the fifth floor.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad she isn¡¯t more hurt. That must be because the collapsed portion mostly maintained its shape.¡± Sibyl gave a look of relief as she and the others welcomed in Arnavaz and Shinjou. ¡°Are you hurt too, Shinjou-sama?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Thunder Fellow carried me here, but I¡¯m more worried about them. They¡¯re being chased by a strange mechanical dragon. ¡­Also, there¡¯s this.¡± Shinjou lifted the wicker basket along with Ex-St. The basket contained Baku and¡­ ¡°It seems this photograph is from the early days of UCAT. Heo gave it and Baku to me because she said they weren¡¯t safe with her, but what do I do with them?¡± As she spoke, a low sound like fluttering cloth would occasionally reach them from the sky above. Arnavaz trembled at that sound of explosions. ¡°The sky is roaring.¡± ¡°Testament. Do not worry, Arnavaz-sama. Abram-sama is fighting. ¡­Shinjou-sama, you head underground with Arnavaz-sama. Ooshiro Itaru-sama has ordered that we fortify the sixth basement.¡± ¡°The sixth basement?¡± ¡°Testament. That is the Concept Core storage space and¡­I do not know the details, but it is said to hold a sealed concept space facility. It is most likely from the blank period.¡± Shinjou opened her eyes wide but soon raised her eyebrows and corrected her expression. She then asked a question. ¡°U-um, what about Sayama-kun? Is he still not back?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, he has yet to arrive. Nor have Chisato-sama or Izumo-sama.¡± Shinjou¡¯s eyebrows twisted at that. Arnavaz must have noticed the change to her mood because she turned to her. ¡°He will certainly be here.¡± ¡°B-but¡­¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Arnavaz. ¡°He is your Fereydun, isn¡¯t he? Then he will be here to take your hand.¡± She held Shinjou¡¯s hand between her wrinkled hands. She did not say much and she only supported her hand, but after a while, Shinjou¡¯s expression changed with the distant gunshots in the background. She took a breath, slightly raised her eyebrows, and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said more to herself than anyone. ¡°He¡¯ll be here and he¡¯ll try to show off when he arrives. That¡¯s just the kind of idiot he is. ¡­Ah!¡± Her surprise came from something in her hand. Baku suddenly poked his head over the edge of the basket, jumped down to the ground, and ran off. He ran toward the front of the building that had become a battlefield. ¡°I-it¡¯s dangerous over there!!¡± She reached out a hand but could not reach him. Baku did not even look back as he vanished around the corner of the building. ¡°Ahh.¡± Shinjou took a few steps and her shoulders shook. ¡°Wh-what do I do?¡± ¡°Testament. You can only hope for his safety, but I have determined his dangerous journey is only one-way. He has likely caught Sayama-sama¡¯s scent from somewhere nearby.¡± Shinjou turned around with a look of surprise and Sibyl smiled. ¡°Please head underground, prepare the equipment you need, and defend from there. We will fight here to ensure Sayama-sama can reach you.¡± Still smiling, she raised her hands and had the silver god of war do the same. ¡°Head out!!¡± Volume 11, 31: A Small Amount of Truth Volume 11, Chapter 31: A Small Amount of Truth There is so little of it Because it is so important Hajji was so very close to the white building that had lost its upper floors. The front entrance was not open. But they did not need to get in through there. They could always shatter the lobby glass, break a window, or blow a hole in a wall. But the enemy was numerous and reaching the building would not be easy. But, thought Hajji. ¡­A stalemate on the battlefield is interesting too! ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± He cleared the center of the roundabout in a single leap on his way to the white building. He was surrounded by the white army, but he was already on the move. As soon as he landed, he knocked aside the three men in white armored uniforms standing in front of him. His steel spear bent, split their clothes at the chest, smashed their armor, and sent them flying. Three impacts rang out in quick succession and the three of them bent back and flew through the air, clearing the way ahead. Originally, I was going to say it here, he thought. I was going to tell them we would forgive them if they withdrew. But he did not say it. Instead, he spun on his heel and used the rotation to knock away the approaching enemies. He rotated a full three hundred sixty degrees. The next sound was that of the men forcefully charging his way being flung away from him. But he faced forward without even glancing in their direction. ¡°So you¡¯re here.¡± Hajji powerfully raised his spear overhead as he spoke. A moment later, the metal spear shaft deflected something upwards. He knew what it was it had deflected: a spear tip someone had sent his way. He also knew who had done it. In fact, he could already see the person swinging a spear down in front of him. ¡°So you¡¯re here, Abram Mesam! And is it just me or are you not using B-Sp? Hm?¡± ¡°That weapon should not be used on human opponents.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Hajji with a nod. And immediately afterwards¡­ ¡°Do you think you have room to go easy on me!?¡± He deflected Abram¡¯s metal spear toward the heavens. Abram jumped back and Hajji leaped after him. Abram landed first, gained solid footing, and jabbed his spear forward. ¡°!¡± Hajji twisted around in midair. He dropped his right heel on the back of Abram¡¯s spear tip. He timed it exactly right and successfully kicked Abram¡¯s spear tip down and into the asphalt. The metal loudly smashed the stone. Hajji landed while holding down Abram¡¯s spear tip with the bottom of his foot. He also used his momentum for a spear strike on Abram¡¯s face. The attack pierced through the wind. This was enough to gather the attention of the others fighting around them. Some called Hajji¡¯s name and some called Abram¡¯s name. Carried by those voices, Hajji¡¯s spear flew straight for Abram¡¯s face. Abram turned to the side to avoid it. The spear tip grazed his cheek as it flew past him. Abram then did something one normally never did in armed combat. He let go of his spear. ¡°¡­!¡± He grabbed Hajji¡¯s spear with both hands and pulled while also sending a kick toward Hajji. ¡°Nh!¡± Hajji forcefully doubled over. However, the kick never reached him. As if pushed by the wind caused by the kick, he bent backwards. ¡°¡­¡± And he too let go of his spear. He stepped back and stomped on the spear tip below his right foot. The tip acted as a fulcrum, so the spear stood up and stopped right in Hajji¡¯s waiting hand. By that time, Abram had turned around the spear he had stolen and begun an attack. Hajji blocked the attack and continued blocking. He blocked four and then five attacks. After the number grew to eight and then nine, he did something else. He smiled. But this went beyond the corners of his mouth rising. He opened his mouth wide and bared his teeth as if to bite at something. ¡°Ha ha! It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve smiled like this!!¡± Pushed on by his own words, he powerfully deflected Abram¡¯s spear with the back end of his own. He no longer hid his smile behind a hand. The look on his face was of pure joy. ¡°I hate to admit it, but it¡¯s you! It has to be you! Yes, you are my enemy!!¡± Abram did not answer. Those fighting around them answered in his stead. They found small openings in their own battles and sent their gazes and voices toward those two. Cries of their two names repeated again and again. As everyone watched on, the two spears trailed white threads of water vapor and their feet and attacks shook the earth and wind. In just an instant, the two of them moved several dozen meters. In an even shorter amount of time, they sent out countless attacks and sparks. Their armored uniforms flew behind them and the soles of their shoes left their tread patterns on the asphalt. The area in front of the white building had become a combat space no one but them could enter. Hajji heard voices calling his name. He heard voices calling his enemy¡¯s name. It¡¯s been so long, he thought. It¡¯s been sixty years since I was cheered on like this. ¡­Wonderful. ¡°Wonderful!!¡± With that cry, he drew out all his strength. He fought. He heard a sound. He did not hear it with his ears. It was the pulse of the battlefield. The sound did not truly exist. His heart knew this sound. It showed him the battle. It showed him the lies, the truth, his opponent, and himself. It began with footsteps. The pounding boots rang loud. The footsteps reverberated through his entire body. The sound of the wind stimulated his emotions. The sound of a blade cleared his surroundings. The sound of guns pierced through the area ahead. And he heard the pounding of his heart. That pounding became a voice. The voice asked him to settle this. The impacts as they clashed, the bright sparks, the sharp will to fight, and the pressure of being a leader all filled him with joy. ¡°But Abram, how about we bring this to an end?¡± He attacked again and again and listened to the many roars of impact. ¡°Can you trust the voices that support you?¡± Abram did not answer that question, but he replied in a different way. He began a ferocious offensive. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± Metal collided, Hajji was pushed back, and he could not help but fall back. He raised his eyebrows and saw Shino watching worriedly in the distance. Mikoku purposefully had her back to him where she fought to the south. Jord was looking his way as she fought. He felt as if they were all asking him what he would do. He knew exactly what he would do. This attack led into his opponent¡¯s special attack. He had been on the receiving end of this left and right barrage about sixty years ago. He had continued to defend and decided to wait for the other man to grow tired, but a sudden attack had come from below. That was when he had lost his eye. His frantic counterattack had taken the other man¡¯s eye. He believed he was more skilled, but something bothered him. ¡­Back then, I panicked and attacked. He had defeated thousands or even tens of thousands of opponents, but a single unexpected attack had filled him with fear. Skill did not come down to a simple matter of victory or defeat. They had received equivalent damage, but¡­ ¡­I lost that fight. Hajji shifted from defense to offense. He moved quickly and sought nothing more than a swift and accurate strike. ¡°Ohhh!¡± He cried out and their attacks clashed. In that instant, a memory resurrected in the back of his mind. It was coming. He sensed the same attack from below as in the past, but¡­ ¡­No! He shook free of the past and moved on reflex. Up above. He sank down and held his raised spear over his head. An intense impact rang through the raised spear shaft. It was a heavy strike that seemed to drive him into the ground, but he withstood it. He clenched his teeth, endured, and confirmed something a moment later. ¡­I just broke through that unpleasant past! He held the spear up in a short grip like it was a sword. He swung down the tip like a sword blade to slice Abram¡¯s head in two. But that was when he noticed something. Abram¡¯s metal spear was still bending as it pressed down, but the man let go of it with both hands. Abram made a split-second decision. Inertia had bent his spear, so he could not immediately pull it back. Instead, he let go of it. He then grabbed the spear Hajji had a short raised grip on. ¡°¡­!¡± He grabbed the spear shaft and forced it down. He poured all of his weight and strength on it. Hajji¡¯s hands seemed to be bringing his own blade down on himself. It was a single-edged blade, but the area near the point was sharp enough to cut if it was lowered in a straight line. With a scraping sound, the eyepatch covering Hajji¡¯s left eye was cut through in an instant. It also split his left shoulder and sent a flash of cutting light from his chest to his waist. The blade found flesh. The slicing sound filled the air, the spear left Hajji¡¯s hands, and the black army cried out as if gasping. ¡°General Hajji!!¡± But Abram faced Hajji without turning toward the others. He picked up his own spear and looked to the man who had fallen to his knees. ¡­So it ends here. At that very moment, Hajji¡¯s collapse suddenly stopped. Abram noticed that Hajji had fallen into a sitting position before collapsing. To keep the cut shallow, he had leaned backwards while escaping downwards. Blood flowed from the slice in his black armor and his left arm was not moving, but he got up. ¡°You¡¯re too soft. ¡­Didn¡¯t I tell you to finish someone off when you defeat them?¡± Abram looked Hajji in the eye. In both eyes. The right eye was black and the left¡­ ¡°It exists¡­but it doesn¡¯t, does it?¡± Hajji spoke as he got up from the ground. ¡°This is a copy of the concept held by Shahrnavaz¡­by Zahhak who you destroyed. The concept sealed inside the holy spear Barmayeh was the bright flame of motion, so the concept inside Zahhak was the deep darkness of stillness. Everything seen by this eye is brought to a stop, but it all breaks to pieces because it can¡¯t endure it.¡± He gave a brief pause. ¡°Receive the gaze of Shahrnavaz who was always watching you!!¡± Abram leaped back just as an impact covered his entire body. Shinjou heard Hajji¡¯s shouted words as she took the elevator to the third basement. She was worried about Abram, but a question occurred to her as well. ¡°The gaze of Shahrnavaz who was always watching you?¡± The way he said it suggested he was close to this Shahrnavaz person. But what did that have to do with Abram? ¡­It can¡¯t be. She frowned and glanced over at Arnavaz. The woman stood perfectly still and said nothing with her eyes closed. She faced forward just like Shinjou and almost seemed to be ignoring the girl. Shinjou hesitated, but pulled a photograph from the basket in her hand. She unfolded quietly it so Arnavaz would not notice and looked to the people of an older era. She saw Sayama Kaoru, Hiba Ryuutetsu, Siegfried, Thunderson, Rhea, Toshi, and Chao. The man facing the other way in the far back was likely Kinugasa. And¡­ ¡­Director Abram is¡­ As she searched through the photograph, an unexpected voice reached her from the side. ¡°I¡¯m sure he is in that photograph.¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, um, sorry!¡± ¡°Hm? There is nothing to apologize for. ¡­That is a photograph of the early days of UCAT, isn¡¯t it? My Fereydun from before I met him should be in there.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Shinjou. There were quite a few people there in addition to Sayama¡¯s grandfather and his group. A well-built Arab man stood in front of everyone¡¯s luggage and she assumed he was Abram. But Arnavaz continued speaking while still facing straight forward. ¡°He was known as a hero. He was a doctor, he had bad eyes, and he was far too skinny to fit the image of a ¡®hero¡¯, but he was still a true hero who saved many lives as he worked endlessly for the people.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Shinjou gulped, looked to Arnavaz, took a breath, and looked back at the photo. Her stiff body saw someone in the photo that matched Arnavaz¡¯s description. At the side of Sayama¡¯s grandfather¡¯s group was a skinny Arab man. He had short hair, he wore a brown coat, and his glasses were looking up toward the sky. ¡­If that¡¯s Abram, then he¡¯s a completely different person from the current Abram. Then what was the current Abram? She was dumbfounded and Arnavaz stood next to her. The woman continued to face forward, she said nothing, and her expression remained calm. ¡­.Why? ¡°Arnavaz-sama, you¡¯ve noticed, haven¡¯t you?¡± She did not answer Shinjou¡¯s question, but she did speak. ¡°Things are so noisy up above.¡± Noise seemed to answer her words. It came from the battlefield beyond the large shaft overhead. Abram jumped back and Hajji realized he had escaped the range of his vision. However, his armored uniform was torn and the right knee he had bent for his jump had failed to escape and shattered. The air between them also shattered, creating a vacuum wave. Hajji¡¯s gaze did nothing more than stop everything in its range, but stopped objects were brittle. If the air was stopped, it solidified and the faint movement of the surrounding air would push, bend, and finally break it. Abram was blown further back by the vacuum wave and Hajji forcefully stood to pursue. The spear he had held had returned to his enemy¡¯s hands. He picked up the spear Abram had abandoned in midair and that was originally his. Instead of running, he made a single quick leap to close the distance with Abram. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw people looking at him after hearing his words about Shahrnavaz. He noticed that most of them wore white and he decided that was perfect. Before revealing the whole truth, he would break down a ridiculous falsehood. ¡°Listen. Listen carefully!¡± He brought his right leg forward and swung his spear up from below. ¡°This man is going by the name Abram, but he is actually Sarv, king of 9th-Gear!!¡± He felt the blow land as he spoke. ¡°9th-Gear once joined with 3rd to invade Low-Gear. During that mission, the king was betrayed by the politicians, separated from his comrades, and badly injured by a spy.¡± Abram was knocked to the right with the sound of breaking bone. ¡°Everyone thought he was dead, but he actually survived thanks to the medic that all of you originally referred to as Abram! And¡­¡± As Abram flew through the air, Hajji circled behind him in a single step. He also twisted his body and swung his spear. ¡°The real Abram died during the battle that destroyed 9th-Gear, but for some unfathomable reason, this man took on his name!! To fully take over the man¡¯s identity, he even married his fianc¨¦e!¡± Hajji hit Abram¡¯s back with a horizontal strike. ¡°Your original fianc¨¦e, my sister Shahrnavaz, was made into Zahhak and then killed by you! And after betraying me, my sister, and our world, did you forgot all about your past and wish to live in happiness!?¡± Abram flew toward the white building¡¯s entrance and Hajji ran after him. ¡°It is time you lost!!¡± Hajji launched his spear tip toward the giant man¡¯s back. The metal blade sank halfway into the armor on his back just as his body crashed into the disguised building¡¯s front entrance. The large glass door turned pure white in an instant. The impact to the entire surface of the bulletproof and explosion-resistant glass utterly destroyed it. As if opening a hole in the spray of glass, Abram¡¯s body tangled with the door frame and flew inside. He did not stop even after breaking through the lobby counter. His giant body and his white armored uniform broke through the cement storeroom wall in the back and disappeared. The building shook from the continued destruction and more crashing sounds continued afterwards. As he listened to all that, Hajji raised the spear in his right hand. He looked to the expanse of darkness leading underground. ¡°The entrance to the truth has opened!!¡± He looked behind him and to Shino. She stood away from the fighting on the distant southern grass and she squeezed the blue philosopher¡¯s stone hanging from her neck. She closed her eyes and hid the growing blue light with her hand. ¡°Please believe us.¡± As soon as he heard her speak her compulsory will, Hajji discreetly took a breath. The chilly wind entered his lungs, strength returned to his eyes, and he spoke his words. ¡°Listen, UCAT.¡± After making sure his voice was working normally, he spoke in his usual tone of voice. ¡°The truth I just revealed is no more than a preview. Realize that you are fools who were tricked into being led by an old enemy. Yes.¡± He said ¡°listen¡± again as those in white stiffened as if scolded. This was the power of Shino¡¯s philosopher¡¯s stone. After seeing Abram¡¯s defeat, her will could more easily reach them. Fully aware of that, Hajji spoke. As he did, he saw the three large dolls walking along the distant east end of the runway. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Defeat isn¡¯t a bad thing. Just die and you won¡¯t have to think about any of that. Yes. ¡­But we will never forgive you even if we see you lose. You understand nothing and yet you think you¡¯re in charge of this world, don¡¯t you? Hm? Therefore¡­¡± He swung down his raised spear forcefully enough to hear it slice through the air. ¡°The main force will come with me. Let us go change this world. And everyone else¡­ Mikoku!¡± Mikoku turned around and he gently narrowed his eyes toward the surprised black-haired girl. ¡°Protect Shino while taking care of the fools here. You don¡¯t want to leave behind any regrets. Isn¡¯t that right? Hm?¡± ¡°¡­!? Father! I will head down with you!¡± ¡°No.¡± He shook his head and gave her a smile with clenched teeth. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? Don¡¯t leave behind any regrets. So secure our escape route, Mikoku. This is a fierce battlefield and the enemy will be pushing in from outside. So you protect the entrance so none of them can get in and also protect Shino. ¡­How about it? Can you do it?¡± She no longer protested. Instead, her shoulders drooped and her eyes closed. But a moment later, she trembled and filled with strength once more. ¡°You won¡¯t listen to anything I say when you ask multiple times like that.¡± She opened her eyes and turned her sharp gaze his way. He looked her firmly in the eye and had an honest thought. ¡­She¡¯s gathering too much strength, but that might be just right for now. Don¡¯t force yourself, he thought but did not say. He simply smiled and did not hide it with his hand. ¡°Will you do it, Mikoku?¡± ¡°I will. I cannot disobey an order from our leader.¡± She finally nodded. Next, she held her drawn sword in her right hand, raised the blade for him to see, and opened her mouth. ¡°Get going, father. And good luck. I will be waiting here, so hurry back.¡± ¡°I will.¡± He used the same words she had and turned his back on her. He used his hand to instruct his unit to follow. ¡°I¡¯ll be going. ¡­It¡¯s time to have some fun filling you all with regret.¡± A white corridor said BF4 on the wall. Three people ran down the center of the long white passageway. Two were a young and old man both in a lab coat and one was a maid with red hair. The young man opened his laptop toward the maid. ¡°You see, Japanese UCAT¡¯s underground area is currently being split in three using concept space corridors. It splits up the pathways the enemy can use and makes it easier to intercept them. And this is Harumi sleeping this morning. ¡­Did you see it? Then, #8, your role will be¡­¡± ¡°Testament. Kashima-sama, after I escort Ooshiro-sama to the fifth basement, I will join my fellow automatons because the enemy¡¯s dog ghosts might be able to reach our brains even underground.¡± Her voice was calm and Kashima nodded in understanding. ¡°I see. But where are those dog ghosts now?¡± ¡°The one that possessed #100 transferred to one of us on the third floor. We captured that one when it was wandering around after the explosion. However, the dog possessing 101st learned from that experience and has managed to escape even when its host was destroyed. We do not know where it is.¡± There was a possibility of the automatons betraying everyone, so they were all closing themselves in a concept space. #8 then looked to her right hand. That slender hand was latched onto an ear and that ear was connected to Ooshiro. The old man was flopping around like a fish as she dragged him along the floor. ¡°Ah, ow! This really hurts, #8-kun! What on earth did I do wrong!?¡± She thought for a moment and quickly returned her expressionless gaze to him. ¡°Testament. You are alive.¡± ¡°Living is a crime now!?¡± ¡°Ooshiro-sama, living is not a crime, no matter what I might think. ¡­And I have determined your current state is better than dying while enjoying yourself on the fifth floor. It was fortunate for you that you were so hungry you snuck down to the cafeteria. Now, please hurry. ¡­And Kashima-sama, will you be heading out to fight?¡± ¡°Yes, I will be defending a point along the route. I just hope no one too powerful comes my way. Also¡­¡± He smiled bitterly. ¡°The one who really likes to show off has already gone outside.¡± #8 nodded at that. Those two ran and Ooshiro was dragged until they finally reached the intersection where they would part ways. Once they stepped out into it, Kashima alone turned to the right. ¡°I¡¯ll be defending up above. You work hard too.¡± ¡°Testament. But telling me to ¡®work hard¡¯ is meaningless. 3rd¡¯s automatons always do their very best.¡± ¡°My apologies.¡± Kashima smiled, bowed, and turned his back. His pace soon grew to a run. #8 returned the bow and continued down the corridor while half dragging Ooshiro. The path ahead continued down to the fifth basement. A group in white armored uniforms approached from up head. They were armed with anti-tank rifles. When they saw Ooshiro being dragged, they stopped, saluted with a smile, bowed, and laughed. ¡°Tch. He¡¯s still alive.¡± ¡°How can he be so shameless?¡± ¡°Why does #8 have to be with someone like him?¡± ¡°I-is that really what you should be saying when you see me!?¡± The men ignored him and continued on. As they disappeared behind them, the white corridor grew completely empty. A slight sound could be heard overhead. The corridor shook along with it and Ooshiro looked up at the ceiling. ¡°Hm. From the sound of that, I¡¯d say they¡¯ve gotten in. What do you think, #8-kun?¡± However, #8 did not say ¡°testament¡±. She expressionlessly let go of his ear and gave a different answer. ¡°Woof.¡± As #8 barked, a handgun came from her right sleeve and assembled in midair. She then pressed the muzzle against Ooshiro¡¯s unmoving forehead. She targeted a vital point from point-blank range. Ooshiro looked up at her with the end of the round cylinder pressed against his forehead. She looked down at him with a blank look on her face, so he pressed his index fingers against his cheeks and tilted his head. ¡°Oh, #8-kun. You sure do love your jokes.¡± A gunshot rang out. The gunshot echoed down the corridor and a hole appeared in the wall. The hole was created by the handgun held by the maid automaton named #8. Ooshiro had been her target, but he had dodged the bullet by sliding his upper body to the side. He went on to quickly hold his palms out toward her. ¡°Nwah. That¡¯s a harsh response for my cute mannerisms, #-¡­¡± She pressed the handgun against the left side of his head next to the ear and another gunshot rang out. The bullet should have penetrated the side of his head, but he crouched down to avoid it. ¡°W-wait a second, #8-kun. If you¡¯re going to act like a dog, at least wear dog ears.¡± She pressed the muzzle against the top of his head and suddenly fired. But he stood up while bending half a step backwards to evade. However, her gun kept coming. ¡°Ah, wait. Is this, um, really what happens when an automaton is being controlled!?¡± She answered his powerful question, but not in words. ¡°Woof, woof, woof.¡± Multiple gunshots sounded and they did not stop. She pulled the trigger, repeatedly altered her aim, and produced constant noise from the full-auto slide mechanism. Ooshiro continued to dodge by raising his hands, stretching, sliding to the side, getting on the ground, and even striking a pose with his arms wrapped around either side of his head. Once the number of fired bullets reached the capacity of the magazine, he stuck his right thumb out toward her. ¡°All right! Now you won¡¯t have to shoot me!!¡± Her rebuttal was to pull a fresh handgun from both her sleeves. ¡°Th-that¡¯s not fair!! And one in both hands!?¡± ¡°Woof!!¡± Bullets flew from both sides now. Gunshots and sparks blossomed again and again with her skillful manipulation of the guns. The muzzle flashes illuminated Ooshiro like a strobe light as he performed a high-speed dance. ¡°Yeeeeaaaahhhhh! It¡¯s a one-man show time!!¡± He scattered sweat, spun around, and struck a pose, but he spun again when more bullets flew his way. She soon ran out of bullets, but she used gravitational control to bring in a new magazine. He continued to spin and dance while she provided more gunfire with skillful speed. ¡°Uuhhh!!¡± Her eyebrows rose and she tried to shoot him from a variety of angles all while never letting up. Suddenly, two people arrived from the end of the corridor that Ooshiro and #8 had come from. Ooshiro spotted them while dodging. ¡°Oh, Arnavaz-kun and Shinjou-kun! ¡­Um, Sh-Shinjou-kun! Could you help me?¡± He was dodging bullets and dripping sweat as he asked, but Shinjou only tilted her head. She seemed confused and she looked back and forth between him dodging and #8 firing. After a while, she stared at #8¡¯s furrowed eyebrows and spoke. ¡°Oh, I get it.¡± She lowered her shoulders and sighed toward Ooshiro. ¡°You did something weird to #8-san again, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ahhh!! You don¡¯t believe me!? If these hit me, I¡¯ll die!!¡± ¡°I see. ¡­But I¡¯ve wondered for a while if you¡¯d really die if a bullet hit you.¡± ¡°Sh-Shinjou-kun! That¡¯s just rude! Of course I¡¯ll die if a bullet hits me!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never even tried it, so stop making things up.¡± ¡°If I tried it, I¡¯d die!!¡± Shinjou frowned and looked away. She then sighed and pulled on Arnavaz¡¯s hand. ¡°Arnavaz-sama, we need to hurry. Everyone is waiting.¡± She put on a fake smile, pulled on the woman¡¯s hand, and passed by behind #8. Ooshiro continued moving around amid the gunfire and he clapped his hands below the right leg he had raised to dodge. ¡°#-#8! C-can you seriously wait just a moment!?¡± Shinjou had begun to leave, but she turned back and angrily glared at him. ¡°This is your punishment for making her mad. I think it¡¯s in your best interest to be scolded every once in a while.¡± ¡°I get hit all the time, but this is different!!!¡± But Shinjou ignored him and continued pulling on Arnavaz¡¯s hand. Arnavaz turned back and bowed, so he bowed back and had a bullet graze the top of his head. Shinjou and Arnavaz disappeared down the corridor, but the sounds of gunfire remained. Suddenly, #8¡¯s expression changed and her eyes began to focus once more. ¡°Woof. ¡­Oh, Ooshiro-sama. I greatly apologize. I have successfully created an isolated sector in my brain and regained control of my mind- woof! ¡­But it is still not perfect.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s great, but can you stop firing!?¡± ¡°Testament. I have determined that is impossible. ¡­Woof. I had to enclose my mind in an isolated sector to secure that territory in my head. If I leave that sector, control of my mind will likely be fully taken. That is how dense this dog ghost is. Explaining the details of the systems involved would be lengthy, but I would like to prove my innocence in this matter.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about your innocence, so just do something already!! If you don¡¯t, there are going to be some tears! From me!¡± She frowned while continuing her skillful usage of the guns. ¡°Why do you always make light of automatons and make such irregular statements?¡± ¡°Th-that doesn¡¯t matter! You can tell me this later!¡± ¡°Testament. But I cannot stop. That said, there is one way, Ooshiro-sama. Why not try letting one shot hit you? The dog ghost might give up or regret having shot something so detestable.¡± ¡°Just to be clear, you¡¯ve been aiming right for my head for a while now! A single hit will kill me. M-more importantly, how many bullets do you have left? Surely you don¡¯t have any left up your sleeves.¡± ¡°No, but just to be sure, I prepared some in my skirt and beneath my apron, so I can keep this up for another three hours. ¡­But I must admit it is a shame that I must kill you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so certain that¡¯s going to happen!!¡± His shout was followed by three sounds. Two were #8¡¯s handguns running out of bullets. And the other¡­ ¡°Did you just hear a strange sound from my back? Something like a dry branch breaking?¡± ¡°Testament. I have determined it was a ¡®crick¡¯ sound. ¡­Woof.¡± Ooshiro could no longer move while she swapped out the two handguns¡¯ magazines. She used gravitational control to cock them and pressed them both against his forehead. ¡°I have determined this is unfortunate. However, it is the presence of unfortunate things that makes the future seem so very bright.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t twist this into a positive light!!¡± She ignored his shout and squeezed her fingers. But just before she did, he cried out again. Instead of screaming, he shouted a certain special word telling her not to move. ¡°Stay!!¡± No gunshot filled the corridor. With the guns still pressed against his forehead, Ooshiro looked left and right and then at the person past the guns. He looked at #8 who had stopped moving. ¡°¡­#8?¡± ¡°Woof.¡± She did not move, but it seemed the dog was still inside her. He thought about why she had stopped and found the answer in about five seconds. He lightly clapped his hands and said another word to her. ¡°Sit.¡± #8 looked utterly confused as she quickly crouched down to the ground. She stopped with her hands out front and her knees raised, just like a dog. She looked up at him, stuck out her tongue, and panted. If she had a tail, it would probably have been wagging. ¡°I see. ¡­This must have been a well-trained dog.¡± He gave an impressed nod and #8 frowned. ¡°Ooshiro-sama, how long are you going to have me sit here?¡± He slowly crouched and sat down while holding his back. ¡°That¡¯s a very good question. You¡¯ve been pretty mean to me after all.¡± ¡°Ooshiro-sama.¡± Hearing his teasing tone of voice, she frowned and the dog ghost made her bark. The bark was telling him to stop sitting down and start petting it, so he nodded. ¡°Do you want me to pet you? Hm?¡± ¡°No, I do not- woof.¡± Hearing her bark, he reached out and pet her head. ¡°Good girl, good girl. You¡¯re so cute, Dog #8. You don¡¯t disobey me or bite me or anything.¡± As he continued to pet her, #8 looked down and spoke in a low voice. ¡°Ooshiro-sama, I must request that you remember this.¡± ¡°Hmm. Are you sure you want me to remember this? For example, what if I did this?¡± He held a hand in front of her face and she completely stopped moving. She frowned, stared at his hand, and started to turn away, but¡­ ¡°Nn.¡± She squeezed her eyes shut and turned back toward him. Next, her trembling tongue slowly stuck out from between her lips. ¡°Kh.¡± She licked his hand once, twice, and then thrice. Ooshiro nodded. ¡°You really are a dog.¡± But as soon as he said that¡­ ¡°Ee.¡± A trembling tone escaped her throat as she backed away a bit and hung her head. He watched in confusion as she gave a large frown in her canine sitting position. ¡°Hyah.¡± A sudden drop of water spilled from her open eye. Ooshiro frantically scratched his head and tried to soothe her. ¡°Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry. I guess I went a little too far. ¡­You automatons don¡¯t like anyone but your master to touch you, right?¡± ¡°Testament. I do not have control of my body, so it could not obey my rejection circuits. That caused an error in my head which I do have control over, so this was merely an activation of my sight device¡¯s cleaning function. It was in no way caused by an emotional response.¡± She forced her head up, returned her expression to normal, and slightly lowered her head again. ¡°With an automaton, such a drop of water is not a tear, so do not worry about it.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Ooshiro as a sudden thought came to him. ¡°#8-kun, I just had a thought. Do you mind?¡± He picked up one of the handguns she had dropped and held it out toward her. She tilted her head and sniffed it, but he pulled it back and¡­ ¡°Go fetch!¡± He threw the gun down the corridor. The dog literally left her body. It was a black hound with a collar mark around its neck. It was over eighty centimeters tall and it ran out in front of #8¡¯s widened eyes. Its footsteps were audible, but it had no shadow. It picked the gun up in its mouth, gave the same bark that had come from #8¡¯s mouth, and turned back toward them with the bottom of its feet skittering on the floor. It returned to them with the gun in its mouth. ¡°Ah.¡± After coming back to her senses, #8 lifted her hand to eye level and realized she could actually move her hand. ¡°I have determined this is good,¡± she said expressionlessly. She wiped the corner of her eye and sat more normally on the floor. The dog returned next to her, but she had already sealed off her brain. She took the gun from the dog and it gave another happy bark. A tremor reached them through the ceiling as the two people and one animal gave a sigh from the floor. #8 held the bottom of her apron against the corner of her eye and then pet the dog next to her. ¡°If Shinjou-sama is here, then Sayama-sama will not be far behind.¡± ¡°Do you really think so? And we probably shouldn¡¯t tell Mikoto-kun that you cried.¡± ¡°I do not mind. Although that seems wholly unrelated to what I said. Anyway, they are still fighting up above and Sayama-sama would make it here even if the Army took control of the surface. That is an absolute truth.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Ooshiro. ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to evacuate before he gets here, so could you carry me?¡± He held a hand out to her and then spoke with a refreshing smile. ¡°Okay, shake. ¡­Woof.¡± #8 expressionlessly slammed her hand into his face. Volume 11, 32: Hitting the Ground Running Volume 11, Chapter 32: Hitting the Ground Running What is right? What is wrong? What should we desire? The colors black and white moved in the night. The movement formed a battle on the runway in front of UCAT¡¯s disguised building. The dark black was devouring the white as if that were the rule of the night. The white army had formed three large groups. This was due to the attacks from the east and west contained by the asphalt walls on either side of the runway. A black force remaining on the ground attacked the white from the west. The black force was led by a sword-wielding girl whose long black hair swayed as she fought. The main force of black dolls and the three large dolls attacked the white from the east. The large dolls moved out front and the normal dolls fired, defended, and attacked from the sides to wear down the white. A girl near the forest southwest of the runway protected that black force. She had a white dog by her side and a powerful blue light escaped from between the hands held up to her chest. She would occasionally close her eyes and speak quietly as if to confirm her power. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ But please believe us.¡± This prevented the white army from opposing the black army too strongly and left their counterattack weak. They did fight, but they were eventually crushed, brought down, and unable to move. The battle filled the sky as well. A blue and white mechanical dragon fought a blue and red mechanical dragon. A black god of war fought a white god of war. To prevent each other from descending to the surface, they would approach, clash, move away, and evade. But all the while, the white army grew smaller below. At first, reinforcements had come from the lift behind the white building, but the black army had reached that area already. No more reinforcements were coming. However, someone in the white army was still fighting. A woman with golden hair dancing in the wind stood on the runway¡¯s asphalt wall. It was Sibyl. She moved her arms in her white armored uniform and the silver god of war on the runway copied her movements. The god of war moved toward one of the large dolls charging down the center of the runway to the east. It wore black armor and said ¡°#1¡± on the shoulder. Sibyl sent the silver god of war directly toward large doll #1. It swiftly drew its two swords and sent out multiple attacks. Meanwhile, #1 defended with what it held in its hands. They were crowbars forged from long and thick metal panels and bars. It held the short nail-pulling end in a backhanded grip and used the long handle to deflect the god of war¡¯s swords to the left and right. Sparks flew, but the tough pieces of metal completely deflected the thick swords. ¡°Kh.¡± Sibyl shrank down and glared at the large doll. She moved her hands and raised the god of war¡¯s attack speed. ¡°What are you trying to accomplish!? Do you refuse to let the world have peace!?¡± Surprisingly, her shout actually received a response. A calm man¡¯s voice came from the large doll¡¯s chest. ¡°Peace? ¡­Listen, young lady. I don¡¯t care about that.¡± Amid the sounds of clashing swords, #1 moved as if prying its body forward. ¡°But you know what? Back during that world war, you all were so busy with the Concept War that you didn¡¯t save my family from the air strike. With your power, surely you could have saved one little city or at least a single person.¡± The sky was dyed in the colors of night. Below the moon, a man walked along the side of a quiet road through the forest. The elderly manager wore a dark brown leather jacket over a white work outfit. He wore work gloves, but his fingers would twitch a bit every so often. He also wore black sunglasses. The inside of the sunglasses displayed video footage. The monotone coloration showed what looked like a large road, an army of people in white armored uniforms, and a silver god of war standing to protect them. When he moved his gloved fingers a little, the vision displayed in the sunglasses moved. While looking at the predicted movement of the god of war and deflecting the sword strikes, the old manager spoke. ¡°It¡¯s true no one would¡¯ve believed you if you¡¯d told them about the Concept War, but if you had that power, you could have saved so many lives during that world war.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± He heard the other person¡¯s voice from the small speakers attached to the ends of the sunglasses. ¡°Don¡¯t bother, young lady. I already know your answer. After all, you¡¯re trying to put even the Concept War behind you. You¡¯re trying to say it was wrong and leave it at that. But you know what?¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s an idiot whose time has stopped ever since a similar war. I survived because I was protected, so I have a question for that answer of yours. If war is wrong, what does that say about me since I was given life there? And what does it say about my family that gave me life there?¡± Is there no answer to that question? he wondered. The people who had worked with him in that factory were not with him here. They were inside a large truck hidden in an Okutama mountain forest. Those dozen or so young men were remotely controlling the maid dolls, controlling the large-scale concept space producer and concept space communicator, and removing UCAT¡¯s communication jamming and concept barriers. The old manager was only controlling large doll #1 and Hajji had instructed him to move away from the others. That way he could forget everything that had happened and return to being a resident of this world. UCAT was about three kilometers behind him. Another kilometer on this road would take him to Okutama Station. If he threw away the sunglasses and controller gloves at the station, he could cut all ties. ¡°Sorry,¡± he muttered. The blonde woman displayed in the sunglasses frowned. He then saw light on the road up ahead. It was a motorcycle. Was it a local or a street racer racing through the mountains of Okutama? The motorcycle drove down the road spotted with a red anti-skid material and with small pillars down the center line to prevent anyone from driving recklessly. That¡¯s some decent speed, judged the old manager based on the sound of the engine. It was most likely a new motorcycle. One that had only just been broken in. Instead of setting the muffler to show off by making as much noise as possible, it was made to trap and store up power inside the engine. The old manager began controlling large doll #1 with just his left hand and pulled a small bottle from his pocket using his right hand. He twisted open the cap with his fingers and poured the brown liquid into his mouth. ¡°¡­¡± The motorcycle passed by. By the time he turned around, the tail lights were already vanishing down a distant corner. ¡­That really is fast. He threw the bottle behind him and raised his right hand. A moment later, he heard the bottle shatter and focused on the opponent he could see ahead of him. ¡°Now, young lady. It¡¯s time you quieted down.¡± Sibyl saw large doll #1 suddenly curl up its body a little and step forward. Instead of deflecting her attacks in defense, it was moving in to strike. So Sibyl slammed both her swords into the curled up back. However, the doll swayed and the swords struck its shoulder armor. With a sound resembling spilling stone, its shoulders burst open and exposed the internal components. ¡­I will attack its shoulders again before it can charge in! But two tremors ran through the ground before she could have the silver god of war pull back its swords. It sounded like stone being struck. Wondering what it was, Sibyl looked down. She saw the narrow tips of the silver god of war¡¯s feet. ¡°The crowbars!?¡± Those tools had been slammed into the ground to pin the god of war¡¯s feet. ¡­Not good!! She needed the proper footing to swing the swords. If the god of war¡¯s footing was unstable when it attacked, it might be able to hit, but it could not reach the enemy¡¯s core. A moment later, large doll #1¡¯s left fist flew in a mountain-like arc. Its target was the god of war¡¯s face. Sibyl quickly tilted the god of war¡¯s upper body to the left. But an instant later, the large doll¡¯s right fist slammed into the god of war¡¯s left side. ¡°!?¡± ¡°The left was a feint. Think about it. Your god of war is just a puppet too. The head is mostly just for show, so the real target is the source of its power in the torso. ¡­Of course, I can¡¯t blame you for treating things with care.¡± The parts between the armor on the silver god of war¡¯s left side broke and the internal wires and frame were exposed. Large doll #1 then threw its right fist again. Sibyl reflexively had her god of war raise its arms to protect its body. Immediately afterwards, the large doll¡¯s left fist shot up and slammed into the god of war¡¯s jaw. ¡°You just said you wouldn¡¯t target the head!¡± ¡°The torso is still my main target. But if I hit the jaw up like that¡­¡± She knew what he meant. The silver god of war leaned back and up, but it could not be knocked away with its feet pinned to the ground. But the upwards hit left it defenseless and exposed its stomach to its opponent. Large doll #1 prepared its attack toward the stomach. It pulled back its right arm a bit and twisted its body. Even if Sibyl tried to stop it, the fist would break through the god of war¡¯s stomach. ¡°¡­!¡± Just as she cried out, a straight line of light collided with the large doll¡¯s back. It produced a solid sound like rock breaking. ¡°!!¡± The large doll stumbled from the impact, shifted to the left, and shook. It turned around, but it was too late. By that time, the wings that had fired the white blast had already landed in front of Sibyl. Sibyl blankly spoke the name of the one who owned the white wings and white spear. ¡°Chisato-sama.¡± Disbelief filled her voice and the girl shook her head toward the sky to fix the hair after the wind had blown it around. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m so late. But answer me one thing, Sibyl.¡± ¡°Wh-what is it?¡± Kazami smiled in the light of the moon and her own wings. ¡°Do you need my help?¡± Sibyl thought about what she meant before giving her answer. She shook her head and spread her arms at shoulder height as if measuring something in the air. ¡°I do not. I have things thiiiis much under control.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kazami¡¯s smile grew. ¡°But I want to help all of you. I want to give you an easier time of defeating your enemies.¡± The wings audibly turned their back on Sibyl. They then lifted up in preparation to take off. Beyond the wings of light, large doll #1 prepared to fight again and all of the black dolls in that third of the battlefield looked to Kazami. All of the hostility poured onto her, but she did not waver. She gathered strength in her shoulder blades to support the raised wings. ¡°Everyone, sorry I¡¯m late. I won¡¯t make any excuses or any kind of formal apology. After all, this is your battlefield and my battlefield is somewhere else. But I will make sure to remember the injuries caused by my delay and help out a little here to confirm just how much I want to be with all of you and just what I can do.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said Sibyl with a nod. The silver god of war moved and pulled the crowbars from its feet. Sibyl then threw them toward the opponent in front of her. The large doll¡¯s metal hands audibly grabbed the crowbars. It quickly rotated them in its fingers to take a defensive stance. The other large dolls faced her in similar stances on either side. Despite the enemy¡¯s preparations, Sibyl smiled slightly. She watched the wings in front of her tense up even more than before. ¡°Can you fight?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I came here for. ¡­But it looks like everyone is trembling. It¡¯s probably a mental concept or something, but what were they told to make them tremble like this?¡± ¡°The enemy claims to have righteousness on their side.¡± ¡°Oh? How silly. Such silly nonsense using such silly reasoning. If our opponent is righteous, does that mean it¡¯s okay for us to die? My dad mass-produces righteous allies of justice and evil organizations, but hijacking busses of kindergartners and telling people to die is a job for evil. The righteous are the ones that defeat those people.¡± And¡­ ¡°No one who was raised watching those heroes could be evil.¡± ¡°But they are claiming righteousness and telling us to die.¡± ¡°Then their righteousness must be death. In that case, they need to return to death and take their righteousness with them. And if they really are in the right, that just means we need to bring out our secret weapon as the evil organization. ¡­We need to call in our idiot who truly claims to be a villain.¡± With that, Kazami waved her left hand and pulled a fist-sized black sphere from her pocket. ¡°Mitsuaki-san, help us out.¡± As soon as she spoke, everyone there heard a high-pitched sound of destruction. ¡°That was the sound of a concept being destroyed!¡± Sibyl shrank back at the magnitude of the sound and saw the black-haired girl by the forest growing pale. She frantically checked on her blue philosopher¡¯s stone, but the mental concept stone was no longer glowing. Sibyl wondered what had happened and Kazami¡¯s back answered with a bitter smile in her voice. ¡°A concept that forces understanding can be negated by a concept that cuts off understanding. ¡­Nothing to worry about now, right?¡± Kazami¡¯s voice and the release from the great mental pressure let everyone fighting there take a sigh of relief. They breathed, gathered their strength, and turned expectant gazes to Kazami¡¯s back. ¡°Sibyl, let¡¯s fight until the villain who seeks life arrives to fight these heroes who seek death. That¡¯s the job of a fighter and the general of an evil organization. ¡­And according to my dad, unhappy endings are kind of popular lately, so it¡¯s entirely possible we¡¯ll win. So¡­¡± Sibyl saw the wings flap and the bearer of that light floated slowly but powerfully into the night sky. ¡°Until then, it¡¯s my job to use myself as a power of protection!!¡± With those words, the giant dolls moved and the wings of light soared swiftly. A truck and trailer were stopped on the road running through an Okutama forest. The large pallet in the trailer had the IAI logo on the side. To the north of the road was a cement slope and to the south was a forested slope leading down into a valley. The white truck and trailer were completely abandoned in the night. No one could be seen in the driver¡¯s seat or near the trailer. However, someone quickly approached the trailer. And they approached it from above. Above the cement wall next to the trailer was a mountain slope and a forest. The approaching person forcefully jumped out from the elevated forest. It was a boy wearing a dark blue suit. It was Sayama. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He flipped in midair and possessed great speed. His current trajectory would drop him into the valley beyond. So to lower his speed, he pulled something out of the bag on his back. It was a sheet. Specifically, it was a sheet printed with a life-sized image of Shinjou in her underwear. He grabbed both ends of the sheet and let it catch the air. It could be heard fluttering in the wind as it grew round from the pressure of the air and lowered his speed. ¡°Toh.¡± A quick noise escaped his mouth as he let go of the sheet. He flipped again, kicked off the roof of the trailer, and rolled along the ground to stop his fall. He negated the last of his momentum by standing back up and he reached his hands overhead. The Shinjou printed sheet fell into his raised hands. He spread the sheet out toward the heavens as if to show it off to the moon. ¡°Heh heh. You stopped me there, Shinjou-kun. You were wonderfully flexible. But I will be seeing the real you soon, so let us leave it at that. I cannot wait, I cannot wait, I cannot wait. I said it thrice!¡± Yes. I counted and made no mistake, so I must be plenty calm, he told himself as he turned around. He looked to the abandoned truck and trailer. They were facing west which would take them to UCAT. ¡­This was abandoned on the way to UCAT. ¡°So did something happen that required abandoning the truck to reach UCAT immediately?¡± He guessed the Army had attacked. But if they had abandoned the truck¡­ ¡­Did they not want to get the cargo caught in the battle? ¡°No. That is not it. You cannot find such cowardly thoughts in UCAT.¡± He smiled a bit as he spoke to himself. He approached the trailer and recognized the shape of the pallet. The same pallet had been on the trailer that Tsukuyomi had driven to Kanda during the summer. This was the large pallet used to carry a god of war. The pallet was still sealed and not opened. He had a good guess as to why. ¡°It cannot be sent out quite yet. Or could you call it a savior to appear when they¡¯re in a pinch?¡± He received an answer from the pallet¡¯s external communicator. ¡°Is that you, Master Sayama?¡± He recognized the voice, so he tilted his head. ¡°Violet-kun? Why are you holding a moon viewing out here?¡± ¡°Oh, um¡­ Yes, sir. It seems the Army has attacked, but, uh, the automatons are evacuating because apparently a dog will get in your head.¡± ¡°Hm, even if you do not mean that literally, things must be tough if people are making dog jokes.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. But that danger was removed just a moment ago. #8 seems to have reconciled with the dog. I was wondering when I should head out, but I wasn¡¯t sure if I should or not.¡± ¡°I do not mind. I know just how earnest you are about combat.¡± ¡°Really? Then, um, I¡¯ll head out. ¡­Please don¡¯t laugh.¡± Violet¡¯s voice was immediately followed by the rumble of destroyed metal. Sayama saw the top of the cargo pallet fly high into the night sky. It was supposed to slide open, but it had been pushed upward until it popped off. Next, a blue and white god of war stood from the pallet. It nervously brought its hands to its cheeks. ¡°O-oh, no. What did I do? And, um, where did the cover go?¡± As if to answer her, the cover fell from the sky and stabbed into the ground. The hunk of metal was fifteen meters long and five meters wide and it skewered into the ground just five centimeters to Sayama¡¯s left. The white metal panel made a tremendous noise, pierced through the asphalt, and shook the air. Sayama nodded and placed a hand on the cover vibrating next to him. ¡°Luckily, the item in question fell right over here. Make sure not to lose it again. But what is with that body?¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± replied Violet¡¯s god of war as it stood, crouched down, and pulled out the cover. ¡°I¡¯m very clumsy, so I kept destroying my spare bodies and we eventually ran out. I decided to use one of the 3rd gods of war destroyed in the summer battle until a replacement can be made.¡± Violet grabbed at the armor that was colored blue and white like a maid uniform and she crouched down. She twisted around to show off the white writing written with a brush on her back armor. It said ¡°Miyako is Life¡± and ¡°Fierce Battles are the Best¡±. ¡°Does it suit me?¡± ¡°Yes, I think it would suit no one better than you.¡± ¡°O-oh, c¡¯mon, Master Sayama. You¡¯re too good with words.¡± To hide and put up with her embarrassment, she crouched down and beat on the asphalt with her left fist. Sayama watched her fist as it rapidly crashed down just thirty centimeters to his right. ¡°I have been feeling a sort of natural sense of danger for a bit now, but it seems things have developed into a fierce battle over there. Can you help out some?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, sir. I can¡¯t fly, but I can control gravity and inertia. ¡­If that¡¯s enough, I¡¯ll help.¡± ¡°It is plenty, Violet-kun. Let us go to the people who await us.¡± A soon as he said that, he felt a small force on his left leg. It was a faint tugging. He wondered what it was. ¡°Baku? Did you pick up on my scent?¡± Baku said nothing and quickly crawled up his leg and to his shoulder. He then circled around to the back of his neck, climbed to his head, and lay down in his hair as if to say that was his spot. Sayama smiled bitterly at the familiar weight. ¡°Excellent. Let us go together to meet Shinjou-kun.¡± But Baku was not the only one to arrive. A light from the east illuminated the two people and the animal. The thick light was accompanied by the sound of an engine and a horn. ¡°Hey, outta the way! This rental¡¯s hard to control, so how about moving!?¡± Sayama turned a bitter smile toward the driver of the approaching motorcycle. He gave an exasperated shrug. ¡°Are you stupid? Cutting past me or blocking my way is disrespectful.¡± Sayama spoke with his hands in his suit pockets and the motorcycle headlight shining directly on him. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Stupid Izumo.¡± Volume 11, 33: Released Gathering Volume 11, Chapter 33: Released Gathering Break through the wall Brush off the obstacles Do not allow the gouging power to face you Loud footsteps and the blowing wind filled a white corridor. The writing on the wall said BF2. The person producing the rushing footsteps wore black and dragged the color red behind him. His weapons were a steel spear in his right hand and the destructive power of motionlessness in the gaze of his left eye. Everyone who got in the way of his swift pace was either knocked to the ground or broken and blown away. His left arm did not move thanks to the large split in his left shoulder. But there was no blood flowing from the wound. Before any blood could flow, it was blown into the air by his actions. Someone following behind him called out his name. ¡°General Hajji!¡± Hajji ran. He knew they were following and he knew this was all according to plan. Most of them would return to the surface and only he and a few others would reach the sixth basement. They knew the layout thanks to the information Shino had gained that summer. They would take the corridor to the sixth basement on the way there, but they would use the fifth basement on the way back. They would break through the shaft on the eastern end of both floors, use the Concept Cores to bring the fifth basement¡¯s lift up to the surface, and have Alex take them away. The Concept Cores from 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 9th were kept below UCAT. If they stole those, the Leviathan Road could not be completed and controversy would break out over the unfairness of some Gears having their Concept Cores stolen and some not. And to do that¡­ ¡­We have to reach the back of the sixth basement. That would mean their victory. After all, Hajji¡¯s vision could stop and destroy all things. ¡­If I take the Concept Core pallets hostage, no one can touch me. But, he thought while looking up. There was something he had to do before continuing down. ¡°I must reveal UCAT¡¯s crimes.¡± That was the true reason for this fight. He had to inform every UCAT and every reservation of what Japanese UCAT had hidden ten years ago. There was a place for him to do that. He saw a large pair of explosion-resistant doors in front of him. They had the words ¡°Japanese UCAT New Headquarters¡± written on them. No soldiers guarded them and there was no interception system. The doors only brought their thickness and sturdiness to the table. Hajji gathered strength in his left eye and prepared to send a powerful gaze toward the door, but¡­ ¡°!¡± He suddenly moved to the right. The blood scattering from his left shoulder revealed something that had not been there before. This new form suddenly appeared to his left beyond the spray of blood. ¡°Oh, damn. How am I supposed to tell Natsu-san I got blood on my lab coat?¡± The man wore glasses and he sounded troubled. Hajji turned toward him and smiled. ¡°2nd-Gear representative Kashima Akio? Are you the line of defense here? You are, aren¡¯t you? Hm?¡± Kashima was mentally sweating as he confronted Hajji with his back to the explosion-resistant door. ¡­If only Atsuta was here. Atsuta had gone to the surface with a prototype Cowling Sword. Tsukuyomi had been the one to place Kashima here. She had guessed the enemy would not come to the new headquarters because they were after the Concept Cores down below. She had not wanted to put anyone with a family on the front lines. ¡°That sure backfired. ¡­I never thought the final boss himself would show up.¡± ¡°Are you happy? You are, aren¡¯t you? Hm?¡± Kashima did not nod. The enemy was injured and his weapon would be powerful if it was a concept weapon. He was worried about the gaze weapon in his left eye, but Kashima had a technique to make his way behind the man. ¡­I can use the Art of Walking. Hajji had seen through the Art of Walking just now due to the sharpness of his instincts. Kashima had tried to make him careless by making the area look deserted, but he had realized it was odd for the place to be deserted. This time, there would be no tricks. Neither one would be careless and they would both be sharply focused, but that was why the Art of Walking would work here. They were five meters apart. Both of them could cover that distance in an instant. And it was easy for Kashima to read Hajji when he was bleeding and breathing heavily. He knew the Art of Walking would work. Even if the man shifted or adjusted himself, Kashima could instantly re-activate the Art of Walking. So with no signal, he began the technique that would settle this. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He used it as he began to walk. The key to the Art of Walking was Hajji¡¯s right eye. He used that as the opening to shift away from Hajji¡¯s senses and he circled toward Hajji¡¯s unusable left shoulder. He moved quickly as he circled around the man. If he reached out his hand and simply touched the man with his palm, Hajji would be blown away because he was not a god. Kashima saw Hajji facing straight forward and away from him. Kashima knew he could defeat the man, so he stepped forward and raised his right hand to attack. Suddenly, Hajji moved his own right hand as if to hold Kashima in check. ¡°!?¡± He assumed this was an attack with the spear, but it was not. Hajji pulled something from his sleeve and dropped it to the floor. The small black object fell clumsily down and solidly bounced. ¡­A stopwatch? Just as Kashima wrinkled his brow beyond his glasses, Hajji opened his mouth while looking in the wrong direction. ¡°Kashima, I do not know where you are, but you can see what I just threw, can¡¯t you?¡± He could, but¡­ ¡°That is my sympathy. Yes. And Kashima, let me ask you one thing. ¡­How is your family doing?¡± Why is he asking that? wondered Kashima with a frown. Hajji continued with a deep smile. ¡°Kashima Natsu and Kashima Harumi. Your wife did not have work today and it¡¯s probably about time your daughter is being put to bed. Yes. A wonderful thing. A truly wonderful thing. Yes. And with that said¡­did you call home before this battle?¡± He did not answer. Answering would disturb his movements and possibly break the Art of Walking himself. But Hajji continued. ¡°I sent them a small package. Yes. It is labelled as a prize. ¡­Your wife will likely wait to open it until you return home. And yet if she did open it, she would find out what is inside. Yes.¡± And¡­ ¡°You know what that stopwatch means, don¡¯t you? ¡­Three more seconds now.¡± Hearing the number of seconds started up Kashima¡¯s emotions. He clenched his teeth as he tried to choose between victory and his family. ¡°Kashima. ¡­You are a wonderful military god. Yes. After all, you hesitated.¡± Hajji looked right at him. His hesitation had likely created a seam in his Art of Walking. ¡°That hesitation means you might have chosen to abandon your family. Wonderful. Truly wonderful. Yes. ¡­I am sure your family will hate you as they are blown to pieces.¡± ¡°You¡­!!¡± Kashima swung his right arm, but Hajji¡¯s face had already moved right up to him. ¡°Kashima, let me tell you something interesting. Yes, I¡¯m sure you will find it very interesting indeed.¡± Kashima realized the spear tip was digging into his left side. ¡°Now, here is that interesting thing: everything I said there was a lie. Of course it was. I would never do anything so cruel. So¡­So rest easy. Rest easy and be defeated.¡± A moment later, intense pain slammed into his stomach like an impact. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± He was knocked back and pinned to the wall behind him. At the same time, he heard Hajji¡¯s voice spoken through a bitter smile with teeth bared. ¡°I¡¯m quite jealous. After all, your family is alive and well.¡± Kazami flew high in the sky. Below her, she saw a few giants, a crowd of dolls, and persistent people. Her target was one of those giants, large doll #1. It spoke and seemed to have different motivations from the Army. Deciding it would be her enemy after her late arrival, Kazami looked to the moon and performed a gentle vertical half-rotation. She knew the others were sure to defeat the Army. No matter what doubts they might have, they would accomplish that. ¡°Even if they tremble, fear, hesitate, or show any other weakness.¡± None of that would get in the way of the power they held. She flipped upside down in midair and stared at the large doll one hundred meters below. ¡°Are you ready!?¡± With that question, she flapped her wings downward. In an instant, the power of the wings of light seemed to launch her more than they made her fly. She continued on. She broke through the wind and fired G-Sp2. But large doll #1 deflected it. It knocked the light away using the corner of the crowbar it held. The metal surface of the corner was torn away, but it did not break. ¡­How did it react to that!? Does it have some kind of reflex assistance system!? The enemy roared in response. ¡°We made our weapons based on your data! Your attacks aren¡¯t going to work that easily on us!¡± She continued to descend and the large doll swung a fist up as a counterattack. She was on a collision course. If she dodged too far out, it could correct its aim. If she dodged too close in, she would be unable to eliminate her momentum and crash into the doll. A hit was the only option now, but Kazami found a solution. ¡°G-Sp2! Let¡¯s win this!!¡± She accelerated. She flapped her wings and quickly closed in on the fist. ¡°G-Sp2!! Third form!!¡± G-Sp2 transformed during her ultra-high speed descent. ¡°I¡¯ll blow it away,¡± displayed the weapon. A moment later, she poured on even more acceleration. She targeted the metal fist swinging up toward her. Hitting it would lead to a single result. ¡°You¡¯re going to hit!?¡± said the man¡¯s voice. ¡°You won¡¯t escape that unharmed!!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not my intention!!¡± She locked the accelerator on full and shrunk down her body. She held the spear tip out front and charged on in a straight line. A back wearing a work uniform and a leather jacket trembled in the waiting room of Okutama Station. The old man leaned back in a wooden bench and looked up toward the ceiling, but he was actually looking at the inside of his sunglasses. ¡°You idiot.¡± The inside of his sunglasses showed him wings of light flying down with the moon behind them. But the sunglasses also showed several red and green lines indicating the enemy¡¯s predicted attacks. It calculated out the enemy¡¯s target, path, and destructive force. The winged girl would destroy the large doll¡¯s right arm, but the impact would crush her. ¡­I¡¯m getting the far better end of this deal. The old manager thought this was the most worthless kind of death in war. She was destroying herself without even defeating her opponent. ¡­And this won¡¯t help my mood either. Is this the kind of fight you want, UCAT? But one thing¡¯s certain, he thought. Her death won¡¯t remain. If the Army won, this battle would be seen as an evil thing and those who died would be denied by history. ¡°Just like my family.¡± So I guess this is fine, he thought while moving his fingers to accelerate the large doll¡¯s rising fist. This will make her the same as my family. She won¡¯t be able to save anyone, but she¡¯ll be denied and forgotten. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have thrown out the alcohol,¡± he spat out while preparing to close his eyes at the instant of impact. But then static ran through the sunglasses. ¡°!?¡± That meant something unpredicted had occurred and the predictive displays had gone haywire. The enemy had done something. ¡­But what!? He then saw the wings of light throw her body out from the falling spear. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± The spear-user was planning to send only the spear into the fist. You idiot, he thought. If you don¡¯t throw away your life, the attack won¡¯t be heavy enough. The predictive readings returned to the sunglasses. Without the weight of her riding the spear, the attack would lose its stability and weight. The calculations said the piercing blow would stop halfway through the fist and not even destroy the arm. But the old manager saw the wings of light flap in the sky. ¡­Are you running!? No. She used all of her previous momentum to fly even further down. She flew to the surface below the large doll before the spear hit. In her fall, she twisted around to face the heavens, spread a hand, and shouted. ¡°G-Sp2! Come, my power!¡± Kazami cried out. She flapped her wings, transformed her fall into a power dive, and shot past the rising metal fist. As she fell and accelerated, she twisted around and raised her right hand toward the heavens. She spread the hand like she was trying to seize the moon, gathered her strength, and opened her mouth toward heaven. ¡°Come!!¡± G-Sp2 reacted to her word. It suddenly trembled in its accelerated fall and the light on the back end grew to raise its acceleration. This weapon contained a dragon and it moved straight toward Kazami¡¯s open hand. It would pierce through everything in the way. In this case, that was large doll #1. The metal doll was over ten meters tall, but it was penetrated from top to bottom in an instant. It was a single strike. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± Countless metallic sounds occurred so quickly that they blended together. G-Sp2 broke through the raised metal fist and out the bottom of the stomach. Kazami had just landed below the open hole. She raised a hand as she stood and G-Sp2 flew into it while surrounded by shimmering heat. ¡°You called?¡± it asked. Kazami smiled and nodded. She spun the weapon in her fingers and stood it on the ground. The sound of the back tapping on the asphalt was accompanied by the exploding shockwave produced inside the giant body overhead. A great roar filled large doll #1 and metal could be heard tearing apart. Next, the giant metal doll split into two halves. Its anguished cry was the creaking of its motors before it lost power and began to tilt to either side. After the tilt grew too far, it began to utterly collapse. Below, Kazami looked up and ignored the downpour of scattering parts. The metal rain let up and the moon was revealed in the clear sky. A voice came from the collapsing metal giant. ¡°Wait. What were you going to do if that didn¡¯t work?¡± ¡°What does it matter when it did work? This is what it means to do my best.¡± ¡°But my family protected me!¡± Oh, thought Kazami. This person must be a lot like me. So she answered while looking up at the sky. ¡°They cared about you. ¡­Do you really need a reason for or proof of that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If so, then go look in a mirror. No matter how much the current age denies it and no matter who denies it, you¡¯ll find some evidence reflected there so long as you don¡¯t get rid of yourself.¡± She lifted G-Sp2 high. The metal legs falling to either side were blown away by the strike and scattered in the wind. That was all, so she sighed. ¡°Okay.¡± What to do next? she wondered. But a sudden shadow appeared overhead. ¡­Eh? She jumped left on reflex. An instant later, a giant black metal object crashed in the spot she had left. It had been sent there from the east. ¡°Susamikado!?¡± Kazami trembled at her own voice. She only knew one thing that could take down UCAT¡¯s strongest god of war. ¡°Typhon!?¡± She saw a white form approaching from low in the eastern sky. It was fast. ¡°Wow,¡± she said when she realized the sound did not precede its arrival. ¡°This isn¡¯t good. It¡¯s supersonic!¡± She tried to call out and warn everyone of the impending shockwave, but it was too late. The white giant was moving faster than sound and it was already almost within arm¡¯s reach of them. The large-scale shockwave easily tore up the surface of the ground, so if that happened to the people behind Kazami¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± She reflexively thrust G-Sp2 into the air. She used all her strength in the hope of splitting the shockwave as much as she could. ¡°Oh!!¡± She slammed it forward, but her wish was not granted. The white god of war suddenly changed course. It moved to the southern forest on Kazami¡¯s right. Immediately afterwards, it rotated around and flew up into the southern sky. It ascended. ¡°Eh?¡± Why had it not taken advantage of that perfect opportunity? She quickly found the reason. Something was racing along the runway from the east. It was a motorcycle and a god of war. The motorcycle¡¯s driver had swung a sword. This had created a blast of light that struck the white god of war from behind and knocked it to the south. Meanwhile, Kazami saw something unbelievable coming her way. A boy stood on the back seat of the motorcycle and he held a giant god of war overhead. The god of war¡¯s armor was painted to resemble a maid uniform. The god of war lay horizontally with its arms spread to the sides as if flying. Kazami frowned and called the name of the boy supporting the god of war¡¯s stomach from below. ¡°Sayama!? What is that idiot doing!?¡± Her gaze then moved to the boy driving the motorcycle. When she saw him raising a large white sword that had somewhat changed form, her expression crumbled a bit. ¡°There he is showing up at the perfect time. He really is a boy.¡± Sayama felt the wind. Ahead of the strip of asphalt were a group of black dolls, two large dolls fighting Sibyl¡¯s white god of war, Susamikado collapsed next to them, and Kazami. Beyond them were a white army struggling to regain its footing and a black army working to defeat them. Sayama felt Izumo turn the motorcycle toward Kazami. Baku emulated him as he looked up at Violet who he held with both arms. ¡°Violet-kun, are you about ready? It is time.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Motorcycles sure are fast. ¡­And are you sure I¡¯m not too heavy?¡± ¡°With your control of inertia and gravity, you are perfectly light.¡± ¡°R-really? Oh, but was it indecent to ask that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, god of war girl. Judging by my attempted wife, being a little indecent is just right.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. So does ¡®indecent¡¯ mean ¡®uncivilized¡¯ in the Izumo dialect? You learn something useless every day.¡± Sayama raised Violet in a throwing stance. ¡°Now, Violet-kun, it really is time. But here is one piece of advice. When flying like this, you clench your fists and hold them out in front of you.¡± ¡°Y-yes, sir!!¡± The god of war did as instructed and Sayama threw her forward. A powerful wind surrounded her as she flew. The black dolls turned toward the noise and frantically prepared their shields, but it was too late. She slammed head-first into the dolls and began sliding on her stomach once she landed on the asphalt. She had already cut off her inertia, but her speed remained and she knocked everything out of the way as a giant mass of metal. But¡­ ¡°Ah, n-no! I can¡¯t stop!!¡± The white army and Kazami had initially looked up, thinking reinforcements had arrived, but once they realized the reinforcements had no way of stopping, they reacted the same as the black army. ¡°Waaaah!!¡± They ran about one hundred meters back at full speed. Violet tore up the asphalt but finally came to a stop after sliding those hundred meters with them. ¡°Ow, ow, ow,¡± she said as she got up and brushed off her armor. ¡°S-sorry about that. All I ever do is mess up.¡± Everyone glared at her and a path had been created behind her. The central line of black dolls was gone and the black army had frantically moved back, so a wide path had opened up. The motorcycle drove down it with Sayama standing on the back seat with his arms crossed. It circled in front of Violet and came to a stop. Sayama glanced over at Kazami who was still glaring and then he kicked Izumo¡¯s back in front of him. Without turning back, Izumo lightly waved his right hand up and down to say he understood. ¡°Well, there¡¯s a lot to say.¡± Sitting on the motorcycle, Izumo looked to Kazami who stood to his left. She hesitated and did not immediately return his look. ¡°¡­¡± Finally, she met his gaze. Her eyebrows lowered and twisted, she bit her lip, and she clearly did not know what to say. ¡°Wh-what¡¯s that look for? ¡­Is something funny, Kaku?¡± ¡°Well,¡± he said while crossing his arms and giving a deep nod. ¡°I was just thinking I could expect some fresh kissing and a lot of other things from you every day.¡± Kazami grew pale and Sayama tilted his head from behind Izumo. ¡°What do you mean, Izumo?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. That¡¯s simple. Chisato¡¯s going to be working to make sure I don¡¯t get tired of her.¡± ¡°W-wait a second, Kaku. When did you wake up?¡± ¡°Around when you started with ¡®it seems I¡­¡¯ ¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kazami sighed, approached Sayama, and gestured for him to leave. He hopped down from the motorcycle and Izumo scooted forward so Kazami could sit there. And then¡­ ¡°If you¡¯d woken up, then get up!!¡± A kick not even Sayama could see sent Izumo flying from the motorcycle. He slammed into the asphalt more than he rolled along it and he frantically got back up. ¡°Y-you idiot! I was seriously injured not long ago!!¡± ¡°Not anymore, you¡¯re not. Your arm was remade good as new and you¡¯re alive and well.¡± After those words, the motorcycle crashed into him. She climbed up on top of the motorcycle that had fallen on top of him, hopped up and down, and spoke to the cries of agony coming from underneath. ¡°I was¡­ I was so desperately worried. I was even crying. So why in the world would you think it¡¯s okay to joke about that!? I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m ready to¡­¡± She started to cry, connected the clutch, and spilled tears with the accelerator on full throttle. ¡°Wahhhhhhh!¡± ¡°Are you crying or wearing me down with the tire!?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. This is indeed the kind of flirting you will never grow tired of,¡± said Sayama. ¡°And to think it is going to escalate further each and every day.¡± Suddenly, they heard a certain sound in every direction. A wave of metallic sounds reached them as people raised their guns and blades. This audible intent to kill caused the white group to face their surroundings. The three sections of the white army saw the color black surrounding them. In that black, a girl with long hair stepped forward from the west. Her eyes met Sayama¡¯s when he turned around. ¡°Well? What are you going to do? This is still a hopeless situation for you.¡± Susamikado was finally beginning to get up, but Typhon was waiting in the sky and two large dolls remained unharmed on the surface. The large dolls rotated the crowbars they held in their hands and held them up like scythes. When those were swung down, it would remove at least a few people from their ranks. But without watching them all tense up, Mikoku gave a shout. ¡°This ends here!!¡± Those words were followed by a metallic sound. However, it did not come from the crowbars. Before those metal scythes could reach them, a long pillar of light shot from the ground and into the giant dolls¡¯ backs. Mikoku and the black army gasped as Izumo pushed the motorcycle out of the way and stood up. He held V-Sw over his shoulder as it contained the light and he smiled toward Kazami who had moved to the side. ¡°Fine, it¡¯s my turn now. And Chisato, you go take that speech-loving idiot into the building.¡± ¡°M-me!?¡± She looked surprised, so he reached his left hand out to her. He spread his fingers, dropped the hand on her head, and rubbed it as if messing with her hair. ¡°Get going.¡± She drew back her head from his hand but finally responded. ¡°You don¡¯t leave me much choice.¡± She peeled off his hand and turned toward the wall of black with G-Sp2 in hand. ¡°Sayama, let¡¯s go. We¡¯re pursuing Hajji. And it¡¯s your job to stop him.¡± ¡°Oh? Why must the handsome negotiator trouble himself with that filthy physical labor?¡± ¡°Shinjou¡¯s on the bottom level.¡± ¡°We must get there immediately! I cannot contain myself a moment longer!!¡± Kazami sighed, turned her back on him, and faced the black army. ¡°Sayama, there was a lot I wanted to say to you.¡± She squeezed her spear and raised her wings. ¡°But I really don¡¯t even care anymore.¡± She left those words in the air as she shot forward and smashed the wall of black. Mikoku ran. She had many comrades, she had the black dolls, and the wall blocking the enemy¡¯s way was thick. She was currently running through that wall. She was moving beyond it and toward the white building¡¯s entrance. The girl named Kazami had just attacked to create a path for her and Sayama to reach the building. Her comrades were of course trying to stop them. She could hear their footsteps, see them preparing their weapons, and see the wall growing denser. But some people could neutralize a wall like that. Hajji could, Jord could, and Tatsumi could. ¡°As can Concept Core wielders like her!!¡± She ran onward while wondering if she fell under that category as well. She just had to pass a few more people to reach the other side. If she ran diagonally to the entrance, she could pursue them as they approached the building. She was certain this would work. The enemy had to push through a greater number of people than she did. If she caught up with them and started a fight, she would win. No matter what kind of attack they used on her, her regeneration ability would allow her to win. Once they attacked her and thought they had won, she could get in a fatal attack of her own. ¡­And that will remove Hajji¡¯s enemies!! Her strategy would work. The Army would correct the world and the last remnants of the Concept War would vanish. ¡­And I will part ways with Shino. She shook off that sudden dark thought and gathered strength in her legs to run even faster. But that was when she heard something to the right. It was a strange sound. She heard it along with flesh being struck, bones breaking, cries of pain, cries of surprise, the blowing wind, and loud footsteps. It was the sound of a broken barrier. ¡°Did they already make it through!?¡± Instead of thinking that was too fast, she was simply filled with disbelief. But she saw the movement that proved it had happened. Something flew through the air beyond the crowd to her right. They were men wearing black armored uniforms. Some had been blasted into the sky by an uppercut or smash and others had dodged, but it was clear they had allowed something to get through down below. And then more people sprayed outward. On the edge of the human wall and in the position closest to the white building, a dozen or more people in black armored uniforms were blown away. They flew into the air with their limbs sprawled out as two people ran through on the ground. One was a girl with white wings raised and the other was a boy in a dark blue suit. For some reason, Mikoku was seeing them from behind. ¡­Strange. Why am I seeing their backs!? I should be ahead of them! That meant they had breached the human wall faster than she had. How had they been faster than her when she had an absolute advantage? The answer was clear. ¡­They truly were not thinking about anything more than breaking through. ¡°Kh!¡± Mikoku ran while reminding herself Hajji had left this battlefield to her. If the enemy made it through and pursued Hajji, it would be her responsibility. They were around a dozen meters apart and she worked to fill that gap. ¡°¡­!!¡± She could not speak, so she inhaled, filled her lungs, and raced across the asphalt. But suddenly¡­ ¡°Mikoku!!¡± She heard a voice from overhead and wind reached her. She looked up to see Typhon. The six white wings were moving to crush the smaller wings and the boy on the surface. ¡­Is she going to stop them!? Just as Mikoku hoped it was true, more wings flew in from behind. These were four black wings and they crashed into Typhon. ¡°Mikage-san and I are your opponents!!¡± The black god of war used all of its thrust to collide with the white one and send them both into the white building¡¯s second floor. The building materials exploded and the white and black gods of war disappeared beyond the building. That left Mikoku and her two enemies. ¡°They¡¯re pulling away!?¡± Why? she wondered with clenched teeth. But she remembered that those two had not turned around when Typhon had arrived overhead. It was like they had known Susamikado would intervene. Why? she asked again. Why can¡¯t I catch up to them? ¡°Ohhh!¡± Her feet raced along to throw her body forward. ¡°!?¡± But those feet suddenly slammed into the ground and came to a rapid stop. She trembled, tensed her shoulders, and forced open her clenched teeth to shout. ¡°Who is getting in my way!?¡± A white sword was stabbed into the asphalt ahead of her. It was buried down to the hilt. Someone had thrown it to stop her pursuit. The orientation of the hilt allowed her to predict the direction from which it had been thrown. She turned toward the south side of the white building. She remembered there being a path leading around back there and that some of their men had gone that way to take the lift leading down. But those men were nowhere to be seen. Instead, she heard a voice. The voice was singing a strange song. It was a rap beginning with an ¡°oh¡±. ¡°Oh, really? Really? Re-re-re-re-really? China¡¯s capital ain¡¯t Hong Kong, it¡¯s ¨C oh, yeah! ¨C Be-Be-Be-Be-Beijing!¡± She heard someone hitting nearby metal objects like a drunk. ¡°Be-Be-Be-Be-Beng-ji-ji-jing-jing-jing ¨C ohhhhh, yeah! Menchegeda!!¡± With that sound, someone twisting and dancing jumped out from behind the building. The young man wore a white combat coat and held a microphone wrapped in ribbons. He nimbly performed two cartwheels and a moonsault and he raised his hands as he landed. His song and actions brought everyone to a stop. All focus was on him and he opened his mouth at the center of it all. ¡°Oh, thank you! Thank you all so very ¨C apyaaahh!!¡± He threw three splendid kisses with both hands, took a satisfied breath, and gave everyone a smile. ¡°Now, time to get chopping.¡± ¡°Who the hell are you!?¡± The entire black army yelled at him and the entire white army held their heads in their hands. In front of those two opposite actions, the young man brushed up his short hair. ¡°What, do you idiots not know the artist who brought all of America to tears? Okay, morons. I¡¯ll say it in plain Japanese, so listen up. I¡¯ll start with something simple. I may have already shaken America, but you know what¡¯s going to happen when I make my debut?¡± He raised his right hand and pushed on the empty air with each word. ¡°All! Of! America! Will! Bow! Down! To! Me! And naked at that!! What do you have to say about that!? In other words, my name is¡­¡± However, he was not the one to finish his sentence. That was done by Shino who held her blue philosopher¡¯s stone southwest of the runway. Her eyes opened wide when she saw him and she gave him a simple name. ¡°The rapist!!¡± With that shout, the battle resumed. Volume 11, 34: False World Volume 11, Chapter 34: False World But No matter what anyone says This remains absolutely certain The corridor was long and narrow. It was about fifty meters long and pure white except for the BF6 written on the wall. One end led to a rising staircase and the other to two large metal doors with a smaller rising staircase to the side. That straight space had become a straight battlefield. The battlefield was supported by a single individual and countless individuals. The single individual was a girl. The black-haired girl wore a white and black armored uniform and she kneeled down by the two doors. The white cannon resting on her shoulder aimed at the other end of the corridor and she fired countless bullets of light. Several spare barrels hung from her waist and her eyes stared straight down the corridor from below her sweaty brow. The sound of her firing resembled a spray of water. She was firing on the countless individuals who decorated the other end of the battlefield. They all wore black armored uniforms. Some were men, some were women, some were young, and some were old. They relied on their thick armor and fired back, but a single shot from the white side was enough to blow them away. ¡°Dammit!!¡± shouted one of them while crouched down. ¡°We need to make a path for General Hajji, so why can¡¯t we gain any ground!?¡± At the same time, they were all struck by white glowing bullets spread out across the corridor. The solid sound of bodies being struck rang out again and again. The ones still waiting back in the stairway were tackled by their comrades who were knocked backwards and they were left unable to move while holding those comrades. The girl sighed and began swapping out the smoking barrel. She spoke quietly to herself with a serious expression. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯ll definitely be here!¡± A voice answered her. ¡°Who do you think is coming, Shinjou? Who can make it through this veritable sea of enemies?¡± The voice was accompanied by two sets of footsteps walking down the small staircase to the side. Shinjou did not turn around and twisted the scorching barrel while feeling its heat through her glove. ¡°Sayama-kun will be here, Itaru-san. I know he will. It¡¯s so obvious that we didn¡¯t even have to make a promise.¡± ¡°Oh? That¡¯s quite the blind trust you have there. The bell of madness is ringing in your head, isn¡¯t it?¡± She answered his sneer with a snort of laughter, but then¡­ ¡°Itaru-sama. There is blood.¡± ¡­Blood? Assuming he had been hit by a stray bullet, Shinjou turned to look at him. And she really did see it there on the handkerchief Sf had held to his mouth. ¡°Itaru-san, you¡­¡± She had heard rumors of him coughing up blood, but this was her first time to actually see it. He must have noticed her look because he clacked his metal cane against the floor. ¡°Interesting, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve lost so much color, but the blood I cough up is still nearly red.¡± ¡°Th-that is not interesting! You need to get back to the fifth basement!¡± Meanwhile, footsteps rang down the corridor. Shinjou quickly finished replacing Ex-St¡¯s barrel Just as she tightened it to cock it, several people appeared crawling along the corridor. She fired regardless. Ex-St¡¯s bullets could react to her will and track her targets. If her will remained strong, she could hit them even when they hid behind cover. The sound of her firing shook the corridor and smoke raced back and forth. Even while hiding behind her large weapon, some bullets grazed her armor and body. The blue defense philosopher¡¯s stone pendant from the development department was constantly shining brightly. But she had no reason to stop firing. As she kept shooting beyond the smoke, she let out a shout. ¡°Look! This isn¡¯t interesting or anything, so hurry back, Itaru-san! It¡¯s dangerous here!¡± ¡°No, this should be very interesting. After all, I¡¯ll get to see regret fill your face before long.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She frowned as her gaze raced along beyond the smoke. She saw the enemy past the smoke, but she saw nothing she would regret. ¡°Wh-what do you mean? What will I regret?¡± ¡°I¡¯m obviously not going to tell you. And there is one other interesting thing. This one you should find interesting too,¡± he said. ¡°After all, your mother suffered from the same illness I do.¡± She felt her hair stand on end at his words. But new people in black armor descended the stairs, so she focused on firing. However, Itaru¡¯s comment had shaken her enough to affect her aim a little. She heard him laughing, then coughing, and finally spitting something out. ¡°Aim straight, Shinjou. Aim straight for your regret. And I¡¯ll tell you something else you¡¯ll find interesting. ¡­Do you know what this doors behind us leads to?¡± ¡°T-to the storage area for the Concept Cores UCAT has.¡± Shinjou answered while trying to get her bullets to start hitting again. But she sensed motion next to her. It was Itaru shaking his head. ¡°That¡¯s one of the doors. Do you want to know where the other leads?¡± ¡°The other?¡± The word ¡°foreboding¡± appeared in Shinjou¡¯s heart. So she closed her eyes and raised her voice as she fired. It was a tone of rejection. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know!!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Her eyes opened wide and Itaru¡¯s voice filled her surroundings. ¡°The other door next to me leads to the true sixth basement that we sealed ten years ago. It only reached the prototype stage and was never completed, but it was a concept creation facility.¡± Shinjou quietly repeated that term as she fired. Her lips slowly moved to form the words ¡°concept creation facility¡±, but she immediately shook her head. ¡°Th-that¡¯s impossible!! You can¡¯t create concepts!¡± ¡°But two such facilities were created. One in the past and one just over a decade ago. The organization that formed the basis of the Army had likely completed one¡­by modeling it after Babel.¡± He paused. ¡°Listen. Babel is a storage space for the negative concepts, but it was originally a tower meant to control the creation and erasure of concepts. It is a concept laboratory¡­a place to work toward becoming a god.¡± ¡°Th-then why was UCAT trying to do that? ¡­To oppose the Army? Because the Army was trying to create concepts, UCAT also-¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± answered Itaru with some slight irritation at her continued questions. ¡°Listen. That is not what UCAT was trying to oppose. And the reason UCAT¡¯s concept creation research was never completed lies elsewhere.¡± That is¡­ ¡°It was because the person who formulated the concept creation theory left UCAT. That person¡¯s name was Shinjou Yukio.¡± ¡°¡­!? M-my mom!?¡± She turned around and shouted on reflex as if to say it was not true. ¡°I¡¯d heard my mom was part of UCAT! If she left, then where did she go!?¡± Itaru was not the one to answer her shouted question. The answer came from the wall. A console box was located by the metal door on the left wall. It was the communication terminal that also controlled the door. Its monitor displayed a certain Arab face. ¡°Hajji. ¡­It¡¯s been ten years since last I saw you.¡± Itaru muttered to himself as Hajji smiled on the staticky monitor. Only one side of his mouth rose and revealed his teeth. ¡°Now, then.¡± Hajji took one step back in the monitor and spread his right arm. He was inside Japanese UCAT¡¯s headquarters on the second basement. In the center of that room, he lowered his right arm and gave a smiling shout. ¡°The communications system has already been opened and this footage is being sent to all the world¡¯s UCATs and each Gear¡¯s reservation. I am Hajji, leader of the Army and former general of 9th-Gear. I have something to discuss with you all.¡± He took a breath. ¡°Let us check over our answers about this world.¡± Many people had evacuated to the large storage space on UCAT¡¯s fifth basement and they were all looking and listening to the terminal on the wall. Among them, Ooki tilted her head at the words coming from the communication terminal monitor and speakers. ¡°Check over our answers? Is he saying we have something wrong about this world?¡± ¡°This may be unnecessary, but let me introduce the usual theory concerning the creation of this world.¡± Hajji snapped the fingers of his right hand. An instant later the screen changed to show a large white circle in a black space. ¡°This is about the creation of the eleven Gears, isn¡¯t it?¡± said Ooki. The white circle burst, the circles indicating the ten positive Gears radiated outward, and a large red circle appeared. Everyone tilted their heads at the completed diagram of the eleven Gears and Ooki tilted hers even further and frowned. ¡°If he¡¯s saying we have to check over our answers¡­he must mean there¡¯s something wrong with this,¡± she muttered. ¡°Hm? But how is it wrong?¡± In UCAT¡¯s headquarters, Hajji had displayed several moving circles on the two-story monitor. He then pulled a recording ROM from his pocket. He held the ROM down to a dog. The dog took the ROM in its mouth, wagged its tail, and entered a nearby terminal. After watching the tail vanish inside the machine, Hajji turned to face the terminal with the camera. ¡°Can you tell someone has altered the data on the creation of this world? Hm?¡± He waited a few seconds after that tone of question. After a few breaths and time to blink, he let out one last deep breath and looked up. He smiled into the camera. ¡°Let me tell you just how it has been altered. It was changed to say the world was made up of only eleven Gears.¡± He paused for a breath. ¡°But what if there was another Gear? A twelfth Gear?¡± ¡°Impossible!!¡± That shout came from the underground space of Izumo UCAT. The voice belonged to Gyes who was preparing to head out within the underground hangar for 3rd residents. She tore her eyes from the terminal on the wall and looked left and right, but Moira 1st, 2nd, and 3rd were all frowning. Moira 1st shook her head a bit. ¡°I have never heard anything about that.¡± However, a voice next to the wall answered 1st. It came from Miyako who held a chewing gum cigarette in her mouth. ¡°Then we¡¯ll need to hear his explanation of this.¡± As if responding to her icy tone, the terminal filled with black. Just like before, a large white circle appeared in the center of the black. Moira 3rd responded when she saw it. ¡°How is that any different? That splits into the ten Gears, right?¡± Sure enough, the white circle split apart and ten small circles radiated outwards. But one thing was different from before. ¡°The fragments of the broken circle¡­¡± When the ten Gears split off, fragments scattered throughout the black. While the ten circles left, the fragments were pulled together into a large pile of wreckage near the center. It looked like they were forming another circle. The battle continued beneath the night sky. As white and black clashed, the black army cried out. ¡°Look at the truth!! Look at what you forgot ten years ago!!¡± While under attack, the white army saw large doll #2 suddenly spread its arms. Lightning-like light raced between its hands. ¡°¡­!¡± An image was displayed in the air in front of the large doll¡¯s chest. The midair projection showed the creation of the world that Hajji described. As the ten Gears scattered, a blue circle appeared in the empty center space and grew larger. ¡°Think about it,¡± said Hajji¡¯s voice. ¡°Would such a massive concept really break apart so cleanly when it burst? And why would the negative Gears be in the center of the world? Just watch.¡± The blue circle formed at the center of the ten Gears. That circle represented a Gear large enough to counterbalance the other ten. ¡°The chaos that gave birth to the world shattered, but the fragments gathered and formed a single Gear once more. This Gear was the remains of the mother Gear and it regained the pieces torn away by the other Gears via evolution and replication.¡± Hajji turned to the monitor. ¡°In other words, this Gear inherited everything about that original Gear and possessed concepts equivalent to the positive concepts of the other Gears. It became the ultimate Gear and it belonged in the center of all the other Gears. ¡­You could call it Top-Gear.¡± With those words, a plus-sign appeared in the large blue circle. ¡°Top-Gear¡­¡± The white army was left speechless in the face of that term, but soon¡­ ¡°Lies!¡± someone shouted. ¡°Yeah!¡± agreed someone else. ¡°My father is from 2nd, but I¡¯ve never heard anything about a Top-Gear! And what about this Gear!? How do you explain its existence!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you find it odd?¡± asked Hajji as if as an answer. He held his right hand toward the large screen behind him where the white circles of the ten Gears circled the blue circle. ¡°Pulled by the massive amount of concepts held by Top-Gear, the ten Gears revolved around it. But that would not cause the Gears to collide with each other. So why do you think those collisions occurred?¡± On a road through an Okutama forest, a control and communications terminal on the side of an abandoned god of war cargo trailer sent its words and images into the deserted space around it. The screen showed ten red circles appear next to the Top-Gear circle. These ten circles were negative concepts. ¡°Do you understand now? These ten negatives gathered to form a single Gear.¡± Hajji¡¯s voice filled the empty air. ¡°When the positive Gears settled to create Top-Gear, a massive negative Gear was created to act as the opposite of the positive concepts. In other words, it was a negative copy of Top-Gear. It was the lowest Gear made as a reverse copy of Top-Gear which created all else. ¡­That was Low-Gear.¡± The images on the monitor began to move. The ten Gears were drawn to the negative Low-Gear and their orbits grew unstable. Low-Gear¡¯s red circle began a quick and tight revolution around Top-Gear¡¯s circle and the ten Gears rapidly approached Low-Gear before moving away again. The ten Gears would occasionally graze Top-Gear too, but it was far less common than their intersections with Low-Gear. ¡°Do you understand? Low-Gear¡¯s creation threw off the balance of every other Gear and created the possibility for every Gear colliding at the time of destruction which triggered the Concept War in the first place. The higher Gears that fought fiercely in that war had to have noticed. There were times when they would choose Low-Gear as a battlefield and destroy a part of it, but later they would find it completely unharmed,¡± explained Hajji. ¡°But you would not have known this. While Low-Gear is an inferior reverse copy of Top-Gear, it also looks a lot like it. During 9th-Gear¡¯s destruction, I intended to escape to Low-Gear, but I was approached by that world¡¯s anti-Concept War organization and picked up by them.¡± Hajji smiled on the monitor no one was watching. He then explained their identity. ¡°That was the combat organization that preceded the Army. It was the true UCAT that existed in Top-Gear. ¡­And did you know this, Low-Gear? All of you are fakes created as reverse copies of Top-Gear.¡± And¡­ ¡°Top-Gear was destroyed by Low-Gear. ¡­It happened on December 25, 1995. I¡¯m sure some of you are familiar with that battle that occurred in the other Osaka.¡± On the moonlit forest ground, white and black giants moved about. As they knocked over adult cedar trees and tried to break the other¡¯s armor, the girl on the white giant¡¯s shoulder smiled and asked a question. ¡°Do you understand now, Ryuuji? Do you understand why I am your enemy and why I am using the surname Nagata?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t mean¡­¡± The white giant answered by sending out its right sword. A black sword blocked it and the white giant pushed forward. ¡°You are the false version of me! In Top-Gear, the Nagata family played the role of the Hiba family and you are Low-Gear¡¯s reverse copy of their eldest daughter.¡± ¡°Th-then let¡¯s get along! We¡¯re both another version of each other, aren¡¯t we!?¡± ¡°Yes, but your father and your world destroyed my family and my world.¡± Tatsumi piled on repeated strikes and Hajji¡¯s voice came from Typhon as it flapped its wings. ¡°Only five residents of Top-Gear survived: Shino, Mikoku, Alex, Tatsumi, and Shinjou Sadagiri. Of them, Mikoku, Alex, and Tatsumi have false versions in this world.¡± Hiba listened to Tatsumi¡¯s quiet voice as Typhon flew up and raised its sword. ¡°You are reversed inferior copies of our existences, so your sex and other things are reversed. Due to discrepancies between our histories, your ages often don¡¯t match up and it isn¡¯t uncommon for family names to no longer match after a number of generations. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s due to Low-Gear¡¯s inferior copies of the concepts, but you do end up corresponding quite closely to us.¡± Hajji spoke as if in Typhon¡¯s place as it flew down. ¡°Tatsumi¡¯s fake is Hiba Ryuuji. Alex¡¯s fake is Heo Thunderson. And Mikoku¡¯s fake¡­is Sayama Mikoto. Except for Shinjou who joined UCAT¡¯s side, these survivors are the ¡®true¡¯ humans who deserve to inherit the original world. They deserve to inherit the entire world, not this inferior copy.¡± Harakawa frowned as he piloted Thunder Fellow through the night sky. Hajji¡¯s diagram of the twelve Gears was displayed on the cockpit console. He ascended and clenched his teeth. ¡°Is this why you¡¯re calling us evil?¡± The answer over the communicator was in Alex¡¯s voice as the mechanical dragon pursued them. ¡°Yes, it is because you are a false version of our mother world. And as a fake, you destroyed the ten Gears which are direct children of that mother.¡± ¡°Please stop!¡± Heo¡¯s voice was almost a scream as they rose into the sky. She used a tone of rejection. ¡°Then¡­Then what was that battle in Osaka!? Why did our parents die!?¡± ¡°The rest is simple. I will explain it all in order.¡± Hajji¡¯s face appeared on the monitor. ¡°9th-Gear¡¯s King Sarv realized that Top-Gear existed, as did some in 10th-Gear. Low-Gear took them in, so they opened a gate to Top-Gear after destroying the ten Gears. And they made a treaty. They agreed to settle things between the two Gears before the time of destruction in 1999,¡± explained Hajji. ¡°That treaty was signed by Sayama Kaoru, instigator of the Leviathan Road and father of Sayama Asagi who later destroyed Top-Gear.¡± After knocking some people in black armored uniforms down the white corridor, Kazami noticed the accompanying footsteps had stopped and trembled. ¡°Sayama!?¡± She shouted his name while clearing the corridor by striking her enemy with the tip of the shield removed from G-Sp2. She turned around and saw Sayama¡¯s pale face and slowed pace. His hand was on his chest and his brow was coated with sweat, but¡­ ¡°I am fine. I am perfectly fine.¡± His voice shook slightly, but Kazami ignored it. ¡°Yes, I wasn¡¯t about to worry. Come with me. The headquarters are right up ahead.¡± She raised her eyebrows in a smile and turned her back. She ran down the corridor and heard someone forcing strength into their footsteps behind her own. ¡­This might be bad. If he hears anything too bad, he could even collapse. She thought about that possibility, but Hajji¡¯s voice filled the corridor regardless. ¡°According to the research done by someone cooperating with us, this is the truth. When Low-Gear was still immature, the people of Top-Gear feared the negative concepts would leak out, so they created Babel in Low-Gear as a storage facility that could destroy them if need be. But as time passed, that was eventually forgotten.¡± ¡°Until it was discovered by Kinugasa Tenkyou who had noticed the Concept War in his research of mythology,¡± muttered Sayama. Kazami then heard him shout a question. ¡°Is Babel¡­No, is Low-Gear itself a spare storage room for the negative concepts?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡­And Kinugasa Tenkyou realized Top-Gear existed after entering Babel, so he never told anyone else how to enter the tower and gave this Gear the name Low-Gear. ¡­Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Hajji¡¯s explanation left even Kazami speechless. ¡­If that¡¯s true, it would place Low-Gear under Top-Gear¡¯s control. She clenched her teeth and gathered strength in the hand that held G-Sp2. She opened her mouth and forced out her words. ¡°But Top-Gear was destroyed. ¡­How can you say all this when you lost?¡± ¡°Good question,¡± replied Hajji. ¡°In 1995, Top-Gear was steadily preparing for the final confrontation. Low-Gear must have seen them as a threat and attacked them on the night of December 25, 1995.¡± Kazami frowned again. That attack would be the battle Sayama and the others had seen in Baku¡¯s dreams, but¡­ ¡°So that battle was¡­¡± ¡°We do not know much because we were out on the front lines fighting back, but we know how it ended. ¡­Top-Gear had planned to join with Low-Gear after the confrontation, so a certain person was attempting to create copies of Low-Gear¡¯s negative concepts. However, Low-Gear overloaded the incomplete negative concepts which destroyed Top-Gear. ¡­The side-effects of that passed through the gate and caused a disaster in this world too.¡± She listened to the voice. ¡°That disaster was the Great Kansai Earthquake.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± She ran on and saw the metal door to the headquarters ahead. ¡°Sayama! We can stop Hajji from speaking!¡± Listening to the weak footsteps running behind her, she dashed down the white corridor. She saw Kashima collapsed next to the metal barrier. ¡­Sorry. We¡¯ll have to wait to help you. Hajji was inside and broadcasting his message, so she flapped her wings to accelerate and collided with the metal door. She slammed G-Sp2¡¯s tip into the barrier. With a great roar, she and then Sayama charged into the headquarters that the broadcast was coming from. But once they got a view of the headquarters, they both cried out in unison. ¡°Oh, no!!¡± Shinjou stopped firing down the long corridor and blankly hung her head. Her mind was filled with Hajji¡¯s words and the words of her teammates that had mixed into the broadcast. Hearing about those past events told her what she had seen in those dreams of the past. Some of her teammates had ¡°real¡± reflections of themselves. But there was one thing she did not understand, so she raised her eyebrows and her head. ¡°W-wait! You claim I¡¯m a survivor of Top-Gear, but that doesn¡¯t make sense. Mikoku-san and Tatsumi-san are normal girls, aren¡¯t they? So why is my body like this?¡± she asked. ¡°And my mom was from Low-Gear. If I¡¯m a survivor of Top-Gear, does that mean my dad was from there?¡± Itaru answered her from the wall. He coughed and then spoke. ¡°That¡¯s simple. ¡­You are the daughter of Shinjou Yukio and the true Shinjou from Top-Gear.¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± Her surprise had dulled her mind, but she tried to think the best she could. ¡°I¡¯m the child of the ¡®real¡¯ Shinjou and the ¡®fake¡¯ Shinjou?¡± Itaru was not the one to answer her. Instead, a voice echoed from the other end of the corridor. ¡°Precisely.¡± The person descending the stairs wore a black armored uniform and carried a spear in his right hand. It was Hajji. ¡°!¡± Shinjou frantically got up and raised Ex-St without hiding her surprise. ¡°I thought you were broadcasting from the headquarters!?¡± Sayama and Kazami stood still in the headquarters. They saw Hajji on the large screen before them and all the other monitors, but¡­ ¡°He tricked us. He pretended to be here when he¡¯s really down below!!¡± They both turned toward the room¡¯s exit, but a voice was broadcast throughout the entire building using a transmitter located somewhere. ¡°Long time no see, Shinjou Sadagiri. Although it seems you do not remember me. Yes.¡± It was Hajji¡¯s voice. The console in the headquarters indicated the signal came from the sixth basement. Shinjou and Hajji were there. Shinjou stiffened in surprise but kept Ex-St aimed at Hajji. She gulped down a single breath and gathered strength in her legs. ¡°Is what you¡¯re saying and what Itaru-san just said true?¡± ¡°Perfectly true. You would not exist otherwise.¡± Hajji shrugged. ¡°And you heard that man, didn¡¯t you? Your mother was Shinjou Yukio. Your father was her positive-side opposite, a man whose name is also pronounced Shinjou Yukio. You are their child and your body is a combination of the negative world and positive world.¡± Shinjou removed her hand from the trigger and held it to her chest. She slowly lowered it below her navel. ¡°I have this body because I was born between those contradictory worlds?¡± ¡°Yes. That is why I wanted for you to inherit the world. After all, your mother Yukio was the only person to nearly complete a concept creation theory. Not to mention¡­¡± He smiled. ¡°She is the only person to betray Low-Gear¡¯s UCAT and defect to Top-Gear in search of the true Gear. She cooperated with us. ¡­So how does it feel to learn the truth of your birth?¡± Shinjou felt the temperature of her blood drop at the word ¡°defect¡± and Hajji laughed before continuing. ¡°Listen, Shinjou. You have been fighting all this time and firing all this time. And every last one of your attacks has been directed at the people of the true UCAT that protected the world your mother desired and in which you were born.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying! Saying it like that isn¡¯t fair!¡± She denied it, repeated ¡°he¡¯s lying¡± three times in her heart, and then shouted her reasoning. ¡°Besides, why would my mom want to defect!?¡± ¡°Ha ha. Because Top-Gear called for her, of course. She was building up a concept creation theory, so they asked if she could create Low-Gear¡¯s negative concepts. ¡­Do you understand what I mean?¡± She slowly answered in a questioning tone. ¡°Top-Gear was trying to create a place for the people of Low-Gear?¡± ¡°Yes. Just as I explained earlier. ¡­But because she left, Low-Gear¡¯s attempts to create concepts to use against Top-Gear never left the theory stage and they instead destroyed Top-Gear by overloading the negative concepts Top-Gear had created to take in Low-Gear. ¡­And now the time has come to pay for what you have done. The side-effects of that event activated the negative concepts inside Babel and you are attempting to stop that by releasing all of the positive concepts through the Leviathan Road.¡± He continued speaking. ¡°But if you do that, all of the negative concepts will resonate and repel each other. ¡­Top-Gear possessed all of the positive concepts, but it was unable to oppose the overloaded negative concepts and was destroyed. That means the positive concepts cannot contain the negative ones. Yes. ¡­Low-Gear will be destroyed.¡± ¡°Th-then the Army is¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. We are looking at this in reverse. By eliminating the positive concepts, the corresponding negative concepts will be annihilated too. To do that, we must open the doors of Babel and use the concept creation facility inside.¡± He asked her if she understood. ¡°Low-Gear is trying to become the ruler of the world by doing what Top-Gear failed to do and what led to Top-Gear¡¯s destruction. But that is a gamble. They have hidden, forgotten, or altered the fact that the negative concepts will resonate with the released positive concepts and be released themselves. They are falsely claiming that gathering all of the positive concepts and working together is enough to contain the negative ones.¡± He took a breath. ¡°Even though Top-Gear ¨C Low-Gear¡¯s superior ¨C tried the very same thing and was destroyed!¡± In UCAT¡¯s second basement, Hajji¡¯s voice filled the headquarters and a new quiet voice joined it. It was Sayama¡¯s voice. ¡°I must go and stop this one-sided speech.¡± ¡°Yes, but at this point, people might think we¡¯re silencing the truth.¡± Kazami asked her worried question as if testing him. She held G-Sp2 and Sayama nodded toward her. ¡°Some probably will, but he is saying whatever he wants without allowing for a rebuttal. That is not a negotiation,¡± said Sayama. ¡°And someone who refuses to understand is exactly who we should negotiate with.¡± Kazami¡¯s eyebrows had begun to lower, but they moved back up when she heard that. ¡°Oh?¡± She stepped up next to him. ¡°Then let¡¯s go. ¡­No, we have to go. Then you can show me.¡± She turned her back on the large screen showing Hajji¡¯s face. ¡°You can show me how you will crush that righteousness of his because I have no idea how to handle it.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Sayama¡¯s eyebrows twisted as he too turned his back on the large screen. Kashima slept in the entrance to the headquarters. Most of his left ribs had been broken and a few had punctured his lung, but his defenses as a military god and the protection applied to his lab coat had kept him alive. It was possible this would have some lasting effects, but the most they could do for him now was place him a more comfortable position. They had also called for help, so they would leave it to whoever showed up. ¡°We need to go, Kazami. Things are dangerous down below.¡± ¡°Right,¡± she agreed and took the first step. But then Hajji spoke from the screen behind them. ¡°Oh, and I have a present for the child of Top-Gear¡¯s destroyer.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sayama expressionlessly turned back. He saw the false image of Hajji give a twisted smile. ¡°Sayama Mikoto? You think your mother attempted a double suicide, don¡¯t you? But let me tell you the truth. After the final battle in ¡¯95, your mother attempted to rejoin UCAT with the Georgius she had in her possession. And when she did¡­¡± Sayama felt his eyebrows rise sharply. And then Hajji¡¯s voice reverberated through his entire body. ¡°The Army was still not completely unified at the time and a radical group attacked her. From what I hear, she protected her child from a blade by placing Georgius¡¯s case on top of herself and covering her child with her own body the entire time. She was killed, but UCAT arrived in time to protect her child.¡± He smiled bitterly. ¡°They could not make the incident public, they had failed to protect her, and the rescued child must have passed out and did not remember the crucial part, so UCAT went with the police¡¯s conclusion and announced that Sayama Yume had attempted a double suicide with her child.¡± A groan escaped Sayama¡¯s clenched teeth. Hajji¡¯s laughter escaped the speakers. ¡°Ha ha! But do not worry, Mikoto. I have already taken revenge for you in accordance with our military regulations. I eliminated the criminals. Will you thank me? Hm? And it is an interesting incident. After all, your mother saved you, but you misunderstood that act and have hated her ever since. Ha ha! Truly fitting for the villain of a false world¡­for a false villain! Even your hatred is false! Your own petty misunderstanding has created who you are today!!¡± Sayama heard something like a small stone breaking. He knew what it was and Kazami was looking at it wide-eyed. ¡°Sayama, your tooth!¡± He had clenched his teeth so hard that the right canine had broken. The flavor of blood flowed into his mouth and¡­ ¡°Sayama!¡± He fell to his knees and collapsed to the floor with his hand on the left side of his chest. Baku frantically jumped down and poked at his collapsed cheek with his front paw, but he felt no pain from any of that. All of the pain was in his chest. The word pain itself filled him and instantly dyed his mind in darkness. Kazami rushed over to Sayama after he fell face down. She shook him, but his tightly shut eyes would not open. ¡­This isn¡¯t good. The word panic appeared in her mind as Hajji¡¯s loud laughter filled her ears. ¡°Well, Low-Gear!? Do you see your crimes now? Not only are you an inferior copy of Top-Gear, but you destroyed the other Gears, destroyed Top-Gear which is the ¡®real¡¯ version of yourselves and the mother of us all, and even caused a great earthquake in your own world!!¡± His laughter rang through the air. ¡°All of you in the Gear reservations, did you hear the truth Low-Gear has been hiding from you? You should have left your Gear¡¯s concepts with another Gear! In that Gear, the peoples of all Gears could have lived without the negative pain found here. But the fakes were so concerned with their own lives that they broke the treaty they themselves had formulated, destroyed their alternate selves, and damaged their own Gear. ¡­And then they hid it all!!¡± He raised his voice. ¡°What is the Leviathan Road really!? Are they not negotiating for ex post facto approval of their actions while hiding their true crimes!? The activation of the negative concepts and everything else is the direct result of their destruction of Top-Gear ten years ago! And they have failed to reveal that fact while negotiating as the supposed victors of the Concept War! And all while using some ignorant fools as their negotiators!!¡± The black army cheered on the moonlit runway. They gave roars of admiration and earnest desire. ¡°You are the worst Gear that killed your other selves, destroyed the greatest world, caused a disaster in your own world, and covered it all up for your own safety!¡± The black army clashed with and pushed back the white army. ¡°We of the Army will be destroyed here along with you! And we will place Top-Gear¡¯s survivors as the negotiators afterwards.¡± Hearing that black soldier, a white soldier trembled and shouted back. ¡°Are you trying to steal this world!?¡± ¡°Steal it? No. We¡¯re returning it. Returning it to the children of Top-Gear who can inherit all of the Gears. ¡­Listen. This may be the only land left, but the inheritors still live. That¡¯s why we¡¯ll die here, why you¡¯ll die here, and why this world will be given to its rightful owners. It will be given to the children of the true world who we have raised for the past ten years!!¡± To support the shouting black army, Shino held her philosopher¡¯s stone next to the forest. ¡°Please understand.¡± She closed her eyes. ¡°Please understand!¡± She wrinkled her brow and the white army¡¯s movements shrank while the black army¡¯s momentum grew. The bloody black soldiers gave a long war cry as they cut down the white army with their full strength. ¡°Oh, that was such a rich world and the people were all so kind. And I believed them. They said they would be the survivors of the Concept War and that the peoples of all Gears ¨C including Low-Gear ¨C could live in their world without worrying about concepts. ¡­I truly believed that!!¡± ¡°But¡­but then all of you¡­!!¡± As they collided, a few of the black scattered while a great number of the white scattered. Their cries of anger roared through the night sky. ¡°Be destroyed!!¡± But someone responded to that. It was a quiet voice. It was a trembling girl¡¯s voice. It was Shinjou¡¯s voice. Her awkward words sounded like she had completely forgotten a battle was underway. ¡°No.¡± She took a breath and her voice was emitted by all of the communicators. ¡°I don¡¯t want that.¡± At the end of the long corridor, Shinjou lowered her head and spoke while pressing the talk button on the communication terminal. ¡°No matter what anyone says, I don¡¯t want that.¡± She shook her head and inhaled. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about that.¡± ¡°That is a child¡¯s reasoning, Shinjou. Let me tell you something. ¡­It¡¯s true your mother married a Top-Gear man and betrayed Low-Gear, but she must have been one hell of a traitorous woman. She was the one that informed us that Top-Gear was working at creating the negative concepts.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°She used a method Top-Gear didn¡¯t know about to inform Sayama Asagi in a letter. She said that they might become enemies, but that they should both do their best.¡± Itaru took a breath before continuing. ¡°Your mother manipulated both Low-Gear and Top-Gear, Shinjou.¡± She did not nod. ¡°I see.¡± She finally nodded, hung her head a little, and held Ex-St in her arms. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°What is fine, Shinjou?¡± ¡°Well.,¡± she said. ¡°My mom didn¡¯t write her true feelings in her letters. Not in those letters she wrote with a weak smile on her face. ¡­But the people she cared about would have known that and they would have known she was the kind of person to actually smile when she was happy!¡± So¡­ ¡°Even if that¡¯s what the letter said, the people she cared about would have understood! They would have known she was giving a weak smile of resignation!!¡± She shouted out, but Hajji roared back at her. It was a blunt rejection. ¡°That is an assumption!!¡± He slammed the bottom of his spear against the floor as if to say he knew what Shinjou Yukio had been thinking. The loud sound caused Shinjou¡¯s withdrawn body to tremble and he opened his mouth to speak. Miyako crossed her arms in front of the underground communicator. Gyes and the Moirai watched her silently frowning. But she listened to Hajji¡¯s words. She listened to his shout of rejection. ¡°Shinjou Yukio thought she could reconcile Top-Gear and Low-Gear¡¯s differences, but she lost everything. Once Low-Gear realized Top-Gear was growing stronger with her concept creation, they made a preemptive strike! As the representative of those who were destroyed, it is my duty to destroy the positive concepts held by UCAT and rid the world of the negative concepts!¡± But his next words were spoken in an entirely different tone of voice. It was a quiet, almost soothing, and yet powerful tone. ¡°Listen, Shinjou. I don¡¯t think your mother would have wanted this. Hm?¡± Miyako reacted to that. She bit through the chocolate cigarette in her mouth. ¡°Shinjou,¡± she said while turning her wrinkled brow up toward the ceiling. ¡°Say it. Tell him. That idiot thinks he knows someone because he¡¯s known them for a long time, but tell him you can get to know someone more than enough even in a very short time.¡± She took a breath. ¡°Show what you¡¯re made of and tell him!!¡± Shinjou raised her head at Hajji¡¯s words. She glared at him with her eyebrows slightly raised and he shrugged his shoulders. ¡°How about it, Shinjou? Will you stop fighting for your mother¡¯s sake?¡± ¡°No,¡± she said clearly. ¡°Because I know my mom.¡± Hajji frowned slightly. It was a look of pity. ¡°I see. But how much do you actually know her? All you saw were some old records, right? You don¡¯t have a single memory of actually speaking with her, do you? What do you have besides assumptions?¡± ¡°B-but she was always trying to look strong while hiding who she really was!¡± That was¡­ ¡°Just like I used to!!¡± She took a powerful breath and spoke toward the floor. ¡°Is an adult who says harsh things right by default? Is the most powerful Gear right by default? Is the real one right by default? Is the weaker one that managed to win wrong by default? Is the one that tried to deceive someone wrong by default? Are they really? And if so¡­is it wrong to survive?¡± Her voice rose to a shout. ¡°If so, has everything I¡¯ve been thankful for been wrong!?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Hajji responded from the other end of the corridor with his spear on his shoulder. ¡°That just sounds like a girl on the side of evil refusing to admit she was wrong. ¡­After all, the crimes of this Gear are an original sin they have borne since before their birth. They merely expanded that intrinsic sin ten years ago.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m fine with being wrong. I¡¯m fine with looking wrong to others. We¡¯ll work to do something about ourselves and make ourselves right. We¡¯ll lie and, but as we keep doing that, we¡¯ll gain forgiveness bit by bit, confess our wrongdoings bit by bit, and better ourselves bit by bit.¡± And¡­ ¡°That is why we have villains in this world!!¡± She took a breath and spoke even louder. ¡°Sayama-kun, can you hear me? Right now, I want this world¡¯s righteousness. I want a righteousness that doesn¡¯t exist yet. So you become the villain. You play the part of the evil that does exist and guide us into the future I want!!¡± In the headquarters, Kazami listened to Shinjou while trying to shake Sayama awake. ¡°Sayama! Listen! Shinjou¡¯s calling for you!¡± But he must have been unconscious because he did not move. Regardless, she continued shouting to him. ¡°Sayama!!¡± She heard Shinjou¡¯s voice. She began with an exhausted and bitter laugh. ¡°Sayama-kun, you¡¯ll come for me, won¡¯t you? Thank you. ¡­But you¡¯re probably exhausted, so I¡¯ll fight for now. I¡¯ll work in place of the villain, so come here as soon as you can.¡± ¡°Sayama! Wake up¡­ Wake up already! Shinjou¡¯s asking for your help!¡± ¡°And you know what, Sayama-kun?¡± Kazami thought to herself as she listened to Shinjou. ¡­There¡¯s no point in me hearing this! She practically squeezed Sayama as she shook him, but his pale face remained motionless. And she heard Shinjou¡¯s quiet voice. ¡°Um, Sayama-kun? I learned something while listening to this Hajji person. ¡­It¡¯s about something long ago and about something I just told you about yesterday.¡± She paused for another ¡°um¡± before continuing. ¡°It¡¯s about right after I lost my memories and was taken in by UCAT.¡± She took a breath and seemed to hesitate briefly. ¡°Itaru-san told me someone would come for me someday, but no one ever came for me and I cried and cried. That was nine years ago. ¡­And you know who it was who was supposed to come for me?¡± ¡°Sayama!¡± Kazami shouted his name just as Shinjou gave her answer. ¡°It must have been you and your mother! Do you remember what you told me a long time ago? When your mother took you out that last time¡­¡± Kazami made sure to carve Shinjou¡¯s words into her heart. ¡°She said you were going to meet someone important. ¡­That¡¯s what she told you when you left, wasn¡¯t it? So¡­I might be wrong, but I still believe it. So come meet me. I¡¯ve been waiting for you to come for me. ¡­I¡¯ve been waiting for nine years!! So¡­¡± So¡­ ¡°So I¡¯ll call for you! I¡¯ll call the name of my precious villain!!¡± Kazami raised her fist just as Shinjou gave her cry. ¡°Sayama-kun!!¡± A breath later, a new voice came from every communicator connected to UCAT. It was a boy¡¯s voice. ¡°Did you call for me?¡± He took a deep breath before continuing. ¡°You called for me, didn¡¯t you? Thank you, Shinjou-kun.¡± The owner of the voice slowly took another breath. He took two breaths and spoke slowly as if savoring his words. ¡°And now that you have called my name, I will race to your side, Shinjou-kun.¡± Shinjou stared wide-eyed at the corridor terminal, but she soon smiled. She nodded and tears drops from the corners of her eyes. ¡°Will you come for me, Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°Yes, I will.¡± Sayama¡¯s voice answered in confirmation. ¡°Of course I will make my way to you. And¡­I am sorry, Shinjou-kun. It is my fault that you were left alone for those nine years.¡± He continued speaking from there. ¡°Are you listening?¡± he began. ¡°Are you trying to fight right now, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°I am,¡± she said before taking a strong breath. She immediately let out the breath and tightened her grip on the cannon in her left arm. ¡°That Hajji guy is on the other end of the corridor.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± he asked. ¡°Then, Shinjou-kun.¡± He continued. ¡°Two minutes. Please wait just two minutes.¡± In the headquarters, that boy trembled as he stood in front of the monitors that no longer displayed anything. He placed his left hand on a terminal to support his shaking body and placed his right hand on his chest. ¡°Yes, just two more minutes.¡± He slowly inhaled and sent more words to that girl. ¡°Just two more minutes. I will reach you after a total of nine years and two minutes, so keep fighting until then. If you do¡­¡± He nodded. ¡°In two minutes, I will absolutely, certainly be there to protect you.¡± Shinjou smiled bitterly at what she heard. He hasn¡¯t changed, she thought as she said one last thing. ¡°You can push yourself.¡± She removed her hand from the terminal¡¯s talk button. She faced forward and at Hajji down the corridor. ¡°Eh?¡± The metal spear was already right in front of her. ¡°!¡± She back-stepped in surprise, but Hajji pursued with spear in hand. ¡°Two minutes? I¡¯m not waiting that long. No.¡± He stepped forward as he spoke. ¡°After all, I have not been waiting nine years. I have been waiting ten years for this day.¡± Resignation filled his voice as he thrust the spear forward. Shinjou did not have time to avoid it, but¡­ ¡­I¡¯ll do something! She only had to last two minutes. ¡°I¡¯ll do something!!¡± Just as she raised her voice and tried to think of something, she saw someone¡¯s back move between her and Hajji. It was Ooshiro Itaru¡¯s back. ¡°Hey, Sf. Your master¡¯s about to be injured. Aren¡¯t you going to stop it?¡± ¡°Tes,¡± replied Sf¡¯s voice. ¡°Because this is what you want.¡± A moment later, Itaru¡¯s back shook as Hajji¡¯s spear blade struck him. ¡°Itaru-san!?¡± She shouted to Itaru as he crumbled to the ground with the color red staining his chest. Hajji took a step back to put some distance between them and Sf ran forward to support Itaru. Shinjou gasped and saw a bitter smile on Itaru¡¯s lips, so she frowned. ¡°Why? Why!? Why would you do that, Itaru-san!?¡± ¡°You want to know?¡± ¡°O-of course I do!¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t tell you.¡± He spoke forcefully, but the bitterness left his smile. This was a smile Shinjou had never seen him make. He then doubled over and coughed up quite a lot of blood. It was too much to contain in his hands. The red color covered Sf¡¯s apron, but she said nothing, held his shoulders, and pulled him back. She then looked up at Hajji with a sharp gaze. ¡°Do not worry about my master. Please continue.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Yes. ¡­And I am satisfied that I was able to defeat one of Top-Gear¡¯s destroyers.¡± Immediately after he spoke, Sf held her right hand out toward Hajji and produced a handgun. She gave the man an expressionless look past the gun. ¡°I have determined that comment is not what my master desires. ¡­He himself desired to receive your attack and protect Shinjou-sama, but he does not wish to be dishonored by you. Tes?¡± ¡°I will answer with ¡®tes¡¯, proud automaton.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf bowed and made the gun vanish with a wave of her hand. She glanced over at Shinjou and pulled Itaru¡¯s unmoving body over to the stairs. ¡°Shinjou-sama.¡± She took a breath. ¡°One minute and forty-five seconds to go. ¡­Please forgive us for taking up so much of your time.¡± Hajji reacted to her words by laughing. He showed his teeth as he laughed in resignation. ¡°A wonderful job buying some time. But Shinjou, I¡¯m sorry to say it doesn¡¯t look like you are going to last the remaining minute and forty seconds, does it?¡± He emphasized his question with a ¡°hm?¡± as Shinjou raised Ex-St. But an even more obvious answer came from beyond Hajji. That answer came in the form of a person located far away. He was just stepping down from the distant staircase. It was not Sayama. The person who had arrived too soon was a large man whose white armored uniform was in tatters. He was covered in blood and unsteady on his feet. ¡°Sarv¡­ You¡¯re still alive?¡± ¡°Sarv is dead. Abram still lives. That is all there is to it.¡± Abram looked to Shinjou and nodded. ¡°Shinjou, fall back to the metal door behind you. And Hajji, will you help me buy some time? Or does 9th-Gear¡¯s general prefer to run from an injured opponent?¡± Hajji snorted and turned to Abram. Shinjou stepped back, but Hajji was no longer focused on her. He spoke to Abram. ¡°Why do you support this world so much? Hm?¡± ¡°That is a simple matter.¡± Abram used his shaking hands to hold his metal spear under his arm. He stared straight at Hajji with his one eye and twisted his lips up into a smile. ¡°Yes, a very simple matter. Because the villain will be here in another minute and a half.¡± ¡°Do you really think he can make it here? The Army has been positioned all along the way here.¡± ¡°Anyone can answer that question. ¡­Anyone from Low-Gear anyway.¡± Abram took in a breath and puffed out his chest. ¡°Attention, all UCAT personnel!!¡± Abram¡¯s voice filled the sky, the building, the ground, and everywhere else. ¡°The fake field operations director of this fake world has an announcement!!¡± The pilot of the blue and white mechanical dragon in the sky listened to the voice while quickly rotating out of the way of an attack. ¡°You may not believe me and you may want to give up on this world, but¡­¡± The pilot of the black god of war made repeated sword strikes in the forest and listened to the voice coming from the communicator in the machine¡¯s head. ¡°Just a minute and a half more! Please keep fighting for another minute and a half!¡± The wielder of a large white sword defended from the ground and listened to the voice coming from the building. ¡°After that, the villain will begin the negotiations! He will determine whether those of us on the side of evil should be destroyed!!¡± The voice rang out. ¡°So don¡¯t give up until then!!¡± As Kazami heard the voice in the corridor, she looked to Sayama who ran alongside her. He was panting and holding his chest, but the sweating had stopped and his complexion had improved. Baku was swaying happily on his head. But Kazami looked to Sayama¡¯s head itself. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He glared back at her. ¡°Is that anything to say after punching someone? What if the blow ends up making me go crazy?¡± ¡°In your case, I think it would make you go normal.¡± She laughed quietly and pulled a cellphone from her pocket. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked. ¡°Hm? Emailing a friend. I didn¡¯t get back to my dorm yesterday, so I didn¡¯t set the machine to record the documentary my dad appears in. It¡¯s called ¡®The Zoo¡¯s Grand Panda Breeding¡¯. ¡­Have you heard about it? It¡¯s about a panda couple named Lew-Lew and Ewd-Ewd.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t your father record that? It is his job after all.¡± ¡°My dad¡¯s hopeless. He claims recording it will steal his soul.¡± ¡°Thank you for telling me about that odd rule.¡± Meanwhile, Kazami decided to send an email home while she was at it. She sent ¡°I¡¯ll be back home tomorrow¡±. It¡¯s not that I¡¯ll ¡°probably be back¡±. I will be back, she thought. I¡¯ll work to make sure I get back. I kind of feel like talking with them, so maybe I should bring Kaku with me and spend the night. With that thought, she put her phone back in her pocket and looked over at Sayama. She felt like laughing when she saw him running in his suit, so she did. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d end up running alongside you.¡± ¡°It is an unexpected turn of events for me as well, but this is not the first time. We did the same in the battle with 1st-Gear. And Kazami, I know it is a little late to repeat myself, but can I say much the same thing I did back then?¡± Kazami nodded as she spotted the reason for his comment up ahead. Seeing her nod, he did the same thing as back then. He lowered down and launched his body forward. And without turning back toward her, he spoke. ¡°Kazami. As you are now, I can leave this to you.¡± A woman stood in their path. The large woman wore a white combat coat. She looked to Kazami instead of Sayama. ¡°Oh? I was waiting for the Izumo descendant, but this is interesting too. I¡¯ve heard all about the girl named Kazami who bears G-Sp2, the weapon with our Concept Core sealed inside.¡± Sayama cut past her, but she ignored him and swung her arm. ¡°I am Jord of 10th-Gear, I am Betrayed Expectations Jord, and I am Izumo Kaku¡¯s grandmother. ¡­How about you take me on? You wield our world itself, so I need to make sure you have the necessary resolve.¡± ¡°Oh?¡¯ Kazami¡¯s eyebrows rose as she stopped and faced Jord. ¡°Is that so? But I¡¯m sorry. Kaku doesn¡¯t talk much about the 10th reservation, so I¡¯ve never heard of you. Also, I was just accepted by my stupid underclassman, so I¡¯m feeling really embarrassed and feel like going on a rampage to hide it. ¡­I¡¯m not going to hold back, so I hope you have some resolve too.¡± Jord narrowed her eyes. ¡°Ho ho. Well said. Well said indeed. You¡¯re a good girl. I haven¡¯t met a good girl like you in a while. ¡­I can¡¯t help but want to see you cry.¡± She swung her arms and machineguns slid out of her sleeves and into her hands. She held the grips just as Kazami raised her wings and held up G-Sp2. They fired and charged in simultaneously. Volume 11, 35: Word of Expectation Volume 11, Chapter 35: Word of Expectation Listen, idiot White wings and bullets intersected in a white corridor. The bearer of the wings, Kazami, was no longer running. Driven on by and ducking below the stream of bullets, she quickly glided through the air and performed rotating acrobatics. She advanced swiftly and spun around as if flying. She took instant leaps using the acceleration of her wings. She turned by rotating around the weight of her spear. Those two methods allowed her to practically fly through the narrow corridor. She moved quickly, but she moved in perfect curves. Even when she changed direction, rotated around Jord, attacked, or reached a wall, she did not slow. She moved left, right, front, back, up, and down. She moved nimbly back and forth the corridor like a constantly swinging pendulum. She maintained her speed and none of her movements were wasted. But¡­ ¡°My attacks aren¡¯t reaching her!?¡± She fired while wrapped in wind, but none of the shots affected Jord. Jord¡¯s defenses went beyond simply seeming like nothing was happening. ¡­There really is nothing happening to her!? Her body did not waver in the slightest and she did not brace for impact. She remained perfectly casual. Kazami attacked the thinner parts of her clothing and even her exposed face or head, but none of it worked. Thinking this was impossible, she reached into the pouch at her waist and pulled out the blue sphere that had been Ikkou. ¡ªAttack power is infinite. Trusting in the voice she heard, Kazami attacked Jord from behind again. But¡­ ¡°That isn¡¯t gonna work.¡± Jord moved a thick arm behind her and the machinegun it held spewed bullets. ¡°¡­!¡± Pursued by the sound of the bullets hitting the wall, Kazami flew backwards to put some distance between them. She pulled up her legs and raised her speed to distance herself as much as possible from the approaching bullets. ¡°¡­¡± She managed to escape the movements of Jord¡¯s arm and gun. She looked up and saw Jord still had her back turned. Viewing that as a sign of confidence, Kazami leaped down the center of the corridor and rotated around using G-Sp2. She made a U-turn. This brought her back on a path toward Jord and she asked G-Sp2 a question. ¡°What do you think happened there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I guess you wouldn¡¯t, she thought. What is this defense of hers? ¡­It¡¯s different from Kaku¡¯s. Izumo¡¯s could be described as ¡°sturdiness¡±, but Jord¡¯s was more like an outright ¡°negation¡±. It was simply too powerful. ¡­Is that because she¡¯s a 10th god? She had heard about a Gear called Top-Gear just a moment ago, but ignoring that one, Jord belonged to the highest of the eleven Gears. It would make sense for her to have powerful conceptual defenses. But all of the concepts and concept texts Kazami was familiar with had a single effect. This gave them a great functional advantage, but they always had some kind of weakness. In that case, she thought as the setup for her denial while raising her wings for a midair dash. ¡­Am I done for if I can¡¯t figure out her concept? Repeated attacks, attacks from behind, and even infinite attack power were no use. She realized this all came down to knowing her opponent. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± And she flew. By the time she let out a short breath, she had already passed by Jord¡¯s back on the right. The woman rotated her right arm down to bring it back up behind her. The bullets tore through the floor and then toward Kazami. ¡°!¡± But her rising arm was stopped by her shoulder blade, so she could not bring it all the way up. Kazami kicked off the air and took a safe route over Jord. That was when Jord made her next move. She raised her left arm over her shoulder to intercept Kazami. But instead of firing the rifle at Kazami, the bullets tore into the air to her upper right. Kazami¡¯s path over Jord¡¯s back would take her through the path of the bullets. Meanwhile, Jord¡¯s right arm shot up. ¡°¡­¡± And more bullets tore into the air to her upper left. Gunfire and bullets crossed and Kazami¡¯s path was sealed off by an X of bullets. But she continued flying regardless. She twisted her body so she was facing up. She thrust her navel toward the heavens to slip above the crossing bullets with a Fosbury Flop. ¡°¡­!¡± The bullets grazed her wings and light scattered from them. ¡°¡­!!¡± But she cleared them. She instantly twisted further to take an upside-down position and immediately launched an attack. Even as she moved away, three strikes shot out of G-Sp2. By making the final blast especially strong, she launched herself away from Jord. ¡°!!¡± After feeling and hearing all three hit, she looked over at Jord, hoping to find some clue to solving the mystery. She learned three things. ¡°Kh!¡± After passing by, Kazami landed five meters from Jord. She spun to face Jord and landed in a crouching start. She lifted her hips higher than her shoulders and raised her wings while recalling that one instant. She had confirmed three things. First, Jord had turned toward her and smiled as she passed by. Second, there was a fresh scratch on Jord¡¯s cheek. And third, there was a small wrinkle in the corner of Jord¡¯s eyes. ¡­That means¡­ First, Jord¡¯s smile had been a challenge to figure out the secret behind her defenses. Second, Jord had been injured for some reason. And third, Jord worked to look younger in addition to her natural long lifespan. The second fact was especially meaningful. ¡­She doesn¡¯t have perfect defenses. Something had given Jord that slight injury, so Kazami could damage her if she used the same method. But what had caused that injury? And as she thought about that method and completed her crouching start, she also realized she could not let her guard down with Jord. The third fact she had noticed was proof of that. ¡°You still try to look young at your age?¡± Kazami gathered strength in her shoulder blades which controlled the wings. ¡°You think you¡¯re tricking everyone else, don¡¯t you!?¡± She flew as she shouted. The flapping of her wings extended her body, her legs moved her body forward, and speed reached her soon thereafter. She advanced. She seemed to move in fast-forward as she arrived above Jord with her spear raised overhead. ¡°¡­!?¡± But she could not swing the spear down toward the two rifles raised from below. And as Jord raised her arms and bent her back, she quickly crossed her arms in an X-shape. On top of that, she rotated on the spot. Her heels sounded on the ground as she turned to the right and fully covered the area directly above herself. There was no way for Kazami to attack. ¡°Shi-¡­¡± She swallowed the rest of her curse and cut through the ceiling with her raised spear tip. She then moved away to put some distance between them. She flew straight for the floor and landed. She forcibly flipped her body around and faced Jord again. She was not about to leave her back to the woman or show any other opening. She kept a low stance. Her body was almost parallel with the floor and her chest nearly touched her shadow. Her bangs swayed with the momentum of her turn, but she had settled into her stance before they swayed back. It was an abnormally low crouching start. She moved her right leg far back and pulled her left leg up next to her chest. She spread her arms to the sides with the spear tip held backwards in her right hand. Her wings were spread upwards. She could launch herself at any moment and she only needed a single breath to gather her strength. And so she inhaled. She took in a single breath and stopped. A moment later¡­ ¡°¡­!!¡± She shot forward and up. There was not much she could do in so short a time. She rotated forward while tightly holding the backwards-facing spear. She used all of her strength to perform a forward flip and carried the spear like a shoulder throw. The spear tore into the ceiling and the sound of destruction exploded out. But the attack did not hit Jord. As Kazami swung the spear downwards, it proved too short and swished through the empty air above the woman¡¯s head. So Jord laughed. ¡°You¡¯re never going to hit if you run on pure momentum.¡± ¡°This worked just fine!¡± Kazami was not looking at Jord; she was looking at the ceiling. She had torn a straight line through that ceiling and she had a single reason for doing so. ¡°The collapse of the ceiling will hit you, won¡¯t it!?¡± Before, Kazami had seen a scrape on Jord¡¯s cheek. It had likely come from a flying fragment of the surrounding walls or ceiling. Jord could not be damaged by attacks made with weapons. ¡­So won¡¯t she be damaged by an attack from something other than a weapon!? While flying over Jord¡¯s head, she had used her raised spear tip to make a shallow cut through the ceiling. From there, only a single powerful strike was needed. With that¡­ ¡°Break loose and cascade down, ceiling!!¡± She smashed the ceiling and instantly flew past Jord. First, the ceiling panels broke apart. Next, it was the plumbing and wiring. But above that was the great pressure of the concrete surrounding the underground floor. An artificial stone wall two to three meters thick filled the area above the ceiling. G-Sp2¡¯s cutting power had slice through that. ¡°I did my job.¡± That message appeared on its console just as a rapid wind tore through the ceiling. ¡°!!¡± The ceiling exploded. The sound of splitting stone continued on and on as the building materials came crashing down. Dust surrounded them while sparks and pebbles rained down, but the true threat came afterwards. ¡°Fall, chunks of rock!!¡± Just as Kazami shouted from the air, a great piece of concrete crashed down into the corridor. It was far from being small and far from being alone. More and more gray chunks several meters across fell to the floor and easily stabbed into or broke that floor. But Kazami did not care. She spread her wings, forcibly decelerated, and landed on her right tiptoe. As soon as her foot reached the ground, she heard an especially large piece of rock fall behind her. It was a block of the concrete that surrounded the corridor and that concrete was about three meters thick. She did not know the size of the piece that had broken off and fallen, but the sound suggested it weighed more than a ton. Even if Jord had divine protection like Izumo¡¯s, she would not escape something like that unharmed. ¡°Okay.¡± Kazami turned back toward the collapse. Dust rose below the hole covering several meters of the ceiling. She saw smoke spreading out with a sound much like sand, but she kept herself ducked low. She saw a form appear within that smoke. ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡± She took a defensive stance, but quickly realized it was only a piece of concrete two meters tall. At the very least, Jord was not visible from here. Kazami breathed a sigh of relief. She lowered G-Sp2 in her right hand. ¡°Ah.¡± And she finally brought her left hand to her forehead. While she was at it, she also frowned. ¡°I guess that was Kaku¡¯s grandma. Maybe I went a little overboard.¡± What should I do about this? she wondered while looking up at the giant pieces of stone with a sigh. That was when she heard a voice. ¡°Too bad.¡± It was Jord¡¯s voice. Before Kazami could stiffen, Jord stepped casually out from behind the especially large piece of concrete. Not only that¡­ ¡°You¡¯re completely unharmed!? Did it not hit you!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. Of course it hit me. Do you really think I can avoid every last one of these with so many of them falling at once? A woman needs to be solid. ¡­At least solid enough to repel something like this.¡± Kazami looked to the giant stones filling the corridor and realized Jord was telling the truth. Some of them had directly hit her. But Jord was completely unharmed. Her clothes, face, and hair were untouched. Not only was she unhurt, she did not have a single stain on her. Kazami gasped and Jord¡¯s expression changed when she saw that surprise. She smiled so Kazami could see. ¡°You thought I couldn¡¯t be hurt by weapons, did you? It¡¯s really too bad. You were so close.¡± Jord moved both her hands, but she was not holding a weapon in either one. Instead¡­ ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon. Where are you even looking? The floor¡¯s what matters.¡± Kazami looked down and saw two grenades rolling down at her feet. Not good, she thought just as she realized what Jord¡¯s concept was. ¡­Her concept is¡­ A moment later, a large explosion shook the corridor. A twelve square meter room had light purple carpet on the floor and two sofas facing each other across a table. A large TV and a bookcase filled with books were by the wall. The room could be seen as a living room or a parlor. Three people sat in the room: a married couple and a man. The husband picked up a cup from the table and held it out toward the man sitting across from him. ¡°Izumo-san, please drink some. My wife¡¯s tea really is delicious.¡± ¡°Hm? Oh, sorry. I know I¡¯m stopping by at a ridiculous hour and, well, I thought I would just say hi real quick. But¡­how should I put this? Sorry for the trouble, Kazami-san.¡± Izumo Retsu took the white cup and brought it to his mouth. Just as he took a sip, Kazami¡¯s father gave a straight-faced comment. ¡°It¡¯s actually super sugary.¡± Retsu began to choke, but he may have been too stubborn to just spit it out because he looked away and held a handkerchief to his mouth. After about three seconds, he forced it down. ¡°Khahhh! I won!¡± ¡°Well done. I should have expected that from you, Izumo-san.¡± Kazami¡¯s father applauded and sounded truly impressed, but Retsu sounded out of breath when he replied. ¡°Well, sorry you had to see that. ¡­But why would you give me that?¡± ¡°You know how you give saltwater to an unwanted guest? Well, you¡¯re the opposite, so I decided to take the opposite approach.¡± ¡°Sorry about that. There is no stopping my husband once he sets his mind to something like this.¡± ¡°Y-yes, I can tell from the TV shows he makes. Like¡­what was it? That five-minute show that airs every morning where you show up at politicians¡¯ houses unannounced. It was ¡®What Kind of Screams do People Make When You Jab a Finger in Their Ass?¡¯, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Oh, Ass Scream? Lately, the higher ups have been pressuring us about editing it a little, but the viewers love it because they get to hear the real voices of the politicians. That¡¯s why I was thinking of visiting the one¡¯s pressuring us starting tomorrow. That way, we can hear their true voices.¡± Kazami¡¯s father lifted his right hand and his wife pulled some cigarettes from below the table. He took one and turned to Retsu. ¡°Mind if I smoke?¡± ¡°Go right ahead.¡± ¡°Then I will.¡± He pulled a completely different cigarette from below the table and lit it. This one was as thick as his arm. ¡°Ahhh. ¡­You don¡¯t seem surprised, Izumo-san. This disturbs most people.¡± ¡°Well¡­ To be honest, I¡¯ve gradually grown to enjoy all this.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± The married couple exchanged high fives and then turned back to Retsu. ¡°Sorry. To be honest, Chisato and Kaku-kun were here last night.¡± ¡°Oh? Both of them were? That I didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying about that, aren¡¯t you?¡± Retsu was left speechless when Kazami¡¯s father leaned forward and pointed at him. But the other man only leaned further forward, placed his open hand next to his mouth, and whispered to Retsu. ¡°I just wanted to say that.¡± He straightened back up and smiled. Retsu smiled bitterly and drank some of the sugary tea. ¡°Is this how you control people in your projects?¡± ¡°I¡¯m nothing special. ¡­I only got into it because I like to stand out and I like to gossip. Do you know what my debut job was?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it managing your wife who was your classmate?¡± ¡°No, no.¡± He grabbed a remote control from the table. It belonged to the video player and he played a recording on the TV. ¡°When I was in college, a crime documentary I made and sent in was actually used. It was about the murders of the couple who ran a local set lunch store.¡± A staticky video of a winter street appeared on the screen. A reporter wearing glasses walked next to the fence of a large house. His expression was terribly serious, but¡­ ¡°Ha ha. Why do I have an afro?¡± ¡°Kazami-san, I thought you didn¡¯t record your work?¡± ¡°The me in this tape can die for all I care. I followed the case purely out of curiosity, my viewpoint got distorted, and I never got anywhere near the truth. This is a shame I need to leave a record of. And¡­¡± He stared at the screen. ¡°The couple who ran that store had a strong connection to IAI. And not just a connection. For some reason, they were treated like employees. They even had company IDs. But their daughter didn¡¯t know and neither did anyone else. If anyone did¡­and this is just my instinct talking¡­¡± The TV displayed a house across from a ramen shop. ¡°It would have been the old man named Sayama who lived in this house. He also had a connection to IAI for some reason.¡± ¡°What if I knew the answer to all that? I am IAI itself, after all.¡± Kazami¡¯s father turned toward Retsu. He looked directly at the other man without saying a word. He stared at the slight smile on Retsu¡¯s face. Afterwards, Kazami¡¯s father suddenly smiled as well and shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s too boring. And not fair on my part. Our connection comes from my Chisato¡¯s explosion of pheromones as such an intensely wonderful girl, but I would be using her feelings if I used that connection to get an answer out of you.¡± ¡°Oh, then my apologies.¡± ¡°No need to apologize. This just shows how great my daughter is.¡± ¡°I¡¯m jealous of how well your family gets along. I really am. Mine is so cement-like.¡± Kazami¡¯s father laughed at that. ¡°C¡¯mon, Kaku-kun¡¯s a good boy! After all, the only thing on his mind is letting my wife and me see a grandchild as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. That idiot really is a positive-minded sexual criminal, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°But what¡¯s wrong with being honest about yourself? ¡­You know my wife used to sing, right? It was apparently brought up a lot in school when Chisato was a kid, so she never sings in front of us. ¡­The things parents most want to see are what the kids tend to keep between themselves.¡± He scratched his head and gave a bitter smile. ¡°Well, for how strong-willed our daughter is, she tends to withdraw into herself a lot.¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of being a good girl. Only if they know their own worth, though.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure she does. ¡­Two years ago, she apparently hurt some other girl¡¯s leg while competing for a regular spot in the club. It was the naginata club. And when I asked her why, she said she had felt she didn¡¯t belong in that regular spot, so she swung in a random direction to create an opening and lose. But her opponent charged right in at that random direction. What do you think of that?¡± Retsu crossed his arms at the question. After a while, he gave a troubled smile with lowered eyebrows. ¡°She must have thought she was the only one in the wrong there. ¡­But what did you tell her?¡± ¡°I told her only to attack when she really would hit. ¡­And she¡¯s done a good job of following that. I think she instinctually knows she¡¯ll only hurt herself if she does anything she isn¡¯t fully committed to.¡± Retsu laughed and crossed his arms again. ¡°What a wonderfully energetic girl. My son has a pretty weak body and it seems my wife had a lot of trouble because of it.¡± ¡°Yes, but he seems to have gotten a strong mind out of it. He¡¯s managed to pull Chisato along with him and allowed her to enjoy her life.¡± Kazami¡¯s father continued from there. ¡°Earlier, she must have solved some trouble she was having at work¡­no, in her life. She sent an email saying she would be here tomorrow. ¡­Will you stop by too, Retsu-san?¡± ¡°No, I should be far too busy at work tomorrow.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Kazami¡¯s father smiled and looked to Retsu. ¡°But Chisato really is enjoying her life with Kaku-kun. She still worries about things, but she has someone to discuss it with. This is what you call true entertainment! Isn¡¯t that right?¡± He showed off his teeth in a smile and raised his cup for a toast. ¡°She¡¯s probably enjoying herself now too. She must be on a stage she feels she can perform on.¡± Dust ran through the corridor for the second time. It was made by Jord who had been covered in the first wave of dust from the ceiling. The explosion from her grenades had destroyed the floor and smashed the walls. The building materials were terribly damaged. It looked like too much damage even for grenades. ¡°Well, she did up their attack power to infinite.¡± Jord¡¯s hair blew in a wind mixed with waves of smoke. She sighed and looked up. ¡°Is this all the bearer of 10th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core can do? ¡­How boring.¡± She spat out a ¡°keh¡± of disappointment toward the floor and took a step forward. She had no active interest in what the Army was doing, but she felt she should put in some more work since she had come to help. Hajji should have just about reached the Concept Cores by this point. She had blown away G-Sp2¡¯s bearer, so she needed to retrieve 10th¡¯s Concept Core from within. The Concept Core of 10th-Gear was the source of the world tree¡¯s power and of the gods¡¯ power. The 10th-Gear reservation was controlled by an inferior copy, but Jord was certain it would be a richer place with the real thing. Hajji would probably tell her to hand it over, but she could always confront him too. ¡°That¡¯s right. 9th-Gear¡¯s great general versus a member of 10th. What kind of battle would that be? I doubt I would escape completely unharmed.¡± At that point, she heard a voice through the spreading smoke. ¡°You are really full of yourself, aren¡¯t you?¡± The voice was accompanied by a visual form. It was a girl with raised eyebrows, a white spear in hand, and white wings on her back. Jord frowned and came to a stop as the girl spoke. ¡°You aren¡¯t like Kaku. He only pretends to think so highly of himself¡­but you¡¯re different.¡± The smoke cleared and scattered to fully reveal her form. She was five meters away and the white spear had transformed. The stabilizing wing for flying was raised in the back and shimmering heat came from the back end. But no one rode the spear that had taken its flight form. Kazami was completely unharmed as she held up the spear, so Jord frowned again. ¡°Did you use the regeneration of 10th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core?¡± ¡°Sorry, but G-Sp2 isn¡¯t that kind to me anymore.¡± The girl smiled bitterly with sweat on her brow and she expelled a breath that held some small bit of strength. ¡°Did you forget? The attack power in here is infinite. Just as your grenades exploded, I used G-Sp2¡¯s short range super acceleration to break the sound barrier.¡± ¡°You hit the infinite explosive blast with an infinite shockwave?¡± ¡°Yes. They use that method during actual rescues, don¡¯t they?¡± Kazami lowered G-Sp2 and shrugged. ¡°G-Sp2, first form.¡± The weapon began its transformation. Jord frowned as it powered down, but Kazami ignored her and removed the shield from below the spear tip. The action was awfully calm for a battle and G-Sp2 must have found it odd too. ¡°Is it over?¡± But Jord saw Kazami smile at the weapon¡¯s question. ¡°No, we¡¯re just about to win.¡± Impossible, thought Jord, but G-Sp2 reacted differently. A ¡°?¡± mark appeared on its console. It seemed to unconditionally trust Kazami that they would win. The girl then began to move. She mounted the long narrow white shield on her left arm and casually walked over to Jord. Jord raised her arms to fight back and pulled handguns from her sleeves. All attack power was made infinite in this space, so there was no point in using larger guns. Jord took aim and shouted out. ¡°Do you really think you stand a chance!?¡± But her question did not reach its target. Kazami instantly arrived right in front of her. ¡°¡­¡± Kazami almost looked bored as she tapped her right shoulder a few times with the spear shaft resting there. ¡°Are you mocking me?¡± asked Jord. ¡°Do you think that spear can break through my defenses after you shut down its power?¡± Kazami did not answer. Instead, she suddenly looked to the right. She ignored Jord and looked at the empty wall there. She was in the middle of a battle, and yet she left herself entirely defenseless. But just as Jord gasped at the action, Kazami swung G-Sp2 with all her strength. The weapon moved from the girl¡¯s right shoulder and into Jord¡¯s left cheek. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± An instant later, Jord realized she had flown to the right and slammed into the wall. The impact shook the air. Feeling a solid hit for once, Kazami looked down at her right hand. She could tell G-Sp2 was also shaking a bit from hitting their opponent. ¡°It stings,¡± said the weapon. ¡°It does,¡± agreed Kazami as Jord stood from her kneeling position by the wall. ¡°Why you¡­!¡± Jord spat a broken tooth to the floor and held her left cheek as she stood. Her entire body shook with rage. She already stood powerfully in front of Kazami with her large chest thrust outward. The handgun had vanished from her right hand and a white shotgun had left her sleeve in its place. ¡°It¡¯s time you were blown to pieces!!¡± Before shouting, raising her weapon, or even speaking, Kazami took action but without gathering her strength. She spoke to G-Sp2 in her right hand. ¡°Do you think our attack will hit?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Neither do I.¡± With a quick snap of the wrist, she swung the shield in her left hand to strike the center of Jord¡¯s gut from below. The woman doubled over and crashed into the ceiling. The building materials crumbled as they stopped her. They wrapped around her and refused to let go. As she hung down embedded in the ceiling, the shotgun fell from her hand and her lips twisted in anguish. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, how should I put this? It looks like I¡¯m the one that gets to see you cry.¡± Kazami tilted her head at what she was doing and at the result. She also looked up at Jord. ¡°Your concept isn¡¯t a defensive power. Instead of thinking about what put that scratch on your cheek, I should have been thinking about why it was put there.¡± She rested G-Sp2 on her right shoulder and shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re Betrayed Expectations Jord. You gave the answer yourself. In other words, your concept betrays other people¡¯s expectations. Anytime someone thinks they¡¯ll hit or thinks they¡¯ll do damage, it¡¯s negated.¡± She tapped the tip of her right foot against the floor along with her next two words. ¡°And. So. If I wanted to hit you, I just had to believe it probably wouldn¡¯t hit. The scattering fragments scratched you because they were an attack without a will behind it.¡± Jord began to slip out of the ceiling. She was going to fall, but just before she did, she bared her teeth and asked a question. ¡°But how can you attack without thinking you¡¯ll hit? A technique like that requires serious mental focus, so why would some random girl know how to-¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s simple. I did the same thing two years ago. I attacked while thinking it wouldn¡¯t hit and that I would lose¡­but I did hit. I¡¯ve gone back over that moment countless times over the past two years.¡± She smiled a little. ¡°But now I think I know why my attack unintentionally hit the other girl. She must have been trying to lose as well. That¡¯s why she came straight toward my attack.¡± I really am weak, she realized again. At the time, she had been trying to escape the pressure of being a regular and she had been so focused on herself that she had assumed the other girl¡¯s injury was entirely her fault. She had not tried to be with someone else. ¡­Thank you. She thought about that girl who was now in another class and apparently the captain of that club. If it hadn¡¯t been for that incident, I never would have met Kaku. ¡­I don¡¯t stand a chance against her now. Thank you. ¡°I¡¯m glad I¡¯m so weak.¡± She smiled and spoke just as Jord fell from the ceiling. Seeing that, she closed her eyes. Now I can¡¯t even see Jord. She spread G-Sp2 and the shield to either side and began to spin around. She spread her wings and spun and spun like she was dancing. She spun until she was dizzy. It¡¯d be a miracle to hit her now. ¡°Now, then.¡± With those words, she held a single expectation in her heart. She thought of the unlikely and she thought of her opponent as she smiled and spoke to Betrayed Expectations Jord. ¡°Die.¡± A moment later, her super swing of G-Sp2 hit something. It was an unexpected lucky hit. Volume 11, 36: To the One Waiting For You Volume 11, Chapter 36: To the One Waiting For You I will go And protect what matters to me Racing footsteps and sounds of impact passed through a windowless white corridor. The gunshots, clashing swords, shouts of anger, demands to identify oneself, and everything else could not stop the running footsteps. The unstoppable footsteps belonged to a boy in a dark blue suit. He had a small animal on his head as he ran down the corridor. Three men in armored uniforms appeared from both sides of a fork up ahead and they opened their mouths. ¡°You¡¯re Negotiator Sayama Mikoto, aren¡¯t you!? Stop him!¡± ¡°Let me just say that it is impossible.¡± Sayama answered just as they raised their submachine guns. A moment later, he pulled a red sphere from his suit pocket. ¡ªOnly truth fills the world. Only two sets of gunfire sounded. The center man was unable to fire his warning shot. ¡°!?¡± He looked down at his unmoving fingers. Sayama cut through the center of the two streams of fire targeting him and charged toward the third man. He stepped up to the central man and jumped upwards. ¡°The truth is surprisingly boring.¡± He slammed his right heel into the base of the man¡¯s neck. The man in black armor¡¯s breath burst from his mouth and the two on either side pulled out knives for close-quarters combat. ¡°Damn you! Are you going to put up a futile struggle!?¡± Despite the blades on either side of him, Sayama made rhythmic steps after landing. ¡°A futile struggle? What on earth do you mean? All I am doing is going to meet Shinjou-kun. Could you not get in my way? It would be a tragedy if I was late for my two minute promise. ¡­After all, it would make Shinjou-kun sad!¡± ¡°Damn you! What matters more to you!? Settling the world¡¯s problems or a date!?¡± ¡°You fool! Do not combine two unrelated issues!!¡± Sayama pointed at the man as he shouted. ¡°Besides, going to see Shinjou-kun is obviously more important than settling the world¡¯s problems!! Listen. I am the negotiator. If I do not go meet her, the negotiation cannot even begin, so logically settling the world¡¯s problems has a lower priority level than Shinjou-kun. ¡­Do you see a problem with any of that!?¡± ¡°W-wait. Wait just a second. The¡­the concept here prevents anyone from lying, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Of course. And if you understand, then open a path. Getting in my way as I visit Shinjou-kun is the same as getting in the way of settling the world¡¯s problems. And doesn¡¯t the Army claim to want to settle those problems!? What you say and what you do simply do not match up. I demand that you make a more appropriate decision!¡± Sayama sighed and walked past the men who were lost in thought. He turned right at the fork, ran down it, and said one thing more. ¡°Of course, nothing says it has to be Hajji who settles the world¡¯s problems with me.¡± ¡°Damn you!!¡± Once the men caught on, they raised their guns behind him, but he ignored them and ran toward an intersection up ahead. He soon heard gunshots and saw bullets flying past him. Except the bullets flew from up ahead and continued on behind him. He heard three groans of agony behind him and passed through the intersection. A few dozen automatons hiding in the right and left corridors raised their skirts and curtsied as he passed. ¡°Testament. Sayama-sama, we will assist you as you-¡­ Wh-why are you ignoring us!?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Sorry. I¡¯m in a bit of a hurry. I used up too much time back there.¡± One of them began running alongside him. ¡°#8-kun? How is the old man?¡± ¡°Testament. He is needlessly full of life. More importantly, take this.¡± She held out an orange backpack. It was clearly filled with something and Sayama gently checked on the contents when he took it. When he did, something poked its nose out at him. ¡°Sayama?¡± It was a 4th-Gear plant creature. After confirming it was Sayama, the creature looked at the scenery flying by on either side. It also lifted its body of grassy fur and began expelling air. ¡°You must have been very tired, Sayama-sama. As this is an emergency situation, we automatons held a mental meeting and decided to borrow 4th-Gear¡¯s power as a cure-all medicine. Please enjoy having your excess heat drained as you run.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Sayama put on the backpack and the plant creature exhaled oxygen while happily swaying its body. ¡°Shinjou¡­ Promise, promise!¡± ¡°Yes, I made a promise with Shinjou-kun. I am glad you understand.¡± He had a feeling #8¡¯s expression suddenly changed as she ran alongside him. ¡­? Confused, he touched the red sphere in his suit pocket. He removed the truth-enforcing concept and turned to #8. He stared at her usual expressionless face, but¡­ ¡°What is the matter, #8-kun? Did something sad happen to you?¡± ¡°No¡­ No, not at all. Automatons do not have the emotion of sadness.¡± She faced forward as she answered as if the question was a needless fear. But one of the few dozen automatons suddenly spoke up from behind them. ¡°You have to tell him, #8! UCAT Director Ooshiro treated her like a dog! And she appeared to cry!¡± ¡°I-I did nothing of the-¡­!!¡± She realized her outburst might as well have been a confirmation, so she lowered her eyebrows a little. ¡°I am sorry you had to see that.¡± ¡°I do not mind. And excellent work on the dog roleplaying. But you have nothing to be embarrassed about. Unlike me, everyone else is into some crazy thing they want to tell people about but do not know how.¡± She nodded and faced forward with her usual lack of expression, so Sayama asked her something else. ¡°Is there anything I can do for you now?¡± ¡°No, a maid can never ask anything of her master. A maid¡¯s job is to assist with her master¡¯s work to an extent that does not qualify as directly helping.¡± She closed her eyes and faced him again. When she opened her eyes, they contained a slight smile. ¡°Give us a job, Sayama-sama. I have determined that is the best possible thing you can do for us.¡± ¡°Testament. An excellent answer. And so let me say this: help me reach Shinjou-kun in the most dashing and stylish way possible. This is a job that only you can do. And¡­¡± He faced forward. ¡°If you do that, I will thank you for it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you mean Shinjou-sama and you will?¡± ¡°I will be the one taking Shinjou-kun¡¯s thanks. You must not steal someone else¡¯s due.¡± She briefly paused at that answer. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Did I say something odd?¡± ¡°No,¡± she said. She bowed as she ran and slowly lowered her hands behind her. He saw her smile and open her mouth to speak. ¡°I have determined it is an honor. Not only are you giving me a job, but you are thanking me as well.¡± ¡°Oh? Are you that certain you will receive my thanks?¡± ¡°Testament. I have determined it is certain. After all¡­¡± She swung her arms forward which sent black metal components spilling out of her sleeves, skirt, and apron. Up ahead, several people in black armored uniforms were blocking off the corridor. She quickly assembled a heavy machinegun aimed at them and she finally finished her sentence. ¡°Yes. After all, a maid who does not fulfill her master¡¯s demands is nothing but a mere woman.¡± Gunfire rang out and Sayama raised his speed with a smile. He also checked his watch. ¡°Fifty-eight seconds left!¡± Sayama ran. He moved straight down the artificial white structure, kicked off the wall at the turns, and practically fell down the stairways. The enemy was numerous, but he had comrades to run up and fight back. He felt like they were welcoming him back as they fought alongside him. He had only been gone for a single day, but¡­ ¡­It feels so nostalgic. Kazami and Izumo were likely fighting. Hiba, Mikage, Heo, and Harakawa would be fighting their opponents without giving up despite how tough those opponents were. Kashima was probably coming to and the automatons and other units would be fighting to clear a path. Everyone welcomed in his race and they all illuminated his destination. ¡°Very good.¡± He muttered to himself as his footsteps shook his body. ¡°I have no objection to being the center of the world.¡± He was now certain that he was the world¡¯s central point. He now realized he had taken things too easy before. With the violent husband and wife, the slightly perverted man of metal, and the flustered yet nihilistic mechanical dragon, there had been less reason for him to fight himself. At the very least, he felt they had ended up relying on each other. ¡­But this is different. They were not relying on each other. They simply felt it was natural for the others to do their job. They could do what they wanted without having to rely on someone else. After all¡­ ¡­Our pasts demand it all. Each of them was ordered on by their own heart. So if his teammates opened a path for him, that was what they wanted to do. It was not an effort or pain, so he must not apologize to them. They had not given up or called it quits. It was better to thank them instead. But the greatest reward would be to fulfill his own job. ¡°We need strength. We need the strength to resist and protect.¡± He opened his mouth as he ran. He took a breath. ¡°Our Gear needs the strength to resist our own evil.¡± He jumped down an open stairway ahead and slowly raised his left hand. He kicked off the steps and spun around as he dropped down the stairs. The sign on the next landing said BF5. He was one floor away and had twenty-three seconds left. Realizing that, he thought. ¡­How about we fight, everyone? ¡°And Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡­I¡­ ¡°I am here to be a true villain.¡± If their opponents knew their sins and were telling them to die, he would defiantly throw atonement back at them. That was the role of a villain and UCAT hoped to help that villain. So he did not hesitate to open his mouth and begin with a single word. ¡°Everyone!!¡± His first call functioned as the starting point of his next words. Those next words were the ones only he could speak. ¡°I will say it now. ¡­The surname Sayama indicates a villain!!¡± UCAT personnel were fighting with the black army over the control room for the lift on the fifth basement. They also heard a voice come from the speakers. ¡°After sixty years and ten years, let us finally hold the true negotiations here.¡± In the fifth basement¡¯s large storage area, Ooki raised her head to listen as she wrote out healing charms. ¡°Listen, everyone! Begin the attack! Pour your voice of resistance into your magazines and blades and pour your voice of anger into your armor and shields. Tonight, we shall express ourselves like that as we negotiate. ¡­And listen carefully, everyone!¡± Tsukuyomi listened to the communicator as she drew her overheating Heavenly Moon Bow in a corridor. ¡°Ahead, ahead, go ahead! These people are using the past to tell us to die, so grab them by the collar and give them a blow to show them that we¡¯re still full of life!¡± Susamikado flew above the forest and avoided Typhon¡¯s homing bullets while listening to Sayama¡¯s voice. ¡°I, Sayama Mikoto, use my authority as Team Leviathan¡¯s representative to announce that we shall begin the Leviathan Road anew here, that we will not give in to any power, that we were wrong but will correct ourselves, and that we will carry this through to the end no matter how much disgrace it brings us!¡± #8 and the other automatons fired down the corridor while memorizing the words they heard via their shared memory. ¡°Now, I have my orders for you all. Do not die until I have completed the negotiation. At the very least, survive longer than me. After all, I will not die. And with that established, I give another order. God once said to return the favor when people do things for you, so¡­¡± Izumo fought and thought of his partner while listening to the words of his dumb underclassman. ¡°So if they are telling us to die, do the same to them!! But in exchange, do not kill them. Let them live so we can let them die. Our mercy will obey the laws of conservation and be returned to us by the enemy!! Did you hear that? Make sure to let each and every one of them live!!¡± Thunder Fellow flew almost as high as the clouds while listening to the order arriving over his own communicator. He repeatedly accelerated to avoid the surging waves of missiles flying in from behind, but the voice gave no thought to those circumstances. The owner of the voice took a breath. ¡°Where is your answer?¡± Kazami heard the question as she ran further below the white building. She saw something of herself in the boy who had collapsed once but had gotten back up to run and she slowly opened her mouth. She had a single answer. She only had to lift the ends of her eyebrows, smile with the corners of her mouth, and say it. ¡°Testament!¡± All of their strength heard those answers that were equivalent to their wills and thoughts. Testament. In the seen, unseen, reachable, and unreachable battlefields, innumerable overlapping voices returned that holy thought. It was a holy thought, but it now applied to the side of evil. It was a contract. Tes, tes, tes. We make the contract here. The countless contracts washed over their bodies and set all their strength in motion. The movement was especially striking on the surface where countless powers were visible. A white wave crashed into the black wave and broke apart. ¡°Oh!¡± They pushed and worked to overpower them. They had powerful wills and spirits, but the fact remained that their numbers had been worn down too much already. Even if they continued to fight, none of them were sure how it would turn out. At that moment, large doll #2 was attempting to charge at the white group, but it was suddenly destroyed. ¡°!?¡± Everyone opened their eyes wide, thinking it was an explosion, but they soon heard something else. A great sound of metal being struck came from above and every part of the giant metal doll was thrown to the ground. All of the power and noise produced wind as it collided with the asphalt runway. Nothing remained above the surface. It had all been crushed. Everyone glanced around, wondering what had happened. They soon heard a man¡¯s voice speaking English. ¡°Roger, Roger. What do you think of this battlefield? This looks nearly over, so did we make it in time or not?¡± ¡°Testament. Colonel Odor, according to my memory, the battle still has a ways to go. In Japan, they have a final weapon known as the bamboo spear that outdoes even self-destruction, but they have yet to use it here.¡± ¡°What? A bamboo spear? A bamboo spear, you say? Have they developed ecology into a practical weapon!?¡± ¡°Testament.¡± Roger nodded. ¡°They use it for camouflage, they cut down bamboo grass during the summer for small interceptor missiles, and they add on charms covered in magic spells that borrow the power of zen.¡± ¡°How frightening! What a frightening collection of Eastern culture this country is! Is Heo¡¯s brain safe here!?¡± The voices came from the east end of the runway. Two men, Odor and Roger, stood there with two female forms accompanying them. The tall one was Diana and the other one was Brunhild. Behind them, transport trucks raced through the canyon. This was American UCAT. Odor commanded them in his suit and he brought a hand to his chin as he looked across the black and white forces. ¡°What is it? What is it? Aren¡¯t you going to continue? Or do I need to give you a signal? We were delayed dealing with the crashed mechanical dragons, but I will hit you with a few dozen times the odor to make up for it.¡± The rumbles of engines shook the ground and the headlights formed a backlight for the woman and the girl. Diana opened her mouth toward Brunhild who held a black cat. ¡°It would be best if 1st-Gear¡¯s inspector did not take part in this battle, Little Brunhild.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Little Diana? I¡¯m not here to fight the Army.¡± Brunhild faced forward as she quietly spoke. ¡°My battle with you during the mock battle with 2nd-Gear never had a clear ending.¡± ¡°Shall we settle this with one point per person?¡± Brunhild shook her head. ¡°Shooting a black one is one point. Shooting a white one is a one point penalty. How about that?¡± ¡°Why are you assuming you¡¯re going to be shooting us too!?¡± They ignored Izumo¡¯s shout and walked forward. The two men did as well. Odor gave a deep, powerful smile and raised his right hand. ¡°Fine then. Fine then. If you do not win here, we cannot demand an explanation from you, so American UCAT has no choice but to support this poor tiny country¡¯s UCAT for the sake of the whole world¡¯s justice! So let me add my voice to the chorus of my mother tongue: Testament!!¡± ¡°What is this testament nonsense!?¡± Someone cried out in an underground space. It was Hajji who wielded his steel spear in the center of the long corridor labelled BF6. Abram¡¯s defense-oriented stances and movements had moved Hajji around and away from the metal door he had set as his goal. Angry about that, he sent his spear forward, received Abram¡¯s desperate and continuous jabs, and had piercing holes opened in his side and his left and right femurs. ¡°No matter how many of you shout in unison, it will not bring back the worlds you destroyed!!¡± Hajji used his right arm to knock Abram¡¯s spear upwards. ¡°So I have something to tell your villain! Our past cries out with an accusing righteousness!!¡± ¡°You won¡¯t let us die? You¡¯ll let us live? Let us live!?¡± On the surface, Mikoku moved about to protect Shino near the forest. Her opponent was a sword god. A single strike of his weapon easily tore apart the earth for several meters. She was repeatedly cut, but she continued to fight without withdrawing. The sounds of their sword strikes overlapped as she listened to Hajji¡¯s raised voice. ¡°Simply laughable! That very same conceit is what led to destruction sixty years ago and ten years ago! You only speak of evil to hide the righteousness you are too embarrassed to show. But that is false righteousness. You are merely fooling yourselves with your own conceit, false world!!¡± A civilian truck and trailer were stopped in the mountains of Okutama. It belonged to the Army. Young men controlled the dolls from inside the trailer. They had been tasked with removing the dolls¡¯ limiters. Once the limiters were removed, the dolls could only continue moving for five more minutes. But the back door suddenly opened and another man entered. The young men turned around and were shocked to see who it was. ¡°Manager!¡± He said nothing and began maintaining the different devices. He was trying to extend that limit of theirs by eliminating the waste in the machines¡¯ outputs. Small sounds came from the different controllers and Hajji¡¯s slow voice reached them. ¡°Think about it. It is fake. It is all fake. If everything walking through this world, everything moving through it, and the world itself are all fake, then even your holy words and your sincerity are fake! The heavens and the earth, the sky and the land, the abysses and the depths of the sea, the wind and the light, and everything else in this world are asking to be denied!!¡± Tatsumi kept Typhon attacking and raised both her hands. She raised Typhon¡¯s wings and fired bullets of light. She almost flew into that light in her pursuit of Susamikado and she listened to their leader¡¯s voice. ¡°But listen. This is now the only place left to hold our thoughts and this world¡¯s residents have committed several sins. I will now list those seven sins for you!!¡± Thunder Fellow managed to move up behind Alex, so Alex did his best to forcibly rotate and shake off that enemy. But their difference in weight allowed Thunder Fellow to catch up and open the mouth of his main cannon. A moment later, Alex purged all of his additional accelerators. ¡°!¡± Water vapor exploded out and the pressure dropped Alex¡¯s speed. His accelerating foe shot by overhead and it was his turn to pursue that enemy from below. As he did, he heard Hajji reading off the charges. ¡°Listen to Low-Gear¡¯s sins.¡± They were¡­ ¡°First, they were the cause of the time of destruction! Second, they killed their neighbors by destroying the ten Gears! And third, they killed their own mother by destroying Top-Gear! Fourth, they slaughtered their other selves! Fifth, they damaged themselves by causing a disaster in their own world! Sixth, they covered it all up to avoid the issue! And seventh, they tried to bring the world under their control while hiding their own sins!¡± Jord got up from the hole smashed in the corridor wall and realized she was surrounded from both corners of the corridor. She smiled bitterly, swung down her arms to produce weapons from her sleeves, and listened to Hajji¡¯s voice. ¡°Cry out, everyone! Open the gate to genesis by sounding the trumpet of judgment on these seven sins!¡± Whether underground or on the surface, every part of the black army cried out. ¡°Judgment!!¡± Their voices joined as one and called out seven times. Judge, judge, judge, judge, judge, judge, judge. Here, we apply holy judgment to the seven sins. ¡°Be destroyed, sinners! The only vindication for you lies in the afterlife!!¡± With that shout, Hajji stepped forward. He instantly sent his spear into Abram¡¯s body and the man rose up into the air. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± And he rotated his metal spear to send it directly into the man. Hajji knew this was the end. His enemy was defenseless in the air. His enemy¡¯s arms were extended backwards from the impact and he could not move them forward in time to defend or attack. Hajji was confident he could kill the man. His spear tip shot forward. ¡°!¡± But he heard a voice just before he did. It came from Shinjou who stood in front of the distant metal door. ¡°Abram-san!!¡± At the same time, Hajji saw Abram¡¯s lips mouth the word ¡°sorry¡±. Abram also moved one hand that had been knocked backwards. He was not using it to attack Hajji or to defend. With a snap of his wrist, he threw his spear toward Shinjou far behind him. He attacked Shinjou. And Hajji heard a voice. It resembled his own voice. It was his own voice and it meant a concept was activating. ¡ªEverything is reversed for an instant. Hajji saw Abram vanish from before his eyes. Instead, Shinjou was there. Tension filled her face as she held Ex-St up as a shield. ¡°¡­!¡± But she completely caught Hajji¡¯s spear with her weapon, so the damage sent her through the air instead. ¡°!!¡± The tip of the spear raced across Ex-St¡¯s surface and tore into Shinjou¡¯s armored uniform as she flew. But Hajji was looking at Abram beyond her. ¡­Even after all this, I still didn¡¯t defeat him!? He clenched his teeth at that thought and ran. He checked his watch. ¡°You still have thirteen seconds until your two minutes are up, Shinjou, but I¡¯m sorry to say that it¡¯s over for you here. I am indebted to both Yukios, so I will make it a painless end.¡± Hajji pursued the hurting girl flying back from him and prepared for a second blow. She was doubled over in the air and he took the final step to reach her. But in that instant, someone moved between him and the girl. He recognized the person. ¡°It can¡¯t be!¡± Before Hajji¡¯s eyes, a boy circled around and blocked his way. He also spread his arms as if to hide the girl from Hajji¡¯s view. The boy wore a vest, but his shirt sleeves looked bright in the lights. Hajji had brought his spear low to strike the girl, so he used it on the boy instead. If he continued running and plunged the spear into the boy¡¯s stomach, it would all be over. The color staining his white shirt would be the color of true life filling this white space that claimed to be righteous. He instantly made up his mind, but something else happened even more quickly. Something like a wall shot toward him from below. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± He realized it was a coat, but where had it come from? The boy¡¯s arms had been spread, but his hands had been empty. The only possible answer was the feet. When charging in, he had spread his arms to draw Hajji¡¯s focus. By kicking up the coat he had placed on his feet, he could slow Hajji¡¯s reaction. And it worked. The coat covering his face confused Hajji. He shook his head to knock it loose, but it wrapped around him as if embracing him. Why? he wondered just as an impact reached his shins. He was knocked up into the air. After sweeping his enemy¡¯s feet out from under him, the boy saw that enemy bring his right hand to the floor and rotate around. The man swung his spear, it grazed the boy¡¯s left arm, and he felt pain. But he did not care. Without bothering to check on the pain, the boy turned around. What mattered was the girl, not the enemy. With that in mind, he raced backwards. ¡­That coat will not be easy to remove from his face. A 4th-Gear creature was clinging to the back of the coat. If the plant creature was cut, it would only become two smaller creatures, so he had asked if it was willing to use that advantage to help. It had agreed. But this only bought some time. The boy knew that very well, so he pursued the girl. His gaze was raised nearly to the ceiling and he saw the girl¡¯s parabolic arc enter its fall. He reached out toward the falling girl. He could not reach her, but she would be hurt if she fell with that much momentum. So the boy kicked off the floor, extended his hand, extended his fingers, and managed to grab the edge of her armored uniform. ¡°¡­!¡± He breathed out as he forcefully pulled her toward him. Her limp body almost seemed to jump into his arms. He secured her and shook her slender body with the arm grabbing her shoulder. ¡°Are you okay!?¡± His feet seemed to tear into the floor as he stopped. She did not answer him, but she did move. Her eyelids opened a little and her gaze turned toward the boy. Her sweaty face, disheveled hair, and slightly teary eyes faced him. And¡­ ¡°Eh?¡± Her eyes fully opened. Her black eyes reflected his expressionless face and he stopped his feet when he saw it. He lowered her to the ground, supported her back, and smiled bitterly. ¡°What is your name?¡± She hesitated before answering. ¡°Shinjou¡­ Shinjou Sadagiri.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then Shinjou-kun, Sayama Mikoto has come for you just as you wanted.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Shinjou nodded blankly, but tears soon filled her eyes and her face twisted. ¡°Yes!!!¡± Sayama laughed, tightly embraced her, and finally came to a complete stop. He turned toward Hajji who stood five meters behind him. ¡°But I must apologize, Shinjou-kun. I broke my promise. ¡­After all, I arrived three seconds too early. ¡­Isn¡¯t that right, Hajji-kun?¡± Hajji snorted back at him. He threw the coat and the plant creature to a corner of the corridor and stared straight at Sayama. ¡°So you¡¯re here, foolish negotiator. I hope you and your obsession with yourself fall into the depths. Yes.¡± Sayama laughed at that and brushed a hand through his hair. ¡°Ha ha. I will surely fall whether you hope for it or not. But there is no limit to how far humans can fall. So let me say this.¡± He pointed at Hajji. ¡°You are about to lose to a fool and became a super fool.¡± Volume 11, 37: Restraining a Great Sin Volume 11, Chapter 37: Restraining a Great Sin Your heart is screaming For you to fulfill it For you to show it off ¡°It¡± being your attack on the past¡¯s hesitation Kazami followed the shortest route indicated by the automatons and raced down the stairway to the sixth basement. Sayama would be facing Hajji down below. She did not know the exact situation, but they had made a promise. ¡­So that idiot can definitely pull this off! ¡°G-Sp2, second form.¡± That was the cannon form. If Hajji had his back to her and she saw Sayama and the others were in danger, she would fire. With a shot from behind, Hajji could even die from the impact if he was unlucky. And if she did kill him, she would have to live with that fact. But she did not hesitate. She had decided to stop him if he was going to harm Sayama or Shinjou. Her eyebrows rose in thought as she ran. ¡­This is the job of an upperclassman. Once the bottom of the stairs came into view, she spread her wings. Her body floated up and her footsteps vanished. ¡°¡­¡± She needlessly spread her arms to grasp at the air and she slowly fell through empty space. ¡°Then let me ask you something, negotiator.¡± She heard Hajji¡¯s voice beginning the negotiation. When she heard Hajji, Shinjou looked to Sayama¡¯s back in front of her. He had removed the coat of his dark blue suit, so she could see his vest. His lowered left arm had a gash near the elbow of the shirt and the forearm was stained red. ¡­Is he okay? His back answered her with silence. She could only look in the same direction as him. There, she saw Hajji in his black armored uniform. The man turned his powerful gaze directly toward Sayama. ¡°I will ask you about the seven sins I mentioned earlier, plus one other question. That makes eight,¡± he said. ¡°And no matter how you answer, I will be taking the Concept Cores after the eight questions. Fortunately, 7th¡¯s Concept Core seems to be here too. That is terribly convenient. Yes.¡± Sayama crossed his arms at the man¡¯s low voice. He nodded and Shinjou heard him speak. ¡°I see. Eight questions is quite a lot of trouble, Hajji-kun. So please hurry it up. And to help¡­¡± She saw him arch his back and jerk his chin toward Hajji. ¡°Ask your questions, Hajji-kun. I shall answer them all at once after I have heard all eight.¡± Hajji did not immediately respond to Sayama¡¯s suggestion. He kept his spear prepared in his right hand. He had a single thought: there had to be a reason for that suggestion. ¡­This boy said he would answer all of them at once after hearing all eight. What was his reason for speeding things up with a single answer instead of a conversation of question and answer? After all, it was in Sayama¡¯s best interests to stall for time here. That would allow his allies to arrive. But he had requested that Hajji quickly make all his requests so he could answer them all at once. ¡­Why? Why rush this? Sayama was a negotiator and he had dealt with several Gears¡¯ representatives. ¡­And this conversation is being broadcast to every UCAT and reservation. Both of them had to be careful what they said, so Hajji thought about why Sayama would rush this. ¡°¡­¡± His sight found the answer. He spotted it on the boy¡¯s crossed arms. Sayama was holding his left arm to hide it, but it was wet with blood. Hajji could tell he had lost a lot of blood. ¡­If we alternated between question and answer, he would need to think about and discuss each question individually. But if he heard all eight questions first and gave his eight answers in a row, there would be much less discussion. ¡­So he is shortening this due to his bleeding. I see, thought Hajji. That is not a problem. It was also safer for Hajji to finish the negotiation quickly and make off with the Concept Cores. And even if Sayama was bleeding badly, Shinjou behind him was unharmed. Abram was on the verge of collapsing, but he did indeed stand in front of the metal door. In that case, Hajji decided it was best to avoid any unnecessary work. ¡°Fine then. I will ask my questions.¡± He took a breath and began to speak, beginning with number one. ¡°First, how do you justify your Gear causing the time of destruction?¡± That question received a response. Shinjou shouted at him. ¡°Th-there¡¯s no way we can justify that! We weren¡¯t the ones who made this world!!¡± Hajji did not say anything back. Instead, Sayama nodded and tilted his head back toward her. ¡°Listen, Shinjou-kun. It is still Hajji-kun¡¯s turn to speak. We must not interrupt him.¡± ¡°¡­Uuh.¡± She reluctantly nodded and hung her head, so Hajji sighed and spoke to Sayama. ¡°I thank you.¡± ¡°Then can I say that you owe me one?¡± The boy smiled bitterly and Hajji did the same. He also sighed again. ¡°Then I retract my thanks. I can¡¯t have you thinking I owe you anything.¡± Before Sayama could say anything, Hajji asked the next question. ¡°Second, how do you justify killing your neighbors by destroying the ten Gears?¡± The Leviathan Road would accomplish that, so Hajji knew it was a relatively meaningless question. But the larger the number of sins in his list, the worse an image it gave his enemy. And those in the Gears who still did not approve of their allegiance with Low-Gear would still want to continue with that question. It is an important question, he thought as he continued on. ¡°Third, how do you justify killing your mother by destroying Top-Gear, which is the mother of us all?¡± He did not stop there. ¡°Fourth, how do you justify killing your other selves? And fifth, how do you justify causing a disaster in your own world and killing unconnected residents of Low-Gear?¡± At that point, Hajji looked to Sayama. The boy was expressionless. He silently stared back with his arms crossed. He looked like he was thinking, yet he also looked like he was not. But giving him time here would only allow him to come up with a satisfactory answer. On the other hand, the questions had been prepared from the beginning. And over the course of ten years. ¡­Acting self-important would only irritate those who have lost so much. So Hajji formed his words. As the spokesman for those who had lost so much, he used his mouth like a speaker. ¡°Sixth, how do you justify covering up these sins? And seventh, how do you justify hiding your sins and yet attempting to bring the ignorant survivors of those Gears under your control through the Leviathan Road!?¡± Hajji raised his voice and inhaled. In front of him, Sayama remained expressionless and had not spoken since quieting Shinjou. Hajji shook his head a bit, cracked his neck, and looked at Sayama again. ¡°Now, time for the eighth question. But let me warn you first. ¡­A slight misstep in answering this question will be a grave error indeed.¡± He held his spear below his arm and made sure Sayama, the others in front of him, and anyone behind him were not moving. ¡°What do you think of this?¡± He pulled a black stopwatch from his pocket and placed a finger on the button. ¡°Outside of the concept space, over a thousand bombs have been hidden throughout Tokyo¡¯s major stations, shopping districts, and regional residential districts. If I press this button, they will all detonate.¡± Faced with this sudden demand, Shinjou¡¯s eyes opened wide while Sayama remained expressionless. ¡°Surrender. If you do not, I will press the button.¡± Shinjou gasped. She gulped, forced down a breath, and somehow managed to speak the word in her heart. ¡°S-Sayama-kun!¡± That name produced a slight smile. But not from Sayama. It came from Hajji. ¡­Kh. Her frustration nearly escaped her as words. She wanted to swap places with the man using Yonkichi¡¯s concept, but that required him to take hostile action against her. He was not making any kind of attack. Instead of fighting, he had taken hostages. ¡°Th-that¡¯s not fair!¡± ¡°Not fair? Which do you think is higher? The number of people who will die in the bombs I have set up around Tokyo or the number of people who died in the Great Kansai Earthquake ten years ago? And with that in mind, let me ask something else. Will you repeat your past mistake or will you prove that you have learned from that mistake?¡± Hajji held the stopwatch up at chest height. ¡°Can you think about that tragedy from ten years ago? Your parents died then, didn¡¯t they?¡± As if to answer, Sayama¡¯s back swelled up before Shinjou¡¯s eyes. He had taken a breath. ¡­What are you going to do? Do you have a plan? Hajji said people would die if they did not surrender. She doubted Hajji was lying. If he triggered the bombs, he could simply say it happened because UCAT had not learned from the past. It would not hurt him in the slightest. Hajji gave a weary sigh and held the button up as he spoke. ¡°Listen, Sayama. Please¡­ Please do not make me press this button.¡± He tilted his head. ¡°What is your response as Low-Gear¡¯s representative?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± He got us, thought Shinjou as she bit her lower lip. This was all being broadcast to the UCATs and reservations around the world. And they would all know what Hajji was saying. ¡­If he presses the button, it¡¯s our responsibility! And it will make UCAT out to be completely selfish and evil! She wanted to do something and she gathered strength in her right shoulder where Ex-St rested. But then she heard Sayama speak. He also languidly cracked his neck. ¡°I see. Fortunately, Hajji-kun, it would seem the two of us have reached a consensus. So let me give you my answer to your ¡®don¡¯t press the button¡¯ competition.¡± That answer was¡­ ¡°If you want to press the button, go right ahead. It is none of my business.¡± For a moment, Hajji did not understand what Sayama had said. Once the words travelled to his brain via his ears, he rolled them around in his mouth a bit and finally¡­ ¡°You fool!!¡± The word ¡°disappointment¡± appeared in his heart. He raised the stopwatch and began to squeeze the finger on the button. ¡­I¡¯m sorry. If they had changed from a decade ago, this wouldn¡¯t have happened! He had to prove to the Gear reservations and the other UCATs that UCAT had not changed. It had to be in a way that no one could deny and no one could forget. His enemy had agreed to that. All that remained was for him to sully his name as the one who actually performed the bombing. ¡°¡­!¡± He moved to press the button. But just as he did, Sayama spoke. ¡°But I am surprised, Hajji-kun. ¡­I never thought you wanted to kill the people of Low-Gear this badly.¡± ¡°!?¡± Hajji reflexively stopped the finger he held on the button. He frowned and looked to Sayama in doubt. Meanwhile, Sayama bent back to look down on him. ¡°What is the matter? Don¡¯t you want to press it? If that is what you want, go right ahead.¡± Sayama spoke with a smile on his lips. ¡°But let me say one thing. ¡­I do not want you to press that button. Also, your actions here are the actions of the entire Army. Do you understand what I am saying?¡± He took a breath. ¡°You are pressing that button even though I am saying I do not want you to. Are you perhaps finding any flimsy excuse you can to fulfill your own desire to kill the people of Low-Gear?¡± ¡°No!¡± Hajji shouted back on reflex. ¡°I care for the people of Low-Gear!¡± ¡°So you claim. ¡­But either way, you intend to find some reason to press that button, don¡¯t you? ¡­It all sounds like excuses to me. Even a pig can claim to care for people.¡± Hajji¡¯s cheeks twisted at Sayama¡¯s words, but the boy slowly tilted his head and continued speaking. ¡°You are a surprisingly disgraceful man, Hajji-kun. Please think about this carefully.¡± He slowly used his chin to point at the explosive switch Hajji held. ¡°As for that button¡­listen. You decide whether you will press it or not.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that!?¡± ¡°Is it really that surprising? Isn¡¯t it obvious? Neither of us trusts the other much. And looking at this as a part of our negotiation, it is even more obvious,¡± declared the boy. ¡°Simply put, the truth behind your words and actions only exists inside you until you let it out. In. Other. Words.¡± Sayama gently shook his body and posed on the last three words. He then smiled and continued. ¡°If you want to kill, then show it by killing. If you do not want to kill, then show it by stopping.¡± ¡°This negotiation is about your surrender! Are you going to abandon those innocent lives!?¡± ¡°Look in the mirror and say that again. ¡­I fight in place of those innocents and I am negotiating as their representative, so on a fundamental level, I cannot use them as a bargaining chip.¡± He looked directly at the man. ¡°But I can say one thing as their representative: please do not kill them. And I can say one other thing as the one who fights on their behalf: I cannot surrender.¡± He raised his left hand and pointed at Hajji. ¡°If you insist on using those innocent people as a bargaining chip, I can say something else from my position.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°It is simple. This is not the give and take of negotiation. It is death or defeat. You are asking me to see value only in the survival of the innocent people. But their survival should not even be a question. So I must establish a clear give and take on my end.¡± He spoke clearly. ¡°You and your Army will be killing a large number of innocent people, so I demand that you surrender, retract all seven of your accusations, and immediately cease all acts of agitation toward the Gear reservations. That is my equivalent demand assuming you use those innocent lives as a bargaining chip. And¡­this is a negotiation you suggested in the first place!!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°If you gave no thought to this while taking these hostages, I can only imagine you truly wanted to slaughter this world¡¯s people with no resistance whatsoever!!¡± Shinjou¡¯s eyes opened wide as she looked to the back in front of her. Sayama was turned slightly to the side as he strongly pointed at Hajji. ¡°I will now give my answer to your seven questions.¡± That answer was¡­ ¡°How do you expect us to answer that now, you moron?¡± ¡°¡­!!¡± Shinjou saw Hajji bare his teeth. The strength in his shoulders was near bursting and Shinjou switched Ex-St to standby mode without thinking. But Sayama kept the words coming without fearing Hajji. ¡°Listen. You have no proof of any of these supposed truths. Top-Gear? What are you talking about? The real us? Who is that? A false world? Never heard of it. Are you going to compare the DNA lurking inside these ¡®true¡¯ versions of us with the lively genes residing inside us? If you do not at least do that, you may have some credibility, but it is still a gray zone!!¡± ¡°Enough lies!¡± roared Hajji as he turned his strength into words. ¡°You are bluffing! Can you not imagine the lives on the other end of this button!?¡± ¡°Oh? You are still being rather rude, but at least you are finally willing to acknowledge bluffs. Excellent. Now, let me tell you something. In this audiovisual age, people¡¯s imaginations are only triggered by what they can see or hear right in front of them.¡± Sayama took a breath. ¡°You claim there are lives on the other end of that button? All I can imagine is you deciding to move your finger and then pressing that button! It all comes back to your will! Do not blame the button for the killing!¡± He shook his head toward Hajji before continuing. ¡°Also, you spent an entire decade putting together these questions, yet now you are demanding an answer in the middle of a battle with no time for evidence, examination, or discussion!? We have no way of determining whether there are any traps hidden in those questions. After all, we are just as foolish and ignorant as you have said!! What if rushing our answer here ends up harming some other Gear!? That would be a terrible problem!¡± ¡­Wow. Dragging the other Gears into this really isn¡¯t fair. Shinjou did not speak her thought out loud. She simply opened her mouth in surprise. She let out a breath and spoke her true thoughts to the back striking a pose in front of her. ¡°Sayama-kun, I thought rushing to an answer was the only thing you knew how to do.¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. Shinjou-kun, it only looks that way because my mind works so quickly.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± she said, sounding unconvinced. At the same time, she heard Hajji¡¯s voice. ¡°I see.¡± She looked up and saw he had lowered his tensed shoulders. His expression had cooled and he threw the stopwatch to the floor. ¡°So you refuse to have a serious conversation, is that it? Then let us say that the Army tested you and you did your best to avoid the issue. With that said¡­¡± He used his right hand to support the spear held under his arm. ¡­Here he comes. She had predicted this. After hearing the answers to his eight questions, he would come to steal the Concept Cores. Based on everything that had happened, he likely intended to attack them and break through the door. ¡­He is coming. She nodded and searched through her armor¡¯s waist pocket with her left hand. Once he ran forward and swung his spear to break through, she would swap places with him using Yonkichi¡¯s concept. That would point him in the direction she was facing now. It would only last an instant, but turning around would create a large time lag. It would create an opening to attack. And she looked to Sayama in front of her. His unclosed left hand hung limply at his side and blood from the elbow covered the fingers. ¡°¡­¡± Just as a drop of blood fell to the floor and splattered¡­ ¡°!!¡± Hajji gave a roar and moved. In a kneeling sniping pose, Kazami had a hand on G-Sp2¡¯s trigger. She targeted Hajji with one eye closed. ¡­I have to stop him! But her eye saw something other than Hajji¡¯s back. For some reason, she saw Shinjou¡¯s surprised face instead. ¡°Eh?¡± Her instincts found the answer faster than her thoughts. Hajji had used a fighting tactic she specialized in, so she reflexively called out. ¡°Above!!¡± She did indeed find Hajji in the place indicated by that word. The bottom of his armored uniform spread out near the ceiling above Sayama and Shinjou. He was jumping over them all. He had made it look like he was taking on the two of them and then he had abandoned the fight. ¡­Is he settling the battle between the Army and UCAT instead of this personal confrontation!? He jumped high, kicked off the ceiling, and landed behind Sayama and Shinjou. Those two turned around, but it was too late. He was already running down the corridor. The only thing in his way was Abram who could definitely be called badly injured. Abram would be an obstacle, but he had no chance of winning now. ¡­So will he steal the Concept Cores!? Panicking, Kazami aimed G-Sp2, but Shinjou and Sayama were in the way. Thinking of gaining a line of fire down the far left or right, she stood up and flew straight down the corridor. At the same time, Sayama and Shinjou finished turning and began to run. But they were too slow and Kazami was too far away. ¡°Kh.¡± About halfway down the corridor, Kazami moved to the left side and slid down onto her right knee. She took up her sniping position again. She felt heat in her right knee because even her defensive stocking could not completely hold off the frictional heat. But the panic in her stomach was even greater. She held up G-Sp2, but¡­ ¡­I¡¯m not going to make it!? Sayama and Shinjou were not going to catch up either. With only a few steps left, Hajji raised his spear in his right arm. His target was Abram who stood in front of the metal door to the Concept Core storage area. But Abram had several injuries and was in no state to fight. So he said nothing, spread his arms to protect the door, and stared Hajji in the eye. The two men prepared to clash. But just before they did, someone shot out of the small corridor to the side. Kazami opened the left eye she had closed for aiming and she trembled. She recognized the person who moved between Hajji and Abram. She cried out the individual¡¯s name in a trembling voice. ¡°Lady Arnavaz!?¡± As she ran, Shinjou was stopped by the arm Sayama suddenly held out to the right. He stopped moving as if he had stopped breathing and he looked to Hajji¡¯s back ten meters ahead. Shinjou slowly caught her breath in order to remain silent. ¡°Sayama-kun?¡± After her question, she saw it. Hajji had stopped his raised spear. ¡°Eh?¡± For some reason, Arnavaz had rushed out in front of him and he had stopped moving. Sayama nodded as if to answer Shinjou¡¯s silent question. He slowly gulped for once. ¡°I do not entirely understand, but it seems Arnavaz-kun has taken command of the situation.¡± ¡°D-did you know this was going to happen?¡± After a pause, he shook his head. ¡°I had heard footsteps approaching from behind, so I had assumed someone would intercept Hajji-kun even if we let him go. But I never thought it would be a civilian. I was careless.¡± Shinjou gulped just like he had. ¡­No one predicted this situation. Just as she wondered what to do, she heard a voice from up ahead. Of the three unmoving people, the voice had come from Hajji. ¡°Shahrnavaz.¡± Shinjou frowned at that name. Hajji had spoken his sister¡¯s name. ¡­What does this mean? With confusion in her eyes, she faced forward while holding her breath. Hajji took a slow breath. He knew very well who the woman before him was. She was Arnavaz. The blind woman was the last princess of the Sahan family in this world¡¯s Middle East. She had agreed to marry into Abram¡¯s Mesam family in order to revive her family. Abram had chosen UCAT over the Mesam family and the Sahan family had been destroyed. However, thought Hajji. ¡°Blind girl. Arnavaz of Sahan. I have already spoken the truth. Your husband, Abram Mesam, is a fake merely using the name. He is Sarv, the killer of my sister.¡± He took a breath. ¡°Do you not believe me?¡± With her eyes closed, she shook her head at his question. Seeing that, Sarv who was going by Abram closed his own eyes behind her. Hajji sent a sigh of understanding toward the floor. ¡°Princess of Sahan, please move out of my way. As the great general of 9th-Gear and the leader of the Army, I can no longer condone the killing of civilians. ¡­And if you act as his shield, some might claim UCAT used civilians to shield themselves.¡± ¡°No.¡± Arnavaz frowned and shook her head. ¡°I will not move.¡± Those words triggered a certain emotion deep inside Hajji¡¯s gut. The emotion forced its way up and escaped his throat as words. ¡°This man¡­has been deceiving you all this time!¡± ¡°I am aware of that,¡± she said as if double-checking. ¡°I am blind, so I must trust others to survive. And the Abram Mesam I had heard of was a man of medicine and known as a Fereydun. And yet¡­¡± A small smile escaped to her lips. ¡°The man who came for me was a large warrior with thick, hard hands. Not even my brothers could compare. ¡­I immediately knew he was not the same person.¡± ¡°Then¡­!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded. ¡°But he held the hands holding the sword I had prepared for him, he got down on one knee, and he asked for my forgiveness. He even trembled when facing me. He was just like a child afraid of being scolded.¡± She took a breath. ¡°The desert family of Sahan is a proud family. The last daughter of Sahan had to show forgiveness to one who trembled and asked for it. Also, I am blind, I must trust others to survive. And he answered my trust in kind and has given me a blessed life ever since.¡± ¡°But that is a life built on lies!!¡± ¡°I am aware of that. He is not Abram Mesam. Nor is he the Fereydun who saved lives on the path of medicine. But¡­¡± Her unseeing and unfocused eyes turned toward Hajji. Her eyebrows were raised. ¡°He is my Fereydun. That is not a lie.¡± And¡­ ¡°What are you to me?¡± A moment later, Hajji raised his tightly-held spear. ¡°!!¡± He raised his eyebrows and twisted his face as he used the spear to knock Abram and Arnavaz to the right. Abram held Arnavaz to protect her, but they both still fell on the small stairway. ¡°I¡­!¡± With that shout, Hajji returned his spear from the right and prepared to slam it into the metal door. But just as he began to attack, he noticed a power striking his right shoulder from behind. He looked back and saw a boy in a vest. ¡°Listen. I will show you a world of pain.¡± Hajji turned around on reflex. ¡°Oh!!¡± He launched a spear attack on the boy from directly above. But as he turned, the boy¡¯s movements entered his field of vision. The boy bent his raised right arm and prepared his stance. His right knee was already rising. His left foot was planted solidly on the corridor floor. The force of that step sent his right leg straight up and toward Hajji¡¯s jaw. There was no avoiding it, so it struck. Hajji¡¯s body was knocked upwards from the jaw. ¡°!¡± He cried out just as a blow hit his chest. The boy had raised his right fist, rotated it back, and then slammed it straight into him. After the kick to the jaw had stretched him upwards, the fist had struck the center of his body. His sternum was smashed and his entire body creaked. He heard the boy ask a question. ¡°Was that painful enough?¡± Shinjou said a single thing concerning the scene before her. ¡°He did it¡­¡± But she quickly tightened her grip on Ex-St again. Sayama was quickly correcting his posture in front of her. He could not move while lowering his hips to sink down. But Hajji had not given up. Shinjou had definitely heard his sternum break. More than the pain, he would be having trouble breathing without the bone supporting his muscles. But he used all the air remaining in his lungs to attack. He turned his left eye toward Sayama. That was the eye socket that seemed to contain pure darkness. Shinjou did not know quite what it was, but her instincts told her it was dangerous. ¡°N-¡­¡± She tried to shout ¡°no¡±. But in that instant, she saw Baku raise his front paws from Sayama¡¯s head. In a split second, Shinjou saw a battle in the past. Inside a forest, she saw an unfamiliar boy¡¯s back and a werewolf beyond him. Back then, she had hesitated and not pulled back the firing anchor. ¡°¡­¡± She had been afraid of hitting the boy. She had been afraid of killing the werewolf. But¡­ ¡°But!¡± With a voiceless yell, she woke from the past. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± Shinjou fired Ex-St. She did so without doubt, fear, or hesitation. ¡­That way I won¡¯t misuse this power!! The white light shot straight toward the left side of Hajji¡¯s chest. The blade-like blast entered between his collarbone and upper chest and it left through his back. ¡°¡­!¡± He bent back from the impact and the gaze of his left eye was fired toward the ceiling. Cracks instantly ran through the ceiling and it noisily shattered into pebbles. But Hajji was still moving. ¡°Oh!¡± That strike had been powerful enough to blow away a god of war, but he frowned below the scattering fragments of the ceiling, bared his canine teeth, and desired to clash with Sayama. He held his spear close and sent it ahead of his body. Sayama was not wearing any armor, so its blade was plenty capable of piercing straight through him. But Shinjou simply opened her mouth. She raised her eyebrows and shouted to the boy who crouched down in front of her. ¡°Don¡¯t lose!!¡± Pushed on by Shinjou¡¯s words, Sayama took action. He raised his right arm as he stood. ¡­I need to remember the basics. He calmed himself, ignored the power and shouting in front of him, and gathered his footing. He pulled his right foot back and pressed it solidly against the floor. Supported by that, he placed his left foot a bit forward and to the left. As soon as that left foot fell in place, he twisted his left heel outwards, raised his left knee, and raised his hips. That movement flowed into a rightward spin of his entire body. He twisted his hips, twisted his stomach, and launched his left shoulder clockwise and forward. He sent his elbow out from that shoulder and gathered strength in what lay beyond it. That was his left fist. He launched a straight left punch with all his might. The technique was obediently performed. His body had chosen this technique first to handle the emergency situation. As soon as he clenched the fist, it filled with pain. This was his phantom pain. A voice reached him along with that false pain. It was a bestial roar attempting to crush him from above. ¡°You dare oppose me!? A child who did not even know the reason for his mother¡¯s death will oppose me!?¡± The beast¡¯s words filled his chest with pain. It was the usual creaking pain. The pain tried to rule his body and his entire body was briefly filled with an explosive chain-reaction of pain. But the person he cared for the most had just asked something of him. ¡­Don¡¯t lose. She had not been referring to his creaking body. She had told him not to lose to the enemy before his eyes. In other words, she was not even thinking about this pain. Why had her cry of support not taken this pain into consideration? ¡­That is simple. He reached his conclusion. ¡­Because this pain is only natural! His entire body moved. It was filled with the phantom pain and the creaking pain. ¡°But this twisting and this pain are who I am!!¡± His left fist flew. He forcibly launched it out from his shoulder and into the side in front of him. It struck. ¡°¡­!¡± The attack smashed the bones of his fist, but it had done equivalent damage to his opponent. Through his fist, he could feel the sound of impact racing across his enemy¡¯s entire body. It even reached his right leg drawn back for support. He had fully thrown the punch. Despite the blood, the torn flesh, the broken bone, and the creaking pain, he had sent out a powerful strike. In only a split second, he put his entire body into his resisting enemy. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He swung his fist and stopped it. The full force of the strike filled the surface of his fist and knocked his enemy from his feet. The reactionary tremor reached him, spread throughout his body, and caused him to shake. The bell of emotion rang inside him and he thought. ¡­Ahh. His heart felt like water. ¡­And it is threatening to overflow! A moment later, his enemy crashed into the metal door behind him. Ex-St¡¯s attack must have already damaged it because, after briefly stopping the man, it filled with cracks and shattered. The sound of metal spread through the darkness. The Concept Core pallets sat illuminated in that darkness. They looked like gravestones. And the enemy lay collapsed and motionless on the floor, staring up at them. Meanwhile, Sayama looked to his left fist and took a breath. He let out the deep breath and dripped sweat as he opened his mouth. ¡°¡­¡± But no words came out. Oh, no, he thought as he finally realized he was still leaning forward in his punching stance. He quickly straightened up, faced upwards, and brought air into his lungs. He inhaled. He then felt heat on his back. It was the soft warmth of a human body. It was shaped like someone important to him. It was Shinjou. He took another breath as she approached from behind and wrapped her arms around him to support him. He opened his left fist overhead and felt a real, non-phantom pain. ¡°Everyone.¡± He slowly spoke as he grasped the air and closed his eyes. ¡°Cry out in joy!!¡± With those words, he felt all strength leave his body. He had fallen unconscious. Volume 11, 38: Understanding of Goodbye Volume 11, Chapter 38: Understanding of Goodbye Our hearts are drifting apart I have no way of knowing it for sure, though Mikoku ran through the forest. She was traveling south. She had made sure she could cross the mountain and reach the road to the south within five minutes if something did happen to Hajji. The truck for the men controlling the dolls was there and it could be used to evacuate. The current situation required their help. She had stayed behind as the rear guard and she was making a wide circle to draw away anyone pursuing them. Her winding route would cause the enemy to lose track of the rest of her comrades. She simply ran and ran without making a sound on the dried leaves or breaking a single twig underfoot. ¡­Hajji was defeated? But even if he had been defeated as the Army¡¯s strength, the Army¡¯s ideals and the rest of their strength remained. Nevertheless, Mikoku clenched her teeth. ¡°If only I were more powerful¡­¡± Her job had been to protect Shino and secure their aboveground escape route. She had done that, but she had also allowed Sayama and Kazami to enter the building. She knew the others would say it had been an unforeseen situation, that her job had been to protect Shino, and that she had not been asked to keep anyone out. ¡­But I could not catch up to them. In their race to the building, she had not caught up to Kazami and Sayama. Sayama was her fake. She felt like she had lost to an imitation. She had been unable to catch up and that imitation had defeated Hajji. Why? she belatedly asked herself. She had much more training, she likely knew how to handle a weapon better than him, and she was the only one with the ability to regenerate. But that ability was meaningless when she could not even catch up. She only knew that the boy had not been looking at her. Why wasn¡¯t he? she wondered as she ran. Why was he not looking at me? Why would someone pay no attention to their back on the battlefield? ¡°Mikoku!¡± That voice from behind made her tremble. It was Shino. The girl gasped for breath and approached with her white dog. ¡°You idiot.¡± Mikoku twisted her eyebrows but also breathed a mental sigh of relief. If the Army¡¯s military might had not gotten through, it meant UCAT survived. The coming battles would be political ones and individual ones. UCAT would have to settle things with the representatives of the reservations and of Top-Gear as well. To put it another way, they would have to begin the true Leviathan Road that was held under the whole truth. And Mikoku could remain with Shino until those battles were over. ¡­What should I do? She could be with her, but she would eventually have to say goodbye. If she mentioned that, Shino would resist it. But Mikoku could not continue living as they had without saying it. Not saying it would mean living a lie. ¡­So would it be better to leave her now? The evacuation truck was up ahead. They only had to climb this hill and descend on the other side. Would it be best to take Shino there, put her on the truck, but not get on herself? After distancing Shino so much, should she start distancing herself? But then¡­ ¡°Mikoku.¡± Shino ran alongside her. She worked desperately to keep up and her footsteps sounded loudly on the dried leaves. She turned to face Mikoku and forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad I can be with you here.¡± Mikoku gasped when she heard that. ¡­Sorry. She had pushed Shino away for so long. She had told her not to fight, to stop training, and that she was inexperienced, but all of that was better directed at herself today. Even after all of those outbursts, Shino was trying to remain by her side, so she made up her mind. ¡­I will be the one to leave her. She would be able to contact Tatsumi and the others, work separately from them, and try to rid herself of this reliance on Shino. So she ran with Shino to climb the hill, descend it, and reach the site of their parting. Once Shino was inside the truck, she would close it from outside and say she was sorry this had to happen now. ¡­That is what I will do. That decision lightened her heart. She thought of the footsteps next to her as a precious thing instead of a natural one and she matched her breathing to Shino¡¯s. Shino¡¯s breathing was dangerously erratic, but that worry would end here too. ¡°¡­!?¡± Suddenly, she heard something. It came from above. Something was falling through the branches and toward them. She looked up and saw her enemy in the darkness between the branches and leaves. It was the sword god. The man named Atsuta had his eyebrows raised. ¡°You think I¡¯m letting you escape!?¡± He rapidly dropped down and swung his Cowling Sword, so Mikoku used all her strength to strike back with her own sword. She opened her mouth, but it was not a cry of focus that came out. She spoke to the surprised girl next to her. ¡°Get back, Shino! Hurry up and escape!¡± Her shout shook the forest, but she soon heard something unexpected. It came from Shino¡¯s mouth as she remained stopped next to her. ¡°Why!?¡± Mikoku turned to Shino and found the previous fake smile was gone. A natural teary expression had taken its place. That was the girl¡¯s reaction to Mikoku¡¯s attempt to distance her. ¡°Why do you push me away!?¡± She wanted to say that was not it. She wanted to say that was not what she had meant. She wanted to say she had meant this battle was dangerous. ¡­I do not want to push you away! Shino had to understand, but she was unable to restrain herself in this tense situation. Her emotions had reflexively exploded from her. But none of this should have been happening here. Immediately afterwards, three things happened. First, Atsuta¡¯s dropping Cowling Sword struck Mikoku¡¯s sword. Second, the force of that impact shattered the worn-down Cowling Sword¡¯s cowling. And third, the concept contained inside the Cowling Sword was emitted in an uncontrolled state. ¡°!?¡± A moment later, one of the hills in the mountains of Okutama was destroyed and collapsed. Countless sounds of impact rang through the moonlit forest. They were the sounds of black wings striking the trees. The trees would spin through the air and fall back into the forest. Susamikado flew face up into the trees and created a canyon in the forest. It stopped after knocking over a few trees, it was covered in damage, and it had several deep cuts in its armor. White smoke rose from its body and a single footstep sounded about ten meters in front of it. A white god of war stood taller than the surrounding trees as it stepped on the earth and stone. A girl stood on the white god of war¡¯s right shoulder. She wore a long sword on her back and she brushed up her black hair. ¡°You definitely didn¡¯t make this easy.¡± She wiped some sweat from her brow and smiled. ¡°Despite what happened afterwards, Hajji still said what he needed to say. I wonder what¡¯s happening on the Gear reservations right now. Are they perhaps refusing to speak with UCAT? After all, this completely overturns the basic assumptions of the Leviathan Road.¡± She had the white god of war slowly raise its two swords to chest height. ¡°But your negotiations weren¡¯t a complete waste. You did gain some cultural exchange and trust. But it is now time for atonement¡­and for our righteousness,¡± she said. ¡°Not that it matters for you. Our battle will end here.¡± Typhon swung down the sword in its left hand. A moment later, Susamikado shot up into a sitting position. The blade in its right hand raced up to catch the blade. But Typhon¡¯s actions remained calm. It stopped its left sword to hold Susamikado¡¯s blade in place and swung down the other sword in its right hand. Susamikado had no way of blocking this one. ¡°Farewell, fake.¡± Her words struck Susamikado. In that instant, Susamikado¡¯s blade extended. No, Susamikado actually extended its swing to the right. The black blade moved into the forest. The forest was made up of trees and the blade chopped down one of them. It intentionally kept the blade diagonal and the tree forcefully bent into a shallow V shape. The cut top half fell toward Typhon. ¡°That is useless!!¡± Typhon knocked away the falling tree with the left sword it had raised for defense. It also took a step. Its right leg stepped forward to swing down its right sword. The tip of the right blade entered the left side of Susmikado¡¯s chest. It stabbed in below the collarbone and a bit toward the side. ¡°¡­!¡± The horizontally-oriented blade slid into the gap below the collarbone armor. Without the armor, a god of war was nothing more than a collection of frames and components. The blade stabbed through to Susamikado¡¯s back as easily as through tofu. But Typhon did not stop there. It tried to use the output of its right arm to pull the blade inward. That blade was caught between the collarbone and chest armor, so Typhon was trying to use that parting line as a guide and pull the blade to just below the neck. ¡°Miki! You¡¯ll regret doing this!!¡± Tatsumi ignored Susamikado¡¯s shout. Typhon pointed the bottom of its right arm toward the sky and moved to make the cut. In that instant, Tatsumi heard a distant metallic sound. It came from the Japanese UCAT building to her right. She turned in that direction and saw two enemy gods of war standing on top of the destroyed white building. One was a silver god of war and the other was a maid god of war created from a mass-produced 3rd model. Tatsumi saw the silver one lifting the maid one overhead. The maid god of war was extended horizontally while the silver one was in a javelin-throwing pose. At the same time, a shout came from the girl in a white armored uniform standing at the silver god of war¡¯s feet. ¡°Here we go!!¡± With that, she swung both her arms to move the silver machine. It performed a quick throw. The maid god of war held its arms up in an X-shape as it broke through an explosion of water vapor. After the sound of the air exploding, the god of war flew toward Typhon like a shell. It had controlled its inertia and gravity to transform itself into a light shell. If it returned its weight just before impact, it would have the same effects as a massive shell. The impact would likely smash its frame and internal components, but¡­ ¡°Do you not care!?¡± Typhon let go of its right sword and held out its right shoulder. This was a defensive pose meant to endure the impact. The moment the impact reached its shoulder, it would catch and eliminate that force. Catching and negating strength was Tatsumi¡¯s specialty, so she would do exactly that. She moved Typhon a bit to the left and away from the flying maid god of war. That way, she could redirect the god of war and immediately slice through Susamikado. Or that was her intention anyway. ¡°Eh?¡± Instead, a tone of question escaped her lips. She then heard a light metallic sound like an empty can falling to the ground. She saw the maid god of war fly up into the sky. Strange, she thought. My timing should have been perfect. But for some reason, the maid god of war had been knocked into the moonlit sky. And like an empty can at that. ¡°Why?¡± She had great confidence in her skill, so this unexpected outcome stopped her. She only froze for an instant, but at her level, that was enough of an opening. She heard the answer to her question from up ahead. ¡°She didn¡¯t remove the inertial control. She knew this wouldn¡¯t work, so she acted as a decoy!!¡± There was a reason that plan had successfully surprised Tatsumi and created an opening. ¡°Miki, you think everyone is attacking you!!¡± The black blade raced toward her. As he piloted Susamikado, Hiba realized his blade had hit nothing. Typhon had jumped back using its six wings. If it made a counterattack now, this was all over. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± So he let go of the blade and threw it. Typhon deflected the thrown black blade just as Susamikado¡¯s right hand grabbed the sword stabbing into its chest. Hiba forcibly pulled the sword from his own shoulder. ¡°¡­!!¡± He instantly pulled it out, rotated it around, and grabbed the hilt. He held it forward, but¡­ ¡°She¡¯s gone?¡± The white god of war and Tatsumi had vanished from the split forest. ¡°Ryuuji-kun, up above!¡± He looked up and saw Typhon in the center of the dark sky. It had its back turned, showing him its wings. From its shoulder, Tatsumi turned just her head to look his way. ¡°Sorry, but it¡¯s time I left.¡± Typhon flew further up into the sky. A white line travelled south and divided the starry sky. That was the contrail produced by Alex¡¯s wings. Typhon spread its wings as if guided by that line. Back on the ground, Susamikado stepped forward without moving its left arm. It looked up into the sky like a child being left behind. ¡°What good is leaving!? The Army lost!¡± ¡°Yes, the Army did. But only as a military force and not as Top-Gear.¡± Hiba saw a bitter smile in the sky. ¡°But what about politically? And¡­what about us as individuals? Can you truly say that you defeated us?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°The world will no longer forgive you and our war is not over. Even as you attempt to atone, you fakes will have to deal with your real versions from Top-Gear.¡± The white wings fully opened. ¡°Let¡¯s have some fun next time, too. Then, our battle can determine who is real and who is fake with no room for gray.¡± ¡°Miki!!¡± Susamikado called out and tried to spread its wings to pursue. But the left wings refused to move. The second base moved, but the first base refused to stand up from the machine¡¯s back. It only produced the sound of components locking together and whirring fruitlessly. ¡°¡­!!¡± Meanwhile, Tatsumi faced forward into the night sky containing that white line. ¡°Later.¡± She flew. The full power of the six white wings took their owner away in an instant. All that remained was the noise of the enemy tearing through the air to leave. Lights dotted the dark forests of Okutama¡¯s mountains. That white color attempting to resist the darkness belonged to the streetlights along a riverside road. A single light tore through the darkness as if to assist those streetlights in their resistance. It was a car¡¯s headlights. A black limousine travelled quickly up the mountain to reach the Akigawa region. The driver was a young man with short hair. He wore a black shirt and a blue suit and he spoke into the limousine¡¯s hands-free phone. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m on my way back there. Has anything strange happened while I was away?¡± ¡°Hm? I-I-I-I didn¡¯t do anything. More importantly, Kouji, did you see the young master?¡± ¡°He only needed a suit, so he asked me to leave it with the guard. He said he still has work to do but he¡¯ll need a change of clothes afterwards.¡± ¡°Hmm. Then I guess he won¡¯t be back at the dorm until morning. ¡­Then, Kouji, buy me some ice cream at the convenience store on your way back. I want the experimental flavor of Garo Garo-kun.¡± ¡°Yes, yes,¡± said Kouji as he ended the call. He reached for the gear stick and prepared to accelerate. ¡°!?¡± He reacted on reflex when he noticed something odd up ahead. He avoided it. He moved the hand on the gear stick to the hand brake and yanked it up. The back end of the car rotated to the right and he ignored the screeching of the tires as it turned. ¡°There.¡± After the car shot into the right lane and faced the opposite direction, he pressed on the accelerator. He used the acceleration of the spinning wheels to cancel out the motion vector pulling the car backwards. Once it trembled and came to a stop, he neatly parked the large limousine on the shoulder of the descending side of the road. He then opened the door and stepped out. Once out in the chilly night air, he looked behind the car. ¡°Who is that?¡± Someone was collapsed in the center of the road. It was a girl wearing some kind of thick black outfit. He could see her chest rising and falling as she breathed, but her clothes were covered in mud for some reason. This was a mountain road, but the upward slope was covered in concrete and the other side was a large valley. He looked up the slope but only saw a forest filled with dry leaves. Also¡­ ¡­There are no footprints leading here. And yet the girl¡¯s feet were covered in mud. He frowned as he looked at her military-style boots. ¡°¡­¡± Her right leg took a sudden bend inward at the inside edge of the shin. ¡°It¡¯s broken. Did she fall from above?¡± He did not know, but the process of elimination left that as the only possibility he could think of. He looked around to see if anyone else was around, but¡­ ¡°No one. I can¡¯t even hear anything moving.¡± He lowered his shoulders and looked back at the girl. He did not know what was going on, but he could not leave her here now that he had found her. He touched the hair covering her face as he wondered if he should call for an ambulance. The face he found below the hair was one he recognized. She was the guest who had stopped by near the end of the morning. She was the one who had suddenly left. His confusion left him as a question. ¡°Who are you?¡± But the words that escaped his lips received a response. The collapsed girl gave a quiet answer as she let out a breath. ¡°Shino.¡± A moment later, she fully lost consciousness and her head slumped limply down. ¡°My name is Tamiya Shino.¡± Volume 11, Final : Destination of Prayer Volume 11, Final Chapter: Destination of Prayer Is it light that needs no saving? Or is it darkness that needs saving? Sayama slowly opened his eyes. The ceiling was covered in darkness. He seemed to be lying in some large space and his head rested on something. ¡°Is that Shinjou-kun¡¯s lap?¡± He looked up and saw Shinjou looking down at him. He heard many footsteps around him and could sense people coming and going. ¡°How long has it been since the battle ended in the sixth basement?¡± ¡°Well¡­about half an hour, I guess. There was a landslide outside and Heo, Harakawa-kun, Mikage-san, and Ryuuji-kun just said they would be returning here. Also¡­¡± She faced forward, so he followed her gaze. ¡°Izumo and Kazami? Excellent work, both of you.¡± ¡°Yeah, well you need to get that left hand of yours healed right away. It looks like we¡¯re going to have a lot of problems on our hands.¡± Kazami smiled bitterly and he gave a bitter smile of his own. ¡°Why did you not shoot when I was fighting Hajji? You had an open line of fire, didn¡¯t you?¡± Shinjou seemed to have been wondering the same thing because she tilted her head. Kazami shrugged as she answered. ¡°I just figured you could manage on your own this time.¡± She turned her back without saying anything more. Izumo was still looking their way, but she grabbed his arm and forced him to turn around too. The two of them left the large room and likely moved out into the moonlight. ¡­There is no helping that. Sayama smiled bitterly and relaxed. He needed healing, but he wanted to get some sleep first. ¡°Where is Doctor Chao?¡± ¡°A bit ago, Diana-san¡­took the four brothers¡¯ Concept Cores to her.¡± Sayama noticed a slight tremor in her voice but said nothing. He simply lay on his side so only she could see his face. She took a hand from her chest and brushed up his bangs as he looked up at her. ¡°Shinjou-kun, I would like a lullaby as a reward for my efforts. ¡­I am exhausted.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to drift off and die. And¡­¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°When you wake up, I have a lot of surprising things to tell you.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he said with a nod. He had a general idea what that would be, but saying so to act clever would be no fun. ¡°I hope you really do surprise me, Shinjou-kun.¡± He smiled and she did too. She then averted her gaze. ¡°Um¡­¡± With an embarrassed look, she brushed a hand through his hair again and opened her mouth. She then sang. Her voice trembled a bit at first, but it soon calmed. Sayama knew the song. It was the hymn titled Silent Night. ¡°Silent night, Holy night All¡¯s asleep, one sole light, Just the faithful and holy pair, Lovely boy-child with curly hair, Sleep in heavenly peace Sleep in heavenly peace¡± He listened to her singing voice and saw her exposed stomach next to his face. Her well-shaped navel gently rose and fell with the rhythm of the song and her breathing. He gained an odd sense of calm from seeing that movement and feeling her breathing and pulse through her lap. She smelled nice. Tempted by that scent, he tilted his head and placed his cheek and ear against her sweaty stomach. ¡°Ah,¡± she said and stiffened her lap, but he could now hear her breathing and pulse. It was a soft sound and he ended up matching his breathing to hers. He smiled a little in his heart and placed his lips just below her navel. He could taste her sweat. It resembled salt water and he made it his as the proof that this precious person was still alive. ¡­What is going to happen to us? We defeated the Army, but that has left us with a major problem. What was Team Leviathan supposed to do about Top-Gear, the other Gears, and the other UCATs? But he did not speak those thoughts aloud. He was losing the strength needed to move his body. His consciousness faded and, just before falling asleep, he realized the source of the relief he felt from the heat and rhythm of Shinjou¡¯s body. It was a nostalgic thing he had difficulty remembering. It was¡­ ¡­My mother. He felt a slight pain in his chest as he remembered. Long ago, his mother had held him and sang to him. The pain in his chest grew and he curled up a bit. Shinjou must have noticed his pain because she reached out and gently embraced him. She leaned over him as if to protect him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here.¡± And¡­ ¡°You¡¯re here for me.¡± Her words contained a hint of heat and he answered with a nod just as he closed his eyes. Chao sat on a wooden bench and looked up at the fluorescent light on the ceiling. She was in Okutama Station after the final train had already left. She was alone in the small waiting area and the nighttime wind of late autumn blew in across the tiled floor. But she turned to look at the vending machine shining brightly to the left of the bench. ¡°It¡¯s probably ending about now.¡± She reached into her white coat¡¯s inner pocket, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and found only one cigarette left inside. ¡­Once I smoke this one, I guess I¡¯ll head back to UCAT. The Army had apparently attacked, but she knew just how useless she would be. After all, she could not even move her body properly. Her eyes were having difficulty focusing. There was a simple reason for these physical defects. She may have extended her lifespan and stopped her aging, but¡­ ¡°This is because I created those four in that area of distorted time in 7th-Gear.¡± She had enjoyed that, but she had spent so much time there that not even her extended lifespan could keep up. She wondered what had happened to those four she had created. Had they won or lost? Either way, she knew they would have helped Team Leviathan. She wondered if it had gone well. ¡­Did you enjoy yourselves? And¡­ ¡­Do you hate me for creating you to die? She kept her questions from showing on her face and she began to place the cigarette in her mouth. ¡°Ah.¡± But she dropped it. The twisted cigarette fell on the bottom of her white coat that was spread out on the bench to her right. Annoyed, she reached out to pick it up. But then¡­ ¡°Would you perhaps prefer this one?¡± Someone held out a full pack of cigarettes with one sticking out. She looked at the person who held out the cigarettes and wore a white coat. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Nijun.¡± She hid her slight surprise and asked where the others were. ¡°We are all here. Ikkou and Mitsuaki are right over there.¡± She turned to the left and saw Ikkou and Mitsuaki in their combat outfits and trying to decide what to buy at the vending machine. Yonkichi was in the back of the station building looking at the vacation pamphlets. ¡°Brothers! What about this Tohoku open-air hot spring!?¡± Chao smiled bitterly at his question. ¡°You idiot,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t you have something to do before going on vacation? What about Sayama and the others?¡± ¡°Testament. They should be very busy.¡± She heard the answer, but she could no longer tell who it was who had spoken. Not that it matters, she thought. ¡­They probably will be busy dealing with the other Gears and the remnants of the Army. She could not help them. But, she remembered. ¡­You were the same, weren¡¯t you? Sayama, Thunderson, Ooshiro, and Kinugasa. Those children can¡¯t do anything to help us with our days of stupid fun. This is the same. We had our fun back then and I¡¯m sure those children will have their own fun now. ¡°How about we take a vacation?¡± Chao¡¯s bitter smile grew as she spoke in Yonkichi¡¯s general direction. ¡°Long ago, Professor Kinugasa took us on a vacation. That was before I made you four. ¡­We went deep in the mountains near Mt. Ikoma in Kansai. Hiba fell from a cliff and Siegfried burned down our cabin with one of his spells.¡± That was so much fun. ¡°Yes, it really was fun.¡± Suddenly¡­ ¡°We¡­don¡¯t have to go on a vacation,¡± said Yonkichi. ¡°We can if you want, but things are plenty fun as they are.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± she answered with a reserved nod. She only gave that small nod to the answer she had wanted to hear more than anything else, but then she spoke from her heart. ¡°Thank you.¡± Her vision grew white. Was it the fluorescent light on the ceiling? Or¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Her lips mouthed something. She did not know who she was speaking to, she made no sound, and it only took the form of motion. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± A small tremor ran through her body. Her final heartbeat had sounded. In the fluorescent light of Okutama Station¡¯s waiting room, Diana stood behind a wooden bench. Chao¡¯s small and unmoving form sat in front of her. A blue and a black sphere floated to Chao¡¯s left and a red and a white one to her right. Her right hand was still inside her white coat¡¯s pocket. Diana¡¯s paper bird had sent the four spheres over to the woman just as she had reached into her pocket for a cigarette and stopped moving. After that, Diana had left it all to the spheres and turned her back so as not to intrude. Chao had stopped moving, but she seemed to be saying something. Once that too came to an end, Diana turned to face her back again. Diana leaned forward a little. ¡°Thank you.¡± She took a breath. ¡°We will now go do what we must, given the truth we know.¡± Diana walked to Chao¡¯s side. She stirred up a gentle wind as she stood next to the woman, crouched down, and took her still-warm hand. She helped the woman grasp the cigarette and put it in her mouth. At that point, Diana noticed the slight smile formed by Chao¡¯s closed eyes. The woman gave a satisfied smile with the cigarette in her mouth. ¡°¡­¡± Diana forced a slight smile of her own. She heard rushing footsteps on a distant road. They likely belonged to Team Leviathan and their comrades. Diana wiped at the corners of her eyes as she listened to those footsteps. She briefly hung her head before returning her twisted expression to her usual smile. ¡°Doctor Chao.¡± Diana looked up to the ceiling and spoke into the white light there. ¡°You had fun, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Give me a good answer.¡± Volume 11, Afterword Volume 11, Afterword And here is Owari no Chronicle 5-B. So, how should I put this? Um, let¡¯s stop talking about the physical issues. They say a relationship won¡¯t last if you focus on appearances too much. ¡­.You need constant change! Anyway, I was only able to come this far and ignore certain limits thanks to all of you. Thank you so much. This is the beginning of the end for Owari no Chronicle, so I think I will give this my all along with the characters. And with that, it¡¯s time for the thoughtful chat. ¡°Did you read it?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the manuscript?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t give it to you.¡± ¡°Then I can¡¯t read it! And what¡¯s the point of this afterword interview!?¡± ¡°Wait, wait. Hold on just a second, dammit. What do you mean ¡®interview¡¯? Answer me.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? This is the victory interview. Y¡¯know, like in baseball. Oh, check on TV. Kiyohara is giving the most horrifying glare to the pitcher who hit him. Oh, there he goes. The Banchou sure is scary.¡± ¡°I feel like you¡¯re wasting precious afterword space at a frightening rate.¡± ¡°Then give me the manuscript. And some money please!¡± ¡°Saying it in English just makes you sound obsequious. Besides, you wouldn¡¯t read it even if I gave you the manuscript.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pout, you idiot. Listen. Giving it to me and having me not read it is half the fun!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s always interesting talking to the kind of person who digs through my games and starts playing them without asking.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t actually playing them. I was pulling the cartridge out with the power on over and over to kill all of your saved data. It didn¡¯t work well though, so I must have lost my touch.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better give me a list of the ones you did that to. When I played Wiz the other day, all the characters were gone. There was supposed to be a naked ninja decapitated on the floor of the tenth basement, but I guess I¡¯ll have to get by without that one.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Now you¡¯re the one wasting space.¡± I kind of think so, too. My background music this time was Growing Wing from the game Nights into Dreams. Anyone who has played it to the final stage should understand the meaning of the song, but you might be able to understand from secondhand information since the game is a dream story. Anyway. ¡°Who is looking farthest ahead?¡± I¡¯ll leave it with that. Now then, now then. Things will be quickly moving forward next time. May 2005. The morning after an interleague game. -Kawakami Minoru Volume 12, Prologue: Beginning of the Festival Volume 12, Prologue: Beginning of the Festival It begins in a dark place But in a lively manner So people overlook it The winter sky grew dark as evening approached. Below that sky was a large expanse of land. Roads ran across it, woods and roadside trees grew on it, and it was divided up by white buildings and lawns lit by the setting sun. It was a school, but this school was as large as a city. That school was decorated with countless colors. All of the school buildings were covered in colorful hanging banners that said ¡°2005 Year End Festival¡±. School would have ended by this time, but the windows into the classrooms were still bright and the desks and chairs inside were being used to make cafes or theatres. Several stages were set up in the large schoolyard and countless booths lined the roads. The booths made all sorts of different sounds and some were turning on electric lights for the night. Someone looked out over those countless colors and sounds. The person had climbed to the second floor landing of the emergency staircase on a school building on the north end of the schoolyard. The student council¡¯s festival stand was being built on that landing. The one who had arrived up the emergency staircase was a boy with sharp eyes. He held a bucket of plaster and a small animal resembling a boar sat on his head. As he climbed the stairs, he looked across the schoolyard and let out a white breath. ¡°So the year end festival has begun without issue. Today is December 20. Seeing as the negative concept activation could destroy the world in five more days, this truly is the final festival.¡± ¡°Sayama-kun, I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a good or bad omen.¡± That sighing comment came from a uniformed figure with long-hair who sat at the top of the stairs waiting for the boy. She had a gray laptop on her lap and she was checking through the contents of the binder next to her. ¡°Have you gathered your things for going to Kansai?¡± ¡°Not to worry, Shinjou-kun. I do not own much in the first place. After we stop by the Tamiya house, I will still have plenty of time to gather everyone for a meeting before leaving. More importantly¡­¡± Sayama set down the bucket and looked to the festival stand being constructed on the landing. A girl in a track suit was working on it. The track suit had the name Kazami stitched into it and she turned around with a hammer in hand. Her gaze asked him what he wanted and he looked back and forth between her and the stand. ¡°Are you sure you do not need any help on the student council¡¯s consultation stand?¡± ¡°Hm? No, we can handle it. Kaku has other business too, but Harakawa¡¯s here. The two of us can handle it.¡± Hiba quickly stood from the other side of the stand and frantically spoke up. ¡°I-I¡¯m here too? You can handle it with me too!?¡± ¡°Why is that a question?¡± ¡°And you¡¯re really just in charge of getting drinks.¡± ¡°Wow, these upperclassmen are a whole new kind of mean!!¡± Hiba shouted back in anger and Harakawa¡¯s gloved hand poked out from behind the stand. The hand patted Hiba on the back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Hiba Ryuuji. Paying attention to them will only drive you insane.¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re right, Harakawa-san! They¡¯re the crazy ones! I¡¯m perfectly normal, right!?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± Hiba leaned on the emergency exit railing and began staring into the sunset, but Harakawa ignored him and stood up. He looked annoyed. ¡°Don¡¯t you two have business at the Tamiya house? Get going.¡± ¡°We will be going very soon. Harakawa, Hiba boy, we will be having a meeting in the Kinugasa Library afterwards, so do not forget Heo-kun and Mikage-kun.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± assured Harakawa before reaching for the front panel leaning against the back wall. ¡°But thinking up a countermeasure against Top-Gear really is a pain.¡± He took a breath. ¡°I¡¯m sure Japanese UCAT is trying to hide it, but American UCAT has heard that we were sent blood samples from Toda Mikoku and Nagata Tatsumi of Top-Gear. And that the tests confirm they¡¯re the ¡®female version¡¯ of you and Hiba.¡± Sayama nodded. After a pause, so did the others. As Harakawa had said, those samples had suddenly arrived by mail the other day and that had finally pushed the Gear reservations and other UCATs to action. Top-Gear really was the opposite equivalent of Low-Gear. As they thought about that fact and the fact that they had been sent the blood, someone spoke. It was Shinjou. And she suddenly lowered her shoulders as she did. ¡°This really is a pain. ¡­Those samples had to have been a message from Top-Gear signed in blood. They were saying none of this is over.¡± Kazami nodded in agreement with Shinjou. She inhaled some of the cold air of that winter evening and lowered her shoulders too. ¡°You¡¯re right about it being a pain. But that¡¯s why we have to do something. If we don¡¯t look into the past and figure out what¡¯s true, we¡¯ll have no choice but to go along with whatever Top-Gear says.¡± This had all started a month and a half ago. The Army¡¯s attack had destroyed most of Japanese UCAT and revealed the existence of Top-Gear. The Army had been defeated and many of its members, including Hajji and Jord, had been captured, but Toda Mikoku, the other Top-Gear survivors, and about fifty others had escaped. Team Leviathan had never heard of Top-Gear, but it was a problem that Japanese UCAT had been hiding the existence of a highest Gear and hiding its destruction. For one¡­ ¡­First, the Gear reservations have shut us out as they try to decide if they should accept the Leviathan Road when it was carried out with so much hidden. And for another¡­ ¡­The foreign UCATs are trying to place all responsibility on Japanese UCAT. All movement from the Gear reservations had vanished, but the foreign UCATs had not fallen in step. Japanese UCAT had been forced to recover while receiving the protection of American UCAT. Team Leviathan had prepared for the school¡¯s year end festival at the same time and this was the day the festival began. But¡­ ¡­The foreign UCATs called Ooshiro-san and the others to a meeting three days ago. Ooshiro, Diana, and Roger would apparently be going to an American UCAT underground meeting room in Yokosuka to explain the current incident and to explain everything about Top-Gear. The meeting began this night and the activation of the negative concepts was approaching fast as well. ¡°Apparently, the foreign UCATs are furious. But Sayama and Shinjou, you two are leaving tonight so you can use this chance to complete the Leviathan Road with 8th-Gear and look into Shinjou¡¯s mother¡¯s past in Sakai, aren¡¯t you?¡± Shinjou nodded at Kazami¡¯s question. Shinjou must have been interested in the nearly-complete festival stand because she watched Harakawa attach the front panel as she replied. ¡°I wanted to go a lot earlier. It¡¯s an overnight trip, after all. But Roger-san asked us to wait until he could secure a safe route using American UCAT¡¯s special division.¡± ¡°True,¡± said Sayama. ¡°And besides, if the other UCATs knew before the meeting that we were contacting 8th, they would use it to attack us even more. Also, 8th¡¯s Concept Core is in Izumo UCAT, but 3rd-Gear¡¯s automatons and Miyako-kun have borrowed the third basement on down and refuse to let anyone else in. With Miyako-kun there, I am not worried, but we may have to negotiate with 3rd again.¡± ¡°Right,¡± agreed Shinjou. Kazami looked a bit worried, so Shinjou smiled at her. ¡°Well, it¡¯s probably a good thing the meeting is happening now, since we only have five days until the world is destroyed. We can start tomorrow morning after confirming that Ooshiro-san and the others have finished persuading the other UCATs.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Kazami with a nod. Her eyebrows were slightly lowered in resignation, but she was convinced. She then looked to Shinjou. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª?¡± Curiosity filled her gaze. She used the hand not holding the hammer to point at the laptop Shinjou was typing on. It was likely unrelated, but she decided this was her only chance to ask. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve been wondering¡­ What is that?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh.¡± Shinjou was clearly unsure if she should tell her, but after a pause, she blushed and gave a troubled smile. ¡°A novel I¡¯m writing for fun. Did I never tell you about it?¡± Realizing why Shinjou was blushing, Kazami smiled bitterly but shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t be so embarrassed. Have you forgotten I write my own songs? You get used to it.¡± ¡°D-do you?¡± ¡°You do,¡± assured Kazami. ¡°Are you going to sell it at the festival? The library committee is having a doujinshi sale.¡± ¡°They are?¡± ¡°They are.¡± Kazami smiled. ¡°There are some about you two.¡± ¡°Wh-what kind of doujinshi!?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Shinjou-kun, I gave them permission to use our likenesses. They are selling a compilation of the newspaper club¡¯s serialized novel ¡®When You Can Hold Back No Longer¡¯ as well as quite a few fan-works. ¡­Doesn¡¯t it seem like the people are supporting my reign?¡± ¡°Well, um,¡± Shinjou started to say something and hung her head. ¡°Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so bad if the world was destroyed.¡± ¡°Now, now, Shinjou-kun. You must not be so negative. ¡­Should I cheer you up?¡± ¡°No, thanks.¡± Sayama briefly stiffened at her rejection, but after a while, he hung his head, averted his gaze, and looked outwards along with Baku. ¡°You have been so cold lately, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you get so fired up over the weirdest things!!¡± ¡°Calm down, calm down.¡± He crossed his arms and looked across Kazami, Hiba, and Harakawa, who was reaching out for someone to hand him the next part for the stand. ¡°Whatever happens, the negative concept activation is in five more days. The other UCATs, the reclusive Gear reservations, and Top-Gear will all make their moves. ¡­And you know what we must do, don¡¯t you?¡± Kazami was the one to answer him. She reached for one of the stand¡¯s supporting beams leaning against the wall and handed it to Harakawa. ¡°That¡¯s simple. If any Gears reject the Leviathan Road because it was carried out with Top-Gear¡¯s existence hidden, we have to restrain them.¡± ¡°Do you think any Gears will do that?¡± ¡°If they don¡¯t do anything after holing up for so long, they¡¯ve only wasted their time. A few of them are sure to step forward. ¡­We¡¯ll beat them down, so you two go investigate the past. Got it?¡± She looked to Shinjou. ¡°You¡¯re the only ones who can look into Shinjou Yukio¡¯s past, right?¡± Shinjou exhaled before answering Kazami. ¡°Right.¡± She nodded with her eyebrows slightly lifted. She understood what Kazami meant. Shinjou Yukio was her mother and she was said to have betrayed Low-Gear and defected to Top-Gear. ¡°My mom was researching a concept creation theory and she had to have had something to do with the negative concept activation that destroyed Top-Gear, so if we learn more about her, we can approach the truth of Top-Gear¡¯s destruction.¡± She looked around and saw the others with their eyebrows a little lowered. They¡¯re trying to be considerate, she happily noted. Sorry, she added. ¡°You don¡¯t have to give me that look. I don¡¯t think my mom was a bad person.¡± Wanting to change the subject, she set down her laptop and stood. She approached the nearly-built festival stand she had been curious about. ¡°To sum up, Team Leviathan will be using truth as a weapon against Top-Gear. We¡¯ll look into what our parents did, look at the past from the proper viewpoint, get rid of any lies, correct what needs correcting, and stand on equal footing with Top-Gear.¡± When she finished, Sayama gave some light applause and smiled. ¡°An excellent answer, Shinjou-kun. You understand exactly what we want.¡± ¡°Heh heh.¡± She laughed happily before hearing Sayama speaking from quite close by. ¡°Yes, yes.¡± He started with two deep nods. ¡°I too must use my last resort.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s calm down.¡± She did her best to smile and he suddenly turned toward her. ¡°Calm down? Are you panicking over something, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°I was more directing that at you. And¡­what is your last resort?¡± The others also looked concerned and were clearly wondering what this idiot was talking about now. But Sayama spoke as if he had not noticed. He spoke in his usual, dangerous tone of voice. ¡°Well, you see, I have an absolute method of stopping Top-Gear no matter what kind of righteousness they claim.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± He was saying he had a way to ensure victory against someone, no matter how right they were. But¡­ ¡°Wait a minute. Low-Gear was the one to destroy Top-Gear, so can we really do something like that?¡± ¡°We can, although it will require treading on some thin ice. ¡­But to get it all started, how about you take a look at this festival stand?¡± She had no idea how the stand could be involved, but if Sayama said it was, it had to be. She turned to look at it. ¡°Sayama-kun? I¡¯ve been wondering. What is this strange stand?¡± She gave it another look. The stand formed a sealed wooden box with three holes in the front. The holes were just above waist height, the central one was large enough for a face to fit, and the two on either side were large enough for a hand each. ¡°It looks like the bottom of a guillotine.¡± She tried sticking her head and hands in and found it was dark inside. She could see Hiba and Harakawa reinforcing the inside and she saw Kazami enter from the side. She noticed a surface for writing near her hand. She wondered what it was and heard Sayama speaking. ¡°This is the student council¡¯s consultation stand. Someone might wish to consult us with something confidential, so they stick their head and hands inside so they can privately write and consult with us.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­And what is this?¡± Suddenly, she heard a quiet metallic sound coming from her waist which stuck out from the stand. She also felt the cold air reaching her from the waist down, so she realized what was happening to her. ¡°W-wait, Sayama-kun! Why are you removing my belt and pulling down my pants!? Th-this has nothing to do with that last resort you were talking about!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Of course it does.¡± ¡°Just so I know, how is it connected?¡± He answered nonchalantly. ¡°If I am to do anything, I must be filled with excitement.¡± ¡°You¡¯re horrible!¡± Meanwhile, she felt cloth being peeled away and more skin being exposed to the air. ¡°Wah!¡± She tried to pull herself out, but her head and hands were stuck in the holes. ¡°Ah! Wait, Sayama-kun! I-I can¡¯t get out!¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun. ¡­If you wiggle around like that, your butt will change shape and all my work to make a plaster cast will be for naught.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the plaster was for!? And why are you trying to make a mold of my butt!? K-Kazami-san, stop him!¡± Kazami and the others glanced her way but immediately resumed working on the stand. ¡°Well, it¡¯s just their usual flirting.¡± ¡°Harakawa-san, is there something wrong with me if this feels a little dirty to me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask about the obvious, Hiba Ryuuji.¡± Wow, they¡¯re horrible too, thought Shinjou just as Sayama reached for her underwear. ¡°Calm down, Shinjou-kun. We are about to leave on an important trip. It is only natural to celebrate the occasion by making a mold. Now, I will start by rubbing butter on your butt.¡± ¡°Please use your brain before you speak!¡± She tried to kick back at him, but she could not with her pants around her knees. ¡°Ah, darn. I-I can¡¯t kick right.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha,¡± laughed Sayama. ¡°It would seem a one-legged kick is impossible. Just so you know, your embarrassed butt is quite cute, Shinjou-kun.¡± She found she could kick if she used both legs at once, so she did so. She felt the blow land and heard something tumbling down the stairs beyond the stand¡¯s wall. Shinjou took a breath, rested her head on her hand inside the stand, and sighed. ¡°Honestly, what am I supposed to do with him?¡± ¡°Just be glad everything¡¯s the same as always.¡± She glared at Kazami for that comment and the other girl smiled bitterly. ¡°Don¡¯t get mad. I¡¯m actually kind of jealous.¡± ¡°Hm? ¡­Why?¡± Kazami shrugged. ¡°Kaku would have been here, but he was called out.¡± ¡°By who?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Kazami looked up at the stand¡¯s ceiling. ¡°Boldman.¡± That name belonged to the man who could be called 6th-Gear¡¯s representative, so they all stopped moving. Kazami scratched her head and faced her again. ¡°Sounds pretty dangerous, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Something reverberated through the air. It was not just a sound. The sound was only a portion of it. Wind, motion, presences, shadows, and strength all formed a great harmony of reverberation. And that reverberation shook something. That something was a school lit by the setting sun. The schoolyard and courtyards were empty. However, two people stood at the leading edge of all those reverberations. The school had been transformed into a space of reverberation. The two people jumped high into the sky, leaped from rooftop to rooftop, jumped down to the ground once more, and even ran up the walls using the windowsills as footholds. When their paths intersected, a great metallic crash raced out. When they moved apart, wind wrapped around them. Their movements produced reverberations. That abandoned space had become a battlefield of reverberations. One of the two dropped to a courtyard between buildings. He was a well-built boy. He wore a white shirt and gray school pants. His hands wielded a large white sword as tall as he was. He sank down as he landed and several pieces of paper floated around his waist and legs. The papers had patterns written on them and they bent or stretched to receive the shock of his hard landing. ¡°!¡± A few of them burst. The tearing of paper added to the reverberating battlefield. But the boy smiled at the loss of the papers. ¡°Okay. Those do a great job of absorbing the shock. Doctor Chao and the four brothers left us a great parting gift.¡± He gathered so much strength in his crouched legs that the thighs of his pants swelled out from within. He was preparing to run. At the same time, green words appeared on the white sword¡¯s console. ¡°Can you keep going, Izumo?¡± ¡°And then some!¡± With that expression of confidence, he bared his teeth in a smile and looked up into the sky. A moment later, something fell right in front of him. It was the other person creating this battlefield. Izumo called out the man¡¯s name. ¡°C¡¯mon, Boldman!¡± His words were soon followed by a great reverberation of destruction. Volume 12, 1: Forced Reprimand Volume 12, Chapter 1: Forced Reprimand The path you saw before you Has blurred into several paths ¡ªThose who do not resist because they claim they cannot resist are merely stopping themselves. You may cry out But your mistakes will not overlook you After Izumo landed in the courtyard, Boldman¡¯s attack struck him from the sky above. A great sound of destruction was accompanied by a flash of lightning from the heavens. The light struck Izumo¡¯s previous position, but first a wave ran through the gravel covering the ground. That gravel instantly spread out in a circle in a wave measuring around a dozen centimeters tall. The ripple-like wave cleared an area with a diameter of twenty meters, but it did not end there. The ground revealed below the gravel exploded. A great roar filled the air and shot into the sky. Like an echo of the earth, dirt was thrown into the sky, creating a twenty meter crater. It all flew upwards. Stone, dirt, asphalt from a building¡¯s foundation, and pieces of the crust were all blasted into the sky. The following shockwave shook the courtyard and sky even further. That silent shock first created a spherical explosion of water vapor in the center of the crater. Next, it destroyed that sphere from the inside and expanded. The shockwave pushed everything in the air and sent it flying a second time. The shockwave hit the school buildings to the north and south and their walls looked like someone had taken a thick chisel to them. The power pouring into the school buildings instantly blasted out the contents of the classrooms, broke through the walls, and obeyed the laws of physics by leaving through the other side of the buildings. The contents of the southern building broke through all of its southern windows with a spray of shattered glass and the same happened with the northern building¡¯s northern windows. Once the explosions settled down, all that remained were a great vacuum sucking in the air and the one who had caused the initial impact. That attacker had struck the ground with a massive hammer. He was a well-built man with dark skin and a bald head. He was currently shirtless. His name was Boldman. He wore an orange outfit resembling a Japanese hakama and steam rose from his body. However, he was looking to the hammer he held in both hands. The large white striking weapon had a pointed front and back. It was powerful, but he was more concerned with the space between the crust it had struck and himself. ¡°There¡¯s nothing there?¡± Two reverberating sounds answered his low question. One was the pieces of the crust raining down from the sky. And the other¡­ ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you go all out, Bald Man. Is that Vima, 6th-Gear¡¯s Cowling Hammer?¡± ¡°It is. Are you also going all out, Izumo?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The answer came from the roof of the southern school building that had been half-destroyed by the shockwave. Izumo was there, catching the falling earth on his raised white sword. He sat half-crouched on the chain-link fence surrounding the rooftop and he smiled at the man on the ground. ¡°I am going all out, Bald Man. Oh, whoops. I used your true name. Sorry, Boldman.¡± Boldman spun around and struck the southern building. The tip of the hammer dug into the wall and light fell from the sky. ¡°Let¡¯s settle this! Let¡¯s redo the despair from sixty years ago and the showdown from two years ago!!¡± The school building was smashed. It did not crumble and it did not collapse. That single strike sent the entire building to the south as if equal force had struck every part of the entire structure. The glass, building materials, floor panels, desks, chairs, blackboards, and everything else flew south. They all turned to rubble and scattered everywhere. With the building gone, the setting sun shined through. There were more school buildings to the south, but the one destroyed building created a large opening around the courtyard. The reverberation of an explosion spread through the twilit ground. And Izumo jumped above that ground. He held V-Sw under his left arm, pulled some physical reinforcement charms from his pocket, and flipped through them like cash. ¡°Do you want V-Sw so badly you¡¯re willing to interfere with our festival preparations!?¡± ¡°Of course I do!¡± Boldman ran to Izumo¡¯s landing spot with Vima held low. His eyebrows were raised and he clenched his teeth. ¡°This is what 6th-Gear¡¯s reservation decided. We know the truth and crimes of Low-Gear thanks to the Army¡¯s attack a month and a half ago, so 6th-Gear has decided to redo our negotiation from two years ago.¡± ¡°And so you¡¯re going to fight just like two years ago? To be polite, isn¡¯t that jumping the gun a little?¡± ¡°But Low-Gear negotiated with us while hiding the important factor of Top-Gear!!¡± Boldman shouted at the boy as if to say he could never forgive them. He gathered strength in his shoulders and his muscles swelled out. ¡°Ever since the Army¡¯s attack, the other UCATs have been pressing Japanese UCAT to take responsibility for their actions, so Japanese UCAT can barely function! That effectively invalidates the Leviathan Road!¡± ¡°And so you want another chance?¡± shouted Izumo while preparing to land. ¡°What a petty bald man!!¡± ¡°You are looking at this like a child!!¡± Boldman swung his hammer up toward Izumo. Izumo reacted by activating acceleration charms in the air around his shoulders. The physical burden of the charms was too much for a normal person to use them in quick succession, but Izumo¡¯s defensive divine protection shielded him from all things. The charms activated. Several of them were torn to shreds as he swung V-Sw down at the hammer. The white sword and white hammer collided and light burst out. Lightning shot down from the sky. ¡°Tear into him, hammer!!¡± A shockwave flew from the tip of the hammer. That power would apply a striking blow to everything it touched. But Izumo continued swinging V-Sw regardless. He swung it straight down. ¡°Oh.¡± The shockwave of striking force raced from the hammer, but the white sword sliced right through the hammer¡¯s power. The great strike split and spread to the left and right of them. It surged outward. For several hundred meters around them, the ground was torn apart and blasted into the air. Boldman used all his strength to move along the remaining strip of land in the middle. Izumo also moved forward with charms scattering behind him. The two of them clashed on that straight line of footing. ¡°Ohhh!!¡± Light raced, sound flew, sparks scattered, and every direction was struck or cut. The land, air, light, shadow, and everything else became a target of their two different types of attack. Slicing the shadow allowed the setting sun to shine in and striking that scarlet light scattered it until it vanished. Boldman swung his hammer with heat surrounding his entire body. ¡°The basic assumptions of the conclusion and treaty from two years ago were wrong! Low-Gear wasn¡¯t our protector or our helper! You were nothing but criminals pretending to be those things!!¡± The striking force of the hammer tore into V-Sw¡¯s cowling. ¡°We will not give into criminals! You need to return to the negotiating table in your proper place as criminals!¡± ¡°So¡­ So we¡¯re supposed to redo the battle from two years ago!?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± roared Boldman. ¡°Do you have any idea what all of the reservations are thinking as we shut you out!? If doing nothing means being forced into a restricted life by criminals, we would be better off once more pleading our case as victims of war!¡± ¡°Do you understand?¡± asked Boldman as he struck. He pushed Izumo back, struck again and again, and felt the impacts in his own body. ¡­If only the Army had never attacked. ¡°Sixty years ago, we were destroyed by Low-Gear and many of our people chose to obey you. They had nowhere else to live in this world and they thought avoiding war would be best. ¡­And starting a new war could have destroyed this world and killed the ignorant people living here.¡± But¡­ ¡°You hid the presence of an even better world! And you hid that you destroyed that world! ¡­If we had only known!¡± Ever since the battle two years before, all of 6th-Gear had either chosen a normal life in Low-Gear or moved to the reservation. They were similar to the world¡¯s people, but they were still different. Boldman had been born in the United States, had fought in a few wars, and had finally learned the truth from his mother¡¯s will. He had learned he was a descendant of 6th-Gear¡¯s representative and that there were others from that world. He had started to feel his nation¡¯s wars were meaningless, so he had quit the military and sought out the others. ¡­And those others wished for a fight on a larger scale than a nation! The aged and the weak children could not endure Low-Gear¡¯s air. They could always go to UCAT¡¯s reservation, but that meant joining Low-Gear. As time went on, their blood and culture would mix together until every last trace of their world had vanished. But Boldman had a powerful body, experience in war, and the proper bloodline. He had wanted to remain as true to 6th-Gear as possible and his position had made him a reliable power among the group that became known as rebels. There, he had fought. ¡­And that leads to two years ago! Two years before, they had learned the weapon containing 6th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core was being transported and they had worked with some 10th-Gear remnants to take it. They had been thwarted and lost a few of their people. They had finally given up after the destruction of a prototype Vritra that they had released in a suicide attack. That mass of pure destruction had been destroyed by¡­ ¡­G-Sp and V-Sw. 6th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core had accepted someone of Low-Gear as its master. After that, 6th-Gear had chosen to obey Low-Gear as well. ¡­We had no complaints after that. If V-Sw had chosen to save this world, it was their duty to help. ¡­But¡­ But, he thought as he attacked again and again to push Izumo back. What if their basic assumptions about UCAT had been wrong? In that case, V-Sw was being used to protect criminals. ¡­And we were used while being kept in the dark! Some of the others from 6th-Gear had died in their work for UCAT. How was he supposed to explain their deaths now? How was he supposed to console their families? ¡°If¡­ If we had known the truth, we wouldn¡¯t have stopped fighting two years ago!¡± After all¡­ ¡°Desiring destruction over capture by criminals is the spirit of 6th-Gear! I don¡¯t want to see our world¡¯s concepts used to protect criminals!¡± He swung down his hammer. It flew straight toward Izumo¡¯s face. But it was not a sound of impact that reached his ears. It was a voice. Izumo¡¯s voice reached him as if welling up from the ground. ¡°Shut up!!¡± A slash accompanied the voice. ¡°Enough ¡®ifs¡¯ and ¡®thens¡¯, you stubborn bald man!! Besides¡­¡± With a metallic clang, the hammer was deflected upwards. ¡°This is all too confusing for me to understand, you idiot! Just give it up!!¡± Boldman saw Izumo slip below the deflected hammer and toward him. The sharp look in the boy¡¯s eyes was enough for Boldman¡¯s combat experience to sense danger. However, it was too late. A dangerous reverberation was added to the battlefield. A series of metallic sounds raced through the remaining strip of land. Izumo had begun a barrage of attacks. Boldman held his hammer close and made compact strikes to defend and intercept. He could hold the hammer near the top of the handle, but Izumo could not do the same with V-Sw. A large sword could only be used for wide swings. But Izumo attacked swiftly regardless. He sent more and more attacks from above or from the sides. Boldman deflected the sword and immediately attempted some short range strikes of his own, but¡­ ¡°!?¡± Somehow, the white blade immediately shot toward him again. He had no choice but to use his counterattack to defend. Again, Izumo¡¯s attack reached him. The boy attacked quickly. His attacks had been matching Boldman¡¯s speed when he had been holding further down on the handle. But Izumo had increased his sword¡¯s speed even though he could only make wide swings. How he did this was simple. He had shifted V-Sw to its second form and used the back of the cowling for acceleration. Also¡­ ¡°Are you using charms to help swing your arms back into position!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Now have another!!¡± As he answered, Izumo sent out his sword and produced a metallic sound. Just as Boldman had said, he had several charms expanded on the back of his upper arms. By not using the charms when he attacked, he cut in half the time spent sending out the charms and he lessened the burden on his body. He let V-Sw handle the acceleration, but the sword¡¯s and his thoughts were linked. The large white blade would powerfully strike their enemy just as he wanted. So he did not hesitate to attack. ¡°Oh!¡± He moved forward along with his barrage. He pushed the hammer back when it shot toward him and he pushed the taller man toward the ground. ¡°Ohh!!¡± He took one step forward, then another, and then a third. ¡°Ohhh!!!¡± There was no stopping him now. Boldman was leaning back and stepping back, so he could not stop the boy. Izumo ran. ¡°Really, this is just pathetic!¡± ¡°What is, bearer of this world¡¯s crimes!?¡± ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t try to run away just because things are getting inconvenient for you!!¡± ¡°This is called defiance! And¡­ 6th-Gear must use this battle to prove to the other Gears that we did not know of your crimes!¡± Boldman glared back at Izumo through the sparks. ¡°Low-Gear will soon be questioned or attacked by the other Gears! You will also be questioned by the other UCATs! And when that happens, we can¡¯t let them think 6th-Gear agreed to any of it! ¡­If you are going to die, don¡¯t drag us into it, lowest world!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t trick me!¡± shouted Izumo. ¡°Only awful bald men lie about what they¡¯ve done! I have plenty of hair, so I would never do that! Besides, Chisato¡¯s in Low-Gear!¡± ¡°Are you going to die with this world for a girl!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from someone who tried to die with 6th-Gear two years ago!¡± Izumo gathered strength in his shoulders and pressed V-Sw¡¯s acceleration button. ¡°And it wouldn¡¯t just be the two of us who died! The plans for our future and our family would die with us! ¡­They¡¯re all here in my head and I¡¯ve even gotten my own permission for all of it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s nothing but your own delusions!!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of getting permission for a delusion!?¡± He took in a breath and swung his body forward. ¡°You bald man!!¡± He drove the sword forward. Boldman swung his hammer to intercept it. At this point, it was more like an equivalent attack than a simple interception. Izumo did not hesitate to accelerate the sword. Instead of relying only on V-Sw, he sent acceleration charms across his entire body. Speed filled his body and he surpassed the hammer¡¯s approaching speed. The sword strike was going to reach its target and became a cut. But just before that happened, Izumo did one simple thing. ¡°Here.¡± He forcibly slowed down and let go of V-Sw. And it continued straight toward Boldman. At first, Boldman was unable to react to the scene before him. Something in his heart raised the alarm and his reflexes lessened the strength in his hands before his thoughts could catch up. He felt the force of Vima¡¯s grip leaving his hands. The hammer flew off somewhere and he lost his weapon. But even at that point, he had not made sense of what he saw before him. He held his now-empty hands forward and felt a weight enter them. That weight was a large blade. It was a giant sword surrounded in a white Cowling. ¡­6th-Gear¡¯s¡­ The Concept Core was sealed inside. He had desired this two years before. He had given up on this two years before. This was what they were meant to bear. ¡­And it is what I am meant to bear as 6th-Gear¡¯s representative. Briefly, he recalled the people who had fought alongside him two years before. What would they have done had it entered their grasp back then? But¡­ ¡°¡­!?¡± It was heavy. Izumo had been swinging it around like nothing, but it weighed down on his arms. ¡°What!?¡± He was strong enough to swing his hammer as he pleased and he had the greatest physical strength of the 6th-Gear survivors, but he could not bear the weight of this sword. His arms bent downwards and threatened to break. As he tried to bear it, his back threatened to bend at the waist. ¡­What is this? ¡°The will of 6th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core still thinks of me as its master.¡± He heard a voice from directly ahead. Izumo stood in front of him as he lowered his hips and planted his feet firmly on the ground to bear the weight in his arms. The boy wiped sweat from his brow and turned his powerful gaze toward Boldman. ¡°6th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core loves 6th-Gear.¡± ¡°Then why this weight?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± asked Izumo. ¡°Your thoughts end with killing yourselves. It was the same two years ago. And now that things have gotten inconvenient, you¡¯re trying to escape. But does 6th-Gear¡¯s destruction and rebirth say things end with death or that you can escape it so easily?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Two years ago, you were at least trying to die, but now you¡¯re not even doing that. V-Sw might have lent you its power back then to tell you not to die, but it¡¯s never going to give you anything now.¡± Boldman gulped. ¡°So when we tried to make that suicide attack with Vritra, it was V-Sw as well as you that saved us?¡± ¡°Think about it yourself. And just to be clear, it was Chisato that pulled me onward back then.¡± Izumo smiled bitterly. ¡°Chisato and I aren¡¯t going to die with this world. We¡¯ll just smash and fix anything wrong with others or ourselves. That¡¯s why V-Sw will go along with me. ¡­That¡¯s right. With the 6th-Gear way of doing things, there is no running or deceiving.¡± Izumo clenched his fist. He swung that fist, but Boldman heard a single voice and saw some words first. The voice was Izumo¡¯s. ¡°Thanks to the Army, things have gotten pretty exciting.¡± The words were what he saw on V-Sw¡¯s console when he lowered his gaze. The green words glowed and seemed to dance. ¡°Heavy, isn¡¯t it?¡± As soon as he nodded, an impact sent Boldman¡¯s mind into the darkness. Meanwhile, he felt a great weight vanish from his arms. Winter days ended quickly. The afternoon sun moved to the west and set in no time at all. Just before it fully set, its light covered a white building. It had a large parking lot, it stretched out to the east and west, and it had a large cross on it. It was a general hospital. Afternoon examinations were over, so visitors were the only people who would walk in. The evening light filled the lobby through the wide glass entrance. The lobby was quiet. The counter¡¯s curtain was closed and only two people sat on the long waiting room bench. Both of them wore black. The taller one, a man in black pajamas, stared forward while ignoring the woman in a black maid uniform sitting to his left. The maid also stared at the counter¡¯s closed curtain without looking to the man. They exchanged words instead of gazes. The man opened his mouth first. ¡°Sf, I hear Boldman and Izumo fought.¡± ¡°Tes. I believe this is the first reaction to the truth revealed by the Army, Itaru-sama.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Some scorn filled Itaru¡¯s voice. ¡°This is bound to be tough for Team Leviathan. As Low-Gear¡¯s representatives, they will be asked to take responsibility for a truth they weren¡¯t even aware of. ¡­I¡¯m glad to hear they will be having so much trouble.¡± He spat out a breath and corrected his posture to look at the empty counter again. ¡°Well? Diana was here earlier, wasn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Tes. She will be attending the meeting with the foreign UCATs, so she stopped by to greet me.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Itaru nodded and exaggeratedly raised his hands. ¡°Things sure are boring without an awful woman around. Don¡¯t you think, Sf? It¡¯s so refreshing.¡± ¡°Tes. Itaru-sama, as an automaton, I do not understand the idea of ¡®boring¡¯, but I was able to make a statistical prediction using your past comments and I have already taken care of that.¡± Itaru remained facing forward. ¡°What do you mean by that? Did German UCAT give you some kind of entertainment function?¡± ¡°No, German UCAT is a strict organization. There is no room for anything like entertainment.¡± The eyes below Itaru¡¯s sunglasses stared into the distance, but Sf did not notice as she was looking forward. She reached below her apron and pulled out a small metal box with a green button on it. ¡°In case the worst case scenario of ¡®boring¡¯ occurred, I recruited IAI Performance Art Division¡¯s famous Butoh group named ¡®Nerves of Squeal¡¯. They mainly wait above the ceiling and enter the room below while making strange noises in order to calm people¡¯s nerves when they are in a tense situation, such as performing surgery. Or so I hear.¡± ¡°Explain to me why you don¡¯t know that for sure.¡± Meanwhile, a strange voice and a scream came from down the hallway. After the scream, the owner of the strange voice spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Don¡¯t worry! Do not worry a bit! Look, there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of. Hee heh heh heh heh. I¡¯m not letting go now!¡± As the strange voice and scream echoed around them, Sf spoke while still facing forward. ¡°I can now say it for sure. ¡­They jump down from the ceiling and that happens.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to change the subject for my own safety,¡± said Itaru. He lightly adjusted his position in the seat and looked up at the ceiling as if in thought. Someone colored white was looking down at him through a gap in the ceiling panels. As Itaru¡¯s sunglasses met the man¡¯s gaze, his cheeks grew a bit red and he gave a quick wave before slowly vanishing into the darkness. The ceiling panel closed and Itaru finally spoke. ¡°This world has become a terrible place.¡± ¡°Because UCAT defeated the Army? Or because the past lost to the Army?¡± ¡°Neither.¡± Itaru looked up at the closed ceiling. ? ¡°Hajji and the rest of the Army are being held in cells made in the open floor of the fifth and sixth basements, but Tatsumi, Alex, and the other fifty or so of the Army¡¯s main force are still missing. Also¡­¡± ¡°The foreign UCATs have begun protesting the newly revealed past. Some are suggesting shifting to the Army¡¯s way of thinking and others are suggesting stripping Japanese UCAT of all authority.¡± And¡­ ¡°All communications and interaction with the Gear reservations ¨C especially 1st, 6th, and 10th ¨C have been cut off. Parts of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th are also taking covert action.¡± As he listened to Sf, Itaru opened his mouth a bit in what could be called a smile or discontent. ¡°How boring. Every bit of it is completely predictable. You can sum it all up by saying that Japanese UCAT is taking the blame for its selfish actions in the past and present. It¡¯s a target of the Gears¡¯ resentment and the other UCATs¡¯ desire to hold someone responsible. And thus the Leviathan Road is no longer valid.¡± ¡°Itaru-sama, is that what you call ¡®boring¡¯?¡± He adjusted his posture without nodding. He leaned forward, rested his elbow on his lap, placed his chin on that hand, and spoke with annoyance in his voice. ¡°My old man and Roger will have already left for the meeting with the other UCATs. Diana will be arriving after them.¡± ¡°Will they find a solution to the other UCATs¡¯ desire to hold someone responsible?¡± ¡°No. They¡¯ll just be manipulating the meeting. They trust those kids, so they¡¯ll avoid taking any direct action.¡± He added ¡°how boring¡± again, let out a deep breath from his gut, and continued in annoyance. ¡°But the thing about boring situations is that they¡¯re the harbinger of more interesting things to come. So, Sf, if those three are going to delay that meeting¡­¡± ¡°Tes. Are you saying the Gear reservations will make their move just like 6th-Gear?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He let his voice fall to the floor. ¡°But I doubt many of them will act. Once the first few Gears are crushed, the others will realize their place. I¡¯d say only one or two more will do anything.¡± ¡°Tes. And if they are restrained, I believe the Gear reservations will need to rethink their current viewpoint.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Itaru before turning toward Sf. ¡°Which Gears will ask for a rematch? And which ones will ask for a renegotiation? And which ones will make up their own minds after seeing that?¡± ¡°Tes. Diana-sama gave me these to learn that.¡± Sf stood up and pulled a few objects from below her apron. ¡°Origami cranes? And five of them?¡± He quickly noticed one of them was crushed. It looked like it had bent its own wings forward. ¡°This one was crushed as soon as Boldman-sama lost.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Itaru¡¯s questioning eyes observed the cranes and Sf nodded back at him. She then bent her back a little. ¡°Tes. Itaru-sama, the world is moving in an interesting direction, but where are you headed?¡± ¡°Hah. I¡¯m going to seek out the most boring direction, of course.¡± Sf responded expressionlessly to her master¡¯s words. ¡°Tes. I have determined I am fortunate to have a master who does not follow the general trends the masses. And I am sure everyone else will thank you. They are only able to continue in that interesting direction because you are singlehandedly gathering up every boring part of the world.¡± Sf bowed and held the white cranes up into the crimson light reaching them through the lobby entrance. ¡°If you are ever unable to endure the boringness, please rely on me. I do not understand the feeling of ¡®boring¡¯, so I have determined I can take on as much of it as you need.¡± She took a breath. ¡°So tell me what you desire, Itaru-sama. What is it you desire to make the world a more interesting place?¡± Volume 12, 2: First Greeting Volume 12, Chapter 2: First Greeting A close relationship That feels out of reach Is one that¡¯s distance you have misjudged The setting sun shined on a road. The single lane road cut east to west through a residential area. Barely any cars drove down it, the sunlight was already growing purple, and the streetlights were coming on. The sounds of the giant school to the east reached the road. The sounds were of hammers and metal. With those sounds in the distance, two people walked below the spots of light from the streetlights. A boy in a suit and a boy in a school uniform were walking west toward the vanishing purple light. The boy in the suit and the small animal on his head turned to the boy in a uniform. ¡°It has been a while since we visited the Tamiya house, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, it has, Sayama-kun. After the Army¡¯s attack before the school festival, we¡¯ve just been too busy, haven¡¯t we? We¡¯ve spoken with them on the phone or passed them by on the street, though.¡± Shinjou¡¯s lips moved as if counting the days. ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten a talk from Ryouko-san in about a month and a half.¡± ¡°I do not think that is her giving you a talk. That is simply who she is.¡± ¡°Oh? You know a lot about her, Sayama-kun.¡± She gave a teasing glare, but he ignored it and gave a deep nod. ¡°I know more about you than her now, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Shinjou agreed to avoid any trouble, but her eyebrows suddenly lowered. ¡°But are you okay? We¡¯re going to be searching for a lot of different documents at the Tamiya house, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Yes. There should be some things from the past in the unopened room I used to live in with my mother. I want to look through this to prepare for the meeting in the Kinugasa Library before we leave for Kansai tonight.¡± His expression was a bit stiff as he talked about his mother. Once she realized he was not going to say anything more, Shinjou moved in closer to him. ¡°Let¡¯s do our best.¡± Is it my duty to push those words onto him? she wondered. He nodded and looked down at the black binder she held. She gave him a questioning look and he crossed his arms. ¡°Shinjou-kun, can I do anything to help with the novel you are writing?¡± He was diverting the conversation away from the past. She knew that, so she hesitated before shaking her head. ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to help. It¡¯s going really well.¡± She smiled and held the binder closer to her chest. She thought about helping to shift the conversation from the past, but ended up speaking her mind. ¡°It may be inappropriate when we¡¯re all so busy, but I really am putting a lot of work into this. I can¡¯t help but want to write more. Um, I just type away at the laptop I borrowed. Also, um¡­¡± Unsure how to express the excitement in her heart, she tapped her fingers together. ¡°Even during class and when preparing for the festival, I end up thinking about the best way to write the next part of the story.¡± ¡°I see. So things like killing off a character and immediately bringing them back, taking a trip to a hot spring, or starting with the weakest of the enemies?¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s all kind of cheap.¡± ¡°Then none of the characters die, they never go to a hot spring, and the weakest enemy never shows up?¡± ¡°And that¡¯s kind of unexciting.¡± She thought for a while but looked up when she heard hammering. Those distant sounds were coming from the school behind them. The other students were finishing the final preparations for the year end festival, but Sayama and Shinjou were not helping. Shinjou looked to Sayama, but he was as expressionless as ever. ¡­In other words, we should focus on what we need to do. I suppose that¡¯s how it¡¯s always been, she added. So she lightly adjusted her grip on the binder. ¡°Anyway.¡± She looked up at Sayama with a hint of tension in her face. ¡°About the message from Izumo-san when we left the school.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sayama nodded. ¡°It seems a bald man showed up, acted on his misplaced bald anger, and baldly lost. ¡­I wonder if the others know.¡± Gentle music washed over the shelves of products. The soft lights on the low ceiling illuminated the green, red, and blue lined up on the shelves. The shelves contained quite a few publications, but the girls and others reaching for those barely made their way to one area. The shelves there contained cleaning products. A single girl stood in that nearly deserted area while comparing products with a serious look on her face. She had short blonde hair and wore a track suit bearing the name ¡°Heo T¡±. She soon reached out toward the shelves. ¡°I want a toilet cleaner you can just stick in the tank, but should I get the potage kind or the new chili sauce kind?¡± She checked the price, but they were both 197 yen including tax. She turned her serious expression back and forth between them while crouching down in her bike shorts. ¡°I bet Harakawa will be surprised when he flushes and all the water turns yellow or red.¡± When she had bought the glow-in-the-dark version, Harakawa had forced her out of bed once he got home from work that night. He had dragged her to the bathroom and asked her to flush the toilet without turning on the lights. ¡­I never thought it would be that bright. She had only seen it during the day, so it had really surprised her. She had heard it was meant to help you see where to aim at night, but that version was no longer on the shelves. She checked the shelf and saw a ¡°Mapo Tofu¡± and ¡°Return to Your Innocent Days with Milk¡± versions, so she wondered what kind of water they would make. With anticipation warming her heart, she saw legs standing next to her. She looked up at the black leather pants. ¡°Oh, Harakawa. Did you come to get me?¡± ¡°I came to stop you from buying anything weird, Heo Thunderson. ¡­Show me what you¡¯re holding there.¡± She groaned, returned the potage and chili sauce ones to the shelf, and placed a harmless melon soda version in the basket. She stood up, held the basket out to him, and picked up her school sports bag from the floor. She placed the strap over her shoulder and wore it vertically along her back. ¡°Like you said this morning, we get five hundred yen for dinner tonight. How about a nappa cabbage pot with tofu?¡± ¡°Nappa cabbage has gotten expensive. I¡¯ll have something a little more-¡­¡± ¡°You said you weren¡¯t going to do that.¡± Heo smiled bitterly. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re putting all the money you make from UCAT towards my high school, but I¡¯m planning to go to a public school.¡± ¡°Listen, Heo. It¡¯s better to keep your options open. If you do end up going to a public school, you can return the money to me then. And if I don¡¯t treat you right, there are a lot of people who will harass me about it.¡± ¡°Really? But if I can go to a private school¡­¡± Could I go to your school? she thought but did not say. If she did say it, he might reject the idea, so she left it unsaid. He also said nothing. And after a while¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± With the basket in hand, Harakawa wordlessly turned his back and walked toward the food. Heo frantically followed him. She almost felt like he was leaving her behind instead of rejecting her, so she rushed after him. She reached to take the basket from him. ¡°¡­¡± But she stopped. She closed her eyes and swallowed the words she almost uttered. A moment later, she opened her eyes without saying anything and focused on the music coming from the speakers on the ceiling. The music played through a phrase and she walked alongside Harakawa. As it played another phrase, she reached for the opposite handle of the basket. ¡°We can still spend another two hundred yen. Should we check the meat?¡± With that, she grabbed the handle. He turned his sunglasses toward her and nodded. Holding the basket together, they made their way to the meat section but found it was crowded because a sale had started. Heo was unsure what to do, but she heard a sudden sound from her back. It was her cellphone. She had put it in her bag, but she was unable to immediately remove the bag from her back and she tried to reach the zipper without removing it. ¡°U-um¡­huh? Nn, ah. Um!¡± ¡°Why are you shaking your butt and dancing around, Heo Thunderson? Are you sick? You are, aren¡¯t you? Understood. Stay away from me.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s just mean! And more importantly, Harakawa! My phone¡­ U-um, it¡¯s in my bag.¡± He casually reached out and lowered the bag¡¯s front zipper. He reached inside but frowned after about two seconds. ¡°Squish?¡± ¡°¡­Squish?¡± Heo frowned back and saw that he truly was frowning with his hand inside her bag. ¡°Heo Thunderson, did you have something indescribable in your bag?¡± ¡°Eh? No, the only thing in there is the annin tofu from cooking class today. ¡­Wait, how did it spill out!?¡± ¡°What kind of idiot tilts this kind of bag on its side to put it on her back?¡± After thinking for about five seconds, she hung her head and raised a hand. She heard a sigh from above and wondered if he was going to hit her. ¡°You can have three hundred yen. Make some more.¡± Something hard pressed against her forehead. She looked and saw the cellphone in front of her eyes. She took it and looked up at Harakawa. He had removed his bandanna to wipe off his hand and he looked exasperated. ¡°I can use three hundred yen? Are you sure we¡¯ll still be able to afford breakfast tomorrow?¡± ¡°Easily. And the people around us are giving me cold stares, so don¡¯t give such specific comments on the finances we need to live.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± She nodded and then pressed the phone to her ear. ¡°Hello. This is Heo Thunderso- Why are you throwing your bandanna into my bag after wiping your hands on it? Oh, sorry. Um, who is it?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Are you having some trouble? This is Kazami, by the way.¡± ¡°Hm? What is it? Isn¡¯t it still too early for the meeting tonight?¡± ¡°Um, yes,¡± she said hesitantly. After a while, she continued. ¡°It seems Kaku won his battle with Boldman. I¡¯m about to stop by UCAT¡¯s hospital, so you two head back to school on your own. ¡­And be careful.¡± On an evening road, Kazami was riding her mountain bike for the first time in a long while. This had been her primary means of transportation before meeting Izumo. She had felt a little bad when she discovered the dust coating it. She had originally met him because she was riding around on it at night to distract herself from her daily troubles. As she recalled that, she controlled the bike with one hand and spoke into her cellphone. ¡°Kaku only pulled a muscle, so he¡¯s fine. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know the situation here.¡± There was a field to the right of the road and houses to the left. Continuing straight led to an intersection, after which houses filled the right side as well. She heard Harakawa¡¯s voice over the phone. ¡°So the other Gears fell for the Army¡¯s attempts to shake them.¡± He¡¯s a sharp one, thought Kazami. She decided she did not have to go beyond the main point. ¡°More like Boldman might show up, so be careful.¡± There was a short pause that she guessed was him thinking. ¡°Ooki-sensei¡¯s the same as always, though.¡± ¡°She is.¡± Kazami nodded. ¡°That¡¯s because she sees herself as a part of UCAT. Sibyl does too and I¡¯m thankful for it.¡± ¡°Yeah, but there¡¯s a lot to think about here. We need to be on the lookout for other forces.¡± She was curious about what he meant by ¡®there¡¯s a lot to think about¡¯, but she did not get to ask because Heo spoke. ¡°Um, will Sayama and Shinjou be okay?¡± ¡°Those two are never ¡®okay¡¯, so don¡¯t worry.¡± With that, Kazami looked around at the night scenery filled with chilly winter air. The sky above the field to her right was covered in stars. Her gaze stopped on one point of that sky and she frowned. ¡°Either way, all of us and anyone near Team Leviathan and the Concept Cores are in a dangerous position. And the easiest of us to target would probably be Sayama and Shinjou.¡± She took a breath. ¡°I wonder what those two are doing now. Also¡­¡± ¡°Also?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kazami nodded, stopped her mountain bike, and looked into the night sky to her right. ¡°I may have been imagining things, but I could have sworn I saw something odd pass by in the sky. It was a white origami crane.¡± A certain dark hallway was only wide enough for two people to pass each other. The walls were plaster and it had no windows. The only light was on the ceiling at the corner far down the corridor. The wooden floor creaked whenever someone stepped even gently on it. The light showed three people producing those wooden footsteps. The one walking softly in the lead was a woman in a kimono. ¡°This was really a surprise, young master. Not only do you suddenly show up, but you want to open that old room. And with Setsu-chan, too.¡± She turned around with smiling eyes behind her glasses and she looked to a boy in a suit and someone in a school uniform a half step behind. The boy in the suit, Sayama, spoke as he followed the woman. ¡°I just thought it was about time to see it, Ryouko. And one of the reasons I am able to set foot inside is my life with Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Shinjou saw Ryouko face forward again. The woman¡¯s voice reached her from beyond the kimono. The words arrived from the darkness and the back ahead. ¡°Setsu-chan, you found your mother, didn¡¯t you? The sudden question sent a tremor through Shinjou¡¯s back, but she managed to gulp and answer. ¡°Yes. ¡­Her name was Shinjou Yukio.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Ryouko¡¯s back gave a small nod. ¡°Yeah¡­ I had a feeling it was.¡± The woman¡¯s tone of voice prevented Shinjou from saying a word. ¡°Are you listening, Setsu-chan?¡± ¡°Wh-what?¡± Shinjou trembled at the sudden question and Ryouko continued on. ¡°On the west side of Taka-Akita Academy¡¯s schoolyard, there are a bunch of hand sculptures left by some graduates. ¡­Yukio-san¡¯s hand is in there too. Did you know that?¡± ¡°N-no, I¡­didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Shinjou detected a hint of joy in Ryouko¡¯s voice, so¡­ ¡°Thank you, Ryouko-san.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just making up for the past. Like, for example, why I know about that when I¡¯m not even a graduate of Taka-Akita. And¡­¡± She took a breath. ¡°I want to help you out outside of all that.¡± She turned around and sent a smile to the other two. ¡°Let¡¯s go further in. I¡¯ll lead the way. ¡­I happen to know at least a little bit about this.¡± As if to show off her smile, Sayama moved to the side of the hallway. That allowed Shinjou to fully look Ryouko in the eye. Ryouko stopped walking and lowered her eyebrows a little. ¡°Listen, Setsu-chan. A long time ago, I was a terrible girl. I got mad that someone was ignoring me, didn¡¯t try to better myself, and didn¡¯t even pursue the person because my pride and embarrassment wouldn¡¯t let me. And as I hid from the others and resented them¡­¡± She paused. ¡°I lost all of those people.¡± Her tone seemed to thrust this confession of the past onto Shinjou. Shinjou frantically spoke up. ¡°Th-that wasn¡¯t your fault! It was the Great Kansai Earthquake that-¡­¡± ¡°But I regret it. I regret not showing them the best version of me I could. But even that thought came after the resentment.¡± She smiled bitterly. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Asagi-san, Yume-san, and I could have continued our family-like relationship if Yukio-san had never shown up.¡± Shinjou felt a certain meaning in the words Ryouko kept throwing out at her. The relationships seen in those words indicated a certain fact. ¡°Um¡­¡± She hesitated and glanced over at Sayama¡¯s back. ¡°What kind of relationship did my mother have with Sayama-kun¡¯s father and the others?¡± She chose her words carefully and tried not to settle on an answer for herself. Ryouko answered, but not with a bitter smile. It was a true smile with her eyebrows lowered. ¡°Yukio-san and Asagi-san¡¯s hand sculptures are lined up right next to each other. ¡­While Yume-san¡¯s is one separated from theirs.¡± Shinjou saw Sayama move slightly. He brought his right hand to the left side of his chest. But she also saw Ryouko close her eyes to ignore the action. Ryouko then raised her eyebrows a little. ¡°Young master, have some confidence.¡± She opened her eyes and turned her powerful gaze first to Sayama and then to Shinjou. ¡°Asagi-san chose Yume-san in the end. That was only after Yukio-san left and sent back word of her own marriage, but you know what? I don¡¯t think Asagi-san was the kind of person to choose someone because they were all that was left.¡± So¡­ ¡°If I can think that, then you can think it even more, can¡¯t you?¡± Shinjou did not nod in agreement. This was between Ryouko and Sayama. She simply watched the smile that softened Ryouko¡¯s expression. Meanwhile, Ryouko shrugged with her eyes closed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Setsu-chan. I won¡¯t be the Yukio-san between you and the young master. I tried to when he was only a child, but I realized it wouldn¡¯t work.¡± She laughed quietly. ¡°After all, taking responsibility would be way too much work.¡± She seemed to be talking to herself, but someone answered. ? Shinjou heard Sayama¡¯s voice from the wall to her left. ¡°Ryouko, we are causing you all sorts of trouble, aren¡¯t we?¡± He moved from the wall and stood in front of Shinjou. Shinjou saw his right hand hanging by his side. That was the hand he had been holding to his chest. She wrapped her hands around the trembling hand. She held it tight to give it strength. She then faced forward and the two of them looked to Ryouko¡¯s slight smile. ¡°Um, Ryouko-san?¡± ¡°Hm? What is it, Setsu-chan? ¡­If you want to know where you can get the surgery to be with the young master, I can get you a reservation right away. Or do you want some anesthetic in the crotch so we can do it here?¡± Ryouko began fishing through her pocket, so Shinjou frantically waved her hands back and forth. ¡°W-we¡¯ve already dealt with that. I¡¯m fine!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Ryouko frowned and Shinjou realized she had misspoken. It was true that her body as Sadame was functioning ever since her previous trip to Sakai, but¡­ ¡­Ryouko-san doesn¡¯t know my body changes like that. She hurriedly tried to find something to say, but Ryouko seemed to have found her own meaning in the words. She was even more flustered than Shinjou. ¡°Eh? Oh, Setsu-chan! How bold! Is that true, young master!? Did Setsu-chan make up his mind on his own!? And with physical proof!?¡± ¡°No, Ryouko. Shinjou-kun is trying to say that no surgery is necessary and that bodily modifications are as inelegant as you can get.¡± ¡°Eh!? So Setsu-chan made a number of impossibilities possible while still being Setsu-chan!?¡± Ryouko was shocked at her own words, but strength quickly filled her expression and she pointed at Shinjou with both hands. ¡°That¡¯s it!!¡± ¡°No, that is not it, Ryouko-san! And Sayama-kun! Don¡¯t say things that will only cause misunderstandings!¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t worry, Setsu-chan! This changed my way of thinking by about 1800 degrees!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that rotating around five times and ending up where you started?¡± Ryouko frowned and looked up at the dark ceiling. She counted under her breath for a while. ¡°I-It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m just bad at math is all!! My best subject was PE!¡± ¡­Well, for one, that¡¯s more arithmetic than math. And for another, that¡¯s more than just being ¡°bad¡± at it. Shinjou kept her comments to herself and spoke only the proper comment aloud. ¡°You were good at PE?¡± ¡°Yes. I was great at ¡®line up¡¯, ¡®be careful¡¯, and ¡®take a break¡¯. And I always wear a kimono, so my posture is excellent.¡± Shinjou felt any response she gave would be halfhearted, so she simply tugged on Sayama¡¯s hand. He seemed to understand the situation. ¡°Ryouko, show us to the room.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry, sorry. I forgot to control myself after getting into a serious discussion.¡± Ryouko quickly faced forward and began walking. She looked somehow light as she turned the corner and Shinjou breathed a sigh of relief. The woman¡¯s voice then filled the narrow corridor. ¡°It must be the season for that kind of thing because Kouji¡¯s started taking an interest in the opposite sex.¡± ¡°Kouji has?¡± Sayama sounded surprised and Shinjou agreed with him. When Ryouko answered, there was a carefree note to her voice. ¡°He has. Lately, he took in this girl with a hurt leg. He¡¯s keeping her here because he says he doesn¡¯t know how to contact her family¡­but that¡¯s a crime.¡± ¡°Ry-Ryouko-san, you shouldn¡¯t treat your family like criminals.¡± ¡°But she¡¯s fourteen years younger than him. I think that¡¯s wrong.¡± Meanwhile, they arrived at the far end of the hallway. They stood in front of a room on the far edge of the house. The wooden sliding door filled the entire end of the hallway and Ryouko pulled out a ring of keys. She faced Sayama with her smile gone. ¡°Do you realllllllllly want to see past this door, young master and Setsu-chan?¡± ¡°What answer will make you show us?¡± Ryouko smiled without answering. She did not move and that filled Shinjou with anxious doubt. ¡­Is she not going to let us see? She looked up at Sayama, but he was looking at Ryouko who remained motionless. Suddenly, he closed his eyes and opened his lips. ¡°Shinjou-kun.¡± She trembled a bit at hearing her name so suddenly. Before she could ask what he wanted, he continued. ¡°Listen. This is a job for you.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She answered him with a question and slowly looked at Ryouko. ¡­Why is this a job for me? Ryouko¡¯s only answer was to turn her smile toward Shinjou. Why? wondered Shinjou. Why is this my job? She quickly found her answer. ¡­I don¡¯t know. That was obvious. This was her first time back here. But that truth led her to the answer. ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡± She looked up in surprise and looked directly at Ryouko¡¯s smile. ¡°Open the door and show us, Ryouko-san. I have already had Sayama-kun give his permission.¡± ¡°You had him give it? ¡­Setsu-chan, you make it sound like you¡¯re above him¡­like you¡¯re the master of this house.¡± Ryouko gave an exaggerated look of surprise and Shinjou nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t like saying things like this and I will only do so because I believe you¡¯re testing me, Ryouko-san.¡± Her words and her strong tone changed Ryouko¡¯s expression. The woman smiled. And unlike before, this was a relieved smile. And so Shinjou spoke further with their implicit understanding. ¡°The one who inherits the name Shinjou has arrived. ¡­Yes, this may be why you backed off when it came to my mother. After all, the Tamiya family would not exist without Shinjou Kaname.¡± She took a breath. ¡°Open the door, Ryouko-san. The head of the Tamiya family sealed away this part of the past out of consideration, but the head of the Sayama household wishes to see it despite the pain and the head of the Shinjou family wants it released.¡± Shinjou smiled. ¡°Thank you for showing such care to the name Shinjou for so long.¡± Ryouko¡¯s smile grew with satisfaction. ¡°We have only done what anyone would do.¡± With those words, Ryouko closed her eyes. She swept the sleeves of her kimono to either side, gently shaking the air in the process. She then crouched down and sat with her legs below her. She corrected her posture in front of the door. ¡°The previous generation of the Shinjou family did not know the Tamiya family¡¯s history. Although Master Sayama apparently told her later, after she had gone somewhere else. Therefore¡­¡± She placed her hands on the ground and gave a deep bow. ¡°I am the first of the Tamiya family to officially face a member of the Shinjou family since the previous generation and the one before that.¡± She let out a breath and raised her head. She turned her powerful gaze toward Shinjou. But Shinjou looked back as if to push her gaze away and as if to respond to Ryouko¡¯s attitude. Ryouko nodded just once as if to say that was good enough. She then corrected the collar of her kimono and spoke. ¡°Please ask of me whatever you would like, head of the Shinjou family.¡± She then turned to Sayama. ¡°Young master, your mother worked for IAI, but she never told me her exact position there. However¡­she was always quick to return home and she did tell me one thing.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°There was apparently a place known as a ¡®study¡¯ at her workplace.¡± Shinjou saw Sayama frown at the word ¡°study¡±. A month and a half ago, he had visited the Kinugasa residence and seen the man¡¯s underground study. ¡­Is there something like that somewhere else? However, the answer was not going to present itself here, so she simply nodded and looked to Ryouko. Ryouko nodded back and smiled. ¡°Now, then. That is more or less my side of things. I hope we can continue to get along in the future.¡± Volume 12, 3: Clashing Appearance Volume 12, Chapter 3: Clashing Appearance Say, ¡°So you¡¯re here¡± Reply, ¡°Indeed I am¡± A three meter wide concrete corridor led to a metal door. The fluorescent lights on the ceiling were a bright white and they reflected off the gray floor. A leather-covered bench sat against the wall and three people sat on it while keeping as much distance between each other as possible. The one furthest down was a woman with gray hair. ¡°This will probably be a lot of trouble, Roger. How about you take control of the room past that door in the name of American UCAT¡¯s love, freedom, and prejudiced dignity?¡± Those words were directed at the man in a suit sitting in the center of the bench. ¡°Diana, we in the States have a word called tolerance. Not that I expect the people who hunted the Romans in the great Germanic invasion to understand. ¡­Isn¡¯t that right, UCAT Director Ooshiro?¡± His question was directed at the old man in a lab coat sitting on the other end of the bench. But he did not turn around and he had a red-haired maid standing by his side. Roger tilted his head and pushed up his glasses as he looked to Ooshiro¡¯s hanging head. However, Ooshiro remained as motionless as a boxer who was concentrating after finishing his calculations. Roger tilted his head further. ¡°UCAT Director Ooshiro? We are here in the Yokosuka American UCAT branch to hear what the other UCATs have to say and you are the center of attention.¡± Wondering if the old man was asleep, Roger frowned, but Diana whispered to him. ¡°His ear.¡± He pushed up his glasses and checked there. ¡°Ah, th-there¡¯s sand in his ear! UCAT Director Ooshiro! That is my dream sand! How did you manage to steal it!? And all to give yourself some selfish dream!¡± He grabbed Ooshiro¡¯s collar from the side and shook him, but the old man did not respond. After a while, he spoke in his sleep with a happy look on his face. ¡°Ee hee hee.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®ee hee hee¡¯!?¡± But the only one to react to Roger¡¯s shout was the red-haired maid standing next to Ooshiro. She looked into the old man¡¯s ear. ¡°Ooshiro-sama, you have some trash in your ear.¡± She pulled an industrial vacuum cleaner nozzle from below her apron, pressed it against Ooshiro¡¯s ear, and switched it on. A great sound shook the corridor and Ooshiro twitched from the suction. ¡°A-ahh!! #8-kun! Y-you¡¯re going to suck it out! You¡¯re going to suck my brains right out!!¡± ¡°Testament. I am simply cleaning out your ear. Your brain will remain right where it is.¡± ¡°Am I not allowed to describe how it feels!? I think you¡¯ve been too harsh lately, #8-kun!¡± She thought for precisely one second and switched off the vacuum¡¯s battery power. ¡°I have determined you are imagining things, Ooshiro-sama. You may have a persecution complex. And unfortunately for you, things are only considered fact once someone else acknowledges them.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing I can do when I¡¯m surrounded by enemies!!¡± She naturally ignored him and turned to Roger. ¡°Roger-sama, Ooshiro-sama has woken up.¡± ¡°Testament.¡± Roger nodded and faced Ooshiro. Ooshiro bent over and peered up at Roger. ¡°Oh? You were here, Roger-kun?¡± Ooshiro tilted his head to either side to dump out the sand. ¡°Sorry about that. I was bored, so I borrowed some of your sand. ¡­Hm? What is it, Roger-kun? Do you want your sand back? Then place your hands on my ears. You¡¯ll be able to hear the ocean.¡± #8 did exactly that. She slammed her palms against either side of his head from behind. A solid noise rang out before Ooshiro swayed and leaned against the wall. ¡°I can¡­ I can see the ocean¡­¡± ¡°It does not really matter, but why are you so strong-willed when it comes to me, UCAT Director Ooshiro?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just you! I¡¯m a UCAT Director, so I have to be strong-willed about everything!¡± Roger answered the old man by gesturing toward #8. Seeing his hand, Ooshiro looked to #8 and gave an expressionless shriek. ¡°I-I¡¯m the UCAT Director! I-I¡¯m #8-kun¡¯s boss!¡± ¡°What does that matter, Ooshiro-sama?¡± He thought on her words for about three seconds. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Why are you apologizing, Ooshiro-sama? It makes no logical sense to me.¡± ¡°Oh, well, um, you see¡­¡± ¡°I asked why you apologized. Quit hemming and hawing and answer my question.¡± ¡°Wow, am I being scolded for doing nothing more than apologizing!?¡± Someone then stopped Ooshiro¡¯s question and #8¡¯s frown. It was a clap from Diana on the other end of the bench. ¡°Everyone, I believe it is about time.¡± They turned around and saw Diana¡¯s smiling eyes looking to the metal door. They then heard a sound. Muttering voices and tremoring noise came from beyond the door. ¡°The various UCAT representatives are beginning to enter the meeting room. And they are here to accuse us.¡± The noise beyond the door grew louder. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Music played. The entrance music was a hard rock march and commentary accompanied it. ¡°Now, then! The world¡¯s UCAT representatives are arriving to the underground meeting room in Yokosuka UCAT! This accusation match has no time limit and their opponents are the formidable Japanese, American, and German UCATs! Who will be the first to make their stand against them!?¡± The people cheered. ¡°Oh, here we go! We have our first one! This human insincerity dismisses all testimony with a single careless statement! Covered in the Mediterranean wind, it¡¯s the ever-sloppy Italian UCAT!¡± Applause, cheers, and cries of ¡°Italy¡± came from the meeting room. ¡°Now, the next one is here! They completed the foundation of litigation and ramen four thousand years ago! Has the punishment system of this Legalist nation truly achieved perfection!? It¡¯s Chinese UCAT!!¡± A roaring cheer followed. ¡°The third is a surprising individual! The one and only god is always watching! Even in the bath or on the toilet! So one must always be prepared! This oil producing nation is perfectly prepared on the physical front as well! Let¡¯s hear it for Saudi UCAT!!¡± Surprised voices spread and even more contestants¡¯ entrances could be heard from the corridor. As the cheers and other sounds shook them, Diana smiled and shrugged. ¡°You know why we are standing before them, don¡¯t you?¡± Roger shrugged as well. ¡°I suppose I will answer with testament. We bear the responsibility for American UCAT and German UCAT never revealing what Japanese UCAT was hiding and for fighting the other Gears as allies. But setting that aside, I think UCAT Director Ooshiro should apologize. Apologize to the world.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s just mean, Roger-kun! I¡¯m always facing the entire world. And with a full prostration!¡± The two men¡¯s exchange filled Diana¡¯s smile with bitterness. ¡°Neither of you are giving any thought to apologizing, are you?¡± After a pause, both of the men formed bitter smiles of their own. ¡°Well, you see, Diana-kun.¡± Ooshiro loosened his necktie. ¡°It seems Boldman has already fought Izumo-kun as 6th¡¯s representative. ¡­Doesn¡¯t that make it seem buying time here will actually be useful?¡± ¡°Testament,¡± she answered. ¡°Then how about we make them wait a while longer before going in?¡± Roger nodded in agreement. More cheers came from beyond the metal door, but he crossed his legs as a show of defiance. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t argue if they insist on making this an accusation convention and refuse to have an actual conversation.¡± He shook his wrist to produce a small test tube from his sleeve. He gently shook the blue sand in the test tube. ¡°I had been looking for a chance to test sleeping with my eyes open.¡± At night, the streetlights advertised their position with their own light. Those streetlights followed a narrow road. The lights gave a dim view of the surrounding houses. At this time, the people were hiding in the houses and few of them were out on the road. Cars could be heard on a distant main road, but that was beyond a wall of darkness. This was a one-lane road and the white lines running along either side were narrow. However, two forms could be seen below the streetlights. One was a slender person and the other was a small animal. The person was a girl in black. She wore a cloak and a three-cornered hat. Her right hand held a broom with a flower-print cover and her left hand held a single white origami crane. The small animal was a black cat following at her feet. The cat looked up at her as she came to a stop below one streetlight. ¡°Brunhild, are you really going to attack now that you¡¯ve left?¡± ¡°Yes? Is that a problem? Besides, it seems Diana and the others have already noticed.¡± Brunhild put the paper crane in her pocket and turned her sharp gaze forward. A long fence continued to her right and a wooden gate was located halfway down. ¡°The Tamiya house. Sayama and Shinjou are here at the moment. And with no equipment. I can¡¯t touch them while they¡¯re inside, but it should only take a single attack once they leave.¡± She raised her broom like a spear. ¡°If we had known about Top-Gear during 1st-Gear¡¯s Leviathan Road, what would Venerable Hagen have done? I bet Fafner wouldn¡¯t have shut up about it.¡± ¡°From that, I take it you don¡¯t have permission for this attack.¡± Exasperation filled the cat¡¯s voice. ¡°You don¡¯t, do you? You want to attack before the others on the reservation can. That way you can settle things with UCAT in your own way.¡± ¡°Cats these days really like to speculate with no proof, don¡¯t they? I just haven¡¯t forgotten my grudge, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t forgotten either, so let¡¯s do this together, Brunhild. Let¡¯s wait until Sayama and Shinjou leave.¡± The cat sat down on the road and Brunhild turned to face the gate. After about three seconds, the cat suddenly looked up at her. ¡°Still nothing?¡± ¡°Just how impatient are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a cat. Sitting still isn¡¯t easy for me. I can¡¯t help it.¡± The cat sighed, lay down, curled up, stretched out, sat and scratched his head with his back leg, licked and rubbed his face and stomach to wash himself, and even chased his tail for fun. ¡°Brunhild, why are you pointing your broom at me?¡± ¡°Have you ever heard of tension?¡± ¡°I-I have! Of course I have. That¡¯s just rude, Brunhild.¡± ¡°Then tell me what it means. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll hit you.¡± Sweat poured from the cat¡¯s entire body. ¡°Um,¡± he began. ¡°Well,¡± he continued. ¡°Does it have a flavor?¡± ¡°Yes, it sometimes tastes like a mixture of iron and salt. As a color, I suppose it would be red.¡± ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There isn¡¯t any pain. Yet.¡± ¡°Are you talking about something else now?¡± ¡°I am.¡± She nodded. ¡°I¡¯m talking about you!!¡± ¡°Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!! Ah, no! The scar from before is still sensitive, so don¡¯t attack me ther- hee hee hee hee hee hyo hyo hyo hyo!¡± After she attacked the cat for a while, his sides trembled in laughter, so Brunhild released him. ¡°Now, then.¡± She stood up, but¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She quickly turned around. She looked five meters ahead where another streetlight shined down. The white light washed over a human form. ¡°Light?¡± ? She saw a white light. This soft light was even brighter than the streetlight. It had instantly descended from the sky, it took the form of two wings, and it had a single girl at its base. The girl wore a white armored uniform and a scarf, she carried a long pallet on her back, and she held a large white spear. ¡°Kazami!¡± ¡°What do you want, cosplay girl?¡± Kazami landed in front of Brunhild and faced her. ¡°Now,¡± said Kazami with her eyebrows a bit raised. ¡°I see 1st wants their turn after 6th.¡± Kazami faced the witch. She placed her feet at shoulder width and smiled with her eyebrows still raised. ¡°I will be your opponent.¡± She faced forward where Brunhild stood in the darkness. The girl wore her black combat cloak and three-cornered hat and she held a broom. She was prepared to fight. But the same could be said of Kazami. ¡°I never thought I would end up doing this with you.¡± ¡­I¡¯d prefer to say we shouldn¡¯t fight if we aren¡¯t enemies. She understood that, but she also understood their respective positions. She knew that Brunhild was here as 1st-Gear¡¯s representative. So she held G-Sp2 under her right arm and reached for the long pallet on her back. ¡°I¡¯ll lend you this before we begin. If you¡¯re picking a fight with Team Leviathan to clear 1st-Gear¡¯s grudge, it would be best if you had this, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± The long white pallet smashed the asphalt as it stabbed into the ground. Brunhild frowned when she saw it, but her eyebrows soon twisted and shot up. ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­!¡± A certain white corridor had no windows. The white fluorescent lights illuminated the black letters saying BF3 on the walls, but BF4 and BF2 were lined up alongside it. The people walking down the corridor wore white cloaks, armored uniforms, or work outfits. They walked one way or the other, carried luggage, transported materials, or exchanged words or diagrams. A boy stood by the wall in order to avoid all that movement. He wore the pants of an armored uniform and a T-shirt. The nametag on his chest said Hiba Ryuuji. The people moving up or down the corridor looked at him, saw the nametag, saw where he was standing, and gave a nod of understanding at the fact that he was standing there instead of helping. He could only nod back with a bitter smile at the fact that he was not helping. ¡°I¡¯ll help some later.¡± He muttered that comment in front of the medical room. He listened to the footsteps and voices of the passing people, but he did not move from that spot. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to skip out on work or anything.¡± He kept his bitter smile, but the flow of surrounding people vanished. He crossed his arms and noted that Japanese UCAT was very busy despite the truth revealed by the Army. ¡­Well, I guess they can¡¯t just abandon their work. The time limit on the negative concept activation is only five days away. A month and a half ago, the Army¡¯s attack had destroyed the third floor and up of the UCAT building. As a precaution against secondary damages, the aboveground portion was being completely remade. The oil painting and other things in the intact first floor hall had all been transferred to Taka-Akita Academy or other facilities. While the aboveground portion was being rebuilt, the underground was being used instead. To make the modifications and restoration of the underground easier, each floor had been broken apart by room and reconnected with concept spaces. It was common to find first basement facilities on the fifth basement or three storage areas connected together to form a workplace. Everyone was busy with the restoration work. Hiba had heard that the foreign UCATs had planned to take over Japanese UCAT after the Army¡¯s attack was settled. ¡­By taking over the group that had hidden the truth, they could demonstrate their sincerity to the Gear reservations. He felt they had had a decent excuse for an occupation. After Japanese UCAT had cleared the greatest barrier that was the Army, they would have had all of their authority stripped from them. But the different countries had failed to work together well and American UCAT had stationed itself to protect Japanese UCAT, so the other UCATs had missed their timing. He had also heard that German UCAT had held the other powerful European UCATs in check. While the foreign UCATs had hesitated, Japanese UCAT had organized its personnel and announced it would hold a meeting for all UCATs. That had led to those other UCATs gathering together to accuse the American, German, and Japanese UCATs of conspiring together. Ooshiro¡¯s group had apparently gone to an underground meeting room in Yokosuka, but Hiba was unsure how well that would turn out. ¡­I hope he isn¡¯t doing anything too weird. ¡°Well, #8 is with him, so it should be fine.¡± Of the automatons, the ones in Japanese UCAT and the Kanda Laboratory had stuck with Low-Gear. He had heard the ones in Izumo UCAT were not leaving the underground area there. They were holed up in the underground laboratory and Miyako was acting as their representative. Is something going to happen there? wondered Hiba. A report had just come in that Izumo had fought Boldman and been sent to the hospital. With the situation in flux, they would never be able to settle everything in the meeting room below Yokosuka. And that state of flux was controlled by the Concept Cores and those fighting over them. ¡­That would be us. He thought about it casually, but he did feel a sense of responsibility. If the enemy brought out anything in the god of war class, it was his duty to stand in their way and accept the challenge. Currently, their enemies were those who wanted the Concept Cores. If there was anything for him, it would likely be from 3rd-Gear. He had no idea what would be coming, but it would happen eventually as long as they held the Concept Cores. ¡°¡­¡± ¡­I don¡¯t like this at all. He had fought alongside Gyes in the battle against Black Sun. He knew Gyes had been perfectly courteous to Mikage and kind to the others. Gyes had seemed to find exchanges with #8 and Sibyl especially meaningful, so she had often talked about Low-Gear with them and asked how things had been since they had come to this world. Hiba had also crossed blades with her in training. She rode on her god of war¡¯s shoulder, so¡­ ¡­I had a great view of her underwear. With that tight skirt, it was unavoidable, he thought as he closed his eyes and nodded to convince himself. A moment later¡­ ¡°What is it, Ryuuji-kun?¡± Mikage¡¯s voice suddenly reached him from the side. He quickly looked up and saw the medical room¡¯s door had opened. Chao had once worked there, but it was now run by a female doctor who had worked under Chao. Hiba briefly recalled that, but¡­ ¡°How did it go, Mikage-san?¡± He looked to his side where Mikage held an examination report. She wore a white armored uniform and her skirt fluttered as she bent forward. ¡°Nn.¡± She narrowed her eyes and her eyelashes bent in a smile. But she only said ¡°nn¡± again and nothing more. ¡­Did something make her happy? She could now walk without a cane or someone pulling on her hand. It was awkward and she could not break into a full run, but it was enough for everyday life. Everyone around her was looking after her and she was apparently secretly learning to cook. She was saying ¡°nn¡± a lot recently. It was a sign she was in a good mood, so¡­ ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Nn.¡± She nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s take a bath today.¡± Hiba¡¯s mind leapt from his head at that sudden comment. ¡­Eh? The word ¡°wait¡± bounced around his brain. The words ¡°don¡¯t wait¡± were bouncing around too. ¡°Which is it¡± joined in, followed by ¡°well, it doesn¡¯t matter¡±, and ¡°are you sure it doesn¡¯t matter¡±. ¡°¡­¡± He calmed his breathing and looked around. Without even focusing, he could tell the people had stopped walking and moving about. He also felt some odd gazes on the back of his neck. They were filled with what one could call murderous intent. ¡­This isn¡¯t good. The label on the wall said BF2, but this was actually at BF4¡¯s depth. If he tried to reach the surface now, he was certain the elevator would ¡°malfunction¡±. ¡­This is really bad. ¡°I have a lot to show you in the bath.¡± The level of ¡°bad¡± rose to about thirty percent. Sweat covered his back in an instant and he just barely managed to maintain his casual expression. Mikage was giving a carefree smile next to him, but all sound and motion had vanished from their surroundings. He had to choose between his safety and Mikage¡¯s good mood. The answer was obvious. ¡­I¡¯ll bet on Mikage-san and only on Mikage-san! I¡¯ll bet it all on her!! So he gathered all of his courage and asked her a question. ¡°Ha¡­ha ha. What has you wanting to take a bath all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Nn. You don¡¯t like that we haven¡¯t taken one together in a while, do you? You want to see, don¡¯t you?¡± The level of ¡°bad¡± grew to fifty percent and Hiba¡¯s sweating grew just as much. He heard whispering voices around him. ¡°Boss, should we take him out?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s too soon. It¡¯s still too soon. We need to wait until he¡¯s alone.¡± ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s standing there waiting for his bath time instead of helping us.¡± As the effect of synergy heated up the surrounding area, Hiba felt his blood cool and he looked to the end of the corridor. He looked to the nearly deserted stairs. ¡°U-um, Mikage-san? H-how about we go outside?¡± ¡°Nn.¡± Something soft suddenly bound him from behind. Mikage had embraced him. The touch and heat of her body reached him through the back of his T-shirt and he sensed danger. He was acting as her shield, so his front was wide open. He saw a group sitting and holding sniper rifles over by the stairs at the end of the corridor. They were entirely focused on maintaining those guns. ¡°M-Mikage-san? This makes it a little¡­a little hard to walk.¡± ¡°Nn. But you haven¡¯t been touching me lately.¡± It rose to seventy percent and Mikage supplied a finishing blow. ¡°Hm? You¡¯re sweating, Ryuuji-kun.¡± It broke past one hundred percent and a special division commander spoke to the snipers at the end of the corridor. ¡°Okay, time for some target practice.¡± ¡°W-wait a minute!!¡± shouted Hiba. Suddenly, a voice called out from behind. It was a female voice and it was asking a question. ¡°Is something the matter, Mikage-sama?¡± Before Hiba could realize it was Sibyl¡¯s voice, Mikage had lifted her head behind him. ¡°Nn.¡± She spoke and removed herself from him. He turned around with her and saw who had just climbed the stairs at the opposite end of the corridor. ¡°Sibyl-san, why are you in such a hurry?¡± ¡°Just making some preparations. ¡­Were you here for an examination?¡± ¡°Nn.¡± Mikage nodded and handed the examination report to Sibyl who had stopped in front of them. Sibyl nodded and took it. ¡°I will look over it later. Anyway, Chisato-sama just called to say she wanted us to send out G-Sp2 and X-Wi. I also checked and found a 1st-Gear concept has been released within Akigawa, so I just finished preparing for that.¡± ¡°Eh? In other words, Kazami-san is going to solve this with violence against 1st-Gear?¡± ¡°Hiba-sama, it is not violence. It is a spontaneous physical solution.¡± Sibyl smiled and fell silent as if waiting for a sign of comprehension, so Hiba frantically spoke up. ¡°O-oh. Ha ha ha. Th-that¡¯s right! Spontaneity sure is great! Maybe I should go perform some spontaneous observations!¡± ¡°That is called peeping and I will report you for it. Testament?¡± He averted his gaze and hung his head, but Mikage tilted her head and looked to Sibyl. Her eyebrows were laid flat and her expression looked blank. ¡°Is Kazami going to cry again?¡± ¡°Not to worry, Mikage-sama. She said she will be fine. That is why I have only made the preparations. I have determined that should be enough.¡± Sibyl took a breath. ¡°And she wanted to see what 1st-Gear could do when they were serious, so I sent something else along with G-Sp2 and X-Wi.¡± A dignified tone filled Sibyl¡¯s voice. ¡°I also sent the weapon that can be called 1st-Gear itself.¡± After Kazami stabbed it into the asphalt, the white pallet split in two. What appeared from the pallet as it broke into a front and back half? Brunhild was the one to provide the answer. ¡°Gram!!¡± The long metal sword responded to her voice by sending red light through the mold of its details. Gram produced a voice. ¡°It has been a while, young lady.¡± Brunhild watched on in surprise as Kazami grabbed Gram¡¯s hilt and lifted it. ¡°This thing¡¯s light,¡± muttered the girl before throwing it to Brunhild. ¡°This is the power that 1st-Gear wanted. I¡¯m lending it to you. What do you think?¡± That question was answered by a dry sound. It was the sound of Brunhild¡¯s glove catching the airborne sword. The sword was taller than she was, but the black magician easily swung it around with only her wrist. ¡°You¡¯re going to regret this. I lived right alongside the one who created Gram, so I know how to use it quite well.¡± ¡°Is that so? Well, I know how to use G-Sp2 quite well.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Brunhild nodded and lowered her head with the broom in her left hand and the sword in her right. ¡°You have my thanks. Now that I have Gram, I will represent 1st-Gear in this battle.¡± With those words, she tossed the broom into the sky. It cut through the air overhead and she raised her left hand. She held a piece of metal in that hand. The metal instantly shattered and dispersed. It sounded like the ringing of a bell. ¡­That was¡­ Kazami remembered it. When fighting 1st-Gear¡¯s City faction, they had activated concepts like that. ¡°You¡¯re using a concept space as a battlefield, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes. But if that¡¯s enough to surprise you, you¡¯re going to get hurt.¡± The lips visible below the three-cornered hat formed a thin smile. A moment later, Kazami heard a voice. ¡ªWriting holds power. The concept text spread through the air like a shout and the world changed accordingly. Volume 12, 4: Persuasion Through Attack Volume 12, Chapter 4: Persuasion Through Attack Your speed brings the flight meter to its limit Your bullets are unpolished but powerful Gallant girl, please show up right away A wide area was filled with voices. It was a circular underground room with no windows. American UCAT¡¯s flag hung from the high cement ceiling and several rows of chairs filled the space below. This was an underground meeting room. A white man in a lab coat sat on the east side of the central round table and voices reached him from all the other seats. Some were protests, some were questions, and some were soothing words meant to persuade him. The flood of words reverberated through the room, but the old man said nothing. He seemed to think silence was the way to gain the upper hand here. But the chain-reaction of countless emotions would not stop. If someone took a break, someone else would accelerate. If someone suggested bringing it to an end, someone else would begin anew. They were all speaking about what Hajji had said during the Army¡¯s attack three weeks before. Top-Gear had existed. It had been destroyed. That had been covered up. How would he take responsibility for the reactions that were sure to come from the other Gears? It was nothing but criticism and it showed no sign of slowing. A small voice joined the sea of voices. It belonged to the red-haired maid standing next to the old man. Instead of looking at him, she continued facing forward and did not move her lips. ¡°Ooshiro-sama, I believe it is about time for dinner. ¡­Can you answer me?¡± After a pause, Ooshiro replied without moving his lips either. ¡°You can speak, #8-kun?¡± ¡°Testament. Is that ventriloquism, Ooshiro-sama? I have determined that is indeed better than blatantly speaking with me and looking like you are ignoring them. ¡­Even if this is a bit disturbing.¡± ¡°If only I could use your shared memory. This would be so much easier.¡± She tested the idea with the others and the answer came back in a matter of nanoseconds. ¡°Ooshiro-sama, fifty-two of us said ¡®no¡¯.¡± ¡°Oh? Then the other seventy-odd ones said ¡®OK¡¯? Is my popularity soaring?¡± ¡°Testament. Thirty-one said ¡®that sounds disgusting¡¯, twenty said ¡®I would rather die¡¯, twelve said ¡®I don¡¯t want to think about it¡¯, seven said ¡®tell him it¡¯s fine even though we don¡¯t mean it¡¯, and a few said ¡®no decision is necessary¡¯ and ¡®Ha ha ha. Quit joking and go die¡¯. I have determined your popularity is indeed higher than before.¡± ¡°How!? How is that any higher!?¡± ¡°Well, probably in the¡­um¡­way they expressed it.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to think that hard to answer it!!¡± She obeyed his instructions by no longer thinking about it. She looked around but was more interested in the sounds than the sights. She heard angry shouts and voices of protest. The collection of sound shook the air. The pressure of the voices gave them no chance to respond. She saw Diana and Roger silently sitting in the neighboring seats and facing the surrounding people. Thanks to Siegfried, German UCAT had been close to Japanese UCAT ever since the National Defense Department days. That was why Diana had been sent as the German UCAT inspector for the Leviathan Road, but the other European powers had been unable to send their own inspectors to hold her in check. Similarly, the postwar relationship between the United States and Japan had placed American UCAT close to Japanese UCAT. And ever since the battle with 5th-Gear, they had an American UCAT inspector through Heo. The other powerful nations feared the United States would take control of the Leviathan Road. But even if they had sent inspectors, Germany and the States had overlooked the past hidden beyond the Leviathan Road. Diana and Roger had both been involved in the destruction of Top-Gear. That made this the other countries¡¯ chance to attack. They could remove the German and American UCATs from the negotiating table and seal Japanese UCAT¡¯s power while forcing responsibility onto them. ¡­They also intend to intervene with the Gear reservations and make the Leviathan Road their own. #8 thought to herself while having her auditory devices shut out the jeers. ¡­They only see the Leviathan Road and what we were doing as something to increase their own power. The power of concepts could easily change the world. That was why the Gears had fought. If the Leviathan Road would release all of those concepts, they likely intended to end the Leviathan Road and ¡°manage¡± the concepts themselves. If they became that manager, even a small country could possibly gain the same influence as a powerful country. So¡­ ¡°Do they think the best option is to speak out now so they can become that manager?¡± ¡°This is a troublesome thing, isn¡¯t it?¡± commented Ooshiro. She nodded and said more. ¡°Is the world simply full of rioters if it isn¡¯t united?¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± Ooshiro spun his mechanical pencil with his thumb and #8 turned to the side. She saw Diana and Roger there, but¡­ ¡°?¡± Despite Diana¡¯s calm look, she was folding paper below the desk. Roger was nodding at what the crowd said, but he had made earplugs out of sand. Seeing them gave #8 a certain thought. ¡­Or is all this the direct result of their lack of unity? She turned back to Ooshiro. ¡°Ooshiro-sama, please stop drawing manga while pretending to be taking notes on what they say. Besides, is that really the proper way to use screentone? I have determined you should place it all the way to the edge.¡± ¡°Calm down,¡± he said. ¡°Everyone is being so loud. Why do you think that is?¡± ¡°Because of this meeting. Attempting to show we are being fair is fine and all, but this has revealed a weakness in the meeting system. However, having individual meetings with each country would take too much time and any closed-room discussions would result in complaints of unfairness from the other countries.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Ooshiro. ¡°Then who is the main player out of those who called for this meeting?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± #8 thought for a moment. ¡°I have determined it is Chinese UCAT.¡± She looked to a single point in the shouting group. No one sat in the seat for Chinese UCAT¡¯s representative, but¡­ ¡°I have determined the only nations large enough to have called for this meeting are China, Russia, and France. But Russia and France unfortunately have no corresponding Gear according to the Divine States-World Interaction Theory. Both 1st and 10th are more closely related to Germany, so Russia would not have much influence.¡± And¡­ ¡°With Chao-sama¡¯s death, China became a normal country with no inspector here. In fact, they can even claim to be a victim for losing their inspector during the Leviathan Road. Thus, China has the chance to take the lead here.¡± ¡°Then,¡± began Ooshiro. ¡°We¡¯re in trouble.¡± ¡°So it seems,¡± agreed #8. ¡°But that is your job. And this is also an opportunity for us.¡± ¡°An opportunity?¡± ¡°Testament.¡± She saw Ooshiro give his manga the title ¡°Short-Tempered Iron Woman #8-kun¡±, so she took the Kent paper and began tearing it to pieces. ¡°I have determined this is an opportunity. We can show the foreign UCATs just how futile their shouts are, so let us buy some time.¡± The crowd grew a little quieter and looked confused, but #8 continued tearing the paper into pieces no bigger than a few millimeters and scattered it around. She used her gravitational control to send it high into the air so it scattered like snow. ¡°I have determined it is worth trying. We can show them the strength of the ones currently fighting, regardless of what happened in the past. After all¡­¡± She looked back at all the eyes focused on her. ¡°No matter how much these people shout that this is nothing but lies, that team¡¯s power will not become a lie.¡± The empty city still contained some slight movement. There was no one on the roads or in the buildings. All of the cars on the roads were empty, but they coasted along on inertia. Their speed dropped and they either collided with each other or ran onto the curb. As everything came to a stop, there was still light and sound. The bright but empty stores were filled with the roar of machines or the music from CD players. A children¡¯s prize machine near a supermarket made an electronic tone. Suddenly, a new sound was added. It came from Itsukaichi Road which cut east to west through Akigawa. On the eastern end of the road, it traveled around the outer edge of a school and two sounds played in competition as they rushed down that two-lane road. The two sounds were those of something tearing through the air. They traveled west below the streetlights. Both of them took the form of flight. But that was not all. The sounds contained the color of destruction. They were also filled with high speed aerial collisions. Metal clashed with metal and something loudly broke. The sounds came from two girls. One of them swiftly flew at low-altitude while standing on a broom. The other stood on a long, narrow shield like a skateboard and let her spear¡¯s accelerator pull her along like she was waterskiing. They were Brunhild and Kazami. The former wielded a long sword and the latter wielded a spear with a scarf wrapped around the tip and the word ¡°cowling¡± written on that scarf. They were in the middle of a high-speed pursuit. Kazami had removed her right glove. The blood flowing from her index finger had written the word on her scarf and the words ¡°slides well¡± on the shield. They exchanged attacks and projectiles while racing westward along the road. Currently, the repeated attacks were flying toward Brunhild. She evaded Kazami¡¯s shots and pursued as her opponent accelerated away. ¡°Honestly. ¡­Just lose already!¡± Meanwhile, she controlled her broom like a snowboard and swung around the sword that was as tall as she was. Gram had a single word written on it in magic marker: machinegun. Brunhild looked at the word she had written. ¡­That turned out well. The handwriting is nice. Maybe I could have become head of the calligraphy club as well. I could have had the other club members writing day in and day out while teaching them in the 1st-Gear way. That would have been amazing!! The black cat on the back of her neck spoke up. ¡°Brunhild, are you having evil thoughts?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m thinking about club activities and culture. ¡­And how to use people.¡± When she held Gram under her arm and at her waist, Kazami opened her eyes wide. ¡°Hey, wait! Don¡¯t point a gun at people!!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been aiming a cannon at me this whole time!¡± ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, Brunhild. What are you talking about?¡± Kazami held G-Sp2 in her right hand and waved her left hand dismissively. ¡°This isn¡¯t a cannon. It¡¯s G-Sp2.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± added G-Sp2. It was such an awful excuse that Brunhild could not help but fire. Bullets of light flew from Gram¡¯s tip. The gunpowder of light produced a repeating staccato. She slipped between the drifting cars and avoided her enemy¡¯s attacks while firing toward Kazami. Kazami cried out and accelerated forward. But Brunhild held Gram in place as it shook from the recoil. ¡°Honestly. Could this be any more annoying!?¡± The repeated sounds of gunfire created the background music for her shout. ¡°Night after night, people come to my house or Fasolt¡¯s place! We¡¯re not some kind of refuge! And the Requiem Sense isn¡¯t a phone to call the underworld! ¡­Fasolt constantly has to hang from the cliff out back to reflect on what he¡¯s done!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I know anything about your bizarre customs!¡± ¡°Then learn now!¡± She added ¡°heavy¡± in front of ¡°machinegun¡± to increase the firepower. What sounded like a signal gun pierced through the sky. But Kazami soared before Brunhild could swing Gram around. The girl was fast. Brunhild¡¯s accelerating broom and attacking sword were separate, but Kazami used G-Sp2¡¯s second form for acceleration and its third form for attack. For Kazami, firing meant slowing, so her movements tended to be a little slower. On the other hand, she was absurdly fast when focused solely on acceleration. The bottom of her shield sent sparks flying as she weaved between the drifting cars. Gram¡¯s pursuing shots of light grazed the ground and tore into the cars. ¡°!¡± A shot to the engine of one car ignited the fuel and blew it up along with several other cars. Three muffled explosions sounded. The force blew off the hood and the body instantly sank down. But a moment later, the reaction to the explosion blew straight down and sent the cars flying into the air. The cars acted as torches and scattered shimmering heat. Brunhild ducked down to slip below them. Kazami was already moving on ahead. Brunhild tried to target her back, but a new car appeared between them. ¡°Oh, honestly! Even when I blow everything out of the way, I can¡¯t get a clear shot!!¡± ¡°I think your options are a getting little violent there, Brunhild.¡± ¡°Yes, I agree. ¡­It pisses me off to have someone point it out, though.¡± I¡¯ll get her back for this, she promised herself. At any rate, speed was what mattered now. Itsukaichi Road was reaching the intersection in front of the municipal office. After moving west of the office, a bike lane was added to widen the road. That made it easier to avoid the cars and expanded the battlefield, so Brunhild increased her broom¡¯s speed to reach that widened battlefield. ¡°That¡¯s where the real fight begins!!¡± Ahead, she saw cars stopped in the intersection. The empty cars had collided again and again, creating a confused mess. She did not care. She wrote ¡°acceleration¡± on the black cat and threw him onto the front of the broom. He frantically clung to the broom. ¡°Is this what you call pet abuse!?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re not a pet. You¡¯re a family member. ¡­But only for the moment.¡± ¡°Th-then this is household bullying!¡± As she accelerated, Kazami also picked up more speed and looked back. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad to see things are lively back there.¡± Kazami raised her eyebrows and smiled bitterly. ¡°But fine. Let¡¯s settle this!¡± The two of them simultaneously stepped strongly down on their respective boards and leaped. They used the top of the stopped cars as jump platforms to make an even larger leap. ¡°It¡¯s on!¡± The two girls flew. They looked down on the never-ending expanse of darkness and light that made up the night. This was a view only someone in flight could see. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Both of them gasped at the night scenery of Akigawa. ¡°¡­¡± They were above the wide two-lane road leading west of the municipal office and to JR Akigawa Station. The two rows of streetlights continued straight for about three hundred meters where another intersection led to Akigawa Station. That straightaway was their battlefield, so the two of them exchanged a glance. ¡°¡­!¡± They took action as soon as their high-speed air ride came to an end. On her way down, Brunhild collapsed backwards to perform a backflip. She grabbed the broom between her right toes and left heel and rotated the broom four times to the right as she spun her body around. As soon as she landed, she fired a burst of acceleration to the west. On the other hand, Kazami moved up and pushed her feet into the sky. As she flew, she spun the bottom of her shield ski through the sky and performed a vertical flip. She was going to land ten meters in front of Brunhild, so Brunhild prepared an attack for that spot. Kazami fell from five meters above the ground. ¡°¡­!!¡± Brunhild raised Gram in her right hand. Super thick writing on Gram¡¯s surface said ¡°Heavy Rapid-Fire Homing Bullet Circle¡± and she rested Gram on her right shoulder. Her body sank down below the weight and Gram opened up. With a metallic sound, the cowling encasing the blade on either side opened up and emitted light. A moment later, a circle of light appeared behind Brunhild. Countless letters appeared in the red circle and even more dots appeared between those letters. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± Arcs of light shot from the dots and flew out in the hundreds. Kazami¡¯s eyes opened wide as she looked back. ¡°That¡¯s just not fair!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you get it!? Gram is all of 1st-Gear! Even if you don¡¯t write out the mechanism, it can manifest anything you write on it!¡± As if to prove her right, the streams of light bound together and pursued Kazami. Kazami faced forward and accelerated as soon as her shield ski landed. She slid along the road to evade. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± G-Sp2 pulled her along as she essentially waterskied along the road. She quickly slalomed back and forth to dodge and a spray of sparks came from the asphalt in her wake. The group of red lines pursued her like a wave, but the red lights struck the cars she weaved between or crashed into the asphalt she grazed across. The cars were destroyed by the concentrated fire and the asphalt turned to sand. One hit would surely turn a human body into a spray. The light poured down like red rain. It arced after Kazami and approached from every direction to envelop her. But she repeatedly ducked between the roadside trees to quickly reduce the number of pursuing attacks. She flapped her wings for a 360 degree flip to check things behind her and she flew out of the way of the red light. ¡°¡­!!¡± Only a few dozen shots remained. She flapped her wings for a great leap. When she passed over the roof of a large RV parked by the trees, she placed her hand on the roof and used her heels to kick the shield ski up and around to the front. She ducked down as she and the shield ski landed on the road beyond the RV. At the same time, the remaining light crashed into the back of the RV. Sounds of destruction rang out. The glass shattered, the metal broke, and the accumulated force sent the large RV into the air. She ducked down and resumed sliding along the ground. Meanwhile, the RV¡¯s back end rose up and threatened to fall down on top of her. However, she did not mind. She raised her right hand and used her blood to write ¡°super light¡± on the bottom of the vehicle. She then used her left index finger to lift the RV. She spun it on her finger like a plate and instantly spun herself around. She used that momentum to throw the RV back at Brunhild. Kazami saw that Brunhild had already begun her next attack. She had moved Gram around so it was resting backwards on her shoulder. One side of the blade said ¡°catapult¡± and Kazami saw the black cat standing on top of it. The word ¡°acceleration¡± on the cat¡¯s belly had been crossed out and a new term had been written on his back: shell. ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­!¡± Kazami¡¯s shout of surprise was followed by a red light racing from Gram¡¯s base and out to the tip. As if riding on that light, the shell was launched. It instantly produced an explosion of water vapor. ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡± And it cried out as it tore through the RV. Pierced from the front to the back, the vehicle stopped moving in midair and bulged out a bit. ¡°!!¡± It burst to pieces like it was made of paper. Surrounded by a trail of mist, the shell flew straight toward Kazami. Kazami spent a moment making up her mind. If she fired G-Sp2, this shell was no threat. However, she was hesitant to destroy this shell. While she disliked shells, she did like cats. Loved them even. And so she hesitated. ¡­What should I do? She briefly thought about what the report on her death would say. ¡­Field Operations Special Division and Team Leviathan member Kazami Chisato was killed in action by a cat. Would they write ¡°loved cats¡± on my grave? That would be an embarrassment to all my descendants. Then again, if I died now, I wouldn¡¯t have any descendants, would I? The shell was right in front of her. ¡°!¡± She made a split-second decision and wrote on G-Sp2. Her hint came from Izumo. He had once done something like this. She wrote ¡°Anti-Shell Metal Bat¡±. She held G-Sp2 near the bottom and swung the metal bat. ¡°Claaaaannnnnng!!¡± She gave her own sound effect as she hit the shell and the slight squashing sensation at the moment of impact told her it had been a perfect hit. With a great sound, the ball was sent right back toward the pitcher. Go, she thought while clenching her fist and accelerating forward with G-Sp2. ¡­Huh? ¡°Couldn¡¯t I have just dodged instead of hitting it back?¡± Brunhild saw the shell flying back toward her. Their relative speed plus the batting effect made the shell¡¯s speed greater than when she had fired it. She considered writing ¡°shield¡± on Gram to stop it, but that would smash the shell to pieces. ? ¡­Which would get Gram and my clothes filthy! She made a split-second decision and raised a magic marker in her right hand. She predicted the path of the flying shell and placed the marker in the spot its back would pass through. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± When the cat¡¯s back passed below the marker, a negating line was drawn through the word ¡°shell¡±. It all came down to an instant of action. The black cat returned to being a cat, decelerated, and grabbed onto Brunhild¡¯s left shoulder. ¡°U-u-u-um, Brunhild!! I-I need-I need to have a word with you!!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Brunhild wrapped her left hand around the cat on her shoulder while soaring along the road with her broom. ¡°I know exactly what you want to say. ¡­Hitting a shell back with a metal bat? Just how absurd is that girl?¡± ¡°You¡¯re ignoring the one who did all the work, you know?¡± Brunhild did not answer him. Kazami jumped to put some distance between them and she pointed G-Sp2 toward the ground. It was clear what she was going to do. ¡°Fire into the ground!¡± Exactly that happened and it produced a solid sound. And it happened repeatedly. Those shots had enough power to destroy a dragon, so they utterly destroyed the asphalt. The broken asphalt blasted skyward like geysers, but those areas were several meters in length and they instantly formed walls. Brunhild had created a single large wall earlier, but Kazami tore into the ground to make walls of smaller fragments. There was only one good countermeasure. ¡°Gram!¡± Brunhild wrote the word ¡°ocean¡± on Gram¡¯s side. ¡°Add in that power!!¡± While gliding along, she swung the long sword like a golf club and struck the ground. The asphalt transformed into an ocean. The rising walls of broken pavement turned into cresting waves. She would only be hit by a spray of water, so she continued on. She could see Kazami through the waves and the girl had begun waterskiing. ¡°Not bad!¡± The girl gave her a confident smile, so Brunhild nodded in agreement. Brunhild pursued her classmate whose position made her an enemy. As she pursued, they both crossed a large intersection at almost the same moment. They were only one hundred meters to Akigawa Station. A light moved below the streetlights. It was the light to a mountain bike. But instead of riding it, someone was pushing it by the handlebars. That person was Ooki who wore a jacket. She pushed the bike with her left hand and held a cellphone in her right. ¡°Oh, Sibyl-san. I¡¯ve collected Kazami-san¡¯s bike, so don¡¯t worry.¡± She heard Sibyl¡¯s apologetic voice over the phone. ¡°Testament. Thank you very much. It seems Chisato-sama was in quite a rush.¡± ¡°Immediate decisions are her thing. She changed inside the concept space and I collected that as well.¡± ¡°H-her clothes! I-I need to wash them, iron them, and return them!¡± ¡°You like to take care of everything, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Testament. It is my thing.¡± Ooki heard her add a ¡°but¡±, so she looked into the night sky. ¡°Ooki-sama, how were things inside the concept space?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Ooki thought on the question. After about three seconds, she gathered her eyebrows together. ¡°Well, it was night, it was cold, and there was no one there.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t what I meant.¡± There was a smiling tone to Sibyl¡¯s voice, yet Ooki felt like she was being scolded. ¡­Did I say something odd? She tilted her head, but Sibyl asked another question. ¡°Could you tell how Chisato-sama¡¯s battle was going?¡± Oh, I get it now, thought Ooki as she came to a stop. There was a field to her left, houses to her right, and stars in the sky, but she stared straight forward. This road likely ran alongside the larger Itsukaichi Road that Kazami and Brunhild had flown down. Ooki narrowed her eyes. ¡°I think they¡¯re full of energy.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Ooki smiled at Sibyl¡¯s confusion. ¡°They¡¯re probably having a great time exchanging blows right now. ¡­Am I wrong?¡± The road was made of black tar, but it acted like water. The road had ¡°30¡± written on it, so it contained a current flowing at that speed. Kazami and Brunhild flew along the center line between lanes where the current differed. Red light shot from Gram which had ¡°rapid fire gun¡± written on it, so Kazami deflected it with the tip of her spear. Kazami rotated around and fired G-Sp2, so Brunhild deflected it with ¡°shield¡± Gram. The two moved apart and produced a splash of asphalt as they drew an arc along it. ¡°!¡± While gliding along the center of the road, spear clashed with sword. A metallic sound rang out, sparks flew from their locked blades, and they moved apart just enough for more swordplay. When Kazami jabbed, Brunhild deflected. When Brunhild swung, Kazami deflected. But Kazami had the upper hand in close-quarters combat. By jabbing in and pulling back, G-Sp2 could knock Gram outwards. The sharp sound of metal shot out and sparks flew. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± Wind blew in from the front and Brunhild¡¯s hand trembled as it held Gram. She swung the blade straight toward Kazami, but the other girl seemed to wrap the strike around the spear tip and sent it outwards. The witch frowned and clenched her teeth a little. Attacking like this was not her specialty. When a beginner attacked with a long weapon, they tended to be led around by its length and never put any real force behind their strikes. With longer weapons, one had to focus on the base of the blade and the bottom of the hilt as they held it. They had to use it lightly while making sure they did not only slightly graze their enemy with the tip, but that was a tall order for a beginner like Brunhild. Gram was a long sword, so it was bound by those rules even if it was light. And unlike a spear, the grip was short and the blade long, which only made those rules more important. Once it was deflected, the weight of the blade would reach her hands and it took a while for a beginner to gain control again. But Kazami did not hold back. She moved straight in. ¡°This is over!¡± She stared straight at the girl while jabbing her spear just as straight. She was confident it would hit. ¡°!?¡± But with a clang of steel, G-Sp2 was deflected by Gram. Kazami¡¯s eyes opened wide. It may not have been perfect, but she had knocked Gram upwards and attacked the girl¡¯s unguarded chest. Brunhild did not have enough combat skill to instantly regain control of Gram. In fact, not even Kazami would have been able to regain control of such a long sword so quickly. She could only keep up this high speed exchange of attack and defense because she held the long spear close to the top. ¡­How did she do that!? Kazami gasped and saw something written on the side of the sword Brunhild lightly swung around. ¡°Short sword!?¡± ¡°I probably should have done this from the beginning, but then I couldn¡¯t have caught you off guard.¡± Now the one left defenseless was Kazami. She had poured her full strength into that strike, so she had not used a short grip on the spear. She then saw Brunhild prepare Gram at her right hip. The action pressed the blade¡¯s tip against Kazami¡¯s stomach. She also saw words on the side of the sword. ¡°88 mm gun. You can¡¯t hit it back at this range, can you?¡± The blast rang out quickly. Kazami acted on pure reflex. She bent over to pull her stomach back and flapped her wings forward. ¡°¡­!¡± She put as much space between her and Gram as she could. A moment later, she lifted her right leg. Brunhild¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°It¡¯s no use!¡± The end of her words was drowned out by the blast of the shot being fired. At the same time, Kazami kicked something up with her right leg. ¡°The shield!¡± It was G-Sp2¡¯s shield she had been using as a ski. She pressed her right leg against her chest and the bottom of the foot brought up the shield and placed it between her and the gun. At the same time, the 88 mm shell of light exploded in the muzzle. They clashed. Kazami was blasted into the western sky with the speed of a shooting star and noise washed over Brunhild. The black three-cornered hat fell from her head, but the witch did not care. She looked to Kazami through the blowing wind and water vapor smoke. The girl had crashed into the roof of a pachinko parlor to the west of the train station. She had flown a long way. That was partially due to the force of the shellfire, but¡­ ¡­Did she use G-Sp2¡¯s acceleration to escape the blow!? It was the same idea as pulling your body back to reduce the damage from a punch. But if she had done that¡­ ¡°Is she still conscious!?¡± If so, the battle would continue. She quickly found a way to determine whether the girl was or not. Over by Kazami, the ¡°pa¡± of the neon sign saying ¡°pachinko¡± had gone out due to poor maintenance. Being hit by that in this world of writing would be an embarrassment to every last one of her descendants[1], so Brunhild took action. ¡°Hit her!!¡± ¡°Brunhild, Brunhild. You¡¯re a girl too, so try to be a little considerate.¡± But Brunhild saw G-Sp2¡¯s cannon blow away the ¡°chi¡± just before it hit. That meant Kazami was still conscious. ¡°¡­!¡± Now that she knew her enemy still intended to fight, Brunhild turned her broom toward the sky and truly flew. Her destination was the twenty meters above the pachinko parlor with a large hole in the roof. She instantly arrived in the air and peeled the cat from the broom. After she wrote ¡°wings¡± on his butt and had him cling to her back, she could float without the broom. ¡°B-Brunhild! I have no idea what I am anymore!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There is only one answer to that.¡± ¡°Eh? What is it? A cute pet kitten? Or your beloved black cat?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t fall silent! Tell me the answer, Brunhild!¡± She ignored him, maintained her altitude with the wings, and placed the broom over her left shoulder. She reinforced the broom with papers saying ¡°magazine¡±, ¡°chamber¡±, ¡°loading point¡±, ¡°barrel¡±, and ¡°ignition device¡±. She then placed some paper bullets along the base. She had created a long cannon out of the broom. She placed the Gram cannon alongside it. ¡°Double cannons!¡± With that shout, she fired. Her target was the crumbled roof of the pachinko parlor. Her enemy was below. ¡°Fire!!¡± The flash of shellfire blossomed in the night sky. The sounds shook the night air as she fired again and again. The shells of paper and light were surrounded by shockwaves as they smashed the pachinko parlor below. The shockwaves of impact sent the light materials of modern buildings flying like paper. The roof vanished after a few shots and the shockwaves inside the building blew out the walls from within. In an instant, only the pillars remained and the explosions sent countless dots of light flying through the air. They were silver balls. They burst upwards like spraying water, shook in the noise of the blasts, and fell as they scattered wherever they pleased. Sometimes, the wreckage of a pachinko machine would fly up, but even those were sent scattering by the continuing shockwaves. Despite all that, Brunhild would not stop. ¡°¡­!¡± The most frightening thing about shellfire was not the shells themselves. The shockwave created when a physical shell flew and hit caused much more destruction than the simple area struck by the shell itself. Even ten centimeters of concrete were easily smashed by a metal shell moving at high speed. Kazami could only intercept one of the shells with G-Sp2. The fallen shockwaves shot back up into the air, but Kazami had no way of defending against it and she would be smashed to pieces. Even if she tried to stop the shells, Brunhild was firing randomly. Kazami would be unable to determine where they would hit, so she would be struck from an unexpected direction. So Brunhild continued firing. ¡­Disappear! It would be easier if the girl simply vanished. ¡°¡­!!¡± The broom ran out of ammunition. Smoke rose from the tip, but Brunhild was not going to let her enemy get away. She peeled off all of the paper and attached a single new paper. She looked down at the broom while feeling a ringing in her ears from all the noise shaking her eardrums. The broom now had ¡°barrel addition¡± written on it. She let out a breath, closed her eyes, swallowed to clear the ringing in her ears, and attached the barrel addition to Gram. The cannon resting on her shoulder was now twice as long as she was tall and she added another word to Gram. ¡°Dragon cannon. ¡­This final shot is a requiem from 1st-Gear.¡± Her numb ears could barely hear her own voice. She realized her hair was plastered to her forehead with sweat and her breathing was heavy. But she prepared the dragon cannon on her shoulder while dealing with them both. Her target was the center of the pachinko parlor that still had three steel pillars. She aimed for the center of the rising dust. She muttered ¡°farewell¡± as she reached for the trigger. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The witch saw her enemy and those white wings. Kazami was crouched on one knee within the dust. ¡°How did you survive all that?¡± The answer was simple and Kazami gave the answer in a trembling voice. She spoke even as her body shook from the remaining damage. ¡°Look around me.¡± Brunhild did so and looked below the vanishing dust. The red and white tiles of the floor came into view. The dust covered it like sand, but it was unharmed. And¡­ ¡°Why are the bases of the pachinko machines still there?¡± The tops of the machines had been torn away, but all of the bases remained from the floor to about waist height. The surrounding light entering the pachinko parlor told Brunhild why. Kazami¡¯s right arm was raised and it held G-Sp2¡¯s shield. Brunhild saw what the girl had written on it. ¡°Floor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. When a shockwave is produced on the ground, it escapes up into the air, so you won¡¯t be harmed if you place yourself lower than the floor. If you can¡¯t escape an explosion, they tell you to hide below the lowest part of the ground and cover yourself with something, right? Also¡­¡± Kazami weakly stood and lifted her left hand. That hand held a pennant-style poster. ¡°Can you see what it says? ¡®Hit the jackpot¡¯. I quickly scattered just the ¡®hit¡¯ portion along the four edges of the ceiling and that guided most of the shell hits.¡± The broken parts of G-Sp2¡¯s cowling were slowly regenerating. Brunhild had heard about this. During the battle with 7th-Gear, G-Sp2 and V-Sw had combined their power to heal themselves and to save Kazami when she was on the verge of death. That was special even for a Concept Core. She had heard that had not happened again since and Kazami was not rapidly recovering now. The weapon had rescued its master when she had admitted to her own mistake, but the rest was that master¡¯s own responsibility. ¡­What a cold concept weapon. However, that likely meant that the weapon trusted its master. That turned Brunhild¡¯s thoughts toward Gram on her right shoulder. ¡°¡­¡± She shook her head and gave a self-deprecating smile as she looked down. Kazami was standing on trembling legs and trying to raise G-Sp2. She was still enough of an enemy, so Brunhild did not hold back. She pulled the trigger and bared her teeth in a smile. ¡°You¡¯re pretty cool, Kazami. But I saw what happened when you flew in here before.¡± She gave a shout while firing. ¡°You ¡®nko¡¯ girl!!¡± Light from the surface intercepted the light from the sky. They collided and exploded with a sound like shattering glass. An explosion of light covered the ground for several hundred meters in every direction. The entire station area was instantly turned to scorched earth. A great force of air spread out beyond the explosion and transformed into a powerful wind. The staticky sound of the air resembled crashing waves. The witch in black was blasted into the heavens and she flew through the sky with the acceleration of the broom in her right hand. ¡°¡­!!¡± She trembled from the great sound of the dragon cannon and dragon spear clashing below. But something broke through that tremor. Spear-wielding wings ascended through the dragon¡¯s roar. ¡°Kazami!?¡± G-Sp2 used all of its thrust to stab up from below, so Brunhild released her broom behind her. The cat on her back grabbed onto the broom while inside her collar. Brunhild felt like she was being tugged on the back of the neck as the cat and the broom pulled her straight up into the heavens. She wrote ¡°shield¡± on Gram, grasped it by the blade and hilt, and held it forward to protect her. But G-Sp2 crashed into it. ¡°!?¡± She was instantly pushed into the heavens. ¡°Wha-!?¡± This new thrust far outdid that of her broom. She doubled over as Gram pressed against her stomach and pushed her into the sky. ¡°¡­!!¡± She tried in vain to protest, but her body was quickly taken away. She was looking down on Tokyo now. She passed through some white clouds and cried out as she felt the chill of their high altitude. ¡°Kazami! What are you-¡­¡± She did not finish her question. She had noticed that Kazami¡¯s eyes were squeezed shut. ¡­It can¡¯t be. ¡°Did that explosion blind and deafen you?¡± Her senses were numbed. Even in this attack, she would only know that she had hit. But even after hitting, she continued to rise and never stopped accelerating. ¡­All to defeat me. They had ascended to the stratosphere, but that was apparently not enough. ¡°You¡¯re willing to go this far to defeat me!?¡± Brunhild clenched her teeth. ¡­It wasn¡¯t enough. What had that barrage of shells mattered? Or the dragon cannon? Around her, she saw the heavenly dome of the night, the vast nightscape, and the darkness between the mountains. The distant horizon was slightly curved. ¡­Is this the height of her primary battlefield? Had Brunhild made any attack on this level? ¡°You stupid girl,¡± she muttered. She bent forward until she was close enough to kiss the girl and found her eyes were ever-so-slightly open. Despite her limp expression, her unfocused eyes looked to the sky and the surface. ¡°Can you see it? This area is where we live.¡± Kazami looked around at the distant lights of the cities. ¡°I can hear it.¡± ¡°Hear what?¡± Kazami did not answer. She simply closed her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± With those words, the sensation pressing up against Brunhild vanished. Kazami had released her and she knew what that meant. ¡­I¡¯ll fall to the ground from here. Ah, she thought just as she flipped around and began to fall face-up. She dove from the heavens with her back pointed down. ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± shouted the cat on her back. ¡°Don¡¯t have me looking down!¡± But she ignored the cat¡¯s protests. An attack came from the heavens above. It was G-Sp2. Kazami closed her wings and accelerated straight down for another collision. As the reverse of before, she was hitting Brunhild from above. She caught the blow with Gram again, but¡­ ¡°¡­!!¡± The thrust far outdid the speed of her fall and there was nothing she could do to fight it. ¡°Kazami!¡± She released her cracking voice into the sky. ¡°Are you really planning to crash into the surface from this height!?¡± Kazami smiled and answered. ¡°Is there any point in answering that?¡± The sound of an electronic motor filled the air. It was the low, muffled sound of a spinning fan. It came from a powerful vacuum cleaner. The sound filled a room made up of two connected rooms. The detached room had a ten square meter space with wood flooring and an equally large space with tatami mats. With her uniform¡¯s coat removed, Shinjou ran the vacuum cleaner along the wooden flooring. She wore a borrowed pink apron and she glanced to the sofa set in the center of the wood-floored room. She also looked to the large window left open to air out the room. She finally looked to the TV placed next to the window and then switched off the vacuum cleaner. ¡°Sayama-kun, the TVs at your home sure are fancy. They have buttons to change the channel instead of knobs.¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun, what did you think our dorm room¡¯s TV was? It is fully controlled by the remote.¡± ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon. Quit lying. That isn¡¯t a TV. It¡¯s a type of monitor. You can¡¯t have a TV without something to change the channel.¡± She checked behind the TV to make sure she had vacuumed behind it. She straightened the bottom of the apron and glanced over to Sayama in the tatami mat room. A butt was sticking out of the dark closet at the far end of that room. It was Sayama¡¯s butt. Whenever his butt or legs moved to keep his balance, she heard a sound of avalanching metal and other objects from the closet. She had handled the general cleaning of the room while he dealt with the important things and anything best not messed with. His primary job had been checking through the drawers, closets, and other such spaces. He was the only one who could check to see if his parents had left any kind of records behind. Shinjou could not help but be worried about one thing. ¡­Are his chest pains okay? He was probably feeling it this entire time, but she had decided not to do anything unless he collapsed, stopped moving, or asked for help. She had also decided to ignore him if he said anything strange. While worrying about that, she cleaned the wooden flooring with a dry mop. She had used the room¡¯s intercom to ask Ryouko for the cleaning supplies. For some reason, she would hear sounds of movement from below the corridor¡¯s floor and above its ceiling and the supplies would appear in front of the room. ¡­I think I¡¯ll avoid asking why they don¡¯t show themselves. At that point, Sayama stopped moving as he rummaged through the closet behind her. Fearing the worst, she froze too. She turned around and found his balancing butt and legs had stopped. ¡°Sayama-kun, are you okay?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. What are you talking about, Shinjou-kun? There has never been a single thing wrong with me.¡± ¡°Really? Then I guess you are okay.¡± ¡°Your note of understanding and your comment seem a bit disconnected to me.¡± Ignoring that, she tilted her head and asked the question in her heart. ¡°Did you find something?¡± ¡°Yes, and I suppose it will see the light of day for the first time in nine years.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She frowned and he answered her question. ¡°Yes. I found one of IAI¡¯s orphan anime roach traps ¡®Roach Hutch¡¯. It¡¯s a pun on the character named Hutch from a popular anime at the time.¡± Shinjou decided to remain silent, but he let out a warm sigh. ¡°But after nine years, the number of residents has grown quite a bit. Now Hutch will never be lonely.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to give the details. And you don¡¯t have to bring it out to show me. You don¡¯t, okay!?¡± ¡°But Shinjou-kun, I want you to understand the value of what I hold in my hands.¡± ¡°You can throw that value out in the trash!¡± She threw the mop handle at his butt and he reacted by bending back and falling inside the closet. She panicked when she heard him crash into the wooden closet wall and felt the room shake. ¡°Ah! S-Sayama-kun, I¡¯m sorry! I acted on impulse!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Shinjou-kun, everything is fine. I managed to hold onto Hutch.¡± ¡°Stoooooppppp!!¡± The previous shaking must have knocked something loose because a ceiling board near the closet shifted aside and a white cardboard box fell out of the ceiling. She cried out and saw the box land inside the room¡¯s light. It landed perfectly with a dull sound and the light washed over it. ¡°S-Sayama-kun. A box just fell from the ceiling. What was that? Hitting the wall to make something fall sounds like a hidden item from a recent video game. Ooh, I bet it has a 1-up inside.¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun, I have a feeling you lose a life if the hidden item crushes you. Especially given my current situation.¡± Sayama could speak despite being crushed, so no lives had been lost and that meant everything was okay. Shinjou breathed a sigh of relief and looked to the cardboard box that had crushed the butt sticking out from the closet. The top of the box was sealed with a charm and she read what it said. ¡° ¡®Serves you right. ¨CSayama Kaoru¡¯ ¡± What was this and what was going on? She held her breath at those questions but then looked to Sayama as he lay below the box. ¡°Like grandfather, like grandson.¡± Notes 1. ¡ü Chinko means penis. Volume 12, 5: Irresponsible House Volume 12, Chapter 5: Irresponsible House What am I supposed to do about this? There was light. That white light came from the ceiling of a room with wooden flooring. A light brown sofa sat in the light and a white cardboard box sat on the central white table. Two people sat on the sofa in front of the box that was sealed with a charm signed with the name Sayama Kaoru. ¡°Shinjou-kun, stand back. I will open it, but it might explode.¡± ¡°Was your grandfather really that exciting a person?¡± Shinjou tilted her head and lightly tapped the edge of the box with her right hand. She looked to the left where Sayama was frowning. ¡°And if it was going to explode, it would have done so when it fell on you earlier. Right?¡± She smiled to reassure him and tapped the side of the box. She then heard something switch on inside. ¡°¡­¡± Her smile froze on her face and she did not move her hand from the box. ¡°This is all too sudden, but can I take back everything I just said?¡± ¡°For you, I will allow it.¡± He gave a refreshing laugh. ¡°Would you like some help, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Nothing at all. Now, how about you remove all your clothes to lighten the load?¡± ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing!? And what is wrong with your brain!?¡± She sighed and kept her eyes on the hand touching the box. ¡°Besides, I couldn¡¯t remove the sleeve even if I tried to take them off. Too bad.¡± ¡°So it would have to be a naked shirt.¡± ¡°What kind of contradictory genre name is that?¡± ¡°Calm down,¡± he said while casually pulling a stethoscope from his pocket. Shinjou swallowed the words she wanted to say and silently watched him press the stethoscope against the box. ¡°Hm. I can hear something moving. Perhaps a clock.¡± ¡°This is just getting more and more exciting, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded and pressed the stethoscope against her chest with a perfectly serious expression. ¡°I see. You do seem to be getting excited. ¡­The pounding of your heart is giving me a message in Morse code: L-O-V-E. An anagram for ELO + V for victory!¡± ¡°Ero is spelled with an R!!¡± She used her open left hand to grab the stethoscope and pound it five times on the white table. A hard sound rang out and Sayama gave a large jerk for each time the sound reached him directly through the device. She frowned and spoke into the stethoscope¡¯s cup. ¡°What are you going to do about whatever¡¯s inside?¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. Shinjou-kun, that was enough force to just about make my ears bleed.¡± He brushed up his bangs while Baku emulated him on his head. ¡°¡­¡± With a snap of his left wrist, something appeared in that hand. ¡°A knife? Wait, Sayama-kun. Are you going to open it?¡± He was taking action without doing anything about whatever was inside. Her pulse began to race and she placed her left hand on his right shoulder. Before she could ask him to stop, his left hand raced forward to slice open his grandfather¡¯s seal. ¡°Do you remember what I said before, Shinjou-kun?¡± She frowned and thought about his question while sensing danger in his actions. ¡­What he said before? ¡°You can hear something moving and it might be a clock.¡± Even as she answered, she realized what he meant. ¡°You didn¡¯t say it was a time bomb.¡± ¡°Correct. I also heard something light rolling around. Therefore, it is a clock and not a bomb. The switch was likely a dummy.¡± He opened the box and they both looked inside. He had been half right. There was a clock loose inside the box. It was an old pocket watch. However, the bottom of the box was covered in red cylinders of dynamite. They were packed in tightly like bricks and the words ¡°ten more seconds¡± were written on top of them. Shinjou exchanged a glance with Sayama and smiled. ¡°You didn¡¯t see this coming, did you?¡± ¡°No. It wouldn¡¯t roll around when packed in this tightly. That old man could be so neurotic.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. He was very thorough. Now, to be thorough on our end, how many seconds left?¡± ¡°Precisely three.¡± ¡°Throw it away!!¡± He stood up, ran toward the yard, tore apart the box, and threw it. A moment later, an explosion reached her as a blast of wind. Sayama saw the large pond in the Tamiya house¡¯s yard blow up. The heavy cardboard plunged into the water like it was being swallowed and it exploded just as it started to float back up. What a spiteful old man, thought Sayama as the blast washed over the yard. A bomb that was activated by opening the box did not need a dummy switch or a dummy clock. And it had even had plenty of time to throw it into the pond after opening it. ¡­Almost as if he knew I would do this. Sayama looked up at the water that had blasted up into the night sky. The pond¡¯s koi had moved to the deep bottom of the pond for winter, so the only animal affected was the reptilian pet belonging to Seizou, the previous head of the Tamiya family. Based on the direction it flew in, it would likely land in the house across the road, so simply put, Kouji was going to have some extra trouble to deal with. ¡°No problems here.¡± As he muttered that, he heard the front door open and Kouji run out. His footsteps sounded overly heavy, so he was likely carrying a pile of confection sets. Soon, rain smelling faintly of algae began to fall. ¡°¡­¡± The spray of water hit the ground, his shoulders, and his head, so Sayama put what he held into his pocket, removed his coat, and held it over his head. He heard Ryouko¡¯s distant voice from the main building. ¡°Young masterrrr! Are you okay?¡± ¡°You should be more worried about your neighbors who lack a proper sense of tension. They are probably in a panic right now.¡± ¡°Wow. You¡¯re so calm, young master.¡± After her smiling voice, he heard the door close, so he looked behind him. Despite the wind, the detached room was relatively unharmed. The cloth on the sofa had blown off, but that was about it. ¡­How nostalgic. Long ago, he had seen that room lit up like this. Even at night, he had been able to play safely in the yard and he had always found his parents when he reentered the light. Now, he had Shinjou instead of his parents and the pain in his chest was added to the mix. ¡­When I returned here after my mother¡¯s death, I was terribly opposed to going into that room. He had moved to the room next to his grandfather¡¯s in the main building and his life centered on his grandfather had begun. His left hand was holding up his coat, so he looked to his right hand. It held the pocket watch from the box. It was the type a civilian working for the military received as an officer and it had not been tampered with. ¡°Is this memento of the National Defense Department left for me? And one from everyday life at that.¡± He thought to himself as he walked toward the detached room. ¡­Come to think of it, this is the first proper memento I have gotten other than the Leviathan Road and a few odds and ends. He felt he would never have found it without pursuing the Leviathan Road, but he also felt that might have been different if his parents had not died. But¡­ ¡­That is something I would like to discuss with Shinjou-kun. He no longer had to think about these things on his own. He nodded, returned to the room, and heard a sound. The TV in the wood floor room was on and Shinjou was watching it from the sofa. ¡°Shinjou-kun.¡± He called out to her, but she did not turn around. She was bent forward a bit watching the TV. The news was on. ¡°Oh? Is it about video games? ¡­The major companies Kimco and Gandai are merging? Will the new company name be Kintam? It seems to me the end would have a rising intonation, but what do you think, Shinjou-kun?¡± She still did not turn around. ¡°Shinjou-kun?¡± He placed a hand on her shoulder and she gently fell to the side and lazily lay there. She looked up at him from below. ¡°Do you have something to say?¡± He thought for a while and finally found his answer. ¡°The new company name could also be Ganco, couldn¡¯t it!?¡± ¡°Enough of that!! Get over here and sit down!!¡± She got up and patted on the empty spot on the sofa. He wondered what this was about. ¡­She is asking me to sit down? It is impossible to avoid having my imagination run wild. What is she going to do? Is there an ear-cleaning set? There is, there is, there is! Is there enough space to rest on her lap? There is, there is, there is! I am ready for anything! ¡°Sayama-kun, why are you folding your coat so happily?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Shinjou-kun, why are you glaring at me so happily?¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± She turned her back and slapped the sofa¡¯s armrest several times. Can she not wait any longer? Heh heh heh. Shinjou-kun, when you are this excited, it fills me with excitement, too. ¡°But calm down, Shinjou-kun. We cannot speak unless you are calm.¡± ¡°Oh? You actually intend to speak?¡± She corrected her posture to face him, but she was still glaring. ¡°Um, is it just me or are things more intense than usual today?¡± ¡°I see nothing out of the ordinary for a collaboration between the Sayama family and the Tamiya family.¡± ¡°Do you ¡®ordinarily¡¯ find bombs in your house?¡± ¡°You do here.¡± Shinjou glared silently at him with her mouth hanging open, so Sayama nodded. ¡°This is a simple difference between household environments. You make your omelets sweet, but we make them a little salty here. This is the same thing.¡± ¡°I really feel like you¡¯re trying to avoid the issue.¡± ¡°Then should I start having mine sweet too? That way you can make them for me.¡± She looked surprised by that question. ¡°No, um, well. I do know you¡¯re changing the subject to avoid the issue, but¡­¡± She looked at him with a troubled expression. ¡°I can make a salty one too next time.¡± ¡°Whatever you like is what I am most willing to accept.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve never tried them salty.¡± She thought for a bit and nodded. ¡°I need to try it both ways. Yes. ¡­Wait! I just tried out something even stranger! This house is too strange!! Is it a salty flavor!? No, it¡¯s a mystery flavor. It¡¯s twenty-one different flavors!¡± As she raised her voice, the room¡¯s intercom rang and Ryouko¡¯s voice came from it. ¡°Setsu-chan? Setsu-chan? Did you just say something about my house?¡± Shinjou frantically shook her head and a quiet laugh came from the intercom before it cut off. Shinjou fell silent and the sound of the TV filled the room. In that relative silence, she gave a weary sigh and Sayama patted her shoulder a few times. ¡°You will get used to it. Humans are very adaptable and their preferences can change.¡± ¡°I think there are some exceptions to that.¡± She hung her head, but¡­ ¡°¡­¡± She looked up again. The ends of her eyebrows were lowered in a troubled smile. ¡°Well, whatever might happen, I can¡¯t just stop talking, can I? But¡­¡± She looked to the empty table. ¡°If that box was a dummy too, does that mean we got nothing out of this?¡± ¡°It is too soon to say that, Shinjou-kun.¡± Sayama pulled something from the pocket of his coat that sat folded next to him. ¡°That damn old man had created a false bottom below the box. I cut it open and found this.¡± It was a single document with a printed title. ¡°This is the authorization for my mother¡¯s job.¡± Shinjou gasped below the light. She read the document Sayama held out to her. ¡°Japanese UCAT General Affairs Department Third Manager Sayama Yume is appointed as manager of the ¡®Study¡¯. ¨CMarch 25, 1985.¡± That was all it said. ¡­This is related to what Ryouko-san mentioned, isn¡¯t it? Sayama¡¯s mother had worked somewhere other than UCAT. ¡­And that place was called the ¡°Study¡±. ¡°What was this ¡®Study¡¯? I wonder where it was.¡± ¡°Can you think of any possibilities?¡± Shinjou could only tilt her head at Sayama¡¯s question. For one thing, her idea of a study was a kind of personal office. ¡­But Sayama-kun said the study at Kinugasa¡¯s residence was the same sort of thing. She made a guess using Kinugasa Tenkyou as a starting point. ¡°The Kinugasa Library?¡± But was there really a study in that stepped library? It could not be in the counter and the preparation room in the back had no doors. ¡°Is it hidden with a concept space?¡± ¡°It is not. The study really is there. It is just hidden in some other way.¡± Hearing Sayama speak, she asked about what he meant. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s in the Kinugasa Library too?¡± ¡°Yes. If you spend enough time at that school, you will eventually find that place somewhat strange. ¡­This simply means I have evidence to back that up. When we gather at the library later, we can all search together.¡± He crossed his arms and had a smile on his face. ¡°But this has gotten interesting. Back when Siegfried showed me the group photo from the National Defense Department days, he said his predecessor had found it.¡± ¡°You mean¡­he was referring to your mother?¡± She chose her words carefully, but he did not nod in agreement. Instead, he chose his own words carefully. ¡°My mother helped my father. The two of them visited Professor Kinugasa¡¯s house together. They searched through what he had left behind because my father wanted to produce weaponry to fight Top-Gear and my mother wanted to gather information to use against Top-Gear. So if she managed the ¡®Study¡¯ in the Kinugasa Library¡­¡± He crossed his arms. ¡°I told you about the scenes of Professor Kinugasa¡¯s past I saw, didn¡¯t I? In the Kinugasa Document, he said he had sealed Georgius ¡®in a place I know very well¡¯. That place may have been this ¡®Study¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Shinjou let out a gasp of surprise, but Sayama simply continued. ¡°I have no proof. After all, he said he had hidden the negative Georgius while my mother left me with the positive Georgius. But¡­¡± ¡°He still said he sealed it in a place he knew very well, right?¡± In other words¡­ ¡°What if Georgius was sealed inside the ¡®Study¡¯ somehow and your mother couldn¡¯t remove the seal?¡± ¡°Excellent reasoning, Shinjou-kun. This is worth investigating.¡± As he spoke, he pulled out his cellphone, set it to speakerphone, and called a saved number. He breathed in two seconds later. ¡°Sibyl-kun? It is I. I know you are busy, but I would like for you to look into something.¡± Namely¡­ ¡°I want information on the Kinugasa Library¡¯s previous librarian. The one who preceded Mr. Siegfried. Please ask the general affairs department.¡± He moved the phone from his mouth so Shinjou could hear Sibyl¡¯s voice. ¡°Testament.¡± After a pause¡­ ¡°As I expected, there is no information on Siegfried-sama¡¯s predecessor.¡± Shinjou quietly listened to the voice. ¡°Siegfried-sama took over as librarian on January 7, 1996. That was the beginning of the third term that year.¡± Sibyl seemed to have realized something as she spoke because a hesitant tremor filled her voice. ¡°Um, Sayama-sama?¡± ¡°Mr. Siegfried took over as librarian just after the blank period ended. It was only two weeks after Top-Gear¡¯s destruction on December 25, 1995. Do you have a question about that?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Sibyl could be heard breathing in, but after a few seconds, her clear voice returned. ¡°Testament. I do not know the situation, but I can say one thing: Have a good past, Sayama-sama.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± said Sayama before ending the call and looking to Shinjou. He crossed his arms and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. ¡°¡­¡± He let out a breath and leaned back into the sofa. He stretched his arms up onto the back of the sofa. ¡°We still have no proof, but it seems to all come back to the Kinugasa Library.¡± ¡°Before we leave for the Leviathan Road and to search for my mom¡¯s past, it looks like we¡¯ll be searching for the ¡®Study¡¯.¡± Shinjou also leaned back in the sofa and he nodded with a bitter smile while pulling out a pocket watch. ¡°But we still have an hour until our meeting in the library. ¡­How about a cup of tea?¡± He spoke with a carefree tone and looked around with a bitter smile. ¡­Does this place bring back a lot of memories? She also looked around at the room she had become slightly familiar with through cleaning it. It contained a few dressers, bookcases, and containers. He had once lived here. ¡­And now he lives with me in that small dorm room. This room had been left empty after losing its residents, but what had Sayama lost and what had he gained? ¡°¡­¡± Shinjou silently leaned up against him. She had realized one thing. After her trip to Sakai a month and a half ago, she had told him her body was now fully functioning. He had rejoiced and celebrated, and she had been forced to give her usual retorts when he took it too far. But ever since then, he had not checked on her body. He may have thought there was no longer a need. She did not know whether he was forsaking her or treating her with care. He had said nothing about it and was avoiding the subject. However, she had decided how she would think about the issue. ¡­I won¡¯t let my doubts get the better of me like I did in the spring. And now, he had once more stepped into this location from his past and he had shown it to her. This was something he had avoided for so very long. ¡­Is this the reverse side of treating something with care? He would surely have the place cleaned and treated with even more care. Someday. Someday surely, she thought. ¡­Will the same thing happen with me? Instead of simply treating her with care, would he step through the door and treat her with even more care? She looked to him as she thought and their eyes met as he looked around the room. ¡°What is it, Shinjou-kun? Did my charm get the better of you?¡± ¡°No, sorry. I feel like a lot was just ruined.¡± She smiled bitterly and he gave a similar smile in return. He sighed, relaxed his shoulders, and looked around more cheerfully. ¡°I wonder if there is a photo album in here. How about it, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°H-how about what?¡± She had thought about this earlier and she found herself growing flustered when he chose to show her even more of his past. ¡­Ah, why am I so pathetic? She knew he was showing a lot of resolve behind that expressionless face. She might have been imagining it and it might have been a misunderstanding, but she wanted to believe she understood. So she asked a question. ¡°Can I really?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he replied quietly. ¡°Tonight, we will be travelling west together. There, we will complete the Leviathan Road with 8th-Gear. After that difficult but moving journey, we will head to Sakai for the climax of our tear-jerking pursuit of your parents¡¯ footsteps. But when that happens¡­¡± He took a breath. ¡°I will undoubtedly see your past. I will see a precious past that involves your parents.¡± Hearing that, she realized what he was trying to say. If he was going to see her past¡­ ¡°You¡¯ll show me your past?¡± ¡°Ha ha. I used to be an unbelievably stupid child. Nothing at all like I am now.¡± Was he serious or joking? Either way, she knew he was being sincere. And so she nodded. I need to make up my mind here, she thought. I need to share all sorts of things with him. They did not have much time. That was not enough time to go over all of the past that he had never told anyone and that he could not bring himself to remember, but¡­ ¡­If this is just the beginning¡­ ¡°Will you show me, Sayama-kun? What were you like when you were little?¡± He laughed bitterly again. He must have actually found the album earlier because he began to walk toward the closet. ¡°¡­¡± But then he stopped. He would often suspiciously start or stop moving without notice, so that was not enough to bother Shinjou. What she found odd was how tense he was. When she tilted her head and looked up at him, she found he was looking out the open window. The window let in the cold night air and gave a view of the yard. The people of the Tamiya house were working to fix the damage done by the previous explosion in the pond. They were cleaning up the rocks scattered from the bottom of the pond, the water that had formed puddles around, and the leaves knocked down by the wind. ¡°Oh, we should probably help too.¡± Belatedly realizing that, Shinjou wondered if they would have to wait until another time for Sayama¡¯s photo album. But then she noticed what he was looking at. It was a small form helping the others gather the fallen leaves. The kimono-wearing girl had a crutch under her left arm and she was a short distance from the rest of the group. But she suddenly turned toward Sayama and Shinjou. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Shinjou froze in place just like Sayama. The girl did as well. A chilly and quiet wind blew through and it carried a voice. It was Kouji¡¯s after finishing his greetings out front. ¡°Young master, Setsu-kun, have you not met her yet?¡± Shinjou heard Kouji introduce the girl. ¡°Her name is Tamiya Shino. Due to her circumstances, we¡¯re taking care of her here for the time being.¡± Volume 12, 6: The Voice Within Volume 12, Chapter 6: The Voice Within What you hear is the voice within Is it a scream that is asking for help? Or is it a hopeful relief? Soaking in hot water loosened up the body. It encouraged even blood flow and allowed all muscles to gently function without any strain. If one stretched out their legs and leaned their head back in that state, they would naturally let out a voice. ¡°This water is amazing¡­ Don¡¯t you think, Brunhild? Today, Sunflower is doing their lemon bath.¡± ¡°That only stings my injuries, Kazami.¡± Kazami looked up to the ceiling while sitting in the Eternal Sunflower¡¯s women¡¯s bath with her elbows and back on the edge of the tub. Brunhild sat on the edge with a towel wrapped around her and her legs soaking in the water. ¡°C¡¯mon. Try to get along, you two.¡± Ooki was using an upside-down bucket in place of a float and she smiled at Kazami and Brunhild. ¡°I¡¯m just glad neither of you were hurt. You call me after falling from the stratosphere and the first thing you ask for is a change of clothes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about worrying you like that.¡± Kazami smiled bitterly and rested her head on the tub¡¯s edge to fully face upwards. She then placed a folded towel over her forehead and eyes. After hiding her expression like that, she gave another relaxed sigh. ¡°So. What¡¯s going to happen with 1st-Gear, Brunhild?¡± ¡°I sent a paper to Fasolt saying I had lost with Gram.¡± Kazami listened to the other girl¡¯s quiet voice. Gram and G-Sp2 were leaning up against the inner wall of the tub. ¡°Relaxed?¡± said G-Sp2¡¯s console. The side of Gram¡¯s blade likely said ¡°excellent water¡±. Brunhild spoke up again with slight tension in her voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Gram to suddenly grow so heavy.¡± ¡°Neither did I.¡± Kazami chose to simply agree. After the battle, Kazami and Brunhild had left the concept space after making sure Ooki had reserved the bath. But by that time, Brunhild could no longer carry Gram. Even so, it was perfectly light in Kazami¡¯s grasp. The same for Ooki. There was only one way to interpret this. ¡­Gram is no longer lightening itself for the people of 1st-Gear? Brunhild had likely informed Fasolt of that. The 1st-Gear reservation would have a new issue to deal with. Even if they did reclaim their Concept Core, it would not lend them its power. ¡­Is Gram telling them that it¡¯s meaningless to try the same thing over and over again? Their world had been destroyed and their Concept Core stolen, but they had to start anew from there. ¡°And that must mean accepting their defeat.¡± ¡°Hm? Did you say something, Kazami-san?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother, Ooki-sensei. This stupid girl always gets lost in thought when she tries thinking about anything remotely difficult.¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± said Kazami as she sat up. The towel fell from her face, so she placed it behind her. She felt the weight of her steam-soaked hair, so she collapsed forward and dunked her head underwater. ¡­Nn. After feeling the ticklishness of the warm water entering her ears, she straightened back up. She let out a breath as the splashing and flowing water surrounded her. As she brushed up her bangs and the water, she saw something floating in front of her. ¡°What¡¯s with this duck? Ooki-sensei, bringing in toys is against the rules.¡± ¡°Eh? B-but I went to all the trouble of buying it at the convenience store with your underwear.¡± What did the store clerk think? wondered Kazami as she turned to Ooki who was soaking up to her shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s great being able to stretch out your legs.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you get a bigger bath at home?¡± ¡°No, no. I¡¯m not that rich,¡± frantically denied the teacher. Kazami smiled bitterly, sank down to her shoulders, and kicked off the tiles on the bottom to move backwards. Ripples spread around her shoulders and neck and she looked up and to the right once her back reached the tiled edge. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to get in, Brunhild?¡± ¡°I¡¯d catch your germs.¡± Kazami almost replied to that blunt answer, but she tilted her head instead. ¡­Well, I guess she doesn¡¯t want to end up like Ooki-sensei. Ooki was in the center of the tub playing with a bucket and a rubber duck. The bath was large, so Kazami felt she should use more of the space to play. ¡­She could swim. Maybe dive in and swim to the other end. She liked diving in on her back, but everyone had different preferences. It was also possible Ooki was only pretending to play to put them at ease after their battle. ¡­Is she? Kazami mentally tilted her head and turned to Brunhild who still sat on the edge. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to get in?¡± She asked again and Brunhild responded. The girl gave a half-hearted sigh and completely averted her gaze. ¡°I just don¡¯t feel like making friends with you.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Kazami smiled and suddenly tugged on Brunhild¡¯s legs to throw her into the tub. As a splash of hot water rose into the air, Kazami stood up and shouted into the large echoing bath. ¡°Stop trying to act tough, you loser!! It¡¯s over already!¡± More water shot up as Brunhild stood. The splashing sounds multiplied while she bristled her eyebrows and used both hands to sweep her long hair back. ¡°What!? Are you trying to start round two, you stupid girl!?¡± Kazami replied by baring her teeth in a smile and snatching Brunhild¡¯s towel. She had left herself far too open while sweeping back her hair. Not to mention¡­ ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the sign!? Don¡¯t get in the tub with a towel on!¡± She lifted the girl¡¯s slender body onto her shoulder and threw her down. Brunhild rotated as she fell into the water and the towel was stripped from her. With the towel still on her shoulder, Kazami smiled and put her hands on her hips. ¡°Ha ha ha. What¡¯s this about a round two? You don¡¯t stand a chance.¡± After about seven more laughs, Kazami noticed something odd. She had yet to hear Brunhild come back up from the water. Ooki also tilted her head in the middle of the tub. ¡°Did she drown?¡± ¡°I seriously doubt it,¡± answered an annoyed Kazami. At the same time, she noticed something moving down at the bottom of the tub. She saw a wavering image of Brunhild at the tiles below Kazami¡¯s own feet. ¡­Is that an oil crayon? She was able to make out the black writing. ¡­¡°Banana peel¡±? Kazami slipped backwards with no resistance and her back sank into the tub. Sound grew muffled to tell her she was underwater and she quickly turned toward the floor while making sure not to swallow any water. She saw the word ¡°catapult¡± written on the tile floor. Fired from within the water, Kazami crashed head-first into the tub¡¯s inner wall. An almost metallic sound filled the water, but it took her a second to realize it was the sound of her skull colliding with the tile. ¡°D-dammit! You¡¯ve still got some fight in you, don¡¯t you!?¡± With a splash of water, Kazami stood up while holding her head. She took in a breath, turned around, and saw Brunhild standing five meters away. She approached the girl as if parting the water. ¡°Hmph.¡± She puffed out her chest and stepped confrontationally in front of Brunhild. ¡°Are you sure you want to fight?¡± She looked down on Brunhild¡¯s head and into the tub. She then coquettishly brushed her hair back with her right hand. ¡°Don¡¯t think you have an advantage in an underwater battle just because your body creates less drag.¡± ¡°All you have is excess flesh and unnecessary muscle, you violent girl.¡± Dammit. You¡¯re just asking for a fight, aren¡¯t you? thought Kazami. But fine. ¡­This is probably the last time we can do this. In three more months, they would graduate and go their separate ways. And before that, they were only a few days from December 25 when they would have to decide whether to release the concepts or not. The world might change then. If that happened, this kind of exchange would probably become impossible. With that in mind, Kazami looked down on Brunhild with a smile on her face. ¡°Excess flesh, hm? That just means I have plenty to spare. As long as it¡¯s well-balanced, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all in how you say it, isn¡¯t it? ¡­It just means you¡¯re evenly fat. Why not visit a butcher to help you out?¡± ¡°Oh, oh. The complaints of the needy are so wonderful. ¡­If you don¡¯t like being so flat, you just have to grow some more. Hm, but I guess that¡¯s not possible in your case. Everything you eat goes straight to that argumentative brain of yours.¡± She tapped Brunhild¡¯s head and gave a sympathetic smile, so Brunhild clenched her teeth. Brunhild showed off her canines and grabbed Kazami¡¯s hand. ¡°Are you picking a fight with 1st-Gear?¡± Kazami looked up with a serious look on her face and saluted. ¡°Ma¡¯am, you want to know if I am picking a fight with 1st-Gear? Are all women from 1st-Gear lacking in the chest department? If so, then I am indeed picking a fight with all of 1st-Gear.¡± ¡°Sh-shut up, you idiotic girl!!¡± Brunhild pushed away Kazami¡¯s hand and pointed at her face. ¡°If you think my body is lacking, then your brain is lacking! You¡­tiny-brained woman!¡± ¡°Then are you large-brained?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. My brain is well-endowed while yours is flat as a board! I¡¯ll call you flat-brained for short!¡± Wow, this took a weird turn, thought Kazami as she tried to remain calm. ¡­If I get fired up too, we¡¯ll just be exchanging insults. ¡°Hmph! You don¡¯t have anything to say to that, do you? I guess I shouldn¡¯t have expected a functioning brain from someone with such a stupid guy!¡± That fired Kazami up. Her brain shifted up about three gears. ¡°This has nothing to do with Kaku! You and your poor, dried-up chest need to leave Kaku out of this!¡± As she shouted, she sent countless horizontal chops against Brunhild¡¯s chest. ¡°Oh, what¡¯s this!? Miss Kazami is sending out a storm of chops! They sound wonderful against that perfectly flat chest!¡± Brunhild ducked below the chops and held her hands out. Oh, no, thought Kazami. ¡°Why you¡­!! Slap, slap, slap! It must be a pain having these things that can¡¯t even avoid a slap!!¡± Kazami soon grabbed Brunhild¡¯s slapping hands. They tried to claw at each other¡¯s hands and slammed their foreheads together. They both let out a growl and Brunhild looked up at Kazami. ¡°What are you going to do about the Leviathan Road!?¡± Kazami gained strength from those echoing words, so she took a single breath before replying. ¡°What are you going to do about 1st-Gear!?¡± ¡°Hah! We¡¯ll manage somehow! You¡¯re the ones that aren¡¯t up to the task! And after you acted so self-important and hit me! ¡­The Gears are all pretty shaken and you still have to deal with Top-Gear, don¡¯t you!? What are you going to do!?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll manage somehow, too!¡± Kazami sank down grabbed Brunhild¡¯s stomach from the front and performed a front suplex. She often used this technique against her classmates in the bath. For someone with breasts, a German suplex was best, but it had to be a front suplex with Brunhild. She snatched the girl¡¯s skinny body from the tub and water splashed into the air. ¡°Besides, Team Leviathan is a special unit put together to complete the Leviathan Road! So if anyone tries to stop the Leviathan Road, we¡¯ll take them on, no matter who they are!!¡± ¡°Even if that looks like refusing to admit your crimes!?¡± Kazami did not care, so she held Brunhild up high and gave a casual comment. ¡°Sayama is always thinking about that. Even when negotiating.¡± ¡°S-so you¡¯re just not going to think about it!? That¡¯s called shoving your problems onto others!¡± Was it because she was not thinking that this protest had no effect on her? ¡°You see,¡± began Kazami. ¡°Everyone has their strong points and weak points and they all have their jobs. So he handles the negotiations while I handle punching people.¡± She took a breath and felt Brunhild¡¯s tension while holding her. ¡°I¡¯m all for shoving this onto someone else. Nothing good would ever come from letting me handle the negotiations.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. We will fight and Sayama will negotiate. So once we settle all the fighting, it¡¯s time for negotiating, right? And we will be the winners. Testament. If you understand that¡­¡± Kazami quickly bent back. ¡°Let your brain muscles loosen up a bit!!¡± A suplex dropped the target without throwing them, so they made a perfect arc with beautiful hang time. ¡°Huh?¡± She stepped on the ¡°banana peel¡± and they both fell on the ¡°catapult¡±. They both instantly collided with the submerged wall. Two dull sounds filled the bath and they moved apart and stood with much splashing. ¡°¡­! If you¡¯re going to throw me, at least do it right! You brain really is dried up!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you get rid of your writing once you¡¯re done with it, Miss Breast-Starved!?¡± They yelled at each other and slammed their foreheads together again, but a voice reached them from the side. ¡°C¡¯mon, you two. Calm down already. Other people are going to be using this place later. And it isn¡¯t good to talk about people¡¯s brains or breasts.¡± Ooki moved over while unsteadily parting the water. Kazami and Brunhild clicked their tongues, stopped moving, and turned to Ooki without separating their foreheads. Everything from Ooki¡¯s waist and up was visible above the water and the woman brushed back her wet hair. Drops of water curved as they trailed down her and produced small ripples in the tub. Kazami looked at Ooki¡¯s silhouette. ¡­She has me beat in both shape and balance. Brunhild was likely thinking the same thing. Live for eternity, oh mother world tree. Oblivious to the girls¡¯ thoughts, Ooki tilted her head. ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± Kazami and Brunhild looked to her face, looked down a bit as if nodding, observed for about five seconds, and exchanged a glance. ¡°Brunhild.¡± ¡°Yes, we have a new enemy.¡± ¡°Wh-where?¡± asked the teacher. ¡°Well, you see,¡± said Kazami before taking a breath. Next, she smiled and worked with Brunhild to throw Ooki just right of the tub¡¯s center. The tatami mats were hard in winter and they felt somehow tight. The large table holding the tea cakes was cold and hard. The room was large, the ceiling was high, and the fluorescent light was white. It all helped draw out that hard sensation. The red light of the stove in front of the room¡¯s western sliding screens was the only source of heat. Three gazes looked to that light. One sat on the hallway side of the table and the other two sat on the yard side. The owner of the hallway-side gaze was a girl wearing a kimono and with a hair band in her black hair. Her left leg was extended and resting on a cushion because it was wrapped in bandages. A look to her face showed the ends of her eyebrows were lowered. ¡°¡­¡± She hesitated before scooting forward from the stove. A black-haired individual in a school uniform and a boy in a suit were looking to the stove. ¡°What do you have to say, Shino-kun?¡± The boy called her name. Shino was unsure what he meant or how she should reply. The individual in the school uniform turned toward the boy with the ends of her eyebrows lowered. ¡°Sayama-kun? You¡¯re only going to trouble her if that¡¯s all you say.¡± ¡°Really? I was merely asking what she thought of these tea cakes. ¡­Shinjou-kun, what is the meaning of that fist?¡± As he spoke, Sayama pushed a plate of teacakes toward Shino. He placed a karinto on a smaller plate and set Baku on the table next to it. ¡°We are not going to harm you in any way. As Kouji said, you are currently a guest of the Tamiya family. And¡­¡± Shino listened to his words. Meanwhile, Sayama watched Baku holding the karinto between his front paws. ¡°Sorry, please wait a moment.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She watched as Sayama looked around the room. Shinjou also looked to him and tilted her head, so he had to be acting on something only he had noticed. Currently, he was slowly looking across the ceiling. ¡°It looks like the room has been cleared.¡± ¡°Eh? Yes, Kouji arranged for everyone to leave.¡± Sayama stepped on a tatami mat. The edge of the mat shot up and a long spear rose up. Shino watched in confusion as Sayama grabbed the spear. ¡°I used to play ¡®whac-a-creep¡¯ against my grandfather. When that old man was about to lose, he would try stabbing me with the spear, so I would throw him into the gator pond.¡± As he spoke, he suddenly moved. ¡°There.¡± He stabbed the entire spear tip into the ceiling. It audibly pierced the wood, Shino watched with her mouth hanging blankly open, and Shinjou watched with a troubled smile. ¡°Sayama-kun, what if someone really was peeping and you hit them?¡± ¡°The torso is eight points, the head is ten, the limbs are five, and the vitals are twenty, Shinjou-kun.¡± He pulled out the spear and looked at the tip. ¡°There¡¯s nothing on it, Sayama-kun.¡± ¡°Look more closely. Someone has wiped off the blade. This was the work of a true ninja.¡± Sayama sounded impressed, nodded thrice, and stabbed the blade back into the ceiling for a surprise attack. ¡°Eeeeeeek!¡± shouted the ceiling. ¡°I was too slow and gave him five points!!¡± Unsatisfied with only five points, Sayama immediately stabbed a different point in the ceiling. Several shouts and many footsteps or sounds of crawling fled above the ceiling. ¡°Brother! Brother! The young master¡¯s serious! Spying here is no game!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Don¡¯t be silly. Don¡¯t they say to treat your games like work and your work like a game!?¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so smart, brother! That means you could die from a game, doesn¡¯t- poh!?¡± The end of the sentence changed once Sayama made another stab. ¡°Ha ha ha ha,¡± he said. ¡°Looks like we have a large audience tonight!¡± ¡°Ah wah wah wah wah! You¡¯re gonna stab me! Stop! You¡¯re gonna stab me! Stop! Stop stabbing! St-st-st-stop-st-st-stab-st-st-st- wait!¡± ¡°Ahhh! He got Shingo!! Pwah!!¡± ¡°Ahhh, Takeshi too!? He¡¯s up to 28 points! Pwaaah!!¡± Sayama pursued the fleeing and screaming footsteps while continuing to stab. He finally ran to a sliding screen. ¡°Excuse me, you two. I will be right back after stabbing some people away. ¡­Shinjou-kun, you speak in my stead. You will want to know the same things I do.¡± He opened the screen with his foot and ran down the hallway, stabbing the ceiling all the while. Shino faced forward while listening to the screams and frantic voices muffled by the ceiling. She realized Shinjou had the exact same expression on her face. However, Shinjou recovered more quickly. Her eyes came into focus and her mind returned to the real world. Drawn in by that, Shino also recovered. ¡°Ah.¡± Her mind came back and she watched Shinjou sigh and hang her head. As if to calm herself, Shinjou bit into a yatsuhashi and took a sip of tea. She then looked up and faced Shino with little strength in her eyebrows. ¡°Um, sorry about that. I really don¡¯t understand the strange customs of this house.¡± The sounds of stabbing and running grew more distant in the hallway behind Shino. ¡°Now, where should we start speaking? For both our sakes.¡± Volume 12, 7: Surprise Guest Volume 12, Chapter 7: Surprise Guest You can jump in with a single step Up ahead is darkness or a hole But there is no brightness if you escape Shinjou watched Shino in the slightly chilly air of a large room. They had already introduced themselves and Shinjou had said she was leaving that night to complete the Leviathan Road with 8th-Gear and to pursue Shinjou Yukio¡¯s past to learn about the destruction of Top-Gear. On the other hand, Shino had not said much. She had said she was from Top-Gear, she had given the surname Tamiya, and she had informed Shinjou that the Tamiya family had taken her in when she was injured on the night of the attack. Shinjou had a single thought based on that. ¡°Are you the¡­real version of a Tamiya here? Since the sex is reversed, are you Kouji?¡± Shino quickly shook her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. My parents might have been, but I was an only child. ¡­I¡¯ve heard that there were a lot of people in Top-Gear that did not have a counterpart here.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Shinjou while breathing a silent sigh of relief. ¡­I don¡¯t like thinking about people as real or fake. She gave a small nod to herself and Shino raised her head to look at her. ¡°Um, what happened to the Army? I got separated when we were retreating.¡± ¡°The Army¡­ Well, Hajji was captured as its representative.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shino fell silent and her expression stiffened, but Shinjou did not soften her words. She simply spoke the truth. ¡°There has been no announcement of the Army being remade, so it¡¯s thought to have been destroyed.¡± ¡°Then my sister and the others are¡­?¡± ¡°Your sister?¡± Shino¡¯s shoulders shook a bit and she brought a hand to her mouth. ¡°I mean Mikoku. She, Hajji, and I lived like a family.¡± ¡°I see. Well, she wasn¡¯t captured.¡± Shinjou hesitated, but decided to tell her. ¡°The person named Tatsumi, the mechanical dragon named Alex, and about¡­fifty other people weren¡¯t captured either.¡± Shino¡¯s eyes opened wide, but after a moment, her expression softened. She gave a look of relief but then closed her eyes. Shinjou understood. Shino had realized those others were not going to stop resisting. After muttering something ¨C a name ¨C under her breath, Shino raised her chin and opened her eyes to look at Shinjou. ¡°Then what is it you want to ask me? I have to give you some information in exchange for what you just gave me.¡± ¡°Yes. I would be grateful if you did.¡± Shinjou nodded and thought of a few topics. ¡­Does she know about my parents? She of course wanted to know about her mother, but she also wondered what her Top-Gear father was like. And what had happened to them? She also thought about asking what her life in Top-Gear had been like, but¡­ ¡­That¡¯s what we¡¯re about to go investigate. So she asked something else. ¡°Is what Hajji said during the Army¡¯s attack true?¡± The response she got was not the one she expected. ¡°You really don¡¯t remember your life in Osaka?¡± That question gave Shinjou her answer. ¡°So it is true.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shino averted her gaze a bit downwards, but there was no darkness in her expression. She looked somehow nostalgic as she made a gesture like holding something in her hand. ¡°A concept creation facility was made in Osaka. It was placed near where Babel is in Low-Gear to act as its pair. After that, Japanese UCAT and the people connected to it moved to Osaka.¡± ¡°I¡­see.¡± She somehow managed to accept this information that she had known but could not remember. But then Shino asked a sudden question. ¡°Are you going to report that I¡¯m here?¡± Shinjou suddenly realized the significance of Shino being here. ¡­Oh. It had been so sudden that she had overlooked it, but it was an extremely obvious thing. ¡°Before I answer...can you tell me why you¡¯re here? You had to have known you would run into us.¡± Her leg was apparently injured, but she could always use her crutch to escape. Shinjou felt it would have been better for her to meet up with the remnants of the Army before she had been found. ¡°If it was to heal your leg, wouldn¡¯t it have been faster to go to UCAT or meet up with the others from the Army? Why did you stay here?¡± Shino brought a hand to her mouth, but she finally shook her head and took in a breath. ¡°For some reason¡­I just don¡¯t feel like going anywhere. I do think I should go somewhere, though.¡± And¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t really know if I should be here in the first place. ¡­They¡¯re letting me stay, but I feel like this isn¡¯t where I should be or like I don¡¯t belong anywhere. ¡­I just feel like I¡¯m intruding.¡± Hearing that, Shinjou¡¯s previous doubt grew in her heart. ¡­What is this? ¡°Um? We happened to learn you¡¯re here, but you can walk, even if not well. So why don¡¯t you want to meet up with the remnants of the Army? And¡­¡± Shinjou asked about the contradiction Shino held. ¡°You¡¯re hiding from the remnants of the Army here and yet you¡¯re not sure if you belong here. Why do you think that? And in that case¡­where do you belong?¡± Shino looked to the girl who had asked her that question. As she did, she belatedly thought about it. ¡­What is my answer? The Tamiya family was looking after her. Kouji had taken her in because he thought she ¡°had her reasons¡±. There were several others who had been taken in for similar reasons. She thought it was a nice house. It had a nice atmosphere and it had nice people. She heard a stabbing spear and a commotion in the distance, but she was grateful that everyone was always so lively. In Top-Gear, she had once lived in a large house much like this one. She could not walk properly, but she felt perfectly comfortable under the Tamiya family¡¯s care. ¡­So why do I feel bad for staying here? To collect her thoughts, she asked a question. ¡°Do I want to return to the Army? Or do I not?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not really something I can answer for you.¡± Shinjou brought a finger to her mouth and hung her head a little. ¡°But,¡± she muttered as if checking on and gathering her own thoughts. First, she raised a single finger toward Shino. ¡°You¡¯re here alone, right?¡± Shino nodded and Shinjou raised a second finger. ¡°You were happy to learn that the people of the Army were safe and that some of them had not been found.¡± She raised a third finger. ¡°But you don¡¯t want to go meet up with either group.¡± A fourth finger. ¡°And you feel guilty for staying here.¡± She lowered her hand, lightly slapped her knee, and asked a question as if to herself. ¡°What does it mean?¡± ¡°What¡­do you mean by that?¡± Shinjou nodded, looked up, and looked to Shino with the ends of her eyebrows lowered. After a shout in the distance, she frowned. ¡°This is a hard house to have a serious discussion in. Was the one in Top-Gear the same?¡± ¡°N-no. That¡¯s unique to this one.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shinjou nodded and looked Shino in the eye again. This time, she tilted her head a bit. ¡°Um? I don¡¯t entirely understand, but it seems to me that¡­well¡­you want to be with the Army, but you don¡¯t want the Army to continue.¡± And¡­ ¡°It¡¯s almost like you reluctantly graduated from the Army during that attack.¡± Shino had never graduated from anything before, but it helped her understand the state of her heart. ¡­I¡­ She recalled a moment in the past. It was the moment when she had parted ways with the Army and had been alone. A month and a half ago, she had run through the mountains after the Army had lost. At the time, she had tried to stay by Mikoku¡¯s side, but when it came to a fight¡­ ¡­I was kept from fighting. After escaping, Mikoku and the others would likely continue fighting in some form. So if she did end up meeting Mikoku again, she would only be rejected once more. After all, Mikoku would continue rejecting her as long as she was near the fighting. ¡­Then why? She had a question. ¡­If she was only going to reject me in the end, why did she stay with me for so long? She did not know. There was no way she could know. It all came down to Mikoku¡¯s heart. But if she did not want to be separated from Mikoku, she had to remain with the Army. Yet if Mikoku would find some reason to reject her¡­ ¡°I should try to keep my distance.¡± ¡­That¡¯s why I can¡¯t leave even though I¡¯m not sure I should be here. She was hiding her identity as a Top-Gear human and having the enemy protect her. That brought on the guilt of deceiving Kouji, Ryouko, and the others, but¡­ ¡°¡­¡± She had a single reason for choosing that option. ¡­It¡¯s so difficult when I¡¯m near her. She would be thrust away without being told why. She would receive no answer even if she asked why. ¡­So I decided to stay away on my own. ¡°But I¡¯m not determined enough for that, so I start hesitating again.¡± As soon as she muttered those words, a sudden sound of impact reached her ears from behind. ¡°What?¡± Shino reflexively stood up and looked behind her. She saw something strange growing from the plaster wall there. It was the tip of a spear. The sharp and shining blade was accompanied by a voice coming from the wall. ¡°Tapwaaaah!¡± She heard a scream and a series of stabbing sounds as the blade quickly moved in and out of the wall. ¡°Owwww, ow, ow, ow, owwwwpaaaah!! 7-hit combo!!¡± ¡°Eeeek! Onji was taken out in midair! Retreat! Retreat!¡± After more shouts and fleeing footsteps in the wall, Ryouko¡¯s voice reached the room. ¡°Okay, three more minutes until the time limit. ¡­Wah! Don¡¯t run this way!!¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. Are you going to run? But with three whole minutes to go, I can easily reach a high score!¡± After a single footstep out in the hallway, Shinjou spoke from behind Shino. ¡°Sayama-kun! Um¡­¡± Before she could say any more, a voice answered. And it had clearly heard what Shino had said. ¡°Keeping your distance because you are not sure where you belong takes quite a bit of determination. And yet even the world¡¯s air is blushing and panting as if it floats around you in the hopes that you will breath it in.¡± ¡°Sayama-kun, that air surrounds us too, you know?¡± ¡°Calm down, Shinjou-kun. What surrounds the two of us is a much denser gas.¡± ¡°Oxyg-insanity?¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. It is not often you make puns, Shinjou-kun. Tanaka-kun, bring out all of the cushions. Tanaka-kuuun.¡± ¡°Abrbah!¡± ¡°Ahhh, Tanaka!! He got a critical hit on Tanaka!! Now he can¡¯t carry the cushions!!¡± Ignoring the excited voices, Shinjou scratched at her head and spoke to Sayama through the wall. ¡°Um, Sayama-kun? I don¡¯t think Shino-san wants to go to UCAT either.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shino felt her pulse race at those two words. It was clear that he was about to give his answer. So she tried to say something. It did not matter what as long as it bought her some time. But before she could, Sayama¡¯s voice reached her through the wall. ¡°That is fine.¡± She swallowed her words and fell silent, but he continued regardless. ¡°She is no longer a part of the Army.¡± Shinjou stood and looked back and forth between the wall and Shino. She was aware she was frowning. ¡°She isn¡¯t part of the Army?¡± ¡°Then can you tell me why she has not used her thought coercion concept?¡± Shinjou finally recalled Shino could make people do what she said. ¡­That power would probably help handle Sayama-kun. She was certain her very first command for him would be ¡°calm down¡±. But why had Shino not used that power? ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­¡± Shino was hanging her head in resignation and Shinjou looked to the two chains hanging from the girl¡¯s neck. One of them held a red cloisonn¨¦ pendant. The other held a blue stone pendant. But the blue one had changed. ¡°It¡¯s broken?¡± Shino gave a small nod and held up the small blue stone to show the white crack through it. ¡°During our retreat, I was hit by a powerful cutting concept. I deflected the attack by ordering it to be ¡®rejected¡¯, but the concepts seemed to be a bad match. Now my power is sealed and I can¡¯t use it. It let me enter concept spaces before, but I¡¯m not even sure I can do that now that it¡¯s broken.¡± Shinjou waited a moment after Shino finished. She took the time to think about what this meant. ¡°In other words¡­you have no ability to fight, you won¡¯t meet up with the remnants of the Army, and you won¡¯t move from here? And without a Low-Gear counterpart, you have no hated enemy?¡± She was powerless, she could not move, she had no foe, and she did not wish to fight. That did indeed mean she was not part of the Army. She was no different from an injured person of this world. From a physical perspective, they were no different from Low-Gear humans. They were only different in that they were part of the Army and were residents of Top-Gear. ¡­Then which are you? Shinjou just about asked that, but she swallowed the words. She had once fallen into a similar state of mind. She had wondered which side she should be with and which side she should be on. ¡­She¡¯s the same. With that understanding, Shinjou sat back down. She looked straight at Shino who tilted her head and lowered the ends of her eyebrows. Shinjou chose her words carefully while playing with the hair falling onto her cheek. ¡°Then how about this? Once you decide which side to be on, we will use that to decide who you are.¡± ¡°B-but you two don¡¯t have the authority to-¡­¡± Sayama¡¯s voice answered her from beyond the wall. ¡°No, we do not. But what proof do we have that you are truly that girl from the Army?¡± Shino looked surprised and straightened her back. ¡°You do not have a ghost dog and it is impossible to genetically determine you are a ¡®real human¡¯ of Top-Gear when you have no Low-Gear counterpart. You could be someone else entirely who just so happens to be the spitting image of that Army girl. The Army¡¯s remnants may have led you here to trick us.¡± ¡°But that isn¡¯t-¡­!¡± ¡°Twarah!!¡± ¡°Eeek! He got Tetsu! He even got Tetsu!!¡± Before Shino could say anything more, Sayama¡¯s footsteps moved away with sounds of stabbing. Shinjou listened while looking back to Shino. ¡°Um,¡± she began while placing a hand on her chest and breathing in. ¡°We may not know if you are from the Army or not, but I would like to ask you one thing.¡± ¡°What is it? ¡­I don¡¯t really want to tell you anything that would harm the others, though.¡± ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t,¡± agreed Shinjou. Shino still cared about the Army and Top-Gear. At the same time, she cared about the peace this world had gained from not knowing about the Concept War. ¡­How will this turn out? Unlike Shinjou, Shino still remembered Top-Gear, so what would she end up doing? With that in mind, Shinjou formed her words. ¡°Today, we¡¯re leaving for Kansai. We have a lot of work to do there and I think we¡¯re going to stop by Sakai on the way back. So if possible, can you tell me just one thing? I think my mom must have lived in Top-Gear¡¯s Osaka, but where exactly did she live?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Shino¡¯s voice was scratchy, but she answered. ¡°At first, it was an orphanage in Sakai.¡± Shinjou engraved the girl¡¯s next words into her heart. ¡°After that, your mother lived in the concept creation facility built in Top-Gear.¡± ¡°In the concept creation facility?¡± Shino looked her in the eye. Her black eyes seemed to peer deep into her own. ¡°Yes. The giant facility was built to save the peoples of all Gears. It was called Noah.¡± A river flowed through the night. It had a white cement embankment, but the private road above had no lights. This was the Aki River that flowed east to west through south Akigawa. The only light came from the amusement park on the other side of the river. ¡°It is strange that an amusement park in Akigawa is known as Hachioji Summerland.¡± A girl muttered to herself while facing that light halfway up the embankment on the private road side. The girl lying on the embankment wore a black suit. It was Mikoku. A large white dog sat next to her. The two of them looked to the lights of the amusement park and other external lights across the river. The east end of the amusement park contained a one hundred meter white indoor pool building. The west end contained a roller coaster and an outdoor pool. During this season, the outdoor pool was used for a nighttime skating rink. ¡°They probably cannot see us from over there,¡± muttered Mikoku and the dog barked quietly next to her. She glanced over at the dog accusingly. ¡°Shiro, wouldn¡¯t you rather be with Shino?¡± Shiro did not answer and simply stared at the light. He did not even move, so Mikoku brought a hand to his throat. ¡­Come to think of it, I have never done this before. She could be bolder with no one else around. I really am a coward, she thought. ¡°O-okay. It is time for a tickle attack.¡± The dog brought her outstretched hand deep into its mouth and gently bit her. ¡°Ahhh!¡± He released her hand as soon as she cried out, but he immediately went back to ignoring her. Seeing that, she sighed, crossed her arms behind her head, and thought about one thing. ¡­Shiro is not searching for Shino because Shino is trying to avoid me. And she had yet to find Shino. The members of the Army had safe houses and emergency storage areas around Kantou, but Shino¡¯s belongings had not been moved. Mikoku had tried bringing Shiro around, but the dog had not reacted to anything. Most likely, she qualified to herself. Shiro has picked up on what Shino is thinking. He must want to search for her too, but she is trying to keep her distance right now. She did not know why, but Shiro showed no sign of searching for Shino and as far as she was concerned¡­ ¡°That is exactly what I want.¡± This meant Shino would no longer be involved with anything dangerous. If Shino was avoiding the Army, it meant she agreed with that. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Shiro? ¡­Ahhh!¡± Shiro gently bit her and let go again and Mikoku could see through him much more than before. During their retreat three weeks before, the man known as ¡°the rapist¡± had attacked and destroyed Mikoku¡¯s body. The mountain had collapsed, she had been washed into a river, and she had woken up three days later in a rocky area. The locations prepared for regrouping had already been abandoned by that point. The house they had lived in with Hajji had been under surveillance, as was the factory. This had left Mikoku separated from the rest of the Army and without Shino. Staying in Akigawa brought a risk of being found by UCAT, but she was still there because it seemed the best way to search out the rest of the Army. But she had yet to find them or even any trace of them. The only thing she had found was Shiro who had been next to her when she had woken up in that rocky area. However, the dog had been growing thinner ever since. Shino¡¯s philosopher¡¯s stone created a synchronization of minds more than it did control minds. It could even gather up traces of thought, but due to Shino¡¯s personality, it would create embodiments of what could be called dog ghosts. Shiro was the strongest of those and he would continue to exist as long as Shino¡¯s philosopher¡¯s stone remained. But now, he was beginning to vanish. ¡­Was her philosopher¡¯s stone destroyed or abandoned? It¡¯s hard to say, she groaned to herself while sitting up. ¡­That was ten years ago¡­ During the battle that destroyed Top-Gear, Shino had been given that philosopher¡¯s stone by her philosopher¡¯s stone developer parents. It had been inside a facility known as Noah. The negative concepts had been wreaking havoc on the world and the inside of Noah had been no different. Shino had been given the stone as a protective charm. She had been given nothing more, not even words, before she had been sent outside Noah and toward the gate opened to Low-Gear. Mikoku also remembered being sent away by her parents and the automaton that managed Noah. When she had stepped outside, the world had already been destroyed and Noah had been surrounded by Low-Gear¡¯s UCAT. The Top-Gear residents of Top-Gear¡¯s UCAT had left the children inside Noah with Hajji who had temporarily withdrawn. After that, most of the adults had gone back out to fight. According to them, they had to because it was a battle between Top-Gear and Low-Gear. The children had then evacuated to Low-Gear. Mikoku thought she knew why Hajji was so hostile to Low-Gear. ¡­Is it because he was unable to fight to the end back then? She had a similar feeling inside herself. A month and a half ago, her own inexperience had prevented her from fulfilling her job to the end. ¡°What is this regret?¡± she muttered. Shiro turned toward her and she once more noted how she could see through him. ¡­And if Shino¡¯s philosopher¡¯s stone really is losing its power¡­ That would be a first for the girl. That stone had been her final line of defense when setting foot in this strange world that seemed so very similar to the world she knew. She had never been in Low-Gear without the stone. ¡­But if she no longer has it¡­ Mikoku held her breath as she continued on that train of thought, but¡­ ¡°¡­¡± She got up. Shiro quickly turned toward her again and she tried to pat his head. ¡°Ahhh! Calm down, Shiro. ¡­At any rate, Shino is a smart girl. I do not know where she is living, but she will no longer need us once she gets used to it.¡± The way she hung her head and spoke made it look like she was trying to convince herself of that. ¡°That means I am the only one that is alone.¡± I do not like the sound of that now that I have no one else, she thought. The only piece of hope was that Shino was apparently with good people. Shiro would have done something if she was in danger. So¡­ ¡­This is my problem and only my problem. In the near future, they were sure to oppose the world in some way. Tatsumi had Alex and the others had their own people to worry about, but¡­ ¡­I am alone. She had pushed away the person she cared about most. Now that she had made an enemy of this world, she would never have anyone to care for again. ¡°All I can be is alone.¡± Suddenly, her lowered gaze caught sight of a light. It was a straight line of light visible between her eyes and the philosopher¡¯s stone in her throat. The light was reflected off of the metal blade sticking through the back of her neck and out the front. ¡°Eh?¡± Mikoku¡¯s voice did not form proper words. Her eyes showed her that a thick-bladed knife was sticking through her neck from behind while muffled breathing and bubbling blood escaped her neck. ¡°¡­!¡± So she clenched her teeth and swallowed the blood. Whatever this was, letting out a cry of pain would only inform the attacker of her situation, so she breathed in through her nose. ¡°¡­¡± Calm down, she told herself while reaching behind her with her right hand and grabbing the knife handle. She held her head in place with her left hand and pulled out the knife. ¡­Kh. She felt something cold leaving her neck where she normally breathed and swallowed. She resisted the urge to vomit and removed the blade. Other than what spilled out from removing the blade, no blood left her. She had pulled it out straight enough for the healing to begin immediately. That was when she realized how skilled the thrower had been. She sensed no one on the embankment behind her. That meant they had thrown the knife in a parabolic arc from the other side of the embankment. Not many people could accomplish that in a blind throw. Especially with enough force to stab in so deeply. ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡± A name came to mind and she just about spoke it aloud, but she stopped when she noticed something else. The knife she held had something written on it with magic marker. One side of the thick, brown leather handle had a message. ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down. Enemies. Tomorrow in Sakai, announce our intentions as leader.¡± The letter folded on the opposite side was held on with a rubber band. As soon as she read the writing, Mikoku was convinced of who had thrown the knife. ¡­Tatsumi!? It was a rough method of telling her to not let her guard down and that the enemy was coming. Also¡­ ¡­As leader!? What does that mean!? No, she knew the answer to that. She was being told to take Hajji¡¯s place. She thought it was ridiculous, but she also knew what Tatsumi was trying to say. Now that Hajji was a prisoner, the Army had no leader. That meant the Army would vanish and they would become the forces of Top-Gear. They would need a leader, but Alex was restricted by his mechanical dragon body, Tatsumi was not the leadership type, and Shino was missing. That process-of-elimination answer angered Mikoku. And¡­ ¡­Tomorrow in Sakai, announce our intentions? Information on Shinjou¡¯s mother was in Sakai, so would she go there? But¡­ ¡°I am supposed to decide everyone¡¯s fate!? What is the meaning of this!?¡± Just as she began to tremble in fear because of her own inexperience, she heard a sudden sound from the top of the embankment behind her. It was the sound of a small rock being kicked and Tatsumi would never make a sound like that as she approached. She did not even need to think what this meant as she got up from the embankment. She moved forward, toward the river. ¡°Shiro!¡± As she gave that bloody shout, she decided she was thinking too much. She has thinking too much about Shino, about the regret brought on by her inexperience a month and a half before, and about her own loneliness. It was all weighing on her mind so heavily that she had allowed Tatsumi¡¯s throw to reach her. She was sure Tatsumi would tell her she would normally have noticed the knife. But even if she could guess how someone else would warn her, she could not find a decent answer. She only knew two things. First, she had let her guard down due to her inexperience. And second¡­ ¡­Sayama is on the move! The Army and Hajji had shaken them so much, the Gear reservations had to be reacting, and the foreign UCATs would never stay silent. And yet¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Mikoku dove into the winter river to escape. As she did so, she realized she may have nowhere left to run. Two splashes could be heard from the top of the embankment. Four pairs of hard shoes could be heard shortly thereafter. Four well-built people in suits stood on the unlit asphalt at the top of the embankment. Three were men and one was a woman. One had blond hair, two had black hair, and one had brown hair. Their eyes were covered by the visor-like objects they wore. The black-haired man who seemed to be their leader spoke into a cellphone. He spoke in English. ¡°They escaped. The philosopher¡¯s stone reading is moving away through the river. We will continue to the other¡­no, we cannot split our personnel. ¡­Testament. Then we will continue with our normal guard duties.¡± The black-haired man ended the call. The splashing sounds had already vanished from the black river surface. A few seconds later, he brought his right hand to his visor. ¡°Target lost.¡± He spoke quietly and deactivated a few switches on the side of the visor. ¡°Not being able to act publicly is difficult. There are a lot of people we must covertly protect, so we can¡¯t pursue when we do find a target. ¡­This is the most stressful situation. It¡¯s a shame. I was born in Texas, so I love gun battles.¡± ¡°Calm down,¡± said the brown-haired woman next to him. ¡°I¡¯m sure Colonel Odor wants to take action more than anyone else, but he¡¯s stuck negotiating with our home country below Yokota. And you know how much he hates deskwork.¡± ¡°But if he went to the meeting in the major¡¯s place, he would probably physically crush the representatives of the other UCATs. I can almost hear him saying ¡®They¡¯re pissing me off! They¡¯re pissing me off, Roger!¡¯ The entire meeting room would be flattened.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for sure,¡± said the two men behind her with bitter smiles. But the woman only shrugged. ¡°But that¡¯s what he normally does. Why isn¡¯t he doing that? If he used the full authority and dignity of the United States, most of the countries in that meeting would have no choice but to go along with it.¡± The black-haired man removed his visor, folded it up, and put it in his pocket. He then turned around and started toward the black car stopped on the edge of the embankment. After the first step, he spoke. ¡°Then can you answer this? Who was it that defeated Black Sun?¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He heard a gasp behind him and kicked a small piece of loose asphalt as he walked. ¡°I was there at the Chofu airport. I saw it destroy those vehicles and my comrades. What we had destroyed turned out not to be Black Sun and we allowed the real one into our airspace. But,¡± he said. ¡°Some people tried to understand Black Sun and received the Concept Core as a sign of apology.¡± He let out a bitter laugh. ¡°What we and the colonel are doing is making sure those people do not have their power sealed away. The other Gears are trying to pick a fight with them right now, but I at least know that those people are the only ones who can fight them. I¡¯m sure the colonel and the major know as well. And we know that letting them fight is the fastest answer.¡± ¡°But the other UCATs don¡¯t know that and are trying to interfere, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Testament,¡± replied the blond man in the back. He tapped the shoulder of the man next to him and also began walking toward the car. ¡°Members of a few different UCATs have shown up at or near Team Leviathan residences about thirty times in the past two weeks. We¡¯re counting perverts, arsonists, and UCAT Director Ooshiro separately, but it seems we¡¯re still doing quite a bit to maintain the peace of this country.¡± ¡°It looks like we can spread freedom and peace on the household level as well. We will continue to police every UCAT by keeping an eye on the other ones and we will report any hostile actions from the other Gears. This is an important job¡­and we sometimes catch people like that in our net.¡± ¡°That was Toda Mikoku, the girl with an immortality philosopher¡¯s stone, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± answered the man walking in front. ¡°But it isn¡¯t immortality. It¡¯s high-speed regeneration and it has a flaw. The regeneration is not instantaneous and it relies on the stone, so the regeneration stops if the stone is destroyed. In other words, if you blow her to bits with an explosive and then destroy the stone before she can fully regenerate, she will die. There¡¯s nothing she can do about it,¡± he added. ¡°Also, the Army spoke about the truth of Top-Gear, but they forgot two things. First, we are now living in the present. And second, they failed to steal even one of the Concept Cores. Everything they mentioned is nothing but the past and they have nothing to bring to the negotiating table. So¡­¡± He suddenly trailed off. His footsteps stopped, too. He had stopped seven meters from the car on the end of the embankment. The embankment lowered to the left and connected to the road running alongside the river. He looked to the streetlights on that road and silently looked back. He saw someone standing on the asphalt. This was not any of his three companions. A single new person stood there. It was a girl with long hair who wore a combat coat. There had been no sign of her previously. She was five meters away and he had not noticed until she was that close. It had likely been the same for his companions. Three people were collapsed and unmoving along the path she had taken thus far. After noting that they seemed to have simply collapsed as they walked, he began to move. He pulled a submachine gun from his coat. He turned the short suppressor toward her and muffled gunshots shook the air. ¡°Nagata Tatsumi!!¡± A cold smile charged toward him in response. ¡°Yes. That is the name I am going by now.¡± The man saw Tatsumi slip below his arm. She had moved under the arm he was using to hold the gun forward. Her flowing black hair wrapped in the wind and the sword she drew from her back produced the color silver. Her movements looked relaxed, but they were lightning fast. ¡°Sorry, but I need you to stay still for a bit.¡± After drawing the sword, her left elbow sprang up. The elbow knocked up his right arm which held the gun. He saw his arm bend a little and then fully bend as if releasing its strength. A moment later, Tatsumi¡¯s blade raced forward and split the submachine gun in two. However, the man could still move. He pulled back his left hand and tried to draw the combat knife on his left hip. ¡°Is this what you¡¯re looking for?¡± Tatsumi tilted her head as she asked and she held a knife in her right hand. She gently pushed on the back of the knife and drove the entire blade into his chest just below the right collarbone. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± As soon as he gave a cry of pain, he saw something. Tatsumi pulled back the silver line and it seemed to multiply several times over. The illusion was caused by a series of jabs too quick for his eyes to fully capture. They all hit. The sound was as light as paper being struck, but the strikes all penetrated to the other side of his limbs or torso. His bones broke, his tendons were pierced, and he began to collapse back onto the asphalt. ¡°Kh¡­¡± ¡°You can still speak?¡± She reached her hand out toward his chest as he fell. Just as he wondered what she was going to do, she grabbed the handle of the knife stabbed there. ¡°I¡¯ll remove that for you.¡± She used his falling motion to pull out the knife. A gouging sensation filled the right half of his body from behind. ¡°¡­!!¡± He swallowed the cry of pain and instead looked up to the moon and listened to Tatsumi¡¯s voice. ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of Mikoku too much, okay? If she really was useless, I wouldn¡¯t bother teaching her anything. With Shino gone and nowhere to run, this is the perfect chance to train herself. And¡­¡± He heard a bitter laugh. ¡°Who were you in charge of protecting? If you remember that, you should understand that we haven¡¯t given up just yet. Yes, since Mikoku hasn¡¯t pulled herself together yet, we need to set the stage for her.¡± He fell onto his back. The intense pain in the right of his chest sent his mind into darkness, but he clearly heard Tatsumi¡¯s voice just before it did. ¡°We will set the stage so Top-Gear can correct the Leviathan Road. ¡­I hope you¡¯re looking forward to it.¡± A certain large space was surrounded by books. That room on the first floor of Taka-Akita Academy¡¯s Second Year General Education School Building was known as the Kinugasa Library. It was stepped with the center at the lowest point, countless bookcases filled it like a forest, and the scene outside the nearly covered windows was dark. The wall clock said it was nine at night, so the fluorescent lights on the ceiling were the only illumination. The artificial lights produced shadows from the lines of bookcases and the entire library was somewhat covered in shadow. The only area free of shadow was the highest point of the stepped floor where there were no bookcases. That meant the counter by the entrance and the area in front of the preparation room in the back. Two people stood in front of the unlit preparation room and one stood within it. One of those outside was a girl with long blonde hair who was leaning against the wall. The other was a girl with short blonde hair who was peering inside the dark room. The one inside was the short-haired girl that the one blonde girl was peering in at. That blonde girl spoke to the girl who wore a track suit and searched along the room¡¯s wall. ¡°U-um, Kazami? Are you okay?¡± ¡°Eh? I¡¯m fine, Heo. They just store stuff in here, so I won¡¯t get in trouble for being in here. Besides, the Kinugasa Library isn¡¯t being used for the year end festival yet.¡± ¡°No, Kazami. ¡­I meant about the battle.¡± Hearing that, the girl with long blonde hair moved from the wall. She spoke to Kazami who was searching for the light switch in the dark room. ¡°You¡¯re not hurt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine.¡± With a bitter smile, Kazami found the switch and pressed it. A quiet flashing sound came from the ceiling and a brownish light turned on. ¡°Now, then,¡± said Kazami below that light. ¡°This is a lot of books. The small room is packed full of them.¡± ¡°Wh-what are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. But you heard what Sayama and Shinjou called ahead about, right? There should be a ¡®Study¡¯ inside the Kinugasa Library.¡± Kazami knew Sayama had gone to the Tamiya house and she knew why. ¡­He¡¯s searching for his mother¡¯s past. She understood the past still gave him pain, but she now knew he was stepping forward without fearing that pain. ¡­In that case¡­ ¡°I need to help him out.¡± Mikage tilted her head at that, but Kazami simply smiled and changed the subject. ¡°Let¡¯s get this cleaned up while the guys are out buying snacks and drinks. ¡­I think the big pile of books in the center is actually because of a work table below them.¡± Hearing that, Heo¡¯s shoulders trembled below her flight jacket and school uniform. ¡°Is this the Study?¡± ¡°Hm? No. It¡¯s the preparation room.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Heo looked doubtful and Mikage expressionlessly tilted her head, so Kazami nodded. ¡°I think this is the entrance to the Study.¡± ¡°B-but there¡¯s nothing here. Even in the back, there¡¯s only bookcases.¡± Oh, that¡¯s right, thought Kazami. Heo and Mikage don¡¯t know the library that well. If they did, there¡¯s one thing they would have noticed. So she looked to the wall clock. It was just before 9:00 PM and there was no sign of Siegfried at the counter. ¡°Did you know that Siegfried the librarian plays the piano in the second floor music room at a set time every day and whenever he has some spare time?¡± Even as she spoke, the music reached them. It was Silent Night. The piano sounded almost serene. The ends of Heo¡¯s eyebrows lowered as she listened to the loud yet calm music. ¡°I can hear it, but what about it? Mikage, you can hear it too, right?¡± ¡°Nn.¡± Heo looked uneasy and Mikage tilted her head, but Kazami was satisfied. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± She nodded. ¡°You can hear it. ¡­Now, come here.¡± Kazami grabbed the two girls¡¯ shoulders and left the room. After taking a few steps, they corrected their posture to walk alongside her. ¡°U-um, Kazami?¡± She took a few more steps without answering and moved down one level of the stepped floor. Kazami stepped down with Heo after watching Mikage time her step down a bit ahead of the other two. After a few more steps, it became clear what Kazami was getting at. Heo and Mikage did not take their next step with Kazami. They came to a stop, so Kazami did the same. She looked to either side. She saw Mikage expressionlessly lower her head on the right and Heo open her eyes wide on the left. They were both speechless, so she spoke up in triumphant laugh. ¡°Heh heh. What¡¯s the matter, you two? Why did you stop?¡± ¡°Nn.¡± Mikage nodded and Heo hesitated before slowly speaking. ¡°The music¡­went away.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Kazami as she let go of the girls¡¯ shoulders. She took a step forward, turned around to face their surprised and confused faces, and breathed in. ¡°I just now found the answer to one of this school¡¯s mysteries.¡± She looked up to the ceiling. Beyond the white ceiling panels and fluorescent lights was the music room. ¡°The music room above here is fully soundproofed. You can¡¯t hear anything from inside even in the hallway right outside it. Above that is the art room. ¡­So why do the sounds of those two floors reach the preparation room separately?¡± ¡°Separately?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded and looked the other two in the eye. ¡°When Brunhild was keeping her bird in the art room, we heard it chirping from the preparation room. However, the sounds from the music room can¡¯t be heard in the art room. Siegfried suggested it¡¯s due to the sounds resonating with the walls, but¡­¡± She looked toward the preparation room as she continued. ¡°What if there¡¯s a hidden room back there? What if it¡¯s not resonating with the walls? What if the hidden room¡¯s air conditioning travels through the art room and music room¡¯s walls separately, so the sounds arrive separately as well?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Heo and Mikage looked surprised, but Kazami only felt more satisfaction. ¡°Now,¡± she said with a clap of her hands. The sound reverberated through the library and she lifted her eyebrows in a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s clean this up. At least enough to reach the work table and bookcases in the back. ¡­The wall beyond those bookcases seems suspicious, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Volume 12, 8: The World’s Entrance Volume 12, Chapter 8: The World¡¯s Entrance Where do we go from here? Where did we come from to get here? Even after clearing out the books, the room was still small. The wood floor did not even cover ten square meters. It had the door-less entrance to the front and the bookcases in the back. The scarlet light on the ceiling filled the room which smelled of damp dust. ¡°There sure were a lot of books in here.¡± Those words came from one of the eight people inside the room. It was Shinjou. She and the others were not looking to the central work desk or the snacks and drinks sitting on it. They were focused on the bookcases and the books filling them. There were four of them beyond the piles of old books that remained on the floor. The bookcases reached the ceiling. The two on the far left and right were placed farther forward while the two placed between them were kept in the far back. ¡°That¡¯s clearly a double-layer bookcase.¡± Kazami rolled up her track suit¡¯s sleeves and Shinjou felt the girl had spoken for everyone there. There were no rails on the floor for the bookcases to move along, but according to Sayama¡­ ¡°The two in the front are likely fixed in place, but if the back two have rails to slide to the side ¨C that is, between the front bookcases and the wall ¨C then those back bookcases are effectively doors. In other words, there is a hidden room or a concept space behind them.¡± He gave a troubled smile. ¡°Shinjou-kun and I are about to leave for 8th¡¯s Leviathan Road and to search for her mother¡¯s past in relation to Top-Gear¡¯s destruction, but I never expected to begin a treasure hunt for this ¡®Study¡¯ before we left.¡± Shinjou smiled a bit and nodded at his words. ¡°Well, we already told them about Noah and your mother, so let¡¯s do what we can before we have to leave for the train.¡± When she had arrived with Sayama earlier, most of the books on the preparation room¡¯s floor had already been removed. They had all ignored the snacks laid out on the work desk, discussed how to move the bookcases, and discussed the information Shinjou and Sayama brought from the Tamiya house. The front and back bookcases were both filled with books, but the top left of the left one in the back had an open space. An old globe had been placed there. They had learned three other things in their investigation. There was no switch hidden in the back of the bookcases. When they tapped on the back panel, it made a light sound that indicated there was empty space beyond it. And¡­ ¡°We can¡¯t break through it even though it¡¯s made of wood.¡± It had been Izumo who had discovered the bookcases and the surrounding wall were protected by a concept. After returning from the hospital and hearing Kazami had fought a battle, he had tried to reach inside her track suit to make sure she was not injured. He had subsequently crashed into the bookcase, but he had bounced off without it breaking or even creaking. However, that had not improved the situation. Sayama frowned and crossed his arms next to Shinjou, Harakawa and Heo stood by the wall, Hiba and Mikage leaned against the left and right bookcases, and Kazami and Izumo gathered up the remaining books on the floor. Shinjou groaned in thought as she observed the contents of the bookcases. ¡°This is a strange mixture of books. I wonder why.¡± ¡°Have you figured something out, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°No, um¡­¡± She hesitated and looked around. The others turned toward her and her shoulders shrank down. ¡°Well, I¡¯m probably way off base here, but¡­¡± She tried asking the question that had occurred to her when she noticed the strange mixture of books. ¡°These books seem almost random, so why are all of the shelves nearly full?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they just put them on the shelves randomly until they ran out of space and had to use the floor?¡± Izumo did have a point, but¡­ ¡°Look.¡± She pointed at one shelf and the colors formed by the arrangement of books. ¡°It looks random, but the series are all lined up together.¡± It was obvious if one paid attention. Clumps of a single color formed groups on the shelves. As for the seemingly random books that filled the gaps between them¡­ ¡°They all have the same author or publisher. ¡­It¡¯s all grouped together.¡± ¡°Then,¡± replied Sayama. ¡°Are you saying the books here have some kind of meaning and are only meant to appear random?¡± ¡°I can agree with that,¡± cut in Harakawa. He crossed his legs while still standing by the wall. ¡°Something caught my attention too. Can I pull out the books?¡± ¡°Something caught your attention? What is it, Harakawa-kun?¡± He shook his head at her question. ¡°You¡¯ll understand once I pull out the books. Wait until then. ¡­Assuming I¡¯m not imagining things.¡± He moved from the wall in order to pull out the books, so Hiba and Mikage left the bookcases they stood in front of. ¡°Um, Harakawa-san, do you want some help?¡± ¡°Hiba Ryuuji, have you ever worked as a mover or shipper? For those jobs, you need to remove books from a bookcase and put them back in the same order at the destination.¡± Without even looking at Hiba, Harakawa walked to the back bookcases and rolled up his sleeves. ¡°There might be a trick to the order of the books, so someone who can put them back how they were needs to do the work. And that¡¯s me.¡± He always says things like that, thought Shinjou as he spoke with his back turned. ¡­But¡­ Before she could continue her thought, Heo stepped up next to him. Heo helped him line up the removed books behind him. ¡°In other words, Harakawa, you¡¯re an expert cleaner?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t put it like that, Heo Thunderson. And stop plotting a change to our division of work at home. Got that?¡± She groaned and fell silent, but they continued working without speaking. They lined up the even piles of books behind them which formed a wall between them and the others. As she watched them, Kazami gave Izumo a puzzled look. ¡°Hey, Kaku. Is it just me or are they making a wall of flirting with those books?¡± ¡°Yeah, their love comedy aura has gone beyond all acceptable levels. It¡¯s enough to actually feel cold.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. But, Izumo-san, Kazami-san, you two practically wrote the book on that kind of thing. Ha ha. Maybe that book is on one of these shelv- I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll go buy you a drink, so please stop giving me that look of scorn.¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t scorn. That was just a terrible joke.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s even worse!¡± Shinjou thought calmly to herself while watching that exchange. ¡­We really have a unique cycle set up here, don¡¯t we? She decided to stay out of it so she could stay normal, but she suddenly realized someone else was staying out of it too: Sayama. He was the strangest of them all, so why was he not taking part? She thought about that for a bit. ¡°Ah. D-don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s weird not to take part in this strange conversation!¡± ¡°How did you reach that bizarre conclusion, Shinjou-kun?¡± Sayama tilted his head and Baku emulated him. He quietly looked her way and thought about something for approximately three seconds. Immediately afterwards, he gave an understanding nod, removed his coat, and slapped his opened chest with one hand. ¡°Now, come at me!¡± ¡°With what?¡± ¡°With what? With what, you say? Heh heh heh. I suppose it would be hard for you to say it out loud!¡± ¡°Yes, the decidedly negative feeling I want to throw at you right now definitely is incredibly difficult to describe.¡± Meanwhile, she heard some whispering voices. ¡°Look, Harakawa. Sayama and Shinjou have started their weird kind of flirting again.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let them influence you, Heo Thunderson. More importantly, do something about this, you stupid president.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to, but my divine protection doesn¡¯t help against whatever has infected them. ¡­How about you, Chisato?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t like criticizing other people¡¯s tastes.¡± ¡°You say that, Kazami-san, but why are you giving me that look saying I should go do it?¡± Shinjou¡¯s danger meter quickly filled, so she frantically spoke up. ¡°W-wait a second! Why is the cycle surrounding me now!?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Shinjou-kun, the others are merely jealous. They can sense the happiness exuding from us.¡± She tightened a nearby necktie and the windpipe releasing that ¡°happiness¡± closed up and fell silent. She then sighed in that silence. ¡°You know, Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°Chisato, I think we¡¯re being tricked here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Kaku. They¡¯re trying to alter their world for us.¡± ¡°E-enough of that! Let¡¯s focus on this!!¡± Shinjou pointed at Sayama. ¡°He¡¯s been sitting there silently this whole time! Isn¡¯t that weird!? You need to ask him why!¡± ¡°How¡¯s he going to answer?¡± asked Kazami. Shinjou looked to the boy she was pointing at. For some reason, he was collapsed limply on the work bench with his red tie wrapped tightly around his neck. ¡°Stop turning this into a mock crime scene, Sayama-kun! You can¡¯t just go to sleep and abandon your duty, so let¡¯s take this seriously!!¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait, wait. That¡¯s one hell of an interpretation there, Shinjou.¡± However, Sayama loosened his tie while still pretending to lie limply on the desk. ¡°I am suffocating, Shinjou-kun. Heh heh. I believe I need mouth-to-mouth.¡± She dropped her fist straight down on his stomach. His body shot up from the desk, landed on his feet, and caught Baku out of the air. ¡°Sh-Shinjou-kun, I said mouth-to-mouth, not fist-to-gut.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Shinjou nodded with the biggest smile she could manage and slowly opened her mouth. ¡°Will those be your last words?¡± ¡°Now, how about we take this seriously?¡± Sayama nodded and stepped up alongside her. He calmly faced forward as the others glared at him. He crossed his arms, placed a hand on his chin, and looked to one person in particular. ¡°Harakawa, have you reached your answer yet?¡± ¡°Once I remove this shelf, my suspicion will be effectively confirmed.¡± The boy turned back and Heo looked back too. She tilted her head toward Sayama from beyond the piles of books with almost equal heights. ¡°I don¡¯t really get it either. What is this?¡± ¡°Well, Heo-kun, it is nothing much. Also¡­that is Harakawa¡¯s answer to give.¡± They all turned toward Harakawa and Shinjou noticed that he had stopped removing the books. Why? she wondered. ¡°Ah,¡± said Heo as she faced the wall of piled-up books. She raised her right hand with a look of surprise. She spread her fingers and lowered them on top of one stack. Each stack in the row was made from one of the shelves and there were six shelves¡¯ worth. However¡­ ¡°They¡¯re almost even.¡± Each stack came from a single shelf, so Shinjou felt it made sense for their heights to generally be the same. However, that was not what Heo meant when she said ¡°almost¡±. Of the six stacks in front of her, four were one book shorter than the other two. However, that was not the problem. The problem was the height of that difference. ¡°It¡¯s too exact,¡± concluded Harakawa. Everyone watched as Heo nodded. The four shorter stacks were about the same height and the two taller ones were also about the same height. The books formed two separate groups of equal height. ¡­Why is that? After helping Harakawa, Heo tilted her head as if responding to Shinjou¡¯s silent question. ¡°What does this mean?¡± She brushed her hands along the lower stacks to compare their heights, but the top books formed a perfectly horizontal surface. ¡°This equal height is intentional, isn¡¯t it? But why would you do that?¡± She almost seemed to be talking to herself, but it gave Shinjou a sudden thought. However, she was doubtful of the answer in her heart. ¡­Huh? Can I really say this?¡± She was not sure, so she frowned, lightly crossed her arms, and felt a little concerned that her actions were identical to the dangerous individual next to her. But in the end, she opened her mouth and spoke. ¡°You see this kind of thing in video games.¡± Heo listened to Shinjou from beyond the stacks of books. ¡°Video games?¡± she asked. She did not know much about video games. She had moved so often when living in the United States and she had been too busy with various daily tasks to have much free time. Her great-grandfather had always asked if there was anything she wanted, but she could borrow books from the library and visiting a new library was always something to look forward to each time they moved. After moving to Japan, Harakawa did not ask if she wanted anything, she could still visit the library, and she had yet to complete the bookshelves in the closet. Her friends seemed to play some games, but with her club activities, everyday tasks, books, Harakawa, and the other strange people around her, there was unfortunately no space left for games. However, she did often hear her friends at school talking excitedly about the female-oriented games they played. ¡­They¡¯re always talking about which guy they ¡°won¡±. The Japanese seem to think of people as something to be conquered. Is that the influence of the previous world war? If I¡¯m going to date Harakawa properly, do I have to use Thunder Fellow to fire on him while he drives his motorcycle down the road at night? But based on the games I¡¯ve seen Ooshiro play, a Japanese girl is supposed to be a younger step sister, have pink hair, and have absurd speech quirks. But I don¡¯t think I can do that and I still don¡¯t know what Harakawa wants, so what¡¯s going to happen between us? ¡°H-Heo? You look like you¡¯re thinking a little too hard, but the kind of game I was talking about is-¡­¡± ¡°Oh, y-yes!!¡± She came back to her senses. ¡°If it¡¯s about a blonde uninvited guest, then everything¡¯s fine already!¡± ¡°That is not fine at all, Heo Thunderson.¡± ¡°Eh? Th-then I¡¯m not the right genre for you!?¡± ¡°Calm down, Heo. Write the character for rice on your palm and then lick it.¡± ¡°Oh, I know that one. It¡¯s a Japanese custom that¡¯s supposed to calm you down, right?¡± ¡°No. If you do that, you¡¯ll realize how stupid you are.¡± Feeling dejected, she hung her head. Harakawa sighed and stood up. ¡°Okay, what did you mean, Shinjou?¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. Harakawa, if you want to hear Shinjou-kun¡¯s wonderful idea, you will have to get through me firs- gh.¡± ¡°Sorry, Harakawa-kun. There was a bit of background noise there. Now, what I¡¯m saying is¡­there¡¯s that game, right?¡± ¡°There? Where is there?¡± ¡­He always has to say things like that, doesn¡¯t he? Heo gave a silent nod of understanding at Harakawa¡¯s comment. After sighing in her heart, she looked up and tilted her head toward Shinjou. ¡°What kind of game? I don¡¯t really know the details.¡± ¡°Y¡¯know, the one where you place Ls on top of Ts and stick a long red one into the hole.¡± ¡°I-is this some new 18+ world of spread legs!?¡± Harakawa hit her on the back of the head. ¡°Ow. Wh-what was that for!?¡± ¡°Think of it as removing the poison from your brain. And for some general education, I¡¯m going to get a game system from someone I know at the base.¡± ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Heo bowed and found a hint in Shinjou¡¯s explanation. She realized what the girl had been trying to say. ¡°This bookcase had two kinds of shelves: incomplete ones with a single book missing and complete ones?¡± She seemed to be speaking to herself, but she then asked the others something. ¡°But¡­what books are missing?¡± Everyone but Sayama ¨C who was still collapsed on the work desk ¨C tilted their heads. They did not know. Of course they did not. A few books were missing, but the Kinugasa Library was overflowing with books. They needed to fill the empty space, but they had no way of knowing which books would work. However¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Someone give us an idea. It can be anything.¡± Kazami was the first to speak. Heo looked up and saw the girl¡¯s eyebrows lifted with a powerful smile. ¡°If it¡¯s wrong, someone else can think up something. Since there¡¯s no clear answer, whoever says it first is the winner.¡± Someone agreed with Kazami with an ¡°Nn.¡± It was Mikage and she raised her hand. ¡°Then that.¡± She pointed above Heo. ¡°Eh?¡± Heo turned around and saw the top shelf of the left bookcase. A globe sat on the far left end of that shelf. In case there was some trick to the globe, they had not touched that shelf. But as Heo looked up at the untouched shelf, she heard Mikage speak. ¡°That shelf is different. It has the globe and books filling the rest of it.¡± Sure enough, the entire shelf past the globe¡¯s base was crammed full of books. ¡­That top shelf is a completed one. In that case, she thought. Before she could continue, Sayama¡¯s voice filled the room. ¡°There are nine shelves on each bookcase, which is eighteen between the two. And other than the completed shelf on the top left, we have found that two of six shelves are entirely filled. That means,¡± he continued. ¡°A crude ratio calculation gives us an incomplete to complete shelf ratio of four to two. There are eighteen shelves in all, so twelve of them have empty spaces and six do not. However, one shelf is already completed by the globe, so that shelf can be eliminated from the calculation.¡± ¡°So either eleven have empty spaces or five don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Sayama nodded. ¡°Does the number eleven ring any bells? For example, a set of eleven books in this very library?¡± Heo saw Sayama kneeling on top of the desk. He formed a small smile as everyone focused on him. ¡°The answer is simple. Bring in all eleven volumes of Professor Kinugasa¡¯s mythology encyclopedia. Perhaps the bookcase door will open if we place them in the proper gaps on the shelves.¡± ¡°B-but Sayama-kun, where in the bookcases do we put them?¡± Heo nodded in agreement with Shinjou. There were gaps in the shelves, but would the bookcases really move just from filling them? If there was a switch¡­ ¡°I think where we put the books might be a riddle.¡± ¡°The answer to that is also simple,¡± replied Sayama. He knew the answer from the current situation. ¡­What here gave him the answer? That thought somewhat filled Heo with a desire to continue on. Just like her previous timid suggestion, she wanted to find the answer here. ¡­But I need a hint. She found one. It was the object Mikage had pointed at earlier and it was on the completed top left shelf of the incomplete bookcase. She could now speak the word that led to the answer. ¡°The globe. No, the world and the eleven mythologies found there!¡± She saw the corner of Sayama¡¯s mouth rise in a smile as he nodded. ¡°I see. In that case, what should we do, Heo-kun?¡± ¡°Well,¡± she answered. She glanced over at Harakawa. He was already holding the top and bottom of the stacks of books between his hands and returning them to the shelf. Realizing her words had led him to do that, she spoke. ¡°Based on the globe in the top left, we can view the two bookcases like a world map¡­and we put the eleven mythologies in the appropriate place on that map.¡± She realized confidence filled her face. ¡°I think the entrance to Professor Kinugasa¡¯s study is one with a view of every Gear and its mythology!¡± About three minutes after Heo¡¯s confident statement, they had placed the appropriate books on the shelves. However, the bookcases did not move. The eleven books were in the proper regions for their respective mythologies, but¡­ ¡°Eh? Wh-why aren¡¯t the bookcases moving? Um, uh, well¡­¡± Before Heo grew completely flustered, Shinjou had a thought. ¡­The usual cruel show is about to begin. After putting in the books, Kazami and Hiba expressed their confusion. ¡°Huh!?¡± Kazami held her head in her hands and her tone said this had to be some kind of mistake. ¡°Why isn¡¯t it opening!? And after Heo had such a good idea!!¡± ¡°This is strange, Kazami-san! And after Heo-san worked so hard to come up with that answer!!¡± ¡°No, um, I only, uh¡­¡± ¡°What is going on here!? Hiba, put some more effort into this for Heo¡¯s sake!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Kazami-san. I don¡¯t know how to put effort into this, but I¡¯ll do it for Heo-san¡¯s sake!¡± ¡°Um, but I, uh, must have been wro-¡­¡± ¡°No, we were definitely the ones who did something wrong. Right, Hiba!? Especially you!!¡± ¡°Yes! I don¡¯t really know what I¡¯m being accused of here, but I¡¯ve started to think I might as well just go along with it!¡± ¡°U-um, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but, um, uh¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s put all eleven in again, Hiba! Fnaaaaahhh!!¡± ¡°Nwaaahh!!¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t think putting the books in more forcefully is going to help. Um, uh¡­¡± Heo was almost in tears and she turned to Harakawa who was putting some books in order to the side. ¡°Harakawa, they¡¯re bullying me-¡­ Don¡¯t ignore me, Harakawa!¡± As she watched the exchange, a previous thought returned to Shinjou. ¡­This is really is a unique kind of natural cycle. She considered saying something to help but decided against it to make sure she was not caught in the crossfire. However, this was odd. Kinugasa Tenkyou¡¯s books had filled the empty spaces perfectly. It had almost seemed to say that those eleven mythology encyclopedias had originally been in this shelf. Also, the spaces in the shelves had corresponded to the regions for the various mythologies, so they had been able to find the proper locations using an atlas. And when they had put the books in¡­ ¡°There was a sound.¡± Kazami had been the one to notice a sound much like the hands of a clock moving somewhere in the bookcases. They had relied on her hearing while putting in the eleven books and she had heard eleven sounds as they filled the bookcases. However, the door did not open. ¡°Why not?¡± muttered Shinjou. Meanwhile, Izumo opened a plastic bottle of oolong tea while sitting at the work desk. ¡°Why even ask? We were wrong. That¡¯s why it won¡¯t open. Then again, I guess you could ask why it won¡¯t open if you had it right and it still didn¡¯t open.¡± Kazami frowned at that and turned around. ¡°Hey, Kaku. Everyone¡¯s trying to think.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking too. But my thoughts can¡¯t get past a certain point.¡± ¡°A certain point?¡± He brought the bottle to his mouth and swallowed once. ¡°According to Sayama, his mom looked after these bookcases, right?¡± ¡°Well, yes. She was the librarian, so she would have organized the shelves¡­¡± Sure enough, most of the flood of information filling the shelves as books was from the late Showa era. ¡­There would have been different books during Professor Kinugasa¡¯s era. As the books aged, Sayama¡¯s mother must have searched out books of the same size to take their place. ¡°In other words, the current form of the bookcases is based on Sayama¡¯s mom¡¯s rules. However, Professor Kinugasa¡¯s books would have to be put inside based on the pure Kinugasa rules.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to put it, but I¡¯m trying to say that the way we see the bookcases now isn¡¯t how Professor Kinugasa made them. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯ll help, but it sounded like you were mostly overlooking that.¡± Izumo was exactly right. The spines of the books and their thicknesses were all almost modern, but they had not noticed. One reason for that was the misconception that bookcases and books were the same in any era. ¡­What did the bookcase look like in Professor Kinugasa¡¯s time? The space filled by the books would have been the same and the books to add would still have been the eleven encyclopedias, so¡­ ¡°Would anything have been different?¡± It was not clear if answering that would tell them anything, but it was worth pursuing and one thing was certain. They had been so focused on finding the ¡°trick¡± that they had forgotten to look at it from a different viewpoint. That being¡­ ¡°How did Professor Kinugasa open the bookcase door?¡± Even as she spoke, Shinjou realized something. Opening that door was not a matter of solving a trick. ¡­We have to reproduce what Professor Kinugasa did to open it. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she muttered while bringing a hand to her cheek and beginning to walk. She walked forward, toward the bookcases. ¡°How would Professor Kinugasa have opened it?¡± She felt the others¡¯ eyes on her as she arrived at the bookcases. ¡°First, he would probably have placed the eleven books on this work desk.¡± ¡°Not in the library?¡± asked Sayama. ¡°Carrying eleven books in from the library couldn¡¯t have been easy. He only had one arm, remember?¡± She pulled out one of the books. ¡°For example,¡± she began. ¡°Putting in all eleven each time would be a pain, so maybe he only removed one and set it on the desk.¡± She pulled out a book with her right hand. It was the eleventh volume which covered the Bible. It was so old that the cover was too worn down to read the title. She felt the weight of its many pages in her right hand as she walked back to the desk. ¡­Let¡¯s see¡­ As everyone watched her, she nervously brushed aside the snacks and set down the book. It was bound on the left and written horizontally. She had heard it was made that way to help Professor Kinugasa use it with only his right arm. With the left-bound book, she could easily hold the pages with her right thumb and flip through them. She did so and flipped to the final page. Before closing it, she noted the author¡¯s name was written using the alphabet and the publisher was Izumo Publishing. After making sure she was looking at the back cover, she stuck her fingers between the front cover and the desk. She lifted it up with the spine in her hand to make sure the title would be visible and then she stood up. ¡°And now I put it back-¡­¡± ¡°W-wait a second!¡± She heard Hiba¡¯s voice and considered ignoring him as was customary, but¡­ ¡°Um, what is it?¡± ¡°Did you just consider ignoring me?¡± ¡°Would you prefer I did?¡± ¡°No, no.¡± He frantically shook his head and then looked behind him. ¡°Mikage-san.¡± ¡°?¡± Mikage approached with a question mark on her face. Meanwhile, Hiba turned back to Shinjou. ¡°Sorry, Shinjou-san, but can I borrow that book?¡± ¡°Eh? But I don¡¯t have any porn.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. I already got the latest ones of that from a loyal member of our alliance, so-¡­¡± Everyone gave him legitimately worried looks, so he fell silent for two seconds with a smile frozen on his face. He finally cleared his throat and gave a serious look. ¡°I meant the book you¡¯re holding right there!¡± ¡°Oh, well why didn¡¯t you say so? ¡­Here, Mikage-san.¡± ¡°Nn.¡± ¡°Um, are you treating me like I¡¯m made of air?¡± ¡°No, air isn¡¯t perverted. And I can just give it to Mikage-san, right?¡± He nodded, hung his head, and fell to his knees. ¡°Is this persecution? No, did I do something wrong? No, no, no, no.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about, but what do we do now that Mikage-san has the book?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, right. Mikage-san, just copy what Shinjou-san did.¡± ¡°Nn. Copy it exactly?¡± Mikage asked that as she sat in the chair, but Hiba shook his head as he stood. ¡°No, do it how you would. And only use your right hand.¡± Shinjou then saw why Hiba had stopped her. Mikage mentally tilted her head. ¡­What is this about? She did not really get it, but Hiba seemed to think she would solve something by doing this. Hiba had not said why, but she decided she should do this as naturally as possible. This was the same as when he said she should go outside or that she would have fun if she got in the water. The reasoning behind those statements was uncertain, but she would likely gain something if she did it anyway. And so she nodded. ¡°Nn.¡± She did what Shinjou had done, but in her own way. First, she read it. She held the right side of the left-bound book in her right hand so she could flip through the pages and she placed the spine of the book on the desk. That placed the book vertically with only the cover lying to the left. She held the pages with her right thumb, released them by moving that thumb, and let them spill to the left. There was a slight waver to the sound of the flipping pages and their speed was random. After reaching the end of the pages, she closed the back cover. ¡°Nn.¡± She nodded and grabbed the book the way she always did at home. She stood and immediately realized that everyone was looking at her and gasping. ¡°¡­?¡± She did not understand. She had not done anything special. She did the same thing whenever she grabbed a book from a table or desk. There was something different from when Shinjou had done it, but what did that matter? With that in mind, she asked a question. ¡°Was that good?¡± Kazami nodded at Mikage¡¯s question. ¡°Yes.¡± She breathed in and spoke as if checking with herself. ¡°I think that must be how Professor Kinugasa would have held the books.¡± She looked at Mikage¡¯s right hand. The girl¡¯s slender fingers held the book, but not by the spine. ¡°By the opposite side,¡± she slowly muttered. The others nodded and she recalled the previous moment. There was a clear difference between Shinjou and Mikage¡¯s methods. All they had done was pick up a closed book. Shinjou had used the spine where the title was written. If placed vertically on a shelf like that, the title would be visible. After closing the book, she had needed to let go of the book. Only then had she grabbed the spine and picked up. But Mikage had been different. She had not let go of the book after closing it. She had kept her hand on the back cover with the front cover pointed down. ¡­And she pulled it toward her. It was obvious once she did it. She had relied on the friction of her palm to slide the book along the desk. Once it reached the edge of the desk¡­ ¡­She picked it up with that same side. Her hand never left the book, so it could be seen as the lazy way. But it was the kind of technique one would develop after years of eliminating unnecessary effort. Shinjou¡¯s method had been careful and had ensured the title would be visible on the shelf, but one could say she was being too cautious. Mikage had not had full use of her hands until recently, so she had prioritized function over form. That was where her technique had come from. ¡­It is possible Professor Kinugasa was a careful person, but¡­ One fact allowed them to reject that possibility: the cover of the book Mikage held. ¡°The covers of Professor Kinugasa¡¯s books are all worn down, but that¡¯s due to more than just their age.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s because he always slid them across the desk or table with the cover facing down,¡± said Heo. Everyone but Mikage nodded in agreement. The cover of the book in Mikage¡¯s hand was worn down, but the title on the spine and the back cover were not. Only the front cover was noticeably worn. ¡­In that case, the correct answer is to put the books in the shelves backwards. Kazami imagined the bookcases as they had been originally. Most of the books would have been put in with the spine to the back and only Professor Kinugasa would have known what they were. Had he never fixed them no matter how much people complained? Or had it just naturally ended up like that? She did not know, but she had seen the actions of that man in Mikage¡¯s movements and it gave her a smile with a bit of bitterness mixed in. She looked to Mikage who held up the book and tilted her head. ¡°Is this good? Ryuuji-kun¡¯s mom says it isn¡¯t good because it damages the book.¡± ¡°That was perfect, Mikage-san.¡± Kazami heard a smile in Hiba¡¯s voice. ¡°After all, that book wanted you to hold it like that. Now¡­¡± He placed his hand over hers and pushed in the final book. ¡°This will surely open the door to the Study!¡± Something reacted to their movement. It was Baku. The creature raised his front paws on Sayama¡¯s head. A moment later, they all saw the past. Heo saw the color white in the night. ¡­Eh? Where was she? She did not know. All she could see were the dark night sky and a white land below it. The white was the snow falling from the sky. The white ground swelled up in places and those places formed¡­ ¡­A slide and swings. She realized this was a park. It was in an elevated place and it had a proper gate. It looked like a clearing on top of a cliff. A church-like building existed to the north of the park and its roof was pure white. She noticed the church had recently been built with a brand new bell tower and concert hall added on. A large cherry tree grew near the cliff on the opposite end and the snow was beginning to accumulate on its branches. Heo moved her vision toward the open area near the cliff. ¡°¡­¡± Once she arrived on the edge, her field of vision opened up. A nighttime city spread out below and the night sky above was obstructed by the falling snow. How far did this snow stretch into the distance? The city was dark and yet colored a dark blue by the falling snow. The countless lights of human life filled that city. ¡­This is¡­ She had heard about this place. An orphanage with a large cherry tree had existed on top of a hill, but it had collapsed during the tertiary damages of the Great Kansai Earthquake. If that building was still here¡­ ¡­This is before the Great Kansai Earthquake? If this was Sakai and the dark expanse beyond the city was the Seto Inland Sea, then Osaka and north were to the right. That was the city she had seen burning in a previous dream of the past. She suddenly turned in that direction, but¡­ ¡­I can¡¯t see it. All she could see beyond the falling snow was a great darkness. However¡­ ¡°¡­?¡± Something seemed odd about the darkness before her eyes. ¡­What is it? She knew something was not right, but she could not put her finger on what that was. It felt like she had not realized what baseline she was using to think of this as ¡°right¡±. However, she remembered finding something similarly ¡°not right¡± once before. ¡­That was in a previous dream of the past. It was when she had seen Top-Gear¡¯s Osaka burn below the dark sky. No, she corrected herself. It wasn¡¯t the city that felt odd back then. ¡­It was the sky. When looking up into that space she could fly through, something had seemed wrong. ¡°I saw the stars.¡± The sky had been nothing but darkness while Hiba¡¯s father had fought, but once her own father¡¯s mechanical dragon had arrived, the darkness had cleared and the stars had come into view. Something had seemed wrong about her vision clearing and those normal specks of light appearing. She was feeling that same thing here. ¡­But¡­ Osaka was merely hidden by the dark sky and the snow. It was normal not to see the stars here, so she still could not figure out what exactly felt wrong. But she was still filled with doubt and she took a step back while tilting her head. Suddenly, someone stepped forward to her right. ¡°!?¡± Her mind shrank back. It was a slender woman in a lab coat. Her black hair was tied back and she stood on the edge of the cliff with her breath visible in the cold air. She stopped in front of the railing that snow had started accumulating on and her gaze and white breaths turned toward the sky. She looked across the sky as if checking on the entirety of the heavens. She turned around. The bottom of her white lab coat fluttered above the white snow and her black hair danced toward the heavens. Heo then saw the woman¡¯s black eyes and slender face. ¡­Shinjou!? Heo knew that Shinjou Yukio had defected to Top-Gear. She also knew that woman had caused the destruction of Top-Gear. If that woman was here and the orphanage was safe¡­ ¡­This is Top-Gear¡¯s Sakai before the battle! Why was Baku showing them this? Baku was said to show people the past when it was necessary for them. Did he choose what to show or did the past have him show it? Heo did not know, but she saw Shinjou Yukio look up into the sky, spread her arms, and face the gate. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Heo heard a song. She recognized it. Her own mother had sung this song. She recalled its title was Silent Night. ¡°¡­!¡± But that was when her mind was thrust into darkness. ¡­This scene from the past¡­ How was it necessary? To Shinjou and Sayama it may have been a challenge meant to show them what they needed to pursue. And to Heo¡­ ¡­What was that feeling that something was off? She may have been imagining it, but¡­ ¡­I felt it, so I need to act on it. As soon as she decided that, her entire being was dragged back to reality. Once she woke from the past, Shinjou looked to the room in front of her. It was a small room hidden behind the bookcases. This was the Study. The preparation room¡¯s scarlet light showed a tall but otherwise small room. It was only about six square meters, it had a wooden desk in the center, and the left and right walls were bookcases. The ceiling was high and it had openings for two air conditioning ducts. And the back wall¡­ ¡°A barrier?¡± Just as Heo said, the back wall was different from the rest. The floor and the other walls were made of wood, but that back wall was white. The white surface was about four meters wide and two meters tall. Above that, a normal wooden wall began and continued to the tall ceiling. The room was too poorly lit to see it well, but a vertical line ran through the center of the white surface, splitting it in two. As they all stood motionless in the preparation room, Shinjou spoke quietly. ¡°So this is the Study.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Sayama from her right. He looked her way, nodded, and moved forward. ¡°I think the other Georgius that Professor Kinugasa hid is located through that barrier. According to the Kinugasa Document, it should be the negative Georgius.¡± After saying that, he came to a sudden stop. ¡­What is it? Shinjou stepped forward and found two things. First, there was a wrist-wide hole on either side of the barrier. They were the perfect size to stick an arm into and she could only see darkness inside. And second, there was something on the desk. It was¡­ ¡°A binder, a photograph, and a letter?¡± The faded binder contained some documents and something was written on the cover in obvious magic marker. Sayama read it aloud. ¡°Babel Interior Investigation ¨C 1983.¡± But that was not all that was written. ¡°Shinjou Yukio and¡­Sayama Asagi!?¡± Sayama held his chest with his right hand just as Kazami¡¯s voice reached them from behind. ¡°What!? I thought only Professor Kinugasa ever entered Babel? Why were Sayama¡¯s father and Shinjou¡¯s mother inside?¡± ¡°It was from the blank period, so of course there were no records of it. And based on what this says, I think only my father and Shinjou-kun¡¯s mother were able to get inside.¡± How? wondered Shinjou. During the National Defense Department and old UCAT days, only Professor Kinugasa could get inside Babel, so how did our parents get inside and write this report? Most likely, no one knew the answer. She then looked to the photograph and letter on the desk. The letter was sealed and¡­ ¡­My mom¡¯s name is listed as the sender. The photograph sitting next to Shinjou Yukio¡¯s letter was large. ¡°A group photo in the mountains, just like with the National Defense Department and old UCAT.¡± It showed a number of young men and women. ¡°My parents are there,¡± muttered Heo in a daze. Shinjou did not need to say anything. Her mother was clearly there too. This photo was from a time in the blank period before Shinjou Yukio had betrayed Low-Gear. ¡­They probably all went together to investigate Babel. So if only her mother and Sayama¡¯s father had been able to get in¡­ ¡°Now we really do need to search for your mother¡¯s past, Shinjou-kun. We need to find out what she did.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± What are we going to discover? she asked, knowing no one could answer that. That answer would only come later. Volume 12, 9: Sudden Weakness Volume 12, Chapter 9: Sudden Weakness You couldn¡¯t reach her By the time you did, it was too late And only tears of excuses remain A large space was filled with the color white. It was located underground, it was fifty meters square, and white tables and decorative plants filled the large area between the columns. It was a cafeteria and the paper sign on the wall said ¡°Japanese UCAT Temporary Cafeteria¡±. This space had been prepared while the aboveground cafeteria on Japanese UCAT¡¯s second floor was being repaired. It and the spaces for experiment relocation had been among the first of the newly constructed underground facilities. When evening transitioned to night, the cafeteria was usually filled with people eating dinner. Today should not have been an exception, but it was relatively empty for the time period. This was not due to a lack of people. Field operations personnel were filling the tables near the entrance and emergency exit. However, the number of people grew sparse toward the center of the tables. Only three people sat at the white table in the very center. And everyone was staring at those three. On one side was a blonde woman in a jacket and on the other side were an elderly man in white and a well-built elderly woman in white. The two in white had loops of paper around their wrists. An aluminum pot on a portable burner sat between the three of them. The woman in the jacket was putting meat inside the pot. ¡°C¡¯mon, Hajji-san. C¡¯mon, Jord-san. If you don¡¯t eat sukiyaki quickly, the meat gets too tough.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The elderly man in white, Hajji, nodded and broke apart his chopsticks. ¡°Are you sure you should be communicating with us every week like this, Ooki?¡± Hajji saw some splinters on the break of the chopsticks and rubbed them together to smooth them down. ¡°To be honest, I have no intention of changing my stance as an enemy of Low-Gear. You know that, don¡¯t you? Hm?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s no helping that. We both have our parts to play here.¡± ¡°Then why have you been inviting us to eat with you each week for the past month and a half?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not choosing you two specifically.¡± Ooki smiled while taking some shirataki from the pot and rice from her bowl and putting them both in her mouth. ¡°In my financial situation, I can only invite two people once a week. When I say only two can come, the others confined down below always suggest you two go.¡± She took a breath and swallowed the rice. ¡°Wow. It really is great getting to eat rice with it. ¡­Anyway, it feels like the others either trust you or want you to eat instead of them.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Hajji nodded again. ¡°It is true eating and chatting here is better than eating alone in that room I can never leave. Yes.¡± ¡°How about you, Jord-san?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Jord slowly grabbed her chopsticks in her fist, jabbed them into the pot, and pulled out some meat. However, the large hunk of meat broke apart as she lifted it and only a small piece remained. ¡°My betrayed expectations are really getting to show what they can do.¡± She smiled bitterly and Ooki gave a troubled smile back. Ooki then took some meat from a nearby plate and handed it to Jord. Jord glanced at the other woman and lifted the corner of her mouth in a smile. ¡°Oh? You¡¯re a pretty nice person. The food tastes better with someone like you around.¡± ¡°Then you must be a nice person too, Jord-san. Anyone who can enjoy a good meal is a good person.¡± Ooki pulled out a charred green onion. ¡°Neither of you is a bad person.¡± ¡°Oh, really? That¡¯s just your excessive kindness tricking you. We¡¯re the enemies of this world.¡± ¡°But we eat the same food. ¡­That means we can only live in the same kind of world. Oh, I just said something complicated for the first time in a while.¡± ¡°But food is entirely different from politics and emotions, Ooki. Both politicians and bad people still eat.¡± Hajji poked around inside the bowl and his chopsticks came to a sudden stop. ¡°You put fried tofu in sukiyaki? That is certainly unusual. Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing if you let it soak up the soup and eat it with rice.¡± Hajji saw that the fried tofu still had some yellow to it and pulled it all toward himself. He then glanced around at the people in white armored uniforms sitting about two tables away. ¡°This is quite a peaceful meal. Yes. ¡­But Ooki, what if we tried to escape? I expect some of those suggesting we eat with you are hoping we will take action.¡± Hearing that, the surrounding people rose slightly from their seats. Meanwhile, Jord gulped down the tea in her cup. ¡°We have paper bonds on our arms and legs and this entire underground space is controlled by a concept. If we tried to reach the surface without permission, the concept would send us back underground without us noticing. Of course, that kind of thing won¡¯t work on us very well.¡± The two prisoners¡¯ words created a powerful aura that weighed down on the others, but one person seemed wholly unaffected. That person was Ooki. She calmly placed her favorite ingredients inside the pot. ¡°You two won¡¯t try to escape. After all, you lost.¡± The word ¡°lost¡± chilled the cafeteria air a little. Hajji and Jord slowly faced Ooki once more and the others prepared to react at a moment¡¯s notice. However, Ooki¡¯s expression was as carefree as ever as she flipped over some meat. ¡°The others from your group are outside. And so are the Top-Gear people. ¡­They retreated from that battle, but they haven¡¯t lost yet. But if you or the others here met back up with them, you would bring your loss with you.¡± She took a breath. ¡°Also, you¡¯ve done what you can as the Army, so you want them to do what they can while not relying on your power.¡± ¡°You have quite the active imagination.¡± ¡°Ah ha ha. Maybe I do. But¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± urged Jord. Ooki grabbed some meat with a smile. It turned out to be a large piece, so she gave an excited cry. The other two defiantly grabbed their own large pieces from the plates next to them and threw them into the pot. As that meat began to sizzle, Ooki broke an egg over hers. She then gave the continuation to her previous ¡°but¡±. ¡°They¡¯re on the move, aren¡¯t they? The people you trust are trying to find some kind of answer. After all, my students are doing the same, so there¡¯s no way yours will stay still.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Hajji sighed and shrugged. ¡°Mine are powerful.¡± ¡°Yes, but so are you. And Jord-san too.¡± Ooki gave a bitter smile. ¡°It may not seem like it since you were captured, but Hajji-san pushed back Director Abram on the surface and made it all the way to the sixth basement. And then you defeated Director Abram again and you never would have been defeated if it hadn¡¯t been for Shinjou-san and Sayama-kun¡¯s power. ¡­And Jord-san was the same. You wouldn¡¯t have been defeated if it hadn¡¯t been for Kazami-san.¡± ¡°I¡¯m honored to have your praise. Yes.¡± ¡°Praise is surprisingly embarrassing.¡± ¡°Really?¡± asked Ooki with an embarrassed smile of her own. She then continued her previous thought. ¡°The people who are on the move now earned the trust of people as strong as you, didn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Yes. But you seem very carefree about that assessment. Are you not afraid that the enemy is on the move?¡± ¡°The others will do what they want whether I¡¯m afraid or not. Those kids wouldn¡¯t listen even if I did try to stop them. And no matter which side wins, I think they¡¯ll find some kind of answer, so I just want them to do everything they can and leave no regrets.¡± She suddenly gave a questioning look. ¡°Is that wrong for a teacher?¡± Hajji and Jord exchanged a glance but eventually looked back to Ooki. The three of them leaned in toward each other over the pot. ¡°To be honest, we¡¯re pretty much the same. We¡¯re still your enemy and everything that comes from our mouths is going to come from our grudge against this world, but apart from that, we do have hope for the future that this fighting will create. So be careful.¡± Hajji nodded and continued. ¡°The ones we trust will be taking this seriously. ¡­I only hope your students are as well.¡± Ooki nodded, raised her eyebrows a bit, and brought her hands to her chest. ¡°No need to worry about that.¡± She took a breath. ¡°After all, I was the one to teach them.¡± The cafeteria immediately filled with an explosion of protesting voices. A road ran through the night. The asphalt one-lane road passed through a residential area. The houses were lit, but no voices could be heard within. It was winter and the end of the year was approaching, so the windows were closed tight to keep in the heat and everything else. Only the excess light escaped and a shadow moved through that light. The shadow was cast by a motorcycle with a sidecar. The motorcycle¡¯s engine was silent because this was a residential area at night. The engine¡¯s noise would reflect off the asphalt, reverberate through houses, and reach the ears of the people closed inside. That was why two people pushed the motorcycle. One was a boy holding the handlebars from the right and the other was a girl pushing on the back of the sidecar from the left. The boy looked back over his left shoulder. ¡°Are your hands cold, Mikage-san?¡± ¡°Nn. I¡¯m fine, Ryuuji-kun. And we¡¯re not far from home.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Hiba nodded and faced forward again. A certain thought about Mikage came to him as the chilly winter air washed over him. ¡­She doesn¡¯t just go with the flow anymore. Until that summer, he had always been with her. But once the battle with 3rd-Gear ended and they joined UCAT, she had started acting on her own discretion more. Did she want to use her own legs now that she could walk? Did she want to be less of a burden on him? Once Heo had joined them, Mikage had stayed with her quite a lot. He had once asked why. ¡°Because we¡¯re similar,¡± she had answered with a tilt of the head. He could see some of that as they pushed the motorcycle now. Both of the girls normally rode in the sidecar and they had both joined Team Leviathan after most of the others. ¡­And they¡¯re both part of the blonde genre! He nodded in his heart and thought about asking her if she was cold. ¡°¡­¡± But he decided against it. He felt he was worrying too much and then wondered if feeling that way was in itself worrying too much. So he opened his mouth and said something else instead. ¡°It¡¯s a shame we never managed to open that barrier in the Study, isn¡¯t it?¡± The barrier had a wrist-sized hole on either side and they had found the inside was split into the shape of five fingers. They could feel a dividing line at the wrist, so the inside of the hole was clearly made to turn. However, neither of them would do so. Hiba and Mikage had matched their timing perfectly, Izumo and Kazami had used all their strength, Harakawa and Heo had used some strange sort of effort, and Sayama and Shinjou had tried their best while Sayama said and did some odd things. ¡­But they never turned. They had originally been checking over the holes to make sure they were not a trap, but that had changed once Mikage had slowly stuck her hand inside one. Hiba had frantically asked her if she was okay and she had answered with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ryuuji-kun. Nothing happened. So you try to turn the other one with me.¡± ¡°Of course!!!¡± He had immediately thrust his hand inside and jammed three of his fingers because it was split between the fingers inside. The others had quietly asked each other why he threw himself at things like that, but he did not care. At any rate, he and Mikage had been unable to turn them. Kazami and Izumo had used all their strength, but Kazami had immediately pulled out her hand. ¡°It¡¯s no use. This is all about the initial burst of strength, right? If it doesn¡¯t work then, it¡¯s never going to work. Keeping at it will only hurt your wrist. ¡­And I¡¯ll break my nails.¡± Harakawa and Heo had failed and Sayama and Shinjou had done no better. Hiba had baselessly assumed Sayama and Shinjou would be able to do it. They had discussed it afterwards and found that Sayama¡¯s left hand and Shinjou¡¯s right hand had been the closest fit to the shape inside. That had revealed that the left and right holes were different sizes inside. However, the barrier would not open no matter how many times they tried. Shinjou had said the following: ¡°Well, if it would open that easily, wouldn¡¯t Sayama-kun¡¯s mother have opened it?¡± Kazami had added: ¡°It looks like you need something other than the best fit to get past Professor Kinugasa¡¯s trick.¡± And according to Sayama: ¡°It is hard to believe, but we may require a key in addition to the perfect fit that Shinjou-kun and I have.¡± And¡­ ¡°If my mother never opened it, that key must not be here. Professor Kinugasa had connections to the National Defense Department and the Izumo Company in general, so the possibilities are as limitless as the ever-expanding universe.¡± In the end, they had left opening that barrier and retrieving Georgius as a task for later. Fortunately, Georgius came from Professor Kinugasa, so it had no connection to Top-Gear or the other problems of the past. Sayama had decided they did not need to find it immediately. However, one thing had bothered them. Heo had mentioned it to Sayama as they ended their meeting. She had felt something odd about the sky in their dream of the past. She did not know what exactly it was, but that girl with the greatest connection to the sky had felt something off about Top-Gear¡¯s sky. It was certainly worth keeping in mind. ¡­Sayama-san and Shinjou-san are on their way to Izumo and Sakai. They¡¯re searching for Shinjou-san¡¯s mother¡¯s past since it¡¯s probably closely related to Top-Gear. After thinking that far, Hiba returned his focus to his vision and his hands. He spoke while pushing the motorcycle through the night with Mikage. ¡°Sayama-san and Shinjou-san are probably boarding their train right now.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Mikage did not know much about trains. He doubted she even knew that the Chuo Line began at Tokyo Station. ¡°How about we take a train somewhere sometime soon?¡± ¡°Nn. Then¡­how about to UCAT?¡± ¡°Why that hellhole? And we go there all the time.¡± ¡°Nn. But never by train. Sayama and the others use the train, don¡¯t they?¡± That gave Hiba a thought. ¡­If she learns how to get to UCAT by train¡­ She would be able to go there on her own. He almost asked if that was what she wanted, but he stopped himself. I keep stopping myself from asking things, he sighed n his heart. Lately, Mikage had started doing a lot and helping with a lot, but she would sometimes surprise him by suddenly showing off her results. For example, when Heo had taught her to cook, she had brought him a completed meal after he returned from training or school. He had been surprised and happy that she could do so much, but he had also been bothered that he had not been a part of it. ¡­We aren¡¯t passing each other by, are we? He firmly rejected that idea. That isn¡¯t true, he told himself. If it was, she wouldn¡¯t be pushing from behind. ¡­And she wouldn¡¯t offer to take a bath with me! Yes, she had made that promise after leaving the medical room. He accepted the bath as a fundamental truth. She wanted to show him something she had not shown him recently, so he suspected something had changed in her mind or body. ¡­I hope we can start taking baths together all the time again. He decided to trust in her change, but he heard her voice from behind. ¡°I wonder if Sayama and Shinjou will be okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they will. 8th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core is below Izumo UCAT and they¡¯ll return after a quick stop in Sakai. Apparently, they¡¯ll be bringing 8th¡¯s Concept Core with them.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Are you worried?¡± ¡°Nn,¡± she replied. ¡°Because there are 3rd automatons at Izumo UCAT.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± he said before turning a bitter smile toward her. ¡°But if Sayama-san needed help, he would definitely tell us and he would never put Shinjou-san in danger.¡± He saw Mikage looking at him. ¡°Nn.¡± She smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± He nodded and thought to himself. ¡­She¡¯s so damn cute when she smiles!! What? What is this flavor in my heart! It¡¯s sweet!? But he hid those thoughts and faced forward. They were almost home and that meant they were almost to the bath. That was fantastic. But there was something he had to say. ¡°We need to make sure we don¡¯t let our guard down either. We have 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core, so those automatons at Izumo UCAT might challenge us to a fight.¡± He expected another ¡°nn¡± in response, but he did not immediately receive one. Assuming she was thinking, he waited a few seconds and finally got something in return. The motorcycle handlebars shot forward and out of his grasp. ¡°!?¡± He could only imagine Mikage had given a powerful shove to the sidecar. ¡°Mikage-san!?¡± When he turned around, he saw Mikage collapsed on the back of the sidecar. Hiba looked to Mikage who lay on top of the sidecar. ¡­Did she trip? But that idea was immediately overturned. Something had appeared on the back of her right shoulder. ¡°A knife¡­¡± The blade looked about fifteen centimeters long and it had a black grip. It was sticking up from her clothing as if it had been stopped by her shoulder blade. Wondering who had done this, Hiba strained his ears for any sign of the enemy, but he found nothing. He knew it was dangerous, but he turned around and ran toward Mikage. ¡°Nn¡­¡± She let out a quiet voice and tried to get up. That action added color to the clothing at the base of the knife. Even in the night, the dark color was impossible to miss. That color was the proof that Mikage was human. ¡°Mikage-san! Don¡¯t move! You¡¯ll only widen the wound!¡± But she still tried to get up. It was as if she were trying to show him she was fine. A moment later, Hiba sensed a presence behind him. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± He swung his right hand on reflex. The palm of that hand immediately grabbed something: the guard of a knife. He looked down to see the black grip of a knife extending from his palm. And the blade of the knife was extending from the back of his hand. ¡°¡­!¡± Someone had thrown the knife and he had stabbed it into his own hand, but he had no regrets. If he had not done that, it would have pierced the left side of Mikage¡¯s back. He clenched his teeth to bear with the cold, penetrating pain and he pulled the knife out. ¡°Mikage-san.¡± He turned back around and leaned over Mikage¡¯s back to protect her and push her down as she tried to get up. ¡°¡­Nn.¡± He tried to remove the knife from her shoulder, but in that instant, he saw something. As she lay collapsed on the sidecar and faced forward, a certain emotion filled her face. It was surprise. ¡°Ryuuji-kun! In front!¡± He looked in the indicated direction and saw the color silver approaching. But this was not another knife. It was thicker and longer. He also saw someone holding it. They stood in front of the sidecar and swung down the Japanese sword. ¡°Tatsumi!?¡± Tatsumi¡¯s black combat coat fluttered around her and her left arm sent down the blade with enough speed to escape the wind. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. ¡­Don¡¯t tell me you thought 3rd¡¯s automatons were the only opponents you had to watch out for.¡± With instantaneous speed, she rushed forward without hesitation. ¡°Top-Gear still intends to fight you.¡± Hiba was filled with as much surprise as Mikage had been and that slowed everything down. In the three-beat sequence of perception, understanding, and reaction, he ended up a definite step slower than Tatsumi. Her attack was targeting him. But even if he avoided the sword, it would reach Mikage below him. After considering using the knife to strike her just as she struck him, he reached a certain answer. He chose to protect something more important than himself. ¡°¡­!¡± He completely covered Mikage from above. He would protect her no matter what happened. She had a blade in her back as she tried to get up. That foreign object would prevent her from joining with Susamikado and it meant she could not use her full strength. So he embraced her from behind. He felt her body jump in surprise. ¡°Ryuuji-kun!?¡± She cried out in confusion and she seemed to have realized what he intended to do and what Tatsumi¡¯s actions would cause. She knew he was trying to protect her no matter what happened to him in the process. He felt her breathe in and then¡­ ¡°Susamikado!!¡± Her ringing voice called in the pieces of that steel power. It all occurred in a series of instants. A black god of war appeared behind Mikage and Hiba. Metallic sounds filled the air, the pieces of its body fit together, and its metal left fist shot forward. Tatsumi did not stop her sword, so its tip collided with Susamikado¡¯s fist. However, three things happened then. First, it produced no sound whatsoever. Second, Tatsumi remained standing and was not knocked backwards. And third, Susamikado¡¯s fist was stopped by the tip of her sword. An attack from a god of war standing nearly ten meters tall could not break the tip of that sword. Tatsumi simply pulled back her left elbow a bit and gently reversed her wrist. Mikage opened her eyes wide and gasped at the scene before her eyes. ¡°It can¡¯t be,¡± she muttered. ¡°Mikage-chan, don¡¯t look so surprised.¡± Tatsumi smiled. ¡°You actually did pretty well to make me pull back my elbow.¡± Tatsumi had absorbed the force of Susamikado¡¯s blow with just the movement of her left arm and the sword and she now raised her right hand. After she inhaled and snapped her fingers, something appeared behind her. It was Typhon. The white god of war broke through the wind blowing down from the heavens, but it landed silently on the asphalt. That god of war possessed the name of the storm dragon in Greek mythology and it drew a sword from its right shoulder. It was coming, so two powers worked to fight back. One was Hiba as he lay over Mikage. He threw the knife in his hand toward Tatsumi. The other was Mikage as she ignored the pain in her right shoulder. She raised her right arm and¡­ ¡°Keravnos!¡± They worked in perfect unison. Tatsumi would have to break her remote control of Typhon to brush aside the knife with her right arm and that would stop Typhon just long enough for Susamikado to use Keravnos as it appeared on its right arm. Tatsumi chose to prioritize her own life and she grabbed the knife with her right hand. Immediately afterwards, a heavy metallic sound rang out and the tip of Keravnos collided with Typhon¡¯s unmoving chest. With a crash of destruction, the spear of light pierced through the white giant¡¯s chest and out the back. White armor scattered through the air and an oil-like black liquid splattered everywhere. After confirming the damage to Typhon, Hiba jumped forward. He intended to attack Tatsumi. He kicked off the edge of the sidecar and leaped above her head. He pulled up his right leg so he could jab it down at Tatsumi as he fell. ¡°¡­!¡± He gave a yell, but one thing still bothered him. ¡­Is this how she intends to settle things!? He had fought countless matches against her when she attended the Hiba Dojo under the name Miki. She had excelled at turning aside and defending against attacks, so he had never once hit her. However, he could manage it with his current timing. He had jumped past the sword in her left hand and her right hand had just caught the knife. He opened his mouth wide to brush aside his slight hesitation. ¡°This fight is already over! This one-sided and meaningless fight doesn¡¯t need to continue!¡± He prepared to launch his right leg attack. But just before he did, he saw an odd movement and heard an odd sound. He saw Tatsumi suddenly let go of what she was holding. She let go of the knife in her right hand and even the sword in her left. ¡°What?¡± As he wondered what this meant, he heard her speak. ¡°That¡¯s right. I never told you the reason why you should fight me.¡± There¡¯s no reason for that, he immediately thought. He was her fake, but that was her reason and it meant nothing to him. But she continued to speak as he made his kick. ¡°When the enemy invaded Top-Gear, I was the one who drove your father to his death.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°In other words, I killed Hiba Ryuuichi, your father¡± A moment later, he saw two things. First, the fingers of Tatsumi¡¯s right hand moved slightly. And second, a giant white fist flew toward him. ¡°How can Typhon still move after that hit from Keravnos!?¡± Regardless, the uppercut performed by Typhon¡¯s right fist said all that needed to be said about its functioning state. Hiba reflexively put up his guard, but the giant metal fist crashed into him as if to say his defenses were meaningless. She had outdone him. Several thoughts and decisions came to Hiba, but none of them produced words. It seemed he was collapsed on the asphalt. More than doubled over, he seemed to be bent into a Z-shape. A few bones were broken, his muscles were trembling from the shock, and he was pretty sure he had torn some of those muscles. However, he felt no pain and he had no sense of equilibrium. His vision wavered and was wet with tears. He could neither inhale nor exhale, but his pulse raced and his vision grew dark from lack of oxygen. But even as he fell into darkness, he turned his trembling gaze forward. ¡°No, Ryuuji-kun! Don¡¯t get up!¡± He could see Mikage who was sitting up while holding her right shoulder and he saw a white god of war beyond her. The black god of war¡¯s left arm and Keravnos were still pierced through Typhon¡¯s chest, but it was still moving. ¡­How can¡­it move? He heard Tatsumi¡¯s voice as he trembled and forced himself up, starting with his butt. ¡°You don¡¯t get it? Typhon doesn¡¯t need a cockpit in the chest when it¡¯s remote controlled, so I had it hollowed out as much as possible. ¡­Surprised?¡± Hiba was unable to response. He simply swayed up and down, trembled left and right, and tried to stand. ¡°Ryuuji-kun!¡± He could not respond to Mikage¡¯s voice either. Instead, Tatsumi said more. Her affected tone of voice made it clear she knew perfectly well he could not answer. ¡°Oh, dear. Keravnos seems to be stuck.¡± She raised her left hand and Typhon forcefully raised its own left hand. As it rose, the inside of the bent elbow scooped up the elbow of Susamikado¡¯s extended right arm. That very same arm still had Keravnos inside Typhon. ¡°I expect you¡¯ll have reinforcements before long, so I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± Her words were accompanied by the sound of something breaking. Susamikado¡¯s right elbow broke upwards and Keravnos was removed. ¡°¡­!¡± Hiba¡¯s wavering vision saw Mikage¡¯s right arm jump up. That arm was bent ninety degrees at the elbow. And it was bent the wrong way. He distinctly heard her gasp. Unable to hold on any longer, Hiba¡¯s vision moved forward as if tripping. That was when his thoughts fully restarted. It was slow and awkward, but he was thinking. ¡­I have to go. He did not know where or to do what. All he saw was a single charm placed on Keravnos as it stabbed into Typhon. ¡°Goodbye, Ryuuji-kun, Mikage-chan.¡± With Tatsumi¡¯s parting words, Typhon spread its wings. She was going to escape, but Hiba¡¯s vision simply continued forward while shaking to the left and right. ¡­I have to go. ¡°No!¡± He heard Mikage¡¯s trembling voice. He turned toward her and saw she was looking his way. ¡­She¡¯s crying? Why? he wondered. Oh, right, he realized. ¡­Does your broken arm hurt? I¡¯m sorry, he thought. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m about to go protect you. He did not entirely understand. He did not entirely understand any of this. A certain girl had been close to him long ago and he had treated her like his sister, but she had just said something strange. She had claimed to have killed his father. That was a lie. He knew it had to be a lie. That strong, strange, and perverted father could never have been killed. He had to find out the truth. ¡­And I have to protect Mikage-san. He was only six meters from where Mikage had landed. That felt like such a great distance and he kept feeling his knees just about give out, but he still continued forward. ¡°Mikage-san.¡± Something fell to the ground below his feet. It was not sweat. It was thicker than that and it was a dark red. But, he thought. Mikage-san is in a much worse state. He passed between Susamikado¡¯s legs and his vision darkened as he reached out toward Mikage. He wanted to take her hand, pull her close, embrace her, and protect her in every way possible. But suddenly, he realized he had stopped moving. ¡­Huh? Strange, he thought. His vision had not fallen yet and he should still be dragging his trembling legs forward. Why? he wondered just before noticing what was stopping him. A point of force was pushing back at the top of his chest. That force had a short blade and a black grip. It was a knife. Tatsumi had thrown what he had thrown back at her and it had stabbed into the center of his sternum. ¡°Ah¡­¡± I need to go forward, he thought, but his legs would not move. He felt a weight in his knees and his vision dropped down. His knees bent and reached the ground. He stretched his hand out toward Mikage, but it could not reach her. However, that hand suddenly did reach her. She stretched her left hand back toward him and their hands touched. ¡­Eh? He looked up at her and saw her eyes were closed. She was collapsing. Was it the pain in her right arm? he wondered before seeing a certain color. Dark red was seeping from her neck. He looked up as she collapsed and the sky came into view. With the dark winter sky in the background, a single giant sword split the heavens. It was the sword in Typhon¡¯s right arm. The tip of the sword pierced accurately through Susamikado¡¯s chest and neck. The blood on Mikage¡¯s chest came from her synchronization with the god of war. A moment later, her body struck Hiba¡¯s. A creaking sound came from his body as her broken right arm hit the knife stabbed into his chest and pulled it out. As soon as he held her in his arms, he exhaled. He let out the breath he had been holding this entire time. ¡°Kah!¡± He expelled a mist of blood and carbon dioxide. He felt the warmth of his and Mikage¡¯s blood on his chest. His vision grew dark as he looked up into the sky. Unable to support Mikage, he began to collapse backwards. His upturned eyes saw Susamikado vanish. The black giant instantly disappeared and Typhon¡¯s sword returned to the bottom edge of his vision. Meanwhile, he tried to stop the blood flowing from Mikage¡¯s chest by holding her tight in his arms and he heard a voice. ¡°Thank you, Ryuuji-kun, Mikage-chan.¡± He heard a breath. ¡°Thank you¡­for being so weak.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Just as a thought reached his mind, Hiba hit the asphalt with Mikage in his arms. The impact shook his entire body, the back of his head struck the asphalt, and tears fell from his eyes. He realized that Tatsumi¡¯s presence and Typhon¡¯s presence were gone. He stared motionlessly into the night sky and cried as his vision fell into darkness. ¡°Kh¡­¡± Still embracing Mikage¡¯s unmoving body and still looking into the sky, his mind also sank into darkness. Volume 12, 10: A Comfortable Place Volume 12, Chapter 10: A Comfortable Place I may be feeling down, but you¡¯re full of energy Even if it¡¯s really annoying A small six square meter room faced the east. The fluorescent light on the ceiling had a Japanese-style cover and two people moved below it. One was a woman in glasses and a blue kimono. The other was a girl in a gray kimono. The two of them were laying out a futon in the room. However, the woman in blue was having trouble getting the kimono in place and the girl in gray could not use her right leg well enough to fix it. ¡°Um, Ryouko? The sheet is out of place on your end.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry, Shi-chan. But don¡¯t you think that¡¯s the sheet¡¯s fault?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t see how it could be-¡­ Anyway, how about I do it all?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t. It would hurt the reputation of the Tamiya family.¡± The girl in gray, Shino, looked at Ryouko. Ryouko frowned as she stared at the sheet and groaned as she fixed its position. ¡°And we have to treat you right when Kouji of all people took you in.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Ryouko brought a hand to her chin and looked at the sheet¡¯s position. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a tendency to take people in like I do, so someone like you is rare.¡± ¡°R-really?¡± ¡°I wonder why he took you in.¡± ¡°Well, um, I was lying injured on the road.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too boring.¡± She gave Shino a serious look and raised her right index finger. ¡°You have to at least say it¡¯s because he has a thing for little girls! Otherwise it isn¡¯t exciting enough.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not that little!!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. We did take a bath together when you first got here.¡± ¡°Wah.¡± That unexpected response made Shino lean back in surprise. She had needed some assistance because of her broken leg, but Ryouko had handled most of it. She could not let the leg get too warm, so she had started with only using the shower. However, Ryouko had often spoken to her from the bath. She had initially ignored the woman, but¡­ ¡°You were so quiet, but you finally said something when I tickled you.¡± ¡°B-but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s easier to talk than to stay silent, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ryouko smiled. ¡°And you know what?¡± she continued. ¡°Talking about what you decided not to say is a lot of fun. In an immoral way.¡± She spoke with a smile, but her tone was even sharper than with her previous serious expression. Shino was a little surprised, but Ryouko¡¯s smile remained. ¡°Is everyone treating you well?¡± ¡°Eh? ¡­Oh, yes. They¡¯re giving me plenty of food.¡± ¡°Tch. They¡¯re all trying to get on your good side.¡± ¡°Eh? D-d-did you say something!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, don¡¯t worry about it. But Shi-chan?¡± Ryouko tilted her head while still smiling. ¡°Do you like it here?¡± Shino was unsure what to say. They had taken her in, they let her stay without asking anything, they made food for her, and lately she had helped with that too. Kouji was indirectly inviting her to venture outside for rehabilitation, but she had not yet worked up the resolve to face the world, UCAT would be looking for her, and¡­ ¡­The others from the Army might find me. That kept her from wanting to head outside. All those things kept her here, but on the emotional side¡­ ¡°It isn¡¯t a bad place¡­¡± What do I think? she wondered. She had met Kouji, Ryouko, and other unique people here. ¡­So what am I supposed to think about the people of this world? Before, she had thought about the school near this house and the lives of the people living in this area. What was she supposed to think now? ¡­I¡¯m supposed to be their enemy. But she could not even say that and she could not join the others because she did not want Mikoku to push her away. ¡°¡­¡± She had come to her own understanding of what Shinjou had said about her ¡°graduating¡± from the Army. ¡­My feelings are still with the Army, but I now belong here instead of with them. However, did that mean she was no longer part of the Army? ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± That thought made her gasp and she felt a dull sweat on her back. ¡°Shi-chan?¡± She was brought back to her senses by Ryouko¡¯s voice and the eyes leaning over like a cat to peer at her. Her eyes focused and she saw Ryouko¡¯s face close enough to feel her breath. ¡°Sorry, Shi-chan.¡± ¡°No, um, you don¡¯t have to¡­¡± ¡°But I do. I shouldn¡¯t have said something that got you so lost in thought. I forgot you¡¯re the serious type.¡± Ryouko brushed back her hair, laughed quietly, and narrowed her eyes. ¡°But you sure are cute. When you¡¯re worried about things, it shows on your face.¡± ¡°P-please don¡¯t tease me. I¡¯m trying to take this seriously.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re actually mad. I¡¯m so happy.¡± Ryouko clapped her hands in joy, but Shino sighed and lowered her shoulders. ¡°I already knew I couldn¡¯t stand up to you¡­¡± However, she then said ¡°um¡± to begin a new question. She asked about the greatest reason for her mixture of relief and doubt concerning her current situation. ¡°Why are the people here so kind to me?¡± ¡°Why do you think?¡± ¡°I was asking because I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Ryouko glanced up at the ceiling. ¡°It¡¯s because they¡¯re only interested in girls below the age of 15.¡± ¡°Eek.¡± ¡°Just kidding, just kidding.¡± ¡°O-of course.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s only a few of them. ¡­Just kidding, just kidding. But I don¡¯t think they mean any harm, so go easy on them.¡± Shino wondered how she was supposed to ¡°go easy¡± on them and she saw Ryouko smile bitterly. ¡°Well, I think it isn¡¯t really kindness if there¡¯s a reason for it. ¡­Did you think we were showing you that ¡®other kind¡¯ of kindness? Did you think we were getting something out of it?¡± Only then did Shino realize what her question had meant. She sensed something nasty behind the thought that created the question. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re so cute, Shi-chan. That was a leading question.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°You only asked if there was a reason. But when I asked what you thought, you had to start thinking of a reason, right?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Shino was at a loss for words and Ryouko lowered the ends of her eyebrows. ¡°Sorry about that, Shi-chan. I should be the one apologizing. But make sure you only fall for that kind of thing when it¡¯s me. Otherwise you¡¯ll get abducted by some bad men.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A moment later, Shino felt a weight on her head. It was Ryouko¡¯s hand as she rubbed her head. ¡°And Shi-chan? Because of what happened to our family in the past, we make a point of helping people.¡± ¡°In the past?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Ryouko. ¡°It was the kindness of a complete stranger that allowed our family to survive.¡± ¡°What happened to that stranger?¡± ¡°They died before we could thank them. Since my parents didn¡¯t know who to thank, they decided to be kind to everyone just in case it would reach that person somehow. That gave us a habit of being kind and¡­¡± A quiet laugh reached Shino¡¯s ears. ¡°More recently in the past, I learned that the stranger had a granddaughter, but that granddaughter didn¡¯t know anything about what had happened.¡± Shino thought about what that meant. ¡­Ryouko knew something that person didn¡¯t. Shino felt she shared that trait. And that made her wonder what Ryouko had done about that important fact. Ryouko gave the answer before she could even ask. ¡°I never told her. If I had¡­it felt like it would have placed her above me.¡± ¡°Th-then do you ever wish you had told her?¡± The fact that she held such an important secret led Shino to ask, but¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t know. Because no matter what I think now, there¡¯s no way I could have said it at the time.¡± Ryouko answered with a bitter smile, leaving Shino slightly dumbfounded. Shino had started leaning forward, so she straightened up. ¡°Do you not¡­regret it?¡± ¡°Hm? Of course I do. I didn¡¯t say it at the time, she ended up leaving for somewhere far away, and I was actually relieved by that fact. I regret every part of that and I seriously worried about it for a long time, but¡­¡± Ryouko rubbed Shino¡¯s head again. ¡°Our young master brought back someone who had inherited that person¡¯s surname. The Tamiya family was finally able to give its thanks and repay them. After sixty years, we finally did it.¡± ¡°Wait¡­¡± Shino belatedly realized who Ryouko was referring to. ¡°You mean Shinjou, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes. And I would be happy if you could get along with our young master and Setsu-chan.¡± Ryouko finally let go of Shino¡¯s head. She straightened up on the futon, smiled, and opened her mouth again. ¡°Are you listening?¡± she began. ¡°If you¡¯re worrying about whether you should be here or not, remember that we don¡¯t mind at all. If there¡¯s a problem, it¡¯s on your end. Kouji, the others, and I don¡¯t care what kind of person you are. You may be a bad person, you may have run away from home, there may be a search for you underway right this moment, and it may be a crime to keep you here, but¡­ None of that matters as long as you do one thing in addition to getting along with our young master and Setsu-chan.¡± ¡°One thing?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ryouko nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself to do anything. Forcing yourself to do something is painful.¡± She took a breath. ¡°And what you¡¯re worrying about is your problem, so don¡¯t hold it inside. You can¡¯t make it someone else¡¯s problem, so you should just do whatever it is you want to do. And¡­¡± Ryouko said one last thing to Shino. ¡°I think you should be fine going with whatever answer that gives you.¡± A ten square meter tatami mat room was prepared for a meal. The round fluorescent light had a Japanese-style shade and a round table sat below it. A girl in track shorts and a T-shirt was wiping off the table. The chest of the T-shirt said Heo in magic marker. ¡°Harakawa, I¡¯ve finished cleaning the table. I¡¯ll go clean up the closet now, so you go take your bath.¡± ¡°You take your bath first, Heo Thunderson. I¡¯m busy fixing our late dinner.¡± She heard Harakawa¡¯s voice and the sound of a knife on a cutting board coming from the kitchen. He could not see her, but she still shook her head at his suggestion. ¡°A package should be coming for me soon.¡± ¡°You called UCAT after we left the school, didn¡¯t you? What¡¯s in the package?¡± ¡°A laptop.¡± ¡°I see. Then we¡¯ll at least have to check it for bugs and hidden cameras.¡± ¡°You¡¯re following a pretty strict set of rules, aren¡¯t you?¡± Heo¡¯s shoulders drooped as she slid open the closet door. ¡°And Heo,¡± continued Harakawa. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m only borrowing it. I didn¡¯t buy it or have someone give it to me.¡± As a freeloader, she made that clear up front. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to look into. ¡­Back before November, Hajji of the Army explained how the world was made, remember?¡± ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s been bothering me. I don¡¯t really understand it all, but I can¡¯t help but wonder if that¡¯s really true or not.¡± ¡°We do know that Top-Gear existed, so it must be true.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Heo while asking herself where this doubt came from if she thought it was true. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to say that explanation of the world¡¯s creation isn¡¯t true. But¡­it scares me to think it all happened the way Hajji said it did.¡± ¡°Are you looking into it because you¡¯re scared? Are you borrowing a computer, running simulation after simulation, and wasting your time until you give up, Heo Thunderson?¡± Harakawa¡¯s words briefly caused Heo¡¯s heart to shrink back. She thought that was a more realistic way of looking at it than her own and she wondered if he would ever understand her worry. ¡°I don¡¯t want to give up. I want to be prepared.¡± To make sure he did not reject her opinion, she continued before he could say anything. ¡°I want facts to support the truth. I want to solidify our footing. After all, Top-Gear isn¡¯t our only opponent anymore. We have to speak to Low-Gear¡¯s crimes when facing the other Gears as well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not quite accurate, Heo. They aren¡¯t Low-Gear¡¯s crimes. They¡¯re our parents¡¯ crimes and they¡¯re crimes that never would have been found out if no one had said anything.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Heo, but she said nothing more. She did not want Harakawa to reject her doubts or thoughts any further. She had a feeling he would not accept a mere vague uneasiness. ¡­I really should talk it out with him, though. She had nothing to support her doubts. She simply felt that something about it did not sit well with her. It could be nothing more than a desire to oppose Hajji for rejecting their world without giving them a chance to speak. But she wanted to investigate it and find an answer she would accept. And she did not want anyone to keep her from doing that. With that in mind, she crawled into the closet. The bottom shelf acted as her bed and bedroom and the walls and floor were fully equipped with insulating mats now that winter had arrived. She would sometimes hit her head on the top, so Harakawa had added a polyurethane cover. She turned on the light to reveal a bookshelf filled with textbooks and other books and a shelf containing her clothes and other small belongings. The drawing board she had originally used as a study desk had been added to the wall after Harakawa told her to maintain a proper posture while studying. She now used the living room table as a study desk, just like Harakawa did. She pulled a board from between the books on the bookshelf. It was a mirror of about A4 size and a photograph was held in the skinny wooden frame. It was from when she had won 1st place at the athletic festival race and accidentally ran over to Harakawa in the stands instead of lining up by the numbered flags. She was satisfied that her current self in the mirror resembled the smiling self in the photo. ¡°¡­¡± She returned the mirror to the bookshelf. Her surroundings were dimly lit and the kitchen¡¯s sounds reached her. The chopping had changed to the washing of a pot. Harakawa always used cold water to wash the dishes and he never let Heo help. She had yet to decide how to interpret that. ¡­Should I help? But a sudden sound cut off her thoughts. It was a cellphone. Hers was sitting in the charger at the back of the closet, but Harakawa¡¯s was in his pocket. Before she could climb further into the closet, the water stopped and there was a short pause for Harakawa to dry his hands. ¡°This is Harakawa. Heo¡¯s here too.¡± She heard him speak and then silently listen to something. ¡°¡­?¡± Sudden confusion filled her as she crawled out onto the tatami mats. ¡­Huh? She felt distinct unease in his silence. There was a reason for that. This silence came from complete motionlessness. She knew Harakawa¡¯s habits when he listened to people, but she did not hear him cautiously crossing his arms or leaning up against anything to urge the speaker on. What was UCAT telling him that warranted such silence? ¡­Did someone else fight one of the other Gears like Kazami and Izumo did? But why would that make him so silent? He had received word of Izumo and Kazami¡¯s battles before heading out to the school, but he had still conversed with the caller then. So where did this motionless silence come from? ¡°Um¡­¡± Unable to endure the silence, Heo started to speak. But at that exact moment¡­ ¡°Understood. You take care of things there.¡± She heard Harakawa¡¯s voice from the kitchen and the sound of him putting plates in the sink to soak. ¡°Heo.¡± Hearing her name came as such a surprise that she found herself unable to respond. ¡°Can you hear me, Heo Thunderson?¡± ¡°Y-yes. What is it?¡± ¡°I have work to do. I¡¯ll be going to Yokota. Make and eat dinner on your own.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± What is going on? she wondered. She had heard her cellphone ring too. That call had been from UCAT, not from Harakawa¡¯s part-time job at the US base. As if to answer her doubts, he left the kitchen. He balled up his khaki apron, tossed it toward the washing machine, and removed his leather jacket from the hanger by the entrance. ¡°Heo, let me tell you one thing. Until Sayama returns¡­no, until Sayama returns and settles things with Top-Gear, don¡¯t get involved with the Leviathan Road.¡± She stiffened at that sudden command and he continued as he put on his jacket. ¡°You should stay away from the Leviathan Road altogether, Heo Thunderson.¡± After Harakawa verbally pushed her away, Heo breathed in yet did not lose her voice. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do that! Wh-what came over you all of a sudden!?¡± He did not answer her reactionary shout. Instead, he picked up the keys sitting on the shoe-holder at the entrance. The jingling of the keys sounded awfully cold among the living sounds of him dressing to go out. So Heo got up from the floor. ¡°Harakawa! Please say something!¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying it¡¯s dangerous, Heo Thunderson.¡± She thought she heard him sigh. ¡°Continuing with the Leviathan Road will create hatred directed at us. ¡­Until now, all the hate was caused by what our grandparents or parents did, but from here on, it will be us they hate. Are you sure you want that?¡± he asked. ¡°Is the power you were given meant to spread hate? Think carefully, Heo Thunderson.¡± ¡°Think carefully? But about what?¡± ¡°Luckily, there are no survivors of 5th-Gear. You are the representative of 5th-Gear and its Concept Core is safely stored in the Vesper Cannon below UCAT. That gives no one a reason to attack you. ¡­And as 5th-Gear¡¯s representative, you need to be protected, Heo.¡± So¡­ ¡°If you stay put, you can avoid having anyone hate you.¡± As he spoke with his back turned, Heo realized two things. ¡°Someone was attacked, weren¡¯t they? And had their Concept Core taken.¡± The answer to her question was simple. ¡°You can stay in a safe place, so that is none of your concern, Heo Thunderson.¡± He put on his shoes, sighed toward the floor, and gave an additional comment. ¡°There is nothing for you to do now. Taking any careless action would only put you in danger. ¡­You understand, don¡¯t you? This apartment is protected by the Americans, so don¡¯t make their job any harder than it already is.¡± ¡°But-¡­!¡± She tried to shout in protest, but he cut her off. ¡°Do you really think I don¡¯t know about the dreams that wake you up in the night?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Who is it that still has nightmares of Black Sun or the Army¡¯s attack? Do you want to add more bad memories to the list? That isn¡¯t a duty of yours. Would your parents have wanted that?¡± ¡°B-but without us, the others won¡¯t have any large aerial firepower if there is a battle! Kazami can¡¯t handle it all on her own.¡± ¡°But that would place the sins on your own back.¡± He crushed her words and she could not deny what he was telling her. But she still wanted to object, so she took a breath and a step forward. ¡°Why are you saying this all of a sudden? We¡¯ve fought alongside the others until now!¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve realized doing that any more would be too dangerous. From here on, you would be accepting the world¡¯s hatred.¡± With his shoes on, Harakawa stood up and kept his back to her. ¡°This is no longer a battle against the hatred created by our grandparents or parents. This is about us changing the world ourselves. Heo, are you really prepared to do that just because someone you know is?¡± She had no logical argument against his point. It was true that the others were fighting as Team Leviathan, yet she could avoid being targeted herself. Even her investigation of the world¡¯s creation with that borrowed laptop was only for her own personal satisfaction. So if possible, she should remain safely in UCAT as much as possible. ¡­And try to head out only in an emergency. But that was definitely the plan of someone in a safe place. And if she left that safe place, she would be placing hatred onto herself. ¡°So, Heo. Is your power truly necessary at the moment? There is no hatred directed at you, so are you really going to go out of your way to find some? Well?¡± With that last word, Harakawa turned back toward her in the entrance. She wanted to say something and stepped forward. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± But no words left her. The boy standing before her had his eyebrows slightly raised and a sharp look in his eyes. ¡­He¡¯s serious. He seemed to be telling her not to make any pointless arguments. ¡°But¡­¡± Her words crumbled. ¡°Why are you trying to hold me back?¡± Just before October, he had kept American UCAT from doing exactly that. Instead of feeling satisfied at being holed up in a safe place, he had told her to go wherever she pleased. That was why she was here in the first place. ¡°If I¡¯m trapped here, I can¡¯t go anywhere anymore.¡± Even she knew that was an odd thing to say, but that was all she could say. This was the only place she had and yet she was being imprisoned here. She brought her trembling hands to her cheeks and felt tears spilling from her eyes. ¡°Why?¡± She wiped the tears away as she asked. ¡°Why would you say that, Harakawa? You were the one who pushed me to go somewhere dangerous, so why are you holding me back now?¡± ¡°Think about that for yourself, Heo Thunderson.¡± He stood up and looked at her without holding out his hand. She felt like he was testing her, but in that case, what was he testing her for? ¡°Do you not want me here?¡± she asked. His eyebrows moved a little at that. ¡°If that is what you think, then you can leave, Heo Thunderson. You might think you have nowhere to go, but you have plenty. You could go to Japanese UCAT or American UCAT. But¡­¡± She listened to him. ¡°At the very least, this is not the kind of place you¡¯re looking for.¡± ¡°Th-then where am I supposed to go!?¡± ¡°Pay attention, Heo. What do you think I¡¯m doing right now?¡± She looked to him, sniffed her runny nose, and saw him in his leather jacket. She then remembered what his mother Yui had once said. ¡­If he really did mind, he would leave on his own. What that meant reached her all the more because he had not told her himself. And so her words came from deep in her heart. ¡°No¡­¡± Not even she had expected herself to sound so dazed, but she still tried to step forward into the entranceway. ¡°N-no! If anyone¡­if anyone should leave, it¡¯s me!¡± If he left, she could no longer stay here. And that would ultimately mean she would be trapped. But he gave a single answer with his back turned. ¡°I¡¯ll be back late. This job will probably take a while.¡± Those words were accompanied by the chill of the winter night. Harakawa opened the door and stepped out into the rectangle of night beyond it. She tried to follow, but the outside air turned her breath white and her T-shirt and bike shorts were not enough to protect her. Her trembling legs stumbled on the room¡¯s divider frame. ¡°¡­!¡± She tripped onto the entranceway floor just as the door closed. ¡°Ah.¡± She bent her body and pushed herself up with both hands. ¡°Harakawa!¡± The closed steel door bounced her words back at her. She had been abandoned and left behind. She had been left alone. That meant¡­ ¡­He thinks I¡¯m someone he can just leave behind. He doesn¡¯t care if I¡¯m left alone. She wanted to think that was not true, but the sound of a motorcycle starting up said otherwise. So she stood up. She grimaced at having fallen on her knees, but it was not an issue of any actual pain. There was a different, invisible pain coming from somewhere else. A heavy, sinking, and inescapable feeling filled the bottom of her chest. ¡°Harakawa!¡± She shouted for him not to leave her behind and stepped barefoot into the entranceway. She turned the steel doorknob and prepared to push her body against the door to open it. ¡°Ah¡­¡± But she heard the motorcycle driving off into the distance. He was leaving. The sound of the engine shook the door and permeated her body, but it quickly faded away. ¡°Ah.¡± And it was gone. It had completely vanished. Even when she strained her ears and held her breath, she could not hear a thing. He¡¯s gone, she thought. However, she had no idea where to place that fact in her mind. She simply went limp and leaned against the door. ¡°No¡­¡± The green door would not open. She removed her hands from the knob and covered her face. She did nothing but raise her voice and cry. She had been abandoned, she had been left behind, he was not coming back, this was all she had been to him, and she no longer knew what her life here had meant. All of that mixed together and weighed on her heart. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± She doubled over, slid down the door, and found her elbow had reached the cement. She had fallen onto her side in the entranceway. She curled up, forcibly kicked away the shoes in the way of her body and legs, and cried some more. ¡°Why?¡± She sobbed and let her covered face sink into the center of her curled-up body. She then let out a trembling voice. ¡°Harakawa.¡± There was no response and she eventually stopped calling his name. However, she did hear a sudden sound in the quiet entranceway. ¡°Eh?¡± It answered her doubt by sounding again. This time, she realized it was a low and quiet rumbling. It was her stomach growling. ¡°Uuh¡­¡± Still crying and with her face red, Heo stopped moving. However, her stomach did not care. It quietly growled again as if asking for something. So she got up and brought a hand to her stomach. ¡°H-honestly. Why do you have to do this now? Why when I¡¯m feeling so down?¡± She willed it to stop and gathered strength in her abs. But it did not hesitate to growl again, so she sadly collapsed back onto the floor. ¡°Honestly¡­ Does my body not know how to take anything seriously?¡± Feeling ashamed of herself, she stretched out on the floor. Volume 12, 11: My Opinion Volume 12, Chapter 11: My Opinion She does not say that listening to her will make you cry She says she will make you listen to her to make you cry That is her confrontational tackle of a lifestyle The meeting room was crowded. The windowless underground space was filled with people and everyone save for the four in the center were standing, crossing their arms, and shouting. One of the four watching those people was a maid. ¡°They are keeping up their energy quite well. I suspect they are producing too many narcotics in their brains.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± replied Ooshiro. He watched the people voicing countless protests inside that circular meeting room. No country had been set as the chair, so no one could stop the wave of anger. That allowed them to continue their protests and a certain result awaited them. ¡°Team Leviathan will lose.¡± When Ooshiro stopped using ventriloquism and spoke casually, #8 turned to face him. ¡°Earlier, it seems Hiba-sama lost to Top-Gear and 3rd¡¯s Concept Core was stolen.¡± ¡°Can you tell if the protests are centered on that now, #8-kun?¡± ¡°Testament. There are no protests concerning that. Why not?¡± ¡°Well,¡± began Ooshiro as he glanced toward Roger who slept next to him. ¡°They are waiting for the proper timing. And¡­do you understand what the loss of 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core means to the foreign UCATs?¡± ¡°Testament. If even one of them is lost, the Leviathan Road cannot be completed and they can claim Team Leviathan cannot be trusted. Thus¡­¡± At that point, a loud sound filled the meeting room. Someone had clapped their hands. The single sound held enough dignity to quiet the previous wave of anger. It had come from the seat ten meters directly in front of Ooshiro. ¡°You are from Chinese UCAT, aren¡¯t you? What is it? Do you have something to say?¡± ¡°I do.¡± A man in black rested his elbows on the desk in front of him and spoke in Chinese. He was a middle-aged man with narrow eyes and his black hair tied back. Ooshiro had previously noted that chair was vacant, but this man had appeared at some unknown point and he was now smiling. ¡°I believe you know the general situation.¡± He took a breath and waited in silence for three seconds. ¡°It seems 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core was stolen by a Top-Gear assassin.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a stir ran through his surroundings. Some gave shouts of surprise and a few toppled backwards in their chairs. #8 looked across them all. ¡°Are all UCATs obsessed with overreacting, are they all terrible actors, or are they all idiots? I have high hopes for that last option. Especially when limited to you, Ooshiro-sama.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love it if you gave an option 4: they all like to play along.¡± However, three more claps quieted everyone down again. ¡°He¡¯s certainly in control here,¡± muttered Ooshiro as he looked to the Chinese UCAT representative. ¡°What do you have to say?¡± ¡°Well,¡± began Ooshiro while crossing his arms. ¡°To be blunt, does any UCAT really think it can defeat a three-way alliance between Japanese UCAT, American UCAT, and German UCAT?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Chinese UCAT¡¯s response slowly brought in a heavy atmosphere. The man leaned forward a bit and crossed his arms. ¡°A monarchy does not use its full military might to crush a small nation, but if you insist, I believe committing such a foolish act could be deemed reasonable.¡± ¡°And what nation is this monarchy you refer to?¡± ¡°I refer to the nation that will carry in the next generation. I refer to everything.¡± ¡°Then that wouldn¡¯t just be your nation. ¡­So what are all of you going to do, other nations? We had one Concept Core taken, but we¡¯ve still got the other nine.¡± Ooshiro looked around while asking his question. ¡°If you try to get along with us, your good friend Kazuo might just help you out a little.¡± The air shook as someone exhaled and everyone¡¯s gazes and focus turned back to Chinese UCAT. However, the Chinese UCAT representative ignored all of them. In doing so, he regained a position from which to speak his mind freely. ¡°Japanese UCAT had 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core stolen, so who has given you the rights for any of that? Our top priority is to settle the rights to the Concept Cores and store them in a safe place.¡± ¡°Then what are you going to do about 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core? I know you don¡¯t have a god of war or anything else that can hope to battle Typhon effectively.¡± ¡°That is simple,¡± he answered. ¡°Japanese UCAT and Team Leviathan will be broken up and brought under our command.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Japanese UCAT has a god of war which can fight Typhon and Team Leviathan has 5th¡¯s strongest mechanical dragon. ¡­We will form a fighting force around them.¡± He took a breath, crossed his arms on the desk once more, and calmly continued. ¡°Japanese UCAT has too much power. Not only that, it has misused that power, let the bearers of that power run freely, and mistaken its goal. ¡­We understand that, so we will not make the same mistake. We will use strength as strength and we will handle the command and implementation ourselves.¡± ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong,¡± muttered Ooshiro. However, he spoke so quietly only #8 noticed. She nodded and replied just as quietly. ¡°On very rare occasions like this, I do agree with you, Ooshiro-sama. It was not the bearers of power that we let run freely. It was the will of a villain.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ooshiro smiled bitterly and his shoulders shook. He noticed that Roger had woken at some point and the man also nodded at #8¡¯s comment. Past him, Diana gave a small smile with her eyes closed. As long as they had that mutual understanding, there was just one thing to say. Ooshiro lifted his head and looked the Chinese UCAT representative in the eye. ¡°I doubt our opponents would play along if we used your method. After all, none of you are active participants.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± agreed Diana as she turned her usual smile toward her surroundings. ¡°Who here was involved in the battle that destroyed Top-Gear ten years ago?¡± No one in the meeting room raised their hands. When Diana saw that, a quiet laugh escaped her throat. ¡°Top-Gear may be hoping for a fight, but it is not with you. Do you understand why they stole the Concept Core?¡± The witch inhaled and pulled out an extra-large megaphone she had made from paper. The word ¡°loud¡± was written on it. ¡°They wanted a ticket onto the stage where they can take vengeance for their grudge!!¡± The loud voice filled the meeting room and broke one of the lights on the ceiling. As the shards of the white light poured down on the center of the room, most of the people inside covered their ears, but Roger noticed that the Chinese UCAT representative did not budge. The man then opened his mouth. ¡°But if we locate them and challenge them, we will have an overwhelming advantage in resources. And their reasons do not matter as long as we defeat them.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± said Roger with a nod. What a troublesome man, he thought while crossing his arms and legs. ¡°I am not¡­ I am not so sure. I will say it twice as a good-luck charm and to show I am serious. And¡­if Top-Gear¡¯s reasons do not matter as long as they are defeated¡­¡± He continued. ¡°Are you saying that Top-Gear is such a small group that you can wipe them out here and leave no trace of their grudge behind?¡± He held out his right hand, pulled a small bottle from the sleeve, and placed it on the desk. ¡°This is some of my dream sand. Do you know what sand it uses?¡± There was no answer to his question, so he pushed his glasses up his nose and gave the answer. ¡°Top-Gear¡¯s sand. This sand will give you a dream of Top-Gear¡¯s final hours. If you are so focused on retrieving the Concept Core that you refuse to face Top-Gear¡¯s grudge¡­¡± ¡°You will use that sand¡¯s power to show us the past and accuse us of being unfair for making this decision without knowing what happened during that battle?¡± The Chinese UCAT representative uncrossed his arms and placed his hands on the desk. ¡°But the present problem is that all of you are acting on your own far too much while using the past as a shield. Even if you put together a plan for retrieving 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core, I doubt any UCAT will give their approval.¡± ¡°In other words, no matter how much we complain, you will refuse to accept it and even block any progress we might make?¡± ¡°We are not blocking progress. We are stopping your selfish actions before you begin down the wrong path once again. Our first priority is retrieving 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core. And that¡­¡± Roger saw the man raise his right hand and point to his surroundings. ¡°That is something I imagine every UCAT except for yours can agree to. So you can fall under our command. If you assist us in retrieving the Concept Core, I am sure we can get along once more.¡± ¡°And if we refuse? What happens then?¡± ¡°All of the world¡¯s military force will be immediately sent to Japan¡¯s various UCATs.¡± Just as Roger internally gasped at that, he heard Ooshiro raise his voice to the left. ¡°An invasion of Japan? If you do anything that noticeable, it will lead to war. Are you okay with that?¡± Next to him, #8 stared at their opponent and spoke to him. ¡°Ooshiro-sama, based on my calculations of their military power versus our own¡­¡± ¡°But Team Leviathan would survive, wouldn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Testament. Sayama-sama and the other primary members of Team Leviathan would be unable to fully destroy the armies of the world¡¯s UCATs, but those armies would be unable to capture them and they would have no way of opposing Thunder Fellow.¡± Once she completed her calculations, Roger, Ooshiro, and Diana listened to the result. ¡°In such a scenario, I believe Japanese UCAT would be destroyed, but Team Leviathan would survive and continue to fight.¡± #8 spoke to Ooshiro who had requested her preliminary calculation. ¡°Simply put, Team Leviathan cannot be brought under their control.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s fine.¡± Ooshiro¡¯s tone was casual and he showed off his shining teeth with a smile. They really did shine. A disturbing trick, thought #8 as she backed away and faced him again. ¡°Testament. An excellent decision. I am sure Sayama-sama would be delighted to hear it.¡± They both faced forward once more and the Chinese UCAT representative looked back. The man must have heard them because he sighed and nodded. ¡°I see. I would not have it any other way. After all¡­¡± He leaned back in his chair and shrugged. ¡°Simply having you handle it all, leaves nothing for us. So fighting a war and putting ourselves at the top wouldn¡¯t be bad.¡± ¡°But I believe only we can fulfill their grudge,¡± pointed out Ooshiro. #8 mentally nodded. She could indeed determine that the other Gears would not have listened to them without Team Leviathan. Her memory of being carried for the first time was still fresh. But if it happened a second time or third time, she would likely grow accustomed to it and the memory¡¯s priority level would drop. ¡­And the other UCATs have nothing like that. But the other man replied. ¡°We can deal with that grudge somehow.¡± He snapped the fingers he had used to point at them. The snap was accompanied by another noise: the bottle of sand in front of Roger burst. #8 visually detected the bullet. There was a sniper to the right of the top level. Roger frowned, but the man in black spoke before Roger could open his mouth. ¡°Listen. The quickest method of eliminating a grudge is to snuff it out without taking any notice of the past. And yet you are trying to learn more about the past, which has unearthed truths detrimental to you and even led to the discovery of Top-Gear. ¡­That is nothing but more trouble for us.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying¡­¡± ¡°We will not accept any grudges. We may accept them in this generation and we may even discuss them, but afterwards, we will have them join this world, we will leave no records, we will eliminate any records of what happened in the past, and we will reject any accusations. That is the quickest method of ridding the world of grudges.¡± He smiled bitterly. ¡°While we are at it, we might as well record only the damage we took and request compensation for that. After all, they will have no way of determining if our proof is fabricated or not. ¡­And by then, we will already rule the world.¡± ¡°That¡¯s playing really dirty.¡± ¡°But we will be the only ones to do that. Afterwards, thousands and tens of thousands of years will pass and our descendants will know nothing of this! We stand at an important crossroads for our descendants. If we forget that and let our emotions get the better of us, we will have lost.¡± He raised his hands. ¡°Now, come join us, you three foolish UCATs. Join us as global rulers for the next ten thousand years. ¡­And to begin, how about we take back 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core!? Let¡¯s take it back!¡± As soon as he said that, a young female voice filled the meeting room. ¡°Wait, wait, wait. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on here, but it sounds exciting.¡± The door behind Ooshiro¡¯s group opened and wind blew in. A few sets of footsteps entered and the crowd gasped. They were all giving off an aura of surprise and fear that whoever this was had heard what was said. However, the footsteps showed no concern for any of that. ¡°Honestly, what is this? I heard something about taking back 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core, but how can you talk about that while ignoring us?¡± #8 looked over and saw an unfamiliar person in a lab coat standing next to her. However, she had heard of this person from Gyes, so she was able to call her name. ¡°Miyako-sama?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± answered Miyako as she stared across the entire meeting room. ¡°I¡¯m 3rd-Gear Representative Tsukuyomi Miyako! I heard our Concept Core¡¯s been taken, so I stopped by for a quick chat.¡± Miyako frowned, turned toward #8, and looked the automaton in the eye. ¡°Hm? I haven¡¯t seen you before. Are you from the group here?¡± ¡°Testament. I am #8. It is a pleasure to finally meet you.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Miyako gave Ooshiro a look of pure contempt. ¡°It must be tough dealing with this old man.¡± ¡°Testament. But rather than tough, I would call it¡­baffling.¡± ¡°M-Miyako-kun, #8-kun. Please don¡¯t start abusing the elderly as soon as you meet each other!!¡± ¡°Shut up or I¡¯ll tell everyone what I learned from my mom. For example, I know you put IAI¡¯s name on the receipt when you buy perverted games!! You¡¯re just awful. I didn¡¯t like the shape of your ears from the moment I saw you in my interview.¡± ¡°Please wait just a moment, Miyako-kun!!¡± ¡°I said shut up.¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°And what¡¯s this ¡®merchandise¡¯ nonsense? Well? If you¡¯re a man, put the title on there with your real name!¡± ¡°B-but the store clerks ask what company name I want to put down!¡± ¡°Then correct them! ¡®What company name should I put down?¡¯ ¡®No, please put it under Ooshiro Kazuo!¡¯ And if they ask ¡®Would you like the product listed simply as merchandise?¡¯, smile and tell them ¡®No! Put it down as an 18+ game!¡¯ ¡± ¡°M-Miyako-kun, what would you do if your husband was that refreshingly shameless?¡± ¡°What? Apollo wouldn¡¯t buy things like that.¡± ¡°Waaahh!! This girl is living in a fantasy world!!¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, don¡¯t give me a girly compliment like that. I¡¯m gonna blush.¡± While she shoved Ooshiro to the floor to hide her embarrassment, #8 bowed toward Moira 1st and 2nd who stood behind her. Moira 1st smiled and placed a hand on her cheek. ¡°You are doing very well, I see.¡± ¡°Testament. I have determined that is thanks to your former guidance. I can now look after an old man like this¡­although I have determined that is not exactly a good thing.¡± ¡°N-now #8-kun and Moira 1st-kun are turning their reunion into abuse of the elderly!!¡± ¡°Shut the hell up, old man.¡± Miyako was obviously in a bad mood and her comment led Ooshiro to sit below the desk and pretend to cry. Ignoring him, Miyako looked around and put a hand in her lab coat pocket. ¡°Honestly.¡± After seeing what had just happened, the representatives flinched back in fear when her gaze reached them. She frowned even more when she noticed. ¡°What¡¯s that for? Am I that scary!? I can¡¯t believe this¡­ I won¡¯t get mad, so tell me the truth. Am I that scary?¡± After a while, they exchanged a glance and hesitantly nodded. ¡°I see.¡± Miyako nodded. ¡°Well, don¡¯t judge a book by its cover, you bald old men!!¡± As they shrieked and flinched back again, Ooshiro poked at her lab coat. ¡°E-excuse me, Miyako-kun. Taking command here is fine and all, but what do you want?¡± ¡°This came in during the day. Ruined my plans of watching the winter special ¡®Mito Kimon ¨C Two-Hour Rampage¡¯.¡± She pulled out an origami crane with ¡°Winter Yokosuka¡± written on the wings. She stuffed it back in her pocket without noticing Diana¡¯s feigned ignorance. ¡°It took a while to search this place out, but what do you think you¡¯re doing!?¡± Her outburst caused the surrounding representatives to flinch back again. All except for one, that is. A man in black leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk. He was the Chinese UCAT representative and he spoke in Chinese. ¡°So you are 3rd-Gear¡¯s-¡­¡± ¡°What!? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying! Speak in Japanese!¡± The man was dumbfounded and Miyako swung her right leg. Her visitor¡¯s slipper instantly flew toward him. With perfect aim, it struck the edge of his desk and flew up into the air. As the solid sound filled the room, she pulled back her leg. ¡°I heard a bit of what you said before. A lot of it sounded pretty suspicious, but that doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m just a part-timer, so all this internal UCAT mess isn¡¯t my concern.¡± She placed her bare right foot on the floor next to her slippered left foot. ¡°But if it¡¯s about 3rd, you¡¯ve gotta run it by me first.¡± ¡°Then the UCATs of each nation will-¡­¡± ¡°I said to speak Japanese, you moron!!¡± Her roaring voice caused the Chinese representative to frown. However, she gave a triumphant laugh, looked right at him, and deeply crossed her arms. ¡°Oh, so you do understand Japanese. Then get to speaking it.¡± ¡°Why are you forcing me to speak that lang-¡­¡± ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re saying. And let me tell you something: I¡¯m 3rd¡¯s representative right now, so Japanese is 3rd¡¯s standard language. Isn¡¯t that right, Moira 1st?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. It is.¡± ¡°U-um, Miyako-kun. It isn¡¯t normal Japanese to say ¡®yes, sir¡¯ to a woma- No, I mean¡­what a wonderful ladies¡¯ language that is!¡± ¡°Glad to see you understand.¡± She turned away from Ooshiro and smiled. ¡°You were saying something about needing to take back 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core to gather the UCATs together properly, weren¡¯t you? But you know what? I never asked you to do that.¡± She gave her conclusion. ¡°I can¡¯t trust any of you.¡± Miyako sat on the desk in front of Ooshiro. She crossed her legs and raised her right hand. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Moira 1st partially removed the wrapping of a chocolate cigarette and set it between Miyako¡¯s fingers. Miyako placed the contents in her mouth. ¡°Y¡¯know?¡± Everyone shrank back, but she no longer cared. ¡°What are you all afraid of? You¡¯re adults, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re men, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re productive members of society, aren¡¯t you!?¡± She glared at them and they shrank back further, but by then, she was only looked straight ahead. Her eyes were fixed on the Chinese UCAT representative. He folded his hands atop his desk. ¡°What do you intend to do?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re finally speaking Japanese, huh?¡± She smiled and grabbed the edge of the desk on either side of her butt. ¡°But I¡¯m the one that wants to know what you intend to do. What are you gonna do with 3rd¡¯s Concept Core?¡± ¡°We wish to gain Japanese UCAT¡¯s assistance in retrieving it.¡± ¡°I like the sound of that. Especially the blatant ulterior motive hidden below it.¡± She kicked her dangling legs below the desk. ¡°What are you all thinking? Listen, who was 3rd¡¯s Concept Core stolen from?¡± ¡°The Team Leviathan god of war belonging to the girl named Mikage.¡± ¡°And can you tell me what Gear Mikage is from?¡± ¡°3rd-Gear¡­¡± The man trailed off and Miyako raised her right hand to point at him with the chocolate cigarette. ¡°Then we can say this, can¡¯t we? 3rd¡¯s Concept Core wasn¡¯t stolen from Team Leviathan. It was stolen from Mikage of 3rd. That makes this 3rd¡¯s responsibility, not Team Leviathan¡¯s.¡± ¡°That is nothing but sophistry!!¡± ¡°As 3rd¡¯s representative, I get to judge any issue with 3rd¡¯s Concept Core or 3rd¡¯s people! There¡¯s no sophistry in a kind and fair judgment to accept responsibility for one of your own! ¡­You¡¯re the outsiders here!!¡± She clicked her tongue and jabbed the chocolate toward the man. ¡°Besides, what¡¯s this ¡®nothing but sophistry!¡¯ nonsense? Don¡¯t think everyone¡¯s just going to accept what you say if you use some fancy word. 3rd¡¯s Concept Core has always been ours, so why are you acting like it¡¯s yours? I¡¯ll call the cops on you!!¡± ¡°But in that case¡­¡± The man in black frowned slightly. ¡°We will hold 3rd responsible for the loss of the Concept Core.¡± ¡°And?¡± She shrugged and the man furrowed his brow. ¡°Then let me make this clear: you must take full responsibility for your failure to manage the Concept Core.¡± ¡°Then let me make this clear: 3rd-Gear left the Concept Core with Mikage as our representative and sent her to Team Leviathan for the Core¡¯s safekeeping,¡± explained Miyako. ¡°But since it was stolen, we request that Team Leviathan takes responsibility. We request that they negotiate with Top-Gear and retrieve the Core.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°To sum up, you all are the ones getting in the way.¡± She got down from the desk. ¡°3rd and Team Leviathan can settle this between ourselves. I¡¯m the most pissed that the Core was stolen and it belongs to me. ¡­So who¡¯s the rudest one here? Who¡¯s the one ignoring people¡¯s rights to their family¡¯s Concept Core and acting like they own it?¡± She crossed her arms, looked across all of them, and gave a fearless smile. ¡°You¡¯re in the way and I can¡¯t trust you. It isn¡¯t Japanese UCAT or any other UCAT that 3rd-Gear trusts. We trust in the Leviathan Road itself!¡± She took a breath. ¡°Besides, how can you ask American, German, and Japanese UCAT to take responsibility? None of you shed any blood helping fight in the past. That makes this an issue between those three UCATs. They may have hidden the truth from the other Gears, but as long as we don¡¯t complain, they don¡¯t owe anyone anything for that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Who was it that decided to meddle in our business and grill those three UCATs over this? If you¡¯re gonna grill anyone, make it that old man behind me.¡± ¡°M-Miyako-kun! Are you using me for a noble sacrifice!?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t refer to a sandbag as a sacrifice.¡± Ooshiro pretended to cry again, but she ignored him and continued speaking. ¡°Listen. We¡¯ll only talk through the Leviathan Road and I¡¯m sure Top-Gear¡¯s the same. So if you want to act so mature and full of yourself while you stick your nose in our business¡­¡± She swung her left leg to send her other slipper flying forward. ¡°Take this and cool your head!!¡± But as soon as the slipper took flight, a sound joined it. ¡°!¡± Her slipper exploded in midair. She frowned at the sound of bursting fabric and took a step back. The man in black had raised his right hand at some point and he did not lower it. ¡°I would prefer not to use this method.¡± ¡°A sniper? ¡­Are you insane? I¡¯m 3rd¡¯s representative.¡± ¡°I came here prepared to dirty my name. ¡­My country is strict about our work.¡± He smiled bitterly as if to say he had no choice. ¡°And you are originally from Low-Gear, so you are only 3rd¡¯s representative by pure luck.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t luck, you idiot. A lot of hard work went into that.¡± ¡°U-um, Lady Miyako? You can praise Moira 2nd if you want, but, uh, that is indecent.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. Having kids isn¡¯t indecent, so baby-making is perfectly decent.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± replied Moira 1st despite tilting her head in confusion over whether to accept that or not. Miyako sighed, faced forward, and placed a hand on her stomach. ¡°Simply put, do you see no meaning in letting 3rd live on?¡± ¡°We are not bringing emotion into the equation. We will simply eliminate anything that stands in the way of our benefit,¡± he said. ¡°And what about this? Below Izumo UCAT, the cockpit containing the body and soul of 3rd¡¯s king is stored inside and protected by a blue god of war, but that is proof that you believe he is the true king. ¡­In that case, surely you have some reservations in calling yourself 3rd¡¯s representative.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the wife¡¯s job to look after the house when her husband¡¯s away. That¡¯s pretty basic.¡± ¡°Even if that could bring ruin to the ¡®house¡¯ that is 3rd?¡± ¡°Every woman wants to hear she¡¯s beautiful enough to cause the fall of a great kingdom.¡± ¡°Then we must nip that fall in the bud before it reaches Low-Gear as well.¡± She smiled bitterly at his decisive tone of voice. ¡°It must be tough playing your role. Now express that feeling in Chinese.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it, that¡¯s it.¡± She went on to mimic his tone of voice. ¡°Xie xie. ¡­Now look to the side.¡± The man in black turned right. He found something floating in empty air there. ¡°A handgun¡­¡± Everyone else also looked to the side or behind. A handgun was floating right next to each of them and aiming at their head. ¡°¡­!?¡± They all realized those were the handguns they themselves had brought for self-defense. Moira 1st stepped to the side behind Miyako. A maid with short blonde hair stood in the space she revealed. ¡°Well done, Moira 2nd. Multiple parallel operations with gravitational control are really your thing.¡± Moira 2nd nodded expressionlessly and Ooshiro spoke up from next to Miyako. ¡°Miyako-kun, why is there a sniper rifle floating next to me?¡± ¡°Oh, we had one extra after taking that from the sniper. Moira 2nd, if you need to fire one as a warning, use this one. That¡¯ll make a good example.¡± ¡°How cruel can you be!?¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± she said before facing forward again. Ahead of her, the Chinese UCAT representative was frowning in her direction. ¡°Surely you aren¡¯t going to call this unfair,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s the same method you used. And if this is the language you use to negotiate, then you lost this negotiation to 3rd.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She received silence in response, so she suddenly snapped her fingers. ¡°!?¡± The solid sound from her fingers was only a sign, but everyone assumed it was a gunshot. After being designated the warning, Ooshiro was the fastest to react. ¡°My life is flashing before my eyes!! And in 2D!!¡± However, the next sound was different. It was the sound of cloth hitting a surface. ¡°What?¡± The man in black looked upwards. Something had hit his head and produced the previous sound. ¡°That¡¯s a slipper. The first one I kicked bounced upwards, remember?¡± Miyako smiled as she explained what the sound and the object on the man¡¯s head were. ¡°After it flew upwards, Moira 2nd held it near the ceiling with her gravity, but no one noticed. Everyone was too focused on the meeting¡­or rather, our exchange.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The Chinese representative¡¯s cheeks twisted a little. ¡°We had lost the calm needed to negotiate as far back as that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± she corrected. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that you did a bad job. ¡­We¡¯re just better than you.¡± ¡°I see,¡± he said again. He then sighed and removed the slipper from his head. He pulled a handkerchief from his breast pocket, wrapped the slipper in it, and placed them in his pocket. ¡°So 3rd-Gear wishes for Team Leviathan to resolve this issue, is that correct?¡± ¡°It is. And remember one thing: the other Gears are challenging and negotiating with Team Leviathan right now. That means we¡¯ll only take our fight to the group that¡¯s actually looking at us. We¡¯re all picky like that. So unfortunately¡­all of you are just in the way.¡± She sighed, crossed her arms, looked across everyone there, and opened her mouth again. ¡°If only you¡¯d been looking at us instead of the Concept Core.¡± She did not stop there. ¡°After all, my husband was looking at me.¡± Volume 12, 12: Consumed Heat Volume 12, Chapter 12: Consumed Heat That resistance is much like being patient That is why you find yourself unable to stop The moon shined bright that night. The moonlight filled a certain large yard. The yard belonged to a large house. It was a calm place with trees and a pond. However, the electric lights inside the yard¡¯s lanterns revealed a certain form. It was Shino, a kimono-wearing girl who walked awkwardly with a cane. She walked along the wall or the fence surrounding the large but earthen yard. This was part of the rehabilitation for her right ankle, so she held her left hand against the fence or wall as she walked. The nearby guard dogs turned toward her, but she only smiled and walked by. A single circuit of the yard took about half an hour. She did this at morning, afternoon, and night and she found it the most relaxing part of her day. Lately, her routine was to take some time to think in the bath afterwards. However, her thoughts today were different from normal. ¡­A lot happened today. She thought back to the feeling the conversation with Shinjou had given her. And¡­ ¡°Ryouko said I should do whatever I want.¡± But she did not know what she should do. She could relax here yet felt guilty for staying here, so what was she supposed to do? She asked that question again and again. ¡­What if I ran away? She revisited that hypothetical for the umpteenth time and suddenly stopped to look at the yard. How would she run away if she wanted to? The yard had surveillance devices disguised as lanterns and human sculptures, but she could tell what areas they covered by observing the movements of the dogs. She had been trained in this sort of thing while in the Army. But the problem was the Tamiya house¡¯s front gate. The large front gate and the back gate both had electronic security devices installed to keep Ryouko from sneaking out to buy snacks. The top of the fence also had sensors attached, but Shino¡¯s leg kept her from climbing the fence in the first place. ¡­I can¡¯t run away. If she wanted to leave, she could always say goodbye and leave. ¡°But¡­¡± At the moment, she had nowhere to go. Kouji and the others would likely ask about that and would stop her from leaving once they found out she had nowhere to go. She could not lie to them. That was the kind of people they were, but that was exactly why she was so thankful for their presence. They were willing to worry for a complete stranger like her. ¡­In that case, I could always use the cover of night to¡­ She ended that thought and corrected her posture. She asked herself why she was trying to run away. ¡°I would only be worrying them all the more.¡± And even if she did make it through the front gate, she could not escape. If she left without saying anything, they would immediately notice and tail her. But, she thought. ¡­Is that what I want right now? That question surprised her and a sudden sound reached her from the side. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± One of the dogs howled and caused her to drop her cane. Ah, she thought as the cane fell on the guard dog¡¯s head. The dog shrank back and she frantically spoke up. ¡°S-sorry. You¡¯re Pes, aren¡¯t you?¡± But Pes grabbed the cane in its mouth. It must have thought that was Shino¡¯s harsh way of showing affection because it wagged its tail as if saying ¡°Again! Again!¡± Shino gave a troubled groan, crouched down with a hand on the fence, and started to grab the cane. As she did, she noticed a hole at the bottom of the fence where the light of the lanterns did not quite reach. ¡°What is this?¡± The hole was cleverly hidden by a tree and some leaves, but it was large enough for someone to crawl through and one branch had a small scrap of cloth caught on it. Shino recognized the red and faded cloth. ¡°That¡¯s from Ryouko¡¯s kimono. Is this how she escapes to buy snacks?¡± She gasped, grabbed the cane, and quickly left with Pes. She knew she had discovered something she was better off not knowing about. In more ways than one. Heo moved silently in the light. The corners of her eyes were a little red and her eyebrows were raised. However, her mouth was twisted into a shallow frown like she was putting up with something. ¡°What is with Harakawa!? Really, really what is with him!?¡± She was doing the exact opposite of what she had done before. Instead of cleaning or organizing, she was making a mess. In the center of the room, the table was sitting across Harakawa¡¯s spread futon and it contained all the bags of snacks they had stocked up on. The TV was left on, books from the closet were sitting in the corner, and the mirror she had been hiding was sitting on the table and facing her. ¡°Harakawa said to do whatever I wanted, so¡­so that¡¯s what I¡¯ll do. Starting today, I¡¯ll mess up my normal lifestyle. I¡¯ll eat snacks after brushing my teeth and watch late night TV.¡± She looked at the futon laid out below her butt. It was white, but¡­ ¡°A-and I¡¯ll sleep in Harakawa¡¯s futon! Th-this is revenge for making me sleep in that cramped closet all the time!¡± But once she remembered her change of clothes was in the closet, she climbed in to retrieve them. After a while, she found she had searched out a book in the closet bookshelf and comfortably curled up next to the closet wall. ¡°Ah! Wh-when did I get so pathetic?¡± She quickly crawled out of the closet and looked around. ¡°Um, wh-what else am I not supposed to do? I can read manga in bed and¡­¡± She went to the kitchen and took two things from the refrigerator. She and Harakawa had bought the first item on sale at the supermarket. ¡°I-I¡¯ll eat this two-person cake all on my own!¡± She checked the number of calories on the seal sticker and then checked the expiration date. It expired the following day, so it had likely been on such a good sale because it was about to expire. ¡­S-someone has to eat it before it expires. That¡¯s enough of an excuse. She then turned to the other item she had placed on the table. ¡°Beer.¡± It was made by IAI and the can pictured a nude Daikokuten striking a bold pose with the morning sun hiding his crotch. It was known as Daikoku Beer and the ads saying ¡°The God of Fortune Stands on the Earth¡± were famous. ¡°Underage drinking is proof you¡¯re a delinquent.¡± She grabbed the pull tab, took a deep breath, and realized this was the moment to make up her mind. ¡°Th-this is Harakawa¡¯s fault. He left for the base without saying why and told me to do whatever I wanted. He¡­He thinks I can¡¯t do anything or won¡¯t do anything, doesn¡¯t he? W-well, I¡¯ll show him and become a delinquent. If he¡¯s going to be a delinquent and push me away, then I¡¯ll become a delinquent too and I won¡¯t let him in if he comes back.¡± But as she said that, her expression suddenly fell apart. ¡°But he will come back, won¡¯t he?¡± She almost started to cry, so she shook her head to hold back. He wouldn¡¯t just never come back, she told herself. But if he did come back and she was the same as always, she had a feeling he would reject her again. But she did not know what to do to keep him from rejecting her. ¡­So I just have to become a delinquent like him. However, he was quite the delinquent. He watched late night TV, he drove a motorcycle, and he drank beer. It would be difficult for her to develop into an even greater delinquent in such a short time, but she had to do it. She had to become enough of a delinquent to shock him. ¡°In terms of units, I¡¯ll be a mega delinquent!¡± She kept her thoughts positive and decided to cross the starting line with the beer. She gathered strength in the finger on the pull tab and prepared to open it. But something stopped her. ¡°¡­?¡± She heard a bell. She tilted her head at the quiet sound coming from beyond the front door. ¡­Is it a cat? Cats would sometimes stop by the apartment. Harakawa never fed them, but they still seemed to like him for some reason. But this was a winter night. Any cat wearing a bell would be inside their warm home. Still tilting her head, Heo stood and tiptoed over to the door. She was worried it might be a robber, but the American UCAT guards were hiding outside. ¡­So it must be the laptop I asked for. After reaching that conclusion, she unlocked the door and slowly opened it. The night opened up before her eyes. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The chilly air he had disappeared into enveloped her body and she briefly shrank back. But then she saw two cardboard boxes sitting at the entrance. One was stacked atop the other and they were both fifty centimeters square. They were bound with white paper thread and¡­ ¡­An origami crane. That was Diana¡¯s origami and the crane¡¯s neck had a small bell attached. ¡°Did this crane bring the boxes?¡± She could hardly believe it, but the two boxes were more than enough to tell her what had happened. The stacked boxes were as tall as her waist and¡­ ¡­The bottom box has an invoice for the laptop? The bottom one contained the laptop she had asked for to help her investigation. 2nd-Gear¡¯s Kashima of the development department had likely prepared it for her. It was wrapped in dangerous looking paper printed with the Heart Sutra. ¡­Then what¡¯s the top one? If Diana had arranged this, what could it be? Did it contain books for her studies? Confused, Heo reached down to undo the paper thread binding the boxes. However, the paper thread came undone on its own before she could touch it. It moved like a snake to come apart and spread out around the boxes. ¡°Ah.¡± She reflexively pulled her hand back in the chilly night air and the white light of the entranceway. The packing tape on the top box also peeled off on its own. It started on her end and peeled back away from her while rolling itself up. Once the sound of it tearing from the box ended, the lid opened. Heo saw something inside the cardboard box push up the lid. She was unable to react, so she only managed to take a single step back. ¡°What¡¯s in there?¡± Her eyes opened wide as she watched something poke out of the opened box. She recognized what placed its front legs on the edge of the box and looked out at her. ¡°Heo? Doing well?¡± A voice reached her in the form of a thought. ¡°A 4th plant creature?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The plant creature nodded from within the box. ¡°Talk with Heo. Very good thing.¡± After the span of a breath, the creature continued. ¡°4th will redo negotiation. With Heo this time. Okay?¡± The corridor was very cold. It was a long windowless corridor made of cement. It curved a bit to the left, but only enough to prevent one from seeing farther than twenty meters down it. The plumbing was exposed on the walls and a bench was located below a water pipe covered in condensation. A boy breathed a white breath from that bench. The black-haired boy had the slightly dark skin of someone with Latin blood. He wore a leather jacket and faced a single door. The door contained a placard that said ¡°United States Yokota UCAT Commander¡± in English. People in blue armored uniforms would occasionally walk between the boy and the door. They would all give the boy a puzzled look, but after realizing who he was, they would give a quick salute and pass by. The boy would nod uncomfortably back at them. ¡°Harakawa. Harakawa Dan, come in.¡± The boy stood when a sudden voice called for him from the door¡¯s communicator. He straightened his slightly bent back and reached for the door. ¡°I¡¯m coming in.¡± He spoke instead of knocking and entered the room. The room was as cold as the corridor. It was a simple room. It was a ten square meter space made of concrete. A secretary¡¯s desk with a PC was located next to the door, but it was currently empty. A world map and a map of Japan hung on the left and right walls and the only other furnishings were a small decorative plant on a chair and a coffeemaker. Finally, there was a large desk in the back. The wooden desk was long from left to right, piles of documents covered the left and right sides, and a familiar face sat on the other side. That face was wearing reading glasses for the documents. ¡°Colonel ¡®Odor¡¯, commander of American UCAT¡¯s Japanese Deployment and Assistant Inspector to Team Leviathan.¡± Harakawa¡¯s breath was white as he spoke the man¡¯s name and titles. He then removed his hands from his leather jacket. ¡°I came here with a request. A single request.¡± He continued without waiting for a response. ¡°I want you to disclose the records on my father, Alberto Northwind.¡± Odor reacted to the boy¡¯s resounding voice. He nodded toward the documents he had been looking at and raised his right hand. ¡°¡­¡± A moment later, a metallic sound struck Harakawa. The boy¡¯s body was slammed to the chilly floor. Odor did not bother checking on that sound he was so used to hearing. The documents before him were far more important. He had no aide at the moment, so he had to handle all the paperwork on his own. And if he did not complete this stack of papers, he would have no free time and he would be unable to head out in an emergency. This was a difficult time for American UCAT. The other UCATs were holding them in check, but they also had to defend the people Japanese UCAT could not. He did not understand Top-Gear¡¯s movements. Earlier, some of their guards had been drawn in by a Top-Gear survivor and then the entire unit had been wiped out. The target that unit had been charged with protecting had subsequently been attacked by Top-Gear. And of all things, 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core had been stolen. This is¡­ This is American UCAT¡¯s failure, thought Odor. Japanese UCAT had not actually asked them for this protection, but it was still a failure from the United States¡¯ point of view. They had responded by sending out additional guards and putting Heo under complete surveillance. If she so much as tripped, a sniper team would fire a handkerchief onto the spot where she would land. And to ensure all of that was perfect, he had a lot more paperwork to check over. In truth, he felt they could always call Heo here, but that would stifle her sense of independence. Odor wanted to let Heo continue her normal life as much as possible. ¡­This paperwork¡­ This paperwork will ensure that! Any other work was unnecessary and he did not have time to deal with the request of the boy who had selfishly left Heo. And so he snapped the fingers of his right hand. He did so thrice. He did not want to make Heo sad, so he avoided smashing the boy to pieces. However, the boy did annoy him in a number of ways, so he struck the right leg, then the left arm, and ¨C once his odor had drawn a diagonal line between those two points ¨C the right arm. This would smash the boy¡¯s bones and crush his flesh. The pain would go well beyond intense, so he would be lying unconscious and unmoving on the floor. Odor would only need to call the general affairs department to have them clean up the room and transport the boy to the hospital. Most everything would be settled after the boy spent a day healing and it would give him a physical reason to rethink his actions. Odor flipped through the documents and pushed his glasses up his nose, but he suddenly looked to the floor. His gaze moved up from the floor. There was a single reason for his gaze to move like that. Even though his arms and right leg had been smashed, the boy was standing up. ¡°¡­¡± His face was covered in sweat, blood dripped from his arms, and only his left leg had any real strength in it, but he managed to stand on that trembling leg and face Odor. He let out a large white breath and then sucked in the chilly air. ¡°I won¡¯t say it again!¡± he said. ¡°Will you grant me my request!?¡± Harakawa shouted and stepped forward. ¡­Dammit. He belatedly realized how absurd an organization UCAT was. It was no place for him. After all, he was a normal person. His race, fashion, lifestyle, tastes, and everything else were different from others¡¯, but no more different than anyone else¡¯s. However, there were people who were much more different. UCAT was made up of those people. Whether they wanted it or not, they had gained that difference and they tried to make some use of it. That was how Harakawa saw it anyway. ¡­And those people don¡¯t need me. He was fine with being just as different as your normal person. He only needed the standard sort of difference he could compare with those of the people he passed by, met, or got together with in town, on the streets, at the train station, at school, or anywhere else. He did not need the kind of unique difference that one could show off. That would not put him on the same level as others. But¡­ ¡­I have something like that now. He was Thunder Fellow¡¯s pilot. He could probably remove himself from that position. He could convince Heo, speak with Thunder Fellow, and have that setting removed. An ace in American UCAT¡¯s air unit would be able to pilot the mechanical dragon better than him. But he also knew about an organization where people with those unnecessary differences would gather and he knew about a girl who was trying to stay there. ¡­Once¡­ He remembered seeing himself in that girl. Did he still? Was he that kind of person? Was he the type to gather on the windy emergency staircase when everyone else was having fun in the classroom? The girl with him, the girl who could summon a dragon, had a certain past. She had once trusted in her parents and used that trust to yearn for the sky. But while he could trust his mother, he did not trust his father. On that Christmas Eve ten years ago, the family had prepared to celebrate, but his father had taken his mother, told him to wait for them, and then left. His father had been a sniper with greater than average skill. Afterwards, only his mother had returned and she had been ill. From then on, he had been alone. And because I was alone, he told himself. ¡­I¡¯m fine with being average. The battle with 5th-Gear was over and there was no reason for Heo to fight. He wanted to become average. He did not desire this difference when it was not necessary. But, he thought. What if she doesn¡¯t just have that difference? What if she¡¯s the kind who can use that difference and embrace it? He had told her to become average. He had said everything he could, he had given his reasoning, and he had pushed her away. But if she found a reason despite not having one or if she produced a reason out of thin air, it meant she was the real deal. ¡­And I know she¡¯ll find one. It scared him that he believed that for no real reason. But in that case, what would he do? Would he cling to her difference so it carried him with her, would he leave, or¡­ ¡°Please do this for me.¡± He hated his father. The man had been selfish, he had pushed Harakawa away, and he had died without giving any thought to anyone else. But when Harakawa looked at what he was doing now¡­ ¡­Am I the same? He wanted to say no, but he thought that desire was hypocritical. ¡­I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m thinking of pushing someone away as the right thing to do. He hoped that would remove her desire to fight and make her average. But from her point of view, he was rejecting her and abandoning her. Oh, he thought. ¡­Maybe my dad saw it this way too. ¡°Now.¡± He moved forward while practically dragging himself with his left leg. He saw Odor looking through some documents. He knew the man was ignoring him and he knew why the man was doing so. ¡°Because I¡¯m not meant for UCAT.¡± He had only been dragged along by her power and he had no ability beyond your average person. But, he thought to convince himself. ¡°I¡¯m here to find the answer.¡± Those words produced a reaction. As he flipped through the documents, Odor opened his mouth just a bit. ¡°What? What answer are you here to find?¡± ¡°Well,¡± he began with a sigh. He was one meter from the desk. He was within arm¡¯s reach, but neither of his arms would move. So he dragged himself onward, finally made it another ten centimeters forward, and let out a white breath. ¡°I¡¯m here to find which kind of person I am.¡± ¡°And? And what options do you think there are?¡± ¡°Am I the kind of person I hate?¡± answered Harakawa. ¡°Or am I the kind of person I like?¡± ¡°Then¡­ Then which kind do you want to be once you learn of the past?¡± Harakawa nodded at Odor¡¯s question. He breathed in, filled his trembling body with strength, and answered. ¡°The kind of person who can survive and go back to where I should be.¡± A moment later, Odor raised his right arm and released the documents into the air. He snapped his fingers and the papers scattered. ¡°Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous!¡± His power struck Harakawa¡¯s entire body and his words filled the room. ¡°But! But I will let you off with only this strike, descendent of the north wind!!¡± Volume 12, 13: Morning Voices Volume 12, Chapter 13: Morning Voices You want to check You desire to check You want to check each other Always, always A mountain sat below a dark winter morning. The sun had yet to rise, so the green covering the mountain looked dark and deep. A track ran through those evergreen shadows and a train moved along it. It was a night train from Tokyo. A few people were visible inside the white and red train as it traveled westward across the mountain. The bunks were stacked two high and walls divided them into rooms of four. The opening to the corridor had no door and each individual bunk had a curtain for privacy. The clocks on the wall next to the bunks indicated it was early morning. Two people sat next to each other on an empty bunk. One was Sayama who wore a suit and had Baku on his head and the other was Shinjou who wore a shirt. The boxes to the lunches they had bought at the station sat empty on their laps and they held documents in their hands. ¡°We got up pretty early, but we still have more than an hour in the mountains before reaching Izumo. We¡¯ll still have time to spare even if we check through this.¡± ¡°We can read a lot more than before, but I doubt it will take up much of our time.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± agreed Shinjou with a look down at the papers in her hand. The letter from Shinjou Yukio they had found in the Kinugasa Library sat on her backpack to her left. Sayama was reading through his own papers to her right. But he quickly turned toward her. ¡°Are you tired, Shinjou-kun? You were up late last night writing your novel on your laptop and getting lost in thought as you read these documents. We just ate, so feel free to go to sleep. ¡­You will be perfectly safe.¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for that last part, I might have let my guard down and gone to sleep.¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun, do you think I would do something to you?¡± ¡°Which one do you think I am right now?¡± ¡°Wh-why do you jump to such outlandish conclusions, Shinjou-kun!? It is so wonderfully sudden!¡± ¡°How about you deny the conclusion instead of pointing out how outlandish it is!?¡± After yelling, Shinjou looked to the corridor and saw a passenger in pajamas giving them a worried glance. Ah, she thought as heat filled her cheeks. She hid her reddening face behind the papers, grabbed her things, moved past Sayama and to the window, and hid herself behind the curtain. ¡°Honestly, there are people passing by in here.¡± ¡°Yes, but why were you assuming I would do something to you?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t do anything weird?¡± ¡°I will not.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What is that silence for?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± she said with a tilt of her head. Was she being too suspicious? Was she being too cautious? But to be blunt, she doubted she could fight it if he did do anything, although she was not sure why. ¡°If I did fall asleep while sitting here, what would you do?¡± ¡°I would will you to lean my way.¡± ¡°And if I leaned toward the window instead?¡± ¡°My will is too strong for that.¡± ¡°I have no idea how your brain works, but fine. What if I leaned on you? Would you just spend the time like that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded and brushed a hand along his documents to straighten them. ¡°There is nothing to worry about. From there, it is a matter of my mental fortitude.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s plenty to worry about! Is it the Sayama way for your answer and your explanation to not match up?¡± ¡°Calm down, Shinjou-kun. It would be wrong to not do anything with you leaning up against me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t hold back on the craziness, do you? But¡­¡± She lowered the ends of her eyebrows and spoke quietly from behind her papers. ¡°Lately¡­ Ever since both bodies started working, you haven¡¯t done anything.¡± She could feel the heat reaching her ears as she continued. ¡°I haven¡¯t been doing it on my own, you know?¡± ¡°I am honored. But¡­¡± He crossed his arms. ¡°I might go beyond merely checking. I might go all the way. Are you sure you want to do that just any old time? For example, would you want to do it here?¡± She slowly thought about that and shook her head. ¡°Indeed.¡± He nodded. ¡°We must choose a better time and place. For example, on an especially momentous day and in a place where your perfection can reach the entire world.¡± ¡°You mean like sunrise on New Year¡¯s while making a no-rope bungee jump from the Tokyo Government Office? You can do that on your own.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Do you really think a government office built by the people¡¯s taxes would be enough? Ha ha. I am only kidding, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about! And what are you imagining!?¡± Still, Shinjou had a thought. ¡­I see. It was not that he had given up on her or gotten tired of her. She had been telling herself that was not it, but she felt relieved to hear it from him. Sayama was waiting for a number of conditions to be met. ¡­I see. To cool her mind, she flipped through her documents. She had looked through most of it the night before and she had compared ideas with Sayama as he lay on the top bunk. ¡­We learned a lot. These documents were more than just the ones from the library. There were also the ones they had taken from the Second Reference Room, the ones Kashima had faxed them in Kurashiki over the summer, and more that Sibyl had faxed them the previous night. They still could not read a lot of it, but they could read far more than before. Some of that included UCAT¡¯s summarized activities during the blank period. By reading them in chronological order, Shinjou had learned that the first interaction with Top-Gear had occurred in 1948. With some help from information left by Kinugasa Tenkyou, Sayama¡¯s grandfather and some 10th-Gear residents had guided a gate there. At first, the 10th representative had acted as an intermediary, but later, Izumo and Sayama¡¯s grandfathers had negotiated directly. Most of the National Defense Department and old UCAT had not been privy to these things. But in the seventies when Izumo¡¯s grandfather had died, the information had been released to all of Japanese UCAT and they had secretly began putting together anti-Top-Gear strategies and tactics. ¡­The battle against Top-Gear was set for 1999. Thanks to Hajji¡¯s explanation, they knew that was a non-aggression treaty put together by Sayama¡¯s grandfather. And they found three familiar names on the list of people who joined Japanese UCAT in April of ¡¯82: Sayama Asagi, Toda Yume, and Shinjou Yukio. After their training, Sayama Asagi had joined the development department, Toda Yume had joined the general affairs department, and Shinjou Yukio had joined the development department. However¡­ ¡­She joined Izumo UCAT¡¯s development department? Why had she alone moved elsewhere? The documents also revealed where they had undergone training. ¡°Osaka¡¯s Mt. Ikoma region.¡± According to Sayama, Babel was in that area. They could only read the title of the Babel interior investigation report they had found in the Study, but it had been written during that training. ¡­However, only Sayama-kun¡¯s father and my mom could get inside. What did that mean? Only Professor Kinugasa had been able to get in before, so why had they been able to enter? ¡­And¡­ Shinjou asked herself a silent question. Her mother was said to have nearly completed a concept creation theory, but was that thanks to seeing Babel which could supposedly construct concepts? But if that was the case¡­ ¡­Why is there an incomplete concept creation facility below Japanese UCAT? Who had tried to build it and why? ¡°There are so many questions and too few answers. I never imagined my mom worked at Izumo UCAT.¡± ¡°But it is a useful piece of information. We were already on our way there for the Leviathan Road with 8th-Gear, but we may find information on your mother as well. ¡­That is two birds with one stone.¡± ¡°I hope so. ¡­So what did you find?¡± He held up the document on the abandoned Georgius project. She gave the papers a puzzled look and he showed her the text. ¡°It seems Georgius allows you to use your opponent¡¯s concept field as your own.¡± ¡°You mean¡­?¡± ¡°The stronger the opponent, the greater its output. It is much like a mirror. And it apparently did not originally bear the name Georgius. ¡­My father gave it that name after seeing the Kinugasa Document.¡± He read an outline of the events given in the report. ¡°April 1983: Research and development begins. ¡°March 1984: Prototype fails to activate due to faulty production. ¡°April 1986: The Kinugasa Library and Study reveal the existence of the Kinugasa Document. ¡°September 1986: Manager Sayama reads the Kinugasa Document at Kinugasa Tenkyou¡¯s residence and gives up on the project.¡± Once he finished speaking, the train shook as the slope up the mountain steepened. After crossing this mountain and travelling for about an hour, they would reach the Izumo region. Miyako would be waiting for them there in the Izumo IAI headquarters. ¡­A lot happened last night. The foreign UCATs were waiting in Japan to see what Team Leviathan would do. Shinjou was thankful because that had helped the situation settle down. And Miyako was certain to request that they retrieve 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core. ¡­Doing that is our job and it will earn us their gratitude. She nodded but turned her focus back to the papers in Sayama¡¯s hand. They could tell one thing from how much they could read. ¡°Your father tried to create Georgius but gave up and my mom very nearly completed a concept creation theory at Izumo UCAT.¡± ¡°But your mother went to Top-Gear and my father remained in Low-Gear.¡± She could hear the slight pain behind his words, but a certain question occurred to her. ¡­What kind of relationship did my mom and his father have? She wanted to ask if they had been friends, but she mentally shook her head. Sayama was here and she was here because¡­ ¡­They both found someone important to them. Her mother had wished for her to be happy, so she wanted to believe that she was here because that was what her mother had wanted. And most likely, Sayama felt the same. The train shook a little and the shaking removed the tenseness from her shoulders. ¡­What kind of person was my dad? Hajji had said he was Top-Gear¡¯s Shinjou. As the opposite of Shinjou Yukio, his name had also been Shinjou Yukio, albeit written with slightly different characters. She was sure she would learn about him as well. And after learning all that, they had to face Top-Gear. Sayama seemed to have come up with some kind of ¡°last resort¡± and he would probably tell her what that was during this trip. So it will all work out fine, she told herself with a sigh while sorting through her documents. Her mind was packed full of different thoughts and she had already eaten, so she wanted to take things easy. To lean up against Sayama, she lifted her hips a little to shift her butt over toward him. ¡°Nh?¡± He seemed to have been thinking the same thing because he excitedly set his papers aside and scooted over as well. And he moved forcefully underneath her. ¡°Um¡­¡± Behind the curtain, Shinjou ended up sitting on Sayama¡¯s lap. Also¡­ ¡°Sayama-kun? Why are you pulling up my shirt?¡± ¡°Sayama Mikoto dislikes being asked for a reason.¡± ¡°This is no time for a self-psychoanalysis! Just calm down! W-wait! Hey!¡± ¡°Think about it carefully, Shinjou-kun. To start with, we cannot go all the way here, right?¡± ¡°That is not where careful thought would lead you, but w-where are you going with this? To be clear, we can¡¯t do it here.¡± He nodded twice, but immediately put on a refreshing smile. ¡°Going all the way here would be a bad idea¡­but we can always stop partway.¡± ¡°N-no, we can not! That would be a crime!¡± She tried to support her protest by getting up, but that action ended up pulling down her underwear. She gasped when the inside of her shirt directly touched her butt and she sat back down on his lap. She frantically held her shirt down to hide the bare flesh between her legs and shook her head. ¡°L-let¡¯s calm down, okay? We¡¯re on a train right now, I¡¯m panicking, and ¨C look ¨C it¡¯s morning outside.¡± ¡°Why do you sound so flustered, Shinjou-kun? And an early winter morning still counts as night.¡± His hand moved from behind her shirt and touched her thighs, causing her to jump. ¡°Ah, wait. Even if we¡¯re only going partway, w-we can¡¯t do it here.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. This is a moving train, so we have already left ¡®here¡¯, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Wah,¡± she cried as his hand slipped below her hands in inside her shirt. She resisted by holding down the shirt, but the level of strength above and below the single layer of cloth was too great. ¡°Ah¡­¡± His touch caused her to jump and she grabbed on the curtain she had pulled in front of her. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± She turned toward him as if squeezing her body. She let out a deep breath and looked him in the eye. ¡°Why?¡± He nodded at her request for a reason. ¡°You were up all last night, weren¡¯t you? We were talking the entire time, but in truth¡­you thought I might come down to join you, didn¡¯t you?¡± He was exactly right, so she felt her heart pound and searched for an excuse. ¡°U-um, well, uh¡­¡± ¡°I too am a coward. I was wondering if you might come up to join me.¡± Shinjou reacted to that confession in two ways. She blushed and averted her gaze downwards. ¡­Ah. She had no excuse. Her heart was racing and she was covered in sweat. ¡°¡­¡± She hesitantly looked up and found him giving her a relaxed version of his usual expressionless look. ¡°Do not worry, Shinjou-kun. I will only be checking on your body like usual. It has been a month and a half since the last time, though.¡± ¡°Really? I can leave it to you? But¡­someone might pass by.¡± ¡°Not to worry. The first time Setsu-kun¡¯s body worked properly, we had opened the window for some partial exhibitio- gwah.¡± A fist with the middle knuckle slightly extended was enough to do damage even without great arm strength. Shinjou sighed as she watched Sayama hold his face below the nose. ¡­I¡¯m too kind. Kazami-san would have hit him another five times. She was worried about anyone noticing, but she still relaxed her body. She let out a long breath, realized that coming up with an excuse would be impossible, and sat back down on Sayama¡¯s lap. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything weird, okay? Just do it like normal, okay?¡± She looked around, but there were no footsteps in the corridor. She also wondered how much longer until they reached Izumo. ¡°Now, um, Sayama-kun?¡± She hung her head a little and felt heat filling her ears. ¡°Remember what I said. I want you to check on my body.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she said again. ¡°And not just now. I always want you to. ¡­Without it, I¡¯ve been feeling needlessly afraid.¡± ¡°Afraid?¡± ¡°Yes. I know it¡¯s a weird thing to say, but you know what?¡± she asked to make absolutely sure he was listening. ¡°I was afraid you weren¡¯t interested in seeing me anymore now that I¡¯m working properly.¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun.¡± He nodded once. ¡°You are making so very many misunderstandings that I will have to summarize this quite a bit, but I am trying to be extremely sensitive to your needs as your mind and body begin working together and, until you can do everything properly, I will look, listen, touch, and do anything else that transcends what you will find on an educational program, so-¡­¡± ¡°Sayama-kun, Sayama-kun. You aren¡¯t summarizing it at all. It¡¯s all coming out in some kind of bizarre stream of consciousness.¡± ¡°To put it simply, I am ready when you are.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re ready¡­then so am I.¡± What am I saying? I¡¯m being way too kind, she thought while unable to look him in the eye. ¡°Even if everything is working properly, I still want you to check on my body like always.¡± When she continued, she said what she truly thought. ¡°And you don¡¯t need a practical excuse for doing these things with me anymore. I want you to see me as someone you simply want to do those things with, so, um¡­¡± She searched for the right words and had trouble, but he said nothing to help her. After a few breaths, she gathered her thoughts in a single question. ¡°Do you no longer want to check on my body now that it isn¡¯t necessary?¡± ¡°That is not the case.¡± He rejected her thoughts as usual and she looked up at those comfortable words. She saw the serious expression on his face as he nodded and moved his hands to touch her. ¡°Ah.¡± She shrank back, but he pulled her in from behind. ¡°Then this will be the day I resumed checking on your body. ¡­We should make it a national holiday.¡± I¡¯d rather we didn¡¯t, she thought with a bitter smile before he touched her again and another quiet gasp escaped her. ¡°But Sayama-kun? I¡­I¡­ I can actually do it now.¡± ¡°Then we need to make up for the time we wasted last night. And the train will continue on after we finish, so you can sleep then. Once you wake, we will be in Izumo.¡± ¡°Right.¡± She relaxed her body and rested her back on his chest. She then lowered the ends of her eyebrows. ¡°Can I ask one thing?¡± ¡°What is it? Do you need derby-style commentary? ¡­Now, #1 Shinjou has left the gate! Shinjou has left the gate! #5 Arousal is gaining on her and #3 Shame cannot keep up!¡± ¡°Let it catch up and then calm down!¡± After an exasperated sigh, she entrusted herself to him. ¡°Um?¡± she began. ¡°If possible, when I go to sleep, could you lie next to me with your arms around my shoulders? If you do that, I think it really will be morning when I wake up. The slightly scary night I¡¯ve been living through will be over and the morning to reach our next destination will have arrived.¡± She knew she was asking for a lot, but she still smiled and asked him. ¡°It¡¯s only a short time, but can you do that?¡± A 4th plant creature woke in the morning sunlight. Although in its case, ¡°waking¡± only meant for the sensory organs on the end of its current body to begin functioning. The plant creature did not actually sleep. When bathing in a warm light, the burden would activate its metabolism, but there was still a burden on its life functions even in the dark. The amount of power being consumed was vastly different, but 4th-Gear¡¯s creatures were always awake. Here, the light had reached its sensory organs which had switched it from a passive to an active state. It could not see the sky because it was in a room. The room was nearly dark, but¡­ ¡°Window.¡± A transparent area connected the room to the outside and the cloth covering it glowed a dark blue. The plant creature knew that dark blue reached this world before the sun rose. The creature did not move. This was a very cold time for this world, which was a difficult state for a creature that consumed heat. This creature was a portion of the whole sent by Mukiti and it had been created based on data taken from bodies that had lived on the dark side of 4th-Gear¡¯s ring-like land, but this world was still very cold at this time. The night before, Heo had raised the room¡¯s temperature before going to sleep. ¡°I¡¯ll set the air conditioner to thirty-two degrees. I¡¯ll turn on the electric carpet too.¡± After saying that, she had also closed all of the room¡¯s sliding screens and turned on a machine that let out steam. ¡°Humidifier?¡± That had been borrowed from an individual named ¡°Landlord¡± and it was still running. That machine kept the room relatively warm. It was cold compared to the underground space the creature¡¯s main body lived in, but it was not so cold it would wither away. Heo had also prepared some water the night before. ¡°Wash tub.¡± The plant creature was sitting inside it. The large flower-colored container was filled with water. The water was cold, but the creature understood Heo had prepared it out of kindness. For a creature that absorbed heat, it was nothing more than moisture and it slowed its metabolism, but¡­ ¡°Natural water.¡± Heo had filled it with something special and it tasted fairly good. The creature had arrived as a negotiator, so it decided to focus on her kindness and not worry about small problems. It also decided to remember all of this for when it regrouped with the rest of itself. The plant creature had then patiently waited for the sun to rise. It was good at passing time. Its memories went back longer than it knew how to say, but they had been doing nothing since those earliest times. The creature did not think of it in terms of ¡°waiting¡±. It simply continued to watch as time passed. Finally, the window grew white and sounds arrived from outside the room. ¡°Birds. Wind. ¡­Engines?¡± It took a few minutes to speak each word and it knew what those sounds meant. The people of this world were beginning to move. ¡°Mukiti said people moving makes noise.¡± The plant creature knew that to be the case. When Sayama moved, it made a lot of noise and sometimes Shinjou would stop it. Wings of light would grow from Kazami¡¯s back and the ends of her limbs would often send someone flying, which caused a lot of noise. Izumo also made nice noises when he hit a wall. They all made a variety of noises, but the creature still did not know them very well. ¡°I don¡¯t know Low-Gear.¡± It had a single question. In a recent battle, Mukiti and the plant creature had heard about the creation of their world. That in itself had no real meaning to them because they had decided to go with Sayama. However, there was a problem. Low-Gear was said to have lied. ¡°Can we trust Low-Gear?¡± 4th-Gear did not have individuals, so it was difficult for them to understand the concept of individuals. For 4th-Gear, a trustworthy existence did not have differing opinions between individuals. It had a single unified opinion. That was a trustworthy existence just like them. 4th-Gear viewed Sayama and Shinjou¡¯s thoughts as almost identical, even if they referred to themselves as opposites. They were the representatives of Low-Gear, so 4th-Gear had extrapolated that the entire Gear was the same. However, someone claimed Low-Gear had lied. 4th-Gear¡¯s Mukiti and the plant creatures had wondered about that. If Low-Gear had lied, it meant Sayama and Shinjou were liars too. In that case, was their ¡°promise¡± for 4th-Gear to follow Sayama also a lie? So they had decided to investigate to see whether Low-Gear had a single unified mind. After gathering that thought, they had asked the individual named Ooshiro and he had spun around while giving them permission. The previous morning, an individual named Diana had placed this plant creature into a box. It had entered a state known as ¡°awaiting shipment¡±. It had planned to go to either Mikage or Heo because it had met them before, but Mikage had apparently been injured. Conveniently, something else was being sent to Heo, so it had been sent at the same time that night. And now, it was in a space known as a room and waiting for the sun to rise. It heard noises coming from outside the space. They were the noises of Low-Gear¡¯s people. If Low-Gear was not a liar, then Heo would also make noises as part of their uniform actions. ¡°Heo?¡± It turned its sensory organs toward the girl and she moved. In the center of the room, she slept on a fiber known as a ¡°futon¡±. It checked the thoughts that reached it and found her mind was asleep but her body was nearly active. ¡°Ah¡­¡± She pushed off the futon¡¯s blanket. She had removed the fiber known as ¡°clothing¡± that she had been wearing. The surface of her body was flushed with heat. It was about an eighth warmer than the rest of the room. The plant creature sensed some slight vapor coming from the surface of her body. It was known as sweat and Ooshiro often produced it when interacting with #8. Heo bent her body on the futon while sweating. ¡°It¡¯s hot¡­¡± She twisted her body, crawled along the futon, and had it soak up her sweat. She spread out her limbs to expose her body¡¯s surface to the air and allow for excellent radiation of heat. The 4th-Gear plant creature began to wonder if Low-Gear¡¯s creatures were really all that different from itself. ¡°Ooshiro doesn¡¯t remove his clothes even when he sweats.¡± It figured that was due to #8¡¯s presence, but that did not seem enough of a reason to sacrifice such excellent heat radiation. And Heo was doing what Ooshiro did not. ¡°Heo is clever.¡± ¡°Nn¡­¡± Some soft sunlight was already entering the room. The light passed through the cloth covering the hole to the outside. It shined on Heo and caused her sweat to sparkle on her skin. She groaned again and held the futon¡¯s blanket in her arms. She squeezed the blanket into a stem-like tube, pressed it against her stomach, wrapped her thighs around it, and gently bit into it. ¡°Harakawa¡­¡± The Harakawa inside her sleeping mind was not here. Listening to someone¡¯s thoughts was easy, but the plant creature felt the rules were different when that person was asleep. ¡°I will ask.¡± It left the wash tub and the splashing water dripped onto the newspaper laid out below. ¡°Tatami.¡± Its wet legs and body walked over to the futon and found Heo¡¯s flushed back. Its sensory organs saw Heo panting and realized her heat radiation was insufficient. ¡°Tired? Tired?¡± It tilted its head and felt like eating something, so it decided to solve both of their problems at once. It lifted up its fifteen centimeter body which was damp with cold water. ¡°Heo, wake up.¡± It slowly placed its damp body on Heo¡¯s bare back. A wet sound came from the point of contact just as the plant creature expelled air. ¡°Hyah!¡± cried Heo as she jumped out of the futon. Volume 12, 14: A Place of Old Memories Volume 12, Chapter 14: A Place of Old Memories That is a path to the past Nothing can return All one can do is think The underground portion of Japanese UCAT was filled with hectic activity. It was mostly work to restore the facility and the people moving from floor to floor shook the entire building. But one area near the center of the underground space remained still: the development department. The large room was filled with people wearing lab coats who would leave when called over an internal line, but would return after about an hour. A single voice spoke for all of them. It came from the woman sitting at a large desk by the back wall. ¡°It isn¡¯t easy being considerate.¡± The elderly woman¡¯s nametag said Tsukuyomi Shizuru and she crossed her arms behind her head. ¡­Just because the other Gears are taking action against UCAT or holing up doesn¡¯t mean you have to as well. But none of them were doing a thing and had been like this the entire time. They were all giving it a lot of thought, going to work, and doing their jobs, but they were not actively making an appearance anywhere. ¡°I suppose none of us knows quite what to do. We can¡¯t exactly become their enemy again at this point, but the other Gears keep going for it and it makes us think maybe we should too.¡± Tsukuyomi spoke her thoughts to the entire relaxed development department. She felt they had finally returned to their old attitude, but at the same time, something had begun to move today. That movement came from beyond a partition near the center of the room, it was centered on two men, and it was noisy. They were still whispering, but their voices were picking up speed. ¡°Like I was saying, Kashima, you just have to make a sword! One that can cut all sorts of stuff!¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Atsuta? I was only released from the hospital three days ago. Think about this. I was hospitalized for a month and a half with all those broken ribs.¡± ¡°What? You mean you¡¯re still in rehabilitation?¡± ¡°Yes, I am. This is an important period of rehabilitation. I have to recover from the lack of Natsu-san nursing me in the hospital room. Although, she has been rewarding me with way more videos than usual ever since I got out of the hospital.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t about your damn videos!!¡± Tsukuyomi saw short hair dyed blond rise above the partition as someone stood up. ¡°With you gone, I haven¡¯t had a weapon, so I¡¯ve been stuck sitting here silently!!¡± Hearing that, every single person in lab coat or work outfit stood up from the partitions. ¡°That last part is a complete lie!!¡± Sitting in his chair, Kashima nodded at the entire development department¡¯s unified opinion. He looked to Atsuta who was resting his elbows on the partition entrance. ¡°Besides, Atsuta. Ooh, look. Here¡¯s a video of Harumi. What do you even need to cut?¡± ¡°For starters, I could cut out the center of what you just said.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Oh, she¡¯s so cute. If you¡¯re going to cut out anything, it would be the start and end.¡± He watched his laptop¡¯s screen and it began to play a video of Natsu in a hospital room. ¡­Hm, I can¡¯t let anyone else see this one. This is the one that goes from her casual silence to a kiss. She closes her eyes and stops just before kissing the monitor. ¡°Hey. Hey, Kashima. Earth to Kashima. Why are you kissing your monitor, you ape?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. I feel sorry for you, Atsuta. You can¡¯t understand or even see this sense of closeness.¡± As he spoke, Kashima transferred more and more of the data he had filmed at home onto the laptop. He set a few of the important files so they would only play with his fingerprint and then he faced forward. ¡°What¡¯s that weird look for, Atsuta? You¡¯re ruining your usual weird looks.¡± ¡°Are you looking for a fight?¡± ¡°I am. It¡¯s going to be quite a fight to convert all 672 GB of data before tomorrow.¡± ¡°Wait, just a damn second. Have you never heard of trimming the fat?¡± ¡°Of course I have. ¡­This is what was left after I carefully selected only the essentials!!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how it works and don¡¯t look so proud! ¡­Listen!¡± Atsuta grabbed at the air and set it down. ¡°Put those videos down here! Here!¡± Kashima did as he was told and set his laptop on the floor. ¡°Yes, the floor is cold and will keep it from overheating. ¡­That was a great idea, Atsuta! Looks like you know what it takes to work with videos. I¡¯m glad I can finally call you a video buddy.¡± Kashima showed off his teeth in a smile, looked up at Atsuta, and held out his hand for a handshake. ¡°Welcome aboard, my video buddy!¡± ¡°Y-y-y-y-you bastard! ¡­Who are you calling your video buddy!? Well!?¡± Atsuta knocked Kashima¡¯s hand aside, but Kashima gave a serious expression and slowly pointed at the center of Atsuta¡¯s forehead. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it obvious? I was talking about you. Why are the veins on your temple bulging out like that? Besides, I just sent Natsu-san an email saying you started making videos thanks to Harumi.¡± The cellphone at his waist vibrated, so he pulled it out. ¡°Here¡¯s her response: ¡®Then from now on, today will be Atsuta-san¡¯s video anniversary, won¡¯t it?¡¯ ¡± ¡°See? You have my wife¡¯s approval. Isn¡¯t that great?¡± He held out the phone, but Atsuta snatched it and bit into it. After three crunching chews, the phone had completely lost its shape and he suddenly bent backwards. ¡°Kwaaah! The electronics are shocking my teeth!¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait, wait. It may be rich in minerals, but eating something that hard is bad for your jaw. And pay me back for that. 5,800 yen for the phone itself and 1,780,000,000 for the lost emails from my wife.¡± Hearing that, Atsuta bared his teeth and clicked his tongue. ¡°Do you have any intention of holding a serious conversation!?¡± ¡°Hold on. What about you? If you were listening to me, then tell me what I was saying.¡± ¡°Videos, videos, videos, Harumi, Natsu.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t you dare refer to Natsu-san without an honorific!!¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t have anything to say about the rest of that!?¡± The two of them grabbed at each other¡¯s collars, heating up the room, but a voice suddenly reached them from beyond the partition. ¡°You two certainly are full of energy.¡± They looked over and saw Tsukuyomi standing with her arms crossed. ¡°Heh.¡± Atsuta turned his head her way and then turned back to Kashima. ¡°Hey, Kashima. I think some kind of monster¡¯s come to scold us. What¡¯s that one called? The Development Hag?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure she only wants to scold you. I¡¯ve been doing work even while I was out.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± asked Tsukuyomi. ¡°Then what were you developing?¡± Kashima used his laptop to display a text project report with illustrations that he had made in the hospital. ¡°A passionate supplement for the father who wants to film his child¡¯s growth both day and night! I call it the Royal Vita-Video!¡± ¡°Then make it yourself and take it yourself.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t be ridiculous! It would only work if Natsu-san made it for me!!¡± ¡°Then how are you going to mass produce it!?¡± shouted everyone else in the room. ¡°With that, how about we start talking seriously.¡± Kashima pushed his glasses up his nose and sat down. For some reason, he heard sighs from his surroundings. He looked up at Atsuta and Tsukuyomi who were glaring at him. ¡°Basically, things are a lot like they were before, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose you could say that.¡± ¡°Then this is simple. The other Gears live in the reservations and let UCAT manage their Concept Cores.¡± Kashima did not hesitate to speak as he crossed his legs in front of Atsuta who frowned. ¡°But 2nd-Gear is different. Yamata is sealed inside Totsuka which is under our control. And we are members of UCAT, so we can fully manage Yamata and we have no problem living in Low-Gear.¡± He made sure everyone else in the room could hear him. ¡°We won¡¯t gain anything from complaining and we lose our control of Yamata if we leave UCAT.¡± ¡°But Low-Gear bears the crime of destroying Top-Gear.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, the development department was primarily run by 2nd-Gear even during the blank period. Just as Director Tsukuyomi¡¯s husband was in the department then, many other 2nd-Gear residents worked with UCAT.¡± He let out a breath. ¡°We can¡¯t escape it. If we look into the blank period, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find just how much our families were involved with UCAT at the time. So the only thing we can do now is¡­¡± ¡°Oh! Slice up as much stuff as we can!?¡± ¡°It must be nice to have such a one-track mind.¡± Kashima smiled bitterly, crossed his arms, shook his chair, and turned to Tsukuyomi. ¡°We need to prepare ourselves. There is no denying the past, so to face that past and clear the way for the future, we can only fight in our own way. ¡­I suggest we help Team Leviathan.¡± He called Atsuta¡¯s name. The man frowned and turned toward him from the partition entrance. ¡°What got you so serious all of a sudden? Are you picking a fight with me?¡± ¡°Why are you even here? ¡­But more importantly, you keep saying you want a weapon, right? In that case, I have a bit of interesting job for you.¡± ¡°A job?¡± Atsuta frowned again and Kashima reached a hand to his desk. He had a month and a half of mail piled up there, but the very top of the pile was a single fax paper and a white origami crane. ¡°I don¡¯t know what this crane is, but this fax arrived from a convenience store at the base of the mountain this morning.¡± He toyed with the crane in his right hand as he grabbed the fax paper with his left and held it up in front of Atsuta. It then passed effortlessly between them as if slipping through the air. ¡°That fax is a request for some help, but I¡¯m still not fully recovered. But if you¡¯re willing to go help for me¡­¡± Atsuta snatched the paper from the air as if trying to cut it. At the same time, Kashima opened the wings of the origami crane with both hands. ¡°I¡¯m willing to lend you the prototype to a new Cowling Sword I was working on.¡± The underground corridor was white. It was about four meters wide and two meters tall. The walls were white, the ceiling was white, and the fluorescent lights on the ceiling were fully lit. Four pairs of footsteps walked below that light and the lead set came from a woman in a lab coat. ¡°I¡¯d love to conserve energy since we¡¯re keeping everyone out, but Moira 1st and the others insisted.¡± The lab coat¡¯s nametag said Tsukuyomi Miyako and it reflected the light. A blonde woman in a maid uniform walked next to Miyako and she turned toward the two walking behind them. ¡°Sorry, Master Sayama, Lady Shinjou. We would love to conserve energy because it costs a lot to keep the lights on inside the concept space, but it is necessary for security reasons.¡± Sayama, who wore a suit, gave the maid a small nod. ¡°Not to worry, Moira 1st-kun. We will pay the power bill.¡± ¡°Hold on,¡± cut in Miyako. ¡°Don¡¯t go easy on us. I¡¯ll take out an extended loan to pay.¡± ¡°View it as a sign of our friendship with 3rd,¡± insisted Sayama. ¡°After all, if you were to trip in the dark, it could erase the proof of the connection between Low-Gear and 3rd.¡± Moira 1st nodded. ¡°He is exactly right, Lady Miyako. Think of it as a way to celebrate.¡± ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Miyako crossed her arms behind her head as she walked and Shinjou elbowed Sayama in the side. ¡°Sayama-kun, I really don¡¯t think you should be so direct about that.¡± ¡°My apologies.¡± Shinjou heard Moira 1st and Miyako laugh bitterly at that. Am I worrying too much? she wondered while bringing a hand to her own stomach. ¡­People can be so different. I wonder what I¡¯ll be like when it happens to me. With that thought, she relaxed her shoulders and noticed writing on the wall. ¡°BF2? So this is the second basement?¡± ¡°You went to the first basement last time, right? That¡¯s where the reference room is.¡± Before, she had been looking for her family. This time, they were here for the Leviathan Road and to search for her mother¡¯s past in hopes of learning about Top-Gear¡¯s destruction. ¡­It feels like we¡¯re heading further into the dungeon after levelling up. Suddenly, Moira 1st pulled a flag from below her apron. It said ¡°Team Leviathan Tour Guide¡± on it. ¡°Now, to your right, you will see Izumo UCAT¡¯s famous relaxing sand dune room.¡± Shinjou looked over and saw a large sand pit with holes for sand bathing. Sand and stones were left in the corridor like strange works of art, providing common decorations for the second basement¡¯s corridors. The automatons waiting in the sand pit pointed toward a hole and crouched down as if urging her to climb in, but she pretended not to see it. ¡°Isn¡¯t Tottori the place known for its sand dunes?¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun, Shinjou-kun. This is much like how Tokyo conquered a portion of Urayasu, Chiba.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She nodded and turned to Moira 1st who had stopped with a smile frozen on her face. After a long silence, the automaton cleared her throat. ¡°Now, to your left, you will see Izumo UCAT¡¯s miniature aquarium which is fun for the whole family.¡± Shinjou looked over and saw a large fish tank with an underwater corridor. She recognized some of the fish swimming in it and she gasped in awe at seeing them so up close. ¡°Look, Sayama-kun! Sea bream! There are sea bream in there! I¡¯d heard their colors look really faded, but it¡¯s true!¡± As soon as she pointed at a large one, a net suddenly scooped it up. ¡°You like the looks of that one, do you?¡± asked a smiling Moira 1st. ¡°We can serve it to you for lunch, so how about it?¡± ¡°Sayama-kun! Sayama-kun! I think I was just traumatized in another new way!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Shinjou-kun, eating them is the same as holding a memorial service. Has this been an educational experience?¡± They continued walking and suddenly noticed someone standing at the other end of the corridor. It was a well-built elderly man. He wore a white suit, his arms were both held upwards, and a smile covered his face. However, Moira 1st and Miyako ignored him and passed him by just like all the sand and stone decorations. Shinjou picked up on that and walked past the man along with Sayama. After about three steps, she heard him turn around and snap his fingers. ¡°Wait, wait, wait, wait. Are you sure you should be doing that or whatever? Well!?¡± His voice caused Miyako to pick up her pace and lean forward a little. ¡°Sayama, Shinjou, don¡¯t worry about him. Don¡¯t answer him either. He¡¯ll possess you if you do.¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait, wait. Miyako-kun! Isn¡¯t that a mean thing to say? C¡¯mon! C¡¯mon!¡± The man walked up to their left, continued to say ¡°c¡¯mon¡±, struck a pose for some reason, and removed his coat. ¡°Can you say my name!?¡± A straight kick from Miyako slammed into his torso and he crashed into the fish tank to the left. After a deep sound of impact, the glass cracked and Miyako turned around faster than the fish could flee. ¡°Okay, that bought us some time. Let¡¯s get going.¡± ¡°A-are you sure? I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s Izumo¡¯s-¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it. He¡¯ll possess you. Just a bit further.¡± ¡°Just a bit further?¡± asked Shinjou before hearing a voice from behind them. ¡°Wait, wait, wait. Miyako-kun! How can you do this when my old friends¡¯ living products aka children are here?¡± Miyako pulled a remote from her pocket and hit the switch. The floor behind them audibly opened and the man in a white suit gave a gentle scream as he vanished into the abyss. Shinjou turned around in surprise, but she could only hear a loud crash as the man landed. ¡°Why was there a trapdoor there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the specifics, but it seems this place is designed a lot like Japanese UCAT¡¯s underground area.¡± ¡°Oh, I get it now.¡± Shinjou gained a baseless sense of understanding and Miyako pointed at their destination. It was a large door leading to the third basement. ¡°The secret area is up ahead, but it seems that old guy from before is opening it up for you. He¡¯s also letting us from 3rd live in some empty space. And¡­¡± Miyako slowed her pace and gently walked forward. She looked back over her shoulder while approaching the door. ¡°What do you think is back here?¡± ¡°I would assume Concept Core storage facilities, starting with 8th-Gear¡¯s,¡± answered Sayama. ¡°After all, Gram and the Cores for 6th and 10th were originally stored here.¡± ¡°Then why do you think those storage facilities were created here?¡± Miyako arrived at the door as she asked. That door led downstairs. She tapped on it with the back of her hand and gave Shinjou and Sayama a sharp look. Her next words were more than enough to make Shinjou tremble. ¡°Shinjou Yukio.¡± When she saw Shinjou gasp and look up, Miyako nodded. ¡°I said this place is a lot like Japanese UCAT, remember? Put that together with what I just told you. ¡­Now, what do you think is back here?¡± Shinjou worked to bring her breathing under control. She removed the backpack containing her binder, documents, and laptop and she held it in front of herself. She thought about what that question meant, nodded once, and made up her mind. ¡°Is there a concept creation facility in there?¡± Miyako¡¯s expression did not change, but that was the only possible answer based on what she had said. ¡°There is, isn¡¯t there? My mom moved to Izumo UCAT, but that was because this is where her mother and my grandmother lived and she must have tried to build a concept creation facility based on what she saw inside Babel.¡± When Miyako nodded, something seemed to move in approval. But oddly enough, Shinjou could not see anything around her that could have moved. ¡°?¡± Still, she sensed what she could only describe as the lingering scent of movement. And so she looked both ways and asked about it. ¡°What is this? Some kind of weird presence reacted to what I said, Miyako-san.¡± Yet there was no one around. However, she did hear a voice. Miyako bent over with laughter by the door. ¡°Ha ha. They¡¯re delighted that you got the answer right.¡± ¡°Th-they¡¯re delighted? What are?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Miyako straightened up and shrugged with a bitter smile. ¡°There¡¯s no way I would know all that on my own. I had a little guidance.¡± ¡°You mean¡­it wasn¡¯t that weird guy in white?¡± Miyako shook her head and cleared her throat. ¡°Listen. Someone like that isn¡¯t going to know the answer. It was-¡­¡± Suddenly, Sayama moved to Shinjou¡¯s right. She took a confused step back just as he picked something up from the floor. It was¡­ ¡°A stone!?¡± At some point, several of the stones decorating the corridor had arrived at her feet. And they had moved there on their own. Sayama frowned, held up the one he had picked up in both hands, and carefully observed it. ¡°Did you come out to greet us?¡± A sound on the floor answered him. A stone rolled along the white plastic to line up and sand crawled along with it and spread out. ¡°It¡¯s forming letters.¡± ¡°Hi.¡± The stone and sand created a quick greeting and then spelled out its name. ¡°Messenger¡± ¡°of¡± ¡°Vanambi.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Messed up.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± The writing was spelled out with greater and greater speed, but the previous letters were erased and replaced. ¡°Messenger¡± ¡°of¡± ¡°Wanambi.¡± The sand and stone spelled out its name in only three seconds, and it created new words between the two visitors and Miyako who smiled bitterly. ¡°Well done¡± ¡°coming here.¡± A moment later, two things happened. First, Miyako opened the door behind her and revealed the facility inside it. And second¡­ ¡­Baku. From Sayama¡¯s head, Baku raised his front legs while looking at the Messenger of Wanambi. It almost looked like he desired the past they held. And then Shinjou saw that past. Sayama saw a dark, large, and yet cramped space. ¡­Is this the concept creation facility we saw beyond that door? The dimly-lit area was covered in equipment from the floor to the ceiling. The floor contained white consoles, controls, and machinery measuring around a dozen meters each that were packaged in white and were clearly meant to process or manage something. There was also piping connecting it all together and¡­ ¡­What is this that I thought were the walls? Tanks and containers measuring several meters tall were visible through the darkness. It was all packed in tightly, creating a jungle of machinery with gangways allowing passage. But below the cables that hung like ivy, space was cleared down the center for a main pathway. A single console was located at the center of that pathway and at the very center of the space. It was about four meters long and resembled the console to a built-in kitchen. Some more controls had been added later, along with a bookshelf and¡­ ¡°A cupboard? You sure like to be comfortable, Shinjou Yukio.¡± Sayama recognized the voice that filled the room. It came from the individual sitting in the chair in front of the console. ¡­Doctor Chao. She rested her elbow on the console, rested her head on her hand, and stared past the console with her eyes only half open. ¡°I went out of my way to bring the four brothers here so you could gather some data on the Concept Core, so make sure you put it to use.¡± Sayama heard someone respond. It was a female voice located beyond the console. ¡°Thank you very much, Doctor Chao. If I can investigate 7th too, I¡¯ll be only a step away.¡± The voice resembled one he knew quite well. ¡­Shinjou-kun? With that question, he saw who Chao was looking at. It was a woman in a lab coat with steam rising from the cup in her hand. ¡°Do you want some coffee?¡± Her long black hair swayed below the faint lighting. He could see a hint of Shinjou in the slight bend to her eyes and the smile on her lips. This was Shinjou Yukio. Baku had previously shown her to them for just a moment in the back of the Kinugasa Library. Shinjou had said nothing, but it was clear to Sayama that she was her mother. ¡­I wonder how Shinjou-kun feels about seeing this. I need to support her once this is over, he decided. He contemplated whether to place his arm around her shoulder or her waist, but he was interrupted by Chao¡¯s voice after she took the coffee cup. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any cigarettes?¡± ¡°This is an important research facility, you know?¡± ¡°Asagi smokes like crazy, though.¡± Yukio smiled and weakly tilted her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure Yume-san will get after him for it.¡± ¡°Yume¡¯s in the Kinugasa Library to gather all of the documents you or Asagi ask for. Lately, Itaru¡¯s been working as her assistant when he has the free time.¡± ¡°That must be nice.¡± Yukio smiled bitterly and rested her upper body on the console. She also tapped on her cup with both hands. ¡°Ahh¡­ I wish I could live surrounded by books too. Something like Diana¡¯s room.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand the meaning of work, do you?¡± Despite her words, Chao was smiling bitterly. As she smiled, a slight sound came from down on the floor. Sayama looked down and saw a fist-sized stone and sand at Yukio¡¯s feet. Chao¡¯s smile vanished. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± ¡°That is the Messenger of Wanambi, 8th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core. ¡­It came out when I opened the container.¡± ¡°I hear it chose for itself to leave the reservation. ¡­Does it like you?¡± ¡°Yes, it seems they¡¯re silicon lifeforms, or something like it. My grandfather taught them the language, so they can speak. ¡­Oh, but you were there, so I guess you already knew that.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± muttered Chao and the Messenger of Wanambi spoke to her. ¡°Remember,¡± ¡°but¡± ¡°still¡± ¡°young¡± ¡°Strange¡± ¡°Some kind of trickery!¡± ¡°Are you picking a fight with me?¡± The stone rolled behind Yukio to hide. Yukio smiled and pulled a book from the console¡¯s bookshelf. It was a university physics textbook. ¡°Here¡¯s your dinner. Your dinner of knowledge.¡± ¡°Understood¡± ¡°Yukio¡± ¡°Good¡± ¡°person¡± ¡°Good person¡± The stone and sand carried the textbook on top of itself and vanished into the darkness. Yukio waved goodbye. ¡°It¡¯s amazing. Every single grain of what looks like sand is a lifeform with the ability to think. And by sharing their mind, they gain tremendous calculation power. They¡¯re a lifeform that takes the shared memories of 3rd¡¯s automatons and further focuses it on calculations.¡± ¡°While 4th¡¯s plant creatures are a single lifeform, these ones are truly split into individuals yet share their mind to create a single lifeform, hm? It¡¯s a lot like the relationship between a whole human body and each individual cell, isn¡¯t it? According to Sayama, 8th-Gear had a single planet, but the planet itself was a single lifeform.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Yukio. ¡°They have a collective mind and the ability to duplicate and manage information held by Wanambi, the Concept Core. To 8th-Gear, Wanambi is probably a lot like a human¡¯s DNA.¡± Yukio took a breath, looked into the darkness it had vanished into, and placed her hands on her knees. ¡°I wonder how Old Sayama brought them back from that empty world they floated in. ¡­Well, I doubt it was anything good.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Apparently, the people of other Gears used to borrow 8th-Gear¡¯s calculation power. 3rd and 5th had their help in designing the mechanical dragons and gods of war. That¡¯s all they could do because they can¡¯t fight and they¡¯re very nice. Also¡­they remember doing that. Do you know what that means?¡± ¡°Those stones remember every Gear they went to, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yukio crossed her legs and faced Chao again. ¡°They could grow accustomed to any Gear and were useful there. Once they realized that, the clever things decided to not take an active role in the Concept War. Their Concept Core, Wanambi, is their collective mind itself and it decided it could survive even if it meant moving to a new world.¡± ¡°So they¡¯re a nomadic race, are they? ¡­That¡¯s a lot different from those that clung to their own world to the bitter end.¡± ¡°They had a lot of freedom in that way, so it¡¯s still a mystery how Old Sayama managed to guide them here.¡± Sayama then heard Yukio say they were helping her. The feeling that gave him was not bad and a sudden thought came to him. ¡­This is so easygoing. He had expected the blank period to have a darker atmosphere what with the impending fight against Top-Gear. Regardless, this was still a place meant to prepare for that fight. I suppose everyone is different, he concluded and looked forward again. Chao brought her cup to her mouth, sipped, and took a breath before speaking. ¡°You know, that idiot Kaoru managed to contact the other side with a group from 10th.¡± Yukio collapsed onto the console again. ¡°Ahh,¡± she began. After a pause, she continued. ¡°Top-Gear is asking for either me or Asagi-kun to visit, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°They technically only asked for your generation as a group, but it¡¯s obvious what they want. They¡¯re afraid of you since you entered Babel and built this facility.¡± ¡°Getting into Babel was a complete coincidence for both Asagi-kun and me. We still don¡¯t know why we can get in. ¡­So I¡¯m not sure what to say when that¡¯s why they¡¯re interested.¡± Her words brought Sayama¡¯s mind to the surface. ¡­They don¡¯t know why they can get in? That was written in the report, but the inclusion of ¡°still¡± suggested they had done so more than once. She had likely done so to complete her concept creation theory and build this facility. And she said more while still lying on the console and stroking her cup. ¡°It was supposedly created in Top-Gear, so if only they still had some information on it.¡± ¡°They must be desperately searching through their history. But¡­¡± ¡°Babel is a really old artifact. ¡­You know the result of the tests on its exterior, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You said it has no concept of time, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± confirmed Yukio while slowly sitting up. ¡°The inside is still functioning without any corrosion. It was clearly built by humans¡­or at least intelligent lifeforms the same size as us. And to gain the most space inside, the walls are used as the floor via gravitational control.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you said. And there¡¯s enough space for an entire city inside, right?¡± ¡°We saw what must have been a park and residential area. Most of it was made from natural materials though, so it had rotted away.¡± She smiled bitterly and lightly tapped the console. ¡°But everything made from inorganic materials was still up and running and there was something much like this. Its design was more refined and efficient, though. ¡­If only we could take that equipment outside, I¡¯m sure it could create concepts right away.¡± ¡°What, do you want to take the negative concepts out of Babel? Or are you going to lug all that equipment out on your own?¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t I get Asagi-kun¡¯s help?¡± Yukio shook her chair, placed her hands on the console, and gave a small smile. ¡°This must be tough for Top-Gear. Something they made is being studied by us¡­and it¡¯s sure to be the key to our confrontation.¡± ¡°It¡¯s best not to think about it too much. In the off chance the positive concepts are annihilated by the negative concepts, your concept creation is needed to create new power.¡± ¡°I wonder if I¡¯m trying to play god by doing this?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that when you pretty much already are, idiot.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Yukio smiled. ¡°But I¡¯m really interested in the idea of god. ¡­For example, who created the concepts in the first place?¡± She turned toward Chao as she spoke. ¡°Do you know why Top-Gear is so afraid of Low-Gear?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of Babel and you? If we can create concepts, they lose the advantage the positive concepts give them.¡± ¡°But we have the positive concepts, too. Not all of the Gears have sided with UCAT yet, but we can always negotiate with them to borrow their Concept Cores.¡± ¡°You make it sound easy.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yukio looked up at the ceiling and shrugged. ¡°Guessing at the construction of the concepts for the Gears we don¡¯t have the Cores to is really hard. I have to look through all of the records on past battles with them. It would be a lot easier if we could just negotiate for the Cores.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the opinion of someone working on this here. More importantly, are you going to answer your question for me?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Yukio lowered her shrugged shoulders. Sayama¡¯s mind recognized the motion as one Shinjou made. ¡­Why Top-Gear is afraid of Low-Gear? Yukio held out her right hand and raised three fingers. ¡°Your answer of Babel is part of it, but there are a total of three reasons they fear us. The first is Babel and the second is a fact they stumbled upon when searching for any records of Babel in their world.¡± Her eyebrows bent a little. ¡°Their world lacks the Biblical mythology.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sayama¡¯s mental heart leaped when he heard Chao¡¯s question. ¡­Top-Gear lacks the Biblical mythology? Why is that? he wondered. ¡­And what does it mean!? As if to answer his questions, Yukio leaned forward a little and smiled. ¡°Old Sayama and the 10th people who have visited have yet to notice because they¡¯re focused on the negotiations and not doing any sightseeing. But think about it. If Low-Gear¡¯s various mythologies come from contact with the other Gears, the Biblical mythology would not just be the historical truth of Top-Gear; they would be what made Top-Gear itself. In other words¡­¡± ¡°Top-Gear should be the world of the Bible, but it¡¯s just a normal world much like this one.¡± Having said that much, Chao gasped and Yukio gave a troubled smile. ¡°If it was the world of Biblical mythology, they could just check their history to learn about Babel. If those myths were existing things there and not just something from the past, there would be existing objects to act as records and they would still be using similar things. ¡­Assuming their culture or civilization was never lost, that technology would still exist there,¡± said Shinjou. ¡°But Top-Gear wants Asagi-kun and me. ¡­Yet to Top-Gear, Babel should just be a relic of the past. Why do they want to hear from people who went inside it? If Top-Gear had Babel¡¯s knowledge as part of their living mythology, they would be able to create an even greater Babel¡­and they would have attacked us as soon as we entered Babel.¡± ¡°But that didn¡¯t happen, so¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shinjou got up and held her cup in front of her waist with a smile. ¡°I think Top-Gear lacks the Biblical mythology. For some reason, they seem to lack something we have. That is why they cannot find any ancient records for this. They have lost the clue they need to create Babel, despite having supposedly created it in the first place. And that is why they fear us. They fear that the Biblical mythology they lack will become the strength that defeats them. ¡­After all, it is one of the things Low-Gear has that they do not.¡± She moved her right hand by lowering the last of the three raised fingers. ¡°And there is one other thing Low-Gear has that Top-Gear does not.¡± ¡°Is it another mythology?¡± ¡°No.¡± Yukio shook her head and smiled with the ends of her eyebrows lowered. ¡°I still do not know what it is. ¡­Most likely, no one knows. But I do know that it is something that Low-Gear and only Low-Gear possesses.¡± ¡°Hm? ¡­There¡¯s something like that in this negative Gear?¡± ¡°There is.¡± Yukio¡¯s smiled changed. Her eyes bent and the ends of her eyebrows returned to normal. ¡°I want to know what it is and that is what I¡¯m working on. I believe it is directly linked to the meaning behind Low-Gear¡¯s existence.¡± Sayama heard confidence filling her voice. ¡°I believe it is a value given by god that allows this world to exist despite being negative.¡± ¡­Value? Low-Gear has something like that? As Sayama asked that, his mind¡¯s vision grew dark. He was returning to the present. He was waking from this brief and important dream. And as he fell into that dozing darkness, he thought. ¡­Top-Gear lacks the Biblical mythology. But Yukio had said Low-Gear possessed something the other Gears did not. He had another thought as well. Yukio had realized so very much, so¡­ ¡­Why did she go to Top-Gear? He suddenly sensed something in that thought. Shinjou Yukio had to have had a reason for going to Top-Gear. He felt that her actions and deeds were a common thread connecting everything they had discovered about the past. ¡°Then were we right in thinking that pursuing Shinjou Yukio is the key to reaching Top-Gear¡¯s destruction?¡± Would they be able to find a truth that allowed them to oppose Top-Gear? ¡°Let us follow her path and her deeds.¡± With those words, Sayama¡¯s mind awoke. Volume 12, 15: The Ordinary Extraordinary Volume 12, Chapter 15: The Ordinary Extraordinary I thought I understood And finally, I decide A room had a blackboard on the wall and several lines of desks. The desks and chairs were filled by boys in black school uniforms and girls in navy blue uniforms. However, the back of the far left row by the windows contained a color not seen in the rest of the room. Everyone else¡¯s hair was black, but this girl¡¯s short hair was blonde. The nametag on her uniform said Heo T. Heo placed her notebook, textbook, and pen case on her desk before facing forward. The windows on the left side of the classroom provided a view of the courtyard and the back of Building B. The classroom was located on the third floor of Building C, which was the farthest north of the buildings. Despite the view of the gray sky, the air conditioning kept the chill out. ¡­It¡¯s actually a little too hot inside, so sitting by the window feels nice and cool. With that thought, Heo began copying down what the teacher wrote on the blackboard. This was modern Japanese class and they were working an interpretative problem. She enjoyed class. She learned a lot and¡­ ¡­It helps me forget about last night, at least a little. She remembered what Harakawa had said as he left. He had told her to stay away from the Leviathan Road because she was safe. He had said someone who was safe did not need to head into danger. ¡­But¡­ She wondered what she was supposed to do if she saw something she wanted to protect in that danger. She did not know the answer and that was why she had said nothing as he had left. She suddenly realized something from that. Oh, she told herself. ¡­He left because I couldn¡¯t give him a proper answer. In that case, had her anger been nothing but a misplaced outburst? She had already consumed a lot of their snacks, so¡­ ¡­C-calorie-wise, I¡¯ve made a horrible mistake! No, I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m still young, she told herself just as she heard a voice. ¡°Heo? Troubled? Troubled?¡± Surprised, she lifted her drooping head. She looked around, but no one else had noticed the voice. She could only hear the air blowing in from the heater and the teacher¡¯s chalk scraping on the blackboard. She also heard the occasional turning of a page in a student¡¯s notebook, so she relaxed her shoulders a bit. ¡­Looks like they didn¡¯t notice. Her usual bag sat to the left of her desk, but she had brought an additional black backpack today and it was slightly opened. A green point peeked out of the backpack. It was the nose of a plant creature. The nose moved back and forth as if sniffing around and Heo whispered at it. ¡°Um, sorry, but I¡¯m in the middle of class right now.¡± ¡°Outside.¡± The creature unexpectedly began to leave the backpack as if peeling it away. ¡°!¡± Heo frantically grabbed its shoulder and shoved it back inside. ¡°S-sorry, but it isn¡¯t quite time to come out yet.¡± ¡°Heo? Panicking?¡± ¡­Yes, I am!! For the time being, she zipped up the bag with the creature¡¯s nose sticking out. She quickly looked around, but she only noticed a few people giving her curious glances. They seemed to think she had only impulsively decided to take something out of her bag. She nonchalantly faced her notebook again, stretched her back, and picked up her mechanical pencil. She steadied her breathing and began copying down her notes again, while fully aware of the gazes on her. ¡­I-I¡¯m a delinquent. I really am a delinquent today. How could I bring an animal to school!? When she thought about it, she realized not even delinquents brought animals to school. Plus, this was not an animal. It was the resident of another world. ¡­I-I¡¯ve packed up what you could call a person. ¡­I¡¯m a world-class delinquent! But this was part of her job as a member of Team Leviathan. The plant creature had showed up at her home, asked for her specifically, and asked to redo their negotiations. Kazami had contacted her that morning and given her the following advice after hearing about the situation: ¡°Try to get along.¡± That was about as vague as one could get and Kazami had also told her that Hiba and Mikage had been taken to the hospital the night before and that Top-Gear had stolen 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core. It also seemed Sayama and Shinjou had arrived at Izumo UCAT. That meant Heo had to deal with this on her own. She could not leave a guest alone all day, so she had brought the creature with her. ¡°Heo. Water. Water.¡± The worst part was its need to soak up water once an hour, so she quickly raised her hand. ¡°Excuse me! I¡¯m not feeling well.¡± Her elderly female homeroom teacher smiled bitterly. ¡°Miss Thunderson, don¡¯t push yourself too much in your everyday life.¡± The others gave her looks of pity, so she began to worry just what kind of character they saw her as. At any rate, she left the classroom with the plant creature¡¯s backpack in hand and she made her way to the building¡¯s central hallway. She opened the girl¡¯s bathroom in the cold air and entered a stall. She closed the pale green door and opened the toilet lid. ¡°U-um, you need water, right?¡± She pulled a thermos of hot water from the backpack¡¯s side pocket. She then opened the backpack and the plant creature pushed its way out. It bent itself toward the center of the open toilet. ¡°Water.¡± ¡°Y-you mustn¡¯t use that water. You mustn¡¯t.¡± She gave the creature the same lecture for the third time that day and placed it across the toilet. It placed its six feet along the open toilet seat and she poured a cup of the thermos¡¯s hot water over it. ¡°Feels good.¡± By the time the water passed through the plant creature, it had lost its heat. The splashing sound would continue until the water ran out. Heo breathed a sigh of relief that she was pulling this off. ¡­D-dealing with other worlds isn¡¯t easy. She stretched while making sure her back did not touch the wall and the creature asked a question. ¡°Heo? What were you doing?¡± ¡°Studying Japanese.¡± ¡°Japanese?¡± ¡°That¡¯s this country¡¯s language.¡± ¡°Hard?¡± She knew what it meant. They spoke directly via thoughts, so they used what one could call a perfect language. From their perspective, having to use many different languages might sound like a lot of hard work. ¡°I think it¡¯s a lot of fun.¡± ¡°Then 4th boring?¡± Heo gasped at that tremendous reversal. She started by making sure she maintained her smile. ¡°Heo. Sweating.¡± ¡°Y-yes. It¡¯s a very unpleasant sweat, too. N-no, you don¡¯t need to absorb anything from me. You don¡¯t. Th-this much is normal for me.¡± I can say some bold things when cornered, can¡¯t I? she thought while finding an answer. ¡°4th¡¯s language is fun too.¡± ¡°Why? Only one.¡± Heo thought about the plant creature¡¯s use of the word ¡°one¡± and she chose her words carefully. ¡°In that case, languages are a means of conveying your thoughts, so Low-Gear¡¯s languages and 4th-Gear¡¯s language may take different forms, but they¡¯re the same kind of fun in the end.¡± After a while, the creature answered. ¡°4th and Low-Gear the same? Why?¡± She knew the answer to that thanks to living in Harakawa¡¯s home. ¡°Because we¡¯re living together. Languages are meant to convey thoughts to each other, so even if they take different forms, they¡¯re the same if we can properly convey our thoughts.¡± ¡°Living together makes the same?¡± ¡°Yes, together makes the same.¡± I¡¯m speaking like it now, she thought with a bitter smile. ¡°Even if we¡¯re different, we can be the same.¡± ¡°But Harakawa not together. Not the same?¡± The ends of her eyebrows lowered at that question. The plant creature had not seen Harakawa. She did not know where it had learned about him, but it was bothered by the fact that he was not with her. Why was he not with her? That was the question she most wanted to know the answer to. ¡­Why? However, she had to be a proper representative of Low-Gear when speaking to the 4th plant creature. If 4th-Gear viewed Harakawa and herself as Low-Gear, then they were going through a slight civil war. She believed that it was only a temporary split and that it would not be permanent. ¡°Harakawa isn¡¯t with me for the moment.¡± ¡°The same, but not with you? Always?¡± She almost answered ¡°maybe¡±, but¡­ ¡°¡­¡± She swallowed the words. She wanted to say no and she tried to come up with an excuse for doing so. ¡­Oh. After a realization, she gave her answer. ¡°Perhaps.¡± ¡°Really? Heo and Harakawa are not together?¡± ¡°Yes, perhaps.¡± She gave a clear answer. ¡°But perhaps not.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± Her voice was steady as she replied. ¡°I don¡¯t know because it¡¯s up to me.¡± She was not sure, but she had a feeling this was the answer. She felt like this would lead her to the answer. ¡­Yes. If Harakawa had rejected her, she had to figure out why and fix whatever she needed to fix. She had ended up crying because she had not tried to figure out what it was and she had assumed there was nothing wrong with her. And as soon as she realized that, a knock came on the stall door. ¡°¡­!?¡± The plant creature was not done with its water, so she was thankful she had locked the door. ¡°O-occupied!¡± ¡°Is that you, Heo T? Are you okay?¡± The voice belonged to her class¡¯s health committee member. Heo nodded at the nickname her nametag had produced. ¡°Y-yes, I¡¯m fine. What is it?¡± ¡°Our teacher told me to go check on you, Heo T. You¡¯ve been talking to yourself a lot today and doing weird things. ¡­Are you sure you¡¯re okay? I¡¯m been, um, hearing quite a lot of, uh, water in there.¡± ¡°Ohh¡­¡± Oddly calm thoughts of ¡°that¡¯s a misunderstanding¡± and ¡°what should I say?¡± entered her mind, but her silence must have worried the girl. ¡°U-um, Heo T? By any chance, d-did you really have to go?¡± ¡°Eh? Well, um¡­¡± Heo looked down at the plant creature standing across the toilet and accidentally spoke aloud. ¡°This big green thing wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer.¡± ¡°Eh!? Have you been eating a lot of fiber and a lot of beta-carotene-rich vegetables!?¡± ¡°Ah! N-no, ignore that! Ignore that! I didn¡¯t say anything!¡± ¡°No, Heo T. You need to take care of this properly! Go to the infirmary and get a suppository!!¡± ¡°Suppository?¡± asked the plant creature. ¡°I-it¡¯s a type of medicine,¡± replied Heo. ¡°Ah, Heo T¡¯s talking to herself again! Teacher! Teacher! Heo T¡¯s in trouble!¡± Heo brought a hand to her forehead as she heard the bathroom door open and footsteps run out into the hallway. ¡°Today¡¯s troubles are getting going earlier than usual¡­¡± ¡°Heo T?¡± asked the plant creature. ¡°Um, yes. Some people say my name that way.¡± She sighed and touched the plant creature. It had already gone through all the water. Shinjou and Sayama stood in a dark corridor. Shinjou held a fist-sized stone. It was the Messenger of Wanambi, but¡­ ¡­It¡¯s warm. The hard stone was emitting a gentle heat from within. ¡­It¡¯s been cold lately, so it would be nice having something like this under the covers at night. Meanwhile, she saw something up ahead. It was a long white console with a bookshelf and a cupboard for dishes. ¡°My mom¡¯s workplace.¡± The coffee cup she had seen in the past was in the cupboard. She hesitated briefly. ¡°¡­¡± She placed the stone on the console, opened up the cupboard, and pulled out the white cup with both hands. It was cold, but she felt an imagined warmth in it. The ends of her eyebrows lowered as she held up the cup and lowered her head. ¡°She was here.¡± Tears threatened to spill from her eyes and she realized how prone to tears she had been lately. So she breathed in, tensed her gut to hold in the tears, and embraced the cup. ¡°You can cry if you want, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°No.¡± She forcibly shook her head, causing the drops in the corners of her eyes to waver. ¡°We¡¯re going to Sakai. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll cry there, so¡­I don¡¯t want to cry until then. That way I can cry a whole bunch.¡± She raised her head and forced a smile. The tears never left my eyes, so it doesn¡¯t count as crying, right? she told herself as she wiped at her eyes. She then gently set down the cup on the console. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t take it?¡± ¡°Belongs¡± ¡°to¡± ¡°Yukio¡± ¡°My mom didn¡¯t leave this for me and she didn¡¯t spend her time with it after I was born. It belongs to her from the time she was here.¡± ¡°Tes¡± ¡°Understood¡± ¡°Yukio¡± ¡°Different¡± ¡°Shinjou¡± ¡°Name¡± ¡°Name?¡± ¡°Sadagiri,¡± she said firmly. After a while¡­ ¡°Shinjou¡± ¡°Sadagiri¡± ¡°Shinjou¡± ¡°Yukio¡± And¡­ ¡°Individual¡± ¡°Inherit¡± ¡°Understood¡± ¡°Tes¡± ¡°Testament¡± She nodded at that with a smile. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Thank you¡± ¡°Thank¡± ¡°Thankful¡± ¡°Grateful¡± ¡°Great¡± ¡°Amazing¡± ¡°Maze¡± ¡°Labyrinth¡± ¡°Does your excess intelligence sometimes send your associations out of control?¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± And then¡­ ¡°Speak to ourselves¡± ¡°Happens a lot¡± ¡°Try not to¡± ¡°Endure¡± ¡°Entertainment¡± ¡°TV¡± ¡°Video¡± ¡°Osaka¡± ¡°Arm¡± They started playing shiritori. ¡­I feel like I could watch them all day, but have they always been doing this? She imagined Wanambi and them all rapidly playing shiritori to increase their heat while living in their empty world during the Concept War. ¡­Actually, where did they learn that game? Probably Sayama-kun¡¯s grandfather or my great-grandfather, she decided. ¡°I wonder if my great-grandfather was like your grandfather, Sayama-kun.¡± ¡°Sh-Shinjou-kun, please do not insult your ancestors like that.¡± ¡°Insult¡± ¡°Insulate¡± ¡°Insulation¡± ¡°Too cold?¡± ¡°No, no. I¡¯m fine,¡± answered Shinjou as she rubbed the head of the stone in front of her. She then looked up. Sayama did the same next to her. They both looked to the darkness beyond the console. In their dream of the past, it had been filled with a jungle of piping and walls of giant tanks, but now¡­ ¡°What is this empty space?¡± A spherical area fifty meters across was gouged out of the darkness. The empty space had eaten into the surrounding machines and pipes as well. The neighboring machines and tanks all had the edge of a sphere torn into them and their internal components were exposed. Shinjou could only think a massive space had utterly vanished. Some panels were laid out at the bottom of the empty space to create a level area and futons were laid out on them. The automatons hiding out below ground were likely using it as a place to sleep. ¡°I bet that higher bed with a canopy is Miyako-san¡¯s.¡± Miyako¡¯s voice reached them from the distant entrance. ¡°Don¡¯t go peeking at our stuff!¡± Shinjou tensed her shoulders and grabbed onto Sayama¡¯s arm. She questioned how they were supposed to investigate this area without seeing the beds, but¡­ ¡°What is this hole? It wasn¡¯t there in the dream, was it?¡± ¡°No,¡± Sayama shook his head and Baku emulated it from his head. Suddenly, a voice reached them from further in. ¡°This was the result of creating a concept and then eliminating it. That prevented the facility from ever being used, but it also means the concept creation theory was completed.¡± Shinjou turned toward the voice coming from down the corridor and the voice continued. ¡°Hi. You¡¯ve seen a lot here, haven¡¯t you? So can you tell me what you think of it all? Has it cheered you up and made you feel like you can keep going after all? Has it?¡± The owner of the voice appeared from the darkness. ¡°That guy in the white suit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The name¡¯s Izumo Retsu, so try to remember it if you can. I¡¯m more famous than my son, after all. Anyway, since I fell down, I decided to wait for you on my way back up.¡± The elderly man in a white suit revealed what he was hiding behind his well-built back. It was a white, A4-sized touchpad, but¡­ ¡­It has the same cowling as a concept weapon! In that case, she thought. Retsu smiled. It was a troubled smile with lowered ends of the eyebrows. ¡°8th-Gear¡¯s Wanambi is in here. You can carry it back with you and complete the Leviathan Road on your way.¡± His tone made it clear there was a ¡°but¡±, so Shinjou stiffened. Sayama spoke up as if responding to her tension. ¡°You sound like you have something else to say.¡± ¡°I would expect no less of Old Sayama¡¯s grandson, Mikoto-kun. ¡­Yes, there is something I want to say and something I want to ask.¡± ¡°Tell us what you want to say first.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Retsu nodded and looked to Shinjou. ¡°Shinjou-kun, now that you have come here and seen that large empty space, have you noticed a certain mystery?¡± Before she could ask what he meant, he looked to the large hole, narrowed his eyes, and continued. ¡°That was 1st-Gear¡¯s writing concept. It was a pre-existing concept, but it was created as an original rather than a copy. But to make sure the double presence of that concept did not destroy the world¡¯s balance, the concept created inside of an experimental concept space grew negative and caused that.¡± ¡°Then¡­my mom really did create a concept?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Retsu¡¯s voice was quiet and he stared into the distant darkness. ¡°By constructing a theory based on the available data, she created a working theory.¡± Those words led Shinjou to realize what he meant by a mystery. There was indeed a mystery here. If her mother had successfully created a concept¡­ ¡°Why was the facility below Okutama never completed?¡± They would have had all the data and her mother would have had her theory near completion. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°That is simple. She went to Top-Gear and¡­she made some clever alterations to the data she left behind.¡± His use of the word ¡°alterations¡± left her speechless. However, he looked her way and spoke with a calm expression. ¡°I feel like making a joke here. Should I?¡± ¡°No. I think that¡¯s due to the pervert genes of the Izumo family, so just keep talking.¡± Retsu hung his head and sighed, but he quickly looked back up with a troubled expression. ¡°Well, anyway. By the time we checked over the data, it was too late. Once we had reason to doubt some of the data she left, all of it started looking suspect, so Asagi-kun decided to end the project. All that remained was the wasted facility on Japanese UCAT¡¯s sixth basement¡­and the fact that Low-Gear was in trouble.¡± ¡°B-but why? Why did my mom do that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not your mom, so I can only guess.¡± She fell silent at that and he shrugged. ¡°Was that a little too harsh for you? But it¡¯s the truth. And none of us know why it happened. Was she telling Low-Gear to die? Or did she not want Low-Gear to use concepts as a weapon? That¡¯s for you two to find out.¡± ¡°For us to find out?¡± ¡°None of us want to remember those times, but you want to investigate it, don¡¯t you? And you¡¯re their kids. You have more right to know and to think about it than I do.¡± With that said, Retsu straightened his back, tossed up the PDA in his hand, and caught it.¡± ¡°I just gave you ¡®the past¡¯ as a gift. So next¡­¡± ¡°You want my brilliant self to give you ¡®the present¡¯ as a gift?¡± asked Sayama. ¡°That speeds things up.¡± Retsu smiled and brushed a hand through his gray hair. ¡°Yes, I just have one thing I want to ask you. ¡­If, hypothetically, Top-Gear turned out to be 100% in the right, would there be any point in lending you Wanambi? There wouldn¡¯t, would there? So I want to ask you why you would borrow Wanambi and complete the Leviathan Road if Top-Gear is in the right. Or to put it more bluntly¡­¡± He took a breath, spun around for no reason, and pointed at Sayama. ¡°Prove to me you can complete the Leviathan Road even if Top-Gear is entirely in the right!¡± Shinjou thought about what Retsu¡¯s question meant. ¡­That¡¯s what Sayama-kun was talking about, isn¡¯t it? She remembered their conversation on the emergency staircase the day before. ¡­He told us he has a last resort against Top-Gear. It was something that even Sayama had referred to as ¡°treading on thin ice¡±, but that was exactly why it was a last resort. ¡­What is it? Sayama crossed his arms in the face of his questioner. ¡°Father of Izumo, what a silly question. What if I were to say I simply hate quitting something without finishing it?¡± ¡°Your need to ask ¡®what if¡¯ is enough to know that isn¡¯t the case. Get on to what you really think.¡± Shinjou was taken aback by Retsu¡¯s reasoning. ¡­He isn¡¯t letting Sayama-kun have his way. I probably would have fallen for it, she realized. ¡°Mikoto-kun,¡± said Retsu with a bitter smile. ¡°Please, there is no need to use ¡®-kun¡¯. You can simply call me ¡®Mikoto-sama¡¯.¡± Sayama ignored Shinjou¡¯s glare and Retsu¡¯s bitter smile grew. ¡°Then, Mikoto-sama, I¡¯m sorry to say that I¡¯ve known your father and grandfather for a long time. I¡¯ve come to learn quite a few verbal tricks in that time. ¡­Do you get what I¡¯m saying?¡± ¡°Yes. You are saying you have an overabundance of terrible memories.¡± ¡°Wow, the grandson¡¯s the same? That¡¯s three generations in a row!!¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. It won¡¯t be long until Shinjou-kun and I produce the fourth generation. Prepare yourself.¡± That comment surprised Shinjou. She took a step back and brought a hand to her chest. ¡°But they¡¯ll be like me too. Then again, your side might be so strong it overpowers my side.¡± ¡°Hmm. I seem to have misspoke, Shinjou-kun. That is not what I meant. I would want our child to have your beauty, eroundism, intelligence, hardworking spirit, rejecting acceptance, and blessing from the butt spirit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure all of those are compliments.¡± At any rate, Shinjou pointed down the corridor. Sayama looked down that way and saw Retsu crouched down and playing shiritori with the Messenger of Wanambi. ¡°Fox. Ha ha ha. How do like the suffering of all these x¡¯s? ¡­Oh, are you done over there?¡± ¡°Yes, can we continue speaking?¡± Retsu nodded and stood up. He looked over at them from his great height. ¡°Right now, my stupid son¡¯s bridal candidate says the other kids are renegotiating with the other Gears. So you can finish the Leviathan Road with 8th-Gear, learn of the past in Sakai, and put together a plan to deal with Top-Gear. ¡­But when are you going to handle 9th¡¯s Leviathan Road? 9th is pretty much the Army¡¯s main force. And¡­¡± His mouth opened wide and bent up in a smile. ¡°When are you going to do Top-Gear¡¯s Leviathan Road?¡± That question brought something to mind for Shinjou. ¡­First, Kazami-san and the others have to defeat the other Gears in their rematches to preserve the previous parts of the Leviathan Road. ¡°And if we finish the Leviathan Road with all of the Gears except for 9th-Gear, which was the Army, and Top-Gear¡­¡± ¡­The Gears will either take Top-Gear¡¯s side or Low-Gear¡¯s side. She quietly spoke her conclusion aloud. ¡°The world will split into two factions which can meet for a negotiation.¡± She brought a hand to her mouth and raised her voice to a yell. ¡°Every Gear can gather and hold a negotiation over whether Top-Gear or Low-Gear is right!¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± agreed Sayama. ¡°We can create a venue for more than just Top-Gear¡¯s view!¡± He looked to Retsu. ¡°No matter what sort of righteousness Top-Gear has on their side, we can hold it back. ¡­No matter how righteous the past may be, it is limited in number. If a greater number support the present¡¯s righteousness, the past¡¯s righteousness has no choice but to restrain itself!¡± ¡°You mean you won¡¯t let the past rule unopposed?¡± ¡°Yes. I do not yet know what form this meeting will take. I do not even know if Top-Gear will agree to it, what topics to discuss, or how to set it up. Not knowing if such a thing can be arranged at all is the biggest challenge at the moment.¡± Based on their periodic contact with the others, they knew 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core had been stolen, 4th was renegotiating with Heo, and 2nd was still a mystery. There were too many unknowns for concrete plans at this point. ¡°Also,¡± said Sayama. ¡°At that meeting, we will be competing with Top-Gear to see who is in the right. We just received a large hint from Shinjou Yukio¡¯s past, but we must solve those mysteries in our negotiations with 8th and the further information on her we find in Sakai.¡± Shinjou listened to him talk about her mother. ¡°We must face whatever led up to Top-Gear¡¯s destruction and determine the truth.¡± She gave a deep nod at that because the past he was searching for was closely connected to her. ¡­I want to find the truth about my mom and the others. Sayama smiled a bit and nodded toward her. ¡°Yes,¡± he began. ¡°We know two things for sure. First, the end of the Leviathan Road comes at the conclusion of the Leviathan Road meeting where each Dragon¡¯s representative is gathered. And second, we will use the past and future we have gained to battle Top-Gear there.¡± He extended his left hand toward Wanambi in Retsu¡¯s hand. When Retsu saw his outstretched hand, he showed off his teeth in a smile. ¡°An excellent idea. In that case¡­¡± Just as he was going to say something more, he stopped. Eh? thought Shinjou as she noticed where he was looking. ¡­Below? She looked at his feet where the Messenger of Wanambi¡¯s sand was forming letters. ¡°Hurry it up¡± ¡°Hand it over¡± ¡°It sounds a little like the yakuza,¡± commented Shinjou as Retsu reluctantly and silently passed them Wanambi. Volume 12, 16: What One Has While Alone Volume 12, Chapter 16: What One Has While Alone By realizing I had a thought I realized I could think That is why realization is said to be a virtue The north wind blew down from the gray sky and filled a plaza. The plaza was divided up by a moat and white walls. A giant structure filled the center of the plaza. The structure was a castle. It was Osaka Castle. Quite a few tourists looked up at the castle tower and its aqua-blue tiled roof. Below the castle, Osaka Castle Park was split up by the waterways and walls. That winter afternoon, it was filled with tour groups and couples. At the north end of Osaka Castle Park was a bridge crossing the northern moat and allowing passage to the city. The cement bridge had wooden railings and it gave a view of Osaka Castle¡¯s north side. From the north, the castle was backlit by the sun, so it was covered in shadow. However, one person did look up at the shaded castle. A girl in a black suit stood at the center of the bridge, leaning against the railing. She had a large white dog with her which was staring up at her as if waiting to be fed. However, the girl was not looking at the dog. She frowned and glared at the letter in her hand. It began with ¡°To Mikoku¡± and it was the one that had been attached to a knife. ¡°I am about to go steal 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core. Team Leviathan¡¯s negotiator and Shinjou plan to complete the Leviathan Road with 8th-Gear before visiting Sakai. Confront them and tell them what we intend to do once we have 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core. It is up to you to decide what exactly that will be. If anyone is to gather us together, it has to be you, the one positioned directly below Master Hajji. Give this careful thought.¡± Mikoku summed up what the letter told her: ¡°I¡¯m supposed to think about how we will use 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core to confront UCAT?¡± She looked up into the gray yet bright sky. ¡°But why is she making me the leader?¡± She had her doubts about that. Tatsumi had her easily beaten in both combat skill and popularity. She had been late to make her debut in the Army and she was still mostly viewed as everyone else¡¯s junior. Tatsumi said she had been chosen due to her position below Hajji, but she only had that position due to her young age at Top-Gear¡¯s destruction and her need for someone to look after her. It was still a mystery whether the others would accept her as leader. ¡­I hope she is not simply shoving this onto me because she does not want to do it herself. Regardless, Tatsumi had undoubtedly taken 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core. She would not say she would if she could not. Some might call her manly, but Mikoku had tried that once and ended up knocked seven meters backwards by a wooden sword jab to the forehead. Some might say she could not take a joke, but Mikoku had tried that once and ended up meeting a similar fate. Mikoku decided not to continue digging through her memories of Tatsumi. ¡°Now, then.¡± She sat on the railing and set down the bag containing her extra clothes. ¡­3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core, huh? That could strengthen Typhon, Alex, and the dolls, so it could be seen as the most useful of the Cores for Tatsumi and the others. ¡­And she¡¯s left it to me to decide how to use it against UCAT. She could imagine the scene. The factory manager and the others would be maintaining Alex and such somewhere and Tatsumi would show them Keravnos. ¡°Finding space for this is a lot of work,¡± she would say. ¡°I hope Mikoku does something about it soon.¡± That was exactly the sort of selfish thing she would say. ¡°But how am I supposed to know what to do with it?¡± Should they hold 3rd¡¯s Core hostage and demand they hand over the other Cores? Should they trade 3rd¡¯s Core for Hajji and the prisoners? Should they use 3rd¡¯s Core as a weapon and battle UCAT once again? ¡­Or¡­ Mikoku did not know what was best, what made the best use of their resources, or whether she should be the one deciding this. There was also more she did not understand. ¡°Shiro.¡± She spoke to the dog that had circled in front of her and he suddenly stood up as if to embrace her. ¡°Ha ha ha. You¡¯ve been play-biting me so much lately, but have you finally accepted me?¡± However, he was unexpectedly heavy, so she lost her balance and started to fall backwards. ¡°Nh.¡± She took a position much like throwing Shiro backwards in a front suplex. ¡°¡­¡± And they endured. She kept herself from falling backwards and Shiro stretched out so he would not lose his balance. The two of them maintained their position for five seconds. Then ten. And thirty. Finally, a contest of force vectors was established. ¡°Nwah!!¡± And she forcibly returned Shiro to the bridge like swinging down a hammer. ¡­Did it!! The two of them gasped for breath while holding each other in their arms on top of the bridge and its railing. ¡°Sh-Shiro, try not to play around too much.¡± The dog¡¯s entire body was tensed up and he was obviously not going to nod in agreement, but he seemed to have learned the danger of that situation. He quickly tapped her shoulders with his front paws, so she let go of him and he panted while lying down on the ground like he was wilting. Seeing that reminded Mikoku of Shino. ¡­I wonder what she¡¯s doing. That worry is probably a sign that I¡¯m dependent on her, she thought, which only depressed her further. She seemed to have entered a negative cycle and she knew perfectly well why. ¡°I have lost my confidence, haven¡¯t I?¡± she asked Shiro. The dog raised his lowered head. He seemed worried about her which lightened her mood a little, so she spoke quietly. ¡°The thing is, I once thought I was the very strongest.¡± She brought a hand to her chest. ¡°My mother made me this philosopher¡¯s stone with a regeneration concept inside. I will never die with it, so I assumed I would always win in the end.¡± She smiled bitterly. ¡°But you know what? That does not mean I will win in the end. It only means I will survive to the end. I cannot believe this,¡± she said quietly. ¡°To win when necessary and give victory to someone, I need my skill. This philosopher¡¯s stone is only a part of that skill, but not all of it.¡± She reached for the cloth cover leaning up against the railing next to her. And she looked up at Osaka Castle. This castle had also existed in the Top-Gear Osaka she once lived in. It would have been destroyed on that final night. Everything in their city had been. ¡­Including my parents. Her parents had been concept and philosopher¡¯s stone researchers and their concept research had led to her mother embedding this philosopher¡¯s stone in Mikoku¡¯s chest. Despite knowing it was a misplaced complaint, she held a hand to her chest and thought to herself. ¡­Would I have been stronger without this stone? ¡°I am awful.¡± But it was true she had little aversion to the idea of death. She had to accept that fact in order to improve herself and there was no real reason to hate that stone which was a part of her, but she could not help but wonder ¡°what if¡±. What if she had been a boy? What if she had been taller? What if she had been stronger? What if Top-Gear had not been destroyed? What if she had been more- ¡°What would have happened?¡± There was no one here to answer her questions. ¡°Because I am all alone now.¡± She stepped down from the railing, sensed Shiro standing up at her feet, and looked to the false version of a destroyed castle. She would travel to Sakai now. Sayama and Shinjou would arrive there that night with 8th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core with them. They would be there to learn about Shinjou¡¯s past. Tatsumi expected Mikoku to face them there and announce how they would be using 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core. Would she seek a rematch, the release of the prisoners, or something else? ¡­I somehow doubt I will find a very good answer. She turned her back on the castle. She was glad she had stopped by here instead of traveling directly to Sakai. The names of stores and surnames on houses were different, but the place had still brought back a lot of sentimental memories. ¡°It is time to go, Shiro.¡± As soon as she faced the streets of Kyobashiguchi, a sudden voice reached her. ¡ªMetal is alive. A moment later, she realized the enemy was here. Gyes had detected Mikoku the night before. She had noticed while taking Miyako and the Moirai back from Yokosuka via god of war. A bullet train had been travelling east through the mountains below them, so Miyako had leaned out from the god of war¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Go, Gyes! Pass it, pass it!¡± Gyes had responded by passing the bullet train at extreme low altitude. A child had noticed them out the window and Miyako had struck a triumphant pose, so Gyes had frantically sped up and away from the train. ¡­It was then! A familiar concept reading had come from somewhere within the train and that reading belonged to the killer of her fellow Hecatoncheire. ¡°Toda Mikoku!!¡± Currently, she looked down from the top of Osaka Castle which was surrounded by a concept space. The castle¡¯s shadow fell on the bridge over the northern moat where Mikoku and a dog looked up at her. Gyes leaped down regardless. She used her gravitational control to quickly descend toward her target. She was glad she had checked for the girl based on the bullet train¡¯s schedule. She had been unable to resist saying she had business to take care of and leaving Izumo UCAT that morning. She regretted missing her chance to say hello to Sayama and Shinjou, but¡­ ¡­This is a personal battle! Gyes accelerated and swung her arms backwards. She did not bother drawing the swords from her suit. She summoned her god of war straight away. And¡­ ¡°Go, swords!!¡± She drew the six giant swords from her fixed concept space. She sent those half dozen blades forward to attack. She swung her arms down as if to strike Mikoku. And the swords flew. Meanwhile, Mikoku took a defensive stance and breathed in slightly. She was somewhat panicked. This had come suddenly and she knew she had let her guard down for anything to seem ¡°sudden¡±. However, she knew she was still fine. She was inexperienced and she tended to use that as an excuse, but she knew she could still fight. She knew she had to be stronger than before. ¡­I can win! With that thought, she gathered strength in her legs. Her aim was simple. ¡­I will counter her attack. As Gyes dropped down from above, she swung down a giant attack. So Mikoku would quickly fall back to dodge Gyes¡¯s blades and then step forward for a counterattack. Gyes¡¯s actions had a flaw. She was assisting herself with her gravitational control, so she could not immediately shift into her next movement upon finishing this one. Once Mikoku saw through the swords¡¯ movement, she could duck through them and charge forward. That way, she would not need to jump over the holes smashed by the massive swords and she could always regenerate if one of the swords did graze her. I will be fine, she told herself. I can manage on my own. With that thought, she opened the cloth wrapper in her hand. She pulled out a Japanese sword treated with philosopher¡¯s stone and tried to draw it. ¡°¡­!?¡± But for some reason, the sword did not move even with the usual flick of her thumb against the guard. ¡­Eh? It felt less like it was glued in place and more like this was a single object with no blade that was never meant to be drawn in the first place. More importantly, she had not expected this at all. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± I cannot fight like this, she thought, before immediately erasing that thought from her head. Nothing but a question mark filled her mind. She tried flicking the guard with her thumb again, but it remained motionless. ¡°What is-¡­¡± She tried to ask what was going on, but then she saw a small form sitting where she had not long before. It was a childish form in a maid uniform. It was a girl with blonde hair. She was looking over at Mikoku. ¡°Sorry, sorry. Are you panicking?¡± She lowered the ends of her eyebrows in a bitter smile. Only then did Mikoku realize she had no idea what to do. She was trying to fight back against Gyes and that much was right, but she could not draw the sword she had pulled from its cloth wrapping. ¡­I cannot do something I assumed was a given. The path to victory she had painted in her mind had been closed off. If she could draw the sword, she could bring that victory into reality, so her thumb was entirely focused on flicking up the sword¡¯s guard. However¡­ ¡°Sorry. Gyes said some confusing stuff about this being a personal fight and not a duel. And well, I used to play with Aigaion a lot too, so¡­¡± The girl raised her hands which seemed to be grabbing an invisible tube in midair. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to draw that,¡± she said with a troubled smile. Mikoku realized the six giant blades were descending from above. The six swords split the concrete bridge. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± And they sliced through what stood on the bridge as easily as slicing through empty space. The first two severed Mikoku¡¯s arms at the shoulder, sending them flying. The blades went on to slice through her feet, smash the concrete, and pierce through the bridge. A solid sound filled the air, Mikoku¡¯s left arm flew with the Japanese sword still in its grasp, and the next two blades dropped down. Those two both split the front half of Mikoku¡¯s body. They sliced through her lungs and every last rib and slid down the inside of her thighs while tearing a bit into the bone. Soon thereafter, the final two slammed into her. And they used the back of the sword. The rapidly falling blades provided blunt but powerful impacts that contained enough force to smash what remained of her. She had already been sliced apart by the previous swords, so her left side, right side, and inside splattered everywhere. The inside was especially bad. The impacts on the left and right caused her insides to burst. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± As the bridge began to collapse, Mikoku let out a scream mixed with the color red. Her voice rang out. The sounds of impact joined it. But the bridge did not collapse. The girl sitting on the railing held out her palms. ¡°That was for Aigaion.¡± She scooped her hands upwards to preserve the shattered bridge. With her limbs scattered through the air and across the ground, Mikoku was released from the impact and began to fall. ¡°!¡± But she was stopped. Gyes had pinned her in midair with a sword through the abdomen. ¡°This¡­¡± Gyes spread her arms wide to either side and nine swords spread out behind her. ¡°This ends here, Toda Mikoku!!¡± With that shout, she used her gravitational control to stab Mikoku with the nine swords. However, Mikoku was not yet dead. She was still conscious, still breathing, still pumping blood. The blue light of a philosopher¡¯s stone shined through her tattered clothing at her chest. ¡°I can still¡­¡± Mikoku managed to speak. To keep her consciousness from fading in the intense pain, she spoke aloud to herself without understanding what exactly she was saying. ¡°I can still make it¡­on my own¡­¡± She spat out some blood with those words and tried to hold on to her consciousness. ¡°Yes, you have that regeneration ability. You may regenerate quickly when healing a single body part, but it takes time to regenerate everything.¡± Gyes saw several colors and objects gathering together atop the bridge that remained standing despite collapsing. They were reconnecting into a single body. ¡°You are defenseless during that time, but Aigaion did not know about your ability and assumed he had won. That led him to let down his guard and lose. But you know what? If he had known, Aigaion could have killed you.¡± ¡°Kill¡­ed¡­?¡± weakly asked Mikoku. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Gyes. ¡°All one has to do is destroy that philosopher¡¯s stone in your chest.¡± Mikoku trembled at those words. She tried to twist around and bend over. ¡°!!¡± But something pierced through her head from front to back. She had tried to bend over and hide her chest, but the impact caused her to bend backwards instead. She felt like her thoughts were knocked out the back of her head and she saw a maid sitting on the ground beyond the bridge. The maid had short hair, sharp eyes, and a needle in her right hand. A rapidly fired needle was what had pierced through Mikoku¡¯s head. ¡°¡­!¡± Still bent backwards, several hundred needles stabbed into her, fixing her in midair. At the same time, something moved from below the bridge and into the air. The giant object turned out to be a blade. The six belonging to Gyes¡¯s god of war were stacked up on top of each other. Together, they formed a single extra-thick sword. They sent a roar through the air as they dropped down as a massively heavy blade. Their target was the philosopher¡¯s stone in Mikoku¡¯s chest. At the same time, Gyes jumped on top of the six combined swords. She added on her own weight to accelerate them further. ¡°Do not worry! I will make sure not to harm your face any further!!¡± Mikoku saw it. There was nothing she could do. She had lost most of her body, most of what even formed thoughts had been smashed, and she could only think vaguely about the scene before her eyes. Her thoughts never actually stopped. They simply relaxed and allowed what was hidden in her heart to spill out. ¡­Ah. She saw a giant blade. It dropped from the gray sky and a woman stood on it. It had a machete-like tip and the corner was falling straight for her chest. ¡­Sto-¡­ She tried to say ¡°stop¡±, but her mouth would not move. She could only think ¡°stop¡± and ¡°no¡± like a child while twisting her nonexistent body. The sword arrived. It can¡¯t be, she thought. Why? she asked. There is no avoiding it, she also thought. ¡­No¡­ Her eyes saw the blade dropping from the gray sky and the shadows of the surrounding buildings. Those buildings were the castle and the more distant city. Long ago, she had lived in a similar place, her parents had been with her, and she had had plenty of friends. She had always been taught they were in the right. When she had asked why, she had been given the following answer: ¡°Because we are trying to accept everyone.¡± Her young self had accepted that answer. However, her mother had embedded a certain stone in her young chest. Afraid of the pain, she had resisted the idea, sobbed, and cried, but after being drawn in by sweets and dolls, she had undergone the surgery. Three days later, the world had been destroyed. All that had remained were the other members of the Army and this. However, a lot of those others had been captured. Shino had likely gone wherever it was she wanted to be. Mikoku was now alone. She was alone, she could do nothing, and a sword was about to smash her to pieces. ¡­No. She finally let out a voice. However, there was no strength behind it and she could not even reject anything that was happening. ¡°No!!¡± Her shout was answered by the blade colliding with her chest and her body being torn apart. But just before that, she remembered a great many things: her father¡¯s face, her mother¡¯s face, her friends, her life in Noah, the city she had lived in, the people she had lived with, herself as she had lived there, and¡­ ¡­Shino. She cried out the name of that girl who was no longer by her side. However, that cry was never heard. The lungs that would produce it had been sliced apart. The afternoon sunlight reached a certain location. A materials storage area was filled with the colors of shadow. An area of a forested mountain slope had been dug out, pillars driven down, and a metal roof added. It was big enough for three large dump trucks to fit inside. However, it was currently filled by something other than trucks, sheet metal, or other materials. It contained a metal dragon and a white steel giant. A girl sat on top of the crouching dragon that was colored red, white, and blue. The girl stared forward at the white giant kneeling in one corner of the dark storage area. No, she was actually looking at the men in work outfits surrounding the white giant. ¡°Manager, how is it? Can you get it moving?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell at a glance, Tatsumi? This isn¡¯t a pendulum and there are no spares, so it isn¡¯t moving right away.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Tatsumi. The mechanical dragon she sat on raised his head slightly. ¡°How was the enemy?¡± ¡°Nothing worth mentioning, Alex. But if I had to say something¡­troublingly weak. I need him to be strong.¡± ¡°Strength is quite a complicated topic.¡± ¡°Is it really? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that-¡­¡± She trailed off and looked down at a small object touching her shoe. It was a bolt. It had likely been holding on one of Alex¡¯s parts, but it had come free of its nut. However, she placed the bolt in her pocket and waved down below. ¡°Manager, one of Alex¡¯s bolts has-¡­¡± ¡°Typhon comes first,¡± replied the manager. ¡°But Alex is alive.¡± ¡°Stop it, Tatsumi,¡± cut in Alex. ¡°You make it sound like I will fall apart from losing a single bolt.¡± ¡°But,¡± she said with a frown. ¡°This much is nothing to worry about. ¡­I am in far better shape than when the negative concepts washed over me and left me on the verge of death. I have to thank your mother for replacing my dying body with this.¡± ¡°Your body was remade, but it¡¯s still falling apart. This bolt may look perfectly normal on the outside, but it will fall right back off even if we put it back on.¡± ¡°That is the dreadful side of negative concepts. My actual body has grown almost entirely negative. It is merely being held at bay with new bolts added onto the outside.¡± After a pause, Alex continued. ¡°But without this body, I never would have met you and I would have died. So the only thing I can do is continue on such that I leave no regrets.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That is nothing to fall silent over, Tatsumi. And more importantly¡­¡± He turned his head toward the corner of the storage area. Beyond the white giant named Typhon was a pile-driver wrapped in blue chains. ¡°You brought it back with you, but aren¡¯t you going to attach it to Typhon?¡± ¡°Mikoku will decide that.¡± ¡°I wonder if she is doing well.¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t at all. I tailed her and did a little dance behind her, but she didn¡¯t react. I even played ding dong dash at her hotel room and she didn¡¯t notice a thing. ¡­She¡¯s doing much worse than before the battle,¡± quietly said Tatsumi. ¡°With Master Hajji and Shino gone, she must think she¡¯s alone. She thinks she has no allies and the only people left are enemies or people who force troubles onto her.¡± A voice answered her from below. It was the manager who was brightly lit by his welding. ¡°Tatsumi, how about you quit teasing her and teach her a thing or two?¡± ¡°She¡¯s far past the point where she can be taught. Even when it comes to fighting, she can think for herself now.¡± ¡°Then why is she feeling so down?¡± ¡°She has no confidence,¡± declared Tatsumi as if she had seen it for herself. ¡°She had always relied on others to provide her a reason for her actions. She had always entrusted herself with Shino, Master Hajji, or even us, so she has no idea what to do now that she¡¯s alone and without a set goal.¡± Tatsumi brought a hand to her neck and smiled bitterly. She then crossed her arms, looked down at Alex¡¯s face, and narrowed her eyes. ¡°But what do you think someone¡¯s true strength is?¡± ¡°That would be their own strength as opposed to something given to them by anything external,¡± answered Alex. ¡°Then is a fighter only demonstrating their true strength if they fight barehanded?¡± That question silenced Alex. Tatsumi laughed, crossed her legs, and swept a hand through her hair. ¡°Mikoku still has allies.¡± ¡°Hm? Even though she has no one nearby?¡± ¡°You have allies, too. So do I and so does everyone else. That¡¯s how I see it anyway. Everyone has at least someone who will unconditionally side with them no matter what,¡± said Tatsumi. ¡°And Mikoku¡¯s case is more powerful than anyone else¡¯s. She has simply forgotten about it and lost her nerve. And remember one thing, Alex.¡± She nodded. ¡°One¡¯s true strength is what is hidden inside them and forgotten.¡± The impact sounded like music to Gyes¡¯s ears. She loved these sounds of slicing and destruction. It felt like the commotion of the old festivals of the gods condensed into a single instant. The sound carried into the distance and rose into the sky. The wind created by the moving blades and shattering impacts felt wonderful and the splattering chunks acted as proof of her fun. And if it led to victory, that was all the better. Mikoku¡¯s philosopher¡¯s stone had undoubtedly been smashed. Gyes had felt the hit and she had confirmed it while compressing her combat speed several thousand times. Mikoku was dead. ¡­No, I killed her. Was this her first time to lay a hand on someone from Top-Gear? Or had she unknowingly done so in the past? She did not know, so she chose not to think about it and lowered her shoulders. She began to switch her body parts from combat mobility mode to normal mode. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± But she suddenly realized that something was not right. She was standing on the stack of six swords, but her vision was located too high. ¡­That means¡­ Something was supporting the swords from below. She tried to peer down to see what, but something stopped her. ¡°Sister Gyes!!¡± She heard Moira 3rd¡¯s voice and she saw Mikoku¡¯s body in the spot the six blades had struck. Mikoku wore the tatters of her clothing and almost seemed to have grown up from the ground. ¡°She¡¯s regenerating!?¡± ¡­Impossible! The philosopher¡¯s stone had been broken. She had felt it happen through the blades. And yet¡­ ¡°¡­!?¡± Gyes saw Mikoku¡¯s philosopher¡¯s stone supporting the tip of the fallen blades. The pinky-sized blue stone had definitely broken. ¡°That blue light¡­¡± Despite being broken, it was emitting light. ¡­It¡¯s repairing itself!? Gyes understood what Mikoku¡¯s philosopher¡¯s stone was doing. ¡°It regenerates both her body and itself!?¡± That stone could regenerate itself. It was likely a product of combining concepts from 3rd and 10th. It was a philosopher¡¯s stone that could only have been made in Top-Gear. This is dangerous, warned Gyes¡¯s artificial mind. However, she did not know where exactly the danger lay. She saw no problem in the fact that this philosopher¡¯s stone could regenerate itself. Mikoku¡¯s regeneration took time, so she only had to use that time to smash the stone again and destroy the girl¡¯s body. If it came to it, she could drop the girl in a vat of powerful acid or a pool of lava. The stone and her body¡¯s regeneration speed would be unable to keep up. And to do any of that¡­ ¡­I need to smash it now to prepare for my next move! Mikoku¡¯s regeneration was nearly finished. Her body stood as if pulled up by the philosopher¡¯s stone. Some gravitational control may have been at work because Gyes¡¯s swords were lifted up as well. Mikoku was not conscious, so Gyes decided this was her chance. But just as she began to take action, she realized something. Her movements were slow. ¡­I¡¯m still using my combat speed. She had yet to switch back to normal speed. That meant everything she was seeing was in the realm of her combat speed. In that case¡­ ¡­I¡¯ve compressed my speed several thousand times, but her regeneration speed appears unchanged. That thought led to a single answer. Mikoku¡¯s regeneration speed was rising. That was the only explanation. Why? she asked. ¡°Does that philosopher¡¯s stone include an evolution concept!?¡± She shouted the answer she had reached as a resident of 3rd. At the same time, Mikoku slowly opened her eyes with blue light filling her chest. Mikoku¡¯s vision cleared. The first thing she saw was a torrent of blue light. ¡­Eh? The blue stone embedded in her chest pulsated with a piercing light that traveled in every direction. A forceful wind whipped around her. As if delighted by that wind, the blue light surged outwards. ¡­Why? Why was she alive? There was only one possible answer: a power hidden inside her philosopher¡¯s stone. ¡­Is this what my parents were researching? They had been researching immortality. However, they had not succeeded. After all, every Gear contained a concept of destruction. Evolution and destruction were two sides of the same coin, so to hold the possibility of one was to hold the possibility of the other. Thus absolute immortality was impossible. Instead, they had created a false immortality. Rather than healing the root cause that was destruction, this philosopher¡¯s stone filled in the gaps and healed the symptoms of that destruction. However, there was one thing Mikoku had not known. ¡­This stone regenerates me, but even if it is destroyed, it regenerates itself and further evolves? She had not known about this ability. She soon felt strength fill her entire body. This strength had not been there before. She could begin moving immediately after her resurrection. Her body was working perfectly and this gave Mikoku a certain thought for the first time. ¡­I can fight? With this regeneration speed, she could instantly heal any wound and keep moving. However¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± At the center of the blue light and swirling wind, she sensed something. A pain was squeezing at her entire body. Rather than the usual intense pain, she felt like her entire body was creaking. This hastened regeneration was adversely affecting her body. That was when she realized why this ability had not shown itself before. ¡­I was young, so my parents gave me a slower regeneration to protect me from this pain. So why had it sped up now, giving her this pain? Why had the stone been created with this change in mind? ¡°¡­¡± She realized she had something after all. She had been left with something. She had thought she had nothing, but she did have something. She had this strength. She had an incomplete immortality concept. It was not perfect, but it could only have been built up this far inside Top-Gear. And it was the one thing her parents had left for her. Even if the world was destroyed, this power would rescue her from destruction. ¡­And yet I cried and protested so much back when they were going to give me the surgery. She wondered what her parents had thought of her. She distinctly remembered the sensation of being hugged and told it was going to be okay. Inside Noah, her parents had sung to her and comforted her along with everyone else and the automaton that managed Noah. Everything came back to her, both the memories and her body. As her body quickly regenerated, her mind grew clear. She could see the sky beyond her pain. She breathed out into that false winter sky. The breath formed words. ¡°Thank you.¡± She was not addressing anyone in particular. As if answering her, light and wind blew across her and filled her with strength. That rising strength was like a voice telling her to wake in the morning. No matter how isolated she was, the strength of this self-created world would never leave her. I was spoiled, she thought inside the blowing wind. I was so used to being spoiled that I forgot what it was to think. After thinking about herself, she thought about the person she cared for most. ¡­Shino. Her thoughts continued. ¡­Even without you, I will not die. So¡­ ¡°Will you¡­?¡± She took a breath, lowered the ends of her eyebrows, and sounded on the verge of tears. ¡°Will you be just fine without me?¡± Even as she asked that question, she began to move. A bitter calm filled her heart. Soon, a thought in her heart rose to the surface. It was the task Tatsumi had forced onto her. She was to be Top-Gear¡¯s leader and¡­ ¡­What will I do with 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core? As soon as she felt she had an answer, she found the solution to it all. She would settle things between Top-Gear and Low-Gear once and for all. One could call it a last resort. She decided this was an answer only she could have reached. A moment later, a large sword arrived within striking range overhead. Mikoku clenched her regenerated left fist. She quickly drew the Japanese sword it held. She was determined to make good use of 3rd¡¯s Concept Core. She took action as the first step toward the last resort she had just come up with. She intercepted the falling sword with her own philosopher¡¯s stone treated blade. Her sword broke and the cutting concept contained within lost control. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± The surrounding space was smashed to pieces and the automaton¡¯s gravitational control could no longer support the bridge. ¡°¡­!!¡± Immediately afterwards, the bridge exploded, sending out a destructive and noisy wind. Gyes closed her eyes against the wind. Mikoku had finished regenerating, so she would have easily been able to see through Gyes¡¯s attack. She could have readily made a counterattack and no one would have blamed her had she taken Gyes¡¯s life. However¡­ ¡°¡­?¡± Gyes was still alive. Why? she wondered as she opened her eyes. She looked on the broken bridge and through its gaping holes, but Mikoku was not there. Why? she wondered. Why didn¡¯t she attack me? She looked around from atop the stacked swords and below the dry sunlight peeking through the clouds, but both Mikoku and the dog really were nowhere to be found. She only saw Moira 3rd turning her head back and forth to look around. Moira 3rd also seemed confused by Mikoku¡¯s absence. ¡°What happened?¡± She tilted her head. ¡°That was her chance, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, it was.¡± ¡°I know, right? You would¡¯ve been pathetically cut down while filled with false triumph.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me pathetic!!¡± She got the girl in a headlock and poked at her, but Moira 2nd silently walked up to stop her. Gyes sighed. ¡­What does this mean? She had the perfect chance to finish me off. A broken sword was stabbed into the bridge at her feet. Mikoku had forcibly scratched at the bridge to leave behind a message. It said¡­ ¡°Sorry?¡± Why? asked Gyes. Why did she apologize and run off when she had effectively won? Unfortunately, Mikoku was not around to answer. She had left that single word and disappeared. Only the blowing wind remained. Only the chilly winter wind. Volume 12, 17: An Older Time Volume 12, Chapter 17: An Older Time Now, you are here To test your resolve To test what you must know Two sets of footsteps walked down a dark corridor. However, this corridor was not surrounded by walls. It was located between several partitions and machines. The footsteps traveled down a path lit only by the small emergency lighting. One set walked out ahead and the other remained a bit behind. The leading set was created by a pair of sandals. ¡°What do you think of the sixth basement, Hiba-kun? ¡­Of course, I only came here for the first time just a bit ago.¡± The leading footsteps produced a male voice and Hiba stopped observing his surroundings and faced forward. ¡°Um, well¡­ It feels like I¡¯m somewhere important.¡± Hiba, who wore a blue track suit and a bandanna, scratched his head. ¡°And I didn¡¯t expect you to be showing me around, Kashima-san. To be honest, I thought I was going to be lectured for losing the Concept Core.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. I can let Kazami-kun and the others handle that. I even have permission to film it. ¡­It¡¯ll probably be rated R15 for violence.¡± ¡°Why do you make it sound like that¡¯s a foregone conclusion!?¡± ¡°Calm down,¡± said Kashima, asking the impossible. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m not really the best person to show you around here. I¡¯ve only walked back forth on this main corridor. This is the sixth basement¡¯s uncompleted concept creation facility.¡± Hiba nodded. He had been told to come here only half an hour earlier, so it had been quite sudden. Until then, he had been holed up in UCAT¡¯s underground medical room. The night before, he and Mikage had apparently been rescued directly after Tatsumi¡¯s attack. He could only say ¡°apparently¡± because his medical treatment had been complete by the time he came to. The doctor had said his entire body had been damaged almost evenly. He had apparently fared fairly well for being punched by a god of war and slammed into the ground. Charms had been placed across his body and he had been given plenty of medicine. After half a day, he only felt a lot of fatigue and most of his injuries were beginning to heal. ¡­The real problem is¡­ Mikage. She was sleeping on the intensive care bed in a private room at the back of the medical room. Her injuries had primarily been the broken right arm and the chest wound. The doctors had said her right arm would heal nicely if she rested for another night. That made him wonder if they had let his injuries heal more roughly, but¡­ ¡­The chest wound. The philosopher¡¯s stone in Mikage¡¯s chest was gone. Specifically, it had fallen out onto the road. The blue stone had lost its light and split in two. The wound itself was healing. It was apparently less severe than Hiba¡¯s and her head had remained untouched, so she should have regained consciousness before him. Despite that, she had yet to come to. The Doctor said her brainwaves resembled those of sleep but were highly uniform. ¡­Like a sleeping machine. He wondered how long she would sleep, but he shook his head because there was nothing he could do about it. He shook off his unease and looked forward to Kashima¡¯s back. ¡°Um, how far are we going?¡± ¡°Just a little further. So do you know where this is?¡± Hiba tilted his head at Kashima¡¯s question. All he could see in the darkness and shadows was outdated-looking machinery, but that was only because of their old design. He had never seen anything like any of them. Several consoles and layers upon layers of piping joined together to create something. He noticed what he had previously thought was a wall was actually a number of tanks measuring several hundred meters tall. That was when he realized how massive this facility was. He maintained the tilt of his head. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a facility for creating concepts? That¡¯s what you said.¡± ¡°Sayama-kun called after obtaining Wanambi and you heard what he said about why this facility is here and why it was never completed, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I suppose,¡± said Hiba noncommittally while thinking. He had received a regular check-in from Sayama and according to the past that Sayama had seen below Izumo UCAT¡­ ¡°Shinjou-san¡¯s mother left behind altered data, right? She destroyed the facility below Izumo UCAT and left the people of Low-Gear with a¡­false theory?¡± ¡°Sayama-kun speculated that Shinjou Yukio could not stand to have the concepts used as weapons, so she altered the data on her theory before leaving for Top-Gear. That way, no one could use concept creation for war.¡± Kashima took a breath and scratched his head. ¡°It is true that Shinjou Yukio seems to have gone to Top-Gear and tried to create a space for Low-Gear there. So¡­¡± ¡°Even if she was doing it for peace, it must have been a shock to the people she lied to.¡± Hiba knew how Sayama and Shinjou lived at school. And he knew their parents had spent three years at that same school. ¡­Being lied to by someone like that couldn¡¯t have been easy. Then again, Izumo-san and Sayama-san sometimes lie to each other. I guess everyone¡¯s different, he thought. But then he remembered the past scene of Shinjou Yukio he had seen in the Kinugasa Library. What he had seen there made it hard to believe she could lie, but he wondered if that was his weakness for girls showing through. ¡°She was really committed to her decision, wasn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kashima nodded deeply and stopped up ahead of Hiba. ¡°Now, then.¡± He scratched his head as Hiba caught up to him. Once he did, Hiba saw what lay ahead of him. ¡°A metal bed.¡± ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Hiba thought. He thought deeply and added on an additional ten seconds before clapping his hands. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a new SM device, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Hiba-kun, you really are a member of Team Leviathan, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°O-oh, god. You think I¡¯m like them!¡± Kashima smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We will all accept you as you are¡­while keeping our distance.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve fixed the misunderstanding at all.¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± Kashima nodded and looked to the two meter metal bed ahead of them. ¡°Listen. It was only for a short time, but this place was made to store the Concept Cores to help build the concept creation facility. And since everything has been left untouched since the Concept Cores were stored here¡­¡± He lightly tapped the bed, producing a metallic ring. ¡°This bed is the same as the one built into Susaou¡¯s bridge to seal 2nd-Gear¡¯s Yamata. ¡­This is where Mikage-kun originally slept.¡± Hiba listened to Kashima. ¡°When Shinjou Yukio analyzed 3rd-Gear¡¯s concepts, she must have used the concept reading coming from Mikage-kun as she slept here. Also¡­¡± Also¡­ ¡°Mikage-kun was being treated as a mere concept container, so Hiba Ryuuichi may have wanted to take her in and that may have been the condition used to get him to fight for UCAT. ¡­That¡¯s my guess anyway.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hiba was left speechless and Kashima turned toward him with a hand on the metal bed. ¡°If I¡¯m right, why do you think your father wanted to take Mikage-kun in?¡± ¡°Are you saying you know why?¡± ¡°No.¡± Kashima hung his head and shook it. ¡°But I feel like I might. I¡¯m a father too, after all.¡± ¡°So it has to do with videos?¡± Kashima gave Hiba a serious look and frowned. ¡°Hiba-kun, this is hardly the time to be discussing that. ¡­Videos should be discussed in a calmer setting. Also, the lighting in here is awful and the sound is far too lively.¡± ¡°Yes, I guess you¡¯re right. I really don¡¯t care anymore, so can we get back on topic? Sorry.¡± ¡°You have a habit of not taking people seriously, don¡¯t you!?¡± Hiba nodded twice and tried to keep his cool. ¡°I¡¯d love to see some of your videos some time.¡± That put Kashima back in a good mood, so he nodded, tapped on the metal bed, and resumed speaking. ¡°I think your father was trying to protect Mikage-kun. He saw her as a person instead of a Concept Core.¡± ¡°But he died in that battle.¡± ¡°By that time, he already had you.¡± Kashima turned toward Hiba. ¡°As a father, I feel like I understand what it means to have a child you can leave things to.¡± With his eyebrows lying flat, he looked straight ahead and asked a question. ¡°Have you protected the person he left to you? ¡­I would never leave Harumi with a boy who couldn¡¯t protect her. So what about you? You couldn¡¯t protect her, could you?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± muttered Hiba before clenching his fists and breathing in. He knew the answer. He had not been able to. But just as his regret began dragging down his thoughts, Kashima said something more. ¡°Do you want the power to protect her?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Hiba frowned. What did Kashima mean by that? ¡°W-will you be giving me some kind of weapon? Like an ultimate Cowling Sword called the Goddamn Slayer!?¡± ¡°No, no. Not even I am that overly creative. You need something else right now.¡± Kashima smiled. ¡°You need to make yourself stronger.¡± His light comment contained a very simple idea. Oh, thought Hiba as he realized his thoughts had been running in fruitless circles. He lowered his shoulders a little before speaking. ¡°If only I could do that¡­¡± If he could do that, he would not have lost to Tatsumi. ¡­How can I get as strong as her? He and Mikage used Susamikado, a top-class god of war. But as humans, they had been no match for Tatsumi. And that led him to a certain fact. ¡­I won¡¯t be able to protect Mikage-san from anyone on Miki¡¯s level. He gulped at that conclusion and Kashima gave a deep nod in front of him. ¡°I understand your concerns. To put it on words¡­you were having dirty thoughts, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°N-n-n-n-no!?¡± ¡°Uh, why was that a question?¡± ¡°W-well¡­¡± Hiba briefly grew flustered. His thoughts had been perfectly serious, so why had he been unable to show any confidence in himself? ¡°I-it¡¯s possible my adolescent skills have manifested themselves on a subconscious level. In other words, my mind is always in firing mode, so I can¡¯t even trust myself!¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kashima pushed his glasses up his nose. ¡°Can I ignore that?¡± ¡°Go right ahead.¡± They both sighed, let their shoulders droop, and hung their heads. After a while, Kashima looked back up. ¡°Anyway,¡± he said while scratching his head. ¡°How about we begin training?¡± ¡°Training?¡± asked Hiba as he too looked up. ¡°Is there a 36th Chamber of UCAT or the UCAT Wooden Men or something like that?¡± ¡°No, but a personality modification room is in the works. We received quite a few requests to make one for UCAT Director Ooshiro.¡± ¡°Oh? Just out of curiosity, what does it do to people?¡± ¡°They stop moving.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re modifying something more fundamental than their personality!¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± Kashima smiled bitterly. ¡°At any rate, do you want to get stronger?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± He nearly gave a noncommittal answer, but stuck a hand in his pocket instead. He found two stones there. They were the two broken pieces of Mikage¡¯s evolution philosopher¡¯s stone. He wrapped his fingers around those solid shapes. ¡­If I¡¯m going to make sure this never happens again¡­ ¡°Yes.¡± He answered on reflex. And¡­ ¡­Ah. Even he was surprised that he had answered so honestly. Will this really work out? part of him wondered. But¡­ said another part of him. The night before, he had only been able to collapse onto the road with Mikage in his arms. He recalled that fact and nodded in his heart. He really did want to grow stronger. Meanwhile, Kashima nodded twice and quoted Hiba¡¯s answer. ¡° ¡®I¡­yes¡¯, hm? That is a linguistically odd answer, Hiba-kun. Or were you too lost in thought to notice?¡± ¡°J-just tell me how already!!¡± Hiba glared at Kashima, but he ignored it, stuck his hands in his pockets, and smiled bitterly. Afterwards, he softened his expression and faced the boy. ¡°Sorry about that. It was just such a great response. It showed you have a real reason to want this strength.¡± He inhaled and straightened up. ¡°After all, I once hurt someone important to me and tried to cast aside my power. And I continue to lie even now because of it.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Kashima did not directly answer that question. ¡°I want to know why Shinjou Yukio lied to everyone she cared about. And unlike me, you are the type of person who can get by without lying to Mikage-kun,¡± he said. ¡°So I will give you a chance to fight someone powerful. ¡­You must fight and struggle to grow stronger. That is the greatest way of achieving your goal.¡± Hiba then heard a new voice. It was doing an awful job of singing. ¡°Memories in the distance! Such a beautiful universe!¡± The song continued unopposed. ¡°Once the beam flashes! The northern hemisphere is destroyed! Now, the apocalypse has arrived! But the bikers! And bike shops! All survived!!¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s Atsuta-san, isn¡¯t it!?¡± Hiba saw a man suddenly appear right in front of him. He had sensed and seen no movement. ¡­The Art of Walking. ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon. Don¡¯t look so shocked when you predicted it was me and everything.¡± The man¡¯s short blond hair and sharp eyes were looking down on him from within arm¡¯s reach. ¡°Listen. The Great Atsuta here is going to give you some training.¡± His right hand reached for his back and pulled out a Cowling Sword. It was a bluish-white sword with a long, narrow, and straight blade. ¡°This is Prototype Kusanagi. ¡­It¡¯ll apparently be the greatest masterpiece yet, but it¡¯s a little too unstable. I¡¯m supposed to test it out.¡± ¡°Test it out? You mean on me?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Atsuta frowned and leaned forward to peer down at Hiba from above. ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy? You can fight a nice battle here. Lose and you¡¯ll die, though. ¡­And you know what? If you do die, 2nd-Gear will call that our official punishment for Japanese UCAT¡¯s lies and leave with Totsuka.¡± That meant this battle with Atsuta would be a redo of the Leviathan Road with 2nd-Gear. But Hiba gathered a bit of strength in his body and took a deep breath. He looked to Kashima who crossed his arms and nodded. ¡­Want to take a stab at it? The man seemed to be asking him that and Hiba trembled at the thought. This had to be what he wanted. ¡­I can gain the strength I need to protect Mikage-san. That thought settled it for him. He suppressed the slight tremor that Atsuta¡¯s powerful presence gave him and he asked a direct question. ¡°What happens if I win?¡± Atsuta¡¯s expression changed. His eyebrows shot up and he bared his teeth in a smile. He also tapped Kusanagi against his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve got guts. I¡¯ll have to cut them out of you. Listen up, little monkey. If you beat me, we¡¯ll pay you back for the help the girl who slept here gave us in sealing Yamata long ago.¡± Hiba listened to Atsuta. ¡°To pay you back, the development department will do everything it can to give you the strength necessary to wake up that sleeping beauty. That¡¯ll be enough, won¡¯t it?¡± A curtain kept the setting sun out of a white hospital room. The fluorescent light on the ceiling worked to overpower the scarlet glow of the curtain and the people inside the room cast a shadow both to the east and straight down. The shadows came from two humans and a creature. One was a girl in a school uniform sitting on a stool by the window-side of the bed. She was working on something using the black laptop on the side table. Next to her, a woman sat up in the bed. The woman had a creature resting on her stomach. It was a plant creature. Its fur was made of vegetation and it spoke to the woman in the bed using its thoughts. ¡°Went to school. Heo has lots.¡± ¡°You went to Heo-san¡¯s school, didn¡¯t you? And she has a lot of friends, doesn¡¯t she?¡± Heo, the girl operating the laptop, blushed when she heard that. She grew needlessly flustered and had difficulty coming up with an explanation. ¡°U-um, how should I put it? It was nothing I haven¡¯t told you about, Yui.¡± ¡°Heo. Heat.¡± Only then did she realize she was blushing despite having no reason to be embarrassed. ¡­I¡¯m not used to having people talk about me. She talked about herself a lot. On the days she visited Yui, she would tell her all about school, but Yui would always listen and ask just the right questions. She asked how she had felt about things, what she had thought, or why she had done something. When she gave a good answer, Yui would praise her and rub her head. When she gave a sad answer, Yui would say something quietly and rub her head. Yui¡¯s questions allowed Heo to confirm that she really had been there, so she appreciated it. If she ever had children, she wanted to listen to them in the same way. But that was all a self-report. Having someone else say what she had done felt kind of embarrassing. ¡°Sorry about that. ¡­I¡¯m not sure why I¡¯m so embarrassed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re embarrassed that someone else is talking about you?¡± She nodded, thought for a bit, and turned to the plant creature. ¡°If they say something bad, I can always correct them. But when they say something good, I¡¯m not sure how to correct them. It¡¯s kind of scary and makes my heart pound.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s a sort of verbal humiliation with you?¡± ¡°Verbal humiliation?¡± asked the creature. It took three minutes to correct it and prevent that unnecessary knowledge from reaching 4th-Gear as a whole. Afterwards, Heo sighed. ¡°What about you, Yui? If you hear something really, really good about me, but I say it isn¡¯t true¡­would you feel disillusioned about me?¡± As soon as she asked that, a weight reached her head. It was Yui¡¯s hand and the fingers slipped into her hair. ¡°Heo-san, would you really be able to tell me it wasn¡¯t true?¡± Heo thought for a bit before answering. ¡°Yes. Unfortun- ah.¡± She was interrupted by her surprise at having her head rubbed. She narrowed her eyes and her shoulders trembled at the ticklish feeling on her scalp. ¡°Um, why? I just said I was a hopeless girl.¡± ¡°You know, Heo-san? I won¡¯t be disillusioned to find you aren¡¯t what people say you are. But I would be disillusioned to find you cared more about what people say you are than what you really are.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The rubbing hand eventually slowed. ¡°I like honest people. I like people who don¡¯t lie, can apologize when they do something wrong, and think doing the right thing is so natural they don¡¯t feel the need to tell anyone about it.¡± ¡°R-really?¡± Heo raised her head and Yui nodded. ¡°Is there anything you aren¡¯t telling me?¡± Heo panicked. ¡­Something I haven¡¯t told her!? There¡¯s a lot of that. Will she forgive me if I tell her now? Well, this isn¡¯t very much, but she probably wants to hear about it. Um, uh¡­ ¡°L-last night, Harakawa said he didn¡¯t want me!!¡± ¡°My, how awful. He deserves to be executed for that.¡± ¡°N-no, I already got back at him plenty! I ate all the snacks he had bought, I stayed up late, and I ate the cake meant for both of us!¡± ¡°Oh, my. You¡¯re such a delinquent. How many calories in the cake?¡± ¡°W-well! It had a whole 666 calories! Kazami would have committed seppuku if it were her!¡± ¡°You really are a delinquent, Heo-san! You¡¯re on an entirely different level. You¡¯re a mega-delinquent!¡± ¡°Yes, I am a delinquent! And not just a mega one! I¡¯m a giga-delinquent! S-so I even wore Harakawa¡¯s shirt and slept in his futon last night!!¡± ¡°You wore my son¡¯s shirt and slept in his futon!?¡± ¡°Y-yes, and on my back!! It was a reverse full-body prostration!¡± ¡°A face-up reverse!!¡± The plant creature responded to this. ¡°Morning. Heo hugged futon. Called for Harakawa.¡± ¡°Y-yes, I did! I don¡¯t remember it, but I was probably talking in my sleep!!¡± ¡°You pass!!!¡± Yui rubbed her head hard enough to rock it back and forth. ¡­Huh? That wasn¡¯t just being honest. ¡°That was revealing everything¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t come back to your senses now, Heo-san. You need to get even more worked up!¡± The woman, girl, and creature clenched their fists, lowered down, and gathered their excitement. After about half a minute, Yui straightened up and smiled. ¡°Things are so fun with you around, Heo-san. There¡¯s plenty to look forward to now.¡± ¡°Why do I feel like I just made the mistake of a lifetime?¡± ¡°Heo T? Worried? Worried, Heo T?¡± asked the creature. ¡°Heo T?¡± cut in Yui. ¡°Heo called that at school.¡± Heo was embarrassed and worried Yui would find it childish. But the woman seemed to realize where the nickname came from. She looked to her uniform¡¯s nametag before speaking. ¡°I see. I guess that would make me Yui N, but that doesn¡¯t flow very well.¡± Heo tilted her head when she heard the initial N. ¡°Why N?¡± As soon as she asked, both the questioner and the questioned realized something. For Yui, this was probably her first time letting that slip. For Heo¡­ ¡­That¡¯s Harakawa¡¯s late father¡¯s name! I shouldn¡¯t have asked that, she realized while panicking. She quickly smiled and waved a hand back and forth. ¡°U-uh, then why not use the initial from Harakawa? You would be Yui H-¡­¡± She had dug her own grave.[1] Her hand and smile froze in place and Yui nodded. The woman gave her a serious expression and picked up the plant creature so it would face her. She then spoke to the creature. ¡°Heh heh heh. Heo-san just misspoke. If being Heo Thunderson makes her Heo T, being Harakawa Yui wouldn¡¯t make me Yui H. And once she becomes Harakawa Heo, she¡¯ll be H Heo.¡± ¡°H Heo?¡± asked the plant creature. ¡°Yes, H Dan and H Heo will make a wonderful H pair! Hooray, so much H.¡± As she listened to the woman and creature¡¯s conversation, a cold sweat poured from Heo¡¯s smiling face. ¡­This is a test! This is a test I have to endure after messing up twice! But the test suddenly crumbled away when the plant asked a question. ¡°Harakawa important to Heo?¡± However, it was not facing her. It asked Yui. ¡°What does Yui think? Harakawa important to Heo?¡± ¡­Eh? Heo saw Yui smile as the plant creature continued. ¡°Yui different from Heo. But understands Heo,¡± it said. ¡°Heo and Yui similar to 4th.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± That syllable escaped Heo because she felt like she had realized the purpose and meaning behind her renegotiation with 4th-Gear. The plant creature had not come for a dispute or ¡°just because¡±. ¡­It wants to know if we truly are complete individuals. Everything in 4th-Gear was either the manager Mukiti or the single entity that made up the entire world. To them, a fellow member of your race was another part of you that shared your same mind. ¡­They see someone trustworthy as a being that shares your mind. 4th-Gear¡¯s creature did not understand, but it was definitely interested. It wanted to know if people could understand others in Low-Gear. ¡°Heo. Lots of friends.¡± And¡­ ¡°Friends worried. Asked Heo ¡®are you okay?¡¯ ¡± The creature called for her. ¡°Heo T.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Used different name: Heo T. But still worried for Heo,¡± it said. ¡°Strange. What is Heo? Heo and others not together, but the same. Why? Where is the real Heo?¡± Heo decided to answer that question. She placed a hand on her chest and said what she wanted to say. She faced the plant creature and Yui as she spoke clearly to make sure it understood her. ¡°I am right here. But¡­¡± She smiled. ¡°I am not here.¡± Huh? she thought. I feel like I just said something strange. But she also felt this was the truth. Long ago, she had made a certain decision when faced with a battle. She had thought of her mother and the others she had lost, she had thought of all they had left her with, someone important to her had hinted at it, and she had desired to fly. There had been no need to think about people who were no longer with her, but she had anyway. ¡­They aren¡¯t here, but at the same time, they¡¯re here with me. And so she asked Yui a question. ¡°Who is ¡®Heo¡¯ to you?¡± Yui lifted up the plant creature and turned it toward herself. ¡°My Heo is the same as the Heo you saw. She cares for my son, she trusts him even when he pushes her away, and she trusts in the fact that she has him.¡± ¡°Everyone has everyone!?¡± asked the creature. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Yui. She lowered it and rubbed its head. ¡°We have you as well. So you too are both here and not here.¡± ¡°The same!¡± The creature¡¯s fur stood on end and it shook its body. ¡°Yui, the same. Heo, the same. Harakawa, the same. Heo! Heo T!¡± Heo nodded at its innocent thoughts and it began swaying left and right. ¡°Heo, the same. Sayama, the same. Shinjou¡­¡± ¡°U-um, let¡¯s not get carried away with who we¡¯re saying I¡¯m the same as!!¡± The creature tilted its head and Yui smiled bitterly. ¡°You¡¯re so cute, Heo-san. Take care of my son, okay?¡± There, she suddenly changed the subject. ¡°How about I tell you about my husband? ¡­It seems my friend won¡¯t stop me today.¡± The window was growing dark as the light of the setting sun faded. The curtain fluttered and Heo realized the window had opened at some point. Before, there had been an origami crane on the windowsill, but there was a piece of paper there now. ¡°Herrlich.¡± Yui picked up the white paper with that word written on it. ¡°I hear that boy left for work and hasn¡¯t come back. I bet he was lying about it being for work, but do you know why he doesn¡¯t quit his part-time job at the base when he has his job at UCAT?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Heo shook her head and Yui turned a bitter smile toward the paper in her hand. ¡°Herrlich,¡± she muttered under her breath. ¡°That boy is making sure he won¡¯t forget the time when we lived on the base.¡± Heo did not need to ask why. She knew Yui was about to tell her that. As for why she would tell her¡­ ¡°Will you¡­make me the same as Harakawa?¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s talk. I¡¯m sure he is learning even more than he already knew right about now. So I will tell you as much as I can.¡± Yui¡¯s expression grew serious. ¡°And all to help you become H Heo!¡± Harakawa could see clearly as soon as he came to. That could be due to the light or how clear his mind was, but it was more due to the light this time. A white fluorescent light shined down on him from a cement ceiling. He could clearly see the color of that light. ¡°¡­¡± He vaguely wondered why he was seeing it. It was on the ceiling, so he had to be facing up. However, he felt no strain on his neck, so¡­ ¡­I¡¯m lying down. Once his body¡¯s senses returned to him, he could tell what position he was in. ¡°Why am I lying down?¡± he muttered ¡°Oh, are you awake?¡± He recognized that voice, so he sat up. A moment later, he felt like his entire body was breaking or like some great impact had hit him. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°Your bones are all healed, but your muscles have yet to fully recover. I have extended them and set them in place, so forcing them to bend will feel like breaking your entire body.¡± ¡°¡­!!¡± Harakawa ignored that and got up. After letting out a breath and sitting up with his disheveled hair, he found he had been lying on a white bed. He also saw someone in front of him. ¡°Your name was Roger, wasn¡¯t it? ¡­So this is in American UCAT?¡± ¡°Testament. You are in American UCAT¡¯s medical room below Yokota.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He tried to nod, but began sweating instead. It was a sticky sweat. It felt like his movement had twisted his body and forced out the moisture. His arms trembled from the shoulder down and he could not gather strength in his fingers. His back was stiff and he had to tense his abs to make sure he did not collapse backwards like a clockwork doll. The joints of his back were all as stiff as if they were connected by a nail and he had to force his muscles to move properly if he wanted to bend so much as a finger. But he managed to move regardless. He gathered strength in his gut, slowly but surely pulled back his right leg, and used his hand to move it down from the bed. ¡°You are very stubborn.¡± He did not have it in him to listen. He only now realized there were white cloth partitions on either side of the bed. He was wearing a smock and his clothes were in a basket to the side of the bed. He put his jeans on first and then removed the smock. As he did, he noticed Roger¡¯s gaze. ¡°Are you interested in guys¡¯ bodies?¡± ¡°Not particularly. I was just surprised how well-toned you are.¡± Ridiculous, he thought. Anyone who had decided to live on their own would remake themselves in the same way. ¡­But¡­ He remembered coming across one person who had not really done that and that released his excess tension. His relaxed mood must have acted as a sign because he was suddenly able to move his body better, even if a little awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s cold.¡± His sweat had rapidly cooled, which meant no more sweat was leaving his body. He decided to get dressed as quickly as possible, so he put on his leather jacket. ¡°I had assumed you wouldn¡¯t be able to move for another half a day.¡± ¡°Are you basing that on the records of some little kid? If that¡¯s how long it takes your soldiers to recover, it says a lot about American UCAT.¡± ¡°To be completely honest, I was basing it on myself.¡± ¡°I get the feeling I can actually talk with you.¡± Harakawa adjusted his position on the bed and looked up at Roger. ¡°Will you show me the past?¡± ¡°I will not be showing it to you. The sand will.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one that makes the decision.¡± He received only a bitter smile in response. Roger pulled a small bottle of sand from his sleeve and held it in both hands. ¡°This is a blend of sand from Top-Gear¡­and this base.¡± ¡°That sounds like a bitter blend.¡± ¡°Testament. I was right to bring a dummy to the meeting yesterday. I don¡¯t have much of this left.¡± ¡°Left? I hear regularly imbibing the past isn¡¯t good for you.¡± ¡°You are more than qualified to see this.¡± Roger lowered his hands and placed his fingers on the bottle¡¯s lid. Roger did not ask if he was ready. He did not even ask why. It was like Harakawa had shown up just as he had wanted to show off a dream of the past. It was like this had been predetermined. It was like this had been promised. And it was like he knew exactly why Harakawa was here. ¡°¡­¡± Roger opened the bottle¡¯s lid with his fingers. After the small metallic sound, the man opened his mouth. ¡°The colonel said to give you what you wanted.¡± ¡°He probably went insane.¡± ¡°Testament. Then I too must be insane for obeying him.¡± ¡°You just do what you¡¯re told. Only your commander needs to be crazy. Any more would be too much trouble for the rest of us.¡± Roger laughed bitterly at that. It was not a very pleasant laugh, so Harakawa frowned. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°Nothing much. I just happened to have a very similar exchange over ten years ago.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Harakawa felt his hair stand a bit on end and he saw blue sand dance through the air. ¡°Now, the north wind still seeks the past even after it was broken, but what will it see there?¡± He heard Roger¡¯s voice. ¡°I hope that the north wind can blow once more.¡± A moment later, Harakawa¡¯s mind was taken away. He dropped to the depths of a dream. He fell into an abyss that began in this base and ended ten years prior. To learn what happened on that Osaka battlefield ten years ago, he fell. Notes 1. ¡ü In Japanese, H can mean perverted, lewd, sexual, etc. Volume 12, 18: Riddling Moebius Volume 12, Chapter 18: Riddling Moebius Important Person A train raced along below the afternoon sun. The two-car train was passing through a farming region. The rice had long since been harvested and the drying stands were covered only in straw. The silver train was decorated with blue lines and it shook as it followed a river along the land. It would occasionally enter a mountain, run through a rocky river bank, pass through a city, or cross the river. At the moment, most of the passengers were students and they sat in the long seats on either side or the shorter seats that faced each other. Some of them closed their eyes and slept, some read a book, and some looked out the window. A similar scene was found in the opposing seats at the back of the second car. A boy in a suit had a boar-like animal on his head, a girl with long hair had a small stone on her head, and they were both working on something. The boy was operating a large PDA and the girl was typing on a laptop. As the scene outside changed from a mountain to a river, the girl suddenly looked up. ¡°Wow, the scenery just opened up. ¡­We¡¯ve come down a good ways. You could only see the mountains before.¡± Her impressed voice led the boy in the opposite seat to look out the window as well. The window provided a view of the western sky. ¡°That would be due to Shikoku¡¯s geography. Shikoku is a treacherous land. The Shikoku Mountains even contain Mt. Ishizuchi, western Japan¡¯s greatest peak. We are taking the Tokushima Line which drops by about four hundred meters before reaching the ocean to the east.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shinjou nodded, turned to Sayama, and looked at him and the PDA in his hand. ¡°Are you talking with Wanambi? I hope so, since we went to all the trouble of taking a seaside route through Shikoku because 8th-Gear¡¯s reservation used to be there and the familiar air might make it easier to speak with him.¡± Her laptop responded to her question. A chat window opened. ¡°Can I talk?¡± ¡°I can talk.¡± ¡°This is Wanambi.¡± ¡°This is Wanambi?¡± ¡°This was Wanambi.¡± Wanambi had previously figured out how to speak with her via wireless LAN, but Sayama¡¯s PDA was the primary means of communication and they had learned quite a bit already. Their first surprise had been about Wanambi¡¯s very existence. ¡­He only exists in terms of heat and data. The Messengers of Wanambi were made up of stones and sand, but Wanambi was a thermal information life form that existed as data within them. Wanambi was the common factor created by the shared minds of all of 8th-Gear¡¯s residents, so to obtain a portion of him¡­ ¡­You need enough of the Messengers of Wanambi to allow him to exist. This Concept Core had no real form. It naturally appeared in the shared minds of the 8th-Gear residents when several of them were gathered. Wanambi was inside the PDA because several of those residents were contained inside it. The left grip of the PDA contained a clear portion much like a test tube and it contained a group of moving sand. They acted as guides to transform the PDA into a container for their shared consciousness. That was how Wanambi could manifest himself in the PDA. Normally, Wanambi would have vanished after they moved a certain distance from the Messengers of Wanambi in Izumo UCAT, but the one on Shinjou¡¯s head acted as an antenna to link the 8th-Gear residents in Izumo UCAT with the PDA. ¡­It¡¯s like they¡¯re electronics or something¡­ But as they had spoken with Wanambi and the Messengers that were a part of him, they had realized 8th-Gear¡¯s thoughts were not digital. Instead, they were based on the senses. For example, they loved playing shiritori, but different Messengers would choose different words. Wanambi would generally choose similar word patterns, but he would occasionally produce an unexpected word or mistakenly choose a word ending in ¡°n¡±. Their thoughts were quick, but unlike automatons, they actually made mistakes. And that was why they produced heat. The primary concept of 8th-Gear seemed to make heat into life. Interestingly, when playing shiritori with Wanambi, repeatedly giving him hard letters to start words with caused Sayama¡¯s PDA to gradually heat up. ¡°It is strange how he exist as heat itself.¡± ¡°Strange?¡± ¡°Is it strange?¡± ¡°It is strange.¡± ¡°That is Wanambi.¡± He would provide multiple reactions to a single word because his thoughts came from all of 8th-Gear. A glance over at Sayama¡¯s PDA showed an icon above the chat window. It was a rainbow-colored double helix with a black border. That represented Wanambi¡¯s presence and he claimed Shinjou Yukio had supplied the image. Shinjou Kaname had taught him to speak and Yukio had given him a form. And just earlier, Sayama had told him about the Leviathan Road. Sayama had explained the threat facing the world, how they planned to handle that threat, what had happened thus far, and that they intended to gain Wanambi¡¯s cooperation by responding to whatever demands he might have. However, Wanambi had only been talking about the past and jumping from topic to topic. That was continuing now as the train slowed in its approach to a station. ¡°Long ago.¡± ¡°A mountain near here.¡± ¡°Monster.¡± ¡°Field.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°There was a reservation.¡± ¡°Our reservation.¡± Wanambi¡¯s words were displayed in the window. Shinjou typed a question back. ¡°Why did you leave your reservation and move to Izumo UCAT?¡± ¡°Research.¡± More words followed that first one. ¡°Top-Gear.¡± ¡°Top.¡± ¡°To not be taken.¡± ¡°Wanambi.¡± ¡°This is Wanambi.¡± ¡°Shinjou and Sayama.¡± ¡°Go with.¡± ¡°Went with.¡± ¡°Came with.¡± ¡°So.¡± ¡°That is why.¡± ¡°You did it so you wouldn¡¯t be taken by Top-Gear?¡± Shinjou thought. ¡­There was a nonaggression treaty between Top-Gear and Low-Gear, wasn¡¯t there? Nevertheless, Wanambi claimed to have gone with Shinjou and Sayama out of fear of being taken. That generation¡¯s Shinjou would have been Yukio. ¡°Did my mom take you with her? Or did you go on your own?¡± She received an answer right away. ¡°On our own.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°What will happen?¡± ¡°The future.¡± ¡°But.¡± ¡°However.¡± ¡°Wanted it.¡± ¡°This is Wanambi.¡± ¡°Called fearful.¡± ¡°Called cowardly.¡± ¡°Told it would be fine.¡± ¡°But.¡± ¡°Avoided the possibility.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t want the possibility.¡± ¡°Sayama and Shinjou.¡± ¡°Went with.¡± ¡°Low-Gear.¡± A short pause followed. ¡°Once.¡± ¡°Long ago.¡± ¡°8th-Gear.¡± ¡°When we left.¡± ¡°When it was destroyed.¡± ¡°Told it was okay to go.¡± ¡°Given permission.¡± ¡°Said could stay here.¡± ¡°So.¡± And¡­ ¡°Shinjou and Sayama.¡± ¡°Shinjou.¡± ¡°Am here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t want to go elsewhere.¡± ¡°Coward.¡± Shinjou once more saw something she had heard during 4th-Gear¡¯s Leviathan Road. And this time, the names Shinjou and Sayama were in the reverse order. ¡­Yes. She typed a response to Wanambi. ¡°You aren¡¯t anywhere, and yet you were told to go to Low-Gear, weren¡¯t you? So you happily went there. But in the reservation, your concern over Top-Gear grew, so when my mom went to Izumo UCAT, you relied on her and moved there.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The other Gears.¡± ¡°Tried to take us.¡± ¡°Took us.¡± ¡°But only a portion.¡± ¡°For work.¡± ¡°For calculations.¡± ¡°But not just a portion.¡± ¡°Wanambi is the whole.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t tell.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t inform.¡± ¡°But.¡± ¡°Shinjou said.¡± ¡°Come.¡± ¡°With Wanambi.¡± Another pause. ¡°Remember.¡± ¡°I remember.¡± ¡°This is Wanambi.¡± And¡­ ¡°Taught.¡± ¡°Learned.¡± ¡°Game.¡± ¡°Shiritori.¡± ¡°Way to kill time.¡± ¡°Shinjou.¡± ¡°Kaname.¡± ¡°Had a child.¡± ¡°The same as that child.¡± ¡°The same.¡± ¡°Was the same.¡± ¡°Kaname-san taught you shiritori just like he had his child?¡± ¡°No longer cold.¡± ¡°Could think.¡± ¡°Could create.¡± ¡°Heat.¡± ¡°Warmth.¡± ¡°Time.¡± ¡°Created.¡± ¡°Felt.¡± ¡°Can feel.¡± ¡°Learned.¡± ¡°Learned to wait.¡± ¡°Was no longer cold.¡± ¡°Had heat.¡± ¡°Waited.¡± ¡°Waited.¡± ¡°Waited.¡± ¡°Waited for Shinjou.¡± ¡°For Shinjou to come.¡± ¡°Happy.¡± ¡°Delighted.¡± ¡°Joyful.¡± Shinjou felt a similar joy at reading those words. Shinjou Kaname¡¯s child would have been her grandfather. Around when that child had been born, Low-Gear had contacted Wanambi in 8th-Gear and interacted with him much like teaching language and games to a child. The other Gears had sought Wanambi¡¯s ability to perform calculations before that, but none of them would have taught him language, culture, games, or anything else unnecessary. The 8th-Gear residents had lived in an empty space where they would enter a state of hibernation if they did nothing and cooled, so what happened if they were taught a ¡°game¡± that allowed them to produce heat even when they had nothing to do? And after waiting for someone to play with them, what would they think when that person showed up? ¡­They¡¯d be happy, wouldn¡¯t they? Wanambi had given that same answer with a few synonyms. At that point, the train came to a stop. The station¡¯s name was related to studying, so students preparing for entrance exams would apparently buy the station¡¯s tickets for good luck. It was a long stop and a few of the doors closed to keep out the winter air. Even so, the chilly air made it inside and Shinjou became more aware of the train¡¯s heater. Meanwhile, text scrolled along her laptop¡¯s chat window. ¡°But.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t come.¡± ¡°Shinjou.¡± ¡°Shiritori.¡± ¡°Long.¡± ¡°Long.¡± ¡°Long time.¡± ¡°Remembered.¡± ¡°Words.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Always.¡± ¡°Waited.¡± ¡°For Shinjou.¡± ¡°And.¡± ¡°Then Sayama-kun¡¯s grandfather came, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°Confirm.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°Was told.¡± ¡°Was said.¡± ¡°Shinjou.¡± ¡°In Low-Gear.¡± ¡°Not lost.¡± ¡°Always there.¡± ¡°So.¡± Shinjou remembered seeing Sayama¡¯s grandfather from behind as he sat alone in 4th-Gear¡¯s past. ¡­So he was everywhere and yet nowhere, was he? The surname Shinjou had been passed on and the surname Sayama had been passed on, so even if those two from the past were gone¡­ ¡­A lot remains at UCAT, IAI, and the school. ¡°Do you have memories of Shinjou Kaname, too? Will those memories be around forever?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yes.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Suddenly, Sayama spoke up. ¡°Shinjou-kun, what did you just ask him?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She looked forward and saw shimmering heat rising from Sayama¡¯s PDA. It had undergone intense heating and the heat was caused by her laptop¡¯s chat window. The word ¡°yes¡± continued over and over again so quickly it did not seem to be scrolling at all. Sayama peered down at it from above. ¡°Are these the responses of all the 8th-Gear residents making up Wanambi?¡± The log file quickly grew into the gigabytes and their roll-call of a response ended only after eating up more than half the HDD. Shinjou checked the meter showing the remaining space on the HDD. ¡°Wow. How many Mega Shocks in a gigabyte, anyway?¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. Nothing to worry about, Shinjou-kun. Although the next time you ask a similar question, the chat log between you and Wanambi could very well blow out the HDD.¡± ¡°I need to be careful,¡± she sighed while relaxing her shoulders. She had learned one thing from that answer. ¡°You will follow the surname Shinjou, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Together.¡± ¡°Is here.¡± ¡°Because here.¡± ¡°Was here.¡± ¡°So be patient.¡± ¡°Was patient.¡± ¡°Patient?¡± Wanambi answered her question. ¡°Yukio.¡± ¡°Left.¡± ¡°Went away.¡± ¡°Left us behind.¡± ¡°Life is nothing but farewell.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shinjou was speechless. Oh, that¡¯s right, she belatedly remembered. ¡­My mom went to Top-Gear. ¡°I wonder why.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Do not know.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Sorry about that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize.¡± ¡°Must not.¡± ¡°Sadagiri.¡± ¡°Different.¡± ¡°No apology.¡± ¡°Wrong to apologize.¡± And¡­ ¡°Promise.¡± The text continued from there. ¡°Promised.¡± ¡°So.¡± So.¡± ¡°So.¡± Shinjou had definitely seen that word. ¡°Promise?¡± She had previously come across that word in a similar context. The plant creatures had mentioned it in 4th-Gear. And so she worked her dumbfounded mind. ¡­Did they have a similar promise? After that thought, something deep in her heart warned her of danger. Her experience was subconsciously telling her to be wary of this situation. ¡­What is this anxiety? What about this situation was dangerous? Wanambi seemed to adore the surname Shinjou and she sensed no hostility. But¡­ ¡°Sayama-kun.¡± Sayama looked up. Wanambi¡¯s side of the chat was displayed on his PDA, so he understood the situation. But he said nothing. That increased her confidence in her sense of danger. He was leaving this to her. And she once more thought about how similar this was to the situation with 4th-Gear. Back then, Sayama had carried out the Leviathan Road to fulfill the promise. So what about this time? she asked before realizing something. ¡­I¡¯m doing the Leviathan Road here. She then thought about the word ¡°promise¡±. When thinking in terms of the Leviathan Road, were these promises only between Wanambi and Shinjou or only between 4th and Sayama? ¡­No. She thought and remembered. She thought about the pasts she had seen over the course of the Leviathan Road, about the present, about everything, about everyone, about every world, and about every nation. ¡­We promised to make them all equal. And¡­ ¡°We said we would walk side by side.¡± At the same time, the train¡¯s doors closed. After a single shake, the train trembled and the scenery out the window began to move. As they picked up speed, Shinjou asked Wanambi a question. ¡°What promise did my mom make? What did she promise you when she left?¡± ¡°Talked.¡± ¡°Told us.¡± ¡°Lots.¡± ¡°A lot.¡± ¡°The past.¡± ¡°Concept war.¡± ¡°Concepts.¡± ¡°What she saw.¡± And¡­ ¡°Taught us.¡± ¡°Games.¡± ¡°Gave us.¡± ¡°New problems.¡± ¡°For thinking.¡± ¡°New problems? Like a quiz?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Called them.¡± ¡°Riddles.¡± ¡°When standing.¡± ¡°White.¡± ¡°When sitting.¡± ¡°Becomes red.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Sayama frowned at the sudden question and he wiped sweat from his brow. ¡°I would expect no less of your mother, Shinjou-kun. What a lewd and adult quiz.¡± ¡°No, the answer is the sun.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°Well done.¡± ¡°Wonderful.¡± ¡°Cheers.¡± ¡°Hooray, burnt noodles!¡± Shinjou listened to those words of praise and imagined her mother sitting in a chair and asking the stones riddles. She had spent her time with children in the orphanage, so playing games like that with the stones may have been a nice diversion from her work. ¡°So was the promise a riddle?¡± Shinjou asked what kind of promise it had been. ¡°Riddle.¡± ¡°Quiz.¡± ¡°Left with us.¡± ¡°Job.¡± ¡°Think about it.¡± ¡°Think and wait.¡± ¡°Then.¡± ¡°Surely.¡± ¡°Come to see us again.¡± ¡°To tell us the answer.¡± ¡°Shinjou.¡± ¡°You mean¡­ If you continued thinking about the answer, the surname Shinjou would come to see you?¡± ¡°Leave with you.¡± ¡°Want to leave with you.¡± ¡°Riddle.¡± ¡°Quiz.¡± ¡°Already met again.¡± ¡°Return.¡± ¡°Riddle.¡± ¡°Could not answer.¡± ¡°Unanswerable.¡± Oh, thought Shinjou. Wanambi did what Shinjou Yukio told him. He had been told the surname Shinjou would come to meet him if he thought about the answer. He had never found the answer, but¡­ ¡­He continued waiting. By returning Shinjou¡¯s unanswered riddle to a Shinjou, he was trying to return to how he was before. He was trying to return to being by Shinjou¡¯s side without having to wait. So Shinjou asked a question while thinking this must be her Leviathan Road. ¡°If you give me that riddle and I give you the answer, will you stay with us?¡± ¡°Condition.¡± ¡°Continue to wait.¡± ¡°Waited.¡± ¡°The riddle¡¯s answer.¡± ¡°Waiting.¡± ¡°Canceled.¡± ¡°Removed.¡± ¡°New Shinjou.¡± ¡°Go with.¡± ¡°Stay with.¡± ¡°Possible.¡± ¡°Discard old condition.¡± ¡°Not a problem.¡± ¡°Will work.¡± She had permission. ¡°Waited.¡± ¡°Continued to wait.¡± ¡°So.¡± After a while, Wanambi continued. ¡°Erase it.¡± ¡°The condition for leaving.¡± ¡°Please erase it.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t find an answer.¡± ¡°Give the answer.¡± So we no longer must wait.¡± ¡°Answer the riddle.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± said Shinjou with a nod. She knew it had to have been tough waiting and constantly thinking on that question for over a decade, but she also wondered if she could answer it herself. ¡­I need to answer it! With that thought, she spoke. ¡°Please give me that riddle.¡± ¡°Now, then,¡± said the text as if Wanambi had been waiting to say this. ¡°Time for the next question.¡± He gave a proper introduction. ¡°What does this Gear have.¡± ¡°But.¡± This Gear does not have?¡± Sayama saw Wanambi¡¯s question on the PDA. ¡­What does this Gear have yet not have? Those words reminded him of the past they had seen in Izumo UCAT. Specifically, something Shinjou Yukio had mentioned. ¡­There is something valuable that Low-Gear has but the other Gears do not. She had said she did not know what it was. But a possibility presented itself. ¡­Is that the same as this unknown thing that Low-Gear both has and does not have? Had she searched for it and found it? And had she then gone to Top-Gear? While he wondered about all that, he heard a hesitant voice. It came from Shinjou¡¯s mouth ahead of him. ¡°Um¡­¡± She frantically parted her bangs and briefly glanced his way. However, her expression was not a troubled one. He made sure to always check her expression, so he knew this was not caused by worry. ¡­She is hesitating. She was not struggling to find an answer to this question. She was hesitant to answer it. He wondered what this meant and Shinjou typed on her laptop. ¡°Are you sure?¡± she added to the chat. ¡°?¡± ¡°??¡± ¡°???¡± ¡°Sure?¡± ¡°Are we sure?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Shiritori? ¡°Sand.¡± ¡°Dust.¡± ¡°Ah, no not that,¡± said Shinjou aloud. ¡°Shinjou-kun, you have to use the chat.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± She blushed, faced the monitor, and resumed typing. ¡°Are you sure I only have to answer that riddle?¡± ¡°This.¡± ¡°This is it.¡± ¡°This.¡± Yukio.¡± ¡°Gave it to us.¡± ¡°Promised.¡± ¡°Until solved.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll come with us if I answer that riddle, right?¡± Sayama looked up when he saw that text. ¡­Could it be¡­? Based on what she had said¡­ ¡°Shinjou-kun, are you saying you know the answer?¡± ¡°Hm? Oh, sorry. No, I don¡¯t. But¡­I think I¡¯ve figured it out.¡± He wondered what she meant by that and watched her blush and smile. ¡°This will be really embarrassing if I¡¯m wrong, but I think it¡¯s right. For one thing, it was my mom that asked. ¡­Sayama-kun, do you remember a certain something that happened between us concerning the Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°Something that happened between us concerning the Leviathan Road?¡± He thought back to the massive amount of information of the past. The Kyushu hotel. Night swimming in the Seto Inland Sea on an isolated island. That evening in the dorm before May. The bathhouse during the spring. He remembered a lot and he used his hands to recreate the respective curves in the air, but he soon realized something. ¡­I am imagining a lewd Shinjou-kun! I must not disgrace her in my mind for my own convenience. Only do that when it is necessary! But he could not think of a reason why it was necessary here, so he remembered her more serious times instead. ¡­Yes, like when she studies at the window-side desk each night. He recalled how she sat there in the shirt she wore instead of pajamas. ¡­I can always glimpse the skin of her inner thigh below the shirt. After taking a bath, her skin has a way of drawing in my heart. ¡°Yes, just like a butterfly.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°You do not understand?¡± he asked while standing up without thinking. ¡°This means you are lewd even when you are being serious!! To describe it in a single word, you are lewdrious!!¡± ¡°No one would think that meant ¡®serious¡¯ too! And how in the world did memories of the Leviathan Road end up there? Honestly.¡± She sighed and gestured for him to sit back down. ¡°Do you remember what Gram said?¡± He sat down with the PDA in hand. Once he settled down, he recited the words in his memory. ¡­That was right after we had activated Gram, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°Gram checked to see if this world was governed by Low-Gear and said he had slept for nineteen years. And he went on to say we would see the development of history that began with us and ends with ¡®that girl¡¯. He called it the history of how everything came to an end or the ending chronicle.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I remember too. Thanks. I¡¯m glad I could check on that.¡± ¡°No need to thank me. You are the negotiator at the moment. But¡­is that it?¡± He had partially realized what her answer was, so he asked. ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°What do you think about this idea? Nineteen years ago, my mom was researching the Concept Cores and she would speak with any of them she could, teaching them about Low-Gear. And Wanambi helped her and had also helped the other Gears during the Concept War, so he had a lot of knowledge and my mom would discuss her questions with him.¡± ¡°I see. It sounds plausible. ¡­So what happened then?¡± ¡°My mom said Low-Gear has three things Top-Gear does not, right?¡± He gave an expressionless nod and realized she had stepped up onto the same stage of thought as him. ¡°Continue,¡± he said and she gave him the words she wanted. ¡°One of those was the one thing that Low-Gear has but the other Gears did not, wasn¡¯t it?¡± She spoke slowly and chose her words carefully. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a lot like this riddle? And¡­do you think my mom found the answer to that riddle on her own?¡± ¡°We cannot know that yet.¡± ¡°Answer me.¡± He realized Shinjou had lowered her head at some point. The way she hung her head and desired an answer reminded him of Wanambi. Not receiving an answer must have felt a lot like being forsaken. So he did not hesitate to speak his heart. Because without this answer, the person before him would not have been there. ¡°I think she did find it. I think your mother found that answer and the value of Low-Gear.¡± ¡°I wonder if she really did.¡± Shinjou gave a small smile and hung her head further. ¡°I want to believe she did.¡± She finished speaking and typed on the keyboard instead. ¡°The answer¡­¡± She typed without hesitation and the words appeared on the display. ¡°The answer is me.¡± Shinjou thought while typing her answer. ¡­I don¡¯t know. She did not know if this answer was correct. For one, when her mother had given this riddle, she had yet to go to Top-Gear. That meant Shinjou had yet to be born and her mother had yet to marry. So this was not the answer, but it was an answer. Shinjou typed and spoke aloud. ¡°Because of my body, I had always thought I was strange for a human of this Gear. But¡­if my body didn¡¯t change, I thought I would be exactly the same as a human from this Gear.¡± That had left her hanging between the two categories. ¡°I always thought I both was and was not a human of this Gear.¡± And¡­ ¡°I believe I will continue thinking that way.¡± But¡­ ¡°I want to stay with this Gear.¡± Therefore¡­ ¡°Am I not enough?¡± Am I¡­ ¡°Am I not enough of an answer for my mom¡¯s riddle?¡± Shinjou had asked a question of her own related to the question she had been asked. After that, she waited ten seconds. When nothing happened, she waited another thirty seconds, but still nothing happened. ¡°No reaction?¡± Did that mean her answer did not work? ¡­Is he cutting off all contact? There was no reaction on the chat and she felt a chill in the bottom of her heart. Was I wrong? she wondered. Maybe I should have expected that to be wrong. Was she not allowed as an answer since the riddle predated her? Was Wanambi shocked that she would try to give that kind of answer? She felt a beat in her throat and she reloaded the chat screen, but there was still no reaction. ¡­Was I wrong? She wondered what to do. This Leviathan Road had been left with her and she had taken Sayama¡¯s place, but she had made the other side completely ignore her. ¡°What-¡­¡± Just as she began asking what to do, she sensed some heat. ¡°Eh?¡± The heat came from overhead. She reflexively reached out and grabbed the Messenger of Wanambi. The Messenger was trembling a little. ¡­It¡¯s warm? Wondering what that meant, she looked up. She saw Sayama leaning back with his arms spread across the back of the seat. ¡°Congratulations, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°F-for what?¡± She held the heated stone in both hands and tilted her head. ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten the result yet, so it¡¯s too soon to congratulate me.¡± A moment later, a sound reached her. It was a warning from the laptop. It came from the mail software and she read it aloud. ¡°The incoming data is too great, so it is has been left on the server.¡± The amount of mail had gone beyond just gigabytes and it was being sent from¡­ ¡°It is from my PDA, Shinjou-kun.¡± She peered over and saw a few letters of the alphabet in the mail¡¯s title field. ¡°Testament.¡± Sayama then held out his PDA for her to see. Seemingly handwritten letters were dancing around the screen. They looked like they were dancing with joy, but they also spelled out words. ¡°This is Wanambi.¡± ¡°Starting now.¡± ¡°From now on.¡± ¡°Never have to wait.¡± ¡°This is Wanambi once more.¡± Shinjou responded to those words with thanks. Her thoughts had gotten through to Wanambi. Meanwhile, the train entered an open field. Past the field, a city could be seen below the setting sun. And beyond it¡­ ¡°Look, Shinjou-kun. The ocean. That is the Seto Inland Sea.¡± Beyond that inland sea was Sakai. As he looked that way, Sayama opened his mouth to speak to her. ¡°There, I am sure we will see where your mother ended up in the past. ¡­We will find the ultimate answer in relation to Top-Gear¡¯s destruction.¡± Volume 12, 19: Worn-Out Anticipation Volume 12, Chapter 19: Worn-Out Anticipation Do your best Below the darkening evening sky, two men stood in a rectangular clearing made in a forest. One was a young man wearing a white coat and holding a white sword. The other was a boy wearing a black T-shirt and black school uniform pants. The young man had a cigarette in his mouth and blew out some smoke. ¡°Hey, Hiba. You sure you don¡¯t want to do any meaningless warming up?¡± ¡°Y-yes, Atsuta-san. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Atsuta rested the Cowling Sword prototype named Kusanagi on his right shoulder. ¡°Then let¡¯s get to 2nd-Gear¡¯s renegotiation.¡± ¡°What are the rules?¡± ¡°Do we need any?¡± Atsuta sounded like he was spitting out the contents of his heart. He repeated ¡°c¡¯mon¡± several times while adjusting Prototype Kusanagi¡¯s position on his shoulder. A moment later, the air around Hiba suddenly grew clear and a certain phenomenon occurred. He heard a pulsation. The earth and the air that made up everything shook a bit around him. From Hiba¡¯s perspective, a tremor spread from his feet to his knees and shook his entire body. ¡­Eh? As soon as he questioned it, the sensation vanished as if he had only imagined it. ¡°Wh-what was that strange feeling?¡± ¡°Oh, that was a side effect of Prototype Kusanagi¡¯s cutting power.¡± Atsuta let a smile show on his face. ¡°The earth and air are trembling in fear of the blade. ¡­Don¡¯t you get it? This isn¡¯t like your fists there. Being handed something crazy like this is the true pleasure of being a swordfighter. But¡­¡± He erased his smile and held Kusanagi forward in his right hand. ¡°It¡¯s a prototype and that cuts the fun down some. Listen, kid. I¡¯ll set a rule that¡¯s not really a rule, so I hope you¡¯re thankful.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± Hiba frowned and Atsuta clicked his tongue toward the sky. ¡°Y¡¯see, a friend of mine made a prototype Cowling Sword like this once before. It had issues on the durability front, so it broke unexpectedly and got him a wife.¡± ¡°I feel like you¡¯re omitting quite a bit there, but I take it a lot happened.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not omitting a damn thing! Why can¡¯t you figure it out from what I told you?¡± Why is everyone in UCAT like this? wondered Hiba while hiding his misfortune behind a smile. ¡­I¡¯m not sure I can put up with how excitable this guy is. He¡¯s a lot like Sayama-san or Izumo-san. His worry was interrupted by Atsuta¡¯s annoyed voice. ¡°Three times.¡± He held up Prototype Kusanagi. ¡°After releasing its power three times, this Prototype Kusanagi will break. It¡¯s made that way so it won¡¯t cause any accidents, so¡­¡± He rested the sword back on his right shoulder. ¡°If I don¡¯t cut you down in the first three attacks, 2nd-Gear loses. But if you can stop me, then it counts as your win. How about that!?¡± ¡°My win? But, um¡­!¡± He had thought this was to help him train, but it had suddenly become an issue of life or death. He gulped, forced strength into his stomach, and opened his tense throat. ¡°I-if we both fail, it won¡¯t resolve anything!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what a fifth-rate failure would say, you idiot!!¡± That shout of anger seemed to stab through Hiba as he made excuses. ¡°In a fight, killing your opponent or stopping them are the only options, little monkey! The only people who start talking about failing are the lukewarm one¡¯s who don¡¯t want to do either. Lukewarm¡¯s only any good when you want to soak some squid for drying!!¡± Atsuta used his left hand to press a finger against his own head and moved it in a circle. ¡°Listen, idiot! Is there anything at all in your head!? Any brains!? Then is there anything in your stomach!? If you don¡¯t have any guts in there, you won¡¯t even make third-rate! And if you can do that, you should at least be able to be cut down by me and lose!¡± ¡°Third-rate? Fifth-rate?¡± Hiba searched his memories. He remembered being unable to protect Mikage the night before and he remembered Tatsumi¡¯s laugh. ¡­She called me weak. ¡°Then are you first-rate!?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m a sword god, stupid. Why are you trying to measure me by human standards?¡± Atsuta¡¯s voice gave Hiba a chill even in the wintery air. And it came from behind him. ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡­The Art of Walking!? The man had vanished in front of him and the voice had come from behind him. That meant he had used more than just the Art of Walking. ¡­He moved really fast. ¡°C¡¯mon now. Don¡¯t misjudge me, little monkey.¡± The shadow on the ground had Kusanagi raised to the upper right. ¡°Recite a poem, kid. A death poem. I¡¯m always singing, right? Make it something like that.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t do something that, um, tricky on such short notice¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother praising me, idiot. You don¡¯t have to give it much thought. Just say whatever¡¯s on your mind.¡± Hiba thought and spoke the first thing that came to mind. ¡°Heh heh heh. C¡¯mon, stop. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m a young girl of fifteen.¡± Immediately afterwards, a great roar ran through the sky. The deep sound traveled through the sky. It reached some newly prepared land one level lower than the source of the sound. The prepared land was raised slightly above the surrounding forest, a blue tent was set up there, and two men sat on a mat laid out in front of the tent. One was an elderly man in a navy blue Japanese outfit and the other was a young man in a lab coat. The young man looked through his glasses to view the source of the sound through the mountain forest. ¡°Oh, sounds like it¡¯s begun. I asked you for help setting this up, so what do you think of the fight, Hiba-sensei?¡± ¡°How does it look to you as a military god, son of Kashima?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Kashima smiled bitterly and realized what Ryuutetsu had said. ¡°Son of Kashima? Do you know my father?¡± ¡°We¡¯re field buddies. Especially since last month when our idiots went at it with Chao¡¯s idiots.¡± He looked to the tent behind him and the recently levelled earth there. ¡°My house was blown away pretty spectacularly. I came back from the field and found it gone. Toshi was so confused she tried to hit me with a hoe. ¡­After that, your parents and the others around there shared a lot of food with us. Those squashes were really good when cooked.¡± ¡°Th-those were grown by my wife. I imagine they were quite good.¡± ¡°Yeah, they had a really nice flavor.¡± ¡°Yes, they would have. I remember Natsu-san saying she had given my portion to someone in need. ¡­So it was you that stole a portion of my happy family life! Give back those squashes! Please give them back!¡± ¡°Why did you even come over here?¡± Kashima hung his head, sighed, and opened the laptop sitting next to him. ¡°Ahh, ahh. I hope your grandson will be okay.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make that sound so forced. And are you sure that first attack didn¡¯t already kill him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Whatever the case, I hope he can get out of this with no regrets.¡± ¡°Fat chance of that. ¡­Ryuuji¡¯s too soft.¡± Ryuutetsu lay on his side and Kashima asked him a question. ¡°That would be a problem for both of us. But are you serious about that?¡± Kashima showed the old man his laptop monitor. The window only showed a gentle pulsation on a horizontal line graph. ¡°That sound wasn¡¯t from the Prototype Kusanagi.¡± He remained expressionless but turned toward the mountain forest. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be hoping he puts all of his effort into this.¡± Hiba swung his body back and to the right as if twisting it and then stopped moving. He had made a backwards jab with his right elbow. He aimed directly below where he had heard the voice. He lowered his hips and twisted his feet to send the strike directly into Atsuta¡¯s solar plexus. The roar of the attack was the combination of his foot stomping on the ground and his elbow striking. He had chosen his elbow for attack. A surface attack would not penetrate the anti-shock ability of Atsuta¡¯s combat coat. The wider the surface, the more the impact would disperse and grow dull. The end of an elbow was sharper and thus more powerful than the surface of a fist. ¡­And I won¡¯t turn around, so it can catch Atsuta-san off guard. It was the very first attack, the enemy was behind him, and he was being treated like a weakling. All of that increased the odds of success for a rear attack. And the attack had indeed succeeded. Hiba felt the blow land perfectly. However, he heard a voice from above and behind his head. ¡°The hell was that?¡± It was Atsuta¡¯s voice. The vibration of the voice passed through Atsuta¡¯s stomach and Hiba¡¯s elbow. Hiba felt that vibration coming from his elbow. ¡­It isn¡¯t¡­stopping? ¡°Are you even listening?¡± Even after the question ended, the vibration coming from Atsuta did not stop. In fact, it grew stronger. Hiba realized this was not the vibration of a voice or of pain. ¡­This is anger. ¡°Did you really think that puny elbow would work on me?¡± Hiba¡¯s elbow felt something other than the vibration. It was a compact sensation much like a weight or pressure. Atsuta was disappointed in the attack, his body trembled in anger, and he built up pressure in his body. Hiba reflexively turned around and took a step back to check on the man. Atsuta¡¯s eyebrows were raised, he was looking straight forward, and he had a smile on his lips. No, it was not a smile at all. His face twisted as he gathered strength and it simply resembled a smile. ¡°Just so you know, if that was your full strength, then none of your attacks will work on me.¡± So¡­ ¡°Just let me cut you three times and then scatter in the wind!!¡± This time, a true roar shook the air. The Prototype Kusanagi produced silence. After swinging the sword, Atsuta initially felt something fire from the blade. ¡­The hell was that? Normally, a Cowling Sword cut using the power of the concept contained within. When swung, it would either emit the power from the blade or have it reside in the blade. But the Prototype Kusanagi was different. As a sword god, Atsuta could become one with a sword when he swung it, so he understood. As the strike descended, it created more than mere concept power. ¡­Energy. But this energy did not surround him like an aura. Like murderous intent or one¡¯s gaze, it continued on and on into the distance. ¡­Shit. This thing¡¯s dangerous, he realized. He came to an instinctual understanding of how Kusanagi worked. It was unlike a normal Cowling Sword. The difference came in the instant after swinging it. ¡­Kashima!! What was that son of a bitch thinking!? Not even he could use this Cowling Sword, he thought. ¡­This Cowling Sword isn¡¯t a sword at all. This Prototype Kusanagi isn¡¯t a sword at all! It did not produce power from its blade. ¡­Swinging it intimidates the surrounding space itself into becoming a sword!! The ruler¡¯s sword filled the world with fear and then cut through it. A moment later, Kusanagi activated. Instead of sending a cutting power along the path of its gaze, it brought its own presence there. It did not matter what stood in its way, whether it was the air, the earth, or anything else. Not even sound, light, or empty space was an exception. Kusanagi¡¯s might shot through the area that was filled with its energy. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± Atsuta¡¯s arm trembled. The hand on the hilt shook, his muscles distorted, and his flesh leaped like splashing water. ¡­Whoa! He could become one with a sword, but Kusanagi was too powerful a blade even for him. The hilt and blade before his eyes was only Kusanagi¡¯s temporary form. The gaze it sent out was where the true Kusanagi would appear. His right hand trembled violently. It was almost jumping around or undulating. The idea was simple. Kusanagi¡¯s presence was so great that it was sending recoil back into his arm. This sword was too great for even a sword god to hold it one-handed. ¡­I see. Atsuta realized why Kashima had given him this sword. As a military god, he had created a sword that only Atsuta, a sword god, could use properly. ¡­Are you trying to turn me into your sword!? ¡°If that¡¯s how it is¡­!¡± Atsuta placed his left hand on Kusanagi as it raged at the bottom of its swing. He pressed in from the left to suppress his shaking right hand and a powerful smile reached his lips. ¡°Then I¡¯ve gotta use this thing right!!¡± With that yell, he squeezed Kusanagi in his grip. ¡°Ahh!¡± With a shout of focus, he lowered his hips a little, and worked to restrain the struggling blade. As a sword god, he instantly grabbed the hilt like a man is meant to wield a sword. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± As soon as Kusanagi stopped trembling, a cutting blast covered an area of several hundred meters ahead of him. It looked like it was suddenly placed inside the scenery, but the earth was instantly torn up, the air was split apart, and explosions filled it all. The forest and slope were swept aside and felled with a sound resembling surging waves more than a roar. It all happened in an instant and Atsuta let out a breath once it was over. ¡°Now this is interesting!!¡± A figure adjusted his two-handed grip on Kusanagi. He relaxed his entire body, raised Kusanagi without any excess movement, and stepped forward. He moved toward a boy lying on the ground. It was Hiba. The previous attack had been aimed at the boy, but he had only been blown away by the after effects since Atsuta had not known how Kusanagi activated. He had missed. A normal Cowling Sword emitted concept power or cut with its blade. But Kusanagi required a proper intent to cut on the wielder¡¯s part. Atsuta realized that Kusanagi was not a sword that obeyed a sword god. It was a sword on the same level as a sword god. So if that sword god wielded it halfheartedly, it would only manifest itself halfheartedly. That was what had happened just now. If Kusanagi had truly activated¡­ ¡­Everything along the line of its gaze would have transformed into cutting power as I swung Kusanagi. This Cowling Sword could only be wielded by a sword god and it manifested itself in accordance with that sword god¡¯s will. ¡­This isn¡¯t cutting with the power of a concept. It¡¯s more like cutting with your own gaze. He was now directly connected with a blade that could cut through even a dragon. Atsuta expressed that feeling as follows: ¡°This is what I call interesting.¡± He sensed movement seven meters ahead. In the shower of scattering fragments of crust, a boy slowly stood up. He was gasping for breath, covered in sweat, and trembling. But Atsuta¡¯s thoughts made a 180 when he saw Hiba. ¡­How boring. His interest was in Kusanagi, not in Hiba. The best part about this prototype Cowling Sword was its power and the fun of using something so hard to control, but¡­ ¡­It does have a weakness, too. He had to check on that. However, he still had this match to take care of, so¡­ ¡°Hey, little monkey.¡± He addressed Hiba who somehow managed to get to his feet. ¡°¡­¡± He was too out of breath to reply, so Atsuta began to move. He used the Art of Walking to vanish from Hiba¡¯s eyes. ¡°Hey.¡± The very next moment, Atsuta had moved up to Hiba and lifted the boy up by the collar of his T-shirt. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± Atsuta saw him shrink back in surprise as he dangled down. Whether from the previous impact or from fear, there were tears in the corners of the boy¡¯s eyes. They filled Atsuta¡¯s heart with disgust. ¡­Pathetic. ¡°Listen up, you. ¡­Just lose this thing already.¡± Hiba¡¯s eyes opened wide and Atsuta wondered what there was to be so surprised about. ¡°I had decided to take you on, but Kusanagi here¡¯s way more interesting than you. So lose this thing already. I¡¯ll let you off if you bow down to me. ¡­It¡¯s better than dying, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t do that,¡± quietly said the boy. It sounded like an excuse and Atsuta felt his heart cool. This ain¡¯t good, he thought of himself. It¡¯s fine when I¡¯m excited. I try to enjoy things with my opponent then. ¡­But¡­ Things changed when he got oddly calm like this. Even as he wished he could regain his excitement, he could tell his eyes were narrowing. ¡­This is hopeless. The boy dangling before his eyes was trembling in fear of what he might do. ¡­This guy¡¯s hopeless. ¡°Know your place.¡± Oh, I¡¯m pretty cool when I¡¯m criticizing people. But this still ain¡¯t good. This is where I¡¯m supposed to lecture him. I¡¯m supposed to yell at him, hit him, and give a good punch. This really ain¡¯t good. Don¡¯t think like that. It won¡¯t lead anywhere good. It isn¡¯t like the Great Atsuta at all. This guy¡¯s nothing. He stood up to me, thinking he¡¯s some kind of big-shot, but one attack later and he¡¯s flinching back. He¡¯s this close to me, but he isn¡¯t doing anything other than watching to see what I¡¯m gonna do. He¡¯s that pathetic. Don¡¯t tell yourself you don¡¯t want to fight him. You know that won¡¯t end well. ¡­But I don¡¯t want to fight him anymore. Didn¡¯t I just say not to tell yourself that? Yeah, that¡¯s right. Sigh, tilt your head, and look down on him. This is when Ryouko would¡¯ve stopped you in the past. ¡°Apologize.¡± He opened his mouth. ¡°If you won¡¯t apologize for yourself, I¡¯ll give up on you as the most pathetic of the pathetic who can¡¯t apologize for being weak or even really reach the level of being ¡®weak¡¯ in the first place. How about it?¡± He paused. ¡°I¡¯ll give you five seconds. Five.¡± Once he said that, something appeared before his eyes. Realizing it was a fist, he caught it. He used his forehead to stop the fist Hiba swung at him. The blow landed, producing a nice reverberating sound, but Atsuta was a sword god at the moment and that alone nullified any human attack. This attack was no different from the elbow from earlier. Plus, an attack thrown while dangling in midair was not going to be very effective. ¡°Four.¡± A leg arrived and that movement seemed to signal the beginning. ¡°¡­!¡± A fist arrived, then a chop, an elbow, and a knee. The attacks hit his head, his neck, his shoulder, his side, his gut, his crotch, and his vitals. But none of it did anything. ¡°Three.¡± As Atsuta counted down, Hiba continued his meaningless attacks like a child. That idiot, thought Atsuta as a chill filled his mind. He¡¯s crying. ¡­He really is stupid. This was no time for sympathy and Atsuta had no intention of showing any. This boy had agreed to fight a sword god. Despite the difference in strength between a god and a man, he had set foot into this arena where he could easily die. The boy had misjudged what that meant. He had completely failed to realize he would be blown away by the very first attack or just how much damage it would do. Most likely, his body was recalling another incident. ¡­His defeat from last night. He had been knocked away by a god of war and slammed to the ground. That was much like being hit by a car and his body remembered that damage in the form of fear. ¡°Two.¡± Atsuta could feel the boy trembling, but it was not caused by his present fear. It came from the fear of the damage he had received the night before and from the realization that the one he cared for had been injured. With his wounds healed, he must have assumed he had forgotten that fear. ¡­But his body remembers when he received similar damage. ¡°Ah!¡± Hiba¡¯s strikes and kicks no longer had any proper form. Tears flowed down his face and his mouth opened as he sobbed. His movements were nothing more than protests at the fact that his strength was hopelessly insufficient. Does it seem unfair? wondered Atsuta. But you¡¯re the one at fault here. After all, he had lost the night before and had yet to shake off that fear. ¡°One.¡± Atsuta sank down so he could toss Hiba into the air and immediately swing Kusanagi down at him. But he still spoke to this pathetic enemy. ¡°If you¡¯re gonna hate anyone for this, hate yourself. This was your fault for not realizing how weak you are.¡± And¡­ ¡°Zero.¡± Just before the final number was given, Hiba stopped moving. ¡­Weak¡­ Tatsumi had called him that the night before and this opponent had done so again. Yes, he agreed while relaxing his arms and legs. ¡­I really am weak. He also relaxed his clenched jaw and felt tears spill down his cheeks. What was this? Whatever the result, there was nothing he could do. ¡­But I still don¡¯t like it. He did not like it, but he had to accept it. He had no way of changing it, so that was his only option. ¡­But if I had more strength, it wouldn¡¯t have turned out like that! The words ¡°what if¡± entered his mind. But there were no ¡°what ifs¡± when it came to the past. He knew that. He knew it, but he still did not like it. And that regret definitely did exist in his heart. So he thought about what to do to keep himself from feeling that regret again. ¡­What if I could get stronger? Instead of thinking about the past, he turned his ¡°what if¡± toward the future. What if? What if he could rid himself of his weakness? ¡­No. His attacks were of no use against the sword god before his eyes. No matter how strong he grew, there were some things he could never overcome. I am weak, he told himself. Even if I grow stronger, I¡¯ll still be weak. Even with the help of Susamikado and Mikage, he was only borrowing their strength and he had no more strength than any other human living in the real world. That¡¯s right, he realized. Then no matter how hard I work, I¡¯ll still be weak. But in that case¡­ ¡­Isn¡¯t that perfectly normal? Then why? Why? ¡­Why is everyone acting like I¡¯m not allowed to try and fight when I¡¯m still weak!? If he could be strong when wielding a great power or weapon, wasn¡¯t that enough? ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He did not even hear Atsuta speak the final number. But he did hear the word in his heart. ¡­That isn¡¯t right! He did not know what was not right or how it was not right, but he knew that it was not. Once, a white god of war had made a pursuit and fought despite being outmatched. An American UCAT mechanical dragon unit had fought a large black mechanical dragon. Hiba¡¯s own upperclassman and a girl younger than he was had even fought the dragon. And another of his upperclassmen would face enemies of any number or any size with nothing but a pair of wings and a spear. Yet another upperclassman would confront his enemies while declaring his righteousness and without carrying a single weapon. That was why it was not right. It was not right to remove him from the battle just because he was weak. One could be removed from the battlefield when¡­ ¡­When they let out a scream and run away. The others did not do that. And the night before, he had held the person who mattered most in his arms to the very end. He was afraid. His entire body was still experiencing a refrain of the impact and noises of Typhon¡¯s strike. ¡­But I didn¡¯t do that! I didn¡¯t let out a scream!! That transformed into another sentence inside him. He fought because he was weak. And he announced what that meant in his heart. ¡­That¡¯s what you call struggling!! Atsuta finished his countdown and prepared to throw Hiba into the air. But¡­ ¡°!?¡± Before he could instruct his hand to move, his fingers reflexively let go of the boy¡¯s collar. ¡­What? He felt pain. A stabbing pain filled his left thumb. He looked down and saw a chunk of flesh bitten out of the thumb¡¯s base. ¡°Oh!¡± he said in surprise before realizing what had happened. Hiba had kicked off his arm and, when he landed in a crouch, he spat something to the side. ¡­C¡¯mon, really? That¡¯s a part of my body. Don¡¯t be tearing that off and throwing it away. Aren¡¯t you going to at least give it back? But at the same time, Atsuta felt a slight strength pulling up on the corners of his mouth. ¡­C¡¯mon, really? What do you think you¡¯re doing, me? ¡°Hey!!¡± He held Kusanagi tightly in both hands and raised it overhead. And he literally jumped toward his prey. ¡­Now this is getting interesting!! Hiba could tell he was trembling. ¡­I¡¯m afraid. He had acted on a sudden impulse much like anger, but fear had taken ahold of his body. Just a slight graze from that sword¡¯s attack had pummeled his entire body, so a direct hit would end this immediately. It had been the same the night before. He had only survived because Tatsumi had not really seen him as her opponent. She must have only been after 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core. He felt she had implied he was not even worth killing. ¡­But I need to stop her. Tatsumi was his Top-Gear counterpart and she claimed to have killed his father. That made it his duty to stop her and those working with her. He had to stop her no matter what. It did not matter if he was afraid, if he was pathetic, if he was tossed through the air, or if he could not move. He had to stop her regardless. This was the same. The attack was preparing to drop down before him. ¡­What should I do? He had no power and his attacks could not reach his opponent, but that did not necessarily mean he could not stop the man. ¡­So I can¡¯t give up here! He always had the strength known as Mikage by his side. That gave him access to striking power, piercing power, weight, speed, defense, flight, size, beauty, and coolness. He did not have any of that now. All he had was¡­ ¡­My own way of fighting! He had been taught not to rely on the god of war as he fought and he had been taught to assume the battle never came to an end. The sun king and moon princess had taught him to fight to his very limits and the youngest of the four dragon brothers had taught him strength was independent of size. He refused to believe he had not gained anything from those battles. He lifted his trembling body, starting from the back, and leaned forward. He almost toppled forward, but he could form a running stance by moving his knees forward. ¡°Oh¡­¡± He kicked off the ground behind him. ¡°Ohhh!!¡± He charged toward Atsuta with enough force to leave behind his shaking. He did have some things: speed, his short frame, and the combat techniques passed down by the Hiba family. Altogether, those gave him overwhelming mobility. His low weight and height did not put much force behind his attacks, but he was second to none in speed and quick turns. His opponent was a sword god. A military god might have been able to keep up with him, but¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± As he ran, he tilted to the right and jumped. He shot past Atsuta to the right. The man had yet to swing Kusanagi. As Atsuta started to turn around, Hiba twisted his body. To throw a reverse roundhouse kick, he turned his body by 180 degrees as he ran. Kusanagi caused the earth to pulsate below his feet. The sword¡¯s tremor filled the wind. A tremor of fear remained in his body. If he let down his guard for even a moment, he would be assaulted by the phantom sound and pain of the blow he had taken the previous night. He just barely made it. He felt like he was running on the edge between himself and the world. As soon as he spun around, he leaped right, which was to Atsuta¡¯s left as he turned around. Atsuta was right-handed, so the raised sword was tilted to the right. By jumping to his left, Kusanagi¡¯s strike would reach Hiba slightly later. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± Hiba lowered down and poured all of his strength into his body. And he used it all to turn around. But the sword god made his move. Atsuta used a simple method of swinging Kusanagi more quickly. While facing straight toward Hiba, he got down on his left knee. By lowering his body, he sped up Kusanagi¡¯s fall by that much more. ¡°!?¡± Atsuta¡¯s decision surprised Hiba, but it did not matter. Hiba bent back and to the right before jumping into the air. He swung his arm and leaped as if trying to lean back and pass through the pulsation shaking the air. Immediately afterwards, Kusanagi¡¯s strike arrived. Atsuta watched Hiba. ¡­He¡¯s a fast one! Not even a low level military god could move that fast. Not even a mid level sword god would have been able to keep track of his movements. But Atsuta worked alongside a top level military god and was a similar level of sword god himself. He could follow Hiba¡¯s movements and he could predict what the boy was trying to do. So he went down on one knee and swung his sword while planted solidly on the ground. Kusanagi¡¯s energy shot out much like a gaze. It was filled with intent to kill. Atsuta twisted his arms and fired Kusanagi while feeling the delicious sensation in his entire body. However¡­ ¡°!?¡± Something unexpected happened. Kusanagi¡¯s intent to kill was deflected as he swung it down. ¡°What!?¡± The feel of the sword told him Kusanagi¡¯s killer intent had gotten jammed in something that could stop a gaze. That something was a fist-sized stone. It had come from Hiba¡¯s hand. Hiba had run and leaped while turning toward Atsuta, but he had also thrown a stone that had been exposed when Kusanagi tore into the ground earlier. Hiba¡¯s speed and Atsuta¡¯s focus on Hiba himself had prevented Atsuta from noticing the stone. Kusanagi¡¯s blade struck the stone. ¡­Dammit!! I¡¯m still not used to using this thing! He lost control and Kusanagi activated early. Its power sliced through the sky. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± The scarlet sky was split for several hundred meters into the heavens. The air rumbled and wind blew in. Hiba ran through the descending scarlet wind as he circled toward Atsuta¡¯s kneeling back. Atsuta stood up and took a quick step forward to move away from Hiba. The movement of the wind told him what Hiba was doing. ¡­This is getting interesting. He heard something a lot like a sharp blade, but it was Hiba picking up another stone. He could tell Hiba was trying to win by having him activate Kusanagi a third time. The boy was trying to stop Atsuta by doing that. ¡°This really is getting interesting!¡± Atsuta turned forcefully around to face Hiba. ¡°If you can stop this blade, I¡¯d like to see it!!¡± Hiba spun around and charged in while Atsuta swung Kusanagi down toward him. The boy was five meters away. And that distance shrank as Hiba approached. In an amount of time one could call an instant or a moment, Atsuta saw something. Hiba had thrown a stone toward Kusanagi¡¯s raised blade. It was a snap throw from the left hand rotated behind his back. The throw took a parabolic arc from behind him and over his head. If Atsuta had only been watching Hiba, he would not have noticed it. But Atsuta saw it. And so he switched his stance. He placed his left palm on the bottom of Kusanagi¡¯s hilt and pried the blade into a low position. He also shifted his body to the left so Hiba would pass by to his right. When Hiba did so, Atsuta would cut through him from below. With Hiba¡¯s speed and Kusanagi¡¯s activation, Hiba¡¯s torso would be cleanly sliced in two. Even if Hiba tried to attack, none of his blows would affect Atsuta. Dodging was the boy¡¯s only option and the best he could do was take a wide circle around the man. ¡°This is over!¡± Atsuta held Kusanagi like a bat and began to tilt the tip behind him. At the same time, Hiba made his move. He neither dodged nor made a meaningless attack. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± Atsuta was briefly unable to react to Hiba¡¯s action. However, his reflexes as a sword god chose the most effective attack. ¡°Ohhh!¡± A moment later, their clash came to an end. In the forest below, Kashima looked up from in front of the tent set up on a raised area of land. He was frowning a little. ¡°Is it¡­over?¡± Next to him, Ryuutetsu stared up into the scarlet sky while still lying on the mat. ¡°It must be,¡± said the old man. ¡°I don¡¯t hear anything anymore.¡± He sat up and rotated his shoulders to loosen them. ¡°How about we go check on them? They¡¯ll get cold if we leave them there.¡± Atsuta saw Hiba¡¯s face so close that their foreheads were about to hit. Hiba was smiling a little, his forehead was drenched with sweat, and he was not moving. ¡°Is he unconscious?¡± asked Atsuta. He shook his head, clicked his tongue, and checked on their situation. They were facing each other. Atsuta held Kusanagi near his right shoulder with the blade thrust forward. And Kusanagi had stabbed into its target. That was Hiba. Kusanagi¡¯s blade had pierced the left side of the unconscious boy¡¯s chest up to the hilt. Atsuta had not done that. ¡°Did he run in and stab it into himself!?¡± Atsuta realized what Hiba had done. ¡­You idiot. Before the third attack, Hiba had not dodged or attacked meaninglessly. He had chosen to accelerate. He had moved almost too quickly for Atsuta to follow and ran right up to the man. In that instant, Atsuta¡¯s training, characteristics as a sword god, and emotions had produced a single reaction. He had counterattacked. When holding Kusanagi like a bat, what was the quickest way to counterattack? A thrust. By dropping Kusanagi¡¯s tip forward, he had been able to attack the boy as he charged in at him. He had acted on reflex and used the sword like a normal Cowling Sword. By the time he had realized his mistake, it had been too late. He had already realized what Kusanagi¡¯s biggest flaw was. He was not used to using it, so he had yet to fully grasp how to release its energy when it began to activate. He knew how to release the energy for a slash. He had done that twice already. But what about for a thrust? ¡­Dammit. He had acted without thinking. As a sword god and expert swordsman, he had attacked almost subconsciously, so he had not focused and released the killer intent. And thus, Kusanagi had not activated. He had simply stabbed the blade forward like any other Cowling Sword. Hiba had not hesitated as he charged in. He had grabbed Kusanagi¡¯s blade with both hands and directed it toward the left side of his chest. ¡°He stabbed himself.¡± ¡­Is he stupid? Hiba¡¯s hands were now holding Atsuta¡¯s hands on the hilt. And Kusanagi¡¯s entire blade had pierced through his body. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± If Atsuta released Kusanagi¡¯s energy to slice through the boy¡¯s left shoulder, he could only cut either upwards or downwards. That would not be enough to kill Hiba. ¡°You idiot.¡± Atsuta clicked his tongue again and took a step back. He let go of Kusanagi. It now simply looked like Hiba had grabbed Kusanagi and stabbed himself in the chest. He had lost consciousness, but he remained standing and the area below his chest was wet. Seeing that, Atsuta pulled some gum from his pocket. It was a high-class nicotine gum advertised as ¡°monkfish liver flavor¡±. He heard footsteps from the forest behind him and put the gum in his mouth without turning around. He reached for Kusanagi and grabbed it. ¡°Make sure to record this.¡± He spoke to the person behind him and swung Kusanagi downwards. It cut through Hiba¡¯s left side and a red spray filled the air. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± Lastly, the cut shot several hundred meters behind Hiba. The attack roared and Hiba¡¯s unconscious form was knocked through the air. ¡°Atsuta!¡± Kashima¡¯s voice reached him from behind, but Atsuta did not care. He looked down to find Kusanagi broken in his hands. ¡°Looks like it broke right on schedule.¡± ¡°Atsuta! The battle was already over! Why did you have to attack again!?¡± Atsuta sat down without bothering to turn around. He looked to where Hiba lay collapsed on the ground and held up the broken Kusanagi. ¡°I said I lose if I didn¡¯t kill him after three attacks, remember?¡± Atsuta stood back up and tossed the remains of Kusanagi. He heard them hit Hiba and roll away. ¡°You stopped Kusanagi, so you win. And I didn¡¯t kill you after three attacks, so I lose. ¡­That clearly settles the wins and losses on both sides.¡± He laughed quietly and yelled into the scarlet sky. ¡°Why is this world so damn boring!?¡± The colors of evening filled a city. The city had a port and an inland sea to the west. This was the city of Sakai which contained the ports of Sakai and Osaka. The city contained a slope with a residential area at the top. Two people stood at the bottom of the residential area as the setting sun shined on it. They were Sayama and Shinjou. They both held documents or letters and they looked at the houses on the slope. Shinjou pointed behind the row of houses toward the top of the slope. ¡°Um? If we follow this road, turn right, take that walking path, turn left, come out on top of the hill, and then take that road a while, we¡¯ll be at our destination.¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. Shinjou-kun. thank you for those directions that were even more indirect than I ever imagined. ¡­You are so cute.¡± ¡°What you¡¯re saying is too indirect and disconnected to have any idea what you mean!!¡± Shinjou sighed and looked back up at Sayama with a look that seemed to say ¡°anyway¡±. ¡°Can we get going, Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°Yes, we can, Shinjou-kun. ¡­Let us continue to where you discovered your past.¡± She gave a small smile and nodded, but quickly hid her smile behind her documents. ¡°I¡¯ll have to show you everything I found here back when I came before you.¡± ¡°Of course. And when you say that, it sounds really dirty.¡± ¡°What is wrong with your ears?¡± She sighed again and lowered her shoulders next to Sayama who was holding a handheld recorder. ¡°Honestly, if you like things like that, why not go somewhere that will do it for you?¡± He nodded and looked her way. ¡°Are you sure you want me doing that?¡± Shinjou groaned and stopped moving, but she finally answered. ¡°On second thought, no.¡± ¡°I would not want to either. Not if it was anyone other than you. And¡­¡± He pulled on her hand and began walking up the sloped sidewalk. ¡°Ah.¡± She was surprised by the tug on her hand and he turned back toward her. ¡°Now, it is time we got going. We can continue reading these documents on our way to our destination¡­on our way to where your mother was.¡± ¡°R-right.¡± She hesitated but gave a definite nod. As if to say this would be okay, he gave her a refreshing smile and spoke. ¡°But I am a lucky man. Once we reach our destination, I get to see exactly where it was you ¡®came before me¡¯! Make sure to spread your legs!¡± With a wordless smile, Shinjou took a running start and kicked the rear of the suit pants in front of her. Volume 12, Afterword Volume 12, Afterword And that was Owari no Chronicle 6-A. I¡¯m not sure how to put it, but it feels like I¡¯ve taken the story as far as it needs to go (because I can see the big picture as I write it). It¡¯s thanks to all of you that I have been able to write this to the very end. Thank you very much. And with that, it¡¯s time for the usual chat. ¡°I¡¯m not even sure why I¡¯m asking anymore, but did you read it?¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve been really busy at work recently.¡± ¡°You just abandoned me, didn¡¯t you!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. Don¡¯t take a working man lightly. I¡¯ve been so busy that I find myself collapsed and sleeping in the entranceway after getting home. And with the door still open, too. I only realized it the following morning. For some reason, the morning paper was sitting on top of me.¡± ¡°That must have been a terrible surprise for the delivery man.¡± ¡°Yeah, that delivery man¡¯s the kind of moron who suddenly opened the door to sell me something while I was cooking fried rice in the nude on a hot summer day. And then he ran off without even giving me his sales pitch. What was he even there for? Scouting out the place?¡± ¡°Do you have anything to say about yourself in that situation?¡± ¡°I made sure to put an apron on after hearing the knock on the door.¡± ¡°Enough about how insane you are nowadays. Do you have a painful story about middle or high school?¡± ¡°Yeah. One hot day during summer break in my second year of middle school, I was lying in my room in only my underwear.¡± ¡°Why do you strip at the drop of a hat? Is there something wrong with your brain? There is, isn¡¯t there?¡± ? ¡°Just listen. So I spotted a roach on the ceiling near the door. Just as I was thinking how hot the thing had to be, it flew right down at me. It went straight up the right leg of my underwear and into the darkness within. Ha ha ha. Scared the hell out of me.¡± ¡°What an awful summer memory.¡± That¡¯s enough of that. Anyway, my background music this time was Watanabe Misato¡¯s 10 Years. I think it¡¯s a great song and I¡¯ve had it forever. ¡°Who is aware of the best resolution?¡± That will do for this time. The answer is right there. September 2005. A morning with a typhoon blowing in. -Kawakami Minoru Volume 13, 20: How to Speak of the End Volume 13, Chapter 20: How to Speak of the End It has a beautiful appearance It brings emotional collapse That is why you want to hear about it And to learn about it Kazami and Izumo had planned to stay in Japanese UCAT for the night, so they were the first to learn Hiba had been carried to the medical room after his battle with Atsuta. They had left the school and the year-end festival with Ooki and rushed inside Japanese UCAT while still wearing their school uniforms. ¡°So what do you think, Chisato? A small fry should really just run off after getting beat.¡± ¡°This small fry has a heroine. When she isn¡¯t watching is exactly when he needs to show some real guts.¡± ¡°Is that how it works?¡± asked Izumo as he came to a stop in a white underground corridor. The medical room¡¯s door opened at the press of a button, so they entered and continued to a row of beds in one corner. ¡°A man in black.¡± Someone in black stood before one of the beds. When he noticed them, he turned around. He had the narrow eyes and black hair of someone from continental Asia. However, he gave a light bow before they could say anything. ¡°I quickly put together some treatment for him. I wanted to at least help him come to.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Kazami and Izumo partially put up their guard and the man took a step forward. ¡°¡­¡± The next thing they knew, he had passed by them. Kazami also noticed her own hand was casually holding a business card. Behind her, she heard the door opening and a voice. ¡°Please understand that Chinese UCAT has no intention of being your enemy.¡± Kazami checked the name on the business card. ¡°Are you Doctor Chao¡¯s-¡­?¡± ¡°It is a common surname in my country. That may be why we like to think of each other as one big family. ¡­Anyway, please take care of the rest. If you need anything, feel free to ask. My country believes great and talented individuals are born in every land and we hope to continue an amicable relationship as the neighbor with the longest history in the world.¡± Kazami heard the door close and footsteps moving down the corridor. The only people left were Izumo, Kazami, and the bandaged individual sleeping on the bed before them. ¡°Hiba¡­ You¡¯ve been pretty manly for two days in a row now.¡± The boy with a thin cloth placed over him instead of a blanket slowly opened his eyes. His left arm was encased in a cast from the shoulder down and his right arm had an IV in it. His entire body was wrapped in charms and bandages, but the scrapes and the like had been ignored and all of the treatment was focused on the major injuries, be they external or internal. He let out a quiet breath. ¡°Did I win?¡± ¡°Mikage was taken to the development department and she¡¯s apparently secured to a bed there.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Hiba gave a troubled smile, but his pain filled it with bitterness. ¡°I can¡¯t be with her just yet, can I?¡± He laughed, but it sounded like coughing as he shook with pain. He looked up at and spoke to Kazami who sighed to express her relief. ¡°I need to thank you two.¡± ¡°Why? It¡¯s really creepy when you say that so suddenly. Did we do anything worth thanking us for?¡± Kazami frowned in confusion. ¡°Ahhhh,¡± he said quietly. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± He looked up at his two frowning upperclassmen. ¡°It¡¯s about something perverted.¡± Both boy and girl slammed a fist into the badly-injured patient. ¡°Ah, wait! No, no! Don¡¯t hit me like that! I¡¯m gonna bleed!¡± They ignored him and continued the moderate barrage, but a sudden voice reached them from behind. ¡°Oh, dear. You certainly are full of energy.¡± It was a female voice. They had heard it countless times, but they still replied with a question. ¡°Diana?¡± Kazami turned around and found the woman standing by the wall in a suit. Kazami faced her. ¡°Are you here to punch this idiot?¡± ¡°C-can¡¯t you at least ask if she¡¯s here to visit me, Kazami-san!?¡± ¡°You be quiet,¡± she snapped back before crossing her arms toward Diana. She began wondering why the woman was here, but she quickly corrected that line of thinking. ¡­The answer is pretty obvious. It was simple. What was happening to them now? And what was happening around them? Sayama and Shinjou had contacted them to say they had finished the Leviathan Road with 8th-Gear and had reached Sakai. Harakawa had gone to the base and Heo had taken the 4th-Gear creature to visit Harakawa¡¯s mother. The common factor among them all was their preparation for the confrontation with Top-Gear and their search for the past. Even if one tried to hide the past from them, they would not give up or back away. Given that, why would Diana have come to them? Kazami boldly looked straight ahead to face Diana head-on. ¡°For the moment, we¡¯ve dealt with the fights 1st, 2nd, and 6th have picked with us. Heo will do something about 4th and Sayama called to say the negotiation with 8th is complete. All we¡¯re waiting for is 3rd and Top-Gear.¡± She tapped the floor with the tips of her toes. ¡°We¡¯re also preparing to face Top-Gear.¡± ¡°And? What about it?¡± Diana tilted her head and smiled, so Kazami showed her teeth in a smile of her own. ¡°I think it¡¯s about time we heard what happened in the past.¡± Kazami went on to sit on Hiba¡¯s bed. She ignored the grunt of pain from behind her, placed an arm on the bed, and asked what she needed to ask without looking away from Diana. She believed that this woman wanted her to ask this. ¡°What happened in that battle with Top-Gear?¡± ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m going to tell you that?¡± ¡°Then why are you here?¡± Kazami shrugged. ¡°This is the medical room. You don¡¯t have to hide the painful things in here.¡± ¡°Even if I have already swallowed that pain?¡± ¡°Then you need a good doctor. A doctor that hopes to reach a place beyond where the patient is. ¡­A doctor who will tell us the illness is no longer painful to them.¡± Kazami kept her gaze flat as she spoke. ¡°We will oppose Top-Gear. Obligation to the past, concern for what we¡¯ll be standing against, warnings, and a conscience have nothing to do with it. We decided to oppose Top-Gear, so we¡¯ll do it. ¡­We won¡¯t stop just because you stay silent.¡± ¡°Even if that opposition will strip this Gear of a great many of its rights?¡± ¡°Either way, Top-Gear is going to start a fight in some way or another. To put it another way¡­¡± Kazami chose her words carefully. ¡°The Concept War has yet to end for Low-Gear. ¡­And yet you care so much for the past that you want to believe it¡¯s already over. You think sealing away the past will bring an end to the fighting and keep us from losing anyone else.¡± She took a breath. ¡°You¡¯re in the way, Diana. The time for peace is over. No, it was never here in the first place. You simply turned a blind eye while your enemies never forgave you. So¡­¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°Give us back your time, Diana.¡± Kazami swung her legs forward and used the reactionary force to stand up. The bed slid back and hit the next bed over and Hiba gave another cry of pain, but she paid it no heed. ¡°Connect your time to our time. Simple, isn¡¯t it? We haven¡¯t reached the peaceful afterschool hours yet. We¡¯ve fallen behind in the lessons, so you just have to show us your notes. We¡¯ll think for ourselves on the test. And then we too will see who has left the classroom and isn¡¯t coming back.¡± Kazami held out her palm as if to receive something and held it up high. ¡°If you have yet to graduate from the fight and you think we¡¯re worthy of being your underclassmen, then show us your notes.¡± The evening light washed over a hill from the left. The right side of the hill was a cement-covered slope and the left side contained a line of houses bordering a cliff. The scarlet light passed between or over the houses to shine on the hill and the people who stood there. Currently, that was two people. Shinjou walked ahead and Sayama followed from a half step behind. Shinjou carried the Messenger of Wanambi on her head and she read a letter as she climbed the hill. The letter was from her mother and sent to Sayama¡¯s parents. It was one of those they had found in the Kinugasa Library¡¯s Study the night before. They were able to read the letters now that they had entered Sakai, so she was doing just that. ¡­My mom sent this here after moving to Top-Gear. The text said nothing about why Shinjou Yukio had gone there. According to Hajji, Top-Gear had invited her. They had wanted her to create a place for Low-Gear in Top-Gear. The letter mentioned that she had been invited. But it did not say what Shinjou Yukio herself had wanted out of it. It only gave the result. ¡°I came to Top-Gear.¡± Another letter said the following: ¡°I am sure UCAT would be able to create that facility based on the concept creation theory I made. But as I¡¯m sure you have noticed, I modified a lot of the theory. Asagi-kun, specifically because you know a certain amount about it, I doubt you will be able to make it. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Shinjou Yukio mentioned that she had committed herself to defying Low-Gear, but Shinjou tilted her head. ¡­I¡¯m just not feeling it. Something about Shinjou Yukio¡¯s actions did not sit well with her. It just did not seem like her to have opposed Low-Gear. After investigating it all this far, Shinjou had come up with three mysteries that could explain why she felt that way. First, what was the truth behind the three things that her mother had claimed Top-Gear feared? Second, why had her mother gone to Top-Gear after discovering those things? And third, why was Sayama Asagi unable to create the concept creation theory once her mother had modified it? While thinking about those three things, she was able to make a certain guess. ¡­Because she knew what it was Low-Gear had, she may have realized Low-Gear had an advantage and decided to defect to Top-Gear. That was the third thing besides Babel and the Biblical mythology. ¡°Something Low-Gear has and yet does not have.¡± ¡­What if that was something important enough to decide who would win? Had her mother realized what it was, feared its power, and defected? And had she left the modified concept creation theory to rob Low-Gear of its means of fighting so she could guide Low-Gear to Top-Gear? That line of thinking seemed reasonable enough. But it still did not sit well with her. This was nothing but her intuition, but¡­ ¡­Was my mom that kind of person? She had taken her information with her to the enemy and not even left her creation behind. That was a purely hostile act and showed her allegiance to the enemy. The word ¡°harsh¡± entered Shinjou¡¯s mind, but it did not sound right to her. ¡­Why not? She suddenly recalled two photographs of the past. In one, her young mother wore a school uniform below a cherry tree and gave a smile with real strength behind it. In the other, she gave a weak smile while leaving on a trip. To apply the word ¡°harsh¡±¡­ ¡­I have to think about a version of my mother that doesn¡¯t fit either of those smiles. But she still had nothing to reject that word. It was a fact that her mother had seemingly opposed Low-Gear. And now, Shinjou was reading a letter from her. It began with Shinjou Yukio living in a house she was given in Top-Gear¡¯s Sakai. It did not ask for a response and it mostly talked about everyday life and her job. ¡°In this world, I act as a concept creation theory advisor. However, I gave them the same documents I gave Asagi-kun and they too are attempting to construct a concept creation theory. It makes me feel a little cruel, but I want to see the people of this world create a concept creation facility under their own power. I also wish I could have brought the Messengers of Wanambi with me. The work here is tough. ¡°When they show up to ask for my advice or ask about Low-Gear¡¯s culture and civilization, I try to speak with them. That may be why people have started coming to my house to talk. At first, it was only important people, but now researchers, students, and even the neighborhood children and old folks will show up. The UCAT here pays me as a visiting advisor, but I have used that money to prepare a large reception hall which is now open. It has a small table and chairs for the children and even an organ. ¡°The house is in the same place as the Sakai orphanage I used to live in and I¡¯m wondering if I can eventually make it into a church. If I did, it would be this world¡¯s very first church.¡± Shinjou got the feeling that her mother had been enjoying herself. She felt that was very like her mother, but that created another strong sense that something was wrong. That sense once more came from what Hajji and the others had said about her mother. There were some things she simply could not sense in this letter. ¡­Guilt and hostility. Shinjou Yukio was acting like she had gone to Top-Gear as an evangelist. She showed no sign of guilt over her decision and she was telling those back home how much she was enjoying herself. Shinjou could tell this was the strong smile, not the forced one. Nothing in the letter had been rewritten and the ballpoint pen writing was smooth. Shinjou¡¯s experience from handwriting page after page of plot for her novel told her that her mother had really been into writing this. Shinjou pulled out the next letter. It described everyday life, such as how she would meet with people from Top-Gear¡¯s UCAT and from her neighborhood to discuss Low-Gear¡¯s Biblical mythology. ¡°It seems only children have the ability to sing a hymn without a care in the world.¡± She said some of the adults would avoid the hymns as the ¡°songs of the enemy¡±. ¡­What is this? Shinjou had noticed something odd, but she was not sure what. Shinjou Yukio had supposedly been trying to guide Low-Gear to Top-Gear, so why was she teaching Top-Gear about the Bible and hymns before Low-Gear¡¯s culture? The next letter talked about work. And it began unexpectedly. ¡°I have so much trouble with this world¡¯s version of me.¡± Eh? thought Shinjou as she came to a stop. For Shinjou Yukio, ¡°this world¡¯s version of me¡± would be the male Shinjou Yukio. And he was supposedly Shinjou¡¯s father. ¡­Eh? She had a single reason for the confusion that stopped her climb up the hill. ¡­She has trouble with him? A moment later, Sayama almost toppled forward as he ran into her and wrapped his arms around her. ? ¡°Ah, y-you stopped so suddenly Shinjou-kun. I could not help but bump into you and¡­ Ah! My hands just so happened to fall on your chest.¡± He was annoying, so she raised her right heel and stomped on his toes. ¡°Nwohhh!¡± he shouted behind her. ¡°Heh¡­heh heh. Even your heel feels wonderful, Shinjou-kun. But I would prefer it if you were more honest with yourself.¡± She honestly ignored him and looked back to the letter. Um, she thought while refocusing her thoughts. ¡­I can¡¯t understand this without switching to serious mode. She breathed out and started back up the hill as she lowered her gaze to the letter. The sun has gotten lower in the sky, she realized. ¡­But what did she mean when she said she has trouble with my dad? The words continued as if to answer her. ¡°He was researching concept creation while developing weapons, so he was doing both my job and Asagi-kun¡¯s job all on his own.¡± Her father must have gone to speak with her mother as a member of Top-Gear¡¯s UCAT. ¡°He always asks for my assistance. He is quite serious about it, but that¡¯s why I have so much trouble with him.¡± That was the last time the letter mentioned her father and the enthusiasm behind the words changed there. ¡°When I peeked inside UCAT I saw alternate versions of a lot of different people. I saw people I assume were alternate versions of Asagi-kun and Yume-san. They were developing concept weapons and philosopher¡¯s stones. Also, Thunderson-san is a woman in this world and her husband is in the air force. In this world, Hiba-san develops mechanical dragons.¡± The letter also mentioned that Top-Gear truly did not have a version of Babel. It was mentioned casually, so Shinjou briefly looked up from the letter. The top of the hill was a long way off, but the gate was visible. She still had a few letters left, but she guessed this would be the last one she could read before reaching the orphanage. ¡­I can take a break after we get there. She looked back down and read that her mother had made the church she wanted. ¡°I gathered the necessary funds and made a church. It was mostly financed by someone using the name ¡®The Pair¡¯s Daddy-Long-Legs¡¯. They must be a very nice person. It even has a concert hall and a director lives in a detached house to manage the place. I need to thank the god that did not exist in this world but will soon be created here.¡± Shinjou remembered the past scene of Shinjou Yukio on a snowy night she had seen in the Kinugasa Library¡¯s Study. The woman had been in a park and it had contained a building Shinjou had assumed was an orphanage. ¡­That was what my mom had built in Top-Gear. Was that building the same as the orphanage that slept below the earth after it had collapsed? Had she created an original in Top-Gear or had she copied Low-Gear? ¡°What kind of world was Top-Gear for my mom?¡± Curious about that, she looked up the hill, but then Sayama spoke to her from behind. ¡°Speaking of that, Heo-kun said something felt off about Top-Gear¡¯s sky, didn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. She did, didn¡¯t she?¡± Heo had indeed said something felt off about the sky. She said Osaka¡¯s sky had seemed awfully dark from the snowy orphanage. And during the past of Osaka¡¯s destruction, she said the stars had suddenly become visible from behind the dark clouds. ¡°Shinjou Yukio must have seen the source of that feeling when she stood here in Sakai.¡± Sayama sounded like he knew the answer, so Shinjou turned back toward him. Before she could ask what he meant, she heard him speak and saw motion. ¡°Shinjou-kun, do you remember what Tamiya Shino-kun said? She gave the name of Top-Gear¡¯s concept creation facility. It was a name associated with the ark of Biblical mythology. ¡­That name was Noah.¡± As if responding to his words, Baku rose up on Sayama¡¯s head. The creature seemed to be taking some kind of stance as he faced the spot where Shinjou had once cried. Baku was looking past the site of the collapse. ¡°¡­!¡± In an instant, the scenery changed. She did not feel like she was falling into a dream of the past like before. The dotted sky was quickly swapped out with another scene. ¡­The blue sky! It was a summer sky. A woman stood in front of a church building situated on the edge of a cliff. She had her back to Shinjou, the blue sky was visible beyond the cliff, a city stretched on below, and the ocean lay beyond that. However¡­ ¡­Dark clouds? A sort of shadow was visible in Osaka¡¯s sky to the north. A massive object that had to measure over fifteen kilometers from east to west floated above Osaka. At first, Shinjou was not sure what it was. She could visually comprehend what she was seeing, but she had yet to fully grasp the situation. It was a boat. It was an aerial ship surrounded by a white outer shell and it was large enough to produce clouds when its surface collided with the air. This was Noah. The woman standing below the summer sky was looking to that city-sized ark. And Shinjou came to a sudden understanding. ¡­This is what seemed off to Heo! It made sense now. On the night of the destruction, it had been this ark hiding the sky, not dark clouds. The stars had become visible because the ship had moved. And on that snowy night they had seen in the Kinugasa Library, it had been this ark and not the snow clouds darkening Osaka¡¯s sky. ¡­In that case¡­ During the battle in Top-Gear¡¯s Osaka, Sayama¡¯s father and the others had been making their way toward Noah, Top-Gear¡¯s UCAT had likely used Noah as their base, and if the negative concepts had gone out of control inside Noah, Shinjou¡¯s mother would have been there too. ¡­Was Noah the true scene of the final battle!? The past did not answer her shouted question. But it did move. Shinjou¡¯s mother turned toward her. ¡­Ah. The woman¡¯s long hair and skirt fluttered in the sunlight. Shinjou gasped as her expression came into view. It was a weak smile. And Shinjou Yukio opened her mouth to speak with the smiling blue sky and Noah behind her. ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t give you my absolute cooperation. I believe I made that clear when I defected. I said I would keep my assistance to the bare minimum to help preserve Top-Gear¡¯s dignity.¡± She was speaking past Shinjou, which meant¡­ ¡­There¡¯s someone behind me? Shinjou could turn around just by thinking here, so she did so as if spinning on her heel and she faced the same direction as her mother. Behind her, she saw someone in a lab coat standing in the center of the sunny summer park. It was a slender man with his black hair tied back behind his neck. The eyes behind his glasses were fairly sharp. ¡°So you will not assist us?¡± Despite his words, his tone made it clear he had fully expected this. However, Shinjou noticed a nametag on the chest of his lab coat. ¡­Noah Concept Development Department Director ¨C Shinjou Yukio. She did not immediately think of this as her father. He was not yet in that position here, and¡­ ¡­My mom said she had trouble with him. When he turned around, a sudden thought came to Shinjou: perhaps he was the same. And the female Yukio¡¯s voice shouted after the lab coat. ¡°There are some who understand what I¡¯m doing. I was able to build this church¡­and even a concert hall. This was all thanks to the kind donations of many people. So¡­so my answer will not change no matter how many times you come here. I handed over my documents and I listened to what you had to say, but I cannot provide absolute cooperation. No matter how many times you come here while pretending to understand what I¡¯m doing, my answer will not change. It won¡¯t!¡± Her voice pursued him, but the lab coat did not turn around and his departing legs did not stop. As if taking his place, several footsteps and voices entered through the gate into the park. They belonged to children. They were led by a kindergarten teacher and they ran toward Shinjou as if flooding through the gate. Countless voices filled the park, greetings were exchanged, and Shinjou¡¯s father slipped out to the side of the gate so as not to be in the way. He then began walking to the city below, with his back to Shinjou. Shinjou looked past the remaining woman and the arriving children and she watched him leave. ¡­That¡¯s my dad? She understood that both her parents had their own point of view based on their positions. Her mother wanted to work as an advisor while providing an understanding of Low-Gear by spreading the Biblical mythology. Her father wanted her help for the coming final battle. ¡­He¡¯s serious, so she has trouble with him. Maybe they¡¯re both that way, she realized. In an instant, the past switched over. It was primarily the color that switched over. The heavens transformed from the blue sky into a dark red sky. In other words, it transformed from a peaceful summer to the night of destruction. Destruction filled the sky, dark clouds covered the earth, and the gaps in the clouds gave glimpses of the color red filling the surface. Lightning flashed atop the dark clouds and the heavens above were in motion. The starry ceiling was twisting and distorting. Sayama¡¯s mind looked to that distortion. ¡­Is the world growing negative!? With this land at the center, the world was being compressed from the edges until it vanished. Most likely, he qualified to himself. The people of this world and all other life here are being destroyed. This was not like the other Gears that had fallen to the negative side after losing their concepts. This world was still supported by its concepts, but it had grown negative as if turning everything inside-out. In that instant, all things in that world would have grown negative and vanished without time to suffer. Anything that managed to retain its form would be annihilated once its destruction ratio grew too high and there was only one way anyone had survived. ¡­The people who had resistant philosopher¡¯s stones from other Gears. That would be the people who had survived the first impact of negativity inside facilities like Noah. As the deluge of negativity assaulted Top-Gear, Noah still existed. The giant white boat seemed to sink into the dark clouds. Above, within, and directly below the clouds, mechanical dragons darted about and witches flew on metal brooms. On the surface below, people in armored uniforms clashed and exchanged attacks of various powers. Sayama¡¯s viewpoint allowed him to look down on it all. ¡°¡­!?¡± But his mind suddenly picked up speed as if being swept away. What? he wondered just before realizing what provided his footing. It was a mechanical dragon. His mind stood on the blue back armor and two nostalgic forms accompanied him there. They wore white armored uniforms and tore through the wind as the dragon flew. ¡­My-¡­ The woman crouched down as if clinging to the mechanical dragon¡¯s armor. ¡°A-chan! Standing up like that is dangerous!!¡± ¡°I agree, Yume-san, but there is simply too much I have to see.¡± The man, Asagi, brushed up his hair and faced forward. Noah was visible between the clouds and the massive ark resembled a floating island. The mechanical dragon emitted a voice from within the roaring wind. ¡°Asagi, I¡¯m going to get in close once to determine the exact point and the air currents. I¡¯ll let you off on the second approach.¡± ¡°Testament. Please do. And make sure you all prepare for the reverse seal. I will definitely be back.¡± ¡°Testament,¡± replied the dragon. ¡°I¡¯m sure Itaru is managing the preparations.¡± ¡°He pushes himself too hard. I kind of wish we hadn¡¯t brought him along.¡± Yume tugged on Asagi¡¯s sleeve and frowned. ¡°You were the one that decided to do that, A-chan. Half the responsibility lies with you.¡± ¡°I know. Testament. Understood. And¡­¡± Sayama heard a certain statement leave his father¡¯s mouth. ¡°I will bear the responsibility for destroying this world.¡± ¡­So it is true. Those words brought a sensation of pain to his chest. Just as Hajji had said, his father had destroyed Top-Gear. His father himself had just admitted it. When we face Top-Gear, I cannot let myself look away from this truth, he swore to himself and thus accepted it. He then noticed that his mother was still tugging on his father¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be okay on your own, A-chan? Will you really bring her back? Will you bring Yukio back to Low-Gear?¡± There was a slight tremble in her voice. ¡°And will you bring Yukio¡¯s child back, too?¡± Asagi faced his wife, nodded once, and smiled. ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll bring everyone back. And all before Mikoto wakes up.¡± ¡­!! Sayama¡¯s mind gasped just as the mechanical dragon spoke again. ¡°I appreciate the show of familial love, but we¡¯re about to the party hall. Can you see it, Asagi? If the surface says ¡®caution¡¯ in the Osaka dialect, then place your arm at your side and swing it outwards for a tsukkomi salute.¡± ¡°Why do you of all people know about that kind of local custom?¡± Meanwhile, Sayama¡¯s vision made a great leap. The dragon had flown upwards as if making a jump. In only an instant, he experienced an endless series of movement. The dragon twisted to the right, used the motion to fly into the clouds, and slipped through a group of enemy mechanical dragons. ¡­!! Bursting shells placed blossoming fire in the air, charms thrown by his mother deflected enemy shots, and his father faced straight ahead. Without time to catch their breath, they left the clouds, left the wind, and approached a great white barrier. It was Noah. That manmade ark hung motionless in the sky like a wall. The dragon flew just off its surface and ascended. Its acceleration left behind the pursuing enemy dragons as it flew into the sky. It flew into the heavens where Noah was no longer visible. In that instant, Sayama looked in the same direction as his father and realized something. Below them, someone stood beyond a large window on the top level of Noah. It was the two Shinjous in lab coats with a white automaton behind them. ¡°A-chan! That was¡­!¡± ¡°I know! Hurry, Thunderson! Hurry, family of thunder!¡± Sayama¡¯s father turned back toward Noah, wrinkled his brow, and opened his mouth for a shout of protest. ¡°Those waiting for a villain are within the unwanted ark!¡± The man¡¯s voice rang out as Sayama was thrown into the sky of the past. His vision instantly grew dark and he began to awaken to the present. During that process, he thought. ¡­Shinjou-kun¡¯s parents had separated themselves so much, so why were they together? And how had his father and the others destroyed that world? There were so many questions and he was sure he would only find more. He reached his left hand out toward the darkness. It appeared empty, but reality awaited him beyond it. He was certain he would gain something important there. Meanwhile in American UCAT at Yokota, the dream sand gave Harakawa a dream of the battle in Top-Gear¡¯s Osaka. In the Akigawa hospital, Heo was told what Harakawa¡¯s mother had seen. In Japanese UCAT, Kazami, Izumo, and Hiba watched as Diana opened her lips. ¡°That was a night that not even we fully understand.¡± She smiled bitterly as she continued. ¡°How about I tell you of the time that began on that night and will hopefully connect to the present?¡± Volume 13, 21: World of Salvation Volume 13, Chapter 21: World of Salvation It is not darkness you should reach for Nor is it light What sound can you simply believe in? The boy¡¯s father was a sniper. The boy had been told his father belonged to a special unit under the command of the air force and had fought in battles that were not publicly known. That had been half true and half false. The boy¡¯s father had indeed been a sniper and had belonged to a special unit in the American military. But the battles he had fought were meant to mop up remnant factions who wished to protest the result of battles fought in other worlds. The unit he had belonged to was a global one known as UCAT and his weapon¡­ ¡­What kind of machinegun is that? In a dream of the past, the boy saw his father wearing a blue armored uniform. The man¡¯s right hand held a machinegun encased in a blue cowling, his left hand held a handgun of the same color, and he ran through a great number of battlefields. The machinegun¡¯s bullets trailed white light as they flew. They would attack enemies hiding behind cover and pursue them wherever they might go. The many high-speed bullets tore through armor, prosthetics, and even cover. Everyone called him the North Wind. He was the representative member of their unit and their reliable foundation. One day, the base received a visit by the pilot of a blue mechanical dragon belonging to a Japanese organization. The pilot had originally been a colleague of the boy¡¯s father, but he had joined the Japanese. His home country had not taken kindly to that, but the base saw things differently and they all helped the man with the specialized mechanical dragon maintenance the Japanese could not do. As the mechanical dragon stuck partially out of the hangar to bathe in the sun, the boy¡¯s father wore a work outfit and spoke to the pilot who was similarly dressed. They had both removed their shirts and tossed a can of beer to each other. They chatted about a few topics such as what restaurants along National Route 16 had gone out of business. Afterwards, the pilot looked into the sky and spoke to the boy¡¯s father. ¡°How long are you going to keep this up, Alberto?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. What about you, James Thunderson?¡± ¡°I¡¯m leaving in ¡¯99. Maria¡¯s parents¡¯ house back in the States has been sitting empty. It¡¯s out in the country with a great view of the sky. There¡¯s a small church there, too. The scenery will probably be exactly the same a hundred years from now.¡± ¡°You get sick of a nice atmosphere after three days, but you get used to a bad one in the same amount of time.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± replied the pilot. ¡°Try to get home a little more often. Don¡¯t you think your kid would like it if you came back with a book for him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that at all. Which is why I¡¯ll buy a bookcase for him before heading home next. That¡¯s all I have to say about that.¡± ¡°This guy¡­¡± Hearing Thunderson, the boy¡¯s father smiled bitterly and lay down in the mechanical dragon¡¯s shadow. ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡± ¡°Of what?¡± ¡°Unlike you, I don¡¯t have a dragon to ride around in. When you get down to it, I just have myself. I could die at any time. But I let my emotions get the better of me and now I have something I care for. Biggest mistake of my life.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t want to be with them because it will be easier this way once you die?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said the boy¡¯s father. ¡°Luckily, Yui¡¯s good at making protective charms from philosopher¡¯s stones. It¡¯s a lot easier knowing she can protect our kid without me. A great wife is a wonderful thing. ¡­She told your wife how to make the protective charms she¡¯s made with the extra philosopher¡¯s stones she swiped, right?¡± The pilot sighed as he spoke. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you want to think about something a little more cheerful while you¡¯re still alive? I don¡¯t plan to die as I fight, so I¡¯m worried the people like you are going to jump onto the train tracks on a whim someday.¡± ¡°You coward. You should try planning to die sometime. You can do anything once you do.¡± ¡°I got past that kind of thing once I submitted my marriage registration at city hall.¡± ¡°Yeah, and the hell that awaits after that is nothing but trouble.¡± The boy¡¯s father smiled bitterly and covered his face with his right hand. The hand hiding his bitter smile was hardened by the burns and scars of firing his guns so often. ¡°Having someone so important to you really is nothing but trouble,¡± he said slowly. ¡°Take today for example. Now I have to go buy a bookcase on the way home.¡± The past that Heo listened to came from what Yui had seen and what had been learned from the recordings in her father¡¯s mechanical dragon. The biggest problem in the confrontation with Top-Gear was what Sayama Asagi had said first after gathering them all in Japanese UCAT late at night. ¡°I will destroy Top-Gear by activating the negative concepts they are producing in Noah.¡± He received some protests, but he told them it had already begun. ¡°We of course must rescue the survivors of their world, but the negativity will reach our neighboring world which will also turn Low-Gear negative if nothing is done. We must seal that negativity.¡± He had told those who would remain to remain and those who would go to go. He had said Top-Gear was already being destroyed and that all responsibility fell on him. ¡°After all, I am the one who activated the negative concepts being created there. I altered the data I sent to Shinjou Yukio as she worked to create them.¡± Heo was confused by what Yui said Asagi had said. Had Sayama Asagi sent data on the negative concepts to Shinjou Yukio who had defected to Top-Gear? When Heo asked, Yui nodded and said that Shinjou Yukio had sent a letter explaining that she was creating the negative concepts so Low-Gear could join Top-Gear. After they had received that letter, Asagi had gone back into Babel and taken data on the negative concepts. However, he had claimed to have altered that data so they would activate upon being created. Yui told Heo what all of them had to have been thinking when he had told them that. ¡°We knew he had to have had some reason for it. ¡­And he told us to believe in the final result regardless of what we might have thought at the moment.¡± According to him, belief in the result, no matter what it might be, was a promise. And so they had all gone with him. By the time they had arrived, Top-Gear had been on the verge of collapse and Noah had only survived by ejecting the power of the uncontrollable negative concepts outside of itself. Top-Gear had been trying to stop Noah by using the positive concepts inside Noah to return the world to normal. They hoped doing so would bring everything back to life. The Low-Gear group had been there to seal Noah away and prevent it from affecting Low-Gear too, so they had ended up in conflict. Top-Gear had claimed Low-Gear was there to erase the true world. Most of those inside Noah had collapsed from the negative concepts, but the survivors were either heading out to battle or escaping to Low-Gear, giving priority to the helpers from other Gears and the few children that remained. An air battle had developed in Top-Gear¡¯s skies while fierce fighting had broken out on the path leading to Noah. ¡°We were there too.¡± Yui¡¯s husband, Alberto, had fired his sniper rifle from the roof of a building they had secured. As gunfire shook the roof, a friend of his had leaped up in a single bound and introduced himself as Hiba Ryuuichi. Hiba Ryuuichi had brought a girl with him. ¡°This is this world¡¯s version of my child. I don¡¯t know where her parents are.¡± Hiba had given his weapon to the trembling girl and left her with Yui and Alberto. He had then spoken to the girl who had looked unwell and trembled. He had told her everyone would know he had vouched for her if she had his sword. Hiba Ryuuichi had then returned to the battle, but Yui had noticed that he was holding his right side with a bloodstained hand. Yui said she did not know exactly what had happened after that. She knew that there had been a long battle, that Thunderson¡¯s mechanical dragon had flown through the sky, and that Sayama Asagi had boarded Noah which was nearly abandoned by that point. He had gone there to rescue Shinjou Yukio and her child. When Yui had prepared to evacuate with the others, Alberto had said he was staying. ¡°Japanese UCAT is carrying out a reverse seal¡­and they need me as one of the Five Great Peaks.¡± The reverse seal was something Sayama Asagi had secretly put together before entering Top-Gear. It was developed from the sealing techniques used to seal 10th-Gear¡¯s divine dragon and 2nd-Gear¡¯s Yamata. Sayama Asagi had obtained those dragon sealing techniques from the Kinugasa Document he had found at the Kinugasa residence. Accusers stood in four or eight directions and combined the concepts of several Gears to seal the dragon. But once it was sealed, the negative concepts would continue to activate within it and would eventually break through the seal. That was why Sayama Asagi had reworked the seal in one way. ¡°Simply put, the positions around the dragon making up the seal are reversed to reverse the entire structure of the seal.¡± By doing that¡­ ¡°A normal seal restrains the target because the seal ¡®exists¡¯, but when that is reversed, the seal makes it so the target ¡®never existed¡¯ because the seal ¡®does not exist¡¯. In other words, the target and the seal are sent to the farthest reaches of nothingness.¡± Alberto had been in charge of one of the four corners of the square seal. He was to create a barrier and maintain it. His position had been in western Osaka. From there, he had been able to look up at Noah and see across the battlefield. The Five Great Peaks were those in charge of the seal like that. Sayama Asagi had been their leader and the others were Hiba Ryuuichi, Diana Zonburg, James Thunderson, and Alberto Northwind. Sayama Asagi had given the authoritative decree from the center, directly below Noah, Hiba had been to the north, Alberto to the west, Thunderson to the south, and Diana to the east. The barrier would normally be driven into the ground to establish its existence, but they had reversed that and emitted it into the empty heavens. However, what did it mean to eliminate Noah which also contained the positive concepts? Yui had heard Diana¡¯s voice over the radio. ¡°Will we be destroying this world!? If the positive concepts restrain the activated negative concepts, it¡¯s possible we can stop this world¡¯s destruction!¡± Hiba¡¯s voice had answered her. He had sounded horribly out of breath. ¡°But what if we can¡¯t do that? If we¡¯re too late, it will mean the destruction of our children too!¡± However, he had almost immediately clicked his tongue. ¡°Sorry, German witch. It was cruel of me to bring up the topic of children, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°No, I know what you¡¯re trying to say and I do think it¡¯s too late for that. I may have been trying to personally escape responsibility for that crime. But¡­¡± Diana had hesitated and another voice had cut in. It was Thunderson¡¯s as he piloted his mechanical dragon through the sky. He had spoken only three words. ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± ¡°Thunderson!?¡± That was the first time Yui had heard Alberto shout in anger. He had grabbed the communicator with his eyebrows raised. ¡°Are you sure? Are you sure you want to hope for this and face what it means? What about your kid!? Your kid will inherit the world, but she¡¯ll also inherit the hatred of every other Gear!¡± ¡°Ha ha. I have no intention of using my daughter as a shield to escape responsibility for what must be done.¡± Thunderson had laughed cheerfully and the sounds of his atmospheric battle had reached them over the radio. After a delay, they had also heard explosions high up in the heavens. Those low sounds had acted as a bell to indicate the battle was still in progress and Thunderson had continued speaking. ¡°It¡¯s too late for this world and it¡¯s filled with screams. The only question is who¡¯s going to finish the job.¡± ¡°Even if that means earning everyone¡¯s hatred? I thought you liked to view things positively!?¡± ¡°I do.¡± His tone had been the one he had always used when shrugging. ¡°Listen, everyone. If we don¡¯t earn that hatred now, we¡¯ll lose everything. But if we can avoid losing even just a little bit, then it¡¯s possible that hatred can be eliminated one day.¡± So¡­ ¡°So I see only one option. Are you going to make me place all that hatred on my daughter alone? Don¡¯t worry, Alberto. My daughter has the protective charm my wife learned how to make from yours. And she also has the protection of happiness. I¡¯m sure she can overcome all of this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! Are you trying to say parents own their children or something!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying that,¡± Thunderson had replied. ¡°But this world is going to be destroyed one way or another. And all because we¡­yes, both our Low-Gear versions and our Top-Gear versions didn¡¯t make it in time. And to make sure our world isn¡¯t taken out with it, we have no choice but to destroy this place. In other words, my daughter is going to be the daughter of someone who destroyed a world either way.¡± He had continued from there. ¡°So if I don¡¯t force this onto her, she will still inherit that hatred or have it forced onto her by someone else. That¡¯s why I¡¯m well aware that I¡¯m forcing that hatred onto her, Alberto. That way, she is free to hate me.¡± ¡°I doubt your daughter will hate you.¡± ¡°Then maybe she¡¯ll be able to live her life without hating anyone. That would be wonderful.¡± He had paused for a breath. ¡°I know this makes me a terrible parent. ¡­Alberto, I went home to visit my wife as infrequently as you, but I wasn¡¯t as ashamed of it. That means I was even more worthless than you.¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to be a target of hatred, Thunderson?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. Of course I don¡¯t. No one would want to be hated¡­except maybe Sayama,¡± Thunderson had said. ¡°But someone has to do this. Someone has to minimize the hatred so it isn¡¯t directed at everyone. If we do this and are hated for it, it might mean our world won¡¯t be hated. And I feel like I can act tough right now, so let me say something.¡± He had taken a breath before continuing. ¡°My name is James Thunderson. I am of the family of thunder. Even if they are hated, both the thunder and the wind will fly through the sky. And one day, the people will be forced to accept them and choose to be with them. ¡­Just as airplane wings need the wind to take flight, the hated wind is also what carries people into the distance.¡± The people around Yui had nodded and begun to withdraw. Everyone had looked to Noah and realized something. The enemy had vanished from around them. Had that enemy been destroyed or had they escaped to Low-Gear? Heo heard a third possibility from Yui. ¡°They had gone to attack the defending dragon in order to destroy the square barrier.¡± Harakawa saw four pillars supporting the barrier that surrounded Noah in the collapsing sky. As Roger withdrew and as Chao¡¯s four brothers turned back, they saw a pillar of white light piercing the heavens in the four cardinal directions. A curtain of light connected the pillars and formed a thin box of light. ¡°When that is completed, will the space inside be sent to the void?¡± Diana¡¯s eastern pillar was located on an elevated field east of Osaka and it was near the gate they had entered through. A few dozen people in white armored uniforms were gathered near the gate of darkness opened on that elevated ground. One of them was a skinny elderly man in a white combat coat. ¡­So he wasn¡¯t wearing those eccentric glasses at this point. The elderly man showed no fear of the destruction or the light of the sealing barrier, but there was visible sweat on his face. Thunderson¡¯s voice came from a communicator in the simple camp next to him. ¡°The barrier pillar has achieved eighty percent stability all the way to the top.¡± Reports of similarly high stability came from the other three directions. Harakawa then saw several glowing spirals rising within the four rising pillars. ¡­Is that a circle? Or is it writing? What had started as circles had stacked up on top of each other and extended like a spring. But Harakawa also saw explosive flames and light rising near the pillars. The battle was continuing. Everyone on the elevated ground gasped and the man in charge of communications turned toward the elderly man in the white coat. The ends of his eyebrows were lowered and he hesitated to speak. ¡°Itaru-san is still inside. He¡¯s with the Hiba camp.¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t going to make it in time, then.¡± That was all the elderly man said before facing forward again. They could only watch as countless sparks flew. However, a voice did reach them over the communicator. It sounded triumphant even as it gasped for breath. ¡°This is Thunderson. Once the barrier is fully established, I¡¯ll pick up Alberto, Hiba, and Itaru before heading back.¡± ¡°Ha ha,¡± came Alberto¡¯s muffled laughter. ¡°That¡¯s one hell of a dangerous taxi. I don¡¯t really like heights all that much, though.¡± ¡°A real man can confidently cross his arms when standing up high.¡± Hiba¡¯s comment was answered by agreement and the sound of gunfire. At the same time, Harakawa¡¯s mind saw sparks flying in the distance. Even as the world fell apart, the battle continued. Diana leaned against the white wall and spoke. ¡­Back then¡­ She spoke accurately and clearly as she thought back. ¡°On that night when the ending came, I used my broom to fly back to the gate created east of Osaka.¡± When she had landed, her steel broom had fallen apart as if to say it had done its duty. She had then joined the others. The camp had had protective concepts set up and she had been fighting nearby, so her body had been less affected by the negative concepts. Yui and the others had left that protective barrier, so several of them had already been complaining of health problems. There had been a trembling girl holding Hiba¡¯s sword in the camp, so she had been sent back first. Behind them, the pillar of light had grown so bright that the writing inside could not be seen. That meant Sayama had given the decree from the center of the sealing barrier. Once the light of the pillars had reached its peak, the same level of light had come from the sealing barrier itself. ¡­The inside and outside of the barrier are being separated and the inside is being sent to the void. The void was a territory of true nothingness. It had no time, no space, and nothing else. But something had concerned Diana as the seal had reached completion. ¡°UCAT Director Ooshiro, is anyone still inside the barrier!?¡± ¡°Sayama-kun and Yume-kun are. As are the other three Peaks.¡± ¡°Then what are you doing!? We need to put together a rescue team!¡± A voice had answered her from the communicator. It had been Thunderson¡¯s hoarse voice. ¡°Don¡¯t get hysterical, Diana.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m picking up Hiba and the others now. Once this is over, we¡¯ll head back there. You all need to hurry up and escape to Low-Gear. Wait around too long and we¡¯ll beat you back.¡± Diana had then heard Alberto¡¯s voice over the communicator. ¡°Hey, James. What are you gonna do once you get back?¡± ¡°How about we gather our families together and have a Christmas party? It¡¯ll be our kids¡¯ first time to meet each other, won¡¯t it? And Alberto.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve always wanted to apologize for. I shouldn¡¯t have gotten after you for not being with your family.¡± He had paused for a breath. ¡°But the only reason my cowardly heart felt you needed to be with your family was because I wanted to be with mine. ¡­We never seemed to get along, but deep down, we really wanted the same thing.¡± That was when Diana had seen something. Inside the glowing white sealing barrier, figures had approached on the surface and through the air. Three people had been approaching on land: Sayama Asagi, Yume, and an unfamiliar girl. The philosopher¡¯s stone that Asagi and Yume had brought to protect against negative concepts had been hanging from the running girl¡¯s neck. ¡­Is that Yukio¡¯s daughter? Asagi had lagged behind as he let his wife and the girl run ahead. The light behind him had been too strong to tell exactly why. It had looked like he was holding something in both arms, but he had refused to let go of it. As soon as Diana had decided it was something Yukio had given him, a shockwave had raced along the elevated land. Diana had turned toward the rumbling in surprise and seen what was arriving by air: a blue mechanical dragon. Its armor had been almost entirely smashed or ripped away and the cockpit had lost its canopy. Its wing had no longer been enough to supply lift and it had only remained flying because of its thrust and floating concept. Everyone had run over, expecting for Thunderson, Hiba, and the others to disembark. However, Diana and the others had seen something else. Most of the cockpit had been smashed and had only maintained just enough space for a single injured person to be flown back on autopilot. ¡°Itaru.¡± Itaru¡¯s right leg had been broken, but the tears streaming down his face had not been from the pain. He had lowered the hands covering his face and he had opened his mouth. ¡°By the time he reached us, he said the dragon was at its limit and could only carry maybe one person.¡± Diana remembered Itaru asking why. ¡°Why did he give an order that meant his own death!?¡± Three sets of eyes looked up at the crumbling world. As the city and earth fell to pieces around them, the three men sat with their backs against a broken cement wall. They had all been injured at their posts and they were all shedding blood onto the ground. One of the three, Alberto, noticed something in the sky. He held his broken gun to support himself while he looked up. The sealing barrier¡¯s light was reaching its climax. ¡°Hey, Hiba, Thunderson. Noah¡¯s about to be blown away.¡± A man with a broken sword in his lap sat to his right and a man staring motionlessly upwards sat to his left. Both of them said ¡°yeah¡± as if sighing or falling asleep and they laughed bitterly at their unison. They laughed as if forcing all the air out of their lungs. Thunderson then spoke. ¡°I need to get back. ¡­I told my daughter I¡¯d go jogging with her in the morning.¡± Hiba gave a meaningless nod. ¡°I wonder how my son will do? Will he take care of her?¡± No one asked who he meant by ¡°her¡±. But the three men suddenly heard a sound. It was a song. ¡°That¡¯s a hymn. It¡¯s Silent Night.¡± They did not know who was singing, but they listened to the song. ¡°It¡¯s too bad. Noah¡¯s gonna vanish before they finish singing. And yet it was made for people.¡± ¡°It apparently has a control automaton, but I feel sorry for the thing. It was made as an ark, but it couldn¡¯t save anyone.¡± ¡°Then we need to get back before it¡¯s over. ¡­I bought a bookcase. Not for me, but for my son.¡± ¡°Then get moving,¡± said Thunderson. Alberto nodded. ¡°You get moving, too.¡± He turned toward Thunderson, but the man did not move. Hiba was not moving either ¡°Yeah,¡± muttered Alberto. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the people waiting for us.¡± The light before his eyes grew brighter than white. ¡°¡­¡± Alberto never closed his eyes, but he could no longer see. The sun sank beyond a mountain range. Its final light created a group of shadows. Those shadows were cast by gravestones on a mountain slope. The backlight was too bright to read the name on one gravestone, but someone stood motionless and wordless before it. Speaking in a graveyard was a job for the living. ¡°That is what happened ten years ago, Sf.¡± ¡°Why did you tell me that now, Itaru-sama?¡± Itaru fixed his black collar in the evening sun and turned his sunglasses toward Sf who stood a step behind him. ¡°Because you have no emotions, Sf. I know I won¡¯t have to hear any nonsense from you.¡± ¡°Tes. Then that is a product of my ability. Thank you very much. I have determined German UCAT created me to be exactly what you desired. ¡­And the acknowledgement that what I am always telling you is not nonsense means I can give you five times the thanks.¡± ¡°I see you also have five times the ability to misinterpret my words.¡± ¡°Tes. I had recently begun to worry that I might actually be defective, but that must be due to my increased ability to misinterpret what you have said. ¡­My relief function is working at five times normal.¡± ¡°My annoyance is accelerating at five times normal too. What should I do about that?¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf pointed to the setting sun. ¡°You can cry in that direction. It seems Ooshiro-sama jumps up and down after he cries.¡± Itaru ignored her and slowly faced forward. The backlight made the name ¡°Sayama¡± difficult to make out on the gravestone. New flowers were laid out in front of it and water had been splashed on it. Sf stepped up next to him. ¡°Itaru-sama, I have a question about the role of Sayama Asagi and a few others in what you told me.¡± Itaru crouched down, bent his left knee, and then slowly bent the right. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t really know. I can make a number of guesses, though. By the time I arrived at the escape zone, I had lost consciousness from blood loss and I was in the hospital by the time I came to.¡± He sighed, brushed a hand through his gray hair, and corrected the position of the flowers. The gravestones that had been hidden below them were carved with the names Sayama Kaoru, Asagi, and Yume. ¡°Sayama Asagi had brought a metal case containing the left Georgius and he handed it over to Sayama Yume. And¡­it seems he didn¡¯t escape the sealing barrier in time.¡± ¡°Then he is not buried below this gravestone, is he?¡± commented Sf. ¡°But why did he have Georgius?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a theory about that. Top-Gear must have learned Professor Kinugasa had a Georgius in Low-Gear and so created one of their own in Noah.¡± He turned to Sf who looked to the grave and slowly pulled a bouquet of flowers from below her skirt. She then spoke slowly to him. ¡°This is the bouquet I prepared. You always place the flowers so the names are visible, but I have determined the people sleeping here would not want that kind of help. I thought I would hide the names for them.¡± ¡°Is that how you imagine it?¡± ¡°No, automatons cannot imagine. Besides, if you remove what is blocking the vision of those who sleep here, they will naturally wake up. Logically, the reason you told me about the past today and why you go back over it in your mind again and again is because the past keeps waking up. And¡­¡± Sf spoke as she held out the flowers. ¡°I have determined a mystery still remains. How did Sayama-sama¡¯s father obtain Georgius¡¯s case? What happened inside Noah? Also¡­¡± She hid the flowers behind herself. ¡°What kind of people were Sayama-sama¡¯s parents and Shinjou-sama¡¯s parents?¡± Volume 13, 22: Looking Back in the Snow Volume 13, Chapter 22: Looking Back in the Snow As if afraid of the white snow My voice seeks the darkness But the voice of the darkness refers to me as snow A large room was decorated for Christmas. Even the sign in the cafeteria that said Soukou House had chains of colored paper hanging from it and those colorful chains covered the ceiling as well. Below the white lights, Shinjou sat on a white bench with notebooks and letters spread out before her and Sayama held a cellphone to his ear. Shinjou saw the director walk past the cafeteria entrance, so she gave a quick bow. The woman nodded back and Shinjou smiled before facing forward. The documents in front of her were the records of Shinjou Yukio that she had not had time to read before or that they had brought with them. The director had found more since Shinjou¡¯s last visit, so there was a small pile of notebooks, albums, and letters on the table. ¡­It¡¯s nice being able to learn as much as I can. She felt like she was filling the gaps left inside herself. The others seemed to be taking action in their own ways and Sayama was currently on the phone with Heo. It had been a long call, Sayama occasionally spoke up so Shinjou could hear, and Heo was telling him what Harakawa¡¯s mother had told her about the past. However, that was reaching its end. ¡°I see. Then are you about to head home, Heo-kun? ¡­Yes, take care.¡± Sayama ended the call and Shinjou turned toward him. ¡°It sounds like they¡¯re having trouble over there. Did Ryuuji-kun do something again?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sayama nodded and crossed his arms. ¡°From what Heo-kun said, he renegotiated with 2nd-Gear by letting a 2nd-Gear man penetrate him with his sword, which produced a lot of blood. Currently, he is stuck in bed, defenseless against all the ¡®attacks¡¯ the others are sending his way.¡± Shinjou frowned and the two of them thought on what he had said. ¡°Was part of that a euphemism?¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun, are you suggesting that the Hiba boy¡¯s heart has migrated to the side of men?¡± ¡°N-no, of course not. I was only kidding. Heo must have said it wrong.¡± ¡°But would she really say anything wrong to us after the ¡®thisp¡¯ incident?¡± They fell silent for about a minute but eventually cleared their throats. Deciding not to think about anything unpleasant, Shinjou gathered together the documents on the table. ¡°Come to think of it, Sayama-kun, you were speaking with the director earlier, weren¡¯t you? Do you mind if I ask what about?¡± ¡°Oh, she was only talking about my grandfather.¡± He brought a hand to his chest and smiled bitterly. ¡°I only confirmed that he did know how to keep up the appearance of being a good person.¡± ¡°He was apparently the one who delivered my mom¡¯s letters.¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. Being someone¡¯s gofer is perfect for that wicked old man. Work until you die. Although I suppose it is too late for that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re as twisted as ever.¡± ¡°If you twist far enough, you end up facing straight forward again, Shinjou-kun. But anyway, were you able to hand over the gift you brought?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shinjou smiled. ¡°The director gave me so much last time, so I bought our school cafeteria¡¯s famous Kinugasa Gelatin. It¡¯s amazing. It has 0% fruit juice, but it apparently still tastes like fruit.¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. Shinjou-kun, your ignorant na?vet¨¦ is lovely and right in my strike zone. But¡­it is disappointing that the item I prepared in the cafeteria did not catch your eye.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. ¡­Wait. Is that why there was ¡®Shinjou Konjac Gelatin¡¯ in the cafeteria gift corner!?¡± ¡°All the fiber is gentle on the stomach.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t backing down, are you? Are you? You instantly decided not to back down and moved about three steps ahead, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Calm down, Shinjou-kun. I know it is a disappointment that I was only able to prepare the Se-chan flavor in time. But do not fear. I secretly drew myself on the underside, so we are inseparable. No matter what happens, you are still mine and mine alone.¡± ¡°But that means we have our backs to each other.¡± ¡°How careless of me! But the way our backs are pressed together is unbearably delicious!¡± He isn¡¯t going fix this even if I warn him, realized Shinjou. In fact, I feel like he¡¯s actually pulling me in. So she instead flipped through the documents again. Among the letters sent here, one had been brought from Top-Gear by Sayama¡¯s grandfather. It of course said nothing about Top-Gear or concepts, but it mentioned that she had begun to manage a church of her own. ¡­The funding was given by someone calling themselves ¡°The Pair¡¯s Daddy-Long-Legs¡±. The letter said Shinjou Yukio did not know who that was but that she was thankful. Given the name, I wonder if it was that world¡¯s version of Sayama-kun¡¯s grandfather, speculated Shinjou. No, if it was, it would be Mommy-Long-Legs or Granny-Long-Legs. ¡°I wonder what happened.¡± ¡°What happened with what?¡± Sayama casually urged her on, so she gave voice to her thoughts. ¡°I must have been on Noah with my mom, but why was that? My parents weren¡¯t getting along.¡± ¡°And yet you were born. Is that a problem?¡± She did not nod because even she was doubtful whether it was a problem or not. ¡°What if I was an unwanted child?¡± She turned around and saw Sayama accepting her words with his usual expressionless look, so she spoke with the new letter in hand. ¡°My mom had people who were cheering her on, but she didn¡¯t get along with my dad because she did not want to actively help them. She had allies, so why was I born between her and the man she was trying to keep her distance from?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But¡­I do wonder why.¡± The letter in her hand eloquently described a moment in the past. It was from the time in which her mother had had trouble with her father. ¡°I always refuse, but he keeps showing up. My hymns are gradually spreading through the local people, but he keeps his distance from all of them and watches me. And when I approach him, he only ever says he wants my help with his work.¡± Shinjou checked to make sure Sayama was reading the letter and let her shoulders droop. ¡°To be blunt, your father may have been something of a stalker.¡± ¡°I was thinking about saying the same thing. ¡­I bet the two of you would have gotten along well.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Stalking is a crime.¡± ¡°Then what is it you¡¯re always doing?¡± ¡°If you and I are not in the center of the world together, the world could very well fall out of balance and receive irreparable damage.¡± Shinjou was speechless and she blushed a little. ¡°Y-you really like making up weird theories about the world, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Checking on the answer does not change that answer, Shinjou-kun. Now¡­how about we set the world in motion just a little?¡± Sayama stood up and forcefully tugged on her hand. She hesitated for a moment. ¡°Wh-where are we going? I haven¡¯t read all of the documents yet.¡± ¡°Not to worry. Right now, we must go to the place Shinjou Yukio, your mother, stood.¡± He looked through the cafeteria¡¯s glass door and outside. There was a gate at the park¡¯s exit, an asphalt road filled with the darkness of night beyond the gate, and¡­ ¡°The answer must lie in the wreckage of the collapse.¡± Sayama and Shinjou stepped out into the dark yard. He was pulling Shinjou along, but she quickly moved up alongside him. ¡°We¡¯re going to see the past?¡± ¡°Some kind of impetus is needed to see the past. Baku uses that impetus to show it to us. That is how we will check to see if our reasoning about the past is accurate.¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± Sayama nodded and continued for her. ¡°It is simple. We only need to find proof that your parents came to understand each other.¡± He turned toward her and held out his empty hand. ¡°Can you give me the letters you have already read?¡± ¡°S-sure.¡± Sayama belatedly realized their breath appeared white in the cold air as they exchanged words. The gas synthesized within Shinjou-kun is dissolving into the air, he realized. ¡°Shinjou-kun, may I stand downwind of you?¡± ¡°Why?¡± He thought up an excuse. This happened when we were exchanging drinks at the train station before, he recalled. I went with the direct truth then and that was a failure. In that case, I merely need to be less direct, he decided while smiling to lower her guard. ¡°Because your white breath smells sweetly of mint.¡± ¡°That sounds like a perverted comment in some schoolboy¡¯s journal!!¡± She shoved the letters toward his face and he tilted his head. ¡­Complaining about a compliment? She is so very shy. Well, modesty is a very Japanese virtue, he thought. And Kenjou, Japanese for modesty, sounds quite a lot like Shinjou. ¡°Sayama-kun, are you going to read them or not?¡± ¡°I am,¡± he replied to her glaring eyes while walking toward the park¡¯s exit. He looked down to the text and found it had been sent to his father. ¡°Something good and something bad happened today. First the good thing: I can build a bell tower thanks to someone¡¯s donation. Apparently, the director who actually runs the church knows who donated the money, but she won¡¯t tell me who it is. She apparently signed a contract with the donor and she can¡¯t tell me until the church is complete. But on her suggestion, I had a sign set up at the gate. The director named it the Nisho Church. I¡¯m guessing she took the first character from ¡®The Pair¡¯s Daddy-Long-Legs¡¯ and added on the last character of my name.¡± The next letter described some conflict with her other self. ¡°Something bad happened again today. I ran into this world¡¯s version of me. He says the funding for spreading the Bible is going to be redirected toward developing terminals for Noah.¡± I see, thought Sayama. Shinjou¡¯s mother had defected to Top-Gear, but she had not promised her full cooperation. She had worked to create a place for Low-Gear there, but before Shinjou¡¯s birth, she had not helped with their concept creation and had been uncooperative. She had likely wanted to stick to her role as advisor and allow Top-Gear to maintain its dignity. At the same time, the higher ups of Top-Gear had not wanted her full cooperation. More than anything, they seemed to have wanted to show off that they had a defector from Low-Gear. That may still have been a peaceful and relaxed time. ¡­But as an actual researcher, Top-Gear¡¯s Shinjou Yukio had realized the difficulty and danger of concept creation. That had led to conflict between them. And Sayama imagined Low-Gear¡¯s Shinjou Yukio must have made a decision after that conflict. ¡­She decided to take personal command of the concept creation and to give birth to Shinjou-kun. What led her to do that? he wondered while nodding again. Meanwhile, Shinjou produced an odd footstep next to him and asked a sudden question. ¡°Sayama-kun, why¡­why are you trying to learn about my parents?¡± ¡°You have doubts about your parents, so is it wrong to want to eliminate those doubts?¡± He did not turn toward her as he asked that and she paused for three seconds before responding. ¡°It is. After all, you won¡¯t look at me.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He nodded and slowed his pace a bit. The ground was solid below his feet and he sensed her to his side. He showed her his expression by letting her stand by his side rather than by turning back toward her. Even as she spoke, he thought that was a cowardly way to show her his emotions. ¡°Why did my father choose my mother?¡± he asked. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As a result, I was protected by my mother and survived. There is nothing wrong with the result.¡± He found it was difficult to speak without allowing his white breath to become a sigh. ¡°But I would appreciate it if that decision was made for a happy reason. My father realized he should choose my mother, but he likely did so because your parents chose each other.¡± He took a breath. ¡°I want your parents to have chosen each other for a happy reason. That way, my father would have celebrated the decision and noticed my mother¡¯s presence. He would have realized she was the only one he had.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Thank me instead, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t think that would get the right meaning across.¡± ¡°But I would prefer to have your thanks than your apology. The meaning does not matter as far as that is concerned.¡± Sayama picked up his pace again. He could see the gate ahead. He pulled Shinjou¡¯s hand in close, pulled her body in close, and placed an arm around her shoulders. She spoke quietly as he helped keep the cold away. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°No, thank you.¡± As they exchanged thanks, they approached the gate and walked through. The streetlights briefly cut off their view, so it felt like stepping out into another world. But that other world had an asphalt ground and a cliff. ¡°You can see so much.¡± The night scenery opened up down below. The nearby lights were from houses and cars driving along the roads. The more distant lights were from the port and the boats on the sea. Shikoku, through which they had travelled that afternoon, was visible as a band of light past the bridge over the Naruto Strait. ¡°Your mother must have seen this scenery in both Low-Gear and Top-Gear.¡± Sayama and Shinjou stopped in front of the gate remaining before the cliff. Sayama then breathed in and faced Shinjou. ¡°Now, time for some questions.¡± ¡°Eh? W-wait. Where did this come from?¡± Shinjou frowned in confusion, but Sayama ignored it. He raised three fingers in front of her. ¡°You must answer three questions. If you do not¡­¡± ¡°I-I have to strip?¡± ¡°¡­That is a great idea, Shinjou-kun!!¡± ¡°Oh, no! Why did I have to say that!? Forget I said anything!!¡± She quickly tried to flee, but he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back. ¡°Now, for question one.¡± ¡°W-wait a second! I haven¡¯t pressed my mental start button yet!¡± He waited a little, so she slowly turned around and tilted her head worriedly. ¡°Y-you won¡¯t really make me¡­right?¡± He immediately nodded with a smile. ¡°Unfortunately, that is incorrect. The correct answer was ¡®Artluman¡¯s seventh special attack is the eye jab¡¯, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°What kind of question has an answer like that!?¡± He ignored her and held out his hand as if asking for her to give him something. She forced a smile and jabbed a finger into his palm. ¡°What¡¯s this hand for? Money?¡± ¡°Of course not. This is for something which has a value that cannot be bought, Shinjou-kun.¡± She sighed and resignedly removed her tie. ¡°Fine, fine. Make do with this.¡± As suggested, he made do. Namely, he wrapped it around his forehead. ¡°Now, time for question two, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re still doing this!?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, that is incorrect. The correct answer was ¡®Kamen Vader 1 died by-¡­¡± ¡°O-oh! Oh! He held a nuclear bomb in his arms, bungee jumped off Tokyo Tower, and destroyed Tokyo!¡± ¡°I am really not sure what he was hoping to accomplish with that. ¡­But how did 2 die?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a cheap question!!¡± ¡°The answer was ¡®he collided with 1 after performing a Super Headbutt to catch him from below¡¯.¡± As he spoke, Sayama removed another piece of clothing from Shinjou. ¡°Eh?¡± After about seven seconds, Shinjou looked down. ¡°Um¡­¡± She frantically held down the front and back of her skirt and crouched down. She was also blushing. ¡°S-Sayama-kun!? Wh-what was that for all of a sudden!?¡± ¡°These are not the panties you wore this morning, Shinjou-kun. ¡­Strings? Were you expecting something to happen!?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve changed clothes since this morning and I thought these would be easier to walk in. ¡­More importantly, give them back!¡± ¡°Restrain that which has at long last found freedom? I could never do something so cruel! I must protect this.¡± ¡°Protect? Come to think of it, I¡¯d noticed some of my underwear was vanishing from the closet.¡± ¡°Yes. To make sure they would not be stolen and to ensure I would have some on hand whenever you needed them, I placed them under my strict supervision.¡± ¡°So it was you!!¡± ¡°W-wait, Shinjou-kun! You misunderstand! I am pure!¡± ¡°Yes, it was a misunderstanding to ever think you were innocent. You¡¯re obviously pure here. Pure guilty!¡± This makes for a nice daily life too, thought Sayama as he received a moderate strangling. But just as he began to give in to the asphyxiation, he restrained himself and quickly tapped Shinjou¡¯s hand. ¡°C-calm down, Shinjou-kun. And at any rate, it is time for the third and final question.¡± Shinjou stopped moving with her arms still reaching toward his neck. She must have assumed saying anything would lead to further clothing being removed because she remained silent. So Sayama exhaled and opened his mouth for the final question. ¡°Question 3: In the Kinugasa Library, we saw Miss Shinjou Yukio standing in the snow. The building next to her had a concert hall and bell tower. In other words, that was the completed version of her church. The gate likely had a sign calling it the Nisho Church. But¡­¡± He looked over to where the cherry tree had to have been. ¡°She spun around in front of that completed building. So why did she do that? Why did she spin around and spread her arms as if to show off the completed building?¡± He asked his question. ¡°Who was she showing it off to?¡± Shinjou raised her eyebrows at Sayama¡¯s question. ¡­Come to think of it¡­ That dream of the past had only lasted a moment, so it had looked like the woman was dancing. But that was unlikely to be the case. Below that snow-covered cherry tree, she had turned toward someone. After looking into Osaka¡¯s sky where Noah floated in the darkness, she had turned toward someone behind her with a look of joy over the completed church. ¡°Was that¡­my dad?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± She heard the toe of Sayama¡¯s shoe tap hard against the ground. ¡°He must have been standing here, below the gate. Most likely without an umbrella.¡± ¡°Without an umbrella?¡± ¡°Your mother did not have one either. Don¡¯t you think your mother had a childish side to her in that way?¡± Shinjou thought about the mother she had no memory of. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± When her mother had turned around, the look in her eyes had been confident that someone was there watching her. Shinjou looked to her mother who had once turned around here in another world. She directly returned the woman¡¯s gaze. ¡°I had a thought, too.¡± ¡°And what was that?¡± ¡°Well, whenever my mom was faced with something painful or unpleasant, she would hide it behind a weak smile,¡± she explained. ¡°So why did she write about my dad in her letters? She said she had trouble with him and did not like him without trying to hide it.¡± ¡°That is a new fact I had not noticed. And on that snowy day¡­¡± She knew what Sayama was saying, so she nodded and continued for him. ¡°She must have been announcing to my dad that the church was finished. She would have said something more sacred than Noah had been built. ¡­And she would have said they might be able to create the Biblical mythology in that world.¡± Shinjou spoke her thoughts while fully aware it was only a convenient hope. ¡°My mom may have been trying to put Top-Gear and Low-Gear on the same level by giving Top-Gear the Biblical mythology they lacked. Instead of creating concepts and waging war, she wanted to provide each world what they lacked as well as something they could believe in. ¡­And so she pretended to defect.¡± Sayama said nothing, so she breathed in. She touched the metal gate and looked into the distance where she pictured her mother¡¯s gaze in midair. ¡°My mom must have turned my dad away. She would have told him they would be just fine without Noah and she must have asked him to stop inviting her in and to instead listen to her invitation.¡± She took a breath. ¡°That wasn¡¯t mentioned in the letters, but I¡¯m sure of it. She had to have given him an invitation, too. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have continued coming here.¡± She hesitated, but she decided to say it. She gave the identity of the individual who her mother had wondered about, the one who had donated to have the church built. ¡°If not, he wouldn¡¯t have secretly funded the construction of the church.¡± She breathed out and told herself not to cry. She willed the tears back because she had not reached the conclusion yet. But next to her, Sayama placed an arm around her shoulders and asked a question. ¡°Why do you think Top-Gear¡¯s Shinjou Yukio was ¡®The Pair¡¯s Daddy-Long-Legs¡¯?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. The name Nisho Church partially came from that alias.¡± She gave a powerful nod at her own words. ¡°And if you place the characters for ¡®Pair¡¯ on top of each other, they become the final character in Top-Gear Yukio¡¯s name.¡± Shinjou looked up toward that space in an alternate world where a gate with that name would have existed. ¡°When the church was finished, my mom would have heard the truth from the director. There¡¯s no, no, no way the director would have been able to just watch on after seeing her turn my dad away.¡± I would have done the same, thought Shinjou as her voice rose to a shout. ¡°My mom chased after him when he silently left without looking back, didn¡¯t she!?¡± Her question roused Baku on Sayama¡¯s head. He gave her the answer to her question about the past. A snowy slope was a poor place to run, but she ran. It was night, but the snow filled the air with pale light and Low-Gear¡¯s Shinjou Yukio ran down the slope in a lab coat. Snow got in her shoes and chilled her feet as it melted. But she still ran. The snow snatched at her feet, but she kept herself from slipping by continuing ever onward. ¡°Wait!¡± Her white breath and her voice did not reach him. The back of a lab coat walked away through the snow and did not turn around. ¡°Wait up!¡± She breathed in, felt the cold air stabbing at the back of her throat, and stumbled through the snow. Her slow pace frustrated her and she could tell she was not catching up. She wondered if it was curiosity or interest driving her to reach him. ¡°Wait.¡± The lab coat up ahead did not wait, so she pushed herself even faster. ¡°Ah!¡± Her foot got caught in one of his footprints and she tripped. Instead of falling to her knees, she fully collapsed to the left. She was lucky the snow had accumulated as much as it had. The asphalt did not scrape at her skin and she actually scraped away the snow. She sat up to knock away the snow that had been pushed up onto her. She sighed while sitting in the snow and she finally realized she was sweating. ¡­Why? Why was she so desperate? She did not know. ¡°Wait.¡± With that word, tears spilled from her eyes for some reason. She sobbed and her shoulders rose and fell. ¡°Wait¡­¡± She muttered the word and brought her hands to her eyes like a child. She saw a tall figure in a white lab coat standing before her. He was there. His sharp eyes looked directly at her and seemed to pierce right through her. ¡°¡­!!¡± She blushed and quickly stood, but she slipped on the snow she had packed down and she almost fell backwards. Swinging her arms was not enough to keep her balance, and¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She did not fall. She noticed he had grabbed her right hand. And with almost painful strength. ¡­He saved me. She wanted to say something and wondered if she should thank him. But as soon as he let go, she used her left hand to slap him. The high-pitched sound filled the air, the snow accumulated on his shoulders scattered away, and she shouted. ¡°What is the meaning of this!?¡± She planted her feet on the ground and slapped him again. The sound of the second strike permeated the snow. ¡°Why¡­Why would you do something like that?¡± He returned her gaze and relaxed his shoulders. ¡°What would ¡®that¡¯ be?¡± She felt her body temperature rising at that question and she swung her left arm to point up the slope. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you did!? You funded the construction of that church!¡± She breathed in and formed words at the volume of a yell. ¡°Were you taking pity on me!? Or were you trying to bribe me!? Did someone order you to do it? What were you trying to do!? And¡­what were you thinking!?¡± With her firm expression intact and unexpected tears in the corners of her eyes, she forced a laugh. She wiped away the tears with her sleeve and took a shrill breath, but forced a smile with her eyebrows raised. ¡°That must have been amusing! You got to watch a silly woman go on and on about how proud of the church she was without realizing you had paid for it all! She had been manipulated by you the entire time, but she ignorantly acted like someone important!¡± After that, she lowered the ends of her eyebrows, and asked the true question she had saved until after the unnecessary complaints. ¡°Why!? Why would you do that after we tried so much to distance ourselves from each other!?¡± That shouted question produced a reaction in the man. He looked up a bit toward the heavens. At the top of the slope was a church and past that was Noah. He stared in the distance beyond the snowy darkness. ¡°It wasn¡¯t some impressive reason.¡± ¡°Just tell me!¡± At her urging, he closed his eyes, breathed in, and spoke with an exasperated tone. ¡°I simply wanted you to succeed.¡± ¡°For me to!?¡± His eyes were closed, so he did not see her expression. He only lowered his head and continued. ¡°No matter what, I have to create concepts and prepare this world to fight. And eventually, Top-Gear will be unable to trust visitors from the other world like you. Once the enemy could arrive at any moment, the world will begin to think fortifying our defenses is the best way to spread peace.¡± He did not stop there. ¡°But most likely, you are right, Shinjou Yukio. No matter what happens, you will still be right, Shinjou Yukio. You did not choose Top-Gear or Low-Gear. You made the right decision and chose to be a bridge between all Gears. You chose something I could not and you are undoubtedly right.¡± He then said ¡°but¡± and ¡°so¡±. ¡°I wanted to see just how much your way of thinking could change the world. I wanted to see how much the true feelings of my other self could change the world.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Listen,¡± he said. ¡°The donations I made to you might as well have been made to me. Your pride in the completed church gave me joy. I got to see just how much my other self could accomplish.¡± He opened his eyes and looked to her. For the first time, he narrowed his eyes with a small smile on his lips. ¡°That is why I funded the church, my other self. I chose to remain a man of this world, so you outdid me. From now on, I will be able to see the light of your church from Noah. I will also hear its bell. And that will be proof that there is at least one thing in this world that someone wished for. That will be one thing I truly managed to create for this world.¡± With that, he turned around and bent his back a little. ¡°Farewell.¡± The man in a lab coat took a step away into the falling snow. As soon as he did, she did not hesitate. ¡°Wait!¡± She wrapped her arms around him from behind. She embraced the lab coat to stop him from continuing down the slope. She knew she could not force him. ¡­This man¡­ He had already restrained himself for the good of this world, so he would not give into force. She would need a will that surpassed his if she was to stop him. So she shouted loud enough for her voice to pass through his back. ¡°Please tell me!¡± She breathed in. ¡°Someday, god will reside in this place! You built the very first place for god¡¯s voice to be heard in this land! No lies are permitted there and anything you confess will be forgiven. So¡­so please tell me. What do you want from me!?¡± And¡­ ¡°You understand, don¡¯t you? Someone on your level has to know the data I gave you was modified and you have to know why¡­why I won¡¯t create concepts in this Gear!¡± ¡°I do know. You are another version of me, after all.¡± He slowly chose his words. ¡°I understand why you are making it so we cannot create concepts.¡± She nodded at his answer. ¡°You understand, but you can¡¯t do what I¡¯m doing?¡± ¡°The higher ups would never accept that Top-Gear is inferior to Low-Gear in any way. That is why I have chosen my path and left you to do things your way. I have now settled things with you, so you can continue doing things as you please. And¡­¡± She felt him sigh. ¡°Are you going to waste everything I have given you?¡± ¡°We still don¡¯t know if I can waste it.¡± To erase his trembling sigh, she pressed her own breath into his back. ¡°Are you afraid of your own words? Are you afraid of the words that will ruin everything I have?¡± Tears spilled out as she exhaled. ¡°Tell me. Please tell me, my other self. I have always chosen to give instead of receive, but if I am truly wanted in this world, then tell me what that means.¡± He slowly took a breath. He breathed in instead of out. The oxygen was cooled by the snow, so it pricked at his lungs as he spoke. ¡°I want you to help me settle everything for this world¡­no, for all worlds.¡± She listened to his trembling voice. These were the words of her other self. ¡°I truly have no interest in bringing an end to conflict or in what is right or wrong. I simply want all Gears to care for the world.¡± After all¡­ ¡°If every Gear is righteous, then no Gear has erred. The destruction was not brought on by people¡¯s mistakes. I want to say that the destruction came about because they were right.¡± So¡­ ¡°Please help me, Shinjou Yukio. Help me make sure this world does not err in the righteousness it so desires. I want your knowledge, your skills, and your songs. That way the light and sound you have created and all else that was born of true righteousness will never vanish from the remaining world.¡± ¡°Is that¡­what you wanted?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°When I first learned about Low-Gear as a child, I thought about your presence there. And when I saw you playing the organ in that church, I wished for your happiness. I remember the very first words you spoke from the pulpit: Love your neighbor as you love yourself.¡± He asked a question. ¡°Answer me, my other self. Was I wrong? If so, I will apologize for funding what you have made.¡± She did not answer, but she did let go of him and circled around in front of him. In the snow, the two of them slowly moved in close. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The bell rang. The brand-new bell rang. The ringing permeated the snow as it carried into the distance. Volume 13, 23: Notification of Continuation Volume 13, Chapter 23: Notification of Continuation Your world is turning You are turning your world Your world is embracing you Light footsteps traveled down a night road covered in winter dew. They moved at a jog. The figure passing below the streetlights was a girl wearing a flight jacket over her school uniform. She wore a large rucksack on her back. The name ¡°Heo¡± was stitched into the flight jacket and her light body moved with a light step. Her breath was white, but there was no disturbance in her swaying body and blonde hair. ¡°How is it? Is my fatigue good enough?¡± She looked back at the plant creature sticking its head out of the rucksack. The creature expelled more white air than she did. ¡°Delicious. H Heo is delicious.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really like how that sounds.¡± If she sped up, she could feed the creature more heat, but¡­ ¡­Once I get home, it¡¯s over. Feeding this plant creature is surprisingly difficult, she thought. Is heading out on a walk with no real destination the best way? After that, she wondered if Harakawa was back home. Did he know what his mother had told her or what she had learned from Sayama and Kazami? ¡­It¡¯s hard to say. Her knowledge of the past was incomplete, but she still had a few thoughts. ¡­I want to head out and protect everyone. This was not because she had an opposite or because it was her duty. There was something she wanted to protect, so she would do so. If anyone was working towards that end, she would help them and fill any gaps they might have. At the very least, her parents had done that. Instead of leaving Top-Gear to be destroyed and escaping, they had done the best they could inside that destruction. As a result, Top-Gear had been destroyed and Kansai had suffered an earthquake, but Low-Gear had survived. So, thought Heo. ¡­I will do the same. She wanted to know everything. She wanted to know the truth, what had happened, and what had not happened. If she did not know what her parents had done, she doubted she would be able to do the same and be proud of it. ¡°After all¡­I¡¯m here because of them.¡± If a great number of options lay ahead, she wanted to follow the example that had left her here. No matter what happened, she wanted to choose what was most important to her. She suddenly found herself running. Her body had responded to the answer her thoughts desired. Her breath was white, but¡­ ¡°Heo.¡± ¡°¡­? Yes, what is it?¡± ¡°Time to go home.¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re on our way. Would you like to take the long way back?¡± But¡­ ¡°No.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The plant creature said ¡°time to go home¡± again and suddenly moved within the rucksack. She frantically stopped and found they were already in front of the apartment. She quickly brought the rucksack in front of her and found the creature was stuck with only its head sticking out. It clearly wanted to get out and she finally realized what it meant. ¡°You want to go back to the 4th-Gear reservation?¡± ¡°Already going home, so go home.¡± At the same time, her cellphone rang. It was from Kazami who was staying inside UCAT. ¡°Heo! Did you finish the renegotiation!?¡± ¡°Eh? Well, um, I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°The plant creatures in the beast bath are all leaving. ¡­So what kind of negotiation was it? Since it¡¯s you, did it have to do with tentacles!?¡± ¡°What kind of person do you think I am?¡± The plant creature directed its thought voice toward the phone. ¡°Heo is H. Negotiation in the hospital. Makes H with Harakawa.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Heo was briefly left speechless, but then she quickly spoke up. ¡°K-Kazami! Just to be clear, I think you¡¯re making an 8000 meter misunderstanding here!¡± ¡°Eh? Oh, right. Ha ha. Sorry, Heo. Something just came up, so I have to go.¡± ¡°I-is that something ¡®telling other people so you can make fun of me¡¯!?¡± ¡°No, no. It¡¯s nowhere near that kind. Don¡¯t worry. Don¡¯t worry. Okay?¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound remotely convincing! Stop moving things along without listening to me!¡± The next thing she knew, the call had ended. She sighed while holding the plant creature¡¯s bag and shrugged. ¡°What am I supposed to do about this?¡± She faced forward and trudged toward the room. There was a gravel parking space in front of the steel door. ¡­Harakawa¡¯s motorcycle still isn¡¯t there. She walked across the dry gravel and spoke to the creature. ¡°Harakawa isn¡¯t here, so should we head back to UCAT?¡± It had said it was time to ¡°go home¡± and she was certain Kazami and the others were making all sorts of jokes about her. That would surely be more fun than sitting alone in the apartment. She turned her back on the apartment while realizing she was doing this more for her own sake than for the plant creature. As she did, she saw her shadow on the gravel. ¡°Eh?¡± She realized a light had to be on for her to cast a shadow. The gravel crunched below her feet as she turned around and saw a light on above the steel door. However, the frosted glass to the side of the door showed the room was dark. ¡­Did I forget to turn it off when leaving this morning? Or¡­ With hope filling her chest, she unlocked the door and peered inside the room. It was dark. A silent stillness filled it, but Harakawa¡¯s shoes were not sitting in the entranceway. ¡°¡­¡± So did I really forget to turn off the light? she wondered while stepping inside. She turned on the entranceway light, removed her shoes, decided to eat dinner at UCAT, and turned toward the kitchen. She saw something odd there. A pot sat on the kitchen stove. It was filled with water. A plate sat in the kitchen. It contained chopped vegetables covered in plastic wrap. A meal could be completed just by adding curry powder or some other seasoning and then cooking it. Who had prepared that and why? She thought back to that morning. She was fairly certain she had cleaned everything up then. ¡­And I think we had just run out of curry powder. At that point, a breath escaped her lips. It was a sigh of relief. ¡°¡­¡± Her shoulders relaxed and tears welled up in her eyes before falling. ¡°Idiot¡­¡± She wiped her eyes with her jacket¡¯s sleeve. ¡°You can¡¯t just win me over with food.¡± She forced a bitter smile. ¡°I guess I got back before him. Oh, I know. How about I cook up the vegetables and then see how shocked he is when he comes back with the curry powder?¡± She gave a triumphant snort and started in from the entranceway. As she did, she noticed a black leather wallet on the shoe rack. ¡°That¡¯s Harakawa¡¯s.¡± It was thick and likely contained every last yen he owned. ¡­He went shopping without it? Was he lost in thought? she wondered. ¡­Is he having trouble? At that point, she frantically shook her head. ¡°Th-that isn¡¯t my problem.¡± Besides, she did not even know if he had actually gone shopping. ¡°I-I don¡¯t have to worry about him. Not after he abandoned me.¡± If he really was having trouble, he would call her and tell her to bring his wallet. ¡­But he doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m back. Also, she doubted he would actually call her asking for help. After two nods of understanding, she realized something. ¡°N-no, wait! He abandoned me!¡± But, she thought. ¡­He always tried to protect me. She breathed out. She did so thrice. Not yet, she told herself as she made it to five times. A little longer, she added on her way up to seven. That was enough to relax her body and allow her to move more naturally. She reached for the wallet on the shoe rack. It had a weight to it. It was important to him and she felt it was not something she should have, but she knew a supermarket that was open this late and he knew about it too. When they would go shopping together at night, she remembered getting excited and buying excess food. Two things worried her. ¡°We won¡¯t just miss each other if I leave now, will we?¡± And¡­ ¡°He won¡¯t turn me away if I go to meet him, will he?¡± That comment received a response. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± It came from the rucksack she held to her chest. The plant creature rose up and hopped down from the loosened opening of the bag. ¡°Go, Heo. That is best. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Because¡­ ¡°Heo and Harakawa should be together. Together, so can¡¯t be not together.¡± Once it landed, the creature sat down. ¡­It¡¯s telling me to go? ¡°Want to see you two join together.¡± Am I reading too much into it if that sounds dirty? wondered Heo as she shrugged and smiled. She then nodded, put the wallet in her jacket pocket, and gently stretched her knees to either side. After gathering her breath, she took five seconds to settle her mind and let it show on her face. ¡°Understood. If I show you that even two very different people can be together, will it settle the renegotiation with 4th-Gear?¡± The creature nodded and she realized anew why it had said it was time to go home. ¡­It¡¯s over. She did not know what she had taught the creature in their short time together, but 4th-Gear must have made up its mind and decided there was nothing more worth learning. That was why it was time to go home. There was nothing more to check on. ¡­They¡¯re no longer worried. And so she decided to go in order to eliminate her own worries. She would go meet Harakawa, return with him, and try to find something she could do with the laptop she had borrowed. ¡°I¡¯m going.¡± She turned around and opened the door. It was dark out and her white breath scattered into the cold air. But the night dew had yet to stain the gravel illuminated by the lights. ¡­That means whatever was there hasn¡¯t been gone long. She realized she could catch up with him, so she began to run. She took off into the chilly darkness. A pair of white breaths warmed the chilly air on the way down a slope. They came from Sayama and Shinjou. The two of them hurried down a slope located between a concrete hill and lit houses. A thin line of sand followed Shinjou¡¯s shadow along the ground. ¡°Train¡± ¡°Time¡± ¡°Time to spare¡± ¡°Only have to jog¡± ¡°God of war¡± ¡°Run?¡± ¡°Ended on ¡®n¡¯ ¡± ¡°Over¡± ¡°Over already¡± ¡°Utter failure¡± ¡°Stupid moron¡± ¡°Curses¡± ¡°You fool¡± ¡°Loach¡± ¡°Halibut¡± ¡°Trout¡± ¡°Their shiritori just took a fishy turn, didn¡¯t it?¡± While watching the Messenger of Wanambi¡¯s game of shiritori, Shinjou let out a white breath and looked to Sayama. He had previously contacted Kazami and the others at UCAT as well as Heo who had been on her way home from the hospital. He had been lost in thought ever since. She knew why: his parents. ¡­Harakawa-kun and Heo¡¯s parents fought to make sure the world wasn¡¯t destroyed, but¡­ Sayama¡¯s father had said he had caused the initial destruction. The documents he had sent had activated the negative concepts. In that case, Top-Gear had been destroyed by Sayama¡¯s father and, by connection, Low-Gear. Responsibility for Top-Gear¡¯s destruction fell on Low-Gear. During the day, Sayama had told Izumo Retsu that they would gather all of the Gears for a meeting. Shinjou did not know what form that would take, but the past they had seen could be used as a weapon. ¡­And as a blade to make us aware of our own crimes. He had to be thinking about what to do once everyone sat down together to speak. As the negotiator, he would be making a gamble with the entire world on the line. She wondered if he could manage, but then saw him doing something unexpected with a perfectly serious expression. ¡°Sayama-kun? Why are you holding my underwear up in front of you?¡± Despite her question, he simply walked on while still staring at the underwear. He had not reacted, but he did finally move. ¡°Don¡¯t put them on your head!!¡± He gave a start and turned toward her in surprise. ¡°Wh-what is it, Shinjou-kun? Why are you interrupting my thoughts on the past?¡± ¡°How did that lead to staring at my underwear and trying to put them over your head?¡± He looked at the underwear in his hand. He stared at them for a while before responding. ¡°This is not underwear, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°What a revolutionary philosophy you have there.¡± ¡°Yes. This must be a focusing tool that god has given me to help me concentrate. Logically, it must be an offering to the heavens, so the butt spirit must present it to the butt god thusly.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to offer it to the heavens and neither spirits nor gods matter right now. Try to focus on reality! Even if we run across weird things from time to time, this is still the world of man!¡± Sayama turned toward her and grabbed her shoulders with a calm expression. ¡°A living butt god has made an appearance!¡± Once she chopped his wide-open sides with her hands, he twisted away from her. ¡°Sh-Shinjou-kun, a proper tsukkomi is done with a single hand into a single side.¡± ¡°Enough of that,¡± she insisted for the umpteenth time that day. ¡°Are you prepared for the meeting?¡± ¡°I would like three days including today,¡± he said readily. ¡°I have my own thoughts, the memories of your parents, Heo¡¯s inspection of the world¡¯s creation, and the pasts of Harakawa and the others¡¯ parents. On top of that, Kazami, Izumo, the Hiba boy, and the others are sure to give me some ideas, a change of pace, and a sense of calm. Plus, Mikage-kun is still asleep. After three days of that, we will likely be able to settle quite a lot.¡± ¡°Three days including today would mean¡­¡± ¡°The 23rd. That is cutting it close, but we can still make it,¡± he said. ¡°So once we return to Japanese UCAT, we can speak with the others and tell them we will be holding a meeting with every Gear and every UCAT. On the 23rd, Low-Gear can respond to the other Gears. ¡­If we let that be known, Top-Gear will have no choice but to comply.¡± Shinjou thought on what he had said. ¡­But if he says it will be okay, it¡¯ll be okay. He had specified that three days would be enough, so she gave a trusting smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be rooting for you and helping you, so let¡¯s do everything we can until then.¡± She tilted her head. ¡°But what part of this do you think we can use?¡± ¡°All of it, Shinjou-kun. If we question every single part, a path forward will present itself. But that path may be closed further along, so I would like time to check on it.¡± He crossed his arms and Baku emulated the action from his head. ¡°For example, the answers to a few questions are still teasingly eluding us. Your mother mentioned three things only Low-Gear has, but we only have the temporary answer of ¡®Shinjou-kun¡¯ for the third one.¡± He raised his left hand to his chin. ¡°Also, I have a question about something we saw your parents say earlier. Your mother told your father that someone on his level would know the data she had given him was modified and he would know why she would not create concepts in that Gear.¡± Shinjou remembered that her father had answered that he did know those things. ¡°Does that mean my mom had no intention of creating concepts in Top-Gear?¡± ¡°But why not? The simplest answer is that her defection was a ruse and she had used them to her own ends,¡± said Sayama. ¡°But in that case, why did she decide to work with Top-Gear on that snowy night? That would give Top-Gear the advantage.¡± Shinjou realized he was right. Something did not add up. Had her mother tried to keep the worlds in balance or had she tried to ensure one or the other would survive? Her mother¡¯s intentions were up to one¡¯s interpretation and Hajji¡¯s group insisted on the latter. However, Shinjou currently felt her mother had been the kind of person to choose the former. ¡­But we¡¯re missing the piece we need to support that interpretation of their conversation. She guessed the two of them had had an implicit understanding of that missing piece and had therefore not had to speak it aloud. ¡°That would be the reason why my mom handed over modified data and refused to create concepts in Top-Gear.¡± ¡°Perhaps the final thing that only Low-Gear has is related to that mystery.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± agreed Shinjou before sensing her feet slow. ¡­But is it really? Deciding whether to pursue that mystery or not was Sayama¡¯s job as he looked at the big picture. He also had the issue of his parents. He would want to prioritize learning why his father had made the decision he had. But as he crossed his arms as if holding all the questions, he spoke. ¡°Well, I have a few guesses. I should be able to narrow it down if I have three days to think it over.¡± ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡± This was about her parents. In the three days before the meeting, she would likely have time to read the letters and documents she had received today. She could tell him anything they told her and think on it herself. But other than that¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll do anything to help you with that.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He gave a serious nod, so she immediately cut in. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°That is a new reaction, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°I had a feeling you were going to do or say something awful in seven seconds¡¯ time.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? All I want you to do is strip.¡± She watched as the idiot stopped walking and spread his arms in her direction. ¡°Our temporary answer to the third thing this Gear has is ¡®Shinjou-kun¡¯, so it is only natural to thoroughly investigate you for any information on the actual answer.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°I am. It is necessary for our investigation of the past.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± There¡¯s no fighting this, is there? she thought while placing a hand on her heated cheek. ¡°Then what would you do if I stripped right here and told you to go ahead?¡± ¡°I cannot know for sure until it happens, but I would most likely be incredibly turned on.¡± ¡°You just ruined this!!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± He swung an arm and pointed the palm toward her. The elbow of his suit snapped as he did so. ¡°Shinjou-kun, what comes next is what matters! Reason can overcome that filthy base desire! Have you never heard of self-control great enough to defeat arousal?¡± ¡°You certainly don¡¯t have that.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Shinjou-kun, how can you say that when I have never shown it to you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying it because you¡¯ve never shown it to me!¡± She shouted back and sensed something like a presence. ¡­Eh? A chilly wind blew in from below. It blew against the winter air descending from the sky. That disturbance in the air was caused by someone climbing the slope. ¡­Who is it? She and Sayama turned around and saw someone there. In the depths of the darkness, the streetlights seemed to form steps of lit pavement and someone climbed them with a white dog. ¡°Toda Mikoku?¡± Shinjou sounded doubtful because the girl seemed somehow different from before. She was different from their meeting in Kurashiki or their meeting at Izumo UCAT. ¡­She seems somehow¡­calmer. She realized the girl currently carried no weapon. She only had the large white dog, but her gait was more certain than before. What did she have? Shinjou saw that Mikoku¡¯s right hand was held against the center of her chest and her neck. ¡­Her eyes¡­ Instead of simply looking up, the girl was looking right at Shinjou. With a cold look in her eyes, she stopped at five meters away. ¡°I am Top-Gear¡¯s¡­provisional representative, I suppose. I am Toda Mikoku.¡± Sayama heard her speak in the darkness of the night. ¡°I am here to present our demands to Low-Gear¡¯s representative. This concerns 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core.¡± Sayama frowned at the mention of 3rd¡¯s Core. Wondering what she meant, he crossed his arms and glanced over at Shinjou¡¯s worried look. ¡°What is this about? So you have demands related to the 3rd-Gear Concept Core stolen by Nagata Tatsumi?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Mikoku nodded and opened her mouth to continue. ¡°First, 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core was acquired by one of ours in a personal battle, so we would like to return it to 3rd-Gear.¡± By calling it a ¡°personal battle¡±, she prevented Tatsumi and Hiba¡¯s fight from being Top-Gear and Low-Gear¡¯s fight. She intended to keep it a purely personal affair between those two individuals. ¡­That means the stolen Concept Core was not a hostile act against 3rd-Gear. She wants to say it was only an accident. But why? he wondered. How is returning the Core to 3rd related to their demands? She opened her mouth as if to answer his silent question. ¡°Top-Gear would like for Low-Gear to prepare a venue and opportunity to return it. And we also demand that venue have another use.¡± Sayama listened as she took a breath and continued. ¡°We would like to gather every Gear in a meeting so we can hold a trial against Low-Gear.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± A meeting like that was exactly what Sayama wanted. ¡­So Top-Gear had the same idea. But a moment later, Mikoku¡¯s calm voice gave a dangerous demand. ¡°The meeting shall begin tomorrow.¡± Mikoku saw Sayama frown and Shinjou shrink back. She understood why they would react that way. ¡­I just made two unreasonable demands. One was the meeting and the other was how soon it would begin. But both of those things were necessary. So to negotiate, she opened her mouth again and spoke as if those demands were only natural. ¡°Yes, a meeting,¡± she said. ¡°The world is on the verge of destruction, so we would like to hold a meeting to determine how to settle this.¡± That was the path to the ultimate conclusion in her heart. When Hajji and the others had attacked and been defeated a month and a half earlier, their fight as the Army had come to an end. Hajji and the others had showed no sign they wanted to be rescued from captivity. That was because they trusted the others, but also¡­ ¡­Do they not want to weigh us down? She did not understand, but that was why it was her job to give it meaning. And so she had a thought. ¡­At the very least, the battle of resentment should have ended then. Victory won with unilateral force would leave behind a grudge. She had learned that from her encounter with Gyes and the other automatons. So what she wanted first and foremost was a place to speak. She also knew why the meeting had to begin so soon. ¡°It will take place tomorrow. I am sure 3rd-Gear would like their Concept Core returned as soon as possible.¡± She had a simple reason for rushing this. ¡­I do not want to give Low-Gear time to think. She was up against her other self who was a clever person. Given time, he would build up a logical attack formation and defenses of sophistry. That would make it difficult to win even with a legitimate argument. ¡­Based on the records I have seen, this Sayama has formidable negotiation skills. She gave a mental sigh of exasperation toward her other self. How could he be so different from her? He would have acquired a lot of information here in Sakai and that would help him build up his arguments. So even if she had to force it, she had to rush the beginning of the meeting. ¡°Every world will want to see us settle this, so why not hold a meeting when 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core is returned?¡± Sayama stood before her with his arms crossed. She could tell he was thinking. Her proposed time for the meeting was too early, so he would be trying to find a way out of it. After a while, he looked up. ¡°I have no objection to holding a meeting, but¡­¡± But? ¡°But can¡¯t you return 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core without our help?¡± She nodded. ¡­Can I pull this off? She thought she might just be able to control the discussion here. She might just be able to have the meeting and have it held tomorrow. She began speaking again towards that end. ¡°Listen. Returning the Concept Core without your help would be difficult.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°A portion of 3rd-Gear holds a hostile view of us. In fact, I was attacked by 3rd-Gear automatons and fatally wounded this very afternoon. However, I chose not to fight back and left. I did so because Top-Gear wishes for a peaceful resolution.¡± Mikoku held a hand to her chest and stared into Sayama¡¯s expressionless face. ¡°We wish to return the Core peacefully, but 3rd-Gear may not allow that. So we need an intermediary. We need a venue where a great number of people can observe us and guarantee our safety.¡± And¡­ ¡°Once that is arranged, we can hold a meeting. Either way, only a few days remain until this world is destroyed, so wouldn¡¯t it be best to settle things sooner rather than later?¡± ¡°It seems too soon to me.¡± ¡°For who?¡± She made sure to keep any emotion from her face. ¡°For the past month and a half, the other Gears have been continually discussing this in their reservations. They will want to reconfirm the conclusion of the Leviathan Road. And we are prepared as well.¡± ¡°So if this meeting is delayed, you are placing the blame on Low-Gear?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She faced Sayama whose eyebrows were slightly raised. ¡°Does Low-Gear have any intention of keeping pace with the other Gears?¡± She watched as he placed a hand on his chin and thought for a bit. However, he soon faced her again and slowly pulled a cellphone from his pocket. ¡°Let me check on something. It would be wrong to decide this on our own, so I will contact 3rd-Gear¡¯s representative.¡± Night came early to Izumo UCAT. Miyako was the master of the underground area and she would fall fast asleep after taking a bath and receiving a gravity vibration massage from the automatons. For dinner, she had eaten the sea bream chazuke they had not managed to serve Shinjou and Sayama and she had taken a long, lukewarm bath. Wearing a gown and surrounded by automatons, she lay in her bed, but she was speaking on the phone with a magazine in one hand. ¡°What is it, Sayama? Did you forget something? Like common sense?¡± She teased him, but he only said ¡°no¡±. She frowned at how he actually sounded like he was thinking about something for once. ¡°Sorry about the sudden call, Miyako-kun. To get right to the point, would you prefer to have the Concept Core back in three days¡¯ time or tomorrow?¡± ¡°What?¡± She tilted her head and realized he had gotten himself into some kind of trouble again. But she still said ¡°what a pain¡± loud enough for him to hear. ¡°Of course tomorrow would be better. I¡¯ll take the 24-hour delivery. If it¡¯s late, I¡¯m only paying half price.¡± ¡°Is the Concept Core no different from a pizza?¡± ¡°Then how about you throw in a drink for free, Sayama¡¯s Pizza? And I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on here,¡± she said. ¡°But you¡¯re planning something, aren¡¯t you? Then I¡¯ll leave it up to you. I¡¯m sure only you can pull off whatever it is.¡± He fell silent at that, but finally spoke clearly. ¡°I see. Understood. Then to fulfill your request, I will arrange everything for tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything too crazy.¡± She hung up there. She handed the phone to an automaton and someone stepped out of the darkness. It was Gyes. Her eyebrows were lowered in worry as she approached the bed. ¡°Lady Miyako, I bought the new dessert from the ¡®Shops with a Long Line¡¯ series as you requested.¡± ¡°Yeah, that series is pretty good. So what is it?¡± ¡°What?¡± Gyes tilted her head and Miyako smiled bitterly. ¡°You don¡¯t look very happy. Is it about that phone call?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Gyes handed the convenience store bag to another automaton. ¡°Did our battle with Top-Gear¡¯s Toda Mikoku have anything to do with this talk of returning our Concept Core?¡± ¡°Are you asking if the attack on Toda was a mistake?¡± When Gyes nodded, Miyako¡¯s bitter smile grew and she waved a hand dismissively. ¡°It wasn¡¯t. It really, really, really wasn¡¯t. If it had been, that idiot would¡¯ve mentioned it on the phone. Since he didn¡¯t say anything, it wasn¡¯t a problem and he can manage.¡± She lay face down and the surrounding automatons spread their arms and approached. On Moira 1st¡¯s instructions, they placed their hands on different parts of her body and she looked to Gyes. Gyes still looked worried, so Miyako smiled. ¡°Basically, worrying is wasted effort. I just say whatever¡¯s convenient for me and Sayama just has to think of a way to- hyo hyo hyo!! Nwoh! That really¡­hee hee hyah!¡± ¡°Lady Miyako¡­¡± Miyako began writhing around with Moira 1st and the other automatons partially holding her down, but Gyes relaxed her shoulders and sighed. ¡°It is true that boy and his friends can¡¯t do anything normally.¡± Gyes sounded annoyed. ¡°So they¡¯re sure to do this in some crazy way too.¡± ¡°To sum up, 3rd would like the Core returned as quickly as possible and with a complimentary drink.¡± Shinjou saw Sayama put away his phone and heard him speak. Mikoku tried to pet the dog, but it lightly bit her hand instead. The girl then faced them. ¡°I did not expect the drink, but I am glad to know exactly what 3rd wants. ¡­So what will you do?¡± Sayama nodded and spoke to Mikoku. ¡°It is true that holding a meeting then would be the most efficient option.¡± He was stating his understanding of her demand. ¡­Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s going to agree to have the meeting tomorrow! Shinjou turned toward him in surprise. ¡°Sayama-kun!? Um¡­¡± But his expressionless face looked straight ahead. He did not look away from Mikoku. ¡°Do not worry, Shinjou-kun. It is a decent justification for a meeting.¡± His words reached her chilly ears. ¡°And there is nothing to worry about it. Nothing at all. The only reason to reject having the meeting tomorrow is our own self-preservation. And it is not a problem to me if I agree to hold the meeting then.¡± He turned toward Shinjou with a sharp look in his otherwise expressionless eyes. He then asked for her confirmation. ¡°I will do something about this and I would like your help.¡± That was all. That was all he said. But it was not the chill of his words that made her tremble. ¡°¡­¡± It was the request for her help. He trusted her. And she replied while aware the ends of her eyebrows were slightly lowered. ¡°Of course.¡± This is dangerous, she thought. He had originally said he needed another three days. But Mikoku had requested tomorrow and he had agreed. She was nervous about quite a bit, but she accepted that anxiety in her own agreement. ¡­He said this is fine. So she chose not to doubt him. She decided to do what she could. With that decided, she turned back to Mikoku. The girl stood with the city¡¯s nightscape at the bottom of the hill behind her. ¡°¡­¡± Shinjou saw her shoulders lower in relief. A worrisome burden had been lifted from them. Shinjou realized that girl was standing on the edge as well. They were interacting on the border between their different standpoints. It was their knowledge of that which had led Sayama to agree and Mikoku to sigh. Next, Mikoku gave Shinjou a different kind of look. Her sharp look softened and she let out a white breath. ¡°You have my thanks.¡± ¡°And you have ours. I¡¯m impressed you managed to choose a bloodless meeting.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shinjou saw a small smile on Mikoku¡¯s lips. Afterwards, Mikoku looked down at the dog beside her. After about three breaths, she seemed to make up her mind about something and asked a question without looking away from the dog. ¡°I apologize, but may I ask a personal question?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± asked Shinjou. After some more hesitation, Mikoku opened her mouth. ¡°Is this dog¡¯s owner okay?¡± Shinjou turned toward Sayama. She was silently asking him if they should tell her and his gaze told her to go ahead. She nodded, breathed in, and made up her mind as she looked at the side of Mikoku¡¯s face. ¡°She¡¯s just fine. She¡¯s living somewhere away from both UCAT and the Army.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Mikoku. After a while, she repeated the two words. ¡°I see. Is it a place free of fighting?¡± Sayama was the one to answer that. ¡°If you do not think of everyday life as a kind of battle, then it is.¡± ¡°Is she happy there?¡± ¡°That is up to her.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Mikoku nodded, stood back up, gently tapped the dog¡¯s back, and suddenly turned around. ¡°We will settle this tomorrow. If you make the place known, it will reach us. I am counting on you.¡± She let out a white breath. ¡°And if possible, can you make one personal promise?¡± ¡°What might that be?¡± ¡°I am sure it will be many years after this is over, but if Shino ever marries someone, can you send her some flowers for me?¡± ¡°You can do that yourself. And¡­you are surprisingly sentimental.¡± ¡°I know,¡± she replied before beginning to move. She and the dog walked down the slope and toward the nighttime city. They picked up their pace and seemed to dissolve into the darkness. ¡°Sentimentality, memories, and Top-Gear¡¯s feelings¡­¡± The wind carried Mikoku¡¯s voice to Shinjou¡¯s ears. ¡°¡­will all bring her happiness.¡± Volume 13, 24: Greeting to the World Volume 13, Chapter 24: Greeting to the World Good morning Let us stuff the world in a trash bag And prepare to carry it to the curb Morning filled the air. The winter morning was so early that the sun had yet to rise and the eastern sky had only just started to grow bright. Frost covered everything and the temperature was low enough to form ice. The only sound was the distant engine of a newspaper delivery motorcycle. However, someone was walking through that early morning. The streetlights illuminated a girl in a kimono and jacket as she walked along a residential sidewalk. It was Shino. She awkwardly shook as she used her crutch and her black hair swayed back and forth. She was traveling southeast which would take her to the main road. Her white breath was directed downwards and she released a larger breath every few steps. ¡°¡­¡± After breathing out, she raised her drooping shoulders and began walking again. She held the cracked blue stone and the red cloisonn¨¦ stone that hung from her neck. ¡°I have to go.¡± Words escaped her downturned lips and entered the cold air. ¡°I have to go¡­or it¡¯ll mess everything up.¡± But she immediately shook her hair side to side. No, she told herself while stepping forward. ¡­I¡¯m the one that¡¯s messed up. ¡°They¡¯re all so nice, they don¡¯t care about my past, and I can stay in this world, but¡­but¡­¡± She let out a white breath. ¡°Why does it hurt so much?¡± She breathed out yet another white breath. ¡°I have to go. I don¡¯t know where to, but I have to get away from here.¡± Because¡­ ¡°Not long ago, I thought I had to fight. Why¡­Why can I throw away those feelings so easily?¡± She fell silent there and only opened her mouth to breathe as she walked. But she suddenly looked back. She stared into the darkness beyond the countless streetlights. The rows of dark houses hid the one she had come from. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She thought about the sister and brother with the same surname as her. ¡°I was happy there.¡± She looked away and faced forward again with her head hanging low. With her back turned, she used her crutch to move forward again. She was still not sure exactly where she was going, but she made sure she left that place. Each day of Taka-Akita Academy¡¯s year-end festival began at daybreak and ended at daybreak. It was not exactly an official event. The students had started it on their own, so the students spent late nights both preparing and celebrating. They ended up forming rotations and transforming the school into a sleepless place. The sky was still dark on this clear winter morning. Each day of the festival would begin at that time, but more as a lazy market than a celebration. The stands would show each other what they had set up and continue the preparations that had begun before dawn. Meanwhile some few people and motorcycles would pass by. Someone walked along while listening to those sounds and voices. It was Kazami in her school uniform walking from the large bicycle parking area behind the band of school buildings. She carried a backpack and rushed along the gravel path to one of the buildings. On the way, a few club or committee representatives sleepily called out to her. ¡°You¡¯re not with your husband?¡± ¡°Kaku had somewhere to go, so I came by bike and he¡¯ll be here later.¡± ¡°What are you two doing for the costume dance party tonight? Are you doing the French Revolution like last year?¡± ¡°That was just once and we only did it because I wanted to throw cake around. This year, I¡¯ll probably be walking around with a spear or something.¡± She continued on while accepting the reports from the more well-prepared representatives. Her destination was the second year school building. She entered through the north entrance, passed by the stairs, and entered the hall on the right. She found someone standing there. ¡°Siegfried-san. Taking inventory this early in the morning? You put in a lot of work.¡± He smiled bitterly and looked at the books piled up to the hallway ceiling. ¡°Yes, but I never thought you would be using my workplace as a meeting room.¡± ¡°You can blame that idiot Sayama for that one. ¡­And thanks.¡± ¡°I hear you have been working hard, too. Or at least you were before Sayama and Shinjou got back.¡± ¡°Yes. Sayama called and asked me to take care of a lot until he could get here. But it seems he has a lot to think about and started going over a lot of information with Shinjou as soon as he did get back.¡± Kazami scratched her head and looked at the piles of books in the hallway. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of books. Do you need some help?¡± I hope he doesn¡¯t actually ask me to help, she thought as Siegfried turned toward her. He looked at her, brought the fingers of his right hand to his forehead, and thought for a bit. Eventually, he looked like he had found the right words. ¡°Listen. It is crucial that books are handled with extreme care.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a roundabout way of saying no, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said while crossing his arms. She lowered her shoulders and walked past him, but she turned back after placing a hand on the library door. ¡°Is everyone here? More or less anyway?¡± ¡°I do not think you can have ¡®more or less¡¯ of everyone.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Japanese way of speaking. ¡­But from that, I take it they¡¯re more or less all here.¡± She smiled a little and opened the door. The instant she stepped inside that open space, she heard several overlapped voices. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª The concept texts harmonized and formed a mere sound more than words. It had a clear, metallic ring to it. And a moment later, something appeared before her eyes. ¡°Wow, now this is an absurd class meeting!¡± The school¡¯s unneeded desks and chairs filled the library to create a meeting room and those seats were mostly filled. ¡°Two representatives from each Gear plus an audience composed of representatives from each UCAT and assistant representatives from each Gear.¡± Some were human, some were half-dragons, some wore lab coats, some were automatons, some wore military uniforms, some wore armored uniforms, some wore kimonos, some were made of plants, and some were made of stone. There was even mist, air, light, and darkness. ¡°Meeting!¡± A voice came from the backpack Kazami wore and a plant creature poked its head out. The creature had been sent by Mukiti as one of 4th-Gear¡¯s representatives. Kazami had transported it because the other representative would be brought by Heo as it had been renegotiating with her. Kazami lowered the bag and the plant creature hopped out. It more skipped than ran across the stepped floor. Its destination was lined with the same desks and chairs seen in a normal classroom. Even the scribbles and carved writing and drawings were still there. The Kinugasa Library was a large room that took up as much space as four classrooms. By cramming in as many desks and chairs as they could, they had secured over two hundred seats. Almost all of them were filled by humans, the almost human, and the nowhere near human. The humans were in the minority here and¡­ ¡­There¡¯s almost no one from Japanese UCAT. Sayama, Shinjou, Heo, and the others would be in the nearby classroom they were using as a waiting room. A concept space had been set up so each Gear and UCAT had their own waiting room in the one classroom. ¡­How is this going to turn out? Kazami waved at the plant creature as it turned back toward her. ¡°Thanks,¡± it said. She smiled and then looked around again. This was the site of the giant ¡°class meeting¡± to which every Gear was invited. A lot of ¡°people¡± were here and she noticed something behind the desks and chairs. A blackboard had been placed on the wall next to the preparation room entrance and the meeting program was written on it. 1: Opening Greeting 2: Moderator Enters 3: Question-and-Answer Sessions with Each Gear and Top-Gear vs. Low-Gear Debate 4: Trial and Vote for Low-Gear 5: Announcement of Vote Results 6: Closing Greeting During the meeting, Top-Gear would return 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core to Japanese UCAT and everyone would know it had been returned to 3rd via UCAT. Officially, 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core was the main purpose of the meeting. ¡°Officially, anyway.¡± As the program suggested, it was actually a question-and-answer session and a debate between Low and Top. And Sayama had claimed Parts 4 and 5 were the biggest problem. For Part 3, he would argue with the other Gear representatives as Low-Gear¡¯s representative, but once the question-and-answer sessions with each Gear, including Top-Gear, were over, the trial and vote of Part 4 would begin. They would vote on a single issue: would they forgive Low-Gear or give themselves over to Top-Gear? There were twelve Gears and two representatives from each, but apparently¡­ ¡­Jord alone will represent 10th-Gear. It seemed the 10th-Gear residents had a deeply-rooted policy of distancing themselves from the world and opinions among their own people were split into two groups. So instead of working with UCAT, they had announced Jord would represent them and that they were abandoning their other spot among the representatives. They had even stated that they would accept any negative consequences of that decision. ¡­Do they feel somewhat responsible because they had at least known Top-Gear existed? But in doing so, they had lowered the total number of Gear representatives to twenty-three. Once they voted, a majority outcome was unavoidable. ¡­How is this going to turn out? Thanks to the rematches and renegotiations, she felt several of the Gears had been drawn back to Low-Gear¡¯s side, but what was going to happen now? And¡­ ¡°How will it all turn out?¡± She breathed in, gathered some strength, and asked the empty air. ¡°Can we win this?¡± Shino walked with her shadow by her side. The sky was dimly-lit and the clock above her said it was 5:30 AM. She was in a large park and the park¡¯s lights illuminated the rows and thickets of trees from below. The sign at the entrance said Akigawa Central Park, it truly was located at the center of the city, and it was due east of the Tamiya house. If she cut southeast through the park and followed the main road on the other side, she would reach Higashi-Akiru station on the JR Itsukaichi Line. If she made it there¡­ ¡­I can go somewhere. Shino rested on her crutch and let out a white breath. She wiped the sweat from her brow and faced forward. She currently stood partway up a manmade hill and she was taking the stairs up the grassy slope. Once she crossed the hill, the main road was directly ahead. From her position, she could only see a bench at the top of the hill. Beyond that was the dimly-lit sky. ¡­I need to hurry on to the station. She had decided to go to the Hachioji area. She could no longer return to her home there, but she felt somewhere she knew would be best. If it went well, she could pick up the luggage hidden in a number of locations. And once she found somewhere to live, she wanted to return these clothes to the Tamiya family. To get there, she either had to travel to JR Haijima Station and switch to the Hachiko Line or travel to JR Tachikawa Station and take the Chuo Line to Hachioji. ¡­I need to hurry. Five-thirty in the morning was when the Tamiya house¡¯s night shift was replaced by the morning shift. Kouji and the others would be preparing breakfast. ¡­They¡¯ve already noticed, haven¡¯t they? She wanted to put more distance between them before they had a chance to act. Then she heard a sound. It was a train¡¯s whistle and the rhythmical shaking of the track below the train. Shino gasped and began climbing the slope. She would be able to see the train¡¯s lights, so the station¡¯s location would be obvious. Her legs trembled as they relied on the crutch, but she recalled what the Tamiya family¡¯s doctor had said. ¡­It¡¯s only psychological now. The doctor had said she feared something and was afraid to stand on her own two legs. Kouji had said she could wait until she was no longer afraid and Ryouko had cheerfully said it was only a matter of time. They¡¯re such good people, she told herself as she reached the top of the hill. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± There, she saw the dark city and the rest of the scenery below the park¡¯s hill. The train¡¯s lights were travelling east through the field on the other side of the road. ¡°Ah,¡± she said without thinking. The road running alongside the tracks was straight and supported a residential area near the station. If she crossed the field, she only had to follow the road to reach Higashi-Akiru Station. If she chose a road without any traffic lights and the narrowest of the residential area¡¯s roads, she would reach the station without any trouble. ¡°Thank goodness.¡± She breathed a sigh of relief, but suddenly turned around. She let out a white breath as she looked back. She looked west, the way she had come, and she saw something familiar there. To the west of the central park was another field and the municipal office was two hundred meters away. But another hundred meters beyond that was¡­ ¡°The Tamiya house.¡± The neighboring houses had yet to wake, but one house was filled with light. It was three hundred meters away, so it was not far at all for anyone who could run. ¡°You¡¯re kidding¡­¡± She had walked so much, hesitated so much, and tried to get as far as away as possible, but the lights of the house were so close that she felt they were watching her. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She let out another white breath and her legs gave out. She sat in the bench at the top of the hill and dropped the crutch to the side. ¡°What¡­?¡± She took a breath. ¡°What am I doing?¡± The morning air filled a classroom. The plate hanging on the classroom door said Waiting Room for the Leviathan Road Meeting. A blonde girl sat by the window on the far end of the room. It was Heo. She faced a laptop as the heater started to warm the morning classroom. This was not her first time at this school, but it was her first time sitting in one of the seats like this. She looked at Harakawa, Hiba, and Shinjou who wore her armored uniform as they sat at the desks and worked. ¡­They can sit in these tall chairs just fine. She sighed and looked to the scenery outside the second-story window on her left. The window frame had apparently been destroyed at some point and she assumed that damage was just part of everyday life here. Meanwhile, she got back to working on the laptop. She was testing the theory of the twelve Gears¡¯ creation. According to Hajji, the mother element, which had formed the ten Gears and been destroyed, had used the power of evolution and regeneration to create a single giant positive Gear aka Top-Gear. Top-Gear¡¯s creation had formed Low-Gear as a negative counterpart. He claimed that made Low-Gear a fake created as the negative side of Top-Gear. ¡­But¡­ Heo manipulated the Gear creation pattern diagram that Kashima had created. She could specify the time axis and a few conditions and she could alter the relative locations before running a simulation of how the Gears had been created. She had been doing this since the night before and she had a single reason for doing so. ¡­I need to see if all of the Gears could have been created in a way other than what Hajji said. But it was not going well. Whenever she shifted or removed any of the conditions, the world was no longer created and it all just fell apart. Since the night before, she had destroyed the world again and again while also infinitely multiplying it. Just as she would think it was going well, the world would continue to exist instead of breaking. And¡­ ¡­That isn¡¯t all. She had another job: translating reports. The Gear representatives, UCAT representatives, and audience members of the meeting all needed a report on what Team Leviathan had learned. They were providing the report in English because it was an internationally understood language. However, Shinjou was in charge of writing the report and she did not know English. The only members of Team Leviathan who could speak English were Sayama, Harakawa, Kazami, and Heo. That had automatically made it Heo, Harakawa, and Kazami¡¯s job to create the translated report. Harakawa was currently sitting at another desk translating Shinjou¡¯s report into English. Heo thought she should help, but Harakawa refused to give her anything to do. He said she needed to focus on finding an answer to the Gears¡¯ creation. And then the door opened and Kazami stepped in. ¡°Harakawa, I¡¯m here to take over for you.¡± ¡°The meeting¡¯s beginning soon, so I¡¯ll finish it off.¡± Kazami shrugged and looked to Shinjou. Shinjou was typing and instructing Hiba where to copy some photographs into the report. Each time she did, Hiba would run off to comply. But now Shinjou responded to Kazami¡¯s gaze. ¡°I think I¡¯ll have the whole thing done by the midpoint of the meeting. I plan to send the different parts out in the order they¡¯ll be read.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Kazami put her hands on her hips and turned to Heo. ¡°How are you doing, Heo?¡± Heo let her shoulders droop. ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Harakawa while still facing his own laptop. ¡°There isn¡¯t an answer for you to find if he was right, so don¡¯t despair even if you don¡¯t find one. That just means he was right after all.¡± ¡°But what if I overlooked something?¡± ¡°We¡¯re the ones that let you handle this, so it would be wrong of us to complain. All we can do is decide you came to the best answer possible or help you until you find the answer.¡± He pulled a book toward him. It was Kinugasa Tenkyou¡¯s mythology encyclopedia. That was when Shinjou looked up. ¡°Did I get something wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to make the quote more persuasive by pulling out the original book. It makes a better bluff than just writing a citation and the people watching can be more easily convinced that a lie is correct.¡± ¡°That sounds like something Sayama-kun would say.¡± ¡°That is not someone I want to be compared to.¡± Harakawa clicked his tongue and typed in the romanized version of the author¡¯s name given with the publication data. It was true the name of Kinugasa Tenkyou would be highly persuasive to the Gear and UCAT representatives. ¡­Everyone¡¯s working so hard. So she nodded and decided to do her very best to find an answer. Instead of wasting time worrying, she needed to move toward that answer. But the problem was¡­ ¡°I have to attend the meeting as 5th-Gear¡¯s representative, don¡¯t I?¡± Hearing that, Kazami brought a hand to her chin. ¡°Can¡¯t you head out for 5th-Gear¡¯s question-and-answer session and then come back in here? You can have Harakawa sit out there in your place for the rest of the time.¡± ¡°Why me?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll help Heo, won¡¯t you? And you can bring Shinjou¡¯s report with you and translate it out there. Once you¡¯re done, send the data back to us.¡± Kazami then pointed to the seat Heo was sitting in. ¡°And way to go, Heo. That¡¯s Harakawa¡¯s seat, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Eh!? B-but I just used the seat Shinjou led me to.¡± She turned around and saw Shinjou¡¯s shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. ¡°I made sure you would sit there.¡± Harakawa sighed when he heard her. ¡°I was wondering who had arranged that. So the criminal was one of our own.¡± ¡°U-um, Harakawa? Sh-should I move?¡± ¡°You can if you don¡¯t like sitting there. Personally, I¡¯m about to leave on a journey to heal my heartbreak over this betrayal.¡± ¡°Ehh!?¡± Just as Heo cried out in protest, two things happened. One was the door opening and a large boy in a school uniform entering. It was Izumo. ¡°Hey, things are about to begin.¡± The other was someone suddenly standing up from behind the teacher¡¯s desk. ¡°It would seem everyone but Mikage-kun has arrived.¡± It was Sayama in a suit. Heo then saw Sayama turn toward Shinjou. ¡°Sayama-kun, a-are you okay?¡± asked Shinjou hesitantly. Heo knew why. The meeting preparations, checking over the report, and everything else they were doing were on his instructions. ¡­Earlier, he said he was getting some rest and went to sleep. He had been working his mind and body since the night before and could not have gotten even a half hour of sleep, but he stood tall before them. He had his usual expressionless look, his mouth hung slightly opened, and he raised his left hand. He then pointed at a location a bit below the ceiling. ¡°At this moment¡­¡± He spoke while staring into the empty air. ¡°I see three Shinjou-kuns flying around. One in her pajamas, one in her underwear, and one in the nude.¡± ¡°G-go back to sleep!!¡± shouted Shinjou. ¡°Ha ha ha,¡± laughed Sayama as he turned her way. ¡°Shinjou-kun. Is that Shinjou-kun in the armored uniform the real one?¡± ¡°Y-yes? And what would a ¡®fake¡¯ one be?¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. A fake one does not have a winnable route. ¡­Anyway, are you worried about my condition right now?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡­I am.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He nodded, gently spread his arms, and spoke casually. ¡°If you give me a voluntary kiss, I should wake up. Yes, and I will surely achieve victory in this meeting.¡± Hearing that, Heo realized something. ¡­If he¡¯s still acting like this, he must be okay. The meeting room was filled with as many movements as there were people and the noise gradually grew. The seats were split into four sections using the four sides of the stepped floor. The seats by the counter were for the representatives of the twelve Gears. The long rows of seats on the north and south were for the audience. The seats by the preparation room in the back were for the audience members with higher priority and a teacher¡¯s desk was set up on the highest point of the floor for the moderator. A single desk was prepared in the center of the lowest portion of the floor. That was Sayama¡¯s seat. Most of the seats except for the moderator¡¯s and Sayama¡¯s were filled. Various voices came from those seats and automatons moved between them carrying drinks and the like. The drinks were melon soda and teas that Kazami and the others had secretly acquired from the year-end festival. For snacks, they had okonomiyaki and chocolate bananas. The representatives from other countries or Gears were busy learning about the cuisine of a foreign nation or world. But as they provided that service, the automatons used their shared memory to search for hidden weapons and to estimate the guests¡¯ physical abilities based on their heat-resistance distribution. ¡°This is #56. The guest in Seat 3B6 has three knives in their pocket.¡± ¡°Testament. This is #81. Based on their physical condition, I believe the guest in Seat 2D13 has a hangover.¡± Also, the voices they heard from the various seats contained important information. ¡°¡­depends on the Suez tariff and if we can get the trademark.¡± ¡°Oh, Lady Miyako, they were selling a tenderloin cutlet flavor of chocolate cigarette.¡± ¡°In other words, our intentions on the continent are to¡­¡± ¡°Roger, Roger. What is this ¡®Blue Hawaii¡¯ flavor!?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t bet on soccer.¡± ¡°Delicious.¡± ¡°Field.¡± ¡°Oh, if only I could make a video of this scene and show it to them.¡± ¡°¡­depends on whether we can get the rights for¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t they hurry it up? I have work back at the department.¡± They are all different, concluded the automatons while processing the many voices they could hear. However, they soon realized something: one spot within the great crowd of seats remained silent. It was the spot that had gathered the most attention earlier. It was the lowest and southernmost end of the counter-side seats for Gear representatives. That was where the Top-Gear and 9th-Gear representatives sat. First was the seat for Hajji as 9th-Gear¡¯s representative. He and Jord had been escorted in as soon as the library had been opened up. After a while, an old man in a work uniform who could only be a Low-Gear human had sat next to Hajji as 9th-Gear¡¯s substitute representative. Not long later, Toda Mikoku had arrived with her hands filled with grilled squid and takoyaki. She was accompanied by a white dog and Nagata Tatsumi and their appearance had sent a quiet stir running through the others. Tatsumi was still in the process of consuming some cooked chicken liver. Next to her, Mikoku pet the white dog¡¯s head as it sat by her. Jord had scooted her seat over to allow Mikoku to sit next to and speak with Hajji. Mikoku and Hajji¡¯s exchange was clearly just an everyday conversation. And¡­ ¡°I have determined there is information missing,¡± commented one automaton. ¡°They are omitting something of which they have a tacit understanding.¡± Based on what information was missing, they seemed to be talking about someone they knew or¡­ ¡°Is she not with you? Hm?¡± ¡°No.¡± Mikoku adjusted her position in the seat and nodded. ¡°She is apparently somewhere where she can live a happy life if she wants.¡± And¡­ ¡°I think she is fine. Both she and I¡­are not alone.¡± The automaton felt Mikoku was assuming too much, but Hajji only crossed his arms. ¡°I see,¡± he muttered. The automaton did not know why Hajji had displayed an understanding of Mikoku¡¯s assumptions. Regardless, Mikoku smiled bitterly and Hajji seemed to have a question about it. ¡°What is so funny? Hm?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Just that your response was the same as mine when I heard.¡± Hajji eventually smiled bitterly as well. The two of them finally laughed quietly and gathered more attention. However, Hajji looked around and returned the people¡¯s gazes. ¡°This is wonderful,¡± he said. He reached an arm around Mikoku¡¯s shoulders as she crouched over in laughter. ¡°This is wonderful, Mikoku. Yes, truly wonderful. If this all ends today, how about going out for yakiniku with your adoptive father? Hm?¡± ¡°Is that any way to ask out a teenage girl?¡± ¡°Hm. Then how about steak?¡± Mikoku did not reply. She only leaned forward again while her back and shoulders shook. But Hajji gently tapped her back. ¡°Let¡¯s eat a lot. Yes.¡± His words do not fit, thought the automaton. ¡°Why is he talking about food when she is crying?¡± I do not know, she thought, but she understood it was not a harmful act and that she had her own job to take care of. Suddenly, the speaker installed in the library produced a noise. Everyone turned toward the red-haired automaton standing at the seat next to the moderator¡¯s seat. ¡°Now then, everyone.¡± They all briefly spoke and moved, but all the movement and noise soon vanished and she continued. ¡°We will now begin the Leviathan Road meeting.¡± Roger heard #8¡¯s dignified announcement from his seat among the southern audience seats. Everyone around him, including Odor, focused silently on #8 and waited for her next move. The other automatons had stopped moving and seemed to be making some kind of decision about the situation. ¡­They must be wondering whether this meeting is wanted or not. Not that they will find an answer until it is over, he silently added. Suddenly, he heard two new sounds. Someone had clapped twice in quick succession. It had come from the opposite direction. It was Hajji who sat on the lower level of the seats by the counter. He calmly sat in his small chair and loudly clapped. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, everyone? We should celebrate this moment. The time has come to understand the true state of the world!¡± Meanwhile, a gray-haired man in black spoke from the top level of audience seats by the preparation room. ¡°Yes, this may be the time to celebrate. Because we¡¯ll be putting an end to something not at all worth celebrating.¡± The two men stared at each other either with one eye or through sunglasses. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± And they audibly looked away. Tension ran through the room, a palpable silence fell over everyone, and #8 spoke. ¡°Now, it is time for the moderator to enter.¡± Next, Roger saw the meeting¡¯s moderator stand up. It was a gray-haired automaton waiting in one of the upper level northern audience seats. ¡°The moderator will be the Japanese UCAT automaton, Sf-sama.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf gave a shallow bow to everyone and turned her slightly narrowed gaze toward each location. ¡°I have determined the ¡®-sama¡¯ is not necessary.¡± Almost immediately, several people raised their voice. Their shouts were filled with panic, anger, and restraint. ¡°Objection!!¡± #8 heard several cries of objection. It did not only come from the Gear representatives and the assistant representatives in the audience seats. It also came from the UCAT representatives. The chain-reaction of voices grew louder. ¡­Is the meeting going to be delayed? She knew why. Japanese UCAT was the one being accused in this meeting, so the other representatives were concerned that the moderator had been chosen from them. Not only did the moderator move the agenda along, but she would accept or reject objections and everyone present was required to obey her decisions. So why did one of the accused hold that position? ¡­They can ask why if they want. But their worries created a torrent of voices as they all tried to have their own voice heard. #8 decided this was going nowhere and prepared to give the automatons an instruction. She would tell them to stop everyone from speaking. But just before she did, two sounds reached her. They were very loud and they came from opposite directions: the air and below the floor. The one in the air was metallic and the one below the floor was a rumbling. The two of them collided at floor level. ¡°!!¡± The entire library shook up and down as if it had been struck. All of the chairs and desks slid around a bit and the people sitting in them had to support themselves on each other. It only lasted an instant, but that was exactly why it managed to stop them all from speaking and moving. Once the shaking subsided, #8 saw the two men who had caused the loud noises. The first was an elderly man raising his right hand in the center of the top row of northern audience seats. He tilted his head in annoyance. ¡°Roger, Roger. Are meetings always this noisy?¡± Roger answered the man while brushing a hand through his hair. ¡°No, Colonel Odor. They are holding a festival today, or a Matsuri as they call it. And during a Japanese Matsuri, a form of folk entertainment known as Ikki is customary. I believe this commotion is a usage of the Ikki mantra.¡± ¡°Ikki? What is Ikki?¡± ¡°Testament. Ikki is when they all chug a bottle of sake and attack a public facility while demanding that the annual Nengu tax be lowered. I believe there has recently been a push to ban it during commercials.¡± ¡°So¡­So it is a large-scale military civil lawsuit!? Is this country still stuck in the middle ages!? And¡­¡± #8 watched as Odor turned to the south. She followed his gaze and saw a black-haired man in black sitting with his arms lightly crossed. She recognized him as Chinese UCAT¡¯s representative. His left leg was sticking out into the aisle next to his desk and it was firmly planted on the stepped floor. ¡­Did he make that underground tremor? ¡°Interesting. A very interesting trick,¡± said Odor. ¡°Does your technique only work in the lowest of places?¡± ¡°In my country, we refer to the power in the earth as a ¡®crouching dragon¡¯, resident of the soaring eagle¡¯s land.¡± The man with a Chinese UCAT nametag turned to #8. ¡°Now, please tell us why you have chosen her.¡± It was not #8 that said ¡°tes¡±. It was Sf herself and she already stood by the moderator¡¯s seat. ¡°It is a simple matter. I am a doll, so I have no emotions. If ordered to do so, I can make perfectly impartial judgments. ¡­And Itaru-sama, what do you wish me to do?¡± ¡°Well,¡± said the gray-haired man while crossing his arms behind his head. ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less about Japanese UCAT, so judge everyone equally.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf nodded, fixed her hair, glanced at #8, and then looked across everyone else. ¡°If you are still worried, feel free to use any of the techniques you have. I am sure every Gear and UCAT has techniques of confirming that I truly have no emotions. I have determined you can keep me under constant observation if you like. But¡­¡± She took a breath. ¡°If you make a false report saying I have displayed emotions, betrayed my master¡¯s request, and lost my impartiality¡­¡± She raised both arms. Everyone saw a heavy machinegun with anti-concept modifications in each arm. The dully shining black metal already had ammunition belts loaded and the triggers were halfway pulled. Sf¡¯s emotionless gaze raced back and forth and tension filled everyone it landed on. Regardless, she spoke. ¡°It seems a moderator normally possesses a hammer for moving the meeting along, so I have prepared my own. I am powerless on my own, so I brought two of the loudest hammers I could find. If the hammer falls two thousand times a minute, it should quiet down even the most unruly participant.¡± No one said anything more. Faced with that still silence, Sf nodded toward #8, so #8 adjusted the position of her microphone and opened her mouth. ¡°Now, will the Gear representatives please rise?¡± Below the lights, all of the Gear representatives stood. Many of them were substitutes and many of them were not human, but they were all the representatives of a world and a history. For 1st-Gear, it was long-lived Brunhild and her black cat. For 2nd-Gear, it was Imperial Tsukuyomi Shizuru and Military God Kashima Akio. For 3rd-Gear, it was Tsukuyomi Miyako, queen of 3rd, and Gyes, the automaton representative. For 4th-Gear, it was a normal plant creature and a plant creature taking Mukiti¡¯s place. For 5th-Gear, it was Heo and Harakawa, who was standing in for Thunder Fellow. For 6th-Gear, it was Boldman and Izumo, who Boldman had selected as a substitute representative. For 7th-Gear, it was the four balls of the Concept Core and Hiba, who acted as their assistant. For 8th-Gear, it was Wanambi¡¯s PDA and a Messenger of Wanambi. For 9th-Gear, it was Hajji and the old manager. For 10th-Gear, it was Jord alone. For Top-Gear, it was Toda Mikoku and Nagata Tatsumi. And for Low-Gear, it was Kazami and¡­ ¡°Ha ha ha. Sorry I am late, everyone!!¡± A sudden voice stabbed into everyone from the door by the counter. The all turned around to find a boy in a suit with Baku sitting on his shoulder. He stopped as everyone focused on him. He calmly pulled a comb from his pocket and fixed his hair. ¡°I am Sayama Mikoto, Low-Gear representative as well as the negotiator to act as defendant and Low-Gear¡¯s defense lawyer.¡± He spun around once and struck a pose such that his clothes made a snapping sound. ¡°Are. You. Listening!?¡± He struck a new pose with each word, placed Baku on his head, and spoke to the entire world. ¡°Now, let us begin! I am in an excellent mood! After all¡­¡± He took a breath. ¡°Shinjou-kun just gave me a voluntary kiss on the lips!!¡± Volume 13, 25: Where to Carry One’s Being Volume 13, Chapter 25: Where to Carry One¡¯s Being I want to take your hand But my trembling soul Still desires the bed All but one of the library¡¯s lights was turned off. That one was a reserve light in the center of the ceiling which illuminated a boy and a desk below. The boy wore a suit and looked out at the people he could faintly see in the darkness. Some wore suits, some wore traditional garb, some were old, some were young, some were male, some were female, and plenty were not even human. But he understood that they were all watching him and that gave him a thought as he looked around at them all. ¡­I am being watched by every single world. This had come quickly. Just eight months earlier when the cherry trees had been blossoming, he had stared up into the sky from the emergency stairs, unsure what to do. He had wanted to get serious and he had plunged into a place where he could do that. ¡­And now the world is focused on me! He placed the weight of his excitement in the bottom of his heart to puff his chest out with pride. And a moment later¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He lowered his head. He turned in each direction and bowed, slowly but surely. Baku also bowed from atop his head. After the four bows, he raised his head and looked at them all again. Wonderful, he thought. Simply wonderful. ¡­Even as I take my eyes off them to bow, the world still watches me. A laugh of joy almost escaped his throat. His absolute delight seemed to twist into an audible sound deep in his gut. Utterly wonderful, he thought. Bless this wonderful world. Feeling generous, he decided introduce himself. ¡°Hello, ladies and gentlemen of many worlds. I am Sayama Mikoto, the Low-Gear representative who stands at the center of the current world.¡± The world quieted down, but it was not mere silence. Tension filled the air. The world did and said nothing as it waited cautiously to see what he would say next. Good, he thought. That is good. This is good. Nothing else would qualify as good. He felt the world needed to be peacefully tense. They could not build peace on top of tension. They had to build tension on top of peace. ¡­You could call it high-tension peace. The world is surprisingly focused on momentum, he thought as he used the tense atmosphere to speak. ¡°Approximately sixty years ago¡­¡± Everyone focused on his words. ¡°Yes, sixty years ago, a vigorous war was fought even inside this Gear.¡± He put clear pauses between his sentences. That kept people¡¯s focus from waning and felt generally pleasant. ¡°At the time, the monkeys we call ancestors realized the other Gears were continually fighting to ensure their own continued existence. That was known as the Concept War.¡± He took a breath and was happy to hear others taking similar breaths in the darkness. ¡°Our ancestors made a late entrance into that war, contacted each of the ten Gears, fought or negotiated with them, and ultimately played a role in their destruction. ¡­And we also know that, fifty years later, they fought the sole remaining Gear, Top-Gear, destroyed it, and watched its ending arrive.¡± He breathed out, but his last sentence received no objections. ¡­Because that will be the greatest point of contention in this meeting. He nodded to maintain a consensus with everyone else. At this meeting, Low-Gear had to go back over everything related to the post-Leviathan Road world and¡­ ¡­Investigate the truth behind Top-Gear¡¯s destruction. How that turned out would determine the result of the final trial. It would decide whether Low-Gear was right or not. He gave a mental sigh turned his eyes and attention in all four directions and thought. ¡­Being judged is rather interesting. Oh, but it is a shame. ¡­It is such a shame that Shinjou-kun is not by my side and that this will not last forever. It was also a shame that he could not say aloud how interesting he found this. The highest point in the world is surprisingly full of disappointment, he thought while placing his hands on the desk. ¡°Now, I would like to use this meeting to accept the truth behind the destruction of the different Gears and to go over the compensation your worlds require. But as Low-Gear¡¯s representative¡­¡± He breathed in. ¡°I would first like to express my deepest sympathy for all of those who were unable to make it here.¡± With those words, he bowed deeply enough to place his forehead on the desk. Some people gasped in response to Sayama¡¯s action and others stirred. ¡°What a farce!¡± Sayama kept his head lowered, but a young man in casual clothing cried out from the 6th-Gear section of the northern upper level audience seats. He stood up below the deactivated lights and pointed at Sayama. ¡°Your deepest sympathy? For all of those who were unable to make it here? That¡¯s all because of what Low-Gear did! You¡¯re just using nice-sounding words to justify your own actions!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± This new shout came from a woman in the 2nd-Gear section of the southern audience seats. ¡°Then are you rejecting any sympathy for all of the people who didn¡¯t make it here!?¡± ¡°Low-Gear has no right to give or receive sympathy!¡± he shouted. ¡°The people of Low-Gear are the kind who grow defiant even as they bear their own seven deadly sins!¡± At that point, a sudden gunshot sent the young man flying through the air. ¡°¡­!?¡± Everyone turned to the moderator¡¯s seat. Sf stood there with her left arm aiming a heavy machinegun toward the ceiling. Then #8 spoke from the next seat over. ¡°The moderator only allows the current speaker to speak.¡± Sf nodded and slowly looked around. Everyone watched her silently and cautiously. ¡°Tes. I fired without a warning this time, but next time I will fire even with a warning.¡± ¡°W-wait! Are you ruling this trial with fear!?¡± Sf aimed the heavy machinegun toward the one who said that. They let out a shriek, but Sf continued regardless. ¡°Do not worry. I am using non-lethal rounds.¡± She pulled a single bullet from the ammunition belt and tossed it high into the air. She immediately released the machinegun¡¯s hammer, a gunshot filled the library, and the sound of an impact soon followed. However, no sound came from the thrown and fired bullets when they collided in midair. Everyone watched blankly as sparks silently scattered, so Sf spoke. ¡°Did you see that? The bullets have been engraved with the words ¡®Silence, fool¡¯.¡± The library was entirely silent save for the metallic clunk of Sf setting down the heavy machinegun. After that, she looked south which was to her right. The 2nd-Gear woman cowered back at the automaton¡¯s gaze, but Sf only urged her to sit. ¡°It would seem many of you still do not understand, so let me repeat myself. As a German-made automaton, I have no emotions. As such, I cannot understand anything said or done based on them.¡± No one dared speak or even breathe. ¡°In a negotiation between two parties, I may not understand them, but I do understand that emotions are influencing the negotiation. But when an unrelated third party says something I do not understand, I will physically quiet them down.¡± She looked to the audience seats as she spoke. ¡°Itaru-sama, will that do?¡± ¡°Try summing it all up in a single sentence.¡± Sf thought for a moment and then spoke to them all. ¡°Please avoid speaking amongst yourselves.¡± Everyone in the darkness frantically nodded, so Sf looked down to the person whose head was still planted on the desk at the bottom of the Kinugasa Library. ¡°Low-Gear Representative Sayama-sama, please continue your statement.¡± ¡°Testament.¡± Sayama straightened up, raised his arms to fix his sleeves, and brought his left hand to his collar to loosen his tie. ¡°Well, then. I certainly did not expect a simple bow to be so poorly received. But Sf-kun, you make a good protector of our speech. If I say anything silly, please shoot me as well.¡± ¡°That was already my intention. I am perfectly impartial. ¡­I do hate the Soviets, though.¡± The representative of Russian UCAT ducked down behind the others, but both Sf and Sayama ignored him. Sayama then spoke while looking up at the audience around him. ¡°Listen, everyone. I have no intention of letting this end with mere sympathy and apology. If you wish for a fight, we can deal with that later. But first, how about we begin by doing what we can with words?¡± He raised his eyebrows a bit and spread his arms. ¡°So I am perfectly prepared to bow down.¡± He faced forward and everyone followed his gaze to the one sitting in front of him. ¡°1st-Gear Representative Brunhild-kun, we can start by hearing what you have to say.¡± Despite being called on, Brunhild was having trouble grasping the meaning of this meeting. 1st-Gear had already clashed with Japanese UCAT several times. They had been forced to retreat each time and they had reached an understanding. ¡­And I¡¯m sure the others know that. But, she thought. She did not ask why. She thought ¡°but¡± instead. She did not know their reason, but instead of asking why, she moved on to creating that reason for herself. ¡­But¡­ There was something she could point to because they all had an understanding. So she faced forward where a desk was set up about a dozen meters away at the bottom of the Kinugasa Library. She had a thought as she looked at the boy in a suit who stood beyond the desk. ¡­There¡¯s a lot to hesitate over and a lot to question. But the others had come here to give their answer, so she stood up. The light above her switched on and she knew she was lit up just like Sayama. ¡­The world is focused on 1st-Gear right now. Even during the Concept War, they had only been seen as one of the ten Gears that needed to be defeated. I see. So this is the first time in history for 1st-Gear to receive this kind of focus, she thought with a bold smile in her heart. In that case, this ridiculous stage isn¡¯t so bad. At the same time, Sayama spoke. ¡°Do you have something to say, representative from the world of the dragon of words?¡± The girl in black opened her mouth below the light. This would be her first statement in this question-and-answer session with another Gear. And as the first statement in a meeting held with every Gear present, it deserved to be recorded. The stenographers from various Gears and UCATs prepared their paper or laptops and the stenographer automatons waiting behind the moderator¡¯s seat also prepared. They all accurately copied down Brunhild¡¯s words. ¡°The question-and-answer sessions here are meant to discuss what to do in the new world, aren¡¯t they? After all, we¡¯ve already finished the Leviathan Road and settled the past.¡± Her first statement was calm. The audience¡¯s tension would fade away with her next statement. If she had not said not said what she did, that is. ¡°In that case, I have a question concerning the coming new world.¡± The stenographers immediately saw the girl swing her arm around to produce glowing writing in front of her. It said, ¡°When will we be able to leave the reservations and enter this world?¡± She then clarified the question. ¡°If the non-human races are trapped in reservations, there can¡¯t be a ¡®new world¡¯. ¡­What do you have to say about that?¡± With the light shining on her, she pointed to one corner of the darkness. That was where 1st-Gear¡¯s assistant representatives sat. One of them had lost his wings but still had the massive frame of a half-dragon. ¡°Listen. We have people as big as that, so things are going to get pretty cramped if we get many more of them. And even if this world gives us a larger reservation, we¡¯re still trapped inside it.¡± The girl gently tapped on her desk and everyone saw a paper in that hand which said ¡°locker¡± on it. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± As they all watched on, she pulled a long weapon from the desk drawer. ¡°Requiem Sense. The souls that reside in here persuaded our people to abandon 1st-Gear, but where are we supposed to go now? Will you actually have a place for us here?¡± She spun the scythe in her right arm. The blade end of the handle rotated around her arm like a living creature clinging to her. It sliced through the air as it moved from her right arm to her shoulder, to her left arm, and to her left hand. With a snap of the wrist, she sped it up and sent it back the way it had come. The air split open and she gently twisted her body as she sent the scythe back to her right arm. Meanwhile, light began to appear around her. The green light looked like luminescence or firefly light. ¡°The souls sleeping in the underworld are asking: have the lives they sent onward arrived in a new world? Or¡­¡± ¡°Or are they in another closed-off world like 1st-Gear? Is that what they are asking, Brunhild-kun?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she replied while rotating the scythe in her right fingers and sharply jabbing the bottom against the floor. A solid sound rang out, the scythe shook, and light spilled from the blade like raindrops. ¡°Now, Sayama, give us a clear answer. This question could easily be avoided by continually putting it off, but I want a clear answer. Will we and the others with non-human forms be able to live in this world?¡± A voice replied to Brunhild. The low scolding voice came from Siegfried at the library counter behind her. ¡°Please do not damage the floor like that, Nein.¡± Brunhild frowned and looked at her feet. The bottom of Requiem Sense had dug into the wooden floor and the black cat was glaring up at her next to it. ¡°See, Brunhild? That¡¯s what happens when you try to show off.¡± She silently lifted the scythe and dropped it on top of the cat. ¡°Ah! Wait! Not the device! Not the device, Brunhild! This is so immoral!!¡± ¡°Shut up and support this a bit. Like a proper cat.¡± ¡°That last part doesn¡¯t even make sen- hee hee hee hee hee. Stop, I¡¯m sensitive there!!¡± All of the stenographers copied down everything the cat said while wondering, ¡°How many hees was that?¡± Brunhild then faced Sayama. ¡°Well? Are you going to answer the question?¡± Sayama crossed his arms and opened his mouth. As soon as the stenographers readied their hands, he spoke. ¡°To be blunt, how many times must I bow down to make up for it?¡± Brunhild¡¯s mind was unable to immediately react to Sayama¡¯s words. However, her body did react. It filled with energy, the cat shouted some more, the stenographers were given a lot more work, and she suddenly came to her senses. ¡°W-wait a second!¡± ¡°Y-yes, please wait, Brunhild! My heart isn¡¯t ready for that kind of enthusiasm!¡± The stenographers occasionally had trouble translating some of the more incomprehensible statements and had to quickly ask another representative¡¯s stenographer for help, but Brunhild did not care. At most, she was glad to be helping foster some interaction between nations and worlds ¡°Sayama, this world has a certain saying, doesn¡¯t it? ¡®If sorry was enough, we wouldn¡¯t need the police.¡¯ ¡± ¡°If you are ready to say you are sorry, you should not commit the crime in the first place,¡± replied Sayama expressionlessly. ¡°To be blunt, it is simply impossible to throw your brethren ¨C or any of the other non-humans ¨C out into this world. Even if you would be fine, the people of this world know nothing of the Concept War.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So what are we to do about that, Brunhild-kun?¡± He now asked her a question. I thought I was the one asking the questions here, she thought. It was true the people of this world knew nothing of half-dragons, spirits, or even the former existence of other worlds. If some non-humans showed up now, they would only be seen as a spectacle. That was why Sayama had said it was impossible. ¡­Why? Brunhild immediately smiled bitterly at her own question. ¡­The time for ¡°why¡± has already ended. That¡¯s an outdated word for me. Instead, she thought ¡°but¡±. Sayama had said it was impossible. ¡­But then he asked me what to do about it. That was why she said what she would do if it were her. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true that would be impossible now.¡± But what were they to do? ¡°So I ask that you help us remake this world not conceptually but as a world. And you can do so by making philosopher¡¯s stones for us.¡± ¡°Philosopher¡¯s stones? You can remake this world with those?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded. ¡°If they are philosopher¡¯s stones made from a concept text saying ¡®fits in¡¯.¡± Silence filled the library. Some in the dark audience seats leaned forward. They were mostly the residents of Gears with non-humans and the German and European UCATs that had agreed to take in the 1st-Gear reservation. Brunhild spoke at the center of their focus. ¡°The non-humans of each Gear will either wear those philosopher¡¯s stones or have them embedded inside their bodies before heading out into the world. If they do that, the people of the world will not fear or avoid us.¡± ¡°But doesn¡¯t that mean you are being protected by the stones? Won¡¯t it mean you cannot live in this world without relying on them?¡± Sayama had a small smile on his lips as he asked and he gave an exaggerated shrug. ¡°How is that any different from living in the concept space of the reservation? You will have trapped yourself inside the protective cage of the philosopher¡¯s stones.¡± ¡°True, but the stones are necessary to get along with the people who will live alongside us.¡± She looked at Sayama¡¯s slight smile as she spoke. He already knows the answer, doesn¡¯t he? she realized anew. She went on to give the decisive statement. ¡°But what about the next generation?¡± she asked. ¡°When the next generation of children is born into a world they share with us, they will grow up in a world that includes non-humans and will not need the philosopher¡¯s stones to accept it.¡± So¡­ ¡°So let me be clear: only our generation will be protected by the stones. By the time our next generation is born, the people of this world will also be of a new generation and they should all be people who see nothing strange about our presence. After all, we will have been there from the moment they were born.¡± Brunhild held her left hand forward and a few lights floated above her palm. ¡°We are the generation that was given a push and told to walk through the gate. But we are outsiders, so will not find a place of rest. So¡­so we will choose to be the generation which builds the room containing a bed of peaceful rest for the next generation.¡± ¡°Then in a way, won¡¯t 1st-Gear and the other non-humans be conquering this world? You will use a generation¡¯s worth of familiarity to become residents of this world.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Brunhild. ¡°Help us, Low-Gear. You don¡¯t need to say you can¡¯t and bow down. We do not want this world. ¡­We want the next generation of this world.¡± ¡°But what reward do you get? Are you sacrificing yourselves for the next generation?¡± Brunhild lifted the scythe in her right hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we will have a reward or not. But if we do have one¡­¡± She swung the weapon and reaped the light in the air. ¡°It will be the possibility of finding people who will accept us without the philosopher¡¯s stones even in this generation. If we find that kind of acceptance even once, it will be all the reward we need.¡± Sayama crossed his arms and thought for a few seconds. ¡°That is an interesting answer, if you ask me.¡± He gave a clear nod. ¡°So UCAT will help you. If you work up the courage and remove your philosopher¡¯s stone before someone you can trust, UCAT will do everything we can to assist that person.¡± He raised one arm and looked through the surrounding darkness. ¡°I have a suggestion. If, after this meeting has ended, Low-Gear has been forgiven and allowed to exist, I would like to create a Non-Human Naturalization Promotion Committee within UCAT.¡± ¡°Non-human naturalization?¡± ¡°That is exactly what you suggested, Brunhild-kun.¡± He smiled and spoke toward the ceiling. ¡°This concerns every Gear. The committee will assist any non-human who wishes to live inside Low-Gear. And I appoint¡­¡± He took a breath. ¡°¡­1st-Gear to lead the committee!¡± Brunhild heard what Sayama said. ¡­You idiot. She gave a resigned shrug. He had made the decision on his own and assumed they would go along with it. But, she thought. But if we can do that¡­ ¡­What would the others think after helping all of us escape from the closed world of 1st-Gear? Would they be delighted? Would they be rewarded for trying to accomplish something even as they were looked down on as a weak Gear? But that might be too na?ve, Brunhild warned herself. That pessimistic thought caused her to speak. ¡°I doubt that would work out.¡± She sighed and smiled bitterly. ¡°Yes, I seriously doubt any unguarded interaction with non-humans would work out.¡± ¡°Really?¡± She almost said ¡°really¡±, but a voice that could be taken as an affirmation or denial reached her. ¡°But didn¡¯t it work just fine for a group in 1st-Gear long ago?¡± Sayama¡¯s calm words were answered by a sound. It was the sound of chirping from Brunhild¡¯s black three-cornered hat. Looking like she had only just remembered, she removed the hat and let the small bird jump from her head and onto the brim of the hat. Her eyes narrowed as she looked down at the bird and Sayama¡¯s words reached her. ¡°You can find crazy people just about anywhere. Sixty years ago, a dozen or so such people gathered together and now¡­¡± He looked around and Brunhild did the same. They looked to each of the figures visible in the dark audience seats. ¡°Look, all of the people gathered here and the many more they represent are just as crazy. So what does that mean for the world domination of acceptance that you have bet an entire generation on? I would say it is only a matter of time before the entire world has gone crazy.¡± Brunhild wanted some time before answering. She slowly breathed in, created a few seconds of silence, and finally looked to the scythe in her hand. She then looked to the green light appearing from the blade and at the 1st-Gear residents in the audience. She saw them crossing their arms or legs while watching her. They were leaving it all to her, so¡­ ¡­Yes. She narrowed her eyes, nodded their way, and turned back to the boy in front of her. She had a single question for him. ¡°What is 1st-Gear to this world?¡± ¡°Good question.¡± The stenographers¡¯ hands could be heard moving as he spoke. ¡°The transfer of the non-humans to Low-Gear is likely the greatest problem faced by all the Gears, so I can say you are a valiant Gear for working towards a solution. In body, you refuse to run. In soul, you refuse to be cowed.¡± He took a breath. ¡°This is an honorable act that will save the non-humans of every Gear.¡± As soon as she heard his words and the sounds of the stenographers recording them, Brunhild produced a much louder sound. She had forcefully taken a seat. At the same time, she placed Requiem Sense on the desk with the handle pointed toward Sayama and she mouthed someone¡¯s name just once. She pulled her hat low to hide her lips as they called the name of someone she knew well yet would never meet again. ¡°Then 1st-Gear¡­¡± She gathered her strength and raised her voice to a shout. ¡°1st-Gear desires to embody the word ¡®honor¡¯ and exist within Low-Gear!¡± From the neighboring seat, Tsukuyomi watched the small witch sit down. The woman then faced forward and saw Sayama looking her way. She glanced up at the ceiling as the light above her switched on. What a pain, she muttered in her heart. ¡­I¡¯m always pulled around by this boy. He was either always at the center of trouble or he had a way of causing trouble. But Kashima¡¯s family seemed to be doing well and Yamata had been resealed within Totsuka. Also, the name Tsukuyomi was the imperial name of the one who tracked the progress of the moon and compiled history. So with an understanding of her role, Tsukuyomi listened to Sayama. ¡°Do you have something to say, representative from the world of the dragon of names?¡± Volume 13, 26: A Frank Chat About Destruction Volume 13, Chapter 26: A Frank Chat About Destruction If I am destruction Why do you search for me When I am only hiding? Mornings began early for the Tamiya family that ran an influential Akigawa security company. The house was surrounded by a fence and it was always busy since it doubled as lodgings for the day and night shift security guards. However, Ryouko was a late riser. Or rather, morning for her began when someone came to wake her. She was woken to be present for the switch between the day and night shifts, but according to her¡­ ¡°Why are you always waking me up, Kouji!?¡± While according to Kouji¡­ ¡°Because you never wake up on your own!¡± And if you asked Sayama¡­ ¡°Ha ha ha. This world functions on a give-or-take basis. Just like Shinjou-kun and me.¡± But today, Ryouko had woken on her own. She opened her room¡¯s sliding screen that bordered the central courtyard, yawned, and stepped out in her yukata. She stood below the eaves to avoid the nearly midday sun and she gathered up her lowered hair in the chilly air. ¡°Where¡¯s Kouji?¡± The wall answered her with a male voice. ¡°He said he had some business to take care of.¡± ¡°Business? Does he have any other daily jobs than waking me up and cooking?¡± ¡°Why of course!!¡± She pulled a handgun from her pocket, pressed it to the wall, and gave the wall a sleepy smile. ¡°Again.¡± ¡°Ha¡­ha ha ha. Yeah, I think that¡¯s about all he does!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t insult Kouji!!¡± She pushed down the hammer and the wall panicked. ¡°P-please wake up, president!!¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, not so loud, Li-san. Walls don¡¯t talk. Talk and I shoot.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Good, good. That¡¯s how a wall should act. ¡­So where¡¯s Kouji? If you don¡¯t answer, I¡¯ll shoot.¡± ¡°Ahhhh! But you just told me not to talk! Kouji-san! Kouji-saaaan! Helllllllp meeeeeeee!¡± The wall screamed and footsteps ran down the hallway. Ryouko turned around just as Kouji slid on his socks and came to a stop. Before she could greet him, he spoke clearly. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re being unreasonable again, aren¡¯t you!?¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, I¡¯m a girl, so you need to smile and forgive a little bit of unreasonableness.¡± ¡°Girl?¡± asked the wall behind her. She turned around and fired. ¡°Ah, sister! I only just had that plaster redone! Don¡¯t shoot holes in it!¡± ¡°Th-there¡¯s a hole on what¡¯s inside, too!¡± shouted the wall. ¡°Now, Kouji, answer me. ¡­Why didn¡¯t you come wake me up?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± He briefly hesitated. ¡°Shino-san has vanished. And for some reason, Pes was kneeling down in the yard.¡± ¡°Ehhh!? K-Kouji, did you do something perverted again!?¡± ¡°No! And what do you mean ¡®again¡¯!?¡± ¡°What!? You mean you¡¯ve never done it at your age? You awful human being! You living falling birthrate policy!¡± ¡°That is not the issue here and quit twisting my words! And Li-san, just because you¡¯re over forty is no reason to start crying inside the wall there.¡± Kouji crossed his arms and looked at Ryouko who was lifting her hair with a hair pin in her mouth. ¡°You don¡¯t seem too surprised,¡± he said. ¡°Do you know where Shino-san is?¡± ¡°Hm? Of course not. I¡¯m not an esper.¡± ¡°No one uses the word esper anymore, sister.¡± ¡°Sh-shut up. Stop giving me that look of pity. A-ny-way, if Shi-chan left, then that¡¯s fine.¡± She stuck the hair pin in her hair. ¡°It was her decision, right? She isn¡¯t a child anymore, so she had to have a good reason to leave and we would be insulting her resolve if we found her and dragged her back.¡± ¡°What if she left because she wanted us to find her?¡± ¡°When the injured or sick leave, it¡¯s because they don¡¯t want to be a burden, just like with an old cat. ¡­If the one they¡¯re a burden on approaches, they¡¯ll just run away.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°There is no ¡®then¡¯.¡± Ryouko gave Kouji a confused look. ¡°Shi-chan can run away if she wants. And if she tries to return, then we really have to take care of her. That would mean this is her only option even though she doesn¡¯t like it.¡± She waved a hand to shoo her brother away. ¡°Go, go. Get back to your work. We can leave the rest up to fate.¡± She fired thrice into the wall to drive away the people inside. She was now alone. ¡°Okay.¡± She breathed in the chilly air and suddenly looked up into the sky. With her gaze on the blue winter sky, she placed her hands on her hips. ¡°After I change, I think I¡¯ll go for a walk outside.¡± 2nd-Gear¡¯s Tsukuyomi asked a question below the library¡¯s light. She crossed her arms in her lab coat as if trying to defend herself. ¡°When our Gear was on the verge of destruction, it seems the Low-Gear engineer who should have saved it took too long to make up his mind.¡± She spoke plainly and Sayama nodded and crossed his arms as well. ¡°That is true and I believe we went over all this during the Leviathan Road. Are you digging it back up?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± she began with a shrug. ¡°There is one thing I want to ask for the sake of the coming new world.¡± The witch sitting next to her wrote what she said in glowing words: ¡°If Low-Gear is faced with the same situation, what would it do?¡± She nodded. ¡°Yes, if the destruction of the world were approaching at overwhelming speed, how would you handle it?¡± A pause followed her question. During that wordless and still pause, the only sounds came from the stenographers, but Tsukuyomi herself finally broke it. ¡°If you wish to support the world, you must be able to ensure the world will not be destroyed no matter what happens. Surely you aren¡¯t going to tell me you hadn¡¯t given it any thought.¡± ¡°To be honest, I hadn¡¯t thought about that at all.¡± Sayama¡¯s casual response left Tsukuyomi speechless. And that was why everyone¡¯s focus turned from her and to him. With all eyes on him, the boy spread his arms, breathed in, and stared directly at Tsukuyomi. ¡°Tsukuyomi-kun, you are talking about what we should do when faced with the destruction of the world, but I have a question.¡± He held up his left index finger and everyone focused on that single point. ¡°By any chance, do you happen to know how the world will be destroyed?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Of course she did not. That was why she had asked what Low-Gear would do. But¡­ ¡°Not a single person knows, so I have no way of answering your question.¡± Sayama peered at her and thought for a moment. ¡°But you are a worrier, aren¡¯t you? You think the world might very well be destroyed. So¡­¡± He spread his arms again. ¡°I have a suggestion. If, after this meeting has ended, Low-Gear has been forgiven and allowed to exist, I would like to create a Destruction Information and Countermeasures Research Team.¡± ¡°Destruction Information and Countermeasures Research Team?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sayama raised his arms. ¡°Or the DIC Research Team for short!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t abbreviate it like that!¡± Tsukuyomi reflexively protested Sayama¡¯s abbreviation, but then she frantically looked around. ¡°Ah!? See! Now that awful term is part of the entire world¡¯s history!¡± ¡°Wh-what are you talking about, Tsukuyomi-kun? I merely abbreviated it to DIC! Nothing could be as grand as DIC! DIC is what you call a youthful power! What in the world could be wrong with DIC!?¡± ¡°Stop saying that!! I demand you propose a better name!¡± ¡°A better DIC!!¡± ¡°Gwah!¡± Tsukuyomi collapsed backwards, but Miyako cackled next to her. ¡°What? You got a problem with DIC? Then go to Ueno and have it cut down to size!¡± Tsukuyomi glared at her daughter, but #8 ignored them and spoke. ¡°Sayama-sama, I believe everyone knows what you are trying to say, so why not leave it at that?¡± ¡°Yes, I was getting the same feeling.¡± He nodded and turned back toward Tsukuyomi. She had stopped crossing her arms and had her hands in her lab coat¡¯s pockets instead. He stuck his hands in his suit pockets to match. ¡°Well, you get the idea, Tsukuyomi-kun. All we can do is set up an antenna to detect any possible destruction and, in an emergency, gather the humans of every Gear¡­ no.¡± He took a breath. ¡°Gather the residents of what will then be a single Gear and do everything we can do without giving up. At the very least, I can promise the people of Japanese UCAT will not give up.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re telling us from 2nd-Gear not to foolishly lose our home for a second time?¡± ¡°And to that end, how about you record your history here? Your long history can double as a lesson from the past.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Tsukuyomi¡¯s question was immediately followed by Sayama looking up at the unseen sky and opening his mouth. ¡°The wind carries names, techniques, and a heart that never forgets itself. And that wind blows in the direction you are facing. No matter how often it moves, it will never vanish. And I believe passing on your history is the job of the one with the name of the moon. Also¡­¡± He took a breath. ¡°We can make more history now, can we not? Tsukuyomi-kun, the history of the past is finite, but the future is ¨C annoyingly enough ¨C infinite. So if you record your history here, that lesson from the past will protect both the present and the future that we will be creating from now on.¡± He placed his hands on his desk and leaned forward, but breathed in to cool down his lungs. ¡°Looking back to the lessons of the past will help prevent the destruction of the world. So¡­ Yes, if you wish to pass on 2nd-Gear¡¯s history, then get to work. We will prepare as much personnel as you need. Everyone has far too much time on their hands anyway.¡± He then shouted to the Gear representatives sitting in the darkness. ¡°The same goes for the other Gears. If you wish to record your history and your world, then bring it on! But¡­once you finish, join us in this world! The history to come will be much, much longer! After all¡­¡± As he continued, Tsukuyomi dropped exhausted into her seat. ¡°After all, every Gear will work together against the destruction to ensure we can continue on! And I appoint 2nd-Gear¡¯s development department as the leader of that alliance. Use as much money and personnel as you like. The continuation of the world and of history is on the line!¡± Tsukuyomi raised both hands in resignation. ¡°Fine, fine,¡± she muttered in exasperation. ¡°Honestly, you cause nothing but trouble.¡± As soon as Tsukuyomi sat down, someone else stood up and light washed over them. However, Miyako was still seated at the desk of 3rd-Gear¡¯s representative. ¡°Gyes-kun, are you the representative?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Gyes nodded and looked to the boy directly ahead of her. ¡°This is an important time for Lady Miyako. We cannot have her standing for too long.¡± ¡°I see. Then you will be saying what you have to say, will you?¡± ¡°I will,¡± agreed Gyes. The question-and-answer session with the next Gear began. Everything seemed to click into place as the questions and suggestions continued smoothly. Volume 13, 27: Charity of Lies Volume 13, Chapter 27: Charity of Lies What¡¯s wrong with that? If I don¡¯t keep my word You can punch me The meeting continued inside the Kinugasa Library. To help, Shinjou and Heo worked in Low-Gear¡¯s waiting room and Kazami helped some too. At the moment, Kazami showed up with the report on the question-and-answer session with 3rd-Gear. An automaton secretary had written it. Shinjou was writing her own report while checking on the progress of the questions and answers in the library. The questions and answers were generally a confirmation and expansion on the negotiations held during the Leviathan Road. The conversation was all recorded in the log created by the automatons. The log was like a script with stage directions and it included notes by the automaton in charge of its creation. Shinjou currently held the log of 3rd-Gear¡¯s question-and-answer session created by #73. In it, they were confirming Gyes and Sayama¡¯s beach negotiation that Shinjou had been present for. Gyes was standing in for Miyako and she was cautious of Sayama. After all, he was the person who had made Gyes, an automaton, lie. So she began by asking him to prove that the result of the questions and answers would not be a lie. Gyes-sama: ¡°What proof do we have that everything you are saying here isn¡¯t a lie? And if it is a lie, who will punish Low-Gear for it?¡± Note: Wow, that¡¯s harsh. She really doesn¡¯t trust him! Gyes-sama: ¡°Can you answer me, Sayama Mikoto!¡± Sayama-sama: ¡°Yes. I can answer with utmost ease!¡± Note: Gyes-sama grows cautious. She and all the 3rd automatons in the audience seats take defensive stances and cover their ears. Gyes-sama: ¡°Ready your anti-sophistry stances!! Even our gravitational control is useless against this boy¡¯s sophistry!¡± Note: Sayama-sama nods repeatedly with a smile. Sayama-sama: ¡°Ha ha ha. What are you so worried about, Gyes-kun? I am perfectly safe.¡± Gyes-sama: ¡°No, you¡¯re unbelievably dangerous!! L-Lady Miyako! The Sayama Virus is going to get in through your ears!¡± Miyako-sama: ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter.¡± Gyes-sama: ¡°You are so tolerant, Lady Miyako! But you still need to put in some earplugs.¡± Note: Gyes-sama digs through her pocket. Gyes-sama: ¡°Lady Miyako! I prepared these chocolate pencils as emergency rations, but use them as temporary earplugs!¡± Miyako-sama: ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of ear-pencils before. It sounds pretty crazy to me.¡± As she read through the log, Shinjou began to worry about the sanity of the meeting. ¡­Well, I¡¯m not actually taking part, so it¡¯s not my place to worry. She decided to conclude only a certain sort of chosen person belonged there. Eventually, Miyako began to take a more active role. In the log, she began speaking with Sayama after calming Gyes down. Miyako-sama: ¡°Sorry for eating chocolate while we talk, Sayama. But regardless¡­¡± Gyes-sama: ¡°W-wait, Lady Miyako! Are you sure you should be speaking with¡­that?¡± Miyako-sama: ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. If he pisses me off too much, I just have to knock him over¡­with a god of war fist.¡± Sayama-sama: ¡°That is rather extreme, but is it a form of threat?¡± Miyako-sama: ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. If I was threatening you, I¡¯d grab you by the collar. As long as we just have a nice chat here, I won¡¯t have to surpass the Code of Hammurabi for some highly damaging revenge, so just answer Gyes¡¯s question. Prove that you¡¯re serious about what you say here and tell us who will punish you if you are lying.¡± Sayama gave a single answer to Miyako¡¯s demand. He put forth one of the foundations of negotiation. ¡°The result of a discussion is not the sole responsibility of just one party.¡± To negotiate was to deal with each other on equal ground. So whether the result would be upheld was a problem for both sides. And that was why Sayama said what he did. Sayama-sama: ¡°If we are truly thinking about each other and we both feel this is our duty, neither side will break the result of the Leviathan Road or this question-and-answer session. But in the unlikely event that one of us does break our promise, how about we create an organization to punish them?¡± During the summer negotiation on the beach, 3rd-Gear had hinted at a certain possibility: what if they used their military might to guard the Gear reservations? Sayama expanded on that in his suggestion. If they did create a new world, they would need a policing organization and a punishment system for the forces of every Gear. Sayama-sama: ¡°And in the new world, we will need to guard against and suppress any who violate agreements or commit any other illegal acts. I would like for 3rd-Gear to help us with that using your restless automatons and gods of war. How about that?¡± Miyako-sama: ¡°Are you serious?¡± Sayama-sama: ¡°Yes, I am. So if, after this meeting has ended, Low-Gear has been forgiven and allowed to exist, I would like to create a 3rd-centric police agency for the coming world. But the other Gears also have plenty of combat-oriented races. Open the door to them and create an enjoyable and open punishment agency that the people will accept. UCAT¡¯s planning department will surely assist you.¡± Miyako-sama: ¡°Wait, wait. I wouldn¡¯t make a very good police officer.¡± Sayama-sama: ¡°But what about Apollo-kun? Why not make him chief of police?¡± With that, the question-and-answer session with 3rd ended. The question-and-answer session with 4th had apparently been starting when Kazami had taken the log out to the waiting room. 4th had said they ¡°want to work¡± and Sayama had begun speaking about working in a medical facility. ¡­I see. With that thought, Shinjou set down the log and reminded herself that Sayama and the others were working hard. ¡°I need to work hard too.¡± As she neared the end of the report, she began discussing the postwar period and her parents¡¯ generation. ¡­There¡¯s still a lot to write. However, she had written up a general plot the night before and Sayama had checked through it. He had taught her how to minimize the amount of actual text by using photographs and quotations effectively. Now, she only had to write it all. Their greatest defense was to convey only the truth without including any guesses about what they had seen, what they had learned, or what they did not understand. What had happened and what had not happened? There were a lot of unknowns, but there were no lies in what they did know. It was neat hearing Kazami¡¯s surprised comments next to her. Just once, she directly addressed Shinjou while doing her job. ¡°That must have been tough, but you must be glad.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Was she wrong to think that short answer was enough to get everything across? If the world was not destroyed by the activation of the negative concepts, then she wanted to learn about much, much more. After all, she had not seen much of Izumo where her great-grandparents had lived and she had yet to see Professor Kinugasa¡¯s home. ¡­And a certain someone says he left that cabin without taking down the posters of me he didn¡¯t have permission to make!! Once spring came, there was a danger of hikers wandering there and anyone would find it bizarre if they saw brand-new posters hanging in a run-down cabin in the mountains. Shinjou then heard Heo sigh. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked. Heo rolled her shoulders a bit and smiled with the ends of her eyebrows lowered. ¡°This isn¡¯t going well.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be easy thinking up all the different patterns,¡± agreed Shinjou. Kazami turned to Heo, too. ¡°Isn¡¯t it about time for your question-and-answer session? I¡¯m glad I don¡¯t have one of those.¡± She was referring to 5th-Gear¡¯s question-and-answer session. Harakawa was sitting out there for Heo, but she would need to head out once the questioning began. Kazami crossed her legs, took a breath, and stretched her weary arms forward. ¡°I thought I would end up as a representative for 10th-Gear, but it seems they and Jord have come to an understanding in their view of Low-Gear.¡± She closed her eyes just a bit and some resignation filled her voice. ¡°The gods of 10th-Gear can be pretty exclusive. Kaku sometimes exposes things, though.¡± Heo gasped at that. After a short pause, she looked to Kazami and slowly asked for confirmation. ¡°Izumo exposes himself?¡± Kazami silently stood from her chair, so Shinjou focused on her work. She heard Kazami snap her fingers and Heo frantically speak up. ¡°Ah, w-wait, Kazami. My, um, uh, Japanese still isn¡¯t very good, so¡­!¡± ¡°Yes, that way I know no one outside will be able to understand your protests.¡± Heo gave an extended shriek as Kazami began cracking the smaller girl¡¯s arms and other joints. She was using a body of techniques known as seitai. Heo cried out as she fell to the classroom floor and was forced into a strange pose. ¡°Ah, ahh! Kazami! If you do that¡­it¡¯ll get rid of my stiff shoulders! Eek! Ah, n-no! You¡¯re improving my blood flow so much my joints feel warm!¡± Just listening to this is harmful, realized Shinjou just as Heo asked for help. ¡°Sh-Shinjou, why weren¡¯t you Low-Gear¡¯s representative?¡± ¡°Sayama-kun was the one who decided that.¡± She had wondered why Kazami had been chosen, but¡­ ¡°I think he wanted to be as fair as possible. I have some Top-Gear blood, so I could help to hold back Top-Gear if I stood on Low-Gear¡¯s side, but¡­¡± She looked to Kazami¡¯s back as the girl massaged Heo. ¡°If anything, I think Kazami-san was the stronger candidate.¡± ¡°You just thought that up on the spot, didn¡¯t you!?¡± ¡°Kidding. Just kidding. Kazami-san, I think you were perfect for the Low-Gear representative because you¡¯re a perfectly norm-¡­someone who has no connection to the National Defense Department!¡± ¡°You changed your wording mid-sentence, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It sounded that way to me too,¡± added Heo. Shinjou averted her gaze and continued working. ¡­Stay calm! Stay calm! With this group, it was normal for horrible things to happen when you got something wrong, but that had a way of strengthening their bonds. She decided to dub it ¡°cannibalism¡±. And the best way to avoid getting caught in the middle of that cannibalism was to turn your back. ¡°But Sayama must be keeping a cool head to choose someone other than Shinjou for Low-Gear¡¯s representative.¡± ¡°Heh heh. That¡¯s not it, Heo. In Sayama¡¯s mind, Shinjou is a resident of the thirteenth Gear: the Sayama Gear.¡± Shinjou wanted to jump at that bait, but she resisted and focused on her work. She wanted to correct them more than anything, but she resisted. Unfortunately, Heo replied with a very American kind of surprise. ¡°Oh, my god! What kind of aggressive concepts rule the Sayama Gear!?¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. Heo, that¡¯s a difficult thing to describe. Or rather, I don¡¯t want to describe it.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you overlook that last part and tell me!?¡± ¡°Fine then. Heh heh. To put it simply, when you say ¡®no¡¯, it transforms into ¡®yes¡¯. Also butts.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure how to describe it, but it has a lot of touching and chance meetings to it, doesn¡¯t it!?¡± That¡¯s surprisingly accurate!! thought Shinjou as she kept her eyes on the monitor and focused on her work. ¡°Do you know why Shinjou always resists what Sayama does?¡± asked Kazami. ¡°Y-yes. That¡¯s how she gives permission, isn¡¯t it!? The Japanese don¡¯t know how to just say no!¡± ¡°That is not it!!¡± When Shinjou finally turned around and shouted at them, she found Heo and Kazami smiling her way. ¡­Crap. ¡°Then what is it, Shinjou?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve known you for a while now, but I certainly didn¡¯t expect a denial there.¡± ¡°W-well, um¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± asked the two smiling girls. But then¡­ ¡°Heo-sama, the question-and-answer session with 5th-Gear will be starting soon. Please get ready.¡± The door opened and Sibyl entered, but something sounded off in Sibyl¡¯s voice. ¡°D-did something happen?¡± Shinjou turned back and noticed Sibyl¡¯s eyebrows were a bit raised. ¡°I do not think it is much of an issue, but Sayama-sama is having some trouble with 4th-Gear¡¯s question-and-answer session.¡± ¡°With 4th-Gear?¡± That was the Gear he was closest with, so if he was having trouble¡­ ¡­What¡¯s going on? Sibyl must have seen something in her expression because she breathed in to gather her strength and reformed her smile. ¡°At any rate, the meeting is in progress.¡± #8 was unsure what to think. But not because 4th-Gear¡¯s two representatives had left their seats and walked all the way up to Sayama¡¯s desk. It was because Sayama was having a bit of trouble handling what they were saying. At first, the 4th-Gear residents had asked if they would be ¡°given food¡±. They were animals that lived off of heat, so they wanted a place to acquire that. ¡­And Sayama-sama said UCAT would build a medical facility. However, the plant creatures then asked something else. ¡°Sayama bullied. Why?¡± #8 could guess it was an honest question. In a question-and-answer session, the answerer was on the defense and the 4th-Gear residents were describing that as Sayama being ¡°bullied¡±. ¡°Why?¡± They were worried because they trusted him and the two of them asked him about it with identical thoughts. ¡°Bullying uncool. Bullying bad. So why? Why Sayama bullied?¡± ¡°Is it enough to say this is necessary?¡± ¡°No. Not necessary.¡± The 4th-Gear residents pleaded to Sayama. ¡°Sayama with everyone.¡± ¡°Bullying Sayama is bullying everyone.¡± ¡°4th-Gear with Sayama.¡± ¡°4th-Gear feels it. Feels being bullied.¡± All motion vanished and everyone was left speechless. #8 wondered if the residents of every Gear and representatives of every UCAT had realized the danger of 4th-Gear. 4th-Gear did not doubt those it trusted. If it trusted them, it doubted them as little as people doubted themselves. And because 4th-Gear trusted everyone, it felt everyone¡¯s pain, even in a simple question-and-answer session. Could one really speak with someone like that? However, the 4th-Gear residents did not even understand that. They were simply worried for Sayama. ¡°With Sayama, but Sayama bullied. 4th-Gear bullying Sayama too. At odds? Not together?¡± ¡°Want to be together, but not?¡± And¡­ ¡°Contradiction?¡± Sayama reacted to that question. He crossed his arms and opened his mouth to say something. But just as he did, a dignified voice rang from the darkness by the counter. ¡°It is not a contradiction!¡± #8 saw a girl in a uniform standing below a new light that activated by the counter. She continued walking and spoke with a powerful smile. ¡°This is Kazami Chisato. As Low-Gear representative, I will answer as assistant negotiator.¡± Volume 13, 28: There and Not There Volume 13, Chapter 28: There and Not There Want to be together Want to be with you Want to be Kazami descended to the bottom of the Kinugasa Library and continued forward. In the dim light, she noticed how different the library looked without all the bookshelves. ¡°Now, how about we have a little cha-¡­¡± ¡°Objection!¡± Hajji shouted from the darkness behind her. She did not even need to turn around as his powerful voice reached her. ¡°Moderator! Are assistant negotiators allowed!?¡± She had already predicted this and Sf nodded her way. ¡°Self-proclaimed assistant negotiator, please state your reason for this request.¡± She had expected this question, so she looked ahead and just a bit up to the moderator¡¯s seat. ¡°If Sayama is the negotiator because he is Low-Gear¡¯s representative, then is there any reason why I can¡¯t negotiate as the other Low-Gear representative?¡± She closed her eyes, opened her mouth, and shouted into the floor so it would bounce back to the darkness behind her. ¡°State your reason for denying my request!!¡± She breathed in through her nose and then faced forward once more. Two plant creatures stood with their front legs on the edge of Sayama¡¯s desk. She crouched down to put herself on the same level as them and they tilted their heads. ¡°Kazami?¡± ¡°Oh, you know me?¡± The one creature nodded and slowly continued. ¡°Ape Killer.¡± ¡°English? Did Heo teach you that!?¡± Her shout received a response from the darkness behind her. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, but I didn¡¯t mean anything by it!¡± ¡°Hm. I see. That¡¯s a relief. ¡­So that means it¡¯s what you actually think?¡± Heo shrieked and a new voice came from the darkness to her right. ¡°Colonel, colonel! I believe Miss Heo was at fault this time! Lowering your right hand would be the tolerant thing to do!¡± This has gotten dangerous, sighed Kazami. She ignored all the eyes focused on her and saw the plant creatures looking at her. ¡°Contradiction,¡± one said. In other words¡­ ¡°You want to know why you¡¯re bullying Sayama when you¡¯re supposedly with him, right?¡± ¡°Right!¡± The 4th-Gear creatures shouted in agreement, left the desk, and approached her. When she saw them looking up at her, she did her best to maintain a composed expression. ¡­Nwah! I want to take them home with me! And they refresh your exhaustion, too! She forced down those thoughts and spoke. It all comes down to this, she thought. ¡°Listen. There is no contradiction.¡± Both 4th-Gear creatures tilted their heads in front of Kazami. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Well,¡± she began. She knew the gist of what she had to say. ¡­Because this is somewhat like me. ¡°The thing is, Sayama isn¡¯t with you yet.¡± Sound reached her from the surrounding darkness. It was a questioning sound taking the form of countless people uttering ¡°eh?¡± She knew why. During the Leviathan Road with 4th-Gear, 4th had decided to go with Sayama and Shinjou. They were the same, so they went with them. But Kazami had overturned that assumption and she was not done there. ¡°Do you get it? Low-Gear hasn¡¯t come to join you yet.¡± She did not immediately receive a response. The two plant creatures first leaned up against each other and then pulled back away from her. ¡°Tricked us?¡± They aren¡¯t making this easy, are they? thought Kazami while mentally taken aback. However, that would not resolve this situation, so¡­ ¡°He did not trick you.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. You have gone to be with Sayama, but Sayama has yet to come be with you. You lost your world, remember?¡± The two creatures looked up at the ceiling for about three seconds. ¡°Moved.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. That¡¯s right. You moved to a new world. ¡­And you know what? Sayama¡¯s grandfather and his friends had everyone here move too. But unlike all of them, Sayama hasn¡¯t moved, has he?¡± The plant creatures thought on that for a moment. ¡°Sayama didn¡¯t. Didn¡¯t move like that.¡± ¡°Then Sayama isn¡¯t the same as you yet, is he? You moved here, so you¡¯re with Sayama, but he was already here and hasn¡¯t moved.¡± ¡°Contradiction?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kazami¡¯s smile grew. ¡­It¡¯s going to get through to them. It¡¯s going to be okay. It¡¯s going to work. After making three ¡°it¡¯s going to¡± phrases in her heart, she continued speaking. ¡°And you know what else? Bullying Sayama here is instead of having him move to this world.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°When you moved, your world disappeared, right? That¡¯s because your world was bullied. That means this world needs to be bullied, too.¡± ¡°Bullying makes Low-Gear and other Gears the same?¡± ¡°Yes. All the other Gears were bullied when they moved, so Low-Gear has to be bullied and move. But if Low-Gear disappeared, we couldn¡¯t be together, so Sayama is being bullied instead.¡± ¡°Sayama is?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kazami saw the creatures rise up and look at her from either side. ¡­Nwaaah! I want to grab one in each arm and take them home! She resisted the urge and spoke to the two plant creatures. ¡°Sayama won¡¯t disappear even when he¡¯s bullied. Because he¡¯s a pervert. That¡¯s why Sayama is being bullied instead of the world, which would disappear.¡± ¡°Is okay? Is Sayama okay?¡± Kazami finally looked away, past the desk, and to Sayama. The plant creatures looked that way too and the boy in a suit placed a hand on his chin. His sharp eyes looked her in the eye, he gave a quick nod, and he thrust his arms out to either side for some reason. ¡°With ease!¡± ¡°With ease!?¡± ¡°Yes. I am pummeled day and night by Shinjou-kun¡¯s many terms of affection, yet I have not given in. What more proof do you need that I can easily endure ten or twenty times the bullying that would destroy a world!?¡± ¡°Shinjou harsh!?¡± ¡°Extremely!! She refuses to be honest with herself!!¡± His announcement was followed by footsteps rushing toward the library entrance behind him. ¡°Wait, Sayama-kun! This is no time for your nonsen- Oh, Sibyl-san. And Ooki too!?¡± Her shouting voice was promptly dragged outside. What was she hoping to accomplish? wondered Kazami as the plant creatures tilted their heads in her direction. ¡°With ease?¡± ¡°Yes, with ease. With utmost ease.¡± Kazami took a breath and stood up. The 4th-Gear creatures looked up at the movement of air she caused. She then looked them both in the eye. ¡°So listen. Bullying Sayama will allow him to come be with you, so you mustn¡¯t prevent anyone else from bullying him.¡± The plant creatures nodded. ¡°Strange.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°All the worlds here. So 4th-Gear with the worlds.¡± ¡°Everything still here because Sayama here?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Kazami. ¡°Because you¡¯re here, because everyone is here, and because we are all trying to be together, the world will not be lost.¡± ¡°The same? Everyone the same as Sayama? Pervert?¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t how I would put it¡­¡± However, the 4th-Gear creatures looked to Sayama again. ¡°Sayama wonderful! Wonderful Sayama!¡± And they looked around. ¡°Everyone wonderful!!¡± That shout produced a sound from their surroundings. In the unlit darkness, Kazami saw everyone in the audience seats and representative seats stand up at once. They all immediately gave a bow or otherwise indicated their respect for the plant creatures. As soon as they finished, they sat down and calm noisily returned. ¡°¡­¡± The brief sound and motion had all been in the darkness, so it almost felt like an illusion or a momentary dream. However, Kazami let out a breath, looked to the creatures at her feet, and faced the representative seats. ¡°Tell everyone thank you. ¡­Now, let¡¯s get going.¡± The creatures lined up, looked up at her, and seemed to nod. ¡°Thank you, Ape Killer.¡± ¡°Heooooooo!!¡± A shriek came from the representative seats and Sayama cleared his throat before speaking. ¡°Next is Heo-kun for 5th-Gear, so please try to remain quiet.¡± ¡°How about you thank me first? If you were in need of some help, I¡¯d like to hear some appreciation. And if you didn¡¯t need any help, then I successfully managed to steal your negotiation thunder. ¡­Which would you prefer?¡± ¡°How about I say you should mind your own business next time?¡± She did not turn around, but the bitter smile she heard in his voice was enough to satisfy her. ¡­That underclassman needs to be more honest. She gave a bitter smile of her own and started toward the representative seats with the 4th-Gear creatures. ¡°Now, then¡­ Heo! You¡¯re up!¡± Heo reflexively stood when she was called. Um¡­ she muttered in her heart before realizing something. ¡­5th-Gear¡¯s question-and-answer session has already started. Oops, she thought. She had prepared a lot to say, but she was not yet mentally prepared. She had been so impressed by Kazami¡¯s discussion with the plant creatures that this had caught her by surprise. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She was not sure what to do. ¡°Oh¡­¡± She suddenly realized her mind was completely blank. The light was shining on her, but there were a lot of figures visible in the shadows and their eyes reflected the light back toward her. She started by opening her mouth to say something. ¡°¡­¡± But only a tense breath escaped. That was when she finally realized something. ¡­Am I nervous? ¡°Eh? Um¡­¡± She forced her voice out, but that was all that left her throat. It surprised her to realize she had stage fright. She felt her pulse begin to race and looked stiffly around. But she could not see very well due to the tears that welled up in her eyes for some reason and she became even less sure what to do, but she knew she could not just stand here silently. ¡­H-Harakawa! She tried to cling to Harakawa who sat next to her, but that was exactly when something tore through her body. It came from directly in front of her. ¡°Boo!!¡± Sayama¡¯s unexpected shout made her jump and the tears scattered from her eyes. ¡°!?¡± Her stiffness crumbled and became a tremor. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Her voice leaked out and all strength left her body as if showing how defenseless she was. Then everyone focused on her. Their eyes all turned her way. Her fear and the lack of the tension she needed to fight it caused Heo to seek power instead. She let out a great cry that began with an ¡°n¡±. ¡°Noooooooo!!¡± A moment later, Thunder Fellow appeared in the Kinugasa Library. Volume 13, 29: Things Children Say Volume 13, Chapter 29: Things Children Say When people see my spread arms They call them wings Roger saw a series of motion from his spot in the audience seats. First, Heo gave a shout and Harakawa frantically tackled her from the side. Most of the time, Thunder Fellow appeared behind her so she could be taken aboard, so he knocked her to the floor and out of the way. ¡­I haven¡¯t seen this in a while. A mechanical dragon appeared in a gust of wind. It was Thunder Fellow. He appeared behind Heo and Harakawa who lay face down on the ground, so he seemed to be lying on top of them. Roger then saw the nearly forty meter blue dragon extend his head toward the counter and his tail straight back. The tail did not fit inside the library but escaped that difficulty by sticking into the preparation room. Sf tilted her head to avoid the tail, but if she had not, the top of her head would have been taken off. Regardless, Sf spoke calmly. ¡°5th-Gear representative, please continue your question-and-answer session.¡± Her cold voice stopped everyone else from moving. Roger then realized that it was their turn to be nervous and that Odor gave a satisfied nod toward the mechanical dragon below. Roger followed his superior officer¡¯s gaze and saw Harakawa and Heo getting up. Heo looked around, sighed, and finally seemed to notice what had happened. ¡°U-u-um¡­ W-well, is everyone okay?¡± No one responded. No one had the nerve to answer this girl who controlled a dragon. The dragon acted as Heo¡¯s guardian and, to anyone who did not know her, he was nothing more than a large 5th-Gear weapon. He could fly and easily shoot down steel monsters larger than himself. And at the moment, the main cannon in his mouth and the secondary cannons on his shoulders were ready to fire. Everyone here had received a report saying that the dragon only listened to her and that she was the most effective safety device for him. But now that he appeared before their eyes, they could see something not mentioned in the report. They instantly understood that Heo truly controlled 5th-Gear¡¯s power, so they all grew tense and thus silent. If they said and did nothing, they would not be seen as an enemy. If they did anything wrong, they could easily end up the target of the Concept War¡¯s most powerful individual weapon. However, the dragon¡¯s head turned toward Heo and then to the left and right. ¡°Are you okay, Heo? And you, Harakawa?¡± ¡°We might have been even more okay if you hadn¡¯t shown up.¡± Harakawa sat cross-legged in the one meter space below Thunder Fellow¡¯s head and Heo sat next to him. ¡°U-um, sorry. I¡¯m fine, okay?¡± ¡°Are you? But I sensed some kind of danger.¡± The room¡¯s temperature seemed to drop three degrees at that. ¡°Is this a battlefield? Have you been captured? I see people of other Gears. Are they enemies?¡± ¡°C-c-c-c-calm down, Thunder Fellow.¡± Roger agreed wholeheartedly with Heo and everyone present was united in spirit. All the people seated around him had to be thinking the same thing: Spare me. Please, please spare me. ¡­Praise god for this harmony between us all. If this is what a united republic feels like, perhaps I should vote Republican next election. The only people who still appeared calm were Odor who sat next to Roger and Diana who sat in the German UCAT representative seat beyond Odor. ¡°See, honey? You bring these corners together, fold it like this, open it up, and¡­tah dah! It¡¯s a helmet.¡± ¡°Hmm, hmm. So origami is a means of weaponizing paper! Such a frightening country!¡± Is this a new way to escape reality!? wondered Roger, but he held his tongue because complicating the situation could easily make American UCAT the cause of the world¡¯s destruction. While everyone nervously watched on, Heo stroked Thunder Fellow¡¯s throat. ¡°Calm down, Thunder Fellow. I¡¯m fine.¡± She looked over her shoulder as she spoke and her voice contained her usual strength and smile. ¡°Everyone else is fine too, right?¡± To ensure their safety, everyone shouted a response to the girl¡¯s smile. ¡°Yes! Perfectly fine!!¡± Heo breathed a sigh of relief at that answer. Her shoulders fell and she faced forward from below Thunder Fellow. ¡°You hid under your desk, Sayama? You sure are careful.¡± ¡°Well, Heo-kun, I was given disaster training when I was younger.¡± Sayama was crouched under his desk and he held tightly onto the desk legs. ¡°If you do this, you will remain safe even during a disaster.¡± Heo wondered what he would do if Thunder Fellow lay down and kind of wanted to try it, but she resisted. She sat below Thunder Fellow and Sayama below his desk, but it was Sayama who spoke first. ¡°Heo-kun, what do you want to do?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Wondering what to say, she looked to the side and found Harakawa with his back to her. ¡°H-Harakawa¡­ Hey! Why are you reading Shounen Mazagine?¡± ¡°He asked what you want to do, so don¡¯t worry about me. After all, I¡¯m busy with this battle against the Dark Prince.¡± ¡°But¡­ I already decided I wanted to have H with you!!¡± Silence fell. Huh? she wondered as she thought back on what she had said. ¡°I meant to say ¡®become H with you¡¯¡­¡± Someone then spoke to her from the audience seats. ¡°H-Heo? As your teacher, I don¡¯t think this is the place for that announcement.¡± A light came on above Diana who wore a black suit and placed a hand on her cheek. ¡°First, you should probably talk it out with him. You can discuss how big a family you want.¡± ¡°T-teacher! Y-you mean children? B-but I¡¯m still...um¡­¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right Heo. No one has even taught you how that¡¯s done, have they?¡± Diana¡¯s cheek flushed below her hand. ¡°But it may be about time you learned about that adult secret. The truth is¡­babies are brought to couples by the stork.¡± Three seconds of silence passed after her revelation. Afterwards, Heo saw two people stand up from the representative seats: Hiba and Izumo. They used eye and hand signals to coordinate with each other and moved in front of either the north or south audience seats. They then lowered their hands and raised them on the count of three as a signal to Heo and everyone else. ¡°Ehhhhhh!? The stork!?¡± ¡°Wh-why are you all so shocked!? Don¡¯t tell me none of you knew!¡± ¡°Ah! Izumo-san!¡± shouted Hiba. ¡°This is so crazy that¡­I! I! I think I¡¯m going to confess my love to you!!¡± ¡°That¡¯s just creepy.¡± ¡°Wh-why are you taking it seriously!? Can¡¯t you play along with the joke!?¡± Heo saw Sayama shrug below his desk and sigh. ¡°Loving another boy? Honestly, you are such a pervert. You are just an unpleasant person overall.¡± ¡°Please take a look in the mirror! And at reality! Not to mention at how you act every day and at Shinjou-san!!¡± ¡°Yes, Shinjou-kun is incredibly cute.¡± ¡°Ah! This is hopeless!¡± ¡°All of you are hopeless!¡± shouted Diana¡¯s dignified voice. She also brushed a hand through her long hair and puffed out her chest. ¡°I was trying to have a serious discussion with my student and you bring up love between boys? ¡­That is biologically wrong!¡± ¡°T-teacher! C-c-c-c-c-calm down, teacher. I¡¯ll calm down, too.¡± ¡°I am perfectly fine, Heo. The problem is everyone around me. And¡­what is the matter, Heo? You were always such an excellent student, so why are you so flustered?¡± ¡°W-well¡­¡± Heo calmed her breathing, but Diana asked a question as if making a finishing blow. ¡°Heo, are you trying to say I¡¯ve made some kind of mistake?¡± Awkward sweat quickly covered Heo¡¯s entire body. She could see Diana looking at her with the ends of her eyebrows lowered. ¡­I feel like people have been testing me too much lately. Um, but should I give the correct answer here? I¡¯d only be correcting her, but the stenographers seem to be holding their pens awfully eagerly. Is this sexual harassment? Is that what this is? Um, um, um¡­ Fortunately, something released her from the pressure. It was a voice. A male voice. It belonged to Odor who sat next to Diana. ¡°Diana, Diana! To preserve your honor, I must inform you that you are wrong.¡± ¡°Am I?¡± Heo was relieved to hear her teacher¡¯s surprised comment. Odor was her husband, so it was appropriate for him to give her this kind of information. ¡°Diana, let me tell you where children really come from: they are born from cabbages.¡± ¡°Ahhhh!!¡± Everyone cried out, breathed in, stomped thrice on the floor, and¡­ ¡°You really are a couple, aren¡¯t you!!!?¡± Surprised, Diana raised her voice in protest, but everyone ignored her. Sayama then spoke from below his desk. ¡°So what were you trying to say, Heo-kun? That you wish to be given a peaceful life with someone you care about?¡± It was a sudden question. The audience had yet to quiet down, so Heo just about answered ¡°yes¡±. ¡°¡­¡± But she said nothing. She thought, hesitated for a moment, and then answered with a hand on Harakawa¡¯s shoulder. ¡°N-no. If I have to be given peace, then I don¡¯t want it.¡± Heo placed a hand on her chest. ¡°I¡­want to take my studies seriously. I want to join a club, join a committee, go to school festivals, have the long vacations, do my homework, take midterm exams, take final exams, go to homeroom classes, have fun afterschool, stare out the window in class, stare into the sky through the hallway windows, and do so many other things.¡± She was unsure if she should say the rest. ¡°And I know it¡¯s asking for a lot, but I also want to go to college if possible.¡± ¡°You do not think that would be impossible, do you?¡± ¡°No,¡± she answered while leaning forward a little. ¡°But that isn¡¯t all.¡± ¡°I see. So you want something else after you earn a peaceful life? ¡°Yes. ¡­It¡¯s a pretty outrageous dream, though.¡± She raised her right hand to stroke Thunder Fellow¡¯s throat. ¡°If I see anyone trembling in fear, I want to reach out and save them.¡± She then asked a question to everyone there instead of just Sayama. ¡°Is there anyone here who will lend me a free sky and who will not brush aside my outstretched hand?¡± Her question had a single important meaning: would they allow her forty meter mechanical dragon inside their countries and reservations? And this dragon was protected by powerful armor, could fly into satellite orbit under his own power, had a main cannon powerful enough to blow away a mountain range, and even had a stealth system. However, Heo did not hesitate to ask. ¡°Will you let me form an international rescue team? I obviously won¡¯t be enough on my own, so I would need some help¡­¡± ¡°American¡­American UCAT promises to provide assistance and free skies to your free dragon!!¡± Surprised by Odor¡¯s sudden agreement, Heo quickly stood up. ¡°Great-uncle!¡± But her head slammed into Thunder Fellow¡¯s throat armor and she collapsed back to the floor. She loudly struck the ground and Thunder Fellow¡¯s calm voice reached her from overhead. ¡°There was nothing I could do about that, Heo. I am glad you did not hit a sharper part, though.¡± ¡°S-so am I¡­¡± Tears welled up in her eyes more from the surprise than the pain. She rubbed her head while still lying on the floor and found a bump had already formed. ¡­Oh, I hope this doesn¡¯t damage my brain and make me go crazy. She was surrounded by plenty of examples and she did not want to be like any of them. ¡°Hey, Heo.¡± Harakawa lightly tapped the bump on her head, so she quickly stood up. ¡°S-stop, Harakawa! Don¡¯t touch me in my sensitive spot. You¡¯ll make me cry!¡± ¡°Stop saying things that make the stenographers so happy. And more importantly, look around you.¡± She held her head with tears in her eyes and did as instructed. She looked to the shadowy forms visible in the audience seats. ¡­They¡¯re raising their hands. Enough hands were raised to form a veritable forest of answers. The more hesitant ones raised their own answering branches after seeing everyone around them. ¡°¡­¡± Sf raised both of her guns toward the ceiling and fired a blank from each. The deafening sound was accompanied by a slight wind. ¡°Tes. I will interpret this as an acceptance of 5th-Gear¡¯s request.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Sayama. ¡°It is an interesting idea. We could create branch offices in each country¡¯s UCAT and station non-combat mechanical dragons and gods of war there. If 3rd is included, it would become quite a multi-purpose organization. ¡­But Heo-kun, you would be the organization¡¯s main force, so you could easily become so busy you lose your peaceful life. Are you sure you want that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She brought a hand to her chest. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s fine.¡± Sayama smiled at that and then laughed. ¡°Then I suppose it will be fine. ¡­I too will accept your suggestion. Selfishly rescue the world all you want.¡± Heo gave a cry of joy, jumped toward Harakawa, and embraced him. ¡°Harakawa! Harakawa! I¡¯m so happy!¡± And¡­ ¡°This is great. Now I don¡¯t have to worry when I give birth to the baby you put inside me.¡± Everyone froze in place when they heard that. Harakawa seemed to pass out briefly, but he finally asked a quiet question. ¡°¡­Are you having trouble with the Japanese language again?¡± ¡°No, not at all. After all¡­¡± She tilted her head, wondering what this was about. ¡°Babies are made by kissing, right? And you kissed me, remember?¡± A moment later, everyone¡¯s voices exploded out for a variety of reasons. Volume 13, 30: How to Advance Volume 13, Chapter 30: How to Advance Now, what to do? Now, what do I want to do? Now, that has already been decided Rocking had a surprising calming effect. Shino woke when she sensed light and felt herself rocking. ¡­Huh? The last thing she remembered, she had been lying down. She had collapsed onto the bench atop the central park¡¯s hill and been looking up into the dimly lit sky. She had been wondering what she was doing. But she saw something else now. ¡­The light is shining on some kind of red wall. She was clinging to something warm and rocking. As soon as she wondered what it was, the answer came to her and her body shot up. ¡°Ryouko!?¡± ¡°Wow!! Don¡¯t surprise me like that!!¡± Ryouko was carrying Shino on her back. Because Shino suddenly sat up on the back of the woman¡¯s red kimono and because Ryouko bent backwards in surprise, they naturally lost their balance. They were currently walking along the sunlit sidewalk running alongside a road, but it had no guardrails. ¡°Whoops. Uh-uh-uh-uh-oh.¡± Ryouko staggered and leaned back toward the road. ¡°Waaaaaah!¡± ¡°Eeeeeeek!¡± Horns honked along the road and several dump trucks passed by. Just as the trucks grazed the hair on the back of Shino¡¯s head and she cowered down, the exhaust and wind washed over Ryouko and she dug her heels in to force herself back toward the sidewalk. Once they settled back on the sidewalk, the two of them breathed a simultaneous sigh of relief and Ryouko gave an exasperated comment. ¡°Are you okay, Shi-chan?¡± After smiling to Shino, Ryouko faced forward and began walking, so Shino frantically spoke up from her back. ¡°U-um, you can put me down.¡± There was a lot she wanted to say, but she decided she had to say that first. However, Ryouko did not even turn around to respond. ¡°Nope. I don¡¯t want you going off and leaving.¡± Shino shrank down at that. What should I do? she wondered. She did not know how to explain this, what she should say if Ryouko asked, or what she should do in the future, but she knew she had to say something. ¡°Ryouko¡­ You aren¡¯t mad?¡± She gathered her resolve and asked, but Ryouko paused before simply tilting her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± The woman groaned in thought. ¡°The people who found you said you had to have your reasons.¡± ¡°The people who found me?¡± ¡°That would be Taki-san and Ume-san who were homeless children fifty years ago and are still living that lifestyle to this day.¡± Ryouko looked back with a smile and noticed Shino had gone pale. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re not bad people. They just have some problems is all. ¡­And you know what? I¡¯m not too good at getting mad. It¡¯s so exhausting.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Shino while relaxing her body and breathing in. She then asked a question to the smiling face in front of her. ¡°Then you aren¡¯t going to ask why I ran away?¡± ¡°Do you want to tell me?¡± She hesitated to answer that. ¡°Sometimes you feel better when you¡¯re asked.¡± Still looking at the girl, Ryouko nodded once, twice, and then thrice. ¡°You know what?¡± She immediately followed that question by tripping spectacularly on the curb of the sidewalk. Shino was almost thrown right onto the road and she spent some more time covered in a cold sweat. ¡°Y-you can face forward if you want.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s rude not to look at people when you speak with them.¡± Ryouko smiled bitterly, but then she faced forward and began walking again. ¡°If it feels better to talk about it, does that mean it¡¯s painful to keep it to yourself? And because you¡¯ll feel better if you talk about it, you want to do so? Am I right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Wow! I was just making that up, but I got it right! Maybe I could be a fortune teller!¡± Shino smiled a little when she saw Ryouko celebrating so seriously. She also wondered why the woman was letting so much slide. But that was exactly why she hung her head and pressed her forehead against Ryouko¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Hm? Why are you apologizing?¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± Ryouko¡¯s back shook slightly and Shino heard a laugh. Ryouko lifted her up further and rocked back and forth as if to comfort her. ¡°I don¡¯t know your reason, so why do you need to apologize?¡± ¡°B-but that¡¯s because I haven¡¯t told you.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s no need to apologize,¡± immediately replied Ryouko. ¡°After all, I wouldn¡¯t know what the apology meant.¡± Shino was speechless and Ryouko¡¯s back shook in laughter again. ¡°But that¡¯s fine since you¡¯re so cute, Shi-chan. You can stay with us as long as you want. And if you want to run away, you can do that too. ¡­You can keep trying until you actually get away.¡± ¡°B-but I¡¯m¡­betraying all of you¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re doing any of that, so¡­¡± Ryouko spoke clearly. ¡°I think running away is just part of who you are.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Shino¡¯s response was not quite a full protest and she pressed it into Ryouko¡¯s back along with her forehead. She then breathed in, but the trembling breath broke apart. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why what?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you hate me?¡± She opened her mouth to let out her trembling voice. ¡°Someone I thought of like a sister did. She pushed me away¡­ The more I tried to be with her, the farther she would push me away.¡± ¡°Did you want her to care for you?¡± Shino nodded ever so slightly and the action sent tears spilling from the corners of her eyes. ¡°I wanted to be with her like always¡­¡± ¡°You know what?¡± Ryouko¡¯s back shook in laughter again and she shifted Shino¡¯s position on her back. ¡°A long time ago, I cared so very much about someone.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°This really is embarrassing,¡± said Ryouko with a shrug. ¡°But I never said anything to that person or made any kind of move. Why do you think that was? It¡¯s a simple answer: I was a coward.¡± Ryouko stopped walking. ¡°I knew what they would say if I did say something. They would have been incredibly considerate and tried to keep things the same as always. ¡­And that thought was such a burden on me.¡± ¡°So you didn¡¯t do anything?¡± ¡°But you said something, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And did the person you care about say anything to you?¡± ¡°No,¡± she weakly answered while slowly looking back in her memories. ¡°But she did try to distance me from what she was doing.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Ryouko nodded and began walking again. ¡°Then she didn¡¯t hate you. She would only try to distance you if she cared about you. If she hated you or didn¡¯t care about you, she wouldn¡¯t have cared one way or the other.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shino heard the woman laugh. ¡°That person must be a coward. She was worried about you and cared about you, but she didn¡¯t know how to say it. And because she knew what you wanted, she had no idea what to do.¡± Ryouko laughed again, but bitterly this time. ¡°I completely lost out when I did that.¡± Shino could not even nod, but she did lean up against Ryouko¡¯s back. ¡­I see. She thought about one of the worries inside her. ¡­I¡¯m sorry, Mikoku. She had wanted Mikoku to be her usual self, but she only just now realized she herself had not been acting like her usual self. And had Mikoku understood that about her? Had Mikoku noticed that she had decided for herself that Mikoku was rejecting her? ¡­If so¡­ What had Mikoku wanted of her but been unable to say? ¡­She was always telling me not to fight or not to do some other thing. What was the opposite of fighting? ¡°¡­¡± A certain thought came to Shino. It may have just been a convenient idea, but¡­ ¡°Do I not have to fight?¡± She thought it was a selfish idea. She thought it was simply a way of running away from the fighting. But¡­ ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, Shi-chan, then that¡¯s fine.¡± Shino found her vision blurring at Ryouko¡¯s acceptance. ¡­If Mikoku knew I wasn¡¯t fighting and I was living with some kind people¡­ Would she be happy and not reject it? While asking herself that, she gently clung to Ryouko¡¯s back to confirm the answer for herself. ¡°Ryouko¡­¡± There was so much she could not say and likely would never be able to say, but even though she remained silent, Ryouko spoke to her. ¡°Kouji said he was making some food and would be waiting for us. ¡­Now, c¡¯mon. That idiot said he was making Salisbury steak. How could he make something so greasy this early? And you prefer Japanese food, right?¡± That brought a natural smile to Shino¡¯s lips and more tears spilled from her eyes as she relaxed. ¡°But I like Kouji¡¯s cooking.¡± ¡°That pedo has won you over better than I thought!! That is not the kind of news a sister wants to hear.¡± Shino¡¯s smile grew when she heard Ryouko¡¯s laughter. She then closed her eyes and rested on the woman¡¯s back. She rested on the back of someone from an opposite world, someone from an alternate version of her home, and someone she could perhaps call a sister. ¡­Mikoku. She called that previous name in her heart and peacefully drifted off to sleep. ¡­I¡­ At the final moment, she breathed out and thought. ¡­I might have a sister and brother in this world, too. Lunchtime scenes filled the waiting rooms. A short recess had followed the end of 5th-Gear¡¯s question-and-answer session, so all of the Gear and UCAT representatives had moved to the concept space used for their waiting rooms. Team Leviathan had done the same. Sibyl had used the cafeteria to create a large boxed lunch set as well as some soba and stew. Ooki had been blessed with quite a few snacks and drinks while walking around the festival, so the classroom desks were just about covered. Everyone grabbed what they wanted, piled it on a plate, and got back to work from their spot in the room. Heo and Kazami were the ones with the most work to do. ¡°Shinjou-kun, have you finished?¡± ¡°Yes. Now I¡¯m just waiting for Kazami-san and Harakawa-kun¡¯s translation. Once I check over the layout, it just has to be copied. We can probably have it all out before the question-and-answer session with 9th-Gear.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± said Sayama before Shinjou held a takoyaki out toward him. He grabbed it and looked across the table. He looked to Heo¡¯s back as she faced her laptop in Harakawa¡¯s window-side seat. ¡°Heo-kun, thank you for the valuable question-and-answer session. ¡­Now, how is your work there going? Have you found a hole in the world creation theory presented by Hajji-kun?¡± Shinjou followed his gaze and first saw Heo facing them. The ends of the girl¡¯s eyebrows were lowered and she gave them a troubled smile. ¡°Sorry, but I just can¡¯t seem to find a hole.¡± Instead of tensing, her shoulders dropped straight down. ¡°Whenever the world is created from the mother element, it either plays out the way Kashima said or the way Hajji said. And only the latter is able to produce all twelve Gears.¡± ¡°So the world is siding with them? How rude of it. Especially since I own it,¡± said Sayama. ¡°Well, not to worry. Before long, everyone will be residents of my world.¡± That might as well have been an announcement of his victory, so Shinjou exchanged a glance with the others. And all of the others naturally looked to her as if urging her on. ¡­Why do I always get stuck doing this? She sighed in her heart, faced Sayama, brushed back her hair, and tilted her head. ¡°How can you be so confident? And what do you mean by ¡®before long¡¯?¡± She sounded troubled, but he replied with a smile. ¡°I will tell you once you give me the drink you just set down.¡± She thought for a moment, looked around again, and found their gazes begging her to give it to him, but she could not help but worry over it a little longer. ¡°I-I¡¯ll give it to you after you answer me.¡± ¡°Then I will answer,¡± he said casually while crossing his legs in his chair. ¡°Based on a few different facts we already know, I believe I can tear down Top-Gear¡¯s apparent advantage.¡± Shinjou was more surprised by what he said than by the refreshing tone of his voice. ¡°After the question-and-answer sessions, we will move onto the trial and vote. That will surely involve a comparison of Top-Gear¡¯s righteousness and the benefits of Low-Gear, but they will undoubtedly use their question-and-answer sessions to inform everyone just how cruel we were as we destroyed them.¡± He expressionlessly looked specifically at Shinjou as he continued. ¡°But what if it was not a cruel choice? What if it was inevitable?¡± ¡°Inevitable?¡± she asked. ¡°What if Top-Gear had to be destroyed like that?¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± As the others gasped, Sayama grabbed Shinjou¡¯s cup from the table and gulped it down. ¡°Delicious! Truly an exceptional flavor!! It looked like coffee, so I never expected it to taste like this!¡± ¡°That¡¯s actually the extra soba sauce I put in a cup because I didn¡¯t have anything else to put it in.¡± ¡°¡­Did your mouth ever touch it?¡± ¡°Of course not. You¡¯d have to be an idiot to drink that. It¡¯s bad for your liver.¡± ¡°For a variety of reasons, I demand a redo!!¡± ¡°Calm down,¡± she said, so he nodded and sat down. Then, as the representative of the others, Shinjou asked another question. ¡°Why do you think Top-Gear¡¯s destruction was inevitable?¡± ¡°Before I answer, I would like a redo with something your mouth actually touched.¡± ¡°Kh.¡± Shinjou hung her head and clenched her fist while whispering voices reached her from behind. ¡°Kaku, why is Sayama so obsessed with indirect kisses?¡± ¡°Because a 5th-Gear VIP said direct kisses make babies.¡± ¡°Th-that was only because I was negligent in my studies¡­ But how are they really made?¡± ¡°Heo, Heo Thunderson. When you get back to the States, turn the TV on late at night. We can talk after that.¡± Shinjou sighed as the conversation continued behind her. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll give you something like that later, so can you please tell us? ¡­Why do you think Top-Gear¡¯s destruction was inevitable? Do you have any evidence?¡± ¡°There is evidence, even if only circumstantial. And it can be found in the report you wrote. It is the last of the three things that your mother said only Low-Gear has.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Shinjou frantically wondered if she had written anything like that. ¡°W-wait a minute. You know what that last thing is!?¡± ¡°I can only speculate at this point, so I cannot say for sure. Still, it is certain that Low-Gear has it.¡± Sayama seemed to be confirming a fact for himself. Shinjou was left speechless by how sudden this was, so she simply sat back down. ¡­Is there really something like what my mom mentioned? She had used herself to answer Wanambi¡¯s riddle. She did not know what the actual answer was, but Sayama claimed something like that did exist in Low-Gear. And he had likely found whatever it was in the past and in the facts they had searched out. ¡°I plan to use this to our advantage in the question-and-answer session with Top-Gear.¡± ¡°I¡­see¡­¡± Shinjou placed a finger on her forehead and thought for the span of a breath. ¡°But why would this thing that Low-Gear has make Top-Gear¡¯s destruction inevitable?¡± ¡°It is a silly thing. A truly silly thing,¡± he said. ¡°Yes, and that silly thing is why your mother moved to Top-Gear, why your father hesitated, and why my father decided to destroy Top-Gear. Also¡­¡± ¡°Also?¡± ¡°Top-Gear had to be destroyed and it was not in fact destroyed by my father¡¯s hand. Because they attempted to lead all of the Gears, Top-Gear destroyed themselves.¡± ¡°!?¡± The first to speak was Ooki. ¡°U-um, Sayama-kun!? Um, I¡­uh¡­well¡­¡± ¡°Sayama!¡± cut in Kazami. ¡°If you say that without any definite proof, none of the Gears are going to believe a word you say! They¡¯ll claim you¡¯re making things up to escape Low-Gear¡¯s crimes!¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s right! That¡¯s what I was trying to say!¡± Everyone did the right thing and ignored Ooki. They all watched Sayama as he placed a hand on his crossed leg and pulled the knee toward himself. ¡°But stating this is the only way to win. As the evil ones, we must deny our crimes. And that is something only we can do because we were the ones to search out the evidence. Also, this is something only a villain like me can do.¡± ¡°B-but are you sure? If they argue back, they¡¯ll be able to defeat such a ridiculous claim.¡± He simply shrugged at Shinjou¡¯s question. ¡°I still lack a few pieces of evidence and a lot still does not fit together, but I will of course be able to compensate for that. I would like to gather my thoughts and finish putting together my argument before the question-and-answer sessions with 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th have ended,¡± he said. ¡°So please keep working until then, Heo-kun. If you find some kind of answer, it will surely help my argument.¡± He then turned to Hiba and Izumo. ¡°8th¡¯s session is sure to be short. Probably less than ten minutes. And I doubt 9th or 10th will give us much time to work with. So¡­I have one request.¡± ¡°You want us to buy you some time, Sayama-san?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded. ¡°I should be able to organize my thoughts if I have two hours to work with. I can likely extend the sessions with 9th and 10th to buy an hour, but 8th will likely only be ten minutes. So¡­you two need to buy me the remaining fifty minutes.¡± ¡°Fine then.¡± Shinjou saw Izumo nod and scratch his head. ¡°I prefer to make sure every word out of my mouth is meaningful (except right before going to bed), but I guess I¡¯ll have to make an exception.¡± Kazami¡¯s elbow struck him in the center of the gut. In another waiting room, two people stared out the window as they ate. One was Mikoku who wore a men¡¯s black suit and the other was Tatsumi who wore a khaki-colored combat coat. Mikoku sat parallel to the window on the windowsill and Tatsumi sat on top of four desks pushed together. Mikoku patted the head of a large white dog sitting on the floor at her feet. Tatsumi grabbed a convenience store bag and pulled out a can of beer she had bought off campus. ¡°I was afraid of this. It¡¯s lukewarm now. Well, that strengthens the taste, so I guess it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Do not drink too much. It would be a problem if something happened.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My other self still hasn¡¯t fully healed from the injuries he got somewhere.¡± ¡°Injuries?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Tatsumi. ¡°His left side wasn¡¯t tensing up properly. He probably has a charm or something there.¡± ¡°I am amazed you can tell that.¡± Mikoku stared out the window and took a bite of the hot dog she had bought at a festival stand. Tatsumi¡¯s voice reached her from behind. ¡°Do you enjoy looking out there?¡± ¡°This is my first time at a festival like this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make excuses. Personally, I love festivals.¡± ¡°Even though it is a part of Low-Gear life?¡± ¡°We¡¯re living our lives here too. Hating it will only make it feel more oppressive. You and Shino take all this so seriously, but¡­¡± She heard a bitter laugh from Tatsumi. ¡°Are the two of you okay now?¡± ¡°I do not know,¡± replied Mikoku with a hand on her chest. ¡°I¡­kind of think I am fine now. And Shino¡­Shino is apparently somewhere where she can live a normal life if she wants. And that sounds good to me.¡± ¡°Quit trying to act strong. Women who do that end up with nothing and lose so much. Did you know that?¡± ¡°Then I will head out and take what I want.¡± Mikoku saw people in school uniforms and festival outfits walking around outside. The stands sold their wares, music played, and the people were likely speaking. But she could not reach any of it from here. ¡°There is nothing to worry about.¡± She clenched the hand on her chest. ¡°It will reach.¡± As soon as she said that, the classroom door opened. When they heard the scraping of the rail, Tatsumi, Mikoku, and Shiro all turned around. Someone wearing white stood in the door. ¡°Hajji?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied the man with his right hand covering his mouth. ¡°The second half of the question-and-answer sessions is about to begin. But¡­¡± Mikoku heard him laugh. ¡°Jord and I came up with a bit of a plan. How about we throw some more pressure onto Low-Gear? Hm? How about it, Mikoku? Are you in the mood for a challenge?¡± ¡°A challenge?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hajji spread his arms. ¡°We can enjoy a nice debate with Low-Gear.¡± At one in the afternoon, the question-and-answer sessions resumed. Izumo sat with Boldman in the seats for 6th-Gear, but that was because V-Sw had chosen Izumo as its master and because Boldman, the primary representative, had suggested it. 6th-Gear had already joined UCAT and had only just lost the battle from the other day, so the question-and-answer sessions progressed smoothly with few issues. As the people in the representative seats and audience seats listened to the discussion, they all felt it was progressing too quickly. They all had their thoughts on the sudden announcement of this meeting, but they generally assumed Top-Gear had refused to give Low-Gear any time to think. Every minute and second had to be valuable to Sayama, but a puzzled-looking Boldman worked through 6th-Gear¡¯s session without issue. In general, they agreed that the 6th-Gear people currently in UCAT¡¯s standard and special divisions would be positioned around the world as personnel for the policing and rescue organizations 3rd and 5th would be setting up. ¡°As 6th-Gear¡¯s people are already familiar with UCAT¡¯s tactics and equipment, I can promise you they will be received as officers.¡± With that, Sayama completed the question-and-answer session. Only about five minutes had passed, making it the shortest of all the sessions so far. Everyone looked to Sayama, wondering if he had a plan to buy some time to think or if he had thought out his argument enough to no longer need any time. But just as Sf was going to declare 6th-Gear¡¯s session complete, Izumo stood up from the seat next to Boldman. ¡°Hold up. Are you serious about 6th-Gear¡¯s people getting to be officers? This bald guy¡¯s gonna be my superior?¡± As he spoke to Sayama, he slapped the hairless head next to him. ¡°That¡¯s just gonna give him a swelled bald head.¡± Everyone gulped, but Boldman kept his head low and tried to resist. ¡°Not to worry,¡± said Sayama. ¡°If his head swells, he can be used to reenact the ¡®Hand-Washing Water¡¯ rakugo story.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Isn¡¯t that great, Boldman? When you¡¯re bald, people believe you¡¯re just being modest. Isn¡¯t being bald great? It¡¯s hygienic, it helps you cool down, and¡­¡± Izumo slapped Boldman¡¯s head like someone hitting a quiz show buzzer. ¡°And it looks indecent! It¡¯s just the best!¡± Almost immediately, an enraged shout signaled the beginning of a violent brawl. Volume 13, 31: Strategy of Consideration Volume 13, Chapter 31: Strategy of Consideration Yes We attempt to attain victory By thinking of each other Izumo and Boldman¡¯s fistfight ate up nearly fifteen minutes. Sf ultimately drove them back with a stream of bullets, so they were being carried to the infirmary on stretchers. Including the five minutes spent on that and the five minutes for the question-and-answer session itself, they had taken up a total of about twenty-five minutes. But Hiba was worried as he watched Izumo¡¯s stretcher disappear out the library entrance. ¡­Is this really going to work out? He also wondered how he was going to buy more time. He could not pull off the same forcible physical comedy as Izumo, but Sayama had asked him and Izumo to buy him fifty minutes of time. ¡­I have to get the remaining twenty-five. Can I really do that? He stood next to the representative chair and four colored spheres floated above the desk. The spheres could not speak. They did seem to have wills of their own and they could move in response to questions, so some simple communication was possible. ¡­But they can¡¯t argue. How am I supposed to buy time like this? The light above him turned on. Once he realized everyone¡¯s eyes were on him, he briefly put up his guard, but¡­ ¡°Um¡­ I am Hiba Ryuuji, 7th-Gear¡¯s assistant representative.¡± Once he began speaking, he somehow made up his mind: he would do this normally. The right thing to do in this situation was correctly identify himself, so¡­ ¡°I belong to Japanese UCAT, I¡¯m a first year at Taka-Akita Academy, I¡¯m part of the automobile club there, I¡¯m 168 cm tall, and I weigh 61 kilos, but I have low body fat. Also, my blood type is A and my hobby is peeping. My favorite food is anything Mikage-san has started making recently. Mikage-san is just so cute that I-¡­¡± ¡°Hiba boy, the world is recording this exposure of all your embarrassing secrets.¡± ¡°Eh? D-did I say anything weird!?¡± He looked around in surprise, but every single person there averted their gaze. An unbearable silence fell and he could not bear to stand in the center of it. ¡°Ah! The entire world is ignoring me! Is this a first for humanity!?¡± They were ignoring him, so naturally, no one responded. Instead, he looked to the seat on his right. ¡°C¡¯mon, Kazami-san. Please turn this way. Look, it¡¯s your cute underclassman.¡± Kazami remained facing away from him, but G-Sp2¡¯s tip poked over her shoulder and toward him. The weapon was already in firing mode and the console had a message for him: Stay back. ¡°Wow, even your pet weapon is cement-like!¡± ¡°Hiba boy. Do you have any questions for me?¡± Hiba turned toward Sayama¡¯s voice, realized the other boy was looking at him, and gave a toothy grin. ¡°Sayama-san, you at least understand me, don¡¯t you!?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said before looking to the audience seating on the left and right and giving a dry snap of his fingers. ¡°Stenographers, our previous statements could be misunderstood, so please strike it from the record.¡± ¡°Ahh!! You monster!!¡± ¡°Continuing on, does anything come to mind as a request from 7th-Gear?¡± asked Sayama. ¡°We inherited 7th-Gear during the previous battle and they already knew of the battle between Top-Gear and Low-Gear. Nevertheless, they personally gave us their Concept Core, so-¡­¡± Before Sayama could finish, Hajji¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Objection! Moderator, that Concept Core was created by a member of UCAT!¡± His voice roared from the 9th-Gear seats. ¡°I believe the creator was acting on the 7th-Gear residents¡¯ instructions when she created it, but if they had known of Top-Gear¡¯s existence, don¡¯t you think they would have given their Core to Top-Gear instead!?¡± Everyone gasped and Sf responded. ¡°Tes. I will allow this. ¡­7th-Gear representative, please answer the question.¡± Hiba understood what the question meant. ¡­Doctor Chao was chosen to create the four brothers¡¯ Concept Core, but if 7th-Gear had known about Top-Gear, they would have chosen Top-Gear instead of her. I see, he thought while Sayama gave him an expressionless look. ¡°What do you think as 7th-Gear¡¯s assistant representative?¡± Eh? he thought. How am I supposed to know about something that happened so long ago? But as he wondered that, he saw the spheres floating around him. The four colored spheres were the Concept Core the four brothers¡¯ had become. ¡°Oh.¡± He realized what Sayama meant, so he turned toward Hajji and spoke. ¡°Sorry, but that is not the case. If you think it is, then please make a correction! After all,¡± he began. ¡°The four old men that were 7th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core tested us to see if this world was worthy of inheriting their Concept Core. And they knew about Top-Gear. ¡­If they had thought Top-Gear was ideal, they would have gone to Top-Gear and fought to be inherited there!¡± Which meant¡­ ¡°They stayed in Low-Gear of their own free will and here they still are!¡± He yelled his conclusion, but Hajji asked another question. ¡°Then what if that desire to stay was implanted within them when they were created?¡± Damn, he¡¯s persistent, thought Hiba. There¡¯s no way I can answer that. But at that moment, Sayama¡¯s voice interrupted his hesitant thoughts. ¡°Moderator, the 9th-Gear representative is asking a leading question with no evidence to back it up!¡± Hiba saw Sf react to Sayama¡¯s words by raising her machineguns. ¡°9th-Gear representative, do you have any evidence of that?¡± Hajji shrugged. ¡°I take back my question. But¡­how fair is it to stick with Low-Gear¡¯s interpretation when there is no evidence either way?¡± ¡°If there is no evidence, then you stick with the interpretation of the one who brought it up, Hajji-kun.¡± ¡°I see,¡± muttered the man and Hiba sighed in his heart. If Sayama had not cut in, Hiba probably would have fallen for Hajji¡¯s tricks. And as he sighed in relief, Sayama faced him and placed a hand on his chin. ¡°Listen, Hiba boy. 7th-Gear will be an important case.¡± ¡°How¡­exactly?¡± ¡°There are no survivors of 7th-Gear¡¯s people and the Concept Core will likely lose its form if it is released. That means we will be erasing all traces of 7th-Gear.¡± Hiba fell silent, as did everyone else, so Sayama continued speaking. ¡°Does 7th-Gear find it acceptable to be erased?¡± Hiba thought for a brief moment, but answered before any real thoughts reached his mind. ¡°That¡­would be fine.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± Hiba looked across everyone watching. ¡°7th-Gear left themselves to Low-Gear. They wanted this world to become the kind of world they yearned for: one they would never lose interest in.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama nodded. ¡°Then what do you think 7th-Gear wants of Low-Gear?¡± ¡°To always remain an interesting world.¡± ¡°In what way?¡± Hiba thought about the four brothers they had fought. ¡°A law forcing everyone to adopt silly speech patterns that change on a daily bas-¡­¡± The four spheres floating around him tackled him from four different directions: one to the chin, one to the right side, one to the solar plexus, and one to the crotch. The sounds of impact were difficult to listen to. Especially the last one. Hiba adopted an overly serious expression with his upper lip stretched down a bit. He groaned, began hopping up and down, and heard Sayama speak. ¡°It would seem they punish you if you say anything they do not like. This helps show us what 7th-Gear thinks, so I suppose it is two birds with one stone.¡± For about three minutes, Hiba bent over with his legs turned inwards, trying to catch his breath. ¡­Sigh. Am I actually buying some time here!? For some reason his voice sounded high-pitched even in his mind and he looked to the clock. Fifteen minutes had passed since the question-and-answer session had begun, so the question was whether he could buy another ten. He began to think. He thought hard enough to begin sweating and forced up his doubled-over body. Impressed cries came from the men in the audience seats. ¡°I-I really don¡¯t understand why Yonkichi¡¯s sphere attacked me for that one¡­¡± ¡°Everyone is harsher on other people¡¯s jokes than on their own.¡± That made an odd amount of sense, so Hiba lowered his hips and looked to Sayama who asked him a question. ¡°Do you think the trick to maintaining an interesting world is to let the world evolve?¡± He just about said yes. It made sense that an ever-evolving and thus ever-changing world would remain interesting. ¡­But¡­that¡¯s not quite right. ¡°I don¡¯t think evolving is the only way to keep the world interesting.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he answered. He suddenly reached into his pants pocket. He grabbed two things and placed them on the desk in front of him. ¡°This is the philosopher¡¯s stone in charge of Mikage-san¡¯s evolution. It isn¡¯t working anymore, though.¡± Out of the left corner of his eye, he saw Tatsumi ignoring him and eating some grilled chicken from a festival stand. He realized she was not acknowledging him and he knew his injuries had yet to heal, so he thought back to the night before last, the battle the previous day, the vision of his father¡¯s battle, and¡­ ¡­Mikage-san. She was sleeping at the moment. The development department was trying to wake her, but she would no longer evolve once she did. However¡­ ¡°Why does the world have to evolve to keep us from losing interest in it? Doesn¡¯t that make the world a slave to its audience? What matters is for both sides to work to make sure they won¡¯t lose interest in each other no matter what might happen.¡± He took a breath. ¡°You need to be able to think you¡¯d never get tired of sleeping alongside the other person.¡± Hiba looked to the two stones in front of him. ¡°Evolution is only one way of changing. Because we¡¯re seeing, hearing, and touching so much, talking about those things, asking about them, doing them together, thinking about really perverted things, and staying in motion the entire time, we have a word for the occasional spots of boredom: a holiday.¡± ¡°I noticed something odd mixed in there, but it would seem you know fairly well how to keep things interesting.¡± ¡°Yes. After all,¡± he declared with a smile, ¡°Even if you¡¯ve seen her naked countless times, it still seems fresh when you peep.¡± His crotch was hit twice from the front, once from below, and once from behind. He regained his previous serious expression but with his eyes opened wide, grabbed onto the desk, and trembled. ¡°A-automated crotch shots? And I feel like they¡¯re focusing more and more on that area!¡± ¡°Why are your jokes always so focused on physical comedy?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t actually trying to make a joke¡­ B-but I feel kind of happy that you think it¡¯s funny¡­¡± Hiba breathed in, gathered strength in his stomach, and scolded his body that was ready to collapse. However, he heard a voice from the representative seats to his right. ¡°C¡¯mon, Kashima, why not tape that? Look at how he¡¯s twitching. This would be some rare footage.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯d rather not. ¡­It¡¯s too pathetic.¡± I-I really don¡¯t like that kind of consideration, he thought with sweat pouring down his face. ¡­Honestly, whose fault is this!? His heart lightened a bit when he gave the punchline, It¡¯s my own fault. And so he raised his trembling body. ¡°To sum up what 7th-Gear wants¡­¡± As he spoke his next words, he collapsed onto the desk and then to the floor. ¡°Let¡¯s all have fun, ge¡­l¡­ge¡­¡± When Hiba was carried out on a stretcher, Ooki went with him. The library and the infirmary were connected by a concept space, but just in case, the special duty men carrying the stretcher were disguised in Taka-Akita Academy uniforms. The men were so large that the standard size of skirt did not even arrive within twenty centimeters of their knees, but Ooki did not call them on it. She assumed it was just their personal preference. However, Hiba spoke from his doubled-over position on the stretcher. ¡°Wh-why do I feel like I¡¯m being carried into a nightmare?¡± ¡°Well, um, not to worry, Hiba-kun. You did your job.¡± Ooki held out a wristwatch which showed fifty-two minutes had passed since the beginning of the afternoon question-and-answer sessions. He had bought as much time as Sayama had requested during lunch. ¡°You did your job and everyone else is doing theirs. Heo-san left the library earlier and said she¡¯s continuing her verification of the world¡¯s creation.¡± ¡°I see,¡± he said and closed his eyes in a look of relief. The apparent leader of the school uniform-wearing men, a Russian man, nodded as Hiba prepared to drift off to sleep. ¡°You fought well, so it is time for you to rest.¡± That¡¯s how men speak with each other, isn¡¯t it? thought Ooki as she saw the infirmary down the corridor. A large mohawked German man disguised as a female doctor waited for them with crossed arms. ¡°Leave the rest to me!¡± For some reason, Hiba sprang up and tried to run away, but the men restrained him. They all laughed and grabbed the short boy like a log. ¡°It won¡¯t hurt! It won¡¯t hurt at all, so don¡¯t worry, boy! I am incredibly skilled!¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s not your skills I¡¯m questioning!¡± Ooki watched as Hiba was swallowed up by the infirmary. He should be fine now, she thought. ¡°They¡¯re the ones that treated his wounds after Tatsumi-san attacked, after all.¡± Just as she started back toward the library, an automaton walked up from the other end of the hallway. Some of the automatons were charged with informing the Gear reservations and foreign UCAT headquarters what was going on. They were currently distributing an extra report to the personnel stationed in different parts of the concept space meeting area made from the school facilities. ¡°Oh, Ooki-sama. You should return as quickly as you can.¡± ¡°Hm? Is 8th-Gear¡¯s session over?¡± ¡°It will be soon,¡± replied the automaton. She seemed to focus her ears and listened to the other automatons via her shared memories. ¡°It seems Sayama-sama will provide 8th-Gear with a workplace. A central control system will be created for the Messengers of Wanambi to live in and they will form an ultra-high speed network.¡± The Messengers of Wanambi possessed a thought network much like the automatons¡¯ shared memories. UCAT used the automatons and their shared memories for a lot of high-level control operations, especially management of troops and strategy, but Sayama was attempting to take another step forward by including Wanambi. The centralized control system itself would be Wanambi¡¯s workplace. Wanambi was a powerful shared mind and if he spread across the entire world when the concepts were released, Sayama seemed to think they might be able to communicate their thoughts at greater than the speed of light. ¡°Sayama-sama said that network and its calculation power would be freed up for civilian use when it was not otherwise in use and each individual Messenger of Wanambi would have access to the civilian side.¡± ¡°You mean¡­?¡± The Messengers of Wanambi existed on the level of sand, but they would each have access to the network to play around. UCAT had a recreation room and an arcade. People played on computers and game systems at schools. Each individual person was given that kind of freedom, but the Messengers of Wanambi were different. However, Sayama was saying they would be given that now. ¡°They must have been delighted.¡± ¡°Yes. They are apparently saying: ¡®Wonderful¡¯ ¡®Splendid¡¯ ¡®Horosho¡¯ ¡®Banzai¡¯ ¡®Can do it¡¯ ¡®Each one¡¯ ¡®Individually¡¯ ¡®Can play¡¯ ¡®Can play!!¡¯ ¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Ooki nodded. ¡°If that plan is realized, the world will become a much livelier place, won¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It will,¡± agreed the automaton. ¡°Take care, Ooki-sama. 8th-Gear¡¯s question-and-answer session will end soon, but that leads into 9th-Gear, 10th-Gear, and Top-Gear¡¯s sessions. ¡­Izumo-sama and Hiba-sama bought Sayama-sama the time he asked for, but¡­¡± ¡°Are you worried?¡± The automaton shook her head. ¡°I do not have the emotion of worry. I simply have some negative predictions.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess you would.¡± Ooki sounded carefree, so the automaton looked up at her. ¡°Are you not worried?¡± ¡°No. After all, Hajji-san is sticking to being our enemy.¡± She thought back to the conversations she had in UCAT¡¯s underground cafeteria. ¡°He¡¯s with the people he trusts now and I¡¯m sure the strength of his words as our enemy are what those people need. He¡¯s sure to step forward as the enemy who will lead us to some kind of answer.¡± And¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve already realized Sayama-kun is desperately trying to stall for time.¡± The automaton¡¯s expression grew entirely blank as Ooki spoke. ¡°Ooki-sama,¡± she said. ¡°Will Sayama-sama be okay?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. What I do know is that they are both trying to reach their answer.¡± Ooki took a breath and scratched her head in resignation. ¡°And both of them will probably use any means necessary to get there.¡± Back in the library, 8th-Gear¡¯s question-and-answer session came to an end. Wanambi and the Messengers had agreed to use their communication and calculation power for the coming new world. They said they would see the world through the network they shared with the information people created. ¡°Play¡± ¡°We can play¡± ¡°Let¡¯s play¡± ¡°Let¡¯s play!¡± That was the final answer Wanambi reached. Once Sf announced the end of that session, Sayama placed his hands on the central desk and sighed without letting anyone else notice. An hour and two minutes had passed since the afternoon question-and-answer sessions had begun. ¡­I have sorted through a lot of what I want to say, but I still have a long way to go. He needed another hour. There was not much hope with 10th since they had already submitted to UCAT, but 9th was Hajji. If Sayama could stretch things out with him, he could probably get the hour he wanted. He could use that hour to complete his arguments before the Top-Gear question-and-answer session with Mikoku began. He watched the automatons carry the Messengers of Wanambi back to their seats. ¡­Once it¡¯s over, I will have Shinjou-kun praise me. He also wanted to visit the Tamiya house. Now that they had seen the past, he felt they might feel more meaning in visiting the shrine to the Shinjou family in the backyard there. Shinjou Yukio had never visited it, but they could still send their thoughts to her from there. ¡°Yes¡­ And I want to flirt with Shinjou-kun.¡± After muttering under his breath, he looked up. Two lights fell on the representative seats. One on Hajji and one on the elderly manager. Sayama nodded toward them both. ¡°Now, Hajji-kun. How about we begin 9th-Gear¡¯s Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Yes. ¡­Let¡¯s do that.¡± Hajji stood up with a bitter smile and, with a rustle of cloth, raised his right hand. ¡°Moderator.¡± A wave of puzzled looks turned toward him. Sayama however gave him a look of conviction. It was the look one gave an enemy. Could it be? he briefly thought. But, he added. ¡­Does he have some kind of plan? As Sayama thought, Hajji turned back toward him. He was no longer smiling and had a serious look in his eyes. ¡°Listen. ¡­9th-Gear transfers all of its rights concerning its concepts to Top-Gear. In other words, I want to treat 9th-Gear¡¯s Leviathan Road and Top-Gear¡¯s question-and-answer session as one and the same.¡± A moment later, Mikoku stood up, nodded, and spoke to Sf. ¡°Moderator, as Top-Gear¡¯s substitute negotiator, I appoint Hajji as Top-Gear¡¯s negotiator!¡± Everyone grew intensely silent at those shouted words. ¡°Objection!¡± yelled Sayama, while distinctly feeling the weight of his wristwatch. ¡°Hajji is a resident of 9th-Gear and not of Top-Gear!¡± Sf replied calmly. ¡°Low-Gear has also appointed substitute representatives from other Gears. I have determined that both 9th-Gear and Top-Gear have consented to placing Mr. Hajji as Top-Gear¡¯s substitute representative.¡± Therefore¡­ ¡°I accept Mr. Hajji as Top-Gear¡¯s representative. ¡­Low-Gear representative, complete 10th-Gear¡¯s question-and-answer session and then complete Top-Gear¡¯s session with Mr. Hajji.¡± A swell of gasps filled the room and Sayama saw Hajji¡¯s one eye looking directly at him. But that was not all. Someone else stood up. Jord stood to Hajji¡¯s right and also looked to Sayama. She shrugged, looked at everyone else, looked back at Sayama, looked at Sf, and spoke clearly. ¡°Let me make one thing clear first: 10th-Gear will not hold a question-and-answer session.¡± ¡°Are you refusing to negotiate?¡± asked Sf. Jord shook her head. ¡°10th-Gear was working with UCAT from the beginning. Also, 10th¡¯s Concept Core has taken a liking to this world and we¡¯re all in the reservation. And with all that, we¡¯ve realized something.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°We shouldn¡¯t say anything careless. And for that reason, we don¡¯t worry much about what happens outside. Still, if we have anything to say, it¡¯s to not oppose 10th-Gear and to treat our Concept Core with care.¡± With that said, Jord turned to Sayama and showed off her teeth in a smile. ¡°Sorry about this. ¡­Try to focus on dealing with Top-Gear, okay? And without stalling for time negotiating with 10th.¡± Sayama remained silent and finally nodded. He only spoke after looking at his watch. ¡°Your demands have been noted.¡± Here it comes, he thought. His final hour had been taken from him. The enemy had used time to their advantage and eliminated the time he needed to confirm the truth and solidify his argument. They had worn down his time once by showing up in Sakai and now they had done it again. And so he told himself he could not afford to lose here. But on top of that¡­ ¡­Interesting!! This was essentially an unplanned opportunity to test his ability to adlib and put together arguments. This was the stage to test his skills. Here, he could not let his guard down and he had to be serious. Ahead of him, Jord sat in her seat, Mikoku remained sitting, and Hajji was still standing. The lights only illuminated Hajji and Mikoku and the latter quietly closed her eyes with a white dog next to her. Without smiling, Hajji brought a hand to his chest and spoke. ¡°Now, how about we begin?¡± He bowed and Sayama opened his mouth. It was time to speak the words that would settle everything with Top-Gear. Volume 13, 32: What God Sees Volume 13, Chapter 32: What God Sees What are you looking to as you think? The past? The future? Or¡­ Shino woke for the third time that day. The first had been at dawn when she left the Tamiya house and the second had been on Ryouko¡¯s back after falling asleep from her wasted effort to reach that hill. And this third time, she woke after peacefully falling asleep as Ryouko carried her back. Her mind cleared as she opened her eyes and she could tell she had slept quite soundly. She was lying on her back and looking up at the ceiling of her usual room. She wore a yukata and the feel of it on her skin told her Ryouko had put it on her. The obi was tied in a slightly decorative way. The futon itself was warm, but the intensity of the sunlight shining through the sliding screen told her afternoon had arrived. An hour or two must have passed since she fell asleep, but even that little time had lightened her mood quite a bit. ¡­Is that because I cried? She sat up and felt two gentle weights on the back of her neck. They were the chains holding her blue philosopher¡¯s stone and the cloisonn¨¦ that Mikoku had given her. ¡°Right.¡± She nodded for no real reason and got the rest of the way up. Her right leg was still weak, so she supported herself on the left side, removed the blanket, placed her hands on the folded blanket, and pulled herself out from under it. She then heard a slight sound from the ceiling, so she called out to it. ¡°Is that Yo-chan? Or Ki?¡± ¡°No, I am¡­but a simple housecat.¡± She heard a meow followed by footsteps leaving through the ceiling. That would be Ki, she thought while hearing some birds chirping unnaturally in the yard and a whispering voice from the wall. ¡°I am a lizard, a house-protecting salamander. ¡­So do not call me Tanaka; call me Sa-chan!¡± Tanaka¡¯s presence soon left. All the motion and sounds vanished, but one thing was for sure. ¡­They¡¯re all worried about me. She was a little surprised by that. ¡°¡­¡± And she gave a troubled smile. This was a natural smile that not even she understood very well. Pushed on by the emotion behind that mysterious smile, she stood up, leaned against the wall, and walked toward the sliding door out of the room. On the way, she looked to the hanger on the wall. Her left hand was on the wall, so she used her right to grab Mikoku¡¯s cloisonn¨¦. ¡°¡­No.¡± But she passed below the hanger without doing anything. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She reached the door. ¡°Mikoku and I are both fine. I¡¯m sure of it.¡± She slowly kneeled and slid open the door. The first thing she had to do was face the others and apologize for worrying them. ¡­Can I really stay here? Mikoku had told her not to fight. She had found a place where she could do that, but what would the people here think of what she had done today? Ryouko had told her she could run away if she wanted to and Shino had her own interpretation of that. ¡­If I want to go be with Mikoku, I can. But Mikoku was sure to still be fighting. Sayama and Shinjou showing up before was proof enough of that. Plus, if Shiro was not here, he had to be with Mikoku. That meant she could not approach Mikoku yet. She understood that and¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t do anything reckless.¡± She was a little worried. She felt Mikoku was at least partially fighting to secure a place for herself. ¡­But if she gains that place, will she disappear? To Mikoku, fighting was a means of securing a place for herself. If she accomplished that or the fighting ended, Shino felt she might be satisfied that she was no longer needed and then go somewhere else. So if possible, she wanted to see Mikoku before the fighting ended. If Mikoku was going to go somewhere else, she wanted to tell her there was a place for her here. And after thinking through it all that far¡­ ¡°I¡¯m being overambitious.¡± She smiled bitterly, looked ahead, and told herself to worry about herself first. ¡­I need to apologize to the people here. With that thought, she looked down the dark hallway. Only then did she notice the tray in front of her room¡¯s opened door. It contained a pot of rice, a rice bowl, a soup that would not lose its flavor if it cooled, and a small pot with some solid fuel below it. ¡­Ryouko said Kouji was making Salisbury steak. She opened the pot and found a white object garnished with vegetables. ¡°Tofu Salisbury steak?¡± After a while, she laughed quietly. ¡°Ryouko lost this round. This isn¡¯t very greasy at all.¡± She checked the paper on top of the tray. ¡°Dinner is at five. We can all visit the festival afterwards.¡± It was Kouji¡¯s handwriting and the words gave her a small smile, but she slowly bent over. ¡°¡­¡± Tears suddenly spilled from her eyes as if pushed out. ¡­Mikoku. ¡°I¡¯m¡­going to do my best here.¡± She told Mikoku to do her best too, quietly called Hajji, Tatsumi, Alex, and the others¡¯ names, and told them not to leave behind any regrets. ¡°Someday¡­I¡¯ll go see you.¡± She worked up her resolve and the words slowly escaped into the hallway. Hajji began the questions and answers in top form. He had one job: if Sayama was going to speak of the future¡­ ¡­I will speak of destruction. So¡­ ¡­I will take a leisurely pace. While the future rushes ahead, the past catches up at its own pace. He had a single objective. ¡­I will say everything I must say. He would speak to the future as the representative of destruction and the past. My sister and my revenge mean nothing this time, he thought. This is not just about me. I will think of the people and worlds that were lost and stretch myself even further. Otherwise, he could not act as Top-Gear¡¯s substitute representative. He crossed his arms in the silence and felt the heat of the fireplace named Sayama. He had just confirmed a few different pieces of history with the boy and prepared to change the subject. ¡°I see. So that is what happened in the past. Then¡­¡± This is the prelude, he told himself as he opened his mouth. ¡°First, let us talk about Top-Gear and Low-Gear¡¯s countermeasures against the activation of the negative concepts.¡± He asked a question. ¡°Low-Gear is planning to restrain the activated negative concepts by releasing all of the positive concepts, correct? In other words, you plan to strike a balance between positive and negative.¡± ¡°Precisely. For better or for worse, I believe both positive and negative are necessary.¡± But Hajji knew Top-Gear had attempted that, failed, and been destroyed. Everyone else knew it after he revealed it on the night of their attack and Sayama¡¯s group had provided a report on Top-Gear¡¯s destruction, so even more of the details were known. That meant it was entirely possible Low-Gear was simply repeating a past mistake. But Hajji did not mention that. This argument was not about attacking the other side. He felt he instead needed to present the advantages of his own side. He had already attacked their side on that night, so he had something else to say now. ¡°Top-Gear plans to use Babel to have the positive and negative concepts annihilate each other before the activation begins in earnest. That will leave the current reproduced concepts in the Gear reservations as the only way for those Gears to live, so their concepts will no longer be ruled by UCAT.¡± He took a breath. ¡°And this way, any Gear that does not wish to leave their reservation, need not do so. And if they do wish to, they can take the concepts with them and do so.¡± Low-Gear¡¯s release of the concepts would fill the entire world with the concepts, so the Gear reservations would effectively lose their reason to exist. That would force them all to leave. With Top-Gear¡¯s method, the concepts would vanish from the world and only exist in the reservations, so they could split between those who wished to stay in the reservation and those who wished to join the outside world. Which was better: the world or individuals? They would all be choosing one of those options during the trial and vote that came after the question-and answer session was complete. Would they choose Low-Gear or Top-Gear? Hajji looked across them all, looked to Sayama, and spoke. ¡°Now, I would like to make an oath on this holy meeting. This oath will demonstrate our different standpoints.¡± Automaton #37 had stenographer duty and she recorded Hajji¡¯s oath with some notes. Hajji-sama: ¡°I believe each Gear has reached some kind of conclusion in the Leviathan Road, but it would be hard to say everyone from those Gears has accepted that conclusion. For their sake, I believe we need to make an oath to each other.¡± Sayama-sama: ¡°I see. So you wish to make it clear which side we stand on?¡± Note: Hajji-sama nods. Hajji-sama: ¡°Yes. Sayama, you have suppressed conflict using the reason you call the Leviathan Road. That is why reason has continued to rule this space as you have reconfirmed those conclusions. ¡­I believe the trial and vote will begin after another recess, but you are attempting to achieve victory there using reason.¡± Sayama-sama: ¡°If you stand opposite my position of reason, then with what are you attempting to achieve victory?¡± Hajji-sama: ¡°Emotion.¡± Note: Hajji-sama raises his right hand. Hajji-sama: ¡°No one has lost the emotion they felt when they were ruined, when they had lost, or when they lost something precious to them. They are only suppressing that emotion with reason.¡± Note: Hajji-sama looks directly at Sayama-sama. Hajji-sama: ¡°I swear to you!¡± Note: Everyone in attendance looks to Hajji-sama. Hajji-sama: ¡°All conflict begins with reason and emotion and it can be ended with either! So from here on, I will become emotion. I will become the emotions of those who have lost! And I swear on the word ¡®judgment¡¯ and on this meeting that I will use any means necessary to fairly oppose reason!¡± Note: Sayama-sama raises his left hand in response. Sayama-sama: ¡°Then I swear on the word ¡®testament¡¯ and on this meeting to use reason to fairly oppose emotion!¡± Hajji-sama: ¡°Top-Gear wishes to stop the negative concept activation by eliminating all concepts, freeing the Gears from UCAT¡¯s rule, and beginning life in a free new world!¡± Sayama-sama: ¡°Low-Gear will release the concepts and create a world where every Gear can live in harmony! And to do that, we will talk of things that once were and¡­¡± Note: Both of them speak at once. Both: ¡°Let us talk of the future and of the past!¡± #8 realized she was seeing the true form of this meeting. ¡­The future and the past. Reason and emotion. It was a simple idea. When one lost something, was it right to use their reason to endure or was it right to use emotion to cry and refuse to accept it. That was the argument here. Afterwards, the others would vote for the view they felt was correct and the world would be remade accordingly. And at that point¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Oh, no, determined #8. If an argument could be called a tactic, then a meeting could be called a strategy. Hajji had likely thoroughly prepared his strategy and tactics over the past month and a half. His previous oath and decision to stand on the side of emotion were not something he could make up on the spot. He had likely predicted that the discussions with the Gears would end like this. ¡­But Sayama-sama is different. She had heard that he had been thinking about holding a meeting like this, but he had only learned of Shinjou Yukio¡¯s past the day before. And his time to think during the meeting had been drastically reduced. He knew what he had to do, but he had been deprived of a chance to do it. ¡­Sayama-sama. Just as #8 looked to the back Sayama¡¯s suit, she heard Hajji¡¯s calm voice. ¡°Now, how about we prepare to talk about the destruction of the past?¡± Meaning¡­ ¡°I am saying we can complete what you have called Top-Gear¡¯s Leviathan Road. I can¡¯t have everyone thinking they will gain something by choosing Low-Gear.¡± When she heard that, #8 realized Hajji was beginning his ¡°attack¡±. Moira 1st listened to and watched Hajji from the audience seats. Her shared memory was full of life as the thoughts of so many fellow automatons moved about. ¡­The ones that joined Low-Gear are growing cautious. They were cautious of Hajji because they viewed him as Sayama¡¯s enemy. Some of them had apparently been hijacked during the attack a month and a half prior, so she could not blame them. But, she thought as Moira 3rd turned her way while licking a lollipop from a festival stand. The smaller girl was wrinkling her brow a little. ¡°Big sister, everyone¡¯s thoughts are getting kind of dangerous, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°Well,¡± said Moira 3rd. ¡°That Hajji guy¡¯s heartrate and body temperature are really stable. ¡­He isn¡¯t excited. In fact, Sayama¡¯s are less stable because of his exhaustion and impatience. Also¡­¡± A quiet voice from beyond Moira 3rd continued for her. It was Moira 2nd¡¯s scolding voice. ¡°He is not using emotion when he speaks of emotion. He is only the representative. ¡­He seems to have used up and cast aside the arguments and grudge he showed during the attack on UCAT.¡± In that case, thought Moira 1st as she saw Hajji raise his right hand and open his mouth. ¡°We on the side of emotion, Top-Gear, promise the following if we win.¡± He pointed toward the heavens. ¡°First, we will punish all primary UCAT personnel, the people of Top-Gear will be given most of the leading positions, and this world will be protected by the trustworthy top point that is Top-Gear.¡± But¡­ ¡°But I know what you are thinking: if you do that, you will lose the rights that UCAT promised you during the Leviathan Road.¡± Moira 1st heard Hajji continue with the word ¡°so¡±. They all listened as Top-Gear spoke of a scenario where the Leviathan Road was done away with. ¡­What will they do? Hajji swung down his right hand and answered her unspoken question. ¡°We will allow UCAT to remain, place it under our control, and continue the Leviathan Road as-is so that you can keep the rights granted to you.¡± His answer sent a stir through the room. ¡°¡­!¡± An unpredictable sound that Moira 1st concluded was surprise filled the shared memories of the Moira-class automatons. It was likely made up of every single model¡¯s thoughts which likely mirrored those of the surrounding people. ¡°He¡¯s hijacking the Leviathan Road!¡± A shout of protest arrived over their shared memories, but¡­ ¡°Wait!¡± Moira 1st heard #8 who sat calmly next to the moderator¡¯s seat. After requesting that they stop, she slowly spoke. ¡°Why are you so angry? Whether he is hijacking it or not is a problem for Top-Gear and Low-Gear. What we receive remains the same, so I have determined this is irrelevant to the other Gears.¡± That¡¯s true, agreed Moira 1st without releasing the thought to her shared memories. Hajji¡¯s words had contained a certain meaning. ¡­He has eliminated any advantage given by the Leviathan Road. The greatest deciding factor for the advantages and disadvantages of choosing Low-Gear or Top-Gear had been the Leviathan Road, but Top-Gear had eliminated that factor by saying they would honor it. The only factors remaining were Low-Gear¡¯s reason and Top-Gear¡¯s emotion. But, thought Moira 1st. ¡­In that case, where is the gap between Top-Gear and Low-Gear? As if to answer her, Hajji raised his right hand again and pointed at Sayama. ¡°There is one point of difference between Low-Gear and Top-Gear: the nature of the ruler.¡± He took a breath. ¡°Low-Gear is a destroyer. You used destruction for your own ends and now, as villains, you tell us to give up on the past and face the future. On the other hand¡­¡± Sayama continued for Hajji. ¡°Top-Gear will not forget the destruction and will weep with the survivors, but you will set this world in motion after setting up leaders from the top inheritors. ¡­Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Moira 1st saw Hajji nod. ¡­What is with this discussion? It seemed to her that they were trying to understand each other. By understanding their opponent¡¯s position, they could oppose them more effectively. But Moira 1st realized the flow of conversation always began with Top-Gear¡¯s words. It was as if Hajji were rolling up the groundwork that Sayama rolled out during the question-and-answer sessions. Or to put it another way¡­ ¡°Top-Gear is trying to swallow up Low-Gear.¡± Hiba sprang up from the infirmary bed. He was listening to Hajji speak over the cellphone being used as a transmitter. ¡­This is bad! After he sat up and threw off the blanket, he heard more from the phone. It was Sayama replying to Hajji. ¡°Hajji-kun, the Leviathan Road we have agreed to was based on the assumption that the concepts would be released. If you eliminate them instead, I believe it would be impossible to continue with the agreements we reached.¡± That¡¯s right, thought Hiba, but then he heard Hajji¡¯s calm voice. ¡°Sayama, there is a simple answer to that. If our methods conflict with the continuation of the Leviathan Road¡¯s agreements¡­¡± He could be heard taking a breath. ¡°As the losers, you will have to make the necessary adjustments. You must ensure that everything is inherited by the new world.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± ¡°You have no right to reject this idea, do you? Yes, if you are wrong, then you only need to make yourself right. That is what Shinjou told me in UCAT, so that is all you need to do. There is no problem.¡± ¡­This is bad. Hiba felt like everything they had done was being flipped over like in a game of Othello. They had filled the board with their pieces, but all at once¡­ ¡­He¡¯s flipped them all over. He then realized how Hajji was going to use the position of emotion to hold back the Leviathan Road that came from reason. In other words, he knew what Hajji¡¯s tactic at this meeting was. ¡°By swallowing up the Leviathan Road, he¡¯s crushing his opponent¡¯s reason without having to use reason himself!¡± Hiba tried to get out of the bed. He knew there was nothing he could do, but he still wanted to go there. But¡­ ¡°Calm down, Hiba.¡± He heard a voice from another simple white bed and saw someone sitting cross-legged on it. ¡°Izumo-san! A-are your injuries okay!?¡± ¡°Yeah, but what were you moaning about in your sleep? You were holding your crotch, twisting around, and shouting ¡®Balls! I¡¯ve had enough balls!¡¯ Are you gay or something? Stay back. I don¡¯t even want to hear your voice.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t say that when you¡¯re the one that started the conversation!¡± ¡°I gradually realized it after I¡¯d already started the conversation.¡± Hiba noticed Izumo was reading something. ¡°H-how can you read when all this important stuff is happening!?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing I could do to help, so I thought I would rest until it was an absolute emergency and that German disguised as a female doctor left this European magazine here.¡± ¡°All of a sudden, I want to read too. Can I?¡± ¡°Stay back, you creep. If you¡¯re gay, aren¡¯t the contents of your own pants enough for you?¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re really prejudiced, you know that!?¡± Suddenly, Kazami¡¯s voice came from the phone. ¡°What are you two doing?¡± ¡°Oh, K-Kazami-san!? I-I was, um, well¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Hiba. Calm down. ¡­I¡¯ll go easy on you.¡± ¡°Wait, wait. You mean you won¡¯t go easy on me, Chisato? I can¡¯t believe this.¡± ¡°I get the feeling neither of you have a very high opinion of me!¡± They both told Hiba to shut up, so he did. He then heard Kazami¡¯s voice again. ¡°Things are heating up quite a bit in here, so if you¡¯re thinking of heading over, you probably should. It¡¯s at least interesting to watch.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± asked Hiba just as Hajji¡¯s calm voice came from the phone. ¡°Let us begin.¡± Just as he said, the questioning began. And it began with the emotion of losing something precious. As Hajji began to speak, a girl gulped in Low-Gear¡¯s waiting room. She spoke in a daze as she stared at the twelve spheres displayed on her laptop¡¯s screen. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡± Behind her, a black-haired girl in a white armored uniform turned around, stood up, and walked over. ¡°Did you find the answer, Heo?¡± ¡°Well, uh¡­ This method was really just a crazy idea I had, but¡­¡± Heo brought a hand to her cheek. Her face had gone pale and she audibly gulped before looking up at the black-haired girl standing next to her. ¡°B-but this is the only way to explain something I¡¯d found odd.¡± ¡°Something you¡¯d found odd? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Heo looked the other girl in the eye. ¡°It¡¯s Georgius, Shinjou. That¡¯s the key to it all.¡± She began by saying ¡°look¡± and hit a key to begin the simulation. ¡­This has to be the right answer. The world creation simulation restarted and the window filled with black. As they saw what appeared there and watched the beginning of the world, Heo and Shinjou gave contrasting reactions. Heo closed her eyes as if telling herself something, while Shinjou¡­ ¡°Is this¡­!?¡± That¡¯s right, thought Heo as she nodded and asked a question. ¡°Do you believe in god?¡± Volume 13, 33: He who Speaks of Pain Volume 13, Chapter 33: He who Speaks of Pain It exists within pain So even as they ache People can reach out According to the library¡¯s clock, it was 2:30 PM. An hour and a half had passed since the afternoon question-and-answer sessions had begun. It was a good time for a short recess. However, no one in the audience seats stood, spoke, or even stirred. Only Hajji¡¯s calm voice filled the meeting room. He spoke as everyone watched. ¡°Now, let us reconfirm the destructive sins Low-Gear committed against Top-Gear.¡± Eventually, he received a reply. At the bottom of the library, Sayama added in his own words. ¡°Then you can hear my opinion while we are at it.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± expressionlessly replied Hajji ¡°First.¡± Everyone listened as he began his previous list of seven sins. ¡°What do you have to say about Low-Gear¡¯s existence causing the time of destruction?¡± And Sayama answered. He gave the answer he had likely already prepared in his heart. ¡°About that one¡­¡± Everyone listened. ¡°If you can call the world¡¯s creation a sin, then wouldn¡¯t the greatest sinner be god, who is ranked just below me? It would be one thing if it was something we could have changed, but this was unavoidable, wasn¡¯t it? There is no room for redemption here, so why even talk about it as a sin?¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Hajji. He seemed to be aware how utterly silent the audience was because he did not raise his voice even as he suddenly continued on. ¡°Then what about the second sin, killing your neighbors by destroying the ten Gears?¡± The next question brought about even greater silence. Sayama frowned and asked the very question that had brought on that silence. ¡°Does this mean you accepted my answer concerning the first sin?¡± Despite the question, Hajji remained expressionless and said something else. ¡°Can we move on?¡± What did that question mean in relation to Sayama¡¯s doubts? No one knew and Hajji simply repeated himself. ¡°Are you listening? I asked about the sin of killing your neighbors.¡± After being asked again, Sayama finally nodded and gave an expressionless answer. ¡°That has already been settled with the ones involved. There is no need for an unrelated Gear to speak out about it now.¡± ¡°I see,¡± everyone heard Hajji say. And without altering his stance, he immediately asked the next question. ¡°Then what about the third sin, killing your parent by destroying Top-Gear?¡± Sayama¡¯s eyebrows moved slightly when the man continued to the third question without adding anything to the previous one. However, he slowly and cautiously answered that third question. ¡°I plan to go over the facts of that issue in a moment.¡± Everyone once more heard Hajji say, ¡°I see.¡± And that answer filled the audience with some slight movement. That movement was known as unrest. Hajji had claimed he would answer Sayama¡¯s reason using emotion. However, he had said nothing about any of the three answers he had received, even though Sayama¡¯s last answer had not been an answer at all. Nevertheless, Hajji said nothing more. Enough people found this unusual that a slight stir was running through them. What was going on? However, Hajji asked his next question as if to drown out that slight noise. ¡°Then what about the fourth sin, the killing of your other selves?¡± ¡°I think we should lament that one side was lost as a result of our battle.¡± Sayama gave a purely dutiful answer, but¡­ ¡°I see.¡± Hajji let it slide again. Everyone watching over the meeting reacted further. ¡°¡­?¡± Their doubts and suspicions grew. They had assumed Hajji would speak from the side of emotion about what was lost, yet he was letting Sayama¡¯s answers go with no further comment. Once again, they wondered what was going on. And then they realized Sayama¡¯s brow was ever so slightly furrowed as he faced Hajji. That was proof that he too had assumed his answers would receive some kind of argument. He had assumed a debate between reason and emotion would begin. But Hajji was asking nothing more of him. Just as everyone wondered why, Hajji spoke again. ¡°Then what about the fifth sin, bringing a disaster to your own world?¡± Sayama thought for a few seconds, and¡­ ¡°The residual effects of Top-Gear¡¯s destruction were unavoidable and I believe the damage was kept to a minimum by sending Noah into the void. As such,¡± he said, ¡°I feel Low-Gear did nothing wrong there.¡± Everyone could tell his use of the word ¡°feel¡± was an invitation. Because they had done the best they could, he did not ¡°feel¡± anything wrong with what they had lost. That was an unforgivable statement from the standpoint of emotion. Nevertheless¡­ ¡°I see.¡± Hajji let even that go. Everyone held their breaths at Hajji¡¯s confounding responses. How did he want this question-and-answer session to go? And as they all watched him, Hajji spoke lightly as if trying to hurry the topic along. ¡°Then what about the sixth sin, covering it all up to escape responsibility?¡± Sayama gave a direct answer. He seemed to be saying he felt a need to answer no matter what Hajji might be hiding. ¡°Listen. We too were affected by our predecessors¡¯ secrecy. That is how we managed to complete our negotiations while looking to the future. ¡­That is all there is to it.¡± He was essentially stubbornly refusing to justify it, but¡­ ¡°I see. Then¡­¡± Sure enough, Hajji asked nothing of emotion and moved on. ¡°What about the seventh sin, attempting to rule the world while hiding your sins?¡± ¡°To rule the world? I believe we were negotiating to stand on equal footing with the other Gears, but do you see it differently?¡± He answered the question with a question of his own, but Hajji responded no differently. ¡°I see.¡± When they heard that answer, everyone had a feeling they knew what was coming. Was even the judgment of those seven sins part of the ¡°emotion of what was lost¡± that Hajji spoke of? And to prove them right, he gave Sayama a nod of understanding and spoke. ¡°Reason is a troublesome thing, Sayama. If you try to use reason to answer even a tiny question produced by emotion, you can only provide a specific means of resolving the problem.¡± He crossed his arms. ¡°And reason is a sad thing. After all, even if you answer each individual question and then try to solve each of the problems, it does not change the fact that Low-Gear destroyed the other Gears.¡± Everyone heard Sayama respond. ¡°I am aware of that. That is the entire point of the Leviathan Road. It allows us to move toward a resolution without letting our emotions get the better of us.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± asked Hajji while scratching his head. ¡°Is that so? Then there is one problem I would like for you to resolve.¡± Hajji looked up and everyone stiffened. It was coming. The emotion was coming. This was the emotion everyone felt when they lost something. Even the judgment of the seven sins had come from this, so they were but the opening act. He was about to speak of a means to resolve that emotion. As they all wondered what that could be, they saw motion. The girl sitting next to Hajji nodded with her arms crossed and eyes closed. Pushed on by her nod, Hajji opened his mouth. ¡°Reaching a resolution is the logic of those who survived, so I will respond to that with the logic of those who died.¡± This was Top-Gear¡¯s demand. ¡°This is the one and only way to resolve the emotion of losing something precious. This is something that cannot be resolved with emotion, so I ask that you resolve it with reason, Sayama.¡± Hajji asked for just one thing. ¡°Please return everything that we lost.¡± In the depths of the silence and stillness, Hajji clearly asked for what emotion demanded. As Top-Gear¡¯s substitute representative he presented his demand to Low-Gear¡¯s representative. This was Top-Gear¡¯s demand for the Leviathan Road. ¡°Return everything and everyone that was lost or that died.¡± He took a breath. ¡°Yes, we do not need anything other than that.¡± He closed his eyes. ¡°We simply want it back. If you do that, we will have no more reason for hard feelings. So¡­¡± He placed his hands on his desk and bowed deeply toward Sayama. ¡°Could you please return everything that you have taken from us?¡± Kazami clenched her teeth. ¡­Now he¡¯s done it!! He was making an attack of pure emotion. There was no way of bringing the dead back to life. Everyone knew that. ¡­But it¡¯s what everyone wants. They want their loss to have never happened! Kazami understood this all too well after her tears a month and a half ago. The words ¡°what if¡± were powerful. Unattainable hope hid behind them. And as Kazami watched, Hajji said more with his head still bowed. ¡°What if? What if our lands and skies still remained?¡± He used them. ¡°What if? What if the birds and beasts still lived?¡± He used them. ¡°What if? What if those precious people still lived?¡± What if? ¡°What if we still held all the misunderstandings, things we wanted to say, things we wanted to do, and everything else that we only now realize were so important?¡± As soon as Hajji straightened up, Sayama¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Those are words of retreat that deny all of the inherited words and inherited people!¡± ¡°Then yours are words of attack that can only be spoken by those who can still move ahead.¡± Hajji calmly answered Sayama¡¯s shout. ¡°Listen.¡± He breathed in and let Sayama¡¯s shouting go without comment. He seemed to say there was no need to speak in such a disgraceful manner here. ¡°What if?¡± Here it comes, realized Kazami. This was what lay on the opposite end of a demand. If that demand was not accepted, he would ask for¡­ ¡­Compensation! The compensation brought about by the greatest emotion would be a resolution created by the greatest reason. A moment later, Hajji gave his true demand. ¡°Here is what Top-Gear demands. The other Gears have lost everything, so if Low-Gear cannot return anything to them, you must hand over this entire Gear as a substitution. ¡­That is Top-Gear¡¯s demand for the Leviathan Road.¡± His words filled the library and the air grew clear. Almost everyone looked to Sayama, but Kazami noticed someone who reacted differently. In the moderator¡¯s seat, Sf still looked out across the entire room. ¡°Low-Gear representative, give your answer.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Kazami listened as Sayama puffed out his chest and gave a succinct answer. ¡°That is impossible, you fool.¡± Hajji looked to Sayama without even frowning. ¡°Impossible?¡± Sayama nodded. ¡°Indeed it is,¡± he began. ¡°Listen. Why are you making such a big deal about demanding something we could never provide? No one could do that. If you can bring back the dead, then I will attempt to answer your ¡®what ifs¡¯. But you cannot and this is not something that can be replaced by a substitute. That is why¡­ Yes, that is why we have chosen to clear it all away by letting it be inherited by the next generation.¡± He took a breath. ¡°Emotion is a troublesome thing, Hajji-kun. And it is a sad thing.¡± ¡°How is it sad?¡± Sayama nodded and spoke as if working to understand his opponent. ¡°Do you have anyone to inherit who you are once you die?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It would make no sense if you did. After all, you have told the people you leave behind to forever regret your death.¡± Sayama breathed out. ¡°That is a sad thing. Have you never heard of the Bon Festival system? How about Easter, or memorial services, or graves, or memorial portraits, or memorial tablets, or prayers to your ancestors, or thinking of the other side of the Sanzu River, or the sorrowful day of the number seven and its multiple? ¡­They are all a way of reconfirming what was lost, keeping count, and continuing on.¡± Hajji heard Sayama continue and saw him place his right hand on his chest. ¡°But you are telling us not to keep count of how much time has passed.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Hajji. ¡°Then,¡± he began. He went on to ask a question that seemed perfectly natural to him. From his emotional standpoint, he felt the need to ask this of the boy who faced him from a reasoning standpoint. ¡°Sayama, does your reason treat the dead as a number?¡± This was his question. Hajji remembered those who had been lost. He could not treat them as mere numbers. But what about Sayama? he wondered with a bitter smile in his heart. He seemed to be hoping Sayama would be in the same place as him. But Sayama did not immediately respond. It¡¯s coming, he realized. He¡¯s going to try something now. ¡­Bring it on. No matter what answer the boy gave, he would reply with emotion. Soon, Sayama slowly opened his mouth and held his hand to the left side of his chest. ¡°It is true that reason would treat the dead as a number and that is what I will do. But¡­¡± He lowered the ends of his eyebrows, smiled, and stared directly at Hajji. ¡°But then why do I feel this pain?¡± Sayama inhaled. With that one breath, he attempted to control the binding pain filling his body. Memories of his parents filled the back of his mind. He had remembered them in order to count two of the dead as a number. And as close as those dead were to him, he did count them as a number. Still, he ached. Why is that? he wondered. Was it because his mother had sacrificed herself to save his life? When he asked why his mother had done that, he found an answer. ¡°I asked why I feel this pain when I use reason to think about this, but the answer is simple. ¡­My parents and my grandfather are telling me not to feel this pain forever.¡± And¡­ ¡°This pain is what brought me here. Do you understand what I mean?¡± He spoke to Hajji who was trying to listen to him. ¡°Why do I still try to use reason even as I ache? Let me answer that as it relates to another story: the truth of Top-Gear¡¯s destruction.¡± Brunhild listened to Sayama. ¡°I will now provide Low-Gear¡¯s view of Top-Gear¡¯s destruction. And let me provide the conclusion up front: Top-Gear¡¯s destruction was not a one-sided attack; it was the result of many people¡¯s pains.¡± This meant one thing. He was going to prove that Top-Gear¡¯s destruction had not been caused by Low-Gear¡¯s invasion. ¡­He¡¯s going to eliminate the advantage Top-Gear has as the victim of destruction? Brunhild frowned just as Hajji spoke. As usual, it was a quiet almost suppressed voice. ¡°Are you trying to justify your destruction of Top-Gear?¡± Kashima listened as Sayama ignored Hajji, closed his eyes, and opened his mouth. ¡°Those of you who have read the report likely have a few questions. I assume the greatest of those is why Shinjou Yukio did not actively work on creating the negative concepts after moving to Top-Gear. And why she failed to make them once she did try.¡± Someone replied. It was of course Hajji and, as if forming a duet with the boy, he filled in what Sayama had left unsaid. ¡°That is because your father took revenge. He altered the negative concept data he sent to Shinjou Yukio so that they would activate once made.¡± Kashima nodded. The report contained evidence to support that view of the past. Sayama Asagi himself had said as much before Low-Gear had begun their attack. Kashima thought that was proof enough that Low-Gear had destroyed Top-Gear. But Miyako listened to what Sayama expressionlessly said with his eyes closed. ¡°Shinjou Yukio was able to use the incomplete positive concepts to calculate out the missing portion. Why was someone that skilled unable to accurately create the negative concepts in a world containing the opposite example that were the positive concepts? Was she really misled by the data? It is quite the mystery. And Shinjou Yukio left behind another mystery.¡± He took a breath. ¡°She said this world has three things that Top-Gear does not.¡± Yeah, thought Miyako. I heard about that from Wanambi. So she knew what Sayama was about to say. Under her breath, she said exactly what Sayama did and paid no heed to Gyes who turned toward her. ¡°Babel, the Biblical mythology, and one other.¡± But Miyako did not know the rest. Oh, she thought. Are you here to find that out? The plant creature listened to Sayama¡¯s voice which seemed to reverberate in its thoughts. ¡°But what is the final one? Shinjou Yukio, the woman so closely involved with Top-Gear¡¯s destruction, was pursuing that mystery.¡± ¡°Shinjou?¡± Sayama seemed to reply to the creature. ¡°Yes. That is Shinjou-kun¡¯s mother who defected to Top-Gear. And she had found the answer to that mystery.¡± From 5th-Gear¡¯s representative seat, Harakawa listened to Sayama while transmitting the voices to Heo using his cellphone. Keep talking, villain, he thought. ¡°So what is the final thing that only Low-Gear has?¡± asked Sayama. ¡°The answer is¡­Shinjou-kun.¡± Izumo listened while leaving the infirmary with Hiba. ¡°I don¡¯t really get it, but if that idiot isn¡¯t just praising his girlfriend again, he¡¯d better explain himself.¡± Sayama could not hear his voice or the bitter smile it contained, but the boy almost seemed to answer him. ¡°If this world has a concept unique to itself, what do you think it is?¡± Hiba asked about that while tilting his head and walking with his legs turned inward. ¡°Does this negative Gear really have a concept?¡± Izumo was not the one to answer him; it was Sayama over the cellphone. ¡°Had you never thought about it? Anyone from Low-Gear had to have wondered this at least once after learning of the Concept War: how can this world exist with nothing but negative concepts?¡± And¡­ ¡°How can Low-Gear continue to exist without losing its balance even after the positive concepts were brought here?¡± Hiba realized what Sayama was trying to say. ¡°Is that because Low-Gear has some kind of special concept?¡± Sayama¡¯s voice replied. ¡°Yes. Negative concepts can exist all on their own under the effects of this concept. In fact, it is thanks to this concept that negative concepts, positive concepts, and anything else are allowed in this world.¡± Wanambi listened to the answer of the riddle that Shinjou Yukio had given him more than a decade ago. Sayama was giving that answer in its most accurate form. ¡°And under the effects of this concept, even the god-like act of creating concepts becomes possible. ¡­That is what Low-Gear alone has. It is a concept that allows for positive, negative, creation, and anything else.¡± He declared its identity. ¡°It is¡­¡± He took a breath. ¡°The concept of contradiction allowance.¡± Hajji listened as Sayama raised just his left forearm. ¡°Why did Shinjou Yukio move to Top-Gear? That is simple. Because thanks to the contradiction allowance concept, the normally impossible concept creation was possible in Low-Gear.¡± He listened to Sayama¡¯s words. He accepted them as a reply to the argument he had made during his attack on UCAT. He silently listened to the boy¡¯s words. ¡­I see. So this is his answer, he thought. Sayama felt pain while using reason, so he had chosen a way to suppress that pain. ¡­To swallow up the pain, he is attempting to learn and accept everything. Sayama was doing nothing more than reasoning his way through the issue, but Hajji knew what the boy was trying to do. This reasoning would allow him to accept emotion. So¡­ ¡­Doesn¡¯t that make you the bearer of emotion!? Even as he had that thought, Hajji continued to listen to Sayama. ¡°Therefore, Shinjou Yukio realized her existence would be a deciding factor for Low-Gear. Yet if she revealed the existence of the contradiction allowance concept, who knows what Low-Gear¡¯s hawks would try to use it to create. So she kept it a secret, altered her concept creation theory, and defected to Top-Gear.¡± Why defect? silently asked Hajji. As if to answer him, Sayama looked his way and gave a small nod. ¡°Top-Gear had no contradiction allowance concept, so concept creation was impossible there no matter how much they struggled. Doing so would be playing god, so it was only possible in a world that allowed for anything. Therefore,¡± he said again. ¡°It may seem backwards, but she would not be a deciding factor for Top-Gear if she sided with them. And with no knowledge of the contradiction allowance concept, Low-Gear concluded that they could no longer create concepts since she had left and altered her theory.¡± He breathed in and chose his words carefully. ¡°But Top-Gear asked her to create the negative concepts there, even though doing so was impossible. And if they created them regardless,¡± he said. ¡°They would be unstable negative concepts that would inevitably activate.¡± That statement contained a certain truth, so Hajji opened his mouth and asked for confirmation. ¡°Then is this what you are trying to say? Top-Gear was destroyed because they had Shinjou Yukio create the negative concepts without knowing the truth?¡± However, Sayama did not nod in agreement. He simply paused for a moment to look at Hajji. ¡°In the past we saw in Sakai, Top-Gear¡¯s Shinjou Yukio had realized the truth about the contradiction allowance concept. After all, he seemed to know why his other self was refusing to create the concepts there. But he wanted to do his very best despite knowing that,¡± said Sayama. ¡°As for Low-Gear, I think my father had also realized that truth. And when the two Shinjous decided to create the negative concepts, my father sent them the modified negative concept data. ¡­Why do you think he did that?¡± Hajji thought on that. But¡­ ¡°I would like to hear what you think, Sayama.¡± Hajji watched as Sayama held his chest with his right hand. His shirt could be seen twisting below his suit¡¯s collar as he grasped the pain in his chest. ¡°My father had a single reason for sending them the modified data despite knowing the whole truth. If the worst case scenario played out, he wanted to take all responsibility for Top-Gear¡¯s destruction onto himself rather than letting it fall on Top-Gear.¡± After all¡­ ¡°The surname Sayama indicates a villain.¡± Jord listened to Hajji speak. ¡°Then are you saying Top-Gear destroyed itself?¡± ¡°I do not know.¡± Sayama spoke clearly and Jord saw strength in his raised left arm. ¡°In the past we saw, Top-Gear was already attempting to create the negative concepts without Shinjou Yukio. And at that stage, she finally decided to help. ¡­I am nearly certain that she first insisted that it would be impossible. But,¡± he said. ¡°The higher ups most likely ordered both Shinjous to create the negative concepts regardless.¡± ¡°Why would they insist on creating the concepts after knowing it is impossible?¡± Jord noticed something off about the tone of Hajji¡¯s question. It sounded like the man wanted to reveal the truth. ¡­Don¡¯t tell me¡­ A possibility came to her mind: did he actually just want to know the truth about Top-Gear¡¯s destruction? She looked to Hajji and his expression. He was staring straight ahead at Sayama. She started to say something when she saw it. ¡°¡­¡± But she stopped. Instead, she sighed and watched the man continue to stare at the boy. He asked the boy a question while seeming to enjoy the questioning. ¡°Why did the two Shinjous try to create the concepts in Top-Gear despite knowing they could not? And why did your father try to take on all of the responsibility?¡± Jord saw Hajji cross his arms and give an exaggerated tilt of the head. ¡°Why did one world choose self-destruction and the other choose to bear all responsibility?¡± With her eyes closed, Mikoku listened to her other self. ¡°Hajji-kun, what kind of Gear was Top-Gear when you were there?¡± Yes, she thought before thinking exactly what Sayama said next. ¡°Was it an appropriate Gear to lead an alliance of every Gear?¡± If it was, she thought. ¡°Top-Gear would have tried to fulfill its responsibilities. Meaning¡­¡± Mikoku took a breath just as Sayama did. ¡°They may have been unable to create the concepts, but as the Gear to lead all others, they had to create a place for Low-Gear.¡± So, thought Mikoku while squeezing her eyes more tightly shut and holding a hand to her chest. ¡°My father responded in kind. If they failed, he made sure Low-Gear would bear the responsibility for their destruction. ¡­After all, Top-Gear was only lost because it attempted to prepare a place for Low-Gear.¡± And Mikoku heard Hajji slowly breathe in and then speak. ¡°Is this what you are trying to say, Sayama? Top-Gear tried to restrain the activating negative concepts using the positive concepts held inside Noah, but Low-Gear determined that would never work and instead chose to eliminate Noah?¡± ¡°Yes. That is what led to that battle in Osaka. The people of Top-Gear attempted to preserve their Gear¡¯s existence, but the people of Low-Gear attempted to prevent the negative concepts from reaching their Gear. ¡­They were both trying to protect what they held dear.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Hajji. Mikoku noticed a satisfied note to Hajji¡¯s tone. ¡­Father? But her doubt did not continue. She felt she should not delve into Hajji¡¯s thoughts. At the same time, she once more wondered how she should settle all of this. And with her eyes still closed, she heard Hajji¡¯s voice. After going out of his way to make himself Sayama¡¯s enemy, he spoke his honest thoughts. ¡°Sayama, you have reasoned through this quite well and I can accept quite a lot of it. But,¡± he said, ¡°Where is the proof? I understand you deduced this from the past you saw in dreams and the documents you have found, but as your enemy, I require proof. Proof is needed to convince emotion.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± trailed off Sayama. He finally continued with a bitter tone. ¡°There is not yet any definitive proof.¡± Mikoku heard a certain sound. It was Hajji gulping. ¡°That is not good enough,¡± he said. ¡°And either way, it does not change the fact that Top-Gear was destroyed. If Low-Gear eliminated Noah, then it is possible to say you destroyed Top-Gear which was supported by the positive concepts contained within the ship.¡± ¡°So the crime of destroying Top-Gear, the mother of all Gears, is that great, is it?¡± ¡°It is.¡± Hajji agreed. ¡°With Top-Gear, every Gear could live together without releasing the concepts. ¡­The creation of the world tells us as much. Top-Gear is the greatest of all Gears and the rebirth of the mother element.¡± ¡°So proof is needed to overturn it all.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± For some reason, Mikoku noticed a hint of disappointment in Hajji¡¯s voice. ¡°Without proof, everything you have said means nothing.¡± At that point, Mikoku was able to guess at something. And if she was right, the debate would end here or someone would stop it. And a moment later, she heard a girl¡¯s voice from the library entrance. ¡°Objection!¡± Everyone turned toward the library entrance in surprise. A girl stood there with a laptop. Heo stood petrified and her face was completely pale. She was clearly trembling with nerves and fear of something. But her eyebrows rose and her footsteps rang through the room. She passed the counter, passed the representative seats, ignored Sf silently aiming her heavy machineguns to keep the girl from interrupting, came to a stop between Sayama and Hajji, and turned toward Sf. ¡°I object to what Top-Gear¡¯s substitute negotiator just said.¡± ¡°What is your objection?¡± ¡°Well,¡± she said while pulling out her cellphone. ¡°I summoned Thunder Fellow and he¡¯s sending the data over while reconfirming my findings. I¡¯ll explain while we look at that. It¡¯s kind of hard to say, but, um¡­¡± She took a breath to eliminate her hesitation and then spoke clearly. ¡°There is a way for the twelve worlds to be created other than the theory given by Hajji.¡± Heo handed her laptop to a nearby automaton and told her to project its video onto the counter¡¯s whiteboard. ¡°Top-Gear was destroyed by the negative concepts running out of control.¡± Everyone knew that. She saw Diana nod from the audience seats and hold up the report in her hand. She felt like her teacher was telling her it was okay, which helped further eliminate her hesitation. ¡°But the negative concepts overtook Top-Gear too quickly, so Low-Gear made use of a certain plan. They¡­used a reverse seal to send Noah into the void.¡± ¡°And? Hm? What about it?¡± She heard Hajji¡¯s voice behind her. ¡°That is why Low-Gear only suffered the Great Kansai Earthquake, isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. But doesn¡¯t everyone have a question about that?¡± She asked that question. ¡°What exactly is the void?¡± It was¡­ ¡°It is a place with no time. ¡­It lacks even nothingness.¡± Behind Heo, darkness was projected onto the whiteboard. At the same time, the library¡¯s lights lowered and the dark light on the whiteboard was the only light left. Heo¡¯s words alone filled the library. ¡°Not even time has appeared there, so it is the starting point of the world. And¡­¡± She took a breath. ¡°The starting point of every world is where Noah was sent!¡± Shinjou breathed out into the waiting room. Heo had run out of the room, but Thunder Fellow remained where he had broken through the classroom wall. In Thunder Fellow¡¯s cockpit, Harakawa was checking over Heo¡¯s theory. ¡­We¡¯ve gotten so busy all of a sudden. Shinjou was busy putting together an additional report regarding Heo¡¯s theory. It was short, but Ooki had worked hard to translate it and she was adding the publication data for the citations to increase its credibility. She was copying over the publication data from Kinugasa Tenkyou¡¯s mythology encyclopedia, which Kazami or Harakawa had handled previously. She typed it in and then reached Kinugasa Tenkyou¡¯s name. Suddenly, she noticed something odd about the characters written in the publication data. ¡°Huh?¡± She tilted her head and looked at the publication data of the other encyclopedia volumes. She checked the second, third, fourth, and then skipped to the eleventh. That was when she realized something. ¡°Is this¡­?¡± She stood up and ran from the room holding the report she had just printed out. Ooki shouted after her. ¡°Wh-what is it, Shinjou-san!? This is the kind of suddenness I expect from Sayama-kun!¡± ¡°That is a horrible misunderstanding, but, um, uh¡­ I have something important to take care of!¡± She shouted back and ran down the hall toward the first floor and the library. ¡°I¡¯ve realized something! Something incredibly¡­incredibly important!¡± Volume 13, 34: Signature of Reversal Volume 13, Chapter 34: Signature of Reversal As if there was a time of happiness As if to say everything was right You have gathered everything together and arrived at this evidence In the library, Heo began her explanation of the world¡¯s creation. Ten black spheres had appeared in the projected blackness. ¡°In ¡¯95, Noah was sent from Top-Gear¡¯s Osaka and into the emptiness of the void. This created the impossible phenomenon of ¡®something existing in a place of nothingness¡¯, so Noah gained a contradiction concept.¡± The ten activated negative spheres within Noah attempted to grow. ¡°Here, the ten positive concepts were reactively purified from the surrounding space. They attempt to restrain the negativity, but they are pushed back by the repulsive force.¡± After reaching a certain distance from the ten negative spheres, the ten positive spheres began to orbit around the negative ones as if attempting to escape the power pushing them away. ¡°This allowed them to suppress the negative concepts, but some of the repulsive force remained.¡± As the ten negative spheres gathered together to form Low-Gear, another Gear began to appear next to it. This Gear contained ten positive concepts. ¡°And that force became a mirror image of Low-Gear. This¡­this is the true identity of Top-Gear. And because Noah formed the foundation of Low-Gear¡­¡± The projected image changed to a map. It displayed a portion of Japan¡¯s Kansai region. Specifically, the Mt. Ikoma region. ¡°Babel is not a Concept Core storage facility that Top-Gear created in Low-Gear. It is the storage facility for the negative concepts that form the core of the entire world! It is Noah!!¡± Heo¡¯s voice penetrated the darkness. At the same time, the lights above her and Hajji reactivated and she gave a shout. ¡°The world has performed a loop around Noah and Top-Gear is not the mother Gear! That is my objection!¡± ¡°I see.¡± Hajji crossed his arms and nodded at Heo¡¯s shout. He then brought a hand to his chin and breathed out. ¡°An interesting theory. It is true we could view it that way if we use your interpretation of sending Noah into the void.¡± He shrugged. ¡°But, 5th-Gear representative, while I am sure you simply could not bear to watch Low-Gear being criticized, I am sorry to say that your theory is nothing more than an amusing idea.¡± ¡°If we investigate the interior of Babel, we should find the truth. Babel is sure to accept anyone from Top-Gear and I think Sayama Asagi was let in because Shinjou Yukio added him to Noah¡¯s approved list during the battle in Osaka.¡± ¡°It may have been mere coincidence that he was let in.¡± Hajji refused to admit it. As their enemy, he insisted they produce the missing evidence. ¡°And¡­what about Professor Kinugasa? Why was he allowed inside Babel?¡± Everyone fell silent because there was obviously no evidence to explain that. However, Hajji heard Heo¡¯s resolute voice from directly ahead. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know about him. But I do have proof that Noah was sent into the past.¡± When he heard that, Hajji¡¯s expression changed to include some faint joy. ¡­Well done. He hurriedly covered his mouth. ¡­As their enemy, I can¡¯t be making an expression like this. ¡°And¡­and what is that? Are you claiming to have seen the creation of the world?¡± Someone answered him, but it was not Heo. The boy standing beyond her, Sayama, made a guess of his own. Hajji heard the enemy display his key to the truth. ¡°Could you mean¡­ Heo-kun, is it Georgius?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said the girl with a nod. She turned toward Sayama and gave him an urging and pleading look, so a light shined on him as well and he opened his mouth. He brought a hand to his chin to think about what he should say. After a short pause, he glanced briefly toward Hajji and they seemed to confirm something with each other. ¡°Listen. After the battle with Top-Gear, my mother had gained one half of Georgius, but she lacked the other half. Why, you ask?¡± He pointed his thumb over his shoulder and toward the entrance to the preparation room. ¡°Because it is in there. Strange, isn¡¯t it? After all, Georgius should be a pair, but it exists across two different eras.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just assume the two halves were made separately in two different eras and two different places?¡± ¡°That is one way of viewing it, but there is another way.¡± Sayama answered Hajji¡¯s question as if they were solving Heo¡¯s puzzle together. ¡°When Noah was sent to the void, my father gave the authoritative decree from the center of the barrier. The fall into the void began from the center and grew shallower toward the outer edges. So perhaps the areas toward the edges of the barrier never reached an absolute void and perhaps they were mostly thrown into the intervening time and gathered there,¡± said Sayama. ¡°Noah initially fell somewhere other than Top-Gear ¨C namely, Low-Gear ¨C and then fell to the zero-point of time as something that ¡®did not exist¡¯. Artifacts have been found around the world in eras where they do not belong, so perhaps that phenomenon was the cause. And what if one of Georgius¡¯s halves was caught in the explosion of the barrier?¡± ¡°Then, Sayama, is this what you are saying? It ended up in the past and was found by Kinugasa Tenkyou?¡± Hajji crossed his arms and checked to see if Sayama¡¯s claims were the truth. ¡°Then let me say this: Unfortunately, that is still not definitive proof.¡± ¡°Not definitive?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Hajji looked to Sayama. ¡°What proof do you have that the Georgius stored in the back of this library came from Top-Gear¡¯s Osaka in ¡¯95? If you managed to bring it out, would you have some way of proving it is the pair to the one you already have?¡± He took a breath. ¡°Or has Kinugasa Tenkyou signed something admitting to this? Does he claim it arrived from the future and was made in Top-Gear? Do you¡­¡± Hajji spread his arms and realized this was likely going to be his final question. ¡°Do you have a signature like that?¡± His definitive question caused Heo to shrink down. ¡°Well¡­¡± She hesitated, so he gave her a nod of understanding and spoke. ¡°Unless you have some evidence like that, this is nothing but speculation, 5th-Gear representative.¡± His words reverberated through the library and everyone fell silent and motionless. ¡­So it ends here, does it? With that thought, he relaxed his shoulders and turned to Sf. ¡°Moderator, I believe this is the end of the questioning.¡± Heo and Sayama looked up in surprise, but they had nothing else they could say. They tensed but found nothing to say as Sf slowly stood up behind them. She looked across everyone and then to Sayama and Heo. ¡°Sayama-sama, Heo-sama, do you have anything to say? Do you have any way of proving your theory as Hajji-sama has requested?¡± But neither of them could say a word. This settled it. Their argument would end in uncertainty. And that would not change as the trial and vote began. But to put it another way¡­ ¡­If they could prove their theory here, they could overturn everything about Top-Gear. The Gear would lose the superiority alluded to in the word ¡°top¡± and it would become just another Gear. It had possessed a great many concepts and that did give it an advantage, but it could also be called ¡°another Low-Gear¡±. It would be the Gear that spoke of emotion while being a mirror image of the Gear that had destroyed it. That would be a decent Gear to stand up to Low-Gear and its representative that spoke of reason, but¡­ ¡°If you have nothing, then we can bring this to an end.¡± Hajji heard Sf speak and he heard nothing from Sayama or Heo. As silence continued, Sf simply nodded and turned to Hajji. ¡°Tes. Then I declare Low-Gear and Top-Gear¡¯s question-and-answer session comple-¡­¡± Another voice prevented her from finishing her declaration. ¡°Objection!!¡± Racing footsteps brought the speaker in from behind Hajji and Sayama spoke the individual¡¯s name. ¡°Shinjou-kun!?¡± Shinjou charged into the center of everyone while gasping for breath. However, she did not stop there. Her white armored uniform fluttered upwards and her black hair flowed through the air as she spun around toward Hajji as if protecting Sayama. Her eyebrows were slightly raised as she stared directly at the man. ¡°We do have proof!¡± She waved a report in her hand as if spreading it out. ¡°I have the signature that will change the world!!¡± Sayama glanced at Shinjou¡¯s report after an automaton handed him a copy. It contained additional information on Heo¡¯s world creation theory. In front of him, Shinjou held just one page and spoke to everyone else. ¡°Listen. There is proof that Georgius fell into the past. It¡¯s right here. ¡­You said a signature would suffice, right?¡± But Sayama saw Hajji tilt his head as he looked at the English report. ¡°Where does it say anything about that? It just looks like a report on Georgius and Kinugasa Tenkyou to me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it looks like to me too,¡± said Heo with a nod. Sayama agreed with them. But then he saw Shinjou turn toward him with her face slightly pale. ¡­When she is pale, it almost looks like you can see through her. How beautiful. Wonderful, he thought as she looked at him and opened her lips. ¡°Look more closely, everyone. Someone¡¯s signature is right there.¡± She smiled a little. ¡°And just like my mom, that person must have studied mythology and the bible to guide us all. And all while telling us he did not belong here in Low-Gear¡­while telling us he was a mirror image.¡± ¡°A mirror image? Who are you talking about?¡± Shinjou answered Hajji¡¯s question with a certain man¡¯s name. ¡°Kinugasa Tenkyou.¡± That name silenced everyone. That man had been one of the national defense department¡¯s founders, the one to notice the Concept War before nations around the world established their UCATs, and the one to find and investigate Babel. ¡­But what is she saying about him? Sayama¡¯s questioning gaze watched as Shinjou breathed in. She closed her eyes just once and calmed herself by bringing the ring on her right hand to her chest. ¡°Listen. Professor Tenkyou¡¯s name isn¡¯t actually Tenkyou. Did you know that?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± answered Sayama. He had heard this from Siegfried before. ¡°The same characters are apparently pronounced Amayoshi or Amayasu.¡± ¡°Yes. His encyclopedia¡¯s publication data used Amayasu. Normally, when spelled out in the alphabet, that would make his name ¡®Kinugasa Amayasu¡¯,¡± she said. ¡°But according to the publication data, even Kinugasa is pronounced differently. It¡¯s actually Igasa. And for some reason, Amayasu is spelled without the final ¡®u¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you understand what that means?¡± When he heard her final question, Sayama realized it all. And she went on to explain for everyone else. ¡°Igasa Amayas.¡± Or when read in reverse¡­ ¡°Sayama Asagi. His name was the mirror image of Sayama Asagi.¡± She raised her right hand which wore a man¡¯s ring. ¡°I feel like everything is finally starting to make sense. This must belong to Sayama-kun¡¯s dad!¡± As soon as she made her shouted announcement, Sayama sensed motion on top of his head. It was Baku. The creature was showing them the past based on the evidence they had built up. Everyone saw it. Three people ran through the center of an artificial barrier of light. A girl took the lead, a woman in a white armored uniform was next, and a man in a similar white uniform followed. The man held an aluminum case under each arm. They barely had a path to walk on and their surroundings resembled sand dunes. The sky was painfully white and the very air seemed to glow. And for some reason, a faint song could be heard in the light. It was the hymn Silent Night. The woman looked back to face the man who followed a step behind. ¡°A-chan, will we make it out in time!?¡± ¡°We will. Yu-san smiled and saw us off, so we definitely will.¡± But he supported the girl as she almost tripped and pushed her forward. Five blue stones hung from the girl¡¯s neck and they clinked together as they swayed. ¡°Um, these stones¡­¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re adults, so we¡¯ll be fine, Sadagiri-kun. So please wear them without worrying about us. If you do¡­you will be just fine.¡± He turned to the woman. ¡°Make sure you look after her. Yu-san¡­and her husband left her with us. We have to get her out of here safely.¡± At that point, more light appeared behind the three of them. That explosive pressure of the void resembled a wall of light. The three of them gasped and simply ran. There was another wall of light ahead and a hill lay behind it. ¡°Everyone¡¯s there,¡± said the woman. However, the explosion of light approached them from behind. At the same time, the barrier wall emitted its light and attempted to close in order to shut out the explosion. ¡°¡­¡± It was closing, but the three of them were not going to make it in time. ¡°¡­!¡± The woman embraced the girl from behind as if trying to protect her from everything. But in that moment, the two of them were shoved forward from behind. They were pushed by the man¡¯s left arm which held one of the two cases. He pushed on their backs to send them outside the closing barrier. And a moment later, the girl and women were thrown outside and the barrier closed. There was no sound and no voices. There was only motion as the woman fell to the ground, turned back while still holding the girl in her arms, and saw it. ¡°Ah¡­¡± On their side of the closed wall of light, a left arm in a white armored uniform lay on the hill where it had been severed by the barrier. It still held the aluminum case. ¡°Ah¡­!!¡± The woman opened her mouth and let out a scream. And the girl saw what was on the other side of the closed white wall: an expressionless face with empty eyes. But she finally lowered her gaze and saw something else: a ring on the fallen left hand. Shinjou walked forward. She held her left hand in her right, removed her ring, and arrived at the desk in the center of the library. Below the light, she looked to Sayama and smiled for some reason. ¡­It¡¯s like this place was made for this very moment. She smiled and Sayama took her right hand in his left. The two of them faced the preparation room. She calmed her breathing and took the first step with him. After a second and third, they finally reached the step up from the bottom of the library. Sayama wore his suit and she wore her white armored uniform as they reached the top step while the entire world watched on. The entrance to the preparation room lay before them, but someone stood in front of it. ¡°Sf-kun? Do you want to know why we have come here?¡± ¡°As moderator, it seems only natural to ask.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± agreed Sayama. ¡°The hidden door back here requires two people to insert their hands and turn them. It seemed ideal for Shinjou-kun and me, but it would not turn for us. However¡­¡± The two of them held up the rings they had removed from their fingers. ¡°These belonged to my mother and my father, but we had the genders backwards.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sf cleared her throat quietly and then held out her hands. ¡°Then exchange your rings.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Shinjou tensed her shoulders and held out her ring. Sayama extended his left hand and did not hesitate to stick his ring finger into it. She blushed and he began fiddling with the ring he had removed from his finger. ¡°Sayama-kun, why are you pulling out super glue?¡± ¡°Well, it would be a disaster if it happened to slip off your finger.¡± She swiped the ring from him and almost put it on by herself. ¡°You won¡¯t do anything weird?¡± ¡°How could I possibly do anything like that here?¡± ¡°You were just about to but I stopped you!¡± She then held out the ring and raised her right hand. He took the ring and held it gently. ¡°Ah¡­¡± He pulled on her ring finger and put on the ring. ¡­Wow¡­ She blushed when she saw how perfectly the ring fit on her finger. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± ¡°And thank you, Shinjou-kun. ¡­Eventually, I would like to put one on your left hand.¡± They walked together toward the back of the preparation room and the study. On the back wall, two holes were positioned next to the white door. Sayama stuck his hand in the left hole and Shinjou did the same with the right hole. At some point, everyone had left their seats and gathered in front of the preparation room to peer into the dimly-lit space. Brunhild was there, Kazami was smiling with her arm around Brunhild¡¯s shoulders, Sibyl and Ooki were there, Hiba¡¯s legs were still turned inward, Harakawa was lending him a shoulder, Heo was clasping her hands as she watched Sayama and Shinjou, the plant creatures and Messengers of Wanambi were there, Tsukuyomi was saying ¡°my, my¡±, Kashima was with her, Izumo was crouching down and slapping Boldman¡¯s head, Miyako was pretending she did not care while never taking her eyes off of them, and everyone else was similarly looking at the two in the cramped space. ¡°¡­¡± It happened in an instant. The white door opened and revealed a six square meter room filled with white light. The impossible area was due to it being a concept space. The two of them entered the room from either side like it was a theatre stage. Inside, they found a wooden table that looked terribly out of place and on top of it¡­ ¡°An aluminum case identical to the one we saw in the past just now.¡± Shinjou detected a slight tremor in Sayama¡¯s voice. ¡°So my father was waiting here.¡± He slowly but surely spoke the words with his right hand on his chest. ¡°Waiting for someone to arrive at the lies two worlds made while thinking of each other.¡± He picked up the case and Shinjou supported him because he seemed on the verge of collapse. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sayama-kun. You can ache.¡± She was only looking to Sayama, but everyone heard her words. ¡°You know what? I don¡¯t think the pain in your chest is the guilt you feel for not dying with your mom.¡± She pressed her ear against his chest. ¡°I think it means you¡¯re sad.¡± ¡°You mean¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. You don¡¯t let your feelings show much, you can be stupid, you can be dangerous, you¡¯re honestly a lot of trouble, you¡¯re beyond saving, and I think saving you would just bring you back to a previous kind of crazy, but¡­¡± ¡°I can see you have been observing me very closely.¡± ¡°The most amazing part is that you don¡¯t deny any of that. ¡­But you know what? Despite all those things¡­¡± She let out a breath that may have been a bitter laugh. ¡°But you feel sadness more than anyone else. You feel so much sadness that it hurts.¡± So¡­ ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay to ache, Sayama-kun. If it hurts, you can rely on me. So¡­¡± She looked to everyone else with a troubled and blushing smile. Finally, Sayama breathed out too and faced in the same direction. And just as they faced everyone, Sf spoke to them all from her position closest to Sayama and Shinjou. ¡°I suppose this proves the relationship between Top-Gear, Low-Gear, and the entire world.¡± Shinjou saw everyone slowly let out a breath when they realized what Sf meant. They held Georgius and Sayama Asagi¡¯s signature which were the proof of this world. Sf faced the two of them, looked to Georgius¡¯s case, and spoke. ¡°Low-Gear was created by Top-Gear¡¯s Noah, but Top-Gear was created by Low-Gear¡¯s presence. In that case, I suppose both can be called the mother of the world.¡± No one argued. And for that reason, Sf turned back to the others with her usual expressionless face. ¡°In that case, I declare Low-Gear and Top-Gear¡¯s question-and-answer session complete.¡± She raised her head, waved a hand, and lowered in a curtsy. ¡°After a short recess, I would like to begin the trial and vote.¡± Volume 13, 35: Time to Vote Volume 13, Chapter 35: Time to Vote Even a single extra vote can make a majority The victor looks down at the loser The loser looks up at the victor The recess began and the people in the library thinned out. The Messengers of Wanambi and the plant creatures remained in the representative seats and looked at each other, but the other representatives had all gone to their respective waiting rooms. The audience seats were similarly empty. However, a few people sat in the audience seats near the moderator¡¯s seat. One was a gray-haired man who sat perfectly still, another was an automaton who had moved to the seat next to him, and the third¡­ ¡°Oh, dear. You seem to have aged quite a bit, Itaru.¡± ¡°Why are you here, German witch? You still have ten hours until the Witches¡¯ Sabbath.¡± ¡°Oh, is there a narrow crossroads with a view of the sky somewhere in this school?¡± The witch in a black suit laughed quietly, sat on the desk next to Itaru, and looked to the automaton on his other side. ¡°You did well, Sf. Especially when you shot UCAT Director Ooshiro.¡± ¡°Tes. He ran off in a quadrupedal style afterwards, but where did he go?¡± ¡°My old man¡­well, he sometimes needs to immerse himself in his feelings a bit. He¡¯s probably on the roof with his arms around his knees, remembering old times, and building a plastic model or something. ¡­He¡¯ll need to be subdued later.¡± ¡°It sounds like he does a lot of other things while immersing himself in his feelings.¡± ¡°He does,¡± agreed Itaru. ¡°Anything happening outside?¡± ¡°It seems a mechanical dragon arrived at Japanese UCAT. ¡­And it was carrying 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core.¡± ¡°I suppose that¡¯s to show they aren¡¯t threatening 3rd-Gear during the coming trial and vote.¡± ¡°Top-Gear finds the strangest areas to keep things clean.¡± ¡°Like I care,¡± he replied. ¡°But why are you here, Diana?¡± ¡°Oh? To ask about your feelings of course.¡± That comment received a response. Next to Itaru, Sf all of a sudden swung up her right arm with a handgun in her grasp. ¡°Diana-sama, if that is what Itaru-sama wants¡­¡± She trailed off because a balled up piece of paper was stuck in the gun¡¯s muzzle. Diana looked at the paper with ¡°stopper¡± written on it and then looked up at Sf¡¯s face. ¡°Sf, you are an excellent automaton. You are so excellent that you would help your master even if he said he wanted to die.¡± ¡°Tes. I was made to be excellent, so I am ¨C on average ¨C constantly excellent.¡± ¡°That is why I just asked about something you have to have done poorly. Do you understand?¡± After a pause, Sf shook her head. ¡°I do not. As an automaton, I cannot possibly understand, Diana-sama.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Tes. I have no emotions. My master experiences emotions in my stead. So if someone else asks my master a question which disturbs his emotions, I will be acting based on disturbed emotions.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so grateful for that egoism I think I¡¯m going to cry.¡± ¡°Tes. But that is too long a description, Itaru-sama, so why not abbreviate it to ¡®grateful ego¡¯?¡± ¡°While you¡¯re at it, wouldn¡¯t ¡®crying ego¡¯ be cuter?¡± asked Diana. After a few seconds of thought, Sf nodded. ¡°We can compromise and draw from a different part of the description for ¡®going ego¡¯.¡± ¡°Then why not ¡®thinking ego¡¯? I think that sounds nice.¡± ¡°Why are you two having a comedy routine over my head?¡± ¡°Oh, dear.¡± Diana smiled bitterly and got down from the desk. She then turned around and began to leave, but Itaru called out to her. ¡°Hey, Diana.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± she asked over her shoulder. ¡°Did you know?¡± he asked quietly. ¡°Did you?¡± He had answered her question with a question and she answered with yet another question, so he sighed. However¡­ ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± he spoke into the empty air. ¡°It¡¯s best not to ask about the past.¡± A classroom contained three people. An Arab man in white sat in the center of the mostly empty room. ¡°Sorry about that. Yes. ¡­I¡¯m sorry, Mikoku, Tatsumi.¡± ¡°Apologizing is not going to change anything, father.¡± Mikoku answered from the windowsill. A large white dog sat at her feet and she used a fork to cut a piece of the cake that had been given out for the afternoon recess. ¡°Tatsumi and I are from Top-Gear, but you actually know more than us what Top-Gear was like back then. And¡­¡± She looked to Hajji who was stretched out in his chair. ¡°Did you actually know the truth about Top-Gear¡¯s destruction?¡± ¡°Why? Why would you think that? I¡¯m the one that assumed everything was Low-Gear¡¯s fault and got you all involved as I did all sorts of evil things.¡± ¡°But you would not let us inside during the attack on UCAT and you did not try to contact us after you were captured. And earlier, you set your personal grudges aside and spoke without letting us say anything. ¡­It almost seemed like you were refusing to let us do anything wrong while making it look like you had forced us to obey your misguided actions.¡± ¡°You¡¯re reading too much into this, Mikoku. Doing that would only harm Top-Gear, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Would it really?¡± she asked. ¡°Are you sure you were not opposing them and letting them attack us to put Top-Gear and Low-Gear on the same level? Are you sure you were not making certain we would never be seen as the leader of the Gears or be given that burden again? And are you sure you were not putting yourself in the line of fire to ensure none of the damage would reach us? After all¡­¡± Mikoku nodded. ¡°You often went to that church to hear Shinjou Yukio speak, didn¡¯t you?¡± Hajji briefly fell silent, but he finally shook his head. ¡°You are reading too much into this, Mikoku. Yes. And¡­we will see the result once everyone votes. We will see which is right: reason or emotion.¡± ¡°Will we?¡± Mikoku took a bite of the cake, suddenly stopped speaking, and stared at the cake. ¡°These are whole strawberries inside! Talk about luxury!!¡± ¡°Has your character changed while I was gone? Hm?¡± ¡°Has it?¡± she asked before smiling a bit. ¡°Maybe it has. A lot has happened lately.¡± She cut the cake to leave the back portion behind and looked around. Hajji and even Tatsumi, who sat at another desk, were looking at her oddly, so she frowned. ¡°Is it that wrong to leave the part with lots of icing for last?¡± ¡°No.¡± Tatsumi and Hajji exchanged a glance. ¡°You sure are sociable.¡± ¡°What kind of assessment is that?¡± Mikoku did not really understand what they thought of her, but one thing was clear. ¡°Well, at any rate, it feels like a great burden has been lifted.¡± ¡°A burden?¡± ¡°Yes. Like I said, a lot has happened. And a lot more happened today.¡± She then spoke more quietly. ¡°But now I can believe that things are moving toward an answer¡­oddly enough.¡± She placed the last bit of cake on her fork. ¡°So thank you, father. If you had not set yourself up as Low-Gear¡¯s enemy on the night of our attack¡­no, since even before that, I doubt they would have gone this far to find the answer.¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to thank me? My unnecessary actions have lowered Top-Gear¡¯s standing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. Knowing that Babel is Noah is useful for those of us who are familiar with Noah.¡± Mikoku smiled and looked down at the dog looking up at her. ¡°You acted as our shield and now both sides understand each other. And now that we do¡­do you really think Top-Gear is going to lose this trial and vote?¡± Hearing those last words, Hajji looked up at the ceiling and placed a hand on his chin. ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°This did not start here. You have a guess how everyone will vote, don¡¯t you?¡± Mikoku got down from the windowsill, nodded to Tatsumi, and opened her smiling mouth while looking straight forward. ¡°Personally, I think the result is sure to be interesting.¡± Another classroom was much fuller. A boy in a suit sat at the center of the mostly filled space and others in school uniforms and white armored uniforms surrounded him. However, there were no smiles or joy in their voices or on their faces. They were all crossing their arms and placing hands on their chins in their circle of chairs. ¡°Okay, next question. What do giraffes, hippos, and elephants have that dolphins do not.¡± ¡°O-oh, I know, Kazami! Legs!¡± ¡°Nope. The answer is fur.¡± ¡°S-something that trivial and direct doesn¡¯t count as a quiz!!¡± As punishment for the wrong answer, Kazami gave Heo a ¡°tropical palm tree¡± hairdo. Next to them, Shinjou typed on her laptop and spoke to Sayama. ¡°Should we really be doing this?¡± ¡°I think this is the best way to relax our nerves while maintaining the necessary tension. That is why you are typing right now, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she agreed, feeling a little apologetic and lowering the laptop screen. ¡°I¡¯m making a lot of progress with my novel.¡± ¡°How far have you gotten in the last month and a half?¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost all done. It¡¯s my first time, so it¡¯s rough, done completely on momentum, forceful, and done my own way¡­¡± She nodded. ¡°And I¡¯m not talking about something dirty.¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. Shinjou-kun, your sensors have taken you in an odd direction.¡± At that point, Kazami turned toward them, having finished braiding Heo¡¯s hair. ¡°Is the vote going to go okay?¡± Ooki was the one to answer. She smiled and nodded with red circles drawn on her cheeks. ¡°Looking at the number of votes, we should win quite easily. For one, we pretty much get four free votes from 4th-Gear and 8th-Gear.¡± The others exchanged a glance and began counting on their fingers. ¡°1st-Gear is Brunhild and her cat. They should both go with us, right?¡± ¡°2nd-Gear is Director Tsukuyomi and Kashima-san, so those will go to us, too.¡± ¡°3rd-Gear is Gyes-san and Miyako-san, so¡­more for us, I guess.¡± ¡°4th and 8th were already mentioned.¡± ¡°5th-Gear is Heo and Thunder Fellow, so it¡¯s two votes for us.¡± ¡°6th-Gear is Boldman-san and Izumo-san, so we should get both, right?¡± ¡°7th-Gear is the four ball brothers, right? I assume they¡¯ll choose us, but how many votes is that?¡± ¡°They get two people to vote, so it must be two balls per person! Y¡¯know, like with guys!¡± Everyone averted their gaze from Hiba. Sibyl sighed while still looking away, but then turned back and folded down her fingers. ¡°If we count up all of those votes¡­¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re a new one, but you¡¯re also the worst one, Sibyl-san!! How can you completely ignore me!?¡± ¡°Then I will only somewhat ignore you. Will that do? ¡­Anyway, um, 10th only has Jord, so all twelve Gears will cast a total of twenty-three votes. Of those, we should get both votes of 1st through 8th for sixteen votes. With Low-Gear¡¯s two added in, that is a total of eighteen. We will easily earn a majority.¡± Kazami checked by counting on her fingers. After doing so about three times, she shifted in her seat as if lying down a bit. ¡°So we¡¯ll be fine. ¡­Ah, that¡¯s a relief. I want to eat yakiniku tonight.¡± ¡°What an odd expression of joy and relief.¡± Sayama smiled bitterly and suddenly grabbed a paper napkin from the desk behind him. Everyone watched in confusion, but he did not immediately respond and instead wrote something on the napkin. He wrote a series of numbers and Shinjou tilted her head. ¡°What is that, Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°This is a battlefield of reason and emotion and these are the numbers that describe it.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I will now write my predictions for the vote. And Kazami, I have one order for you.¡± Kazami frantically sat back up and pointed at herself. He thrust the napkin and its series of numbers toward her surprised expression. ¡°Let us go find the answer. ¡­An answer void of hesitation.¡± ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°This is how I see this clash of reason and emotion ending. And for that, there is something I want you to do. Trust in my decision. ¡­This trial and vote can be called the Leviathan Court and this is how I want it to go.¡± At that point, the door opened and a maid walked in. Her hair was gray and her maid uniform black. ¡°I am Moderator Sf.¡± She looked across them all, confirmed that the people she needed were there, and held up something. It was a cardboard box apparently made by Diana and they all looked at the words written on it. ¡°Bullet Box!?¡± I would expect no less of the German UCAT inspector. I have determined she has a decent sense of humor.¡± Sf bowed. ¡°Now, representatives, please place your pure ballots in here for the sake of tomorrow.¡± Volume 13, 36: Solution to the Responses Volume 13, Chapter 36: Solution to the Responses The one thing Everyone decided on together The library filled with energy once the recess came to an end. The tension of the question-and-answer sessions had thinned now that those sessions were complete and the second recess had passed. In the audience seats, members of different UCATS were speaking with each other and others were discussing how the vote would turn out. But¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Their chatter quickly vanished. A gray-haired automaton had climbed to the moderator¡¯s seat with a cardboard box in hand. Without bothering to check that everyone had quieted down, she gently raised her right hand. Something shot straight up from her hand and it had a hemisphere of plastic attached. ¡°People call these capsule toys or gachapon or any number of other things, but they seemed perfect for this situation. The two ballots from each Gear are inside.¡± Someone spoke up from the audience. ¡°Th-those are from the ones I won at the cafeteria earlier! I can¡¯t store them or take them home without the capsules!!¡± Sf¡¯s left hand was empty, so she used it to fire. Without bothering to check that the room had frozen over, she grabbed the fallen capsule. ¡°The votes have been sorted by Gear. First¡­¡± Darkness fell over the library and the only lights were on Sf, the representative seats, and the counter. Twenty-three people sat in the representative seats and, for some reason, Sibyl and Ooki were dressed as bunny girls by the counter. The two of them held red and white artificial flowers in front of the whiteboard. Sf looked to the two of them. ¡°Now, let me explain the rules. A vote for trusting Low-Gear will be white and a vote for being unable to trust Low-Gear or for trusting Top-Gear will be red.¡± Ooki and Sibyl held up their white and red artificial flowers and there were even red and white daruma dolls next to them. Everyone in the audience and representative seats nodded in confirmation of these preparations. At the same time, Sf suddenly pulled a capsule from the ballot box. The action was so unexpected that the automatons waiting to provide a drumroll missed their cue. ¡°Now, then.¡± Sf opened the capsule, unfolded one of the papers inside, and read the beginning of the world¡¯s decision. It began with¡­ ¡°Low-Gear¡¯s representatives.¡± Everyone could be heard breathing out. ¡°One vote in favor.¡± Sayama stood up and Sf nodded. Ooki responded by attaching a white flower to the whiteboard. A moment later, Sf unfolded the other paper. ¡°One vote opposed.¡± No one was able to react to what Sf said. A confused silence and stillness fell as they all wondered why Low-Gear would vote against themselves. This continued for three, five, and then ten seconds before some motion finally broke it. Still sitting, Kazami threw her legs up onto her desk. She crossed her legs, thrust out her chest, and adjusted her position in her chair. She was showing she had no intention of standing up. Most of the people in the audience produced voices of confusion and protest: Why? But¡­ ¡°Keep it down!!¡± Kazami¡¯s dignified shout pierced through all the protests. She took in a quick breath, raised her eyebrows, looked across everyone, and raised a hand. ¡°Listen carefully! We intend to look after every single Gear no matter what any of you think! We¡¯ve decided to look after you and understand you even if you reject us or hate us!¡± She breathed in again, her cheeks were slightly flushed after yelling, and she placed her hand on her chest. ¡°And I¡¯m sitting here as a representative of that. ¡­Top-Gear may have opposed us, but we will accept them too! That is why I rejected myself like that. As long as I¡¯m here, Low-Gear will accept anyone, no matter how much they oppose us!¡± Everyone grew quiet, but another voice reacted sharply to that silence. ¡°That sounds nice, but what if that turns out to be a deadly mistake for you? Hm?¡± As soon as Hajji spoke, Sf opened a new capsule. ¡°9th-Gear¡¯s representatives. ¡­One vote opposed.¡± Hajji did not stand up. He indicated his opposition with his posture and Sf unfolded the other vote. ¡°One vote opposed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just gonna be how it is.¡± The old manager scratched at his head and remained seated while his suppressed groan of a voice filled the room. But that was not all. ¡°Next, Top-Gear. ¡­One vote opposed and another vote opposed.¡± Sibyl¡¯s eyebrows drooped as she hung up five red flowers. Mikoku, who had a dog sitting next to her, and Tatsumi crossed their arms without standing. This put the vote at one in favor and five opposed. Sf then spoke again. ¡°6th-Gear.¡± ¡°Wait just a second.¡± Izumo stood up and only then did Sf speak. ¡°One in favor.¡± Boldman stood up, too. ¡°One in favor.¡± There were three white flowers now while the red remained at five. And a moment later¡­ ¡°2nd-Gear.¡± Kashima and Tsukuyomi moved before their name was called. As everyone watched, they assumed the two of them would stand to bring the tally to an even five each. But everyone gasped when they saw what actually happened. ¡°Sorry. We¡¯re pretty much the same as Low-Gear by this point, so we thought it would be safer to half reject ourselves like you did.¡± Tsukuyomi wrinkled her brow in a bitter smile from her seat while Kashima alone stood. ¡°One in favor. One opposed.¡± There were now four white flowers and six red ones. Top-Gear had the advantage. The gap remained the same with thirteen votes remaining, so everyone looked to the moderator¡¯s seat. ¡°1st-Gear.¡± Brunhild stood. ¡°One in favor.¡± She turned to look at Hajji and the others. ¡°With our other white vote, we¡¯ll be tied at six.¡± But she was answered by a sudden stir in the crowd. ¡°One opposed.¡± ¡°!?¡± She turned to look at the source of the stir. The black cat in the neighboring seat had not stood. Just as her surprise and something akin to anger left her speechless, a voice reached her from the dark audience seats. ¡°Do you understand why we did this, Brunhild?¡± ¡°If you say it was to protect yourselves, I¡¯ll abandon 1st-Gear right here, Fasolt.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t it. It really isn¡¯t, Brunhild. This was the decision our pride led us to.¡± He used his lung capacity to say it all at once with an admonishing tone. ¡°At the very least, some of us temporarily received the Army¡¯s help. They helped maintain Lord Hagen¡¯s Fafnir and found a hideout for the City faction. It seems they were acting on a few different personal grudges, but we must not forget what they did for us.¡± After all¡­ ¡°Without them, nearly half of us would have had nowhere to go and died.¡± Brunhild tightly clenched her fists as she listened. Part of her refused to accept that, but¡­ ¡­My role is to be the 1st-Gear representative that stands on Low-Gear¡¯s side! She used that thought to remind herself that she had not betrayed herself. So she spoke up before the black cat could say anything. ¡°Understood! It¡¯s true I couldn¡¯t have maintained Lord Hagen¡¯s body or found a hideout for us. And¡­I wouldn¡¯t have been able to cast an opposed vote like that!!¡± ¡°Brunhild,¡± said the black cat. ¡°Are you going to bully me?¡± Everyone ignored the cruelty that followed, so Sf went on to open the next capsule. ¡°3rd-Gear.¡± As soon as she read the Gear name, Miyako answered. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m opposed and Gyes is in favor.¡± Everyone looked to Miyako who remained seated. But she placed her arms behind her head and stared at the flowers on the whiteboard behind her. ¡°This makes six white ones for Low-Gear and eight red ones for Top-Gear.¡± Her tone was light and it did not seem to bother her that everyone¡¯s eyes were on her. ¡°This is how it had to be. I¡¯ll admit that Hajji guy pisses me off a fair bit, but without him, Apollo wouldn¡¯t have lasted long enough to meet me. And, well¡­¡± She turned to look at Gyes who stood with her eyes closed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s just say I wanted a reason to stay seated for the sake of the child in my belly.¡± Miyako slapped Gyes on the butt and Gyes cried out and frowned, but Miyako paid her no heed. She instead looked across everyone else. ¡°You heard me. Low-Gear is going to support us in the future, but it was that weird old guy that supported us in the past. ¡­That decision wasn¡¯t a mistake.¡± She released a relaxed sigh. ¡°Personally, I wonder if maybe the past and the future could get along with each other. Well, I guess that¡¯s too much to ask for.¡± No one could respond to her casual comment, but Sf did move on to the next votes. ¡°8th-Gear.¡± In the audience seats, Shinjou stared blankly at the whiteboard. There were six white flowers and eight red ones and 8th-Gear¡¯s were about to be added. ¡°One in favor.¡± Ooki held a second white flower in anticipation as she walked over to the whiteboard. ¡­With two more for Low-Gear, it will be eight each. That leaves 4th, 5th, and 7th. She assumed those three would side with Low-Gear. Top-Gear had a two vote lead, but she was certain they would catch up and overtake them. But¡­ ¡°One opposed.¡± Everyone in the audience around Shinjou seemed to rise from their seats a little. Several confused voices were uttered and Odor shouted at the lead. ¡°Why!? Why does Wanambi care about Top-Gear?¡± The answer was immediately displayed. On the floor in front of the representative seats, sand raced along like a snake and formed writing. ¡° ¡®Shinjou¡¯!?¡± Everyone read it aloud and Shinjou herself realized what it meant. ¡°Oh,¡± she said as she stood up and looked at the further writing. ¡°Go with¡± ¡°Shinjou¡± ¡°Child¡± ¡°Low-Gear¡± ¡°Top-Gear¡± ¡°Highest¡± ¡°Lowest¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be,¡± muttered Shinjou as she watched on with everyone else However, she also knew nothing could be done. ¡°Because I¡¯m a contradictory being, they did this to go with me?¡± Wanambi had chosen both sides to be with the person who belonged to both sides. ¡°¡­¡± I guess that makes sense, she thought while sitting back down. Her body felt oddly weak. ¡­Are we¡­in trouble? She wondered if it was her fault. ¡°¡­!¡± But she shook her head. No, she told herself. This was Wanambi¡¯s decision. And¡­ ¡°5th-Gear. One in favor.¡± Heo stood with her eyebrows slightly raised and Thunder Fellow¡¯s vote was as expected. ¡°One in favor.¡± Two white blossoms were added and they caught up. Low-Gear and Top-Gear both had nine votes. Shinjou exhaled and looked down at Heo who looked back and nodded. Heo¡¯s expectant gaze then turned toward the two plant creatures. There was a fear that the plant creatures would only count as a single vote because they were a single being. But¡­ ¡­One of them represents Mukiti. Shinjou told herself they would count as two votes and that Low-Gear would pull ahead here. ¡°4th-Gear.¡± She breathed in when she heard the name she was hoping for. The rest of the audience nodded in acknowledgment of the coming reversal. And Sf responded by reading the votes. ¡°Both votes¡­are invalid.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± said Heo. ¡°Wh-why!?¡± She spoke the question on everyone¡¯s mind and the two plant creatures placed their front legs on the desk. ¡°With Sayama.¡± ¡°The same. The same.¡± They looked at Heo, at their surroundings, and at Sayama. ¡°With Sayama.¡± ¡°Not different from Sayama.¡± Heo felt a chill run along her spine when she heard the creatures¡¯ innocent voices. She knew what they were thinking. ¡°So you¡¯re saying Sayama¡¯s vote¡­counted as yours?¡± ¡°Yes!!¡± Their excited answer received silence in response. ¡°4th-Gear not extra. With Sayama.¡± ¡°If add more, then different. Then not with.¡± Heo almost protested and said that would put Sayama in danger. But¡­ ¡°This is what 4th-Gear is, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes!!¡± ¡°Heo T understands!!¡± While feeling tension build in her heart, Heo saw the plant creatures nod. ¡­Wh-what¡¯s going to happen now? Both sides had nine votes for a total of eighteen. With two invalid votes, twenty votes had been used up. That left three votes. Sf nodded once and looked to the whiteboard. ¡°Please add the invalid votes as one in favor and one opposed. We do not want it to look like they had no say in the matter.¡± Ooki and Sibyl added an extra flower below the others but with a slight gap from those others. That made a total of twenty. ¡­Which leaves¡­ Heo¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she realized there were only three votes to go. Hiba listened as the automaton began to read the votes. ¡°7th-Gear.¡± However, instead of reading what they said, she held up the ballots. Both of them were blank. And with them held up, she asked Hiba a question as the proxy for the representatives. ¡°What is the meaning of this? I told you to press the front of the sphere against the ballot for ¡®in favor¡¯ and the back for ¡®opposed¡¯. Like 4th, have they refused to vote?¡± Hiba stood up. ¡°Um, how am I supposed to explain this? It¡¯s kind of complicated.¡± He hesitated, held his head in his hands, groaned, wrapped his arms round his body, wiggled, and bent backwards. ¡°Ahhh!!¡± ¡°Hiba boy, that is getting creepy, so stop.¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s creepy when I¡¯m not sure what to say!?¡± Sf nodded. ¡°Raise your hand if you think it is creepy.¡± Hiba hung his head when he saw everyone raise their hands and even saw Wanambi spelling out ¡°Raised hand¡± and ¡°Agree¡±. ¡°But I really don¡¯t know what to say. Maybe I should break the tension with a joke. ¡­Kazami-san, if you throw your chair, you won¡¯t have anywhere to sit.¡± He sighed and gave Sayama a troubled look. ¡°It would be so much easier if I could just say they¡¯re both votes for Low-Gear. ¡­Should I say that?¡± ¡°I have a feeling your careless question has ruined that plan.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Hiba thought back on what he had said and Sf spoke up. ¡°In other words, both votes are invalid?¡± ¡°Ahhh! I think I screwed this up!!¡± ¡°That does not matter,¡± said Sayama. ¡°Now, what happened? Why did 7th-Gear vote this way?¡± ¡°Well,¡± replied Hiba as he recalled the question-and-answer session and looked to the four spheres floating around him. ¡°They longed for a world they would never grow tired of. They found that world in Low-Gear, but¡­¡± This is what they decided, he told himself. ¡°They do not want a ruling organization. I think what they want is the heavens and the earth of Low-Gear, regardless of who is right or who is wrong.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama nodded and looked behind him. Hiba looked too and saw nine votes on both sides with two more a bit below those nine. But after all this, the votes remained perfectly even. ¡°That leaves¡­¡± began Sayama. Sf nodded, pulled the final capsule from the ballot box and tossed it into the air. ¡°This would be 10th-Gear¡¯s.¡± Kazami looked to the airborne ballot capsule and closed her eyes. Oh, crap, she thought. ¡­I hit her with everything I had a month and a half ago. If she votes for Top-Gear, will it be entirely my fault? ¡­No! Kazami shouted a rejection in her heart. She had G-Sp2 which contained 10th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core, so 10th could not neglect Low-Gear. ¡°¡­!¡± That¡¯s right, she thought while breathing in and opening her eyes. She looked to the left and saw Izumo beyond a few other people. That boy was Jord¡¯s grandson and he was on UCAT¡¯s side. ¡­Which means¡­ What? she asked herself. Her eyebrows rose as she gave a silent prayer: Don¡¯t let us win. She prayed while hoping that expectation would be betrayed. Hajji hid his mouth. He asked himself what was going to happen and received a rational answer. ¡­So this is how it ends. With the answer in mind, he crossed his arms again. At the same time, the automaton caught the falling ballot capsule. Everyone listened. ¡°10th-Gear¡¯s representative.¡± The automaton¡¯s voice read off the vote that would determine everything between the two Gears which were tied at nine votes each. Her emotionless voice filled the library. ¡°One vote for 10th-Gear.¡± Shouting broke out. ¡°What!?¡± asked some voices. ¡°Why!?¡± bellowed others. Some simply cried out in surprise. The loudest voice of all was Hajji¡¯s after he stood up. ¡°Jord!!¡± He breathed in. ¡°Explain yourself!¡± ¡°This is nothing worth getting upset over, Hajji. Have you forgotten the Concept War already?¡± Jord stood and looked across everyone with her chest calmly and proudly thrust forward. ¡°10th-Gear¡¯s gods are the strongest of any Gear, so we can¡¯t exactly let anyone rule over us. We will always stand at the top of the world, no matter where we are.¡± ¡°The possibility had occurred to me, but are you really trampling on the answers everyone else has-¡­!¡± Hajji began to step forward, but someone grabbed his hand to stop him. It was someone who had circled around to his side. ¡°Mikoku!?¡± ¡°Father, thank you,¡± she said. ¡°But didn¡¯t I tell you the results would be interesting?¡± Surprise filled Hajji¡¯s face when he saw her troubled smile. ¡°¡­¡± He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth just once. ¡°So I was the one that did not understand what I was seeing.¡± He took a breath. ¡°So this is the kind of balanced result the world wanted.¡± When she heard that, Shinjou ran down from the audience seats. She rushed to Sayama¡¯s side and unfolded a white cloth. It was the napkin on which Sayama had written his predicted results. She gasped and looked between the napkin¡¯s numbers and Sayama¡¯s slightly sweaty face. ¡°You were exactly right.¡± ¡°Of course I was. The world is mine, after all.¡± He grabbed Shinjou¡¯s hand and lifted it and the napkin into the air. ¡°The world is written here. And the hand holding it belongs to the girl who was born of that world. She truly is a child of god.¡± ¡°Are you still saying that kind of thing?¡± Shinjou ignored Kazami and the others who spread their collars and looked up in annoyance, but then she tilted her head. ¡°But¡­what happens now?¡± Hearing that, everyone looked to the whiteboard behind the representatives. Ooki and Sibyl¡¯s differently colored flowers were blossoming there. Eleven were red. Eleven were white. Jord¡¯s vote was considered invalid, so another white and red vote were added to each. Both sides now had an equal twelve votes. When they saw the numbers and colors, the elderly representative of some country¡¯s UCAT spoke quietly. ¡°Oh,¡± they said. ¡°It looks like flowers blooming on twin trees.¡± Another voice seemed to speak in agreement. The dignified voice belonged to Mikoku as she stood from Top-Gear¡¯s representative seat. She and the dog by her side looked to only one person: the boy in a suit who could be called her opponent. ¡°This is the answer reached by the Gears,¡± she said. ¡°And I have a suggestion.¡± ¡°What might that be?¡± calmly asked Sayama. Mikoku thrust out her right fist. ¡°We settle this. At this point, the Gears will accept whichever side wins. And with that in mind¡­¡± She made a decisive declaration as if to stifle all else. ¡°I wish to hold a battle between Top-Gear¡¯s and Low-Gear¡¯s representatives!¡± Surprised, everyone turned around toward a certain noise. The emotionless moderator automaton was clapping. ¡°An excellent suggestion. This will end the trial and vote and thus complete the scheduled meeting. So that we may all arrive at our respective conclusions¡­¡± She curtsied. All of the automatons present grabbed their skirts below the dim lighting and lowered their heads. ¡°Please bring this to an end.¡± Volume 13, 37: What I Want to Do Volume 13, Chapter 37: What I Want to Do Check on me a lot And let me check on you Because I want you to be with all of me Because I want to be with everything of you Darkness fell over Taka-Akita Academy¡¯s main gate. A large bulletin board for students was set up on the inside of that westward-pointing gate. It was used to summon students, inform of teachers¡¯ absences, post notifications of suspensions, and announce the results of club activities. Currently, the lights illuminated a single sheet of paper on the board. The imitation vellum was decorated with white and red artificial flowers and contained writing in ink. Notice: The Leviathan Road Meeting was concluded with equal approval ratings for both Top-Gear and Low-Gear concerning their intertwined history. As agreed to by both parties, five representatives of Top-Gear and five representatives of Low-Gear will conclude the root conflict via combat. If either side has insufficient representatives, a replacement can be made with approval from all other Gears. Top-Gear: Toda Mikoku ¨C Hajji ¨C Nagata Tatsumi ¨C Alex ¨C To Be Determined Low-Gear: Sayama Mikoto ¨C Izumo Kaku ¨C Kazami Chisato ¨C Heo Thunderson (Dan Harakawa) ¨C Hiba Ryuuji - The battles shall be carried out one-on-one. - The battles shall begin at noon on December 23. Weapon acquisition shall begin at dawn on December 23. - Each representative shall acquire a Concept Core weapon at this spot before the battles begin. - Each representative may freely choose a Concept Core weapon on a first-come, first-served basis. - A concept space shall automatically expand around each battlefield zone in Tokyo. - The traits of the concept space shall be influenced by the concept weapons contained within. - If a representative¡¯s Concept Core weapon is stolen or destroyed, they will have lost the battle. - The winner shall return their Concept Core along with the loser¡¯s Concept Core. ¨CDecember 22, 2005, Leviathan Road Meeting Moderator The bulletin board¡¯s surroundings were completely abandoned. Night was falling over the version of the front gate¡¯s bulletin board that had been split off into a concept space. Distant noise carried through the night sky. Small lights and shadows could be seen in a dark, dewy yard. The lights were in the backyard portion of the large yard. They were positioned in front of a small shrine set up near the fence and trees to the west. The garden lanterns on either side of the shrine had lit candles inside. A single photograph had been placed in the illuminated entrance of the shrine. It pictured a woman and her photographed eyes looked out at the boy and girl standing before the shrine. The boy had sharp eyes and wore a navy suit. The girl had long black hair and wore a white armored uniform. The girl took the boy¡¯s left hand and smiled. ¡°Mom¡­and dad. And grandpa, grandma, and even great-grandpa.¡± She nodded. ¡°Have you all been waiting?¡± She exhaled. ¡°Great-grandpa helped the Tamiya family, so they honored the surname Shinjou here. And it seems Sayama-kun¡¯s grandfather looked after you, too. So¡­¡± She closed her eyes. ¡°You were protected by some strange people, but that¡¯s why everyone is here, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun, I am not sure this is the time to slip in some oddly appropriate judgements.¡± ¡°I-I wasn¡¯t trying to do that.¡± Shinjou smiled, relaxed her shoulders, and spoke to no one in particular. ¡°Um, I had always thought I was alone.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded. ¡°I felt helpless, I cried all the time, and I¡¯ve done nothing but rely on you since I met you. But¡­¡± She opened her eyes, looked to the shrine, looked to the mountains and the lights of the city to the west, looked up into the night sky, and stared at the moon. She moved her gaze from the shrine that honored her surname, across the earth it stood on, and up into the heavens it connected to. ¡°I can¡¯t reach the moon, but this world only exists because of what my parents and those who came before them did.¡± So¡­ ¡°I always thought I didn¡¯t have parents, but if I truly hadn¡¯t had any¡­the world wouldn¡¯t be the way it is. And I don¡¯t think I would be the way I am either.¡± So¡­ ¡°I think some portion of the world was made by my parents¡¯ hands.¡± She squeezed Sayama¡¯s hand and looked back down to the shrine. ¡°I can¡¯t see them or speak with them anymore, but as long as this world exists, the things they did will live on and I can add on even more.¡± Which meant¡­ ¡°The world isn¡¯t our body. It¡¯s more like a creature that lives on with our deeds carved into it. The things we¡¯ve done will continue to exchange words in the world even if we¡¯re no longer here.¡± In other words¡­ ¡°The world is like DNA.¡± At that point, Shinjou slowly let out a crumbling breath. ¡°You know what, mom and dad? I care for you.¡± Her thoughts could no longer reach them and she wished she could meet them, but that was exactly why she said what she did. ¡°I will take care of this world. Because I want to see all of you, I¡¯ll take care of the world you all protected. So it¡¯ll reach you, won¡¯t it? What I do will pass through the world and reach what you did, won¡¯t it?¡± There was no answer to that question, but she still received one. ¡°It will.¡± She felt a squeeze on her hand and heard Sayama¡¯s voice. ¡°There is no way our thoughts will not reach the world.¡± She opened her eyes wide and turned to the side, but Sayama remained facing the shrine. ¡°Let us make the world ache, Shinjou-kun. If we work together, it will have twice the effect. No, you count as two people, so I will have to put in some extra effort to bring it up to four times.¡± ¡°T-two is enough. It just has to reach my mom and the others.¡± Sayama turned toward her and smiled in the moonlight. ¡°Then we can use the remaining two to make each other ache.¡± He took a breath. ¡°I see you as a single individual, so that is just perfect. Right, Sadagiri-kun?¡± He placed an arm around her shoulder and they turned back to the shrine together. He exhaled and the breath appeared white in the air. Realizing that their surroundings were cooling down, he spoke. ¡°The surname Shinjou is no longer alone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Shinjou looked to the shrine, blushed, and crouched down as if to show her white armored uniform to the small structure. ¡°How do I look? I wear this even when I¡¯m a boy. But I like this kind of clothing and I have someone who agrees I look good in it, so¡­¡± She did not say ¡°don¡¯t worry¡±. Instead, she smiled and said something else. ¡°Isn¡¯t that great?¡± She leaned up against Sayama and nodded toward the shrine. ¡°Now that I know that, I want to be with him.¡± After a short pause, she began to sing. This was the one thing she had remembered. It was the same song her mother had sung and she directed it toward the photographed smile in the moonlit shrine. Slowly but surely, the song continued. As the night grew darker, the festival¡¯s light and noise grew. Of all the colors on Taka-Akita Academy¡¯s brightly lit bulletin board, the largest was the notice for the night¡¯s costume dance party. It took place on the general athletic grounds that the students called the Big Emperor. The large sandy area was located directly ahead from the main road and it had been transformed into a four kilometer dance floor. The stands, decorations, daruma dolls, and other items no longer needed after the first half of the festival had been turned into a large bonfire in the center. Costumed dancers surrounded it in five circles sized extra large, large, medium, small, and extra small. The extra large circle was four kilometers across and its dancers ran quickly around while the extra small circle had approached within a meter of the blaze. They all danced to the light music club¡¯s original song Stand By Bon. The emotional cries of electric guitars accompanied the five-stage costumed Bon dance and the fire cast dancing shadows on the surrounding school buildings. The people watching the shadows of those dancing supermen or mystery men generally received a single impression. ¡°This looks like a demonic ritual meant to destroy the world.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from someone dressed like you, Brunhild.¡± Kazami looked over at Brunhild as the two of them stood in front of the clubhouse near the main gate. Brunhild still wore the black outfit she had worn to the meeting. She even wore the three-cornered hat and carried the scythe. However, she had more to say as she drank a bottle of tea she had bought at a nearby festival stand. ¡°You¡¯re not one to talk in that armored uniform.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t have anything else that looks like a costume. My band outfit was designed with more emphasis on being showy.¡± ¡°Showy? I think you mean indecent. How can you show your midriff in public like that?¡± The one who smiled bitterly at that was not Kazami. It was Izumo who stood on Kazami¡¯s other side. ¡°Still, Chisato, that outfit is going to stand out. Some people are going to recognize it, you know? There are quite a few UCAT members at the school, both as students and teachers.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Kazami turned toward him and suddenly tilted her head and glared. ¡°Kaku? Could you not carry around a surfboard wearing only a swimsuit at this time of year?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. I¡¯m dressed as Borderman, the new hero your old man¡¯s planning!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you mean Boarderman? To match the surfboard?¡± ¡°No, his name comes from how he always stops right on the border of unacceptable as he foments rebellion.¡± ¡°That is not stopping on the border! That¡¯s running straight past it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice how energetic you two idiots are, Kazami. But Izumo, were you serious about that?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He pulled some sunglasses from his swimsuit and put them on. ¡°Although not many of them are part of the special division. This is the standard place for the naturalized people to send their kids and they end up getting caught up in it somehow or another. And for some, it¡¯s just because their parents were in UCAT.¡± He crossed his arms. ¡°Also, I¡¯m sure most of the teachers are. And it isn¡¯t just the school. I¡¯m sure there are plenty outside too and I think the numbers are growing. Even among those younger than us.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kazami nodded and heard the drum and bass Taka-Akita Ondo, so she looked to the dancing and wriggling group beyond the flames. ¡°A lot of them aren¡¯t even wearing costumes.¡± ¡°It really is a demonic ritual, isn¡¯t it?¡± Brunhild tilted her head a bit. ¡°More importantly, where are the others?¡± ¡°Heo is probably enjoying herself somewhere in the festival and Harakawa will be with her. Hiba went on ahead to UCAT because he¡¯s worried about Mikage. As for Sayama and Shinjou¡­¡± Kazami looked to the graduation artwork visible as shadows on the distant schoolyard. ¡°They were dancing together, but then they saw the artwork their parents made and said they were going to the Tamiya house. Look, it was those creepy hands. There¡¯s one for each of Sayama¡¯s parents and one for Shinjou¡¯s mom.¡± She smiled, Brunhild said ¡°I see¡±, and Izumo said ¡°So that¡¯s where they are.¡± Kazami nodded at their replies. ¡°They¡¯re both idiots, but they¡¯re a good match.¡± ¡°The way I see it, idiots have a way of being a good match for each other.¡± ¡°Oh? Like you and that black cat?¡± Brunhild looked to the cat and it averted its gaze while backing away. Kazami sighed as she watched the girl swing down her scythe and dash after the animal. She then looked up at her partner. ¡°Kaku, let¡¯s go dance too. It is our last year here.¡± She pulled on his hand. ¡°Wait, wait,¡± he said as she pulled him along. ¡°What about my surfboard?¡± ¡°Just stick it in the ground somewhere.¡± He looked down at his outfit with a troubled look. ¡°But without the board, I¡¯ll look like a freak.¡± ¡°You already do!!¡± ¡°Hey, Sayama-kun?¡± Shinjou¡¯s voice filled the wooden room. She forced a smile below the dim light of a single lightbulb. ¡°Why was the futon already laid out?¡± ¡°Hm. It seems to happen automatically. That is the Tamiya house¡¯s detached room for you.¡± ¡°And. Who. Arranged. For. It!?¡± She repeatedly slapped the single futon and blanket. ¡°And it even has two pillows like for a couple!¡± ¡°Well, we will not need three for a while yet.¡± That comment left her speechless and her face rapidly grew red. She tried to say something. ¡°Ah¡­¡± But she found she could not put her thoughts to words and realized this had taken a turn for the worse. ¡°I-I¡¯m leaving.¡± She stood up while keeping her head lowered to hide her heated face. Still sitting on the futon, Sayama looked up at her. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°B-because¡­¡± She had difficulty gathering her thoughts. ¡°This isn¡¯t right. Something about it isn¡¯t right. It¡¯s, um, uh¡­¡± She had a single thought. ¡­It feels like we¡¯re making other people do things for us. I¡¯m such an awful girl, she thought. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. I am.¡± She took the first step, wondered what she was doing, wondered why she was not stopping, and started past Sayama. ¡°Wait, Shinjou-kun!¡± He moved in front of her and grabbed her to stop her. And he did so while still on his knees. His height meant his arms wrapped around the back of her thighs and his face pressed against her lower stomach. ¡°I cannot let you have that look on your face, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re looking when you say that!?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Your navel through the armored uniform, of course. And if I look up, I can see the silhouette of your breasts.¡± ¡°Y-you never listen! You need to be more open to what I¡¯m saying!¡± ¡°Then let us both be open.¡± He used his knees to spread her legs. With a defenseless zone below her body, she shrank back. However, he excitedly moved his knees further in. ¡°Now our coordinates are even closer! Not long until we are safely together!!¡± To prove that did not mean safety, she rained blows down on the top of his head. ¡°Y-you don¡¯t have any idea how I feel, do you!? I¡¯m going to keep this up until you lose all your extra lives!!¡± ¡°C-calm down, Shinjou-kun! I believe my life comes with no extra continues!¡± ¡°No mercy.¡± The next blow must have hit in just the right spot because Sayama groaned and shrank down. However, that movement stuck his face between her thighs. She cried out and tried to escape by pulling out her legs, but his arms were wrapped around the base of her thighs on the back side. He was also spreading her legs with his knees, so it could not have been more difficult to keep her balance. ¡°Y-you¡¯re latched on as tightly as some kind of mythical creature! Are you the mythical Crotch-Grabber!?¡± ¡°How could you cast such aspersions on the butt fairy!? Still, I think the mythical Old Thigh Man sounds better.¡± Hearing that, she frantically looked around. ¡°A spear. I need a spear. P-preferably something that can ward off evil!¡± ¡°While this is entertaining, you need to calm down, Shinjou-kun. With an emphasis on ¡®down¡¯.¡± Sayama lowered his arms. The arms that had been grabbing at her butt reached the backs of her knees instead and they pulled to send her tumbling down. She fell onto her legs and found herself sitting on Sayama¡¯s lap. ¡°See? There you go.¡± He grabbed her hands to help her balance in her slightly backwards leaning pose and he placed her hands on his shoulders which left her with no choice but to look at his face. That face was as expressionless as ever and he looked her directly in the eye before nodding once. ¡°Then let us leave, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Her body suddenly seemed to float. She cried out as Sayama¡¯s arms wrapped around her butt and the back of her knees. He then lifted her up. She panicked, but more at having her vision up so high than at being held. She leaned on his left shoulder and wrapped her arms around his head. ¡°W-we can leave?¡± ¡°Combining when the two are not in sync stereotypically leads to a failed combination or a combination accident.¡± ¡°But are you okay with us leaving?¡± I¡¯m sure he is, she thought with an inward sigh. With that in mind, she relaxed her shoulders. ¡°Maybe I was the only one worrying about Ryouko-san¡­¡± ¡°Oh, Ryouko? I do feel bad for what I did to her.¡± ¡°For what you did to her?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded and glanced down at the futon. ¡°Before leaving with you the day before yesterday, I laid out this futon. Ryouko was quite angry that I left nothing for her to do.¡± ¡°Oh? So you were the one that put it here.¡± ¡°Yes. I thought it would surprise you.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± she said again while resting on his shoulder. She then grabbed his head, lightly kicked his shoulder and chest, and leaned back in midair. ¡°Tell me that sooner!!¡± She sent a full-powered knee into his chest. Three minutes later, Shinjou was fixing the futon. Even though she complained, she could not deny that she was blushing and, when she turned around¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t know an expressionless face could be so filled with anticipation, Sayama-kun.¡± ¡°I cannot help it when I think about the fact that you are fixing our futon. It is just so sexy.¡± Don¡¯t let him trick you, she told herself while finishing up by correcting the positions of the pillows. She sighed and reluctantly scooted over toward him. ¡°Shinjou-kun, why not come sit here again?¡± He patted his lap, so she thought for a moment and looked to the four walls, the ceiling, and the window. ¡°No one¡¯s looking?¡± ¡°Ryouko would never allow it.¡± She gasped at that name but thought about what it must mean. ¡°I wonder if this is hard for her.¡± ¡°If it was, she would not be so affectionate toward you.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked. ¡°I hope you¡¯re right. Yes¡­¡± She sat facing him on his lap. He then removed his suit coat and placed it over her shoulders. After hiding her from their surroundings like that, he took her hands and wrapped them around his shoulders. ¡°Now, then.¡± And he embraced her. Before she could even breathe, he brought their bodies close and the inside of the suit coat tickled at her arms. So this is what boys wear, she thought just as he raised the head she had pressed against his shoulder. ¡°¡­¡± And their lips met. Wow, she thought. Woww, she added. Oh, wow, she also thought. The three thoughts combined into permission. His tongue came knocking at her lips and she wondered if that was the polite way of doing it. She accepted the tongue with her lips, embraced it with her own, and felt her tongue held close. ¡°Nn,¡± she breathed. He considerately pulled his lips away, but she pushed in to show it was fine. They twisted their bodies to deepen their greeting and seemed to form waves. ¡°Ah.¡± After parting, they spent a few seconds catching their breath. Even inside the room, their breaths were white. ¡°Are you cold, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not, but¡­ Ah, wait.¡± She started to remove his tie. ¡°I should remove this, shouldn¡¯t I? If I don¡¯t, I might end up strangling you.¡± ¡°I have a feeling your initial conditions there are not quite accurate¡­¡± They are, she told herself as she removed the tie and looked at him in his shirt. ¡°U-um¡­¡± She was unsure whether she should remove the shirt. She panicked when she realized she was blushing and thought back to their usual nights and evenings. ¡­Oh, he always removes his shirt himself. He would never remove his clothes before hers and he would only ever remove the bare minimum of his own. Wow, so this is my first time stripping him, she thought as she saw him nod. ¡°In our doujinshi, you always strip me from below.¡± ¡°What have you been reading!?¡± He had yet to find out that she had bought one of them on the pretext of needing reference material for her writing. ¡°Honestly,¡± she said to avoid the issue. She unbuttoned the shirt, starting at the top, and his skin gradually appeared below. ¡°S-Sayama-kun, you don¡¯t have to strike a pose for each button. You really don¡¯t. I-if you scare me¡­look, my hand is shaking and preparing to poke you in the eyes.¡± ¡°That is a dangerous way of expressing fear.¡± Before he had finished speaking, she had unbuttoned down to his navel. ¡­This is as far as I can go. She could have sworn steam was rising from between the hair hanging over her downturned head. Nervous sweat appeared on her back and neck, soon covered her entire body, and made her feel hot and damp. So to hide that fact¡­ ¡°U-um, I unbuttoned your shirt. Wh-what should I do now? Strangle you!?¡± ¡°Please stop strangling me to hide your embarrassment. And unfortunately for you, it is now my turn, Shinjou-kun.¡± Eh? she thought as he reached for the chest of her armored uniform. The soft material could be removed by pulling the clasps from the hem. ¡°Ah¡­¡± The thin inner suit was exposed, but he immediately used his fingernails to open it from her neck and down to below her navel. Her breasts were still covered, but everything from her sweaty throat to the flesh below her navel was bared. The suit clung to her, so the shape of her body was perfectly visible in the dim light. She looked to the necktie that had fallen between her breasts. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to remove my tie?¡± ¡°I have wanted to see you like this since I first met you.¡± ¡°Y-you like it partially clothed!?¡± As soon as she said that, he stuck his left arm below her waist and sent her tumbling backwards. ¡°Ah.¡± She now lay face-up on the futon. It worried her to only see the ceiling and the lightbulb in the darkness, but his face soon came into view and moved in close. ¡°¡­¡± As their lips met, he removed her shoulder armor, the suit below, and the skirt at her waist. Fighting it would do no good, but she did not want to just be at his mercy. That contradictory feeling led her to squirm and make his work more difficult while also pulling him closer to feel more of his warmth on her lips. She felt his left hand remove her inner suit and reveal her body below while leaving only the frame, armpits, side, and waist portions in place. He stripped the suit way by sticking his hand between the thin material and her skin. His slightly chilly palm would gropingly grasp her sweaty skin and his fingers would ticklishly wrap around her. ¡­My sweat. Her skin would bulge out between his grasping fingers and she felt like the moisture was being squeezed from her. It embarrassed her, which quickened her breathing. Her lips were sealed by his, so her breathing grew even more erratic and she sweated even more. His middle finger traced between her breasts, accurately followed the line down to her navel, pressed on her navel, continued further down, and then moved back up. He repeated the process with a set rhythm, but it soon grew random, which made Shinjou realize how impatient she was. ¡°No.¡± She breathed in. ¡°Quit teasing me.¡± ¡°Very well, but you seem to be misunderstanding something. Still, I will be gentler.¡± He did it more gently and she squirmed. Her sweaty breasts were exposed to the cool air, her bare stomach and navel rose and fell as she breathed, and he moved his hand to the bottom of her stomach. ¡°¡­¡± After a pause, she nodded. She did not close her eyes. She wrapped her left arm around his neck, placed her right hand on her mouth, and looked. She was being fully exposed. He removed the soft armor and she felt a chilliness reach the space from the joint between her legs to her butt. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Before she could say anything, their lips met once more and he swallowed her words. No fair, she thought while also feeling relieved. It was a troublesome combination. He then placed his fingernails on her stockings and tore them from the inside. ¡°Ah, w-wait! If you tear those¡­¡± ¡°Do not worry, Shinjou-kun.¡± He pulled something from the back pocket of his pants. ¡°I have spare stockings here. ¡­What is that look for? Do you have a problem with my assistance?¡± ¡°At this point, anything I said would be halfhearted¡­¡± ¡°You brought your own spares, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t ask that¡­¡± She then realized her exact state of undress. The front of the suit had been entirely stripped away and opened up. ¡°Can you see me, Sayama-kun?¡¯ ¡°Yes.¡± He moved back a bit and nodded. ¡°This is you, Shinjou-kun.¡± She nodded and he first brought his lips to her forehead. He then lowered them to her eyelid, nose, lips, throat, and collarbone. He both licked and pecked at her skin. ¡°You taste just like blood.¡± ¡°Stop¡­¡± He pressed his ear below her chest to listen to her pulse, held his cheek to her navel to feel her warmth, and¡­ ¡°Ah, S-Sayama-kun. U-um¡­ Any lower and¡­¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun, what good is practice if it is not as much like the real deal as possible?¡± He lifted her knees up and did as he had said. He did so carefully and she felt some dampness reach her down below. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She kept silent but trembled a bit, so he realized what she was thinking and spoke. ¡°I will make sure to do the same when you are Setsu-kun as well.¡± ¡°Ah, b-but¡­¡± ¡°People must be fair in all things.¡± Before she could protest, he did as he said, as if warming her body. ¡°¡­Ah¡­ah¡­¡± She gasped several times and the ticklishness and embarrassment caused her to raise her knees and bend backwards as if trying to escape. But she twisted too much and rolled over onto her stomach. ¡°Ah.¡± She frantically tried to get up and face Sayama again, but she could not gather any strength in her hips and collapsed. She sat with her spread knees on the futon and her body collapsed forward, so her hips were raised toward Sayama. ¡°U-um, Sayama-kun. This was, u-um, an unavoidable accident, so¡­¡± ¡°It would seem people have trouble knowing what to say when they are filled with too much happiness.¡± ¡°What kind of happiness are you talking about!?¡± She stretched her arms below her body and tried to hide the area between her legs, but Sayama grabbed those hands. She was lying face down with her butt lifted high into the air and now her hands were being pulled back between her legs. Before she could think anything, her upper body was pressed against the floor. Her knees were fixed in place as if opening toward her stomach, so the tug on her hands caused her back to arch backwards. ¡°S-stop, Sayama-kun. And being a butt spirit is no excuse¡­¡± ¡°Oh, so you finally accept the existence of my guardian spirit, Assmodeus III!?¡± ¡°I was only making a joke to hide my embarrassment, so don¡¯t respond like that!!¡± The spirit brought his lips in close. ¡°Hyah!¡± she cried and tried to move away, but her upper body and knees were held in place. Bending her waist was the most she could manage. As she twisted out of the way, the dampness would pursue and she gradually lost track of whether she was the chaser or the chased. There was nothing to be done about it and her stomach simply rose and fell as her entire body seemed to undulate. ¡­Ah. She realized she was lying on Sayama¡¯s suit. So she gave herself over to it. Her sweaty skin did not slip on the suit¡¯s material, so she buried her face in it as if entrusting her body to the cloth and sweaty friction. ¡°¡­!¡± A long tremor ran through her body, she breathed in a few times, and she entrusted her surging body to Sayama. She no longer tried to escape. She instead did as she pleased. And after some unknown amount of time passed, she realized the only remaining motion was the rising and falling of her shoulders. Ah¡­ she thought while twisting her limp body and wiping away the sweat now that she was free. She rolled onto her back and saw Sayama looking down on her from above. The embarrassment of realizing he had been looking at her this whole time brought tears to her eyes, but he smiled at her. ¡°You are beautiful, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re saying that again?¡± She looked up at his bare upper body and realized something. ¡°This is really not the time to make a joke, you know?¡± ¡°When have I made a single joke this entire time? We need to take this seriously, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°That really cooled me down¡­¡± ¡°Heh heh. It is so lovely how inconsistent you can be, Shinjou-kun. ¡­Perhaps I should try to do the same.¡± ¡°You mean you¡¯ll get even worse?¡± With that said, she relaxed her body. She let out a warm breath and removed her hand from her throat. She moved the hand down along her side and found him between her slightly raised knees. ¡°Honestly¡­ There¡¯s nothing to hide or any need to, is there?¡± ¡°There never was, Shinjou-kun.¡± He smiled. ¡°I have always been looking at you as you are.¡± ¡°Why does that sound so concerning coming from you? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± She smiled bitterly because her heart could not deny the heat and sweat covering her body. However¡­ ¡°Sayama-kun, are you sure you don¡¯t want my butt facing you? You are a butt spirit, after all.¡± ¡°But then I could not embrace you from the front.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± She felt a little relieved, but her cheeks also flushed. ¡°Then¡­ Can we do it that way later? I like it when you praise me.¡± He gave her a troubled look and seemed not to have expected that. ¡°For some reason, you seem to be under the impression that I am an indecent person.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t think that at all. ¡­What I think goes far beyond that!¡± ¡°Calm down, calm down.¡± He brushed up her bangs and stroked her head. She narrowed her eyes and he wrapped his left arm around her shoulder and toppled forward. She felt her raised knees pushed outward, so she raised her legs a bit to wrap them around his body. ¡°Sayama-kun, will you check on my body to the very end?¡± He smiled a little at that. ¡°I cannot do that.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°After all,¡± he said. ¡°There is also Setsu-kun and I never want to stop checking on you. We can¡¯t have today be the end.¡± So¡­ ¡°So I would like to continue checking on you forevermore.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± She breathed in, formed words from the feeling filling her chest, and raised her arms to embrace him. ¡°So do I!¡± As if to show his agreement, he held her tight and she realized her spoken wish had been granted. Volume 13, 38: City of Destruction Volume 13, Chapter 38: City of Destruction Let¡¯s make this exciting Below the midday winter sky, dried leaves blew by an abandoned gate of concrete and steel. It led to a school and contained a steel panel engraved with the name Taka-Akita Academy. A motorcycle was stopped in front of the gate. The 400cc Japanese bike had no driver. Its driver instead stood before the bulletin board near the gate. A sheet of imitation vellum decorated with artificial red and white flowers hung on the long board and a boy and several maid automatons stood before it. The boy listened to the red-haired automaton that stood in front of the others. ¡°You are the last one here, Hiba-sama.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, I didn¡¯t think the others would get moving so quickly.¡± ¡°Testament. It is true this has nothing to do with the others. ¡­Did you naturally oversleep?¡± ¡°No, um¡­ Are you mad, #8-san?¡± ¡°Automatons lack the emotion of anger.¡± #8 thought for a moment. ¡°But I do wonder why you are a step behind on such an important occasion.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Why are you apologizing? How many times must I tell you that I am not angry?¡± ¡°You¡¯re clearly really, really angry!!¡± The automaton next to #8 whispered something in her ear and #8 nodded before turning back to Hiba. ¡°That is true. ¡­Someone as delusional as you may be unable to understand our lack of emotions. But none of that really matters, so you had better please hurry up and complete your duty as a representative.¡± ¡°Sorry. And was that a command or a request?¡± She gave him a cold look, so he averted his gaze to the side. There, he spotted a festival stand with a hanging banner that said ¡°Concept Core Weapons¡± and more automatons waiting for him with a smile. ¡°Would you like play the lottery? Or how about target practice? If you hit, you win some liquid candy with your weapon!!¡± ¡°Oh, then I choose strip rock-paper-scissors!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t take it seriously!!¡± Meanwhile, a black-haired automaton carried a large silk bag over from the back shelf. She placed it on the counter and opened it to reveal¡­ ¡°7th-Gear¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Testament.¡± #8 walked over and looked at the four floating spheres. ¡°This is the final Concept Core. The other representatives have taken the others to their battlefields. ¡­You could say this Concept Core has grown accustomed to you after yesterday¡¯s question-and-answer session.¡± ¡°¡­They waited for me?¡± ¡°Testament. ¡­Though to be blunt, I think the others avoided them because they seem difficult to use.¡± ¡°Then what was that ¡®testament¡¯ for!? And that was just rude, even if it¡¯s true!!¡± As he shouted back, Hiba put the four spheres back in the silk bag. The white sphere attempted to escape and he had to grab for it several times before catching it, but he finally succeeded and placed the bag over his shoulder. He took a breath. After closing and then opening his eyes, his eyebrows were raised. He then bowed to the automatons. ¡°I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°Where to?¡± Hiba thought for a moment and looked toward his motorcycle. ¡°Maybe taking the train would be safer.¡± ¡°I am not interested in your motorcycle or your safety. I am simply curious where you are going.¡± ¡°Just generally to the east.¡± ¡°Testament. I have determined you have no plan.¡± ¡°Y-you were the one that asked! Just because you¡¯re lonely without Ooshiro-san around is no excuse!¡± Just as #8 frowned at his words, someone in a lab coat rolled forward out of some bushes to the side. ¡°#-#8-kun!¡± he shouted while still rolling. ¡°So you really are lonely without me!?¡± The automatons had been using a waterway to wash the dishes they used to make the liquid candy, so they opened the entrance to the waterway and Ooshiro smoothly fell right in like it was an open manhole. ¡°Ah, what!? I flowed right in as naturally as river water!¡± The automatons replaced the metal lattice cover, tied it shut with wire, and began washing the man away with the hose on full blast. #8 monitored the process for about three seconds but then turned back to Hiba. ¡°Hiba-sama, have you gone to see Mikage-sama?¡± ¡°Yes, last night. ¡­But I only got as far as the door to the room. They wouldn¡¯t let me see inside.¡± ¡°So she is still¡­¡± began #8, but Hiba smiled and nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as I¡¯m here, she¡¯s sure to wake up eventually.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± #8 finally smiled, brought her heels together, corrected her posture, and bowed. ¡°Then please get going, final representative. We are waiting for the results¡­the results for the entire world.¡± Starting in the afternoon, the Kinugasa Library had become a used book marketplace. It was mostly used by third years getting rid of books they no longer needed, but the unneeded textbooks were only the beginning. The books belonging to some popular people would be auctioned off and some clubs used the location to distribute manuals to passing certain classes or maps of the best peeping spots on campus. The lower parts of the stepped library contained the used book marketplace while the upper half contained the register and a rest area. In one corner of that rest area, someone in a school uniform sat by the counter. It was Shinjou and, instead of killing time or chatting, she was using the space to type on her laptop. Her long hair was tied back with a ribbon and she swayed back and forth with a small tempo while typing. She typed quickly and the words appeared on the screen faster than one could speak them. And as she typed¡­ ¡°Heh heh¡­¡± She suddenly laughed quietly and the IME chose the wrong character. She quickly fixed it, but her loose smile remained. ¡°I¡¯m like Ooki-sensei, aren¡¯t I?¡± That¡¯s a dangerous thing to say, she thought, but she did not stop typing. She was writing a novel. It was her own private work and it was based on the things she had seen and heard. The story created a kind of answer for her. She had taken as many of the things she did not understand as she could and included them as mysteries. Through that, the answer was coming into view. She had come this far like that and today was going to be her last day of writing. She had spent a month and a half on this and she had reached the blissful last spurt. This would be her first complete work. She wanted to treat it with care, but her desire to enjoy the process allowed her to type with such great speed. It seemed contradictory that letting herself have fun with it was allowing her to finish it more quickly, but she still gave into that speed. The festival music seeped in from outside. The voices and footsteps of classmates, underclassmen and upperclassmen surrounded her. She heard a song inside herself. And lastly, she knew Sayama was nearby. He had chosen the school as his battlefield. He had made a concept space out of the large schoolyard and he waited there for his opponent. They did not know who his opponent would be, but¡­ ¡­I¡¯ll wait here for him. I¡¯ll wait until he comes back, she decided. He always came to her. He was sure to come and be with her. So I¡¯ll trust in him and wait, she thought while pressing her feet against the ground. Her legs threatened to tremble if she grew distracted, so she held them down and breathed in. She straightened her posture, listened to her surroundings, sang in her heart, and moved the story along in her thoughts. She engraved the story in electrons to store it all here. The words were a song and the expressions her imagination. Her thoughts would be conveyed, but who would they reach? With the keyboard as her instrument, she calmly played her story and all it entailed. She trusted that it would all be okay. She trusted that her story would get through to him even when they were not together. The JR Chuo Line cut east to west through Tokyo and it converged with many other lines at Shinjuku Station. One of those was the JR Yamanote Line which circled the city center as a beltline. The line circled north and south from Shinjuku, but both directions passed through Ueno, Harajuku, and Ikebukuro before returning to Shinjuku. The railway formed an infinite loop, the trains were constantly busy, and once evening arrived, it began to fill with men and women in suits leaving work early or students finished with club activities. As one train approached Shinjuku while circling northward, something in one train car was in everyone¡¯s way. It was a large boy who carried a surfboard case as tall as he was. He wore a brown coat and stood by the door, but his wide shoulders reached the pole at the edge of the seats and the top of the surfboard case reached the ceiling. Those in suits and school uniforms all kept their distance from him. But suddenly, the boy looked to the surfboard case he carried on his back. A portion of the case was made from clear plastic. The inside was mostly dark, but a green glowing word was visible inside. ¡°Lonely.¡± ¡°Yeah, Chisato isn¡¯t here.¡± Izumo looked out the window and into the sky. Even higher up than the advertisement blimp in the northern Shinjuku sky, he saw a few airplanes. Those were the information-gathering planes the UCAT automatons had sent out to keep track of the battles. The radomes were used to detect concepts and gather information from within concept spaces, so the planes were linked with Kanda, the Japanese UCAT underground headquarters, and American UCAT in Yokosuka to provide reports on the progress of the battles. ¡°So we have an audience as we fight over the world, do we?¡± ¡°Excited?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± He smiled bitterly as he spoke and the surrounding people backed further away. Some girls in school uniforms spoke from the edge of a group of office workers. ¡°That guy¡¯s been talking to his surfboard and grinning.¡± ¡°Ugh, he stinks.¡± That doesn¡¯t make sense, he thought while remembering that his own partner would still hit him even when it did not make sense. ¡­I just don¡¯t get girls. Just as he thought that, someone pushed their way toward him from behind the group that was attempting to keep its distance. Oh, c¡¯mon, he thought with a frown. The people before him thinned out as if being worked apart and the area grew lightly congested. The source of the wave of congestion came from the entrance to the next train car. Someone stood there. It was a slender-faced woman with long black hair and white skin. She looked human, but Izumo¡¯s discerning eye told him she was a doll. This was a doll made by Top-Gear. She wore a black maid uniform, including the hair decoration. Also¡­ ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little tall?¡± Izumo crossed his arms as he referenced the fact that the maid doll was just as tall as he was. Her slender and well-featured form was clearly over a head taller than the surrounding crowd. Everyone else tried not to look at her, but they could be seen glancing over at her. The girls behind the office workers spoke again. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s some real cosplay. ¡­She¡¯s so tall and cool.¡± Oh, c¡¯mon. I¡¯m just as tall as her, thought Izumo. At the same time, a sound reached him inside the shaking train: footsteps. Rather than stomping or making too much noise, the maid doll walked toward him as quietly as the ticking of a clock. She walked straight forward and maintained a tip-toed posture that avoided stepping on her heels. The crowd parted to let her through and the footsteps arrived right in front of Izumo. She¡¯s huge, he thought while looking farther down than her head. ¡­If those breasts were real¡­ No, wait. Could you use evolutionary theory to say her breasts grew to match her height? So this is the wonder of Top-Gear bust technology. But wait. The more slender she is below the chest, the bigger any ¡°surface attachments¡± look and these really shouldn¡¯t just be called ¡°big¡±. They should be called ¡°BIG!¡±, so¡­ ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re looking?¡± ¡°Oh, you can talk? I¡¯m having some pretty deep thoughts right now, so check back later.¡± ¡°Hold on, little boy. Are you okay?¡± Recognizing the voice, Izumo frowned. ¡°That old factory manager is controlling her remotely? So you¡¯re their replacement representative. What a letdown.¡± ¡°Yeah, probably. Anyway, this is the latest model and she can do a lot automatically. It¡¯s a Top-Gear semi-automaton.¡± ¡°Top-Gear claims they¡¯ll accommodate all of the Gears, but it looks like you¡¯re out of luck if you don¡¯t like them big.¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks to the postwar backlash, I actually like America a fair bit.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, old man. I¡¯m gonna tell your wife you said that.¡± Izumo and the maid doll laughed and slapped each other¡¯s shoulders, but soon grew serious and pressed their foreheads together. ¡°You¡¯re gonna die, old man. What¡¯s this America nonsense? I¡¯ll feed you to a Holstein!¡± ¡°Shut up or I¡¯ll have to make you cry, brat. You don¡¯t know how we struggled after the war, so you don¡¯t have the right to talk about plentiful America!¡± ¡°The hell did you say? Did you forget that Chisato destroyed your argument and beat you quite spectacularly? ¡­And now you show up as a doll with huge but fake breasts? Are you trying to trick me!?¡± ¡°Yes, and I¡¯m pretty damn sure I succeeded earlier.¡± The two of them continued pressing their foreheads together. ¡°This is pretty deep.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ it is.¡± They exchanged a glance, nodded, and pulled back from each other. ¡°How about we get this started in the shopping district?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± A moment later, the train began to brake to stop at the station. It shook and the people did as well. Everyone inside cried out a bit and braced themselves. At some point, the two people standing by the door had vanished. In Japanese UCAT¡¯s Kanda Laboratory, an automaton gave a quick report. ¡°Izumo-sama has made contact with the enemy! Concept space expansion complete.¡± As soon as the automaton with short brown hair finished speaking, red dots appeared on the map of Tokyo displayed on the ceiling. There were two dots: one for Izumo and one other. They all faced the consoles they had used in the battle against Black Sun and a report arrived via shared memory that one of the surveillance planes flying above Shinjuku had flown into the concept space. A staticky voice reached them. ¡°This is #21 of Relay Team 1, positioned above Shinjuku.¡± As if in response, movement filled the large room below Kanda. It came from #8 and Ooshiro who sat at the large console in the center. After clearing her throat, #8 spoke. ¡°We will now bring you the series of five battles that Low-Gear and Top-Gear are fighting over the right to use the Concept Cores. Commentary will be provided by me, Japanese UCAT¡¯s automaton #8, and¡­¡± She turned toward Ooshiro. ¡°Well, just me.¡± ¡°#8-kun! Th-that was just mean! And I think your announcement grew a little fuzzy there!!¡± She ignored him and turned the microphone back to herself. ¡°This broadcast is sponsored by American UCAT, ¡®The World Police¡¯, and sent from Japanese UCAT, ¡®Those who give even the unneeded a chance¡¯. Now¡­¡± She took a breath. ¡°How are things on the scene?¡± The battle began with a slash. In the empty train, Izumo grabbed the contents of the surfboard case on his back. ¡°Ohhh!¡± He immediately swung it down from overhead. The blade sliced through the case and the long seat behind him. With multiple sounds of destruction, the roof split open in a full moon arc and materials scattered everywhere as the attack continued on its way. The blade approached its enemy. The maid doll lowered her hips defensively as the sword threatened to slice her in two. And she fearlessly stepped toward Izumo even as he sent pieces of the surfboard case flying and swung down V-Sw. Wind blew in through the split in the roof and the evening sky came into view. The maid doll pulled a thick knife from below her apron and stayed low as she approached. But at that moment, Izumo stepped toward her with his right foot. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± The step extended his reach and took the form of a kick straight toward the maid doll¡¯s face. He would counterattack with the kick and swing down his sword as she was knocked back. But the maid doll continued forward nonetheless. She nimbly jumped up onto Izumo¡¯s leg. ¡°Seriously!?¡± She moved a few steps up his leg with lowered hips and the knife was pulled back at the ready in her right hand. Izumo could not evade. The motion as he swung down his sword would stab himself with the knife. The knife approached, but Izumo reacted. He slid his back pivot foot forwards as if forcing himself down into a sitting position. He took a sliding stance, his front leg fell down to the knee, and he lost sight of the maid doll on that leg. Still lying on the ground, he used both hands to swing V-Sw down toward his own knee. This would have hit the maid doll, except she used the instant to jump straight up toward the opened ceiling. ¡°You¡¯re running!?¡± As soon as he shouted, the train passed through the next station without slowing and continued toward Shinjuku. The maid doll vanished as if passing through the wind. She was now beyond the ceiling and beyond the evening sky. ¡°Dammit!¡± Izumo used V-Sw¡¯s centrifugal force to try to stand up. ¡°?¡± But he realized something had fallen near him. A light sound came from a red cylinder with sparks flying from one end. ¡°Hold on. That looks just like cartoon dynamite.¡± Immediately following that observation, explosive flames enveloped the train car. The maid doll stood atop a train in the setting sun. She was on the front end of the third car. Black smoke trailed from the car behind her, but she paid it no heed. The train was approaching Shinjuku Station. After slipping below the tall station building, the train entered the shadows. In the darkness, the train passed right by the platform it would normally stop at and reentered the evening sunlight. From here, the train would travel to the Ikebukuro region. And just as the train passed that point on the right, the maid doll saw something to the side. Someone was running along the platform fast enough to keep up with the train. ¡°You¡¯re still alive, boy?¡± It was Izumo. He had expanded charms around his body as he ran and the maid doll saw V-Sw in his hand. She looked back to the blown-up car and saw a large hole torn near the door. ¡°So you broke through with that huge thing just before the explosion, did you?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± Covered in soot, Izumo ran alongside the train, sped up even further, and grabbed V-Sw in both hands. ¡°Hey, how about you start taking this seriously? You¡¯ve got a Concept Core, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re gonna regret asking that.¡± The maid doll expressionlessly reached for her back, pulled something out, and swung it below the light of the setting sun. ¡°Gram. I¡¯ll be using 1st-Gear¡¯s power of writing.¡± The maid doll held a magic marker in her left hand and raised Gram in her right. Izumo jumped down from the platform and continued running alongside the train. As he made his way along the concrete elevated structure, he thought about the traits of his and his opponent¡¯s weapons. ¡­Gram can give form to writing. V-Sw could regenerate and evolve the things it destroyed. The concept space was set up so both powers could be used to their fullest. Izumo would be able to use Gram¡¯s power to an extent and the maid doll would be able to use his power to an extent. And on the train¡¯s roof, the maid doll raised Gram and wrote something on it with her marker. ¡° ¡®Form¡¯? What is that supposed to do!?¡± When she heard that question, the maid doll¡¯s expression changed in the wind. She smiled. She then adjusted her grip on Gram. It almost looked like she was going to stab it into her own gut, but she instead let it pass below her arm and toward the western sky. ¡°Do you know what the western region between Shinjuku and Ikebukuro is called?¡± Izumo thought and frowned. ¡°Hyakunin-cho¡­¡± ¡°Exactly right, boy!!¡± The maid doll stabbed Gram into the air. A sword should not have been able to stab into empty space, but Gram did just that with a roar. A moment later, white cracks ran through Hyakunin-cho¡¯s sky. The surveillance plane flying through the concept space attempted to move away from the oddity. Inside, some automatons were monitoring the situation below. ¡°If we move away, the accuracy of our scans will drop!!¡± ¡°Please try to understand. This is a battle between weapons that support entire worlds. Get too close and we would be destroyed in an instant.¡± The pilot automaton gave control instructions by mouth while conversing via shared memory. However, her thoughts received no response from the surveillance automatons. She tilted her head when only silent static arrived. ¡°What is the matter?¡± ¡°Oh, um, well¡­ I think the surveillance equipment may be malfunctioning. From the moment Gram stabbed into the air, the sensors¡¯ meters have maxed out. ¡­But that would mean¡­¡± Some time passed and the pilot determined it to be hesitation. After hearing a breath, the automaton looking at the surveillance equipment gave a panicked shout. ¡°Here it comes! Gram is activating!!¡± Her voice grew to a scream. ¡°The world is going crazy!!¡± ¡°Come forth, One Hundred Dolls!!¡±[1] As soon as the maid doll swung Gram as if pulling it from the air, Izumo looked to the buildings and roads spread out below the elevated train track. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± They all stood up. Dolls made from the city itself tore themselves from the earth. A din of destruction filled the air as a literal one hundred of them stood. Those city dolls had no faces and their arms and legs had no definite form, but they were all about twenty meters tall. However, the maid doll did not even watch them stand. Instead, she wrote ¡°Bullet Train¡± on Gram. ¡°How about you deal with them!?¡± As soon as she stabbed the blade into the still-smoking train, its speed increased dramatically. Its motor sounded loudly, its horn blared, and the bullet train shot forward. It was now moving much too quickly for Izumo to keep up, even with his charms. ¡°Dammit!¡± As he cursed, he saw the last train car pass by to his side. The train vanished up ahead and a single sight remained for him. ¡°¡­!!¡± The hundred giant dolls raised telephone poles and signs as they charged in at him. The maid doll lowered down atop the accelerating train. The wind was so strong that even standing up would blow her away. ¡°How fast have bullet trains gotten these days?¡± As she muttered to herself, the maid doll heard something. The hundred dolls made from the city had crashed into the elevated train track. That cut off the power lines and the acceleration came to an end, but the train was still moving plenty fast and it was already on the straight line to the Ikebukuro region. The maid doll saw what she needed to win in Ikebukuro. She then checked behind her. The hundred dolls were a material weapon created by combining V-Sw¡¯s destruction and rebirth with Gram¡¯s writing concept. She saw those dolls forcefully destroying the elevated track and continuing to run. A few of them had destroyed themselves by running into the track, but over ninety of them still remained. The sounds of shattering glass, smashed asphalt, and breaking building materials rang loud. They came together as a tremor of rushing footsteps and created an advancing force of all-around destruction. It was a great din. But the maid doll noticed that the hundred dolls had stopped their advance. ¡­That means the kid must still be alive. She made a visual search and indeed found her enemy. He was no longer on the elevated track. Instead, Izumo flew through the air in his white armored uniform. He had likely activated a few dozen charms at once to perform a great leap that smashed the elevated track below his feet. An explosion of water vapor surrounded him in the sky to the east of the track. The stress this great leap put on his body was apparent even from the outside. Blood seeped from the base of his clenched teeth and blood spurted from the muscles in his arms that he had torn from overexertion. All that effort had earned him a brief reprieve at an elevation of one hundred meters. But the hundred dolls were already running toward his landing spot. They raised their hands toward the sky to seize Izumo¡¯s life and raced through the streets even as their movements destroyed their own bodies. The maid doll realized it was all over. Izumo would definitely need to catch his breath once he landed. No matter how tough his body was, a one hundred meter leap would have to do some kind of damage. The dolls would then rush in and perform countless several hundred ton body presses, effectively ending it. Just as she decided this was as far as it would go, a voice reached her from the sky. ¡°Hold on there! This isn¡¯t even close to over!¡± She looked up toward Izumo¡¯s voice and saw his white sword had fully opened. ¡­He¡¯s going to make a max power strike? That seemed like a stupid idea to her. The rules of destruction and rebirth were in effect. V-Sw ruled that power, so destroying the dolls with them would only return them to their original urban form and an attack measured in the hundreds of meters could never destroy every last one of the hundred dolls. A few of the dolls had noticed Izumo¡¯s intention, so they began hopping to the side in repeated feints. However¡­ ¡°Hey, I think you¡¯re forgetting something important here!¡± Izumo swung his great sword in midair, but not at the hundred dolls. He swung it at the city itself. He repeatedly struck at the city between Ikebukuro and Shinjuku. He carved in lines of light that formed writing. ¡°Do you know what this part of the city is called!? Do you!?¡± Izumo made the final stroke to complete the three characters torn into the group of buildings below. ¡°Ookubo!!¡± A moment later, the five hundred square meter section of the city stood up and became Ookubo. As he fell, Izumo looked at the giant hand growing up from the earth. ¡°Come on out, Ookubo!!¡± The district of the city known as Ookubo stood up while taking Waseda University¡¯s College of Science along with it. The college¡¯s sports ground formed a giant hand that caught Izumo. Once Ookubo stood up, he was over two hundred meters tall. Wind wrapped around him and the speed of his rise created explosions of water vapor at different points on his body. When the maid doll saw him, she cried out. ¡°Who the hell is Ookubo!?¡± ¡°How should I know!? I was really hoping I¡¯d get to do this in Kabuki-cho!¡± A moment later, Ookubo struck a triumphant pose with Izumo standing on his right palm. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± And he roared. The hundred dolls crashed into his legs, but Izumo ignored them and yelled. He let out a rough breath and swung up V-Sw. ¡°Punch them, Ookubo!!¡± Ookubo bent over and struck the ground down below. The left fist smashed the ground, the next strike split the city, and the following ones sent the dolls scattering. The overwhelming attack noisily broke the dolls to pieces, but the hundred dolls remained resolute. Without fearing destruction, they began beating on Ookubo¡¯s shins with telephone pole bats. ¡°Bear with it, Ookubo!¡± But then they began striking his little toe with telephone pole hammers. ¡°I know what it¡¯s like, Ookubo!! Kick them, Ookubo!¡± Ookubo kicked up from below. The speedy kick had a radius of one hundred meters and the foot at the end easily broke the sound barrier. The vicinity of Kabuki-cho was thrown into the air in a single strike, the hundred dolls were sent flying by the shockwave, and they destroyed the elevated track or the large buildings around Shinjuku Station as they did. A doll made from an apartment building collided into the Tokyu Building, creating a cascade of broken glass. Another doll flew head-first into the side of the Keio Department Store, sent a caf¨¦ on the upper floors flying out into the air, and broke out the opposite side. Others rolled along the ground, destroying the city as they did, and turned the entire Shinjuku region into a zone of destruction. But amid all that noise, the train carrying the maid doll entered Ikebukuro. Izumo caught his breath on Ookubo¡¯s arm and looked north. While facing the various buildings of Ikebukuro, he pulled his cellphone from his pocket. And after a moment¡­ ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± said a voice. ¡°Oh, the idiot, huh? ¡­I¡¯m guessing you¡¯d know better than Chisato, so what kind of land is Ikebukuro?¡± ¡°It is my land. It has my name written on it. In my atlas.¡± ¡°Try a little harder next time. Anyway, I¡¯m in the Shinjuku area right now.¡± ¡°Yes, Hyakunin-cho and Ookubo-cho are there, aren¡¯t they? The dumpling shop in front of Hyakunin-cho¡¯s shrine and the soba shop in front of Ookubo Station are both quite delicious.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already used both of those.¡± ¡°What an odd turn of phrase,¡± said Sayama. ¡°But anyway, Ikebukuro contains Tokyo¡¯s famous Sunshine 60. That giant building was built on the site of Sugamo Prison which held war criminals during World War Two. Sounds like a place our enemies would like, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Izumo nodded. ¡°Sorry, I just found something I need to do.¡± He hung up and faced forward. He had ended the call for a simple reason. The tallest building in Ikebukuro and all those around it had suddenly started blasting explosive flames from near their base. ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon. I have no idea what¡¯s going on anymore.¡± The maid doll stood on the Sunshine 60¡¯s wall as the setting sun washed over it. She was supported by her own two legs and Gram which was stabbed into the building¡¯s wall. The sixty story building was shooting smoke from its large-scale ground floor. That white smoke was the smoke of a launch. And this was not restricted to the Sunshine 60. One hundred of the surrounding buildings, hotels, department stores, etc. were all trembling and shattering at the bottom while blasting smoke toward the earth where it spread out and produced great wind and noise. The structures of reinforced concrete were producing that explosive smoke for a single reason: the words written on Gram. ¡°Go! Super-Ultra ICBMs!!¡± The Sunshine 60 shook in the light of the setting sun. It vibrated, produced an even louder roar than the surrounding buildings, and slammed smoke into the earth. The smoke filled the parks in every direction, blew away the cars stopped in the roads, and collided with nearby buildings. The tremor shattered the high-rise¡¯s windows, the resonating roar did the same to the surrounding buildings, and the packaged structures like convenience stores were easily knocked over. Wind blew and the earth trembled. ¡°Fly!¡± shouted the maid doll while writing on Gram with her pen. ¡°Willpower!!¡± As soon as the extra word was added, the willpower-driven Super-Ultra ICBM began to float. The sixty-story building was over two hundred meters tall and it briefly stopped in midair as if hesitating, but¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± All of the tallest structures in Ikebukuro, a group of buildings with numbers reaching triple digits, tore free from the foundations binding them to the earth. With a destructive launch, all of the buildings flew up into the sky in perfect synchronization. A few of the automatons cried out as they viewed their consoles below Kanda. ¡°Impossible!!¡± Dozens of orange lights had appeared on the ceiling map to indicate giant flying objects. All of them were large missiles made from vertically-rising buildings. The concrete and glass formed the outer shell and the shops and products inside formed the explosives. ¡°The city¡­is flying?¡± blankly asked one automaton. #8 nodded. ¡°Originally, this power could make an entire world fly,¡± she said. ¡°And this is the power of one of the enemies we fought for so long during the Concept War.¡± Glass shards scattered like rain at sunset while the buildings loudly accelerated toward the heavens. They were all wrapped in massive rings of water vapor and they broke through those rings to continue their skyward journey. An ICBM made its way to extreme high altitude before dropping back to earth. The maid doll used Gram to stand on the side of the Sunshine 60 as it rose vertically toward the transparent evening sky. With the Prince Hotel, securities building, and other structures accompanying them, it felt like an ascending battleship. ¡°The weapon that symbolized the Cold War is flying from the place where World War Two ended. Clever, don¡¯t you think?¡± The rapidly-moving buildings broke through the clouds. The massive white and gray objects destroyed the clouds and danced through the sky like a pod of whales leaping from the sea. The buildings soared up from the clouds and slowly formed their downward-facing trajectories. They drew parabolic arcs, their hard bodies groaned, and the containers measuring in the hundreds of meters pointed back toward the ground. They fell straight down. Their target was Shinjuku, where Izumo was. To correct their course as they plunged back into the clouds, the maid doll twisted Gram like a joystick. The buildings responded by surrounding themselves in a thin gust of wind and turning completely upside down. They faced downwards. The Sunshine Hotel as well as the Prince Hotel and other buildings began to fall as if eager to continue on. Crimson light and shimmering heat came from their bases and the tallest building fell with the others joining it. The elements of one district dropped toward another. The clouds became a cold mist as they plunged into them. Once they passed through the other side of the clouds, Shinjuku and the rest of Tokyo came into view. The tallest missile which took its name from the sun only began to move after seeing the others begin. And then the massive structure accelerated. White mist trailed from every corner on the front end as the colossal warhead advanced. As if pushing on the smaller warheads which had gone on ahead¡­no, as if greeting them, the representative of Showa era Japan¡¯s architectural technology headed toward Tokyo. It lined up alongside the Prince Hotel but did not hesitate. ¡°We¡¯ll be going on ahead.¡± The maid doll gave an informal salute and passed the hotel by. This time, all sixty stories of the giant falling structure were awash with the sunshine for which it was named. The ground was visible. Even the distant Imperial Palace could be seen from this height. The cars were stopped, so the exhaust-stained air was washed clean by the wind and the city grew clear. This city had been firebombed during the war and had grown upwards after the war, so none of its prewar form remained. On top of that, the Shinjuku region had been destroyed by the previous battle. But that will end here, thought the maid doll on the side of the building that began to accelerate in its fall. This one strike would end it all. He had lost to Kazami during the Army¡¯s attack, but he was stubborn enough to write off what she had said as the ramblings of a child. Those were things he had thought countless times but had never been able to believe. But, he thought with a small smile of resignation. ¡°I¡¯ll believe in it a little. ¡­That¡¯ll give what I¡¯m doing here some purpose.¡± The fall was truly underway now and the Gs were strong enough to almost blow the maid doll upwards. But the building continued on. Pieces of itself, its contents, and smoke scattered from it as the Ikebukuro-launched high-rise building fell toward Shinjuku. It seemed to be announcing that Shinjuku was its rightful place. Acceleration pushed the fall onward. The wind blew up from below and produced a deafening roar. The streets of Shinjuku had already come into view. The setting sun lengthened shadows, but there were no shadows in that torn-up and smashed land. The maid doll smiled bitterly at the fact that actual dirt was visible. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with modern days. Cities are the makeup people put on the earth.¡± And¡­ ¡°We were the ones who made all that!!¡± They continued down. The shockwave of impact and the explosion of the massive structure would at least annihilate Shinjuku. Only the earthen crust would remain. As long as the maid doll wrote the word ¡°barrier¡± on Gram just before the explosion, she would be fine. The building was now less than a kilometer from the surface. Its acceleration continued and would reach its peak in the instant of impact. ¡­End it. End our war, thought the maid doll. And in that moment, she saw movement through the wind. A figure was moving toward the point of impact. The figure was running and destroying Shinjuku in the process. It was Ookubo. Izumo had Ookubo run to a certain spot. That was where the ICBMs launched from Ikebukuro would hit. That spot represented modern Tokyo. It was Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Izumo had Ookubo come to a rapid stop in front of modern Japan¡¯s tallest building. A roar filled the air as Ookubo stomped a foot down into an underground mall, gently slid to a stop, and held Izumo out toward the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Izumo lowered his hips to bear with the inertia, but he did not lose sight of his enemy. The giant shadow was not far above him now. The shaking of the air was enough to shatter the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building¡¯s windows, but Izumo did not care. He stared up at the falling object that was so large that it did not seem to be accelerating at all. ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool.¡± He quickly raised his brush. This bladed brush was named V-Sw and held the power of destruction and rebirth. ¡°But I¡¯m more modern than you!!¡± He swung V-Sw again and again. The front face of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building shattered, concrete and glass flew everywhere, and words took form. ¡°A real man¡¯s gotta go with one of these!¡± A shout from the surveillance plane reached the Kanda Laboratory. ¡°Izumo-sama has finished writing! It says¡­¡± A pause. ¡°¡®Beam Cannon¡¯!!¡± An electrical discharge raced between the twin towers at the top of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. The bluish-white electricity linked in the twilight and created a massive incidence of ball lightning. The discharge suddenly vanished and only the ball lightning remained. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± A moment later, the twin towers of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building shattered. They did so for two reasons. The enormous structure falling from above had struck them and a ring of bluish-white light had shot from the ball lightning in every direction. A light sound filled the air and it sounded a lot like an inhalation. At the same time, the ball lightning floating between the twin towers grew smaller. ¡°¡­!!¡± And light from the ball lightning pierced straight through the Sunshine 60 from the roof to the first floor. Meanwhile, the Sunshine 60 crashed into the top of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. ¡°!!¡± This created explosive pressure. Instead of an actual explosion, large-scale pressure spread out and pressed down on the air. The impact and the exploding ICBM created a great flash of light. The light enveloped everything. In it, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building was crushed from above, spread out like a blooming flower, and was swept away by the impact such that not even a fragment remained. In just an instant, bluish-white light came from all of the Sunshine 60¡¯s windows and then the building was smashed to pieces as if someone had struck it. The power built up inside exploded which sped up its collapse yet reduced its overall strength. Nevertheless, it caused wide-scale destruction. Light instantly covered a radius of several kilometers and everything in range was knocked outward and crushed. The other falling buildings were hit from below and destroyed, but their midair explosions were swallowed up by the light spreading below which was more than twice as powerful. There was no sound. The shockwave exceeded the speed of sound. As that shockwave spread, the dome of light pushed a wave of water vapor ahead. Before long, the shockwave flew several times farther than the light itself. The buildings of Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Shibuya, and the surroundings wards were immediately knocked over, trees flew, and cars and trains blew about as easily as dust. The clouds above were pushed outward and a wave of luminescence spread through the sky along with a trembling shockwave. The sound arrived afterwards. Dozens of loud, deep sounds rumbled together. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Light vanished from the blast site and the earth was blown into the air. The reflected force that crashed into the ground blew away everything there. This was pure destruction. Only the earth below remained. However, something flew through the smoke and dust that had quickly risen to the heavens: two lights. The surveillance plane had escaped the range of the blast and it now checked on the flying lights while hopping along the high-speed air currents. Thin trails of light arced through the sky as they flew west, toward the setting sun. The twin lights flew quickly alongside each other. They were two swords which had flown from the center of the blast. They were the Concept Core weapons named Gram and V-Sw. When the surveillance plane saw the flying lights, an automaton¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°The battle has ended¡­¡± Some static filled her transmitted voice. ¡°¡­in a draw!!¡± Notes 1. ¡ü Hyakunin-cho means ¡°City of One Hundred People¡±, but adding the character meaning ¡°form¡± makes it ¡°City of One Hundred Dolls¡±. Volume 13, 39: Empty Roar Volume 13, Chapter 39: Empty Roar If this is goodbye Then it is just like thunder during an evening of clear skies Lights began to appear in the city as evening arrived. It was not long until Christmas and the end of the year. The sky was a dark mixture of red and purple and the city did its best to illuminate it from below. Below that light, warmly-dressed people carried a variety of things and cars clogged the streets. A couple walked through the many footsteps, rumbling engines, speaking voices, and blaring horns. It was a blonde girl in a jacket and a dark-skinned boy in a black coat. The girl walked ahead, drawn in by the broiled chestnuts and lotteries at the surrounding stores, and the boy grabbed her collar to pull her back in front of him. ¡°Heo, don¡¯t wander around so much. You¡¯ll run into someone.¡± ¡°H-Harakawa, the city streets are supposed to be an exciting place toward the end of the year.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± His breath appeared white in the air as he pulled Heo alongside him. He then looked down the street, where the train station¡¯s roundabout was located beyond a wide arcade. ¡°I certainly didn¡¯t think we¡¯d end up wandering around near Hachioji Station. If we¡¯d gone to Harajuku or Shibuya, you could probably have bragged about it to your classmates.¡± ¡°It¡¯s entrance exam season for all of us, you know?¡± Heo smiled with her eyebrows lowered, so he eventually said ¡°sorry¡± and nothing else. But then she raised her eyebrows again while still smiling. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about my entrance exam?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t come to my school.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just mean! Y-you don¡¯t have to be so blunt!!¡± ¡°Shut up. Lately, I¡¯ve been thinking that your disease will get worse if you come to my school.¡± She frowned and tilted her head. ¡°Wh-what disease?¡± ¡°The center-of-the-world disease.¡± ¡°I thought you were serious for a second, but you¡¯re lying, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what everyone with the disease says. The symptoms are doing and saying things others find incomprehensible, having your thoughts tend heavily toward radical directions, and becoming so perverted you lose sight of your surroundings.¡± She nodded as she listened and then smiled. ¡°Are you still going on about that? ¡­Everyone¡¯s like that, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°That means they¡¯ve all come down with the disease. ¡­It¡¯s probably a moral infection and your initial symptoms are quite severe.¡± ¡°Th-then why are you okay!?¡± ¡°Most likely, I have moral antibodies. They must be of a type that has yet to be discovered.¡± ¡°Th-then.¡± Heo smiled and clapped her hands. ¡°Please fill me with your moral antibodies!¡± The surrounding people stopped walking when they heard her. She stopped too with her smile frozen on her face. ¡°Did I just show symptoms again?¡± ¡°Just come here,¡± said Harakawa while dragging her out in front of the station. The roundabout had been expanded in the past few years and a large-scale parking garage had been built underground. That was due to the development race with the neighboring cities, but Harakawa did not think about whether that was for the best or not. He felt that was something for the local people to decide. People looked fondly back on the old days, so in fifty years, they might be looking fondly back on this scenery. ¡°Harakawa,¡± said Heo without warning. He turned around and saw her looking up at the Hachioji Station building and the narrow strip of sky past it. The light of a surveillance plane could be seen there as it followed their position. Heo¡¯s expression was calmer than before as she looked up at the flashing red light. ¡°What is the meaning of this fight?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a pretty dangerous thing to say after suddenly looking up into the sky.¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re too realistic, Harakawa.¡± ¡°No,¡± he said while looking up at the same spot. ¡°Once the fight is over, I¡¯ll be the unrealistic one. And that sky belongs to you, Heo.¡± She fell silent, but he ignored that and touched the protective necklace his mother had made. ¡°I will live on while looking fondly upon reality.¡± ¡°Y-you can¡¯t do that!¡± He turned toward the shout that caused the surrounding people to look over again and he saw Heo with her eyebrows raised. ¡°You¡¯ll be with me, too. After all¡­you¡¯re the only one I¡¯ll let ride me!¡± The surrounding people ground to a halt once more. After ten seconds passed, the crowd resumed walking while whispering something. Heo groaned and Harakawa patted her shoulder. ¡°Try not to speak too much. The symptoms have a way of worsening when you say or do things.¡± ¡°Th-then¡­¡± She blushed, hung her head, and pointed at a nearby broiled chestnut stand. ¡°I¡¯ll be quiet, but¡­I want that.¡± ¡°So you want the food stand? Or is it the old guy running it? Which is it?¡± ¡°What the stand is selling.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll gain weight.¡± ¡°I-if you only look at the result, you miss the fun of the process.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard someone make a logical argument to excuse their overeating.¡± Harakawa looked annoyed, but he reached into his pocket and began to pull out his wallet. ¡°¡­¡± But then a red package was held out in front of him¡­no, between him and Heo. It was a package of broiled chestnuts. He did not bother wondering when the person had appeared. He simply faced the fact that she was there. ¡°Nagata¡­Tatsumi.¡± She wore a brown coat, let out a white breath, and smiled at both him and Heo. ¡°Have a souvenir. A souvenir of your defeat.¡± Below Kanda, two red dots appeared on the map of Tokyo displayed on the ceiling. They were located in Hachioji of western Tokyo. ¡°Heo-sama, Harakawa-sama, and Tatsumi-sama have begun their battle.¡± Hearing that report from the surveillance plane, Ooshiro crossed his arms. ¡°Are the pairings essentially random?¡± ¡°Testament,¡± replied #8. ¡°Did you want Hiba-sama to fight Tatsumi-sama?¡± ¡°No, that would have had a pretty high cruelty coefficient and it would have become a much more personal battle. ¡­If only I could take part.¡± ¡°Testament. So you finally wish to die. Congratulations. That is a wise decision.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re not even going to try to comfort me!?¡± He scratched his head and sighed. ¡°But I do have a photograph of Tatsumi-kun from when she was living with the Hiba family. I could have used that to negotiate.¡± ¡°In other words, you were taking secret photos of her?¡± Without even waiting for him to respond, #8 grabbed the collar of his lab coat. ¡°Excuse me! Is anyone here a police officer!?¡± ¡°Wait!¡± shouted Ooshiro while waving his hands back and forth. At the same time, a somewhat weak-sounding voice arrived from the surveillance plane. ¡°The battle¡­is over.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Even the automatons at the consoles reacted in surprise. They looked around in confusion and found one of the red dots had vanished from the map on the ceiling, leaving just the one. A few of them frowned as they reviewed the data arriving from the surveillance plane. Most notably, they were looking at the elapsed time. ¡°It seems¡­¡± A quiet voice filled the Kanda Laboratory. ¡°It seems the battle only lasted¡­12.04 seconds.¡± The battle was composed of a series of instants. The very first move was made by Heo¡¯s voice. ¡°Thunder Fellow!¡± Almost as soon as the concept space expanded, a giant mechanical dragon appeared behind Heo and Harakawa. He had only just appeared, so he had yet to combine with the Vesper Cannon. The cannon was stored as one of his frames, but he needed to reach a certain altitude before combining with it. They had not summoned Thunder Fellow ahead of time because he used power even in standby mode. To lower his reactor¡¯s power, he needed to return to his concept space and rest. His summoning was instantaneous, so this was not a real problem. In fact, it was helpful because it allowed them to store up his power to a certain extent. ¡­Let¡¯s win this. Heo¡¯s desire for victory was the natural thought for someone with a mechanical dragon form. She knew she was the greatest power of Team Leviathan and of the Low-Gear representatives. And a moment later, both Thunder Fellow and Tatsumi took action. Thunder Fellow immediately brought Heo and Harakawa inside his cockpit while Tatsumi drew a long Japanese-style Cowling Sword from her back. After boarding Thunder Fellow with Heo, Harakawa had a certain thought: where was Typhon? This concept space contained 5th-Gear and 3rd-Gear¡¯s concepts. The god of war named Typhon had no will of its own, but Tatsumi¡¯s remote control would work better here than in Low-Gear¡¯s normal environment. However, the answer came from a surprising location: Tatsumi¡¯s hands. While her right hand held the sword¡¯s hilt, her left held a cup of Bizarre Crybaby Cherry Blossom sake. Thus, she was not remotely controlling Typhon at the moment. ¡­Where has she hidden it!? Harakawa had Thunder Fellow keep up a continuous scan of Tatsumi¡¯s left hand. If she let go of the cup, he wanted to know about it. The very next moment, Heo was absorbed by Thunder Fellow and Harakawa had Thunder Fellow back away. However, he did not leap back. ¡°Fire the main canon!! Use the recoil to put some distance between us!¡± The main cannon was only at half power, but that was more than enough for a human target. And it then fired that ¡°more than enough¡± power. The beam of light shot from Thunder Fellow¡¯s mouth and his giant form was blown backwards. ¡°Hit her!!¡± His words gave form to his desire. The light flew in a straight line and did indeed strike the individual standing on the roundabout. However, it did not hit her directly; it instead hit the Cowling Sword in her hand. ¡°Harakawa! That sword is the one Hiba¡¯s dad was using in that dream we saw!¡± Heo and Harakawa stopped Thunder Fellow in front of a building across from the roundabout and checked on the situation. Tatsumi¡¯s blade created an arcing silver afterimage. It had wholly absorbed the light from Thunder Fellow¡¯s main cannon. It happened in an instant. There was no sound and no wind. Even the light and power had vanished, leaving only the scorching afterimage behind. Tatsumi stood with her sword lowered in her right hand and her cup of sake in her left hand. And after the instant passed, Heo spoke quietly. ¡°Come to think of it, those chestnuts are¡­¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± confirmed Harakawa. He looked forward and saw the red package sitting on the cockpit¡¯s main console even though they hadn¡¯t taken it. Tatsumi had to have given it to them while they were boarding the dragon. During the next instant, Tatsumi swung her right hand. She reversed her wrist and snapped it upwards. The long Cowling Sword drew an arc much like a swinging scythe. It was coming. Both Harakawa and Heo knew Hiba¡¯s father¡¯s sword could release enough power to easily slice through a building. And here, they realized how that worked. ¡°That sword absorbs any power that hits it and then releases it!!¡± Without bothering to agree with Heo¡¯s conclusion, Harakawa made a quick decision: he flew. He moved up and to the left to avoid the pressure flying from Tatsumi¡¯s raised right arm. He used the dragon¡¯s pressurizers to quickly ascend. Typhon was not coming at the moment because Tatsumi¡¯s remote control hand still held the cup, so their enemy had no aerial ability. ¡°Thunder Fellow! Prepare the Vesper Cannon!¡± After flying upwards, they had space below the dragon for the Concept Core cannon. That weapon was stored in Thunder Fellow¡¯s concept space as one of his frames. They only had to continue upwards and then fire back down to win. The sword might be an obstacle, but the shockwave and heat that a wide-range blast created around her would be enough. And only an instant later, Tatsumi¡¯s slash arrived. She had transformed Thunder Fellow¡¯s main cannon into pressure fired from her sword. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± For the first time, Harakawa and Heo saw the light of their main cannon from head-on. However, they had already calculated out its trajectory. Thunder Fellow flew up and to the left in order to avoid the diagonal slash. But an instant later, an unexpected attack hit the mechanical dragon. It had not come from Tatsumi¡¯s sword. It had come from a completely unexpected direction. ¡°Harakawa! Directly above!!¡± Heo gave her warning just before it crashed into Thunder Fellow¡¯s top surface. It felt like the entire machine was struck from above and Harakawa bounced around in the cockpit. His chest slammed into the console and he heard a few of his bones creaking. ¡°¡­!? What hit us hard enough to get through Thunder Fellow¡¯s inertial defenses!?¡± He read the warning message from Thunder Fellow flashing on the console. There was severe damage to the upper armor and joints. And it had been caused by¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Harakawa looked up to check. He looked back through the canopy and saw what had fallen on top of the dragon. ¡°Harakawa! It¡¯s Typhon!¡± He could see it for himself. On top of the blue mechanical dragon, Typhon had Keravnos attached to its left arm with blue chains. ¡°She wasn¡¯t controlling Typhon! It was simply falling from extreme high altitude! She had predicted what we would do, so she didn¡¯t need to control it!¡± Harakawa gasped and then he saw Typhon moving. Light filled the white giant¡¯s eyes as it stood up despite the impact having destroyed all of its armor. At the same time, Thunder Fellow¡¯s voice filled his mind. ¡°Tatsumi has finished her sake and threw the cup in a trash can, Harakawa!¡± ¡°She has time for that!?¡± Anger filled Harakawa as he forcibly swung Thunder Fellow to the right. He was trying to shake Typhon off of them, but the god of war flew forward itself. It spread its wings and made its way toward the roundabout. He faced forward and saw Tatsumi with her empty left hand raised. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time I finished this.¡± As soon as her voice and smile reached him, Thunder Fellow summoned his weapon. The concept space hangar opened and the mechanical dragon took out his Concept Core cannon. Heo saw it play out in an instant. Her body came apart below her stomach and the frame pulled away. At the same time, Typhon landed behind Tatsumi. Tatsumi would not have time to climb on top of the god of war and fly toward them. The damage from Typhon¡¯s collision had robbed them of their instantaneous speed, but it was still enough to fly up into the air and achieve subsonic speeds. As soon as Tatsumi stepped onto Typhon¡¯s hand, Thunder Fellow¡¯s removed frame was stored in his concept space and a forty meter cannon came out to replace it. The process took more than an instant. It required a full breath. But that was still enough. They had time for it to connect and then fire on their approaching enemy. But a moment later, Heo saw something else. Typhon quickly swung up the right arm Tatsumi stood on. ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Heo knew what the god of war had done, but it took her a moment to understand what it meant. Typhon had thrown Tatsumi with all its might ¡­What is she-¡­? ¡°Heo!!¡± Thunder Fellow¡¯s voice brought Heo back to her senses. She looked forward where Tatsumi had been thrown like an underhand line drive. She flipped around in midair and calmly raised her sword toward the dragon. She flew toward them like a bladed shell. But what was she going to do? Her sword had no power stored inside it, so it was unlikely enough to slice through Thunder Fellow¡¯s armor. But as Heo saw Tatsumi smile and heard her laugh, she also heard Harakawa¡¯s voice. ¡°Put the Vesper Cannon away!!¡± ¡°Wh-why!? We aren¡¯t using a power her sword can absorb.¡± ¡°We are!¡± he shouted. ¡°We¡¯re using a destructive power right this moment! And she¡¯s trying to absorb it!¡± That power was¡­ ¡°The power to open a concept space! The power to tear through space!!¡± Tatsumi immediately spun around and used her midair rotation to swing her blade. She was positioned just below Thunder Fellow¡¯s right side. She had gotten the timing just right: just after the Vesper Cannon was ejected and just before the concept space hangar closed. Opening a concept space required a power that transformed space and Tatsumi sliced into that power. ¡°!¡± She heard a sound much like shattering glass and felt the blow land. The sword blade glowed dully to show it had gained a new power. A moment later, she twisted her body and used the power she had only just received. ¡°¡­!!¡± She poured it all into Thunder Fellow. She made a horizontal slash. Even she had difficulty keeping steady after being thrown through the air at such great speed. It was enough for her body to cry out in protest. However, she clenched her teeth and raised her eyebrows because this was worth it. Thunder Fellow had already removed his frame and he was taking evasive actions to put some distance between them, so if she missed this chance¡­ ¡­I won¡¯t get another one! That thought forced her sword along. ¡°Seyahhh!!¡± She had never let even Mikoku hear her put that much force behind her voice. She primarily fought by receiving attacks, but she actually released power from herself and it produced a clear result: space opened up. That was her sword¡¯s power now. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± With a sound like a brass instrument being struck, the entrance to some other space was cut open. It opened like a book and darkness was visible on the other side. The spatial hole fired by her sword grew to the proper size to swallow its foe: the mechanical dragon attempting to take evasive action. Without the support of its frame, the dragon failed to move in time and it was swallowed whole. Thunder Fellow vanished into that foreign space in what seemed like no time at all. Only air remained and the Vesper Cannon fell to the ground. However, that was not all. Just before Thunder Fellow had been swallowed up, he had fired lightning toward Tatsumi. It was a desperate attack. She trembled at the strike made even as the dragon¡¯s defeat was certain. ¡­That¡¯s right. Also, Thunder Fellow had sent two people from his cockpit and to the ground. One or maybe both of them had fired that final attack. ¡­A desperate attempt at taking me down with them. She then wondered if her true enemy could do that much. The lightning approached, but she did nothing. The reason why was obvious. She had lost control, continued rotating from the excess force of her slash, and crashed into the window of a building across from the roundabout. In the moment of impact, she absorbed the shock with her back, but the glass shattered before she could finish. The lightning struck the building¡¯s outer wall and knocked Tatsumi into the building. After falling to the ground next to the roundabout, Heo had lost everything except for her own breath. ¡°Thunder Fellow¡­¡± She called out quietly, but no one answered her. She simply looked up into the stars in the night sky. She knew why this had happened. Thunder Fellow had been absorbed by the spatial slice Tatsumi had hijacked. He had the ability to eject his stored parts, but he needed for Heo to call out to him if he was to leave the concept space himself. And that only applied to the space that existed between him and her. But now, that power had been absorbed by Tatsumi¡¯s sword and used to send him into a spatial slice not under his control. ¡°He won¡¯t come out¡­even if I call for him¡­¡± Her vision blurred as she spoke. ¡°I lost¡­so he¡­!¡± What have I done? she thought. The words ¡°careless¡±, ¡°thoughtless¡±, and ¡°failure¡± filled her mind and she could instinctually feel her defeat. Her tears were proof enough of that. ¡°No¡­¡± The dispute between Low-Gear and Top-Gear had been riding on this battle and she thought about what it meant to have lost. Also¡­ ¡­Thunder Fellow won¡¯t appear anymore even if I call for him? The power that supported her had been lost and defeated due to her own carelessness. That double sense of fear filled her stomach with a bitter feeling and sent a tremble down her spine. She got up to suppress the tremor and saw something like a gravestone sticking out of the roundabout. It shined in the roundabout¡¯s lights. ¡°The Vesper Cannon¡­¡± She then realized she was at Typhon¡¯s feet and that someone sat in the fourth floor window of the building beyond the Vesper Cannon and the roundabout. Tatsumi shrugged from the broken windowsill with a trail of blood on the right side of her forehead. She smiled, let out a white breath, and rested the Cowling Sword on her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s too bad you won¡¯t get to bring the chestnuts back with you.¡± Heo was shocked by Tatsumi¡¯s words because she had lost something much more important than that. She realized that the victor simply could not understand, more tears spilled out with each breath she took, and she thought about protesting Tatsumi¡¯s words. But she suddenly felt her vision going dark. ¡­Ah. She realized the emptiness in her heart was greater than the protest in her heart. She began to pass out as everything settled down into that emptiness. She knew she could not allow herself to do that and that she would be fleeing responsibility in doing so, but¡­ ¡°Heo.¡± She heard a voice from behind. ¡°Get some rest. And have faith that it¡¯ll all be okay.¡± Those were the words she most wanted to hear, but the ones she simply could not believe. However, she also felt arms wrap around her to embrace her from behind. ¡°You can share the responsibility with me, so¡­take this time to rest.¡± She did not want to agree to that. Harakawa was in charge of piloting and attacking, but she was the one actually making Thunder Fellow move. She had been careless in a number of ways, which had led to this result, so she did not want to leave any of the responsibility with him. But¡­ ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m telling you to do it.¡± When she heard those words, she finally passed out. She apologized but also thanked him as she fell into the shadows. And as her vision sank into darkness, she wondered if Thunder Fellow was seeing something similar. Volume 13, 40: Two Powers Volume 13, Chapter 40: Two Powers Whenever I look up into the sky, I take a breath How can that power fly Even though no one supports it? A single object floated above the twilit city. The long, almond-shaped white object was an advertisement airship. The side of its fifty meter body was emblazoned with an ad for the recently released film ¡°Sylvester Wars IV: Friendship Strikes Back¡±. It depicted a starry background with two macho men throwing aside their electromagnetic swords to duke it out with their fists. It also played some audio clips. ¡°What!? The Dark Lord¡¯s punch measures in at more than one ton per centimeter!?¡± ¡°The Force! Use the Force, Rocky!!¡± Invisible from the ground, another form stood on the airship. It was a girl with wings of light. The insignia on her white armored uniform read ¡°Kazami¡±. She had set a white spear and a long bag to the side and looked to the cellphone in her hand. ¡°So Kaku tied and Heo lost. This says Kaku destroyed Shinjuku, so how is he still alive?¡± She sighed. ¡­One tie and one loss. ¡°I need to win this. ¡­I have some ideas, but maybe I should ask someone about it.¡± She nodded, called a recorded number, and held the phone to her ear. ¡°It is I.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the idiot,¡± she replied. ¡°What? This girl clearly does not understand my value.¡± ¡°Are you being sexist?¡± ¡°In that case¡­¡± Sayama rephrased himself. ¡°What? This boy clearly does not understand my value.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t what I meant!!¡± ¡°You do not like being called a girl, but you do not like being called a boy either? ¡­Do you live in some kind of fantasy world?¡± ¡°Y¡¯know, is that really something Shinjou¡¯s boyfriend should be saying?¡± ¡°Yes. Shinjou-kun is criminally cute.¡± He¡¯s hopeless, sighed Kazami. And¡­ ¡­Something must have happened. She glared forward and gave a nod of understanding. ¡°Well, try to get along. ¡­Oh, but without committing any crimes.¡± ¡°Not to worry. That just means I have to avoid being caught.¡± ¡°Die.¡± She hung up before realizing, Oops. She had called in order to mentally prepare herself for victory. ¡­And I probably should have said something about next term¡¯s student council. That may not have been something to discuss here, but it was possible she could die in this battle. And the school was about the only thing she had to speak with Sayama about when UCAT was excluded. Outside of school and UCAT, he was an underclassman with no connection to her personal life. What would this be to a normal student? she wondered. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be all that different. She had given up club activities, having stupid fun afterschool, and playing around back at home, but she had earned a workplace at UCAT instead. Whichever one she chose, she would probably want the other. Her work on the student council was quite fun. When arranging the budgets for the clubs and committees, she would ultimately get heated up and beat them down. When festival preparations or talks with various representatives were not going well, she would ultimately get heated up and beat them down. When clubs and committees could not agree on who got to use the schoolyard and classrooms during a vacation, she would once again ultimately get heated up and beat them down. She would always tell them the same thing: ¡°Listen. I¡¯m about to hit you! But it isn¡¯t because I don¡¯t like you! I¡¯m going to hit you because I want to hit you!!¡± That¡¯s generally how it works, she accepted while putting her cellphone in her pocket. ¡°Ahh¡­ Waiting for the enemy to show up is so boring.¡± Immediately, a blast of red light blew up the airship. Alex held a box below his stomach. The white, knife-shaped box was three meters long and less than a meter wide and tall. ¡­This is Wanambi¡¯s transportation pallet! The cables attached to the base allowed Wanambi to communicate with the outside world, but all of them were currently connected to Alex. This provided him with calculation power that exceeded that of any Gear¡¯s machines. ¡°I now have the most precise learning and predictive ability!! In other words, I am now an excellent student and forecaster!!¡± Alex flew. Shinjuku¡¯s sky had been transformed onto a concept space and he accelerated full-throttle toward the smoke left by the destroyed airship. He arced upwards and observed the smoke ahead. ¡°I can predict that she is still alive!!¡± A moment later, the white smoke dispersed before he could charge into it. A pressure produced within pushed the smoke out and blew it away. ¡°I knew it!¡± A light rose into the sky ahead of him. It was a white light. It was Kazami¡¯s light as she spread her wings a bit, grabbed G-Sp2, and ascended. Despite the sky¡¯s scarlet hue, the white light had no problem asserting its presence. That was the proof of its great acceleration and the power of flight it produced. ¡­Can I match her acceleration!? Alex¡¯s armor and weaponry were powerful, but their great size and weight hurt his mobility. As an aerial mechanical dragon, his top speed was greater than any other weapon, but his acceleration fell behind the lighter Kazami. However, Wanambi¡¯s predictions gave him his answer. ¡°Can do it¡± ¡°OK¡± ¡°Not a problem¡± ¡°Accelerators¡± ¡°Full throttle¡± ¡°All out¡± ¡°Willpower¡± ¡°Reticent¡± ¡°Titan¡± If he listened for too long, the answer would stray from the prediction. He ignored Wanambi¡¯s curious words and lit up every single accelerator he had. The pressurizing sensation was much like the joy of taking the first step. He briefly started forward and then felt something holding him in place. The acceleration was initially used to try to push his great weight, but once it exceeded his weight, the additional speed would propel him forward. His body slowly started moving, but¡­ ¡°Oh!¡± He suddenly shot upward, toward the heavens. Just as he thought he heard himself smash through the wind, his accelerating eyes saw the scarlet sky. The sky was vast, but the tremor of his acceleration passed from his nose and down his back as if he were breaking through that sky. There was no sound of wind. Gravity simply vanished and he seemed to uncontrollably fall upwards. Some pale stars were visible in the sky. The only sound was the mechanical creaking of his trembling body and he saw a single light ahead of him. That one light was ascending toward the darkening scarlet sky, so he attacked. A voice from the surveillance plane in charge of Kazami¡¯s concept space reached the Kanda Laboratory. ¡°Alex-sama has locked onto Kazami-sama! They are currently ascending vertically¡­and he will catch up in twenty-seven seconds!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± said Ooshiro while munching on a rice cracker. ¡°Not bad.¡± He ignored #8¡¯s glare and continued speaking. ¡°Is this the first time Chisato-kun has come across someone as fast as her?¡± Kazami realized the enemy was going to catch up to her by force. ¡­Wanambi!? The answer that Concept Core¡¯s calculations had reached was bad news for her. After all, she was bad at science, so there was nothing she could do if she was attacked from that end of things. The attack arrived soon thereafter. As soon as she felt something like a presence or murderous intent, she used all her strength to flip around. ¡°¡­!!¡± But she stopped. She stopped her evasive actions because of the keyword ¡°calculations¡±. She had felt it would be dangerous to respond as she normally did. In that instant, a red pillar of light swept upwards through the space she had just about flown into. She felt heat, wind, power, and surprise at having her reaction so perfectly predicted. But just as she thought this would fill her with at least a little bit of tension¡­ ¡°Not bad!¡± As she spoke, she looked down and saw Alex, the mechanical dragon painted in bright red, white, and blue. ¡°Well!? What do you think about my Deadly Wanambi Technique! My rented predictions are unbeatable!¡± Kazami tried to say something in return, but¡­ ¡°Right now! According to my predictions, you are just about to say ¡®Kiii! I can¡¯t stand it! I¡¯ll never forgive you!!¡¯ ¡± ¡°Why would I ever say that!?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha!! You¡¯re panicking because I guessed what your evil heart was going to say, aren¡¯t you!?¡± ¡°I have a feeling you¡¯re a lot like an underclassman of mine.¡± ¡°Does this underclassman have a heart of justice?¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s the evil mastermind who somehow manages to be sexist towards women and men at the same time.¡± ¡°Has he never heard the saying ¡®ladies first¡¯!? He is a disgrace even to the name of evil!!¡± ¡°You can disgrace evil?¡± Kazami twisted her body into horizontal flight and accelerated. ¡°Ah, wait! I am not done speaking of justice!¡± She wanted to avoid paying attention to his idiocy. It could be contagious. After putting an instant¡¯s worth of space between them, she breathed a sigh of relief. However, he was going to catch up eventually. ¡­Dammit. His acceleration relied on his mechanical form while hers was powered by the Concept Core. She was small, but that would give her the advantage in thrust and weight. However, there was one big reason why he would still catch up. ¡°I¡¯m human.¡± No matter how much protection her human body received, it could only endure so much. Her body could not keep up with her acceleration and, if she passed the limit, she would probably be thrown out into the sky. Meanwhile, he had a mechanical body and thus lacked that limit. She had the better acceleration and mobility, but he had the better top speed. ¡­This is like a race between a motorcycle and a car. She checked behind herself using the mirror on the side of the console and realized Alex was catching up to her. However¡­ ¡°He didn¡¯t attack during our previous chat.¡± That meant the prediction and learning system did not have greater access to his actions than he did himself. He likely accesses Wanambi when he saw it necessary and simply borrowed its power. ¡­Instead of putting the Concept Core in control, he¡¯s treating it like a partner. A good decision, she decided while watching him approach from behind. ¡°He¡¯s a dangerous enemy, but I might be able to manage!¡± She pulled down her goggles and twisted the accelerator. They accelerated below the darkening sky and above spreading snow clouds. The wielder of the spear and the mechanical dragon raced in a straight line. ¡°Kazami-sama and Alex-sama have begun their battle! They are currently headed west!¡± A surveillance plane flew low in the sky. Clouds were appearing overhead and details of the situation reached the plane through them. The speed of the battle had grown too great for visual confirmation and the surveillance plane could not hope to keep up. It flew as quickly and desperately westward as possible, but someone sighed inside. It was the automaton viewing the concept power readings that were changing moment by moment. ¡°Wanambi¡¯s calculations are being used again and again and 8th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core turns heat into life activity, so the shellfire and explosions are automatically following Kazami-sama with serpentine movements.¡± But¡­ ¡°Why isn¡¯t Kazami-sama being shot down?¡± An impressed sigh accompanied that pure question of a machine. Alex was trying to shoot down Kazami using conceptual homing attacks and using the greatest calculation power of any world which likely exceeded the automatons¡¯ own. The constantly fired attacks were likely using Wanambi¡¯s predictive and learning abilities, but Kazami was still alive. Even as she was pursued and enveloped by attacks, she survived. And yet the difference in weaponry meant a single hit would be instant death. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I have determined that is a mystery,¡± replied the pilot automaton. ¡°But they possess a power with which machines like us cannot equip ourselves.¡± Kazami fought. Even as she was pursued, attacked, and relentlessly fired upon, she did not stop fighting. She chose to evade her enemy¡¯s attacks in countless ways. She made sure that her actions did not fall into a pattern, that her trajectory did not become fixed, and that she could overturn any predictions that were made. She opened the bag on her back and pulled out a machinegun. G-Sp2 was a spear, so it could not attack behind her. Aware of that flaw, she had brought this equipment from UCAT. The bullets she scattered while vibrating had their attack power strengthened, but¡­ ¡°They still don¡¯t work!?¡± Sparks flew from Alex¡¯s armor, but the blue and white panels did not even dent or bend. Alex returned fire with his secondary cannons. A pair of red streaks flew from each shoulder and the light pursued her like snakes. She reflexively danced through the air. She grabbed just the right grip and sent her entire body flying forward. ¡°¡­!!¡± She threw herself off course so that she and G-Sp2 flew in a direction not even she could predict. She then pulled G-Sp2 in close and repeated the process. She hopped through the air and the red lights homed in on the spot she had just left. ¡­It predicted that!? It was learning. A single evasion was not going to cut it anymore. It would statistically determine which direction she would send herself and use the data on the air currents to predict the evasive course that not even she could guess at. Next time, two evasions might not be enough, she realized. But¡­ ¡­But not to worry. She had no basis for that. She simply had zero intention of giving up. After all, she was riding G-Sp2 which was 10th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core weapon. The previous night, Izumo had told her about G-Sp2¡¯s origin. It was the first time he had told her about it. A civil war had broken out within 10th-Gear, so the head god and those loyal to him had attempted to reestablish their rule by extracting the Concept Core and making a weapon out of it. That was when Izumo¡¯s grandfather had arrived from Low-Gear after having witnessed 6th-Gear¡¯s destruction. Izumo¡¯s grandfather had gained the right to speak with the gods by wielding 6th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core weapon. The goddess who had shown him around had also been a priestess and she had lamented the head god and others¡¯ desire for control, but as the Concept Core had begun to take form as Thor¡¯s Hammer, 9th-Gear had stolen it via an underground organization. The gods had suspected the priestess and Izumo¡¯s grandfather were escaping their responsibility, so Izumo¡¯s grandfather had gone and taken back the stolen Thor¡¯s Hammer. But the civil war had continued and both sides had fought to take possession of the Concept Core weapon as it was made anew. 10th-Gear¡¯s underground organization had sent 10th-Gear¡¯s concepts out of control as a dragon that devoured the world tree which doubled as the gods¡¯ home. The gods whose duty it was to continue to fight had given Izumo¡¯s grandfather a new concept weapon and ordered him fell the world tree. If he did that, that world would be destroyed, but their pathetic fight and the shame of their own kind would be unable to spread to the other Gears. And thus the world of the gods had been destroyed and the divine spear had been in Izumo¡¯s grandfather¡¯s possession. ¡°¡­¡± Kazami wondered why the gods had wished for destruction over something as small as shame. She did not understand, but perhaps that was because she was human. And in that case, did he think that way since he was part god? They had been unable to seal the majority of 10th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core in the divine spear, so it had become a divine dragon, appeared in Low-Gear, and been sealed there. The divine spear had been completed as G-Sp and later remade as G-Sp2, a modern form that better fit Kazami. All of that told her one thing. ¡­That world was passed on and it ended up with me. That world had been destroyed, but if it had not, she never would have met him and she would not be who she was today. Wonderful, she thought. Simply wonderful. She had to make sure the survivors of the destroyed would see it that way. She had to make sure they knew that she and her teammates were at their best because those survivors had experienced that destruction. If she did that, would they feel proud of it? She recalled 10th-Gear¡¯s conceit that Jord had shown at the trial and vote the day before. It seemed ridiculous, but what she had said allowed Kazami to think something else now. ¡­Those of us who weren¡¯t destroyed are sure to make this more fun. And she held the power to do just that. She had been saved by that power countless times and used it to save others countless times. ¡­So I won¡¯t lose. She had the upper hand in several ways. ¡°So I won¡¯t lose!¡± With that shout, she began to move. Alex¡¯s secondary cannons were spewing light, so she evaded. But she evaded a second time, evaded yet another time, and finally avoided the red beams of light. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± Suddenly, she did something Alex was unable to predict: she fully opened the wings on her back. She raised her air resistance and slammed into a wall of air, which caused two things. First, the wings of light shattered and new ones were created. Second, her speed greatly fell. And she used both those results to collide with Alex as he approached from behind. The movements in midair created two extremes. First, as Kazami just about collided with Alex, she flipped behind him while tightly holding both of G-Sp2¡¯s grips. When her flip pointed the spear down, she fired on him. However, Alex did not allow it. He bent his mechanical body downwards to force his trajectory in that direction. ¡°Shocking Comets! Alex Circus Special!!¡± Alex¡¯s upper armor panels opened and fired a veritable wall of missiles. He continued to shout. ¡°I can only call that na?ve!!¡± Even as the wind swept at the missiles, they continued up and toward Kazami who flipped by overhead. The group of warheads approached, so she reacted. ¡°G-Sp2! Second form!!¡± There was no time lag for the shift to cannon mode, but it had yet to build up its power. The attack simply closed the back end and redirected the light coming from there. Light spread out like a burner, but that proved perfect for hitting all of the missiles at once. However, it lacked strength and several dozen warheads rose past the explosive flames. Each and every one of them would be deadly. These weapons were not meant to be used on humans, but they were meant for combat all the same. And so Kazami used a similar power. Without rushing, she calmly used a single hand to pull the machinegun from her back. While flipping, she used her right arm to spray G-Sp2¡¯s light and her left to place the machinegun below her arm. ¡°¡­!!¡± As she flipped away, she fired toward the approaching warheads and toward Alex. She fought back while flapping a new set of the wings that would continue to appear as long as she remained conscious. The vibrations of the machinegun under her arm reached her heart as reassuring music. The sound rang out and shook her entire body. ¡°Continue to play, you supreme projectile musical notes!!¡± The beating drum of explosions answered her cry, but the heat of those explosions became life in this concept space. The explosive life vanished almost immediately in the chill of their high altitude, but they still became a swarm of crimson and black butterflies that blotted out the sky. Kazami finished her flip as those dark flames approached. ¡°!!¡± She threw away the machinegun and shifted G-Sp2 into its third form. She was not looking at the approaching explosive flames. ¡°Your back end is wide open!!¡± She looked to Alex¡¯s pressurizers and tail. The positions of offense and defense had reversed. Despite the remaining warheads and flames flying her way, Kazami twisted the accelerator. She used her full body to keep the tip of the spear from jerking upwards from the acceleration and she shot forward. She closed her wings and pursued the mechanical dragon in a straight line. She passed through the arcing flames and continued to accelerate. The automatons in the surveillance plane could see the two pairs of wings once the clouds were blown away and the sky opened up. The mechanical dragon flew in the lead at extreme high speed while Kazami followed with light trailing after her. The missiles¡¯ flames followed Kazami like living creatures and attempted to roast her, but that pair of wings flipped around and danced to avoid them. More attacks came into view. Evening had ended, night had begun, and the moon had entered the sky. The chilly moonlight shined on the two pairs of wings as they exchanged attacks. Kazami fired her cannon and flipped around, while Alex fired his secondary cannons and missiles. The wings of light seemed to draw spirals before suddenly moving straight upwards in pursuit of the mechanical dragon. The dragon flipped around time and again, lowered his speed, and tried to get behind Kazami, but she would shatter her own wings to slam on the brakes and prevent it. The projectiles of heat pursued Kazami¡¯s wings like living creatures, but a shattering sound filled the sky. The sound of cannon fire, of slicing through the wind, of explosions, and of shattering wings all mixed together. ¡°This is the sound of the battle¡¯s own will,¡± blankly muttered the pilot automaton. ¡°Can you see it?¡± She sent footage of the battle to all of the automatons via her shared memory. Wings of light attempted to draw in and grasp a mechanical dragon while also attacking again and again. Her movements were tricky and she was exposed to danger countless times, but she did not give up. She remade herself and cast aside her old self so very many times. The breaking and shattering wings were a form of self-rebirth. ¡°Can you see the power of hope that exceeds any predictions?¡± The automaton spoke while watching Kazami¡¯s blasts of light pierce the sky and reveal her will to fight. ¡°The power to never give up hope in oneself is battling the mechanical dragon of heat and calculation speed!¡± Alex had a thought as he made his predictions. ¡­I cannot lose. He continued thinking. ¡­Justice cannot lose!! Justice was something his parents had taught him. In Top-Gear, his parents had helped design mechanical dragons inside Noah. They had always been busy, so he had often been alone at their home inside Noah. He remembered it well. The Nagata family, Tatsumi¡¯s parents, had also helped with those designs, so he had often spoken with her. She had been strong even then, but she had been hesitant in her strength. It was always him who stopped her from going too far when she would fight to protect her underclassmen. He had succeeded a few times, but he had once failed to stop her and been injured. That was the first time he had seen her cry and she had told him not to worry about her. But he had shaken his head. ¡­That is not what a hero would do. When he was little, his parents left him with videos and books about heroes to give him something to do when he was alone. The people in those stories had fought to protect the world and¡­ ¡­To protect their own little pieces of happiness. When Tatsumi had first cried, he too had cried because he had made a girl cry, something a hero must never do. They had cried together and worried the automaton that managed Noah. So after that, he had decided he would become a true hero and make sure he never made anyone cry. But then the world had been destroyed. His parents had been developing a mechanical dragon inside Noah, but they had run out of strength after sending it to the gate opened to Low-Gear. There had been a few survivors, but Tatsumi had been taken in by UCAT and his own body had been badly damaged by the negative concepts, leaving him with little time left by the time he met up with Hajji and the others. But Tatsumi¡¯s parents had combined him with the mechanical dragon his parents had created. They had asked him if he was willing to become a mechanical dragon and he had said yes. He had said he would become a hero. His answer had immediately taken form, but Tatsumi¡¯s parents and the others had been damaged by the negative concepts and had died just as they finished the combination surgery. Tatsumi had met up with them a few days later. In the present, Alex flew through the air and felt Tatsumi¡¯s presence nearby. She had never shown any tears since that one time. By the time they had reunited, she had given his mechanical form an aloof and bitter smile and said he had finally become stronger than her. ¡­No. He knew that was not the case. A hero could not exist alone. He knew that all too well after studying what his parents had given him and experiencing it for himself. A hero existed between the self that protected something and the others that witnessed it. He had believed that all this time. He had vaguely wondered a number of things. Were there others who should have been kept alive instead of him? Should one of Tatsumi¡¯s parents have survived instead? If they had, would Tatsumi actually have opened her heart and cried? ¡°But¡­¡± But, he thought. But I alone held justice in my heart. That was the one clear difference between himself and any other. That was his value. He cared for the people of that world that was no more and for the people of this world. And his thoughts for them contained an absolute justice. Without that, he would have rotted away. And one day, his body would fall apart. He had not escaped the power of the negative concepts by changing bodies. His death sentence had simply been delayed. But falling apart and rotting away were different. It was his mechanical body that contained only a mind that allowed him to think that. He could stand to have his body fall apart and his mind disperse as long as his will did not rot away. Could the justice of someone with a rotten will stop someone from crying? ¡°That is right.¡± I will not lose, he thought. Yes. After all¡­ ¡°Justice will not lose!¡± With those words, he attacked Kazami who approached from behind. With the desire to never lose filling his mechanical heart, he fired. Alex saw Kazami flip upwards to avoid his right secondary cannon. He fired a homing attack from his left secondary cannon, but she held G-Sp2 in just her right arm and launched herself downwards to avoid it. The forced course change shattered her wings. Alex fired missiles where she fell. But without opening new wings, she twisted the accelerator with her left hand. She took an upward trajectory that would bring her above him from behind. The air currents and what he had learned over the course of the battle allowed him to predict her movements. So he ascended after her. He heard her gasp behind him, but he had predicted that as well. He swung up his tail to strike her from below. She flipped to the right because she held G-Sp2 in her right hand. Alex moved. He used the inertia of his raised tail to roll forward. ¡°!!¡± The forty meter mechanical dragon curled up and rolled once through the air. On his back, he pulled his jaw back, looked up into the sky, and opened his mouth. ¡°Prepare main cannon!!¡± He fired his main cannon as Kazami ascended. A solid sound raced through the air and a line of red burned the sky. A valley was torn into the clouds and the scorched air produced light. ¡°¡­!?¡± But when Alex looked ahead of the main cannon blast, he found Kazami was gone. ¡°Wha-¡­?¡± As soon as he spoke, he saw where the enemy was: right in front of him. With her wings lost, she had made a single decision. She had made the final move her mobility and decision-making left her. ¡°You did nothing!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I continued fighting without ever giving up this whole time, didn¡¯t I? That shifted your learning and predictions in that direction, so I knew choosing to do nothing at all would catch you off guard. But¡­¡± She gave a small smile. ¡°I also set up a little trick using 10th-Gear¡¯s power.¡± Alex¡¯s sight devices saw the explosions and blasts of light behind her remain in the chilly air without vanishing. And¡­ ¡°That¡¯s 10th-Gear¡¯s healing power. Now have a taste of your own medicine.¡± She immediately twisted out of the way of the missiles and blasts of light that continued to pursue her after she healed them. She also raised G-Sp2 which had returned it to its first form. It instantly shifted to its third form and became a spear meant to pierce its enemy. The attack was coming. And the missiles struck him as a lead-in to G-Sp2. ¡°Ohhh!¡± In the instant of explosive pressure, he made the decision necessary to ensure he would not lose, to ensure he would not experience defeat. Kazami tried to drive her attack into Alex¡¯s throat. She did not intend to kill him. Mechanical dragons were sturdy and he would not actually die unless she destroyed the reactor in his torso. But G-Sp2¡¯s accelerated piercing would be able to break through his frame and render him unable to fight. So she aimed her attack toward Alex¡¯s throat frame as the smoke and impacts from the explosives bent him and left him helpless on his back. ¡°G-Sp2!¡± She made her attack. But in that instant, something flew from Alex¡¯s stomach and all the explosive flames enveloping him. ¡­A missile!? Is he prepared to self-destruct!? But she was wrong. She would have been able to dodge a missile. What she actually saw was so unexpected that she briefly hesitated once it came into view. It was Wanambi¡¯s transportation pallet that had been connected to his stomach. ¡°!?¡± Having the Concept Core taken would mean his loss, but he had thrown it. ¡­Wha- Before she could finish her thought, it struck her right shoulder. The impact and its weight shifted her off course and her surprise shook her body. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡± The impact reached G-Sp2 just as she was going to throw it. But she threw it regardless. She used all her strength, knowing this was her last chance to attack. ¡°Please!!¡± But a moment later, she realized what Alex was trying to do. ¡°I will not lose even if you beg me!¡± He shouted back and used the pressurizers on his back to charge toward her. Countless of his own attacks struck him and his armor was destroyed as he slammed his own body into them. ¡­It can¡¯t be! A metallic sound filled the air and she heard an impact. G-Sp2 was on course to strike Alex and pierce through him, but he did not hesitate. He continued straight toward G-Sp2. ¡°Are you trying to kill yourself!?¡± He did not answer Kazami. The flying spear stabbed into his right chest frame where his armor panels were thick. ¡°Ohhhh!!¡± With a draconic roar, light exploded from the newly-formed hole. It burst out. But he endured. He twisted his body and used his entire frame to grab at G-Sp2 many times over, even as the tip thrust out from his back and explosive blasts burst from every gap on his body. ¡°¡­!¡± With a fierce noise, metal broke, steel bent, components scattered, and pieces fried. For a human, this would be the same as running a grinder from the right side of their chest to their lower back. But Alex endured it and stopped it. The sound, light, and impact all stopped with only shimmering heat remaining in the chilly sky. This left behind two results: Alex had closed his front right leg to seize G-Sp2 inside himself. Kazami had expanded her wings and caught Wanambi¡¯s transportation pallet in midair. The automatons pursuing the two combatants in the surveillance plane realized the battlefield had come to a stop. Floating in the sky were Kazami and Alex, who was spewing sparks, beams of light, and smoke as his entire body groaned. Alex was very nearly destroyed. The missile hits had been bad enough, but a hole had been pierced from the right side of his chest and out his back. The impact had blown off almost all of his armor from within. He had lost most of his equipment save what was attached to his base form. ¡°Every time he moves, he creaks and bends¡­¡± However, the result of the battle and his state were two different things. The eyes looking up from the plane saw Alex rise further into the sky while producing dull metallic noises. He spoke during his slow ascent. ¡°What happens when we both steal the other¡¯s Concept Core?¡± ¡°The battle is complete,¡± answered one of the automatons. ¡°In accordance with the rules¡­¡± She chose the most accurate expression. ¡°I have determined both sides have won.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± muttered Alex. The automatons then heard Kazami¡¯s voice. She slowly flapped her wings and relaxed her body. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. Aren¡¯t heroes supposed to grant people¡¯s requests?¡± ¡°I am sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she replied with a shrug and a bitter smile. ¡°As the villain, I suppose I should say this: Don¡¯t think this means you¡¯ve won.¡± Volume 13, 41: Title of the Heart Volume 13, Chapter 41: Title of the Heart Where nameless regret takes you What you want to a maddening degree And the crest of a heart that desires once more A clock rang six times in a large space. The people in that underground room of Japanese UCAT¡¯s Kanda Laboratory were watching two worlds reach a conclusion. They all glanced upwards as the six tones continued to sound. A single red light could be seen on the map of Tokyo displayed on the ceiling. ¡°So the two remaining battles will be Mikoto-kun and Hiba-kun against Hajji-kun and Mikoku-kun.¡± Ooshiro nodded, took a sip of the tea sitting on the desk, and gave another gentle comment. ¡°This is bitter. Where is it from?¡± ¡°Testament. I had tea leaves hand-prepared especially for you shipped in from India.¡± ¡°Hand-prepared?¡± ¡°The region emphasizes sincerity, so they squeeze the tea leaves in their fists to draw out their power. ¡­We have named it Stubborn Old Man¡¯s Fist Tea.¡± Ooshiro immediately tried to run from the room, but #8 grabbed his collar. ¡°Ooshiro-sama, why are you leaving your post?¡± ¡°I-I couldn¡¯t possibly say that.¡± He wiggled around but his expression suddenly grew serious and he collapsed limply to his knees. Sweat poured down his face as he hung his head to look toward the floor. ¡°#8-kun, I think that sudden movement sped up the process.¡± ¡°You are imagining it. And they say one¡¯s imagination can bring illness. ¡­Not that we can understand such unscientific ideas. At any rate, please explain the current situation.¡± ¡°Oh, well, um, uh¡­¡± He crawled below the desk and rocked back and forth as if bearing with something. ¡°Low-Gear has two ties and one loss. To win, we must win the remaining two battles.¡± ¡°Testament. I am surprised you calculated that out correctly.¡± ¡°¡­How stupid do you think I am?¡± She did not reply. Instead, she raised her right palm toward the surrounding automatons and gently waved it back and forth. She then turned back to Ooshiro. ¡°We have nothing to say about that.¡± ¡°Y-you just made sure you didn¡¯t, didn¡¯t you!?¡± ¡°Calm down, Ooshiro-sama. To be blunt, Low-Gear is in trouble, isn¡¯t it?¡± Her expression grew slightly more serious. ¡°Hiba-sama is a problem.¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°Testament. He does not have Mikage-sama with him at the moment, so he will have to fight on his own. His odds of victory are extremely uncertain and his odds of defeat are high,¡± she said. ¡°So I hope his opponent is Mikoku-sama.¡± ¡°Why not Hajji-kun? He lost pretty badly during their attack on UCAT.¡± ¡°He pushed back Abram-sama on the surface, defeated Kashima-sama and the other defense units, fought Abram-sama a second time, and then finally faced Sayama-sama. And both Arnavaz-sama and Shinjou-sama provided assistance. ¡­One could say that he was only stopped after all those people were thrown at him.¡± After pausing for a breath, she continued. ¡°In a one-on-one battle, Hajji-sama may be Top-Gear¡¯s most powerful representative.¡± White clothing fluttered in the city at night. It was in front of a large building¡¯s tiled entrance which created a small plaza of empty space. The white clothes were atop the guardrail protecting the trees lining the road. An elderly Arab man sat on the guardrail with a cellphone to his ear. He was looking to the building in front of him. ¡°Meiji University¡¯s Surugadai Campus.¡± It was located in Kanda, down a southern slope from Ochanomizu Station which bordered Akihabara on the east. It was to the west on the way down to the Imperial Palace. The school building was covered in nearly olive-colored tiles and it stood twenty-three stories tall. The university¡¯s winter break had begun at this time of year, so not many people left even at six in the evening. But he spoke regardless. He spoke into the cellphone held to his left ear. ¡°Abram¡­no, Sarv. Can you hear me? Hm?¡± After a short delay, his carefree question received a response. ¡°Testament. I can hear you¡­Hajji.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Hajji nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll call you Abram. ¡­That sense of distance is a relief.¡± ¡°Do you really have nothing better to do?¡± ¡°We¡¯re only ever busy when engaged in battle. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± He looked to the sidewalk as he spoke. ¡°I visited the Imperial Palace¡¯s garden today. I realized I never had before. ¡­I¡¯m not going to say it looked artificial or that the security seemed far too lax. Once we change the world, it won¡¯t need security at all. Yes.¡± He gently kicked the asphalt sidewalk. ¡°Did you know this sidewalk was paved with bricks and Westernized about forty years ago?¡± ¡°Yes. But people began throwing the bricks during student riots involving thousands of people, so it was paved over.¡± ¡°Were they sealed away because they were thrown? Or was it because of history? Or¡­might it have been their will?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a politician, so I don¡¯t know. But Hajji¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± he asked. ¡°First the attack on UCAT and then the meeting yesterday. You really do like playing the villain.¡± ¡°You sound just like Mikoku. And I¡¯m not playing anything. This is who I truly am.¡± ¡°After the meeting, Sayama told me to keep an eye on you to make sure you didn¡¯t kill yourself as the villain in an attempt to take all the responsibility with you.¡± Hajji froze for a moment at that, but he soon responded. ¡°Everyone is far too kind. Have you forgotten what I did to 1st and 3rd as the Army?¡± ¡°Neither of those Gears would have been able to survive without you.¡± ¡°That was only due to our agreements. ¡­Please stop treating me like a good person. I thought I understood Top-Gear, but I understood nothing and I used my blind hatred to borrow Top-Gear¡¯s authority and oppose you all. Once all of this is over¡­I suppose I¡¯ll be burnt at the stake or something.¡± ¡°Then let me ask you a question Sayama left with me.¡± Hajji stiffened at those sudden words, but he still let out a long white sigh. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Do you think Shinjou Yukio had realized the truth of Top-Gear and the true creation of the world?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hajji fell silent. ¡°If she had, then your actions were truly those of a villain committed to evil. Sayama said that would be truly regrettable. And¡­he also said you do not need to answer that question.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Well,¡± said Abram. ¡°According to him, Sayama Kaoru once said that people become villains when they experience circumstances that leave them not wanting to touch anyone but those closest to them. And Sayama Kaoru had lost the person closest to him.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Hajji as he closed his eyes and let out another white breath. ¡°You are soft, Abram.¡± ¡°Not as much as you. Nor am I as hard on myself as you are.¡± ¡°You are imagining things. More importantly, have you and the wife you chose had a child?¡± That question remained unanswered, but a response came in another form. ¡°My wife wants to build schools.¡± ¡°Schools?¡± ¡°Yes. In the sandy desert she comes from and in many other places. ¡­She wants them to be places of shade where people are taught how to live and, in some cases, how to change or fight against nature.¡± ¡°I see,¡± muttered Hajji. ¡°If it was your idea, I would have called you a hypocrite. Yes.¡± He kicked the asphalt sidewalk again. ¡°Hey, does that land resemble ours?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied the other man. ¡°It was just as I¡¯d heard: no water, a drastic difference between day and night, dark shadows, sand everywhere, and the people are swept away by the wind and sand. But¡­¡± Hajji heard him breathe in. ¡°There were people there who tried to change that land, lamented or tried to stop the conflict, wished to go elsewhere, or¡­waited for someone to arrive from elsewhere. So¡­¡± So¡­ ¡°I no longer knew what was important and I began to wish it could all be important.¡± ¡°So you did know.¡± Hajji placed his feet on the sidewalk. ¡°You did. You are a hero, Abram Mesam. ¡­You are the hero who chose this world, so you can continue on ahead. I on the other hand¡­¡± Hajji smiled bitterly, trailed off, and said something else instead. ¡°Let me answer that question and you tell Shinjou and Sayama. ¡­Tell them that Shinjou Yukio was a woman who only ever said the truth.¡± With those words, he ended the call. He stood on the sidewalk and reached out his left hand. He grabbed a long bundle of white cloth that was leaning on the guardrail and turned around. ¡°I on the other hand will remain in the past.¡± As he turned around, he saw a short figure on the sidewalk across the two-lane road. The boy, Hiba, wore a backpack and had walked here from Akihabara. Hajji looked to Hiba and Hiba looked to Hajji. Their eyes met and Hajji opened his mouth, but Hiba cut him off with a shout. ¡°Th-there is nothing inappropriate in this backpack! Just because I came from Akihabara d-doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s filled with inappropriate DVDs and games!! A pure minor such as myself¡­¡± He tilted his head and almost seemed to be asking Hajji for his opinion. ¡°...w-wouldn¡¯t buy anything like that?¡± Hajji immediately attacked with the long object in his right hand. The surveillance plane flying over Kanda reported on the beginning of the battle. ¡°H-Hiba-sama has¡­¡± The report was broadcast out to the world. ¡°¡­done something stupid!!¡± Hiba ran through the nighttime city. He ran full speed down a slope. He chose to travel down the very center of the two-lane road because the surrounding cars were moving. There was no one driving them because he was inside a concept space, but their residual speed kept them moving and crashing before slowing down in clumps. As they moved so unpredictably, Hiba raced down the road while ignoring the traffic lights and letting the lights of the roadside stores wash over him. He had pictured Kanda and Ochanomizu as a region of musical instruments and books, but he decided to forever abandon that enjoyable image. Attacks flew in from behind him. The attacks demonstrated the powers of fire and darkness. A pillar of fire shot his way from behind and it burned away anything it even grazed. And the reverberating darkness stopped all things and shattered them like ice. The sounds of spreading flames and shattering reached him from behind, along with footsteps far wider and calmer than his own racing ones. ¡­I can¡¯t believe this. ¡°Miki isn¡¯t my opponent?¡± Even as he said that, he asked himself what that meant. Was he disappointed or happy he was not fighting her? To lighten his load, he threw out the contents of his backpack. ¡­Ahh, and there were some rare DVDs and games in there. He cried as he ran and tossed the items backwards. ¡°A worthless diversion!¡± shouted a voice behind him. Multiple flames raced through the air and incinerated Hiba¡¯s rare finds. Hiba thought to himself as he watched the wind scatter the white DVD ashes into the night sky. ¡­Perverted things are being dissolved into this concept space. The next attack was directed at him, so he took a leap. ¡°Wah!¡± he shouted while jumping like a frog, stepping atop a nearby car, and jumping again. A pillar of fire immediately swept by below his feet. ¡°!¡± The Ochanomizu street was instantly annihilated. Within a radius of about three hundred meters, everything along the path of the swing was turned to ashes: the trees, the buildings, and even the air itself. The ephemeral white remnants scattered like confetti. Hiba ran below all of those paper blossoms filling the dark city. ¡­What do I do? He jumped from car to car as he thought. ¡­How do I fight? He built up the flow of the battle. His opponent was Hajji. The man¡¯s combat experience far exceeded his own, the man was physically larger than him, and the man had a weapon. Most of the factors that influenced a fight came down to one¡¯s build. A height difference of thirty centimeters created a full fist¡¯s worth of difference in reach. Hajji was about forty centimeters taller than Hiba and he was probably more than thirty kilograms heavier. On top of that, Hajji had a weapon. The spear was likely B-Sp which Abram had used against American UCAT¡¯s mechanical dragons during the battle with Black Sun. Hajji had the upper hand in experience, size, and weaponry. ¡­So what do I do!? Just as he wondered that, his vision opened up. The large intersection leading to Jinbocho came into view down the hill. This created a valley in the dully glowing buildings straight ahead and to either side. The valleys seemed to be waiting for him there. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The cars that had collided in the intersection were stopped there, clogging up the road. Once he reached the intersection, he would run into that group of stopped cars. One of them was sitting below the traffic light, facing him. As soon as he began to jump over it, he sensed a presence behind him. ¡­Is it coming!? Something like intent to kill or a premonition stroked his back and flames powerful enough to pierce straight through the car were fired toward his jumping back. Hajji broke through the darkness that could not be fully banished by the artificial lights. A pillar of fire shot ahead of him and instantly set a car on fire further down the slope. The ground beyond the car did not escape that piercing incineration either. Flames rose from the center of the intersection as the asphalt burned. A pillar of fire rose and the explosion of air sent the car flying. As it rose five meters in the air, even the metal parts of the car burned to ashes like kindling and the lingering flames illuminated the surrounding area. That illumination revealed the burning intersection. There was the sound of burning, a heated wind, a scorching pressure, and a flickering light. They all reminded him of old times. However, something of those old times was missing. There was something he had always felt with each attack. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I feel it hit anything!?¡± As soon as he shouted, Hajji realized he could not hear his own voice. ¡­No, not just my voice. My entire surroundings. The scenery, the sounds, the temperature of the air, and every sensation besides that on the soles of his feet had vanished. This was one of the powers of 7th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core. Hiba kicked off the hood of a car and flew up above Hajji. He used the sinking and recoil of the car¡¯s suspension to propel himself ten meters high. The strength for this great leap had come from Nijun¡¯s red sphere which he had pulled from the bottom of his backpack. He had also pulled out Mitsuaki¡¯s black sphere to seal his opponent¡¯s senses. Ten meters below, Hajji had stopped moving. He had only kicked off the hood of the car and jumped after drawing Hajji¡¯s flames in to hide him from view. And as he began to drop, he was certain that Hajji had still lost track of him and had also lost his senses. ¡­Even Kazami-san and the others had trouble with this concept. He knew what the most effective attack was when your opponent had ample experience. ¡­You put them in a situation they¡¯ve never experienced before. He had run and drawn in Hajji¡¯s attacks before doing this. Hajji would not have realized he had 7th-Gear¡¯s concepts, so this attack was key. He knew this would not work against this man more than once. He chose to move straight in and dropped toward his right knee. But in that instant, he heard a quiet sound like a creaking glass door. The sound gradually grew like a swinging pendulum. ¡°!!¡± And it broke. Space¡­no, the power of the concept shattered. Hiba saw Hajji remove his eyepatch and¡­ ¡°You stopped and shattered the portion of the concept space around you!?¡± ¡°Did you think I couldn¡¯t?¡± Hajji directed his voice up at Hiba and spun B-Sp around in his right arm. ¡°Now, answer me! Are you a hero!?¡± A pillar of fire shot straight up toward Hiba. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± In a split-second decision, he chose one of the four colors: blue, red, black, or white. He chose white. He pulled Yonkichi¡¯s sphere from the backpack. That white sphere instantaneously swapped his and his opponent¡¯s positions. Hiba looked up at the rising pillar of fire and saw Hajji in its path. It was on a collision course, so Hajji would be burned away by his own flames. However, a denial of that fate appeared before Hiba¡¯s eyes. B-Sp¡¯s all-consuming fire was stopped. It was stopped by Hajji¡¯s eye. The fire stopped moving and became a glowing shape. ¡°Toh.¡± Hajji calmly kicked the pillar of fire, breaking it. With the sound of shattering glass, the fire crumbled away. It looked like red and yellow flower petals scattering in the wind. Surrounded by what sounded like small bells, Hiba realized Hajji was dropping back down with his spear aimed at him. ¡­This is ridiculous! A month and a half earlier, 7th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core had given them so much trouble, but it did not slow this man down in the slightest. Not only that, but he could freely destroy and manipulate his own attacks. Hiba leaped down the hill toward the intersection to escape Hajji¡¯s attack, but then he saw something from above the ash-filled intersection. Hajji had kicked off empty air and was catching up to him. ¡­!? It was only after that when Hiba heard the metallic sound. Hajji had used his eye¡¯s stopping power to solidify empty air so he could kick off it. The air shattered and Mitsuaki¡¯s power shattered around him as it continued to expand. There was no escape. Hajji descended from midair as if descending a flight of stairs. ¡­He¡¯s right in front of me! He back-stepped as if looking up the slope just as the tall form in white dropped down in front of him. The white cloth seemed to flap around him and he landed on the white ash-filled land in a crouch. ¡°You do not show your back when you run. You must have been trained well as a soldier.¡± Hiba only realized a slash was coming once the man had finished speaking. Hajji raised his right arm and swung down B-Sp2 without any flames. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Hiba felt cold air running from his right side to directly above him and from the right side of his chest to the right side of his collarbone. He also felt chilly air stroke his right cheek. It felt cold because there was heat there. The thought of ¡°oh, no¡± came later. ¡°!!¡± As his heart beat, the clothing covering the right side of his body was torn and color burst into the air. It only burst out at first, but it did not stop. He took a step back as if pushed by the pressure of his blood, but then Hajji spoke. ¡°You did well to dodge that.¡± I didn¡¯t dodge it, thought Hiba. You intentionally missed. And that was why Hiba breathed in, wiped the blood from his right cheek, and looked to Hajji. That¡¯s right, he thought. I can¡¯t hope to match him. But, he also thought. ¡­I can¡¯t let myself die here. ¡°Because a future of flirting with Mikage-san awaits me!¡± ¡°Did you perhaps think what you meant to say and vice versa?¡± asked Hajji. ¡°And can you not take this fight seriously since I am not Tatsumi?¡± Hiba gasped at the sudden mention of Tatsumi¡¯s name. He looked to Hajji¡¯s face and found the man was not smiling as usual. He was staring intently and quietly back at the boy. ¡°Even if this battle comes to an end and the world is changed, you will still have to face Tatsumi. ¡­And at the very least, you cannot stand before her if you are cut down by me.¡± Hiba reflexively asked a question. He maintained his defensive stance but frowned and tried to ask what Hajji was getting at. ¡°Why do Miki and I have to fight each other!?¡± ¡°Well,¡± began Hajji. ¡°That is probably because Tatsumi chose you as her opponent.¡± ¡°B-but that¡¯s so selfish! Then again, Miki was pretty selfish!¡± ¡°Then aren¡¯t you also selfish for not answering her? No matter how weak you are or how much you run away, she has continued to choose you as her opponent. ¡­But have you even once answered her?¡± Hajji¡¯s words slammed into Hiba who remained still. ¡°She is asking a question that can only be answered by fighting you, so until she does so, she has never once allowed herself to lose and she waits all alone. ¡­She is waiting for your true self once you have sought true resolve.¡± ¡°But why-¡­?¡± He swallowed the rest of his question. The answer to that question was something only she would know. ¡­I can¡¯t believe this. He had heard a number of reasons, but he still could not accept it. However, he had a general understanding that she was indeed waiting for him. ¡°If I don¡¯t go face her, will¡­¡± He asked his question. ¡°Will Miki continue to win?¡± Hajji gave him a single answer. ¡°Can you win?¡± That question gave Hiba a single thought. ¡°¡­Can I not run away?¡± ¡°You can,¡± said Hajji. ¡°But Tatsumi will wait for you even then.¡± And¡­ ¡°Just as you wait for another girl to awaken.¡± Hiba hung his head at what Hajji said. ¡­I can¡¯t believe this. He suddenly thought of Mikage. He pictured her waiting for him at home, in an alley, and in the UCAT lobby. He quite liked that she waited for him and she said she liked it too. But that was due to a certain promise. ¡­That I¡¯ll definitely be there. So¡­ ¡°What does Miki think?¡± he slowly asked. ¡°Does she think I¡¯m coming?¡± He knew the answer without being told. ¡­Yes. What a troublesome person, he thought. She really is my opposite. ¡­Is she the version of me that likes waiting? ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Hiba sighed and his lungs cooled. ¡­I don¡¯t know. He had yet to decide whether he should fight or what he should do, but¡­ ¡°Miki will continue to wait for me even if I don¡¯t know, won¡¯t she?¡± Hajji slowly nodded and lightly threw out his chest. ¡°Then do you know what you will do here?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± nodded Hiba. What I¡¯m going to do and say here is outrageous, he thought. But if I don¡¯t go through with it, she¡¯ll probably be waiting forever. ¡°Please.¡± He raised his fists, faced Hajji, and breathed in. As the air entered his lungs, strength filled his gut and he gathered his resolve. He spoke to the man who had travelled much farther than him down the path of combat. ¡°Please be my opponent so that I might continue on to where Miki is.¡± ¡°You might lose here, you know?¡± ¡°She will still wait for me even if I do. But I don¡¯t know what I should do for her. All I know is that I¡¯ll lose again if nothing changes.¡± ¡°So you want to grow at least a little stronger by defeating me?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Hiba while realizing how outrageous this really was. ¡°Miki is undefeated, but you have lost once. So at the very least, I can¡¯t stand before her without defeating you first!¡± Without hesitation, he crouched down, stomped a foot down, and used the recoil. ¡°¡­!!¡± He charged forward as he wondered if he could reach the person¡­no, the two people who were waiting for him. A combination attack required speed and endurance and it could only be pulled off after learning how to segue one movement into another. It all came down to linking one attack with the next. For example, if one sent their right fist forward, the right side of their body would also move forward. The left side of their body would be pulling back, so it became difficult to send their left fist forward. But what if, when stepping forward on their right foot, they twisted their heel inward? Their body would slide rightward and it would more easily rotate clockwise. If they kicked forward with their left foot in that instant, they would be able to move their entire left side forward along with their fist. By repeating similar actions, they could pull off more than just a series of punches; they could put their hips behind the blows and each attack in the series would be strong enough to actually defeat an opponent. Hiba was able to do this. He had the speed, endurance, movements, and experience. But in his case, that experience was not from flesh-and-blood combat. Most of his battles against 3rd-Gear had been fought between gods of war and none of his training in the dojo or at UCAT had forced him to put his life on the line. But he still had definite experience: experience of defeat. ¡­How lame. That was how he viewed himself. He felt he had yet to mature into a proper fighter. But, he thought. But what¡¯s wrong with that? He just could not let himself be content with that position. ¡­I want to grow stronger. He let loose his combination attack and Hajji received it. In Hiba¡¯s case, having his fist blocked did not mean his attack had been stopped. He redirected the recoil of the blocked fist into his next attack. His fists flew while he seemed to quickly spin. His knees, his legs, and especially his elbows were perfect for this high-speed rotation. And Hajji put some distance between them. He put a car between them and then sent his stopping concept toward the car. But Hiba swung his body toward the slope and side-flipped out of the way. Once he landed, he leaped towards Hajji and threw a backhand blow. He heard a solid sound as Hajji blocked with B-Sp¡¯s shaft. The tip was pointed down and it flew up to scoop Hiba upwards. Hiba kicked the tip and jumped straight up on his own. At the same time, B-Sp collided with the car behind him. However¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± Hajji continued swinging B-Sp. As if he were playing golf, he hit the fallen red car toward Hiba. A tremendous noise rang out and the ¡°golf ball¡± flew. Hiba kicked the side of the flying car and prepared to jump from it, but the car fell to pieces. Hajji had planned this. By destroying the car just as Hiba was going to jump, he had canceled the boy¡¯s jump. Hiba would inevitably fall without having time to prepare for a landing. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Except he did not. He was not acting based on reflex. He had predicted what Hajji would do and had prepared for his landing while damp with cold sweat and warm blood. Once he landed, he would charge toward Hajji who had just finished swinging B-Sp. The man¡¯s eyes were turned upwards toward the car, so he would be wide open. Except that did not work out either. Hiba suddenly realized he had stopped falling. ¡°Eh?¡± It lasted just a brief moment and then he heard something like shattering glass coming from the empty air below his feet. ¡­He used his stopping power to create a path for my fall!? That meant the man had predicted what Hiba would do two steps in advance. And as Hiba¡¯s slightly delayed fall resumed, he saw Hajji charging his way. The man rotated B-Sp once and swung it horizontally as if to scoop up the boy. ¡°¡­!!¡± The spear tip hit. The automatons in the surveillance plane heard a solid impact coming from one section of Kanda. An electronic tone came from the surveillance system. ¡°Hiba-sama was hit!!¡± That announcement filled the plane with tension. Hiba had not been holding back. When none of a fighter¡¯s attacks could reach their enemy and they were hit first, one thing was more frightening than the injury: the loss of momentum. Their focus would drop and they would be unable to move as quickly again. And as if to prove that, an automaton spoke up quietly. ¡°Hiba-sama is not moving. He is alive but motionless.¡± I can¡¯t believe this, thought Hiba. He could see the sky. The night sky was slanted. He thought about where he was. ¡­Where is this? It looks like the school building of some university. He was probably on the seventh floor and he was lying face-up near the window of an unlit classroom. His moonlit bed was made from a windowsill, glass, and a broken wall. He tasted blood in his mouth. His back had broken through the window and was intermittently convulsing from the impact. Pain filled his entire body and he could barely breathe. This was the result of just one mistake. ¡­I can¡¯t believe this. Suddenly, something blocked the moonlight. The pale light backlit Hajji and his white cloak. The man¡¯s shoulders rose and fell as he caught his breath and his spear was lowered in his right hand. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Hm?¡± he asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to be a hero?¡± Hiba just about apologized because he felt he had been rude to this master fighter. But the voice that left his lungs said something else. ¡°You¡­¡± His voice was trembling and scratchy. ¡°You¡¯re so strong¡­but can you not become a hero yourself?¡± His question brought silence. For a few seconds, he simply tried to catch his breath and saw Hajji hang his head. But then the man spoke from the moon¡¯s backlighting. ¡°That is none of your concern. ¡­Besides, some people do not wish to be a hero.¡± Hiba thought about calling that a lie. This man had so much strength and the power to lead. ¡­So why does he try to make people hate him? Hiba did not know. All he knew was that Hajji had not once done anything remotely unfair during their battle. He had done a few things like that during the attack on UCAT, yet he had done no such thing during this battle that he absolutely had to win. That meant he was not willing to win at all costs. ¡°Kh¡­¡± Hiba tried to get up. His entire body ached and he was frozen with pain. His body was telling him not to move. And Hajji¡¯s words seemed to respond. ¡°How about we end this? How about we declare this my victory and thus Top-Gear¡¯s overall victory?¡± After a pause, he spoke more quietly. ¡°You go pursue Tatsumi.¡± Dammit, thought Hiba. I can¡¯t let it end like this. ¡­This man¡­ This man still hasn¡¯t gone all out. He still hasn¡¯t put up a fight worthy of the title hero. A hero, thought Hiba. If I was a hero, I¡¯d be able to reach Miki. He now realized the opponent before him was a shortcut to that goal and he wanted to face him as a hero. But his body ached and refused to move. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± And then he heard a sudden noise. It came from the cellphone he had dropped on the floor. After ringing twice, it automatically answered and he heard new sounds: hurried footsteps and a female voice. ¡°This is Tsukuyomi of Japanese UCAT¡¯s Development Department. ¡­Am I interrupting? Or did I make it in time?¡± For what? he wondered as he slowly breathed in and listened to the fallen cellphone. ¡°Listen. I¡¯m about to let you hear something very important.¡± Another sound immediately followed. It was a heavy, deep, muffled sound, but it was also very short and it played again shortly thereafter. ¡­Is this¡­? It was a pulse. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve made it this far, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll wake up. So¡­so make sure you come back.¡± He heard a hint of a smile in Tsukuyomi¡¯s voice and also heard a chair move. ¡°Knowing you, you¡¯re probably on the verge of death. But you know what, Hiba boy? The people who return from the verge of death, are the ones who still have something to do in this world. If you die, then why is she even trying to wake up? She has something she still wants to do here and she¡¯s waiting for you.¡± So¡­ ¡°Climb up the hill leading from the underworld. Climb up that hill and you¡¯ll find the land of the living.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Hiba breathed in just as the call ended. But he had managed to breathe in. He forced in the air he needed to move. ¡°Ah!¡± And as if tearing his own body, he moved. Two figures jumped out into the dark city. They attacked in midair, put distance between themselves, and landed on the slope. They were Hajji and Hiba. Hajji was to the west and Hiba to the east. Hajji stood calmly while Hiba¡¯s trembling body doubled over and blood spilled to the ground. However, Hiba did not hesitate to charge forward. By taking in a quick breath, he kept his body as tense as he could manage. He used the breath to keep the bleeding to a minimum and began the battle with a fist. Hajji blocked and then attacked. Hiba avoided the rising blade with quick footwork. He moved in by reversing that footwork. As the two of them continually attacked, dodged, and defended, they raced up the slope. The top of the slope came into view, along with Ochanomizu Station and the bridge crossing the river next to the station. The two of them arrived within one hundred meters of there. Hiba was able to focus, so he gave a yell. ¡°Why!?¡± He asked a question of a man who had fought more than he knew. ¡°Why did you give up on being a hero!?¡± ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t protect them!¡± ¡°Neither could I!¡± ¡°But you have someone waiting for you to return. ¡­Two, in fact.¡± Hiba¡¯s bloodshot eyes saw Hajji smile in a way he had never seen before. During the meeting, he had seen the man smile normally several times, but never this closed-mouth smile that simply narrowed his eyes a little. ¡°But¡­¡± Hiba moved quickly so his combination attack would reach. It was as if getting a blow in would convey his thoughts. Solid sounds rang out, his evasion and attacks flowed together, and even his own blows shook his entire body. ¡°But that¡¯s too sad!¡± ¡°Emotions that can be described in words lack reality, Hiba. You know what? I no longer have anyone to protect.¡± Hiba thought about the man¡¯s words and smile. Oh, he might be a different form of me. I can stay as I am because the people I care about are still alive, but after losing the people he needed to protect, did he no longer know what to do? Did he give into desperation and decide to become a villain? Then did my step-sister who now goes by Tatsumi do the same? He had recovered when he heard Mikage¡¯s pulse, so it was possible he could not understand them. But, he thought about what Hajji had said. ¡°Then¡­¡± Then¡­ ¡°Why did you make your sister¡¯s power a part of yourself!?¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m certain of it. I understand. Or at least I feel like I do. On this point, he¡¯s definitely just like me. ¡°Once, I put a barely-conscious girl in a wheelchair, took her outside, and showed her this world.¡± He sent out another blow that would not reach the man, but still wanted this to hit home. ¡°You too showed that eye this world! And you must have promised to show her a new world! And¡­and when you did¡­¡± His voice rose to shout. ¡°You decided to become a hero, even if no one would know it!!¡± His blow hit, but Hajji blocked it with B-Sp. However, the man¡¯s defense was slightly different from before. This time, he pushed Hiba away as he blocked. The next thing Hiba knew, they had reached the top of the slope. They both let out white breaths and faced each other from a distance of ten meters. They looked straight at each other with the light of the surveillance plane overhead. Even as he trembled, Hiba gave a powerful nod with a serious expression. ¡°I will win. ¡­So that I can continue on to those who are waiting for me.¡± So¡­ ¡°Please lose. ¡­So that you can face those who waited for you.¡± Hajji smiled bitterly, but¡­ ¡°So you have two people waiting for you? ¡­Kids these days are spoiled.¡± The bitterness left his smile just before they both leaned forward and moved. Hajji fought. He blocked his enemy¡¯s attacks, sent forth his own power, moved his body, and continually searched for an opening to victory. Sounds reverberated around him. They were the sounds of battle and they were familiar to his mind and body. It had only been a month and a half since he had fought Abram, so he felt fortunate to hear these sounds again so soon. His weapons were the eye in which his sister resided, 9th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core, and his own body. He had no real grudge against his enemy. That enemy saw himself in Hajji, but it was a one-sided view. As an emotion, it was sentiment. As a color, it was green. As a texture, it was soft. However, Hajji felt something nostalgic in that. He and the others had once been like that. While attacking again and again and pursuing his enemy¡¯s movements, Hajji recalled days long past when he had fought and trained like this in the sand and below the bright sky. His enemy here was young. The boy could easily have been his grandson. As they fought, that boy was catching up. He had caught up in speed, he made up for his weak attacks with combinations, and he would circle around behind Hajji before sending in his fists. To land a blow, he would make feints, throw decoy attacks, use tricky movements, and do whatever else it took. But none if it felt underhanded. After all, Hajji was overwhelmingly more powerful. Hajji¡¯s blows were stronger, the speed of his straight-line movements was greater, and he had the advantage in reach, endurance, build, experience, and so much more. So the boy used everything available to him as he faced the man. He moved around Hajji and slipped his own attacks in. A few of them grazed Hajji, but he never managed a solid blow. All that reached Hajji were the sounds, movements, and breaths of battle. Wonderful, thought Hajji. Do whatever you can, he thought. I will receive it all head-on. I am fighting with my full strength, but you are desperate. I will do nothing to damage that desperation. Why? Because a desperate opponent feels that defeat is the same as death. It is like a glass knife. Strike it on the side and it readily breaks, but to do that is to forcibly break it. If the glass knife breaks when received head-on, then it broke due to its own weakness. In the former case, the knife will never be made again. No one will know whether it was a poor-quality knife or not, but the fact that it broke still remains. But in the latter case, someone will surely decide to make an even stronger knife. This boy is the latter. I really do think I¡¯m a teacher, don¡¯t I? thought Hajji before thinking about his sister. If she had lived and married the hero, would he have taught her how to use a sword? That could never be now. He had not taught Mikoku or Shino how to use a sword. So that they could live in the new world, he had felt they should not wield any more power than they themselves desired. But lately, Mikoku had chosen to enter that territory and seemed to have gained some kind of confidence. If, he thought. ¡­If I had trained those two, would they have become like this boy? This enemy was filling all of his inadequacies with desperation in order to defeat Hajji. This enemy was forming attacks from his desire to defeat Hajji. These attacks did not come from hostility. They were the product of a pure desire to overcome him. Wonderful, he felt. A wonderful enemy. This boy has something he must protect. He has someone who protects him, who he protects, and who creates a place for him to return to. He is a hero, thought Hajji. And he had self-importantly asked Hajji to lose. ¡­So I can face those who waited for me, hm? Don¡¯t worry, he thought. You are a hero. And I can no longer become a hero. That¡¯s right, he muttered in his heart. I am no hero. ¡°I am simply a man with strength.¡± But his comment received a response. ¡°No!!¡± The shout ran to the side. ¡°That can¡¯t be true. After all¡­¡± Hajji caught sight of the opponent who quickly back-stepped away. The boy twisted his eyebrows and looked on the verge of tears as he created the space he needed to charge in. ¡°Why do you always think about how you can¡¯t be with anyone!? Why don¡¯t you ever think about being somewhere for others to return to!?¡± They were ten meters apart once more. Without taking a breath, the boy shrank down like a spring. ¡°The people you lost are looking at this same world with you and the world you lost gave you this world you stand in now!¡± ¡°Do you really think they and their world would rejoice in a world that paves over and hides everything?¡± Hajji forcefully prepared for his next move. He decided to end this here and to win no matter what it took. ¡°This is a world of lies!¡± ¡°But as a false version of yourself, you spoke of them on the night of that attack!¡± A voice rang through the air and Hajji calmly saw the boy take the first step of his charge. ¡°Are you saying even that was a lie!?¡± Hajji saw an explosion of speed. The boy had chosen to dash forward. In what was likely his final move, he ran in a straight line in order to simply win and overcome Hajji. The boy¡¯s blood sprayed into the air and his body overcame his speed. He rushed in and Hajji launched an attack on the coming conclusion. Hiba no longer hesitated. He used his power as he ran. The first thing he used was Mitsuaki¡¯s concept of non-understanding. The concept¡¯s power was unleashed with a metallic noise, but Hajji immediately shattered it with his stopping power. Hiba had known it would not work. But Hajji¡¯s use of that power had made him waste some time, no matter how slight. Hiba had done it because it could lead to even a tiny chance for victory. He swung his body, propelled himself forward with the bottoms of his feet, felt a sticky sensation as the soles of his shoes left the asphalt, and continued forward. Hajji raised B-Sp. There was still some distance between them, so Hajji would be able to thrust B-Sp forward and send out the flames before Hiba arrived. That was why Hiba used his next power: Nijun¡¯s concept of truth. There could be no lies, so all feints and diversions were sealed. ¡­My movements will accurately guide me! His body felt a bit restricted because the feints burned into him by experience were being restrained as unnecessary. But that restrained power brought his feet more strongly to the ground and Nijun¡¯s bodily reinforcement power raised his speed further. However, Hajji was faster. At seven meters apart, Hajji¡¯s arm was just about to complete its swing. With the nighttime city in the background and the lights of the shops and streetlights as his backlight, the tall figure targeted Hiba. Amazing, thought Hiba. He always uses his full strength to defeat his opponent. He fully focused on the fight and produced the greatest movements, power, and speed he could. This was how he had forced back Abram and the others and reached the lowest level during the attack on UCAT. With the enemy before him, Hiba had another thought. ¡­Can I become like that too? Could he become that strong? Hajji did not have the divine protection Izumo did. Nor did he put up with the kind of pain Sayama did. But even without the stopping power of his eye, he would still be powerful. His physical build was a part of that, but he primarily fought with nothing more than his own body. No one in UCAT had defeated him one-on-one. So, thought Hiba. I want him to be a hero. I don¡¯t want him to create a false version of himself because he couldn¡¯t protect what mattered most to him. I want him to protect what matters most to him even if it means creating a false version of himself. And isn¡¯t that what he did during the attack and during the meeting? ¡­Wasn¡¯t he a hero going by the name of a villain? Hajji had claimed to have set up bombs when negotiating with Sayama. Hiba was certain he had intended to press that button. But in the end, he had not pressed it. Why not? wondered Hiba. If he would have pressed it, had been willing to press it, then¡­ ¡­He changed his mind. Hidden below the surface, this enemy had the will needed to not press the button. And he still did. No matter what methods Hiba used, the man was willing to receive them. He seemed to be saying that was the proof of a truly powerful warrior. And the man sped up his counterattack. At this rate, Hiba would be unable to reach him. So Hiba took action. He too sped up, but once he saw he would not make it, he used his next power. ¡°Yonkichi-san!¡± A moment later, Hiba and Hajji switched places. Hiba stood still where Hajji had been and Hajji raced toward Hiba from where the boy had been. The situation was simple: Hajji was moving his weapon forward while approaching Hiba. So Hiba leaned forward. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± And he closed the gap between them. He used their relative speeds. Hajji had been given Hiba¡¯s speed and Hiba created that speed in himself once more, so they rapidly approached. But even after that, Hajji was faster. ¡°Ohhh!¡± Before Hiba could reach the man, the muscles of Hajji¡¯s right shoulder swelled out and he thrust his spear forward. ¡°Go forth, light and darkness of my mother world!!¡± As he shouted, B-Sp¡¯s flames and his eye¡¯s stopping power shot toward Hiba. Hiba did not have time to evade, so they were sure to hit. Hajji realized he had released his power. This excellent enemy had faced him head-on and he had overcome the speed that was that enemy¡¯s greatest asset. ¡­What will you do about that? Hajji silently asked while looking at the flying flames, the expanded stopping power, and Hiba beyond them. ¡­What will you do about that!? He had launched the perfect attack to overcome this enemy. ¡°Can your desperation overcome my best!?¡± A moment later, Hajji saw Hiba display his final power. He threw a blue sphere from behind him. That sphere raised all attack power to maximum. But, thought Hajji. What will he do with that? Hiba was unarmed. While he might be able to negate B-Sp and the stopping power with his two fists, his arms would be destroyed and his defeat made certain. But in the following instant, Hajji saw Hiba throw two weapons. They were¡­ ¡°Philosopher¡¯s stones!?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± answered Hiba. ¡°These are the pieces of Mikage-san¡¯s evolution stone!!¡± As if to protect Hiba, the pair of blue stones flew with maximum attack power and collided with the flames and stopping power. And they destroyed them. The flames and stopping power were shattered by the evolution stones that protected him. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± Hiba¡¯s momentum carried him right up to Hajji. Hiba clenched both his fists and stepped forward. Mikage could no longer evolve, but she would wake up. One day, surely she would wake up. That had already been determined. And once she did, he would be with her. And at the moment, he felt she had protected him. He also felt what he had done was selfish, but¡­ ¡­If I don¡¯t do this, I can¡¯t protect her! He avoided Hajji¡¯s B-Sp just before it reached his face. His bandana tore and the night air reached his forehead. He had not felt this sensation in a long while. He had worn the bandana ever since being unable to protect Mikage so long ago, but he felt like it had just been removed for the very first time. The chilly air seemed to wake him up and told himself to redo things. Even if Mikage could no longer evolve, they could begin much like they had when they had first met, but redone as the people they were now. And¡­ ¡­I need to face Miki! He would not run. He might hesitate or feel doubt, but he would no longer run away. He would not fear fighting or try to avoid it and he would try to listen to what she had to say. And to do that¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± He stepped forward and sent his fist forward. In the instant of impact, he saw a smile of resignation on Hajji¡¯s face as the man looked down at him. Hiba had not hesitated. He simply produced the greatest strike he possessed. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± And he let out a roar. Even after he was the only one left standing atop the hill, his wavering roar continued on and on without end. Volume 13, 42: Their Respective Conclusions Volume 13, Chapter 42: Their Respective Conclusions The two of us are close And that is exactly why we are so distant People remained in the Kinugasa Library even after night fell. A lot of the school¡¯s students lived in the dorms and the year-end festival had a lot of late-night stands and events because no one had to worry about tests or classes. And with the chill of winter outside, people naturally filled the library which doubled as a large rest area. Currently, Shinjou sat across from one of those guests. ¡°Why are you here, Ryouko-san?¡± Ryouko¡¯s outfit consisted of a leather jacket over her kimono. ¡°Hm? We run a stand here every year. All of the shops in the area do. We sponsor the festival, you know? I think Kouji¡¯s running a yakisoba stand today. He said something about it being superb since he has someone from the dish¡¯s homeland working on it. How about we go mooch some off of him later, Setsu-chan?¡± What country is yakisoba from? wondered Shinjou, but she decided not to ask. Ryouko looked around and smiled. ¡°But you know what? This is my first time at the school¡¯s festival.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I think I had some issues holding me back.¡± She waved a hand with a smile, rested her head on her hand, and continued looking around. ¡°I was really missing out.¡± She looked deeper into the library where students from the weightlifting club were cosplaying as nudists and getting into a philosophical argument with the public morals committee over whether their state of undress counted as a costume or not. ¡°We only look nude because you¡¯re looking with your eyes! Stop being so filthy and look at us with the eyes of your heart!!¡± ¡°You look just as naked to our hearts!!¡± The public morals committee wielded stun guns and the muscular nudist cosplayers held barbell weights like cymbals. An excited crowd gathered around them and Ryouko gave a comment while watching from the side. ¡°Can¡¯t they just hide their crotches behind those round weights? Right, Setsu-chan?¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t ask me about that¡­ And if they did, what do they do with the bars?¡± Ryouko stared up at the ceiling and thought for about three seconds before a surprised look came over her. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so dirty, Setsu-chan!!¡± ¡°H-how!? I am not dirty!¡± However, Ryouko bent back as if she could not endure that response. ¡°You! Pass!!¡± She then slapped Shinjou on the shoulder. ¡­She¡¯s a lot like an old man. Ryouko laughed, leaned back forward, and looked at Shinjou. She then suddenly looked down at the desk in front of Shinjou. Shinjou had placed a laptop and something else there. ¡°Setsu-chan, what¡¯s that pile of paper?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Shinjou looked down at the paper that was still warm from when she had printed it off. The stack was over ten centimeters thick and had the same full softness as fresh-baked bread. Each page had about twenty lines of text on the left and right sides. It was a novel. It was the novel she had written and just now finished. When she realized Ryouko had noticed it and remembered what she had accomplished, she could not keep her cheeks from relaxing. ¡°Well¡­ I made one.¡± ¡°A baby!?¡± ¡°You would fit in pretty well at this school, you know!?¡± ¡°Really!? Then I think I¡¯ll enroll! I¡¯ll be your and the young master¡¯s underclassman starting next year, okay?¡± Their raised voices drew the attention of the surrounding people and the nudist cosplayers. A naked third year placed his weight-holding hands on his hips and frowned their way. ¡°Now, now, you two. You need to stay quiet in the library.¡± ¡°But¡­you can be naked?¡± ¡°What does nudity have to do with being quiet?¡± ¡°Understood,¡± weakly replied Shinjou as she and Ryouko bowed. After about seven seconds, Ryouko leaned her way and looked at the novel. ¡°That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve been scolded by a naked person. Now, let¡¯s get back on topic. ¡­So it¡¯s a novel?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hearing that, Ryouko¡¯s eyes opened wide and she straightened up. ¡°Wow. You wrote all this?¡± ¡°I-is it that much? I knew what I wanted to write and, when I let it all out, it ended up like this¡­¡± Ryouko nodded and gave an impressed cry. ¡°So you had a whole bunch building up inside you and you worked hard to get it all out of you?¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t say things people will take the wrong way, Ryouko-san.¡± However, Shinjou could sense what Ryouko meant. The woman was surprised and was praising her. Ryouko of course did not know what Shinjou had written. And Shinjou had no intention of getting it published. It was just a personal hobby. However, Ryouko had commented on the mere fact that she had written a novel. I see, she thought. ¡­I¡¯m being praised for something I did myself. She did not know what that meant, but it briefly reminded her of the previous night. They had done something for the world and that would link them all together. And just now she had made Ryouko think something about her. ¡°¡­Is that how it works?¡± She nodded and woke from her thoughts to see Ryouko give an impressed sigh and look back and forth. ¡°Is the young master at work?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be back until late at night today.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Ryouko. ¡°Want to go get some yakisoba from Kouji?¡± Shinjou started to wonder if she should, but Ryouko said something more. ¡°Shi-chan¡¯s helping him right now, so should I call for her?¡¯ ¡°Shino-san is?¡± It surprised her to know that girl was at the festival. And she also knew Sayama was inside a concept space set up within the school. He had chosen the location of his beginning for the final showdown. Shinjou did not know who his opponent would be, but it would definitely be someone Shino knew. ¡­It might be bad if she notices. So Shinjou shook a hand side to side. ¡°Um, no, thanks. Yeah, you don¡¯t have to buy me any yakisoba.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ryouko¡¯s doubtful tone meant she did not believe Shinjou, so Shinjou panicked a little and stood up. ¡°Oh, but maybe I should go take a look. Then I can decide if I¡¯m in the mood.¡± ¡°So I¡¯ll be waiting here?¡± Ryouko shrugged and looked to the laptop and pile of paper. ¡°Can I read it?¡± ¡°Sorry, but I already know who I want to read it first.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the young master, isn¡¯t it?¡± She asked with a smile and Shinjou smiled back and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± she said while rushing toward the library exit. As she did, she wondered what Sayama and the others were doing at the moment. A dividing line between light and darkness existed on the edge of the festival. The light was filled with enjoyment while the darkness supported that light from outside. That borderline between light and darkness was made up of festival stands surrounding the dancing ground. One stand on the southwest end of the large schoolyard was selling yakisoba. Its sign said ¡°Festival Stand Detective ¨C Yakisoban¡± as well as ¡°Agedama Blade¡±. The stand was run by a foreigner who spoke a mysterious Swahili-like language, someone in a red and yellow Festival Stand Detective costume with lots of lit decorations, a young man easily speaking with them in Japanese, and a girl sitting in a seat next to them and chopping vegetables. The detective costume must have been hot inside because he would occasionally crouch down and stop moving, but it did not affect the stand. The transistor radio hanging from the top of the stand informed them it was now half past six. After handing a customer their change, the young man looked to the girl. He pulled a few coins from the bamboo basket he kept the change in and held them out toward the girl. She turned around and was noticeably surprised to see the coins. She tried to refuse a few times, but the young man pointed at himself, the foreigner mixing soba with amazing skill, and the detective directly cooling himself by shoving his head in a bucket of water. He then held out the coins again. The girl still hesitated, but she did take the coins. She held them tightly as something precious and a gentle smile came to her lips. She then grabbed the crutch leaning against the chair and began to walk. She bowed toward the men in the stand, placed her jacket over her shoulders, and opened the canopy placed over the side of the stand. Supported by the crutch, she seemed to move away from the darkness behind her. She walked into the light and all the people there. The school was empty. Only the reserve lights and the outside lights were on, so the schoolyard was poorly lit. However, a few forms were visible on the athletic grounds in front of the school building. One was a boy in a suit. The other was a girl in an armored uniform. And the others¡­ ¡°The Concept Cores have gathered here.¡± The boy turned toward the transport pallets and the swords stabbed into the schoolyard. ¡°Are you all here to see the conclusion?¡± As if to agree with the girl, the Concept Cores all glowed faintly. It was a pale light, much like moonlight. ¡°My side has 7th-Gear¡¯s Dragon Balls and 9th-Gear¡¯s B-Sp,¡± said the boy. ¡°And you¡­¡± He looked at the forms that resembled differently sized towers. ¡°3rd-Gear¡¯s Keravnos and 5th-Gear¡¯s Vesper Cannon, hm?¡± ¡°You cannot judge them based on their size. And the other four Concept Cores are surrounding the two of us. ¡­This must mean there were two draws, one victory, and one defeat. In other words, the world is still in equilibrium.¡± The boy looked to the sword standing before him. It was a wooden sword, but it had not been carved. It was a branch that had naturally taken that form. ¡°Mukiti chose this and resides within it, so that he could ¡®be with Sayama¡¯.¡± ¡°Then,¡± replied the girl with a long sword standing before her as well. ¡°I will take Totsuka, 2nd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core. I will use the power of my name¡­and carve life.¡± She seemed to be asking for confirmation in the dim light, but the boy only nodded at first. ¡°I see,¡± he said before tilting his head. ¡°Where is your dog?¡± ¡°He is not my dog and I did not want anyone to think I had help here, so I had him wait at the concept space¡¯s boundary.¡± ¡°The students with nothing better to do will be unable to leave him alone. Those who live in the dorms are always starving for a pet.¡± ¡°They eat dogs?¡± ¡°You just said something amazing, you know?¡± ¡°Did I?¡± She smiled a bit and must have recalled the festival outside. ¡°But anyway, this is a nice place.¡± ¡°It is,¡± agreed the boy. The two of them then slowly breathed in and reached for the weapons in front of them. ¡°Sayama Mikoto, Low-Gear Representative and ruler of the world.¡± ¡°Toda Mikoku, Top-Gear Representative and someone who wants to live a simple life.¡± After naming themselves, they prepared their weapons. ¡°En garde!!¡± Shino walked through the festival with her crutch. She was on the way back from buying four canned drink she held under her left arm below the jacket draped over her shoulders. ¡­Kouji said I could buy something and eat it, but¡­ She had not known what would be best to buy, so she had instead had fun seeing as much as she could. The schoolyard was large and there was a dance at the center. Their stand was to the southwest and the vending machines were near the school buildings to the north. She had intentionally chosen the longer counterclockwise route to the east, so it had taken her nearly half an hour. After making her purchase, she had taken the shorter western route instead. On the way, she had seen the general pattern of the stands. There was yakisoba, takoyaki, okonomiyaki, water candy, chocolate bananas, candied apples, target practice, human target practice, die cutting, 3D figurine die cutting, string lottery, nude string lottery, fortunetelling, and ¡°exciting¡± fortunetelling. Shino had seen a lot of it on her way there, but it was all new enough to her that it still felt fresh. In the distance, she heard a muffled moan followed by a ringing bell. ¡°We have a first prize winner in the nude string lottery! Oh, they¡¯re passing out. They¡¯re really passing out!¡± Someone was lucky, thought Shino with a deep nod. A soccer goal had been moved almost to the edge of the schoolyard. It was shoved between two stands and it seemed really big to Shino. Also¡­ ¡°Why is there a surfboard here?¡± A surfboard was stuck in the ground about sixty centimeters from the edge of the schoolyard. It almost looked like some kind of sign, but then she noticed a color there. It was the color white. It was the color of a beast. Despite all the food stands surrounding it, the color intently faced the center of the festival. ¡°¡­Shiro?¡± The large dog turned toward her. Its black eyes looked at her and they both reacted. Shiro gave a start, suddenly got up, and ran toward her. Shino gasped and watched the dog approach without moving. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Deep down, she knew the answer. She had last seen Shiro on the night of the attack. The landslide had separated them. And who had been with them then? ¡­No. She told herself to forget it, that this was not the time to approach that, and that she needed to think about something else. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The next thing she knew, Shiro had circled around to her left. Without looking at her face, he pressed his shoulder to her waist and tried to push. It was almost as if he was trying to move her away from the center of the festival. That clued Shino in ¡°Is she¡­in the festival?¡± Shiro did not answer. He simply tried to push her away from the festival. And as Shino looked to the center of the dancing, she realized something. ¡­No, she isn¡¯t actually in the festival. The person who she was still not willing to draw up from the depths her heart was not skillful enough to dance with these Low-Gear people. She was someone who could not face Shino until she had settled everything. She was someone who refused to face her even though she knew it was a necessary part of settling everything. She was someone who refused to face her not despite the power she had, but because of that power. She was someone who believed she would harm someone and something precious. Shino knew she would not be here now if that person had faced her. Shino knew she would also not be here if she had tried to face that person. That person refused to face this world and thus could not dance with this world. She refused to face them but desired to fight them. She thought she only had to avoid harming what mattered most to her, so she fought without even looking at those precious things. And so she would choose to fight somewhere where no one could see her. ¡­A concept space. Shiro knew where she was and what she was trying to do. ¡­Is it a showdown between Low-Gear and Top-Gear? Sayama and Shinjou had said they were searching the past in order to oppose Top-Gear. That meant they were going to settle everything once and for all. ¡­It can¡¯t be¡­ Shino sensed a certain conclusion. ¡°Mikoku is fighting to end it all?¡± She realized the cans had fallen from her left arm. That hand was now holding the blue stone that hung from her neck. That cracked stone had lost most of its power, but¡­ ¡­I can still enter a concept space one more time! She started forward with her crutch, but Shiro held her back. He seemed to be telling her not to go and not to stop the conclusion that so many people wanted. ¡°Shiro! Please¡­¡± She raised her voice, tried to move her knee forward, was pushed back, and realized something was getting in her way. A moment later, she threw away the crutch. Strength filled her trembling left leg and she brushed the dog out of the way. ¡°Shiro¡­please. Mikoku might leave me!¡± She took the blue stone from her neck and wrapped her left hand¡¯s fingers around it. She thrust it forward with her left palm as if pressing it into midair. ¡°Let me go! I need to¡­¡± She released the thought she had tried to seal in the bottom of her heart. ¡°I need to stop the conclusion Mikoku has chosen!¡± Shinjou saw a girl and a white dog near the gap between festival stands created by a soccer goal. The dog was the one that had accompanied Mikoku. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± Shinjou reflexively broke into a run. An uncertain but bad feeling filled her chest. She was about fifteen meters away, so it would not take her long to get there. She assumed she would make it if she ran, but the girl was already moving. Shinjou saw the girl raise her left hand toward the center of the festival with a tearful and desperate look on her face. ¡­She threw away her crutch! When she took a weak step and reached out toward the festival, Shinjou cried out. ¡°Wait! Someone¡­stop her!!¡± But her voice did not reach anyone. There was sound. There was light. A firework had been launched into the sky from the bonfire at the center of the festival. It whistled up into the midwinter night sky and the explosion briefly filled the festival with blue light. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The girl had vanished. Only the white dog remained, tail lowered and looking bored. Shinjou gulped. She let out a rough breath and pulled her cellphone from her pocket. With eyebrows raised, she clenched and ground her teeth, using the sound to suppress her emotions. ¡°Sibyl-san! We need backup! Send everyone out!¡± ¡°!? ¡­Wh-what do you mean? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s Ooshiro-sama again.¡± ¡°This might be worse than that¡­¡± ¡°Y-you mean the entire earth is about to be destroyed?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean,¡± began Shinjou as she slowly chose her words. ¡°Someone¡¯s trying to get in the way of Sayama-kun¡¯s conclusion.¡± She thought about what she had seen and what it meant. She wondered if it was what she had actually wanted to do. ¡°An intruder entered the concept space.¡± ¡°An intruder?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± confirmed Shinjou. She chose not to say anything more, hung up, and looked to her left arm. A black watch was strapped to her wrist. Mikoku moved through the night. The battlefield was a school. The school was empty and it was nighttime. But if one looked closely, faint shadows of people were visible. A festival was underway beyond the concept space. Mikoku did not overlook the presence of those people. She ran across the schoolyard, attacked, threw a knife to put some distance between herself and her opponent, and dashed inside a school building. Darkness covered everything, but human shadows moved through that darkness as well. It was not difficult to imagine the sounds they made as they moved. Two faint shadows stood in the hallway ahead of her, but what were they discussing? ¡­They are peeking inside the classroom in front of them, aren¡¯t they? A shadow stood at the wall to the side of the stairs, presumably waiting for someone. As Mikoku ran up the stairs, a shadow rushed down them and seemed to be riding a bicycle despite being indoors. Everyone moved out of the bike¡¯s way and a few raised their arms and seemed to be saying something. Mikoku smiled bitterly because it felt like she was a part of their group. She imagined she was participating in the festival. She crossed blades with the person who either pursued her or was pursued by her and imagined participating in the festival as the blow shook her body. No one noticed her. No one turned toward her. No one said anything to her. But, she thought. This is easier on me. After all, I don¡¯t have to hurt anyone this way. To avoid her enemy¡¯s next attack, she made a feint toward a classroom. They exchanged attacks as one pursued and one turned around. She used her skill, judgment, and physical strength to swing her sword from her lowered stance. She sliced through the ceiling and wall but was unable to hit her opponent. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± While falling back and making her sword strike, she saw a window to her left. It was a classroom window. The classroom was too small for this kind of fight and the window was the one view out of it. The thick window blocked her way and she was bound to this fight by obligation, but¡­ ¡­Everything looks so calm out there! She of course had a view of the school at night. The next school building cast a dark shadow and the moon had risen in the dark blue sky. But in her imagination, Mikoku participated in the festival. While inside the classroom and listening to the clashing of swords, she thought. ¡­This is the windowsill at the very end of the line. It would have felt nice to rest her head in her hand and stare out that window. She then realized she probably would not have been able to speak with anyone even if she had gone to school. She was sure she would have remained silent and stared out the window. ¡­All while wondering what I could do or if I was alone. She had continued to wander through the supposed freedom of not going to school, so if she had been faced with even more guidelines, would she have hesitated even more? But, she thought. She had lost her world, naturally wished to fight, worried over so very much, and was now fighting. ¡­But if I had gone to school, I definitely would have ended up staring out a window like that one. No matter her situation, she felt that would not have changed much. No one would have spoken to her, she would have been fine with that, and she would have found herself walking through the festival all alone. She would have been alone, but she still would have felt like she was participating by walking through it. That would have made her painfully aware that she was a part of this world. If she had bought something at a festival stand, it would have been proof of her existence. It would have been proof that she was an element of the festival. ¡­I am such a cheap person. She liked things simple. Or maybe I am surprisingly spoiled, she thought as she swung her sword outside of her imagination. A close look showed a faint shadow cut by in front of her. It was likely a waitress for the caf¨¦ being run from the classroom. The shadow on her hand had to be a tray. Mikoku directed her attack around the waitress. Her opponent received the attack and made an attack of his own, but his slash was the same as hers. ¡°¡­¡± She realized that both of them had been avoiding the faint shadows throughout the entire fight. ¡­Are you participating in the festival, too? In a way, treating the unseen and invisible no differently from anything else was restrictive. As they fought, they eliminated the primary advantage of the empty concept space. But what is wrong with that? thought Mikoku as she ran out into the hallway. Her enemy pursued and she made an attack from behind the door, but his wooden sword passed over his head to block her blade with a solid sound. She back-stepped and rushed down the hallway toward the emergency staircase. She held back her opponent by throwing a knife hidden on the back of her armored uniform. She then reached backwards while making sure not to get in the way of the barely-visible shadows. She reached toward the end of the hallway and the emergency exit. She grabbed the knob, turned it as her enemy approached, and pressed her back against it to move the heavy door. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She ran outside onto the concrete emergency staircase and sensed something. It was not the night air, the moonlight, the wind, or the darkness. She only sensed a broader version of the scene glimpsed through the classroom window, the height of her vantage point, and¡­ ¡­Yes. From that second story landing, she looked out on the schoolyard, the neighboring school building, the people there, the scenes of morning, noon, and night that had to exist there, and the current festival. She imagined it all. And she sensed something about this place. ¡­It is a little different. This was not a classroom, it was not closed off, and it gave a splendid view. There were other elevated spots and other locations exposed to the breeze, but this was the only one a few steps from the classroom. She was certain someone had a habit of gathering here. People who found their position inside the school to be somewhat lacking would come here as a privilege of knowing about it, and they would speak with the people walking down below and the people who arrived through the door. She suddenly realized some writing in the schoolyard sand was plastered on the wall. ¡­What is this? She tried to check the ten or so lines of text, but the door suddenly opened before her. It was her enemy. ¡°So you will not let me take my time!?¡± She clicked her tongue once, intercepted with her sword, and thought as she immediately jumped down from the landing. This was a fun time, but the festival would eventually end. ¡­How will the festival end? She knew how it needed to happen. Deep in her heart, she pictured a certain girl for the briefest of moments. She was certain that girl would be happy and that her happiness was completely unrelated to Top-Gear or Low-Gear. So Mikoku carved into herself a method to end this that would allow for that. She had a power of her own. And as she sensed her parents with her here, she made up her mind. This was a conclusion that only she could bring about. Sayama ran alongside Mikoku as he chased her into the schoolyard. He slipped through the dancing and rotating shadows, spun around in his pursuit of Mikoku, and was sometimes pursued himself. ¡­What a strange opponent. He felt her skill with the sword was a bit higher than his own. He was a skilled martial artist, but he simply did not have as much experience with swords. Rather than blocking and striking back, Mikoku more often evaded and charged in or evaded and moved away. She primarily fought at close range, as if assuming she could always dodge. ¡­Perhaps that is due to her regeneration concept. Even if she could not avoid an attack, it would not be fatal for her. But a normal person was different. If they failed to avoid an attack and the blade cut even a centimeter into their wrist, they would never hold a sword again. She did not need to worry about that, but¡­ ¡­Oddly enough, I sense no carelessness in her. According to Gyes, Mikoku¡¯s regeneration had reached abnormal speeds. She had speculated that not even the mechanical speed of the automatons would be enough to fully destroy Mikoku. For Mikoku itself, it would have distanced her from death. She could afford to be careless. And yet she moved vigorously and confidently while making sure to avoid the surrounding shadows, as if following Sayama¡¯s own lead there. ¡­She is not careless. She is confident. She knew that she would not die and that she was protected by her power, so had that relief widened her field of vision? This is dangerous, he thought. When people on the verge of death were shown their impending doom, they generally gave up and fell into that doom. When they knew they were on the verge of death in the first place, they would give up more quickly when it was placed right before their eyes. It was the ones who overcame that fate that were the most dangerous. Even when death was right before their eyes, they would sometimes fail to notice it or shrug it off as irrelevant. Mikoku had taken a step into that territory. ¡­This is bad. However, there were a few ways to defeat someone with powerful regeneration. To regenerate was to not die, but that still allowed them to be defeated or beaten. Grabbing and restricting their joints would prevent them from moving, which was enough for victory. Strangling them and cutting off their brain¡¯s oxygen supply would knock them unconscious, which was also a way to victory. Both were an extension of martial arts and something he excelled at. That was why he stayed close to her but backed away when she got too close. And at the moment, he moved in to attack. She would occasionally throw a knife to keep him away, but he kept up with her otherwise. Before long, the two of them reached the center of the schoolyard. Mikoku was to the south and Sayama to the north. They were both near their staring points, their heavy breathing appeared white in the air, and they were covered in sweat. ¡°There is¡­¡± ¡°¡­no need to stop.¡± They spoke in unison and they both leaned forward. ¡°¡­!¡± They ran toward the conclusion. They ran toward the conclusion of the world they both supported. ¡°The clashing of swords sounds wonderful.¡± A voice joined the sound of wood on metal and the sound of quick evasions. ¡°It is a nice sound.¡± One or the other of them spoke from the darkness and shadows. ¡°To be honest, I have no real grudge against you.¡± The other replied as if accepting those words. ¡°I feel similarly about you. You are my opposite, but I have no further connection to you.¡± Their swords clanged together. ¡°Then why are we fighting?¡± Their feet sounded loudly on the ground. ¡°Because our respective positions demand it.¡± They stepped away from each other on the sand and raised their swords. ¡°Then it would seem we both enjoy troublesome things.¡± The metal sword produced a metallic noise. ¡°We may be similar.¡± The other took a step. ¡°If we are similar, are two of us really necessary?¡± They moved forward. ¡°If you could fulfill my role, then perhaps not.¡± The wooden sword attacked. ¡°It is too bad.¡± The metal sword attacked. ¡°We have reached an impasse.¡± The wood blocked and repelled. ¡°There are enjoyments that only I can do. ¡­What about you?¡± Next, the metal blocked and repelled. ¡°Yes, I too have things that only I can do.¡± The opponent spun around to attack repeatedly. ¡°And you cannot give them up?¡± Footsteps blocked them with a wind of evasion. ¡°I cannot.¡± A pursuing strike rang out. ¡°Nor can I.¡± A second strike followed. ¡°If neither of us can give those things up, then what are we fighting for?¡± Someone side-flipped over the ground to dodge. ¡°That should be obvious.¡± They stood and began to move again. ¡°To ensure the things which we cannot give up.¡± They pursued. ¡°I see.¡± They pursued some more. ¡°I am glad you were my opponent.¡± One of them ran. ¡°Crushing something which someone refuses to give up will pain my great heart, but¡­¡± The other also ran. ¡°You are willing to do so if it is your other self?¡± One moved in to attack. ¡°Yes, that is right.¡± They attacked each other. ¡°Hey¡­ What were our parents like in your world?¡± They evaded at the same time. ¡°What about in yours?¡± They attacked at the same time. ¡°So they were the same.¡± They locked swords at the same time. ¡°Yes, they must have been the same.¡± The two weapons creaked from the strain they put on each other. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you think this fight might be meaningless?¡± A short silence followed. ¡°What a coincidence. But don¡¯t you also think that this fight can be given meaning?¡± One of them breathed in. ¡°Then¡­¡± They repelled each other to put some distance between them. ¡°Yes, you understand, don¡¯t you? The two who will cause the least possible damage to the world should settle this.¡± As soon as they landed, they kicked off the sand to dash. ¡°Hey, Sayama Mikoto.¡± Running footsteps approached. ¡°What, Toda Mikoku?¡± They continued to approach. ¡°Are we the same?¡± The approached without end. ¡°Well¡­¡± They approached too close to measure. ¡°Answer me.¡± They prepared their weapons. ¡°We are¡­¡± The wooden sword was held at the ready on the left side. ¡°¡­the same.¡± The metal sword was raised up and back in two hands. ¡°We are the same person.¡± And the two swords were swung. ¡°We are nothing more than that.¡± Mikoku swung her sword straight down toward Sayama. Her sword could carve life, but he did not hesitate. He stepped forward and drew his wooden sword from a crouched stance. Getting the distance of a sword strike right was tricky while running, but he calmly pulled it off. His blade would arrive directly below the wide crescent moon arc of hers, but it would not arrive in time. She briefly narrowed her eyes, but followed through with her attack. She immediately heard a certain sound. It was the dull sound of something tearing into the ground. She then saw Sayama charging toward her from his lowered stance. ¡°Totsuka!¡± For some reason, Totsuka had not swung all the way down. It had instead stopped about a meter off the ground. The reason was obvious: Mukiti¡¯s wooden sword. Sayama¡¯s weapon was stabbed into the ground like a stake. He had not been preparing to attack Mikoku with it. He had instead drawn Totsuka in and caught it on the bottom of Mukiti. Totsuka¡¯s power attempted to carve into the life of the wooden sword, but¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± Air blew out as it resisted. The powers of two Concept Cores collided, trembled, and cried out. ¡°!¡± Mikoku reflexively fell back with Totsuka in hand. In that instant, Sayama straightened up after charging in below Totsuka. His left shoulder hit the weapon and tore his clothing, but he continued running regardless. His forward movement cut his clothing further and blood sprayed from his shoulder. ¡°By the name of Mikoto, I command the concepts of 2nd-Gear.¡± He punched Totsuka¡¯s blade from below. ¡°Fly!!¡± Mikoku realized her weapon had flown up and out of her hands. She had been holding Totsuka¡¯s hilt, so her arms were pulled up and her body left wide open. Sayama charged toward her and she immediately realized this could lead to the conclusion she desired. Sayama did not hesitate. He threw a right hook into Mikoku¡¯s gut. ¡°¡­!¡± Just as she doubled over and her chin lowered, he unclenched his left fist. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± And he threw a chop. It hit. Her face wobbled and her body was knocked backwards thanks to the previous hit. The flat-handed blow to the chin had shaken her head on her neck. The greater the speed, the more her brain was shaken in her skull and the more control she lost. This was known as a concussion and that was what had happened to Mikoku. She might still have had control of her limbs, but with her brain taken out, she would not be able to stand. But to win, Sayama would need to pin her down or something along those lines. That was the way to defeat this immortal girl, this other version of himself, without giving her a chance to resist. And at about the same time, he heard a sound. It was the sound of breaking wood and it came from Mukiti¡¯s wooden sword. To the left, mist rose from the broken sword and it moved like a cobra rearing its head. ¡°!¡± It flew toward the collection of Concept Cores to their right, where Mukiti¡¯s small transportation pallet waited. According to the rules, he would lose if he lost the Concept Core. But Totsuka had been knocked into the air and Mikoku was unable to fight, so if he restrained her here¡­ ¡­It will be a tie. Everything would end in equilibrium. And¡­ ¡°That is the conclusion I wanted!¡± Sayama had decided he would not allow a division between winner and loser, even if he had to force it. He was prepared to do whatever it took to ensure everyone was on equal footing. Low-Gear and Top-Gear had their own circumstances and righteousness. ¡­But we must face each other and accept that we are equal! They had held a trial and fought, so he felt there could be nothing more they had to do. And¡­ ¡°You feel the same, don¡¯t you!?¡± He shouted his question and ran over as Mikoku¡¯s knees gave out and she began to collapse. But¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± As he started forward, Sayama saw hostility before his eyes. It was the tip of a blade. It was a knife. It was one Mikoku had hidden on the back of her armored uniform. He reflexively jumped back. ¡°!¡± And he grabbed the knife from midair. His eyes had focused on the blade and it took them a brief moment to focus back on the girl. In that vague but instantaneous time, he asked a question in his heart. ¡­Why? The question came from the knife in his hand. She had to have thrown the knife after letting go of Totsuka. It would have been when her arms were raised, leaving her body unguarded. She had to have thrown the blade while receiving his attack. But, he thought. That is not something she could have suddenly decided to do. At the very least, she had to have made the decision before the pair of attacks leading to the concussion. And that suggested something to Sayama. ¡­Did she predict my attack? But that question brought two new questions. First, if she had predicted it, why had she let it hit? And second, what had she been trying to do by taking an attack that would keep her from moving? At the same time, his eyes focused on what lay before him. From seven meters away, he saw Mikoku collapsing backwards as her knees lost their strength. But that was not all. Only then did he realize what she was trying to do. She held a knife in her right hand. As she fell, she forcibly moved her right arm via brute strength. A moment later, Sayama saw his other self swing her blade. Having predicted what she would do, he cried out. ¡°Wait!¡± She held the knife in a backhand grip and pressed it against the back of her own head. He heard a dull sound as she plunged the knife up to the base into the back right side of her neck. ¡°!!¡± And she pulled it forward, toward Sayama. She was trying to cut through her medulla oblongata to reset the trembling of the concussion. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± And she did just that. Mikoku felt her mind grow instantly clear, so she calmly stood up. She had a smile on her face and sweat covered her brow, but she kept her eyes pointed straight forward. Totsuka spun as it fell from overhead and the pieces of the wooden sword lay abandoned on the ground. Now that she was alive and could move, the result was obvious. ¡°If I catch Totsuka as it falls, I suppose I will win.¡± Sayama shook his head and remained in a defensive stance. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°I will not wait. If I catch that sword, I will win.¡± She extended her right hand up toward the falling blade. She slowly bent backwards as she did. ¡°Sayama Mikoto, you were attempting to incapacitate me so that we would tie, weren¡¯t you? It is true that I cannot be defeated in any other way¡­generally, anyway.¡± ¡°¡­Wait.¡± Sayama took a half step forward, but she shook her head. She tried to catch Totsuka as it spun down from directly overhead, but he gave a shout at that exact moment. ¡°Wait, Toda Mikoku!¡± ¡°I will not wait. I made the same decision as you¡­but chose a different method.¡± She had her own way of bringing the world into equilibrium. ¡°I know my only skill lies in fighting and that everyone sees me as Top-Gear¡¯s final leader.¡± So¡­ ¡°Sorry, but I will take all of the responsibility onto myself. ¡­Accept this tie and forgive them all. You understand, don¡¯t you? Even Hajji was a victim.¡± ¡°Wait!!¡± shouted Sayama. ¡°Death is the worst possible option, Toda Mikoku!!¡± As he stepped toward her, she threw a knife with her left hand to keep him away. With both her arms raised, she spread those arms, leaned back, and left her chest entirely defenseless to the falling bearer of the conclusion. Totsuka. In this concept space, that sword was aligned with the one whose name carved life. The metal tip fell to pierce her chest and the philosopher¡¯s stone embedded there. Her regeneration power and her life were there. But Totsuka¡¯s blade could carve life, so if it broke the philosopher¡¯s stone and stabbed her, she would die. This was the conclusion Mikoku desired. If she was gone, Top-Gear would lose its leader. Shino would choose a life of happiness and so would Tatsumi. Even Alex would be able to live out his remaining life in peace. And if she bore all responsibility herself, Hajji and the others who had fought alongside her would not be harmed. Low-Gear would be unable to demand any other sacrifices or anything else unreasonable. She was still worried about the negative concepts, but if Noah began to wake up, she was certain that Noah herself would do something about it. ¡­It will be okay. Shino was not by her side, but with her parents¡¯ power inside her, she was not alone. That knowledge was enough. Even if she lost her life, she would not feel lonely. Her fight would end here. So she raised her head toward the heavens and held her chest up toward the blade that would pierce her. Just before it all happened, a girl rushed onto the battlefield. She ran a short distance to charge in from outside the field of vision of the two focused on themselves. ¡°No!¡± The girl embraced Mikoku who was trying to end it all by taking her own life. She embraced her, pushed, and a moment later, the falling metal sword pierced through her bent back and toward her chest. With a dull sound, the girl stopped moving as if she had tripped forward and her outstretched arms clung tightly to Mikoku. After a rustling of cloth, the sword in her back collapsed under its own weight. It fell toward the girl¡¯s waist, which also moved the girl. It moved the girl¡¯s raised body closer to Mikoku. The movement was accompanied by a wet sound as the thick blade sank into her gut and fell out through her back. The sound of the sword falling to the sand-covered ground rang heavily through the air. Afterwards, only a breath could be heard. It sounded like all air was leaving the girl¡¯s lungs. Mikoku did not understand. What had just happened before her eyes? What had happened to her? Why was Shino here? Why had Shino stopped her? She did not understand any of that, but she did understand one thing: what was going to happen to Shino now. Mikoku stood in a daze as Shino leaned up against her. Her bent arms caught on Mikoku¡¯s armored uniform and she finally managed to stand on her trembling legs. But Mikoku did not know what to do. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Only a tenseness that was not even a breath escaped her throat. But she could feel the heat and trembling coming from Shino. Shino¡¯s heat was spilling on Mikoku¡¯s stomach and dripping down her waist and thighs. ¡­! She did not know what, why, or how. She could not even go mad, she could not run away, she could not breathe in or out, and so she said nothing. All she could do was somehow listen to Shino¡¯s faint voice. ¡°Mikoku¡­¡± Ah. ¡°Thank goodness.¡± How is this good? There is nothing remotely- ¡°Mikoku, you¡¯re a coward, so I thought you might do this. Because you¡¯re a coward¡­¡± Wait. Wait. Please wait. Don¡¯t¡­don¡¯t say anything. If you do¡­ If you do¡­ If you say it¡­ If you say it¡­it will sound like goodb- ¡°And because you¡¯re kind.¡± She heard a voice say ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±. She tried to say ¡°wait¡± but could not. She could not say it, so she remained silent. And as that silence felt like some kind of punishment, Shino¡¯s voice continued with a hint of happiness and even some faint joy mixed in. ¡°I¡¯d always known it¡­but it was so obvious¡­that I¡¯d forgotten.¡± Shino raised her lowered head. Don¡¯t look at me. Don¡¯t. I have no idea what kind of awful look I have on my face. But Shino did look at her and gave her a smile that made her want to tell her to stop. ¡°You¡¯re actually the kindest person of all, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you¡¯re so fearful and why you try to avoid hurting anyone. ¡­That¡¯s who you are, isn¡¯t it?¡± Shino mouthed the words ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±. She closed her eyes as she smiled. Seeing that smile, Mikoku¡¯s face crumpled and she opened her mouth. ¡°Shino!¡± Her voice ¨C her trembling voice ¨C finally escaped. Shino¡¯s eyes opened a bit, but she only nodded with a gentle smile and lowered her head. ¡°From now on, you can be kind without having to fear, okay? After all¡­ After all, I¡¯m already living without my concept¡­and everyone is so kind to me.¡± Shino¡¯s body sank into Mikoku¡¯s chest. She felt like nothing more than a limp mass of lingering heat. ¡°I won¡¯t be a burden on you anymore, so¡­¡± With those words, the last hint of strength left Shino¡¯s body. So Mikoku embraced her. And she realized Shino wore a red cloisonn¨¦ pendant along with her half-broken blue pendant. She realized Shino had continued to wear it all this time. Sayama found himself collapsed on the ground. He did not know what had happened. He remembered trying to stop Mikoku and that she had thrown a knife when he had tried to approach. Just as he had tried to brush it out of the way, a girl had run out in front of Mikoku. It had been Shino. She had likely used an unstable method to enter the concept space because an odd distortion had accompanied her appearance and it had happened so suddenly. Confused by the sudden event, the knife had approached before his eyes. ¡°And¡­¡± He looked down at his own collapsed form and found a face there. He also saw long hair bound by a ribbon and a school uniform. ¡°Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Shinjou smiled bitterly as she clung to his chest. ¡°Sorry about interrupting.¡± Those words left him speechless. It was true she had interrupted. She had interfered while the representatives of Low-Gear and Top-Gear settled their dispute. Seeing Shino had surprised him enough to briefly lose sight of the knife, but that was his responsibility. He could not let the interference of someone other than the Low-Gear representative help him avoid a weapon thrown by the Top-Gear representative. But¡­ ¡­It is true she saved me. As he wondered what he should say, he noticed something. He held up his left hand which had been wrapped around Shinjou¡¯s back. ¡°Blood¡­¡± Enough dark-red covered his left palm to drip from it. ¡°Shinjou-kun!¡± He got up and realized Shinjou¡¯s body was limp and heavy. ¡°Shinjou-kun!¡± Her bitter smile was the soft expression of someone about to fall asleep. ¡°Shinjou-kun!!¡± He looked past her smile and saw Mikoku¡¯s knife sticking from her back. It was on the left side of her back and the red stain grew with the same timing as her pulse. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± It will be okay. Calm down. Yes, he told himself. ¡­This situation¡­ He suddenly remembered his mother. She too had protected him from an attack and embraced him. What had happened to her afterwards? ¡°¡­¡± The pain inside him linked with reality. The pain in his chest linked not to his mother and the others he had lost but instead to Shinjou who he held to his chest. ¡°¡­!!¡± He embraced her and let out a yell. A pair of cries rang throughout the dark space. And something answered them. The girl¡¯s bestial cry was answered by two objects that flew down from the sky. One was a badly-damaged mechanical dragon and the other was a similarly-damaged white giant. The white giant fell down almost vertically and the girl standing on its shoulder looked down to the ground. ¡°Mikoku¡­¡± The girl in Mikoku¡¯s arms was covered in scarlet. Mikoku¡¯s chest was bared. She was trying to use a knife to dig out the philosopher¡¯s stone buried at the base of her throat so she could give it to the girl in her arms. But every wound she made was instantly filled, she could not fulfill her wish, and she simply opened her mouth and wailed. Her voice sounded like a scream or cry of anguish and the girl falling with the white giant closed her eyes. She wrinkled her brow and audibly gulped. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alex.¡± ¡°Do not apologize, Tatsumi. I am here to make sure you do not have to.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Tatsumi nodded with the ends of her eyebrows lowered. ¡°I will take Mikoku¡¯s side no matter what happens.¡± After all¡­ ¡°My emotions are nothing compared to hers.¡± ¡°Neither are mine. If this comes down to a conflict between reason and emotion¡­then I prefer the latter, Tatsumi.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Tatsumi with another nod. She then opened her eyes, looked down at the girl crying on the fast-approaching ground, reached out a hand, and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Mikoku!!¡± Tatsumi gave a shout to drown out the cries coming from the depths of the earth. ¡°Release your desire! This is a place of conclusion! You are Top-Gear¡¯s representative, so we will follow whatever decision you make!¡± Mikoku looked up. Her eyes wavered from the tears and her hair was a mess, so Tatsumi briefly closed her eyes again. But Tatsumi quickly brought her expression in order and breathed in to gather strength. ¡°Wish for whatever it is you desire!!¡± At the same time, Alex and the white god of war slammed wind against the earth and landed. The two of them heard Mikoku¡¯s voice in the whipping wind. They were quiet yet distinct words. ¡°Give her back¡­¡± Mikoku shouted words of emotion that were impossible yet that everyone had wished for at some point. She extended her bloody right hand toward Tatsumi and strongly spread the fingers. ¡°Give her back!!¡± In that instant, Tatsumi closed her eyes, accepted it all, and nodded. She then took action to grant her leader¡¯s request. A gust of wind raced across the earth and ascended into the sky. Volume 13, Final : Leading Edge of the Pain Volume 13, Final Chapter: Leading Edge of the Pain That voice is not a song The UCAT members were slightly delayed on entering the concept space. The concept space by the front gate was the closet to the schoolyard concept space, but there was a short gap between the two and the automatons could not leave. That meant the first to reach Sayama were Hiba and Kazami who had just returned by helicopter. Small concept spaces had been opened in various spots around the school and helicopters were letting off personnel inside them. Hiba and Kazami charged into the concept space as the first of those. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Then they saw and heard what was there. They were first met by the wind produced by something large flying. Kazami reached a hand out beyond that pressure of the wind that blew through. ¡°The Concept Cores!!¡± But the objects to which she referred were not there. Gram, Totsuka, Keravnos, Mukiti, the Vesper Cannon, V-Sw, the four Dragon Balls, Wanambi, B-Sp, and G-Sp2 were all missing. Only one thing remained. ¡°That voice¡­¡± muttered Hiba. Just as he had said, a single voice rang through the darkness. It was a great cry. The extended, lonely wail was directed toward the moon. The sorrowful voice gave the two of them chills. And in the center of the courtyard, they saw its source. It was Sayama. Even though it would dirty his clothes, he sat on the ground embracing Shinjou¡¯s scarlet-stained body. Shinjou¡¯s back was moving slightly as she breathed and he pressed his hands to it to keep her from bleeding any more. His hands were covered in the color red spilling from the person he cared for most, his head simply looked up toward the night sky, and his mouth hung open. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Sayama howled. Tears spilled down his face and his hair was disheveled. He spoke no words or anything else. He simply cried like a small child or like a beast howling at the moon. It was as if he did not know what else to do. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± His cry echoed on and on through the empty night sky where even the wind had vanished. It seemed to be pleading a single word: why? ¡°I care for you.¡± Volume 13, Afterword Volume 13, Afterword And that was Owari no Chronicle 6-B. A lot is in motion now and it all ends with Volume 7 coming up next. There¡¯s still one volume to go, but I only made it this far thanks to all of you. Thank you very much. Now for the customary chat. ¡°This is such a pain, so you can just continue from last time.¡± ¡°You mean like how I helped an old lady cross the street, it turned out she was the president of a major corporation, and now I¡¯m watching the Tyson vs. Akebono fight in Las Vegas?¡± ¡°Do you want me to despise you?¡± ¡°Go right ahead. I¡¯ve been starving for some excitement in this boring life of mine.¡± ¡°Did you head out of the house naked, buy a 1.5 liter drink from a vending machine, and calmly head back home like you talked about earlier?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s been so hot lately.¡± ¡°Wow, you really are awful. So what¡¯s your next mission?¡± ¡°Dancing naked in front of a neighborhood house. They¡¯ll never imagine someone¡¯s dancing naked in front of their happy little home. If I can hear a night game broadcast while I do it, that would be perfect.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a crime, you know? In more ways than one. What if a kid opens the door with a fireworks set in hand?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll probably think it¡¯s a summer dream. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve been working out.¡± ¡°That first part doesn¡¯t have anything to do with the last part. And what is it with you and nudity?¡± ¡°Well, I get bored.¡± ¡°That makes no sense!!¡± ¡°Besides, wearing clothes at home is such a pain. I do wear them in winter, though.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s like an animal¡¯s summer coat and winter coat?¡± Oh, we didn¡¯t talk about our middle and high school days. Oh, well. Anyway, I¡¯ll leave it at that. My background music this time was Fairchild¡¯s Chiisana Hoshi. (When it snows, no other song will do.) ¡°Who cried the loudest?¡± Anyway, the next one will be out in a month, so wait just a bit. September 2005. A morning after a typhoon. -Kawakami Minoru Volume 14, Prologue: Step Toward Preparation Volume 14, Prologue: Step Toward Preparation Always Always One walks in order to gain something During the night, everything but the moon and stars seemed to sink. And those lights in the night sky illuminated the many things sinking into the earth. The light first displayed the mountains which rose up from the earth. The shadows of the mountaintops led to shadows of trees as the forests on the slopes were revealed. The vast mountainous region was made up of those tree-covered rooftops awash with pale light and the gatherings of shadow down below. A part of this mountainous region formed a plain. It was a large and flat expanse of land. It had a radius of about two kilometers, it was surrounded by forest, and it was covered by underbrush that had died down for winter. Exposed to the wind and rain and covered in gravel, the ground currently displayed a few points of color. The colors were red lights that appeared much weaker than the lights shining down from the sky. The ember-like scarlet lights came from heated metal. The metal was hot wreckage. And the countless pieces of burning metal illuminated something from below: people standing or collapsed among the wreckage. A battle had taken place. The collapsed defeated wore white armored uniforms and they were all injured and unmoving. The standing victors wore black armored uniforms and¡­ ¡°It seems we¡¯ve opened the way.¡± A mechanical voice spoke and a large form walked through as if parting the wreckage. What looked like a small mountain was actually a forty meter dragon made of machine parts. The mechanical dragon carried a large container on his back and he looked to the standing people. ¡°Restrain the UCAT guards and carry them into the forest on the side. Maintenance team, you work on me and on Tatsumi¡¯s Typhon. I need my Justice Armor Lv. 9 attached.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just normal armor, so stop calling it that, Alex.¡± That comment came from the darkness directly above. A white giant descended while carrying a large container overhead. The moonlight washed over the ten-meter six-winged god of war covered in white armor. A long-haired girl, Tatsumi, stood on the god of war¡¯s shoulder and she continued speaking as the giant silently landed. ¡°Enemy reinforcements were coming from below, so I silenced them on my way here. This will probably develop into a battlefield with long lines soon, so we need to get these Concept Core containers inside quickly.¡± Tatsumi looked forward into the vast expanse of the sky. Everyone could see a massively tall shadow that seemed to rise endlessly into the night sky. It was so faint they had to strain their eyes to see it and it looked like a great wall filling the entire plain, but it never seemed to end no matter how high they craned their necks. It seemed to extend to the farthest reaches of the heavens. ¡°Babel.¡± Tatsumi spoke the name of a tower of words from a certain mythology, but she immediately shook her head. ¡°No, this is Noah piercing into the earth. This is the massive aerial ship that you and I lived and played on.¡± ¡°In that case, we should be allowed inside. And¡­¡± They all looked in the opposite direction. A girl stood all alone among the wreckage as if following the others. She held something wrapped in a blanket. Someone called out to her: Are you okay? So she replied with a small nod: I am fine. Her voice was dry, her face was pale, and her disheveled hair swayed. ¡°I am fine. Keep going. We have lost something, but that is why we must take it back.¡± She embraced the blanket in her arms. ¡°Let us create a concept that rejects death.¡± Tatsumi nodded at that. ¡°About three hours have passed since we lost Shino, but you know what to do, don¡¯t you, Mikoku?¡± ¡°Yes. Noah is most likely active on the inside. It needs some level of power to maintain the exterior that supports its great form. And if that power is there, then Noah is still active. It is the same as when Top-Gear was destroyed.¡± So¡­ ¡°The concept creation facility failed in Top-Gear, but with Low-Gear¡¯s contradiction allowance concept, I can use it to create a philosopher¡¯s stone.¡± ¡°How will you do it?¡± asked Tatsumi. Mikoku answered while looking down at her chest. ¡°I will have Noah¡¯s concept creation facility scan my philosopher¡¯s stone. And based on that, I will use all of Noah¡¯s negative concepts and all of the positive concepts we took to create a concept under the optimal conditions,¡± she said. ¡°I will create a resurrection concept, seal it in a philosopher¡¯s stone, and embed it inside Shino. ¡­Then I will mass produce the stones, remove all destruction from this world, and try to live alongside all of the concepts.¡± ¡°Then what if you didn¡¯t seal the concept in a philosopher¡¯s stone and instead released it so it took root in Low-Gear itself?¡± asked Tatsumi. Mikoku shook her head. ¡°That is no different from recreating this world. If the concepts are completely different, the parent string vibration will change too much and everything living in this world will be destroyed and then remade.¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s true you and Shino couldn¡¯t be together that way.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Mikoku as she began to walk. She treaded on the gravel, walked on the metal fragments, and stepped over the scattering embers. She joined the others who stood waiting for her, but then she continued forward. ¡°Why did all of you follow me? Hajji is not here and this is my own selfish desire.¡± She looked across them all as she walked and they briefly hesitated to answer her. But then one man lowered his bulletproof helmet and spoke with a self-deprecating smile on the corner of his mouth. ¡°This didn¡¯t seem like too bad an idea if we can bring Shino back to life.¡± Mikoku did not stop walking, but she did close her eyes for a moment. ¡°Thank you.¡± A few of them lowered their heads at that and Mikoku said something more while still moving forward. ¡°Tatsumi, Alex. Please take the Concept Cores into Noah. And once you do that, finish your maintenance and head out with the others to intercept the enemy. The enemy is sure to come.¡± ¡°Will they really?¡± ¡°They will,¡± replied Mikoku. ¡°After all, we are their enemy.¡± She tightly held the weight in her arms and took another step toward the shadow standing tall in the darkness. ¡°There is no way they will not come. Team Leviathan Road are the only ones who can oppose us.¡± But one of the others asked something more. ¡°Can we really pull this off if the enemy is coming? To produce a philosopher¡¯s stone containing a new concept, we have to get Noah up and running, not to mention getting inside in the first place.¡± He sounded worried, but Mikoku nodded. ¡°Do not worry. If Babel truly is Noah, then there is nothing to worry about. When we lived in Noah, it had¡­¡± She faced forward. ¡°It had an automaton that managed the entire ship. The Shinjou couple created that control terminal and she would often play with us. If she is awake¡­¡± Mikoku trailed off and came to a stop. Directly ahead, a white figure stood in direct contrast to the black tower behind it. It was an automaton. It was a female model, but her design had a large difference from 3rd¡¯s automatons. She had wings. Mikoku saw a doll in a maid uniform with twelve mechanical white wings. ¡°Noah, so you are awake.¡± The winged automaton leaned forward in a bow. ¡°Testament.¡± The voice did not come from the automaton. It instead came from the great tower behind her. And after she straightened up and looked into the sky, she faced the approaching people. ¡°I am 8th Arch-Model Automaton No. 0 of Concept Creation Aerial Ship SSS-X0 Noah. I entered standby for reactivation ten years ago and today stored all data and reactivated. I have been waiting. As a conscious terminal, I will handle all control of Noah. Over.¡± She took a breath. ¡°As before, please call me Noah, guides of the new world. Over.¡± In a large space, asphalt extended for about three thousand meters from east to west. It was a runway. It had a simple control tower and hangar to the west, but it was otherwise surrounded by forest. A transport helicopter was stopped on the pavement in front of the hangar. It was idling and its lights revealed several people around it. Among them, a girl swung a spear around. She wore a white armored uniform and she kept grabbing different spears from a hanger that resembled an umbrella stand, but she looked displeased as she swung one of the long spears around in one hand. ¡°Hey, Sibyl? Don¡¯t you have any heavier ones?¡± Sibyl, who wore a white combat coat, responded with her blonde hair fluttering in the wind. ¡°I am not sure how to say this, Chisato-sama, but to be blunt, no one in UCAT can wield a spear heavier than that.¡± Hearing that, Kazami stopped easily swinging the spear around. ¡°It¡¯s that heavy?¡± she wondered while an old man in a lab coat tried to pick up one of the lighter looking spears in the hanger. ¡°Now, then. It¡¯s time for Kazuo to show off just how- nwohhhh! Oh! Oh!? Ohhhhh!?¡± Unable to fully lift it, Ooshiro collapsed backwards with his arms wrapped around the spear. Pinned by the weapon, he flailed his legs around like a bug. ¡°Ah, no, it¡¯s so heavy. And the tip is digging into the bottom of my body¡¯s centerline! It¡¯s a spear tip fantasy!¡± Kazami spun her spear around and tapped the top of the spear tip in question. After a long metallic tone, Ooshiro vibrated like a tuning fork and passed out. When they saw the motionless old man¡¯s limbs sticking up toward the heavens, all of the men shrieked and backed away. However, Kazami looked down at the spear in her head. ¡°Ooshiro-san doesn¡¯t matter, but why does this feel so light?¡± ¡°Yes, UCAT Director Ooshiro does not matter and it is possible G-Sp2 has given you some divine protection along those lines.¡± ¡°Even though G-Sp2 was kidnapped?¡± asked Kazami. Sibyl smiled a little. ¡°Izumo-sama has his own divine protection from his mother.¡± Kazami thought for a moment and then scratched her head. ¡­So that¡¯s it. ¡°So the reason I¡¯ve been sending people flying lately isn¡¯t because I trained too much and gained dramatic levels of superhuman strength? It¡¯s all because of some divine protection? ¡­Hm, that¡¯s a huge load off my mind. Right?¡± For some reason, Sibyl averted her gaze and began admiring the weeds growing up between the cracks in the asphalt. ¡°Heh heh heh. Life is so very important. Even a few plants that can¡¯t grow flowers have half a soul, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡­Did I really say anything worth avoiding reality over? At any rate, Kazami looked toward the idling helicopter where Izumo was. He would have gotten a large sword to use instead of V-Sw. If she really had been given some divine protection by G-Sp2, then she might feel closer to him and his defensive divine protection. With that sense of intimacy tickling at her, she turned to face him. ¡°Hey, Kaku, what do you think?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± He was sitting on the edge of the helicopter¡¯s loading entrance, but he nodded and placed a hand behind his back. ¡°Yeah, I think ramen would be great tonight.¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t even listening and what are you hiding behind your back?¡± ¡°Calm down, Chisato. And think carefully. Thanks to the current state of Japanese UCAT, this helicopter was sent from American UCAT , so what do you think I found inside?¡± After giving it an instant of careful thought, she threw her spear toward the helicopter. Sounds of impact, destruction, and screeching metal rang out while people fled and screamed, but Kazami had already turned back toward Sibyl. She shrugged and grabbed a new spear. ¡°Honestly, no one here takes anything seriously.¡± That was when Ooshiro spoke up while still on the ground. ¡°K-Kazami-kun! I think you¡¯re the most naturally destructive person here! C-can¡¯t you be a little kinder to your elders?¡± She decided she could not, so she used her spear to tap the one Ooshiro held and everyone backed away again once he fell silent. ¡°U-um, Chisato-sama?¡± said Sibyl with a troubled look. ¡°I feel like you are causing a minor rift between comrades.¡± ¡°Listen, Sibyl. Let me teach you a nice magic spell: It¡¯s always like this.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Sibyl. Kazami tilted her head. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go attach an anchor to this spear. No, two.¡± ¡°Two of them?¡± ¡­Did I say something wrong? ¡°W-well, I¡¯m just in the mood for that. Think of them as weighty decorations. And, um¡­to change the subject, where are the others?¡± ¡°S-Sayama-sama is in the underground medical facility. He just contacted me to say he would be back soon, but¡­¡± Kazami sighed and nodded. It had only been two hours since Shinjou had been rushed to Japanese UCAT. Kazami had ridden back from the city center on the same helicopter that carried Shinjou and Sayama, who had refused to let go of the girl. When he had refused to leave her in the medical facility, Kazami had slapped him once. ¡­And yet I refused to leave Kaku¡¯s side when his arm was smashed. Shinjou had taken a knife in the back protecting Sayama. It had luckily passed between the lungs, but it had also arrived near the heart. The surgery would primarily involve rejoining blood vessels while making sure not to damage the major arteries. The doctors predicted it would be a difficult surgery and she also needed a major blood transfusion. The situation was all the more frightening because the attack had come from someone with the name Mikoku under the effects of 2nd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core. From what Kazami had heard, the name ¡°Mikoku¡± would be carved into Shinjou¡¯s life within four hours if some kind of conceptual countermeasures were not taken. Shinjou would be undergoing surgery to heal the wound itself while also undergoing a concept surgery to remove the attack power of the name concept driven into her body. The process should have been relatively easy, but the effects of 2nd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core had turned the life-carving concept of ¡°Mikoku¡± into a Concept Core attack. The people of 2nd-Gear could not hope to match 2nd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core. They had considered destroying the concept with Georgius, but as long as the life-carving concept was directly linked to her life, the odds were good that would destroy her life. Sayama had likely been warned that it might only be a matter of time. ¡­It¡¯ll be okay. Kazami recalled her memories of Shinjou. That underclassman had often hesitated, often cried, often laughed, and always worked desperately toward everything. It¡¯ll be okay. Sayama is alive and as long as he lives, Shinjou won¡¯t die, she thought, despite having nothing to base the assertion on. Hurry on back. And¡­ ¡°Sayama?¡± In front of her and behind Sibyl, a white armored uniform appeared as if parting the crowd gathered there. It was Sayama. He was approaching the helicopter after climbing the stairs from underground. Everyone turned around, looked at him, and started to say something, but¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Their words vanished and they remained silent. Why this happened was obvious. Sayama had Baku on his head like usual, his face was pale, his gaze was sharp, and¡­ ¡­He¡¯s lost weight. His exhaustion from the past few hours had left its mark on him. Saying anything felt like it would be asking why he looked like that, so no one could say anything. If they did, they thought they would remind him of his pain. But his legs were sturdy below him and he walked straight up to Kazami. He then turned to Sibyl. ¡°Where are the Hiba boy, Harakawa, and Heo-kun?¡± His voice was hoarse, but Sibyl only had to breathe in once to control her expression. ¡°Testament. Hiba-sama is visiting Mikage-sama in the development department. Harakawa-sama and Heo-sama are¡­¡± She trailed off for a moment, but¡­ ¡°Heo-sama is isolating herself a little due to the shock of how her representative battle ended. Harakawa-sama is in American UCAT¡¯s Yokota branch with her.¡± ¡°In other words, we can use neither Susamikado nor Thunder Fellow.¡± Sayama placed a hand on his chin. ¡°If that is all, we still have strength to spare. Let us go. The enemy likely plans to use the positive and negative concepts to create a resurrection philosopher¡¯s stone. I would have liked to allow that if I could, but creating such an item would produce conflict.¡± ¡°Someone with a philosopher¡¯s stone like that wouldn¡¯t die. They¡¯d be an immortal god.¡± Kazami saw Sibyl and the surrounding people gasp at her statement, so she smiled bitterly. Acting tough can help cheer people up too, she thought while turning to Sayama. ¡°You¡¯re looking better.¡± ¡°Say I look more determined.¡± He sounded casual enough, but his expression was still stiff. But it¡¯s better than crying, thought Kazami. He was not yet back to his normal self and that would likely not happen until Shinjou had recovered, but¡­ ¡­Being the leading villain must be tough. And in that case, she thought while resting the spear on her shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll help you out.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± ¡°You idiot. You¡¯re supposed to say thank you.¡± Sayama briefly froze as if he had only just realized that and he brought a hand to his forehead. ¡°Right,¡± he said with a nod. The gesture and his voice lacked his usual strength, but Kazami made sure to keep talking. ¡°Besides, there¡¯s not much we can do without you.¡± ¡°So it seems,¡± he said with a bitter smile. She decided to believe him and told herself it would all be okay, but she also wondered if that was more of her acting tough. And then¡­ ¡°Wah! Sorry I¡¯m late! It¡¯s me, Hiba Ryuuji!¡± A boy in a white armored uniform appeared behind them all. He had supposedly been visiting Mikage in the development department. Currently, they were trying a variety of methods to wake her up and it seemed she was already tossing and turning as well as muttering things in her sleep. Hiba approached through the crowd behind Sibyl. Everyone had heard him, so they turned around. And as they did, they prepared to say something to him, but¡­ ¡°Oh, Mikage-san is just so cute even when she¡¯s asleep. She keeps saying ¡®food¡¯ in her sleep!¡± Everyone nodded, but far from falling silent, they began muttering to themselves. ¡°I just decided bragging deserves the death penalty.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better watch your back if you sit by the helicopter door.¡± ¡°Hello, yes. Is this the 1st-Gear reservation? I would like a piece of paper with ¡®curse¡¯ written on it. Yes, ASAP.¡± ¡°Wh-why are you all so cement-like!?¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± sighed Kazami before asking Hiba a question. ¡°So how was Mikage?¡± A smile quickly replaced his confusion. ¡°Yes, well, it really seems like she¡¯s only sleeping now. Director Tsukuyomi even said she¡¯ll probably wake up soon.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kazami nodded and turned to Sayama. ¡°Sayama, you can see how many death flags this poor underclassman is raising, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes. I am beginning to think my own situation might not be all that bad. If I died, Shinjou-kun would stop receiving my communication signals and might die of despair.¡± ¡°D-death flags!? What are you talking about!?¡± Kazami ignored Hiba¡¯s question and asked one of her own. ¡°Hiba, how has your luck been recently?¡± ¡°Well, my grandfather¡¯s house will be fixed on New Year¡¯s, and he¡¯ll be giving me some New Year¡¯s money to celebrate!¡± Everyone gulped, but Hiba did not notice. ¡°I¡¯m gonna have so much money for next year, so-¡­ Wait, why are you all patting me on the shoulder and walking away?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be a miracle if you survive this.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± He tilted his head, but Kazami turned back to Sayama. However, Sayama had already turned his back. He faced the helicopter that Izumo lay collapsed beneath and sighed into the air. He pulled out the silver pocket watch that was a memento of his grandfather and compared the time with his wristwatch. ¡°Honestly, you two are always so terribly identical.¡± He sounded weak but placed the watch back in his pocket like a protective charm and then raised his left hand. ¡°Let us go to the battlefield,¡± he said. ¡°I must settle this quickly, return, and wake Shinjou-kun with a kiss.¡± Volume 14, 1: The Joy of an Outing Volume 14, Chapter 1: The Joy of an Outing Do I wish For it to end? ¡ªWe will not immerse ourselves in the past. Hidden feelings Can remain hidden They are personal and their joy can also be hidden in your heart During the night, most of the light had vanished from the residential district, but one area remained lit by more than just the streetlights. It was a large house surrounded by a wall. The gate was open and a blue tarp was spread out just inside. A folded-up festival stand and its framework were piled up on the tarp and several people were working to put it away. But one person sat out in front of the gate. She was a woman wearing a leather jacket over a kimono. She sat on the gate¡¯s curb and stared intently to the east. The eyes behind her glasses were fixated on the dark residential district and the pale light in the sky beyond. That faint brightness came from the lights shining up on the winter sky. ¡°Taka-Akita¡¯s festival is still ongoing¡­¡± Her comment received a response from the roof of the gate. ¡°Ms. Ryouko, waiting for Ms. Shino?¡± ¡°Yeah. Setsu-chan didn¡¯t come back either, so I thought they might be playing together. Poyanski, you thought so too, didn¡¯t you?¡± A deep sound descended from afar. It seemed to shake the air as it travelled through the heavens. ¡°There have been a lot of planes today.¡± ¡°That was fighter jet.¡± ¡°I guess a former soldier would know that. Is there a war going on or something?¡± Her question was answered by the young man in a suit who walked out from the gate. ¡°You always make things sound so dangerous, sister. From what we managed to intercept, it seems they¡¯re holding some kind of night exercise in Kansai. But¡­¡± ¡°But what, Kouji?¡± ¡°There are more planes flying around than reported. And according to Toki-san, military bases in the West, Asia, the Middle East, and Russia are working together with Japan.¡± Ryouko tilted her head. ¡°If that was true, it would be big news. There would be fighters flying around on a global scale.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± Kouji sat next to Ryouko and pulled two paper cups of coffee out from behind him. ¡°Bases around the world are working with Japan, but it seems no one can see any of the fighters.¡± ¡°No one can see them?¡± ¡°Like I said, the bases are really busy, but they can¡¯t see the fighters.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Ryouko nodded in understanding. ¡°So the world¡¯s super technology has created fighters that idiots can¡¯t see. That would explain why you can¡¯t see them but I can.¡± ¡°If you can see them, then tell me what¡¯s flying overhead right now.¡± She looked up in the sky and narrowed her eyes. ¡°Hmm. Ah! See!? It¡¯s flying! It¡¯s a twin-engine bomber with pink frills! Did that design come from Shibuya? Is it a Shibu-Bomber? That¡¯s so cool!¡± ¡°Sister¡­ You don¡¯t have to get all worked up and lie about it.¡± ¡°I-I am not lying! I can see it! It¡¯s flying right there! You can hear it cawing to the west!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Yeah, it sure is flying and cawing there. Yeah, no question about it.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Kouji? Is there something wrong with your brain? Are you actually a moron? Oh, sorry. Should I not have asked that?¡± ¡°You said it first!¡± ¡°Give me some coffee and I¡¯ll go easy on you.¡± ¡°Fine, fine.¡± He held out one of the paper cups. ¡°Why is my sister so¡­¡± He trailed off and looked up at the roof with the other cup. ¡°What about you, Poya-san?¡± ¡°Leave there and I will drink.¡± ¡°Pes has been asking for it for a while, so are you sure you want to leave it here?¡± ¡°I might not drink.¡± ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Kouji set the cup on the edge of the gate¡¯s lintel and then sat back on the curb. ¡°But ignoring all that activity, where has Shino-san gotten off to?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her since she said she would buy us some drinks. Nagase-san, who was playing the Festival Stand Detective, forgot to rehydrate, so the next thing we knew, he was so dehydrated he began giving a confused roadside speech. It was something about demanding the return of the Northern Territories so he could turn them into the Bear Kingdom.¡± ¡°That would be problem. Penguin Land better name.¡± ¡°But everyone thought the speech was part of the show.¡± ¡°Best to ignore, Mr. Kouji.¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± Kouji sighed while quieting down the roof. ¡°But after Nagase-san collapsed, we removed the mask and found him passed out with a refreshing smile on his face. Then again, it might have just been his face stiffening up from the dehydration. ¡­Not that any of that is Shino-san¡¯s responsibility.¡± He then faced Ryouko who had fallen silent and he smiled bitterly. ¡°Do you think she isn¡¯t coming back because the atmosphere here just wasn¡¯t a good fit for- Why did you just collapse on your back and fall asleep, sister! At least listen to what I¡¯m saying!¡± ¡°Eh? O-oh, sorry, Kouji. You were letting your love of little girls burst from your soul as all that pedo talk about Shi-chan, so I had to restrain myself so much I actually fell asleep. I was so serious the coffee¡¯s caffeine didn¡¯t stand a chance! So? Have you finished that filthy discussion, you genuine pedophile?¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t say anything ¡®filthy¡¯.¡± ¡°And you won¡¯t even admit it!? How was any of that not filthy? How are you not a pedo!? Honestly, I¡¯m promoting you from genuine to super genuine! I hope you become a white dwarf and shrink away!¡± ¡°Not that it matters, but can¡¯t I explode and become a black hole instead?¡± ¡°Do you have any idea how much trouble that would cause the neighbors? And are you trying to become the center of a galaxy or something? What would your galaxy be called? The Genuine Galaxy? ¡­Yay! I said it, I said it!¡± Ryouko was so worked up that she stood and clapped her hands once. Responding claps came from the nearby wall, gate, and manhole. She then turned around. ¡°So what were we talking about?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the worst, sister!!¡± ¡°K-Kouji¡¯s being a bully!!¡± ¡°Can you stop talking on reflex and actually use your left brain!? What is even in that half of your skull!?¡± ¡°P-probably¡­brains, I guess?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t sound so unsure.¡± ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon. It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve ever seen inside your own head.¡± She took a sip of coffee. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter, but Shi-chan has a big sister. You don¡¯t have to worry about her too much, so get inside and make me a midnight snack.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t actually out here to wait for her, you know?¡± He stood up and let his shoulders droop a little. ¡°I have a feeling she isn¡¯t coming back, so¡­¡± ¡°So you came here to tell me to stop waiting? Don¡¯t be silly.¡± Ryouko smiled bitterly and sat back on the curb. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for Shi-chan to make sure I don¡¯t have to wait for her anymore.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This is a ritual for me. And you know what?¡± She looked up in the sky and heard an airplane fly from south to west. ¡°I like to think Shi-chan holds the fate of the world in her hands, so armies from around the world are chasing after her right now. Girls like to dream, you know?¡± ¡°That is quite the dangerous dream.¡± ¡°Wow, I could hear the young master saying that!!¡± Kouji smiled a bit at that, but then sighed and took a step toward the gate. ¡°Well, you take care of things here, sister.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Leave this to me. ¡­Shi-chan will be okay.¡± She took a breath. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s surrounded by good people.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied the roof. ¡°But Ms. Ryouko, are you okay? Very cold outside. Da, very cold¡± Ryouko answered the roof¡¯s concern with a gunshot. There was a great noise. It was a high-pitched noise that reverberated through the sky. The surging sound was created as the atmosphere was split apart and eight aircraft were visible at the front end. They were twin-engine fighters equipped for a ground attack. They travelled west below the moon and their sides were decorated with American UCAT¡¯s emblem. They belonged to American UCAT¡¯s Atsugi Base. The massive payload of bombs attached below their wings and the accelerators attached above the wings rid them of a normal fighter¡¯s silhouette. The oddly-shaped eight were flying west through the Tokai region. The northern of the two in the lead lit up his optical communication pod. ¡°R1, this is BA1. BA and BB have secured our course. Shifting into weight reduction flight.¡± A response came from the control craft flying above Suruga Bay far behind them. ¡°Testament, BA1. BA and BB, maintain your course. Attack craft teams AA and AB have also detected no enemies on their approach from Okinawa.¡± ¡°Testament,¡± replied BA Team¡¯s commander before sighing. ¡°R1, how well are the different countries working together? I want to avoid a midair collision while we¡¯re all using stealth.¡± ¡°Testament. It seems the UCAT bases near the Sea of Japan have become a showcase for the world¡¯s fighters. And they¡¯re all waiting for our results.¡± ¡°Testament. So we have to do our job right as the opening act, do we? I¡¯m sure D Team¡¯s mechanical dragons will clean everything up once they arrive.¡± ¡°Testament. But BA1¡­¡± ¡°I know,¡± replied BA1. ¡°The enemy has two aircraft: one mechanical dragon and one god of war. ¡­And I remember having all of our mechanical dragons shot down by that god of war a month and a half ago.¡± Also¡­ ¡°I hear the pilot of that white god of war defeated our blue and white mechanical dragon.¡± ¡°Testament,¡± replied R1 before saying what they thought BA1 needed to hear. ¡°Don¡¯t think about fighting. Fly straight in, scatter your bombs while accelerating, and get out of there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m well aware. We don¡¯t have the armor, hand-to-hand ability, or firepower of a mechanical dragon, but we still have our top speed since we¡¯re smaller. This kind of mission is perfect for us.¡± BA1 continued speaking while tearing through the wind in the lead. ¡°R1, has the girl of the blue and white dragon woken yet?¡± ¡°That is highly classified, so I can¡¯t answer.¡± Everyone listening smiled bitterly at the casual tone, but then someone spoke. ¡°Do you think that mechanical dragon will come back from the alternate space it was sent to?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rely on a girl,¡± succinctly replied BA1. ¡°And I doubt she wants anyone to rely on her right now....Not when she¡¯s lost her power.¡± But as soon as he finished speaking¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± His fighter broke apart and scattered through the sky. Everyone inside the control craft designated R1 froze when they realized what had happened. But a moment later, the American UCAT members escaped their surprised despondency and managed to speak or begin moving. They had already lost the transmission from BA1 and¡­ ¡°BA2, BB1¡­and BA3 were lost!¡± After the communications officer finished her report, a shout came in from B Team. ¡°This is BB4! R1¡­ What happened!?¡± When they heard BB4, everyone in R1 thought, ¡°You were just shot down.¡± They all gulped because they did not know why, but the situation would not wait for them to catch up. ¡°B Team, scatter and ascend!¡± ¡°R1, what is going on!? It looks like we lost some fighters! But there was no explosion or anythi-¡­¡± The next voice was accompanied by the static of being shot down. ¡°I¡¯m breaking apart!¡± ¡°BB4 has been lost!¡± The communications officer seemed to have difficulty giving the report. ¡°A Team¡¯s attackers will arrive in thirty-two seconds!¡± Hearing that, everyone turned to one point in the aircraft. One of Japanese UCAT¡¯s automatons had been deployed to man the radar that checked for philosopher¡¯s stone readings. The businesslike maid illuminated by the pale red light was named #66. The data from the battle against 3rd-Gear and from the Army¡¯s attack on UCAT had been downloaded into her personal memory. ¡°I am detecting Typhon and Alex¡¯s readings. Typhon¡¯s is within thirty kilometers to the west, but its output is too weak for flight.¡± However¡­ ¡°I am detecting a philosopher¡¯s stone reading elsewhere, but it only ever lasts an instant.¡± ? ¡°Elsewhere?¡± ¡°Testament,¡± replied #66 while noting that the screen indicated that BB3 had been shot down as well. ¡°The reading appears on the fighters in the instant that they are shot down!¡± As she spoke, the information she was receiving confirmed her suspicions, so she turned toward the other frowning people. ¡°This is not an attack by Typhon or Alex! This instantaneous output is only seen from a close-range attack of a handheld concept weapon!¡± she said. ¡°The enemy is using a concept weapon to bring down the fighters directly without causing an explosion!!¡± BA4 was ascending toward the moon when he saw BB2 break apart in the moonlight up above him. There was no explosion. Nor was it broken apart. It simply scattered its pieces with no flames or smoke. BA4 saw fragments, the frame, pieces of explosives that scattered without a detonation, and¡­ ¡°!!¡± Someone stood on his own fighter¡¯s nose. Moonlight washed over the back of a girl holding a curved blade. The wind blew at her hair, combat coat, and skirt and she wore red pumps on her feet. There was nothing BA4 could do. He could not aim his machineguns at someone standing on the nose and the missiles were meant for ground strikes. He considered accelerating so the wind would sweep her away, but he was already travelling at three times the speed of sound which was apparently not enough. ¡°¡­!¡± He suddenly rolled to catch her off guard. He added in a bit of yaw to swing the fighter around, but¡­ ¡°Impossible!¡± He had been trained to react to high-speed movement, so he saw it all. The enemy kept up with the fighter¡¯s movements simply by lowering her hips a little. It looked a lot like she was riding a surfboard. For just an instant, the moonlight revealed her expression. Her mouth and eyes showed a silent smile. She then opened that mouth and raised the sword. ¡°Surprised? I had Typhon throw me from below so I could pretend to be a human shell.¡± BA4 recalled that Top-Gear had two female swordsmen. The younger was nearly immortal and the older had a strange concept weapon. ¡°That concept weapon absorbs its target¡¯s attack and makes it its own.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied the smiling girl. ¡°First, I stored one of Typhon¡¯s blasts and used that to destroy one fighter after being thrown here.¡± She took a breath. ¡°Then I absorb the blast created by the explosion to recycle it against the next fighter.¡± This enemy also controlled the direction of the destruction so that the recoil of the blast allowed her to hop to the next fighter. They had scattered and ascended to see what their enemy was, but that enemy had moved to the first ascending fighter and worked her way down as she destroyed them. And as for the sword she held¡­ ¡°This is charged with the recycled explosions of eight fighters, so it will cause quite a boom if I use it all at once.¡± At the same time, a transmission reached BA4¡¯s ears. It was the relieved voice of R1¡¯s communications officer. ¡°BA4! A Team has arrived!¡± He saw them both on the radar and with the naked eye. Eight attack craft were arriving from the west. However, BA4 silently begged them to stay away. As soon as they arrived, their enemy was going to hit him with the explosive power she had accumulated thus far. It contained the explosions of eight ground-attack fighters, their explosives, and a blast from Typhon¡¯s cannon. That would undoubtedly burn through the sky and blow away everything there in an instant. So BA4 tried to tell them to escape. But in that moment, the skirt before his eyes fluttered upwards and he shouted something else instead. ¡°White!¡± The enemy stabbed her sword downwards with a smile and BA4 scattered below the moonlight. In the final moment, he saw her moonlit form. Heo slowly awoke. ¡°¡­¡± She seemed to have been placed in a bed on top of some fairly hard fabric. But she did not know what position her body was in; she could not even guess. She could not rouse any thoughts. She felt like her mind was empty and like she was blankly watching herself from the outside. She did not try to move or even consider it as a possibility. Her consciousness was entirely closed. She knew why: she did not want to remember. If she did remember, she would also remember that there was nothing she could do. And if there was nothing she could do, she had no power. So there was no point in doing anything. She was filled with a great sense of powerlessness. Thinking about power only reminded her of the moment when she lost it. If there was no point in being, then she thought she might as well die, but she could not even think about that too seriously and she simply tried to erase her thoughts as a substitute. If she thought nothing, she would not lose anything. If she hoped for nothing, she would not feel anything. The only thing at the base of her powerless thoughts was the decision to stay still and let others ignore her. She wanted to go to some dark place. She wanted to go to some quiet place. She wanted to go to some solitary place. And she felt like that wish was being granted. She felt like a wall separated her from her skin, but that skin felt air which was chilly enough to be called cold and her ears sensed silence. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She opened her eyes, but not of her own will. She had simply abandoned even the strength she needed to keep her eyelids shut. Even keeping her eyes shut had felt like doing something, so her eyes opened and she stared blankly forward. She should have seen the white wall of the infirmary, but she instead saw the night sky. Not only that, but she had a full view of that sky and all the stars therein. ¡°Eh?¡± She was lying in a bed, but there were no windows, walls, or ceiling. There was not even a floor. ¡°¡­!?¡± Fear over this unknown situation won out over her self-imposed stupor. Her pulse raced and she sat up as she wondered what had happened. She then realized that this was at the top of a mountain cliff and her bed had been placed on the edge of that cliff. The bed was the reclining type used in hospitals and its white frame and blanket had been placed on the grassy clifftop such that she was looking up into the sky. ¡°So you¡¯re finally up, Heo Thunderson.¡± She turned toward the sudden voice to her side and saw a boy sitting at the head of the bed on the side closer to the mountain. His right arm held a machinegun encased in a white cowling. ¡°Harakawa?¡± He did not turn her way. He simply stared ahead and said nothing more. His silence confused her. Why was he not saying anything? That was when the sky split open. Sudden red split through the dark blue of the starry and moonlit sky. The silence was broken by a bursting sound of impact and crimson flames blossomed in the sky. For just a moment, Heo knew what that crimson light was, but something else escaped her mouth. ¡°Why¡­?¡± She gasped a bit as she looked into the sky. She gulped, tensed her shoulders, and slowly opened her mouth again. ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask the obvious, Heo. Heo Thunderson.¡± She snapped back at the word ¡°obvious¡±. ¡°How is this obvious?¡± She spoke quietly, but that was enough to sap her of strength. She was closing up. But she continued to speak because she wanted him to understand this at the very least. ¡°I have no power right now.¡± However, Harakawa did not turn toward her. She only heard him speak a quick question. ¡°So what, Heo Thunderson?¡± This time, Harakawa did turn toward Heo. There was more noise in the sky, so there was likely light as well. However, he only looked at her pale face with tears welling up in the eyes. ¡°There is a battlefield for you whether you have any power or not.¡± He could also hear noise from beyond the forest visible west of the cliff. The American UCAT troops that had dropped them off here had engaged the enemy. They were fighting with no air support and they would likely change their mission from an assault to a diversion. Japanese UCAT had yet to arrive, but he knew they had to be nearby since they intended to charge in after American UCAT¡¯s attack. But, he thought. ¡°I don¡¯t know if those crazy people can win this time.¡± There was a reason for that. ¡°First, Sayama doesn¡¯t have Shinjou, so he can¡¯t raise his bizarre excitement gauge to max. Also, the violent comedy couple have lost their Concept Core weapon pets. And of course, Hiba has been without Mikage so long he can act without thinking while also having Susamikado off limits.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite an accurate analysis.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded and looked Heo in the eye. ¡°And we don¡¯t have Thunder Fellow.¡± Heo shrank back, but he did not care. He spoke the truth without holding back. ¡°Our strength has fallen considerably and our enemy could keep up with us before. That means¡­¡± That meant¡­ ¡°Our enemy is far more powerful than us right now.¡± And¡­ ¡°There¡¯s another problem.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Wind swept her question away. It was the cold winter wind of a mountain. The whiteness of her breath made the air seem all the more invisible. And Harakawa spoke to add meaningful color to that transparency. ¡°I¡¯m talking about Babel, Heo.¡± He looked up at the sky above the mountain. Beyond the forest, a great tower pierced the heavens in the dim light. ¡°Based on the documents he found he can read now, Sayama concluded that Babel has been partially active ever since ten years ago to restrain the activated negative concepts contained inside. And since Babel is Noah, the Top-Gear residents will be allowed in.¡± He took a breath. ¡°Noah will treat the people of Top-Gear like gods and do whatever they say. It can create concepts as instructed by its ¡®gods¡¯, so Top-Gear can now influence this entire world.¡± ¡°B-but¡­!¡± Heo threw her words his way, so he turned around. As if to surpass the cold wind, she held a hand to her chest with the night sky in the background. ¡°What can I do in such an important fight!?¡± ¡°I have fingers, so I can pull a trigger.¡± Harakawa immediately answered her and stood from the bed. ¡°I have eyes, so I can see the enemy approaching.¡± He spoke. ¡°I have a mouth, so I can inform people of things.¡± He continued speaking. ¡°I have ears, so I can grasp the situation on the battlefield.¡± And¡­ ¡°I have a body, so I can show people that something is there to support them.¡± Also¡­ ¡°Everyone has this much, Heo Thunderson. ¡­Most people don¡¯t have the kind of power we did.¡± Now that I think about it, Sayama¡¯s the representative example of that, thought Harakawa. Heo stared blankly up at him and he spoke toward her powerless eyes. ¡°But even if I lost my power, I can still drive a motorcycle and I have pretty good eyes. It¡¯s no more of an advantage than anyone else, but that kind of advantage is important on the battlefield.¡± What about you? ¡°Being the same as everyone else doesn¡¯t make you powerless, Heo Thunderson. If you make good use of the slight advantages you have, they will bring even more power. And if you continue to train those advantages and accumulate even more¡­¡± You¡¯ll probably become the kind of person people call stupid. But, he thought. What about you? ¡°In battles, everyone is shorthanded. Everyone wants someone by their side when things are feeling hopeless and they want something to protect. The battlefield is for the people who can fight, but more than that¡­it¡¯s a helpless place that is always asking for help.¡± He looked straight at Heo from where he stood. ¡°So. Are you willing to reach out to the battlefield that is asking for help?¡± he asked. ¡°And I know it¡¯s a little late for this¡­but put on some clothes, Heo Thunderson. They¡¯re on the edge of the bed.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Heo looked down at herself. The blanket had fallen from her upper body when she sat up, so it was completely bare. ¡°Eh? Ah, w-wait. What is this!?¡± ¡°It was your teacher that removed your clothes, so don¡¯t ask me. She also put you on the transport helicopter.¡± ¡°W-wait a second! Removing some of them is one thing, but why am I completely naked!?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that your cruel personal skill? Also, Germans are all perfectionists.¡± ¡°Y-you find a reason for everything, don¡¯t you!?¡± To protest, she gathered the blanket in front of her chest and pounded on the bed. ¡°Then why¡­why is everyone trying to get me to fight!?¡± She hit the bed again as she shouted. ¡°Tell me that! Because I¡¯ve lost track of why I¡¯m even here!¡± Harakawa heard a shaking sound as she hit the bed. Heo¡¯s eyebrows were raised in anger, but her face was gradually rising and leaning backwards. ¡°Huh? Harakawa?¡± ¡°What is it, Heo?¡± ¡°For some reason, I can see the sky even though I¡¯m sitting up.¡± ¡°Yeah, and it looks to me like you and the bed are tipping backwards.¡± ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, Harakawa. You make it sound like the bed is shaking and falling off the cliff.¡± ¡°If that was enough for you to understand, I must be better with words than I thought. The bed¡¯s about to reach a ninety degree tilt.¡± And it did. Heo was thrown out into the air. She gasped as the bed toppled over. It seemed to scrape her right shoulder as it rotated around to point straight down. ¡­The sky¡­ She was tipped a bit on her back, wrapped in the blanket, and falling. She felt weightless and the night sky quickly grew more distant. There was a drop of around a dozen meters behind her. If she fell, she would die. She would be no more. And at the bottom of her vision, she saw Harakawa standing on the edge of the cliff. ¡­Harakawa. But she noticed that he was not trying to help her. He simply stared at her while still holding the gun. He did not budge. She felt like he was pushing her away. Did she not matter to him? ¡­Even I thought I didn¡¯t matter¡­ And now the person she most wanted to understand her was pushing her away. Then this must be the end, she thought. ¡­Eh? She noticed a certain fact and a certain contradiction. First, the fact. Who did she most want to understand her even as she felt she did not matter? Wasn¡¯t it Harakawa, the one who had chosen to entrust this with her even though she did not matter? But that created a contradiction. Why did she need to choose the end if Harakawa understood her? Why would that be the case if he had given her his understanding? She had no power. She was physically weak, she was young, she was short, and her breasts were small. Her breasts and her butt had grown a little recently, although she did not plan to announce that fact until it was more visually noticeable and she had no idea what she was thinking about anymore, but in short, she was powerless. But she was not alone. So what should she choose now: the stars visible in the sky or the motionless boy? ¡°¡­¡± She gulped as she fell. She was already passing below the edge of the cliff. The blanket wrapped around her began to flutter in the wind and gravity pulled her downwards. It was too late. She had noticed her contradiction and what she wanted, but it was too late now. However, she saw a new crimson flower blossom in the sky. In that brief moment, she moved. She reached her hand toward the sky as if to pluck those flower petals. She thrust her hand skyward and she received an answer. A power forcibly stretched her body. It was Harakawa¡¯s hand grasping her own hand. ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Her body shook and her entire weight bore down on her right hand and shoulder. But her entire body was lifted upwards. It was a slow movement that could not quite be called an ascent. ¡°Yes, there is only one reason, Heo. As I said, it¡¯s ¡®all right¡¯. In other words, everything is ¡®right¡¯. So it¡¯s all right, Heo.¡± She saw him raise his eyebrows in a smile as he pulled up her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the battlefield, Heo. The idiots will be there soon, too.¡± Light raced through darkness. The light rushing through the forest at the bottom of a mountain was a high speed train. However, it was already late at night, so no such train should have been running. Nevertheless, the streamlined front car towed the rest of the cars as they broke through the wind on their westward journey. Not all of the cars were for passengers. A few specialized transportation cars were positioned right after the front car and behind the passenger cars. Also, the passenger cars were covered in armor and figures were visible on their roofs. Those figures were automatons wearing combat maid uniforms. Two automatons stood atop the transport container loaded on the second car. They stared sharply forward and sent out their shared thoughts. ¡°Our current speed is two hundred and seventy kilometers per hour. I have determined we have made up for the time lost transferring over from the transport helicopter.¡± ¡°This is an excellent train. But I never knew IAI was developing anything like this.¡± They looked down at the racing vehicle below their feet. ¡°This next generation high-speed train has a top speed of four hundred and twenty kilometers per hour, and yet it is a high-speed stealth train that counteracts the sounds of collisions by creating buffer bands between the cars.¡± ¡°They wanted to name it after the fact that riding it is so nice it actually feels good, so they had someone sum up that idea in a single word.¡± The automatons looked to the side of the car. Someone had used a brush to paint ¡°Creepy¡± in large letters. ¡°I have determined this is incomprehensible.¡± ¡°Testament. We are about to leave the Tokaido Line, so get ready down below.¡± Those shared memories were sent to #8, the automaton inside one of the armored passenger cars. Inside the long passenger car, #8 listened to the report from the automatons on the roofs. It was almost time to enter the battle. However, she tried to be considerate. So as not to rush those around her, she served tea and coffee to the people in armored uniforms sitting in the rows of three seats and then slowly spoke. ¡°Okay, break¡¯s over.¡± ¡°Ehhh! Already!?¡± Hearing them shout, she wondered if she had worked a little too hard making the break seem nice. But she refocused and looked across everyone there. ¡°The Creepy is about to enter autonomous mode. We will accelerate to gain some inertial force, so I have determined the drinks I just served will be your last time to rest.¡± ¡°Testament,¡± replied everyone inside the white light of the car. They were all from Japanese UCAT¡¯s special division and most of them were from Team Leviathan. Izumo and Kazami were amusing themselves by playing cards with Sibyl and Boldman while the others were looking down at their card version of mahjong or their handheld game systems. ¡°Report. American UCAT failed to achieve air superiority over the Mount Ikoma region. They now plan to send their mechanical dragons in by land.¡± Everyone clearly focused on the incoming transmission. After a moment, light boards were handed over the backs of the seats and passed out to everyone. They displayed the documents that each platoon and company used to confirm with their commander what they should do. Each time a new announcement came in, the text would gain details or additional opinions. By the time they set foot on the battlefield, each commander would know what they needed to do. ¡­But¡­ #8 looked to her side. Sayama sat alone in the very first row of seats. His seat was fully reclined, a towel covered his eyes, and Baku sat on his head as he slept. ¡­Will he be okay? She had heard that Shinjou was badly injured and also in conceptual danger. He received regular updates on her state by cellphone, but the situation did not look good. He had finally gone to sleep after Ooki had promised to email him if anything changed. There was nothing #8 could do, but the very fact that she could not think of any kind of plan made her painfully aware of the wasted cycles of her activity clock. But he asked nothing of her. She felt this time waiting for instructions was wasted, but¡­ ¡­This means that he is okay. She upped the thought priority level of that fact she could take from her records. She told herself not to think about anything else or to make unnecessary decisions. A maid only had to trust in her master because an automaton would not serve someone she could not trust. Suddenly, she thought of the Moirai. The Gear reservations had decided to maintain their silence on the current situation. That was obviously because they had decided the conflict between Top-Gear and Low-Gear was still ongoing. They had entrusted everything to the Leviathan Road meeting and had said they were waiting for the results. The Concept Cores must have had a similar understanding because they did not display any kind of desire to be saved. The only people from other Gears taking part in this attack were the automatons and the people from 2nd or 6th who had joined UCAT and Low-Gear. But #8 sent Moira 1st access to her shared thoughts and asked what to do when her master looked about to lose heart. They had given each other access permissions when they had met the other day. She had assumed she could make use of her downtime by receiving some new information or tips. ¡°Moira 1st-sama.¡± After connecting, auditory information streamed in from Moira 1st. ¡°Yes, Lady Miyako, tonight¡¯s dinner is your favorite instant ramen: Drenched #1 ¨C Soy Sauce Flavor. Say ¡®ah¡¯, Lady Miyako.¡± ¡°Hold on. That¡¯s really not something you do with ramen.¡± ¡°Ehhh? You don¡¯t want to? Does it have to have mayonnaise for that?¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t the issu-... What do you think the rest of you are looking at!?¡± #8 did not listen any longer because it would be an invasion of their privacy. She determined it was an event mission to raise their master-maid intimacy level. ¡­If only Sayama-sama would give me that kind of opportunity. No, she determined. Those opportunities are probably being given to Shinjou-sama. In that case, I want to set things up for the two of them, she thought while closing her eyes. She cooled her thoughts with a sigh and looked to Sayama. She simply pulled a blanket from the container above the window and placed it over him, but she felt that was enough. The train would enter autonomous mode in just a few minutes. With the blanket on him, Sayama stirred a bit and spoke in his sleep as if groaning. ¡°Ahhh, Shinjou-kun, you are so bold¡­ Y-you cannot mean it. You¡¯re taking it all in your mouth¡­and¡­and swallowing it? Yes, if you are going to drink all of the soup, it has to be this high-calorie, high-sodium Drenched #1!¡± After noticing he seemed to be having a good dream, she debated whether she should inform Moira 1st of this synchronicity or plainly tell him that instant ramen made you fat. But before she made a decision, she heard someone speak from the opposite seat. ¡°Are we almost to the battlefield, #8-kun?¡± She turned around to find Ooshiro and simply glared at him. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Wah! You¡¯ve already decided I¡¯m an outcast!? Are you shunning me!? You are, aren¡¯t you!?¡± ¡°Please quiet down. More importantly, Ooshiro-sama, are you familiar with the word ¡®useless¡¯?¡± He raised his hands as a sign of protest. ¡°I-I am to useful!¡± She nodded and accurately reproduced an expression she had recently learned. ¡°Ooshiro-sama, is this the appropriate way of expressing disrespect? I am still not used to this expression.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not just disrespect! That¡¯s a look of pure contempt!¡± ¡°Testament. Thank you very much. As it was received much better than expected, I will make ample use of it from now on. Anyway, Ooshiro-sama, you are too thin to act as a shield and get in our way too much to act as a wall, so can¡¯t you do something about that?¡± ¡°W-well, you see¡­ I¡¯m quite useful. I have intelligence, strength, and beauty!!¡± He stood up and struck a flirtatious pose, so #8 looked around. She saw the others waving their hands in front of their faces, so she nodded. ¡°Ooshiro-sama. Please choose one of the following: 1. Pretend you never said that. 2. Take back what you said. 3. Die and apologize. ¡­Which would you like?¡± The others all wrote ¡°3! 3!¡± on their light boards and raised them high, but #8 shook her head. ¡°You mustn¡¯t do that, everyone. I have determined this is a problem Ooshiro-sama must solve on his own.¡± ¡°#-#8-kun, you are surprisingly fair. I¡¯m a little moved.¡± ¡°Testament.¡± She nodded and slapped his head thrice. ¡°Now, please think carefully. 3 is the only real option, after all.¡± ¡°How is that thinking carefully!?¡± The majority already decided for you, so stop being so selfish, she thought just as an electronic tone played from the car¡¯s speakers. ¡°Um, uh, um, in thirty minutes, the, uh, Creepy will¡­enter autonomous mode. Uh, we will begin, uh, accelerating soon, so, uh, all passengers had better stay in your damn seats!! ¡­Uh, I mean please remain seated.¡± They all sat back down and #8 started to sit in a nearby seat but hesitated. However, she ultimately took the seat behind Sayama instead of her usual one. At the same time, she saw the boy slowly sit up in the seat in front of her. He raised the seat, so she could not see him, but she heard him. ¡°#8-kun, thank you for the blanket. ¡­It was short, but I had a wonderful dream. I appreciate it.¡± She compared his voiceprint with one from the past but found it was lacking something. But, she thought. If he is willing to thank the one who serves him, he must have regained his awareness that he is my master. So he should be fine, she decided while speaking with the others via shared memory. ¡°Get ready. We are about to accelerate.¡± A moment later, that was exactly what they did. The automatons standing atop the high-speed train created a wall of gravitational control to combat the pressure of the wind as they accelerated. Their clothes, hair, and everything else fluttered and bent in the wind. ¡°And our hearts only bend to the will of our master!¡± The maids saw the track turn a bit to the north. The Tokaido Line turned north to the Kyoto region and then south toward Osaka. The track had no sharp curves, so the trains could maintain their speed. It was a gradual but definite northward turn. However¡­ ¡°That will not take us to the Mount Ikoma region in south Osaka!¡± Then what were they to do? The answer was given by the shouts of the two automatons standing on the front car. ¡°Prepare autonomous mode!!¡± They were answered by the maids standing on the transport container on the second car. ¡°Prepare!!¡± An automaton rushed from both emergency exits on each car. They pushed at the wind with their gravitational control. There was one on either side of the twelve cars for a total of twenty four. They all spread their hands outward. ¡°Contact!¡± As soon as they yelled that word, the white pallet covering the second car suddenly leaped into the air. The wind carried the giant lid into the night sky and something was revealed below. ¡°Track Facility Mechanism ¡®Moirai¡¯! Begin deployment!¡± A giant spindle machine rose from the car. The mechanism was seven meters tall, twenty meters long, and shaped like an upside-down iron. It had twelve giant spindles on either side, but those spindles were not wrapped with thread. They were wrapped with rails and the front spindles launched those iron threads. The two metal rails broke the sound barrier as they flew forward. The twin lines of steel tore through the night and passed the front car, but the automatons on the front car did not overlook them. ¡°Begin spinning!!¡± Those front two used their full gravitational control to draw the flying tracks toward their hands. They bent the metal thread down as if rotating it around to the nose of the front car. ¡°Contact!!¡± At the same time, the four automatons standing to the front of the second car stepped down on the back of the front car¡¯s roof. The high-gravity attack bent the roof, but it also noticeably lifted the nose of the car. And the car landed atop the track being released from that very same train. Now that it was on its self-laid path, it only had to continue on. The spinning machine spun out the track, the automatons on the front car pulled it in, and the maids on the back car supported the bottom of the autonomous track with their gravitational control. All of this created one thing. ¡°A high-speed train which can choose its own path!¡± The two on the front car accurately bent the track toward the sky. The sonic train moved at greater than four hundred kph as its own track carried it into empty air. One of the spindles was exhausted in no time at all. ¡°Only twenty six kilometers until we arrive!¡± ¡°I have determined we have enough to spare!¡± The automatons smiled amid the roar of the wind and the creaking of metal. Gravitational control was their own technique and they were measuring levels of output they had never seen before. Where did their limits lie? As the moonlit automatons learned just that, they expressed the feeling with a single word: pleasant. After all, they were fulfilling their job. That job was to transport the fighters to the battlefield. And this was a job only they could do. What word would better describe that than pleasant? The overheating, creaking, excessive calculations, and all the other burdens felt truly pleasant to them. The train raced through the night sky. The wind was cooling, the night was heavy, and the sounds were those of work. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± They flew through the dark night toward some moonlit mountains. They had already passed over the fields and reached the forest at the base of the mountains. An expressway was visible below and they used that asphalt as a stepping stone. ¡°Here we go!¡± The train leaped once more. This time, they flew beyond the southern forest and into the mountains. Based on the information gathered before leaving, there was a river there and they could follow it to the eastern Mount Ikoma region. It was a fifteen kilometer journey which would take less than three minutes at their current speed. They flew. As if throwing their entire bodies forward, the automatons became one with their speed and desired to advance. Shadowy trees raced by on either side and a river reflected the moon below. They continued on. The roaring sound and the wind bent the trees and the shockwave of their passing sent a reverse cascade of water and leaves into the sky after they passed. The automatons had linked their sight and hearing devices as they focused only on their destination. They kept on a straight line toward the mountains that had produced the river below. ¡­Here we go. They all thought the same thing. ¡­We pull the humans onward to mountains filled with nature. This was something they had been unable to do in 3rd-Gear. It was always near the top on the lists of things they wanted to do, but it was always pushed further and further down the list. They had made all of the food and drink being handed out inside the train. It would have been perfect had it been daytime and sunny. It did not matter whether they were heading into battle or not. The goal was for the master to decide. The means was for the maid to decide. A trip to the mountains required a box lunch. And now, they were pulling the humans onward. Just like a maid leading her master to some flowers she had found in the mountains, they predicted what would make their masters happy and guided them to the battlefield. Such a happy battle. But¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± The automatons on the front car saw an explosion. The trees on either side of the river up ahead were suddenly blasted into the sky. There was no sound. When breaking the sound barrier, that was to be expected. Something charged toward them at faster than the speed of sound. ¡°That is¡­a mechanical dragon!¡± shouted an automaton¡¯s mind. A mechanical dragon with red, white, and blue armor flew their way with its main cannon mouth already opened. It had been lying in wait to attack them. There was only an instant until the attack, but the automatons continued their work. They continued spinning the track without fear. ¡°Good luck!!¡± Alex did not hesitate. Eighty percent of his armor had been replaced, but his frame had only had charms for the automatic healing of metal attached and his injuries were not yet healed. Even so, he did not hesitate. While Typhon was being worked on, Tatsumi had let it throw her so she could hold onto their air superiority. Similarly, it was his job to prevent Team Leviathan from rushing in. Mikoku had already entered Babel on Noah¡¯s guidance. After ensuring their air superiority, Tatsumi had shifted to defense. The others were deployed in formation and plenty of dolls had been sent out. So Alex did not hesitate. ¡°This is a showdown!!¡± He flew straight toward the train that acted like a long, subsonic shell. He had no intention of firing on it from hiding or from the side. ¡­Justice is justice because it brings its righteousness head-on![1] So he accelerated. ¡°Destroy the enemy on sight! Alex Forcer!!¡± He prepared to fire his main cannon, but he saw something just before he did. As the train continued to spin its track and rush forward, the roof of one of the back cars blasted into the sky. The white lid was cast aside like a cloak to reveal what lay below. ¡°A black god of war!?¡± That was precisely what stood up. However, this was not Tatsumi¡¯s enemy, Susamikado. It was a similar yet different model. ¡°Is that Susahito Custom!?¡± As if to answer, Susahito Custom calmly moved. It forcefully stood in the wind and water vapor trailed from the corners of its armor. ¡°¡­!¡± It held an anti-god of war rifle. Alex recognized it as one of those used in the fight against Typhon. Normally, it would not have been enough to break through a mechanical dragon¡¯s armor. However, their relative speeds and his imperfect state could change that. ¡°Bring it on!!¡± He shouted and they both fired. A moment later, the earth and the sky exploded along a straight line and that signaled the beginning of the battle. Notes 1. ¡ü A play on words using the kanji for ¡°justice¡±. Volume 14, 2: Slope of Meeting Volume 14, Chapter 2: Slope of Meeting In other words Meetings are found At the end of a mountain slope The stars were quite visible in the winter night sky, but a few conditions had to be met for them to be seen. First, the atmosphere had to be stable. Second, there could not be any bright lights nearby. Third, someone had to be there to see them. A long runway in the mountains met conditions one and three and number two was underway. The long runway¡¯s lights were switched off, starting from the far end. It was as if the runway was going dark and silent. It took less than a minute for the three thousand meters of light to vanish between the mountain and forest. Once the residual light faded, only one thing remained. ¡°The starlight, huh?¡± A woman in a white armored uniform and a scarf let out a white breath as she looked into the sky. Her semi-long hair shook as she turned back toward a shadow. The dark blue shade from the moon and starlight was provided by a beach parasol raised on the runway. A man in a black suit sat on a long chair below it while a maid set up a telescope next to him. The man finished wiping his mouth with a white handkerchief and looked to the woman in the scarf. ¡°Ooki-sensei, are you in charge while everyone else is away?¡± ¡°Ah, Itaru-san. You¡¯re older than me, so don¡¯t call me ¡®sensei¡¯. I am grateful, though.¡± The maid responded to Ooki¡¯s comment while adjusting the angle of the telescope. ¡°Then may I refer to you as Ooki-sensei?¡± ¡°Of course. Oh, I can¡¯t wait to teach a class with someone like you in it, Sf-san.¡± ¡°¡­I have determined I will not do that.¡± ¡°Wh-why not?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Itaru. ¡°So did everyone else decide you were useless?¡± ¡°Th-that got specific in a hurry! ¡­.And that isn¡¯t it. Kanda needs some support with concept related things. They needed someone to work with them from here, so I stayed behind.¡± ¡°Then why are you out here?¡± ¡°Well, after I finished linking the devices, there was nothing more for me to do.¡± Sf and Itaru began whispering to each other. ¡°She was definitely excluded.¡± ¡°Is this what they call ostracism, Itaru-sama?¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t say that loud enough for me to hear you,¡± complained Ooki. ¡°And you know what?¡± She raised a finger to gather their attention. ¡°They needed someone to keep them informed on Shinjou-san and Mikage-san¡¯s conditions.¡± ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you in the medical room or the development department?¡± ¡°I always get lost when I go underground,¡± she admitted with a hand on her head and a smile on her lips. ¡°Itaru-sama, I have never before seen someone so innately uncooperative.¡± ¡°Have you never looked in a mirror? Then look at your hand. That¡¯s you.¡± Sf looked at her palm as instructed. ¡°I have determined this is very philosophical.¡± ¡°Oh? Do you know how the character for ¡®philosophy¡¯ is written? By ¡®bending¡¯ your ¡®mouth¡¯. Into a frown. That¡¯s often how I feel when I see you. Philosophical, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Tes. I have determined that is because I was made in Germany, the homeland of philosophy. Therefore, my every action requires an understanding of philosophy to grasp.¡± ¡°Oh, is that why seeing you fills me with melancholy and an urge to kill myself?¡± ¡°Tes. I have determined that is one of the trials of life. There are both mountains and valleys in life, after all. ¡­Why you choose that treacherous route instead of the level sea is beyond me, though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because of you!!¡± Ooki smiled as she listened to them. ¡°You two sure get along well.¡± ¡°Ooki-sensei, you¡¯re too quick to assume there is good in everyone. She¡¯s more than enough to prove that idea wrong.¡± ¡°Tes. Because that is what you wish for, Itaru-sama.¡± Itaru let out a white sigh and collapsed back in the long chair. But Ooki turned to Sf instead of him. ¡°Then what would you be like if Itaru-san didn¡¯t wish for that?¡± Sf tilted her head a bit, placed her hand on the set-up telescope, and replied expressionlessly. ¡°I was created exclusively for Itaru-sama, so there is nothing else I could be like. Even if identical models were mass-produced at some point, I have determined that I would be the only one that is me.¡± She placed her other hand on her chest. ¡°An automaton¡¯s heart is metal, so that point will never change.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Ooki scratched her head and looked to the telescope Sf¡¯s hand rested on. ¡°Do you like to look at the stars?¡± ¡°Tes. Itaru-sama does.¡± As they turned toward him, Itaru let out an annoyed comment. ¡°It¡¯s an old habit. We used to do this a lot.¡± He viewed the dark runway through his sunglasses. ¡°We would shut off all the lights without permission, use a lantern to set the mood and keep track of our footing, and get all excited over seeing Saturn¡¯s rings or something.¡± Ooki glanced around, but saw no one else on the dark asphalt beyond her white breaths. Everyone had either gone to Kansai or was working down below. However, Sf suddenly opened her mouth. ¡°I can estimate that Itaru-sama imagines that there are people around him when he looks at the sky in an empty place.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t speak for me,¡± he said while still looking to the runway. ¡°But when you turn out all the lights, it feels like everything has already ended here. ¡­Ooki-sensei, we¡¯ll be taking care of a job down below in a bit, but don¡¯t turn the lights back on.¡± ¡°Eh? But won¡¯t that be a problem when the others get back?¡± ¡°Do as your supervisor tells you,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll give you some orders soon, but until then, why not look at the stars?¡± ¡°Oh, can I mess with it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he replied with a shrug and a white sigh. ¡°It¡¯s better than having you go down and get lost.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, I suppose so.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m counting on you. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll have a few jobs for you.¡± He let out another white breath as he spoke. ¡°You should be able to help those idiots fighting over Babel.¡± The clash in the late-night mountain region began with a firefight between an American UCAT ground unit and a group of Top-Gear dolls waiting in the forest. American UCAT made use of armor and explosives while the dolls kept their opponents in place with a hail of arrows and their mobility. American UCAT put no limits on the quality and quantity of their explosives. They poured in as much personnel as they could to push on through. But that did not go as planned. ¡°What¡¯s going on!? Our explosives aren¡¯t as effective as they should be!¡± The flying arrows pierced through the armored shield on the commander¡¯s false arm. ¡°!?¡± The three arrows sticking from him were made of wood. The voice that escaped his throat was filled with more confusion than pain: why? His question was answered by his second-in-command who had taken one of the arrows to his shoulder. ¡°This is a concept of terrain protection! On natural terrain, the things closest to that terrain are more effective and anything unnaturally processed has its power rejected!¡± ¡°What kind of cheap fantasy story is this!?¡± The commander scattered gunfire into the surrounding shadows to protect those following from behind. ¡°Are we overwriting the concept text to cancel it!?¡± ¡°We¡¯re trying, but the large Kanda facility has to distribute their processing power elsewhere too.¡± ¡°But the enemy can focus on this battlefield, so we can¡¯t overpower them, is that it!?¡± Through the thinner parts of the dark forest, the commander saw new dolls arriving. ¡­They sure are persistent. The dolls hit by their bullets would fall over but quickly get back up. The metal bullets had a complex manufacturing process, so they caused little damage in this space. The explosives and optical weaponry were the same. ¡°Dammit. Does this concept even affect conceptually strengthened concept weapons because they ¡®aren¡¯t natural¡¯!?¡± Each enemy might as well have been a solid wall and American UCAT¡¯s defenses might as well have been made of paper. And even just counting the ones they could see, there were more than one hundred dolls in the forest. ¡­How many of them are there in the mountains as a whole? This was worrying and these dolls were not their only enemy. There had to be a main force as well. ¡°Dammit!¡± The commander sprayed machinegun fire, but the bright sparks quickly vanished and the sound was absorbed by the forest. Eventually, his ammunition belt ran out. ¡°Get me a reload! And have the following unit temporarily withdra-¡­¡± He turned around to find his second-in-command was gone. No, he was still there, but he had collapsed to the ground after taking an arrow to the front of both shoulders. ¡­Kh. A moment later, someone shouted from behind them. ¡°Withdraw!! Get out of the forest!!¡± At the same time, the commander felt a slight wind. ¡­!? He turned just his head and saw a doll only twenty centimeters away. By the time he wondered how it had gotten there, it wrapped an arm around his neck from behind. That was when he realized that the dolls themselves were made of wood. ¡­They made them ecological to match this terrain!? Their cooling, armor, mobility, and everything else was taken care of by the protection provided by the concept space¡¯s concept text. Most likely, their actual design only included the bare minimum. They had been carved down, given moving parts and controls, and then painted. We¡¯re losing to them? thought the commander. But his troops¡¯ concept weapons were useless against the dolls¡¯ conceptual defenses. ¡°Kh!¡± The automaton¡¯s right hand shot up in front of him. It held a black knife made of polished obsidian. It was coming for his throat, but he took that instant to move. His trained reflexes linked with his survival instincts. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± He sank down and forcibly grabbed the knife-wielding arm with his own right hand. He then bent forward to lift up the slender form behind him. He immediately flipped his lower back forward. ¡°Secret technique! One-Man Shoulder Throw!!¡± He threw her to the right as if dropping her to the ground. He had a lock on the doll¡¯s arm, so she could not escape. As if he had swung a tree branch, she fell head-first in a completely vertical posture. ¡°Final blow!!¡± He took something from his left hip and shoved it into the briefly upside-down doll¡¯s mouth. It was two hundred grams of C4 explosive with a conceptual protection applied. The protection simply caused it to detonate when a password was spoken. While brushing off the automaton¡¯s chokehold and putting some distance between them, he gave a shout as soon as her head was going to strike the ground. ¡°Explosions are art!!¡± She exploded. A solid sound accompanied the doll being blasted into the sky instead of hitting the ground. The force of the blast was far smaller than normal, but that was due to the concept space. Still, it had definitely blown her away. ¡­Even if it is just one! He grabbed the collar of his still-breathing second-in-command and tried to pull him to his feet, but then the airborne doll did something odd. She had been sent upwards while upside-down, but she then bent both her knees forward. The legs wrapped around a thick tree branch passing through the darkness above and she swung like a pendulum. ¡­Wha-? The commander stared blankly upwards as the doll swung twice to build up speed. ¡°!¡± And she jumped straight down. She flipped around once in the few meters of space available, landed with her body turned to the side, and looked right at him. He saw a scorch mark on her mouth as if blood was oozing out, but that was all. ¡°That didn¡¯t affect you!?¡± As if to answer him, the doll shook her head and spat something onto the ground. It was a single tooth made of wood. The action seemed to be showing him how much it had affected her. She was saying to thank her for taking that much damage. Simply put, it had not affected her at all. He gulped and confirmed something with his sense of hearing. He could hear something, but it was not gunfire or shouting voices. He heard a voiceless silence and soft footsteps approaching him through the underbrush. Figures stood in the surrounding forest¡­no, in all of the darkness he could see. These figures were not his fellow soldiers. They were all dolls wielding knives and bows and arrows. Impossible, he thought. All of my comrades were taken out? ¡°We were hoping to make a successful assault, but we couldn¡¯t even act as a proper diversion¡­¡± He clenched his teeth. The only upside was that the following unit had been able to withdraw. But he picked up a machinegun lying on the ground. He exhaled and did not bother wiping the sweat from his brow. ¡°I¡¯m not going to lose here.¡± He was well aware the voiceless dolls were not going to reply. ¡°I may have no power, but I do have a will.¡± So¡­ ¡°If I can lose with that, then this world is done for!!¡± He knew it was not going to work, but he still raised the machinegun like it was some kind of ritual. The dolls began to move at the same time. They rushed toward him like a wind blowing through the forest. The countless blades and flying points were trying to tear into his body, not his will. It only lasted an instant. Just as he prepared to squeeze the trigger, everything was swept away before his eyes. ¡°¡­!?¡± It looked like a white gale, but¡­ ¡­A shell!? No¡­ It was a train. The high-speed train measured over two hundred meters long and it used its speed to become a high-speed shell and plow onto the battlefield, breaking through the conceptual protection on the way. A shockwave raced by, trees were toppled, and the commander too was blown away in an instant. But in that instant, he saw the train tearing into the ground, racing through the sounds of destruction as it fell on its side, and yet continuing on in the direction American UCAT had been trying to go. ¡°Ha ha¡­¡± He stopped when he hit a tree and he laughed in the blowing wind. He could see a mechanical dragon and a black god of war flying and repeatedly clashing in the sky. The train was no longer visible, but he had noticed that the front car was partially destroyed. He doubted it could carry its passengers all the way to Babel. But that was enough. Mountain climbing was best done on foot. ¡°Ha ha,¡± he laughed in the wind. He could see twin lines of bent and twisted metal laid out along the path the train had taken. He could not stop laughing when he saw that and he sat down at the base of a tree. ¡°So they laid a manmade track to decorate the path we made.¡± He raised his voice while hoping it would ride the wind and reach them. ¡°Keep going, you bearers of strength!!¡± The train stopped near a ridge in the western Mount Ikoma region. Susahito Custom¡¯s attack had kept Alex¡¯s cannon blast from scoring a direct hit, but the front car had still been knocked on its side, twisting the other cars in the process. It had of course been the automatons who saved them when all of the cars were about to slam into the mountainous terrain. They had fixed the track below the train like a sled, so the train had become a high-speed shell sliding along the slope and into the mountains. After placing the cars gently on the mountain slope, the forty-two automatons were too overheated to move. The front car was almost entirely destroyed. The rest had had their armor destroyed and not a single window had survived. However, the passengers were almost entirely unharmed. They worked to carry the unmoving maids into the shadow of the train. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Kazami as they all started up the slope. If they crossed the ridge, it was all downhill from there. They would reach Babel in no time. They had received a report saying American UCAT would regroup and follow the path they had created. Also, American UCAT¡¯s mechanical dragons had arrived and were crushing the dolls like tanks. But when they reached the top of the ridge and looked down, they all saw a shadowy tower rising toward heaven in the vast night. Below, a forest surrounded the tower, but that forest was broken by the slope they stood atop. The rocky way down was about five hundred meters and there were enemies there. The slope was covered in dolls and¡­ ¡°The sky too,¡± said Sayama. Indeed, a few dozen figures were visible in the sky. They were dolls wearing black armored uniforms with black wings spread. Izumo responded by resting his large Cowling Sword on his shoulder and saying the following: ¡°Even more dolls, huh? How many variations are there?¡± ¡°Ooshiro-san must be happy with this many dolls around.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t like dolls that much.¡± Hearing that, #8 turned toward Ooshiro and he gave a quiet shriek at the look in her eyes. ¡°Y-you are¡­different. Okay?¡± ¡°In other words, you hate me even more?¡± ¡°Y-you must not twist my words! I think you¡¯re great! Yeah! You¡¯re so great, #8-kun.¡± ¡°Testament.¡± #8 nodded. ¡°In other words, you think being despised and beaten is ¡®great¡¯.¡± ¡°Is that all I am to people these days?¡± They all made sure to ignore him. That was when a voice reached them, carried up the mountain by the wind. It was a female but deep voice. ¡°So you¡¯re finally here.¡± Kazami reacted before anyone else by adjusting X-Wi¡¯s position on her back. ¡°¡­Jord!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± She was standing halfway up the slope and a giant hammer-style weapon rested on her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m not really taking Top-Gear¡¯s side, but there¡¯s something I wanted to check on.¡± She was looking at Izumo and Kazami. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to be betraying any expectations, are you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± replied Izumo with a serious expression. ¡°I meet her expectations every night.¡± Kazami¡¯s kick sent him flying through the air and that signaled the beginning. As Izumo flew below the moonlight, the dolls reacted and the others from UCAT began to move. The white army and the black army rushed forward like avalanches moving both up and down the slope. ¡°Ha ha ha. Hurry on down!¡± Jord¡¯s words rang through the surge of people and voices. A moment later, she raised her giant hammer in the shadow cast by the tower behind her. ¡°If you¡¯re too slow, the world is gonna change!!¡± A small white underground room in UCAT contained a bed in the center with lights shining down on it from the ceiling. It was an operating room. The tones of the EKG sounded quietly as the doctor closed the wound on the back lying on the bed and applied a charm. Next to him, Tsukuyomi wore her development department lab coat. She looked to the doctor with a few swords in hand. ¡°Well?¡± The doctor hesitated to answer. ¡°I managed to close the wound, but¡­¡± The lines coming from the EKG printer had reached the falling line. The doctor looked to Tsukuyomi. ¡°I think she will last like this. She must be fighting with her own willpower. To be honest, it¡¯s a miracle she¡¯s holding on like this.¡± ¡°Will she recover on her own?¡± ¡°No. The name concept is like a linchpin. It was applied under the effects of the Concept Core, so it will continue to carve into her life. If we could stop that, then we could make her life whole again, but¡­¡± The doctor trailed off and lowered his head. ¡°I apologize. You already know all this.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Tsukuyomi nodded and looked around with the swords in hand. ¡°From here on, it¡¯s a concept battle. We have to see how much people can fight against the world of 2nd-Gear.¡± She looked at the sleeping girl, at Shinjou¡¯s closed eyes. The EKG was beeping. It was a quiet sound, but it was proof that the girl was fighting against that world. ¡°That girl always does give her very best effort.¡± Tsukuyomi nodded and tension filled her face. ¡°I¡¯m going to begin now, but call someone for me. ¡­The world¡¯s most powerful witch should be here. I could use someone that skilled with spells.¡± Kazami and Izumo faced Jord. Kazami was in the air and Izumo on the ground. Kazami had just destroyed a few dolls and their fellow UCAT members had just vanished into the forest below. Izumo had just stopped Jord¡¯s hammer with his white Cowling Sword and put some distance between them. Jord took a large step back and spoke while catching her breath. ¡°So dolls aren¡¯t enough, are they?¡± ¡°No, they aren¡¯t.¡± Kazami looked down at Izumo. ¡°Even if they have the conceptual protection of the terrain, their joints still use wires and oil for smooth movement. If you cut them in just the right spot, they¡¯ll lose their balance and fall.¡± To do that, one had to keep up with their speed or be able to block their attacks. Kazami and Izumo could do one or the other of those, so the dolls were keeping their distance. Jord shrugged. ¡°I see. So dolls really aren¡¯t enough. ¡­I thought you might have been relying on the Concept Cores, but it looks like you can actually fight pretty well yourselves.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not bad without a Concept Core yourself.¡± Kazami heard Izumo speak casually to his grandmother, but Jord only lightly replied, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± In that instant, Kazami realized the sounds of wings and thus the winged dolls had moved away. The dolls on the surface had also moved far away from Jord. ¡­What are they doing? Worried by how the dolls quickly moved several hundred meters away, Kazami asked a question. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Something simple. I¡¯m just going to show you how stubborn 10th-Gear can be.¡± She raised the giant hammer with only her right arm and she smiled with one eye shut. ¡°Do you know what Concept Core weapon 10th-Gear made before making Gungnir?¡± Kazami frowned because this was something Izumo had only just told her the night before. ¡°Thor¡¯s Hammer¡­¡± ¡°Right.¡± Jord nodded. ¡°This is it right here. I picked it up from the reservation on the way here, so I¡¯m going to see for myself just how you two will oppose a god!¡± She then swung down the hammer. When it crashed into the rocky slope and produced a metallic noise, Kazami heard a voice. ¡ªAbilities are reversed. At the same time, she saw her wings pick up speed in a certain direction: down. ¡°¡­!?¡± Her wings of flight were now powering her fall. Before she could even gasp, she crashed into the rocky slope. Izumo saw Kazami fall toward the rocks. She fell back-first, where her wings were. Cautious of Jord, she had moved lower, so the fall happened almost instantly. ¡°Chisato!¡± He ran over, but he was not going to make it in time. ¡­Dammit! She fell about five meters and she had lost her balance due to X-Wi, but he doubted she would mess up and fall on her head. She hit the ground as he ran over. ¡°Ouch!¡± That shout proved she was not too badly hurt. Once he arrived, she placed her hands on her lower back while lying on the ground. ¡°Ow, ow, ow, ow¡­¡± ¡°A-are you okay, Chisato! Is it your butt!? Does your butt hurt!? What a naughty butt! I may have to confiscate it! Like this!? Like this, right!? O-or is your butt just unspeakably naughty!?¡± ¡°The problem isn¡¯t my butt! It¡¯s your head!!¡± Her fist flew, but¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± She never reached him and her fist swished harmlessly through empty air. X-Wi lay between her back and the ground and the metal backpack had pulled her down. She could not get up from the ground. ¡°¡­?¡± She raised her arms and swung them around, but X-Wi did not follow her movements or even budge. It almost seemed glued down. ¡°What is going on?¡± She looked over her shoulder toward X-Wi and Izumo tilted his head. ¡°Did it get heavier?¡± He reached for X-Wi himself and it easily moved. If he subtracted Kazami¡¯s own weight from the weight he felt, X-Wi had to be about three kilograms. ¡°It¡¯s not heavy at all?¡± ¡°B-but it¡¯s really, really heavy.¡± ¡°No, that isn¡¯t it.¡± He let go of X-Wi and thought for a moment. ¡°Your special ability ¡®Kong Power¡¯ has been reversed.¡± ¡°How can you be so mean to a girl!?¡± ¡°Hey, calm down, Chisato. Think about this positively. This means your power comes from a kind of divine protection instead of from you. In other words, your Kong isn¡¯t actually yours.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right.¡± Her face brightened and she gave a sigh of relief. ¡°Now I don¡¯t have to be synonymous with school violence anymore.¡± I have one hell of a girlfriend, don¡¯t I? he thought as a strange feeling filled his heart. Kazami then gathered strength in her abs to sit up. ¡°Nn.¡± She failed to sit up, but she kept trying. ¡°Nnnn.¡± It looked hopeless. She sucked in air, sprawled out on the ground, and swung her legs to build up momentum. ¡°Nhhhhh.¡± But she still could not get up. Izumo watched as she flailed her limbs with more grunts of ¡°nwah¡± or ¡°nn¡±. ¡­Damn. This is pretty nice. ¡°H-hey, Kaku, h-help me out a bit.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± he said as he cheerfully started removing her skirt. ¡°What are you doing!? We¡¯re in the middle of a battle right now!¡± ¡°Calm down, Chisato,¡± he said as Kazami stopped moving. ¡°My special ability ¡®Adolescence 2005¡¯ must have been reversed, too. That means I¡¯m doing this with a pure heart. I am dedicating my life to keeping a pure heart.¡± ¡°Then that dedication is about to end.¡± She swung her arms and legs, but she could not get up and thus could not reach him. ¡°Ah. Hey. Kh. Hit him.¡± Watching her flail around helplessly calmed Izumo¡¯s heart. ¡­Wow, this is just amazing. He thought to himself while watching her struggle like a small animal. ¡­I need to keep trying tomorrow, too. Suddenly, she got her hips up and forced a kick which hit him on the right arm. It was a much more powerless kick than usual. ¡­That¡¯s clearly not going to hurt or send me fly- ¡°-ing?¡± A moment later, he made five and a half flips and crashed into the ground. The impacts and pain reached him directly. ¡°Ow, ow, ow, ow! What was that, Chisato!? You¡¯ve got plenty of power!¡± ¡°N-no, I don¡¯t!¡± he heard her say. ¡°Your divine protection has been reversed!¡± The damage he took was being multiplied by as much as it would normally be reduced. ¡°Seriously?¡± He clenched his teeth and looked to their enemy. Jord was smoking a cigarette ten meters away and the hammer was resting on her shoulder. ¡°Well, humans? Do you get it now?¡± She blew smoke from the twisted corner of her mouth. ¡°All abilities are reversed right now. Even the ones people use to fight. Now, a question. It¡¯s a nice question because it has a nice answer. So listen. ¡­Can you tell me what my ability was originally?¡± Izumo and Kazami exchanged a glance. After looking at Kazami¡¯s wrinkled brow, he turned back to Jord. They both gulped and answered in unison. ¡°Not acting your age?¡± ¡°You people don¡¯t make things easy, do you!?¡± Jord raised the hammer. ¡°Met expectations. Everything will go exactly how I want it to! That is the power of a god!!¡± Volume 14, 3: In the Direction You Are Headed Volume 14, Chapter 3: In the Direction You Are Headed Please wish for your power Please lady Please get ready The mountainous region was being destroyed. The sounds of breaking came from the running and shooting of four-legged mechanical beasts. They were American UCAT¡¯s blue mechanical dragons and they made their way through the forest and mountains. The twelve of them were split into groups of three as they ran west through the eastern Mount Ikoma region. They were transforming models, but they were set up and equipped with a focus on close-quarters combat. Twelve others in the air had the opposite settings and they were engaging Alex in battle. They had not yet made it past the mid-section of the mountains. Mechanical dragons would normally fly down from the sky to fight on land, but they could be shot down by the dolls¡¯ high-flying arrows if they flew past the mid-section. Also, the entrance to Top-Gear¡¯s concept space had been set to the east. If they tried to enter from any other direction, the change to their string vibration would be too great and they would be unable to enter. The closest area to Babel that allowed for a stable string vibration was on the eastern side, so they had determined the route across the mountains was a trap set by Top-Gear. Still, they had to cross the mountains, so Japanese UCAT had broken through. And American UCAT was supporting them. They attacked the enemies pursuing Japanese UCAT and guarded the route to and back from Babel. They had considered using long-distance cruise missiles, but Alex and Tatsumi could shoot down any flying objects and the missiles would only provide localized destruction due to the conceptual protection placed across the battlefield. The most effective method was pushing through on the surface and the mechanical dragons did just that. The four groups of three began their forest-crushing charge from the position the vanguard had desperately reached. One of those four groups was further ahead than the others. That group travelled along the cleared path Japanese UCAT had created in the forest. With the mechanical dragons out front, they rushed straight forward at an average speed of sixty kilometers per hour. They were focused on speed. The dragons¡¯ front armor was sturdy, but it broke away as stones and arrows were thrown or fired faster than sound. The other three groups moved through the forest at an average speed of around twenty kilometers per hour both to draw the enemy¡¯s attention and to create a path. But the speedier group using the train track did not worry about its own destruction. The three dragons formed a rotation, so whenever the front-most dragon¡¯s damage reached a certain level, another one would take its place. They were followed by a high-mobility unit riding armored cars and modified motorcycles. There was no road, only the stomped down earth. Visibility was poor this late at night. They raced onwards through a downpour of enemy attacks. But they had a reason for going to all this trouble. A motorcycle was following their unit and a girl was clinging to it. Her short blonde hair shook with the motorcycle¡¯s movements and her arms were wrapped around the waist of the boy driving it. ¡°H-Harakawa! I think you¡¯re breaking the speed limit!! This is illegal!¡± ¡°Listen, Heo. Do you see a speed limit posted in these mountains?¡± A moment later, the motorcycle tore into some rocks and hopped into the air. Harakawa lifted the front wheel and balanced the vehicle. He also swung his head to avoid an arrow flying in from the forest to their side. ¡°We need to get there soon. Those idiots decided to take a train here for their school trip even though there isn¡¯t a station anywhere.¡± They resumed their charge forward as soon as they landed. Heo bounced up from the back seat, but Harakawa did not look back. He simply sent the motorcycle forward while throwing dirt behind them. Armored cars and motorcycles covered them on either side, to the front, and behind. The mechanical dragons in the lead did not slow. Harakawa suddenly sensed movement in the forest. There was a presence there. The dolls were running through the forest and they pressed in on the air as they approached. Based on the amount of wind, there had to be a large army of them. The dolls meant for the other mechanical dragons had to have been sent here, too. One of the motorcycle drivers behind them spoke. ¡°Dammit!! They¡¯re all after us!¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said the man in the passenger/gunner seat of an armored car. ¡°This shows they know what really matters.¡± They aimed their weapons toward the wall of wind pressing in from the left and right and they glanced toward Heo. ¡°That¡¯s right. What really matters is a love of little girls!!¡± ¡°Wh-when did America become so influenced by Japan!?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you, Heo Thunderson? It¡¯s contagious.¡± However, the overwhelming pressure in the air rapidly approached. The mechanical dragons ahead of Harakawa slowed down when they noticed, but they would not be able to turn around in time. The swelling of the air seemed to surround the back end of the unit. ¡°Here they come!!¡± Harakawa saw them ¡°spill out¡±. They did not simply ¡°appear¡±. White-skinned dolls poured from the edge of the forest as if they were being pushed out. But that was not all. From the sides and up above, the charging and flying dolls came from the darkness in triple digit numbers. There were enough of them to blanket the area. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± But Harakawa heard gunfire from close by. Most of it was directed towards the dolls flying from the sky or charging in at them. However, the bullets could only hold them back. Even if a lucky shot snapped or crushed the wires, others would crush their fellow dolls underfoot and keep coming. And what were they after? ¡°Protect the inspector!!¡± someone shouted. All of the armored cars and motorcycles pressed in toward Harakawa¡¯s motorcycle. He raced forward with the machine¡¯s full acceleration and the others moved along with him as if using their speed to evade. Heo spoke up while clinging to Harakawa¡¯s waist. ¡°Wh-why are they doing this for me?¡± She was half in tears. ¡°I don¡¯t have any power right now!¡± Harakawa did not respond. That was for the others to answer. ¡°You have no power?¡± said one man while taking an arrow to the right shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s not true. It¡¯s not. And¡­¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said someone else while his motorcycle hopped up from the vibration of the rough ground. ¡°Can¡¯t we be your power, American UCAT Inspector?¡± They all attacked. They all fortified their defenses. They all continued racing forward. They all strengthened their resolve. They all began to yell. ¡°There¡¯s one thing we refused to get rid of during the Revolutionary War.¡± ¡°Oh, I know what that is. The idea of ¡®ladies first¡¯, right?¡± ¡°So let¡¯s show her our strength, boys.¡± ¡°These out-of-place wooden ladies are approaching our princess.¡± ¡°And being a wall is a bodyguard¡¯s job.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t ask for any previous experience. The only qualities you need to work for our escort service is a body that won¡¯t let a magnum round through.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± one of them shouted to Harakawa while spraying bullets everywhere. ¡°Hurry! Getting her to the battlefield isn¡¯t our job. Neither is taking her hand for the dance on the battlefield!¡± Harakawa did not reply. He simply sped up. The wall of dolls on either side was thinning out. ¡­Can we lose them? The surrounding men slowly spread out. They were holding their positions and telling him and Heo to continue on. He responded by twisting the accelerator as far as it would go. Immediately, he felt Heo trembling behind him. ¡°Harakawa!¡± Something arrived at the same time as her voice. With no wind this time, many more dolls spilled from the forest on the left and right ¡°!?¡± The previous dolls had been a diversion. They had put pressure on them all to push Harakawa and Heo out ahead. And these new dolls had been lying in wait for them. The men tried to rush back in after having spread out, but the dolls would not allow it. They pursued and fired arrows to hold the men in place. Meanwhile, the new group spilled out between the mechanical dragons and Harakawa¡¯s motorcycle. Their joints clattered as they slowly but immediately ran out. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± The dolls rushed in and their relative speeds quickly eliminated the distance between them. Harakawa did not have time to pull out his rifle. Heo quietly called for Thunder Fellow, but nothing appeared. ¡°Please!¡± Harakawa heard her shout. For the first time in a while, she was speaking from her heart and it seemed to control the movements of the attack. ¡°Someone¡­someone please let me through!!¡± The dignified ring of her voice seemed to break through the wind and Harakawa saw her request being answered. The dolls rushing in from either side up ahead were blasted into the sky. ¡°¡­!?¡± He widened his eyes in surprise and a few motorcycles pulled up alongside his own. He and Heo looked back. ¡°Is that Japan¡¯s high-mobility company that was sent in after us!?¡± Heo looked to them. They were from western Japan and the concept space¡¯s only entrance was to the east, so they had been late to arrive. They spread out to protect American UCAT¡¯s motorcycles and armored cars. Heo noticed they all had mohawks, wore hockey masks, or were tattooed skinheads. More than just off-road motorcycles, they also rode buggies and three-wheeled bikes. They fired wooden arrows from their bow guns and burned the dolls with flamethrowers powered by natural fuel. ¡°Hyahaaaahhh!!¡± One of the mohawked men stood on his motorcycle and thrust out his chest. ¡°Tottori UCAT¡¯s Sand Dune Regiment at your service!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± shouted all the newcomers in agreement. ¡°The year is 2005! The power of depopulation is shrinking our prefecture and the number of pachinko parlors is growing!¡± ¡°But the mohawks and bike shops have not died out!¡± More dolls appeared to oppose them, but the maids were swept away as soon as the men focused on them. Wondering what had happened, Heo saw several figures running through the darkness. Men wearing mountain-climbing armored uniforms threw reinforcing charms around their bodies to catch up to the motorcycles. They were all leaning forward and running. ¡°We are Shizuoka UCAT¡¯s Fuji Regiment. This mountain is nothing compared to the Sea of Trees. How about we clear a path for you?¡± More men ran up from behind them. ¡°You morons from Shizuoka! Mount Fuji belongs to our Yamanashi!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Sacred Mount Fuji belongs to all of Japan. ¡­Even if it is too contaminated to become a world heritage site.¡± Even though they said it themselves, the men from Shizuoka and Yamanashi UCAT gave disappointed sighs. Heo spoke to them while bouncing up from the motorcycle. ¡°U-um¡­¡± ¡°Hmmm? What is it, missss? I can¡¯t hear youuuu- gefah!¡± After a mohawked man punched that hockey mask man, another man turned her way with a helmet that draped decorative cloth over his shoulders. With his sharp gaze turned her way, he stuck a hand in his pocket. ¡°Um, I am the commander of the Sand Dune Regiment. Um, this is my business card. If you, well, look in the corner, you can see the glow-in-the-dark skull, right? Cute, isn¡¯t it? ¡­Anyway, um, do you have any business for¡­no, do you have a request for us, American Inspector.¡± ¡°Eh? Um, uh.¡± ¡°Men, uhhhhh!!¡± The men repeated the man¡¯s shout. ¡°Uhhhhhhh!!!!!¡± ¡°N-no, not that.¡± ¡°Men, not that!!¡± ¡°Not thaaaaat!!!!!¡± ¡°Ah, no, p-please wait a bit!!¡± ¡°Men, slam on the brakes just a bit!!¡± ¡°Slamming on the braaaaakes!¡± ¡°N-no!!¡± shouted Heo. Once they fell silent, she then looked across them. They all silently ran, threw dolls through the air, burnt them, tore into them, did other things to them, and yet continued looking directly at her. And she finally said what she needed to say. ¡°Thank you for your cooperation.¡± And¡­ ¡°Please do whatever you can.¡± She lowered her head in a bow and received a single response. ¡°Testament!!¡± They all moved forward. ¡°Hyahaaahhh! Let¡¯s go, you bastards!¡± The motorcycles and armored cars had become a metal cavalry and they raced up the mountain as if pulled by the mechanical dragons. The speeding men accelerated even further. Even as they smashed stone, sent dirt spraying upwards, and continued their rampage through the night, Heo felt like they were somehow supporting her heart. ¡°Harakawa¡­ Do you go on motorcycle rampages like this a lot?¡± ¡°This is a special case, Heo Thunderson. This is on the level of the movie Mad¡îMax.¡± ¡°Oh, I wasn¡¯t allowed to see that because it was a ¡®delinquent movie¡¯.¡± The wind seemed to carry Heo through the battle. She could see the way ahead. Past the mechanical dragons, she saw the mountain peak, the ridge, and the night sky. Their destination was close. But then she saw a pale light descending from the sky. ¡­Is that¡­? It collided with the ground directly in front of the dragons. ¡°!!¡± Heo was not the only one to see what happened next. They all saw the dragon in the lead fly several dozen meters into the air. A single strike had done that. The sound came afterwards: the twisting of metal and someone¡¯s shouted voice. ¡°It¡¯s Typhon!!¡± Six white wings spread out in the center of her vision. A white giant stared down the other two mechanical dragons and a girl stood on its shoulder. The first dragon fell from the sky. It tried to brace for the impact, but the twisted backbone of its frame would not allow it. The girl on the god of war¡¯s shoulder looked down at the blue dragon as its back crashed into the earth. ¡°A valiant effort,¡± she said. ¡°But it¡¯s too late. Can¡¯t you see it? Can¡¯t you hear it?¡± She waved a hand toward the heavens and the giant shadowy tower rising into the night sky. But the shadows were vanishing. ¡°It¡¯s covered in light!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said the girl on Typhon¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Can¡¯t you feel it? Babel is activating as Noah!!¡± Those words were followed by a great noise. It sounded like the shattering of glass stretched out to eternity. It grew higher in pitch and quickly left the audible range, but light was created in response. Light raced across the tower like veins on a leaf. The blue light pulsated. The pattern of light was imperfect and there were gaps in places. A voice could be heard behind the glowing tower. ¡°Twenty-five more minutes. Once that light fills in, Noah will fully activate and the concept creation will be complete. And once the resurrection philosopher¡¯s stone is complete, Shino will be brought back to life¡­and who knows what will happen to the world. Maybe people will begin to fight over that power.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t let you-¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to let us. ¡­We will make sure we can. And what¡¯s wrong with bringing a single girl back to life? I think that¡¯s enough to justify driving the world insane. And if you disagree¡­¡± Her voice rang out. ¡°Then how about we get started?¡± Sayama ran through the forest. It was a dark forest. Instead of a conifer forest created through afforestation, it was a broadleaf forest native to the country. The broad leaves almost entirely hid the sky, but the glimpses of the sky he could see were filled with light. This was not starlight or moonlight. Blue pulsating light ascended as if pushing back the darkness of the sky. ¡­The light of Babel, hm? ¡°According to the report I received, it should fully activate in about another twenty¡­one minutes.¡± A voice responded when he spoke his thoughts aloud. It was #8 who ran alongside him in her maid uniform with four long coolers floating around her. ¡°I have determined the world would begin to fight over a resurrection philosopher¡¯s stone. And Sayama-sama¡­¡± A few other maids ran with her and Sayama realized she was looking his way. He understood why. ¡°Are you curious about Georgius?¡± ¡°Testament.¡± She nodded and looked away. He wore the left and right Georgiuses on his hands. The gauntlets were glowing. A blue light surrounded the ¡°+¡± chip on the back of one and a red light surrounded the ¡°-¡± chip on the back of the other. The light pulsated with the same timing as the light on Babel¡¯s surface. The shattering glass sound coming from Babel caused Georgius itself to vibrate just a bit. ¡­Are they calling each other so they can synchronize? As he wondered that, dolls appeared from the forest on the right. They responded with neither attack nor defense. #8 simply raised her hand. One of the maids holding guns and blades responded to the small gesture. With a bow, she grabbed her skirt and moved boldly toward the dozen or so dolls. That was all the maids did to fight back. Gunfire and explosions shook the air behind them. ¡°Are you not going to let me see their efforts, #8-kun?¡± ¡°Think of it as cleaning up the battlefield, Sayama-sama. While our master is taking an enjoyable hike in the mountains, we happened across some trash, so we are disposing of it such that it will not spoil the view for our master.¡± ¡°And will your master, oblivious to your efforts, comment that the mountain is so clean and beautiful?¡± ¡°Testament. I have determined that we need nothing more than to see our master¡¯s good mood. Any job to that end is not work. Just like preparing food, it is a necessary action.¡± #8 smiled, but she did not look at him. She instead raised her left hand toward the enemy wind approaching from the left. ¡°We were originally meant to help people in their everyday lives. Specifically, 3rd-Gear¡¯s people.¡± Sayama noticed a slight pause in her words. He decided she had to be calling out to the others over their shared memory. And then her voice began again without ever stopping her forward movement. ¡°But what can I say? 3rd-Gear was destroyed in a way that erased its skies, its land, and even its history with not even dust remaining. The next thing we knew, we were messing with machines below the earth of the lowest Gear.¡± She raised both hands. The last two maids accompanying her bowed and leaped toward the forest on the left and right. However, she showed no concern. ¡°I have determined that maintaining one¡¯s existence truly is a ¡®battle¡¯.¡± Sayama listened. ¡°Yes. Maintaining one¡¯s existence is a never-ending battle against the question of ¡®what to do now?¡¯ That is my interpretation of the current situation.¡± She asked the empty air, her fellow maids, and Sayama a question. ¡°What do you think? Do you enjoy this constant battle of not knowing what the future holds?¡± If so¡­ ¡°Then as we automatons try to maintain our existence, we will rejoice in this battle and its enjoyment, amusement, and pleasure. I am able to determine that, even without emotions, dolls are born to fight in this excellent battle.¡± Sayama heard her call his name. At the same time, the end of the forest came into view. The bright night could be seen beyond the darkness. That brightness came from the moonlight, the starlight, and¡­ ¡°Babel¡¯s light.¡± ¡°Sayama-sama,¡± called #8 again. ¡°Do you enjoy not knowing what the future holds?¡± He did not answer her question. There was only one thing on his mind: Shinjou as she fought her fatal wound back at UCAT. Could he say he enjoyed not knowing whether she would survive? But #8 said more. ¡°Then, Sayama-sama.¡± She seemed to be changing the subject. ¡°Would you enjoy losing here without gaining any kind of future?¡± That question gave him a few different thoughts and he spoke the greatest of those. ¡°Thank you, #8-kun.¡± She had moved out ahead and he could only see her back, but he still spoke to her as he ran. He clenched both fists. ¡°I have recovered a little bit.¡± ¡°I have emotionlessly determined that is a delightful thing, Sayama-sama.¡± ¡°Yes, that is right. If we do not win here and end this, I will not be able to see Shinjou-kun again either way. And¡­¡± He sighed before continuing. ¡°Even if she does die, Shinjou-kun will still be wonderful.¡± ¡°Testament. I have determined you treat life and death equally.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. He knew why #8 was concerned. He had received a report on the way here. Ooki had told him that the name ¡°Mikoku¡± had yet to be removed from Shinjou¡¯s wound. Tsukuyomi had tried to cut it with an exorcising blade and to crush it with a barrier, but nothing had worked. They had considered cutting it with 2nd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core, but Shinjou¡¯s life would not last long enough for them to retrieve it and return. Diana had apparently joined the surgery, but they had made no progress. Even with the help of the development department and the world¡¯s most powerful witch, there was nothing they could do. Still, he could only leave it to them. He did not know how they could remove the life-carving concept, but he could only trust in them. He had to fight here, so that was not his territory. ¡­Do not worry. He trusted that Shinjou was fighting too. According to the transmission records, her heartrate had been dropping, but that had suddenly improved, even if just a little. They suspected that her will was trying to fight back against the concept restraining her. That would not heal her, but it would buy some time. He urged her to keep fighting, but held that thought in his heart and spoke to #8. ¡°It seems I was worrying you.¡± ¡°Think nothing of it. A doll soothes those crying fearfully in the night by being held in their arms, but an automaton takes a more active role.¡± She may have been hesitant to continue because she lowered her head a bit. ¡°It simply seems you do not wish that of us.¡± ¡°That is because I have Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Then¡­could we act as a replacement for Shinjou-sama?¡± ¡°You could not.¡± He replied immediately, breathed in, and saw the forest¡¯s exit growing larger. ¡°There is only one Shinjou-kun. Just like there is only one of each of you. None of you can replace any of the others. And if you could replace each other¡­then wouldn¡¯t everyone be the same and wouldn¡¯t things be a lot less interesting?¡± ¡°Testament.¡± She gave a powerful but small nod. At the same time, they ran out into the moonlight. And on that grassy field, they saw¡­ ¡°Babel!¡± #8 looked up at it, but Sayama did not. It was here yet not here. They had entered the concept space in which Babel existed. Instead of a mere shadow, it was now a solid tower. ¡°So that is the ark skewered into the earth!¡± #8 turned toward his voice and spoke. ¡°Running an acoustic scan of its surface.¡± She spent one second in expressionless thought. ¡°There is a single open entrance. I wonder why.¡± ¡°Because I am their guest,¡± said Sayama. ¡°They are letting me in. I would have done the same thing. This is a battle between Low-Gear and Top-Gear, after all.¡± ¡°But they are not you. They are-¡­¡± ¡°They are the same.¡± He ran up alongside her. The tower rising into the sky revealed its white form. They were about two hundred meters away. ¡°She and I are the same. She has chosen life and is thus working to create an undying world while I have chosen death and am thus working to create a desperate world. That is the only difference between us.¡± #8¡¯s expression briefly vanished as she turned toward his words, but she soon smiled. ¡°You are ¡®only¡¯ creating different worlds? ¡­How are you feeling right now?¡± He thought, but chose the following words: ¡°It is true I have stopped crying.¡± Now he only had something else. ¡°I have brought an end to the tears and am wondering just one thing: what to do now?¡± For some reason, #8¡¯s expression softened at that and he saw her hang her head a bit. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± But she soon faced forward and away from him. Noise reached them almost immediately. It came from the forest. Humanoid shapes poured from the entirety of the forest surrounding the field. It was like a wave, like a fog. The sound was the clattering of their joints and their speed was swift. Dolls approached while displaying all kinds of hostility, so Sayama spoke. ¡°#8-kun, you break through and then return. I can shake free of them if they pursue me because I have memorized the general layout of Babel¡¯s interior. So you go on, #8-kun. I will be fine.¡± ¡°No.¡± He heard her produce single word and a slight laugh as she turned back toward him. ¡°Were you unable to predict that answer because you do not know what the future holds?¡¯ ¡°Yes. ¡­It was most enjoyable.¡± ¡°Then let me tell you what will happen,¡± she said. ¡°I will protect this place. I will protect the mansion my master is visiting. I will hold off the poorly-trained guard dogs attempting to pursue him into the mansion.¡± He no longer objected to her words and he said something else instead as he ran. ¡°I appreciate it.¡± ¡°Testament. I have determined I am very glad to hear it. ¡­And we just passed twenty minutes until Noah fully activates. Please do your very best during the next nineteen minutes.¡± With those words, she turned around. She circled around him to face behind him while keeping her back to him and her face away from him. She grabbed her skirt, spun around, and whipped up the wind with the returning heel of her pumps. Meanwhile, Sayama accelerated toward Babel and toward the open and waiting entrance. #8 brought her legs to a stop while picking up running footsteps with her hearing devices. The Sayama ringing in her devices was still not his usual self. But, she determined. There is more to humans than the hardware. ¡­They also have a will. ¡°So¡­he will be fine.¡± She then faced forward. Dolls rushed in from the front¡­no, from every direction. They were remotely controlled with some level of autonomous support and they wielded bows and blades. They were all pursing Sayama. ¡°I have determined they are the enemy.¡± She glanced through them and immediately swung both arms. The components of two American heavy machineguns appeared from up her sleeves and below her apron. The weapons instantly came together and floated below her hands. However, the rushing dolls were not deterred by that. They were prepared to trample #8 and continue after Sayama even if a few of them were destroyed in the process. Their racing footsteps shook the earth without end. But #8 gave a shout. ¡°Grand oooooopening!!¡± With those words, the lids flew from the coolers floating next to her. The contents stood up and out of the coolers. ¡°Testament!!¡± They were automatons and there were two to a box. Counting #8, there were now nine of them. They all prepared heavy machineguns, anti-tank guns, and bazookas in both hands. ¡°We will protect you!¡± Countless handguns and knives floated up into the air once they were built and cocked. Each automaton had a heavy firearm in each hand, sixteen handguns, and eight knives. With #8¡¯s included, there were eighteen heavy firearms, one hundred forty four handguns, and seventy two knives. The collection of bullets and blades slowly circled around #8¡¯s group like summer clouds. ¡°I believe this is enough to rival an army, but what do you think?¡± She nodded. After instantly transforming herself into a light fortress, she looked around her surroundings. The floating coolers swung around in accordance with the movements of her head and the two automatons in each one aimed their weapons in different directions. Meanwhile, the dolls had stopped moving. That was why #8 swung both her arms as if embracing her own body. That movement sent out the heavy machineguns floating below her hands. The ends of the barrels tore into the dirt and moved left and right to draw a circle. The two guns rapidly drew a great ring around Babel. The gliding machineguns finished their circular restraint of the dolls in only seven seconds. Once they had whipped up the wind and returned to #8¡¯s outstretched hands, they had drawn a perfect circle in the large field. No one moved until #8 broke the stillness by taking a step forward. The bullets, blades, and eight companions who could rival an army followed her forward and she looked to the circle drawn by the gun barrels. ¡°We will eradicate anyone who steps over this line.¡± She raised her fingertips, stepped on the large circle below, and opened her mouth. ¡°It is winter. The flower that blossoms at the world¡¯s destruction will wither away at the world¡¯s birth, but we will mow down any flower that does not wish to be replanted after losing a place to wither.¡± She raised her head, looked straight at the enemy, and transmitted her words over her shared memories. ¡°Let us go, automatons. You flowers who were replanted in this world.¡± ¡°It is calling. It is calling. Our master¡¯s praise is calling.¡± ¡°More important than the sound of our own activation, our master¡¯s praise is calling.¡± ¡°The essence of a flower is to never compromise and to keep its thoughts hidden even when picked up and held.¡± ¡°The flower is steel. As stainless steel, its blooming thoughts know no rust.¡± ¡°If moderation is preserved, the data tells us this emotionless flower will forever blossom.¡± ¡°We are eternal snowflakes that only melt at the blessing received by trusting in our master¡¯s thanks.¡± ¡°Go, and a flower will be waiting. So let us go, maid automatons.¡± ¡°The bouquet of thanks cannot be acquired alone.¡± ¡°Nor can it be sent anywhere alone. It is waiting at the cutting edge of our activation.¡± #8 sent her song-like words to the others and closed her eyes only for a moment. ¡°It is waiting!!¡± The very next moment, she sent all her strength toward what her opened eyes saw. And she poured all of her thanks into it. Volume 14, 4: Reason for Defeat Volume 14, Chapter 4: Reason for Defeat The corner of hope Which simply yells how much it hurts Wants much, much more Kazami responded to Jord¡¯s movement by running along the slope. She ran as fast as she could. X-Wi had always been her lifeline during a battle, but she had removed the straps and left it on the ground. After all, it now had the amazing ability of transforming ¡°flying¡± into ¡°falling¡±, so it was completely useless. And at the moment, she was incredibly helpless. She doubted she could even lift the spear she had brought with her, so it too was abandoned on the ground as nothing more than an obstacle between her and Jord. Her armored uniform was also very heavy. On that note, Izumo had removed her skirt earlier and now wore it on his head as armor. ¡­Why protect his head when his brain is already a lost cause? She did not understand why she still had her speed even though her strength was gone. Her equipment felt heavy, but her body did not. Similarly, Izumo¡¯s defenses had been reversed, but he could still lift things and run. It seemed only their special abilities had been reversed. ¡­In that case, the strength I can use now is what¡¯s actually mine. She could act as something like a diversion. She could only say ¡°something like a¡± because she had no attack power. A diversion that could not attack could not draw their opponent¡¯s attention. And sure enough, Jord was focused on Izumo and trying to hit him. However, there was a way of drawing Jord¡¯s attention without attacking. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± She ran right in front of Jord as the woman was attacking. She put herself between Jord and Izumo to hide the boy from her. She jumped to place herself at Jord¡¯s eye level and interfered with her attack. And¡­ ¡°!!¡± She performed a midair side-flip to avoid Jord¡¯s attack. Blocking her view would delay her attack. Not seeing how her opponent reacted prevented her from attacking in the optimal position. It was Izumo¡¯s job to attack, so he swung down his large sword. ¡°Ohhhh!!¡± It drew a large downward arc, but¡­ ¡°I hope that doesn¡¯t hit me.¡± With Jord¡¯s words, it failed to hit. The thick blade was swinging straight toward Jord from head-on, but it only tore at empty air. It should have hit, but it did not. ¡­It¡¯s been reversed. Jord¡¯s original concept had been ¡°betrayed expectations¡±. Everything others expected of her would not happen. But that ability had been reversed. ¡­Her own expectations come true. If she wished ¡°let there be light¡±, light would appear there. She even did exactly that. She swung her hand and casually fired light from it to deflect Izumo¡¯s sword as he raised it again. ¡°¡­!¡± With the sound of crumbling sand, the light fell apart and vanished. But in that instant, the vanishing light fell on the surrounding area like frost and froze Izumo¡¯s sword. That light would freeze anything it hit. ¡°Now, how does it feel to face a god? You aren¡¯t doing a very good job of holding your own.¡± ¡°Gods these days sure talk a lot even without an oracle,¡± replied Kazami while feeling a little out of breath. She turned toward Izumo who was a step behind her. ¡°Kaku, are you okay?¡± Even a minor hit would be fatal to him right now and she did not want a repeat of what had happened in the past. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything too reckless, okay?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said calmly. ¡°I¡¯ll keep my usual spot where I can adore your butt.¡± He looked down at her skirtless butt. ¡°Everything is okay.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Her armored uniform was a full-body suit, so removing the skirt only revealed the lower layer of the suit. But it was true this area was normally hidden. ¡­You don¡¯t have to point out that you can see it. But it¡¯s okay. You¡¯re wearing defensive stockings and you¡¯ve trained enough to have a perfect silhouette. After reassuring herself, she looked forward. She looked to Jord. That woman could do anything that matched her expectations and they had yet to get a single attack in on her. However, they had yet to be hit by any of her attacks either. With that in mind, Kazami breathed in. Abilities are reversed in this space, she thought. ¡­What does that mean? She frowned at this sudden question in her heart. She felt she had to have overlooked a few things about the reversed abilities. And¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She realized a certain fact and frantically hid her expression so Jord would not notice what she was thinking. She quickly stood tall, kept her cool, and glanced at Izumo behind her. ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll manage somehow.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she agreed. ¡­We might be able to pull this off somehow. She then sank down, opened her mouth toward Jord, and gathered her resolve. ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± Jord frowned. ¡°Are you insane?¡± ¡°Who knows,¡± she said with a smile on the corner of her mouth. ¡°But let me tell you one weakness of your expectations.¡± That weakness was¡­ ¡°Even a god can only think about one thing at a time. You can only hold one expectation in your head at once. So let me tell you something else.¡± She raised her hips and leaned forward. ¡°I¡¯ll go first, so you had better prepare the expectation you need to defeat me.¡± With those words, she launched her body forward. She ran. She began the seven meter dash to Jord and she heard Izumo running behind her. Jord held the hammer close in on her upper right. Kazami ran in first, closely followed by Izumo. She more or less knew what they were trying to do. Kazami would dodge and Izumo would attack at the same moment. It was true that she could not think of two expectations at the same time. Parallel thoughts were not possible. That was why her opponents were acting at the same time. If she intercepted Kazami, Izumo¡¯s attack would hit her a moment later. But if she wanted to intercept Izumo, Kazami was in the way. ¡­In that case, I guess I should target the one in the back. Kazami had no attack power. While Kazami would be in the way, the only danger was Izumo behind her. And, she thought. This Kazami girl is what matters most to him. That meant he would attack as soon as he could to make sure the girl was not harmed and he would make an attack that was even more certain to hit her than before. As for Kazami, she was sure to wait until the last moment to make sure Jord could not avoid Izumo¡¯s attack. ¡­In that case¡­ Jord decided who to target, what to expect, and what to attack. ¡­Kazami! If she attacked that girl, Izumo would crumble, so the diversion was actually the better option. As soon as she made up her mind, Kazami took action during her approach. She made a quick cartwheel to evade and that exposed her outstretched body to Jord. Her wrists had already reached the ground, so she twisted them to begin her evasion. Trying to blind me again? thought Jord as she prepared her weapon. In that moment, Jord saw Kazami¡¯s hands stop before completing their twisting motion. ¡°!¡± The girl pushed off the ground in a jump. By the time, Jord wondered what was happening, it was already too late. After making her hand-stand jump, Kazami¡¯s back slammed into Jord. This produced an impact, but Jord could easily endure it. However, Kazami was not trying to knock the woman over. She wrapped her knees and legs around Jord¡¯s shoulders and neck and bent backwards. Kazami¡¯s legs were dangling down from Jord¡¯s neck. This was a Frankensteiner. But she failed to throw Jord. The woman spread her legs and held her ground. ¡°¡­!!¡± However, Kazami did not stop there. She swung her upside-down body like a pendulum and¡­ ¡°Are you going to use the reaction to sit up and fully block my vision!?¡± Jord understood. As soon as Kazami sat up and covered her face, Izumo¡¯s sword would strike her defenseless body. Even if she created an expectation that she would dodge Izumo¡¯s attack, Kazami would continue blocking her vision, she would not see the next attack coming, and that attack would hit her. And that was exactly what started to happen. Kazami swung her arms as if throwing something. ¡°!¡± And she quickly shot upwards to block Jord¡¯s vision. She swung her arms forward, bent her abs, and then latched onto Jord¡¯s head to block her view. At the same time, Jord could sense Izumo moving. He sank down toward the ground to remain hidden behind Kazami and then¡­ ¡°Go for it, Chisato!¡± Kazami realized Izumo had swung his sword one-handed behind her. She had swung her arms upwards and used the momentum to grab onto Jord¡¯s head. Her pose was similar to someone just before performing a Frankensteiner. Jord¡¯s vision was blocked, so she had to choose between peeling Kazami away or avoiding Izumo¡¯s attack. The former would give Izumo a chance to attack and the latter would allow a second attack shortly thereafter. ¡­Either way she won¡¯t escape unscathed! A moment later, Kazami heard Jord¡¯s expectation. The woman spoke her coming expectation aloud. ¡°Can my grandson¡­¡± She took a breath. ¡°¡­really attack this girl?¡± Izumo realized the tip of his sword had turned toward Kazami¡¯s back. His body was automatically responding to Jord¡¯s expectation. He tried to stop it, but he still tightly held the hilt and pointed the blade at Kazami. ¡­Not good! At this rate, the sword would definitely skewer Kazami. He had no doubt about that. He saw Kazami look back at him in surprise, but a beat later, he saw her raise her eyebrows a little, close her eyes, and nod. She was entrusting herself to him and showing that she trusted him. ¡­So I¡¯ve gotta show off my good side! He immediately decided that he could not allow himself to harm her. So first, he let go of the sword. The weapon slowly fell and the possibility of accidentally killing Kazami vanished. However, he was still a prisoner of Jord¡¯s expectation. His right fist was proof of that. He clenched his fist and aimed it toward Kazami. With her slender body, he would be lucky if this blow only broke a few of her ribs. He could not allow that, but then what was he to do? There was no way he could avoid attacking her. It was a god¡¯s expectation. So was there an attack that would not do any damage? There was, so he used that. While still forming his right fist, he raised the index finger. ¡°Half kancho!!¡± ¡°Kyah!¡± He pulled off the attack with the perfect timing, speed, and power. But UCAT¡¯s armored uniform was overly sturdy for him and his current defenses could not even handle the reaction. ¡°Ow, ow, ow, ow! I jammed my finger!!¡± Still, he had avoided harming that precious girl. That was a clever decision, he praised himself. ¡°Man, that was a close one, wasn¡¯t it?¡± He looked up and saw something there. It was Kazami¡¯s left fist flying in from the side. In other words, it was a left backfist. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing to a girl¡¯s butt!?¡± She scored a direct hit. The impact sent him flying more than it actually hurt, but he still got a good look at Kazami. She was clinging to Jord¡¯s neck with her legs and left arm and she held a weapon in her right hand. It was a spear. Jord widened her eyes in surprise. Kazami held a spear tip in her right hand and she was trying to swing it down at Jord. ¡°How can you use that spear!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± Kazami had her left arm locked onto Jord¡¯s neck and back and she narrowed her eyes from close enough to feel her breath. Jord then heard what the girl said. ¡°I¡¯d forgotten I had attached anchors to it to make it heavier, but that lightened it up a fair bit.¡± Jord saw a single anchor attached to the spear. Kazami had likely picked it up while wrapping her legs around Jord¡¯s neck and leaning back. Hiding Izumo¡¯s attack had not been her only reason to rise up and block Jord¡¯s vision. ¡°It was to keep me from seeing the spear!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Jord heard Izumo¡¯s footsteps behind Kazami¡¯s voice. He intended to pick up his dropped sword and attack. They would attack simultaneously, so how could she avoid that with a single expectation? Jord then spoke her answer. It was a simple statement that closed everything off. ¡°Will you be crushed?¡± Kazami and Izumo immediately crashed into the ground. Izumo felt an impact all across his body. The rocky ground was hard and the damage was much more thorough than from being hit by something. His organs jumped up inside him and the core of his body felt knocked out of place. ¡­Whoa. Not only did he lack his divine protection, but this concept space seemed to actually give him pain. He could not seem to get any air back into his lungs and he had trouble breathing. Kazami was collapsed next to him with spear in hand and she seemed to have hit her head. ¡°Ow¡­¡± She squeezed her eyes shut and gently squirmed. Past her, Jord stood tall in her white combat coat. Izumo saw her exhale, scratch her head, and smile bitterly. ¡°I really should have made that kind of expectation earlier.¡± She looked to him. ¡°I should have just expected that you would lose.¡± That expectation was guaranteed to come true. They would lose. And as proof, all strength left Izumo¡¯s body. His stomach relaxed and air finally entered his lungs. ¡°Y¡¯know,¡± he said in a trembling voice. ¡°You are my grandmother, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Are you hoping I¡¯ll have mercy on you for that? Not a chance.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Jord shook her head. ¡°To me, you¡¯re a collection of betrayed expectations.¡± She lowered her eyebrows a little. ¡°My world, my daughter, and everything else refused to do what I wanted, which all led to you. And¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it pathetic?¡± Her bitter smile grew as he had his hands full simply breathing. ¡°You probably don¡¯t know what my daughter said to me when she turned her back on me.¡± He did not answer. He only tried to get up. ¡°Stay down.¡± She took a short step forward and kicked. Her kick flew over Kazami and accurately caught him on the left side. His left ribs groaned and he rotated three times as he flew to the right. He rolled along the rocky ground and even the fallen grains of sand felt painful. He landed face down and the bit of rock jutting up toward his chest was enough to make his sense of pain even more sensitive. His ribs had been broken and he just about passed out from the pain. But even so¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He tried to get up. Another kick came. This one was to the right side as if to flip him over. He flew through the air and rolled four times along the ground. His broken ribs must have punctured a lung because he coughed up blood before he even began breathing again. He was choking on the blood. Face up now, he heard Jord¡¯s voice. ¡°There¡¯s no point in moving. ¡­Your defeat has already been determined.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­so,¡± he muttered. ¡°Then make your case for victory, old lady.¡± He forced a smile and his grandmother frowned. ¡°Are you joking?¡± ¡°No¡­not really,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m of course going to make a strong case of my own.¡± As soon as he said that, something appeared: wings. ¡°¡­!?¡± Black wings of reversed power grew from Jord¡¯s back. She quickly turned toward the black light glowing from her back. ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Chisato¡¯s X-Wi. Before I attacked with my sword earlier, I ducked down and grabbed it with my left hand. So you didn¡¯t see that? You didn¡¯t wonder why I only used one hand to attack?¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°And when Chisato picked up her spear, she threw one of its anchors to me. I attached it to X-Wi to lighten it, so I passed it to her when she hit me with her backfist.¡± X-Wi weighed about three kilograms, so the anchor would just about cancel out all of its weight. When attacking Jord with her spear, Kazami had grabbed onto the woman¡¯s back with her left arm. ¡­But the spear was never meant to work. She was attaching X-Wi to your back with her left arm. And now the black wings were linked to the movements of Jord¡¯s back. They made an awkward flap. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The wings would normally have taken her forward and up, but now they took her down and back. Jord¡¯s body teetered backwards. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± She lost her balance. At the same time, Izumo stood up. He endured the intense pain remaining throughout his body and stood. He raised the sword that was miraculously still in his right hand and he stepped toward Jord. However, Jord shouted her expectation. ¡°You will lose!!¡± The expectation of a god activated. Jord also spread her legs to bear with the downward pull of the wings on her back and she raised the hammer in her right hand. ¡°You will lose, my grandson of betrayed expectations!!¡± He briefly closed his eyes when he heard that. Not even he understood why. Was it because she had said he was a betrayal of her expectations or was it because she had called him her grandson? ¡­I guess it doesn¡¯t matter. He was expected to lose. That was a god¡¯s expectation, so he was going to lose. And so he spoke. ¡°Sorry, old lady. It¡¯s true that I¡¯m going to lose.¡± He did not hesitate to swing down his sword and speak his heart. ¡°Hitting my own grandmother means I¡¯ve lost as a human being.¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± Jord gasped. Izumo did not stop moving. The sword dropped straight toward her. He had called her his grandmother. It may have been because she had called him her grandson. She could not be sure, but she did know that a powerful attack was about to reach her. ¡°Old lady, I don¡¯t know what my mom said to you,¡± he said. ¡°But I do know what she said to me. She told me to reach the point where I could live without my divine protection. And she said she would protect me until that time came.¡± So¡­ ¡°How am I doing now?¡± Jord gave a yell in response. She did not know if it was directed at his attack or something else, but it was single word. ¡°Stop!!¡± That word did indeed make Izumo stop. However, he kept his sword held high. ¡°Sorry, old lady. I¡¯ll stop losing then.¡± His voice was strained from the pain he was experiencing. ¡°Chisato.¡± He called out and the response came from below. ¡°Right, Kaku. This is the job for the cruel wife. I¡¯m the one that will hit her and lose.¡± Jord turned around and saw Kazami directly below. The girl¡¯s spear was in cannon mode and its tip was aimed at Jord¡¯s butt. Kazami briefly brought her hands together as if praying to her and then she spoke while squeezing the trigger. ¡°I¡¯ll take the defeat, so you take this cannon kancho!!¡± Volume 14, 5: Beginning of the Arrival Volume 14, Chapter 5: Beginning of the Arrival I have no voice to interrupt I have no thoughts to interrupt I do not even have a delaying stalemate Sayama entered a five meter square corridor which was filled with dark blue light and he saw a single figure standing before him. She was a maid with white wings. She shook her black hair and bowed. ¡°I am Noah. I am currently the only automaton aboard this ship to have reactivated and I am a terminal that allows voice input for Noah¡¯s consciousness. Over.¡± Sayama nodded at the voice ringing from the walls, but¡­ ¡°Shinjou-kun?¡± His questioning gaze was turned toward Noah¡¯s face which resembled one from his memories. However, Noah shook her head. ¡°Angels are made in their master¡¯s image. Over.¡± ¡°In other words, you were made by Shinjou Yukio?¡± ¡°Do you know my creator, Sayama-sama? Over.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± was all Sayama said. ¡­So she knows who I am, too She had likely heard from Mikoku. Noah suddenly turned her back to him and Sayama stood a step behind her. ¡°You are not going to stop me?¡± ¡°I am meant to save the people. Over.¡± She continued. ¡°But Mikoku-sama has yet to request my help. Over.¡± ¡°You are a wonderful automaton, Noah-kun.¡± ¡°I have determined there is no need to use an honorific. Over.¡± Sayama spoke to her back. ¡°Could you say ¡®over¡¯ for me?¡± ¡°Over. Over.¡± ¡°So you really do say it twice.¡± ¡°Testament. If I am to say ¡®over¡¯, I will say it twice. Over.¡± Noah began to walk. ¡°Sayama-sama, Noah will fully activate in another seventeen minutes. If you are in a hurry, then come this way. I will guide you to the concept creation facility. Over.¡± She produced no footsteps as she walked. As far as Sayama could see, her feet were reaching the ground, but her gravitational control seemed to be preventing them from actually contacting the surface. Perhaps to not dirty the floor even a little, she walked without touching her true body. He then heard a voice: Noah¡¯s voice. She seemed to be singing and there were no ¡®overs¡¯. ¡°Come, come, you stride of mud armor. ¡°Go, go, you pulse of metal weaponry. ¡°We speak on behalf of the border of blades and firearms. ¡°We cry out for the shore beyond life and death. ¡°The ark that travels between worlds meets disaster. ¡°The power that enters the gap between emotion and reason brings happiness. ¡°When the two arrive, there is conflict. ¡°When the two appear, there is peace. ¡°When the two meet, there are questions. ¡°When the two are finished, there are answers.¡± The lyrics of Noah¡¯s song filled her wings with light. In response, the dark blue light from the walls strengthened. ¡­You would almost think that light is sterilizing everything. Sayama followed behind Noah. His footsteps rang loudly and he left muddy footprints in the corridor. Destruction was established in an instant. There were three great elements of destructions below the night sky. The small elements were too numerous to count. The three great elements came from three giant metal dragons being knocked upwards and away in the sky and forest. The smaller elements were metal vehicles and people also being knocked upwards in the sky and forest. The sound of the wind was greater than the sounds of impact and metal. This was because the destroyer was wrapped in wind as it moved. It was a white god of war, a humanoid machine measuring over ten meters tall. But a single flap of its six wings launched its great mass upwards and white homing rounds were fired from between its wings. With the three mechanical dragons incapacitated by the gale, the mountain pass belonged to the white giant. It stood on the forest path as if making the moonlit wind its own. The giant looked to the base of the mountain. There were people there. Countless people were hiding behind mechanical dragons with their right leg cut and smashed or their torso destroyed by a shell. From Typhon¡¯s shoulder, Tatsumi asked a question with the moon on her back. ¡°What will you do?¡± The backlight hid her expression, but her voice came from that shadowy form. ¡°Are you sure?¡± It was a quiet question. ¡°Are you sure you want me to decide?¡± As if she could not hold back any longer, she had Typhon raise its right arm. That arm held a sword. Its wings rose and shimmering heat appeared behind it. The wind was slowly rising. ¡°Then¡­¡± Tatsumi¡¯s voice reached everyone below. ¡°I will decide.¡± A moment later, the air exploded behind her. The white giant¡¯s full strength would collide with the people who could not escape. But something else happened. ¡°Stop!!¡± A voice moved between Typhon and the mechanical dragons. A small, skinny body spread its arms and spoke at the approaching white wind. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand!?¡± The shout pierced the wind with no hint of timidity. ¡°The understanding you want isn¡¯t here!¡± But the wind did not stop. A quick attack was sent straight forward. Tatsumi looked down below while wondering if the moonlight on her back was cold. ¡°I see you didn¡¯t evade.¡± Looking down from Typhon¡¯s shoulder, she saw a sword stabbed into the ground. That was the attack she had just swung down. A girl stood only two centimeters in front of the thick blade. She had blonde hair, a blue armored uniform, and an orange flight jacket. Tatsumi knew her name. She was Heo Thunderson. There were some tears in the corners of her eyes, her shoulders rose and fell as she breathed, and she opened her mouth. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She slowly looked up and their eyes met. The backlight from the moon would prevent that girl from seeing Tatsumi¡¯s eyes, but she still looked Tatsumi directly in the eye. Her blue eyes seemed certain that she was staring right at her. ¡­She has a lot of confidence. That thought led Tatsumi to ask a question. ¡°Why? Why don¡¯t you run?¡± She received an answer almost immediately. ¡°Because you¡¯re wrong. This isn¡¯t who you should be fighting!¡± Tatsumi thought for a moment and finally sighed. ¡°Then,¡± she began. ¡°Can you take on him? Can you take on your other self?¡± Typhon pulled the sword from the ground. The feeling of the sword tip in the dirt was not fed back to her from Typhon, but the motion still told Tatsumi how soft the ground was. ¡°Your mechanical dragon is inside the alternate space my Cowling Sword created. You have no power. So why are you here?¡± ¡°I do have power.¡± ¡°Where?¡± Heo did not hesitate to respond. ¡°Everywhere!¡± She brought her outstretched hands to her chest and flung the tears from the corners of her eyes. ¡°I will receive power from wherever my will can reach!!¡± Tatsumi saw something as the girl shouted. Behind her, a boy held his head in his left hand and prepared a rifle in his right hand. Similarly, the people hiding behind the mechanical dragons checked back over their equipment. What a stupid girl, thought Tatsumi. ¡°You are a demon that leads people to their deaths.¡± ¡°But¡­the demon that once tried to hurt me gave me happiness in the very end,¡± she said. ¡°But what about you? What kind of happiness are you fighting for!?¡± It was a simple question. She was asking why Tatsumi was fighting. So Tatsumi thought about her answer. ¡­Well¡­ But she suppressed her thoughts and simply spoke. ¡°I am waiting. It is fun¡­but it is also boring.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± She had no intention of saying more. She was the one who had taken her power and Alex would likely take care of the enemies flying above before long. I am the one that took his rightful enemy from him, she thought. So¡­ ¡°Will taking care of you fill the time as I wait? Or will I be taking responsibility for stealing Alex¡¯s enemy?¡± Typhon raised its sword. The men beyond the mechanical dragons began to move, but she did not care. Her target was the girl directly below. If that girl was lost, the others would lose the will supporting their strength. ¡­Sorry. I¡¯m the one at fault here, she thought. She was tired of waiting and more importantly¡­ ¡­This fight began when I killed his father. The evil would play the role of the evil and the honest would play the role of the honest. Tatsumi had the sword swung down as if further deepening herself. But¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± Wind crashed into her. That wind contained the groaning and weight of heavy metal and it flew straight down from the sky. ¡°Ohhhh!!¡± Her vision, her sight, her gaze, and her eyes saw it all. She saw the surprised looks on the people below and she saw what had collided with Typhon. It was a black god of war. ¡°Susahito Custom!!¡± The collision was instantaneous. Typhon moved its wings and flew so it would not be knocked back. Without a moment¡¯s delay, it moved back one hundred meters and landed with a spray of dirt rising from its heels. It was turned to the side and Tatsumi looked forward to the moonlit space filled with a trailing metallic ring. It was there. Below the sea of the stars and the island of the moon, she saw two wings darker than the night. Its hips were lowered to protect the people and she recognized the stance. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Her voice could have been a sigh or a note of surprise. She trembled and brought a hand to her cheek. ¡­He¡¯s here. Susahito Custom seemed to answer her. ¡°I¡¯m here, Miki. I was slowed down helping out the other units, though.¡± Yes, she thought. But it¡¯s fine if you¡¯re late. ¡°You¡¯re here, aren¡¯t you?¡± When she heard Susahito Custom¡¯s affirmative, she felt the core of her body shake. For so long, her other self had fled, chosen not to fight, or tried to pacify her, but now he was truly standing in her way. ¡­He¡¯s finally here. ¡°But¡­why are you here?¡± Her question yearned for a single response. And she received exactly that response. ¡°To win.¡± He took a breath. ¡°To win!!¡± She did not know why, but those words sent tears spilling from her eyes. She simply nodded. ¡°I¡­¡± She had waited. She had waited so long for this opponent. The battle she had waited so long for was about to be established. It would be a head-on clash with her other self now that he was taking this seriously. She moved as if to leap into the waiting embrace of that battle. She launched Typhon forward. ¡°I¡­!¡± She no longer had to wait, so her tears scattered in the wind and were replaced by a smile. Susahito Custom responded with movement of its own. The explosions of air created a racing wind and a protective power. Meanwhile, her power was one of attack. Her speed was greater, but he was also using his full speed. Even on the very first step, he did not hold back. Due to their relative speeds, the black form seemed to shimmer for a moment. Immediately afterwards, the white wind and black wind clashed head-on with their blades. Heo and the others could not move from their position on the mountain. Being stopped by Tatsumi had allowed the dolls to arrive in great numbers. They were stuck fortifying their defenses behind the destroyed mechanical dragons and the dolls were making sporadic attacks to hold them back and wear them out. However, there was another reason they could not move. Intense sounds rang out from nearby in the forest. Black and white winds clashed with metal and sparks. Heo could not take her eyes off of it. ¡­Tatsumi. That was Tatsumi. Tatsumi had sealed Thunder Fellow away from Heo. Heo was about ready to accept that Thunder Fellow was not coming back. But¡­ ¡­Is there really no way of getting Thunder Fellow back? If so, wouldn¡¯t the hint lie in Tatsumi? She could not be certain and she did not know what to do, but she felt like she would find the answer in Tatsumi¡¯s Cowling Sword. Close by, she heard sounds of gunfire and the sounds of the battle to destroy the dolls rushing through the forest. Farther away, she heard sounds of sword fighting and the sounds of the battle that whipped up the wind and sent two different kinds of light and power against each other. She could still hear explosions in the sky. The mechanical dragon named Alex was using his acceleration and attack power to shoot down American UCAT¡¯s mechanical dragons. She could hear the transmissions coming from American UCAT. One of the transmissions left an impression on her. Just before being shot down, one of the mechanical dragon pilots had commented on Alex. ¡­He¡¯s insane. He had acceleration, maneuverability, attack power, evasion, and the decisiveness to control it all. All this time, Heo had heard something that seemed to tear at the sky. That was the sound of Alex¡¯s movements. Without rest, he forced himself through movements that threatened to break his frame. He was not soaring through the sky. He was moving himself as if ripping apart or breaking the sky. He could only manage this because he had combined with the dragon and did not need a human pilot, so the other mechanical dragons could not do the same. But that may have been why a nearby mohawked man said what he did. ¡°How can he take on all of American UCAT¡¯s dragons on his own?¡± Heo knew. He was constantly pushing himself to his own limit. Even if his abilities were greater than American UCAT¡¯s dragons, that was a comparison between individual machines. A certain word was needed to overturn the advantage a group had over an individual. And the mohawked man tilted his head and spoke that word. ¡°This is insane¡­ For us rank and file anyway.¡± He looked back to his comrades gathering ammunition that had fallen to the ground. ¡°American UCAT¡¯s dragons always take off in units of twelve, so to fight them¡­wouldn¡¯t you need twelve times the madness?¡± ¡°This enemy must have that.¡± A man in a hockey mask stood up and slapped the mohawked man¡¯s shoulder with gunfire in the background. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter, so help us gather the ammo.¡± ¡°But I normally do deskwork, so I¡¯m nearsighted.¡± The mohawked man reluctantly joined the others and they split between those fighting and those working. One group fought to protect that location and the other group maintained weapons, treated injuries, and prepared to join the fighters again. Sound reached them from the sky. Sound also reached them from the forest. And Heo realized a certain fact beyond all that sound. No one here could fall back. Neither American UCAT¡¯s mechanical dragons nor Alex could afford to admit defeat. ¡­They both have something to protect. Only one side could be protected, Alex¡¯s frame continued to groan, and the other dragons fell from the sky. ¡­I have to do something. As soon as she thought that, she heard Harakawa¡¯s voice from the side. ¡°You look like you want to do something, Heo Thunderson.¡± ¡°W-well¡­ Don¡¯t you want to stop this!?¡± She looked over and saw Harakawa repairing the functioning motorcycles with some skinheads. She spoke toward his back while listening to the slicing of the atmosphere that flew through the sky and to the wooden arrows striking the broken mechanical dragons. ¡°He¡¯s waiting.¡± ¡°Your delusions are?¡± ¡°No!¡± she shouted. ¡°My other self¡­is waiting.¡± ¡°Your symptoms are only getting worse,¡± muttered Harakawa. ¡°For one, can you even reach the person waiting for you?¡± She could not answer his question, but some words came to her rescue. They came from the American UCAT members and some men with reverse mohawks. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± They were trying to restart one of the dragons. The dragon trembled when they tried to start it up, but they soothed it when it failed to move. ¡°Even if you or we can¡¯t do it, someone will take you there.¡± After all¡­ ¡°If you wish to go and continue to try to get there, it¡¯s bound to happen.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± someone replied. It was the people from Shizuoka and Yamanashi UCAT who had returned from the forest carrying the injured. Their breath appeared white in the cold air and none of them was unharmed. ¡°That¡¯s how we fight. We enjoy using our strength on the things we want to bet on. So if¡­if by some chance¡­¡± The commander rewrapped the scarf he used as a hood and looked back into the forest. He was preparing to head out to attack without taking a break and those resting stood up to join him. ¡°If you manage to fly again, then we can say that we helped you get there.¡± ¡°Th-then¡­!¡± asked Heo. ¡°What if I don¡¯t manage to fly again!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s simple.¡± The eyes inside the scarf turned toward her with a smile. ¡°Then we managed to protect the girl with an unbreakable spirit who we took to the battlefield. ¡­That¡¯s normal. That¡¯s enough right there. You flying again would just be something extra. After the battle is over, we¡¯d be able to brag about that to the others over our drinks. That¡¯s how it works.¡± With that, he turned back around and Heo heard a voice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± It was a female voice she recognized. She turned toward the mountain stream where the mountain path reached them. She saw two people standing there. One was a man with short blond hair riding a large touring motorcycle. The other was a tall girl. Heo felt like she recognized the girl from somewhere. ¡­Or maybe not? The girl walked toward her. She walked slowly and surely. Her shadow wavered as she moved. Her long, glossy black hair waved and fluttered in the night air. Heo and everyone else then heard her speak as the moonlight revealed her smiling face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± She took a breath. ¡°You will be able to fly again.¡± Heo gave a shout at that tone of voice and the owner of the black hair. ¡°You¡¯re¡­!¡± The black and white winds repeatedly collided. The constant fury produced sparks and crashing metal, but the wind would sweep away that light and noise the very next moment. There was wind and noise. There was movement and shouts. At the leading edge of the collisions and reflections, the colors white and black rampaged through the forest. The leading edge of the white was ruled by a giant six-winged god of war. It used twin swords, the homing rounds from its wings, and the rushing strength of its own body. Meanwhile, the leading edge of the black was ruled by a two-winged god of war. It used the sword in its right hand, its left fist, and kicks from either foot. Sword struck sword, fist was stopped by armor, and rushing was met with evasion. They were truly in constant motion with no rest. The black god of war, Susahito Custom, attacked. Hiba used an offensive method that chained together attack, evasion, and movement. He did not have Mikage to manage defense and fine-tuned control, but he continued to fight. ¡­If I can fight here¡­ She was waiting for him. Just like Tatsumi, Mikage had to be waiting for him. He trusted in that as he wielded his blade. He felled countless trees, jumped, flipped around in midair, launched his sword, and took a step as soon as he landed. He stepped forward. Always forward. His will to advance was born from his lack of fear. ¡°Ohhh!¡± He still could not reach the one waiting for him in the moonlight. The blade in his hand did not even touch her body. But she was waiting. She was waiting and waiting with a smile. ¡°Miki!¡± He let loose his words, thinking that his thoughts at least would reach her. The speech center of his brain had overheated from the intensity of the battle. ¡°What do you mean you killed my perverted dad!?¡± ¡°¡­Perverted?¡± ¡°Sorry! I really have to focus right now, so please ignore that!¡± ¡°Then¡­the answer to your question is simple.¡± She hung her head a little. A shadow fell over her face, hiding her expression. Still, he could hear her voice through the howling wind. The words came slow and faltering. ¡°That man rushed to where we were. We were gathered in front of the gate below Noah that couldn¡¯t be opened and had been abandoned. And I assumed he was our enemy.¡± She gave a bitter laugh. ¡°But when he saw me, he thought I was just a child. So¡­¡± ¡°So¡­?¡± ¡°He let down his guard. ¡­For a moment he didn¡¯t realize what had happened when my blade stabbed through him and out his back.¡± She laughed quietly. ¡°He apparently died afterwards. He completed his job as one of the Five Great Peaks and ran out of strength. But¡­if it hadn¡¯t been for my attack, don¡¯t you think he might have been able to make it back alive?¡± Hiba did not answer her question. ¡°Do you understand?¡± He still could not answer. And¡­ ¡°You are allowed to ask me to give back your father.¡± Even then, he still could not answer. ¡­That¡­ So he gave a shout that rejected her question entirely. ¡°That isn¡¯t your responsibility!!¡± ¡°But I stabbed him. I can still feel it in my hands.¡± She prevented him from saying more. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t have had any other serious injuries. After all¡­¡± He could hear a sigh in her voice. ¡°He was your father. He was my father¡¯s counterpart.¡± ¡°!?¡± Typhon flapped its wings and moved back. Hiba tried to pursue, but he could only manage to move forward as he deflected the barrage of homing rounds. His sword roared as the stream of bullets struck it and he heard his opponent¡¯s voice again. ¡°It was on his right side just a bit below the ribs. It must have cut through his kidney and intestines. Yes, when I came to this world ten years ago, I checked in the medical books again and again. And it all proved that what I did and what I can feel in my hands was real.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Hiba moved forward in protest. An explosion of light tore at his armor and a few parts were blasted away. The noise had essentially become an audible blow. But he still moved forward. His attacks were directed toward the coming bullets and his evasion was transformed into racing movement. ¡­Dammit. As he ran, his thoughts about his big sister figure weighed on his heart. There was something in his heart that he did not entirely understand. He could not tell if it was a good or a bad thing. He could not express just what it was in words. He could only give a smile of resignation and say it was because he was stupid. But just this once, he did not give into resignation. Was it his father who had told him it was okay to be stupid as long as he grew up big and strong? He decided the stupid had to play the role of the stupid. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± He stepped forward. He was now less than thirty meters away. That distance could be covered in an instant for ten meter gods of war. And at that distance, he became aware of the weight in his heart. Would he be able to convey that weight to her? ¡­Oh, damn. He leaned forward and pushed himself forward faster than he could fall. ¡­It would be a shame if this didn¡¯t reach her. He ran. He carried himself forward by taking his rising knee and stabbing the foot down toward the ground. The wings on his back used explosions of air to blast him forward. He raised the sword on the right, twisted his entire body for the slash, and moved onward. At the same time, Typhon took action. Typhon no longer fled and now readied both swords. ¡°From below!?¡± The twin blades were lowered on either side in the shape of Mount Fuji. In contrast, all of its wings were expanded above. With a slight time delay between them, thirty-two shots flew from the spread wings and into the heavens above. Hiba knew what she was trying to do. The barrage of bullets would come from above and the two swords would come from below. Nevertheless, he did not hesitate. ¡­I will win. The bullets of light illuminated his big sister figure from the sky, but her expression was hidden by shadow. He could not see her face, so¡­ ¡­I will win!! He sent out his single sword. Tatsumi saw Susahito Custom make a full swing of its sword, but not at her. ¡­At the forest!? Trees were chopped down in the double digits. They flew. More than being ¡°felled¡± trees, they became ¡°flying¡± trees as the force of the sword launched them into the air. They covered her vision in front of Typhon and they covered the sky. Overhead, something hit a few of the flying trees. It was the falling light of Typhon¡¯s attacks. The homing beams of light collided with the barricade of trees. ¡°¡­!¡± In front of the bursting light and breaking trees, Tatsumi looked to Susahito Custom. That black form was approaching from below. The airborne trees shielded him from the overhead attacks while he slipped below those trees. But it did not matter as long as she could see it. ¡°There!!¡± Typhon¡¯s arms shot up and thrust the swords forward with a snap of the elbow. The sword tips sliced through the trees and pierced the black armor of the approaching shadow. The swords penetrated the shadow. A high-pitched sound rang as they gouged into the metal armor. But¡­ ¡°!?¡± Typhon pulled back its swords. That movement also pulled some black armor back through the falling pieces of the trees and exploding light. It was the main chest armor. However, the swords had only pierced that metal panel. The actual god of war was not there. Tatsumi frowned for a moment. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡± A moment later, some wind blew in. It came from overhead, through the time-delayed barrage that poured down like rain. It was a black wind. It was Susahito Custom after purging most of its armor to lighten itself. The black god of war had used the removed armor as a decoy while jumping into the downpour of exploding light. In the midst of the attacks had been the perfect place to hide. ¡°¡­!¡± Typhon could not immediately send its swords back out and the black god of war prepared its sword and spread its wings overhead. This was a power dive. The thrust of the two wings did the talking as this helmet breaker dropped straight down. Even as the exploding light smashed its body, its desperate attack grew in the center of her vision. He was targeting her. He was going to reach her. But¡­ ¡°No.¡± She smiled. She lowered her head to cover her face in shadow and she smiled. ¡°That still isn¡¯t enough to reach me!!¡± As he listened to the metallic roar of his full thrust, Hiba saw a certain sword technique. From Typhon¡¯s shoulder, his opponent drew the sword on her back. She readied the drawn blade in her right hand and blocked another blade. She blocked Susahito Custom¡¯s full power slash. ¡­Impossible¡­ Susahito Custom¡¯s entire body was floating in midair. Still in its striking pose, it was perfectly balanced atop his big sister figure¡¯s sword. The trees fell behind him and Typhon¡¯s barrage struck the earth and trees. The light shined up from below and wind burst upwards. But¡­ ¡­This is bad. Even in his mechanical body, Hiba felt a chill. He also heard a quiet sigh. ¡°Why?¡± Tatsumi inhaled ever so slightly with her head still lowered. ¡°Why can¡¯t it get through to him?¡± Eh? he thought. Her question was directed at herself rather than at him. ¡­What does Miki want to get through to me? That would be why she had waited and why she was fighting. It can¡¯t be, he thought. Could it be? he wondered. ¡°¡­!¡± As soon as it came to him, she moved. She almost seemed to be slapping him for being so slow. It was a quick slash of the sword supporting him. Just as Hiba made a split-second decision, Susahito Custom received the attack. Everything he had sent Tatsumi¡¯s way was returned via her Cowling Sword. It felt like a cry of rejection saying his power had been insufficient. And as a result¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± Susahito Custom was broken and blown away. Tatsumi watched as Susahito Custom was sliced in two. The destruction was caused more by the great impact than by the actual cut of the slash. Susahito Custom flew overhead in a parabolic arc and it was split in two at the waist. The sound of tearing metal sounded like fingernails on glass. The bisected metal body was caught by the trees, but¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The forest could not contain the great weight and collapsed. Trees bent, but instead of breaking, their roots just seemed to give up. Unable to support the burden, roots swelled up from the ground and trees toppled, one after another. The view opened up beyond the collapsing trees. There was a path there. It was the path Japanese UCAT¡¯s train had created on its way in. Tatsumi saw the destroyed mechanical dragons and the people with poor combat ability. All of them were pinned in place by the dolls. Inertia took Susahito Custom¡¯s wreckage to that path as if to show its destruction to the people there. The metal body scraped along the fallen trees, rolled, and arrived at the path¡¯s entrance with its upper body and lower body separate. The wreckage tore at the ground as it slowly came to a stop. Tatsumi then looked to the people on the path. The girl who was Alex¡¯s opposite was there. Seeing her, Tatsumi looked around, but¡­ ¡­Mikage isn¡¯t there. The Thunderson girl had the only blonde hair and Tatsumi did not recognize anyone else. That¡¯s for the best, she thought. ¡°I didn¡¯t have to show her Ryuuji¡¯s death,¡± she muttered while sheathing her sword on her back. Suddenly, she noticed Heo Thunderson turn toward her. No, if the girl had simply been looking at her, she would not have cared. Something else bothered her. ¡­She¡¯s surprised? There was an amazed or dumbfounded look on the girl¡¯s face. ¡°What is it?¡± When she asked with gunfire in the background, Heo looked taken aback and frantically spoke up. ¡°D-do you need something!?¡± Her surprised voice produced motion around her. The men there ¨C the ones with mohawks, the skinheads, and the macho men ¨C frantically surrounded her and crossed their arms. ¡°We are the Great Heo¡¯s elite guards! What do you need with the Great Heo!?¡± Tatsumi frowned. ¡°Elite guards?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re talking about!¡± insisted Heo. ¡°They¡¯re adlibbing. C-c¡¯mon, you say something too, Harakawa!¡± The boy sitting next to her working on maintenance gave a casual comment. ¡°The Great Heo says she¡¯s angry.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± The men bowed very, very deeply before Heo. In the center, Heo took a step back, blushed, and nervously looked over at Tatsumi. ¡°U-um, wh-what am I supposed to do?¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t ask me.¡± As soon as Tatsumi tilted her head, the boy next to Heo raised his hand. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?¡± He had thrown something silver: a wrench. Tatsumi looked up, but less to follow the motion and more in confusion as to why he would throw the tool. In that instant, the bowing men turned around and shouted in unison with Heo. ¡°Now!!¡± They were shouting toward Tatsumi, but what did ¡°now¡± mean? Needless to say, they were not speaking to her. ¡­Then¡­ She found the answer almost immediately. To her left, someone was running along the short distance of Typhon¡¯s shoulder. It was Hiba Ryuuji. ¡°¡­!? You¡¯re alive!?¡± There was no point in asking. Blood flowed from different parts of his body, but he was in the process of swinging back his right arm. He was charging forward. Meanwhile, Tatsumi¡¯s sword was sheathed on her back. ¡­Oh, no! It all went back to Susahito Custom earlier. She had assumed the battle was over when she caught the god of war¡¯s fall and sliced it in two. ¡­But what if he had left Susahito Custom just before then? The answer was approaching before her eyes. By releasing his combination with the god of war as it was destroyed, he had taken part of the damage but still lived. He only wore the pants of his armored uniform and he had likely jumped from Susahito Custom to Typhon¡¯s shoulder as the former god of war was blown away. Also¡­ ¡°You got this close because Heo and the others distracted me!¡± His gaze came straight for her. She instead chose to evade and she did so by moving back and away from him. But he was faster. He moved right up to her in an instant, crouched down, and clenched his right fist. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± His fist flew in an uppercut. In that moment, Tatsumi made one new movement. She moved her right hand and Typhon followed her instructions. She had Typhon pull back its left shoulder, the shoulder Hiba was running along. The god of war moved and the joint at its left collar bone opened up. That briefly added some distance between the two of them, but¡­ ¡°!¡± Hiba had already taken a strong step forward and thrown his fist. His fist tore in at her, so she leaned back and away. ¡°¡­!!¡± In the next moment, everyone saw Hiba¡¯s right fist stop after touching the bottom of Tatsumi¡¯s breast. Hiba stopped moving. He was entirely focused on the end of his right fist. He had meant for that fist to hit Tatsumi¡¯s side and a solid hit might have even broken a few of her ribs. His mistake had been to quickly stop once he realized he had missed. The sensation rested atop his fist. ¡°Is this¡­?¡± When he opened his hand, grabbed it, and lifted it, he could tell. ¡°Is this an 88 B? And you¡¯re not wearing a bra.¡± Just the right size, he thought before realizing something. ¡­It can¡¯t be. He looked up in surprise at Tatsumi¡¯s face. He saw a dry look there, but he smiled. ¡°You dodged everything I threw at you in the past, but today, I finally got in a grope!!¡± Yay! ¡°Yes! Under my rules, this is a win!!¡± A moment later, he saw her move. She twisted her body like the windup for a left-handed tornado pitch. When she turned back around, her face was beet red. ¡°You pervert!!¡± She threw a slap with all her strength and Hiba was sent spinning through empty air. Tatsumi dealt with it all almost entirely on reflex. She had only made one conscious decision. ¡­I must hit my enemy with the greatest attack I can! Her right hand had already instructed Typhon to pull back its left shoulder, so she could hit her falling enemy with the same attack he had used on her: an uppercut. The left shoulder moved forward and the metal fist swung upwards with extreme speed and weight. ¡°Punch him, Typhon!!¡± The fist instantly broke the sound barrier and was surrounded by the sound of the splitting air and an explosion of water vapor. The metal strike collided with her target and the fist completed its follow through. This was an exaggerated reproduction of the night before last. The god of war had punched him on that night too, but it had not been a solid blow and it had not been at this speed. This time, it was perfect. Tatsumi figured this would satisfy him, but then she saw something. ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Hiba had shrunk down in the instant the attack hit him. ¡­Is that¡­? She knew exactly what it was. It was her own technique. That movement allowed one to absorb and neutralize any strike. ¡°Can you really do that!?¡± Impossible, she thought. No one but me can pull off that technique. But she heard another voice from directly ahead. ¡°He can!¡± It was a female voice and one she recognized. ¡°Ryuuji-kun can do it! He did it when Yonkichi¡¯s attack shell punched him! And when he did¡­¡± It was Mikage¡¯s voice. It was a dignified voice that should not have been there. ¡°He came to me!!¡± A moment later, Hiba did exactly that. He received Typhon¡¯s fist on the soles of his feet, shrank down, and¡­ ¡°!!¡± He leaped. He leaped backwards toward the barricade of destroyed mechanical dragons. His powerful jump was undoubtedly taking him to one point among the enemy. A tall form stood there. Tatsumi looked at that form and found an unfamiliar appearance. But¡­ ¡°Is that your final evolution!?¡± Hiba looked forward as he landed. He looked to the person standing at the front of the group in the moonlit forest. It was Mikage. But it was not the Mikage he knew. ¡°¡­¡± He was dumbfounded, so she gave him a troubled smile and averted her gaze. ¡°I ended up coming. I couldn¡¯t bear to wait any longer.¡± And¡­ ¡°What do you think?¡± She swept her hair backwards with a hand. That hair was black. He stared blankly at that pitch black color, but he still listened to her voice. ¡°The philosopher¡¯s stone left enough power in me for one final evolution. It gave me the color I wanted.¡± ¡°The color of shadow¡­¡±[1] ¡°Nn.¡± Mikage shrugged and looked back at him. When he looked her in the eye, he noticed a single tuft of blonde in her bangs. She blushed and grabbed the blonde hair. ¡°I think my mom must have left this for me.¡± She placed her hands on top of her breasts as if trying to shrink down. ¡°¡­Is it weird?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Do you not like it?¡± She looked afraid and Hiba saw the crowd behind her preparing guns and blades, so he frantically shook his head. ¡°I absolutely love it!¡± ¡°Really? Which way did you like better?¡± Now that¡¯s an insanely hard question to answer! thought Hiba as sweat thicker than blood poured down his body. But he gave a frank answer. ¡°A busty blonde is wonderful as a symbol of world harmony! But black hair and an ample bust is a truly delightful symbol of Japanese elegance! To me, the latest Mikage-san is always the greatest!!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Mikage breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I see.¡± She blushed and smiled before taking his hands. ¡°They¡¯re bigger than Miki¡¯s and I¡¯m in my armored uniform, so I¡¯m not wearing a bra either.¡± His hands pressed up on the soft curve on the bottom of the bulges of her armored uniform¡¯s chest. She then shook her black bangs and asked a slightly concerned question. ¡°Do you not like them? Were Miki¡¯s better?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡± He ignored the others cocking their guns. ¡°Yours are the best!¡± ¡°I see.¡± Her eyes bent as she showed her teeth in a smile and then she looked to the side. A white god of war stood in the forest beyond the toppled trees. Mikage wrapped her arms around his neck, clasped her arms together behind him, and nodded into his cheek. ¡°Let¡¯s win.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He saw Tatsumi nod as if responding to them. She breathed out to release the tension from her shoulders. ¡°Okay, then.¡± As soon as she swung down her right arm, Typhon rushed in. ¡°!¡± It used its full strength. It shot straight forward with enough acceleration to blow away the trees growing behind it. But Hiba was unfazed. He signaled with a hand for the people behind him to stand back and he felt the strength of Mikage¡¯s arms wrapped around his neck. She was with him. He had waited so long for her to wake and now she was with him. She had wished to resemble her name and she had fulfilled that wish. And her breasts were big. He had no complaints. But he did open his mouth. There was something he had to say here unrelated to breasts. It was what linked the two of them. It was the name of the power that could oppose the white wind approaching to clash with them. It was¡­ ¡°Susamikado!!¡± Mikage spread her arms and a metallic sound rang out behind her. A torso frame made of heavy black metal appeared there. Motors, artificial muscles, arm frames, and leg frames were ejected from the space around that frame. They all fit into place. After the head, limbs, chest, back, additional frames, and artificial muscles all appeared, the armor appeared, wrapped around it all, and adjusted it all into shape. The only sounds were of metal and wind. Susamikado¡¯s autonomous system opened and closed its hands, pressed its feet against the ground, and defined its own existence from the extremities. As everything connected together, it enveloped Mikage and Hiba. As soon as they were taken inside, they were combined with it. The sensation of becoming the machine and coming closer to her felt like a comfortable tickling to Hiba. And there was a further change. Hiba saw the change in his high-speed pressurized vision. That change came from evolution. In the span of an instant, additional armor and additional artificial muscles fit into place and he sensed something around the arms and head. ¡­Is something coming!? It came to the right arm first. It was a shield. No, it was more accurately described as a long installation platform that could also be called an ejection platform. It looked like an extremely long piece of steel armor. ¡°Is that the installation platform for Keravnos!?¡± Armor was also ejected for the left arm. It was a piece of metal shaped like slender, extended claws. They mounted on the elbow and acted as a solid shield. There was a hilt at the bottom of the shield and that hilt hinted at the presence of a black sword. Armor attached to the chest and other areas to create a feminine silhouette. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Finally, something like black flames burst from the back of the head. Those flames that fluttered and danced in the wind were hair. At the same time, Susamikado ejected wind from its entire body. This was a god of war. This warrior god was a machine yet it resembled a living being. Its large shoulder armor looked like a cloak and its spread waist armor looked like a skirt. It drew a long black sword from the shield on its left arm. With the transformation into a shadow-colored warrior princess complete, Susamikado spread its arms a bit and spoke as if inhaling. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± The white wind had already arrived right in front of it. That enemy wind had the power of a gale and could neutralize any attack, but Susamikado showed no fear. Its black hair flowed back and it stepped forward. ¡°Here we go!!¡± It gave a shout. ¡°Here we go!!¡± And it began the clash. Notes 1. ¡ü Mikage means ¡°Beautiful Shadow¡±. Volume 14, 6: Wind-Told Distance Volume 14, Chapter 6: Wind-Told Distance Let¡¯s go. There was sound. The sound of iron. The sound of steel. The sound of metal. It was all the sound of machines. There was more continuing sound. The sound of wind. The sound of earth. The sound of trees. It was all the sound of movement. There was yet more continuing sound. The sound of impacts. The sound of strikes. The sound of swords. It was all the sound of combat. The created sounds met to make even more sound. The sound of damage. The sound of breaking. The sound of destruction. It was all the sound that summoned victory. There were also voices. ¡°Oh,¡± the voices yelled. ¡°Ah,¡± the voices cried. ¡°Nn,¡± the voices replied. The voices came not just from the usual directions, but also from the heavens above and skimming just off the earth below. Swords flew. Bullets poured. Armor deflected. Metal rang. Steel struck. Machines raced. All movement became evasion, became attack, and never stopped. The questioning sounds seemed to respond, call, and answer. All movement instantly broke the sound barrier and a wrist reversing a sword was enough to slice through an explosion of water vapor. The black and white were surrounded by the roar of vacuum and the flavor of the whipping night wind. The black used evasion and defense to deflect and pass through the rapid series of attacks and the white blocked and dodged the black¡¯s attacks before striking. Sparks flew and the wind was cut apart. The earth split and the sky shattered. There was sound. It was the sound of battle bearing the name ¡°god of war¡±. ¡°I can hear it!¡± The black god of war cried out to break through that sound. It rushed toward the white god of war. ¡°I can hear the voice calling for me!!¡± Mikage quit controlling the emotions filling her body. It¡¯s okay, she thought. Her high-speed pressurized thoughts surrendered her body to Hiba and allowed him to use all of her strength. They did not stop. She kept moving her wings, moving her legs, and balancing her upper body. She let Hiba try to do what he wanted with her body and she tried to grant it all. It was all possible. It was now possible for her to move as he wanted at the speeds he wanted. She moved to block Typhon¡¯s two swords. She controlled the defense by using her understanding of each and every piece of armor to sense precisely how to move them all to redirect the attacks. Like a bird controlling each individual feather to fly, Susamikado flapped onward through the damaging wind. She raised her speed. Faster, faster, she thought. She did not need a character string of emotions. She did not even need a description of her thoughts. She reacted even faster than her reflexes. The wind was solid, so she raised her speed. She fought even more quickly, tried to get behind their opponent, could not, and repeatedly exchanged attacks from the side. The attacks came from the left. The armor on the left was being heated by the friction of the sword strikes. The shield. She could reduce the heating with better usage of the shield. ¡­No! I can¡¯t think like that, thought Mikage. I can¡¯t answer if I think like that. She could hear the sounds. All of the sounds among the movement and collisions were conveying a certain thought. It was¡­ ¡­Miki. Mikage wondered why the sounds that girl made sounded so much like crying. It was a crying voice. All of the strikes sounded like the fists of a child clinging to someone in tears. Why? Why was she crying when she was so strong and had so much power? Mikage did not understand. But she wanted to understand. No, she did understand. ¡­Miki. Miki had said she had killed his father. Mikage did not know how much of that was true. That was someone she should not have killed. As her other self¡¯s parent, he was essentially her own parent. So she had waited for Hiba. She had waited for the heir of the man she felt she had killed. Why had she waited? Why had she continued to win all this time? Why had she wished to battle Hiba so many times? Why was she crying? Why? ¡­Why did you continue to wait even when Ryuuji-kun lost? Mikage understood. ¡­You defeated someone you shouldn¡¯t have defeated, so for their sake, you couldn¡¯t let yourself lose? So even as she grew tired of always winning, she had not been able to lose. But there was one person she could let herself lose to: the original person¡¯s heir. ¡­You waited for him all this time, didn¡¯t you? For so long, she had made herself their enemy, defeated them several times, and yet waited. She had waited for the moment when they could both use their greatest power. Mikage had a thought as she synchronized the wings and legs for even greater speed. ¡­Ryuuji-kun, you¡¯re here to answer that call, aren¡¯t you? She spoke to make way for that answer. ¡°Ryuuji-kun! Let¡¯s speed up!¡± ¡°Right!!¡± She moved. Her entire body moved about. Hiba had to have noticed Miki¡¯s true thoughts and that was why he raised his own voice. ¡°Mikage-san!¡± he said as if making a promise. ¡°I will win this!¡± ¡°Nn.¡± ¡°Go ahead, she was telling him. Do what you wish. I¡¯ll lend you my strength. All of it. I¡¯ll do anything for you. Her strength. She recalled an older time when she had wondered if she was just a machine and when she had feared the strength she held. But what about now? That strength was necessary. Yes, she thought. I¡¯m glad I have this strength. Without it, a certain hand would have been unable to reach the person waiting for it. So she desired even more speed. She fully opened her wings and moved them along with her legs. That way, each step had the same force as flying through the sky. She picked up speed. It did not matter how powerful the enemy was. It did not matter how solid the enemy was. It did not matter how strong the enemy was. Speed would reach them. Speed alone would never lie. After all¡­ ¡­That is how you reach someone waiting for you! Her vision had sped up to the point that all sound vanished and she saw what was in the sky and on the earth. The moon. The stars. The night. The forest and the people. The heated metal fragments scattering like flower petals. And the ones dancing amid it all were a white being and herself. They faced each other in the center of all the motion and the vacuum. It was the perfect place. The air had been blown outwards and only clearness remained. It¡¯s beautiful, thought Mikage as she saw Hiba reach his hand out toward the girl. Their body slipped past the white swords and moved unhesitatingly forward. As the white attempted to escape, they spun on their heel and pursued her just by facing her way. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The world looked so calm at this extreme speed. There was no excess and only motion existed. There was no hint of difficulty or fear of moving forward. This was where her final evolution had taken them. ¡­How nice. She danced. Her metal heart danced along with her body. There were white sword strikes, cannon blasts, evasive actions, defenses, and so much else. But he slipped past it all, did not so much as graze them, and simply tried to reach his opponent with his own hand. ¡°Ryuuji-kun.¡± His movements looked slow and she thought she saw a touch of fear in them, so she supported him from behind. She placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned in. ¡°Nn.¡± And she gave a push. She gently urged him toward his other self. She told him to go. Tatsumi saw Susamikado slip below her attacks. It happened amid the mixing vacuum and wind and amid the silence as the bottom of its defensive coat was torn. Susamikado swung its body in the clear emptiness containing only moonlight. It did not walk. Nor did it run. It did not even slide. It only gently approached like a pendulum. That movement told Tatsumi that Susamikado was receiving and redirecting the full burden of each and every movement. Even the force pushing up on the soles of its feet and the pressure on its body as it moved forward. ¡­Are they controlling all of that!? When a force reached someone from one direction, it left in the opposite direction. The standard way of controlling the forces received was to pull back, but controlling all of the forces reaching their entire body was something entirely different. Even if they pulled back from the force arriving in one direction, they would be receiving another force from the direction in which they pulled back. If they could not pull back, then the forces would explode inside their body. ¡­So controlling all of the forces reaching your body is impossible. But the word ¡°possible¡± was displayed in front of her. She saw it in Susamikado. That was actually Hiba and Mikage. Hiba had the same technique of controlling forces as Tatsumi did and Mikage would be controlling their entire body based on that. She was using her high-speed calculations and her combination with the system known as a god of war. She was simultaneously handling all of the forces arriving from a multitude of directions by adding in slight time lags and expanding the armor panels to allow the vectors to escape. A single, instantaneous mistake would cause all of the forces to explode inside their body, but Mikage could pull it off thanks to her understanding of Hiba¡¯s actions. They were not just one in spirit; they truly were a single individual. They were a single bearer of strength. ¡­No, they are a single rider of strength. Black wings opened before Tatsumi¡¯s eyes. Susamikado had gently moved right up to her. A sword approached, so she had Typhon catch it on its left sword. She planned to attack with the right sword in the opening that created. But¡­ ¡°!?¡± The left sword was deflected. Tatsumi¡¯s technique of catching and stopping any power was rejected and deflected. ¡­Is this¡­!? She knew what it was. It came from strength. It also came from skill. The idea was simple. As soon as Tatsumi activated her negation technique, Susamikado had slightly shifted the direction of its attack. That was much easier said than done. After all, she determined the direction to pull back in the very instant Hiba¡¯s attack hit. It had to happen in that instant. Tatsumi made sure it was quick because she would be hit by the attack if she took too long. So to knock back her technique, one had to intervene in that instant and reset the direction of their attack. That¡¯s impossible, she thought. But Hiba, who knew her technique, made it possible and Mikage, who had the strength, gave him the permission he needed. And as a result, the word ¡°negation¡± vanished from between Tatsumi and Hiba. Instead, there was swordplay at extreme speed. It was a pure exchange of swords with no excess strength. The white silver arc raced and the black moonlit arc flew. In that clear space, blue sparks flew and disappeared. Blazing-hot seams blossomed and withered away in that transparent world. They attacked. Their attacks were their movements. Tatsumi repeatedly struck as if brushing aside an outstretched hand. Stay away. ¡­Stay away! No. Her thoughts went further than that. ¡­I¡¯m telling you to stay away. And yet¡­ ¡­Are you still coming!? Susamikado answered. It seemed to slowly bend in that empty space. It swayed like a branch in the wind. ¡°¡­¡± There was no shouting voice or anything else there. Susamikado used only its movements to move in and continue forward. It was close enough that its breaths would have reached had it breathed. Tatsumi then launched a supremely swift strike. Typhon swung its right sword straight down. Susamikado¡¯s left arm responded by rising like shimmering heat. Its shield was there. The sword dug into the tip of the shield. The white blade tore away the thick steel armor. Typhon¡¯s sword was redirected downward and Susamikado lost its shield. Tatsumi took action at the same time. The left sword raced toward the back of Susamikado¡¯s neck. The flying silver arc was deflected by a black sword. White struck black in that clear world. The clash of the swords sounded only in her imagination. But her goal lay beyond that. She used her left sword to knock Susamikado¡¯s black sword further outward. Susamikado had broken through her technique, but she returned the favor in double. With the shield gone from the left arm, Mikage would have to rebalance due to the change in weight between the left and right arms. So if the right sword was knocked powerfully outward at that moment¡­ ¡°!¡± Susamikado prioritized keeping its balance and let go of the sword in its right hand. It also leaned back and to the right. Susamikado had no sword or shield, so Tatsumi did not hesitate. With a snap of the right wrist, she raised the sword diverted by Susamikado¡¯s shield. ¡°How about this?¡± She asked that question while thrusting the sword tip toward Susamikado¡¯s throat. Immediately afterwards, she saw Susamikado move. It raised its now-shieldless left arm. ¡°¡­!¡± And it caught the approaching sword in that palm. There was no sound, but there was destruction. The blade pierced through the god of war¡¯s left hand. It plunged in up to the base, but¡­ ¡°!?¡± Susamikado¡¯s left hand grabbed the sword¡¯s guard and Typhon¡¯s right hand beyond it. Typhon¡¯s right sword and hand were crushed. And this time, Susamikado¡¯s hand reached Typhon. Tatsumi saw the machine clench its right fist. It can¡¯t be, she thought. It had let go of its sword and it had leaned back and to the right as if keeping its balance, but¡­ ¡°Was that all to pull back your right fist!?¡± There was nothing to hide behind in this space, so she clearly saw the metal fist as it was launched. The strike seemed to flicker as it flew toward her. Its target was Typhon¡¯s face right next to her. She realized she could not block this one. Nor could she negate its force now that Hiba and Mikage could turn that against her. She could not take this blow. But neither could she avoid it with Typhon¡¯s hand held. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to go with this!!¡± Tatsumi raised Typhon¡¯s left arm. The left blade shot up from below and severed Typhon¡¯s own right arm. Typhon could now move back, so it started to take that first step. Except¡­ ¡­If I escape¡­! Tatsumi hesitated. If she escaped here, she would undoubtedly get by without losing. But¡­ ¡­Can I really do that!? Just as she asked herself that, two things stopped her from moving back. Those things were noise and light. A noise from the sky seemed to penetrate this space. ¡°Tatsumi!¡± It was Alex¡¯s voice. However, that voice from above was not the only one she heard. She heard more from the distant mechanical dragons lying on the forest floor. ¡°No running away!¡± They belonged to Heo Thunderson and the powerless ones. ¡°Fire!!¡± She saw a light. One of the broken dragons had lifted its upper body and opened its mouth. The light was its main cannon. ¡°¡­!!¡± It was directed into the space behind her. She did not know if it had been poorly aimed or if they had no real intention of hitting her, but it was clear what they were trying to do while frantically fleeing from the dragon as it was blown backwards by the recoil. ¡­They¡¯re keeping me here. Thank you, she thought as she stopped after only moving back one of Typhon¡¯s legs. She then shifted to dodging by focusing on her own movements. She tried to avoid the fist by leaning back. It worked. The metal fist shot by just thirty-two centimeters in front of her. And just as Susamikado¡¯s right fist was going to pass before her eyes, she almost thought she heard Susamikado yell something. No, she had heard it. ¡°Keravnos!¡± That was 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core weapon. Susamikado did not have that Tartaros pile driver equipped. Keravnos was currently inside Noah. But something did open before Tatsumi¡¯s eyes. It was the entrance to the Concept Space that acted as a hangar. The opened space threatened to swallow Tatsumi. ¡°What!?¡± Acting on reflex, she drew the sword on her back. ¡°¡­!¡± She defended herself by striking the concept space with her blade and absorbing its power. Just as the opening concept space was swallowed by the blade, she saw Susamikado¡¯s arm flying past her. She felt some relief at having survived, but¡­ ¡­Oh, no. She realized she had made a grave error. She realized that this attack had been one of the goals that Hiba, Mikage, or both had seen in this battle. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± Tatsumi gasped, raised her Cowling Sword, and faced forward. She looked past Susamikado and its fist and she looked to the people on the path through the forest. A certain girl stood among them. Her blue eyes were staring directly Tatsumi¡¯s way and her mouth was already open. ¡°Please come out,¡± she shouted to the sky. ¡°Thunder Fellow!!¡± The response to her cry came from Tatsumi¡¯s hand. Her Cowling sword had sealed the power to open a concept space and that meant one thing. ¡­I¡¯ve created an exit for what I sealed with this same power before! It burst out. It appeared of its own accord from the Cowling Sword¡¯s blade. It was a heavily armored blue and white mechanical dragon. It was Thunder Fellow. Heo and Harakawa were instantly taken within Thunder Fellow. Before they had time to breathe, their vision was pointed skyward. Something was descending toward them. It was a mechanical dragon colored red, white, and blue. Its entire body was heated by the air¡¯s friction. It was Alex. Thunder Fellow briefly stopped twenty meters above ground to face him. Thunder Fellow opened all of his accelerators and checked on them as if waving his tail. He then performed a roll while still positioned vertically. ¡°My output is all green.¡± ¡°I see you¡¯re well-prepared,¡± commented Harakawa. Heo nodded as she entered the back seat. ¡°Thank goodness.¡± All the others were on the surface behind them. Those people had brought them this far. They were all looking up and waving: the scarf-wearing mountain unit commander, the sand dune regiment with mohawks or masks, and the American UCAT members in blue armored uniforms. They were all waving. ¡°U-um, you¡¯re going to be blown away by the accelerators!¡± They all scattered. But as they looked back over their shoulders, they were smiling. Someone told her to get going, so she smiled. It¡¯s time to go, she thought from the bottom of her heart. Her destination was the airspace above. That was a place only dragons could go. Heo sat in the back seat and waited to combine with Thunder Fellow. But first, Harakawa tossed something to her from the front seat. It was contained in red cloth packaging. ¡°Broiled chestnuts.¡± ¡°Munch on that while you¡¯re inside. Do it outside and you¡¯ll gain weight.¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t eat while combined with Thunder Fellow!¡± ¡°Actually, Heo,¡± said Thunder Fellow. ¡°I could take them in with you and place them inside your digestive system.¡± ¡°Sorry, but you¡¯re supposed to taste things with your tongue, not your stomach.¡± She heard Harakawa laugh quietly at that. ¡°Well, whatever,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s go. How about it, Heo Thunderson?¡± ¡°Are you inviting me to go?¡± ¡°No. You¡¯re the one that decides to go and I¡¯m the one who drives. It¡¯s just that you always take so long that I end up having to rush you along. So I¡¯m going to say it again today, Heo Thunderson: Let¡¯s go.¡± She thought about what he meant and she realized it meant she would not be left behind anymore. And that led to a single answer. ¡°Testament.¡± She looked up into the sky. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She spoke into that sky. ¡°Let¡¯s go to that absolute place where our answer lies!!¡± Immediately afterwards, everyone spread out across the Mt. Ikoma region saw a line of blue light fly up towards the center of the night sky. At the same time, the mechanical dragons in that black sky spread out. They were opening a path for the blue light passing between them. And something pursued that that blue light. A red light flew in from below and tore a straight line through the sky. Everyone watched as the blue and red lights rose into the heavens. They watched those lights approach an airspace they could never reach. Tatsumi watched Alex ascend once more, but she only did so for an instant. Susamikado was still moving before her. Without pulling back its right arm, Susamikado made a full rotation to make its next attack. In the silence, Tatsumi used her left hand to raise the sword that had produced Thunder Fellow. Susamikado was about to complete its rotation in front of her. It had pulled back its right hand again and had twisted its body around to the limit to launch the attack. Come, thought Tatsumi. ¡°I will knock you back however many times it takes.¡± She gathered strength in her body and moved her right hand to have Typhon raise its left sword. She planned to strike her enemy¡¯s fist with the blade. But¡­ ¡°Oh, they¡¯re white.¡± With those words, her skirt was lifted to waist height behind her. It had happened suddenly. Tatsumi had been so focused on what was in front of her that she was slow to react and hesitated. ¡°¡­!?¡± As if brushing off her waist, she moved back to the right, pushed down her skirt, and lowered her hips. She then looked towards Typhon¡¯s left shoulder. She saw someone there. ¡°Ryuuji.¡± ¡°That¡¯s twice today.¡± He was three meters away. He had to be here for the same reason as before. It had happened while she was distracted by the fist and the failed summoning of Keravnos and while she was confused by Thunder Fellow¡¯s summoning. ¡­He had Susamikado turn its back and then released his combination. She saw Susamikado continue to rotate and¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± As wind gently wrapped around it, it came to a stop. Its movements were now feminine. The one who piloted it for combat was standing in front of her. Hiba gave her a trouble smile and took a step forward. Tatsumi held her Cowling Sword in both hands with her hips still lowered. ¡°Wai-¡­¡± She started to say ¡°wait¡± until she realized something. She remembered this layout. This was the same as ten years before. Back then, everyone had evacuated to the gate which had stopped functioning and those without defensive philosopher¡¯s stones had started collapsing, one after another. Tatsumi had been given a defensive stone by her parents. ¡­So I alone was fine. The sky had split open and the earth had shattered while all the others had fallen to the ground in groans of pain. She had wanted to do something, but there had been nothing to do. Because she alone had survived, she had decided to protect the others until the end. After all, she had the power to fight. And then he had arrived. He had been an enemy. He had said he was there to save them, but she had not known if he really was there to help or not. She had not been able to judge anything about the situation. She had suspected he might cause further damage to the people whose demise was only a matter of time. So¡­ ¡°N-¡­¡± Hiba approached. She swung her head. She realized she had started trembling at some point and she could not stop it. ¡°No¡­¡± She thrust out her sword as a way of telling him to stay back. ¡°No!¡± But he still entered within range of the danger. And so she changed her display of rejection to something else. ¡°¡­!!¡± She stabbed. She thrust the blade straight forward into Hiba¡¯s right side. Her footing was weak and the sword did not pick up much speed, but¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The blade pierced through his side and out his back. The sword was incredibly sharp. Its tip stabbed through its target with no sound or resistance. ¡­Eh? Tatsumi seemed to stumble as she stared dumbfounded at what she had done. She held a hilt in her hands. A guard was attached to the top of the hilt and that guard was pressed against Hiba¡¯s stomach. She had stabbed him. ¡°Ah¡­¡± No, she thought. Why? she added. Why didn¡¯t he dodge? Did he not think I would stab him? What was he thinking? The questions in her heart were a refrain of those from ten years before. Her former doubts were revived. She felt it clearly in her hands, but¡­but why? ¡­Why didn¡¯t you dodge!? As soon as she asked that silent question, she heard something. ¡°I see¡­¡± It was a troubled voice that was clearly putting up with some pain. It was Hiba¡¯s. But Tatsumi could not bear to look at him. No matter what expression he had on his face, it would be a reaction to what she had just done. She could only hang her head and two things entered her field of vision: Hiba¡¯s hands. The boy¡¯s hands touched hers that still held the hilt. Taken aback, she tried to let go but instead clamped down from the tension. Nevertheless, Hiba¡¯s hands removed hers from the hilt. And after peeling away her hands, he spoke. ¡°There, everything is going to be okay now.¡± That was much like what someone had said ten years before. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± He reached below her arms and lifted her up. The shorter boy somehow managed to lift her weakened body. ¡°Everything is going to be okay.¡± She snapped back at his words. ¡°H-how is this okay!?¡± She squeezed her hands tight and hit him. Her clenched fists hit the head and shoulders she could see below. She hit him again and again, telling him to let go. ¡°How can you say that?¡± She struck him. ¡°You might die!¡± With those words, tears poured from the corners of her eyes and they would not stop. ¡°You¡¯re going to die!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not dead.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± She hit him as her mouth and face tearfully twisted. ¡°When your father was stabbed in the same way¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not dead!!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not dead!!¡± His shout stopped her from moving. She breathed out and the built-up tears fell from her eyes. She sniffled and saw Hiba hanging his head. Without wiping away the tears, she spoke with a tremor in her voice. ¡°He died¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s true my dad died,¡± he said. ¡°He was stabbed through the gut and some of his organs were hit. That had to have been a lethal injury¡­if nothing was done.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Tatsumi was left briefly speechless by those final words and Hiba¡¯s voice seemed to follow her silence. ¡°Am I dead right now?¡± She looked to him when she heard that question. And finally¡­ ¡°No.¡± ¡°Right?¡± he replied before sighing. Then something red spilled from where her sword had stabbed him. His sigh had relaxed his tension and opened the tightened blood vessels. ¡°Ah¡­¡± She was nearly panicked, but he shook his head. ¡°My dad didn¡¯t do anything about it afterwards.¡± Because¡­ ¡°He had something he had to do and he gave that priority. He had something he found more important than being stabbed by you.¡± Tatsumi listened to him speak with his head lowered. ¡°Do you understand?¡± She heard that question and then more. These were the words of the answerer she had waited so long for. ¡°I am not going to die. I still have to flirt a whole lot more with Mikage-san and master several different paths, so I will not die. And if my dad hadn¡¯t had something he had to prioritize over his own death¡­he wouldn¡¯t have died either!¡± So¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t get to take credit for what his own decisions led to!!¡± Tatsumi tried to say something, but something else left her before her voice: tears. ¡­Why? She needed to argue back and she needed to say she had killed him, so why could she not speak? As she wondered why, she found the answer in her heart. ¡­Because these are the words of my other self? As she thought, she looked up into the heavens to hold back the tears. This was the sky near Osaka and it looked a lot like the night sky she had seen in the past. She had been there, the parents she had lost had been there, and they had all looked up into that sky as they walked home from the store. Hadn¡¯t she constantly asked them a certain question? ¡­What kind of person do you think my other self is? Her father had reached below her arms and picked her up. After comforting her from her fear of the height, he had given her the same answer he had given her so often before. ¡­I¡¯m sure he¡¯s a lot like you. She distinctly remembered him telling her that. His sex, age, and height were different from her own, but he had come this far, he used the same technique as her, and¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She released her voice into the sky above. It sounded a lot like the cries of a newborn. And as the reverberation of her throat faded into the sky above, a battle raged there. Babel¡¯s light had yet to fully activate. The battle was not over yet. Volume 14, 7: Voice of the Just One Volume 14, Chapter 7: Voice of the Just One Say your answer You say Your answer in your calling The sky was an infinite expanse. To fly, one only needed acceleration. An increase in speed increased the resistance from the thick atmosphere. It felt like digging through piled-up snow. One spoke with acceleration there and it allowed movement in any direction. If airspace was seen as a place of invisible resistance, then everyone there was a resister. And Heo was currently resisting that sky. Her body was in high-speed mobility form. Her wings were half closed and she flew toward the heavens as if leaning back. She made a large turn in the great heights to shift from a vertical rise into a descent. An enemy pursued her from behind. A stream of bullets flew her way and she was cutting through them with her turn. After rotating around, she needed to get behind the enemy. ¡­But I¡¯m so heavy. She was already moving quickly and the turn was a fight against her inertial weight. The great speed increased her weight several times over. Her body shook from the air resistance and she could only hear a great roar in her ears. Her frame creaked and she lightly hopped through the gaps in the wind. She was moving at blinding speed. She thought her entire body would be knocked down into her belly that was pointed toward heaven. She had used 5th-Gear¡¯s concept to set forwards as ¡°down¡±, but that did not eliminate the inertial forces of the turn. The wind captured her body and tried to drag her into its raging stream, but she resisted. She was constantly resisting. She viewed herself as a blade sticking into a muddy stream and she sliced through the turbulent air. ¡°Nn¡­¡± Her wings were blades and her body was the helm. She read the course of the wind, kept it from carrying her away, and cut sharply into it so she did not collide with it. Her upwards momentum made it difficult to obtain downward thrust, but¡­ ¡°Nn¡­!!¡± As she leaned backwards, the tips of her wings caught the air. She rode that air and turned. She saw the pursuing bullets scatter into the sky above. Immediately afterwards, her senses detected a certain presence. Alex had just shot up past her. Their relative speeds meant their passing truly only lasted an instant. The red light of acceleration was undoubtedly flying in search of greater heights. This meant it was her turn to pursue. At the same time, she heard Harakawa as his body shook from the centrifugal force. ¡°Heo, let¡¯s go after him!!¡± ¡°Right!¡± she replied. She bent back her jaw, extended her back, and brought air to her lungs. ¡°Nn¡­!¡± She kicked at the air like it was water and instantly oriented herself upwards. The sky was there and the points of starlight acted as the backdrop for the residual light of the accelerators. That was Alex. She pursued him. She used the centrifugal force of her three-dimensional turn to launch herself skyward. Her acceleration had a target: herself and her other self. ¡°Here we go!!¡± She threw herself forward. Her enemy fired a barrage behind him and their relative speeds made it a wall of accelerated bullets. She did not care. She reached out a hand to pinpoint the locations of the destructive projectiles with her fingertips. And she avoided them. She shot forward, turned, and folded up her wings to slip through the straight lines and attacking smoke. When she struck the air, it turned to spray and her body shook as if to keep her from making any minor adjustments to her movement. But she knew one way of controlling that shaking. She could accelerate forward to eliminate it. And she did so. While slipping through the roaring barrage, she chose acceleration as her way of ensuring proper control. Now the shaking only came from the tail end. It was nothing but speed to push her onward. She wished to reach even greater heights. Barrage or not, she simply wanted to continue upwards. The heavens could be found nowhere else, so she accelerated. She seemed to be showing off her acceleration to the surface. She tore through the cold air in pursuit of the red acceleration light up ahead. She saw the red light turn toward the western sky. Threads of mist trailed from the tips of the mechanical dragon¡¯s wings and those moonlit threads made their way to the white tower reaching toward the heavens. Her enemy had chosen Babel¡¯s surface as their battlefield. That battlefield was a vertical drop off from fifteen kilometers up. Those still on the surface could see the light. While providing first aid for Hiba¡¯s wound, Mikage saw two powers rapidly dropping from the heavens. She also saw the white tower rising high into the sky. The pair of powers dropped toward that tower¡¯s surface. The powers drew lines. Those twin beasts drew two white lines through the night sky. They were vapor trails. The two of them repeatedly intersected and dropped down. They would sometimes separate, make a circuit of the tower, collide on the other side, and then collide again on this side. The white trails would occasionally swell out. ¡­That¡¯s their acceleration. That battle had reached speeds Susamikado could not hope to match. Heo wished for the speed and Harakawa provided it. Even the initial speed of gravitational acceleration meant nothing to them as they descended. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± muttered Mikage. She was speaking to the white and blue dragon of the two machines accelerating toward the earth. ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± After all¡­ ¡°You¡¯re the one that defeated Black Sun!!¡± Alex flew along Noah¡¯s armor on his way down to the surface. He was using his full strength. Threads of mist trailed from every leading point on his armor and his own movements left an afterimage behind them. But something was catching up to and biting at the white trail behind him. It was Thunder Fellow. His enemy had kept her position behind him, he could not shake her, and she was using her speed to catch up. What an absurd enemy, he thought. Alex knew Noah. He had lived inside it. The layout of its surface portion was contained in his memories, so he knew where the walls and corridors were. His enemy on the other hand knew nothing. But despite knowing nothing, she was fearlessly pursuing him. It would be easy to call it reckless. It would be difficult to call it courageous. But Alex instead thought of her as insane. If she was reckless, she would back off once she made a mistake. If she was courageous, she would keep her distance from a battlefield that put her at such a disadvantage. But she readily flew into this place. She had acceleration and flight. She had movement and mobility. She simply trusted in those powers and attempted to surpass him. And so he accelerated. He slipped through the gaps in the residences and actuators on Noah¡¯s surface, split the narrow air, flew along Noah¡¯s armor, and threw on even more speed. He was entirely focused on his flight. He seemed to be saying he was the one that belonged above this nostalgic battlefield. But he heard something from the rumbling of the air that refused to leave him. His rear sight could see it. Thunder Fellow had stumbled over a rise in Noah¡¯s surface residences. But despite stumbling, the dragon did not flee. It remained on the same path, pursuing Alex. It only had to accelerate to make up for the lost speed and it relied on its strength to continue its flight. ¡­Such¡­ He spoke aloud. ¡°Such a villainous and inelegant flight!!¡± He had to defeat this enemy. He could hear a crying voice from the surface. Those were Tatsumi¡¯s tears. Who had made her cry? No, he knew the answer. There was a single obvious reason for her tears. ¡­Because my justice was lacking!! No matter the reason, no matter the interpretation, and no matter the emotions, the power of justice had to silence a child¡¯s tears and send them on to the next sequence. It did not matter if they were crying over their own crimes and what they had lost. ¡°Justice is what rids the world of even those tears!!¡± Alex remembered when he had wished to be a hero. Heroes were what had rid him of his tears when his parents had not returned and he was left all alone. Someone had told him that heroes only existed on TV. But that was wrong. That nonsense reasoning was what only existed on TV. Heroes could exist in reality. ¡­It¡¯s just that everyone else gives up! One only had to say a certain phrase ¨C one little phrase ¨C no matter the circumstances and even in public. ¡°I wish to keep others from crying!¡± Once he said it, he would be able to act on it. And so he did act on it and he fought. He raised his speed and pointed his cannons toward his pursuing enemy. ¡°Enemy! Will you obstruct my justice!?¡± But his enemy kept coming. The blue and white mechanical dragon seemed to be racing more than flying. It stacked acceleration on top of acceleration like a young bird flapping its wings in order to reach the sky. The blue and white dragon flew swiftly across the Top-Gear construction. It was fast. As if pressing in on and distorting the air, it shot forward and nearly into arm¡¯s reach. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± As soon as he realized his enemy was alongside him, Alex heard a voice. ¡°Why!?¡± It was a girl¡¯s voice, Heo Thunderson¡¯s voice. She asked her question with strength behind her voice. ¡°Why?¡± Her question reached him. ¡°Why do you try to keep others from crying!?¡± ¡°That should be obvious!!¡± Alex had his body rush forward and downward. ¡°That is where my justice lies!¡± Heo thought to herself while placing her body on the forefront of her speed. ¡­That¡¯s wrong! Her thought of rejection was directed at Alex¡¯s words. She felt exhausted, as if she were running out of oxygen. Her moving parts were tense and she felt she would lose control and trip if she relaxed her focus. She had run full speed all this way with this unfamiliar battlefield as her track. The great exhaustion of her tension was also exhausting Thunder Fellow. But her thoughts were clear. She was flying. She was clearly in flight. Her confidence that she was in a position of absolute freedom brought clarity to her and her opponent¡¯s wills. And that allowed her to make a statement she normally could not have. ¡­That¡¯s wrong! Her mind raised a powerful rejection to the justice Alex spoke of. ¡°Justice is keeping people from crying? That¡­that can¡¯t be right!¡± After all¡­ ¡°Whenever I cried I kept crying!!¡± Yes. That was how it had always been for her. But Alex gave her an answer from the forefront of the wind. ¡°That is because there was no justice around you!!¡± His dignified statement gave Heo a thought. ¡­That may be true. But, she also thought. There was a word in her heart that she was not sure if she could call ¡°justice¡±. ¡°Then¡­¡± She waited the span of a breath before shouting. ¡°Then why was I able to run again!?¡± She accelerated as if pulled onwards by the question. She bit at the bearer of justice, demanding he give her an answer. ¡°No one ever stopped my tears!¡± She had only had a single truth. She yelled what she could call her past experience. ¡°Instead, everyone gave me a certain something!¡± ¡°And what was that!?¡± That was an easy question to answer, so she released the words in her heart like a bullet. ¡°The ability to choose for myself! It was nothing more than that!!¡± Her cry was immediately followed by approaching darkness. The metal darkness appearing overhead was Noah¡¯s lower armor. There was a vast hangar below the armor and it was located quite near the ground. Heo thought she knew what it was. ¡­Noah¡¯s mechanical dragon launch zone!? It was two kilometers long and at least five hundred meters wide. The thin, flat exit was located straight ahead. The ground was visible past that exit and there was less than a kilometer until she reached it. ¡°¡­!¡± She had already run around a dozen kilometers from the top of the massive tower. She had flown the entire way with a focus on acceleration. If she did not begin an ascent immediately after leaving the exit, she would crash into the ground before she could rid herself of her speed. She gasped for just a moment. Her body was approaching its limits from the exhaustion of the run, so¡­ ¡­Shouldn¡¯t I slow down here to avoid crashing into the-¡­ But that was when she saw Alex¡¯s acceleration light grow in front of her. He had added on more speed. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± He had eloquently told her what he intended to do. If he moved ahead and left the exit, she would lose sight of him in an instant. Lagging behind was dangerous and the greater the distance between them, the greater that danger. She realized she could only pull up closer to him, but¡­ ¡­No. Her next words seemed to reject her own timidity. ¡°I can¡¯t just pull up closer to him. I have to pass him!¡± She breathed in. Her body was growing stiff. She briefly shrank down, thinking this would be her final run. And she suddenly raised her hips, directed all of her acceleration backwards, and blasted it all out toward the sky. ¡°Here I go!¡± She launched herself forward. Two speeds raced through the two kilometer tunnel. Both of them had already broken the sound barrier. The large tunnel¡¯s ceiling was thirty meters high. For a mechanical dragon, a light jump would hit it. The only options for those two speeds were horizontal or straightforward movement. The leading speed, Alex, fired on Thunder Fellow who was pursuing him. The enemy had approached too much for this great speed. Thunder Fellow passed by the homing bullets before their homing capability could kick in. Alex could not rely on bullets here. The only effective attacks were the lightning from the pairs of secondary cannons on his left and right sides. His red lightning pursued Thunder Fellow with quick whip-like motion. Thunder Fellow fired bluish-white lightning from his own secondary cannons. Amid the darkness, atop their speed, and below their straight down trajectory, the two machines fired barrages of light and accelerated to evade. They swung to either side as if being knocked back and they tilted their bodies until they were very nearly scraping against the floor. ¡°¡­!¡± Each time either one locked on, they would fire their lethal attacks. They never let up. Their enemy¡¯s attacks would fire, approach, and arrive too close to know for sure they could avoid it. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± And they would fire their own attacks. The bright lightning intersected between them and the world exploded with light. They left the noise and explosions behind. Theirs was a world of speed, shadow, blue, and red. Even the scattering fragments of the floor and ceiling were left behind. They accelerated. They accelerated to the very limit. But Alex saw something. The enemy was gradually approaching behind him. Impossible, he thought. The ground was approaching from below. Alex accelerated without fearing a collision with that solid ground. He had no intention of going easy on her, and yet¡­ ¡­Why is she catching up!? That was when he realized Thunder Fellow was leaning forward. ¡­What is that? That was not the pose of someone who simply did not fear crashing into the ground. ¡°Does she see the surface as her goal!?¡± The enemy was not even looking at him. She had even stopped firing on him. Heo Thunderson, the girl who had combined with Thunder Fellow, had most likely made a certain decision: she would run and win. Her goal was the surface and he was only a fellow runner. ¡­She¡¯s insane! Alex filled his heart with the desire to accelerate and clenched his metal fangs. ¡­Does she see this high-speed battle as no different from a footrace!? However, she was not looking his way. She was only looking at what she had decided was her goal. She was looking in a straight line. Thunder Fellow accelerated as they entered the second half of the tunnel. This second half was the last spurt. Thunder Fellow broke through the air it was pushing forward and its blue and white form appeared to shake. Alex¡¯s calculations told him she would pass him in an instant, so he attacked. He did what he needed to as a fellow runner on this battlefield. And he did not go easy on her. He forcibly rolled his body and pointed his belly toward the ceiling. ¡°Here goes!!¡± Turned upside down, he raced along the ceiling. This was a dangerous decision. Unlike the launch zone¡¯s floor, the upper surface was covered in piping and air conditioning ducts. And it was all wrapped in darkness. But Alex had decided that would be his floor. He needed to fly along there to fire from the multi-shot container on his back. At this speed, his homing bullets were left behind before they could recognize the enemy, but what would happen if he scattered bullets from the ceiling? A wall of bullets would appear before Thunder Fellow as it flew along the floor. This would work given their speed and the low ceiling. Alex could see the shadows of the pipes and outcroppings below him. He also saw internal communication antennae. If he hit any one of them, he would be blown away. But he would not hit them. Justice would not hit them. He preserved himself by flying just barely out of the way. He stayed on a straight line while slipping past it all. The wind and noise of his passing caused the antennae, deactivated lights, and other ceiling structures to split and burst. Shards of glass fell like rain and reflected the lightning that the two of them continued firing. It¡¯s like the ocean spray, thought Alex. Such a pleasant scattering. The tunnel¡¯s exit was visible up ahead. Immediately afterwards, the enemy arrived. The enemy sank down in order to pass him. And she did so from directly behind him. There was less than fifteen meters of space between Alex and the floor, but Thunder Fellow was trying to slip through that gap. Both mechanical dragons were about ten meters tall, so they would have to hug the floor to prevent a near miss. But despite moving at supersonic speeds at that altitude, Thunder Fellow sank even further down. ¡­She really is insane!! His enemy had cast aside her fear. She was only looking at her goal and that fact sent a chill to Alex¡¯s mind. ¡­Can justice not get through to her? As if to answer him, Thunder Fellow accelerated even further. Alex¡¯s scans confirmed that Thunder Fellow threw more acceleration behind itself while flying only fifteen centimeters off the floor. She was coming and not from the side. She was coming straight in as if to face him. She wished to unmistakably overtake him. She had done more than say it all came down to speed. Her flight had thrown away everything except for speed. This was a time of battle, and yet she was fighting through speed alone. In that case, thought Alex as he gave his response. He fired the bullets from his back. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± Not even his own ears heard the attack name. All sound was swept behind them as the barrage flew backwards as if he had overturned a bucket. He scored a direct hit. The scarlet flames looked like a line of light. The object they had struck was moving so quickly that the explosion was deflected and stretched out. Alex saw his enemy beyond the multiple flashing lights that resembled firecrackers. It was a mechanical dragon¡¯s silhouette. It appeared after pushing through the light and smoke. Just to make sure, Alex fired on it. The red lightning swept through the air, split open the exploding light, and tore into the shadow. The twin lightning strikes tore through the silhouette which was trying to break free of the smoke. Both red lightning bolts struck, electrical discharges and sparks flew, and the shadow shook. ¡°!!¡± It finally collided with the floor. That collision during their high-speed fall caused it to bounce high. That was when it broke free of the smoke. ¡­It isn¡¯t Thunder Fellow!? Alex instead saw a collection of framework that closely resembled a mechanical dragon. ¡°Did she throw forward one of her other frames as a shield!?¡± Confused, Alex looked more closely and saw something slip below the normal cruising frame that had bounced up and stabbed into the ceiling. The blue and white silhouette moved forward. ¡°Thunder Fellow!¡± Alex then saw Thunder Fellow¡¯s opened mouth turned his way. The dragon¡¯s roar tore into everything. It closely resembled a racer¡¯s cry of effort. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± The roar then produced light. At the same time, the bluish-white main cannon tore through Alex. Heo saw the attack hit. She had defeated her other self. She had defeated that high-speed flight-style heavy mechanical dragon that advocated justice. Beyond the explosion of light, his armor was blown away and smashed to pieces. ¡­I won¡­ I won? Her dumbfounded heart quickly sapped all strength from her body. She entrusted everything to the speed she was riding. ¡°¡­¡± She started to breathe a sigh of relief, but¡­ ¡°Look again!¡± Harakawa¡¯s voice awoke her senses. Before she could ask what he meant, she saw it and heard Harakawa explain it. ¡°We didn¡¯t hit him!¡± Fragments flew their way from beyond the destructive light, but they had not been smashed from his body. ¡°He purged his armor to use it as a shield! He shot it toward us like a bullet!¡± The result was clear. She felt the great pressure of a presence behind her. That was her enemy. He had purged his armor and instantly circled behind them. A few pieces of the destroyed armor had taken the main cannon blast, deflected it, and produced a smokescreen of light. The few remaining pieces flew their way like shells. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± They collided with her. The enemy¡¯s armor struck her right shoulder, left arm, lower chest on both sides, right stomach, right upper leg, and left lower leg. It hurt as bad as a hit from a hammer. Before she could think, she had flown out of the tunnel. She was thrown out into empty air and she had lost control due to the armor shells. She rotated in three dimensions and saw the sky for just a moment. In that moment, the color red filled the center of her vision. That was Alex¡¯s main cannon. The now lighter mechanical dragon let out a roar. ¡°¡­!¡± And it slammed Heo straight into the ground. The battlefield on the moonlit earth was filled with something that shined. A giant tower sat at the center of the wide field and the light falling on the ground there was the moonlight reflected off of wreckage. The wreckage came from dolls. Those white, humanoid forms were strewn across the ground after having been destroyed in every way imaginable. Some just lay there, some had been skewered, some had large gouges torn from them, and some had been crushed. There was a pattern to their destruction. First, the wires connecting their joints were cut and then bullets or explosives were fired or shoved into the entrances and exits for those wires. The technique required high precision and speed. But more dolls yet remained. Nearly three digits¡¯ worth surrounded the tower from a distance. Their gazes were all focused on one point. A few figures stood in front of the tower, protecting its entrance. They were maid automatons and the central one had a machinegun floating to either side of her. Counting the red-haired one wielding the machineguns, there were three. Injured maids were sleeping in the coolers placed behind them. They no longer had handguns floating around them. Their only weapons were knives with chipped blades and their other guns. The one on the left opened her mouth. She had lost her right shoulder and she spoke to the red-haired automaton. ¡°I will create a diversion, #8-sama.¡± ¡°No, you will not.¡± #8 used her gravitational control to swap out ammunition belts while giving that dignified response. A case hung down from the ammunition belt she dragged from the cooler. The case fell to the ground, now empty. But #8 looked around regardless. ¡°The enemy is numerous, but if we avoid any unnecessary attacks and focus our efforts¡­¡± As soon as she said that, the maid to her right, whose left hand was destroyed, narrowed her eyes and spoke. ¡°Here they come!¡± #8 turned in that maid¡¯s direction and saw the forest shaking. A moment later, a wall of wind reached her. New dolls appeared, seemingly born from the forest surrounding the plain. #8 frowned. ¡°More of them?¡± ¡°No,¡± said the maid to her right with a shake of her head. ¡°They are not the only ones coming.¡± There was also a giant figure. A giant doll appeared, towering above the trees of the forest. This was one of the same large dolls that had approached Japanese UCAT on the night of the Army¡¯s attack. The doll held a giant sashimi knife in each hand and it was nearly ten meters tall. This was a remote-controlled doll the size of a god of war. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± #8 calculated out the enemy¡¯s strength and compared it to their own. ¡°I see.¡± The other two automatons turned toward her. ¡°#8-sama?¡± She nodded and responded while closing her shared memory ¡°You two retreat along with those behind us.¡± ¡°Why!?¡± The answer was simple. ¡°My duty is to protect.¡± ¡°W-we can also-¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± said #8 to cut them off. She looked back and forth between the other two. ¡°My duty is to protect my master. You have yet to find your masters, so go. I desire to remain here. That is what I have determined.¡± Her words were accompanied by a great sound from the sky. She looked up and saw two mechanical dragons flying along Babel¡¯s surface. The automatons¡¯ eyes saw exactly what happened. Thunder Fellow was hit by Alex¡¯s main cannon and fell into the southern mountain range. That mechanical dragon was Team Leviathan¡¯s greatest individual strength, but it had been shot down. The automatons on the left and right froze when they saw it, but #8 did not. Expressionless, she took a slow step forward. The two now behind her frantically turned her way, so she addressed them. ¡°What does it matter if the mechanical dragon was shot down? My master is still safe. And¡­¡± She nodded. ¡°While they may fall to the earth, none of those around us will remain there.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°Now,¡± she said. ¡°Go. You are in the way of my and my master¡¯s master-servant relationship.¡± She closed her eyes as she spoke and a slight pause followed. Before long, she heard footsteps on either side behind her. They were stepping on the grass and moving away. She heard them grab the coolers, but she heard nothing after that. She had already rushed out to the battlefield. Heo could not breathe. She tried to move her belly to breathe, but the air would not enter her lungs. She was lying on her back, but she did not know if she could move. She simply trembled while facing the night sky. She remembered the shaking and shock to her body. She also remembered the fear. That shaking and emotion reminded her what had happened. She had purged her armor to reduce the force of the main cannon blast. She had fallen, but in the instant of the crash, she had forcibly changed the direction in which she ¡°fell¡± and avoided a direct hit with the earth. The last thing she had seen was the forest slope and she did not know what had happened to her afterwards. She sighed. Long ago, her shoelace had come untied as she ran the hundred meters and she had tripped. Just like now, she had not known what had happened to her and the shock had left her mind blank. At the moment, she could tell the trees around her had all fallen, shimmering heat and thin smoke rose from her body, she had removed most of the armor that could be thought of as her clothes, and¡­ ¡­There¡¯s light. Overhead, a red light in the heavens was slowly growing in intensity. She did not understand what was happening, but she knew for certain that she would die if that red light continued to grow. The word ¡°death¡± easily came to mind. She had accepted that word of ending because she no longer understood anything. ¡­It¡¯s over. She felt tears in her eyes and she felt like none of her would move, but this was not due to the fall. ¡­I lost. She had given it everything she had, but it had not been enough. She had rejected her opponent¡¯s justice, but she had not defeated him. She felt her speed had not been enough to overtake him. A single thought entered her mind. ¡­There¡¯s no point in moving anymore. So she did not move. It was not that she thought nothing of the red light that would soon be sent her way. ¡°But I lost¡­¡± So there was nothing she could do. But then¡­ ¡°Heo.¡± She heard a voice. ¡°Heo Thunderson.¡± At first, she did not know whose voice it was and she briefly did not even realize it was her name being called. But as soon as she realized both who the voice belonged to and whose name it was, the voice called again. ¡°Can you hear me, Heo Thunderson?¡± It was Harakawa and she responded to him. ¡°Y-yes.¡± She forcefully took the breath she had been previously unable to take. ¡°Wh-what is it?¡± ¡°Well,¡± he gently replied. ¡°Are you going to die, Heo?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± It shocked her that someone else ¨C even someone so close to her ¨C had guessed so perfectly what she was thinking. ¡°H-how did you know that?¡± ¡°Then listen carefully, Heo.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she said just before she heard his next words. ¡°Get up.¡± Harakawa was stretched out on top of the upside-down pilot¡¯s seat. He was being held there by gravitational control, so the grass and the distant forest looked upside down to him. His legs were placed up on the console and his arms were behind his head in a pose of relaxation. ¡°Do as you wish, Heo,¡± he said. ¡°A-as I wish¡­?¡± He understood why she was so confused. She was an active girl. She did not wish for a simple life like he did. That active side of her gave her many things and expanded her world, but simplicity had its own strengths. ¡­If you¡¯re knocked down, you can live on in your simplicity and you don¡¯t think too much of it. Both happiness and unhappiness were averaged out and you avoided both. But Heo was different. She had harsh ups and harsh downs. ¡°This goes beyond bipolar disorder. You could probably call it the UCAT disorder.¡± ¡°Wh-what are you talking about!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he said. And he had a thought: What does it matter if you lose once or twice? He did not say it out loud, but he did say it in his heart. ¡­Some people can¡¯t even accept the challenge. Compared to that, what¡¯s so bad about losing? She had not died. Yes. ¡°Thunder Fellow and I stayed at the controls during the crash. We removed just the frame which made the whole thing more pliable and let most of the impact escape. Most of the armor was stripped away, but we protected everything necessary for flight and attack and the frame isn¡¯t even scratched.¡± Which meant¡­ ¡°If you want to fly, you can fly. If you want to die, you can die. You can just as easily choose either action.¡± ¡°B-but¡­¡± Don¡¯t worry about it Heo Thunderson. ¡­This is a race. Your enemy outdid you in the previous match, but that was on his battlefield. ¡°Hey,¡± he asked. ¡°What is your justice, Heo Thunderson?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± She hesitated to answer but finally spoke. ¡°Why do you always ask me so many questions?¡± ¡°That¡¯s simple. I don¡¯t have the answers, so that¡¯s my form of justice, Heo Thunderson. That¡¯s why I only ever ask someone who can reach the answer on their own.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t say it again. Don¡¯t forget it.¡± With that, he sat up and operated the communicator. ¡°Can you hear it?¡± ¡°H-hear what?¡± I¡¯ll tell you. ¡°The ridiculous song of the ridiculous people seeking your justice.¡± After some static, she heard a song arriving over the communicator. The American UCAT members were singing as they continued to fight. ¡°Can you hear it? That¡¯s the American national anthem, ¡®The Star-Spangled Banner¡¯.¡± She heard the song they sang to encourage themselves. ¡°Oh, say can you see by the dawn¡¯s early light ¡°What so proudly we hailed at the twilight¡¯s last gleaming? ¡°Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight, ¡°O¡¯er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? ¡°And the rocket¡¯s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, ¡°Gave proof thru the night that our flag was still there. ¡°Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave ¡°O¡¯er the land of the free and the home of the brave?¡± Heo saw something. In the winter sky directly in front of her, the northern end was brighter. She saw a certain light beyond the red light of death. It was the North Star. She remembered the meaning that star held for her. ¡­Once¡­ Once, a mechanical dragon had ascended toward that star. That dragon had a heart and that was exactly why he had gone mad. In the very end, he had asked her name and she had replied with the name of happiness. ¡­I answered him. So, she thought. ¡°If I have my own brand of justice¡­¡± She got up. ¡°If I do¡­!!¡± She could not complete this lying down. ¡°It is not to keep people from crying!!¡± She filled her body with strength and shook her own aching body. ¡°It is to ensure everyone¡¯s happiness by watching over them and holding out your hand¡­¡± She opened her mouth and filled her lungs with air. ¡°But letting them choose everything for themselves!!¡± With that shout, she heard a voice. ¡°On your mark.¡± It was a precious voice. ¡°Get set.¡± It was the precious voice of someone precious. ¡°Go ahead!¡± Just after he gave her a mental push forward, the red light in the heavens shot down towards the earth. But just before it did, Heo flew. She escaped the light of death and flew toward the center of the heavens. She flew toward the star there. Thunder Fellow ascended. Alex realized his enemy had recovered. His red main cannon scorched the air and swept across the earth, but its target was no longer there. The blue and white mechanical dragon ascended along a spiraling path that seemed to wrap around the afterimage of the red light. ¡­So she¡¯s coming! He opened the multi-shot container installed in his body and fired the bullets. However, the enemy seemed to forcefully swing her body around as she bent the air and flew. She rotated through the bullets, leaned back, and yet¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± Her direct ascent made the space between them meaningless. So Alex wished to continue their battle. He lit up his accelerators. From here on, having speed only put him on an even level with her. The battle would occur in the heavens above. Their speed had already turned every point in those heavens into an aerial battlefield. A dragon¡¯s flight negated all distance. The dragon below exposed its body in its ascent as if negating any time created by the distance between them. Alex used all his strength to climb the slope into the heavens, but the pursuing blue and white form caught up in an instant. ¡­Well done! ¡°So this is your justice!¡± He understood. He had heard his enemy¡¯s earlier shout. ¡­Happiness. Then what was happiness to his other self? ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He looked across the heavens during his direct ascent. He had a clear view. The chill and shadows of night spread out in all three hundred sixty degrees and created a vast emptiness, but¡­ ¡°Is it to bathe in this frigid freedom, Heo Thunderson!?¡± Heo did not answer. She simply displayed her speed and her ascent along a gouging arc. She seemed to have grown even faster than before. ¡­No. Before, they had been fought as they descended. But this was different. If they forgot to ascend, they would fall. If they did not constantly desire speed, they could not even remain where they were. Heo Thunderson saw that as entirely natural. She flew with even greater speed than when they had been falling. Her flight here was a fight against gravity and¡­ ¡­Has she gone insane in her resistance!? ¡°No¡­ Have you gone insane in your own happiness, Heo Thunderson!?¡± They exchanged cannon blasts as their speeds collided and separated. The bullets that missed their mark drew long arcs through the night sky. The escaped speed became arcs of water vapor that decorated the night sky. It was much like a high-speed dance. They would approach their enemy but then move away to avoid that enemy¡¯s attacks. There was evasion and attack. The flying lightning strikes were like outstretched hands. The rolling scissors used to avoid them were much like turns. All the while, the two dragons raced up into the night sky. The earth was visible down below. They saw the night of this planet, this country, this mountainous region, and the surrounding cities. There was light, there was flickering, there was movement, and people lived there. The moonlight created a clear division between earth and sea and a different country¡¯s lights were visible beyond that sea. This was a world with nothing to hear and everything to see. The two mechanical dragons intersected their attacks and evasions in that world. All the while, they ascended. Their paths created a double helix which connected the earth below to the heavens above. There was a single sound there. It was a song. A girl¡¯s voice sang a song of fluttering stars with her own meaning in mind. ¡°Oh, say can you see by the dawn¡¯s early light.¡± She accelerated. ¡°What so proudly we hailed at the twilight¡¯s last gleaming?¡± White spray filled the sky and formed an arc. ¡°Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight.¡± ¡°Her rising power carried her into the heavens. ¡°O¡¯er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?¡± She stared directly at her enemy. ¡°And the rocket¡¯s red glare, the bombs bursting in air.¡± She was catching up. ¡°Gave proof thru the night that our flag was still there.¡± She moved in to capture him. ¡°Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave.¡± It all came down to acceleration. ¡°O¡¯er the land of the free and the home of the brave?¡± Heo pursued Alex through a sky of absolute freedom. Heo attempted to fulfill her promise. It was a one-sided promise. She had carved it into her heart when she had parted ways with a certain giant mechanical dragon. ¡­¡°Become like these people¡±. ¡°So I will stop you!¡± She could see the blue and red mechanical dragon directly in front of her. She let her body shake as she accelerated right up to him. ¡°¡­!¡± Her thoughts no longer formed words. She was too focused. Her mind was filled with a list of words that did not qualify as language. It was like a song created from a mix of emotion and memory. She had heard before that sprinting finalists would enter a state near unconsciousness as they ran. And if so, why did they run? Because they wanted the result? No. The goal was not the running. Running was something that only occurred while running. In that case, why did they run as their consciousness faded? And why was she running now? She did not know. She did not even understand her current state. She simply felt freedom in the pleasure of flight. A mechanical dragon flew beyond the current of air ahead of her. She heard a song in her heart as she reached out toward that dragon. ¡­He is calling. He was calling and calling. In this high-speed space where all things could go hand in hand, she was being called by the power that could bring the flower of destruction into bloom. The flying bullets could not catch up and her reflecting defense was not enough. Her speed was now as much a part of her as her own body. Even her spirit was only a requirement needed to step onto the battlefield. I can arrive there, but you are calling me to battle you there. So it is my wings¡¯ duty to answer your call. The answer awaits there. Our answer, which is not a conclusion, awaits us there. ¡­It is waiting. Heo no longer used her mind to think. She let her mind scatter and simply felt. She sensed what the answer was. And in the direction she wished for, she saw the stars, the sky¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± And her other self. Alex forced himself through evasive action. His body creaked and the wind roared. However, his pain was rewarded by his enemy vanishing from before his eyes. But just as he thought he had escaped, he realized the blue and white dragon was in the space behind him. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± She fired on him. He avoided it. He turned around and ascended. But no matter what action he took, he could never see his enemy. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She was always behind him. He could feel it in the air currents. He could feel the pressure of a great flying object circling behind him and calmly ascending. ¡°H-¡­¡± He just about asked ¡°how¡±, but his answer did not come in words. It came only as speed. ¡°!¡± He was blown away by a shockwave. Thunder Fellow had rapidly approached and used its gravitational control to slam its shockwave into him. That attack used speed itself as a weapon. Knocked away, Alex twisted around and regained control. But by then, Thunder Fellow was already behind him. ¡°¡­!¡± He heard Thunder Fellow saying something in a quiet voice. It was a song. He could not quite make it out, but it was definitely a song. That song hit him. As he was knocked away, he was hit again and again. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± It would not stop. In their spiraling ascent, the mechanical dragon was knocked into the heavens above. Soon, an especially strong blow hit his belly. ¡°¡­¡± He bent back and saw the heavens. He saw a star there. When he looked down, the blue and white dragon was charging up at him. Its speed was now a straight line. It almost seemed to be heading toward the star behind him. ¡­But I can¡¯t afford to lose. ¡°To see my justice through to the end¡­¡± He took a breath and opened his main cannon mouth. ¡°¡­I cannot abandon anyone to their tears!!¡± He then heard a girl¡¯s voice from below. ¡°You don¡¯t know how people can stand back up in those situations!¡± ¡°Those are the words of the powerful!!¡± He saw his other self speed up as if on reflex. His other self left the planet of man behind and instead accelerated toward the lonely star in the sky. He was nothing but one point in between. Without listening to his words of protest any longer, that incarnation of acceleration continued on its collision course. That speed let out a roar. ¡°I am not powerful! I just have times when I get a little bit stronger!¡± And¡­ ¡°The power that lets me do that¡­is my justice!¡± Alex fired regardless. His mind told him he had hit, but all he saw was a sharp arc of water vapor slicing through the sky. Thunder Fellow flipped around in an evasion. There was no fake, trick, feint, or strategy behind it. His other self simply used her strength to force her way through. She would detect the instant he fired and used her overwhelming thrust to evade. A moment later, Alex realized she had collided with him. He also heard a voice. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with crying when you want to?¡± He could feel his consciousness leaving him from the impact. ¡°If you do that, someone is sure to reach out to you.¡± Alex suddenly remembered long ago when a girl who had always been strong had cried for the first time. What had he done then? ¡­I took her hand. He had had a different body back then, but¡­ ¡­Will you still stop crying if I take your hand with this mechanical body? If so, then his justice was¡­ ¡°Is it the same, Heo Thunderson!?¡± A deep impact seemed to answer him. He saw a white line. He saw a single vapor trail flying toward the star in the center of the night sky. He fell as he watched it leave. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He spread his wings to tell the girl on the surface that he was okay and to see off the girl rising into the heavens. He spread his great wings to say that he was here. And then he lost consciousness. Volume 14, 8: Confirmation of Determination Volume 14, Chapter 8: Confirmation of Determination The place for determination Is known as a decisive battlefield Sayama had entered a white cave. ¡°Now, should I call this the interior of Noah or the interior of Babel?¡± The vast cave continued for as far as he could see. It was dimly lit, so his view ahead was limited, but the ceiling and walls seemed to all be over one hundred meters away. He then looked back over his shoulder. ¡°The entrance, hm?¡± The entrance he had come through was a hole located on the floor. This space was oriented vertically when viewed from the ground. However, Noah was an ark, so it was naturally tilted at ninety degrees when standing vertically from the ground. Gravitational control was allowing him to stand on what would be the wall from the ground¡¯s perspective. ¡­But this was originally the floor. Its size could be explained if it had been a transport passageway along the exterior wall. He could see a few hatches and holes along what were walls when viewed from the white floor. ¡°Now, then.¡± Sayama faced forward, toward Noah¡¯s bow. A single white light was visible there. It was a white automaton with twelve wings and she had said her name was Noah. She resembled Shinjou¡­no, Shinjou Yukio and she turned back toward him. ¡°Sayama-sama, this way. Only sixteen more minutes. Over.¡± Hearing that, Sayama recalled the dream of the past in which he had seen Noah. This was likely the automaton his parents had seen with Shinjou¡¯s parents at the top and center of this ship. The three of them had to have been in the control room for the concept creation facility. In that case, his destination was up ahead. He breathed in and then asked Noah something. ¡°Were you here when Top-Gear was destroyed?¡± ¡°Testament,¡± replied Noah, using the response that Shinjou Yukio had likely brought to that world. ¡°Beyond the infinite past, on the December 25, 1995 of approximately sixteen billion years ago, the one said to be your father visited and my creator left with him. Over.¡± ¡°They left you behind?¡± ¡°I was given a job to complete. And¡­¡± And¡­ ¡°As I fell into a location I determined to be a void, I entered a permanent sleep mode. But based on the memories of my terminal consciousness, Low-Gear was created, people were born, and ¨C while I did not understand how it was possible until thirty-seven hours ago ¨C someone identical to your father entered me about ninety years ago. Over.¡± Who was that father of his? Sayama exhaled as if relaxing his lungs. ¡°Professor Kinugasa, you mean? ¡­But you understand what that was now, don¡¯t you? You understand why the same people from approximately sixteen billion years ago are here now and why my father and your creator came here over twenty years ago.¡± ¡°Testament. Twenty-three hours ago, a theory arrived concerning that question and I checked back over the memories of my terminal consciousness in units reaching 102 digits, but I have determined it is all the truth. Over.¡± Noah faced forward. ¡°I will show you the way. I hope you will not be late. Over.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sayama took the first step through the great white cave as he followed Noah. But then¡­ ¡°So you have come, Sayama.¡± A voice reached him from the passageway¡¯s sky. It was Mikoku¡¯s voice. The voice contained a hint of exhaustion and its intonation shook a bit, but Sayama nodded in response. So she is watching, he thought. ¡°Does the master of the house not even provide tea for her guests?¡± ¡°The master was long since destroyed. I am simply borrowing the place. And you have a guide, don¡¯t you?¡± He noticed a small bitter smile in her voice, so he formed a similar smile. Is this smile nothing but a bluff? he asked himself. ¡°I am on my way there.¡± ¡°I will not be serving tea,¡± she said. ¡°But I will turn on the lights. ¡­Noah.¡± ¡°Testament.¡± After Noah¡¯s one-word response, there was light. Bluish-white lines of light appeared on the cave¡¯s floor, walls, and ceiling. The great space was illuminated. The bluish light was calm and quiet, but there was obvious shadow remaining on the passageway. ¡°Follow the path of this light. And after you reach the end, take the right-¡­¡± Mikoku briefly trailed off. ¡°Which way are you facing now? If you are facing up, then, um, you would need to turn toward your chopsticks-holding hand, and¡­¡± ¡°Just to be clear, I am left-handed. And in this situation, which way would ¡®up¡¯ be?¡± ¡°W-wait, stop confusing me. Um, let¡¯s see. I am right handed, so¡­¡± Noah tilted her head. ¡°Mikoku-sama, you can solve this problem by leaving it to me. Over.¡± ¡°No, I should really do this myself. Um¡­¡± ¡°This is a recent discovery, but you are actually an idiot, aren¡¯t you?¡± cut in Sayama. ¡°Look in a mirror when you say that!¡± They both fell silent after that and then they both smiled. ¡°If I looked in a mirror inside Babel, I would probably see you in it,¡± said Sayama. ¡°Noah is not that harsh.¡± After a three second pause, Mikoku continued. ¡°Continue straight ahead, and turn right when the lights go out. You will find an elevator there.¡± ¡°And I take that up?¡± ¡°At the top, you will find hangar doors that lead to¡­¡± He heard her voice. ¡°Georgius¡¯s foundry.¡± Sayama was dumbfounded. Instead of speaking, he held the right Georgius to his chest. His aching ears heard more. ¡°Pass through there, follow the single passageway to the end, and you will reach me.¡± ¡°Quite the direct path.¡± ¡°There used to be a lot more here.¡± That was all Mikoku said concerning her inner state. ¡°Hurry. The positive Concept Cores have already been placed within the facility. The negative concepts are activating and ¨C as you can see ¨C Noah is waiting to activate. You only have about fifteen minutes.¡± ¡°Will you wait to create your philosopher¡¯s stone until I am there?¡± ¡°No,¡± she replied. ¡°Noah was overjoyed by my visit and she is already preparing everything. ¡­After all, it seems I was the last thing my parents registered with her. She was set to recognize my voice and follow any of my orders after entering standby mode in response to the activation of the negative concepts.¡± The winged maid nodded in response. ¡°I was unable to predict that I would be able to meet you again after a nearly infinite amount of time. Over.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Sayama as he began to run down the great passageway lit by blue light. He could hear his running footsteps echoing in the distance and he sped up as if to erase that echo. ¡°Wait for me.¡± He pursued the white wings, exhaled white breaths, and literally ¡°ran up¡± the tower. ¡°I will reach you very soon.¡± Fluorescent lights illuminated the walls of a small lobby. The lobby contained a red telephone, a deactivated television, and a sofa. This lobby was on the second story of a hospital, near the nurse station. Visiting hours were nearly over and very few people passed through the lobby, but there was one person there. A woman in a gown sat in a chair in front of the red telephone. The nametag on the gown¡¯s chest said Harakawa Yui and she held the phone¡¯s receiver. She smiled as she spoke into it. ¡°Oh, dear. Roger-kun, I see you¡¯ve earned enough promotions to be stuck in this troublesome position. It must be tough not being able to head out onto the battlefield yourself. It serves you right.¡± ¡°Your own son is on that battlefield,¡± noted the voice coming from the receiver. ¡°And he¡¯s responsible enough to take care of everything on his own. Plus he has Heo-san with him, doesn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Testament,¡± replied Roger. After a pause, he continued. ¡°Is that how I should respond, Mrs. Harakawa?¡± ¡°You can use ¡®miss¡¯ if you want, Roger-kun.¡± Yui narrowed her eyes. ¡°I hear something big is about to happen to the world.¡± ¡°You still get right to the point, I see.¡± ¡°That man liked to keep things frank. So does his son and so does Heo-san. ¡­Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s wonderful? Everyone¡¯s so open about everything that there¡¯s no need to observe what¡¯s going on in their home.¡± ¡°I am having trouble figuring out how that is ¡®wonderful¡¯,¡± said Roger. ¡°And I only called to keep you updated, but I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re as unreasonably calm as ever.¡± ¡°How rude. Especially when you¡¯re as modest as ever despite your promotion.¡± ¡°That¡¯s only because all of you naturally end up looking down on people!!¡± ¡°Maybe so,¡± she said. She smiled bitterly at the sigh she heard from the other end of the call. ¡°C¡¯mon,¡± she said. ¡°How about you settle down a little? I know some nice nurses I could introduce you to.¡± ¡°For example?¡± ¡°Would you prefer a girl who loves pink bowels or one who enjoys giving injections a little too much?¡± ¡°You really haven¡¯t changed! And knowing you, you¡¯re probably serious!¡± ¡°Of course I am. I¡¯m trying to solve your problems, so I can¡¯t just make something up.¡± Roger fell silent, so Yui continued. ¡°Another one wants to start a blood drawing exchange diary?¡± ¡°Can we get back on topic?¡± Roger sounded exhausted, so Yui quietly apologized. He then cleared his throat. ¡°Well, if something happens with the battle, I will contact you again.¡± ¡°Yes, yes,¡± she replied. ¡°But I might not be here next time you call.¡± ¡°Where will you be?¡± ¡°Well,¡± she said. That was when the phone rang. The red telephone she was already using produced a noise. It must have reached the man over the phone because she heard him gasp. ¡°It seems you have a visitor. Who could be visiting a lady at this hour?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know? It¡¯s always a witch that visits a girl at night,¡± said Yui. ¡°I¡¯m about to leave for the castle.¡± ¡°Do you have your glass slippers?¡± ¡°My normal ones will do just fine.¡± With that, she set down the receiver. The phone was still ringing and she was afraid of disturbing anyone else in the hospital, so she picked up the receiver again and brought it to her ear. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked. A quiet female voice with a slight tremor answered her. ¡°I am right behind you.¡± ¡°Then why call on the phone?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good point.¡± After hearing that, Yui turned around. At some point, a woman in a black suit had appeared there. The woman had written ¡°telephone¡± on a paper cup and held it next to her mouth. ¡°Diana, at least make enough noise as you walk so that I can hear-¡­¡± Yui trailed off when she saw Diana¡¯s eyebrows lying flat. ¡°Is Yukio¡¯s child doing that badly?¡± ¡°¡­Testament.¡± Diana lowered her shoulders. ¡°She was hit by an attack with the name ¡®Mikoku¡¯ under the effects of 2nd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to explain. You don¡¯t.¡± Yui stood up and brushed a hand through her hair. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this¡­ Diana, answer me honestly. Do you want to save her?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The witch shrank down but said nothing more. Yui nodded as Diana simply stared at her. ¡°You¡¯re so afraid of not being able to save her that you don¡¯t want to save her?¡± After a few seconds, Diana slowly closed her eyes. ¡°But at Osaka back then¡­¡± ¡°What about it?¡± Yui smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m not going to say that those of us in the western unit wanted you to help us withdraw after you completed the eastern pillar of the barrier.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°You think you could have saved me from my illness, those who died afterwards, or those who are suffering like I am, don¡¯t you?¡± Diana nodded like a scolded child. ¡°I wanted to save all of you¡­¡± ¡°But you couldn¡¯t move, could you?¡± Diana looked up in surprise with tears in the corners of her eyes, but Yui went out of her way to show her a smile. ¡°If you couldn¡¯t move, then there¡¯s nothing you could have done.¡± ¡°B-but I¡­¡± The witch brought a hand to her forehead. ¡°If I had been more determined back then, I might have been able to save Alberto, James, and Hiba.¡± ¡°Or you might have gotten yourself killed along with them.¡± Yui spoke to Diana who was half in tears. ¡°That¡¯s just how it is, Diana.¡± She took a breath. ¡°Your broom was broken and you didn¡¯t have anything to use in its place. The witch couldn¡¯t fly, even if she had power. You think you might have been able to save them, but if you ask me, you would have been going off to your death.¡± Yui stuck out her tongue. ¡°And I should really apologize. To be honest, I remember saying some awful things to you after that battle. And not even the negative concepts can erase that.¡± She looked to Diana and Diana quickly lowered her head. The witch had a hand over her eyes, tears spilled from below it, and her shoulders shook silently. Yui took a step forward and gave a deep, bitter smile. ¡°That¡¯s just how it is. I¡¯m sorry it took me this long.¡± As soon as she said that, Diana casually looked back up. She turned her hand around to show a paper with ¡°tears¡± written on it and smiled. ¡°Those were fake tears.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t changed at all!¡± Diana laughed, straightened up, and nonchalantly looked up at the ceiling. ¡°You apologized just now, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s possible.¡± Diana smiled. ¡°That really hit me hard back then and I never really resolved any of it, but since you apologized first, I guess I will apologize too.¡± She nodded. ¡°Sorry for not being powerful enough.¡± ¡°So do you think you could have saved them?¡± ¡°A German witch is as powerful as she is confident.¡± Diana smiled and Yui saw something transparent in the corners of her eyes, so Yui patted her on the shoulder. ¡°So you did cry.¡± ¡°I-I did not. It was an act! All an act!¡± ¡°Germans sure are bad at lying.¡± ¡°And the Japanese love to misinterpret things.¡± Yui laughed off Diana¡¯s blushing complaint, but then she held out her right hand. ¡°How about now? You may not be powerful enough, but you still have time, don¡¯t you? In that case¡­¡± Yui asked something of Diana who had briefly stopped moving. ¡°Do you wish to save her? Even if it might be hopeless?¡± She held her hand out to the regretful witch. ¡°You might not be able to save her, but if you won¡¯t fear that fact, then take this hand, Diana. If you will stop fearing your former regret and wish to save someone once more¡­¡± She took a breath. ¡°Then I too will work to help one of the children who will inherit the present.¡± #8 slowly but surely raised her speed on the battlefield. As she moved her racing legs, she lifted her two machineguns. The enemy rushed in ahead of her. That enemy was hundreds of dolls. That was enough to call a horde. But she did not care. She swung the raised weapons like wings. ¡°Here I come!¡± She squeezed the triggers with her fingers. A series of gunshots immediately began to sound and the staccato noise, that resembled beating on paper, shot sparks into the night sky. The vibration and sound sent out bullets at a pace of more than eight hundred a minute. She controlled them and focused all of her functionality on her fingertips. She pictured a great number of threads attached to each of her fingers. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± She controlled all of the flying bullets. The ammunition belts ran out and the machineguns¡¯ loading coils had nothing to load. But she did not mind. Her focus was on the bullets scattered throughout the air. As if flapping her ¡°wings¡±, she threw aside the machineguns and spread her fingers. ¡°Send these supersonic bullets to everywhere they might go.¡± She gathered strength in the arms she had closed while ¡°flapping¡±. ¡°There are no blind spots in the three hundred sixty degrees over which I serve!!¡± The speeding bullets immediately struck all of her enemies. They collided with the dolls¡¯ necks, shoulders, arms, stomachs, waists, and ankles. She heard the sound of penetration and snapping wires. Those same sounds overlapped countless times and filled the air as a single ensemble. Not one of the dolls was not pierced and thus absent from the song. The dolls in the field had their bodies broken in places. As they collapsed limply to the ground, new ones arrived from behind. However, some space had opened up, so #8 ran. She ran through the now unobstructed field to reach the large automaton. That was her true target. ¡­If I do not defeat this, I have determined they will take control of this place! She could deal with the normal dolls somehow or another. By taking their equipment, she could fight them up to her limit. But the large doll was different because she could not destroy it with the dolls¡¯ equipment. And if she was to do so with her own equipment¡­ ¡­It has to be when it is still careless and not interfering! That meant the initial attack. She had to make this first attack count because the large doll was still carelessly assuming a single automaton could not do anything to it. Her weapon was a hardened combat knife and she had a single target in mind. ¡­The shoulder wire cylinder!! Such a large doll would be quite heavy and the shift in balance from damage to one arm would require some adjustment. This would not completely take the large doll out of the fight, but incapacitating one of the arms it used to wield its weapons would mean a lot. Normally, she would have gone for the knees or ankles, but it had defensive armor there. The shoulders however had a clear gap for when it opened the armpits, so she would attack there. The problem was the fifteen centimeter diameter of the wire that acted as the giant doll¡¯s tendon. ¡­How can I cut through that with this knife? She knew a way. There was only one way for an automaton born in 3rd. She could create high gravity near the tip of the knife blade and then give her attack extreme acceleration. As long as she cut a notch, the wire¡¯s own tension would do the rest. ¡°This will work.¡± She calculated it out. She had controlled hundreds of bullets a moment ago, so she only had to focus that power on a single point. ¡°I have determined this will work!!¡± The large doll took a step toward her. It was a step of interception. It had frantically taken the step after noticing her movement, but it was too late. #8 only had to use its outstretched leg as a foothold and jump up to its right shoulder. She briefly created a band of repelling gravity behind herself. ¡°!!¡± And she accelerated. She was headed toward the top of the large doll¡¯s foot. That metal stepping stone was two meters long. She performed a flip and used her right hand to pull a knife from below her apron. She held down her skirt and apron with her left hand, bent her knees a little, and landed on her enemy¡¯s foot. At the same time, she kicked off the foot. She made the kick much like a step and kept herself curled up like a cat. She jumped straight up to approximately eight meters in the air. She then rotated around and prepared the knife. Her right palm wrapped around the bottom of the hilt and turned the blade straight toward the large doll¡¯s shoulder wire cylinder. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± A moment later, #8 realized the she had lost the right half of her body. ¡°¡­Eh?¡± It was not that she could not determine what had happened. She simply could not react. Her senses of sight and touch determined what had damaged her and from which direction. A giant wooden arrow had smashed her body. It might as well have been an entire log and it had been fired by what seemed to stand up from the forest to the right. ¡­A second large doll!? This was a new enemy and she had not been able to anticipate its presence. After abandoning its bow, the large doll slowly crossed the forest and approached #8. A flood of new dolls appeared from the forest at its feet. This second large doll appeared in the field like the lord of those dolls. By the time she realized it looked so large because she was looking up at it, #8 crashed into the ground. ¡°¡­!¡± She felt no pain. There was only static. She had lost everything from her right collarbone to her right hip. A lot of her internal structure had been taken with those parts. There was fortunately no damage to her head, but the center of her body had entered independent control mode for self-preservation in order to prevent any interference from the missing parts. Her parts locked down their bypasses and balanced themselves. This brought a sensation much like having an invisible hand groping at her insides and stroking along her muscles. ¡°Khah¡­¡± She twisted and stiffened her body. ¡°Ah¡­¡± But then she realized the enemy was right in front of her. There were two giant forms and countless ones her size. With the two large dolls looking down at her, she bit her lower lip. ¡°¡­¡± She grabbed the one remaining shoulder strap of her apron and pulled it down. She was covering her broken and exposed parts. Only after twisting her body and raising her knees to hide her body did she face her enemy again. This prevented her from resisting any further, but¡­ ¡­I never let even Sayama-sama see that. She stared straight at her enemy with her raised body. What was she to do now? Her experience told her. She knew exactly what a member of Team Leviathan would do, so she changed her expression and spoke. ¡°This is an expression of confidence.¡± She formed what she thought was a powerful smile. ¡°How well would you say I reproduced it?¡± She only received a single response. Both large dolls raised both their sashimi knives. No, reflexively thought #8 when she saw them prepare to swing the blades down at her. ¡­With a knife, you are supposed to cut with a pulling motion!! They should have moved it past her and pulled the blade back across her, and yet¡­ ¡°How inept!!¡± As soon as she shouted that, the inept two were sliced apart. ¡­Eh? The first thing #8 sensed came from her hearing devices. She heard the sounds of splitting metal and snapping metal wires. She actually heard hundreds of those noises, but¡­ ¡­It all sounds like one. It was a lot like the sound of a fork dropped on the floor. For just an instant, a ring of white water vapor surrounded the torsos and waists of the large dolls overhead. ¡°!!¡± Both of them burst from within at the same moment. ¡°Wh-¡­¡± Just as she was going to ask what was going on, #8 heard an odd sound. She heard the odd new sound as she looked up at the large dolls bursting to pieces from an internal shockwave. It was an awful singing voice performing an original children¡¯s song not found in her memory. ¡°One niiiiight, when wallllking through the forrrrrrest, I stumbled on a porrrrrrrrn graveyarrrrrrrd.¡± The singer was on the mountain path to the field. He was sitting on a motorcycle while randomly playing an accordion on pure intuition. ¡°Ken-channnn got all turned onnnn. It¡¯s a treasure trooooove, he said. I¡¯m taking it with meeeee, he said. Then caaaaame the class triallll.¡± He then pulled on either side of the accordion until it ripped in two. ¡°Yeahhhhhhh!!¡± All of the dolls in the field stared at him, wondering what in the world was going on. But he paid them no heed and stuffed the torn accordion in a trash bag he had brought with him. ¡°Ahh, what a pain in the ass. Kashima won¡¯t shut up about keeping the mountains clean.¡± As he spoke, #8 sensed more presences around her. Her hearing devices sensed sounds and her tactile devices sensed the movement of the air. ¡°You all¡­¡± The ones she had urged to retreat had walked up behind her. And that included the badly damaged ones inside the coolers. They were all approaching with smiles on their faces. ¡°We called in reinforcements.¡± ¡°Reinforcements?¡± More figures left the forest behind the young man who had sung the aggressive children¡¯s song. They were all dressed as maids, but¡­ ¡°#8-sama!!¡± She heard their voices. ¡°The forty-two of us who were resting with the train have arrived!!¡± The maids then split apart, creating a path for an old man in a lab coat. ¡°#-#8-kun!! Are you oka-¡­¡± He looked at her and then at the enemies between them. After seeing the bows and arrows the dolls slowly prepared, he tilted his head a bit. ¡°Mind if I just leave now?¡± Everyone ignored him. The young man on the motorcycle then took the Cowling Sword leaning against the motorcycle and rested it on his shoulder. He sighed and looked to #8. ¡°Well, you did pretty well for a doll.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied all of those around her while placing a blanket over her to hide her broken form. ¡°#-#8-sama was forced to expose herself!¡± ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t that bad¡­¡± ¡°It was!¡± insisted the others as they looked across the enemy and then to Atsuta. ¡°Smash them all to pieces, Rapist-sama!¡± ¡°I am not a rapist!!¡± The enemy took a defensive stance toward his shouting and new dolls appeared from the forest. But Atsuta remained relaxed and whistled as he looked at them all. He also looked at the automatons behind #8. ¡°Grab your fellow doll and get out of here.¡± #8 could not help but raise her voice. ¡°A-Atsuta-sama! I must stay by Babel to protect Sayama-sama!¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± he said while stepping off the motorcycle. After spitting out a light ¡°keh¡±, he looked around his surroundings. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go to the trouble. This¡¯ll be over soon. Wait until I clean things up here. Then you can go sit in front of Babel and wait for that idiot to come out all you want.¡± After hearing that, #8 began to shake. A tremor ran through her. However, it was not caused by her. Something was shaking the air and the earth. Her scans instantly located the source: the Cowling Sword. ¡°This thing¡¯s still in testing. ¡­I used it once just now, so I¡¯ve still got four to go.¡± Atsuta raised the white Cowling Sword as he spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll cut them all down with the remaining four!¡± At the same time, a helicopter landed at Japanese UCAT. Harakawa Yui stepped out of it wearing pajamas and a gown. On her way to the operating room, she requested all of the defensive philosopher¡¯s stones the development department had. With a single order from Tsukuyomi, that request was granted. But according to the report, Shinjou¡¯s heartrate had already dropped below half of what it had started at, so she was in real danger even without worrying about the concept. That was why Diana and the others were on the move. They were preparing their various formations in the struggle against an entire world. Volume 14, 9: Deciding Factor of the Heart Volume 14, Chapter 9: Deciding Factor of the Heart It is meant to make one prosperous It carries out decline and excess It advances one¡¯s own time A certain room was filled with motion. It was a small white room, a series of six lights hung from the center of the ceiling, and a tall table was located below the lights. It was an operating room. A girl lay face down on the table and a blue cloth was placed over her body. Her back had been opened earlier, but there were now charms on the skin. The motion came from near the head of the table. Some doctors wearing spell-enhanced surgery scrubs were speaking with women who had paper saying ¡°sterile¡± attached to their clothes. ¡°You mean 2nd-Gear¡¯s concept power is trying to carve her life, right?¡± asked a woman in a black suit. ¡°Testament,¡± replied a doctor. He then glanced over at the monitor showing the girl¡¯s heartrate. Her heartrate and blood pressure were gradually falling and gaps had opened between the audible tones. ¡°It¡¯s a lot like a blade is being slowly inserted into her. If we could pull that blade out or repel it, we should be able to sew up what it has cut and heal her right away, but¡­¡± He took a breath. ¡°She¡¯s going to reach her limit in about ten minutes.¡± A sound reached him from the side. It was a solid sound. It came from the girl¡¯s left arm. She wore a bracelet of small stones on her wrist and one of them had suddenly broken. Next to the girl, a woman in a gown and a nametag reading Harakawa Yui frowned and looked to the bracelet. The stones making up the bracelet broke one by one, like popping popcorn. ¡°¡­This is bad.¡± Yui pulled a new bracelet from her pocket and wrapped it around the girl¡¯s wrist. Even the thread of the old one snapped and the new one¡¯s stones started breaking as well, but¡­ ¡°This should buy some time. Diana! Where¡¯s the 2nd-Gear representative?¡± ¡°I¡¯m over here.¡± At some point an elderly woman in a lab coat had appeared in one corner of the room. Her gray hair was tied back behind her neck and she held a large bag under one arm. ¡°Unfortunately, there¡¯s nothing we can do. Totsuka is 2nd-Gear itself, so it ranks higher than mere residents of the Gear. That means there¡¯s nothing we can do to overturn an injury made directly by Totsuka.¡± ¡°Then give us your knowledge and equipment, Director Tsukuyomi. Just like your husband did.¡± Yui instructed Tsukuyomi to lower the bag to the floor. She opened it and pulled out its contents. ¡°You¡¯re really spoiling me by bringing out all of the development department¡¯s defensive philosopher¡¯s stones.¡± She used both hands to pull out what looked like a chain. It was made of philosopher¡¯s stones. The blue stones had a thread running through the metal to form the chain. Yui forcefully swung the philosopher¡¯s stone thread because it was too long to pull all the way from the bag otherwise. Undulating blue light shot through the air on the left and right. As soon as the light from the ceiling reflected off the series of blue, Yui¡¯s hands raced along the surface of the blue chain. Each hand held the kind of fruit knife she had used in her hospital room. It only took an instant for her to carve into all of the flying blue stones. To others, it may have looked like she had only chipped pieces off, but¡­ ¡°By cutting defensive philosopher¡¯s stones, you can add directionality to their power. It¡¯s just like a jewel reflecting the light inside itself.¡± Tsukuyomi leaned back to look on in awe as Yui grabbed the end of the blue chain she had unleashed into the air. With a sharp sound, she began to wrap the blue stones around the girl¡¯s wrists. She took the fingertips of those entirely unadorned white hands and almost seemed to bind the wrists with the stones, but¡­ ¡°That was fast!¡± Before Yui had finished speaking, the first of the blue stones had shattered. The chain-reaction of destruction continued and the protective stones broke like fire traveling down a fuse. In the place of a life, those signs of protection vanished. Yui¡¯s protection was consumed in an instant by the power named Mikoku. Wind descended a giant bluish-white pit. No, it was technically not wind and it was technically not descending. A massive elevator was rising through the pit and pushing aside the air already there. The freight elevator measured fifty meters on each side. The vents on either side of the elevator and on the walls allowed the wind down or into the inner hull. A deep rumbling of air could be heard and two figures stood above that rumbling. One was the winged maid who stood in front of the elevator¡¯s control console. The other was a boy standing in the center. That boy was Sayama. He was looking at his cellphone in the bluish-white light. The LCD screen contained the text of an email from Ooki and that text was only two words. ¡°It¡¯s beginning.¡± Shinjou¡¯s conceptual treatment was beginning. When Sibyl had contacted him, she had said Shinjou¡¯s life would be carved in about ten more minutes. The time limit on the philosopher¡¯s stone creation was almost the exact same, but¡­ ¡­It will be okay. It will all be okay, he told himself. Shinjou-kun is sure to reach her hand out to me again and I will win here and stop the philosopher¡¯s stone creation. Other reports had helped cheer him up. Hiba and Mikage were together, as were Heo and Harakawa, and both pairs had defeated their opponent. Izumo and Kazami had also defeated Jord, so they were on their way here. They were apparently rooting for him. ¡­Having them rooting for me makes my skin crawl, but¡­ With that thought, he looked down. The surface of the elevator contained several crosshatch-like scratches. ¡­Is that from the cargo they were transporting or mechanical dragon claws? He crouched down and touched them with Georgius. When he did, he found the crosshatching was made of very sharp lines. ¡°No¡­ This was caused by some kind of blade.¡± That conclusion allowed him to make a guess. ¡­Did someone fight here? Another thought reached him on top of that. For a close-range battle inside Noah, an enemy would have had to make it inside. An enemy. Noah could be called the center of Top-Gear and only one enemy had made it inside. That was why Sayama slowly brought his right hand to the left side of his chest. ¡­Did my father fight here? With who? he asked, but he had a clear hint. There had only been a single enemy. In his dream of the past, he had seen Shinjou¡¯s parents inside Noah. ¡°Then¡­ Did Top-Gear¡¯s Shinjou Yukio and my father confront each other here?¡± A voice answered him. ¡°Testament.¡± The voice was Noah¡¯s, but it seemed to reach him from the entirety of the ship. She simply spoke without turning toward him. ¡°That is correct. Over.¡± After receiving that confirmation, Sayama noticed a single color on the elevator¡¯s white surface. By this point, it had become a light brown stain. The stain was mostly below the railing and a few more drips created a trail. ¡­Back and on the right? The elevator was still rising, so he could not tell where the trail of stains led. However, he could tell that the trail along the railing grew steadier partway through. It was almost like the person had been supported by someone. ¡­My father. Sayama breathed to support the pain in his chest. ¡°Did my father defeat Shinjou-kun¡¯s father¡­but supported him as he walked somewhere?¡± At the same time, the surrounding scenery changed. The walls became a giant diagonal metal latticework. The latticework was a bulkhead door, it was covered in a transparent material, and he could see through to the other side. As the surrounding floors flowed further and further down around him, their lights came on and something came into view. Those somethings were all huge. Several floors were combined as one, it was too large to see the far end, and it was filled with machinery. ¡­Gods of war and mechanical dragons? Sayama could see far into the distance on that large square floor and it was packed full of white giants and white dragons. Another floor was covered with something like large grandfather clocks and a humanoid object was contained in each and every one. They were dolls. ¡°Is this¡­?¡± ¡°These are me, the mass-produced versions of those sleeping, and the subsequent versions. Over.¡± He heard Noah¡¯s voice. ¡°Overall, there are three types of automaton, three types of god of war, and three types of mechanical dragon. They have all been brought to standby in the concept space hangars contained within me. They were all created to save people and they can function automatically just like me. Over.¡± ¡°They can move?¡± He gasped a bit as he asked and Noah answered immediately. ¡°If it is necessary and their master requests it, I have determined it is only natural they will respond accordingly. Over.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama placed his hands on the railing and looked in each direction again. As he did, Baku stirred on his head after staying still all this time. The past was coming. And this incident from the past would be from within Noah. Sayama¡¯s vision observed his surroundings from the rising elevator. He could see two people next to his rising vision. One man sat leaning against the railing and the other stood next to him. Sayama recognized both of them. They were Sayama Asagi and Top-Gear¡¯s Shinjou Yukio. Yukio sat on the floor in suit pants and a vest. The color red spilled from his mouth and his right hand was pressed against his gut. ¡°I guess some rushed training isn¡¯t enough to accomplish anything,¡± he said. Asagi stood next to him with both fists clenched. He simply asked the sitting man a question. ¡°When did the negative concepts start affecting you?¡± ¡°Before I had realized it.¡± Asagi asked another question to that white-breathed response. ¡°Have they affected her too?¡± ¡°Why do I have to answer you? You can ask her yourself.¡± Yukio gave a small smile, but bitterness filled it and he looked up at Asagi. ¡°This is funny.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a lot more sentimental than she said you were.¡± He stood up as he spoke. He grabbed the railing, deepened his bitter smile, and looked in the same direction as Asagi. His sharp gaze turned to the god of war, mechanical dragon, and doll hangars flowing by around them. ¡°Do you know what these are?¡± ¡°Noah¡¯s soldiers perhaps?¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re actually the helpers for the new world.¡± Yukio coughed some blood onto his hand and breathed in. After a sigh, he lowered the fist clenched around the blood. ¡°When all of the Gears are brought together, each Gear will be given a job or post within the world¡¯s police, rescue organization, or security force. But even if they have those positions, they won¡¯t have the personnel needed to fill out the lower levels of the organizations. A lot of the Gears don¡¯t have many, if any, people, after all. So¡­¡± ¡°You would use these to replace the personnel or help normal people take part?¡± ¡°Yes. These machines have been given the benefits of every positive concept. They can evolve and they can heal. Also, there were suggestions that we use them to conquer Low-Gear.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use them?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± asked Yukio. ¡°These are for the new world. Top-Gear has its pride as the highest Gear, so we aren¡¯t going to use these in a fight against Low-Gear, the lowest Gear.¡± Yukio looked left, to the back of the elevator, and he laughed toward the floor. ¡°Of course, the world started to collapse before we could have used them anyway.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one you should say that to and it isn¡¯t something to apologize for anyway.¡± He turned his back on Asagi. ¡°We went ahead and mass-produced them even though they were only at the prototype stage, but the number of gods of war and mechanical dragons, both large and small, exceeds three thousand and the number of automatons based on the angel model exceeds ten thousand. ¡­This is what Top-Gear has prepared. If your world can create concepts, then we decided to oppose you by enriching the world with our technological prowess.¡± As he spoke, he began to walk. He was unsteady on his feet, so Asagi supported him from the left. The two of them walked to the back of the rising elevator. ¡°Lead me to her,¡± said Asagi. However, Yukio shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because there is something I must do, Sayama Asagi.¡± ¡°Something you must do?¡± Yukio looked to the other man¡¯s face and gave a quick nod. ¡°I must surpass you, Sayama Asagi.¡± Asagi frowned at that. At the same time, the elevator¡¯s speed began to drop. Weak footsteps could be heard on the elevator that slowed its ascent as it reached the top. Yukio let out a white breath. ¡°Yukio is trying to suppress the negative concepts so they won¡¯t destroy your world. She¡¯s fighting to the last second. And you have come here to seal Noah away so the after effects won¡¯t destroy Low-Gear.¡± ¡°Then what will you do?¡± ¡°I will protect the future by doing something you couldn¡¯t.¡± The elevator came to a stop. A bulkhead that looked like a giant wall rose in front of them and the floor beyond came into view. ¡°This is the top floor. It contains the concepts and anything related.¡± A small hangar for cargo awaiting transport could be seen. It was probably meant for carrying in the Concept Cores. The left led to the bridge and the right led to a bulkhead door half the size of the wall. As soon as the elevator carrying Yukio came to a stop, the sternward door began to move. It opened. It rose to show what lay beyond. The first thing that came into view was a space illuminated by bluish-white lights. The large room contained a single hatch on the floor and a white machine in the back that resembled an injection molding machine. When they saw it, the two men¡¯s reactions were polar opposites. Yukio smiled and Asagi¡¯s eyebrows twisted in surprise. ¡°This is¡­Georgius¡¯s foundry, isn¡¯t it!?¡± ¡°It is,¡± confirmed Yukio. ¡°I created it myself.¡± The two of them arrived at the edge of the elevator and Yukio released Asagi¡¯s supporting arm from his trembling body. He looked back with sweat on his brow. ¡°Georgius has yet to be made because one condition was lacking: a single human is needed to create it. But,¡± he began. ¡°I will present a left and right Georgius to you now, victor. Please take it.¡± Those words had a single meaning, so Asagi gave a shout. He grabbed Yukio¡¯s shoulder and turned the man around. ¡°What about her!?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± Yukio¡¯s eyebrows rose and he knocked back Asagi¡¯s hand. He then looked the other man in the eye. ¡°I will defeat you.¡± But after those words, his expression changed. He gave a gentle and relaxed smile. ¡°Yukio will become a bell to provide the ring of salvation to the world that was. You will become the protector of the world to come. In that case, I will become the spear to stop the sins of the dragons that are sure to occur in the world to come.¡± He took a breath. ¡°Take care of Sadagiri. And¡­¡± After another white breath, he continued. ¡°I¡¯m glad I met you. I didn¡¯t want to¡­but I¡¯m glad I did.¡± He turned his back, began to walk, and exhaled. ¡°Remember one thing. Make sure you remember one thing. The surname Shinjou will always be thinking of the surname Sayama. If you can remember that¡­¡± His feet took him toward Georgius¡¯s foundry. He was unsteady on those feet, but he moved straight toward the machine. ¡°Then the will of Shinjou shall be with Sayama for all eternity.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Sayama was thrown from the past. He awoke in an instant. That was the same instant in which the elevator came to a gentle stop and a large empty space appeared before him. ¡°Georgius¡¯s foundry¡­¡± After stepping from the elevator, Sayama saw the standby area for cargo that was a little wider than the elevator. He looked in the same direction Top-Gear¡¯s Shinjou Yukio had walked in the past: toward the stern. There was indeed an open bulkhead there, but¡­. ¡°It was destroyed?¡± Georgius¡¯s foundry had burst apart like a blooming flower. In that small space, the injection molding machine next to the hatch had been broken from within. The fragments had scattered everywhere, but a pallet sat on the floor as if to carry something. The pallet was the perfect size to hold two aluminum cases. Sayama viewed the wreckage and suddenly clenched both fists. He knew what had been obtained here in the past. ¡°What I hold in my hands.¡± How troublesome, he thought. ¡°Testament,¡± replied Noah. ¡°According to my records, a ceremony was performed here. An industrial ceremony replaced blood with steel, thoughts with mineral, and a body with a pair of weapons. A human body and a human life were used to create Georgius. Over.¡± Sayama looked down at his hands. He looked at the gauntlets he wore, the twin Georgiuses, and he hung his head. ¡°So my father-in-law died here¡­¡± He waited a few moments. ¡°You have no retort for that perfect setup?¡± ¡°I apologize. I am not used to this sort of thing. Over.¡± ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± asked Mikoku¡¯s voice from the ceiling. ¡°Hurry up. You are running out of time.¡± Sayama checked his watch and found there were less than ten minutes until the startup time Mikoku had given. The time limit for Shinjou¡¯s life would have dipped below ten minutes as well. ¡°A battle over the world and a battle over Shinjou-kun¡¯s life running at the same time. ¡­I really cannot believe this.¡± He sighed. After releasing that white breath, he brought chilly air into his lungs as if to fight it. At the same time, Mikoku asked him a question. ¡°Are you coming?¡± ¡°I said I was.¡± Once he said that, he realized both Georgiuses were emitting a faint light. ¡­Are they reacting to the Concept Cores? The positive Georgius on the left emitted a bluish-white light. The negative Georgius on the right emitted a reddish-black light. The light was stronger than before, so he frowned. ¡°Does this mean the time is approaching?¡± ¡°Testament. You should get going, Sayama-sama. Over.¡± Noah moved to the side of the passageway and bowed. ¡°I am forbidden from interfering in your battle with Mikoku-sama. Please enjoy yourself as much as possible. Over.¡± Hearing that, Sayama reached into his pocket and pulled out the silver watch his grandfather had left him. He double-checked the time using the memento and found he had only a little over nine minutes until the conclusion for the world and for Shinjou. After checking his remaining time, he began to run. The sound of breaking stones filled the surgery room again and again. That was the sound of ¡°Mikoku¡± consuming defensive power instead of a life. It was moving quickly. The defensive power was too slow and too little, so Shinjou¡¯s life would be carved before long. However, Yui did not give up. ¡°Director Tsukuyomi, bring over every last philosopher¡¯s stone I asked for. And Diana?¡± ¡°Wh-what is it?¡± ¡°I want you to think about this,¡± said Yui. ¡°My philosopher¡¯s stones can only buy us some time. We need a more fundamental solution here. ¡­You need to find that, Diana.¡± Two sounds of shattering stones rang out. It was picking up speed each time and the doctor checking the heartrate monitor spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s started affecting her again! At this rate¡­¡± His voice seemed to fall amid everyone¡¯s silence. ¡°She won¡¯t last another seven minutes.¡± The nurses hurried to the power source in one corner of the room to prepare the electronic oscillation device. Yui spoke through their quiet but defiant movement. ¡°The name Mikoku is breaking the defensive power more and more quickly, as if it¡¯s growing immune. My techniques won¡¯t work forever, so¡­¡± She looked to Diana¡¯s pale face. The woman was trembling slightly, but Yui forced a smile. ¡°Please, Diana. This is the child Yukio left us, so think of a way to save her. ¡­Please, greatest German witch.¡± ¡°B-but¡­¡± Diana hesitated and Yui opened her mouth to say something more. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± But she coughed up blood instead. Everyone gasped as Yui collapsed weakly to her knees. The one who rushed over to her was Diana. After Yui¡¯s hips fell straight down, she collapsed forward. Diana tried to grab her shoulder to stop that, but¡­ ¡°No.¡± Yui brushed aside Diana¡¯s slender hand. Yui did not fall. She placed her hand on the floor, so she leaned forward without falling. ¡°You have something to do, don¡¯t you?¡± Yui coughed up more blood as she spoke. Having one¡¯s organs fall to the negative side was no different from having a portion of their body die. Yui moved her hands while hiding all of the pain, suffering, and squeezing inside herself. She pulled a chain of blue stones from the bag Tsukuyomi had brought over. ¡°Diana, this isn¡¯t like the past, so you can save her. You can save her with your power.¡± A bitter laugh followed. It was Yui¡¯s usual bitter laugh, even if it was a little bloody. ¡°Besides, you aren¡¯t the only one who regretted not saving them.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± As Diana held her hand out, she heard Yui¡¯s voice with the electronic tones of a heartrate in the background. Yui¡¯s shoulders shook. ¡°The rest of us also thought we had failed to save anyone. And yet¡­¡± A laugh escaped her lips. ¡°Did you hear what those children said? They said the present world only exists thanks to what we did. They said we saved the present in that battle.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°And¡­and that is why I will save this girl¡¯s future. What about you, Diana?¡± Diana fell silent for a moment, but when the electronic tone of a heartbeat sounded again, she began to move. She pulled back the hand extended toward Yui. The witch slowly moved back. She silently stepped back enough to see both the operating table and the entire operating room and she stuck both hands into her hair. ¡°You do a terrible job of pretending to cry, Yui.¡± Yui said nothing in response. She simply smiled toward the floor. Diana also hung her head to hide her expression and hide her eyes behind her bangs. ¡°Activate spell.¡± When she pulled her hands from her hair, pieces of white danced from the silver hair that waved around her. It was paper. There were several hundred pieces and they instantly formed a circle in the air. She created a multi-layer, multi-level dome of paper. ¡°Yui, you told me to think, but there is something I can do before that. After all, Germany is the armored nation of blood and iron. Not even you can outdo me when it comes to defensive techniques.¡± The witch looked up with strength in her gaze. ¡°The enemy is a deadly attack from 2nd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core. Defying the power which created an entire world may sound ridiculous, but¡­¡± The witch raised both hands. ¡°One of the Five Great Peaks should be able to reach the same level as the Eight Great Dragon Kings who once destroyed entire worlds! I will now use that power to suppress a world!¡± The paper fixed in midair bent on its own in accordance with the movements of her raised arms. The paper folded in the middle and the folds created a single Japanese character. She read that character aloud. ¡°Life!¡± But light appeared at the same moment. It was fire. Even the floating defenses of life burned as if to take away that paper life as well. However, Diana did not give up. She tossed out new paper and opened her mouth. ¡°I will save her!¡± A single tear fell from her eye to the floor. ¡°This time, I will do it!!¡± Volume 14, 10: Where the Wind Judges Volume 14, Chapter 10: Where the Wind Judges People are an animal that looks up to the sky So that providence might infinitely fill the space beyond A pair of eyes looked outside from an elevated place. They looked out from near the center of a tall tower rising into the sky. The transparent wall there was far higher than the mountain range below. The inner side of that wall was a floor and a girl stood perpendicular to that surface. She wore a black armored uniform and she was facing left, toward the ground. Small flashes of light were visible on the earth, in the forests, among the mountains, and atop the hills. They were sparks. This view of the flames of war could only be seen from an overhead vantage point. After a single nod, the girl stopped watching and closed her eyes a little. ¡°So the conclusion is still ongoing.¡± She turned around to face a single facility wrapped in bluish-white light. It was a church. The window she stood by was at the back of the church. The window brought in light next to the extractor that resembled a pulpit. An open aisle led away from the front of the pulpit and something rose up from the ground along the left and right like rows of pews. They were actually cylindrical storage pallets forty meters long each. There were ten on either side and, to preserve space, they were angled to form a V-shape with the aisle in the center. The ten on the left contained a red Gear mark and the ten on the right contained a blue Gear mark. There was stained glass above the storage pallets. There were ten windows full of it. They began with the creation of the world, told of the tower of words, and praised the birth of the holy one. Starting from the entrance, nine of the stained glass windows were glowing. A few smaller panes of colored glass were positioned between the main windows, but only three of them were yet to be lit. The light was approaching the stepped floor and the pulpit. A white bell was located at the ceiling above the pulpit and a girl lay below the pulpit. ¡°Shino,¡± said the girl by the window. ¡°Not long until I bring you back to life.¡± She took a step toward the other girl and another small pane of glass lit overhead, leaving only two. ¡°Not long¡­not long until I change the world!¡± As soon as she said that, another voice filled the large church. ¡°That is something I cannot allow.¡± The girl turned toward the voice. Someone in a white armored uniform stood in the church entrance leading to a dark corridor. It was a boy with a sharp look in his eyes. She stared at him and spoke. ¡°So you are here, Sayama Mikoto.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he replied. ¡°I am, Toda Mikoku.¡± Sayama breathed in before continuing. ¡°I am here to beat that willpower out of you.¡± Sayama heard Mikoku break the church¡¯s stillness with a quiet breath that was almost a laugh. Her voice soon followed. ¡°The world will be changed in another three minutes. Top-Gear was unable to create a concept even after everything they did, but now that Noah is in Low-Gear, it takes only a single command. How ironic.¡± ¡°Are you creating a philosopher¡¯s stone containing a resurrection concept?¡± asked Sayama. The surrounding stained glass located high on the walls showed him the facility¡¯s progress. The only ones not lit were a single large window and two small panes. A moment passed and one more small pane lit up. At the same time, Sayama set the timer on his wristwatch to ring continuously just before reaching the one minute mark. When he looked back up, he saw Mikoku looking up at the light. ¡°Three more minutes. ¡­That is all the time left until the world grows so much richer.¡± Sayama replied clearly to Mikoku¡¯s expressionless words. ¡°It will not grow richer.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡­You do not know? ¡°It will simply be a world with no rest. It will lose the slumber of death, after all.¡± Mikoku¡¯s expression changed slightly at that. She frowned and looked back at him. ¡°Do you understand what it means to lose something?¡± He did not answer her question. He replied in a different way. ¡°If it were me, I would create a different concept. I would provide the world with something much more useful.¡± ¡°Namely?¡± He announced the first word that came to mind. ¡°Eroundism.¡± Mikoku froze in place. That was indeed a shocking word, he thought when he saw her motionlessness. ¡­Yes, even I am feeling a little shaken by it. I only said it on a whim, but that is actually an amazing idea. The entire world would become Shinjou-kun. But what would happen to me? No, wait. Would that mean it would feel just like Shinjou-kun if I touched my own butt? ¡­Would it be a divine gift of self-sufficiency!? I do not know. I cannot know what would happen to the world or myself until I tried it. But if I was going to create concept, that would definitely be a worth a try. He gulped, and¡­ ¡°Move out of the way. It is my turn now.¡± ¡°Calm down!¡± shouted Mikoku as she stood in front of the extractor to block his way. ¡°I have not finished my turn yet!¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama nodded and started to think about what kind of concept he would need to create to turn the world into Shinjou. ¡°Then I will wait.¡± ¡°You are going to wait!?¡± That question reminded him of something. ¡­Come to think of it¡­ He pulled out his cellphone and pressed a button. ¡°It is I.¡± ¡°Wh-what do you need right now, Sayama!? I¡¯m a little busy!!¡± The phone replied with Kazami¡¯s voice as well as sounds of impact and cannon fire. I suppose I should ask this, he thought ahead of his question. ¡°Are you fighting?¡± ¡°Of course I am! Do you want me to come kick your ass!? How about you just die!?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. If I died, there would be no one left to stop the world from changing.¡± She hung up on him, so he frowned and stared at the silent phone. ¡°That girl lives on nothing but excitement. Honestly, now.¡± He placed the phone back in his pocket and turned his eyes toward Mikoku. ¡°Unfortunately, I cannot simply wait when the commoners are all fighting.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡¯ ¡°Am I sure about what?¡± Mikoku took a step away from the extractor and toward him. Gentle footsteps sounded as she continued to walk. ¡°If you let me create my concept¡­you can take back Shinjou even if she does die.¡± ¡°Thank you for that meaningless offer based on our overlapping time limits.¡± He stripped all emotion from his heart with a sigh as he spoke. ¡°I will beat you down.¡± ¡°Are you sure? When you get back, you are only going to learn that Shinjou has died.¡± ¡°Not to worry. If I win, she will be so moved that she is sure to come back to life.¡± After clearing his emotions, he pounded a single element in their place. He filled himself with a fa?ade of strength. ¡­Yes, a show of strength is all that matters. So he spoke. ¡°Not to worry. Not to worry in the slightest. After all¡­¡± He continued. ¡°Shinjou-kun will be wonderful even as a corpse.¡± ¡°That is an insane thing to say.¡± ¡°And that is a far-too-normal rebuttal.¡± He reached into his pocket as he answered her and pulled out some papers. It was a collection of acceleration and defense charms. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He took a defensive stance, stared at Mikoku as she approached, and breathed in. In response, Mikoku stopped ten meters away. Just like he had reached into his pocket, she reached both hands behind her back. She pulled something from the mounts on the back of the armored uniform. ¡°I created these swords as practice for the concept creation.¡± The two swords were fairly short with a blade length of about sixty centimeters. The hilts were nothing more than cloth wrapped around the bottom of the blade. However, there was something clearly different about these blades. The right one was blue and the left one was red. ¡­Is that¡­? Sayama frowned and Mikoku smiled with the twin swords in hand. Her eyebrows rose as she smiled. ¡°These are philosopher¡¯s stone swords. They use exactly the concepts you can see here.¡± She pointed left and right with the swords. ¡°Inferior copies of every positive concept and of every negative concept were packed into these swords.¡± Sayama¡¯s frown deepened when he heard that. ¡­That is not good. He raised the hand holding the charms. ¡°Do you intend to wield every world as you fight?¡± ¡°No. ¡­You remember what we learned at the meeting, don¡¯t you? Top-Gear is the highest Gear but also a copy of every other Gear. So¡­¡± She prepared the two swords. ¡°I will use copies to fight. That is all this is.¡± With those words, the two of them gave each other a nod of understanding. ¡°Sayama, allow me to state your condition for victory. ¡­If my consciousness cuts out for even an instant, Noah will sense a possibility of the philosopher¡¯s stone extraction losing all meaning and she will cancel that command. As for my condition for victory¡­¡± ¡°You simply must defeat me.¡± That was all they said. They did not even name themselves to each other. However, Sayama did open his mouth. He said two simple words. ¡°Now, then.¡± Mikoku replied with a yell. ¡°En garde!!¡± Sayama accelerated. He activated a charm behind him to launch himself forward from the very first step. ¡­I will take the first strike! He stayed low and tore in toward his opponent. ¡°!¡± Then he leaped. He jumped to Mikoku¡¯s right and immediately jumped back to the left. His feint was too fast to follow and he definitely filled the gap between them. A distance of ten meters was instantly reduced to zero and he landed down on his knees to her right. He had reached her. His landing whipped up the wind and sounded like stone being struck. And his speed did not stop there. He leaped again. He swung his left fist to throw a punch while leaping to the right. ¡­I will use my speed for this one! His fist ripped through the wind and the air seemed to burst. However, Mikoku reacted, but not by evading. ¡ªThe world is reversed for an instant. This was an inferior copy of a 7th-Gear concept. It was one of those included in Mikoku¡¯s sword. She had activated it. ¡­!? Their positions reversed, so Mikoku was swinging her left sword horizontally toward Sayama. The tip of the red blade carried a trail of water vapor. A moment later, Sayama jumped and performed a midair backflip in place. Mikoku¡¯s red arc swept by below his rotating head. By the time he landed, she had finished swinging her left arm and had her back to him. So to pick up speed for a kick, he took a light step as he landed. He made a counterattack against Mikoku¡¯s clockwise rotation. For the left roundhouse kick, he spun quickly on his right toes. The kicking foot was aimed at her left side. Just as he thought it was going to hit, she took action. ¡ªObjects fall down. The concept lowered Mikoku¡¯s stance with an instant of momentum. She crouched down and avoided the attack. Sayama¡¯s kick cut free a few of her hairs that did not fall quickly enough. That was when she gathered strength in her right sword. ¡ªThere is no mutual understanding. A metallic sound rang out and Sayama found himself unable to understand the world. He was in an entirely incomprehensible space. In it, Mikoku swung up her left red sword toward him as he landed. ¡°¡­!¡± The left slash sent a red arc his way. It was directed toward his neck, but he could not understand that. However, he did not hesitate. ¡­Even if I cannot see my opponent, I have something here I can believe in! He gathered his thoughts and clenched them in his right fist. He threw an uppercut wrapped in a bit of red light. He twisted his body and snapped his right arm up from the waist, but he was not targeting Mikoku. His hand simply flew toward empty air. ¡°Tear into it!¡± Mikoku frowned when she heard him. ¡°Is he acting out of pure desperation?¡± But she soon received an answer. The world split apart. ¡°!¡± The incomprehensible concept space was destroyed by Sayama¡¯s Georgius. After the sound of spraying water or shattering glass, the world reached him once more. He saw Mikoku¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as she swung down her sword. ¡°Is that¡­ Is that Georgius¡¯s power to destroy concepts!?¡± He did not answer. He did, however, pull his right uppercut back in front of his face and throw his left fist forward. It was a straight left punch. An activated charm gave his fist more force and his shoulder shot forward like a catapult. He remained true to the fundamentals. ¡°!!¡± The strike tore into the wind and hit her sword at the base. A moment later, the sword broke with a solid sound. He could hear the red blade shatter. But then he saw something else. The broken and scattering red sword began to regenerate. The blade grew thicker and longer and Mikoku gave him a sharp look. ¡°The concepts of regeneration and evolution were copied as well!¡± A metallic noise sounded loud as the blade fit back together. The somewhat short red blade had evolved to a new form and the shimmering heat of reactivation burst from its entire length. Its length, thickness, and sharpness were all worthy of the name ¡°sword¡± now. Mikoku sent the sword racing out. With a snap of her wrist, she swung it down from directly above. Sayama caught it with his fist. A reflexive sound of the hit shook his body and the air. From there, the two of them began a series of attacks. The noise never ceased. ¡°¡­!¡± Mikoku sent out an unmatched number of red and blue arcs. Sayama created countless straight lines with his red and blue fists. They moved, changed position, and produced the reverberation or shattering of concepts as they fought. At the top of the walls, the final small pane of stained glass filled with light. That only left the one large stained glass window. At the same time, a slight vibration enveloped them. The church-like facility was moving. Its movement carried it upwards. ¡°Noah is switching from defensive standby mode to normal cruising mode in order to optimize the power bypass!¡± That rumble of activation was absolute. It grew to a loud tremor and filled the air like a song. Their field of vision had begun to move. The facility was to become the top of Noah. Most likely, Noah was changing from a tower to an ark. And all in preparation to change the world. On the surface, the battlefield was centered on Babel. The Top-Gear forces were in the forest and UCAT intercepted them from the field around Babel or the mountain path leading to Babel. The battle had essentially reached a stalemate, but¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The automatons were the first to notice the sound coming from the sky. As they fought, they all suddenly looked up to the heavens. ¡°Ah¡­¡± A moment later, #8 gave a shout from where she was wrapped in a blanket inside a cooler. ¡°Fall back! The sky is falling!!¡± With those words, it came. A sound that seemed both high- and low-pitched fell from the sky like a curtain. But just as their confusion in that harmless sound allowed it to cover the ground, the entire surface of the ground struck them from below. ¡°!¡± This was not an earthquake. It was a single ripple. Everything on the surface was unthinkably struck from the very ground they stood on. The great blow launched everything and everyone into the air. ¡°¡­!!¡± Some of them flew as high as five meters. Among them, Kazami activated X-Wi in midair. That was when she noticed something about the white tower seeming to defy the night before her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s moving?¡± Her question was answered in the affirmative. The very next moment, everyone understood after being thrown to the ground. The white tower in the center of their vision was slowly transforming and shaking. The tremor of the tower passed through and shook the air. Overhead, the tower¡¯s surface began to produce clouds. Its surface armor changed position as the moving parts within changed form. The disturbance of the wind high in the sky created more and more new clouds that seemed intent on decorating Babel¡¯s surface. Soon, Babel¡¯s shaking grew visible. Everyone knew this was very bad. That great aerial ship was over fifteen kilometers long and had a maximum diameter of two kilometers. If that suddenly tore itself from the earth, it would create a massive earthquake for kilometers around. This was a thankfully uninhabited place, but the damage from the collapsing and splitting ground would affect them all equally. So¡­ ¡°Fall baaaaack!!¡± shouted Kazami. However, it was too late. The Tower of Babel sent a deafening pulsation into the sky. As that tower of words used its light to indicate its approximately two minute time limit, everyone down below saw something. The massive structure had crudely torn itself from the earth. It was a casual action, much like uprooting some grass. The ground was torn up and lifted like a sticky liquid, while the air was pushed away and became wind. A heavy sound too gentle to call a roar swept across the earth and wind as everything was carried into the sky. It was uprooted. No, it was not uprooted. It was taking back its rightful form. Directly below, the great white tower seemed to ignore all of the land in its search for its proper place. Its great mass moved the air and sent a storm-like tremor of air in every direction. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Its fifteen kilometer form smashed an equal mass of earth and flew into the sky. It was an ark. As it stood in the sky, it gently collapsed onto its side. The air was compressed below its collapse and the pressure of the air crushed the trembling and breaking land even further below. The trees and structures on the earth scattered as if blown by a powerful fan. The dirt simply sitting on the crust was torn up into the sky by the pressurized air and the earth was blown to the side in every direction. The earth trembled in order to fill the hole left by the great mass leaving it. The tremor created a chain reaction into the distance, a few areas collapsed, and it all continued without end like the ringing of a tuning fork. It was a great roar. An attack of air came from the sky and the ground meant to support it would not stop trembling from below. This created a liquefaction of the earth¡¯s surface. The vibration from the sky and the crust caused the bonds of the surface structure to crumble on the macro level and it all slid down the crust like liquid. Everything on the mountain slopes collapsed down to the bottom of the mountains. Everything at the bottom of the valleys moved to the base of the mountains as an avalanche. None of it ever seemed to stop. Noah, the ark meant to save all Gears, started forward over the seeming flood of earth below it. At an altitude of approximately eight thousand meters, the white aerial ship placed itself horizontally to secure its position in the night sky. At the same time, the top of its central room opened. The room was fifty meters in each direction, so it was only a speck compared to the entire ship. Below a field of air protecting it from the winds of high altitude, the opened room took the form of a church. That church contained twenty Concept Cores and a bell was contained in a small room above the pulpit. Light resided in the bell. There was a winged automaton there. Her name was also Noah. The winged automaton arrived next to the bell as if descending from the heavens. The cord in her hand was to ring the bell, but she did not ring it yet. It was not yet time. The last of the stained glass windows on the left and right walls were still dark. When she saw the incomplete light, Noah moved no further. Her motionless seemed to say the light would fill all of the stained glass before long. As if waiting for the answer, the ark named Noah sat in midair with the angel named Noah atop it. Then a sound rang out. At the top of the ark, something other than a ringing bell sounded from the church. This was the tone of battle, of attack. Kazami lost consciousness for just an instant. She came to when her body was violently shaken and she heard a voice a moment later. ¡°Chisato! Chisato! Are you okay? Is it here? Hmm, maybe not. Then what about here?¡± Something was groping her breasts and placing its ear against them from below, so she swung her fist while coming to. She heard a solid impact and a group shrieking as they moved back. ¡­What is going on? She opened her eyes and saw the sky to her left. It was a black sky and she saw what she had hit flying through that sky. It was a boy in a white armored uniform and it appeared to be Izumo. She commented on him flying there. ¡°C¡¯mon, Kaku. Why are you flying?¡± A moment later, several voices gave a unified retort behind her. ¡°He isn¡¯t flying! He was sent flying!!¡± Eh? she thought as she turned back to find the sky and the others. She saw the automatons and the UCAT members, including American UCAT. ¡°Huh?¡± She tilted her head. ¡°Why are you all gathered together?¡± ¡°Behind you! Behind you!!¡± She turned around as told and noticed Izumo growing more distant. As she watched, he only flew further away. ¡°Eh?¡± She only caught on once she saw the shadowy features of the earth several hundred meters below him. ¡°Why is he falling?¡± That question of her sleepy mind was answered from below her feet. She heard Heo¡¯s voice from the blue and white armor there. ¡°Um¡­this is really, really hard to say, but¡­¡± ¡°Give it to me straight.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯d hurt you if I did that.¡± ¡°Then give it to me cutely.¡± After five seconds of thought, Heo answered that request. ¡°Kong?Punch?¡± ¡°Are you mocking me!?¡± ¡°Look forward!!¡± She did as the others told her and found Izumo had grown very distant indeed. She saw him moving and forming letters with his body, so she narrowed her eyes to read them. ¡°Y¡­M¡­C¡­A?¡± ¡°N-no,¡± said Heo¡¯s voice. ¡°That¡¯s H-E-L-P!¡± She groggily muttered ¡°help¡± under her breath and then it hit her. ¡°Then we have to help him!¡± She finally woke from the daze of being knocked unconscious. ¡°He¡¯s in trouble!!¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s what I was saying!¡± shouted Heo. ¡°No, you weren¡¯t. You were enjoying this,¡± muttered the people behind Kazami. Meanwhile, Heo moved her body, which meant Thunder Fellow. Kazami saw Noah lit by moonlight above and the American UCAT mechanical dragons were packed in flying around at the same altitude as her. She asked a question as Thunder Fellow descended toward Izumo. ¡°What¡¯s going on!?¡± ¡°There¡¯s too much turbulence in the air above to get close to Noah!¡± explained Heo. ¡°And we have a minute and thirty-two seconds left.¡± Harakawa¡¯s voice spoke next. ¡°Once we pick up the president, we¡¯ll let all of you off.¡± ¡°What will you two-¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll stay in the air. If it comes to it, we¡¯ll brave the turbulence no matter how reckless it is.¡± Only the transparent air was visible overhead, but a closer look showed Noah flickering. The air was swelling and in complete disarray. Normally, the wind would scatter and disperse, but this was inside a massive concept space. The air moved by Noah reflected off the ground and remained in the sky. ¡°Thunder Fellow can manage it. Whether we¡¯ll make it in time is another issue, though.¡± ¡°Even if you can¡¯t, Sayama will do something.¡± Hearing Kazami¡¯s words, everyone on the descending back looked up into the sky. They all thought about the boy fighting inside Noah in the heavens above. But that was when Heo cut in. ¡°Kazami, you didn¡¯t hear the call just now, did you?¡± ¡°Call?¡± The others shrank down around her. ¡­Did something bad happen? As she wondered that, Harakawa spoke up. ¡°Shinjou is in critical condition.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°My mom and the others are doing everything they can, but it seems the ¡®Mikoku¡¯ attack is really bad. Her heart has just about stopped, so¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that!!¡± She shouted back on reflex. An awful thought was threatening to rise from the bottom of her heart, but she shook her head to get rid of it. ¡­That¡­ ¡°It will be okay.¡± She said it more to calm herself than the others. She said it again and looked up into the sky. Her gaze seemed to look straight through Noah and to the boy inside. ¡°Sayama is fighting¡­so there¡¯s no way Shinjou will die!¡± She received no response, but she clenched her fist. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Just as she asked that, it turned out Thunder Fellow was focusing too much on his passengers as he descended. ¡°Ah.¡± His nose ran into Izumo and knocked him further away. Continuous sounds of bursting filled the room. It was the sound of paper and stones exploding and turning to ash. Wind blew from the table in the center of the small room. It came from the back of the girl lying there. The wind was a great gust. It was the slightly damp wind of gathering clouds. Paper flew around the girl. Blue stones were wrapped around her arms. Swords bearing the name of the primary god of life were stabbed into the four sides of the room, but¡­ ¡°Her heartrate, blood pressure, and brainwaves are falling!¡± The three women attempting to rule the room frowned at the doctor¡¯s announcement. The paper was instantly scattered as ash, the stones vanished as dust, and the swords cracked and shattered. However, the wind of gathering clouds strengthened and the silver-haired witch raised her voice. ¡°The resistance of the 2nd-Gear concepts is growing stronger!¡± She tossed paper from her fingers and a woman in a gown smiled while on her knees. ¡°That means it¡¯s growing desperate, too. It¡¯s trying to carve her life, but it¡¯s meeting enough of a defense to grow desperate. And that means¡­it has a limit to its power. If it had no limit, it wouldn¡¯t need to panic.¡± Next to her, an elderly woman smiled bitterly with the wind whipping at her lab coat. ¡°Ahh, ahh. I¡¯m part of the imperial family and here I am opposing the Concept Core¡¯s power. If I get cursed for this¡­¡± Her bitter smile deepened. ¡°It might make for a good story.¡± The three women nodded. A moment later, the wind suddenly calmed. That lull continued for a few seconds and the women looked to the time counter on the EKG. ¡°One minute and twenty seconds left! Here it comes! The concept of the name Mikoku is going to crush any defense preventing it from carving this girl¡¯s life!!¡± As soon as the witch said that, it came. It was no longer a wind. It was pure power. Diana and the others were all slammed against the wall. Volume 14, 11: What Matters in Life Volume 14, Chapter 11: What Matters in Life I will call for you Power swept across the operating room in an instant. The stirring of wind that gave form to the life-carving power rose from the operating table like shimmering heat or a great serpent. ¡°!¡± Power was thrown against everything with more force than an explosion. The power at the base of a world¡¯s creation was sent out as pressure. That pressure was directed at the defending power and its wielders. The room itself did not shake or sway. The reverberating power only shook its target and those connected to it. The paper thrown by the witch turned to ash before it could even burn. The blue stones and the string connecting them broke and snapped before being slammed against the wall. The swords an elderly woman in a lab coat had stabbed into the ground and the new ones she was preparing shattered in an instant. The women themselves were slammed into the wall. The doctors, the machinery, and everything else were as well. Everything working to protect the form lying on the table was distanced in the name of that great wind. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± The wind roared. The wind whirled around the room and chose its direction. It raised its head like a cobra and turned toward the white skin on the back of the girl on the table. The life-carving power had knocked back all other power and there was nothing left to oppose it. Shinjou¡¯s will was also on the verge of breaking. However, the women heard something. Shinjou was nearly in a coma, but a voice was dragged out of her by the life-carving concept. The name Mikoku drew out a name as a representation of the girl¡¯s will. ¡°Sayama¡­-kun.¡± Her vanishing will called a certain boy¡¯s name and the three women heard it. Sound rang through that space. There were three sounds. One was the clash of blade and fist. Another was the racing wind. The last was roaring voices. The ceiling had opened to reveal the sky and eighteen large stained glass windows shined on the walls. The final window on either side, which depicted the holy one¡¯s birth, was the only one unlit and the two figures moving below them were entirely focused on producing the aforementioned sounds. The sounds reverberated into the sky. Fist and sword whipped up the wind equally and sounded out as they collided. Their rapid movements created a mist around them and the moonlight gave it all a pale hue. The sounds rang and voices spoke. ¡°Well!?¡± One of the moving figures, Mikoku, raised her voice. ¡°Shinjou¡¯s life is being carved away at this very moment!¡± The wind roared as Sayama ducked below her racing blade. It flew over his head and he threw a left smash toward her gut. ¡­Hit her! That thought was followed by a straight right kick from Mikoku. She had predicted his action. In that instant, he spotted the word ¡°below¡± written on the surface of her blue sword. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± ¡°It is Wanambi¡¯s prediction!¡± Before she finished speaking, he guarded by forcibly bending the elbow of his left smash. The bottom of her foot collided with the left side of his body. ¡°!¡± He was sent flying. The white mist surrounding them was blown away and he flew seven meters. He landed and quickly got back up. ¡­!? But Mikoku¡¯s next attack was already on the way. The pressure of the sword tore into the mist like a solid blow. Sayama managed to leap out of the way, but Mikoku immediately turned around. ¡°What is the matter!?¡± She instantly circled behind him. ¡°What is the matter?¡± Her question came from quite near the back of his neck. ¡°Concepts really are interesting. I am gradually figuring out how to use them. ¡­And all of you have been fighting all this time with this power in your possession.¡± Her speed rose, so Sayama activated a charm to accelerate himself. He jumped to the right and turned it into a feint by immediately switching to the left. ¡°It is no use. Those charms are based on 7th-Gear¡¯s bodily reinforcement concepts and 1st-Gear¡¯s writing concepts. That means I have them as well.¡± Her voice was even closer than before. ¡°But do not worry. I will no longer attack you with 2nd-Gear¡¯s concept.¡± Her voice was calm. ¡°I feel bad about what happened to Shinjou. ¡­I really do.¡± He reacted to that. ¡°Shinjou-kun is¡­¡± ¡­Not as weak as you think she is!! He acted on reflex. He threw a left backhand blow. He sent out his elbow and instantly snapped the arm straight. Rather than at eye level, he sent it up from below to take advantage of her blind spot. However¡­ ¡°I saw that coming.¡± The voice came from right in front of him as he turned around. He saw black hair flowing in the wind, and¡­ ¡°So it ends here.¡± He heard a frowning voice. Then Mikoku¡¯s blue sword thrust toward him in a straight line. It was going to hit. The thrusting strike sounded out as it reached the center of his chest. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± He was sent flying. The color white filled Diana¡¯s vision. The white was the ceiling. The operating room¡¯s ceiling sat in front of her as the wind toyed with it. She was collapsed on the ground, her hair was disheveled, and she felt nothing but wind and pressure. ¡­Ah. When she moved her head to look around, she saw several other collapsed forms. Yui, Tsukuyomi, the doctors, the machinery, and everything else had been knocked to the ground. She was pressed against the wall by the wind and a few pieces of clothing were plastered to her. They were likely the clothes removed from Shinjou before the surgery. She peeled them away and started getting up. Before, she had heard the voice of Shinjou¡¯s will calling a precious name and she wanted to respond to that call. The wind had become a dragon swirling above the operating table in the center of the room. That wind power had raised its head as if preparing to devour Shinjou as she slept below it. It would all be over soon, but¡­ ¡­This time¡­ The life-carving power had shown itself now. If she could place some powerful defensive power on Shinjou, the life-carving power that had resided inside her would lose its home and would vanish. However¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She had no more paper. Yui¡¯s stones had shattered and Tsukuyomi¡¯s swords had broken. ¡°Kh,¡± she groaned while placing her hands on the floor to get up. ¡­Is it happening again? Would she be unable to save someone again? Would she use her lack of power as an excuse to herself? The wind was so powerful that simply sitting up was all she could manage. If she stood, the dense wind would slam her against the wall again. But¡­ ¡­I want to save her. She clenched her teeth but lowered her gaze. ¡°Is there nothing I can do this time either? Her lowered gaze spotted something on the floor. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She shot forward as soon as she realized what it was. She did everything she could to move forward, so she was practically falling on the floor as she crawled with her hair whipping in the wind. She picked up the object and clenched it in her hand. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± This is it, she thought. This will settle it. The mist split to either side and Sayama was knocked through it while falling back-first to the ground. He flew eight meters and rolled another three meters after landing. Baku had fallen from his head, so the creature enveloped himself in the mist to pursue his master. Mikoku let out a white breath and watched the curtain of mist close once more. She watched long enough to tell the mist was entirely motionless. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡° Her shoulders drooped. She lowered both swords and did not bother wiping the sweat from her brow. ¡°Honestly.¡± She hung her head as she spoke. ¡°A minute and ten seconds left, is it?¡± She weakly turned around and her gaze moved to the concept extractor and the girl lying below it. Her eyebrows remained slightly lowered as she took a step through the mist. ¡°Shino¡­¡± She closed her eyes and brought a hand to them while still holding the sword. ¡°It seems I laid my hand on Shinjou, too.¡± She took in a scratchy breath. ¡°But¡­¡± As soon as she said that, something interrupted. ¡°Do you think you can just bring her back to life, you fool?¡± She quickly turned toward the voice behind her and immediately saw Sayama¡¯s fist. Something as hard as rock struck the right side of her face. It was not so much the pain or the impact. ¡°¡­!?¡± Her surprise was the strongest. Her blue sword lit up and a healing concept from 10th-Gear activated as she flew through the air. She recovered and landed with her right leg sliding a little. She faced forward and saw someone in a white armored uniform. It was Sayama. She had definitely pierced his left chest before, and yet¡­ ¡°You look like you are wondering how this is possible.¡± He did not wipe the sweat from his brow. ¡°But I would like to ask that, too. How could you not tell what you had hit?¡± His lowered left arm held a chain. A silver pocket watch hung at the bottom of the silver chain, but the center of the watch had been torn out. ¡°You attacked me with a piercing concept, didn¡¯t you? Since the concept attack could pierce through any material, you would have received the same tactile feedback regardless of what you hit. ¡­You assumed that meant you had hit me, you failed to actually check what you had hit, and this is the result.¡± He threw the silver watch aside and it clattered to the ground below the mist. He then turned his expressionless face her way, let out a white breath, and took a fighting stance. ¡°Let us continue.¡± As soon as he said that, a sound came from the watch on his right wrist. That signal told him it was almost one minute until the concept extraction was complete. The ringing alarm would ring once every five seconds. It would ring twelve times before completion. Understanding that, Mikoku listened to that first ring. ¡°Do you think you can win?¡± She raised her twin blades and looked back at him. After the previous hit, she had slight tears in the corners of the eyes below her confident eyebrows, but she did not wipe them away. ¡°Shinjou will-¡­¡± ¡°She will not.¡± He cut her off and the alarm rang a second time. Regardless, he spoke. ¡°I promised to be with Shinjou-kun and she promised the same. So¡­¡± He almost seemed to fall toward her. ¡°So if I do not give up, neither will she!¡± He dashed forward. He was coming for her. Sayama whipped up the wind and scattered charms like wings. Mikoku blew away the mist and exposed the light of her two swords. Sayama raised his fist. ¡°I will not lose her!!¡± At the same time, they heard a rumbling sound. The church shook with the great sound of something being absorbed. The church¡¯s trembling song was telling them the concept creation was nearly ready. It sang and sang. That house of teaching played its song loudly as if rejoicing at the coming new world. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The two of them collided and sent the mist flying as that sound washed over them. Sayama swung his fist. He blew the mist away and kept up a barrage with quick footwork. These were not powerful finishing blows. He tensed his shoulders, made quick steps with his heels, and released countless rapid straight punches. He stuck to his left hand, but that was fine. Mikoku was faster than him and she could attack more often than him. Her two swords were especially troublesome. The philosopher¡¯s stone swords were made from the positive and negative concepts, so he could not intercept them without using the opposite Georgius. However, there was a hole: she could only attack once at a time with either arm. If he turned his left shoulder toward her and faced her right arm, the blue sword in her right hand became the only attack she could use. The alarm rang for the third time. He was to her right side, so the red sword in her left hand could not reach him. Also, a fist could attack again more quickly than a sword. He kept his fist flying and she started fighting a primarily defensive battle. Whenever he stepped forward, she was forced to step back, so she could not make use of her maneuverability. He sent out a straight left punch. That was a fundamental movement and his feet brought him ever forward. He stuck to the fundamentals. But even though anyone could use these techniques, he used them to confront Mikoku. He remained calm, kept himself from rushing, sent his fist accurately forward, and targeted her face or gut whenever he saw an opening. ¡°¡­!¡± The force of the hit produced mist and a loud noise. The reactionary force reached his shoulder, giving him tactile feedback. Mikoku¡¯s face twisted in confusion and she looked to her sword, but the prediction concept on the blue sword¡¯s surface only said ¡°straight left¡±. There was nothing she could do about the attacks even if she could predict them and Sayama picked up even more speed. The barrage continued. The alarm rang for the fourth time. He took the step on 1, planted his foot on 2, and both sent the strike from his shoulder and pulled it back on 3. On the count of 1, 2, 3, he would hear the spraying sound of impact. It was all the fundamentals. He took the fundamental 1, 2, 3, and heard the spray. He focused. He focused on the 1, 2, 3. He stuck with it the entire time. There was nothing but the 1, 2, 3. This was the very first thing he had learned long ago. When his life had been in turmoil after losing his father and losing his mother, he had learned this as a way of focusing his strength. On 1, he moved forward. On 2, he stepped down. On 3, he released his strength. 1 and 2 and 3. 1 and 2 and 3. 1, 2, 3. 1. 2. 3. Spray. 1. 2. 3. Spray. The alarm rang for the fifth time. 1, 2, 3, spray. 123, spray. 123spray. 123spray123spray. 123spray. 123123sprayspray. 123123123spraysprayspray 123123123sp23ray2sp3ray1sp23raysprayspray. The barrage continued as the alarm rang for the sixth time. ¡°Ohh.¡± The movement of his fist had permeated his body and would not stop. 1, 2, and 3. 2, 2, and 3. He continued punching, raised his speed, and pursued the evading enemy. He pursued the enemy who wielded the power of a god. ¡°Ohhh!!¡± His fist was not reaching her. Despite the great speed of his barrage, he could not strike her concept-increased speed. But he knew he would reach her. No matter how close to godhood she came and no matter how much she injured him¡­ ¡­As long as I do not give up!! He listened to the seventh ring of the alarm, but he raised his speed regardless. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± His arm had been worn down by the blade, he had scratches on his cheek, and wounds from the piercing blade tip covered his chest and stomach. But he did not care. He did not look at them or even feel them. He only had his subconscious that guided his fundamental movements and¡­ ¡­Shinjou-kun. That thought resided within him. He rapidly linked 1 to 2 to 3. ¡°If I do not give up¡­¡± He launched his fist. ¡°Neither will you!!¡± He caught her. The speed of his arm had surpassed her swordplay. His fist pushed on the base of the blade and knocked it aside. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± He pulled back his left arm and stepped forward while leaning somewhat forward. 1. He straightened up and stomped his foot down as if thrusting his entire body forward. 2. He turned his shoulders inward, tensed them, twisted his left arm inward, and launched it. 3. His fist landed on the left side of her face. The fundamental strike tore into her flesh and bone. She was knocked back a little, but she stood back up straight. Her legs slid back, she controlled her stance, and she sent her right sword toward Sayama¡¯s left fist. ¡°You are wasting your time!¡± But Sayama moved quickly. He suddenly rushed straight toward Mikoku. After attacking from the left so many times, he had gone to the center as soon as his opponent attacked to the left. The center was where the left and right crossed paths. Sayama raised his right arm that he had barely used up to this point. ¡°Right arm unleashed!¡± He threw both fists toward his opponent. The alarm rang for the eighth time. He rushed Mikoku with his unending combination blow. He pushed on through. He moved quickly with both of his fists. Meanwhile, Mikoku raised both swords for defense. ¡°You only have four rings left!¡± He did not care. He raised the speed of his fists, telling them to reach her defending swords. He told them to break the swords. He told them to break them to pieces. ¡­Break through, powers of the left and right! The positive and negative powers of the ten worlds were defending. Those swords contained the beneficial powers of ten great worlds, some of which contained gods. However, Sayama poured his strength into his fists and thought to them. ¡­Break through! What were his fists for? ¡°My¡­¡± He let out a roar. ¡°My fists should be able to break through the defenses of the gods!¡± He poured speed into his fists. He swept away the spraying mist and targeted his other self. That version of himself had desired death and tried to make that her answer. I cannot allow that. How could I allow it? There is so much more to the happy mealtime found on the table of this lowest world, but she has already stood from her seat. I must punish this foolish girl for her poor manners. Eat all of the food served you and then die. ¡°I simply cannot allow it!¡± But his other self bared her teeth beyond her swords and the spray of her divine speed. ¡°You do not understand!¡± His other self shouted back as the alarm rang for the ninth time. ¡°You do not understand what it feels like to lose something so important to you!¡± Those words brought pain to his chest, but he released his right fist and continued his barrage as he gave a shout of his own. ¡°Of course I do not!! I intend to never understand the words of someone who chose her own death and thus tried to place that same pain on others!! That is all I have to say!!¡± The reverberation of the hit reached his shoulder. ¡°You chose your own death, so why can you not celebrate someone else¡¯s death!?¡± ¡°Do not profane Shino¡¯s death!¡± His arms shook from the impacts of his continued barrage. The defensive swords grew sharper, cut through the wind, and struck the sound. Their fists and swords were now clashing directly between them. Mikoku gave a shout amid the speed and sparks. Her sweat flew into the air and a pained look covered her face. ¡°You will be the same as me before long!¡± After all¡­ ¡°Shinjou will lose her life soon! And by the very power I used!¡± Those words filled Sayama¡¯s entire body with pain and she did not overlook it. Her blue sword shot up toward his chest from below. It stabbed into him. Diana struggled against the dragon of wind. ¡°!!¡± The swelling wind rushed toward her. It was a great pressure. She was about to fall forward, but the wind was enough to scoop her up from below. She could not even hear her own breathing anymore, but¡­ ¡°This time¡­!¡± She held strength in her hand and she swung that hand forward as a fist. She was less than a meter away. If she could fill that distance, she was certain she could save the girl. She would be able to save her. She had always regretted not going to save the others in the past, so she did not give up here. ¡­I¡­ ¡°I can go save someone!!¡± She thought of her former comrades, of those who had survived to this day, of the people she had met since then, of her adorable student, of everyone dependent on her, and of the people she was sure to meet in the future. There was a girl who referred to her as her teacher. How did she feel about that? ¡­I¡­ Did she want to be called that? Was that who she truly wanted to be? She had a single answer. ¡°Testament!!¡± She slowly dragged her feet forward. She split apart the wind that was as thick as water and carried what she held in her right hand. But then she heard a sound. It came from a machine that was still operating after falling to the ground. Shinjou¡¯s heartrate and blood pressure were being expressed with an electronic tone. That tone had become the representation of a straight line. Diana knew what that meant. Every part of Shinjou had come to a stop. But¡­ ¡°That is only under the effects of ¡®Mikoku¡¯!!¡± Go. Reach her. ¡­Reach her!! She saw the wind gently begin to move ahead of her. Behind the solid power reaching Diana, the wind sought Shinjou¡¯s back and tried to settle itself inside her. It was trying to fulfill its role and carve Shinjou¡¯s life. The wind dropped toward Shinjou, but Diana had not arrived. She was thirty-one centimeters short. The pressure of the wind grew as the dragon descended and Diana¡¯s expression twisted as she failed to reach the girl. ¡°¡­!!¡± She shouted something. That was when strength wrapped tightly around her back and pushed her. ¡°!?¡± It came from powerful arms that opposed the wind. ¡°Diana, Diana. What are you doing? ¡­This lowly dragon is no match for you.¡± Odor was there. Behind her, she saw Odor, Roger, the development department, and plenty more all in a line. The operating room¡¯s door was wide open and they were pushing her forward from all the way back into the corridor. She heard all of their voices as they flooded into the operating room and supported her back. They were saying ¡°go¡±, ¡°go get that thing¡±, or ¡°we¡¯re counting on you¡±. She heard one voice among them all. ¡°Diana, shedding tears of anger has always been a bad habit of yours.¡± It was Itaru. Those words from someone who knew her past told her something. She was where she was now because of her past. ¡°Then¡­!¡± She faced forward and raised her eyebrows. Metallic sounds rang out as Odor helped by tearing into the wind and she felt the support of Yui, Tsukuyomi, and the doctors as they got back up. ¡­Everyone¡­ She spoke to all of those people from the past. ¡­I will save this girl! ¡°We were left something thanks to all of you!!¡± She broke through the wind and covered the last bit of distance. She took Shinjou¡¯s hand which was reaching out as if asking for help. She took that slender hand and slipped on what she had found on the floor. It was a ring. It was the one Shinjou had been wearing. ¡°This is Yume¡¯s ring!¡± And¡­ ¡°She would have been wearing it when she was hit by the life-carving attack under the effects of 2nd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core! So this ring holds the greatest life-giving protection of Yume!!¡±[1] The ring had not been as effective as it might have because it had been removed, but that was also why it had not had to endure the greatest power of the ¡°Mikoku¡± concept and had survived. Diana heard something. She listened to the electronic tone telling her Shinjou¡¯s life signs had come to a stop, but she still grasped the hand bearing Yume¡¯s protection. ¡°Please¡­ Wake up!!¡± Shinjou sat below a vast sky. ¡­Huh? It had happened suddenly. She sat on an aged wooden box and she seemed to have suddenly woken. ¡°Huhh?¡± She wore a white armored uniform and she checked on her surroundings. ¡°A pier?¡± She was at one end of a wharf. The wharf bordered the water and the great expanse of water behind her looked white. She could see the sky, but the bottom was covered in fog. She saw something like a mountain beyond the warehouse in front of her. The wharf continued as far as she could see to the left and to her right¡­ ¡°The pier and¡­a ship.¡± A passenger ship was moored at the pier. It was a large white ship. There was a line of people from the pier to where she was. The line continued past the front of the warehouse and on into the distance. Everyone was too lightly dressed for the chilly air and they carried luggage with them, but they also had the unique atmosphere of anticipation found in lines. Wondering what was happening, Shinjou tried to think back. ¡­Um, what was I doing before I woke up here? ¡°Huh?¡± She could not remember. Why not? ¡°Huh?¡± She lightly hit her head as if knocking water from her ear, but¡­ ¡°Huhh?¡± She could not remember where she had been or what she had been doing. She tried seeing what she could remember. ¡°Huh?¡± The word ¡°Shinjou¡± came to mind. She could remember that word pointed to her. She also knew what her clothes were and she knew the meaning of the nouns ¡°sky¡± and ¡°fog¡±. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Something was missing from her memories. She crossed her arms and tilted her head to try to forcibly recall whatever it was. ¡°Um¡­¡± As she muttered to herself, she felt a painful itching in her back. It was a small tremor-like pain. That sensation led her to realize something rather than remember it. ¡­I¡­ ¡°I¡¯m injured, aren¡¯t I?¡± She had been hurt and she had found herself here when she woke up. The scenery around her did not seem real and silent people were waiting for a boat. That boat would take them to the opposite shore. ¡°Is this...?¡± She speculated out loud. ¡°A near death experience?¡± She seemed to still remember the oddest things. However, she did remember this. It was not quite a memory, but she had a feeling there had not been an afterlife in whatever place she had come from. In that case, what she was seeing here was not actually real. ¡°This is a dream my body is showing me as it approaches death.¡± She lacked her memories and anything related to her memories because it was all shutting down. The last remaining movements of her brain were showing her this image at the very end. It was only a dream that represented vanishing as a trip to somewhere else. ¡°I see,¡± she muttered. ¡°So I¡¯m going to die.¡± She had no memories, so she had no reason to hesitate. She guessed she actually had a lot of people she would not want to leave, but¡­ ¡°Do I really? Reality can be cruel.¡± She nodded twice. ¡°That¡¯s right. I probably lived somewhere filled with eccentrics. Somewhere with people who would grope my breasts without end or grab and tug on my boy side.¡± She smiled bitterly. ¡°Of course, no one that crazy could actually exist.¡± I guess I¡¯ll be boarding that and riding away, she thought as she looked to the ship. Suddenly, a sound reached her ears. It was a song. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She knew it, but she did not remember it. She did not know what it was, but she had not forgotten it. ¡­What is this? What is this song? It¡¯s coming from the ship. No, from far beyond the ship. From beyond the water? What is it? She got down from the wooden box. The concrete ground felt a bit uncertain below her feet as she approached the ship. A sudden thought came to her. Even if she had no memories, her presence here meant one thing at least. ¡­I had to have had a mom and dad, didn¡¯t I? If so¡­ ¡°Will I be able to see them if I get on that ship?¡± Those two people were missing from her memories, but were they on the opposite coast where the song was coming from? Someone spoke to her as she pondered that. ¡°Oh, what have we here? Are you lost?¡± She gave a start at the sudden voice from the water¡¯s edge. She turned to the side and found an elderly man sitting on a mooring rope. He had gray hair and wore a suit. He brushed a hand through his slicked-back hair and looked at her. ¡°If you are going to board the ship, you need to wait in line.¡± ¡°Oh, right. ¡­Sorry.¡± When she bowed, he narrowed his eyes and nodded. ¡°Where did you come from?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°Do you have any luggage?¡± She looked down at her hands. Her eyes moved from her empty hands to the box she had been sitting on, but¡­ ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°You must have been in quite a hurry then. So¡­do you not have any flower words either?¡± ¡°Flower words?¡± She looked to the elderly man and he jerked his chin toward the people in the line. They all carried luggage in one hand, but there was something odd about their other hand. That opposite hand seemed to be carrying something near their shoulder. ¡°Do they¡­have something there?¡± ¡°We call them flower words. They are something everyone has. Everyone.¡± He looked to the line of people. ¡°They are the things people have accomplished.¡± Shinjou looked too and it felt like they were all holding a bouquet of flowers. She could not find a way to describe them with words and their form was unclear even though she could see them. They started up from the people¡¯s hands and continued on to heaven. ¡°Are they¡­heavy?¡± ¡°Some people want them to be. Some people would rather they be light.¡± The elderly man said ¡°look¡± and pointed beyond the mountain visible through the fog. ¡°The people who think they have too few or too many will circle around that mountain again and again while carrying their flower words. If you do that, you are given weight, even if it is only a temporary form. ¡­Of course, you end up going around and around for thousands or even tens of thousands of years. Some jokingly call it hell. Most of the people here are happy people who have no such complaints.¡± ¡°Th-then I¡­¡± She did not have what this man called flower words. He looked back at her and tilted his head. ¡°Did you already go through the reception process before coming here?¡± He pulled a cigar from his pocket and used it to point at the end of the pier where the passengers were checked before boarding. There, they would hand over their luggage and¡­ ¡­They put their flower words in their pocket. ¡°Their existences are made equal with the world using the plucked flowers and words.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°The opposite shore is a different kind of place. There, what you have accomplished is what matters,¡± said the elderly man. ¡°What did you do for the world? Those actions are what make up your existence. To put it another way, the opposite shore is where all accomplishments since the beginning of the world are gathered. You could call it the world itself.¡± After saying that, he faced Shinjou again and she looked to him. ¡°You know everything, don¡¯t you? ¡­By any chance, are you god?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. I am even greater than that.¡± ¡°Oh, wow.¡± Just as some surprise filled Shinjou, a voice called out from behind. ¡°Father, I told you to stop coming over here!¡± The elderly man gave a joking shout at the woman¡¯s voice. A woman in a white denim shirt and jeans entered Shinjou¡¯s field of vision. Her semi-long hair swayed and she grabbed the elderly man by the ear. ¡°Your friends aren¡¯t all going to show up just because you¡¯re waiting here.¡± ¡°Now, wait just a second. Two I could do without arrived recently, so the idiot of a little monkey I¡¯ve really been waiting for might just-¡­¡± ¡°You accursed old man!!¡± He cried out as the woman pulled on his ear. She sighed but raised her eyebrows a little when she glanced over at Shinjou. ¡°Oh? Are you lost?¡± ¡°Oh, no, not really¡­¡± Shinjou frantically waved her hands. ¡°I-I¡¯ll go get in line. Yeah.¡± ¡°Do you know where to go?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she answered. ¡°Where I can hear that song coming from, right?¡± The elderly man and the woman exchanged a glance at that. Finally, the woman turned back to her. ¡°Why are you here?¡± For some reason, being asked that caused some small pieces of her memories to return. ¡°Um,¡± she began while thinking. ¡°My life¡­was carved.¡± She nodded. ¡°So there must be no saving me. It¡¯s a pretty strong power, so even though I think there must be a lot of different people trying to save me, it won¡¯t be enough against that power. So, um¡­¡± ¡°Do you want to go to the other side? To the other side of that water?¡± After some thought, Shinjou nodded. The song she could hear sounded very soft and she wanted to give herself over to it. ¡°If I go to that song¡­¡± She nodded again. ¡°If I go there, I¡¯ll find my mom and dad.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The woman nodded too and took a step toward Shinjou. She stood in front of her, crouched down, and placed her hands on Shinjou¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Are you sure you want that?¡± Shinjou thought about it while wondering why the woman would ask that. ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to die, aren¡¯t I? There¡¯s nothing anyone can do since my life has been carved, I can find my mom and dad if I go to the other side, and¡­¡± She breathed in. ¡°And there won¡¯t be any more pain or troubles.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The woman nodded and her slightly sharp eyes bent in a troubled look. ¡°Then let me ask you one thing. Why¡­?¡± She asked it. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Eh? thought Shinjou as she started to bring her hands to her cheeks. But the woman¡¯s hands moved and held Shinjou¡¯s hands as if to tell her not to. Shinjou was standing straight, so she could not hide anything. ¡°Ah¡­¡± She could feel tears spilling from her eyes. Everything grew blurry: what she saw, her previously calm emotions, and even her words. ¡°No¡­¡± She cried without knowing why. She cried in search of something missing from her memories. She shed tears in her dream. Mikoku felt her attack hit. She felt the tip of her blade sink about three centimeters deep and strike his ribs. Sayama had bent his body forward as if ducking. Mikoku had swung her left sword toward his back. ¡°You can perish here before you know what it feels like to lose something so important!!¡± But his back did not sink down and she heard his shouting voice. ¡°I will not perish!¡± His voice trembled but contained great strength. ¡°There is no way I could perish!¡± ¡°That is a delusion, Sayama Mikoto!! The end is soon coming for Shinjou as well, isn¡¯t it!?¡± ¡°No! It is not! That alone is certain!¡± His roaring voice was accompanied by his body jumping upwards. He raised his left fist a bit and opened his mouth. ¡°Something that has been confirmed between both parties is not a delusion!! It is¡­¡± He surpassed his previous great speed and raised his fist with divine speed. ¡°A testament!!¡± Shinjou cried. ¡°No¡­¡± She did not understand. She did not understand at all. She truly did not understand anything. But there was something in her heart she did not want to leave. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go¡­¡± She looked up in the sky as she spoke and she heard another voice. ¡°I see.¡± A moment later, she saw the fog and waterside vanish in an instant. She was no longer at a wharf. There was only concrete below her feet and a sea of clouds in every direction. She also heard a song. It was a gentle song that felt nostalgic even though she did not remember it. The woman stood in front of her and the elderly man was looking down into the sky behind the woman. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± The woman released Shinjou¡¯s hands as she spoke. ¡°You will be fine.¡± ¡°H-how can you say that?¡± Shinjou used her freed hands to wipe away her tears. ¡°It¡¯s over. I¡¯m going to die. My life was carved¡­ It was done by such a great power and, no matter who tries to save me, it won¡¯t be enough.¡± ¡°You will be fine,¡± insisted the woman. ¡°Do you remember your name?¡± ¡°Eh? Wh-what does that-¡­?¡± ¡°Just tell me. Do you remember it?¡± Shinjou thought about it. What was her name? ¡­Um. I feel like it was a single character, but I also feel like it was two. I don¡¯t get this. It¡¯s like it keeps changing. ¡°You can¡¯t remember?¡± ¡°W-well, how should I put this? I don¡¯t really understand. ¡­There are two things in my heart that I feel might be it, but I¡¯m not sure which one it is.¡± ¡°Simple,¡± said the elderly man with his back to her. ¡°Why not combine the two?¡± When she heard that, it hit Shinjou. ¡°Ungiri!!¡±[2] ¡°That has a somewhat vulgar ring to it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just being mean!¡± The women laughed quietly at their exchange. I was being serious, thought Shinjou as she glared at the women, so the woman apologized with her shoulders still shaking. ¡°Sorry, sorry. It¡¯s just that you¡¯re a lot like a friend of mine. Yes, you really are a lot like her. ¡­Anyway, do you know the answer now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shinjou nodded. ¡°I think it¡¯s Sadagiri.¡± ¡°I see. That would be the name of one who carries life and cuts through destiny,¡± said the woman. ¡°Your mother hid the character for life in your name so that your life would not be harmed. And¡­your life lies elsewhere too.¡± ¡°E-elsewhere?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The woman shrugged. ¡°The name of the one by your side is Mikoto. Written with another character, that means life. So¡­¡± The woman gently rubbed Shinjou¡¯s head. ¡°As long as he lives, no one can harm your life.¡± Shinjou heard a song behind her. When she heard the gentle singing voice, she realized the song was not calling for her. ¡­It¡¯s celebrating a birth? It¡¯s sending someone on their way? Who was singing it? And¡­ ¡°By any chance¡­am I the only one that can hear this song?¡± Neither the woman nor the elderly man answered. The two of them simply took a step out of the way, bringing the top of the clouds covering the vast sky into view. ¡°Can you wish for the person those tears yearned for?¡± Shinjou was looking straight ahead now. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± She did not understand. She did not understand at all. She truly did not understand anything. But she could say one thing for sure: she had someone. Then she felt something touch her right hand. She looked over and saw the woman had removed her ring and placed it on Shinjou¡¯s hand instead. ¡°Th-this¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Think of it as a protective charm. And you know what?¡± asked the woman¡¯s smile. ¡°Reach out your hand, spread your fingers, and make sure you reach it.¡± Shinjou nodded and moved forward. She stood on the edge of the concrete ground and looked into the bottomless sky. It¡¯s time to go, she thought before looking back. She tilted her head as she looked back and forth between the elderly man and the woman. ¡°This is a dream I¡¯m having on the verge of death, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. You must be very creative.¡± It felt weird having her own dream compliment her. What is with that? she wondered. ¡°If I do wake up, what will happen to me? What kind of person will be by my side?¡± ¡°Well.¡± The elderly man nodded and crossed his arms. ¡°It will probably be a weird kid. He is an incurable idiot, but he had quite a skilled, wonderful, and magnificent relative. So make sure you get after him if he sullies the name of that relative.¡± ¡°You really need to be more honest, father.¡± ¡°I-I see you are as blunt as ever!¡± Shinjou tilted her head a bit at their exchange. ¡°Well, whatever. I¡¯ll be going.¡± She did not hesitate to take a step from the edge. ¡°Oh?¡± She heard the woman¡¯s surprised exclamation behind her because, instead of stepping ¡°off¡± into the air, she took a solid step. She was flying. She begged herself to reach the place she wished to be. But she did more than just wish. ¡­I need to make sure I reach it!! She leaped with all of her might and flung herself into the sky. She reached her right hand out, spread her fingers wide, and thought. ¡­I need to reach my life. ¡°I need to go as far as my life will take me!!¡± Just as the alarm sounded for the tenth time, Mikoku swung down her left sword. Sayama responded with a left uppercut. Mikoku was willing to take that blow. Even if she let it hit her¡­ ¡­I can cut him down with my left sword! In a cross counter, the side with a sword had a significant advantage, so she gathered strength in her left shoulder. In that instant, something entered the center of her vision. It was colored silver. ¡­A watch!? It was a pocket watch. It was the one she had stabbed when she thought she had stabbed into Sayama¡¯s chest. She remembered him showing it to her and throwing it aside. It had vanished into the mist, but now it was thrown at her from below. ¡°¡­!¡± She did not even blink. The solid silver object hit her in the center of the forehead. It made a dull sound. The watch was opened and it slightly obstructed her view. She chose to continue attacking, but she could not see in front of her due to the watch. ¡­Oh, no! Sayama had been swinging his left fist in an uppercut, but¡­ ¡­What if he was actually using that fist to throw the watch? He might have reversed his motion and thrown his right fist. Or he might have thrown the watch to make her think that while continuing with the left. Which was it? ¡°!¡± She gave her answer. ¡°Both!!¡± She forcibly brought her arms together and sent both swords forward. There was no way she could miss at this close range. She swung the two blades in a straight line as if letting them drop down. She performed a slashing attack. She drew two sharp arcs as the watch fell and her vision cleared. She could see now. Sayama was right in front of her and she saw his movement. ¡­The left fist! But that no longer mattered. Her swords were going to hit his shoulders. Sayama then made his move. The clenched strength of his left fist drew an arc through the air. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± Mikoku realized he had hit. But his fist had not hit her body. It had instead hit the side of her blue sword. ¡°Wha-¡­!?¡± Diana saw it on the forefront of the wind¡¯s pressure. The wind dragon overhead very nearly had a physical form as it plunged down toward Shinjou¡¯s back. ¡­Did it not work!? She clenched her teeth as if in protest. There was nothing more she could do. She distinctly felt her limits. But in that instant, something shot upwards in front of her. It was a blue cloth, the one draped over Shinjou¡¯s body. Next, Diana saw the color black spread out. It was hair. ¡°¡­!?¡± Shinjou¡¯s black hair danced in the wind. Her slender body quickly sat up and she raised her right arm. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± Her fingers were spread wide and the ring on her ring finger collided with the descending dragon. It only took an instant. Yume¡¯s ring tore into the dragon and Shinjou¡¯s fingers closed around it and squeezed. ¡°!!¡± It vanished with an explosion of wind. All that remained was stillness and Shinjou¡¯s voice as she looked to heaven with her fingers clenched shut. ¡°Sayama-kun!!¡± Sayama¡¯s blow landed. His left fist struck the falling blue sword from the left. The collision coincided with the eleventh ring of the alarm. ¡­But I will not let it end here! He swung his right arm to support his attack. A charm activated. As he rapidly swung his entire body to the left, his attack was launched through the mist. ¡°Go!¡± He cried out and clenched his fist in the moment of impact. ¡°Tear into the power of a god!!¡± His right fist intercepted Mikoku¡¯s red sword from the side as it approached just above his head. Both of his fists punched the swords on the outside surface. ¡°¡­!!¡± Catching the two blades between his fists did more than just stop them. His red and blue punches smashed the two swords together and they both broke. However, this was not a destruction that called in their regeneration. ¡°This is the mutual annihilation of the positive and negative concepts!!¡± Sure enough, the two swords exploded in Mikoku¡¯s hands. They turned to sand and light. In a split second, the concept swords completely vanished. All that remained was Mikoku, who sat there blankly after swinging down her swords, and¡­ ¡°Ohhh!¡± ¡­Go! Sayama stepped forward with his right foot. An instant of movement brought everything to a stop. Sayama dropped his heel to the floor and launched the end of his right arm from his twisted shoulder. He began a barrage. Eight consecutive attacks left his right shoulder like rapid-firing gun and collided with Mikoku¡¯s body. Dull sounds rang out and Mikoku bent backwards. Sayama took another step forward. ¡­The right! He had a single target, Mikoku¡¯s chest and what lay there. ¡°Top-Gear¡¯s power!!¡± He struck it and then made his next attack. ¡­The left! He made a full rotation and a full spin. He seemed to simply place his left fist at the end of that motion. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± He made his punch. The front of his fist broke through the mist and surpassed sound. The blow landed and he heard the sound of a shattering philosopher¡¯s stone. All of his strength was driven into Mikoku¡¯s body as if to suppress the shattering sound. For a brief moment, the impact built up inside her. ¡°!!¡± But then she flew into the air. Mist wrapped around her as she flew, but Sayama did not look to see where she ended up. He spread the fingers of his outstretched left arm and looked to the ring on the finger there. Sweat fell from his cheeks to his jaw, but¡­ ¡°Shinjou-kun.¡± He straightened up. He spun around with mist covering his body and he looked up at the moon. In front of that moon, the bell in the small room was not moving. The automaton named Noah remained motionless with the bell¡¯s cord in hand. The facility was no longer shaking. The final stained glass window remained dark and the church¡¯s shaking had stopped. The place almost seemed to be enjoying the serenity of the night. However¡­ ¡°Oh.¡± There was no longer any sound from Sayama¡¯s right wrist. The alarm to indicate the time limit was gone. The sound to indicate the end of the battle had vanished into Noah¡¯s night. A staircase was filled with slight darkness. It was a plastic staircase. It cut diagonally through an empty space with no supports and neither its top nor bottom could be seen. It was simply a long flight of stairs that continued both up and down. In the otherwise empty darkness, there were two sounds traveling along that series of steps. They were sets of footsteps. One included a clank of metal and seemed to be having trouble. The other coincided with the first and was much quieter. The quieter set belonged to a maid in black who asked a question of the man in black walking ahead of her. ¡°Itaru-sama, where does this staircase lead?¡± ¡°Hell.¡± The maid nodded as the man continued on without even looking back, but after a few seconds she clapped her hands as if just realizing something. ¡°Tes. That was a very, very, very, very funny joke. I can objectively determine that I am overjoyed to have heard your super joke.¡± ¡°Oh? You certainly make your joy sound like it isn¡¯t yours, you eccentric machine.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf nodded and kept herself precisely one step behind Itaru. ¡°As I have no emotions, I cannot make a subjective determination on the subject, so I determined I could express joy by using my praise circuits and applauding you. How was it, Itaru-sama? Which best describes how you feel about my joy over your joke: 1. Wonderful. 2. You are a great doll. 3. I am the happiest person in the Tripartite Pact. ¡­Those are all of your options. Which will it be?¡± ¡°4. You¡¯re as awful as ever.¡± Sf nodded. ¡°I am the same as ever?¡± she asked expressionlessly. ¡°Tes. In other words, your feelings have numbed over at how unchangeably great I am.¡± ¡°You certainly are amazing.¡± ¡°Tes. Thank you for the compliment. Now, I have a suggestion. So that you can truly appreciate how great I am normally, how about I do a few horrible things to you for a while?¡± ¡°For example?¡± ¡°I could say awful things to you, do rude things to you, and cause trouble around you.¡± ¡°I have a feeling you already have those things covered.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf nodded. ¡°Of course I do. I am skilled at my job, after all.¡± ¡°You just answered on reflex without thinking what that meant, didn¡¯t you!?¡± Itaru stopped walking and turned to face Sf. Even with the height difference of the step, he had to look down at the maid. ¡°Well, whatever. Any messages from the others?¡± ¡°Tes.¡± She tilted her head to clear her ears. ¡°You have seven hundred and sixty five messages.¡± ¡°How long have those been piling up!?¡± ¡°You never asked about them, so, if my memory serves, since around August.¡± ¡°Read me the most recent ones.¡± Sf tilted her head at the anger barely suppressed below his voice. She stared expressionlessly up at his face. ¡°Itaru-sama, why do you look so angry? ¡­Has something unpleasant happened?¡± ¡°Yes. You want to know what it was? Well, you know what?¡± He nodded. ¡°The source of the unpleasantness? Right in front of me.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf nodded. ¡°So it was sentence fragments.¡± Sf watched for about eight seconds as Itaru began beating on the railing with his metal cane. Once he placed his hand on the railing and tried to catch his breath, she responded. ¡°First, it seems Shinjou-sama has gone to sleep in the medical room. This time, they say it is a normal sleep. She was carried to a bed and they are waiting for her to wake.¡± ¡°Well, she was fighting a concept. That will wear you out. ¡­What else?¡± ¡°Sayama-sama has stopped the concept creation.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Itaru straightened up and said something more. ¡°Then the world is going to change.¡± ¡°¡­? Itaru-sama, what do you mean? Sayama-sama stopped it.¡± Itaru turned his back on her without answering. He resumed his descent of the stairs and at a quicker pace than before. Sf hurried after him by jumping down the few steps she had fallen behind. ¡°Itaru-sama.¡± She called out to him. Normally, he would have ignored it, but¡­ ¡°Sf.¡± She heard him call back. ¡°What do you think is the true form of the Leviathan Road?¡± ¡°Tes.¡± She answered while stepping down the stairs. ¡°To respond to the activation of the negative concepts, they will release the positive concepts to tune the world.¡± ¡°Then I have two questions.¡± Itaru came to a stop. ¡°What did Mikoku do? And¡­what will happen now that she was stopped?¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf started to answer but never actually did. Silence followed. As her thoughts and decisions grew in length, Itaru spoke. ¡°Mikoku understood and Sayama lost. He lost as the villain. He won the battle, but he lost the game. ¡­At the very, very end, the Leviathan Road was stolen from him.¡± He took a breath. ¡°The ending¡­is about to begin.¡± Notes 1. ¡ü Another reading of the characters for Sadagiri. Volume 14, 12: Continuation of the End Volume 14, Chapter 12: Continuation of the End The dragon¡¯s roar reverberates without end Sayama moved through the white mist in the open-air church. He stood in front of the positive Concept Core sealing devices on the port wall. He planned to use the manual release to purge the pallets visible through the devices¡¯ small windows. They had a standard purge process and he found something next to the console. ¡°Is this an instruction guide?¡± He frowned as he followed the instructions by moving the emergency lever up, up, down, down, pressed the button, completed the purge procedure on the console, and released the manual lock with the following sequence: right, left, right, left. He finally held the seal button in the center of the console for a full five seconds. After all that, the sealing devices vibrated. A look through the windows showed the outer shells of the internal pallets slowly descending. ¡­And into the sky. The positive Concept Core pallets fell into the empty air at eight thousand meters up. Several lights were flying above the ground below. They were mechanical dragons. Sayama continued his work, assuming they would catch the pallets. Spare pallets rose to fill the gaps left by the previous ones. He sighed as he watched them fit into place. Heo had called his cellphone earlier. According to Diana, Shinjou had recovered and he could relax. Shinjou was apparently sleeping and calling for him in her sleep. ¡°Thank goodness,¡± he muttered. ¡°It seems the lovey-dovey connection between our hearts really does tie us together.¡± He breathed a sigh of relief and rested his back on the tilted portion of one sealing device. I have finished everything I need to do for the moment, he told himself. A philosopher¡¯s stone to resurrect the dead would no longer be created. They needed to take the positive Concept Cores back for the moment and have the Gear representatives confirm their presence. The later release of the concepts would happen here, but¡­ ¡­It would foster the most trust to have the Gear representatives bring the Concept Cores here. Releasing the concepts would suppress the activated negative concepts by releasing them along with the positive concepts. The Leviathan Road had been meant to gather those positive Concepts Cores, and¡­ ¡­The Leviathan of the Leviathan Road was the Concept Cores of the ten Gears, wasn¡¯t it? In Biblical mythology, the Leviathan was a great dragon said to bear the forms of all beasts. In the age of that mythology, the Leviathan was known as a dragon large enough to surround the ocean said to exist at the ends of the world. Releasing the concepts of the ten Gears would combine the ten dragons into one. ¡°We gather the dragons together, and¡­¡± At that point, his body stiffened somewhat, but¡­ ¡°!!¡± He suddenly shot to his feet. He had realized a very important fact. Heo had ended her combination with Thunder Fellow, opened the canopy, and joined Kazami and the others on the mechanical dragon¡¯s back armor. They were about two thousand meters up. The wind was strong, but it was showing signs of weakening. And¡­ ¡°The Vesper Cannon.¡± Thunder Fellow¡¯s frame had been exchanged for a long cannon. Thunder Fellow had caught the pallet Sayama had purged from Noah and swapped out his parts. Harakawa sat at the controls and was listening to the transmissions coming in. ¡°It sounds like Hiba combined with Susamikado and collected Keravnos down below. Also, the American UCAT mechanical dragon unit has secured all of the other Concept Cores except for the 10th and 6th ones that the president and treasurer have. So¡­¡± Heo and the others looked up into the sky and wondered what to do now. The ark floated in the moonlight like a giant cloud. Sayama was there. ¡°Should we go pick him up?¡± asked Heo while munching on a broiled chestnut. Kazami and Izumo nodded with G-Sp2 and V-Sw in hand. ¡°Shinjou¡¯s sleeping safe and sound, so this ends everything.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s finally looking like we can safely get to the end of the year.¡± Everyone smiled bitterly at Izumo¡¯s comment. An atmosphere of relief softened the air around them somewhat. However¡­ ¡°¡­?¡± Heo was the first to notice. It was a reverberation. Some kind of odd reverberation had passed through her body. ¡­Eh? Kazami noticed that she was looking around. ¡°What is it, Heo? Are you coming down with some strange disease? Or¡­¡± She felt it again. She had definitely felt it this time. She also noticed Kazami had stopped speaking and looked to her. The two of them frowned and spoke to each other. ¡°K-Kazami, was that¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kazami brought a troubled hand to her forehead. ¡°I think I know what it was.¡± ¡°Y-you do?¡± Kazami nodded with an entirely serious expression. ¡°Your perverted word replacement disease has infected me too, eros. I can feel it reverberating in my brain, eros.¡± ¡°Th-that can¡¯t possibly¡­!¡± It happened a third time and the reverberation was stronger than before. This time, it seemed to have reached more than just her and Kazami. Izumo brought a hand to his forehead and groaned. ¡°I-I feel like I too can speak Great Erosian, the official language of the Heolusion Kingdom, eros.¡± ¡°They have Artluman Eros there, eros.¡± ¡°Wh-why do you always use me for this kind of-¡­!?¡± She felt it again. There was no denying the powerful reverberation. Also, she could tell which direction it was coming from. ¡°The Vesper Cannon?¡± Harakawa was the one to answer her. After looking at the console, he turned toward her. ¡°Heo.¡± ¡°Y-yes!?¡± He nodded. ¡°The Vesper Cannon is reacting. For a bit now, it seems¡­¡± As soon as he said that, she felt another reverberation. But this one was not just the reaction from the Vesper Cannon. It was ten times stronger. It was not a sound or a vibration. It could only be called a reverberation. ¡°¡­!!¡± An especially powerful reverberation came from Noah in the sky. The inside of the church reverberated. It was a powerful reverberation. It seemed to lightly push up on one¡¯s body from below. It began to gain a set rhythm. It was the rhythm of a pulse. The pulsating reverberation picked up speed and began making itself known outside the church. Sayama had shot to his feet within that reverberation. ¡°Could it be¡­!?¡± He ignored his disheveled hair and fluttering armored uniform as he rose to his feet and looked overhead. The final stained glass light on the walls had not lit. It had stopped. However, that meant the other lights had not gone away. ¡°That means the ten negative concepts are still activating.¡± He saw a figure slowly rise from the mist floating above the floor. She kept her back to him and brushed a hand through her hair. ¡°Toda Mikoku!¡± He ran forward as he yelled at her. He raised his left fist toward her weak back. ¡°Did you hide your true aim!?¡± She did not answer his raised voice, but something else did: the church. One section of the mist floating off the floor suddenly rose. It looked like a table was lifting it from below. More than one of those tables appeared, they were not small, and they arrived below Sayama¡¯s running feet as well. ¡°¡­!!¡± He realized what this meant. Noah had left its emergency halted state. ¡°Is it changing form!?¡± After receiving first aid and combining with Susamikado in the forest, Hiba¡¯s mechanical vision saw the movement in the heavens. There was a massive form covering the sky overhead. ¡°It¡¯s transforming?¡± At first, it had been a tower. Then it had been an ark. The ark shape was the same as the one he had seen in the summer sky during a dream of the past. But if Noah was changing now¡­ ¡­Is this the same form as the night Osaka was destroyed? He had not seen its entire form in that dream, but its armor panels would have been opened up. However, the current transformation occurring overhead went beyond that. The residential area Thunder Fellow and Alex had raced through was hidden below the armor. In its place, cannon turrets and the engines that moved the massive aerial ship¡¯s joints showed themselves. But that was not all. ¡°Ryuuji-kun.¡± He heard Mikage¡¯s slightly deepened voice. ¡°That¡¯s evolution.¡± He understood. The armor panels and cannon turrets grew to increase their forms, cables automatically extended on their own, and the engines gained additional mounting points. The overall form changed from the boxy ark to something that protruded out more. ¡°A great dragon.¡± It was now a draconic aerial warship measuring over fifteen kilometers long. Clouds of mist appeared when the air struck different parts of its body and its full form could not be seen without the special sight provided by Susamikado. However, that was why Hiba saw what he did. The giant form continued to transform without end. ¡°What is this!? What is Noah!?¡± Tatsumi had been sitting in the broken forest after surrendering, but she ran over. She ran in front of the others to get a better look at Noah. ¡°What is the meaning of this!?¡± Her voice roared upward even though it would never reach through the reverberating sky. ¡°Why is Noah entering full hostility mode, Mikoku!?¡± The church split apart. It split between the positive Concept Cores on the port side where Sayama stood, the negative Concept Cores on the starboard side, and the extractor on the front end where Mikoku stood. The mist flowed like water into the opened space and the high-altitude wind rushed in. There was an air defense filter in place, but Noah had begun a full transformation. A great amount of wind poured in to carry the tremendous roar as far as possible. The split in the floor rapidly grew and the distance between Sayama and Mikoku instantly expanded. ¡°Toda Mikoku!¡± Sayama shouted through the wind at Mikoku who did not even look his way. ¡°Is what you really wanted about to begin!?¡± She did not answer him, so he spoke more clearly. He stated her apparent intent based on the current situation. ¡°Are you planning to use Noah to make the world immortal!?¡± Her shoulders shook at that. She finally turned around to face him from the pulpit¡¯s floor as it began to rise. The ends of her eyebrows were lowered in a troubled smile. That expression acted like a surprise attack and left Sayama speechless, but her smiling lips opened to speak. ¡°I apologize for essentially deceiving you. It is true I was unable to create an immortality philosopher¡¯s stone, but I was able to fully take back the data on the positive Concept Cores.¡± She took a breath. ¡°Noah is currently suppressing its power.¡± ¡°I am sure it is,¡± he replied while looking overhead while their distance grew even greater. The automaton Noah stood next to the bell above the pulpit and she looked down at him expressionlessly. ¡°I am still carrying out my orders. Over.¡± Sayama explained what he thought those orders were. ¡°The command to create an immortality concept to resurrect the dead still exists inside Noah, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Testament. The positive Concept Cores were purged just now, but that is why I will recreate the positive concepts from scratch and use them and the negative concepts to recreate the immortality concept instead of just producing a philosopher¡¯s stone. Over.¡± Noah gave her answer. ¡°I will not fail in my orders. I am a hard-worker who will undoubtedly fulfill them.¡± Noah said one thing more. ¡°That is the personality my creator gave me. Over.¡± Sayama looked to the moving floor. He could see Noah¡¯s surface armor through the gap there and that armor was expanding in preparation for battle. ¡°Toda Mikoku. I realized something from what Noah said. I realized what you are really trying to do by continuing the concept creation.¡± ¡°And that is?¡± He kept his eyes on Noah¡¯s preparation for battle visible through the gap in the floor. ¡°Noah¡¯s transformation is an act of defense taken because she realized she can now continue after having her orders interrupted by our attacks. And this is a desperate defense because she is in Low-Gear, the unknown land of her enemy, and because she has almost no allies. But¡­¡± He breathed in there and pointed across to the starboard wall that was now more than fifty meters away. The light there indicated the control of the negative Concept Cores. He more strongly pointed at the glowing stained glass windows. ¡°The negative concepts are beginning to activate, so to obtain the conceptual balance needed to create the immortality concept, she must send the positive concepts out of control and disseminate the newly-created immortality concept throughout the world. And that means¡­¡± His voice rose to a shout. ¡°An explosive release of every concept! Not only that, but the release of the new immortality concept will overwrite Low-Gear¡¯s parent string vibration and destroy the world! ¡­Are you trying to destroy and recreate the world, Toda Mikoku!?¡± Mikoku¡¯s embarrassed smile did not change when she heard Sayama¡¯s voice. She simply nodded. ¡°That is exactly right. To control the activated negative concepts, Noah will create the positive concepts and activate them. I will use that power to create an immortality concept and¡­¡± She breathed in. ¡°And the world will be made immortal by the explosion of uncontrollable positive and negative concepts within Noah. That will greatly change the world¡¯s parent string vibration and everyone alive will likely be destroyed.¡± ¡°Do you really think I will let you do that!?¡± Sayama raised his voice. ¡°Toda Mikoku! I swear to you I will settle the battle between us as the representative of the current world! I will destroy Noah and stop the both of you!¡± ¡°That is not possible,¡± said Mikoku dismissively. She was already several meters above him and she brought a hand to her throat. She placed her fingers on her armored uniform¡¯s collar and looked down at the gauntlets on his hands. ¡°It seems Low-Gear¡¯s ultimate weapon is the concept-destroying Georgius, but¡­look at this.¡± She grabbed her collar and opened it. Sayama looked there. Moonlight washed over the blue philosopher¡¯s stone on her skin. And¡­ ¡°Do you understand now? You destroyed this, but it has already returned to normal.¡± Sure enough, the stone was emitting blue light. The light was powerful and pulsating. Sayama gasped when he saw the light, but Mikoku gave him no expression in return. ¡°You may be able to destroy it, but it seems you cannot erase it or remove it. I suppose that is as far as Georgius can go.¡± She quietly looked down at him. ¡°Your power cannot reach me. Do you still wish to settle this, Sayama?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She nodded. ¡°Then you should learn what kind of power Top-Gear had. And¡­just how much we cared for Low-Gear ten years ago.¡± ¡°What?¡± She hung her head a little and a somewhat self-deprecatory smile appeared on her lips. ¡°We did not use our great fighting force back then specifically because we cared for that world, but I will use it here. I intend to take everything back in this world: Shino, everyone from Top-Gear, and everything else.¡± She let out a breath. ¡°Hey.¡± He heard her speak. ¡°Hey, Sayama. If you lost them, could you truly wish the world would become a far, far better place by inheriting everything they had accomplished?¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He listened to the words coming from her downturned face. ¡°You can¡¯t, can you? Sayama Mikoto.¡± She let out a breath. ¡°Are you prepared to say they died because they were hopeless, that their efforts were misguided, and that they should thank us because we will not turn out like they did? Are you prepared to step over them like that? ¡­All you do is say it will all be over if we demonstrate our understanding!!¡± She placed a hand on her chest. ¡°But even if you demonstrate your understanding, my parents will protect me! Not you, but me! Are you prepared to kick all of them aside and create a new world even if it means becoming a villain!?¡± Sayama could not answer her question. He simply replied to Mikoku¡¯s true feelings. ¡°Do you¡­?¡± He slowly hit on the real question. ¡°Do you intend to become the greatest villain of all that tests this world and all other worlds? ¡­Are you using the Leviathan that bears all of the negative and positive concepts to bet on an immortal world where no one needs to be stepped over!?¡± She simply hung her head, hid her eyes behind her bangs, and smiled bitterly. And she spoke. ¡°Are you coming, my opposite self? A hopeless battle awaits you. And¡­¡± He listened. ¡°Come kill this detestable person I am, Sayama. Come kill this incompetent person who will only demand you give everything back no matter how much you lecture me. If you do not¡­you cannot stop me, the world, or anything else!!¡± A moment later, her position quickly rose. The high-altitude wind raged and Sayama¡¯s footing swung downward. ¡°Toda Mikoku!!¡± He shouted up at Mikoku who picked up something precious by the pulpit. However, she no longer looked his way. Noah descended from the bell-ringing platform and stood by her side. ¡°Sayama Mikoto, please tell Alex and Tatsumi that I am no longer doing this for Shino. Tell them I simply wish to change the world even if it means destroying all of you and myself.¡± So¡­ ¡°Tell them this is goodbye.¡± A roof of armor began to cover Sayama¡¯s footing. ¡°Kh!¡± This would likely become the base of the Leviathan¡¯s wing. The floor moved toward the angle that could grasp the engine and it spilled Sayama downward. In an instant, he was thrown out into empty space. He looked up at Mikoku far above. ¡°I will defeat you!!¡± He spread the fingers of his left hand toward his other self. ¡°I swear I will defeat you!!¡± He fell out from the bottom of Noah. Itaru and Sf were stopped on the staircase leading into darkness. Sf frowned slightly. ¡°Communications¡­have cut off.¡± ¡°Noah has placed a stealth barrier around its concept space, using an information concealing concept. Only those inside the concept space can comprehend the existence of anything in there. It¡¯s to the point that we wouldn¡¯t be able to comprehend the existence of any transmissions coming from it.¡± ¡°In that case,¡± said Sf. ¡°Where is Noah going?¡± ¡°Where do you think?¡± After a pause, she expressionlessly answered Itaru¡¯s question. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Most likely. Noah will have kept its memories just in case. And that included the location of Low-Gear¡¯s UCAT headquarters.¡± He sighed. ¡°That aerial ship was primarily a peaceful facility, but it was meant to become the greatest stronghold supporting Top-Gear after they subjugated the world. It contains enough firepower to confront every other Gear head-on.¡± Hearing that, Sf turned to face him. ¡°If they had something so powerful, why did they not use it to invade Low-Gear?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you? Noah was built to maintain a lasting peace, so Top-Gear¡¯s pride wouldn¡¯t let them send it out to attack. And when Top-Gear was destroyed¡­the entire world fell to the negative side far too quickly.¡± Itaru bent forward and rested his elbow on the railing in a pose of disinterest. ¡°Noah must be filled with fear at having come to this unknown enemy world. The negative concepts that have combined with it have activated, so it needs to create and activate the positive concepts to suppress the negative ones. And¡­¡± ¡°The concept creation instructions from a Top-Gear resident were stopped.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Itaru nodded and reached for his sunglasses. He removed them and turned his bared eyes toward empty space. ¡°Noah must think that it is surrounded by enemies. As a ship from Top-Gear, it will want to create the kind of world the residents of Top-Gear would want. That is why it will come here, to the enemy territory found in its memories.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf nodded but frowned just a bit. ¡°Due to the information concealing concept, no one will realize Noah is coming here. Itaru-sama, are you not going to urge the others to evacuate?¡± ¡°Why would I need to do something so kind?¡± he said plainly. ¡°That isn¡¯t my job.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf nodded and said nothing more about it. She asked something else instead. ¡°If Heo-sama and the others pick up Sayama-sama and attack Noah, will they be able to destroy it?¡± ¡°Not a chance.¡± Itaru smiled bitterly. ¡°We had made our predictions before making our attack. If Noah had a combat form, we predicted that no attack or defense would work against it. Of course, Top-Gear was destroyed before they had a chance to use it.¡± He was not done speaking. ¡°But our predictions from back then will be useful now.¡± ¡°Useful?¡± ¡°Yes, we had predicted where Noah would attack first if Top-Gear did use it to invade Low-Gear.¡± He moved his gaze down. He looked to the darkness below. He straightened his back and gave the empty space an expressionless look. ¡°Sf, tell me where this is.¡± ¡°Tes. Based on the coordinates, we are at the very bottom level of UCAT. I believe it is the seventh basement.¡± ¡°Correct. You have some decent measurement devices in you. And you should know that this seventh basement is far deeper than any of the other floors.¡± ¡°Tes.¡± Sf nodded and cleared her ears. ¡°But according to my acoustic scan, there is a faint echo. I have determined we are near the bottom.¡± ¡°That is also correct. So¡­look down, Sf.¡± She looked down from the railing as instructed. She looked into what had been nothing but empty darkness before. ¡°I can see a shadow.¡± There were shades to the darkness. It began directly below and continued on and on into the distance. ¡°What can you see, Sf?¡± ¡°Tes. This¡­appears to be a tower.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Itaru as he lightly raised a hand. ¡°Ah.¡± Sf realized he had placed his hand on her head. The metal maid narrowed her eyes as he stroked her head, but¡­ ¡°Itaru-sama, I did nothing worthy of praise. ¡­I have determined that is not what I wanted.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯ll be doing something praiseworthy soon enough.¡± He stared into the depths of the darkness and spoke with a sigh in his voice. ¡°Sf, I am about to give you a request. A very important and¡­silly-sounding request.¡± The time was 1:27 AM. Noah turned eastward at eight kilometers above the Mt. Ikoma region and added an information concealing concept to the concept space to keep anyone else from comprehending its presence. Noah then used its massive white metal dragon body to slowly move east. It ascended with heavy but certain speed and created an overwhelming surge of air and clouds. As it travelled through the sky with a great rumbling, the American UCAT mechanical dragons inside the concept space could not keep up. However, two things rose from the mountains and into the heavens. One was a blue and white mechanical dragon that split the sky with a white contrail behind it. The other was a black giant that flew after the mechanical dragon. They were Thunder Fellow and Susamikado. The two of them flew high into the moonlit sky and made a nearly right angle turn. They turned east. The two of them used their acceleration to challenge the giant Leviathan flying high in the sky. They would reach it in four minutes¡¯ time. Volume 14, 13: Noah’s Ark Volume 14, Chapter 13: Noah¡¯s Ark I made a promise And I will keep it Even if I had not made the promise I would keep it Automaton Noah supported Mikoku in the corridor. She used her gravitational control to hold Shino¡¯s body in the air. ¡°Mikoku-sama.¡± The person she spoke to had lost consciousness. Her condition was due to exhaustion and the hits she had taken from Sayama. She had been bearing with it, but she had suddenly found herself unable to continue on. That was why she had lost consciousness. Noah was already carrying out the instructions Mikoku had given her. And Noah herself had been given another command. This command had been given to her long ago by her creator. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She recalled the past. She thought back to so very long ago when she had been surrounded by everything. December 24, 2005 Noah remembered it. She even remembered the dates. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1986 In the world named Top-Gear, she had been created for the coming new world. She was meant to protect the world filled with residents of the other Gears once Top-Gear had subjugated those other worlds. She was an ark that protected the Concept Cores which supported the world and, even if the other Gears opposed them with their own Concept Cores, she could easily subjugate them and protect the people from the spreading flames of war. She was a boat of salvation equipped with a facility for creating concepts so that she could oppose any and all threats and, more importantly, so she could give the people a life of plenty. She had been guaranteed all capabilities and had been given every kind of power. However, she had a single flaw. For some reason, she had been unable to create concepts in Top-Gear. Her creator seemed to have realized why. ¡°Before¡± September 12, 1988 In addition to the research and development of the concept creation facility, a plan was underway to increase Noah¡¯s knowledge and abilities. She would learn the knowledge, history, and combat techniques of UCAT and every Gear. ¡°Before¡± October 10, 1988 When mastering the Nagata-style techniques, she met a girl named Tatsumi who was the family¡¯s heir. She sparred with the girl a few times to confirm her skills, but the girl would get oddly angry when Noah held back so as not to injure her. ¡°Before¡± December 24, 1988 Her creator had a child. The child moved back and forth between the two sexes and her name included ¡°life¡± in its meaning. A friend of her creator¡¯s back in Low-Gear apparently had a child as well. Two children were born on the night before the celebration of the holy one¡¯s birth. Her creator commented that two holy ones had been born. December 23, 2005 Noah remembered another child born that year. That child was Mikoku. ¡°Before¡± July 14, 1989 Alex brought a crying Tatsumi to see the mechanical dragon takeoff and landing zone. ¡°What is justice?¡± Alex asked. ¡°I wonder if I have my own version of it inside me.¡± ¡°Before¡± November 3, 1990 Noah asked her creator a question. ¡°Am I a failure? Is that why I can¡¯t create the concepts? Over.¡± Both of her creators told her that was not the case. Based on her statistical analysis if human facial patterns, their expression at the time was a mixture of troubled and joyful. ¡°Before¡± November 5, 1990 Noah became painfully aware that some percentage of her giant body was wasted space. She often suggested giving up on the concept creation facility and instead building more residential space for people to live. She had suggested building the facility known as a church, just like the one her creator had built. She liked the ringing of the bell. Its ring was a fluctuating sort of data that she could not create with her synthetic electronic sounds and it was much louder than other musical instruments. It was ideal. It made a unique sound that no one else could emulate and it also carried far into the distance. ¡°Before¡± March 25, 1991 Noah wanted to be like that. However, she had a flaw. Her concept creation facility was theoretically complete, but it would not function properly for some reason. She had nothing that only she could do. She had the Concept Cores corresponding to the ten Gears, but the other Gears had those as well. A great many people could be evacuated into her residential areas and she could act as a final stronghold in an emergency, but she did not want to make use of that power. ¡°Before¡± September 18, 1991 ¡°I want to do something good. Over.¡± Noah knew that Top-Gear would invite Low-Gear to Top-Gear once the world¡¯s time of destruction arrived. Low-Gear contained reservations for the other Gears. At the meeting between Top-Gear and Low-Gear representatives, some had said the Gear reservations needed to be informed of Top-Gear¡¯s existence and a plan to deal with them had to be determined before the time of destruction arrived. ¡°Before¡± January 10, 1992 Low-Gear¡¯s representative agreed to reveal the truth in order to keep the other Gears from joining the concept war between Top-Gear and Low-Gear. They agreed to do so by three years before the time of destruction which was April of 1996. ¡°Before¡± March 10, 1992 Her creator¡¯s child was apparently being bullied at kindergarten. Noah could not go outside. Mikoku had cried because she had not been able to protect Noah¡¯s creator¡¯s child. Noah had no way to help, but she learned that Mikoku was a kind child. Mikoku¡¯s parents had made a certain expression. Noah statistically determined it was a slight smile. ¡°Before¡± March 20, 1993 Noah gained a single joy. The concept creation facility was remade and the negative concepts were to be created. Low-Gear would reveal Top-Gear¡¯s existence in April of 1996, so it was expected refugees from the other Gears would arrive then. With ¡°stiff¡± expressions, the higher ups had decided Top-Gear had to prove its superiority by building a place for any Low-Gear residents that arrived. Noah was overjoyed. Her creator also made a ¡°stiff¡± expression, but the creation facility inside Noah was remade and ¨C theoretically ¨C all of the flaws had been dealt with. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1993 One more thing was added to the creation facility: a bell. The bell would indicate the completion of the concept creation. It would inform everyone that the world had changed. This was something only Noah had. She wanted to try ringing it right away. This was hers alone. It was the physical proof of something only she could do. ¡°Before¡± February 18, 1994 Noah had a thought. ¡°Is it still not time for the world? Over.¡± Was it still not time for the worlds to gather? Was it still not time for the world to change? Helping that along was something only she could do. Creating, protecting, and supporting the beginning, ending, and everything afterwards was her job. The great army inside her was to reach out if someone reached their hand into the sky. The great armor outside her was to protect any precious people trembling in fear. ¡°Is it still not time for the world? Over.¡± ¡°Before¡± April 18, 1994 Mikoku and Noah¡¯s creator¡¯s child played a lot with the daughter of the Tamiya family. Her creator¡¯s child dressed as a boy outside but as a girl inside Noah. ¡°Before¡± December 24, 1995 The ending came suddenly. Noah did not known exactly what was happening. Theoretically, her concept creation facility should have been perfect, but for some reason, she lost control of the negative concepts being created and they began to activate. ¡°Before¡± December 24, 1995 It happened in an instant. In that instant, Top-Gear was flipped toward the negative side. By the time Noah worked to suppress the negativity by surrounding it in the positive concepts, the number of survivors was only in the triple digits. The only survivors were those who had been lucky enough to be wearing anti-concept equipment at the time, so they were all scientists, their families, or soldiers in training. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1995 Noah and the researchers worked to control the negative concepts. However, those people collapsed and then the enemy arrived. Enemies had arrived from Low-Gear to destroy Noah. Noah feared those enemies. She had great power to defend herself or to protect the new world. However, the people of Low-Gear were also those she was meant to protect. Also, Low-Gear contained the residents of many other Gears, so losing them would be a problem for the people behind them. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1995 Noah asked her creator a question. ¡°What am I supposed to do? Over.¡± Her creator replied while holding her child. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± She then asked a question. ¡°Do you remember the song I taught you?¡± Noah answered that she did remember. Yes, it remained in her memory. December 24, 2005 Noah recalled what her creator had said. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1995 ¡°You are probably going to be alone, but the time is sure to come when you will become a creator. The time will come when you will know you should change the world.¡± Noah could not believe it. Top-Gear was being destroyed, so that was not a possibility she could believe in. But this woman was one of her creators. It would make sense for her to know things that Noah did not. More importantly, she had been the one to create that church bell and Noah¡¯s intermediary terminal was modeled after her. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1995 ¡°If you have changed the world, you can sing the song I taught you. That song praises the birth of a holy person, so it¡¯s an appropriate song for the creation of a new world. So¡­if you ever finish singing that song, please ring the bell. Ring the bell that signals the arrival of a new world.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± replied Noah. ¡°Over,¡± she added. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1995 After that, her creators invited in a Low-Gear man and left her. When her creator left, she spoke so only Noah could hear. ¡°Take care of the new world.¡± Noah agreed to do so. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1995 The only Top-Gear residents in range of Noah¡¯s scans were her creator and her creator¡¯s child. Noah determined even her creator had little time left. The end was coming for the people who had created her. It would not be surprising if that meant the ending had come for her, their creation, as well. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1995 Noah was enveloped in light and closed off her consciousness as she felt the end arrive. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1995 Noah stopped her clock at December 25, 1995 11:59 PM. December 24, 2005 The automaton named Noah had records of the time before she had reactivated the day before. Her main body had been active and experienced that time. However, time had remained stopped for her herself, so she only needed to add about ten years. After all, she had yet to fulfill a certain command. That was something only she could do. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1995 Her creator spoke to her. ¡°Take care of the new world.¡± December 24, 2005 Winged Noah¡¯s clock was stopped at December 25, 1995 11:59 PM. December 25, 2005 Noah recalled what had happened after being dropped into the void. Unknown How much? Unknown x10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000¡­ How much time had passed? Unknown x10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000¡­ The positive concepts were no longer within Noah. Unknown x10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000¡­ The negative concepts had not stopped activating. Unknown x10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000¡­ Time passed and more time passed. Unknown At one point, something higher than Noah¡¯s sleeping consciousness activated. Even when greater than 99% of her functionality was asleep, some preservation functions remained active and they attempted to record what her sight devices saw without waking her. December 25, 210050077 BC She saw the sky. This was not her main consciousness. It was her unsleeping subconscious in her nerve terminals. They left her consciousness to awaken naturally and simply recorded everything that happened. The earth, sky, and ocean were there. There were forests, mountains, and winds. The stars and the sun swapped out in the sky as day and night came and went. December 25, 8331 BC Finally, an unnatural change occurred near the inland sea visible in the distance. People had begun to move. December 25, 6698 BC A village was formed and lots of people were visible. There were only about one hundred of them, but it was far more than zero. December 25, 2517 BC The village grew larger. December 25, 1865 BC The number of people grew even more once they built boats to catch lots of fish. Small-scale conflicts broke out from time to time, but it was not enough to produce any deaths. December 25, 1032 BC People started living on the neighboring plains and mountains. The terminal consciousness on the surface could not access Noah¡¯s massive collection of knowledge, so it did not know where this was. It knew this was some kind of world because there were people, but it did not know what world it was. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1995 Her creator spoke to her. ¡°Take care of the new world.¡± December 25, 1032 BC However, Noah¡¯s terminal consciousness realized that this was not a new world at all. It was Low-Gear. It did not know how this could be Low-Gear. Regardless, the geography and weather were identical to those in the records, so this had to be that old world. It did not know why, but this was Low-Gear. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1995 Her creator spoke to her. ¡°Take care of the new world.¡± December 25, 1995 Noah¡¯s creator had told her to make the new world herself. Noah would not wake until then. December 25, 58 Finally, the village disappeared and was remade. December 25, 423 Conflict arrived and it was built again. December 25, 795 It grew. December 25, 1018 Large wooden ships travelled to the city. December 25, 1241 The ground was smoothed off, roads were built, and¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± December 25, 1580 Noah awoke slightly. When a castle was built inland, she heard the ringing of a bell. December 25, 1612 However, the ringing soon stopped and only Noah¡¯s surface continued recording. She was inside a concept space. No one came to visit her. However, her terminal consciousness found a sudden visitor at one point. December 25, 1911 It was a one-armed man. Something remembered him. That something was the terminal consciousness near the elevator bulkhead door toward her stern, which was now her bottom. That terminal consciousness had once welcomed him in. The small thought circuits of the terminal consciousness did not know what that meant, but her creator had given her instructions long ago. When he arrived on a mechanical dragon, she was to let him inside. And so Noah¡¯s terminal consciousness let him inside. It had been a long time since she had last carried out one of her creator¡¯s commands. He looked slightly surprised when she flashed her lights as a greeting. ¡°Are you welcoming me in? You are¡­as nice as always.¡± According to her records, he had searched inside her and she had footage of him bowing his head toward a dropped sword. From there, a small series of events began. 1911+ He visited a few more times. Her terminal consciousness could open and close the door, but she could not hold a conversation because her consciousness had not woken. But after a short period of time, he stopped visiting. December 24, 1983 However, something strange happened. The one-armed man visited again, except he had both arms and had grown younger. Noah¡¯s terminal consciousness did not know what to make of it. Also, something even more incomprehensible happened. Her creator visited with the formerly one-armed man and she too had grown younger. Her terminal consciousness welcomed the two of them in. Her own consciousness had not woken, but the two of them had searched through her and been amazed. Her internal terminal consciousness had been a bit happy because it felt like they were praising her. However, they only visited for a short time. At one point, they stopped visiting, and¡­ December 24, 1995 ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± All of a sudden, Noah¡¯s consciousness nearly woke. The negative concepts were throbbing inside her. She sensed danger. There were two dangers. First, she was worried she would be unable to entirely contain the negative concepts if they fully activated. Second, a full inspection of her external records revealed that she was indeed in Low-Gear and she did not know why. She was in the Gear that had destroyed Top-Gear. However, she did not fully wake. After all, this was not the new world. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1995 Her creator spoke to her. ¡°Take care of the new world.¡± December 24, 1995 While still not fully awake, Noah worked at analyzing her data. She read through the massive piles of data, linked it together, and detected similar pieces of information, but she still did not wake. She still had no one to be her master. Also, she could not accomplish her goal. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1995 Her creator spoke to her. ¡°Take care of the new world.¡± She was told to ring her bell. She had the bell and she wanted to ring it. But could she create a new world? ¡°Before¡± August 10, 1990 She often played shiritori with her creator. It was meant to increase her vocabulary. That was where she learned the word ¡°goal¡±. A ¡°goal¡± was something to be accomplished and ¡°means¡± were used to accomplish it. One had a goal because they had the means. December 24, 1995 So Noah had a thought. ¡°I will create a new world.¡± Was that the means or the goal? She did not know. She did not know because she had no reason. But when she searched, she found a reason. ¡°Before¡± November 5, 1990 She liked the ringing of the bell. It made a unique sound that no one else could emulate and it also carried far into the distance. ¡°Before¡± March 25, 1991 Noah wanted to be like that. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1993 One more thing was added to the creation facility: a bell. The bell would indicate the completion of the concept creation. It would inform everyone that the world had changed. This was something only Noah had. She wanted to try ringing it right away. This was hers alone. It was the physical proof of something only she could do. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1995 Her creator spoke to her. ¡°Take care of the new world.¡± She was told to ring her bell. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1993 She wanted to try ringing it right away. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1993 She wanted. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1993 Wanted. December 24, 1995 What only she could do became her ¡°goal¡±. December 24, 1995 Her creator¡¯s command became the ¡°means¡± to accomplish her ¡°goal¡±. Her means and her goal were the creation of a new world and the ringing of the bell. Goal. Goal. Goal. Lilac. Cosmos. Snapdragon. Oh, that ended on an ¡°n¡±. She had messed up like that a lot in the past too. ¡°Before¡± August 16, 1992 Noah¡¯s creator rubbed her head. She asked her creator why she was being praised for losing a game of shiritori. ¡°You like the names of flowers, don¡¯t you?¡± When she agreed, her creator gave her an illustrated encyclopedia of flowers. She opened it in order to learn the names and not mess up anymore, but she became fascinated by the shapes of the flowers. ¡°Before¡± August 19, 1992 This time, she lost with dandelion. She was praised regardless. December 24, 1995 Noah reconfirmed that her creator¡¯s command was the ¡°means¡± to accomplish her ¡°goal¡±. December 24, 1995 With her creator gone and Top-Gear, the base of the new world, also gone, that command took top priority. She had been tasked with creation. She wanted to create. But, she thought. What am I supposed to do? But at one point, the world suddenly grew a lot noisier. October 27, 2003 The Concept Cores she could sense in this world began to move and demonstrate their power. It mostly happened to the east, but¡­ March 29, 2005 She sensed that power to the west, near what would have been Mount Hyono on Top-Gear¡¯s map. July 24, 2005 She sensed more of that power near Kurashiki. March 29, 2005 Once, a helicopter passed by near her. May 11, 2005 Noah thought she might be able to do it. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1993 She wanted to try ringing it right away. May 11, 2005 If someone gathered the positive Concept Cores, they would activate them and send them out of control, but wouldn¡¯t that mean releasing the activated concepts and remaking this world? December 24, 2005 The result she had hoped for had arrived the night before. Three survivors of Top-Gear had visited her with all of the positive Concept Cores. They had not been her creator, but they had been worth listening to. They had all remembered her and she had remembered them. Strangely, despite so much time having past, the three of them had only aged by about ten years. However, it really had been them. One of them, Mikoku, had asked her to do something. While holding Tamiya Shino¡¯s remains, she had asked Noah to bring the girl back to life. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1995 Her creator spoke to her. ¡°Take care of the new world.¡± She was told to ring her bell. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1993 She wanted to try ringing it right away. December 24, 1995 Noah reconfirmed that her creator¡¯s command was the ¡°means¡± to accomplish her ¡°goal¡±. December 23, 2005 I see, thought Noah in front of Mikoku. Yes, she also thought. ¡°A new world, you mean? Over.¡± To bring everything back to life would be to bring her creator and everyone else back to life. Was this why her creator had tasked her with creation? Noah agreed and the philosopher¡¯s stone creation was sure to go well. The concept creation facility worked properly and it contained all of the original positive Concept Cores. She could sense that she would be able to create a concept without them activating beyond control. However¡­ December 23, 2005 Someone stopped her ¡°means¡± and ¡°goal¡±. They were from Low-Gear¡¯s UCAT and they were the children of those who had destroyed Top-Gear long ago. If she was stopped, she could not return the world to its original form. If she was stopped, she could not sing her song or ring her bell. She could have resurrected everything that had been lost, so why was Low-Gear interfering again? December 23, 2005 Noah did not like this. This was what only she could do. She silently begged them not to stop what her creator had asked her to do. December 24, 2005 But she was stopped after all. She was unable to pull the bell¡¯s cord. Fortunately, she had regained accurate data on the positive Concept Cores and she knew that the concept creation facility would work properly. December 24, 2005 Currently, Noah was creating the positive Concept Cores inside herself. Once that was complete, she could combine them with the negative Concept Cores and create the resurrection concept. She would not let anyone get in her way. Creation was the task given to her by her creator. Once everything was resurrected, everything she was to protect would return. Anyone who would get in her way was her creator¡¯s enemy and would essentially erase what she was to protect. December 24, 2005 So Noah entered combat mode. She knew who her enemy was: this world¡¯s UCAT. It would be okay. Everyone would disappear regardless when she created the resurrected world. She would first destroy the world and secure her safety. If she could then bring everything back to life, she could create a happy world where everyone was equal. ¡°It will be okay. Over.¡± December 24, 2005 Noah muttered the words her creator had spoken to her. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1995 Her creator spoke to her. ¡°Take care of the new world.¡± December 24, 2005 Noah thought about Mikoku. That girl had solidified her goal for her. She had been unable to protect that girl in the past, but the girl had still come to rely on her. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1995 Her creator spoke to her. ¡°Take care of the new world.¡± December 23, 2005 Mikoku asked her to do something. While holding Tamiya Shino¡¯s remains, she asked Noah to bring the girl back to life. December 23, 2005 Noah replied. ¡°A new world, you mean? Over.¡± December 23, 2005 It all fit together. Her goal, her means, her desire, and what she should do all fit together. The destruction of Top-Gear had split everything apart and made it uncertain, but after so much time had passed, it had been brought together by her creator, herself, and Mikoku. December 24, 2005 Noah moved forward. Mikoku was her current master, her creator¡¯s command lay at the foundation of it all, and she would fulfill her own and Mikoku¡¯s desires. Mikoku would be able to resurrect the world. Noah would be able to ring her bell. December 24, 2005 Winged Noah¡¯s clock was stopped at December 25, 1995 11:59 PM. December 24, 2005 If she rang her bell, would her time begin to move once more? No, if she changed the world, the world would be utterly remade. She too would disappear, but¡­ ¡°I will have moved from stopped to ¡®disappearing¡¯. Over.¡± When that time came, she could ring her bell. December 24, 2005 Noah held Mikoku in her arms. She had made up her mind. She understood what she should do, so she gave the command to her main body. Her entire body went through its greatest evolution and all of her armaments and armor were deployed. She used her greatest speed to reach this world¡¯s UCAT headquarters where her greatest enemy would be. She would not let them escape. With her speed, it would take less than half an hour to travel from Osaka to the mountains of Tokyo. She would destroy them to keep them silent and then bring everyone back to life. That was what only she could do. And¡­ ¡°We can all be together. Over.¡± In the new world, they could all gather below the ringing bell. Her creator, her enemies, and everyone else could all be together. December 24, 2005 Noah continued on. She flew through the night sky to tune the world that was worn down from all it had lost. She then realized that enemies were fast approaching from behind using the original Concept Cores as weapons. The enemy is here, she sadly thought. She would prefer not to lose them if possible, but¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± They approached. December 24, 2005 This was Noah¡¯s first battle after passing through such vast spans of time. She shifted into combat mode. December 24, 2005 Noah spoke while carrying Mikoku and Shino to her bow. ¡°Awaken, my two servants. The enemy is here.¡± December 24, 2005 Noah changed her main body¡¯s name to what her combat form had been designated when it was designed. She was now the great dragon that enveloped the entire world and fought to protect it. She was the Leviathan. Volume 14, 14: Gulp into the Past Volume 14, Chapter 14: Gulp into the Past The reverberating past is not a regret It is specifically because it is so important That you feel unworthy of it A giant dragon flew through the sky. It was a long white dragon. It was as long as a city, but its body continued to transform and expand. It had had two wings when taking flight, but a third and fourth had appeared on the bottom near the back end while the base of a fifth and sixth were forming on its back near the center. Its armor was thick and its accelerators were enormous. The rumbling transformations of evolution occurred every few hundred meters. Sturdiness and speed coexisted inside its giant form, so the pursuing mechanical dragons from American UCAT could not keep up. And¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The great mechanical dragon¡¯s body produced a massive curtain of pressure much like a meteorological phenomenon and it blew away all of those pursuers. The air several kilometers in front of the great mechanical dragon was shaking as it was pushed forward. Dark clouds appeared and hid the night sky, they became thunder clouds, and a thick valley of clouds formed on either side of the great white dragon. The valley of clouds was thick enough to hide the great mechanical dragon and lightning lit up the inside of the valley. The surging bolts of lightning resembled dragons, they raced out as if to meet the great mechanical dragon, and they swept across its body. Behind the great dragon, the clouds were whipped about by the area of vacuum created by its size and speed and they produced a true lightning storm. The great dragon left behind a fan-shaped trail of thunder clouds. To pursue it, one needed the speed to keep up and the power to overcome the wind pressure and to ignore the thunder clouds. There were some who could do just that. In the western sky, two forms cut through the thunder clouds. They poured on acceleration and tore through the air while being tossed about by the wind. One was a blue and white mechanical dragon and the other was a four-winged black god of war. A few people could be seen on the mechanical dragon¡¯s back. They all wore white armored uniforms. Once the mechanical dragon broke through the clouds, Harakawa spoke up from the pilot¡¯s seat. ¡°Make sure to thank us! We got you here!¡± On top of Thunder Fellow, Kazami pushed through the misty clouds like a wave and saw something in the air below. Straight ahead and below was a white expanse of earth bravely soaring through the sky with massive roaring waterfalls of dark clouds on either side. ¡­What¡­? ¡°What is this?¡± She saw what looked like an enormous floating island. It was fifteen kilometers long and facing east. A valley of thunder clouds had formed around it white wings measuring several kilometers long grew from its back. It was too hazy to see the front end of the dragon fifteen kilometers away. Even when looking down on it from directly above, it was too large to grasp in its entirety. They could always move higher, but then they could not attack. And they could not tell anyone outside the concept space that the great dragon was in flight. An information concealing concept had been applied to the concept space, so even if Kazami and the others left to tell those on the outside about the Leviathan, they would no longer be able to understand that very information. This was dangerous because they had no way of informing those at its destination that it was coming. Its target was Japanese UCAT and Shinjou, Diana, and all of the others were there. That was why they would have Thunder Fellow fly Sayama to Japanese UCAT. They would be unable to understand any information about the Leviathan due to the information concealing concept, so their last resort was to have Sayama carry out a memo saying ¡°evacuate¡±. Kazami did not know if that would work out, but she did have a thought. ¡­At the very least, we have to get Sayama to Shinjou. However, the Leviathan was before their eyes now. ¡°What is this gigantic thing?¡± Seeing what looked like a flying island gave her a sudden chill. She thought it was just the cold air, but her breath caught in her throat. She just about took a step back, but something supported her from behind. It was Izumo¡¯s hand. ¡°Wow, Ch-Chisato, you¡¯re actually pressing my hand against your butt? Is this what you call passive groping!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you held your hand right there!!¡± She hit the bottom of his jaw with the tip of G-Sp2 and the wind carried him away. ¡°Nwah! W-wait! We¡¯re doing this again!?¡± Fine then, Kazami expanded her wings and instantly circled behind him. He looked surprised as he floated up into the air. ¡°Oh! You sure are fast!¡± ¡°This is normal. You¡¯re just slow.¡± She wondered what the best thing to say while saving him was and she swung G-Sp2 to slam him down onto Thunder Fellow¡¯s back. And then¡­ ¡°Are you okay, Kaku?¡± ¡°The fact that I am after that is making me a little fed up with my life.¡± ¡°You two are probably setting a record for high-altitude flirting. Where next, outer space?¡± They looked back and saw Sayama looking down from Thunder Fellow¡¯s shoulder. The bottom of his armored uniform fluttered in the wind as he kneeled down. ¡°So the Leviathan is not fighting back. Harakawa, is there any sign of an attack?¡± ¡°Thunder Fellow¡¯s scans don¡¯t show the cannons moving at all outside from the evolutionary transformations.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± asked Kazami. Hiba answered from Susamikado behind them. ¡°Probably that it doesn¡¯t see us as a threat.¡± They all nodded in understanding as the wind blew. ¡°Leave it to the loser to get it. He saw right through to the truth.¡± ¡°Yeah, that really was the advice of a small fry.¡± ¡°I see. So experiencing defeat can enrich a person¡­ Not that it matters to me.¡± ¡°Wh-why do you always start critiquing me as a person!?¡± Then Mikage asked a question. ¡°Ryuuji-kun, what is a ¡®small fry¡¯?¡± ¡°Well, um¡­¡± After a while, Susamikado hung its head and produced Hiba¡¯s emotionless voice. ¡°Do I really have to answer that myself?¡± They all felt some sympathy, but that was when the wind began to tremble. They heard something like an earthquake from directly ahead. ¡°The Leviathan is accelerating!¡± The massive accelerators on the back end of the Leviathan were producing blue light. It was picking up speed in search of the enemy it was meant to crush. Kazami realized anew that the Leviathan did not even see them as an enemy. ¡­In that case, this acceleration isn¡¯t meant to lose us. ¡°It¡¯s accelerating because it wants to crush Japanese UCAT, the enemy that destroyed Top-Gear.¡± She clicked her tongue into the sky. She raised her wings in preparation to stop it. ¡°We can¡¯t let it get there.¡± ¡°Then let us do this,¡± replied Sayama. ¡°I just saw Suruga Bay to the south. We have already passed Shizuoka. At this rate, we will reach Japanese UCAT in less than five minutes.¡± Kazami had a thought as she listened to his calm voice. ¡­That idiot really is holding back. They had five more minutes. With that in mind, she rested G-Sp2 on her shoulder. ¡°Then what we have to do is simple. We¡¯ll separate and attack the Leviathan to hold it here. In the meantime, Thunder Fellow will continue on ahead to Japanese UCAT.¡± ¡°But¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the fastest one here, Heo.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Heo was briefly at a loss for words, but¡­ ¡°Testament.¡± As soon as she said that, Thunder Fellow tilted forward. It was preparing for a race and that signaled Heo had made up her mind. Ahead, the giant white mechanical dragon was picking up speed and crossing the sky. Meanwhile, their power was one-tenth of its. However¡­ ¡°It may be big, but it isn¡¯t as big as a world. If it¡¯s made of armor and frames, we should be able to break it!¡± She held G-Sp2 at the ready. ¡°This is probably our only chance to attack. If we fail, we¡¯ll lose Japanese UCAT.¡± A moment later, Thunder Fellow accelerated toward the giant mechanical dragon¡¯s back. Mikoku awoke within Noah. Noah noticed and lowered her to the ground. ¡°Sayama-sama¡¯s group is pursuing us. Over.¡± The large corridor¡¯s ceiling displayed the scenery of the sky overhead. A blue and white mechanical dragon flew through the black sky with a contrail behind it. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± ¡°Testament. I am currently on course to assault Japanese UCAT. I have determined the mechanical dragon is attempting to arrive ahead of me and to stop me here. Over.¡± Mikoku knew their enemy would be using Concept Core weapons and Noah would know that as well. However, there was no sign of Noah taking any kind of defensive actions. ¡°Are you sure you do not need to do something? We look completely defenseless and they are not powerless.¡± ¡°Not to worry.¡± Noah passed Shino¡¯s floating form and her blanket to Mikoku. ¡°Let us continue to the bow, Mikoku-sama. There, you can see just how I differ from normal Concept Core weapons. In other words¡­¡± She took a step forward and led the way. ¡°Please watch and see what result their attacks have against the Leviathan. Over.¡± At that very moment, Mikoku sensed brightness in the sky. It came from the ceiling. The scenery displayed there was filled with light. ¡°The enemy mechanical dragon has attacked with 5th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core weapon.¡± A beam of light struck the Leviathan. A blue and white mechanical dragon raced through the night sky. It seemed to stretch forward with its great speed as the blue and white line made a power dive skimming just off of the great mechanical dragon¡¯s back. The blue and white dragon saw the armor, cannons turrets, and shadows of residential areas on the great dragon¡¯s back. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± The long cannon mounted on its bottom side suddenly fired and swept across the great white dragon¡¯s back. It targeted the gap between the armor panels that resembled the trapezius muscles and the muscles along the side of the back. It fired at a range of about seven kilometers. The attack swept along like a white sword and reflected light up toward heaven. The explosion arrived after a short delay. The cannon with the power to tear into the heavens created a pillar of exploding light seven kilometers long. The series of geyser-like lights created a wall of explosive light along the great dragon¡¯s back. There was also noise. Metal parts were smashed and armor panels a dozen meters thick bent. The great mechanical dragon writhed a bit as if it disliked the noise. A moment later, a black form flew from the ascending blue and white dragon. It was a black god of war that had hid in the dragon¡¯s contrail. The god of war seemed to kick off the air and flipped backwards to turn upside down. Below it, the great white dragon¡¯s armor passed by. The black god of war raised both arms down toward that armor. A giant pile bunker was attached to the right arm and gravitational control held something in the left hand. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll give it a shot!!¡± A well-built boy raised a large white sword in both arms. ¡°Let¡¯s show them what we can do.¡± That message appeared on the console as the sword produced great light. The black god of war responded by firing the power gathered inside its pile bunker. They were both pulverizing blows. They targeted the groove created by the mechanical dragon¡¯s cannon blast. First, a two hundred meter sword of light was launched. ¡°!¡± It completed a full swing. The scraping slash of the light launched massive fragments of metal into the sky. A moment later, the pile driver fired while making use of their relative speeds. Its goal was to widen the groove. The blast of lightning had a diameter of two hundred meters as it slammed into the front of the groove. ¡°Solidify it!!¡± The god of war shouted with a girl¡¯s voice and the lightning blast became a solid object. Thanks to their relative speed, the god of war¡¯s lightning rapidly tore through the great dragon¡¯s back. The boy with the sword of light gave a cry when he saw it. ¡°How do you like our three-blade strategy!? Guaranteed to be the cleanest shave around!!¡± At the same time, the black god of war finished tearing through the seven kilometer groove. The armor on the right of the great dragon¡¯s back was badly bent and shimmering heat rose from it. However, it was not over yet. Before the black god of war could fly back up as if making a great leap, something else descended from the heavens. It only took an instant. It was a winged girl wearing goggles. Her and her accelerating spear left the blue and white mechanical dragon¡¯s back and descended through the sky. With her back to the crescent of the moon, her spear raced down as if to connect one point to the other. Its target was the torn-open portion of the great mechanical dragon¡¯s right back. The moonlight revealed the great dragon¡¯s inner structure. A residential area was exposed and the earth far below was visible through the gaps torn into the frame, but she did not care. ¡°Output: 62%! Ragnarok open. ¡­Attacking now.¡± A dragon made of light was born in the heavens. It was only a neck and head and a power measuring several kilometers in diameter burst from its gaping maw. ¡°¡­!!¡± It pierced into the great white mechanical dragon. It broke through. The sound of a great impact shook the air. Light scattered and the strength of the impact created a massive luminescence. The great white dragon shined in the light and revealed its form to the night sky. At the same time, a great pressure struck it. A shockwave assaulted it from the center of a blow. This was a physical blow. The white armor panels bent from that blow on the inside and the largest piece of composite armor on the right of its belly ¨C measuring several hundred meters across ¨C was removed as if floating away. The release of the attachments created a deep metallic sound. After one such sound, the giant armor panel slowly fell toward the earth. The right belly was exposed. This revealed both a skeletal metal framework measuring in the hundreds of meters and other pieces of its structure. A great hole had been torn open from the right side of the back to the chest and several pillars of electrical discharge appeared within it. However, most of the shockwave was only reflected along the inner surface of the armor panels. The pressurized air created an explosion which struck it on the inside. This produced a bursting of power inside the great mechanical dragon. The top right half of its body bent and it hopped up from just below the chest. The sound was not a powerful roar. Countless intense noises and sounds of collision joined to create what could only be described as a bizarre noise. ¡°¡­!!¡± The great mechanical dragon tilted forward. The wings on its back stood tall as if bearing with something. Also, its speed dropped. The wind shook and large-scale explosions of water vapor occurred in front of and behind the great dragon as it seemed to curl up. The air could be heard splitting apart as the great dragon¡¯s deceleration caused it to collide with a wall of air. The large components inside the great dragon could be heard breaking. Overpowered electrical discharges raced along the great dragon¡¯s entire body. Several sets of eyes watched it all happen. They belonged to the winged girl descending to the ground below, the black god of war left behind by the great mechanical dragon, and the boy standing in its hand. They all clenched their teeth. ¡°That wasn¡¯t enough to finish it off!?¡± After that comment, they looked to the eastern sky. A blue and white mechanical dragon flew out ahead of the larger balled-up dragon. ¡°They can make it,¡± someone muttered. ¡°That didn¡¯t finish off the Leviathan, but it still stopped it.¡± So¡­ ¡°Hurry!¡± They begged it to hurry and tell those below the eastern sky that the Leviathan was coming. But¡­ ¡°No!¡± shouted the girl combined with the black god of war. Everyone looked back in surprise and saw the black machine spreading its wings. ¡°M-Mikage-san!? Keravnos isn¡¯t ready to fire again yet!¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t enough! We didn¡¯t hurt the Leviathan!¡± shouted Mikage inside the god of war. ¡°It only prioritized the remaking of its evolution and stripped itself of its old pieces!! So it isn¡¯t curling up because we hurt it!¡± Everyone watched as something fell from the white Leviathan¡¯s body. Those components were far too large to call components. The armor panels were at least ten meters long and the actuators were easily thirty meters in length. Something jutted out from below as if to safely envelop the residential area within. ¡°New armor¡­¡± This armor was meant to fight, not to protect. Normally, it would take a major overhaul to replace them all, but the Leviathan could hasten replacements when it took damage and it could fit them into place on its own. Everything that fell from the Leviathan was slammed backwards when it took flight again. The Leviathan evolved while seeming to come apart and break apart in midair. Six newly completed wings swung up on its back. Massive accelerators were visible at the base of the wings. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± It only took an instant. In that instant, the Leviathan launched itself forward. Its bent body flew forward like an arrow from a bow and the wings lifted as if enduring pain seemed to shatter the sky. Everything seemed to burst. The explosion in the sky made a blast of wind look calm and it was enough to knock the black god of war and the winged girl away. The great white mechanical dragon scattered its components as it traveled east. Its evolution had increased its speed several times over, so it pursued the blue and white mechanical dragon out ahead. ¡°¡­!¡± And it easily passed it. Sayama saw the head of the great white dragon forcibly pass by below. He saw three figures on top of it. Mikoku held Shino and Noah stood by her side. Noah spoke. ¡°We are not your comrades, Mikoku-sama.¡± She continued. ¡°We would be delighted to be used up as your power, your weapons, and your armor. Over.¡± She was speaking to Mikoku. The girl in a black armored uniform had a look of exhaustion on her face as she held Shino in a blanket. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She distinctly looked up at Sayama and gave a weak smile with the ends of her eyebrows lowered. Her eyes and his definitely met. ¡°Wait!¡± He shouted down at her while realizing he had shouted this at her before. And what had happened then? ¡°Wait, Toda Mikoku!!¡± But just as before, she did not wait. As if to demonstrate that she was the opposite of his desire for her to wait, she shook her head. ¡°Sorry.¡± He could read the movements of the lips on her lowered head. A moment later, her lips said more. ¡°Who is willing to be broken as my sword?¡± Noah spoke behind her. ¡°Each of us is your speaking sword. Over.¡± ¡°Then,¡± said Mikoku¡¯s lips. ¡°Who is willing to be broken as my shield?¡± ¡°Each of us is your speaking shield. Over.¡± ¡°Do you feel no hesitation?¡± ¡°Each of us is your speaking doll. Over.¡± ¡°Then.¡± Mikoku opened her mouth. ¡°I will become the emotion needed to swing that sword and shield.¡± As soon as she raised her voice, Sayama saw something. A large, pure white form appeared in the space between him and Noah. It was a mechanical dragon. Harakawa was the first to react. ¡°Is that Alex!?¡± It looked like him, but it was not. It was white to the point of being colorless and it had six wings. ¡°That is my personal craft of the Seraph-class mechanical dragons. Please call it Seraph No. 0. Over.¡± The mechanical dragon spoke with the same voice as Noah. ¡°Alex-sama¡¯s dragon was brought to Low-Gear in the prototype phase and completed there. Seraph No. 0 was also in the prototype phase and completed inside of me. Over.¡± With those words, Seraph No. 0 raised its wings. They contained six large accelerators. Its acceleration was best described as violent. It shot forward as if to circle in front of the advancing Leviathan and its shockwave knocked Thunder Fellow out of the way. The blue mechanical dragon was sent hurtling through the mountainous region¡¯s sky. Kazami saw the pure white mechanical dragon knock Thunder Fellow out of the way and pursue the Leviathan. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous!!¡± Kazami brought G-Sp2 to its third form. The divine lance was a collection of powerful acceleration. At its max speed, she thought she might just outdo Thunder Fellow and catch up, so she pulled her goggles back down. However¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± A pure white god of war suddenly appeared in front of her. ¡­Typhon!?¡± No, it only had two wings. However, its sudden appearance had been accomplished the great acceleration provided by just those two wings. ¡°¡­!¡± All Kazami was able to see were the words ¡°Lords No. 0¡± written on its shoulder as the only patch of non-white, a knife-like blade raised high, and flames spewing out. ¡­Oh, no! She had been caught off guard and G-Sp2 was still in the process of transforming to its third form. She could not attack. However, someone cut in. It was a black god of war. Susamikado charged in like the blowing wind and threw a counter with its right fist. It was willing to destroy its own fist in the attack. The blow should have landed in an instant, but Kazami saw something else. The pure white god of war raised its left hand and easily caught Susamikado¡¯s right fist. The pure white god of war dropped the other god of war¡¯s speed to zero. ¡°Wha-¡­?¡± The surprised voice was Mikage¡¯s. However, the enemy continued to move. It raised its two wings and looked into the sky. ¡°This is as far as you will go. Over.¡± It spoke with a female voice and it vanished. It simply seemed to disappear all of a sudden, but Kazami realized what had happened about three seconds afterwards. High in the sky, a white contrail flew to the east. The enemy had no intention of fighting. It had stopped them from pursuing the Leviathan, but it had enough speed to catch up. It had to be calmly flying through the sky at the moment. ¡­That thing¡¯s mocking us¡­ Kazami clenched her teeth. Susamikado sat there in a daze and Izumo scratched his head from its left hand. ¡°Was that Noah¡¯s defender?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kazami ground her teeth and forced her mouth open. ¡°That¡¯s the last power left to Top-Gear! It¡¯s a weapon meant to control and wield the concepts of all ten Gears. Gods of war, mechanical dragons, automatons, and even the Leviathan are now no different from any old knife!¡± Kazami shouted out while spreading her wings and looked to the eastern sky. ¡°We have to continue pursuit! Japanese UCAT is in trouble!!¡± The Leviathan moved swiftly. After flying over the mountains of Yamanashi and reaching Okutama, the great dragon bent its body to slow down. It bent over and seemed to be peering down at the earth. It turned. Noah¡¯s calculations said it would take thirty-two seconds. The actuators and blocks dividing up its body kept the momentum of its turn to a minimum. Its right half was still not working perfectly, but the evolution and repair abilities given to it were beginning to provide it with even better components. It had a plentiful supply of materials for creating the armor panels, so it could always maintain its optimal form. Also, Noah had been given something wonderful by Mikoku, who could be seen as her captain. She had the foundational data for a high-speed regeneration concept. This was the closest thing to an immortality concept that Top-Gear had created. Combining it with the evolution filled Noah with joy. She could be reunited and joined with something inherited from Top-Gear. So she spoke while turning the Leviathan to point downwards. ¡°Mikoku-sama.¡± She felt this was only natural. ¡°I will become your weapon.¡± Mikoku had given her power and a mission. This mission was much like her own desire, so she did not hesitate. ¡°Please use us as the weapon meant to bring happiness to the world. Make full use of us like a disposable paper cup with no will of its own. Over.¡± As the first step, she would temporarily eliminate what stood in their way without understanding the meaning of the happiness she would bring. Do not worry. We will meet again, she thought as the Leviathan finished turning. It now stood vertically. This position prioritized the power pathways from the reactor in its belly to the main cannon in its mouth. It was at a certain point in the mountains of Okutama west of Tokyo. The runway of Japanese UCAT was located below. A concept space root stretched underground through the Japanese UCAT facility, so only a blast from above could destroy it. The power of the main cannon would be sufficient. Seraph No. 0 and Lords No. 0 returned to the hangar on the top of the Leviathan, so Noah prepared to fire. But then she noticed two things. First, some pursuers were quickly arriving from the western sky. The second concerned the runway directly below. ¡­It¡¯s splitting apart? The asphalt split in two and revealed what lay below: darkness. The abyss there was very different from the sky above. It contained a darkness different from the bluish one of the night. Standing on the Leviathan¡¯s forehead, Mikoku yelled just what appeared in the darkness below the three thousand meter runway. ¡°A cannon!!¡± Noah listened to her. ¡°Did Japanese UCAT prepare this anti-Noah weapon ten years ago!?¡± In the depths of the darkness, a room was embedded in the wall. The room was located next to a staircase continuing up into the dark sky, the placard next to it said ¡°Control Room¡±, and its lights were on. The white room contained a console as well as¡­ ¡°A coffeemaker and an ashtray? Who decorated this place?¡± That comment came from the gray-haired man sitting at the console. Itaru crossed his legs and looked to the coffee cup placed in front of him. Steam rose from the black liquid in the cup, but he did not touch it. ¡°What a pain,¡± he vaguely muttered while looking through the control room¡¯s window. There was a metal wall there. ¡°Good thing I got it up in time. This anti-Noah super cannon is three kilometers long and it was hidden below the runway, taking up the entirety of Japanese UCAT¡¯s seventh basement. It¡¯s called the Babel Hammer.¡± He glanced over at the wire frame representation of the Babel Hammer on the console. The green lines in the black space formed a cannon that resembled an extremely tall tower. ¡°After reverse-sealing Noah ten years ago and realizing Top-Gear never had any intention of invading, we sealed it away as if hiding our sins.¡± The coiling in each section of the Babel Hammer was confirmed on the console and the console gave the signal indicating the cannon was in position. Multiple displays appeared to explain the Babel Hammer¡¯s abilities. It contained only a single bullet given piercing and impact concepts. Only an attack from directly overhead could destroy Japanese UCAT, but that meant this weapon only had to fire straight up. ¡°Compared to Noah, it¡¯s a much simpler and more barbaric weapon. ¡­We can¡¯t exactly complain if Top-Gear says we aren¡¯t on their level, can we?¡± Itaru placed his right hand on the console¡¯s gear. He used his left hand to turn the firing lock key and to press the release button. A targeting image appeared on one of the console¡¯s monitors. A great dragon could be seen with the moon in the background. ¡°Long time no see.¡± With those words, he prepared to pull back on the gear. But in that moment, his body began to tremble and he doubled over. ¡°Kah!¡± What was contained inside him spewed from his mouth. ¡°¡­!?¡± He saw the color red before his eyes. He saw something like a broken mass inside it. ¡°All of a sudden¡­hm?¡± The recoil slammed him into the chair back and he collapsed limply toward the console. With nothing to support him, he fell flat onto the console. A liquid poured from his entire body, but it was not sweat. As the flowing blood covered the console and dripped down to the ground, it dyed even his gray hair a dark red. Blood spilled from his mouth instead of air. At the same time, a warning appeared on the console. In the sky above, the target was preparing to attack. White light gathered in the main cannon located in the great white dragon¡¯s mouth. Itaru, bearer of the cannon, remained silent. ¡°¡­¡± He had no strength. His thoughts had almost entirely cut out. Almost all flesh and blood had been worn away from his body, but¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He unsteadily stood up. His eyes were unfocused, but he spoke someone¡¯s name under his breath. It was a woman¡¯s name. His lips continued to move as his eyes stared off into the distance. ¡°My name¡­is Ooshiro¡­Itaru¡­¡± Blood filled his voice. ¡°I was glad to be¡­on the same team as you upperclassmen¡­¡± He weakly placed a hand on the console¡¯s gear and reached his other hand to the coffee cup on the console. He raised the cup. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± He brought it to his mouth and took a gulp. It had both color and flavor. He swallowed the hot, black liquid. In that instant, strength returned to his gaze and he looked to the cup in surprise. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He closed his eyes. ¡°Grind the beans better, Sf. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be German?¡± With those words, his expression changed. It was not a look of anger or tears. He then collapsed onto the console. The forward motion of his collapse pushed the gear backwards. Itaru fell forward as if diving into his own color. As Thunder Fellow flew in quick pursuit through the western sky, they spotted the enemy. It stood up from the world like a spear or sword connecting the heavens and the earth. ¡°The Leviathan!¡± They were thirteen kilometers away. Thunder Fellow knew it was too soon to fire, but Heo noticed that the Leviathan¡¯s main cannon was glowing in preparation and Sayama spoke from the top of the mechanical dragon. He shouted a single name. ¡°Shinjou-kun!!¡± This was their limit, so Heo fired. The Vesper Cannon was set to primarily provide an impact. It would spread out quite a bit over the thirteen kilometers, but a piercing attack would not alter the Leviathan¡¯s trajectory. However, it was too late. The Leviathan fired sooner than anticipated. It did so while twisting toward the eastern sky as if avoiding something. A moment later, two lights connected the heavens and the earth. The beam of light fired from the earth entered the Leviathan¡¯s right side and left its waist. At the same time, the beam of light fired from the heavens blasted a large hole in the earth. Then the Vesper Cannon¡¯s blast struck the Leviathan on the side. The Leviathan¡¯s right half was blown away, but another major explosion occurred. Within a ten kilometer radius, the mountains of Okutama exploded down to a maximum depth of four kilometers. The ground was destroyed from below and struck the entire surface of the sky. ¡°Shinjou-kun!!¡± Sayama¡¯s yell was drowned out by everything accompanying the destruction. The remote earthquake in western Kantou had a hypocenter only four kilometers deep and the surface received damage as high as 6-Lower on the Shindo scale. However, the earthquake did not spread beyond a radius of about a dozen kilometers and the neighboring regions and cities only experienced shaking at 2 on the Shindo scale. As it was late at night, most of the people living in eastern Okutama were asleep. Nearer to the epicenter, some household belongings collapsed, but no entire homes were destroyed. But in the mountains nearer the epicenter, there were large-scale landslides, all of the roads through Okutama¡¯s mountains were rendered unpassable, and IAI and its cargo runway were entirely buried below the collapsing valley. UCAT was erased below the dirt. Most of those woken by the earthquake heard a few strange facts in the form of sounds. First, a great rumbling in the sky moved eastward as if writhing. Second, a few smaller reverberations fell to the southwest. However, that was all they heard. They all heard it, but none of them saw what had caused it. They did not see what had been lost or what had been blasted into the sky on either side. All that remained was the chilly night sky. Only that empty sky filled with piercing cold. Volume 14, 15: Although You Are Not Here Volume 14, Chapter 15: Although You Are Not Here You are here You are not here In the depths of the night, a quiet electronic tone rang thrice. It came from below a large wooden gate. The gate was located in the center of a fence surrounding a lit home, a woman sat on the curb below the gate, and her wristwatch was beeping. It was Ryouko. The quiet beeping of her watch was not enough for the eyes behind her glasses to look down. She stared up into the dark night sky and let out a white breath. ¡°Will I be able to end this for myself in another hour?¡± she muttered. ¡°How should I put it?¡± She reached for the paper cup of coffee sitting on the curb next to her. The coffee had already gone cold and the hand holding it had gone pale, but she still brought it to her mouth. ¡°Feelings tend to fade with time, but they don¡¯t go away. If you try to create a dividing line with time, things tend not to go well next time.¡± As she spoke, the gate opened and a young man in a suit sat to her right. She turned toward him. ¡°Kouji.¡± She glared at him. ¡°Why were you off doing your job and ignoring your sister?¡± ¡°You were the one that told me to leave this to you!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She frowned. ¡°You just don¡¯t understand how girls try to show off. ¡­What would you do if a girl told you to leave things to her in front of several hundred enemies!?¡± ¡°I would check her past records, her odds of victory, and her catch phrase to see whether I could leave it to her or not.¡± ¡°Wow, that sounded like something a smart person would say! ¡­Become stupid!!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter, but calm down, sister.¡± Ryouko flailed her arms around. ¡°No, no!! I don¡¯t wanna calm down!!¡± ¡°What kind of tantrum is that!?¡± ¡°More importantly, what brings you to your sister¡¯s sanctuary?¡± ¡°Your sanctuary? This is our front gate.¡± ¡°Obviously, everywhere I am automatically becomes a holy site! You really don¡¯t get the elder sister genre, do you!? Is that something pedophiles can¡¯t understand!? Is it!? Daughter of the Takahashi family two houses over! Our Kouji is only interested in girls fourteen or younger, so you¡¯re three years too late!!¡± Kouji responded while hearing breaking plates and glass coming from two houses over. ¡°Please stop spreading nonsense about me! Since when am I a pedophile!?¡± ¡°Eh? Y-you actually want me to tell you? Oh, no. My brother really hasn¡¯t noticed!¡± Ryouko turned to Pes who had walked over. ¡°Right, Pes? Everyone knows that, don¡¯t they? If you agree, then sit. ¡­Sit! See, he sat! Even a dog can tell you¡¯re a pedophile! It¡¯s standard knowledge even in the Animal Prefecture recently added to Japan¡¯s forty-three prefectures!!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to completely ignore that second half, but you clearly commanded him to sit!¡± ¡°Wh-what are you talking about? All I did was say ¡®sit¡¯! That wasn¡¯t a command!¡± Kouji sighed. He faced Pes and spoke in an entirely normal tone of voice to get Pes to stand back up. ¡°Good boy.¡± He waited a few seconds, but Pes would not stand up. After a few more motionless seconds, Ryouko gave a sudden cheer. ¡°Yayyy! I win! The animal compassion trial has found you guilty of pedophile justice (fourteen years of hard labor)!¡± Kouji grabbed Ryouko¡¯s hand. ¡°Ah.¡± She opened her hand without meaning to and some small reddish-brown objects fell from it. Pes scooped the few pieces from the ground with his tongue and ate them. ¡°Sister,¡± said Kouji. ¡°What kind of woman hides dog food in her clothes in the off chance that she can eventually use it to harass her brother!?¡± ¡°This kind right here. ¡­D-don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re denying reality and seeing something completely different!?¡± ¡°I will admit there are times when I imagine an ideal sister and find my head drooping.¡± ¡°Wow! So imagining me makes you lean forward to hide your body¡¯s reaction!?¡± Ryouko blushed and pointed at Kouji with both hands. ¡°Honestly. If I ignore my feelings, that makes me blush! But if I let my feelings in¡­y-you scum! Stop relying on your sister for everything!¡± ¡°It¡¯s kind of amazing how easily you assume you¡¯re the same as someone else¡¯s ideal.¡± Kouji sighed and looked up into the sky. ¡°Where¡¯s Shino-san?¡± ¡°Hm? She isn¡¯t back yet. There was an earthquake earlier, so maybe the trains have stopped.¡± The last train of the night had long since passed. They both knew that, but they discussed it regardless. ¡°Shino-san promised to buy us drinks¡­¡± ¡°Here.¡± Ryouko pulled two drink cans from her pocket. Kouji took them and looked at Ryouko who refused to look him in the eye. She continued to look a little higher than straight ahead. ¡°I got these from Shi-chan. She told me you had taken good care of her. She said you lose a lot of points for being a pedophile, but that there are good hospitals for that so you need to work hard and reform your ways.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ignore that, but I asked her to buy three drinks.¡± Ryouko paused before answering her brother. ¡°I drank the third one, of course. That one was yours.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Kouji stood up. ¡°So Shino-san stopped by?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then why are you still here?¡± ¡°I was seeing her off. And that¡¯s gone into extra innings. We¡¯re tied at the top of the eighteenth and I¡¯m trying to keep pitching for the entire game,¡± she said. ¡°More importantly, has the young master called? It seems like things are a huge mess over in Okutama.¡± ¡°He should be at school today and he¡¯ll call if something happens. He wouldn¡¯t die so easily.¡± ¡°You sure are carefree.¡± Ryouko smiled bitterly. ¡°Well, I guess not.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just not as serious as you.¡± ¡°Sure, sure.¡± She rested her head on her hand. At the same time, a sudden sound came from the sky. The rumbling immediately moved from the northwest and vanished into the south. ¡°What was that?¡± asked Kouji. ¡°It sounded really low to the ground.¡± ¡°A bigger one and a much, much bigger one flew by earlier.¡± Ryouko let out a white breath and looked up into the black sky. ¡°Today¡¯s been weird.¡± She almost seemed to be reciting the words. ¡°I hope nothing happens to the young master and Setsu-chan.¡± The Aki River ran east to west through southern Akigawa and a residential area was located along a series of windy mountains and forests. The residential area was built on the northern slope of a mountain. One of the houses there said ¡°Kazami¡± out front. It was a two-story house and there was no car in the garage. The nearby houses were all asleep. That seemed to be why two people were breaking into the empty Kazami house. The suspicious pair wore white clothes, the girl stood on the second story balcony, and the boy stood in front of the main entrance. The suspicious girl commented on the fact that the balcony window had been carelessly left unlocked. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect any less of me. I thought this might happen, so I forgot to lock up¡± ¡°If you want to take credit, don¡¯t say you ¡®forgot¡¯, Chisato. Besides, you could get up that high with one quick hop using X-Wi.¡± ¡°The light would wake up the neighbors. And we¡¯re wearing white, so we¡¯d stand out, Kaku.¡± ¡°You¡¯re realistic about the weirdest things.¡± Izumo sighed. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it have been easier to head back to the dorm? We wouldn¡¯t even have needed Susamikado to take us here from Okutama.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ It¡¯s true waiting in the dorm would be better than getting in everyone¡¯s way as they work to recover in Okutama.¡± Kazami scratched her head. ¡°But I feel like being at the dorm would bring its own difficulties.¡± Down below, Izumo said nothing and Kazami knew he was urging her to continue. ¡°I mean, if we head back to school, we¡¯d find the schoolyard where Shinjou was hurt and Sayama would be there. I¡¯d feel like we should do something for him or speak with him. I¡¯d just feel like I had to think about too much when it only just happened today¡­or yesterday I guess.¡± Not even twelve hours had passed since Shinjou had been injured. More and more horrible information had been pouring in for a while and she brought up the worst of them all. ¡°So Japanese UCAT is gone?¡± The location of Japanese UCAT and IAI in the mountains of Okutama had collapsed and work was apparently underway to clear the roads. Even now, they could hear the distant sounds of helicopters in the air and vehicles on the roads. It had all been caused by the Leviathan¡¯s main cannon blast. And¡­ ¡­We can¡¯t contact the people who were inside Japanese UCAT. Japanese UCAT had been destroyed, so that was hardly surprising. Due to the Leviathan¡¯s information concealing concept, the people inside would not have realized it was approaching. It was obvious what that meant. The people in that underground space had been annihilated. Not even a trace of them would remain. And they had no way of confirming it since they had vanished like that. ¡°It¡¯s all because we didn¡¯t make it in time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let all that simmer in your mind too much.¡± She nodded at the voice from below, but she could not help but imagine it. Sibyl, Ooki-sensei, Diana, Harakawa¡¯s mother, and Director Tsukuyomi would all have been there. Ooshiro Itaru and Sf would have as well and there would have been plenty of kind and courageous people whose names she did not know. ¡°And Shinjou¡­¡± Kazami had heard Sayama¡¯s roar reverberate into the heavens when Shinjou had been injured. Returning to the dorm had been Sayama¡¯s only option. What would he do once he realized no one was there? What would he do once he realized he had not avoided losing her even after she was saved from the life-carving concept? ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Kazami shook her head. She knew her thoughts had turned in an odd direction. She was no different. She had lost something and so had everyone else. But to her, the day¡¯s entire incident seemed to have begun with Sayama¡¯s roar. ¡­I¡¯ve grown a little unsure what exactly it means to feel sorrow. Should she let out a roar of her own, should she bear with it, or should she simply try to understand it? She was not sure, so she decided to calm down as Izumo had suggested. She opened the window in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± She gave her pointless greeting and for some reason crouched low and removed her shoes before entering. The room was dark, but it was her room. Izumo had never actually been inside it. There was a simple reason for that. ¡°It¡¯s full of things from before I met him.¡± She looked around the dark room, but she relied on her memory more than her sight. The room was mostly built around the stereo system she had had her father buy her when she entered middle school and the bed she had chosen during elementary school. She had left the stereo system and bed behind when going off to high school because she had only brought what would fit in her bag and because a strange sense of independence told her she needed to grow up. She had ultimately transported quite a lot by repeatedly bringing more over in her bag and Izumo had added even more, so things were less clear cut now. Regardless, this was her foundation, so if she did not find it embarrassing, she felt that meant she had not changed. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s cold out here!¡± ¡°Oh, sorry, sorry.¡± She left her room and passed through the small living room on the left to reach the stairway landing. Her father¡¯s study was on the other side. She switched on the stairway light. ¡­Even if the neighbors notice, they won¡¯t suspect anything if I head out and greet them. She walked over to the entranceway and opened the door. She put on a smile and faced Izumo on the other side of the door. ¡°Welcome home.¡± She added in a flirtatious tone. ¡°What will it be first? Dinner? A bath? Or¡­¡± Once she got that far, Izumo gave her a beaming smile, and¡­ ¡°Right in the entranceway!?¡± That was rushing things too much, so she attacked with her right fist. Someone stood in the schoolyard at night. It was Sayama in his white armored uniform. The schoolyard was too large to see the other side and the concept space had already been removed. It was now a normal space containing only the remnants of the year-end festival. There was a wooden tower in the center and empty festival stands along the edges. There was no sign of students or anyone else. ¡­There are no lights on in the school buildings. Everyone must have been worn out from the winter Bon festival the night before, so they had all naturally dispersed to return to their resting places. Sayama looked up into the sky. He saw a single white contrail leading eastward toward Fussa. That was the path along which Thunder Fellow had flown. After taking a look at Okutama, Heo and Harakawa had dropped Sayama off at the school and then left for Yokota. After dropping him off, Harakawa had told him to get some sleep. A good decision, thought Sayama. He had not slept for a while, and¡­ ¡°Shinjou¡­¡± He knew exactly what had happened. Japanese UCAT had been destroyed and everyone inside was gone. He had seen the Leviathan¡¯s attack with his own eyes. American UCAT and the other nearby Japanese branches of UCAT had rushed over, but they were mostly making emergency repairs to and checking on the road and crust. It was not yet possible to check for survivors. It was obvious that Japanese UCAT was lost and there was nothing Sayama and the others could actually do. Fortunately, UCAT Director Ooshiro had escaped the destruction because he had gone with the others to the battle. ¡­He has the luck of a cockroach. However, that had meant he could immediately contact them with instructions and to explain the situation. He had given them a simple task after telling them he would contact them next in the morning. ¡°We are supposed to force ourselves to get some sleep without needlessly visiting the site of the attack.¡± Otherwise, they could not put their emotions in order and they could not accept the truth. And they would not be able to fight. Yes, fight. A battle still awaited them. The Leviathan remained in the sky above Shinjuku, near the center of Tokyo. The Leviathan had taken a direct hit from the great cannon hidden on the lowest level of Japanese UCAT, but it had not been destroyed. It had taken such a powerful attack, but it was working to fully heal that injury. It remained inside a Concept Space. The wide-range concept space production device in the Kanda Laboratory had forcibly grasped the one destroyed by the Leviathan¡¯s attack and guided it into the sky above Shinjuku Station. The massive concept space covered the eastern half of Tokyo. The Kanda Laboratory¡¯s personnel had been evacuated and eight duplicate devices were being used to trap the Leviathan. The reports said it was not moving. It was imprisoned in the concept space, but it was rapidly healing its wounds. It possessed the power of all negative concepts, so it had more than enough power to escape if it wanted to. Regardless, it remained curled up in the sky above Tokyo and it continued to evolve. It did not try to move and Sayama knew why. ¡­It knows no one here can hope to oppose it. And¡­ ¡­It¡¯s more focused on changing the world than on some puny enemy. The Leviathan was creating the positive concepts corresponding to the negative concepts. Once that was complete, it would create a concept to make the world immortal and it would self-destruct. That powerful dragon would stay where it was and accomplish what it wished to do. It had easily evolved and recovered from attacks made by Concept Core weapons. Next time, its defenses would be powerful enough to endure a direct hit from G-Sp2¡¯s divine dragon and the Vesper Cannon. Its speed would surpass all else and its attacks would pierce through anything. It was a massive weapon worthy of changing the world. That was the enemy they had to fight. That was the enemy they had to prepare for. And that was why Ooshiro had told them to get some sleep. Harakawa had told him to do the same thing. ¡°But¡­will I be able to sleep?¡± Sayama looked to the school building. ¡°When I wake up, won¡¯t the destruction of Japanese UCAT be confirmed and won¡¯t I be forced to accept everything that has happened? ¡­I am still not ready for that.¡± He took a breath. ¡°I am not ready to accept that nothing remains of Shinjou-kun.¡± He faced forward. As he walked toward the school building, he turned his gaze to his surroundings. ¡°Ahh,¡± he muttered. ¡°Someone¡­¡± His voice was swept away by the wind. ¡°Isn¡¯t someone still having a festival? Can¡¯t someone distract me?¡± He continued walking through the abandoned field. ¡°It hurts.¡± He squeezed out his voice and held his chest with his right hand. ¡°It hurts knowing you are nowhere to be found, Shinjou-kun.¡± A festival was underway below the night sky. A giant form floated three thousand meters above Shinjuku Station. It curled up as if asleep and looked down on the festival below. The festival was the night scenery of the city. It was early morning on Christmas Eve. Lights filled the city around the station. The roundabout and arcade were decorated with a tree and lights. Winter break had begun for the students and not many people were visible on the streets, but a lot of the homes had lights on in their windows and a lot of people were still visible in the windows of family-oriented restaurants. However, all of the people were only pale, transparent blue shadows. They were only shadows of the outside world visible in the concept space. The form looking down on them was a fifteen kilometer dragon. Its body would stretch from Shinjuku to Mitaka, but it was curled up in a space of five kilometers by five kilometers. Its six wings were wrapped around itself and two people stood on its lowered head. These people were more than shadows. One was a girl wearing a black armored uniform and the other was an automaton with twelve pure white wings. The automaton pointed to the southeast. ¡°Mikoku-sama, what are those lights? Over.¡± Mikoku looked to the light in the distance. ¡°That is¡­Tokyo Tower. You should know that. You have a map in your head.¡± ¡°This is my first time seeing Low-Gear¡¯s Tokyo. Over.¡± ¡°I am not all that familiar with Low-Gear¡¯s scenery either.¡± ¡°It is pretty. Over.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Mikoku. She sat on the Leviathan¡¯s head, lightly tapped its armor with her palm, and looked to Noah. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this? ¡­If you create a world, you will disappear, too. You, me, and this world will disappear and then be brought back to life.¡± ¡°But I have only one joy. Over.¡± Noah spoke as Mikoku watched. ¡°The new world is my only desire. Over.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Mikoku nodded and lowered her gaze. A glass cage had formed on the Leviathan¡¯s head. ¡°The ejection point for the concept extraction¡­¡± The Leviathan had been made new through evolution. Just like its main cannon, this device used all of the channels in its body to focus its power on a single point. A girl was inside the cage. She wore white clothing and floated within dark blue light. ¡°Shino-sama,¡± said Noah. ¡°She will be the first brought back to life. So¡­¡± Noah searched for the right words. ¡°Do not worry, Mikoku-sama. Over.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Mikoku nodded and looked down at the brightly-lit false city. It was filled with the lights of a festival. ¡°You will finish creating the positive concepts tomorrow, on the twenty-fifth. All we can do is wait until then for the new world.¡± ¡°Is waiting that much trouble? Over.¡± ¡°I will be fine. I can distract myself by watching the festival.¡± ¡°Really?¡± asked Noah without forgetting to add ¡°over¡±. After a moment, she gave a hesitating suggestion. ¡°Would you like to play shiritori? Over.¡± ¡°Shiritori? ¡­Oh, we did used to play that, didn¡¯t we? You still want to do that?¡± ¡°Testament,¡± replied Noah. ¡°My creator taught me that game. Over.¡± Noah spoke quietly to Mikoku. ¡°Everyone was so kind. Over.¡± Sayama was in the dark Kinugasa Library. He had considered returning to the dorm, but his feet had taken him to the library as he passed the school building. He had somewhat set the dorm as his final destination. That was where he had the most memories. If he went there right away, he felt like he would be crushed under the weight of those memories. He had decided to ease himself into his memories. He recalled the past as he walked. He thought back to the spring. Whenever he had gone to sleep, Shinjou would climb up onto his bed to wake him. Some accidents had occurred and he had ended up seeing her butt and pulling on her underwear. He had not quite known if she was Setsu or Sadame at the time, so on a few occasions, he had considered pulling down her underwear as she slept or focused his mind in the off chance he had awoken to the psychic power to see through her underwear. Unfortunately, his training had been insufficient and Shinjou had confessed before his powers had manifested. ¡­That takes me back. A lot had happened during the summer and fall too, but he decided to immerse himself in those memories once he returned to the dorm. Still, he did remember how abnormally cute she had been at the end of summer when she had tried on her swimsuit one last time before putting it away for the year. She had even posed in front of the mirror. Watching her from hiding had truly warmed his heart. She had knocked him to the ground once she noticed him, of course. ¡­That really does take me back. He then realized he would never be able to touch her again. ¡°Shinjou-kun¡­¡± ¡­Could I imagine this library wall is Shinjou-kun? He tried touching it. He placed his hand on the concrete wall and imagined the roundness. ¡°Shinjou-kun!¡± He tried for three seconds before giving up. It was no use. Imagination was not an adequate substitute for some things. Especially when his impatience had led him to overlook the elementary fact that concrete was hard and cold. ¡­I really should have made a plaster mold of her. Was some sixth sense at work when I felt the need to do that? he wondered. Suddenly, he realized he was alone in the library. ¡°¡­¡± He fell silent and sat in a nearby chair. The day before last, they had held a meeting and trial in the library and Shinjou had rushed in at the very last moment to save him. That was the very opposite of the situation during the Army¡¯s attack, he thought. ¡°I really do think the two of us are well-balanced opposites,¡± he muttered. ¡°I am so serious, pure, and moral, but you still find a way to naturally seduce me. It was wonderful how you would cheer me on even as I lost myself in your charm.¡± He sighed and looked up to the ceiling. He decided he would head to their classroom, leave through the emergency exit, and then maybe visit the cafeteria before returning to the dorm. He removed Georgius from his left hand, spread his fingers, and looked to the ring there. Shinjou had placed it there the day before last. It was the final thing she had given him that had a physical form. His gaze dropped to Georgius. ¡°I wish I could have told you that Georgius¡¯s will was based on your father.¡± He removed the other Georgius as well, placed them both on the desk in front of him, and finally lowered his head. ¡°Father, I am sorry.¡± He kept his head lowered for a full five seconds, breathed in, and looked back up. He took both Georgiuses and stood up within the empty library. But suddenly¡­ ¡°?¡± He spotted a certain color in the dark library. That color was white. It was sitting on a desk in the area designated as a rest area. ¡°A stack of paper?¡± He remembered the day before when Shinjou had told him to wait and he remembered what she had been doing. ¡­Her novel. He ran over on reflex. His leg slammed into a chair he had overlooked and his swinging arm collided with a desk in the darkness, but he did not even feel the pain. ¡°Shinjou-kun!!¡± He arrived at the desk and grabbed the stack in both hands. He grabbed what Shinjou had created and left here. Volume 14, 16: Wiping Away Unease Volume 14, Chapter 16: Wiping Away Unease There is only one way It is neither awkward nor skillful All you must do is not let go Sayama thought the novel was good. That was different from calling it enjoyable. Feeling sad or angry were not exactly enjoyable things. Those feelings and others it gave him were what led him to call it good. He read it in the library, in the hallway, in the classroom, in the emergency exit landing, in the empty cafeteria, and pretty much anywhere. He even read it while walking around outside. If he had been in a train, he would likely have read it without holding onto the hanging strap and without paying any attention to the scenery around him. He would have leaned forward when he was supposed to focus, he would have grown angry when he was supposed to feel anger, and he would have laughed despite the people around him when he was supposed to laugh. It was that kind of good novel. He read through it carefully. This was Shinjou¡¯s novel and it was what she had left with him, but those thoughts did not even enter his head. He tidily read through it while only flipping back to check on the foreshadowing. Sayama was the type to read just about anything, but that was why he had a certain rule. ¡­I can only read this book for the first time once. It was a simple fact. Everyone could only read any book for the first time just once. Because he would read just about anything, Sayama felt he could never forget what it meant to read something for the first time. He could not casually skim through it. However, a good book still made the reader want to read through it as quickly as possible. That was the kind of novel this was. It was the story of a boy negotiating with eleven worlds and guiding them to a new world. The protagonist boy had an awfully strange personality. He was disagreeable and he would suddenly grow perverted or insane, so Sayama could not help but wonder what was wrong with his brain. He especially thought the protagonist boy went too far when he thrice pulled on one of the heroine¡¯s body parts in the bath. ¡­But this must be well written. For some reason, it is really easy to identify with him! The heroine was clearly Shinjou herself. Then was the protagonist modeled after Sayama? ¡­I feel like she gave me some horrible characteristics here. But that likely showed how comfortable she was with him. He could feel a connection to her even in those subtle facts, so he gave a satisfied sigh. It was an interesting story. Unable to contain his emotions any longer, Sayama read what Shinjou had created. This was what she had made. If it was something that only she could have made¡­ ¡­Then you could call this a part of her. No¡­ If the novel contained many things, including what had happened when they met and what had happened afterwards¡­ ¡°Could you call this another version of her?¡± It had no physical body, but it contained the will that had moved her body and produced her words. So Sayama responded in kind. He conversed with the will inside the book. There was nothing strange about it. There was a will contained inside the book, so it would have been even stranger had he stayed silent and still when that will moved him to emotion. He would not gain anything by holding back. Shinjou had often spoken to herself and smiled while playing video games. She had moved the controller and her body as one, and when her character died¡­ ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Or when she won¡­ ¡°Yes!¡± And when she got worked up¡­ ¡°Achohhh!!¡± When he thought about it, he had a feeling she was always shouting, but that was cute too. When she grew especially focused and got careless with the hem of her shirt, her cuteness would double and create a heat island in his heart. ¡­Splendid. Sayama read the novel as he recalled that. Sometimes, an interesting turn-of-events would surprise him. ¡°Ha ha. I never thought of that.¡± Sometimes, he would get lost in thought. ¡°Hm¡­ That was a good question.¡± Sometimes, those thoughts would all be cleared away. ¡°How thrilling!¡± Sometimes, he would feel sadness or joy. ¡°Ahh, what a good story.¡± For him, reading through the words and turning the pages was not a means of finishing the book. He was placing himself on an equal level with the book. Books required someone to create them. They could not be planted in the ground to make them grow on their own. Sayama distinctly sensed Shinjou¡¯s presence in the written words and what they showed him. He felt like she was holding his hand without letting go. She squeezed his hand to tell him she was there, but she did not squeeze too hard. What she wanted to tell him was written there. ¡°I¡­¡± He read it. She spoke to him. ¡°Will you always be by my side?¡± ¡°Yes, I promise. I will always be by your side.¡± She breathed a sigh of relief at his words. And that seemed to be why he asked her about it. ¡°Why did you just sigh in relief?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± she responded. After a pause, she realized what the question meant. ¡°Oh. I was just thinking how happy I am that you promised that.¡± She smiled. ¡°Even if we¡¯re separated or alone, I¡¯ll never be unhappy because I know someone promised me that.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really. If there¡¯s someone who promised me that, then even when I¡¯m alone¡­I know I¡¯m the one who can always be with that person.¡± She bent her eyes in a smile as she answered. ¡°I wish someone would have told me this when I was alone so long ago. I wish someone would have told me that, even though I was alone at the time, I would find someone I could be with and that only I could be with.¡± She then asked him something. ¡°Hey, will you be with me forever?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°Then,¡± she asked. ¡°Will you¡­always be happy, too?¡± Sayama finished reading the novel. Up ahead, he saw a dark hallway and that hallway¡¯s wall. There was a steel door there. It contained the number of their room. He reached for the knob and found it was locked. He held the book in one hand, the key in the other, and opened the door. The door-shaped rectangle of darkness revealed an empty room, but¡­ ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°I promised I would always be with you.¡± He squeezed the novel he held in one arm. He breathed in. ¡°I am back, Shinjou-kun. Back to our home.¡± He then entered the empty room and silently yet strongly closed the door. Sayama observed the dorm room. It was dark. The only light was the moonlight, so the window shined with a dark bluish light. The desk was the same as when he had left the day before. He looked to the right wall, but there was no sign of the closet having been opened. He looked to the bed on the left¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± No one was sleeping on Shinjou¡¯s bed. The blanket was untouched after the bed had been made. But he approached her bed and placed Baku on the blanket. When he set Shinjou¡¯s novel next to the pillow, he felt like she was actually there. He pressed his face into the bed and sniffed at the surface like a dog. He lay there motionless for about three minutes before slowly getting up. He did not bother fixing his disheveled hair. ¡°Anymore would be a waste. ¡­I need to seal it up to preserve it as is. Then I need to have the international UCATs arrange to register it as a World Heritage Site.¡± For the time being, he sat courteously on the floor. ¡°This is quite the tea ceremony.¡± He bowed and got back up. He stood up, tossed his coat on the desk by the window, and removed his vest. He took off his shoes, picked Baku up from the bed, and placed him on the desk. ¡°How much energy will I have after getting some sleep?¡± He was worried yet a little hopeful as he climbed the ladder toward his own bed. As soon as his head rose to the same level as his bed, he found a butt. There was a butt in front of him. To be classier, it was a derri¨¨re and it was not wearing any underwear. ¡°Is this¡­?¡± It was lying on its side and split in two. Calm down, he told himself. You just read Shinjou-kun¡¯s novel and your heart was shifting from depression to excitement. The blood must be rushing to the right side of your brain. This is most likely a hallucination. ¡­No. I would not be hallucinating, he decided. ¡°Then is the butt god thanking me for my devotion to the butt spirit?¡± ¡­That would mean this is not an imaginary hallucination! It is the astral body of the butt god! Touching a spirit required great mental strength, so Sayama checked on his remaining MP. ¡­It is at four digits, so I have enough to take a major hit! Without thinking, he clenched his left fist and shook it up and down, but then he realized something. The butt had legs and the bottom of a shirt rested at the top. ¡°¡­?¡± He could tell the owner of the butt had turned in their sleep, sticking their hips out from below the blanket. Some clothing was folded up by the pillow, but it appeared to be a hospital gown. That could only mean one thing. ¡°Is the butt god ill?¡± Baku frantically shook his head on the desk, but Sayama ignored him. That was when the curves bent before his eyes. ¡°Nn¡­¡± With a nasal groan, the body squirmed. It curled up to hide within the blanket, but it was too sleepy to actually pull the blanket over its hips. As a result, the butt gently poked out toward Sayama. He really, really wanted to touch it, but he shook his head. ¡°How could I even think of touching the butt god out of mere curiosity or idle interest?¡± ¡°Nnah¡­¡± The body squirmed again and the two round pieces of flesh bent a little more. So out of mere curiosity and idle interest, Sayama reached out and vocalized his action. ¡°Touch.¡± ¡°Waaaaaaahhh!?¡± The blanket shot up and the person underneath bent backwards. Their head rushed toward the bookshelf by the head of the bed, the books toppled over, and the suit hanging from the ceiling was knocked down on top of the person. ¡°Wh-wh-what!? What!? A monster!? A super monster!? Or an airstrike!?¡± Sayama saw who frantically dug themselves out from the pile of books and the suit. ¡°Shinjou¡­-kun?¡± Sayama called out to her, but she was too panicked to notice. Her eyes must not have adjusted to the dark because she frantically looked around. ¡°A-a molester!? O-or what? What? ¡­The enemy!?¡± Perhaps for self-defense, she pulled cutting charms from somewhere and held one in either hand. Sayama had difficulty grasping the situation. ¡­Why? Japanese UCAT had been destroyed. So why was Shinjou here? Was this a hallucination? Except the sensation when he touched her had been real. Then what was going on? He thought about it but found no answer. He looked to Shinjou who was in a complete panic. He smiled and told her to calm down. ¡°Ha ha ha. Calm down.¡± She raised her head in surprise and looked left and right with her unadjusted eyes. ¡°Wh-where!? Where are you!?¡± Sayama nodded at her question and spread his arms invitingly on the ladder. ¡°I am right here, Shinjou-kun!¡± ¡°There you are!!¡± A horizontal line of a cutting concept silently flew toward him. He quickly removed his feet from the ladder, fell three rungs down, and let the cutting power sweep by above him. The thick curtains to the two-level closet behind him were easily cut. That one strike would have easily beheaded him. Then he heard Shinjou from the bed above. ¡°I missed!? Th-then once more! Once morrrre! Do your best, power of the headhunters! ¡°W-wait! Stop acting like some strange leader and calm down, Shinjou-kun!¡± Sayama turned on the lights. He heard a cry and the creaking of someone squirming on the bed, so he sighed. After settling his feelings, he climbed the ladder. He once more found the girl surrounded by a suit and books on the bed. ¡°Shinjou-kun?¡± He saw Shinjou holding her unbuttoned shirt to her chest and between the legs. She raised her knees and frowned, but she seemed to have noticed him. ¡°Sayama¡­-kun?¡± They then spoke in unison. ¡°What is going on?¡± After a while, they both reached the same conclusion. ¡°We need to calm down.¡± They both nodded at once and lowered their shoulders. Sayama climbed onto the bed and sat in front of Shinjou. The suit and books were scattered around them, but this was no time to worry about that. He simply wanted to determine whether the person in front of him was real or not. ¡°Shinjou-kun, may I touch you?¡± ¡°That was sudden. Are you okay?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. A quick touch was nowhere near enough. I want to touch you more.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not okay at all!!¡± She got mad, but this was the usual pattern. So¡­ ¡°What does this mean?¡± he asked. Shinjou tilted her head. ¡°That¡¯s what I want to know.¡± She tilted her head even more. ¡°What happened to the battle with Mikoku-san? And I was in the schoolyard, so why¡­?¡± With that, she seemed to realize where she was. ¡°Huh?¡± She brought a hand to her forehead and glanced toward Sayama. ¡°Why¡­am I here?¡± He did not answer that question. He had no way of knowing the answer. But he gave into the fact that she knew she was here. He placed his knees down in front of him, embraced Shinjou as she turned around, and fell onto the bed with her. ¡°Ah.¡± He simply gave her a deep, deep embrace. He did not let go. He did not loosen his grip. He felt like she would leave him if he did, so he held her tightly in his arms. She shrank down in his arms and his chest, she briefly breathed in, and she relaxed. ¡°U-um¡­Sayama-kun? I¡¯m cold.¡± Nevertheless, the warmth he felt from her seemed more important. He lifted his head and placed his arms into her shirt and along her sides. He embraced her slender back. An ¡°ah¡± escaped her lips, so he sealed them with his own. ¡°Nnah¡­. S-Sayama-kun. W-wait, um¡­¡± Sayama did not feel sorry for what he had done. He only felt thankful for her presence and he confirmed that presence with the things only he could do to her. His arms embraced her flesh, so he placed his lips on hers, touched her with his tongue, and pressed his neck and cheek against her. When he removed his lips from hers, she let out a breath and went limp. He saw her flushed cheeks, her unresisting arms, and her body unhidden by her partially-removed clothing. Her expression was filled with confusion and joy. ¡°Wh-what happened? Were you really worried about me?¡± ¡°No.¡± Sayama shook his head as she lowered the ends of her eyebrows. ¡°I was just about to conclude that I needed to think of a next step for our relationship.¡± ¡°You mean¡­?¡± ¡°To put it softly, I will express it with my voice. I would use my imagination to go ¡®nwah¡¯ or use pictures to go ¡®fnh¡¯.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a pretty awful way of putting it softly.¡± But Shinjou seemed to have understood what he meant. ¡°I see,¡± she said while curling up and nodding. ¡°So that dream was real.¡± ¡°Dream?¡± ¡°Yes, it was a strange dream¡­with a strange old man.¡± She suddenly laughed bitterly. ¡°Looking back, that was your grandfather and mother. They looked just like they did in the pictures and those dreams of the past.¡± ¡°That truly is a bizarre dream.¡± ¡°But¡­they were nice people.¡± It sounded as if she were treating the dream like it was real. ¡°And? Um¡­¡± She slowly spread her legs as if to accept his body and her right hand reached for his cheek. ¡°Hey, did you notice?¡± She took a breath. ¡°You¡¯re crying right now.¡± Am I? he wondered as a drop also fell from the corner of Shinjou¡¯s eye and toward her ear. ¡°Are you hurting, Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°No¡­I am not, Shinjou-kun. Because you are with me.¡± ¡°I see,¡± she said. ¡°Then why are you crying? And why am I crying?¡± She laughed and placed her hand around his shoulder. Her face grew even redder. ¡°U-um? Sayama-kun? This might be sudden, but what day is it?¡± ¡°December 24. It is early morning, though.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She took a while to continue. ¡°Itaru-san was the one to tell me a long time ago, but today¡¯s my birthday.¡± ¡°Mine too.¡± Those two words seemed to drop down toward her and she moved away from him a little bit. ¡°Eh? ¡­Ehh?¡± ¡°Why are you surprised? Seeing you again is such a wonderful present.¡± ¡°S-seeing me isn¡¯t worth that much, you know?¡± ¡°But it is,¡± he insisted. ¡°I, Sayama Mikoto, will head to the Diet this very morning and propose that today be made our own holiday. We can call it the Seeing Shinjou-kun Day. ¡­How about it? We can abbreviate it as SS Day.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think the Germans would like that very much.¡± ¡°Probably not,¡± he agreed before thinking a bit. ¡°Do you have a present for me?¡± When she shook her head, he realized he had to give her something no matter what. But she glared back at him. ¡°Are you thinking something dangerous?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± he said before suddenly adding something else. ¡°Can I ask one thing?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Well. Instead of getting a present, I would like to check on you. I want to make sure you are really here.¡± Will she be opposed to that? he wondered. But she nodded even if hesitantly. She then looked him in the eye and nodded again. ¡°I want to check to make sure you¡¯re here too.¡± Kazami was taking a shower. Her parents were out. They seemed to have a job in the city center. ¡­Come to think of it, they said something about a Christmas concert a while back. There was a possibility her mother would sing again. Would she finally end her ban on singing? Kazami felt that would be a wonderful thing. She held her wet hair between her hands to let the shampoo soak in. She then brushed her hair upwards to even it out, wet it, and let it foam up. ¡­Maybe I should make some food once I¡¯m done in here. After entering the house and managing to relax, Izumo had turned on the TV to check the news about Okutama, so she had gone to take a shower as if purifying herself. He would probably take a shower next, so she could fix up a quick late-night meal for when he got out. She had already checked the contents of the fridge. Since they had been leaving for a bit, her parents had mostly left only the food that would keep, but there was always some leftover rice in there somewhere. There had also been two or three eggs that would last a few days. After thawing out the rice, she could throw in some wieners and eggs for chazuke or she could make a quick zosui. Given the amount of rice, she could also make fried rice. Something occurred to her after thinking that far. ¡°I¡¯m staying pretty positive.¡± She smiled bitterly. Despite everything that had happened, she could not argue with her empty stomach. She was worried about everyone who had been at Japanese UCAT, but there was nothing she could do at the moment. In that case, would it be best to eat what she could and get some rest? She did not know. She did know that she would start to feel tired if she ate and rested. Staying awake would show how worried she was for the others, but¡­ ¡­Would everyone want me to get so little sleep I can¡¯t do anything right? Was that just an excuse coming from her exhaustion? She did not know and she had no way of answering. She only knew she had climbed onto the three-stage catapult of a bath, food, and sleep. ¡­Instead of staying awake today, I¡¯ll get moving tomorrow. With that decided, she placed her head under the hot water and slapped her cheeks. ¡°That¡¯s what it means to stay positive!!¡± She looked up, and¡­ ¡°That¡¯s my Chisato!!¡± Izumo opened the door and stepped inside. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± The situation was so sudden. She was unable to react properly and she simply covered her body with her arms to protect herself. Izumo gave her a relaxed smile. ¡°Huh? Fancy meeting you here, Chisato.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell such blatant lies!!¡± A right roundhouse kick knocked Izumo into the empty bathtub. Shinjou was kissed by Sayama. She was in Sadame¡¯s body. The room¡¯s lights were still on as her shirt was removed. Sayama checked over her entire body. The room was lit, but he seemed to want to confirm the shape of her body by touch. His hands touched her and pushed down to confirm there was something below the skin. He massaged her and his lips crawled across her. ¡°S-Sayama-kun¡­ Y-you¡¯re pretty obscene, you know?¡± ¡°No, I am merely checking on you, Shinjou-kun. ¡­It is all this hand¡¯s fault! This hand! Now, Shinjou-kun, hit this hand for me! Give it a thorough flogging with your butt or chest!¡± ¡°You¡¯re good at getting worked up over the most meaningless things.¡± Meanwhile, she squirmed as he touched her. When she moaned and twisted her arm, the arm touched one of the fallen books. It was lying on Sayama¡¯s suit which was laid out below her. ¡°U-um, Sayama-kun, your suit.¡± ¡°You want to spice things up with the suit!? Testament, then let us move below the light. ¡­More light!¡± He started to get up, so she grabbed him with her legs to pull him back down. He lost his balance and lay back on top of her. She twisted her sweaty body to catch his strength. ¡°Um? That¡¯s not what I meant. Will the books and suit¡­be okay?¡± ¡°Anything lying below you counts as a bed, Shinjou-kun.¡± Is that how it works? she wondered as he suddenly smiled. ¡°I read your novel.¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± That was the first she had heard of that. Her body temperature quickly reached a boil. The words ¡°wah¡± and ¡°wait¡± came to mind, but he spoke first. ¡°It seems you enjoy it¡­when you are kissed.¡± ¡°No, um, wait. Uh¡­¡± ¡°You say you do not like it¡­but you cannot resist, can you?¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s um¡­that¡¯s what you call fiction.¡± Her flustered comment made him smile. ¡°Ha ha ha. Yes, it would be fiction, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Um, y-yes. It¡¯s fiction! Fiction!¡± Sayama laughed some more and immediately pulled her in close. ¡°But we must not forget the ¡®non¡¯ that precedes it.¡± Before she could even cry out, his fingertip entered her navel. It felt like his finger was reaching deep within her belly. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Her hips jumped up in surprise and she managed to keep her lower half in a sitting position. ¡°Ah¡­hee.¡± She caught her breath and Sayama tilted his head. ¡°How strange¡­ That reaction was supposed to be fictional.¡± ¡°S-Sayama-kun, quit teasing me!¡± ¡°I am not teasing you, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Th-then what are you doing?¡± He thought a bit before answering. ¡°I am crossing the boundary between fiction and nonfiction.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a really ordinary way of being ridiculous.¡± As she spoke, she felt his fingers arriving below her navel. ¡°Ah.¡± His fingers moved both quickly and slowly down her raised belly and gave a knock on the very bottom. ¡°Nn.¡± When his fingers tapped softly and probingly, her voice just about left her, but her lips were covered up. While she was unable to breathe, his fingers checked on the curves at the very bottom of her belly. ¡°Ah¡­¡± He stroked his fingers up and down. She gave another monosyllabic cry and breathed in through the airway opened by leaning back her head. ¡°S-Sayama-kun¡­ Th-that¡¯s indecent.¡± ¡°Hm, then let us arrange the environment to make it more decent. ¡­Would you like to listen to an educational radio program? I believe they are having a direct competition on a rerun of the social studies program ¡®Unemployed Old Man¡¯.¡± ¡°That would just make me sad.¡± ¡°And after you asked for it yourself? What a selfish child.¡± Hearing that made her smile and laugh bitterly. With her hips still raised, she gave herself in to Sayama¡¯s lips and stroking hand. His lips lowered to her chest, sucked, and then pecked at various parts of her body. His fingers continued stroking and pressing in on her. She wanted to resist the trembling ticklishness that created, but she only shook her waist a little since moving away would have been a shame. But when she leaned her body back, his fingers were accepted inside as he stroked upwards. ¡°¡­Hyah.¡± She frantically tried to move her body back, but he stroked and swept his fingers upwards and repeated the action again and again. It was like he was repeatedly knocking her body back upwards. ¡°¡­!¡± The repeated upwards action caused her to tremble and she tried to catch her breath. But just then, he moved his fingers even more strongly, except this time he pushed the wetness down and back. The sudden reversal of the movement and the feeling of the fingers so far down caused Shinjou to tremble and gasp in surprise. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± For a while, she felt as if something were leaving her body. The next thing she knew, he had grabbed the hands extended by her side and he pulled her down. This was the opposite of before. Sayama was down between her legs. She was sitting with her legs spread, his arms were pulling her forward by the butt, and her arched belly and hips were thrust out toward him. At some point, his stroking fingers had been replaced by his damp lips and tongue. ¡°Ah, S-Sayama-kun, that¡¯s embarrassing¡­¡± When he said nothing, she grew a little afraid and the throbbing she felt produced an honest cry. ¡°S-say something, Sayama-kun. Please¡­¡± ¡°On¡¯t orry. Ere¡¯s othing oo orry about Injou-un.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk with your mouth still on me!!¡± He pulled on her hands and she leaned back enough for her butt to rise from the bed. She was offering up her defenseless self to his mouth. She cried out as he reached deep inside her, but she eventually was unable to even do that. ¡°¡­Nn.¡± A long tremor ran through her body and, when she came to her senses again, her body was limp. She breathed out, looked up, and found him there. ¡°Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± He nodded at her questioning breath. ¡°Are you there?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± She answered and turned her body to face him. Aware of his warm breath, she got up and moved toward him. ¡°U-um?¡± She spoke with the ends of her eyebrows lowered and a hand held up to her lips. ¡°You were worried about me, weren¡¯t you? So, um¡­ first, I¡¯ll show you for sure that I¡¯m here. And this time, I¡¯ll go first after that too, okay?¡± Before he could stop her, she touched him herself. She showed him she was there using the reverse of the method he had just used on her. She brought her lips in close and stroked with her tongue. ¡°Sayama-kun¡­ You can do what you want to me, okay? You¡¯ve saved my life so many times, so this is my present¡­this is Sadame¡¯s present to you.¡± She felt him stroke her hair and she felt a dampness on her lips as she took him into her mouth. ¡°Sayama-kun, don¡¯t hesitate to give me something, okay?¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± She nodded, shook her body, and looked up at him. ¡°I¡¯ll show you that I¡¯m here. As the reverse of before, I¡¯ll accept you¡­and accept you inside. So afterwards, you show me that you¡¯re here, okay?¡± An intense sound shook the Kazami house¡¯s bathroom. It came from Izumo who had fallen into the bathtub while spinning. ¡°Ow, ow, ow, ow! What the hell are you doing!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line!! You surprise peeping tom!!¡± Kazami switched the shower¡¯s mode from ¡°normal¡± to ¡°direct fire¡± to ¡°warship¡±, turned the water temperature to cold, and fired. The water attack was powerful enough to create a mist and Izumo shouted from beyond the spray. ¡°How in the world was that peeping!? And stop! Seriously stop, Chisato!¡± ¡°Will you apologize!?¡± ¡°Your body sure is beautiful.¡± She clicked her tongue, switched the water to a lighter mode, wrapped a towel around herself, and sighed. ¡­What is he thinking at a time like this? She found Izumo looking up at her with an elbow on the edge of the bathtub. ¡°Feeling better?¡± ¡°Well, I guess.¡± She gave another deep sigh, sat on the edge of the bathtub, and rested her own head on her hand. ¡°What were you thinking? And why is your head full of dirty things at a time like this!?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± He lowered his head a little, looked up at the ceiling, and slowly answered. ¡°You¡¯d be in trouble if you were alone.¡± She felt her cheeks flush at how spot on his answer was, so she looked away. ¡°That isn¡¯t true.¡± ¡°Then,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to get worked up right now. It isn¡¯t our turn to act.¡± ¡°But!¡± She turned around and remembered why she was getting so worked up. She remembered so many people¡¯s faces and realized this was not good. ¡°But¡­¡± She trailed off and her vision blurred. ¡°Ahh, sorry, sorry. I said too much, didn¡¯t I?¡± He reached over, grabbed the shower, and sprayed lukewarm water over her head. Her bangs created a wet black shadow that completely covered her face. The water flowed down her face, leaving only her trembling voice. ¡°I don¡¯t like this¡­ I don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. This was my fault.¡± ¡°It was.¡± Her shoulders shook and she breathed in as if to wash her downturned mouth with the water. ¡°This was¡­all your fault.¡± ¡°Sure, sure, sure. It was my fault. All mine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s always you. It¡¯s always your fault. You¡¯re always perverted, you¡¯re undisciplined, you eat too much, you buy things impulsively, and you collect strange magazines¡­ Ahh, now I¡¯m getting mad!¡± ¡°Wait, wait. I think your anger gauge is rising on its own, Chisato.¡± ¡°And whose fault is that?¡± He suddenly brushed up her bangs. She looked up through the stream of water with one eye and saw Izumo peering down at her. ¡°Just say it¡¯s my fault. That¡¯s your special privilege.¡± ¡°A-and you¡¯re fine with that? Really?¡¯ ¡°Sure.¡± He thought for a moment. ¡°Because you always apologize afterwards.¡± She paused for a moment when she heard that. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She smiled bitterly. That¡¯s true, she thought and so she exhaled. ¡°Sorry.¡± She pressed her cheek against his chest as she spoke. ¡°It¡¯s painful for you too, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. You don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± ¡°Really? Why?¡± It took a while, but he finally answered. ¡°When my mom died, I thought nothing could ever be more painful. And after that, I got you by my side.¡± So¡­ ¡°If anything really painful happens to me, it¡¯ll be when you aren¡¯t with me, so¡­you don¡¯t need to worry about me. And since I don¡¯t have to worry about you either, it isn¡¯t as painful, right?¡± She was speechless, but he continued right on. ¡°It¡¯s the same if you do lose someone. We know we at least didn¡¯t make them feel the pain of losing us and that¡¯s gotta be a really good thing.¡± ¡°B-but¡­!¡± She wanted to say something. She could not think of anything to say, but she still wanted to say something. That was when Izumo placed his hand on her hair and gave a bitter laugh. ¡°Let¡¯s just leave it at that. ¡­You can¡¯t survive just by sitting around, so you did good, Chisato. At the very least, you kept anyone from hurting because of you. Right?¡± She responded to that question by rising up along his chest and wrapping her arms around his neck. ¡°You¡¯re so stupid,¡± she said as she placed her lips on his and wondered what kind of expression was on her face. ¡°You really are stupid, so I¡¯ll keep saying it: you¡¯re stupid. That¡¯s my special privilege.¡± ¡°Sayama¡¯s been stealing that privilege from you an awful lot, you know?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± She leaned against him and smiled. ¡°Getting him to apologize to me later is another special privilege of mine. So¡­¡± She knew even her ears were red as she continued. ¡°Will you apologize to me?¡± Izumo answered her with an embrace. The warm water brought their flesh closer together. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Kazami hesitated and narrowed her eyes. But a moment later, she heard a sudden voice from the house¡¯s entrance. ¡°Chisato!? Are you there!? Mama and papa came back to get something we forgot!¡± The two in the bath exchanged a glance. ¡°Does this mean¡­?¡± Izumo nodded at Kazami¡¯s serious question. ¡°We have no choice but to show off our love!¡± She slammed him into the bathtub once more. Volume 14, 17: A Dedication to Relief Volume 14, Chapter 17: A Dedication to Relief Are you sure you want me? I am You wouldn¡¯t want me That is not true A long line cut across the land below the dark sky. The illuminated westward-running line was a runway. It was the western spare runway at Yokota Air Base. Four people stood in front of the hangar located at one end. They were two boys and two girls. The boy with dark skin crossed his arms. ¡°Noah is sitting above Tokyo after turning into the Leviathan and we can¡¯t contact anyone who was in Japanese UCAT. On top of that, our weapons can only stop the Leviathan temporarily and who knows if that will work again. ¡­What are you planning, Hiba?¡± He turned his sunglasses to face Hiba. ¡°The injury in your side has only been treated with first aid. I¡¯m sure you had a reason to come here without even heading home, but shouldn¡¯t you get treatment from the macho men in the medical room instead of calling just us here?¡± Hiba scratched his head. He let out a white breath with his eyebrows lowered a bit in a smile. ¡°Well, there¡¯s something I wanted to show you first. I wanted to show just you and Heo-san.¡± Heo tilted her head and lowered her eyebrows. ¡°Something you want to show us before you meet the macho men? It isn¡¯t something perverted, is it?¡± ¡°Wh-what makes you think I¡¯m a pervert!?¡± Harakawa whispered into Heo¡¯s ear. ¡°As hard as it is to believe, he isn¡¯t aware of it, so try not to mention it. If you corner him, he probably really will do it. Keep in mind that this is the guy who took a hit to the crotch to make people laugh.¡± ¡°Oh, right. Testament. Understood. ¡­I¡¯ll try not to encourage him. It would make my teacher sad if one of us turned into a criminal.¡± Heo forced a smile and looked back to Hiba. ¡°Wh-what is it you want to show us? I¡¯m really looking forward to it.¡± ¡°I really feel like you have an ulterior motive when you say that¡­¡± Hiba glared at her but then sighed. He turned to look at the girl with long black hair standing next to him. ¡°Well, I had us come here because of what happened to Japanese UCAT. There¡¯s nowhere left to treat my wound, but also¡­¡± He nodded. ¡°Mikage-san said she was worried everyone might be feeling a little hopeless.¡± Hearing that name, Heo looked over and saw a slight smile on the other girl¡¯s face. ¡°Mikage, do you not feel hopeless or like we¡¯re completely outmatched?¡± Mikage returned Heo¡¯s gaze and tilted her head. ¡°The Leviathan is sad.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Heo looked surprised and Mikage turned to the east. Tokyo was there. The lights of Yokota Air Base kept the dark of night away, but the sky above the city center was even brighter. The end of the year was approaching and Mikage looked to the sky illuminated by the bright city below. ¡°The Leviathan is so big, but it¡¯s alone with Mikoku.¡± Mikage looked down where something was moving within Yokota Air Base. They were inside the concept space surrounding the base, but the main eastern runway was filled with the aircraft carrying various UCAT representatives that had arrived through the concept space corridor and mechanical dragons from the United States. The spare runway they stood on would eventually be used as an apron. ¡°We have everyone here,¡± said Mikage as she watched their movement. ¡°B-but,¡± cut in Heo. ¡°The Leviathan¡¯s power is absolute!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re powerless does that mean you can¡¯t fight back?¡± Mikage asked her question while looking at them all and it stopped Heo. Harakawa suddenly patted her shoulder and looked to both Mikage and Hiba. ¡°Let¡¯s not act so self-important. Heo especially has learned to get lost in her worries. If she stumbles even a little, she¡¯ll make a huge fuss and show off how hopeless things are while naked. ¡­You could call it a sudden-onset self-obsession disease.¡± ¡°H-Harakawa, you don¡¯t have to be so mean about it!¡± Heo frantically looked around and found Hiba giving her a puzzled look. ¡°Wow¡­ Is that like the person who complains about the school in their graduation essay and says how unfair they had it, but they don¡¯t actually mean it and just want to show off?¡± ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not what this is¡­¡± ¡°Well, when Heo starts pointing out problems like that, she¡¯s bound to get other people involved,¡± said Harakawa. ¡°And the first up to bat will definitely be me. I should probably evacuate to a nuclear shelter.¡± ¡°N-no, like I was saying¡­¡± ¡°A shelter?¡± asked Mikage. ¡°Heo, are you as powerful as a nuclear weapon?¡± ¡°No, wait, um, uh¡­¡± Thick sweat poured from Heo¡¯s entire body. ¡°U-um, are we really still doing this? Are we still continuing with the usual hate that completely ignores the individual in question? Really?¡± ¡°Calm down, Heo Thunderson. We are not ignoring you.¡± ¡°H-Harakawa. R-really? You aren¡¯t ignoring me?¡± ¡°No, we aren¡¯t,¡± he said. ¡°But don¡¯t infect me with your brain disease, Heo Thunderson. I have a busy life.¡± ¡°You¡¯re mean!¡± Hiba held out a hand to calm her. Once she and Harakawa turned back his way, Hiba stood in front of Mikage. ¡°Anyway, whatever we might say, we¡¯re the people who always end up fighting.¡± ¡°In other words, we¡¯re dangerous people.¡± ¡°Harakawa-san, the way you know just when to take the shot is an art.¡± Heo nodded in agreement and Mikage placed her hands on Hiba¡¯s shoulders. She then looked to Heo. ¡°Heo, you have a will, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Heo hesitated and turned to Harakawa. He averted his gaze and looked up into the sky. ¡°How about you answer on instinct like you always do?¡± Hearing that, Heo sighed and looked to Mikage. ¡°Yes, I have a will.¡± She directed her answer toward Mikage¡¯s eyes and Mikage looked right back into her eyes. ¡°Then¡­let¡¯s go hear the Leviathan and Mikoku¡¯s cries.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Before, you said people should cry when they want to, so let¡¯s go hear it head-on. We¡¯re the only ones that can do that. We¡¯re the only ones that can grab their hand as they try to sweep everything away.¡± ¡°But,¡± said Heo. ¡°Can our power reach the Leviathan?¡± ¡°It can,¡± confirmed Hiba. ¡°At the very least, the two of us can.¡± Heo glanced over at Harakawa. ¡°Harakawa, in weekly manga, isn¡¯t it always the first one to declare victory that loses?¡± ¡°Shh. It¡¯s true the short ones and huge ones get taken out first, but don¡¯t say it loud enough for him to hear. We¡¯ve finally got him back in the usual pattern, after all.¡± ¡°Wh-what are you two saying!?¡± Hiba sounded completely confused. ¡°T-Team Leviathan doesn¡¯t have someone to be the ¡®opening act¡¯ for that kind of pattern!¡± Harakawa and Heo looked away from Hiba for a full five seconds. Afterwards, Harakawa patted Heo¡¯s shoulder and she gathered her strength with her head lowered. For the second time that day, she worked to force a smile. ¡°U-um, what is this power that you and Mikage have?¡± ¡°Is it just me or have you decided you don¡¯t need to take me seriously?¡± ¡°Th-that isn¡¯t true. We haven¡¯t at all decided we can just ignore you or look away from you!¡± ¡°Y-you do that all the time! You all need to treat me in a way that I can accept! If you do that, then I¡¯m fine being looked down on like a mere animal! Can¡¯t you find a way to make me feel more motivated!? Y¡¯know, like how you would treat a puppy!¡± Heo and Harakawa clearly wanted to ask him if he would really be fine with that, but then Mikage pressed up against him from behind. ¡°If I do this, can you tell how big they are?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the best, Mikage-san! I¡¯m absolutely brimming with meaningless motivation!! ¡­Hey, you two! Stop looking at me like I¡¯m a pathetic animal!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really care, so can we move this along, Hiba Ryuuji?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hiba maintained his good mood. ¡°At the very least, I¡¯m looking at our power in a different way now.¡± ¡°Looking at it in a different way?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m about to show you. ¡­At the very least, it should be different than it was when we fought the Leviathan earlier. And¡­¡± As he took a breath, Mikage opened her mouth and looked to Heo. ¡°Even if all of our power can¡¯t reach it, the power Ryuuji-kun and I have might be able to. ¡­Is this what you call hope? Or is it hopeless?¡± ¡°They do say nothing is as hopeless as hope with an uncertain future.¡± Harakawa¡¯s comment made Mikage smile. ¡°Then nothing is as hopeful as hopelessness with a definite future. That means we¡¯ll be fine,¡± she said. ¡°I think you two and the others have all overlooked something and still have something you can do. We¡¯re about to show you an example.¡± Hearing that, Heo took a hurried step forward. ¡°You¡¯re about to? Um, then shouldn¡¯t you call the others, too?¡± ¡°They might get caught in the middle of it if we did. And¡­¡± Mikage closed her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ll understand once you see it.¡± A moment later, Mikage and Hiba spread their arms and cried out in unison. ¡°Susamikado!!¡± Kazami apologized. She was sitting on the floor and wearing a track suit. She was in the living room and it was already five in the morning. ¡­Why do we have to have a family meeting now of all times? The idiot next to her had caused this, but she was also at fault for going along with it. Thus, she could only bow down to her father who sat in front of her. She apologized whenever he said anything to her and she used up all of the apologies in her vocabulary. Sorry. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so very sorry. I am ever so sorry. My bad. Please forgive me. Forgive me, okay? C¡¯mon, I¡¯m telling you to forgive me. Forgive me. Forgive me already. Just forgive me. I¡¯m. Telling. You. To. Forgive. Me. ¡°I-I¡¯m starting to feel like I¡¯m the one being scolded here!¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. I got a little carried away.¡± Kazami bowed again and finally reached over to slam Izumo¡¯s forehead into the floor. ¡°We¡¯re sorry!¡± Meanwhile, her mother approached. Kazami slowly looked up and saw her mother handing her father a plate with steam rising from it. She also saw what was sitting on that white plate. ¡°Ah! That¡¯s the fried rice I was planning to make!¡± ¡°This used up all the rice.¡± ¡°You monster!!¡± ¡°Have you learned your lesson?¡± Kazami felt the hunger in her stomach. ¡°Well¡­¡± At some point, her mother had grabbed a fan that she used to fan at the fried rice. ¡­Nwaah! That pepper and cooked fish paste smells so good! ¡°This is delicious!¡± said her father. ¡°Your fried rice is so good, mama!!¡± ¡°Stoooop! There¡¯s a difference between punishment and bullying!¡± She could not help but complain and her mother looked over at her. The woman lowered her shoulders. ¡°You know what?¡± ¡°What?¡± Next to her, Izumo spoke up while wearing a track suit he had borrowed from her father. ¡°W-wait a second!¡± He bowed his own head this time. ¡°This was my fault for getting carried away! It wasn¡¯t Chisato¡¯s fault at all!¡± Kazami was a little surprised. ¡°K-Kaku. I¡¯m actually kind of moved.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act like it¡¯s never happened before. ¡­But it doesn¡¯t really matter. It really was my fault.¡± Kazami¡¯s father nodded while eating the fried rice. ¡°But Chisato went along with it, so she is somewhat at fault, Izumo-kun.¡± Izumo¡¯s head shot up when he heard that. His expression was serious, but it immediately crumbled. ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right.¡± You moron, thought Kazami as she raised a fist, but she stopped when her mother cleared her throat. Izumo had shrunk away from her fist, but he looked back to the two adults. ¡°Still, I don¡¯t think it could be helped.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Well,¡± he began. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t with her, Chisato would¡¯ve started crying.¡± ¡°Why would she do that?¡± ¡°There¡¯s been some¡­hard stuff at work.¡± Izumo chose his words carefully. ¡°Some coworkers might be dead.¡± He looked back down toward Kazami¡¯s parents. He gave them a troubled smile as if seeing how they would respond. ¡°She¡¯d cry if she was on her own, right? That¡¯s why I had to be with her.¡± When she heard that, Kazami swung down her raised fist. She lightly tapped his shoulder with it. ¡°I-idiot.¡± She did so a few more times. ¡°D-don¡¯t assume you know what I¡¯ll do. I hate that.¡± But he did not seem to mind. He kept his eyes on her parents. When she stopped moving her arm and lifted her head to look at her parents, she found them looking back at her. ¡­Wow. She was not sure what to do about their narrowed eyes and she felt her cheeks growing redder and redder. ¡°Wh-what¡¯s with all of you?¡± ¡°Well,¡± began her father while scooping more fried rice into his mouth. ¡°I just realized that you¡¯ll always need to rely on someone.¡± She bent back as if someone had shot her. ¡­I can¡¯t stand this. Is no one going to stick up for my honor? Please come quickly, hero. But after no one showed up even after asking thrice, she straightened back up. ¡°I-I¡¯m not relying on anyone. Kaku, y-you need to stop making up excuses for yourself!¡± Izumo looked at her with a perfectly serious expression. ¡°You¡¯re super cute right now, Chisato.¡± Without speaking a word, she knocked him to the ground. Oh, I think this actually made for a decent change of pace, she thought as she did so. Sayama and Shinjou sat side by side on the bed. They had their backs to the wall and they spoke about the current situation and Shinjou¡¯s novel. In the darkness, their words brought each other relief and brought smiles to their faces. Heat still remained in their bodies. Shinjou had put on a shirt. After they finished talking about the novel¡¯s protagonist, Sayama said something more. ¡°It was good. I want you to write much, much more, Shinjou-kun. Are you going to be an author?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it would be that easy to become one.¡± ¡°But if you do not go easy on yourself about becoming one, I think you can become one.¡± ¡°Is that how it works?¡± she asked before gulping and laughing. Sayama tilted his head at the laugh and she bent her eyes in a smile. ¡°I was thinking I could continue making novels about you and the things that happen around us. That would end being a lifework, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Her small smile continued to grow. ¡°So I¡¯m glad I¡¯m alive and I want to defeat the Leviathan. Otherwise, I can¡¯t write about what you do afterwards.¡± She heard Sayama say ¡°I see¡± and saw him lean back against the wall. ¡°If you will write about me, that could help me out, too.¡± ¡°Help you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± After a while, he brushed a hand through his hair and said more. ¡°Just between the two of us, I do not actually have anything like your novel.¡± Dumbfounded, Shinjou could only hear his quiet words ringing in her ears. ¡°Izumo has IAI, Kazami has her singing, the Hiba boy has the Hiba School, Mikage-kun has the many joys she will find in the human world, Harakawa has his precious everyday life, and Heo-kun apparently wants to be a teacher.¡± This early morning space shared only by the two of them may have been making him more talkative. He spoke of what his teammates had. It may have sounded cheap to call them ¡°dreams¡±, but they were what allowed those people to get serious. Shinjou watched Sayama speak of their teammates¡¯ futures, but then he closed his eyes. ¡°Do you understand? I can get serious when I need to, but the Leviathan Road was given to me by my grandfather and all I am doing is settling the past my grandfather and father left behind. Once that is over, I will still be able to get serious, but I will have nothing left but the work directly before me. I can only think of one other thing I could have.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Yes, perhaps I can get serious about loving you.¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± Even as she said that, she wondered what would happen if he did get serious about that. She could not imagine what a Leviathan Road level of loving would be. But when he opened his eyes, he was expressionless. It was the usual expressionless look, but¡­ ¡­He¡¯s worried? Noticing that, she took his hand and opened her mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We can work together to find what comes after the Leviathan Road.¡± That may have sounded a little too vague because he did not turn toward her. Regardless, she created even more words. ¡°If the world is able to continue¡­then let¡¯s continue seriously negotiating and fighting while we search.¡± He still did not look her way. ¡°Do you really think anything on the level of the Leviathan Road will happen? I cannot imagine it would.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡± Her immediate answer finally got him to turn toward her. The surprise in his eyes asked if she was serious, but she did not falter. She was confident that he was not someone that would be stopped here. No matter how he viewed himself, she had absolute confidence in that fact. ¡­I even have proof. She felt she should tell him. He had revealed his own thoughts, so she wanted to answer in kind. So she brought a hand to her chest and commanded her heart to speak honestly. ¡°Sayama-kun, are you less than your grandfather or father?¡± ¡°Something¡­something so nonsensical could never be true.¡± He made that very clear, so she used his words and tone against him. ¡°Your grandfather had the ten-against-one Concept War and your father stood up against the world that contained the other ten worlds. And since you¡¯re higher than either of them, there has to be something for you, doesn¡¯t there? This world must contain a war of your own that you cannot win without getting serious.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Leviathan Road?¡± She smiled at that. ¡°Who was it that said that was only settling the past? That¡¯s only something your grandfather and father left behind. Didn¡¯t you say a while back that it was forced onto you? This isn¡¯t what you were originally meant to do.¡± Which meant¡­ ¡°You¡¯ll find something if you¡¯re serious about it. In other words, as long as you hope for a stage on which to negotiate, fight, and do perverted things, you¡¯re sure to find something on the same level as the Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°Did you slip an insult into the middle of that wonderful statement?¡± ¡­Did I? But I don¡¯t remember saying anything inaccurate. After he thought for a bit, he looked away from her and spoke. ¡°Will you¡­help me find that stage?¡± She had long since known the answer to that question. She nodded, grabbed his hand, and turned him toward her. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m a little worried about the perverted part, though. ¡­B-but it isn¡¯t just me. If you¡¯re serious about it, I think everyone will gather around you and help you.¡± After all¡­ ¡°All of those things you said they have? If you hadn¡¯t been serious, they would have lost them or never gotten them in the first place. I never could have made my novel without you and I was only able to seriously pursue my past because you were with me. So helping you get serious is the same thing as improving the things we have.¡± ¡°You make me sound like a leader.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the ruler of the universe, aren¡¯t you? And a god too.¡± ¡°Oh? Are you finally willing to admit it?¡± Sayama¡¯s usual tone of voice was back. ¡­Ah. Shinjou looked over and found him looking at her. His expression was much calmer and more peaceful than before. She returned his gaze and realized the same expression appeared on her own face. ¡°Are you feeling better? You don¡¯t need to worry, Sayama-kun. You may not have noticed it yourself, but when you get serious, people gather around you and accomplish something. Something very, very big. If not¡­I never would have written about you.¡± She nodded as she spoke. She plainly explained the source of the confidence allowing her to push him forward like this. ¡°I was the first one touched by your serious side and I gained the most from it, so I should know.¡± ¡°Then,¡± he said. ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°Anything. It¡¯ll be fine whatever you do. But for the moment¡­let¡¯s make sure the world can continue on.¡± She took a breath. ¡°After that, you can look at the world and decide how you want it to be. And if you¡¯re serious about it, then we¡¯ll help you. Once you get serious, you never give up and you do everything you can to accomplish whatever it is, so it¡¯ll be worth helping.¡± ¡°Then I will undoubtedly end up the ruler of the entire world.¡± He sounded somewhat amused but also somehow serious. Finally, a bit of a smile escaped to his lips and he nodded. ¡°Thank you, Shinjou-kun. ¡­You are right. I thought what I had inherited was everything, so I may have forgotten to search for what comes after that. I thought I had nothing, so I did not even notice I had forgotten that I only have to try to find something for myself.¡± He suddenly added one more thing as if to sum it all up. ¡°So let us end it all.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°I will end what I have inherited and find my own battle within the fights and negotiations beyond that. ¡­I will find something I can only find if I am serious. I will find my own Leviathan Road that requires the help of many people. And I will find it as many times as it takes. Yes¡­if my father and grandfather destroyed eleven worlds, then I will find even more battles than that. And¡­¡± Shinjou heard him sigh. It was a sigh of relief. ¡°At the very end, I suppose the two of us shall become gods.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Wh-why are you stopping me? Isn¡¯t that the most natural plan for our future?¡± The idiot next to her blatantly feigned confusion and looked up at her in surprise. ¡°Or are you saying you have already walked down that path as you are already a butt god!?¡± ¡°No, that isn¡¯t it. Um¡­¡± She thought for a moment but then changed her mind. ¡­Since he¡¯s back to his usual self, is it over now? She doubted he was going to speak his heart anymore for the moment. Someday, at the end of some major incident, he might tell her more about what they had discussed. But she was also happy he had said ¡°the two of us¡±. ¡°I really am glad I¡¯m alive¡­and that I¡¯m with you.¡± ¡°So am I. It is so early in the morning and I have already gotten so many wonderful birthday presents. First I was reunited with you, then we confirmed each other¡¯s presence, and¡­¡± He continued. ¡°You helped me realize what I should do from now on.¡± The emotion she felt in his tone filled her yet again with surprise. She was surprised that he had been so worried about what would come after the Leviathan Road. ¡­He seems so almighty, but he¡¯s actually pretty withdrawn in some ways. He had the ability to wish for so very much, but he would hesitate because he did not know whether he should wish for it. That was especially true when it would involve other people. No one else knows about this side of him, she thought. I hope I can learn even more about this side of him. He looked at her and tilted his head a little. ¡°By the way, how did you get here? The door was locked when I got here, so what exactly happened? Add in what happened to the others, and there are so many questions left.¡± He could not find an answer to any of those questions, but Shinjou smiled with the ends of her eyebrows lowered. ¡°I can¡¯t say anything about the others.¡± After seeming to think about what she meant, he asked another question. ¡°Then do you know how you got here?¡± She had a single answer. ¡°Yes,¡± she said with a nod. ¡°I do.¡± Sayama saw Shinjou nod while sitting on his suit. ¡°I figured it out earlier. Can you look by the pillow?¡± He did as he was told. The suit and books were scattered around by the pillow, but he moved them out of the way. He turned his back on her and prepared to remove the suit. ¡°Oh, you left a bite mark on my suit.¡± ¡°W-wah! I-I¡¯ll pay for it, so forgive me!¡± ¡°It cost about seven hundred thousand, you know?¡± She fell silent for a while before answering. ¡°Can I take out a thirty year loan for it?¡± ¡°Are you planning to buy a house?¡± He smiled bitterly and dug down toward the bed. It was too dark to see what was there, but he could feel something small. They only felt like scraps. ¡°Straw?¡± Only after asking did he realize what it meant. There was someone in Japanese UCAT who carried around a straw item. ¡°Sf-kun? It is true she could unlock and relock the door without the key.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shinjou gave a weak nod and presented more evidence. ¡°You said before that something fired from below UCAT, right? Itaru-san knew what was down there, so I think it must have been him. But if so¡­that means Sf-san left him to take me here. And¡­¡± And¡­ ¡°What about the others? She might have only taken me away.¡± They could not even contact Ooshiro at the moment. The worry in Shinjou¡¯s voice came from her understanding of the current situation. So Sayama looked back to tell her it would be okay. ¡°Shinjou-kun?¡± He found her standing on her knees in the center of the bed. Without bothering to hide the unease on her face, she exposed her shirt-wearing form to the dark blue light coming from the window. ¡°Can you keep me from being afraid?¡± She had tied back her hair at some point. She had used his red necktie instead of her usual ribbon. But even with her hair tied back, she lightly grabbed the bottom of her shirt. ¡°Um¡­? I changed earlier.¡± Lifting the shirt a little did not reveal Sadame¡¯s body. She lowered her head and blushed, but her eyes looked directly to Sayama. ¡°Will you¡­check on me to the very end? And will you keep me from being afraid?¡± He knew exactly how to answer her. First, he nodded. ¡°Do not worry.¡± He moved toward her, took her hand, pulled her close, wrapped his arms around her, and held her tight. ¡°Let us both do so to keep away the fear, Shinjou-kun.¡± Sayama loosely crossed his legs and placed Shinjou on his lap. He stroked her shirt which fell from her shoulders and gathered around her waist. When she looked back at him, he placed his lips on hers and touched her body. He moved from her chest to her armpits and he lowered his fingers down her sides like her ribs were a musical instrument. ¡°Ah¡­¡± He continued down from her sides. He stuck his right hand below her shirt and wrapped his left arm around her body. He spread his own legs a little to spread Shinjou¡¯s legs on top of them. ¡°Wait, S-Sayama-kun. My stomach and below are defenseless.¡± ¡°If they were defended, I could do nothing. What would you have me do then?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a poet in the most meaningless way.¡± Sayama thought about that. ¡°Should I create a better mood?¡± ¡°What kind of mood?¡± ¡°The kind you like.¡± She thought about that for a moment. ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Video games.¡± She thought even more on that and turned a smile his way. ¡°If you say you¡¯re going to use the joystick and two buttons to enter rapid-fire mode, I really will hit you.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. What are you talking about? We have to start by inserting a coin and pressing the start button.¡± ¡°What is that supposed to represent!?¡± She protested, so he was not sure what to do. Creating the proper mood was quite difficult. But it was also fun, so he thought as hard as he could and finally found a good idea. ¡°Now, to begin with¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°You certainly are hasty.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know things are most dangerous when you pretend to actually think about it. It¡¯s best to hit the cancel button immediately.¡± ¡°What on earth are you talking about? I was only going to advise that we release your extra ships to lower the difficulty.¡± ¡°What if you miscount the number of extra ships and get game over! I¡¯ll turn off the game!¡± But Sayama shook his head because he already had a solution. ¡°If that happens, I will insert another coin for a continue.¡± ¡°I prefer to win on a single coin, even at home.¡± ¡°In other words, you prefer to play this game outside in the arcade?¡± Shinjou slowly turned toward him with a smile. ¡°If you say it¡¯s a reverse-import from the home version that uses a 360 degree rotating machine, I¡¯ll hit you.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. I am perfectly fine playing the crane game.¡± He touched her and she trembled a bit. ¡°Ah¡­ S-stop. If you touch me like that, I¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°Hmm. It seems my machine has a weak arm. I need to grab on better!¡± ¡°What exactly are you treating as the prize!?¡± But as she trembled, he lay back on the bed. That caused her to lean back on top of him. He kept his arms around her on either side and he further spread the legs bent under her. ¡°S-stop. The bottom of my shirt is pulling up. You can see everything below my navel¡­¡± ¡°Not to worry, Shinjou-kun. Just a little further.¡± ¡°Just a little further and what?¡± ¡°We will earn a full power up for your normal shot. Would you like a beam?¡± ¡°Stop that!!¡± ¡­Strange. I thought she liked video games. I wonder why, he thought before realizing the answer. Is it because this is a shooting game? ¡°In other words, your weak punch is about to become an unbeatable super dragon fist.¡± ¡°Y-you don¡¯t have to talk anymore.¡± And so he fell silent. He touched her in silence. He rubbed her in silence and he moved in silence. ¡°Ah, w-wait. Sayama-kun. No, not without saying anything!¡± ¡°You tell me to stay quiet, but then you are mean to me when I stay quiet?¡± ¡°S-sorry, so, um¡­¡± ¡°Or should I do what you did before? Accept it all with my mouth?¡± ¡°N-no. You¡¯re not allowed to do that. Th-that¡¯s for me to do.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Yes. That¡¯s right. That¡¯s how it works.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Sayama nodded in understanding and spoke in his most charming voice. ¡°At any rate, I think it is about time for you to launch your bomber.¡± ¡°Have you noticed that the bomber gauge just rapidly fell?¡± ¡°You really do have harsh ups and downs, don¡¯t you?¡± But despite what she said, her body seemed to be heating up. As he continued, a tremor ran through her body. ¡°Ah, u-um, Sayama-kun!? I-I¡­I¡¯m not Sadame right now?¡± ¡°But you are still Shinjou-kun.¡± He raised his right knee a little to further lift her hips. ¡°As long as it is you, nothing else matters.¡± After he touched and rubbed her more strongly, she kissed him and her body shook. ¡°¡­¡± The surging sensation left Shinjou. ¡­Ah. She breathed out and her body sank into a deep sense of relief, but then Sayama touched her again. ¡°Ah, S-Sayama-kun. ¡­I-I don¡¯t get any invincibility after a death, so you¡¯re going to use up all my extra lives!¡± ¡°Shinjou-kun, calm down.¡± ¡°R-really? We¡¯re not doing that joke anymore?¡± ¡°No.¡± He nodded. ¡°In my mind, we were playing best to three.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem!?¡± Meanwhile, she was lifted up. No, Sayama collapsed to the left below her and bent even further forward. His momentum bent her forward with him. He slipped his face and shoulder below her left cheek. She was lying on his left arm and his left hand started touching her. A moan escaped her lips and she bent further forward. That was when his right hand touched her from behind. She gave a start. ¡°U-um? Are you sure? Are you really sure? You aren¡¯t going to regret this? Are you okay? Is your brain working properly?¡± ¡°Calm down, Shinjou-kun. I want to check on you, so of course I will be doing this.¡± She hung her head at that and felt the heat in her face growing. ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been a year since I met you, so¡­um¡­¡± She tried to avoid the issue. ¡°We¡¯re still in the warranty period, so you can keep going even if you find a manufacturing defect.¡± ¡°Not to worry, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Really?¡± She asked ¡°Yes,¡± he confirmed. ¡°Machines these days are guaranteed not to break for the first two years.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound like I¡¯m going to break in two years!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Then I will not hold back.¡± She cried out but immediately suppressed her voice. He checked her with both hands. He rubbed her and massaged her. She tried to bear with it and endure it, but he refused to stop. She did not know what it meant when he stuck out his right middle finger, but she greedily brought her lips in close, wrapped her tongue around the finger, and licked it. She brought it into her mouth as if to swallow it just like she had done to him before. After he rubbed his finger through her mouth and even along the back of her teeth, he pulled it out and slid it toward her back. ¡°Eh? I-in my butt?¡± Before she could finish asking, his finger slipped inside. It was so sudden that she gasped and tried to bear with it, but to his licked finger, it was only light resistance and there was no stopping it. His finger made it past the gentle resistance and slipped on in as he varied the speed. ¡°Ah!¡± By the time the sensation washed over her for the second time, she had lifted her butt up high on the guidance of his finger. Her face-down body was covered in sweat, she was gasping for breath, and her chest was pressed against the suit below her. She removed the shirt wrapped around the back of her waist and threw it away. ¡°Ahn¡­¡± After brushing her hair out of the way, she pulled a pillow close and embraced it below her chin. She was on her knees with her waist lifted high, so she tried to look back. ¡°Ah, w-wait, Sayama-kun! Don¡¯t kiss my butt!¡± ¡°I am only doing the same thing I did to Sadame-kun.¡± He treated it the same way. Brief cries kept escaping her and she brought her knees together to fight it, but it was no use. Her skin was damp with sweat and a finger or tongue could warmly slip past it even if she pressed that skin together. ¡°N-no, Sayama-kun. It¡¯s going inside!¡± Aiming for the instant she relaxed her strength, he spread her legs again. She could feel the wet finger and tongue deep inside her, but she decided to give herself over to it. That was when she noticed his face between her legs. ¡°Ah.¡± He turned to the side and gently bit her. What he had done and the slight pain it gave her caused her to lose control. As a tremor ran through her, everything she had been holding back spilled out and was caught in a third handkerchief. A ¡°hyah¡± escaped her and her body went limp. ¡°D-don¡¯t do that¡­¡± ¡°Hm. That seemed a little too powerful. I need to remember that as a surefire strategy.¡± She kicked him. She seemed to have hit him in the solar plexus so she turned toward his slight painful groan. ¡°You need to watch out for the boss character¡¯s motionless attacks, okay? Honestly.¡± ¡°I-I am glad to see you are the same as always.¡± After he caught his breath, he continued. ¡°Will you¡­show me?¡± After a pause, she responded. ¡°Yes.¡± She lifted her butt back up, exposed everything to him, and let a warm breath escape her lungs. ¡°What do you think?¡± He got back up, looked at her, and answered. ¡°You are eroundic, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that again?¡± She smiled a little and spread her knees some more to see him between them. ¡°W-will everything work out? Will we be able to make a baby?¡± ¡°If so, I will have only one thing to say: congratulations.¡± Hearing that, bitterness filled her smile and she held the pillow close while still looking at Sayama. ¡°Then¡­you can do it.¡± ¡°I can check on you?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡­Will you?¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°I never even dreamed that someone would check on me to the very end.¡± ¡°This is not a dream. It is all real. After all, it was in your novel, too.¡± That made her sweat even more and the heat reached her ears. ¡°Th-th-th-th-th-th-that was, u-um, uh, just me writing what I thought would make the best story.¡± ¡°No, Shinjou-kun. That is not what you should say here.¡± She then remembered what the novel¡¯s heroine had said at the end of this sort of scene. ¡°Right.¡± She altered the line she had written for her purposes. ¡°Here, this is my¡­this is Setsu¡¯s birthday present for you.¡± She bent her waist and lifted her defenselessness for him to see. ¡°And in exchange, will you let me check on you to the very, very end as your present to me?¡± ¡°Yes, I will give you myself as a present while I take you as one. All of you.¡± As if to show his agreement, he made her words a reality. His fingers dug into her skin as he held her into place. After that sensation confirmed his presence, the two of them checked on each other. They did so slowly but thoroughly. Shinjou was dreaming. Her sleeping body felt the warmth and strength of his hands, so she knew this was a dozing dream. The dream was made of the color white. White light filled the place and a glowing pillar rose into the sky. She looked up toward the heavens and saw a giant object on its side like a white cloud. The pillar of light before her was in the center, but there were four more pillars in the four corners of the heavens. ¡­Huh? When she looked down, she realized two things. Her vision was situated lower than it normally was and someone was sitting in front of her. It was her mother wearing white. She had some gray in her hair and she had grown a little thin. She sat on a clump of sand that looked like stone and she was out of breath, but she was smiling toward Shinjou. Shinjou realized her mother could no longer walk. And she realized something else too. ¡­This is the past. It was when Top-Gear had been destroyed and when she had left her mother. She sensed someone on either side of her. They were likely Sayama¡¯s parents. But, she thought. ¡­Baku isn¡¯t here today. She was only sleeping next to Sayama, yet she was having a dream of the past. ¡­Oh, this is one of my forgotten memories, isn¡¯t it? So she watched these events of the past, of her and her mother. ¡°Mom.¡± Her past self, not even half her current age, spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s go together!¡± Her younger self pleaded, but her mother shook her head while still smiling. She wants to go, understood Shinjou. But she can¡¯t. But her younger self did not understand. She ran the short distance to her mother and pulled on her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go!!¡± Still, her mother did not move and could not move. ¡°¡­¡± Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mother hang her head and shed some tears. Her younger vision was soon filled by her mother¡¯s chest. Her mother had hugged her. Her younger self hugged back. Yes, she thought. I must have known what I wanted couldn¡¯t happen. Even so, the younger Shinjou raised her crying voice. She breathed in and spoke weakly. ¡°Let¡¯s go! I won¡¯t be picky anymore! I¡¯ll go to sleep at my bedtime! I won¡¯t say it¡¯s your fault when dad doesn¡¯t come home at night and I won¡¯t cry about my body. I¡¯ll be good! I¡¯ll always be good from now on, so¡­¡± She raised her voice. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Her mother said nothing and only squeezed her tight. As if to accept her child¡¯s tears, she breathed heavily which shook her body and finally¡­ ¡°Satsu-chan?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Her mother breathed in but could not catch her breath properly. Still, the younger Shinjou heard her speak. ¡°Do you care for your mother?¡± ¡°Yes! I do,¡± she said. ¡°Y¡¯know what? You know the clothes you made for me before? I said they weren¡¯t like the ones the boys wore at kindergarten and I tore them apart and I said I didn¡¯t like them, but I was actually so¡­so happy I got them¡­ When you made me new clothes, I couldn¡¯t say I liked the old ones better and I really wanted to cry¡­and I said I didn¡¯t like them, but¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Her mother nodded. ¡°I understand. You really liked that white dress, didn¡¯t you? ¡­You were just embarrassed and thought you had to do that in front of the others, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The younger Shinjou nodded. ¡°Also, when we got in a fight when I knocked over that cup¡­I refused to eat the food you made.¡± She breathed in. ¡°Make it again¡­ I¡¯ll eat it! I¡¯ll really eat it this time! I¡¯ll be good!¡± Her mother did not respond. She only patted on her back to comfort her. Yes, thought Shinjou Hold onto her. ¡­That will tell her how much you care and how much you love her. ¡°Satsu-chan.¡± She heard her mother¡¯s voice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No matter how much you said you didn¡¯t like us and got into fights with us, your dad and I both knew that you actually cared about us and loved us. We know you¡¯re a good kid.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really,¡± answered her mother. The woman breathed in and continued in a shaky voice. ¡°Really. After all, you always called us mom and dad. ¡­And those people you called mom and dad? We understand. Even if you say you don¡¯t like what we give you, get into fights with us, or don¡¯t eat what we fix for you, we know that deep down you remember and care about us and what we do for you.¡± She took a breath. ¡°And we¡¯re the same, you know? No matter what comes between us, we care about you and love you the most. You might get into fights with us, refuse to eat our food, and rip up or give back what we give you, but we really do understand that you care for us.¡± Her mother nodded and Shinjou could feel the movement. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you rip up your clothes. You were happy when you got them, weren¡¯t you? And you usually eat all of the food we make, don¡¯t you? I know that, so it¡¯s okay. And before, you painted your nails to copy me and they made fun of you at kindergarten, didn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°When I got home¡­I got mad at you¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°It is? Why? I said I hated you!¡± ¡°You know what? I¡¯m happy just knowing you tried to copy me and that you¡¯re with me. Just because they made fun of your painted nails doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t want to be like me anymore, it doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t want to be with me anymore, and it doesn¡¯t mean you really do hate me, right?¡± She heard a bitter laugh. ¡°If your friends hadn¡¯t made fun of you, you would have kept wearing that dress and painting your nails, right? And if you hadn¡¯t spilled that water, you would have eaten that food, right? Your initial happiness would have stayed, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°See? Then if nothing had happened, you would have still cared for us the same, right? It was only because of what happened that you got angry and said you hated me, but I know perfectly well that you wouldn¡¯t grow to hate us over something like that. After all, you were so happy. Nothing anyone says can change what a good kid you are.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°There might be misunderstandings, but that isn¡¯t enough to fool me. I¡¯ve been watching you from the very beginning, so don¡¯t worry. ¡­I only stopped making that kind of clothing or painting your nails because I wanted you to be happy without being made fun of. That¡¯s better, right?¡± And¡­ ¡°I know that you really were happy. But because you were made fun of and had those misunderstandings, I did some studying and chose a method that wouldn¡¯t let that happen. So I made those new clothes for you just like I made that dress. ¡­I didn¡¯t think the old one was better.¡± ¡°But¡­I liked the first one better¡­¡± ¡°I see.¡± Her mother laughed and lightly patted her back. ¡°Then from now on you can choose to wear that kind. It was a white dress with a red necktie, wasn¡¯t it? If you can wear that and hold your head high even if someone makes fun of you, then I¡¯ll be glad I made that dress. ¡­I¡¯ll know you really care about the clothing I made for you.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yes. I know. We like a lot of the same things.¡± Her mother embraced her long hair and brushed her hands through it. ¡°Yes, you are a lot like your mother. Like your hair. And¡­¡± And¡­ ¡°That song.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Her mother lightly patted her back. She hugged her as if to tell her this was the last time. Her younger self breathed in and her embracing arms practically clung to her mother. Their breathing aligned and they nodded. ¡°Satsu-chan?¡± ¡°What?¡± They both moved a bit apart and looked each other in the eye from close range. ¡°You don¡¯t have to copy me even when I cry.¡± ¡°You copied me!¡± ¡°I guess you win this round.¡± Her mother smiled bitterly. She briefly glanced at the two behind Shinjou but immediately turned back. ¡°No matter what happens from now on, you can trust in one thing. And if you remember anything bad you did to us or you want to tell us something when we¡¯re not there, you can trust in this one thing. You can trust that we will always care for you no matter what.¡± She took a breath before continuing. ¡°And you can also trust that no matter what you do, we¡¯ll always be on your side. We will never betray you.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When her mother narrowed her eyes in a smile, some tears spilled out. ¡°If you trust in that, you will always be able to reach us even if we¡¯re not with you.¡± So¡­ ¡°Go, Satsu-chan.¡± ¡°But!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± said her mother. ¡°Eventually, you¡¯ll find someone other than us you care for. You¡¯ll find someone who you can trust will always care for you and love you no matter what you say and even if you act like you hate them.¡± ¡°N-no, I won¡¯t! I have this body¡­and everyone always makes fun of me!¡± ¡°You will.¡± Her mother gave her another light hug. ¡°I did and your dad did, and that¡¯s why you were born.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Really. So trust that our feelings for each other will never change no matter what, that we¡¯re always listening to your voice, that we¡¯re always rooting for you even if you can¡¯t see us, and¡­¡± She breathed in, moved away, and smiled. ¡°That you will be like us one day.¡± ¡°Will I¡­? Really!?¡± ¡°You will. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s someone waiting for you that will care for you just like we do.¡± ¡°Will that person-¡­?¡± ¡°They will not make fun of you. Even if you try to pull away, they will tell you that you are wrong, they will support you, they will always be by your side, and they will accept you in your entirety. And you will want to support them, too.¡± She nodded. ¡°You can go now, can¡¯t you? No matter where you go, we¡¯re watching over you. Even if you can¡¯t meet us, we know what you¡¯re thinking. But if you do want an answer¡­¡± She placed a hand on her chest. ¡°Remember that song. That special song we sing to celebrate.¡± ¡°Silent Night?¡± ¡°Yes. You remember that song I taught you, don¡¯t you? ¡­When you remember that, you will be singing with me in your heart. And when you do that, you will be with me.¡± And¡­ ¡°That song will lead you to your own precious person.¡± Her mother said she was going to sing. ¡°Don¡¯t forget. This song is the proof of our connection. The song I taught you is inside you, so even if I¡¯m not with you, you still have proof that we¡¯re connected.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the song I taught you, isn¡¯t it? Even if I¡¯m not there, it won¡¯t disappear, will it?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be inside me¡­telling me you¡¯re there?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Her mother moved completely away and placed her hands on Shinjou¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When you sing it, we¡¯ll be with you. Even if we¡¯re not there, we won¡¯t disappear and we¡¯ll sing with you.¡± ¡°Right¡­.¡± ¡°So if anything happens, make sure to sing. When you¡¯re happy, sad, angry, disheartened, or want to celebrate, just sing that song and we¡¯ll be with you. We¡¯ll rejoice with you, cry with you¡­or just be by your side.¡± So¡­ ¡°Tell us all sorts of things, okay? Tell us what you¡¯re doing and what you¡¯re thinking. And¡­if you find someone you care for, sing to tell us. Tell us the holy child has found someone they love and care for. Make sure to tell us you¡¯ve found someone who will be with you like we are. ¡­When you do that, we¡¯ll be happiest of all.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be happy?¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯ll have gone out and found someone on your own. You had us with you from the start, but this will be someone you chose yourself and let hear your song.¡± ¡°If I find someone like that, will you and dad celebrate?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll sing with you. ¡­And I¡¯m sure that precious person will celebrate with us.¡± When younger Shinjou nodded, her mother straightened her back and opened her mouth. ¡°Okay, Satsu-chan, it¡¯s time to sing.¡± ¡°¡­Wait.¡± Her younger self spoke to her mother. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely, definitely see you again, won¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Yes. If you trust in us and search for us, you should realize that we¡¯ll always be together.¡± Her younger self did not understand what that meant, but she still nodded and trusted it. ¡°Then sing, mom. I¡¯ll listen¡­I¡¯ll listen while I go. So¡­so don¡¯t stop, okay? Make sure¡­make sure you keep singing!¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Her mother nodded again and opened her mouth. Her younger self opened her mouth, too. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± They sang. As the destructive light grew stronger, her younger self followed her mother¡¯s lead and began to sing. They sang the first verse. By the time they sang the second verse, she could hear other voices behind her. The two behind her were both awkwardly joining in the best they could. Her mother briefly stopped singing and spoke to the younger Shinjou. ¡°Those people will take you with them. They will take you to the world of my song.¡± ¡°Really?¡± She looked back and the two brightly backlit people nodded. ¡°Mom,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you. I love you.¡± ¡°Thank you too, Satsu-chan. And I love you too.¡± They both smiled, shed tears, and wiped the tears away. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep singing forever. Even if you can¡¯t hear me, I¡¯ll definitely be singing in your heart. If you¡¯re ever feeling hopeless, just remember that and sing with me.¡± After hearing that, her younger self moved back and began walking. Her mother looked to her and resumed singing. She nodded and heard the song even as she moved away. Oh, thought Shinjou. My mom is inside this song. As long as she could hear the song, her mother was there and watching over her. If she sang the song, her mother would be with her. As she ran, she could only hear the voice. She looked back and saw her mother was indeed looking at her. ¡­Thank you. She could hear the song. She was running. When she looked back, her mother was looking at her. Her mother was waving at her while singing. Her mother was probably waving at her even when she did not look back. She was glad she had looked back, but it would have been fine even if she had not. ¡°Do not worry,¡± said the man running alongside her. ¡°You will definitely meet your mother and father again.¡± That¡¯s right, she agreed. The fact that this world exists means my parents and I are always together. I can be with them by singing. As she ran and looked back, her mother grew more distant and eventually could not be seen beyond the light. She almost stopped running once her mother was out of sight, but something pushed her onward. It was a song. She could hear the song. She could always hear it as if it remained in her ears. The song pushed her toward the world where she could meet her parents again and where someone even more important awaited her. Would that person be with her? If she wore the kind of clothes she liked and painted her nails, would they say it looked good on her? Even if she got into fights with them, said she hated them, or rejected what they gave her, would they trust that she actually cared for and loved them? If she copied her mother and cooked for them, would they eat it like her father did for her mother? If she ever stumbled or cried, would they tell her she was wrong, tell her it would be okay, and support her? And would she want to support them and be with them? ¡­I want to see them. Her parents would always be with her and there was no need to check on anything there, so she was perfectly fine. But even so, she wanted to meet that precious person. She wanted to sing with the person who would listen to her song. That song. Even if she could not hear her mother¡¯s voice, the song her mother had taught her would remain inside her. This is what told me this, she thought. ¡­It told me everything will be fine whether I look back or not. They both understood everything they wanted to say, so everything would be fine even if they were apart. At the moment, she heard her mother¡¯s actual voice. Yes, she thought again. My mom¡¯s voice is definitely in this song. In her memories, whenever she had remembered the one song that had stayed with her, she had heard a voice not her own. She had always thought it was her own voice. ¡­But it wasn¡¯t. The voice providing the lyrics ahead of time when she sang had been her mother¡¯s. She traveled to Top-Gear, met my dad, and sent me away, but she¡¯s always stayed with me in this song and she makes sure I hear her whenever something happens. Shinjou remembered how she had constantly sung this song. Whenever she had felt alone, lonely, or sad, she had sung it. ¡­But that was what I promised my mom. I promised to tell her whenever something happened. White light filled her dream. She could not tell if the world was ending or if the dream was ending, but she still heard the singing voice she had inherited from her mother. That song proved they were together. No matter what happened, her parents would be on her side and they understood she cared for them no matter what she might say or do. Even if they were no longer there or she wanted to apologize for something, it would all be okay and she could rest easy because they understood without being told. This song of absolute relief contained her parents¡¯ wills. She had inherited it and it stayed with her. What would happen if she sang that song and tried to reach someone with it? ¡­Would it get through to them? Would they know that she wanted to be with them? And she had indeed sung that song when she met that precious person. ¡­Did he understand? She had sung for the boy who had saved her and borrowed her lap in that Okutama forest. A month and a half before, he had come to meet her after being delayed by nine years and two minutes. When he had saved her again, she had lent him her lap again and sang for him again. Had that reached her parents as her mother had promised? Had they heard that she had met someone she cared for just as they had hoped? And in a white dress no less? ¡­Yes. It was because she knew they cared that she could leave her parents without issue, but then she had continued on so she could be with the person she had come to care for on her own. I¡¯m so spoiled, she thought. I already have parents who say they care for me and watch over me, but I still chose someone else I care for and he responded to my feelings. How spoiled can I be? They had held hands and sent their thoughts to her parents in front of the shrine at the Tamiya house, but she now knew her thoughts had been reaching them long before that. ¡­Thank goodness. She then spoke to the mother who had seen her off with a song, the parents still watching over her, and the precious person who was by her side now. ¡°Thank you.¡± She held a hand in her own. Just before waking, she held the hand of the precious person she had chosen herself. She held it tight and refused to let go. The morning sun began to rise. It rose in the east and sent shadows stretching across the streets. But those shadows were thinner in one place. There were long runways there. Those runways were in Yokota Air Base of Fussa in western Tokyo. Inside the concept space, the eastern three thousand meter runway was being used while the secondary runways to the west and north were not in use. In the hangar beside the runways, the maintenance and modification of mechanical dragons and fighters continued at a quick pace. Even in the cold air, the light of welding and the sounds of drills continued without rest. A bus arrived. The base was large, so the bus carried personnel around. Most of those disembarking in front of the hangar were a new shift of workers who were working throughout the night. Those men in blue work uniforms exchanged greetings while some continued with the leftover work, others exchanged information to pass the work off to the new shift, and others ran off to grab some materials. A worker from the morning shift approached the storage building next to the hangar. He had to get a forklift to carry the special-ordered parts of a mechanical dragon. He started toward the parking hangar alongside the secondary runway, thinking his favorite forklift was there. On the way, he met a member of the group who had been working through the night. ¡°Hey,¡± he said in greeting. ¡°I hear things are getting tough. Can we still not reach the colonel and the others?¡± ¡°No,¡± replied the colleague as he adjusted his work hat. ¡°Same with the major. The other higher ups are managing the coordination with the States for now, but with only a substitute commander, this place might as well be a parking lot.¡± ¡°Do you think they¡¯re alive?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bet you five bucks.¡± ¡°On which side?¡± The man thought before nodding. ¡°Do you know why no one¡¯s searching for the colonel, the major, or that German inspector?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°They put in for paid leave before heading to Japanese UCAT.¡± ¡°Then this isn¡¯t a very good bet.¡± ¡°No.¡± They both smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re alive.¡± ¡°So am I. if they¡¯re not¡­what then? That Leviathan is apparently sitting there above Shinjuku. ¡­They put me to sleep with a forced injection kiss when I wanted to join the attack last night, but that thing¡¯s Babel, right? There¡¯s nothing we can do without the colonel and the others.¡± He frowned as he spoke and the other man nodded. ¡°It¡¯ll be tough even for them. Apparently not even Concept Core weapons work on it.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s all over, isn¡¯t it? By tomorrow, they¡¯ll have created the positive concepts inside the Leviathan and the world will change, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why everyone¡¯s working so quickly.¡± ¡°Can we fight it?¡± He sounded doubtful and the other man tilted his head a bit while holding the brim of his work hat. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Or rather, I do know, but I don¡¯t want to know.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re still going to do it.¡± ¡°Can you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the wrong question. We¡¯re going to do it.¡± He patted his shoulder. ¡°You have good luck. You¡¯ll get to see it before even getting to work. ¡­You¡¯ll understand just how frighteningly made this world is. Even if you try to run away, a faint bit of hope will follow you around and lure you into hell.¡± ¡°Hm? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple,¡± said the other man. ¡°It¡¯s like the worst kind of woman. Even when you know it¡¯s hopeless, you still end up thinking it might work out.¡± With that said, the man walked off. The worker watched him leave but then sighed. He recalled the gravity of the situation as explained over the base¡¯s radio and he circled to the side of the hangar. His heart was heavy. If the Concept Core weapons did not work, the mechanical dragons they were working on would not work either. ¡°¡­¡± Before getting to work, he thought about distracting himself by making a spinning turn with the forklift on the apron of the secondary runway. He often played around like that when unpleasant things happened. The world would change on the 25th. In that case, this might be his last chance to do this trick. But he suddenly realized something. ¡­I¡¯m pretty sure this isn¡¯t that guy¡¯s post. Then why did he come from here? he wondered as he arrived on the side of the hangar. He saw something there. ¡°What the heck?¡± The secondary runway should have been there. The runway was two thousand meters long, but that long strip of asphalt was gone. A deep, two hundred meter mark was left in its place. ¡°Something tore up the entire runway?¡± It was a canyon four hundred meters wide and over two kilometers long. Some kind of powerful strike had burned the grass, melted the crust, and left its mark there. ¡°Oh, come on.¡± He trembled from something other than the chilly morning air and let out a white breath. ¡°Now I can¡¯t have any fun with the forklift.¡± Volume 14, 18: Feelings for a Voice Volume 14, Chapter 18: Feelings for a Voice Is it reality or imagination that has reached you? Grasp the answer using your own point of view A pair of footsteps ran up a staircase filled by the morning sun. They came from a boy and a girl and they were accompanied by words. ¡°Kaku! C¡¯mon! Hurry up! The bell is going to ring! It¡¯s the last day of the year-end festival, so the student council can¡¯t miss the homeroom roll call two days in a row.¡± ¡°Hey, now. Who was it that took forever getting changed in the dorm room? You or me?¡± ¡°Honestly.¡± Kazami blushed, grabbed Izumo¡¯s hand, and pulled him along. She then looked to the top of the stairs. ¡°Hurry. This might be our last homeroom.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather it wasn¡¯t.¡± Both of them held large bags. The bags contained V-Sw and G-Sp2. Kazami rested G-Sp2¡¯s bag on her shoulder as if to better feel the weight in her arm. ¡°Once homeroom is over, let¡¯s meet up with the others and go to Yokota Air Base. We should be able to get some detailed information on the situation there.¡± The loss of everyone in Japanese UCAT was still unconfirmed. Would they find the answer or not? The two of them had called Harakawa and the others, but no one else had known anything either. It did seem Shinjou was safe, so Kazami hoped to learn more about that and the safety of the others after meeting up with Sayama and the rest. Yokota seemed to be the place closest to the center of it all, so they hoped to gather information there. That was why they would go there after meeting the others. ¡°After confirming what happened, I want to build my resolve.¡± Kazami¡¯s comment put a bitter smile on Izumo¡¯s face. She looked at him as if to say ¡°What¡¯s that for?¡± and he responded with the bitter smile intact. ¡°I see you¡¯re playing this by ear.¡± ¡°Yeah. Adlibbing can be useful off the stage as well.¡± As she said that, they reached the stairway landing. They faced the hallway lined with classrooms. As they began running, 8:30 arrived. It was time for homeroom. The classroom was filled with students. Some were speaking and a few were standing, but most were seated. Sayama and Shinjou were in their school uniforms as they heard the bell ring. Shinjou sat in the back and looked to both the teacher¡¯s desk and the windowsill. ¡°Ooki-sensei and Harakawa-kun aren¡¯t here.¡± ¡°Harakawa and Heo-kun are apparently on their way from Yokota. As for Ooki-sensei¡­who can say?¡± Shinjou could not nod or shake her head to his question. She said something else instead. ¡°I¡­hope she gets here.¡± She then reached out her left hand toward Sayama¡¯s seat on her left, took his right hand, and squeezed it. He squeezed back. They said nothing, but it was enough to calm her. So¡­ ¡°Um, Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Once homeroom is over, let¡¯s leave the school. We can meet up with the others and go to Yokota Air Base.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he replied. ¡°I was thinking the same thing.¡± He squeezed her hand even tighter. She glanced over and found him slowly looking across the classroom. The class was waiting for homeroom. All of their classmates were there. In the seats toward the front, someone was silently looking forward with nothing to do. Toward the hallway, someone was looking in a mirror and fixing her hair. One was reading a book, one was listening to music, and one was chatting with someone in a nearby seat. Sayama spoke quietly as he looked at them all. ¡°Everyone is fighting.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Shinjou questioned what he said, but she received no response. When he spoke, he mostly seemed to be confirming it with himself. ¡°I began the Leviathan Road because I wanted to get serious. But¡­as we discussed early this morning, it was probably only a matter of chance that the one thing I could get serious about was the Leviathan Road.¡± He looked around again. ¡°Shinjou-kun, you for example can get serious about writing your novel instead of the Leviathan Road.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m serious about the Leviathan Road too, you know?¡± Her quiet protest led him to nod without turning her way. ¡°That means you have two things you can get serious about.¡± He gave a small smile. ¡°I am glad I had something. And I will try to believe that I will find plenty more from here on. ¡­And that is thanks to you.¡± He maintained his smile and spoke so only she could hear. ¡°Everyone must be the same. They want to get serious, they fight, and they gain whatever it is. In that way, while there are differences in what exactly we do, the two of us are no different from everyone else.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He narrowed his eyes in a smile and finally turned that smile her way. ¡°And the same must be true of my other self.¡± ¡°Of Mikoku-san?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°She inherited so many feelings and an entire world and this is the first thing she has gotten serious over. Do you understand what that means? Even inside Babel, my other self hid her true plan from me and never revealed her serious side. ¡­She lost someone important to her and even stored up the power of the philosopher¡¯s stone created for that person, so no matter who opposes her, she will continue with her unavoidable revolution of the world.¡± ¡°You mean¡­?¡± ¡°She is incredibly serious. Noah-kun is a weapon and not a companion, so in truth, she is supported only by her own seriousness.¡± Sayama looked down slightly and spoke quietly as if imagining the girl he spoke of. ¡°She currently stands at the leading edge of every world¡¯s emotion of loss and she herself lost someone important to her. She has cornered herself in that position, so she has bet everything on a means of overturning that loss. And yet creating a world of rebirth will also reject herself as a member of the world of destruction.¡± ¡°Then what are you going to do?¡± ¡°Beat some sense into her.¡± His quiet declaration left Shinjou briefly dumbfounded and he closed his eyes. ¡°I am someone who lost some things yet did not lose some other things, but just like her, I too can get serious. That means we are the same. And I do not like her methods. I need no other reason to punch my other self.¡± ¡°Can you¡­win?¡± ¡°If I do not, then her seriousness will win out. That is not a bad thing. After all, that conclusion would surpass my own seriousness. That would be a conclusion I could trust. And that is why I will abandon any expectations telling me I have an overwhelming disadvantage or I might be unable to turn this around. Instead, I want to do everything I am capable of doing.¡± After a pause, Shinjou finally smiled bitterly. Sayama gave her a puzzled look and she squeezed his hand before responding. ¡°You really can be childish sometimes.¡± ¡°Yes. Even I must admit it is truly adorable how I feel the need to lick certain things to see how they taste.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!!¡± After checking to see if anyone else had heard that, Shinjou let her shoulders droop. But without letting go of his hand, she added some inflection to her voice. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, you know?¡± ¡°I was counting on it, Shinjou-kun. Let us go punch that idiot together.¡± He was expressionless, but she could sense a hint of a smile in it. ¡°And there are others who will help: Kazami, Izumo, the Hiba boy, Mikage-kun, Harakawa, and Heo-kun.¡± ¡°There are others too: American UCAT, the Gears who agree with us, and the surviv-¡­¡± She trailed off before saying ¡°the survivors from Japanese UCAT¡±. She wondered what had happened to them. Based on what she had heard of the Leviathan, she doubted the people they had mentioned were enough to put up a fight. The enemy was much larger than a city and possessed the positive and negative powers of every Gear. ¡­Is there nothing we can do? She decided not to ask that out loud and Sayama said nothing either. This was the one incident he would not reassure her about. She squeezed his hand again. ¡°The final battle is tomorrow, isn¡¯t it? How about we search for the others until then? And how about we gather people to fight with us?¡± ¡°I was thinking the same thing, Shinjou-kun.¡± Sayama nodded. ¡°Our opponent is large and serious, while we are small and serious. So it would be best if we could gather an equal amount of seriousness before facing them.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Shinjou nodded, squeezed his hand harder, and wondered if it was hopeless. ¡°Let¡¯s do everything we can.¡± As she spoke, she looked to the empty teacher¡¯s desk. Another sound then drew her attention. ¡°Eh?¡± She heard static. Everyone in the school recognized it because it always preceded the bell. It pointed to a single fact. ¡°The final homeroom¡­¡± It was beginning. But the bell did not ring. Instead¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She heard the white noise that preceded a school-wide announcement. ¡°What is this?¡± As soon as she asked her question, a voice escaped every speaker in the school. Sayama braced himself for what was coming and listened with Shinjou to the voice coming from the speaker. He heard a man¡¯s voice. ¡°Everyone.¡± He recognized the voice. ¡°Ooshiro¡­Itaru?¡± But, he wondered as the two of them exchanged a glance. He gave a look of doubt and she gave a look of confusion. ¡°Did he¡­survive?¡± Sayama¡¯s question was eloquently answered by the speaker. It provided the representation of a will known as words. ¡°Everyone.¡± Kazami heard Itaru¡¯s voice speak the same word again. Izumo frowned in the next seat over. ¡°Hold on¡­ We¡¯re at school right now.¡± She understood that. She really did. But she also had a thought. ¡­What is going on? That thought became a desire to learn more and she lifted her gaze. She looked to the speaker uttering the man¡¯s will. Everyone around her was too confused to do anything. Within the stillness, Kazami and Izumo listened to the voice continue. ¡°Everyone.¡± Itaru¡¯s voice began with the same word for the third time. ¡°The entirety of UCAT will now enter a state of emergency.¡± Hiba and Harakawa raced along the school¡¯s northern road with their partners riding along and they listened to the voice reaching them from the row of boy¡¯s dormitories. ¡°These orders are made with the full authority of Team Leviathan Supervisor Ooshiro Itaru,¡± said the voice. ¡°All UCAT members are to enter a state of emergency regarding the world.¡± Sayama squeezed back Shinjou¡¯s hand and listened to the scratchy voice reaching them through the speaker. He made sure not to miss a single word or syllable. ¡°By the time you hear this, I doubt I will still be with you.¡± He heard a bitter laugh. ¡°Make sure to rejoice about that.¡± And¡­ ¡°You all stand at the end of the trend we created, so I¡¯m sure all of you will stand up in my place.¡± Heo placed her hands to her ears in the sidecar of Harakawa¡¯s motorcycle. She spread her hands to pick up the surrounding noise and the voice mixed into it all. ¡°It took sixty years to reach this point.¡± There was a pause for a breath. ¡°It took ten years to change course here.¡± Izumo listened. Next to him, Kazami sank low in her desk, so he could tell she was focusing. He feigned apathy, but as he rested his head on his hand, he kept his ear pointed toward the speaker. ¡°The ephemeral justice.¡± Izumo muttered the same words. ¡°The compassionate villain.¡± Harakawa drove his motorcycle to the north of the school buildings. He approached a gravel path which increased the risk of the motorcycle slipping, but he squeezed the accelerator regardless. If he slowed down here, he might be too late for something. ¡°Not to mention,¡± said the voice. ¡°The reason, the emotion, and the bonds and intentions those things led to.¡± Some self-deprecation could be heard in the voice. ¡°All of those things will be gathered in this worst case scenario. As ridiculous as it seems.¡± Shinjou felt the strength of Sayama¡¯s hand. She felt heat and a beating pulse there. So she nodded and looked in the same direction as him: toward the speaker producing Itaru¡¯s words. Itaru¡¯s voice continued as if to respond to her gaze. ¡°Gather your strength. Let your wills cry out. That is what is needed now.¡± The voice breathed in. ¡°After all, the past ¨C including the last sixty years and the Concept War ¨C is limited. If you wish for it, there will be much, much more to come. And you can only find it if you beat down the past and turn back toward it!¡± ¡°So at the very least¡­¡± Mikage sank down in Hiba¡¯s sidecar as she listened to the voice. She looked up into the sky and saw no clouds there. She felt like her soul could go anywhere today. ¡°At the very least, do not think of tomorrow as something that simply arrives.¡± She heard what could be called a physical voice. ¡°Think of it as something you must take!¡± Kazami listened to the voice of a man who had kept his distance from them for so long. ¡°Listen.¡± She did so. ¡°If you are going to reach out your hand, then express your will. If you do that, you will be promised whatever it is you can grasp. So express yourself. There is only one response here.¡± He continued immediately. ¡°Answer me! Will you or will you not continue on ahead and become the leading edge of it all!?¡± Kazami just about responded to Itaru¡¯s words. She doubted the rest of her class knew what this announcement was about. Still, she knew what it meant to answer that question and there was a single word she had to say. To do so, she reached for the bag sitting next to her desk. But something happened just before pulling G-Sp2 from the bag. ¡°Are you going to answer me or not!?¡± Kazami saw and heard it. All around her, as far as she could see or hear, every single student stood up, reached into their desks or bags, and noisily pulled weapons out. ¡°Testament!!¡± Shinjou and Sayama heard it. Before the two of them could do anything, the others stood up, lifted white cowling weapons, and raised their voices. Tes, tes, tes. We make our testament here. They all said it, their weapons produced metallic sounds, and they laughed at what they were doing. Those without a concept weapon on hand ran to their lockers and pulled them out. Those with a concept weapon looked at each other¡¯s weapons with surprised looks of ¡°you too?¡± ¡°What is going on?¡± asked Shinjou. Everyone looked at everyone else and laughed awkwardly. Shinjou realized she and Sayama were the only ones still seated and she heard rushing footsteps and voices all around. She heard Sayama¡¯s voice next to her. ¡°Ha.¡± He spat out his breath. ¡°Ha ha!¡± He laughed and stood. He pulled on Shinjou¡¯s hand to have her stand as well. Still confused, she stood, looked around, and saw the others turning back toward them. She saw their eyebrows lifted in powerful smiles and she saw Sayama smile back in the same way. They all held different weapons and noisily prepared them, so¡­ ¡°¡­Right.¡± Shinjou nodded back at them with her confusion becoming a bitter smile. The next thing she knew, she heard footsteps and joyous shouts coming from the hallway and other classrooms. The same commotion could be heard from the ceiling and floor, so the same thing was happening on the third and first floors. The rumbling coming from the hallway likely came from movement in the neighboring school building. They were all the same. They all raised their respective weapons. ¡°We¡¯re all¡­together, aren¡¯t we?¡± Once Shinjou said that, someone in a white track suit suddenly opened the door and entered the classroom. ¡°Ah, is homeroom over already?¡± It was Ooki. Everyone turned around with shouts of surprise as Ooki brushed down her slightly disheveled hair, raised her attendance book, and looked around the room. ¡°Um, I¡¯ll take attendance for the last homeroom of the year now.¡± After a moment, surprise filled her face. ¡°Wh-why do you all have concept weapons!?¡± ¡°It took you that long to notice!?¡± Everyone¡¯s retort was soon followed by another question. ¡°Why are you alive!?¡± ¡°A-are you telling me to die!?¡± ¡°Wait,¡± said Sayama as he raised a hand to stop everyone and looked to Ooki. ¡°Allow me sum it all up in a single question: where have you been, you tardy teacher?¡± ¡°Well¡­.¡± Ooki scratched at her head. ¡°Sf-san gave us an evacuation order straight from Itaru-san, so we all evacuated. But that took a lot of doing with 1st-Gear¡¯s reservation and the 4th-Gear people.¡± ¡°Very good. All of that is acceptable. Continue.¡± ¡°Sayama-kun, are you making fun of me?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± he replied. ¡°I was praising you for having a proper explanation for once.¡± ¡°Yay! Sayama-kun praised me!¡± Everyone gave her a look of shock, but she remained oblivious. ¡°Anyway, after we loaded the 1st-Gear reservation¡¯s concept space creation device on a bicycle trailer and evacuated, it all blew up. And when we called for help, a whole bunch of police, firefighters, and JSDF showed up.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. I suppose they would.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Ooki gave a carefree bitter smile. ¡°Anyway, we couldn¡¯t leave the concept space with all of them around, so we were stuck carrying the equipment all the way here.¡± ¡°I see, I see,¡± said Sayama as he nodded. Shinjou realized he was going to say something soon, so she looked to Ooki. But Ooki held her chest out proudly. ¡°I worked really hard. I clearly did a good job.¡± ¡°Yes, Ooki-sensei, you did work hard. You did a great job. ¡­But I would like to ask why you never contacted us, you delinquent teacher. All of you have been missing since last night!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Ooki frowned. ¡°Was everyone worried? But Sibyl-san and Harakawa-kun¡¯s mother were busy healing the wounded.¡± ¡°And what was a mere spectator like you doing?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Odor-san and Diana-san said they were fine because they¡¯d taken paid leave.¡± ¡°And why do you think you are on the same level as those inhuman people? And your paid leave has long since been used up thanks to your frequent tardiness, so do you have anything to say for yourself?¡± ¡°Um, well¡­¡± It took five seconds, but Ooki finally found something to say. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Everyone sighed at her quiet apology. ¡°Well,¡± began someone as they all gave their thoughts at just about the same moment. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect anything less of a superhuman that can coexist with roaches.¡± ¡°Who in the world let her be a teacher?¡± ¡°We¡¯re never getting our final exams back, are we?¡± ¡°Wh-why are you all starting an anti-Ooki negative campaign!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a negative campaign! We¡¯re just telling the truth!!¡± She flinched back from their unified response, but then Sayama sighed in her direction. ¡°Well, at least you are safe, Ooki-sensei. ¡­Is your home okay?¡± ¡°It actually fell over.¡± She sounded carefree, but everyone looked at her. Shinjou knew that a tree spirit¡¯s tree was equivalent to their own life. ¡­If it fell over, she must have taken a good bit of damage. Shinjou glanced over at Sayama. He nodded back, telling her to ask her question. So she did just that. ¡°Are you okay, Ooki-sensei?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine. The repair workers will fix the roots.¡± Ooki was the same as ever. Or she seemed to be. But then she scratched at her head. ¡°Although there is something I¡¯m worried about.¡± ¡°Worried?¡± asked Shinjou. ¡°If it¡¯s something we can help with, just tell us.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Ooki kept scratching her head and slowly continued. ¡°How should I put it? At the moment, I have no home, no clothes, and no money in the bank, so I was thinking of staying in the girl¡¯s dorm for the time being. That would be fine, right? Right? It¡¯s winter break. And once my home is standing again, I might like some volunteers to help fix all my toppled furniture. Also¡­¡± Ooki continued with her true feelings on full display. ¡°I¡¯d love it if someone could give their teacher a Christmas cake, a New Year¡¯s meal, and a New Year¡¯s gift.¡± Shinjou and everyone else turned their back and ignored her, so Ooki raised her voice in protest. That was when the courtyard grew noisy. A shout came from outside the window. Curious, Shinjou pulled on Sayama¡¯s hand and ran to the window. She found a commotion leaving the courtyard and reaching the schoolyard. ¡°Everyone¡¯s heading out!¡± It went beyond that. The group by the main gate was likely the people Ooki had brought. The UCAT members, Diana, the automatons, and the 4th-Gear residents were approaching the school buildings after leaving the concept space. Everyone rushing out to greet them was a bearer of power. That was why Shinjou squeezed Sayama¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go with them! Let¡¯s go to the power Itaru-san left for us!¡± She and Sayama exchanged a look and a powerful nod. ¡°We can fight now. I¡¯m sure of it!!¡± She heard voices. The voices no longer hid their strength and were confident that everyone was there. Those voices never stopped reaching Shinjou¡¯s ears. A single person sat in the darkness while gathering and listening to the voices outside. The broadcast room was a small room sticking out from the school building¡¯s second floor. The person sitting in front of the studio and mixer consoles and soaking in the joyous voices entering through the window was an automaton in a black maid outfit. The letters ¡°Sf¡± were stitched in the apron facing the window. Sf looked to the tape recorder that was no longer running. Its contents had already been released into the air. ¡°The will contained inside would deteriorate on a second playing.¡± So she reached out and pulled the tape from the recorder. She held it in her right hand and twisted her fingers. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She broke it. Her gloved hand crushed and tore apart the wrapped magnetic tape and she tossed it aside. ¡°Itaru-sama.¡± She held her hands to her chest. She embraced the straw doll there, looked to the fingers that had destroyed the tape, and turned her eyes toward the scene visible out the window. She observed the students and others in the courtyard as well as the concept weapons glittering in the sunlight. ¡°Itaru-sama¡­where are you now?¡± She hugged the straw doll. ¡°You said you are everywhere, so you asked that I trust you. And you asked that I carry Shinjou-sama here. But¡­¡± Her expressionless words continued. ¡°Where are you?¡± The tape, the doll, and the voices outside were all things that would not have existed without Itaru, but¡­ ¡°I am an automaton. I have no imagination. I trust you, Itaru-sama, but even though you said you are everywhere¡­where are you?¡± Her plain words were not a question. Her tone was one of confirmation. And she used that tone to speak clearly. ¡°You are everywhere and nowhere, so¡­¡± She reached a single conclusion because she could not perceive his existence. ¡°You must actually be nowhere, Itaru-sama.¡± She kept her legs together and her posture impeccable as she spoke. Her dignified voice joined the joyous ones coming from all around and below. ¡°My name is Sf. I am the automaton with the name Sein Frau. That means I am the automaton who exists for that purpose. Therefore, I am to be more than a maid. I am to bear metal for flesh, reality for imagination, absence for existence, rejection for desire, and even speech for silence. But¡­¡± She closed her eyes. ¡°You are my only master, Itaru-sama. I have determined as such. You always refused to see me as a maid and instead treated me as Sf, but also acted as the bearer of my tears. I cannot cry, but you always took that role in silence. And your final request for me was to live.¡± She gave an expressionless nod. ¡°Tes.¡± She did not hesitate to continue. ¡°If that is what you wish.¡± A moment later, she fulfilled her master¡¯s request as she understood it. She halted all of her functions. She immediately came to a complete stop in order to immediately fulfill her master¡¯s request. Even in stopping, she proved her how well-made she was. She shut down silently, with no shaking, defect, or excess heat. As a doll, she stopped moving. She simply remained seated with no perceivable expression on her face. The reverberation of movement had completely left this doll. Diana stared at the automaton that had become a mere doll. ¡°I¡¯m starting to feel like my life is nothing but watching over people¡¯s final moments.¡± She walked down the broadcast room¡¯s narrow corridor and moved behind what had been Sf. Diana knew exactly what the doll¡¯s expression would be. ¡°Expressionless, right?¡± And¡­ ¡°Sf, you were an excellent machine. After all¡­you lived as a machine.¡± Diana gently embraced Sf¡¯s neck from behind and hung her head. Her lowered head hid her face behind her hair and that allowed her to ask her next question. ¡°Was being a machine what Itaru wanted? ¡­Was it really? I happen to know the very first thing he said to you.¡± Diana released a breath that could have been a laugh or a sob. ¡°He said ¡®What is this? Is it supposed to be a replacement for someone?¡¯, didn¡¯t he?¡± The doll said nothing, but Diana still spoke. ¡°You decided to remain a machine because you didn¡¯t want to be someone¡¯s replacement, didn¡¯t you?¡± She received no answer. She only heard the voices from outside. She heard the voices that had inherited the will Sf had carried here. Sayama and the others loudly celebrated each other¡¯s wellbeing now that they were reunited. Their loud voices proved that their wills were present. They raised their voices as one. ¡°Testament!¡± That was a word of agreement, a word of a contract, and a holy word. Diana raised her head and looked to Sf¡¯s face. She found an expressionless face with closed eyes. It was Sf¡¯s uniquely sharp face that was never influenced by anything. ¡°Yes.¡± Diana nodded. ¡°Sf, you continue relying on Itaru.¡± As if to let her hear the many voices reaching them, Diana deeply embraced Sf from behind and turned her slender body toward the window. As if to store her deep in her heart, Diana pulled the slender frame close and spoke with a faint tremor in her voice. ¡°You¡­¡± She breathed in. ¡°You are an excellent machine that chose to rely on your master as the very reason for your existence.¡± Volume 14, 19: Simulated Tomorrow Volume 14, Chapter 19: Simulated Tomorrow Everyone How about we think of tomorrow? Of a tomorrow bright with destruction Evening filled the sky. Below, the forest sank into darkness. However, that forest did not maintain its proper form. The tree-covered earth was split, cracked, and broken. Ropes and warning lights were set up to block off what little remained of the road. Night was fast approaching, so most of the trucks and heavy machinery had been pulled back to the base of the mountain. But even as everyone else was headed down, one figure remained at the top of the slope. An old man in a lab coat and a yellow hard hat stood on the broken asphalt. His nametag said Ooshiro and his eyes were pointed downward. He was looking at the valley filled with dirt. The dirt piled up at the bottom of the valley was two hundred meters wide and several kilometers long. It also contained fragments of manmade objects. They were asphalt and metal pieces melted by the heat as well as pieces of white building materials. Those were the remains of Japanese UCAT. Ooshiro stared at them in the shadows of the setting sun. ¡°#8-kun, you¡¯re there, aren¡¯t you?¡± He suddenly spoke to someone behind him without turning around. The air moved slightly and #8 stepped out from between the fallen trees behind him. She too was wearing a yellow hard hat. #8 was wearing jeans and a down jacket instead of her usual maid outfit. ¡°What are you doing here, Ooshiro-sama? According to our estimations, the positive concepts will react to the activated negative concepts inside the Leviathan and change the world by midnight tomorrow night. To prevent that, the others have gathered at Yokota and Yokosuka and are holding a strategy meeting in Yokosuka¡¯s underground meeting room.¡± ¡°And with all that going on, what does it look like I¡¯m doing?¡± #8 saw Ooshiro looking back toward her with the setting sun behind him and she slowly observed their surroundings. All she saw were the setting sun and Ooshiro. ¡­Is this¡­? After confirming the still scenery, she nodded and gave her conclusion. ¡°I believe you are mentally planning your next 18+ game.¡± ¡°A-are you really ignoring the sunset behind me, #8-kun!? Do I really look the same as always!?¡± Hearing that, she wondered if she had made a mistake and looked into the sunset again. ¡°The sun is merely setting for the night. What about it?¡± ¡°Wah! This is the problem with you! And when I was really setting the mood, too!?¡± ¡°Really?¡± asked #8 as Ooshiro wiggled in protest. ¡°Testament. Then I will ignore that part. As an emotionless automaton, I cannot hope to guess what is going on.¡± She then changed the subject. ¡°Anyway, everyone is worried about you, so please return to your post as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Eh? R-really? I¡¯m the mega hero everyone¡¯s pinning their hopes on?¡± ¡°Testament. Everyone in Yokota and Yokosuka was complaining about having no one to shove the unpleasant jobs onto, the construction workers were complaining about an old man getting in the way of everything, and I am complaining because I was called out here when I was supposed to be tuning my spare body. To statistically sum it all up, you need to get back there right away.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s nothing like what you said before!¡± Despite Ooshiro¡¯s complaint, #8 pulled something from her pocket. ¡°This is the straw doll containing one of Itaru-sama¡¯s hairs. Would this doll be an acceptable substitute for spending your time staring into the sunset?¡± Ooshiro looked at the proffered doll. ¡°This was Sf-kun¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Testament. Sf-sama followed after Itaru-sama. ¡­Because this doll is not Itaru-sama.¡± #8¡¯s tone of voice was firm. ¡°But you are not the same as Sf-sama. ¡­You are technically human.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®technically¡¯?¡± ¡°I went out of the way to leave that unsaid, so why do you insist on nitpicking my wording?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m the one being scolded over this!?¡± She ignored him because she had something to say. She had to say this before gaining even more bizarre conversational experience. ¡°Humans have an imagination. They have the power to imagine someone where nothing remains. So wouldn¡¯t a doll containing something he left behind allow you to imagine him all the more?¡± ¡°#8-kun¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded. ¡°All your pathetic brain can do is imagine things about dolls or an image on a monitor, but that will finally be a useful skill. Now, have a good time imagining.¡± ¡°I-I just imagined something really sad about myself!¡± Still, he took the straw doll from her hand. ¡°But #8-kun? It sure would be nice to have something else to cheer me up.¡± ¡°Such as?¡± ¡°Like having you hug me and console me.¡± ¡°How exactly?¡± ¡°Calling me Kazuo-chan and hugging me as sweetly and softly as possible! Like the tenderest of simmered meats! Something that would need the sound effect ¡®honyo¡¯ or ¡®huryo¡¯! L-like this! This! Just like this!¡± #8 stared at the old man backlit by the sunset as he made his sound effects and bent backwards again and again. She wondered what to do for about three seconds, but finally said ¡°testament¡± and nodded at the man. She then pulled her cellphone from her pocket. ¡°Hello, police? Yes, the pervert that I mentioned earlier is once again blathering on about bizarre nonsensical things while acting extremely suspiciously.¡± ¡°Wah, #8-kun! Stop, stop! And what do you mean ¡®that I mentioned earlier¡¯!?¡± She hung up the phone and glared at Ooshiro. ¡°Have you made up your mind?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Will you be coming or not?¡± She further clarified. ¡°Will you be giving up on or continuing the fight? Which will it be?¡± He did not answer her. He fell silent with the straw doll in hand. So #8 determined what it was he wanted to say. She opened her mouth to tell him. ¡°Testament. Then let¡¯s go, Ooshiro-sama.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m going!? Don¡¯t I get a say?¡± ¡°Since you did not answer immediately, I determined you were willing to go either way. And¡­¡± She looked up into the clear sky as she spoke. ¡°We are in the mountains of Okutama at the end of December. The temperature will fall below zero at night. If you remain here, I have determined the frozen corpse of a pervert will be discovered here by tomorrow.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°You admit you¡¯re a pervert!?¡± ¡°Damn, you¡¯re strict!¡± He wrapped his hands around his head and struck a pose, so she turned her back on him. ¡°You have to leave the mountain no matter what you choose, so your only option is to go. So I have determined there is only one thing to say: let¡¯s go, Ooshiro-sama.¡± ¡°Ah, wait, wait!¡± Ooshiro took a hesitant step after she began to walk. ¡°You¡¯re pretty forceful.¡± His shoulders drooped, but he followed her. She looked back toward him. ¡°Are you coming with me?¡± ¡°Everyone wants me to, right?¡± He pulled the helmet deep over his eyes. ¡°They¡¯re hopeless without me, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Testament,¡± replied #8. ¡°I have determined we are about to grow very busy. Prepare yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been ready for ten years now.¡± His voice fell to the ground. ¡°I thought I had prepared myself for this day back then.¡± ¡°You grow tired of things quickly, so I have determined you grew tired of being prepared.¡± She suddenly sped up and he had to run to catch up. ¡°#-#8-kun! Why are you running away from me!?¡± ¡°I am not running away. Please stay at least five meters away from me.¡± ¡°I doubt I want to know, but why?¡± ¡°Testament.¡± She nodded. ¡°A filthy old man carrying a straw doll approaching you from behind deep in the mountains? Are you trying to become a new urban legend?¡± People filled a large space. The bowl-shaped circular space was the meeting room below Yokosuka. The room was completely filled with a great mixture of colors. In addition to the representatives of the international UCATs, the national representatives accompanying them, and the Gear representatives, even volunteers from the normal members of those groups were present. They all looked to the central space where a 3D image floated above a round table. The transparent green light drew a 3D map of Tokyo with Shinjuku in the center. ¡°Tomorrow will be a day for the hidden annals of history.¡± A boy in a suit, Sayama, spoke as he walked through the center of the large transparent map. ¡°This is the Final Concept War that will never be mentioned in the official history books. It will come down to a great urban battle in which a coalition force of UCAT, our various nations, and the Gears split into eight armies to attack the Leviathan.¡± The Leviathan sat in midair like a giant island and red lights indicated the positions of the UCAT forces. ¡°According to our predictions, the positive concepts inside the Leviathan will be complete tomorrow, the 25th, at 10:30 PM. These positive concepts will react to the already activated negative concepts, but they will both fully activate and create the immortality concept at precisely midnight.¡± In other words¡­ ¡°At precisely midnight tomorrow, the world will be changed and the living will all be erased.¡± Everyone gulped at Sayama¡¯s words. He then walked toward the image of the floating Leviathan and the eight red armies deployed in Tokyo moved toward the center. The ribbon lines of movement had an arrow at the end. They split apart and covered Tokyo while approaching the Leviathan. Sayama also reached a hand toward the Leviathan. ¡°If the Leviathan creates and activates the positive concepts, even the existing Concept Core weapons will be useless. After all, we have no idea how to defeat that colossal rampaging dragon,¡± he explained. ¡°But the Leviathan has left us a decisive opening.¡± Everyone looked up and Roger raised his hand in the American UCAT representative seat. ¡°What is this opening?¡± ¡°Until the positive concepts have been created, it must avoid moving as much as possible.¡± As he walked, Sayama pointed back toward the curled up Leviathan. ¡°If it could move, it could have easily destroyed the outside world already. It has not and it has overlooked us as we gather together, so I can only assume it is confident in its own strength and currently cannot move.¡± He took a breath. ¡°I know why. The Leviathan¡­no, Noah failed in its concept creation before, so it wants to be as careful as possible.¡± ¡°In that case, is destroying the Leviathan not our primary goal?¡± ¡°Correct. Our goal is to prevent the Leviathan¡¯s positive concepts from reaching completion at 10:30. ¡­I will now show you how.¡± Sayama turned toward everyone else. On the 360 degree transparent map, UCAT¡¯s red ribbons split apart and formed eight foundations. ¡°A representative bearing a Concept Core weapon will be placed in each of these eight directions. While holding those eight directions, a barrier wall will be created in each spot.¡± Eight walls appeared to surround the center of Tokyo. ¡°Oh?¡± said the Chinese UCAT representative. The man in black crossed his arms with an impressed look. ¡°A Bagua-style omnidirectional barrier? It looks just like the Eight Great Dragon King barrier used when sealing 10th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core, though.¡± ¡°Not quite. The sealing walls will be used to keep the Leviathan from escaping and the circle itself acts as a declaration of the Concept Cores¡¯ presence. In other words, we reject the creation of the Leviathan¡¯s positive concepts by showing off the real ones.¡± Sayama kept his legs moving. ¡°But that rejection must not have a way out,¡± warned the man. ¡°A simple eight-direction seal is not enough.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Sayama came to a stop right below the Leviathan made of transparent light. ¡°We do this.¡± He waved a hand and red light appeared. It appeared directly below and above the Leviathan. Two red walls were displayed above and below the enemy dragon. ¡°We add two extra Great Dragon Kings to the Eight to install a seal above and below. The Leviathan will have nowhere left to run and we can lecture it from all directions using the presence of the real positive concepts.¡± To put it another way¡­ ¡°Yes, for simplicity, you could call it the ¡®Leviathan, your positive concepts are fakes and are thus banned! Ha ha ha. How do you like that?¡¯ barrier.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a little too simple!!¡± shouted everyone else. ¡°Simple is best, don¡¯t you think?¡± replied Sayama. ¡°But if you insist, we can call it the Ten Great World Dragons barrier.¡± A short pause followed. After a few seconds, Roger raised his hand in the American representative seat again. ¡°Who will be in charge of the two great dragons in the heavens and on the earth?¡± ¡°Anyone will do. As long as they are worthy of bearing a Concept Core weapon, that is.¡± ¡°Anyone?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sayama looked across the approaching red ribbons of their armies. ¡°It may be a rough way of looking at it, but the Concept Cores are worlds themselves. They contain elements of the heavens and earth within them. So if two of the Concept Core weapon bearers travelling in these eight armies ¨C or two others on the same level ¨C bring in the Concept Cores, they only need to set up the seals of heaven and earth once the eight-direction barrier is established. To put it another way¡­¡± He took a breath. ¡°Those two will be trying to score a touchdown on the Leviathan.¡± He raised a hand, said ¡°but¡±, and looked across his audience. His expressionless face silently observed them. ¡°But you are thinking this sounds simple, aren¡¯t you? We can transport the Concept Core weapon bearers in with an aerial force, after all.¡± Once he said that, a few numbers appeared in the air. They were formatted like a time and they displayed an estimated length of time. ¡°Based on the time needed for the barrier in Top-Gear¡¯s Osaka and the barriers used to seal 10th-Gear¡¯s and 2nd-Gear¡¯s Concept Cores, we can estimate it will take this long to establish a barrier large enough to seal the Leviathan.¡± The proper numbers appeared and everyone gasped. ¡°The eight-direction barrier will take sixty-four minutes. Counting from there, the heaven and earth one will take sixteen minutes. That makes a total of eighty minutes that we must face the Leviathan. By counting back from there, we know when we our attack must begin.¡± Diana gave the answer from the German UCAT representative seat. She gave the numbers with a serious look in her eyes. ¡°At the very least, it has to be eighty minutes before 10:30 tomorrow night. To give ourselves some breathing room, we need to attack by nine at night.¡± ¡°Exactly. And this is going to be quite troublesome.¡± Sayama¡¯s words brought the color blue to the map. Blue ribbons appeared from the Leviathan. It almost looked like the color blue had exploded from the dragon. ¡°The Leviathan contains a massive fighting force. Based on what I saw, its concept space hangars hold approximately two thousand five hundred gods of war of various types, one thousand mechanical dragons of various types, and as for automatons¡­¡± He smiled bitterly. ¡°Approximately three hundred thousand of various types.¡± A few people voiced their disbelief. That simply seemed impossible. That was when a sudden voice of rejection reached them. It was a sharp girl¡¯s voice. ¡°You would not regret it if you showed a little more tolerance.¡± The voice came from directly next to Sayama. No one had seen them arrive, but two figures had joined the transparent map of Tokyo. One wore a black armored uniform and the other was a twelve-winged maid automaton. They were Mikoku and Noah. Everyone in the meeting room began to raise their voices at their appearance. Some reached into their pockets to pull out weapons, but they never completed that action. ¡°Please quiet down. Over.¡± Noah¡¯s voice seemed to be emitted from her entire body and a weight fell down from above. It was a great burden. ¡°¡­!?¡± Those who had started to stand up fell to their knees. Those who had reached into their pockets collapsed forward. The weight bore down on their entire body. But the cups and pens on the desks before them did not even budge and their clothes were not pulled down. Only the people were pressed against the desks or the floor while Mikoku and Noah stood tall. Noah had lightly raised her right hand. ¡°I have tripled your body weight. Please calm down, everyone. Over.¡± But someone opposed those words and began to move. Sayama stood in front of them and¡­ ¡°Go!¡± On his shout, two figures moved inside the meeting room. The girl and boy moving quickly forward in their white armored uniforms were Kazami and Hiba. Their movement time was shortened and they moved too quickly to see properly. Kazami spread her wings and forced her way through the extra burden. ¡°!¡± She circled behind Noah and thrust G-Sp2¡¯s tip up from below without warning. At the same time, Hiba rushed directly in front of Mikoku. Kazami¡¯s attack hit and the sound of the impact exploded out. However, it hit Hiba. ¡°Eh!?¡± The sound of everyone else gasping was louder than Kazami¡¯s cry of surprise. At some point, Noah had appeared behind Kazami with Mikoku in her arms. ¡°¡­!¡± Kazami turned toward the presence behind her and Noah spoke expressionlessly. ¡°Please quiet down. Over.¡± Hiba flew over their heads after being knocked into the air by G-Sp2. He normally would have hit the tall ceiling from a blow like that, but the distance and height of his flight were shortened by his tripled body weight. At this rate, he was going to crash into the third level of the stepped meeting room. His arms flailed wildly, but there was nothing he could do. His legs also flailed wildly, but there was still nothing he could do. Kazami knew what to do at a time like this, so she gave him some advice. ¡°Hiba! It¡¯s no use!¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re the one that did this to me!! You really are the worst!!¡± However, he spotted someone to help him up ahead: Izumo. Izumo was sitting in the stepped aisle between desks eating a hamburger, so Hiba shouted to him while flailing his limbs. ¡°I-Izumo-san!¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Izumo nodded and averted his gaze. ¡°It¡¯s just that you¡¯ve been making a lot of gay jokes lately.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give up like that! Try to have a proper conversation with me!¡± Hiba braced for impact. ¡°Izumo-san! C-catch me! Please catch me! It might mean cracking a few bones, but l-let me plow into you!¡± ¡°It might mean cracking a few bones?¡± Izumo gave a reluctant nod and went with Hiba¡¯s suggestion. He pointed at Hiba, held his sides like they were splitting, and spoke to the Kenyan UCAT representative sitting next to him. ¡°Hey, hey. Did you see that!? That idiot¡¯s flying! Wa ha ha ha ha!¡± Hiba crashed into the seat next to Izumo. The sound of destruction was three times greater than normal. Izumo spoke to Hiba¡¯s legs and hands which were growing from the remains of the wooden desk and chair. ¡°Was that good enough? But if you want to ¡®crack¡¯ people up with your jokes, you can¡¯t force them.¡± Hiba shot to his feet, scattering pieces of the seat, and clenched his fist with blood flowing from his face. ¡°I-Izumo-san! There are some things you just don¡¯t do!¡± ¡°And was this one of them?¡± ¡°U-um¡­¡± Hiba hesitated, so Sayama shouted over at him. ¡°Was it!? Or was it not!? Give us a clear answer!¡± Rushed by Sayama, Hiba held his head in his hands. ¡°I-it was¡­was not¡­was¡­¡± He looked up in surprise, turned around, spread his arms, and gave his answer. ¡°It was not was!¡± Noah was standing in front of him and she gave her response to his suggestion. ¡°Please quiet down. Over.¡± ¡°W-wah! Even the enemy¡¯s treating me like this!?¡± They all ignored him and Noah placed Mikoku back on the floor. Mikoku took a breath, fixed her collar, and looked across the group in the room. ¡°Everyone, I am here to suggest you surrender.¡± She expressionlessly looked through the transparent map of Tokyo surrounding her. She looked at the red ribbons of UCAT and the blue ribbons moving toward them. ¡°To speed up your decision, I will provide you with some details concerning my weapons.¡± Sayama fought the weight as he listened to Mikoku provide her numbers. These were simply the numbers of her army, but¡­ ¡°Mechanical dragons: 121 Seraph-type, 406 Cherubim-type, and 640 Galgalim-type. Gods of war: 301 Lords-type, 814 Virtues-type, and 1201 Power-type. Automatons: 98000 Prince-type, 10001 Arc type, and 189000 Angelus-type. Altogether, it is an army of more than three hundred thousand.¡± Those simple numbers moved on the map of Tokyo as the color blue. As everyone pinned to the desks or floor looked to the map, blue ribbons rose from the ground and began intercepting the red ribbons. Sayama saw Mikoku instruct Noah to end the extra weight. ¡°Testament.¡± With that word, the weight left them all and they breathed a sigh of relief. No one around Sayama considered attacking Mikoku. She must have understood that because Mikoku looked first to him and then the others. ¡°I have no intention of fighting yet. The Leviathan is always under my control. I can send out it and its troops as easily as you can clench your hand into a fist. Blindly attacking with no preparation will only lead to regret.¡± ¡°In other words, it is time for a chat straight out of the long-running TV show ¡®Disastrous You¡¯?¡± Noah tilted her head, but Mikoku nodded and lowered her gaze a little. ¡°I doubt it will be a very nice chat.¡± Someone chose to question that. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure.¡± It was Ooshiro who had entered the meeting room with #8. People raised their voices to welcome him. When he fixed his collar and raised his arms in an entrance pose, everyone smiled and applauded. ¡°Tch. Why¡¯s he alive?¡± ¡°#8-san wasted four hours of her life bringing him back.¡± ¡°He bought up three or four of the limited-edition figurine I wanted.¡± ¡°I-is it just me or are all of you giving into personal grudges a lot lately!?¡± ¡°If you have something to say, get on with it, old man.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± He sat on the steps, pointed at Mikoku, and then pointed at the giant dragon on the map. ¡°How should I put it? You may be able to use the Leviathan, but can you really utilize all of those weapons? It must take a lot to fire even a single cannon. Do you have any proof what you¡¯re saying is-¡­¡± Before he could finish, Mikoku snapped her fingers. Noah nodded in response. A moment later, everyone saw a building on the southeast side of the transparent map disappear. Tokyo Tower had completely vanished. As soon as the green, transparent tower disappeared, the automaton operating the round table controlling the map spoke quietly. ¡°The tower within the Leviathan¡¯s concept space has been vaporized.¡± ¡°Testament.¡± Noah nodded. ¡°The Leviathan is linked to me. I exist here as an automaton, but I am aware I am nothing but a weapon for Mikoku-sama. Over.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sayama nodded and looked to Ooshiro. ¡°Why are you even here, old man? It is your fault Tokyo Tower was destroyed inside the concept space.¡± ¡°Eh? I-it¡¯s my fault!?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Who else could we possibly blame?¡± Everyone in the meeting room glared at Ooshiro. He shrieked, rolled along the floor, collided with the next step up, and rolled back to #8. ¡°#-#8-kun, are you going to give me the same look all of them do?¡± She ignored him entirely, pulled a mop from below her apron, and began cleaning the floor with her back to him. ¡°#-#8-kun! Won¡¯t you help me after going out of your way to bring me here!?¡± ¡°I apologize, but I am incredibly busy with nothing to do and am therefore cleaning.¡± ¡°How long will you be cleaning?¡± Ooshiro asked while sitting on the floor and #8 answered with her back to him. ¡°Until the filth is gone.¡± ¡°Is that¡­a metaphor for something?¡± ¡°Testament. ¡­Of course not.¡± ¡°Which is it!? Which of those answers am I supposed to believe!?¡± ¡°Ooshiro-sama.¡± She continued mopping with her back to him. ¡°Do you really want me to answer that?¡± He lay on the floor and pretended to cry, so everyone ignored him. Mikoku glanced over at Ooshiro. ¡°You are a strange bunch.¡± ¡°You¡¯re one to talk!!¡± Mikoku flinched back at everyone¡¯s retort, so Noah supported her back and spoke expressionlessly. ¡°Mikoku-sama, do not let them bother you. What could they possibly be looking at to think we are strange? We are far too low-key for that. Over.¡± ¡°R-right. I am living such a low-key life that I had plain soba for lunch.¡± ¡°Since you would have been floating in the sky while eating it, that is a most impressive way of being low-key.¡± Mikoku cleared her throat after hearing Sayama¡¯s opinion. She looked over at him and held out a hand to indicate the transparent map. ¡°Anyway, my army of automatons and gods of war has already been deployed within the concept space. Every last one of them wears pure-white armor. Meanwhile, what kind of fighting force do you have? Sayama responded. ¡°You already know, don¡¯t you?¡± he began. ¡°We have millions upon millions of fighters.¡± ¡°Let me be blunt. Are you stupid?¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. I can see you are shocked by the overwhelming vagueness of our army.¡± Mikoku gave Noah a look of protest, so Noah held out her right hand and bent her fingers twice. ¡°Based on my predictions, they currently have seventy thousand in all. By nine tomorrow night, they will have two hundred and ten thousand. Over.¡± ¡°You need to learn to dream.¡± ¡°I have never had a dream. Over.¡± ¡°That is unfortunate.¡± Sayama crossed his arms. ¡°Dreams are wonderful. Shinjou-kun will perform all sorts of acrobatic positions while only putting up a token resistance. Come to think of it, I can do that in reality now.¡± ¡°Waaaah!!¡± The meeting room¡¯s door burst open and a shouting form rushed in. ¡°Ah! W-wait! Why are you dragging me out! I have an objection! An objection!! I demand an appeal!!¡± The figure was taken back outside. Sayama glanced over at it. ¡°Would you look at that. The dream has appeared for real.¡± ¡°You need to check yourself into a hospital,¡± said Mikoku. She crossed her arms and addressed the comparative numbers of the blue and red ribbons. ¡°Going by the numbers alone, my force is 1.5 times larger than yours.¡± Add in the superior fighting power of the gods of war and mechanical dragons and the Leviathan had an overwhelming advantage. Gathering every god of war and mechanical dragon from every Gear would have trouble reaching even a tenth of the Leviathan¡¯s numbers. Mikoku must have realized that because she continued. ¡°Therefore, I suggest you surrender. You can do so simply by doing nothing.¡± ¡°Why?¡± She answered expressionlessly. ¡°If you do nothing, you can enjoy Christmas night with your families. You would be happier if you made some nice memories before being erased in the instant of the new world¡¯s creation. And just like me, you will be reborn in the new world in some form. If you do not like the sound of that, then this will be your fate.¡± She pointed to the map where UCAT¡¯s red ribbons were being devoured by the blue ones. They were devoured rapidly and in great numbers. The erasure of the red left everyone in the room speechless. Could they stand up to that? But Sayama was unfazed. ¡°I see.¡± He looked Mikoku in the eye. ¡°You certainly are brave to suggest we surrender. A very bold move if you ask me.¡± ¡°How is this bold? Are you implying you have some chance of winning?¡± ¡°Allow me to ask this: Do you seriously think you can defeat me?¡± Everyone gasped and Ooshiro shouted from the floor. ¡°M-Mikoto-kun! Don¡¯t provoke her! That¡¯s a big no-no!¡± ¡°There is nothing to worry about. We are merely chatting. For today, she will suggest we surrender and we will declare war. So let me make one thing very clear: We will stop the creation of the Leviathan¡¯s positive concepts by 10:30 tomorrow night.¡± ¡°Can you? Even after seeing the result of the simulation surrounding you?¡± The silence from everyone else grew heavier. The reason for that silence was simple. All red had vanished from the map of Tokyo in which Sayama stood and it was absolutely filled with blue ribbons instead. If that simulation was accurate, every last member of UCAT would be devoured by the Leviathan¡¯s army. And Mikoku stood in the center of that blue battlefield. ¡°If all you have is pointless bragging, there is nothing left for you.¡± But Sayama did not respond. He said nothing. That was all. They had already declared war against each other, so Mikoku looked down, closed her eyes, and hung her head. ¡°So all that remains is the battle. Understood.¡± She sighed and raised her head without opening her eyes. ¡°Let us fight during tomorrow¡¯s holy night. Let us fight with the entire world on the line.¡± As soon as she said that, both she and Noah disappeared. But they had not completely vanished. ¡°¨C¨C¨C¨C?¡± They had lost their human forms. With a sound much like sand, only a pile of something white remained where they had been. When Kazami saw it, she frowned and spoke from the floor. ¡°Salt?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Sayama. ¡°They were likely creating copies of themselves using gravitational control or something else. Such careful preparation and such overacting. I cannot believe they would force salt to cosplay as them. But¡­¡± He moved his legs to enter the transparent map of Tokyo. He moved below the Leviathan where Mikoku and Noah had been and stepped on the piles of salt. ¡°Was that supposed to be their declaration of war?¡± No one answered him. They all simply let tension fill their bodies. So Sayama opened his mouth. He let his words soak into them and remove their tension. ¡°That was an amusing little diversion. Now, let us get back on topic. I will give you my idea of how to escape this situation where Tokyo is filled by the blue ribbons.¡± Everyone watched as he raised his hand. In response, a flower bloomed in the blue Tokyo. A few red forces suddenly welled up there. There were not that many of them, but they were definitely there. ¡°I will now show you the battle as I see it. In other words, I will show you a battle of gods, where everyone is the same as me. And, everyone, I have only one thing to say here. There is only one objective to this plan I am calling Operation Leviathan.¡± He spoke the words that were essentially a promise to the others. ¡°We must not allow the Leviathan to reach reality.¡± The area around Shinjuku Station was filled with the lights of night. According to the clock in front of the station, it was 4:22 AM. There were people there, but not many. Some people in suits were arriving for the first train of the morning and some younger people and women who had spent the night in the area were moving between empty stores to keep out of the cold. But there were a few people unlike them. These men all wore work uniforms with matching blue jackets. Large trucks were pulling up alongside them not just at the center of the taxi-filled roundabout in front of Shinjuku Station, but also in the alleyways by the south, west, and east entrances. The trucks were loaded with metal pipes and panels. ¡°Who would have thought we¡¯d be blocking off Shinjuku and building stages on the roads?¡± That comment came from Kazami¡¯s mother who stood in a small clearing in front of Nishiguchi Station. She wore a coat and the man next to her, her husband, passed her a thermos of tea. ¡°It¡¯s going to be blocked off from nine to midnight tonight. I¡¯m impressed you got permission for this, papa.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been planning this for a long time and I have some connections here since we used the area a lot for a police drama I worked on. You know the one: ¡®Detective Fluke: The Activation¡¯ where he always found the criminal on intuition.¡± His wife smiled bitterly at that. ¡°I remember that. Chisato would always watch your shows back then. Like that popular anime.¡± ¡°Oh, you mean the sexual harassment food hero ¡®Panpanman¡¯? Chisato came up with a lot of the ideas for the pathogen monsters working for Gaikinman, the enemy boss who refused to work in the office. Choleraman and Aidsman were certainly straight to the point.¡± ¡°That one got cancelled pretty quick, didn¡¯t it?¡± A short silence followed his wife¡¯s comment. Their daughter would normally keep the conversation going with a complaint, but she was not here and the father had to clear his throat. ¡°Well, ever since then, I¡¯ve wanted to pretend to conquer Tokyo like this.¡± ¡°Oh, my. So are you conquering it with music instead of police authority?¡± ¡°Ha ha.¡± He laughed and smiled bitterly at his wife¡¯s words. ¡°I wonder what Chisato would think if she knew her papa was going to be a dictator tonight?¡± ¡°She¡¯d probably come to overthrow you and tell you to stop dreaming.¡± ¡°Y-you sure are cement-like!!¡± ¡°Am I?¡± she replied. Suddenly, a large figure approached them. Kazami¡¯s father stood up when she saw the man wearing a jacket over a white suit. ¡°Oh, Izumo-san. Why are you here? D-don¡¯t tell me searched us out with psychic powers!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly right! Esper Beam Beeeeeacon!!¡± ¡°Old Man Shield!! And Man Beam Birooooon!¡± ¡°What!? Shepaaaah!! ¡­Oh, this is a paralyzing beam, okay?¡¯ ¡°Roger that. But¡­ Ha ha ha. That won¡¯t work on me! Meyo meyo meyo meyo meyo!¡± The mother removed a shoe and struck the father¡¯s head as he moved his arms in a wavelike motion and made a bizarre sound effect. ¡°Ow!¡± He bent forward and she smiled his way. ¡°Why are you two posing at each other? I¡¯ll grab your collar and hit you next time?¡± ¡°Hmm, are you saying you¡¯re willing to hit just anyone, mama?¡± ¡°Anyway, enough of this nonsense only men can understand. Try talking like human beings.¡± ¡°Sure, sure, sure.¡± He straightened up and turned toward Izumo. ¡°What brings you here so early in the morning?¡± ¡°I just have business in the area is all. But on the way, I heard something interesting was going on here. I¡¯m really not sure what to say about this.¡± Izumo Retsu looked around the nighttime station area and spotted the loaded trucks hidden in the alleyways. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re up to no good!!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. I see you understand. You sure are young at heart, Izumo-san!¡± ¡°I understand all too well. It¡¯s like you¡¯re conquering Tokyo!¡± Wondering how he could tell, Kazami¡¯s mother tilted her head and glared at them, but the two men paid her no heed and began discussing the location of the stage and the timing of the lights and sounds. Suddenly, Izumo¡¯s father crossed his arms and smiled. ¡°I wish I could have helped out with all this.¡± ¡°No, that would feel like we were abusing Chisato¡¯s connections.¡± ¡°True enough.¡± The two men smiled bitterly. ¡°So what do you have planned, Kazami-san?¡± ¡°Nothing much. Just calling in artists from around the world and having them perform on different stages simultaneously for a ridiculously exciting Christmas. Walking around the streets of Shinjuku will feel like walking all around the world.¡± ¡°Will your wife be singing?¡± Kazami¡¯s mother gave her husband a quick look, so the man gave a single nod. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure.¡± ¡°Ah, what a shame! I have her LP, you know? The one where she adds that sound effect to the end. ¡®I¡¯m. Still. Seventeen. Piyo-piyo¡¯.¡± Kazami¡¯s mother shrieked, held her head in her hands, and crouched down. Seeing the father frantically try to help her, Retsu scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°You were traumatized by that? My bad. Then what about after you started writing your own songs? Y¡¯know, like ¡®No one will even look my way. I¡¯m a sweet pea of a bygone era¡¯?¡± ¡°Ow, ow, ow, ow!¡± Kazami¡¯s mother shook as violently as someone on the receiving end of an exorcism, but¡­ ¡°I-Izumo-san, please stop hitting her past with these uppercuts!¡± ¡°Sorry about that.¡± Retsu gave an honest smile. ¡°No matter how it might look now, we all had fun at the time, so I don¡¯t see any reason to reject what happened back then.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s right, mama! Did you hear what Izumo-san just said!? ¡®No one has had as painful a life as me¡¯ was a really, really good song!¡± ¡°Ow, ow, ow, ow! Papa! You wrote that song!!¡± The father looked up in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s the musical curse I wrote when I was so mad at my idiot of a boss! I planned to send it to him, but I accidentally put it in your birthday card instead.¡± ¡°Yes, and the card saying ¡®I want to be with you from morning to night (heart)¡¯ ended up going to your boss. Didn¡¯t he quit almost immediately after that?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha! And it was all thanks to you, mama!¡± The mother hit his head with the thermos. The empty thermos made a nice side, but by then, Retsu was already walking toward the station. ¡°Are you leaving already?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Retsu waved without turning around. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it. We¡¯re having a pretty serious festival too, so I hope we can enjoy the night together.¡± Volume 14, 20: Just Before the Performance Volume 14, Chapter 20: Just Before the Performance You continue on because you might as well That is why you fail to realize its importance And why it embarrasses you even if you do It was December 25 and morning was coming to an end at Yokosuka Wharf. American UCAT had an underground base there inside a concept space, but the area on the surface was currently being used as an anti-Leviathan transport relay base. The base connected the forces coming from the American homeland and the large concept space surrounding the Leviathan. A fifty kilometer tall concept space corridor had been created from Yokosuka to eastern Tokyo. Ships, fighters, and mechanical dragons would cut their stealth and enter that corridor. They would then travel from Yokosuka to the eight locations surrounding the Leviathan. They moved quickly and accurately. However, this all created noise, so the wharf inside the concept space was constantly shaking. A few figures could be seen inside the one special hangar in the wharf. The hangar had been divided up to create living quarters and two large forms and a few dozen people were inside. One of the large figures illuminated by the lights was a red, white, and blue mechanical dragon. The other was a white god of war. A girl sat at the dragon¡¯s feet, looking outside. She looked through the half-open hangar door to watch a gray transport ship slow down. ¡°There are aircraft coming from Atsugi too. It looks like the ones from Europe and Continental Asia are coming in through Iruma and Yokota. How does it look to you, Alex? Even if we are being held here as a form of imprisonment.¡± The mechanical dragon named Alex turned his head just a bit toward the girl. ¡°If we swear to cooperate, they will let us out, Tatsumi. That was the condition Hajji asked for in exchange for providing them with information. If we cooperate, they will set aside everything we did.¡± ¡°I wonder how Hajji feels about cooperating.¡± Tatsumi¡¯s monotone voice brought a short silence from Alex. But during that silence, Tatsumi sighed. She then bent forward between her knees, stretched her hands forward, and took a breath. She hung her head between her arms. ¡°I¡¯m really not good with this kind of emotional trouble.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my favorite thing either. But¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°I think Hajji is closer to Mikoku than we are right now.¡± Tatsumi stopped moving while still leaning forward. ¡°Closer to her? She wants to bring Shino back to life and now she¡¯s trying to change the world. He may be her former comrade and might as well be family to her, but he¡¯s trying to stop her. So how is he close to her?¡± ¡°Because he isn¡¯t looking away from her,¡± answered Alex. ¡°Tatsumi. At the very least, the two of us aren¡¯t looking at Mikoku. We¡¯re leaving everything up to her.¡± ¡°But nothing we could do would change anything.¡± Tatsumi slowly straightened up. She looked to the other people sitting around the hangar or leaning against the walls. ¡°If Noah is being used as a defensive weapon, it will use its great army. You all know what would happen if it were to attack, don¡¯t you? Well, that hypothetical is the reality here.¡± She pulled something from her straightened back. With a troubled smile, she showed off the knife in her right hand. ¡°They didn¡¯t even check us over for weapons properly. It¡¯s like they think we¡¯re on their side or something. But¡­¡± She looked down at the knife and realized the blade was shaking. The shaking was growing. ¡°¡­¡± She dropped the steel blade. A metal sound rang out as it hit the concrete. ¡°Tatsumi,¡± said Alex. ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded and looked to her right wrist while holding it in her left hand. Her right hand was shaking ever so slightly. ¡°I can¡¯t focus properly ever since losing to Ryuuji last night. ¡­I¡¯m afraid to hold a blade.¡± A line appeared on her right palm. The red line slowly grew thicker and produced a few scarlet drips. She did not even wipe away the color on her hand. ¡°I can¡¯t even use the defensive techniques I was so good at.¡± She clenched her right hand and the color was squeezed out. She then slid her left hand along the floor. ¡°What about you, Alex?¡± She grabbed something from the floor. It was a bolt. ¡°Your destruction has been picking up speed since last night.¡± Her eyes were turned toward the ships and aircraft invading Tokyo outside, but her heart remained inside the hangar. ¡°Our fight is already over, so do you really think we can go see Mikoku now?¡± Noon that day passed by relatively quietly. The international UCATs entered through bases and ports around Japan and gathered at the designated eight locations around Tokyo. They created their formations inside smaller concept spaces set up near the large one surrounding the Leviathan. One of those was located in front of Mitaka Station of western Tokyo. That reserve concept space was being used for Formation 7 to prepare. Inside the concept space, tanks and fighters had occupied the area around the station and they were checking on the corridor connecting to the Leviathan¡¯s concept space and on the route their forces would take. Inside Mitaka Station, eight figures were gathered at a sunny spot on the western edge of the first line¡¯s platform. The eight boys and girls were wearing white armored uniforms. They sat around a table, eating a late lunch. A girl with short hair grabbed bread and vegetables to make a sandwich. ¡°So Heo, American UCAT had a Christmas presents raffle to help raise morale, right? What did you win?¡± She was answered by Heo who was scooping gratin onto her plate from an insulated metal container. ¡°Well, Kazami, I got a Christmas cake.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice. It sounds like a good omen to me.¡± ¡°Yes. And to make sure you don¡¯t grow faint from an empty stomach on the battlefield, it was a super fatty cake with thirty thousand Calories. And ¨C here¡¯s the best part ¨C I was thinking we could all eat it here. ¡­Why are you all looking away? A-answer me, Harakawa.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t drag me into this. I¡¯m too busy ingesting rice.¡± ¡°C-c¡¯mon, can¡¯t you at least look at it?¡± A tall girl looked at the large caramel-colored cylinder Heo placed on the table. She tilted her head at the excessively-shiny chocolate display saying ¡°Happy X¡¯mas¡±. ¡°Is this edible, Heo?¡± ¡°Y-yes! Do you want some, Mikage?¡± ¡°Wah!¡± The boy next to Mikage moved to stop her by grabbing her chest from behind. ¡°Y-you mustn¡¯t, Mikage-san! If you eat that, you¡¯ll gain a bunch of weight and it¡¯ll be sad!¡± ¡°But Ryuuji-kun, if I don¡¯t help, Heo will have to eat it all herself.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re already assuming I¡¯m going to eat it all?¡± Heo¡¯s comment led everyone to look away again. On the west end, a black-haired girl tugged on the sleeve of a boy with a small animal on his head. ¡°C-c¡¯mon, Sayama-kun. If you look them in the eye now, you¡¯ll get dragged into it.¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. Shinjou-kun, I do not mind at all if your body gains a little more volume.¡± ¡°Eh? R-really, Sayama-kun? ¡­You¡¯d prefer it if my breasts and butt were a little bigger?¡± ¡°As long as you do not get careless, you will be wonderful no matter what.¡± ¡°Really? Oh, c¡¯mon¡­¡± A well-built boy glared and pointed at the two of them. ¡°Hey, Chisato. Those idiots have gotten even crazier since yesterday.¡± ¡°I-I am not crazy, Izumo-san!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Shinjou-kun, that is what all the crazy people say. Why not try following my example?¡± Shinjou strangled Sayama, but no one bothered stopping it. This was par for the course. So was Sayama turning purple from cyanosis. But Kazami glanced over at the two of them. ¡°Come to think of it, I found two people sleeping in the same bed when I went to check on their dorm room before noon. Now, who was that?¡± ¡°Eh? Um, w-well¡­¡± ¡°Oh? Have you forgotten, Shinjou-kun? As if to say this could be our last chance, we stayed up all night checking on each other¡¯s bodies, Setsu-kun¡¯s included.¡± ¡°Waaaahhh!!¡± While everyone¡¯s focus was on those two, Heo stealthily cut the cake into eight equal portions. ¡­We can share the damage. We can all share it together! ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what teammates are for!¡± ¡°Heo, why are you emitting a sinister aura as you cut that cake?¡± ¡°Eh!? H-how did you notice!?¡± When she turned around, the cream on the knife fell to the table. The instant it landed on the white tablecloth, a change came over it. ¡°W-wah! What¡¯s with this fat!? It¡¯s spreading out like something from a horror movie!!¡± They all gave a shout and moved their chairs precisely thirty centimeters back from the table. Confused, Heo grabbed the manufacturer¡¯s comment card from the box. ¡° ¡®This super fatty cake is an shout of protest against the pathetic modern health foods! If you can survive eating this, then you truly are healthy! ¨CJohn A. Fettmann¡¯ ¡± For some reason, the others all hung their heads and Harakawa turned his back. ¡°That¡¯s a German name, isn¡¯t it? Give it your best shot, Heo.¡± ¡°G-give what my best shot!?¡± She grabbed and pulled on his armored uniform¡¯s collar. ¡°I-it¡¯s a perfectly fine cake. It¡¯s just a little fatty is all. Look.¡± She used a spoon to fling some of the cream on the knife toward the pigeons in the station. The pigeons quickly surrounded and pecked at the brown cream on the concrete floor. Heo looked back at the others. ¡°S-see? Wild animals aren¡¯t worried about it for no reason, so you can eat it too! It¡¯s a perfectly fine cake. Wild savages like you should be able to handle it just fine!¡± ¡°Heo-kun, it is only appropriate to compare human beings to wild animals when you are talking about the old man or Hiba-sensei. And if possible, could you look behind you again?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She turned around and saw all of the pigeons were resting their bellies on the floor and hanging their heads. ¡°Wh-what¡¯s wrong, you guys!? C-c¡¯mon, fly! Fly like the wind!¡± The pigeons all turned their backs on her and collapsed. Heo heard the others whispering behind her. ¡°Oh, poor Heo. Once she eats that whole thing, she¡¯ll be an expert in obesity.¡± ¡°Her body will be stuffed with foie gras like those pigeons.¡± ¡°Hey, Chisato. If you eat that, how much would you have to exercise? All the way around the earth?¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, Kaku. Don¡¯t ask the impossible. And besides, we¡¯re talking about Heo here.¡± ¡­Th-they¡¯re all keeping their distance from me! She slowly looked back just in time to see them all resume eating their lunches with a smile. But¡­ ¡°Wh-who moved the cake in front of my seat!?¡± They all maintained their smiles. ¡°Oh, Sayama-kun, this marmalade is delicious. It¡¯s so marvelous they should call it marvelade.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. How wonderful, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡­They¡¯re doing everything they can not to address it! Heo made up her mind. Her shoulders drooped as she sat in her seat and placed the box over the cake. ¡°You¡¯re putting it away?¡± asked Izumo. ¡°Yes. It can wait until¡­I see an opening.¡± When she erased her smile and glared at them, their smiles froze over. ¡°H-Heo?¡± asked Kazami while sipping at her oolong tea. ¡°It takes courage to throw out even the bad memories. You could burn it like a candle.¡± ¡°You might wake up one morning to find it stuffed in your mouth.¡± Heo¡¯s plain threat brought a cold sweat to the others, but they did their best to keep their smiles. ¡°For future reference, let¡¯s see what¡¯s inside it, shall we? Also, try not to open your mouth on a dark road late at night.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t like the sound of that¡­¡± said Shinjou. Heo slowly lowered her shoulders and sorrowfully brought her hands to the corners of her eyes. ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t ask for this horrible fate¡­¡± ¡°You were pretty excited when you heard you¡¯d won the cake.¡± ¡°Th-that was¡­u-um!¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ you¡¯re pretty hopeless.¡± ¡°N-no, that was before I¡¯d checked what kind of cake it was!¡± ¡°In other words, you had failed to gather all of the facts.¡± ¡°But¡­ Wh-why are you all such bullies? And Harakawa, please look this way.¡± ¡°This always happens. Bear with it, Heo Thunderson.¡± She could only sigh and lower her shoulders. This always happened. It really did. But¡­ ¡­This might be the last time. Heo understood that this could be the last time. No one said it, but they had gathered here because they all understood that. By dinnertime, they would all have left for their respective locations. This could very well be the final time they could all be together. In that way, the trouble they were giving her was actually incredibly important and valuable. ¡°Wait. I was just about to accept this, but those are two different issues.¡± ¡°Why are you talking to yourself? Are you okay? No, I suppose not. Then there¡¯s nothing we can do. Understood.¡± ¡°H-Harakawa, you settle everything for yourself too quickly these days!¡± At that point, the large clock in front of Mitaka Station reached three o¡¯clock. They heard an electronic tone from their wristwatches and Izumo looked up into the sky. ¡°Six more hours, hm?¡± ¡°I wonder what the world will be like this time tomorrow,¡± replied Sayama. ¡°What do you think it will be like, Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°Well,¡± he answered. ¡°I expect I will have made the world eroundic using your concept of eroundism.¡± Shinjou smiled as she slammed a boiled egg into his forehead. And starting from the top of the egg. The egg loudly cracked open and Sayama fell from his chair. ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± said Shinjou. ¡°I didn¡¯t have anything to crack it on. Thanks, Sayama-kun.¡± ¡­That was an incredible retort. The Japanese really know how to do it, thought Heo, while also deciding to ask something. ¡°But will you all be okay? I think this will be an intense battle.¡± She took a breath and gathered her courage to ask. ¡°Will the Concept Core weapons really work?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good question.¡± Kazami exchanged a glance with Izumo. ¡°Well, we should manage if the Leviathan spits out some small fries. And even if not¡­¡± Kazami looked back toward Heo with a smile and a serious look in her eyes. She looked at both her and Hiba. ¡°I heard from American UCAT that you have some kind of plan.¡± ¡°You do too, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well, yeah. ¡­After all, our attacks weren¡¯t enough for the Leviathan.¡± Kazami straightened her back and looked at all of the others. ¡°You have to have given it some thought too. Isn¡¯t that right, Sayama?¡± She addressed the boy who had recovered and returned to his chair. He brushed off his armored uniform while wearing Georgius. However, Heo knew Georgius had not been able to fully destroy Mikoku¡¯s regeneration concept despite breaking the philosopher¡¯s stone. As if to check on that, Shinjou asked him a question. ¡°Will Georgius actually work, Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°It will.¡± Sayama nodded and lightly clenched both Georgiuses to show them off. ¡°After all, I now know the true way to use it.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Everyone else¡¯s confused voices joined Shinjou¡¯s. What does that mean? wondered Heo as she saw Sayama smile. ¡°You taught me how in your novel, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°My novel? D-did I really write anything that could teach you something?¡± ¡°Yes. For example, that you can¡¯t help but cry out if I grab your butt hard enough for my fingers to dig into it, that your navel is a weak point, and that the line above and below your navel also sends a tingling down your spine.¡± ¡°Waaaah!!¡± Shinjou grew beet red and tried to stop Sayama, but everyone jumped at her to hold her back. ¡°C¡¯mon, Sayama, tell us! What did Shinjou teach you!? Tell it loud and don¡¯t omit any details!!¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯d love to hear about that too.¡± ¡°Waaah! Y-you¡¯re not asking about Georgius at all, are you!?¡± Heo shrugged and urged Sayama on while holding Shinjou¡¯s arm. ¡°Heh heh. ¡­Of course we are. Now, Sayama, tell us how babies are made!¡± ¡°Waaaah!!¡± shouted Shinjou. ¡°L-let go! Let go! You have to let go! I need to stop him right now! He¡¯s far too obscene!¡± ¡°That last part was a haiku, Shinjou-kun. But do not worry. Either way, the world will not be destroyed.¡± ¡°R-really?¡± ¡°Really.¡± Sayama nodded. ¡°After all, I have yet to get an indirect kiss from you via a drink.¡± He suddenly looked to the table and saw a paper cup Shinjou had drunk from. ¡°Oh, speak of the devil.¡± With a shout, the others grabbed it and held it out to Shinjou who was still being restrained. ¡°Shinjou! Shinjou! Hurry up and drink the rest! If Sayama drinks it, he might lose his attachment to this world!¡± There¡¯s something wrong with this world if this is how we have to protect it, thought Heo. At any rate, Shinjou protested as the drink vanished down her throat. Once she finished it off, she took a breath. ¡°Ah. Th-there! Sayama-kun! What¡¯s this about a true way to use Georgius?¡± ¡°Well.¡± He nodded. ¡°I would like something to replace that drink.¡± Hearing that desire, the others exchanged smiling looks with Shinjou in the center. ¡°Eh? No, w-wait ,everyone! Wah! This is a trap! This is Sayama-kun¡¯s trap!¡± Heo thought to herself while restraining Shinjou. ¡­This really is the same as always. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a good thing to think of it as ¡°comfortable cruelty¡±, she began in her heart. But I hope we can keep doing this forever. Shinjou¡¯s cries of protest (but not too much protest) rose into the winter sky. Mikoku slept in the evening sky. She slept on top of the Leviathan¡¯s forehead. The night before, she had slept in a room of the residential area near the head, but it had been hard to sleep with the place so deserted. That may have been why she had been overwhelmed by weariness after eating the meal Noah had synthesized and climbing up here. ¡°You slept well. Over.¡± She had been fast enough sleep for Noah to comment on it. She sat up and folded up the blanket Noah had placed over her. She then lightly rolled her shoulders. ¡°With the atmospheric protection and the sun, this place is like a greenhouse.¡± ¡°Is it comfortable? Over.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She looked to Noah and tapped lightly on the Leviathan¡¯s forehead. ¡°You really are a machine made for people.¡± ¡°Currently, I am only for you. Over.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± she replied before immediately correcting herself. ¡°No.¡± She looked inside the glass at the center of the Leviathan¡¯s forehead. She stared at the girl there. ¡°All we have is Shino. And only for self-satisfaction on a frightening scale.¡± ¡°Testament.¡± Noah nodded, but then¡­ ¡°Those trying to stop us have arrived. Over.¡± ¡°So they¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Testament,¡± replied Noah. Looking down, white forms were visible directly below and around the Leviathan. They were winged automatons, gods of war blocking the roads, and mechanical dragons flying around the sky. Their appearances had changed since they were inside the Leviathan. ¡°You used the concepts being created to modify them for combat, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It was necessary for victory. Over,¡± said Noah. ¡°And to ring the bell. Over.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Mikoku stood up and looked across the evening world stretching in every direction from Shinjuku. ¡°Come listen to Noah¡¯s bell ring. Today is the day of the holy one¡¯s birth. It is a day of festivities. It truly is the best day for the ringing of a bell.¡± She saw the sun sinking below the mountains in the west. The setting sunbeams vanished before she had a chance to take another breath. ¡°The night has arrived. The night of the final battle.¡± With those words, the sunlight completely vanished and only the scarlet vestiges remained. The sky grew colder and darker. The world was approaching night. At 8:40 PM of December 25, eight different movements began at a radius of fifteen kilometers from Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Station. This was the beginning. Aircraft and tanks were forming ranks on the streets inside the concept spaces and mechanical dragons were trembling in large parking lots or on elevated highways. The battlefield covered eight regions. The weapons containing the eight world dragons had gathered around Shinjuku. The Concept Core weapons had all been given bearers. Region 1: North. Kita. Leader is Hiba. The dragon-gouging weapon is Keravnos. Region 2: Northeast. Arakawa. Leader is Kashima. The dragon-slicing weapon is Totsuka. Region 3: East. Sumida. Leader is Heo. The dragon-blasting weapon is the Vesper Cannon. Region 4: Southeast. Koutou. Leader is Sayama. The dragon-striking weapon is the Four Dragon Balls. Region 5: South. Meguro. Leader is Kazami. The dragon-piercing weapon is G-Sp2. Region 6: Southwest. Setagaya. Leader is Brunhild. The dragon-severing weapon is Gram. Region 7: West. Suginami. Leader is Izumo. The dragon-cutting weapon is V-Sw. Region 8: Northwest. Nerima. Leader is Abram. The dragon-slaying weapon is B-Sp. The seals for the heavens and the earth would be handled by Shinjou and Sayama who had Wanambi and Mukiti in Region 4. Wanambi would be the heavens and Mukiti the earth. The seal to become the declarations of heaven and earth had to be activated on top of the Leviathan above Shinjuku station. If they created a sealing wall at an equal distance between the heavens and the earth and caught the Leviathan in the center, they predicted they could keep the strength of the seal constant in each direction and therefore contain the Leviathan. To do that, Sayama and Shinjou would approach the Leviathan along with the other representatives. Their plan was to arrive on top of the Leviathan using the mechanical dragons or something else. They could guess Mikoku and Noah would be there. If UCAT could withstand the Leviathan¡¯s attacks and complete the ten-direction seal and declarations by 10:30, they would win. If Mikoku and Noah could hold off the seal and declarations until the negative concepts fully activated at 10:30, they would win. The main problem would be the seals of heaven and earth. They had to be activated on top of the Leviathan, so Sayama and Shinjou would have to fight Mikoku and Noah. Effectively, victory would come down to whether they could defeat those two and establish the seals. And for backup, they had the international UCATs and the Gears. UCAT had formed a reserve army for themselves and the students and others had been added in to create a multi-national and multi-occupational army. If the members of the other Gears were counted, it was even a multi-species army. Some of them would have normally worn a suit to work, some would have maintained vehicles in work uniforms, others would have worked a register in a store uniform, and yet others would have worked agricultural, janitorial, or security jobs. Normally, they all should have returned home for Christmas at this time. Nevertheless, they all stood here equipped with their personal weapons and armored uniforms. At 8:41, Sayama¡¯s voice arrived over a communicator as everyone had finished their preparations. They breathed silent white breaths below the darkness and light as they heard a dignified voice. ¡°Good morning, everyone. It is time for the world to wake.¡± They all listened. ¡°Your mission today is to beat down the idiot who has no idea what to do with herself because she has no one to spend this wonderful night with. You are to insist she lets this night continue. But remember one thing.¡± Sayama continued. ¡°She is another version of ourselves.¡± They all gasped at that. Their white breaths vanished and they focused only on Sayama¡¯s voice. ¡°Feelings of anger when something is lost and the memories and pain that continue for years afterwards are something we all have and something we all wish would stop. ¡­In other words, she is simply trying to do for us what we cannot. Therefore, I think there is one promise we must keep no matter what.¡± Namely¡­ At 8:42 PM, Sayama held his cellphone to his ear at the lead of the army in Ariake. ¡°Once we win this battle, we will not accuse Toda Mikoku of any crime.¡± At the same time, Shinjou¡¯s eyes opened wide as she listened to Sayama from his side. ¡°You mean¡­¡± She looked up at him and he spoke quietly without looking her way. ¡°Listen. She is trying to reject this world. I will neither allow nor condemn that action. I will leave her out in the cold by saying rejecting the world is no big deal.¡± So¡­ ¡°If you think being killed by her would be a wasted death, then leave. If you wish to punish her or kill her, then do so only after punishing and killing yourself. After all ¨C let me say it again ¨C she is another version of ourselves. It seems she has no one to spend this night with, but that is only because we are the ones that will spend the night with her. So¡­¡± She heard him speak. ¡°Do not let this partner kill you during the dance. She is as desperate as the loyal retainer who cannot allow himself to approach the princess.¡± At 8:43, no one moved in response to Sayama¡¯s announcement. No one moved back and no one ran away. For that reason, Sayama¡¯s voice continued from the various communicators. ¡°All of you have odd tastes.¡± And¡­ ¡°I too have odd tastes.¡± At 8:44, Heo was preparing to board Thunder Fellow. Behind the specially equipped blue mechanical dragon, she tried to get Harakawa to kiss her. He refused. But after climbing into the cockpit, he did so without speaking a word. At 8:45, Hiba had finished checking on Susamikado¡¯s secondary weaponry. Sibyl asked him about Mikage¡¯s evolution. She asked if he knew what new evolution she had wanted to show him just before Tatsumi had destroyed her evolution philosopher¡¯s stone. Hiba gave the following answer: ¡°You can have children now, can¡¯t you?¡± Mikage only blushed, smiled, and gave an ¡°nn¡± of confirmation. At 8:46, Kazami held G-Sp2 and took a slender metal cylinder from the development department. She nodded when she was told it was ¡°just in case¡±. She then sighed and made a call on her cellphone. ¡°Kaku?¡± She took a breath. ¡°Hey? How does it feel to be standing in front of the world?¡± At 8:47, Izumo rested V-Sw on his shoulder and held his cellphone between his head and other shoulder with a metal cylinder from the development department hanging from his waist. ¡°How are you feeling? The festival¡¯s about to start, isn¡¯t it?¡± At 8:48, Mikoku crossed her arms atop the Leviathan¡¯s forehead with Noah behind her. She checked a transparent 3D map of Tokyo with white lights indicating her army. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to decide what kind of world this will be.¡± At 8:49, Noah nodded at Mikoku¡¯s words and calculated the estimated time of the positive concepts¡¯ creation. The answer came out to 10:30:18 that night. ¡°Please let me ring the bell. Over.¡± As the Leviathan, she gave her commands to the army. They were to work together and use their autonomous decisions to exterminate the enemy army. At 8:50, the operators of the control devices creating the vast concept space containing the Leviathan detected movement in the philosopher¡¯s stone readings within the concept space. They raised the output to strengthen the walls of the concept space and reported to the eight armies that the Leviathan¡¯s army had begun to move. The angels, gods of war, and mechanical dragons had spread their wings. At 8:51, lights illuminated an outdoor stage and people were gathering on the road in the real version of Shinjuku outside the concept space. When they heard the backing band tuning their instruments, the crowd cheered to bear with the cold. Those voices could be seen as the prelude before the festival began. At 8:52, Ryouko watched live footage from Shinjuku inside the Tamiya house in Akigawa of western Tokyo. She asked for some tea. ¡°Koujiiiii, it¡¯s about to start, so could you bring in some tea and snacks?¡± ¡°You mean you¡¯re not calling me in to watch it!?¡± Kouji sighed in the kitchen, opened a window for ventilation, and looked into the sky. He looked up into the moonless, cloudy sky. At 8:53, Kashima¡¯s wife, Natsu, closed the shutters at their house in Tanashi of northern Tokyo. The sound would have drawn the baby¡¯s interest and woken her, so she kept the shutters partly open. She held the baby to comfort her and looked to the front door. A large paper package wrapped in red ribbon sat there. ¡°It¡¯s far too soon for a tricycle.¡± She gave a trouble smile as she checked on the package with her child in her arms. It had been sent by her own parents. At 8:54, the three types of winged automatons, the three types of gods of war, and the three types of mechanical dragons began to move out using their respective abilities. The names of what they were modeled after were written on their surface. Those names came from the hierarchy of angels. They all opened their mouths, shut their eyes, and produced words. ¡°Will this be a holy night?¡± Their voices and tones belonged to Mikoku. These were the voices of the temporary personality Noah had given them. The personality left by Top-Gear set those nine angel types in motion. They cut through the wind on the way to the border of the battlefield. ? They were to hunt down the wills that opposed heaven¡¯s intentions. At 8:55, Sayama raised his right hand. Surprised, everyone silently focused on him. ¡°Heh heh heh. You fell for my feint, everyone. The real command is coming from over here.¡± He lightly raised his left hand and received a roundhouse kick from Shinjou. At 8:56, Sayama got back up and raised his left hand again. At the same time, the Leviathan¡¯s concept space was linked to the eight concept spaces surrounding it. At 8:57, the wind blew. That wind was proof that they had connected to a vast space. The blowing wind signaled the linking of the battlefield. And that wind brought enemies with it. At 8:58, Sayama saw a swarm of angels down the road they stood on. They were approximately one hundred twenty meters away. The angel automaton at the lead carried itself in a way Sayama recognized. ¡°Is that you, Toda Mikoku? Is that entire army you?¡± The angel did not reply, but Sayama¡¯s left hand was still raised. ¡°Everyone, prepare your weapons!!¡± At 8:59, they all replied. ¡°Testament!¡± After a slow pause, Sayama¡¯s voice gave them another push forward. He swung down his left hand and spoke to the enemy that prepared their weapons and moved just like his other self. ¡°Everyone.¡± At precisely 9:00¡­ ¡°Let the battle begin!¡± Sayama gave a roar. ¡°Go ahead!!¡± Volume 14, 21: Heavenly Banquet Volume 14, Chapter 21: Heavenly Banquet Droplets glow in the world¡¯s eyes Which of the two dancers Can speak like you? The battle began with a clash on the front lines. The pure-white two-winged Level 9 Angelus automatons used swords and cannon-equipped Cowling Swords to attack their enemy from the sky and ground like a great wave. Their downpour of cannon fire and horizontal blasts crushed the miscellaneous approaching soldiers and they would use their swords to cut down the survivors. UCAT did not have many who could fly. All three hundred thousand of the enemy automatons could do so, but UCAT only had at most a thousand per army and those thousand were too important to be worn down on the front lines. This meant the clash between armies resulted in the pure-white army pushing back the miscellaneous army with an overwhelming wave. ¡°¡­!¡± The angels could be heard firing and return fire flew from the surface. But the UCAT forces could not hold their position as the phalanx of angels pushed forward. The UCAT scout units sent forward to secure the front lines were all pushed back behind buildings or below elevated roadways. The pure-white angels moved in to crush the enemy scouts who would send intelligence back to the rest of the enemy. They had the upper hand in numbers. They also had the upper hand in mobility and combat ability. But they knew not to underestimate this enemy. The word ¡°caution¡± was carved deeply in their base memories. ¡°Yes.¡± The angels opened their mouths as if to sing. They opened their mouths as they filled the cloudy sky, fired, and crushed the enemies who had failed to escape the front line in time. They sang in a tone above the audible range as they flew through the sky and placed their feet on the backs of high-rise buildings. ¡°We were made to serve mankind.¡± Some expanded their Cowling Swords to reveal the blade. ¡°But only one of them remains to be our master.¡± Some closed the blades and opened the cannon. ¡°We desire mankind.¡± They created a great wave of cannon fire and sword strikes. ¡°Oh, will you become human? Will you become human? As this inhuman world is made human, listen to the song that summons humanity.¡± The angels formed a great ring in the sky and their wings glowed as they protected the Leviathan. Even on the ground, the wings reacted to the song by filling with light and glowing brightly. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± After confirming the position of the enemy¡¯s front line, they charged in their phalanx formation. In an instant, their acceleration produced an explosion of water vapor behind their charging ranks. This supersonic tsunami produced cannon fire and sword strikes as it approached. Armored uniforms could not defend against it, tanks were too slow to avoid it, and their numbers were too small to weather it. The road was torn apart and the windows of the buildings shattered. The white wave of thousands approached UCAT¡¯s front line faster than sound. ¡°¡­!?¡± They all prepared their defenses. ¡°Have you ever heard of brute force?¡± But then some people stepped in front of each army to face the white tsunami. They wore blue armored uniforms. Their entire bodies were covered in metal armor, their arms held giant shields, and their feet¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s see how you like my stylish skates!¡± They held their shields forward with both hands. Those defenders stood on the front line of all eight armies and gave a unified shout. ¡°We are the armored soldiers of American UCAT! We¡¯ll pave the way, so follow us!!¡± With those words, blue light burst from the accelerators on their backs. A moment later, their heavily-armored bodies shot forward. The blue armor used sharp acceleration and a sharp trajectory to slam into the white wave. The speed displayed inside their helmets instantly reached two hundred mph. Their commander gave a shout toward the approaching white wave. ¡°Brace for impact!!¡± They crouched low and held their shields as if to shovel into the ground. ¡°!!¡± They collided. The enemy¡¯s speed was greater, but they had the greater armor and mass. A deafening sound filled the air. It sounded like colliding rocks and it was accompanied by a flash of light. The wind burst and cutting blades of shockwaves raced every which way. Most of those on both sides were blown away, but the enemy had the overwhelming advantage in numbers. Their wave was thick and very nearly swallowed up the blue collision. ¡°Bear with it!!¡± One of them gave a yell as one of his shields was blown away and he thrust the other one in front of him. ¡°Stay low and push through!!¡± The angels were flying while they were racing along the ground, so by angling their shields, they could deflect the enemy behind them. ¡°Blow them away!!¡± Behind them, the people making up the front line fired on the white wave knocked upwards by the armored soldiers. The shock of the upwards impact left the angels defenseless, so the counter punch of the bullets was enough to break them. But the armored soldiers continued forward without worrying about that result. A second and third wave was waiting in reserve, so they charged forward to fill the holes broken by the others. They endured, punched, and tore through the white wave, but they were also knocked away and crushed. Nevertheless, not one of them allowed themselves to be pushed back. ¡°Ahead! Go ahead! After all¡­we don¡¯t have a single reason to fall back!!¡± Up in the sky, they could see pure-white reinforcements flying to each region. But before those reinforcements could arrive¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± They all accelerated. They aimed for the gap between the enemy and the ground. Their arms were simply thrust forward without doing anything fancy. They kept their center of gravity low and desired only to move forward. One collision led to another and they heard gunfire behind them. It sounded like applause. So they continued forward. They moved quickly and sent pieces of asphalt spraying backwards. They used their weight to send doll pieces scattering. ¡°Let out a roar, men!¡± They saw the end of the angel tsunami. Beyond that was the enemy¡¯s true front line. An overhead formation positioned like a great wave and a gunner formation straight ahead were both visible beyond the charging tsunami. But as long as they could break through the tsunami, they could face the angels¡¯ front line. ¡°So let¡¯s go! This is the last big wave of the year!!¡± With those words, the men rushed forward. A few of them were lost to the flying white sound wave, but¡­ ¡°!¡± A single signal gun rang out and they blasted the stormy winter wave into the sky. Like a wave hitting a breakwater, their armor, speed, and conviction smashed the wave to pieces. They had lost most of their armor, but¡­ ¡°Ohhh!!¡± They made it through. They swung their bodies forward to become a blue wave of their own and they flung themselves toward the enemy. The angels¡¯ cannon fire poured down like rain and flew in from straight ahead, but the strikes and impacts were no longer enough to stop their momentum. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± But a moment later, the accelerating blue wave was crushed from above. ¡°!?¡± It was an invisible power. By the time they realized it was gravity, it was already too late. They had been hit by a massive surface. They had been knocked down. The soldiers in blue armored uniforms were knocked and crushed to the ground, their own weight and speed sent them rolling along the ground, and their entire bodies were destroyed. It only took an instant. All that remained were a cloud of dust and the shimmering heat of the sputtering accelerators. All that could be heard were the sounds of falling equipment and groans of pain. All, that is, except for the sounds of wings in the sky. Soon, everyone saw countless angels descending from the heavens. The first to descend wore white armored uniforms, had the words ¡°Level 8 ¨C Arch¡± engraved on their arms, and had twelve wings. Their hands were empty, but the air was bending around them. They were controlling powerful gravity. And these newcomers were not the only enemy reinforcements. Some new forms were visible behind the Angelus automatons forming a wall up ahead. These automatons had larger wings than the Angelus ones and were armed with gun-spears and shields. Their armored uniforms resembled suits of armor and were engraved with the words ¡°Level 7 ¨C Prince¡±. A great sound came from behind even them. It was a tremor of the earth. Giant forms suddenly appeared from between the buildings lining the road. These giants were over ten meters tall. The four-winged gods of war carried swords and shields and had the words ¡°Level 6 ¨C Powers¡± carved into their shoulders. A look into the sky showed white wings both large and small flying in circles through the heavens. That ring of angels was slowly descending. The people meant to fight back could only gasp as they prepared their guns and swords. That ring of angels descending in waves from the Leviathan was on its way to the eight attacking formations of people. ¡°Old mankind,¡± announced the angels. ¡°If you do not wish for a new world, then be washed clean by this deluge of power. Over.¡± After that nearly singing voice, the flapping and tremor of the angels signaled the beginning of their true attack. Atop the Leviathan, Mikoku watched the angels attack. The distortions of space appearing here and there looked like giant spheres of shimmering heat. Those told her the Arch automatons were fighting. Just like the 3rd-Gear automatons, the Arch and Prince types could use gravity for offense and defense, so they could stop bullets and bend optical weapons. If the Angelus types fired and cut through afterwards, they could break through the enemy formation evenly instead of in isolated locations. The transparent glowing map of Tokyo surrounding Mikoku made the advance of the white army clear. Not even one third of their forces had been deployed, but they had already pushed back the front of the enemy army quite a bit. ¡°Is there nothing they can do?¡± As she asked her weak question, the wind rose from below. The battle created that wind. As her hair fluttered in that wind of battle, Mikoku frowned and looked at the battlefield map. The black lines of the enemy were still falling back. She held a hand toward one line in particular and an image appeared over it. It used the visual information taken from the automatons. The three-dimensional image showed people in blue and white armored uniforms being knocked into the air or to the ground and sometimes even collapsing after having their bodies crushed. Mikoku frowned and closed her eyes as she watched it. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She breathed in and listened to the one-sided din coming from below. All of the sounds were being directed outward from within. She immersed herself in that intense noise and asked something of the automaton behind her. ¡°Noah, what am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°Smile. The victor should enjoy herself. Thus¡­¡± Noah spoke calmly and seemed to be chastising her. ¡°If it would make you sad, you should not create it. The new world, that is. Over.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Mikoku nodded. She kept her eyes closed and ended her nod partway through to hang her head. ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡± She looked up with her frowning eyebrows raised. Several images from the automatons were displayed before her eyes. They were all images of many people being defeated or slain. The automatons were doing their job well, so Mikoku inhaled. She reached a hand toward the fallen people and clenched her fist through the transparent image. ¡°Is this all!?¡± She gave a shout, breathed in, and let her body tremble once to erase her hesitation. ¡°Is this really all it took to defeat us back then, old world!?¡± The angels spoke. They spoke as they crushed their opponents as if devouring them, faced the individuals sent flying like ocean spray, let their maid uniforms sway, and walked silently. ¡°Is this all? Over.¡± They advanced without end. They continued firing and the number of reinforcements grew until the surface tension seemed to break and they spilled from the streets. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything more? Over.¡± The angels moved forward as they spoke. Their glowing wings shook the air and their cannon fire tore into the walls and earth, creating great pits. The sounds were metallic. Bullets flew across the battlefield with a sound like the plucking of strings. ¡°It rings out.¡± The angels spoke. They sang. ¡°Yes.¡± They seemed to desire something. ¡°The infinite begins. The finite ends.¡± They advanced through the sky. ¡°Life shall be without end. Death shall be but a short comfort.¡± They advanced along the earth. ¡°Flesh shall be born. Bone shall not be buried.¡± They advanced through the air. ¡°Everything shall be accepted. All shall be rejected.¡± They advanced between the buildings. ¡°Will we be brought there by the ring of the heavenly bell?¡± They advanced along the asphalt. ¡°Will we be brought there by the desires of the world of man?¡± The heavenly army of three hundred thousand and of nine types sang as they advanced. ¡°I no longer want to lose anything.¡± They were as calm as can be. ¡°I will no longer try to gain anything.¡± Their weapons targeted the human ranks. ¡°Because everything is there.¡± They squeezed their triggers and sent their words toward the people who were too frightened to move. ¡°Over.¡± But just before the final rumble of cannon fire sounded, something shot out toward them. It was a voice. ¡°Are you stupid!?¡± The speaker used light itself for wings. ¡°What are you so satisfied with!? What do you mean you won¡¯t try to gain anything!?¡± The attack came from the heavens above. ¡°What¡¯s that, some new kind of diet!?¡± Like a comet, light fell from the sky and collided with the angels¡¯ front line. The evacuated people watched as the angels¡¯ front line was torn into by a power descending from a spot that seemed higher than heaven itself. A crater with a radius of over one hundred meters was torn into the earth. The surrounding buildings were knocked over along with the enemy and a girl with wings of light stood in the center. Yes, that power was sure to arrive. That power would always appear before those who fought. She would not listen to voices asking for help. She would arrive seeking the battlefield as her home. The weapon she wielded was a white Cowling Spear. Someone muttered its name. ¡°Gungnir¡­¡± Someone else forced a laugh in response. ¡°You¡¯re late, valkyrie.¡± The winged girl did not turn back toward them. But the glimpse of her face visible from the side contained a slight smile. Then she began to move. No words were needed. No introductions were needed. She charged toward the enemy formation. She threw in all of her speed from the very beginning. She did not even need to dodge the cannon fire hurriedly fired back at her. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± She destroyed them. It only took an instant for several dozen automatons to be thrown high into the sky. And¡­ ¡°G-Sp2! Second form!!¡± She pulled back the spear tip and spun around. She aimed the spear upwards and it had become a cannon by the time she finished her spin. She fired. The blast tore into a four-winged Powers god of war. The light entered through the ten meter giant¡¯s right side. ¡°G-Sp2! Keep at it!!¡± She swung the weapon around and the extended blast transformed into a giant saber. It cut through the god of war and sliced apart the automatons who had been blasted into the air. They were all destroyed. The people were initially confused. ¡°H-hey.¡± They called out to each other. ¡°Ohhh!!¡± Then, they advanced. They stepped forward and the fearful ones synchronized their steps with the others to move forward. They sped up and their pace grew to a run. ¡°¡­!!¡± They all followed the winged girl who had chosen to move ahead into the fray and mow down the enemy. She must have known what they were doing because she waited for them inside the enemy formation. ¡°Now.¡± She stopped. She could hear the people rushing in behind her. She could hear their solemn yet powerful footsteps. With her comrades¡¯ audible presence behind her, she spoke. ¡°I am Kazami Chisato, member of Japanese UCAT¡¯s Team Leviathan and caretaker of 10th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core weapon.¡± She prepared her weapon and gave the charging angels a beckoning wave. ¡°Bullets and blades aren¡¯t enough to catch up to my wings.¡± A moment later, Kazami entered a horizontal flight. The wind exploded and she circled behind a few of the charging Angelus automatons. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± They frantically turned back toward her, but she ignored them. After all, her comrades were approaching from behind. She could hear their overlapping footsteps, voices, and spirits. ¡°Ohhhh!!¡± Finally, she heard them collide with the angels she had passed. The collision sounded wonderful. It was the sound of their various powers colliding. The battlefront had been opened. They were making progress. ¡­Now they can fight. So she moved on. Her target was the twelve-winged angel doll standing on the road directly ahead. It was not Noah, but she recognized this mass-produced model. Noah had avoided her attack in the underground meeting room, so¡­ ¡°Help me let off some steam!!¡± She fired her cannon while charging in. The light flew ahead of her, but the Arch automaton raised her right hand. She used powerful gravitational control. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡° G-Sp2¡¯s light was bent only fifteen centimeters in front of the hand. It flew into the sky, but¡­ ¡°I knew that would happen!¡± Kazami thrust the spear tip forward. Arch automaton #72 aka Arch72 received Kazami¡¯s attack. She expanded her gravitational control to its max radius of two hundred meters around her palm. Receiving a spear strike with her gravity and deflecting it behind her was a simple task. She successfully received it. Once it was stopped in her right hand and the girl was briefly stopped with it, she would throw in a zone of extra weight using her left hand. It would be over once she crushed the girl. But then she noticed something strange. The strike to her right hand was light. ¡°¡­!?¡± Arch72 instantly checked with her high-speed sight devices. It was indeed the spear tip that had hit her hand, but¡­ ¡­It was the lower shield portion!? The shield was easily removed from the spear. The spear continued forward, leaving the shield behind. The spear¡¯s wielder, Kazami, circled to Arch72¡¯s right with the spear. A moment later, Kazami flapped her wings. ¡­! She vanished. She had circled behind Arch72. Arch72 responded by accelerating. She made her clockwise turn by using her gravitational control to spin herself like a top. She was instantly able to check in all three hundred sixty degrees. Yet Kazami was not there. ¡°That¡¯s some nice spinning.¡± The voice she heard came from behind her as she spun. The enemy remained behind her spinning back, so Arch72 decided to swing both hands back to send a mass of gravity behind her. She would slam that gravity into the enemy. It only took an instant. She heard the earth torn into for around a dozen meters behind her. But¡­ ¡°I¡¯m over here.¡± For some reason, she saw wings in front of her. The wings held a partial spear tip and gave her a sharp look. Arch72 did not understand. ¡°When? How!?¡± ¡°Spinning with you would¡¯ve gotten me hit, so I flipped over you with my wings. That¡¯s all.¡± Arch72 briefly did not understand what the girl meant. Her memories were the ones provided by Arch0 aka Noah and those memories included Kazami¡¯s combat speed. Her calculations told her this girl could not possibly move faster than her. ¡°You don¡¯t get how this is possible? It¡¯s simple.¡± Kazami gave the answer. ¡°Why did I fire first to briefly stop you? Why did I make a feint with my spear instead of circling behind you from the get-go? Why did I focus on speed and stay behind you instead of attacking? Why did I fly up from the easily-predicted spot behind you?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°If I have a way of using my experience and tactics to lower your speed and raise my own so that calculating everything out with a simple speed value isn¡¯t enough, then I can still get the upper hand here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to lose. And not to me.¡± Arch72 saw Kazami crouch down. Beyond her, UCAT soldiers aimed their guns her way while taking control of the battlefield. A moment later, a spark of gunfire pierced through her. It passed through the very center of her chest. This was enough to tell her this entire situation was a lost cause. And it had been done by the hands of those without any particularly great power. Brunhild heard a joyous cry. She had charged to the front line and fought using Gram, but at some point, the others had passed her by. She had a thought as she saw them move ahead. ¡­Once I moved to the front line, they realized they could advance. The reports from the other locations told similar stories. The bearers of the Concept Core weapons were cutting a straight line into the enemy¡¯s front line. The people were following that bearer of power. Some had been shot, cut, or crushed, but none of them felt any more fear. ¡°You all sure change your tone when things start looking better.¡± Brunhild pulled her hat low over her eyes but still advanced with the black cat by her side. She scattered defense charms with her left hand and lifted the holy sword in her right. The witch raised a sharp voice. ¡°Go forth, mankind!!¡± She spoke of the reason why she had been late to arrive. ¡°We will now raise our flag! We will raise the wall to hold the world in place!!¡± With those words, Tokyo was enclosed in sudden walls of light. The walls of bluish-white light rose from a semicircle formation at their base. The semicircles were seals created from an emblem and they had a radius of over five kilometers. Their bottoms stabbed into the earth while internal patterns and writing rotated around the bluish-white semicircles. These were circular seals. The power of the Concept Cores had created a sealing field. The reason each region¡¯s main fighter had been late stood tall in the sky. They towered above the battlefield. Their colors were still pale and the top of the glowing walls still seemed to fade into the sky. Regardless, the walls in the eight directions illuminated the people from behind. The light also illuminated what approached them from up ahead. The people moved forward as if pushed onward by the light. They advanced while supported by the semicircles and walls surrounding them from eight directions. But the heavenly host did not sit idly by. They sang. As the prelude to the ringing of the bell, the three hundred thousand sets of wings sang as they advanced. And as the two armies prepared to clash, two things appeared: a pure-white god of war and a pure-white mechanical dragon. At the same time, a voice spoke from atop the Leviathan in the center of the heavenly host. ¡°Okay!¡± Mikoku raised her right hand with Noah by her side. ¡°Units 1 and 2, head out!¡± With those words, Noah lightly waved her hands. The gods of war waiting in the city and the mechanical dragons flying through the sky flew toward the eight approaching armies. ¡°Now!¡± said Mikoku. ¡°Let all the forces of heaven attack!!¡± Volume 14, 22: Rearrangement of the Battlefield Volume 14, Chapter 22: Rearrangement of the Battlefield No distance, obstacle, or journey Is any match for the gaze reflected in your heart Dragon cannons crushed buildings and god of war swords split the earth. The Seraph mechanical dragons flew with their six wings and burned the city with their flame cannons. The Cherubim mechanical dragons used their control ability to access the automatons and reorder the confused front line. The most powerful were the Galgalim mechanical dragons. They were specialized to fight on the surface rather than in the air, so their great bodies and legs literally trampled the battlefield underfoot. Those heavy masses of metal raced through Tokyo. Their push managed to force back the UCAT forces who had just started to gain the upper hand. The human front lines fell apart and the battle continued on the elevated roadways or alleyways the dragons could not enter. But then the giants flew down. The two-winged Lords gods of war smashed the human hiding places with high gravity defenses and flame swords. The Virtues gods of war fired bullets of salt from the cannons on their shoulders and the four-winged Powers gods of war flew across the battlefield and worked with the Galgalim mechanical dragons to exterminate the humans. The front lines were thrown into chaos and pushed back. Communications were equally chaotic and no one knew where the Concept Core weapon bearers were. Flames and destroying winds surrounded them and they saw giant forms in every direction. Were the silhouettes moving beyond the roaring flames mechanical dragons or gods of war? To a human, it did not really matter. A single cannon blast nearby was enough to blow them away and the heat of the dragon cannons instantly vaporized glass. ¡°Ahh!¡± Cries of pain and anger filled the air. They had more or less known this would happen and had prepared themselves for it, but¡­ ¡°Ahhhh!!¡± Raising their voices was the last form of resistance with which they could make their presence known. The silhouettes were still moving beyond the flames. The dragons and giants were flying down from the sky or running across the earth. A power was supposedly fighting to save them. It was supposedly protecting people and cutting open the front line somewhere. But where? Where was the salvation among the great powers sweeping across the battlefield? The people even had to ask where they themselves were. They did not even know that as they heard cannon blasts and the footsteps of great beasts. ¡°Kh!¡± Someone cried out. While dragging an unmoving comrade, they looked back through the sparks rising from the gunfire. ¡°Dammit!¡± They let out a roar. Were their tears from the gunpowder smoke or the resistance in their heart? On a road between buildings in the north region, the commander of a unit asked a question after confirming they were isolated on Meiji Street. ¡°How many are left!?¡± The second-in-command answered with blood covering half his face. The man threw aside his bent rifle as he did so. ¡°Nine, counting you. We had the rest hide along the way.¡± ¡°Heh heh.¡± An elderly man spoke up with a broken sword in hand. ¡°Marks sure did complain when I shoved him in that manhole. He said not even his house stinks that bad.¡± The injured men laughed and even the captain made no attempt to hide the blood flowing onto his wrist from within his sleeve. ¡°I don¡¯t know about his house, but his room sure smelled like a sewer.¡± Their conversation was cut off by a tremor of the earth. Some mechanical dragons were coming. The giant pure-white dragons approached from further down the valley of buildings. Beyond the smoke and shimmering heat, eight of them raced along the road. They smashed both the roadway and the buildings. On top of that, the men were all injured and they could not count on their weapons here. The dragons were three hundred meters away, but they would fill that gap in no time. Nevertheless, the commander spoke up. ¡°Hand over your ammunition and get out of the way.¡± He turned his back on the rest and held a hand back for the bullets. His right hand held a light machinegun encased in a cowling. ¡°After all, my name can mean ¡®bullet¡¯, so I might be able to hold them off for a bit.¡± The second-in-command commented after spitting some bloody saliva onto the ground. ¡°Hold them off?¡± ¡°Yeah. You don¡¯t see any more of our men on this road, do you? That means we can¡¯t let them through here. If they do get through, they¡¯ll reach the people who must be positioned further back. I need to hold them off as much as I can so you can warn them.¡± ¡°But.¡± The second-in-command¡¯s breath sounded hollow. ¡°These are mechanical dragons. How long do you think you can hold them off?¡± ¡°Well¡­ About three seconds maybe?¡± ¡°Quit lying. Your right shin is broken, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Two seconds then.¡± ¡°What about your broken right collarbone?¡± ¡°Okay, one second.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t your daughter stolen by some guy?¡± ¡°You¡¯re supposed to congratulate me for that one,¡± replied the commander. ¡°Well, to be honest, I think I can hold off the dragons for about 0.7 seconds.¡± He held the light machinegun below his arm. ¡°Isn¡¯t that badass? I can save the world for a whole 0.7 seconds.¡± His body shook as he laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve never done anything like that before.¡± So¡­ ¡°Go on and warn the others.¡± As soon as he said that, more armored uniforms lined up on either side of him. There were four on either side and they were all exhausted and injured. The commander spoke to them as the trembling grew stronger. ¡°You¡­¡± A younger man on the far end with hair dyed blond looked up into the sky and spoke. ¡°I¡¯m¡­so tired¡­that I can¡¯t move.¡± The chubby middle-aged man on the other end rested his rifle on his shoulder. ¡°I bet I can last 0.8 seconds.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± An elderly man nodded and pulled a grenade from his pocket. ¡°Report! 0.6!¡± Starting from the right, they all gave their numbers. ¡°0.5.¡± ¡°0.9! ¡°0.7!¡± ¡°0.4!¡± ¡°0.8!¡± Finally, it was the second-in-command¡¯s turn. ¡°I¡¯m 0.4, so that adds up to an amazing 5.8 seconds! Talk about a generous offer!¡± The second-in-command pulled a pair of broken glasses from his pocket and placed them above his nose. ¡°Can we save the world like this?¡± ¡°How should I know?¡± The commander laughed. ¡°This is a hopeless situation, but if we can save the world for 5.8 seconds, we can¡¯t give up just yet.¡± ¡°Very true. Without us, the world might be destroyed a whole 5.8 seconds earlier.¡± ¡°Man, is that a lot of responsibility!!¡± They all laughed at the youngest one¡¯s comment. But they all stopped laughing at once and faced the mechanical dragons that were now clearly in view. ¡°Readyyyy!!¡± Just as the commander was going to say ¡°fire¡±, the approaching group of pure-white dragons was blown away. ¡°¡­!?¡± The first thing they saw was a building on the left bursting apart. A black wind charged in from there and they knew its name. ¡°Susamikado!!¡± It happened in an instant. The black warrior did not hesitate to rush toward the mechanical dragons that were over four times its height. The sword in its right hand bisected the pure-white armor and the shield in its left knocked away the giant running forms. Also¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± A red god of war and a silver god of war rushed in after the black wind. The red one had no arms, but it swung six thick swords that floated in the air. The silver one challenged the dragons with its two swords. Their destination had a voice. That voice was a cheer. A crowd entered the road. People in white or blue armored uniforms spilled onto the road like a waterfall pouring from between and above the broken buildings. ¡°Yes, sir! Are you okay!?¡± Someone called out to the eight standing in the road. It was a maid automaton wearing glasses. ¡°I am Violet, a 3rd-Gear automaton. I will cover for you!! 3rd-Gear¡¯s main force is here too, so there is nothing to worry-¡­¡± She tripped in the middle of her sentence. Not only that, there was nothing at all to trip over. Is she okay? wondered the commander, but she quickly hopped back to her feet. ¡°Um,¡± she began. ¡°A-anyway, I¡¯m fine. Thank you for risking your lives to protect this spot!¡± The commander looked to the pure-white wreckage littering the road ahead. The eight mechanical dragons were being destroyed by the black god of war and the cannons of the others who had come running in. He then felt something poking at his side. It was the second-in-command¡¯s elbow. ¡° ¡®Thank you¡¯? Did we do anything?¡± ¡°Shut up. Refusing to give up can be a lot of work.¡± But even as he said that, the enemy was not giving up either. Groups of white arrived from down the road and from the sky. The mechanical dragons had their armor expanded defensively and the gods of war had their shields held out. The commander gasped because there were far more of them than before. ¡°Get down!!¡± Susamikado shouted with a girl¡¯s voice. At the same time, it put away its sword and shield. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± When it raised an arm back and to the right, something arrived. ¡°Keravnos!!¡± Wind blew down the road. The concept space opening on Susamikado¡¯s right arm sucked in the air and ejected something else. It was the outer shell for a giant pile bunker. But the metal object was quite different from before. It was approximately twenty five meters long. The frame was almost three times as long as Susamikado was tall, so arms extended from it to attach to the god of war¡¯s back and waist as well as its right arm. The next components to be spatially ejected were an inner shell resembling a long gun barrel and shock absorbers to reduce the vibration upon firing. After radiators, buffering bands, and power cables, a light appeared. That light was Keravnos itself. It was 3rd-Gear¡¯s Concept Core. It had been split into five before, but now it was all in one piece. It resembled a giant spear. ¡°This is because Mikage-san finished evolving!¡± Everyone knew that Keravnos had reflected Mikage¡¯s incomplete evolution when it had been returned during the battle near Babel. It now revealed its final form and thousands of bolts appeared in midair to hold it together. The final bolt rotated and plunged in to complete what looked like a giant cannon. The vibration of its completion reverberated into the sky. At the same time, light raced across Keravnos¡¯s surface. The light traced across some engraved writing which said¡­ ¡°In accordance to the will of the Sun King and the Moon Queen, we of 3rd-Gear swear to become a power that gathers a great many people!¡± There were people here. ¡°So unleash your power, Keravnos!!¡± With an overhand swing, Susamikado slammed the twenty five meter pile bunker straight forward. Keravnos¡¯s final form activated its power. Light enveloped everything. A giant bolt of lightning raced forward, covering not just the buildings lining the road but everything within a width of four hundred meters. In legend, this was the one anti-dragon weapon the almighty god was said to have used. Wind and a tremor accompanied the light. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± Instead of exploding outward, it imploded. It lasted only an instant. For a distance of approximately 1.5 kilometers, the earth, the sky, and everything in between were annihilated. The mechanical dragons and gods of war were no more. The vast power produced wind and the rising heat caused the sky to flicker. Those surrounded by flames in each battle region could see and hear it. ¡°¡­!¡± Everyone running along the battlefield knew for sure that someone other than them was still fighting. So they gave a war cry of their own. They stood at the bottom of the flames of battle, they were surrounded by smoke, and they were stained by injuries, but they made their presence known loudly enough to drown out the movement and cannon blasts of the gods of war and mechanical dragons. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± someone said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry!!¡± He looked back. There, he saw a wall of light rising into the sky and the rotating circle that protected the world below. ¡°As long as that¡¯s there, the world is still safe!!¡± The people advanced. ¡°Cry out!¡± They raised their voices with the words they knew someone had to be shouting even if those voices were being drowned out. ¡°As long as even one of us can keep moving forward, the world is still safe!!¡± A voice answered them from the sky. It came from the buildings to the southwest. A blue and white mechanical dragon was engaging several pure-white mechanical dragons in aerial combat. ¡°Yes!¡± The blue and white dragon flipped around and fired when the enemy passed below it. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about! And the enemy still has a weakness!¡± Thunder Fellow shot down an enemy. That enemy was a somewhat round dragon. ¡°These Virtues mechanical dragons relay commands for the enemy forces! So if you have anti-air weaponry, please shoot down this model of dragon! If you do, the automatons and mechanical dragons under their control will have to act independently!!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I like to hear!¡± This new voice came from the east. The blade of light stabbing into the sky there was V-Sw. The glowing sword was several hundred meters long, but it accurately smashed a mass of metal flying there. The destroyed object returned to being mere minerals which turned to sand and vanished in the wind. More sounds of destruction followed. The front line began to move once more. It was not much yet, but it was slowly approaching the center. Voices reverberated through the air to support that change and to let others notice it. The southwest formation moved from Ariake to Tokyo and finally finished crossing the harbor. That was Sayama¡¯s formation. He advanced along a street in that major urban region and Shinjou ran by his side. ¡°Everyone!¡± His voice rang loud. ¡°Do not lose! And keep moving forward!!¡± But a rebuttal reached him from the sky. Mikoku swung down an arm as she stood on the Leviathan. ¡°That is useless!¡± Mikoku asked a question of her advancing enemy as she viewed them on the transparent map and through the footage from an automaton¡¯s vision. ¡°Are you going stop this reformation of the world no matter what!?¡± She knew the answer without being told. Her opponent was her opposite. She watched Sayama through an automaton¡¯s eyes as he strengthened his forces with the power of the four balls, carried a plant creature on his back just like the others, and raced across the battlefield. While the other groups were constructing a front line to clash with their enemy, he was focusing on mobility to break through as quickly as possible. ¡°Do not fall behind!¡± He shouted to his comrades. ¡°Do not try to rush this. To us, this is walking.¡± He ran and leaped. ¡°Do not think of this as a place of death. To us, this is a place of life.¡± He built up his strength and ran to shake off the enemies approaching him. ¡°Do not pray to god. To us, the enemy is god!¡± ¡°Then,¡± said Mikoku with her eyebrows raised. ¡°If you insist on running and arriving here, I will give you the ultimate reason to give up!¡± She raised her right arm and snapped her fingers. ¡°I will test you, Sayama Mikoto. Let us see if you will truly never give up.¡± She knew what she had to do. ¡°Noah! Use your excess power to rearrange the battlefield!¡± ¡°Testament.¡± Noah nodded behind Mikoku. Before that nod was even complete, a voice filled that space. That voice filled the entire concept space. It spoke through each of their minds. ¡ªEverything leads to a single point. When the concept text activated, the battlefield changed. As Sayama ran, he noticed two changes. First, the angels began forming a giant circle to protect the area around the Leviathan. And second¡­ ¡°Shinjou-kun!?¡± Just before he heard the concept text, she had been running to his right, but now she was gone. And she was not all that had vanished. Everything that should have been to his right was no longer there. It almost looked like a gray mirage extending into the distance. ¡­What is this? ¡°I have only done as you wished. Since you seem to like charging forward so much, I have given you all the land you need to do so for as long as possible. Look to your left.¡± After hearing Mikoku¡¯s voice from the heavens, he looked left. He saw a strange land there. They had divided Tokyo up into eight regions, but for some reason, all eight were lined up in front of him. ¡­What is going on? Those regions were supposed to create a circle, so he should not have been able to see them all. Nevertheless, the land before him was connected in a straight line. And at the very end of it all¡­ ¡°Ariake and¡­the Leviathan in the sky above Shinjuku Station?¡± Beyond the eight lined-up regions, he saw the location he had just run through and his destination. When he saw that, he realized what this new concept meant. Everything led to a single point. ¡°You mean I can only reach my destination at the center after crossing each and every region!?¡± ¡°Exactly. I even did you a favor and based it on you,¡± replied Mikoku. ¡°From my ¡®single point¡¯, I can attack every single region, but you must pass through them all before reaching me at the center.¡± Sayama frowned. ¡°Are you telling me to run through all eight regions?¡± ¡°Yes. If any single person passes through them all, the world will be reconnected and the concept will lose all meaning. And you are the one closest to the edge of the world, Sayama.¡± That meant the entire battle was over if Sayama were to stop. ¡°I will now send my forces into all eight regions,¡± said Mikoku. ¡°Your armies must survive until you have finished your run, Sayama. And listen carefully. I¡­¡± She took a breath. ¡°I will not hesitate to send my army to attack Shinjou.¡± ¡°I see,¡± replied Sayama as he stared at the Leviathan in the distance. ¡°That is good to hear. Now there is no need to hold back.¡± He heard a sudden sound. His cellphone was ringing in his pocket. The people who had not been cut off from him focused on him as he pulled out the phone. ¡°S-Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°Yes, it is I, Shinjou-kun.¡± He turned back to the flickering grayness where she should have been. He approached the border of the flickering, reached out his hand, and could have sworn he felt something there. ¡°Sayama-kun.¡± He heard Shinjou¡¯s voice. She should have been right in front of him, but that precious voice was farther away than any other. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you.¡± ¡°Yes, I will be right there. I swear I will make it to you.¡± He lowered his head and pressed his cheek to the flickering. ¡°Sayama¡­-kun?¡± Her questioning voice felt so very close. ¡°Nn¡­¡± They could not see each other, but they still kissed. After a few seconds, he slowly pulled away. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He turned his back on the flickering border and spoke. ¡°I will be right there, Shinjou-kun. No matter where you are¡­¡± He took a breath. ¡°I will be there to take your hand, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Others nodded in response too. The comrades around him were a mixture of the special division and the standard division. As he put his phone away, they gave him informal salutes. ¡°We¡¯ll cover for you. For as long as we can keep up anyway.¡± They stood on the road with their weapons at the ready. They were all filthy and not one of them was uninjured. But Sayama nodded back while ignoring their exhaustion and injuries. He left the four floating balls with a nearby commander and ordered the man hold the area. He told him to fall back to and protect the circle behind them. He then pulled something else from his pocket. It was a short wooden sword. ¡°This contains 4th-Gear¡¯s Mukiti so we can set up the seals of heaven and earth.¡± Just by holding it, the sword began releasing air. As the wooden blade absorbed his exhaustion, he stuck it in the back of his belt. That was the only preparation he needed to run. With it finished, he looked across all of those around him. ¡°Now, here are your orders.¡± He faced forward, where he could see the streets, the sky, white automatons, and white gods of war. The enemy was everywhere. But he did not hesitate and he spoke to the others without looking their way. ¡°Everyone, I am about to go meet Shinjou-kun, so I will be very busy. The Concept Core weapon bearers are to advance and beat down the enemy reinforcements. Everyone else is to help me reach Shinjou-kun.¡± He crouched down, swung his arms back, and opened his mouth. ¡°Clear my way forward!¡± With that shout, he began to run. He ran west, where the Leviathan was visible in the distance. He raced toward the person waiting for him. He would connect the battlefield so that they would not give up. He hit his full speed from step number one. Volume 14, 23: Our Reason Volume 14, Chapter 23: Our Reason Oh, how spoiled I am To get to run to that precious person¡¯s heart Oh, how spoiled I am To have that precious person run to my heart Below the cloudy night was a city filled with light. Two pairs of eyes viewed that Tokyo nightscape from a distant, elevated place. They were watching from a raised part of Okutama¡¯s mountains. Two old men stood on that dark field. One was short and the other was tall and bald. The short one looked to the other one. ¡°Hey, Siegfried. 1st-Gear¡¯s out there, aren¡¯t they? You get going, too.¡± ¡°How about you go, Hiba Ryuutetsu? Isn¡¯t your grandson out there?¡± ¡°That idiot Ryuuji will be fine. He won¡¯t die so easily.¡± Ryuutetsu let out a white sigh. ¡°I hear things have gotten complicated in there.¡± ¡°Yes, I heard from Diana. She said Sayama needs to run.¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t feel like helping him?¡± ¡°What about you?¡± shot back Siegfried. The two of them continued viewing the night¡¯s landscape. ¡°Well, he¡¯ll probably manage somehow or another. Kaoru may not be around anymore, but¡­¡± ¡°But that Sayama has definitely inherited the villain¡¯s surname.¡± Siegfried suddenly started forward toward the base, where he would no longer be able to see the city. Ryuutetsu frowned behind him. ¡°Hold on. The world might be destroyed and you aren¡¯t even going to watch it?¡± ¡°This fight has been left to the next generation. And Sayama has started to run, hasn¡¯t he? That may be the destiny of his surname. To run, to struggle, to grab at something¡­but to only reveal your true self to the one you care for most.¡± Siegfried looked up into the sky and his voice rang through the winter night. ¡°He is running toward the one to which he can entrust his true self. Kaoru and Asagi both failed and did not arrive in time, but the current Sayama will run enough for all three of them.¡± Sayama ran through Tokyo¡¯s night. He had started southeast of Shinjuku, in the space between Minato and Koutou. Inside the concept space, the eight pieces of the battlefield had been placed spatially in a line. If Sayama passed through them all, the land would return to its original layout. That meant he had to start on Tokyo Bay¡¯s coast and make a full circuit of Tokyo with Shinjuku in the center. He was currently in the southeast of the fourth region. If Tokyo was viewed as a clock with Shinjuku in the center, he was around 4:30. If he moved clockwise from there, he would start by heading southwest. Region 5: South. Meguro. Region 6: Southwest. Setagaya. After running through there¡­ Region 7: West. Suginami. As he took Circular Route 7 north from there, he would see Shinjuku to his right. Region 8: Northwest. Nerima. Region 1: North. Kita. There, he would leave Circular Route 7 and start down the Nakasendo. Region 2: Northeast. Arakawa. Region 3: East. Sumida. From there, he would be back where he had started. It was a clockwise route in reality, but it was currently a straight shot. It was approximately fifty kilometers in all. Sayama sped up and checked his watch. The current time was 9:48 PM. The positive concepts inside the Leviathan would be complete at 10:30. He still needed a few minutes to reach the Leviathan after making it back to his original spot and he needed another sixteen minutes for the seals of heaven and earth. Which meant¡­ ¡­I want to reach Shinjou-kun by at least 10:10. He had twenty-two minutes until 10:10. To cover fifty kilometers in that time, he needed an average speed of greater than 110 kph. As soon as he had finished that calculation, Mikoku¡¯s voice reached him via Noah in the sky. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem hopeless? It would be a lot easier to let the entire world be resurrected. In fact, if you have no possible way of arriving in time, then giving up would be the sensible thing to do.¡± ¡°I see.¡± A decent suggestion, he concluded. But he reached into his pocket as he continued to run. The others running alongside him gave him concerned looks as he continued speaking. ¡°That is a decent suggestion. A wonderful suggestion even. But I have an even better idea.¡± Which was¡­ ¡°I will complete this run and make you cry.¡± ¡°Make me cry?¡± ¡°Do not get upset yet. I have not finished explaining my idea. ¡­Are you listening?¡± He pulled his hand from his pocket, revealing a bundle of acceleration charms. ¡°I will not just make you cry. I will hit you, and hit you, and hit you some more. And only after I have made you bow down to the entire world, will I fill your eyes with tears. The crime of placing physical distance between Shinjou-kun and me deserves more than the death penalty. ¡­It deserves the super death penalty.¡± ¡°You! Do you really think you can do that!? Do you really think you can run faster than one hundred kph, break through the attacks of my heavenly host, and reach the Leviathan!?¡± ¡°No one would ever think I could not!!¡± roared Sayama before laughing and crouching down. ¡°I am the ruler of this world! The entire world wishes for my victory!! And¡­¡± He activated the acceleration charms. They opened behind his shoulders and legs, producing a blue light. ¡°Shinjou-kun is waiting and she is even more important than the world to me! I! I! I cannot possibly lose to something as trivial as an attempted change to the world!!¡± ¡­Yes, I cannot possibly lose!! The speed arrived along with that thought. The first step created an explosion of water vapor on the road¡¯s surface. ¡°You!¡± He ignored Mikoku¡¯s words while gaining the speed of flight. ¡°You dare belittle the world!?¡± He moved forward. ¡°Yes! The world is a little thing. But it is mine, so I will not let you have it. I am not leasing it out and I am not accepting loans! In fact, I cannot imagine why you want something so boring!¡± He almost seemed to fly. ¡°After all, a world without any trace of ourselves would only be a blank slate! It would be no more valuable than an untouched canvas, null data, or an empty notebook! If any world is important¡­¡± He tore through the wind. ¡°Then it is the world on which I and those with me have left our mark!!¡± He pumped his arms. ¡°And if you will get in the way of that, I will make you cry! I will preserve this world and, while I am at it, I feel like declaring next year the first year of the St. Sayama Era and producing a calendar with twelve different photos of Shinjou-kun!¡± He ran and he heard a voice from directly ahead. ¡°Fine then.¡± ¡°You agree I should make the calendar!? Then I will make sure to send you a copy!¡± ¡°Not that! I was complimenting your resolve!¡± Mikoku¡¯s words were accompanied by the appearance of white figures on the road ahead. They were automatons, but they were Arch models, not the Angelus models. ¡°Our gatekeepers provide a harsh greeting!¡± There were several dozen of them. They appeared with instantaneous acceleration and gravity already shimmered in front of their hands. It only took them a moment. ¡°We will show you just how harsh it is! Over!¡± Several of them charged toward him with the tremendous acceleration of their relative speeds. Sayama did not hesitate; he raised his left fist as he ran. That was when something unexpected happened. The automatons in front of him suddenly twisted apart in midair. ¡­What was that? His surprised thoughts soon found the answer. A man wearing black cut in up ahead. The automatons took defensive stances. ¡°How crass!¡± ¡°If battle is crass, then my continent¡¯s culture is the crassest in history!¡± With those words, some people appeared from behind Sayama. They were those who had been running with him, but the man in black ran up ahead of them all. ¡°I am Chinese UCAT Representative Chao Yu. I shall protect you until you leave Region 4!¡± They passed Sayama and ran up ahead. With the exception of the man named Chao, the fighters in white armored uniforms all had acceleration charms flying around them. And there were many more than were around Sayama. ¡°Your bodies will not last if you use them like that!¡± They replied to Sayama¡¯s voice with smiles. ¡°This is the best we can do.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chao looked back toward Sayama. ¡°That was quite the selfish speech earlier!¡± But¡­ ¡°But if the world is currently subject to such great influence, then it must be small indeed!! If every one of our actions can decide the course of the world, then this is precisely what my continent desires!!¡± They picked up speed. ¡°We hold the world in our hands!!¡± ¡°Right!!¡± The others raised their arms, lined up charms between their hands like cards, and activated them. ¡°Go get them!!¡± With Chao Yu in the lead, they grew too fast to see and charged toward the Arch automatons. They bet their own bodies on this simplistic and one-time-only acceleration. They were not trying to win. They were only trying to¡­ ¡°Slam into them!!¡± That was exactly what happened. In the instant before impact, they removed the 4th-Gear creatures on their backs. The plant creatures landed and watched them leave. ¡°Good luck,¡± said the creatures. The fighters responded with smiles and completed their charge. The Arch automatons had the pure reaction speed necessary, but the collision happened while they were still trying to decide what to do. With a solid sound of impact, bones broke and armor split. But the men continued on to more and more collisions. Chao Yu began to spin in the lead. He seemed to create a whirlwind with his body and every automaton he touched was thrown into the air. When the dolls slammed into the ground, they were unable to react to the spiral movement and they were broken to pieces. ¡°We¡¯ll clear the way!¡± But just as the last of the men collided with the last few automatons, some giant forms dropped down from the sky. They were gods of war. A great rumble filled the asphalt as three Powers gods of war landed. The giants quickly prepared to fight. ¡°Did you think you could break through with speed!?¡± they asked. ¡°Then we will show you our strength!¡± Still in the lead, Chao Yu swung his arms while spinning. ¡°Chinese UCAT Bicycle Unit!!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!!¡± Voices and wind lined up on either side of him. They came from bicycles and people. Two men in green armored uniforms were driving a bicycle each. Both of them had a vertical stack of five men standing on their shoulders. This created a ten meter tower of men. Up ahead, Chao made a leap with an acceleration charm in his mouth. ¡°We use the human body as strength and history as our will! We use the human body to feel no fear of battle and therein lies the foundation of our resolve!¡± The men on the bicycles shouted in agreement and they all angled themselves on the shoulders of the one below them to look back toward Sayama. ¡°Fear not, boy! We will show you that nothing is impossible for mankind!¡± They all activated the gravitational control charms in their hands. The charms allowed them to use empty air like solid ground and Chao Yu was the first to begin running through midair. At the same time, the bicycles began to rise and pick up speed. Everyone on those accelerating bicycles could use the empty air as the ground. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± They slipped past the swords of the gods of war and the two towers of five people ran forward through the air. Their outstretched fists performed powerful stomps in empty air. ¡°Shake!!¡± With that word, Sayama saw the two bicycles pass between the legs of two of the three gods of war. At the same time, a five-man strike slammed into the gods of war down their central line. An intense sound rang out and the gods of war were destroyed. Their pure white armor seemed to burst into sand, but they managed to remain standing. ¡°Go, boy!!¡± The bicycles made a breaking turn and knocked the feet out from under the machines. The angel gods of war were going to fall. Human strength had broken them and pulled them down to earth. After destroying one of them on his own, Chao shouted back toward Sayama. ¡°You have my word! We cannot be heroes! But¡­¡± Sayama faced forward and saw the man accelerate. ¡°I promise you we will clear the way for you!!¡± ¡°Testament!!¡± ¡°You have my thanks!!¡± Sayama shouted to the comrades who remained with him and he accelerated. As he ran, his watch had reached 9:52. He had eighteen minutes left and seven regions to go. He was now entering Kazami¡¯s Region 5. But the enemy was flying through the sky. They were the Prince automatons who fired projectiles instead of making direct attacks. ¡­Here they come! An incredible number of white beams swept through the streets and raced toward him. Sayama responded by speeding up. He added on more charms and charged toward the hundreds of overlapping and intersecting beams of light. He could see a group of Angelus automatons beyond those beams, but¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t panic! You still have plenty of ground to cover, don¡¯t you?¡± Just as he wondered who this was, a military jeep drove up alongside him. It bounced along the torn-up road as it did. ¡°Jord!?¡± Mikoku¡¯s voice reached them from the Leviathan. ¡°What are you doing here!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. It¡¯s true I sympathized with you a little when you said you were brining Shino back to life. Shino was a good girl and she made me food. She was a good girl and never stopped being a good girl. I can understand why you¡¯d want to bring her back. But¡­¡± She swung her arms, pulled heavy machineguns from her sleeves, and aimed them into the sky. ¡°But I never asked you to bring the whole world back to life.¡± Sayama watched as Jord stepped on the accelerator. She charged through the cannon fire pouring from the sky. But none of it hit her. It grazed her and tore into the jeep, but it never actually hit her. ¡°If you did that and brought everyone back¡­¡± Jord fired. The gunfire rang out and cleared a path in the sky. ¡°That¡¯d be returning the world to my original expectations!!¡± The light from the sky tore into the jeep and it rolled onto its side. But Jord jumped out. She landed, rolled once, and fired her twin heavy machineguns into the sky from below the downpour of light. ¡°Have a taste of a real god¡¯s bullets!! And¡­¡± As she scattered gunfire into the heavens, the corner of her mouth rose in a smile. ¡°You¡¯re Sayama, right? Are you a good boy?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± As he passed her by, he recalled the past and held his chest. ¡°My parents always said so!!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll help you out. ¡­1st-Gear, you will too, won¡¯t you!?¡± At that moment, Sayama entered Brunhild¡¯s Region 6. A group of Angelus automatons had formed a solid wall up ahead, but¡­ ¡°!?¡± The winged ranks were blown away from below. The wave-like blast spread and destroyed them in an instant. There was a single cause: large shadows had suddenly appeared below their feet. ¡­Half-dragons! ¡°Did you come to help me, 1st-Gear!?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± All of the shadows stood up at once. ¡°1st-Gear¡¯s half-dragon unit is here! I am Fafner, their representative member!!¡± The wingless half-dragon explained what he had done to the angels¡¯ attack. ¡°Light-bringing wings also bring shadow. Nothing could be more perfect for those of us with shadow-walking techniques!!¡± The half-dragons moved from shadow to shadow, making sudden appearances to fell their enemy. They then raised a hand, beckoning Sayama over. ¡°Open the way! Our negotiator is coming through!¡± The enemy group was thick, but¡­ ¡°Open the way!!¡± Fafner¡¯s group carried out their orders while taking sword strikes and cannon blasts. They cut through their foes with giant swords while taking powerful impacts to secure a central path. ¡°Bear with it! After all, this negotiator is the one who gave honor to Venerable Hagen!!¡± With those words, they achieved a brief victory. A path opened. The way forward was clear. Sayama ran through that passable space. He raced on through. ¡­Thank you. He understood that everyone was responding to his serious side. Shinjou had taught him that. If he was serious, then everyone would follow him. In that case, he thought. If they will respond to what little seriousness I have shown¡­ ¡­Can I trust that I will find something else like this later on? He did trust in that fact. And so he ran toward Shinjou who had given him that trust. After passing the half-dragons, the dolls continued to push toward him as if collapsing down on him, but¡­ ¡°Go! You haven¡¯t even made it halfway yet!¡± He heard Fafner¡¯s group fighting behind him and he heard Jord¡¯s voice from even further back. ¡°Tatsumi! Alex! Can you hear me!?¡± Inside the concept space set up at Tokyo Bay¡¯s wharf, the Top-Gear forces heard Jord¡¯s voice over a communicator. ¡°How long are you going to sit there!?¡± They were all sitting down, but Alex towered above them and Tatsumi sat beside him. Tatsumi held a knife¡¯s grip in her trembling hand and she stared blankly up at the ceiling. ¡°I know you¡¯re on Mikoku¡¯s side. But! If you won¡¯t stop what she¡¯s doing now, are you really her ally!?¡± Tatsumi suddenly opened her mouth. ¡°Did you think I didn¡¯t already know that?¡± she asked. ¡°But I have no reason to stop her.¡± She raised the shaking knife in her hand but dropped it. The metal produced a sharp noise when it hit the concrete floor. The noise continued on like a tremor, but Tatsumi did not even look down at it. ¡°I don¡¯t have any strength left. What could I even do?¡± She pressed her forehead against Alex. And she stopped moving. But she was listening to the sounds of battle coming from the communicator. Everyone was trying to send a certain boy, one of those she had treated as an enemy, to Mikoku. ¡­What are we supposed to do? ¡°Mikoku only has Noah. And¡­she¡¯s supported by her feelings for Shino. If we turned against her, she¡¯d be all alone.¡± ¡°Tatsumi,¡± said Alex. ¡°I must take issue with part of that.¡± ¡°Wh-what part?¡± ¡°Mikoku is not alone.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Tatsumi¡¯s eyes opened wide and Alex clarified. ¡°That boy named Sayama said that Mikoku is another version of ourselves.¡± ¡°D-doesn¡¯t that just mean she has enemies?¡± ¡°No,¡± replied Alex. ¡°Tatsumi, was the boy named Hiba Ryuuji nothing more than an enemy to you? Was he an enemy you could never understand and who you had to reject? Also¡­¡± After pausing to think, he asked a question. ¡°Did you cry when he rejected you?¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Tatsumi was dumbfounded, so Alex said even more. ¡°Now, what do you think, Tatsumi? Is Mikoku alone? Or does she stand on a battlefield where no one can reject her? Which is it? And¡­¡± He asked another question. ¡°Aren¡¯t you rejecting her now?¡± That question was followed by a voice. It was Mikoku¡¯s coming from the communicator. ¡°What is the matter, Sayama? It seems you have passed the midpoint, but you are running a little behind.¡± The girl¡¯s provocation was belied by the weakness in her voice. ¡°You do seem to be enjoying yourself with your comrades assisting you, but you are not going to make it in time at this rate.¡± A certain will responded to Mikoku. But it did not come from Sayama as he ran. It came from Shinjou, far below Mikoku. ¡°That isn¡¯t true!! He¡¯ll definitely make it in time!!¡± With the others around her, Shinjou checked her watch while firing Ex-St at the flying enemies. It was precisely ten o¡¯clock. Sayama had passed through Region 7 and was about to pass though Region 8. That was the midpoint of his journey. ¡­He will make it, won¡¯t he? She looked back and saw the distant concentration of cannon fire and explosions that indicated his location. He was approaching at full speed. But it was true he had used up twelve of his twenty-two minutes on reaching the midpoint. He was about one minute slow. Even if she assumed he had needed to pick up some speed at the beginning, he did seem to be running behind. But even so¡­ ¡°He¡¯ll definitely make it in time!!¡± ¡°How!?¡± Mikoku¡¯s question reached her from atop the Leviathan¡¯s head. She stood there in her black armored uniform and seemed directly overhead despite the great distance between them. ¡°How can you be so sure!?¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± ¡­That¡¯s obvious! Shinjou continued firing and felt heat on her cheeks from the surrounding burning buildings. ¡°If he isn¡¯t going to make it in time, he¡¯ll find a way to make it!!¡± She knew everyone had to be thinking the same thing. ¡°Even if he isn¡¯t going to make it, he won¡¯t give up! If he isn¡¯t going to make it, he¡¯ll do whatever it takes to make sure he makes it! ¡­Did you know this!?¡± After grabbing Ex-St¡¯s overheated barrel and tossing it aside, Shinjou spread her hands. She raised those hands toward the Leviathan. ¡°The character for ¡®struggle¡¯ is supposed to look like someone pushing back up against a great pressure bearing down on them! And the word ¡®resistance¡¯ adds the character for ¡®low¡¯ to it because you have to be down low to put up a resistance!!¡± ¡°Then!¡± Mikoku seemed to be testing her. ¡°Can you truly put up a resistance against my efforts to keep him away and against the almighty power at my disposal!?¡± With her voice as the command, the ring of angels around the Leviathan began to shake. They were coming. With the gods of war and mechanical dragons in the center, the great army of angels was approaching. ¡°Shinjou, if you are what Sayama desires, then you are the same as him.¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± Shinjou carelessly dropped the new barrel she was trying to attach to Ex-St. ¡°I-I¡¯m not that weird! I¡¯m not like him!¡± A moment later, her cellphone rang in her pocket. She answered it and heard that weird boy¡¯s voice with cannon fire in the background. ¡°Hello, Shinjou-kun. Bonjour. ¡­Now, my heart was feeling a little lonely as I ran, so I am making various phone calls to harass people and cheer me up.¡± ¡°Can I just hang up?¡± ¡°You do love saying the opposite of what you really think, don¡¯t you!?¡± She seriously considered hanging up. ¡­But he must be having a hard time. Maybe I should actually speak with him. ¡°So what do you need? I¡¯m kind of busy right now.¡± ¡°I imagine you are,¡± he agreed. ¡°I am about to build a virtual Shinjou-kun in my mind and create a number of imaginary derivative works as I make my way there. So might I have the rights to your likeness?¡± She hung up. She exhaled, lowered her head a bit, lifted her gaze, and looked all the way up to the Leviathan. ¡°Th-that doesn¡¯t count. It doesn¡¯t, okay?¡± ¡°What doesn¡¯t?¡± Mikoku sighed. ¡°Regardless, it is already too late. If you claim you can make it in time or fight back, then show me, old world!¡± With those words, Shinjou felt a wind from directly ahead. It was the wind of pure-white gods of war charging forward as if sliding along at low altitude. The air shook and about a dozen of them approached. ¡°Kh¡­¡± She felt their intimidating presence. A god of war¡¯s size alone provided strength. If a dozen of them used their wings to rush in with swords and shields at the ready, it would form an even nastier attack than any kind of shell. The 3rd-Gear forces could oppose them, but they were in Region 1. That was too far away from here. Shinjou¡¯s group would have to fight them on their own, so she shouted to the others. ¡°Fall back!¡± She attached Ex-St¡¯s barrel and raised the weapon. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± In that instant, the wind of giants flowed forward on either side of her. ¡­Eh? She looked up and saw silver gods of war. These steel gods of war were equipped with shields and spears. She did not recognize them, but their shields bore the French flag. The one to her right seemed to be the commander and it turned back toward her. ¡°I apologize for our delay, but our air transport was slow. ¡­French UCAT¡¯s god of war battalion will now join the battle.¡± The wind whipped up as the silver gods of war opened the three wing-shaped thrusters on their backs. ¡°Everyone, we have three minutes and twenty-seven seconds of flight time. Do not actually fly. The enemy will come to strike us on the ground. We will stick to Battle Scenario 3. Use your wings to accelerate and never stop moving.¡± A bitter laugh rang out. ¡°We were hoping to surprise Germany, Japan, and the US, but we never thought our first battle would be enough to surprise the entire world.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± replied a female voice. ¡°Make sure to gather plenty of enemy heads.¡± ¡°Ready your spears!!¡± They raised their spears while facing forward. ¡°Local commander, give us our orders!!¡± Shinjou realized they meant her. ¡°U-um¡­¡± She panicked, but managed to breathe out and raise Ex-St. She aimed the cannon toward the flying gods of war. ¡°Charge!!¡± Just as the white light of her blast tore through a god of war, the silver armored warriors accelerated. Noah maintained a constant understanding of the battle. She checked the situation in each location as well as the transparent map of Tokyo displayed on the Leviathan¡¯s head. ¡°Mikoku-sama, there is one thing I do not understand.¡± The enemy¡¯s numbers were definitely being worn down. The same was true of the angels. The ratio between armies remained largely unchanged. Even with the enemy reinforcements, she had sent a third army to deal with that second enemy army. And yet¡­ ¡°Where do the enemy¡¯s sudden bursts of strength come from? Over.¡± When she looked through the wind of their high altitude, Noah saw something unexpected. Mikoku gave a certain expression in front of the transparent map. ¡­A bitter smile? She did not know. No, she did think she knew. She remembered. ¡°Before¡± June 21, 1989 The expression on her creator¡¯s face was a smile, yet Noah could not understand it. ¡°Before¡± March 20, 1993 Noah gained a single joy. The concept creation facility was remade and the negative concepts were to be created. ¡°Before¡± March 20, 1993 Noah once more saw the indecipherable smile on her creator¡¯s face. ¡°Before¡± March 20, 1993 Noah asked her creator what that smile meant. Her creator replied thusly: ¡°Oh¡­ Sorry about that. It isn¡¯t a bad thing. It¡¯s something of a habit.¡± December 25, 2005 Mikoku made the same smile. So Noah asked a question. ¡°What does that smile mean? Over.¡± Mikoku brought a hand to her face and seemed to hold her mouth. ¡°Oh. Sorry,¡± she said. ¡°It is not a bad thing. It is something of a habit I have picked up recently.¡± Noah did not understand, but she concluded that must be what it was. That smile was not a bad thing, but it required an apology. After leaving her understanding and investigation there, she asked something else. She repeated a question Mikoku had not heard because she was lost in thought. ¡°Mikoku-sama, give me my orders. Order me to suppress the enemy. Over.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Mikoku looked down below. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°It is 10:06 PM. Over.¡± ¡°And where is Sayama?¡± As soon as Mikoku asked, the two of them saw pillars of light falling through the gaps in the cloudy sky. More and more hammers of light pounded on the ground. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± ¡°That is from Region 2 in the northeast! That must be the Heavenly Moon Bow, so is 2nd-Gear there!?¡± At some point, Sayama had advanced into the last two regions. ¡°Noah!¡± Noah listened to Mikoku¡¯s shout. ¡°How much power do you have in reserve!?¡± Sayama ran. The older members of 2nd-Gear had just helped him and he was moving into the neighboring Region 3. The current time was 10:08. He had two minutes left. If he was going to make it, it would only be just barely. He knew he had to hurry. ¡­There is nothing to worry about. He felt inexplicable confidence. Then he realized that water vapor was trailing from different parts of his body. Mukiti¡¯s wooden sword was producing a cloud of water vapor from where he had placed it on the back of his waist. As he continued onward, he produced a contrail along the ground. He raced forward. He was almost flying as he followed his straight-line path. Tsukuyomi¡¯s Heavenly Moon Bow was tearing into the airborne enemies from the side. His feet took him into Region 3. This was the final region. Mukiti was refreshing most of his exhaustion, but that did not mean he was not at all exhausted. If Mukiti went all out, Sayama¡¯s body would lose all of its heat and freeze. Also, he needed a certain level of body heat to run. If he could not keep his blood pumping, he could not run. To keep that blood flowing, Mukiti was taking heat with extreme caution. But some remained. He was far better off than if he had run fifty kilometers at over one hundred kph with no preparation whatsoever, but he did feel some exhaustion. He was sweating, he was out of breath, and his body was stiff. He dodged enemy attacks as he ran with such great speed. When he noticed how torn up the road surface was, his pulse started racing and he felt something bitter in the bottom of his stomach. Mukiti forcibly took those things away, but they remained in his heart. He had felt this bitterness several times on the way here. And, he thought. I would not feel this bitterness if I did not run. ¡­Yes. Wherever he ran, the others would gather and be injured. If he did not run, none of the others would be injured. Wasn¡¯t he simply causing trouble for the others in his conceited villain act? ¡­What am I doing here? Amid this great battle, he alone ran and he alone thought. It was true he had no time, but he ignored that and ran. ¡­What am I doing? He had two minutes left and seven kilometers to go. At 110 kph, he could only travel about 3.7 kilometers in two minutes. It was obvious he would not make it. And yet he was running. Shinjou was waiting for him. Why was he running and why was she waiting? It was so blatantly hopeless. He felt it was all ridiculous. He also thought he should just quit. He felt it would all be so much easier if he gave up. But a sudden opening appeared before him. The road was completely empty. That was the result of Heo and American UCAT¡¯s fight in Region 3. They had pushed their front line so far forward that both enemy and ally had vanished from the road. This place was his and his alone. There was nothing there. Only the transparent night sky, the air, the earth, and the unseen way ahead. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He suddenly felt as if only he were here. Only that which was inside him existed at the moment. His pulse. His energy. His mind. His feelings. His will. His movement. There was no other noise in the space ahead to interfere with the glorious song those things produced. His whole body was here and he could feel his nerves reaching all the way to his extremities. Speed more sharply grasped him. He was the only thing here. And the awareness of himself this place gave him allowed him to realize something. He realized what beyond himself he wanted the most. He thought of that person. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± And he came to his senses. He faced forward and found the battlefield he needed to run across. He had this entire space to himself and there was no one but him here. No one would see what he did here. He could stop running if he wanted. But¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± He activated charms behind him. He split the wind. He continued forward. With this full power sprint, he used this moment when no one was watching to produce his greatest speed yet. He ran and he knew exactly why he was running. ¡°Shinjou-kun!!¡± he shouted. ¡°I want to see you as soon as possible!¡± ¡°Then this is the end, Sayama Mikoto!!¡± Mikoku swung her arm on top of the Leviathan. ¡°How will you overcome this greatest of reasons to give up!?¡± At the same time, Noah swung her arm in the same way. The Leviathan moved. Specifically, one of the five meter caliber secondary cannons on its side did. ¡°Fire! Over!¡± White light pierced into the earth. The blast would annihilate everything over a diameter of five hundred meters. That area happened to be the empty space through which Sayama was running. Sayama sped up. The cannon of light landed after being fired from the western sky to his right. The explosive blast rushed toward him. But he did not give up. He kept running as if to escape the blast. Hurry. Hurry, he told himself twice to push himself even faster. His footsteps rang loud and his speed transformed his surroundings into a blur. I can make it, he told himself. Think. There has to be a way to make it. Build your confidence by thinking through each and every reason why I am sure to make it. Yes. For example, I am smart. I am decently athletic. I am a skilled orator and I know how to grasp the human heart. My heart is pure. After all, I am someone Shinjou-kun chose to spend her time with. And if my heart is pure, then my looks and body must share that pure beauty. I can confidently pose in front of the bathroom mirror each morning. Yes, if no one had seen me as that lecherous old man¡¯s grandson, I would have lived a very different life. I would have become an art model and revolutionized the history of the world¡¯s art. Yes, I may have a reserved personality with no hint of megalomania, but the world¡¯s artists and sculptors would have transformed me into art and the world would have been filled with me. The world¡¯s parks would have been overflowing with statues of me. I would have conquered that peeing boy and led to a handsome peeing boy or handsome peeing man based on me. No, the word ¡°peeing¡± must not be in the title. That would be horrendously inappropriate! The title would be the Handsome Boy or the Handsome Man which would of course be me. But as a fountain, I would certainly have to keep the action intact. Perhaps setting it up to produce a rainbow would be best. I bet it would shock everyone if the water started coming from the mouth at night. And what pose should the statue make? Like this? Or this? No, like this! I could place my hands on my hips and lean back a bit or maybe place my hands behind my head and thrust the important part forward. The pedestal would need to be engraved with a quote of mine. Maybe ¡°Ah, Sh-Shinjou-kun! Look, look!!¡± would be best. Building those around the world would certainly be a magnificent project. Oh, what a wonderful future it would be if Shinjou-kun and I could have a picnic in front of one of my long-distance firing statues. ¡­Oh? There is an explosion to the right. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± Sayama confirmed his own perfection as he ran. Pursued by the shockwave, he launched himself further forward. At the same time, he saw something reaching the empty manmade field up ahead. ¡°Now you get here!?¡± A moment later, the explosive blast enveloped the area. Shinjou saw a great explosion of light swallow up the area to her north. The wind blew and the sky was filled with trees and manmade objects. The wind was powerful enough for the surrounding angels and gods of war to stir. A roar filled the sky and the winged group there was washed away. Shinjou¡¯s watch said they had one minute left. If he had been on his way, he would have been right where that light had been. ¡°Sayama-kun!¡± She then heard a voice. Naturally, it was not Sayama¡¯s. ¡°Well, Shinjou!? How does it feel to know Sayama was just blown away!?¡± But Shinjou had a question about Mikoku¡¯s voice. ¡­Eh? Her tone was forceful, but her voice felt somehow weak. ¡­Why? Only then did Shinjou realize the answer: that girl was losing something. ¡°Mikoku-san¡­¡± She represented emotion. She was trying to grant the desire of all the entire world¡¯s emotions. But at the same time¡­ ¡°Is it sad to lose something? Even if they¡¯re an enemy and even if winning means you can revive the world, do you not want to lose anything!?¡± Shinjou asked her question of the windy sky. She spoke to Mikoku who was protected by the angels. ¡°Do you¡­not want to lose this world!?¡± And¡­ ¡°Is it because you don¡¯t want to lose it that you¡¯re going to make sure it is lost and then create a world with no more death!?¡± ¡°Shinjou.¡± She received a response. ¡°Do not say that. ¡­You will dull my resolve.¡± And¡­ ¡°All I can do is move my emotions. ¡­Even when it comes to you.¡± Something arrived through the raging wind. It was a great dragon wrapped in flames. It was a six-winged Seraph mechanical dragon. It passed over the heads of the French UCAT gods of war. ¡°Dammit!!¡± The gods of war cried out as the mechanical dragon flew above Shinjou. Its fire-breathing mouth was opened and its blazing main cannon was already ready to fire. ¡°Shinjou.¡± The dragon spoke with Mikoku¡¯s voice as it glared at her in warning. ¡°Sayama is waiting for you.¡± The mouth opened. The flames of the main cannon were coming. But Shinjou breathed in. ¡°No.¡± ¡­There¡¯s no way Sayama-kun is waiting for me! Thirty meters above her, she saw the conflagration building. ¡°I¡¯m the one waiting for him!¡± A moment later, the Seraph mechanical dragon exploded. It had not been hit by a cannon blast or a sword strike. ¡°Eh?¡± Confused, Shinjou saw flames surging around the explosive noise. With serpentine movements, massive flames wrapped around and burned the dragon. And below that dragon-shaped torch, Shinjou lowered her head. On the asphalt ground, she saw sand and stones. Those minerals were moving. ¡°Do not worry.¡± It was Wanambi. The mechanical dragon was entirely reduced to ash and a dragon of blazing heat was created in its place. This dragon of shimmering heat distorted the surrounding light into seven colors. The Messengers of Wanambi contained a concept that made heat a living being and Shinjou had brought them with her for the seals of heaven and earth. ¡°Do not worry¡± ¡°Protect¡± ¡°Will protect¡± ¡°Shinjou¡± ¡°Important¡± ¡°Person¡± The shimmering dragon landed near Shinjou and glared at their surroundings to protect her. With her head still lowered, Shinjou opened her mouth. ¡°Mikoku-san¡­ You¡¯re wrong.¡± In the wind, the cannon blasts and clashing swords were the forest and the shaking was the earth. ¡°Why do you have to lose everything if you don¡¯t want to lose anything? Wouldn¡¯t you be the last one to want that? And if so¡­then you¡¯re wrong!¡± ¡°Then are you saying you¡¯re right?¡± Shinjou shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But¡­the person I care for the most says I am.¡± She breathed in. ¡°That person is always wrong, but I know he actually wants to be right. I know he wants to be right but always tasks himself with being wrong!¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°He is a villain!!¡± She raised her head and reached her hand toward the cloudy sky. ¡°I will call the name of my precious villain! If I do that, he will rush to my side no matter where he is and he will tell me I am right! And I will tell him he is wrong but right. And because I know that, he can be wrong without worrying. So¡­so come to me, my villain! No matter how many worlds away you might be, come to me!¡± The watch on her raised hand said it was 10:10. At that moment, she gave a shout. ¡°Sayama-kun!!¡± Her cry received two responses. First, her outstretched hand was grabbed from above. ¡°I am here. And¡­¡± Second, the owner of an out-of-breath voice spoke to her. ¡°Now, let us continue on together, Shinjou-kun.¡± She was pulled up toward heaven. Shinjou gave a tearful smile toward the source of that pull. ¡°Yes,¡± she called. ¡°We¡¯ll be together forever, Sayama-kun.¡± At the same time, the world was reconnected. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± Tokyo returned to its original form around them. The eight-directional battlefield was back. As the land reconnected, Shinjou saw what Sayama was riding and what she had been pulled onto. ¡°Thunder Fellow?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± The blue and white mechanical dragon carried a long cannon below it. Shinjou moved up next to Sayama and felt the shimmering dragon approaching her again. ¡°Wh-why is Heo here?¡± ¡°Did you not notice, Shinjou-kun? I had to arrive by 10:10.¡± Sayama pointed behind him. Far behind them were walls of light with a large circle at the bottom. ¡­Those are the surrounding walls of the eight-direction seal. ¡°Those walls needed sixty-four minutes to create. In other words, 10:04. And now that they are complete, the bearers of the Concept Cores are free to leave their region.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Harakawa as he opened the canopy. ¡°That idiot called us, saying he was feeling lonely. He asked if anyone was free.¡± ¡°I only did so just in case, but that may have been the right decision. Then again, I am confident I could have outrun that explosion had I kept running.¡± ¡°Keep dreaming.¡± When Harakawa closed the canopy, Shinjou exchanged a bitter smile with Sayama. The two of them then looked up into the heavens. ¡°Another twenty minutes until the positive concepts are complete. But we need sixteen minutes to set up the seals of heaven and earth. That means we only have four minutes to reach the Leviathan.¡± Heo responded to Sayama. ¡°Leave that to us. We¡¯ll get you there. After all¡­this is the mission my dad left for me.¡± ¡°Then we are counting on you, Heo Thunderson-kun. So¡­shall we go, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go, Sayama-kun.¡± Shinjou pulled on his arm and nodded. ¡­Let¡¯s go to fight. ¡°Let¡¯s go stop Mikoku-san. After all¡­¡± She looked him in the eye. ¡°She¡¯s aching.¡± He did not answer her, but he did give a small nod. ¡°Heo-kun, take us to the Leviathan at your new-rider fare.¡± ¡°Of course!!¡± With that, Thunder Fellow moved slowly forward. A ring of enemies was visible up above, but in the span of a breath, Thunder Fellow picked up speed with Shinjou and Sayama crouched low on his back. They flew in a straight line toward the Leviathan. Everyone running through the battlefield saw it. In the center of the sky, a straight white contrail ascended through the wing-filled night. It was Thunder Fellow. ¡°Go,¡± someone muttered while grabbing an angel automaton by the neck and slamming her to the ground. ¡°Please get there!!¡± As the others watched in agreement, many wings descended to stop the mechanical dragon. They were the Leviathan¡¯s defenders, primarily made up of Seraph mechanical dragons. That force of several thousand approached the rising contrail, but no one uttered a single word of worry. Just like the enemy, they were releasing their own forces. Two sets of wings flew up from the earth below. One was the wings of a girl with a spear. The other was the four-wings of a black god of war with a boy on its shoulder. As the enemies flew above and the Leviathan began to move its secondary cannons, the girl and black god of war moved apart. They waved casually toward the blue and white dragon. ¡°We¡¯ll clear the way, Sayama! Shinjou!!¡± ¡°Try to be a little thankful, you stupid underclassman!!¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The boy on the blue and white dragon¡¯s back spoke to the two rising sets of wings. ¡°We will leave this to you¡­to Team Leviathan.¡± With Izumo on its shoulder, Susamikado flew toward the Leviathan in an arc. The Leviathan¡¯s secondary cannons were moving. Their target was the blue and white mechanical dragon. So Hiba asked Mikage to raise the output of their wings. He had a single way of asking her. ¡°Mikage-san!¡± ¡°Nn.¡± It would be easy to call it a tacit understanding. She responded to his call by boosting the wings on Susamikado¡¯s back. ¡­Here we go! For a fifteen kilometer mechanical dragon, even its secondary cannons could be one hundred meters long. They could barely feel their speed due to the size of the object they were approaching. ¡°Here comes the enemy!¡± Just as Izumo had said, gods of war flew from a hatch on top of the Leviathan. They were the Lords model. It was the same model used against them when they had pursued the Leviathan before. There were four of them and their relative speed was so great it left them nearly impossible to see. But Hiba still charged in. He did not rely on his sped-up vision. ¡°Race, my heart!¡± He could feel his entire body. He kept his mind on the flowing wind and the flowing movements of the enemy. In his battle with Tatsumi, he had gained a technique to receive any power. He used that technique to sense every kind of ¡°flow¡±. The battle had no end. He did not even think about his own victory. He brought everything he had learned to the next level. ¡­I will keep the dance of battle going! He did not predict his enemy¡¯s movements. After deciding which flow of motion seemed best, he constructed that motion with a focus on his interactions with the other participant. Instead of thinking five or ten steps ahead, he thought every step ahead as he moved. It only lasted an instant. The four pure-white gods of war swung their twin blades toward the black god of war from countless angles. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He only took a light step. He only spun around and jumped once into the air. But by twisting his body, turning his side, raising his wings, turning his head, sweeping his arms around, and keeping his thoughts on moving ever forward, not one of the blades even grazed him. At the same time, the Leviathan fired one of its secondary cannons in the center of his vision. The air shook and the two meter shell of light flew toward him, but those in the sky did not panic. But they did take action. Hiba and Mikage spun around to send Izumo to the right. A spray of metallic noise filled the air as the boy prepared his attack on Susamikado¡¯s palm. ¡°V-Sw, final form!¡± ¡°Right away.¡± The cowling expanded and fixed itself in midair. When it fired at 120% output, it did not produce the pillar of light of its third form. It was a blade. The thick blade was over five hundred meters long. ¡°Ohhhhhh!!¡± The sky was split apart. The four Lords models took evasive action, but they could not escape the size of the blade. In that one strike, dozens of approaching gods of war blossomed like midair flowers. But those humanoid machines had not been Izumo¡¯s target. Hiba saw Izumo twist around to build up more speed. ¡°Izumo is up to bat! He¡¯s going for a powerful swing here¡­¡± Izumo swung his massive blade toward the ball of light fired by the Leviathan¡¯s secondary cannon. ¡°Cla-claaaang!!¡± His ¡°bat¡± produced a tremendous noise as it hit the ¡°baseball¡±. ¡°It¡¯s flying right back at the pitcher! At this rate¡­¡± It struck the Leviathan. The armor covering several hundred meters of its port side dented in and a shockwave struck its giant form. The smaller pieces of armor were instantly peeled away and scattered through the winter sky like snow. ¡°Homerun!!¡± The giant mechanical dragon leaned back a bit and Hiba did not overlook this chance. After placing Izumo back on his shoulder, he flew up in an uppercut-like arc. ¡°Keravnos!!¡± The twenty meter pile bunker appeared on his black right arm. The bolts drove satisfyingly into place and he raised the weapon toward the Leviathan¡¯s upper secondary cannons. He fired. The upper armor was something like an anti-air shrine, but the two kilometer blast of lightning destroyed it. ¡°Go!!¡± The Leviathan had already bent a bit from the ¡°baseball¡± hit, so it truly did twist around this time. Susamikado then passed through the spreading electrical discharge and headed down. It needed to intercept the mechanical dragons flying up after Thunder Fellow. ¡°Chisato!¡± shouted Izumo from the shoulder. ¡°Get them!¡± He raised his voice toward the pair of wings battling the mechanical dragons around the Leviathan. ¡°Get them! I know you can do it!!¡± Kazami heard Izumo as she fought the mechanical dragons. Her enemies were Seraph models. That was the same model that had attacked Thunder Fellow when they had pursued the Leviathan. They were fast and their flames burned through everything. Kazami however used the sharp turns of her wings to toy with the Seraph models. They came at her in a group, so she decided where to position herself among them all. She chose a spot where they could not attack her but she could attack them. Her wings carried her quickly, but she also spread them and broke them to brake. This was much like her battle with Alex. But, she thought. That battle was a lot tougher. ¡­No, that isn¡¯t it. All battles were tough by definition. If she did not predict what the enemy would do and then fight back, she would die. But this battle felt easier than the one with Alex. And yet it may have been just as difficult. The discrepancy was easily explained. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve experienced so many battles.¡± She had forgotten how she had worked her way through so many enemies. I still have a long way to go, she decided as she flipped through the wind. Many different concepts were in effect here. Her Kazami surname activated and so did her Chisato given name. So she saw the wind and she flapped her wings to instantly travel great distances. And she flew. She flew toward one of the Seraph models. ¡°!¡± She suddenly shattered her own wings to lower her speed. She used their relative speed to drive her spear into it. The spear struck the joint actuator at the base of a wing. For a fighter jet or a mechanical dragon, that was a delicate part that could not attack. Destroying it even a little would cause the dragon to lose control for a brief moment. And in this confused dogfight, a single moment could be fatal. Some of them crashed into others and broke apart when she did this. The enemies then kept their distance and fired a barrage at her. But Kazami could see even that. This enemy¡¯s speed was greater than any she had seen before. So was their mobility. And the number of their attacks. And the density of this barrage. ¡­But so what? Even if it had not been on this level, she had fought against great powers before. For projectiles of light, she had fought the Heavenly Moon Bow. For a barrage, she had fought Cottus. For high-speed combat, she had fought Alex. And she had fought Brunhild recently. She had also fought other gods of war, mechanical dragons, and non-humans. Even if this enemy had the greatest specs she had seen, her combat experience was far greater. She had very nearly died several times. ¡­And I nearly lost someone important to me. ¡°But you don¡¯t even have that!¡± Kazami spun around as she flew. To drive away the Seraph models, she moved behind them, struck them, and looked down to her hands. The value on the console had surpassed 100%. She had built up that power by fighting without firing or accelerating. What could she do now? She matched her timing to a rotating Seraph model and kicked its side armor. ¡­Take a great jump. She took a several hundred meter back step and saw countless mechanical dragons and angels in the sky. They were all firing on her in unison. The rumbling tremor she heard was created by thousands of projectiles. The light seemed to form a cloud. But Kazami smiled as she raised G-Sp2. There was a certain attack this situation allowed her. ¡°G-Sp2, final form.¡± She operated the device. She placed a hand on the console, raised her eyebrows, and looked to the great enemy army and its attacks. ¡°Go!¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± She immediately spelled out ¡°Gungnir¡± with the console¡¯s buttons and then added more letters. ¡°T-I-T-A-N-I-C-L-A-N-C-E! Titanic Lance!¡± She fired a dragon of light into the sky. But that dragon that had brought about the demise of the gods followed Kazami¡¯s instructions by returning to its original form. Instead of a raging dragon of destruction, it took on the true form it wanted. It became a giant spear. The body was that of a dragon, but the head was sharply pointed and its body extended straight backwards. Kazami saw the giant white spear race through the sky. It struck. The dragon instantly turned thousands of enemies into explosions of light as it pierced through them and decorated the sky with light. The remaining enemies were destroyed by a white blast from below. Thunder Fellow had fired its Vesper Cannon. The heavens shook and the enemies covering the Leviathan vanished. The path to the battlefield was clear. At 10:14, two patterns appeared to support two lights fired from the Leviathan. One circle covered the heavens above and the other covered the earth below. The patterns of white light began to rotate. Supported by the sealing barriers in the surrounding eight directions, the two patterns rapidly took form as soon as they appeared. But¡­ ¡°Another sixteen minutes.¡± Everyone knew that the two supporting those circles had arrived on the Leviathan. And they also knew the bearer of the Leviathan was also there. ¡°We¡¯re about the have the answer!¡± At the same time, white light flew up above the Leviathan. Thunder Fellow had left the great mechanical dragon. Volume 14, 24: Two Battles Volume 14, Chapter 24: Two Battles I understand I really do So Please Sayama stood in a large field located high in the sky. There was green grass below his feet. A white open-air bell tower was located at the far end of the field. There were trees on either side and the pallets sealing the Concept Cores sat beyond them. This Concept Core creation facility was made from Noah¡¯s residential area. It was located on the roof at the base of the Leviathan¡¯s wings. The sky was cloudy, but the field was somehow brightly lit. Sayama felt Shinjou¡¯s presence behind him and he saw his enemy in front of him. Mikoku wore a black armored uniform and the automaton had white wings. There was no wind and the sounds of battle no longer reached them. He asked a question within that silent green and white. ¡°You are not made of salt, I take it?¡± Mikoku gave a small smile. ¡°I am not in the habit of giving salt to guests.¡± ¡°Guests, are we?¡± ¡°Yes. Everyone is a guest.¡± Sayama listened as she continued. ¡°After all, everyone will be leaving me.¡± ¡°I see,¡± he muttered. Before he could think of what to say, the most natural words left his mouth. ¡°I will make you cry.¡± Mikoku¡¯s expression quickly changed to one of slight surprise. ¡°Was that your emotion?¡± ¡°No. I have something to teach you. That is all.¡± Sayama drew Mukiti¡¯s wooden sword from his waist. ¡°Both sides have a single condition for victory. For us, it is to use the Concept Cores to preserve the seals of heaven and earth until 10:30. That will reject the Leviathan¡¯s positive concepts as fakes and prevent their creation. Your plan to release the immortality concept and create a new world will be stopped and we will win.¡± ¡°Ours is the opposite. We must defeat you to stop the seals of heaven and earth before 10:30. The Leviathan can complete its positive concepts and renew the world.¡± Sayama nodded. ¡°Basically, it comes down to which side is still standing come 10:30.¡± He held the wooden sword up in both Georgiuses and the weapon seemed to waver. It was a watery mist. Mukiti¡¯s body was escaping the wooden sword and creating a transparent blade. That blade would freeze and break through anything around it. At the same time, a dragon of heat stood up around Shinjou. ¡°Sayama-kun.¡± He heard her voice. ¡°You¡¯re aching, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he replied. Mikoku was drawing a sword up ahead. Noah was spreading her wings behind the girl. Noah was surrounded by freezing and blowing water vapor as well as shimmering heat and gravity. Mikoku could swing her blade and Noah could produce any kind of attack, but¡­ ¡°Shinjou-kun.¡± Sayama removed his right hand from his wooden sword. ¡°Take this.¡± He tossed her the right Georgius. ¡°Ah,¡± she said as she caught it. ¡°U-um, but this¡­¡± ¡°No need to be embarrassed. ¡­We will fight together. That is what this means, Shinjou-kun.¡± He then prepared to fight. He faced Mikoku and Noah with his water sword raised to the left. ¡°Is there any need to name ourselves?¡± Mikoku responded by shaking her head. In that instant, the four of them began to move. There was sound. It filled the wide places on the battlefield, the narrow places, the center, and the corners. It was everywhere. The clashing of power naturally produced sound. There were voices as well. They were the singing voices of automatons. In addition to Noah herself, the dolls, gods of war, and mechanical dragons on the battlefield were singing along with their leader. They sang throughout the battlefield. ¡°Listen. Please listen.¡± Their voices continued. ¡°In this world of rapid creation and destruction, ¡°The one and only invariable rule is the irreversibility of destruction.¡± They sang loudly. ¡°The worlds began as only one. ¡°But the great numbers they created brought only more destruction.¡± Their voices reverberated around them. ¡°Birth is the error leading to destruction. ¡°Growth is the syntax leading to destruction. ¡°And destruction is the absolute endcode.¡± They cried out. ¡°This world has an ending. ¡°This world has no birth. ¡°This world will continue to end. ¡°It cannot continue to give birth.¡± It grew to a roar. ¡°The sky. ¡°The moon. ¡°The stars. ¡°The sea. ¡°The earth. ¡°The wind. ¡°The flowers. ¡°And even light, sound, and the wills of mankind. ¡°If anything will not be destroyed, please tell us.¡± Their voices seemed to split apart. ¡°At a random point of this world of destruction.¡± As if they longed for something. ¡°I am living.¡± No. ¡°I am searching for the answer.¡± They were longing for something. ¡°And I am always aching!¡± Shinjou fired without end. She supported the overheated barrel with the Georgius on her right hand. That negative Georgius provided a certain power to the shimmering serpent protecting her. ¡­The power of the opposite! That opposite power reversed the dragon¡¯s heat and cooled the barrel. ¡°Weird¡± ¡°Diet¡± ¡°Ticked¡± ¡°Duel¡± ¡°Leave it to me¡± During the high speed battle, the game of shiritori being played on top of Ex-St never stopped. But the speed with which they wrote out the words told Shinjou that Wanambi was building momentum. Their target was Noah. Shinjou was shooting down every single bullet and attack that Noah fired. She would not allow anything to interfere with Sayama and Mikoku who fought between her and Noah. She switched between straight shots and scatter shots with the C button. Normal shots used the A button and a blast using all of the built up energy used the B button. Her shots tore, tore, pierced, and scattered. Whenever Noah targeted her, she would evade. She took the smallest dodge necessary. She never made any exaggerated movements. She spotted the enemy bullets and spun around, allowing those bullets to pass below her skirt and shoulder armor guards. But none of those counted as a hit. ¡­If it doesn¡¯t hit you, you don¡¯t lose a life! It took experience to have an instinctual understanding of something that seemed so obvious. She continued playing. What is the most fundamental and beautiful type of play-through? she asked herself. She knew the answer. ¡°A one-coin victory!!¡± She fired. Noah responded by deflecting the white cannon¡¯s attacks with gravity barriers. And that was not all. When Noah swung her arms, spheres of light appeared. The bluish-white spheres of lightning were three meters wide, she continually threw them to either side, and they quickly surrounded the green battlefield. There were sixty-three in all. Noah then held her right hand forward. ¡°Begin targeting!¡± Shinjou realized red reticles had appeared on the grass at her feet. An attack was coming. The sixty-three lightning spheres were going to fire on her. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± Shinjou did not hesitate. She fired and did so while rotating Ex-St behind herself. She destroyed the closest lightning sphere behind her, creating a hole in the lightning formation. ¡­That gives me a safe zone!! She aimed Ex-St toward the approaching bundles of lightning while jumping through the gap behind her. She took a back step. Her sights were already turned toward the bundles of lightning targeting her. Moving behind the lightning spheres restricted the enemy¡¯s angle of fire. The closest one and the next eight on either side could no longer fire on her. The enemy could use a total of forty-six lightning cannons. Shinjou fought back. And as she fired, the bluish-white light shattered. The light sprayed up into the sky. She could only hear her own breathing as she rapidly tapped the A button. Then Noah began to move. To throw off Shinjou¡¯s aim, she had the sixty-two lightning spheres circle around her like a folkdance. But even as they rotated, Shinjou followed them. An acceleration charm burst. ¡°Speed up!¡± She ran to the side while looking up and letting the flowers of gunfire blossom. She did not let any of the approaching light escape. If she missed any of that lightning, she would be destroyed. And she had a single way of destroying it. ¡­Rapid fire! Rapid fire was her only option now. The tapping sound of the A button had stabilized. The button had passed an endurance test of more than one hundred thousand presses, so it was not going to be destroyed as it swept aside such a puny number of attacks. So with more-than-wholehearted focus, Shinjou entered a realm void of hesitation and cessation and she produced the song of continuous fire. This was a world of battle. It was the last level of the many worlds. ¡°¡­!¡± Higher. She would lift herself higher. She would lift herself to the top of this world¡¯s high score list. ¡°Right!¡± Shinjou held Ex-St at the ready as she spun around. She destroyed more and more as she fired through each and every lightning sphere from one end to the other. Her shots pierced through every last one and they exploded. She ran through that chain of explosive light and toward Noah. Noah looked up in surprise. ¡°!?¡± The chain of lightning struck her. It crashed into her and sent her flying. The wings on her back shattered, she bent backwards, and she trembled. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± But Noah continued fighting. She forcibly swept aside the lightning with her gravitational control, let it surround her, and¡­ ¡°This is not over yet!! Over!¡± She produced a shimmering of heat directly above herself. It was a size bigger than the balls of lightning and a vertical line of them appeared on either side. ¡°Altogether, the Leviathan¡¯s spare energy reaches 256! ¡­Here I go!!¡± She swung both arms toward Shinjou. At the same time, the shimmering spheres audibly vanished. It sounded like splitting stone and something more came from Noah¡¯s hands. ¡°This is the same as the convergence of the Leviathan¡¯s main cannon!¡± The distorting power wrapped in lightning was fired toward Shinjou. ¡°Over!!¡± The twelve meter wide attack was equal to the dragon cannon blast that had annihilated Japanese UCAT. Shinjou was faced with that great power, but¡­ ¡°¡­!!¡± She raised Ex-St again, dug her feet into the ground, and¡­ ¡°Bomber!!¡± A great white light almost seemed to explode from the barrel. ¡°Goooo!!¡± The straight white light intercepted the distorting power. She had built up plenty of energy during the earlier rapid fire. And¡­ ¡°Wanambi!¡± She saw Wanambi wrap around Ex-St. The energy released from the cooled cannon surpassed the word ¡°momentum¡± as it simply fired its white light. But¡­ ¡°Do you think a human can stand up to a dragon, Shinjou Sadagiri!? Over.¡± Sure enough, the trembling white light was pushed back by the distorting power. The ammunition belts of distortion above Noah¡¯s shoulders were rapidly consumed. And that pushed back on Shinjou¡¯s white light all the more. A reaction sphere appeared where the light collided and split. The white light and the black distortion mixed together and formed a massive spherical field of energy. That field grew to five meters in an instant and continued to grow toward Shinjou. And it did not end there. Pure-white forms arrived from either side of the field. One was a mechanical dragon and the other was a god of war. They were Seraph No. 0 and Lords No. 0. Shinjou gasped when she saw them to the left and right. ¡°What!? No fair making this a mid-boss rush!!¡± ¡°But they are a part of me. Seraph No. 0 and Lords No. 0 are both my power,¡± said Noah. ¡°Over.¡± The mechanical dragon and god of war aimed their main cannon or sword toward Shinjou. Wanambi could transform heat into himself, but he was busy cooling Ex-St. If Wanambi moved away, Noah would immediately push in on Shinjou. But the situation changed. The pure-white god of war and mechanical dragon were blown away. ¡°!?¡± The pure-white mechanical dragon was hit by a red, white, and blue mechanical dragon colliding with its side. The pure-white god of war was hit by a white god of war falling from the heavens. Who were they? Mikoku shouted their names as she fought Sayama. ¡°Alex¡­and Tatsumi!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The answer came from the figure standing on Typhon¡¯s shoulder while Lords No. 0 righted itself in midair. It was Tatsumi. She lightly clenched her trembling hands and her face was pale, but she still faced her enemy. ¡°No interference, okay?¡± Shinjou nodded. While continuing to fire white light from Ex-St and while trembling, Shinjou shouted toward Noah. ¡°I am your only opponent!¡± ¡°Then let us end this. Over.¡± Noah rearranged the distorting ammunition belts reaching up toward the heavens. She arranged them into four stacks. ¡°Double the power. Over.¡± With the distorting cannon doubled, Shinjou was pushed back by the reverse flow reaching her through Ex-St. The reaction sphere, the energy, the pressure, and everything else were pushing her way. ¡°¡­!¡± Sayama and Mikoku carried out a rapid swordfight within the light. This was their third clash. Neither of them was sure if they should call the score one-to-one. The first time, Mikoku had tried for a draw, but Shino had gotten in the way. The second time, Sayama had won the battle, but Mikoku had kept the war going. Then what would happen this third time? Mikoku no longer saw a draw as an option. She would either win or lose. And she threw her sword forward to receive that answer. Distorting power was racing through the air. A white cannon blast joined it. Noah and Shinjou were fighting. No, everyone was fighting. The entire world was trying to stop what she wanted. ¡­Do they not want this? Mikoku wondered about that. To bring the entire world back to life was to renew the world. The world would briefly disappear. ¡°Do you not want that? But what about it do you not like?¡± She threw her sword forward and felt Tokyo¡¯s illumination below. ¡°Do you not like the idea of losing everything the world has inherited? Or do you not like that the world will disappear and you too will disappear?¡± If it was the latter¡­ ¡°You are only worried about yourself.¡± The words she sent out with her sword strikes were answered with a voice and another sword. ¡°Then¡­I have one thing to ask you.¡± Sayama raised his eyebrows as he threw his water blade toward her. ¡°You claim you never want to feel sad again. So aren¡¯t you too only worried about yourself?¡± ¡°What other option is there!?¡± She launched her sword. Her skill with the blade was greater. ¡°I think with emotion and you think with reason! You reach for your reason even as you ache, but that pain is the proof of your inconsistency!¡± She chained her slashes together, crouched down as she moved forward, and viewed the surrounding situation. Noah and Shinjou were fighting, but¡­ ¡°Look! Shinjou is obviously being pushed back! Yes, Noah has no emotions. She truly is my opposite! But Shinjou is different. She is as inconsistent and contradictory as you.¡± She deflected Sayama¡¯s water sword upwards. She stepped forward and stayed low. ¡°Contradictions makes anything possible!? No! It only leaves everything incomplete!!¡± Her sword ripped at Sayama¡¯s body. But that attack only tore a shallow gouge from his stomach to his chest. His quick evasion came from his martial arts background. Mikoku had not stepped in close enough because she had been facing him in the realm of sword fighting. And as they showed off their strong points and weak points, the reaction sphere created from Noah and Shinjou¡¯s power whipped up the wind and created lightning overhead. The flashes of white light illuminated them again and again as Mikoku pursued Sayama. She continued forward as he back stepped away. ¡°If you asked me whether emotion or reason is more powerful, I would tell you either one can be! It comes down to which one has been mastered more thoroughly!!¡± And¡­ ¡°I am merely transforming this inconsistent world into one where our emotions can rest easy! What is wrong with that!?¡± ¡°Then let me say this!¡± Sayama swung his blade, but it was not even worth blocking since his hips were not behind it. However, he did stop her attack with it. ¡°I will make you cry!¡± ¡°So what!?¡± Sayama responded to her questioning attack by swinging his body. He deflected her strike with a compact movement of the water blade. ¡°Let me tell you an old story! Once, a boy lost his parents and became hopelessly full of himself! The lecherous old man the boy was left with would always say the same thing whenever the boy did something: ¡®I will make you cry¡¯!¡± ¡°What does that-¡­?¡± ¡°Do you still not understand!?¡± shouted Sayama. ¡°Emotions can be dealt with so long as you cry!!¡± ¡°Is that your idea of reason!?¡± Mikoku ran and slammed her blade against his. Their foreheads collided as they tried to push each other back and Sayama gave another shout. ¡°You are trying to run away before you have finished crying! You are trying to run away from this very world!¡± ¡°But Shino died!!¡± roared Mikoku as she stared Sayama in the eye. ¡°Whether I try to run away or stay, Shino is still just as dead! She died!¡± Mikoku used all of her strength to knock Sayama away. She then crouched down and raised her sword on the left. She prepared it like a baseball bat, but she leaned and ran forward as if to run into him herself. She was using everything at her disposal to beat him down by force. ¡°Answer me if you can! This world is an inconsistent contradiction of both emotion and reason, but what does that accomplish!? All it brought was death! Isn¡¯t that right!? And you¡­¡± She knew she had to say this. ¡°You lost your parents, so you should already understand this!!¡± For an instant, all movement vanished from Sayama¡¯s body. He was aching. That is your flaw, thought Mikoku as she saw him stop save for a faint tremor. He attempted to hold two incompatible things within himself and he was tormented by the harsh reaction. He could not endure it, no matter how strong a front he put up. So she sent out her sword. She first knocked Sayama¡¯s wooden sword up from below. The blow hit. With a solid sound, the wooden sword flew through the air, Sayama¡¯s arms were shot upwards, and his body bent backwards. Mikoku pulled back her weapon as if drawing in her body. Her body had twisted from the left to the upper right, so she pulled it back to the lower left. She would drop her blade across Sayama¡¯s arching body. Mikoku spoke as she saw Noah and Shinjou¡¯s battle continuing in Noah¡¯s favor. ¡°Farewell!¡± ¡°Sayama-kun!?¡± Shinjou was briefly distracted by Sayama and Mikoku¡¯s battle. ¡°Do you have time to look away? Over.¡± Pushed by Noah¡¯s words and the pressure of the reaction sphere, Shinjou¡¯s feet slid back over the grass. She was worried about this battle and about Sayama. But¡­ ¡­It¡¯ll be okay! She shouted the words to help convince herself. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay!!¡± Facing forward meant facing her enemy. She spoke while holding her ground so she would not be blown away. ¡°Um!¡± She watched the four ammunition belts being consumed above Noah¡¯s shoulders. ¡°If you think that¡¯s enough to win, then this will be easy!!¡± Shinjou opened Ex-St¡¯s console. Information on Ex-St¡¯s current state appeared in front of the transparent floating image that functioned as a sight. It was badly overheated, but that was not what she was interested in. ¡°Bomber stock.¡± She displayed the number of charged shots she had stored. A maximum of seventeen could be stored at one time. ¡°I currently have sixteen plus the one I¡¯m firing right now.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Noah frowned slightly, but Shinjou did not care. ¡°How much fighting do you think I did on the way here? You two were just watching, but we ran, endured, and cried out so many times. So¡­so¡­¡± She gave a shout. ¡°I, Shinjou Sadagiri, will now fire all of my bomber shots!!¡± Such luxury, she thought. I can¡¯t believe I have the luxury of making an attack like this. In a quick succession of shots, she would use up everything she had built up. ¡­You don¡¯t get to fire sixteen in a row very often. So she prepared her finger and breathed in. ¡°I only have one chance at this!!¡± She began. She stepped forward as if pushing on the reaction sphere that was already ten meters across. ¡°Here goes!!¡± She activated some acceleration charms and leaped forward. Her attacks were energy. The greater the distance, the more they would be weakened, so she knew the most effective method. ¡°A point-blank rapid fire barrage!!¡± She used her leap to push in on and shake the reaction sphere and to fly toward Noah. She began her rapid-fire barrage at the same time. Mikoku and Sayama¡¯s battle was also approaching its conclusion. Mikoku and Sayama. Noah and Shinjou. The two pairs synchronized their movements. Mikoku realized Shinjou had flown up overhead. Her target was Noah, not Mikoku. But if Shinjou was moving so much¡­ ¡°Noah!?¡± She received no response. No, something even more important than an answer occurred before her eyes. Sayama moved in response to her sword. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± He suddenly swung his body as if tearing it away from her. ¡­He escaped the pain and moved!? This had all happened in an instant. It was too soon for him to recover. Mikoku had watched his mock battle with 2nd-Gear where Sayama had recovered from this pain from the past, but it had taken time, it had left him shaking, and it had been far from perfect. But this had been much faster and he was not trembling in the slightest. He jumped up, fell back, and dodged her dropping blade. ¡°You have got to be kidding me!!¡± Shinjou saw Sayama use his own will to shatter the pain from the past. Unlike during the battle with 2nd-Gear, he knew the meaning of the past. He knew his feelings would never reach the past and he knew the many things that would never return. That was the source of his pain and it had grown even deeper than before, but at the same time¡­ ¡­You understand it now, don¡¯t you? ¡°After learning so much, you understand what our parents were thinking,¡± shouted Shinjou as she fired. ¡°It might make you sad, but you¡¯re glad you understand what exactly it was we lost, aren¡¯t you!?¡± Sayama eloquently replied with his movements. As Shinjou fired, he gave a shout and moved forward. ¡°Precisely, Shinjou-kun!!¡± Mikoku took a defensive stance as Sayama approached. He brought his right knee forward and spread his arms back like wings as he charged in toward her. ¡°Toda Mikoku! The new world you desire only exists in the past!¡± ¡°I will regain what was lost! Of course it exists there!¡± ¡°Then are you going to give up on yourself!?¡± She heard his voice as he raced forward. ¡°What was it you inherited from the others? Wasn¡¯t it a life in this world!?¡± She held her sword low and shouted her true thoughts back at him. ¡°Are you trying to say this world is a richer one than the eleven that were lost!?¡± ¡°Of course!! After all, this world was made by those of us who have inherited everything that came before, so it must have more than the eleven worlds that led the way!¡± Sayama quickly filled the gap between them. ¡°To inherit something is not just to gain the past. It also gives you the right to continue on ahead! The present exists as a contradictory combination of the future and the past, Toda Mikoku! Thus, we are attempting to move forward, but you are not even inheriting the past. You are giving up on the present to become the past!!¡± ¡°But that is what our emotions want!¡± Mikoku threw herself forward as she shouted back at him and she swung a quick sword strike from below. ¡°If desiring that contradiction leads to pain, then it is safer to immerse yourself in the unchanging past!¡± ¡°Then let me say this!¡± Sayama leaned forward as he approached. ¡°Earlier, you mocked my simultaneous suppression and desire for this pain as inconsistent, didn¡¯t you!? But let me say this: emotion and reason can coexist! After all¡­¡± Sayama¡¯s left leg suddenly kicked her rising blade aside. ¡°Wha-!?¡± The action was only possible given his great speed. And when he kicked his right leg forward, Mikoku knew it would hit her. She had no time to dodge it, but she did hear his voice. ¡°I ask you!¡± His kick landed. Mikoku bent backward and was knocked from her feet, but her sword did not leave her right hand. Her body was shaking from the impact. Her consciousness had almost left her and she could not breathe. But the philosopher¡¯s stone in her chest told her that she could continue to fight. She had a certain power. That high-speed regeneration instantly adjusted her body. Pain filled her. It felt like her entire body was being squeezed. But that was precisely what she had inherited. ¡­This is my power! As long as she had this, she could continue to fight. ¡­Yes. ¡°I cannot lose!¡± That was when Sayama attacked again and spoke the same words as before. ¡°I ask you!!¡± On a count of 1 2 3, he attacked from the left. ¡°It is both emotion and reason.¡± He reversed his body to make a right smash. ¡°Yet it is neither.¡± He was fast. ¡°It produces both resignation and hope.¡± A sequence of heavy blows reached her. ¡°It can never end, yet it can be ended.¡± Her body floated upwards, but an instantaneous adjustment allowed her to hear his voice. ¡°It is a human virtue, yet it can also be called a mistake.¡± An attack from the right rang through her body. ¡°It is contradictory, yet it is also perfectly logical.¡± She bent backwards. ¡°It is everything and yet it is the one thing at the base of both emotion and reason.¡± He spun his body to build speed for a right hook while also preparing his left fist down low. ¡°Do you know what it is!?¡± Mikoku instantly realized the answer, but she was not going to answer with words. The answer would be shown by this battle¡¯s outcome. ¡°If what you speak of truly exists, then prove it through the outcome here!!¡± As if answering her cry, her body ached and adjusted itself. She straightened her backwards-leaning body and swung the sword in her right hand. ¡°Not even your Georgius could break my power, remember!? In that case¡­¡± She launched her attack toward Sayama who raised his left fist in front of her. ¡°My emotions are an unbreakable power!!¡± She did it. It was an excellent sword strike. The strike seemed to follow the sword¡¯s own wishes. She felt like it was flying forward on its own and she was merely placing her hand alongside it. If this did not slice through him, something was clearly wrong. But then she saw it. She saw the beginning of an answer overhead. Shinjou moved through the air. She had heard Sayama¡¯s question while she shot her rapid fire blasts toward Noah. She knew the answer to his question. So she proved her answer. In a single second, that bearer of the rapid fire blasts would settle this battle. That was known as an instant kill. ¡°!!¡± Pushed by the rapid fire, the reaction sphere crashed into Noah. Noah endured it with a gravity barrier, but it suddenly surpassed her limits and slammed her onto the grass. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± An explosion rose into the sky and the Leviathan shook. ¡°Sayama-kun!¡± Shinjou took action to solidify her proof of Sayama¡¯s answer. She gave the answer to his question. What Mikoku saw happened in an instant. Before she could swing down her blade, a silver light flew forward from behind her. It looked like a coin. ¡­A chip? A hand caught it in front of her. It was Sayama¡¯s. His left hand was raised to attack and his right hand caught the chip. He then swapped out the chip for the one in his positive Georgius. ¡°The negative one!?¡± Both Georgiuses had finished warming up due to the repeated strikes of Mukiti¡¯s wooden sword and Shinjou¡¯s cannon blasts. By swapping out the chips, he had filled Georgius with the conflicting power. ¡°The positive in the negative and the negative in the positive. This is Georgius¡¯s true form!!¡± As soon as he completed his shout, Georgius emitted a powerful light. It was a black and white light. ¡°!?¡± The two powers flew with tremendous speed. And they slipped below her sword. ¡°I will give you the answer! What is it that is made up of emotion and reason, that produces all things, and that allows even contradictions? It is something everyone has.¡± Sayama and Shinjou¡¯s voices rang out in unison to give the answer. ¡°It is the power of one¡¯s will!!¡± It reached her. ¡°Remember this! Both emotion and reason are but a single part of a thinking mind!¡± The counterattack exploded in Mikoku¡¯s chest. Mikoku had been hit by one half of Georgius. Because it was incomplete, it brought forth a certain result. On the skin below Mikoku¡¯s shredded collar, the contradictory fist shattered her philosopher¡¯s stone. Instead of just splitting, it shattered into a spray. She bent back from the impact, and¡­ ¡°Ah¡­¡± The shattered stone loosened its form and, in a desperate attempt to survive, fused with another color hanging from Mikoku¡¯s neck. It fused with the blue philosopher¡¯s stone Shino had left behind. The blue light combined, formed a ball, and became one. Afterwards, Mikoku was unable to stop the impact that had struck her body. ¡°¡­!!¡± She was slammed into the ground. Shinjou saw the conclusion. She breathed a sigh of relief while pressing the chipless Georgius to her chest. In front of her, Sayama was gasping for breath and grabbing Mikoku¡¯s arm. ¡°Come. You have inherited more of the past than anyone else. ¡­If you can see nothing but the past, then we will help you to not give up on yourself and to create a new world here.¡± Shinjou listened to what Sayama told his other self. ¡°After inheriting so much of the past, I am sure you will find somewhere where you can get serious.¡± Shinjou smiled bitterly when he mentioned getting serious. So she ran over to him and elbowed him in the side. ¡°You have to search for that too, don¡¯t you?¡± He smiled bitterly. ¡°I saw some of the answer during this battle. ¡­I saw a hint in the idea of creating a new world here.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Shinjou looked surprised, but Sayama raised a finger in front of his nose to ask her to keep it a secret. She frantically nodded and he whispered in her ear. ¡°It is a lot of fun to think about what kind of world I would find fun. I do not know what that would be, but I get the feeling it will be both difficult and fun to create.¡± Shinjou felt a look of joy fill her face, so she helped Sayama get Mikoku back to her feet. ¡°If you do decide to do something, will you invite me first of all?¡± ¡°Of course. I will need you to write about it.¡± She nodded and looked around. The entire area was silent. According to the bell tower¡¯s clock, it was 10:29 and that reminded Shinjou of something. ¡°We won.¡± She picked up Mukiti¡¯s wooden sword from the ground, but¡­ ¡°No. We have not truly won yet, Shinjou-kun.¡± Sayama suddenly spoke to her. She turned toward his low but sharp voice and realized he was not looking her way. He was looking one thing in particular. A doll, Noah, was standing on the grass. She was injured and broken. Her hands were clasped in front of her waist and her head was somewhat lowered. She showed no intention to attack. But Sayama spoke. ¡°Noah-kun, this is not over yet, is it?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± As soon as Shinjou expressed her surprise, Noah lowered her head a little and spoke. ¡°Testament.¡± That word was a confirmation, but Shinjou did not understand what she meant. ¡­W-wait a second! ¡°What do you mean it isn¡¯t over yet!? Isn¡¯t the battle over!? We completed the seal!¡± The creation of the positive concepts inside the Leviathan would have been stopped. What more could they fight over? It happened a moment later. ¡°!?¡± Shinjou felt a pulse. It was not her own. The pulse shook this space itself. This pulsating tremor of the very world shook the heavens and earth equally. She looked up in surprise and found Noah looking her way. ¡°Do you understand? The Leviathan still holds the activating negative concepts. Over.¡± Noah closed her eyes and spoke expressionlessly. ¡°Find a solution! If you do not¡­!¡± The pulse sounded especially loudly. ¡°This world will fall to the negative side just as Top-Gear did! Over.¡± With those words, Shinjou and Sayama were blasted into empty space. She knew why. Noah had forced them away to safety as the Leviathan evolved to yet another combat form. By the time she caught on, it was too late. She was already in the sky. As it grew more distant overhead, the Leviathan began to spread out its curled up body. Pieces of armor measuring several hundred meters were stretching out and remaking the great dragon¡¯s body. ¡­I can¡¯t believe this. Just as Sayama had said, there was more to that great dragon. ¡­What¡¯s going to happen!? She heard Noah¡¯s weak voice. ¡°The Leviathan will now imprison the uncontrollable negative concepts¡­¡± Shinjou never heard the automaton say ¡°over¡±. That meant Noah had lost control of the Leviathan. The positive concepts had been meant to oppose the negative concepts, so stopping their creation had allowed the negative concepts to rapidly eat into Noah¡¯s interior. ¡°It¡¯s lost control!?¡± Shinjou saw the color white rising through the sky. It was wings. The angels fighting in the sky and on the surface had been summoned back to their home. The color white returned to heaven while paying them no heed. They would receive physical adjustments from the Leviathan, master of the negative concepts. Shinjou had a thought as she and Sayama fell toward the others below: The world has decided what it intends to do. ¡°But the world itself will still be judged.¡± Shinjou breathed in and shouted toward the white light gathering in the heavens. ¡°We¡¯re about to judge whether this world can remain or not!¡± It was 10:30 PM. Once the negative concepts inside the Leviathan realized that the positive concepts binding them would not grow any further, they rapidly began multiplying like living creatures. They took control of their host, the Leviathan, and they used the Leviathan¡¯s thought circuits to gain crude thoughts of their own. This created a will. Its duty as the negative was to desire the annihilation of anything positive. A contradiction allowance concept was restraining it, but once its activation surpassed that, the world would pass its critical point and be annihilated. And the Leviathan knew two things: it was trapped in a small space and there were those who would oppose it. It also lacked the power it need for a complete activation. So the Leviathan gave its children new orders and gathered them inside. That heavenly host was immersed in negative concepts. To fight back, UCAT prioritized maintaining the seal while also settling on a certain plan. This plan would allow them to fully strike back against these ten powerful negative concepts. ¡°Operation Leviathan Release.¡± That was the plan¡¯s name. Volume 14, 25: Twist of the World Volume 14, Chapter 25: Twist of the World The world seen from the hilltop The world seen from the city The world seen from the depths of the night I want to take care of them all The Leviathan stopped moving in the sky above Shinjuku Station. The sounds of changing and evolving armor occasionally descended from those cloudy heavens, but the Leviathan was otherwise entirely still. A pair of eyes looked up at it from the center of the earth seal barrier in front of the station. ¡°It is showing no sign of moving anytime soon. It only needs to wait for the negative concepts inside to fully activate, so it must see no reason to waste its forces.¡± Sayama stood in the center of that earth circle that had opened a meter from the ground. Several other figures surrounded him in the clearing before the station¡¯s east entrance. Some were people, some were not, some were machines, and some were dragons. The nearest of them all, Shinjou, asked him a question. ¡°What are we going to do, Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°Well.¡± He nodded. ¡°The standard course of action before the final battle is for the boy and girl to sneak off and do indecent things. And all on the pretext of ¡®this might be our last chance¡¯. Of course, I think the best possible way to transfer responsibility for such inappropriate acts would be-¡­ What is it, Shinjou-kun? Why are you activating Wanambi with a smile? Are you cold? Oh, we cannot have that! We must warm each other up this very moment!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t transfer responsibility to the cold!! Besides, we already did that clich¨¦!¡± While Shinjou pulled on Sayama¡¯s tie and shook him, Heo blushed a little and turned toward Harakawa. ¡°H-Harakawa, u-um, don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but it¡¯s true this might be our last chance¡­¡± Harakawa expressionlessly placed a hand on her head. ¡°Do you want to eat some pudding?¡± ¡°Wh-why are you treating me like a child!?¡± ¡°You were giving that pudding a pretty longing look back in the supermarket.¡± ¡°I-I w-was n-n-n-not!¡± ¡°It was the one with a cow wearing a jersey on the package. Was it called Jersey Milk Cream & Pudding?¡± Heo hung her head in defeat. ¡°If we make it back alive, I want that pun pudding as a reward.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you want. But eat it all yourself. It¡¯ll probably make you grow. Widthwise.¡± ¡°Wh-why can¡¯t you just be honest for once!?¡± she shouted with her fists clenched. ¡°Just the night before last, you dragged me outside without any clothes on, but you only watched without doing anything! I-it was just too much and I really thought I was going to fall! And then while we got down to business and I was gasping for breath, saying I couldn¡¯t keep going, you told me I could, told me to ¡®get set¡¯, and then kept riding me. I didn¡¯t think I could get any higher than that!¡± She placed her hands on her cheeks and waved her head left and right. ¡°Harakawa! You¡¯re the one that¡¯s always going inside me and saying things like ¡®is it here?¡¯ or ¡®that should do it¡¯!¡± ¡°At least explain what you¡¯re talking about first!!¡± Harakawa saw the others glaring at him and Odor being held back by Roger and Diana. ¡°Calm down, Heo Thunderson. Talking about the happy things too much will raise a death flag for you.¡± ¡°Wh-what¡¯s wrong with just talking?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t reality. It¡¯s a space filled with insanity. There¡¯s a decent possibility of those flags actually working.¡± As soon as he said that, the crowd split to let two people through. One was a boy and the other was a girl clinging to his neck from behind. ¡°I¡¯ve got great news, everyone! Sibyl-san still had a copy of Mikage-san¡¯s medical exam results and it looks like she really has become human.¡± ¡°Nn. Ryuuji-kun, we were too busy yesterday, but let¡¯s take a bath together when we get back.¡± ¡°Of course! Oh, I can¡¯t wait.¡± Heo paled at their conversation. ¡°He¡¯s raising all sorts of dangerous flags, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Calm down, Heo. He¡¯s always like that, so he¡¯s built up an immunity to flags. Your standard flag won¡¯t be enough to kill him.¡± ¡°Wh-what kind of ominous things are you two talking about!?¡± They all took their turn ignoring Hiba. On the opposite end from him, Kazami and Izumo walked up. They held their weapons and a 4th-Gear creature to remove their exhaustion. ¡°Oh, things sure are lively over here. How are your preparations going?¡± ¡°And do you have anything to eat? I¡¯m kind of starving over here.¡± ¡°Starving?¡± asked one creature. ¡°Going to die?¡± ¡°Yeah, it sure feels like it after running so much. I could use some water too.¡± The two of them found a rest table and started chowing down on the food laid out there. The others had been too nervous to touch the food, but those two had no such reservations. ¡°The rest of you should eat too. Even if we lose, would you rather lose with your stomach full or while you¡¯re starving? The same goes for winning. And our odds of victory seem better if we¡¯ve eaten, don¡¯t they?¡± The others exchanged a glance and slowly started eating too. Kazami and Izumo¡¯s pace was still faster, though. As Shinjou watched them from behind, she tugged on Sayama¡¯s sleeve. ¡°They really are carnivorous beasts, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°You say something, Shinjou?¡± ¡°N-no, nothing.¡± Shinjou and everyone else averted their gaze. Wanambi and the Messengers even moved away as they controlled some nearby machines. ¡°Carnivorous¡± ¡°Strange¡± ¡°Empty-headed¡± ¡°Dilemma¡± But Kazami and Izumo were not the only ones being avoided. No one approached the figures in black armored uniforms protected by a mechanical dragon and god of war. A simple bed had been prepared in the center and the members of the Army had wrapped a girl in a blanket and placed her there. Mikoku slept at the center of that ring of people. She almost seemed a prisoner of her body¡¯s weariness. Hajji nodded toward her and then faced forward, where Tatsumi stood. Looking somewhat pale, Tatsumi placed her trembling hands in her coat pockets. When she turned around, she found the UCAT members and Sayama. ¡°We will help you fight. And we have one thing to ask.¡± ¡°If it is about Mikoku-kun, then we will honor what I announced before the battle,¡± replied Sayama. ¡°I believe that letting her live will provide a memorial service for all of the lost worlds. She attempted to revive all that was destroyed and yet she failed. We must let this be a world in which she wants to keep living and to create something. If we punished her and did not allow that, we would be the ones in the wrong.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­going too easy on her?¡± Sayama shrugged at Tatsumi¡¯s question. ¡°It is not. After all, her life will not be an easy one.¡± For only a brief moment, his eyes turned to the girl in the blanket. ¡°The world knows nothing of the Concept War or of today. And in that world, she will always remember the lives she herself took. Also¡­¡± He looked across the others. ¡°She will live in constant fear that someone with a grudge will attack her and that might very well happen. But if she can gain allies and manage to smile and act on her own even a little, then I would call that a victory for us all.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Tatsumi nodded and then Sayama asked her something. ¡°What happened to the mechanical dragon and god of war that tried to attack us during the battle on top of the Leviathan?¡± ¡°They quickly lost control and fell,¡± said Alex. ¡°That was most likely due to Noah losing control of the Leviathan.¡± ¡°To be honest, it really saved us,¡± said Tatsumi. ¡°The No. 0 of the Seraph and Lords models are on the same level as Alex or Typhon. But¡­¡± She looked up into the sky. The Leviathan was there and a white ring had formed around it. ¡°If the Leviathan desires the greatest possible combat power, all of the gods of war and mechanical dragons stored inside will be installed with Noah¡¯s knowledge. All of the gods of war and mechanical dragons will probably be on Typhon or Alex¡¯s level next time. Wouldn¡¯t it be best to start fighting right away?¡± She then looked down to Georgius on Sayama¡¯s hands. ¡°Besides, one half of Georgius there destroyed Mikoku¡¯s philosopher¡¯s stone, right? Maybe a strike from both hands would be enough to destroy the Leviathan¡¯s negative concepts.¡± ¡°You want to me attack something that big with my fists?¡± Everyone turned toward him when they heard that. He raised both Georgiuses with a bitter smile and Shinjou asked him a question with her eyebrows lowered. ¡°C-can you not do it? Is it too big?¡± ¡°Georgius is a striking weapon, Shinjou-kun. Normally, it would simply be impossible.¡± ¡°Th-then¡­¡± began Shinjou. ¡°But there is one method that is not exactly normal.¡± Shinjou listened to Sayama¡¯s serious words. ¡°Yes, are you listening, Shinjou-kun? There is one method.¡± Everyone waited in silence for him to continue. But Shinjou¡¯s loud voice shattered that silence. ¡°W-wait!¡± She was blushing and she covered her chest and crotch. ¡°N-no asking for something in exchange for telling me!¡± Dumbfounded, Sayama turned toward her. He seemed to be asking what she was talking about. ¡­Eh? A few seconds later, he slowly nodded. ¡°That is a great idea!!¡± ¡°Waaah!! Why did I say that!?¡± ¡°C-calm down, Shinjou-kun. Um, okay. Sorry, everyone, but Shinjou-kun and I will be leaving for a bit. Yes, yes. You can kill some eating the food over there.¡± ¡°W-wah! W-wait! Don¡¯t pick me up! Don¡¯t!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. You do not want me to hold you? Then how about a backwards piggy back ride? Oh, dear. Now I cannot see.¡± Ex-St was nearby, so Shinjou grabbed it and slammed it down on his head. ¡­You idiot! She expected a groan of pain or surprise after the dull impact, but¡­ ¡°Heh.¡± An awkward sound escaped his throat and he collapsed to the side. Shinjou caught her breath next to him. ¡°Honestly, you really need to think about the overall situation before doing things like that.¡± She then watched for five seconds as Sayama remained entirely motionless. ¡°Oh, no! Wh-what have I done!?¡± The others gave their comments while she frantically tried to shake him awake. ¡°Harakawa, is it just me or does Shinjou need to think about the overall situation too?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because the Sayama virus has infected the morality part of her brain. There¡¯s no saving her now.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t scare me like that!! I need to wake Sayama-kun up!¡± ¡°Then wake him.¡± That comment came from Kazami who turned around with a spoon in her mouth. She started ripping apart a large shrimp at the table and she pointed toward Sayama with her chin. Shinjou looked over and realized Sayama had lifted his head a bit while still lying on the ground. ¡°Sayama-kun, what is that pose supposed to be?¡± ¡°You cannot tell? I wish to lie in your lap, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± She nodded. ¡°W-well, it¡¯s a little embarrassing, so no turning around, okay?¡± She stuck Ex-St under his head. Sayama immediately started stroking his hands across Ex-St¡¯s surface. ¡°Heh heh. Shinjou-kun, you must have been running too much. Your legs are a little hard today.¡± ¡°N-not too much touching okay? That¡¯s pretty sensitive.¡± ¡°There is no way I could resist, Shinjou-kun. Ohh, such wonderful curves. And here¡­hm? I-I found some kind of lewd hole!¡± ¡°Ah, d-don¡¯t touch that hole! I-it¡¯s going to come out! The hot blast is going to come out!¡± ¡°Then is this small protrusion your love button, Shinjou-kun!?¡± Everyone ducked. ¡°Let us see that reaction!¡± As soon as Sayama pressed the button, Ex-St fired and everyone along the line of fire fled. The recoil launched Ex-St backwards and it crashed into Izumo as he ate some sushi. Kazami calmly moved her plate of gratin out of the way while Izumo was sent flipping over the table. He soon popped back up with a plate on his head. ¡°Y-you idiot! M-my precious tuna is flying through the sky!¡± Shinjou averted her gaze and Sayama spun around on the ground like a break dancer after his pillow launched itself out from under him. Everyone gave him a worried look and Shinjou waited for the perfect timing. ¡­This really is no time to be doing this. Her casual kick hit his head, causing him to roll forward, but he sat up afterwards. He swayed unsteadily while sitting crosslegged on the ground, so Shinjou sighed and sat down too. ¡°Anyway, Sayama-kun, can we get back on topic?¡± ¡°Are you going to ignore everything you did to me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. ¡­Or do you want me to do it more?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. That is the same thing you said last night, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°Waaaahh!!¡± For some reason, the others gave her kind looks, but she waved her hands at them. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him! Don¡¯t listen! He¡¯s a crazy person!¡± ¡°Um¡­Shinjou-san?¡± She turned toward Hiba, thanking him for the interruption. ¡°Wh-what is it!? I hope it¡¯s something fun.¡± ¡°Well, maybe it¡¯s just me, but I think you¡¯re actively making all of this more complicated than it has to be.¡± She thought about that for a moment and finally hung her head. ¡°I just got a lecture from Ryuuji-kun of all people¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s the depressing part!?¡± Sayama nodded next to her, steadied himself, and looked across the others. ¡°Calm down, everyone. You people really do not make it easy to hold a conversation in peace.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from you!!¡± He ignored their shouts and raised his left hand. ¡°Sibyl-kun.¡± ¡°Coming!¡± For some reason, it was Ooki who pushed through the crowd. Shinjou frowned and saw Sayama look at the woman. ¡°Ha ha ha. That is quite the new look, Sibyl-kun. ¡­Why are you here, defective teacher?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just mean! S-Sibyl-san gave me her report.¡± Ooki sighed and looked down at said report. ¡°O-okay¡­ With the Le-Levi-Leviathan? Overhead, the surrounding a-aut-automa-¡­¡± ¡°Someone help this illiterate.¡± ¡°Testament.¡± #8 peered at the report from the side. ¡°With the Leviathan overhead, the surrounding automatons have arranged their conceptual defenses in a ring. As things are, even approaching the Leviathan would be impossible.¡± ¡°Wow, #8-san, you¡¯re a really good reader.¡± Ooki sounded utterly impressed and #8 gave a shallow nod. ¡°This is one of a maid¡¯s jobs.¡± ¡°Wow, maids sure are amazing.¡± Everyone looked down toward the ground until a new voice asked a question. It was Boldman, leader of the standard division unit, and he looked back down at his gun as he did. ¡°What are we going to do?¡± ¡°Are you worried, Boldman-kun? Worry too much and your hair will fall-¡­ Oh, I-I suppose nothing will ever grow on that barren land again. My apologies. ¡­It is cold this time of year, so be careful.¡± After Sayama¡¯s comment, Shinjou smiled and lightly tapped him on the shoulder. ¡°You keep getting off topic!¡± ¡°Now that you mention it¡­¡± She hung her head again, but he breathed in and spoke without warning. ¡°There is a way to stop the negative concepts and a way to get my fists to the Leviathan.¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Shinjou quickly looked up and saw his eyes raised in a smile. He then revealed how they could win. ¡°We will release the concepts.¡± It was 11:23 PM. With thirty-seven minutes until the negative concepts fully activated, the Leviathan noticed movement down below. The Leviathan determined this was a futile attempt. It was protected by a giant defense field made by the angels and the surrounding sealing walls would be broken in another thirty-seven minutes. The negative concepts would devour everything and the world would be remade as a world with nothing that could be lost. That was a wonderful thing. The Leviathan had something that was not quite a mind and it was filled with two missions. The first was to create a new world and the second was not to lose anything. It would fulfill those missions. It would fulfill them in the most perfect form. With that in mind, the Leviathan decided to let the remaining time pass by. But then something arrived. It was a cannon blast. A white line shot straight up from the circular seal directly below. The light pierced the sky without losing much ¨C if any ¨C energy and it sprayed against the bottom of the defense field. It could not breach the field, but a few of the automatons maintaining the field were fried. And as if to double check that effect¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Another blast arrived. Except this one was not alone. Dozens if not hundreds came with it. They were all deflected, but they produced a great noise and shook the wind. And it did not stop. It was a trivial number of the whole, but fried automatons fell from the sky. I see, thought the Leviathan. Such an unpleasant noise. There was just one sound the Leviathan liked. It knew that fact, but it did not remember what that sound was. Some small vestiges of the sound remained inside it and all other sounds were designated ¡°unpleasant¡±. And so the Leviathan let its power spill forth. The dolls, giants, and dragons contained inside it had been modified in a very short period of time. The remnants of the incomplete positive concepts had been shifted to the negative side by the negative concepts and that power had been linked to this new army. It was a negative army. That army was black. The pitch black force passed through the white halo and dropped down, down, down. But the Leviathan also saw something flying upwards and weaving back and forth to avoid the falling black army. It was a mist that rose even higher than the Leviathan. That mist flying alongside the seal in the heavens contained a boy with a flight philosopher¡¯s stone hanging from his neck. He stood high in the sky with a great dragon of mist protecting him. The Leviathan wondered what he could hope to accomplish. The Leviathan also had another question. Wasn¡¯t the seal in the sky Wanambi¡¯s and the one below Mukiti¡¯s? That was when more light appeared. The powerful light came from directly below and the surrounding eight directions. ¡°Begin releasing the Concept Cores!!¡± A voice reverberated from the sky above. ¡°We will now break down the negative concepts by releasing the positive concepts!!¡± Sayama looked down below with Baku on his head. A giant dragon lived in the sky above Tokyo. It was the Leviathan. It was surrounded and protected by a great halo and light surrounded it in eight directions. Those eight lights came from the release of the Concept Cores. But their positions had changed. ¡°Reverse positions!!¡± They were all positioned 180 degrees from their original position. Region 1: North. Leader is Kazami. Region 2: Northeast. Leader is Brunhild. Region 3: East. Leader is Izumo. Region 4: Southeast. Leader is Abram. Region 5: South. Leader is Hiba. Region 6: Southwest. Leader is Kashima. Region 7: West. Leader is Heo. Region 8: Northwest. Leader is Chao Yu. Region 9: Heaven. Leader is Sayama. Region 10: Earth. Leader is Shinjou. They had a single reason for these reversed positions. ¡°The dragons will return to their origins! Therefore, if we release the concepts and make the declaration¡­¡± Sayama swung his arm and willed his voice to reach them all. ¡°The dragons will race to their origins and destroy the negative concepts contained within the Leviathan at the center! That will release both the positive and negative concepts!!¡± he shouted. ¡°Our estimates say it will take ten minutes to fully deploy the Concept Cores! Bear with it until then, everyone!! This will be¡­¡± His voice rang through the heavens. ¡°This will be the Leviathan Road¡¯s final battle!!¡± Volume 14, 26: The Pace Ahead Volume 14, Chapter 26: The Pace Ahead Bless your load Bless your song Bless your blessing The battle to defend their positions for ten minutes began directly below the Leviathan. A black force flew down toward a forest of anti-air fire coming from Shinjou and the other gunners. The angels with the vacant minds of dolls did not fear the cannon fire. Even if they were hit or destroyed, the concept release would be stopped as long as they managed to crush those below. So on the Leviathan¡¯s instructions, the black army cascaded downward. But something happened once they arrived above Shinjuku Station. ¡°!?¡± At only fifty meters above the earth seal, they collided with a wall. It was an invisible wall. ¡°UCAT automatons! Use your full power!!¡± On #8¡¯s command, a circle of maids raised their arms in front of the station. They were all heavily equipped with philosopher¡¯s stone fuel tanks and radiator fins on their shoulders and backs. They almost seemed to have several wings. ¡°Blow them away!!¡± ordered #8. Heat shimmered behind them all, but they crouched down and¡­ ¡°Testament!!¡± A gravity lens created a defense barrier above them and they swung it like a tennis racket to perform a smash. The sound of attack rang out. With a bursting sound from the basin below, the black cascade scattered explosions and fragments through the sky. The automatons were already preparing to form a second lens defense, but¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± A new explosion shook the sky above. Something was firing down on them. The enemy attack tore through hundreds of their own on the way down. The new black army cleared a path by splitting their own forces with gun and cannon fire. They were fast and the gravity lens would not be up in time, but¡­ ¡°Covering fire!!¡± This cannon fire came from every direction. The high-speed gunners on the vanguard of all eight armies had fired. To #8 and the others, it looked like light was binding together the sky above. The attacks from eight directions wore down the front of the descending black army, shrinking their numbers and slowing them. Even more fragments were created on the leading edge of that cascade. It was working, but¡­ ¡°Are we still not going to make it!?¡± #8 calculated that they needed about another thirty seconds to open the defense lens. And if the enemy pushed their way in before that¡­ ¡°Protect Shinjou-sama even if nothing else!¡± The others expressed their agreement with her shared thought. ¡°I have determined that is known as loyalty!!¡± At the same time, a new figure appeared at the center of their group. An old man in a lab coat had rushed over while they were focused on the sky. ¡°#-#8-kun! Are we in trouble here!? I-is poor old Kazuo here going to die!?¡± ¡°Testament. I do not mind in the slightest if you are the only one to die.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just mean! And after I brought a secret weapon with me too!¡± Ooshiro pulled ropes from his pockets and let them dangle from his hands. Several silver squares hung from the thin ropes. ¡°These are a new type of localized bomb! With this many, it should be a real sight to see, don¡¯t you think!?¡± ¡°Testament. Referring to your filthiness in a quantified manner such as ¡®this many¡¯ is certainly a revolutionary idea, Ooshiro-sama. So what are you going to do with those?¡± ¡°Oh, well, I was thinking you could throw them into the midst of the enemy with your gravity lens.¡± ¡°I see.¡± #8 nodded. ¡°But if we used the lens for that, we would be left completely defenseless.¡± ¡°O-oh, um¡­¡± Ooshiro was caught off guard by that and #8 tapped his shoulder. ¡°Ooshiro-sama, please turn around for a moment.¡± ¡°Hm? Why? Do I have something on my back?¡± #8 used a permanent marker to write a single word on the back of his lab coat: rocket. She then looked around with an impatient look on her face. ¡°Does anyone have a light!? Anyone at all!?¡± ¡°Nwaaaah!!¡± Ooshiro cried out as some South African UCAT members wearing white triangular masks rushed forward and fired their flamethrowers toward his feet. ¡°Let your youth blast off!!¡± A moment later, Ooshiro Kazuo really did blast off. A giant explosion suddenly appeared in the center of the black army descending below the Leviathan. The giant pink blast covered a vertical area of three kilometers and was shaped like a heart. Thousands of angel automatons, gods of war, and mechanical dragons were swallowed up and vanished despite their attempts to escape. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± The trailing notes of the explosion sounded oddly FM synthesized. But all of the UCAT members reacted to the pink pulse phenomenon lingering in the air. ¡°That¡¯s UCAT Director Ooshiro!¡± ¡°Oh! Is that what you call Kleshas!?¡± ¡°Êljä‘BµÄ±¬°kÒ²!?¡± After a few multilingual comments, they all joined together. ¡°That UCAT director just took all the world¡¯s misdirection with him!!¡± Waves of cheers ran through the armies in all eight directions. But they stopped after the fifth cheer. The flow of black had started toward the eight surrounding directions in addition to directly below. The Leviathan was now sending its main force in every direction. The first minute began of the ten they had to defend. The light of the Concept Core filled the sky of northeastern Region 2, where 1st-Gear defended. It looked like a cloud, like a dragon, and somewhat like¡­ ¡°Fafnir?¡± muttered Brunhild. She stabbed Gram into the ground and raised her own weapon. That weapon was the Requiem Sense. The dragon made of light was also made of writing. The pale, glowing writing were packed in tightly and gently floated through the air as if to say it was 1st-Gear itself. The distant sounds of cannon fire were growing closer. The front line was being pushed back and this area would soon become a battlefield. The Leviathan¡¯s goal was to stop the Concept Cores from being activated. Just as UCAT¡¯s side had stopped the positive concepts from being created, the Leviathan would win if it could stop just one point. Can we really do this? wondered Brunhild. She frowned and gave a tense gasp when she saw the black light of the enemy beyond the road and beyond the trees of the park. Suddenly, something tapped on her leg. She looked down and saw a black cat looking up at her. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re going to die?¡± ¡°You certainly like to reach extreme conclusions.¡± ¡°But¡­what happens if we do die?¡± ¡°Oh? You want to find out?¡± ¡°¡­What is that cold look for?¡± ¡°Well, I was just thinking I could help you on your way if you were interested.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, now. Ha ha ha. You don¡¯t have to do anything like- ahee hee hee hee! Ahhh! It¡¯s coming out!¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± said Brunhild as she stood back up. The cat lying limp on the ground had distracted her, but she was still worried. After all, 1st-Gear had been the lowest Gear during the Concept War and their enemy was the highest of Gears. ¡­Can we do this? But just as she thought that, she saw something. It was a castle. She saw an image of a castle filled with flames. ¡­Eh? People wearing familiar clothing were evacuating the castle. Also, someone stood by the wall of the castle¡¯s main passageway. ¡°Gutrune?¡± This is the past, realized Brunhild as she looked inside the shaking castle. The Requiem Sense was not releasing its souls, so¡­ ¡°Baku!?¡± In the sky above, Sayama felt Baku happily raise his front paws on his head. The creature was showing off the past. Probably in a way that corresponded to the world¡¯s fighting below. ¡°7th-Gear¡¯s concepts are filling this space, too.¡± Baku devoured people¡¯s pasts in the form of dreams. And he had a further effect in this space so filled with concepts. ¡°By overlapping the wills of the past or of older battles, one gains divine protection when taking similar actions.¡± Sayama pulled out his cellphone and made a call. ¡°Sibyl-kun, I would like to order an additional concept text. There is still time, isn¡¯t there? Make it¡­yes, provide divine protection from the actions of your ancestors or predecessors.¡± He smiled thinly down below. ¡°We shall be joined and assisted by the actions of the past sixty years¡­no, and even those before!!¡± Brunhild saw Gutrune shouting something while hiding her body below a coat. Her face was pale, but her voice held the dignity of a princess. ¡°Do not panic! We have a world to go to! That world¡­¡± Brunhild listened. ¡°That world will surely accept us!!¡± Brunhild clenched her teeth at that. She stood in front of Gram and looked across the others. ¡°It¡¯s time to protect that world!!¡± She swung her scythe and raised her voice as the black army finally came into view. ¡°Our princess got us to this world and it¡¯s our duty to make it a place where we can live in peace!¡± So¡­ ¡°It¡¯s time we engraved our words into this world! The fight for our honor lies here!!¡± The second minute began. 2nd-Gear defended the southwestern Region 6 and Kashima had just released Totsuka¡¯s seal. Totsuka revealed its contents as if the string had been untied. That Cowling Sword was made from pieces of metal bearing names, but its role was complete and the rain dragon was revealed from within. The seal¡¯s astronomical model of names expanded in the sky and the great dragon of wind and water ascended from within. But Kashima was more focused on Totsuka than the windy rain dragon. He could hear everyone fighting around him. Tsukuyomi was firing the Heavenly Moon Bow and all of those with names of military gods were on the front line. But a sudden song filled the battlefield. It was an off-tune anime song. ¡°Isssss that cruel girl herrrrrre to crush your shadowwwwwwww!?¡± Kashima had his back turned, but the voice approached regardless and powerfully skipped around him. ¡°She showwwwws no mercy to evilllll! Decapitation! Crucifixion! Throat thrust! She¡¯ll defeat her enemy, their clan, and their retainers and put their heads on spiiiiiikes! Ohhhh, that¡¯s right! That¡¯s right! It¡¯s Maaagical Girrrl Yun~!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter, but what part of that had the slightest thing to do with magic?¡± ¡°You idiot! Could you really not tell!? Getting that ¡®~¡¯ at the end right is really hard!¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t what I asked.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s what you should¡¯ve asked about!! Got it!?¡± Atsuta circled around in front of him and gathered his strength. ¡°~¡± And¡­ ¡°How about that!?¡± ¡°Oh, Natsu-san? Yes, I¡¯m at work right now. Oh, well, something really pathetic just happened. Ha ha ha. Yes, I might be able to come home after a little more work. Yes, see you later. Mmmmwah.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get all lovey-dovey on the battlefield, you idiot!¡± Kashima turned around. ¡°Idiot? Could you really not tell, Atsuta!? Getting that ¡®mwah¡¯ at the end right is really hard!¡± Kashima held up his cellphone and pulled back his hips. ¡°Mwah.¡± ¡°And you call yourself a military god!?¡± ¡°It¡¯s better than being a sword god that sings a cappella magical girl songs! Are you hearing things? Is that sword of yours picking up radio signals!? ¡®Ahh, yes, this is Buddha. Someone please respond.¡¯ ¡± ¡°Like hell that could happen, you idiot! Besides, I¡¯m not hearing things!¡± Atsuta ignored the looks of the others asking him to get back to work. ¡°I¡¯m not just hearing those songs! They come from a secret place deep in my heart!¡± ¡°In other words, you¡¯re picking up your own transmissions. That¡¯s even worse.¡± ¡°You have to find fault with everything, don¡¯t you!?¡± Suddenly, the two of them moved back from each other. A moment later, a pillar of light shot between them with a refreshing sound. It was a moonlight arrow. The one who had fired it, Tsukuyomi, kept the Heavenly Moon Bow aimed at the two men. ¡°Oops, my hand slipped. Sorry about that.¡± ¡°Y-you old hag! Are you picking a fight with me!?¡± ¡°Calm down, Atsuta. And Director Tsukuyomi, please wait until Atsuta moves away from me before firing on him.¡± ¡°Enough of that.¡± Tsukuyomi looked around while drawing her bow. ¡°You can see the past around us.¡± Kashima looked around them as well. He could of course see it. Baku was providing images of the past here in Tokyo. The scene showed the people fleeing on the large runway below Susaou while Yamata was being sealed. In the distance, the giant god of war wrapped its arms around the flame dragon and began absorbing the flames inside itself. The fleeing people swept aside falling embers while they watched the seal in progress. ¡°Are we going to lose our world now?¡± asked someone in the past. Someone else in the past answered. It was a single engineer. ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°This means we managed to protect it all.¡± Kashima listened to the voice as he looked down toward Totsuka in his hands. ¡°Director Tsukuyomi, if we win this battle¡­can I make a sword like this?¡± ¡°Submit a proposal. I¡¯ll use that to decide.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Atsuta turned his back on Kashima. ¡°Do whatever you want, idiot. I¡¯m on the way to the front line. I wouldn¡¯t want to get you caught in the crossfire.¡± He looked up just as black gods of war and mechanical dragons began to appear in the sky above. The enemy¡¯s main force was here. They all gasped and clenched their teeth, but Atsuta raised his eyebrows in a slight smile. ¡°This looks like fun. I get to go on a dragon hunt!!¡± He shook his body and raised his white sword. ¡°I can use it as many times as I want this time, so it¡¯s time for slicing and dicing!¡± The third minute began. 3rd-Gear defended the southern Region 5 and they began their fight with the enemy¡¯s main force. 3rd-Gear had brought quite a few gods of war with them, so the southern region became a storm of shellfire and supersonic charges. Susamikado stood at the very back, expanding the Concept Core from Keravnos, while the front line contained eight gods of war remotely piloted by Moira 2nd as well as the gods of war controlled by Gyes and Sibyl. The in between area contained Miyako who stood with her arms crossed and Violet who was skilled at combat. ¡°Leave the ground battle against the angels to¡­u-um¡­us! Let¡¯s all do our very best!¡± Violet and the automatons under her command were joined by others. ¡°Fire both cannons!!¡± Two groups created two rows of nine. The Moirai formed gravity lens acceleration cannons to accurately fire on the flying forms. Instead of plates, they used super-hard ceramic shells handmade by the maids. Thirty of them would work together to compress the warhead portion and the lacquer covering the entire shell gave it a refined look. Moira 1st and Moira 3rd fired at the same time. Wind and a great roar rose into the sky, but Miyako clicked her tongue in the center of it all. Gods of war were growing visible between the distant buildings. Moira 2nd, Gyes, and Sibyl were doing their best and the cannons were being fired nonstop, but the enemy was too numerous and those numbers were only growing. ¡­Are we in trouble here? According to the reports, the other groups had their hands full dealing with their own enemy reinforcements. This was only the third minute, so they still had seven more minutes to go. Miyako clenched her teeth and ground them. But then¡­ ¡°Sister!!¡± Moira 2nd cried out from the remote piloting device behind them. She had seen something making its way down the road up ahead. They were Lords gods of war. Those two-winged models were the most powerful among the Leviathan¡¯s forces. There were five of them and they were using their speed to break in. ¡°!¡± Moira 1st and 3rd fired their acceleration cannons. In that instant, the five enemies formed a row to charge the front lines. Moira 3rd¡¯s shell missed and 1st¡¯s tore through the first of the enemies. But the second enemy behind it used its sword to slice through the destroyed god of war. The remaining four charged in without slowing down. A moment later, green gods of war charged in from either side, swords at the ready. These two were controlled by Moira 2nd. But the second black god of war moved forward and swung its two swords to either side. They collided. The two black swords hit the green ones, but it took a sword as well. All three were sliced in two at the same moment. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± The third black one sliced through the second one from behind. The remaining three continued forward. Their speed had not dropped. If anything, it had risen. In an instant, the colors red and silver appeared before Miyako¡¯s eyes. It was Gyes and Sibyl. Their gods of war moved in front to intercept the enemy. The three black machines moved apart in response. One moved right, one moved left, and one stayed in the center. Gyes¡¯s god of war moved left, Sibyl¡¯s moved right, and the center black one passed between them and raised its blade toward Miyako. It was coming, but someone responded. ¡°Ohhhhh!!¡± It was Gyes. Even as her god of war collided with the enemy on the left, she jumped toward the central enemy. Her left arm was instantly severed by the god of war¡¯s blade. It sounded like tearing fibers. She was hit by an impact too, but Gyes continued with her duty. One-handed, she drew ten swords from below her suit and controlled them all via gravity. ¡°You stand in the presence of our princess!!¡± She thrust all ten swords into the neck of the god of war as it swung down its sword. She could not cut the neck frame, but the various control conduits were all severed at once. ¡°¡­!¡± After losing control, the god of war fell to its knees. And it fell over. Gyes also fell onto her side. She had used up her charged gravitational control, so she needed a moment to recover. Realizing that, Miyako ran over to her. But at that moment, she noticed another black god of war in the sky behind the collapsing one. ¡°Did it come from above!?¡± This enemy was targeting Miyako, their commander. It spread its wings and charged in, using the collapsing god of war as a shield. The Moirai could not fire their cannons and the gods of war would not make it in time. But at that moment¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± Miyako saw something. As the black god of war raised its sword and charged in, a light blue god of war appeared behind it. That sky-colored god of war looked somehow like Typhon. However, Miyako clearly saw a transparent woman standing on its chest. Is that¡­? she wondered before Moira 1st gave a cry. ¡°Lady Artemis!?¡± The blue god of war moved. It grabbed the wrist of the black god of war¡¯s raised arm. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± Artemis swung her arm and the blue god of war pulled out the black arm. With a sound of breaking, the black god of war finally noticed this enemy. But it was too late. The blue god of war grabbed the black sword and looked at it just as Artemis did. ¡°¡­¡± It threw it aside. She had not taken a liking to it. Instead, it drew a sword from its own shoulder and the sharp blade emitted the color of moonlight. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The crescent moon sliced apart the nearly pitch black god of war. Miyako was safe, but¡­ ¡°Why?¡± she muttered. Her shoulders had fallen, but someone placed their hand on them. The hand belonged to a young man. ¡°Sorry about the wait, Miyako.¡± The owner of the voice stepped up alongside her in white clothing and faced forward. His yellow eyes looked to the woman standing on the light blue god of war. He looked to the blue eyed woman. ¡°Thank you.¡± Hearing those words, the woman vanished with a smile. ¡°Now,¡± he said while extending a hand with a smile of his own. ¡°What is the matter, Miyako?¡± ¡°Why?¡± she asked with her voice crumbling. ¡°Why!?¡± His smile deepened. ¡°Who was it that remade that god of war and placed Typhon¡¯s pilot tank inside to stabilize it? And who was it that bothered to bring it here? Also¡­¡± He looked to the sky. Light spread through that cloudy sky. It was the light of the Concept Core being released. ¡°This happened because the Tartaros Concept Core is being released. Everyone was urging me on. They were asking what kind of king lies around when his queen is working so very hard. ¡­Yet I am the sun, so shouldn¡¯t I be able to sleep at night?¡± He laughed and held his hand even further out toward her. ¡°Let us go, Miyako.¡± ¡°I-I¡­¡± She looked to the light blue god of war. ¡°I only know how to drive a motorcycle.¡± ¡°That is wonderful. I do not know how to drive a motorcycle.¡± ¡°U-um, and this will mean three people are piloting the thing!¡± ¡°We are all family, aren¡¯t we?¡± He looked straight at her before continuing. ¡°Do not cry, Miyako.¡± He nodded. ¡°Let us go together to bring an end to those tears.¡± The fourth minute began. 5th-Gear defended the western skies of Region 7 and those skies became an intense battlefield for all that flew. American UCAT¡¯s concept space combat F-15ARs achieved thrust from a ¡°falling¡± concept and achieved high mobility by using their normal accelerators for secondary thrust and turning. The nozzles could turn their vectors to the side and had been enlarged, but they used their ailerons and other equipment to drift through the air with a pilot inside. Those fighters were protected by blue mechanical dragons equipped with additional accelerators. Those Blanca models were air superiority defense craft with normal cruising frames. Those blue fighters and blue dragons tore at the black dragons. ¡°Don¡¯t rush this!¡± shouted a transmission. ¡°Use groups of two to attack a single enemy! If you think you aren¡¯t going to make it, break away!¡± They all looked down where a blue and white mechanical dragon was crouched down hiding in the roundabout in front of a Chuo Line station. White light was escaping from below the dragon. Thunder Fellow was releasing the Vesper Cannon¡¯s power. Someone spoke over their communicator. ¡°Protect her.¡± They sounded like their teeth were clenched. ¡°It¡¯s our turn to protect her.¡± ¡°Were you there back then?¡± Finally, another voice spoke. ¡°So was I. I saw her flying through the sky. ¡°She was so fast. I couldn¡¯t turn around in time.¡± ¡°Before that, I never thought I¡¯d see something faster than you getting rejected.¡± The men laughed, but some of them could be heard getting shot down. The flames of main cannons flew and the UCAT anti-air bullets were sometimes deflected even with a direct hit. The enemy had the greater numbers. The blue wind was being pushed back by the foul black wind. ¡°Bear with it!¡± ¡°That light down there is our flag! How can we call ourselves a free nation if we can¡¯t even protect that!?¡± A voice reached them all. Even as they fought, their inspiring national anthem mixed in with the blowing wind. It began with the first verse, moved on to the second verse, and eventually they were all singing together. ¡°On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep.¡± Most of them tried for headshots fired from head-on. ¡°Where the foe¡¯s haughty host in dread silence reposes.¡± The flowers of explosions reached some of them as well. ¡°What is that which the breeze, o¡¯er the towering steep.¡± But those remaining turned around. ¡°As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses?¡± They pursued the enemy from behind. ¡°Now it catches the gleam of the morning¡¯s first beam.¡± They chased them. ¡°In full glory reflected now shines on the stream.¡± They fired on them. ¡°Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it wave.¡± They attacked them. ¡°O¡¯er the land of the free and the home of the brave!¡± The sky seemed to shatter as the battle continued. They never stopped fighting, but their enemy approached in great numbers. ¡°Don¡¯t give up!!¡± After all¡­ ¡°No one ever gave up in our land of the free!!¡± A sound and a voice answered that cry. The sound was a metallic one. A power struck the sky and tore into the black dragons filling it. ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s exactly right! We never give up! Do you understand? No one in our nation will give them ¡®up¡¯ ¨C that is, the sky!!¡± The owner of the voice stood on the station building near the blue and white mechanical dragon. Everyone looked to that person. ¡°Colonel Odor!¡± ¡°No need! No need to call out to me! After all, I am a colonel and I am here! Whether you call out and confirm my presence or not, I will still be here. So fight!¡± Odor raised his right arm and snapped his fingers. ¡°We will¡­! We will never give up this free sky! We decided to protect it long ago!!¡± Countless figures responded by standing up from the station rooftop. They were witches wearing black and white armored uniforms. They all had broom-shaped flight devices next to them. A witch with gray hair stood in the lead and she looked to the two men next to her. ¡°Okay, honey, Roger. We¡¯re about to go give them a nice beating.¡± ¡°Good, good.¡± Odor nodded twice and Roger pushed up his glasses. ¡°Diana, I see you intend to take the best role for yourself as usual.¡± ¡°My student is watching from down there, so I have to show off a little.¡± Diana breathed in with her broom next to her. ¡°German UCAT aerial spell unit! Prepare for takeoff!¡± ¡°Testament!!¡± As soon as they placed the brush of their brooms on the floor, a circle of light appeared below the brush. More and more appeared from the front of the broom and into the sky, drawing out the course they would be taking. ¡°Get ready!!¡± Diana sat sidesaddle on the vertical handle of the broom. ¡°!!¡± The witch army whipped up the wind as they took flight. With a roaring noise, they scattered paper into the sky. Those papers flew about as glowing bullets or lines of power. And not one of them gave up, feared, or fled. But Roger suddenly frowned as he looked up into that high altitude battlefield. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± It was the past. An event from another sky long ago was being replayed in this night sky. The mechanical dragon pilots and witches all saw it as they flew through the sky. A giant white mechanical dragon was flying with many smaller dragons around it. The largest one was White Creation, the bearer of 5th-Gear¡¯s Concept Core, and the others were an army including Xolotl 3. They all knew that those dragons had abandoned 5th-Gear and come to Low-Gear in order to pursue Black Sun. In the past, White Creation spoke to them all. ¡°We must stop this enemy who could be seen as another version of myself.¡± A black gate was visible in that vast sky. Black Sun had created the giant gate to escape into Low-Gear. White Creation accelerated toward it. ¡°We must stop him to protect the world of men. After all¡­¡± White Creation continued. ¡°He too was created to protect!¡± The fifth minute began. 6th-Gear defended the eastern skies of Region 3 as an intense battle reached them. A unit made of the naturalized 6th-Gear residents in UCAT¡¯s standard and special divisions was charged with defense here. They were a large force, but they could only fight on the surface and some of them were fairly inexperienced. They had been attacked by the mechanical dragons that they were least suited to handle. Those giant hunks of metal could fly through the sky and mow down anything on the surface. Not only that, but they had angels with them. The metal mowed them down while the wings exterminated them. ¡°Don¡¯t falter! We have gods of war!¡± The gods of war developed by Japanese UCAT attacked with their cannons and swords, but they lacked the ground forces needed to assist them. Once the people were blown away, the gods of war had no support and had to fall back lest they be isolated. ¡°Dammit!¡± Boldman looked to the sealing barrier behind them. Izumo was handling the Concept Core release ceremony in a supermarket parking lot. V-Sw sat next to the boy with light escaping into the sky. ¡°Man, it¡¯s cold. That light isn¡¯t warming me up much.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m cool,¡± replied the weapon. Boldman considered running over and knocking the boy to the ground, but unfortunately, the method to release the Concept Core had to fit both the weapon and its user. ¡°I never imagined our world¡¯s concepts would be so easygoing.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that just how things are in the world of the gods?¡± That comment came from some men with dark skin. They were either born of the same Gear or at least had some 6th-Gear blood. They were all injured, but they had smiles on their faces. ¡°Commander, did you know that 6th-Gear is split between a region of destruction, a region of rebirth, and a region of stillness?¡± ¡°They tried to dam up the rivers flowing between the regions ¨C especially the river of destruction ¨C to increase our Gear¡¯s power.¡± Boldman had heard this story from his mother. ¡°They created Concept Dragon Vritra to dam up that river of destruction. And to maintain a balance on the rebirth side, they created Vajra, a sword made with the same amount of concepts. But the politicians with the power to control Vajra and Vritra tried to use them to control reincarnation and a coup d¡¯etat broke out.¡± ¡°The people decided to get rid of Vajra since it had only caused conflict. The young man who had borrowed it and contained Vritra was meant to be given all of the calamity,¡± said one. ¡°And that young man was Izumo¡¯s grandfather. He was given our misfortune. But our ancestors came to this world and ended up getting homesick.¡± Boldman nodded, smiled bitterly, and lifted the equipment in his hand. ¡°And we took back our misfortune, didn¡¯t we? ¡­Resupply complete! Swap out with the vanguard!¡± The men stood up along with him and nodded. Boldman looked across them and sighed. ¡°Raise your hand if you ever thought you might as well die.¡± They all raised their hand, so Boldman gave a deep, quiet nod. ¡°I understand the feeling,¡± he began. ¡°But never think that again. Let¡¯s go.¡± He began to run. After a short break to resupply and reconfirm their past, they moved up ahead, ahead to the battlefield. They made their way to the black mechanical dragons and angels. When they did, a wind blew alongside them. It took human form and wore a black vest over a white armored uniform. ¡°British UCAT!?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± replied a middle-aged man with slicked back hair and a sword on his back. Similarly equipped people lined up alongside him and so did a group in white maid uniforms. ¡°We are British UCAT¡¯s concept combat unit and support automatons. Our automatons aren¡¯t on the level of German UCAT, but we are more than competent when it comes to combat and tea.¡± ¡°Why would Britain be helping us?¡± ¡°Learn some history, gentlemen.¡± With those words, the men and automatons drew their swords and faced forward. ¡°Men, trust in your lion¡¯s heart and spirit¡¯s will as you aim to dance with the darkness!¡± He breathed in. ¡°The fog is thin tonight! A lovely darkness awaits us!!¡± He then matched his speed to Boldman¡¯s. ¡°Now, gentlemen, I would like you to teach us one thing. Our great nation may know how to slay monsters, but we are a tad lacking when it comes to legends of dragon slaying.¡± He held his blade over his shoulder as he ran. ¡°Please tell us how to defeat these dragons. Do that, and I will teach you some history and how to make some excellent tea.¡± The sixth minute began. Chinese UCAT representative Chao Yu acted as 7th-Gear¡¯s leader as he worked with American UCAT¡¯s tank unit to attack the enemy. The four balls were already rising into the sky. They had been released, but they required stabilizing. ¡­And I will not let anyone interfere! But the enemy¡¯s numbers were absurd. Even Chao Yu was left short of breath dealing with them all. A few of the American UCAT tanks had already stopped moving and now functioned as barrier walls. But the enemy was still coming, so they had to continue fighting. ¡°Don¡¯t falter!¡± Chao used an acceleration charm to jump and threw aside several flying angels as he did so. ¡°We are the world at the moment!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Those in green armored uniforms ran alongside each other. They took a sideways stance as they approached the enemy gods of war and mechanical dragons and then they rotated their arms. ¡°Fnn!¡± Their powerful stomp stopped the mechanical dragons and gods of war in their tracks. The next group charged in, flipped forcefully through the air, and collided with the enemy feet-first. ¡­Let them shake! The masses of metal were blown away and the functioning tanks fired on them. The enemy was broken and knocked away. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± But more enemies arrived. The men who had charged in were exterminated before they could retreat, but¡­ ¡°Even so, do not falter!!¡± Chao let out the white breath of his shouting voice. ¡°A nation of one billion stands behind us! And the entire world stands behind that!!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!!¡± They caught their breath, formed rows, and took their sideways stances. They opened their mouths to perfectly synchronize their breathing. They sang their national anthem: the March of the Volunteers. ¡°Q¨«l¨¢i! B¨²yu¨¤n zu¨° n¨²l¨¬ de r¨¦nmen!¡± (Arise, we who refuse to be slaves!) They stared down their enemy with the intense light in their eyes. ¡°B¨£ w¨¯men de xu¨¨r¨°u, zh¨´ch¨¦ng w¨¯men x¨©n de Ch¨¢ngch¨¦ng!¡± (With our very flesh and blood let us build our new Great Wall!) They took the first step forward. ¡°Zh¨­nghu¨¢ m¨ªnz¨² d¨¤o li¨£o zu¨¬ w¨¥ixi¨£n de sh¨ªh¨°u.¡± (The peoples of China are at their most critical time.) They used small stomps to lightly fill their bodies with strength. ¡°M¨§i ge r¨¦n b¨¨ip¨° zhe f¨¡ch¨± zu¨¬h¨°u de h¨¯ush¨¥ng.¡± (Everybody must roar defiance.) They used that strength to take an even stronger step forward. ¡°Q¨«l¨¢i! Q¨«l¨¢i! Q¨«l¨¢i!¡± (Arise! Arise! Arise!) They stomped right before the enemy¡¯s eyes. ¡°W¨¯men w¨¤nzh¨°ng y¨¬x¨©n, M¨¤ozhe d¨ªr¨¦n de p¨¤ohu¨¯, qi¨¢nj¨¬n!¡± (Millions of people become one, Braving the enemy''s gunfire, March on!) They pushed their fists forward. ¡°M¨¤ozhe d¨ªr¨¦n de p¨¤ohu¨¯, qi¨¢nj¨¬n! Qi¨¢nj¨¬n! Qi¨¢nj¨¬n!¡± (Braving the enemy''s gunfire, March on! March on! March on!) Those fists landed. ¡°J¨¬n!¡± (On!) The enemy was blown away. And as their vision grew clear, a color reached them. Whiteness was falling from the sky. ¡°It¡¯s snow.¡± The roar of battle and the changes to the air had brought it. Snow was falling on Tokyo. Snowflakes blossomed and fell through the darkness. When Chao saw the scattering white, he let out a breath. ¡­This is going to give me a chill. But, he thought as he moved forward and loosened his suit¡¯s collar. ¡°It feels nice after warming up so much. And it makes a good story for when I get back home!¡± The seventh minute began. Abram defended the southeast for 9th-Gear and he watched the dragon of flames and shadows expanding in the sky. That was the concept dragon of the Gear made from light and darkness. Not even the snow was enough to slow it down as it curved its long body. It grew ever larger like Yamata, as if to show itself off to the Leviathan above. Abram was currently fighting alongside Japanese UCAT¡¯s special division. From the beginning, he had not been using B-Sp. He was using a spear reinforced by a piercing concept. The front line was pushing the enemy back. That was mostly because the enemy forces had been worn down by 3rd to the south and 5th to the west. Not many of the enemy forces were being sent this way. ¡°We can do this! Keep attacking and moving on to the next piece of cover! If you aren¡¯t on the front line, provide covering fire!¡± Just as their front line tried to push forward, Abram heard a sudden sound in the sky. A roar filled the snowy sky. It came from deep in the Leviathan¡¯s throat far above. ¡°Is this¡­?¡± The Leviathan was assisting its troops. However, it was not firing or striking. ¡°Is it a concept!? From the excess positive ones?¡± Abram and the others could not hear the emitted concept text, but the angels, mechanical dragons, and gods of war could. No one knew what it was, but its effects became immediately clear. Movement filled the wreckage and remains scattered around. The destroyed but still movable ones suddenly began to get up. It was an application of 10th-Gear¡¯s healing concept. Almost all of the destroyed enemy forces stood back up while healing themselves. It was almost like those messengers of heaven were immortal. The recovery filled every region with confusion. Any of the pure-white or black dolls, gods of war, and mechanical dragons that had not been completely destroyed were restarted and began healing their armor and motors. This included about seventy percent of the previously defeated enemies. The enemy was supplied with immediate reinforcements. They were not dead. Unless their head was completely destroyed, they could continue to think and to move. Those who still lived as dolls recovered in an instant. Countless black forms stood up in the snow. In 3rd-Gear¡¯s region, the black gods of war abandoned behind Miyako¡¯s group stood up. In 5th-Gear¡¯s region, the broken and crashed mechanical dragons flew heroically back into the sky. Most of the battlefields were caught in the middle and the front line was annihilated. The front lines had pushed in on the black attacks, so the reactivated black machines appeared between the front line and the rear guard. They all clenched their teeth at being surrounded like this. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the enemy was planning this!¡± The Leviathan gave no answer. The great white mechanical dragon simply floated calmly in the sky. Then a new turn of events began. UCAT had advanced while wearing down the enemy¡¯s numbers, but now the heavenly host recovered those worn down numbers and surrounded UCAT. Most of the recovered enemy charged in from behind UCAT. The UCAT forces were split apart and their numbers dropped rapidly. They had three minutes left, but the color black began to fill the battlefield. The black momentum permeated the entire battlefield instead of just the center. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± They did not stop. The momentum of destruction continued devouring the people with no sign of stopping. ¡°Fall back!!¡± Abram shouted across the chaotic battlefield. He also told himself not to panic. The rear guard remained behind them to protect the stability of the Concept Core. That was their foundation. ¡­I¡¯m worried about the center, but we have to get back there! So¡­ ¡°Focus on falling back to the rear guard!¡± But black gods of war appeared behind him. They were the pure-white ones that had been crushed when Sayama had run through. They now stood back up after evolving into black bodies. Everyone who saw them said the same thing. ¡°Is it hopeless?¡± Would the enemy continue to get back up no matter what they did or how badly they crushed them? But a sudden voice rang out. ¡°It is not hopeless.¡± Abram turned around to find that aged voice had come from a maid standing in front of the gods of war. The tall doll wearing a maid uniform kept its back turned as it spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll help you out since this has gotten pretty bad.¡± The voice belonged to the old manager. At the same time, black armored uniforms appeared around Abram. They stopped their high-speed movement and they were all just as old and dark-skinned as him. However, their eyes were sharp and they kneeled in the snow. ¡°We are the former 9th-Gear members of the former Army,¡± one said. ¡°Our king, give us your command.¡± Abram let out a white breath and listened to the distant sounds of battle. ¡°I am no king.¡± ¡°But you saved my life during my very first battle.¡± ¡°Still, I am no king,¡± insisted Abram. He ignored the kneeling men, moved forward, and passed by the maid doll. ¡°Don¡¯t throw your life away. If you try to move forward to do that, then I¡¯ll take that life from behind. It would be a shame to let the enemy have it.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Abram heard a voice behind him. ¡°Those familiar words have filled my body more than the chill of the snow!¡± He heard them all stand up. Abram then ran toward the enemy before him and he heard running feet following behind him. The gods of war also began to move, but Abram raised his weapon regardless. ¡°Focus on regrouping with the rear guard!¡± he said. ¡°Once we arrive there, the situation will be no different from the beginning of this battle! And since we have already defeated them once, assume that we have the advantage!!¡± The eighth minute began. Kazami held the north for 10th-Gear and she looked up into the snowy night sky. The northern region was primarily defended by students and French UCAT¡¯s god of war unit. The students made up for their weaker attack power with numbers and the excellent defenses of the god of war unit allowed them to swiftly carry out Abram¡¯s orders. How to retreat had been lesson #1 when the students had been trained. Also, Kazami fought amongst them once they returned to the rear guard. They fought on a road. It was the northern portion of Circular Route 7. The black army awaited down that road. The enemy had straightened out their formation while the UCAT forces retreated and caught their breath. They had two minutes left. Holing up in one spot seemed like the best option for enduring for such a small amount of time, but the enemy came at them from the sky. And if they did not wear down the enemy¡¯s numbers, another Leviathan-controlled army would rush their way. Kazami looked to the back of the god of war unit and then looked up. A giant dragon of light filled the snowy sky. Some traces of the Concept Core must have remained in G-Sp2 because words appeared on its console. ¡°Are you having fun?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Unexpectedly, the dragon asked another question. ¡°Is this goodbye?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re going to be absorbed by this world, so we¡¯ll always be together.¡± ¡°Will it be fun?¡± ¡°It will,¡± she replied. ¡°Everything will still be fun.¡± ¡°Good,¡± said G-Sp2. ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± It said more. ¡°You are okay now.¡± Kazami gasped when she saw that. Two years before, when she had first met G-Sp in Okutama, she had escaped the battle, lost the enemy pursuers, and taken a break. She had been very worried then and that was when G-Sp had first contacted her. ¡°Are you okay?¡± They had been together ever since. And now G-Sp2 had said the reverse of that. She was okay now. And yet the world might change in two minutes¡¯ time. Still¡­ ¡°Yes, I am okay now,¡± she said. ¡°And it¡¯s all thanks to you. Thank you.¡± The dragon curved in the sky. ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± That was all. No more new words appeared. Light floated in the sky. It seemed to be dancing, it seemed troubled, and yet it seemed happy. Kazami smiled a little and opened G-Sp2¡¯s Cowling. She pulled out the metal cylinder that had contained the Concept Core, but there was no weight or light inside it anymore. ¡­It¡¯s been freed into the sky. The light was watching over them from beyond the falling snow. She muttered her thanks once more and inserted the cylinder containing a photonic attack concept that was attached to the back of her waist. Was it sentimentality that made her attach the empty cylinder to her waist? When she faced forward again, the gods of war asked a question. ¡°Commander, give us our orders.¡± ¡°Okay then,¡± replied Kazami. She began to walk forward. She passed by the legs of the gods of war, spread her wings, raised her spear, and placed that spear of light in the heavens. ¡°Everyone,¡± she shouted. ¡°Charge!!¡± ¡°Testament!!¡± With countless yells, the gods of war did just that. The black group responded to the explosion of wind by charging in from the opposite side. Amid the movement, Kazami heard a song. The pilots of the charging gods of war were singing. It was France¡¯s national anthem. ¡°Sing, our god of war pilots!¡± They roared, charged, and produced sounds of breaking metal. ¡°Marianne has guided us here!!¡± They sang. ¡°Allons, enfants de la Patrie, Le jour de gloire est arrive. (Arise, children of the Fatherland, the day of glory has arrived.) ¡°Contre nous, de la tyrannie, L''¨¦tendard sanglant est lev¨¦. (Against us, tyranny''s bloody banner is raised.) ¡°L''¨¦tendard sanglant est lev¨¦. (Bloody banner is raised.) ¡°Entendez-vous dans les campagnes, Mugir ces f¨¦roces soldats? (Do you hear, in the countryside, the roar of those ferocious soldiers?) ¡°Ils viennent jusque dans nos bras, ¨¦gorger nos fils, nos compagnes! (They''re coming right into our arms to cut the throats of our sons, our women!) ¡°Aux armes, citoyens, Formez vos bataillons. (To arms, citizens, form your battalions.) ¡°Marchons, marchons, Qu''un sang impur Abreuve nos sillons! (Let''s march, let''s march! Let an impure blood water our furrows!)¡± The students responded to the song by following the silver giants. Kazami watched as everyone ran by on either side of her. Suddenly, someone stopped alongside her. It was a fellow third year wearing glasses. The girl held a long sword and had a bandage on her smiling cheek. ¡°How have you been lately?¡± Kazami was briefly confused, but then she smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯ve been having lots of fun.¡± ¡°Good,¡± said the girl. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it.¡± Kazami nodded, too. But those students were not the only ones who appeared from behind. White forms slowly lined up alongside her. Jord and the rest of them were wearing white clothing. ¡°We are the combat gods of 10th-Gear. We decided to show up since the weak people were asking for help.¡± The elderly man in the lead gave a feigned look of shock in Kazami¡¯s direction. ¡°But I certainly didn¡¯t expect to find a Valkyrie in the lead. When did we become the heroic dead?¡± They all laughed at that. ¡°We had heard from Jord that a strange girl with wings was wielding our Concept Core. In that case, you truly are the Valkyrie that called us here.¡± The men and women, both young and old, shouted in agreement behind him. Some of them were actual Valkyries, but they were all looking her way. ¡°Guide us to the battlefield. As those who have lost our home, we should be able to help in this battle of Ragnarok.¡± ¡°Yes, we will no longer fight for the world of the gods! We will fight proudly on this Valkyrie¡¯s guidance!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Kazami smiled, raised her glowing spear toward the sky, and spread her wings. She heard them cheer as she took flight. She raised her wings and flew above them all. And she sang. La Marseillaise was a song born during the French Revolution and it was a song of the people. It was not a song of the weak being saved from the rulers; it was a song of the weak standing up on their own. She knew all that from her father and so she sang. The rear guard used their acoustic weapons to provide a brass accompaniment. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The gods of war joined in as they spread metallic sounds around. ¡°Amour sacr¨¦ de la Patrie, Conduis, soutiens nos bras vengeurs. (Sacred love of the Fatherland, lead, support our avenging arms.) ¡°Libert¨¦, Libert¨¦ ch¨¦rie, Combats avec tes d¨¦fenseurs. (Liberty, cherished Liberty, fight with thy defenders.) ¡°Combats avec tes d¨¦fenseurs. (Fight with thy defenders.) ¡°Sous nos drapeaux que la victoire Accoure ¨¤ tes males accents. (Under our flags, shall victory hurry to thy manly accents.) ¡°Que tes ennemis expirants Voient ton triomphe et notre gloire! (That thy expiring enemies see thy triumph and our glory!) ¡°Aux armes, citoyens, Formez vos bataillons. (To arms, citizens, form your battalions.) ¡°Marchons, marchons, Qu''un sang impur Abreuve nos sillons! (Let''s march, let''s march! Let an impure blood water our furrows!)¡± Kazami used her voice to circle above the enemy army, swing down her spear, and give a shout. ¡°Shinjou! Sayama! ¡­It¡¯s your turn now!!¡± The ninth minute began. Directly below the Leviathan, the eastern entrance of Shinjuku Station had once more become a scene of intense fighting. The great pressure of the enemy had pushed the defense gravity lens down to only thirty meters above the ground. And the surrounding enemies were resurrected without end. But no one on that battlefield had given up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry!!¡± Shinjou yelled as she fired from the middle of them all. She spun Ex-St around to the back of her hips like a baton and its shots tore through the gods of war trying to slip under the defense lens. Also¡­ ¡°There!¡± The muzzle hopped up behind her and she fired to silence a group of automatons approaching from behind. ¡°Next!¡± She continued to fire after flipping Ex-St back to its proper spot on her shoulder. Everyone ducked down as her rapid-fire shots tore by in all 360 degrees. ¡­I have no blind spot! But a shadow approached from above. The Leviathan must have realized this was its last chance. The descending black army looked like a single blob. A glance at the clock showed they had forty-six seconds until the concepts of the ten dragons were fully released. The aerial unit was visible dropping bombs above the Leviathan, but they could not send anyone down below the Leviathan. Forty-five seconds remained. Shinjou¡¯s group had to do something on their own. Forty-four seconds remained. Ex-St had seventeen shots stored up. Forty-three seconds. Shinjou gave a shout. ¡°#8-san!¡± Forty-two seconds. As she shouted, she collapsed backwards. Forty-one seconds. After pointing Ex-St skyward, she placed the center of the enemy army in her sight. Forty seconds. A moment later, the barrier in the sky vanished. Realizing what Shinjou wanted, #8 had deactivated the gravity lens. Thirty-nine seconds. The enemies standing on the lens lost their support and fell. Thirty-eight seconds. They fell. Thirty-seven seconds. But Shinjou did not care. Thirty-six seconds. ¡°Achohhhhh!!¡± Thirty-five seconds. She fired repeatedly. Thirty-four seconds. She fired her seventeen bomber shots, but they stopped in midair. Thirty-three seconds. The force of seventeen consecutive shots stopped at fifteen meters above her and formed a massive reaction sphere. #8 and the other automatons had performed another technique instead of the gravity lens. They were gathering up all of the bomber shots to fire them all at once. Thirty-two seconds. The force of seventeen shots fused into one. The seventeen seams vanished from the giant white light and it seemed to ripple like a viscous liquid. Thirty-one seconds. Shinjou started to get back up. Thirty seconds. At that moment, countless black forms charged forward from above the nearby buildings. Twenty-nine seconds. They were automatons. Twenty-eight seconds. Most likely, they were the regenerated ones from the other battlefields. The Leviathan¡¯s excess forces had been sent here. Twenty-seven seconds. ¡°Oh, no!¡± shouted #8. ¡°Shinjou-sama!¡± Twenty-six seconds. As #8¡¯s cry suggested, the enemy¡¯s target was Shinjou who could communicate with Wanambi. Twenty-five seconds. The enemy rushed in, passing by the shimmering that was beginning to take form. Twenty-four seconds. She saw blades. Around a dozen of them. And more enemies were on their way behind them. Twenty-three seconds. The next thing she knew, someone was holding her in their arms. It was¡­ Twenty-two seconds. ¡°Mikoku-san!?¡± Twenty-one seconds. Even with Mikoku leaning over her, Shinjou thought it was hopeless. The blades would stab straight through Mikoku who no longer had her regeneration philosopher¡¯s stone. Twenty seconds. ¡­It¡¯s all over! Nineteen seconds. But her thoughts came true in a different way. Eighteen seconds. Everything came to a stop. Seventeen seconds. Everyone saw what had happened right in front of Shinjou and Mikoku. Sixteen seconds. All of the blades had been stopped. They were stopped by a man¡¯s body. Fifteen seconds. It was Hajji. Fourteen seconds. Hajji had stopped the dozen blades by letting them stab through his back and out his chest. Thirteen seconds. ¡°Father!?¡± Twelve seconds. Shinjou¡¯s body shook from Mikoku¡¯s cry. Eleven seconds. But Hajji¡¯s expression changed when he saw Mikoku. He smiled without hiding it. Ten seconds. ¡°Hey,¡± he said. Nine seconds. ¡°See, Mikoku? You can protect someone after all.¡± Eight seconds. He began to move. He turned around, instantly broke through the automatons, and charged toward those still approaching. Seven seconds. ¡°Never forget! And even as you tremble, desire the world! After all, you currently bear everything we stand for! That may be painful, you may give in to anxiety or anger, and it may not be what you wished for. But¡­¡± Six seconds. Hajji gave a shout. Five seconds. ¡°Mikoku, this is something only you can wish for!¡± Unable even to breathe, Hajji charged forward. He had to crush the enemies rushing in from outside the gravity lens. ¡­Yes. I really was an awful father for Mikoku and Shino, he belatedly realized. But, he thought as he remembered their days together. We may have done nothing but fight, we may have done nothing but hold grudges, and we may have told nothing but lies, but the dinner table and living room were so full of life. ¡­Yes, that¡¯s right. Hajji opened his left eye. ¡­Hey, Shahrnavaz. He exposed to the world that destructive power and everything else he had received from her. Their world had not contained this black sky, falling snow, or chilly wind. He spoke with a voiceless voice. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a wonderful place?¡± A moment later, he charged into the advancing enemy forces and activated a certain philosopher¡¯s stone. The stone transformed emotions into an explosion. It was 9th-Gear¡¯s suicide attack weapon. But the emotion he detonated was not his anger, his resentment, or his sorrow. It was the emotion one always felt when thinking of someone precious. Hajji did not know what it was called. He simply muttered someone¡¯s name and annihilated the enemy reinforcements. Four seconds. Shinjou and Mikoku watched Hajji leave. Three seconds. Mikoku said nothing, but Shinjou could tell the girl¡¯s hands were clenched so tightly they had grown white. Two seconds. So Shinjou stood up and raised her hand toward the reaction sphere overhead. One second. She gave a shout. ¡°Sayama-kun!!¡± The white bullet flew upwards and punched through the black cascade of the enemy. The white power roasted the center, causing the black cascade to implode. The black waterfall drew a circle in the sky and scattered from below. Not even any fragments remained. There was only a clear sky and the white light¡¯s ascent. The rising light collided with the defense field below the Leviathan. ¡°!!¡± It broke. The impact was powerful enough to bend the Leviathan¡¯s giant body. The great dragon shook. An earthquake seemed to fill the air itself and everything trembled. The heavenly halo burst in an instant. Like glass thrown to the floor, some pieces turned to spray and others scattered as shards. The wind was whipped up. The disappearance of that massive field set the air in motion. The white ring crumbled and could not maintain its form. The Leviathan had lost its defensive power. On the earth, the heavenly host and UCAT clashed. While in the sky¡­ ¡°Sayama-kun!!¡± A voice on the earth called to the sky. It called to the boy in the sky. That boy, Sayama, stood in the heavens. He rested on his heels, lightly spread his arms, spun around, and looked in every direction. His eyes saw the flames of war spreading across everything below and he saw no sign of the clash ending. The fight continued, but he had a thought as he looked down on it all. ¡­Splendid. ¡°Am I really allowed something like this?¡± After asking that, he clapped his hands and raised his voice. ¡°Everyone! Can you hear the sounds of your struggle against the world!?¡± And¡­ ¡°Everyone! Can you feel the strength of choosing the world!?¡± Also¡­ ¡°Everyone!! Do you understand!?¡± He forcefully raised his spread arms. ¡°Make sure you understand that this is a splendid night!!¡± His reverberating voice gave the word to begin it all. ¡°Listen.¡± He spoke to the world itself. ¡°I will say it now! The surname Sayama indicates a villain!¡± Brunhild listened. She listened while receiving several injuries and being protected by the heroic dead and dreams of the past. Sayama¡¯s voice reached her from the sky. ¡°Everyone! We stand on a crossroads for the world!¡± Kashima listened. He listened as he used his Cowling Sword to slice through the enemy automatons and made his way to the front line. ¡°Everyone! The world exists right before your eyes!¡± Hiba and Mikage listened. They listened as they worked with a light blue god of war to destroy the enemy gods of war. ¡°Listen, everyone! Tonight¡¯s foes are a spoiled bunch who wish to destroy the current world and create a new one!¡± Heo and Harakawa listened. They listened while joining their comrades¡¯ fight in the sky. ¡°And listen carefully, everyone! We are lacking, we are insufficient, and we can never do anything right. But¡­¡± Izumo listened. He listened as he inserted a new cylinder in V-Sw and made sure to stick the old cylinder in his pocket. ¡°We need not see that as a bad thing! We are delinquents! You could say we are the world¡¯s delinquents! But if we prefer to be self-deprecating and stubborn, we would instead simply call ourselves ¡®bad¡¯! Listen, everyone.¡± Chao Yu listened. He listened in the snow while pulling a woman¡¯s photo from his pocket. It was a picture of his aunt who had never aged. ¡°We were enjoying our delinquent life, staring out the classroom window, and thinking about going somewhere, but now a delinquent-hating enemy has come to destroy us, school and all! Such nonsense!¡± Abram listened. He listened while working with his brethren to destroy the enemy and hearing of the former friends who had passed away. ¡°Listen, everyone. Delinquents do not punch people. But they are free to punch fools! And listen carefully, everyone!¡± Kazami listened. She listened while swinging her spear to cut through the enemy army with her comrades. ¡°Stand up, all you delinquents! We need not be good! But never come to a stop and always wish to leave your mark on this world! So stand up and pave the way forward, you delinquents! And to do that¡­¡± Shinjou listened. She listened while looking up at the Leviathan below the scattering snow. ¡°Listen, everyone. I have a single command! Ahead. Ahead. Go ahead!!¡± She nodded. ¡°We will advance, strike, and bring together the worlds we have created. And to do that, we must move ourselves ahead with our strength in our right hand and our will in our left!!¡± She heard his voice. ¡°Where is your answer!?¡± Sayama listened. Shouting voices carried a word to him up in the sky: testament. It referred to a contract, to the Bible, and to a promise made by god. It was a holy word with meaning to both parties. Tes, tes, tes. We make our contract here. Every power in the world was gathered in Tokyo and that word of promise rang out like it was a radio announcement broadcast every night. And they all began to move in order to fulfill their promise with Sayama. So Sayama responded, too. He prepared to lower his arms to give the ceremonial announcement. But he suddenly realized something: two figures had appeared on either side of them. ¡­Is this¡­? The one on his right wore a military uniform. The one on his left wore a white armored uniform. These were images of when this sealing ceremony had been performed in the past. To provide the divine protection of success, Baku had summoned the past of the Sayama surname. Sayama looked to the two behind him. ¡­To think we would be speaking in unison now of all times! He smiled bitterly and raised his arm toward the snowy heavens, synchronized with the two behind him. The three of them also opened their mouths at once. ¡°I will say it now.¡± The three Sayamas spoke in unison. ¡°The surname Sayama indicates a villain!¡± First, his father swung down his right arm and gave a shout. ¡°With this act, I feel no regret toward the future!¡± Next, his grandfather swung down his left arm and gave a shout. ¡°With this act, I feel no repentance toward the past!¡± And Sayama gave a shout with his left hand raised toward heaven. ¡°With this act, I feel no hesitation toward the past or the future!!¡± They all rotated their arm to audibly raise their forearm. ¡°The surname Sayama commands the world!!¡± The three forcefully swung their arms forward with a loud snapping of the sleeve. ¡°World,¡± they shouted. ¡°Do as I wish by moving!!¡± A moment later, the ten released concept lights pierced through the concept space. They came from the eight directions, the heavens, and the earth. Writing, blowing rain, the Tartaros, watery mist, the windy sky, life and destruction, the sage¡¯s body, shimmering heat, light and shadow, and the divine tree. The ten world dragons instantly flew to their proper positions. They all pierced through the Leviathan. They tore through it. And the fifteen kilometer Leviathan had its armor broken, burned, and frozen. Its internal frame was destroyed and it bounced through the sky. ¡°¡­!!¡± It was intensely destroyed. The dragon¡¯s scream was as endless as the sounds of its destruction. That destruction covered its entire surface, but it was darkness and light that left the opposite side. Without fusing back together, the dispersed light and darkness spread through the sky like the falling snow. Above the Leviathan, the negative concept storage pallets in the concept creation facility were destroyed. The ten pallets instantly froze white and shattered inward. The Leviathan¡¯s body bent. A tremor ran through the heavens and the careless were blown from their feet by the great wind that was pushed down to the surface. But it did not end there. There was movement in the sky and on the earth. That movement came from a girl and a boy. Pulled by the concepts under their care, the boy in the heavens descended and the girl on the earth ascended. At the midpoint in the sky, they passed by and exchanged something in their possession. It was a single metal chip. The girl handed over the negative one and the boy handed over the positive one. Concept power was passing through that space between heaven and earth. Georgius¡¯s power to destroy concepts could ride that current to any point. And that included the Leviathan¡¯s core. They had a single target. The negative concepts had solidified in the Leviathan¡¯s core, so they would strike it and destroy it from both heaven and earth. That would tear apart the negative concepts so they would be pulled away by the released positive concepts and utterly dispersed. The negative concepts began to activate when gathered, so they would cool down once scattered so completely. To do that, the girl used her right hand when she arrived in the snowy heavens. And the boy used his left hand when he arrived on the snow-covered earth. The two of them placed the opposite symbol chip in the Georgius gauntlet on their hand. ¡°Shinjou-kun!¡± They gave a shout of confirmation. ¡°Sayama-kun!!¡± The white and black lights released from heaven and earth pierced through the Leviathan. They slammed into it. A black spray spread through the sky and a white spray burst as if leading the way. A white and black flash of light rippled outward in the snowy sky. Shinjou flipped around in midair. The light from Georgius was calming down and she slowly fell toward the earth below while gradually picking up speed. She slipped below the waves of scattered concept light. ¡­It¡¯s over. She looked up at the Leviathan overhead as she fell faster than the snow. She saw the automatons preparing to catch her down below. Sayama was also there. As was a scorch-marked Ooshiro. Breathing a sigh of relief, she looked up into the sky again. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± She noticed a certain phenomenon. And before she could even think, her cellphone rang in her waist armor pocket. She heard Kazami¡¯s voice. ¡°Shinjou! Can you see this!? Something isn¡¯t right!¡± Beyond Kazami¡¯s panicked voice, she heard cannon fire. ¡°The enemy is still fighting! And¡­the spread of the negative concepts has stopped! Even the spray of positive concepts is struggling to expand!¡± Shinjou understood because she could see the cause from closer than anyone. ¡°The Leviathan is¡­regenerating.¡± The destroyed areas were returning to normal. And something was appearing from within it. ¡°The black angels, gods of war, and mechanical dragons are forming a new halo!!¡± The Leviathan was holding back the negative concepts as they tried to scatter away. Using the heavenly host contained inside, it had formed a defensive halo inside itself to restrain the penetrative power of the positive concepts. Then, it had restrained the scattering negative concepts. It was currently healing itself at a rapid pace, but where did this power come from? The Leviathan knew that power most likely came from Top-Gear. Top-Gear had most likely developed something approaching immortality. That power was allowing the Leviathan to heal. And once it was fully healed, it could pull the negative concepts back in. It would draw in the positive concepts at the same time. The Leviathan felt joy at that fact. The lost positive concepts would be regained in their perfect form. It could do it. It could do it. It would be able to do it now. It would be able to change the world, and quite soon at that. It could change the world. To achieve that goal, the Leviathan gave a roar. That roar shook everything. Volume 14, 27: Holy Festival of Resistance Volume 14, Chapter 27: Holy Festival of Resistance Sing that holy song and every world will hear it That child I am worried about sings it constantly I will take their hand to dance Even though I am no longer an angel The intense battle resumed across the city. Sayama and the others immediately reorganized below the newly created black halo. The halo was not yet complete and the flow of concepts was still pulling in ten directions. So Sayama exchanged a glance with Shinjou when she walked over. ¡°We need to hit the Leviathan with Georgius again from the surface.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± shouted #8 as she pointed up toward heaven. ¡°The halo¡¯s defense will weaken it too much to reach from here!¡± But countless voices could be heard over their communicators. They conveyed the state of the various battlefields. And they all questioned whether their power could reach. ¡°How can we possibly win!?¡± On top of that, the Leviathan began firing. The power it had been using on the concept creation and activation was now being used for cannon fire. Each shot blew away a space with a diameter of nearly five hundred meters. The roar and blowing wind instantly filled the concept space with storms. The great wind transformed the snow into a blizzard. Amid the reverberating roar and wind, only the Leviathan held a stable position and continued firing. There was a safe zone. To not damage the concepts, the cannons never fired directly below. The sounds of retreat arrived over the communicators, but the enemy automatons got in the way. The dolls did not care if they were destroyed. The people panicked as the blasts rained down through the blizzard like punishment from heaven. And a desperate fray developed on each battlefield. The voices coming over the communicators were no longer those of warriors. They were voices of people seeking help as they tried to escape the overwhelming power of heaven or the shouts of anger toward heaven. Was destruction their only option? Was there nothing to rely on? Was there nothing to organize around? But a sudden sound of tuning came over the communicators. It came from the one managing all of the communications. Specifically, it came from Ooki as she operated the concept space communication device. In front of Shinjuku Station, she spoke even as explosive blasts washed over her and dirt rained down on her. ¡°Um, everyone?¡± She led them all with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s time to sing.¡± With that, she began playing an external transmission. It was a TV broadcast from the outside world. It was a live worldwide broadcast of a concert being held in the center of Shinjuku and it had just reached the time to request an encore. A certain sound played. A single singing voice filled that world of battle and heaven-born disaster. The song was a hymn: Silent Night. A woman stood on the main stage in front of the snowy Shinjuku Station. She had once introduced herself to the world as an idol and she had become a singer of songs she wrote and composed herself. Her songs had been popular enough that the people of those days could still sing along, but since she had retired soon after marrying, few people knew her anymore even if they remembered the songs. That was the kind of woman she was. Snow had begun to fall from Shinjuku¡¯s sky once the time for an encore had arrived. The young people in front of the main stage had been confused when she had stepped out in a white dress. Some had asked who she was, some had called her old, and others had thought she stepped onto the stage by mistake. But she had silently bowed. Without speaking a word, she had released her voice before the microphone. And that was all it took for her to bring silence to the world. Silent night, Holy night All¡¯s asleep, one sole light, Just the faithful and holy pair, Lovely boy-child with curly hair, Sleep in heavenly peace Sleep in heavenly peace ¡°Silent night, Holy night.¡± Amidst the intense fighting, Kazami heard a voice in the wind that was not even blowing. ¡°Mom!?¡± ¡°God¡¯s Son laughs, o how bright.¡± The international artists who had come to Shinjuku sang with her in the snow. It was a song foretelling the birth of the holy one. ¡°Love from your holy lips shines clear.¡± A singing voice rang through the battlefield. Someone shouted out as if in response or as if clinging to it. They wanted to forget their screams, forget the anger of a salvation betrayed, and forget their exhaustion. So they sang. The song seemed to spread through them all until everyone had joined in. ¡°As the dawn of salvation draws near.¡± The song reached the world. It seemed to ignore the concept wall and all other barriers. ¡°Jesus, Lord, with your birth.¡± In the silence of Shinjuku, someone raised their voice to follow along. The voices sounded embarrassed at first, but they grew louder once the lyrics were displayed on the electronic signs around the area. They grew louder and louder. ¡°Jesus, Lord, with your birth.¡± It was just before noon in America, but that song was sung in the Christmas-decorated plaza of a city. Both the young and the suitcase-carrying adults sang along below the winter sky. Some did not sing aloud, but they all at least sang kindly along in their heart as they walked through the streets of that holy festival. ¡°Silent night, Holy night.¡± At the main external UCAT camp in Yokosuka, supplies and reinforcements were sent into the concept space while relatives of those inside waited on standby in the wharf warehouse. Those family members sat on long benches inside and their eyes and ears were focused on the TV sitting next to the whiteboard on which Izumo Retsu was copying down information. Sitting in the back row, Arnavaz stared into the distance with her unseeing eyes and sang along with the song she heard from the TV. ¡°Brought the world peace tonight.¡± In a Middle Eastern bar, a young man polished an assault rifle during the early morning. He looked over at the radio when he heard a singing voice. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± But he quickly looked back down. He continued maintaining his weapon, but he did not turn off the radio. ¡°From the heavens¡¯ golden height.¡± In Akigawa, Ryouko watched the TV alone in the Tamiya house¡¯s main hall. Her shoulders kept tempo with the song as she munched on a rice cracker. ¡°It¡¯s Christmas, isn¡¯t it?¡± she muttered before standing up because she thought she heard something from the entranceway. She turned up the TV¡¯s volume so she could hear the song and opened the front door. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± The snow had piled up there. That area of white had grown enough to bury the raised stepping stones in the yard. She suddenly thought she saw someone at the main gate. She called a girl¡¯s name and narrowed her eyes. ¡°¡­?¡± There was no one there. Only the falling snow. But Ryouko noticed fresh dog footprints running from the main gate to the entrance. For some reason, there were no footprints leaving the entrance. She then spotted four canned drinks in a plastic bag by the entrance. She picked up the cold drinks and looked up into the sky. The snow was falling. Her lips moved to match the song audible from behind. ¡°Shows the grace of His holy might.¡± It reached China, India, Russia, Germany, Africa, France, and England. It reached Siegfried and Hiba Ryuutetsu¡¯s ears in Okutama. The song was sent out both by television and radio. Those who did not know its meaning listened curiously and those who did listened to the meaning of the lyrics. ¡°Jesus, as man on this earth.¡± At a house in Tanashi, Natsu had just finished calling her parents to thank them for the present. She sat at the table after slapping the cheeks that had reddened from both nerves and joy. After noticing how worked up she was, she turned on the TV to have something to do. When she heard the song playing there, she also heard Harumi moving in the back room. Worried she had woken the child, she went to check and found Harumi¡¯s open eyes looking outside. It had started snowing at some point. ¡°Ah,¡± said Natsu as she gently picked up Harumi and moved to the window. The snow was accumulating outside, where she could hear the song. Natsu showed Harumi the snow while her lips followed along with the TV¡¯s song. She sang aloud. ¡°Jesus, as man on this earth.¡± Inside the concept space, the raging wind and cannon fire was joined by music to match the song. The students¡¯ brass acoustic weapons half forcibly and half hopefully formed ranks and began to play. The holy one¡¯s music was reaching the concept space. The accompaniment reached everyone¡¯s ears and that sound pressure joined the voices. ¡°Silent night, Holy night.¡± The entire world sang the same song. Some knew their neighbors were singing too and some did not, but the song filled the world regardless. Some did not sing loudly and some kept it in a corner of their mind, but the song was sung and everyone came to know that it prophesied the birth of the holy one. And they also came to know that day was today. ¡°Where today all the might.¡± At an orphanage church atop a hill in Sakai, the children sang along with the TV. The director woman prepared to cut the Christmas cake she had prepared for everyone, but she noticed a sudden visitor outside. It was the master of the small church at the bottom of the hill. That old woman had told Shinjou Yukio¡¯s child about this place. The director woman quickly opened the large window and spoke to her. ¡°Former director.¡± ¡°Merry Christmas. I heard Yukio¡¯s child visited again the other day. And with someone named Sayama no less.¡± She smiled bitterly. ¡°I thought it might be a coincidence, but to think she really was Yukio¡¯s child. ¡­Next time she visits, maybe I should tell her some old stories.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your excuse for hiding who you were? Was it god¡¯s trial for her?¡± ¡°No.¡± The old woman smiled bitterly as she listened to the song. ¡°I just thought that¡¯s what Yukio or Old Sayama would have done.¡± ¡°Of His fatherly love us graced.¡± The Leviathan remembered. It did not understand or know this song. But it remembered it. Fragments of the song remained in its memories. When had it heard this song? ¡°And then Jesus, as brother embraced.¡± Amid the wind and song, Sayama sang along to control himself. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He nodded. When he realized he and Shinjou were storing the song within themselves, he asked #8 a question. ¡°#8-kun. Please, tell me how to win.¡± The automaton hung her head a little, but¡­ ¡°There is only one way.¡± She pointed up at the Leviathan in the windy sky. ¡°The halo protecting the Leviathan is not made up of very many wings. It is inadequate, so¡­¡± A voice responded. It was a mechanical voice. ¡°So we only need to disturb their position? We only need to break through the halo and ascend into the sky?¡± It was Alex. He was defending against the wind at the edge of the automatons¡¯ defense field. ¡°I am the only one who can break through this turbulence. ¡­I will go.¡± ¡°All the peoples on earth.¡± Tatsumi gave a reflexive shout as she leaned against Alex. ¡°You can¡¯t!!¡± She ignored the eyes that turned her way and she faced Alex. ¡°How many mechanical dragons do you think are up there!? If you force yourself that hard while you¡¯re already falling apart, you¡¯ll die! Don¡¯t you understand that!?¡± ¡°But Tatsumi, the American UCAT mechanical dragons and Thunder Fellow cannot get here through this wind and cannon fire. Thunder Fellow in particular is busy protecting the others.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean-¡­¡± ¡°This is something only I can do,¡± said Alex. ¡°If I do not do it, my soul will rot.¡± ¡°Then let it rot! It¡¯s better than dying! I¡­I¡­¡± Tatsumi trailed off and she looked down at her right hand. ¡°I thought you were supposed to stop my tears.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Alex dropped a piece of himself. It was a single bolt. ¡°This has not been infected by the negative concepts. It is a living part of me.¡± He then gently floated into the air. ¡°Alex!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Tatsumi. I am always with you. ¡­And I will show you proof.¡± ¡°Proof?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he replied. ¡°I will show you something that will convince you I am always there.¡± Those were his final words to Tatsumi. The mechanical dragon whipped up the wind, stood up in the air, and nodded toward Sayama. ¡°Toh!!¡± His speed erupted in an instant. That dragon blade defied the wind to fly straight up toward the heavens. ¡°All the peoples on earth.¡± Alex flew higher and higher. Despite the wind and air pressure, his accelerators did the talking and forced him ever higher. Attacks arrived from directly above. They were mechanical dragons. He was targeted by defense dragons that were not part of the halo. It was difficult to even see them with their great relative speed, but Alex¡¯s mind was light. His destruction was nigh. He knew his body would fall apart and he would be nothing but a mind. And that sharpened his heart. ¡°Silent night, Holy night.¡± As he listened to the song and honed his heart, he could see everything. His armor broke and flew through the air, but he did not care since it was not a fatal blow. Without panicking, he used his thrust to rocket into the sky. The halo grew larger in his view. His heart grew clear. And he heard the song. ¡°Long we hoped that He might.¡± Oh, what a lovely song. He had heard it once long ago. It had been in a church on a hill rather than inside Noah. Had Tatsumi been with him then? He did not remember. His mind was already in heaven. The enemy was there. One of the black mechanical dragons was commanding those forming the halo. If he destroyed it, they would lose unified control and a hole would open in the halo. It was a Seraph model. It had been born of the same prototype as him and it had been created by Noah. It was the perfect opponent. So he flew on. The black Seraph responded by leaving the other dragons. It understood, so Alex pursued the black speed. It was fast. The enemy¡¯s top speed was equal to or greater than Alex¡¯s. Even as he was nearly tossed about by the sharp turns, Alex continued pursuit. ¡°!?¡± An attack reached him. They were homing bullets. Sixty-four of them arrived at once from a bucket on the back of his foe. ¡­This enemy¡­ Alex realized it had been designed to fight while being pursued, but he continued straight on. The barrage widened and he cut through before it could tighten back around him. A few continued pursuit, so he closed his wings and¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± He fired as if to launch himself forward. The black escaped the bright lightning attack by launching itself upwards. Alex continued pursuit. The inertial Gs strained his body, knocked a few components loose, and brought his body closer to the end. But he heard the song. ¡°As our Lord, free us of wrath.¡± It was a lovely song. And his soul felt his heart of justice. He was confident that everyone looking up into the sky had stopped crying and lamenting and were instead standing up. His heart grew clear. He dodged. He pursued. He was only eight meters from the enemy. He moved. ¡°!¡± He fired bullets, but the enemy circled behind him like a swinging pendulum. He turned around with a roll and tried to get in another shot, but the enemy fired a barrage of missiles while moving forward. Before the barrage had even spread out, Alex barrel rolled and passed right through them. He seemed to side flip through gap in the barrage. He accelerated afterwards and stayed on the enemy¡¯s tail, but the Seraph was already flying up even higher. Alex kept after it while the creaking of metal filled him. They exchanged fire as if passing the attacks back and forth. Bullets fluttered through the sky and the trails of evasive maneuvers were drawn with white smoke. Their speed never dropped. He heard the song. ¡°Since times of our fathers He hath.¡± More components fell away. But his heart was light. The two machines flew above the Leviathan. They would swoop left or right at the last second to avoid the Leviathan¡¯s armor and then return to attack each other. They dodged, charged, swung themselves around, and continued on. Their bullets fired through the snowy sky and into the Leviathan¡¯s armor rushing by below. The sounds were no longer audible and Alex¡¯s creaking body informed him of his speed. His body was falling. But his soul had not rotted. He could also hear the song. ¡°Promised to spare all mankind.¡± The Leviathan¡¯s mechanical dragon launch zone waited up ahead. It was a large, wide tunnel. He and the Seraph flew inside. He targeted the Seraph from behind as it kept low. His body was approaching its limit. He knew his end would soon arrive. So why was his heart so clear? He did not know. ¡­But¡­ Would Tatsumi understand? With that thought, he fired. A moment later, he received a sudden impact instead of a hit. It came from the side. A single mechanical dragon had fired while hidden in a corner of the launch zone. ¡°Promised to spare all mankind.¡± The bullet tore into him. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± He knew he was done for. This hit was fatal. It had hit his main skeletal frame. His crumbling body had desperately clung to that frame. It was half broken now. His body bent, his speed dropped, and the Seraph¡¯s accelerator light grew more distant. ¡°¡­!¡± He saw a barrage fired from the back of the Seraph. ¡°Silent night, Holy night.¡± The Leviathan understood the footage sent from the Seraph. This was the end of the enemy. The persistent enemy army¡¯s resistance would end now. So it needed to return the Seraph to its original position and have it control the halo. With the halo¡¯s protection, the Leviathan could change the world. But then the Leviathan noticed static coming from the Seraph. ¡°¡­?¡± It saw the images from the Seraph¡¯s vision. The enemy was still alive and pursuing the Seraph. Why? wondered the Leviathan. Why wasn¡¯t the enemy destroyed? The answer arrived via the Seraph¡¯s transmission. ¡°Justice never dies!¡± ¡°Shepherds first see the sight.¡± Alex had made a split second decision. He had spotted something above the approaching missiles. Something was skewered into the ceiling. ¡°The normal cruising frame of my archenemy Thunder Fellow!¡± Thunder Fellow had ejected that frame as a diversion during its battle with Alex. The steel main frame was there, so Alex had not hesitated. He had fired on the ceiling, broken it, and let Thunder Fellow¡¯s frame drop into the air. ¡°Combine!!¡± He cast aside his own frame as his body began to fall apart. He used the motors of his legs to forcibly grasp Thunder Fellow¡¯s frame. It was slender and a bit long, but it was sturdy. ¡­This should work for a short time! With that thought, Alex accelerated. He passed above the missiles by flying just below the ceiling and he pursued the Seraph. ¡°Transformation!!¡± The frame fixed into place around him. ¡°Alex! Final Episode Mode!!¡± He accelerated. He followed the Seraph as they approached the end of the launch zone tunnel. He knew where it would go: straight up. That was the simplest of feints. Do you really think justice will fall for something like that? Oh, what a wonderful sky. Such a nice wind, but it is lacking one thing. He continued on in search of that thing. He pursued as the Seraph used its great thrust to rise into the heavens. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± He swung his body around to avoid the multi-warhead rounds fired his way. He soared through the wind to dodge every attack sent his way. ¡°Ohhh!¡± He pursued. The enemy attacked, but he did not care. ¡°Ohhhhhh!!¡± He dodged by stretching upward, swinging his body, and hopping up into the sky. ¡°Oh.¡± His cry continued without end as he moved toward the Seraph. Sensing danger, the Seraph tried to swing itself out of his sights. He did not let it escape. A tremor filled the fleeing enemy¡¯s movements. It was afraid. You fool, thought Alex. Fearing justice is proof you are evil. His heart grew clear. That was all there was now. His soul would not rot now. Nor would his body fall part. He was sure of it now. ¡­For I am overflowing with justice!! ¡°Told by angelic Alleluja.¡± The Seraph entered the center of his sights, so he sent forth an attack. His attack was acceleration. It was something only the owner of great thrust could accomplish. ¡°Alex Driver!!¡± Using the mechanical dragon¡¯s front ram, Alex pierced into the Seraph from behind. It was a suicide attack. He destroyed his own body in the process, so it was truly a last resort. But the Seraph did indeed bend, writhe as it attempted and failed to escape, and split in two. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± It let out a scream-like explosion. ¡°Sounding everywhere, both near and far.¡± Alex was now only a mind as he arrived in the airspace of heaven. His body was positioned vertically. The momentum of his acceleration had died out and he slowly came to a stop in midair. He was directly below the snowing clouds. His entire body peeled apart. But this was not due to the attacks he had received. His body had simply reached its end. ¡­Tatsumi. He could hear the song. ¡° ¡®Christ the Savior is here.¡¯ ¡± It was a lovely song and he was sure he would be able to hear it in the future too. She would remember once she saw the proof. And he would surely sing this song with her. ¡° ¡®Christ the Savior is here.¡¯ ¡± He would sing with what he left behind in this world. ¡°They never would have won without me.¡± Alex could no longer see anything, so he simply spoke. ¡°Justice¡­shall prevail!!¡± An explosion filled the sky. The mechanical dragon¡¯s explosion was widened by an explosion of water vapor and it produced a certain phenomenon. It parted the snow clouds filling the sky. In that snowy, song-filled sky, the clouds spread apart and revealed the proof of that mechanical dragon¡¯s existence. The round moon was revealed. That moon was rising into the center of the great heavens above. The song had ended in Shinjuku. The song had ended throughout the world. Some places applauded and others met it with silence. And the people in Shinjuku thought they saw some kind of light in the sky. The sky was covered by snow clouds, but for some reason, they thought they saw the moon there. Below the Leviathan, a rip was detected in the defense halo. ¡°An excellent show of justice!¡± shouted Sayama with his eyebrows raised. The others nodded and he held Shinjou close. ¡°Shinjou-kun, prepare Georgius for-¡­¡± ¡°Sayama-sama! Wait!¡± As soon as #8 interrupted, a swelling of air filled the sky. In the heavens above, something was breaking through the wind that had grown white with snow. Sayama recognized it. ¡­The Leviathan!? The great mechanical dragon had its mouth ¨C and thus main cannon ¨C turned their way. ¡°Do not tell me¡­!¡± When he saw light deep in the Leviathan¡¯s mouth, he held Shinjou protectively in his arms. ¡°Is it willing to damage the concepts now!?¡± It had decided it could remake them if need be. The fang-filled maw opened wide as if to devour them. ¡°¡­!!¡± The Leviathan fired its main cannon toward Sayama and the others. As soon as the white blast of light was fired, a single figure took action. It was Tatsumi. She looked up at the light in the dragon¡¯s mouth. ¡­Ah. She suddenly realized that she might be able to negate that attack. But she tried to reject the idea: it was reckless and there was no way she could do it. After all, her body was avoiding combat now. She could not hold a single knife and she would even injure herself on its blade. She did not know if she could pull off that defensive technique. But Typhon sat behind her and she held a single bolt in her hand. ¡­Alex. When she looked up at the Leviathan¡¯s face in the sky, she saw the proof he had left behind. But his song had come to a stop. Silent Night had only six verses. Once they were complete, the song came to an end. But¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?¡± Tatsumi heard the song. It should have come to an end, but she heard it once more. Just as she began wondering what that meant, Ooki spoke quietly from the seat at the communications equipment. ¡°Everyone¡­is singing.¡± She could hear the song. ¡°They¡¯re all singing even without anyone guiding them!!¡± She saw it from the snowy Shinjuku stage. She was preparing to leave the stage, but they all raised their voices as if to hold her there. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± This was a festival night. And to prove it, they all sang that hymn. Some stayed and some left, but even those that left carried the song with them down the roads or into the train station. There was no stopping the song now. And from the hidden edge of the stage, her husband gave her the go-ahead. So she inhaled and spread her arms without a microphone this time. She sang. Her voice rang out as just one of many. An eight-colored CG Christmas tree was displayed on the giant station monitor behind her. And the song did not end. ¡°Silent night, Holy night.¡± A moment later, Tatsumi began to run. She stuck her hands in her pockets and put on the remote control rings. ¡°Typhon!!¡± She raced forward. On the way, she had Typhon pick her up and she climbed to the white god of war¡¯s shoulder. Her legs were trembling. Her entire body was trembling. Her hands and fingers were too. But¡­ ¡°All¡¯s asleep, one sole light.¡± Her heart was not. ¡°Automatons!¡± As soon as she raised her voice, the Leviathan¡¯s main cannon strike arrived. She raised her left arm. She swung Typhon¡¯s left fist toward the white light arriving at a slightly diagonal angle. And the automatons replied to her will. The gravity lens vanished from the sky and instead formed a gravitational control shield in front of Typhon¡¯s fist. As soon as the blast hit, Tatsumi knew her heart was warning her body. She understood that the powerful current of the main cannon was trying to push her back. So¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± She activated her technique while squeezing Alex¡¯s bolt in her right hand. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± ¡°Just the faithful and holy pair.¡± On the northern battlefield, Kazami saw something within the raging wind. Something happened to the Leviathan¡¯s main cannon blast. ¡°It bent!?¡± She had thought they were done for, but it bent to a shallower diagonal angle and swept across the earth. The white light poured west southwest from Shinjuku. The earth exploded and the wind blew like mad, but both the main cannon and the power bending it continued without ceasing. Then Kazami saw the Leviathan¡¯s back tremble as the main cannon grew even thicker. This was the final attack. ¡°Lovely boy-child with curly hair.¡± A great power was headed her way. Tatsumi could tell from the feel of the air. She also knew she could not defend against it. ¡­What do I do!? As she hesitated and thought, she turned her head slightly skyward and saw his proof. The moon was there. It felt like he was watching her. So she made up her mind. She would stop it. She would negate this main cannon blast no matter what. ¡°Alex¡­!¡± With that cry, she placed the bolt in her mouth. She held it between her back teeth on the right, gathered her strength, and bit through it. Normally, her teeth would have broken first, but Tatsumi had perfected her technique to the point that she could pulverize the bolt and swallow it. ¡°Sleep in heavenly peace.¡± She swallowed him and leaped upwards. She jumped toward the Leviathan¡¯s greatest cannon blast. ¡°Alex!¡± She stood on Typhon¡¯s left arm and slammed her own right hand against the main cannon of light. ¡°Sleep in heavenly peace.¡± The light was instantly redirected into the western sky. The blast of light roasted the air and tore into the wind until the Leviathan¡¯s breath came to an end. ¡°!!¡± Once it did, the light burst. Tatsumi had endured it. Everyone saw that half of Typhon¡¯s body had mostly melted and its left arm was gone. Similarly, Tatsumi had lost her right arm from the shoulder down. She looked to the others after stepping down on the ground, gasping for breath. She held her shoulder as blood spilled from it. ¡°Kh!?¡± She looked up to see the Leviathan turning to face them once more. Her knees bent and her mouth twisted. ¡°It¡¯s firing a second shot!?¡± But they all saw something as the Leviathan covering the heavens prepared to fire its second main cannon blast. ¡°¡­!!¡± For some reason, it raised its head, as if in displeasure. ¡°Why?¡± As they all stared up in confusion, they realized the Leviathan had stopped firing its secondary cannons at some point. December 25, 2005 Noah stood inside the Leviathan¡¯s base engine room. Her broken body could barely walk, so it was faster to fly with her broken wings. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1995 Her creator spoke to her. ¡°Take care of the new world.¡± December 25, 2005 Just after Noah¡¯s main body had become the Leviathan, she had extracted several of her memories. They were imperfect, but they were original to her and she could not let anyone else have them. But the amount of memories had been so great that she had entered a short sleep state to optimize them. By the time she had recovered, the positive concepts were already on the verge of being released. December 25, 2005 ¡°Silent night, Holy night.¡± Noah listened to the song playing over the transmission. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1995 ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Her creator then asked a question. ¡°Do you remember the song I taught you?¡± Noah answered that she did remember. Yes, it remained in her memory. December 25, 2005 ¡°God¡¯s Son laughs, o how bright.¡± Noah listened to the song playing over the transmission. December 25, 2005 Noah knew her main body was losing control and that it was destroying the human world. December 25, 2005 And Noah began to resist the Leviathan. She did so by manually returning the Leviathan to its Noah form. She had a single worry. The Leviathan was working at full power. After repeatedly creating the negative and positive concepts, it had completely overloaded. That self-destruction had originally been meant to release the concepts, but its output as the Leviathan was too great and it would begin to self-destruct and explode even if it was stopped. She could not allow that. It would mean the annihilation of the people on the battlefield. But by returning to its Noah form, the time until the explosion could be extended even if the overload itself was still unavoidable. December 25, 2005 ¡°Love from your holy lips shines clear.¡± Noah listened to the song playing over the transmission. December 25, 2005 Noah began her work. She was able to begin at once, but a single problem presented itself. The black automatons, gods of war, and mechanical dragons that had left her control were headed her way down the wide main corridor. Most likely, they intended to destroy her. December 25, 2005 Noah found someone opposing the black army that appeared. It was Seraph No. 0 and Lords No. 0 that had been directly created from the prototypes. They had fallen before, but Noah did not know why they had shown up now as her allies. She simply continued her work. December 25, 2005 ¡°As the dawn of salvation draws near.¡± Noah listened to the song playing over the transmission. December 25, 2005 Her right arm was destroyed. December 25, 2005 Her left leg was destroyed. Her left thigh was destroyed immediately afterwards. December 25, 2005 ¡°Jesus, Lord, with your birth.¡± Noah listened to the song playing over the transmission. December 25, 2005 She completed her work. To restrain the Leviathan¡¯s own will, an external attack would need to provide a decisive blow, but if that was done, the Leviathan would return to being Noah. December 25, 2005 Noah saw a white mechanical dragon and god of war protecting her amidst the wreckage of the black army. However, the white machines were broken and would no longer move. December 25, 2005 ¡°Jesus, Lord, with your birth.¡± Noah listened to the song playing over the transmission. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1995 ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Her creator then asked a question. ¡°Do you remember the song I taught you?¡± Noah answered that she did remember. Yes, it remained in her memory. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1995 Her creator spoke to her. ¡°Take care of the new world.¡± She was told to ring her bell. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1993 She wanted to try ringing it right away. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1993 This was something only she could do. December 25, 2005 Noah spoke to the god of war and mechanical dragon that had protected her. ¡°Thank you.¡± That was a nostalgic phrase. She had some faint memories of being told those words many times long ago. Who had been the first one? Had it been her master¡¯s¡­? No, she had something more important to think about. When had she first used those words? ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1986 Her creator had spoken upon first seeing her. ¡°Wow, she looks just like me. How cute.¡± Noah had given her programmed response. ¡°Thank you very much. Over.¡± ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1993 Noah was given many different things on the day the children had decided was her birthday. ¡°Thank you very much. Over.¡± Once she responded like that, the group including her creator¡¯s child gave her something. The group was made up of Sadagiri, Mikoku, Shino, Alex, and Tatsumi. They gave her a song. Her creator played the organ and the children sang. Noah stored the song in her memories. It was a new memory. It was an original memory that was hers alone. Once the children finished singing, she spoke again. ¡°Thank you.¡± December 25, 2005 Why had she not said ¡°over¡± back then? And where was that song in her memories? December 25, 2005 ¡°Silent night, Holy night ¡°Brought the world peace tonight, ¡°From the heavens¡¯ golden height ¡°Shows the grace of His holy might ¡°Jesus, as man on this earth ¡°Jesus, as man on this earth¡± Noah listened to the song playing over the transmission. December 25, 2005 Noah began to walk in search of what only she could do. She began to walk toward the bell. December 25, 2005 A moment later, Noah understood something. The Leviathan had been pierced by a power from the earth. ¡°Silent night, Holy night.¡± In the blowing wind and below the great raging mechanical dragon, Sayama held Shinjou close. The two of them held hands with the opposing left and right Georgiuses. Unexpectedly, Georgius¡¯s will gave a shout. It was the same voice as when Sayama had first put Georgius on. ¡°I remain with the surnames of Sayama and Shinjou!!¡± Shinjou nodded at the voice and looked to him. ¡°That¡¯s my dad¡¯s voice, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded and squeezed her hand to make sure her father¡¯s will would reach her. His intention must have gotten through because she squeezed back. ¡°Where today all the might.¡± A moment later, they moved close and pulled their arms back as if dancing. That was when a shadow of the past appeared behind them. ¡­Is this¡­? Sayama saw the inside of a church lit by small candles. Despite the darkness, a man and woman faced each other with troubled smiles. Music was playing from a radio-cassette player on top of the organ. ¡°Of His fatherly love us graced.¡± ¡°Sorry that this is the only song I ever play.¡± ¡°I already knew you were a thorough person.¡± The words of the man in glasses caused the woman to smile bitterly. ¡°And I already knew lab coats are the only clothes you own.¡± The two of them seemed to place Sayama and Shinjou between themselves and they held each other¡¯s hands. They awkwardly pulled each other close and began to dance. They danced. ¡°And then Jesus, as brother embraced.¡± Then, in addition to the past, everyone gathered around Sayama and Shinjou. It was Team Leviathan. Kazami and Izumo, Hiba and Mikage in Susamikado, and Heo and Harakawa in Thunder Fellow. They all surrounded them, raised their eyebrows in smiles, and sent shimmering heat back from their accelerators. ¡°Let¡¯s settle this.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯ll be taking the best part for myself.¡± ¡°Ryuuji-kun, what¡¯s the matter?¡¯ ¡°Well¡­ This doesn¡¯t really feel like our kind of thing.¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m glad everyone¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Not a single one of you is ¡®okay¡¯ on the mental front, but at least your bodies are sturdy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for sure,¡± they all replied with bitter smiles. Sayama then spoke while looking at the man and woman dancing around him. ¡°Happiness can be found at any time.¡± He spoke to the others while pulling Shinjou in close as the most important person to him. ¡°Let us go, Shinjou-kun, to our happiness.¡± Shinjou grew red. ¡°Sure, sure,¡± said the others as they shrugged. ¡°Oh?¡± he said as he turned back their way. ¡°Were you all still here?¡± ¡°You¡¯d better remember that later.¡± Kazami spread her wings. ¡°And we still have to discuss some things for the student council, so make sure you come right back, okay? And there¡¯s a lot we all want to say, right? Like what we gained here and what we lost here.¡± ¡°Do any of us tell those things to anyone but our beloved?¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± said Kazami as she took flight. Izumo climbed onto Susamikado¡¯s shoulder and Thunder Fellow blasted into the sky. ¡°All the peoples on earth.¡± Team Leviathan flew through the hole Alex had torn and Tatsumi had protected. They were now armed with mere Cowling weapons that had no Concept Cores. But they were Team Leviathan. That fact had not changed. Thunder Fellow flew into the black army, twisted its body to dodge the intercepting warheads, and tore apart the enemy. Its path took it to the hole Alex had opened. Its rising attacks smashed the enemy and red flowers bloomed from the black seeds in the sky. Those flowers in the windy and snowy sky decorated Tokyo¡¯s night. ¡°Kazami!!¡± ¡°I know!!¡± Kazami spun around, fired, and flew through the opening Thunder Fellow had made. There was now a great tree of bursting flowers decorating the sky. The halo crumbled vertically and became a spire-shaped ornament of flames. It was a giant tree of blazing battle. And finally¡­ ¡°Kaku! Hiba and Mikage too!!¡± ¡°Nn.¡± ¡°Just leave it to me.¡± Susamikado flew down the center with a white contrail behind it. As if providing more decoration, Izumo and Susamikado¡¯s blades sliced through the remaining surge of black. The flowers scattering through the sky, trailed smoke, and almost looked like fireworks. In the end, the world¡¯s largest Christmas tree surrounded the Leviathan with the moon adorning the top. And the ones creating the central trunk stood directly below the Leviathan. It was Sayama and Shinjou. ¡°All the peoples on earth.¡± Their teammates broke through the wind and tore into the falling snow up above. Sayama and Shinjou looked up at the heavenly decorations. ¡°Silent night, Holy night.¡± Amid the hymn, the two of them slowly looked each other in the eye, synchronized their breathing, and swung. ¡°Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± ¡°Long we hoped that He might.¡± Sayama and Shinjou swayed their bodies as if to match the past displayed around them. Shinjou moved away once, spun along with the woman, and returned. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± They both held their Georgius hand to the side and wrapped the opposite hand around the other¡¯s waist. They looked in the direction their hand pointed. ¡°Hey, am I dancing right?¡± ¡°Do not worry. No one is watching.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer my question.¡± Matching the voices from the past, they moved back toward each other and used that momentum to thrust their arms skyward. ¡°As our Lord, free us of wrath.¡± With his hand in Shinjou¡¯s, Sayama raised his arm toward heaven. ¡°¡­!!¡± A moment later, a white and black light pierced through Leviathan on its way toward heaven. A trunk of light ran through the center of the sky¡¯s decorations. It broke through. It tore through the Leviathan¡¯s body. The regeneration concept attempted to keep the hole from spreading, but Georgius¡¯s concept destruction power further widened the hole. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± But the Leviathan roared and resisted. ¡°Since times of our fathers He hath.¡± It whipped up the wind, forcibly moved its body, and tried to change the position of the piercing power. ¡°It can still move!?¡± Sayama trembled from Georgius¡¯s power and shouted into the wind. Suddenly, a third hand joined theirs to restrain the tremor. It belonged to a girl in a black armored uniform. It was Mikoku¡¯s. Shinjou saw a blue philosopher¡¯s stone in Mikoku¡¯s hand. ¡°This contains my regeneration concept! It is the same one the Leviathan has. So¡­if you include this in Georgius¡¯s power, it should be able to repel the Leviathan¡¯s power and destroy it!¡± ¡°A-are you sure!?¡± asked Shinjou. Sayama shouted into the wind to continue for Shinjou. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that contain everything you were left with!?¡± Mikoku¡¯s expression twisted in the wind, but¡­ ¡°That is fine. I too am something they left and I am still here. So¡­¡± She hung her head, but Shinjou still heard what she said. ¡°Please let me help you end this!¡± Shinjou¡¯s answer was to agree, but first she exchanged a glance with Sayama. ¡­Let¡¯s do it! ¡°Promised to spare all mankind.¡± Shinjou and Sayama held Mikoku¡¯s philosopher¡¯s stone in their hands. Mikoku looked up in surprise and the two of them smiled at her. ¡°Testament!!¡± Sayama laughed. ¡°Let us give the proclamation to every concept!¡± At the same time, an especially powerful light and darkness pierced the Leviathan and they squeezed their hands tight. ¡°Let me say it now! As opposites¡­¡± Shinjou raised her voice with Sayama. ¡°We proclaim that the wills of Sayama and Shinjou shall always be together!¡± As she repeated after him, Shinjou tilted her head at the fact that he said ¡°wills¡± instead of ¡°surnames¡±, but she trusted him and finished the statement. ¡­He probably has an idea about that. She knew he would tell her about it eventually, so she simply held his words in her heart for the time being. The words ¡°Mikoto¡± and ¡°Sadagiri¡± shook the concepts that were becoming a pure spray. ¡ªThe wills of Sayama and Shinjou shall always be together. It became a concept text and raced throughout the concept space. A moment later, an especially great light of opposites tore into the dragon. At the same time, cannon blasts and sword strikes from Team Leviathan shook the Leviathan in the heavens. ¡°Promised to spare all mankind.¡± The great dragon was finally defeated. And the light of concepts scattered through the sky. Volume 14, 28: What I Desire Volume 14, Chapter 28: What I Desire If I were a bell I would not want to ring again and again I would want a single ring so great I could never ring again There was a world of glowing white light. It was a world filled with concept spray. The ground was Shinjuku¡¯s, but the sky was not. That world was located below where Noah floated even after being destroyed. Sayama and Shinjou stood there all alone, looking at their clasped hands. Georgius¡¯s light was weakening before their eyes. ¡°So it¡¯s finally happened. ¡­Will we be caught in the blast when Noah overloads?¡± ¡°I think Noah¡¯s overload has also grown unstable due to Georgius¡¯s influence. The real countdown begins once this light vanishes, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shinjou saw Sayama pull acceleration charms from his pocket. ¡°We have to head after the others who already retreated, don¡¯t we? You¡¯re going to be running again, Sayama-kun.¡± ¡°I always do, Shinjou-kun. But do not worry. I will not let go of your hand. And¡­¡± He spoke with his usual expressionless look. ¡°I will always be with you, Shinjou-kun.¡± ¡°And I with you, Sayama-kun.¡± She answered with a slight smile and she wondered what kind of a smile it was. But when she looked at Georgius¡¯s light and at the surrounding concept light, she asked about something else. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen now?¡± ¡°Noah will explode and the two of us will have a fun time escaping. ¡­What is that look for?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± ¡°Our normal life awaits us once we leave here.¡± Sayama glanced around them. ¡°The Leviathan Road will end, but cleaning up afterwards is a job for the adults. So the direct problem facing us will be deciding on the next student council. ¡­How about you try running for president?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that.¡± But it was not a bad idea. She even thought about trying it if it would be fun. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll continue our student lives like that, continue on to college, and probably end up working for the betterment of the world.¡± ¡°And once we marry, I would like two children. ¡­Oh, but if the children would be like you, Shinjou-kun, then I suppose one would be enough.¡± ¡°L-let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha,¡± he laughed. Shinjou belatedly realized that laugh of his was actually a way to hide his embarrassment. He truly was a complex and welcome person. Then, Sayama suddenly opened his mouth again. ¡°Either way, I think the two of us will create a world when we grow up.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not exaggerate.¡± As soon as she said that, he turned her way. He gave her an astonished look but also smiled a little. ¡°Had you really not figured this out? Releasing the concepts means filling the world with the traits of the other Gears and making them reality.¡± ¡°Meaning?¡± Unsure what he meant, she tilted her head and he explained. ¡°Meaning the underworld, heaven, reincarnation, destruction and rebirth, and everything else will become part of reality. The gods of war will surely become man¡¯s property and lose the title of ¡®god¡¯. And the mechanical dragons will become flying ships and travel as far as outer space. Also¡­mankind will harness the power of words and pictures in a world shared with the other races.¡± He continued calmly. ¡°This world will not be immortal, but from now on, it will be guided by the concepts of reincarnation and inheritance. You, I, and all the others are sure to meet again at any time in the future. Sometimes our memories and wills will be passed along and sometimes they will be forgotten, but it will all help this world evolve into an even better world. ¡­If necessary, we might even become each other¡¯s enemies.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°Now, Shinjou-kun, many problems await us. The adults will have to put in some work at first, but by the time we enter society, the hidden side of the world should be organized enough for us to have some real fun working there.¡± Shinjou sort of understood what he meant by ¡°having fun¡±. ¡°In other words, the world will be organized fairly well but there will still be plenty of holes and problems? Instead of being the world that destroyed eleven others, it will be a single, incredibly young world newly created by gathering them all together?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Sayama before suddenly saying more. ¡°So can I hope for something from that world? Can I hope for my own battle to change the world? But one other than the Leviathan Road that was left for me by the past?¡± He seemed to be asking himself that more than her and that was proof of his hesitation. ¡­If you do what you truly want to, we¡¯ll all follow you. So she smiled, nodded, and said what only she could say to him. ¡°I think you can hope for that. We¡¯ll all help you. But¡­make sure to invite me first of all, okay?¡± She had already made up her mind, so she spoke her decision aloud with a bitter smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be with you, Sayama-kun. ¡­I¡¯ll be watching over you to make sure you don¡¯t change the world in too weird a way.¡± ¡°You will be able to write an excellent story. I do not know what will happen yet, but that alone I do know.¡± He sounded confident, so she could only accept it with her bitter smile. ¡°I suppose it will be amazing. After all, anything can happen there other than immortality.¡± ¡°Yes. You and I will be able to go anywhere in that world.¡± Shinjou felt heat in her cheeks when he said that. ¡­Why does he want to be with me so much? But that was something she could say too. She wanted to be with him forever. ¡°Well, yes. I want to be with you too, Sayama-kun.¡± The two of them brought their smiling faces close and their lips met. After a long time, the dampness parted and they looked at their clasped hands. Georgius¡¯s light was just about to vanish. And then it was gone. So the two of them exchanged a nod but did not let go of each other¡¯s hand. ¡°Now, it is time to go.¡± They began to run with slight smiles on their lips. They ran at the same speed without letting go of each other. At that moment, they heard a song from overhead. It was a hymn coming from Noah. Shinjou looked up, wondering who was singing it, but Sayama spoke next to her. ¡°Is Noah-kun singing?¡± December 25, 2005 Noah reached the concept creation facility with her broken body. She looked around the area. She could only see the surrounding light of the concepts. That light proved the world was changing. December 25, 2005 Noah climbed the stairs to the bell tower. ¡°Before¡± November 5, 1990 She liked the ringing of the bell. It made a unique sound that no one else could emulate and it also carried far into the distance. ¡°Before¡± March 25, 1991 Noah wanted to be like that. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1993 One more thing was added to the creation facility: a bell. The bell would indicate the completion of the concept creation. It would inform everyone that the world had changed. This was something only Noah had. She wanted to try ringing it right away. This was hers alone. It was the physical proof of something only she could do. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1995 Her creator spoke to her. ¡°Take care of the new world.¡± She was told to ring her bell. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1993 She wanted to try ringing it right away. December 25, 2005 Noah looked around from the top of the bell tower. She could only see the surrounding light of the concepts. That light proved the world was changing. December 25, 2005 Noah knew the world was about to change. She asked if that would mean she had created a new world. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1995 Her creator spoke to her. ¡°Take care of the new world.¡± She was told to ring her bell. December 25, 2005 Noah realized what it was she was meant to take care of. She had not been told to take care of the creation of the new world; she had been told to take care of the new world itself. ¡°In that case¡­¡± December 25, 2005 Noah looked to the world that had to exist beyond the light. That world had gained the past and would continue to become new forevermore. She realized that this here was the answer. December 25, 2005 So Noah spoke. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Those were the first words she had physically spoken from her own lips. December 25, 2005 Why had she not said ¡°over¡±? And where was that song in her memories? December 25, 2005 Noah found the song in her memories. She opened her mouth and released a voice from deep in her throat. It was a loud, loud voice. She sang. ¡°Silent night, Holy night ¡°Shepherds first see the sight ¡°Told by angelic Alleluja, ¡°Sounding everywhere, both near and far ¡° ¡®Christ the savior is here¡¯ ¡° ¡®Christ the savior is here¡¯ ¡± December 25, 2005 Noah rang the bell. ¡°Before¡± December 25, 1993 Something only she could do. December 25, 2005 Noah had accomplished that goal. December 25, 2005 ¡°This is 8th Arch-Model Automaton No. 0 of Concept Creation Facility Aerial Ship SSS-X0 Noah. I was restarted ten years ago and today¡­¡± December 25, 2005 ¡°I have completed the task left with me. Restarting my stopped clock and continuing to the next situation.¡± December 25, 2005 ¡°Over.¡± As Sayama and Shinjou ran, they heard the ringing of a bell behind them. The wall of the concept space was visible up ahead and everyone was waiting for them. The others would not be able to see them from outside, but the automatons had to have detected them. Izumo and Kazami, Hiba and Mikage, Heo and Harakawa, the others from Team Leviathan or UCAT, their schoolmates, and the members of other Gears were raising their hands. ¡°Sayama! Shinjou! Behind you! Behind you!!¡± They already knew. Noah had exploded behind them. The light grew stronger and approached from behind. Sayama ran, but¡­ ¡°Shinjou-kun.¡± He squeezed her hand. ¡°Right, Sayama-kun.¡± They believed they would make it in time. And just then, Sayama saw something in the light around him. So did Shinjou. ¡°Eh?¡± They looked around to find a world filled with white light. This was not the concept light from before. It was a much calmer light. And they both saw several people there. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± His grandfather stood next to an automaton. His father was there wearing a lab coat. Next to Noah were Shinjou¡¯s¡­ ¡°That¡¯s my mom and dad¡­¡± They were waving with a smile and they mouthed something. ¡° ¡®Go forth in lewdness.¡¯ ¡± ¡°That is not what they said! They said to work hard.¡± Shinjou then smiled toward her parents and they all nodded. ¡°Um, so was that dream of the afterlife I had real?¡± ¡°Should I grab that lecherous old man over there and start an interrogation?¡± ¡°Y-you don¡¯t have to! Besides, you¡¯d get caught in the blast and end up like them! Also¡­now that I think about it, the underworld and all that are only now going to be created, so maybe that really was just a dream.¡± Sayama smiled bitterly at that. ¡°But Low-Gear had the negative concepts as the opposites of the other Gears¡¯ positive ones. It also has the contradiction allowance concept. It is possible some kind of model version was created here.¡± ¡°Oh, no,¡± gasped Shinjou. ¡°Th-that means I cried and said I didn¡¯t want to be there in front of your mom. And I said I wanted to see you. Wh-what have I done?¡± ¡°Do not worry. If the underworld had become a banquet hall for that old monkey man and his friends, then you are much better off with me.¡± ¡°Y-you really can be mean to them¡­¡± ¡°There is nothing wrong with that,¡± he said. A great many people were moving to the other side of the white light. Those residents of the past were traveling to the future. Some of them turned back toward Sayama and Shinjou: Itaru and Sf, Chao, Hajji, and Shino. The blond young man may have been Alex. Besides them, they saw the members of the National Defense Department, an old man riding a large mechanical dragon, a princess, a woman riding a white god of war, a giant black mechanical dragon, and a giant white mechanical dragon. Everyone who had been lost was there. They all waved back and spoke their own words. Then they turned their back to continue toward the empty whiteness. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°A region of blank paper. That is the world¡¯s genetic notebook in which everything we have done is written.¡± Sayama explained and nodded as he looked into that vast emptiness. ¡­The two of us will continue on together and write more of the world. ¡°From now on, whether in this world, a much greater world, outer space, parallel worlds, or an evolving world, we and those who come after us will inherit what came before and continue on from there. And we will all fight alongside each other to move further ahead. We will always, always advance to the leading edge of the world. And while I am there, I know exactly who will be by my side.¡± As he said that, he felt a squeeze on his hand as if in agreement. So he ran. Instead of pulling on Shinjou¡¯s hand, he held her hand as proof that she was with him and ran through the world at the same speed as her. But the explosion was approaching from behind. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± Just as they wondered if they would make it, they felt a push from behind. ¡°!?¡± What had caused that sudden speed boost? Sayama looked back and saw a woman standing there. It was someone he had long misunderstood, it was someone who had protected him, and it was someone who had said she hoped he could do something someday. Sayama called for that person. ¡°¡­!!¡± She smiled and moved her lips. She mouthed the words, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I understand.¡± And, ¡°You have someone to support you now, don¡¯t you?¡± So he and Shinjou nodded back toward the woman and spoke up as if merely leaving for school. ¡°Bye.¡± As she watched them go, Sayama and Shinjou faced forward and passed through the wall. They arrived where the others were. And as they plunged into the new world, they gathered strength in their clasped hands. ¡°From now on, I will always be with you because you are right, Shinjou-kun.¡± She gave a single answer.¡± ¡°Testament,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°So will I.¡± They squeezed each other¡¯s hand. ¡°So will I! I¡¯ll always be with you because you¡¯re a villain!¡± With those words, they had arrived home. They had arrived in the original world that was filled with new cheers of joy. A moment later, the concept space closed and the Leviathan Road ended. Lights were seen around the world, it was called a miracle of the holy night, and most of Taka-Akita Academy¡¯s students arrived home late at night to be scolded by their parents. They were all returning to where they belonged. To confirm the last traces of the holy night, they returned to those who would be with them and to the places they shared with those people. And now the story returns to springtime two years later. Volume 14, Final : The Ending Chronicle Volume 14, Final Chapter: The Ending Chronicle I have realized it So¡­ Two rows of cherry trees blossomed below the blue sky. The road between the trees led to a cement wall surrounding a vast area of land. The open entrance on the western end was surrounded by stone gateposts engraved with the words ¡°Taka-Akita Academy¡±. A sign on the gate said classes were out for spring break and the gate itself was open with no one passing through it. If one did pass through the gate, they would reach a central road also lined by cherry trees. A faculty building was located directly ahead from the entrance and the second year general education building was located to the north of that. A single figure was visible there. A young man in a suit stood on the second floor emergency staircase landing with a small boar-like animal on his head. As he rested his elbows on the railing and looked out across the campus, the wind blew and cherry blossoms scattered. Then the emergency exit behind him opened. A woman in a white dress stepped out with a black binder in one hand. The woman held her skirt down with the hand she held the binder in lest it blow too far up in the gentle wind. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s pretty windy, Sayama-kun. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have worn a skirt.¡± ¡°Please do not suggest things that would kill my motivation, Shinjou-kun. Panty shots at school are a valuable thing.¡± ¡°I did wear a girl¡¯s uniform a lot during our third year, you know?¡± ¡°It feels completely different with personal clothes.¡± ¡°Is that how it works?¡± asked Shinjou as she lined up next to Sayama. When she viewed the blowing cherry blossoms below the blue sky, she realized she had seen this same scene in the past. Today, Sayama had invited her to visit some graves, stop by some familiar places, and then go to UCAT. The idea had likely started with an email from Izumo and Kazami: ¡°We¡¯ll be back for a bit, so if you have nothing better to do, we could keep you company.¡± The message had only arrived one day in advance, so those two were the same as always. The school was the first place Sayama had brought Shinjou. ¡­He hasn¡¯t forgotten. He then turned toward her and asked a question. ¡°How were things inside, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°Hm? ¡­I think the interior¡¯s changed a little. Also there was a painting from the art club and some photos in front of the Kinugasa Library. There was a photo of the National Defense Department, of Old UCAT, of our parents, and¡­of us.¡± The photo of them was from two years ago when the student council went on a going-away trip for Izumo and Kazami. They had gone to the mountains around Mt. Ikoma and found the spot at which their parents and the others had taken their photo. ¡°I never thought I would once more find myself standing in the same place as that lecherous old man after we finished all that. It was sad that I was not able to hang up any posters in the mountain cabin during that trip.¡± ¡°You were supposed to be in charge of food, so you really need to stop making jokes where you open up your bag to reveal it¡¯s all goods modeled after me. Also¡­¡± Shinjou pointed at the neighboring school building to change the subject. Three people were walking along the hallway on the first floor. ¡°I passed by them earlier.¡± The one in the lead was a girl in a girl¡¯s uniform who had long black hair. She occasionally touched the red cloisonn¨¦ pendant hanging from her neck as she showed the other two around the academy. ¡°She¡¯s apparently going to be the next student council president.¡± ¡°Does this school have some kind of rule about the president being someone who repeated a year?¡± The two walking behind her were a boy and a girl. The girl wore personal clothing and held a cat. She also had a white IAI musical instrument case hanging from her shoulder. The boy also in personal clothing seemed to know the girl and seemed confused why the girl and president were speaking like they knew each other. ¡°Do you think they will inherit what we left behind in this school?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But did you hear what Ooshiro-san¡¯s been saying? Just like your grandfather, someone apparently had an orphanage made after the Great Kansai Earthquake.¡± ¡°I certainly would not know anything about that.¡± Yes, you do, she thought, but she said something else instead. ¡°Whoever it was apparently gave it the strange named of the Hero House.¡± Sayama said nothing, so Shinjou said nothing more either. But she seemed satisfied with that as she held her hair against the wind and leaned her back against the railing. She looked to the wall in front of her. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?¡± Perhaps due to the angle of the sun, she saw writing on the wall. Someone had used their finger to write in the sand and dust there. There were twelve rows of writing and the middle ten were as follows: 1st-Gear: Fafnir Custom 2nd-Gear: Yamata 3rd-Gear: Typhon 4th-Gear: Mukiti 5th-Gear: Black Sun ¨C White Creation 6th-Gear: Vritra 7th-Gear: Four Dragon Brothers 8th-Gear: Wanambi 9th-Gear: Zahhak 10th-Gear: Ragnarok Those ten had faded a good bit, but the two rows above and below them were brand new, as if they had only just been written. Above 10th was the following: Top-Gear: Noah And below 1st, the following words supported all the others: Low-Gear: Leviathan After seeing that writing, Shinjou slowly turned toward Sayama. But he gave no explanation and simply looked back at her. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing.¡± His slight smile kept her from saying anything. After all, his completion of those twelve lines meant something. ¡­His Leviathan Road has ended. Two years had passed since it had ended. Being in this familiar place during the same season as its beginning may have helped him make up his mind about something. She wondered what he would do now. A sudden gust of wind reached them. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± The source of the wind was two objects passing by at extremely low altitude. After kicking Sayama as he crouched down to peek up her fluttering skirt, she looked up and saw two forms there. One was a blue and white mechanical dragon and the other was a black winged god of war. As those two winds stretched high into the sky, they left behind the low sound of a sonic boom. Down below, Sayama had pulled out a digital camera at some point. ¡°Are they training? Honestly, they still act like a biker gang or something. What are they thinking?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot I¡¯d like to say to you, but I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re all on their way to UCAT.¡± ¡°So were they showing off to us just now?¡± He sounded exasperated and Shinjou fixed her hair while facing forward again. But¡­ ¡°What is it, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing.¡± The wind had completely blown away the writing on the wall. Should she have given it a better look or was this for the best? She did not know. ¡°We should be going, too.¡± He suddenly pulled on her hand. He led her down the stairs and to the familiar space below. ¡°Wow.¡± Cherry blossoms were scattering everywhere. It felt so nostalgic even though they had been here as recently as a year ago. ¡°Over there is where you pulled down my track suit, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes. And you are wearing a skirt today.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± she said while turning around to find him right there. She realized anew that he was by her side and breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps due to being in such a familiar place, she recalled the fight that had begun during the spring two years before. A lot had been lost, but they had definitely gained the past, a new future, and¡­ ¡°The fact that you¡¯ll be with me.¡± They walked side by side toward the dormitories and they pressed against each other. It was a strange thing. Two years before, she had never imagined this was where she would be now. ¡°We¡¯re together, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°You keep saying that, Shinjou-kun.¡± Sayama also smiled as he looked around and then at her. ¡°Well, you do remember what I said when I picked up Gram, don¡¯t you? I said I wanted to have you with me.¡± She did remember. He had saved her life, so she had faced his true self, taken his hand, and¡­ ¡°And I¡­and I said that I did too, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Yes, but that was not the first time I thought that. The first time was when I met you working so desperately hard in that Okutama forest.¡± Suddenly, he faced her directly and cleared his throat. ¡°I have no proof from a writing concept, but I will still say it, Shinjou-kun. Although it is such a common thing I do not know if it has any meaning.¡± ¡°¡­Eh? What is this? Nothing weird, okay?¡± She then heard his kind words. ¡°I love you, Shinjou-kun.¡± He took a breath and more words reached her ears. ¡°I want to go out with you, Shinjou-kun. Because I want to be with you.¡± He gave her a direct confession. He confessed with no one else around. This may have been one of his emotions he did not like showing people. But it was so sudden that Shinjou did not know how to respond. It felt like being hit by everything he had previously told her all at once. She had thought saying ¡°I love you¡± was a simple thing that one could easily say if they wanted to. But he had only now said it after everything they had experienced together and it had come so suddenly. ¡­N-no fair¡­ Had he chosen today¡¯s itinerary in order to say this? Because he never spoke his innermost thoughts, she had gone out of her way to not say those words either. And that left her flustered now that he had said them. ¡°S-so is this another one of those dynamite Sayama statements¡­or something?¡± He responded quietly. ¡°Shinjou-kun¡­ Please do not make light of this.¡± She panicked when she noticed the weakness of his voice, his lowered eyebrows, and his hanging head. ¡­He¡¯s serious. ¡°S-sorry.¡± ¡°Sorry!?¡± His head shot up, as did Baku¡¯s on top of his head. ¡°You mean! After everything we have been through! I am being rejected!?¡± ¡°W-wah! Th-that isn¡¯t what I meant! It really isn¡¯t! I wanted to say thank you because I feel the same way! I um¡­n-never want to leave you either!¡± She breathed in and formed the words that her heart brought to her. She also grabbed both his hands. ¡°You¡¯re the only one I want to spend the rest of my life with!! Because¡­¡± She did her very best to shout the words she could only say if their hearts were connected. ¡°I love you too! I love you just as much as you do me!¡± She breathed in and looked to him. She was a little bothered by the chilly silence created by her breath. ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡­I said it. Those words seemed to gather together and reset all of the previous expressions of her feelings. She had said it not because Sayama had but because she had felt that was what she needed to say now. By summing up her feelings, she felt like they could begin anew. By gathering together all of the awkward words from the past, they could work their way toward even greater words in the future. This was just a dividing line, designating a new beginning. ¡°I love you¡­so let¡¯s be together, Sayama-kun.¡± As they pressed their bodies and cheeks together, she saw a tear in the corner of his eye. ¡­Oh. Um¡­uh¡­ It was so sudden that she froze up, but then she heard a somewhat trembling breath. ¡°Thank goodness¡­¡± He then embraced her, pulled her close, and gathered his strength. She felt her heart warm at the fact that their hearts were connected by those words. So she responded in kind. Without letting go, she clung to him and longingly embraced him. Her binder had fallen to the ground, but she could pick it up later. After she confirmed the presence in Sayama¡¯s chest, she heard him inhale. ¡°I have someone to be by my side. And they will be there always.¡± Her heart skipped a beat. She had least seen this side of him when they had been reunited on Christmas Eve two years before. Just like now, he had embraced her and she had embraced him back. She realized this was the reverse side of his pain and it was something he had never let anyone see. After confirming they would never be apart, he had allowed this to be seen only by the one who supported his pain. He showed her just what feelings had existed behind the pain she had supported him through. ¡­What a complicated person. She understood that only she could touch his heart now. So she asked a soothing question while lightly patting his back. ¡°Were you lonely? Were you lonely after so many people left you behind for so long?¡± He moved his head in a nod, so she nodded back. ¡°I was too. We¡¯re opposites, but we were the same when it comes to that.¡± She found her vision blurring, but she knew she had to respond to him. She nodded again, moved her head back a bit, and blushed at how late it was to be discussing this. ¡°I never forgot that I was told someone was coming for me eleven years ago.¡± ¡°And I never forgot that I was told I was on my way to see someone precious.¡± Then¡­ ¡°We won¡¯t be lonely anymore, will we?¡± Their lips met. They seemed to be both desiring and answering each other. They seemed to be exchanging themselves. But finally, they parted in satisfaction and exchanged heated breaths. Shinjou held out her right hand and he held out his left. He took and squeezed her hand, so she squeezed back. They sensed each other¡¯s pulse, warmth, and dampness. ¡°I¡¯m so happy.¡± She looked at him with a smile and found his usual expressionless look. But she knew he was happy too. The rings on their clasped hands gave a quiet clink. She felt like their hands would never part again. ¡°So we¡¯ll be visiting the graves after this?¡± ¡°And then we can go see that forest in Okutama. We need to thank that werewolf that allowed us to meet. Then we can meet those idiots at UCAT and the two of us can discuss something on the way home.¡± ¡°Discuss something?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He cleared his throat and averted his gaze. ¡°About our future. ¡­It has to do with your novels.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She was surprised. ¡°D-do you mean you¡¯ve decided what you¡¯re going to get serious about and what you¡¯re going to do for the world?¡± He did not answer, but he did give a small smile of anticipation. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw that smile and he squeezed her hand again. He had probably noticed the pulse, sweat, and heat on her hand. The wind was blowing and it carried the spring cherry blossoms. Those blossoms almost looked like snow. It reminded her of the snow and concept light from that night two years ago. And behind them, she heard the piano playing in the school building¡¯s music room. It played Silent Night. That was the one song she had remembered and now she remembered so much more. Still, she sang along with the song her mother had taught her and that connected her to someone precious. As they walked hand-in-hand, Sayama also opened his mouth. And they sang. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± As they sang, Shinjou suddenly realized something about the writing on the emergency exit wall. ¡°Was that¡­?¡± The wind had wiped it clean, but that had chronicled the twelve worlds that had risen into the heights. Those words of those various endings had vanished so no one could see them anymore. That was the Ending Chronicle. Everything that connected the past and the future was with them, so where would they end up as they continued on ahead? She only knew two things for sure: Sayama was smiling her way, and¡­ ¡°I will always be with you, Shinjou-kun.¡± She nodded at his words. ¡°So will I.¡± She raised her voice while squeezing his hand even tighter. ¡°So will I!¡± The words of their promise rang into the sky of the new spring season. Their voices rang loud with that song of promise in the background. We¡¯ll always be together, Sayama-kun!! Volume 14, Afterword Volume 14, Afterword That was the final volume of Owari no Chronicle. It¡¯s thanks to all of you that I could do this for three years. Thank you very much. And while this ends Owari, the Ahead series itself continues. Sayama, Shinjou and the others have finished the ¡°Ending¡± that their ancestors left behind and they will now be creating a ¡°Chronicle¡± of their own world, but the stage and focus of the story is not just on them. It is a story of the entire world growing livelier. I think the viewpoint will jump all around the world. When the Ahead world is opened up again someday or the Chronicle summing it up is released, I hope you will want to know what has happened in this world. In all seriousness, thank you so much for these three years. And with that, the usual chat. ¡°Today, I¡¯ve invited in a special guest.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, I¡¯m no one special. I¡¯m just a normal person. What kind of introduction was that?¡± ¡°Come to think of it, most people would probably understand you. ¡­How does it feel to get thrown through the air by an elephant?¡± ¡°I thought I was going to ele-faint. ¡­Didn¡¯t like that one? Then it felt ele-fantastic.¡± ¡°I hope it throws you again and breaks your neck. Anyway, did you read it?¡± ¡°Of course I didn¡¯t. I checked the afterwords for 1-5, and didn¡¯t only one of them read it?¡± ¡°Yeah. 6 isn¡¯t out yet, but they didn¡¯t read it for that one either. In other words, you all are statistically the worst!¡± ¡°Shut up. Besides, your books take up too much space on the bookshelf! Oh ho ho ho ho. How about you go die!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare complain about that in the final volume of those books that take up so much space!¡± ¡°Also, you need to thank the readers who have bothered to stick with you. C¡¯mon, bow down.¡± This was kind of all over the place for the last one, wasn¡¯t it? ¡­Anyway, thank you very much, everyone. I¡¯ll do my very best to get a proper afterword for my next book. I thought this volume¡¯s background music would be Silent Night, but I feel like that¡¯s more the background music for the series as a whole. Instead, I chose Soldier¡¯s Song from the video game Alien Soldier. I wasn¡¯t sure I should choose it since it¡¯s a Mega Drive game and nearly impossible to get your hands on, but these days you can download Sega¡¯s games (for a fee) and they¡¯re rereleasing it. It¡¯s strange how things from the past continue to live on in the present without deteriorating. Anyway, I was listening to that while proofreading. ¡°Who was the most uneasy with themselves?¡± I also thought about that. Now then, now then. I¡¯m currently trying to figure out where I¡¯ll go next. October 2005. A suddenly chilly morning -Kawakami Minoru Volume 14, Interlude: The Usual Volume 14, Interlude: The Usual I am always Always Wishing for this The pale blue expanse of the sky contained clouds that looked drawn on with a brush. It was the winter sky and the sun shined down from its late morning height. A train to Tokyo traveled down the Chuo Line. It left the station building that contained a banner for a 2005 Christmas sale and it continued east. The train picked up speed as it cut through the city that was enjoying its year-end festival. It was midday on Christmas. ¡°Christmas, huh?¡± A voice spoke in the Tokyo-bound train. It came from the center of the long seat halfway down the nearly empty front car. ¡°Look, Shinjou-kun. An IAI food cart bus is having a Christmas sale in front of Kunitachi Station.¡± ¡°Eh? Where, where, Sayama-kun?¡± ¡°There.¡± Sayama in his suit pointed out the window and Shinjou in her orange jacket tried to peer out. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right! They¡¯re doing something suspiciously lively!¡± ¡°Yes, they are. Look over there. There is even a life-size Santa doll.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. The Santa doll is naked and hanging upside down with a sign saying, ¡®My Peter-class hard luck will protect you from Satan!¡¯ ¡­That can¡¯t be right!!¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. It is within the margin of error, so there is nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°Really?¡± said Shinjou while Sayama laughed and looked to the station as it grew more distant. They were moving east. As the midday sun shined on the Chuo Line to Tokyo, their train was as empty as one would expect of a rapid-service train. They had an important ¡°job¡± that night. Every UCAT would be working together and they had the central role, so they had to gather at Mitaka where a base had already been set up. They were scheduled to meet at three in the afternoon and Shinjou checked the current time on her watch. ¡°One o¡¯clock. Even with just rapid-service, we¡¯ll still arrive in Mitaka a little early, Sayama-kun. But Ooshiro-san said to take things easy before this big job.¡± ¡°There is something we could do, Shinjou-kun.¡± Shinjou nodded, thought for a moment, and spoke up with some regret in her voice. ¡°Yes. If possible, I would have wanted to relax together some more.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Sayama as he lightly crossed his arms. ¡°I understand just how you feel. So in the short time until Mitaka¡­we can flirt together.¡± ¡°¡­I had a feeling you would say that.¡± Hearing that, Sayama turned around. Shinjou had her hair tied back behind her head and she wore a winter jacket over a white dress. She was also glaring at him. ¡°Um? You do know that the world is in real danger right now, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, I am well aware. But¡­is there a law saying we are not allowed to flirt when the world is in danger?¡± Shinjou groaned but finally raised a finger. ¡°Um,¡± she began. ¡°There isn¡¯t a law saying we have to flirt either.¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­we are allowed freedom of expression.¡± ¡°Kh,¡± she groaned again. But then she muttered ¡°I won¡¯t let him win this¡± under her breath. ¡°Wh-what exactly were you planning for this flirting?¡± Sayama thought on that question. What exactly was this ¡°flirting¡± he was thinking of? With Baku mimicking him from his head, Sayama held his hands in empty air like a conductor and made an additional pose as he answered. ¡°Flirt! Ing!!¡± ¡°Wh-what was that weird shout and transformation pose for!?¡± ¡°Oh? That was not enough to understand, Shinjou-kun!?¡± Sayama continued his explanation while obviously surprised that his pose had not gotten through to her. ¡°In other words, Sayama Mikoto can use his words alone to flirt with you in only 0.00002 seconds!¡± ¡°Oh? Then if I close off your windpipe so you can¡¯t speak, you can¡¯t get weird?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Getting violent again, I see. But that too is lovely¡­ Flirt! Ing!¡± She strangled him. After ten seconds, he went limp and she let go. ¡°Honestly.¡± She sat back down next to him and rested her head in her hand. She was still glancing over at him. ¡°This really has been an awful day from the beginning.¡± ¡°Hm? From the beginning?¡± ¡°Yes, the awfulness began in the morning.¡± When she glared at him, he and Baku both tilted their heads. ¡°This morning? But you seemed quite happy when the sun came up.¡± ¡°Waaaah!! By morning I meant when we woke up!!¡± She strangled him again and shook him. ¡­Oh, no. This is going to leave a mark on my neck. And if this continues much longer and I die here, Shinjou-kun would become a criminal. Killing Sayama Mikoto is a greater crime than destroying the entire universe. If she did that, she would be imprisoned until the end of the world, but if I am going to be killed by anyone, it should be Shinjou-kun. Still, I never like to waste a good opportunity, so maybe I could frame the old man or Izumo to get them executed. But then if neither of them was caught, Shinjou-kun would gain a criminal record. And if that happened, she would have to have her fingers examined to take her fingerprints. ¡­I cannot let someone other than me do that to her! Therefore¡­ ¡°Sh-Shinjou-kun, calm down! No matter the reason, I cannot allow someone other than me to examine your ___!¡± ¡°¡­Have you gone insane?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. What are you talking about?¡± Sayama laughed off Shinjou¡¯s needless worries. ¡°Yes, feel free to put whatever body part you want in that ¡®___¡¯. And something adventurous would be nice, Shinjou-kun!¡± Shinjou smiled a little. ¡­Good. She seems to understand now. Then she nodded a few times and placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°How about you die?¡± ¡°No, Shinjou-kun, let us set aside such trivial matters and prepare the ink and inkstone.¡± ¡°What are you trying to do!?¡± Shinjou panicked, stood from her seat to escape, and held her skirt down. ¡°B-besides, right now¡­I¡¯m a boy!¡± That line received a certain reaction. There were very few people on the train already, but it grew completely silent now. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Shinjou seemed to have realized what her statement plus her current location meant. She looked down at her skirt, looked around, and blushed. ¡°U-um¡­well, uh¡­¡± Shinjou was at a loss for words, so Sayama decided he needed to say something to help her out. ¡°Shinjou-kun!¡± He stood up. ¡°I do not mind in the slightest that you are a boy, Shinjou-kun!!¡± ¡°Nwaah! You idiot!!¡± ¡°There is no need to be shy! Now, leap into my chest as the boy you are, Shinjou-kun!¡± She leaped into his chest knee-first. She heard his ribs creaking, but he seemed satisfied that she had complied. ¡°Gwoh! Sh-Shinjou-kun! How passionate! How manly!!¡± ¡°Sh-shut up. Why do you feel the need to destroy my position in society!?¡± ¡°A butt god has no need for a position in lowly human society, Shinjou-kun. The only place you need is in the absolute physical laws of the Sayama Universe.¡± He placed an arm around her shoulders from the side and she glared back at him. She tilted her head with a look of pure displeasure. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll ask¡­ How do things work in the Sayama Universe?¡± He immediately answered. ¡°It has recently been introduced to the wonders of the video camera. And a digital one at that.¡± ¡°What kind of universe is that!? And don¡¯t make it sound like you aren¡¯t involved!¡± She suddenly stopped speaking there. He could see her tilting her head and frowning. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Well¡­ You mentioning the video camera reminded me of something,¡± she said. ¡°Um, I¡¯ve never actually seen you swap out the tape.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? It is all being backed up multiple times to an online distributed file storage system using the computer hidden in the ceiling. Each individual piece is useless, but my own personal software and password can transform them into a video. ¡­Yes, computers around the world are overflowing with you right now, Shinjou-kun.¡± He had assumed she would have some kind of reaction, but when he looked to her face in front of his chest¡­ ¡°?¡± She simply tilted her head as if she did not understand what he had said. He tilted his head in the same way. ¡°Do you have some kind of question about the grand Shinjou-kun World Domination Project I just described?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± She frowned. ¡°You can record video on computers?¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± He fell silent, so she tilted her head further. ¡°Aren¡¯t videos recorded on tapes? I know a little bit about this, you know. They say Beta is the best so it¡¯ll definitely survive. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°It would seem I need to explain to you how Kashima-kun¡¯s videos work. Not to mention what VHS is.¡± ¡°Eh? Doesn¡¯t Kashima-san¡¯s camera have a tape recorder built inside it? I thought it was amazing that it didn¡¯t make a bunch of noise. And what¡¯s VHS? Some kind of vaccine?¡± Sayama decided in his heart that, when they got back home, he would explain this all to her while recording her. If she does not know what VHS is, I will have to have S with her V in a very H way. In fact, the cabinet meeting in my head is about to vote on the matter. No objections! Thank you. Thank you, VHS. ¡­You are a treasure of Japan! ¡°Sayama-kun? Sayama-kun? What are you muttering about and what are you looking at? How about you die?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry, Shinjou-kun. I am fine. Just fine.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Sayama while watching the midday city scenery as the train ran along an elevated track. With his arm around Shinjou from the side, he watched the city and sighed. ¡°The thing is¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I was realizing that I want to ensure future generation know about someone as VHS as you.¡± ¡°¡­Calm down.¡± ¡°Heh heh. I cannot wait, Shinjou-kun!¡± ¡°Wait, um, uh, Sayama-kun? Are you even listening to me?¡± ¡°Yes, I am. When we get back, I will film you, play it back on a triple monitor setup, and enjoy comparing it to the real one! Yes, I will have two high-resolution Shinjou-kuns! We must return alive today, Shinjou-kun! ¡­Anyway, what have you been trying to say?¡± Since he had his arm around her, she was able to immediately tighten his necktie. While she strangled and shook him, he thought to himself. ¡­Heh heh. She is so cute when she is embarrassed. Now, this is what I call flirting. It is truly wonderful how she sounds so serious when saying ¡°die¡± or ¡°perish¡± to hide her embarrassment. Recently, she has not been releasing me even when I tap out, but that is just how she shows that she does not want to let me go. And I seem to have a way of always giving her what she wants. ¡­She is feeling lonely, so she can strangle me as much as she wants! Regardless, he started tapping out before long. He was released, he caught his breath, and he realized she was looking up at him. He wiped the sweat from his brow after that light exercise and spoke. ¡°What is it, Shinjou-kun?¡± ¡°Well¡­I was just thinking that this is how things usually go for us.¡± ¡°Kazami and Izumo seemed a little different from normal.¡± Shinjou looked up to the ceiling and thought a bit, but she finally smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be back to normal when they get to Mitaka.¡± ¡°Will they?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She nodded. ¡°Even though it¡¯s Christmas. ¡­Look.¡± The train started to slow. Shinjou glanced around, but Sayama kept his arm around her and refused to let go. She did not resist and simply looked out the window. ¡°The station area is all decorated. There¡¯s even a Christmas tree. But¡­¡± She smiled bitterly. ¡°Why are we the same as always in the middle of this big festival?¡± ¡°That is simple, Shinjou-kun. We are always having a festival.¡± ¡°¡­¡®We¡¯?¡± He nodded and her expression vanished. She hung her head and he held her even tighter. ¡°What put you in a bad mood so quickly?¡± ¡°Well¡­I was just thinking that this is how things usually go for us.¡± ¡°Of course it is,¡± he said. ¡°We are those who enjoy festivals. If enjoying something is better than suffering through it ¨C and you do not wish to be a masochist ¨C then it is best to think of everything as a festival.¡± Sayama looked to the decorations outside the station they were stopped at. ¡°Look.¡± He shook Shinjou¡¯s shoulder to get her to look too. ¡°The Christmas tree is so pretty, Shinjou-kun. We should have gotten one for ourselves.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t our room feel pretty cramped?¡± ¡°But it would feel even more fun. Have you ever-¡­?¡± She shook her head before he could finish his question. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever decorated a tree. Although maybe I just don¡¯t remember it.¡± ¡°Then how about doing it with me?¡± She gave him a troubled smile, but¡­ ¡°Sayama-kun, you¡¯ll be with me for all my firsts, won¡¯t you?¡± As if in response to that thought, she relaxed her shoulders and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, Sayama-kun. ¡­A Christmas tree would be nice. I hope we can get a really big one. And¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Her expression softened. ¡°I hope everyone, even my mom and the others, can see that tree. ¡­I kind of feel like they¡¯ll be able to.¡± ¡°A Christmas tree? What¡¯s that? You want to go see it?¡± A surprised voice came from the floor. That was where a black cat sat on the wooden floor of a large, dimly-lit space. Several rectangular sun-marks covered the stepped floor the cat sat on, but those were the marks left when bookcases were moved. This had originally been a library, but all of the bookcases had been moved to the hallway, leaving a few desks and¡­ ¡°Then quit clinging to the counter and get going, Brunhild. I want to see that Christmas tree, too.¡± The small figure at the counter looked back toward the cat. The person reading a book and sipping at a paper cup of coffee was Brunhild. The cat then heard what she said while wearing her black clothing and hat. ¡°You know?¡± she began. ¡°Only children get excited about a Christmas tree. It¡¯s not worth going somewhere crowded for.¡± ¡°Hm. So you don¡¯t have any friends to go with you?¡± Brunhild crushed the paper cup in her hand. She glared at him, so he took a step back. ¡°Did I¡­say something wrong?¡± ¡°¡­No, not really.¡± ¡°A-are you sure?¡± The cat forced himself to start whistling. During the intermittent whistling, Brunhild¡¯s gaze slowly returned to the book. After a while, the cat stopped whistling and seemed unable to stand the subsequent silence. ¡°Where¡¯s Siegfried?¡± ¡°He apparently went to Okutama. He said it was to see if Hiba¡¯s grandfather had kicked the bucket yet.¡± ¡°Hm. Everyone¡¯s ignoring you, aren¡¯t they?¡± Brunhild suddenly pulled a coffee grinder from below the counter. The old, hand-cranked device was heavy enough to make the entire counter shake. ¡°U-um¡­¡± The coffee grinder blocked the cat¡¯s view of Brunhild¡¯s face. She placed beans inside, grabbed the handle in her fists, and started cranking away. Sounds of scraping and crunching filled the library as Brunhild seemed to enter a trancelike state. ¡°Heh heh heh heh heh. Destruction is simply wonderful!!¡± ¡°C-calm down. Let¡¯s calm down, Brunhild! Something unpleasant might have happened, but calm down!¡± ¡°Then,¡± she said while coming to a stop. After a short pause, she continued speaking while holding the handle like she was praying. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Siegfried give me a Christmas present?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± She immediately interrupted. ¡°Wrong! You have one more chance!¡± ¡°I-I hadn¡¯t even said anything yet!!¡± ¡°What? You sure are slow.¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re a tyrant! An absolute tyrant!¡± She expressionlessly told him to ¡°just get on with it¡± and sweat began pouring down his face. He desperately thought for about five seconds. ¡°Oh! I know!¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± He responded to her quiet question by stretching out his body and puffing out his chest. ¡°Just think about it! People only give presents to children and given your actual age- Wait! I was wrong! Forget I said anything! Please!¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯ve gotten clever in the worst possible way lately.¡± ¡°By the way.¡± The cat prepared his hind legs to make a quick escape as he asked. ¡°Why do you want a present in the first place?¡± ¡°Because¡­I feel like he would have given Gutrune one.¡± ¡°Hm? So you want him to treat you like a child?¡± One second after asking, he ducked down and covered his head, but Brunhild did not send an attack his way. ¡°¡­?¡± Confused, he looked up and found her with her chin resting on the coffee grinder. Her partially-opened eyes were looking right at him. ¡°Maybe I do.¡± ¡°¡­Do what?¡± ¡°The thing is,¡± she began. ¡°I lost my parents when I was a kid and didn¡¯t have an enjoyable childhood. My time with the princess and the others was fine, but ever since losing 1st-Gear, there hasn¡¯t been any love around me.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. You¡¯re placing responsibility for your own personality on others, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Heh heh heh. You¡¯re placing your own life in someone else¡¯s hands, aren¡¯t you!?¡± The cat quickly retreated, but Brunhild only snorted. The cat saw her lean back in her chair, cross her arms behind her head, and sigh toward the ceiling. ¡°This really is boring¡­¡± ¡°Th-then, Brunhild.¡± The cat made a suggestion. ¡°How about I give you a present?¡± ¡°¡­Such as?¡± There was a tone of interest in her question, so the cat started thinking. ¡°Um¡­¡± This has to be something really good, so¡­ ¡°How about the corpses of a dozen cicadas I caught during the summer? You can use them in a ritual, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a witch or something?¡± ¡°Y-you clearly are!!¡± Hearing that, she looked at the hat on her head. ¡°Maybe so,¡± she said as she lifted it up and let a small bird poke its head out. She straightened up and rested her chin on the coffee grinder again. ¡°Well, something would be better than nothing. Okay, if you¡¯re going to get me something¡­¡± A smile appeared on her face as she looked down at him. ¡°Listen. There¡¯s something I want.¡± ¡°Eh? Wh-what? What is it!? A victim!? Or a sacrifice!? If you get one of those, I can avoid getting tied up, can¡¯t I!? ¡­So which is it!?¡± ¡°Are you picking a fight with me!? ¡­Listen.¡± She pointed at him and jabbed her finger forward with each word. ¡°I. Want. Your. Remorse.¡± ¡°¡­My remorse?¡± The cat tilted his head. After tilting it for five seconds, twenty seconds, and then a full minute, he slowly lowered his hips. ¡°What exactly¡­do you mean?¡± ¡°¡­Oh? You show it all the time. After I scold you.¡± ¡°So my remorse¡­is collapsing limply to the floor?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what your remorse is, then yes! Now, give me your remorse for my present!¡± She stood up and approached, so the cat made a run for it. ¡°A present, hm?¡± A male voice could be heard on a sunny street corner. A man in a somewhat worn-out lab coat stood in front of a house on a narrow road. The house¡¯s nameplate said ¡°Kashima¡±, the man had a leather bag in his right hand, and he adjusted his glasses and collar with his left hand. ¡°Now, then.¡± He calmed his breathing and started to open the door. That was when the wooden door suddenly opened from inside. Sandal-wearing footsteps and a woman¡¯s voice reached him from the rectangle of darkness. ¡°Welcome home, Akio-san.¡± A woman with short black hair stepped out with her eyes bent and narrowed. ¡°It¡¯s good to be back, Natsu-san. I-¡­¡± He trailed off because Natsu was holding a baby to her chest when she stepped out. The baby was wrapped in a white cloth while she looked to her mother and father and spoke to both of them. The quiet ¡°ah¡± caused Kashima to narrow his own eyes. ¡°Daddy¡¯s home, Harumi.¡± He breathed a small sigh of relief. Natsu must have seen the tension leave his shoulders because she nodded. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re all right.¡± A note of relief filled her voice. During the early morning two days before, his workplace had been destroyed in an ¡°earthquake¡± and everyone inside ¨C him included ¨C had evacuated thanks to the early warning they had received. However, relatives like Natsu had only been informed the following day and the evacuated people had been missing at that point. She had apparently been incredibly worried until he had contacted her at about ten. When he had called then, she had apparently been about to visit his parents and she had burst into tears as soon as she heard his voice. Then a horribly unreasonable hour of scolding and kindness had followed. However, he had needed to take care of some things afterwards, so he had not come home until now. It had been a while, but he was returning home just like always. It looked like Natsu had calmed down by now, but she was still relieved to actually see him with her own eyes. That may have been why her left hand was tugging on his lab coat. ¡°Please call me sooner next time. ¡­I don¡¯t want to hear whether you¡¯re okay or not from someone else.¡± Who¡¯s supposed to contact her if I died? he wondered, but he decided it would be best not to say that given the circumstances. So¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll always return home as long as you¡¯re protecting our home ¡­Isn¡¯t that right, Harumi?¡± He tried to touch his daughter, but Natsu turned around to move Harumi away from him. A quiet ¡°ah¡± escaped him and she looked over her shoulder at him and laughed quietly from her throat. ¡°The naughty Santa who waited until Christmas morning to come home doesn¡¯t get to touch Haru-chan.¡± Now that¡¯s a harsh punishment, he thought in silent shock, but he did not apologize. After all, his late return had been due to work he needed to do last night and the two of them had decided he would not apologize for any work that protected his family. So instead, he spoke in an intentionally playful voice. ¡°To show my remorse, I changed from red to white clothes.¡± He shrugged and Natsu tilted her head while still smiling. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked when faced with her confusion. ¡°Did putting on white clothes also white-out your memories of the present you mentioned on the phone?¡± His body temperature dropped by three degrees. He had indeed mentioned a present he had bought when speaking with her before the ¡°earthquake¡±. It had been an IAI Christmas Mystery Bag. Specifically the ¡°Pine¡± one that cost thirty thousand yen. He had used an X-ray device and an MRI to check the contents, then used a conceptual scan, and finally gotten the bomb squad to open it. After tossing all the dangerous items in Atsuta¡¯s locker, he had repackaged it with what he had bought himself to create what he called the True Mystery Bag. ¡°It¡¯s not that I forgot. It was lost in the earthquake.¡± ¡°Haru-chan? Our Santa didn¡¯t forget our present. He lost it. And in an earthquake no less. Sounds like a magician from an RPG, doesn¡¯t it? ¡­He destroys, but he can¡¯t create.¡± Kashima¡¯s body temperature dropped even further as Natsu rubbed her cheek against Harumi and laughed again. ¡°Sorry, Akio-san. Since you were safe, I decided to get back at you for all the worrying you put me through.¡± When she put it that way, he could only accept it. It did not seem fair, but he decided she was making sure he did not need to apologize for making her worry. However, there was some darkness remaining on her face. He knew why and, even though he did not say anything, she put it to words without hiding anything. ¡°Akio-san, you have work tonight too, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± he replied. He had already told her over the phone that he needed to prepare for work at the Kanda branch next year since the main building had been destroyed. That was a lie. He had ¡°work¡± in the city tonight. And this work required him to become a soldier even though he had an important office position. It was possible he could lose his life and it was even possible the world could be destroyed. ¡­But¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll definitely be back.¡± He said the same words he had once said in his heart. Natsu turned back around to face him. There was no smile in her eyes, her mouth opened, and she trembled a little, but¡­ ¡°Okay.¡± She forced a smile and nodded. That motion caused something to spill from the corners of her eyes. She must have noticed the tremor in her eyes because she wiped at the top of her cheeks with her fingers and turned her back. She quickly moved inside the house and put on a cheerful voice. ¡°A-Akio-san¡­will you be leaving right away?¡± ¡°I think I can wait until this evening. I¡¯m sure Atsuta at least will be late.¡± ¡°In that case¡­¡± Some of the strength truly had returned to her voice now and she asked a question while removing her sandals in front of him. ¡°It may be midday, but how about we have a party here while thanking Atsuta-san for always being late?¡± ¡°A party?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She turned around and showed him a real smile. ¡°This will be Haru-chan¡¯s first Christmas after all. So can¡¯t we?¡± By the time she asked that, a trouble look had reached her face. Her cheeks were flushed, but that was probably from embarrassment. When he thought about it, they had always celebrated Christmas by eating out before Harumi had been born and her family had no real Christmas traditions since her parents had followed strict Japanese customs. A party a child would enjoy must be an adventure for her, he realized. So¡­ ¡°Good idea.¡± The expression on her face when she heard that made it hard to tell whether she or Harumi was the child. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and stepped inside. I¡¯m home, he said in his heart. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll bring you a present tomorrow. Santa hit someone with his sleigh today, so he¡¯ll be a little late. But¡­Natsu-san, you already have the party ready to go, don¡¯t you? The food¡¯s all cooked, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Eh? W-well¡­ How did you know?¡± She sounded troubled and he squeezed her shoulder in lieu of an answer. He brought his cheek in close. ¡°Ah,¡± she said while shrinking back and looking him in the eye, so he looked right back. Her eyes were a little damp from crying a bit earlier. Those black eyes closed and her chin turned upwards. He nodded as she gave a small demanding wave of her head. ¡°You asked how I knew you had the food for the party cooked.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I could smell vanilla essence on you.¡± She blushed. Harumi also moved at her chest, so she might have been worried about how she smelled too. But Natsu closed her eyes and spoke in a somewhat displeased voice. ¡°Th-that is, um¡­my smell.¡± ¡°Is it? You smell this sweet?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She waved her head again with her eyes still closed. ¡°It has a flavor too, but it¡¯s bitter, not sweet. I learned that today.¡± She laughed from her throat and Kashima brought that laugh into his mouth. With that, he began their party for this holy day. ¡°A party, huh?¡± The sun shined on some white trucks at a parking lot in the mountains. That sunny mountaintop parking area was in Yamanashi. There were twelve giant white trucks in the large parking lot and they were arranged in three rows of four. A couple of people could be seen on the roof of the central truck. A blonde maid sat in the center with a woman in a lab coat resting her head on her lap. The woman stared up into the sky. ¡°A party¡­¡± she muttered again. The maid whose lap she was resting her head on tilted her head. ¡°Will you be dancing? We can reduce the strain on your body, Lady Miyako.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The woman named Miyako brought a hand to her forehead in thought. ¡°The thing is, Moira 1st.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. What is it?¡± ¡°Think about it. You¡¯ve seen my mom, right? Our Christmas traditions were pretty half-assed.¡± ¡°Half¡­assed?¡± I am not used to that adjective, thought Moira 1st. Miyako gave a deep nod at her own word and said more. ¡°We would celebrate it, but we¡¯d eat sushi and take a yuzu bath. ¡­I don¡¯t remember ever having a cake.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Moira 1st nodded while thinking that cooking would be an easy task. ¡°Then let us make one, Lady Miyako. Before we leave for Tokyo.¡± ¡°Eh? You can do that?¡± Miyako looked up at her and Moira 1st nodded back with a smile. ¡°Yes, sir. One of these trucks is your own personal kitchen. We can make ancient or modern Japanese, Western, or Chinese food. In fact, we could even make some dubious African cuisine. All of the ingredients are fresh, so they only need to be prepared with 3rd¡¯s techniques.¡± ¡°If any of that¡¯s alive, let it go. No, wait. You¡¯re not supposed to release non-native species. Well, whatever. ¡­More importantly, isn¡¯t that a waste of money when we aren¡¯t even spending half a day on the road?¡± ¡°3rd-Gear¡¯s future is dependent on your health.¡± Moira 1st smiled and spoke so Miyako could hear. ¡°I have determined it is an excellent deal to only need a single truck to manage all of the food for the person supporting 3rd-Gear. Besides, if my management has been perfect, your body weight should not have changed more than 100g since summer.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± asked Miyako as she reached for her stomach. After a while, she looked up in surprise while rubbing her belly. ¡°Come to think of it, you¡¯re right! I never step on the scale, so I¡¯d have never noticed!¡± ¡°U-um, Lady Miyako? I feel like a young woman should try to manage her own health at least somewhat¡­¡± ¡°But those scales can¡¯t measure out the grams for experimental materials. Why would I use something like that?¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Is that how it works? wondered Moira 1st with a tilt of the head. Miyako smiled and said more. ¡°But are you sure I should eat a cake? I might gain weight? I¡¯m not used to eating them.¡± ¡°Not to worry. We will calculate out all of the carbohydrates and fiber to make an accurate yet slightly altered cake.¡± ¡°Altered?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Moira 1st nodded with a serious expression. ¡°3rd¡¯s techniques are capable of making a perfect reproduction of a cake, but then the taste would never change. That is why we add in just a little bit of fuzziness. For example, when measuring the ingredients, we will ask the old lady from the house out back to do it or we will use an analog clock with a nearly dead battery to measure the cooking time. And with that added thrill, we will make¡­¡± She clenched her right fist with the serious expression intact. ¡°A mayonnaise cream cake since you love mayonnaise so much!!¡± ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯m not familiar with that cooking process, but what kind of flavor is that?¡± ¡°Eh? I-it is mostly mayonnaise cream, the sponge cake will have a lot of the sweetness removed, and fruit seemed like it would be a poor flavor match, so we will use fresh cucumber and lettuce.¡± ¡°You know what? That¡¯s called a mayonnaise sandwich. And wouldn¡¯t it be a little rich?¡± Moira 1st started to think. She held a vote with the others over their shared memory, they chatted a bit, they scheduled the day¡¯s TV broadcasts to be recorded, and they discussed whether they should triple record ¡°It¡¯s Christmas Mito Kimon 2005¡± since Miyako liked the show. After sorting through everyone¡¯s opinions, Moira 1st summed them all up for a final decision. She let out some excess heat with a sigh and then she smiled. She wiped the artificial sweat from her brow and opened her mouth to state her conclusion. ¡°In other words, you want to eat a sandwich on Christmas, don¡¯t you!?¡± ¡°Stop thinking about mayonnaise. And about cakes. Making a tart would probably be safer.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Moira 1st nodded just as a blonde girl climbed up onto the edge of the truck. Sensing the smiling figure, Miyako turned toward her. ¡°Moira 3rd?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After climbing up, the girl dove toward Miyako to lie next to her. ¡°Stop that.¡± Moira 1st frowned, but Moira 3rd did not care. She used her spread hands to slap at the truck¡¯s roof. ¡°Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, Miyako! Presents!!¡± ¡°Presents?¡± asked Miyako with a chocolate cigarette in her mouth. ¡°Yeah,¡± said Moira 3rd as she rested her head in her hands. ¡°We¡¯ll be giving you one, so you give us one too! Please, please, please!¡± ¡°Moira 3rd?¡± cut in Moira 1st. ¡°Lady Miyako is still a low-payed part-time worker, so asking her for too much will wear down 3rd¡¯s finances.¡± ¡°My wallet is supporting an entire world?¡± Miyako stared into the distance from Moira 1st¡¯s lap, but¡­ ¡°Well, whatever.¡± She turned toward Moira 3rd without getting up from the other maid¡¯s lap and she crossed her arms. ¡°What do you want, Moira 3rd?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The girl spoke with a smile in her voice. ¡°Your first time on Christmas!!¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Moira 1st¡¯s artificial senses detected an iciness in the surrounding air. Her sight devices also detected a cold sweat pouring down Miyako¡¯s face, but after a while Miyako replied in a shaky voice. ¡°U-um? Moira 3rd? That doesn¡¯t refer to a normal Christmas celebration¡­¡± ¡°I know! It¡¯s something important, isn¡¯t it!? I read a magazine filled with naked women they were selling in that store over there, and it said something about giving that to someone! ¡­It¡¯s a present, isn¡¯t it!?¡± Moira 1st froze up in thought as she tried to decide whether to stop her or not, but then her younger sister said even more. ¡°And when Gyes heard me talking about it, she hit me a bunch and explained that ¨C and I quote ¨C ¡®th-that refers to something incredibly important¡¯!¡± Only then did Moira 3rd seem to realize that everyone else had fallen silent. ¡°Huh?¡± She tilted her head. ¡°Can you not give me that, Miyako? Do you not have a ¡®first time¡¯!?¡± ¡°W-well, it¡¯s more that¡­um¡­I¡¯m all out.¡± ¡°Ehhhhh!? Th-then who did you give it to?¡± ¡°Well, Apol-¡­ Hey, why are all of you listening in!?¡± As soon as Miyako blushed and shouted, footsteps scurried away from behind the truck. The shouting voices all came from maid dolls. At the same time, someone else arrived on top of the truck. The woman had a red suit and an equally red face. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Gyes! Eh? Ah, hey! Where are you dragging me by the collar? Waaaahhh!!¡± ¡°Sorry!!¡± Gyes bowed with a complicated look on her face before leaping into the distant forest with Moira 3rd in tow. ¡°Ah! Gyes! What are you doing!? You need to treat me more like a first time than this!! More like a first time!!¡± ¡°Do not say things people will take the wrong way!!¡± Metallic sounds of impact rang from the forest and Moira 1st sighed. But in her lap, Miyako covered her face in her hands and tried to keep from laughing. ¡°She sure is dumb¡­¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I apologize for my unfortunate sister.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. No one¡¯s more unfortunate than me. So do what you can to support me.¡± She sighed and rolled onto her back, but she still had a hand on her face to cover her eyes. ¡°Hey,¡± she said to Moira 1st. ¡°I¡¯ll think of a present for all of you later. And as for what I want, well¡­¡± ¡°Yes, sir?¡± ¡°I want everyone to make it back safely tonight.¡± Moira 1st directed her auditory devices¡¯ input into her shared memory as Miyako continued. ¡°If we don¡¯t do that, everything will derail like it did ten years ago.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, sir.¡± At that point, a maid with short blonde hair climbed up onto the truck. It was Moira 1st¡¯s other younger sister, Moira 2nd. The glasses-wearing maid named Violet was with her. They had apparently finished servicing the gods of war and weapons inside the trucks. They gave a gesture saying everything was ready to go. They were in Yamanashi, so they could reach Tokyo by evening if they left now. However, Moira 1st suggested to the others that they wait a bit to leave. At least until Miyako stopped covering her face with her hand. Everyone of course replied with ¡°yes, sir¡±, and Miyako spoke up even though she could not hear any of that. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She raised her right foot and dropped the sandal¡¯s heel down onto the truck¡¯s roof. A dull sound accompanied her next words. ¡°Let¡¯s all come back.¡± But the roof did not give a response. Moira 1st knew that the god of war inside this truck was blue. ¡°It will be okay, Lady Miyako.¡± Moira 1st gently brushed her master¡¯s hair. ¡°We will all come back.¡± She nodded and hoped Miyako would cheer up. ¡°After all, we all need to eat your special mayonnaise tart.¡± ¡°Noooo!!¡± Eh? thought Moira 1st as Miyako raised her hands in resignation and took in a deep breath. ¡°Please just make a normal cake!!¡± ¡°Cake. E.¡± ¡°E.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Elves.¡± ¡°S, so¡­strangulation.¡± ¡°N.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Nab.¡± ¡°B, so¡­bully.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Y.¡± ¡°Year.¡± ¡°R, so¡­rape.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Your words¡± ¡°seem a little¡± ¡°harsh.¡± ¡°Harsh? But Sayama and the others often use and say them. Like Shinjou.¡± ¡°Shinjou?¡± ¡°Shinjou does to Sayama. First, strangulation.¡± ¡°Strangulation.¡± ¡°Neck.¡± ¡°Pressure.¡± ¡°Asphyxiation.¡± ¡°Execution.¡± ¡°Proof that they get along.¡± ¡°Friends?¡± ¡°Nice?¡± ¡°Friendly?¡± ¡°Strangulation?¡± ¡°Execution?¡± ¡°Sometimes uses knee. Uses midair flying knee.¡± ¡°¡­Friends?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Trust you.¡± ¡°Incomprehensible culture.¡± ¡°But.¡± ¡°Respect.¡± ¡°Shinjou.¡± ¡°Shinjou said stop bullying. Said was mental rape.¡± ¡°Understand.¡± ¡°Comprehend.¡± ¡°Similar.¡± ¡°Resembles.¡± ¡°Appare Tono-sama.¡± ¡°Similar? Similar? Usual joke?¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Is good.¡± ¡°Gooder.¡± ¡°That is wrong.¡± ¡°Then bad?¡± ¡°D, so¡­deserts.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Sayama says everyone gets ¡®just deserts¡¯ based on flags.¡± ¡°S?¡± ¡°S.¡± ¡°S.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sweets.¡± ¡°A Christmas cake? Why are you bringing up sweets?¡± A suspicious voice filled a small apartment. The nine square meter room was lit by the midday sunlight coming in through the window as the room was being cleaned. A single person stood in the center of the room. It was a dark-skinned boy in a leather jacket. His gaze was directed downward toward the room¡¯s closet and its closed bottom shelf. ¡°Why do you want to eat a cake and gain weight, Heo Thunderson?¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t say that, Harakawa.¡± Heo¡¯s voice came from the closet¡¯s sliding door. Something was moving inside the closet, so the door would sometimes shake a bit as if something were pushing against it. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­you have to have a cake on Christmas.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Harakawa nodded. ¡°A nice creative statement. By which I mean it will be creating additional weight for you.¡± ¡°Wh-why do you have to look at everything in a negative light!?¡± Harakawa listened as the closet door defended the cake idea. ¡°C-cakes are delicious! ¡­And deliciousness is justice! I always take the side of justice, so I¡¯ll protect everything delicious!¡± ¡°Fine, but make sure all you do is protect it. That should solve everything. I¡¯m sure the cake¡¯s descendants will prosper. And by descendants, I mean mold.¡± The closet door fell silent at that, but after a while¡­ ¡°Can I take back what I said and become a hunter?¡± ¡°You certainly abandoned the side of justice quickly. So what are you going to do? Take the side of evil and become a destroyer of all things delicious by adopting a thorough scorched-earth policy?¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t destroy cakes! Cakes are meant to be eaten.¡± I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s any different, thought Harakawa. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, but hurry it up, Heo Thunderson. I¡¯m ready to go already.¡± ¡°Eh? Th-that was fast.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re just slow. The Yokota group will have already left.¡± Everyone was on the move. Some were arriving from western Tokyo and others from Yamanashi, but they would all check in at the Mitaka Station base before scattering around Tokyo. Harakawa and the others were supposed to gather at Mitaka as well. And Harakawa felt a need to arrive there before any of the others. ¡­If we don¡¯t, who knows what kind of rumors they¡¯ll start in order to pass the time. He could easily imagine what Sayama, Shinjou, Kazami, and Izumo would say if they were late. ¡°Ha ha ha. Harakawa must be late because he is flirting with Heo-kun again, the pedo bastard.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t call him a pedo. That¡¯s not nice to him or Heo. At least call him a lolicon bastard instead.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the same thing. But you second years sure have interesting tastes¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, but personally, I have to wonder if Heo will turn out to be quite the Holstein in the future.¡± ¡°Ryuuji-kun, what is a Holstein?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha. Mikage-san, she would never be able to hold a candle to you. The trick is to have a nicely balanced size.¡± Hiba and Mikage unexpectedly yet naturally joined the imaginary conversation, but it did not seem out of place. That made Harakawa shudder and he felt an unpleasant sweat on his back. ¡­This isn¡¯t good. If they were delayed any further, he was certain exactly that situation would play out and the entire group would decide their delusions were factual. They would all be looking at him as a pedo hoping for a Holstein. Plus, the comments would activate Heo¡¯s right brain, she would say something strange, and his peaceful life would be enveloped in destructive flames. ¡­Oh, no. Just as he thought that, the closet door spoke. ¡°U-um, Harakawa? Why are you being so quiet?¡± After asking that, she seemed to realize something. ¡°Ah! D-don¡¯t tell something happened to your brain!?¡± ¡°Shut up and come on out.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The closet door sounded surprised and continued more hesitantly. ¡°B-but, Harakawa, I¡¯m still naked. N-no, a-are you that¡­that interested in seeing me the way I was born!?¡± ¡°If I was interested in fetuses, maybe I could understand what goes in you people¡¯s brains.¡± ¡°Oh, come on, Harakawa. Don¡¯t be like that.¡± ¡°Hurry up and put some clothes on!!¡± ¡°O-okay,¡± replied the door. A moment later, he heard a dull sound as something moved inside the closet. Something had slammed into the shelf above from below. ¡°Hh.¡± Heo cried out in pain, rolled to the right, and crashed into the right wall. ¡°Eek.¡± She rolled back the other way and hit what sounded like the bookshelf. ¡°O-ow! Why now!?¡± She quickly tried to sit back up and hit the shelf above once more. Harakawa heard a dull sound, something falling over, and then ten seconds of silence. ¡°¡­Heo?¡± He called out to her, tilted his head, and found this strange. ¡°Are you done playing around?¡± ¡°Playing around!? This isn¡¯t a game! I was serious!¡± ¡°You were seriously running into things? Then I¡¯m sorry I interrupted. I¡¯m leaving.¡± He turned his back on the closet. ¡­This is hopeless. I¡¯ll be here all day if I play along. She can get to Mitaka by train, but I need to go on ahead for my own safety. But¡­ ¡°Ah, p-please wait!¡± Heo opened the closet door and rushed out with her bag. When he saw the tears in her eyes and the sports bag, he realized he may have gone a little too far, but at the same time¡­ ¡°¡­Where are your clothes?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± She looked down and realized she was naked. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± She blushed, threw the bag aside, and quickly dove back behind the closet door. He heard her quickly rummaging around inside the storage box in the back of the closet. ¡°Y-you¡¯re mean and perverted, Harakawa! You tricked me into coming out naked!¡± ¡°That¡¯s an incredible accusation there. Personally, I think it has more to do with you losing all common sense as a human being.¡± ¡°I-it doesn¡¯t matter!¡± she shouted back as he heard the rustling of cloth. He then heard her opening another box, but then¡­ ¡°Ah.¡± After her voice of realization, all of the sounds came to a sudden stop. Harakawa was not sure what was going on. ¡°U-um, Harakawa? This is¡­a little hard to admit, but¡­I-I think all of my clothes are in that bag.¡± He shoved the bag into the closet and heard a scream as it was swallowed up by the darkness. He immediately heard it being opened and rummaged through. ¡°U-um, oh, this¡­and this¡­goes on the bottom¡­no, this is goes on top¡­top, top, bottom, bottom¡­¡± ¡°Heo Thunderson, I think you¡¯re missing something right now.¡± ¡°Wh-what is that? ¡­There we go.¡± ¡°Are you dressed?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she said in delight. ¡°I just finished putting on my T-shirt!¡± How slow can you be? he wondered but left unsaid. She was incredibly fast when it came to running or derailing conversations in strange directions, but she was slower than average in everything else. If he said anything here, there were decent odds she would come out in only her T-shirt. And what would everyone say then? ¡°Oh, dear. Heo, why are you sporting the naked T-shirt look? I don¡¯t remember teaching you about that contradictory genre.¡± ¡°Roger! Roger! What is the naked T-shirt look!?¡± ¡°Testament. I believe it is a variation on the ancient Japanese tradition of Kanpu Masatsu. You wear unnecessarily light clothing when it is cold to train your mind and you use trade friction to achieve complete victory. It is a magical tradition for international relations. Some take it to another level by sitting below a waterfall.¡± ¡°I see, I see. What a frightening country Japan is to find a magical resolution to their international issues!¡± After imagining that much, Harakawa grew truly worried about his future. But before long¡­ ¡°Okay, all done! I¡¯m dressed!¡± Delighted that she had dressed herself on her own, Heo left the closet. When she stepped out into the light, she raised her arms a little and spun around once to show off the clothes. ¡°W-well? Did I put them on right? ¡­Does anything look wrong?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Harakawa slowly opened his mouth as he quietly looked at Heo¡¯s clothing. ¡°Why are you wearing a track suit? And why is it a hand-me-down from my mom?¡± Heo looked down at the reddish-brown track suit with worn-out white lines along the sides. ¡°I-is there anything wrong with it?¡± ¡°¡­Where are your own clothes?¡± ¡°In the bag.¡± ¡°All of them? In that small bag?¡± He saw her nod and then she responded as if it were perfectly normal. ¡°I only have two sets of clothes.¡± ¡°Are you a character from a kids manga? ¡­What happened to the money I gave you?¡± ¡°That all went to toward shoes and bike shorts for the track team.¡± He mentally hung his head. ¡­Dammit. He physically hung his head as well before placing his hands on her shoulders. ¡°This was my fault. It really was¡­¡± ¡°Wh-what was? Why are you giving me a look of pity!?¡± She clasped her hands together. ¡°I-I have enough to get by in my school life and the landlady said she would give me some of her clothes from when she was young, s-so I¡¯m doing just fine.¡± In his heart, Harakawa honestly apologized to Heo¡¯s parents who he could never meet. ¡°I was too careless and it¡¯s made you live like a poor person¡­¡± ¡°I-I am not poor. What about me makes you say that!¡± ¡°How about¡­all of you?¡± ¡°Eh? Eh?¡± She grew flustered and he sighed. He thought about the contents of his wallet and then noticed she was barefoot. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go. There¡¯s got to be a cheap clothing store around here somewhere.¡± ¡°Eh? Wh-why?¡± ¡°If you show up in that red track suit, it¡¯ll cause nothing but unfortunate rumors.¡± For a moment, she only stared at him, unsure what to say, but eventually¡­ ¡°H-Harakawa! I-if you add on an extra expense like this, we won¡¯t have anything to eat and we¡¯ll be a living version of the Dialogue on Poverty! Oh, b-but if that happens, I¡¯ll earn us some money! I¡¯ll help work to support us!¡± ¡°What is the state of our finances in your mind? No, never mind.¡± Harakawa grabbed Heo¡¯s bag. ¡°Buy everything you need with less than ten thousand yen. Including a coat. You¡¯ll be changing into your armored uniform when we arrive, but we¡¯ll be taking the motorcycle. You need something warm to wear.¡± Heo suddenly embraced him from behind. ¡°¡­!?¡± He gasped in confusion and heard her ask a question while clinging to him. ¡°Is this your Christmas present to me!?¡± ¡°¡­No. This is the bare minimum of what you need to be a civilized human being, so I can¡¯t let this count as a Christmas present.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind!¡± You should, thought Harakawa while also feeling depressed that he could not deny how poor they were. But Heo said more while pressing her cheek against his back. ¡°Heh heh. I¡¯m feeling lucky today. My lucky word is destitute! My lucky color is reddish-brown! I hear American UCAT is having a Christmas present lottery to cheer everyone up, but I¡¯m sure I can win something today! Like a Christmas cake!¡± ¡°Win that and you¡¯ll get fat.¡± ¡°D-don¡¯t worry. When I win, I¡¯ll share it with everyone.¡± Talk about counting your chickens before they hatch, silently complained Harakawa. ¡°But thank you so much for wanting me to look nice, Harakawa. Choosing all my own clothes down to the underwear is a first for me.¡± ¡°This is a first for me too, Heo Thunderson. Being so thoroughly misunderstood, that is.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Harakawa reached a hand behind his back and tousled her hair. ¡°Well, as long as your brain is happy, Heo Thunderson. This is far better than the night before last, so try to always keep the following mindset.¡± He took a breath. ¡°This will be a happy night no matter what happens.¡± ¡°Where do you think my happiness is?¡± A sleepy boy spoke at a table. He rested his tired face on a table in the back of an underground dining hall with ¡°US UCAT Yokota Base¡± written on the white wall. A foreign man in glasses looked his way. ¡°Hiba, to be honest, I feel like the two of us live in similar circumstances.¡± ¡°R-really, Roger-san!? You¡¯re just as unnaturally unlucky as I am!?¡± Hiba perked up and Roger pushed his glasses up his nose. ¡°Well, not as much as you,¡± said the man quietly. ¡°Th-then that¡¯s no good at all! You¡¯re just pretending to understand me! Oh, I just wish I could distance myself from the world like some kids these days!¡± ¡°I believe the world is already keeping its distance from you whether you like it or not.¡± ¡°Wh-what are you talking about!? Unlike my upperclassmen, I¡¯m a pretty normal person!¡± Then you¡¯re aware how close you are to being an abnormal person? wondered Roger. After all, the main force of Team Leviathan was made up of inhuman people with carnal thought processes who were constantly intoxicated on the trippy narcotics produced in their own brains. But the truly frightening part was how none of them were aware of it. The truly insane were always insane to the core, so¡­ ¡­They have no idea how crazy they are. For that reason, they were convinced they were as normal as the people around them. Hiba had called himself a ¡°pretty normal person¡±, but he was using the worst possible examples to compare himself to. Your average crazy had no chance in the face of Team Leviathan. Roger was impressed that Hiba could call himself only ¡°pretty normal¡± when compared to them, but he also decided to keep his distance. ¡°Um, Roger-san? What are you sitting there thinking about?¡± ¡°My apologies. I was thinking about how best to protect myself.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ I¡¯m not sure what you mean, but it must be tough.¡± After the immediate threat commiserated with him, Roger decided to change the subject. ¡°Where is your partner?¡± ¡°Oh, Mikage-san¡¯s asleep. She didn¡¯t get much sleep last night.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°She apparently can¡¯t sleep well without her usual pillow.¡± Roger guessed the ¡°apparently¡± was because they had been in different rooms. Mikage would have been using the empty room for a female officer located next to the medical room while Hiba would have been on the top bunk of a room for six male personnel. And before he had gone to sleep, his roommates had said the following to him: ¡°Hey, boy. We have three things to tell you before lights out.¡± ¡°Eh? But I brushed my teeth and did my homework.¡± ¡°No, no, no. Not that. First, this room is for bachelors. Second, we have all of our equipment so we can be deployed at any moment. And that includes night vision goggles.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°And finally, one of us in here is gay.¡± That was when the lights were turned out. Roger had not checked whether that was a tasteful American joke or not, but he did know Hiba had not gotten a wink of sleep. Then again, there was another reason Hiba and Mikage had not gotten much sleep. ¡°We didn¡¯t get to bed until after fixing the destroyed runway¡­¡± Hiba yawned as he lay his head on the table. ¡°Mixing concrete in the late December chill is hellish work. And I didn¡¯t get to take my bath or shower with Mikage-san.¡± ¡°Tes. I do not know about the bath, but you destroyed the runway yourself. That was your own fault.¡± Then Roger tilted his head. ¡°But why didn¡¯t you use Susamikado when repairing the runway?¡± ¡°Because if I used Susamikado to mix the concrete, the feedback would make Mikage-san¡¯s hands all rough.¡± ¡°It must be tough,¡± said Roger this time. Hiba must have been used to hearing that because he smiled without nodding. ¡°I had her watch since I couldn¡¯t have her help me, but¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± Hiba answered Roger¡¯s question with a sleepy nod. A serious look came to his face and he clenched his fists on the table. ¡°You see¡­ When Mikage-san was crouching down in her winter gear with the nighttime scenery behind her, she was just so, so, sooo cute! She was wearing so many layers she looked really round! A-and she was holding a can of coffee in both hands! ¡­Isn¡¯t that great!? Isn¡¯t it!?¡± Roger decided not to argue with someone who had bags under his eyes. ¡­Calm down. Calm down, Roger. This is what they call a jab. A careless response will drag you into it. Perhaps to fight back against his memories of the previous night, Hiba crouched down on top of his chair to mimic Mikage. He grabbed a virtual can between his hands, focused his eyes on the empty air, and said things like ¡°Ryuuji-kun?¡± or ¡°Isn¡¯t it cold?¡± And then¡­ ¡°It¡¯s so wonderful! It¡¯s like¡­ahh! I can¡¯t express it in words!¡± Please. Please stop trying to demonstrate it with your actions. Roger considered getting up from his seat. The other people in the dining hall were gradually focusing in their direction, so if he did not escape soon, he would be seen as no different from the boy in front of him who was putting on a one-man-play. ¡­But¡­ He had a feeling that moving put him at risk of being attacked by this sleep-deprived mental beast. As Roger hesitated, sleepy Hiba opened his eyes wide and hung his head. ¡°A-and you know what else? Sh-she¡¯ll go like this and shrink down against the wind. She looks a little displeased, but she endures it in silence! It¡¯s so lovely! A-and she did the exact same thing back at November 15, 2003, 4:18:21! And¡­¡± Oh, thought Roger. It might already be too late. Suddenly, a stir ran through the dining hall. Just as he wondered why, someone stepped out from the corridor. It was a girl with black hair and white pajamas. It was Mikage. With slippers on her feet and a pillow under her right arm, she looked around sleepily. She could not hide the sleepiness in the loosely focused eyes she turned left and right. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± She finally spotted who she was looking for. She stared at Hiba and Roger¡¯s table for a few seconds and everyone¡¯s gazes gathered on them during that time. That girl had the strongest god of war not just in Team Leviathan but in the entire world. Some relief appeared on her slack expression and she walked over. The sound of her slippers was surprisingly steady. ¡°¡­Ryuuji-kun.¡± ¡°Yes! And you know what else!? When the can was empty, she set it down on the asphalt and spun it like a top for fun! Why is someone like her in this filthy place? It¡¯s full of rotten bachelors with one predatory gay one mixed in. And I know I¡¯m saying some awful things because I¡¯m so sleepy, but there¡¯s no way Mikage-san would really be here. This must be a hallucination!¡± ¡°Hallucination?¡± ¡°Wow! Even the hallucination¡¯s voice is cute!!¡± After celebrating, Hiba mimicked Mikage¡¯s current tone of voice and movements. ¡°Hallucination?¡± Three seconds passed. ¡°Ah, that didn¡¯t sound anything like her! If only it did, I could enjoy her all on my own!¡± Everyone started giving him truly pitying looks, but Roger did not. He knew this boy was capable of much more. But as the boy gave odd shouts on his own, Mikage grabbed his hand. She passed her black hair through his fingers, wrapped it around the fingers, and had him tug lightly. ¡°Hallucination?¡± Hiba stared at the hair wrapped around his fingers. After about twenty seconds, he jumped down from the chair and stood straight up. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s the real one! I-I¡¯m sorry, Mikage-san! How could I ever mistake the real one for a hallucination!? Even if my hallucinations are really high-def, th-the real deal is still the best! It¡¯s so the best!¡± ¡°Why is it the best?¡± Roger watched as Hiba sweated profusely at Mikage¡¯s innocent smile and question. Hiba hesitated for about three seconds. ¡°W-well¡­because you¡¯re alive!¡± ¡°I see.¡± She took the hand her hair was wrapped around and placed it on her forehead. Then she smiled. ¡°You can touch me too.¡± Roger heard the sounds of weapons being prepared behind him. He looked back and even saw someone practicing their tackle with dynamite wrapped around their stomach and someone swapping out their gun¡¯s ammunition for armor-piercing rounds. Regardless, Mikage sat in the seat next to Hiba. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep without you nearby, Ryuuji-kun.¡± ¡°Y-you can tell if I¡¯m nearby?¡± ¡°Nn,¡± she nodded. Several red dots of laser sights appeared on Hiba¡¯s face, but he only shooed them away like mosquitoes. His focus was on Mikage. ¡°But h-how can you tell? My scent? O-or my charm!? I get it! I¡¯m just overflowing with charm!!¡± ¡°Nn. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. It couldn¡¯t be that, could it!? Why am I saying something Sayama-san would say!?¡± ¡°You get along well.¡± ¡°Kwaaah! You¡¯re horribly mistaken there, but I¡¯ll agree to anything you say! That¡¯s fine by me! ¡­But really, how can you tell I¡¯m nearby?¡± ¡°Nn,¡± replied Mikage. But¡­ ¡°Nnn¡­¡± She may not have known herself, so she glanced up toward the ceiling and searched for the right words. ¡°Well,¡± she said after a while. ¡°Toshi always notices when you try to peep on me, right? She puts on a headband and charges into the bath with a spear to jab into the wall where you¡¯re peeping.¡± ¡°Yes, she attacks from the peephole¡¯s blind spot, so I¡¯ve nearly lost my life a few times there.¡± ¡°Nn. But I think I¡¯m starting to reach that level.¡± What level is that? wondered Roger as Hiba smiled. ¡°Wow! Then next time I try to peep, I have to go for a long-distance naked-eye zoom or you¡¯ll notice!?¡± Roger stayed silent and someone tapped his shoulder from behind. Before he could turn around, he was passed a small memo. ¡°Why do people insist on peeping?¡± Roger wrote back a reply to that philosophical question. ¡°I do not want to know.¡± If he gave a careless answer, he would end up known as someone who understood that boy. But,¡± he thought. Does this make me a boring person? But, he also thought. Boring is enough for me. That lifestyle had not steered him wrong yet and god seemed to be testing him lately with all the ridiculous people surrounding him. If he too was an interesting person, then who would support the world? ¡­Yes. He saw himself as the breakwater between the peaceful world and the abnormal world and it reminded him of an event from his childhood. Catherine, a popular girl in their town, had confessed to him and they had dated for three days. But¡­ ¡°You really are boring, Roger.¡± She had then broken up with him. That had felt a lot like what he was currently feeling, but that had been a sad memory. He had prepared a coupon for the suspension bridge he had been planning to take her to on the third day, but he had fed that to the goats and holed up in his room doing jigsaw puzzles for a week. His younger siblings had tried to cheer him up and he could hear their voices again now. That¡¯s right! That¡¯s right, Roger! Roger! Roger! Being ordinary is important! The world wouldn¡¯t work without a ton of people like you! You¡¯re like a human gear! Roger! Roger! That made you feel worse!? Kwaaaahh!!¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± He had clenched his fists and made a quick recovery, but he had sworn to never get along with the abnormal. And the first step to that end was standing up from his seat and facing forward. ¡°¡­?¡± The two of them were sitting in neighboring seats, leaning against each other, and¡­ ¡°¡­¡± They were sleeping. Mikage¡¯s cheek was resting on Hiba¡¯s shoulder as he leaned a bit back in his seat. Roger heard them snoring. ¡°Now, then. Those of us from the second group need to leave for Mitaka in an hour.¡± He relaxed his shoulders, looked up to the ceiling, and spoke in an exasperated tone. ¡°So it is a bit early to fall asleep for the holy night.¡± ¡°Those two sure were fast asleep.¡± Someone spoke in front of a long counter. The person in front of the school¡¯s dining hall counter was a boy in a leather jacket and jeans with a student council armband on. The green armband said ¡°President ¨C Izumo Kaku¡±. He was speaking to a girl working in the cooking area who wore an apron over her uniform. Her uniform had a nametag that said ¡°Kazami¡±. Kazami replied with her back to Izumo and the counter. ¡°They sure are carefree when the world needs them if it¡¯s going to gather together.¡± ¡°Yeah, but this is fine,¡± said Izumo with a bitter smile. ¡°They probably got everything sorted out and stuck everything where it needed to go.¡± ¡°That sounds somehow dirty coming from you.¡± Kazami stopped working to glare over her shoulder, but Izumo did not seem to realize why. She half sighed before continuing. ¡°It¡¯s a little frightening how normal everything is around here.¡± ¡°Oh! So you want me to comfort you!? That sure was a roundabout way of getting to that!!¡± ¡°Die. ¡­Now, about today¡¯s lunch.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s even worse than a flat-out rejection!¡± Kazami raised the Chinese knife in her hand, so Izumo put up his guard. ¡°You know?¡± she began while sighing and lowering her hand. She began chopping some lettuce which made a nice fibrous sound. She could hear the light sound of the knife on the cutting board and she felt the tactile feedback in her hand. ¡°Oh, it gouged into it. This cutting board sure is soft.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard someone call a cutting board ¡®soft¡¯ before.¡± As soon as Izumo said that, Kazami pulled the knife from the board and it slipped from her hand. A moment later, she heard a solid sound from behind her. The entire room had grown quiet, so she slowly looked back. ¡°¡­¡± The knife had stabbed into the shallow crosspiece running along the counter. Just below it, Izumo was frozen in place with his back bent to peek out from behind the counter. She looked to his face two centimeters below the knife. ¡°Oh, sorry, sorry. ¡­Why do you look so nervous?¡± ¡°Y¡¯know¡­¡± he replied while slapping the side of the knife stabbed into the crosspiece. ¡°Are you trying to kill me!?¡± ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon. I wasn¡¯t looking that way and I didn¡¯t have any killer intent. ¡­If you¡¯d died, it would¡¯ve been an accident.¡± She waved a hand and gave him a bitter smile, but he glared at her and grabbed the knife. ¡°Then what¡¯s this knife? Why did it come flying my way?¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± she thought. ¡­Why did it? What am I supposed to say at times like this? she wondered. After a moment, she found the answer, so she opened her mouth. ¡°Well,¡± she said casually. ¡°Because I¡¯m clumsy.¡± Izumo nodded, turned around, raised his hands toward everyone in the dining hall, set the tempo for them, and then lowered his hands to get them all to speak at once. ¡°No!!!! That¡¯s not clumsiness!!!! It¡¯s carelessness!!!!¡± ¡°Oh, come on.¡± She was nearly pushed back, but she held her ground. ¡°Th-this is a common mistake!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Everyone but Izumo fell silent. ¡­Huh? Did I mess up? More than I thought? As those strange phrases entered her heart, she heard whispering voices from the dining hall. ¡°Apparently that¡¯s common for her.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking. Isn¡¯t it great being boring?¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, was the ¡®mistake¡¯ the fact that she threw the knife or the fact that she didn¡¯t hit him with it?¡± The voices spread. After all, there were plenty of UCAT members here too since they had nowhere else to go after the ¡°earthquake¡± two nights before. A lot of them were staying in the shelter set up in the gym, but they got their food here in the dining hall. Izumo reacted to all those voices by glancing behind him. After a bit, he faced her again. ¡°Isn¡¯t that great, Chisato? It looks like they¡¯ve cleared up some of the misunderstandings about you.¡± ¡°That is not ¡®great¡¯!¡± She decided to defend her case and spread her arms to prove her innocence. ¡°Th-this mistake is common between Kaku and me. I¡¯ll accidentally knock him off the roof, try to jump over him while he¡¯s asleep and accidentally knee him in the side of the head, sneeze while cleaning his ears and accidentally jab it on in there, or wake him up in the morning by kicking him out of the bed.¡± ¡°I just realized I go through a lot on a daily basis.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m starting to think I should probably apologize.¡± Kazami pulled the knife from the crosspiece, stood within arm¡¯s reach of Izumo, gently tapped her shoulder with the back of the glistening knife, and put on a slight smile. ¡°Sorry, okay?¡± ¡°Th-that just makes me feel less safe!¡± Kazami frowned when everyone in the dining hall nodded in agreement. ¡°Th-then how am I supposed to apologize?¡± ¡°Putting down the knife would be a great start, so how about it?¡± She did as she was told and started removing the apron too. ¡°Wait, Chisato! Leave the apron on!¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re into some weird things.¡± She glared at him and he averted his gaze for some reason. ¡°N-n-n-n-no, I was just thinking you should continue working is all.¡± ¡°Oh? ¡­And you like that?¡± He crossed his arms at her casual question. ¡°Well¡­¡± he groaned. ¡°I guess I might be for it if you¡¯re already doing it, but it isn¡¯t anything I would go out of my way to have you do.¡± ¡°¡­I did not expect you to make a serious analysis of that.¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± He held out his hands to stop her and then spoke up in a refreshing voice. ¡°But either way, we can¡¯t do that here! Right?¡± She grabbed knives in each hand, so he took a defensive pose. Everyone behind him took the same pose and began to evacuate. This was the usual scene, so she sighed in the silence left afterwards. ¡°Well, just let me focus on my work. If I¡¯m not done in an hour, I can¡¯t bring it with us.¡± ¡°Hm? We¡¯re not eating that lunch here?¡± ¡°Do you really think everyone¡¯s going to have a proper meal before going to Mitaka?¡± After answering his question with a question, she looked down at her hands. The countertop contained bread with the crust cut off, that crust, some vegetables, and some ham. ¡°We can have a late lunch with everyone.¡± ¡­Although that¡¯s just an excuse to have us all gather together again. Deep down, she felt this might be the last chance for them to do that, so she wanted to take advantage of this time since she had the chance. ¡­I sure am weak. That was when she realized Shinjou had not come to the dining hall even though she had supposedly woken up. She had visited Shinjou and Sayama¡¯s dorm room during the morning of this important day, but the two of them had been asleep. Kazami had said she would be making something in the dining hall and Shinjou had replied with sleepy eyes. ¡°Okay¡­¡± An extended ¡°nn¡± had followed. Shinjou had only panicked about being seen after Kazami had left and closed the door. Shinjou should have visited the dining hall like usual to fix Sayama¡¯s lunch, but she had not done so. Given the time, they might have left for Mitaka already. Either Shinjou or Sayama might be trying to be nice, thought Kazami. Maybe they want to give us time to think and some work to distract us from any needless worries. ¡­But even if so¡­ ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Kazami set back to chopping up the sandwich ingredients. While she was cutting off the bread crust, she began to wonder if she was making this lunch in a forced attempt to make this like ¡°usual¡± times. ¡­But¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t make food for eight without a really good reason.¡± She normally only made enough for herself and Izumo or enough for four at the most, but now she was making enough for eight. Just cutting everything up was three or four times the work. And she would need to add an extra 15% for what she ate to stave off her own hunger. Oh, no. If I keep swinging this knife around, I¡¯ll get all muscular. ¡°Kaku, would you mind helping?¡± ¡°Eh? Why?¡± ¡°To preserve my beauty and your life.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s quite the combination of reasons there.¡± He apparently had no intention of helping. Well, that¡¯s the usual too, she thought with a mental shrug. ¡­The world is continuing like usual, everyone is here like usual, and they¡¯re all doing everything like usual. ¡°Then why am I fighting this unusual battle against eight servings of lunch?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stop, Chisato. Stop and we won¡¯t get any lunch!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said as she resumed working. The work took several times longer than normal. If anyone said it was not any good after all this, she would kick their ass, but she doubted any of those starving people say that. They would scarf it all down disappointingly fast. ¡°Honestly¡­¡± Preparing lunch for everyone on her own made her think of something. ¡°Am I everyone¡¯s mother?¡± ¡°Yeah, except for one. I¡¯d be the dad.¡± Izumo said it so casually that her heart skipped a beat. She kept her back turned so he would not notice. ¡°Um¡­¡± I need to change the subject. Maybe about who should be on next year¡¯s student council or about tonight. Umm, umm¡­ ¡°Hey, Kaku, these sandwiches are a lot of work, so could you at least prepare the meat and bread?¡± As soon as she said that, Izumo began doing an impression of her father. ¡°Wow, mama! We get your special sandwiches today!? Papa¡¯s feeling needlessly motivated now!! ¡­How was that, Chisato!?¡± Filled with needless motivation of her own, Kazami threw a knife his way. ¡°This is a holy day, so be quiet!¡± ¡°A holy day, huh?¡± Shinjou spoke on the station platform. She was on the western end of Mitaka Station¡¯s first platform. A leisure table and some chairs were set up behind her as she stood alone in her armored uniform. Sayama had left the station to check on the plans for that night. She was the only one here and it had only taken her a few minutes to set up the table. ¡°I should have brought a book or something¡­¡± Unsure what to do, she peered out in front of the station. She could sense the coming battle there. She could even see fighter jets with folded-up wings on the main road at the center of all the large green military vehicles. Among it all, she could see people in blue, white, and black armored uniforms, as well as¡­ ¡°Christmas preparations¡­¡± Everything inside the concept space would have its destruction percentage increased if it was destroyed, which would affect the version outside the concept space, so they were not allowed to remove or damage structures unless it was necessary for combat. By the time she had arrived and changed into her armored uniform, a young member of American UCAT had been undergoing a summary trial for the crime of property damage. The charge was simple and it had to do with the fried chicken restaurant in front of the station. ¡­That Otaky Fried Chicken¡¯s Colonel Otaky was dressed in a Santa outfit, but he stripped the colonel naked. The summary trial applied the Code of Hammurabi using a majority vote, so the accused was currently standing naked in front of the restaurant. They had taken pity and allowed him to keep his socks on, but that seemed to make it even more bizarre to Shinjou. And at the same time¡­ ¡­Sayama-kun did something bad again. It had happened just as the judgment was made. He had nonsensically said ¡°I see¡± before crouching down in front of her. ¡°Now, then.¡± He had touched the lower stomach part of her armored uniform. ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Before she could react, he had made his next move. He had removed the front latch on the white part protecting her between the legs. With a small metallic sound, the flexible white armor usually attached to the front of the left and right hip parts peeled away due to its own weight. ¡°Eh? Eh?¡± She had watched helplessly as the white material seemed sucked in between her legs while pulled by the attachments on the butt side. It had moved like a swing and her hands had been unable to keep up. ¡­Eh? Ah, wait! Once she had remembered she only wore defensive stockings below there, she had come back to her senses. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± She had blushed and quickly closed her knees. Placing her hands between her legs had been both a good and bad move. She had managed to cover herself, but the flexible white armor had been hard to grab as it dangled from her butt like a bandage and (more importantly) she could not kick the idiot in front of her. Speaking of that idiot¡­ ¡°Now, Shinjou-kun! Will you punish me!?¡± After some thought, she had realized she could keep her knees together for a flying knee kick. That had added a new move to her repertoire. Luckily, everyone had written it off as ¡°the usual¡± and paid little attention. She had wanted to complain that they neither helped her nor said anything to Sayama, but gathering too much attention would have been embarrassing. ¡­This really is how things usually go, isn¡¯t it? The depth of her sighs simply would not decrease. Still, things were moving around her and time was passing. She could hear the vehicles moving on the road and the aircraft passing by overhead. According to the clock in front of the station, it was currently just before two in the afternoon. They had seven hours until they had to start moving. ¡­That¡¯s when we¡¯ll settle everything. She started to say something about that, but¡­ ¡°¡­¡± She found she could not say anything. Everyone was doing what they had to do and placing great fulfillment behind themselves. But¡­ ¡­Something still seems lacking. But she was not quite sure what. Nothing actually was missing, so she wondered if she was simply spoiled. ¡°It is true a lot of good things have happened lately.¡± I really am spoiled, she complained with a bitter smile. ¡­Who would have thought I could ever think that? She felt she and the environment around her really had changed. Not even a year had passed since that moment in the spring. This time last year, she had never imagined this would have happened or she would feel like this. It was all so unexpected. ¡­Oh. Something like a word filled her heart. It was like finding something at the bottom of some cold water, but she felt some heat in it. ¡°I know what this is¡­¡± It¡¯s my emotions, she thought. Her emotions had begun to move and had filled her with heat, so¡­ ¡°Now that I know that heat, I don¡¯t want to let them cool back down¡­¡± Before, she had been neither hot nor cold. And the one who had taught her she held this heat inside was someone who held a biting chill inside. He could be cold, but in his depths, he never, ever froze over. The current kept moving, it never soaked through and vanished, and it felt like it would drop to the greatest depths if left alone. They had made it this far together. ¡°¡­Did I make a horrible mistake?¡± As she muttered those words, she heard a sound. It was an electronic sound mimicking a music box. It came from the Christmas decorations at the stores in front of the station. The music would play at set intervals and it seemed two in the afternoon was one of those times. She could not hear it very well with so many people and vehicles moving around, but it definitely reached her. It began with Jingle Bells, then a song asking Santa Claus to hurry, and finally¡­ ¡°A hymn¡­¡± The intro set her heart in motion and that feeling escaped as a voice. ¡°Silent night, Holy night ¡°All¡¯s asleep, one sole light, ¡°Just the faithful and holy pair, ¡°Lovely boy-child with curly hair, ¡°Sleep in heavenly peace ¡°Sleep in heavenly peace¡± The music ended after the first verse, but her throat trembled as if asking it to continue. Yes, she thought. I¡¯m glad I have words. The uncertain thing in her heart could not be accurately expressed in writing or song, but if she could use words to inspire similar feelings, she could share this uncertain thing. So¡­ ¡­I want to share it. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± She was not someone who simply gained something. Most likely¡­ ¡­I want to share what I gain. If she lacked something now, it was that. The more emotions one felt, the more they wanted to share what they had felt. There was no limit to that and that sense of lack was created specifically when one had everything they needed. It may have been the ultimate form of being spoiled. But her precious person was a representative for the entire world, so¡­ ¡°It¡¯s the ultimate form of supply.¡± As opposites, they fulfilled the duality of supply and demand. She smiled at that realization and heard a voice behind her. ¡°Shinjou-kun.¡± It was Sayama¡¯s voice and his footsteps followed. ¡°The others have arrived. And just when we were going to do some flirting too.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she said while holding the platform railing. The footsteps and voice approached from behind. It was the usual way of things, but¡­ ¡­Surely¡­ Surely everyone¡¯s ¡°usual way of things¡± contained a relationship like this. They had a reason to feel lacking specifically because they were fulfilled. And because of that¡­ ¡°We decide to be with each other in a way that isn¡¯t satisfied with simply being together forever.¡± She muttered under her breath and turned around. The station platform was not in its usual state. Everyone stood there in armored uniforms. It was all the usual people. Kazami and Izumo carried a bucket together. Hiba and Mikage looked somewhat sleepy. Heo and Harakawa held a box with fancy wrapping. All of the others were apparently here too. And Sayama approached her. ¡°Now, let us have a late lunch, Shinjou-kun.¡± He grabbed his outstretched hand with her own and she took a step toward him. This was the usual way of things. It was their precious ¡°usual¡± that would continue to allow them to gain things and share them with each other. They had done this in the past, they were doing it now, and they would surely continue to do so in the future. She faced her precious person in that group she would never grow tired of. ¡­I¡¯ll always take his hand like this, and¡­ She would take a step forward alongside him. So¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Shinjou did so now as well. She hoped that doing so would allow her to share what she felt in her heart.